F1 Fantasy Racings » Nascar

Chip Ganassi rules out F1 team

Nicky — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:57:47 +0000

Well-known US motor racing team owner Chip Ganassi has ruled out entering formula one.
His cars have been winners in Nascar, Indycar and US sports car racing.

So with Austin joining the calendar this year, and New Jersey to follow in 2013, might it be the ideal time for Ganassi to look into running a F1 team?

“There was a time when I would think about that,” he is quoted by examiner.com.

“But now when I get that feeling I go lay down until it goes away.”

© 2012, www.fantasyracings.com. All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form. Copyright by F1 Teams Media Departaments, (GMM) and (CIAM)

Ecclestone: Indycar traded safety for high-risk racing

Nicky — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:31:04 +0000

Bernie Ecclestone has accused Indycar of playing with drivers’ lives by organising “wrestling”-style races.
Briton Dan Wheldon was killed just over a week ago in a 15-car crash at Las Vegas speedway, a 1.5-mile oval whose event boasted Indy 500-like speeds.

“We would never have let that race take place in Las Vegas last week,” F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told the Daily Mail.

“With 34 cars racing on a 1.5-mile oval track, they were heading for disaster.”

Wheldon started the race dead last and, in an Indycar season finale gimmick, he stood to share a $5 million prize with a fan if he carved through the field and won.

At the time of his crash, he had already passed ten cars.

“It made the race a little like all-in wrestling — with a high risk attachment,” said Ecclestone, referring to British no-holds-barred professional wrestling.

“While our sympathies lie with Dan’s family, the whole episode has not been good for motor sport in general.”

© 2011, www.fantasyracings.com. All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form. Copyright by F1 Teams Media Departaments, (GMM) and (CIAM)

Red Bull drops NASCAR, eyes US GP title sponsorship

Nicky — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:46:30 +0000

F1 team owner Red Bull looks set to pull the plug on its NASCAR project.
The failure of the project compared with the energy drink company’s meteoric success in formula one is being blamed for the decision.

Reports in the American media early this week say staff at the Red Bull Racing Sprint Cup team are being told the operation will close at the end of the season.

“We are not at liberty to comment on details while negotiations (with investors) are under way,” said the team.

NASCAR insiders say North Carolina based Red Bull Racing, headed technically by ex-F1 figure Gunther Steiner, has struggled since its debut in 2007.

A report in the Toronto Sun said it is “well known” that Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz has been “unhappy” with the NASCAR effort.

“They never really had the level of success (in NASCAR) that I’m sure they were hoping for,” said F1 marketing guru Zak Brown, according to USA Today.

“And on the flip side, you have enormous success around formula one. I’d probably say it’s a combination of both, and I’m not sure there was ever the same level of excitement and passion (for NASCAR).

“Dietrich is a winner, and he’s not going to go on forever if he doesn’t get the results,” added Just Marketing’s Brown.

He said it is likely Red Bull will chose instead to spend its North American dollars on title sponsoring next year’s US grand prix in Austin.

“Not that the US GP will ever be the size and magnitude of NASCAR,” admitted Brown, “but I’m sure they’re not going to just drop the NASCAR team and not fill the void in another sport or with a title sponsorship. The US is too big a market for them.”

McMurray with obligations in LA previous to Sunday’s race

imurillo — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:22:45 +0000

Slowly but surely, Jamie McMurray has realized his victory in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 wasn’t a dream. It’s real, and he’s enjoying every minute of it. More than six hours after the start of the Daytona 500, McMurray joyfully hoisted the famed Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway. McMurray endured lengthy delays for potholes that surfaced on the track, survived a crash-filled affair in the closing laps and held off a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final lap.

Last year, McMurray didn’t know for whom he would drive in 2010 after his Roush Fenway Racing No.26 team folded tent at the end of the season. He landed a ride with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in the No.1 car shortly after, and what a debut he made with the team.

With his second-place run, Earnhardt Jr. was the highest finisher among the four Hendrick drivers. Earnhardt Jr., hoping to snap a 57-race winless streak, charged from 10th on the final two-lap overtime restart to second on the last lap, but McMurray held him off by 0.12 seconds. California has not been one of Earnhardt Jr.’s best tracks, based on his previous performances there. ”I don’t like going out west, but it’s much easier to go there after you run good somewhere else,” Earnhardt Jr. said. Earnhardt Jr. has finished 25th or worse in three of the last four races at California.

McMurray celebrates his Daytona 500 victory with several obligations in Los Angeles this week previous to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

© 2010, www.fantasyracings.com. All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form. Copyright by F1 Teams Media Departaments, (GMM) and (CIAM)

Jamie McMurray ready for Sunday at Fontana

imurillo — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:06:03 +0000

Jamie McMurray is somewhat digesting Sunday’s Daytona 500 victory with the help of the great number of interviews he has given.

But the signs of appreciation must soon give way to the task of adding to it, particularly running well on the intermediate-length tracks that make up the bulk of the Sprint Cup schedule. Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway (2-mile track) in Fontana, Calif., begins a three-race run at 1.5- to 2-mile tracks, and McMurray aims to add to his breakthrough 2002 win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With experience from Dodge and Ford, he’ll copy the Chevrolet setup used by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who mostly ran well on those tracks last year in making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Most of McMurray’s success at Auto Club came in his first stint with Ganassi with four top-10s in five starts; 13 starts have resulted in an average finish of 16.4.

