Thursday, July 31, 2014
Gordon, Stewart, Kahne, Larson Set For Charity Kart Race
Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and five-time
Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion
and three-time World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series A-Feature winner Tony
Stewart, 16-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner Kasey Kahne and current NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series rookie-of-the-year leader Kyle Larson will join race fans to
compete in the second-annual Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular kart race in
Knoxville, Iowa.
The race is part of the week’s Tony Stewart Kick-It Cup
charity events, and pits more than 60 race fans who have generously donated to
Kick-It against some of their favorite racing stars in an eight heat race, single-feature
event.
All proceeds from the event go to Kick-It, a program of
Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation that raises money for children’s cancer
research. To date, the Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular has raised more than
20,000ドル through online donations.
The winner of each heat race will transfer to the 20-lap
A-Main. All non-qualifiers have a last chance one-lap foot race to run their
way in, with the top two starting ninth and 10th in the
feature event. The four NASCAR drivers will start at the tail of the feature in
an effort to beat the fans and have their name engraved on the trophy. Kyle
Larson won the inaugural event last August.
The 2014 Tony Stewart Kick-It Cup events continue on Friday,
August 8 at 11 a.m. with the inaugural Fan Fest at Young’s Field, featuring a
“Legends of Sprint Car Racing” autograph session, Minnesota Mafia Kids Kick-It
contest, silent auction, food and more. At noon, the third-annual kickball game
begins, pitting the world’s greatest sprint car drivers going head-to-head in a
seven-inning grassroots game. A live auction featuring a QRC go-kart,
sheetmetal, vacation packages, and more will take place throughout the game. A
full list of auction items can be found at www.facebook.com/knoxvillekickit.
Martin Returning Home To Roush Fenway Racing
Roush (L) and Martin team up again
Mark Martin is returning to Roush Fenway Racing -- where
he excelled behind the wheel for almost 20 years -- this time as the team’s
driver development coach. Martin was the first driver hired by team owner Jack
Roush when he founded his NASCAR operation in 1988. The two went on to become
one of the most successful duos in sports history, accumulating 83 NASCAR wins,
four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship runner-up finishes, and building
Roush Fenway into the winningest team in NASCAR history.
“I’m excited to return to Roush Fenway Racing, as it
feels like I’m going home to where I belong,” said Martin. “I was fortunate to
help build this team from the beginning and it’s very humbling to be a part of
Jack’s team again. When Jack first hired me in 1988 we didn’t talk about salary
or benefits or perks, we talked about testing, tires and putting the right
personnel into place to win on the track. That commitment is what stood out to
me then and it’s still what stands out to me today.
“Nobody does a better job at developing young talent than
Jack Roush,” added Martin. “Roush Fenway has an abundance of young, talented
drivers and I’m looking forward to working with each of them going forward. I
am very proud of what Jack and I were able to accomplish together and I am
excited to expand on those accomplishments.
“I understand what it takes to succeed in this business
and appreciate the hard work, dedication and focus required to compete at the
highest level week in and week out,” added the NASCAR legend. “We have a great crop
of young drivers in Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne, as well as with the rookies
Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed and of course the veteran leadership with Greg
Biffle. It will be a key part of my job to help them develop their skills
behind the wheel and get the most of their exceptional ability.”
“The thing that always stood out about Mark was his
unmatched drive to win,” said Roush. “Mark put us on the map and I am pleased
to have him as a part of our team again. Mark is not only a good friend but
he’s also a fierce competitor and I truly admire his passion and dedication to racing.
I have no question that you will be able to see his influence on our young
drivers. He understands what it takes to win and to be able to do that on a
consistent basis and he’ll, once again, be a great asset to have back within
our organization.”
Martin piloted Roush Fenway’s flagship No. 6 Ford from
1988 until 2006. During that time he accumulated 35 NSCS victories. At the end
of his tenure at Roush Fenway he held a record five prestigious IROC
(International Race of Champions) Championships and a then record 47 NASCAR
Nationwide Series wins. For his career Martin posted 96 career NASCAR
victories.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
BREAKING NEWS: Ives Tapped As Earnhardt's 2015 Crew Chief
Crew chief Greg
Ives will rejoin Hendrick Motorsports following the 2014 NASCAR season to lead
the No. 88 Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Ives, 34, was race engineer for Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five consecutive Sprint Cup championships (2006-2010) with the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. He will work alongside Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, in the shop shared by the Nos. 48 and 88 Chevrolet SS teams.
