Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Subaru XV Teased Ahead Of 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show Debut
At the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show back in April, Subaru unveiled the sporty XV Concept based on its latest-generation 2012 Subaru Impreza Hatchback. With a toughened exterior look courtesy of flared wheel arches, roof racks, and lower body protection, the Subaru XV Concept hinted at a possible replacement for the outgoing Impreza Outback Sport. Now...
CUP: Kyle Busch The Man To Beat ? SPEEDtv.com
CUP: Kyle Busch The Man To Beat – SPEEDtv.com
CUP: Kyle Busch The Man To BeatSPEEDtv.comContact with Elliott Sadler put him into the wall in Wednesday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Kevin Harvick threatened to give him an old-fashioned butt-whipping. And Friday night he won the closest NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Bristol …2011 Bristol II: NASCAR Sprint Cup Starting Line-up & Race PreviewPaddockTalk
Five best Bristol night memoriesESPNNASCAR: Hamlin steers toward wildcard in spite of slumpThe Virginian-PilotSportingNews.com -Motorsport.com -AutoWeekall 0 news articles »
CUP: Kyle Busch The Man To BeatSPEEDtv.comContact with Elliott Sadler put him into the wall in Wednesday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Kevin Harvick threatened to give him an old-fashioned butt-whipping. And Friday night he won the closest NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Bristol …2011 Bristol II: NASCAR Sprint Cup Starting Line-up & Race PreviewPaddockTalk
Five best Bristol night memoriesESPNNASCAR: Hamlin steers toward wildcard in spite of slumpThe Virginian-PilotSportingNews.com -Motorsport.com -AutoWeekall 0 news articles »
Manion statement on NASCAR penalties in Modified series
On Wednesday, NASCAR disqualified the No. 7NY team owned by Sprint Cup Series crew chief Kevin "Bono" Manion, which won last weekend's Whelen Modified Series race at New Hampshire with driver Ryan Newman. The team's crew chief and Manion were both suspended from competition in any NASCAR regional touring series until Dec. 31. Newman and Manion's entry in the race was disqualified. Wednesday night a statement was released by Manion, who serves as crew chief for Cup driver Jamie McMurray: ?I had no intention to ruin my or my team?s reputations or put a black eye on the NWMT in any way, shape or manner,? explained Manion. ?It was never anyone?s intent to cheat. We have won numerous races with the No. 7NY and Ryan and have been through and passed inspection for each of them. Unfortunately, the penalties were a result of circumstances beyond our control. Everyone on our team has won NWMT races in the past and never did anything of this magnitude while racing full-time in the series. ?With that being said, though we don?t like or agree with the severity of the penalty, we accept the penalty that NASCAR has given out to us. We will still give back to the modified series as it gave us so many years of experience in order for us to do what we do today. We will try to win more races and bring more fans from the Cup fan base to crossover to the NWMT.?
Boullier convinced Senna is the right choice
Lotus Renault GP has regained the positive mood that it needs to make progress up the grid, reckons team boss Eric Boullier, following Bruno Senna's morale-boosting qualifying performance in Belgium last weekend.
Kevin Harvick wins at Bristol to claim third consecutive Truck Series victory
BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Kevin Harvick doesn?t come around often on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. But when he does, he usually leaves an impression. Harvick, making just his fifth start of the season, scored his third consecutive win in the series Wednesday night, capturing the O?Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Power Rankings: Edwards, Kyle do the 1-2 two-step
Time for our latest round of power rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. And what's up with all these first-time winners mucking up our rankings, huh?
1. Kyle Busch. It's gotta be dispiriting to other drivers to see that yellow #18 creeping up on you, track after track after friggin' track. Still, it's got to make them feel good to see Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski beat the nearly unbeatable Kyle on a restart. So you're saying there's a chance ... Last week's ranking: 2.
2. Carl Edwards. Not a whole lot of noise out of Edwards this week, just a fairly routine run and finish. Still, unlike Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin, Edwards didn't put himself into the tires, and thus stayed at the top of the standings. Not like it would've mattered; with his new contract, Edwards could put 10 cars into the tires and still be flush. � Last week's ranking: 1.
3. Brad Keselowski. What the -? How does this kid get to jump all the way up to third place in the rankings? Conspiracy! Yeah, either that or finishing 1-2 in successive weeks at two completely different tracks. Who knows whether Keselowski can keep this hot streak going, but it came at the perfect time, as he's pretty much vaulted himself into the Chase.� Last week's ranking: 10.
4. Jeff Gordon. Gordon was in position to challenge for a win again this week when some pit cycling put him back in the pack. Still, he said last week that he wants to have a road course in the Chase, so that makes him OK in our book. Now, if someone could start a campaign to get a�dirt-track or interstate-highway-race in the Chase, we'd be your best friend forever. Last week's ranking: 5.
5. Jimmie Johnson. Yes, you could get yourself a top-10 finish by pitting 17 times, like Jimmie Johnson did this week, but we wouldn't recommend it. What the heck was that pit crew doing all those times, anyway? Was that kind of like on-the-job training for a rotation of pit crew hopefuls? The "Hi, My Name Is ... " nametags on their firesuits were a dead giveaway.� Last week's ranking: 4.
6. Kevin Harvick. Harvick had a surprisingly good race. When he doesn't talk, you kind of forget he's there, which is really part of his sinister charm. But let's talk about him throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees game last week. How nervous would you be to do that? I mean, I've got a decent arm, but I guarantee you I'd throw it either straight into the dirt at my feet or into the stands. Or maybe I'd "unintentionally" throw it at Alex Rodriguez.� Last week's ranking: 8.
7. Kurt Busch. Busch did a very slick thing last week, positioning himself as the defender of "real racing" and heir to the tradition of bumper-banging old-timers rather than one of those newfangled vanilla types. Then he had to go waste all his good karma by spinning AJ Allmendinger. Kurt's propensity to squander his good fortune gives me pause when talking of his Chase chances, but he's sure fun to watch.� Last week's ranking: 3.
8. Matt Kenseth. Kenseth, like many of his fellow drivers, ran out of gas at one point during Monday's race and needed to get pushed back to the pits. It was like watching a strange, slow-motion version of the 2x2 racing at Daytona and Talladega. It was an unexpected little cameo that's so much fun, like if Chewbacca had been caged up in that circus in "Water for Elephants."� Last week's ranking: 7.
9. Ryan Newman. How many more weeks are we going to go with Ryan Newman finishing ahead of his boss? At what point does Tony Stewart just say, "All right, that's enough. Give me the car." I'm not convinced that Newman is a legit championship contender right now, but he's pretty much locked into the Chase ... unless he lets Tony drive his car. Zing! � Last week's ranking: 6.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior, Stewart and Hamlin are like three kittens falling down the stairs. You're not sure which one's going to win, and you're not sure what condition any of 'em will be in when it's all over, but it's sure worth watching. Earnhardt halted his own slide down the rankings with a solid finish at Watkins Glen; the other two guys didn't.� Last week's ranking: 12.
11. Denny Hamlin. You can't blame Hamlin for his car losing brakes and locking up, but it sure doesn't help his standing. About the only good thing that happened to him was Paul Menard's similarly early exit. But Clint Bowyer could now pull a last-second switcheroo and win his way into the Chase. Gah! Last week's ranking: 11.
12. Tony Stewart. We're pretty much out of options now for Stewart. It ain't gonna get much hotter than it is now, and yet he still hasn't started his hot-season winning streak. He should be safe from Bowyer's charge, though if Hamlin hammers down, Stewart could get bounced from the Chase by finishing 11th. Not where you want to be.� Last week's ranking: 9.
Lucky Dog: Marcos Ambrose, the road course expert who finally won a road course race! We'd also add Greg Biffle to that list, because I think Boris Said would win against him in a rout, road course ringer or no.
DNF: David Ragan, who went from dark horse to dog food. Still, he's got that Daytona win, so that's nice. But UPS demands more from you, David!
�
Charging upward: Joey Logano, who's continuing to impress late in the season. Yes, he probably exhaled quite a bit when Carl Edwards returned to Roush, but even so he's justified his seat in the 20 for next year and beyond.
Next up: Michigan. Cross your fingers, Junior Nation! Send comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.
1. Kyle Busch. It's gotta be dispiriting to other drivers to see that yellow #18 creeping up on you, track after track after friggin' track. Still, it's got to make them feel good to see Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski beat the nearly unbeatable Kyle on a restart. So you're saying there's a chance ... Last week's ranking: 2.
2. Carl Edwards. Not a whole lot of noise out of Edwards this week, just a fairly routine run and finish. Still, unlike Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin, Edwards didn't put himself into the tires, and thus stayed at the top of the standings. Not like it would've mattered; with his new contract, Edwards could put 10 cars into the tires and still be flush. � Last week's ranking: 1.
3. Brad Keselowski. What the -? How does this kid get to jump all the way up to third place in the rankings? Conspiracy! Yeah, either that or finishing 1-2 in successive weeks at two completely different tracks. Who knows whether Keselowski can keep this hot streak going, but it came at the perfect time, as he's pretty much vaulted himself into the Chase.� Last week's ranking: 10.
4. Jeff Gordon. Gordon was in position to challenge for a win again this week when some pit cycling put him back in the pack. Still, he said last week that he wants to have a road course in the Chase, so that makes him OK in our book. Now, if someone could start a campaign to get a�dirt-track or interstate-highway-race in the Chase, we'd be your best friend forever. Last week's ranking: 5.
5. Jimmie Johnson. Yes, you could get yourself a top-10 finish by pitting 17 times, like Jimmie Johnson did this week, but we wouldn't recommend it. What the heck was that pit crew doing all those times, anyway? Was that kind of like on-the-job training for a rotation of pit crew hopefuls? The "Hi, My Name Is ... " nametags on their firesuits were a dead giveaway.� Last week's ranking: 4.
6. Kevin Harvick. Harvick had a surprisingly good race. When he doesn't talk, you kind of forget he's there, which is really part of his sinister charm. But let's talk about him throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees game last week. How nervous would you be to do that? I mean, I've got a decent arm, but I guarantee you I'd throw it either straight into the dirt at my feet or into the stands. Or maybe I'd "unintentionally" throw it at Alex Rodriguez.� Last week's ranking: 8.
7. Kurt Busch. Busch did a very slick thing last week, positioning himself as the defender of "real racing" and heir to the tradition of bumper-banging old-timers rather than one of those newfangled vanilla types. Then he had to go waste all his good karma by spinning AJ Allmendinger. Kurt's propensity to squander his good fortune gives me pause when talking of his Chase chances, but he's sure fun to watch.� Last week's ranking: 3.
8. Matt Kenseth. Kenseth, like many of his fellow drivers, ran out of gas at one point during Monday's race and needed to get pushed back to the pits. It was like watching a strange, slow-motion version of the 2x2 racing at Daytona and Talladega. It was an unexpected little cameo that's so much fun, like if Chewbacca had been caged up in that circus in "Water for Elephants."� Last week's ranking: 7.