“It will be important to run well this weekend,” he said during a teleconference. “That’s honestly a really good track for me. I haven’t been in one of their cars on a mile-and-a-half.

“I expect to get to Fontana, be able to unload with the setup that Juan ran last year and be really close. Juan Pablo Montoya ran great there last year (11th and third).”

Peters wins the Nextera Energy 250 Truck Series race

imurillo — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:38:23 +0000

With a last-lap pass of superspeedway ace Todd Bodine, Timothy Peters won Saturday, February 13^th night’s NextEra Energy 250 Truck Series race at 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

With a push from polesitter Jason White passed Bodine on the backstretch and won the race to the finish line. Bodine, who had won the previous two season openers at Daytona, crossed the stripe in second place but spun into the infield grass after taking the checkered flag.

“I can’t believe it — this thing drove like a Lexus tonight,” Peters said of his No. 17 Toyota Tundra. “We just won Daytona! I was just content where I was at, but the No. 23 [White] came up and gave me a great run.

“I can’t believe it — I’m going to Disney World!”

Peters’ only previous win in the series came at .526-mile Martinsville Speedway.

Dennis Setzer, White and Matt Crafton rounded out the top five, as Bodine took solace from his second-place run — magnified by wrecks that ruined the nights of defending series champion Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner, perennial contenders for the Truck Series title.

“You’re a sitting duck leading,” Bodine said ruefully. “I saw the replay when I was sitting down there in the mud [after spinning]. Timmy did what he had to do.

“We’re disappointed. There’s no doubt about it. But second’s nothing to sneeze at.”

Two separate crashes on the pace laps — before the race had started — promised an action-filled evening, and, indeed, before the race was a lap old, Aric Almirola took the field three-wide in Turn 3. Austin Dillon, making his first superspeedway start, broke loose between trucks and ignited a nine-truck collision that damaged the trucks of Kyle Busch and Landon Cassill, among others.

“I really don’t know what was happening,” Dillon said after exiting the infield care center. “I was sucking up to Jason White and someone got under me. Just looked like they weren’t being very patient there to start. Just caught in the middle and got banged around there a few times and tried to save it — just nothing I could do there.”

Hornaday was the victim of a 10-truck wreck after a bump from Ricky Carmichael turned him into the outside wall at the end of the backstretch on Lap 32. The same wreck ruined the winning chances of front-row starter Elliot Sadler. Skinner’s race ended early after a tap from Peters launched him into the Turn 3 wall on Lap 62

Summary of the results: 1 Timothy Peters (Toyota); 2 Todd Bodine (Toyota); 3 Dennis Setzer (Dodge); 4 Jason White (Ford); 5 Matt Crafton (Chevrolet); 6 Nelson Piquet Jr. (Toyota); 7 Stacy Compton (Toyota); 8 Johnny Benson (Ford); 9 Donnie Neuenberger (Chevrolet); 10 J.J. Yeley (Chevrolet).

The Memory Jamie has Burned in His Head

imurillo — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:42:10 +0000

After a late night of celebrating their coveted victory in “The Great American Race”, yesterday, Jamie McMurray and his team handed over their No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet to be inducted into the attraction’s Gatorade Victory Lane. The winning car will be on display until next February when it will be returned to the team prior to the 53rd annual Daytona 500.

Winning the most prestigious race on the NASCAR circuit finally started to sink in Monday morning for 2010 Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray, who celebrated with his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team during the Daytona 500 Champion’s Breakfast at Daytona 500 Experience.

“It’s kind of sinking in,” McMurray said. “Every time we do something it’s a little more real. Whether it’s getting the jackets or the ring or just everything that’s a part of this, it’s just really, really exciting.”

Winning crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion was enjoying the surreal experience.

“Everything’s been in fast forward,” Manion said. “Pictures, media center, inspecting the car, pushing the car to the trailer to come over here and then a couple hours of sleep for some of us. It’s just been so exciting.

“(On) rain delays you stay over but winning the race and you have to stay over and have breakfast — that’s pretty cool.”

Also enjoying the festivities was co-owner Chip Ganassi, who is one of only two owners to win both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.

“Jamie showed me a text from (last year’s Daytona 500 champion) Matt Kenseth where he said, ‘You’ll never want this day to end.’ I agree completely. I don’t want this day to end.

“You have a complete flashback of your entire racing career — thinking about the possibility of something like this happening. You’re always shooting for that and you’re always trying for that. It’s just so reflective right now. Every sacrifice you made and every tough meeting I’ve had with a crew chief or a driver – the ups and downs of this business. It all seems worth it now.”

McMurray, who also unveiled the logo for 53rd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20th, is now on a whirlwind media tour making appearances on Late Show with David Letterman and Live with Regis and Kelly in New York City as well as making stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles before Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Despite his hectic upcoming schedule, McMurray knows the memory he’s going to take away from all of this.

“The thing that I’m going to remember is getting out of the car and running up and grabbing the flag and then running back down and seeing the Daytona (painted) in the infield (grass) and seeing ‘Daytona 500’. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. That’s the memory I have burned in my head right now of the 500; that’s something I’ll never forget.”

