Happy Hump Day. Today In Nascar History March 11, 1979: It's a two-man race, and Cale Yarborough emerges the winner of the Richmond 400. Yarborough leads 181 laps and second-place Bobby Allison the other 219. They are the only two to finish on the lead lap. Allison leads the first 156 laps, Yarborough the next five and Allison the next 63 before Yarborough grabs the lead for the final 176 laps. Comments from the Peanut Gallery
From Tom Momma, You are right, I usually try to change those, but I guess I was just too dang busy! From Chip Dear NASCAR Momma: I get all that stuff that goes with the pole sitter being relegated to the back of the pack because of an engine change and I understand what winning the pole earns a driver but my point was that all drivers who qualified in an even numbered position are disadvantaged by NASCAR when they just move the polesitter to the rear of the field and then move all odd number qualifiers forward in their starting spots. When you watch which car leads the first lap, in most cases it is the car that starts on the inside row, the pole position driver. I only ask if it is fair to the driver who qualified only behind the pole sitter. Why not let the pole sitter lead a parade lap in front of the entire field to demonstrate to the fans who was the fastest qualifier and then place him at the rear of the field to start the race. Move the entire field into the rightful positions they earned by qualifying ( start the whole thing by lining up which would mean all even numbered qualifying spots would now be on the inside lane and vice versa for the odd number qualifiers’. I know that it would make for a huge mess to try it after the pole sitter goes to the back of the pack but if NASCAR is serious about being fair then to my way of thinking a change is in order. If by some accounts qualifying is not that important then why require anyone to do it? Only to keep the size of the field to 43 starters? Chip Bits and Pieces Jake Elder Fundraiser set for Saturday in Mooresville NASCAR PR
This year’s event will benefit legendary crew chief “Suitcase” Jake Elder. A mainstay on the NASCAR circuit for three decades, Elder helped guide David Pearson to two of his three Grand National (now Sprint Cup) championships in 1968 and ‘69. He was also instrumental in the careers of Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt. Elder has been in declining health in recent years and currently resides in an assisted living center in Statesville, NC. Admission for the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser is $10 and will include a tour of the Museum — which houses more than 150 vintage race cars and special interest vehicles. Attendees will also have a chance to visit with dozens of drivers, crew chiefs and mechanics from racing’s past and present. A 50/50 raffle, drawings for door prizes, a vintage car show (weather permitting) and much more will take place throughout the day. Food will be provided by the Statesville Shrine Club with proceeds to benefit the Shriner’s Burn Center. A special motorcycle ride from Tilley Harley-Davidson in Statesville to Memory Lane will be held in conjunction with the Legends Helping Legends Fundraiser. Registration will start at 9 a.m. and the procession will leave for the museum at 10 a.m. with a police escort. Call Vickie Kress at Tilley Harley-Davidson (704-872-3883) for more details. For those who can’t attend but would like to make a donation, checks may be sent to Memory Lane Museum at 769 River Highway, Mooresville, NC 28117. Please indicate on the check that the donation is for the “Jake Elder Fund.” Two years ago, the inaugural Legends Helping Legends event helped raise funds to defray the medical expenses of former track announcer Bill Connell, who passed away in May 2008. Last year’s fundraiser benefited former driver Sam Ard, who is still battling health issues.
