Saturday evening's Nationwide Series race at Atlanta featured just one lead change. Polesitter Chase Elliott, racing at his home track, led the first 36 laps and then handed it to JR Motorsports driver Kevin Harvick. Harvick led the last 159 laps through two cautions en route to a second straight Nationwide win at the Georgia track. Atlanta was also the site of Harvick's first Sprint Cup Series win in 2001 in a close finish with Jeff Gordon. It was Harvick's third race after replacing the late Dale Earnhardt.
Sunday evening's Sprint Cup action also did not have much competition out front early, with Harvick, the polesitter this time, leading until the first restart, when Joe Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin got past Harvick. Jeff Gordon also stayed in second place behind Harvick for a while. He later had a tire issue that took him off the lead lap.
Atlanta is also not as fast as similar tracks such as Charlotte. It just isn't one of those tracks known for a special style of racing like, say, the restrictor plate tracks, Daytona and Talladega. But Atlanta is also known for a number of memorable finishes, and many people look forward to NASCAR events there, so it shouldn't be passed off as "just another race" either.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Ty Dillon making highly anticipated Cup debut
Ty Dillon, who replaced his brother Austin in the #3 Nationwide Series car owned by grandfather Richard Childress, will be making his first start in the Sprint Cup Series on Sunday evening at Atlanta. Dillon will start 29th in the 43-car field in the #33 Chevrolet co-owned by Childress and Joe Falk. Fans have mixed expectations for the younger Dillon in NASCAR's top series. Austin Dillon took over the former #29 car of Kevin Harvick, which Childress turned back to the #3 car that Dale Earnhardt made famous, and he is running for the Rookie of the Year award in the series. Meanwhile, Ty Dillon is a Nationwide rookie and has won one race in the series.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Truck Series heads to Canada
The Camping World Truck Series will be racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario on Sunday. The road course race in Canada is the only race in all three of NASCAR's national series held outside of the United States, after the Nationwide Series left Montreal for Mid-Ohio following the 2012 season. Last year's edition of the race saw Chase Elliott get into Ty Dillon, causing Dillon to spin just before the white flag, with Elliott taking the win, his first in a top series after spending a number of years racing modifieds. Dillon had run out of gas and was coasting to the finish, with still a small chance to win. The truck point standings are currently topped by ThorSport teammates Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton, the defending series champion. They have a combined three wins heading into Sunday's race.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tony Stewart returning to Sprint Cup racing at Atlanta
Tony Stewart will be returning to his #14 Chevrolet for the Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia on Sunday. Stewart missed the last three races after being involved in a fatal sprint car accident in Canandaigua, New York on August 9, the eve of the Cup race at the Watkins Glen road course. Stewart last raced in a Sprint Cup car on August 3 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
With the investigation of the incident complete, some people hope Stewart, a three-time Cup champion, can get his mind back on racing, but others are frustrated that he seemed to get away without any punishments from the sprint car sanctioning body or from NASCAR. Stewart will definitely get a mixed reception when he shows himself to the fans on Sunday evening. He has already been eliminated from the Chase, and this week marks the penultimate regular-season race, so all he can do is get his career as a driver and an owner back up and running. But this point in his career will surely stay with him for the rest of his life.
With the investigation of the incident complete, some people hope Stewart, a three-time Cup champion, can get his mind back on racing, but others are frustrated that he seemed to get away without any punishments from the sprint car sanctioning body or from NASCAR. Stewart will definitely get a mixed reception when he shows himself to the fans on Sunday evening. He has already been eliminated from the Chase, and this week marks the penultimate regular-season race, so all he can do is get his career as a driver and an owner back up and running. But this point in his career will surely stay with him for the rest of his life.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
NASCAR reveals 2015 Sprint Cup schedule
NASCAR confirmed some rumored changes to the Sprint Cup Series schedule for 2015 on Tuesday when they released the schedule to the public. Many of the race dates are unchanged from this year, but there are a few significant changes. The changes coincide with a new 10-year television contract between Fox and NBC that begins next year and runs through the 2024 season.
Perhaps the most notable modification to the schedule is the return of Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina to its original Labor Day weekend date. The original Southern 500 race was held from 1950 to 2004. The last Labor Day edition of that race took place in 2003, with veteran and two-time champion Terry Labonte winning his last race. In 2004 it became the penultimate race of the season in November, one week before the Homestead finale, and it was dropped from the 2005 schedule. This left Darlington with just one race weekend, whose Cup event became a 500-mile night race in 2005, inherited the "Southern 500" name in 2009, and is the race that is moving to Labor Day weekend next year. A lot of NASCAR fans are happy that a classic tradition is returning to the sport.
