Happy Tuesday everyone.   

Today In Nascar History

June 2, 1963: Banjo Matthews finishes 17th in the World 600 at Charlotte in his final NASCAR start as a driver. He ends his driving career winless in 51 starts before moving on to become a successful owner and an even more successful car builder.

Thanks to Anthony for the heads up on these…

Two really cool events going on at the moment.  Please let your fans know about www.vest4k9. com and www.smokescamaro.com.  Greg and Tony are doing some great work for their foundations, and allows fans some fun opportunities.

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

From Rachel

Hey Momma 

I guess you can call me the old lady of racing at 72, but yesterdays finish had me up screaming at the TV.  That's the best finish we've had for quite a while and I loved it.

I have loved racing since the 50's when there was a dirt track near my home town and I have never gotten over the thrill of a good finish.  I know those old guys out there will disagree with me but that's OK.  And I'm a junior fan to boot.  Rachel

Well welcome to the blog Rachel.  Feel free to write in all you want.  Not everyone will agree with you, but that’s ok, sounds like you and I agree on almost everything…

From Anthony

Hi Momma ~

Thanks for posting the events.  I'm heading to Eldora tomorrow for the Prelude, should be exciting. Another great event Tony puts on.  I wanted to make a correction on the Camaro raffle. Its www.smokescamaro.com.  Thanks for letting all your fans know!! 

While you’re there, get me some cool autographs!  Hubby would love it…not to mention myself!  Enjoy it, and have lots of fun for all of us that can’t go.

Bits and Pieces

Double file restarts will become the norm starting with Pocono

Greg Engle/nascarexaminer.com

Look for NASCAR to institute double file restarts, most likely starting at this week’s Pocono 500.

With Pocono’s size, NASCAR will give the procedure a try in an effort to boost competition. Double file restarts, where the leader has lane choice and third place must always start on the inside, have only been used for non-points paying events.

The current restart procedure puts cars a lap down on the inside forcing those on the lead lap to try and pass them in order to then try and catch the leader. With the institution of the free pass or ‘Lucky Dog’ rule allowing the first car a lap down to get back on the lead lap however, the old double file restarts aren’t needed according to many drivers.

Teams were distributed bulletins this past weekend at Dover outlining the new procedure. The motivation behind the change came from this year’s All-Star race, which used double file restarts keeping the lead lap cars in the front of the field and lapped cars behind them. Many agreed that this provided some of the best racing of the season to date.

Late Monday night several sources confirmed that the double file restart would most likely be in effect for this weekend.

Penske could be poised to buy GM’s Saturn division

Look for the Penske Automotive Group led by NASCAR team owner Roger Penske to put in a bid to buy the Saturn division of General Motors within the near future.

The speculation has been around for several weeks that Penske would look to add the GM division to his portfolio, but after Monday’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by GM the deal could begin to take shape as early as this week.

The Group owns and operates 310 automotive franchises in North America and Europe and had a reported first quarter earnings of $2.2 billion in 2009, and while that figure is down from $3.2 billion from the same period last year the Penske Group has still seized the opportunity to acquire new business made available during the tight economy including a dealership group in Great Britain during the winter.

The Group also instituted a wide array of cost cutting measure across the entire company allowing it to remain competitive in a down market. 

“We think we’re on track, despite the challenging market conditions,” Penske said during a recent conference call with analysts.

General Motors has filed bankruptcy and has made no secret of the fact that selling the Saturn division will be part of their recovery process. The company recently closed its Pontiac division and announced plans to sever ties with approximately 1100 dealerships across the country.

Penske has close ties to GM and Chrysler and has had for years. And while Penske did confirm that the Group has not made an offer for Saturn yet he didn’t deny they would in future.

Dodge support "on hold": Team owner Richard Petty says the Chrysler bankruptcy has put cash flow from the manufacturer to the Richard Petty Motorsports organization he co-owns with George Gillett "in a holding pattern." From the point of view of the Dodge Motorsports program, however, the commitment to racing is undiminished. "They've stopped everything," Petty said in the garage at Dover International Speedway this past weekend. "They went into bankruptcy, and they're sort of in a floating stage right now. They're trying to see where they come out of this at. If they've got new people running the show, are they still going to continue to back everything exactly like they are, or whatever? They're in a holding pattern right now. I think GM's that way -- I don't know about Ford -- and I know Chrysler's that way. The rest of them I don't know. I don't deal with them." Walter Czarnecki, vice chairman of Penske Racing, which has three Dodge teams, said the legal proceedings also have held up payments to his organization. "In the legal procedure, you have to file what's called a 'Cure Letter' that lists all the things that you are owed. And when it's submitted and approved, they'll pay. We have money that was due April 30 that has not been received yet and probably won't be received for several weeks." Mike Accavitti, director of brand marketing and strategy for Chrysler, acknowledged the reorganization has affected the flow of cash from Chrysler but affirmed the company remains committed to Cup racing and that at-track services provided to the teams continue to be available.(NASCAR.com/Sporting News)

