Tag: nationwide series

Trevor Bayne – Making the Most of Every Opportunity

Trevor Bayne’s career has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows but throughout it all he has remained constant in his belief that God has a plan for him. His faith gives him a unique perspective that allows him to accept both triumph and adversity with a maturity and grace that belies his young age.

We sat down together at Darlington Raceway after the first day of practice and spoke about the challenges of racing at the legendary track. Bayne recounted his previous two efforts in 2010 and 2013.

“In 2010,” he said, “We had a little incident with Matt Kenseth and last year I crashed with a lapped car in turn one.” This year, the goal is to “finish the race.”

He explained the strategy for the upcoming race, saying, “You just have to be patient here. It’s so narrow that it’s easy to get frustrated. You have to keep your head on straight and hit your line perfect every single lap. You’ve got to hit your marks and be consistent.”

Bayne qualified 10th at Darlington, finished in ninth place and currently is ranked fifth in the point standings. In seven starts this season, he has one top-five and six top-10 finishes. But what will it take to propel this top-ten team to victory lane? The simple answer is speed.

“Overall our Roush Fenway Mustangs as a group are not very fast at the beginning of a new car run,” he told me. “Late in the run we can catch guys and pass them but the leaders just get so far gone on new tires that we never have a chance. We’re working on some things to get our cars better; it’s just a speed thing.”

“I think Chad (Crew Chief Chad Norris) and I have done a good job with the balance,” he continued. “We’ve been really patient this year and not made many mistakes other than blowing the right rear last weekend which really isn’t in our hands. We just need raw speed on new tires.”

We also spoke about Bayne’s recent multiple sclerosis diagnosis and the impact it has had on his life.

“If I put my value in who I am in Christ, it doesn’t change much through the ups and downs,” he said. “Christ got me through that knowing that this is temporary and his kingdom is eternal and that’s where my perspective comes from.”

Bayne acknowledged that, “when you go through something tough like that, especially something health threatening, it makes you think. It makes you appreciate the good days even more and want to make the most out of every opportunity.”

After the Easter break this weekend, NASCAR Nationwide Series racing resumes at Richmond International Raceway on April 25^th as Bayne and his team look for their first win of the season.

April 17, 2014
Jeremy Clements – Achieving More with Less In NASCAR

Jeremy Clement’s recipe for success is a combination of talent, tenacity and mathematical wizardry. Throw some sponsorship dollars and a little luck into the mix and it would not be surprising to see him standing in victory lane.

He drives the No. 51 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for family owned team, Jeremy Clements Racing and seven races into the season is ranked 18th in the point standings. Driving for a small, underfunded team often requires juggling expectations with financial limitations. But drivers race with one goal, winning races. After an 18th place finish at Texas, I asked Clements if he would repeat that finish at Darlington Raceway.

“Heck no, we always want better. A top 20 is good for our team but we always want better,” he said.

Clements went on to talk about the issues he would face at this unique track, saying, “The biggest challenge is probably just trying to stay off the wall and conserve tires. The other problem is we don’t have sticker tires for tonight. You need four sets for the race, plus the one you start with. It’s just about tire management. We still need two more sets. One set we have has four laps on them but that’s an every week thing, honestly. Four laps doesn’t sound like a lot. It’s not but it is, especially here. You don’t have the grip. You take off and they’ll just leave you.”

Clements qualified 21^st at Darlington and had a competitive car. But a faulty power steering hose caused him to go 10 laps down during repairs and they had to settle for a disappointing 31st place finish.

Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Each race has its own set of problems but the one constant for Jeremy Clements Racing and other small teams is the lack of sponsorship dollars. They don’t have the newest engines or best equipment and sometimes can’t afford many of the items that better funded teams take for granted. Most race off the purse, using winnings from the previous race to finance the next one. If they’re lucky enough to have a sponsor for a race, they have to decide where to spend that money because it’s never enough.

Clements used the following example to explain the dilemma.

