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  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]In the NASCAR season’s longest race of the year, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 53rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  Although billed as the sport’s longest race, usually known for the endurance factor moving from day to night, this year’s Coke 600 was the quickest one ever.

    The race took a total of 3 hours, 51 minutes and 14 seconds.

    Prior to 53rd running of the Coca Cola 600, the longest race was in 1995 at 3 hours, 56 minutes and 55 seconds.

    Not Surprising:  After finally scoring his 200th win for the company that bears his name, Rick Hendrick’s prediction of more wins to follow came true. Kasey Kahne, in the No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet, secured his first win as a Hendrick Motorsport’s driver, which came on his 300th career start.

    The win was also Kahne’s first win of the season. The 32 year old driver has now won in a Dodge, Ford, Toyota and now a Chevrolet.

    “It’s been an exciting three weeks for Hendrick Motorsports,” Kahne said. “It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

    “It’s so special and awesome to drive for Rick and Linda Hendrick,” Kahne continued. “For them to make me a part of their company; this is unbelievable to drive for Hendrick Motorsports and be a part of everything they do.”

    Surprising:  After winning last weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race, it was surprising to see Jimmie Johnson have a rare pit road miscue, especially since he was running the top-5 at that time. Johnson received a stop-and-go penalty for leaving his pits with both the gas man and the gas can on Lap 354.

    “We had a couple little mistakes on pit road tonight,” Johnson said. “It happens.”

    “Last week things couldn’t have gone any better and then this week we had a few little issues.”

    Not Surprising:  As he has been all season, it was not surprising that Greg Biffle, in his No. 16 Fastenal Ford, was a contender all race long. In fact, Biff received the 3M Lap Leader award, leading 204 laps.

    Biffle maintains the points lead, ten points ahead of Matt Kenseth.

    “The car was really, really good,” Biffle said. “But there at the end when the speeds picked up, we would kind of slide across the track.”

    “We gained a little in points, but we really wanted to win.”

    Surprising:  After a most abysmal start to the season, it was surprising to see Jeff Gordon finally get a top ten finish under his belt. Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, ran strong, finishing seventh.

    “We had an awesome race car and we showed it right from the drop of the green,” Gordon said. “We drove up through there.”

    “This is a great effort for this team,” Gordon continued. “I’m so proud of them.”

    Not Surprising: HMS teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continued his consistent streak, scoring his seventh top-10 in eight races.

    “It just says we are consistent and we want to win a race,” Junior said. “That’s all I can tell you.”

    “It feels good to be competitive,” Junior continued. “I don’t want to take our consistency for granted but we would like to improve just a little bit more and we’ll get some wins.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising how badly the Petty Motorsports drivers finished, especially after securing the pole and outside pole respectively.

    Aric Almirola, who started on the pole with his famed No. 43 US Air Force Ford Fusion, finished 16th. Outside pole sitter Marcos Ambrose finished 32nd in his No. 9 Dewalt Ford.

    “When you start on the front row or the pole, you know you’ve got a fast car,” Almirola said. “So, this is tough.”

    “But I can’t reiterate enough that we’re making improvement,” Almirola continued. “We see light at the end of the tunnel and that’s what it’s all about.”

    “I’m proud of everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports.”

    Not Surprising:  Despite the naysayers, Danica Patrick achieved her goal of completing every lap of the race. The driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet finished 30th, five laps down.

    “We had a lot of green-flag running and for me as a driver in general in NASCAR but especially as a new driver in the Cup Series, that hurts me,” Patrick said. “I’m just not great at making the best out of a car that’s not perfect and those runs really show that.”

    “We brought the GoDaddy car home and one of the goals was to finish,” Patrick continued. “I would have liked to have been a little faster overall but I think there were some times in there when it was decent.”

    Surprising:  It was a bit surprising to see Ryan Newman outshine his boss at a track where Tony Stewart is traditionally strong. Newman, driving the No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, finished  14th and his boss and team owner in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet finished 25th .

    Smoke was moving forward after adjusting on his car throughout the race only to have a tussle with Brad Keselowski on pit road. Stewart spun as a result of that contact and had to turn around to reach his pits, putting him two laps down.

    Teammate Danica Patrick acknowledged that her mentor had a tough evening.

    “Tony is a fantastic driver and if he had a tough day, that’s just the way the season goes,” Patrick said. “So this is NASCAR and sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t.”

    Not Surprising:  While he may not have totally lived up to his ‘Closer’ moniker, Kevin Harvick brought his No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet home in eighth place.

    “We had a solid night,” Harvick said. “We snuck up there in the top-five and got our bonus point for leading a lap.”

    “The pit crew was awesome and we were able to adjust our car,” Harvick continued. “This isn’t our strongest race track, but I feel like we had a solid package to build on.”

    Surprising:  Young Landon Cassill, in his No. 83 Burger King Real Fruit Smoothies Toyota, had a great run in the prestigious Coca Cola 600, finishing 18th. It was his team’s best finish of the season to date and the first time that the team started and finished inside the top-20.

    “Last’ week’s performance at Charlotte was a real confidence booster for us,” Cassill said. “I feel like we’re getting stronger each week and it gets me excited as a driver.”

    Not Surprising:  Two of the principals of Joe Gibbs Racing had a good run as they usually do. Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, finished in the runner up spot and teammate Kyle Busch, in his No. 18 M&Ms Red White and Blue Toyota, finished right behind him in third.

    “It’s also good to finish like that,” Busch said. “We just need to carry on that momentum.”

    “This is a good race for us so we can bring back some good notes for when we come back in October.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Darlington Bojangles Southern 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Darlington Bojangles Southern 500

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]With the NASCAR moms getting the race started with the command, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 63rd annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.

    Surprising:  Only one of three women to compete at historic Darlington, Danica Patrick achieved her goal of finishing the race.

    And although the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet finished 31st, she surprisingly finished better than at least one veteran driver, Jeff Gordon, whose bad luck, this time tire trouble and mechanical failure, continued to plague him yet again.

    “I know I didn’t have a great result, but I accomplished all the things I wanted to accomplish,” Patrick said. “My goals were to be respectable out there and I think I held my own all right.”

    “I earned my stripes anyway.”

    Not Surprising:  As he took in the moment of celebrating his 200th win with his driver Jimmie Johnson, it was no surprise that Mr. Hendrick twice paid tribute to those that were lost in the plane crash and who helped build the team to have achieved that milestone.

    “I had to get away,” Hendrick said. “They said that we were going to make it (on fuel), but I don’t believe them, you know?”

    “I’m kind of numb, but I’m glad it’s over,” Hendrick continued. “I think we’re going to win a few more now.”