“Greg was our number-one choice,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “This is a talented guy who already has a terrific rapport with Dale Jr. and is a fit with the organization. He and Chad had a lot of success together, and all of our crew chiefs think the world of him and what he’s accomplished. Greg’s proven that he can win races, and he has all the tools to do big things.”
Since his debut as a crew chief for JR Motorsports in 2013, Ives has won five NASCAR Nationwide Series races including three this season with rookie and current points leader Chase Elliott.
“This is an incredible opportunity for me and my family,” Ives said. “Dale Jr. and I have a great relationship from being in the same shop at Hendrick Motorsports and my time at JRM. We have a lot left to do this season in the Nationwide Series, but I’m excited about what’s ahead and look forward to sharing some wins with JR Nation in the future. I couldn’t ask for a better situation than working with one of the best drivers and teams in racing.”
A native of Bark River, Michigan, and graduate of Michigan Technological University, Ives joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic in 2004 before moving into an engineering role on the No. 48 team in 2006. In seven years working with Knaus, he contributed to 42 wins, 113 top-five finishes and 21 pole positions in the Sprint Cup Series.
In November 2012, Ives transitioned to JR Motorsports as crew chief for driver Regan Smith. The duo won two races and finished third in points in 2013 before Ives was named Elliott’s crew chief prior to this season. JR Motorsports works closely with Hendrick Motorsports and is owned by Earnhardt in partnership with Rick Hendrick.
“I know what Greg is all about and really respect him,” Earnhardt said. “He’s a strong leader with a cool personality, and we’re both competitors who want to win. It was important to find someone who would fit at Hendrick Motorsports and inside our shop, and he will for sure do that. We got the best guy for the job, and I look forward to working with him next year.
“From a JR Motorsports perspective, I’m extremely proud of how this worked out. Since the end of 2012, we’ve focused on JRM and Hendrick Motorsports working together as closely as possible and developing talented people for the next level. This is a perfect example of that happening the way we hoped it would.”
Ives will take the place of current No. 88 crew chief Steve Letarte who will move into a broadcasting role with NBC Sports Group following the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season.
Ives, 34, was race engineer for Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five consecutive Sprint Cup championships (2006-2010) with the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. He will work alongside Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, in the shop shared by the Nos. 48 and 88 Chevrolet SS teams.
“Greg was our number-one choice,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “This is a talented guy who already has a terrific rapport with Dale Jr. and is a fit with the organization. He and Chad had a lot of success together, and all of our crew chiefs think the world of him and what he’s accomplished. Greg’s proven that he can win races, and he has all the tools to do big things.”
Since his debut as a crew chief for JR Motorsports in 2013, Ives has won five NASCAR Nationwide Series races including three this season with rookie and current points leader Chase Elliott.
“This is an incredible opportunity for me and my family,” Ives said. “Dale Jr. and I have a great relationship from being in the same shop at Hendrick Motorsports and my time at JRM. We have a lot left to do this season in the Nationwide Series, but I’m excited about what’s ahead and look forward to sharing some wins with JR Nation in the future. I couldn’t ask for a better situation than working with one of the best drivers and teams in racing.”
A native of Bark River, Michigan, and graduate of Michigan Technological University, Ives joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic in 2004 before moving into an engineering role on the No. 48 team in 2006. In seven years working with Knaus, he contributed to 42 wins, 113 top-five finishes and 21 pole positions in the Sprint Cup Series.
In November 2012, Ives transitioned to JR Motorsports as crew chief for driver Regan Smith. The duo won two races and finished third in points in 2013 before Ives was named Elliott’s crew chief prior to this season. JR Motorsports works closely with Hendrick Motorsports and is owned by Earnhardt in partnership with Rick Hendrick.
“I know what Greg is all about and really respect him,” Earnhardt said. “He’s a strong leader with a cool personality, and we’re both competitors who want to win. It was important to find someone who would fit at Hendrick Motorsports and inside our shop, and he will for sure do that. We got the best guy for the job, and I look forward to working with him next year.
“From a JR Motorsports perspective, I’m extremely proud of how this worked out. Since the end of 2012, we’ve focused on JRM and Hendrick Motorsports working together as closely as possible and developing talented people for the next level. This is a perfect example of that happening the way we hoped it would.”
