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  • Dakoda Armstrong Sees New Ride as ‘Greatest Opportunity’

    Dakoda Armstrong Sees New Ride as ‘Greatest Opportunity’

    Twenty-two year old former Truck Series driver Dakoda Armstrong has been tapped by the ‘King’ to drive the iconic No. 43 Ford Mustang full-time in the Nationwide Series. And for Armstrong, he sums up his new ride simply as the ‘greatest opportunity.’

    “Obviously, the iconic number has so much behind it that it would be impossible to live up to the expectations of that,” Armstrong said. “But the fact of knowing that I’m going to be able to run a full season is the greatest opportunity, especially with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

    “I’m very excited and really ready to get going on it and get everything working.”

    As with so much in the sport of NASCAR, Armstrong acknowledged that the deal with RPM came about quickly.

    “One thing in this sport, stuff happens overnight,” Armstrong said. “We were looking for a deal where we could do as much racing as we could.”

    “This deal opened up with Michael Annett leaving and it just worked out perfectly.”

    Armstrong is grateful to not only Richard Petty Motorsports for the opportunity but is also thankful to his sponsor, Winfield, for stepping up to the next level with him.

    “Winfield came on board all this year and helped us out in the Truck Series,” Armstrong said. “They are really, really new to the NASCAR scene but everything they’ve done, they have done a great job with, being able to activate the sponsorship and making sure it’s not just a car and a number.”

    “I think it’s going to be a great fit and our sponsor is really happy to be on board and have that No. 43.”

    Winfield, a Land O’Lakes Company, is a natural fit for Armstrong because of the young driver’s farming background.

    “We deal with them a lot on our family-owned farm so that is how we got in touch with them,” Armstrong said. “It’s all worked out on a local level, then a national level, and now on this new NASCAR level.”

    “They are really excited and I’m really excited for this year and to be able to slap the No. 43 on with their logos puts a big smile on their faces.”

    Although Armstrong will be the new kid on the block, he will have continuity with his crew chief, Philippe Lopez, and the team at the shop and at track.

    “Everyone at the shop, which I’ve just recently met, were already there,” Armstrong said. “Philippe is going to be our crew chief and he has been the crew chief for the last couple of years with the Annett deal.”

    “He’s staying there and I don’t think anyone has left,” Armstrong continued. “So, it’s going to be a team that’s ready to go, which should be good.”

    Armstrong acknowledged that it will take some time for the team, crew chief and himself to gel. But he has every confidence that will occur, especially when they get to their first race together.

    “I’m still learning everybody and they are still learning me,” Armstrong said. “We’re all trying to figure it out.”

    “Once we get to Daytona we’ll be together and ready to go for the season.”

    One of the greatest opportunities that Armstrong has enjoyed so far since the announcement of his No. 43 ride is getting to spend some quality time with the big boss Richard Petty.

    “I’ve talked to him a few times that I’ve been there,” Armstrong said. “He’s just so humble and just like a normal guy that you forget when you’re talking to him that he is the ‘King’.

    “It’s kind of surreal,” Armstrong continued. “He’s told me some stories and how different racing is nowadays. So, that’s pretty cool.”

    The ‘King’ is equally impressed with his new young driver.

    “Dakoda will help us continue the success of our No. 43 Nationwide Series program,” Richard Petty said.  “Dakoda is a driver who has grown up in the sport and has paid his dues.”

    “He has proven himself at every level and we will now give him the tools he needs to be successful in the Nationwide Series and believe he can win races for us.”

    So, what is Armstrong doing in the off-season to prepare himself for the next leap in his career? Why racing of course.

    “I’m actually at Pensacola to do the Snowball Derby right now,” Armstrong said. “I’ve never run a late model in a big race like this.”

    “I did one race when I was 16 years old, so it’s been awhile,” Armstrong continued. “I don’t really know how these things drive so I’m just going to go out and have a lot of fun and a good time.”

    After he finishes his Snowball Derby racing, Armstrong plans to head home to the farm and family in Indiana before he starts the hectic race season.

    “I think I’ll get to see my family a little bit for the holidays,” Armstrong said. “Anytime you can get home to Indiana, I want to and try to.”

    “Definitely after New Year’s I want to really get focused, go to the shop and get ready for the season.”

    An important part of getting ready for the new race season for Armstrong, however, has been taking at least a moment or two to reflect on his good fortune in securing this new ride for a full race season.

    “A month ago, I really didn’t know what would happen,” Armstrong said. “I thought we would just do a partial deal.”

    “Being able to compete for points and being there each and every week is a great benefit,” Armstrong continued. “We’re going to have to make sure that we’re competitive and getting better every week.”

    “One thing about this sport is that you can’t win every week but you can get better each time and that’s what we have to work on.”

