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Happy Hump Day all!
Quote of the Month
"That smoke is not from the tires, it's from Tony's helmet."
-- Wally Dallenbach on the cloud of smoke surrounding race leader Tony Stewart's car following his crash on Lap 91.
Quote of the Day
"Tying Dale would be a huge honor, although I’m sure he’d have a lot more than 76 if he were still with us today.”
-Jeff Gordon
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News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
from Bob S
From Lou In response to Darrel, I wasn't really aware that many drivers had run in the different types of auto racing. I'm glad you enlightened me. I believe that A.J. Foyt is the only driver ever to win both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. And AJ also has won the 24 hours of LeMans!
I'm not a big Mario Andretti fan, but he has won both the Indy and Daytona 500s, plus the world F1 Championship, and major races like the Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour. Although primarilly a sports car driver, Dan Gurney won in Indy cars and Stock cars. And then there's Parnelli Jones and Ken Schrader.
A racer is a racer is a racer!
There have been many great all-around drivers and as you said, down the line, Tony Stewart is bound to be included among them.
Amen!
I happen to think Jeff Gordon is a very good race car driver and he has won trophy's in other types of auto racing, but the only championships he has won have been in NASCAR.
I tend to think he is a top driver, but wins with good equipment. Some of the others win in spite of mediocre equipment! Gordon has been blessed with some top teams and crew chiefs.
Cheers, Bob
from Chip
Dear NASCAR Momma: After reading today's letter in which the broadcast network changes for the "07 season are laid out, it seems that the tune 57 channels and nothing on could and should be reworded to say: 57 channels and which one is the race on this week. Are all these network changes necessary to bring race coverage to the masses who cannot attend or have they been made to generate the most income for NASCAR? If drivers, teams and owners benefit as well as the owners of NASCAR then so be it. Millions of race fans watch the races but it is becoming some kind of a nightmare to keep track of which network is showing the race on which channel. Is it on NBC, Fox or TNT and now ESPN is being thrown into the mix. So will it be ESPN 1 or 2? When will they begin offering road maps to the race broadcast nightmare. There is more than one chase happening in NASCAR but there is no point system involved. If you make it through the maze your reward is getting to watch portions of a race that only the drivers get to mention their sponsors when they win, place or crash, but that is another topic for another time. Thanks for providing a place for fans to express themselves and their ideas.
Gilliland's Busch Series team folds
By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Busch Series team that put David Gilliland on the NASCAR map folded Monday, an indication that the upstart driver has accepted a better ride.
Gilliland shocked the NASCAR world by winning the Busch race at Kentucky Speedway in June driving for Clay Andrews Racing, a part-time team. The victory earned Gilliland numerous offers from top-level organizations, and he said two weeks ago that he was talking to 10 different car owners.
Andrews apparently saw it as a sign that he couldn't keep the 30-year-old Gilliland and decided to close his operation.
"We put our heart, soul and resources into David Gilliland,'' Andrews said in a statement. "Personally and financially we do not feel it is best to move forward at this time.''
Gilliland, meanwhile, appears to be headed to one of Robert Yates Racing's empty Nextel Cup seats. He will make his debut with that team in Saturday night's Busch race in Indianapolis, driving the No. 90 Ford.
Yates has two seats to fill now that Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler are both leaving at the end of the season. The car owner is considering 19-year-old Stephen Leicht for one of the rides, and Leicht made his Cup debut two weeks ago at Pocono Raceway. He finished 36th.
Gilliland had a storied West Coast-racing career when he moved to North Carolina in January to give NASCAR a shot with Andrews. The startup team had no sponsor and lacked the funds run the full Busch schedule.
He missed the first race he tried to qualify for, mustered only a career-best 29th-place finish in the next four events, then failed to make the May race in Charlotte.
But he finally broke through in Kentucky when he became the first non-Nextel Cup driver to win a Busch event in 18 races dating back to last November.
He's been fielding offers ever since, leaving Andrews little hope of keeping him.
Andrews, though, vowed to give NASCAR another try.
"We hope to be back in about three years,'' he said. "I have my eye on a young, but very talented driver that I would love to bring back into the Busch Series.''
Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Robert Yates Racing is expected to announce later this week the signing of David Gilliland to a multiyear deal to drive the organization's M&M's Ford, which Elliott Sadler will vacate at season's end.
Charles "Cully" Barraclough, who worked with Gilliland in the Busch Series during a brief tenure as a consultant with Clay Andrews Racing this year, will serve as crew chief for the No. 38 Ford, beginning with this week's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gilliland, 30, will drive for RYR for the first time in Saturday's Kroger 200 Busch Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Driving for Andrews Racing, Gilliland recorded his first victory in the Busch Series on June 17 in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
With Gilliland's move to Yates imminent, Clay Andrews Racing announced Monday it was closing the doors of its shop in Statesville, N.C. "We put our heart, soul and resources into David Gilliland," Clay Andrews said in a release. "Personally and financially, we do not feel it is best to move forward at this time."
The son of renowned West Coast racer Butch Gilliland, David has one Nextel Cup start to his credit, June 25 at Infineon Raceway, where he finished 32nd.
Also Monday, RYR announced that Butch Hylton would take over crew chief duties for Dale Jarrett's No. 88 UPS Ford on an interim basis, replacing Slugger Labbe. Hylton will call the shots from the pits during Sunday's Allstate 400.
The sudden departure from the Yates organization of Labbe and No. 38 crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. is part of a continuing shakeup that includes the departures of Jarrett and Sadler to new teams in 2007. Team principals Robert Yates and Doug Yates were not available Monday to comment on Gilliland or Barraclough.
Hylton, who has been with RYR since June, worked with Sadler in the Busch Series in the late 1990s and most recently spent tenures with Kevin Harvick Inc. and FitzBradshaw Racing. Hylton was crew chief for Yates development driver Stephen Leicht at Pocono during Leicht's Nextel Cup debut July 23 in the No. 90 Citifinancial Ford.
Leicht, who has been touted as a likely replacement for Jarrett in the No. 88 Ford, will attempt to qualify for the Allstate 400 in the No. 90 car, with Raymond Fox as his crew chief.
It didn't take Tommy Baldwin Jr. long to find a new job.
Three days after parting company with Robert Yates Racing, Baldwin signed on with Bill Davis Racing as competition director for the organization's Nextel Cup teams.
Baldwin's official tenure begins Tuesday, though he was already working in the Davis shop Monday afternoon. Included in Baldwin's responsibilities will be overseeing the organization's transition from Dodge to Toyota for the 2007 season.
Baldwin, 39, is no stranger to BDR. He served the organization from 1999 to 2002 and led the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team to four victories, including Ward Burton's win in the 2002 Daytona 500.
Baldwin worked for Ultra Motorsports in 2003 before moving to Evernham Motorsports the following season. In 2005 he was crew chief for driver Kasey Kahne's first victory, at Richmond.
By Dan Sipocz
Cup Scene Daily
The current status of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series fields will be turned upside down in 2007. The 2007 entry lists will be overwhelming to look at with the sheer number of entrants growing from a steady 45 cars to as many as 54 or 55 next season. This means next season will the deepest and most competitive year in NASCAR history dating back to beyond the modern era as we know it.
Big-time sponsors taking their money and backing the “super teams” is nothing new to the sport and nor is competition, but the series has gone from four, or five cars having a legitimate shot at winning a race in the early 1990’s to anyone in the field with the right pit strategy in a race because of the sponsorships. Last year at Michigan Tony Raines nearly won that race on a big fuel mileage gamble in the under funded 37 car after running mid-pack all day long; he ran out of gas with just a couple laps to go. Jeremy Mayfield ended up winning by taking the same gamble while running near the 20th spot all day.
