Ryan Newman's gas man Andy Rueger confronted Kurt Busch and his team on pit road after Saturday night's Southern 500. The incident came after members of Newman's team were angry with Busch's actions following a wreck that involved both Busch and Newman with six laps to go in the race.
Busch initially brought out the caution when he spun as a tire was going down, and Newman, who was immediately behind Busch, got turned off the bumper of Aric Almirola as he slowed down to avoid Busch's spinning car.
The teams were pitted next to each other and after limping around to pit road and getting new tires put on the car, Busch did a burnout through Newman's pit box as members from Newman's crew were nearby.
From SB Nation:
The crewmen were infuriated by Busch coming so close to them with his burnout, and several began yelling at Busch's crew to convey their outrage.
"When you come ripping through somebody's pit box like that, he could have took out five or six guys plus the officials pretty easy," Newman's crew chief Tony Gibson said. "I don't know how somebody didn't get run over, to be honest with you. It was a miracle nobody got hit."
It didn't end there. After the race, Busch made contact with Newman's car on pit road. According to Newman, Busch said it was an accident. Newman wasn't buying it and got in a dig at Busch's temper.
From Dustin Long:
"I'm not sure what happened," Newman said. "It's easy to see and it's easy to say that Kurt blew a fuse again. I'm not sure why he did it and tried to run over our guys and NASCAR officials. And nobody is. I think the chemical imbalance speaks for itself. Kurt drilled me in pit lane and said that he was taking his helmet off and he didn't see where he was going, which I'm pretty sure there were 42 other guys that are taking their helmets off and doing whatever for the last 10 years and that's the first time that's happened to me. Circumstances I think are that he lied and was so frustrated that he doesn't know how to deal with his anger."
Temper issues led to Busch parting ways with Penske Racing at the end of 2011, after he had a verbal outburst at an ESPN reporter, ripped another reporter's transcript in half and had several outbursts over the team radio throughout the season. Busch, who is driving for team owner James Finch on a handshake deal this season, was not happy at all over the radio in the final laps of this race.
NASCAR is looking into the incidents. A NASCAR official appeared to take a tumble over the hood of Busch's car, but NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said that the sanctioning body didn't feel that there was anything aggressive towards the official.
"We're looking at film, we're still getting all the facts straight," Pemberton said after the race. "We haven't talked to Kurt, we talked to Ryan a little bit. He talked to Kurt afterwards and he told him he didn't mean to hit him, he was taking his helmet off and looked up and he'd run into the back of him. So right now that's really all the facts that we have."
We'll keep you posted about any penalties or further developments.
Last year at Darlington, it was Kyle Busch who was involved in a post-race fracas on pit road when he was confronted by Kevin Harvick. And before last year's Darlington race, Newman was involved in an incident in the NASCAR hauler with Juan Pablo Montoya, where NASCAR officials said that the meeting didn't go as well as they had hoped.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Fast Friday In Richmond
Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series are in Richmond, VA. at Richmond International Raceway. Fast Friday saw practice for the Capital City 400 presented by Virginia is for Lovers Sprint Cup race to be raced on Saturday night. As well as practice for [...]
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Join us for the latest Yahoo! NASCAR live chat, Tuesday at 1pm ET
Time again for our weekly chat. If only there was something to talk about! Join us on Tuesday as we discuss the All-Star Race, the upcoming Coca-Cola 600, and oh so much more. See you here!
Yahoo! Sports NASCAR Live Chat, 5/22/12
Yahoo! Sports NASCAR Live Chat, 5/22/12
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Lamborghini wreck: Oh yeah, you could totally handle a high-powered car
You know your idiot friends who bust on NASCAR by saying that it's "just driving"? Yeah, show 'em this video from the Chicago suburbs of a Lamborghini driver who's a little out of his (her? nah, gotta be a he) league. Enjoy.
[Via The Big Lead]
[Via The Big Lead]
Monday, May 28, 2012
Create-a-caption: Danica, I think I see your problem
Here's what's left of Danica Patrick's car after Sunday's Nationwide race. Create your best caption right here. (And no hack "women drivers" lines. You're better than that.)
After the jump, we observe Jimmie Johnson's unconventional pit road strategy.
Furiousd:
Jimbot: "Pit entrance processing error404. Pit entrance processing error404. Pit entrance processing error404"
Kevin H.:
"Just gettin' her ready for inspection, boys. Be there in a bit!"
Kingsharky:
Hey Jimmie, we'd love to get down and shake your hand, but Kurt Busch is still loose. It's just not safe yet, man.
Kingsharky
After the jump, we observe Jimmie Johnson's unconventional pit road strategy.
Furiousd:
Jimbot: "Pit entrance processing error404. Pit entrance processing error404. Pit entrance processing error404"
Kevin H.:
"Just gettin' her ready for inspection, boys. Be there in a bit!"
Kingsharky:
Hey Jimmie, we'd love to get down and shake your hand, but Kurt Busch is still loose. It's just not safe yet, man.
Kingsharky
Jeremy Mayfield ordered to pay $1 million for dogs? attack
The problems keep piling up for former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield. A Forsyth County (N.C.) Superior Court judge has ordered Mayfield to pay $1 million to a postal carrier who was attacked in 2011 by Mayfield's five dogs.
The carrier, Mary E. Bolton, charged Mayfield with negligence in permitting their dogs, pit bull/Labrador mixes, to roam freely on his property. According to court accounts, Bolton was delivering the mail on April 21, 2011, and had a package too large to fit into the mailbox. She drove onto the property (which had "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dog" signs visible) but was attacked by the dogs.
Mayfield, who was home at the time, chased off the dogs, carried Bolton into his house, and called 911. Bolton was transported to a nearby hospital, and after several� months off work, now suffers from nerve damage and post-traumatic stress disorder. Animal control authorities confiscated and later euthanized the dogs.
[Jay Busbee: Danica Patrick deserved punishment for wrecking Sam Hornish Jr.]
Bolton indicated that she lost an estimated $14,000 in income because of the injuries. Mayfield has said he offered to pay for her medical costs, but did not show up in court or file an answer to Bolton's charges. While Mayfield expressed regret over the incident, he also noted the reality of the situation, that his house is nearly a mile from the street and that he moved to the country expressly to allow his dogs to run free on his own property.
"I'm far enough off the road to not get messed with," he said. "My dogs never left that property, yet I've got a $1 million judgment against me."
In this instance, Mayfield was not charged with a crime. But it is one more in a series of tragic and traumatic events piling up against Mayfield. His home was auctioned off because he owed roughly $3 million on the property. Mayfield also still faces charges of drug possession, larceny and possession of stolen goods. He has also been involved in lawsuits with his stepmother, whom he accused of (but later recanted) being involved in the death of his father.
He has not raced in NASCAR since 2009, when he was suspended for testing positive for methamphetamines. At the time, he protested his innocence, but Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon expressed concern about sharing a track with him.
Mayfield did not file a response to Bolton's charges because he says he cannot afford attorneys on this matter as well as his criminal ones.
"If I had $1 million to give away," he said, "I wouldn't be in this situation."
-For more, follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook.
Postal worker wins $1 million from former NASCAR driver [Winston-Salem Journal]
More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Y! Autos: Ferrari owners' personalities can change when they get behind the wheel
? Tim Brown: Giants' Tim Lincecum still struggling to find his old form
? Pizza and beer with te Lakers' Metta World Peace for Game 5
? Calvin Johnson's Madden NFL 13 cover is out; watch out for the curse
The carrier, Mary E. Bolton, charged Mayfield with negligence in permitting their dogs, pit bull/Labrador mixes, to roam freely on his property. According to court accounts, Bolton was delivering the mail on April 21, 2011, and had a package too large to fit into the mailbox. She drove onto the property (which had "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dog" signs visible) but was attacked by the dogs.
Mayfield, who was home at the time, chased off the dogs, carried Bolton into his house, and called 911. Bolton was transported to a nearby hospital, and after several� months off work, now suffers from nerve damage and post-traumatic stress disorder. Animal control authorities confiscated and later euthanized the dogs.
[Jay Busbee: Danica Patrick deserved punishment for wrecking Sam Hornish Jr.]
Bolton indicated that she lost an estimated $14,000 in income because of the injuries. Mayfield has said he offered to pay for her medical costs, but did not show up in court or file an answer to Bolton's charges. While Mayfield expressed regret over the incident, he also noted the reality of the situation, that his house is nearly a mile from the street and that he moved to the country expressly to allow his dogs to run free on his own property.
"I'm far enough off the road to not get messed with," he said. "My dogs never left that property, yet I've got a $1 million judgment against me."
In this instance, Mayfield was not charged with a crime. But it is one more in a series of tragic and traumatic events piling up against Mayfield. His home was auctioned off because he owed roughly $3 million on the property. Mayfield also still faces charges of drug possession, larceny and possession of stolen goods. He has also been involved in lawsuits with his stepmother, whom he accused of (but later recanted) being involved in the death of his father.
He has not raced in NASCAR since 2009, when he was suspended for testing positive for methamphetamines. At the time, he protested his innocence, but Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon expressed concern about sharing a track with him.
Mayfield did not file a response to Bolton's charges because he says he cannot afford attorneys on this matter as well as his criminal ones.
"If I had $1 million to give away," he said, "I wouldn't be in this situation."
-For more, follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook.