    So, what does this new ride really mean to the young driver taking the next step in his career?

    “In one word, other than to be boring and just say like it’s awesome or exciting, I’d have to say it’s the greatest opportunity,” Armstrong said. “Nowadays in this sport, you never know what’s going to happen.”

    “There are so many people looking in from the outside that to have a ride and know I’m doing something full-time for this team is great,” Armstrong continued. “It’s something I’m really excited about.”

    “And now we just have to get ready for Daytona and have some fun.”

  • SHR continues to get stronger

    SHR continues to get stronger

    On the last edition of The Inside Pass (www.theinsidepass.net), heard on Tuesday November 26th, my co-host Randy Miller and I spoke at length with veteran spotter Tim Fedewa. The conversation ranged from the new Gen 6 car and the struggles of the Ford camp to find speed through out the season to what Tim is looking forward to doing during the off season (hunting for those wondering).

    The telling point in the interview was when Randy Miller asked Tim what his plans were for next season. Tim broke the news that he would be moving to the number 4 car and would be spotting for Kevin Harvick moving forward into the 2014 season. Tim is still currently under contract with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) until the end of the year, which for those that do not know the NASCAR year typically ends on December 31st of each year. Tim expected to be spotting for RPM during the early December testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tim believes that he will be spotting for Aric Almilrola during that testing session, but nothing is firmed up yet. During the off air conversation, Tim also confirmed that this would be a year to year contract.

    When asked Tim stated that he is excited about thae move, and that he is very appreciative of everything that working at the legendary Richard Petty Motorsports has done for him personally and professionally. He enjoyed working with Marcus Ambrose and felt strongly that they as a team were really close to getting the Australian driver his first oval track win. As the interview progressed, I asked Tim exactly what does a spotter do to help build the level of trust up that is needed between a spotter and a driver moving into the January testing at Daytona, which is where Kevin and Tim will be working together for the first time. Tim’s response was enlightening, they are going to be sitting down to lunches together along with recently named crew chief Rodney Childers, who is leaving Micheal Waltrip Racing (MWR), along with the car chief to try and get on the same page moving forward.

    As the title of this article implies gaining a veteran spotter such as Tim bodes well for the fans of Kevin Harvick and does not bode well for the rest of the field. Tim has been spotting in the national series dating back to when the Sprint Cup was known as the Nextel Cup.  Tim is a former racer turned spotter.  He understands how to help a driver navigate the traffic and track in order to help his team and driver get the very best out of the car.  When teamed with a driver who is known for taking care of his equipment and being “there” at the end of a race, this could potentially be the new powerhouse driver/spotter combination.  When asked what he had already been doing to prepare for the potential move to Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Tim replied that he had been scanning the 29 cars channels in order to pick up on the lingo and the meter that Billy O’Dea and Kevin used throughout the latter stages of the year so that he would be better prepared for his new role with Kevin.

    Tim’s pedigree in racing is not a short lived one, he was born into a racing family.  His father Butch raced in several series eventually reaching the ARCA/ReMax series before retiring and began helping Tim with his racing career.  Tim made limited starts in the Camping World Truck and some 300 Nationwide Series starts, with four wins in that series, along with one start in the Winston Cup Series, and also ran in a relief role for John Andretti with Petty Motorsports at the Coke 600 in 2000 when John was injured.  Tim understands the nuances that help make a car go fast, this role with the new number 4 team is not something that Tim simply fell into over night.  He has been doing this for awhile now, and he has the respect of his peers atop the spotter’s stand.  While NASCAR may have mandated rules changes that there would no longer be “deals” made from the spotters stand, I hope no one is naive enough to think that the spotters don’t work together to try and help their driver out when trying to make their way through the field.

    When you take a look at the cache of talented members continuously being added to the stables over at Stewart-Haas Racing, I think that we could see a few new/old faces challenging Jimmie Johnson (six time) for the championship next season.

  • Dillon wins championship amidst controversial finish

    Dillon wins championship amidst controversial finish

    Brad Keselowski won the Ford Ecoboost 300, but that win was overshadowed by a championship wrapped in controversy.

    Austin Dillon struggled with handling problems most of the night. His team led by crew chief, Danny Stockman, made several of adjustments throughout the race and managed to help the car significantly.

    As the race progressed, Dillon slowly and methodically worked his way toward the front. Even with the improvements, however, he was still a couple of points behind Sam Hornish Jr. who was running in the top-5 for most of the night.

    Race strategy came into play as the eighth caution of the night came out on lap 155. The Stockman led team of Dillon, were watching Hornish to see if they would take tires or wait. Their plan was to copy whatever the No. 12 car did. Hornish’s team installed their last set of Goodyear sticker tires and Dillon’s team followed suit. Several other teams chose to save their final sets until later. This would be a key factor later in the race.

