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  • Gaughan Wins in Thrilling Finish at Road America

    Gaughan Wins in Thrilling Finish at Road America

    Nationwide Series Race Recap by NASCAR

    June 21, 2014

    ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Brendan Gaughan survived two early off-track excursions and a race in which much of the second half was contested in rain as cars rode on wet weather tires to win Saturday’s Gardner Denver 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America.

    It was the third time in NASCAR history – all on road courses and all on the NNS circuit – that a race has been run in rain. The other two were in Montreal in 2008 and 2010, also on a road course (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve).

    Racing in the rain ignited something in Gaughan that helped overcome and forget his early misfortune and go on to earn his first career win on the Nationwide circuit in 98 starts (he also has eight career wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series).

    “I love racing in the rain, it’s fun,” said Gaughan, who was in the 2010 Montreal race, and has driven in rain several other times in other series. “And when you’re good at it, it makes it even more fun.

    “I haven’t smelled blood in a long time, that’s something I’ve been lacking lately, that killer attitude. When it started to rain, even without the wiper blade (was broken), I started to smell blood and said, ‘I’m coming.’

    “It’s fun to watch guys who haven’t done it in the rain. They don’t understand the rain line, and fortunately for me, I did.”

    Gaughan passed Chase Elliott for the lead on Lap 51 and held on for the two remaining laps to win.

    Gaughan beat runner-up Alex Tagliani by .820 seconds in a green-white-checkered finish that took the race to 53 laps, three more than the scheduled 50. It appeared it would be Tagliani’s race to win, as he was leading in the closing laps when he ran out of fuel on lap 49.

    Just seconds before, a caution flag was thrown when Justin Marks also ran out of fuel. Just past the pit entrance when his car stopped, Tagliani was able to roll his car down the downward sloping frontstretch, his crew pushed him into his pit stall, he took on fuel and switched from rain tires back to slicks and proceeded to roar through the field, restarting 23rd and ending up second three extra laps later.

    Such a tough defeat might be hard for some drivers to swallow, but Tagliani took the loss in stride.

    “It was pretty intense,” Tagliani said. “The wet was tricky, but obviously we were good. Maybe I threw a bad spell on myself because I said it was impossible that I was going to win this race, like something’s going to happen, and then on the white flag, something happened (ran out of gas).

    “It’s what it is. It’s not in the cards. You have to be quick, you have to have a good car and it has to be in the cards, and if it’s not, you just have to take whatever comes to you.”

    Tagliani came into the race hoping to be the fourth driver to win from the pole in the last five NNS races at Road America, but came up one spot short.

    The race was put under caution on Lap 25 and NASCAR mandated all cars switch to wet weather tires two laps later. They remained on rain tires until the final four laps, when teams had the option to switch back to slicks after Marks brought out the caution.

    Kevin O’Connell finished third, followed by Chase Elliott and J.J. Yeley.

    Sixth through 10th were Jeremy Clements, Andy Lally, Landon Cassill, Elliott Sadler and Mike Bliss.

    Of note about Cassill: Not only did he compete in Saturday’s race, he hopped a plane afterward to the west coast to be in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma Raceway.

    NOTES: Regan Smith, who finished 13th, retained his lead in the NNS points standings. Elliott Sadler (finished ninth) is second in the points, 10 points behind Smith, while Chase Elliott remains in third place (11 points back). The only drivers to make upward movement in the points in the top-10 were Brian Scott (sixth to fifth) and Cassill (11th to 10th).

     

  • Wyman Proves Capable of Juggling Two-Bike Season

    Wyman Proves Capable of Juggling Two-Bike Season

    Kyle Wyman entered the 2014 season expecting to be a top competitor in the Vance & Hines Harley Davidson series. After two rounds of racing, he has not only notched a win in that series, but also holds the sixth spot in the GoPro Daytona Sportbike series’ championship points.

    Heading into the 2014 season, Wyman was set to run for a championship aboard his Kyle Wyman Racing XR1200 in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series.  In February, when he was offered to ride the No. 33 KWR/Millennium Technologies Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Daytona 200, he jumped on the opportunity.  His performance that weekend established him as both a dominant and versatile rider, grabbing the win (temporarily) in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series and a strong sixth place effort in the Sportbike series. His Harley win was revoked after the race when officials deemed his engine “non-compliant.”

    Still, Wisconsin-based Millennium Technologies must have been impressed with his riding, signing Wyman to a full Sportbike season before heading to its home track at Road America, just a few miles from the company’s Plymouth, Wisconsin headquarters.

    “We had such a good result and the sponsors were so happy that they jumped in,” Wyman told Speedway Media.  “We’re going to do the whole season, so I’m really excited for that.”

    At Road America, Wyman brought a strong bike to the Vance & Hines race, and won a battle of five bikes opting for the lead throughout the race. This performance, though, is expected of the experienced Harley rider. What may have been more impressive was when Wyman grabbed eighth place in Saturday’s Sportbike race, and then repeated the effort on Sunday. In a field of 27 bikes, Wyman ran at the front of the middle pack each race; not quite on point with top contenders such as the seemingly unstoppable Jake Gagne, but certainly far ahead of any weak bikes.