The next big change involves Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, where the Nationwide and Cup series race this coming weekend, and which has been the home of the Labor Day race weekend since 2011. With Darlington going to that spot on the schedule, Atlanta has been moved to the second race weekend of the season, after the Daytona 500 and its associated events. In addition, there will be a doubleheader featuring a Camping World Truck Series race and a Nationwide race on the day before the Cup race. The Atlanta Truck race will increase that season to 23 races. The Atlanta races will be held on February 28 and March 1 in 2015. This will be the first time that the second race weekend will take place in the southeastern United States since 2004, the year of the last race in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Another change, which became official a few days earlier, is the Bristol spring race moving one month later, to mid-April, in an attempt to avoid inclement weather situations, which have plagued the Bristol, Tennessee area a number of times during the race weekend's March dates, including earlier this year. Bristol will be the Cup series' eighth race starting in 2015. There will also be three straight races in the southwestern part of the country in March. These will be the third through fifth races, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada, Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The Phoenix date, which has been the second race of the season for the past four years, will take Bristol's old spot as the fourth race after being bumped by Atlanta. Finally, the road course race in Sonoma, California will be held one week later, on June 28; the race at Kentucky Speedway has been moved two weeks later, to July 11; and the race at New Hampshire one week later as well, to July 19, which was an off weekend this year.
The 2015 Cup season will feature three off weekends, on April 5 (Easter), June 21 (between Michigan and Sonoma) and August 30 (between Bristol and Darlington). The last race before the Chase will still be at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, on September 12, and the season finale will stay at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. In addition, Fox will broadcast the June races at Pocono, Michigan and Sonoma for the first time since 2006. Some races will be shown on cable counterparts Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Network. This new schedule is sure to get fans excited for next year, and it could make it easier for them to travel between certain races. We'll see how it all plays out in 2015.
Perhaps the most notable modification to the schedule is the return of Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina to its original Labor Day weekend date. The original Southern 500 race was held from 1950 to 2004. The last Labor Day edition of that race took place in 2003, with veteran and two-time champion Terry Labonte winning his last race. In 2004 it became the penultimate race of the season in November, one week before the Homestead finale, and it was dropped from the 2005 schedule. This left Darlington with just one race weekend, whose Cup event became a 500-mile night race in 2005, inherited the "Southern 500" name in 2009, and is the race that is moving to Labor Day weekend next year. A lot of NASCAR fans are happy that a classic tradition is returning to the sport.
The next big change involves Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, where the Nationwide and Cup series race this coming weekend, and which has been the home of the Labor Day race weekend since 2011. With Darlington going to that spot on the schedule, Atlanta has been moved to the second race weekend of the season, after the Daytona 500 and its associated events. In addition, there will be a doubleheader featuring a Camping World Truck Series race and a Nationwide race on the day before the Cup race. The Atlanta Truck race will increase that season to 23 races. The Atlanta races will be held on February 28 and March 1 in 2015. This will be the first time that the second race weekend will take place in the southeastern United States since 2004, the year of the last race in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Another change, which became official a few days earlier, is the Bristol spring race moving one month later, to mid-April, in an attempt to avoid inclement weather situations, which have plagued the Bristol, Tennessee area a number of times during the race weekend's March dates, including earlier this year. Bristol will be the Cup series' eighth race starting in 2015. There will also be three straight races in the southwestern part of the country in March. These will be the third through fifth races, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada, Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The Phoenix date, which has been the second race of the season for the past four years, will take Bristol's old spot as the fourth race after being bumped by Atlanta. Finally, the road course race in Sonoma, California will be held one week later, on June 28; the race at Kentucky Speedway has been moved two weeks later, to July 11; and the race at New Hampshire one week later as well, to July 19, which was an off weekend this year.
The 2015 Cup season will feature three off weekends, on April 5 (Easter), June 21 (between Michigan and Sonoma) and August 30 (between Bristol and Darlington). The last race before the Chase will still be at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, on September 12, and the season finale will stay at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. In addition, Fox will broadcast the June races at Pocono, Michigan and Sonoma for the first time since 2006. Some races will be shown on cable counterparts Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Network. This new schedule is sure to get fans excited for next year, and it could make it easier for them to travel between certain races. We'll see how it all plays out in 2015.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Team Penske runs away with another Bristol win
The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol on Saturday once again proved why so many people love night racing at Bristol. There was plenty of competition, with drivers racing side-by-side for position at times. The front row featured Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, but the top two drivers at the end of the race were the Team Penske duo of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. Logano passed Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth, who drives the #20 car that Logano drove from 2009 to 2012, late in the race and managed to pull away from the other leaders to win. This puts Logano in a five-way tie for most wins this season, along with Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. These five drivers each have three wins with two races left in the "regular season" before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins.
One big story was the Hendrick Motorsports cars not having a good race, like they've been having most of the season. Outside polesitter and last week's winner Jeff Gordon had a tire going down early and ended up finishing one lap down. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Kevin Harvick bumped Denny Hamlin out of the lead, causing Hamlin to spin and hit Earnhardt, ripping off the driver's side sheetmetal from the #88 car. Hamlin was mad at Harvick and threw his HANS device at the #4 car during the caution. Meanwhile, Earnhardt got back out for a few laps, but then went to the garage for good. Kasey Kahne, the only winless driver of the Hendrick bunch this year, also had a tire issue and finished 23 laps down. Jimmie Johnson got a speeding penalty during his first pit stop, but rebounded to finish fourth.
Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Kenseth's teammate, usually does well at Bristol, but had no luck on Saturday. He was also tagged for speeding with Johnson, and had to fight back to the front. Busch then got caught up in a crash with Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola and Brian Vickers. After getting back into the race, Busch got into an argument with his crew chief on his radio, and parked his car out of frustration with a few laps left. Some fans are surprised that Busch did not win any of the three races this week at what is arguably his best track on every NASCAR national circuit. Busch also crashed at Michigan last week.
The Sprint Cup Series next races in the Atlanta suburb of Hampton, Georgia in a Labor Day eve race. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are still the top two in the Chase grid. Some drivers locked into the Chase with wins, like Earnhardt and Almirola, did not have very good finishes last night, and the standings look different as a result.
One big story was the Hendrick Motorsports cars not having a good race, like they've been having most of the season. Outside polesitter and last week's winner Jeff Gordon had a tire going down early and ended up finishing one lap down. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Kevin Harvick bumped Denny Hamlin out of the lead, causing Hamlin to spin and hit Earnhardt, ripping off the driver's side sheetmetal from the #88 car. Hamlin was mad at Harvick and threw his HANS device at the #4 car during the caution. Meanwhile, Earnhardt got back out for a few laps, but then went to the garage for good. Kasey Kahne, the only winless driver of the Hendrick bunch this year, also had a tire issue and finished 23 laps down. Jimmie Johnson got a speeding penalty during his first pit stop, but rebounded to finish fourth.
Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Kenseth's teammate, usually does well at Bristol, but had no luck on Saturday. He was also tagged for speeding with Johnson, and had to fight back to the front. Busch then got caught up in a crash with Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola and Brian Vickers. After getting back into the race, Busch got into an argument with his crew chief on his radio, and parked his car out of frustration with a few laps left. Some fans are surprised that Busch did not win any of the three races this week at what is arguably his best track on every NASCAR national circuit. Busch also crashed at Michigan last week.
The Sprint Cup Series next races in the Atlanta suburb of Hampton, Georgia in a Labor Day eve race. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are still the top two in the Chase grid. Some drivers locked into the Chase with wins, like Earnhardt and Almirola, did not have very good finishes last night, and the standings look different as a result.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Tony Stewart still not up to racing again
Tony Stewart, who was involved in an accident two weeks ago in a sprint car race in New York where his car hit and killed 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr., will not compete in tonight's Sprint Cup race at Bristol, for the third week in a row. Stewart is being replaced by Jeff Burton again. Although many fans and fellow competitors, especially his driver and teammate Kevin Harvick, have showed support for him and do not believe the incident was at all intentional, Stewart has barely been heard from since his statement on the day after the accident. He last competed at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania on August 3.
While much of the buzz about the incident has died down greatly, it remains a serious case. Authorities are still trying to piece together information about it, and some people are even speculating that he may never race again, which may or may not be likely. But it's still Stewart's main concern right now. The fact that he is winless this season and is going to miss the Chase for the Sprint Cup, in the first running of its revamped format, doesn't matter to him now. The only thing that does matter is trying to put this tragic event behind him and return to doing what he likes.
While much of the buzz about the incident has died down greatly, it remains a serious case. Authorities are still trying to piece together information about it, and some people are even speculating that he may never race again, which may or may not be likely. But it's still Stewart's main concern right now. The fact that he is winless this season and is going to miss the Chase for the Sprint Cup, in the first running of its revamped format, doesn't matter to him now. The only thing that does matter is trying to put this tragic event behind him and return to doing what he likes.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Brad Keselowski wins his first truck race
Brad Keselowski, winner of 13 Sprint Cup and 30 Nationwide Series races, got his first win in the Camping World Truck Series on Thursday morning in Bristol, Tennessee. He is the 25th driver to win in all three of NASCAR's top series. The race was supposed to be held on Wednesday night but was postponed due to rain.
Keselowski made his first Truck Series start in 2004, but it was in Nationwide that he broke through and started becoming a successful driver. He won the 2010 Nationwide and 2012 Cup championships, and has gained a reputation as one of NASCAR's top drivers since that 2012 season. Keselowski had been searching for this victory for 10 years and he finally got it today, having already proven himself in NASCAR's two higher levels. The two truck Keselowski owns, the #19 and the #29, are the only two Fords in a series otherwise filled with Chevrolets and Toyotas. Brad's father Bob won a truck race in Richmond, Virginia in 1997, taking Dodge to their second series victory.
Also a contender today was polesitter and fellow Cup driver Kyle Busch, driving his own Toyota. Busch flattened a tire after hitting the wall late in the race and lost some laps on pit road. Busch's driver and teammate Darrell Wallace Jr. also battled Keselowski for the lead. Wallace almost stole the win but Keselowski was able to hold him off. Finishing third in a Chevrolet was series veteran and four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
Keselowski made his first Truck Series start in 2004, but it was in Nationwide that he broke through and started becoming a successful driver. He won the 2010 Nationwide and 2012 Cup championships, and has gained a reputation as one of NASCAR's top drivers since that 2012 season. Keselowski had been searching for this victory for 10 years and he finally got it today, having already proven himself in NASCAR's two higher levels. The two truck Keselowski owns, the #19 and the #29, are the only two Fords in a series otherwise filled with Chevrolets and Toyotas. Brad's father Bob won a truck race in Richmond, Virginia in 1997, taking Dodge to their second series victory.
