Kahne feeling better after knee surgery – FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com
Kahne feeling better after knee surgeryFOXSports.comLee Spencer is the senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com. She also is a correspondent for "Around the Track" on FOX Sports Net. Kasey Kahne is relieved not to be a member of the walking wounded. Kahne, 31, had surgery last Monday to repair his right …TOYOTA NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Kasey Kahne ? Notes & Quotes Richmond …SpeedwayMedia.com (press release)
Kahne expects knee to be sore at RichmondThe Associated Pressall 190 news articles »
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Turnaround has Clint Bowyer on the move, confident he?ll re-sign with RCR
For everything that seemed to go wrong for Clint Bowyer in the first four weeks of the season, much more has gone right in the last four races.
Bowyer has vaulted from 24th to 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings thanks to four consecutive top-10 finishes, including back-to-back second-place runs at Texas and Talladega.
Bowyer has vaulted from 24th to 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings thanks to four consecutive top-10 finishes, including back-to-back second-place runs at Texas and Talladega.
Another Nashville domination for Kyle Busch
GLADEVILLE - Kyle Busch survived a late-race scare from Camping World Truck Series veteran Ron Hornaday Jr. to win his second consecutive truck race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday night in the Bully Hill Vineyards 200.
If this NASCAR thing doesn’t work out, Harvick’s got a new job
Since Kevin Harvick signed with Budweiser, he's been the perfect pitchman, crowing in public and on Twitter the virtues of the King of Beers. On Wednesday, he took it a step farther by actually hauling some of his product into a South Carolina Wal-Mart.
Obviously, this was a totally orchestrated deal; Harvick met with both fans and company officials. But he had fun with the whole deal, at one point motioning toward nearby Coors Light and Miller beer stacks and saying "Remember, everything on this side is contaminated."
Harvick kept hauling beer until the shelves were filled. So, yeah, if this NASCAR thing falls through, he's got a second life available as a rack jobber.
Obviously, this was a totally orchestrated deal; Harvick met with both fans and company officials. But he had fun with the whole deal, at one point motioning toward nearby Coors Light and Miller beer stacks and saying "Remember, everything on this side is contaminated."
Harvick kept hauling beer until the shelves were filled. So, yeah, if this NASCAR thing falls through, he's got a second life available as a rack jobber.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Will Dale Jr. be satisfied with second?
It's a difficult position to be in. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't been to Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series for 99 races, yet on the surface it might seem he should be happy to finish second, like he did Sunday at Martinsville, Va. At the same time, if you seem satisfied with second, there will be those who question whether there is a "killer instinct" missing or some other magic key to victory. It's a no-win situation for Earnhardt - nothing new to him in his career. He has tried desperately to live a life and develop as a driver on his own while at the same time burdened by expectations driven by the memory of his very successful father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. After the race Sunday, Earnhardt Jr. did a good job trying his best to explain his internal battle of appreciating a good finish while at the same time still looking for more. Here is what he said: "I did. But I was just doing the best could I do with the car and trying to make the best out of the situation. We had an opportunity to win the race. I'm disappointed that I didn't get the job done and it will probably bother me more and more as the night goes on. "But I'll probably think about it a million times what I probably could have done differently. You know, I think if I know what's best for me, I should probably have a good attitude about what happened today and probably go into the next race and use it as momentum and confidence, like any other good driver would do, instead of worrying about, you know, how close we came. I should be thankful and grateful that I had the opportunity I had today and for the opportunity I got to work with the team I'm with and to even be here competing, and take this momentum and take what looks like to be a better start to the season than I've had in a while to the next racetrack and just keep trying to plug away. "We gained a lot of points on some guys that were around us today. The 4 (Kasey Kahne) and the 56 (Martin Truex Jr.) had some trouble. We just need to try to put some distance on some guys and get ourselves the opportunity to be in the Chase when the time is up. Steve (Letarte) is a good crew chief and he's going to give me more opportunities like this I feel."
The Chrome Horn, episode 50: Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch, ladies and gentlemen! We sit down with the driver of Penske's No. 22 Shell Dodge to chat about matters many and varied, including the best race advice he ever received, what he thinks of NASCAR's heavyhandedness toward drivers with "personality," and so much more. He joins us on behalf of the Call 811 program, which is designed to make sure you call before you dig. April is Safe Digging Month, after all!
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 50--Kurt Busch
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 50--Kurt Busch
Chip Ganassi up for two SBJ Awards
The nominees for the 2011 Sports Business Awards, presented by Street & Smith?s SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily were announced on Monday and there were a couple categories with NASCAR connections.George Bodenheimer from ESPN; Chip Ganassi from Ganassi Racing; David Levy from Turner Broadcasting System; Kevin Plank from Under Armour; and Pat Riley from the Miami Heat; have been selected as nominees in the Sports Executive of the Year category. Ganassi Racing, the New York Jets, Orlando Magic, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Francisco Giants have been selected as nominees in the Professional Sports Team of the Year category. The Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from March 1, 2010 through Feb. 28, 2011. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony that will be held May 18, at the New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square. Please click here for the nominees in all 15 categories.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr. comfortable returning to Richmond, looking for fourth career win there
After nearly three years of struggles prior to this season ? and with a new crew chief and crew ? Dale Earnhardt Jr. is trying to recapture his comfort level at many tracks.
Richmond International Raceway is not one of them.
Richmond International Raceway is not one of them.
Happy Hour: Is there too much love for Dale Earnhardt Jr.?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: you write us at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Today, we're talking Junior, plate hate, teammate team-ups, and more. Away we go!
Last week we got all warm and fuzzy with the Yahoo article about Dale Earnhardt Jr. not dumping Kevin Harvick, and what a "great guy he was." This week it's what a great teammate Junior is. Of course the common denominator in all this is that Dale Jr does not win races…but that won't stop Yahoo from fawning over their meal ticket. How helping Jimmie Johnson (of all people) win a race is a good thing is beyond me. If Jeff Gordon were pushing Johnson he would have left him in turn 3 and gone for the win. Maybe that's why Jeff Gordon is a four-time champ and winner of 80-plus races, and Junior is the most overrated driver in NASCAR history. But what a great guy!
? John Clarke
Los Angeles, CA
When you get a letter like this, it's like getting turned loose in a megastore with a $500 gift card. (Feel free to send one to me anytime.) So many ways to run with this! So, let's begin.
First off, let's be honest: John is right, we do write a lot of articles about Junior here. That's because there's a lot of interest in Junior here. (And I hope John sees the delicious irony in the fact that his critique means that there's yet another Junior story on the site.)
But enough behind-the-scenes stuff. I get a lot of these kinds of emails and comments, and you can tell that the frustration behind them has ratcheted up a level. It's very easy to make fun of a guy who's running 20th in the points as being a pathetic driver. It's not so easy to make the same argument about a guy who's running 3rd, and has stacked up more points than all but two of the season's seven winners so far.
And let's dispense with the "Junior could've won" nonsense at Talladega. Once Johnson and Junior made the commitment to run with Johnson in front, the race was over for Junior, just as it was for Harvick and Mark Martin. To switch at that late moment would have sent the two-car team plunging back in the standings, and they'd have been lucky to finish top-10.
No, Junior hasn't won a race, and yes, Talladega was his best shot for awhile. But he's running well, and chances are he's beating your guy. So roll with it.
____________________
Three things come to mind after this pretty good race: NASCAR condones cheating, Jimmie is still a cheater, and Kurt Busch is a dirty-driving SOB just like he always has been. I mean, it's quite evident that Johnson was below the yellow line regardless of NASCAR's ruling/mindset. Jimmy knows he was below it; the race should go to Bowyer. Now for Busch. Dave Blaney should have won the race except for Busch's low-down tactics. I say he should be suspended for at least one race, just like Edwards should have been for his actions with Brad lat year. Yet NASCAR does nothing but a little probation.
?Sheldon "Pup" Schulte
Vandalia, IL
Yeah, the whole "Jimmie went below the line!" business lit up my inbox. Here's the thing: He was clearly ON the line. But according to NASCAR ? and I talked to spokesman Kerry Tharp after the race to clarify this ? the rule is that he has to have his tires BELOW it, AND not be forced down there. The line is IN bounds. (Why is that not written down anywhere? Next question, please.)
And you could make an argument that Martin forced Johnson down. What you can't make a convincing argument for is that he cheated to win this race. NASCAR's already shown that it will throw a penalty that costs Johnson the race ? remember the pit road penalty at Martinsville? ? so let's just cool it with this particular spindly-legged conspiracy theory.
As for Busch? Well, I think it's more that he had trouble pushing than that he's a dirty driver. Remember, these guys got only a few laps of practice on Talladega, as opposed to more than a week at Daytona. Pushing somebody blind is a tricky business, and for Busch, it didn't quite work out.
____________________
What if they made Bristol 1/8-mile, and increase the banking to oh, say, 80 degrees. This is slightly insane!
?Sam Sevr
I find absolutely nothing wrong with this idea whatsoever. Delightful.
____________________
I am outraged that you wouldn't put Jeff Gordon in the top 12 of the Power Rankings. Clearly he had the fastest car out there. Won the pole, played "the game" correctly every second of the race. Laid low in the back of the pack, he raced his race that day, and it was a very smart move. But then you have the likes of Kurt Busch still up there in the #9 spot. What's up with that?� What gives?� Are you a Gordon hater?� Although I do love the blog you have about him, that is funny. And you have JPM up there also. I am at a loss for words right now.
?Jeff G.
A.K.A. ? Cyrus The Great #24
Cyrus is a regular at our Wednesday chats, so I know this letter isn't totally on the level. But it does bring up a point: you people sure love to get insanely, irrationally angry about power rankings. I've given up trying to explain that it's not just based on one week's results. But I will do this for you: a handy clip-and-save complaint to use next week. Fill in your own driver and event accordingly:
Busbee: You idiot. I cannot believe you ranked ___________ below _________ and _________ ! Don't you know that if _[early-season accident/mistake]_ hadn't happened, he'd be in first? Didn't you see __[good performance in most recent race, ignoring bad performances in five prior races]__? Come on! These power rankings are awful and biased, and you should be __[torture recommendation outlawed by the Geneva convention]__.
Don't say I never did nothin' for ya.
___________________
What a waste of time restrictor plate racing is, even moreso now than before, if that's possible. Just tune in for the final 3 laps, and that's it. The rest of the time is spent cruising around waiting for the end. At least the old pack-style racing gave you a reason to watch the whole race. Glad I spent most of the afternoon mowing the lawn. Now, time to get this nasty NASCAR manufactured "racing" aftertaste out of my mouth.
?Eric Campbell
Clint Bowyer said that the ending of the race justified the riding-around beforehand, and I could hear fandom's teeth grinding as he said it. As I noted earlier this week, we've had four finishes decided by a total of less than a second, which is pretty damn impressive, but there have been many, many hours of ride-around racing. So this week's question for you: does an amazing finish offset a dull race?
Last week's question asked you to pick your best two-driver team. Not two-by-two, but a hypothetical situation in which two drivers switched off over the course of the season in one car. Here are a couple of the better ones:
___________________
For my two driver team, I would pick Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano. Both drivers have been good this year, but have either had bad luck (Logano) or junk cars (Gordon, for the most part). We know that it's only a matter of time before Sliced Bread hits his stride, and JG's just gotta get the right setup (See Phoenix).
?Luke
Laramie, WY
____________________
I too like the idea that the team, not the driver, gets the points. It would not penalize a team where the driver is too sick or hurt to perform.�I would think that the second driver could not be from a team that runs every week so here are my 2 driver teams.