Postal worker wins $1 million from former NASCAR driver [Winston-Salem Journal]
More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Y! Autos: Ferrari owners' personalities can change when they get behind the wheel
? Tim Brown: Giants' Tim Lincecum still struggling to find his old form
? Pizza and beer with te Lakers' Metta World Peace for Game 5
? Calvin Johnson's Madden NFL 13 cover is out; watch out for the curse
IndyCar wants race in Fort Lauderdale
The IndyCar league wants to turn A1A and Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale into a street course.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Sarcastic Tony Stewart at his finest
Tony Stewart took a sarcastic tone to his post-race interview Sunday. Here is what Stewart had to say following Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway: ON TODAY'S RACE "We didn't quite crash half the field which is what we normally look to do here. I was excited about it. I thought it was a pretty good race. I made it further than I thought I would before I got crashed. I call it a successful day." A LOT OF TEAMS WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH FUEL INCLUDING YOURS. WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT? "I wasn't sure to be honest. I'm not quite sure what the fuel issue was. The racing was awesome. It's fun to be able to race and have to watch the gauges at the same time. It makes us as drivers have to do so much more. Being able to make yourself run on the apron and everything else to try to get clean air, it makes it fun. I'm sorry we couldn't crash more cars today. We didn't fill the quota for today for Talladega and NASCAR." JEFF GORDON SAID HE THOUGHT THEY SHOULD OPEN UP THE GRILL OPENING FOR WHEN WE COME BACK HERE AND POSSIBLY DAYTONA IN JULY. DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? "I think they need to close it down. Honestly, I think if we haven't crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we at least crash 50 percent of the cars because it's not fair to these fans for them to not see any more wrecks than that and more torn up cars. We still had over half the cars running at the end and it shouldn't be that way." THE WRECKS WEREN'T CAUSED BY THE OVER HEATING? "No, not at all. I don't think any of the wrecks were an overheating issue. That is why I say I think we ought to just tape them off solid and run them until they blow up anyway. I think it would make it a lot more exciting for the fans." WOULD THIS BE BETTER IF IT WERE A SHORTER RACE? "I don't think it really matters. I think if you made it 20 laps we would all still crash with five to go or eight to go. If we did that we would be able to fill the time that the fans deserve. I mean they deserve to see us run 500 miles. Like I said if we don't crash half of the field by the end of the race they really need to extend it because that is what the fans want they want to see that excitement. I feel bad that as drivers we couldn't do a better job of crashing enough cars for them today." I CAN'T FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE HAPPY OR YOU ARE UPSET WITH YOUR TONE... "I'm upset that we didn't crash more cars. I feel like that is what we are here for. I feel bad if I don't spend at least a 150,000 dollars in torn up race cars going back to the shop. We definitely have to do a better job with that." WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT IMPRESSION THAT IS WHAT THE FANS ARE LOOKING FOR? "Well, I don't know that is what they are looking for, but I feel like that is the show we deserve to give them. That is what has made Talladega, Talladega." DID YOU HAVE FUN OUT THERE? "Absolutely. I had a blast. It would have been a lot more fun if I could have gotten caught up in one more wreck. If I could have done that it would have been perfect." DID YOU HAVE THE ISSUE OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AT ANY POINT? "I didn't wreck because I ran out of fuel, but I ran out of fuel twice." THE RADIO GUYS WERE SAYING THAT MAYBE (GUYS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL) HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE EFI (ELECTRONIC FUEL SYSTEM) HAVE YOU NOTICED A CHANGE IN YOUR FUEL MILEAGE SINCE YOU WENT TO THAT ENGINE PACKAGE? "I mean we have only ran two restrictor plate races so it is hard to say. There were definitely guys that were running out of fuel today ahead of where they thought they would." IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU PREFER THE PACK OVER THE TANDEM DRAFTING? "I think we ought to make it a figure eight. I mean if we could make it a figure eight it would be perfect. It would absolutely be perfect here. It would be better than what we have. That is going to be my vote next week is that we make it a figure eight and/or we can stop at the half way make a break and turn around and go backwards the rest of the way. Then with 10 to go we split the field in half and half go the regular direction and half of them go backwards." To listen to Stewart's whole interview, click here.
We?re getting a bit o? action in the Fireball Cup
Catching up with our year-long Fireball Cup competition, recognizing excellence in the field of NASCAR brawling. Our reigning champion holds onto his throne, but there are challengers starting to line up.
Recall our rules, which can and do change on a whim:
? Verbal/Twitter exchange; slightly aggressive driving leading to issues: 1 point
? Bumping cars in an aggressive, making-a-point fashion: 2 points
? Spin, non-critical: 3 points
? Spin, critical: 4 points
? Out of car, punches thrown: 5 points
Fireball Cup stats, All-Star Race:
? Ryan Newman calling Kurt Busch "chemically imbalanced" (Darlington): 1 point
? Kurt Busch reminding Ryan Newman who pushed him to that Daytona 500 win: 1 point
? Kevin Harvick thumping Paul Menard and unfortunately putting himself into the wall: 2 points
? Menard griping that he gets no respect from Harvick: 1 point
Which gives us current standings of:
1. Kurt Busch, 7 points
T2. Jeff Gordon, 4 points
T2. Ryan Newman, 4 points
T2. Danica Patrick, 4 points
T5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3 points
T5. Kevin Harvick, 3 points
7. Jimmie Johnson, 2 points
T8. Matt Kenseth, 1 point
T8. Joey Logano, 1 point
T8. Paul Menard, 1 point
T8. David Ragan, 1 point
T8. Tony Stewart: 1 point
The All-Star Race wasn't quite the fiesta of brawling we'd hoped for, but there's always the marathon Coca-Cola 600. Cross your fingers!
Your turn. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.
Recall our rules, which can and do change on a whim:
? Verbal/Twitter exchange; slightly aggressive driving leading to issues: 1 point
? Bumping cars in an aggressive, making-a-point fashion: 2 points
? Spin, non-critical: 3 points
? Spin, critical: 4 points
? Out of car, punches thrown: 5 points
Fireball Cup stats, All-Star Race:
? Ryan Newman calling Kurt Busch "chemically imbalanced" (Darlington): 1 point
? Kurt Busch reminding Ryan Newman who pushed him to that Daytona 500 win: 1 point
? Kevin Harvick thumping Paul Menard and unfortunately putting himself into the wall: 2 points
? Menard griping that he gets no respect from Harvick: 1 point
Which gives us current standings of:
1. Kurt Busch, 7 points
T2. Jeff Gordon, 4 points
T2. Ryan Newman, 4 points
T2. Danica Patrick, 4 points
T5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3 points
T5. Kevin Harvick, 3 points
7. Jimmie Johnson, 2 points
T8. Matt Kenseth, 1 point
T8. Joey Logano, 1 point
T8. Paul Menard, 1 point
T8. David Ragan, 1 point
T8. Tony Stewart: 1 point
The All-Star Race wasn't quite the fiesta of brawling we'd hoped for, but there's always the marathon Coca-Cola 600. Cross your fingers!
Your turn. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Joey Logano beats Kyle Busch to line with last-gasp pass to win Talladega Nationwide race
In what could be a harbinger of things to come for Sunday's Cup race, Joey Logano pushed Kyle Busch close to the finish line and then passed him before the stripe, taking Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Talladega.
As the race restarted with two laps to go for the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, the fight for the win quickly came down to tandem drafting, with Logano pushing Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in the Sprint Cup Series, and Ricky Stenhouse pushing Cole Whitt.
Whitt and Stenhouse, however, were unable to make a serious charge on the final lap, and by the time that they got to Logano's back bumper, he had already made the move to pass Busch on the outside as they exited the tri-oval, nipping Busch at the line.
While tandem drafting was pivotal in the outcome, the practice didn't dominate on Saturday, a good sign for those who dislike the tandem draft, as the Nationwide Series cars are capable of tandem drafting for longer periods of time than the Sprint Cup Series cars thanks to their larger radiators and grille openings.
The race wasn't without a significant heart-stopper though, and that moment came during "The Big One," which happened on the backstretch during the race's first green-white-checker finish attempt. Eric McClure was collected in the crash, which started when Michael Annett made contact with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. McClure slid head-on into the SAFER barrier on the inside backstretch wall.
The race was immediately red-flagged and track safety workers had to cut the roof off of McClure's car to extricate him. (The process took approximately 10 tense minutes.) McClure, who NASCAR said was talking with safety workers during the extrication process, was removed from the car and taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital, where according to NASCAR, he is under evaluation.
As the race restarted with two laps to go for the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, the fight for the win quickly came down to tandem drafting, with Logano pushing Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in the Sprint Cup Series, and Ricky Stenhouse pushing Cole Whitt.
Whitt and Stenhouse, however, were unable to make a serious charge on the final lap, and by the time that they got to Logano's back bumper, he had already made the move to pass Busch on the outside as they exited the tri-oval, nipping Busch at the line.
While tandem drafting was pivotal in the outcome, the practice didn't dominate on Saturday, a good sign for those who dislike the tandem draft, as the Nationwide Series cars are capable of tandem drafting for longer periods of time than the Sprint Cup Series cars thanks to their larger radiators and grille openings.
The race wasn't without a significant heart-stopper though, and that moment came during "The Big One," which happened on the backstretch during the race's first green-white-checker finish attempt. Eric McClure was collected in the crash, which started when Michael Annett made contact with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. McClure slid head-on into the SAFER barrier on the inside backstretch wall.
The race was immediately red-flagged and track safety workers had to cut the roof off of McClure's car to extricate him. (The process took approximately 10 tense minutes.) McClure, who NASCAR said was talking with safety workers during the extrication process, was removed from the car and taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital, where according to NASCAR, he is under evaluation.
The Kentucky Derby/Talladega Double chat
This past weekend saw the running of both the Kentucky Derby and the spring Talladega NASCAR race, and Yahoo! Sports' Jay Busbee covered both from the infield ... and lived to tell the tale. Read the full article here, then come gather around to chat about the races, the mud, the depravity and the stories that didn't make the official accounts. We won't check IDs, we promise.
Tweet your questions ahead of time using the hashtag #DerbyDega, and we'll answer right here on Tuesday.
The Kentucky Derby/Talladega Double
Tweet your questions ahead of time using the hashtag #DerbyDega, and we'll answer right here on Tuesday.
The Kentucky Derby/Talladega Double
Friday, May 25, 2012
Lamborghini wreck: Oh yeah, you could totally handle a high-powered car
You know your idiot friends who bust on NASCAR by saying that it's "just driving"? Yeah, show 'em this video from the Chicago suburbs of a Lamborghini driver who's a little out of his (her? nah, gotta be a he) league. Enjoy.
[Via The Big Lead]
[Via The Big Lead]
Chasing the usual NASCAR suspects
More and more, the 2012 season - at least when it comes to who will compete in the Chase for the Sprint Cup - is looking a lot like last year. Eight of the current top 10 in series points following last weekend?s Richmond race made the Chase last season. A year ago, nine of the top 10 following the season?s ninth race made the Chase. The only newcomers, with 17 races remaining until the post-season cut-off, is points leader Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr., who is second in the current standings. Drivers highest ranked for a 'wild card' berth ? which goes to drivers with the most wins ranked 11th to 20th in points - are Richmond winner Kyle Busch (11th) and Brad Keselowski (13th). Both also made last year's Chase. Busch and Clint Bowyer trail 10th place Ryan Newman by 13 and 14 points, respectively. Keselowski is 26 points out of 10th.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sandbagging in All-Star race irritates fans
It didn't take teams very long to figure out their best shot at winning the All-Star race would be in the first 20 laps.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Dale Junior: It's not just me
Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes issue with the idea his current career-worst winless streak and lack of winning a Sprint Cup Series title are reasons why some tracks are still dealing with attendance problems. As Earnhardt has reiterated in the past, he believes economic factors still greatly affect race fans - many of whom travel long distances to the races they attend. "I don?t really think (TV) viewership and attendance is directly tied to the success of our team. We do have a great fan base and a loyal fan base that I think watches the races regardless of how we?re running. I just think it?s challenging financially for the demographic to afford to come out to a race," the sport's most popular driver said. "I think hotel prices are really high and gas is really high and just trying to get here and enjoy yourself has become quite expensive. A lot of people are not willing to make that sacrifice. They can sit at home and either watch it on TV or mow the lawn -- I don?t know. I think that it will cycle around and things like this always do kind of have a cycle. It will improve over time. When the confidence is gained in the consumer to come back out and spend that kind of money.?
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
NASCAR?s Hendrick buys Jon Hall Honda in Daytona Beach ? Daytona Beach News-Journal
NASCAR‘s Hendrick buys Jon Hall Honda in Daytona Beach – Daytona Beach News-Journal
NASCAR's Hendrick buys Jon Hall Honda in Daytona BeachDaytona Beach News-JournalDAYTONA BEACH — Rick Hendrick is already known locally as the owner of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports. Now he hopes that name familiarity will help encourage area residents to buy cars from him. His Charlotte, NC-based …Hendick Automotive buys Fla. Honda dealershipBizjournals.com
all 4 news articles »
NASCAR's Hendrick buys Jon Hall Honda in Daytona BeachDaytona Beach News-JournalDAYTONA BEACH — Rick Hendrick is already known locally as the owner of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports. Now he hopes that name familiarity will help encourage area residents to buy cars from him. His Charlotte, NC-based …Hendick Automotive buys Fla. Honda dealershipBizjournals.com
all 4 news articles »
Monday, May 21, 2012
Williams not so bullish over Monaco chances
Williams is ambivalent about its chances of another victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, despite Pastor Maldonado's impressive track record there and the boost delivered by its success in Spain.
