The tornadoes that have raked the southeastern United States in the last few weeks have left deep scars in NASCAR country, and the horrifying storm that virtually destroyed Joplin, Missouri is no exception.
Joplin is the hometown of Jamie McMurray, and shortly after the storm hit, he issued the following statement: "My heart goes out to all the people that have been affected by the devastating Missouri tornado on May 22nd, especially in my hometown of Joplin.� It is difficult to put into words, the emotions I have when I see the devastation and destruction that was caused by this storm.� My thoughts and prayers are extended to all the people who are dealing with so much loss. I would also like to thank all those that have reached out to me to express their concerns for my family.� Although I don't personally have any family in Joplin any longer, there are still many people there that need our support and prayers."
Expect McMurray to reach out in some form; he, like so many other drivers, is keenly aware of NASCAR's need to offer up charity to those who need it.
And for a little perspective, take a look at the devastation in Joplin. Shocking.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Happy Hour: The very last word on Harvick/Busch (for now)
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: you write us with your best rant/joke/one-liner at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Today, because the Dover race wasn't exactly the most thrilling, you folks are still focused on Kyle/Kevin.
But before we get started, a couple notes: first, give us your name and hometown (and, perhaps, your chat room nickname) when writing in. Give us a little more about you, you know? Next, feel free to send in as many letters as you like, but remember: everybody else is writing about that week's Big Story; you've got a better chance of getting in if you go with something offbeat. Now, let's roll with the last word (for now) on the Kyle Busch/Kevin Harvick situation.
First, the anti-Busch contingent:
This guy is a baby crying whining little waste of skin! I love NASCAR, but all everybody does is talks about their Baby Kyle. I talk to a lot of people who say they don't watch Nascar anymore because it doesn't matter if "baby " is in 30th spot, y'all will find him and follow him all day. It makes us sick to hear the way you guys just love him ... His three fans are the only ones who care.
? Marilyn Teasley
All right, then. And, in the interest of fair play, the anti-Harvick voice:
____________________
First off, Kevin Harvick isn't a bully, he's a primadonna little�whiner.� He's talented, to be sure, but he races like a girl who saw another girl wearing her dress to the prom ...� Oh, and as for the part with Busch punting Harvick's car on Pit Road?� Every one of your readers is a moron if they don't think it was Harvick's fault.� Why? Because YOU, THE DRIVER, are ultimately responsible for YOUR equipment.� It's YOUR CAR.� Kevin the idiot CHOSE to LEAVE HIS CAR, IN NEUTRAL, to go "speak" with Kyle ... You don't leave your multimillion-dollar equipment unattended and OUT OF GEAR.
? John Cork
Clearly, there are no mild feelings on the matter. We conclude with a voice of reason ... or whatever passes for that around here:
____________________
I've never heard so many ridiculous�comments resulting from the Kyle/Kevin incident. Such as:�"Kyle should be charged with attempted manslaughter", "Kyle should be suspended for 4 races" and so on. Seriously!? Do these people not realize that the only thing keeping NASCAR from sinking are these exact situations? ... We don't watch for the�3 hour races driving in circles with the last 20 laps being the only ones worth watching, and we certainly don't watch to see the same person win year after year. We watch for the drama, the exciting wrecks and the rivalries. NASCAR is not going to�deter their most popular drivers for doing exactly what is keeping the sport popular. Does no one else�realize this ...?
? Buddy M.
Spokane, WA
Note: all three of those letters took various unprintable shots at NASCAR, the fans, the media, you readers, and even Junior Nation, for some reason. Some of you may need to lay off the Red Bull/Starbucks cocktails.
____________________
Jay, I have an idea to improve the racing at restrictor-plate tracks again. Since the new, smoother surfaces at Daytona and Talladega have led to two-by-two racing, NASCAR should install temporary bump stops around the tracks. And, so the drivers don't figure out where they all are and avoid them while still driving two-by-two, NASCAR can move the bump stops to different spots during practice, qualifying, the Nationwide race and the Sprint Cup race, kind of like the hole selection in golf. I bet the racing will go back to the way it used to be.
? Daniel
I'm not sure of the wisdom of installing bump-stops at a track where speeds reach 200 mph, but I will say that anything which takes these drivers out of their comfort zone is a lot of fun to watch. It's why Eldora, the Chili Bowl, and other local short-track charity events are so much fun -- these guys have to bring a whole new set of skills into play. I'd love to see a race on public interstates, like Kyle Busch did in Washington, D.C. a couple years back, but there might be a few logistical problems with that one.
____________________
Do you think that AJ Allmendinger is turning out to be the next failed [open-wheel driver] to [try the] NASCAR experiment like Dario, Hornish and Danica?
? Roscoe Slutz
Um ... no. Dinger's doing just fine. And if he can get in better equipment, or if Richard Petty can get him some, you can bet he'll get that first win before long. In closing, let me just say that "Roscoe Slutz" is an awesome name.
____________________
At the dirt track I used to go to, if you caused a caution, for whatever reason, you went to the back of the pack.� Act up bad enough and you would be banned from the track.� The same could be done in NASCAR; put them at the end of the lead lap.� Act up bad enough, you don't get to run at that track when it has it's next Cup race.� Sponsor doesn't like it?� Let the sponsor talk to the driver, not NASCAR; the sponsors aren't running the show.
? Jerel Walker
The sponsors would beg to differ with you, sir. But it's like everything else: the superstars get different treatment than the rank-and-file. If, say, Andy Lally gets in trouble, you can bet the hammer will drop a lot harder on him than it would on one of the marquee names. You know this. I know this. Everybody knows this.
But, you know, as long as we're coming up with wacky penalties, let's speculate. Here's my idea: for every caution you cause in a season, you lose one crew member. By the end of the year, certain guys would have to be getting out of the car to change their own tires. Tell me you wouldn't watch that. Your ideas?
____________________
Jay, I'm curious on a couple things.
Please tell me none of them has to do with Harvick/Busch.
First, how long does Truex have left on his contract at MWR?
Oh, thank heaven. And the answer is, I don't know. His status isn't public, but he's signed through at least the next couple years.
It would seem to me, depending on his contract situation, he could be interested in a new team when it comes time.� Here's two scenarios that I would like to see as a Truex fan.� 1:� Stewart-Haas has long been rumored to want to add a third car.� With Danica more than likely jumping into Cup with JR Motorsports, Truex is a logical fit.� 2:� Jeff Gordon races for 3 more years.� Any chance Rick Hendrick does what he did with Kahne and signs him before he has a ride lined up?� ... In either case, he doesn't have to be "The Man" at either organization.� He can follow and learn from some of the best the sport has.� Or do you see him staying at MWR long-term ...?
? Adam
Fort Wayne, IN
Truex is at the low edge of that "promising-but-unproven" tier right now, the guys who should be running well for the next decade but as yet haven't fully capitalized on all the expectation. (Also in that mix: Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman; Denny Hamlin just vaulted out of it last year.) What he proves over the next few years at MWR will go a long way to determining whether he'll have a seat at one of the topline teams waiting for him. Also, you've got to consider how long Gordon, Stewart, Burton, etc. will stay in their seats; that turnover could clear a space for him. I see plenty of opportunity ahead for Truex, but he's got a ways to go before he reaches that top echelon of drivers.
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!
[That art above done by "DracoArt" of the Bump-Drafters group on DeviantArt. Go check 'em out; it's great stuff and we'll be featuring more of it throughout the season.]
But before we get started, a couple notes: first, give us your name and hometown (and, perhaps, your chat room nickname) when writing in. Give us a little more about you, you know? Next, feel free to send in as many letters as you like, but remember: everybody else is writing about that week's Big Story; you've got a better chance of getting in if you go with something offbeat. Now, let's roll with the last word (for now) on the Kyle Busch/Kevin Harvick situation.
First, the anti-Busch contingent:
This guy is a baby crying whining little waste of skin! I love NASCAR, but all everybody does is talks about their Baby Kyle. I talk to a lot of people who say they don't watch Nascar anymore because it doesn't matter if "baby " is in 30th spot, y'all will find him and follow him all day. It makes us sick to hear the way you guys just love him ... His three fans are the only ones who care.
? Marilyn Teasley
All right, then. And, in the interest of fair play, the anti-Harvick voice:
____________________
First off, Kevin Harvick isn't a bully, he's a primadonna little�whiner.� He's talented, to be sure, but he races like a girl who saw another girl wearing her dress to the prom ...� Oh, and as for the part with Busch punting Harvick's car on Pit Road?� Every one of your readers is a moron if they don't think it was Harvick's fault.� Why? Because YOU, THE DRIVER, are ultimately responsible for YOUR equipment.� It's YOUR CAR.� Kevin the idiot CHOSE to LEAVE HIS CAR, IN NEUTRAL, to go "speak" with Kyle ... You don't leave your multimillion-dollar equipment unattended and OUT OF GEAR.
? John Cork
Clearly, there are no mild feelings on the matter. We conclude with a voice of reason ... or whatever passes for that around here:
____________________
I've never heard so many ridiculous�comments resulting from the Kyle/Kevin incident. Such as:�"Kyle should be charged with attempted manslaughter", "Kyle should be suspended for 4 races" and so on. Seriously!? Do these people not realize that the only thing keeping NASCAR from sinking are these exact situations? ... We don't watch for the�3 hour races driving in circles with the last 20 laps being the only ones worth watching, and we certainly don't watch to see the same person win year after year. We watch for the drama, the exciting wrecks and the rivalries. NASCAR is not going to�deter their most popular drivers for doing exactly what is keeping the sport popular. Does no one else�realize this ...?
? Buddy M.
Spokane, WA
Note: all three of those letters took various unprintable shots at NASCAR, the fans, the media, you readers, and even Junior Nation, for some reason. Some of you may need to lay off the Red Bull/Starbucks cocktails.
____________________
Jay, I have an idea to improve the racing at restrictor-plate tracks again. Since the new, smoother surfaces at Daytona and Talladega have led to two-by-two racing, NASCAR should install temporary bump stops around the tracks. And, so the drivers don't figure out where they all are and avoid them while still driving two-by-two, NASCAR can move the bump stops to different spots during practice, qualifying, the Nationwide race and the Sprint Cup race, kind of like the hole selection in golf. I bet the racing will go back to the way it used to be.
? Daniel
I'm not sure of the wisdom of installing bump-stops at a track where speeds reach 200 mph, but I will say that anything which takes these drivers out of their comfort zone is a lot of fun to watch. It's why Eldora, the Chili Bowl, and other local short-track charity events are so much fun -- these guys have to bring a whole new set of skills into play. I'd love to see a race on public interstates, like Kyle Busch did in Washington, D.C. a couple years back, but there might be a few logistical problems with that one.
____________________
Do you think that AJ Allmendinger is turning out to be the next failed [open-wheel driver] to [try the] NASCAR experiment like Dario, Hornish and Danica?
? Roscoe Slutz
Um ... no. Dinger's doing just fine. And if he can get in better equipment, or if Richard Petty can get him some, you can bet he'll get that first win before long. In closing, let me just say that "Roscoe Slutz" is an awesome name.
____________________
At the dirt track I used to go to, if you caused a caution, for whatever reason, you went to the back of the pack.� Act up bad enough and you would be banned from the track.� The same could be done in NASCAR; put them at the end of the lead lap.� Act up bad enough, you don't get to run at that track when it has it's next Cup race.� Sponsor doesn't like it?� Let the sponsor talk to the driver, not NASCAR; the sponsors aren't running the show.
? Jerel Walker
The sponsors would beg to differ with you, sir. But it's like everything else: the superstars get different treatment than the rank-and-file. If, say, Andy Lally gets in trouble, you can bet the hammer will drop a lot harder on him than it would on one of the marquee names. You know this. I know this. Everybody knows this.
But, you know, as long as we're coming up with wacky penalties, let's speculate. Here's my idea: for every caution you cause in a season, you lose one crew member. By the end of the year, certain guys would have to be getting out of the car to change their own tires. Tell me you wouldn't watch that. Your ideas?
____________________
Jay, I'm curious on a couple things.
Please tell me none of them has to do with Harvick/Busch.
First, how long does Truex have left on his contract at MWR?
Oh, thank heaven. And the answer is, I don't know. His status isn't public, but he's signed through at least the next couple years.
