Thursday, June 30, 2011
NASCAR Fan Commentary: Richard vs. Kyle
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR news is all about Richard Childress beating up Kyle Busch. I’d like to give my commentary about it. First of all, I love NASCAR racing. I love watching the races. And I like most of the drivers. The media seems to be looking for someone [...]
HRT confirms Ricciardo's race debut
Hispania Racing has confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo will make his Formula 1 racing debut in one of its cars at the British Grand Prix.
What gets you suspended in NASCAR?
So, team owner Richard Childress assaults driver Kyle Busch in the garage area, repeatedly striking him with his fist, and doesn't get suspended. He received a $150,000 fine and placed on probation through the end of the year. What exactly does get you suspended in NASCAR? Here's a list of some recent suspensions and another list of things for which NASCAR participants did not receive a suspension. NASCAR suspends people for: -Violation of its substance abuse policy (numerous examples). -Using an engine which is too big (Carl Long) -Rigging a fuel tank to appear full when it wasn't during qualifying (Crew chief Todd Berrier) -Using a racial slur (crew chief Bryan Berry) -Using an unapproved additive in fuel (Crew chief David Hyder) -Having a car chassis that does not meet specifications (Crew chief Shane Wilson) -Having air improperly ducted into the car for qualifying at Daytona (Crew chiefs Kenny Francis and Robbie Reiser) NASCAR will not suspend you for: -Physically assaulting a driver (Team owner Richard Childress) -Convictions for driving while intoxicated (drivers AJ Allmendinger, Scott Wimmer) -Reckless driving; speeding (128 mph in 45 mph zone) (driver Kyle Busch) -Repairing a wrecked car to return to the track to intentionally wreck another competitor (driver Carl Edwards) -Physically assaulting another competitor in the presence of NASCAR officials (Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman) -Physically assaulting a member of the media (driver Tony Stewart) Make sense?
Lindy Thackston's blog: Caught on tape
"Some video I recently saw really gave me goose bumps. Someone happened to have JR Hildebrand's mom in their camera frame for the final two laps of the 500."
NASCAR Race Review: Alliance Truck Parts 250
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Saturday afternoon the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced the Alliance Truck Parts 250 race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI., the fifteenth race of the season. Here’s my race review. Mark Martin and Kyle Busch, both Cup drivers, are going for their 50th win in the Nationwide [...]
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
What gets you suspended in NASCAR?
So, team owner Richard Childress assaults driver Kyle Busch in the garage area, repeatedly striking him with his fist, and doesn't get suspended. He received a $150,000 fine and placed on probation through the end of the year. What exactly does get you suspended in NASCAR? Here's a list of some recent suspensions and another list of things for which NASCAR participants did not receive a suspension. NASCAR suspends people for: -Violation of its substance abuse policy (numerous examples). -Using an engine which is too big (Carl Long) -Rigging a fuel tank to appear full when it wasn't during qualifying (Crew chief Todd Berrier) -Using a racial slur (crew chief Bryan Berry) -Using an unapproved additive in fuel (Crew chief David Hyder) -Having a car chassis that does not meet specifications (Crew chief Shane Wilson) -Having air improperly ducted into the car for qualifying at Daytona (Crew chiefs Kenny Francis and Robbie Reiser) NASCAR will not suspend you for: -Physically assaulting a driver (Team owner Richard Childress) -Convictions for driving while intoxicated (drivers AJ Allmendinger, Scott Wimmer) -Reckless driving; speeding (128 mph in 45 mph zone) (driver Kyle Busch) -Repairing a wrecked car to return to the track to intentionally wreck another competitor (driver Carl Edwards) -Physically assaulting another competitor in the presence of NASCAR officials (Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman) -Physically assaulting a member of the media (driver Tony Stewart) Make sense?
Brian Vickers keeping options open in light of Red Bull move
SONOMA, Calif. ? Brian Vickers says he?s ?built a home? at Red Bull Racing, but with the energy drink company planning to end a five-year run as both owner and primary sponsor at year?s end, he says he is keeping ?all my options open.? One of the first drivers hired by the team when it debuted in 2007, Vickers? current contract runs through the 2011 season. Whether he remains with what?s now a two-car outfit as it possibly transitions under new ownership or goes elsewhere to continue his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career is uncertain.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. says 'everything's cool' with Mark Martin
SONOMA, Calif. ? Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, involved in a late-race incident a week ago at Michigan International Speedway, spoke after last week?s race and ?everything?s cool.? ?It?s good,? Earnhardt Jr. said Friday prior to Sprint Cup practice at Infineon Raceway. ?We handled it after the race and talked a little bit and texted each other back and forth.
Ticket discounts latest dust up between Speedway, fans ? WAVE
Ticket discounts latest dust up between Speedway, fans – WAVE
Yahoo! Sports (blog)
Ticket discounts latest dust up between Speedway, fansWAVESPARTA, KY (WAVE) – There is more fan outrage over Kentucky Speedway's handling of its first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race. First I exposed anger over the Speedway's no cooler policy. Now some fans say they feel cheated by the …The time has come for a road course in tFOXSports.com
NASCAR champs Stewart and Gordon excited about KentuckyFOX19Kimmel enters NASCAR Nationwide Race at KentuckyLouisville Courier-Journal (blog)Toronto Sun -Yahoo! Sports (blog) -Auto Racing Dailyall 310 news articles »
Yahoo! Sports (blog)
Ticket discounts latest dust up between Speedway, fansWAVESPARTA, KY (WAVE) – There is more fan outrage over Kentucky Speedway's handling of its first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race. First I exposed anger over the Speedway's no cooler policy. Now some fans say they feel cheated by the …The time has come for a road course in tFOXSports.com
NASCAR champs Stewart and Gordon excited about KentuckyFOX19Kimmel enters NASCAR Nationwide Race at KentuckyLouisville Courier-Journal (blog)Toronto Sun -Yahoo! Sports (blog) -Auto Racing Dailyall 310 news articles »
Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoyed ?beating and banging? at Sonoma, but damage to his car took its toll
SONOMA, Calif. ? After climbing as high as third in the points standings, and staying there for three weeks, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has seen the rug pulled out front under his Hendrick Motorsports team the past two weeks.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. releases new album, perplexes Junior Nation
Short of naming yourself "Tiger Woods' Ladyfriends," it's tough to imagine a sports-related band name you could pick that would be more charged, and carry more preconceptions, than "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr." Parody country, right? Or maybe thrash-punk? Add in the fact that the band's two members wear firesuits onstage, and you're thinking this has to be a joke.
It's not; Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is a legit alternative band with a sound that's far removed from almost anything you'd hear in the Bristol campgrounds or the Daytona infield. This week, they released their major-label debut, It's A Corporate World, with the following trailer:
And though they may look like pseudo-hipsters glomming onto the Earnhardt name with some misplaced, oh-so-cute sense of postmodern irony, it turns out they actually know sports. In a blog post they've written for ESPN Music, members Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott discuss the ? wait, there's an "ESPN Music"? Huh. ? anyway, they discuss the sports legacy of their native Detroit with authority.
Big question: has their namesake ever even heard of them? Better; he's actually given them his blessing. "We actually wrote him a letter, and a couple of weeks ago he wrote back," Zott said in an interview. "He was all about the name. He was flattered that a band would use his name. He thought it was funny. He's a fan of our music. He wished us luck and told us that he's not going to come after us. It was a great letter, and it really motivated us even more to keep the name, to keep the goofiness but have the music be a serious part of it."
So what does the future hold for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.? We can only hope, for their sake, they have as rabid a fanbase as their inspiration. And if they ever have trouble coming up with song titles, well, I'll bet you can come up with a few right off the top of your head, can't you?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. [Official website]
It's not; Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is a legit alternative band with a sound that's far removed from almost anything you'd hear in the Bristol campgrounds or the Daytona infield. This week, they released their major-label debut, It's A Corporate World, with the following trailer:
And though they may look like pseudo-hipsters glomming onto the Earnhardt name with some misplaced, oh-so-cute sense of postmodern irony, it turns out they actually know sports. In a blog post they've written for ESPN Music, members Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott discuss the ? wait, there's an "ESPN Music"? Huh. ? anyway, they discuss the sports legacy of their native Detroit with authority.
Big question: has their namesake ever even heard of them? Better; he's actually given them his blessing. "We actually wrote him a letter, and a couple of weeks ago he wrote back," Zott said in an interview. "He was all about the name. He was flattered that a band would use his name. He thought it was funny. He's a fan of our music. He wished us luck and told us that he's not going to come after us. It was a great letter, and it really motivated us even more to keep the name, to keep the goofiness but have the music be a serious part of it."
So what does the future hold for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.? We can only hope, for their sake, they have as rabid a fanbase as their inspiration. And if they ever have trouble coming up with song titles, well, I'll bet you can come up with a few right off the top of your head, can't you?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. [Official website]
DT Promotions, Whats Happening!
By Travis Dunbar
There is a lot happening in the next few weeks. Next week is the Annual Northeast Motorsports Expo show in Augusta, ME. DT Promotions will have Travis Dunbar there signing autographs and giving out informational brochures on Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Autism Society of Maine. Also, Travis Poulliot, Dunbar's Crew Cheif will also be in attendance to chat with folks about the team and it's equipment.
Next week the 2011 DT Promotions' season is underway. There is a limited time to get everything done and up and running for DT Promotions. The autograph session will take place at the Augusta Civic Center on Friday, January 7, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. So don't miss the session and your opportunity to speak with Travis Dunbar and Travis Poulliot personally.
There is a lot happening in the next few weeks. Next week is the Annual Northeast Motorsports Expo show in Augusta, ME. DT Promotions will have Travis Dunbar there signing autographs and giving out informational brochures on Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Autism Society of Maine. Also, Travis Poulliot, Dunbar's Crew Cheif will also be in attendance to chat with folks about the team and it's equipment.
Next week the 2011 DT Promotions' season is underway. There is a limited time to get everything done and up and running for DT Promotions. The autograph session will take place at the Augusta Civic Center on Friday, January 7, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. So don't miss the session and your opportunity to speak with Travis Dunbar and Travis Poulliot personally.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Marcos Ambrose says he has put Infineon gaffe behind him, looks to avoid mistakes in return to Sonoma
Marcos Ambrose swears that he has put last year?s infamous gaffe at Infineon Raceway behind him.
Whether that?s true or not is hard to tell.
Whether that?s true or not is hard to tell.
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.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Gordon’s win clarifies the state of the Chase wild card … for now
Jeff Gordon rolled to a relatively easy win on an otherwise unspectacular day at Pocono, and in so doing put himself in prime position for the Chase.
Gordon now sits in 11th position, six points behind Ryan Newman for the final Chase spot. More importantly, however, Gordon has joined the ranks of the two-win drivers. Like Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick (who has three), Gordon is now virtually assured of a spot in the Chase via at least the wild card.
Let's break down the numbers. If Gordon doesn't make it into the top 10, there's no other driver in the 11-20 range who even has a single win, much less two. So if he can't make it in via the top 10, he's all but certain there. In fact, the only guy with even a remote chance of making it into the top 20 with a win is Brad Keselowski, who lost a position and now sits in 22nd, 13 points behind Martin Truex Jr. for 20th.
