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  • Chaos In Canada – Just Another Reason Why NASCAR Needs More Road Courses

    Chaos In Canada – Just Another Reason Why NASCAR Needs More Road Courses

    The first 58 laps of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park were fairly tame with a few spins and Coulter nosing it into the tires being the biggest highlights. Then Johnny Sauter stalled, the caution flew and everything got out of control fast. The battle for the win came down to a duel between young guns Chase Elliott & Ty Dillon. Both come from racing royalty and their battle Sunday was somewhat reminiscent of the old days when the red No.9 and the black No.3 battled tooth and nail for victories on a weekly basis. After Dillon sputtered, Chase could smell blood and immediately went on the attack. It ended with Chase tearing through the grass on his way to the checkered flag while Ty Dillon tried to get his truck dislodged from the tire barrier in the final corner as more trucks piled in.

    The finish was incredible and the post-race antics were some of the craziest I’ve ever seen. As drivers showed their displeasure on the cool down lap, officials were trying to keep the irate No.3 crew away from Chase Elliott and his team. While all that was unfolding, it took three or four men to restrain German Quiroga as he tried to get to James Buescher…probably to say congrats on top 10, right? Then there were the stars of the day; Mike Skeen, Kelly Heaphy and Max Papis…the feud that stole the show and made that thrilling finish take a back seat in the highlight reel.

    That finish and the post-race shenanigans that followed made news headlines all around the country and the controversy in Canada is still a hot topic 72 hours later. This race exemplifies the need for more road courses in NASCAR. I was an advocate for more road courses in NASCAR before it was cool to like road courses. Now it seems like most of NASCAR nation has jumped onto the right turn bandwagon. Every time NASCAR visits a road course, you are guaranteed to either see an angry driver, a wild finish, a big wow moment or all of the above.

    There are many reasons why road courses put on such terrific shows. First and foremost, the drivers have to work a lot harder in the car and driver skill suddenly becomes more important than car capability. That’s reversed when we race on large, high banked ovals where powerful engines and the most aerodynamic car you can build within the regulations are a necessity. Also, negotiating 10 to 20 distinctly different turns is much more difficult than negotiating four similar corners but I’m sure Indycar’s Will Power will argue with that but that’s a discussion for different day. One mistake will send you wheel-hopping into the dirt and with so many drivers fighting for the apex of every corner rather than three or four different grooves, there is sure to be some contact. I also love the fact that you can have a car beat all to hell and still contend with it!

    Fans want more road courses and NASCAR should definitely oblige them. I personally hope for a day when I can look at the Sprint Cup schedule and see 1/3rd of it on road courses but with the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) owning 18 of the 36 race dates and Speedway Motorsports (SMI) owning another 12; that dream of mine is unlikely. Unless of course Bruton Smith and ISC got the bright idea to build or buy some road courses to appease the millions of NASCAR fans that won’t bother to fill the stands at most of their cookie cutter tracks.

    Heck, they don’t even have to leave the tracks we currently race at if they want a road course event. Many NASCAR ovals already have road courses built into the infield such as Daytona, Auto Club, Texas, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Homestead and Kansas. We call them “rovals.” I think it would be a great idea to utilize the infield road courses at some of these tracks; especially the ones that have two race dates. You could have one race be strictly on the oval and the have the other using the infield course to spice things up a little.

    More road courses could be integral in NASCAR’s pursuit of increasing TV ratings and race attendance. The action at Watkins Glen every year is unrivaled with the exception of a few short tracks and the plate races. I’m not saying adding more road courses is the panacea NASCAR has been looking for but more of them certainly would help. At the very least, can we please get one in the chase?  Maybe Circuit of the Americas? It would give the champion much more credence if they are able to say they out-performed their competitors at short tracks, high banked ovals, flat tracks AND road courses.