IndyCar fines 13 teams for rules violations
Indianapolis Motor Speedway might have set a track record Sunday.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Wallace set to make NASCAR debut in Iowa
Darrell Wallace Jr. has already crossed off a bunch of boxes on the checklist for a future NASCAR star. He dominated as a kid in karts, blew past the field in bandoleros and late models, and landed a seat for Sunday's NASCAR Nationwide race in Iowa even though he won't turn 19 until October.
Win a piece of Kansas Speedway signed by Brad Keselowski!
Have you ever wanted a piece of a Sprint Cup Series track in your own house? Well, here's your chance to do so!
Thanks to the folks at Kansas Speedway and Brad Keselowski, who waved the green flag to start the repaving process at the track on Sunday, you can win a piece of the track's old surface from the middle of turn one and two signed by Keselowski himself.
To enter the contest, like us at our From The Marbles Facebook page. Once you like it, you'll see a post with the details on how you can have a chance to win. Entries are due at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, May 3, and we'll reveal the contest winner during the Talladega race chat on Sunday May 5. Sound good? Great. What are you waiting for, go like us!
Thanks to the folks at Kansas Speedway and Brad Keselowski, who waved the green flag to start the repaving process at the track on Sunday, you can win a piece of the track's old surface from the middle of turn one and two signed by Keselowski himself.
To enter the contest, like us at our From The Marbles Facebook page. Once you like it, you'll see a post with the details on how you can have a chance to win. Entries are due at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, May 3, and we'll reveal the contest winner during the Talladega race chat on Sunday May 5. Sound good? Great. What are you waiting for, go like us!
Jimmie Johnson dominates when necessary, wins uninspiring All-Star Race
The 2012 All-Star race was, from a competitive standpoint, dead in the water, a glorified qualifying session that's best forgotten by anyone who's not endorsing the million-dollar winner's purse. Decision time, though: was this NASCAR's fault for setting up a new system that rewarded sandbagging, or was it a testament to the all-world racing skills of Jimmie Johnson?
Make no mistake, Johnson absolutely owned this race. He worked his way around Kyle Busch to win the first segment with little trouble, then spent the next 60 laps cruising around a third of a track behind the pack. Then, when it mattered, Johnson kicked off a splendid restart for the final 10-lap shootout and almost instantly left every other driver fading in his rear-view mirror. Game, set, match. The only drama outside of a couple brief battles for position came from the question of whether Rick Hendrick would accidentally fall out of the 48 car as it drove past the frontstretch grandstands.
So, yes, it was a dull race. But where do we place the blame for this? It's not Johnson's fault for being so dominant. First, look to the format: four 20-lap segments capped by a 10-lap shootout, with the winner of each segment getting the first crack at pit road before the final shootout. The new format gave absolutely zero incentive (well, an extra $50K, but that's laundry money to these guys) to the earliest segment winners to do anything but ride around and stay out of trouble, which is exactly what Johnson did.
"We were working on our car," Johnson said when asked about the strategy. "I was making sure I could get a couple good laps in and find the balance of the car.� We were in heavy conversation about small adjustments, what we could do preparing for that final segment ... I really think whoever won that first segment would have done the same thing.� It's just what you do when you can control the race like that.� We took great advantage of it."
"The biggest thing you have to do in any event is you have to limit your risk," said Chad Knaus, the 48's crew chief. "That's what we needed to do.� We were fortunate, like Jimmie said, that he was able to get out there that first segment and attack and get the win.� From that point on, all you want to do is maintain and make sure you're there at the end."
The only real drama came in the third segment, when Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski battled for the segment win; Keselowski won by an eyelash. Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the other two segments, but neither could mount much of a challenge to Johnson. Keselowski tried, but the 48 kept widening the gap until Keselowski needed a grappling hook to reel him in.
"You have to start on the front row to beat cars as good as the No. 48," Earnhardt said afterward. "To be able to compete with that team you have to start alongside of them, starting fourth was a little tough.� We just didn't have enough laps really to mount any kind of a challenge.� I mean, they were gone after about two or three laps."
And in the night's only true surprise, Bobby Labonte won the fan vote over Dale Earnhardt Jr. As it turned out, Junior raced his way in by winning the preliminary Showdown. (Yes, we can write "Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race" without being ironic or factually incorrect.)
The evening's lone spark came from a minor dust-up between teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard. The two traded a bit of paint, and Harvick got loose trying to perform a retaliation that Menard didn't believe was necessary: "He ran me down low off of (Turn) 2," Menard said. "I have shown him nothing but respect since I got here and he hasn't shown that back. So, whatever."
So, whatever, indeed. We can point the finger at NASCAR all we like for this format, but the truth is that Johnson just outdrove everything and everyone around him. It's the equivalent of a home-run hitter putting a baseball onto a street 600 feet from home plate; you don't expect it to happen, but in the right circumstances, you can't be surprised when it does.
This marks Johnson's third All-Star win, tying him with a couple cats named Earnhardt Sr. and Gordon for the most victories in the race. And the fact that Johnson outran the best in the sport, not a collection of scrubs, shows just how serious, and indeed likely, it will be for five-time to become six-time.
Make no mistake, Johnson absolutely owned this race. He worked his way around Kyle Busch to win the first segment with little trouble, then spent the next 60 laps cruising around a third of a track behind the pack. Then, when it mattered, Johnson kicked off a splendid restart for the final 10-lap shootout and almost instantly left every other driver fading in his rear-view mirror. Game, set, match. The only drama outside of a couple brief battles for position came from the question of whether Rick Hendrick would accidentally fall out of the 48 car as it drove past the frontstretch grandstands.
So, yes, it was a dull race. But where do we place the blame for this? It's not Johnson's fault for being so dominant. First, look to the format: four 20-lap segments capped by a 10-lap shootout, with the winner of each segment getting the first crack at pit road before the final shootout. The new format gave absolutely zero incentive (well, an extra $50K, but that's laundry money to these guys) to the earliest segment winners to do anything but ride around and stay out of trouble, which is exactly what Johnson did.
"We were working on our car," Johnson said when asked about the strategy. "I was making sure I could get a couple good laps in and find the balance of the car.� We were in heavy conversation about small adjustments, what we could do preparing for that final segment ... I really think whoever won that first segment would have done the same thing.� It's just what you do when you can control the race like that.� We took great advantage of it."
"The biggest thing you have to do in any event is you have to limit your risk," said Chad Knaus, the 48's crew chief. "That's what we needed to do.� We were fortunate, like Jimmie said, that he was able to get out there that first segment and attack and get the win.� From that point on, all you want to do is maintain and make sure you're there at the end."
The only real drama came in the third segment, when Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski battled for the segment win; Keselowski won by an eyelash. Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the other two segments, but neither could mount much of a challenge to Johnson. Keselowski tried, but the 48 kept widening the gap until Keselowski needed a grappling hook to reel him in.
"You have to start on the front row to beat cars as good as the No. 48," Earnhardt said afterward. "To be able to compete with that team you have to start alongside of them, starting fourth was a little tough.� We just didn't have enough laps really to mount any kind of a challenge.� I mean, they were gone after about two or three laps."
And in the night's only true surprise, Bobby Labonte won the fan vote over Dale Earnhardt Jr. As it turned out, Junior raced his way in by winning the preliminary Showdown. (Yes, we can write "Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race" without being ironic or factually incorrect.)
The evening's lone spark came from a minor dust-up between teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard. The two traded a bit of paint, and Harvick got loose trying to perform a retaliation that Menard didn't believe was necessary: "He ran me down low off of (Turn) 2," Menard said. "I have shown him nothing but respect since I got here and he hasn't shown that back. So, whatever."
So, whatever, indeed. We can point the finger at NASCAR all we like for this format, but the truth is that Johnson just outdrove everything and everyone around him. It's the equivalent of a home-run hitter putting a baseball onto a street 600 feet from home plate; you don't expect it to happen, but in the right circumstances, you can't be surprised when it does.
This marks Johnson's third All-Star win, tying him with a couple cats named Earnhardt Sr. and Gordon for the most victories in the race. And the fact that Johnson outran the best in the sport, not a collection of scrubs, shows just how serious, and indeed likely, it will be for five-time to become six-time.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
INSIGHT: Riding shotgun in a Cadillac at Mazda Raceway
RACER web editor Tony DiZinno went for a couple hot laps of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca aboard Andy Pilgrim's Cadillac CTS-V Pirelli World Challenge car, and recounts the experience.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Will Power's blog: Take nothing for granted
"This year we've won three of the first four races, and although I wouldn't describe it as a miracle, I do realize it's a pretty rare thing to win three consecutive races."
New NASCAR Rules Intended To Inhibit Tandem Drafts
NASCAR doesn't want to see repeats of 2011's tandem running on the two restrictor plate racetracks it uses--Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, both long tracks built for high speeds. Those generated high speeds have forced NASCAR to impose restrictor plates on the engines to slow them down below the 200-mph mark and have...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sarcastic Tony Stewart at his finest
Tony Stewart took a sarcastic tone to his post-race interview Sunday. Here is what Stewart had to say following Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway: ON TODAY'S RACE "We didn't quite crash half the field which is what we normally look to do here. I was excited about it. I thought it was a pretty good race. I made it further than I thought I would before I got crashed. I call it a successful day." A LOT OF TEAMS WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH FUEL INCLUDING YOURS. WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT? "I wasn't sure to be honest. I'm not quite sure what the fuel issue was. The racing was awesome. It's fun to be able to race and have to watch the gauges at the same time. It makes us as drivers have to do so much more. Being able to make yourself run on the apron and everything else to try to get clean air, it makes it fun. I'm sorry we couldn't crash more cars today. We didn't fill the quota for today for Talladega and NASCAR." JEFF GORDON SAID HE THOUGHT THEY SHOULD OPEN UP THE GRILL OPENING FOR WHEN WE COME BACK HERE AND POSSIBLY DAYTONA IN JULY. DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? "I think they need to close it down. Honestly, I think if we haven't crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we at least crash 50 percent of the cars because it's not fair to these fans for them to not see any more wrecks than that and more torn up cars. We still had over half the cars running at the end and it shouldn't be that way." THE WRECKS WEREN'T CAUSED BY THE OVER HEATING? "No, not at all. I don't think any of the wrecks were an overheating issue. That is why I say I think we ought to just tape them off solid and run them until they blow up anyway. I think it would make it a lot more exciting for the fans." WOULD THIS BE BETTER IF IT WERE A SHORTER RACE? "I don't think it really matters. I think if you made it 20 laps we would all still crash with five to go or eight to go. If we did that we would be able to fill the time that the fans deserve. I mean they deserve to see us run 500 miles. Like I said if we don't crash half of the field by the end of the race they really need to extend it because that is what the fans want they want to see that excitement. I feel bad that as drivers we couldn't do a better job of crashing enough cars for them today." I CAN'T FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE HAPPY OR YOU ARE UPSET WITH YOUR TONE... "I'm upset that we didn't crash more cars. I feel like that is what we are here for. I feel bad if I don't spend at least a 150,000 dollars in torn up race cars going back to the shop. We definitely have to do a better job with that." WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT IMPRESSION THAT IS WHAT THE FANS ARE LOOKING FOR? "Well, I don't know that is what they are looking for, but I feel like that is the show we deserve to give them. That is what has made Talladega, Talladega." DID YOU HAVE FUN OUT THERE? "Absolutely. I had a blast. It would have been a lot more fun if I could have gotten caught up in one more wreck. If I could have done that it would have been perfect." DID YOU HAVE THE ISSUE OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AT ANY POINT? "I didn't wreck because I ran out of fuel, but I ran out of fuel twice." THE RADIO GUYS WERE SAYING THAT MAYBE (GUYS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL) HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE EFI (ELECTRONIC FUEL SYSTEM) HAVE YOU NOTICED A CHANGE IN YOUR FUEL MILEAGE SINCE YOU WENT TO THAT ENGINE PACKAGE? "I mean we have only ran two restrictor plate races so it is hard to say. There were definitely guys that were running out of fuel today ahead of where they thought they would." IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU PREFER THE PACK OVER THE TANDEM DRAFTING? "I think we ought to make it a figure eight. I mean if we could make it a figure eight it would be perfect. It would absolutely be perfect here. It would be better than what we have. That is going to be my vote next week is that we make it a figure eight and/or we can stop at the half way make a break and turn around and go backwards the rest of the way. Then with 10 to go we split the field in half and half go the regular direction and half of them go backwards." To listen to Stewart's whole interview, click here.