If Keselowski does make it into the top 20, that suddenly puts a lot of pressure on Denny Hamlin to bring home a win. Hamlin is the trendy pick to make the Chase via wins, and with good reason; in 2010, he won nearly one-fourth of the season's races. But if Gordon can't break the top 10 and Keselowski sneaks in, that leaves Hamlin on the outside looking in.
There are still 12 races before the Chase, of course, and Hamlin's been on a steady upward trend. So if he and Gordon are able to close that gap between themselves and 10th -- Hamlin is just nine points behind Newman -- that puts Stewart-Haas teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in the crosshairs.
However, Gordon has a more tangible reason for wanting to get into the top 10. If he qualifies his way into the Chase on points rather than wins, he'll get the three bonus points for each of those wins. Wild-card winners get no bonus points for their wins.
With an efficient, effective race, Gordon put some severe pressure on everyone from about position 8 (Clint Bowyer, 419 points) to position 20. And given the fact that Carl Edwards' on-track engine troubles demolished his lead, from 40 to six, this is shaping up to be a much more fascinating run for both the Chase and the regular-season championship than we'd expected even a couple weeks ago.
Gordon now sits in 11th position, six points behind Ryan Newman for the final Chase spot. More importantly, however, Gordon has joined the ranks of the two-win drivers. Like Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick (who has three), Gordon is now virtually assured of a spot in the Chase via at least the wild card.
Let's break down the numbers. If Gordon doesn't make it into the top 10, there's no other driver in the 11-20 range who even has a single win, much less two. So if he can't make it in via the top 10, he's all but certain there. In fact, the only guy with even a remote chance of making it into the top 20 with a win is Brad Keselowski, who lost a position and now sits in 22nd, 13 points behind Martin Truex Jr. for 20th.
If Keselowski does make it into the top 20, that suddenly puts a lot of pressure on Denny Hamlin to bring home a win. Hamlin is the trendy pick to make the Chase via wins, and with good reason; in 2010, he won nearly one-fourth of the season's races. But if Gordon can't break the top 10 and Keselowski sneaks in, that leaves Hamlin on the outside looking in.
There are still 12 races before the Chase, of course, and Hamlin's been on a steady upward trend. So if he and Gordon are able to close that gap between themselves and 10th -- Hamlin is just nine points behind Newman -- that puts Stewart-Haas teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in the crosshairs.
However, Gordon has a more tangible reason for wanting to get into the top 10. If he qualifies his way into the Chase on points rather than wins, he'll get the three bonus points for each of those wins. Wild-card winners get no bonus points for their wins.
With an efficient, effective race, Gordon put some severe pressure on everyone from about position 8 (Clint Bowyer, 419 points) to position 20. And given the fact that Carl Edwards' on-track engine troubles demolished his lead, from 40 to six, this is shaping up to be a much more fascinating run for both the Chase and the regular-season championship than we'd expected even a couple weeks ago.
Bruton Smith, SMI file suit against city, county over track debt
Bruton Smith is no stranger to gamesmanship, and now he's stepped up an ongoing battle with the city of Concord and Cabarrus County over money owed to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In October 2007, the governments pledged to pay $80 million toward upgrades and other incentives. At the time, Smith had threatened to leave if he couldn't develop what became the zMax Dragway. The negotiations resulted in the counties developing a plan of road improvements and other assistances.
However, the problem was that there was no formal agreement in place. Smith apparently believed that the majority of the money, $60 million, would be paid within three years, and the rest within six years, but government officials countered that they had expected the money would be paid out over up to 40 years.
Smith had originally filed suit to receive the money in September 2009, but dropped the suit last June as negotiations continued. SMI is now seeking a judgment requiring the governments to formalize their agreement, as well as pay damages for breaching the initial agreement.
Charlotte Motor Speedway refiles lawsuit against Concord [WBTV.com]
In October 2007, the governments pledged to pay $80 million toward upgrades and other incentives. At the time, Smith had threatened to leave if he couldn't develop what became the zMax Dragway. The negotiations resulted in the counties developing a plan of road improvements and other assistances.
However, the problem was that there was no formal agreement in place. Smith apparently believed that the majority of the money, $60 million, would be paid within three years, and the rest within six years, but government officials countered that they had expected the money would be paid out over up to 40 years.
Smith had originally filed suit to receive the money in September 2009, but dropped the suit last June as negotiations continued. SMI is now seeking a judgment requiring the governments to formalize their agreement, as well as pay damages for breaching the initial agreement.
Charlotte Motor Speedway refiles lawsuit against Concord [WBTV.com]
What’s new is old: Franchitti and Power win at Texas
The top two drivers in the 2010 points standings, Dario Franchitti and Will Power, won Saturday night's Firestone Twin 275 Izod IndyCar Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.
The 114-lap races, which were run back-to-back with a break in-between, each awarded half points and half of a full race purse. Qualifying on Friday was for the first race while the second race was set by random draw between the first and second race.
Franchitti took the first race in dominating fashion, essentially leading from wire-to-wire after starting second. The only car able to compete with him was his teammate Scott Dixon, who hung on Franchitti's bumper after a restart with 10 laps to go but wasn't able (or willing?) to mount a serious challenge. It was Franchitti's second win of the season after he won the season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park.
Power took the second race for the first oval win of his career and his third win of the season. Power drew the third position -- while Franchitti drew the 28th starting spot -- and wasn't passed on the race track after passing Tony Kanaan for the lead. Dixon finished second in the second race, too.
And like last year, Power and Franchitti are atop the points standings again this year, albeit with Power in the lead. However, since Power finished higher in the first race than Franchitti did in the second race, he extended his points lead by five points.
Perhaps the most intriguing -- and awful -- aspect of the evening was the game show-type draw for the starting grid for the second race. 30 tires on the stage on the frontstretch contained a number, and drivers were interviewed and randomly picked a tire to reveal their starting positions. The process dragged interminably and also featured some odd song choices as drivers were on stage. Danica Patrick's music was "Sharp Dressed Man" and Ana Beatriz's was "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" while Alex Tagliani chose his position to (the edited version of) Cee-lo's "F You."
Many in the garage, including Franchitti, who was very vocal, opposed the random draw, saying that the field should have been inverted for the second race. With an invert, Franchitti would have started two positions further back in 30th, and Power would have started 28th instead of third.
The 114-lap races, which were run back-to-back with a break in-between, each awarded half points and half of a full race purse. Qualifying on Friday was for the first race while the second race was set by random draw between the first and second race.
Franchitti took the first race in dominating fashion, essentially leading from wire-to-wire after starting second. The only car able to compete with him was his teammate Scott Dixon, who hung on Franchitti's bumper after a restart with 10 laps to go but wasn't able (or willing?) to mount a serious challenge. It was Franchitti's second win of the season after he won the season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park.
Power took the second race for the first oval win of his career and his third win of the season. Power drew the third position -- while Franchitti drew the 28th starting spot -- and wasn't passed on the race track after passing Tony Kanaan for the lead. Dixon finished second in the second race, too.
And like last year, Power and Franchitti are atop the points standings again this year, albeit with Power in the lead. However, since Power finished higher in the first race than Franchitti did in the second race, he extended his points lead by five points.
Perhaps the most intriguing -- and awful -- aspect of the evening was the game show-type draw for the starting grid for the second race. 30 tires on the stage on the frontstretch contained a number, and drivers were interviewed and randomly picked a tire to reveal their starting positions. The process dragged interminably and also featured some odd song choices as drivers were on stage. Danica Patrick's music was "Sharp Dressed Man" and Ana Beatriz's was "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" while Alex Tagliani chose his position to (the edited version of) Cee-lo's "F You."
Many in the garage, including Franchitti, who was very vocal, opposed the random draw, saying that the field should have been inverted for the second race. With an invert, Franchitti would have started two positions further back in 30th, and Power would have started 28th instead of third.
Grand Am car clears fence in crash at Road America
Gunter Schaldach's car launched over the fence in Turn 1 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., during Saturday's Grand-Am race.
(Schaldach can be seen clearing the fence at 1:51 of the above video.)
Schaldach lost the brakes as he entered the turn and collected Joe Foster from behind before sliding off course.�Foster was carrying so much speed that he slid through the gravel trap and smashed into the tire barrier. Foster was airlifted to an area hospital where he was evalutated and released.
In most cases, the gravel trap slows a car down and the tire barrier softens the impact to the wall. Given the angle and speed that�Schaldach hit, the barrier served as a launching pad, sending his car over the fence and down the hill on the other side.
Schaldach, who estimated his speed at about 160 m.p.h.,�walked away from the incident.
This wreck came just two weeks after two incredible crashes in the world's other major sports car series at the 24 Hours at Le Mans. At Le Mans, Allen McNish flipped over a wall and Mike Rockenfeller hit head-on into an Armco barrier.
(Schaldach can be seen clearing the fence at 1:51 of the above video.)
Schaldach lost the brakes as he entered the turn and collected Joe Foster from behind before sliding off course.�Foster was carrying so much speed that he slid through the gravel trap and smashed into the tire barrier. Foster was airlifted to an area hospital where he was evalutated and released.
In most cases, the gravel trap slows a car down and the tire barrier softens the impact to the wall. Given the angle and speed that�Schaldach hit, the barrier served as a launching pad, sending his car over the fence and down the hill on the other side.
Schaldach, who estimated his speed at about 160 m.p.h.,�walked away from the incident.
This wreck came just two weeks after two incredible crashes in the world's other major sports car series at the 24 Hours at Le Mans. At Le Mans, Allen McNish flipped over a wall and Mike Rockenfeller hit head-on into an Armco barrier.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
What effect will Red Bull’s departure have on NASCAR?
This isn't good news for fans of a broad base of teams: the AP is reporting that Red Bull plans to leave NASCAR at the end of the 2011 season.
According to multiple AP sources, Red Bull executives met with NASCAR officials on Sunday to disclose their plans. And on Monday, the company issued this terse statement:
"Red Bull Racing Team is currently seeking outside investors as we evaluate next steps in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. We are not at liberty to comment on details while negotiations are under way. Red Bull fully supports NA [NA? NASCAR? Not applicable? -Ed.] for the remainder of the 2011 season as we fight for victories and a position in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup."
While it's never good to see sponsors departing the sport, in terms of on-track competition, what impact will this really have? Red Bull has not had tremendous success on the track since joining the circuit in 2007; the team has won only one race (Brian Vickers in 2009) and has had a roster of less-than-impressive (AJ Allmendinger, Scott Speed) and underperforming (Kasey Kahne) drivers for its entire history. Kahne is now 19th in points, while Vickers is 24th.
So how would Red Bull's departure affect the circuit? Jobs would be lost, certainly, and there aren't enough teams available to absorb all the members of both teams who would be out of work.
As for the drivers themselves, there would be little change. Kahne is headed for Hendrick Motorsports next year, and Vickers has already expressed a desire to look outside Red Bull for work. So the company could have been left with zero drivers even had it chosen to continue in the sport. (Developmental driver Cole Whitt is running well in the Trucks series, but likely isn't ready for a full ride.)
Another X-factor: Red Bull had long been rumored as the 2012-and-beyond destination for Mark Martin. With Red Bull out of the market, Martin's potential seats just narrowed by two.