    After pulling into Road America’s pit lane following his second straight eighth place Sportbike finish, Wyman was pleased with his performance.

    “I’m super happy to do it here at Elkhart Lake because my title sponsor Millennium Technologies is based in Plymouth so now we’ve got all the employees out here watching,” the visibly worn but pleased 24-year-old said. “It’s just good to come out here and have a solid weekend like that in both classes, and to get the win on the Harley was huge.”

    “It’s been a lot of fun, and as of yesterday we were sitting fifth in points,” Wyman said. “I think today will probably put us in pretty good shape, too, so I’m really happy.”

    While he sits sixth in the Harley points due to his Daytona disqualification, his proven capability to win suggests that he will climb closer to the top of the standings  in the coming races. His sixth place points position in the Sportbike class places him in contention to actually compete with the top riders, especially if he and his KWR/Millennium Technologies team continue to figure out bike setups.

    Overall, Wyman has a positive outlook on the remainder of the season. He said he looks forward to all of the upcoming tracks on the schedule.

    “If any of them, I have the least knowledge at Laguna (Seca). I’ve done a few laps there,” Wyman said. “But all the other tracks I’m familiar with and really looking forward to.”

    If only one track is a concern to the young and promising rider, expect more solid finishes in the future.

  • Road America’s Top-3 Finishers Speak Out Against Racing in Downpour

    Road America’s Top-3 Finishers Speak Out Against Racing in Downpour

    No celebrations followed Sunday’s Pro Superbike Race Two at Road America. Instead, the podium finishers used the unconventional indoor trophy presentation and press conference to express their disapproval of the AMA’s decision to keep bikes racing during a downpour.

    The press room, crowded with race teams, journalists and some apparently apprehensive AMA officials, also served as the substitute winner’s circle. Unlike the usual outdoor celebratory vibe, the room held a silent tension that wasn’t broken until race winner Josh Hayes opened his mouth to criticize the race officials’ disregard for rider safety.

    “When I came up the front straightaway and saw the white flag, it kind of set on me,” Hayes said. “‘My god, they’re really going to make me ride this thing around another lap. Are they not watching this? Are they not seeing what’s happening right now?’”

    “It was pretty sketchy,” third place Yoshimura Suzuki rider Roger Hayden said. “I don’t know who was making the calls there at the end, but they definitely didn’t have rider safety first.”

    “They want to fly us all over the country and look at tracks for track safety,” Hayden continued, “but they want to make us run in a downpour on slicks.”

    Hayden also questioned why AMA declared a wet race but did not allow the mandatory practice laps to riders. He received no answer.

    Hayes won the race by a considerable margin, but that didn’t make the final laps any easier for him. In first gear, he navigated the wet uphills, downhills and corners while frequently looking back to check that his gap to second place was still safe. While Hayes successfully steered around the course, several other riders didn’t fare so well, losing their bikes in the wet patches.

    Hayes commented that at one point as he approached his lapped teammate Cameron Beaubier, he watched the rookie hit a wet patch and crash. Had Beaubier not been there, Hayes said, it would have been himself hitting that same patch and going down.

    SIC/Motul/Fly Racing’s owner/rider and second place finisher David Anthony spoke less on the subject than Hayes and Hayden, but his opinion was clear. “Bad decision by AMA,” Anthony said. “They really need to step up their game.”

    When trophies were presented to the top finishers, they each briefly smiled for mandatory photos, and then retook their seats in a matter of seconds.

    Despite the onslaught of questions and comments, the riders received few clear answers to their questions regarding the rulebook.

    The controversial call came in the same weekend that two riders, Bob Price and Karl Harris, died in crashes in normal racing conditions in the 2014 TT Isle of Man races.

  • Josh Hayes Wins a Rain-Soaked Race Two at Road America

    Josh Hayes Wins a Rain-Soaked Race Two at Road America

    Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes won a rain-soaked AMA Pro Superbike Race Two at Road America on Sunday.

    The 53-mile race consisted of two distinct segments—the conventional first half, comparable to much of the prior racing over the weekend, and the second half, a somewhat confusing dash in the rain.

    Much like Saturday’s Race One, Hayes got off to a strong start, taking the lead, with Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Martin Cardenas and Hayes’ Monster Energy Graves Yamaha teammate Cameron Beaubier following closely behind, never letting the gap from first to third grow to more than a half-second.

    Unlike Saturday’s race, which Superbike rookie Beaubier eventually took control of, Cardenas was Hayes’ primary challenger throughout the opening laps. On Lap five, Beaubier lost his bike and stuck it in the gravel outside Turn One.

    Beaubier’s wreck marked the beginning of the second race within the race. Rain began to slowly pick up, and officials waved the red flag with seven laps to go.

    After the red flag, officials declared a wet race, advising riders that certain parts of the four-mile track were still being rained on.