Crewman chases loose tire, gets chewed out
You've got to be a special breed of cat to be a NASCAR pit crew member. A little fearlessness, a little derring-do, a little insanity all help. But one thing you can't have is a little stupidity, and Paul Menard's tire changer edged right up to that line in Saturday night's Capital City 400 in Richmond on Saturday night. Dedication is great, but dedication isn't much protection against a car speeding around a turn on pit road. Thankfully, the tire changer escaped any unwanted encounters with vehicles, but he couldn't escape the wrath of either the NASCAR official or his own crew chief, who threatened the job of anyone who did anything like that again.
Remember, folks: playing in traffic never ends well for anyone.
Remember, folks: playing in traffic never ends well for anyone.
NASCAR fines Kurt Busch $50,000 after Darlington
Kurt Busch was fined $50,000 by NASCAR on Tuesday for reckless driving on pit road at Darlington and a post-race altercation with Ryan Newman's crew members.
Joey Logano beats Kyle Busch to line with last-gasp pass to win Talladega Nationwide race
In what could be a harbinger of things to come for Sunday's Cup race, Joey Logano pushed Kyle Busch close to the finish line and then passed him before the stripe, taking Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Talladega.
As the race restarted with two laps to go for the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, the fight for the win quickly came down to tandem drafting, with Logano pushing Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in the Sprint Cup Series, and Ricky Stenhouse pushing Cole Whitt.
Whitt and Stenhouse, however, were unable to make a serious charge on the final lap, and by the time that they got to Logano's back bumper, he had already made the move to pass Busch on the outside as they exited the tri-oval, nipping Busch at the line.
While tandem drafting was pivotal in the outcome, the practice didn't dominate on Saturday, a good sign for those who dislike the tandem draft, as the Nationwide Series cars are capable of tandem drafting for longer periods of time than the Sprint Cup Series cars thanks to their larger radiators and grille openings.
The race wasn't without a significant heart-stopper though, and that moment came during "The Big One," which happened on the backstretch during the race's first green-white-checker finish attempt. Eric McClure was collected in the crash, which started when Michael Annett made contact with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. McClure slid head-on into the SAFER barrier on the inside backstretch wall.
The race was immediately red-flagged and track safety workers had to cut the roof off of McClure's car to extricate him. (The process took approximately 10 tense minutes.) McClure, who NASCAR said was talking with safety workers during the extrication process, was removed from the car and taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital, where according to NASCAR, he is under evaluation.
As the race restarted with two laps to go for the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, the fight for the win quickly came down to tandem drafting, with Logano pushing Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in the Sprint Cup Series, and Ricky Stenhouse pushing Cole Whitt.
Whitt and Stenhouse, however, were unable to make a serious charge on the final lap, and by the time that they got to Logano's back bumper, he had already made the move to pass Busch on the outside as they exited the tri-oval, nipping Busch at the line.
While tandem drafting was pivotal in the outcome, the practice didn't dominate on Saturday, a good sign for those who dislike the tandem draft, as the Nationwide Series cars are capable of tandem drafting for longer periods of time than the Sprint Cup Series cars thanks to their larger radiators and grille openings.
The race wasn't without a significant heart-stopper though, and that moment came during "The Big One," which happened on the backstretch during the race's first green-white-checker finish attempt. Eric McClure was collected in the crash, which started when Michael Annett made contact with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. McClure slid head-on into the SAFER barrier on the inside backstretch wall.
The race was immediately red-flagged and track safety workers had to cut the roof off of McClure's car to extricate him. (The process took approximately 10 tense minutes.) McClure, who NASCAR said was talking with safety workers during the extrication process, was removed from the car and taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital, where according to NASCAR, he is under evaluation.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Newgarden jumps back atop Indy speed chart
American rookie Josef Newgarden is staying on top of Indianapolis' speed charts.
Carl Edwards miffed about restart penalty that ends chances for win
Carl Edwards thought he was the leader as the field came to a restart on lap 318 of Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR said he wasn't.
You can imagine who won that battle.
Edwards was on the outside of the front row, next to Tony Stewart, who was the actual race leader. After the pace car pulled off the track, Edwards accelerated. Stewart spun his tires.
So instead of the drivers being side-by-side as they crossed the start-finish line, Edwards, who ended up 10th, darted away. However, he wasn't scored as the leader, even though he thought he was and the scoring pylon in the middle of the track said he was, and he was penalized for jumping the restart.
"I am trying not to be too frustrated and stay something stupid. Right before that start, my spotter Jason Hedlesky, was told by the NASCAR officials that 'the 99's the leader. The 99's the leader.' Jason told me, I had a split second to decide what I was going to do. I thought 'OK, NASCAR made a mistake, they lined us up wrong.' I was at a disadvantage to be on the outside so I'm getting the best start I can get right now. I got the best start I can get and it looks like Tony waited or spun his tires, so they black flagged me," Edwards said after the race before visiting with NASCAR officials.
"I still don't understand why they black flagged me. They said we were the leader. I restarted the best I could given the disadvantaged position I was in. So the problem is I don't know if NASCAR is going to take the stance that we shouldn't have started the race first or that I jumped the start, but if they're saying that I jumped the start, that'd be real frustrating because I started the same way I've started all night."
The confusion stemmed from the caution flag falling during the middle of green flag pit stops. Stewart was on pit road when the caution flag flew. Edwards, who led a race-high 206 laps, hadn't made it on to pit road yet, so he was the leader. Because of the green flag stop cycle, only three cars -- Edwards, Stewart and Jimmie Johnson -- were on the lead lap.
Therefore when Edwards stopped, he gave up the lead to Stewart. He started on the front row when Johnson was forced to start at the tail end of the field after being penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation on his stop as the yellow came out. So when Edwards accelerated before Stewart -- and even though it appeared that Stewart spun his tires -- he was penalized for beating the leader to the start/finish line. And according to NASCAR, to top it all off, he had hit the gas before the designated restart zone.
Got all that?
After meeting with NASCAR, according to the AP's Jenna Fryer, Edwards said that he and NASCAR had to agree to disagree.
"We had to just agree to disagree and that's the way it is. They run the sport and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race care and do the very best job I can."
The timing and scoring confusion, according to NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton, came when Edwards' car crossed the start/finish line ahead of Stewart's when there was one lap to go back to the green flag.
Edwards' ensuing pass through penalty put him on the tail-end of the lead lap and eventually a lap down to Stewart. (He got his lap back on the final debris caution with 15 laps to go.) And while it may seem like just desserts to Edwards and crew that Stewart, who finished third, didn't take the checkered flag, they're more likely to rue what could have been for themselves as a promising night disappeared on a single restart.
You can imagine who won that battle.
Edwards was on the outside of the front row, next to Tony Stewart, who was the actual race leader. After the pace car pulled off the track, Edwards accelerated. Stewart spun his tires.
So instead of the drivers being side-by-side as they crossed the start-finish line, Edwards, who ended up 10th, darted away. However, he wasn't scored as the leader, even though he thought he was and the scoring pylon in the middle of the track said he was, and he was penalized for jumping the restart.
"I am trying not to be too frustrated and stay something stupid. Right before that start, my spotter Jason Hedlesky, was told by the NASCAR officials that 'the 99's the leader. The 99's the leader.' Jason told me, I had a split second to decide what I was going to do. I thought 'OK, NASCAR made a mistake, they lined us up wrong.' I was at a disadvantage to be on the outside so I'm getting the best start I can get right now. I got the best start I can get and it looks like Tony waited or spun his tires, so they black flagged me," Edwards said after the race before visiting with NASCAR officials.
"I still don't understand why they black flagged me. They said we were the leader. I restarted the best I could given the disadvantaged position I was in. So the problem is I don't know if NASCAR is going to take the stance that we shouldn't have started the race first or that I jumped the start, but if they're saying that I jumped the start, that'd be real frustrating because I started the same way I've started all night."
The confusion stemmed from the caution flag falling during the middle of green flag pit stops. Stewart was on pit road when the caution flag flew. Edwards, who led a race-high 206 laps, hadn't made it on to pit road yet, so he was the leader. Because of the green flag stop cycle, only three cars -- Edwards, Stewart and Jimmie Johnson -- were on the lead lap.
Therefore when Edwards stopped, he gave up the lead to Stewart. He started on the front row when Johnson was forced to start at the tail end of the field after being penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation on his stop as the yellow came out. So when Edwards accelerated before Stewart -- and even though it appeared that Stewart spun his tires -- he was penalized for beating the leader to the start/finish line. And according to NASCAR, to top it all off, he had hit the gas before the designated restart zone.
Got all that?
After meeting with NASCAR, according to the AP's Jenna Fryer, Edwards said that he and NASCAR had to agree to disagree.
"We had to just agree to disagree and that's the way it is. They run the sport and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race care and do the very best job I can."
The timing and scoring confusion, according to NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton, came when Edwards' car crossed the start/finish line ahead of Stewart's when there was one lap to go back to the green flag.