  • Crunching The Numbers: Michigan

    Crunching The Numbers: Michigan

    After a wild weekend of turning left and right at the fast road course at Watkins Glen, the three national NASCAR series head their separate ways this weekend with the Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series heading to Michigan to take on the 2 mile Michigan International Speedway and the Nationwide Series heading to their second road course race in a row for their inaugural race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway

    With only four races left until the cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins at Chicago, the battle between those fighting for a spot in the 12 driver playoff keeps ratcheting up with only 31 points separating the drivers between 10th and 17th in the standings. From this point on every race, every position, and every point matters that much more. Drivers at Michigan will have a balancing act between playing it safe for points or gambling for a win and putting themselves in position for a Wild Card Chase berth.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Carl Edwards 18 2 9 14 1 291 19.9 8.2
    Matt Kenseth 28 2 12 18 0 284 17.9 9.4
    Greg Biffle 21 4 10 13 1 565 13.5 11.3
    Jeff Gordon 41 2 18 25 5 954 11.5 12.4
    Danica Patrick 1 0 0 0 0 0 37.0 13.0
    Mark Martin 55 5 18 31 1 965 11.9 14.2
    Kevin Harvick 25 1 4 9 0 149 18.2 14.3
    Denny Hamlin 15 2 5 7 0 149 14.3 14.7
    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 28 2 6 10 2 327 14.9 15.6
    Kyle Busch 17 1 4 6 0 169 14.6 15.6

    Who To Watch: Coming off of an eighth place finish in the first race at Michigan in June, Carl Edwards boasts the best statistics in the Sprint Cup Series at the track with two wins, nine top fives, 14 top tens, one pole, 291 laps led, and an average finish of 8.2 in 18 races.

    Matt Kenseth comes up next with two wins, 12 top fives, 18 top tens, 284 laps led, and an average finish of 9.4 in 28 starts. Kenseth finished in sixth in June in his first race at Michigan for new car owner Joe Gibbs.

    Others who run well at the track include: Greg Biffle, who won in June and has a total of four wins at the track, along with 10 top fives, 13 top tens, one pole, 565 laps led, and an average finish of 11.3 in 21 starts; Jeff Gordon, with two wins, 18 top fives, 25 top tens, five poles, 954 laps led, and an average finish of 12.4 in 41 starts; and Danica Patrick, who finished in 13th in her first start at the track in June.

    The remainder of the top ten statistically (Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kyle Busch) also run well at Michigan and have a total of 11 wins between them.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Inaugural Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio

    Since there have been no Nationwide Series races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, there are obviously no statistics to pull from to see who will run well at the track. So, the best bet for Saturday’s race will be to go with drivers who run well on road courses. Drivers such as Ron Fellows in the JR Motorsports No. 5, Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 for Richard Petty Motorsports, A.J. Allmendinger in the No. 22 for Penske Racing, and Max Papis in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing should find themselves up front along with Nationwide regulars Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Michigan National Guard 200 at Michigan

    After a few weeks off since last racing at Pocono, the Camping World Truck Series makes their return at Michigan with points leader Matt Crafton holding onto a commanding 52 point lead over rookie Jeb Burton in the standings. The race also marks the return of the Truck Series for consecutive weekends and the debut of Fox Sports 1 for the broadcast of the Truck Series race on Saturday.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Ty Dillon 1 0 0 1 0 3 5.0 6.0
    Miguel Paludo 2 0 1 2 0 3 6.0 6.5
    Kyle Busch 6 0 4 5 1 149 5.8 6.8
    Brendan Gaughan 7 1 3 4 0 48 18.4 8.9
    Joey Coulter 2 0 0 1 1 7 10.5 12.5
    Ron Hornaday, Jr. 9 0 1 6 0 15 10.3 12.7
    Dakoda Armstrong 2 0 1 1 0 0 20.5 13.5
    Johnny Sauter 4 0 0 0 0 1 8.0 13.5
    James Buescher 4 0 2 2 0 5 7.8 14.5
    Timothy Peters 6 0 1 3 0 0 16.7 14.8

    Who To Watch: Championship contender Ty Dillon leads all active drivers at Michigan with three laps led and a sixth place finish in his lone start at the track last season.

    A driver who has been running strong as of late is Miguel Paludo and he falls in second statistically at Michigan. Paludo has two starts at the track and in the two starts has one top five, two top tens, 3 laps led and an average finish of 6.5.

