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Race No. 2 – 54th Annual Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, February 26, 2012

[media-credit name=”daytonainternationalspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”288″][/media-credit]Happy Birthday to Me!

This year’s Great American Race happens to fall on my quarter-century milestone, and what a better way to spend my birthday than with some 200 mph high octane pack racing! My living room will be transformed into a pit of NASCAR fans on Sunday afternoon, but could never rival the ‘stadium-seating’ that was brought in during my brother’s collegiate days in the Delta Sigma Phi house at Clarkson University. This was hands-down the coolest Daytona 500 party I was ever able to (and will probably ever) attend, however I am excited for this year’s racing season to formally kick-off on Sunday.

In an effort to expand the sport’s following I’ve decided to share my Daytona 500 this Sunday with some non-NASCAR/non-racing fans. My living room will be full on Sunday of half die hard’s and half newbies; the die hard’s pleading their case on why each of their drivers are the best and cheer for. Nonetheless, it will be exciting to watch the action in my living room and exciting to see the pack duke it out for one of the most prestigious crowns in all of motorsports.

Bud Shootout Recap

Just like each restrictor plate race, last weekend’s Bud Shootout turned out to be a roll of the dice. It’s either feast of famine with these races, and I (just like most fantasy players) ended up on the short end of the stick when the dust settled last Saturday Night.

My Dark Horse pick wasn’t really a Dark Horse because he does have 2 wins at Daytona, but like I said last week, the criteria for entrance to the Bud Shootout doesn’t yield many Dark Horses in general. Jamie Mac found the front quickly last week in the first segment, reaching the point just four laps in. He showed that the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet would be a contender all night, leading a total of 5 times for 11 of the 75 laps. My misfortune came on the final lap of the Bud Shootout last week when McMurray was collected in a multi-car incident, which sent the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon for a wild ride on his roof, netting McMurray a 16th-place finish when all was said and done.

My Winner Pick last week is the guy that can “see the air” on the Superspeedways (despite the fact that he hasn’t won in 3 years). Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a fan of the way the racing has morphed back to the pack at Daytona, “I like it better. The closing rate is a little fast. Guys will go flying backwards and forwards. I think we made a lot of great improvements don’t get me wrong. I think we have really made a lot of great improvements and I have more of my destiny in my hands in this type of racing.” said Jr. following his Bud Shootout efforts.

Despite being a bit more comfortable behind the wheel on Saturday Night, Dale Jr couldn’t make it through a lap 55 incident that collected his No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet. Jr. finished 20th and I finished the weekend looking like a buffoon.

Daytona 500 Picks

With complete disregard for claiming to know what I am talking about, I’ve decided to make my picks a little bit differently this week…
It is probably not a great idea because of Ford’s complete dominance of Daytona 500 practice and qualifying sessions, but I would like to have a little fun this weekend for my birthday and also bring in some outside help in making my picks.

Because of my rocky start last week, and the complete craps-shoot it is to choose a driver to win a restrictor plate race, I’ve decided to make my picks based off a total random draw. My picks this week will be based off my girlfriend’s random draw of playing cards (0-9), and I will provide historical data and insight as to why that driver stands a chance to take the Checkered Flag on Sunday Afternoon.

So using Price is Right rules, I will have my girlfriend Casey select four cards at random, and the closest driver (by car number) to the cards selected (without going over of course) will be the drivers I will pick this week for Matty’s Picks.

Here’s a photo of the draw:

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Dark Horse Pick

Via random draw (and a pre-determined list of possible Dark Horses and Winners), Casey selected the 10 of Spades (0) and the 6 of Diamonds. So on the nose for the Dark Horse this week is a Roush Fenway Racing driver that everyone can agree on as a Dark Horse, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Not much Sprint Cup history here for my Dark Horse pick, as Stenhouse will make just his second start in the Sprint Cup series on Sunday, but based off his practice speeds, it looks like Casey didn’t do too bad picking my Dark Horse this week.

Last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion didn’t stretch his points lead when it came to the three races on Superspeedways in 2011, (8th at Daytona in February, 38th at Talladega in April, and 28th back at Daytona in July), but his practice speeds for this year’s Daytona 500 have been nothing to frown at. He was 12th quick in the first practice session, 14th in the second, his highest mark on the leaderboard came in the third practice session, and his most recent efforts landed him seventh in the sixth session earlier today.

I’m not emptying my bank account on Stenhouse for Sunday’s race, but with his Roush-Fenway FR9 Ford Fusion looking strong in practice, I will not count him out just yet.

Winner Pick

Casey selected the Ace of Clubs and the Deuce of Spades when it came down to my winner pick, and via Price Is Right rules, (with no driver in the No. 12 car) this would bring us to the No.13 of Casey Mears. I’m not sure that Mears is shown on anyone’s list of ‘Winner Picks’, so I will bypass that pick and head for the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet of Tony Stewart.

Now how can I be mad at the random draw of the No. 14 car this week? Coming off a second-place (closest finish of the Bud Shootout by the way) in last Saturday’s race at Daytona, and a win in the first of the two Dual races Thursday, what is there not to like? Yes, I know he’s not in an FR9, but really, what is there not to like about this pick?

Smoke will be making his 14th start in the Great American Race on Sunday, a race that has evaded him 13 times before. Despite being winless in the big dance, Smoke has tallied an impressive 16 victories at the World Center of Racing including:
3 – Sprint Cup wins in the July race
3 – Bud Shootout Wins
2 – Gatorade Dual Wins
2 – International Race of Champions (IROC) Wins
6 – NASCAR Nationwide Series Wins

This Stewart-Haas racing team is so confident in their chances that after his win on Thursday, Stewart came across the radio and said “Keep it clean, please“. Spotter Bob Jeffrey added “Don’t put anything on our race car. That’s going to be the Daytona 500 winner.”

Seriously, what’s not to like about this? He’s starting third on Sunday and has a race record that rivals anyone in history…

That’s it for this week. I’d like to thank Casey for her help with my picks this week and until next time, you stay classy NASCAR NATION!