Edwards' ensuing pass through penalty put him on the tail-end of the lead lap and eventually a lap down to Stewart. (He got his lap back on the final debris caution with 15 laps to go.) And while it may seem like just desserts to Edwards and crew that Stewart, who finished third, didn't take the checkered flag, they're more likely to rue what could have been for themselves as a promising night disappeared on a single restart.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
RCR and Turner Nationwide teams in trouble with NASCAR
The NASCAR Nationwide teams of Richard Childress Racing and Turner Motorsports altered the contoured areas surrounding the wheel hubs of their nose pieces, which are provided by manufacturers. All three RCR teams and all three Turner teams had the upper front bumper covers of their cars confiscated by NASCAR during opening inspection on Thursday at Richmond International Raceway. Any penalties will be announced next week for the cars driven by Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick with RCR and James Buescher, Justin Allgaier and Kasey Kahne with Turner. The nose pieces, or upper front bumper covers, are designed by manufacturers and approved by NASCAR. The Nationwide Series rulebook states "cutting and reshaping of bumper covers will not be permitted." Series director Joe Balash said the RCR teams had changes made on both sides of the nose piece, while the Turner teams were altered on just one side.Balash said he wasn't sure why the changes were limited to one manufacturer. "Sometimes there are different trends in the garage. Sometimes they cross manufacturers and sometimes they don't," Balash said. Balash said NASCAR's concern with the teams is altering a piece of the car which has to be run "as-is." A visual inspection of one of the Turner team's nose pieces showed a complete absence of the contoured area around the left wheel hub, compared to a generic manufacturer piece. The rulebook allows NASCAR officials the ability to use bumper covers provided by manufacturers as a guide in determining whether a competitor's bumper cover conforms to specifications. Sadler contended NASCAR officials confiscated the pieces through a visual inspection, not by measuring by templates. The rulebook, however, allows for such a determination. Sadler, currently the series points leader, has potentially the most to lose with a sizable NASCAR penalty. "It's the same car I've run already twice this year and passed post-race tech since we won both races," Sadler said. "We don't really know what is going to happen."
Newgarden jumps back atop Indy speed chart
American rookie Josef Newgarden is staying on top of Indianapolis' speed charts.
Rosberg: Mercedes still a contender
Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes can still be a serious contender in the World Championship fight this year, despite a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Mini-racing: Get the entire Richmond experience in 12 minutes
You say you want drama? You say you want controversy? Here you go, friends. Plenty of both in the closing laps of the Richmond race on Saturday night. Kyle Busch took home the victory, but not before controversial decisions that probably cost Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards a real shot at the win. Up next? Talladega, of course. No threat of craziness there whatsoever. Enjoy!
Renault surprised to win so quickly with Williams
Renault Sport F1 managing director Jean-Francois Caubet has admitted that he didn't expect the revived partnership with Williams to yield wins so quickly.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Richard Petty Motorsports Callin it Quits?
RPM may not run past Martinsville. The house of cards is finally falling for George Gillett’s Richard Petty Motorsports. The assembly line from Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates engines has stopped running to RPM. Engines have been picked up, cars have been repossessed, and sources on both sides — RPM and RFR — say [...]
Trevor Bayne will sit out Nationwide race at Texas
Trevor Bayne, who is currently fourth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series points standings, and earned his first series victory last fall at Texas Motor Speedway, will miss Friday night's race at Texas due to lack of sponsorship. Bayne was not listed on the original Entry form for this week's race and on Tuesday Roush Fenway Racing officials confirmed he is not running the event. The missed race could all but end his quest at a series title this season. There was no immediate comment from RFR or Bayne. Bayne had been hoping to run the full season in Nationwide and compete for the series championship. He had one top-five and three top-10 finishes in the first five races of the 2012 season. Bayne is scheduled to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Texas.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Jimmie Johnson teaches Travis Pastrana how to be a NASCAR champion
Travis Pastrana is making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Friday night. In preparation for the race, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson gives Pastrana some pointers. Our favorite? It's got to be the mullet.
The 25 nominees for NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2013
25 nominees for NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2013*-new nominee-Buck Baker, first driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championships (1956-57)-Red Byron, first NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949 -Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR?s three national series -Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion -H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway -Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion -*Ray Fox, former NASCAR owner, engine builder and official -*Anne B. France, first secretary and treasurer of NASCAR, wife of founder Bill France Sr. -Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR?s three national series -Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion -Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion -Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600 -Cotton Owens, driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson -Raymond Parks, NASCAR?s first champion car owner -Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion -Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway -Fireball Roberts, won 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500 -T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP -*Ralph Seagraves, former president of R.J. Reynolds who introduced corporate sponsorship to NASCAR?s premiere series -*Wendell Scott, first African-American to win a NASCAR premier series event -Herb Thomas, first two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, ?53 -Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing" -*Rusty Wallace, 1989 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 55 wins, 36 poles -Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion -Leonard Wood, part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops
RCR and Turner Nationwide teams not penalized points for Richmond infractions
The crew chiefs and car chiefs of the Nationwide teams of Richard Childress Racing and Turner Motorsports were fine $10,000 each and placed on probation, but the teams avoided any points penalties on Tuesday for infractions found prior to Friday's race at Richmond.
From NASCAR:
Crew chiefs Luke Lambert (No. 2 team), Danny Stockman (No. 3 team), Trent Owens (No. 30 team), Jimmy Elledge (No. 31 team), Ernie Cope (No. 33 team), and Mike Shiplett (No. 38 team) have each been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Additionally, the teams' respective car chiefs ? Phil Gould (No. 2), Robert Strmiska (No. 3), Shannon Rursch (No. 30), Ronald Hornaday III (No. 31), Paul Balmer (No. 33), and Christopher Meyers (No. 38) ? have likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.
During pre-race inspection activities before Friday's Nationwide race, NASCAR found illegal modifications to the front bumper covers of the cars of points leader Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick, Justin Allgaier, James Buescher and Kasey Kahne. All six cars are Chevrolets.
Sadler said that his car was already run twice in 2012 prior to the bumper's confiscation on Thursday. No modifications are permitted to the bumper covers of the cars, which are provided to the teams by the manufacturers.
The penalties to the six Nationwide teams were the first for inspection violations since Hendrick Motorsports won its appeal of the points penalty handed down from NASCAR to Jimmie Johnson's team for C-post issues at Daytona. Hendrick took the appeal all the way to NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, who rescinded the 25 point penalty against the team, but kept the $150,000 fine.
From NASCAR:
Crew chiefs Luke Lambert (No. 2 team), Danny Stockman (No. 3 team), Trent Owens (No. 30 team), Jimmy Elledge (No. 31 team), Ernie Cope (No. 33 team), and Mike Shiplett (No. 38 team) have each been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Additionally, the teams' respective car chiefs ? Phil Gould (No. 2), Robert Strmiska (No. 3), Shannon Rursch (No. 30), Ronald Hornaday III (No. 31), Paul Balmer (No. 33), and Christopher Meyers (No. 38) ? have likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.
During pre-race inspection activities before Friday's Nationwide race, NASCAR found illegal modifications to the front bumper covers of the cars of points leader Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick, Justin Allgaier, James Buescher and Kasey Kahne. All six cars are Chevrolets.
Sadler said that his car was already run twice in 2012 prior to the bumper's confiscation on Thursday. No modifications are permitted to the bumper covers of the cars, which are provided to the teams by the manufacturers.
The penalties to the six Nationwide teams were the first for inspection violations since Hendrick Motorsports won its appeal of the points penalty handed down from NASCAR to Jimmie Johnson's team for C-post issues at Daytona. Hendrick took the appeal all the way to NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, who rescinded the 25 point penalty against the team, but kept the $150,000 fine.
Power Rankings: It?s Denny Time
The race is done, and that means it's time for 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. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's either first or last...
1. Denny Hamlin: Two wins now for the Hamster after a year in which he won just one. That's a fine rebound, and it bodes well for Hamlin putting the ugly 2011 and the bridesmaid year of 2010 behind him. Also, with the win Hamlin now has more victories on the season than his beloved Charlotte Bobcats. Last week: 8.
2. Greg Biffle: Biffle and Kevin Harvick were on Twitter on Saturday night talking about the UFC fight with fans. No snark or goofiness here; that's just pretty cool, and exactly the purpose of Twitter and social media. So, yeah, if you're all "I'm not on Twitter because I don't want to hear what people had are eating for breakfast," you're missing out on a chance to talk with drivers live. But, hey, stay smug. Last week: 1.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: You know what I was thinking as Other Junior was ticking off lap after led lap? "Man, if he wins, Junior Nation is going to be TICKED." Truex is the last big-name, big-team regular with a longer losing streak than Earnhardt. So don't be surprised if 88 fans start sawing away at his axles. Last week: 6.
4. Matt Kenseth: I think I saw the entire Roush Fenway organization shedding a tear as they drove away from Kansas and the Midwest tracks. Still, we're starting to see some patterns develop here, and the next time we swing back this way, I'd be very surprised if at least one of the RFR guys is not challenging for the Cup. Probably this cat here. Last week: 3.
5. Jimmie Johnson: Look, it's nice that this was Earth Day weekend and NASCAR was being green and all, but what kind of green was that on Jimmie Johnson's car Sunday? Kind of an old-fruit, dirty-carpet, kid-vomit-in-school kind of green. You want green, you go GREEN, like Danica-neon green. Though that's really not a color you often find in nature, which would seem to undercut the entire point, I guess. Last week: 2.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Journalists aren't supposed to be biased in favor of one particular driver. And although my journalistic credentials are consistently in doubt when I write about things like kids puking in schools, I nonetheless try to avoid biases. But I will say that I root for a good story, and Junior winning would be a GREAT story. So it's always with a little twinge of frustration that I watch as Junior turns late-race high finishes into lower-reaches-of-the-top-10 ones.� Last week: 5.
7. Tony Stewart: What would you do if you'd locked up a spot in the postseason in April? Oh, sure, Stewart will run hard, and we saw last year why every race is important (sorry, Carl). But you'd have to be a rock-hearted, steel-spined fellow to not approach certain races like, I dunno, practice sessions. We'll see if Stewart can find it in himself to rip off a few more wins before September. I say yes. Last week: 4.
8. Kevin Harvick: The last two weeks in Power Rankings, the guy ranked 8th has won and leaped right to first place. This weekend, we have Richmond, where Kevin Harvick has had a bit of success. Somebody get Paul Menard to loosen up his spinning muscles, pronto!� Last week: 7.
9. Carl Edwards: This is amazing: the lap Edwards led during green-flag pit stops Sunday was the first lap he's led ALL YEAR. What the hell, Carl? Do you realize Sam Hornish Jr. led seven times as many laps as you on Sunday? And there are still walls that cringe when they see him coming! Last week: 12.
10. Ryan Newman: There's a pretty substantial gap between positions 8 and 9 on this list. I mean, BIG. Everybody else other than those top 8 has some really ugly marks on their r�sum�,� like that time when you worked at an amusement park for two weeks right out of college because you needed some fast cash and your father seethed at the thought of how much money he'd spent on that degree only to see you wearing bad polyester and manning the whack-a-mole booth. I mean, hypothetically speaking. Last week: 11.
11. Kyle Busch: You know why there aren't any of those classic "This is the New Kyle Busch!" articles yet? Because everybody's frankly a little scared for Kyle right now. Has he been neutered? Has he been lobotomized? Where's the car-crashing, ticket-grabbing, catch-a-fist-with-his-face Kyle that we saw last year? Spice it up, K-Dawg! Last week: NR.
12. Kasey Kahne. Hey, look at this! After a wretched start to his season, Kahne has worked his way back up into single-digit finishes. Those single-digits are going to need to be a lot of "1"s for him to make the Chase, though. He's a loooong way back. Last week: NR.