    Regan Smith made contact and brought out the final caution on lap 184 when Regan Smith made contact with Jeremy Clements causing a multi-car crash on the frontstretch. The team who had saved their tires hit pit road to bolt their final sets on and make final adjustments. This set up a scenario where cars that were already as fast as Dillon, now had the extra benefit of fresh tires. Hornish looked to be in good shape as these cars would have had plenty of time to overtake Dillon and give Hornish the cushion he needed to clinch the title.

    The controversy came when it became obvious that the cleanup on the frontstretch would take longer than expected. In a move that has been questioned by many, NASCAR chose not to throw red flag. The field was allowed to run under caution for twelve laps. The race was not restarted until lap 196. If the red had been thrown, the race could have been restarted with at least ten to go, giving the contenders much more time to race for the title.

    Dillon talked about his race and his championship, “I was very close to wrecking that car trying to get more speed out of it, I hit the wall that one time and I told myself, I said if I go out there and the wall the next lap and take ourselves out of this championship, I’m giving it to him. I got to make it to the end and it worked out.”

    When asked about seeing Hornish right in front of him on the restarts, Dillon replied, “Do everything I could do to put stress on him. Make sure that he knew I was there. The last one, I knew with five to go our car was good enough. If I could somehow get him off his rocker, get him frustrated somehow, it would work.”

    A disappointed Hornish commented about the season and the night, “You can’t give away points throughout the year like we did at times – some was the driver’s fault and some was out of our control. We had it for most of the night and I knew that Austin was obviously trying to take care of the everything and make sure that he made it to the end, and then you had the late caution and a lot of guys had tires and came.”

    When asked about all of the caution laps at the end of the race, Hornish replied, “What can I say? Any other time there probably would have been a caution. It’s just one of those things that it wasn’t meant to be tonight so we’ll just take what we learned and try to do the best with it for here on out.”

    The decision to not throw the red flag completely altered the scenario for the race. If the race had restarted with ten to go, Hornish would have the upper hand. By waiting until four to go, Dillon did not have to fend off the challengers with new tires, making the path to the championship much easier.

    Robin Pemberton was asked why the decision was made to not throw the red flag. Pemberton responded, “It really looked like it was going to be a typical clean-up, a typical wreck. You know, you had two cars that had a lot of damage and both of them dumped quite a bit of oil. There was no need to throw a red.  We felt like we could get it in a normal lap segment of that. You know, unfortunately there was a lot of oil – it looked like it kept either seeping back up out of the race track or whatever from the car that was on the outside of the wall. And you know, we went one to go a handful of times trying to get the track ready.”  When asked if there was a time constraint due to TV he replied, “No, there was nothing like that.” Unfortunately, Pemberton was not asked why they did not throw the red once it was realized the clean-up was not typical.

    In this writer’s opinion, we have not been given a valid reason why twelve of the final sixteen laps of the final race of the season, with so much on the line from driver’s championship to owner’s championship to manufacturer’s championship, should have been ran under caution. This was a bad call all around, and there is no other way to say it.

    There needs to be a much more clearly defined policy regarding this situation. The series can never plan for every variable, but it usually reacts very well when a scenario sheds light on a problem. This is one of those times. This championship will always have an asterisk beside of it in the minds of many. Hopefully, NASCAR will rectify the problem and prevent it from happening in the future.

  • Hornish wins the pole for the Ford Ecoboost 300

    Hornish wins the pole for the Ford Ecoboost 300

    Sam Hornish Jr. who is chasing his first NASCAR championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, is doing everything he can do to accomplish his goal He was fastest in first practice and has now backed that up by being fastest in qualifying.

    Hornish, driving the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang, turned in a lap of 165.843 MPH to score his fourth pole of the season and the fifth of his career.

    Hornish edged out Blake Koch, who is making his debut for RAB Racing in the No. 99 Compression Racing.com Toyota that was driven by Alex Bowman until this week. Koch posted a lap of 165.781 MPH

    Penske driver, Brad Keselowski, will start third on Saturday in the No. 48 Discount Tires Ford. Keselowski posted a lap of 165.756 MPH. Keselowsi could play a role in the outcome of the driver’s championship and the owner’s championship. Both of his Penske teammates are involved in points battles – Sam Hornish battling for the driver’s title, Joey Logano driving the No. 22 will be trying to secure the owner’s championship.

    Logano will start fourth in the No.22, with Sprint Cup Series championship contender, Matt Kenseth taking the green in fifth. Austin Dillon, who has an eight point lead over Hornish, will start 11th after posting a lap of 163.825 MPH in his AdvoCare Chevrolet.

    The green will fall on the Ford Ecoboost 300 at 4:30 pm local time.