9. Ryan Newman. How many more weeks are we going to go with Ryan Newman finishing ahead of his boss? At what point does Tony Stewart just say, "All right, that's enough. Give me the car." I'm not convinced that Newman is a legit championship contender right now, but he's pretty much locked into the Chase ... unless he lets Tony drive his car. Zing! � Last week's ranking: 6.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior, Stewart and Hamlin are like three kittens falling down the stairs. You're not sure which one's going to win, and you're not sure what condition any of 'em will be in when it's all over, but it's sure worth watching. Earnhardt halted his own slide down the rankings with a solid finish at Watkins Glen; the other two guys didn't.� Last week's ranking: 12.
11. Denny Hamlin. You can't blame Hamlin for his car losing brakes and locking up, but it sure doesn't help his standing. About the only good thing that happened to him was Paul Menard's similarly early exit. But Clint Bowyer could now pull a last-second switcheroo and win his way into the Chase. Gah! Last week's ranking: 11.
12. Tony Stewart. We're pretty much out of options now for Stewart. It ain't gonna get much hotter than it is now, and yet he still hasn't started his hot-season winning streak. He should be safe from Bowyer's charge, though if Hamlin hammers down, Stewart could get bounced from the Chase by finishing 11th. Not where you want to be.� Last week's ranking: 9.
Lucky Dog: Marcos Ambrose, the road course expert who finally won a road course race! We'd also add Greg Biffle to that list, because I think Boris Said would win against him in a rout, road course ringer or no.
DNF: David Ragan, who went from dark horse to dog food. Still, he's got that Daytona win, so that's nice. But UPS demands more from you, David!
�
Charging upward: Joey Logano, who's continuing to impress late in the season. Yes, he probably exhaled quite a bit when Carl Edwards returned to Roush, but even so he's justified his seat in the 20 for next year and beyond.
Next up: Michigan. Cross your fingers, Junior Nation! Send comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.
A Penske Perfect Weekend In Sonoma
Will Power celebrates his fifth 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series victory Photo courtesy INDYCAR We always say we're looking for a "good, clean" race before a contest starts. It's one of those things you wish on your friends who are driving or crewing. In Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on the 2.303-mile, 12-turn Infineon Raceway Sears Point in Sonoma...
Kenny Bruce: Is Bristol too tame now for the hardcore NASCAR fan?
COMMENTARY
BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Bring back the old Bristol.
No doubt that?s what many are saying after Saturday night?s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bring back the bumping, the banging, the smoke and the fire.
BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Bring back the old Bristol.
No doubt that?s what many are saying after Saturday night?s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bring back the bumping, the banging, the smoke and the fire.
Patrick's NASCAR plans prompt more criticism
Danica Patrick lost her 63rd consecutive IndyCar race Sunday at Sonoma, and if you didn't already know her record is now 1 for 112, there's an entire website that obsessively tracks her lack of progress and touts her as "OVER-HYPED And UNDER-DESERVING!"
NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals Photos Best of the Best
What an awesome weekend for the NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals here in Indy at O’Reilly Raceway Park. You couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better race. The event was absolutely amazing and one of the best I’ve attended in a long time. If you’ve never been to an NHRA event then these [...]
Monday, August 29, 2011
A Visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
As painful as it may be to admit, the biggest spectator sport in the United States is in fact, NASCAR. With crowds averaging around 99,000 per event, the NASCAR faithful have cemented themselves in automotive history as the uber fans of American motor sports. As most of you know NASCAR got its roots from the [...]
Team owner Kevin Harvick evaluating whether to continue truck program, says changes likely for KHI
BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Team owner Kevin Harvick didn?t say whether his organization would or would not field entries in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012, but he did say the look of Kevin Harvick Inc. would be different. Harvick, asked Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway about reports that KHI would end its truck series involvement next year, said ?Right now, it?s just that time of year where you re-evaluate everything.
Wreck of the week: Reutimann, Ragan go flying
It doesn't get any wilder than this: cars flying in all directions, including upward. You'll need to fast-forward to about the 1:45 mark, but if you're a fan of automotive carnage, it's well worth the look, especially since nobody got hurt: David Ragan sliding across the track, David Reutimann flying upside down ... road course racing, baby!
Big question: upon further review, is this Boris Said's fault? Or just one of them racing deals? Have your say.
Big question: upon further review, is this Boris Said's fault? Or just one of them racing deals? Have your say.
Winners & Losers: Brad Keselowski wows 'em again, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer struggle at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Brad Keselowski turned in another surprising performance and two drivers had their best runs in a while.
But this race was about the Chase contenders who struggled in a big race at Bristol and put themselves in danger of missing the Chase.
But this race was about the Chase contenders who struggled in a big race at Bristol and put themselves in danger of missing the Chase.
You can be a part of a NASCAR sponsorship! Right now!
[Editor's note: Loyal reader Nathan Bitner has come up with an innovative idea: sponsoring a NASCAR Nationwide Series car on behalf of Yahoo! Sports' From The Marbles. Frankly, we love it, and we think you will too. Nathan's looking for help from you, The Marbleheads, so chip in! -JB]
We've joked for months now (years?) about the Marbleheads sponsoring a ride in a top NASCAR series. Well, today, it's one step closer to reality.
No, we can't quite afford to oust Lowe's�from the hood� as the primary sponsor of ol' 5-time Jimmie Johnson. But hey, this is a grassroots campaign, and it's a start.
A 4" by 6" sponsorship was made available on the lower quarter panel of Kevin Lepage's Bristol Nationwide car and I think it's time we (The People) came together and put our name out there! The race is the evening of August 26th, 2011 and using ChipIn, I'm looking for the financial assistance to pull this off for us (total cost: $400).
For starters, I am no artist and we need a cool logo, small or not! Whether you donate $1 or $100, (even if you can't attend the race for whatever reason), I can promise pictures (up close) so we can trumpet our arrival on the NASCAR sponsorship scene.
When Austin Dillon slides into the Sprint Cup logo for the first time (for his sake, let's hope it's legs first) and thanks the Marbleheads Chevy in Victory Lane, you can say you were there when it all began.
Though difficult to initiate and maintain, there is a unique excitement in the prospect of fans participating in the concept of "micro sponsorship", something relatively new in the struggling NASCAR (and U.S.) economy. Sponsors such as RDS are selling hoods for just $10,000, quarters for $5,500, lower quarterpanels for less than half that. Get enough people together (Kenny Wallace would like your number, by the way) and fan sponsorship might become a regular occurrence, rather than a novelty.
While Cup drivers continue to dominate the Nationwide Series, winning all but three races in 2011, young and diverse driving talents are often overlooked for one simple reason: lack of funding. This is one avenue that teams have been forced to take in order simply to survive and maintain so that, with a little (or a lot) of good luck, they can make maybe one or two attempts at a full race instead of the dreaded "start and park."
In NASCAR, fans are already closer to the athletes (yes, Golden Tate, athletes) and teams than any other major American sport. The potential for the relationship to grow and expand to unprecedented levels exists through such initiatives.
As the economy continues to deal with its own restrictor plates and sponsors potentially fall by the wayside, it won't surprise me to see more fans and groups pick up the slack ? one dollar at a time.
Great story, great effort. Help Nathan with his cause by visiting ChipIn and donating whatever you can, $1 or $400, to get The Marbles on the panel!
We've joked for months now (years?) about the Marbleheads sponsoring a ride in a top NASCAR series. Well, today, it's one step closer to reality.
No, we can't quite afford to oust Lowe's�from the hood� as the primary sponsor of ol' 5-time Jimmie Johnson. But hey, this is a grassroots campaign, and it's a start.
A 4" by 6" sponsorship was made available on the lower quarter panel of Kevin Lepage's Bristol Nationwide car and I think it's time we (The People) came together and put our name out there! The race is the evening of August 26th, 2011 and using ChipIn, I'm looking for the financial assistance to pull this off for us (total cost: $400).
For starters, I am no artist and we need a cool logo, small or not! Whether you donate $1 or $100, (even if you can't attend the race for whatever reason), I can promise pictures (up close) so we can trumpet our arrival on the NASCAR sponsorship scene.
When Austin Dillon slides into the Sprint Cup logo for the first time (for his sake, let's hope it's legs first) and thanks the Marbleheads Chevy in Victory Lane, you can say you were there when it all began.
Though difficult to initiate and maintain, there is a unique excitement in the prospect of fans participating in the concept of "micro sponsorship", something relatively new in the struggling NASCAR (and U.S.) economy. Sponsors such as RDS are selling hoods for just $10,000, quarters for $5,500, lower quarterpanels for less than half that. Get enough people together (Kenny Wallace would like your number, by the way) and fan sponsorship might become a regular occurrence, rather than a novelty.
While Cup drivers continue to dominate the Nationwide Series, winning all but three races in 2011, young and diverse driving talents are often overlooked for one simple reason: lack of funding. This is one avenue that teams have been forced to take in order simply to survive and maintain so that, with a little (or a lot) of good luck, they can make maybe one or two attempts at a full race instead of the dreaded "start and park."
In NASCAR, fans are already closer to the athletes (yes, Golden Tate, athletes) and teams than any other major American sport. The potential for the relationship to grow and expand to unprecedented levels exists through such initiatives.
As the economy continues to deal with its own restrictor plates and sponsors potentially fall by the wayside, it won't surprise me to see more fans and groups pick up the slack ? one dollar at a time.
Great story, great effort. Help Nathan with his cause by visiting ChipIn and donating whatever you can, $1 or $400, to get The Marbles on the panel!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Irony alert: NASCAR driver?s license suspended for speeding ? The Week Magazine
Irony alert: NASCAR driver’s license suspended for speeding – The Week Magazine
ABC News
Irony alert: NASCAR driver's license suspended for speedingThe Week MagazineNASCAR driver Kyle Busch's license was suspended, but that doesn't mean he has to stop racing. Photo: REUTERS/Danny Moloshok SEE ALL 83 PHOTOS The story: NASCAR racer Kyle Busch may have a lot of things ? 26-year-old bravado and bragging rights for …Nascar driver loses license for 128 mph romp in Lexus LFALeftLane News
Should Kyle Busch be able to drive in NASCAR without a license? Fan's viewYahoo! SportsShould NASCAR allow Kyle Busch to drive with a suspended license?Los Angeles TimesThe Birmingham News – al.com -Anderson Independent Mail -Las Vegas Review – Journalall 526 news articles »
ABC News
Irony alert: NASCAR driver's license suspended for speedingThe Week MagazineNASCAR driver Kyle Busch's license was suspended, but that doesn't mean he has to stop racing. Photo: REUTERS/Danny Moloshok SEE ALL 83 PHOTOS The story: NASCAR racer Kyle Busch may have a lot of things ? 26-year-old bravado and bragging rights for …Nascar driver loses license for 128 mph romp in Lexus LFALeftLane News
Should Kyle Busch be able to drive in NASCAR without a license? Fan's viewYahoo! SportsShould NASCAR allow Kyle Busch to drive with a suspended license?Los Angeles TimesThe Birmingham News – al.com -Anderson Independent Mail -Las Vegas Review – Journalall 526 news articles »
BMW X1 U.S. Launch On Indefinite Hold
The BMW X1 compact luxury crossover has been on sale in Europe and other parts of the globe for some time now, including in Canada, but the car is still nowhere to be seen in the automaker’s single biggest market, the U.S. The X1 was originally meant to be launched earlier this year as a 2011 model but its arrival in U.S. showrooms was...
