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  • Denny Hamlin’s Mom Advises Son to Cherish Every Moment

    Denny Hamlin’s Mom Advises Son to Cherish Every Moment

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan onpitroad.com” align=”alignright” width=”218″][/media-credit]Although Denny Hamlin’s mother Mary Lou spends almost every weekend at the track, working her son’s merchandise hauler and interacting with the fans, she cherished a very special moment this past weekend at Pocono.

    “Denny and Jordan are going to be parents and we’re really looking forward to it,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “This is our first biological grandchild. We have an adopted son that has three and two step-daughters that have two. “

    “They’ll know the end of August what they are having.”

    While beaming with pride, she also recognizes that this is another major milestone in her son’s life and one that means he continues to forge his own path in life.

    “That was one of the things that was really difficult for his dad and I,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “We were so used to spending every weekend together with Denny.”

    “We did go karts since he was seven and then Denny went right into the stock cars every weekend,” Mary Lou Hamlin continued. “That is the hardest thing was not seeing or talking to him all the time every weekend.”

    “I have to look at it like empty nesting, like parents when their kids go away to college.”

    Mary Lou Hamlin admitted that her family has always been close, having come from a family with five other brothers and sisters. Hamlin’s mother was a single parent, raising them all as a tight knit group.

    “We were always really, really close,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “Denny’s grandmother passed away when she was 91 years old, but one thing she always looked forward to and kept her going was watching Denny on Sundays.”

    “I’m so glad that she got to see him make it to this level,” Hamlin continued. “Every Sunday, she would wear her Denny T-shirt and her No. 11 socks.”

    “It was so funny because wherever she would go, would always ask people if they were NASCAR fans and if they knew Denny Hamlin,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “She, needless to say, was very, very proud.”

    In addition to her close-knit family and her time with her son, Mary Lou Hamlin also cherishes the time that she gets to spend with Denny’s fans.

    “I’m very fortunate,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “By doing the merchandise trailer, I get to meet his fans, which is great.”

    “I also run his fan club so that connects me to his fan base,” Hamlin continued. “It’s still surreal to see people wearing T-shirts on with Denny’s face on it.”

    “I enjoy the fan club, especially reading all the letters,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “It’s tough sometimes to gather everything together that Denny needs to sign. It takes up a lot of time.”

    “But what’s good is that I can do it when I want to during the day,” Hamlin continued. “I can run my errands, go by FedEx and things like that. Then at 2:00 in the morning, I can be putting together all the packets.”

    While Hamlin cherishes every moment at the track, she admits that it is a grueling lifestyle. But she also has NASCAR racing in her blood, which has made all the sacrifices along the way in Denny’s career worthwhile.

    “People think it is so great but it is a lot of work,” Hamlin said. “It’s a lot of walking and a lot of heat and the challenges of getting in and out of the track.”

    “But we have always been NASCAR fans and that’s how we got into it,” Hamlin continued. “From the time Denny was little, he would sit on his dad’s lap on Sunday afternoons and watch the NASCAR races.”

    “When Denny was seven, a friend of ours suggested that he race go karts, “Hamlin said. “His dad knew from that moment on that he definitely had something.”

    “But we also realized that there are a thousand other Denny Hamlins out there that never get the chance,” Hamlin continued. “Denny happened to be at the right place at the right time. He had good friends that helped him along the way to get him there.”

    “We had to make sacrifices along the way, however, our other children were grown and we only had Denny,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “So, by the time he had gotten into stock cars and we had run out of money, we decided since all of our other children were grown, nobody’s going to have this burden but us.”

    “So, we decided to put all the chips in because we knew that he had something,” Hamlin continued. “We hoped that he got the opportunity and he did.”

    Mary Lou Hamlin acknowledged that not only does her family help her each and every day in the NASCAR adventure but she also has a great network of support with other drivers’ moms, even if they don’t get to see each other quite as often as she would like.

    “Unfortunately, we don’t get to see each other very often,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “Mother’s Day is when we all get to see each other at the race track.”

    “However, when Denny first got into racing and I was looking into starting a fan club, I did spend time with Tony Stewart’s mom Pam,” Hamlin continued. “She told me her ins and outs and what to do.”

    “Kurt and Kyle Busch’s mom and I sometimes go to lunch and shoot the bull, which is nice too.”

    One of the challenges of also being a NASCAR mom is finding that balance in life that so many mothers find difficult, especially when it comes to taking care of herself and not just her racing obligations.

    “It’s hard because the four days that I’m home, I have to make sure I have all my orders done,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “So, I’ll work 24 hours if I have to to get all the orders done before I leave.”

    “It is hard living out of a suitcase because you empty it out just to pack it back up again,” Hamlin continued. “But it gives me a break and I keep thinking that I’m not going to be able to do this for a long, long time.”

    “So, I want to take advantage of it and see different places, which I really enjoy.”

    Whether with Denny on race weekend, in the merchandise hauler, or interacting with fans, Mary Lou Hamlin has cherished every moment of her son’s racing career. But she also has one bit of advice for the dad to be.

    “Cherish the time that you have because it goes by so fast,” Mary Lou Hamlin said. “Then when they’re grown, you look back on the conversations that you’ve had and they mean so much more.”

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    [media-credit name=”Kirk Schroll” align=”alignright” width=”205″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led heading to a lap 91 restart, but got loose upon accelerating and slid into the path of Matt Kenseth. Denny Hamlin slammed into Kenseth while Jeff Gordon took the lead. Ran ended the race two laps later, and Johnson was left with a disappointing 14th-place finish.

    “I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile,” Johnson said. “Call it a ‘Long Pond-er.’

