Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Pocono Raceway

  • Max Gresham and Ty Dillon Make Up Front Row For Pennsylvania ARCA 125

    Max Gresham and Ty Dillon Make Up Front Row For Pennsylvania ARCA 125

    Max Gresham captured the pole on Friday for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Pennsylvania ARCA 125 at Pocono  Raceway with a lap of 53.535 seconds.

    This marks the second Meanards Pole Award presented by Ansell for the 18-year old Georgia driver of the No. 25 World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park Toyota in 10 career starts. It also marks the third pole for Venturini Motorsports at Pocono in the past two years as Mikey Kile won the pole last June while Brennan Poole won the pole this June. Venturini Motorsports has won the Menards Pole Award now four times this year with four different drivers: Josh Richards, Poole, Ryan Blaney and now Gresham.

    “It was a dandy of a lap,” Gresham said. “Everything just lined up perfectly, and (Venturini Motorsports general manager) Billy (Venturini) had the car just right and we had the clouds perfect. The Toyota Camry was on a rail and I drove it for everything it had. Billy’s really happy with it right now. Hopefully, the car’s as good tomorrow as it is right now. I’m looking forward to having a good run tomorrow.”

    The car that Gresham is driving is the same car that he drove to a second-place finish earlier this year at Michigan International Speedway in June, when he got passed on the last lap by rookie Ty Dillon.

    “Michigan was 100 laps, and that’s 75 more miles – a two-pit stop race,” he said. “This one’s only one, so you only have one chance to get the car right if you need adjustments so it makes it a little more difficult. I’ve got to make sure I relay all of the info I need to Billy, and make sure I tell him everything I need for the race and throughout the race, so when we make our one pit stop, we’ll be ready.”

    Dillon would qualify second after holding the provisional pole most of the session, 0.011 seconds off of his third consecutive pole in the series.

    “I guess when it’s that close, it’s not too bad of a heartbreaker,” the driver of the No. 41 RCR/CIPT Chevrolet said. “Our car’s really fast, so this doesn’t discourage me much. (Venturini) has really fast equipment too, and they were one of the fastest cars here last time. We brought a brand new car, which I believe is twice as fast as the car we had here last time.

    “We were able to lead laps and run up front the whole time last time, so we ought to be able to lead all the laps. I’m so confident in this race car. I can’t thank (crew chief Scott) “Flash” (Naset) and all the guys enough and I’m just so happy for the team.”

    With the qualifying points in the books, Dillon extends his points lead over nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel to 370 points. Kimmel qualified the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford in 11th.

    Casey Roderick, making his first start with Randy Hill Racing, qualified third (53.967 seconds), followed by Chris Buescher and Ryan Wilson. Gresham’s teammate Kyle Fowler would qualify sixth, followed by  Tim George Jr., Grant Enfinger, Chad McCumbee, and Tom Hessert comprise the remainder of the top 10.

    The Pennsylvania ARCA 125 begins at 3 p.m. tomorrow, with live television coverage airing on SPEED. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of the 50-lap, 125-mile race, which will be the 53rd for the ARCA Racing Series on Pocono’s 2.5-mile triangle.

    2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Event #13
    Pocono Raceway, Long Pond Pennsylvania, 8-6-11
    Pennsylvania ARCA 125
    August 5, 2011 / 6:48 PM
    POS NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TIME SPEED
    1 25 Max Gresham/Griffin GA 53.535 168.114
    2 41 Ty Dillon/Lewisville NC 53.546 168.080
    3 08 Casey Roderick/Lawrenceville GA 53.967 166.769
    4 17 Chris Buescher/Prosper TX 54.242 165.923
    5 32 Ryan Wilson/Randleman NC 54.290 165.776
    6 55 Kyle Fowler/Smyrna GA 54.331 165.651
    7 31 Tim George Jr./New York NY 54.411 165.408
    8 36 Grant Enfinger/Fairhope AL 54.509 165.110
    9 1 Chad McCumbee/Holden Beach NC 54.629 164.748
    10 52 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ 54.692 164.558
    11 44 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN 54.749 164.387
    12 58 Chad Hackenbracht/New Philadelphia OH 54.761 164.351
    13 82 Sean Corr/Goshen NY 55.184 163.091
    14 6 Robb Brent/Shelby Township MI 55.517 162.113
    15 15 John Blankenship/Knoxville TN 55.613 161.833
    16 35 Tom Berte/New Berlin WI 55.754 161.423
    17 68 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN 55.803 161.282
    18 59 Buster Graham/Lafayette LA 56.027 160.637
    19 57 George Cushman/Waterville NY 56.249 160.003
    20 43 Kyle Martel/Lebanon PA 56.431 159.487
    21 5 Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA 56.502 159.286
    22 7 Brandon Kidd/Manlius NY 57.015 157.853
    23 03 Kory Rabenold/Slatington PA 57.058 157.734
    24 3 Brent Brevak/Ashland WI 57.113 157.582
    25 63 Milka Duno/Caracas Venezuela 57.451 156.655
    26 23 Nick Igdalsky/Long Pond PA 57.539 156.416
    27 12 Maryeve Dufault/Sorel Quebec 57.780 155.763
    28 50 Steve Fox/Hazleton PA 58.192 154.660
    29 07 Brian Kaltreider/Reading PA 58.413 154.075
    30 28 Ron Cox/Soddy Daisy TN 58.799 153.064
    31 34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN 59.091 152.307
    32 75 Benny Chastain/Tallahassee FL 59.326 151.704
    33 11 Ed Pompa/Ballston Spa NY Provisional
    34 48 James Hylton/Inman SC Provisional
    35 10 Rick Clifton/Circleville OH Provisional
    36 06 Don Thompson/Carlisle PA Provisional
    37 26 Brad Smith/Shelby Township MI Provisional
    38 94 Con Nicolopoulos/Columbus MI Provisional
    39 69 Brent Cross/Cortland NY Provisional
    40 29 Rob Jones/Bowie MD Provisional
    41 95 Michael Leavine/Bullard TX Provisional

  • For Nick Igdalsky, Mattioli Grandson and New Track COO, Pocono is Personal

    Nick Igdalsky wears many hats at Pocono Raceway, from Mattioli grandson to ARCA driver to philanthropist and finally to his appointment as the newly named COO and Executive Vice President of the race track. Regardless of the title or the hat, however, for Igdalsky, Pocono is indeed personal.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”193″][/media-credit]“It’s always exciting,” Igdalsky said of his various roles. “You live in the moment and get as much as you can out of it.”