Also a contender today was polesitter and fellow Cup driver Kyle Busch, driving his own Toyota. Busch flattened a tire after hitting the wall late in the race and lost some laps on pit road. Busch's driver and teammate Darrell Wallace Jr. also battled Keselowski for the lead. Wallace almost stole the win but Keselowski was able to hold him off. Finishing third in a Chevrolet was series veteran and four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Carl Edwards going to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015
Carl Edwards, who is leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the current Sprint Cup season, is going to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015, joining Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth at the team. This will expand JGR to four full-time cars. Edwards will be driving a car numbered 19 with sponsorship from communications equipment company Arris in half of the season's races. The news was announced during a conference this morning that was shown live on NASCAR's website.
It was speculated by some fans, based on the announcement's description as "unprecedented", that JGR was going to switch manufacturers to Chevrolet, their brand from 2003 to 2007, or Ford, the brand Edwards drives with Roush. Some people even thought that Dodge was returning and that JGR had signed with them first. However, the team is staying with Toyota, and the "unprecedented" aspect of the news appears to be the sponsor of Edwards' #19 car. Edwards seems confident that Gibbs will help him continue his quest for a Cup championship.
Also announced during the conference is that Mexican driver Daniel Suarez will be driving for JGR in the Nationwide Series starting next year as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. Suarez made his series debut at Richmond in April. Some of the information about Edwards and Suarez made its way onto the internet before it was officially announced, but that didn't seem to ruin it for most fans watching it live.
It was speculated by some fans, based on the announcement's description as "unprecedented", that JGR was going to switch manufacturers to Chevrolet, their brand from 2003 to 2007, or Ford, the brand Edwards drives with Roush. Some people even thought that Dodge was returning and that JGR had signed with them first. However, the team is staying with Toyota, and the "unprecedented" aspect of the news appears to be the sponsor of Edwards' #19 car. Edwards seems confident that Gibbs will help him continue his quest for a Cup championship.
Also announced during the conference is that Mexican driver Daniel Suarez will be driving for JGR in the Nationwide Series starting next year as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. Suarez made his series debut at Richmond in April. Some of the information about Edwards and Suarez made its way onto the internet before it was officially announced, but that didn't seem to ruin it for most fans watching it live.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Hendrick Motorsports continues to lead in championship hunt
Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR's best teams in recent years, has had no trouble showing off their powerhouse status in 2014. Following Jeff Gordon's win at Michigan on Sunday, the team has swept the track for the season. Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have three wins apiece as the Sprint Cup Series has three races remaining before the debut of the new Chase format. These races are at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond. The Chase starts at Chicagoland on September 14. Hendrick's fourth driver, Kasey Kahne, has yet to win in the Cup series this year after winning four races in his first two seasons with the team, and is "on the bubble" for the Chase.
Gordon won with the same car he took to victory lane at Indianapolis three weeks ago for his fifth win at that track. Just like Indy, the final restart on Sunday came with 17 laps to go (although that makes up 34 miles at Michigan as opposed to 42.5 miles at Indianapolis) and Jeff Gordon got the jump on Team Penske driver and last year's race winner Joey Logano to get the lead. Gordon and Logano both had two wins on the season coming into the race. The checkered flag Gordon went on to take was the 91st of his Cup series career. It was his third at Michigan, his first two coming in 1998 and 2001, two of his championship years. Next weekend is the popular Saturday night race in Bristol, Tennessee.
Gordon won with the same car he took to victory lane at Indianapolis three weeks ago for his fifth win at that track. Just like Indy, the final restart on Sunday came with 17 laps to go (although that makes up 34 miles at Michigan as opposed to 42.5 miles at Indianapolis) and Jeff Gordon got the jump on Team Penske driver and last year's race winner Joey Logano to get the lead. Gordon and Logano both had two wins on the season coming into the race. The checkered flag Gordon went on to take was the 91st of his Cup series career. It was his third at Michigan, his first two coming in 1998 and 2001, two of his championship years. Next weekend is the popular Saturday night race in Bristol, Tennessee.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Fuel mileage matters at Michigan
At Michigan, where the Sprint Cup Series races tomorrow, fuel mileage often comes into play. Many times, drivers at the track have run out of fuel and had to make an unscheduled stop, particularly near the finish. This came into play at the 2005 second Cup race, where Tony Raines ran out with a few laps left, and Jeremy Mayfield wound up winning. It also happened in both races in 2009. In June, Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran out in the closing laps, allowing Johnson's teammate Mark Martin to take the win, and in August, Brian Vickers took the lead and won after a number of drivers had to pit. It even happened in the truck race earlier today, although no drivers completely ran out, as they pitted during the closing laps.
Fuel wasn't an issue in the first Michigan race this year in June, although some pit stops toward the end of the race were staggered after a restart. And if everyone's strategies play out well, and no miscalculations are made on the part of crew members, fuel mileage probably won't be a concern during the race tomorrow.