Dropping out: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon
Lucky Dog: Kurt Busch. Seeing Kurt run with no sponsorship on his hood was really sad, like watching a puppy limping. But he put that puppy in the top 10 for a fair portion of the day, so good for him.
The Kasey Kahne DNF: Should we rename this now that Kahne has actually reached the Power Rankings? Nah. Not yet, anyway. But this one goes to Clint Bowyer, who bottomed out in front of the hometown crowd. Man, that's embarrassing. Hope all the friends he brought to the race had the decency to pay him for their tickets.
Next up: Richmond! Come loaded for some wild Saturday night racing, and send your comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, via email by clicking here, and via Facebook. Go!
1. Denny Hamlin: Two wins now for the Hamster after a year in which he won just one. That's a fine rebound, and it bodes well for Hamlin putting the ugly 2011 and the bridesmaid year of 2010 behind him. Also, with the win Hamlin now has more victories on the season than his beloved Charlotte Bobcats. Last week: 8.
2. Greg Biffle: Biffle and Kevin Harvick were on Twitter on Saturday night talking about the UFC fight with fans. No snark or goofiness here; that's just pretty cool, and exactly the purpose of Twitter and social media. So, yeah, if you're all "I'm not on Twitter because I don't want to hear what people had are eating for breakfast," you're missing out on a chance to talk with drivers live. But, hey, stay smug. Last week: 1.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: You know what I was thinking as Other Junior was ticking off lap after led lap? "Man, if he wins, Junior Nation is going to be TICKED." Truex is the last big-name, big-team regular with a longer losing streak than Earnhardt. So don't be surprised if 88 fans start sawing away at his axles. Last week: 6.
4. Matt Kenseth: I think I saw the entire Roush Fenway organization shedding a tear as they drove away from Kansas and the Midwest tracks. Still, we're starting to see some patterns develop here, and the next time we swing back this way, I'd be very surprised if at least one of the RFR guys is not challenging for the Cup. Probably this cat here. Last week: 3.
5. Jimmie Johnson: Look, it's nice that this was Earth Day weekend and NASCAR was being green and all, but what kind of green was that on Jimmie Johnson's car Sunday? Kind of an old-fruit, dirty-carpet, kid-vomit-in-school kind of green. You want green, you go GREEN, like Danica-neon green. Though that's really not a color you often find in nature, which would seem to undercut the entire point, I guess. Last week: 2.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Journalists aren't supposed to be biased in favor of one particular driver. And although my journalistic credentials are consistently in doubt when I write about things like kids puking in schools, I nonetheless try to avoid biases. But I will say that I root for a good story, and Junior winning would be a GREAT story. So it's always with a little twinge of frustration that I watch as Junior turns late-race high finishes into lower-reaches-of-the-top-10 ones.� Last week: 5.
7. Tony Stewart: What would you do if you'd locked up a spot in the postseason in April? Oh, sure, Stewart will run hard, and we saw last year why every race is important (sorry, Carl). But you'd have to be a rock-hearted, steel-spined fellow to not approach certain races like, I dunno, practice sessions. We'll see if Stewart can find it in himself to rip off a few more wins before September. I say yes. Last week: 4.
8. Kevin Harvick: The last two weeks in Power Rankings, the guy ranked 8th has won and leaped right to first place. This weekend, we have Richmond, where Kevin Harvick has had a bit of success. Somebody get Paul Menard to loosen up his spinning muscles, pronto!� Last week: 7.
9. Carl Edwards: This is amazing: the lap Edwards led during green-flag pit stops Sunday was the first lap he's led ALL YEAR. What the hell, Carl? Do you realize Sam Hornish Jr. led seven times as many laps as you on Sunday? And there are still walls that cringe when they see him coming! Last week: 12.
10. Ryan Newman: There's a pretty substantial gap between positions 8 and 9 on this list. I mean, BIG. Everybody else other than those top 8 has some really ugly marks on their r�sum�,� like that time when you worked at an amusement park for two weeks right out of college because you needed some fast cash and your father seethed at the thought of how much money he'd spent on that degree only to see you wearing bad polyester and manning the whack-a-mole booth. I mean, hypothetically speaking. Last week: 11.
11. Kyle Busch: You know why there aren't any of those classic "This is the New Kyle Busch!" articles yet? Because everybody's frankly a little scared for Kyle right now. Has he been neutered? Has he been lobotomized? Where's the car-crashing, ticket-grabbing, catch-a-fist-with-his-face Kyle that we saw last year? Spice it up, K-Dawg! Last week: NR.
12. Kasey Kahne. Hey, look at this! After a wretched start to his season, Kahne has worked his way back up into single-digit finishes. Those single-digits are going to need to be a lot of "1"s for him to make the Chase, though. He's a loooong way back. Last week: NR.
Dropping out: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon
Lucky Dog: Kurt Busch. Seeing Kurt run with no sponsorship on his hood was really sad, like watching a puppy limping. But he put that puppy in the top 10 for a fair portion of the day, so good for him.
The Kasey Kahne DNF: Should we rename this now that Kahne has actually reached the Power Rankings? Nah. Not yet, anyway. But this one goes to Clint Bowyer, who bottomed out in front of the hometown crowd. Man, that's embarrassing. Hope all the friends he brought to the race had the decency to pay him for their tickets.
Next up: Richmond! Come loaded for some wild Saturday night racing, and send your comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, via email by clicking here, and via Facebook. Go!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Fireball Cup update: Welcome Jimmie Johnson to the party
Catching up with our year-long Fireball Cup competition, recognizing excellence in the field of NASCAR brawling. And through five races, it's been a pretty damn boring season, frankly. We could use some more anger and fist-throwing; everybody's just too darn calm these days.
Recall our rules, which can and do change on a whim:
? Verbal/Twitter exchange; slightly aggressive driving leading to issues: 1 point
? Bumping cars in an aggressive, making-a-point fashion: 2 points
? Spin, non-critical: 3 points
? Spin, critical: 4 points
? Out of car, punches thrown: 5 points
Fireball Cup stats, Martinsville and Texas:
? Jeff Gordon, griping about Clint Bowyer's dive-bomb at Martinsville: 1 point
? Jimmie Johnson, griping about David Reutimann's breakdown at Martinsville: 1 point
? Jimmie Johnson, griping about Ryan Newman racing him too hard at Texas ("My issue was not with Kurt [Busch], it was with the 39"): 1 point
Which gives us current stats of:
Jeff Gordon, 4 points
Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3 points
Jimmie Johnson, 2 points
Kevin Harvick, 1 point
Matt Kenseth, 1 point
Joey Logano, 1 point
Ryan Newman, 1 point
Danica Patrick, 1 point
David Ragan, 1 point
It's a Hendrick armada at the top of the standings! But these could be completely undone with just one good Kevin Harvick/Kyle Busch throwdown. Come on, guys, step up.
Recall our rules, which can and do change on a whim:
? Verbal/Twitter exchange; slightly aggressive driving leading to issues: 1 point
? Bumping cars in an aggressive, making-a-point fashion: 2 points
? Spin, non-critical: 3 points
? Spin, critical: 4 points
? Out of car, punches thrown: 5 points
Fireball Cup stats, Martinsville and Texas:
? Jeff Gordon, griping about Clint Bowyer's dive-bomb at Martinsville: 1 point
? Jimmie Johnson, griping about David Reutimann's breakdown at Martinsville: 1 point
? Jimmie Johnson, griping about Ryan Newman racing him too hard at Texas ("My issue was not with Kurt [Busch], it was with the 39"): 1 point
Which gives us current stats of:
Jeff Gordon, 4 points
Dale Earnhardt Jr., 3 points
Jimmie Johnson, 2 points
Kevin Harvick, 1 point
Matt Kenseth, 1 point
Joey Logano, 1 point
Ryan Newman, 1 point
Danica Patrick, 1 point
David Ragan, 1 point
It's a Hendrick armada at the top of the standings! But these could be completely undone with just one good Kevin Harvick/Kyle Busch throwdown. Come on, guys, step up.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Keselowski gets push from Busch to win Talladega
The leader on the last lap isn't supposed to win at Talladega Superspeedway. Everybody knows that.
Eric McClure released from Alabama hospital
NASCAR driver Eric McClure has been released from an Alabama hospital on Monday, two days after he was injured in a crash at Talladega Superspeedway.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Marco Andretti goes airborne in crash at Long Beach
The scariest moment of Sunday's Izod IndyCar Long Beach Grand Prix involved Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti and invoked some unnerving flashbacks to the last race of 2011.
As Andretti moved to overtake Rahal, he catapulted over Rahal's right rear tire and went airborne, thankfully landing right side up before spinning and slamming into the tire barriers. Andretti was unhurt, though he emerged from the car grabbing his left wrist.
It was the first time that an IndyCar has been airborne in a race since the fiery crash that took the life of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, and the first time that the new DW12 chassis -- named in honor of Wheldon -- had experienced that type of a real-world crash.
The DW12 chassis features rear wheel protectors behind the back wheels to hopefully prevent these type of incidents. Unfortunately, they seemed no deterrent, as Andretti's car appeared to easily vault over Rahal's. Both drivers placed the blame on the other, with Andretti offering this after the race:
"That was our stint to make hay and we were trying to do so," Andretti said. "It's one thing blocking but it's another thing chopping, and that was a chop. I'm lucky I didn't get upside down, I could have been killed."
Understandably, Andretti and others have been shaken by the loss of Wheldon. While we know all too well that the possibility of death still exists in auto racing, it's still jarring every time a driver references the notion after a crash, no matter the severity.
Thankfully, both drivers were OK. And hopefully we're not seeing any other cars airborne anytime soon.
As Andretti moved to overtake Rahal, he catapulted over Rahal's right rear tire and went airborne, thankfully landing right side up before spinning and slamming into the tire barriers. Andretti was unhurt, though he emerged from the car grabbing his left wrist.
It was the first time that an IndyCar has been airborne in a race since the fiery crash that took the life of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, and the first time that the new DW12 chassis -- named in honor of Wheldon -- had experienced that type of a real-world crash.
The DW12 chassis features rear wheel protectors behind the back wheels to hopefully prevent these type of incidents. Unfortunately, they seemed no deterrent, as Andretti's car appeared to easily vault over Rahal's. Both drivers placed the blame on the other, with Andretti offering this after the race:
"That was our stint to make hay and we were trying to do so," Andretti said. "It's one thing blocking but it's another thing chopping, and that was a chop. I'm lucky I didn't get upside down, I could have been killed."
Understandably, Andretti and others have been shaken by the loss of Wheldon. While we know all too well that the possibility of death still exists in auto racing, it's still jarring every time a driver references the notion after a crash, no matter the severity.
Thankfully, both drivers were OK. And hopefully we're not seeing any other cars airborne anytime soon.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
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 [...]
Townley apologizes to the NASCAR community
NASCAR Truck series driver John Wes Townley opened a media availability session on Friday morning at Martinsville Speedway by offering an apology to the NASCAR community for his actions that led to a drunk driving arrest in February. Townley's team, RAB Racing, suspended him immediately and he did not drive in the series opener at Daytona. NASCAR has since placed Townley on probation for the remainder of the season and ordered him to seek an evaluation from a certified substance abuse counselor. Here was Townley's opening statement: "I want to start by apologizing to everyone -- to NASCAR, my team and to everybody that made this deal happen. This is something that I feel I'm really serious about as an individual and a driver in NASCAR. What happened that night, I take full responsibility for it. It reflected poorly upon my team, on my sponsors and everyone else and I want to sincerelyapologize. "It's up to me moving forward to put this behind me and to make better decisions in the future and to really learn from this. I know that a lot of these words are real easily spoken, but its actions in the future that I'm going to be judged by."