  • Nationwide Series: The crown jewel of Ford Championship weekend

    Nationwide Series: The crown jewel of Ford Championship weekend

    Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway is arguably the biggest weekend of the NASCAR season. This this the weekend they crown the national series champions.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the elite series of NASCAR and usually gets the majority of the attention. This weekend the points gap between first and second in the series is wide enough that the leader, Jimmie Johnson, has to only manage a 23rd place finish to clinch his sixth series championship. Not that finsihning 23rd among the world’s best drivers is easy, but with Johsnon’s performance this season and for the last several seasons, it is like kicking a fifteen yard field goal – Not a guarantee, but not exactly a nail biter.

    The Camping World Truck Series which many opine has the best competition on track. Firday nights Ford Ecoboost 200 solidifies that opinion. Truly an impressive display of racing talent and competition that NASCAR should be proud of. The championship, however, was basically sewed up before the race. Matt Crafton only had to start the race to clinch the title.

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series is widely considered a developmental series, though NASCAR states that it is not. It is actually a stand-alone series, and actually the No. 2 form of motorsports in the United States. Even with these numbers, the series still plays second fiddle in realm of public opinion form the NASCAR community.

    This weekend, however, the Nationwide Series has a lot to be proud of. The championship battle is the closest among the three series. The profiles of the two contenders are, to say the least, completely different. Sam Hornish is 34 years old, has three Indycar championships, and is currently in a position where he may need this championship to assist him in landing a sponsor to keep him in NASCAR for 2014. Austin Dillon, is a young-gun driver, with a racing pedigree, one Camping World Truck Series championship in the bank, and pretty much has his future already planned out thanks to the fact that his grandfather is Richard Childress, owner of an elite NASCAR team. That fact also drives him to prove himself as a driver to help quiet the critics who feel he is getting a free ride.

    In addition to the driver’s championship, the manufacturer’s championship is so close that it will come down to who wins – Ford or Chevy. Not only is it a classic Ford vs. Chevy battle, but even more tantalizing – if Toyota wins, it could come down to an unprecedented tie-breaker possibly going down to which car has the most fourth place finishes.

    Finally, let’s not forget the fantastic owner’s championship battle as well. Roger Penske’s No.22 and Joe Gibbs No. 54 are separated by only four points. A battle that is so important that Penske added an additional car this weekend. Defending Sprint Cup Series champion, Brad Keselowski, will drive the No. 48 Discount Tire Ford in the Ford Ecoboost 300. This entry could be to just assist Joel Logano, who is driving the No. 22 or it could be to just play mind games with the No. 54 driver, Kyle Busch. Busch recently made contact with Keselowski in a Nationwide race crashing him and being less than apologetic about it. This move may have Kyle looking over his shoulder wondering of payback is coming. That could give Penske the edge they need to secure the title.

    With so many dramatic storylines, series director, Wayne Auton, has plenty to smile about as he closes his first season with the series. His Nationwide Series is definitely the crown jewel of the Ford Championship weekend. The green flag will fall on the Ford Ecoboost 300 at 4:30 pm local time.

  • Round one to Hornish

    Round one to Hornish

    Nationwide Series championship contenders, Sam Hornish and Austin Dillon are locked in the closest points battle among NASCAR’s three national series that are closing out their season’s this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    A mere eight points separate the two drivers with Dillon on top. Round one, however, for the weekend goes to Hornish. In first practice on Friday, Hornish was fourth fastest, laying down a lap of 167.848 MPH. Dillon only managed a lap of 166.590 MPH, which placed him 14th on the final sheet.

    There was, however, a small bit of drama during the session. Hornish brushed the wall slightly in his No. 12 Penske Racing Ford Mustang. On Thursday, Hornish talked about the pressure he is under trying to win his first NASCAR championship, “It’s not the way we would have liked to come into the race.  We feel like we’ve had a good year at Penske Racing.  We’ve been strong a lot of races this year.  Capitalizing on the days we were strong is one of the things we need to continue to work on.  At the end of the day we feel real proud to be in the position that we are and to have the opportunity to win the championship.  There’s a lot of things that need to happen.  We’d like to go out there and lead the most laps, win the race, do all that good stuff.  If Austin finishes third, that’s all for not.  We’ll try to be smart, figuring out the best way to do this. One of the things that gives me confidence going into this weekend is our performance on the mile-and-a-half’s this weekend and the fact we got to come here and test.  It’s a big gamble to look at Miami and say that we need to be the best that we can possibly be when we get there, but we had a feeling that we were going to need to be strong here. Saving that test day for here hopefully will be a real good thing for us.”

    Dillon who has won a Camping World Truck Series championship is confident heading to the final weekend of the year, “God blessed us with a good season.  We were consistent.  That paid off for us at the end of the year.  Love coming to the mile-and-a-half’s.  We were strong there all year long.  Homestead was a place where we led a lot of laps last year. I’m glad this is the last race of the year.  Feel like we need to approach it with a win.  We don’t have any wins this year.  To finish off the year with a win in the championship would be great.”