“We have two sets of four lap tires that we could buy for $100 each or spend four grand on two sets of stickers and we’d still need more. So what do you do? How much money do you have for this race? You want to run good of course, that’s the whole reason we’re here but you can’t break the bank. It’s frustrating. You want to run good every week but you know you’re kind of handicapped somewhat.”

Although he admits that the financial struggles can sometimes be slightly overwhelming, he is also quick to point out that he’s not complaining. He is, after all, living his dream and when all is said and done, it comes down to this; Jeremy Clements is a racer. It is not a job description; but rather, defines who he is.

April 16, 2014
Kyle Busch wins the Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award at Darlington Raceway

After posting fast speeds in all three rounds, Kyle Busch went to the top of the leaderboard in Round 3 of Knockout Qualifying to score his 37^th pole in 277 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. He posted a lap speed of 173.681 mph. It is his third pole in ten races at Darlington Raceway.

Chase Elliott will start on the outside pole position in his debut at “The Track Too Tough To Tame” and scores his fourth top-10 start this season. He also has the distinction of being the fastest qualifying rookie.

Matt Kenseth will begin third, marking his seventh top-10 in seven races this season. Kevin Harvick will start fourth followed by Ty Dillon in fifth. Chris Buescher, Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Elliott Sadler and Trevor Bayne qualified in positions six through 10, respectively.

Of special note, all three JR Motorsports cars qualified in the top-10. Kyle Larson spun out during qualifying, hitting the wall and will most likely have to go to a backup car for the race.

Busch will lead the field to green in the 32nd annual VFW Sports Clips Help a Hero 200 Friday evening. The race coverage will be broadcast on ESPN2 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Complete NASCAR Nationwide Series Starting Lineup – Darlington Raceway

1. Kyle Busch

2. Chase Elliott

3. Matt Kenseth

4. Kevin Harvick

5. Ty Dillon

6. Chris Buescher

7. Brian Scott

8. Regan Smith

9. Elliott Sadler

10. Trevor Bayne

11. Cale Conley

12. Kyle Larson

13. Bendan Gaughan

14. Ryan Sieg

15. Joey Logano

16. Landon Cassill

17. Dylan Kwasniewski

18. Ryan Reed

19. Josh Wise

20. Mike Bliss

21. Jeremy Clements

22. James Buescher

23. JJ Yeley

24. David Starr

25. Dakoda Armstrong

26. Jeffrey Earnhardt

27. Mike Wallace

28. Tanner Berryhill

29. Todd Bodine

30. Eric McClure

31. Kevin LePage

32. Joey Gase

33. Matt Dibenedetto

34. Tommy Joe Martins

35. Derrike Cope

36. Carlos Contreras

37. Matt Carter

38. Jeff Green

39. Mike Harmon

40. Blake Koch

April 11, 2014

The Final Word – An all-Kyle finish at Fontana, as Bowyer spins his way to a Top 20

Tires, man. That was the story of the race at Fontana. If one was conservative in their set up, like those owned by Joe Gibbs, all was well. If not…well, they blew it.

California was not like Indianapolis a few years ago, when they could not keep the rubber inflated no matter what they tried. This time, if they messed around with air pressure and camber, they risked ill fortunate. The team of Kyle Busch did not, and that is a big reason why Rowdy claimed his 29^th career victory in extending his streak of claiming at least one win in a season to ten. Busch held off rookie Kyle Larson as both broke from the field during the green-white-check finish to get by Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart with one to go.

It was great racing, with the tire situation just adding to the excitement. As long as a driver did not fall multiple laps off the pace, chances were good they could come back from any miscue. However, one needed time, and when Jimmie Johnson blew a tire with seven to go, his time was up as one of the day’s most dominant cars finished 24^th.

Johnson lost a tire, kept the beast under control, and kept the race green. That allowed Jeff Gordon, who seemed to be nursing some ailing Goodyears of his own, to take his long-run auto onwards toward that checkered flag. Then, Ryan Newman blew a tire, but made it back without caution. Same for Bard Keselowski. Ditto for Marcos Ambrose. Even Clint Bowyer managed to save his car as Gordon charged toward the white flag. Then it slightly accelerated and it appeared Bowyer’s front wheels turned hard left, and the resulting slide caused caution to come out, forcing a green-white-checker.

