Tag: Roush Fenway

Kurt Busch Out at Penske, Who Will Replace Him?

Kurt Busch is no longer the driver of the No. 22 Dodge. The dismissal was immediately and leaves the Penske organization without a driver for their highly sponsored stock car. Busch had been in hot water since the last race of the season when an independent photographer recorded the profanity-laced tirade directed at ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch at Miami-Homestead Speedway.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]Busch had fallen out of the season’s final race with transmission problems and the incident took place in the garage area of the racetrack. Earlier, Busch had directed an obscene gesture at a NASCAR official. NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 last week for the incident, but Penske officials commented that they were still evaluating what action would be taken against Busch. A Penske official reiterated that stance today when asked if Busch would be the driver of the Shell Dodge in 2012.

One of the factors involved might have been the exit of crew chief Steve Addington after the season. Addington abruptly left Penske for greener pastures at Stewart-Haas Racing. There had been rumors that Addington was unhappy with Busch’s attitude. It also left Penske without one of the top crew chiefs in the sport.

It’s not the first time Busch has been in trouble and been fired. After winning the 2004 Sprint Cup championship for Roush-Fenway Racing, a traffic incident in Avondale, Arizona which involved alcohol consumption was the last straw for Jack Roush. Busch had already told Roush that he was leaving his ride for a similar ride at Penske Racing earlier. His dismissal meant he missed the last two races of the season. Roush had already lined up Jamie McMurray to replace Busch, but not until the beginning of the 2006 season. It’s going to be a lot tougher for Roger Penske.

Looking at the pool of top drivers available, only David Ragan, Brian Vickers, and David Reutimann remain, and all have their negatives. Ragan and Vickers have only one victory apiece and Reutimann only shows two wins in his career. It gets tougher for Busch. With his reputation tainted, there doesn’t appear to be any rides comparable available for him in Sprint Cup. It is very possible that he might be without a ride for 2012.

Then again, it may be the start of another silly season as Penske looks for a driver to replace Busch. The No. 22 ride is considered one of the best in Sprint Cup and those wanting to compete in the car should be many. One thing is certain. Kurt Busch just might have burned his last bridge in the sport where he reigned as champion only six years ago.

December 5, 2011

Biffle takes the Hollywood Casino 400 pole at Kansas

Qualifying at Kansas took place under cool and cloudy conditions with wind gusts that reached up to 25 mph. At the end of qualifying, Greg Biffle’s Sherwin Williams Ford from Roush Fenway Racing was sitting on the pole with a lap of 174.887 MPH. His teammate Carl Edwards will start outside the front row in the Aflac Ford.

[media-credit id=2 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]“Well, it was a really good lap. I think what I really would rather talk about is how slow we were when we unloaded off the truck. It was quite amazing. We were 35th or 37th when we unloaded off the truck today.” Biffle said. “We made about six qualifying runs and the last one was pretty dang good and they changed a bunch more stuff on it for the real one. The car was really good.”

The pole for the Hollywood Casino 400 was the 8th of Biffle’s career and his best start in 11 tries at the mile and a half track.

Edwards commented he had never started this far up at Kansas so he was excited. Edwards said “How you qualify is not indicative of how you are going to run in the race.” But he stated that he was excited to be starting so far up in the field.

It is Roush Fenway’s eighth Sprint Cup pole in 2011, with all four of the team’s Cup drivers having won multiple poles this season. It also marked Roush Fenway’s second Sprint Cup pole at Kansas and its first since 2005.

Kyle Busch who starts 3rd tomorrow stated that he hoped to have a much better race than he had last time here at Kansas. He also stated that he was happy to see Clint Bowyer added to the Toyota family.

“We were looking for a little bit more than that, but certainly the pace is a little bit slower than we expected qualifying to be. So far so good. We’ve dodged a couple bullets. The M&M’s Camry unloaded good.” Busch said.

Austin Dillon qualified 26th to make his first start in the Sprint Cup Series.

“Thinking about it going up there, I wasn’t nervous all the way up until it was time to go. And then it’s just like you think of every little thing that could go wrong. We were fast enough in practice to get in really fast. That time we actually picked up some more speed, but I think if I would have calmed down a little bit it would have helped my lap.” Dillon said.