For the sake of the people employed by Red Bull, hopefully team GM Jay Frye will be able to find an investor to shore up the team. But absent the presence of a marquee driver, it will be a tough sell ... and the rest of 2011 just got a lot tougher for the two Red Bull teams.
According to multiple AP sources, Red Bull executives met with NASCAR officials on Sunday to disclose their plans. And on Monday, the company issued this terse statement:
"Red Bull Racing Team is currently seeking outside investors as we evaluate next steps in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. We are not at liberty to comment on details while negotiations are under way. Red Bull fully supports NA [NA? NASCAR? Not applicable? -Ed.] for the remainder of the 2011 season as we fight for victories and a position in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup."
While it's never good to see sponsors departing the sport, in terms of on-track competition, what impact will this really have? Red Bull has not had tremendous success on the track since joining the circuit in 2007; the team has won only one race (Brian Vickers in 2009) and has had a roster of less-than-impressive (AJ Allmendinger, Scott Speed) and underperforming (Kasey Kahne) drivers for its entire history. Kahne is now 19th in points, while Vickers is 24th.
So how would Red Bull's departure affect the circuit? Jobs would be lost, certainly, and there aren't enough teams available to absorb all the members of both teams who would be out of work.
As for the drivers themselves, there would be little change. Kahne is headed for Hendrick Motorsports next year, and Vickers has already expressed a desire to look outside Red Bull for work. So the company could have been left with zero drivers even had it chosen to continue in the sport. (Developmental driver Cole Whitt is running well in the Trucks series, but likely isn't ready for a full ride.)
Another X-factor: Red Bull had long been rumored as the 2012-and-beyond destination for Mark Martin. With Red Bull out of the market, Martin's potential seats just narrowed by two.
For the sake of the people employed by Red Bull, hopefully team GM Jay Frye will be able to find an investor to shore up the team. But absent the presence of a marquee driver, it will be a tough sell ... and the rest of 2011 just got a lot tougher for the two Red Bull teams.
Kyle Busch served with six-point penalty for Pocono issues
In a surprisingly quick decision, NASCAR has announced that Kyle Busch and the N0. 18 M&M's Toyota team will be served with penalties following violations discovered Sunday following the Pocono race.
The car did not meet the minimum height requirements for the left front side of the vehicle, putting it in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-J (nonconforming equipment) and, of course, 20-12.8.1B (body height requirements).
The penalties are as follows: $25,000 for crew chief Dave Rogers, six driver points deducted from Kyle Busch, and six owner points deducted from owner Joe Gibbs.
This isn't a major penalty, obviously; it's really the equivalent of six lost positions in the race, or about 25 points under the old system. The advantage gained by the lowered end is debatable; what's not is the fact that this is yet another distraction for a team that's already had three seasons' worth in barely three months.
Rules decisions are usually handed down on Tuesdays, but this Tuesday is the scheduled release of NASCAR's Hall of Fame slate for next year. As a result, it's likely NASCAR wanted to get this issue out of the way as soon as possible.
The car did not meet the minimum height requirements for the left front side of the vehicle, putting it in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-J (nonconforming equipment) and, of course, 20-12.8.1B (body height requirements).
The penalties are as follows: $25,000 for crew chief Dave Rogers, six driver points deducted from Kyle Busch, and six owner points deducted from owner Joe Gibbs.
This isn't a major penalty, obviously; it's really the equivalent of six lost positions in the race, or about 25 points under the old system. The advantage gained by the lowered end is debatable; what's not is the fact that this is yet another distraction for a team that's already had three seasons' worth in barely three months.
Rules decisions are usually handed down on Tuesdays, but this Tuesday is the scheduled release of NASCAR's Hall of Fame slate for next year. As a result, it's likely NASCAR wanted to get this issue out of the way as soon as possible.
PASS will be well represented at Northeast Motorsports Expo
NAPLES ME (January 4) This weekend the 23rd annual Northeast Motorsports Expo will provide racers and race fans some welcome relief from the winter doldrums and as always the Pro All Stars Series will be out in force. The grand daddy of Maine racing shows is slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday January 7, 8 and 9 and the list of exhibitors and vendors for 2011 is long and varied
PASS fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet the 2010 Champions in all three PASS North touring series. 2010 PASS North super late model champion Johnny Clark, PASS Mod titlist Andy Shaw, and PASS Sportsman champ Dan McKeage will all be at the autograph table throughout the weekend.
PASS fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet the 2010 Champions in all three PASS North touring series. 2010 PASS North super late model champion Johnny Clark, PASS Mod titlist Andy Shaw, and PASS Sportsman champ Dan McKeage will all be at the autograph table throughout the weekend.
Richard Childress Statement No. 2
Richard Childress gave a public statement on Friday morning at Pocono Raceway regarding his fine and probation for striking driver Kyle Busch in the garage area last weekend following the Truck race at Kansas Speedway. According to the press release announcing the media availability, Childress was also supposed to take questions and answers but elected not to at the last minute. Here is his complete statement: Childress: ?Here is the deal. I am going to make one statement on this deal. I appreciate everyone?s patience during the last week when I couldn?t talk to everyone. The main thing is I take all the responsibility for my actions last week. I am very passionate about this sport. I am passionate about my race teams, our fans and I let my emotions get?come in front of my passion. But that is behind us. ?I guess the next thing is the fine that was levied against me, I?m going to pay it personal. I agree that NASCAR should have done something with me. I don?t agree that they didn?t handle the situation that happened on the cool-down lap. ?With that said, we had a lot of fans to send in donations last week toward our fine, I am going to pay it personally. All that money that has been sent in, that is still coming in, we?re going to take and donate to the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. At least in every bad situation, something good will come out of it. ?Hopefully Kyle (Busch) and myself will both end up learning something from this. Thank you all very much. Talk to you later. That?s it.?
Friday, June 24, 2011
Newman, NASCAR neither deny, admit to secret fines
The issue of secret fines reared its head earlier this week when news broke that Ryan Newman may or may not have been fined for an altercation that may or may not have happened in the NASCAR hauler in May. Now, under direct questioning, neither NASCAR nor Newman have denied that such a fine was levied, though they offered no further clarification on the incidents that could have led to the fine.
The sequence of events is as follows:
Aug. 12, 2010: Newman and Denny Hamlin were reported as the two drivers "secretly fined" by NASCAR for comments critical of the sport. While not directly commenting on the fines or their cause, NASCAR officials said that "Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion; it's focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport." Speculation for Newman's fine centered on quotes he made about the "lottery" nature of racing for the win at Talladega.
Hamlin and Newman both confirmed the fines were levied, and Hamlin's quote at the time was prescient: "What was the point of fining me if you're not going to tell anyone?" Hamlin said. "If nobody knows, nobody's going to learn from the mistakes of others. I think all this coming out is a positive thing. I think it's going to make our sport better."
April 30, 2011: Juan Pablo Montoya and Newman battle on-track at Richmond International Raceway, where Newman pushed Montoya into the wall in Lap 108, and Montoya responded by spinning Newman on Lap 238. Newman raged over his radio that Montoya should be black-flagged and that he would "take care of it after the race." Montoya left the track infield on a golf cart while Newman visited the NASCAR hauler; no confrontation ensued.
May 6: In a meeting with NASCAR officials before Darlington practice, Montoya and Newman allegedly came to blows, with Newman allegedly striking Montoya. Neither driver commented on the incident, though NASCAR took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the controversy: "NASCAR did meet with Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya today before the first Sprint Cup Series practice. The drivers were given their final warning and are fully aware that we will be watching this very closely. The meeting didn't go as well as we had hoped it would and we're not completely through with this issue."? Both drivers have also leveled pointed critiques of the other.
June 4: Richard Childress punches Kyle Busch in the Kansas garage. Tangential to this story, but important in what was revealed afterward. Childress was fined $150,000 for his actions.
June 6: In the wake of the Childress fine, PRN/SiriusXM's Jim Noble disclosed that there had been an undisclosed fine against Newman. The AP's Jenna Fryer followed up and found neither side willing to offer a comment. "Anything relevant to discussions that NASCAR has with competitors in the hauler will continue to stay between NASCAR and the competitors, and NASCAR will always work to protect that bridge of confidence," NASCAR's Kerry Tharp said.
June 10: When asked directly about whether he was fined, Newman said, "I've always said private things happen privately. What happens in the trailer stays in the trailer. There's a reason NASCAR does things the way they do." Again, that's in no way an admission of the fine, but it's about as far as you can get from a denial, too.
We've written in this space about the absurdity of secret fines; the primary problem with them is that they perpetuate the notion that NASCAR is fixing the game and manipulating the players behind the scenes. As long as NASCAR persists in non-answer answers, the questions will continue to come, and the suspicions will continue to rise.
The sequence of events is as follows:
Aug. 12, 2010: Newman and Denny Hamlin were reported as the two drivers "secretly fined" by NASCAR for comments critical of the sport. While not directly commenting on the fines or their cause, NASCAR officials said that "Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion; it's focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport." Speculation for Newman's fine centered on quotes he made about the "lottery" nature of racing for the win at Talladega.
Hamlin and Newman both confirmed the fines were levied, and Hamlin's quote at the time was prescient: "What was the point of fining me if you're not going to tell anyone?" Hamlin said. "If nobody knows, nobody's going to learn from the mistakes of others. I think all this coming out is a positive thing. I think it's going to make our sport better."
April 30, 2011: Juan Pablo Montoya and Newman battle on-track at Richmond International Raceway, where Newman pushed Montoya into the wall in Lap 108, and Montoya responded by spinning Newman on Lap 238. Newman raged over his radio that Montoya should be black-flagged and that he would "take care of it after the race." Montoya left the track infield on a golf cart while Newman visited the NASCAR hauler; no confrontation ensued.
May 6: In a meeting with NASCAR officials before Darlington practice, Montoya and Newman allegedly came to blows, with Newman allegedly striking Montoya. Neither driver commented on the incident, though NASCAR took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the controversy: "NASCAR did meet with Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya today before the first Sprint Cup Series practice. The drivers were given their final warning and are fully aware that we will be watching this very closely. The meeting didn't go as well as we had hoped it would and we're not completely through with this issue."? Both drivers have also leveled pointed critiques of the other.
June 4: Richard Childress punches Kyle Busch in the Kansas garage. Tangential to this story, but important in what was revealed afterward. Childress was fined $150,000 for his actions.
June 6: In the wake of the Childress fine, PRN/SiriusXM's Jim Noble disclosed that there had been an undisclosed fine against Newman. The AP's Jenna Fryer followed up and found neither side willing to offer a comment. "Anything relevant to discussions that NASCAR has with competitors in the hauler will continue to stay between NASCAR and the competitors, and NASCAR will always work to protect that bridge of confidence," NASCAR's Kerry Tharp said.
June 10: When asked directly about whether he was fined, Newman said, "I've always said private things happen privately. What happens in the trailer stays in the trailer. There's a reason NASCAR does things the way they do." Again, that's in no way an admission of the fine, but it's about as far as you can get from a denial, too.
We've written in this space about the absurdity of secret fines; the primary problem with them is that they perpetuate the notion that NASCAR is fixing the game and manipulating the players behind the scenes. As long as NASCAR persists in non-answer answers, the questions will continue to come, and the suspicions will continue to rise.