Greg Biffle’s pole run should not have been a surprise to anyone

imurillo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:19:55 +0000

Steve McCormick, in About.com Guide commented regarding Greg Biffle, “Even the fastest car can’t drive itself. Greg Biffle brings an impressive resume to Daytona: 1998 Truck Series Rookie of the Year, 2000 Truck Series Champion, 2001 BGN Rookie of the Year, 2002 Busch Series Champion and the winner of last July’s Daytona race.”

“Take a guy who is a proven restrictor plate winner and put him behind arguably the best engine in the sport and you’ve got a potential pole sitter. Can anyone tell me why sports writers are calling his pole winning run “shocking” and “surprising?”

“His name may not be on the tip of your tongue when you think of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup stars but this pole run shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone.”

Greg Biffle who was born in December 23rd, 1969, started 7 races in 2002. His official rookie season was 2003 and he featured a win at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona. Jamie McMurray beat him for Rookie of the Year honors.

His more outstanding performances have been:

2000 – Craftsman Truck Series Champion.

2002 – Busch Grand National Series Champion.

2003 – Won first NEXTEL Cup Race (July Daytona)

2005 – Finished second in NEXTEL Cup points

Jack Roush picked up Greg Biffle back in the mid 90′s with the idea that with some seasoning he could be great.

Just a few years later Greg rewarded Roush Racing with it’s first NASCAR championship as Greg pushed and shoved his way to the Craftsman Truck Series title. A couple of years after that Greg again came through, this time delivering a Busch Grand National series championship.

Early in his NEXTEL Cup career Greg has proven that he can get the job done. His first victory in NASCAR’s premier division came under the lights in Daytona as Greg won the Pepsi 400 during his 2003 rookie campaign.

There are surely more championships in Greg’s future. Those stories are still to be written but clearly he knows what it takes to win titles and he is with a top-notch team in the form of Jack Roush.

McMurray Wins Daytona 500

imurillo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:48:31 +0000

Jamie McMurray held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a finish so thrilling it just about made up for a pothole that nearly derailed the Super Bowl of NASCAR.

NASCAR needed two stoppages of well over two hours total to patch a pesky pothole between turns 1 and 2 of Daytona International Speedway. The setback brought the biggest race of the season to a frustrating halt and had NASCAR executives fretting over the potential fallout.

Hoping for a spectacular season-opener to re-energize the industry, the delays instead sent NASCAR chairman Brian France into the broadcast booth to calm an agitated audience.

In the end, though, the hole inadvertently improved the racing.

The action picked up tremendously after the second patch was applied, partly because drivers had to race as if the hole could rip open again and end the event on any lap. And did they ever.

They beat and banged their way through the field in a white-knuckle final 32 laps. Then a flurry of late-race accidents put NASCAR’s ”green-white-checker” policy — an overtime of sorts — to the test.

McMurray, using a boost from former teammate Greg Biffle, powered into the lead on the second and final green-white-checkered attempt. But Earnhardt, who restarted the final sprint in 10th place, was slicing his way through the field.

He weaved in and out of traffic, shoving his Chevrolet into three-wide lines, eventually darting his way to McMurray’s bumper. It was vintage Earnhardt — he’s a 12-time Daytona winner spanning NASCAR’s top two series — and McMurray was terrified to see him growing in his rearview mirror.

”When I saw the 88 behind me, I thought, ‘Oh no.’ He had a good car and I just thought — Earnhardt and Daytona, they win all the time it just seems like,” McMurray said. ”You never know what to expect.”

But with just two laps to make up so much ground, Earnhardt ran out of time and had to settle for second as McMurray sailed to his first career Daytona 500 victory.

”I didn’t know where I was, you know, ’til I really kind of got done almost wrecking down the back straightaway,” Earnhardt said of his charge. ”Then I looked up — there’s just one car in front of me, ‘Jamie’s gonna win this damn race!’

”I was happy for him. He deserves it. They’ve been through a lot. It’s a great team.”

McMurray climbed from his car and ran to the Daytona 500 logo in the infield, dropping to his knees and pounding on the painted grass. Overcome with emotion, he sobbed in Victory Lane as he celebrated with his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team.

It was McMurray’s first race back with Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates, who gave him his Sprint Cup Series shot in 2002. But McMurray left and spent four frustrating seasons with Roush Fenway Racing, only to lose that ride at the end of last season when NASCAR forced Roush to drop a team to meet its four-car limit.

McMurray had to fight to get a seat back with Ganassi, and it included convincing sponsor Bass Pro Shops’ owner Johnny Morris to take a chance on him.

The risk was well rewarded Sunday with the biggest win of McMurray’s career.

”It’s unreal,” McMurray sobbed. ”You know, to be where I was last year and for Johnny Morris and Chip and Felix. What a way to pay them back. It’s just very emotional.”

Biffle, a close friend of McMurray’s, was disappointed in finishing third because he was the leader when the caution came out after the first green-white-checkered attempt. But he was able to give McMurray the push that got his buddy into Victory Lane.

”I just made my move too soon, a mistake on my part probably,” Biffle said. ”This is a big, big win for anybody’s career. You got to be happy for anybody that ever wins this race. I was especially happy, the guys I was up there beating and banging with, you know, I would rather see Jamie win than those guys.”