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 [...]
Monday, May 7, 2012
Tony Stewart wins Denny Hamlin?s charity race, beats another Edwards
Here's a tip: if you're a guy named Edwards, Tony Stewart is going to catch you.
Last year it was Carl, and Thursday night at Denny Hamlin's Short Track Showdown, a fella by the name of Greg Edwards, a local Virginia driver, tried to hold off Stewart and failed. Not that he really minded.
''My gosh,'' smiled Edwards, who finished second. ''To get beat by Tony Stewart. How bad is that?''
Good for you, fella. Stewart took the checkers; unlike most charity events, Denny Hamlin didn't actually win his own race. He got caught up in a first-lap wreck and ended up bailing on the race after 29 laps.
The race was a mix of Sprint Cup veterans and local products; for instance, the sixth-place finisher was 15-year-old Ben Rhodes. Other known names included Joey Logano and Jeff Burton, but to Stewart, the best part of the race, held at Richmond International Raceway, was seeing the guys he'll face down the line.
''Trust me, there's a lot of these guys today and we're going to see these guys down the road in Nationwide or trucks or the Cup series, and the fun part is we got to see them here first,'' he said. ''It's fun to race with some of these guys and know their names now.''
Last year it was Carl, and Thursday night at Denny Hamlin's Short Track Showdown, a fella by the name of Greg Edwards, a local Virginia driver, tried to hold off Stewart and failed. Not that he really minded.
''My gosh,'' smiled Edwards, who finished second. ''To get beat by Tony Stewart. How bad is that?''
Good for you, fella. Stewart took the checkers; unlike most charity events, Denny Hamlin didn't actually win his own race. He got caught up in a first-lap wreck and ended up bailing on the race after 29 laps.
The race was a mix of Sprint Cup veterans and local products; for instance, the sixth-place finisher was 15-year-old Ben Rhodes. Other known names included Joey Logano and Jeff Burton, but to Stewart, the best part of the race, held at Richmond International Raceway, was seeing the guys he'll face down the line.
''Trust me, there's a lot of these guys today and we're going to see these guys down the road in Nationwide or trucks or the Cup series, and the fun part is we got to see them here first,'' he said. ''It's fun to race with some of these guys and know their names now.''
Retired Indiana judge to hear Chevrolet appeal
IndyCar has tapped a retired Indiana Supreme Court judge to hear Chevrolet's final appeal of an engine change the series allowed Honda.
F1?s Lewis Hamilton To NASCAR?
In a bizarre twist of fate, Lewis Hamilton, the F1 wunderkind and star driver for McLaren Mercedes, will jump ship and head to NASCAR. Conveniently, Tony Stewart will give up his NASCAR ride and take Hamilton?s seat in last year?s McLaren MP4-25. The catch? Both are exhibition drives, courtesy of NASCAR and F1 sponsor Mobil [...]
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Power Rankings: It?s Denny Time
The race is done, and that means it's time for 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. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's either first or last...
1. Denny Hamlin: Two wins now for the Hamster after a year in which he won just one. That's a fine rebound, and it bodes well for Hamlin putting the ugly 2011 and the bridesmaid year of 2010 behind him. Also, with the win Hamlin now has more victories on the season than his beloved Charlotte Bobcats. Last week: 8.
2. Greg Biffle: Biffle and Kevin Harvick were on Twitter on Saturday night talking about the UFC fight with fans. No snark or goofiness here; that's just pretty cool, and exactly the purpose of Twitter and social media. So, yeah, if you're all "I'm not on Twitter because I don't want to hear what people had are eating for breakfast," you're missing out on a chance to talk with drivers live. But, hey, stay smug. Last week: 1.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: You know what I was thinking as Other Junior was ticking off lap after led lap? "Man, if he wins, Junior Nation is going to be TICKED." Truex is the last big-name, big-team regular with a longer losing streak than Earnhardt. So don't be surprised if 88 fans start sawing away at his axles. Last week: 6.
4. Matt Kenseth: I think I saw the entire Roush Fenway organization shedding a tear as they drove away from Kansas and the Midwest tracks. Still, we're starting to see some patterns develop here, and the next time we swing back this way, I'd be very surprised if at least one of the RFR guys is not challenging for the Cup. Probably this cat here. Last week: 3.
5. Jimmie Johnson: Look, it's nice that this was Earth Day weekend and NASCAR was being green and all, but what kind of green was that on Jimmie Johnson's car Sunday? Kind of an old-fruit, dirty-carpet, kid-vomit-in-school kind of green. You want green, you go GREEN, like Danica-neon green. Though that's really not a color you often find in nature, which would seem to undercut the entire point, I guess. Last week: 2.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Journalists aren't supposed to be biased in favor of one particular driver. And although my journalistic credentials are consistently in doubt when I write about things like kids puking in schools, I nonetheless try to avoid biases. But I will say that I root for a good story, and Junior winning would be a GREAT story. So it's always with a little twinge of frustration that I watch as Junior turns late-race high finishes into lower-reaches-of-the-top-10 ones.� Last week: 5.
7. Tony Stewart: What would you do if you'd locked up a spot in the postseason in April? Oh, sure, Stewart will run hard, and we saw last year why every race is important (sorry, Carl). But you'd have to be a rock-hearted, steel-spined fellow to not approach certain races like, I dunno, practice sessions. We'll see if Stewart can find it in himself to rip off a few more wins before September. I say yes. Last week: 4.
8. Kevin Harvick: The last two weeks in Power Rankings, the guy ranked 8th has won and leaped right to first place. This weekend, we have Richmond, where Kevin Harvick has had a bit of success. Somebody get Paul Menard to loosen up his spinning muscles, pronto!� Last week: 7.
9. Carl Edwards: This is amazing: the lap Edwards led during green-flag pit stops Sunday was the first lap he's led ALL YEAR. What the hell, Carl? Do you realize Sam Hornish Jr. led seven times as many laps as you on Sunday? And there are still walls that cringe when they see him coming! Last week: 12.
10. Ryan Newman: There's a pretty substantial gap between positions 8 and 9 on this list. I mean, BIG. Everybody else other than those top 8 has some really ugly marks on their r�sum�,� like that time when you worked at an amusement park for two weeks right out of college because you needed some fast cash and your father seethed at the thought of how much money he'd spent on that degree only to see you wearing bad polyester and manning the whack-a-mole booth. I mean, hypothetically speaking. Last week: 11.
11. Kyle Busch: You know why there aren't any of those classic "This is the New Kyle Busch!" articles yet? Because everybody's frankly a little scared for Kyle right now. Has he been neutered? Has he been lobotomized? Where's the car-crashing, ticket-grabbing, catch-a-fist-with-his-face Kyle that we saw last year? Spice it up, K-Dawg! Last week: NR.
12. Kasey Kahne. Hey, look at this! After a wretched start to his season, Kahne has worked his way back up into single-digit finishes. Those single-digits are going to need to be a lot of "1"s for him to make the Chase, though. He's a loooong way back. Last week: NR.
Dropping out: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon
Lucky Dog: Kurt Busch. Seeing Kurt run with no sponsorship on his hood was really sad, like watching a puppy limping. But he put that puppy in the top 10 for a fair portion of the day, so good for him.
The Kasey Kahne DNF: Should we rename this now that Kahne has actually reached the Power Rankings? Nah. Not yet, anyway. But this one goes to Clint Bowyer, who bottomed out in front of the hometown crowd. Man, that's embarrassing. Hope all the friends he brought to the race had the decency to pay him for their tickets.
Next up: Richmond! Come loaded for some wild Saturday night racing, and send your comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, via email by clicking here, and via Facebook. Go!
1. Denny Hamlin: Two wins now for the Hamster after a year in which he won just one. That's a fine rebound, and it bodes well for Hamlin putting the ugly 2011 and the bridesmaid year of 2010 behind him. Also, with the win Hamlin now has more victories on the season than his beloved Charlotte Bobcats. Last week: 8.
2. Greg Biffle: Biffle and Kevin Harvick were on Twitter on Saturday night talking about the UFC fight with fans. No snark or goofiness here; that's just pretty cool, and exactly the purpose of Twitter and social media. So, yeah, if you're all "I'm not on Twitter because I don't want to hear what people had are eating for breakfast," you're missing out on a chance to talk with drivers live. But, hey, stay smug. Last week: 1.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: You know what I was thinking as Other Junior was ticking off lap after led lap? "Man, if he wins, Junior Nation is going to be TICKED." Truex is the last big-name, big-team regular with a longer losing streak than Earnhardt. So don't be surprised if 88 fans start sawing away at his axles. Last week: 6.
4. Matt Kenseth: I think I saw the entire Roush Fenway organization shedding a tear as they drove away from Kansas and the Midwest tracks. Still, we're starting to see some patterns develop here, and the next time we swing back this way, I'd be very surprised if at least one of the RFR guys is not challenging for the Cup. Probably this cat here. Last week: 3.
5. Jimmie Johnson: Look, it's nice that this was Earth Day weekend and NASCAR was being green and all, but what kind of green was that on Jimmie Johnson's car Sunday? Kind of an old-fruit, dirty-carpet, kid-vomit-in-school kind of green. You want green, you go GREEN, like Danica-neon green. Though that's really not a color you often find in nature, which would seem to undercut the entire point, I guess. Last week: 2.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Journalists aren't supposed to be biased in favor of one particular driver. And although my journalistic credentials are consistently in doubt when I write about things like kids puking in schools, I nonetheless try to avoid biases. But I will say that I root for a good story, and Junior winning would be a GREAT story. So it's always with a little twinge of frustration that I watch as Junior turns late-race high finishes into lower-reaches-of-the-top-10 ones.� Last week: 5.
7. Tony Stewart: What would you do if you'd locked up a spot in the postseason in April? Oh, sure, Stewart will run hard, and we saw last year why every race is important (sorry, Carl). But you'd have to be a rock-hearted, steel-spined fellow to not approach certain races like, I dunno, practice sessions. We'll see if Stewart can find it in himself to rip off a few more wins before September. I say yes. Last week: 4.
8. Kevin Harvick: The last two weeks in Power Rankings, the guy ranked 8th has won and leaped right to first place. This weekend, we have Richmond, where Kevin Harvick has had a bit of success. Somebody get Paul Menard to loosen up his spinning muscles, pronto!� Last week: 7.
9. Carl Edwards: This is amazing: the lap Edwards led during green-flag pit stops Sunday was the first lap he's led ALL YEAR. What the hell, Carl? Do you realize Sam Hornish Jr. led seven times as many laps as you on Sunday? And there are still walls that cringe when they see him coming! Last week: 12.
10. Ryan Newman: There's a pretty substantial gap between positions 8 and 9 on this list. I mean, BIG. Everybody else other than those top 8 has some really ugly marks on their r�sum�,� like that time when you worked at an amusement park for two weeks right out of college because you needed some fast cash and your father seethed at the thought of how much money he'd spent on that degree only to see you wearing bad polyester and manning the whack-a-mole booth. I mean, hypothetically speaking. Last week: 11.