Ives will take the place of current No. 88 crew chief Steve Letarte who will move into a broadcasting role with NBC Sports Group following the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
NASCAR Hammers Gibbs, Hamlin For Indy Post-Race Violation
Hamlin loses 75 points
The No. 11 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series has been penalized for a rules infraction discovered in post-race
inspection July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This infraction is a P5 level penalty which is outlined
in Section 12-4.5 A (9) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book:
Approved parts that fail or are improperly installed to
fail in their intended use of great importance (e.g.; rear wheel well panels
that fail and allow air evacuation in the trunk area; oil box cover that fails
and allows air evacuation in the driver compartment; shifter boot cover that
fails and allows air evacuation through the floor pan).
This infraction violates Sections:
12-1 - Actions detrimental
to stock car racing;
20-2.1 – Car body must be
acceptable to NASCAR officials and meet the following requirements:
- K – Any device or ductwork that permits air to pass from one area of the interior of the car to another, or to the outside of the car, will not be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, the inside of the car to the trunk area, or the floors, firewalls, crush panels and wheel wells passing air into or out of the car;
- L – All seams of the interior sheet metal and all interior sheet metal to exterior sheet metal contact point must be sealed and caulked. This includes, but is not limited to, floors, firewalls, wheel wells, package trays, crush panels and any removable covers;
20-3.4 - All references to the
inspection surface in sub-section 20-3.4 have been determined with the front
lower edge of both main frame rails set at six inches and the rear lower edge
of both main frame rails set at eight inches. For driver protection, all
firewalls, floors, tunnels, and access panels must be installed and completely
secured in place when the car is in competition;
20-3.4.5 - A rear firewall,
including any removable panels or access doors, constructed using magnetic
sheet steel a minimum of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick), must be located between
the trunk area and the driver’s compartment and must be welded in place.
Block-off plates/covers used in rear firewalls in place of blowers, oil
coolers, etc., must be constructed of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick) magnetic sheet
steel. Block-off plates/covers must be installed with positive fasteners and
sealed to prevent air leakage. Carbon fiber or aluminum block-off plates/covers
will not be permitted.
Per Section 12-4.5 B, the minimum P5 penalty includes:
- Loss of 50 championship driver and owner points, regardless of whether the violation occurred during a championship race or not;
- 75,000ドル to 125,000ドル fine;
- Suspension for the next six series championship races, plus any non-championship races or special events which might occur during that period, for the crew chief and any other team members as determined by NASCAR;
- Probation through the end of the calendar year for all suspended members, or for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty notice if that period spans across two consecutive seasons.
Since this infraction is a P5 level penalty and was discovered in post-race
inspection, Section 12-4.5 C (1,2) also applies:
- • If the infraction is detected during post-race inspection, then the following penalty elements will be added:
- o Loss of an additional 25 championship driver and owner points; regardless of whether it was a championship race or not;
- o Loss of an additional 50,000ドル.
As a result of these violations, crew chief Darian Grubb has been fined
75,000ドル plus an additional 50,000ドル post-race fine for a total of 125,000ドル.
Grubb has also been suspended from NASCAR for the next six series championship
events, plus any non-championship races or special events that might occur
during that time period. Grubb will also be on NASCAR probation for the next
six months.
Car chief Wesley Sherrill has been suspended from NASCAR for the next six
series championship events, plus any non-championship races or special events
that might occur during that time period and will be on NASCAR probation for
the next six months.
This infraction has also cost the No. 11 team the loss of 50 championship
driver and owner (Denny Hamlin and J.D. Gibbs) points plus an additional 25
post-race points for a total loss of 75 championship driver and 75 championship
owner points.
Joe
Gibbs Racing issued a statement this afternoon saying the team “is aware of the
penalty issued by NASCAR today regarding the No. 11 team’s post-race inspection
infraction following Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race in Indianapolis. JGR will
plan to appeal the penalty, however, crew chief Darian Grubb and car chief
Wesley Sherrill will begin to serve their suspensions starting this weekend in
Pocono.”
Hermie Sadler Inks Two-Race Deal With TriStar
1993 NASCAR Nationwide
Series Rookie of the Year and current FOX SPORTS 1 analyst Hermie Sadler will
return to the driver's seat for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race since
2010. Sadler will pilot the No. 19 Toyota Camry for TriStar Motorsports at
Bristol Motor Speedway on August 22nd for his 260th
career NNS start and again on September 5th at Richmond
International Raceway.