    “Where it gets tough is jumping from appointment to appointment and wearing different hats,” Igdalsky continued. “After the race, I have meetings with both sponsors for my car and sponsors for the track, as well as meeting dignitaries and VIPs.”

    “You can never stay in one place too long.”

    Igdalsky manages all of his personal and professional Pocono responsibilities through technology, literally setting alarms on his Iphone.

    “An alarm went off and told me that I to do go to the driver’s meeting and then an alarm went off that told me I had to come to the media center,” Igdalsky said. “You try to remember as much as you can but if you get caught up in the moment, things pass you by.”

    “My little electronic friend helps me out.”

    One of Igdalsky’s greatest personal joys is being behind the wheel of a race car, whether an ARCA ride or his Grand Am race car.

    “I’ll do five to six ARCA races,” Igdalsky said. “We’ll probably do Toledo at the end of the year.”

    “It’s been tough,” Igdalsky continued. “We haven’t really done as good as we thought we would. I’m with a team that’s sort of under-funded.”

    “Everybody wants to run well, but we just don’t have the resources to do that yet,” Igdalsky said. “We’re just trying to keep the car clean and keep it up in owner’s points and we may have a shot at it next year if we get a full season.”

    Racing is so personal in fact to Igdalsky that he hopes the day never comes when he has to make any kind of a choice between racing and managing his track responsibilities.

    “I’m going to live in both worlds until somebody tells me I absolutely cannot,” Igdalsky said with a smile. “I’ll wait until I get the ultimatum from either the wife or the office.”

    While not ultimatum has come yet, Nick Igdalsky had a most personal day at the track this weekend as his grandfather, affectionately known as ‘Doc’ Mattioli, retired and formally turned over the responsibilities of operations of the track to Nick, his brother Brandon, who was named President and CEO, and his sister Ashley, who is the new Secretary/Treasurer.

    “We’re fortunate we have great grandchildren,” Doc Mattioli said. “Fifty years went by damn fast and now it’s about time to take it a little easy and get the hell out of here.”

    “I’m quite sure that Brandon, Nick and Ashley are well trained to do what they have to do,” Mattioli continued. “They’re really good kids and smart kids.”

    From Igdalsky’s perspective, he’s had the best teacher ever in his grandparents, Doc and Doc Rose Mattioli. Because of that, Igdalsky has already pronounced that his new slogan will be, “When in doubt, ask what Doc would do.”

    Now that he has even more of a personal stake in Pocono, Igdalsky is continuing another very personal connection, connecting with a charity called Michael’s Way. And this personal connection hits very close to home.

    “Pocono Raceway has been working with Michael’s Way for the past couple years now,” Igdalsky said. “My nephew was diagnosed two years ago at the age of fifteen months with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a very rare type of cancer.”

    “He’s doing good now and he just had some scans done, with all of them coming back clear,” Igdalsky continued. “Through our relationship with Michael’s Way, they support the families of children, like my nephew, with cancer.”

    “They don’t pay for the treatments but they do pay for all the other costs,” Igdalsky said. “For instance, there are lots of families that one of the families might have to stop working because of all the treatments they have to get to, which is a problem.”

    “So, Michael’s Way helps with bills and travel, especially for those children whose immune systems are compromised,” Igdalsky continued. “It’s pretty unique because 100% of all the proceeds go directly to the cause and the families.”

    Michael’s Way is even more personal as Igdalsky’s nephew was selected last year as the ‘poster boy’, making many personal appearances on behalf of the charity. For this weekend’s ARCA race, Michael’s Way will also be featured prominently on Igdalsky’s race car.

    “Since we don’t have a sponsor for this race, we’re keeping them on our car,” Igdalsky said. “You can donate on their site which is michaelsway.org and they’re also doing a raffle at the track where you have a chance to win either a 2011 Harley Davidson or $10,000 cash.”

    “Nick’s involvement with Michael’s Way has been invaluable,” Trish Fulvio, development consultant with the charity, said. “He and Brandy, his wife, do everything straight from the heart.”

    “Nick has allowed us to bring Michael’s Way to the attention of a whole new group of people,” Fulvio continued. “His partnership translates into more funds to give to the families of children with cancer.”

    While family has always been most personal to Igdalsky, from his family track to his philanthropic family, Igdalsky now has a whole new perspective on family as a proud papa of a five month old daughter.

    “When you have a bad day and you come home and you see her little face smiling at you, it definitely makes the bad days better,” Igdalsky said. “And it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day.”

    “It’s overwhelming,” Igdalsky continued. “I’m living two dreams.”

    “I’m helping out in the family business that I was involved in ever since I was a little boy,” Igdalsky said. “And with the racing, it’s been my dream since a young boy to race cars too.”

    “I not only get to do both but I get to do it at my home track.”

  • Jeff Gordon’s Success Spans Pocono Victory Lane to Ending Senior Hunger with AARP

    Jeff Gordon’s Success Spans Pocono Victory Lane to Ending Senior Hunger with AARP

    Jeff Gordon is headed to the Irish hills of Michigan to race this weekend fresh off his victory at Pocono Raceway, his second win for the season and his 84th win, tying Hall of Fame inductee Darrell Waltrip and Hall of Famer Bobby Allison.