    “It was a mistake on my part. We knew the rain was coming; I just lost control when it counted. Obviously, I don’t work as well under clouds of suspicion as Chad Knaus.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt was strong early at Pocono, leading 17 laps before transmission problems surfaced on lap 50. He eventually finished 32nd, 18 laps down to the leaders, but remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, five ahead of Matt Kenseth.

    “I’m still on top of the points,” Earnhardt said, “thanks to a lengthy downpour. Ironically, the absence of a short-lived rain prevented a short-lived reign.

    “In the business, we call a transmission a ‘tranny.’ We call a funny-sounding tranny ‘Michael Waltrip.’ And the No. 88 sounded a lot like Michael on Sunday.”

    3. Tony Stewart: Stewart posted his ninth top-5 finish of the year with a fifth in the rain-shortened Pennsylvania 400. He is sixth in the points standings, 53 out of first.

    “I can’t complain,” Stewart said. “I’ll take this result and run with it, which is the only ‘running’ I plan to do. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve said this, but I’ll take what Mother Nature gave me.”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth saw a top-5 result evaporate when he was clipped by Jimmie Johnson on a lap 91 restart. Kenseth’s spinning No. 17 Zest car was nailed by Denny Hamlin in the aftermath. Rain ended the race early two laps later, and Kenseth finished 23rd.

    “I joined an exclusive club,” Kenseth said. “Now, much like Jimmie Johnson’s wife, I can say I’ve been ‘taken out’ by a five-time champion.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowki finished fourth at Pocono, recording his ninth top-5 finish of the year. He moved up two places to seventh in the point standings, and trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 54.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite car was fast,” Keselowski said. “By the way, how is A.J. Allmendinger like Miller Lite? He’s ‘canned.’”

    6. Greg Biffle: Biffle came home 15th in the rain-shortened Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono, seeing a top-5 finish disappear due to Jimmie Johnson’s late spin. He remained third in the Sprint Cup point standings where he trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by six.

    “I don’t agree with NASCAR’s scoring after Johnson’s crash,” Biffle said. “You could say that, like A.J. Allmendinger, I’m ‘super-pissed.”

    7. Denny Hamlin: With rain approaching, Hamlin was victimized by the wreckage caused by a mad scramble on a lap 91 restart. Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex car plowed in to Matt Kenseth, who was spun by Jimmie Johnson. A thunderstorm minutes later officially ended the race, and Hamlin limped away with a 29th.

    “Kenseth has been reluctant to announce his move to Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said, “so I decided to put out the unofficial ‘Welcome, Matt’ for him.

    “As you may have heard, I’m expecting my first child with my girlfriend. I’m excited, and so is Fed Ex, because it’s a great opportunity for a ‘delivery’ promo.”

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finally took his first win of the year, thanks to chaos on a late restart and a timely thunderstorm that ended the Pennsylvania 400 after just 98 of 160 laps. Gordon weaved his way to the lead when Jimmie Johnson spun on the lap 91 restart, which shuffled the front-runners.

    “I’ll take any good fortune that comes my way,” Gordon said. “Take it from me, it’s better to be smiled upon by Lady Luck than Miss Winston. And if ‘Luck’ runs out, it will cost me much less.

    9. Kasey Kahne: Kahne took the runner-up spot to Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon at Pocono, finding fortune in Sunday’s rain shortened race. Kahne sits 11th in the point standings, and would currently qualify for the Chase For The Cup as a wildcard.

    “I’m not sure what happened to Jimmie Johnson up front,” Kahne said. “I’ve heard he had a flat tire. Or did he? Either way, the ‘pressure’ got to him.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished eighth at Pocono, earning his tenth top-10 finish of the year. He is currently 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, 65 out of first and 77 ahead of Kasey Kahne in 11th.

    “Kevin Harvick and I sit ninth and tenth in the point standings,” Bowyer said, “which places us in very tenuous positions for the Chase. It’s possible RCR won’t have a representative in the Chase, which is not very representative of RCR.”

  • Jeff Gordon Weathers Storm to Win Pennsylvania 400

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]In a race delayed by rain at the start and then called later for severe thunderstorms, one driver weathered the storms to collect his first victory of the season.

    Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, won the rain-shortened race, with torrential rain, blinding wind, thunder and lightning heralding his official celebration.

    The win tops an action-packed weekend for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who earlier collected the Heisman Trophy Humanitarian Award and celebrated his 41st birthday. Crew chief Alan Gustafson also celebrated his birthday on race day.

    This was Gordon’s 86th victory in 674 Cup races and he is third on the all-time series wins list. But sweeter still is that this is Gordon’s first win of the season and his ninth top-10 finish in 2012.

    Although wild weather this weekend, Pocono Raceway has been smooth sailing for Gordon. This is his sixth victory at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ and he is now the sole proprietor of the all-time Pocono win list.

    With the victory, Gordon moves to second in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup wild card standings.

    “Pocono has been a special place for us,” Gordon said. “It’s been an interesting year to say the least.”

    “We’ve had some trying times,” Gordon continued. “We’ve had cars capable of winning and things didn’t go our way, so to see this race unfold the way it did certainly makes up for those would have, could have, should haves.”

    “Today we got the win and it’s nice to know that things can still go our way.”

    What meant the most to Gordon, however, was that his family, his wife Ingrid Vandebosch and children Ella and Leo, were there to celebrate with him.

    “With the wind, rain and lightning, I was so excited to have all my family here,” Gordon said. “I didn’t care if Victory Lane was in a shed.”

    “That experience means more to me than anything else.”

    “Obviously that was a great day for us,” Alan Gustafson, crew chief, said. “We didn’t have the fastest car but we did have a good enough car to get a win. It all worked out our way.”

    Along with Gordon in the first wild card position is now teammate Kasey Kahne. The driver of the No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet finished in the runner up spot, even with a flat right rear tire and some miscues in the pits.

