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Tag: Richard Childress Racing

  • Joey Coulter Still Feeling Awesome After Career Best Truck Run

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]While much of the attention was focused on what happened after the Truck race at Kansas Speedway, Joey Coulter was still riding on a self-proclaimed high of awesomeness after his career best finish.

    The driver of the No. 22 Richard Childress Racing/Darrell Gwynn Foundation Chevrolet started eighth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas this past weekend. Yet he was able to finish the race with the first top five of his rookie season.

    “It was huge,” Coulter said of his run at Kansas. “We’ve had some good runs in the ARCA Series at a mile and a half but to run as good as we did at Kansas was awesome.”

    Coulter contributes his great run to a combination of great pit strategy, keeping up with the race track and working with his RCR teammate Austin Dillon.

    “Austin (Dillon) is a great teammate,” Coulter said. “His crew chief and my crew chief, me and Austin, we talk a lot.”

    “We sit down all the time during practice and talk about what we are fighting,” Coulter continued. “Austin has brought me up to his level really quick.”

    “He’s done a great job explaining to me the different ways to drive these trucks,” Coulter said. “I’ve watched a lot of video and I’ve talked to a lot of drivers and it’s just all that combined that contributed to our run at Kansas and we were just able to put it all together.”

    “We both know that if he is faster than me, he’s the guy I can go to and find out why,” Coulter continued. “That’s going to bring me to his speed. Then once I get there, I might hit on something and end up a little bit faster than him.”

    “He’s going to come to me and we’re going to tell him what we did and it’s just going to keep going back and forth until we’re both really, really fast,” Coulter said. “The great thing about a teammate is that open line of communication is there and you can always get the information you need.”

    “It works and I love having a teammate,” Coulter said. “It’s my first time having one and I love it.”

    Coulter also contributes his success to the equipment available to him at Richard Childress Racing. And finally Coulter gives all the due to his family, who has stood with him since he began his racing journey.

    “RCR in my opinion is the best equipment in the Truck Series,” Coulter said. “The guys that build those trucks are the same guys that go to the race track and work on them at the track.”

    “So, when they build something at the shop, they really put everything they’ve got into it,” Coulter continued. “Everybody puts so much pride into their work that when the race truck rolls into the trailer on the way to the race, it looks more like something that would roll through the block on Barrett Jackson.”

    “These things come out looking great.”

    “My family has been there since the beginning,” Coulter said. “Mom, dad and my girlfriend have been there since I was short track racing in Florida.”

    “It’s really hard for them to miss a race, which is cool,” Coulter continued. “I love having them there.”

    Coulter did take at least a little bit of time to celebrate his great finish. But that run actually made Coulter even more anxious to get to the next track.

    “When I got back after the race, I hung out with my parents and soaked it all in,” Coulter said. “I kept watching the highlights on Speed Center and reading the articles on line, just soaking it all in.”

    “We really enjoyed it, but at the same time it just made me a lot more excited to get to Texas,” Coulter said. “I just kept telling my crew chief, ‘Let’s go to Texas right now. I’m ready to go.’”

    Coulter has actually been to Texas Motor Speedway before, running there last year in the ARCA Series.

    “I love that race track,” Coulter said. “It is so much fun. It’s unreal how fast you can go through the corners with so much grip.”

    “It’s wide open from what I’ve heard,” Coulter continued. “It’s going to be an experience to go around the track and never take your foot off the gas. I can’t wait to do that.”

    Coulter admits that he expects more of the same at Texas as at Kansas in terms of the weather and the intense heat. He credits his growing up in Florida for his ability to handle the heat, that and a new tip that his teammate recently gave to him.

    “I’m very glad that I was born in Florida, where there are two seasons, hot and very hot,” Coulter said. “It’s just something I’ve gotten used to over the years.”

    “My teammate actually got me drinking Pedialyte this weekend and I felt way better before and after the race this time,” Coulter continued. “I’m working out every day like I have been for awhile and that helps with the heat too.”

    Coulter will also be celebrating a personal milestone when he reaches Texas this week. He will turn 21 years old on Wednesday, June 8th.

    “We are actually going to head to Texas a day early so I don’t have to be traveling on my birthday,” Coulter said. “I’m definitely not going to do anything crazy because we have to work this weekend.”

    “I’ll probably go some place and see if they card me,” Coulter said with a chuckle. “I’m excited about it. It’s really kind of like the last real exciting age.”

    For his birthday, Coulter may also indulge in one of his favorite confectionaries. In fact, he is nicknamed after one of them, “Cupcake”.

    “Before the Darlington race, we did a media event, me and Johanna Long,” Coulter said. “We got to talk to a bunch of young kids about how important it is to stay in school.”

    “There was this little hole in the wall, family cupcake place and somehow I got stuck carrying the box of cupcakes,” Coulter continued. “I guess that’s where I got the nickname of ‘cupcake’ from.”

    From celebrating his birthday to his top-five finish, Coulter has just one word to sum up his life at present.

    “Awesome,” Coulter said. “It’s a great feeling to be in the situation I am.”

    “I’m extremely fortunate to have the opportunities I’ve had,” Coulter continued. “My dad has always been sure to tell me that there are plenty of unemployed race car drivers.”

    “I’m grateful for this opportunity,” Coulter said. “RCR is an awesome organization and there are an awful lot of awesome people that have gotten me to where I am.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted his series-best tenth top-10 result of the year, placing fifth in the STP 400 at Kansas. He increased his lead in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now leads Jimmie Johnson by 40.

    “As temperatures rose,” Edwards said, “the track conditions changed, and we weren’t able to stay on top of those. But, I’ll never complain about finishing fifth, unless it’s in a fight between me, the two Busch brothers, and two girls.

    “I consider myself an expert on physical confrontations. But never in a thousand years could I have foreseen a car owner assaulting a driver. Normally, Richard Childress is very calm and level-headed. I’m not sure how that team will respond without the brains of the operation. It seems that RCR has lost its ‘mind.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home 11th at Kansas, Richard Childress Racing’s top finisher, just missing his eighth top-10 finish of the year. Harvick fell two spots in the point standings to fourth, and now trails Carl Edwards by 43.

    “Like a lot of cars,” Harvick said, “we had handling issues. That’s quite different than the problem Kyle Busch experienced. That was a case of man-handling issues. Richard Childress kicked it old school. And by ‘it,’ I mean Busch’s tail.

    “RCR, drivers and owners alike, have declared war on Kyle Busch. It’s a team effort. I got inside Busch’s head; Richard Childress went upside it.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished second at Kansas, coming up short in a fuel-mileage race for the second straight week. This time, though, Earnhardt’s No. 88 Amp Chevy had the fuel to finish, but so did race winner Brad Keselowski, who held off Earnhardt over the final nine laps. Earnhardt moved up one spot in the point standings to third, trailing Carl Edwards by 41.