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]Gordon’s success is also carrying over off the track as his partnership with the AARP Foundation is making a real difference in ending senior hunger. The AARP Foundation has partnered with Gordon for 22 races as a primary sponsor this season to call attention to the issue of the elderly who often have to choose between buying groceries or filling their prescriptions.

    “It came about organically,” Anisa Tootla, AARP Foundation’s Vice President for Hunger Programs, said of the Jeff Gordon/AARP Foundation partnership. “It started with a conversation at a race track. The AARP Foundation and Hendrick Motorsports found each other at the right time.”

    “We know that NASCAR fans are some of the most charitable, community-minded sports fans in the country and they have a track record of commitment,” Tootla continued. “We also know that Jeff Gordon is one of the most philanthropic drivers in the circuit. It was the right fit at the right time.”

    The AARP Foundation has taken on its first ever cause-related marketing initiative smack dab in the middle of America’s fastest growing sport. From their CEO Barry Rand to their Foundation staff in every state in the nation, all have been convinced that NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, and Hendrick Motorsports are the perfect partners to raise awareness of the issue of senior hunger.

    “There is very little awareness of the issue of senior hunger,” Tootla said. “There are 51 million people who face the threat of hunger and over 6 million of them are over the age of 60 years.”

    “Very few people are aware of this problem and it’s a growing problem with the aging of the population and the recession, which makes it worse,” Tootla continued. “This partnership is unique in that realm of bringing awareness to an issue that very few people know about.”

    The AARP Foundation and Jeff Gordon have also gotten creative in the ways that they are working together in activating this unique sponsorship. Not only does Gordon pitch donating to the cause every time he is interviewed on the track, but his show car is traveling throughout the country, attracting crowds and raising funds as well as awareness.

    “We’ve had a variety of events, food drives, and relationships with grocery stores,” Tootla said. “Part of our local activation has been a great combination of local businesses, food banks, our State organization and really driving the awareness, as well as raising funds and food for local organizations helping hungry seniors.”

    “We also have made contributions to local food banks to feed hungry seniors,” Tootla continued. “The ISC tracks themselves have made food donations through the extra food at the end of the race weekend.”

    Just as Jeff Gordon uses social media to keep in touch with his extensive fan base, the AARP Foundation and the Drive to End Hunger are also using the social media platform to connect Gordon’s fans to the cause.

    “We have a Drive to End Hunger presence on Facebook and Twitter,” Tootla said. “They are active sites, particularly on Facebook.”

    “We’ve seen an uptick of friends and tweets and retweets with every passing week where Jeff races,” Tootla continued. “It’s a destination site not only for NASCAR fans but the broader population.”

    “We’ve definitely seen a lot of interest and noticed the passion of the race fans,” Tootla said. “The number of responses that we get when Jeff is in the car is amazing.”

    “When Jeff talks about hunger, it’s really a call to action and people respond,” Tootla continued. “He is certainly a huge draw.”

    “We had an event in Kansas where he did a check presentation to a food bank and drew over a 1,000 people,” Tootla said. “He’s a wonderful spokesperson for the cause. It’s been a great partnership.”

    The driver of the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet could not agree more.

    “I really love the fact that since Daytona they’ve served over 2 million meals,” Gordon said. “In the first couple of months, you see the numbers start to go up and it seems like in the last couple of months, things have really taken off. I think it’s awesome.”

    “You certainly hope that they are having success,” Gordon continued. “They are very new to the sport and what it takes to be a sponsor in this sport.”

    “Sometimes you just hit the ground running and I feel like they’ve done a great job with that,” Gordon said. “Because of that, they’ve seen the results.”

    “I feel like it’s a program that is only going to get stronger and better as they learn more about what it’s like being a part of this sport and what our fans are like.”

    The AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger and Jeff Gordon will be next rolling into the Irish hills of Michigan for this weekend’s racing activities. The AARP Foundation will be right there with him, presenting the Food Bank of South Central Michigan with $10,000 to help feed hungry seniors in the area.

    “We have a long way to go to end senior hunger,” Tootla said. “Everyone can help in one way or another and every contribution at www.drivetoendhunger.org helps.”

    “It’s been a joy working with Jeff and Hendrick Motorsports,” Tootla continued. “They are charitably minded, committed to the cause and committed to ending hunger. We couldn’t think of better partners.”

  • Landon Cassill Thanks a Teacher, His Lucky Stars at Pocono, and Readies for Michigan Celebration

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 51 Security/Benefit Thank A Teacher Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing, has much for which to be thankful.

    First and foremost, he is thankful that he is competing at the Cup Series level as a driver for an up and coming team, owned by James Finch.

    Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and former development driver for Hendrick Motorsports, recognizes that he is most fortunate to be behind the wheel of a race car at NASCAR’s highest level.

    Cassill is also thankful to Bill Elliott, who had been in the Phoenix Racing machine prior to his coming aboard. ‘Awesome Bill for Dawsonville’ was able, as a former champion, to shake down the car to prepare it for Cassill’s tenure behind the wheel.

    In order to be on the track, Cassill is incredibly grateful to his new sponsor, Security Benefit, and their special program ‘Thank A Teacher Today.’

    “It’s great,” Cassill said of his sponsor and their program. “Security Benefit has been on board with us and Phoenix Racing and they’ve got this program ‘Thank A Teacher Today.’

    “It’s kind of new and it’s just starting up but I think it speaks for itself,” Cassill continued. “We really need to thank the teachers out there that have gotten us to where we’re at. I know I have a lot of teachers to thank.”

    Top on the list of teachers for which Cassill is grateful is his science teacher, Mr. O’Connor. Cassill graduated from high school in 2007.