    Others who could find their way to Victory Lane include: Kyle Busch, who has six starts at the track, and in those six starts has four top fives, five top tens, one pole, 149 laps led and an average finish of 6.8; Brendan Gaughan, who has one win, three top fives, four top tens, 48 laps led and an average finish of 8.9 in seven starts; and Joey Coulter, who has one top ten, one pole, seven laps led and an average finish of 12.5 in two starts.

    Last, but certainly not least would be the promising crop of rookies in the series this year (Jeb Burton, Ryan Blaney, Darrell Wallace, Jr.), who are giving the veterans a run for their money. It certainly would not be a surprise to see one of those drivers win either.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

    In a race named by kilometers rather than the actual 90 laps and the 220 miles distance, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 28th annual road course running at Watkins Glen International.

    Surprising: In addition to the traditional burnout, flag capture and bow, there was a surprising new tradition in Victory Lane at the Glen, with a handshake between the race winner Kyle Busch and runner up Brad Keselowski.

    The gesture signified the respect that both had as they raced each other cleanly and without wreckage, in contrast to the previous year where both were running through oil that resulted in some final lap mayhem.

    “I felt we ran really hard there those last couple laps,” Busch said. “I commend Brad for doing a better job this year at bringing home a cleaner race.”

    “I could have dumped Kyle and won the race,” Keselowski said. “It doesn’t mean there isn’t temptation, but there’s a level of respect and a code of honor that you have to have as a man.”

    “I know I did the right thing.”

    Not Surprising:  As so often happens in the sport of NASCAR, the most dominant car, the No. 9 Stanley/CTC Jumpstart Ford piloted by Marcos Ambrose, did not win the race.

    Ambrose got caught further back in the pack after a caution and wrecked trying to come back up through the field, finishing a heartbreaking 31st.

    “I’m just really disappointed for my Stanley team,” Ambrose said. “That’s not the way we wanted our day to finish.”

    Surprising: Juan Pablo Montoya led team Chevy when the checkered flag flew at the Glen, bringing his No. 42 Target Chevrolet home as the highest finisher of the brand in the fifth position.

    “It was fun,” Montoya said. “These cars, you know, guys that run up front are pretty good here.”

    “Our Target Chevy was really good all day.”

    Not Surprising:  The Michael Waltrip team regulars, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer, proved their road racing prowess yet again by finishing third and fifth respectively at Watkins Glen. And not only were their finishes special but both racers had been looking forward to the weekend for their own reasons.

    “Watkins Glen is a place that has been special to me,” Truex said. “I went there when I was younger running Busch North back in the day.”

    “It was the first road course that I ran a stock car on.”

    “I think it’s great that PEAK and Duck Dynasty came together to create this special paint scheme and have some fun with it,” Bowyer said. “Being a guest on an episode of Duck Dynasty was probably one of the biggest things I’ve done outside of a race car.”

    Surprising:  With a solid road course record at Watkins Glen, including four wins, six top-fives, nine top-tens and two poles, Jeff Gordon exited the race surprisingly early, wrecking on lap 13 and finishing 36th.

    “It’s unfortunate,” Gordon said. “I had a big run on the No. 11 and I got up on him and the nose just completely took off and put me in the wall.”

    Although the difficult day also resulted in a significant points loss, with Gordon dropping from ninth to fourteenth place in the standings, it is also somewhat surprising that after such a tough run, the four-time champion sits just 15 points out of the tenth position and still is in line for possible Chase contention.

    Not Surprising:   Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson continued his march to the championship with a top-ten finish, bringing his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to the checkered flag in the eighth position.

    Johnson still maintains a 75 points lead over second place Clint Boywer and could literally sit out a race or two, potentially for the birth of his second child, without any fear of point standing damage.

    Surprising: Richard Childress Racing’s highest finisher was surprisingly Kevin Harvick, taking the checkered flag in the 13th position.

    “We had a really fast Budweiser Chevrolet today,” Harvick said. “We just couldn’t get the break we needed on pit strategy.”

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne were upset and a bit miffed after tangling with several other cars and wrecking into one another.

    “The No. 20 was going after the No. 9 and missed him and ended up knocking the No. 5 out of the race and knocked ourselves out of the race,” Junior said.

    “I’m not sure what happened,” Kahne said. “I was just trying to get through there.”

    Surprising:  After running out of gas in the No. 47 Scott Products Toyota, A.J. Allmendinger made a surprising comeback to finish in the top-10.