The Virginia Lottery
will serve as primary sponsor, with whom Sadler has been an ambassador for over
15 years. The car will promote The Virginia Lottery's "Let's Play
VA" events, in which lottery players and NASCAR fans have the chance to
join the No. 19 team as an honorary crew member, attend the NASCAR Awards
banquet in Las Vegas as Sadler's guest and have a chance to win other exciting
prizes by entering second chance drawings at the following events:
Galax Fiddlers Convention
August 7-9
Bristol Food City Fan Appreciation Day August 21
Hillsville Flea Market
August 29-31
Richmond International Raceway
September 5-6
Virginia State Fair
September 26- October 5
Martinsville Speedway
October 24-26
Urbanna Oyster Festival
November 7-8
"I am thankful to
my friends at The Virginia Lottery and to Mark Smith and his staff at TriStar
Motorsports for making this happen," exclaimed Sadler. "Getting to
race again on two of my favorite tracks, as well as promote some once in a lifetime
opportunities from the Virginia Lottery, is exciting for me."
Monday, July 28, 2014
RPM Tests As Ambrose Dodges Reports Of Departure
Ambrose has options
In the world of NASCAR, there is truly no rest for the weary.
Currently enmeshed in a “17 races in 17 weeks” run that will carry
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series through the 2015 season finale at Homestead Miami
Speedway on Nov. 16, a handful of teams traveled directly from Indianapolis
Motor Speedway to Watkins Glen International today, to test for next month’s NASCAR At The Glen.
One of those teams is Richard Petty Motorsports, working to secure
both of its NASCAR Sprint Cup teams a berth in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint
Cup. RPM left the Brickyard yesterday after a 21st-place finish for
driver Aric Almirola and a 22nd for teammate Marcos Ambrose, flying
directly to the Watkins Glen road course for a two-day test session.
The goal of the test will be to collect information and give
Ambrose and Almirola the best possible setup when they return for the race
in two weeks. If Ambrose can win the event – and he is a leading candidate to
do so – RPM will put two cars in the title Chase for the first time ever.
In addition to a brutal race
and testing schedule, RPM’s No. 9 Ford team must maintain focused in the face of
persistent reports that Ambrose could depart the team at season’s end.
The Aussie's future has been the subject of widespread speculation for weeks now, and multiple sources tell GodfatherMotorsports.com that
Ambrose will in fact return to his native Australia at season's end to drive for a new
Aussie V8 Supercar team fielded by veteran series owner Dick Johnson and new
partner Roger Penske in 2015.
Ambrose is a two-time
champion of the Aussie VB Supercar Series and Penske Racing president Tim
Cindric confirmed recently that discussions have taken place about fielding a team with Johnson. Penske is currently
building a number of new automobile and Western Star truck dealerships “down
under,” but a spokesperson for Dick Johnson Racing said earlier this month that
"there is nothing to report at the present time.”
RPM owner Richard Petty said
last week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that Ambrose “has been good for Richard Petty Motorsports,” adding,
“we admire what he's been doing for us.” Petty said the decision on whether to
stay in the U.S. or return to Australia is up to Ambrose.
In Petty’s words, “You'll
have to ask him."
Ambrose has declined comment,
telling reporters at IMS, "If I had something to say, I'd already say it."
COMMENTARY: Jack Spills The Beans
Jack Roush loses another driver
Roush Fenway Racing announced
its 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series lineup yesterday, and with all due respect, the
biggest news concerns who does not appear on the roster.
RFR confirmed that it will
field three Sprint Cup teams next season for drivers Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M
Ford), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 17 Fastenal Ford) and Trevor Bayne (No. 6
Advocare Ford). Noticeably absent from that lineup is Carl Edwards, who has
served as the face of both RFR and Ford Racing since joining NASCAR’s senior
circuit in 2004.
Edwards is universally believed
to be headed for a fourth Toyota entry at Joe Gibbs Racing next season, and for
the second time in the last three years, RFR majority owner Jack Roush has spilled the beans with an
unusual July announcement concerning his driver roster for the following
season. Two years ago, Roush outed Matt Kenseth’s departure plans in similar
fashion, announcing that the former Sprint Cup Series champion would not return
to the fold in 2013.