48...Johnson and Terry Labonte
22...Busch and Rusty Wallace
18...Busch and Todd Bodine
11 ..Hamlin and Mike Skinner
24...Gordon and Ricky Carmichael
5....Martin and Danica Patrick
88...Earnhardt and Aric Almirola
17...Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
16...Biffle and Justin Allgaier
29...Harvick and Ron Hornaday Jr.
31...Burton and Elliot Sadler
33...Bower and Jason Leffler
14...Stewart and J.J. Yeley
39...Newman and Kevin Lepage
99...Edwards and Joe Nemechek
55...Truex and Ryan Truex
00...Reutimann and Max Papis
How is that for a list??
?Tim Butler
Tracy City, TN
That's a damn good list. I like the Kyle/Bodine and the Biffle/Allgaier duos as the best across-the-board talent. You? Make your case in the comments below.
___________________
Joey Logano use to be called "Sliced Bread." More recently he's been dubbed "Stale Bread." Do you think after taking out one Busch and almost causing the other to get clipped, we should start calling Joey "The Pruner"? His botanical skills seem to outdo his driving ones of late. And by the way, Joey, thanks for giving us Kyle haters an awesome moment to shout about!
?Joyce Keith
"Stale"? Come on, the kid's still only 14 or whatever! Yeah, Logano has been a bit of a disappointment this year, but he'll come around. Taking out teammates may not be the best way to get love from Joe Gibbs, but it certainly sits well with a certain segment of fandom.
And finally, today in spam:
___________________
Dear Sir,
We understand from your information on Internet that you are in the market for
inflatable boats. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce our company
and products, with the hope that we may cooperate in the future.
Yep, cat's out of the bag, folks. Starting tomorrow, Yahoo! NASCAR becomes Yahoo! Inflatable Boats. Don't wear your high heels!
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com, find us on Facebook right here, or hit us up on Twitter at @jaybusbee. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Last week we got all warm and fuzzy with the Yahoo article about Dale Earnhardt Jr. not dumping Kevin Harvick, and what a "great guy he was." This week it's what a great teammate Junior is. Of course the common denominator in all this is that Dale Jr does not win races…but that won't stop Yahoo from fawning over their meal ticket. How helping Jimmie Johnson (of all people) win a race is a good thing is beyond me. If Jeff Gordon were pushing Johnson he would have left him in turn 3 and gone for the win. Maybe that's why Jeff Gordon is a four-time champ and winner of 80-plus races, and Junior is the most overrated driver in NASCAR history. But what a great guy!
? John Clarke
Los Angeles, CA
When you get a letter like this, it's like getting turned loose in a megastore with a $500 gift card. (Feel free to send one to me anytime.) So many ways to run with this! So, let's begin.
First off, let's be honest: John is right, we do write a lot of articles about Junior here. That's because there's a lot of interest in Junior here. (And I hope John sees the delicious irony in the fact that his critique means that there's yet another Junior story on the site.)
But enough behind-the-scenes stuff. I get a lot of these kinds of emails and comments, and you can tell that the frustration behind them has ratcheted up a level. It's very easy to make fun of a guy who's running 20th in the points as being a pathetic driver. It's not so easy to make the same argument about a guy who's running 3rd, and has stacked up more points than all but two of the season's seven winners so far.
And let's dispense with the "Junior could've won" nonsense at Talladega. Once Johnson and Junior made the commitment to run with Johnson in front, the race was over for Junior, just as it was for Harvick and Mark Martin. To switch at that late moment would have sent the two-car team plunging back in the standings, and they'd have been lucky to finish top-10.
No, Junior hasn't won a race, and yes, Talladega was his best shot for awhile. But he's running well, and chances are he's beating your guy. So roll with it.
____________________
Three things come to mind after this pretty good race: NASCAR condones cheating, Jimmie is still a cheater, and Kurt Busch is a dirty-driving SOB just like he always has been. I mean, it's quite evident that Johnson was below the yellow line regardless of NASCAR's ruling/mindset. Jimmy knows he was below it; the race should go to Bowyer. Now for Busch. Dave Blaney should have won the race except for Busch's low-down tactics. I say he should be suspended for at least one race, just like Edwards should have been for his actions with Brad lat year. Yet NASCAR does nothing but a little probation.
?Sheldon "Pup" Schulte
Vandalia, IL
Yeah, the whole "Jimmie went below the line!" business lit up my inbox. Here's the thing: He was clearly ON the line. But according to NASCAR ? and I talked to spokesman Kerry Tharp after the race to clarify this ? the rule is that he has to have his tires BELOW it, AND not be forced down there. The line is IN bounds. (Why is that not written down anywhere? Next question, please.)
And you could make an argument that Martin forced Johnson down. What you can't make a convincing argument for is that he cheated to win this race. NASCAR's already shown that it will throw a penalty that costs Johnson the race ? remember the pit road penalty at Martinsville? ? so let's just cool it with this particular spindly-legged conspiracy theory.
As for Busch? Well, I think it's more that he had trouble pushing than that he's a dirty driver. Remember, these guys got only a few laps of practice on Talladega, as opposed to more than a week at Daytona. Pushing somebody blind is a tricky business, and for Busch, it didn't quite work out.
____________________
What if they made Bristol 1/8-mile, and increase the banking to oh, say, 80 degrees. This is slightly insane!
?Sam Sevr
I find absolutely nothing wrong with this idea whatsoever. Delightful.
____________________
I am outraged that you wouldn't put Jeff Gordon in the top 12 of the Power Rankings. Clearly he had the fastest car out there. Won the pole, played "the game" correctly every second of the race. Laid low in the back of the pack, he raced his race that day, and it was a very smart move. But then you have the likes of Kurt Busch still up there in the #9 spot. What's up with that?� What gives?� Are you a Gordon hater?� Although I do love the blog you have about him, that is funny. And you have JPM up there also. I am at a loss for words right now.
?Jeff G.
A.K.A. ? Cyrus The Great #24
Cyrus is a regular at our Wednesday chats, so I know this letter isn't totally on the level. But it does bring up a point: you people sure love to get insanely, irrationally angry about power rankings. I've given up trying to explain that it's not just based on one week's results. But I will do this for you: a handy clip-and-save complaint to use next week. Fill in your own driver and event accordingly:
Busbee: You idiot. I cannot believe you ranked ___________ below _________ and _________ ! Don't you know that if _[early-season accident/mistake]_ hadn't happened, he'd be in first? Didn't you see __[good performance in most recent race, ignoring bad performances in five prior races]__? Come on! These power rankings are awful and biased, and you should be __[torture recommendation outlawed by the Geneva convention]__.
Don't say I never did nothin' for ya.
___________________
What a waste of time restrictor plate racing is, even moreso now than before, if that's possible. Just tune in for the final 3 laps, and that's it. The rest of the time is spent cruising around waiting for the end. At least the old pack-style racing gave you a reason to watch the whole race. Glad I spent most of the afternoon mowing the lawn. Now, time to get this nasty NASCAR manufactured "racing" aftertaste out of my mouth.
?Eric Campbell
Clint Bowyer said that the ending of the race justified the riding-around beforehand, and I could hear fandom's teeth grinding as he said it. As I noted earlier this week, we've had four finishes decided by a total of less than a second, which is pretty damn impressive, but there have been many, many hours of ride-around racing. So this week's question for you: does an amazing finish offset a dull race?
Last week's question asked you to pick your best two-driver team. Not two-by-two, but a hypothetical situation in which two drivers switched off over the course of the season in one car. Here are a couple of the better ones:
___________________
For my two driver team, I would pick Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano. Both drivers have been good this year, but have either had bad luck (Logano) or junk cars (Gordon, for the most part). We know that it's only a matter of time before Sliced Bread hits his stride, and JG's just gotta get the right setup (See Phoenix).
?Luke
Laramie, WY
____________________
I too like the idea that the team, not the driver, gets the points. It would not penalize a team where the driver is too sick or hurt to perform.�I would think that the second driver could not be from a team that runs every week so here are my 2 driver teams.
48...Johnson and Terry Labonte
22...Busch and Rusty Wallace
18...Busch and Todd Bodine
11 ..Hamlin and Mike Skinner
24...Gordon and Ricky Carmichael
5....Martin and Danica Patrick
88...Earnhardt and Aric Almirola
17...Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
16...Biffle and Justin Allgaier
29...Harvick and Ron Hornaday Jr.
31...Burton and Elliot Sadler
33...Bower and Jason Leffler
14...Stewart and J.J. Yeley
39...Newman and Kevin Lepage
99...Edwards and Joe Nemechek
55...Truex and Ryan Truex
00...Reutimann and Max Papis
How is that for a list??
?Tim Butler
Tracy City, TN
That's a damn good list. I like the Kyle/Bodine and the Biffle/Allgaier duos as the best across-the-board talent. You? Make your case in the comments below.
___________________
Joey Logano use to be called "Sliced Bread." More recently he's been dubbed "Stale Bread." Do you think after taking out one Busch and almost causing the other to get clipped, we should start calling Joey "The Pruner"? His botanical skills seem to outdo his driving ones of late. And by the way, Joey, thanks for giving us Kyle haters an awesome moment to shout about!
?Joyce Keith
"Stale"? Come on, the kid's still only 14 or whatever! Yeah, Logano has been a bit of a disappointment this year, but he'll come around. Taking out teammates may not be the best way to get love from Joe Gibbs, but it certainly sits well with a certain segment of fandom.
And finally, today in spam:
___________________
Dear Sir,
We understand from your information on Internet that you are in the market for
inflatable boats. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce our company
and products, with the hope that we may cooperate in the future.
Yep, cat's out of the bag, folks. Starting tomorrow, Yahoo! NASCAR becomes Yahoo! Inflatable Boats. Don't wear your high heels!
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com, find us on Facebook right here, or hit us up on Twitter at @jaybusbee. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Dual Threat: In 10 years, Kevin Harvick has developed into an elite driver and successful team owner, businessman
You probably know Kevin Harvick from his primary gig ? putting Richard Childress Racing?s No. 29 Chevrolet in victory lane and in championship contention.
After a career-best third-place finish last year in the Sprint Cup Series, and leading the standings for the majority of 2010, Harvick, 35, is in the prime of his driving career.
After a career-best third-place finish last year in the Sprint Cup Series, and leading the standings for the majority of 2010, Harvick, 35, is in the prime of his driving career.
Big Pay Off: Two-car draft, new points system, Hendrick shake-up among offseason moves that are working
Here?s a look at the biggest moves made for this season and what kind of impact they have had on their teams or the sport:
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
NEMST in Final Preparation for Northeast Motorsports Expo
The North East Mini Stock Tour will be attending the 23rd annual Northeast Motorsports Expo presented by Mainely Motorsports in Augusta on January 7,8, and 9. The NEMST will have Emerson Cayer?s Ford Mustang on display. Cayer was the inaugural champion for the NEMST in 2009 with a runner up finish in the 2010 season.
Plenty of merchandise, information materials, and registration forms will be on hand for the show. The NEMST will also release its final schedule for the 2011 season. NEMST promoter Bob Guptill will be at the show all weekend to answer any questions about the upcoming season anyone may have.
Plenty of merchandise, information materials, and registration forms will be on hand for the show. The NEMST will also release its final schedule for the 2011 season. NEMST promoter Bob Guptill will be at the show all weekend to answer any questions about the upcoming season anyone may have.