This man is now the most important driver in NASCAR
With just four races left in the NASCAR regular season, we've winnowed down the field of relevant drivers from 43-plus to just a handful. Eight are almost certainly in the Chase, another 30 are in effect looking toward next season. And of those that remain in play, one man could upset months of carefully-laid plans.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Clint Bowyer, the wild card in the hunt for the wild card.
Bowyer now sits in the Bermuda Triangle between the top-10 Chase competitors and the currently-in wild cards. (That would be Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.) Bowyer is 25 points behind Tony Stewart for the 10th position, and eight points ahead of Hamlin in 11th. Hamlin holds the edge over Bowyer for the wild card with his one win, but a single victory by Bowyer obviously would reverse that, as the points stand now.
The schedule becomes significant here: while Atlanta and Bristol are so-so tracks for Bowyer, and Michigan is one of his worst, his very best track is the regular season-ending Richmond International Raceway, where he has a win and an average finish of 9.5. We could be looking at a Hamlin-Bowyer battle for that final Chase spot three weeks from now.
"It's on for these next four races," Bowyer said on Friday, adding, "We've got to beat those guys. At the end of the day, that's the only thing that it's going to take to succeed and be part of that Chase is to be better than those guys the next four races. I feel like we can do it, but we've got to step up to the plate and get the job done."
Bowyer has experience with this last-second Chase stretch; he narrowly missed in 2009 after a wreck with Michael Waltrip at Bristol, and raced his way into the 2010 Chase at Richmond. This has to be getting a little old for him.
But on-track battles aren't the only reason Bowyer is now in play. With Carl Edwards now off the market and back with Roush Fenway, Bowyer is the most notable unattached free agent, and Richard Childress Racing isn't quite as much of a lock as Roush was for Edwards.
While Red Bull was often mentioned as a destination for Bowyer, that option is now off the table. So The NASCAR Insiders offer up three very intriguing scenarios:
? Bowyer would go to Joe Gibbs Racing and take over the Home Depot #20, with Logano either moved to a fourth team or sent packing.
? UPS would put together a sponsorship deal for Bowyer to remain at RCR.
? Most intriguing: UPS and Bowyer would go arm-in-arm to Richard Petty Motorsports as a third team.
Possibilities? Certainly. These next few weeks will be lively ones indeed for Clint Bowyer. Your thoughts?
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Clint Bowyer, the wild card in the hunt for the wild card.
Bowyer now sits in the Bermuda Triangle between the top-10 Chase competitors and the currently-in wild cards. (That would be Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin.) Bowyer is 25 points behind Tony Stewart for the 10th position, and eight points ahead of Hamlin in 11th. Hamlin holds the edge over Bowyer for the wild card with his one win, but a single victory by Bowyer obviously would reverse that, as the points stand now.
The schedule becomes significant here: while Atlanta and Bristol are so-so tracks for Bowyer, and Michigan is one of his worst, his very best track is the regular season-ending Richmond International Raceway, where he has a win and an average finish of 9.5. We could be looking at a Hamlin-Bowyer battle for that final Chase spot three weeks from now.
"It's on for these next four races," Bowyer said on Friday, adding, "We've got to beat those guys. At the end of the day, that's the only thing that it's going to take to succeed and be part of that Chase is to be better than those guys the next four races. I feel like we can do it, but we've got to step up to the plate and get the job done."
Bowyer has experience with this last-second Chase stretch; he narrowly missed in 2009 after a wreck with Michael Waltrip at Bristol, and raced his way into the 2010 Chase at Richmond. This has to be getting a little old for him.
But on-track battles aren't the only reason Bowyer is now in play. With Carl Edwards now off the market and back with Roush Fenway, Bowyer is the most notable unattached free agent, and Richard Childress Racing isn't quite as much of a lock as Roush was for Edwards.
While Red Bull was often mentioned as a destination for Bowyer, that option is now off the table. So The NASCAR Insiders offer up three very intriguing scenarios:
? Bowyer would go to Joe Gibbs Racing and take over the Home Depot #20, with Logano either moved to a fourth team or sent packing.
? UPS would put together a sponsorship deal for Bowyer to remain at RCR.
? Most intriguing: UPS and Bowyer would go arm-in-arm to Richard Petty Motorsports as a third team.
Possibilities? Certainly. These next few weeks will be lively ones indeed for Clint Bowyer. Your thoughts?
Busch nips Logano for record 50th Nationwide win
Kyle Busch became the first driver to win 50 races in the Nationwide Series after beating his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Joey Logano, by inches at the finish line in Friday night's Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Kyle Busch crashes Elliott Sadler after contact in Truck race
The feud between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick flared up at Bristol in the Camping World Truck Series on Wednesday night. Kind of.
Busch intentionally crashed Elliott Sadler, who drives for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series, after contact between the two sent Busch into the wall ? contact that Busch obviously felt was intentional. And considering he and Harvick have been feuding since May, Busch may have thought Sadler was acting on behalf of his Nationwide Series boss.
"Yeah, sure he did [do it on purpose]," Busch told SPEED. "Where's his paycheck come from? We were racing earlier in the night, I pulled a slide job on him and he ran into me three times after. Then got clear of him for awhile, and on that restart there I was trying to slide him, get up to the top. The spotter said I was clear; I was clear at the time, but maybe I was too late. But he hooked me anyway and wrecked us, so I'm not going to put up with it."
From the video above, it's debatable that Sadler came off the corner intending to crash Busch. Sadler was in the high line and Busch tried to come up in front of him. After all, Bristol is a half-mile bullring and with the engine configuration of the trucks, any loss of momentum is huge.
"Earlier in the race he really ran me high and he ran me into the wall early in the race and I let him," Sadler, who was driving for Joe Dennette Motorsports in a truck prepared by KHI, said to SPEED. "That time I honestly think his spotter just didn't tell him I was on the outside of him and he came up and I mean I was there. I mean, I didn't even have time to check up or anything. I think it's more between he and his spotter. He just wrecked himself. And I hate that he thinks it's my fault and I hate that he came and wrecked us and tore up a good truck. ? I know he's mad and upset, but I wish he'd watch the tape and see what happened. I was on the outside of him. He and his spotter Eddie need to talk about that."
Said Harvick: "That shows you how smart Kyle Busch is. [Sadler] wasn't even driving for us tonight. ?�We can get as dirty as Kyle Busch wants."
Now would probably be a good time to make a joke about a surgeon with a scalpel, but we'll leave that to you.
The incident ? as Brad Keselowski pointed out on Twitter ?�was eerily reminiscent of the run-in that Busch and Keselowski had in last year's August Nationwide race at Bristol.
Busch was going for his fourth straight Truck Series victory at the track. Harvick ended up winning the race.
Still, there's a chance that we'll see a sequel Friday night. Busch is entered in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Sadler is entered in the No. 2 for KHI. Will we see Round 2? And is it a case of driver error and misplaced frustration or did Sadler mean to crash Busch? Drop us a line in the comments.
Busch intentionally crashed Elliott Sadler, who drives for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series, after contact between the two sent Busch into the wall ? contact that Busch obviously felt was intentional. And considering he and Harvick have been feuding since May, Busch may have thought Sadler was acting on behalf of his Nationwide Series boss.
"Yeah, sure he did [do it on purpose]," Busch told SPEED. "Where's his paycheck come from? We were racing earlier in the night, I pulled a slide job on him and he ran into me three times after. Then got clear of him for awhile, and on that restart there I was trying to slide him, get up to the top. The spotter said I was clear; I was clear at the time, but maybe I was too late. But he hooked me anyway and wrecked us, so I'm not going to put up with it."
From the video above, it's debatable that Sadler came off the corner intending to crash Busch. Sadler was in the high line and Busch tried to come up in front of him. After all, Bristol is a half-mile bullring and with the engine configuration of the trucks, any loss of momentum is huge.
"Earlier in the race he really ran me high and he ran me into the wall early in the race and I let him," Sadler, who was driving for Joe Dennette Motorsports in a truck prepared by KHI, said to SPEED. "That time I honestly think his spotter just didn't tell him I was on the outside of him and he came up and I mean I was there. I mean, I didn't even have time to check up or anything. I think it's more between he and his spotter. He just wrecked himself. And I hate that he thinks it's my fault and I hate that he came and wrecked us and tore up a good truck. ? I know he's mad and upset, but I wish he'd watch the tape and see what happened. I was on the outside of him. He and his spotter Eddie need to talk about that."
Said Harvick: "That shows you how smart Kyle Busch is. [Sadler] wasn't even driving for us tonight. ?�We can get as dirty as Kyle Busch wants."
Now would probably be a good time to make a joke about a surgeon with a scalpel, but we'll leave that to you.
The incident ? as Brad Keselowski pointed out on Twitter ?�was eerily reminiscent of the run-in that Busch and Keselowski had in last year's August Nationwide race at Bristol.
Busch was going for his fourth straight Truck Series victory at the track. Harvick ended up winning the race.
Still, there's a chance that we'll see a sequel Friday night. Busch is entered in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Sadler is entered in the No. 2 for KHI. Will we see Round 2? And is it a case of driver error and misplaced frustration or did Sadler mean to crash Busch? Drop us a line in the comments.
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.
Bobby Timmons becoming a Legend
�
Bobby Timmons driver of the number 38 ?Timmons Machine & Fabrication?, NELCAR Legend car is a 3rd generation race car driver.
Timmons like?s racing inthe legend series do to the fact that, there is a ?clean racing atmosphere, and also the smaller size and power, makes the cars a good stepping stone from karting.? Though if he could make one change in the NELCAR Series it would be in the qualifying line up to start the feature race.
Bobby Timmons driver of the number 38 ?Timmons Machine & Fabrication?, NELCAR Legend car is a 3rd generation race car driver.
Timmons like?s racing inthe legend series do to the fact that, there is a ?clean racing atmosphere, and also the smaller size and power, makes the cars a good stepping stone from karting.? Though if he could make one change in the NELCAR Series it would be in the qualifying line up to start the feature race.
Friday, August 26, 2011
ALMS counting TV gains
Last week's race at Road America drew the largest TV audience for an American Le Mans Series event since 2009, and this year's TV package is on course to triple last year's audience reach, the series says.