Roush and Edwards: Game over
There is no love
lost between Jack Roush and Toyota Racing. Never has been, never will be. After spotting an
employee’s Toyota truck in the RFR parking lot years ago, Roush famously paid
that employee in Japanese yen. He repeatedly refers to Toyota as “the dark side”
and enjoys trumping the rival automaker at every turn. Losing Edwards to Toyota
rubs salt in the still-open wound inflicted by Kenseth two years earlier, and Roush
reacted – perhaps predictably -- by launching a pre-emptive strike that takes
much of the air out of a future Edwards/Gibbs announcement, whenever it may
occur.
Ford Racing Director Jamie
Allison said Sunday that the automaker “did everything to facilitate keeping
Carl a part of the Ford Racing and Roush Fenway family,” lamenting that “in the
end, that option did not come to fruition.” Indeed, for the second time in the last
three years, Roush Fenway Racing and Ford Motor Company have been spurned by a
top-tier, championship caliber driver, left to watch helplessly as one of their brightest
lights crosses over to the dark side.
"I will always be thankful
for Carl's contribution and the role he played in many Roush Fenway wins and
championships," said Roush, mouthing all the platitudes required of an
allegedly amicable split. "We wish him well for the future (and) are
excited about continuing our quest for a championship with Carl and the No. 99
team in 2014.”
Make no mistake about it,
however. Roush does not “wish Edwards well.” In fact, if Carl never wins
another Sprint Cup Series race after 2014, it’ll be too soon for Jack.
That’s
why Roush took the unusual step of announcing his 2015 driver lineup last
week, rather than waiting until September or October, as is customary in the
industry.
No other NASCAR team has publicized
its 2015 deals at this early date, preferring instead to focus on the job at
hand; qualifying for a 2014 Chase that is now just six weeks away. Only the “Cat
in the Hat” has chosen to let the cat out of the bag, with a statement clearly designed to shove it up the collective
tailpipe of Edwards and JGR.
For his part, Joe Gibbs continues
to keep mum on the topic, saying, "We don't have anything
right now to announce. Anything that we're going to do will be coming up in the
future. I'm not sure exactly what the time line is.”
There's no beanstalk this time around, no flesh-eating giant to bellow "fee, fie, fo, fum" while striking terror in the hearts of the townspeople. But for JGR, the damage has clearly been done.
Their much-anticipated Edwards announcement is no longer a question of “if.”
Friday, July 25, 2014
Busch Touts Talladega As Final Race Before The Chase
Asked today what changes he would make to the
2015 schedule, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch said he
would swap the final event of the regular season and the opening race of the
Chase, creating a high-stakes regular season finale at Talladega Superspeedway.
“Could I be president for the day and decide
what we're going to do?” laughed Busch. “Maybe we should put Richmond in the
Chase and use Talladega as the cutoff to get in. We're all driving around (at
Talladega) very tentative and trying not to get in a wreck. But why not make it
the final race to get in and throw a huge Wild Card in to try to make it into the
Chase?
“By then, you have 15 guys that are pretty
much locked in,” he added. “That means those top 15 guys are going to throw it all
on the line to try to win. They're not going to be riding in the back to
protect their points.
“I would change Richmond and Talladega, and
it works because (International Speedway Corporation) owns both those tracks.”
The Stewart Haas Racing driver also suggested
putting the season finale up for bid, much like the Super Bowl, World Series
and Olympic Games; changing the venue each season.
“I think the final race should be bid on by a
committee,” he said. “There's a committee that goes around and it gets filled
in on who does the best job with their community to present themselves as the
frontrunner to have the Super Bowl. Why not do that with our final stock car
race?”
He also advocated a periodic reshuffling of
the Chase schedule, saying, “I think Chicago is a great place to start it off.
Those Chase races are valuable. And we could mix it up and change some of the
races that are in the Chase.”
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
France Says NASCAR Will Not Negotiate With RTA
NASCAR
Chairman/CEO Brian France made it perfectly clear Monday.
While he will continue
to seek input from individual team owners, he has no interest in speaking with
the newly formed Race Team Alliance.
The RTA is
comprised of nine of NASCAR’s most powerful and successful teams; Chip
Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing,
Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports,
Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s SiriusXM Speedway Monday,
France said NASCAR’s “business as usual” policy will not include conversations
with the new alliance.
"The worst
thing that we could ever do is listen to one voice, even if it was a consensus
voice," he said. "Every decision we've ever made that's important --
the more input (and) the more people we’ve heard from -- the better the
results. That will never change in the business model of NASCAR, because good
ideas come from all over the place."