The 2007 season will have more than enough well funded cars to compete for the win with a strong count of 41 with big name sponsors backing the teams. Dale Earnhardt Inc., Richard Childress Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing account for 9 entries next season while Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports account for 9 more raising the total to 18 already. Chip Ganassi brings his 3 cars to the mix as Petty Enterprises brings 2 cars to make a total of 23. Penske South, Robert Yates Racing, and MB2 combine add 6 to the total of 29. Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing, Red Bull, Evernham, Robby Gordon Racing, and Hall of Fame combine to add 12 more cars to the field. This brings the number to 41!
Then there are the teams who run with sponsorship or limited funds, but are planning to show up every week. This includes the Wood Brothers, Cal Wells, Boris Said’s NO FEAR team, Morgan McClure, BAM Racing, Haas, Morgan Shepard, Competitive Edge, Kirk Shelmerdine, McGlynn, Furniture Row, Front Row, Victory all add to the near full field with all their one car teams. That’s 13 more cars with the possibility of the Wood Brothers and Haas adding a second car which could raise the total to 15.
This would make the field the deepest and most competitive in a long time with a possible 54 to 56 cars on the Nextel Cup Series entry list each race next season. There will be a lot of guys going home every week so NASCAR may have a problem on their hands. However, Brain France is a smart guy. He has probably already considered this and may have a bomb shell announcement on this subject whenever they announce the schedule for 2007 or when they announce the changes to the Chase format. Either way, the entry lists will look like its Daytona or Indianapolis every week.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR officials were pleased Monday with their first test of unleaded fuel and remain on schedule to have the gas in all of its series by 2007.
The unleaded gasoline was used in Saturday night's Busch Series race in St. Louis, the first of a four-week test run of the fuel. NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton said there were no major problems reported after the race.
"A lot of the engine builders shared information with our inspectors and there weren't any issues," Pemberton said. "You might have seen some extra wear and tear on some internal pieces, but the engine-builders have been working on unleaded fuel since we announced it was coming and no one had any problems."
A handful of ARCA cars also used unleaded fuel during Friday night's race in St. Louis, including driver Cale Gale's winning entry.
NASCAR had planned to move away from gasoline with lead-based additives by 2008, but is now targeting next season. The Busch cars will continue to use unleaded fuel for three more weeks, and the Truck Series will begin a two-race trial run Friday night in Indianapolis and then in Nashville, Tenn., in August.
Following those events, NASCAR will switch back to the regular gasoline while NASCAR, Sunoco officials and team engine builders evaluate the unleaded fuel.
Both series will then switch back to the unleaded gasoline on Sept. 23 for the remainder of the season.
All ARCA cars will test the unleaded fuel in a race at Talladega to give engine builders a chance to examine the use of the gasoline in restrictor plate engines.
A decision on using unleaded fuel in the Nextel Cup Series isn't expected until the end of the season, but Pemberton said the Cup cars won't test it this year.
"We feel we are better off served with the Busch cars and the Trucks," he said. "Even though they are a little less horsepower, the events don't have as many miles as a Cup race so it gives engineers an opportunity to tear the engines down and look at how the fuel worked."
NASCAR has used high-octane leaded fuel for decades, but has been searching for an alternative for years and has finally found a solution through supplier Sunoco.
NASCAR is exempt from the 1970 Clean Air Act, which required all automobiles to use unleaded fuel. Still, series officials tried an unleaded fuel in 1998 during some Busch races, only to find it contained additives that were dangerous when they came in contact with ground water.
All efforts to develop something that worked were lost when supplier Unocal pulled out after the 2003 season, and it's taken the last few years to get up to speed with Sunoco.Hamlin impressive at Gateway — and not just while driving
Matt Crossman | Sporting News
Denny Hamlin was extremely impressive at the Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday, and I'm not talking about how he led 169 of 200 laps.
Hamlin started from the pole and did not relinquish the lead until the 107th lap, when he made a green-flag pit stop for fuel. He dominated the rest of the race, too, except for the final eight laps, when Carl Edwards passed him and ran away with the win because of a good pit call. (Edwards took two tires, Hamlin took zero.)
Losing in the best car is the most annoying thing drivers face in their competitive lives. The what-if, why not, what could I/we have done differently haunts them. It drives them nuts. It's worse than wrecks that aren't their fault. It's worse than flat tires. It's worse than seeing Tony Stewart behind them. Hamlin is no different. Yet he showed up at the post-race press conference, and while he might not have been there 100 percent voluntarily, he was mature, well spoken and even funny for someone who all the while had to be outrageously ticked off.
After the race, Hamlin said that was the best car in which he ever had lost. As he realized, with 10 laps to go, that he wasn't going to win, he thought, "How fast can I get out of here?"
Edwards bumped him out of the way in a key sequence in the race, and as Edwards drove by, he gave Hamlin a thumbs-up sign. Hamlin said in doing so, Edwards might as well have put a bull's-eye on his bumper. But when Hamlin caught Edwards, he passed him cleanly.
After he won at Pocono, I thought Hamlin seemed subdued in victory lane, like he'd been there 102 times rather than two. Strange, he seemed funnier and more charismatic after losing.
Greg Engle
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
NASCAR's get-tough policy snared two more Busch Series teams Tuesday.
Ricky Pearson, crew chief for the No. 36 Chevrolet driven by Tim Sauter, received a two-race suspension and was fined $15,000 for violations found by inspectors after Saturday's race at Gateway International Raceway.
Pearson will miss Saturday's Busch race in Indianapolis and the August 12 race at Watkins Glen.
Greg Tester, crew chief for the No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Ron Young, was fined $2,000 for what NASCAR said was a jacking bolt that was made from something other than "solid magnetic steel." The violation was discovered during opening-day inspection July 28 at Gateway.
Sauter's car was chosen at random for postrace inspection. NASCAR typically pulls the cars of the winner, the top five and picks several at random from the rest of the field for postrace inspections. NASCAR inspectors found problems with the shocks, and they were confiscated for further review.
In addition to the crew chief suspension, Sauter will lose 50 driver points and team owner John McGill will lose 50 owner points.
The team issued a statement saying it would appeal the penalties.
By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
Paul Menard's family owns a billion-dollar business, but he isn't a stock-car scion whose trust fund included NASCAR privileges.
Since he was in fifth grade, the son of home improvement magnate John Menard has toiled in the retail industry. Stapling rebates, stamping checks and corralling shopping carts were how Paul Menard spent his summers before pursuing a full-time racing career a few years ago.
"It wasn't a free ride by any means," the 25-year-old said. "Every summer break, I'd be working in a distribution center, building store fixtures, or working in the hardware or plumbing department of a store. It was an awesome learning experience."
It's also come with a hefty fringe benefit: A ride in the Busch Series. For the past two seasons, Menard has driven the Dale Earnhardt Inc.-owned No. 11 Chevrolet sponsored primarily by Menards, the country's third-largest home improvement store behind Home Depot and Lowe's.
The Midwestern chain, which has more than 200 stores and an estimated $6.4 billion in revenue in 2004 according to the National Retail Federation, is based in Eau Claire, Wis., where Menard also worked in corporate headquarters. When he was barely out of high school, Menard was scheduling flight itineraries for a fleet of light aircraft used to ferry executives to the company's locations across 10 states.