11. Kyle Busch: You know why there aren't any of those classic "This is the New Kyle Busch!" articles yet? Because everybody's frankly a little scared for Kyle right now. Has he been neutered? Has he been lobotomized? Where's the car-crashing, ticket-grabbing, catch-a-fist-with-his-face Kyle that we saw last year? Spice it up, K-Dawg! Last week: NR.
12. Kasey Kahne. Hey, look at this! After a wretched start to his season, Kahne has worked his way back up into single-digit finishes. Those single-digits are going to need to be a lot of "1"s for him to make the Chase, though. He's a loooong way back. Last week: NR.
Dropping out: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon
Lucky Dog: Kurt Busch. Seeing Kurt run with no sponsorship on his hood was really sad, like watching a puppy limping. But he put that puppy in the top 10 for a fair portion of the day, so good for him.
The Kasey Kahne DNF: Should we rename this now that Kahne has actually reached the Power Rankings? Nah. Not yet, anyway. But this one goes to Clint Bowyer, who bottomed out in front of the hometown crowd. Man, that's embarrassing. Hope all the friends he brought to the race had the decency to pay him for their tickets.
Next up: Richmond! Come loaded for some wild Saturday night racing, and send your comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, via email by clicking here, and via Facebook. Go!
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 [...]
11 drivers set for Texas oval test
Eleven drivers will test revised oval aero at Texas Motor Speedway on Monday prior Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation later in the week.
Skip Barber Racing School announces 2012 Karting Scholarship Shootout
Winner to receive a full-season scholarship with Skip Barber's Race Series.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Travis Pastrana Learns To Drive A Stock Car
By now you?ve heard that Travis Pastrana has given up on rallying for a career driving stock cars. He?s partnered with Michael Waltrip racing to campaign a Toyota in NASCAR?s Nationwide series, the same series that IndyCar?s Danica Patrick failed to make progress in last year. Pastrana bought his way into the team, so he [...]
Friday, May 4, 2012
Shank releases Jay Howard from Indy 500 contract
Michael Shank Racing on Wednesday released driver Jay Howard from his Indianapolis 500 contract because the team does not have an engine.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Martin Truex Jr.?s strong run vaults him to second in points standings
KANSAS CITY, Kan. ? Before the checkered flag flew on Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. was apologizing to his team for his second-place finish. Truex had dominated the race, leading four times for 173 laps before being passed by Denny Hamlin for the lead with 31 laps to go.
There was a time, oh, say, any other season in the team's six-year existence, where a second-place finish at Michael Waltrip Racing would be seen as growth, a sign of potential things to come. On Sunday, it was a vindication of Truex and MWR's performance in the season's first eight races. But it was also disappointing.
"I felt like today was kind of a day where I thought I was back and felt really strong that we'd have a car that could contend for the win going into the race," Truex said. "And then to be able to do that all day long, it was a good feeling.
"You know, as disappointed as I am with this second place, this is a big day for us as a team. It's kind of a statement for us that we're here for the long haul; we're here for the rest of the season.� This isn't ?�we're not just a flash in the pan."
Last week at Texas, Truex led 69 laps on the way to a sixth-place finish. At Kansas, he led more laps in one race than he had in all of 2011 en route to his third top five- and sixth top-10 finish of the season and is now just 15 points behind points leader Greg Biffle. Last year, he had three top fives and 12 top 10s in 36 races.
On Sunday, Truex carried the MWR banner, as teammates Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer suffered valve train issues that led to engine failures. Truex credits the addition of crew chief Chad Johnston, who ascended to the role during the 2011 season, and MWR vice president of competition Scott Miller, formerly of Richard Childress Racing, as key reasons for the team's performance.
"[Miller] came on at a time when we were changing the way we build our cars and did our program," Truex said. "That was a really good thing for us. He came in and streamlined the process, made sure it was consistent, made sure we were getting everything out of the people on the floor building the race cars and things.� Scott has been a lot of fun to work with.� He was my crew chief when Chad was suspended for a few races last year and really got to know him well.� He got a really, really good inside look at our cars and what we were battling with and what we needed to do better with, and as bad as it was to have Chad get suspended and all that stuff, it was a really good opportunity for Scott to really take a good look at the whole program and be a part of the program and say, okay, these are the things that I need to do this winter."
Despite Sunday's engine failures, the No. 55 and Bowyer's 15 aren't too far behind Truex in the standings. Bowyer sits 11th, while the No. 55, driven by Mark Martin in six races and Brian Vickers in two, is 11th in the owner's points standings. (Remember, all three cars finished in the top five at Bristol). Through the first quarter of the season, there's no ignoring Michael Waltrip Racing.
"To sit here and be disappointed with second place is saying something for us," Truex said. "Just looking forward to coming back to the racetrack next week. I really enjoy working with this team. They're doing a phenomenal job. I can't even tell you how much fun we're having to be honest. Once I get over the defeat in a few hours, I'm going to look at all the positives, and there's a lot of positives we can take out of this weekend and so far this season. We're not near as good as we can be yet, and we're going to keep pushing forward and try to keep getting better. I know our wins are going to come soon."
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? College hoops transfers who will be missed by their teams next season
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? Olympics mascots have ranged from weird to wonderful through the years
There was a time, oh, say, any other season in the team's six-year existence, where a second-place finish at Michael Waltrip Racing would be seen as growth, a sign of potential things to come. On Sunday, it was a vindication of Truex and MWR's performance in the season's first eight races. But it was also disappointing.
"I felt like today was kind of a day where I thought I was back and felt really strong that we'd have a car that could contend for the win going into the race," Truex said. "And then to be able to do that all day long, it was a good feeling.
"You know, as disappointed as I am with this second place, this is a big day for us as a team. It's kind of a statement for us that we're here for the long haul; we're here for the rest of the season.� This isn't ?�we're not just a flash in the pan."
Last week at Texas, Truex led 69 laps on the way to a sixth-place finish. At Kansas, he led more laps in one race than he had in all of 2011 en route to his third top five- and sixth top-10 finish of the season and is now just 15 points behind points leader Greg Biffle. Last year, he had three top fives and 12 top 10s in 36 races.
On Sunday, Truex carried the MWR banner, as teammates Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer suffered valve train issues that led to engine failures. Truex credits the addition of crew chief Chad Johnston, who ascended to the role during the 2011 season, and MWR vice president of competition Scott Miller, formerly of Richard Childress Racing, as key reasons for the team's performance.
"[Miller] came on at a time when we were changing the way we build our cars and did our program," Truex said. "That was a really good thing for us. He came in and streamlined the process, made sure it was consistent, made sure we were getting everything out of the people on the floor building the race cars and things.� Scott has been a lot of fun to work with.� He was my crew chief when Chad was suspended for a few races last year and really got to know him well.� He got a really, really good inside look at our cars and what we were battling with and what we needed to do better with, and as bad as it was to have Chad get suspended and all that stuff, it was a really good opportunity for Scott to really take a good look at the whole program and be a part of the program and say, okay, these are the things that I need to do this winter."
Despite Sunday's engine failures, the No. 55 and Bowyer's 15 aren't too far behind Truex in the standings. Bowyer sits 11th, while the No. 55, driven by Mark Martin in six races and Brian Vickers in two, is 11th in the owner's points standings. (Remember, all three cars finished in the top five at Bristol). Through the first quarter of the season, there's no ignoring Michael Waltrip Racing.
"To sit here and be disappointed with second place is saying something for us," Truex said. "Just looking forward to coming back to the racetrack next week. I really enjoy working with this team. They're doing a phenomenal job. I can't even tell you how much fun we're having to be honest. Once I get over the defeat in a few hours, I'm going to look at all the positives, and there's a lot of positives we can take out of this weekend and so far this season. We're not near as good as we can be yet, and we're going to keep pushing forward and try to keep getting better. I know our wins are going to come soon."
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? College hoops transfers who will be missed by their teams next season
? Eric Adelson: Tiger Stadium opened same day as Fenway Park but ignored in Detroit
? Olympics mascots have ranged from weird to wonderful through the years
Justin Wilson's blog: Sunshine through the rain
I was told the other day that being a fan of mine has become too frustrating! Well, my message to him and to anyone who follows us is, Don't give up!
Denny Hamlin?s victory made the 11 NASCAR?s winningest number ever
Standing on the shoulders of giants! Denny Hamlin won his 19th race in the Sprint Cup series in the 11 car on Sunday, and with that win pushed the 11 past the 43 in the number of victories in NASCAR's highest series. The 11 has seen victory lane 199 times in NASCAR's history, edging the 43 driven most often by Richard Petty. (Petty didn't always drive the 43, however, which is why it's a different total than his 200 career wins.) Jayski.com was kind enough to do the heavy lifting on this angle, and here's how the wins on the 11 break down:
? Cale Yarborough (55)
? Ned Jarrett (49)
? Darrell Waltrip (43)
? Denny Hamlin (19)
? Junior Johnson (11)
? Bill Elliott (6)
? Geoff Bodine (4)
? Terry Labonte (4)
? Bobby Allison (3)
? Buddy Baker (2)
? A.J. Foyt (1)
? Mario Andretti (1)
?� Parnelli Jones (1)
Man, that's a number with some serious pedigree. Other numbers currently running in NASCAR with some long history: Trevor Bayne's 21 (91 wins, 4th all-time), Jeff Gordon's 24 (85 wins, all by Gordon, 5th all-time), Brad Keselowski's 2 (71 wins, 8th all-time), Juan Pablo Montoya's 42 (69 wins, 9th all-time) and, yes, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 88 (66 wins, 10th all-time).
Note: 25 numbers have never won a Sprint Cup-level race. And no, "13" isn't one of them; Johnny Rutherford won the 1963 Daytona 500 with that number. Please tell me you're not psychopathic enough to want to know what the orphans are. (Go here if you do.)
? Cale Yarborough (55)
? Ned Jarrett (49)
? Darrell Waltrip (43)
? Denny Hamlin (19)
? Junior Johnson (11)
? Bill Elliott (6)
? Geoff Bodine (4)
? Terry Labonte (4)
? Bobby Allison (3)
? Buddy Baker (2)
? A.J. Foyt (1)
? Mario Andretti (1)
?� Parnelli Jones (1)
Man, that's a number with some serious pedigree. Other numbers currently running in NASCAR with some long history: Trevor Bayne's 21 (91 wins, 4th all-time), Jeff Gordon's 24 (85 wins, all by Gordon, 5th all-time), Brad Keselowski's 2 (71 wins, 8th all-time), Juan Pablo Montoya's 42 (69 wins, 9th all-time) and, yes, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 88 (66 wins, 10th all-time).
Note: 25 numbers have never won a Sprint Cup-level race. And no, "13" isn't one of them; Johnny Rutherford won the 1963 Daytona 500 with that number. Please tell me you're not psychopathic enough to want to know what the orphans are. (Go here if you do.)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Auto racing Plumb brothers not afraid to bump fenders
Hugh and Matt Plumb are competitive racers with impressive résumés in racing.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Martin wins 5th career pole at Richmond
Mark Martin watched and waited as 44 other drivers made two qualifying laps around Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, then went out and beat them all.
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