February 24, 2012
Science, Skill and Lady Luck Decide Shootout Winner

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]Last nights Budweiser Shootout was an incredible display of talent and mayhem with the return to pack racing. We all learned something. We learned that packs breed multi-car wrecks. But wait we learned that tandems cause wrecks too. So when we look at it what we really learned is that speed causes wrecks. However, I can’t think of a single fan that I have talked to that would want to see them go to racing 4 cylinders. Not that that would matter they would find a way to make them lightening fast anyways.

The Shootout was marred by 5 caution flags for a total of 22 laps including one red flag situation for Jeff Gordon’s roll over, 25 cars started the race, 13 cars finished the race, 10 on the lead lap at the end and approximately 6 of those were undamaged.

Even with those stats in hand, the drivers were happy with the return to pack racing. “I actually had fun racing at Daytona again which I haven’t had for a while, so I’m really, really appreciative to the work that NASCAR has done in the off-season and the test session and even after the test of the changes that they made to try to make it better for us out there,” Tony Stewart said. “I had more fun as a driver tonight than what we’ve had in the past.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr, whose night ended early when Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose got together taking out 6 of the top 10, had been a very vocal detractor of the tandem racing echoed Stewart’s sentiments, “I liked (this package) better. At least I know what to expect. I feel like I have a better chance with this style than what I had last year. These cars have massive closing rate. When you get out front your car just bogs down, and they come flying by you. You just really have to be on your toes, because they get to you really quick. There’s really no place to block. When guys would catch up with me, I wouldn’t try to block… we just raced it out. But I feel really happy with all the work NASCAR has done in the off-season. It can get better, and I hope they strive to improve. But they should be excited about what they saw tonight.”

But perhaps the most tremendous part of the show was the display of talent put on by Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. Busch made three miraculous saves in the course of the event. Saving cars that most competitors would have lost. “There are a lot of guys that wouldn’t have caught that. He did a fantastic job with that save,” Stewart said of Busch. “I’m sitting there and the green is still out. I’m like, ‘Man, that’s the coolest save I’ve seen in a long time.’ ” “I don’t know how many times I spun out but didn’t spin out,” Busch exclaimed. “Amazing race. I’m glad to be standing in victory lane – starting off the year right, hopefully.”

Stewart who lead for 7 laps at the end of the race lost the race late off of turn-4 when Busch set up and perfectly executed the old school sling shot move into the tri-oval. Pulling even with Stewart the drag race was on. At the line it would be Kyle Busch by the closest margin in Bud Shootout history .013 seconds.

When asked what position he would have rather been in Stewart responded, “First, I was just happy that I was in the pairing at the end, to be up there. But I think history shows that you want to be that second guy I think in all reality. Especially here, it just seems like for some reason you can make that move here. Talladega for some reason, it seems like you make the move, the start/finish line being further around the tri-oval, almost seems like it’s too early when you make it. It just seems like that second spot is kind of the one you want to be in.”

Busch stated he was not concerned with the move out of four, “He knew he was a sitting duck as soon as we got clear of everybody. It was over. He knew who the winner was. I’m trying to think of a better way to explain it. That’s what it was. If I would have been in his spot, I would have known, too. The car behind has the momentum because you’re pushing the car in front. You can use the side draft and get by him. The only thing I could have screwed up on is if I would have gone low, and Stewart forced me below the yellow line, I could have gotten posted for that, so it’s a good thing I went high.”

But Stewart was not without his show of skill as well. Running back in the pack when the first caution flew, Stewart sliced and diced his way thru the carnage like a skilled surgeon removing a growth from a bundle of nerves. Though he picked up debris and felt that he had tire going down, Stewart’s race car was intact. With the break coming up the minor adjustment needed to improve it to race contender was merely a matter of patiently waiting for that yellow flag to fly.

The Shootout has always been an exciting test session. It has always been full of wrecks and blown up cars. But the last couple of years it had become dreary and weary. The work that NASCAR has done in the off season restored it’s excitement. No I still don’t like wrecks. But what I did like was the fact that a 4-time champion ended up on his roof and crawled out with a scratched finger. Scratched not cut. What I did like was that Kevin Harvick was able to drive to his garage with out injury even though the Budweiser Chevy was badly damaged and on fire all around him. He was unhurt and climbed from the car amidst a cloud of extinguisher fluid. What I did like was that a tandem of cars pulled away at the end but this time it was to race for the prize not to share it.

Is the package perfect? No. But NASCAR didn’t say it was. Are there issues with cooling systems and spoilers and bumpers and lots of other factors? Sure there are. But lets be honest here folks there always has been. Too fast they fly. Too slow they can’t get away. Too hot they blow up. Too cool they are too fast. It’s a vicious puzzle of check and balance and sacrificing one thing to ensure another. Frankly, Kudos to John Darby and Robin Pemberton and all the NASCAR engineers that worked their butts off to give the fans and the drivers what they wanted and what they asked for.

Congratulations and thanks to Kyle Busch on his victory in the Bud Shootout. Incredible display of an incredible amount of talent. Kudos to Tony Stewart on starting his championship reign with honesty and class. Also a big shout out to HMS chassis department and safety engineers absolutely awesome job folks! There was a time when God forbid the 24’s wreck would have had tragic results. Finally, allow me to say it was awesome to see Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and the 88 National Guard/Diet Mtn Dew team lead the race and being a strong contender!

That said, to all the competitors in the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

February 19, 2012
NASCAR 2012 Season Predictions

[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]*Kevin Harvick’s wife DeLana gives birth to a healthy baby boy on July 14^th. The couple refuses an anonymous $1,000,000 offer to name the baby “Jimmy John,” as well as an anonymous $2,000,000 offer to name the baby “Kyle Hates.” Instead, the Harvick’s name the child “Richard Childress Harvick.”

Then in July during an incident in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway garage area, Kyle Busch is punched by a “Richard Childress” for the second time in less than a year when young Harvick nabs Busch trying to steal candy from a baby.

Kevin Harvick finishes the season with four wins and finishes fourth in the final Sprint Cup standings.

*Brad Keselowski leads at the halfway point of the Daytona 500, earning the $200,000 bonus, and tweets about it as he speeds around the 2.5 mile oval at over 200 miles per hour. NASCAR is not too pleased, and true to their commitment to abolishing secret fines, announces a $25,000 fine for Keselowski on Twitter.