Fuel wasn't an issue in the first Michigan race this year in June, although some pit stops toward the end of the race were staggered after a restart. And if everyone's strategies play out well, and no miscalculations are made on the part of crew members, fuel mileage probably won't be a concern during the race tomorrow.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Jeff Burton, Matt Crafton make substitutions at Michigan
Friday's Sprint Cup practice and qualifying at Michigan had a couple of different faces. Veteran Jeff Burton, who has made two starts this year after ending his full-time driving career when he left Richard Childress Racing, will be driving the #14 car of Stewart-Haas Racing as Stewart continues to deal with the aftermath of the fatal accident in the sprint car race the evening before the Watkins Glen Cup race. The Stewart-Haas team and many of their sponsors are helping with the emotional recovery process.
Also, Truck Series driver Matt Crafton practiced and qualified the #78 Chevrolet of Furniture Row Racing. The girlfriend of Furniture Row's driver Martin Truex Jr. was having surgery for ovarian cancer and Truex wanted to be with her. Both of these situations show that the emotional mood that started last weekend has carried over into this one, and some people have not been afraid to show it.
Also, Truck Series driver Matt Crafton practiced and qualified the #78 Chevrolet of Furniture Row Racing. The girlfriend of Furniture Row's driver Martin Truex Jr. was having surgery for ovarian cancer and Truex wanted to be with her. Both of these situations show that the emotional mood that started last weekend has carried over into this one, and some people have not been afraid to show it.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Another penalty for Kevin Harvick
The #4 team of Kevin Harvick has been given a P3-level penalty by NASCAR after an incident in which a set of weights used for pre-race inspection were left under Harvick's car at Watkins Glen. Harvick was forced to pit early and got knocked out of contention. The penalty resulted in crew chief Rodney Childers getting fined $25,000. This is the second higher-level penalty in the Sprint Cup series in the past couple of weeks, coming after Denny Hamlin's P5 penalty following the Brickyard 400. Harvick also ran into trouble in February at Daytona after failing post-race inspection following a second-place finish to Matt Kenseth in the first Budweiser Duel qualifying race. Harvick was disqualified and his finish was changed to 25th.
In addition, the #98 team of Phil Parsons Racing, whose car is driven by Josh Wise, got a warning from NASCAR after they put fuel in Wise's car inside the garage structure during the Watkins Glen race. The rules state that fueling in the garage area must be done outside the actual garage.
In addition, the #98 team of Phil Parsons Racing, whose car is driven by Josh Wise, got a warning from NASCAR after they put fuel in Wise's car inside the garage structure during the Watkins Glen race. The rules state that fueling in the garage area must be done outside the actual garage.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sprint Cup sponsorships getting shuffled around
In the past couple of weeks, a number of sponsors in the Sprint Cup Series have announced departures or relocations to different teams for the 2015 season. One of the most talked-about sponsor departures is the National Guard leaving the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as all other motorsports operations in the country. Earnhardt has taken the Guard as a primary sponsor to two of his three wins this year, at Daytona and the first Pocono race. His other primary sponsor is Mountain Dew. Next year, Nationwide insurance, outgoing sponsor of NASCAR's number two series, will begin sponsoring Earnhardt. The National Guard joined Hendrick from the Roush car of Greg Biffle in 2007 to sponsor the #25 car of Casey Mears. That car became the #88 driven by Earnhardt in 2008.
Biffle is also involved in a sponsor shake-up. 3M, the sponsor of his #16 Ford since 2007 after the National Guard left, is going to Hendrick to sponsor the #24 of Jeff Gordon. Drive to End Hunger, one of Gordon's current primaries, is coming back in 2015 as well. In addition, the Kimberly-Clark company has renewed their sponsorship with the #47 team of Watkins Glen race winner A.J. Allmendinger and JTG Daugherty Racing. There will likely be more sponsor changes closer to the end of the season, and this will make for a lot of different paint jobs in 2015.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
A.J. Allmendinger gets first Cup win at Watkins Glen, helps lighten the mood
Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen was held in the wake of the death of 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint car accident at a nearby track involving Cup driver Tony Stewart, who did not compete in the Cup race for that reason and was replaced by Regan Smith. This tragedy dampened the mood, as did a series of hard crashes during the race, including one with Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell that damaged a barrier by the track and red-flagged the race for more than an hour. But in the end, there was a reason to celebrate after all when A.J. Allmendinger, driving the Brad Daugherty-owned #47 car, holding off Richard Petty Motorsports driver, two-time Watkins Glen Cup winner and yesterday's Nationwide Series winner Marcos Ambrose to get his first series win. Coincidentally, Ambrose once drove that same #47 car, and almost took it to a win at Sonoma in 2010 before stalling during a late-race caution, which gave the win to Jimmie Johnson.
Allmendinger encountered a huge low point in his career in 2012 after failing a random drug test. He had moved from Richard Petty Motorsports to Team Penske, and was released from Penske's #22 car following the incident. Following a suspension and recovery program, he ended up with Phoenix Racing for a few races, and also did some IndyCar and Nationwide Series competition. After getting re-hired by Penske, he won at the Road America and Mid-Ohio road courses in Nationwide last year. He was a contender at the Sonoma Cup race in June, but ended up two laps down. Sunday's race saw him in a showdown with Ambrose when the race resumed after the first red flag (there was another brief one with four laps to go after Alex Kennedy crashed).