"Paul did stuff someone twice his age should have been doing," said John Menard, who has put all his children to work in entry-level jobs because "retail has a way of grounding you real quick. He was always an exceptionally diligent worker and a quiet kid who enjoyed people."
Now living in Mooresville, N.C., Paul Menard has a seat on the board of directors at Menards and still attends quarterly meetings. Though he doesn't have the on-track résumé to match Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart, he probably outranks both as a home improvement-sponsored driver who could qualify on the pole after applying a coat of primer to his car.
"That's all we do," John Menard said. "That's been our business all Paul's life and all my life."
Racing also has been a family priority. Besides NASCAR (the company also sponsors Robby Gordon in Nextel Cup and Matt Crafton in the Craftsman Truck Series), Menard also has sponsored Indy cars and once raced sedans with fully studded tires on frozen lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada.
Paul Menard inherited the bug, winning 10 International Ice Association races. He is enjoying a breakthrough in his second season in Busch, ranking sixth in points and tops among drivers running Busch exclusively. But being first in class behind Nextel Cup regulars such as Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin means little.
"I don't look at it like that," he said. "Harvick, Bowyer and Hamlin are all full-time Busch guys, too. When we're getting beat, I don't care who's in the cars."
Menard will be racing on their turf in 2007 when he is elevated to Cup. He already has two top-15 finishes in Cup races this season (including a seventh at Atlanta Motor Speedway) and will attempt to qualify for the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.
He proved he could beat Cup drivers on June 24 at The Milwaukee Mile, holding off charges by Harvick and Hamlin for his first Busch victory.
"That was a turning point for Paul in his career," John Menard said. "I think Paul is to point where with or without any backing from us, he can be a successful driver."
Paul Menard won't forget that backing, though. He wants to return to the family business when his NASCAR career is over — even if it means stocking shelves.
"I'll probably have to work my way up again."
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Will Ferrell is a box office automatic - "Bewitched" notwithstanding - bringing in millions of moviegoers and their money. NASCAR is a huge draw, too, with 75 million ultra-loyal fans. No wonder that Wonder Bread was attracted to the idea of being in front of both audiences as a primary sponsor for Ferrell's character in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opens nationwide Friday.
NASCAR's official sponsors originally were offered the spot as Ferrell's primary sponsor, according to Sarah Nettinga, NASCAR's managing director of film, television and music entertainment. When none wanted that placement, filmmaker Sony thought of Wonder Bread - because of the "colors and it feels very American," Nettinga said.
From there, the pitch went to NMA Entertainment and Marketing, which vets scripts for Wonder Bread. Devery Holmes worked on the project for NMA, breaking down the script and eventually recommending to her client that it take the offer and plaster itself on the fictional racecar driver's car, helmet and firesuit.
"We loved the film," Holmes said. "The all-American feel, NASCAR, comedy at its finest. It's a fun, summer event film."
It's more than just about being part of the event. Wonder Bread hopes to get a slice of the $2 billion in retail sales NASCAR says its licensed products take in annually. It was worth any possible risk, but Holmes was not worried that Farrell's mocking tone might scorch NASCAR and, in turn, the brand he wore.
"We understood NASCAR was behind this, and we know how many films NASCAR has turned down," said Holmes, putting the trust in the NASCAR people to want the right situation for its image.
NASCAR has been what Nettinga called "very strategic" in choosing which production vehicles would best fit its needs. The calculated selections have been quite successful so far. NASCAR partnered with Walt Disney Pictures on "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and, with Warner Bros. Pictures, did "NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience." The animated "Cars" from Disney's Pixar featured the voices of NASCAR stars Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
With "Talladega Nights," NASCAR has the opportunity to reach a different audience than any of those previous productions. This film gives NASCAR the chance to be out in front of Ferrell fans. It was an opportunity it couldn't resist. Nettinga didn't worry that Ferrell's jokes and exaggeration of stereotypes might reflect poorly on the sport. Sony and NASCAR collaborated on the effort, and Nettinga said Ferrell's sometimes biting humor won't backfire and instead will be seen as a satire on more than just NASCAR.
"What they are playing with and having fun with is celebrity and the moments of celebrity that can be somewhat absurd at times," said Nettinga, who has an executive producer credit on the film. At one point in the movie, Nettinga points out as an example, Ferrell signs a fan's baby.
Whatever the target of the humor, Wonder Bread likely made a very smart business decision throwing itself in front of Ferrell fans and NASCAR fans and, by its visual connection alone, getting swept into the Sony and NASCAR marketing machine for the movie.
"NASCAR executes sports marketing about as well as anyone," said Lynn Kahle, professor of marketing at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. "Fans understand the link between NASCAR sponsorship and lower ticket prices, and they appreciate sponsors because of that fact."
So, will NASCAR fans become loyal to Wonder Bread and start buying it?
"Yes," Kahle said. "NASCAR fans who watch the movie will remember Wonder Bread as if it were a sponsor in reality, and Wonder Bread's image among NASCAR fans who watch the movie will be improved. Most consumers already know what Wonder Bread is, and the effect of this type of product placement in a movie is to remind consumers of the product. The link to NASCAR, however fictional, should benefit Wonder Bread."
Anyone not living in a box will see an awful lot of the red, blue and yellow polka dots that are synonymous with Wonder Bread during the next several weeks. There's no sure way to quantify what Wonder Bread gains from this partnership, no sales figure that could be directly attributed to its inclusion in the film, but this is the kind of exposure that can't be bought. Add in the blurred line of reality and fiction and a NASCAR fan's loyalty to related products, this seems like a no-lose situation for Wonder Bread.
Practice: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Friday, Aug. 4 3:30 p.m. Speed
Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 Friday, Aug. 4 8:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Saturday, Aug. 5 10 a.m. TNT
Practice: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Saturday, Aug. 5 3:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series Kroger 200 Saturday, Aug. 5 6 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Kroger 200 Saturday, Aug. 5 9 p.m. TNT
Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Sunday, Aug. 6 2 p.m. NBC
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
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"That smoke is not from the tires, it's from Tony's helmet."
-- Wally Dallenbach on the cloud of smoke surrounding race leader Tony Stewart's car following his crash on Lap 91.
Quote of the Day
"Tying Dale would be a huge honor, although I’m sure he’d have a lot more than 76 if he were still with us today.”
-Jeff Gordon
Most Popular Driver
http://www.mostpopulardriver.com/
http://www.mostpopulardriver.com/
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Comments from the Peanut Galleryfrom Bob S
From Lou In response to Darrel, I wasn't really aware that many drivers had run in the different types of auto racing. I'm glad you enlightened me. I believe that A.J. Foyt is the only driver ever to win both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. And AJ also has won the 24 hours of LeMans!
I'm not a big Mario Andretti fan, but he has won both the Indy and Daytona 500s, plus the world F1 Championship, and major races like the Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour. Although primarilly a sports car driver, Dan Gurney won in Indy cars and Stock cars. And then there's Parnelli Jones and Ken Schrader.
A racer is a racer is a racer!
There have been many great all-around drivers and as you said, down the line, Tony Stewart is bound to be included among them.
Amen!
I happen to think Jeff Gordon is a very good race car driver and he has won trophy's in other types of auto racing, but the only championships he has won have been in NASCAR.
I tend to think he is a top driver, but wins with good equipment. Some of the others win in spite of mediocre equipment! Gordon has been blessed with some top teams and crew chiefs.