*Kurt Busch, in his new ride for Phoenix Racing, is the laughingstock of the NASCAR garage, and this time, it has nothing to do with his ears. Busch remains bewildered as to the reasons of the laughter, that is, until Roger Penske, a Greek mythology aficionado, explains to Busch the legend of the Phoenix, a mythical firebird that builds a nest, then burns the nest and itself to a pile of ashes, after which a new Phoenix emerges.

Busch is oblivious to the connection, and says he’s never burned a nest, but does cop to burning several bridges.

*Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon begins the “Drive For Five,” the 11^th installment of his annual quest for his fifth Sprint Cup title.

Hendrick Motosports teammate Kasey Kahne simultaneously begins his own “Drive For 5,” as he takes over the No. 5 car driven by Mark Martin. Kahne’s first order of business in his new car is to adjust the seat. His second order of business is to squelch the retirement rumors inherent in driving the No. 5.

*In honor of the deal with Stewart Haas Racing that ensures Danica Patrick a starting spot in the season’s first five races, the Bradford Exchange offers the “Danica Patrick Silver Platter” collectible edition place settings. Each plate is hand-crafted, and comes with a matching spoon, as well as a GoDaddy.com napkin holder.

Patrick starts 29^th in the Daytona 500, and finishes 39^th after a wreck with Robby Gordon sends her to the garage, where a miffed Gordon demands an apology, and a refund for some worthless merchandise he hastily purchased.

*Boris Said wins the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24^th, slipping by Marcos Ambrose on the final lap. In the post-race press conference, Said Shockingly announces his retirement from racing in order to pursue his true love, rock and roll. Said introduces his band, the “Said Heads,” featuring Said on vocals, Boris Heard on guitar, Boris Smelled on bass, Boris Tasted on drums, and Boris Felt on keyboards.

The “Said Heads” first single, “Greg Biffle Needs A Friggin’ Whoopin,’ And I’m Going To Give It To Him,” debuts at Number 198 on Billboards Top 200 modern rock tracks, and the band later embarks on a Japanese tour opening for Slipknot and GWAR.

*The pairing of Denny Hamlin and new crew chief Darian Grubb is an instant success, as Hamlin wins three of the season’s first eight races, including back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Texas. An optimistic Hamlin starts thinking about winning a championship, while a pessimistic Grubb starts thinking about losing his job.

*Bill Elliott’s pilots his Wal-Mart-sponsored car to a solid 9^th-place finish at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 7^th, a result that proves two things: 1) Elliott’s still got it, and 2) you can still get a 27 cent can of kidney beans at Wal-Mart.

*Carl Edwards wins the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, dominating a race marked by few lead changes and ever fewer cautions. Luckily, massive 2011 road construction projects alleviate traffic issues at the track, allowing fans speedy egress from the Sparta facility, resulting in some of the weekend’s best racing.

Edwards posts five wins in the season’s first 26 races, and starts the Chase For The Cup in first, and finishes second to Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup title.

*Dale Earnhardt, Jr. snaps his winless streak by winning the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega on May 6^th, starting from the pole and leading 198 laps. After a victory lap, Earnhardt drives his No. 88 Chevrolet into the infield, where legions of Junior Nation fans, ironically “amped” up on Diet Mountain Dew, lift the 3,400 machine over their heads, as it becomes the first vehicle in history to “crowd surf.”

Earnhardt doesn’t win again until December, when he captures NASCAR’s most popular driver award.

*Kyle Busch sweeps the weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in late August, winning the Camping World Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup races.

Busch celebrates with the slowest victory procession in history, a drive which takes him from Bristol to Mooresville, NC at four miles per hour. There, Busch cruises at a snail’s pace through the winding back roads of rural Iredell County for hours, until a county officer stops him and advises him that “You’ll have to go faster.” A satisfied Busch complies.

*Prior to the Nationwide STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, the Reverend Jesse Jackson voices his protest over the lack of minorities in NASCAR by uttering the phrase “bigotry, bigotry, bigotry” in his invocation, leading to a firestorm of controversy, as well as an Auto-tuned Youtube hit song.

The situation leads to a dialogue between Jackson and Brian France, and the

Simpleminded NASCAR chairman agrees to make changes, starting the following week in Indianapolis, where France taps the Black Keys to perform before the race.

*Columbia Pictures announces it will film a sequel to Talladega Night: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby titled Talladega Nights 2: The Ballad Of An Entirely Fictional Character Loosely-Based On Tony Stewart. A clean-shaven Zack Galifianakis is tapped to play the title role, and immediately begins a strict dietary regimen to gain 15 pounds for the role.

*Dale Earnhardt, Jr. adopts the phrase “One In ‘12” as the official rallying cry in his quest to capture his first Sprint Cup championship. However, after a late-season slump leaves him in 15^th place in the points standings, “One In 12” quickly becomes Earnhardt’s rallying cry for simply making the Chase.

*It takes three months for Matt Kenseth to earn his first win of the season, a victory at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, and another two months for people to start caring.

*Jimmie Johnson, feeling that he needs a change, shaves his signature beard and grows a Fu Manchu mustache, which affords him a more serious and sinister look. Johnson becomes the most-feared driver at autograph signings, as well as on the track, where his newfound persona rankles many drivers, including Joey Logano, who is envious of any type of facial hair.

Johnson wins his sixth Cup title with a masterful performance in the Chase, winning four races and wrapping up the title at Phoenix on November 11^th.

February 9, 2012
NASCAR Nationwide Series May Be The One to Watch in 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 22, 2012
Sprint Cup: Crew Chief Changes for 2012

Shane Wilson has been named the crew chief of the No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s team with driver Kevin Harvick for the 2012 season. Wilson has previously been with the No. 33 team of Clint Bowyer for the past three seasons. Gill Martin, who has been with the No. 29 team since May 2009, has been named director of team operations.

Wilson and Harvick have worked together in 2006 to earn 10 wins, 24 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes in the Nationwide series en-route to winning the championship. The team had an 824-point margin of victory, creating a new series record.

Steve Addington, the No. 22 crew chief for the 2011 season, is taking his talent to the No. 14 team of Tony Stewart for the 2012 season. Addington has served as crew chief for Bobby Labonte (2005), J.J. Yeley (2006-2007), Kyle Busch (2008-race No. 33 of 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010-2011) during his Sprint Cup career. Twelve wins were scored with Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing and four wins with Brother Kurt during while working with Penske Racing.