    In fact, Hendrick whispered that plan to the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet in Victory Lane as he bear hugged him several times.

    “You’ve got to love that man,” Johnson said of his boss Mr. H. “He said,’ Two hundred is great, but let’s go get 250.’ So, that tells you where his head is.”

    “Oh, man, what a day,” Johnson said simply.

    The 200th victory for Hendrick Motorsports makes them only the second team, next to Petty Enterprises with 268 wins, to accomplish such a milestone.

    Surprising:  It was certainly surprising to see so few cautions at the beginning of the race on a track whose moniker is ‘Too Tough to Tame.’

    In fact, the yellow flag did not fly for the first 172 laps in Bojangles’ Southern 500, allowing the drivers to make three green-flag pit stop cycles in that run.

    Not Surprising:  As is so often the case, it was not surprising that the last caution, late in the race to set up the green-white-checkered finish, set off some sparks.

    The melee started when Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the underfunded No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet hit the wall, which caused Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, to not only check up but get turned into the wall by Aric Almirola, in his No. 43 Verifone Sail Ford.

    After the race, Newman and Busch had a confrontation, as did some of their crew members. But all was resolved, especially after intervention by the NASCAR officials.

    “It’s crazy,” Tony Gibson, Newman’s crew chief, said. “Things happen and everybody’s emotions run high.”

    “It’s a hot night,” Gibson continued. “Everybody settled down and talked about it. We’re all good.”

    Newman put it more simply, “It all went bad there at the end.”

    Surprising:  The Dodge team had a surprisingly rough night at the historic track, with both drivers encountering their own struggles. Brad Keselowski, in the Blue Deuce, battled back to score a 15th place finish, while A.J. Allmendinger, in the battered No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, finished 33rd.

    “I think we had a top-15 Dodge; I just tore it up early in the run,” Keselowski said. “I got loose and hit the wall pretty good.”

    “We just struggled all night going from one extreme to the other, from so tight to just wicked loose,” Allmendinger said. “We could never find a happy medium.”

    “The car was just a handful all night.”

    Not Surprising:   The Toyota drivers had a surprisingly good evening with the ‘Lady in Black’, especially since the majority of them scored in the top-10 finishing order. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota, finished second to earn the status of highest-finishing Toyota driver.

    Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 Wrigley’s Doublemint Toyota, finished fourth with Martin Truex, Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, in fifth. The driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, Joey Logano, rounded out the top-ten for the manufacturer.

    “It was a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota,” Hamlin said. “We just didn’t have quite the winning car today.”

    “We wanted to win the Southern 500, but second isn’t too bad.”

    Surprising:  Tony Stewart, reigning Champion, surprisingly still has not tamed that Darlington track, which is one of two where Smoke has not won. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet came close, however, scoring a hard-fought third place finish, his best ever at the storied 1.366 mile oval.

    As with several drivers, Stewart battled fuel mileage at the end. But he had the added complexity of a clutch problem as well, making re-starts a challenge.

    “I broke the clutch with about 85 (laps) to go there,” Stewart said. “And the fuel pressure light was blinking when we got the one-to-go signal.”

    “We just got better as the night went on,” Smoke continued. “We weren’t good enough to win the race but I’m still pretty happy to come out of here with a third tonight.”

    Not Surprising:  The Fords ran steady and consistent at Darlington, to no one’s surprise especially with the Ford of Greg Biffle scoring the pole for the evening. Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Zestfully Clean Ford, finished sixth, with Carl Edwards, in the No. 99 EcoBoost Ford, finishing 7th.

    Marcos Ambrose, in his No. 9 DeWalt Ford, overcame adversity and damage to finish 9th and pole sitter Biffle brought his No. 16 Ford to the checkered flag in the 12th spot.

    Although the good run of team Blue Oval is not surprising, Marcos Ambrose’ post-race comments were most surprising. When asked where he came from after being two laps down to finish top-ten, the Aussie said, “I came from Mars.”

    “At Lap 200, I was about ready to hang myself and by Lap 260, I was ready to go to the front and show the boys what I had.”

    “I re-entered orbit around Lap 260 and the last 80 laps were a lot of fun.”

    “Our team didn’t give up.” Ambrose said. “It was just a good night for us.”

  • Jimmie Johnson Wins the Southern 500 and Claims the 200th Victory for Hendrick Motorsports

    Jimmie Johnson Wins the Southern 500 and Claims the 200th Victory for Hendrick Motorsports

    [media-credit id=9 align=”alignright” width=”199″][/media-credit]Jimmie Johnson held off Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart to take the checkered flag in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He also gave Rick Hendrick his long anticipated 200th win.  Hendrick Motorsports is only the second team to accomplish this. The first to do so was Petty Enterprises with 268 wins.

    It was Johnson’s 56th victory in 374 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. It was the 14th victory at Darlington Raceway for the Hendrick Motorsports organization.

    The two celebrated in Victory Lane with a hug. After the race Johnson said of Hendrick, “Without a doubt, you got to love that man. He just said ‘Let’s go get 250.’”

    Johnson went on to say that he was “very proud of the effort that the whole 48 team put together. My mind goes back to the early days of Hendrick Motorsports, to the people that won the early races, worked on those early cars, helped Rick build Hendrick Motorsports to what it is today.”

    “I think of Harry Hyde, Tim Richmond, Geoff Bodine and Kenny Schrader. There’s a lot of people over the years that put a lot of time and effort and commitment into this organization. So I think about all those people and I’m just so happy for Rick. His dedication to this sport and to performance and winning is second to none.”

    Rick Hendrick also thanked those who helped him get to this point in his career as a team owner.

    “I’m just proud of these guys and the whole organization. You want to thank everybody from Harry Hyde to Tim Richmond and Geoff Bodine, all the guys along the way that won races. You think you’re going to get there but then you think you’re never going to win another one when you get to 199.  I’m real proud.”

    Johnson also presented Rick Hendrick with a helmet celebrating their 200th win in the media center after the race. It was signed by the drivers that contributed to this accomplishment.  Family members signed for those drivers who are no longer with us.

    Denny Hamlin finished the race in second place giving him his sixth top-ten finish in 2012.

    When asked to talk about his run, Hamlin pointed to the last pit stop when he slid through his pit box. As a result, they lost several crucial seconds on the stop. It cost him the lead but he said he was “really proud of our effort” and “it’s definitely a good run for our team.”

    Tony Stewart was the third place finisher posting his eleventh top-ten finish in 20 races at Darlington Raceway.

    He talked about the adjustments during the race that helped his car but revealed that he had broken the clutch with about 85 laps remaining. His crew determined that he could continue with the broken clutch. Then, with one lap to go, he began losing fuel pressure which caused him to get a slow restart.