NASCAR appeal brief claims Jeremy Mayfield trying to avoid responsibility for failed drug test
NASCAR says Jeremy Mayfield?s legal appeal to his suspension for a failed drug test is an ?attempt to entirely avoid any responsibility for, or consequence from, testing positive for methamphetamine,? according to its response filed Monday in federal appeals court. Mayfield, who claims in court documents that his May 2009 drug test was a false positive from a mixture of over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D and the prescription medication Adderall for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is suing NASCAR for breach of contract, unfair trade practices and defamation.
In which the worlds of Southern literature and NASCAR collide
Most of the time, we all think of NASCAR as an exercise in speed and/or profit, all horsepower and advertising. But every so often, we get reminded that NASCAR is far more than just a sport; it's an integral element of Southern culture. Yes, "NASCAR" is hack shorthand for "redneck," but there's more to it, and the South, than simplistic pundits would have you believe. Just as the South produced some of the finest literature in the world in the first half of the twentieth century, so too did NASCAR give us some of the finest sporting storylines in the second half and beyond.
Why am I waxing/babbling poetic like this, and not just showing yet another goofy photo of Junior looking confused? Blame ESPN's Ed Hinton, the finest NASCAR writer working today, for his story today on the rich history of Talladega.
"Race at Talladega, and they will come" -- surely Ed didn't write that; it's too cliche -- somehow manages to yoke together William Faulkner, Forrest Gump, Bear Bryant, the Civil War and ancient Indian legends into one article about how Talladega should be on every NASCAR fan's to-visit list:
As much as the media, fans and drivers alike have maligned it (myself included) over the years, Talladega twice a year is a must-see show for all of us.
It is the essence of what people want out of NASCAR, even though the close racing may be artificial due to restrictor plates, and the outcomes are crapshoots given the aerodynamic shoving and slamming and banging.
No driver despises navigating the wreckfests here more than Mark Martin. And yet, three years ago, when he was taking some weekends off and certainly skipped Talladega, he readily admitted watching every lap on television. Too exciting to miss.
It's great stuff, and reminds us why we follow this silly sport. It's not just cars going in a circle; there's so much more to it than that, more that fans plug into on an unconscious level. Anybody who thinks that NASCAR is just about mashin' the gas and turnin' left, well ... clearly they've never been to Talladega.
Race at Talladega, and they will come [ESPN]
Why am I waxing/babbling poetic like this, and not just showing yet another goofy photo of Junior looking confused? Blame ESPN's Ed Hinton, the finest NASCAR writer working today, for his story today on the rich history of Talladega.
"Race at Talladega, and they will come" -- surely Ed didn't write that; it's too cliche -- somehow manages to yoke together William Faulkner, Forrest Gump, Bear Bryant, the Civil War and ancient Indian legends into one article about how Talladega should be on every NASCAR fan's to-visit list:
As much as the media, fans and drivers alike have maligned it (myself included) over the years, Talladega twice a year is a must-see show for all of us.
It is the essence of what people want out of NASCAR, even though the close racing may be artificial due to restrictor plates, and the outcomes are crapshoots given the aerodynamic shoving and slamming and banging.
No driver despises navigating the wreckfests here more than Mark Martin. And yet, three years ago, when he was taking some weekends off and certainly skipped Talladega, he readily admitted watching every lap on television. Too exciting to miss.
It's great stuff, and reminds us why we follow this silly sport. It's not just cars going in a circle; there's so much more to it than that, more that fans plug into on an unconscious level. Anybody who thinks that NASCAR is just about mashin' the gas and turnin' left, well ... clearly they've never been to Talladega.
Race at Talladega, and they will come [ESPN]
Speeding penalty ruins potential winning strategy for Stewart
Tony Stewart didn't have the fastest or most pristine car on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, but as the laps wound down he and crew chief Darian Grubb had the best strategy.
After fighting back from damage sustained in a Lap 10 incident on pit road with Dave Blaney, Stewart and Grubb topped the car off with fuel when a caution flew three laps after the team got the Lucky Dog on Lap 213. They were banking that the race would go green to the finish and that they would only have to�make one stop while the rest of the field would have to pit twice.
That strategy worked to perfection except for one thing: Stewart sped entering pit road on that final pit stop. That meant a pass-through penalty and all of the track position that Stewart would have gained on the field was gone. Instead of leading by a comfortable margin after Matt Kenseth and the rest of the leaders made their final pit stops, Stewart was in third.
Therefore, Stewart couldn't save fuel as he tried to hold off Carl Edwards for third and that proved to be costly, as Smoke ran out of gas in Turn 3 of the final lap and ended up 12th – the last car on the lead lap.
"Sorry guys, I [screwed] us again," a dejected Stewart said over the radio after the race.
It's not the first time a pit road penalty has cost Stewart a win this season. In Las Vegas, Stewart had the field covered but was penalized for running over an air hose leaving his pit box. That cost Stewart valuable track position and he ended up finishing second. At Martinsville last weekend, Stewart was penalized for changing lanes on a restart before the start/finish line, and wound up a lowly 34th. He now leaves Texas 10th in the points, 43 behind Edwards.
After fighting back from damage sustained in a Lap 10 incident on pit road with Dave Blaney, Stewart and Grubb topped the car off with fuel when a caution flew three laps after the team got the Lucky Dog on Lap 213. They were banking that the race would go green to the finish and that they would only have to�make one stop while the rest of the field would have to pit twice.
That strategy worked to perfection except for one thing: Stewart sped entering pit road on that final pit stop. That meant a pass-through penalty and all of the track position that Stewart would have gained on the field was gone. Instead of leading by a comfortable margin after Matt Kenseth and the rest of the leaders made their final pit stops, Stewart was in third.
Therefore, Stewart couldn't save fuel as he tried to hold off Carl Edwards for third and that proved to be costly, as Smoke ran out of gas in Turn 3 of the final lap and ended up 12th – the last car on the lead lap.
"Sorry guys, I [screwed] us again," a dejected Stewart said over the radio after the race.
It's not the first time a pit road penalty has cost Stewart a win this season. In Las Vegas, Stewart had the field covered but was penalized for running over an air hose leaving his pit box. That cost Stewart valuable track position and he ended up finishing second. At Martinsville last weekend, Stewart was penalized for changing lanes on a restart before the start/finish line, and wound up a lowly 34th. He now leaves Texas 10th in the points, 43 behind Edwards.
The 25 nominees for the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class
The nominations for the 2012 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame were unveiled Tuesday night and here they are in alphabetical order:
Buck Baker: First driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championships (1956-57)
Red Byron: First NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949
Richard Childress: 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jerry Cook: Six-time NASCAR Modified champion
H. Clay Earles: Founder of Martinsville Speedway
Richie Evans: Nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
Tim Flock: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Rick Hendrick: 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jack Ingram: Two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion
Dale Inman: Eight-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championship crew chief
Bobby Isaac: 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Fred Lorenzen: 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
Cotton Owens: Driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson
Raymond Parks: NASCAR's first champion car owner
Benny Parsons: 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� champion
Les Richter: Former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
Fireball Roberts: Won 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
T. Wayne Robertson: Helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP
Herb Thomas: First two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, '53
Curtis Turner: Early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
Darrell Waltrip: 84 wins and three NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� championships
Joe Weatherly: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Glen Wood: As driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success
Leonard Wood: Part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops
Cale Yarborough: Three consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series titles, 1976-78
At this point, it seems that Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough are locks, right? But their chances seemed pretty good last year and they were left out while Bobby Allison, a driver with a very similar resumé, was inducted. And with Childress, Hendrick and Leonard Wood on the list, that's three current Sprint Cup car owners. Which one of them gets in first?
If you're wondering about the 2011 class – Alison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Lee Petty – it hasn't been inducted yet. The 2011 class will be inducted on May 23, while the 2012 induction ceremony has been moved to January.
Who do you think should be part of the next class of NASCAR's Hall of Fame? My instant reaction prediction is Baker, Inman, Roberts, Waltrip and Yarborough. But I was one of the ones that thought DW would be going in this year. Drop us a line in the comments with your picks.
Buck Baker: First driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championships (1956-57)
Red Byron: First NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949
Richard Childress: 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jerry Cook: Six-time NASCAR Modified champion
H. Clay Earles: Founder of Martinsville Speedway
Richie Evans: Nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
Tim Flock: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Rick Hendrick: 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
Jack Ingram: Two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion
Dale Inman: Eight-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championship crew chief
Bobby Isaac: 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Fred Lorenzen: 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
Cotton Owens: Driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson
Raymond Parks: NASCAR's first champion car owner
Benny Parsons: 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� champion
Les Richter: Former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
Fireball Roberts: Won 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
T. Wayne Robertson: Helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP
Herb Thomas: First two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, '53
Curtis Turner: Early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
Darrell Waltrip: 84 wins and three NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� championships
Joe Weatherly: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion
Glen Wood: As driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success
Leonard Wood: Part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops
Cale Yarborough: Three consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series titles, 1976-78
At this point, it seems that Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough are locks, right? But their chances seemed pretty good last year and they were left out while Bobby Allison, a driver with a very similar resumé, was inducted. And with Childress, Hendrick and Leonard Wood on the list, that's three current Sprint Cup car owners. Which one of them gets in first?
If you're wondering about the 2011 class – Alison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Lee Petty – it hasn't been inducted yet. The 2011 class will be inducted on May 23, while the 2012 induction ceremony has been moved to January.
Who do you think should be part of the next class of NASCAR's Hall of Fame? My instant reaction prediction is Baker, Inman, Roberts, Waltrip and Yarborough. But I was one of the ones that thought DW would be going in this year. Drop us a line in the comments with your picks.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Chrome Horn, episode 49: Richard Petty
Any day you can talk to Richard Petty is a good day indeed, and today, friends, is that day.
Petty stops by the ol' Chrome Horn podcast to talk with us about all kinds of topics of the day, from STP's return to NASCAR (it'll be sponsoring races as well as the 43 car) to Petty's own life and career. Why did Talladega give him so much trouble? What does he think of the 2x2 racing? Which of today's drivers could hang with him and his buddies back in the old days? What's in store for his own team of AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose? And what's the strangest thing a fan ever did for him? Answers to all these questions and more can be yours in this ten-minute Petty chat.
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 49--Richard Petty
Petty stops by the ol' Chrome Horn podcast to talk with us about all kinds of topics of the day, from STP's return to NASCAR (it'll be sponsoring races as well as the 43 car) to Petty's own life and career. Why did Talladega give him so much trouble? What does he think of the 2x2 racing? Which of today's drivers could hang with him and his buddies back in the old days? What's in store for his own team of AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose? And what's the strangest thing a fan ever did for him? Answers to all these questions and more can be yours in this ten-minute Petty chat.
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 49--Richard Petty
Buemi confident about Toro Rosso future
Sebastien Buemi says he is far from worried about the pressure situation he has found himself in at Scuderia Toro Rosso this year.
NASCAR Race Review: O?Reilly Auto Parts 300
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Today’s race review is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series held at the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.� Sprint Cup driver 60 Carl Edwards started from the pole with a speed of 178.743 mph and 30.178 seconds. Fellow Sprint Cup driver, 22 [...]
Kubica released from Italian hospital
Formula One driver Robert Kubica has been discharged from an Italian hospital 11 weeks after sustaining multiple injuries in a high-speed accident during a rally car race.
WINNERS & LOSERS: Hendrick drivers lead the way, while many others leave Talladega in tatters
The Aaron?s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway featured two-car drafts aplenty and a finish that tied the closest in NASCAR Cup Series history.