NASCAR Fan Commentary: Richard vs. Kyle
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR news is all about Richard Childress beating up Kyle Busch. I’d like to give my commentary about it. First of all, I love NASCAR racing. I love watching the races. And I like most of the drivers. The media seems to be looking for someone [...]
Kurt Busch wins third pole in a row
Paul Menard will start on the pole for Saturday's Alliance Truck Parts 250 Nationwide Series race after topping the charts in qualifying at Michigan International Speedway.
Sims sets early Valencia GP3 pace
Alexander Sims put in a late lap to top the first GP3 practice session of the weekend at Valencia.
Gurney/Fogarty top Grand-Am testing at Road America
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing took advantage of what little dry-track time there was at Road America on Thursday to post the fastest practice lap of the day with Alex Gurney at the wheel of the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Riley-Chevrolet.
Jeff Owens: NASCAR needs to heed Carl Edwards? advice, make changes to enhance passing
When your points leader climbs from his car and takes a shot at NASCAR, you know NASCAR is headed for problems.
Particularly when your points leader is generally a nice guy who hesitates to criticize anyone, especially NASCAR.
Particularly when your points leader is generally a nice guy who hesitates to criticize anyone, especially NASCAR.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
‘Raisin’ Junior’: A study in the strangeness of the Earnhardt fan
Every so often, something shows up in our inbox that's so damn weird we have to show it to you. Such a video is "Raisin' Junior," a ? what would you call this? documentary? variety show? I dunno ? cavalcade of whimsy that may or may not cross a line for you. (Borderline NSFW.) Check it out, see what you think. There's more at the Raisin' Junior YouTube channel.
Kyle Busch says we’re at the ‘end’ of the Childress debate
At Wednesday night's Prelude to the Dream, Kyle Busch had few words on the ongoing debate over what exactly happened when he and Richard Childress tangled after the trucks race in Kansas on Saturday night.
"NASCAR decided to make the decisions that they felt were necessary," Busch said. "It's pretty much the end of it. It's not my fight."
That's the kind of answer that will certainly enrage the Busch haters, who think he ran from a fight. But it's probably the wisest thing he could do, given the circumstances. Combined with Childress' non-apology apology, this brings an end to this chapter of the story. We'll have to see what Busch and the Childress drivers do next in order to figure out where this goes from here.
For the record, Busch ended up fourth at Eldora, behind Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley and Aric Almirola.
"NASCAR decided to make the decisions that they felt were necessary," Busch said. "It's pretty much the end of it. It's not my fight."
That's the kind of answer that will certainly enrage the Busch haters, who think he ran from a fight. But it's probably the wisest thing he could do, given the circumstances. Combined with Childress' non-apology apology, this brings an end to this chapter of the story. We'll have to see what Busch and the Childress drivers do next in order to figure out where this goes from here.
For the record, Busch ended up fourth at Eldora, behind Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley and Aric Almirola.
Monday Morning Tear Down: Gibbs teams continue to rally from adversity
BROOKLYN, Mich. ? It?s not rare for teams to thrive when under the glare of NASCAR officials or their competitors. So it really wasn't surprising to see Joe Gibbs Racing, which had been in the headlines for much of the week for two separate issues, respond by picking up the win and a third-place finish at Michigan.
Recession-Proof Your Projects at Auto Parts Swap ?n Sell
Vernon, CT (December 31, 2010): Whether your passion is for custom cars, imports, hot rods, or race cars, the annual Autoparts Swap ?n Sell provides viable and affordable options to all automotive enthusiasts even in this difficult economic climate. On Saturday, January 22 and Sunday, January 23, 2011, Start/Finish Production will host the annual Autoparts Swap ?n Sell at the Eastern States Exposition ?Home of the Big E? in West Springfield, MA.
This indoor, all-automotive swap meet and flea market provides affordable alternatives to help keep automotive projects on track. With a host of private vendors offering pre-owned merchandise and regional wholesalers and retailers offering affordable pricing, the event is sure to meet the needs of all gear heads. Vendors will occupy over three-acres of exhibit space and will feature everything from common to hard-to-find parts and accessories, tools, safety equipment and much more. The variety of goods available at the annual Autoparts Swap ?n Sell is unrivaled; making this event a must for any automotive enthusiast.
This indoor, all-automotive swap meet and flea market provides affordable alternatives to help keep automotive projects on track. With a host of private vendors offering pre-owned merchandise and regional wholesalers and retailers offering affordable pricing, the event is sure to meet the needs of all gear heads. Vendors will occupy over three-acres of exhibit space and will feature everything from common to hard-to-find parts and accessories, tools, safety equipment and much more. The variety of goods available at the annual Autoparts Swap ?n Sell is unrivaled; making this event a must for any automotive enthusiast.
Before They Go Green...At Infineon Raceway
For fifteen consecutive weeks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has tackled various speedways across the country, starting off at Daytona and most recently competing at Michigan. After dropping the hammer and turning left for four months, drivers and teams will not only turn left, but they’ll also go right--literally. Infineon Raceway plays host...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Trulli frustrated by steering issues
Jarno Trulli insists he will not be able to perform strongly this year unless Team Lotus solves the problems with his car's power steering.
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 [...]
Kyle Busch gets crushed, punched by cameraman … sort of
NASCAR races can get long, and the TV camera operators don't get a chance to go grab a snack or a nap, like the rest of us. So you can forgive them for being a little, well, punchy. Check the guy on the right side of the frame here as Kyle Busch gives a postrace interview:
If that guy was actually filming that, please please PLEASE shoot us a copy. We'll love you forever.
(Thanks to @phillyphanatic2 for the tip.)
If that guy was actually filming that, please please PLEASE shoot us a copy. We'll love you forever.
(Thanks to @phillyphanatic2 for the tip.)
Red Bull management optimistic team can find investors and remain two-car operation
Red Bull Racing is pursuing investors, drivers and sponsors in order to keep the doors open to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series operation after the 2011 season. That sounds like a difficult proposition with just eight months before the 2012 season is scheduled to begin, but Vice President and General Manager Jay Frye said it?s doable as he spoke the day after it was announced the energy drink company was seeking investors to purchase and operate the two-car organization.
Patrick: "No truth" to report of fulltime NASCAR schedule
IndyCar Series fan favorite Danica Patrick on Wednesday said there was "no truth" to an ESPN report that her and her management team were working on plans for a fulltime NASCAR schedule in 2012. SI.com's Bruce Martin, in a previously-scheduled interview with Patrick on Wednesday in Indianapolis, asked her for her reaction to the report. Here was Patrick's complete response: "I'm watching TV and see it scroll across the bottom of the screen. I don't know where it came from but it's all speculation. Anybody can speculate that and write that. I don't know where it came from but there is no truth to it; it's just speculation," she said. "It's no different than it was last month or even last year. There is nothing new in it." Patrick also told Martin she was curious about the timing of such a story coming out a few days before the Indy 500.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
NASCAR Racing at Michigan International Speedway
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. This week NASCAR is at the Michigan International Speedway in the Irish Hills of Brooklyn, MI. This 2 mile track is home to the Detroit manufacturers. It’s one of my favorite tracks because there is so much room to race. There are few caution laps because there [...]
Bruton Smith, SMI file suit against city, county over track debt
Bruton Smith is no stranger to gamesmanship, and now he's stepped up an ongoing battle with the city of Concord and Cabarrus County over money owed to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In October 2007, the governments pledged to pay $80 million toward upgrades and other incentives. At the time, Smith had threatened to leave if he couldn't develop what became the zMax Dragway. The negotiations resulted in the counties developing a plan of road improvements and other assistances.
However, the problem was that there was no formal agreement in place. Smith apparently believed that the majority of the money, $60 million, would be paid within three years, and the rest within six years, but government officials countered that they had expected the money would be paid out over up to 40 years.
Smith had originally filed suit to receive the money in September 2009, but dropped the suit last June as negotiations continued. SMI is now seeking a judgment requiring the governments to formalize their agreement, as well as pay damages for breaching the initial agreement.
Charlotte Motor Speedway refiles lawsuit against Concord [WBTV.com]
In October 2007, the governments pledged to pay $80 million toward upgrades and other incentives. At the time, Smith had threatened to leave if he couldn't develop what became the zMax Dragway. The negotiations resulted in the counties developing a plan of road improvements and other assistances.
However, the problem was that there was no formal agreement in place. Smith apparently believed that the majority of the money, $60 million, would be paid within three years, and the rest within six years, but government officials countered that they had expected the money would be paid out over up to 40 years.
Smith had originally filed suit to receive the money in September 2009, but dropped the suit last June as negotiations continued. SMI is now seeking a judgment requiring the governments to formalize their agreement, as well as pay damages for breaching the initial agreement.
Charlotte Motor Speedway refiles lawsuit against Concord [WBTV.com]
Monday, June 20, 2011
Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch off probation; Harvick gives no hints when retaliation will come
BROOKLYN, Mich. ? Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have completed their probation, and conventional wisdom says that Harvick?s promise that Busch has one coming could come sooner rather than later. Harvick ran Busch down onto the apron and then tailed him down the frontstretch early in the event at Pocono Raceway last week, the final race of their five-week probation. Afterward, Harvick said he was just letting Busch know he has one coming.
Edwards takes Michigan Nationwide race
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Carl Edwards won Saturday's Alliance Truck Parts 250 at Michigan International Speedway, outdistancing second-place and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the process."We needed about a 15-lap run at the end going green," said Stenhouse, who takes over the points lead with the second-place finish. "We just weren't fast enough for Carl."Reed Sorenson, who was the points leader entering the race, finished 11th.Kyle Busch was third and pole-sitter Paul Menard fourth.The Nationwide Series heads to Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wis., next week. -- David Scott
Hamilton: Daring, not dangerous _ a big difference
Administered last rites after his fiery crash in 1976, Niki Lauda will always be more qualified than most to talk about the dangers of motor-racing. His scars are permanent reminders of how close he came to giving his life to the sport.
Renault Megane RS Trophy On Record FWD 'Ring Run: Video
No, a flock of parakeets didn't just get loose in the room. That's the sound of the Renault Megane RS's tires (most likely the overworked fronts) as it sets its Nurburgring front-drive lap record of 8:07.97. For the full scoop on the record run, check out our previous article here.
Hight, Dixon and Edwards claim NHRA wins at Bristol
Robert Hight raced to his fourth Funny Car victory of the season Sunday and in the process set the national speed record at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Sunday, June 19, 2011
NASCAR Racing At Michigan
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Michigan for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race, the fifteenth race of the season. This two mile track is one of my favorites to watch racing on. There is so [...]
This is what’s left of Jamie McMurray’s childhood home
Jamie McMurray is touring the tornado devastation in Joplin, Mo., and ESPN's Marty Smith is following alongside for an upcoming report. Smith tweeted the above picture Thursday afternoon with the accompanying message "His door-which still has his handwriting on it-saved a woman's life."
Heartrending stuff. It'll be on "SportsCenter" Thursday night.
Heartrending stuff. It'll be on "SportsCenter" Thursday night.