RTA chairman Rob Kauffman has insisted
that the alliance will concentrate on “low hanging fruit,” trimming
expenditures for travel, hotel accommodations, rental cars and insurance.
France endorsed those efforts, saying, “They’re smart guys, they may figure out
some things that we’re not aware (of). They’re entitled to approach their business
in certain ways (and) we’re going to respect that.”
France said NASCAR “didn't think (the
RTA) was necessary," adding, “we think the benefits they will arrive at
with this association will be much smaller than they do."
The RTA has said it has no
plans to negotiate for a larger share of the new, 2015 television contracts.
Under the current deal, 65%
of all TV revenue is distributed to speedways, with teams getting 25% and 10%
going to NASCAR. France said those percentages will remain unchanged, saying
they are “set for historical reasons and because it’s the right allocation.
Everybody would like to have more. The tracks would, anybody else would. That’s
natural. I think they’ve made mention that they don’t have any desire to do
that (and) we’re business as usual."
He also
insisted that NASCAR will continue to deal with individual team owners, rather than
a chosen spokesman.
"We need
all the input we can get,” he said. “That's the whole beauty of the NASCAR
business model. Everybody's in it together. We’re going to go down the road of
dealing with all the team owners.
“Not most of them, not the big ones.
All of them.”
Thursday, July 17, 2014
If You're A Race Fan, This Book Is A MUST!
Motorsports publisher
Coastal 181 has announced the release of its latest title, “The People’s Champ:
A Racing Life,” by Dave Darland. The autobiography of one of open-wheel
racing’s most successful and popular racers was written with well-known
journalist Bones Bourcier. The book charts the course of Darland’s racing life,
from Quarter-Midgets and local Sprint Cars through his remarkable and ongoing professional
career, including championships in all three of USAC’s national divisions –
Silver Crown, Sprint Cars, and Midgets.
Not simply a chronological
retelling of a great driver’s climb, Darland discusses the rivalries that
helped shape his career, the code of conduct he races by, the magic of his
sport’s biggest events, and the joys and stresses of being a husband and father
in a sport that requires frequent travel and intense focus. The book is
annotated with reflections from “eyewitnesses” who have known Dave through
their own personal and professional relationships, whether as car owner,
mechanic, rival driver, or family member. Darland’s story is illustrated by
dozens of color and black and white photographs and includes a foreword by
another champion and longtime friend, Tony Stewart.
And Dave Darland is not done
yet. Darland celebrated the launch of the book on July 12th at
Kokomo Speedway by winning that night’s Indiana Sprint Week feature and setting
a new track record.
“The People’s Champ” is
available online at www.coastal181.com or
by calling Coastal 181 at 877-907-8181 toll free.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
KBM Truck Team Sanctioned By NASCAR... Again
The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports team that competes in the NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series has been penalized for a rules infraction discovered in
post-race inspection July 11 at Iowa Speedway.
The infraction is a P2 level penalty and violates Sections 12-1 (actions
detrimental to stock car racing) and 20B-12.8.1 (truck failed to meet post-race
height requirements) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book.
As a result of this infraction, crew chief Eric Phillips has been fined
6,000ドル and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. In addition, driver Erik
Jones has lost 10 championship driver points and owner Kyle Busch has lost 10
championship owner points.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Shepherd’s Performance Proves Age Guidelines Needed
Logano's day ruined.
Despite being
forced to roll out a backup car after a Friday practice crash, Joey Logano had
a good day going at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday. The Team Penske driver was running a solid second behind teammate and eventual winner Brad Keselowski with just 88 laps remaining, before an on-track incident with the lapped car of 72-year old Morgan Shepherd ended his hopes for Victory Lane.
Shepherd was a
whopping 16 laps down at the time, after qualifying slowest in the 43-car
field, 2.2 seconds off Kyle Busch’s pole speed. His time was a quarter of a
second slower than that of the 42nd-place qualifier, Timmy Hill, and
he ran 20-30 mph off the pace from the outset before losing the handle,
drifting up the track and wrecking Logano.
“I just gotten taken out by the slowest car out there,”
said an incredulous Logano afterward. “You'd think there would be some courtesy
to the leaders, (but) I guess not. I feel there should be a driver's test, but
I guess there isn't.''
For his part, Shepherd complained about the handling of
his Circle Sport Racing Chevrolet after the wreck, saying via in-car radio,
“Guys, I can't hang on to this thing. (It’s) spinning out going into the
corner. It doesn't take much for somebody to get up against me and pull this
thing around."