Bentley's New SUV Will Be Immediately Identifiable, Says Brand Boss
Bentley fans needn’t worry that the luxury marque’s upcoming SUV model will just be a Cayenne clone, despite one of the Porsche SUV’s pioneers recently being appointed Bentley CEO. Wolfgang Dürheimer is credited with spearheading the Porsche Cayenne’s development, and now, as CEO of Bentley (and Bugatti for that...
Kurt Busch to sign autographs
Former NASCAR Cup champion Kurt Busch will make a public appearance at the new BreadBox located at 6210 Asheville Highway in Knoxville from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday.
Mark Martin still has no idea what 2012 will bring
Before the season began, Mark Martin was adamant that he wouldn't discuss his 2012 situation until after 2011 was resolved, or until he had something to announce. We're now much closer to the end of the season than the beginning, and while Martin is opening up about the future once again, he's still no more certain about his future plans now than he was before. All that's certain is that there is no place for him at Hendrick Motorsports, since his seat now has "Reserved for Kasey Kahne" on it.
"I have nothing, and it don't matter," Martin said Friday. "I'll have nothing until I have something. You guys don't even need to ask because there is absolutely goose egg going on."
Martin is both benefiting from and hampered by the fact that he may only run a part-time schedule in 2012. While he's clearly still able to run competitively at NASCAR's highest level, he's not drawing the guaranteed sponsorship dollars that a younger driver might command.
There's also the question of where those still-unsigned drivers like Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers might fit into the overall picture. Once their situations, and their associated designated sponsorship dollars, resolve one way or another, Martin will have a better idea of the schedule he'll piece together.
"What I want to do will be very specialized, and those will be the things that are left behind after the bigger pieces of the puzzle fit in," he said. "I really feel it's going to be extremely late because my pieces are probably going to fall in after the majors."
One of the most interesting possibilities is over at Stewart-Haas Racing. You'll recall that they already have apparently slated time for one part-time driver in Danica Patrick; why not another? The problem with that scenario is that Martin may not be as compelling a sponsor draw, particularly since he won't be running in the marquee races that Patrick will.
Martin's hands-down one of the best good guys in NASCAR. It'll be a shame to see fields without him, but he ought to be able to line up some runs for the next couple years. And then he'll get the final sendoff he deserves.
"I have nothing, and it don't matter," Martin said Friday. "I'll have nothing until I have something. You guys don't even need to ask because there is absolutely goose egg going on."
Martin is both benefiting from and hampered by the fact that he may only run a part-time schedule in 2012. While he's clearly still able to run competitively at NASCAR's highest level, he's not drawing the guaranteed sponsorship dollars that a younger driver might command.
There's also the question of where those still-unsigned drivers like Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers might fit into the overall picture. Once their situations, and their associated designated sponsorship dollars, resolve one way or another, Martin will have a better idea of the schedule he'll piece together.
"What I want to do will be very specialized, and those will be the things that are left behind after the bigger pieces of the puzzle fit in," he said. "I really feel it's going to be extremely late because my pieces are probably going to fall in after the majors."
One of the most interesting possibilities is over at Stewart-Haas Racing. You'll recall that they already have apparently slated time for one part-time driver in Danica Patrick; why not another? The problem with that scenario is that Martin may not be as compelling a sponsor draw, particularly since he won't be running in the marquee races that Patrick will.
Martin's hands-down one of the best good guys in NASCAR. It'll be a shame to see fields without him, but he ought to be able to line up some runs for the next couple years. And then he'll get the final sendoff he deserves.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Power looking forward to Sonoma
Will Power's fifth-place run coupled with a 20th-place finish for Dario Franchitti at New Hampshire allowed Power to trim Franchitti's lead from 63 points to 47. Just five races remain in the season.
FIA Outlines Preliminary Specs For Formula E Electric Series
Race pace on par with Formula 3, 1,722-pound cars (with driver) and 15-minute races? That's the basic idea behind the new FIA Formula E Championship, as revealed in the official "call for expressions of interest" document. The question is: will the format equate to a motivated, interested viewership? Or will the novelty of electric formula cars...
Elliott Sadler settles lawsuit with Richard Petty Motorsports
Elliott Sadler and Richard Petty Motorsports have settled a lawsuit filed by Sadler against his former team. The settlement terms are confidential, said Sadler attorney John Buric.
NASCAR Racing This Weekend: Michigan And Canada
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is racing in the Irish Hills of Michigan at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mi. for the Pure Michigan 400 race on Sunday. This is the twenty-third race of the season. MIS is a two mile D-Shaped oval with lots of [...]
Mini-racing: Get the highs of the Michigan and Montreal races here
Michigan is often a race where you're waiting to see who'll run out of gas last, and Montreal is, well, Canada*, so you can be forgiven for expecting that this weekend's races might not be among the liveliest of the circuit. You can be forgiven, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be WRONG:
This weekend we head to Bristol, where nothing much interesting ever happens. Eh, we'll try to muddle on through.
*-Kidding, eh?
This weekend we head to Bristol, where nothing much interesting ever happens. Eh, we'll try to muddle on through.
*-Kidding, eh?
Kyle Busch secures Chase berth with Michigan win
Kyle Busch claimed his fourth Sprint Cup Series win of the season and became the first driver to clinch a spot in the 12-member field for the championship Chase by taking Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
With four races until the Chase, some hope for Junior fans
Great little statistical tidbit here uncovered by Rowdy.com's Bass Masters: the final four tracks in the NASCAR regular season set up extraordinarily well for Dale Earnhardt Jr., currently ninth in the points standings.
The next four tracks on the schedule are Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond. And so let's now take a look at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s best tracks, by finishing position:
1. Bristol (Average finish 11.5, one win)
2. Atlanta (Average finish 12.5, one win)
4. Richmond (Average finish 14.3, three wins)
9. Michigan (Average finish 15.9, one win)
For reference, here's how they shake out for Earnhardt's primary rival, Tony Stewart:
5. Richmond (Average finish 11.0, three wins)
7. Atlanta (Average finish 11.6, three wins)
8. Michigan (Average finish 11.6, one win)
24. Bristol (Average finish 17.0, one win)
Of course, Stewart's best track is Watkins Glen, where he has an average finish of 7.1, and we saw how that turned out on Monday. So, yeah, there's still hope for Earnhardt to make the Chase. Don't say we never did anything for ya, Junior Nation.
The next four tracks on the schedule are Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond. And so let's now take a look at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s best tracks, by finishing position:
1. Bristol (Average finish 11.5, one win)
2. Atlanta (Average finish 12.5, one win)
4. Richmond (Average finish 14.3, three wins)
9. Michigan (Average finish 15.9, one win)
For reference, here's how they shake out for Earnhardt's primary rival, Tony Stewart:
5. Richmond (Average finish 11.0, three wins)
7. Atlanta (Average finish 11.6, three wins)
8. Michigan (Average finish 11.6, one win)
24. Bristol (Average finish 17.0, one win)
Of course, Stewart's best track is Watkins Glen, where he has an average finish of 7.1, and we saw how that turned out on Monday. So, yeah, there's still hope for Earnhardt to make the Chase. Don't say we never did anything for ya, Junior Nation.
Harvick wins truck race at Michigan
Kevin Harvick bounced back from an ill- handling truck and an early-race pit road blunder before he held off Timothy Peters during a green-white-checkered finish to win Saturday's VFW 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
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 [...]
Stephen Leicht to attempt Cup race for Tommy Baldwin Racing at Richmond
Former Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing development driver Stephen Leicht will attempt to qualify the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 35 car for the Sprint Cup race next month at Richmond International Raceway.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Darlington Aims to Please NASCAR Fans
Darlington Raceway hopes to bring more families back to NASCAR by expanding youth discounts for next year’s racing season. Darlington will offer half-price seating for youths 17 and under at the Showtime Southern 500 in May and free tickets to its Nationwide and Camping World Truck series events, track spokesman Jake Harris told The Associated [...]
Tom Cruise tests Red Bull F1 car
Tom Cruise got his first taste of Formula 1 machinery in a secret test that took place with Red Bull in California last week.
Monday, August 22, 2011
NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals Photos Best of the Best
What an awesome weekend for the NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals here in Indy at O’Reilly Raceway Park. You couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better race. The event was absolutely amazing and one of the best I’ve attended in a long time. If you’ve never been to an NHRA event then these [...]
NASCAR Race Review: VFW 200
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced the VFW 200 race at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday. 88 Matt Crafton, fastest in practice, starts on the Pole position� with a speed of 177.489 mph and 40.566 seconds around the 2 mile D-shaped oval. 5 Todd Bodine starts [...]
Are You Ready For DEGA, got your clear bag? FAQ?s
One of many tips you may need to know before you head to the gates at Talladega! 16. What can be brought into the grandstands? - Soft-sided coolers or insulated bags are allowed into the grandstands provided they fit the required size requirement: 6″X6″X12″ or smaller. ONLY ONE SOFT-SIDED COOLER OR INSULATED BAG ALLOWED PER [...]
Carolyn Brewster: What?s on tap for fans at Michigan
It?s a busy weekend at Michigan International Speedway. For fans ramped up and ready to go or those thinking about a weekend in the lush Irish Hills, here are a few things on tap at the track.
Earnhardt coy on Patrick reports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains tight-lipped about the chances of Danica Patrick making a full switch to NASCAR with his Nationwide Series team, amid suggestions that an announcement will be made as early as next week.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Racing on TV, Aug. 19-21
American Le Mans Series at Road America, Grand-Am and Nationwide Series at Montreal and more.
Driver safety crucial ? News & Observer
Driver safety crucial – News & Observer
SB Nation
Driver safety crucialNews & ObserverMultiple safety measures NASCAR has instituted over the past several years had, again, worked. The vicious nature of the Watkins Glen wrecks – involving drivers like David Ragan, David Reutimann, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin – were reminders of how …Scary crashes at Watkins Glen reinforce how safe NASCAR has becomeNascar
'Severe hits' spur calls for track studyFOXSports.comNASCAR: Brutal Crashes Rekindling Watkins Glen's Ominous ReputationSB NationMontreal Gazetteall 57 news articles »
SB Nation
Driver safety crucialNews & ObserverMultiple safety measures NASCAR has instituted over the past several years had, again, worked. The vicious nature of the Watkins Glen wrecks – involving drivers like David Ragan, David Reutimann, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin – were reminders of how …Scary crashes at Watkins Glen reinforce how safe NASCAR has becomeNascar
'Severe hits' spur calls for track studyFOXSports.comNASCAR: Brutal Crashes Rekindling Watkins Glen's Ominous ReputationSB NationMontreal Gazetteall 57 news articles »
Mike Brudenell: Kurt Busch not one to back down ? Detroit Free Press
Mike Brudenell: Kurt Busch not one to back down – Detroit Free Press
AftermarketNews.com (AMN)
Mike Brudenell: Kurt Busch not one to back downDetroit Free Press22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Accomplishments: Winner of the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship; 2003 IROC champion; 2000 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year and championship runner-up. …NASCAR: Richard Childress Racing heads for the Michigan hillsMotorsport.com
2011 Michigan II: Clint Bowyer NASCAR Sprint Cup Race PreviewPaddockTalkRick Peterson: Bowyer's season has been rough roadTopeka Capital JournalMLive.com -MiamiHerald.com -phillyBurbs.comall 53 news articles »
AftermarketNews.com (AMN)
Mike Brudenell: Kurt Busch not one to back downDetroit Free Press22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Accomplishments: Winner of the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship; 2003 IROC champion; 2000 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year and championship runner-up. …NASCAR: Richard Childress Racing heads for the Michigan hillsMotorsport.com
2011 Michigan II: Clint Bowyer NASCAR Sprint Cup Race PreviewPaddockTalkRick Peterson: Bowyer's season has been rough roadTopeka Capital JournalMLive.com -MiamiHerald.com -phillyBurbs.comall 53 news articles »
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Mark Martin fastest in final practice at Michigan
Mark Martin closed the book on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway Saturday with the day?s fastest lap, posting a top speed of 187.642 mph early in the 1 hour, 50 minute session.