There are those who might have seen it and thought maybe Bowyer had deliberately spun the car. That he had it saved but then touched the gas and cranked the wheel to make sure that he did not. That he purposely went for the yellow when others did not. According to Bowyer’s Twitter comment, that is not true.

“Love how “some” idiots on here think I really wanted to give up a much needed good run to screw you over.”

Of course, the idiots knew that his good run as over once the tire went flat. What the idiots are accusing Bowyer of is deliberately bringing out the caution so that he might be better able to recover from his flat. Johnson did not, and finished 24^th. Keselowski settled for 26^th. Ambrose was 30^th. As for Honest Clint…due to the caution he was able to salvage a 16^th place finish. That spin might have cost Gordon a victory, but it saved Bowyer at least 15 positions on the track. Then again, maybe the fans are wrong, maybe the car just got away from him, though the video sure looked suspicious. It is not as if Bowyer has done anything like this before. Or lied about it afterwards. Of course not.

While Gordon was strong on the long runs, everyone knew he would not be over a two lap dash. He wound up 13^th. Dale Earnhardt Jr was 12^th, and with Keselowski faltering at the end, Junior remains in second over-all in the standings a single point behind the tenth place Carl Edwards.

It is a good thing that a single win almost buys one a ticket to the Chase. Almost. One needs to finish in the top thirty to keep it valid, and right now Kevin Harvick sits 25^th after finishing outside the Top 35 for a third straight event. Danica was running around 20^th or beyond for most of the Fontana race, but in the end she brought it home for a season best 14^th.

As for Denny Hamlin, the guy could use a break. He had to miss five events last year due to a crash at this track, and this year he did not even get to run. A sinus infection that affected his vision took him out of the seat, and replaced by Sam Hornish Jr, who ran 17^th. Yet, despite being AWOL, Hamlin remains 12^th in the driver standings.

Great entertainment Sunday, great action on Saturday, where Kyle Larson beat out Kevin Harvick in a fight that also involved Kyle Busch, with Joey Logano fourth. Four Cup guys. The best Nationwide drivers were Elliott Sadler and Chase Elliott, finishing fifth and sixth. Both are within a dozen points of top spot in the standings, behind fellow Top Ten finishers Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, and Ty Dillon.

Next Sunday, we turn to the short track at Martinsville, where the Cup boys have been stopping by since 1949. Jeff Gordon has been running there since 1993, 42 races, and more than half of those have been won by either Gordon himself (with 8, including last fall), Johnson (8), Hamlin (4), or Stewart (3). If they keep trying, they might eventually match the King’s tally of 15.

Here are our Sweet Sixteen as we head over to Virginia…

	Driver	Races	Win	Points
1	Carl Edwards	5	1	186
2	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	5	1	185
3	Brad Keselowski	5	1	182
4	Kyle Busch	5	1	158
5	Kevin Harvick	5	1	97
6	Jeff Gordon	5	0	184
7	Matt Kenseth	5	0	179
8	Jimmie Johnson	5	0	165
9	Ryan Newman	5	0	150
10	Austin Dillon	5	0	150
11	Joey Logano	5	0	146
12	Denny Hamlin	4	0	140
13	Jamie McMurray	5	0	138
14	Brian Vickers	5	0	137
15	Paul Menard	5	0	134
16	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	5	0	132

March 24, 2014

Hot 20 – Harvick hoping for some California heat

Four winners, three of whom sit atop our leader board. As important as victories are this season in determining the Chase contenders, it would be hard to include Kevin Harvick among the best under normal circumstances.

Harvick may have won at Phoenix, and his 13^th at Daytona may have been acceptable. Even his runs at Las Vegas and Bristol were impressive for as long as they lasted, but when you are listed as 41^st and 39^th in the final results it does take the bloom off the rose. Turns it into stinkweed, to be honest.