Clint Bowyer finished fourth and was followed by David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr. — teammates for Michael Waltrip, who finished 18th in what’s expected to be his final Daytona 500.

Kevin Harvick was seventh and was followed by Matt Kenseth, last year’s race winner, Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya, McMurray’s teammate.

After the race, DIS president Robin Braig apologized for the hole and the delays that caused many fans to head to the exits long before the finish.

”We’re the World Center of Racing. This is the Daytona 500. This is not supposed to happen, and I take full responsibility,” Braig said. ”We can come back from this. We know how to fix it. This is hallowed ground. We understand that. We accept the responsibility.”

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

¡Congratulations Jamie McMurray!

imurillo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:54:09 +0000

Yesterday, Jamie McMurray won the 2010 Daytona 500 behind the wheel of his number 1 Chevrolet leading only two laps, the least in Daytona 500 history. He beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr who placed second, and Greg Biffle third. McMurray humbly cried after the race showing great respect for the men who previously won this historic race.

In 1999, McMurray made 4 starts in the Craftsman Truck series. In 2000, he ran 15 Craftsman Truck races and posted 1 top-five and 4 top-ten finishes.

In 2001 and 2002, he competed full-time in the NASCAR Busch Series, driving the #27 Williams Travel Centers Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The latter year turned out better for McMurray, as he won two races and finished sixth in the overall points standings.

Before the fall race at Richmond in 2002, Chip Ganassi announced McMurray as the driver of a Texaco-Havoline sponsored Dodge in 2003. Ganassi planned to have Jamie drive the #42 Dodge for seven races in 2002. Those plans were accelerated when Sterling Marlin fractured a vertebra at the Winston Cup Race at Kansas Speedway.

At the end of 2009, he left Roush Fenway Racing to drive for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the #1 car, replacing Martin Truex, Jr who signed to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing. His departure came as Roush Fenway was forced by a new NASCAR policy implemented a few years prior that limited the amount of cars a race team could have to four, and the #26 was the team Roush Fenway chose to cut. McMurray will reunite with Chip Ganassi in the upcoming Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Qualifying for Daytona 500

imurillo — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:57:44 +0000

The Daytona 500 is the only event with a unique qualifying system on the NASCAR circuit. In the primary qualifying, only the front row (the pole position and the second fastest driver) are locked into the race positions. Since 2005, NASCAR’s top 35 owners points standings from the previous season automatically qualifies those teams (not the drivers) into the event. The top two teams that are not within the owners’ Top 35, automatically qualify in the Gatorade Duels, a pair of 150 miles (240 km) races. This is followed by a combination of last years’ owners points, pole qualifying speed and if needed, a past champions’ provisional fills out the field.

Qualifying

One round of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series timed qualifying will be held. Each team may run two laps with the fast lap setting the qualifying time. The two fastest qualifiers set starting positions one and two and are the only guaranteed positions, filling the front row for the Daytona 500. • The Gatorade Duels, the 150-mile qualifying races, will determine starting positions for the Daytona 500 beyond the front row. In the event of cancellation, the field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

The 2009 Daytona 500, the fifty-first running of Daytona 500, was the first points-paying race to open the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The race won by Matt Kenseth with car number 17 on February 15 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. The Colombian, Juan Pablo Montoya finished in 14^th position, and the race was called off with 48 laps to go after a severe rainstorm that had been lingering throughout the area hit the track.

Who is your favorite for Sunday’s Daytona 500?

Jimmie Johnson aspires to 5th title

imurillo — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:11:04 +0000

A week after the Super Bowl, the USA shares, the same day, two other events that will paralize the country… and hundreds of thousand more fans around the world. This Sunday, February 14th several million viewers will sit in front of their televisions to enjoy the begining of the 52nd Annual Daytona 500, and the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas.

The approximately twenty million spectators who will watch the stock car race will add to the more than 200.000 who will crowd the stands and the inside of the 4.023 meter three-oval racetrack near Daytona Beach. Many of them will go to see the NASCAR myth, , number 48, Jimmie Johnson who managed a third position for Sunday’s lineup. The thing being that, the pilot from El Cajón, CA, aspires to his fifth Sprint Cup consecutive title.
Obviously, his rivals will do what is in their hands to prevent him from a new title, specially, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Robbie Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin and the Busch, Kyle and Kurt, who pretend to ruin Johnson’s party of a five-time-championship. At Daytona, Martin will have the pole position, but the 3.5 hr test might bring many surprises. The 200 laps to the speedway by the 43 top pilots at more than 300 kilometers an hour, guarantee an extraordinary exhibition with passings, collisions and a lot of adrenaline.

Lineup ready for Daytona 500

imurillo — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:39:32 +0000

Yesterday, the Daytona International Speedway was the stage of the two 150-mile qualifying races where Kasey Kahne won the Gatorade Duel 2 by .014 seconds driving his Ford . Tony Stewart crossed the finishing line second at the wheel of his Chevrolet, while Juan Montoya’s Chevrolet got third. On his part, Jimmie Johnson won the Gatorade Duel 1 by .005 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick who came in second. Kyle Busch won third place.