The field is separated by only 0.86 of a second.

Starting Lineup
Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=30
===========================================
Pos.	No.	Driver	Make	Speed	Time
===========================================
1	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	174.887	30.877
2	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	174.571	30.933
3	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	174.447	30.955
4	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	174.436	30.957
5	4	Kasey Kahne	Toyota	174.413	30.961
6	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	174.317	30.978
7	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	174.222	30.995
8	56	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	174.126	31.012
9	5	Mark Martin	Chevrolet	174.092	31.018
10	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	174.048	31.026
11	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	174.031	31.029
12	2	Brad Keselowski	Dodge	174.02	31.031
13	6	David Ragan	Ford	173.863	31.059
14	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	173.617	31.103
15	83	Brian Vickers	Toyota	173.605	31.105
16	78	Regan Smith	Chevrolet	173.527	31.119
17	22	Kurt Busch	Dodge	173.327	31.155
18	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	173.238	31.171
19	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	173.182	31.181
20	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	173.171	31.183
21	9	Marcos Ambrose	Ford	173.066	31.202
22	43	A.J. Allmendinger	Ford	172.944	31.224
23	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	172.933	31.226
24	33	Clint Bowyer	Chevrolet	172.889	31.234
25	46	Scott Speed	Ford	172.866	31.238
26	198	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet	172.723	31.264
27	0	David Reutimann	Toyota	172.607	31.285
28	55	J.J. Yeley	Ford	172.568	31.292
29	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	172.535	31.298
30	34	David Gilliland	Ford	172.43	31.317
31	31	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet	172.397	31.323
32	30	David Stremme	Chevrolet	172.177	31.363
33	47	Bobby Labonte	Toyota	172.161	31.366
34	42	Juan Montoya	Chevrolet	171.936	31.407
35	71	Andy Lally*	Ford	171.86	31.421
36	38	Travis Kvapil	Ford	171.521	31.483
37	13	Casey Mears	Toyota	171.429	31.5
38	36	Dave Blaney	Chevrolet	170.989	31.581
39	7	Reed Sorenson	Dodge	170.837	31.609
40	66	Michael McDowell	Toyota	170.53	31.666
41	51	Landon Cassill	Chevrolet	170.482	31.675
42	32	Mike Bliss+	Ford	170.132	31.74
43	87	Joe Nemechek	Toyota	170.148	31.737

October 7, 2011

Is Edwards’ Team Ready to Be Champions This Year?

Carl Edwards did the loyal thing and stayed with the team that took a chance on him when no one else would. His “multi-year” contract with Roush-Fenway Racing was somewhat of a surprise as most media outlets had him going to a fourth team at Joe Gibbs Racing. Whether that was true or not, no one knows and Edwards isn’t talking. One has to wonder, though, how long the contract is and how much money he is making. Also left to ponder is how it will affect his performance on the track. Many thought it would take a burden off his shoulders and start a march toward the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. It didn’t work out that way during today’s race.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”242″][/media-credit]Edwards started fourth and was found mostly hovering around the top 10 all day, but he was outclassed by guys like the Busch Brothers, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and the winner, arch-rival Brad Keselowski. What’s up with that? At the finish, Edwards finished in the lower half of the top 10 and finds himself only nine points in front of Jimmie Johnson—not exactly a secure position considering both have one win this year. So what happened on Sunday?

Edwards said his car got loose, but one has to wonder why adjustments were not made to rectify that situation. Remember, Johnson and Knaus are known for those in-race adjustments. That is the reason why I think Johnson is still the man to beat in this championship competition. Today, while Johnson found himself back in the pack all day, just like Edwards, the right moves were made to make him a factor at the end. Edwards seemed to lose positions, gain them back, and stay in the same place. That’s not going to cut it in that horrible aberration that NASCAR calls The Chase. No one doubts Edwards’ ability or desire, but what is in question is if his team is ready to be the champions they are capable of being. After a trip to the road course at Watkins Glen, which could be disastrous for Edwards point-wise, he heads to the friendly confines of Michigan where he shines. The trouble is that Johnson does pretty well on road courses and at Michigan. It should be an interesting sequence. And maybe this is the warm-up for next year’s run. We’ll soon find out.