Still, in determining our top performer over the course of a 36-race season, that win does keep Harvick six slots better than the official standings, with the 22 bonus points we hand out to winners. As we are not interested in a Chase or even the television ratings for Homestead, we can dwell on just who has been the best performer. Even with a string of three Top Threes broken up by a 14^th at Bristol, that would still be Brad Keselowski to this point.

If you were wondering, as the action heads west to California this weekend, Regan Smith and Trevor Bayne remain our hot duo in the Nationwide series. I wonder if ESPN will have time to interview them after they are done gushing over Kyle Busch once again at Fontana? The big boy visiting the little sandbox has won six of the past eight junior circuit events at this track.

Kyle won the Cup race at Fontana a year ago. Other recent winners include Tony Stewart, Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards. No one who isn’t already a someone will visit Victory Lane on Sunday.

	Driver	Win	Points
1	Brad Keselowski	1	185
2	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	1	175
3	Carl Edwards	1	174
4	Jeff Gordon	0	152
5	Jimmie Johnson	0	143
6	Joey Logano	0	141
7	Denny Hamlin	0	140
8	Matt Kenseth	0	138
9	Ryan Newman	0	125
10	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	0	122
11	Kasey Kahne	0	120
12	Greg Biffle	0	118
13	Austin Dillon	0	117
14	Kevin Harvick	1	111
15	Kyle Busch	0	111
16	Marcos Ambrose	0	108
17	Jamie McMurray	0	100
18	Paul Menard	0	99
19	Brian Vickers	0	99
20	Casey Mears	0	97

March 20, 2014

The Final Word – Bristol was one heck of a race…if you were able to see it

Rain. That was the theme of the cool, overcast, and often wet event at Bristol last Sunday. Rain delayed things, then stopped it all together for two hours as we sat on lap 125 of 500 for a spell. Often in the past, we have seen the guys who are leading near the start of the race just happen to be the same dudes there at the end. This was not one of those races.

Carl Edwards was nowhere to be seen early, but he emerged in the second half to lead 78 laps en route to his 22^nd career Cup victory. It was like a Talladega night as some unexpected names finished near the front. Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Aric Almirola rounded up the podium finishers, while Tony Stewart had his best result since his return from surgery, followed by Marcos Ambrose. It was not how we thought this might end.

For example, Matt Kenseth led the most laps, but it was an up and down day for him. He led early, but when Timmy Hill ran him over he found himself back in 30^th. He eventually worked his way back to the front again, only to fade over the final hundred laps to wind up 13^th.

That was one better than Brad Keselowski, he appeared done with about fifty left after he thundered into Jamie McMurray. It is tough to stop in oil, and after Kevin Harvick’s engine let go, there was lots to be found. Harvick once again had a good car, a horrid result (39^th), and a lot of flames.

Jimmie Johnson’s hopes unraveled. Literally. When you take a baseball apart, you go through a ton of string before you get to the rubber center. For Jimmie Johnson’s front right tire, you had a ribbon of rubber before getting to the cords. That flat took Six Time off the lead lap before the red flag and he never quite got back into a position to matter, winding up 19^th a couple of laps down.

Them Busch boys usually do well at Bristol, and for the first part of the race they were up there. The next thing you know they are battling Junior and Danica for the lucky dog. I would say that was a sign of the Apocalypse, then I remembered who the Grand Marshal is slated to be in California. No, THAT was the true sign. Junior had tire issues, not once but twice, and then he was…Gonzo. Kurt kept flirting with getting that lucky dog, but instead got the fence with his right rear with about a hundred to go. That dropped him into Unhappyland (35^th) with the likes of his brother (29^th), Junior (24^th), and the power steering challenged Joey Logano (20^th). Patrick finished 18^th.