This leaves the ground set for February 14^th (next Sunday) Daytona 500 were the lineup will be as follows: No. 1 Mark Martin, No. 2 Dale Earnhard Jr., No. 3 Jimmie Johnson, No. 4 Kasey Kahne and No.5 Kevin Harvick, all of the behind the steering wheels of Chevrolets, except for Kahne who will drive his Ford.

Ryan Newman did not lock in one of the front rows

imurillo — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:21:50 +0000

NASCAR’s format for the opener, Pole Day locks in the top-two qualifiers for next Sunday’s (Feb. 14) Daytona 500 and establishes starting positions for Thursday’s 60-lap, 150-mile qualifying races. The results from the two 150-milers will determine the starting field — positions 3-43 — for the 500.

So it was a bitter sweet day for Ryan Newman who got third position at the Daytona 500 last Saturday, February 6th. As he did last year at the opening Sprint Cup event, he was the third fastest in Pole Day time trials at Daytona International Speedway.

“It would have been nice to lock in one of those front row spots for the 500,” said Newman, who was the second of 54 drivers to make a qualifying lap. “But overall we had a strong performance and I look for more of the same next week. I want to give a shout-out to all the Soldiers–we are doing our best for you.”

In Saturday’s two-lap qualifying show, Newman’s No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet covered the 2.5-mile oval in 47.225 seconds at 190.577 miles per hour.

He was a few ticks slower than the top-two qualifiers — Mark Martin (pole winner) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (outside pole). Martin’s lap time/speed was 47.074 at 191.188 while Earnhardt’s was 47.142 at 190.913.

It’s worth mentioning that the top-three cars are Chevrolets and are powered by Hendrick engines. Rounding out the top five were Bill Elliott (fourth) and Juan Pablo Montoya (fifth).

“It was shaky out there because the wind was tricky,” added Newman about his qualifying laps. “There was no good way to read the wind. A couple of things happened during the lap that I wish didn’t happen, but the wind was hard to predict. It was a great effort by the U.S. Army Chevrolet. Tony Gibson (crew chief) and all the guys did an outstanding job. From now until the 500 we need to be smart and get this Soldiers’ car ready for the big race.”

Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, was 21st fastest and will start 11th in Thursday’s second qualifying race.

The Cup series resumed practices on last week on Wednesday. The 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday were televised on SPEED.

Will Earnhardt Jr.’s comeback benefit NASCAR significantly

imurillo — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:18:05 +0000

There are people who are putting a lot of pressure on only one man, namely, Dale Earnhardt Jr., suggesting that if he won several races during 2010, NASCAR’s difficult situation would improve significantly.

Regarding this, Felix Sebates -minority owner of the Earnhardt Ganassi cars of Montoya and Jamie McMurray-, said “I think Dale Earnhardt’s lack of winning the last two years have really hurt the sport overall, because everyone expected him to be the leader.” “He has not been the leader. I hope he wins a bunch of races [in 2010] because if he wins a bunch of races, he’ll bring fans back to the race track. He’s good for everybody. I hope we win our fare share, but I want Junior to win a bunch of races. I really do.”

On his part, Kyle Petty, former driver and current television analyst said, “You’re putting too much pressure on one guy.” “If our sport depends on Dale Jr., then this sport is hurting, period.

Humpy Wheeler seems to agree. The consultant and longtime race track promoter doesn’t believe Earnhardt winning again would be enough to foster a NASCAR revival by itself. “It’s going to take more than that,” he said. “If Earnhardt Jr. could win a couple of races and battle maybe [Juan] Montoya, and trade some paint doing it, and let Tony Stewart get in the mix too, that’s what’s going to pep things up and move the needle and get the phones to ring. Junior by himself winning a race passively — by passively, I mean fuel mileage or something like that — that’s not going to click the meter.”

So maybe multiple trips to Victory Lane by the No. 88 car wouldn’t be enough to raise NASCAR back to its early-2000s height. But clearly, they wouldn’t hurt. Anyone who has ever been to a race track when Earnhardt takes the lead has heard the roar, powerful enough to be noticed over the sound of 43 engines. So a complete turnaround? No, maybe that’s too much to ask of Earnhardt. But a spark? That’s something else altogether.

Jeff Behnke, executive producer and senior vice president at Turner Sports — the parent company of NASCAR broadcast partner TNT, and, in the interest of full disclosure, NASCAR.COM — believes an Earnhardt comeback would also be reflected in television ratings. “I think the ratings would go up. Our job is to talk about all 43 drivers, which we do. But the answer is, yeah, he’s been the most popular driver for however many years running now, and there are reasons for that. You just see it when he takes the lead in a race. You see the grandstands, and they go berserk.”

Look, nobody wants to get back to where he was as a very, very high-performing driver more than Dale Jr. I met with him [in January], and he wants to return and so does Rick Hendrick, and if it does, it will help NASCAR, no question about that. But that’s sports. We’ll have to let it play out,” explained NASCAR chariman. “Even someone of his status has a relatively limited reach. It’s likely a gross overstatement to say that a revival of Dale Earnhardt Jr. would translate into a revival for NASCAR itself.”

“I get a really good feeling from Dale Jr. this year. I really do, no joke,” said Petty, who spoke with Earnhardt. “I think he’s excited about this year. He’s excited like he was when he was 16 and going to run Caraway and going to run Concord. He has a little of that spark when you talk to him. If he turns it around, it’s going to be huge for the sport. It’s going to be big for his fans, it’s going to be big for the sport, it’s going to be big for everybody, because the tide will rise and the ships will float with him.”