    Stewart said, “Considering the hurdles of the day I’m pretty happy with a third place run.”

    Kyle Busch finished in fourth place and Martin Truex Jr. finished in fifth.

    The top five in the points standings after the finish of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 are Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson.

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    Bojangles’ Southern 500, Darlington Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=11
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 48
    2 8 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 43
    3 17 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 41
    4 5 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 41
    5 6 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 40
    6 19 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 38
    7 7 99 Carl Edwards Ford 37
    8 3 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 37
    9 28 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 35
    10 21 20 Joey Logano Toyota 34
    11 26 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 33
    12 1 16 Greg Biffle Ford 33
    13 14 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 31
    14 9 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 30
    15 15 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 29
    16 23 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 28
    17 24 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 28
    18 10 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 26
    19 13 43 Aric Almirola Ford 25
    20 18 55 Mark Martin Toyota 24
    21 25 51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 23
    22 31 13 Casey Mears Ford 22
    23 4 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 22
    24 27 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 20
    25 36 38 David Gilliland Ford 19
    26 20 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 19
    27 34 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 17
    28 37 34 David Ragan Ford 16
    29 22 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 15
    30 42 32 Reed Sorenson Ford 0
    31 38 10 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 0
    32 33 173 Travis Kvapil Toyota 12
    33 16 22 AJ Allmendinger Dodge 11
    34 11 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 10
    35 12 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 9
    36 41 93 David Reutimann Toyota 8
    37 43 249 J.J. Yeley Toyota 7
    38 39 74 Cole Whitt Chevrolet 0
    39 32 30 David Stremme Toyota 5
    40 40 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    41 35 52 Mike Skinner Toyota 0
    42 29 179 Scott Speed Ford 2
    43 30 26 Josh Wise * Ford 1
  • The Psychology of Talladega

    The Psychology of Talladega

    [media-credit name=”Steven Iles” align=”alignright” width=”188″][/media-credit]While every track is unique, there are certain tracks on the NASCAR circuit that can just get into a driver’s head. This weekend’s track, Talladega Superspeedway, seems to be one of those, especially given its speed, intensity and the infamous ‘big one’ that so often occurs.

    “There are certain things in the 36 race season that are special,” Dr. Jack Stark, a performance psychologist practicing in NASCAR as well as other sports, said. “Obviously Daytona is special. I think Bristol has some special appeal and there are a number of tracks that do.”

    “But superspeedways and restrictor plate racing, especially at Talladega, is always special.”

    Another interesting psychological aspect of Talladega, as well as other superspeedways, is that literally anyone can win. The prime example of that according to Dr. Stark is Trevor Bayne’s victory at last year’s Daytona 500.

    “You can be 20th with two laps to go and win it,” Stark said. “That’s another thing that is unique and keeps people glued to their seats until the end.”

    Dr. Stark also credits the action at Talladega as making it especially challenging from a psychological perspective. But he believes that this weekend’s race may be especially action packed given the fact that some drivers who have been struggling this season to date may be trying very hard to turn their luck around.

    “It’s been kind of a strange year so far because a lot of top drivers have had bad luck and struggled at various tracks,” Stark said. “So, yes, there will be some drivers that will be pressing.”

    “Every driver has tracks where they run better, whether it is a short track, an intermediate track or a superspeedway,” Stark continued. “Some of the young guys just like to go fast and there are others who have been on dirt that like the sliding around.”

    “But at this track this weekend, the drivers will be definitely going hard.”

    One of the teams that may be pressing for the ‘Dega win most diligently is Hendrick Motorsports, who as a team have been trying to score that elusive 200th victory for the organization ever since the green flag dropped at Daytona.

    But Dr. Stark, who has served as the team psychologist at HMS for the last eleven years, acknowledges that there is constant pressure to succeed at that organization.

    “There’s always pressure on them to win,” Stark said. “In some respects, it’s come pretty easy in the past.”

    “Last year, there were three drivers in the Chase but this year, the team doesn’t have a win,” Stark continued. “It’s frustrating and disappointing to the organization as it is so used to doing better.”

    “The team has had some good luck and bad luck but not enough luck to win yet.”

    Dr. Stark acknowledged that one driver in particular in the Hendrick organization especially feels the brunt of the psychological pressure of coming to the Talladega race weekend. But he also feels strongly that the driver and crew chief combination in place for that team will be the key to overcoming that pressure packed race.

    “I don’t think there is another athlete in the world that has the following and the high hopeful expectations of the fan base that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has,” Stark said. “It’s quite amazing to walk through the garage and look at the fans who just want him to win so badly.”

    “So many people root for him and care for him and he is a special guy who doesn’t want to let them down,” Stark continued. “Everybody puts a ton of pressure on him for different reasons.”

    “Stevie (Letarte) is absolutely the perfect crew chief for Dale Junior,” Stark said. “I think that was one of the more brilliant moves that Rick Hendrick ever made.”

    “The relationship between a driver and crew chief is all about chemistry and they spend more time together than with your spouse or girl friend,” Stark continued. “So, you’ve got to be really, really in sync.”

    “Stevie is a great people person and handles Junior beautifully,” Stark said. “Stevie and Dale Junior will be ready for Talladega this weekend.”

    In addition to his work with Hendrick Motorsports, Dr. Stark has further advice and counsel for all of the 43 drivers set to compete in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega this race weekend. First and foremost, he counsels the drivers must put any negative feelings right out of their minds.

    “The driver just has to block out any negativity he or she may have about the track,” Stark said. “There is a feeling that you may have the best car but it’s a crap shoot at the superspeedways.”

    “So, some drivers convince themselves that the racing there is not so much a function of skill but of luck,” Stark continued. “I try to convince drivers that it is a strategy race too.”

    “Let’s figure out how to do this because you can be in the back and draft up and you can play the strategy game and win.”

    Dr. Stark also acknowledges that lurking in the back of every driver’s mind at the superspeedways is that element of danger. He said it has been especially present since the recent passing of Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar Series in a horrific crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last fall.

    “You’re going such high speeds and things can happen,” Stark said. “It’s interesting from a psychology point of view.”

    “Each driver has their own defense mechanisms,” Stark continued. “Some act like they are not into it but what I find is that every one of them wants to win and are very intense about it.”

    “Some seem nonchalant and others seem very focused,” Stark said. “It all depends on their personality and is a function of past experiences at the track.”

    “It’s their way of coping,” Stark continued. “Some guys have to keep busy and joke around to prepare, while others are listening to hip hop music. Each has their own approach and I have to be careful not to judge their coping mechanisms.”