    And without a doubt, that was an additional boost not only for the driver but also the team, who had Bobby Labonte step aside for a few races to let Allmendinger shake that car and team down.

    Not Surprising:  Max Papis, in for the ailing Tony Stewart, who is now home recovering from two surgeries on his broken leg, finished a respectable 15th. Papis helped maintain Stewart Haas Racing’s 11th place position in the owner’s point standings.

    “It was pretty crazy,” Papis said. “I drove the wheels off the car every lap.”

    “These guys are all pretty good.”

    This will apparently be Papis’ only substitution for Stewart as the team just announced that Austin Dillon will drive the No. 14 car for the Michigan race next weekend.

     

  • Marcos Ambrose Shatters Watkins Glen Track Record

    Marcos Ambrose Shatters Watkins Glen Track Record

    Marcos Ambrose has won the last two Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen and he will start his run at a third consecutive victory from the pole with Michael Waltrip Racing’s Clint Bowyer 2nd. Marcos seems untouchable at this track and a pole to kick off his pursuit for his third win in as many years at this historic race track is very bad news for the competition. This was the second time NASCAR utilized group qualifying at the Sprint Cup level and it went very well only producing one incident which was Brian Keselowski’s spin early in the session.Jamie McMurray held the pole position for a bit before the final two groups took to the track. Clint Bowyer knocked him from the top spot but he was no match for the Aussie ace who took the pole with ease leaving the rest of the drivers in his group to battle for 2nd on back. Ambrose didn’t just post the fastest time though, he broke the track record that was set last year. This is the 12th track record to fall in 2013 which can be accredited to the introduction of these new Gen-6 cars.

    There was also a couple of surprises towards the front of the field in the form of AJ Allmendinger and Michael McDowell who qualified 4th and 12th in cars that are usually run 20th or worse. Max Papis is the interim driver of the No.14 while Tony Stewart recovers after breaking his leg in a Sprint Car crash and the weekend has been a struggle for him so far. Just like when Vickers/Martin substituted for Hamlin earlier this year, it takes a while to get used to the car and how everything works within the team.

    The Cheez-It 355 can be seen on ABC at 1pm est. Sunday. The full lineup can be seen below…

    1 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley/CTC Jumpstart Ford 128.241 68.777
    2 15 Clint Bowyer PEAK/Duck Dynasty Toyota 127.958 68.929
    3 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 127.462 69.197
    4 47 A.J. Allmendinger Scott Products Toyota 127.433 69.213
    5 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota 127.400 69.231
    6 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s/Monopoly Chevy 127.374 69.245
    7 27 Paul Menard Menards/Splash Chevy 127.146 69.369
    8 2 Brad Keselowski (PC1) Miller Lite Ford 127.141 69.372
    9 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 127.111 69.388
    10 20 Matt Kenseth (PC4) Home Depot Husky Toyota 127.038 69.428
    11 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevy 126.932 69.486
    12 35 Michael McDowell Dockside Logistics Ford 126.823 69.546
    13 78 Kurt Busch (PC3) Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevy 126.813 69.551
    14 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevy 126.766 69.577
    15 55 Brian Vickers Toyota Camry 30th Anniversary Toyota 126.515 69.715
    16 99 Carl Edwards Kellogg’s/Cheez-It Ford 126.464 69.743
    17 16 Greg Biffle 3M/811 Ford 126.377 69.791
    18 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC2) Lowe’s Chevy 126.357 69.802
    19 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevy 126.321 69.822
    20 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota 126.209 69.884
    21 38 David Gilliland Long John Silver’s Ford 126.124 69.931
    22 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevy 126.086 69.952
    23 51 Owen Kelly Phoenix Construction Chevy 126.011 69.994
    24 33 Ron Fellows Canadian Tire Chevy 125.924 70.042
    25 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevy 125.876 70.069
    26 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevy 125.711 70.161
    27 32 Boris Said U.S. Chrome Ford 125.707 70.163
    28 24 Jeff Gordon (PC5) Drive to End Hunger Chevy 125.591 70.228
    29 14 Max Papis (i) Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevy 125.589 70.229
    30 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford 124.890 70.622
    31 34 David Ragan Taco Bell Ford 124.848 70.646
    32 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 124.793 70.677
    33 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # Best Buy Ford 124.576 70.800
    34 36 Victor Gonzalez Jr. Mobil 1/IMCA Chevy 123.878 71.199
    35 10 Danica Patrick # GoDaddy Chevy 123.750 71.273
    36 83 David Reutimann Burger King/Dr.Pepper Toyota 123.708 71.297
    37 19 Alex Kennedy Media Master Toyota 123.687 71.309
    38 93 Travis Kvapil Burger King/Dr.Pepper Toyota 123.637 71.338
    39 30 David Stremme Genny Light Toyota 123.157 71.616
    40 7 Dave Blaney Chevy 123.095 71.652
    41 40 Landon Cassill (i) Interstate Moving Services Chevy 122.004 72.293
    42 87 Tomy Drissi The Counselor Toyota 120.295 73.320
    43 52 Brian Keselowski Star Coach Race Tours Toyota 118.924 74.165