****
NASCAR sure has a knack for the Cinderella story. Brad Keselowski, seriously injured in a practice accident at Road Atlanta, comes back to win with a broken ankle and a bad back at Pocono, which may be the sanctioning body’s longest race. This ranks right up there with Denny Hamlin’s comeback after surgery, Dale Earnhardt’s win after the death of his father, and Ricky Rudd’s win at Martinsville a few years ago when he had to be carried from his car on a hot October day. It was simply amazing. No doubt the rain delay helped him go the distance, but what will he do on the road course at the Glen?

Lots of questions will be answered soon. Keselowski put himself in the driver’s seat to make the Chase with the win, his second of the season, but what will the injury mean to his performance in upcoming races? That’s why Watkins Glen is all important to not only to Edwards and Johnson, but Brad Keselowski too. Maybe that’s a reason to tune in next week. Not being a fan of the road courses, where ringers come in and try to spoil the show for the regulars, it may be the only reason for this writer.

August 8, 2011
Is the Gordon and Johnson Domination Over at CMS?

Charlotte Motor Speedway has in recent years been dominated by the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. They might not have won every race, but they’ve dominated in many ways. Early on it was Jeff Gordon, but these days it has been Jimmie Johnson. What happened Saturday night and what does that mean for the 600 mile race next weekend?

[media-credit name=”(c) CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]Once upon a time, Charlotte was Jeff’s place. Gordon was almost a sure win at Bruton Smith’s track in the heart of NASCAR country. Slowly, Gordon’s driver (remember, he is the official owner of the No. 48), Jimmie Johnson took over the crown. Johnson had a good run of wins at CMS, but this weekend these two were not at the front at the end. What’s going on?

As we now know, a group of Fords out of Jack Roush’s stable dominated the Sprint Cup All Star race. Carl Edwards dominated the event. David Ragan, another Roush-Fenway Ford won the first segment, and Edwards won the rest. Johnson was up front during some of that, but what of what the commentators call “Big Daddy” — Jeff Gordon?

Gordon has had a long stretch of pretty much a drought of wins the last few years. The once dominator of Charlotte’s 1.5-mile track, has fallen on hard times. Yes, Gordon has won this year (at Phoenix), but he seems to struggle to get to the front. What’s the difference? It’s the big question. The same could be said for Johnson. Maybe it’s NASCAR, but it’s more likely what has become parity. Roush-Fenway has finally caught up to the standard HMS set for the rest of the field. But that doesn’t explain the nosedive for the No. 24 and No. 48 teams. The constant crew chief changes by Rick Hendrick’s teams have maybe caused part of the problem.

Last year we saw HMS change crews change during the Chase with Gordon’s crew going to Johnson’s, and the constant changes to make Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s more competitive have had a negative effect on everyone concerned, or some it seems. In the meantime, RFR’s teams have become constant and the result is a point leader in Carl Edwards and tremendous performances. So what do we learn from this?

Maybe the struggles of especially Jeff Gordon have more to do with changes than the actual driving abilities of the four-time champion. Chemistry is a very important part of this sport and chemistry is hard to explain or define. The HMS boys might prove me wrong in the future, but I see better chemistry in the RFR Ford camp than what I’m seeing at HMS. Time will tell.

As we head to the big Coca-Cola 600 weekend, it will be interesting to watch what these two organizations do in the sport’s longest race. Will one or the other dominate or will a surprise winner come and spoil the show? My money’s on some organization other than the Hendrick gang. It’s probably a bad bet, but so far the performance isn’t there. Of course, that may change before Sunday night.

May 24, 2011
As NASCAR Heads to California…

I’ll be short this time. The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams are headed to Fontana, California and Auto Club Speedway, and while the folks who cover NASCAR continue to try to brainwash us into thinking that we’re just going to love the race on Sunday, it’s woefully obvious that we’re going to see a race that disappoints us. Why? Because it’s California, that’s why. Despite the rave reviews I’ve heard this week about how much the fans are just prejudiced against this track, the truth is that they have good reason for their prejudice. It hasn’t been a show to remember ever. Let’s hope that things change this week.