    “The Dan Wheldon tragedy had a huge impact on a lot of people,” Stark said. “Nobody quit driving because of it but it is in the back of everyone’s minds.”

    “I do think down the road we may see drivers not driving to the Mark Martin age,” Stark continued. “If you really dug into it and talked to those who retired recently, many have promised their spouse that they would stop driving.”

    Another stressful element of the sport, even though the season is young with just nine races under the drivers’ belts, is the demanding schedule imposed on all involved. Dr. Stark acknowledges that is another important element that must be managed from a psychological perspective.

    “Some of the stress is not just the danger but the demands of the sport,” Stark said. “NASCAR is the most demanding sport that I’ve ever been a part of and I’ve been a part of every sport, from basketball, football, hockey, the Olympics.”

    “NASCAR is just the most difficult.”

    So, what would Dr. Stark’s sage counsel be for the drivers that are headed off to Talladega, one of the most physically and psychologically demanding tracks on the NASCAR circuit, for this race weekend?

    “I counsel drivers to try to drive intensely relaxed,” Stark said. “I know that is a dichotomy, but you have to relax in the intensity.”

    “It’s definitely all about pacing yourself,” Stark said. “You will definitely need a relaxed intensity at Talladega this weekend.”

  • Jeff Gordon’s On Track Drive to End Hunger Takes Off Track Twists

    Jeff Gordon’s On Track Drive to End Hunger Takes Off Track Twists

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”196″][/media-credit]With the partnership between Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger initiative heading into its second year on the track, this special promotion has taken some new twists and turns off the track as the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet readies for the 2012 season.

    The first twist on one of the most successful cause-related marketing campaigns in the sport is a new partnership with Quaker State, who has joined the Drive to End Hunger effort by pledging portions of its product sales at Walmart. This new fundraising effort will take place from February 1st to March 31st.

    “We are proud to initiate this cause-related effort to support the AARP Foundation in its quest to help those in need through Jeff Gordon and the Drive to End Hunger,” Chris Hayek, Quaker State Global Brand Manager, said. “By partnering with Walmart, the promotion is elevated onto the national stage.”

    “We’re really thrilled that Quaker State engaged with us,” Jim Nedohon, Interim Vice President for AARP Foundation’s Hunger Initiatives, said. “By allowing us into Walmart, this ensures that we can attract national attention to the need to alleviate hunger for seniors.”

    The idea for taking the Drive to End Hunger promotion off the track and into stores was hatched in discussions between the AARP Foundation and Quaker State right at the track. And it all came about in an effort to elevate Drive to End Hunger to another level.

    “We were at the track talking,” Nedohon said. “My background is in cause-related marketing and we were brainstorming about how to activate our sponsorship of Jeff Gordon in a brick and mortar store.”

    “This is a new opportunity for Quaker State to have a cause related marketing campaign on one of their products,” Nedohon continued. “It developed over a couple of months.”

    “We worked through all the details, such as having a bottle flag with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger car,” Nedohon said. “Jeff is on the bottle and has a relationship with Quaker State as an associate sponsor.”

    “So, Jeff was thrilled to be able to extend his brand to support our cause.”

    The best part of the new twist in the Drive to End Hunger sponsorship is that it furthers the mission of the AARP Foundation, which is to raise awareness about the issue of older Americans who are facing hunger, as well as fulfilling Quaker State’s social mission.

    “Quaker State is very socially oriented and they were totally onboard with helping us execute our mission,” Nedohon said. “It’s one more corporation that embraces the mission that we have to end hunger.”

    “Quaker State could have easily written a check for $50,000 but we are focused together on efforts that have long-term, sustainable impact,” Nedohon continued. “This Quaker State promotion is taking us off the track and into Walmart stores.”

    “This allows people to really take the time to read the materials and it will mean even more to our work at the Foundation.”

    The new sponsorship twist off the track has also permitted the AARP Foundation to make grants to other nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable solutions for ending senior hunger.

    “We sent out an RFP to identify organizations that are trying to address stable solutions to hunger,” Nedohon said. “We had over 750 letters of inquiry and 150 completed applications and awarded ten grants throughout the United States for $1.9 million for sustainable solutions to ending hunger.”

    “Every time we put this effort in a new place, it reminds people about the hunger issue,” Nedohon continued. “And it may even be occurring for someone they know.”

    The second twist on the Drive to End Hunger took place at the recent Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, where a Corvette donated by team owner Rick Hendrick was auctioned off for $700,000.

    “I got to go out with Mr. Hendrick to Phoenix to the Barrett-Jackson auction,” Nedohon said. “It’s incredible because this again is reaching another level of enthusiasts around the automobile industry.”

    “This was a special limited edition Corvette and only 60 will be made,” Nedohon continued. “This was the first one to be auctioned to benefit Drive to End Hunger.”

    “When the bidding started and Mr. Hendrick sweetened the deal by inviting the new owner to Daytona, it just erupted,’ Nedohon continued. “ It went to $300,000 and kept going.”

    “It was just phenomenal,” Nedohon said. “After the auction was finished, another bidder donated an extra $100,000 to the Drive to End Hunger effort.”

    “I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see how the cause resonated with thousands of people watching.”

    While the AARP Foundation is ecstatic about these twists and turns, as well as their partnership with Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick, they have not been completely surprised about the success of their sponsorship.

    “It’s not completely surprising,” Nedohon said of the sponsorship. “It’s amazing to see how many NASCAR fans care.”

    “We’ve found that the NASCAR fans want to know how they can help,” Nedohon continued. “That’s why we’ve been so pleased to support our local food banks at track and now with this new initiative off-track.”

    “It helps when you have partners like Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick,” Nedohon said. “We couldn’t really think of any better partners to help fight this good fight.”

    And for his part, the Drive to End Hunger driver could not agree more.

    “Honestly, I don’t know if 10 years ago I would have gotten behind something like this but with just the experience of life and the things that become more important to you, I’ve gotten into it,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, said. “I feel like it did come at the right time in my career.”

    “We’ve sort of set a trend in NASCAR that will be catching on.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    When the green flag flew on the seventh annual running of the AAA Texas 500, it seemed almost as an afterthought to a difficult week, with the passing of patriarch Russ Wallace, the plane crash injuring Rick and Linda Hendrick, and of course the parking of Kyle Busch after his detrimental on-track actions during the Truck race.

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”272″][/media-credit]Yet, when the checkered flag finally flew at Texas Motor Speedway, there were some surprising, as well as not so surprising, moments from the third to the last race of the 2011 season.

    Surprising:  After back to back wins, it was surprising to see that even Smoke was a bit overcome, albeit by the intensity of the race, emotion and the heat of Victory Lane.