    The Nationwide Series championship is providing us with the perfect ending to a fantastic season. Two drivers in a tight battle, one with a racing resume’ that demands respect, the other – a young gun driver who is already writing his own impressive resume’. Additionally, we have a classic Chevy vs. Ford battle and a manufacturer’s championship that currently has the two only two points apart.

    What more could we ask for?

  • Homestead Championship Preview

    Homestead Championship Preview

    It’s hard to believe it but the longest season in sports is just about over with. In a few days, three new NASCAR champions will be crowned. Matt Crafton leads the Camping World Truck Series standings and only needs to start the race in order to clinch his first title. Austin Dillon is the points leader at the Nationwide level with Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. stalking him from only eight points back. The owner’s title is still up for grabs as well and will come down to Gibbs’ No.54 car versus the No.22 of Penske Racing. In Cup, 5-time champion Jimmie Johnson can almost taste his 6th Cup and only needs a top 23 finish to ensure the crown is his but Kenseth and Harvick will be ready to pounce just in case the unthinkable happens and that No.48 stumbles. Here’s a breakdown of what is at stake in the season finale, who the players are and my predictions regarding who will emerge victorious when the checkered flag falls on 2013.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

    As I previously mentioned, this battle is all but over. Matt Crafton has only won a single race this year but 19 top 10’s in 21 races is more than enough to compensate for the lack of visits to victory lane. He leads Ty Dillon by 46 points and when he takes the green flag Friday night, it will preclude anyone from challenging him no matter what happens during the race. This is Matt’s 13th full-time season in the Truck series and to finally win that first title will be such a relief for him and his team. Speaking of his team, the fight for the owner’s title is not quite over with just yet. ThorSport leads by 23pts which is still a fairly comfortable margin but the man and team chasing them happens to be Kyle Busch who has won four races and posted seven top five’s in just 10 starts this season. Yeah, he’s kind of a big deal when he shows up at these Truck races.

    My Prediction: The No.3 team will not lock Matt Crafton up in a Port-O-Potty and he will easily win the driver’s title with probably another top ten finish to end his impressive year. I also believe that ThorSport will hang on against the hard-charging Kyle Busch and his No.51 team to win the owner’s championship.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series

    Austin Dillon is a former Camping World Truck Series champion and his opponent is a former winner of the Indianapolis 500; Sam Hornish Jr. A mere eight points separate these guys and a slip up by one will all but hand the title over to the other. Dillon wants it because he’s moving to the Cup level in 2014 and Hornish wants it because, well, he currently doesn’t have a ride for next year. The owner’s standings is an even closer battle with just four points between the top two and things have gotten fairly hostile between the rival teams as of late. Joey Logano will pilot the No.22 for Penske Racing which is currently in command of the points while Joe Gibbs Racing wisely has Kyle Busch in the No.54 car. An interesting detail that should not be overlooked is the fact that Penske is entering a third car in the race which will be driven by none other than Brad Keselowski who has vowed retaliation against Busch for spinning him out at Kansas. Will he fulfill his promise? I highly doubt it but will he do everything he possibly can to make Kyle Busch’s day a living hell? Of course he will! That’s why he’s in this race…to take points from that No.54 and the No.3 as well as do his best impression of a moving roadblock when necessary.

    My Prediction: This will be the most enthralling title bout of the weekend and Austin Dillon will win the driver’s title with a top five finish while the No.54 steals the owner’s championship from Penske by winning the race.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Jimmie Johnson is at it again! After winning five straight championships and taking a two year hiatus from the big table in Vegas, the California native is closing in on the #SixPack. Three drivers mathematically have a shot at taking home the hardware but it is going to take a catastrophic failure on the No.48 or a crash to even give gentleman Matt and the pugnacious Harvick a chance. It’s unlikely but can definitely happen though. Jimmie may seem infallible but in reality, bad luck can just as easily bite him as it can his adversaries. In fact, his last two finishes at Homestead are 36th and 32nd. In 2011, he spun out with what was an awful car and in 2012, he suffered rear gear failure so don’t fool yourself into believing this thing is over with. Remember, this is NASCAR. We set race tracks on fire and break our ex-teammate’s back; okay. If Jimmie were to have some unforeseen issues that consequently costs him the title, imagine the dogfight we would have between JGR newbie Matt Kenseth and lame-duck Kevin Harvick! RCR hasn’t won the Sprint Cup championship since 1994 with Dale Earnhardt; that was nearly 20 years ago and it’s been a decade since Matt was last crowned champion.