Cheers, Bob
from Chip
Dear NASCAR Momma: After reading today's letter in which the broadcast network changes for the "07 season are laid out, it seems that the tune 57 channels and nothing on could and should be reworded to say: 57 channels and which one is the race on this week. Are all these network changes necessary to bring race coverage to the masses who cannot attend or have they been made to generate the most income for NASCAR? If drivers, teams and owners benefit as well as the owners of NASCAR then so be it. Millions of race fans watch the races but it is becoming some kind of a nightmare to keep track of which network is showing the race on which channel. Is it on NBC, Fox or TNT and now ESPN is being thrown into the mix. So will it be ESPN 1 or 2? When will they begin offering road maps to the race broadcast nightmare. There is more than one chase happening in NASCAR but there is no point system involved. If you make it through the maze your reward is getting to watch portions of a race that only the drivers get to mention their sponsors when they win, place or crash, but that is another topic for another time. Thanks for providing a place for fans to express themselves and their ideas.
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Bits and PiecesGilliland's Busch Series team folds
By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Busch Series team that put David Gilliland on the NASCAR map folded Monday, an indication that the upstart driver has accepted a better ride.
Gilliland shocked the NASCAR world by winning the Busch race at Kentucky Speedway in June driving for Clay Andrews Racing, a part-time team. The victory earned Gilliland numerous offers from top-level organizations, and he said two weeks ago that he was talking to 10 different car owners.
Andrews apparently saw it as a sign that he couldn't keep the 30-year-old Gilliland and decided to close his operation.
"We put our heart, soul and resources into David Gilliland,'' Andrews said in a statement. "Personally and financially we do not feel it is best to move forward at this time.''
Gilliland, meanwhile, appears to be headed to one of Robert Yates Racing's empty Nextel Cup seats. He will make his debut with that team in Saturday night's Busch race in Indianapolis, driving the No. 90 Ford.
Yates has two seats to fill now that Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler are both leaving at the end of the season. The car owner is considering 19-year-old Stephen Leicht for one of the rides, and Leicht made his Cup debut two weeks ago at Pocono Raceway. He finished 36th.
Gilliland had a storied West Coast-racing career when he moved to North Carolina in January to give NASCAR a shot with Andrews. The startup team had no sponsor and lacked the funds run the full Busch schedule.
He missed the first race he tried to qualify for, mustered only a career-best 29th-place finish in the next four events, then failed to make the May race in Charlotte.
But he finally broke through in Kentucky when he became the first non-Nextel Cup driver to win a Busch event in 18 races dating back to last November.
He's been fielding offers ever since, leaving Andrews little hope of keeping him.
Andrews, though, vowed to give NASCAR another try.
"We hope to be back in about three years,'' he said. "I have my eye on a young, but very talented driver that I would love to bring back into the Busch Series.''
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Gilliland-Yates announcement imminentReid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Robert Yates Racing is expected to announce later this week the signing of David Gilliland to a multiyear deal to drive the organization's M&M's Ford, which Elliott Sadler will vacate at season's end.
Charles "Cully" Barraclough, who worked with Gilliland in the Busch Series during a brief tenure as a consultant with Clay Andrews Racing this year, will serve as crew chief for the No. 38 Ford, beginning with this week's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gilliland, 30, will drive for RYR for the first time in Saturday's Kroger 200 Busch Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Driving for Andrews Racing, Gilliland recorded his first victory in the Busch Series on June 17 in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
With Gilliland's move to Yates imminent, Clay Andrews Racing announced Monday it was closing the doors of its shop in Statesville, N.C. "We put our heart, soul and resources into David Gilliland," Clay Andrews said in a release. "Personally and financially, we do not feel it is best to move forward at this time."
The son of renowned West Coast racer Butch Gilliland, David has one Nextel Cup start to his credit, June 25 at Infineon Raceway, where he finished 32nd.
Also Monday, RYR announced that Butch Hylton would take over crew chief duties for Dale Jarrett's No. 88 UPS Ford on an interim basis, replacing Slugger Labbe. Hylton will call the shots from the pits during Sunday's Allstate 400.
The sudden departure from the Yates organization of Labbe and No. 38 crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. is part of a continuing shakeup that includes the departures of Jarrett and Sadler to new teams in 2007. Team principals Robert Yates and Doug Yates were not available Monday to comment on Gilliland or Barraclough.
Hylton, who has been with RYR since June, worked with Sadler in the Busch Series in the late 1990s and most recently spent tenures with Kevin Harvick Inc. and FitzBradshaw Racing. Hylton was crew chief for Yates development driver Stephen Leicht at Pocono during Leicht's Nextel Cup debut July 23 in the No. 90 Citifinancial Ford.
Leicht, who has been touted as a likely replacement for Jarrett in the No. 88 Ford, will attempt to qualify for the Allstate 400 in the No. 90 car, with Raymond Fox as his crew chief.
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BALDWIN LANDS AT BILL DAVIS RACING It didn't take Tommy Baldwin Jr. long to find a new job.
Three days after parting company with Robert Yates Racing, Baldwin signed on with Bill Davis Racing as competition director for the organization's Nextel Cup teams.
Baldwin's official tenure begins Tuesday, though he was already working in the Davis shop Monday afternoon. Included in Baldwin's responsibilities will be overseeing the organization's transition from Dodge to Toyota for the 2007 season.
Baldwin, 39, is no stranger to BDR. He served the organization from 1999 to 2002 and led the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team to four victories, including Ward Burton's win in the 2002 Daytona 500.
Baldwin worked for Ultra Motorsports in 2003 before moving to Evernham Motorsports the following season. In 2005 he was crew chief for driver Kasey Kahne's first victory, at Richmond.
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2007 Promises to be deepest, competitive field in modern era By Dan Sipocz
Cup Scene Daily
The current status of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series fields will be turned upside down in 2007. The 2007 entry lists will be overwhelming to look at with the sheer number of entrants growing from a steady 45 cars to as many as 54 or 55 next season. This means next season will the deepest and most competitive year in NASCAR history dating back to beyond the modern era as we know it.
Big-time sponsors taking their money and backing the “super teams” is nothing new to the sport and nor is competition, but the series has gone from four, or five cars having a legitimate shot at winning a race in the early 1990’s to anyone in the field with the right pit strategy in a race because of the sponsorships. Last year at Michigan Tony Raines nearly won that race on a big fuel mileage gamble in the under funded 37 car after running mid-pack all day long; he ran out of gas with just a couple laps to go. Jeremy Mayfield ended up winning by taking the same gamble while running near the 20th spot all day.
The 2007 season will have more than enough well funded cars to compete for the win with a strong count of 41 with big name sponsors backing the teams. Dale Earnhardt Inc., Richard Childress Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing account for 9 entries next season while Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports account for 9 more raising the total to 18 already. Chip Ganassi brings his 3 cars to the mix as Petty Enterprises brings 2 cars to make a total of 23. Penske South, Robert Yates Racing, and MB2 combine add 6 to the total of 29. Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing, Red Bull, Evernham, Robby Gordon Racing, and Hall of Fame combine to add 12 more cars to the field. This brings the number to 41!
Then there are the teams who run with sponsorship or limited funds, but are planning to show up every week. This includes the Wood Brothers, Cal Wells, Boris Said’s NO FEAR team, Morgan McClure, BAM Racing, Haas, Morgan Shepard, Competitive Edge, Kirk Shelmerdine, McGlynn, Furniture Row, Front Row, Victory all add to the near full field with all their one car teams. That’s 13 more cars with the possibility of the Wood Brothers and Haas adding a second car which could raise the total to 15.