In which the worlds of Southern literature and NASCAR collide
Most of the time, we all think of NASCAR as an exercise in speed and/or profit, all horsepower and advertising. But every so often, we get reminded that NASCAR is far more than just a sport; it's an integral element of Southern culture. Yes, "NASCAR" is hack shorthand for "redneck," but there's more to it, and the South, than simplistic pundits would have you believe. Just as the South produced some of the finest literature in the world in the first half of the twentieth century, so too did NASCAR give us some of the finest sporting storylines in the second half and beyond.
Why am I waxing/babbling poetic like this, and not just showing yet another goofy photo of Junior looking confused? Blame ESPN's Ed Hinton, the finest NASCAR writer working today, for his story today on the rich history of Talladega.
"Race at Talladega, and they will come" -- surely Ed didn't write that; it's too cliche -- somehow manages to yoke together William Faulkner, Forrest Gump, Bear Bryant, the Civil War and ancient Indian legends into one article about how Talladega should be on every NASCAR fan's to-visit list:
As much as the media, fans and drivers alike have maligned it (myself included) over the years, Talladega twice a year is a must-see show for all of us.
It is the essence of what people want out of NASCAR, even though the close racing may be artificial due to restrictor plates, and the outcomes are crapshoots given the aerodynamic shoving and slamming and banging.
No driver despises navigating the wreckfests here more than Mark Martin. And yet, three years ago, when he was taking some weekends off and certainly skipped Talladega, he readily admitted watching every lap on television. Too exciting to miss.
It's great stuff, and reminds us why we follow this silly sport. It's not just cars going in a circle; there's so much more to it than that, more that fans plug into on an unconscious level. Anybody who thinks that NASCAR is just about mashin' the gas and turnin' left, well ... clearly they've never been to Talladega.
Race at Talladega, and they will come [ESPN]
Why am I waxing/babbling poetic like this, and not just showing yet another goofy photo of Junior looking confused? Blame ESPN's Ed Hinton, the finest NASCAR writer working today, for his story today on the rich history of Talladega.
"Race at Talladega, and they will come" -- surely Ed didn't write that; it's too cliche -- somehow manages to yoke together William Faulkner, Forrest Gump, Bear Bryant, the Civil War and ancient Indian legends into one article about how Talladega should be on every NASCAR fan's to-visit list:
As much as the media, fans and drivers alike have maligned it (myself included) over the years, Talladega twice a year is a must-see show for all of us.
It is the essence of what people want out of NASCAR, even though the close racing may be artificial due to restrictor plates, and the outcomes are crapshoots given the aerodynamic shoving and slamming and banging.
No driver despises navigating the wreckfests here more than Mark Martin. And yet, three years ago, when he was taking some weekends off and certainly skipped Talladega, he readily admitted watching every lap on television. Too exciting to miss.
It's great stuff, and reminds us why we follow this silly sport. It's not just cars going in a circle; there's so much more to it than that, more that fans plug into on an unconscious level. Anybody who thinks that NASCAR is just about mashin' the gas and turnin' left, well ... clearly they've never been to Talladega.
Race at Talladega, and they will come [ESPN]
Monday, April 25, 2011
Bobby Timmons becoming a Legend
�
Bobby Timmons driver of the number 38 ?Timmons Machine & Fabrication?, NELCAR Legend car is a 3rd generation race car driver.
Timmons like?s racing inthe legend series do to the fact that, there is a ?clean racing atmosphere, and also the smaller size and power, makes the cars a good stepping stone from karting.? Though if he could make one change in the NELCAR Series it would be in the qualifying line up to start the feature race.
Bobby Timmons driver of the number 38 ?Timmons Machine & Fabrication?, NELCAR Legend car is a 3rd generation race car driver.
Timmons like?s racing inthe legend series do to the fact that, there is a ?clean racing atmosphere, and also the smaller size and power, makes the cars a good stepping stone from karting.? Though if he could make one change in the NELCAR Series it would be in the qualifying line up to start the feature race.
Jeff Gordon wins pole to lead Hendrick sweep of front two rows at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. ? Forget all the early-season talk about the power of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines and Roush Yates Engines ? at least where Saturday?s qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway is concerned. Paced by a pole-winning effort from six-time Talladega winner Jeff Gordon, who toured the 2.66-mile track in 53.723 seconds (178.248 mph), the power of Hendrick Motorsports engines swept the top four starting spots during time trials for Sunday?s Aaron?s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the eighth event of the season.
Clint Bowyer finishes second at Texas thanks to incredible save
After chasing the Roush Fenway cars for the first part of Saturday night's race at Texas Motor Speedway, Clint Bowyer finally got the chance to get out front, seizing the lead off of a restart.
The clean air allowed Bowyer – the only car that was able to consistently compete with the Roush brigade – to create and briefly stabilize a 1-second lead over eventual race winner Matt Kenseth. But that lead – and potentially the race – vanished when Bowyer came up on the lapped car of Brian Vickers.
"I got in the lead there, and got away from him once, but I was driving, you know, as hard as I possibly could to stay in front of [Kenseth], obviously," Bowyer said. "I just forced the issue a little too much.� Got loose underneath, having got into him, and almost ruined the night."
Bowyer drifted up into Vickers off of Turn 4, and the contact from Bowyer's right front into Vickers' left rear had Bowyer facing the grass for an instant. Incredibly, Bowyer saved the car from crashing, but that loss of momentum meant that he lost the lead for good to Kenseth.
While he never got near Kenseth's bumper again – Kenseth beat Bowyer to the line by eight seconds – Saturday was Bowyer's third straight top 10 after finishing 15th or lower in the first four races of the season.
If Bowyer makes the Chase this season, that save could be the definining moment. With the second-place finish, he's now 12th in the points, 55 points behind leader Carl Edwards. If Bowyer hadn't saved the car and, say, finished 29th, he'd be 21st in the points standings. That's a lot of cars to pass to get near the top 10.
The clean air allowed Bowyer – the only car that was able to consistently compete with the Roush brigade – to create and briefly stabilize a 1-second lead over eventual race winner Matt Kenseth. But that lead – and potentially the race – vanished when Bowyer came up on the lapped car of Brian Vickers.
"I got in the lead there, and got away from him once, but I was driving, you know, as hard as I possibly could to stay in front of [Kenseth], obviously," Bowyer said. "I just forced the issue a little too much.� Got loose underneath, having got into him, and almost ruined the night."
Bowyer drifted up into Vickers off of Turn 4, and the contact from Bowyer's right front into Vickers' left rear had Bowyer facing the grass for an instant. Incredibly, Bowyer saved the car from crashing, but that loss of momentum meant that he lost the lead for good to Kenseth.
While he never got near Kenseth's bumper again – Kenseth beat Bowyer to the line by eight seconds – Saturday was Bowyer's third straight top 10 after finishing 15th or lower in the first four races of the season.
If Bowyer makes the Chase this season, that save could be the definining moment. With the second-place finish, he's now 12th in the points, 55 points behind leader Carl Edwards. If Bowyer hadn't saved the car and, say, finished 29th, he'd be 21st in the points standings. That's a lot of cars to pass to get near the top 10.
Newey: Enough with the wing complaints
Red Bull Racing technical chief Adrian Newey has labeled ongoing suspicions about his team's front wing flexing as "a bit boring" after suggesting one rival team was using the situation to try and help its own cause.
Happy Hour: Down with ‘Five Time,’ up with ‘Vader’
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: you write us at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Today, we're talking nicknames, Hate for the 48, conspiracies, and more. Away we go!
Would it be possible for a sports writer (or anyone in general) to punch the next FOX Sports announcer that refers to Johnson as "Five-Time"? This is even more annoying than the "Rowdy Busch" and Jeff "Big Daddy" Gordon garbage.
? Eric Tackett
Pikeville, Ky.
Yes, we're very much in agreement that the conventionally-accepted nicknames for our favorite drivers are beyond lame. That's why we've taken the liberty of creating our own:
? "Vader": Jimmie Johnson
? "Zoolander": Jamie McMurray
? "Flatline": Matt Kenseth
? "Rawhide": Clint Bowyer
? "Bull Juice": Brian Vickers
? "Jet Ski": Brad Keselowski
...and many more. And we're always taking nominations.
See here for the complete list, and be sure to check out what we call Kyle Busch. You won't forget it, that's for sure.
As for punching someone out? Now, let's not get rash. Besides, I'm not going after those FOX guys. They've got Digger guarding him, and let's just say that little gopher's a lot fiercer in combat than you'd think.
____________________
Hypothetical scenario for the new points system: coming down to the last race before the season, Clint Bowyer sits 10th in points with 3 wins (enough to get him into a wild-card spot) and Paul Menard is a mere 10 points behind in 11th but doesn't have any wins. Halfway through the race, Bowyer and Menard are both running mid-pack and someone else is completely dialed in, running away with the race. Chances of further bonus points are slim for Clint… Does he pull off the track with a mysterious vibration, finishing a dismal 40th and requiring Menard to only have to finish 29th to ensure both make the Chase?
? Todd
Austin, Texas
The math makes my head hurt, but I like the conspiratorial cut of your jib, sir. I also think that there will be enough "if-then" scenarios set up so that if something like that were to occur, the guy pulling off the track would have to demonstrate that his engine had melted into slag in order to avoid a penalty.
Still, throwing a race on team orders? What are we, F1?
____________________
Question for you. Why is it that everyone hates on Jimmie Johnson to the point of "NASCAR is not being biased towards him" when he is just plain better than most drivers out there and he happens to have a genius as a crew chief? Obviously I am a Jimmie Johnson fan, and despise Kyle Busch, however I do recognize Kyle Busch's talents, such as being amazingly better than every other driver in the world at restarts.
? Matt
Frederick, Md.
It's very simple: because if you're not a Jimmie Johnson fan, Jimmie Johnson is kicking your driver's spoiler. That's all there is to it, plain and simple jealousy. Dress it up however you like; it comes down to "the 48's winning more than my guy, I don't want to admit that my guy's a weaker driver, ergo the 48 must be cheating/getting the calls." That's pretty much verbatim what goes on in people's heads, except for the "ergo" part. That's reserved for us ex-English majors.
And you know what? I'm fine with that. Rivalry's the lifeblood of this sport. I do think it's ridiculous that some people continue to think NASCAR is cheating to help Johnson win given the fact that he's just not as popular as many other drivers. But fans of the 48 need to just deal with this; they're sitting on five Cups, they should be able to take a little grief.
____________________
I think that NASCAR needs to have every team with at least two drivers, and the second driver must drive at least 5 regular races and at least two of the Chase races. Then it would be a team sport.
Then you would not have drivers that were hurt the week before driving the car and have team points only. Yes, we all like our driver but it is a team, not just the driver.
? Ken Maynard
Well, I think the "team" aspect extends to the crew, not to a second driver, but this is an interesting idea. Sort of a perpetual 24 Hours of Daytona thing. Here you go, folks, a Happy Hour challenge: name your best two-man team, picking one driver from currently in the top 20 and one from outside that number. Make your case, and we'll run the best ones next week.
____________________
Do you think AJ Allmendinger got the short end of the stick at Martinsville? I found it ridiculous that when AJ was leading the race and the NASCAR poster boys (Johnson, Gordon, Kyle Busch, etc.) would have gone a lap down, the officials did not through a caution when a car was limping to get to pit road. Same scenario later in the race, but AJ was in the pits, and officials threw the yellow and he ended up a lap down. AJ had one of the best cars and ended up 15th in the race.
? Scott
Chicago
I remember that; it was Brad Keselowski's malfunctioning car that didn't bring out the caution even though Jet Ski was running about a third of the speed of the field. One of our chat commenters came up with the line of the year, describing Kes as looking like "a dog lost on a freeway." And yeah, AJ did kind of get screwed by that lack-of-caution. Still, he's closer than ever to breaking through, and within a couple years he's going to be one of those front-runners everyone's griping about.