So, TSN booted the race to FOX, who sent it to FOX 1, and for a lot of us, that was the end of the visual component of the race. Why does NASCAR allow race coverage to wind up in spots where a lot of folks get shut out? My guess is it is due to NASCAR really not giving a damn about you. If they did, you would be looked after. Pretty simple, really. I moved my Sirius out from the house to the car as it proved a real pain trying to secure a signal. I loaned my car to my sons to drive to college Sunday afternoon. Adios the audio component. Thank God for the Internet and my ability to read.

Weird race. We had a battery fall out of a car, tossing toilet paper everywhere, then a mystery caution at the end when the lights just started flashing after someone accidently leaned against the button. It would seem your butt can do more than just make phone calls.

So Kyle Busch wins Saturday’s Nationwide race, his 65^th career win in the juniors, his 2^nd of the season, and his 7^th at this particular track. As he won, he is the only Cup guy who mattered. Regan Smith finished 10^th as he leads the series by a point over eighth place finisher Trevor Bayne. Ty Dillon was the best finisher amongst series regulars, as his sixth place finish Saturday leaves him eight points out of top spot. Dear ESPN, these are the drivers you should have been interviewing, not fawning all over the Cup dudes like doe eyed gals at a high school dance. Pretty damn pathetic, to be honest with you.

In the end, Bristol lived up to its billing. Too bad about the rain, the long delay, and the lack of television coverage for many. Other than that, it was darn near perfect. This upcoming weekend, they are off to Fontana, California. Kyle Busch won there last year. Hell, he won the Nationwide race in 2013 as well, his sixth time kicking the stuffings out of the underfunded and under-experienced on the west coast. While Harvick (2011), Edwards (2008), Kasey Kahne (fall 2006), and Greg Biffle (spring 2005) have won there in recent memory, it is just as likely the man on top next week will have a name like Tony, Jimmie, Matt…or Kyle. Of the other 11 Cup events run there over the past nine years, all were claimed by one from that quartet.

All eight of the above named are currently sitting in a Sweet 16 spot to make the Chase, with the exception of Tony Stewart. He is 20 points out though, as Harvick demonstrates, points do not matter as long as one has a victory to their credit.

	Driver	Win	Points	Diff
1	Brad Keselowski	1	163
2	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	1	153	-10
3	Carl Edwards	1	152	-11
4	Kevin Harvick	1	89	-74
5	Jeff Gordon	0	152	-11
6	Jimmie Johnson	0	143	-20
7	Joey Logano	0	141	-22
8	Denny Hamlin	0	140	-23
9	Matt Kenseth	0	138	-25
10	Ryan Newman	0	125	-38
11	Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.	0	122	-41
12	Kasey Kahne	0	120	-43
13	Greg Biffle	0	118	-45
14	Austin Dillon	0	117	-46
15	Kyle Busch	0	111	-52
16	Marcos Ambrose	0	108	-55

March 17, 2014

The Final Word – Earnhardt and Keselowski rule Cup, Cup guys rule Nationwide and SHR is run out of Vegas

Three races in, and the story of the 2014 Cup season is the success of Dale Earnhardt Jr. He wins at Daytona, finishes second in Phoenix, and a hiccup in his fuel pick up was all that kept him from victory at Las Vegas. That and Brad Keselowski. Still, take a gamble, have it turn sour, and still come home second is not all that bad.

As for Brad, he joins Junior and Kevin Harvick atop the standings with a win apiece. He was in the front row when it started, again, and saw his season output now read as an almost as sizzling third, to third, to first. It would almost seem that this season’s early winners are also the most charmed, or simply the best out there. Almost.

That brings up to Kevin Harvick. His Phoenix victory came off a 13th place result at Daytona, which led into a 41st place conclusion in Las Vegas. Talk about rolling craps, and I’m not even referring to the dice game. Among the Stewart-Haas quartet, Harvick was the lone bright spot, even led for 23 laps. Then he broke his left front wheel hub and that made driving just a bit difficult. It is much easier when all the wheels on the car go round and round, and one did not really want to.