    “Keselowski made the most of his last stop for fuel,” Earnhardt said. “I knew we had the gas to finish, so all I could do while trailing the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge was hope for ‘less filling.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I’m tempted to say ‘You win some, you lose some,’ but only half of that statement would be true.

    “To my fans, I can only say ‘Hang it there.’ Junior Nation is experiencing pain at the pump. I strongly advise them to have a taste of a hot new product, Amp Energy Shot, fortified with a blast of penicillin. Hey, you know what they say: ‘What happens in the infield stays, period.’ In the meantime, we’ll keep working hard to unlock the secret to winning, as well as the secret to determining the No. 88 car’s exact mileage.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started 31st at Kansas and battled a loose race car for much of the race on Kansas Speedway’s slick surface. Timely adjustments enabled Johnson to battle near the front late in the race, but a late pit stop for fuel set him back before he charged to a finish of seventh. He moved up one spot in the point standings to second and trails Carl Edwards by 40.

    “We had the car to win,” Johnson said, “but gas mileage bit us in the end. This week, we lost time because we had to top off the fuel tank. Last week in Charlotte, we lost time because we ‘topped off’ the car with an adjustment wrench.

    “I’m appalled by the Richard Childress-Kyle Busch fiasco. And I think any other driver would feel the same if Chad Knaus attacked a rival driver. Was it a case of ‘butt heads’ or ‘buttheads?’ This kind of thing is certainly not what NASCAR needs, unless they want people to watch. Incidentally, Jerry Springer would make a great Grand Marshall.”

    5. Kyle Busch: A day after a heated altercation with Richard Childress, Busch finished 12th in the STP 400 on Sunday. Busch remained fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings and trails Carl Edwards by 60.

    “What did NASCAR almost say to Childress after he slugged me on Saturday?” Busch said. “’You’re not in Kansas anymore.’ Alas, Childress was allowed to hang around at the track, where he faced a slightly more enjoyable form of assault: being ‘slapped’ on the back in congratulations.

    “Realistically, I should be first in the point standings, because everybody is after me. Childress’ aggression put me in a no-win situation, which happens to always be the situation when a Busch brother fights. If I fight back, I’ll be accused of beating up a senior citizen. If I don’t fight back, I’m a wimp. I either save face or lose face. That’s why, when faced with a physical confrontations, I always do an about face, and turn the other cheek.”

    6. Kurt Busch: Busch started from the pole and led 152 of 267 laps, but had to settle for a ninth-place finish after surrendering the lead to pit for fuel with ten laps to go. It was Busch’s second-straight top-10 finish, and he maintained sixth in the point standings, 71 out of first.

    “With better fuel mileage,” Busch said, “we could have won the race. I think it’s easy for people to listen to my radio communication and tell how the race is going. In Kansas, the further my fuel gauge strayed from ‘F,’ the closer my language veered to ‘F.’

    “I think Richard Childress should have shown a little more restraint. I know that’s hard when dealing with a Busch brother, but Childress should look to Roger Penske for inspiration. Roger’s wanted to punch me for years now, but hasn’t.”

    7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Kansas, earning his sixth top-10 result of the season. He held on to the seventh spot in the Sprint Cup point standings and trails Carl Edwards by 73.

    “If you asked fans to recall their favorite articles involving drivers being bullied,” Kenseth said, “you can be sure my name would appear in a number of the ‘submissions.’”

    8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin posted his fourth-straight top-10 finish, and fifth in the last six races, with a third in the STP 400 at Kansas. He improved one place in the point standings to 11th, 104 out of first, as he continues his gradual climb in the points after a dismal start to the season.

    “I dug myself a hole with my early-season performance,” Hamlin said. “But I can’t beat myself up over that. And I sure won’t let Richard Childress do it either. Look at that. I just took a ‘jab’ at Kyle Busch. But who hasn’t?

    “Anyway, despite my slow start to the season, I would be a coward if I didn’t choose to fight back. Another jab at Kyle Busch. Kyle’s usually got an answer for everything, except punches.”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart led twice for 20 laps at Kansas, and was in contention for the win before a late stop for fuel relegated him to an eighth-place finish. The No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team had trouble filling the tank during a pit stop on lap 212, which necessitated an additional stop. Stewart improved one spot in the point standings to eighth, and now trails Carl Edwards by 92.

    “By golly,” Stewart said, “I’m a NASCAR driver. I expect ‘full’ service when I bring my car to the pits.

    “As for the Richard Childress-Kyle Busch incident, I warned years ago that NASCAR was descending into a WWE-like atmosphere. It looks like it’s come full circle. We’ve got back flips, championship belts, and owners involved in fights. Vince McMahon would be proud. What’s next? Overpriced pay-per-view offerings for events few people care about?”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 18th in the STP 400, one lap down to the leaders after a race filled with handling issues. More notably, Bowyer won Saturday’s Camping World Truck series O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, a win that was soon overshadowed by the confrontation between Richard Childress and Kyle Busch.

    “NASCAR came down hard on Richard Childress,” Bowyer said. “He’s on probation until the end of the year, and he was fined $150,000. You can either call him ‘$150,000 Richard’ or ‘$150,000 Poorer.’”

  • NASCAR Issues Probation and Financial Punch to Richard Childress

    NASCAR Issues Probation and Financial Punch to Richard Childress

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]
    Permanent Press
    NASCAR announced season long probation and a fine of $150,000 against Sprint Cup team owner Richard Childress for an altercation involving Kyle Busch Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.

    It was reported that Childress grabbed Kyle Busch, administered a headlock and punched him several times about the face. The attack took place in the garage after Saturday’s Camping World Series Truck race.

    Shortly after publishing its findings, NASCAR released a statement.

    “The penalty we have announced today for Richard Childress reflects NASCAR’s response to the incident at Kansas Speedway on Saturday. We feel this action is appropriate and are confident all parties involved understand our position on this matter and will move forward appropriately.”

    Speculation about what provoked the incident centers around Busch and his recent on track aggression towards Childress drivers and equipment.

    Busch, already on probation for incidents at Darlington Raceway, was cleared of any wrong doing in the most recent altercation.

    Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, also released a statement about the altercation.

    “First of all, I’m responsible for my actions, plain and simple. As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners.”

    “In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me. I accept the penalty NASCAR announced today and, as a company, we will now focus on this week’s races at Pocono Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.”