This would make the field the deepest and most competitive in a long time with a possible 54 to 56 cars on the Nextel Cup Series entry list each race next season. There will be a lot of guys going home every week so NASCAR may have a problem on their hands. However, Brain France is a smart guy. He has probably already considered this and may have a bomb shell announcement on this subject whenever they announce the schedule for 2007 or when they announce the changes to the Chase format. Either way, the entry lists will look like its Daytona or Indianapolis every week.
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NASCAR pleased with unleaded fuel test CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR officials were pleased Monday with their first test of unleaded fuel and remain on schedule to have the gas in all of its series by 2007.
The unleaded gasoline was used in Saturday night's Busch Series race in St. Louis, the first of a four-week test run of the fuel. NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton said there were no major problems reported after the race.
"A lot of the engine builders shared information with our inspectors and there weren't any issues," Pemberton said. "You might have seen some extra wear and tear on some internal pieces, but the engine-builders have been working on unleaded fuel since we announced it was coming and no one had any problems."
A handful of ARCA cars also used unleaded fuel during Friday night's race in St. Louis, including driver Cale Gale's winning entry.
NASCAR had planned to move away from gasoline with lead-based additives by 2008, but is now targeting next season. The Busch cars will continue to use unleaded fuel for three more weeks, and the Truck Series will begin a two-race trial run Friday night in Indianapolis and then in Nashville, Tenn., in August.
Following those events, NASCAR will switch back to the regular gasoline while NASCAR, Sunoco officials and team engine builders evaluate the unleaded fuel.
Both series will then switch back to the unleaded gasoline on Sept. 23 for the remainder of the season.
All ARCA cars will test the unleaded fuel in a race at Talladega to give engine builders a chance to examine the use of the gasoline in restrictor plate engines.
A decision on using unleaded fuel in the Nextel Cup Series isn't expected until the end of the season, but Pemberton said the Cup cars won't test it this year.
"We feel we are better off served with the Busch cars and the Trucks," he said. "Even though they are a little less horsepower, the events don't have as many miles as a Cup race so it gives engineers an opportunity to tear the engines down and look at how the fuel worked."
NASCAR has used high-octane leaded fuel for decades, but has been searching for an alternative for years and has finally found a solution through supplier Sunoco.
NASCAR is exempt from the 1970 Clean Air Act, which required all automobiles to use unleaded fuel. Still, series officials tried an unleaded fuel in 1998 during some Busch races, only to find it contained additives that were dangerous when they came in contact with ground water.
All efforts to develop something that worked were lost when supplier Unocal pulled out after the 2003 season, and it's taken the last few years to get up to speed with Sunoco.
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Matt Crossman | Sporting News
Denny Hamlin was extremely impressive at the Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday, and I'm not talking about how he led 169 of 200 laps.
Hamlin started from the pole and did not relinquish the lead until the 107th lap, when he made a green-flag pit stop for fuel. He dominated the rest of the race, too, except for the final eight laps, when Carl Edwards passed him and ran away with the win because of a good pit call. (Edwards took two tires, Hamlin took zero.)
Losing in the best car is the most annoying thing drivers face in their competitive lives. The what-if, why not, what could I/we have done differently haunts them. It drives them nuts. It's worse than wrecks that aren't their fault. It's worse than flat tires. It's worse than seeing Tony Stewart behind them. Hamlin is no different. Yet he showed up at the post-race press conference, and while he might not have been there 100 percent voluntarily, he was mature, well spoken and even funny for someone who all the while had to be outrageously ticked off.
After the race, Hamlin said that was the best car in which he ever had lost. As he realized, with 10 laps to go, that he wasn't going to win, he thought, "How fast can I get out of here?"
Edwards bumped him out of the way in a key sequence in the race, and as Edwards drove by, he gave Hamlin a thumbs-up sign. Hamlin said in doing so, Edwards might as well have put a bull's-eye on his bumper. But when Hamlin caught Edwards, he passed him cleanly.
After he won at Pocono, I thought Hamlin seemed subdued in victory lane, like he'd been there 102 times rather than two. Strange, he seemed funnier and more charismatic after losing.
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Busch Series crew chief suspended Greg Engle
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
NASCAR's get-tough policy snared two more Busch Series teams Tuesday.
Ricky Pearson, crew chief for the No. 36 Chevrolet driven by Tim Sauter, received a two-race suspension and was fined $15,000 for violations found by inspectors after Saturday's race at Gateway International Raceway.
Pearson will miss Saturday's Busch race in Indianapolis and the August 12 race at Watkins Glen.
Greg Tester, crew chief for the No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Ron Young, was fined $2,000 for what NASCAR said was a jacking bolt that was made from something other than "solid magnetic steel." The violation was discovered during opening-day inspection July 28 at Gateway.
Sauter's car was chosen at random for postrace inspection. NASCAR typically pulls the cars of the winner, the top five and picks several at random from the rest of the field for postrace inspections. NASCAR inspectors found problems with the shocks, and they were confiscated for further review.
In addition to the crew chief suspension, Sauter will lose 50 driver points and team owner John McGill will lose 50 owner points.
The team issued a statement saying it would appeal the penalties.
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Robby to deliver meals: on Thursday, August 3rd, The Harrah’s Foundation will donate a new $40,000 Chevrolet Colorado meal delivery truck to Meals on Wheels, Inc., a non-profit meal delivery service
for Central Indiana homebound elderly and disabled. Following presentation of the delivery truck, Robby Gordon will drive the Harrah’s #7 Chevy race car to the nearby Indianapolis homes of two Meals on Wheels clients to deliver meals.(PR)
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Aikmen to be inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame: Hall of Fame Racing will truly become Hall of Fame Racing on Saturday [August 5th] when #96 team owner Troy Aikman is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio [along with the Hall of Fame game featuring Jayski fave the Philadelphia Eagles vs the Oakland Raiders - NBC 8pm/Sat]. Aikman co-owns the team with 1985 Hall of Fame inductee Roger Staubach and managing partner Bill Saunders. The team gets engines, cars and technical assistance from Joe Gibbs Racing, owned by 1996 Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs.(HOF Racing PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Safe Ride Home' Designated Driver Program Comes To Indianapolis: on Thursday, August 3, #26-Jamie McMurray tests his skills on the city streets during the Crown Royal "Safe Rides Home" program in downtown Indianapolis. As part of this designated driver initiative, McMurray will team with his primary race sponsor, Crown Royal and its parent company Diageo, to deploy a fleet of replica purple and gold #26 Ford Fusion cars that will be offering local bar patrons free, safe rides home for two nights. To show his commitment to the program on the kickoff night, McMurray will get behind the wheel of one of the vehicles and provide free rides home to select consumers who sign up at a special Crown Royal #26 taxi stand. This marks the second straight year the program has visited Indianapolis prior to the Brickyard race. After servicing many Indianapolis residents with safe rides home
last year [with Kurt Busch], Crown Royal has added a second night to the program. "'This year we decided to expand the program to two nights, allowing us to cover more ground over a longer period of time," said Jim Lorenz, Senior Brand Manager, Crown Royal. "This signature program continues to build upon its successes as the perfect vehicle to promote responsible decision-making." McMurray's appearance will launch the two-day program that aims to drive hundreds of Indianapolis residents home safely prior to the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard on August 6. The program is set to take place in Meridian Park (by Jackson Place) on Thursday, August 3, and Broadripple (Guilford Avenue) on Friday, August 4. Marked kiosks will accept "fares" from 8:00pm - 1:00am on both nights. In total, 10 Crown Royal Ford Fusions will be in rotation and residents within a 20-mile radius of downtown Indianapolis that are 21 years of age or older are eligible. There is a four-passenger limit per
car.(Alan Taylor Communications PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No 'free ride' for Menard on way to the top
By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
Paul Menard's family owns a billion-dollar business, but he isn't a stock-car scion whose trust fund included NASCAR privileges.