It came as a bit of a shock when Stewart’s crew chief Darian Grubb announced at Homestead that he was released from the team at the end of the 2011 season. The news of him leaving Stewart-Haas came shortly after he led the team to winning the Championship. As of now, Grubb has not announced what team he will be with next year.

The garage rumors say that he may rejoin his former co-workers at Hendrick Motorsports, possibly as a crew chief for one of the team’s four cars. Team owner Rick Hendrick told reporters during a teleconference Monday morning that his crew chief lineup is set for 2012. However, Hendrick did admit to making Grubb another offer to rejoin the team.

Rumors have been confirmed this week that Drew Blickensderfer will join Richard Childress Racing next year to crew chief the No. 31 team with driver Jeff Burton. Luke Lambert, interim crew chief during the closing weeks of the 2011 season, will remain at RCR in a yet-to-be announced position.

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Blickensderfer is leaving Roush Fenway racing after nearly ten years with the team, most recently as the crew chief of the No. 6 team with driver David Ragan.

November 29, 2011
Surprising and Not Surprising: Homestead Ford 400

In a championship battle between two drivers separated by a mere three points going into the race, it was no surprise that Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford and Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, participated in a battle of epic proportions that did not end until the checkered flag flew.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the final race of the 2011 season, the 13^th annual running of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Surprising: While NASCAR Chairman Brian France wanted a ‘Game 7’ moment, it was most surprising that this race was not only that, but also an amazing story of comeback, guts and determination.

From a hole in the grille to a fuel mileage gamble, several rain delays, and pit problems causing him to have to pass over 116 cars, Tony Stewart seemingly battled every element known to man to win the race, his 44^th in 464 Cup races, as well as the championship.

Stewart actually tied in championship points with Edwards, 2403 to be exact, but won the tie-breaker due to his five wins. Doing just what he needed to do, Stewart, principal of Stewart-Haas Racing, became just the second owner/driver since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to score the coveted championship.

Stewart is the seventh champ to win the season finale in his championship run. This was Smoke’s third championship, the others coming in 2002 and 2005.

Stewart also becomes the ninth driver to win three or more championships, joining drivers Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty and Cale Yarborough, all of whom are Hall of Famers or nominees for the Hall.

“I felt like when we took the white flag, that I could do what I needed to do,” Stewart said. “To be able to fight our way up there, what a dream come true.”

“As far as the owner’s side, it was more important to me to get Gene (Haas) that championship,” Stewart continued. “That’s a big deal in this sport. I’m so proud that we were able to get him up on that stage.”

“I’m in awe,” team owner Gene Haas said of his driver. “I think Tony proved he’s the greatest driver in the world today.”

Not Surprising: Although exuding total class, as well as being the first person to congratulate the race winner and champion, it was not surprising that there was no one at Homestead more disappointed than Carl Edwards in coming up short for the Cup.

Yet even in defeat, Edwards was able to at least be a bit philosophical through his disappointment.

“It’s difficult but to put it in perspective, I plan to be here next year and the next year,” Edwards said. “I just appreciate having this opportunity. I feel like I became a better racer through this.”

“This was a very mentally tough thing, from Tony’s win at Martinsville until now,” Edwards continued. “I’ll be tougher next time too. I learned a lot.”

This second place finish was Edwards’ seventh top-10 in eight races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was also his 26^th top-10 finish in 2011, proving that he earned the title of ‘Mr. Consistency’ throughout the season.

Surprising: At a track far from his hometown of Mayetta, New Jersey, it was surprising to see just how well Martin Truex, Jr. ran at Homestead, Florida.

The driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota not only scored the outside pole to begin the race, but finished a strong third in the Ford 400. This was Truex’s fifth top-10 finish in seven races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“It’s a lot of fun when you can run like that,” Truex, Jr. said. “Just proud of everybody for sticking together.”

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Truex Jr. continued. “It’s going to be fun.”

“Everyone here has put such effort into making our cars better,” Truex, Jr. said. “We’ve had a pretty good season and have had fast race cars.”

“If we can take care of a lot of little things this winter, hopefully we will have three cars capable of winning races week in and week out.”

Not Surprising: Matt Kenseth, who has been ultra-steady all season long, did not disappoint and not surprisingly scored a fourth place finish in his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in this year’s race finale.

“It was a good run for us in spite of hitting the wall early,” Kenseth said. “We did all that stuff, we just didn’t have the grip and speed they had.”

“I thought it was Carl’s, to be honest with you,” Kenseth said of his teammate’s championship battle. “He had tires and Tony didn’t, but he just couldn’t quite catch him.”

Surprising: Jeff Burton, admittedly running some experimental set ups in his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, scored a surprising top-10 finish. Even more surprising, Burton achieved his goal of claiming 20^th in the point standings.

“Everyone is working on next year and everybody’s experimenting a little bit,” Burton said. “We’ve done a lot of testing the second half of the year with the 31 car. Really feel like we’ve moved the ball forward.”

“We had a tight battle for 20^th in points,” Burton continued. “I know that doesn’t sound like much but it means something to us. We had a tight battle for bragging rights.”

Not Surprising: While Brad Keselowski’s Cinderella story did not result in a championship, to no one’s surprise, last year’s Nationwide champ finished fifth in points, in spite of his 20^th place finish at Homestead.

“I don’t think anyone really expected that out of us, but I never stopped believing that we could be, you know, a contender and have a lot of fun and do well as a team,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger said. “I think we’ve got a lot to build off of.”

“We’ll work on it, build off it too,” Keselowski continued. “I’m real proud of the effort for the whole team.”

Surprising: Since Jeff Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, seemed to be on a down-hill slide at Chase-end, it was surprising that he was able to bounce back for a top-five run. His finish also propelled him three positions up in the point standings to the eighth spot.

“It was a great day, a top-five, a great year,” Gordon said. “We had three wins, got number 85, and came up short in the Chase, but we look forward to next year and battling it out for the Sprint Cup.”

As a champion himself, Gordon also had nothing but praise for NASCAR’s newest king.

“Congratulations to Tony Stewart, my gosh, what an amazing run he had in these final ten races,” Gordon said. “He has done some incredible things in his career but I’m guessing that this one is going to top them all.”