    Speculation about what provoked the incident centers around Busch and his recent on track aggression towards Childress drivers and equipment.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Carl Edwards: Edwards, who won the All Star race last week, led 61 laps in the Coca-Cola 600, but late handling problems prevented any chance of a Charlotte sweep. Edwards finished 16th, only his third result out of the top 10 this year, and holds a 36 point lead over Kevin Harvick in the point standings.

    “I led 61 of the first 75 laps,” Edwards said, “but I couldn’t finish what I started. That’s opposed to the All Star race, when I finished what I started with, which was an un-wrecked race car. This may be the first time a NASCAR driver has been credited with a ‘ground out.’ Who knew there were speed bumps in the Charlotte infield? Luckily, Charlotte doesn’t have a divot-replacement policy.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick swept past Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in Turn 4 after the No. 88 National Guard Chevy ran out of gas, giving Harvick an unlikely win in the Coca-Cola 600, his third win of the year. Harvick jumped three places in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now trails Carl Edwards by 36 points.

    “Whether driving the Budweiser car or drinking a cold can of Bud,” Harvick said, “it’s always nice to see a ‘coaster.’

    “Now, Sunday wasn’t a good day for the letters ‘J’ and ‘R.’ First, rookie J.R. Hildebrand crashes on the final turn at Indy and loses the Indianapolis 500. Then, Dale Jr. runs out of gas on the final lap at Charlotte. And both were driving cars sponsored by the National Guard. Now that’s a conspiracy!”

    3. Kyle Busch: Busch spun twice at Charlotte, once through the grassy infield on lap 318, then again on lap 343, and the cumulative effect of those mishaps ended his day early. Busch finished 32nd, 55 laps down, and dropped two spots in the point standings to fifth.

    “Sunday’s was certainly no joyride,” Busch said. “And speaking of ‘joyrides,’ how is an early finish at Charlotte like a run in with the Iredell County Sheriff’s department? In each case, someone tells you to ‘pull over.’ This is definitely not an incident in which I can plead innocence.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s engine blew on lap 395, sending him to the garage early with his first DNF of the year. He was credited with a 28th-place finish, and dropped one place in the point standings to third, 37 behind Carl Edwards.

    “It’s certainly disappointing to post our first DNF of the year,” Johnson said. “Of course, that disappointment is offset by the satisfaction of knowing we haven’t recorded a single ‘DNFF’ in five years. That’s a ‘did not finish first.’

    “Clearly, we weren’t at our best. It’s never a good sign when you leave the pits with a wrench on the car. I call that a ‘mistake;’ Chad Knaus calls it a sneaky attempt at a little extra downforce. In any case, we can’t afford to leave wrenches lying unattended. I suspect we’ll need all the tools we have, because I foresee a need to ‘tighten screws’ on this team.”

    5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt took the lead on lap 399 when Greg Biffle pitted for fuel, and with the finish line in sight two laps later, victory, as well as an end to Junior’s 104-race winless streak, appeared to be at hand. But alas, Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet sputtered and slowed two corners from the end. Kevin Harvick passed Earnhardt for the win, and Earnhardt settled for a disappointing, yet solid seventh-place.

    “As my fuel tank emptied,” Earnhardt said, “so did the hopes of Junior Nation. That’s the first time I can remember ‘E’ getting booed. Usually, I’m accustomed to getting good mileage, at least out of the ‘Earnhardt’ name. But this time, my gas tank let me down. Apparently, my fuel gauge, like me, is subject to unreasonable expectations.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth boasted the car to beat at Charlotte, leading 103 of 402 laps, but a pit stop for fuel on lap 393 relegated him to a finish of 14th. He fell one spot to seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 71.

    “A lot of drivers,” Kenseth said, “Dale Earnhardt, Jr. included, ‘stopped for gas’ on Sunday. We just happened to do it in the pits. Gas mileage is a very unpredictable aspect of NASCAR racing, but not nearly as unpredictable as NASCAR’s reasoning behind whether or not to throw a caution flag. Personally, I can understand NASCAR’s reasoning for waving a caution just for a beverage can. Clearly, NASCAR spotters, like everyone else, were watching the race on Charlotte’s gigantic high-definition screen, which makes a can look like 40-gallon barrel. Of course, not throwing a caution with two laps to go and Earnhardt leading was equally controversial. NASCAR doesn’t need a big screen to make that call, because Junior is already larger than life.”

    7. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 15th in the Coca-Cola 600 as Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick took the win in dramatic fashion. Bowyer improved one spot in the point standings to eighth, 80 out of first.

    “I’ve got to hand it to Harvick,” Bowyer said. “He’s one lucky S.O.B. Some say he’s more lucky than good. Others say he’s more S.O.B. than lucky. Kevin once famously claimed that Jimmie Johnson had a horseshoe up his rear end. That obviously is no longer true. I think I speak for many drivers when I say to Kevin, ‘Up yours.’”

    8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin ran out of fuel just before the finish at Charlotte, seeing a top-5 finish turn into a 10th-place result. Hamlin improved one place in the point standings to 12th, and trails Carl Edwards by 106.

    “As you know,” Hamlin said. “Kyle Busch got busted for speeding last week, doing 128 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone. He was cited by the Iredell County Sheriff’s department for speeding and careless and reckless driving. Interestingly enough, Kyle wasn’t the only one who was ‘booking.’ The officer who made the stop said Kyle had proper identification and was cooperative. Only one thing amazes me more than a person going three times the speed limit, and that is the fact that Kyle Busch, apparently, can be cooperative.”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch gambled on fuel, choosing to stay out late while most cars pitted, and hoping a win or a top-10 finish would be the reward. Busch didn’t win, but his fourth at Charlotte was his best result of the year and ended a string of four finishes outside the top 10. He climbed two places in the point standings to sixth, and trails Carl Edwards by 68.

    “This is becoming a weekly habit,” Busch said, “but I’d like to apologize to those who were listening to the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil radio frequency. I said a word that shocked even myself—it was called a ‘compliment.’ Steve Addington made an astute call to fill the tank on lap 345. For that, Steve wins the Kurt Busch ‘Bleeping Bleeper Of The Week’ Award.

    “Let’s not overly condemn my brother Kyle for driving like a maniac on a public road. Lest we forget, this sport was built on moonshiners driving like maniacs with car-loads of white lightning. Just think. If some overzealous sheriff had stopped some mostly-innocent moonshiner for speeding 60 years ago, the course of history could have been changed forever, and this sport would likely be without alcohol sponsorship. We all owe Kyle our gratitude for reminding us where and why this sport started. Besides, Kyle was profiled by the cops. I can relate. The last time I was ‘profiled,’ I had my plastic surgeon take a little off the sides.”