    “This is for the Wallace family,” Stewart said after getting out of his car. “And for Mr. Hendrick and his wife. And I had a buddy that passed away when we were at Charlotte and I didn’t want to forget him.”

    Yet even with splashing some water on his face, Smoke still had to take a seat in Victory Lane, while those around him fanned him with their Stetson hats to allow him to catch his breath.

    Tony Stewart, however, bounced back quickly. He then donned the traditional black hat and took some shots with the guns in celebration of scoring his 43rd career victory, his fourth win of the season, and his second victory at Texas.

    Stewart also re-affirmed that his sights are firmly set on winning that coveted Cup championship. With his race win, Smoke is now just three points behind leader Carl Edwards.

    “I don’t think we have to say anything,” Stewart said, unlike last week where he talked some smack in Victory Lane. “Our performance speaks for itself.”

    “Do not count us out of this thing,” Stewart said. “We did everything we needed to do today.”

    Not Surprising:  Roush Fenway Racing did not disappoint or surprise at the mile-and-a-half track where they have been so dominant all season. RFR had three of their drivers in the top five, with Carl Edwards in second, Matt Kenseth in fourth, and pole sitter Greg Biffle in fifth.

    The team combined to lead 124 laps at Texas Motor Speedway, with Edwards leading 14, Kenseth leading 87 and Biffle leading 23. Even David Ragan, whose future remains uncertain, finished in the 12th position.

    “I’m proud of our guys today,” Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion said. “We wanted to beat Tony and pad the lead, but we are still the point’s leader.”

    This was Edwards’ sixth top-10 finish in 14 races at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his 24th top-10 finish to date in the 2011 season.

    Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 Ford Fusion, started from the pole to bring his car home for a top-five finish.

    “We had a pretty good car,” Biffle said. “The last pit stop, I slid through the box and that probably cost me a third-place finish or a couple of spots anyway. We fought hard and came back.”

    “It’s hard to be disappointed when you run in the top five,” teammate Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, said. “I wish we could have performed a little better, but that’s all we had.”

    “This has always been a pretty good track for our organization.”

    Surprising:  It was a bit surprising to see how current Michael Waltrip Racing driver Martin Truex, Jr. did, finishing eighth in his No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, in spite of the big changes announced for the MWR organization prior to the race.

    “I am really proud of my entire NAPA team today,” Truex Jr. said. “The NAPA Know How pit crew was on it.”

    “We are moving in the right direction and I appreciate all the work MWR is doing to get us in contention.”

    Not Surprising:  After learning that he was no longer a member of the MWR team after the 2011 season, it was no surprise that the woes on the track continued for driver David Reutimann.  The driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine finished 22nd.

    “It was very difficult,” team owner Michael Waltrip said of his decision to let Reutimann go. “I love David. He’s a great man and he’s always been there to do anything I needed him to do.”

    “I know it was hard for David to get the news,” Waltrip continued. “I’m thankful that he drove for me for so long.”

    Surprising:  After such a Cinderella run, Brad Keselowski’s championship hopes have all but gone up in smoke. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge had a very difficult day at Texas, finishing 24th.

    “Just a tough night,” Keselowski said. “We couldn’t get the speed out of our car that we needed and fought all day for track position.”

    “We lost the handling on the car right in the middle part of the race and adjustments were made to make it better and it just made it worse,” Keselowski continued. “It was unfortunate.”

    Not Surprising:   One driver who continues to make noise, however, was AJ Allmendinger, who scored another top-10 in his No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports.

    “That was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever felt on a mile-and-a-half, especially one like this,” Dinger said. “It was fun.”

    “From the start we were just passing cars and making good adjustments,” Allmendinger continued. “It was a good fight to 10th but overall, and more importantly, that’s something to build on.”

    Surprising:  It was a bit surprising to see that Brian Vickers’ intense driving style carried over from Martinsville to Texas. On lap 201, the driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota assisted with bringing out the second caution by tussling with Juan Pablo Montoya and Geoffrey Bodine.

    “Stupid Vickers ran over a lapped car,” came over JPM’s radio, summing up yet another tough day at the office for ‘The Sheriff’, who finished 21st.

    Not Surprising:  Kasey Kahne continued his string of top-10 finishes, scoring the third spot in his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota. This was Kahne’s fourth top-10 in 15 races at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “We were really close,” Kahne said of his almost-winning run. “I wanted to win really bad today.”

    “It was a great race for us,” Kahne continued. “This has been our best time the whole season.”

    Surprising:  Taking the wheel of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry from sidelined Kyle Busch, Michael McDowell surprisingly was not able to capitalize on his prime opportunity. Even with Busch looking on atop the pit box, McDowell could not get his car dialed in and finished 33rd.

    “We obviously were hoping for more and were hoping for a big day,” McDowell said. “But that wasn’t meant to be.”

    “Gave it all I had and we just struggled pretty much all day long.”

    Not Surprising:  McDowell was not the only JGR driver to struggle at Texas Motor Speedway. Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, blew an engine on Lap 262, and Denny Hamlin, behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, struggled all day, finishing 20th.

    “We just fought an ill-handling car all day,” Hamlin said. “It’s probably one of the worst that we’ve had in a long time.”

    “We’ll have to go back to the shop and look at it,” Dave Rogers, crew chief for the No. 18, said of the entire team’s performance. “This tire at this track is pretty tricky. You have to dare to lean on it and it’s not comfortable getting in the corner.”

    “We have to look at it for sure.”

    Surprising:  Although not mathematically eliminated, it still seems surprising to think that, without some sort of miracle, Jimmie Johnson will not be on the championship banquet stage this year. With his struggling performance at Texas, including a spin through the grass on Lap 240, the driver of the No. 48 MyLowes Chevrolet, managed to finish fourteenth and is now back 55 points to the Chase leader.

    “I fought a loose race car all night long and I lost it,” Johnson said. “And I think sliding through the grass did some damage.”

    “It didn’t really drive good after that.”

    Not Surprising:  With a sixth place run in his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, it was not surprising that it felt like a win to driver Jeff Gordon.

    “We moved up right away,” Gordon said. “I thought we had a car that could compete for the win but when the sun went down, it changed for us and we lost a little bit there at the end.”

    “Compared to the way we ran here earlier in the year, it is almost like a win for us.”

     

  • Tim Richmond; 22 Years Later and Still Not Forgotten

    Tim Richmond; 22 Years Later and Still Not Forgotten

    Every 10-30 years, a young driver comes along who shakes up the NASCAR world, and more time than naught, it’s usually these types of drivers that come into the sport with some kind of a racing background.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: unknown” align=”alignright” width=”190″][/media-credit]Tim Richmond was a lot different since he did not grow up with racing in his blood, and did not come from the hard working middle class lifestyle that most of NASCAR’s big names came from. Instead Richmond was born into wealth, and because of this, it would later turn out to be one of his biggest drawbacks because of his fast paced, Hollywood playboy lifestyle he lived throughout his racing career.