Cale added to Bristol’s Saturday Night Special race; DW withdraws: Cale Yarborough, one of the most successful drivers in the history of Bristol Motor Speedway, has been added to the lineup of stars for the Scotts “Saturday Night Special” at Bristol Motor Speedway, March 21. Darrell Waltrip, Bristol’s all-time winner with 12, has had to pull out of the race because of a scheduling issue that has arisen. “It seems crazy, but I am busier now than I was when I was a driver,” Waltrip said. “I have some commitments to Fox Sports that have come up since we began talking with the folks at Bristol about this race. I was looking forward to getting out there with some of those guys again; and some of them for the first time. After years with Junior Johnson as my boss, I was excited about rubbing fenders with him. But,
sometimes things are unavoidable.” Overnight Atlanta TV Ratings down: NASCAR on Fox notched a 4.7/10 yesterday for the Kobalt Tools 500 from Atlanta, easily the top sports rating of the weekend. Thanks in part to much tougher college basketball competition from CBS, yesterday's 4.7/10 is down -16% compared to last year's 5.6/12. This year's Atlanta race rating matches 2007's 4.7/10, but note that the 2007 rating came against second-round NCAA Tournament games on CBS. Metered market ratings have been a relatively weak indicator of NASCAR's national ratings this season. Through last weekend's Las Vegas race, FOX's national ratings have been an average of +6% better year-to-year than the overnight ratings comparisons. Every FOX race to date has compared more favorably to last year in the nationals than in the overnights. Through four points races, NASCAR On FOX is down -13% for the year in the metered markets (5.9/11 vs. 6.8/13). Race and Commercial Breakdown of the Kobalt Tools 500: Penske Racing's Pat Tryson named Wypall crew chief of Atlanta race By SceneDaily Staff Pat Tryson, crew chief on the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge of Kurt Busch, has been named the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After a dominant day, Tryson made the call on lap 323 of the scheduled 325-lap race to take four tires under the race's final caution that set up a green-white-checkered finish. "The call was perfect – we needed the four tires to win this race," said Busch, who lined up second for the restart. "I had a great team and crew chief that gave me great pit stops and kept me up front all day." The Tryson-led team started second and ran in the top five all day, leading a race-high 234 laps. "After a near-perfect weekend, Tryson and crew also ran a perfect race," said Jeff Hammond, analyst for Fox and Speed and the Wypall Wipers spokesman. In addition to a $1,000 check, the winning crew chief receives signage to announce the win on his pit box during the next race. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and presented a $20,000 check at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ambrose’s gas man draws four-race suspension By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Watts was suspended from Sunday’s competition immediately after chasing the tire and causing a caution that interrupted a cycle of green-flag pit stops on Lap 67. Much of the field was trapped one or more laps down when NASCAR called the caution for safety reasons. Crew members are prohibited from venturing onto the track under green-, yellow- or red-flag conditions, unless specifically instructed to do so by NASCAR officials. In addition, Watts was placed on probation through Dec. 31, as was No. 47 crew chief Frank Kerr. A crew chief bears responsibility for the actions of all his crew members. Retro Pepsi image at 'Dega for Gordon: The year was 1983 when Darrell Waltrip took to the track in the Pepsi Challenger Chevy. Waltrip had won back-to-back titles and was trying for three in a row when PepsiCo changed the primary sponsor on his car from Mountain Dew to its signature brand before the season. Waltrip failed to win the title that year. At Talladega, Jeff Gordon will go retro with Waltrip's 1983 paint scheme on his car.(gordonline.com) Did You Notice DNFs Are A Good Thing, NASCAR Needs A Senior Tour, And Menard's Mediocrity? Thomas Bowles · Frontstretch.com Did You Notice? … The complaints over the amount of engine failures to start the 2009 Sprint Cup season? To be honest, I like the unpredictability that’s been added back into the outcome of a race. For awhile there, it looked like parts and pieces had become so invincible there was no doubt as to whether the big name cars would last 500 miles each week. But now, even when someone like Kurt Busch is dominating, there’s always a doubt in the back of your mind as to whether the car is capable of making it the distance. I think that’s important for the sport, adding a small element of suspense that’s seemed to disappear in recent years. Isn’t part of the challenge for mechanics pushing their car to the absolute limit, while figuring out where to draw the line to ensure their creation makes it all the way to the checkered flag? For those who are wondering, here’s how the DNF stats through four races compare