“He did it in a fashion that everybody dreams of doing.”

Not Surprising: Kasey Kahne, winner of last weekend’s race at Phoenix, continued his good run, finishing seventh for the last time in the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry. Kahne will now take all his marbles and head to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season, replacing Mark Martin.

“I think we had the best car there those couple runs before the final run,” Kahne said. “We were flying. It felt really good and then we just got tight in that final run.”

“It was crazy,” Kahne said of the race and the championship battle. “That’s as close as a championship can be, will ever be. Those two guys both deserve to be champions if you ask me.”

Surprising: While both Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle, have experienced some troubles both on and off the track this season, it was surprising to see just how far they fell, finishing eleventh and twelfth in the points standings respectively.

Kyle Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, not the M&Ms Toyota due to his bad behavior with Ron Hornaday in the Truck race two weeks ago, showed moments of brilliance in the race finale. Busch, however, then faded to finish well back in the back in pack in the 23^rd spot.

Big brother Kurt Busch, driving the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger, had troubles early in the Homestead race when on Lap 4, something broke in the engine. He officially finished 34^th.

“I’ve never been so disappointed in my life,” Kurt Busch said. “I think I missed a race once my rookie year and this almost tops that.”

Not Surprising: As exciting as the 2011 season has been, including the race finale and championship, it is not surprising that all good things must come to an end. In addition to the close of Jimmie Johnson’s reign as champion, other goodbyes, including David Reutimann leaving Michael Waltrip Racing, as well as Red Bull Racing pulling out of the sport, need to be said.

“It’s been a good five years,” Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, said of his run with the team. “We had some ups and downs. The only goal we didn’t accomplish was the championship.”

“I want to thank everyone at Red Bull, Toyota and all the guys for their hard work through the years,” Vickers continued. “This is it.”

“It’s disappointing,” David Reutimann, driver for the final time of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, said. “I love my guys. A lot of these guys have been with me since the Truck Series and have come up with me.”

“I’m going to miss them,” Rooty continued. “It’s certainly a lot more bitter than it is sweet for sure.”

“We think we had a motor problem,” Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, said. “I started getting some warning signs in the way to the pits.”

“We had a fast car but I worked my way up and was having some fun,” Johnson, who finished 32^nd, continued. “Sad way to end the season but it’s racing and we’ll come back next year.”

Speaking of next year, it is most surprising just how quickly this 2011 season has flown. Yet it is not surprising that testing at Daytona and Speedweeks is literally just around the corner.

So, until 2012 brings us all back together at the track, happy holidays and God bless!

November 21, 2011
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Carl Edwards: Edwards chased Kasey Kahne to the finish at Phoenix, but had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Kobalt Tools 500. Edwards remained on top in the Sprint Cup point standings and will take a three-point lead over Tony Stewart to Homestead.

“I would say the Sprint Cup championship is mine too lose,” Edwards said. “That would be inaccurate. It’s not mine to lose; it’s Jimmie Johnson’s. Jimmie had a great run; unfortunately, it’s slowed to a ‘walk.’

“I could win the Cup without a single victory in the Chase. If that happens, I expect NASCAR to react quickly, and hire meth-head Jeremy Mayfield as a consultant, his job being to ‘tweak’ the Chase points system.”

2. Tony Stewart: Stewart led 160 of 312 laps at Phoenix, but had to pit for fuel with 18 laps to go. He worked his way back to the front and finished third, right behind points leader Carl Edwards in second, to stay three points behind. The Sprint Cup championship will be decided next Sunday at Homestead.

“You’ve got me,” Stewart said, “with four wins in the Chase, against Edwards, with not a single win in the Chase. How am I not in the lead, and how am I three points down? How has Edwards pulled that off. I’m mystified. In any case, the Chase For The Cup comes down to ‘Smoke’ versus ‘Smoke And Mirrors.’

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished an uninspired 19^th at Phoenix, and remained third in the point standings, 51 behind Carl Edwards.

“I’m out of the running for the Cup,” Harvick said. “That’s no surprise, because I’ve been driving like it for nine races.

“But with nothing to race for, I can finally take care of some unfinished business. That would be wrecking Kyle Busch and finally gaining vengeance for the incident in Darlington. Alas, no one cares anymore, especially Busch.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson came home 14^th at Phoenix and improved one spot to fifth in the point standings. He now trails Carl Edwards by 68.

“I’m finally giving up the crown,” Johnson said. “So, expect a ‘reign-out’ at Homestead. To Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, I say ‘May the best man win.’ But since I’ve been eliminated from Cup contention, that won’t happen. So, ‘May the next best man win.’”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 18^th in the Kobalt Tools 500, his third straight finish outside the top 17. He improved one spot to fourth in the point standings and is now 68 out of first.

“Expect me to be a fixture in the Chase for years to come,” Keselowski said. “I like what we’re doing at Penske Racing. Despite my young age of 27, I feel like my presence alone has raised the maturity level immensely at Penske. Between Busch and I, it seems he’s the ‘baby’ of the duo.”

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole at Phoenix and was dominant early before Brian Vickers wrecked him on lap 177. Kenseth finished 34^th and is now sixth in the point standings, 70 out of first.

“Somebody give Vickers at mirror,” Kenseth said, “because he better ‘watch himself’ at Homestead.”

7. Kurt Busch: Busch led 57 laps at Phoenix but ran into trouble on lap 279 when came down pit road for a splash of fuel but was tagged for speeding. Forced to serve a pass-through penalty, Busch’s chances at the win were done, and he eventually finished 22^nd, one lap down.

“I was ‘officially’ eliminated from Cup contention twice in one race,” Busch said. “Of course, there’s no one to blame but myself, so I’ll blame everyone but myself.”

8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne captured his first win since 2009, snapping an 81-race winless streak by outrunning Carl Edwards to the line at Phoenix.

“I’ll hate to see Red Bull out of NASCAR,” Kahne said. “That’s a sentiment shared by everyone in the garage, except for Matt Kenseth. Brian Vickers will soon drive off into the sunset. And when I say ‘into’ the sunset, I mean it literally, because Vickers will probably hit it.”