It would seem to me, depending on his contract situation, he could be interested in a new team when it comes time.� Here's two scenarios that I would like to see as a Truex fan.� 1:� Stewart-Haas has long been rumored to want to add a third car.� With Danica more than likely jumping into Cup with JR Motorsports, Truex is a logical fit.� 2:� Jeff Gordon races for 3 more years.� Any chance Rick Hendrick does what he did with Kahne and signs him before he has a ride lined up?� ... In either case, he doesn't have to be "The Man" at either organization.� He can follow and learn from some of the best the sport has.� Or do you see him staying at MWR long-term ...?
? Adam
Fort Wayne, IN
Truex is at the low edge of that "promising-but-unproven" tier right now, the guys who should be running well for the next decade but as yet haven't fully capitalized on all the expectation. (Also in that mix: Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman; Denny Hamlin just vaulted out of it last year.) What he proves over the next few years at MWR will go a long way to determining whether he'll have a seat at one of the topline teams waiting for him. Also, you've got to consider how long Gordon, Stewart, Burton, etc. will stay in their seats; that turnover could clear a space for him. I see plenty of opportunity ahead for Truex, but he's got a ways to go before he reaches that top echelon of drivers.
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!
[That art above done by "DracoArt" of the Bump-Drafters group on DeviantArt. Go check 'em out; it's great stuff and we'll be featuring more of it throughout the season.]
Busch apologizes for driving 128 mph on road
Kyle Busch apologized repeatedly Thursday for showing a "lack of judgment" in driving 128 mph in a 45 mph zone in a borrowed Lexus.
Pole winner Brad Keselowski believes Penske Racing improving as vocal drivers, team shakeup leads to change
CONCORD, N.C. ? In a season in which Kurt Busch is struggling and teammate Brad Keselowski hasn?t been able to overcome adversity, Keselowski winning the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 could give the Penske Racing organization a bit of hope.
Bayne says docs don't know what caused symptoms
Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne may never learn what caused the illness that has sidelined him the past five weeks.
David Ragan scores career best with runnerup finish in Coca-Cola 600
It wasn?t always pretty but David Ragan left the Coca-Cola 600 with a second-place finish, a career best for the driver of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Hot/Not: Would eliminations help NASCAR’s all-star night?
An exhibition weekend in Charlotte doesn't mean Hot/Not is taking the week off. Let's�jump into the weekend's hits and misses:
Not: We can all agree that NASCAR's All-Star race format could use a tweak, right?
Saturday night was a mildly entertaining race. If I had been in the stands, a beeline to the ticket office demanding a refund wouldn't have crossed my. But this race has been so hyped, so overly promoted that it needs to produce the excitement, punches and otherwise "Oh no he DIDN'T!" reaction from fans.
First, it's silly beyond words that NASCAR's probation of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick covers an exhibition race. There is no better time for any foes to settle a feud than a night like Saturday's in Charlotte ? especially when NASCAR's TV partners run commercial after commercial as if that could happen.
The failure to communicate marketing strategy between the two is maddening and counter-intuitive. It's either one way or the other. Period.
As for the race format, I get why the 50-lap first segment exists. It provides some semblance of normal racing and mandates crews perform a high-tension green-flag pit stop. But it's not needed.
Scrap the 50-lap segment (that, to my recollection, has gone virtually caution- and drama-free for a few years) and scrap the idea that the All-Star race should be at all normal. The All-Star event should be gimmicky, manufactured and otherwise crazy.
A full or partial inversion of the field for the final segment was used years ago, once via a huge dice roll and other times via fan vote. I like that idea, and think putting the faster cars in the back of the pack to start a final 15-lap segment would do everything fans want in the race.
But I'd also add this: After each segment, the last three drivers in the running order (running or not) get the boot. By the fourth segment (in a 21-car field like Saturday night) 12 cars would remain. This makes the first three segments intriguing both in the front of the field and in the back.
From there, involve the fans via a text message or online vote to re-install one of the eliminated nine drivers to the final segment while inverting a portion of the field. Craziness would ensue, drama would unfold and the All-Star race would revert to being that once-a-year race everyone wants.
Hot: Speaking of Mr. Carl Edwards, there's no one hotter in NASCAR at this point. Edwards holds a steady lead in the Sprint Cup point standings and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. I'll give any non-believers some concessions ("It's early" or "Wait until the Chase"), but Edwards is looking like the guy who will challenge Jimmie Johnson come November.
Not: Just as televised player introductions in the Super Bowl are fun for all of 30 seconds, NASCAR really ought to re-think the length of the All-Star Race's team introductions.
The idea is a neat one and I'm positive it stirs some emotion to those at the track, but the presentation on TV just loses its pace quickly. Figure out a way to speed them up while forcing the teams and drivers to do more than slowly amble across the stage and we might have a solution to the nap-inducing festivities from Saturday night.
Hot: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. deserves some much-needed praise for finally getting a win in the Nationwide Series and becoming the first non-Cup driver to win in the series this season when he took the checkered flag Sunday at Iowa Speedway. Stenhouse, in a Roush-Fenway car, passed Edwards with 17 to go to take his first series win in 51 starts.
What's more is that Stenhouse bounced back from a weekend at Iowa last season in which he wrecked his primary and backup cars before the race and was forced to borrow Edwards' backup car for the race. There aren't many weekends worse than that for rookies in NASCAR.
Not: The teamwork between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon fell through when Johnson ? presumably mistakenly ? cut too close to Gordon's pit stall during the final pit stop in Saturday night's race. Gordon tweeted Monday that Johnson clipped Gordon's tire carrier, causing the No. 24's pit stop to go awry.
A decent car most of the night, Gordon lost all hope when he emerged from pit road nine or 10 spots down the running order. In the final 10 laps, Gordon went nowhere and finished 15th.
Hot: Let's give some praise to NASCAR's safety initiative one more time. Landon Cassill's crash with Derrike Cope in the Sprint Showdown was simply remarkable in that Cassill walked away.
Cope had nowhere to go when Cassill's machine slid up the track after blowing a tire and T-boned Cassill just behind the driver's door. SPEED's slow-motion replay visibly showed Cassill's hand bouncing from the steering wheel and into the window.
Hot: More credit where credit is due as we wrap up this week's Hot/Not is deserved to the folks at Charlotte Motor Speedway for two things: a tremendous crowd for the All-Star Race and a tremendous addition to the track's facilities.
The new video board along the backstretch ? the world's largest, as you know ? should be a terrific asset to keep a new-era of fans who are consistently engaged electronically interested in the show at CMS. Plus, it's really doggone cool.
Not: We can all agree that NASCAR's All-Star race format could use a tweak, right?
Saturday night was a mildly entertaining race. If I had been in the stands, a beeline to the ticket office demanding a refund wouldn't have crossed my. But this race has been so hyped, so overly promoted that it needs to produce the excitement, punches and otherwise "Oh no he DIDN'T!" reaction from fans.
First, it's silly beyond words that NASCAR's probation of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick covers an exhibition race. There is no better time for any foes to settle a feud than a night like Saturday's in Charlotte ? especially when NASCAR's TV partners run commercial after commercial as if that could happen.
The failure to communicate marketing strategy between the two is maddening and counter-intuitive. It's either one way or the other. Period.
As for the race format, I get why the 50-lap first segment exists. It provides some semblance of normal racing and mandates crews perform a high-tension green-flag pit stop. But it's not needed.
Scrap the 50-lap segment (that, to my recollection, has gone virtually caution- and drama-free for a few years) and scrap the idea that the All-Star race should be at all normal. The All-Star event should be gimmicky, manufactured and otherwise crazy.
A full or partial inversion of the field for the final segment was used years ago, once via a huge dice roll and other times via fan vote. I like that idea, and think putting the faster cars in the back of the pack to start a final 15-lap segment would do everything fans want in the race.
But I'd also add this: After each segment, the last three drivers in the running order (running or not) get the boot. By the fourth segment (in a 21-car field like Saturday night) 12 cars would remain. This makes the first three segments intriguing both in the front of the field and in the back.
From there, involve the fans via a text message or online vote to re-install one of the eliminated nine drivers to the final segment while inverting a portion of the field. Craziness would ensue, drama would unfold and the All-Star race would revert to being that once-a-year race everyone wants.
Hot: Speaking of Mr. Carl Edwards, there's no one hotter in NASCAR at this point. Edwards holds a steady lead in the Sprint Cup point standings and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. I'll give any non-believers some concessions ("It's early" or "Wait until the Chase"), but Edwards is looking like the guy who will challenge Jimmie Johnson come November.
Not: Just as televised player introductions in the Super Bowl are fun for all of 30 seconds, NASCAR really ought to re-think the length of the All-Star Race's team introductions.
The idea is a neat one and I'm positive it stirs some emotion to those at the track, but the presentation on TV just loses its pace quickly. Figure out a way to speed them up while forcing the teams and drivers to do more than slowly amble across the stage and we might have a solution to the nap-inducing festivities from Saturday night.
Hot: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. deserves some much-needed praise for finally getting a win in the Nationwide Series and becoming the first non-Cup driver to win in the series this season when he took the checkered flag Sunday at Iowa Speedway. Stenhouse, in a Roush-Fenway car, passed Edwards with 17 to go to take his first series win in 51 starts.
What's more is that Stenhouse bounced back from a weekend at Iowa last season in which he wrecked his primary and backup cars before the race and was forced to borrow Edwards' backup car for the race. There aren't many weekends worse than that for rookies in NASCAR.
Not: The teamwork between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon fell through when Johnson ? presumably mistakenly ? cut too close to Gordon's pit stall during the final pit stop in Saturday night's race. Gordon tweeted Monday that Johnson clipped Gordon's tire carrier, causing the No. 24's pit stop to go awry.
A decent car most of the night, Gordon lost all hope when he emerged from pit road nine or 10 spots down the running order. In the final 10 laps, Gordon went nowhere and finished 15th.
Hot: Let's give some praise to NASCAR's safety initiative one more time. Landon Cassill's crash with Derrike Cope in the Sprint Showdown was simply remarkable in that Cassill walked away.
Cope had nowhere to go when Cassill's machine slid up the track after blowing a tire and T-boned Cassill just behind the driver's door. SPEED's slow-motion replay visibly showed Cassill's hand bouncing from the steering wheel and into the window.
Hot: More credit where credit is due as we wrap up this week's Hot/Not is deserved to the folks at Charlotte Motor Speedway for two things: a tremendous crowd for the All-Star Race and a tremendous addition to the track's facilities.
The new video board along the backstretch ? the world's largest, as you know ? should be a terrific asset to keep a new-era of fans who are consistently engaged electronically interested in the show at CMS. Plus, it's really doggone cool.
Monday Morning Tear Down: Horsepower, better cars fuel Roush Fenway Racing?s dominance on 1.5-mile tracks
With Carl Edwards? victory in the Sprint All-Star Race, Roush Fenway Racing has won the last four races on 1.5-mile ovals dating back to last year.
Edwards won at the 2010 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and then won at Las Vegas this year. His teammate, Matt Kenseth, won at Texas Motor Speedway April 9 and then Edwards took home the $1 million paycheck Saturday night at Charlotte.
Edwards won at the 2010 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and then won at Las Vegas this year. His teammate, Matt Kenseth, won at Texas Motor Speedway April 9 and then Edwards took home the $1 million paycheck Saturday night at Charlotte.
Indy 500 tops the list of America’s most-attended sports events
This weekend will see the latest running of the Indianapolis 500, a singular moment in our sporting year. And while the race doesn't have the reach or influence it's had in past decades, it's nonetheless the best-attended sporting event in America, year after year. For that alone, the Indy 500 deserves our undying respect.
But if Indy's first, who's next? And where do our favorite other sports stack up, attendance-wise, against the Indianapolis 500? Let's take a look at the numbers.
Now, counting attendance at mammoth events like the Indianapolis 500 is a study in guesswork. The track itself estimates that there were about 250,000 seats at the track, but nobody has any idea how many people could fit into the infield. The same is true at Daytona International Speedway. Everybody piles in, and the tracks focus on keeping everybody safe rather than counting heads.
Thus, in some cases, we're looking at average attendance, and in others, where certain sports were drawing far above their usual ceiling, we're looking at specific gate counts. So let's begin.
1. Indianapolis 500, @ 300,000. In 2004, the Indianapolis Star finally undertook a monstrous effort to count exactly how many seats are at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Their count? 257,325. And while hundreds of thousands of people could fit into the infield, observation by trained analysts has indicated that far fewer than that actually did. So we're looking at about 300,000 people in attendance at every 500.