    My Prediction: Jimmie Johnson survives and wins his 6th championship but if he were to falter and it came down to the two guys chasing him, I think Matt Kenseth would prevail seeing that JGR has practically dominated most of the 1.5 mile races this year.

    No matter which drivers and teams are able to call themselves champions when the day is done, I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed the 2013 season. It hasn’t been the best year in NASCAR’s 65 year history but it was certainly an interesting one. Good luck to all those chasing championships this weekend and may the best (or luckiest) man win!

  • A Life of Racing: Kyle Larson

    A Life of Racing: Kyle Larson

    “I’d be like, ‘Poor kid, geez. How do you tell him (about reality)?’ But he’s always had that confidence. I don’t think he’s in awe of anything.”- Mike Larson, father of Kyle Larson.
    The Coccinellidae, or Ladybug, is well known for bringing luck and love to whomever finds it. It’s a favorite among children, even though in a sense it is incredibly ironic- these same children would probably run screaming from a spider, but a ladybug? No way, silly.
    “The kid is just absolutely phenomenal, he’s a kid that I think really has a lot of potential.”- Tony Stewart
    Kyle Larson has had a tradition of having a ladybug on every car he’s raced since childhood, a childhood that has led to a life of racing- and, arguably more important, winning. People constantly compare him to men such as Tony Stewart or Kasey Kahne, maybe even legends such as AJ Foyt or the Unsers. If Joey Logano was the “Best Thing Since Sliced Bread”, Kyle Larson might be the best thing since the knife to cut it. And it all began in Elk Groove, California, at the age of one week.
    “I am blown away by this kid…… I have Kyle’s number, I text him when he wins a race,…… [I told him] “I’m getting tired of texting you every week.”- Jeff Gordon
    Larson was born under the hot Northern California sun on July 31st, 1992, to a Japanese-American mother and a Caucasian father. His mother’s side of the family came to California via the Japanese-American Internment Camp, his grandparents among those forcibly sent there during World War II. His father was/is a longtime racing fan, and took him to his very first race when he was a week old.
    “[He’s] very quiet, very unassuming. He’s a very level person, he doesn’t get very up or very down.”- Mike Larson
    Kyle Larson at age 15. Credit: Sports Illustrated
    Like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Joey Logano, Larson started racing almost as soon as he was out of diapers, at the age of 7 in go-karts. As a kid he dominated at Cycleland Speedway, his local track, where he won two straight Box Stock championships in 2001-2002, then won the 2002 and 2004 QRC Outlaw All Star Tour Series championships. He kept busy during the winter months, winning two straight Red Bluff Winter Indoor Series championships. After an insane amount of victories and championships over 2004-2006, Larson moved up to sprint cars/midgets. Four seasons of even more championships and winning later, he moved up to the USAC National series.
    “[Kyle’s] a God-given talent, There are certain drivers who come along who are blessed, and that’s all you can say.”- Mike Larson
    He quickly dominated, winning 22 races among the 3 divisions (Midgets, Sprint Cars, and Silver Crown), finishing in the top 3 in all point standings, and was voted Motor Sports Press Association Open Wheel/Oval Track Driver of the Year, and was also a nominee for 2011 SPEED Performer of the Year. This led to a lot of wooing from a lot of race teams in both IndyCar and NASCAR.
    “I never saw Parnelli Jones or A.J. Foyt in their prime, but by far Kyle Larson is the most talented driver I’ve ever seen…… He’s the most versatile. What he was able to do in a sprint car from early on, it was incredible. It looked like he’d been driving his whole life.”- Brad Dooty, former Sprint Car driver.
    After weighing his options, Larson decided to go with an owner who was in both: Chip Ganassi, or to be specific Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Although Larson has never said so, it’s probable he picked EGR so that he could have a window to one day go back to open wheel. Why else would he have gone to a team who did not have any connections (at the time) to any NASCAR Nationwide or NASCAR Camping World Truck teams?