Gunselman Motorsports taps Mike Wallace for Pocono: Gunselman Motorsports has called upon veteran driver Mike Wallace to drive the #64 Toyota for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Wallace has gone to victory lane three times at the 2.5-mile track in ARCA competition. Being without a full-time ride right now, the St. Louis-native is making his second Sprint Cup points-race attempt of the year. The underfunded team has gone to a reduced schedule to concentrate on making races and returning to full-time competition. Larry Gunselman, team owner: “I am glad Mike Wallace was able to come on board the No. 64 Toyota team this week for Pocono. He’s been around long enough to know what it takes to make these races. Doug (Richert, crew chief) and the guys are looking forward to working with someone of his knowledge and experience. “If he can help us get better and return to our goals of becoming a full-time team, then all the better. It helps he’s been to victory lane at Pocono a few times in ARCA cars and has a pretty good record in Cup cars, too. Todd and Geoff Bodine have both been very helpful to this point and I hope we can build on what they started with Mike this week.”
Mike Wallace, driver: “Larry and the rest of the Gunselman Motorsports group are a young team trying to find a foundation to build on. They’ve showed up and attempted most of the races, but like a lot of teams starting out they’ve had some rough times. As far as I’m concerned, that just makes them hungrier and more determined to make races. I like that in a team. I’m fortunate they’ve given me this opportunity to work with them and looking forward to seeing how we can both help each other out.”(Gunselman Motorsports)

Patrick eyeing NASCAR...the latest: A Hulman-George family feud may provide IndyCar star Danica Patrick with the nudge she needs to jump to NASCAR. Patrick was asked about that scenario by SI.com at the Milwaukee Mile on Saturday and said stability of the racing series will factor into her decision. She is in the final year of her contract with Andretti Green Racing and has said she will look at any and all options, including a jump to NASCAR. That option didn't diminish last week as reports of strife within the Hulman-George family surfaced. Never mind that Tony George's position as Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO seems safe for now; the turmoil raised some concerns. "That's kind of an interesting question," Patrick said. "What you want in a league is stability and upward momentum. I have no idea what that is right now. There seems to be conflicting answers and ideas on what is really happening." Patrick has hired IMG [many NASCAR connections there] to represent her as she negotiates her next contract.(Sports Illustrated), of interest, the NASCAR.com store now carries a few Danica Patrick items. Lord help us all if that woman comes to NASCAR.  I can’t stand that woman or what she stands for.  “I might go to NASCAR, after all, my contract is up and I need more money.”  I can see it now, the first time she pushes one of the drivers on pit road cuz they got in her way, she’ll end up with a black eye…(I can dream you know).

NASCAR Diversity Internship program enters 10th year: Thirteen students from across the United States have been selected to participate in the 2009 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program that starts today and gives minority college students the opportunity to complete 10-week, paid summer internships within the NASCAR industry. More than 200 students have participated in the program since its inception in 2000.

Logano to run ARCA race at Pocono: Since 1983 the ARCA RE/MAX Series has served as the show-opener for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on both Pocono Raceway race weekends. As a result, the RE/MAX Series at Pocono has become a key environment for Sprint Cup Series drivers to perfect their skills on the tricky 2.5-mile, high-speed, triangular-shaped track just in time for the next-day Cup 500-miler. The latest in search of Pocono seat-time is Sprint Cup Series rookie Joey Logano, who has yet to turn a competitive lap on the Long Pond, PA speedplant - which is why the Middletown, Connecticut driver is entered in the Venturini Motorsports-prepared Home Depot Toyota for the Pocono ARCA 200 coming Saturday, June 6. With NASCAR's ban on testing in place and no Nationwide and/or Camping World Truck Series races scheduled on the renowned triangle, the need for the likes of Logano to familiarize oneself with the unique Pocono layout could be even more pressing. Tickets for the Pocono ARCA 200, the SPRINT Cup Series event and the entire 2009 Pocono Raceway season are available by contacting the Pocono Raceway Ticket Office at 1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929), or through poconoraceway.com. (ARCAracing.com)