We’ll see what happens. For the time being, Dale will be starting second –behind teammate Mark Martin-, in the Feb. 14 Daytona 500, at the Daytona International Speedway, his best qualifying position since starting second last year at Kansas. It’s the first time he’s been on the front row for a restrictor-plate race, where seven of his 18 career wins have come, since 2003.

Martin secures pole position at Daytona 500

imurillo — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:37:34 +0000

Last Saturday, Mark Martin secured his pole position for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, which will take place February 14, 2010.

Behind the steering wheel of his number 5 Chevrolet, the 51 year old driver from Arkansas managed to earn the pole position driving at more than 191 mph at 191.188. Next, on second place came Dale Earnhardt Jr., followed by Ryan Newman driving his number 39 Chevrolet.

Saturday’s qualifying decided only the front-row spots for the 500. The rest of the lineup will be set after Thursday’s two 150-mile qualifying races. Drivers who finished in the top 35 of last year’s owners standings are guaranteed to start somewhere.

Brian France compared again

imurillo — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:15:46 +0000

On January and being at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center north of Charlotte, Brian France became annoyed at the implication that he has not been a good leader in his more than six years as NASCAR’s chief executive. Truth is, many of the stakeholders in the sport feel much the same way about the CEO wondering if he wants to do the job, and why he did not adjust his managerial approach to leading the sport sooner as NASCAR began to have economic difficulties. This problems included drops in attendance and TV ratings, both of which were falling before the recession hit.

Brain France has only been NASCAR’s leader since 2003, but many changes have taken place since then. ”I’ve known Brian a long time, and I know he can do it. But he’s got to stand up and say, ‘I’m in charge, we’re doing this. We’re on the same page, and we’re going to get this done,’” said Ray Evernham, former crew chief for Jeff Gordon.

In a brief interview -just before he ran from one meeting to another, talking to NASCAR owners and drivers, crew chiefs and marketers, track presidents and TV executives, as the start of a new season was just around the corner-, France stated, “I have to lead in a way that fits my style and approach. Not everybody is going to agree with that.”

The thing is he has been compared to his father, Bill Jr. and to his grandfather, Big Bill. “If you’re going to compare me to somebody else, my father or whoever, I’m not going to be somebody else,” said a Brian, who has never been more active than in the months following the end of last season. France’s offseason mission: meet with every track operator, broadcast partner and team by his self-imposed deadline of this week’s Daytona 500.

Reutimann will pilot Braun Racing No. 10 Toyota

imurillo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:10:01 +0000

Beringer Vineyards will again sponsor Braun Racing No. 10 Toyota for three races: the Auto Club Speedway in February, Texas Motor Speedway in April and Chicagoland Speedway in July in 2010. This will be the fourth season of the Californian winery with the team.

David Reutimann – who has been a familiar face in the Nationwide Series since 2002-, will once again pilot the No. 10 Beringer Vineyards Toyota in those three events. In 113 cumulative Nationwide Series starts, he has collected one win, 16 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes. In each of his four 2009 races he posted top-10 finishes.

Reutimann is pleased to have the opportunity to carry the Beringer Vineyards colors and to be able to continue competing in the Nationwide Series, if only on a limited basis.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to join forces with Braun Racing and Beringer Vineyards for another season,” Reutimann said. “Braun Racing is a first-class operation with a great group of people to support it. That is the reason they have been able to grow and expand into four full-time teams for 2010. I look forward to working with them again next season and competing to give Beringer their first win as a primary sponsor in the Nationwide Series.”

Danica Patrick 6th in the ARCA 200-mile race

imurillo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:43:12 +0000

Danica Patrick who finished 6th in the ARCA 200-mile race last Saturday, February 6^th, will participate Saturday’s Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Beyond Daytona, Patrick’s 2010 campaign is confirmed starting with the Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway and the Feb. 27 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Following Vegas, Patrick will take a four-month hiatus to focus on her IndyCar Series responsibilities before returning to drive June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

ARCA stock cars are almost identical to Nationwide Series cars. Patrick’s ARCA start Saturday was the first race in a stock car for the Roscoe, Ill., driver, who in 2008 became the first woman to win an IndyCar event.

Her participation in the Camping World race was contingent on her performance on the high-banked Daytona track. Patrick veered off track after contact with a car driven by former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet, Jr., and slid sideways through the grass into Turn 1.

Her car sustained minor damage when it struck the 31-degree banking of the corner, but she rallied from the back of the pack and ran as high as 5th before the checkered flag waved.

JR Motorsports will still field two cars for the Nationwide Series season opener. Due to sponsorship reallocation for the upcoming season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet in place of Kelly Bires in what is the first of two scheduled races for the JRM co-owner. Bires will return to the seat of the No. 88 Chevy the following week at Auto Club Speedway and could be called upon to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet at Daytona should Patrick not compete in that event.

“We want to give Danica the best opportunity to compete at Daytona, and that includes making sure she is 100 percent comfortable in that driver’s seat,” said Kelley Earnhardt, JRM co-owner and general manager.