    This was Kahne’s sixth top-10 finish in 18 races at Pocono and his 11th top-10 finish for the season.

    “We had a great car,” Kahne said. “The Hendrick power is something else here on these straightaways.”

    “I made a mistake on pit road, slid over the hose, and it cost us a lot of time and a couple of positions,” Kahne continued. “Jeff got a little better restart and got in front of me when the field wrecked in front of us and he won the race.”

    “And we came in second,” Kahne said. “It was a solid day for us car-wise.”

    New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, posted his fifth top-10 finish in 14 races at Pocono. He scored the third place finish in the 39th Annual Pennsylvania 400.

    Truex Jr. commented that the weather was a ‘monsoon’ and that he had to move quickly through his post-race media obligations.

    “Newman told me ‘one word answers’ because he’s waiting on me and we’ve got to go,’ Truex Jr. said. “It was a good race for NAPA Toyota.”

    “Once we got going out there, we were the fastest car on the track,” Truex Jr. continued. “Obviously we got a little bit lucky because a lot of those guys wrecked.”

    “All in all a good day for us.”

    Storms brewed for the Busch brothers, both of whom had close encounters with the wall. Kyle Busch, driving the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, brought out the first caution on Lap 20 and brother Kurt, behind the wheel of the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet, brought out the second caution on Lap 87.

    While Kurt Busch was whisked away without comment from the infield care center after his hard hit, Kyle Busch had plenty to share as his team worked feverishly on his car to get him back on the track.

    “We just blew out the rear brake rotors – – disintegrated it and then blew out the rear caliper after that,” Kyle Busch said. “Getting down into Turn One with a three-wheel brake is about the worst situation you can have as a race car driver.”

    “I kept trying to pump it to keep feeding pressure to the rest of the three wheels to keep it off the fence, but just couldn’t do it,” Busch continued. “I hate it for all of these guys. We had a really fast race car today.”

    Busch admitted that this did nothing but hurt him in the point standings. And he knows that a win will be a necessity going forward.

    “We’re obviously not going to make the top-10 so if we get a win great we’ll make the Chase,” Busch said. “If not, we’ll probably miss it.”

    Points leader Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also had a stormy day at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’  The driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet lost a transmission and finished 32nd.

    “We didn’t have third or fourth gear, so we had to change the transmission,” Junior said. “After qualifying it was fine, but when the race started it was a bit of a vibration and started missing some shifts.”

    “We had a good run going,” Junior continued. “I’m sorry to all the guys at the shop and I hope we get a win for one of our cars.”

    The other major drama of the race occurred in the waning laps just before the storms hit. On Lap 92, the race leaders got into one another, causing a wreck that involved Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson.

    “Well on that last restart, Turn One actually widened out pretty good and we took off,” Kenseth, driving the No. 17 Zest Ford, said. “The 2 didn’t get going and I had a pretty good gap so I crossed the line and was going to pull behind Jimmie (Johnson) and when I pulled down to go behind him I got a little draft and actually pulled up to his door.”

    “So, I decided to race him through there and we went off into One and I could hear his pipes,” Kenseth continued. “I wasn’t sure he lifted. He drove in really, really far and spun out underneath me and I got wrecked.”

    “You don’t mind if something happens it is just a bummer when it takes you out after you are running top three all day and finish 22nd or wherever we are,” Kenseth said. “That is very disappointing and it is hard to look at the bright spot in that.”

    Rounding out the top-five finishers in the Pennsylvania 400 were Brad Keselowski, in the No. 2 Miller Lite Doge, who finished fourth, and Tony Stewart, in the No. 14 Office Depot Back to School Chevrolet, who finished fifth.

    Unofficial Race Results
    Pennsylvania 400, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=21
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 27 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 47
    2 4 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 43
    3 15 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 41
    4 31 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 41
    5 28 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 39
    6 9 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 38
    7 17 99 Carl Edwards Ford 37
    8 19 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 36
    9 11 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 35
    10 5 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 34
    11 3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 33
    12 18 55 Mark Martin Toyota 32
    13 14 20 Joey Logano Toyota 31
    14 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 32
    15 12 16 Greg Biffle Ford 29
    16 25 22 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 0
    17 21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 27
    18 16 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 27
    19 13 43 Aric Almirola Ford 25
    20 1 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 25
    21 26 38 David Gilliland Ford 23
    22 23 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 22
    23 7 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 22
    24 24 10 David Reutimann Chevrolet 20
    25 37 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 19
    26 22 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 18
    27 39 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 17
    28 32 34 David Ragan Ford 16
    29 2 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 16
    30 6 51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 15
    31 41 32 Jason White Ford 0
    32 8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 13
    33 20 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 11
    34 36 30 David Stremme Toyota 10
    35 29 13 Casey Mears Ford 9
    36 38 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    37 34 26 Josh Wise * Ford 7
    38 42 36 Tony Raines Chevrolet 6
    39 30 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 0
    40 35 37 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 4
    41 43 98 Mike Skinner Ford 0
    42 40 191 Reed Sorenson Ford 0
    43 33 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 1
  • Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 19 Pocono Raceway – Pennsylvania 400 – August 5, 2012

    Matty’s Picks 2012 – Vol. 19 Pocono Raceway – Pennsylvania 400 – August 5, 2012

    Well, what can I say other than it’s been a month since you’ve heard from me. Since my last edition of Matty’s picks, AJ Allmendinger has been suspended indefinitely, Kasey Kahne has slid into the number one ‘wild card’ spot, Jimmie Johnson won his fourth Brickyard 400, and Dale Jr has taken the points lead. I didn’t miss much did I?