9. Jeff Gordon: Snake bitten first by handling problems, then brake issues, Gordon finished 32^nd at Phoenix and was officially eliminated from Sprint Cup title contention. He is now 11^th in the point standings, 112 out of first.

“It’s been a season I’d like to forget,” Gordon said. “Unfortunately, at my age, and even as a four-time champion, now the ‘seasons to forget’ far outnumber the ‘season’s to remember.’”

10. Kyle Busch: Busch started from the back at Phoenix after an engine change, but his slide continued when his engine blew on lap 188. Busch finished 36^th and is 12^th in the point standings, 135 out of first.

“We suspected we may have engine troubles,” Busch said. “And we were right. Like my sponsor, my engine gave up on me.

“I may be last in the standings, but I can also be ‘first,’ to admit that my anger issues need addressing. I think it wise that I should ‘seek counseling’ for my issues, before my issues force me to ‘seek counsel.’”

November 15, 2011
Surprising and Not Surprising: Kobalt Tools 500

With NASCAR traveling to the ‘Valley of the Sun’ for the next to the last race of the season, it was no surprise that the reconfigured race track was soaked instead with liquid sunshine. Yet, the track dried, veteran racer Adrian Fernandez uttered the four most famous words in racing, and the green flag waved as scheduled.

[media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”221″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 24^th running of the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Surprising: While it was no surprise that PIR was new and improved, with brand new pavement as well as a new track layout, it was surprising to see the new faces that showed up in Victory Lane this weekend.

From the Nationwide race with Sam Hornish Jr. scoring his first ever NASCAR win to young Ryan Blaney, son of Dave Blaney, notching the ‘W’ in the K&N Pro Series West finale, PIR definitely had some fresh-faced winners.

But most surprising was Cup winner Kasey Kahne, scoring his first win since 2009, his first victory of the 2011 season, and his first victory ever at Phoenix International Raceway. Kahne’s victory came in his next to the last ride in his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota.

“It feels great to get a win for Red Bull and get a win in the 4 car,” Kahne said. “To win a race at this level, as competitive as everything is right now, for myself, to see how happy all the pit crew guys were, the guys preparing the race cars at Red Bull, it was pretty cool.”

“Makes you feel pretty good to be a part of that.”

Not Surprising: To no one’s surprise, Carl Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford, and his championship Chase nemesis Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, stalked each other all race long, finishing second and third respectively.

And not surprisingly, thanks to that close finish, the championship will be decided at the final race of the season in Homestead, Florida. Edwards is currently just three points ahead of Smoke going into Ford Championship weekend, one of the closest margins between first and second in the Chase in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a dead heat going in there,” Stewart said of the upcoming Homestead weekend. “We just got to do our job like we’ve been doing.”

“I’m still pumped up,” Smoke continued. “I want to go to Homestead tomorrow and start. I want tomorrow to be Friday. I’m excited about it and ready to go.”

“Yeah, Homestead is going to be a lot of fun,” Edwards said. “I really enjoy racing there.”

“The cool thing about Homestead, you’re going to be able to move around, pass, and not get hung up as badly in traffic as you can at other racetracks,” Edwards continued. “I don’t think there’s a better place to go than Homestead to fight for this championship.”

Surprising: After Phoenix, with only those two drivers remaining in contention for the championship, it is indeed surprising that five-time champion Jimmie Johnson will not be six-time champ.

Johnson, behind the wheel this weekend of a black No. 48 Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, finished 14^th in the race and sits currently in the fifth position in points, 68 points out of first and officially out of contention.

“Yeah, I’m definitely disappointed that we won’t be able to go to Homestead and race for our sixth, but that’s motorsports,” Johnson said. “It’s a very tough business.”

“What we did over the last five years was absolutely spectacular,” Johnson continued. “What we did over the last five years is abnormal. Now we’ll get a taste of normalcy.”

Also surprisingly, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates, especially Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also had difficulty in the ‘Valley of the Sun.’ The driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet fared especially poorly, struggling with brake problems to finish 32^nd.

“We weren’t good when we got here,” Gordon said. “We were fighting and battling but then the brake problem happened and that pretty much ruined our day.”

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the No. 88 Retro Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard, also struggled and finished 24^th.

“We pitted and got caught with the caution and lost a couple of laps and just never got a chance to get it back,” Junior said. “We missed it. We didn’t hit it.”

Not Surprising: As bad as Hendrick Motorsports team members fared, it was no surprise that the other half of the Stewart Haas Racing duo fared well. Ryan Newman, with his No. 39 US Army Veteran’s Day Tribute car covered with pictures of vets, finished top-five yet again.

“The guys on the US Army Chevrolet, with the Veteran’s Day special paint scheme, that was an amazing comeback for us to come from 30^th to fifth,” Newman said. “I’m really proud of that.”

Surprising: Although the two tangled at Martinsville, it was surprising to see the feud continue between Brian Vickers, soon to be out of work with his No. 83 Red Bull Toyota team exiting the sport next week, and Matt Kenseth, race pole sitter, who was looking for a good run in his No. 17 Crown Royal Ford.

“My two year old could watch that and know it was intentional,” Kenseth said of his wreck with Vickers. “It was real pre-meditated.”

“I don’t understand what happened,” Vickers said of his Kenseth encounter. “He just stopped on the straight-away.”

“He wrecked me at Martinsville,” Vickers continued. “He got wrecked here. He just lifted halfway down the back stretch. I’ll count that one.”

Kenseth finished a miserable34th, dropping two positions to sixth in the point standings. Vickers soldiered on for a 23^rd place finish, languishing in the 25^th position in the points.

Not Surprising: Having had the most miserable week leading up to the race, from being parked to losing his sponsor for the last two races, it was not surprising that Kyle Busch’s most miserable weekend continued.

Busch had to start the race from the back of the field due to engine troubles caused by human error. He managed to work his way up through the pack, only to have the engine of his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota expire on Lap 214.

“It’s just devastating,” Busch said. “To go through turmoil like this, all you can do is group together and pull through it and try to persevere and move on.”

“Catastrophic engine failure,” Busch continued. “It’s terrible to have one in a weekend, let alone two in a weekend.”

“It’s certainly a tough few weeks and all we can do is look forward to next week at Homestead.”