____________________
Can someone explain how a driver how comes in 2nd place gets paid less the a driver who comes in 18th? I see it all the time and I'm sure you've explained it before but I can't find the answer anywhere.
? Joe
Orlando, Fla.
The bonus structure is a system only slightly less arcane than the federal tax code. There are all sorts of sponsor/manufacturer/team incentives that drivers can participate in or sign up for, and it means that you get the bizarre situation of Regan Smith finishing 37th last week and making more money than Casey Mears, who finished 26th. As with so much else in NASCAR, it's kept close to the vest, and all we know is that neither you nor I will be getting a cut.
____________________
During one of the later cautions in the Texas race, I thought I saw a driver swing down to the apron and throw a green bottle out the window. Is this normal practice? What's your take on this since this could cause a debris caution down the road?
? Alane B (aka red_23)
Salt Lake City, Utah
That was none other than Vader himsef, Jimmie Johnson. It happens more often than you'd think; the last thing a driver needs during a race is a bottle rolling around while he's tooling at 200 mph. But most drivers do try to get rid of the garbage either during pit stops or in a location where it won't cause a caution. NASCAR doesn't look too kindly on drivers manipulating a race in this fashion; the most famous incident is probably Robby Gordon's padding-throwing incident in Atlanta in 2006. He was the first car a lap down, and the caution put him back on the lead lap. But NASCAR slapped him with financial and points penalties for altering the outcome of the race.
Bottom line, if a driver wants to bring out a caution debris caution, he should do it the old-fashioned way: get someone to throw hot dog wrappers from the stands.
____________________
Anyone else "surprised" to see PFM, JPM, DEJ, and all the guys over at RFR TCB'n like BTO this season?
? Darrell Watts
WTF?
(Yes, I understood what he was saying. But I couldn't pass up that joke.)
____________________
Am I the only person who thinks that with the old car, the races at Daytona and Talladega should have been started 3 wide like the Indy cars do at Indianapolis, since they always got three-wide on the first lap anyway?
? Marcus Shaddox
I would LOVE to see that. Of course, The Big One would start in Turn One of Lap One, but it'd winnow the field a lot faster, wouldn't it?
____________________
Did you notice in the video about Texas NASCAR fans how the man's 19-year-old daughter was drinking a Miller lite beer on camera? Can you say minor consumption and contributing to a minor! I guess it's all good at a NASCAR race.
? Dustin Helterbrand
Uh … maybe it's an empty beer bottle with apple juice in it.
And finally, this gem:
____________________
Here is the granddaddy of all sport conspiracies. NASCAR brass pays the NFL owners to lockout the players and ruin the 2010-11 season. It's the only way to increase viewers on Sundays during the fall.
? Jay
Long Island, N.Y.
Wow, that makes the Michael Jordan retirement conspiracy one look positively tame. I like it, except for one problem: it'd take the Gross National Product of Europe to make the NFL throw a season. If NASCAR had that kind of coin, it'd be paying people to come to races. (And yes, I know you were joking.)
It's going to be interesting, though, if this lockout goes through; everybody I talked to in Daytona said all the right things about not wanting to see a lockout, but they had that excited look in their eye...
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com, find us on Facebook right here, or hit us up on Twitter at @jaybusbee. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Would it be possible for a sports writer (or anyone in general) to punch the next FOX Sports announcer that refers to Johnson as "Five-Time"? This is even more annoying than the "Rowdy Busch" and Jeff "Big Daddy" Gordon garbage.
? Eric Tackett
Pikeville, Ky.
Yes, we're very much in agreement that the conventionally-accepted nicknames for our favorite drivers are beyond lame. That's why we've taken the liberty of creating our own:
? "Vader": Jimmie Johnson
? "Zoolander": Jamie McMurray
? "Flatline": Matt Kenseth
? "Rawhide": Clint Bowyer
? "Bull Juice": Brian Vickers
? "Jet Ski": Brad Keselowski
...and many more. And we're always taking nominations.
See here for the complete list, and be sure to check out what we call Kyle Busch. You won't forget it, that's for sure.
As for punching someone out? Now, let's not get rash. Besides, I'm not going after those FOX guys. They've got Digger guarding him, and let's just say that little gopher's a lot fiercer in combat than you'd think.
____________________
Hypothetical scenario for the new points system: coming down to the last race before the season, Clint Bowyer sits 10th in points with 3 wins (enough to get him into a wild-card spot) and Paul Menard is a mere 10 points behind in 11th but doesn't have any wins. Halfway through the race, Bowyer and Menard are both running mid-pack and someone else is completely dialed in, running away with the race. Chances of further bonus points are slim for Clint… Does he pull off the track with a mysterious vibration, finishing a dismal 40th and requiring Menard to only have to finish 29th to ensure both make the Chase?
? Todd
Austin, Texas
The math makes my head hurt, but I like the conspiratorial cut of your jib, sir. I also think that there will be enough "if-then" scenarios set up so that if something like that were to occur, the guy pulling off the track would have to demonstrate that his engine had melted into slag in order to avoid a penalty.
Still, throwing a race on team orders? What are we, F1?
____________________
Question for you. Why is it that everyone hates on Jimmie Johnson to the point of "NASCAR is not being biased towards him" when he is just plain better than most drivers out there and he happens to have a genius as a crew chief? Obviously I am a Jimmie Johnson fan, and despise Kyle Busch, however I do recognize Kyle Busch's talents, such as being amazingly better than every other driver in the world at restarts.
? Matt
Frederick, Md.
It's very simple: because if you're not a Jimmie Johnson fan, Jimmie Johnson is kicking your driver's spoiler. That's all there is to it, plain and simple jealousy. Dress it up however you like; it comes down to "the 48's winning more than my guy, I don't want to admit that my guy's a weaker driver, ergo the 48 must be cheating/getting the calls." That's pretty much verbatim what goes on in people's heads, except for the "ergo" part. That's reserved for us ex-English majors.
And you know what? I'm fine with that. Rivalry's the lifeblood of this sport. I do think it's ridiculous that some people continue to think NASCAR is cheating to help Johnson win given the fact that he's just not as popular as many other drivers. But fans of the 48 need to just deal with this; they're sitting on five Cups, they should be able to take a little grief.
____________________
I think that NASCAR needs to have every team with at least two drivers, and the second driver must drive at least 5 regular races and at least two of the Chase races. Then it would be a team sport.
Then you would not have drivers that were hurt the week before driving the car and have team points only. Yes, we all like our driver but it is a team, not just the driver.
? Ken Maynard
Well, I think the "team" aspect extends to the crew, not to a second driver, but this is an interesting idea. Sort of a perpetual 24 Hours of Daytona thing. Here you go, folks, a Happy Hour challenge: name your best two-man team, picking one driver from currently in the top 20 and one from outside that number. Make your case, and we'll run the best ones next week.
____________________
Do you think AJ Allmendinger got the short end of the stick at Martinsville? I found it ridiculous that when AJ was leading the race and the NASCAR poster boys (Johnson, Gordon, Kyle Busch, etc.) would have gone a lap down, the officials did not through a caution when a car was limping to get to pit road. Same scenario later in the race, but AJ was in the pits, and officials threw the yellow and he ended up a lap down. AJ had one of the best cars and ended up 15th in the race.
? Scott
Chicago
I remember that; it was Brad Keselowski's malfunctioning car that didn't bring out the caution even though Jet Ski was running about a third of the speed of the field. One of our chat commenters came up with the line of the year, describing Kes as looking like "a dog lost on a freeway." And yeah, AJ did kind of get screwed by that lack-of-caution. Still, he's closer than ever to breaking through, and within a couple years he's going to be one of those front-runners everyone's griping about.
____________________
Can someone explain how a driver how comes in 2nd place gets paid less the a driver who comes in 18th? I see it all the time and I'm sure you've explained it before but I can't find the answer anywhere.
? Joe
Orlando, Fla.
The bonus structure is a system only slightly less arcane than the federal tax code. There are all sorts of sponsor/manufacturer/team incentives that drivers can participate in or sign up for, and it means that you get the bizarre situation of Regan Smith finishing 37th last week and making more money than Casey Mears, who finished 26th. As with so much else in NASCAR, it's kept close to the vest, and all we know is that neither you nor I will be getting a cut.
____________________
During one of the later cautions in the Texas race, I thought I saw a driver swing down to the apron and throw a green bottle out the window. Is this normal practice? What's your take on this since this could cause a debris caution down the road?
? Alane B (aka red_23)
Salt Lake City, Utah
That was none other than Vader himsef, Jimmie Johnson. It happens more often than you'd think; the last thing a driver needs during a race is a bottle rolling around while he's tooling at 200 mph. But most drivers do try to get rid of the garbage either during pit stops or in a location where it won't cause a caution. NASCAR doesn't look too kindly on drivers manipulating a race in this fashion; the most famous incident is probably Robby Gordon's padding-throwing incident in Atlanta in 2006. He was the first car a lap down, and the caution put him back on the lead lap. But NASCAR slapped him with financial and points penalties for altering the outcome of the race.
Bottom line, if a driver wants to bring out a caution debris caution, he should do it the old-fashioned way: get someone to throw hot dog wrappers from the stands.
____________________
Anyone else "surprised" to see PFM, JPM, DEJ, and all the guys over at RFR TCB'n like BTO this season?
? Darrell Watts
WTF?
(Yes, I understood what he was saying. But I couldn't pass up that joke.)
____________________
Am I the only person who thinks that with the old car, the races at Daytona and Talladega should have been started 3 wide like the Indy cars do at Indianapolis, since they always got three-wide on the first lap anyway?
? Marcus Shaddox
I would LOVE to see that. Of course, The Big One would start in Turn One of Lap One, but it'd winnow the field a lot faster, wouldn't it?
____________________
Did you notice in the video about Texas NASCAR fans how the man's 19-year-old daughter was drinking a Miller lite beer on camera? Can you say minor consumption and contributing to a minor! I guess it's all good at a NASCAR race.
? Dustin Helterbrand
Uh … maybe it's an empty beer bottle with apple juice in it.
And finally, this gem:
____________________
Here is the granddaddy of all sport conspiracies. NASCAR brass pays the NFL owners to lockout the players and ruin the 2010-11 season. It's the only way to increase viewers on Sundays during the fall.
? Jay
Long Island, N.Y.
Wow, that makes the Michael Jordan retirement conspiracy one look positively tame. I like it, except for one problem: it'd take the Gross National Product of Europe to make the NFL throw a season. If NASCAR had that kind of coin, it'd be paying people to come to races. (And yes, I know you were joking.)
It's going to be interesting, though, if this lockout goes through; everybody I talked to in Daytona said all the right things about not wanting to see a lockout, but they had that excited look in their eye...
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com, find us on Facebook right here, or hit us up on Twitter at @jaybusbee. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
NASCAR: The Game feeds the NASCAR video game need
I was more excited than most for the release of NASCAR: The Game 2011. It'd been a long time since there was a playable NASCAR game on the market ? the last two efforts from EA Sports were incredibly weak ? and I was sick of playing NASCAR 07 when I needed a fix.
I'll be honest, I was so excited for the game that my expectations were pretty low. All I wanted was a NASCAR game that I could pick up and enjoy and not feel like I had to spend 90 percent of my time perfecting my setup just to be competitive.
And on that front, NTG is the real deal. The game looks impressive ? when racing at Las Vegas I got flashbacks to the third week of the season ? and each track and car is incredibly rendered. I picked a driver, hopped into the game and I was competitive.