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a guy who started the season with two major feats to tackle, one being his four-year winless streak, the other, a Sprint Cup Championship. With the first of the two monkeys in Jr’s closet being taken care of in June, there’s just one left to conquer. Earnhardt hadn’t occupied the No. 1 points position since September of 2004, until his 4th place finish last week at the Brickyard vaulted him into garage stall number two. Dale Jr. has had a consistent season thus far, and keeping his streak of solid finishes alive is the goal for the No. 88 team in these coming five weeks.

    Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team flexed their muscles last week in Indianapolis in Johnson’s fourth win at the yard of bricks, but also joined the short list of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers with three wins in this 2012 season. Reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski are the other two drivers visiting Victory Lane, three times this season. Since his fourth place finish at Pocono back in June’s Pocono 400, Johnson has one victory, four top-fives, and six top-tens, truly morphing into championship form. The summer time is when Jimmie tends to flex his muscles, and the heat of the summer is where we’re at.

    The ‘wild card’ race is shaping up to be as big of a craps shoot as ever, and these last five races before the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins have become must-wins for drivers sitting 11th through 20th in the points standings. Kasey Kahne sits in the top ‘wild card’ spot with his two wins, and Kyle Busch sits in the second of the two ‘wild card’ spots, after a tie-breaker with Ryan Newman and Joey Logano, who visited Victory Lane after our first trip to the Tricky Triangle back in June. Time is ticking for 2012 non-winners Carl Edwards who played a major role in last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, currently 12th in points, and Jeff Gordon, currently 15th in points, a five time winner at Pocono. Drivers with their hopes riding on snagging a win in these last five races will surely be dicing it out this weekend in the Keystone State.

    Following two samples testing positive for banned substances, indefinite suspension from NASCAR, and near silence from the public eye, AJ Allmendinger found himself officially unemployed on Wednesday. Penske Racing announced on Wednesday that Allmendinger would no longer be a part of their organization following his failing of a random NASCAR drug test before last month’s race at Daytona, and a face-to-face meeting with team owner Roger Penske. Allmendinger must complete NASCAR’s ‘Road to Recovery’ program before there is any chance of being reinstated, giving no timeline for the possibility of return to the sport.

    Pocono Picks

    Now that I’ve recapped the last month of NASCAR Sprint cup action in just over 500 words, I can get going on my picks for this week’s Pennsylvania 400. Much to my surprise, June’s Pocono 400 was not nearly as uneventful as I had projected. With the new racing surface facilitating a glimpse of passing opportunities , the pit road timing line fiasco, and the race being shortened from the traditional 500-mile mark to 400, I found the Pocono 400 moderately tolerable to watch. Though the weather in Long Pond, Pa is not looking great for tomorrow’s Pennsylvania 400, I am hopeful the race will go on as scheduled and these summer story lines live up to their hype.

    Winner Pick

    Its got to be Denny Hamlin this week in Pocono…

    He’s one of the most decorated drivers to come out of Pocono Raceway with four wins, eight top-fives, and nine top-tens, after just thirteen starts at the Tricky Triangle. Pocono has been one of Hamlin’s best tracks since his rookie sweep of the two races in Eastern Pennsylvania back in the 2006 season, and his practice speeds from yesterday were certainly good enough to throw him to the top of the list of favorites for the win tomorrow afternoon. Fast forwarding to his most recent six starts at Pocono, Hamlin has an average finish of 17.50, a stat Hamlin is eager to boost with a solid finish this weekend. He’s a flat track specialist, and looks to join Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Brad Keselowski as drivers with three wins on the season.

    Dark Horse Pick

    Mark Martin is a guy little talked about around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage after taking his shortened schedule this season. He is not to be overlooked this weekend in Long Pond as he leads active drivers in both top-fives (20) and top-tens (34) in an unprecedented 51 starts at Pocono. Looking back to June’s Pocono 400, Martin lost the lead to eventual race-winner, Joey Logano, late in the race and earned his seventh runner-up finish in his storied NASCAR history. His average finish at Pocono in the last three years is 12.67, after failing to crack the top ten in both races at the Tricky Triangle last season. Martin is motivated to improve on his second place finish back in June, but has some work on his hands hovering around tenth place during both practice sessions yesterday at Pocono.

    That’s all for this week, and be sure to stay tuned next week for my 20th or so consecutive trip to the road course located in the Finger Lakes of Central New York for live updates all weekend. I look forward to sharing another great race at Watkins Glen International with the great group of folks that make the trip each year to the 2.45-mile tyrant.

    Until the wheels turn right…You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!

  • Chad Hackenbracht First Time ARCA Series Winner At Pocono

    Chad Hackenbracht First Time ARCA Series Winner At Pocono

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”184″][/media-credit]Chad Hackenbracht, driver of the No. 58 CGH Motorsports Chevrolet, became the second first time winner of the day at Pocono Raceway, scoring his first ever ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win.

    Hackenbracht used some ‘Tricky Triangle’ strategy to claim victory in the Pennsylvania ARCA 125, his first win in 42 career starts.

    “I’m not sure what to think,” Hackenbracht said. “My parents weren’t able to make it to this race so I’m not sure if we’ll let them come to any others.”

    “Those last ten laps, I was just waiting for the caution,” Hackenbracht continued. “But finally it all played to our advantage and we finally got the monkey off our backs.”

    “I can’t thank everybody enough.”

    Brennan Poole, pole sitter and driver of the No. 25 Cometic Gasket/Midas-Venturini Motorsports Toyota, was runner up to Hackenbracht.

    “Well, we just couldn’t take a chance in pitting that early and not being able to run all 50 laps,” Poole said. “We didn’t have a caution at the end and Chad’s strategy paid off for him.”

    “We were close, but came up a little short on fuel strategy.”

    Poole did, however, secure the points lead and is ahead of the field by 15 points. And he is looking forward to the rest of the season, at tracks where he has been good before.

    “We’re going to a few great tracks for me so I’m looking forward to that,” Poole said. “I just have great people around me.”