     “He’s going to go far in his racing career, and even to remotely be some part of that is really cool.”- Jimmy Elledge, #51 Sprint Cup Crew Chief
    Chip, however, had an ace in the hole. While Larson was busy dominating the K&N Pro East series along with still running USAC, Ganassi came to an agreement that led to Larson running a few truck races with Turner Motorsports while eventually EGR as a whole moved into the “Hendrick Family”, a top tier of NASCAR teams that have some sort of relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, after two seasons of mediocre support from Richard Childress Racing.
     “[Our 2011 season was] pathetic….. We need to see improvement by the end of the year.”- Chip Ganassi, 2012
    2013 has been a roller coaster season for the young Drive for Diversity driver. Larson signed on to Turner to run a full Nationwide season for them, the first race of which ended in Larson going into the fence at Daytona. Larson won his first NASCAR National Touring Series race, where the future of the sport won in a Turner Truck at a site of the sport’s past: Rockingham Speedway. He was probably the last to as well, as the track has cancelled all 2013 dates and seems to be closing down once again.
    Credit: NASCAR
    “I think he’s obviously ready. He certainly represents all those dirt track racers. He’s kind of a poster child for those guys. He did it on talent, he didn’t do it by buying his way up. I think there’s a lot to be said for that.”- Chip Ganassi
    Larson has been hampered all season by Cup drivers. He has finished second twice to Cup drivers, and in particular was agonizingly close at Bristol in March, coming within feet of beating Kyle Busch. He has also had wrecks aplenty, DNFing due to crashes in 10% of his races. But Larson has fought on.
     “When I finish in the top 10 or eight or whatever, I’m really happy with that. The few top-fives that I’ve had, they feel like wins almost. The couple of second places are really good, too. I’ve been pretty happy with how the season has gone….. I have not been disappointed at all by not winning [in Nationwide]. … I feel like we’ve been competitive all year. I’m happy with that.” – Kyle Larson
    Many expected Larson to have another couple of seasons in Nationwide before making his Cup debut, maybe in a 3rd EGR car. Nobody expected either EGR driver, Juan Pablo Montoya or Jamie McMurray to go anytime soon- McMurray won Ganassi a Daytona 500 and Chip has said before he’d never let McMurray go again. Montoya has been the “Franchise” for Chip in America- when he hasn’t been busy in Formula 1 he’s been racing for Chip his entire American career, and also has a very long term relationship with Target, Ganassi’s largest and most important sponsor.
     “Are we where we want to be performance-wise? No. Are we happy with the people we have and direction we’re going? Yes.”- Chip Ganassi, 2012
    While the 2013 season has gone on, some have noted Target’s presence on the 32 car to have grown more and more as the season went on. Things came to a head in August, when it was confirmed by EGR co-owner Felix Sabates that Montoya was out of EGR- a shocker out of nowhere, especially for Montoya fans, as Montoya has had one of his best seasons with two almost woulda coulda shoulda oval victories (Richmond and Dover). But those woulda coulda shoulda’s weren’t, and EGR might of been frustrated at Montoya’s overall lack of progress in 6 seasons of Cup racing (Even though EGR as a whole has been more or less mediocre in all of those years but 2010).
     “I’ve made risky decisions before, I don’t think this is one of them.”- Chip Ganassi
    Many still didn’t believe the 21 year old would get the ride. Many names were thrown around by many people. Ryan Newman? Jeff Burton? Kurt Busch? After weeks of rumor and speculation, EGR announced Larson as the driver of the 42 starting in 2014 on August 30th. Many still think it’s too soon for Kyle Larson to compete.
    “When you look at Kyle’s background (Sprint Cars), he’s driving cars with far more power than grip…… I think the Cup car will suit his style far better than a Nationwide car. But you do need that foundation of knowing these tracks, because when we show up, our fastest lap we’ll run all weekend will probably be our first lap right now.  And if Kyle Larson wants to go to Cup next year, that’s tough to do. He’s going to need the whole session to get where he needs to, and then you’re five or six adjustments behind the fast guys.”- Jimmie Johnson
    Kyle Larson, first Cup race.
     Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
    The “experts” cite Casey Atwood and Joey Logano as examples of drivers with little NASCAR experience doing mediocre in Sprint Cup, that for every Kurt Busch there’s 42 Atwoods. To the people that matter, however, Larson is very ready- Ganassi wouldn’t of put him in the car if he wasn’t ready, Target loves him, and Larson himself believes he can handle the pressure that comes with a move to the Cup level.
    “I don’t worry about who I’m racing against or the level of competition, I try not to let things get to my head.”- Kyle Larson
    It all comes full circle in 2014, when the boy with the ladybug goes to drive a car as red as said ladybug. Some might say it was pure talent, how Larson flew up the ranks within 3 years. Some might say luck. It might of been a mix of both. Regardless of what you believe, it’s an act of love- Larson would be the first to tell you that he’ll race anything, anytime.
    “He’s somebody who doesn’t get very up or very down about much of anything, he’s just not the type of person who is going to walk up to somebody and say, ‘Man, I’m excited I’m going into Cup!’ That’s not Kyle. He kind of shrugs his shoulders like he expects to be there.”- Mike Larson
    In his life of racing, much of it has been unwritten. This is only the prologue  of it- whether it’s a drama, a comedy, a mystery, a thriller, or, Heaven forbid, a tragedy, is yet to be decided. No matter what it is, don’t close the book just yet- it’s far from over.
    Sources
    LA Times
    NASCAR Wire Service
  • The Final Word – Dover is over, now off to Kansas where Kyle’s dreams go to die

    The Final Word – Dover is over, now off to Kansas where Kyle’s dreams go to die

    Dover in a nutshell? Well, Jimmie won, Matt did not, and Kyle had to settle for a mere Top Five. What has not changed is that the trio remain the only relevant drivers as they head to Kansas for Sunday’s fourth round of the Chase.