Join us for the latest Marbles live chat, Thursday at 1 p.m. ET
Time for another Marbles live chat, and again we have to push it to Thursday instead of our customary Wednesday. (Summertime. Whaddaya gonna do?) On the plus side, we can go straight from here over to discussing the U.S. Open at Devil Ball. See you here!
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 [...]
Dodge Awards New Challenger to NASCAR?s Brad Keselowski.
Being a race car driver definitely comes with some stellar perks. For one, it’s a dream job as you make your living ripping around the best race tracks in the country. Then there’s the fame, the money and the girls, which also help lend to the jobs appeal. It’s a pretty good gig if you [...]
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Edwards edges Stenhouse in Nationwide race
Carl Edwards was impressed by how hard it was to pass teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as the two fought for the lead.
Jeff Burton on cautions: "They have certainly thrown them for less."
Stuck in the middle of a multi-car wreck, Jeff Burton wanted to see a caution on the next-to-last lap of Sunday night?s Coca-Cola 600. Now, he?s not so certain. Burton?s No. 31 Chevrolet was among the most seriously damaged in the incident which was triggered when race leader Kasey Kahne suddenly ran out of gas on a restart on Lap 401. ?I assumed the caution was coming out because there was a wreck,? Burton told the Observer on Monday. ?At the time I thought there were more cars down there stopped (on the apron) than just me. ?When I got home (Sunday night) and replayed it, as it turned out, there really wasn?t. It seemed everybody else cleared out.? Burton said his first instinct was that the caution ?no-call? wasn?t right and he complained about it over his team radio at the time. In retrospect, he thinks in terms of safety, NASCAR made the right call. That doesn?t mean, however, the debate on whether a caution should have been thrown is settled. ?It?s tough because if the track is clear then they need to let the race continue,? he said. ?On the other hand, that?s not necessarily what they do with 200 (laps) to go. ?The big question is does NASCAR understand everyone has fuel issues? Should NASCAR care? I don?t know what the answer to that is.? Burton said NASCAR officials have been hesitant to throw cautions during green-flag pit cycles to try to keep it fair for all competitors. ?You can debate all day long if NASCAR should have thrown a caution for a reason other than safety on Sunday night. They have certainly thrown them for less,? Burton said. ?I think they knew everyone was short on fuel and they were trying to do everything they could to take care of everybody. I don?t know that for a fact, but I think that probably played into their mindset.? NASCAR has said in the past it would hold the caution flag at the race?s end as long as drivers? safety wasn?t compromised. However, NASCAR also has a multiple green-white-checkered flag restart policy in place to ensure green-flag finishes. On Sunday night, the race ended in the first two-lap overtime. Had the caution been thrown at the time of Burton?s wreck, two more two-lap overtimes were still possible. It is likely several more drivers ? including race winner Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was leading entering the last lap ? would have been forced to pit for fuel in that instance. ?Throwing the caution isn?t like an out-of-bounds call. You?re either out of bounds or you?re not,? Burton said. ?When to throw the caution ? there is no definitive answer.?
Numbers don’t lie: Earnhardt Jr. is a legit championship threat
-For more daily NASCAR coverage, follow Yahoo! Sports on Facebook and on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
A child born on the day of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s last win would be getting ready to enter preschool this fall. That child would also be turning 3 on Wednesday, so happy birthday, hypothetical youngster, and not-so-happy anniversary, Dale.
Yes, three years ago Wednesday at Michigan International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. notched his most recent victory. Since then, every Cup driver currently in the top 15 in the standings�not named Earnhardt has won at least one race. (Jimmie Johnson leads the way with�20 wins since Junior's last.) Every week ? every single week! ? eyes once again turn to the 88, and every week, he comes up short, either by inches or by laps.
But right now, at this very moment, he's in as good a position to win as he's been since that day. So good, in fact, that we can actually throw this hypothetical out there:
Could Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a Sprint Cup champion?
Yes, we know you probably spewed coffee all over your monitor at that, and no, we won't reimburse you for your loss. Why? Because by one very reliable metric, Junior is setting up to run the Chase better than anyone in the sport.
Let's step back for a second. The NASCAR schedule includes the 26-race "regular season" and the 10-race Chase. But here's the thing: NASCAR runs on�eight of the 10 Chase tracks during the regular season. (That would be Loudon, Dover, Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega, Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix; only the Chase opener at Chicagoland and the closer at Homestead are one-timers.) We've now run at seven of those eight tracks, with only Loudon still outstanding. And take a look at which driver has run the best at those seven tracks:
That's right: By nearly a full position, Earnhardt has posted the best average�finishes at the tracks where it'll matter the most.
Now, there are several important caveats here. First off, bonus points for regular-season wins, or the lack thereof, would put�Junior at least nine points down from the moment the flag drops at Chicagoland. (Drivers get three bonus points for each race they win during the regular season, giving a leg up to three-time winner Kevin Harvick.) Still, if�Junior runs to his average, he would hypothetically�make up those nine points in just three races against�everyone but Harvick.
Second, while it's mathematically possible that someone could win the Chase without winning a race, it's highly unlikely. Many drivers will find an extra gear once the Chase kicks in, and expecting all of them to have problems while you crawl along slow-and-steady is a foolish hope. At some point, Junior needs to get to the checkers first.
[Related: Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. a future Hall of Famer?]
Is it likely he'll win? Nope. Carl Edwards, Harvick, Johnson and Kyle Busch are all better bets, and Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth have been there before. Still, turning on the jets when the Chase hits is exactly how Johnson has won several of his Cups, so it's not completely out of the question.
Junior has said in the past that he doesn't want to make the Chase if he can't have a reasonable expectation of winning it all. If he does make it this year, and all indications are that he's on that path, he's giving himself a fighting chance.
(Thanks to reader Todd Anderson for the stats compilation.)
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Sports' best-paid benchwarmers
? Choke jobs: Rory McIlroy feels for LeBron James
? The NFL strike that led to great moments
A child born on the day of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s last win would be getting ready to enter preschool this fall. That child would also be turning 3 on Wednesday, so happy birthday, hypothetical youngster, and not-so-happy anniversary, Dale.
Yes, three years ago Wednesday at Michigan International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. notched his most recent victory. Since then, every Cup driver currently in the top 15 in the standings�not named Earnhardt has won at least one race. (Jimmie Johnson leads the way with�20 wins since Junior's last.) Every week ? every single week! ? eyes once again turn to the 88, and every week, he comes up short, either by inches or by laps.
But right now, at this very moment, he's in as good a position to win as he's been since that day. So good, in fact, that we can actually throw this hypothetical out there:
Could Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a Sprint Cup champion?
Yes, we know you probably spewed coffee all over your monitor at that, and no, we won't reimburse you for your loss. Why? Because by one very reliable metric, Junior is setting up to run the Chase better than anyone in the sport.
Let's step back for a second. The NASCAR schedule includes the 26-race "regular season" and the 10-race Chase. But here's the thing: NASCAR runs on�eight of the 10 Chase tracks during the regular season. (That would be Loudon, Dover, Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega, Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix; only the Chase opener at Chicagoland and the closer at Homestead are one-timers.) We've now run at seven of those eight tracks, with only Loudon still outstanding. And take a look at which driver has run the best at those seven tracks:
That's right: By nearly a full position, Earnhardt has posted the best average�finishes at the tracks where it'll matter the most.
Now, there are several important caveats here. First off, bonus points for regular-season wins, or the lack thereof, would put�Junior at least nine points down from the moment the flag drops at Chicagoland. (Drivers get three bonus points for each race they win during the regular season, giving a leg up to three-time winner Kevin Harvick.) Still, if�Junior runs to his average, he would hypothetically�make up those nine points in just three races against�everyone but Harvick.
Second, while it's mathematically possible that someone could win the Chase without winning a race, it's highly unlikely. Many drivers will find an extra gear once the Chase kicks in, and expecting all of them to have problems while you crawl along slow-and-steady is a foolish hope. At some point, Junior needs to get to the checkers first.
[Related: Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. a future Hall of Famer?]
Is it likely he'll win? Nope. Carl Edwards, Harvick, Johnson and Kyle Busch are all better bets, and Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth have been there before. Still, turning on the jets when the Chase hits is exactly how Johnson has won several of his Cups, so it's not completely out of the question.
Junior has said in the past that he doesn't want to make the Chase if he can't have a reasonable expectation of winning it all. If he does make it this year, and all indications are that he's on that path, he's giving himself a fighting chance.
(Thanks to reader Todd Anderson for the stats compilation.)
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Sports' best-paid benchwarmers
? Choke jobs: Rory McIlroy feels for LeBron James
? The NFL strike that led to great moments
Earnhardt on PTI: Redskins-Junior connection; Kornheiser still an ‘idiot’
Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a turn on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" on Thursday night, and the discussion provided some memorable quotes for those convinced that stick-and-ball media simply has no understanding of how NASCAR works.
Tony Kornheiser, who famously (and mindlessly) hinted back in February that he thought NASCAR was fixed, backed well away from those comments, calling himself an "idiot" and noting that he knows nothing about NASCAR itself.� Junior, who probably has to deal with more severe criticism while he's picking up his dry cleaning, took the ignorance in stride.
But he did provide an illuminating look at how he views his fans, and how he compares his own fanbase to that of another beleaguered institution, the Washington Redskins. When asked if he was surprised that his fans continued to stick with him through all the lean years, he conceded that he was, in fact, impressed:
"The fans in this sport have surprised me since the first time I got here. They always surprise you with how dedicated and how knowledgeable and how plugged into the sport they are. But I can relate to that. Being a Redskins fan, I want to read everything I can every day about the Redskins: about every player, what's he thinking, what's their approach to the season and to this game, what the coaches are talking about. I want to know everything, and I care about their success. And when they don't win, I'm upset and it ruins my week, but I'm not changing my passion for them. My passion's as strong and will always be as strong, because that's my team, man. So I can kind of understand how the fan is."
And without getting too hokey, that's exactly the nature of fandom: you root for your guy, or your team, on the off chance that one day, things will turn in your favor. Junior Nation is enjoying some success this year, though it'll probably be a long time before Redskins fans do. You want to feel sorry for a fan base, they're it.
Tony Kornheiser, who famously (and mindlessly) hinted back in February that he thought NASCAR was fixed, backed well away from those comments, calling himself an "idiot" and noting that he knows nothing about NASCAR itself.� Junior, who probably has to deal with more severe criticism while he's picking up his dry cleaning, took the ignorance in stride.
But he did provide an illuminating look at how he views his fans, and how he compares his own fanbase to that of another beleaguered institution, the Washington Redskins. When asked if he was surprised that his fans continued to stick with him through all the lean years, he conceded that he was, in fact, impressed:
"The fans in this sport have surprised me since the first time I got here. They always surprise you with how dedicated and how knowledgeable and how plugged into the sport they are. But I can relate to that. Being a Redskins fan, I want to read everything I can every day about the Redskins: about every player, what's he thinking, what's their approach to the season and to this game, what the coaches are talking about. I want to know everything, and I care about their success. And when they don't win, I'm upset and it ruins my week, but I'm not changing my passion for them. My passion's as strong and will always be as strong, because that's my team, man. So I can kind of understand how the fan is."