Surprising: It was surprising to see another crew swap during the race, this time for AJ Allmendinger, whose pit crew let him down during a stop, most likely costing the driver of the No. 43 Wix Filters Ford, a race win.

Allmendinger’s crew was swapped out for the crew of David Ragan, another Ford driver who was not in the hunt, helping the Dinger to a top-five finish.

“We were losing four or five spots on a stop,” Allmendinger said. “You can’t do that and win a race and those guys are pretty good.”

“Thanks to the 6 guys, our Ford teammates coming over and pitting the last two stops,” Dinger said. “They did a good job.”

Not Surprising: To no one’s surprise, Allmendinger’s Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Marcos Ambrose also had a good run at PIR. The driver of the No. 9 DeWalt Ford finished a respectable eighth.

“We had a good car today,” the Aussie said. “We were solid all day long. It bodes even better for the first half of next season.”

Surprising: Since Jeff Burton has had a fairly difficult 2011 season, it was a bit surprising to see the driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Global Mining Chevrolet end up with a fourth place finish. The top-five finishing driver hopes that the turnaround will continue right into the 2012 season.

“The Caterpillar Chevrolet was good, really, all day,” Burton said. “When things are tough, you find out what people are made of. My group has just kept digging and kept their heads up.”

“Nobody has quit on this team, not once,” Burton continued. “I’m real proud of that.”

“We’ve run really well the last month and hopefully we will build some momentum going into next year.”

Not Surprising: With no ride secured for next year, it was not surprising to see David Reutimann, ousted driver of the No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing, drive his guts out for a seventh place finish in the next to the last race of the season.

“We qualified in the top-10 and we were able to stay up there all day long,” Rooty said. “I’m proud of the crew guys for the job they did today. They really stuck with me.”

“This is a great group of guys, probably one of the best in the garage and they’ve been with me a long time,” Reutimann continued. “We have one more week together and I want to go out on a high note at Homestead.”

November 14, 2011
M&M’s Mars NASCAR’s Teaching Sponsor In More Ways Than One

M&M’s Mars has been one of NASCAR’s few full-time sponsors, adorning the car of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, usually driven by Kyle Busch. The sponsor, however, has not only succeeded on the track, but has become one of the sport’s newest teaching sponsors, in more ways than one.

One of the most important ways that M&M’s Mars has been educating through racing is by participating in the NASCAR Kinetics program. Recently, NASCAR expanded this successful program, providing college students with real-world marketing challenges in the sport, from 12 to 20 schools this semester.

The NASCAR Kinetics program began in 2009 with just four schools participating. But over the past few years, the program has expanded to become NASCAR’s biggest college experience.

“NASCAR Kinetics is a dynamic initiative that merges educational and experiential tasks,” Steve Phelps, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said. “We anticipate students will leverage the marketing techniques and lessons in teamwork they learn through the program to successfully position themselves in an increasingly competitive motorsports industry.”

This year, the program is concentrating on three case studies, including evaluating social media strategies for Michael Waltrip Racing and coming up with sponsorship activation ideas for Dodge. The third case scenario is working with M&M’s Mars to celebrate the colorfulness of the M&M’s characters as the sport’s official chocolate.

The students have to host one of three viewing parties highlighting the M&M’s brand. Their challenge is to “Make Race Day More Fun” through the use of the candy, as well as attracting casual and avid NASCAR fans.

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“M&M’s has been involved with the NASCAR Kinetics program since spring 2009 and has been the sponsor of the viewing party case study since spring 2010,” Lauren Nodzak, PR Manager of Mars Chocolate North America, said. “We originally got involved after the Winston-Salem State University team reached out to us on the M&M’s Racing Facebook page and invited us to cover their party.”

“After being exposed to the program at that level, we decided to become a partner and make the viewing party case study sponsored by M&M’s.”

Nodzak affirms that M&M’s candy is the “perfect fit” as a snack for NASCAR fans coming together to enjoy the race. “The idea of getting your friends together to watch a NASCAR race while enjoying plenty of M&M’s is a key component,” Nodzak said.” Racing fit perfectly within the brand as we launched an overall brand campaign, ‘M&M’s Makes Race Day More Fun.’

Nodzak said that the students have been most creative in marketing the M&M’s brand through the viewing parties, from sharing recipes including the brightly-colored candy to having M&M’s race car driver Kyle Busch look-a-like contests.

“The students have taken some very creative approaches to incorporating M&M’s into their parties,” Nodzak said. “Just as exciting is how the students have taken fun to the next level, from NASCAR simulators to marching bands at these events.”

“Working with college students through the NASCAR Kinetics program has given us an additional channel to leverage our NASCAR sponsorship,” Nodzak continued. “NASCAR Kinetics brings a new level of engagement and brand advocates into the M&M’s Racing family.”

Unfortunately, M&M’s Mars has had to involve themselves in another educational endeavor in addition to the NASCAR Kinetics program. The sponsor has had to teach its star driver Kyle Busch a lesson after an on-track incident with Ron Hornaday in the Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Because of the incident, Busch was not only penalized by NASCAR by being forced to sit out the Nationwide and Cup races last weekend, but was also forced to forgo his M&M’s sponsor being on his No. 18 car for the last two races of the season. Mars, Inc. did, however, affirm their sponsorship of Busch for the 2012 season, hopefully after their driver has had time to reflect on lessons learned.

“As a proud member of the racing community, Mars and M&M’s brand strong support the partnership we have with Joe Gibbs Racing and are committed to NASCAR,” Debra Sandler, Chief Consumer Officer of Mars Chocolate North America, said. “Yet Kyle’s recent actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mars.”

“While we do not condone Kyle’s recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change,” Sandler continued. “We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win.”

“There’s remorse from my side and to be apologetic to the M&M’s brand and all the folks that put their heart and soul into this NASCAR program for years,” Busch said. “There is an opportunity for me to become a better person, to grow, to learn from this and I’m looking forward to those days.”

“Kyle and all of us are committed to learn from this so that we never have to go through this again,” Joe Gibbs, team owner, said simply.

From the college students participating in the NASCAR Kinetics program to the NASCAR driver sporting the M&M’s brand colors, there is no doubt that Mars, Inc. has become one of the sport’s most important educators as well as sponsors.

And hopefully, all involved under the tutelage of the colorful candy company, will learn their lessons well.