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Go.Bowling.com 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Go.Bowling.com 400

    At a track known as tricky, with a bowling sponsor for its second race of the season, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 40th annual GoBowling.com 400, at Pocono Raceway.

    Surprising:  Probably most surprising about the Pocono race weekend was what followed shortly thereafter, with top-ten finisher Tony Stewart flipping in a sprint car accident at Southern Iowa Speedway, which resulted in a fractured leg.

    This was eerily and scarily ironic after joking with the media during his Pocono availability about his sprint car racing escapades, including a flip prior to the Pocono race.

    Stewart had to undergo surgery and because of the break of both his tibia and fibula, Stewart Haas Racing announced that Max Papis will pilot Smoke’s Cup ride at the Glen.

    Not Surprising:  In a Pocono race weekend where the victors in both the ARCA and Truck Series were determined on restarts, it was not surprising that the winner of the Cup race Kasey Kahne also made it to the checkered flag thanks to a restart.

    “I about gave it away,” the driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet said after scoring his second win of the season, as well as his second victory at Pocono. “I spun the tires a little bit and Jeff (Gordon) got a great jump and Kurt (Busch) pushed me all the way to Turn 1, which really helped.”

    “And then I had one opportunity,” Kahne continued. “It was either go for it and make it work or not.”

    “It was a great race.”

    Surprising:  A pair of birthday boys, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch scored surprisingly good finishes on their special days. The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet and the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet finished second and third respectively.

    “It’s funny how our emotions go up and down in this sport,” Gordon said. “Before the race, if you told me that I’d finish second, I’d say that was a great birthday gift.”

    “I’m disappointed that we didn’t get this win.”

    “This was a phenomenal run today,” Busch said. “Right now, we’re getting the job done.”

    “So, I’m happy for this finish and this team and just the job we’re doing.”

    Not Surprising:  The vibration plaguing Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued to be a hot topic, with the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Youth Foundation Chevrolet discussing it even after his top five finish.

    “Well, we changed every part on the car but the engine,” Junior said. “We got it to the point where we could drive it.”

    “I felt good coming in here and thought we might win the race, but we came up a little short.”

    Surprising:  Timmy Hill was the surprising Rookie of the Race after finishing 27th in his No. 32 Oxy Water Ford. ROTY competitors Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick both had troubles on the track, with Stenhouse Jr. crashing on the very first lap and Patrick bringing out the seventh caution of the day in a tangle with Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard and Jeff Burton. Stenhouse Jr. finished 34th and Patrick finished 35th.

    “It’s not the way we wanted to start the day,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I was kind of hoping everyone would stay in line but it didn’t play out like that.”

    “We were just having a steady race and a good race, and it was over,” Patrick said. “We were competitive and we were making good calls in the pits.”

    “Everything was going; it just happens.”

    Not Surprising:   Even with a tire issue and a resulting crash that was so hard it knocked a spark plug wire off, Jimmie Johnson managed to finish the race, in which he had started on the pole with a new track record, in the 13th position.

    And even with all the challenges of the day, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Planes Chevrolet managed to increase his points lead to 77 over second place Clint Bowyer.