    Johnson made it a record eight wins at that track in just 24 starts in Delaware. By claiming his fifth of the season, and 65th of his career, the five-time former champ is just 8 points behind Kenseth, who finished 7th at Dover. Busch was fifth last Sunday and is a dozen points off the pace. Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick are next, 39 points away. So, until each and every one of the three leaders cough and sputter to somewhere beyond a Top Ten, at least, the rest of them remain just members of the supporting cast.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr started from the pole and finished just behind Johnson. A win would have meant more to him than a great points day, as he sits 57 back in the waiting room. Most of the Chasers did well, taking all Top Ten spots, while Kasey Kahne (13th), Kurt Busch (21st after a loose wheel green flag stop), and Carl Edwards (35th after a broken wheel hub) were the outsiders.

    As NASCAR no longer releases attendance figures, we are left guessing as to what those big bare patches in the grandstands meant in way of numbers. Considering Dover is a track situated within a hundred miles of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, somebody does not give a damn. A bunch of somebodies. Maybe stellar television coverage might entice them out to take a look at the real deal.

    Rating Dover – 5.5/10 – Too bad, as the visuals of this track, with the dive down the hill into the corners before swooping up on the other side, can be rather breathtaking. I did enjoy watching Race Day, but unfortunately none of the SPEED announcers would later appear on the ESPN broadcast. Good reporting from the pits, but the main crew were, well, the pits. Same old, same old.

    After 31-years, ESPN fired Marty Reid for mistaking the white flag for the checkered flag, and for one second declaring Ryan Blaney the Nationwide winner at Kentucky a lap early. Considering it did not detract in the least from the broadcast, that Blaney was leading by a large margin, or considering the amateur hour that is ESPN’s Cup coverage, you would have figured he might have got a bit of slack from the clowns in the suits. Then again, they might have done him a favor. Reid’s replacement? That would be Allan Bestwick. Good grief.

    Kansas Speedway is next on the schedule. Matt Kenseth won the last two run there and has been in the Top Ten in each of his past six attempts.

    Kansas Speedway, where Jimmie Johnson has a pair, including the fall of 2011. Where he has six Top Fives in 14 attempts, along with 10 Top Tens, and leads all active drivers with an average finish of 7.6.

    Kansas Speedway, where Kyle Busch sucks. Sorry, but two Top Tens in a dozen starts does not cut it. Seven times he has failed to crack even the Top Twenty. This is where his Chase hopes go to die, unless this is the year he avoids his Chase jinx.

    Congratulations to my mother-in-law, who turns 80 years old today. She will not be part of the broadcast of this race. To be fair, Fran doesn’t know a damn thing about NASCAR, but she would be a hell of a lot more entertaining than what we will hear this Sunday. Maybe she could fill in for Marty. Enjoy the week!

  • Ryan Blaney takes the win in the Kentucky 300

    Ryan Blaney takes the win in the Kentucky 300

    19 year old Camping World Truck Series regular, Ryan Blaney puts on an impressive performance driving the No. 22 Discount Tires Ford in the Kentucky 300 at Kentucky Speedway.  Blaney led 96 laps en route to victory. He also became the fourth different driver to win in the car this season and the tenth win of the season for the No. 22.

    Blaney had to hold off strong challenges from his Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr and Richard Childress Racing driver, Austin Dillon. At one point on a restart, Hornish and Blaney were side by side when Hornish got loose and almost took out both cars. Hornish, however, pulled off an amazing save and only lost a few positions.

    A similar situation happened with Dillon as well, with Dillon getting loose under the No.22, he too was able to save the car. Blaney never faltered, held off all challenges and looked like a seasoned veteran while doing so. He never seemed to get rattled under the pressure.

    When asked about the close calls Blaney responded, “The way the restart rule is now, you never know what’s going to happen. How big of a shove someone is going to give somebody, I was really worried on that last restart when the 33 was behind Austin there, their teammates and I thought they were going to push right passed me but I don’t think the 33 got a great restart. But yeah it was very tough to hang on the bottom in one and two, I think there were some water spots down there that definitely made it worse, and then you got a gut hanging on your outside that just gets you aero loose so there a couple hairy moments there but luckily we could … had a good enough car that to be at that point where it didn’t hurt us when they got loose under us.”

    The win was Blaney’s first in 15 Nationwide Series starts and also another step toward the owner’s championship for the No.22. The team now holds a 23 point lead over the Joe Gibbs Racing entry No. 54.

    The next stop for the series is the 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover International Raceway on September 28.