Since he was in fifth grade, the son of home improvement magnate John Menard has toiled in the retail industry. Stapling rebates, stamping checks and corralling shopping carts were how Paul Menard spent his summers before pursuing a full-time racing career a few years ago.
"It wasn't a free ride by any means," the 25-year-old said. "Every summer break, I'd be working in a distribution center, building store fixtures, or working in the hardware or plumbing department of a store. It was an awesome learning experience."
It's also come with a hefty fringe benefit: A ride in the Busch Series. For the past two seasons, Menard has driven the Dale Earnhardt Inc.-owned No. 11 Chevrolet sponsored primarily by Menards, the country's third-largest home improvement store behind Home Depot and Lowe's.
The Midwestern chain, which has more than 200 stores and an estimated $6.4 billion in revenue in 2004 according to the National Retail Federation, is based in Eau Claire, Wis., where Menard also worked in corporate headquarters. When he was barely out of high school, Menard was scheduling flight itineraries for a fleet of light aircraft used to ferry executives to the company's locations across 10 states.
"Paul did stuff someone twice his age should have been doing," said John Menard, who has put all his children to work in entry-level jobs because "retail has a way of grounding you real quick. He was always an exceptionally diligent worker and a quiet kid who enjoyed people."
Now living in Mooresville, N.C., Paul Menard has a seat on the board of directors at Menards and still attends quarterly meetings. Though he doesn't have the on-track résumé to match Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart, he probably outranks both as a home improvement-sponsored driver who could qualify on the pole after applying a coat of primer to his car.
"That's all we do," John Menard said. "That's been our business all Paul's life and all my life."
Racing also has been a family priority. Besides NASCAR (the company also sponsors Robby Gordon in Nextel Cup and Matt Crafton in the Craftsman Truck Series), Menard also has sponsored Indy cars and once raced sedans with fully studded tires on frozen lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada.
Paul Menard inherited the bug, winning 10 International Ice Association races. He is enjoying a breakthrough in his second season in Busch, ranking sixth in points and tops among drivers running Busch exclusively. But being first in class behind Nextel Cup regulars such as Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin means little.
"I don't look at it like that," he said. "Harvick, Bowyer and Hamlin are all full-time Busch guys, too. When we're getting beat, I don't care who's in the cars."
Menard will be racing on their turf in 2007 when he is elevated to Cup. He already has two top-15 finishes in Cup races this season (including a seventh at Atlanta Motor Speedway) and will attempt to qualify for the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.
He proved he could beat Cup drivers on June 24 at The Milwaukee Mile, holding off charges by Harvick and Hamlin for his first Busch victory.
"That was a turning point for Paul in his career," John Menard said. "I think Paul is to point where with or without any backing from us, he can be a successful driver."
Paul Menard won't forget that backing, though. He wants to return to the family business when his NASCAR career is over — even if it means stocking shelves.
"I'll probably have to work my way up again."
Stewart will be among favorites at Brickyard
Questions about Pocono could be a distraction
Mark Decotis | Florida Today
This and that as NASCAR points to Sunday's Brickyard 400, a race some claim rivals the Daytona 500 as the sport's biggest event:
Speaking of Indy, defending champion and Indiana native Tony Stewart has to be considered a favorite. But as hard as he and his staff may try, he will be dogged all week by questions about his run-ins at Pocono -- despite his accepting blame. Stewart usually does not handle such situations well, and what he considers distractions might weigh on his performance on Sunday. Or, then again, they might not. Either way, it will be fun to watch. Yates shakes things up, again. The revolving door continues to spin at Robert Yates Racing. It was announced Monday that Butch Hylton will crew the No. 88 Ford of Dale Jarrett in place of Richard "Slugger" Labbe for Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
Labbe was shown the exit door along with Tommy Baldwin, crew chief for the No. 38 Ford of Elliott Sadler. Baldwin will be replaced by Charles "Cully" Barraclough, RYR said in news release.
Incidentally, Jarrett and Sadler will both leave Yates at season's end. Jarrett will go to Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota in 2007, Sadler to parts unknown though rumors suggest he is headed to Evernham Motorsports as a replacement for Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield is reported headed to Waltrip to drive the third Toyota.
Yates drivers for 2007 are expected to be Busch Series jockeys Stephen Leicht and David Gilliland. Looks like lean times ahead for the once-vaunted Yates organization that won the 1999 Winston Cup with Jarrett. Pity the IRL. Danica Patrick or no Danica Patrick, the Indy Racing League still doesn't have the creed to keep ABC from dropping live coverage of its rain-delayed Michigan race in favor of local programming.
The race was delayed more than two hours Sunday by a rainstorm and later water seeping up onto the racing surface on the 2-mile speedway. At least in the Orlando market -- which includes us -- fans tuning in for the race were instead greeted by the 6 p.m. local news report and later ABC's "World News Tonight."
I can't, under any circumstances, imagine any network treating NASCAR so shabbily. Until the IRL can receive similar respect, it never will attract a similar fan base.
Helio Castroneves of Penske won the 400-miler. He leads the points with three races remaining. Patrick finished 17th after running out of gas and fell to 10th in points. Formula One fireworks. Written off by the unwise after Fernando Alonso won the 2005 Formula One title, seven-time champion Michael Schumacher served notice he should be taken seriously this year by winning Sunday's German Grand Prix on his native soil.
The victory, Schumacher's third in a row and fifth of the season, drew him to within 11 points (100 to 89) of the pacesetting Alonso. Formula One awards points to the top eight finishing positions (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1), putting Schumacher in a strong position to dethrone Alonso, who has finished fourth, eighth and fourth in his past three races.
Six races -- Hungary, Turkey, Monza (Italy), China, Japan and Brazil -- remain on the schedule. Monza will be especially pivotal, since that's where Schumacher is expected to make an announcement on his future in racing. Schumacher's contract with Ferarri is up at season's end and speculation -- including reports of a $100 million offer from BMW -- has been rampant about the Red Baron's future. Ho-hum, another Cup guy wins. Saturday night's Busch Series race also was delayed by rain. By the time they got around to running it and finishing it, the result was the same as in all but two of 22 races this season -- a Cup guy won.
Carl Edwards beat Cup regular Denny Hamlin to the checkered flag for his fourth victory of the season, but the triumph did little to enhance Edwards' standing in the points. He's second, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 318 markers. Harvick was fifth Saturday.
By the way, Harvick is fifth in Nextel Cup points and a threat to do what no other driver has done: win championships in the two top NASCAR touring series in the same season.
Now, that would be news. Gohn standing strong. Malabar's Bryn Gohn is giving a good accounting for himself in his rookie season in the USAC Silver Crown Series. Gohn is eighth in points among 20 drivers and scored his first top five of the season, coming home third at Chicago on July 7.
The series' next race is Thursday at Indianapolis. Gohn also will race Sept. 16 at Iowa and in the season finale Sept. 30 at Kansas.
Rumors that he has become Mr. Sensitive are greatly exaggerated.
By Pete DiPrimio
INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Stewart is angry again. Is this so bad? Sure, it offends a few people (fellow NASCAR drivers, media pontificators, Carl Edwards fans), but do we really want a soft, cuddly Stewart around when the feistier version is so much more compelling?