You know your operation had a bad day when Danica Patrick, at 21st, was your best finisher. SHR saw Kurt Busch come home 26th three laps down. As for Tony Stewart, he was four off and 33rd. Even Patrick had a better car than these two right out of the gate. Hell, you probably have a better contender sitting in your driveway right now.

Life has been good for both Hendrick and Penske. While Keselowski was winning, team mate Joey Logano was fourth, just as he was last week, to go with an 11th at Daytona. Junior’s trophied mates also have been hot to start. Jimmie Johnson matched his Phoenix finish by finishing sixth, to go with Daytona’s fifth place result. Jeff Gordon went from fourth, to fifth, to “slumping” to ninth at Las Vegas. Still, it is early and there are others in the neighborhood who hope to raise some arguments of their own as they head to Bristol.

Regan Smith continues to lead the Nationwide ladder. After winning at Daytona, he has come up with Top Tens the past two events. That is good. That makes him relevant. That should give him TV time. So, does anyone give a damn that the past two events have been won by Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Keselowski? I mean, I give his crew credit for getting his car back in contention on Sunday, but it is hard to be impressed when a former Cup champion kicks ass against an under-funded, less experienced field. Cup drivers took five of the six top spots. Only Keselowski deserved any face time, and I am not even sure about that.

If they wanted to talk to the relevant guys who took part on Saturday, you can give Keselowski a moment to celebrate his win, then move on to the fifth place Chase Elliott, Brian Scott in seventh, Trevor Bayne in eighth, and the over-all leader in Smith. You know, those who are actually running for a championship, those who are trying to work their way up, not just slumming to make the track owners and some sponsors happy.

Those who matter would include…

	Driver	Races	Win	T5	T10	Points	Diff
1	Regan Smith	3	1	1	3	117	—
2	Trevor Bayne	3	0	1	3	114	-3
3	Elliott Sadler	3	0	1	2	108	-9
4	Ty Dillon	3	0	0	2	105	-12
5	Chase Elliott	3	0	1	2	103	-14

In short, let the Cup guys run but if they do not win, they do not matter. Put the focus on those in Nationwide who do. Just a thought.

Bristol is next up on the calendar for this weekend. Two springs ago Elliott Sadler won the Nationwide race there. Joey Logano won it that fall. Kyle Busch has won five of the past seven, including season sweeps in 2011 and last season. Whoop-de-bloody-do.

Kyle has won four of the past ten Cup races there, as well, though none of the past five. Matt Kenseth hopes to repeat from the fall, Kasey Kahne from last spring, Denny Hamlin from before that, and Keselowski had back-to-backs before being shut out these past three. Usually the winner at Bristol is someone who matters, someone with title thoughts on his mind. More than likely, he will come from our sweet 16…

	Driver	Races	Win	T5	T10	Points	Diff
1	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	3	1	3	3	133	—
2	Brad Keselowski	3	1	3	3	132	-1
3	Kevin Harvick	3	1	1	1	83	-50
4	Jimmie Johnson	3	0	1	3	117	-16
5	Joey Logano	3	0	2	2	116	-17
6	Jeff Gordon	3	0	2	3	115	-18
7	Matt Kenseth	3	0	0	2	105	-28
8	Carl Edwards	3	0	1	2	105	-28
9	Denny Hamlin	3	0	1	1	101	-32
10	Ryan Newman	3	0	0	2	97	-36
11	Kyle Busch	3	0	0	1	95	-38
12	Jamie McMurray	3	0	0	1	93	-40
13	Greg Biffle	3	0	0	1	86	-47
13	Austin Dillon	3	0	0	1	84	-49
15	Kasey Kahne	3	0	0	1	83	-50
16	Casey Mears	3	0	0	1	80	-53

March 10, 2014

Jamie Dick anticipating a strong start to 2014

China Grove, N.C. – Heading into the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, Viva Motorsports driver and owner Jamie Dick is determined to get a solid finish in his fourth career start in the Drive4COPD 300.

Many changes have been made within the organization to help enhance the team’s performance. At Preseason Thunder at Daytona in January, the #55 Viva Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro showed lots of speed in the draft, adding to the team’s confidence heading into the 2014 NNS season opener.