State of the Teams ?11: Richard Petty Motorsports
As we draw within sight of the Chase, let's take a look back at how the season has gone so far for NASCAR's top teams. We continue with Richard Petty Motorsports, which always seems right on the verge of breaking through ... but not quite.
Drivers: AJ Allmendinger (currently 17th in the standings), Marcos Ambrose (currently 22nd)
Wins: Zero.
Overall accolades: Zero poles, four top-5s, 10 top-10s, one DNF.
High point: The Coca-Cola 600, where Allmendinger finished fifth and Ambrose finished right behind him in sixth. It was a solid performance and appeared to suggest that better times were ahead for the RPM crew, but neither driver could follow up on that strong performance in NASCAR's marquee race.
Low point: Well, the good news is, there haven't been many low points for RPM this season. The bad news is, it's been all fair-to-middling points. Nobody's done anything too exciting or too stupid. Ambrose still has a chance to take a road course win, and as this year's shown, anybody can get a victory at any time, but so far, it's been the very definition of a "meh" year for RPM.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Not much of a chance for either driver to make the Chase this year. Consistency is the key; while both Petty drivers usually manage to keep their cars on the track (witness the fact that they have just one DNF between them all year), they can't seem to keep them consistently up front. Equipment weakness, or driver error? Either way, RPM is running to catch up in a race that's already started.
Recent notable posts:
AJ Allmendinger weighs in on retiring numbers
Drivers, riders to chase half-mile speed record at Bristol
Drivers: AJ Allmendinger (currently 17th in the standings), Marcos Ambrose (currently 22nd)
Wins: Zero.
Overall accolades: Zero poles, four top-5s, 10 top-10s, one DNF.
High point: The Coca-Cola 600, where Allmendinger finished fifth and Ambrose finished right behind him in sixth. It was a solid performance and appeared to suggest that better times were ahead for the RPM crew, but neither driver could follow up on that strong performance in NASCAR's marquee race.
Low point: Well, the good news is, there haven't been many low points for RPM this season. The bad news is, it's been all fair-to-middling points. Nobody's done anything too exciting or too stupid. Ambrose still has a chance to take a road course win, and as this year's shown, anybody can get a victory at any time, but so far, it's been the very definition of a "meh" year for RPM.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Not much of a chance for either driver to make the Chase this year. Consistency is the key; while both Petty drivers usually manage to keep their cars on the track (witness the fact that they have just one DNF between them all year), they can't seem to keep them consistently up front. Equipment weakness, or driver error? Either way, RPM is running to catch up in a race that's already started.
Recent notable posts:
AJ Allmendinger weighs in on retiring numbers
Drivers, riders to chase half-mile speed record at Bristol
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 [...]
Wreck of the week: Reutimann, Ragan go flying
It doesn't get any wilder than this: cars flying in all directions, including upward. You'll need to fast-forward to about the 1:45 mark, but if you're a fan of automotive carnage, it's well worth the look, especially since nobody got hurt: David Ragan sliding across the track, David Reutimann flying upside down ... road course racing, baby!
Big question: upon further review, is this Boris Said's fault? Or just one of them racing deals? Have your say.
Big question: upon further review, is this Boris Said's fault? Or just one of them racing deals? Have your say.
Hunter-Reay wins New Hampshire in controversial finish
In a race that ended with fury from both drivers and team owners, Ryan Hunter-Reay picked up his first IZOD IndyCar Series win of the season Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway -- an event cut 10 laps short of its 225-lap distance.
Pippa Mann's blog: Less than zero
What went wrong in New Hampshire that kept Rahal Letterman Lanigan's racer from completing a lap of the race.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Pocky's Paddock: Joe Gibbs Racing?s Denny Hamlin anxious to run TRD engine at Michigan
It appears that Denny Hamlin will get his way and have a Toyota Racing Development engine in his Joe Gibbs Racing car for this week?s race at Michigan International Speedway.
With the Gibbs teams suffering engine durability issues earlier this year, Hamlin is anxious to try the new combination.
With the Gibbs teams suffering engine durability issues earlier this year, Hamlin is anxious to try the new combination.
Boris Said aiming for repeat win in Montreal
Last year's race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ended in thrilling fashion. Boris Said passed Robby Gordon for the lead during a green-white-checkered finish. Max Papis then challenged Said for the win during the final two laps, but he edged Papis at the finish line by only 0.012 seconds, making it the fifth closest margin of victory in series history.
Kurt Busch: Pole to Checkers
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Saturday afternoon the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Qualifying was earlier with 22 Kurt Busch capturing the Pole and brother 18 Kyle with him on the Front Row. The brothers were the only drivers to lead any laps. Kyle got into [...]
Winners & Losers: Denny Hamlin, David Reutimann, David Ragan victims of hard crashes at Watkins Glen
Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski stole the show at Watkins Glen, but they were overshadowed by a long list of drivers who suffered horrible luck and frightening hits on the winding road course.
Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, David Ragan and David Reutimann were all victims of scary crashes that resulted in vicious hits into the tire barriers and guardrails at Watkins Glen.
Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, David Ragan and David Reutimann were all victims of scary crashes that resulted in vicious hits into the tire barriers and guardrails at Watkins Glen.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Matt Kenseth may be the funniest driver on Twitter
Yes, that headline is totally serious.
Matt Kenseth, the driver we glowingly refer to as Flatline in our race-day chats because of his sarcastic and dry wit and seemingly monotone interviews recently signed up for Twitter.
And he's hilarious.
no, and it's not happy with me either"@alexbmx17: @matt_kenseth17 Are you happy with your car for this tomorrows race"
Who is he? I will ask him.."@Rednecktailgate: @matt_kenseth17 can I get a hello from my fav driver?"
what do you think of him?"@ilovehamlin11: @matt_kenseth17 what do you think about Denny Hamlin???"
tweeting"@dwilliams1014: @matt_kenseth17 What's your favorite thing about being a NASCAR driver?"
I hope not, I want to race it again"@ukmccubbin23: @matt_kenseth17 Hey Matt the car you drove at the Coke 600 is it ava in a diecast yet?"
Heck, Twitter has become such a powerful tool that Jeff Burton has started tweeting. (Contrary to popular belief, Twitter doesn't cut off Joe Nemechek's tweets after 35 characters.) Jimmie Johnson used it to defend his team's actions at Daytona after they pitted and Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't, and Brad Keselowski has even held a Twitter press conference.
But -- so far -- Twitter isn't powerful enough to get Junior and Tony Stewart to start tweeting yet. Will it only be a matter of time before they sign on?
Matt Kenseth, the driver we glowingly refer to as Flatline in our race-day chats because of his sarcastic and dry wit and seemingly monotone interviews recently signed up for Twitter.
And he's hilarious.
no, and it's not happy with me either"@alexbmx17: @matt_kenseth17 Are you happy with your car for this tomorrows race"
Who is he? I will ask him.."@Rednecktailgate: @matt_kenseth17 can I get a hello from my fav driver?"
what do you think of him?"@ilovehamlin11: @matt_kenseth17 what do you think about Denny Hamlin???"
tweeting"@dwilliams1014: @matt_kenseth17 What's your favorite thing about being a NASCAR driver?"
I hope not, I want to race it again"@ukmccubbin23: @matt_kenseth17 Hey Matt the car you drove at the Coke 600 is it ava in a diecast yet?"
Heck, Twitter has become such a powerful tool that Jeff Burton has started tweeting. (Contrary to popular belief, Twitter doesn't cut off Joe Nemechek's tweets after 35 characters.) Jimmie Johnson used it to defend his team's actions at Daytona after they pitted and Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't, and Brad Keselowski has even held a Twitter press conference.
But -- so far -- Twitter isn't powerful enough to get Junior and Tony Stewart to start tweeting yet. Will it only be a matter of time before they sign on?
Cannon: Chemistry missing with Kanaan
Michael Cannon and KV Racing Technology-Lotus part ways with five races left in 2011 season, citing difficulty in non-race sessions with driver Tony Kanaan.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Kyle Busch edges Allmendinger for pole at The Glen
Qualifying last, Kyle Busch did what he'd never done before - he won a pole on a road course, shattering the track record at Watkins Glen International on Saturday.
With two wins in last three, Penske's Nationwide team looks to fourth driver in four weeks
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. ? When NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief Todd Gordon and the Penske Racing No. 22 team roll into Montreal for this weekend?s NAPA Auto Parts 200, it will be with the team?s fourth different driver in the past four races. Jacques Villeneuve returns to the driver?s seat, looking to improve on his third-place finish this past June at Road America.
State of the Teams ?11: Stewart-Haas Racing
As we draw within sight of the Chase, let's take a look back at how the season has gone so far for NASCAR's top teams. We begin with Stewart-Haas Racing, a two-car outfit that's seen plenty of success in its first few years of existence.
Drivers: Tony Stewart (owner, driver of the No. 14, currently 9th in the standings), Ryan Newman (driver of the No. 39, currently 8th).
Wins: 1 (Newman, Loudon.)
Overall accolades: 1 win, 1 pole, 8 top-5s, 17 top-10s, 1 DNF.
High point: Loudon, without a doubt. The team qualified 1-2 to start and ended up 1-2 to finish. It was a satisfying end to what had been an extremely frustrating few weeks for Newman and few months for Stewart.
Low point: Infineon, where Stewart got cranky with Brian Vickers' blocking style and punted him, only to end up tail-first atop a tire wall when Vickers exacted revenge. Stewart tried to play garage enforcer, but ended up looking more like a cranky old coot frustrated by all these young punks. Also, when Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya may or may not have been secretly fined by NASCAR, nobody really came out looking very good.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Both Stewart and Newman are in line for the Chase, with Newman and his one win holding the greater edge. Stewart is getting closer to breaking through with his customary warm-weather win, but until he does it's going to be a nerve-wracking time in the 14's pit box. Once they get into the Chase, both are outside shots at best, though with good qualifying they can avoid some of the wrecks that will destroy some of the Chase hopes of others. A championship for Stewart-Haas this year is a remote possibility, but it's still a possibility, which isn't bad for an owner-driver team.