2. Brickyard 400, @ 300,000. Sort of a cheat, because like the Indy 500, this NASCAR race is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All of the above stats apply, of course.
3. Daytona 500, @ 250,000. NASCAR attendance figures are notably slippery. The tracks themselves don't release figures, so attendance estimation is often left to a media member who stands in the press box, surveys the stands, and estimates attendance at "about X." Now, that guess could be right on the money, or it could be off by 50,000. Still, combining the grandstands and the infield at Daytona gets you a figure of about a quarter-million. And only five of them aren't Dale Earnhardt fans.
4. Texas Motor Speedway races, @ 171,000. Everything's bigger in Texas, especially attendance figures, and Texas's two NASCAR races usually draw about 171,000 fans apiece. And this won't be the last time Texas shows up on this list.
5. Kentucky Derby, @ 164,858. As with the NASCAR races, it's difficult to estimate exactly how many people pile into the infield at Churchill Downs, though the 2011 Derby apparently set a record this year for attendance. The number who remain sober through the entire Derby afternoon remains pegged at a steady 0.
6. Tie, Bristol races, Talladega races, @ 160,000. 2010 marked the first time a Bristol race hadn't sold out in decades. Prior to that, hundreds of thousands of race fans descended on this tiny hamlet in the Tennessee hills, created the largest city for a hundred miles in any direction, and then vanished as quick as they arrived. And although Talladega's attendance has dipped sharply in recent years, the stadium and the infield can handle in excess of 160,000 fans -- plus a few thousand more in the surrounding campgrounds who couldn't make their way through the gates.
7. Baseball, 115,300. This figure's a bit of a stretch, since the average baseball game is in the 30,000 range. But in 2008, the Dodgers and the Red Sox held an exhibition game in the L.A. Coliseum, and the result was the most widely attended game in baseball history.
8. Michigan football, 112,000. The universities of Michigan and Tennessee leapfrog one another in attendance, adding on bleachers atop bleachers in some bizarre arms race. The Wolverines currently hold the edge, but it won't be long until the Volunteers step up.
Tie 9. Tennessee-Penn State�football @ 109,000. Both stadiums (Neyland at Tennessee and Beaver at Penn State) have undergone numerous expansions in their history.�Tennesee set an attendance record in 2004 against -- who else? -- Florida. (Side note: in 2005, a promoter tried to schedule a Virginia Tech-Tennessee game in Bristol, which would have broken all team sport records for attendance. Tech was willing, but Tennessee was not.) A crowd of 110,753 watched Penn State destroy�Nebraska 40-7 back in 2002.
10. NBA, 108,713. In 2010, the NBA All-Star game's attendance demolished the old record of attendance for an NBA game, previously set at the Georgia Dome. And where was this mammoth All-Star exhibition played? Funny you should ask ... a little old place in Texas that shows up again, next on the list.
10. NFL, 105,121. A legit regular-season game by the Dallas Cowboys when opening their new stadium in a game against the Giants a couple years back. Sure, tens of thousands watched from a standing-room plaza, and many others couldn't even see the field, but so what?
Other landmarks: As noted above, the best-attended NBA regular-season game came in, of all cities, Atlanta, where 62,046 fans showed up at the Georgia Dome to watch the Hawks play the Chicago Bulls in what was supposed to be Michael Jordan's farewell appearance. And the NHL's best-attended game was the 2008 Winter Classic, where 71,217 fans watched Buffalo and Pittsburgh at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. The top-ranked NCAA basketball game was 2009's NCAA Championship, where 72,922 fans watched North Carolina demolish Michigan State in Detroit's Ford Field.
This weekend, the Indy 500 will draw another quarter-million people to a single location. And once again, every fan will unite in one common dream, one common prayer: that they won't sit in traffic until Tuesday.
[A version of this article previously appeared on Yahoo! Sports.]
-For more racing info every day, follow Yahoo! Sports' From The Marbles on Facebook and Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
But if Indy's first, who's next? And where do our favorite other sports stack up, attendance-wise, against the Indianapolis 500? Let's take a look at the numbers.
Now, counting attendance at mammoth events like the Indianapolis 500 is a study in guesswork. The track itself estimates that there were about 250,000 seats at the track, but nobody has any idea how many people could fit into the infield. The same is true at Daytona International Speedway. Everybody piles in, and the tracks focus on keeping everybody safe rather than counting heads.
Thus, in some cases, we're looking at average attendance, and in others, where certain sports were drawing far above their usual ceiling, we're looking at specific gate counts. So let's begin.
1. Indianapolis 500, @ 300,000. In 2004, the Indianapolis Star finally undertook a monstrous effort to count exactly how many seats are at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Their count? 257,325. And while hundreds of thousands of people could fit into the infield, observation by trained analysts has indicated that far fewer than that actually did. So we're looking at about 300,000 people in attendance at every 500.
2. Brickyard 400, @ 300,000. Sort of a cheat, because like the Indy 500, this NASCAR race is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All of the above stats apply, of course.
3. Daytona 500, @ 250,000. NASCAR attendance figures are notably slippery. The tracks themselves don't release figures, so attendance estimation is often left to a media member who stands in the press box, surveys the stands, and estimates attendance at "about X." Now, that guess could be right on the money, or it could be off by 50,000. Still, combining the grandstands and the infield at Daytona gets you a figure of about a quarter-million. And only five of them aren't Dale Earnhardt fans.
4. Texas Motor Speedway races, @ 171,000. Everything's bigger in Texas, especially attendance figures, and Texas's two NASCAR races usually draw about 171,000 fans apiece. And this won't be the last time Texas shows up on this list.
5. Kentucky Derby, @ 164,858. As with the NASCAR races, it's difficult to estimate exactly how many people pile into the infield at Churchill Downs, though the 2011 Derby apparently set a record this year for attendance. The number who remain sober through the entire Derby afternoon remains pegged at a steady 0.
6. Tie, Bristol races, Talladega races, @ 160,000. 2010 marked the first time a Bristol race hadn't sold out in decades. Prior to that, hundreds of thousands of race fans descended on this tiny hamlet in the Tennessee hills, created the largest city for a hundred miles in any direction, and then vanished as quick as they arrived. And although Talladega's attendance has dipped sharply in recent years, the stadium and the infield can handle in excess of 160,000 fans -- plus a few thousand more in the surrounding campgrounds who couldn't make their way through the gates.
7. Baseball, 115,300. This figure's a bit of a stretch, since the average baseball game is in the 30,000 range. But in 2008, the Dodgers and the Red Sox held an exhibition game in the L.A. Coliseum, and the result was the most widely attended game in baseball history.
8. Michigan football, 112,000. The universities of Michigan and Tennessee leapfrog one another in attendance, adding on bleachers atop bleachers in some bizarre arms race. The Wolverines currently hold the edge, but it won't be long until the Volunteers step up.
Tie 9. Tennessee-Penn State�football @ 109,000. Both stadiums (Neyland at Tennessee and Beaver at Penn State) have undergone numerous expansions in their history.�Tennesee set an attendance record in 2004 against -- who else? -- Florida. (Side note: in 2005, a promoter tried to schedule a Virginia Tech-Tennessee game in Bristol, which would have broken all team sport records for attendance. Tech was willing, but Tennessee was not.) A crowd of 110,753 watched Penn State destroy�Nebraska 40-7 back in 2002.
10. NBA, 108,713. In 2010, the NBA All-Star game's attendance demolished the old record of attendance for an NBA game, previously set at the Georgia Dome. And where was this mammoth All-Star exhibition played? Funny you should ask ... a little old place in Texas that shows up again, next on the list.
10. NFL, 105,121. A legit regular-season game by the Dallas Cowboys when opening their new stadium in a game against the Giants a couple years back. Sure, tens of thousands watched from a standing-room plaza, and many others couldn't even see the field, but so what?
Other landmarks: As noted above, the best-attended NBA regular-season game came in, of all cities, Atlanta, where 62,046 fans showed up at the Georgia Dome to watch the Hawks play the Chicago Bulls in what was supposed to be Michael Jordan's farewell appearance. And the NHL's best-attended game was the 2008 Winter Classic, where 71,217 fans watched Buffalo and Pittsburgh at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. The top-ranked NCAA basketball game was 2009's NCAA Championship, where 72,922 fans watched North Carolina demolish Michigan State in Detroit's Ford Field.
This weekend, the Indy 500 will draw another quarter-million people to a single location. And once again, every fan will unite in one common dream, one common prayer: that they won't sit in traffic until Tuesday.
[A version of this article previously appeared on Yahoo! Sports.]
-For more racing info every day, follow Yahoo! Sports' From The Marbles on Facebook and Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
Sunday, May 29, 2011
NASCAR Hall of Fame set to induct second star-studded class
Four accomplished drivers and a war hero turned car owner will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame?s second five-member class Monday night.
Who intros who at the NASCAR Hall
If you're attending Monday night's NASCAR Hall of Fame inductions or planning to watch on Speed, here is a guide has to who will be introducing and inducting the five members of the Class of 2011 into the NASCAR Hall. -Bud Moore, Video introduction by Tom Brokaw; MRN's Barney Hall will be the inductor. -Lee Petty, Video introduction by former President George H.W. Bush; inductors: Kyle, Mark, Ritchie and Tim Petty. -Ned Jarrett, Video introduction by Ken SquierMakar. -Bobby Allison, Video introduction by Nick Saban; inductor: Donnie Allison. -David Pearson, Video introduction by Richard Petty; inductors: Russell Branham and Leonard Wood.
Full text of Kyle Busch statement
"Today I received a traffic citation in Iredell County. I was test driving a new sports car and I got carried away. I went beyond the speed I should have been going on a public road. I apologize to the public, my fans, sponsors, and race teams for my lack of judgment. I take responsibility for my actions and I can assure you that something like this will never happen again. I thank the Iredell County Sheriff's Department and all law enforcement for the hard work they do every day to protect the public and to enforce the laws in a fair and equitable manner."
Power Rankings: Everybody line up behind the duck
Time for our latest round of power rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. Sure, it was an All-Star race, but what better way to test your mettle than against the best?
1. Carl Edwards. Any questions? Seriously, any questions? What more do you need to know? Edwards was as dominant as you can be without actually scaring some of the other drivers into not starting, which may in fact happen this week. We've got a ways to go in the season, but the fact that Edwards hasn't begun his customary slide is a good sign for the 99 team and its fans. Probably not a good sign for the guy who'll have to pay for his next contract, though. Last week's ranking: 1.
2. Kyle Busch. I'm not quite sure if we're supposed to feel bad for Kyle Busch because he hasn't won the $1 million All-Star race, but that certainly seemed to be the gist of some of the commentary we heard. Would've loved to see how Edwards and Kyle raced each other side-by-side in the final laps, but alas, it wasn't to be.� Last week's ranking: 2.
3. Jimmie Johnson. Maybe it was the confusion of driving a car with the number 5 on it. I'm pretty sure a couple crew members screamed for Mark Martin to get out of Johnson's pit until Knaus told them to shut up and do their jobs. Johnson was all over the map, place-wise, and ended up in 11th. Hmm ... not what we would have expected out of an All-Star, sir. Last week's ranking: 2.
4. Kevin Harvick. Harvick is either right in the middle of things, or so checked out that you forget he's even there. This was one of those latter weeks. Next week, we'll have the season's longest race; expect Harvick to get involved in a storyline, or create one himself, somewhere along the line. Last week's ranking: 4.
5. Matt Kenseth. We give Kenseth a lot of grief for being rather, shall we say, restrained in his public commentary and behavior, but let's make a list of other things that are boring and yet still acceptable: August baseball games. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Princess Leia, Frodo Baggins, Jack Shephard and Green Lantern. Any Jimmy Buffett album since 1980. See? That's not such bad company. Last week's ranking: 8.
6. Clint Bowyer. He didn't have the greatest of All-Star races, but I get the feeling that Clint Bowyer is going to make the last few weeks of the regular season very interesting. He somehow has a knack for getting into the middle of many of NASCAR's big rivalries, sometimes accidentally, sometimes as the third man in. Plus, he knows how to wheel, so he could be a dark, and I mean like pitch-black, horse in the championship hunt. Last week's ranking: 7.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. This will make the Junior fans scream, but hey, don't blame me; this was one of the more disappointing weekends of the season for He Who Always Wins Most Popular Driver. See below for more details, but seriously, we need to put some term limits on this most-popular-driver thing. Or just call it the "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Most Popular Driver Award" and let Junior himself give it to someone else. Share the wealth, man! Last week's ranking: 6.