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”253″][/media-credit]And one more thing about Fontana. Who in the wide, wide world of sports decided it was a good thing to go out to Phoenix and Las Vegas, take a week off, run Bristol and head back to California? It boggles my mind. The week off makes more sense if you run at Fontana and come back to Bristol due to weather considerations. The schedule makers get a bye because last weekend was so wonderful and this weekend is going to be cold. Luck, I guess, but the travel costs for teams are not a laughing matter.

I am amazed at the continuing saga of Rick Russell’s 2nd Chance Motorsports and driver Jennifer Jo Cobb’s disputes. Today, Russell filed a complaint against Cobb saying she was guilty of larceny for stealing parts. If I read the comments right, Cobb says that the parts were moved to a storage building on Russell’s property and the storage facility belonged to Russell. What? Sounds like the way things are going all over America. Everyone wants to sue once there is a disagreement and if a suit is not possible, you either take it to the press or call the law. Even more amazing is that Russell and Cobb had a contract that required her to repair the car if it was damaged in a race, which happened at Las Vegas. Furthermore, she was required to supply engines for the car. I guess Jennifer Jo really wanted to race so much she entered into a really lousy contract. This can be best described as a mess.

I noted with interest that TRG Motorsports is changing to Ford bodies and power after California. It’s a limited agreement with Roush Fenway Racing to build the cars and with Roush-Yates Engines to supply powerplants. I wonder if this is a trend. We’ve seen Richard Petty Motorsports move from Dodge to a similar agreement with RFR last year. The same thing happened with Front Row Motorsports and now with TRG. Ford has now increased their number of cars from five in 2008 to nine in 2011, and if rumors are to be believed, there could be more. It’s very interesting, to say the least.

Finally, all I’ve heard this week is how Jimmie Johnson is a lock to win at Auto Club Speedway. And if not him, it has to be Jeff Gordon. I might agree if it weren’t for a couple of guys who have performed much better and have a record at Fontana, namely Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth, not to mention Kevin Harvick. No one promotes “Five-Time” and Gordon more than the fine folks, who cover the sport, but here’s my shocking prediction—it might be Kyle Busch, much to the chagrin of NASCAR Nation. But, then again, who knows? I just know that we’ll know late on Sunday evening. But the constant presumption that the favorite always has to be one of the Hendrick teams is interesting. It ignores recent performances. But what do I know?

March 25, 2011
NASCAR’s Savior. Is it Trevor Bayne? Or Is That a Dream?

As Trevor Bayne makes his victory tour this week, the question remains. Is he the savior of NASCAR or will the throngs be disappointed as he struggles through the next few races finding his way? Truth is, Daytona (and Talladega—both restrictor plate tracks) seem to create different kinds of winners. You can go down the list—Cope, Hamilton, Lund, Michael Waltrip, and many others. Guys who are competent drivers, but who didn’t do much outside of the two plate tracks. Yes, there is evidence that Bayne is the real deal, but is he?

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Another factor to consider is the Wood Brothers, or in this case, the Wood cousins. Eddie Wood and Len Wood are the sons of Glen and Leonard Wood. They are old school and as much as I want them to dominate the series once again, that is not likely for various reasons. I listened to Buddy Baker talk about the Woods tonight on Sirius radio. His comment that an owner with a wrench in his pocket (speaking of Eddie Wood) is admirable and what I think the sport is, or at least was, all about may not be realistic in 2011. With all my being, I hope it is relevant, but I have my doubts. And I hate that I have doubts.

The first hurdle that the Woods have to jump is that Trevor Bayne is contracted to Roush-Fenway Racing. There is no doubt that at some point that Bayne will appear in a RFR car at some point, leaving the Woods high and dry. The agreement the Woods have is similar to the one Richard Petty Motorsports have with RFR. Roush supplies the chassis and engines for their cars and prepare the cars. Part of the deal for 2011 included Bayne for as many races as the Woods could get sponsorship (and you have to wonder what part Roush had in getting those points for the first five races had to do with RFR’s alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports). That said, with David Ragan on shaky ground at RFR and contract negotiations ongoing with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who’s to say that Bayne could end up in one of those cars sooner than later? And that would leave the Woods to sign Ragan or another has-been driver. I shudder at the thought.