Stewart wrecks a few competitors, contributes a few million to charity, chastises a few young drivers for wild racing, scales a few fences after victories, enjoys a few Dairy Queen treats, cuddles with 6-pound pet Chihuahua Kayle and earns enough ($16.7 million in earnings and endorsements last year) to pay Barry Bonds’ lawyer fees.
Mellowed rumors aside, Stewart remains the unshaven face of success through passion and if you don’t like it, get out of his way.
“If you don’t have that desire,” he says, “you won’t be successful. You have to have that feeling in your gut that you want to win every weekend.”
Stewart isn’t winning every weekend (he’s coming off a seventh-place finish at Pocono), but he is the defending Nextel Cup champ. If a repeat isn’t certain – he’s 10th in the driver’s standings entering Sunday’s Allstate at the Brickyard 400, 462 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson – at least he has a Race-to-the-Chase chance.
Stewart has mixed two victories and eight top-five finishes with three did-not-finishes this season. He has led more laps (923) than any other driver.
Of course, with slumping Dale Earnhardt Jr. just 15 points behind Stewart in 11th place (only the top 10 make the Race to the Chase), nothing is sure except Stewart’s latest apology.
That came following the July 23 Pocono race, during which Stewart’s aggressive driving – he slid into rookie Clint Bowyer after Bowyer pinched him into the wall early in the race – caused an accident that took out Bowyer and Carl Edwards, likely eliminating both from Chase contention. The fact Stewart waved an angry fist at Bowyer after hitting the wall and just before hitting Bowyer obliterated any it-was-an-accident argument.
“It was totally my fault,” Stewart said in a statement afterward. “I reacted, causing the wreck that I take responsibility for and regret.”
That’s fine, but Stewart didn’t become one of the biggest stars in motor sports by saying he’s sorry. He’s thrived with aggression and toughness and tenacity. He’s won 24 career NASCAR races, two NASCAR driving titles and in four different kinds of machines (NASCAR, open wheel, midget and go-kart).
All this and an outspoken nature give him clout with NASCAR bigwigs, and if you don’t believe that, then you missed how officials implemented a policing system after Stewart’s warning before the season-opening Daytona 500 that somebody was going to get killed if aggressive driving wasn’t curtailed.
Of course, Stewart became the first violator of that guideline when he intentionally crashed into Matt Kenseth at Daytona. He followed that up by feuding with driver Kyle Busch (saying Busch drove too recklessly and didn’t listen to Stewart’s advice) and then went metal-to-metal with driver Ryan Newman last month.
No matter. Let nice guys drive bumper cars. Stewart is out to win and he doesn’t care what he drives. He doesn’t explain how he’s successfully made the jump to NASCAR while others have struggled.
“If I had to guess, it would be because I’ve driven so many types of cars you learn to adapt more than anything.”
Adaptation paid off last year with his first Brickyard 400 win, a special achievement considering he’d come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway often while growing up in nearby Columbus, Ind.
Sunday he’ll try for a repeat. If he succeeds, it could fuel a late-season championship surge. And if that means returning to his feisty roots, well, is that so bad?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Questions about Pocono could be a distraction
Mark Decotis | Florida Today
This and that as NASCAR points to Sunday's Brickyard 400, a race some claim rivals the Daytona 500 as the sport's biggest event:
Speaking of Indy, defending champion and Indiana native Tony Stewart has to be considered a favorite. But as hard as he and his staff may try, he will be dogged all week by questions about his run-ins at Pocono -- despite his accepting blame. Stewart usually does not handle such situations well, and what he considers distractions might weigh on his performance on Sunday. Or, then again, they might not. Either way, it will be fun to watch. Yates shakes things up, again. The revolving door continues to spin at Robert Yates Racing. It was announced Monday that Butch Hylton will crew the No. 88 Ford of Dale Jarrett in place of Richard "Slugger" Labbe for Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
Labbe was shown the exit door along with Tommy Baldwin, crew chief for the No. 38 Ford of Elliott Sadler. Baldwin will be replaced by Charles "Cully" Barraclough, RYR said in news release.
Incidentally, Jarrett and Sadler will both leave Yates at season's end. Jarrett will go to Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota in 2007, Sadler to parts unknown though rumors suggest he is headed to Evernham Motorsports as a replacement for Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield is reported headed to Waltrip to drive the third Toyota.
Yates drivers for 2007 are expected to be Busch Series jockeys Stephen Leicht and David Gilliland. Looks like lean times ahead for the once-vaunted Yates organization that won the 1999 Winston Cup with Jarrett. Pity the IRL. Danica Patrick or no Danica Patrick, the Indy Racing League still doesn't have the creed to keep ABC from dropping live coverage of its rain-delayed Michigan race in favor of local programming.
The race was delayed more than two hours Sunday by a rainstorm and later water seeping up onto the racing surface on the 2-mile speedway. At least in the Orlando market -- which includes us -- fans tuning in for the race were instead greeted by the 6 p.m. local news report and later ABC's "World News Tonight."
I can't, under any circumstances, imagine any network treating NASCAR so shabbily. Until the IRL can receive similar respect, it never will attract a similar fan base.
Helio Castroneves of Penske won the 400-miler. He leads the points with three races remaining. Patrick finished 17th after running out of gas and fell to 10th in points. Formula One fireworks. Written off by the unwise after Fernando Alonso won the 2005 Formula One title, seven-time champion Michael Schumacher served notice he should be taken seriously this year by winning Sunday's German Grand Prix on his native soil.
The victory, Schumacher's third in a row and fifth of the season, drew him to within 11 points (100 to 89) of the pacesetting Alonso. Formula One awards points to the top eight finishing positions (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1), putting Schumacher in a strong position to dethrone Alonso, who has finished fourth, eighth and fourth in his past three races.
Six races -- Hungary, Turkey, Monza (Italy), China, Japan and Brazil -- remain on the schedule. Monza will be especially pivotal, since that's where Schumacher is expected to make an announcement on his future in racing. Schumacher's contract with Ferarri is up at season's end and speculation -- including reports of a $100 million offer from BMW -- has been rampant about the Red Baron's future. Ho-hum, another Cup guy wins. Saturday night's Busch Series race also was delayed by rain. By the time they got around to running it and finishing it, the result was the same as in all but two of 22 races this season -- a Cup guy won.
Carl Edwards beat Cup regular Denny Hamlin to the checkered flag for his fourth victory of the season, but the triumph did little to enhance Edwards' standing in the points. He's second, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 318 markers. Harvick was fifth Saturday.
By the way, Harvick is fifth in Nextel Cup points and a threat to do what no other driver has done: win championships in the two top NASCAR touring series in the same season.
Now, that would be news. Gohn standing strong. Malabar's Bryn Gohn is giving a good accounting for himself in his rookie season in the USAC Silver Crown Series. Gohn is eighth in points among 20 drivers and scored his first top five of the season, coming home third at Chicago on July 7.
The series' next race is Thursday at Indianapolis. Gohn also will race Sept. 16 at Iowa and in the season finale Sept. 30 at Kansas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s still feisty – Stewart readies for Brickyard 400Rumors that he has become Mr. Sensitive are greatly exaggerated.
By Pete DiPrimio
INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Stewart is angry again. Is this so bad? Sure, it offends a few people (fellow NASCAR drivers, media pontificators, Carl Edwards fans), but do we really want a soft, cuddly Stewart around when the feistier version is so much more compelling?