8. Tony Stewart. Belated happy birthday wishes for Smoke, who just turned 40. This is usually the time when a man has a midlife crisis, buys a fast car and dates beautiful women to make himself feel young again. Smoke's midlife crisis is going to have him working in a cubicle and waiting in line at Starbucks, just to see what everyone else went through.�Last week's ranking: 9.
9. Ryan Newman. I really have nothing to say about Newman in this position. Dude got a 10th-place finish. Bravo. So let's talk about something else. Have you ever had one of those Tornados burritos that Newman sometimes runs on his car? I haven't. Any good? Where would you rank them on the high-end restaurant-Chipotle-Moe's-cheapo taco stand-Taco Bell-Patio frozen burrito scale?� Last week's ranking: 8.
10. Denny Hamlin. One of the many storylines that Speed hyped beyond all recognition was last year's battle between Hamlin and Kyle Busch that ended with Busch blocked and Hamlin skirting away laughing. It was another in a line of golden moments in 2010 for Hamlin. You wonder if every driver gets one of those years, but then they have to capitalize on it and win the championship, or their chances are lost. (This year is the 99's, of course.) Last week's ranking: 11.
11. Kasey Kahne. Another race, another early departure ending a good run. I wonder what NASCAR drivers do once that hauler door closes. There's a lot of important yet throwable equipment right there as you walk into that hauler; if I were in charge of setting that up, I'd put a� whole bunch of breakable plates and stuffed driver dolls right there at the entrance, let 'em get some aggression out without trashing expensive stuff.� Last week's ranking: 10.
12. Greg Biffle. The Biff recently re-upped with Roush and 3M for a few more years, which is probably a good thing, because if he'd waited until after Edwards signed, he might have gotten paid in tape, Crown Royal and Subway sandwiches (which might not be all that bad, now that I think about it). Still, he had one of the better cars in the field this week, and if he can continue his upward trend, he'll get right back in the Chase mix. Last week's ranking: N/A.
Lucky Dog: David Ragan. That last restart at the Daytona 500, which Ragan misplayed, will probably haunt Ragan for the rest of his days. But he held on to win the Showdown in effective fashion, turning down the temperature on his hot seat just a couple degrees.
DNF: Even though we usually save this space for someone who didn't make the top 12, you could make a pretty good case for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this space ... so we will. Junior was the highest-ranked driver in the Showdown, and still never came within sight of a true lead; once the All-Star race started, he was all but irrelevant. Not the way to keep suddenly flagging momentum going.
Dropping out of the rankings: Mark Martin. He and Biffle continue to pass that 12th spot back and forth. Odds are Martin will be a lot more comfortable once he's back in his 5 this week.
Charging upward: David Reutimann, Jeff Gordon. Reutimann brought home a third-place finish, while Gordon ran strong most of the race before fading late.
Next up: The Charlotte marathon! Send comments to us Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.
1. Carl Edwards. Any questions? Seriously, any questions? What more do you need to know? Edwards was as dominant as you can be without actually scaring some of the other drivers into not starting, which may in fact happen this week. We've got a ways to go in the season, but the fact that Edwards hasn't begun his customary slide is a good sign for the 99 team and its fans. Probably not a good sign for the guy who'll have to pay for his next contract, though. Last week's ranking: 1.
2. Kyle Busch. I'm not quite sure if we're supposed to feel bad for Kyle Busch because he hasn't won the $1 million All-Star race, but that certainly seemed to be the gist of some of the commentary we heard. Would've loved to see how Edwards and Kyle raced each other side-by-side in the final laps, but alas, it wasn't to be.� Last week's ranking: 2.
3. Jimmie Johnson. Maybe it was the confusion of driving a car with the number 5 on it. I'm pretty sure a couple crew members screamed for Mark Martin to get out of Johnson's pit until Knaus told them to shut up and do their jobs. Johnson was all over the map, place-wise, and ended up in 11th. Hmm ... not what we would have expected out of an All-Star, sir. Last week's ranking: 2.
4. Kevin Harvick. Harvick is either right in the middle of things, or so checked out that you forget he's even there. This was one of those latter weeks. Next week, we'll have the season's longest race; expect Harvick to get involved in a storyline, or create one himself, somewhere along the line. Last week's ranking: 4.
5. Matt Kenseth. We give Kenseth a lot of grief for being rather, shall we say, restrained in his public commentary and behavior, but let's make a list of other things that are boring and yet still acceptable: August baseball games. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Princess Leia, Frodo Baggins, Jack Shephard and Green Lantern. Any Jimmy Buffett album since 1980. See? That's not such bad company. Last week's ranking: 8.
6. Clint Bowyer. He didn't have the greatest of All-Star races, but I get the feeling that Clint Bowyer is going to make the last few weeks of the regular season very interesting. He somehow has a knack for getting into the middle of many of NASCAR's big rivalries, sometimes accidentally, sometimes as the third man in. Plus, he knows how to wheel, so he could be a dark, and I mean like pitch-black, horse in the championship hunt. Last week's ranking: 7.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. This will make the Junior fans scream, but hey, don't blame me; this was one of the more disappointing weekends of the season for He Who Always Wins Most Popular Driver. See below for more details, but seriously, we need to put some term limits on this most-popular-driver thing. Or just call it the "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Most Popular Driver Award" and let Junior himself give it to someone else. Share the wealth, man! Last week's ranking: 6.
8. Tony Stewart. Belated happy birthday wishes for Smoke, who just turned 40. This is usually the time when a man has a midlife crisis, buys a fast car and dates beautiful women to make himself feel young again. Smoke's midlife crisis is going to have him working in a cubicle and waiting in line at Starbucks, just to see what everyone else went through.�Last week's ranking: 9.
9. Ryan Newman. I really have nothing to say about Newman in this position. Dude got a 10th-place finish. Bravo. So let's talk about something else. Have you ever had one of those Tornados burritos that Newman sometimes runs on his car? I haven't. Any good? Where would you rank them on the high-end restaurant-Chipotle-Moe's-cheapo taco stand-Taco Bell-Patio frozen burrito scale?� Last week's ranking: 8.
10. Denny Hamlin. One of the many storylines that Speed hyped beyond all recognition was last year's battle between Hamlin and Kyle Busch that ended with Busch blocked and Hamlin skirting away laughing. It was another in a line of golden moments in 2010 for Hamlin. You wonder if every driver gets one of those years, but then they have to capitalize on it and win the championship, or their chances are lost. (This year is the 99's, of course.) Last week's ranking: 11.
11. Kasey Kahne. Another race, another early departure ending a good run. I wonder what NASCAR drivers do once that hauler door closes. There's a lot of important yet throwable equipment right there as you walk into that hauler; if I were in charge of setting that up, I'd put a� whole bunch of breakable plates and stuffed driver dolls right there at the entrance, let 'em get some aggression out without trashing expensive stuff.� Last week's ranking: 10.
12. Greg Biffle. The Biff recently re-upped with Roush and 3M for a few more years, which is probably a good thing, because if he'd waited until after Edwards signed, he might have gotten paid in tape, Crown Royal and Subway sandwiches (which might not be all that bad, now that I think about it). Still, he had one of the better cars in the field this week, and if he can continue his upward trend, he'll get right back in the Chase mix. Last week's ranking: N/A.
Lucky Dog: David Ragan. That last restart at the Daytona 500, which Ragan misplayed, will probably haunt Ragan for the rest of his days. But he held on to win the Showdown in effective fashion, turning down the temperature on his hot seat just a couple degrees.
DNF: Even though we usually save this space for someone who didn't make the top 12, you could make a pretty good case for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this space ... so we will. Junior was the highest-ranked driver in the Showdown, and still never came within sight of a true lead; once the All-Star race started, he was all but irrelevant. Not the way to keep suddenly flagging momentum going.
Dropping out of the rankings: Mark Martin. He and Biffle continue to pass that 12th spot back and forth. Odds are Martin will be a lot more comfortable once he's back in his 5 this week.
Charging upward: David Reutimann, Jeff Gordon. Reutimann brought home a third-place finish, while Gordon ran strong most of the race before fading late.
Next up: The Charlotte marathon! Send comments to us Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.
Carl Edwards enjoyed the All-Star Race, even if you didn’t
Saturday night's Sprint All-Star race was billed as the season's ultimate showdown, a winner-take-all brawl where battling drivers could settle scores at 200 mph, an escalating series of duels capped by a shootout that would be the best 10 laps of the season.
Yeah, well ... it didn't quite work out that way.
Carl Edwards continued to build on what's shaping up to be the best season of his career by outrunning the best of the best�in the final 10-lap�segment. Kyle Busch took shots at him, but could never get close enough to really close the deal when it mattered. The rest of the field had little in the way of a challenge for Edwards: Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran up front briefly but drifted backward; Jeff Gordon couldn't overcome wretched restarts; and Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin were utter nonfactors.
And the yawn-inducing laps weren't limited to the main event. The Showdown, from which two drivers would jump to the All-Star race, was equally as routine, with David Ragan and Brad Keselowski checking out on the field with several laps left to go. In a decision that surprised exactly no one, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the fan vote to get into the big race. And SPEED padded the prerace festivities with so much blather and overblown driver/crew introductions that the race started more than 30 minutes after its scheduled green flag, and ran until well after 11 p.m. Eastern.
Still, none of this should take away from Edwards' exceptional run. It's not his fault that he lulled both viewers and competitors to sleep with some masterful handling of his car. In fact, his only misstep came when he tried to do a burnout in the infield grass, dug the front quarterpanel into the sod, and nearly flipped the car.
"I think some people would like to think that I'm smart enough and savvy enough, all of us are, to come up with some trick and destroy it like that and make it look like an accident," Edwards said when asked if he wrecked his car on purpose. "We're not that smart.�I really did just tear up the race car."
Said Kyle Busch: "From my vantage point, it was kind of a tame race today. I think there was only one or two interruptions besides the normal cautions that we have in this race." Then he smiled. "Sorry, we didn't give you any scoop or drama."
Somehow, we think Edwards is just fine with that, even if nobody else is.
Yeah, well ... it didn't quite work out that way.
Carl Edwards continued to build on what's shaping up to be the best season of his career by outrunning the best of the best�in the final 10-lap�segment. Kyle Busch took shots at him, but could never get close enough to really close the deal when it mattered. The rest of the field had little in the way of a challenge for Edwards: Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran up front briefly but drifted backward; Jeff Gordon couldn't overcome wretched restarts; and Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin were utter nonfactors.
And the yawn-inducing laps weren't limited to the main event. The Showdown, from which two drivers would jump to the All-Star race, was equally as routine, with David Ragan and Brad Keselowski checking out on the field with several laps left to go. In a decision that surprised exactly no one, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the fan vote to get into the big race. And SPEED padded the prerace festivities with so much blather and overblown driver/crew introductions that the race started more than 30 minutes after its scheduled green flag, and ran until well after 11 p.m. Eastern.
Still, none of this should take away from Edwards' exceptional run. It's not his fault that he lulled both viewers and competitors to sleep with some masterful handling of his car. In fact, his only misstep came when he tried to do a burnout in the infield grass, dug the front quarterpanel into the sod, and nearly flipped the car.
"I think some people would like to think that I'm smart enough and savvy enough, all of us are, to come up with some trick and destroy it like that and make it look like an accident," Edwards said when asked if he wrecked his car on purpose. "We're not that smart.�I really did just tear up the race car."
Said Kyle Busch: "From my vantage point, it was kind of a tame race today. I think there was only one or two interruptions besides the normal cautions that we have in this race." Then he smiled. "Sorry, we didn't give you any scoop or drama."
Somehow, we think Edwards is just fine with that, even if nobody else is.
Create-a-caption: Clint Bowyer whistles merrily, walks away quickly
Clint Bowyer, wandering away from the carnage at this past weekend's Nationwide race. Surely you can have a little fun with this one, yes?
After the jump ... wait, Bowyer was in another wreck? Man, don't let that guy borrow your car.
LikeAPhoenix:
Bowyer: (in high-pitch voice) NO!!! Don't touch it!
Official: Clint, it's just a little ol spider.....
Bowyer: MOVE, I'll kill it with my HANS device!
James:
OK, who was the bright guy that put the Cheerios bee in my car?