to the previous two years (remember, the first full season of the CoT was in 2008): 2007 2008 2009 Right now, we’re talking about an average of 16% of the field failing to complete every race. It’s not like 20-25 cars are running at the finish … it’s 35 to 36. And that number reminds me of what it was like in NASCAR’s glory years of the 1990s, where side-by-side racing combined with mechanical innovation provided some of the best competition both on and off the race track. In fact, these 11 engine failures match the same amount the Cup Series had through four races … back in 1999. Did You Notice? … That the lone manufacturer to avoid mechanical failure through all four races so far this season is Dodge. It’s clear the new R6 engine is pulling those Penske Championship Racing cars down the straightaways, raw power that helped Kurt Busch pull out to a lead of as much as ten seconds during green flag runs at Atlanta. Sure, the No. 2 car lost a cylinder in Las Vegas, but by and large it seems the kinks have been worked out and this bad boy is capable of running the distance. With that thought in mind, it makes you scratch your head as to why Richard Petty Motorsports refuses to change to the stronger power plant. In a statement released last week, RPM Vice President of Competition Mark McArdle said the team was comfortable with the old engine’s reliability. That’s nice to hear for Dodge … but does that mean RPM’s satisfied giving up a chance to run up front? Here were their finishes for the three intermediate tracks of Fontana, Las Vegas, and Atlanta: Kasey Kahne: 12th, 11th, 7th Considering this was once the same shop that dominated 1.5-milers with Kahne back in 2006, even an average finish of 10.0 from their No. 1 driver has to be considered a major disappointment — especially when Kurt Busch alone has led 237 laps this season over at Penske. It makes you wonder why in the world RPM wouldn’t consider switching over to the new Dodge engine. Yes, more horsepower puts you at slightly higher risk of reliability issues; but when you’re running off the pace each week as it is, what in the world have you got to lose? For some reason, there’s a nagging worry in the back of my head this decision comes down to money. Let me make it clear that in this case, I have no inside information as to what’s going on financially at RPM. So a worry is just that … a worry. But let’s investigate: this team had sponsors threatening to leave after the Elliott Sadler contract fiasco, and they currently keep struggling to finish off the full-season portfolio on Reed Sorenson’s No. 43 car – let alone fund the No. 44 of A.J. Allmendinger to run more than 10-12 races this season. Meanwhile, the Allstate logos have disappeared off the No. 9 car of Kasey Kahne, with only Budweiser assuming primary sponsorship on his Dodge. And who knows what the team paid in order to “merge” with the crumbling two-car organization of Petty Enterprises earlier this year. Even if money isn’t an issue — that the organization is truly focused on running the old engine for the sake of reliability — it appears to be the wrong move. And if these teams continue to struggle after their strong Daytona start, only time will tell if the Evernham-less organization is willing to make the necessary technical investments in order to stay both relevant and competitive. Did You Notice? … The worst-performing car that’s competed in all four races this season is the No. 98 Yates Racing Ford driven by Paul Menard? Menard bumped Travis Kvapil to third on the totem pole after infusing the organization with much-needed sponsorship money from his father’s company, Menards. But the expected improvement from the third-year driver after two tough years at DEI hasn’t materialized. Since he started off 2009 with wrecks in both Bud Shootout practice and the exhibition race itself, his season has been filled with a series of poor on-track decisions combined with devastating mechanical failures. With no finish better than 28th, Menard finds himself 38th in driver points, just 55 in front of Kvapil – whose only run in three of the four Sprint Cup Series events to date with a newly-formed No. 28. Sadly, the whole scenario reconfirms the old adage, “Money doesn’t buy happiness.” Yates was sorely in need of some financial backing after using a hodgepodge of different sponsors to fund the No. 28 Ford for a full season, and with Menards on the table, it was easy to bite. But in doing so, he broke apart a car that, with Kvapil, secured four top 10s and finished 24th in owner points in 2008. Now, the organization is stuck with their new pickup, has a significant downgrade in performance, and their once-promising future No. 1 driver is halfway out the door (Kvapil has no guarantees to continue beyond the fifth race of the season in Bristol). It’s just a shame the men with the money have their talented Wisconsin drivers a little confused. because you wonder what Kvapil could have done with the same amount of cash at his disposal. Did You Notice? … The listed attendance for the race at Atlanta was 94,400, according to official statistics released by the track and NASCAR