About the Sprint Cup Series

imurillo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:14:07 +0000

The Gatorade Duel, is NASCAR Sprint Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two 150-mile (240 km) races, and serves as a qualifying race for the Daytona 500. The finishing order in the two 150-mile (240 km) races, held on Thursday, determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 held on Sunday.

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is unique in NASCAR. Only the two front row starters (the pole position and “outside pole”) are determined by the ordinary qualifying process of timed laps. After the top two positions are locked in, the rest of the starting grid is set by the finishing order of these two races. Drivers participate in one of the two races. Half the field entered for the Daytona 500 races in the first race, and the other half the second. The finishing order of the first race fills the odd positions of the starting grid (inside of each row), and the finishing order for the second race fills the even positions of the starting grid (outside of each row).

Sprint Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. The engines are powerful enough to reach speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h), but high weight makes for poor handling. Their bodies and chassis are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are generally simple.

In 2009, Jimmie Johnson was the only driver to win 4 consecutive Sprint Cup championships.

Kasey Kahne possibly stays with RPM

bimbisara — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:39:32 +0000

Pilot Kasey Kahne declared he wants to give his situation –staying with Richard Petty Motorsports-, a really good opportunity, a really legit shot at showing him that RPM is where he needs to be. On his part, RPM management clearly wants him to stay. “It is our intention to try and keep Kasey Kahne,” managing partner Foster Gillett said

Now, with the Yates merger complete and a stable management team seemingly in place — George Gillett and Petty remain owners, with former Yates co-owner Max Jones now aboard as president and general manager — Kahne seems content to let performance make his decision for him.

He stated he was made an offer already and he “… just wants to wait and see. That’s the biggest thing, just performance, how can I win races and do that kind of stuff.” He added that he’s really hoping that this merger and things with the Roush people and Yates is going in that direction.

Harvick wins Saturday’s Shootout at Daytona

bimbisara — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:43:36 +0000

This Saturday Kevin Harvick won Budweiser Shootout at Daytona for second consecutive time, but even though he’s very happy, he’s aware that this victory does not guarantee his success in the 2010 race at Daytona 500

Last year, Harvick almost won the Daytona 500 race where he finished in second position after Matt Kenseth. However, his overall performance during the whole season was far from what he expected. Still he had to admit he’s excited after winning Saturday’s non-points event behind the wheel of his No. 29 RCR-powered Chevrolet for the second consecutive year.

Although he said there are no guarantees that things improve this year, he hopes that the rest of the season is much better than the last. He declared “he is painfully aware of the fickle nature of races at Daytona International Speedway. What he accomplished Saturday night was great, but in the long run of Speedweeks at DIS it may not mean a whole lot, or even anything at all.

“I’ve been here enough times to know this can be a funny week,” Harvick said. “It can mess with you time after time. Hour by hour can bring something that’s unexpected, just like getting sick to start the week. I mean, that’s not something that you plan for or can plan for.

“Getting sick … having the car wrecked in the first practice with someone else driving it … there are just so many variables that can get thrown at you this week, you just have to stay even keel. This is great that we won this race. We’re all really excited about what we want to do. But the big picture is on Sunday. It’s just taking it hour by hour, one day at a time, and stay concentrated.”

Jeff Gordon Nascar Profile

Nicky — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:47:10 +0000

Jeff Gordon is a famous American race car driver who was born in 1971 in Vallejo, California. He has won the Nascar Winston Cup four times, and he drives car #24 for Hendrick Motorsports. As of this writing, one of his most prominent sponsors is DuPont. Jeff Gordon began racing when he was only five years of age. He loved to race cars, and his family was supportive of him. His family actually relocated primarily because they wanted Jeff to be in a location where he could better harness his racing skills. While he was still a minor, Jeff had already won a number of races and was given the USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year award.

After this, Gordon went on to win the USAC Midget title, and by 1991, he had gained the USAC Silver Crown. He broke a record by being the youngest person to ever capture the title. He went to the Busch Series after this, and had a large number of victories. Gordon crashed his car during the the Hooters 500 race in Atlanta in 1992, and this caused him to be placed in the 31st position. Jeff Gordon was one of many young racers who would be placed on high quality teams early in their careers. The success of Jeff Gordon allowed a younger generation of racers to begin competing in Nascar.

Many critics felt that Gordon was not ready to compete at the professional level because of his habit of racing cars so hard that he crashed them. However, Gordon proved them all wrong during the 1994 season, were he emerged victorious in the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which was a long and difficult race. Gordon would also go on to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. In 1995 he won what would become the first of four Winston Cup Championships. Jeff Gordon is also famous for rising up against the legendary Dale Earnhardt, and he has become a fan favorite.

Many people consider Jeff Gordon to be one of the greatest drivers in Nascar because he achieved so much at a very young age. Even at 35 years of age, Jeff Gordon has successfully won 75 races, which is just one victory behind Dale Earnhardt. Jeff Gordon is also notable for making Nascar a popular sport with mainstream audiences. For a long time, the sport was only regulated to the south, but Jeff Gordon has allowed it to reach a high level of popularity due to advertising and his skills with the media.

Author is a contributer for an auto racing blog at AutoRacingReporter.com. Find more auto racing websites at SportsWebsiteDirectory.com. Purchase sports website marketing at SportsWebsiteMarketing.com.