KimRN:
"No Kyle, you can't hide from Harvick in my car, now git the hell out before I whack you a good one!"
After the jump ... wait, Bowyer was in another wreck? Man, don't let that guy borrow your car.
LikeAPhoenix:
Bowyer: (in high-pitch voice) NO!!! Don't touch it!
Official: Clint, it's just a little ol spider.....
Bowyer: MOVE, I'll kill it with my HANS device!
James:
OK, who was the bright guy that put the Cheerios bee in my car?
KimRN:
"No Kyle, you can't hide from Harvick in my car, now git the hell out before I whack you a good one!"
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Trevor Bayne’s long tumble from Daytona continues
That Daytona 500 win ... kind of a careful-what-you-wish-for thing, huh?
Trevor Bayne, whose Daytona 500 win was the first in a remarkable series of stories this year, remains sidelined by a still-unknown illness and will not participate in either the All-Star festivities� this weekend or the Nationwide race in Iowa.
Bayne had done some testing on Wednesday, but doctors determined he was not yet sufficiently recovered from the illness, which caused both fatigue and blurred vision, to sign off on him racing. Bayne is now going on his fourth week of missed race time for the illness, for which he has been treated at the Mayo Clinic.
Wood Brothers, Bayne's owner, has disclosed no further details about Bayne's illness except to say that it is neither life- nor career-threatening. It was initially thought to be the result of an early-April spider bite, but subsequent tests at the Mayo Clinic have shown that the illness apparently did not stem from the bite. Mysterious, indeed.
The Wood Brothers Sprint Cup team is next scheduled to run the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend. Bayne's Nationwide team has fallen from fifth to 11th by not racing, and by skipping the race, he loses his guaranteed starting spot, meaning he'll have to qualify on speed.
Man, it's been a tough road for Bayne since Daytona. Here's hoping he straightens out his health problems very soon.
Trevor Bayne, whose Daytona 500 win was the first in a remarkable series of stories this year, remains sidelined by a still-unknown illness and will not participate in either the All-Star festivities� this weekend or the Nationwide race in Iowa.
Bayne had done some testing on Wednesday, but doctors determined he was not yet sufficiently recovered from the illness, which caused both fatigue and blurred vision, to sign off on him racing. Bayne is now going on his fourth week of missed race time for the illness, for which he has been treated at the Mayo Clinic.
Wood Brothers, Bayne's owner, has disclosed no further details about Bayne's illness except to say that it is neither life- nor career-threatening. It was initially thought to be the result of an early-April spider bite, but subsequent tests at the Mayo Clinic have shown that the illness apparently did not stem from the bite. Mysterious, indeed.
The Wood Brothers Sprint Cup team is next scheduled to run the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend. Bayne's Nationwide team has fallen from fifth to 11th by not racing, and by skipping the race, he loses his guaranteed starting spot, meaning he'll have to qualify on speed.
Man, it's been a tough road for Bayne since Daytona. Here's hoping he straightens out his health problems very soon.
Repairs to Motegi "too bumpy" for IndyCars?
The future of the IZOD IndyCar Series' planned final visit to Twin Ring Motegi in September remains an open question, according to a report in today's Indianapolis Star.
Ganassi will stick with Honda
Chip Ganassi Racing has announced that it will stick with Honda power for both of its IndyCar teams when engine competition returns to the series in 2012.
Shocker! Nationwide regular wins Nationwide race!
The Generals defeating the Globetrotters. The Avett Brothers outselling Lady Gaga. People opting for sunshine and fresh air over yet another Adam Sandler/Rob Schneider/David Spade movie. A Nationwide driver outrunning Sprint Cup guys in a Nationwide race.
Yep, we can mark off one of those statistical unlikelihoods. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did the near-impossible on Sunday, outrunning Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski in winning the John Deere Dealers 250 in Iowa.
And this was no fuel-mileage nonsense; Stenhouse took the lead from Edwards on lap 223 of 250 and managed to hold him off the entire remainder of the race. It marked Stenhouse's first-ever Nationwide victory in 51 attempts.
"I just wasn't sure if he was playing with us or not," Stenhouse said of Edwards, "and we were able to hold him off at the end. They are some of the best in the business. They won a lot of races last year, they've both won championships. It's so tough to win in this series. You've got to beat the best guys each and every week."
Now, it's been suggested in many quarters, including by this clown, that the Nationwide champion may not win a single Nationwide race. Stenhouse currently sits eight points out of first, behind only Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson. We're happy to admit there's a possibility that we could potentially be wrong ... but we're not there yet.
Still, this is a fine achievement, the first victory by a Nationwide series regular since Justin Allgaier at Bristol in March 2010. So let's not even mention that Kyle Busch was four states away.
Yep, we can mark off one of those statistical unlikelihoods. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did the near-impossible on Sunday, outrunning Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski in winning the John Deere Dealers 250 in Iowa.
And this was no fuel-mileage nonsense; Stenhouse took the lead from Edwards on lap 223 of 250 and managed to hold him off the entire remainder of the race. It marked Stenhouse's first-ever Nationwide victory in 51 attempts.
"I just wasn't sure if he was playing with us or not," Stenhouse said of Edwards, "and we were able to hold him off at the end. They are some of the best in the business. They won a lot of races last year, they've both won championships. It's so tough to win in this series. You've got to beat the best guys each and every week."
Now, it's been suggested in many quarters, including by this clown, that the Nationwide champion may not win a single Nationwide race. Stenhouse currently sits eight points out of first, behind only Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson. We're happy to admit there's a possibility that we could potentially be wrong ... but we're not there yet.
Still, this is a fine achievement, the first victory by a Nationwide series regular since Justin Allgaier at Bristol in March 2010. So let's not even mention that Kyle Busch was four states away.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Hall of Fame Inductee: David Pearson kept competitors guessing on way to 105 victories
CHARLOTTE ? Richard Petty says David Pearson ?was the best driver I ever raced against.?
Strategy key to success in NASCAR?s 600-mile marathon ? Vancouver Sun
Strategy key to success in NASCAR‘s 600-mile marathon – Vancouver Sun
Donbest.com
Strategy key to success in NASCAR's 600-mile marathonVancouver SunCars crash due to a tire coming off of the car of Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Coca- Cola 600 in this file photo. It seems so intuitive, …Coca-Cola 600Yahoo! Sports
NASCAR Betting: Coca-Cola 600 odds tightenDonbest.comEdwards seeking another win at CharlotteLos Angeles TimesAbout – News & Issues -SB Nation (blog) -SPEEDtv.comall 102 news articles »
Donbest.com
Strategy key to success in NASCAR's 600-mile marathonVancouver SunCars crash due to a tire coming off of the car of Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Coca- Cola 600 in this file photo. It seems so intuitive, …Coca-Cola 600Yahoo! Sports
NASCAR Betting: Coca-Cola 600 odds tightenDonbest.comEdwards seeking another win at CharlotteLos Angeles TimesAbout – News & Issues -SB Nation (blog) -SPEEDtv.comall 102 news articles »
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.
Keselowski captures pole for Coca-Cola 600
Brad Keselowski earned the pole for NASCAR's longest race with a lap of 192.089 mph on Thursday night.
Hunter-Reay and Andretti respond to criticism
Driver and car owner react to the widespread controversy about their replacement of Bruno Junqueira in Sunday's Indianapolis 500.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Kyle Busch, Speedway Children's Charities honor Zahra Baker
Zahra Baker will get another visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway thanks to Kyle Busch. Busch and his Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck team are teaming up with Speedway Children's Charities to pay remembrance to the 10-year-old disabled girl from Hickory, whose body was found dismembered last year. Zahra's name and picture will be placed above the passenger side window of Busch's No. 18 Toyota which will run in Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The speedway will also observe a moment of silence in her honor before the start of the race. "The story of Zahra Baker's tragic murder really hit home with KBM and the Kyle Busch Foundation," said Busch. "We wanted to do something special in her honor and felt that the truck race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the perfect opportunity." One of the last times that Zahra was seen in public was at the Starkey Hearing Foundation "Get in Gear to Help Children Hear" event hosted by Speedway Children's Charities at CMS last May. She was one of 75 underprivileged children and adults throughout the Carolinas given the gift of hearing at the event. Speedway Children's Charities has invited several of the hearing?impaired children who attended last May's event to take part in Friday's pre-race activities. The children will stand next to Busch and his No. 18 Toyota during pre-race and following the moment of silence, release balloons in honor of Zahra. Speedway Children's Charities has also donated tickets for these children to watch the race from the grandstand along with residents of the Church of God Children's Home, a primary charity of the Kyle Busch Foundation located in Kannapolis, N.C. "Zahra will never be forgotten," Busch said. "She will always be in our hearts."
Raikkonen slated for Nationwide debut at Charlotte
Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in Saturday's 300-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Boullier: Engine equivalency unworkable
Renault team principal Eric Boullier thinks that the idea of having an engine equivalency formula in 2013 between current and smaller-displacement turbo engines is a really bad idea.
Engine Issues for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2011
Since the Car of Tomorrow was introduced in the Sprint Cup Series, no organization has won more races than Joe Gibbs Racing. Last season, JGR driver Denny Hamlin recorded a series-best eight wins. Naturally, expectations were high entering the 2011 season, but thus far, the organization has been falling short. Instead of picking up wins, this year...
Man Of The Match--Mark Webber 2011 Shanghai F1
Last weekend’s Formula 1 in Shanghai had only one winner and it wasn’t the man standing on the podium. Recognizing sheer gutsy brilliance, the man of the match must be awarded to Mark Webber. During Friday practice, electrical issues in his car’s KERS system (the piece that effectively turns an F1 car into a hybrid for a few...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirms contract extension talks with Hendrick Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. confirmed Saturday night that he is talking with team owner Rick Hendrick about a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports.
Rusty Wallace Racing names Ricky Viers crew chief for Michael Annett
Rusty Wallace Racing has hired former Roush Fenway Racing and Baker Curb Racing crew chief Ricky Viers to replace Jason Overstreet as crew chief for Michael Annett.
Annett, in his first season at Rusty Wallace Racing, is 11th in the points standings but has failed to finish in the top 10 through this season?s first 12 races.
Annett, in his first season at Rusty Wallace Racing, is 11th in the points standings but has failed to finish in the top 10 through this season?s first 12 races.
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 [...]
Kevin Harvick late for Sprint Cup practice at Charlotte as NASCAR officials remind him what probation means
CONCORD, N.C. ? Kevin Harvick was late for Sprint Cup practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday, but he had a pretty good excuse.
He was meeting with NASCAR officials in the Sprint Cup Series hauler.
He was meeting with NASCAR officials in the Sprint Cup Series hauler.
1969 Dodge Charger 500: A True Nascar Legend
The 1969 Dodge Charger 500 is probably one of the most recognizable NASCAR racers ever to run on the banked ovals. At almost 18-feet long, 6-feet wide and two tons, the Dodge Chargers that were built between 1968 and 1970 were not only some of the biggest Nascar’s ever, but some of the most beautiful. [...]
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Parks Pit Report: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte ? Gant Daily
Parks Pit Report: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte – Gant Daily
msnbc.com
Parks Pit Report: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at CharlotteGant DailyFormer NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon has three wins in the event, each unique. He swept all the segments in 1995, holding off both Waltrip and Earnhardt to earn the respect of his veteran racers. In 1997, his ?T-Rex? car was revolutionary for the time, …All-Star win may boost Carl Edwards at bargaining tableUSA Today
NASCAR:Edwards cashes in with All-Star winThe Virginian-PilotEdwards saves wreck for celebrationNews & ObserverTampabay.com -Motorsport.com -Bay News 9all 1,019 news articles »
msnbc.com
Parks Pit Report: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at CharlotteGant DailyFormer NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon has three wins in the event, each unique. He swept all the segments in 1995, holding off both Waltrip and Earnhardt to earn the respect of his veteran racers. In 1997, his ?T-Rex? car was revolutionary for the time, …All-Star win may boost Carl Edwards at bargaining tableUSA Today
NASCAR:Edwards cashes in with All-Star winThe Virginian-PilotEdwards saves wreck for celebrationNews & ObserverTampabay.com -Motorsport.com -Bay News 9all 1,019 news articles »
Roush plans to test Bayne before his return to NASCAR
Roush Fenway Racing plans to test driver Trevor Bayne this week in preparation for what it hopes is his return to the race track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bayne, 20, entered the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., two weeks ago to undergo tests for symptoms originally thought to have been related to an insect bite for which he was hospitalized briefly last month. He was released last week still receiving treatment for blurred vision - the result, doctors said, of an ?inflammatory condition.? He has missed the last three Nationwide Series races. "I can't say definitely (Bayne will return at Charlotte) because I don't have the right pay grade and education for that but he is making progress and his symptoms are by and large gone," said team owner Jack Roush. "His blurred vision is by and large gone but we are going to take him to Gresham (Motorsports Park) in Georgia to give him some laps to see if he is comfortable and then report back to the doctors and NASCAR to see what they think." Roush officials said earlier this week they hoped Bayne would be able to compete in next Saturday's Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte as well as the Nationwide race in Iowa. Bayne qualified for the all-star race by winning the season-opening Daytona 500, driving the No. 21 Ford for the Wood Brothers.