Media? Come on! As someone who was at the speedway virtually all weekend long, there is no way that crowd came even close to 94,400! To be honest, they were lucky if the stands were packed even halfway close to that amount. Even if you were sitting at home, you just needed to see a few overhead shots of the blimp to figure out all you needed to know. Entire parking lots were empty at that place, with full sections of the grandstands dotted with just a handful of people. For once, you can’t blame the weather at Atlanta either; it was a beautiful day for a race, with temperatures reaching up into the 70s by the time the green flag flew. I happen to be a huge fan of the racing we have at AMS each year; even the ill-handling race cars aren’t enough to eliminate the multiple grooves that cause exciting side-by-side action back in the pack. But if this race loses its date and moves to Kentucky next season, I wouldn’t blame Bruton Smith one bit. If it comes down to Atlanta and New Hampshire, the racing up north is much better attended and supported throughout the course of the weekend, complemented by a wider New England fan base with no other race track to choose from. Atlanta could be a victim of the saturated Southeast market; and while that’s tough to swallow, it’s the hard-line economic truth. Did You Notice? … Crew member Jimmy Watts’ penalty does not include a monetary fine … and I’m fine with that. A lot has been written about the pure idiocy of Watts running off pit road and onto the race track in order to catch a runaway tire that drifted out of Marcos Ambrose’s pit. But before you start screaming about how his bonehead move ruined your favorite driver’s shot at the win, let’s go ahead and put ourselves in his shoes for a minute. Or can we? No one can understand the sheer intensity of a green flag pit stop, a 15-second pressure-packed moment in which one mistake can ruin your team’s chance to visit Victory Lane. In the case of Ambrose, you had a team overachieving to the tune of three top 22 finishes to start their first full season on the Cup circuit. You had a driver running reasonably well, whose chances at a fourth solid finish suddenly got put in jeopardy the second that tire started rolling out of his pit box. You, Jimmy Watts, are sitting there in the heat of the moment. The second you see that Goodyear start to wobble, you start to see the chances of a solid finish slip away. You’re yelling at the tire changer, but everyone’s so wrapped up in their own job the sense of urgency you feel just doesn’t transfer. So, in a split-second decision, you refocus — and all you think about is making sure your driver doesn’t lose this race because of his pit crew. Remember, part of your job on pit road is to make sure there’s no penalties while the car is being serviced… and there’s a penalty that’s about to be assessed. So, losing sight of your own personal safety, you go out there and run after that tire, the instantaneous adrenaline of competition overwhelming the brain’s ability to process common sense. In that special moment, you’re sacrificing yourself as an individual in the face of team success … and isn’t that what this sport is all about? Sure, I understand the four-race suspension … something has to be done because the action itself is something that can’t be tolerated in the interests of safety. But don’t slam a guy for doing whatever he felt was necessary in the heat of the moment to help his driver. Wouldn’t that be someone you’d want working on your car when you’re trying to win a race? Did You Notice? … The excitement surrounding Bristol’s Saturday Night Special? In case you haven’t heard, legends of the sport that include Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Terry Labonte, and Rusty Wallace will go at it in late models for a $100,000 top prize for charity. Their presence serves as a welcome reminder the sport could really benefit from the buzz generated by a Senior Tour. After all, golf has one — so why can’t we? I know there was an announcement for an Old School Racing Series run by a separate organization, but their schedule never materialized … and in this economy, I think it’s a movement NASCAR would have to get behind for the whole thing to get off the ground. So, if this Saturday Night Special thing works out, how about NASCAR follows up with an “Old Timer’s Race” just before the big All-Star event at Charlotte? It would be a 20-lap special on the short-track oval in the center of the speedway where Allison, Waltrip, Pearson, and Yarborough could duke it out just like old times. Don’t you think that would give a, well, boring special event in recent years one heck of a shot in the arm? Just a thought that I hope someone will pick up on in the coming weeks and months… Pit road makes an impact in Atlanta by Jeff Hammond/foxsports.com In case you didn't believe me through the first three weeks of the season, here's one of the lessons learned following the Atlanta weekend: Pit road can have a major impact on the final result of a race. Take for example the incident on Lap 67 of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. You have to