    This posed the question of whether to use slicks or wet tires, to which most teams responded by using slicks due to dryness around much of the track.

    When racing continued, Hayes built a comfortable lead in the first lap after the restart.

    With a couple laps to go, the onset of a sudden downpour scrambled the leaderboard, though Hayes managed to stay up front and keep his bike upright despite several slips. Officials chose not to immediately red flag the race again because of the previous announcement to riders that wet tires were an option.

    Hayes slipped around corners until approaching the front stretch, by which time several riders had crashed behind him due to standing water all over the track. When he crossed the finish line, the red flag waved again and the race was called.

    Cardenas saw the worst change in luck, dropping to seventh in the unmanageable sheets of rain.

    ADR Motorsports/Sic/Motul Fly Racing’s David Anthony finished in the second spot, propelling the Australian rider to fourth in the points. Cardenas’ Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Roger Hayden improved on his Saturday finish by one position, taking third. The final Yoshimura Suzuki rider, Chris Clark, finished in fourth, followed by KTM/HMC’s Chris Fillmore in fifth.

    Hayes’ win and Beaubier’s early wreck allowed Hayes to tie Beaubier for the points lead at 89 points.

    AMA Pro SuperBike Road America Race One Results

    1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)

    2. David Anthony (Suzuki)

    3. Roger Hayden (Suzuki)

    4. Chris Clark (Suzuki)

    5. Chris Fillmore (KTM)

    6. Larry Pegram (EBR)

    7. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki)

    8. Bernat Martinez (Yamaha)

    9. Trent Gibson (Kawasaki)

    10. Francois Dumas (BMW)

    11. Frankie Babuska (Suzuki)

    12. Jason Farrell (Kawasaki)

    13. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)

    14. Chris Ulrich (Honda)

    15. Cory West (EBR)

  • Beaubier Captures Dramatic Win in Race One at Road America

    Beaubier Captures Dramatic Win in Race One at Road America

    Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier captured his second win of the season in Saturday’s AMA Pro Superbike Race One at Road America.

    The Superbike rookie has now notched two wins in his first three races of the season and expanded his championship lead to 13 points ahead of second place Roger Hayden.

    Last year’s GoPro Daytona SportBike champion Beaubier and his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha teammate Josh Hayes started the race in first and second, the same order they finished, and dominated the field for all 13 laps and 53 miles aboard their identical YZF-R1 bikes.

    Beaubier led early, but Hayes took the lead around mid-race and gradually notched increments on the gap to his teammate until he had built a comfortable lead.

    Beaubier came on strong in the final laps, though, and found himself closing in on the lead with just over a lap to go. He reached Hayes’ back wheel in the final turn of Lap 12, and regained his draft as they entered the front straightaway.

    Beaubier utilized the long front stretch of the four-mile track to reel Hayes in and initiate a pass as the white flag waved.  In the first turn of the final lap, Beaubier completed his maneuver around Hayes.

    The rookie effectively outmaneuvered his three-time champion teammate, denying any attempt at a pass on the final lap.  Beaubier took the win by .306 seconds.

    Third place finisher Martin Cardenas challenged the two frontrunners in the opening laps of the race as the three pulled away from the pack. By lap 8, Cardenas fell to four seconds behind the lead. Beaubier and Hayes continued to increase the gap to third place through the second half of the race, and Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Cardenas finished 15 seconds off the lead.

    Cardenas’ Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Roger Hayden finished 26 seconds behind the lead in fourth, followed by ADR Motorsports/Sic/Motul Fly Racing’s David Anthony in fifth and the final Yoshimura finisher Chris Clark in sixth.

    AMA Pro SuperBike Road America Race 1 Results

    1. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)

    2. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)

    3. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki)

    4. Roger Hayden (Suzuki)

    5. David Anthony (Suzuki)

    6. Chris Clark (Suzuki)

    7. Chris Fillmore (KTM)

    8. Chris Ulrich (Honda)

    9. Cory West (EBR)

    10. Jason Farrell (Kawasaki)

    11. Frankie Babuska (Suzuki)

    12. Trent Gibson (Kawasaki)

    13. Francois Dumas (BMW)

    14. Bernat Martinez (Yamaha)

    15. Larry Pegram (EBR)

  • Cole Whitt ‘Just Thankful for the Opportunity’ at Swan Racing

    Cole Whitt ‘Just Thankful for the Opportunity’ at Swan Racing

    Cole Whitt is getting the opportunity to jump into the No. 30 Toyota for Swan Racing, making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. And for this young, up and coming racer, he sees this as an opportunity that he is not just thankful for, but one that he has been waiting for all of his life.

    “This is a big deal,” Whitt said after the announcement was made. “I’m grateful to Swan Racing to be able to go out there and show what I’m able to do in the next few races and maybe into 2014.”

    Whitt will be replacing veteran David Stremme, who has driven every race for Swan Racing this season, with the exception of the Daytona 500.

    “We welcome Cole Whitt to Swan Racing as the team builds for the future,” Brandon Davis, team owner, said. “Cole is a very talented driver with a bright future and we are eager to see him compete for Swan Racing.”