    Since NASCAR was born on the back country roads of some of America’s most famous moon shining families, Richmond’s flamboyant lifestyle on and off the track clashed with the southern roots most fans were used seeing from their drivers.

    Richmond’s standard of living along with his daily routine mirrored that of someone you would have thought was born and raised in California, unlike his hometown of Ashland, Ohio where he was born on June 7, 1955. The “lets party all night attitude” he chose to live by would be frowned upon by NASCAR, as Richmond would find out later during his short lived racing career.

    Richmond was a hit with the fans as well as the ladies, and at times he would pull down his racing suit to sign autographs, which really got the women excited, but at the same time got the heads of NASCAR even angrier. NASCAR wasn’t ready for this type of driver to enter into their hallowed premier racing series, and it was only because Richmond’s driving style matched the lifestyle that he was living.

    During his eight years as a Winston Cup driver which didn’t start until the age of 21, Richmond visited victory lane 13 times, along with 78 top-10 finishes in the 185 starts hr made in the series. Richmond collected a career-high seven wins in 1986 while driving the No. 25 Folgers-sponsored Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo, to go along with his 14 careers poles, and his very first victory coming on a road course in Riverside, California.

    The 1986 season would be his best year driving in the Winston Cup series, finishing third in points behind eventual cup winner Dale Earnhardt Sr. Most of his fellow racers said that he was one of a few drivers who had guts enough to challenge Earnhardt and drive side by side with him. Richmond had a “take no prisoners” type of driving style which showed in the way he handled the road courses, and he was known as one of the few drivers who had the guts to challenge and race side by side with Earnhardt.

    Richmond’s life was loosely portrayed in the movie Days of Thunder by the character of Cole Trickle, and aside from stock cars he also competed in open wheel racing finishing ninth in the 1980 Indianapolis 500. In 1986 at the height of a very promising career, his whole world came crashing down on him when he was diagnosed with A.I.D.S.

    By the time 1987 rolled around, life would become even more challenging to his already troubled life, and it wasn’t until the middle of the season that he would return, and pick up back to back wins at Pocono and Riverside, and the win at Riverside would ultimately be his last. By the following year, NASCAR would step in and deal Richmond a very sour hand, when the organization would begin to treat him like he was some sort of drug addict.

    NASCAR defamed his integrity by making him take a drug test because of his deteriorating health, and afterwards suspending him indefinitely because they said he had tested positive for a controlled substance.

    Richmond demanded another test, and when those results came back…they were negative. NASCAR would later admit the first test that Richmond took was also negative; the only substance that showed up was Sudafed and Advil. Little by little NASCAR tried to not only defame Richmond, but they also wanted him out of the Cup series for good, and eventually they got their wish.

    NASCAR would not let him race until he came up with all of his medical records, it was then Richmond filed a defamation of character lawsuit, but he would eventually withdraw it and leave the sport. Richmond would move back to Florida where he eventually died in 1989.

    NASCAR to this day has not apologized for the brash and disrespectful way that Richmond was treated. In 1990, The New York Times reported that Dr. Forest Tennant, who was at that time the National Football League’s drug adviser, “falsified drug tests” that ultimately helped shorten Richmond’s NASCAR career.

    Washington television station WJLA-TV, in early 1990, reported the sealed court documents and interviews showed Tennant and NASCAR, “allegedly used false drug-test results in 1988 to bar Richmond from racing.”

    Reporter Roberta Baskin stated that NASCAR had targeted Richmond, requesting that Tennant establish a substance-abuse policy with Richmond in mind. NASCAR chose not to mention any of these findings, and basically swept it under the rug with the, “We don’t see anything or what did we do wrong scenario?”

    Richmond was one of their own, even though he didn’t fit the mold that NASCAR wants all of their drivers to follow, even though he was still a human being, breathing the same air as them, and also bringing money into their prestigious racing empire. Richmond would be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002, an award that not even the France family could ever take from him.

    NASCAR would put the final nail in his coffin by only writing one line about him, and not including a single picture of him anywhere in the annals of NASCAR history. For those who chose to support and follow his career…Tim Richmond has been dearly missed, maybe not so much by NASCAR, but by the fans and drivers who stood next to him through thick and thin.

    22 years ago we lost one of our own, but even today he is still in the hearts and minds of those who remember the impact he made to the sport, both on and off the track.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Brickyard 400 at Indy

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Brickyard 400 at Indy

    With Big Machine Records as the presenting sponsor, the Indy pre-race festivities were destined to feature artists such as Reba McIntire and Rascal Flatts performing ‘America the Beautiful’ and the national anthem respectively, as well as CEO Scott Borchetta waving the green flag for the race start.

    [media-credit name=”Adam Lovelace” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 18th annual Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com:

    Surprising:  In spite of leading the race at the halfway point, clicking off a position a lap in the final twelve laps of the race, and being the only car assured of finishing the race with enough fuel, it was surprising that the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon did not win the race.

    Gordon did, however, come in a solid second, improving his point standings to being just 52 points behind leader Carl Edwards. This was Gordon’s 14th top 10 finish in 18 races at Indianapolis Speedway and his ninth top-10 finish in 2011.

    “Oh my goodness what a day,” Gordon said. “I am so proud of this Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet team. I mean they were just flawless.”

    “It was all we could do to put pressure on those guys and hope they would run out,” Gordon said of his battle with those in danger of running out of fuel. “I passed all of them but one.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that the one that Gordon could not get past was a driver with a family history as storied as the Brickyard itself. Dedicating the win to his father John, Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 NIBCO/Menards Chevrolet won his first ever NASCAR race at the track where he had been coming with his family since he was a youngster.

    “You know I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and my Daddy has been trying to win this race for 35 years,” Menard said. “So this is for my Dad.”

    “I can’t believe we won Indy,” Menard continued. “This is just a really special place for my family and myself.”

    Menard made a little history at the Brickyard himself, becoming the first driver to win his first career race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is also the first Indy win in a Menard’s sponsored race car.

    This is Menard’s sixth top-10 finish in 2011 and his first top-10 finish in five races at Indy. He also became the fourth different first-time winner for the 2011 NASCAR season.

    Surprising:  One of the biggest surprises of the day was how many drivers pitted under green for fuel directly after a restart towards the end of the race. One of those drivers who did just that was NASCAR’s favorite son Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in his No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet.