    10. Tony Stewart: Stewart was poised for a top-10 finish with a little over 20 laps remaining in the Coca-Cola 600, but engine trouble, and a near miss of Jeff Burton’s spinning car, sent Stewart home with a 17th-place result. Stewart improved one spot in the point standings to ninth, 89 out of first.

    “It’s not a NASCAR race unless there’s an accompanying conspiracy,” Stewart said. “To wave or not to wave the caution flag. Let me be blunt: there is no conspiracy. Why? Because a conspiracy would actually logically explain NASCAR’s actions. There can be no conspiracy, because there is no rhyme or reason to NASCAR’s action where cautions and debris are concerned.”

  • DeLana Harvick’s Advice for Women in Business: Be Who You Are

    DeLana Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick, Inc., was recently recognized as an extraordinary businesswoman and for her outstanding contributions to her profession by The Business Journal at their 12th annual Women in Business Awards ceremony.

    While Harvick was flattered, as well as surprised to be counted in such great company, she shared just one piece of advice to all women in business, “Be who you are.”

    “Honestly, it caught me off guard,” Harvick said of her award. “I was really honored to be included in such an impressive group of women.”

    “When I got there, I really enjoyed learning about all the other accomplishments that these fourteen women had made in their lives,” Harvick continued. “Accolades and awards, it’s not that they don’t mean much to me, they do. But in order to be included in such an impressive group actually means more to me.”

    “The awards are really flattering, but I would say to anyone, just be you,” Harvick said. “Be who you are.”

    Harvick was nominated for the award by UNC Greensboro, where she graduated from college. She was specifically honored for turning a negative, the wearing of the fire suit issue, into a positive, using the controversy to develop a T-shirt which raised money for charity.

    Harvick’s role in the sport of NASCAR was also honored, particularly as a female team owner in a primarily male-dominated sport.

    “To me, I grew up in the sport so I never really viewed this as a male-dominated sport,” Harvick said. “Clearly it has been in the past, but in the last ten years or so you can see the impact that women have had in the sport from the business side and even women engineers and drivers.”

    “This was where I was going to be whether it was male-dominated or not.”

    Harvick has indeed been involved in the sport, growing up in fact as the only daughter of a racer. Her father, John Paul Linville, was a contractor by profession but a racer by passion, sinking all of his earnings into his race car and shop.

    “When I grew up and my dad raced in the Nationwide/Late Model Sportsman/Busch Grand National Series, we didn’t have a lot of money,” Harvick said. “My dad was a contractor and what he was able to put into the racing is what he made. There were no sponsors so I really learned a whole different side of the business based on how I grew up in the sport.”

    “I spotted for my dad and I did the travel,” Harvick continued. “I learned by just having to do.”

    “I’m a doer and I think that has played a big part into why Kevin and I and KHI are successful because we both grew up that way,” Harvick said. “We both had to do things and were not handed things.”

    Before KHI was even a glimmer in anyone’s eyes, however, DeLana Harvick as she was growing up wanted to be a racer herself.

    “Growing up I always envisioned myself racing,” Harvick said. “But my dad was a very old-school, Southern kind of guy. Women didn’t do that at the time.”

    “My dad was quite surprised with my level of determination about racing,” Harvick continued. “I definitely didn’t grow up the Southern belle that I think he may have wanted. So, I pushed and pushed and pushed but it just wasn’t something that he was willing let me do.”

    “Our deal was that if I graduated college, he would get me a car,” Harvick said. “Well, he got me a chassis so I had to build me a car and that took, between trying to work and everything else, a couple of years after I graduated.”

    “And at that point, I had met Kevin and really my life was in a different place,” Harvick continued. “So, it just never worked out for me.”

    “I did run a late model and my dad and Kevin were both there at the time,” Harvick said. “But I don’t think either one of them could have taken it with their nerves. They just couldn’t bear it.”

    “It never worked out and that’s okay,” Harvick said. “I think it was probably meant to be.”

    Rather than being behind the wheel, Harvick graduated college and went to work interning at Performance PR Plus. She shadowed the staff who handled Jeff Gordon’s public relations at the height of the Gordon frenzy which she acknowledges was a great learning experience.

    “I think that has served me well and I think I’ve probably gained the respect of people in this sport,” Harvick said. “I started out in PR so I certainly knew a lot of the media at that time. But I also knew a lot of the crew members, owners, and drivers because I had grown up in the sport.”

    In addition to her mother and father, Harvick also credits role model, mentor and friend Richard Childress as one of the most important influences in her life.

    “Richard (Childress) has been a very, very integral part of what Kevin and I have done,” Harvick said. “He’s always had the door open.”

    “He could have easily have seen this as a distraction for Kevin but he hasn’t,” Harvick continued. “Richard has embraced everything that we’ve done and for that we have truly been fortunate.”

    Harvick says that her other role models have been her parents, both of whom she admires for their passion and determination, especially after her father’s diagnosis of cancer when she was a young girl.

    “When I was twelve, my dad was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer and they told him he only had six months to live,” Harvick said. “Well, he lived for over twenty years.”

    “So, I think that spirit of pushing forward no matter what the challenges are, whether an illness or not having as much money as the guy parked next to you in the pits, is just to continue to press forward,” Harvick continued. “I learned so much from my dad in that aspect that really helped me in everything that I do.”

    Although Harvick’s father passed away in November 2005, she is still quite close with her mother, who lives nearby her home and the race shop.

    “While my dad went through his treatment, my mother had to work in order to support the family,” Harvick said. “I actually had gone to NC State for school and then came home because I had to take my dad to treatments while my mom worked.”

    “I really admire my mom’s strength,” Harvick continued. “She is way more outgoing and fun-loving than I am. I’m more straightforward and focused like my dad. I admire that about her.”

    Harvick has also learned from her parents, as well as through her own experience, that dealing with challenges is one of life’s most important lessons. She also credits having supports around her as a key element to her success.

    “I have good days and bad days and some turn out better than others,” Harvick said. “You have to surround yourself with good people and come to the realization that you cannot do it all.”

    What’s next for this accomplished woman, who has not only built her own career but also a thriving race team business?

    “A lot of people assume that Cup has to be the next step,” Harvick said. “That’s interesting to me and I certainly believe that KHI has built a foundation that could support that.”

    “Whether that happens or not, I don’t know,” Harvick continued. “I believe it has to be the right situation and the right time and place. And certainly sponsorship plays a huge part in that.”

    “More than anything I think KHI solidifies our place in the sport,” Harvick said. “At some point when Kevin stops driving, and he will, we still have an avenue to be involved in a sport that we’re both passionate about.”