    Whitt, who is just 22 years of age, credited his hard work in the Nationwide Series this year with having garnered this new opportunity to be in the Swan Racing ride. The driver, who competed for TriStar Motorsports, has two top-10 finishes to his credit, including an 8th place at Road American and an 8th place at Watkins Glenn.

    Whitt admitted that this new opportunity came about very quickly, in fact just a few weeks ago when the series was in Atlanta.

    “That was the first I heard about it and they wanted to move pretty quick,” Whitt said. “They wanted to make a change which I think says a lot about the team because they want to grow.”

    “They want to become a top Cup team and be competitive,” Whitt continued. “And it says a lot about what they think of me if they want to grow their team with me.”

    “It’s pretty cool to see a team step out and try to step up their program.”

    Whitt has a five race deal with Swan Racing, including his debut at Chicagoland and also stints at Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega and Phoenix.

    “I feel comfortable at Chicagoland and any of the big, fast tracks,” Whitt said. “I like the mile and a half tracks and the high banked tracks so that style fits what I enjoy racing on.”

    “I’ve run there before in the Nationwide car and I don’t remember how we finished but I do remember being fast in practice,” Whitt continued. “So, I feel comfortable about where we’re going and I’m looking forward to it.”

    Whitt acknowledged that he has his work cut out for him in more ways than one, from competing with the top dogs in the sport to getting adjusted to a whole new crew chief and team.

    “It’s tough anytime to step into a ride like this where you’re going up against the best guys and the best teams in the sport,” Whitt said. “The hardest part is obviously going into a brand new team with guys I’ve never worked with and to try to establish that communication.”

    “I’d say one of the toughest parts is that this team is still growing and I’m still growing as a driver,” Whitt continued. “But the fact that we can grow together and become really strong means everything to me.”

    Whitt is definitely looking forward to working with his new crew chief Steven ‘Bones’ Lane. And he also takes comfort in the fact that Tony Eury Jr., with whom Whitt worked during his stint at JR Motorsports, is with Swan Racing as well.

    ‘Bones’ is there and I’ve heard a lot about him through Kevin Hamlin,” Whitt said. “He seems laid back, has a good attitude and really wants to go fast which is how I am.”

    “I think we’ll get along good and hopefully we’ll be able to establish our lingo quick,” Whitt continued. “That’s the biggest thing is to talk about what you’re feeling about the car.”

    “It’s easy to talk about loose or tight but the hardest part is to talk to the crew chief about how much of an adjustment needs to be made to get the car the way you want it,” Whitt said. “Hopefully, we can establish that pretty quick and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

    “Tony Eury Jr. is there too and I’ve worked with him before so that will help.”

    Whitt also understands that he is joining the team smack dab in the middle of the Chase for the Sprint cup championship run for these last remaining races of the season. And although not one of the Chase contenders, Whitt expressed his confidence and even a bit of swagger as he described how he would handle that pressure.

    “If I got a car capable of running up there with those guys, then I feel we deserve a spot to be racing with them,” Whitt said. “I’m going to be running as hard as I can to try to go forward.”

    “But if we’re not having a good day, then I don’t want to be in the way,” Whitt continued. “That’s part of anytime that you’re getting lapped because you always give the leaders the spot and try to help them out.”

    “But if we’re up there legitimately racing for position, we’re going to take all we can get.”

    Although still very young in his racing career, Whitt has a maturity beyond his years when he describes the lessons that he has already learned in the sport he loves.

    “I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned in racing is not just the on-the-track stuff but I’ve grown up a lot in the past year and this season,” Whitt said. “And a big lesson learned is just to have fun and to remember why I got into racing in the first place.”

    “All of us are very blessed to be involved in this sport,” Whitt continued. “Getting to do what we love to do for a living is a big blessing.”

    “Obviously, I’m very competitive and I let that get ahold of me sometimes but at the same time I’ve learned to have fun and enjoy the moments that you get to have,” Whitt said. “Helping my new team step up is what excites me the most.”

    “I just am thankful for the opportunity and hoping to make the most of it for these guys.”

  • Making the Most of A Second Chance

    Making the Most of A Second Chance

    AJ Allmendinger’s story is an amazing one; something Hollywood movies are made of and I firmly believe that there is so much more to this impressive resurgence that has yet to come to fruition. AJ comes from an open wheel background and made his name known in CART. Since that debut in the 2004 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, AJ has been forced to endure some fairly dark days and also enjoy a few unbelievable ones.

    Before joining the big leagues, he won championships in the International Kart Federation, Barber Dodge Pro Series and in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship. AJ found little success in his first two seasons racing CART, but all that changed when he joined forces with Gerry Forsythe in preparation for 2006. He won his first race in just his 5th start with the team and went on a tear winning three races in succession. He went on to win five races that year and finishing 3rd in the standings to Justin Wilson and Sebastian Bourdais. During the year, he also made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) debut at Loudon finishing a respectable 13th which he followed up with an impressive 5th at Talladega.