The racing is authentic, and the controls are pretty pure for only using a controller. If you get down on the apron in the corners, the car bobbles and you have to slow down to regain control and not push into the wall off corner exit. You can run the high line with authority and pinch drivers down inside of you and prevent them from getting runs off the corners.
The car feels stable, but not so stable that you feel you can simply mat the gas at any point and not pay the price by smashing the wall. Consistent corner entry and braking points are imperative, just like in the Cup Series.
But there are some flaws. When I said I was competitive, I actually meant "really good." On the hardest AI setting possible, I won in my first race at Kansas.
While there's a testing option, there's no practice option in any game mode, meaning that the only time you take to a track with other cars is during a race. AI cars tend to get bottled up and sluggish off of the corners, meaning that you either have two options when behind a pack of cars at non-plate tracks: you can either smash into them or pass them all in a flash. Not very realistic.
The draft is vastly overstated at non-restrictor plate tracks. Sometimes cars in 35th place were running the fastest laps of the race because of the draft. However ? and inexplicably, according to the laws of physics ? the draft really only works if you're the trailing car.
You can mimic the two-car draft at Daytona and Talladega, but you can only gain spots as the follower. If you're the lead car, you quickly find yourself going less than 190 MPH and losing touch with the leaders. And cautions are bizarre. I can only remember the caution coming out once for crashes I didn't cause. �(And you can race as Jennifer Jo Cobb and Danica Patrick in the Cup Series. Never mind the fact that they've never actually, you know, raced in the Cup Series.)
But I have to give the developers at Eutechnyx a lot of credit. They had 18 months to work on the game and are working on a patch for 2011 paint schemes (and hopefully gameplay issue fixes). What they've accomplished in that short of a timeframe is very impressive, and this is a great baseline for following editions of the NTG series.
Should you buy it? If you're looking for a new-generation console NASCAR game, yes. It's still fun enough to be playable for months and while you may have to crank up the difficulty level, you're not going to go out and dominate every race. It's not perfect, but what is?
Or if you don't want to buy it, you can win it. If I get to 1,000 followers on Twitter by April 25th, I'll give away a sealed (and signed!) copy of NASCAR: The Game 2011 for XBox 360 in a Twitter contest that evening. So what are you doing? Click here and follow me on Twitter for your chance to win!
(Note: a copy of this game was provided to Yahoo! Sports for review purposes.)
I'll be honest, I was so excited for the game that my expectations were pretty low. All I wanted was a NASCAR game that I could pick up and enjoy and not feel like I had to spend 90 percent of my time perfecting my setup just to be competitive.
And on that front, NTG is the real deal. The game looks impressive ? when racing at Las Vegas I got flashbacks to the third week of the season ? and each track and car is incredibly rendered. I picked a driver, hopped into the game and I was competitive.
The racing is authentic, and the controls are pretty pure for only using a controller. If you get down on the apron in the corners, the car bobbles and you have to slow down to regain control and not push into the wall off corner exit. You can run the high line with authority and pinch drivers down inside of you and prevent them from getting runs off the corners.
The car feels stable, but not so stable that you feel you can simply mat the gas at any point and not pay the price by smashing the wall. Consistent corner entry and braking points are imperative, just like in the Cup Series.
But there are some flaws. When I said I was competitive, I actually meant "really good." On the hardest AI setting possible, I won in my first race at Kansas.
While there's a testing option, there's no practice option in any game mode, meaning that the only time you take to a track with other cars is during a race. AI cars tend to get bottled up and sluggish off of the corners, meaning that you either have two options when behind a pack of cars at non-plate tracks: you can either smash into them or pass them all in a flash. Not very realistic.
The draft is vastly overstated at non-restrictor plate tracks. Sometimes cars in 35th place were running the fastest laps of the race because of the draft. However ? and inexplicably, according to the laws of physics ? the draft really only works if you're the trailing car.
You can mimic the two-car draft at Daytona and Talladega, but you can only gain spots as the follower. If you're the lead car, you quickly find yourself going less than 190 MPH and losing touch with the leaders. And cautions are bizarre. I can only remember the caution coming out once for crashes I didn't cause. �(And you can race as Jennifer Jo Cobb and Danica Patrick in the Cup Series. Never mind the fact that they've never actually, you know, raced in the Cup Series.)
But I have to give the developers at Eutechnyx a lot of credit. They had 18 months to work on the game and are working on a patch for 2011 paint schemes (and hopefully gameplay issue fixes). What they've accomplished in that short of a timeframe is very impressive, and this is a great baseline for following editions of the NTG series.
Should you buy it? If you're looking for a new-generation console NASCAR game, yes. It's still fun enough to be playable for months and while you may have to crank up the difficulty level, you're not going to go out and dominate every race. It's not perfect, but what is?
Or if you don't want to buy it, you can win it. If I get to 1,000 followers on Twitter by April 25th, I'll give away a sealed (and signed!) copy of NASCAR: The Game 2011 for XBox 360 in a Twitter contest that evening. So what are you doing? Click here and follow me on Twitter for your chance to win!
(Note: a copy of this game was provided to Yahoo! Sports for review purposes.)
Massa: Still no pattern to strategy
Ferrari driver says F1 teams are still unsure about the best tire strategy to win races, despite having had three races to get more understanding of the tactics needed.
Massa: Still no pattern to strategy
Ferrari driver says F1 teams are still unsure about the best tire strategy to win races, despite having had three races to get more understanding of the tactics needed.
Leonard Wood joins Isaac, Owens, Richter and Earles among new nominees for hall of fame
Driver Bobby Isaac, driver/owner Cotton Owens, crew chief/co-owner Leonard Wood, NASCAR executive Les Richter and Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles joined 20 others as nominees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The 2012 nominees, announced Tuesday night, include the 20 nominees not selected among the five inductees for the 2011 class.
NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals ? O?Reilly Raceway Park
Wanted to throw these videos up real quick of John Force, and Ashley Force running qualifying night at ORP.
Points lead changes hands again as Edwards vaults to first
If we've learned one thing over the first seven races of the Sprint Cup season with the new points format, it's that the leader doesn't stay at the top for very long.
Matt Kenseth became the sixth different winner in seven races this season. And that kind of parity leads to this: the points lead has now switched hands after every race this season. This week's new leader is an old one. With his third-place�run in Saturday night's Samsung Mobile 500, Carl Edwards took over the points lead for the third time this season despite nearly losing his mom's cooking during the race.
"My mom made a little dish. I think it might have been her first attempt at it," Edwards, who asked for Tums throughout the race, said afterward. "I kept everything in, so we were okay. I knew with this white fire suit I had to be careful."
A healthy Edwards previously led the points after Daytona and California.
Kyle Busch entered the Texas race at the top, but had problems with a vibration during the latter half of the race and had to make multiple stops under green. He finished a lap down in 18th and is now nine points behind Edwards in second. Kenseth went into the race ninth in the standings. The win vaulted him all the way up to third, just 13 back of his teammate.
Does all this lead-swapping mean that the title race is wide open? Well at this point, yes.
Besides Edwards and Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart have also been the points leaders. Kevin Harvick ? who is currently in ninth because of an engine failure at Daytona ? is the only driver to win more than once. (That Jimmie Johnson guy is fourth, 13 points behind.)
Heck, just look at where Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is.� He's up to sixth in the standings,�21 points behind Edwards.
It's inevitable that at some point the lead won't change on a weekly basis. But the early-season parity bodes well for a�competitive Chase. If the lead has changed hands seven times in seven races, imagine how much jockeying could go on in the 10-race Chase. And that's what we all want, right?
Matt Kenseth became the sixth different winner in seven races this season. And that kind of parity leads to this: the points lead has now switched hands after every race this season. This week's new leader is an old one. With his third-place�run in Saturday night's Samsung Mobile 500, Carl Edwards took over the points lead for the third time this season despite nearly losing his mom's cooking during the race.
"My mom made a little dish. I think it might have been her first attempt at it," Edwards, who asked for Tums throughout the race, said afterward. "I kept everything in, so we were okay. I knew with this white fire suit I had to be careful."
A healthy Edwards previously led the points after Daytona and California.
Kyle Busch entered the Texas race at the top, but had problems with a vibration during the latter half of the race and had to make multiple stops under green. He finished a lap down in 18th and is now nine points behind Edwards in second. Kenseth went into the race ninth in the standings. The win vaulted him all the way up to third, just 13 back of his teammate.
Does all this lead-swapping mean that the title race is wide open? Well at this point, yes.
Besides Edwards and Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart have also been the points leaders. Kevin Harvick ? who is currently in ninth because of an engine failure at Daytona ? is the only driver to win more than once. (That Jimmie Johnson guy is fourth, 13 points behind.)
Heck, just look at where Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is.� He's up to sixth in the standings,�21 points behind Edwards.
It's inevitable that at some point the lead won't change on a weekly basis. But the early-season parity bodes well for a�competitive Chase. If the lead has changed hands seven times in seven races, imagine how much jockeying could go on in the 10-race Chase. And that's what we all want, right?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
If this NASCAR thing doesn’t work out, Harvick’s got a new job
Since Kevin Harvick signed with Budweiser, he's been the perfect pitchman, crowing in public and on Twitter the virtues of the King of Beers. On Wednesday, he took it a step farther by actually hauling some of his product into a South Carolina Wal-Mart.
Obviously, this was a totally orchestrated deal; Harvick met with both fans and company officials. But he had fun with the whole deal, at one point motioning toward nearby Coors Light and Miller beer stacks and saying "Remember, everything on this side is contaminated."
Harvick kept hauling beer until the shelves were filled. So, yeah, if this NASCAR thing falls through, he's got a second life available as a rack jobber.
Obviously, this was a totally orchestrated deal; Harvick met with both fans and company officials. But he had fun with the whole deal, at one point motioning toward nearby Coors Light and Miller beer stacks and saying "Remember, everything on this side is contaminated."
Harvick kept hauling beer until the shelves were filled. So, yeah, if this NASCAR thing falls through, he's got a second life available as a rack jobber.
Kenny Bruce's Top 10: Reasons Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't won in 101 Cup starts
Top 10 reasons Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't won in 101 Cup starts:
Pastrana?s Final Run With Subaru.
Yep, it’s true. Travis Pastrana has signed a deal with Michael Waltrip?s NASCAR team to drive in the Nationwide Series. It’s a bold move for this do-it-all competitor, but one that should surprise no one. Before hanging up his Subaru rally uniform though, Pastrana competed in rounds 3 and 4 of the U.S. Rallycross Championship [...]
Jeff Burton, Caterpillar agree to contract extensions with Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton has reached an agreement on a multiyear contract extension to remain as driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, according to team officials. The 43-year-old South Boston, Va., native, who joined RCR late in the 2004 season, has qualified for the Chase For The Sprint Cup in four of his five full seasons with the organization. Four of his 21 career victories have come with RCR and he is 22nd in the current Cup standings. RCR officials also announced that Caterpillar, the primary sponsor for Burton and the No. 31 team, has agreed to continue their partnership.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Engine Gremlins Lingering for Earnhardt Childress Racing
Last season, the Earnhardt Childress Racing engine package was the best in the Cup Series. Drivers using the ECR engines won nine races, including all four restrictor-plate events, and three of the five drivers with the engine package made the Chase. Coming off the high of the 2010 season, it didn’t take long for the ECR drivers to come...