ESPN and ABC prominence in Montoya’s NASCAR

Osorio M — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:00:57 +0000

The great heights and popularity that the NASCAR automobile competition is getting will be fully covered by ESPN and ABC television networks, which have guaranteed the 17 tests for the next season’s broadcasts.

The remaining 41 tests will be broadcast by the National network FOX (14), cable’s TNT (6) and SPD (4), respectively.
The competition will again have among its outstanding pilots the Colombian, Juan Pablo Montoya -who last season finished on 8th place of the championship’s competition-, will begin February 6 with the initial text in the Daytona International Speedway.

But it will not be but until February 21, a week after the Daytona 500 Mile classic race, that the Sprint Cup Series competition will begin at California’s Auto Club Speedway.
Nevertheless, ESPN and ABC will not begin the 17 broadcasts they have programmed until July 25 with the Brickyard 400 test, and will complete them when the season ends with the 10 races that define the NASCAR champion with the Sprint Cup Chase series. The last one will be the one that will take place at Homestead (Miami), in November 21.

ESPN will broadcast 14 tests, while ABC -the National network from the same business group and which last season broadcast 11-, this year will only broadcast three, and all of them on Saturday night.
ESPN’s broadcast races’ schedules will be: 1:00 PM (18:00 GMT) for the East Coast and 3:00 PM (20:00 GMT) in the West Coast, except for Atlanta’s on September 25, which will begin at 7:30 PM (00:30 GMT).
The three races broadcast by ABC on Saturday nights will be Bristol, Tennessee, (August 21), Richmond, Virginia, (September 11) and Charlotte, North Carolina, (October 16), at 7:30 PM (00:30 GMT).
John Skipper, ESPN Executive Vice-President, stressed in an official press release about the excellent results the network had last year with NASCAR competition’s broadcast.
“All we did last year showed us that ESPN is the best network for NASCAR”, Skipper underlined. For his part, Paul Brooks, NASCAR Media Group’s President, likewise in an official press release, praised all of ESPN’s subscriber base which has special relevance among the young population segment.

“They are wonderful news for our NASCAR competition fans,” said Brooks in the press release. ”The ESPN subscriber base is of nearly 100 million and the network has a special gift to attract young viewers.”
Brooks recognized that this ESPN reality will allow the NASCAR competition to be viewed more, which will benefit all equally.

Last season, US Jimmy Johnson (6.652 points) won the championship title for fourth consecutive year, being the first to do this in the history of the competition.
Montoya, who fought among the firsts until the last two Sprint Cup Chase tests, finished on eighth position, with 6.252 points and winning 5.270.120 million dollars, in what was his second season in the NASCAR competition.

Jimmie Johnson voted NASCAR Driver of Year

Nicky — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:56:06 +0000

With all respect to Kyle Busch and his 20 victories covering three series, Jimmie Johnson is still the man. Say what you want about driving for Rick Hendrick’s “evil empire,” how much of a factor Chad Knaus adds to the equation and how the Chase arrange (which I personally still despise) has played to his strengths, Johnson has four very large silver bowls in his possession, all with his name engraved as NASCAR champion. Only three another men in the 60-year history of NASCAR can claim to have won at least four Cup championships:Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon . Think about that for just a present moment. We’re talking three of the excellent drivers ever, and Johnson — who just turned 34 — definitely deserves to be a part of that conversation.

Jarrod Breeze
Kyle Busch did some special things this year, most notably in the Nationwide and Truck series. Fiftysomethings Ron Hornaday and Mark Martin pooh-poohed the age thing. Tony Stewart was successful as an owner/driver. Did you know Jeff Gordon led the Cup Series with 25 top-10s and tied for most top-fives with 16? But at the end of the day, at the end of the season, the matter in NASCAR that matters most is the Cup championship. And that title belongs to Jimmie Johnson, the face of NASCAR in 2009. End of discussion.

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D.J. Richardson Passes Away

Nicky — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:50:18 +0000

Richard Childress Racing pit crew member Donald “D.J.” Richardson Jr., passed away December 25 in a Massachusetts hospital from ramifications of the H1N1 virus. He was 37.

Richardson, of Leominster, Mass., contracted the H1N1 virus over the Thanksgiving holiday. He was admitted to Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster for evaluation, where it was found he was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome.

“All of us at RCR are saddened by D.J.’s passing,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “D.J. was a gifted tire changer, one of the greatest team players in the business and a valued member of the RCR family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Richardson engaged RCR in July 2009 and finished the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as the rear-tire changer for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS team. He began his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career with Andy Petree Racing in 1999. He has also worked for Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Braun Racing.

“I am shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and teammate,” said Matt Clark, director of human performance and leadership development of Richard Childress Racing. “Anyone who knew D.J. realized that below the tough exterior was a caring father, friend and teammate. He had a huge heart and would do anything to help someone in need. D.J. loved changing tires and was recognized as one of the top pit athletes at the position. I want to extend my condolences to his family and friends.”
Funeral arrangements have been made and the viewing will be Tuesday, December 29, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Silas F. Richardson and Son Funeral Home in Leominster, Mass. The funeral will be Wednesday, December 30, at 11 a.m. at St. Marks Church in Leominster, Mass. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund for his three children is being established, with details to follow as soon as possible.

Details of a commemoration service in North Carolina are pending and will also be made available as soon as possible.