    He was pushed up the ranks by Red Bull way too fast in my opinion and after just three CWTS starts, he found himself in Cup. The new team and rookie driver AJ Allmendinger obviously struggled in 2007 with a best finish of 15th in 17 starts. He also made a few appearances in Nationwide and Trucks that year nearly winning a Truck event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After failing to make a handful of races early on in 2008, he was temporarily replaced by Mike Skinner to help teach him. It worked very well as his results immediately improved posting his first career top 10 finish at the Cup level in the Brickyard 400. The team released him towards the end of the year though; a move that confused many people and didn’t make much sense. In 2009, he raced full-time for what is now known as Richard Petty Motorsports. He started his tenure with the team off very well finishing 3rd in his first ever Daytona 500. Only three other drivers in history have performed so well in their first race at the legendary track.

    2009 was a decent year for AJ but 2010 was even better winning his first pole at Phoenix and bringing home a solid top 20 points finish. In 2011, he continued to improve and most saw his first Cup victory just over the horizon. A top 15 points finish and 10 top 10’s made it his best season to date and unfortunately, his last full-time season for the foreseeable future. Roger Penske saw something in AJ and put him behind the wheel of his No.22 for the 2012 season; a life changing year for the young racecar driver.

    Prior to the season commencing, he took part in the 24 Hours of Daytona having an epic battle with sports car legend Allan McNish late in the going. Over the radio, McNish was told to keep harassing Allmendinger who would crumble under the pressure. Well, Allan got alongside him and AJ’s NASCAR senses must have kicked in as he proceeded to door slam the Scottish driver at 150mph around the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Allmendninger won the race and shocked the racing world; a race that would solidify him as a truly talented racecar driver and gain him credence among his fellow competitors. He looked one of the best road racing has to offer in the eyes and he did not blink. A large contingent of fans and media members believed he would finally win and maybe even make the chase in his first year with Penske. Allmendinger nearly won Martinsville finishing a career best 2nd to Ryan Newman but his promising Cup career came to a grinding halt on July 7th, 2012.

    Photo Credit:Simon Scoggins
    Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

    He failed a drug test due to an imprudent decision and was indefinitely suspended from competition by NASCAR. The positive test results were due to him unknowingly taking Adderall; an amphetamine used to treat ADHD that a friend told him was an energy pill. He was subsequently released from Penske Racing and he then went through NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program resulting in the complete abatement of his ban from competition. He made his return at Charlotte in October finishing 24th for Phoenix Racing. He’s run a handful of Cup races since then for the team with his best race coming at Phoenix earlier this year ending the race 11th. He will also make five starts for JTG in 2013 sharing the ride with Bobby Labonte.

    Roger Penske refused to give up on AJ and put him in an Indycar for select races this year. He blew the world away in the Indy 500 leading 23 laps and finishing 7th. The only thing stopping him from snagging a potential victory was when his seat belt unfastened itself half-way through the event and he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. The very next week at Belle Isle, he was knocked right back down by the humbling sport of auto racing crashing heavily in both  duel races before he even completed a lap.

    His next start for Roger came at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series; his first race in that division in nearly five years. The morning of the race, he tweeted that he dreamed he won the event and he actually ended up winning the pole for the race a few hours later. He raced hard, battled fiercely and found himself in contention in the closing laps as he tried to hang on after a barrage of late race cautions. Both sides were beaten and battered but he was still pushing…that is until Billy Johnson knocked him off the road and took the lead sending AJ back to 5th or 6th. It didn’t rattle him though as he immediately began taking positions back aggressively. He muscled his way up to 3rd and set his sights on Johnson. In a remarkable show of talent and tenacity, he drove from 3rd to the back bumper of Johnson in one corner sending him off the track and out of way. AJ Allmendinger would not be denied and in the end, he took the war scarred No.22 to victory lane! It was his first win ever in NASCAR and quite an emotional one at at that.

    With the fans roaring and Twitter blowing up, AJ didn’t waste any time thanking the man that made this day possible; Roger Penske. We thank you too Roger for giving this phenomenal young talent another chance. AJ Allmendinger is a very rare breed; not too many drivers are capable of winning in open wheel, sports cars and stock cars. I believe we will see him in a full-time Cup car in the future and we will certainly see him in victory lane again.

    He did more than win a race at Road America; he made a powerful statement. He made it known to the world that he is here to stay and isn’t going anywhere. He will not back down, he will persevere and he will succeed. He’s revived a career that seemed doomed less than a year ago and with help from the very man that was forced to fire him nonetheless. We should all respect this man very much not only for the raw skill he possesses but for his determination and against all odds; he is still living the NASCAR dream.

  • Dinger Dominates at Road America!

    Dinger Dominates at Road America!

    AJ Alimendinger “Dinger” won the fourth Annual NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Johnsonville Sausage 200 Presented by Menards at Road America.  This is Alimendinger’s first career win in NASCAR.

    Justin Allgaier, Parker Kligerman, Owen Kelly and Sam Hornish Jr rounded out the top 5.