“We had a very good test back in January, and our car looked really good in the wind tunnel. We will take what we learned and apply that for this weekend,” said Jamie Dick. “Daytona is always a fun and unpredictable place to race. It’s one of the few places where its hard to have a game plan going in, because you just never know what is going to happen, you either get a good finish, or end the day on a wrecker.”

The Drive4COPD 300 will also be the first race with new crew chief Bill Henderson calling the shots atop the pit box. Henderson came to Viva Motorsports from Penske Racing after finishing 2nd in the 2013 NNS points battle, collecting two poles and one victory along the way.

“We have had a very busy off-season getting cars built for this season,” said Henderson. “I’m really happy with my move to Viva Motorsports, and expect many great things from Jamie and the team for Daytona and beyond.”

About Viva Auto Group. You can visit Viva Chevrolet, Viva Kia-Mitsubishi-Suzuki, Viva Ford, Viva Nissan, and Viva Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep dealerships as well as Bestway Autos, Viva’s Elite Autos, and Viva Powersports in El Paso, TX. The Viva Auto Group Philosophy of customer service reflects its origins as a family business. Because all Viva Auto Group dealerships are owner-operated, a high degree of personal accountability remains the Viva Auto Group hallmark.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying is scheduled for Friday 2/21 at 1:00pm ET on ESPN2, with the Drive4COPD 300 on Saturday slated for 1:00pm ET on ESPN.

Connect with Jamie Dick and Viva Motorsports on Twitter: @JamieDickRacing, @VivaRacing55.

Facebook: JamieDickRacing, Viva Motorsports, and on the Web: jamiedick.com, viva-motorsports.com

February 18, 2014
NASCAR Unveils the Deterrent System

In NASCAR, penalties are always inconsistent and there is always controversy surrounding each call. In an effort to make the process more transparent or more black and white, if you will, the powers that be have come up with a new system – the Deterrent System. Infractions are now classified on a scale from warnings to P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6. They have informally handed out warnings in the past but now, they will be tracked and made public. NASCAR reiterated that they will not, under any circumstance, take wins away. They want fans to leave the track knowing who won the race.

NASCAR also has a new Chief Appelant Officer. Bryan Moss will replace John Middlebrook and NASCAR stressed that the decision to make a change was not due to Middlebrook going against NASCAR in multiple appeals last year. Race manipulation is not included in this new system though, perhaps because it will be treated as a separate entity. Along with organizing the process more, this system slams repeat offenders. For a detailed look at the new penalty scale, click on the chart below…

Via NASCAR

NASCAR Executive VP of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell

“NASCAR’s Deterrence System is designed to help maintain the integrity and competitive balance of our sport while sending a clear message that rules violations will not be tolerated. “This is a more transparent and effective model that specifically spells out that ‘X’ infraction equals ‘X’ penalty for technical infractions. At the same time, we believe the Appeals process allows a fair opportunity for our NASCAR Members to be heard, and have penalty disputes resolved by an impartial, relevant group of people with the ability to handle the complexities inherent in any appeal.This system has been tailored specifically to fit the needs of our sport.”

The appeal process itself will continue to have two levels. The first is a three-person panel, called “The National Motorsports Appeals Panel.” The team involved then has the option to go to the Chief Appellant Officer Bryan Moss. All alterations to the penalty system will be implemented immediately.

February 4, 2014
David Ragan Set for a Milestone Year

For David Ragan, 2014 is set to be a year full of milestones, from his 100^th Nationwide start to his impending fatherhood, with baby Ragan set to arrive this summer.

But as is the case for most racers, Ragan is just happy to be back at the track, even if only for some preseason testing in the Nationwide Series.

“I’m excited for the Daytona Nationwide race,” Ragan said. “I will be racing with the Biagi-DenBeste Racing team.”

“I wanted to run a few Nationwide races to get back in the rhythm of running up front and having some fun in the Nationwide Series,” Ragan continued. “It’s something that I really haven’t had an opportunity to do in the last year or so.”