While another first-time winner in NASCAR's top series didn't take away the pain of the tragic event of last night with the loss of a young driver, and Tony Stewart being involved, it did help take some people's minds off of it, especially since it was somewhat of an upset win. It was the first thing Allmendinger mentioned in victory lane. But Allmendinger has once again shown that road courses seem to be his best in NASCAR, although he has had some good results on other tracks earlier in his career. It was a weekend that saw both tragedy and triumph, and it will stick in people's minds for a while.
Allmendinger encountered a huge low point in his career in 2012 after failing a random drug test. He had moved from Richard Petty Motorsports to Team Penske, and was released from Penske's #22 car following the incident. Following a suspension and recovery program, he ended up with Phoenix Racing for a few races, and also did some IndyCar and Nationwide Series competition. After getting re-hired by Penske, he won at the Road America and Mid-Ohio road courses in Nationwide last year. He was a contender at the Sonoma Cup race in June, but ended up two laps down. Sunday's race saw him in a showdown with Ambrose when the race resumed after the first red flag (there was another brief one with four laps to go after Alex Kennedy crashed).
While another first-time winner in NASCAR's top series didn't take away the pain of the tragic event of last night with the loss of a young driver, and Tony Stewart being involved, it did help take some people's minds off of it, especially since it was somewhat of an upset win. It was the first thing Allmendinger mentioned in victory lane. But Allmendinger has once again shown that road courses seem to be his best in NASCAR, although he has had some good results on other tracks earlier in his career. It was a weekend that saw both tragedy and triumph, and it will stick in people's minds for a while.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Marcos Ambrose prevails once again at the Glen
Marcos Ambrose, an Australian driver who came to NASCAR from V8 Supercars, won Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen, in his lone series start of the year. This is Ambrose's fifth series win and fourth at the road course in New York state. Ambrose, a full-time Sprint Cup driver in the #9 car owned by Richard Petty, also has two wins at the Glen in that series, in 2011 and 2012. He starts alongside Jeff Gordon on the front row in tomorrow's Cup race.
Ambrose was driving a car numbered 09, because the number 9 in the Nationwide Series is used by JR Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. In the early laps, Ambrose tangled with fellow Cup driver Kyle Busch, causing them to spin off the track into a sand trap. They lost several positions but got them back during a series of mid-race cautions. Ambrose held off Busch during the closing laps to get the win. Also contenders during the race were Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, who started the race on the front row.
This makes Ambrose the winningest driver on road courses in Nationwide Series history. His last win in the series came at the Montreal road course in 2011. That track was replaced last year by Mid-Ohio, where the series races next week for their third and final road course trip of the season.
Ambrose was driving a car numbered 09, because the number 9 in the Nationwide Series is used by JR Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. In the early laps, Ambrose tangled with fellow Cup driver Kyle Busch, causing them to spin off the track into a sand trap. They lost several positions but got them back during a series of mid-race cautions. Ambrose held off Busch during the closing laps to get the win. Also contenders during the race were Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, who started the race on the front row.
This makes Ambrose the winningest driver on road courses in Nationwide Series history. His last win in the series came at the Montreal road course in 2011. That track was replaced last year by Mid-Ohio, where the series races next week for their third and final road course trip of the season.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Can a road course ringer win in NASCAR?
One thing road course races in NASCAR are known for is "road course ringers", drivers who specialize in road racing and do not compete as much on oval tracks. The ringers this weekend at Watkins Glen include names like Boris Said, Alex Kennedy and Tomy Drissi. But do these drivers have a chance at beating the NASCAR regulars and go to victory lane?
Road course ringers have had success on both road courses and ovals in NASCAR. One of these ringers, Dan Gurney, won five Cup road races in the 1960s in Riverside, California. Another one, Canadian driver Ron Fellows, finished second in a couple of races at Watkins Glen, and also did well at Sonoma. Other ringers have gone on to full-time competition, like Scott Pruett, who drove the full 2000 schedule in the #32 car owned by Cal Wells. Pruett then went back to exclusively road racing. With Chip Ganassi, he finished second to Robby Gordon at Watkins Glen in Ganassi's #39 research and development car, and almost won a Busch Series road race in Mexico City in 2007 before getting spun by teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who stole the win from Pruett.
Probably a better-known case is Boris Said, who has competed in several Daytona 500s, which are held at an oval superspeedway. Said also won the pole for the summer 400-mile race at Daytona in 2006 and was leading with a few laps to go; he finished fourth. Said also won in the Nationwide Series at the Montreal road course in 2010. There have also been some NASCAR drivers whose specialty has been road courses, but have competed full-time in Cup, like Juan Pablo Montoya from Colombia, the 2007 Sonoma and 2010 Watkins Glen winner with Chip Ganassi, who also almost won a couple of oval races. And in the spotlight this weekend is 2011 and 2012 Watkins Glen winner Marcos Ambrose, driving for Richard Petty. The Australian was also a contender at the Glen last year, but Kyle Busch ultimately won the race.