Shepherd's run will inspire debate.
Sunday’s incident will almost certainly re-ignite the
debate over the need for further age restrictions in NASCAR. At present, the
sanctioning body mandates only a minimum age for national series competition,
while requiring drivers to prove their mettle on smaller tracks before being
cleared to race on superspeedways. There is no maximum age limit, however, and
drivers like Shepherd who have competed for decades routinely receive the green
light to continue racing for as long as they like, provided they pass a simple,
pre-season physical examination. Aging drivers are not required by the
sanctioning body to prove they can skill perform at a high level behind the
wheel, and in light of Sunday’s incident, the time for such requirements may
finally have come.
This is not the first time in recent seasons that
Shepherd has served as a rolling road block. Last fall, he struggled mightily
at the Loudon speed plant in equipment that was admittedly not up to snuff.
Unfortunately, the results were the same this time around, despite driving for
a Circle Sport Racing team that performed well the previous week at Daytona
International Speedway with driver Bobby Labonte. Shepherd was embarrassingly
slow again Sunday and consistently impeded the progress of the leaders before
ending Logano’s bid for Victory Lane in an incident that quite simply should
never have happened.
I have great respect for Morgan Shepherd, as both a racer
and a man. He is a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner, with an
additional 15 career victories in what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In
his day, he was a force to be reckoned with, wherever and whenever he raced.
But those days are long gone.
Despite his resume, Shepherd exhibited neither reasonable
speed nor control over his race car last weekend, as Logano can surely attest.
Even worse, he displayed extremely poor judgment by remaining on the race track
with nothing to gain in a car that was 16 laps down and – by his own admission
-- woefully ill-handling.
Professional athletes are infamous for staying too long
at the dance. Muhammad Ali, 38-years old and with slowed reflexes and slurred
speech caused by the onset of Parkinson’s Disease, was pummeled into retirement
by Larry Holmes in a 1980 fight described by actor Sylvester Stallone as “like
watching an autopsy on a man who was still alive.” Closer to home, NASCAR Hall
of Famers Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip both struggled simply to qualify
for races late in their careers.
Shepherd’s most recent NASCAR win came 21 years ago, in
March of 1993 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Of the drivers who finished in the
Top-10 that day, only Shepherd and then-rookie Jeff Gordon remain active today.
The others -- Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Geoff Bodine, Kyle Petty,
Brett Bodine, Bill Elliott and Jimmy Spencer -- have long ago retired.
Based on Sunday’s race at NHMS, it’s time for Shepherd to
consider doing the same. It’s also time for NASCAR to ensure that every driver
– regardless of age – possesses the skills needed to compete safely at the
sport’s highest level.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Helton Says NASCAR Has No Issues With RTA
NASCAR
president Mike Helton said today that the sanctioning body will not change its
way of doing business as a result of the newly formed Race Team Alliance.
Earlier
this week, nine of NASCAR’s top Sprint Cup Series teams announced what they
called “an open forum for the teams to explore areas of common interest and to
work collaboratively on initiatives to help preserve, promote, and grow the
sport of stock car racing.”
Comprised of Chip
Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing,
Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports,
Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske, the RTA announced
plans to extend invitations to all full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams in
the near future.
Meeting
with reporters Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Helton downplayed
reports of animosity between the new group and NASCAR, saying the sanctioning
body will continue to do business as usual.
“We’re
going to stay our course,” said Helton. “We have great respect for our
stakeholders, so any perception (that) there could be animosity based on this
topic is incorrect.”
He
said the sanctioning body will continue to solicit input from all team owners
when making policy decisions. “Every car
owner in here has a voice;” he said, “crew members, drivers (and) crew chiefs.
We take that input and make what we think are the best decisions that are good
for the whole sport.
“We
will continue to operate that way. Our intention is to build NASCAR
collectively.”
RTA
Chairman Rob Kauffman – co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing – denied reports this
week that the group intends to lobby NASCAR for a larger percentage of next
year’s new, 8ドル.3 billion television contract, saying they will work primarily
toward producing cost savings in areas like rental cars, hotel accommodations,
air travel and insurance premiums; efforts that Helton said NASCAR supports.
“We
take very seriously our responsibility to make decisions in this sport (and) in
the garage area, for the race tracks and the other partners that we have,” he said.