    “My day kept needing to be re-calibrated,” Johnson said. “I really felt like we had a shot to win, unfortunately blew a tire off of Turn On and ended those hopes there.”

    “We salvaged a very nice finish though.”

    Surprising:  Contrary to all the Bloomin’ Onion fans, driver Ryan Newman was surprisingly unhappy with his fourth place finish in his No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet.

    “It’s a good run but not as good as it could have been,” Newman said. “Just a horrible day in the pits for us.”

    “We have to get that figured out.”

    Not Surprising:  Having come into the Pocono weekend with high hopes for not only a good finish but also making the Chase, there was no one, not surprisingly, more frustrated with being caught up in a wreck not of his doing than Jeff Burton.

    The driver of the No. 31 FXI Gutterclear 365 Chevrolet was so upset that he put a nice sized dent in the roof of his car after pounding it royally after getting caught up in the Danica Patrick, Paul Menard and Travis Kvapil mess.

    “By the time I got there, they were wrecked,” Burton said. “We had a good car but we just kept getting in trouble.”

    “It’s just kind of how the year’s going.”

    Surprising:  Although teammates and the highest finishing Fords, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano had surprisingly different views on the challenge of the restarts.

    “We caught that one yellow at the worst possible time with 50 or 60 to go and pitted for four and we were going to be okay but then we caught another yellow which killed our strategy,” the driver of the No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale proclaimed. “Damn, we were just a little bit short.”

    “Those restarts helped us,” the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said. “The cautions at the end helped us make up what we lost.”

    “It’s kind of funny how it worked out.”

    Not Surprising:  Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Peanut Butter Toyota, was the highest finishing Toyota, ending the race in the eighth position.

    “We were just a little bit off today,” Busch said. “It seemed like we could get going good on restarts and it would drive well for a few laps, then we couldn’t keep up as well on the long run.”

    “That’s about all we had with our M&M’s Peanut Butter Camry,” Busch continued. “We were able to get a top-10 out of a day where we were just a little behind.”

     

  • Max Papis Creates New Role in NASCAR with Dillon Brothers

    Max Papis Creates New Role in NASCAR with Dillon Brothers

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”164″][/media-credit]Massimiliano Papis, best known to NASCAR fans as Max, has a great racing resume, from the 24 Hours of Le Mans to Formula One, Champ Car and NASCAR.

    But for Papis, the best part of his career has just begun as he forges a new role in the sport, that of coach for young up and coming drivers Austin and Ty Dillon.

     “First of all, it’s a great opportunity to be involved with RCR Racing, working with people like Richard Childress and everyone involved there,” Papis said. ““I was talking to Mike Dillon in the winter time about what I could do besides driving for the team.”

    “We were talking about the fact that in every kind of sport, everyone always had a coach, but in racing, for whatever reason, people don’t really have a coach,” Papis continued. “So, I told them I would love to work with both Ty and Austin to develop them, on the road course and on the others.”

    “We started slowly and here we are now being kind of like the big brother/tutor of both of them.”

    One thing that Papis is adamant about, however, is that there really is no such thing as the Dillon brothers. In his eyes, they are two distinct individuals and that is how Papis approaches his work with them.

    “First of all, the things that I tell people that it doesn’t exist, the Dillon brothers,” Papis said. “It’s Ty Dillon, with his own personality, his own goals and his own way of being and the same for Austin Dillon, with his own goals, way of being and personality.”

    “They happen to be that both are race car drivers with RCR but I want, and they want, to be seen like their own individuals,” Papis continued. “That stands on everything I do with them.”

    “We work out on separate times,” Papis said. “We spend time together analyzing the races, all of that in a separate way.”

    “When it’s important to learn from each other, we have time together,” Papis continued. “But obviously I work with them as two different individuals.”

    While many may see the role of coach as more motivational or inspirational, Papis takes a completely analytical approach to his coaching of both Ty and Austin Dillon.

    “I put lots of studies behind it and I really apply myself to this coaching part,” Papis said. “Coaching, first of all, does not mean teaching someone to speak.”

    “What I do with them is helping them to speed up the process of being who they want to be and being the leaders that they want to be,” Papis continued. “That goes from physical training to the mental approach to the races to knowing how to say certain things and how to react to certain situations.”