Saturday's Nationwide race and Sunday's Cup race will likely both be won by full-time drivers who are more experienced on ovals than road courses. But it's still nice to see road course ringers get special attention as they compete in series they don't normally run at tracks they can handle well, and ringers have won a few races in NASCAR, so it's something to watch out for this weekend.
Road course ringers have had success on both road courses and ovals in NASCAR. One of these ringers, Dan Gurney, won five Cup road races in the 1960s in Riverside, California. Another one, Canadian driver Ron Fellows, finished second in a couple of races at Watkins Glen, and also did well at Sonoma. Other ringers have gone on to full-time competition, like Scott Pruett, who drove the full 2000 schedule in the #32 car owned by Cal Wells. Pruett then went back to exclusively road racing. With Chip Ganassi, he finished second to Robby Gordon at Watkins Glen in Ganassi's #39 research and development car, and almost won a Busch Series road race in Mexico City in 2007 before getting spun by teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who stole the win from Pruett.
Probably a better-known case is Boris Said, who has competed in several Daytona 500s, which are held at an oval superspeedway. Said also won the pole for the summer 400-mile race at Daytona in 2006 and was leading with a few laps to go; he finished fourth. Said also won in the Nationwide Series at the Montreal road course in 2010. There have also been some NASCAR drivers whose specialty has been road courses, but have competed full-time in Cup, like Juan Pablo Montoya from Colombia, the 2007 Sonoma and 2010 Watkins Glen winner with Chip Ganassi, who also almost won a couple of oval races. And in the spotlight this weekend is 2011 and 2012 Watkins Glen winner Marcos Ambrose, driving for Richard Petty. The Australian was also a contender at the Glen last year, but Kyle Busch ultimately won the race.
Saturday's Nationwide race and Sunday's Cup race will likely both be won by full-time drivers who are more experienced on ovals than road courses. But it's still nice to see road course ringers get special attention as they compete in series they don't normally run at tracks they can handle well, and ringers have won a few races in NASCAR, so it's something to watch out for this weekend.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Ryan Blaney to Wood Brothers in 2015?
In the past couple of days, a rumor has been going around that Ryan Blaney has signed to drive the famous #21 car of Wood Brothers Racing in 2015. The car's current driver, Trevor Bayne, is driving full-time with Roush Fenway Racing in the reactivated #6 car starting next year. Blaney is currently under contract with Team Penske in the Nationwide Series, and Brad Keselowski Racing, owned by the namesake Penske driver, in the Camping World Truck Series, in which Blaney drives full-time.
But Team Penske has said that Blaney has not made any deals with other racing teams, and that they plan to continue helping him be successful in NASCAR. Blaney's main concern right now is winning the Truck Series championship with Brad Keselowski. He has also competed in some Nationwide races in Penske's #22, sharing the ride with Keselowski and Joey Logano, and he picked up his first win in that series at Kentucky just about a year ago. Blaney made his Cup debut at Kansas in May in Penske's #12 research and development car.
Another possible driver to replace Bayne in the #21 is former Penske and current Nationwide Series driver for Joe Gibbs, Sam Hornish Jr. Whoever ends up driving for the Wood Brothers in 2015, one sure thing is that they are going to remain a part-time team due to sponsorship issues that have plagued them for the past several years. But this has not seemed to take away any prestige from one of the most successful NASCAR teams of all time.
But Team Penske has said that Blaney has not made any deals with other racing teams, and that they plan to continue helping him be successful in NASCAR. Blaney's main concern right now is winning the Truck Series championship with Brad Keselowski. He has also competed in some Nationwide races in Penske's #22, sharing the ride with Keselowski and Joey Logano, and he picked up his first win in that series at Kentucky just about a year ago. Blaney made his Cup debut at Kansas in May in Penske's #12 research and development car.
Another possible driver to replace Bayne in the #21 is former Penske and current Nationwide Series driver for Joe Gibbs, Sam Hornish Jr. Whoever ends up driving for the Wood Brothers in 2015, one sure thing is that they are going to remain a part-time team due to sponsorship issues that have plagued them for the past several years. But this has not seemed to take away any prestige from one of the most successful NASCAR teams of all time.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Crashes and other issues take out several big drivers at Pocono
Today's Sprint Cup race at Pocono was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., giving him a sweep of the track, his third win of the season, the second straight for Hendrick Motorsports and their fifth straight at Pocono. But other drivers did not fare as well in today's race. It started on the very first lap when Brad Keselowski, the winner of last night's Nationwide Series race in Iowa, got loose but was able to save his car. Soon, drivers like Kyle Busch, Danica Patrick and Jimmie Johnson experienced engine and tire issues and were out of contention.
The biggest incident of the day came on a restart on lap 117, when Denny Hamlin triggered a 13-car crash between turns 1 and 2 that also collected drivers such as Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers and Paul Menard. Kevin Harvick got a piece of it, but his car was repaired and he went on to finish second. After that, A.J. Allmendinger and Kurt Busch got into the wall during the closing laps. The race featured staggered pit stops throughout, making for varying pit strategies, which showed especially during the second half of the race.
The Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series now heads to the Watkins Glen road course next week, which has hosted a number of exciting races in recent years, and where drivers like Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart have driven well.
The biggest incident of the day came on a restart on lap 117, when Denny Hamlin triggered a 13-car crash between turns 1 and 2 that also collected drivers such as Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers and Paul Menard. Kevin Harvick got a piece of it, but his car was repaired and he went on to finish second. After that, A.J. Allmendinger and Kurt Busch got into the wall during the closing laps. The race featured staggered pit stops throughout, making for varying pit strategies, which showed especially during the second half of the race.
The Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series now heads to the Watkins Glen road course next week, which has hosted a number of exciting races in recent years, and where drivers like Marcos Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart have driven well.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Pocono, Iowa feature lower-level racing action
NASCAR's two major races today were the Camping World Truck Series at Pennsylvania's Pocono Raceway and the Nationwide Series at Iowa Speedway, outside of Des Moines. Pocono is a 2.5-mile triangle, the same length as tri-oval Daytona and rectangular oval Indianapolis, while Iowa is a .875-mile oval. Pocono is also having a 400-mile Sprint Cup Series race tomorrow, the second of its two annual Cup races in the summer.
The scheduled 60-lap, 150-mile truck race had Kyle Larson on the pole, just like in the Cup race, and he and Austin Dillon led many of the opening laps. Filling in for an injured John Wes Townley was Clint Bowyer, who also got out front twice. Brad Keselowski driver Tyler Reddick, after leading one lap, soon lost a lap but eventually got it back. Less than two laps after a late-race restart, on which Dillon took the lead for good, Reddick and German Quiroga got together causing Reddick to spin and back into the wall. Reddick's crew repaired his truck and sent him back onto the track. The race restarted again with three laps left but on the Long Pond straight, Reddick spun Quiroga to get back at him and Tyler Young also got a piece of it. NASCAR parked Reddick for this incident and called him to the hauler after the race. The race ended with a green-white-checkered finish and Austin Dillon in victory lane, one week after his brother Ty Dillon won the Nationwide race at Indianapolis. The Dillons both drive #3 vehicles owned by grandfather Richard Childress.
The 250-lap, 218.8-mile Nationwide race was held in the evening. During qualifying, Trevor Bayne and Brad Keselowski battled for the pole, with Bayne beating out Keselowski in the final seconds. Keselowski was at Pocono in the morning for the final Cup practice, and then he flew to Iowa to drive Roger Penske's #22 car. Bayne led several laps but also ran into a couple of issues in the middle of the race. Sam Hornish Jr., who won the first Iowa race in May, also put Joe Gibbs' #54 car normally driven by Kyle Busch out front for 65 laps. There were two debris cautions and three single-car incidents. A spin by Robby Benton driver James Buescher set up a three-lap sprint to the finish. Joe Gibbs driver Michael McDowell took the lead at first, but Brad Keselowski passed him and took the checkered flag.
Tomorrow, NASCAR's focus is on the Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono, where all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne - have each won one of the last four Cup races at the Tricky Triangle, and they are trying to extend that streak to five. Hendrick is also going for two race wins in a row after Jeff Gordon's win at Indianapolis last week.
The scheduled 60-lap, 150-mile truck race had Kyle Larson on the pole, just like in the Cup race, and he and Austin Dillon led many of the opening laps. Filling in for an injured John Wes Townley was Clint Bowyer, who also got out front twice. Brad Keselowski driver Tyler Reddick, after leading one lap, soon lost a lap but eventually got it back. Less than two laps after a late-race restart, on which Dillon took the lead for good, Reddick and German Quiroga got together causing Reddick to spin and back into the wall. Reddick's crew repaired his truck and sent him back onto the track. The race restarted again with three laps left but on the Long Pond straight, Reddick spun Quiroga to get back at him and Tyler Young also got a piece of it. NASCAR parked Reddick for this incident and called him to the hauler after the race. The race ended with a green-white-checkered finish and Austin Dillon in victory lane, one week after his brother Ty Dillon won the Nationwide race at Indianapolis. The Dillons both drive #3 vehicles owned by grandfather Richard Childress.
The 250-lap, 218.8-mile Nationwide race was held in the evening. During qualifying, Trevor Bayne and Brad Keselowski battled for the pole, with Bayne beating out Keselowski in the final seconds. Keselowski was at Pocono in the morning for the final Cup practice, and then he flew to Iowa to drive Roger Penske's #22 car. Bayne led several laps but also ran into a couple of issues in the middle of the race. Sam Hornish Jr., who won the first Iowa race in May, also put Joe Gibbs' #54 car normally driven by Kyle Busch out front for 65 laps. There were two debris cautions and three single-car incidents. A spin by Robby Benton driver James Buescher set up a three-lap sprint to the finish. Joe Gibbs driver Michael McDowell took the lead at first, but Brad Keselowski passed him and took the checkered flag.
Tomorrow, NASCAR's focus is on the Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono, where all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne - have each won one of the last four Cup races at the Tricky Triangle, and they are trying to extend that streak to five. Hendrick is also going for two race wins in a row after Jeff Gordon's win at Indianapolis last week.
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