    “The Venturini Motorsports is a family and it’s a blessing to be able to work with them,” Poole continued. “I’ve had some of the most fun racing than I ever have this year.”

    Alex Bowman, behind the wheel of the No. 22 St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Dodge, came in third.

    “It’s definitely frustrating with as good as we were in practice,” Bowman said. “We just came up a little bit short.”

    “We got tight and fell back to 3rd or 4th,” Bowman continued. “We made up ground on the green flag pit stop but got beat on strategy.”

    Frank Kimmel, driving the No. 44 Ansell-Menards Toyota, finished fourth and fifth place went to Chris Buescher in the No. 17 Reliance Tool-BeavEx Ford.

     

  • Juan Pablo Montoya Vrooms to Pocono Cup Pole

    Juan Pablo Montoya Vrooms to Pocono Cup Pole

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”219″][/media-credit]Driving the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, complete with his face adorning the box of the Kellogg’s Vroom Cereal box, Juan Pablo Montoya scored the Coors Light pole for the 39th annual Pennsylvania 400.

    JPM qualified with a speed of 176.043 mph and a time of 51.124 seconds, winning his first pole in 12 races at Pocono. This was Montoya’s eighth pole in 202 NASCAR Cup Series races and he is now locked into the 2013 Shootout at Daytona.

    “That was huge,” Montoya said. “Well to be honest to you I’m not sure if I’m more shocked that I’m on the pole right now or that I’m on the pole in Pocono.”

    “This is a big boost for everybody on the Target team,” JPM continued. “We know we’re working hard but to actually get out there and get a pole, I just went through the hauler and they’re all happy and laughing.”

    “We really needed something like this as a company,” Montoya said. “This is big for us.”

    JPM admitted that he and his team played the strategy card in qualifying, particularly when it came to the unpredictable Pocono weather.

    “We looked at the weather and we said it looks like it’s going to rain,” Montoya said. “And if it’s going to rain, we’ll go qualifying runs in the morning. And we did.”

    “Do we have the fastest car out there?” Montoya continued. “No, but qualifying is the same as racing.”

    “You’ve got to make the right calls and do whatever it takes to get it done,” JPM said. “And that’s what we did.”

    Montoya spent time after his qualifying run in the ESPN booth, analyzing the time trials of his competitors. And he admitted that was just a tad bit stressful as he watched others try to unseat his P1 position.

    “When the 48 went out and he was dead even with me, I thought I’m dead,” Montoya said. “Can you believe this last freaking car is going to be beat me?”

    “But then he missed it and the smile started coming back.”

    Both dad to be Denny Hamlin, behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, and Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Menards/Serta Chevrolet, credited going early in the qualifying run, along with some favorable cloud cover, with their second and third place time trials respectively.

    Hamlin scored his 12th top-10 for the season and his 12th in 14 races at Pocono. Menard posted his fourth top-10 start at Pocono and his fourth in 21 races for the season.

    “I’d like to say it was a good run but I’m a little bit disappointed in our run,” Hamlin said. “I think we reaped the benefits of going out early but knowing we were over a quarter second ahead going into the last corner and just missed it.”

    “At least we are going to have a good qualifying spot.”

    Menard had a bit more of a dicey time getting his P3 qualifying position. He had a problem during practice and had to go to a backup car.

    “I wasn’t expecting to qualify in the top three in a backup car,” Menard said. “Obviously that shows the hard work and preparation of the 27 guys and everybody at RCR.”

    “We had a good primary car and had a radiator hose that blew out of it and hit the wall,” Menard continued. “We had to pull out the backup car but luckily had two hours to get it ready between practices.”

    “It was pretty good right off the truck,” Menard said. “It was the same car we tested with for two days here so we have some good data on it.”

    “One of the biggest things that helped us was going out early,” Menard continued. “Standing on pit road, it was cloudy then and the cars that went before us, the sun came out I think.”

    “A little bit of luck and a lot of hard work.”

    Kasey Kahne, in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, was the highest qualifying Hendrick Motorsports driver in the fourth position. Marcos Ambrose, in the No. 9 Stanley Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports rounded out the top five in qualifying at Pocono.

    There was one driver, Stephen Leicht, who failed to qualify.

    Starting Lineup
    Pennsylvania 400, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=21
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 176.043 51.124
    2 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 175.795 51.196
    3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 175.627 51.245
    4 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 175.439 51.3
    5 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 175.432 51.302
    6 51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 175.339 51.329
    7 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 175.169 51.379
    8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 175.131 51.39
    9 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 175.097 51.4
    10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 175.067 51.409
    11 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 175.036 51.418
    12 16 Greg Biffle Ford 174.964 51.439
    13 43 Aric Almirola Ford 174.805 51.486
    14 20 Joey Logano Toyota 174.795 51.489
    15 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 174.618 51.541
    16 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 174.561 51.558
    17 99 Carl Edwards Ford 174.432 51.596
    18 55 Mark Martin Toyota 174.419 51.6
    19 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 174.314 51.631
    20 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 174.277 51.642
    21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 174.213 51.661
    22 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 174.162 51.676
    23 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 173.92 51.748
    24 10 David Reutimann Chevrolet 173.571 51.852
    25 22 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 173.524 51.866
    26 38 David Gilliland Ford 173.41 51.9
    27 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 173.3 51.933
    28 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 173.197 51.964
    29 13 Casey Mears Ford 172.864 52.064
    30 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 172.619 52.138
    31 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 172.371 52.213
    32 34 David Ragan Ford 172.038 52.314
    33 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 171.917 52.351
    34 26 Josh Wise* Ford 171.913 52.352
    35 37 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 171.808 52.384
    36 30 David Stremme Toyota 171.638 52.436
    37 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 171.246 52.556
    38 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 170.804 52.692
    39 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 170.658 52.737
    40 191 Reed Sorenson Ford 170.581 52.761
    41 32 Jason White+ Ford 167.876 53.611
    42 36 Tony Raines+ Chevrolet – –
    43 98 Mike Skinner Ford 170.516 52.781

  • Nelson Piquet Jr. Right at Home With Pocono Truck Pole

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”219″][/media-credit]Nelson Piquet Jr., who was racy in practice behind the wheel of his No. 30 Autotrac Chevrolet, scored the coveted pole position for the Camping World Truck race at Pocono. Piquet’s speed was 169.504 mph and a time of 53.096 seconds, a new track qualifying record.