    “Mr. O’Connor, my science teacher from high school was my favorite teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” Cassill said. “He was a good teacher that was a good friend to me.”

    “He taught me a lot about discipline and things like that,” Cassill continued. “Some of what he taught wasn’t even science but he was just an impactful teacher and I think that’s what makes a lot of them special.”

    Cassill believes that his sponsor and their ‘Thank A Teacher Program’ are a perfect match on and off the track.

    “It’s really neat for me to have the opportunity to carry that banner because I’m so young and I just got out of high school a couple of years ago,” Cassill said. “I can remember my teachers and I can go back to my school.”

    “We’re planning to go back once school is back in session,” Cassill continued. “Even outside of school, I’ve had a lot of teachers that have helped mentor me in what I do.  It’s a really neat sponsor and a really fun deal.”

    Cassill’s sponsor is designing a new website where fans will be able to post on the wall and share their favorite teacher stories. Security Benefit will also be providing opportunities for teachers to come to the track, hang out with the young driver, and be a part of the NASCAR experience.

    “I’ve shared a story about my favorite teachers and it’s a place to go to thank your teacher,” Cassill said of his sponsor’s new website. “And then we’ll entertain teachers at the race track.”

    “It’s just a neat deal,” Cassill continued. “A lot of these sponsors in the sport are pushing products, but this one with Security Benefit is taking the initiative to thank our teachers.”

    In addition to his sponsor gratitude, Cassill is thrilled with his run at Pocono Raceway this past weekend. He not only managed to finish the race on the lead lap, which was one of his major goals, but he even had his No. 51 Thank A Teacher race car out at the front of the field for a few laps.

    “It was a great day for the Thank A Teacher Today team,” Cassill said. “For us to go out and finish on the lead lap, and lead the race along the way, says a whole lot about us.”

    “And yeah, it was cool leading laps in the world’s greatest motorsport so I’m proud of that.”

    Cassill was also grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Pocono, particularly as last year he was only able to start and park there.

    “I learned a lot about the track,” Cassill said. “Seat time is so important and I felt a lot more comfortable by the end of the race. This is just what we needed after a few tough finishes.”

    Although Cassill was thankful for his good run at Pocono, finishing 25th, he paid a bit of a price for his personal accomplishment.

    “I have a nice little blister tomorrow from the shifting,” Cassill said. “There was a lot of shifting going on so it made it interesting. It was fun though.”

    With Pocono in his rear view mirror, Cassill is getting ready to celebrate a major milestone in his young career at this weekend’s race in the Irish Hills of Michigan. Cassill will be marking his one-year anniversary in the Cup Series.

    “I made my first start in the Cup Series with Phoenix Racing last year in the first Michigan race,” Cassill said. “It was a neat opportunity for me at the time because it was my first opportunity in the Cup Series.”

    “And it was kind of a surprise and we didn’t even have the funding to go race,” Cassill continued. “So, we had to qualify for the race. We qualified in and it was just a neat deal for me. It sparked my opportunity to go Cup racing.”

    How will Cassill celebrate his special anniversary at Michigan?

    “I’m just going to be there and race,” Cassill said. “Hopefully we’ll keep this momentum up and capitalize at Michigan.”

    “And hopefully I’ll have a good race and make an even better memory from it.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono 5-Hour Energy 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono 5-Hour Energy 500

    Under threatening skies in Long Pond, PA and after the ARCA race was called for fog the previous day, the Cup Series took the green flag for one of the longer races of the season.

    Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”221″][/media-credit]Surprising: One of the most surprised at Pocono Raceway was the driver in Victory Lane celebrating his 84th career win, tying the record for third on the all-time NASCAR Spring Cup Series win list, along with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip.

    Race winner Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, also tied NASCAR Champ Bill Elliott for the most series wins at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “It’s so amazing because I was so excited about the win and the hard work that Alan (Gustafson) and his guys have been putting into our speedway program or whatever we call these kinds of race tracks, because we struggled on them and I was just so excited to get that win and see what we’ve been working on,” Gordon said.

    “So, today to see it all come together, I was so caught up in that,” Gordon continued. “Plus my family was here to celebrate it.”

    “I didn’t even think about 84 until they reminded me when I went to do the Speed Channel show Victory Lane,” Gordon said. “And I was like, oh yeah, that’s unbelievable.”

    “I really can’t even express in words what it means because I never thought it would happen for me or for anybody.”

    Not Surprising:  As expected, he new ability to shift, fuel issues, and problems in the pits all played significant roles in the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway. Probably most affected was Carl Edwards, the Series point’s leader, who experienced a valve problem that almost caused him to have an engine failure, however, other drivers struggled as well.

    While Edwards was able to turn a lap towards the end of the race, the driver of the No. 99 Kellogg/Cheez-It Ford, finished 37th, narrowly maintaining his points lead over Jimmie Johnson by six points.

    Another driver Tony Stewart complained bitterly throughout the race about the new-found ability to shift. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet finished 21st.

    “I just want to thank NASCAR for having us shift about 100 times today,” Stewart said bitterly after losing third gear. “We could have had a good day.”

    Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Okuma Chevrolet, had fuel issues early in the race, which relegated him to an earlier pit stop strategy than the rest of the field. Harvick was able to redeem himself, however, and finished top-five.

    “It was a total team effort to get our Okuma Chevy up there,” Harvick said. “It was a good solid day for us.”

    The driver most bit by problems in the pits was Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota. Vickers received a speeding penalty and then to make matters worse, sped again as he was serving his penalty.  Vickers finished 22nd.

    Surprising:  Although Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, technically finished third, he along with his crew chief Dave Rogers, were surprised during the post-race inspection when their car officially failed.

    “It’s a huge surprise,” Rogers said. “I didn’t present anything to tech that hasn’t been through tech before, several times.”