Repairs to Motegi "too bumpy" for IndyCars?
The future of the IZOD IndyCar Series' planned final visit to Twin Ring Motegi in September remains an open question, according to a report in today's Indianapolis Star.
Hight scores John Force Racing's 200th win at Topeka
Robert Hight outran teammate Mike Neff in the Funny Car final at the NHRA Summer Nationals Sunday, while Spencer Massey (Top Fuel) and Shane Gray (Pro Stock) also win.
Q & A with Marco and Michael Andretti on Indy Bump Day
Final qualifier and his car owner talk through a tumultuous Bump Day at Indy.
Travis Pastrana Learns To Drive A Stock Car
By now you?ve heard that Travis Pastrana has given up on rallying for a career driving stock cars. He?s partnered with Michael Waltrip racing to campaign a Toyota in NASCAR?s Nationwide series, the same series that IndyCar?s Danica Patrick failed to make progress in last year. Pastrana bought his way into the team, so he [...]
Monday, May 23, 2011
He said, he said: Harvick, Busch air differences at Dover
Those of you looking for more dirt on the ongoing Kevin Harvick/Kyle Busch feud, your ship has come in, and it's bearing huge paragraphs of quotes. Let's get right to this, and because everybody thinks everyone else is biased, we'll present complete quotes and let you make your own call. From Friday morning's media sessions, starting with what exactly they think happened there at the end of the Darlington race:
Harvick: "[T]here was a lot that led up to that lap. I felt that Kyle (Busch) got into my door. I ran him down on the back straightaway. I got into him in (turn) three and we got three wide. Yesterday Kyle's explanation was he had a flat tire and hooked me on the straightaway. It's kind of one lie after the other and you see everything that happened after the race and for me the way that I was brought up and taught to race, when you hook somebody in the right-rear quarter panel that's the equivalent of throwing your gloves off in hockey."
Busch: "Apparently he's watching too much hockey ... I don't feel like I'm lying about anything because there's video cameras and what is it, 85 video cameras around the race track that will pretty much simplify or backup anything that you're saying. �Not lying about anything.�The only thing I will say I guess is that I'm sorry I came off of turn two on the flat trying to give Kevin (Harvick) room and maybe I slid a little too far and I got into him first. �Maybe that's what initiated everything.�I apologize about that.�It wasn't my intentions to get into him and then have everything go down the way it went down.�I was just trying to race the final five laps as hard as I could, as clean as I could to get the best finish we could."
Busch on the similarities between Darlington and the wreck at Homestead last year in which Harvick took out Busch: "I don't know that it really means much difference when somebody spins you out from behind on the straightaway at Homestead going 170 mph into the inside wall and ended up in a ball of flames ? that's any different from spinning somebody out down the frontstretch at Darlington at 170 mph.�I don't see any difference there.�I think it was just two ways maybe of going at it. It's just the way the cards were dealt at that particular moment."
Harvick: "I didn't use my car as a ram or dry to make a point with running into somebody on the race track or knocking them out of the way after the race, I didn't do any of that stuff after the race."
On the whole distinction between "boys, have at it" and probation:
Harvick: "I think for me it's definitely to the point where it's a little bit confusing with how it all works. I think when you look at the boys have it theme, it's obviously changing as we go through the process. I think when you go back and you look at the very first major incident that you saw on the race track, I guess it would be Carl (Edwards) and (Brad) Keselowski in Atlanta (in 2010) and you saw the car go upside down. Carl was parked for hooking him in the right rear quarter panel and then it happened again and you see a lot of people coming out of the pits and retaliating and sometimes it's a one-lap penalty and sometimes you are parked for the race and sometimes you look at the Keselowski and Hamlin thing at Homestead so there's a lot of different things happening. I understand that it's evolving but from a drivers standpoint you don't really 100 percent understand how it works."
Busch: "I understand it perfectly actually.�It's the 'boys have at it,' that happens out on the race track and it seems like they allow us to police ourselves pretty simply out there. When matters get taken into the drivers hands or anything else onto pit road, where innocent bystanders can be injured or something�, NASCAR is going to step in and they're going to intervene and they're going to set penalties the way that they feel need to be levied. �To me, it's not a gray area, it's pretty simple, it's black and white."
Harvick: "There just has to be consistency. I can race either way. We can flip each other over. I don't mind wrecking. I don't mind getting wrecked. I don't mind eye for an eye. I don't mind any of that but just tell me what the rules are. Explain to me what the penalty is if you are going to hook somebody in the middle of the straightaway, if you are going to spin them out, if you are going to retaliate, what is the penalty? Tell me what the penalty is. A consistent answer."
Busch on why he didn't fight: "I think it's in my sponsors best interest and in my team owner's best interest that we are not fighters and that we're respectful competitors and we're out here to do our job on the race track and race as best as we can, as hard as we can and as clean as we can. Sometimes as clean as you can, you might rub fenders with somebody or something like that. When it becomes from getting disrespected as bad as you have from one particular guy, at some point you finally say you've had enough and I feel like I did stick up for myself on the race track.�Apparently there was more than on the race track afterwards."
So, will these two crazy kids ever make up?
Busch: "As far as us getting along, I'm not sure that we ever really did.�I think he (Kevin Harvick) tried and that's why at Homestead I kind of talked about the two faces of Kevin Harvick. �I still believe that's out there.�He'll talk to you to your face like your best friends, but then behind closed doors or him at home or whatever, he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts or whatever else. That's all ? I don't care. I'm going on with my own business.
Harvick: "That probably won't ever happen."
There you have it. How do their words change your mind, if indeed they do?
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Why doesn't Donovan McNabb wear play-calling wristbands?
? NBA player awarded Guiness world record for dunk
? Harmon Killebrew ends fight against cancer
Harvick: "[T]here was a lot that led up to that lap. I felt that Kyle (Busch) got into my door. I ran him down on the back straightaway. I got into him in (turn) three and we got three wide. Yesterday Kyle's explanation was he had a flat tire and hooked me on the straightaway. It's kind of one lie after the other and you see everything that happened after the race and for me the way that I was brought up and taught to race, when you hook somebody in the right-rear quarter panel that's the equivalent of throwing your gloves off in hockey."
Busch: "Apparently he's watching too much hockey ... I don't feel like I'm lying about anything because there's video cameras and what is it, 85 video cameras around the race track that will pretty much simplify or backup anything that you're saying. �Not lying about anything.�The only thing I will say I guess is that I'm sorry I came off of turn two on the flat trying to give Kevin (Harvick) room and maybe I slid a little too far and I got into him first. �Maybe that's what initiated everything.�I apologize about that.�It wasn't my intentions to get into him and then have everything go down the way it went down.�I was just trying to race the final five laps as hard as I could, as clean as I could to get the best finish we could."
Busch on the similarities between Darlington and the wreck at Homestead last year in which Harvick took out Busch: "I don't know that it really means much difference when somebody spins you out from behind on the straightaway at Homestead going 170 mph into the inside wall and ended up in a ball of flames ? that's any different from spinning somebody out down the frontstretch at Darlington at 170 mph.�I don't see any difference there.�I think it was just two ways maybe of going at it. It's just the way the cards were dealt at that particular moment."
Harvick: "I didn't use my car as a ram or dry to make a point with running into somebody on the race track or knocking them out of the way after the race, I didn't do any of that stuff after the race."
On the whole distinction between "boys, have at it" and probation:
Harvick: "I think for me it's definitely to the point where it's a little bit confusing with how it all works. I think when you look at the boys have it theme, it's obviously changing as we go through the process. I think when you go back and you look at the very first major incident that you saw on the race track, I guess it would be Carl (Edwards) and (Brad) Keselowski in Atlanta (in 2010) and you saw the car go upside down. Carl was parked for hooking him in the right rear quarter panel and then it happened again and you see a lot of people coming out of the pits and retaliating and sometimes it's a one-lap penalty and sometimes you are parked for the race and sometimes you look at the Keselowski and Hamlin thing at Homestead so there's a lot of different things happening. I understand that it's evolving but from a drivers standpoint you don't really 100 percent understand how it works."
Busch: "I understand it perfectly actually.�It's the 'boys have at it,' that happens out on the race track and it seems like they allow us to police ourselves pretty simply out there. When matters get taken into the drivers hands or anything else onto pit road, where innocent bystanders can be injured or something�, NASCAR is going to step in and they're going to intervene and they're going to set penalties the way that they feel need to be levied. �To me, it's not a gray area, it's pretty simple, it's black and white."
Harvick: "There just has to be consistency. I can race either way. We can flip each other over. I don't mind wrecking. I don't mind getting wrecked. I don't mind eye for an eye. I don't mind any of that but just tell me what the rules are. Explain to me what the penalty is if you are going to hook somebody in the middle of the straightaway, if you are going to spin them out, if you are going to retaliate, what is the penalty? Tell me what the penalty is. A consistent answer."
Busch on why he didn't fight: "I think it's in my sponsors best interest and in my team owner's best interest that we are not fighters and that we're respectful competitors and we're out here to do our job on the race track and race as best as we can, as hard as we can and as clean as we can. Sometimes as clean as you can, you might rub fenders with somebody or something like that. When it becomes from getting disrespected as bad as you have from one particular guy, at some point you finally say you've had enough and I feel like I did stick up for myself on the race track.�Apparently there was more than on the race track afterwards."
So, will these two crazy kids ever make up?
Busch: "As far as us getting along, I'm not sure that we ever really did.�I think he (Kevin Harvick) tried and that's why at Homestead I kind of talked about the two faces of Kevin Harvick. �I still believe that's out there.�He'll talk to you to your face like your best friends, but then behind closed doors or him at home or whatever, he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts or whatever else. That's all ? I don't care. I'm going on with my own business.
Harvick: "That probably won't ever happen."
There you have it. How do their words change your mind, if indeed they do?
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Why doesn't Donovan McNabb wear play-calling wristbands?
? NBA player awarded Guiness world record for dunk
? Harmon Killebrew ends fight against cancer
ESPN will try 'split screen' in NASCAR Chase races
NASCAR fans are going to see more racing than ever on their TVs this season.ESPN on Tuesday announced its telecasts of the 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup races will use "NASCAR NonStop," a commercial format that will bring more racing action to viewers.ESPN's commercial breaks will feature a split-screen format - showing the advertisement on the left side of the screen and racing on the right.ESPN's scoring ticker also will continue to move across the top of the screen, allowing fans to follow the running order during the breaks."I've watched the format on the open-wheel races for years, I think we all have. I'm not sure if it will move the meter to bring more fans in, but I think for the dedicated fans watching you don't want to see the breaks, you want to the race continue," said five-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson."I think it's a great perk and should be really helpful for our fan base during the Chase races."NASCAR NonStop will take effect at or near the halfway point of the race, with the first half of the race presented in the traditional commercial-break format."Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most common questions from our fans has been 'Why don't you do the commercials side-by-side?'" said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president of content."We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race."During Sunday's Cup series telecast from Dover, Del., Fox used a split-screen format for the first time, for its final commercial break. The move was praised by fans.Skipper said ESPN worked with NASCAR to create the new format and that the change had been planned for months."ESPN's NonStop format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most intense and thrilling time of the season - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group.The final 17 races of the Cup will be televised on ESPN networks, with 14 on ESPN and three Saturday night races - including the October Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway - on ABC.
Robby Gordon Sues ExtenZe For Non-Performance
There?s irony and there?s IRONY, and this story clearly falls into the latter category. Robby Gordon, NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner and racer of all things with four wheels, alleges that male-enhancement pill maker ExtenZe failed to rise to the occasion and pay him for their Sprint Cup sponsorship. ExtenZe, on the other hand, claims [...]
A Visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
As painful as it may be to admit, the biggest spectator sport in the United States is in fact, NASCAR. With crowds averaging around 99,000 per event, the NASCAR faithful have cemented themselves in automotive history as the uber fans of American motor sports. As most of you know NASCAR got its roots from the [...]
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Repairs to Motegi "too bumpy" for IndyCars?
The future of the IZOD IndyCar Series' planned final visit to Twin Ring Motegi in September remains an open question, according to a report in today's Indianapolis Star.
Kyle Busch, Speedway Children's Charities honor Zahra Baker
Zahra Baker will get another visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway thanks to Kyle Busch. Busch and his Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck team are teaming up with Speedway Children's Charities to pay remembrance to the 10-year-old disabled girl from Hickory, whose body was found dismembered last year. Zahra's name and picture will be placed above the passenger side window of Busch's No. 18 Toyota which will run in Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The speedway will also observe a moment of silence in her honor before the start of the race. "The story of Zahra Baker's tragic murder really hit home with KBM and the Kyle Busch Foundation," said Busch. "We wanted to do something special in her honor and felt that the truck race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the perfect opportunity." One of the last times that Zahra was seen in public was at the Starkey Hearing Foundation "Get in Gear to Help Children Hear" event hosted by Speedway Children's Charities at CMS last May. She was one of 75 underprivileged children and adults throughout the Carolinas given the gift of hearing at the event. Speedway Children's Charities has invited several of the hearing?impaired children who attended last May's event to take part in Friday's pre-race activities. The children will stand next to Busch and his No. 18 Toyota during pre-race and following the moment of silence, release balloons in honor of Zahra. Speedway Children's Charities has also donated tickets for these children to watch the race from the grandstand along with residents of the Church of God Children's Home, a primary charity of the Kyle Busch Foundation located in Kannapolis, N.C. "Zahra will never be forgotten," Busch said. "She will always be in our hearts."
Dale Junior talks about the strength of his grandmother
With it being Mother's Day weekend at Darlington Raceway, many of the NASCAR drivers are asked to share stories about their mothers and many of the mothers participate in the command to start engines in the Sprint Cup race. On Friday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked to talk about the strength of his grandmother, Martha Earnhardt, in his family. Martha is the mother of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. Earnhardt Jr. gave a very poignant response: "Any wife, girlfriend ? this business is pretty hard on them, makes them pretty tough. You stick it out. You'll be pretty tough by the end of it. My Ma-Maw (grandmother), she's got a lot of knowledge about the sport and what it takes to be involved to be involved in the sport; what she went through. You just have to respect somebody like that. You have a ton of respect for somebody like that," he said. "To see and done everything she's done; witnessed everything she has witnessed from her husband Ralph and her son, all of her sons. I'm sure they all put her through equal amounts of trouble and stress. She enjoying the fruits of all that now with all the grandkids and everybody, hopefully for many years to come."
Are You Ready For DEGA, got your clear bag? FAQ?s
One of many tips you may need to know before you head to the gates at Talladega! 16. What can be brought into the grandstands? - Soft-sided coolers or insulated bags are allowed into the grandstands provided they fit the required size requirement: 6″X6″X12″ or smaller. ONLY ONE SOFT-SIDED COOLER OR INSULATED BAG ALLOWED PER [...]
Remember Bill Lester? He just won in Grand-Am
Bill Lester, who in 2006 became the first black Sprint Cup driver in 20 years, won in the GT Series in Sunday's Grand-Am race at Virginia International Raceway, becoming the first black driver to win a Grand-Am race.
VIR is also located in the home city of Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win a Sprint Cup race and who was left off the ballot for the next class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Lester, who won the race with Jordan Taylor, made two Sprint Cup Series starts in 2006 after spending eight years and 142 races in the Camping World Truck Series. Lester recorded two top fives and seven top 10s in his Truck Series career.
This is Lester's fourth year in the Grand-Am series and the win was also the first for his team Autohaus. He spent the previous three years driving a Daytona Prototype (the faster cars in the division that Chip Ganassi dominates) before moving to GT this year.
VIR is also located in the home city of Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win a Sprint Cup race and who was left off the ballot for the next class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Lester, who won the race with Jordan Taylor, made two Sprint Cup Series starts in 2006 after spending eight years and 142 races in the Camping World Truck Series. Lester recorded two top fives and seven top 10s in his Truck Series career.
This is Lester's fourth year in the Grand-Am series and the win was also the first for his team Autohaus. He spent the previous three years driving a Daytona Prototype (the faster cars in the division that Chip Ganassi dominates) before moving to GT this year.
BOBBY THERRIEN FIRST TO ENTER 2011 BOND/WIX TIGER TOUR
Waterbury, VT ? American Canadian Tour (ACT) Tiger-Sportsman driver Bobby Therrien from Hinesburg, VT was the first to file a full entry for the 2011 BOND/WIX Tiger Tour.
The 2011 tour has been expanded to five 100-lap events. The Sportsman division has been in existence at home track Thunder Road in Barre, VT since 1964. For many northeast fans, the division is considered the most competitive weekly division in the Northeast. Most of the past and many of today?s stars of the American Canadian US Tour have been graduates of the Sportsman division.
The 2011 tour has been expanded to five 100-lap events. The Sportsman division has been in existence at home track Thunder Road in Barre, VT since 1964. For many northeast fans, the division is considered the most competitive weekly division in the Northeast. Most of the past and many of today?s stars of the American Canadian US Tour have been graduates of the Sportsman division.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Running wide open: Your rainy Dover open comment thread
It's been a rainy race weekend at Dover, and initial indications are that Sunday will be more of the same. So stay dry, fire up the computer and hang here with your fellow race fans, chatting Harvick/Busch, Edwards/Logano/Bowyer (you know, that wild Nationwide finish) and everything else under the sun. We'll be chatting live on the main NASCAR page once the festivities actually start; join us for both, won't you?
ESPN to use split screen for commercials, race coverage during second half of Chase telecasts
ESPN will use a split screen that will allow viewers to see race coverage and commercials simultaneously during the second half of each of the 10 Chase For The Sprint Cup race telecasts. Dubbed ?NASCAR NonStop,? the commercials will be shown on the left side of the screen while the right side will display race coverage and the sponsor logo. The scoring ticker across the top of the screen, which displays the current running order, will continue to be seen during the commercials as well.
Dixon, McMurray Swap Rides
Jamie McMurray gets tips from Scott Dixon at Barber Motorsports Park Photo: Courtesy Target Chip Ganassi Racing It's becoming more commonplace for drivers to swap race cars these days, now that Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon set the trend nearly a decade ago. It was time for two Chip Ganassi drivers to do the swap this week, as Jamie McMurray...
Kyle Busch wins qualifying for all-star race
Kyle Busch will start on the pole for Saturday's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after posting the fastest time in qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Running wide open: Your rainy Dover open comment thread
It's been a rainy race weekend at Dover, and initial indications are that Sunday will be more of the same. So stay dry, fire up the computer and hang here with your fellow race fans, chatting Harvick/Busch, Edwards/Logano/Bowyer (you know, that wild Nationwide finish) and everything else under the sun. We'll be chatting live on the main NASCAR page once the festivities actually start; join us for both, won't you?
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
As painful as it may be to admit, the biggest spectator sport in the United States is in fact, NASCAR. With crowds averaging around 99,000 per event, the NASCAR faithful have cemented themselves in automotive history as the uber fans of American motor sports. As most of you know NASCAR got its roots from the [...]
North Wilkesboro closes yet again
Speedway Associates Inc., which has been leasing historic North Wilkesboro Speedway the past 1 1/2 years, announced on Monday night it was shutting down operations at the track. ?We lined up some great events. However, even though we can project positive income from events at the speedway, we do not have the money needed on the front end to make those events happen," Speedway Associates Inc. President Alton McBride Jr. said. "In spite of our complete investment in the speedway and in this community, we have run out of money necessary to go forward." Speedway Associates took over operation of the 5/8ths mile track in November 2009. The track had closed following the fall Cup series race in 1996. From Labor Day weekend 2010 through the 2011 season-opening Pro All-Star Series race, there were six large and more than a dozen small successful events held at the track. "In just 1� years, SAI's fantastic team returned this wonderful, historic track to its rightful place as the most popular place for past and present industry icons to come and feel the history that was being kept alive by those who carry this speedway in their heart," McBride said.
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 [...]
Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t exactly sweating this All-Star thing
Since everything Dale Earnhardt Jr. does is news, it's now news that Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not be in the Sprint All-Star race. Horrors!
Now, Junior has two ways to get in, and both would appear to offer a reasonable option for entry. He can get in on the fan vote, and since he's been NASCAR's most popular driver since, oh, 1736 or so, that would appear to be a safe bet. But even if not, he's got the showdown on Saturday night, from which the first- and second-place drivers will jump to the main event. Junior is running better, over the course of the season, than anybody else in the field and, it must be noted, most of the drivers in the big race, as well.
Noting that he doesn't "take it for granted" that he'll get in on the fan vote, Junior indicates that "I would rather, personally make it through the fan vote because the qualifying procedure is a little bit of a pain in the tail ... Having to qualify and then sit around and wait for everybody else to qualify and run up and down pit road like hooligans is not a lot of fun."
Overall, Junior is philosophical, using this entire experience as a Teaching Moment. "It will be interesting being on the other side of the fence, trying to find a way into the race and going through that experience myself personally, to have an appreciation for what that is like, versus just showing up and being locked in," he says. "It could be interesting and good for me to have that experience as well."
"Interesting"? "Good"? Look, we dig Junior around here. The guy handles more pressure than anyone can imagine with grace and dignity. But for heaven's sake, someone get the guy a thesaurus, quick. If he doesn't make it into the race, he'll be able to get a head start on it for next weekend.
Now, Junior has two ways to get in, and both would appear to offer a reasonable option for entry. He can get in on the fan vote, and since he's been NASCAR's most popular driver since, oh, 1736 or so, that would appear to be a safe bet. But even if not, he's got the showdown on Saturday night, from which the first- and second-place drivers will jump to the main event. Junior is running better, over the course of the season, than anybody else in the field and, it must be noted, most of the drivers in the big race, as well.
Noting that he doesn't "take it for granted" that he'll get in on the fan vote, Junior indicates that "I would rather, personally make it through the fan vote because the qualifying procedure is a little bit of a pain in the tail ... Having to qualify and then sit around and wait for everybody else to qualify and run up and down pit road like hooligans is not a lot of fun."
Overall, Junior is philosophical, using this entire experience as a Teaching Moment. "It will be interesting being on the other side of the fence, trying to find a way into the race and going through that experience myself personally, to have an appreciation for what that is like, versus just showing up and being locked in," he says. "It could be interesting and good for me to have that experience as well."
"Interesting"? "Good"? Look, we dig Junior around here. The guy handles more pressure than anyone can imagine with grace and dignity. But for heaven's sake, someone get the guy a thesaurus, quick. If he doesn't make it into the race, he'll be able to get a head start on it for next weekend.
Privateer Oreca Peugeot Beats The Factory Teams At Sebring
Using the well developed Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LM P1 contender, Team Oreca won the hotly contested Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Photo: Anne Proffit The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring may not be the longest race on the calendar of events for sports car racing but it's acknowledged to be amongst the toughest anywhere. Held on a 3.7-mile former Army Air...
Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer in wild Nationwide crash
Joey Logano got loose battling Carl Edwards for the lead on a green-white-checker restart during Saturday's rain-delayed Nationwide race at Dover and you can watch what happened next.
Clint Bowyer was in the No. 33 car and got the worst of it, essentially launching off of Logano's car as Logano skidded down the track in front of the field. While it looked at first that Edwards got into the left rear of Logano, other angles showed that the two didn't make contact.
Bowyer was unhurt in the crash. Edwards won the race.
That wasn't the only crazy wreck on Saturday. Earlier in the race, Alex Kennedy got loose of off turn two and got into the outside and inside retaining walls. Kennedy said that the steering locked on his car as he tried to get to pit road and collected Kevin Swindell -- subbing for Trevor Bayne -- long after his original crash was over.
Clint Bowyer was in the No. 33 car and got the worst of it, essentially launching off of Logano's car as Logano skidded down the track in front of the field. While it looked at first that Edwards got into the left rear of Logano, other angles showed that the two didn't make contact.