    Junior’s fuel strategy did not, however, play to his advantage. He finished 16th and dropped one more position in the point standings to tenth, just barely maintaining Chase contention status.

    “You don’t want to be hanging around out there on the race track when everybody else is already inside a fuel window,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “So, yeah I can understand why it turned out like it did.”

    Not Surprising:  Since the Brickyard is considered one of the ‘big’ races on the NASCAR schedule, it was not surprising that two drivers who have won ‘big’ races in the past had good runs. Regan Smith, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet and winner of the Darlington Showtime Southern 500, scored the third place finish and Jamie McMurray, Daytona 500 and defending winner of the Brickyard 400 last year, took fourth in his No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet.

    “It was a great run for the Furniture Row Chevy and my guys worked their butts off all weekend,” Smith said. “This is not a great track for me, so I am happy and if I couldn’t win, the guy in Victory lane is my best friend on the circuit and I can’t wait to congratulate him.”

    “We got a little bit lucky today,” McMurray said. “We’ve had a tough year and a lot of things go wrong and a lot of bad luck. So, it’s very nice to have good luck and a good finish.”

    Surprising:  In spite of an uncertain future for 2012, with his ride for Rick Hendrick ending at the end of the season, Mark Martin in his No. 5 Quaker State/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet pulled off a surprisingly good top-10 finish.

    Martin took the checkered flag at the Brickyard in eighth place, advancing his point standings by two spots up to the 18th position.

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that the winner of the final Nationwide race at Lucas Oil Raceway continued his great weekend run over at the Brickyard. Brad Keselowski, behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce, finished top-10.

    “It was kind of an up-and-down day for the Miller Lite Dodge,” Keselowski said of his ninth place run. “At the three-quarter part of the race, I thought we were going to win the Brickyard.”

    “It just didn’t quite work out, but we made our car faster throughout the day and I was proud of that.”

    Surprising:  Even Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, surprised himself by battling not only track position and fuel strategy but also a tussle with Tony Stewart in the pits to attain a top-10 finish.

    “I definitely had no idea that the day would be so ugly, but yet come out of it smelling like a rose I guess,” Busch said. “We worked our butts of this whole weekend trying to get something out of nothing.”

    Not Surprising:  In spite of a crew chief change, Jeff Burton, RCR veteran and NASCAR statesman, continued his downward spiral. Burton finished 35th in his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet.

    “We had a little miscommunication on pit road,” Burton said. “The radios blanked out and I couldn’t hear him (Burton’s new crew chief Luke Lambert). I drove by pit road and it just put us in a hole the rest of the day.”

    “We were fast but we just had a lot of crap go on.”

    Surprising:  With so many media pundits predicting a victory at Indy, it was surprising to see how badly Indy 500 champ Juan Pablo Montoya finished. JPM, piloting his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished 28th.

    “It sucks when you run good all day,” Montoya said. “We unloaded really bad but at the end, we were a really competitive car.”

    “Right now it’s all about looking at the future.”

    Not Surprising:  After their one, two finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, it was not surprising to see the two drivers of Stewart Haas Racing have another fairly good day.  Tony Stewart, piloting the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet overcame adversity on the track and on pit road to finish sixth.

    Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman, behind the wheel of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, also had a decent day, finishing 12th. Both drivers maintained their positions solidly in the top ten in the point standings.

    “I just fought for everything I could get all day,” Stewart said. “We didn’t have the best car by any means.”

    “Whatever you get here, you appreciate it because you had to earn it,” Stewart continued. “You don’t get anything free here.”

  • Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said Says ‘I’m Back’

    Boris Said has just two words to share with his fans, dubbed ‘Said heads’ in honor of the curly wigs they wear to mimic their driver’s mane. “I’m back,” Said said to his fans. “And I hope you didn’t forget me.”

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”217″][/media-credit]After being absent since August of last year, Said will be taking over for young up-and-coming driver Landon Cassill in the No. 51 Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet. Said will be proudly representing one of his favorite people, James Finch, and his team Phoenix Racing on the road course in Sonoma.

    Cassill who had his career best finish in the 12th position last weekend in the Irish hills of Michigan, will return to the helm of his race car the following weekend at Daytona.

    “I’m pretty excited about it,” Said said. “Landon is not a road course guy and they’re not running for points so they decided to put me in.”

    “I’m in a Hendrick car owned by James Finch,” Said continued. “I ran for him in Mexico City in the Nationwide Series and had a blast with him.”

    “I haven’t been in a car since last August so I’m chomping at the bit to get in and drive one.”

    Although off the NASCAR Cup circuit for some time, Said has been keeping busy in other areas of racing. He also has entered a whole new phase of his life, with a ‘real job’ as he terms it, as well as a new partner to boot.

    “The biggest thing I’ve been doing is the Grand Am Rolex Series,” Said said. “My other big thing is that I was awarded a BMW franchise, the first one in ten years that BMW has awarded.”

    “We’ve been open two weeks and one day,” Said continued. “And my partner is Rick Hendrick, so that’s really exciting working with him.”

    “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be a partner with Rick Hendrick,” Said advised. “So, I’ve been working a real job which has been pretty fun.”

    “I guess they’ll let me out of the dealership for the race,” Said said.

    What has Said missed most about being behind the wheel?  Simply the roar of the engines according to this road course racer, as well as the thrill of the competition.

    “It’s a blast feeling the horsepower,” Said shared. “It’s a blast racing with those guys.”

    “They are a bunch of animals and it’s so much fun,” Said continued. “I’ve always wished I could do it full-time but I’ve always cherished every race I get to do.”

    “I can’t wait to go out and start driving.”

    Said has been keeping up with the action on the track throughout the time that he has been away. And he realizes that at Sonoma, there will be plenty of action, especially with the double file restarts.

    “Especially at Infineon, I don’t think there’s a more exciting track to have those double file restarts,” Said advised. “The first couple of times that I did it, I had to be cautious and I just got run over. So, there’s no other way but to be aggressive.”

    “I always hear that ‘you only run one race and you shouldn’t mess with the regulars, blah, blah blah’,” Said continued. “But the fact is that James Finch is a regular and he pays me to do a job. I want to be as aggressive as I can no matter who I’m racing with.”

    While Said knows that the competition will be fierce, he is hoping that the final outcome will not be decided on fuel mileage, as so many races have recently.

    “I hope it doesn’t come down to fuel mileage,” Said said. “That’s not my style. But I would take it any way I could.”

    “I’ve been there and I’ve been the fastest car and then have had really bad luck,” Said continued. “It just takes so much to get a good finish in one of those races, whether it’s pit stops or knowing when to pit or not to pit, or getting involved with somebody. There’s so much that can go wrong.”