    “I want them to raise up to 42 years of age because they are competing with people that have that amount of experience.”

    Papis is also analytical when it comes to coaching both Austin and Ty Dillon on their physical fitness, consulting with professionals and utilizing fitness equipment both on and off the track.

    “Obviously fitness is one of the biggest parts of the sport,” Papis said. “Jimmie Johnson didn’t win five championships in a row sitting on the couch.”

    “Austin and Ty are very different individuals with different athletic backgrounds,” Papis continued. “At the beginning of the year, we made a physical fitness test for both Ty and Austin to understand how big their motor is.”

    “Once we learn how big their motor is, then we work a program around that for strength and conditioning and endurance,” Papis said.” We have an agreement with Polar Electronics, a leading company with heart rate monitors.”

    “So, every single training session we do with both Ty and Austin, we record their heart rate in the races at the beginning of the year so we learn how many RPMs their engine works as I like to say,” Papis continued. “And we try to work around that to improve their fitness in general.”

    “This is a very technical, analytical and methodical approach,” Papis said. “It’s not just let’s lift some weights and go.”

    Papis has already seen this regimented physical fitness approach pay off, with increases in stamina and endurance for Austin in particular when he ran two series races in one weekend.

    “This year, when Austin ran Nationwide and Cup in Michigan on the same weekend and he came out of the car and gave me a high-five because he was tired as he was supposed to, but he still had some energy to go,” Papis said. “I feel that even if we’ve been working for months, we are starting to see the results on the physical side.”

    Papis is equally as dedicated, however, to this methodical approach on the mental side of his drivers’ development.

    “I use exactly the same approach both on the mental side as the physical side,” Papis said. “One example is that we’ve been working on the tone of voice we use when we open the radio and talk to the crew chief.”

    “We’ve been working on the importance of what you say, when you say it and what words do you use,” Papis continued. “Not that you don’t be yourself, but I ask if they want to be the guy that opens the radio and everybody laughs at you or do you want to be the guy that opens the radio that inspires pride and motivates the crew to go extra because of the tone of voice and words.”

    Papis fully realized the fruits of his coaching labors when Austin Dillon went to Victory Lane for the first time in the Nationwide race at Kentucky just a few weeks ago.

    “I have never felt in my entire career that I would have been happy to see someone else winning,” Papis said. “I know that people say that I’m emotional, but I very well know how to control myself.”

    “But I really felt that when Austin won that race that a part of me won it too.”

    “The way that Austin made me feel and the appreciation I got made me understand that I’m making a difference,” Papis continued. “I had opportunity to go to Victory Lane by other friends but I never felt I belonged there but this time, I walked there without thinking because I knew that I belonged there.”

    “I had tears in my eyes when I made my Daytona 500 and I had tears in my eyes when I went to the Victory Lane.”

    Papis admits that he is in this new role of coach for the long term. And he has definite goals for his two protégés in the sport.

    “I have a long-term goal with Austin and Ty,” Papis said. “Obviously with Ty, it is a little longer process because he is a younger person and he is in the beginning of his career.”

    “I know everyone looks at them like experts and like they should win all the races,” Papis continued. “But I remember when I was 20 years old and when I was 22 years old and I couldn’t even polish their shoes.”

    “I like to feel that I am the person that can tell them what their father and their grandpa would like to tell them but can’t because they are their parent and grandparent,” Papis said.

    “And I told Austin that I will not be satisfied and I will continue to help him all the way until I will sit in the winner’s circle when he is a Cup champion.”

    “He doesn’t need to prove anything to me but I want to show everyone who says that he is there because he is the son of Mike Dillon or the grandkid of Richard Childress that is not the truth,” Papis continued. “He’s there because he’s a bad ass like Ty.”

    “They really deserve their positions.”

    However satisfying his work has been and will be, Papis is most proud of the new role of coach that he is creating in the world of NASCAR. And his greatest achievement will be continuing to share his vast knowledge with both Austin and Ty Dillon as they forge their own paths in stock car racing.

    “I feel in one way that I’m creating a new position in the sport,” Papis said. “It’s pretty unique and I wish that I had me on my side when I grew up in racing.”