Bowyer was unhurt in the crash. Edwards won the race.
That wasn't the only crazy wreck on Saturday. Earlier in the race, Alex Kennedy got loose of off turn two and got into the outside and inside retaining walls. Kennedy said that the steering locked on his car as he tried to get to pit road and collected Kevin Swindell -- subbing for Trevor Bayne -- long after his original crash was over.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Kenny Wallace making 500th Nationwide start at Iowa
Sunday's 250-lap race at Iowa Speedway will be a very special one for long- time Nationwide veteran Kenny Wallace. The 47-year-old Wallace is scheduled to make his 500th career start in the series. He will join Jason Keller as the only drivers who have 500 or more starts. Keller accomplished the feat one year ago at Dover.
Jimmie Johnson gets in on some planking action
Twitter might be the best thing that ever happened to Jimmie Johnson ... well, outside of family, friends and those five Sprint Cup championships, of course. The social network gives him the opportunity to show he's not a vanilla automaton, as with this photo he posted Thursday morning of his version of "planking."
Don't know what planking is? That's probably because you're not a young, single kid unburdened with things like bills, obligations and common sense. "Planking" involves placing your body in as straight a position as possible on everything from park benches to tables to, well, Sprint Cup cars. The fad got a bit of notoriety this past weekend when somebody in Australia planked his way right off the side of a seven-story building and, well, died. So be careful up there, Jimmie.
"I wish I wore a helmet," Johnson said afterward. "My forehead is killing me."
Johnson, of course, is just planking in the, uh, planks of Indy 500 drivers, who killed time on Wednesday by planking all over the freakin' place. Those crazy drivers.
Don't know what planking is? That's probably because you're not a young, single kid unburdened with things like bills, obligations and common sense. "Planking" involves placing your body in as straight a position as possible on everything from park benches to tables to, well, Sprint Cup cars. The fad got a bit of notoriety this past weekend when somebody in Australia planked his way right off the side of a seven-story building and, well, died. So be careful up there, Jimmie.
"I wish I wore a helmet," Johnson said afterward. "My forehead is killing me."
Johnson, of course, is just planking in the, uh, planks of Indy 500 drivers, who killed time on Wednesday by planking all over the freakin' place. Those crazy drivers.
Unassuming Cole Whitt already making strides in truck series
To hear Cole Whitt tell it, he's just a simple guy.... The 19-year-old isn't one to gloat about his accomplishments ? which include a USAC National Midget championship in 2008 and two USAC Silver Crown wins in '09 ? and he more or less likes to take life at a slow pace when he's not racing.
Carpenter tops speed chart on opening day at Indy
Sarah Fisher retired from driving to start a family.
NASCAR Announces 2011 Schedules
NASCAR announced the 2011 schedule for its three national series, highlighted by several key changes for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. One of those changes comes early, as the second race of the season will be held at Phoenix International Raceway on Feb. 27, a week after the season-opening Daytona 500. PIR replaces Auto Club [...]
Can You Name The Racer By His Helmet?
OK, sports fans, here?s a challenge for you. Without going to the internet, how many of the helmets below can you associate with the racers who wore them? I?m going to make it particularly hard by mixing up the racing series; some are from F1, some are from IndyCar (and its predecessor, Champ Car), and [...]
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Darlington Aims to Please NASCAR Fans
Darlington Raceway hopes to bring more families back to NASCAR by expanding youth discounts for next year’s racing season. Darlington will offer half-price seating for youths 17 and under at the Showtime Southern 500 in May and free tickets to its Nationwide and Camping World Truck series events, track spokesman Jake Harris told The Associated [...]
FEUD OF THE WEEK: Kyle Busch-Kevin Harvick clash could continue, escalate into long rivalry
When drivers spend a week mulling over their latest conflict with another driver, they usually don?t back down. They stand their ground and don?t admit fault or blame if they hadn?t already. But rarely does a feud continue or escalate with more name-calling and finger-pointing the next week. But then again, Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch doesn?t appear to be your typical NASCAR feud.
Johnson wins Dover pole because of rain
Jimmie Johnson stopped at a media scrum and snapped a photo of Bobby Allison.
Robby Gordon Sues ExtenZe For Non-Performance
There?s irony and there?s IRONY, and this story clearly falls into the latter category. Robby Gordon, NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner and racer of all things with four wheels, alleges that male-enhancement pill maker ExtenZe failed to rise to the occasion and pay him for their Sprint Cup sponsorship. ExtenZe, on the other hand, claims [...]
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
NASCAR schedules Phoenix open test for October
DOVER, Del. ? NASCAR has scheduled an open test Oct. 4-5 at Phoenix International Raceway to allow Sprint Cup Series teams to get a feel for the new surface and configuration of the track. The test will also serve as a confirmation test for the tire Goodyear will provide for the season?s 35th Cup race. The 1-mile oval is being repaved and Turn 2 slightly kicked out (altered) in an effort to promote more side-by-side racing.
Monday Morning Tear Down: Matt Kenseth finally has a crew chief he clicks with in veteran Jimmy Fennig
DOVER, Del. ? There was a time when his crew would ask Matt Kenseth if he wanted two tires or four on a late pit stop and Kenseth would tell his crew chief that that the decision was his call. But there?s something different in Kenseth?s communication with veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig. The Roush Fenway Racing driver suggested they take two tires on a pit stop with 38 laps remaining in the FedEx 400 Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Kenseth came off pit road second, behind Mark Martin, who did not stop at all, and ended up winning the race. ?Jimmy made the call. I just suggested it,? Kenseth said.
Travis Pastrana pokes fun at Nascar and himself?
Travis Pastrana better have a good sense of humor since he’s heading right smack dabb into one of the most competitive forms of motor racing out there – NASCAR. In his new Nascar launch video, the X-games Champion and all around stunt jockey decides to poke not only a little fun at himself, but at [...]
Engine Issues for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2011
Since the Car of Tomorrow was introduced in the Sprint Cup Series, no organization has won more races than Joe Gibbs Racing. Last season, JGR driver Denny Hamlin recorded a series-best eight wins. Naturally, expectations were high entering the 2011 season, but thus far, the organization has been falling short. Instead of picking up wins, this year...
Biffle to remain with Roush Fenway
NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle has agreed to a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. An official announcement of Biffle's extension could come as early as this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, sources said. As recently as April 1, Biffle said he was "90 percent sure" he would re-sign with Roush and hoped to have a new deal completed by midseason. Biffle said he's not had an overwhelming interest to test the free-agent market, in part because of the economy, but also because of how far Roush Fenway Racing has come from this time last year. While Biffle is currently 18th in Sprint Cup Series points, his teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth have already won races this season. During his career with Roush, Biffle has won the Truck and Nationwide series championships and finished as high as second in Cup standings in 2005. He has 16 Cup wins, 20 in Nationwide and 16 in Trucks. A team spokesperson on Wednesday said she could not confirm Biffle had agreed to an extension.
Yes, that really was a split-screen ad/race you saw Sunday afternoon
The best gifts are the ones you don't expect. You know when Christmas and your birthday are coming, so those are inevitably letdowns. But when a gift comes at you out of the blue, thumping you on the head like it fell off a passing truck, well, it's that much more special.
With about 20 laps remaining in the otherwise-unspectacular Dover race, Fox cut to commercial. Now, normally this is a cue for the entire field to pit or run straight into one another; the odds of a caution hitting during a commercial are pretty much 1:1. This time, though, as Fox proceeded through ads for Sprint, FedEx and Pizza Hut, viewers noticed something unusual: there was still video of cars going around the track!
Surely this was a trick. Surely this was a Transformers 3 ad, or some goofy viral marketing campaign. Surely Fox Sports, which has all the promotional subtlety of a megaphone bellowing three inches from your ear, wouldn't roll out split-screen in-race ads without a whole barrage of self-congratulatory hallelujahs.
It wasn't, it wasn't, and they did. With no fanfare whatsoever, the split-screen showed up, and the rolling disbelief was evident on both Twitter and our live chat. And the reaction? Thumbs up, across the board. Finally, NASCAR found a way to get us to cheer a ridearound!
It seems easy enough to do, but split-screens require advertisers to buy in to losing a chunk of their screen real estate. But all three sponsors named above have a long history with NASCAR, so all three agreed it was a good idea, at least for a one-off, and the resultant publicity may mean that we'll see it again.
"At this point, the fan feedback we've seen via social media has been very positive," a Fox Sports spokesman told Landmark Newspapers' Dustin Long. "The plan now is to evaluate the execution with the advertisers before we decide whether to try it again this season."
Look, NASCAR is nowhere near perfect, and nor are its broadcasters. But in this case, they listened to the fans and delivered something that everyone's been wanting for years. Go ask your friends who are diehard NFL fans how well things are working out for them these days on that front.
[Screencap via The Daly Planet]
With about 20 laps remaining in the otherwise-unspectacular Dover race, Fox cut to commercial. Now, normally this is a cue for the entire field to pit or run straight into one another; the odds of a caution hitting during a commercial are pretty much 1:1. This time, though, as Fox proceeded through ads for Sprint, FedEx and Pizza Hut, viewers noticed something unusual: there was still video of cars going around the track!
Surely this was a trick. Surely this was a Transformers 3 ad, or some goofy viral marketing campaign. Surely Fox Sports, which has all the promotional subtlety of a megaphone bellowing three inches from your ear, wouldn't roll out split-screen in-race ads without a whole barrage of self-congratulatory hallelujahs.
It wasn't, it wasn't, and they did. With no fanfare whatsoever, the split-screen showed up, and the rolling disbelief was evident on both Twitter and our live chat. And the reaction? Thumbs up, across the board. Finally, NASCAR found a way to get us to cheer a ridearound!
It seems easy enough to do, but split-screens require advertisers to buy in to losing a chunk of their screen real estate. But all three sponsors named above have a long history with NASCAR, so all three agreed it was a good idea, at least for a one-off, and the resultant publicity may mean that we'll see it again.
"At this point, the fan feedback we've seen via social media has been very positive," a Fox Sports spokesman told Landmark Newspapers' Dustin Long. "The plan now is to evaluate the execution with the advertisers before we decide whether to try it again this season."
Look, NASCAR is nowhere near perfect, and nor are its broadcasters. But in this case, they listened to the fans and delivered something that everyone's been wanting for years. Go ask your friends who are diehard NFL fans how well things are working out for them these days on that front.
[Screencap via The Daly Planet]
Monday, May 16, 2011
INSIGHT: Rick Rinaman, Team Penske talisman
Helio Castroneves is going for his fourth Indy 500 victory this year, but Rick Rinaman, the man who was crew chief for all three of Helio's wins, already has four to his name, having also won as crew chief for Emerson Fittipaldi in 1993. Rinaman discussed his Indy highs and lows of the past 20 years with RACER editor David Malsher.
Jimmie Johnson gets a whole Delaware day in his honor
Jimmie Johnson already dominates NASCAR. Now he's taking over entire states.
Sunday, May 15 will be recognized in Delaware as "Jimmie Johnson Day," per a resolution of the Delaware General Assembly. He's being recognized for his work on the track; May 15 is also the day that the Sprint Cup series returns to Dover's Monster Mile. He won at Dover last year, and owns six wins overall at the track. The only drivers ever to win seven times at the track are Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, so that's fairly good company.
The resolution "urges the people of the State of Delaware to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities." Paint the kids blue and shop at Lowe's, everybody!
If you want to go see the festivities in person, visit DoverSpeedway.com. But be careful; once you get into the state of Delaware, you may not get out. Lord Vader has a way of keeping rebellious types in line with extreme force. And you know this is only the first stop in a run that will end in the White House in 2028.
Sunday, May 15 will be recognized in Delaware as "Jimmie Johnson Day," per a resolution of the Delaware General Assembly. He's being recognized for his work on the track; May 15 is also the day that the Sprint Cup series returns to Dover's Monster Mile. He won at Dover last year, and owns six wins overall at the track. The only drivers ever to win seven times at the track are Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, so that's fairly good company.
The resolution "urges the people of the State of Delaware to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities." Paint the kids blue and shop at Lowe's, everybody!
If you want to go see the festivities in person, visit DoverSpeedway.com. But be careful; once you get into the state of Delaware, you may not get out. Lord Vader has a way of keeping rebellious types in line with extreme force. And you know this is only the first stop in a run that will end in the White House in 2028.
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