    Said is most grateful that he will not have to qualify in on time. Finch’s Phoenix Racing car is firmly locked into the show.

    “The last time we had that opportunity, I was in the Army car and I sat on the pole,” Said advised. “To not have that pressure feels so good.”

    Does Said see himself as that ‘road course ringer’?

    “You know I don’t like that term,” Said shared. “But I think it’s good because at least people are talking about us.”

    “The thing is that no part-time guy has ever won a Cup race,” Said continued. “But it’s still possible. Is it likely? No. It’s a long shot but it’s a long shot for lots of guys.”

    “I’m hoping that I can be competitive and I’m going to try my hardest to be competitive,” Said advised. “We’ve always run in the top-10 there and when that happens, you never know.”

    “You can always get lucky,” Said continued. “And I hope I can put on a good show.”

  • Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    Steve Letarte: Encouragement Key to Crew Chiefing Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    When listening to the in-race audio channel for the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, many credit crew chief Steve Letarte with being the consummate cheerleader and encourager for his driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    [media-credit name=”Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]While Letarte admits that he is a positive kind of guy, he also credits NASCAR’s most popular driver as being equally encouraging.

    “Being positive is not something that I consciously do,” Letarte said. “I think it’s just my personality.”

    “Mr. Hendrick is big into personality tests and I’m a green,” Letarte continued. “I normally look at the brighter side of things.”

    “They all think it’s a plan or a theory on how we’re going to run the best,” Letarte said. “It’s just who I am and how I work.”

    “I’ve always worked this way,” Letarte continued. “I worked the same way with Jeff (Gordon) and Mr. Hendrick decided that I’d work very well with Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) and so far it’s worked out.”

    “It’s different for each race car driver but for Dale, I think being upbeat on the radio helps him,” Letarte said. “But there’s a line too. You can’t be a cheerleader with no facts, because that gets old and you kind of see right through it.”

    “I think Dale understands that I’m realistic about what I’m talking about and I’m not going to sit there and try to motivate him to do things I don’t think we are capable of doing,” Letarte said. “I think we’ve found a very good line of what’s a realistic goal and then we try to motivate and encourage each other to get to those goals.”

    “And it’s worked,” Letarte continued. “Dale’s done a tremendous job in the race car and he’s encouraged us and given us a lot of confidence in ourselves setting up race cars.”

    “His driving style suits our cars very well,” Letarte said. “So, overall it’s been a success.  It’s still early but so far, so good.”

    While Letarte admits that his team owner no doubt purposely paired him with Earnhardt, Jr., he feels that a positive and encouraging crew chief is good for any driver, particularly at NASCAR’s highest level, the Sprint Cup Series.

    “It’s good for anybody,” Letarte said. “I always put myself in their shoes.”

    “The difference between a crew chief and a race car driver is that I can take a break,” Letarte continued. “I can get down off the pit box and go get a water and relax and take a 30 second break from the race, and they can’t.”

    Letarte has indeed learned his encouraging crew chief style from some of the best in the business, from Ray Evernham to Robbie Loomis, both former crew chiefs for four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

    “The biggest thing I’ve done is been able to work with so many good motivators and encouragers that I’ve been able to take a piece of all of them,” Letarte said. “Ray (Evernham) was the ultimate motivator.”

    “Ray motivated by the fear of not being good enough,” Letarte continued. “Robbie (Loomis) was the opposite.  He motivated with the excitement of being good enough.”

    “And I try to be somewhere in the middle,” Letarte said. “I want everybody to have enough desire to try and succeed but at the same time be balanced.”

    While Letarte works hard to be that consummate encourager and motivator, Letarte admits that he sometimes succumbs to the dark side.

    “I’m the guy that everyone has to be careful of because I’m a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Letarte admits. “I’m really, really easy going but when practice or the race starts, I’m really, really not.”

    “The guys that have been around me a long time have learned that and they almost go two separate ways because they know,” Letarte continued. “It gets some of the newer employees in trouble because they will come across light-hearted and I’m not light-hearted at that moment.”

    Letarte also admits that he has little tolerance for driver to crew chief chatter that in any way is not encouraging or worse yet, berates the team. He acknowledges that his driver may get animated or excited but he would in no way allow his driver to throw the team under the bus.

    “I don’t think I would have the tolerance that some of the other crew chiefs have,” Letarte said. “I’m fine with the driver being frustrated and I’m fine with him being animated or disappointed.”

    “But I’m not OK with any personal attacks on the race team or anyone on the team,” Letarte continued. “If you put me with a driver like that, we wouldn’t last very long.”

    “I handle all my issues behind closed doors,” Letarte said. “That’s how Dale and I handle all our stuff.”

    “We close the door and he can say anything he wants to me and I can say anything I want to him,” Letarte continued. “That’s the only way you can move forward.”

    With that open communication style, Letarte is most encouraged that his driver, and most important, his team will soon be in Victory Lane.

    “I am absolutely hungry for a win,” Letarte said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Victory Lane.”

    “Of course, I would like to get to Victory Lane but more than anything else, my driver and these guys deserve to get to Victory Lane,” Letarte said. “I have a group of guys who have stuck with me through the ups and downs. They work tireless hours. They’re the guys that deserve to have that feeling.”

    Given that he has not been to the winner’s circle yet this season, to whom does Steve Letarte turn to when he needs a little encouragement? For that, he moves from his driver and race team to his family for encouragement, particularly his children.

    “I think having kids has also helped me,” Letarte said. “I have a 5 and 7 year old so maybe I take things a little slower and enjoy it a little more.”

    “Family, I think, it puts it all in perspective,” Letarte said. “I remember in 2005 when I took over as crew chief, we went to Martinsville and we won.”

    “And I came home and I was so excited and my little boy at the time was not quite two and he could have cared less,” Letarte continued. “He didn’t even realize there was a race that day.”

    “I realized at that point that the whole world didn’t revolve around the garage and the whole world didn’t revolve around my performance at the race track,” Letarte said. “And while that’s hard to understand because you’re caught up in it so much, that’s true.”

    “Life is way more important than your job,” Letarte continued. “While our jobs here feel like life, and they are, at some point you have to pull away.”

    “I think that’s my ticket as I have an outlet outside this garage where I spend time with my kids and my family,” Letarte said. “I realize at that point that the world’s not coming to an end if we run bad.”

    “I enjoy my job and I love what I do,” Letarte continued. “I don’t take that for granted. I love to race but I race for a living.”

    “At the same time it’s important to be successful and to be successful in this sport, it’s all about having to run well on Sunday afternoon,” Letarte said. “And that’s what Dale Junior and I encourage each other to do.”