Jeff Gordon's ideas to help speed up restrictor-plate qualifying
After winning his 70th career Sprint Cup Series pole last weekend at Talladega, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon offered some suggestions on how to make what has become a dull, long process of qualifying cars at Daytona and Talladega into something a little more interesting. Here were this ideas: "It felt like I could walk faster than I was going out there. The one thing that I mentioned to NASCAR when we were talking about it. It is the proper restrictor plate to be on the car for the race. I don't see, and I know that I am throwing out some things that our engine builders probably will not like, but I just don't see why we're not running a different restrictor plate for qualifying or a different spoiler. Something that NASCAR hands us that is the same for everybody to make it more interesting. "To me, that qualifying session was just a snoozer. It is because we are doing two laps by ourselves doing 177 mph. That had nothing to do with me. Anybody could drive that car at that speed. So let's make it a little more interesting. I don't see why we can't get up there into the 200 mile-per-hour range qualifying. I think they have done an excellent job with these cars making them safer; finding out what they do in the wind tunnel to stay on the ground when they turn around sideways say if a tire were to blow at that speed for whatever reason ... you ran over something. "I would like to see us qualify faster just to make it more entertaining for the fans as well as for us the drivers. We're not doing anything out there right now. It would be fun to go to Talladega or Daytona and the driver plays a little bit more of a role." Sounds like some good advice to me.
IMS announces plans to repave road course
The infield section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will be repaved this summer ahead of the track's Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race, scheduled for Aug. 26-28.
Keeping the show on the road ? Fleet Equipment Magazine
Keeping the show on the road – Fleet Equipment Magazine
HardcoreRaceFans.com
Keeping the show on the roadFleet Equipment MagazineHundreds of thousands of fans rely on NASCAR's fleet of 24 trucks to move personnel, inspection equipment, tools and timing and scoring systems to events nationwide. When you're at the mercy of the weather, …Canadian NASCAR team launchedEdmonton Journal
2011 Nashville: Michael Annett NASCAR Nationwide Race PreviewPaddockTalkDean McNulty, QMI AgencyToronto SunDigitalJournal.com (press release) -Inside Track Motorsport News (blog) -Canada.comall 14 news articles »
HardcoreRaceFans.com
Keeping the show on the roadFleet Equipment MagazineHundreds of thousands of fans rely on NASCAR's fleet of 24 trucks to move personnel, inspection equipment, tools and timing and scoring systems to events nationwide. When you're at the mercy of the weather, …Canadian NASCAR team launchedEdmonton Journal
2011 Nashville: Michael Annett NASCAR Nationwide Race PreviewPaddockTalkDean McNulty, QMI AgencyToronto SunDigitalJournal.com (press release) -Inside Track Motorsport News (blog) -Canada.comall 14 news articles »
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Daytona International Speedway plants trees as NASCAR green initiative ? Daytona Beach News-Journal
Daytona International Speedway plants trees as NASCAR green initiative – Daytona Beach News-Journal
Daytona International Speedway plants trees as NASCAR green initiativeDaytona Beach News-JournalNASCAR's Green Team plants trees at three locations at Daytona Beach International Airport on Wednesday. (NJ | Jim Tiller) With Daytona International Speedway in the background, its president, Joie Chitwood …NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Project Plants 110 Trees at Daytona Beach …WhoWon.com
all 6 news articles »
Daytona International Speedway plants trees as NASCAR green initiativeDaytona Beach News-JournalNASCAR's Green Team plants trees at three locations at Daytona Beach International Airport on Wednesday. (NJ | Jim Tiller) With Daytona International Speedway in the background, its president, Joie Chitwood …NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Project Plants 110 Trees at Daytona Beach …WhoWon.com
all 6 news articles »
Austin F1 track named Circuit of the Americas
The Formula 1 track near Austin, TX has officially been named Circuit of the Americas and will host MotoGP in 2013 in addition to hosting a Formula 1 race in 2012.
The 20-turn, 3.34 mile road course will have a capacity for 120,000 fans and will cost approximately $250 million.
From RacinToday.com
The Circuit of the Americas master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. The paddock building on race weekends, for example, will also serve as a 500-person banquet hall for events such as private or corporate dinners and nonprofit fundraising galas.
The main grandstand plan includes luxury suites that can be used for business entertaining; and with a capacity of nearly 750 people and a commercial kitchen and cafe, the media and conference center will host business conferences, seminars and receptions. During race weekends, it will convert into an international media center, accommodating the world's traveling press.
The date for next year's F1 race hasn't been determined.
Still skeptical? Well, given the relationship between the States and F1 in recent years, you can't be blamed for it.
USF1 was a massive bust, failing to reach the grid for the 2010 season and the last F1 race in the States was marred by the tire debacle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (And F1 has already come and gone from Texas) Plus, county planners have previously said that there could be massive traffic jams heading to and from the race.
But the project looks like it's on the right track (construction is underway) and at this point it'd be a surprise if there wasn't Formula 1 racing in Texas in 2012. But weren't we saying the same things about USF1's existence just a couple years ago?
The 20-turn, 3.34 mile road course will have a capacity for 120,000 fans and will cost approximately $250 million.
From RacinToday.com
The Circuit of the Americas master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. The paddock building on race weekends, for example, will also serve as a 500-person banquet hall for events such as private or corporate dinners and nonprofit fundraising galas.
The main grandstand plan includes luxury suites that can be used for business entertaining; and with a capacity of nearly 750 people and a commercial kitchen and cafe, the media and conference center will host business conferences, seminars and receptions. During race weekends, it will convert into an international media center, accommodating the world's traveling press.
The date for next year's F1 race hasn't been determined.
Still skeptical? Well, given the relationship between the States and F1 in recent years, you can't be blamed for it.
USF1 was a massive bust, failing to reach the grid for the 2010 season and the last F1 race in the States was marred by the tire debacle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (And F1 has already come and gone from Texas) Plus, county planners have previously said that there could be massive traffic jams heading to and from the race.
But the project looks like it's on the right track (construction is underway) and at this point it'd be a surprise if there wasn't Formula 1 racing in Texas in 2012. But weren't we saying the same things about USF1's existence just a couple years ago?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. can?t hook up with teammate Aric Almirola on final restart, winds up eighth in Nationwide race at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. ? Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried to draft with Aric Almirola to win the Aaron?s 312, but with Almirola in the outside lane and Earnhardt Jr. on the inside for what would be the final green-white-checkered restart, Earnhardt Jr. never got hooked up with his JR Motorsports teammate the way he wanted Saturday afternoon. Earnhardt Jr. ended up pushing Justin Allgaier, who had restarted in front of him, at the end and Allgaier wound up seventh and Earnhardt Jr. was eighth in the Nationwide race at Talladega Superspeedway. Almirola finished 10th.
Chip Ganassi up for two SBJ Awards
The nominees for the 2011 Sports Business Awards, presented by Street & Smith?s SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily were announced on Monday and there were a couple categories with NASCAR connections.George Bodenheimer from ESPN; Chip Ganassi from Ganassi Racing; David Levy from Turner Broadcasting System; Kevin Plank from Under Armour; and Pat Riley from the Miami Heat; have been selected as nominees in the Sports Executive of the Year category. Ganassi Racing, the New York Jets, Orlando Magic, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Francisco Giants have been selected as nominees in the Professional Sports Team of the Year category. The Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from March 1, 2010 through Feb. 28, 2011. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony that will be held May 18, at the New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square. Please click here for the nominees in all 15 categories.
Ecclestone says Formula 1 not for sale
Formula 1 commercial manager Bernie Ecclestone says the sport is not for sale following reports that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is in talks over acquiring control of grand prix racing.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Chrome Horn, episode 49: Richard Petty
Any day you can talk to Richard Petty is a good day indeed, and today, friends, is that day.
Petty stops by the ol' Chrome Horn podcast to talk with us about all kinds of topics of the day, from STP's return to NASCAR (it'll be sponsoring races as well as the 43 car) to Petty's own life and career. Why did Talladega give him so much trouble? What does he think of the 2x2 racing? Which of today's drivers could hang with him and his buddies back in the old days? What's in store for his own team of AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose? And what's the strangest thing a fan ever did for him? Answers to all these questions and more can be yours in this ten-minute Petty chat.
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 49--Richard Petty
Petty stops by the ol' Chrome Horn podcast to talk with us about all kinds of topics of the day, from STP's return to NASCAR (it'll be sponsoring races as well as the 43 car) to Petty's own life and career. Why did Talladega give him so much trouble? What does he think of the 2x2 racing? Which of today's drivers could hang with him and his buddies back in the old days? What's in store for his own team of AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose? And what's the strangest thing a fan ever did for him? Answers to all these questions and more can be yours in this ten-minute Petty chat.
As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download. Use the iTunes link to subscribe for your iPod, and use the RSS link for everything else. Enjoy!
The Chrome Horn, episode 49--Richard Petty
Dale Earnhardt Jr. plays loyal teammate, pushes Johnson to win
TALLADEGA, Ala. ? Put yourself in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s shoes for a second. (No, you don't get any of his endorsement coin for doing so.) You've got a 100-race winless streak that everybody and his dog reminds you about. But you're coming to home turf, you're among your people and you're running as well as you have in nearly a decade. How much would you give to win? And what would it take for you to step back and play the role of spear-carrier rather than king?
On Sunday afternoon�in the Aaron's 499�at Talladega, Earnhardt and shopmate Jimmie Johnson clearly had the class tandem of the field; no other duo reached the front as often and as consistently as the 48/88. But as the race wore on, thoughts turned to the finish: Would the 48 push the 88? Would Earnhardt try the slingshot move on his teammate? How far would Earnhardt go to end this miserable winless streak?
With the laps counting down and Junior leading Johnson, the pieces fell into place. Earnhardt came over the radio and told Johnson that they were better with him pushing the five-time defending champion.�And so they switched places, with Junior now pushing Johnson in their closing-laps charge.
"We didn't know what would unfold at the end, and after the last pit stop I was pushing him for while and we were getting disconnected pretty easily," Johnson explained. "And at that point, he just said, 'Hey, you need to lead, it works better with you leading.' And [crew chiefs] Chad [Knaus] and Stevie [Letarte]�confirmed that our lap times were faster with the 48 in front of the 88, and we made a swap going into Turn 1 and just kind of stayed that way from there on out."
And "there on out" went from that point right on to the checkers, where Johnson learned of his victory from a familiar source: "I didn't hear anything on the radio, and the first voice I heard as we went into Turn 1 was Junior," Johnson said. "It was something like, 'Hell, I think the 48 won.'�"
Johnson made sure that Earnhardt got his share of the credit. After Johnson got the checkered flag, he handed it to Earnhardt, who initially declined.
"Man, I don't want that," Earnhardt said. When Johnson insisted, Earnhardt replied, "No, that's what teammates do."
"Take the damn flag," Johnson said. "I'll give you the trophy, too."
"No, I don't want the trophy," Earnhardt said, and then reconsidered. "I'll take the flag, though."
It's not the way�Junior wanted to get a checker at Talladega, but that ? and his fifth top 10 of the year, which puts him in third place overall in the standings�? will do until he can get his hands on the real thing.
On Sunday afternoon�in the Aaron's 499�at Talladega, Earnhardt and shopmate Jimmie Johnson clearly had the class tandem of the field; no other duo reached the front as often and as consistently as the 48/88. But as the race wore on, thoughts turned to the finish: Would the 48 push the 88? Would Earnhardt try the slingshot move on his teammate? How far would Earnhardt go to end this miserable winless streak?
With the laps counting down and Junior leading Johnson, the pieces fell into place. Earnhardt came over the radio and told Johnson that they were better with him pushing the five-time defending champion.�And so they switched places, with Junior now pushing Johnson in their closing-laps charge.