November 12, 2011
Matty’s Picks: Vol. 27 – Phoenix – November 13, 2011

Two races to go in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, and this week we head to a track that may be the biggest juggernaut of them all, Phoenix International Raceway. After an extensive facelift this summer, PIR will prove to be a handful for the 43 drivers that take the green flag on Sunday.

[media-credit name=”phoenixinternationalspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]A year ago, International Speedway Corporation and the Avondale City Council announced the plans for a $100 long-term improvement for PIR. The plans included a $15 million dollar repaving project (the track’s first since 1990) and the construction of a new media center. Along with the new pavement came a reconfiguration of the famed “dogleg”, a widening of the front stretch to 62 feet, addition of concrete to the pit stalls, as well as progressive banking in the turns.

The dogleg renovations included; pushing the corner out by 95 feet, changing the radius of the backstretch bump to 500 feet, and adding progressive banking to the dogleg from 10-11 degrees. The corners of PIR are now progressively banked from 10-11 degrees in turns one and two, and from 8-9 degrees in turns three and four. The new track has been described almost as a “rollercoaster-like drive” due to the elevation changes as the drivers dip down into the dogleg, rises on exit, and dives back down into turn number three.

Passing has been a bit of controversy in PIR’s new surface’s short history, as many drivers are finding it difficult to find grip outside the one loosely held together groove. PIR has made numerous attempts to foster passing on the new surface including “tons of laps” by driving schools on soft tires.

After a testing session just yesterday at PIR, Elliot Sadler expressed his concerns about the new surface and the racing this weekend, “I actually got to the 82 (Reed Sorenson) that was about a half a second of a lap slower than I was. I really couldn’t do anything with him. I didn’t want to make a move, definitely on the outside, to make a pass.”

Defending NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion, Brad Keselowski also weighed in on the underdeveloped second groove following Thursdays test session: “It found me and I found it. We weren’t looking for each other. It’s just very, very slick. There’s just a lack of stability.”

This weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500 may or may not prove to be exciting to watch, especially if Kyle Busch ends up in Victory Lane. (Joke’s on you M&M’s)

Texas Recap

It was the Texas Shootout that everyone was looking for last weekend in the Lone Star State, and the guys in the noontime dual couldn’t have been any more storybook.

Carl Edwards entered the AAA Texas 500 with the championship points lead, and also left with the lead, only a bit slimmer margin over race-winner Tony Stewart. We’ll cut to lap 265 when Edwards and Stewart restarted side by side on the front row following the final caution of the race. Stewart felt confident in holding off a late race surge from Edwards, should he overtake the No. 99 on the restart.

Stewart’s scenario played out on the final restart, resulting in my Winner Pick being the first to suck in the fumes left behind by the No. 14 Chevrolet on his way to his fourth victory of the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Edwards spoke after his runner-up finish last Sunday: “Tony (Stewart) and those guys stepped it up and I’m proud of my guys for hanging on and for still having the point lead,” Edwards said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to the final two races. Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it’s truly going to come down to Tony and I, and that’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to get pretty exciting and I’m just glad Tony and I are out there and we can race for this thing.”

Marcos Ambrose, last week’s Dark Horse pick, was on the right track to score a Top-10 going into the final restart, but struggled throughout the last 70’ish laps to find grip. A two-tire call late in the race was the call from Crew Chief Todd Parrott, a call that would not sit well with the Tasmanian’s race car.

As the lights came on at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, a group of cars moved up in the running order, and a group of cars began to fall in the running order, struggling to find grip on the 1.5-mile quad oval. Unfortunately for me, Marcos Ambrose was in the group of cars struggling to keep pace with the front-runners.

It wasn’t for lack of effort that Ambrose finished in 11th as he raced his way all the way up from 26th on Lap 302, but for the third straight week I end the weekend without any Dark Horse points.

Phoenix Picks

Dark Horse Pick

I’ll start with my Dark Horse pick this week, as I feel fairly certain that most of my readers may not think of this guy to actually in this weekend at PIR, until you see the practice speeds posted from earlier today. He came close to a win last week, but lost his gamble on fuel strategy late in the race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Oddly enough, Jeff Burton was the fastest car on the track last month in the Goodyear and EFI testing session at PIR. 36 teams took to the track on October 4th, and Jeff Burton was on-track for 125 laps. He was fastest on the speed charts during that testing session, and coincidentally was fastest earlier today during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice.

It’s not really fair to use previous finishes for my defense of this pick because of the recent transformation of Phoenix International Raceway, so the data I have collected and referenced has come post-new-dogleg era of PIR. On the second day of testing back in October, Burton ran another 120 laps in his RCR Chevrolet, peaking out at 136.747 MPH on the speed charts. For his efforts, Burton was awarded 6th place on the leaderboard out of 35 teams.

This is the first time I’ve picked Burton for any pick this season, and I’m hoping a new face to Matty’s picks will bring me some late-season luck.

Winner Pick

This marks my 6th time picking Jimmie Johnson as a Winner Pick this season, right on par with his winning percentage across the past 5 seasons at Hendrick Motorsports. I’m beginning to wonder if I am slowly becoming a closet Jimmie Johnson bandwagon’eer at this point, but all I have to do is point to past finishes at PIR to justify my pick this week. An average career finish of 4.8 at PIR has me exited this week, even though I said earlier I would NOT use prior finishes as justification for a pick…

If there’s one guy that can adapt to change, its Jimmie Johnson, as he showed in his two days of testing at PIR back in October. At the end of Day 1 testing, the No. 48 Lowe’s team was shown 10th on the speed charts after running 85 laps. Chad Knaus went back to the drawing board with the top of the charts on his mind. Though Johnson did not reach the top of the speed charts on the second day of testing, he did manage to find another 8-tenths of a second around PIR on Day 2 of testing. Those 8-tenths were good enough for Johnson to be shown second on the board.

The only thing that has me nervous about this pick is Johnson’s less than impressive speeds earlier today in Sprint Cup Practice. The No. 48 Car was shown 33rd best after the first practice today, and qualifying that far back in the field could prove to be no-man’s land come Sunday afternoon.

That’s all for this week, stay tuned next week for the 2011 season finale in South Florida.

Until Next Time…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

November 11, 2011