hate it for poor Jimmy Watts, the crewman on the No. 47 team that chased down a tire that went into the infield grass and caused NASCAR to throw a caution. Because of his one mistake, it changed the entire complexion of the race as it put almost the full field one lap down. You have to feel bad for Watts; that's certainly not what he intended to do. But on the other hand, he should have never crossed any further than half of pit road. He's a gas man for goodness sake. What's he doing chasing a tire? NASCAR has clearly stated that these tires need to stay in contact with these tire carriers and changers. If that is not being taken care of, then they are going to have to look at how the rule is interpreted and how it is applied. That was a very dangerous situation. There obviously is no guarantee that you don't get out there on pit road and get run over. When you get out there close to the racetrack like he did, there's a possibility of someone spinning out coming off Turn 4 and taking him out. So that's a big concern. But wait, there's more We also continue to see issues with the drivers on pit road — they have got to come to grips with what they are doing. I spoke with a lot of drivers this weekend and they tell me they work real hard on not only getting on pit road but also getting the right tach reading. We know that NASCAR gives them a 5 mph margin to work within, but obviously they are pushing it too close to the limit. We are always condemning crew chiefs and engine builders for taking it too close to the limit and now obviously the drivers need to dial it back a little bit. There's a level of responsibility that falls to the driver. With the level of competition the way it is today, they are feeling the pressure to push the envelope. Our sport is all about competition and performance, so we are going to have this. It just happens. · In the Brian Vickers situation during the final round of pit stops, they have been going through some tire changers trying to find the right combination. Their lead tire changer had separated his shoulder earlier this year and is out right now. The guy changing tires Sunday in his place had been good all day until that final stop. He simply had a mistake. To me the last pit stop of the day in a crucial situation is what separates the guys that are good from the guys that struggle. That's not to say they aren't good, but there's another breed of guys out there that thrive on that kind of pressure. We talk about the Killer Bees quite a bit. That group has made their reputation over the years by performing when they need to. Unfortunately for Brian Vickers on Sunday, the mistake cost him. That team made changes from the way they train from last year and maybe it has cost them. Trying to save a dollar may have just cost them a potential win and all the bonuses and accolades that go along with it. · Carl Edwards' decision to go with two tires, well, I think he had a great explanation of why. I think his crew chief Bob Osborne did what he thought was right. It didn't get him the win but it did garner a nice third-place finish. Sometimes when you have a car so dominate all day like the No. 2 was, you just have to roll the dice and take the opportunity. Maybe Carl could have gotten out front and then there would have been a caution. Maybe the two tires worked like they needed them to and Carl gets the win and then we all would be talking about the upset. I think it was a good call to make that late in the race. Winning strategy Kurt Busch's No. 2 car was the class of the field at Atlanta. Crew chief Pat Tryson got that car and team as near to perfection as one can get and Kurt Busch did the rest. They qualified second for the race and never got any lower than fifth all day. Despite the crew member's mistake on pit road that got a lot of good cars a lap down, clearly the No. 2 car was the one to beat all day. In earlier races this season, the weather as we approached the half-way point of the race forced drivers to push things harder a lot sooner and basically change their overall battle plan. I think once the crew member made his mistake on pit road forcing the caution and putting so many cars down a lap, the approach of drivers like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers had to be totally different. I have to say I think it was a fantastic job on Tony Stewart and his group's part to battle back from two laps down Sunday. At Las Vegas they weren't able to get their two laps back but this time they did. When it happened with the crew member, it ruined some folks' days and for others it gave them some opportunities to keep things close. As perfect a race as it was for the No. 2 car, it had to have been as imperfect a race for eight to ten other guys. Look at Kyle Busch. I think he clearly had a better car than where he finished. Sunday couldn't have gone any worse for them. They simply never were in a position to get anything back. Confessions of a NASCAR fan By Carolyn Brewster/scenedaily.com The infield area for most of us fans is a mystical place. Sure we know it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but it is gated