Key recent posts:
Newman, Stewart hammer down for 1-2 start, 1-2 finish
Vickers delivers Stewart some payback
Tony Stewart, Lewis Hamilton switch rides at Watkins Glen
Newman, NASCAR neither deny, admit to secret fines
Drivers: Tony Stewart (owner, driver of the No. 14, currently 9th in the standings), Ryan Newman (driver of the No. 39, currently 8th).
Wins: 1 (Newman, Loudon.)
Overall accolades: 1 win, 1 pole, 8 top-5s, 17 top-10s, 1 DNF.
High point: Loudon, without a doubt. The team qualified 1-2 to start and ended up 1-2 to finish. It was a satisfying end to what had been an extremely frustrating few weeks for Newman and few months for Stewart.
Low point: Infineon, where Stewart got cranky with Brian Vickers' blocking style and punted him, only to end up tail-first atop a tire wall when Vickers exacted revenge. Stewart tried to play garage enforcer, but ended up looking more like a cranky old coot frustrated by all these young punks. Also, when Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya may or may not have been secretly fined by NASCAR, nobody really came out looking very good.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Both Stewart and Newman are in line for the Chase, with Newman and his one win holding the greater edge. Stewart is getting closer to breaking through with his customary warm-weather win, but until he does it's going to be a nerve-wracking time in the 14's pit box. Once they get into the Chase, both are outside shots at best, though with good qualifying they can avoid some of the wrecks that will destroy some of the Chase hopes of others. A championship for Stewart-Haas this year is a remote possibility, but it's still a possibility, which isn't bad for an owner-driver team.
Key recent posts:
Newman, Stewart hammer down for 1-2 start, 1-2 finish
Vickers delivers Stewart some payback
Tony Stewart, Lewis Hamilton switch rides at Watkins Glen
Newman, NASCAR neither deny, admit to secret fines
Kurt Busch to replace Brad Keselowski for Nationwide race at The Glen
Brad Keselowski will skip the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Watkins Glen as he continues to recover from a chipped left ankle suffered when he wrecked Aug. 3 at Road Atlanta.
Keselowski will still compete in the Sprint Cup event at The Glen, but Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch will drive the No. 22 car in the Nationwide event.
Keselowski will still compete in the Sprint Cup event at The Glen, but Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch will drive the No. 22 car in the Nationwide event.
A Bristol sellout? Track officials say they?re close
CHARLOTTE ? Bristol Motor Speedway, which once boasted a streak of 55 consecutive sell-outs for its NASCAR Cup races, may be ready to embark on another run of full stadiums beginning later this month.
?We?re going to be close,? Jerry Caldwell, general manager of BMS, said Wednesday. ?That?s our goal. We?ll see how this last push goes.
?... Either way, it?s going to be very close and a huge crowd.?
?We?re going to be close,? Jerry Caldwell, general manager of BMS, said Wednesday. ?That?s our goal. We?ll see how this last push goes.
?... Either way, it?s going to be very close and a huge crowd.?
NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying At Pocono Raceway
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. With heavy clouds in the area, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series held Coors Light Pole Qualifying at Pocono Raceway for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 race on Sunday. It looked like rain was going to wash out qualifying, but all 46 drivers were able to post [...]
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Kenny Bruce's Top 10: Benefits of your first career win coming on a road course
(Editor?s note: Each week, SceneDaily?s Kenny Bruce takes a look at the lighter side of racing with his popular Top 10 list.)
Top 10 benefits of earning your first career win on a road course:
Top 10 benefits of earning your first career win on a road course:
2010 Michigan International Speedway Nascar Photos
The 2nd and final visit for NASCAR at MIS in 2010.
Travis Pastrana?s Nationwide debut on hold until 2012
The Travis Pastrana era in NASCAR will have to wait until next season.
The X Games star was injured while attempting a trick with his motorcycle the day before his scheduled Nationwide debut at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. He missed the trick, broke his right ankle when the bike landed on top of it�and missed the following day's race at Indianapolis.
However, there was a possibility that Pastrana would make his debut at either Richmond or Dover later in the season. But because of the injuries, he won't make his Nationwide debut until 2012.
"To give my ankle and foot time to heal properly we have decided to wait until 2012 to make my NASCAR debut,'' Pastrana said in a release. "I probably could have been ready for the final couple of races in 2011, but it just makes more sense to start fresh in 2012. We are already starting to talk about testing and what I need to do to prepare for next season."
Pastrana joined forces with Michael Waltrip to form Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in the Nationwide Series. Pastrana was scheduled to run seven Nationwide races in 2011 ? a mix of short and intermediate tracks ? and 20 races in 2012. No word on how the 2011 setback will affect his 2012 plans.
The X Games star was injured while attempting a trick with his motorcycle the day before his scheduled Nationwide debut at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. He missed the trick, broke his right ankle when the bike landed on top of it�and missed the following day's race at Indianapolis.
However, there was a possibility that Pastrana would make his debut at either Richmond or Dover later in the season. But because of the injuries, he won't make his Nationwide debut until 2012.
"To give my ankle and foot time to heal properly we have decided to wait until 2012 to make my NASCAR debut,'' Pastrana said in a release. "I probably could have been ready for the final couple of races in 2011, but it just makes more sense to start fresh in 2012. We are already starting to talk about testing and what I need to do to prepare for next season."
Pastrana joined forces with Michael Waltrip to form Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in the Nationwide Series. Pastrana was scheduled to run seven Nationwide races in 2011 ? a mix of short and intermediate tracks ? and 20 races in 2012. No word on how the 2011 setback will affect his 2012 plans.
Pastrana postpones NASCAR debut
Travis Pastrana will not make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut until the 2012 season due to injuries suffered during the 17th annual X Games last week, the driver announced on Saturday. The 11-time X Games gold medalist broke his right ankle and foot while attempting a Rodeo 720 with a back flip during the Best Trick competition in Los Angeles, forcing him to miss his scheduled Nationwide debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis last Saturday. The injuries required surgery, which were completed by Dr. Tom Dennis at Riva Road Surgical Center in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday evening. Dr. Dennis said the operation was a success and Pastrana should make a full recovery. Pastrana most follow a strict healing process which will require him to be immobilized in traction for at least one month and unable to apply weight on his right leg for another month. ?To give my ankle and foot time to heal properly we have decided to wait until 2012 to make my NASCAR debut,? Pastrana said. ?I probably could have been ready for the final couple of races in 2011, but it just makes more sense to start fresh in 2012. "We are already starting to talk about testing and what I need to do to prepare for next season. My sincere apologies go out to my NASCAR team, fans and sponsors for this delay. Thanks for all of the support. This will be a fun ride ? eventually.?
Kevin Harvick tosses out the first pitch at Yankees game
On Wednesday night, Kevin Harvick took to the mound for his beloved New York Yankees ... for one pitch, at least. Harvick threw out the first pitch at the Yankees-Angels game, and as you can see there at right, his form is ... well, it's not terrible.
Harvick's handler "Mother Function" tweeted that the pitch was 54 mph and just a bit outside, which is a reasonable hurl for a dude who's not really an athlete. (Joke, people. Joke.) Harvick and crew then took in the rest of the ballgame, which ended in a 9-3 Yankees victory. What, the Angels couldn't play ball and leave it at 2-9? The nerve.
Harvick is headed to Bristol (the Connecticut one, not Thunder Valley) to film a SportsCenter commercial for ESPN, which ought to be good. We'll run it when we see it.
Harvick's handler "Mother Function" tweeted that the pitch was 54 mph and just a bit outside, which is a reasonable hurl for a dude who's not really an athlete. (Joke, people. Joke.) Harvick and crew then took in the rest of the ballgame, which ended in a 9-3 Yankees victory. What, the Angels couldn't play ball and leave it at 2-9? The nerve.
Harvick is headed to Bristol (the Connecticut one, not Thunder Valley) to film a SportsCenter commercial for ESPN, which ought to be good. We'll run it when we see it.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Ambrose claims first Cup win at Watkins Glen
Australian Marcos Ambrose claimed his first career Sprint Cup series win with a commanding drive at a rain-delayed event at Watkins Glen.
Marcos Ambrose, Kurt Busch lead final Cup practice at Watkins Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. ? Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne paced the final Sprint Cup practice at Watkins Glen International.
BOBBY THERRIEN FIRST TO ENTER 2011 BOND/WIX TIGER TOUR
Waterbury, VT ? American Canadian Tour (ACT) Tiger-Sportsman driver Bobby Therrien from Hinesburg, VT was the first to file a full entry for the 2011 BOND/WIX Tiger Tour.
The 2011 tour has been expanded to five 100-lap events. The Sportsman division has been in existence at home track Thunder Road in Barre, VT since 1964. For many northeast fans, the division is considered the most competitive weekly division in the Northeast. Most of the past and many of today?s stars of the American Canadian US Tour have been graduates of the Sportsman division.
The 2011 tour has been expanded to five 100-lap events. The Sportsman division has been in existence at home track Thunder Road in Barre, VT since 1964. For many northeast fans, the division is considered the most competitive weekly division in the Northeast. Most of the past and many of today?s stars of the American Canadian US Tour have been graduates of the Sportsman division.
Power slams IndyCar officials
Will Power delivered a scathing verdict on the IndyCar officials and their decision to restart the race in wet conditions eight laps from the end.
NHRA US MAC Tools Nationals ? O?Reilly Raceway Park
Wanted to throw these videos up real quick of John Force, and Ashley Force running qualifying night at ORP.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Johnson, Busch feud drags on
The feud between Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch that began at last Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono has continued on to this weekend's round at Watkins Glen.
A Bristol sellout? Track officials say they?re close
CHARLOTTE ? Bristol Motor Speedway, which once boasted a streak of 55 consecutive sell-outs for its NASCAR Cup races, may be ready to embark on another run of full stadiums beginning later this month.
?We?re going to be close,? Jerry Caldwell, general manager of BMS, said Wednesday. ?That?s our goal. We?ll see how this last push goes.
?... Either way, it?s going to be very close and a huge crowd.?
?We?re going to be close,? Jerry Caldwell, general manager of BMS, said Wednesday. ?That?s our goal. We?ll see how this last push goes.
?... Either way, it?s going to be very close and a huge crowd.?
Pocono races shortened to 400 miles
Next year's two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Pocono Raceway will be shortened to 400 miles.
Brad Keselowski strikes late to score Nationwide win at LOR
CLERMONT, Ind. ? A decidedly clean race Saturday night turned wild in time for Brad Keselowski to grab the lead and later the checkered flag in what is possibly the last hurrah for the Nationwide Series' original short tracks.
Keselowski restarted on the outside of the front row on a Lap 199 restart after leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. chose the opposite, powered by and held on to win the Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. The .686-mile bullring is losing its 30-year-old date on the Nationwide Series schedule next year.