    This was Piquet’s second pole of the 2012 season. His first pole was in Rockingham in the spring of this year.

    “I feel at home when I come to Pocono,” Piquet Jr. said. “Everyone is so welcoming and there are some diehard race fans in Pennsylvania.”

    “After a weekend off, I’m always more than ready to get back to the racetrack,” Piquet Jr. continued. “It’s going to be an exciting race at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “I would love to get my first NCWTS win at a track I feel so welcomed at.”

    What Piquet Jr. did not share was that he really did not off the weekend off. The young driver completed the Chicago Rock’n’Roll Half-Marathon, with a speed of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 43 seconds, as well as celebrated his 27th birthday.

    Piquet Jr., however, will have a challenge on his hands, having to battle Richard Childress Racing phenom Ty Dillon for the race win.

    Dillon qualified his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, in the outside pole position at a speed of 169.252 mph and a time of 53.175 seconds.

    This was Dillon’s ninth top-10 start for the 2012 season.

    “I’m excited to see what it’s really like to race on the new surface,” Dillon said. “I had a lot of fun there last year and earned a win in the ARCA Racing Series.”

    Miguel Paludo, with a speed of 168.631 mph and a time of 53.371 seconds, posted his first ever top-10 start at Pocono Raceway. This is the sixth in eleven races this season for the driver of the No. 32 Duroline Brakes Chevrolet.

    Joey Coulter, who had to go out last in the qualifying run due to Justin Lofton’s spin, qualified fourth in his No. 22 RCR/darrellgwynnfoundation.com Chevrolet. James Buescher, behind the wheel of the No. 31 Koike Aronson/Ransome Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

     

    Starting Lineup
    Pocono Mountains 125, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/truckseries/qual.php?race=11
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 30 Nelson Piquet Jr. Chevrolet 169.504 53.096
    2 3 Ty Dillon* Chevrolet 169.252 53.175
    3 32 Miguel Paludo Chevrolet 168.631 53.371
    4 22 Joey Coulter Chevrolet 168.53 53.403
    5 31 James Buescher Chevrolet 168.143 53.526
    6 2 Tim George Jr. Chevrolet 167.645 53.685
    7 5 Paulie Harraka* Ford 167.448 53.748
    8 17 Timothy Peters Toyota 167.33 53.785
    9 88 Matt Crafton Toyota 167.299 53.796
    10 9 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet 167.119 53.854
    11 9 John Wes Townley* Toyota 166.793 53.959
    12 11 Todd Bodine Toyota 166.698 53.99
    13 13 Johnny Sauter Toyota 166.396 54.088
    14 23 Jason White Ford 165.99 54.22
    15 33 Cale Gale* Chevrolet 165.63 54.338
    16 18 Denny Hamlin Toyota 165.596 54.349
    17 29 Parker Kligerman Ram 165.484 54.386
    18 98 Dakoda Armstrong* Toyota 165.484 54.386
    19 99 Bryan Silas* Ford 164.423 54.737
    20 8 Ross Chastain* Toyota 163.304 55.112
    21 93 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet 161.241 55.817
    22 7 Jeff Agnew Toyota 161.005 55.899
    23 84 Chris Fontaine Chevrolet 159.691 56.359
    24 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Ram 169.665 56.368
    25 27 C E Falk Chevrolet 159.295 56.499
    26 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 158.73 56.7
    27 28 Wes Burton Chevrolet 158.59 56.75
    28 38 Chris Jones Chevrolet 158.231 56.879
    29 174 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 157.312 57.211
    30 282 Sean Corr Ford 156.125 57.646
    31 225 Brandon Knupp Chevrolet 155.491 57.881
    32 159 Kyle Martel Chevrolet 151.172 59.535
    33 0 Chris Lafferty Ram 149.43 60.229
    34 57 Norm Benning Chevrolet 147.278 61.109
    35 6 Justin Lofton+ Chevrolet – –
    36 175 Adam Edwards Chevrolet 131.886 68.241
  • Jeff Gordon’s Charitable Work Scores Heisman Humanitarian Honor

    Jeff Gordon’s Charitable Work Scores Heisman Humanitarian Honor

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]Jeff Gordon, four-time champion driver on the NASCAR track, received one of the highest honors, the Heisman Humanitarian Honor, for his philanthropic works off the track.

    The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet was accompanied by Heisman Trophy Trustee Jim Corcoran and Heisman Trophy winners George Rogers and Tim Brown for the announcement of the award at Pocono Raceway.

    Gordon is the seventh recipient of this prestigious award and he will actually receive the award at the 78th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Dinner on Monday, December 10th at the New York Marriott Marquis.

    “This year, the Heisman Memorial Trust is delighted to add one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history as the seventh name on the list,” Jim Corcoran, Heisman Trophy Trustee said. “The Trust decision to honor Jeff was very easy.”

    “Like the Heisman Trophy itself, Jeff Gordon has created a legacy of excellence both on the field of competition and for the greater good of society.”

    Corcoran said that Gordon was honored specifically for his work with helping children with serious illnesses, through the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and through his launch of a comprehensive cancer care center in Rwanda.