    “The car was 1/16th low at the end,” Rogers continued. “NASCAR gives you a range to be in and they give us a yellow range and we exceeded the yellow. We were 1/16th in the red so we were wrong.”

    “We have to go back to the shop and figure out why.”

    Not Surprising: Kyle’s big brother Kurt, who scored the pole position in his back up No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger, finished in the runner up position to race winner Gordon.

    “It was a great run,” Busch said. “The old boy Jeff Gordon had it in him today. We ran him strong, we ran him hard.”

    “We were excited with the finish.”

    Surprising:  It was most surprising to see young gun Landon Cassill, behind the wheel of his No. 41 Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Chevrolet, lead a few laps towards the end of the race.

    “We were just trying a little pit strategy to see if we could catch a caution or something,” Cassill said. “It’s cool leading laps in the world’s greatest motorsport so I’m proud of that.”

    Not Surprising:  At least two of Jeff Gordon’s other teammates were pretty happy with their run at Pocono Raceway. Old ‘Five Time’ Jimmie Johnson, piloting the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, finished fourth and NASCAR’S most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, finished sixth.

    “It was a great day,” Johnson said. “Our engine package held up today with the abuse we gave it.”

    “I’m real happy with where I finished,” Dale Jr. said. “The car was pretty good. I was good with the shifting.”

    Surprising:  Yes indeed, most surprising was the fact that Denny Hamlin, who has mastered the ‘Tricky Triangle’ so often, did not win the race. In fact, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry finished an uncharacteristic 19th.

    “We were just coasting there at the beginning and just nothing went really right,” Hamlin said. “We struggled a little bit on pit road, we got a little bit tighter, I felt like the front bump rubbers just gave up, and then when we left pit road, we had a flat tire.”

    “When we did that, it sheared the tire and wrapped it around the housing and broke the brake lines so I had no brakes,” Hamlin continued. “It was just a slew of problems there at the end.”

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, newly named crew chief Chad Johnston encouraged his driver, Martin Truex, Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, to a top-10 finish.

    “That was a hard fought 10th,” Truex, Jr. said. “Chad did a good job of keeping me calm. We were just missing a little and I hope we can find it soon because we’ll have some fun if we do.”

  • What Went Down In The 5 Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]On a day where one Jacques Debris reigned supreme, Jeff Gordon was able to win the 5 Hour Energy 500 at the Pocono Raceway. It was Gordon’s 84th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, which places him in a tie on the all time wins list with Hall Fame inductee, Bobby Allison, and 2012 class nominee, Darrell Waltrip. It was the second win of the 2011 season for Gordon which just about guarantees him a wild card spot in the chase.

    Denny Hamlin once again looked as though he was going to make the Pocono Raceway his personal playground early on in the race. That all came to an end after the 11 team suffered a flat tire coming off of pit road. Denny was able to nurse the car back to the pits without doing too much damage to his race car. His day was a different story however. Denny was never able to recover from the flat as he then lost his brakes and finished the day in the 19th position. The day wasn’t a total lose though, Denny now moves into the 12th spot in the point standings, which currently qualifies him for the elusive wild card birth.

    For the second straight week, both of the Penske entries were solid. Kurt Busch started on the pole for the second consecutive week and ran strong in his Pennzoil Dodge. Kurt finished in the second position after running up front and leading laps throughout the day. His teammate however, wasn’t as lucky. Brad Keselowski’s day started out well. For a moment, he had his blue deuce just outside of the top ten. The team then had to make an extra pit stop for a vibration thought to be caused by a loose wheel. That was not the case. The problems wound up being much more severe for last weeks winner as he was forced to limp the car around for the remainder of the race and finish in the 23rd position. It may not sound like a good day, but the team is making improvements every week. Look for both Penske machines to be weekly contenders in the coming weeks.

    After how dominant Juan Pablo Montoya has been at Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before he got his arms around the Pocono Raceway. Montoya ran most of the race in the top 5 and at one point had a lead that wasn’t even worth Denny Hamlin chasing down. The Target team made some interesting calls by taking two tires on numerous pit stops which left a lot of people scratching their heads. When the black flag with white squares flew, Montoya was in the seventh position. It’s only a matter of time before Juan picks up a win on an oval.

    Two drivers that you rarely see run well at Pocono did just that on Sunday. Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This is just the run these drivers needed as they further their case as championship contenders. By running good at a “weak track”, they and their team prove that they are “in it to win it”. Look for this to be the case from not only them, but all of our title contenders this season.

    Speaking of Harvick, he and Kyle Busch come of their probation next weekend in Michigan. But in the beginning of the race, they sure didn’t race like it. Harvick was seen running Busch down to the water on the front stretch and beating on his bumper. Harvick said after the race, “He’s got one comin’”. “It says a lot about his character” said Busch when asked about Harvick. I know all you fans, including myself, can not wait to see what transpires between the two in the coming weeks.

    With Pocono now in the books, the eyes of the NASCAR world look towards the Irish Hills of Michigan. Will we see the fuel mileage battle that is so common at MIS and lately in NASCAR? Will the Harvick and Busch fued resume? All these questions and more will be answered next Sunday.

    Next Race- Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400
    Sunday on TNT at 12pm EST. MRN Radio

  • Martin Truex Jr.: Same Old Jersey Boy With Brand New Crew Chief

    Martin Truex Jr.: Same Old Jersey Boy With Brand New Crew Chief

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]Prior to the race at Pocono, one of two tracks closest to his home state of New Jersey, Martin Truex, Jr. got the news that he would have a new crew chief, Chad Johnston, atop his pit box.

    And even though this self-proclaimed Jersey boy is glad to be ‘home’, he is still a bit disconcerted from the news of the change.

    “I mean it’s a tough deal,” Truex said. “It’s a tough situation to be involved in. This is obviously the first time I’ve ever been in this position where we’ve changed crew chiefs during the season.”