"I've never missed a race here as a fan, as a kid, as a mechanic or as a driver," Keselowski said, before noting he had some family and friends from Michigan in the stands. "It's a privilege to win around people you grew up with and you know."
Stenhouse dominated most of the way Saturday night, leading 189 of the 204 total laps. He looked like he'd drive off in to the proverbial Indiana sunset, as laps were clicking off fast enough for the race to finish before the sun was completely down. Then, Michael Annett and Tim Andrews tangled in Turn 3.
As the wrecked cars sat against the turn three wall, Annett's Rusty Wallace Inc. Steve Wallace teammate lost control at full speed and slid passenger door-first into Annett's front-end, demolishing both cars. The impact spewed debris and fluid across the Turn 3 pavement and forced a 12-minute red flag.
After the restart, Stenhouse was chased by teammate Trevor Bayne before Bayne's engine expired and dropped fluid to bring out a caution. Under the same yellow, as NASCAR gathered the cars the double-file restart, the new second-place driver of Justin Allgaier watched helplessly as his front end caught fire. Allgaier pulled off and hurried out, giving Keselowski ? in fourth ? an advantage over third-place Elliott Sadler.
NASCAR rules call for the individual lines to move forward once the field is bunched forward if a car pulls off to avoid using more laps under caution to re-sort the field.
Keselowski used the advantage to complete the pass of Stenhouse during the first lap back green, and then held on again for a green-white-checkered after the two Kevin Harvick Inc. machines crashed on Lap 199.
Keselowski restarted on the outside of the front row on a Lap 199 restart after leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. chose the opposite, powered by and held on to win the Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. The .686-mile bullring is losing its 30-year-old date on the Nationwide Series schedule next year.
"I've never missed a race here as a fan, as a kid, as a mechanic or as a driver," Keselowski said, before noting he had some family and friends from Michigan in the stands. "It's a privilege to win around people you grew up with and you know."
Stenhouse dominated most of the way Saturday night, leading 189 of the 204 total laps. He looked like he'd drive off in to the proverbial Indiana sunset, as laps were clicking off fast enough for the race to finish before the sun was completely down. Then, Michael Annett and Tim Andrews tangled in Turn 3.
As the wrecked cars sat against the turn three wall, Annett's Rusty Wallace Inc. Steve Wallace teammate lost control at full speed and slid passenger door-first into Annett's front-end, demolishing both cars. The impact spewed debris and fluid across the Turn 3 pavement and forced a 12-minute red flag.
After the restart, Stenhouse was chased by teammate Trevor Bayne before Bayne's engine expired and dropped fluid to bring out a caution. Under the same yellow, as NASCAR gathered the cars the double-file restart, the new second-place driver of Justin Allgaier watched helplessly as his front end caught fire. Allgaier pulled off and hurried out, giving Keselowski ? in fourth ? an advantage over third-place Elliott Sadler.
NASCAR rules call for the individual lines to move forward once the field is bunched forward if a car pulls off to avoid using more laps under caution to re-sort the field.
Keselowski used the advantage to complete the pass of Stenhouse during the first lap back green, and then held on again for a green-white-checkered after the two Kevin Harvick Inc. machines crashed on Lap 199.
Hobbled Brad Keselowski top-five material in Cup practice at The Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. ? Brad Keselowski certainly didn?t drive like a guy with a broken left ankle Friday at Watkins Glen International.
Johnson, Montoya still in dispute over New Hampshire contact
SPEEDWAY, Ind. ? Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmie Johnson aren't teammates, but they apparently share some sort of close relationship ?�a relationship close enough for Montoya to apologize to Johnson while the five-time defending champ�is showering.
That's apparently what happened earlier this season at Darlington after the pair had contact on track that sent Johnson spinning early in the race.
"At Darlington [after] he spun me out there, I'm in my motorhome showering," Johnson said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "He walked into my bus, into my shower, to apologize. Then, he told me I'm naked. Of course I am, I'm in the shower!"
Funny stories aside, Johnson reiterated his post-race comments from New Hampshire two weeks ago. In short, Johnson has had enough of Montoya's contact and apologies.
"Juan and I have a friendship, we get along great," Johnson said. "After three times of me getting turned around, hearing apologies, I'm tired of hearing apologies. I don't want the contact, I don't want to be raced that way."
Johnson said Montoya has yet to talk to him about the New Hampshire incident, but that he expects they'll talk this weekend at Indianapolis. Montoya, for his part, traveled to his native Colombia during the Sprint Cup off-week and returned Tuesday.
The former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver also met with the media Friday at Indianapolis, but wasn't in lockstep agreement that Johnson deserved an apology. Montoya did say he apologized to Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus.
"If you really look at it, he had plenty of the race track at the bottom, so do I have apologize after the race? No," Montoya said. "I think the other time that I hit him, he actually ran into the wall and I decided not to hit the wall and hit him, so it all depends on how you see it."
Why then did Montoya apologize?
"Because you don't want to have problems with people here that you don't need to," Montoya said. "It's to avoid future confrontations. It's being smart."
Regardless of how Montoya saw it, Johnson has seen enough.
"I've certainly had my share," Johnson said. "It certainly can't happen again."
That's apparently what happened earlier this season at Darlington after the pair had contact on track that sent Johnson spinning early in the race.
"At Darlington [after] he spun me out there, I'm in my motorhome showering," Johnson said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "He walked into my bus, into my shower, to apologize. Then, he told me I'm naked. Of course I am, I'm in the shower!"
Funny stories aside, Johnson reiterated his post-race comments from New Hampshire two weeks ago. In short, Johnson has had enough of Montoya's contact and apologies.
"Juan and I have a friendship, we get along great," Johnson said. "After three times of me getting turned around, hearing apologies, I'm tired of hearing apologies. I don't want the contact, I don't want to be raced that way."
Johnson said Montoya has yet to talk to him about the New Hampshire incident, but that he expects they'll talk this weekend at Indianapolis. Montoya, for his part, traveled to his native Colombia during the Sprint Cup off-week and returned Tuesday.
The former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver also met with the media Friday at Indianapolis, but wasn't in lockstep agreement that Johnson deserved an apology. Montoya did say he apologized to Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus.
"If you really look at it, he had plenty of the race track at the bottom, so do I have apologize after the race? No," Montoya said. "I think the other time that I hit him, he actually ran into the wall and I decided not to hit the wall and hit him, so it all depends on how you see it."
Why then did Montoya apologize?
"Because you don't want to have problems with people here that you don't need to," Montoya said. "It's to avoid future confrontations. It's being smart."
Regardless of how Montoya saw it, Johnson has seen enough.
"I've certainly had my share," Johnson said. "It certainly can't happen again."
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Can You Name The Racer By His Helmet?
OK, sports fans, here?s a challenge for you. Without going to the internet, how many of the helmets below can you associate with the racers who wore them? I?m going to make it particularly hard by mixing up the racing series; some are from F1, some are from IndyCar (and its predecessor, Champ Car), and [...]
Behold the most expensive dents in human history
Ever been driving next to a luxury automobile and thought, "Hey, if I turn the wheel just slightly, I can wreck my whole financial future!"? No? Well, imagine it, and now imagine the same thing with five luxury automobiles.
Dig this: In Monaco, a driver, whom the Daily Mail helpfully identifies as "a woman driver" and a "hapless blonde," recently caused what must be the most expensive fender-bender in the history of mankind. Here's how it happened:
At the Place du Casino roundabout, the driver of the Bentley Azure scraped the side of the Mercedes and then ran head-on into the Ferrari F430. The Aston Martin and the Porsche 911 also got involved, presumably trying to avoid the wreck.
Naturally, tourists swarmed the wreck, and with both doors pinned shut, the driver who started it all could do nothing but pose.
The Daily Mail estimated that the damage will run more than $65,000, since all of the cars will require some repair and replacement. Total value of all the cars together? More than $1.1 million. Somebody's deductible's going to go up pretty soon.
Dig this: In Monaco, a driver, whom the Daily Mail helpfully identifies as "a woman driver" and a "hapless blonde," recently caused what must be the most expensive fender-bender in the history of mankind. Here's how it happened:
At the Place du Casino roundabout, the driver of the Bentley Azure scraped the side of the Mercedes and then ran head-on into the Ferrari F430. The Aston Martin and the Porsche 911 also got involved, presumably trying to avoid the wreck.
Naturally, tourists swarmed the wreck, and with both doors pinned shut, the driver who started it all could do nothing but pose.
The Daily Mail estimated that the damage will run more than $65,000, since all of the cars will require some repair and replacement. Total value of all the cars together? More than $1.1 million. Somebody's deductible's going to go up pretty soon.
Watch out, UT! Austin F1 race to be held in November 2012
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said that the F1 race at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, TX will be held in November 2012 instead of the initially planned June race date.
From GrandPrix.com:
The original plan was to run the race back-to-back with the Canadian GP in mid season, but Ecclestone said that memories of the Dallas race in 1984, when temperatures over 100 degrees caused the track surface to break up, show that a late season race, likely twinned with Brazil, is more workable.
Logistically and weather seasonally, it makes sense. But what also happens in the fall and is pretty monstrous in the state of Texas?
Oh yeah, college football.
Yes, college games are on Saturdays and the fall Cup race has done well in Fort Worth on NFL Sundays in November. But this is Austin, home of perhaps the most powerful university in the country. This race can't be held on a University of Texas home football weekend.
And besides, even if Texas is on the road, how many people from the area could F1 reasonably expect to get? If you're a die-hard Texas football fan, would you rather watch a crucial game in Stillwater or Lubbock or go to F1 qualifying and sit to through the rumored potential eight hour traffic delays?
As I've said before, I refuse to believe this race is happening until it actually happens, construction and planning notwithstanding. And now, I'm even more intrigued at the idea that Ecclestone and F1 really think that competing with the behemoth that is Big XII (or Pac-16, or SEC, or whatever the college football landscape looks like next year) football is a good idea.
From GrandPrix.com:
The original plan was to run the race back-to-back with the Canadian GP in mid season, but Ecclestone said that memories of the Dallas race in 1984, when temperatures over 100 degrees caused the track surface to break up, show that a late season race, likely twinned with Brazil, is more workable.
Logistically and weather seasonally, it makes sense. But what also happens in the fall and is pretty monstrous in the state of Texas?
Oh yeah, college football.
Yes, college games are on Saturdays and the fall Cup race has done well in Fort Worth on NFL Sundays in November. But this is Austin, home of perhaps the most powerful university in the country. This race can't be held on a University of Texas home football weekend.
And besides, even if Texas is on the road, how many people from the area could F1 reasonably expect to get? If you're a die-hard Texas football fan, would you rather watch a crucial game in Stillwater or Lubbock or go to F1 qualifying and sit to through the rumored potential eight hour traffic delays?