and guarded. Week after week we see who and what is in there but only through the lens of a camera and the directions of a pit reporter. We sit in our hard back seat along the frontstretch and stare into it for 500 miles - us on the outside looking in. But, occasionally, we average fans have the chance to get close enough to witness the sights and sounds for ourselves. A friend paid for this “opportunity” when he purchased a pit pass along with his Sprint Cup ticket. It was his first time on pit road, and he was elated about getting pictures next to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pit box and being able to look for the first time at the grandstands from an infield perspective. All of it was amazing. If that wasn’t enough, he quickly flashed his pass to a preoccupied guard and proceeded through to the garage area. He was there, in the inner sanctum. Crews busy at work. Everyone walked with a purpose. A quick turn, and he literally bumped into Carl Edwards’ crew chief, Bob Osborne. The garage was far more exciting than he could have ever imagined it to be. He stood and observed. But just at the height of his blissful ecstasy, he felt a hand on his elbow. “Sir, you are not supposed to be in here.” What? My friend quickly flashed his pass and was immediately deflated to find out he only had access to pit road. He would need the elusive garage pass to hang with the stars. My friend turned around and sulked back to the pit area, which did not seem quite as glamorous now that he had been into the holy of holies. Certainly, he was disappointed. But later, after a bit of reflection, he decided his blunder had garnered him a beautiful 30 minutes in a world he may never again have the opportunity to visit. I think the majority of fans are content to spend their race day tailgating and winning prizes at sponsor booths. We pay for our seats in the grandstands and eat hotdogs as part of our fan experience. But I don’t know a red-blooded racing enthusiast who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to visit the garage…even if only by accident. They say it is better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all. Well, then, it is truer to say that it is better to have been in the garage and thrown out than never to have been in the garage at all. Big Brother reminds us all he's still a champion driver By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM HAMPTON, Ga. -- Just when you begin to think maybe Little Brother is about to render Big Brother almost irrelevant, isn't it just like an older sibling to step up and remind everyone who was brought into this world first? So it was Sunday with Kurt Busch at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he ran away with the Kobalt Tools 500 in front of a sparse crowd that couldn't have been half the size of the 94,400 AMS and NASCAR had the audacity to announce as the official attendance. Actually, to say Busch ran away with his first victory of this young season and the 19th of his Sprint Cup career is a bit of a misnomer. He dominated most of a scheduled 325-lap race, but then had to come from behind after a late caution and pit stop that preceded an unexpected green-white-checkered finish and pushed the event to a lap total of 330. "It was like I ran two different races, one for 500 miles and one for the last three laps," Busch said. He was good enough to win both. He led 232 of the first 325 laps, dominating the field -- then needed less than half a lap to get around Carl Edwards down the backstretch and lead the last two to the checkered flag. His philosophy on the day was simple, if not flawless. Despite a Driver Rating that NASCAR pronounced as perfect, he brushed the wall on at least three occasions when he mentally dispensed with the strategy that propelled him to the front in the first place. But he never let his mind stray for long. "I felt like I raced the track, not the competition," Busch said. "It felt like old-school Darlington, old-school Rockingham. The tracks here in the Southeast chew up tires. "The times I did brush the wall, I was just being stupid, trying to race the competition. I lost track of the ultimate focus, which was just driving the race car, knowing how many laps you have on your tires, having confidence in the pit crew." Bragging rights? Even though he is a former champion, having won the very first Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in 2004, and he owns six more career Cup victories than younger brother Kyle, these days you would hardly know it. Kyle, who won the Camping World Truck Series event at AMS on Saturday, has been raking in the family's lion share of accolades since going on a hot streak early last year that made it seem a little role reversal with his older bro was in progress. Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't. When Kurt runs as he did Sunday, it's a reminder that the guy isn't an ugly stepchild. And at 30 years of age, he's got plenty of driving left ahead of him, too. Furthermore, Busch seems to be developing into a mature leader for Penske Racing, which he credited with not making wholesale -- or really any -- changes to his No. 2 Dodge team after he struggled to an 18th-place finish in the standings last year. Coming into Sunday, Kyle was only one spot ahead of Kurt in this year's standings, with Kyle sitting in sixth following his own victory at Las Vegas a week earlier and Kurt in seventh. Sunday's victory, coupled with Kyle's poor 18th-place finish, moved Kurt to third while Kyle slipped to seventh. And that made Big Bro smile real wide. "It does give us bragging rights because we have an off weekend coming up," the older Busch said. "We get to definitely pour the Miller Lites for a week, then get back focused again heading to one of my favorite tracks, Bristol. I felt like I needed to hold up my end of the bargain. "I'm real proud of [Kyle], real happy for him. He's done a tremendous job, transitioning to [Joe Gibbs] Racing, to be up front every week like he has, to run strong. To beat him [Sunday], and to beat guys like Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon, it's really a special day." Getting what he needs While many drivers were complaining about all the slipping and sliding that the old, cracked surface at AMS renders a way of life during a Cup race, Busch simply dealt with it better than everyone else -- Kyle and the rest included. "I felt like after Saturday's practice, in our team meeting with David Stremme and Sam Hornish Jr., everybody had the same complaints," Busch said. "I told them, 'You have to deal with [being] loose in at this race track. You're never going to get that fixed as far as your chassis setup goes.' "That helped us focus on the more important part, which was to be sliding the right amount on corner exit. The guy that has the best grip from the middle of the corner to the start/finish line is usually going to have a real good day. I learned that from the great Benny Parsons. He always told me, 'That's where good cars lay down the power.'" Busch not only had a good car Sunday, he had a great one. And team owner Roger Penske said he never doubted that he had a great driver behind the wheel in it. Watching from high atop the race track in the spotters' stand, Penske marveled as Busch took the No. 2 Dodge within inches of the outside wall lap after lap without making what could have been a very costly mistake. "From my perspective, being up there with the spotters, you get a chance to see all the drivers competing," Penske said. "Kurt ran a foot off the wall all day long, and kept the car underneath him. There was no question that on the long runs, we had a great car. "What really came to the forefront [Sunday] was we put it all together. We had a great driver in Kurt from the day he jumped on the team, but I'm not sure we've always given him the horse he needed." He had the horse Sunday. He also had just the right touch with the whip. It might have been enough to make Lil' Bro jealous for a change. Penske, for one, seems to believe that he's got the best driver in the Busch family. He said it has just taken some time for Kurt to adjust to all Penske Racing has to offer him, but that he thinks the No. 2 team is ready to take off in Kurt's fourth season with the company. "To me, it's like running a business," Penske said. "A business isn't successful the first day or the first year. I think I had to get Kurt to buy into that. ... His brother is a great driver. But I can tell you one thing: there aren't many people that can hold a candle to Kurt. That's why we hired him." It paid off big Sunday, and suddenly the brother on the brink of being forgotten finds himself on the cusp of something else: a possible championship-contending season. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Receipt of $5M key to tax trial By Curt Anderson - Associated Press MIAMI -- To this day, race car driver and "Dancing with The Stars" winner Helio Castroneves hasn't seen a single dime of $5 million in licensing money he was promised under a 1999 contract with Penske Racing. It's either been parked at Penske or is still idling in a Dutch investment account. But the Internal Revenue Service says Castroneves owes U.S. income taxes on the money anyway, contending the 33-year-old driver can't avoid tax by simply refusing cash to which he's entitled. A complex concept known as "constructive receipt" is at the heart of the prosecution's case against the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. Testimony resumes Tuesday in the tax trial of Castroneves, his business-manager sister Katiucia Castroneves — both originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil — and his lawyer Alan Miller of Birmingham, Mich. All are charged in a seven-count federal indictment with conspiracy and tax evasion from 1999 to 2004. The three defendants are facing more than six years behind bars if convicted. Trial is expected to last about a month. Experts say jurors will have to decide if the Castroneves deal was real or contrived to make it appear he didn't have control of his Penske money. "What the government is saying is, if you are entitled to some cash, and you leave it in your mother's bank account, it's still your cash," said Chas Roy-Chowdhury, a tax