    “This Humanitarian award is something I’m very proud of,” Jeff Gordon said. “This is truly an honor.”

    Gordon was also pleased to be in the company of the other Heisman Trophy winners, although he did joke at the beginning of the press conference that he was the smallest person on the dais.

    The four-time champ also acknowledged the interesting connection being made through the award between NASCAR and other sports.

    “Having these two former Heisman Trophy winners here is a real privilege because we’ve never had two Heisman Trophy winners here at Pocono in the media center,” Gordon said. “I think a lot of you probably were questioning Heisman and NASCAR, where is the tie?”

    “But the award is given to all walks of life and sport,” Gordon continued. “To be a part of this list is something that I never expected and something that I’m very honored by.”

    Gordon joins other Heisman Humanitarian winners, including two Olympians, three NFL players, and an All-Star center from the NHL. Joey Check, an Olympian and philanthropist, was the inaugural winner in 2006, recognized for donation of his gold medal bonus to the Right to Play Organization to help children in need.

    Other winners include George Martin, NY Giants defensive end, who helped those impacted by the 9/11 tragedy; Pat LaFontaine, an NHL great who founded an organization building interactive children’s playrooms; Mia Hamm, world-famous soccer player for her work with the Foundation that bears her name dedicated to helping those with aplastic anemia; William Dunn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star who founded Homes for the Holidays; and Marty Lyons, another NFL great, who became a surrogate father to a critically ill child.

    “This is a big day for me and I really look forward to December,” Gordon said. “You always want your efforts to be recognized and today this is a very, very proud moment.”

    “It doesn’t get any better than being recognized by excellence, which is what the Heisman is all about.”

    Gordon acknowledged that NASCAR as a sport has enabled him to be so involved philanthropically. In fact, given his sponsor, the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger, he is even more involved in charitable works on and off the track.

    “I feel so privileged to be a part of this sport,” Gordon said. “I think of NASCAR and what it’s given to me.”

    “It’s given me so many opportunities but it’s also given me a great platform and way to give back,” Gordon continued. “I see such a giving community and environment.”

    “Everybody really wants to help and that’s what drove me to start my own foundation,” Gordon said. “And it continues to drive me in ways that I never expected.”

    “My own sponsor, the first ever cause-driven sponsorship, just continues the work,” Gordon said. “This award just solidifies all the efforts that makes my work what it is and takes us to places we never thought we would go to help so many children and to find those treatments and cures.”

    Gordon’s teammate and five-time champion Jimmie Johnson expressed his pride in Gordon’s accomplishments as well during his media appearance at Pocono.

    “I am happy to hear that and think he is extremely deserving,” Johnson said. “Fundraising and charitable work is only as good as the name behind it and the name that’s behind it; and that’s Jeff.”

    “I’m very proud of him,” Johnson said. “That’s an amazing honor.”

    Basking in the glow of his teammate’s praise as well as his new award, Gordon turned a bit more philosophical. He admitted that what drives him now is the success and the wins that he is seeing off the track through his charitable work world-wide.

    “Today we’re seeing a lot more success and what we can call winning because the cure rates have gone high,” Gordon said. “But at the same time, long term effects are still in place and you still see kids suffering and dying.”

    “Then you go abroad and see what’s happening there,” Gordon continued. “I know what a difference we can make there because kids are dying of things that are curable.”

    “Life is a journey and racing has been a big part of my journey,” Gordon said. “I’ve been able to experience winning more than I ever thought.”

    “I was thinking how hard we have worked to try to win and put so much effort into it,” Gordon continued. “Yet ten or fifteen years, what it is all going to mean?”

    “Those trophies are nice but they tarnish,” Gordon said. “But when you save a child’s life and you have something as meaningful as this, those are things that stick with you for a lifetime.”

     

  • Sam Hornish Jr. In Demand With Pocono and Iowa Double

    Sam Hornish Jr. In Demand With Pocono and Iowa Double

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]While Sam Hornish, Jr. may be thrilled with the opportunity presented to him to drive the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, he is also pleased with his new status. He is now officially in demand in multiple NASCAR series.

    Hornish, Jr. is attempting the double, running both the Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway and the Cup race at Pocono Raceway.

    “It’s kind of a lot on my plate this weekend,” Hornish said. “I’ll close my eyes and sleep for a little bit on the airplane to try to catch up.”

    Hornish advised that after he finishes up in the Cup car, he will head to Iowa to practice in the Nationwide car. He estimates giving up about thirty minutes of track time on both ends of the racing spectrum.

    “It’s just a little bit too far to be able to make all the practice sessions on both sides,” Hornish said. “We think we’ve got a good plan as far as what we’re going to do and try to get as much time as we can in both places.”

    “I’ll sleep here, qualify the Cup car tomorrow, then we’ll go back over there, qualify, do the driver’s meeting, race and come back here,” Hornish said. “It seems like a lot but last year when Brad (Keselowski) was hurt, I actually did the same trip without getting to drive the Cup car so this is an added bonus.”

    The double duty may be tricky for the driver, but it is also a challenge for the crew chiefs and teams as well.

    “Fortunately, it’s something we have done before,” Travis Geisler, Director of Competition for Penske Racing, said. “We’re really fortunate to have a lot of really great people around us to help ad support and make this doable and to make it very smooth.”

    “Obviously, they’ll be a lot of little things along the way, but we’re down to figuring out what kind of food we need to have where for him and just trying to make it as comfortable as possible,” Geisler continued. “Sam is going to be in a heck of a lot of race cars in a lot of different places in a short amount of time.”

    “I’m excited about it,” Geisler said. “I think it is a unique challenge.”

    One of the other major challenges that Hornish and company may have to face is the unpredictable weather in both Long Pond, PA and Newton, IA. Although just really hot at Iowa Speedway, there are some threats of thunderstorms at Pocono in the forecast.