    Alimendinger won the pole early Saturday morning for his first career pole in the NNS in nine starts. Dinger lead the first lap and pit strategy already was in the works. Alex Bowman, Trevor Bayne and some others came in on lap-1 to top off the fuel.

    The first caution waved when the No.18 of Michael McDowell stopped on the racetrack in turn-5. He was one of the favorites in this race.  Only three of the front runners came in to pit as everybody has a different strategy.

    They went back to green on lap 6 with Dinger still leading and McDowell headed to the garage. Dinger got his tires locked up and went into the grass and Billy Johnson took advantage and got the lead from him. Kelly took second while Dinger went back to the third spot.

    The top-3 all came in on lap 15 and got four tires and fuel and when all of them were leaving pit road, the caution came out for the No.53 of Andrew Ranger. Ranger stopped on the racetrack and had to get towed in which resulted in the caution to be waved. This is a good break for Johnson and Austin Dillon since they both had speeding penalty and have to come back to pit road. Sadler and others that have not pitted, went in and got their pit stops completed. During the caution, Brian Vickers is called back to pit road for a missing lug nut.

    We went back to green on lap 19 after a long caution flag due to drivers figuring out where they should be starting for the restart. Nelson Piquet Jr wheel hopped into the corner and ran into the back of Brian Scott and just smashed the front of his car.

    Caution came out on lap 30 when the driver in second place, Kelly, stopped in turn-5. He was another front runner who had a great shot at winning. He ran out of fuel and he got fuel before the pace car got back to the pit lane so he did not lose a lap.  Most everybody came in except for Hornish Jr. which stayed out due to getting a bonus point for the point race.

    They went back to green with 17 laps to go and Dinger took back the lead with Smith right behind him. Hornish Jr. went in right as the green flag waved but then got a speeding penalty so it did not work out for Hornish.

    The caution waved when the No.32 of Kyle Larson was involved in two incidents. He went hot into the turn and got into the No.5 of Johnny O’ Connell and then spun trying to avoid the No.21 of Brendan Gaughan.

    The caution waved again when the 75 of Kenny Habul got loose and got into the grass and put debris on the racetrack.  Back to green and Dinger got into the No.16 of Johnson and Johnson got loose, Dinger got around him. Dinger had a pretty big lead but the No.51 of Jeremy Clements smacked the tire barriers and the caution waved with five laps to go.

    Green flag waved with four laps to go and Dinger leading. They restarted cleanly but in turn 5, Kligerman got loose and smacked into Kelly which smacked the No.7 car of Smith who bumped the No.16 of Johnson. That was not the caution though. The caution was for the No.26 of John Young who stopped between turns 5 and 6.

    Green flag waved with two to go with this being the first GWC. Dinger had a good lead and was pulling away but Kelly spun out Annett and Larson got into Kelly. Papis also spun in turns 7 and 8. This will be the No.2 green-white-checkers now.

    Dinger led the field to the second and he pulled away and had enough fuel to win his first career race in NASCAR.  Max Papis slaps Johnson, who still had his helmet on to receive the slap.

    Start position in parentheses)

    1. (1) A J Allmendinger, Ford, 55 laps, 150 rating, 0 points, $59,325.

    2. (4) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 55, 103.2, 43, $43,225.

    3. (3) Parker Kligerman, Toyota, 55, 89.1, 42, $33,925.

    4. (2) Owen Kelly, Toyota, 55, 126.8, 41, $28,275.

    5. (8) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 55, 108.4, 40, $23,775.

    6. (9) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 55, 94.4, 38, $23,425.

    7. (13) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 55, 101, 37, $21,825.

    8. (17) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 55, 90.4, 36, $20,100.

    9. (22) Elliott Sadler, Toyota, 55, 87.9, 35, $20,825.

    10. (14) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 55, 80, 34, $20,775.

    11. (26) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 55, 73.8, 0, $13,475.

    12. (12) Johnny O’Connell, Chevrolet, 55, 92.2, 32, $19,400.

    13. (31) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 55, 68.7, 31, $19,300.

    14. (29) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 55, 58.9, 0, $13,175.

    15. (7) Billy Johnson, Ford, 55, 113.3, 30, $18,575.

    16. (19) Travis Pastrana, Ford, 55, 71.1, 28, $19,025.

    17. (10) Max Papis, Chevrolet, 55, 88.3, 27, $18,925.

    18. (28) Kenny Habul, Toyota, 55, 52.8, 26, $12,825.

    19. (25) Stanton Barrett, Ford, 55, 54.3, 25, $18,750.

    20. (18) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 55, 71.3, 24, $19,375.

    21. (6) Nelson Piquet Jr., Chevrolet, 55, 80.5, 23, $18,625.

    22. (37) Kevin O’Connell, Chevrolet, 55, 38.3, 22, $18,585.

    23. (24) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 55, 61, 21, $18,550.

    24. (15) Alex Bowman, Toyota, 55, 49.2, 20, $18,490.