“I didn’t even realize it would be my 100^th start so that was kind of interesting as well,” Ragan said. “It’s something that as the years go on, you look back and say, ‘Man it did go by pretty fast.’

“But definitely the 100^th start will be fun to make at Daytona, which is special to me.”

Ragan will be behind the wheel of the No. 98 Curb Records Ford for his milestone start in the DRIVE4COPD 300, scheduled for February 22^nd.

“The Nationwide team has built a really nice car,” Ragan said. “We tested down in Dayton for a couple days and thought the car had a lot of speed.”

“We have won a couple of races, a few poles and I certainly want to add another notch in the win column,” Ragan continued. “That would be cool to do in your 100th milestone start.”

Another milestone that Ragan is hoping to achieve is being able to compete in even more Nationwide Series races with this Biagi-DenBeste Racing team.

“We are working hard to attract a few more sponsors to run a few more races,” Ragan said. “This is the kind of team that doesn’t run a tremendous number of races so they can do it a little cheaper than a full-time team.”

“It’s fun and a great opportunity with a Ford Mustang to get back into the Nationwide Series,” Ragan continued. “So, I’m looking forward to hopefully running a few more races with this team.”

While Ragan is looking forward to achieving more milestones at Daytona in the Nationwide Series, he acknowledges that he will have a few challenges to face getting back into that seat. And while he enjoys racing at Daytona, the track has also presented some challenges along the way.

“I enjoy plate racing,” Ragan said. “I didn’t enjoy it the first year or two but I got to learn how to do it well.”

“But Daytona has been a tough track for me,” Ragan continued. “I think I’ve wrecked the last three or four races there.”

Several of the other challenges that Ragan will face in his milestone return to the Nationwide Series is the new ‘no tandem racing’ rule, as well as all the new, fresh rookie faces in the garage area.

“I don’t think that NASCAR will even have a chance to police that no tandem rule because of the configuration of the air intake and the radiator package,” Ragan said. “It’s very similar to the Cup Series so the temperatures will be so high that you won’t be able to even attempt to tandem race.”

“It is just one of those things that NASCAR is adjusting the rules on a bit that I don’t think they’ll have an opportunity to enforce because we can police it ourselves.”

“Also, I’m trying to get to know some of the new guys out there that I’m racing with,” Ragan said. “That’s why it was important to go and do the test.

“A lot of the Nationwide guys I know and know of but I haven’t had the opportunity to race with them,” Ragan continued. “I think it’s important to get to talk to them and let them see me in the car so they recognize who is driving it.”

“That will pay big dividends when we are out there racing for sure.”

Ragan is also looking forward to achieving new milestones on the Cup side of his career, especially being back in partnership for another year with Front Row Motorsports teammate David Gilliland.

“Front Row Motorsports has improved year in and year out since I’ve started there in 2012,” Ragan said. “We’ve got a lot of potential now.”

“Some of our primary sponsors are coming back and we’re excited about that,” Ragan continued. “We’ve worked on our car inventory this off-season and we’ve certainly improved our team.”

“We’ve got to keep working hard because as the same time we’re improving our team, the teams around us are improving theirs as well,” Ragan said. “We just have to keep our heads up and keep working hard.”

“We’re excited to get to Daytona, but really excited to get to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol and see where we shake out in those first few races,” Ragan continued. “I’m looking forward to my third year and having some fun with my team.”

“And if we could slightly improve on our Cup efforts, continue to build relationships with our sponsors and it has a lot of potential to be a milestone year.”

Ragan’s final, and most important, milestone in 2014 is more personal. He and his wife Jacquelyn are expecting a new addition to the Ragan clan.

“We are also having a milestone personally as Jacquelyn, my wife, is pregnant and due in June,” Ragan said. “So, this is going to be a big year off the race track.”

“It’s going to be a fun time but a very busy time,” Ragan said. “But we’re excited and ready to get the year underway.”

January 14, 2014