    “We’ve got contingency plans for contingency plans,” Geisler said with a smile. “Obviously you try to think of all those scenarios, of everything that can go wrong, everything that can happen.”

    “There are a few that can make it really, really difficult that we’ll have to deal with,” Geisler continued. “You know everybody is trying to be as prepared as possible.”

    “We’re hoping for the best,” Geisler said. “Otherwise it will be a forest fire and we’ll try to put it out.”

    Pocono Raceway has a special place in Hornish’s heart, with his most successful runs being at the ‘Tricky Triangle’. Hornish finished fourth in 2009, his best career Cup finish in 113 series starts.

    “We’ve led laps and had some of our strongest runs at Pocono,” Hornish said. “We finished fourth in 2009, but really had our best shot at winning there in the races during the 2010 season.”

    “We led pretty late in both of those races and if luck had been on our side, we could have won.”

    Hornish is also looking forward to the Nationwide race in Iowa, driving the No. 12 WURTH Dodge Challenger. He will be making his 20th start of the season and his third Nationwide start at Iowa Speedway.

    Hornish’s best finish came in May of this year, where he finished 12th. After 19 races, Hornish and his Nationwide team are fourth in the championship point standings.

    “Our WURTTH Dodge team is in a very good place heading into Iowa,” Hornish said. “We have been consistently improving our performance throughout the year.”

    “We have qualified well in the past at Iowa – we just haven’t put it all together and this weekend we are poised to do just that,” Hornish continued. “We feel like we’ve built some strong momentum and we are looking forward to finishing this one on top.”

    Whether by plane, helicopter, car or golf cart, Sam Hornish Jr. is most thrilled just to be given the opportunity to race in both major series in the sport.

    “I feel like we’ve got some really good opportunities here and just trying to maintain everything and not get stressed out about it,” Hornish said. “I plan to just enjoy it.”

    “Something good happened to me at the end of last season,” Hornish continued. “We got the opportunity to go full-time Nationwide racing and you know, we’re doing pretty good over there.”

    “Now we’ve got the opportunity to go Cup racing too,” Hornish said. “So just trying to take both things and run with it and enjoy it as best I can.”

    “It’s a good feeling to be in a little bit of demand.”

  • NASCAR Athletes In An Olympic State of Mind

    NASCAR Athletes In An Olympic State of Mind

    [media-credit name=”Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”232″][/media-credit]While NASCAR’s elite get set to race in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, many of them are keeping one eye across the pond in London for the Olympic games.

    “I love the Olympics, all the aspects of it,” Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford, said. “It is so fun to watch.”

    “From the swimming to the gymnastics, all of that,” Biffle continued. “I haven’t seen much more than that right now but I really enjoy that and it is a lot of fun to watch.”

    Teammate Matt Kenseth concurs with the Biff’s take on the Olympic festivities. But in the case of the driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion, the family is watching just a bit more than he has been.

    “I have been watching a little bit,” Kenseth said. “My wife has been watching a lot.”

    “I am not really into the swimming and some of the gymnastics and all that stuff,” Kenseth continued. “Probably the running and the beach volleyball is pretty fun to watch.”

    “I got to meet Kerri Walsh a few years ago at the Super Bowl, so we were watching her play the other night,” Kenseth said. “Some of that stuff is fun to watch.”

    Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, enjoys the Olympics, however, seems a bit puzzled by some of it.

    “I was watching the other morning and I didn’t know trampolines were,” Harvick said. “I didn’t know that was an Olympic sport.”

    “Whatever the case, it gets the whole world together to see who is the best at each individual sport.” Harvick continued. “It is fun to watch on root on your country.”

    Carl Edwards has been watching, however, he recognizes that in spite of his intensive training, he most likely never could compete in the games.

    “I have been watching the Olympics and thought ‘I could do that’ for like one second,” the driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford said. “The closest thing I have done is the Race of Champions.”

    “I don’t know if the world is ready for a bunch of race car drivers in the Olympics,” Edwards continued. “I don’t know if Bob Costas could explain some of the things we would do or say.”

    Edwards does, however, have a somewhat personal connection to the games. His trainer Dean Golich is at the Olympics, having trained several members of team USA.

    “My trainer from Carmichael Training Systems is at the Olympics with some athletes he trains,” Edwards said. “To have everything culminate from four years of work to one floor exercise or one time trial on a bike or a 100 meter race in a pool, I can’t imagine the amount of pressure that would be.”

    “We get to do this 38 times a year and it is still a lot of pressure,” Edwards continued. “That would be very difficult.”

    “I have a lot of respect for those athletes.”

    So as the best of the NASCAR drivers have been watching from across the pond, is there one Olympic game in which they would fancy themselves competing?

    “I don’t know what I would be good at,” Biffle said. “I’ll have to think about that one.”

    “Probably none of them because I am not talented enough to keep up in any of them,” Kenseth said. “If I was an Olympic athlete I would still like to do this, but I would be doing something else.”

    “I think the best I can do is watch.”

    “I don’t even know them all,” Harvick said of the various Olympic venues. “I was reading there were 300 and some medals that they hand out during the Olympic games.”

    “Obviously, if I didn’t know trampolining was a sport, I would have to do a little research and find out which one I think I might be capable of,” Harvick continued. “I think I’m too old to do pretty much anything in the Olympics it seems anyway.”

    “I can tell you what sports that it wouldn’t be,” Edwards said. “I need a race car out there to jump off to do any gymnastics.”

    “It is amazing.”

    As the Olympics continue from across the globe, the best of the drivers in stock car racing will be competing at Pocono Raceway, better known as the ‘Tricky Triangle.’ And, just like their team USA counterparts, every one of them will be dreaming of their own ‘gold medal’ come Sunday in Victory Lane.