The best case scenario is that Bayne continues his brilliance at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol, and Martinsville, and the Woods get enough sponsorship to continue. The Wood Brothers deserve it and the Sprint Cup series could reach a new level.

For so long I’ve heard the rumbling from fans. Yes, many adore Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and certainly Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Others like Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer. The same could be said for Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano, as well as Jamie McMurray, but for so long, while Hendrick Motorsports fans, Richard Childress Racing fans, and Joe Gibbs Racing fans have been happy, the great silent majority wants to see someone else win. Trevor Bayne gave everyone a chance to cheer on February 20th, much like Jamie McMurray did in 2010, but it has to continue. If the sport is to flourish like it did in days past, it must happen beyond Roush-Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing. The future of NASCAR depends on it.

February 23, 2011
The Wood Brothers – Last of a Breed and Winning Again

The 2011 edition of the Daytona 500 was flawed. No one will deny that, but the result was sheer joy. It was uplifting to see the Wood family in victory lane once again. And they were all there—Leonard and Glen and their sons Len and Eddie. What a tribute to a true family organization.

[media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”188″][/media-credit]Most of the teams in NASCAR, especially the successful ones are owned by some millionaire who wants to dabble in this sport. I don’t count Jack Roush or Richard Childress in this group. Those guys started at the bottom and worked their way up, but how many true family organizations are there? The Woods are one of the few left and it was gratifying to see them in their rightful place—victory lane.

Many expected that one of the powerful Chevrolet’s of Hendrick Motorsports or Richard Childress Racing would win the whole week, but it wasn’t to be. Childress cars only won a qualifying race all week. Hendrick had two cars on the front row for the 500, but nothing else to show for all the hoopla that surrounded them all week. You just can’t predict who is going to win one of these things at Daytona or Talladega. I’ve said many times that four times a year anyone can win, and that’s not taking anything away from Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers. They had a fast car and an amazingly mature driver for his age and it all came together.

The Wood Brothers are the oldest surviving team still operating in Sprint Cup. They started out in a tiny shop in Stuart, Virginia, just a little bit east of Martinsville. For years they stayed in their little shop where victories by such dignitaries as Marvin Paunch, Tiny Lund, Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, David Pearson, Neil Bonnett, Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, and Elliott Sadler made them legends in the sport. Until today, the last victory the Woods had enjoyed was in 2001 with Sadler driving at Bristol Motor Speedway. Though the team has 98 victories, the last nine years had given them no victories. They faced a low point in 2008 when for the first time as an organized team; they did not make the field for the Daytona 500. It was then that they decided things had to change.

Because of limited sponsorship, the reduced their schedule to 13-15 races a year. In the early days, they usually didn’t run for championships, but not they had to quit running all the races for financial reasons. Still, that was getting them nowhere. Late in 2010, Eddie Wood went to Jack Roush and they formed an alliance. Roush-Yates was already supplying engines for the team, but now Roush-Fenway would supply cars to them, much like they do for Richard Petty Motorsports. The change in fortunes for the Woods was almost immediate.

The first race was last year’s second Texas race, and the driver was a 19-year old driver named Trevor Bayne that Roush-Fenway had signed. Bill Elliott had been piloting the cars, but Bayne was the driver for that day. Bayne finished 17th on the lead lap. In the off-season, the Woods decided to give Bayne a chance at Daytona and the rest is history. The Wood Brothers Ford was fast with Bayne qualifying fourth. He was a star in the making and proved it with his Daytona 500 win.

So, for a day, all was right with the world. In the beginning of this sport, men and their families built race cars and came to the track chasing a dream. For a little while, the big tycoons who pretty much run this sport with their multi-million dollar drivers took a back seat to the Wood Brothers. It’s a shame that even if Bayne decides to change his declaration for which series he’s running for the championship (he had declared he was running for the Nationwide Series championship because the Woods were only planning 17 races this year), he will get no points for today’s race and the win will not be considered, but a rule is a rule I suppose. Let’s hope he smokes the field again and again this year and the 43 points he lost will only be an afterthought. That is, if someone steps up to the plate and offers the Woods a sponsorship deal for the remaining 19 races. Wouldn’t that be just perfect?

February 21, 2011