And without getting too hokey, that's exactly the nature of fandom: you root for your guy, or your team, on the off chance that one day, things will turn in your favor. Junior Nation is enjoying some success this year, though it'll probably be a long time before Redskins fans do. You want to feel sorry for a fan base, they're it.
Video: Kids, don’t try to jump over moving race cars
There are certain things you really shouldn't have to tell people over the age of five, and you'd think "don't try to jump over a moving race car" fits into that category. Clearly, however, this particular fan needed a reminder ... and boy, did he get one.
The details: the driver is Sebastien Buemi, the locale is Japan for a Red Bull F1 exhibition. The idiot jumper is ... well, nobody knows who he is. Fortunately, he survived; the car was only going about 30 mph.
Buemi had no comment on the matter. For this jumper, or anyone else still thinking this is a good idea, may we direct you to this video of Jeff Burton absolutely vaporizing birds that couldn't get out of the way in time? Yeah, don't try this.
The details: the driver is Sebastien Buemi, the locale is Japan for a Red Bull F1 exhibition. The idiot jumper is ... well, nobody knows who he is. Fortunately, he survived; the car was only going about 30 mph.
Buemi had no comment on the matter. For this jumper, or anyone else still thinking this is a good idea, may we direct you to this video of Jeff Burton absolutely vaporizing birds that couldn't get out of the way in time? Yeah, don't try this.
Probation ends for Kyle Busch, Harvick
Probation is over for Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, but the drivers aren't ready to shake hands and make up.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Harvick messes with Kyle Busch; Busch fails post-race inspection
He only led two laps and was never really a major threat to win at Pocono on Sunday, but Kyle Busch nonetheless found himself once again in the spotlight, and once again for all the wrong reasons.
Busch, barely a week removed from his already-infamous fight with Richard Childress, ran into trouble with one of Childress' drivers almost immediately. On Pocono's 3,000-foot-long straightaway, Kevin Harvick took a long, sloping line that forced Busch almost all the way into the infield.
In the ensuing laps, Harvick bumped Busch several times, making it clear he was attempting to rattle the 18's driver and crew. Harvick continued until NASCAR officials told the teams to knock it off, and they raced the rest of the afternoon without incident.
Afterward, Busch noted that it appeared Harvick "was trying to make it awfully difficult on me." Measuring his words carefully, Busch added that "maybe [that style of racing] kind of shows his character and who he is, how he feels he needs to race on the racetrack. But it's not my fight. He's trying to turn it into one."
Harvick, meanwhile, freely admitted he was trying to get into Busch's head. "He knows he has one coming," Harvick said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I just wanted him to think about it."
After the race, the news got worse for Busch, as NASCAR inspectors found the left front of his car to be too low. NASCAR will take the No. 18 back to its R&D Center for further inspection and, if necessary, issue a penalty later this week. The severity of the penalty will depend on the violation, and since NASCAR has not yet laid out the points breakdown for penalties under the new points system, the exact possible penalties are still a mystery.
So how low was it? "Doesn't matter, it's too low," NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said. "Outside the tolerances."
Busch finished third in the Pocono race. This penalty isn't severe enough to strip him of his finish or anything like that; it's more likely he'll be penalized somewhere in the five-to-15-point range, if necessary.
Busch, barely a week removed from his already-infamous fight with Richard Childress, ran into trouble with one of Childress' drivers almost immediately. On Pocono's 3,000-foot-long straightaway, Kevin Harvick took a long, sloping line that forced Busch almost all the way into the infield.
In the ensuing laps, Harvick bumped Busch several times, making it clear he was attempting to rattle the 18's driver and crew. Harvick continued until NASCAR officials told the teams to knock it off, and they raced the rest of the afternoon without incident.
Afterward, Busch noted that it appeared Harvick "was trying to make it awfully difficult on me." Measuring his words carefully, Busch added that "maybe [that style of racing] kind of shows his character and who he is, how he feels he needs to race on the racetrack. But it's not my fight. He's trying to turn it into one."
Harvick, meanwhile, freely admitted he was trying to get into Busch's head. "He knows he has one coming," Harvick said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I just wanted him to think about it."
After the race, the news got worse for Busch, as NASCAR inspectors found the left front of his car to be too low. NASCAR will take the No. 18 back to its R&D Center for further inspection and, if necessary, issue a penalty later this week. The severity of the penalty will depend on the violation, and since NASCAR has not yet laid out the points breakdown for penalties under the new points system, the exact possible penalties are still a mystery.
So how low was it? "Doesn't matter, it's too low," NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said. "Outside the tolerances."
Busch finished third in the Pocono race. This penalty isn't severe enough to strip him of his finish or anything like that; it's more likely he'll be penalized somewhere in the five-to-15-point range, if necessary.
Gibbs teams told to change unauthorized oil pans
NASCAR officials ordered three Joe Gibbs Racing teams to change oil pans before Friday's practice at Michigan International Speedway.
Richard Petty Motorsports Callin it Quits?
RPM may not run past Martinsville. The house of cards is finally falling for George Gillett’s Richard Petty Motorsports. The assembly line from Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates engines has stopped running to RPM. Engines have been picked up, cars have been repossessed, and sources on both sides — RPM and RFR — say [...]
Shifting back at Pocono
Here's a shift at Pocono Raceway: Drivers can again shift gears on the demanding triangle track after a six-year hiatus where the move all but went away.
NASCAR Racing On Saturday
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Saturday holds a full day of NASCAR racing. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City for the STP 400. Three drivers call this track home. Clint Bowyer from Emporia, Kansas, Jamie McMurray from Joplin, MO. and Carl Edwards from Columbia, MO. [...]
Thursday, June 16, 2011
NASCAR places restrictions on Richard Childress; clears Kyle Busch
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - NASCAR on Sunday placed a variety of restrictions on team owner Richard Childress and he will face additional penalties for his involvement in a post-race fight with driver Kyle Busch following Saturday?s Truck series race at Kansas Speedway. NASCAR President Mike Helton on Sunday said he considered ejecting Childress from the track but decided a leader of the Richard Childress Racing organization needed to be on hand for Sunday?s STP 400. However, Childress was prohibited from going on pit road, attend the pre-race drivers? meeting and was relegated to watching the race from the top of his team transporter. ?We concluded that Kyle Busch did nothing to warrant the reaction of Richard Childress,? Helton said. ?Once we get today?s race concluded, we will have to decide what NASCAR?s reaction is to Richard Childress as a member of NASCAR in an action against another NASCAR member.? While NASCAR typically announces penalties from the previous weekend on Tuesday, Helton suggested it may come as early as Monday. Helton also emphasized Busch did nothing, either on the track in the race or in the garage, to cause a violation of his NASCAR probation, which stems from a post-race incident last month with Kevin Harvick at Darlington, S.C. In an interview with Speed prior to Sunday?s race, Busch was asked if the altercation was the result of something brewing between himself and the RCR organization. ?That?s not something I can answer. I wasn?t the aggressor or the instigator here,? he said. ?So, all I can say is I was just trying to head back to my hauler and handle my business.? According to a member of a Truck team who asked not to be identified, Childress took off his jewelry before approaching Busch in the garage area and struck him with his fist. The two were separated, traded insults and then Childress grabbed Busch in a headlock and struck him again before the incident was broken up. The crew member said Childress initiated the incident. ?We have met with all parties involved and have determined what happened (Saturday) is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by NASCAR,? a statement from the sanctioning body read. ?Richard Childress? actions were not appropriate and fell far short of the standard we expect of owners in this sport.? Busch said he would try to put the incident behind him while he awaits NASCAR?s response to the incident. ?It may be a thought on everybody?s else?s mind but when you get a helmet on and get back behind the wheel of a race car, you get down to business and that?s what matters most,? he said. The cause of Childress? frustration was likely tied to the conclusion of the race, during which one of Childress? drivers, Joey Coulter, and Busch bumped each other battling for fifth place on the final lap. Coulter ended up with the position but on the cool-down lap, Busch ran into the right side of Coulter?s truck. ?I learned a ton (riding) behind (Busch) and I know why those guys keep saying what they do. That was really awesome racing him,? Coulter said after the race. ?I hate we got together on the last lap. I had never gotten tight next to somebody so I was underneath him expecting to get loose and I get tight and we kind of got together.? In interviews on pit road, in the media center or on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following the race, Coulter didn?t indicate any animosity with Busch.
With a career in racing that spans 60 years, Glen Wood selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame
CHARLOTTE ? Glen Wood and his brothers had just ventured into racing when the team hit its first real bump in the road. Literally. ?We started out with a little ?38 Ford, and ironically before we got home with it, we?d been involved in a little crash, and it caught fire and burned up,? Wood recalled Tuesday after he was named one of five inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame?s 2012 class.
Watch this guy fall twice in front of a moving F1 car
Last week, we had a guy trying to leap over a moving race car, and here, we've got a guy nearly getting smeared at Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. Be careful out there, willya, people? Enjoy the following near-tragedy, enhanced by the German announcing:
Dude! Yellow means slow down! Whaddaya think this is, a stoplight?
The F1 race ended up being a lot more exciting than its NASCAR counterpart (how many times are you going to say that?), with Jenson Button pulling a Kevin Harvick and executing a daring final-lap pass to vulture the win away from Sebastian Vettel. And, thankfully, the race ended with the same number of course marshals as it began.
[Hat tip: Deadspin]
Dude! Yellow means slow down! Whaddaya think this is, a stoplight?
The F1 race ended up being a lot more exciting than its NASCAR counterpart (how many times are you going to say that?), with Jenson Button pulling a Kevin Harvick and executing a daring final-lap pass to vulture the win away from Sebastian Vettel. And, thankfully, the race ended with the same number of course marshals as it began.
[Hat tip: Deadspin]
NASCAR Racing: Coors Light Pole Qualifying
Welcome NASCAR race fans to� my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series held the Coors Light Pole Qualifying session for the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. for the fourteenth race of the season. Qualifying for these races used to be held on Friday’s, with the top twenty-five qualifying for [...]
Earnhardt?s Surge Is Invigorating but Incomplete ? New York Times
Earnhardt’s Surge Is Invigorating but Incomplete – New York Times
Sportsnet.ca
Earnhardt's Surge Is Invigorating but IncompleteNew York TimesNow comes the best part for the driver considered Nascar's most popular: better results. Earnhardt's winless drought is 106 races entering the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, and the third anniversary of his last Sprint Cup victory is …ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: I'm an idiot for suggesting NASCAR race-fixingUSA Today
Personality must count in racingFlorida TodayDale Earnhardt Jr.: Does NASCAR Need Him to Win for the Circuit to Prosper?Bleacher ReportNESN.com -Yahoo! Sports (blog) -SB Nationall 121 news articles »
Sportsnet.ca
Earnhardt's Surge Is Invigorating but IncompleteNew York TimesNow comes the best part for the driver considered Nascar's most popular: better results. Earnhardt's winless drought is 106 races entering the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, and the third anniversary of his last Sprint Cup victory is …ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: I'm an idiot for suggesting NASCAR race-fixingUSA Today
Personality must count in racingFlorida TodayDale Earnhardt Jr.: Does NASCAR Need Him to Win for the Circuit to Prosper?Bleacher ReportNESN.com -Yahoo! Sports (blog) -SB Nationall 121 news articles »
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tony Stewart, Lewis Hamilton switch rides at Watkins Glen
This was fun: on Tuesday afternoon, Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton participated in a "Seat Swap" that saw Smoke climbing into Hamilton's ride, and vice versa, for a spin around Watkins Glen.