    25. (40) Dexter Stacey, Ford, 55, 37.2, 19, $12,895.

    26. (32) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ford, 55, 44.4, 18, $18,385.

    27. (35) Eric McClure, Toyota, 55, 40.5, 17, $18,350.

    28. (34) John Young, Dodge, 55, 51.7, 16, $12,320.

    29. (21) Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 55, 60.2, 15, $12,285.

    30. (11) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 55, 63.7, 14, $18,540.

    31. (27) Kyle Kelley, Chevrolet, 54, 54.4, 13, $18,195.

    32. (16) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 54, 90.9, 12, $18,150.

    33. (23) Mike Bliss, Toyota, overheating, 53, 64.8, 11, $18,120.

    34. (5) Michael McDowell, Toyota, 52, 58.3, 0, $18,100.

    35. (20) Michael Annett, Ford, accident, 50, 66.7, 9, $18,068.

    36. (38) Derek White, Toyota, oil leak, 37, 30.9, 8, $17,255.

    37. (33) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 31, 37, 7, $17,235.

    38. (39) Tony Raines, Toyota, rear gear, 20, 28.7, 6, $11,216.

    39. (30) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, engine, 7, 30.3, 5, $11,075.

    40. (36) Jeff Green, Toyota, brakes, 2, 29.2, 4, $10,975.

     

  • Crunching The Numbers: Sonoma & Road America

    Crunching The Numbers: Sonoma & Road America

    That time of the year has come again when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series head for the first road courses of the season in Sonoma, CA and Elkhart Lake, WI, respectively. Many of the road course races in recent memory have turned into races that resemble short track races than the follow the leader races of old and this weekend’s events should be more of the same beating and banging all the way to the finish. Add in the addition of so called “road course ringers” and the road courses make for very entertaining races.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

    This weekend marks the annual trip to California Wine Country and Sonoma Raceway’s lone Sprint Cup date. With the advent of double file restarts, this race has become a must see event due to the narrow course that these drivers are trying to navigate while running two wide. That factor often leads to cars being spun off course and tempers flaring among the drivers. In addition to that, the Sprint Cup Series will debut group based qualifying this weekend and this will also be the Sonoma debut for the Gen6 car, which throws more uncertainty into this race that has not seen a repeat winner in the past eight races.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Jeff Gordon 20 5 12 16 5 450 7.4 8.6
    Clint Bowyer 7 1 4 5 0 73 17.1 9.7
    Tony Stewart 14 2 5 9 1 82 11.1 10.9
    Marcos Ambrose 5 0 2 4 1 46 5.0 12.8
    Ryan Newman 11 0 2 5 0 11 10.8 12.9
    Juan Pablo Montoya 6 1 1 4 0 9 18.8 13.2
    Jimmie Johnson 11 1 4 6 0 85 16.0 13.8
    Greg Biffle 10 0 2 4 0 9 16.4 14.9
    Kevin Harvick 12 0 3 4 0 10 16.7 16.1
    Joey Logano 4 0 0 2 1 5 11.8 17.0

    Who To Watch: Four-time Sprint Cup champion, Jeff Gordon, has proven himself to be one of the best on road courses, especially at Sonoma, with five wins, 12 top fives, 16 top tens, five poles, 450 laps led, and an average finish of 8.6 in 20 races.

    2012 winner, Clint Bowyer, has also proven his mettle at Sonoma with one win, four top fives, five top tens, 73 laps led, and an average finish of 9.7 in seven races.

    Others who run well on the road course include: Tony Stewart, with two wins, five top fives, nine top tens, one pole, 82 laps led, and an average finish of 10.9 in 14 races; Road course ace Marcos Ambrose who has yet to win at Sonoma, but has two top fives, four top tens, one pole, 46 laps led, and an average finish of 12.8 in five races; Ryan Newman, with two top fives, five top tens, 11 laps led, and an average finish of 12.9 in 11 races; 2007 winner, Juan Pablo Montoya, with one win, one top five, four top tens, nine laps led, and an average finish of 13.2 in six races; and Jimmie Johnson, with one win, four top fives, six top tens, 85 laps led, and an average finish of 13.8 in 11 starts.

    NASCAR Nationwide Series – Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America

    For just the fourth time, the Nationwide Series will be making the trek to Wisconsin to take on the daunting 4.048 mile road course, the longest on the circuit. The field will be full of drivers who have never raced at the track or only have one start, leaving the field wide open for a new winner. With none of the Sprint Cup regulars attempting the double and a few “ringers” joining the field, the odds are high that one of the Nationwide regulars will find themselves in Victory Lane for the third race in a row.