As I've said before, I refuse to believe this race is happening until it actually happens, construction and planning notwithstanding. And now, I'm even more intrigued at the idea that Ecclestone and F1 really think that competing with the behemoth that is Big XII (or Pac-16, or SEC, or whatever the college football landscape looks like next year) football is a good idea.
James Bond's 50th Anniversary: Largest Exhibition Of Bond Movie Cars Ever
Next year, starting in January, the U.K.'s National Motor Museum will host the largest exhibition of James Bond movie cars ever assembled. Some of the highlights include the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldeneye, the 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III from Goldfinger, and the weaponized 2002 Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day. Whether you're a fan of the...
Are drugs a problem on NASCAR?s crews? ? Baltimore Sun
Are drugs a problem on NASCAR‘s crews? – Baltimore Sun
USA Today
Are drugs a problem on NASCAR's crews?Baltimore SunNASCAR is particularly sensitive to "drug problems" because of the family-friendly image it cultivates and the potential for injury in a sport built on speed. Team employees are subject to random drug tests at least once a year. …NASCAR: Crew members suspended by series, EGR fires themMotorsport.com
2 NASCAR pit crew members facing drug chargesWBTVEarnhardt Ganassi fires 2 arrested for drug traffickingUSA TodayAutoWeek -al.com -FOXSports.comall 112 news articles »
USA Today
Are drugs a problem on NASCAR's crews?Baltimore SunNASCAR is particularly sensitive to "drug problems" because of the family-friendly image it cultivates and the potential for injury in a sport built on speed. Team employees are subject to random drug tests at least once a year. …NASCAR: Crew members suspended by series, EGR fires themMotorsport.com
2 NASCAR pit crew members facing drug chargesWBTVEarnhardt Ganassi fires 2 arrested for drug traffickingUSA TodayAutoWeek -al.com -FOXSports.comall 112 news articles »
Friday, August 12, 2011
Scott Speed returns to Sprint Cup this weekend at Indy
Scott Speed is returning to NASCAR's Sprint Cup series starting this weekend at Indianapolis.
Max Q Motorsports announced on Monday that they've signed the mercurial Speed to run the No. 37 Ford Fusion this weekend. Speed hasn't yet run in the 2011 season after being released by Red Bull at the end of last year. In his 76 Sprint Cup-level races, Speed achieved one top-5 and three top-10s. He also had one win in the truck series.
Speed will be running at Indy, Pocono and Watkins Glen, and hopes to run the rest of the season if sponsorship is available, so start saving those pennies now, Speed fans.
One caveat: the No. 37 currently sits at 39th in owners' points, so Speed will need to qualify on, yep, speed at Indy. Previously this season, the 37 has been driven by Tony Raines in 11 races and Robert Richardson Jr. and Chris Cook for one race apiece.
Speed, of course, is still involved in a lawsuit with Red Bull; most recently he received a lien against Red Bull upon news of its potential sale.
Max Q Motorsports announced on Monday that they've signed the mercurial Speed to run the No. 37 Ford Fusion this weekend. Speed hasn't yet run in the 2011 season after being released by Red Bull at the end of last year. In his 76 Sprint Cup-level races, Speed achieved one top-5 and three top-10s. He also had one win in the truck series.
Speed will be running at Indy, Pocono and Watkins Glen, and hopes to run the rest of the season if sponsorship is available, so start saving those pennies now, Speed fans.
One caveat: the No. 37 currently sits at 39th in owners' points, so Speed will need to qualify on, yep, speed at Indy. Previously this season, the 37 has been driven by Tony Raines in 11 races and Robert Richardson Jr. and Chris Cook for one race apiece.
Speed, of course, is still involved in a lawsuit with Red Bull; most recently he received a lien against Red Bull upon news of its potential sale.
First-time winners: Who'll win again, most in the future?
With Paul Menard winning the Brickyard 400, it marked the fourth time this year that there was a first-time winner, something not seen in the Cup Series since 2007.
Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan and Menard all have won for the first time in 2011. They might not want to look back and see what happened to the first-time winners of 2007.
Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan and Menard all have won for the first time in 2011. They might not want to look back and see what happened to the first-time winners of 2007.
Pocono races shortened to 400 miles
Next year's two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Pocono Raceway will be shortened to 400 miles.
Dixon leads 1-2 sweep for Ganassi at Mid-Ohio
Scott Dixon picked up his first IZOD IndyCar Series win of the season, while his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Dario Franchitti, widened his points lead with a second-place finish in Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
State of the Teams ?11: Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing
As we draw within sight of the Chase, let's take a look back at how the season has gone so far for NASCAR's top teams. We continue with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, a team that's taken a step back after some promising strides in recent years.
Drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya (currently 20th in the standings), Jamie McMurray (currently 28th)
Wins: Zero.
Overall accolades: Three poles, zero wins, three top-5s, nine top-10s, three DNFs.
High point: It's a pretty sad commentary on your season when the high point is one of your drivers hammering open-wheel fans. But both Montoya and McMurray have struggled all season long. Montoya has had fits and starts of quality, while McMurray has never seemed to get anywhere fast.
Low point: Name it. Neither driver has done much to distinguish himself on-track this year; Montoya is best known for getting into dustups with Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman, while McMurray has been all but invisible. Sooner this year's over, the better for EGR.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Montoya's slim Chase hopes were pretty much snuffed out at Indy; he'll need two wins to even have a hope of making it in. McMurray, meanwhile, has been out of contention for months.
Recent notable posts:
Montoya v. Newman: This ain't over yet
Jamie McMurray's 2011 has been nothing like his 2010
Drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya (currently 20th in the standings), Jamie McMurray (currently 28th)
Wins: Zero.
Overall accolades: Three poles, zero wins, three top-5s, nine top-10s, three DNFs.
High point: It's a pretty sad commentary on your season when the high point is one of your drivers hammering open-wheel fans. But both Montoya and McMurray have struggled all season long. Montoya has had fits and starts of quality, while McMurray has never seemed to get anywhere fast.
Low point: Name it. Neither driver has done much to distinguish himself on-track this year; Montoya is best known for getting into dustups with Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman, while McMurray has been all but invisible. Sooner this year's over, the better for EGR.
Outlook for the Chase and beyond: Montoya's slim Chase hopes were pretty much snuffed out at Indy; he'll need two wins to even have a hope of making it in. McMurray, meanwhile, has been out of contention for months.
Recent notable posts:
Montoya v. Newman: This ain't over yet
Jamie McMurray's 2011 has been nothing like his 2010
NASCAR Race Review: Brickyard 400
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. Each year the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series goes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They started going to this famous track in 1994 and Jeff Gordon won that inaugural race. The open wheel cars race here for the Indy 500 on Memorial Day weekend. To celebrate the win, [...]
Closing out the top stories of the Pocono II/Iowa weekend
It was one of those split-venue weekends, encompassing both Pocono and Iowa, and as always, there were storylines aplenty. From last-lap wrecks to surprising winners, let's put a bow on the weekend, shall we?
Next up we've got Watkins Glen, where you never quite know what'll happen when we get outside the comfort of the oval.
Next up we've got Watkins Glen, where you never quite know what'll happen when we get outside the comfort of the oval.
Ryan Truex lands Nationwide ride
Ryan Truex will have an opportunity to return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season, as he will drive six races in Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Toyota beginning with the Sept. 3 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Observer has learned. Truex, the 19-year-old younger brother of Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., competed in 10 races this season with Michael Waltrip Racing until a lack of sponsorship sidelined him. In addition to Atlanta, Ryan Truex will also drive the No. 20 for JGR in Nationwide races at Richmond, Va.; Chicagoland; Dover, Del.; Kansas and Phoenix. In 17 career Nationwide starts, Truex has one top-10 finish, an eighth at Richmond earlier this season. He won the 2009 and 2010 K&N Pro Series East championships driving for MWR.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
NASCAR: Johnson, Kurt Busch have words after race ? Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
NASCAR: Johnson, Kurt Busch have words after race – Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Los Angeles Times
NASCAR: Johnson, Kurt Busch have words after raceWaterloo Cedar Falls CourierCORRECTS THAT PERSON AT RIGHT IS A MEMBER OF KURT BUSCH'S TEAM, RATHER THAN BUSCH – Jimmie Johnson, left, talks to Kurt Busch, not seen, as a member of Busch's team, in red and white hat, listens on pit road after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race …NASCAR Chase Wild Card Rule Has Injected New Life Into Summer StretchSB Nation
RFR's Brad Keselowski NASCAR Cup Pocono II Race ReportMotorsport.comKeselowski drew inspiration from fallen troopsUSA TodaySPEEDtv.com -Pocono Record -The Seattle Timesall 807 news articles »
Los Angeles Times
NASCAR: Johnson, Kurt Busch have words after raceWaterloo Cedar Falls CourierCORRECTS THAT PERSON AT RIGHT IS A MEMBER OF KURT BUSCH'S TEAM, RATHER THAN BUSCH – Jimmie Johnson, left, talks to Kurt Busch, not seen, as a member of Busch's team, in red and white hat, listens on pit road after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race …NASCAR Chase Wild Card Rule Has Injected New Life Into Summer StretchSB Nation
RFR's Brad Keselowski NASCAR Cup Pocono II Race ReportMotorsport.comKeselowski drew inspiration from fallen troopsUSA TodaySPEEDtv.com -Pocono Record -The Seattle Timesall 807 news articles »
Scott Speed obtains lien on Red Bull property in North Carolina
Former Red Bull Racing driver Scott Speed has obtained an order of attachment against his former employer, placing a lien on the organization?s real property in North Carolina until Speed?s lawsuit against the team is resolved. The order was served Tuesday of this week and such orders can be issued only in very limited circumstances in North Carolina. The order covers the Red Bull shop itself in Mooresville, N.C., and the property on which it sits, which was purchased for approximately $3.3 million. After he was fired as one of the team?s drivers in the Sprint Cup Series, Speed sued Red Bull in December for breach of contract and sought damages of at least $6.5 million. In March, a N.C. judge denied Red Bull?s request to dismiss the suit. A discovery motion in Speed?s case is scheduled to be heard 10 a.m. on July 11 in Iredell County Superior Court in Statesville, N.C. William Bray, Speed?s attorney in the case, said his client sought the order because of Red Bull?s recent announcement that it was looking to end its ownership role in NASCAR at the end of the 2011 season. ?It certainly appears to us looking at the many options Red Bull has discussed that one of them may well entail the sale of its assets,? Bray said. "We?re simply trying to ensure Scott is able to collect should his lawsuit prevail.? Red Bull can attempt to contest the order, but as of Friday had not done so. Through a spokesperson, the team said it would not comment on any pending litigation. Speed spent seven years with the Red Bull organization, driving for the team in Formula One in 2006 and 2007 and in the Automobile Racing Club of America and NASCAR Trucks series in 2008 as he prepared for a full-time move to the Cup series. Speed finished 35th in the Cup standings in 2009 and 30th last season. In 76 series starts, he had one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
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.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)