Stewart came away impressed with the handling of Hamilton's 2008 Formula 1 car. "It's just amazing what the capabilities of the car are," Stewart said. "I told the guys on pit road out there that it's probably going to make my crew chief a little more stressed during the weekends because I'm going to want it to handle like that all the time. I don't think we're ever going to get it there."
Hamilton, in turn, was pleased with the experience of the stock car: "With the damp conditions, I was braking early, thinking this car is not going to stop," he said. "In actual fact, I could brake quite a lot later. Whilst on the TV it looks like I'm drifting all the time; I didn't feel like I was drifting in the car. Felt like I had quite a stable rear end. I was able to pick up the power. The grip was quite good through all the corners." Hamilton even got off a "shake and bake" reference while on the track.
Stewart has open-wheel experience, but even that didn't prepare him for the experience of a F1: "It's just amazing how far you can charge the corner. It's easy to see why it's hard for these guys to overtake because it's not a long distance from the time you get off the throttle on the brakes to where you're changing directions. It gives you a much greater appreciation for how hard it is for these guys to overtake each other, what that car's actually capable of. It's just incredible the technology behind it."
And this may not be the last time the two share a track. Stewart has extended an invitation for Hamilton to run at next year's Prelude to the Dream. Of course, that would mean that a Formula 1 champion would have to get his hands dirty, but perhaps it could happen.
Seat Swap thrills drivers, fans [SPEED]
Stewart came away impressed with the handling of Hamilton's 2008 Formula 1 car. "It's just amazing what the capabilities of the car are," Stewart said. "I told the guys on pit road out there that it's probably going to make my crew chief a little more stressed during the weekends because I'm going to want it to handle like that all the time. I don't think we're ever going to get it there."
Hamilton, in turn, was pleased with the experience of the stock car: "With the damp conditions, I was braking early, thinking this car is not going to stop," he said. "In actual fact, I could brake quite a lot later. Whilst on the TV it looks like I'm drifting all the time; I didn't feel like I was drifting in the car. Felt like I had quite a stable rear end. I was able to pick up the power. The grip was quite good through all the corners." Hamilton even got off a "shake and bake" reference while on the track.
Stewart has open-wheel experience, but even that didn't prepare him for the experience of a F1: "It's just amazing how far you can charge the corner. It's easy to see why it's hard for these guys to overtake because it's not a long distance from the time you get off the throttle on the brakes to where you're changing directions. It gives you a much greater appreciation for how hard it is for these guys to overtake each other, what that car's actually capable of. It's just incredible the technology behind it."
And this may not be the last time the two share a track. Stewart has extended an invitation for Hamilton to run at next year's Prelude to the Dream. Of course, that would mean that a Formula 1 champion would have to get his hands dirty, but perhaps it could happen.
Seat Swap thrills drivers, fans [SPEED]
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 [...]
Pocky's Paddock: NASCAR continues no-suspension trend; Kahne now out of UPS mix
When NASCAR didn?t suspend Richard Childress for punching Kyle Busch following their altercation June 4 at Kansas Speedway, it was another indication that the sanctioning body would rather fine and penalize someone than suspend that person for a physical confrontation. With the exception of violations of the substance-abuse policy, NASCAR has rarely suspended people in the past in its three national touring stock-car series.
Excruciating wait over as Darrell Waltrip finally gets nod from hall voters
CHARLOTTE ? Last October, Darrell Waltrip had to suck up any bitterness about not getting selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as he sat on the Speed television stage moments after his name was not among the five mentioned in the 2011 class.
He had to go and do his job as a television commentator, sitting there wondering why the people he was talking to got selected and he didn?t.
Waltrip had no television duties Tuesday when the 2012 hall of fame class was announced. Speed wanted to put a mic on him, and he declined. He was either going to be bitter or elated ? depending on the outcome of the votes by the 55-member panel. But he wasn?t going to invite the camera to be on him.
All the cameras were on him anyway. And he ended up elated.
He had to go and do his job as a television commentator, sitting there wondering why the people he was talking to got selected and he didn?t.
Waltrip had no television duties Tuesday when the 2012 hall of fame class was announced. Speed wanted to put a mic on him, and he declined. He was either going to be bitter or elated ? depending on the outcome of the votes by the 55-member panel. But he wasn?t going to invite the camera to be on him.
All the cameras were on him anyway. And he ended up elated.
RBR seeks clarification on diffusers
Red Bull Racing says it is ready to question the implementation of the forthcoming change to the blown diffuser regulations when Formula 1 teams get together this week to discuss it.
Shifting back at Pocono
Here's a shift at Pocono Raceway: Drivers can again shift gears on the demanding triangle track after a six-year hiatus where the move all but went away.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Pocky's Paddock: NASCAR continues no-suspension trend; Kahne now out of UPS mix
When NASCAR didn?t suspend Richard Childress for punching Kyle Busch following their altercation June 4 at Kansas Speedway, it was another indication that the sanctioning body would rather fine and penalize someone than suspend that person for a physical confrontation. With the exception of violations of the substance-abuse policy, NASCAR has rarely suspended people in the past in its three national touring stock-car series.
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 [...]
Kubica's manager: Brazil return possible
Robert Kubica's manager Daniel Morelli believes there is a possibility the Pole could return to racing in the final grand prix of the season in Brazil.
Sauter's mishap helps Hornaday win Texas truck race
Ron Hornaday Jr. crossed the finish line in second, but was awarded the win in Friday night's WinStar World Casino 400k Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Kansas Speedway isn’t Auto Club Speedway
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., received its second Sprint Cup Series race date in 2004 ? eight years after opening. In Auto Club's first seven years of existence,�sizable crowds were the norm, so a second date was totally feasible, right?
Fast forward to 2011. As we all know, Auto Club saw attendance fall after that second race was introduced, so much so that it's back to hosting one race a season.
Taking the date, unofficially, is Kansas Speedway, a track that's drawn well for the first 10 years of its life with one Sprint Cup race each season, run annually during the Chase. �Sunday's STP 400 marks the inaugural running of a "second" Cup race.
Because the tracks are similar ? both are intermediate tri-ovals and owned by International Speedway Corporation ? it's worth asking the question: Will Kansas also see attendance dwindle with the addition of a second Cup date?
Here's what Kansas Speedway president Pat Warren had to say when asked that exact question: "What I can tell you is we've got a strong track record, no pun intended, of selling lots of tickets for not only the Sprint Cup, but Nationwide, the Truck Series and even the IndyCar Series for the 10 years they ran here even in times when the sport was not as healthy everywhere else.
"That's sort of the first thing I point to is that we've had a full grandstands ? we haven't had sellouts, we've been very very close the last two years ? when other people have had lots and lots of empy seats. And I'm not talking about any particular track; I'm talking generally."
While Kansas City may be a much smaller market than the greater Los Angeles area, it doesn't have the competition that Auto Club Speedway�has in nearby�Las Vegas Motor Speedway (224 miles from Auto Club) and Phoenix International Raceway (311 miles). You have to drive almost 500 miles from Kansas Speedway to get to the next two closest Cup tracks in Chicagoland and Texas Motor Speedway.
"We draw from a good distance," Warren said. "We do very well going north. We sort of split with Texas going south. You get down to about Oklahoma City and that's sort of where it starts to thin out a bit. And that makes sense; travel time and other things and Texas has been open a little longer than we have."
Kansas's second Cup date hinged upon the state's approval of construction of a casino just outside Turn 2. The casino is currently under construction and scheduled to open next year. Livestrong Sporting Park, the home of the MLS team Sporting Kansas City, is just a block away from Turn 3 and opens June 9th. A minor league baseball stadium and retail giants are just a few blocks away.
Fifteen�years ago, the land just south of I-70, where the track is located some 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Mo.,�was, well, empty. Today, it's a booming shopping and entertainment district.
Auto Club Speedway,�about an hour drive�from downtown Los Angeles,�also grew a reputation for, ahem, unexciting racing. While at first glance Kansas has some of the same characteristics as Auto Club, it's produced some racing like Carl Edwards' banzai attempted pass of Jimmie Johnson in 2008, Ron Hornaday and Johnny Sauter's duel in 2010 and an IndyCar race with a three-wide finish and a .005 margin of victory in 2004.
What's helped produce that racing? Kansas's pavement.
The track surface is as old as the track, and while 11 years may not seem like much, Kansas City weather changes often. Frequent weather changes wreak havoc with asphalt, thus the distinctive tar seams all around the track.
However, the threat of repaving looms, eliminating the need for the seams, which Kurt Busch once called the "tar of death."
"The reality is that we're 11 years old and probably in the worst NASCAR market for freeze-thaw damage," Warren said, explaining�that tar seams are necessary to keep water from weeping onto the track. "In Kansas City in the winter, it can be 20 degrees or 10 degrees one day and 60 degrees the next, so that water freezes and thaws."
Now that Kansas has a race in June and October and with the climate, the window to repave isn't very big. And any potential resurfacing could impact the quality of racing.
"It's the nature of the beast," Warren said. "We're looking at those things and we're looking at the schedule. It could be something you see in the next few years."
Over the next few years, a lot of eyes will be on Kansas Speedway�to see which way the track goes. Will it continue to�boom like Texas Motor Speeway�has since recieving its second date or will it�bust like Auto Club?
Only time will tell.
Fast forward to 2011. As we all know, Auto Club saw attendance fall after that second race was introduced, so much so that it's back to hosting one race a season.
Taking the date, unofficially, is Kansas Speedway, a track that's drawn well for the first 10 years of its life with one Sprint Cup race each season, run annually during the Chase. �Sunday's STP 400 marks the inaugural running of a "second" Cup race.
Because the tracks are similar ? both are intermediate tri-ovals and owned by International Speedway Corporation ? it's worth asking the question: Will Kansas also see attendance dwindle with the addition of a second Cup date?
Here's what Kansas Speedway president Pat Warren had to say when asked that exact question: "What I can tell you is we've got a strong track record, no pun intended, of selling lots of tickets for not only the Sprint Cup, but Nationwide, the Truck Series and even the IndyCar Series for the 10 years they ran here even in times when the sport was not as healthy everywhere else.
"That's sort of the first thing I point to is that we've had a full grandstands ? we haven't had sellouts, we've been very very close the last two years ? when other people have had lots and lots of empy seats. And I'm not talking about any particular track; I'm talking generally."
While Kansas City may be a much smaller market than the greater Los Angeles area, it doesn't have the competition that Auto Club Speedway�has in nearby�Las Vegas Motor Speedway (224 miles from Auto Club) and Phoenix International Raceway (311 miles). You have to drive almost 500 miles from Kansas Speedway to get to the next two closest Cup tracks in Chicagoland and Texas Motor Speedway.
"We draw from a good distance," Warren said. "We do very well going north. We sort of split with Texas going south. You get down to about Oklahoma City and that's sort of where it starts to thin out a bit. And that makes sense; travel time and other things and Texas has been open a little longer than we have."