    “So, I think that’s what I’m most proud of,” Harvick said. “You have to live out your dreams and do what makes you happy and what you’re passionate about, because you only get a chance to do this once.”

  • Darlington’s Grace plays second fiddle to controversy

    Darlington’s Grace plays second fiddle to controversy

    [media-credit name=”Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Darlington is without a doubt the Grand Dam of NASCAR. She stands bold and proud. She is a legend even among the legends. To conquer her once is an accomplishment. To conquer her twice puts you in a class reserved for the greats of the sport. Whether it’s once or multiple times, to win at Darlington, especially in the Southern 500 is a testament to your talent and the talent and perseverance of the team that stands behind you.

    I usually run down the weekend’s races what happened who won. The news of the weekend, changes etc. And then I try to offer a little perspective from the outside looking in. This weekend I feel like the real story is not so much what happened during the races themselves, but what happened at the track that is the story. There were actually only 4 track stories this week.

    One was the incident with Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola. Hamlin dove to the inside of Almirola and Bowyer making it three wide coming out turn 2 and caused a crash that involved 8 cars. And took out his most dominant NNS competition. It is a perfect illustration of how the Nationwide Series is being hurt by the Sprint Cup regulars. The dominance of Kyle Busch is making it more and more evident that the Nationwide Series will crown a win less champion. That is a slap in the face of the competitors within that series. It’s an insult. The less experienced, less funded Nationwide series struggle to stay with in sight of the Sprint Cup visitors.

    Worse when the Sprint Cup drivers come to play they have little respect or concern for the series regulars that they may harm, points wise in the process. Denny Hamlin is a seasoned and experienced Sprint Cup Series Regular with 5 cup series starts at the track Too Tough To Tame. He is familiar with the narrow surface and the do’s and don’ts of Darlington. Yet he choose to go 3 wide and cause an 8 car pile up on the final restart of the Nationwide Race. Then he is shocked that he would be accused of wrong doing. After all, he is a seasoned Sprint Cup driver who should be revered and respected for his experience and ability.

    The second track issue was actually from last week and it was Newman/Montoya. The rumor began circulating, via a member of the media, that Newman punched Montoya in the NASCAR hauler. Montoya’s response was “ask Newman.” Newman’s response, “That’s speculation.” NASCAR’s response, “It’s safe to say that this meeting did not go as well as we intended. We are probably not through with this situation yet.” DW said “having been in that room everyone in the room would have had to been in the fight for it to happen.” There is no confirmation there. NONE. Neither driver will comment. NASCAR is not willing to comment. Montoya showed no after effects. No bruising. No swelling. No puffiness. The same was true for Newman. Now Newman is not a small man. And I think it safe to say he doesn’t throw a punch like a girl. Montoya is also not a small man and I would say that he is not likely to stand and take a punch without delivering one of his own. Both would leave tell tale after signs.

    So basically there is no story there. The story was pure sensationalistic garbage that was built up and escalated to create a furor. Much like P.T. Barnum would build up the expectation to sell tickets to his greatest show on earth by releasing a half truth story about a lion attacking a trainer or an elephant that enraged broke it shackles and had to be calmed by a performer. Is there truth there sure a shred. They did have a meeting in a small room with NASCAR. Other than that there is no evidence or confirmation that anything else happened.

    The third was a feel good story very similar to Daytona. Regan Smith wins the Southern 500 by holding off a charging Carl Edwards. Like Wow. Really? Seriously? Yep Really Seriously. All the way from Colorado. The wrong has been righted. It took 3 years but it happened. He didn’t win on gas mileage. He didn’t win by wrecking someone. He didn’t win on a penalty. He won by using an old Pearson trick out of 4. He used the wall to clip the rear bumper and send him straight down the front straight way to give him a momentum advantage that utilized the long range horsepower of the ECR power plant under the hood. Knowing Carl would brake getting into the corner and it would slow the FR9 just enough to prevent him from being able to out accelerate and pull him to the checkers.

    It was a bold gutsy move. It could have gone way wrong. He could have taken out both of them. It was the final lap Checkers or wreckers move that was executed perfectly. They will refer to it as a Cinderella victory and Smith says he is really cool with that. But in truth that was no lucky rookie move. Watch the video. He hit it directly in the center apex of the 4th corner. Watch a Pearson clip the exact same place that Pearson would clip the guard rail in the 2nd corner. Luck? There has to be some riding with them all. But a random stroke of luck highly highly unlikely.

    The final story of the weekend is typical of two Bull Moose in a china shop. They broke dishes and trampled linens. They put the cats in danger and they show no remorse. The story was Harvick/Busch. Let’s look at it.

    1) Harvick booted Busch. There is no way he didn’t know that if the opportunity arose that Busch was not going to feed it back. Busch has proven that. He is as aggressive as Harvick and equally if not superiorly talented.

    2) Busch hooked Harvick on the front stretch a little over half way to one. Kyle did NOT use good judgment. He hooked him on the front stretch in front of the entire oncoming field. That was dangerous to the on coming field and Harvick. If your beef is with Kevin, keep your beef with Kevin. Don’t cost other owners and drivers good finishes and money because the two of you want to see who has the bigger set of family jewels.

    3) Race ends. Busch knows that Harvick is not going to let this go. He has seen and knows Harvick. Harvick blocks his way in the pits. They go on the track. Harvick pulls up next to him. Kyle puts the car in reverse tearing the reverse gear out of the car. He now can only go forward. Harvick backs up. Kyle pulls forward Harvick cuts him off for pit road getting in front of him. You let it go but you take it back?

    4) On pit road Kevin kills the car. Takes off the steering wheel. Kyle bumps him from behind as though to say, “Come on man let’s go home.” Kevin puts steering wheel back on. Takes steering wheel back off. Bud crew is coming down pit road and they are in sight.

    5) Kevin comes out of the car. He has one crew man behind him and one at his car. There are pedestrians including officials on pit road. There are crews working on packing things up behind the pit wall. Kevin goes to the 18 and starts in the window.

    6) Remember here, Kyle has no reverse gear. He pushes the Budweiser Chevy to move it out of the way and the car fires. It turns the way the wheels are turned and picks up speed into the pit road wall. It barely misses the Bud crew man. It scares the be Jesus out of the crew packing pit boxes. It wipes out the front of the Budweiser Chevy.

    7) Kyle drives on to the garage. Exits the car goes in his hauler. Kevin pursues him. His entrance to the hauler is blocked of course. The crews then have a shouting match with officials in the middle.