“Part of that responsibility is to have a sport that has a great product at
great race tracks for our fans, and the owners have been very clear that that
is their intention, too. We stand together very clearly on that.”
He
stressed, however, that the RTA will not change NASCAR’s approach to governing
the sport, saying, “We believe that the way we (manage) our form of motorsports
has worked. We continue to add assets and value in order to create and grow the
sport.”
He
also said that NASCAR will continue to seek input from all team owners -- large
and small – in an effort to “limit the barrier of entry the best we can… in the
garage area of our series (and) to encourage people who want to be owners, drivers
or crew members to be part of this sport.”
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Busch's No. 41 Team Docked For Daytona Violation
Stewart Haas
Racing’s No. 41 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team has been penalized for a rules
infraction discovered in post-race inspection at Daytona International Speedway
Sunday.
The infraction
is a P2 level penalty and violates Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock
car racing) and 20-12 (l) (for events at Daytona International Speedway and
Talladega Superspeedway, at all times, the Delta (or difference) of the
Z-height measurement between the center of the panhard bar mounting bolt
located at the left truck trailing arm and the center of the panhard bar
mounting bolt, located at the right rear sub-frame mounting bracket, must not
exceed three inches) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book.
As a result of
this infraction, crew chief Daniel Knost has been fined 10,000ドル. In addition,
driver Kurt Busch has lost 10 championship driver points and owner Gene Haas
has lost 10 championship owner points.
Monday, July 07, 2014
COMMENTARY: As Expected, NASCAR's Push-Drafting Rule Does Not Work
It’s not
like we didn’t see this coming.
In January
of this year, NASCAR implemented a new rule banning tandem drafting in restrictor
plate races in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. The sanctioning body vowed that drivers attempting to execute
tandem drafting maneuvers would be summarily black flagged, with NASCAR
Nationwide Series Director Wayne Auton saying during SpeedWeeks 2014 at Daytona,
“It’s a simple rule. If your bumpers
are locked, you’re pushing. You can bump draft all you want, but don’t lock
bumpers and push someone, or we’ll black-flag you both.”
At the time, some of us
worried that NASCAR’s new edict would be difficult to enforce, and impossible
to enforce fairly. NASCAR justified those concerns almost immediately, penalizing
Nationwide Series driver James Buescher for pushing in the early laps of the season-opener,
while inexplicably declining to sanction the driver he pushed. The sanctioning
body then ignored numerous, blatant outbreaks of push-drafting in the race’s
final laps, leaving observers to wonder exactly what the rule meant and how it
would be enforced in the future.
It was more of the same
Friday night at the World Center of
Racing, as Josh Wise and Landon Cassill were issued early pass-through
penalties by NASCAR for violating the push-drafting rule. On the final lap,
however, a number of drivers appeared to violate the rule, without being
penalized by NASCAR. Most notably, Ryan Sieg pushed winner Kasey Kahne virtually
all the way around Daytona’s 2.5-mile tri-oval on the white-flag lap, shoving
him past leader Regan Smith to a razor-close, .021 second victory. After the
race, both Sieg and Kahne openly admitted flaunting the push-drafting law,
raising howls of protest over NASCAR’s non-call.
Kahne (5) and Sieg: Hooked Up!
NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton told
reporters afterward that Sieg and Kahne went unpunished because the
side-to-side movement of their cars proved them to be bump-drafting, but not
linking bumpers. He admitted, however, that the sanctioning body may need to
modify (or at least clarify) what is currently a murky interpretation of the
rules.
"We'll look at this situation," Pemberton said.
"It's the last plate race for the Nationwide Series this season and these
are the rules we put in place at the beginning of the year. We've worked with
the teams under their suggestions and said that we would look at it by the end
of the year and see what adjustments we need to make.”
Without a major remake of NASCAR’s push-drafting rule, it’s
simple to predict what will happen when the series returns to Daytona next
February. On the final lap, someone will literally attempt to push the envelope, once again forcing NASCAR
to decide the outcome of the event by black-flagging a prime contender, or by
swallowing the whistle and allowing that driver to ignore the rules.
Either way, water cooler talk on Monday morning will once again center on
the umpire, rather than the game. And that’s a bad thing, no matter how you
slice it.
NASCAR owes it to its
competitors and fans to do one of two things. Either come up with a simple,
easy to understand, 100% enforceable push-drafting rule before Speedweeks 2015
at Daytona, or take the current, unenforceable rule off the books and let the
racers do what they do best.
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