Kansas's second Cup date hinged upon the state's approval of construction of a casino just outside Turn 2. The casino is currently under construction and scheduled to open next year. Livestrong Sporting Park, the home of the MLS team Sporting Kansas City, is just a block away from Turn 3 and opens June 9th. A minor league baseball stadium and retail giants are just a few blocks away.
Fifteen�years ago, the land just south of I-70, where the track is located some 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Mo.,�was, well, empty. Today, it's a booming shopping and entertainment district.
Auto Club Speedway,�about an hour drive�from downtown Los Angeles,�also grew a reputation for, ahem, unexciting racing. While at first glance Kansas has some of the same characteristics as Auto Club, it's produced some racing like Carl Edwards' banzai attempted pass of Jimmie Johnson in 2008, Ron Hornaday and Johnny Sauter's duel in 2010 and an IndyCar race with a three-wide finish and a .005 margin of victory in 2004.
What's helped produce that racing? Kansas's pavement.
The track surface is as old as the track, and while 11 years may not seem like much, Kansas City weather changes often. Frequent weather changes wreak havoc with asphalt, thus the distinctive tar seams all around the track.
However, the threat of repaving looms, eliminating the need for the seams, which Kurt Busch once called the "tar of death."
"The reality is that we're 11 years old and probably in the worst NASCAR market for freeze-thaw damage," Warren said, explaining�that tar seams are necessary to keep water from weeping onto the track. "In Kansas City in the winter, it can be 20 degrees or 10 degrees one day and 60 degrees the next, so that water freezes and thaws."
Now that Kansas has a race in June and October and with the climate, the window to repave isn't very big. And any potential resurfacing could impact the quality of racing.
"It's the nature of the beast," Warren said. "We're looking at those things and we're looking at the schedule. It could be something you see in the next few years."
Over the next few years, a lot of eyes will be on Kansas Speedway�to see which way the track goes. Will it continue to�boom like Texas Motor Speeway�has since recieving its second date or will it�bust like Auto Club?
Only time will tell.
Monday, June 13, 2011
HOT/NOT: Charlotte’s record-sized HD TV is a game-changer
Sunburned, curiously, only on the right half of my body and still dazed by the bajillions of megapixels hung above the Charlotte backstretch, I'm back from a weekend in fan mode at the Coca-Cola 600. Let's dive in to 600-miles of hits and misses.
HOT: Charlotte Motor Speedway's much-promoted and much-hyped new video board (the 200' by 80' behemoth that they're calling the world's largest high-definition television) very much deserved the promotion and the hype. Frankly, it's the best advance in fan amenity I've seen by a NASCAR track in several years.
Suddenly, the entire track (save for the souls in the turn two grandstand) has a single source for each and every happening during an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That's important, I think, because it helps establish a more unified and aware crowd. That's an effect that could prove substantial for selling tickets in the future because even the most casual of fans can feel involved and in-the-loop of a sometimes confusing event.
That being said, the screen is just stunning in itself. It's perfectly visible even during the sunniest parts of the day and the replays are crisp from any direction. There's no doubting CMS' use of the video board will (and should!) lead other tracks to follow suit. The small, trailer-stationed video boards have quickly become obselete.
NOT: CMS, never a speedway dull on searching for a buck, even sold t-shirts celebrating the backstretch screen. I feel kind of bad for those who felt parting with $16 for that shirt was a good move.
HOT: It would have been fantastically cool to see how the hometown fans would have celebrated hometown boy Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulling into victory lane after the Coca-Cola 600. A track that has long been a thorn in his side coupled with The Streak finally coming to an end would have made for some raucous post-race fandom.
But despite Junior losing it in the final lap (fuel is expensive these days, am I right? Kidding.) there should be no doubt that his revamped approach and the terrific chemistry new crew chief Steve Letarte brings has put the No. 88 in position to be a contender down the stretch of 2011. Earnhardt�was fast all night around Charlotte's 1.5 miles, and you've got to think that will translate well to the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
NEUTRAL: Kyle Busch didn't win a thing this weekend at Charlotte. That alone is enough to be concerned about Mr. Lead Foot, right? Sarcasm aside, Busch's night at CMS ended so very strangely. Early in the going, Busch looked untouchable as he led 55 laps.
By the time the night was over, Busch had spun twice on his own and finished 32nd. Strangely, the last time Busch led exactly 55 laps at Charlotte (2005) he also struggled to the end, finishing two laps down in 25th.
NOT: I realize that NASCAR changed their weekend schedule many years ago to put Sprint Cup final practice before any support series races. Knowing that, it's still remarkably dumb to field the final two practices during the heat of the day for an event that will be run mostly at night.
It seems a tweak would require major changes to the 600 weekend's schedule, but something should be done.
HOT: Count me in among those who thought Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wouldn't come close to finishing his first Sprint Cup race. After all, 600 miles at Charlotte is quite the arduous drive for a driver not anywhere near used to the length of a usual Sprint Cup race.
Instead, Stenhouse wound up 11th as the super sub for Trevor Bayne in the Wood Brothers' No. 21. He also was one of the most aggressive drivers on restarts all night, as he found himself picking up spots typically three-wide and up high.
NOT: Did you know Jeff Burton doesn't have a top 10 in all of 2011? Mired now 22nd in the Cup Series points, Burton finished a lap off the pace in 21st Sunday night. With teammate Kevin Harvick finding wins here, there and everywhere, Burton has to be grindingly frustrated by now.
HOT: Cheers to Marcos Ambrose are indeed in order. The Australian placed sixth Saturday night for his second-straight top-10 finish�and fourth of the season. You've got to know that the first win is coming soon for Ambrose. He's running too well for it not to.
NOT: I'm pretty sure Lee Greenwood's rendition of "God Bless the USA" prior to Sunday night's race at CMS was about the 387th time he's performed the song at a NASCAR event. It was a struggle, too, as the 68-year-old strained for high notes and missed on the long ones.
I don't like lip-synching, but if Greenwood's patriotic tones are to remain requisite at NASCAR races, we might need to consider it.
HOT: Last, I'll bring you a slight bit of personal commentary. I don't happen to be a cigarette smoker, and for the first time, the section at CMS where we were seated was deemed non-smoking by the track. Several grandstand areas were either designated smoking or non-smoking for Sunday night's race.
This being a free country (something we, of course, celebrated Sunday night at CMS) I realize there are those who choose to smoke. It's a fact of life, and I'm not crusading against those people. Instead, I'll say this: it's seriously nice for CMS to give those who don't smoke the option of being away from it.
Going a bit empircal, I do know several people who have given up on attending NASCAR events due to the high probability of cigarettes being lit all around them. For a sport that can use every fan it can get, it's smart to cater to each side of the fence. Good work, CMS. I hope other tracks follow suit with the now-continuing trend.
HOT: Charlotte Motor Speedway's much-promoted and much-hyped new video board (the 200' by 80' behemoth that they're calling the world's largest high-definition television) very much deserved the promotion and the hype. Frankly, it's the best advance in fan amenity I've seen by a NASCAR track in several years.
Suddenly, the entire track (save for the souls in the turn two grandstand) has a single source for each and every happening during an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That's important, I think, because it helps establish a more unified and aware crowd. That's an effect that could prove substantial for selling tickets in the future because even the most casual of fans can feel involved and in-the-loop of a sometimes confusing event.
That being said, the screen is just stunning in itself. It's perfectly visible even during the sunniest parts of the day and the replays are crisp from any direction. There's no doubting CMS' use of the video board will (and should!) lead other tracks to follow suit. The small, trailer-stationed video boards have quickly become obselete.
NOT: CMS, never a speedway dull on searching for a buck, even sold t-shirts celebrating the backstretch screen. I feel kind of bad for those who felt parting with $16 for that shirt was a good move.
HOT: It would have been fantastically cool to see how the hometown fans would have celebrated hometown boy Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulling into victory lane after the Coca-Cola 600. A track that has long been a thorn in his side coupled with The Streak finally coming to an end would have made for some raucous post-race fandom.
But despite Junior losing it in the final lap (fuel is expensive these days, am I right? Kidding.) there should be no doubt that his revamped approach and the terrific chemistry new crew chief Steve Letarte brings has put the No. 88 in position to be a contender down the stretch of 2011. Earnhardt�was fast all night around Charlotte's 1.5 miles, and you've got to think that will translate well to the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
NEUTRAL: Kyle Busch didn't win a thing this weekend at Charlotte. That alone is enough to be concerned about Mr. Lead Foot, right? Sarcasm aside, Busch's night at CMS ended so very strangely. Early in the going, Busch looked untouchable as he led 55 laps.
By the time the night was over, Busch had spun twice on his own and finished 32nd. Strangely, the last time Busch led exactly 55 laps at Charlotte (2005) he also struggled to the end, finishing two laps down in 25th.
NOT: I realize that NASCAR changed their weekend schedule many years ago to put Sprint Cup final practice before any support series races. Knowing that, it's still remarkably dumb to field the final two practices during the heat of the day for an event that will be run mostly at night.
It seems a tweak would require major changes to the 600 weekend's schedule, but something should be done.
HOT: Count me in among those who thought Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wouldn't come close to finishing his first Sprint Cup race. After all, 600 miles at Charlotte is quite the arduous drive for a driver not anywhere near used to the length of a usual Sprint Cup race.
Instead, Stenhouse wound up 11th as the super sub for Trevor Bayne in the Wood Brothers' No. 21. He also was one of the most aggressive drivers on restarts all night, as he found himself picking up spots typically three-wide and up high.
NOT: Did you know Jeff Burton doesn't have a top 10 in all of 2011? Mired now 22nd in the Cup Series points, Burton finished a lap off the pace in 21st Sunday night. With teammate Kevin Harvick finding wins here, there and everywhere, Burton has to be grindingly frustrated by now.
HOT: Cheers to Marcos Ambrose are indeed in order. The Australian placed sixth Saturday night for his second-straight top-10 finish�and fourth of the season. You've got to know that the first win is coming soon for Ambrose. He's running too well for it not to.
NOT: I'm pretty sure Lee Greenwood's rendition of "God Bless the USA" prior to Sunday night's race at CMS was about the 387th time he's performed the song at a NASCAR event. It was a struggle, too, as the 68-year-old strained for high notes and missed on the long ones.
I don't like lip-synching, but if Greenwood's patriotic tones are to remain requisite at NASCAR races, we might need to consider it.
HOT: Last, I'll bring you a slight bit of personal commentary. I don't happen to be a cigarette smoker, and for the first time, the section at CMS where we were seated was deemed non-smoking by the track. Several grandstand areas were either designated smoking or non-smoking for Sunday night's race.
This being a free country (something we, of course, celebrated Sunday night at CMS) I realize there are those who choose to smoke. It's a fact of life, and I'm not crusading against those people. Instead, I'll say this: it's seriously nice for CMS to give those who don't smoke the option of being away from it.
Going a bit empircal, I do know several people who have given up on attending NASCAR events due to the high probability of cigarettes being lit all around them. For a sport that can use every fan it can get, it's smart to cater to each side of the fence. Good work, CMS. I hope other tracks follow suit with the now-continuing trend.
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What gets you suspended in NASCAR?
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