    Truex seemed to feel most badly for his former crew chief Pat Tryson, who was relieved of that duty and will be reassigned within the Michael Waltrip Racing organization. Yet after 49 races together, while Truex feels a bit badly about how it all came down, he is still looking forward to working with Tryson in a different capacity.

    “I feel bad for Pat (Tryson) obviously,” Truex said. “Hopefully we can keep Pat and hopefully he will stay around and help us make our race cars better because that’s the things he’s really good at.”

    Truex, Jr. is looking forward to continuing to work with his new crew chief, a 31 year old engineer from Indiana. Truex’s new boss atop the pit box, Chad Johnston, grew up racing himself on the paved and dirt short tracks the heartland, driving open wheel midget cars.

    “It’s not a big transition for the team though because Chad’s had a lot of responsibilities on the team up until now,” Truex said. “He was already in charge of the race car and the changes that went with it.”

    “So far, things haven’t been a whole lot different,” Truex continued. “Most of the interaction about the race car has been between me and him for the past six months. So, that’s not a big transition.”

    Because Johnston is so familiar with the team, the major new responsibilities include tech, taking charge of the team, and calling his first race, the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono, atop the pit box.

    “The biggest things different for him is going through tech and making sure everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to,” Truex said. “And of course his job on Sunday will be different with him calling the race.”

    “Towards the end of last year when we gave Chad more of a responsibility as far as overseeing all of the set up on the car and the interaction on the race car going between me and him, we’d already seen big benefits from doing that,” Truex, Jr. said. “It’s not that Pat wasn’t getting it done but it was more that Chad was really stepping up and it was time to promote him.”

    “He’s really doing a great job and all the things that we’ve given him to do, he’s really taken them on his shoulders and done a great job,” Truex continued. “He’s worked hard for this and he deserves it.”

    Truex, Jr. is also hoping that the crew chief change will position him to somehow get back into Chase contention. He also definitely wants to return to his on-track performance of earlier in the season, especially on the bigger tracks.

    “We’ve had a shot to win a few races and if we just could have closed the deal, we could be in the Chase,” Truex said. “The biggest thing that I’m worried about right now is that our performance hasn’t been as good as earlier in the year.”

    “We were running really strong, leading laps and running up front for a while but the past month, it’s been kind of tough,” Truex continued. “It’s really just the bigger tracks.”

    “Right now some of these races, we’re just going to have to get through and get the best we can until we get our cars better,” Truex said. “If we could go and win a couple races, we could make a deal out of it. So, that would be good.”

    The new driver/crew chief combo will be first tested as they try to get back on track at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ this weekend. The challenges at Pocono Raceway will no doubt include managing the fuel, as well as the challenge of shifting for the first time in many years at the track.

    “It’s quite a bit different,” Truex said. “We were doing a bit of shifting just to see what it would be like and it’s different.”

    “I don’t know how much it will affect the fuel mileage and it usually comes down to a fuel mileage race,” Truex said. “I did shift the whole entire time in Happy Hour just to get a good read on it and see where we stand on it.”

    As the Michael Waltrip team heads into the summer months, the Jersey driver also acknowledged that keeping cool, both in the car physically as well as emotionally, will become more and more important. And no doubt, Truex will lean on his young crew chief to assist in both regards.

    “These cars are hot,” Truex said. “They put a lot of effort into keeping them as cool as possible but at the end of the day, it’s just hot.”

    “You just have to be prepared for it,” Truex continued. “You just have to suck it up.”

    “I started to train this year but I don’t think it’s all it’s cracked up to be, to be honest,” Truex said. “I think it’s a situation that when you do this, you get trained for it. It’s kind of like an experience thing.”

    “You get used to the heat and you don’t worry about it anymore,” Truex continued. “I sometimes don’t know how we do it but we’re able to make it through.”

    With a new face atop the pit box, Martin Truex, Jr. will be looking to his roots for some familiarity. His family is not able to be with him this weekend, however, his girlfriend and dog are keeping him company.

    “Yes, I am a Jersey boy,” Truex said. “I haven’t lived there in a long time and I don’t get back there as much as I’d like to but yeah , I never forgot where I came from.”

    “I still love it there,” Truex continued. “All my friends are there and my family still lives there.”

    “It’s nice to get back there and I’d like to get back more often,” Truex said. “Someday I’ll be able to spend more time there.”

  • Kurt Busch Snags 14th Career Pole at Pocono; Paul Menard Scores Second

    Kurt Busch Snags 14th Career Pole at Pocono; Paul Menard Scores Second

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”209″][/media-credit]After crashing his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge in practice and having to pull out a backup car, Kurt Busch was despondent, especially thinking that if qualifying was rained out, he would start the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway dead last.

    But the racing gods were with him, the weather held, and Busch snagged his 14th career pole, with a speed of 171.579 mph and a time of 52.454 seconds. This was Busch’s first pole in 21 races at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “There were quite a bit of different emotions out there today, especially after having to bust out the backup car from yesterday’s  mishap,” Busch said. “If it were raining today, we’d be starting last.”

    “Now luckily the weather held out and we’re on the pole,” Busch said. “It’s an amazing swing of events and an honest thank you to my guys. To pull the backup out as a pole winning car is really something you wouldn’t hear about back in the day.”

    Busch’s pole also signified the third straight pole for Penkse Racing and his teammate Brad Keselowski was the winner of last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway. Busch admitted in the media center after his pole run that Penske Racing has indeed turned a corner.

    “We haven’t changed a lot of things since Richmond and it’s just been some procedures and processes and maybe looking at the data a bit differently,” Busch said. “It’s great to come back out and get on the pole again.”

    Busch also referenced his superstition, feeling that he was stuck on the ‘unlucky 13’ pole.