    8) We have yet another Hauler meeting with NASCAR. Busch leaves through the side door and is not caught by media. Harvick leaves through the front door. KH: “Things happen.” Reporter: What does that mean? KH: “It’s just racing I guess.” Media: What was said? KH: “Not much.” Media: What can you tell us? KH: “Not much. It was a private meeting. That is why it was held in the hauler not in the media center.”

    9) At 115 AM NASCAR releases that the 18 team voluntarily tore down the transmission of the 18 “to the bearings” to show officials that the transmission really didn’t have a reverse gear. The gear reportedly appeared to be sheared in two.

    10) 2 AM Kevin Harvick tweets “Guess my next race will be in the truck series next weekend.”

    Somehow here, Kyle Busch became the aggressor and the bad guy. Kevin Harvick became the wronged innocent. The fan reaction on social media sites was ruthless and brutal. Kyle Busch was everything but a human being. Kevin Harvick was of questionable birth origin and definitely challenged intellectually. It was a horrible display of the fickle nature of the “real NASCAR fans”. If someone unfamiliar with the sport were to have read the slanderous comments made of each of the drivers, seen the wishes of harm and destruction to each of the drivers, and seen the gloating over perceived violence on pit road they would question whether these two individuals were actually terrorists. The display was disheartening and embarrassing. It was illustrative of why our sport continues to be viewed as a backwards redneck affair not worthy of commitment from networks, sponsors, or new fans.

    Truth they were both aggressors. Both knew better than to take on the opponent that they were taking on. Both knew the results would be ugly. And they were. Both of them were wrong. What happens on the track is racing. We have all seen Big E do it a million times. It’s not personal. It’s racing. It’s bringing back, “Sunday Money.” But what happened after the checker flag crossed the line. It put uninvolved by standers at risk. There is no defense for a human being from a 3600 lb race car. The human is not going to win the fight. Who lives with the consequences? They both do and so does everyone else who watched it unfold wanting to look away and not being able to.

    Have at it boys has limits. It has to. The limit has to be endangerment of human life. No matter who is involved. The message has to be loud and clear. There can’t be any doubt of where the line is. If you want to have a fist fight get out of the cars and “have at it boys”. But don’t use the cars as fists.

    The stories of the races seem secondary, almost as if they were supporting cast. The peripheral stories took center stage. And they sang like Luciano Pavarotti in Rigoletto.

    I feel like to reverse the roles is against the grain. And yet we were there to see a race. And we saw a very good one. It just wasn’t as vivid as the stories that surrounded it. Who would have ever thought that the lady in black would be upstaged by a few rough neck high strung hot headed kids who really want people to see them standing in the shadow of the greatest race track aggressor of all time. And yet they fall short of understanding the very purpose and reason behind the aggression in the first place, to be the best one must believe they are the best. They must conduct themselves as though they are the best. They must set the standards that all the rest are to be judged by. When that occurs, one’s actions and performance will live after them as the stuff that legends are made of. Perhaps the only one there who truly understood that was the Lady in Black her self. Over the years she has witnessed the best and the worst of her suitors. She has chosen only a few. Those few are the legends that make the Southern 500 the most coveted jewel in the Sprint Cup crown.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations to Kyle Busch and his Z-Line Designs Toyota team on their Nationwide Series Victory.

    Congratulations to Regan Smith and his Furniture Row Chevrolet Team on their incredible victory in the Sprint Cup series. Incredible performance, incredible move and an incredible well deserved victory.

    Congratulations to Carl Edwards and his wife Dr. Kate Edwards on the birth of their second child Michael on May 3, 2011.

    Get Well Wishes go out to Brenda Jackson on her back injury. We hope you are feeling better soon.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

     

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  • Big Things Come In Small Packages

    Big Things Come In Small Packages

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”247″][/media-credit]The oldest track on the circuit is also the smallest. They say big things come in small packages; and this weekend Martinsville delivered in a very big way.

    The weekend was marred by more tire issues. Goodyear brought new right and left side tires. The right,  a softer compound than the fall race of last year and the left a harder compound. They were trying to improve forward bite and add grip to the tire, something every team and driver had asked for. However, with no testing to prove the compound Goodyear was at a decided disadvantage. The new compound proved to be a border line situation with the track not taking rubber and the tire giving up after approximately 12 – 15 laps. Once the tire gave up it began to shred and throw rubber marbles to the second and upper groove of the track making them virtually unusable. Multiple drivers complained about the tires and the lack of grip and forward bite the cars obtained from them. But NASCAR and Goodyear didn’t view it as a concern. They continued to hold out hope that the track would rubber in after qualifying for the trucks and Cup cars and the Truck race.

    It didn’t happen. And although, Kevin Harvick, who finished 4th in the truck race stated, “The tires are just such pieces of crap,’’ and Kyle Busch stated, “There’s no rubber on the race track,’’ after finishing 2nd in the Truck Race, tires were not a major factor.

    The Camping World Truck race was an entertaining display that saw a Camping World Truck series regular in Johnny Sauter take the checkered flag ahead of series dominating, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

    Sauter who passed Kyle Busch on the next to the last lap held on to record his first victory of the season. Busch who has never won at Martinsville held on to finish second by .453 seconds and was followed by Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick who over came a 2 lap deficit early in the race to garner a 4th place finish.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”215″][/media-credit]Anticipation was high heading in to Sunday or should I say trepidation. The concern over the inadequate tires continued to mount. Everyone from Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon to Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski voiced concerns over the tires. The concerns seemed to loom even larger for fans that had looked forward to the old school bump and run type racing that Martinsville had always delivered. “The poor tire situation is a direct result of not testing.” tweeted Keselowski. “Testing was eliminated in an effort to control costs but the owners just spent even more money on computer simulation programs and equipment that simulates testing.”

    When start time rolled around, Mark Martin was set to make his 800th start in the series and Greg Biffle his 300th series start. Tires or not the cup drivers were ready to run the best race that they could.

    They did not disappoint. The race was a return to the history of the sport. With the bump and run the most prevalent move of the day. The scariest occurrence was not tire related at all and came on lap 222 when the throttle stuck on Martin Truex’s Napa Auto Parts Camry causing him to take out both he and Kasey Kahne. The 56 of Truex momentarily caught fire and Kahne was slow to exit his car. But both drivers were checked and released from the infield care center with a clean bill of health.

    The accident however resulted in a 22 minute red flag period to repair the safer barrier which was damaged when Truex hit it head on at speed.

    Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Busch all lead at different points in the race. But perhaps the feel good story of the race came from the Hendrick Motorsports 88 team. Dale Earnhardt Jr took the lead on lap 480 with a bump and run on Kyle Busch. He would hold that lead until lap 496 when Kevin Harvick would take the lead when the 88 got loose going into turn one. Dale Jr would finish a bumper in front of Kyle Busch who came across the line in 3rd.