"We didn't know what would unfold at the end, and after the last pit stop I was pushing him for while and we were getting disconnected pretty easily," Johnson explained. "And at that point, he just said, 'Hey, you need to lead, it works better with you leading.' And [crew chiefs] Chad [Knaus] and Stevie [Letarte]�confirmed that our lap times were faster with the 48 in front of the 88, and we made a swap going into Turn 1 and just kind of stayed that way from there on out."
And "there on out" went from that point right on to the checkers, where Johnson learned of his victory from a familiar source: "I didn't hear anything on the radio, and the first voice I heard as we went into Turn 1 was Junior," Johnson said. "It was something like, 'Hell, I think the 48 won.'�"
Johnson made sure that Earnhardt got his share of the credit. After Johnson got the checkered flag, he handed it to Earnhardt, who initially declined.
"Man, I don't want that," Earnhardt said. When Johnson insisted, Earnhardt replied, "No, that's what teammates do."
"Take the damn flag," Johnson said. "I'll give you the trophy, too."
"No, I don't want the trophy," Earnhardt said, and then reconsidered. "I'll take the flag, though."
It's not the way�Junior wanted to get a checker at Talladega, but that ? and his fifth top 10 of the year, which puts him in third place overall in the standings�? will do until he can get his hands on the real thing.
Canadian businessman buys Baker Curb, hires driver J.R. Fitzpatrick for partial Nationwide, Cup schedule
Canadian businessman Steve Meehan has purchased the assets from Baker Curb Racing and formed Go Canada Racing, which he hopes will become a vehicle for Canadian racers to break into the upper echelons of NASCAR.
Leonard Wood joins Isaac, Owens, Richter and Earles among new nominees for hall of fame
Driver Bobby Isaac, driver/owner Cotton Owens, crew chief/co-owner Leonard Wood, NASCAR executive Les Richter and Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles joined 20 others as nominees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The 2012 nominees, announced Tuesday night, include the 20 nominees not selected among the five inductees for the 2011 class.
Create-a-caption: ‘No, see, here’s where you’re wrong, Jimmie…’
Kyle Busch is giving ol' whatsisname some tips on driving while at Talladega. But since Jimmie Johnson won and Kyle ended up on the early flight home, perhaps a reversal is in order. And we're sure you can come up with a fine little caption for this piece.
After the jump, we present Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Harvick.
Not many that we can post here ? you folks loved to rhyme "clock," didn't you ? but here we go:
Joshua:
Hickory Dickory Dock
The Harvicks get a new clock
The dog's just a rat.
So it's familiar with that.
And Junior fans are left in shock.
Todd aka Spud:
"Immediately following this photo, DeLana Harvick commented she had no intention of displacing her enormous collection of pants to make room for the Martinsville trophy clock."
After the jump, we present Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Harvick.
Not many that we can post here ? you folks loved to rhyme "clock," didn't you ? but here we go:
Joshua:
Hickory Dickory Dock
The Harvicks get a new clock
The dog's just a rat.
So it's familiar with that.
And Junior fans are left in shock.
Todd aka Spud:
"Immediately following this photo, DeLana Harvick commented she had no intention of displacing her enormous collection of pants to make room for the Martinsville trophy clock."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Talladega Superspeedway Trip Report: Update 3
UPDATE 3 Now that our trip is complete and were safely back in Indiana I can look back on this trip and all the memories I made at Talladega. I?ve been to seven major speedways on the NASCAR circuit now and looking back on this trip I have to say Talladega is safely at the [...]
Jeff Gordon frustrated, disappointed with performance on intermediate tracks
TALLADEGA, Ala. ? Jeff Gordon admits he?s frustrated and disappointed over his finishes on the 1.5-mile tracks and said Friday that his Hendrick Motorsports team has to get their car balance and speed issues figured out before the Chase For The Sprint Cup.
Join us for the latest Marbles chat, Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET!
Time again for another weekly Marbles NASCAR chat, where we'll discuss anything and everything under the sun, including everyone's favorite sport-on-four-wheels. However, questions must be asked two-by-two this week, so get ready. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. ET. See you here!
<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0f991c13c1" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0f991c13c1" >Marbles Live Chat Wednesday, 4/20/11</a>
<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0f991c13c1" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0f991c13c1" >Marbles Live Chat Wednesday, 4/20/11</a>
Take a ride with Red Bull Racing
Want to go for a ride with NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne or Brian Vickers around Charlotte Motor Speedway? The Red Bull Racing teammates are encouraging their fans to e-mail in photos they'd like to be put on their respective cars for the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. Photos will be incorporated into the paint scheme on the bodies of the Nos. 4 and 83 Toyotas. Fans can get an up-close look at the photos on the cars when they?re revealed at Red Bull Racing Fan Day at The EpiCentre in Charlotte on May 26. Here's how to get your face in the race: Log to www.redbullracingusa.com/shutterspeed and submit your photo. After your photo is entered, you?ll receive a bounce back message with a personalized code. Photos will be updated frequently leading up to the May 22 deadline. Check back to the site, enter your unique code, and you?ll be shown exactly where your picture landed on the Red Bull Racing Toyota that will speed around the track on May 29. Take a look at how the Red Bull Toyotas will look in the Coca-Cola 600 with the paint/photo scheme in place:
Monday, April 18, 2011
Last-lap dash: Drivers plot strategy for late pass to win at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. ? Sprint Cup drivers have an idea about where they want to be and what they want to do on the final lap of the Aaron?s 499 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.
Whether they can actually execute that plan is a whole other story.
Whether they can actually execute that plan is a whole other story.
NASCAR Racing At Texas Motor Speedway
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. This week NASCAR is at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will race in the Samsung Mobile 500, While the NASCAR Nationwide Series will race in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. Practice for both Series’ was Thursday and Friday, although [...]
Gentlemen, start your radios!
An interesting and relatively new dynamic debuted at the Daytona 500 this year - something NASCAR fans will likely hear a lot more of this weekend in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. No, not talking about the two-car draft, specifically. Rather, it's the communication between what are supposed to be adversaries on the track that is now taking place in order make those two-car drafts work best. It's not just teammate talking to teammate. We saw Chevrolet driver talking to Ford driver, Hendrick drivers communicating with Gibbs drivers. All in the effort to be at the right place at the right time so that - surprise - only one of them can win the race. Somehow, that sounds counterproductive. That new dynamic was talked about Tuesday by Jeff Burton. Here is what he had to say: "We had a meeting this week talking about, you know, who you want to try to get on your radio, and it's pretty odd. I mean, typically it's teams that try to communicate within the team. But for a Childress car to be talking to a Hendrick car, or a Hendrick car to be talking to a Roush car, and a Roush car to be talking to a Gibbs car, we've never seen that. It's pretty interesting how that all is going down and who is going to who and talking and saying, can I put you in my radio. And with the etiquette: When do you go to a competitor's radio frequency? All of that's a moving target. I don't know, I'm a fan of it because I think honestly it's safer doing it with one spotter and two cars. I think it's actually safer. However, I'm not a fan of it because it's supposed to be us against them, you know. We are not supposed to be working together. It's a little bit weird in the sense that we are competitors or talking to each other; on the other hand, from the safety standpoint I think it's the right way to go. It's a pretty interesting time right now."
F1?s Lewis Hamilton To NASCAR?
In a bizarre twist of fate, Lewis Hamilton, the F1 wunderkind and star driver for McLaren Mercedes, will jump ship and head to NASCAR. Conveniently, Tony Stewart will give up his NASCAR ride and take Hamilton?s seat in last year?s McLaren MP4-25. The catch? Both are exhibition drives, courtesy of NASCAR and F1 sponsor Mobil [...]
NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals Photos Best of the Best
What an awesome weekend for the NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals here in Indy at O’Reilly Raceway Park. You couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better race. The event was absolutely amazing and one of the best I’ve attended in a long time. If you’ve never been to an NHRA event then these [...]
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Vettel takes pole for Chinese Grand Prix
The seemingly unstoppable Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel put in another dominant qualifying performance on Saturday to claim pole position for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
Brian Vickers Shows That NASCAR Can Be Fun
I?ll admit it: NASCAR usually doesn?t come to mind when discussing Thursday night binge-drinking raves, complete with simulated girl-girl action. Even after watching this video, I?m really no more inclined to watch NASCAR racing than I was before, nor am I inclined to drink more RedBull. The message, as near as I can tell, is [...]
Jeff Gordon leads way in TV mentions
? Jeff Gordon, who earlier this season snapped a 66-race winless streak with a victory at Phoenix, has generated more on-screen time for his sponsors during television coverage of the first three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events than any other driver, according to data collected by Joyce Julius & Associates Inc, which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast over the last 27 seasons. However, overall team sponsor exposure fell 25 percent compared to the same point in the season a year ago. Driver Sponsor Exp. Verbal RG Exp. Driver Interview Driver Time Mentions Value Interviews Durations Mentions 1) J. Gordon 1:50:16 18 $7,557,330 4 0:05:35 453 2) C. Edwards 1:47:28 34 7,065,910 7 0:08:01 362 3) T. Stewart 1:41:25 8 5,330,390 2 0:00:42 436 4) Ky. Busch 1:38:31 22 9,095,375 5 0:05:40 409 5) D. Earnhardt Jr. 1:23:06 0 9,634,060 2 0:01:56 290 6) T. Bayne 1:16:42 14 9,259,655 6 0:06:06 259 7) J. Montoya 1:11:53 8 3,679,550 2 0:01:16 183 8) J. Johnson 1:11:06 6 4,053,770 2 0:01:41 185
Hendrick Motorsports Claims Top Four Positions For Aaron?s 499
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Coors Light Pole Qualifying took place on Saturday at the Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Spring Cup Series race on Sunday. All four Hendrick Motorsports entries will start the race in the first two rows. 24 Jeff Gordon claimed the pole with a speed of [...]
Kyle Busch nudged out of lead again; finishes third
Kyle Busch will have to wait a little longer to get that first Martinsville victory.
A day after Johnny Sauter bumped past him for the win in the Camping World Truck Series race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. nudged Busch from the lead with 24 laps to go, the third time that Busch has lost the lead in the closing laps of a Sprint Cup race this season.
Jimmie Johnson and Harvick passed Busch for the win on Lap 198 of last week's Auto Club 400 at California and Jeff Gordon passed Busch on Lap 304 of the 312-lap race at Phoenix.
And yes, it was more of a nudge than a bump. Junior had a faster car than Busch and after the race, Busch said that the contact was fair game for Martinsville. It was nothing like what happened when the two came together in 2008 at Richmond.
After Kevin Harvick got by both drivers, Busch tapped Junior back on the final lap and got inside of Junior but wasn't able to beat him to the finish line.
Despite coming up short those three times,� the top fives have allowed�Busch to take the points lead. Busch is five points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards.
A day after Johnny Sauter bumped past him for the win in the Camping World Truck Series race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. nudged Busch from the lead with 24 laps to go, the third time that Busch has lost the lead in the closing laps of a Sprint Cup race this season.
Jimmie Johnson and Harvick passed Busch for the win on Lap 198 of last week's Auto Club 400 at California and Jeff Gordon passed Busch on Lap 304 of the 312-lap race at Phoenix.
And yes, it was more of a nudge than a bump. Junior had a faster car than Busch and after the race, Busch said that the contact was fair game for Martinsville. It was nothing like what happened when the two came together in 2008 at Richmond.
After Kevin Harvick got by both drivers, Busch tapped Junior back on the final lap and got inside of Junior but wasn't able to beat him to the finish line.
Despite coming up short those three times,� the top fives have allowed�Busch to take the points lead. Busch is five points ahead of second-place Carl Edwards.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)