    “To be number 14 already, really feels good,” Busch said.

    Busch’s crew chief, Steve Addington, echoed his driver’s feelings about the pole run.

    “I want to thank everybody on this Shell/Pennzoil Dodge,” Addington said. “The work they did to get this car ready was awesome.”

    “To lay down a lap like that is pretty impressive,” Addington continued. “And that guy that sits behind the steering wheel isn’t too damn bad either.”

    Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet, scored the outside pole, with a speed of 171.422 mph and a time of 52.502 seconds. This was Menard’s fifth top-10 start of 2011 and his first such start in nine races at Pocono.

    “We definitely thought it would rain out qualifying today,” Menard said. “So, we tried to post a good time early in practice and felt that would be our qualifying run.”

    “We were hoping for rain, honestly,” Menard continued. “To qualify second and actually put a lap down was pretty cool. It was much more meaningful that way.”

    Four-time champion Jeff Gordon posted his 22nd top-10 start at Pocono Raceway. He qualified third in his No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, with a speed of 171.350 mph and a time of 52.524 seconds.

    “I’ll be honest, prior to that run, I was kind of hoping it was going to rain,” Gordon said with a laugh. “We made a couple of qualifying runs yesterday and we weren’t really thrilled with the pace.”

    “The track was definitely a lot different as it was hot and slick,” Gordon continued. “We did our fastest laps in race trim and so we weren’t really sure what to expect today.”

    “We looked at the lap times and seeing just how fast the track was today, it gets you anxious when you ran a 54.10 and guys were running in the 52s,” Gordon said. “It was interesting because right before I left the truck I told Alan (Gustafson), ‘It looks like half a second per corner’ and as a driver, a half a second a corner just isn’t fathomable.”

    “As a driver, to go out there and do that and put up a good lap and be third, I’m thrilled,” Gordon said. “I’m very, very happy.”

    Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota and past master of Pocono Raceway, qualified fourth with a speed of 171.174 mph and a time of 52.578 seconds.

    Regan Smith, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, continued his hot qualifying hand and rounded out the top five, with a speed of 171.164 mph and a time of 52.581 seconds.

    Starting Lineup
    5-Hour Energy 500, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=14
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    1 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 171.579 52.454
    2 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 171.422 52.502
    3 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 171.35 52.524
    4 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 171.174 52.578
    5 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 171.165 52.581
    6 99 Carl Edwards Ford 171.057 52.614
    7 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 170.836 52.682
    8 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 170.532 52.776
    9 0 David Reutimann Toyota 170.348 52.833
    10 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 170.2 52.879
    11 6 David Ragan Ford 170.177 52.886
    12 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 170.126 52.902
    13 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 169.908 52.97
    14 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 169.872 52.981
    15 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 169.856 52.986
    16 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 169.702 53.034
    17 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 169.671 53.044
    18 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 169.607 53.064
    19 20 Joey Logano Toyota 169.52 53.091
    20 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 169.501 53.097
    21 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 169.447 53.114
    22 46 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 169.444 53.115
    23 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 169.441 53.116
    24 71 Andy Lally* Ford 169.37 53.138
    25 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 169.307 53.158
    26 38 Sam Hornish Jr. Ford 169.278 53.167
    27 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 169.224 53.184
    28 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 169.176 53.199
    29 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 169.17 53.201
    30 34 David Gilliland Ford 169.119 53.217
    31 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 169.113 53.219
    32 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 169.084 53.228
    33 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 168.932 53.276
    34 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 168.89 53.289
    35 13 Casey Mears Toyota 168.666 53.36
    36 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 168.218 53.502
    37 16 Greg Biffle Ford 167.773 53.644
    38 37 Tony Raines Ford 167.395 53.765
    39 181 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 167.264 53.807
    40 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 167.057 53.874
    41 32 Mike Bliss Ford 166.867 53.935
    42 7 Scott Wimmer+ Dodge 162.414 55.414
    43 150 T.J. Bell* Toyota 166.633 54.011
  • Brian Vickers Hopes Exhilaration of Daytona Skydive Carries Over to Pocono Win

    Brian Vickers Hopes Exhilaration of Daytona Skydive Carries Over to Pocono Win

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, is still flying high after skydiving into Daytona International Speedway. He is now hoping that the exhilaration will just continue right into one of his better tracks Pocono Raceway.

    “It was incredible,” Vickers said. “To be able to jump into Daytona was amazing.”

    “Jumping into any other track would have been incredible but Daytona is the biggest event and the biggest track,” Vickers continued. “I thought it would be pretty appropriate and pretty cool to jump in there first.”

    “To be able to see the track from that height was cool and it was beautiful,” Vickers said. “That picture is just burned in my mind for sure.”

    Not only was the Daytona jump exhilarating for Vickers, but it was also a piece of unfinished business for the young driver. Finishing the Dover race this year also fell into that category as well.

    “We had this scheduled last year and it got cancelled due to my health reasons,” Vickers said of his skydive. “So to be able to come back and finish it and to finish what we started meant a lot.”

    “Jumping into Daytona and then finishing Dover were two very important things to me personally,” Vickers said. “Dover was the first race I missed so to finish that race and finish it well was important to me.  Skydiving at Daytona was something we started in 2010 and to go back and finish that was very special.”

    Vickers is counting on that exhilarating feeling from his jump carrying right over into his run at Pocono Raceway, one of his favorite tracks. In fact, Pocono is one of Vickers better tracks, having spent 73.4 percent of the laps in the top 15 in his last ten starts at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    Vickers has started in the top ten in eight of his twelve starts at Pocono and he has had four top-five and five top-10 finishes. Pocono Raceway ranks second as far as top average-finish tracks for Vickers, with an average finish of 14.3 there.