    Earnhardt Jr who moved up to 8th in the points with the second place finish, his best points position since last spring at Texas doesn’t believe he is quite where he needs to be yet, “I ain’t really proved it to myself yet,” he said. “I’ll let you know when I feel like I’m back, personally. Anyone that watched that race today knows that we weren’t a second‑place race car or even a third‑place race car all day. We never were up there to prove that point. So there’s no argument: We got some work to do still.”

    “We are faster, we are more competitive than last year. But we still got a little ways to go.”

    But the promise shown by the 88 team has JRNation excited. It has NASCAR excited. Is he back? Maybe not, but his performances are showing all the promise of a young man who came on the scene and won in his rookie season against what was and arguably remains one of the toughest fields in NASCAR history.

    This race was without a doubt the best of the season. It was a race of steps some big and some small. But steps none the less. This race showed us without a doubt that life and racing draw many parallels and if we are to succeed regardless of the quality of our equipment or our history we have to dig down and find the courage to take that step forward, even though the results could be disasterous. Whether you won last week or 98 races ago the champions of NASCAR took that huge step of faith on tires they doubted in cars that they were unsure of. They gritted their teeth put their trust in men on the roof and on the pit box and somewhere in the back of their minds they said, “Boogity Boogity Lets go racin boys.”

    ~~~~~ **** ~~~~~

    Congratulations to Johnny Sauter and Thorsport racing on their first Camping World Truck Series win of the season. Congratulations to Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress racing on their 2nd win in a row.

    That said, to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.

  • Two in a Row: Kevin Harvick Wins The Goody’s Fast Relief 500

    Two in a Row: Kevin Harvick Wins The Goody’s Fast Relief 500

    Last week at the Auto Club Speedway, Kevin Harvick only led one lap on his way to victory.

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert ” align=”alignright” width=”203″][/media-credit]
    Kevin Harvick is ecstatic in victory lane at Martinsville
    This week, Kevin Harvick led six laps, including the last four, as he took his second win in a row at Goody’s Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville.

    The win marks the 16th win of Harvick’s Sprint Cup career and his first ever at Martinsville Speedway.

    “Just an awesome day,” Harvick said in victory lane. “I didn’t think we had the car to do that and we came back up through there. We took those two tires there and that seemed to wake up us.

    “Everybody on this team has done an awesome job. When they told me I was the quickest, I didn’t believe them till I got up to the front there.”

    Harvick took the win after passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead with four to go.

    “It was fun racing Dale Jr.  there,” Harvick continued. “I hate to be the bad guy, but we’re in it to win it.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading the race after bumping Kyle Busch for the lead with 21 to go.

    “I tried to put together some laps there but the back of the car wasn’t in the back of the track enough,” Earnhardt said. “The 29 was coming and there wasn’t much I could do. Got a little loose into one, wanted to do a little cross over move and when I got into three, I wanted to get the nose in there. I didn’t want to get into him too much as I got into Kyle already while we were racing for the lead. We came close, but we didn’t get there.

    Earnhardt found himself in contention after taking two tires on an earlier pit stop while the leaders took four.

    “We had a top 10 car there,” Earnhardt said. “Steve did some awesome strategy to get up there. That’s basically what got us there. We had a car that ran good for 15 laps and hopefully allowed me to get the jump there.”

    Kyle Busch, meanwhile, finished third after being involved in the race for the lead all day.

    “Just didn’t have a short run car today,” Busch said. “Unfortunate, as the car was awesome. Had a great car on the long run and we didn’t get a long run there.”

    Juan Pablo Montoya, who got up there with the same strategy as Earnhardt, finished fourth while Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five. Matt Kenseth finished sixth, followed by pole sitter Jamie McMurray, David Ragan, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin.

    Tire issues were seen throughout the day, involving David Gilliland, Dave Blaney, Hermie Sadler, and Trevor Bayne.

    The major wreck of the day, however, happened on lap 221 when Martin Truex Jr. plowed into Kasey Kahne and the wall after his throttle hung up. The wreck resulted in a thirty minute red flag to clean up the wreck and fix the safer barrier.

    “Our biggest problem is we got behind at the start,” Kahne said. “The handling went away as the track started to take rubber and we got caught back in there. Once I got hit, that was where I knew the throttle or something had stuck on Martin’s car as he drove me through the wall. Hopefully we can salvage something.”

    “Again, thanks to NASCAR and all the guys who build safer barriers and everything,” Truex said. “10 years ago, I wouldn’t be here; 

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert ” align=”alignright” width=”203″][/media-credit]
    Kevin Harvick is ecstatic in victory lane at Martinsville
    so I’m thankful for that. The NAPA Auto Parts crew on working hard on this car as we were working at it today. Kasey helped my car slow down. It was kind of a blessing that he was there.”

    Following the caution, two more cautions came out back-to-back involving multiple cars.

    On lap 232, Harvick made it three-wide as Brian Vickers squeezes up into Kurt Busch, sending him flying into the curb and then into Bobby Labonte. Dave Blaney and Joey Logano spun behind them.

    Then on lap 241, Paul Menard spun thanks to contact from Brad Keselowski, collecting Michael McDowell and Casey Mears.

    With his third place finish, Busch took the points lead, five points over Carl Edwards and 12 points over Jimmie Johnson. Johnson fought back to 11th after a speeding penalty while Edwards finished 18th.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Auto Club 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Auto Club 400

    From the moment Sugar Ray Leonard dropped the green flag for the pole and outside pole sitters, Juan Pablo Montoya in his fiery red No. 42 Target Chevrolet and Denny Hamlin in his No. 11 FedEx Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, expectations were high at the fourteen degree banked, wide open track in Fontana, California.

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Victor Decolongon/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”273″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising in the purposely shorter Auto Club 400, down in length by 20% and 100 miles from last year:

    Surprising:  After an absolutely dominant performance by Kyle Busch, who led the most laps at 151 and ascended to 29th on the all-time laps led leader list surpassing Fireball Roberts, and a late race charge by Fontana favorite Jimmie Johnson, one driver led less than a lap and took the checkered flag.

    Bakersfield, California native Kevin Harvick finally got that coveted first win at his home state track, Auto Club Speedway. Reminiscent of his racing idol the late, great Dale Earnhardt, Harvick sported his own brand of intimidation, bumping Jimmie Johnson just enough to rattle him so Harvick could slip by for the win on the last lap.

    “Well we had them all beat last year and I gave it away,” Harvick said in a Budweiser-soaked Victory Lane. “What a great day.”