    “I had great people but I had to learn a lot of things on my own skin,” Papis continued. “And that’s why maybe I took a little longer to achieve my own goals and it’s still taking a little bit more of my time.”

    “My happiness will be that we get to see what I learned at 42 years of age into Austin and Ty and 22 and 20 years of age,” Papis said. “I love them like they are the younger brothers to me.”

    “I know that I’m working to keep a certain distance  as their coach, but at the same time I allow myself to give them a hug from time to time because I really love them a lot.”

  • Max Papis Leads Final Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    Max Papis Leads Final Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    As the same as the first practice, it was another Nationwide Series practice with the charts dominated by the road course ringers.

    Max Papis, driving the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Incorporated, was first at a speed of 108.991mph (133.707 seconds). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Michael McDowell (108.707mph) followed in second.

    Jacques Villeneuve, driving the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge for Pense Racing was third with a speed of 108.509 mph, followed by Ron Fellows, who is driving the No. 7 AER Manufacturing Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, in fourth (107.893).

    Series regular Steve Wallace rounded out the top five in fifth (107.853), followed by Andrew Ranger, Ricky Carmichael, Elliott Sadler, Brian Scott and Reed Sorenson.

    Series points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did not practice, nor did his teammate Billy Johnson, who led the first practice.

  • Road Course Veterans Lead First Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    Road Course Veterans Lead First Nationwide Series Practice at Road America

    At the end of the first Nationwide Series practice at Road America, it was a bunch of road course ringers leading the charts.

    [media-credit name=”roadamerica.com” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Billy Johnson, driving the No. 60 for Roush-Fenway Racing, was at the top with a speed of 108.050 mph (134.871 seconds). RFR brought Johnson over from the Roush Racing Grand-Am Sport team, where he competes in the No. 61 Ford Boss 302R Mustang with Jack Roush Jr. The last race ran was at Walkins Glen, where they led 30 laps in route to victory.

    Jacques Villeneuve, driving the No. 22 for Penske Racing, was second with a speed of 107.996 mph (134.938). Villeneuve has driven road course in a variety of different cars, including F1, Le Mans Series, Speedcar and TRV6. He has also raced in NASCAR before, as he has made a total of five Nationwide Series starts, dating back to 2006.

    “Road America is one of my favorite tracks and I’m super excited to be returning there this weekend to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” Villeneuve said coming into the weekend. “I was fighting for the win in last year’s race so I have some unfinished business at this event, for sure. This will be my first event both in the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger, and with Penske Racing, so I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and seeing what we can achieve together. It’s a track I know and love, having won the Indy car races there in ’94 and ’95, so we should be very competitive.”

    During those past five starts, he has three top-five starts and three top-10 finishes.

    “Road America is the longest track on our schedule with long straights and big braking zones that give one of the best road racers, Jacque Villeneuve, lots of opportunities to get the Discount Tire Dodge out front,” crew chief Todd Gordon said. “We have tested with Jacques a couple of times and had good speeds as a result of the testing. We feel we have a good package to unload with and build from for this circuit. The challenges of having to turn both ways and stop well are something this whole No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team looks forward to.”

    Sprint Cup Series driver and past road course expert Michael McDowell (driving the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing) was third (107.972 mph, 134.968 seconds) with Max Papis fourth (107.641 mph, 135.384 seconds).

    Papis will driving the No. 33 for Kevin Harvick Incorporated. They teamed up last year for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where Papis qualified ninth and second. Papis has previous experience at Road America through the Champ Car Series, where he collected several podium finishes.

    “I am really looking forward to racing this weekend at Road America,” Papis said in the team preview. “This will be my first NASCAR race there so I will be considered a rookie, but it will not be my first race at the track. I spent a lot of time at Road America and in the Milwaukee and Green Bay area when I raced in the Champ Car Series. It is a great track and the area is beautiful. They have awesome fans. I can’t wait to get there and race.”

    Elliott Sadler was the highest series regular in fifth (107.566 mph, 135.478 seconds), followed by Ron Fellows, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jason Leftler, Trevor Bayne and Justin Allgaier.

    The Nationwide Series has another practice at 4:30pm EST today with qualifying slated for Saturday at 3:05pm EST. The race will follow on Saturday at 5:30pm EST.