expert with the global industry group Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Castroneves is a top Indy Racing League driver, winning the Indy 500 in 2001 and 2002 and finishing second in 2003. In 2007, he gained even greater fame by winning TV's "Dancing With The Stars" competition. Issues at trial have their origins in the final event of 1999 of the Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART — at the time a rival of the Indy Racing League. On Oct. 31 of that year in Fontana, Calif., Castroneves was driving in the final race for his soon-to-be-disbanded Hogan team and Greg Moore was about to sign a lucrative new contract with Penske Racing. Moore crashed and was killed. In less than a week, Penske signed Castroneves, using Moore's contract by simply crossing out the old names and amounts and replacing them in handwritten notations. Miller negotiated that deal for $6 million — $1 million paid directly to Castroneves and $5 million to license Castroneves' name and image. At first, the $5 million was supposed to flow to a Panamanian corporation called Seven Promotions. In mid-December 1999, Miller sent a letter to Penske asking that the transaction be halted, according to trial testimony. Penske's general counsel, Lawrence Bluth, said the company held onto the Castroneves cash until January 2003, when it was invested with Netherlands firm Fintage Licensing B.V., where it remains today. "We were ready to make payments to Seven Promotions. We were told not to," Bluth testified. The IRS and federal prosecutors charge that arrangement was a tax dodge. They contend Castroneves secretly controlled Seven Promotions — disputed vigorously by the defense — and should have paid U.S. taxes under the "constructive receipt" doctrine as soon as Penske was ready to start cutting checks. "The individual's wishes do not control," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Axelrod. "A taxpayer may not deliberately turn his back upon income and thereby select the year for which he will report it." Miller, a former professional football player and architect of the Castroneves contract, contends the IRS is wrong. In court papers, Miller attorney Robert Bennett said Castroneves never had control of the $5 million and therefore owes no tax. Castroneves planned to pay the IRS when the "deferred royalty agreement" — a way of delaying income described as similar to a 401(k) — at Fintage comes due to him in May of this year, defense lawyers say. It's not unusual for athletes to receive some compensation at later dates, they say. "Athletes ordinarily have a short period of economic productivity in their youth, and they may not be responsible enough to manage the money for a lifetime if they receive it all at once," Bennett said. Axelrod, however, said the whole arrangement is fictional, with Castroneves' ultimate goal to move out of the U.S. to a tax haven such as Monaco where he would eventually get the Penske money tax-free. Castroneves attorney Roy Black said the driver, who lives in a $2.2 million home in Coral Gables, never schemed to hide money from the IRS. He said in opening statements that the driver knows nothing about U.S. tax laws and relied on experts to handle his finances. "They've come up with a fiction," Black said. Top Ten…
Reasons To run Into The Infield Grass During A Race Matt Taliaferro · Frontstretch.com 10. Owwww! Those lugnuts hurt when they hit you in the hiney! 9. To avoid a non-attentive Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 8. Instead of “Drop and give me 20!” Coach Kerr says, “Sprint to the frontstretch and back!” after a subpar stop. 7. Because those Goodyears seem to do some craaaaazy things at the racetrack. 6. Political statement. 5. Well, something has to wake up those buffoons in the tower. 4. It’s a Tasmanian thing… you wouldn’t understand. 3. Team in pit stall next to the No. 47 had to pay up. Big time. 2. Adrenaline, man … ADRENALINE!!!!! 1. Because according to Joyce Julius, it earned Kingsford $1.2 million worth of on-air advertising. Head To Head Does Atlanta deserve two Cup races? By NASCAR.COM Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 saw Kurt Busch dominate, leading 234 of 330 laps, but he had to win by racing past Carl Edwards and holding off a charging Jeff Gordon in a green-white-checkered finish. It was a tale of two races: long, green-flag runs in the middle offset by three caution flags in the final 70 laps resulting in a shootout ending. Which resonates with fans the most? Hard to say, considering Atlanta Motor Speedway's grandstand crowd. NASCAR and track officials announced attendance at 94,400, but critics say the actual number of people there was far less. Does it all put Atlanta and its two races in jeopardy of being transplanted to another track? Read both sides of the argument and then weigh in with your take. Should Atlanta keep two Cup race dates?
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain, Your Nascar Momma
"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 won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 |
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