    “All these guys did a great job on pit road,” Harvick continued. “Gil (Martin) made the right call. We held those guys off and our car just kept going.”

    “Today we had a fast car and the circumstances played in our favor.”

    This was Harvick’s 15th victory, putting him in a tie with Ernie Irvan for 48th on NASCAR’s all-time Cup Series win list. This was team owner Richard Childress’ 95th Cup Series win, but the team’s first ever win at Auto Club Speedway as well.

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising to see five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, piloting the very familiar No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, finish in the runner up position. This was Johnson’s 10th top-two finish in 17 races at Auto Club Speedway.

    “It reminded me of last year in the spring race,” Johnson said. “We just couldn’t hold him off.”

    “I knew he was coming,” Johnson said of Harvick. “If I could have got by the 18 a lot sooner, it might have been enough, but I was way loose and driving my butt off.”

    “Just glad it turned out to be a decent day.”

    Surprising: In spite of losing the race after being so dominant, it was surprising to see this ‘new’ Kyle Busch take it all in stride. Busch stood calmly by his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, waiting to share his thoughts on his third place finish and his first top ten finish in the past four races at Auto Club Speedway.

    “We gave the race away today unfortunately,” Busch said. “We seemed to be losing the handle on that last set of tires and couldn’t get the right speed I needed.”

    “I can’t say enough about the guys on pit road and the guys back at the shop,” Busch continued. “They got us in position but unfortunately I couldn’t get the job done today.”

    “I just didn’t have what it took there at the end.”

    Not Surprising: After having a chance at the race win and falling back, it was not surprising to see Tony Stewart pitch his gloves off after the race and stalk out of his car to his hauler, waving off any media who dared approach him. Stewart, who had run in the top five most of the day, making daring pit calls with his crew chief to stay out when others pitted for tires, faded back to finish 13th.

    With that finish, Stewart ended a four race streak of top-10 finishes at Auto Club Speedway. The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for the team that bears his name also fell three spots in the point standings to the sixth spot.

    Surprising: Unfortunately, the engine woes that have been plaguing Joe Gibbs Racing continued this weekend. Young Joey Logano had to start at the back of the pack due to an engine change, clawing his way back up to a 25th place finish.

    Even more devastating was the engine failure of Denny Hamlin, who had been the outside pole sitter and who looked to be a contender early in the race. After nursing his wounded car along and then going a lap down, Hamlin finally gave it up and headed to the garage.

    “We’ve got to go to work and figure out how to get the reliability back,” Hamlin said. “Our engine department has got to go to work.”

    “It was a slow death for our car today.”

    Not Surprising:  Sadly the curse of the first lap leader continued at Auto Club Speedway. In 21 races at the track, the first lap leader has never gone on to win the race.

    This was the case for Juan Pablo Montoya, who started off in the pole position and led that first deadly lap. Montoya had his struggles but did manage to rally back for a top ten finish, keeping him solidly in eighth position in the point standings.

    Surprising:  Both Red Bull teams had amazingly good runs in Fontana this weekend. Brian Vickers, in the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, finished eighth while teammate Kasey Kahne, in his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, followed right behind in the ninth position.

    “Well, we wanted to win,” Vickers said. “But this is just what the Red Bull 83 team needed.”

    Not Surprising: Carl Edwards, who has been so dominant this season, finished sixth. With his good run, Edwards was able to assume his place on top of the points leader board, now officially the first repeat points leader in five races this season.

  • Austin Dillon To Make Sprint Cup Debut Later This Season

    Austin Dillon To Make Sprint Cup Debut Later This Season

    Austin Dillon has already made a name for himself in the Camping World Truck Series, though is now looking to make his move up the ranks. Dillon announced yesterday at Auto Club Speedway that he would make his debut later this year in the No. 98 car owned by Mike Curb.

    Dillon will have sponsorship support from The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Centennial Celebration and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.

    “It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration as a Co-Chair of the National Youth Leadership Committee,” said Dillon. “President Reagan was always one of my grandfather’s, Richard Childress, heroes, so I grew up hearing about the President’s strong leadership abilities and family values. Those are two qualities I carry with me in my career as a NASCAR driver by being a strong leader for my team and making my family proud of my accomplishments on and off the track.”

    The Ronald Reagan Centennial is a year long celebration of the 100th birthday of the 40th President of the United States of America. A series of events, partnerships and initiatives sponsored by the Foundation are planned to happen throughout this year. Regan was the first president to attend a race as in 1984, he gave the command to start motors for the Firecracker 400 at Daytona and on that day, Richard Petty won his 200th race.

    “President Reagan was the first sitting U.S. President to attend a NASCAR race,” said Stewart McLaurin, Executive Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Centennial Celebration. “As many Americans take a moment this year to remember the life, lessons, and legacy of President Reagan in their own way, we are grateful for this partnership and we are honored by the leadership Austin will bring to the national youth leadership council.”

    Last year, Dillon earned seven poles in the Camping World Truck Series, breaking a 12-year-old rookie record. He also captured his first career victory at Iowa, followed by a win at Las Vegas, on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and finishing fifth in the standings.

    The decision has yet to be made whether the first start will come at Kansas or Phoenix, but Dillon is comfortable either way.

    “Those are the two races that I feel like I have some experience [at the tracks], and we can go race with these guys and we can run up there and compete with them,” Austin Dillon said. “We want to go to a place where we want to be on a level playing field.

    “Phoenix, they’re doing the new pavement, might be the place or Kansas, where I have some laps at. It is going to be a learning experience.”

    When Dillon makes his Cup start for Mike Curb, it’ll mark the 100th start for Curb. Curb has a connection with Dillon’s grandfather Richard Childress, as he reunited Childress back with Earnhardt in the mid-1980s.

    “I am proud to be associated with Richard Childress and Austin Dillon as he makes his first Sprint Cup start,” said Curb. “I am proud that my company Curb Records is also involved in this wonderful tribute to President Reagan’s 100th Centennial Celebration. I had the opportunity to serve President Ronald Reagan in several capacities including Co-Chairman of his successful 1980 Presidential campaign.  I also want to thank our partners at FullCircle Ventures for putting this program together.”

    The car is set to be Richard Childress Racing prepared with an Earnhardt-Childress Racing motor and pitted by Dillon’s truck team.

    “This is such an opportunity with the Reagan opportunity, we couldn’t turn it down,” Childress said. “You never know if you’re ready until you do it. He’s got some good experience at some of the tracks, and we’re going to just try him a race and see how it goes.”

    Childress says longterm plans have Dillon running full-time in Nationwide next year with younger brother Ty Dillon running the truck.