Stewart wrecks a few competitors, contributes a few million to charity, chastises a few young drivers for wild racing, scales a few fences after victories, enjoys a few Dairy Queen treats, cuddles with 6-pound pet Chihuahua Kayle and earns enough ($16.7 million in earnings and endorsements last year) to pay Barry Bonds’ lawyer fees.
Mellowed rumors aside, Stewart remains the unshaven face of success through passion and if you don’t like it, get out of his way.
“If you don’t have that desire,” he says, “you won’t be successful. You have to have that feeling in your gut that you want to win every weekend.”
Stewart isn’t winning every weekend (he’s coming off a seventh-place finish at Pocono), but he is the defending Nextel Cup champ. If a repeat isn’t certain – he’s 10th in the driver’s standings entering Sunday’s Allstate at the Brickyard 400, 462 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson – at least he has a Race-to-the-Chase chance.
Stewart has mixed two victories and eight top-five finishes with three did-not-finishes this season. He has led more laps (923) than any other driver.
Of course, with slumping Dale Earnhardt Jr. just 15 points behind Stewart in 11th place (only the top 10 make the Race to the Chase), nothing is sure except Stewart’s latest apology.
That came following the July 23 Pocono race, during which Stewart’s aggressive driving – he slid into rookie Clint Bowyer after Bowyer pinched him into the wall early in the race – caused an accident that took out Bowyer and Carl Edwards, likely eliminating both from Chase contention. The fact Stewart waved an angry fist at Bowyer after hitting the wall and just before hitting Bowyer obliterated any it-was-an-accident argument.
“It was totally my fault,” Stewart said in a statement afterward. “I reacted, causing the wreck that I take responsibility for and regret.”
That’s fine, but Stewart didn’t become one of the biggest stars in motor sports by saying he’s sorry. He’s thrived with aggression and toughness and tenacity. He’s won 24 career NASCAR races, two NASCAR driving titles and in four different kinds of machines (NASCAR, open wheel, midget and go-kart).
All this and an outspoken nature give him clout with NASCAR bigwigs, and if you don’t believe that, then you missed how officials implemented a policing system after Stewart’s warning before the season-opening Daytona 500 that somebody was going to get killed if aggressive driving wasn’t curtailed.
Of course, Stewart became the first violator of that guideline when he intentionally crashed into Matt Kenseth at Daytona. He followed that up by feuding with driver Kyle Busch (saying Busch drove too recklessly and didn’t listen to Stewart’s advice) and then went metal-to-metal with driver Ryan Newman last month.
No matter. Let nice guys drive bumper cars. Stewart is out to win and he doesn’t care what he drives. He doesn’t explain how he’s successfully made the jump to NASCAR while others have struggled.
“If I had to guess, it would be because I’ve driven so many types of cars you learn to adapt more than anything.”
Adaptation paid off last year with his first Brickyard 400 win, a special achievement considering he’d come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway often while growing up in nearby Columbus, Ind.
Sunday he’ll try for a repeat. If he succeeds, it could fuel a late-season championship surge. And if that means returning to his feisty roots, well, is that so bad?
Wonder Bread gets exposure from movie
Kara Yorio
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Kara Yorio
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Will Ferrell is a box office automatic - "Bewitched" notwithstanding - bringing in millions of moviegoers and their money. NASCAR is a huge draw, too, with 75 million ultra-loyal fans. No wonder that Wonder Bread was attracted to the idea of being in front of both audiences as a primary sponsor for Ferrell's character in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opens nationwide Friday.
NASCAR's official sponsors originally were offered the spot as Ferrell's primary sponsor, according to Sarah Nettinga, NASCAR's managing director of film, television and music entertainment. When none wanted that placement, filmmaker Sony thought of Wonder Bread - because of the "colors and it feels very American," Nettinga said.
From there, the pitch went to NMA Entertainment and Marketing, which vets scripts for Wonder Bread. Devery Holmes worked on the project for NMA, breaking down the script and eventually recommending to her client that it take the offer and plaster itself on the fictional racecar driver's car, helmet and firesuit.
"We loved the film," Holmes said. "The all-American feel, NASCAR, comedy at its finest. It's a fun, summer event film."
It's more than just about being part of the event. Wonder Bread hopes to get a slice of the $2 billion in retail sales NASCAR says its licensed products take in annually. It was worth any possible risk, but Holmes was not worried that Farrell's mocking tone might scorch NASCAR and, in turn, the brand he wore.
"We understood NASCAR was behind this, and we know how many films NASCAR has turned down," said Holmes, putting the trust in the NASCAR people to want the right situation for its image.
NASCAR has been what Nettinga called "very strategic" in choosing which production vehicles would best fit its needs. The calculated selections have been quite successful so far. NASCAR partnered with Walt Disney Pictures on "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and, with Warner Bros. Pictures, did "NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience." The animated "Cars" from Disney's Pixar featured the voices of NASCAR stars Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
With "Talladega Nights," NASCAR has the opportunity to reach a different audience than any of those previous productions. This film gives NASCAR the chance to be out in front of Ferrell fans. It was an opportunity it couldn't resist. Nettinga didn't worry that Ferrell's jokes and exaggeration of stereotypes might reflect poorly on the sport. Sony and NASCAR collaborated on the effort, and Nettinga said Ferrell's sometimes biting humor won't backfire and instead will be seen as a satire on more than just NASCAR.
"What they are playing with and having fun with is celebrity and the moments of celebrity that can be somewhat absurd at times," said Nettinga, who has an executive producer credit on the film. At one point in the movie, Nettinga points out as an example, Ferrell signs a fan's baby.
Whatever the target of the humor, Wonder Bread likely made a very smart business decision throwing itself in front of Ferrell fans and NASCAR fans and, by its visual connection alone, getting swept into the Sony and NASCAR marketing machine for the movie.
"NASCAR executes sports marketing about as well as anyone," said Lynn Kahle, professor of marketing at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. "Fans understand the link between NASCAR sponsorship and lower ticket prices, and they appreciate sponsors because of that fact."
So, will NASCAR fans become loyal to Wonder Bread and start buying it?
"Yes," Kahle said. "NASCAR fans who watch the movie will remember Wonder Bread as if it were a sponsor in reality, and Wonder Bread's image among NASCAR fans who watch the movie will be improved. Most consumers already know what Wonder Bread is, and the effect of this type of product placement in a movie is to remind consumers of the product. The link to NASCAR, however fictional, should benefit Wonder Bread."
Anyone not living in a box will see an awful lot of the red, blue and yellow polka dots that are synonymous with Wonder Bread during the next several weeks. There's no sure way to quantify what Wonder Bread gains from this partnership, no sales figure that could be directly attributed to its inclusion in the film, but this is the kind of exposure that can't be bought. Add in the blurred line of reality and fiction and a NASCAR fan's loyalty to related products, this seems like a no-lose situation for Wonder Bread.
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"I don't have near as much common sense as he had, and he banked on that just about all day, every day, of his life."
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., comparing himself to his father.
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NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK Practice: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Friday, Aug. 4 3:30 p.m. Speed
Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 Friday, Aug. 4 8:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Saturday, Aug. 5 10 a.m. TNT
Practice: Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Saturday, Aug. 5 3:30 p.m. Speed
Qualifying: Busch Series Kroger 200 Saturday, Aug. 5 6 p.m. Speed
Busch Series Kroger 200 Saturday, Aug. 5 9 p.m. TNT
Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 Sunday, Aug. 6 2 p.m. NBC
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
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