    Driver Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
    Nelson Piquet, Jr. 1 1 1 1 1 19 1.0 1.0
    Reed Sorenson 1 1 1 1 0 1 12.0 1.0
    Brendan Gaughan 1 0 1 1 0 0 6.0 3.0
    Owen Kelly 1 0 1 1 0 0 9.0 5.0
    Sam Hornish, Jr. 1 0 1 1 0 3 8.0 5.0
    Cole Whitt 1 0 0 1 0 0 14.0 9.0
    Elliott Sadler 2 0 1 1 0 0 10.0 9.5
    Brian Scott 3 0 0 1 0 10 13.3 12.0
    Max Papis 2 0 1 1 0 1 3.5 13.5
    Blake Koch 1 0 0 0 0 0 24.0 14.0

    Who To Watch: With a win and a pole in his only race at the track last season, Nelson Piquet, Jr. is at the top of the list statistically of the drivers who have competed at Road America. Piquet led 19 laps en route to victory last season and is looking to become the first repeat winner at the track in the short history that the Nationwide Series has there.

    The only other driver in the field with a win is Reed Sorenson, who along with his one win has one top five, one top ten, one lap led and an average finish of 1.0 in one start.

    Others who run well at Road America, but have yet to win include: Brendan Gaughan, with a third place finish in his lone start; Owen Kelly, piloting Kyle Busch’s No. 54, with a fifth place finish in one start; Sam Hornish, Jr., currently sitting second in points, with a fifth place finish in one start; Cole Whitt, who recently returned to the Nationwide Series, with a ninth place finish in one start; and Elliott Sadler, who is the highest ranking driver with more than one start and has one top five and one top ten in his two starts at the track.

  • Disappointing ending but Patrick made presence known in Road America

    Disappointing ending but Patrick made presence known in Road America

    [media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”251″][/media-credit]It was right there for the taking for Danica Patrick. Her first top five finish of the season and career tying best finish.

    And it was taken – away by someone else. Patrick was running fourth on the last lap of the Sargento 200 at Road America, having passed Max Papis, when Jacques Villeneuve hit her No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet square on the rear bumper. It was enough contact to send her off into the gravel pit and out of contention.

    Instead of the finish she was looking for, and certainly deserved, she was credited with 12th place. On the cool down lap headed back to pit road, Patrick expressed her displeasure not only with Villeneuve but with the day’s racing in general. Things like dive-bombing, the unnecessary roughness and contact from Villeneuve.

    Then she told her team on the course of events that took her out, “I could have [chickened] out and finished fifth or tried to pass him. I tried to pass him.”

    When she finally saw the replay of what had happened, she was a little more subdued. But not less disappointed in the result.

    “I’m going to start off with a positive, I ran top five all day,” she told ESPN. “I took the lead for a brief moment until I learned my lesson down into turn five when you try to get a little bit more out of the brake zone.

    “So, that’s the bummer, that we weren’t able to finish that off and finish off with a top five like I feel like we all deserved. The guys in the pits did a great job, they were awesome and Tony Jr. [crew chief] gave me a good car and it just would have been good to get a good result.”

    Everyone knew she was there though. According to ESPN statistics, she ran in the top five for 35 of 50 laps, 70 percent of the race. While road racing has never been her greatest strength, it’s not something that she’s terrible at either. In her first NASCAR road race at Montreal last season she ran top 10 before having brake and mechanical failures end her day.

    When she ran in the IndyCar Series she was a contender too. She earned a second place finish at Belle Isle near Detroit back in 2007. Saturday was more of the same, when most thought she’d never be in the picture, she hardly left it.

    That was until she was moved out of the way. Patrick held back when it came to what happened with Villeneuve, knowing her racing spoke louder than words.

    “People sort of say I don’t get good results but today I ran well and I feel like lately we’ve been running much better we just haven’t finished the deal and gotten the results,” said Patrick.

    “I don’t know, y’all can make a decision for yourself what you think happened there.”

    Villeneuve is no stranger to controversy. He’s made a lot of contact with fellow drivers over the years, including last season at Road America. It’s left a sour taste in many mouths of those in the sport, last year Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick tweeted that he hoped Max Papis, who was then driving a KHI car, “punches his dumbass in the mouth.”

    Saturday afternoon it was more of the same from around the garage. Even those who are normally critical of Patrick were hoping she and her team were fired up after the race. Eury Jr. was at least, stopping Villeneuve on pit road to give him his two cents. But whatever Eury said, fell on Villeneuve’s deaf ears and different point of view.

    “Well we have nothing to do together. When I was behind Danica and [Max] Papis was on the outside, maybe he didn’t know I was there but down the straight he pushed me in the grass just where we hit the brakes,” was Villeneuve’s explanation.

    “So when I jumped on the brakes I was in the grass because of that, I wasn’t right next to him. I couldn’t slow down because of that.”

    And on what Eury said, “It’s just about that there was contact and I was involved. But it has nothing to do with me so I really don’t care.”

    The good news for Patrick is that Villeneuve is not entered in next weekend’s event in Kentucky. The NNS returns to the ovals and Daytona is just around the corner, where Patrick made huge strides last season. She and the No. 7 GoDaddy team continue to make gains, her knowledge expanding and results starting to show.

    And even though she didn’t finish where she was looking to on Saturday, she moved back into the top 10 in points. Not bad for a driver who said she didn’t care about the points when she entered the weekend.