    “Pocono has been a good track for me,” Vickers said. “We’ve run well. I’ve sat on poles, we’ve been fast and I’ve finished second but we haven’t won here so there is unfinished business here too for sure.”

    Vickers acknowledges that, as good as he is at Pocono, he along with all of the other drivers, will face some significant challenges. Among those are facing yet another potential fuel mileage race, as well as the new ability to shift.

    “This race has been fuel strategy before but sometimes it’s just been a battle at the end,” Vickers said. “It just depends.”

    “You can’t just plan on doing fuel strategy because it just depends on when the last caution falls,” Vickers continued. “It just depends on how the race plays out.”

    “The shifting is going to be power shifting again and I think it’s better for the racing,” Vickers said. “We’ll see more passing.”

    “I never understood why they stopped us from shifting,” Vickers continued. “It didn’t save anything or serve any purpose to my knowledge and it was harder to pass. It was a great decision to start shifting again.”

    Another issue making the Triangle tricky in Vickers’ opinion is the heat, which is a bit of a carryover from the Kansas inferno of last weekend. Yet, Vickers definitely feels that plays right into his hands.

    “It’s been very hot lately and the last couple of races have been very hot,” Vickers said. “I love it because I’m in the best shape of my life. It’s just an advantage that I have.”

    Vickers also admitted that the heat not only makes the drivers miserably physically but can also lead to some heated emotions as well.

    “There have been a lot of hot tempers lately,” Vickers said. “That’s just the emotional part of our sport.”

    “It’s also just the personalities of each individual,” Vickers continued. “The hot head or temper has never been my thing.”

    Vickers also acknowledged that the length of the race, the Five Hour Energy 500, can also take its toll, physically and emotionally.

    “It’s a very long race and it’s actually too long,” Vickers said. “I love Pocono and I want to see them keep their race dates but I think to do that, they’re going to have to shorten the race.”

    “The fans here are amazing and they almost always fill the stands,” Vickers continued. “I really enjoy racing on the track, but it’s too long. But it is what it is for now.”

    Vickers’ final challenge at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ is figuring out his qualifying order strategy.

    “You want to go out early for qualifying so you have to sandbag a little bit,” Vickers said. “But if it rains, you want to be in the front. So, it’s tough.”

    “A lot of it is just going to be playing the weather and whoever makes the best guess for the weather will have that advantage,” Vickers continued. “If it looks like it’s going to rain, they’ll go as fast as they can to qualify late.  But if it looks sunny and hot, you’ll see some guys lay off in practice.”

    “It’s hard because you want to go fast,” Vickers said. “But there’s ways to do it without compromising the performance of the set up or the car.”

    Vickers is also hoping, very earnestly, that Pocono will not only yield a good finish but will also help him continue to climb in the point standings. And, of course, he too has his eye on making the Chase, currently sitting 26th in the point standings, just 29 points shy of the 20th spot.

    “We need to keep climbing,” Vickers said. “We got in a hole at the beginning of the year and we got into some wrecks early in the season. So, we need to get out of this hole.”

    “I still think we can get there,” Vickers continued. “A win or two would put us in the Chase for the wild card and hopefully we can climb our way back up the hard way. But either way, I still think we have a shot at it.”

    What was truly amazing to Vickers, however, was that he actually skydived into Daytona at 5,000 feet, which is just slightly longer than the front stretch of the Pocono Raceway at 3,740 feet.

    “That’s crazy,” Vickers said. “It was exhilarating.”

     

  • Brennan Poole and Ty Dillon Make Up Front Row For Pocono ARCA 200

    Last month, Brennan Poole made his first start at Salem Speedway and won. This weekend for his second start at Pocono, he is on the same route as he led practice and won the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell for the Pocono ARCA 200.

    “It’s a lot of fun,” the Woodlands, Texas native said. “This is the biggest track I’ve ever been to, ever made laps on. It’s really exciting; this is really fast. The car’s been great all weekend. Billy Venturini’s given me a great race car. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’re just going to have to take it one lap at a time. We’ve got 80 laps, so we’ll see how it pans out.”

    The 20-year old qualified his No. 25 Lacy Green/Scott Dobrin RE/MAX Toyota with a lap of 53.807 seconds (167.264 mph), beating Ty Dillon by 0.526 seconds for his first career pole. Poole’s lap marks a new track record since July 2003 with Kyle Busch set it at 170.849mph.

    This marks the second pole in a row for Venturini Motorsports as they won the pole last weekend with Josh Richards at Chicagoland. This also marks their second in a row for Pocono Raceway as they won the pole last June with Mikey Kile.

    This car is a brand new for the team as it was only completed Wednesday at 4:30a.m., less than 55 hours before the first practice. Poole led that opening practice with a best lap of 53.989 seconds, nearly one-half second ahead of Frank Kimmel. Poole credits all the practice that he did on the video games.

    “I’ve watched a ton of video over the last week and I’ve been playing a lot of Xbox,” he said. “I probably ran about 500 laps before I even got here, on the computer. I started doing everything I possibly could before I got here as a driver. It helps out when you have great guys who can give you great cars. It makes your job a lot easier.”

    Kimmel, meanwhile, qualified third, followed by Chris Buescher and Grant Enfinger.

    “I’m pretty happy with our Ansell/Menards Ford,” Kimmel said after practice earlier in the day. “We’re a little tight in the corners in race trim and we continued to make adjustments to free it up. On that last qualifying run I think (crew chief) Bill (Kimmel) freed me up too much. I think we’ll be good on old tires, though. That will set up nicely for long green flag runs.”

    Venturini Motorsports’ Hal Martin qualified sixth, followed by Tim George Jr., Chad Hackenbracht, Bobby Gerhart and Sean Corr.

    The Pocono ARCA 200 begins at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, with live timing and scoring coverage available at ARCARacing.com. SPEED will air same-day delay television coverage of the race at 8 p.m.