Dover Overnight TV Ratings: A challenging season of NASCAR on Fox came to an end yesterday with a 3.6/9 overnight rating for racing from Dover. Yesterday's 3.6/9 was the weekend's highest sports rating on a broadcast network, but also marked a -14% decline compared to last year's 4.2/10 for the same race. For the complete season, NASCAR on Fox averaged a 4.6/10 in the metered markets, excluding the rescheduled Coca-Cola 600. That's down -12% compared to last year's 5.2/11.
Fox's NASCAR season suffered from a trio of negative on-track trends: more cautions, fewer lead changes, and lower average speeds. 649 laps were run under caution on FOX this season, a +15% increase over last year. Put another way, there was one caution flag for every 40 miles of racing this season. Last year it was one every 45 miles, in FOX's first NASCAR season (2001) it was one every 63 miles. Ten years ago it was one every 72 miles. Lead changes were down this year, with one coming every 20 miles compared to last year's once every 17 miles. Average speed, which is obviously tied to number of cautions, was also down this year. This year's average speed during FOX races was 118mph. Last year it was 124mph. In 2001 it was 128mph, and in 1999 it was 130mph.
A frequent complaint this year was that race start times were "inconsistent" but the fact is that this year's schedule closely mirrored last year's. Excluding the rained out Coca-Cola 600, 9 of FOX's 12 races this year started within four minutes of last year's start time. Those races were down an average of -14% in the overnights. The other three races were down an average of -15%. It's hard to establish a link between the start times and the ratings decline when the schedule was equally consistent or inconsistent last year. The value of consistent start times is debatable. FOX aired a stretch of four races from Atlanta to Texas that all started within a few minutes of 2:15pm/ET. Those races were down an average of -15%, compared to the season total of -12%.

Early-season surprises alter standings midway to Chase For The Sprint Cup

By Rea White/scenedaily.com

Halfway to the Chase For The Sprint Cup, the season has offered some unexpected performances - both good and not-so-good.

Leading those on the positive side is Tony Stewart. The new co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing has silenced skeptics with his ability to bring an organization that was previously battling for a position in the top 35 in owner points to one contending for the championship. Stewart has a series-leading nine top-10 finishes and a victory in the non-points all-star race. He also has taken over at the top of the series standings, grabbing the top spot from Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon and hanging on to a 46-point lead in his first week atop the field.

Gordon, too, is off to a strong start. After a winless 2008, he entered with season with some predicting more struggles and others expecting him to vie for the championship. Fortunately for him and his group, they've been in the latter category. Gordon has a win this season with six top-five finishes. Crew chief Steve Letarte has his team on top of its game, and the pair has shown that in weathering the setbacks of 2008, they've created a stronger, more competitive group.

Penske Racing's Kurt Busch and Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Newman have also enjoyed a sharp upward turn in the standings. They struggled last season as teammates at Penske, but this season each has come back into his own. Busch, the 2004 series champion, has a win to his credit and has developed into one of those stealthy drivers. He's not flashy in a race, but by the end of the event, he seems to be hovering in that lead pack. Newman, working with new crew chief Tony Gibson and his new team, has shown the talent that earned him eight wins in 2003 and once made him a perennial top-10 contender in the sport.

And then there's David Reutimann, the driver putting Michael Waltrip Racing on the map. He has been flirting with a spot in the Chase for weeks and earned his first win in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600. He's currently 13th in the standings. Who had him on their preseason list?

Many had relegated these men to roles of also-rans in the preseason. One has to wonder if that adds any additional sense of satisfaction to their current success.

On the other side of the spectrum are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt Jr.'s struggles this season have been well-documented and resulted in a crew chief change last weekend. Will that spark the team to move up from its 18th position in the standings?

Harvick, meanwhile, is mired in a slump that is slowly spreading through the entire Richard Childress Racing organization. The group is just slightly off its game this season, with Harvick highlighting how quickly things can turn. He has already traded longtime crew chief Todd Berrier for Casey Mears' crew chief Gil Martin, with only a brief surge. Bad luck has tailed this team all season, with a variety of setbacks hampering its effort to complete a race without incident. Harvick has slipped to a stunning 24th in the standings and is looking for a quick remedy.

His hopes of returning to the Chase are in danger, but if any driver can pull his team back into contention, Harvick would be a good bet to do so.

Harvick teammate Clint Bowyer hasn't fared much better of late, watching a strong opening run falter to a 16th position in the standings in recent weeks. One can bet the RCR braintrust is working diligently to find improvements and hope that the group's run of misfortune comes to a halt soon.

Several teams are searching to find the strength of 2008, or even of early 2009, as the weeks wear on. Meanwhile, those who have enjoyed a strong performance hope to see that continue.

Sitting in the Stands: A Fan’s View

Kyle Busch: Because Pride Must Always Go Before the Fall

S.D. Grady/Frontstretch.com

Once upon a time — just last Friday, in fact — in a media center not too far from here sat a boy. He wore a yellow suit decorated with multi-colored candies, beautiful on the outside while attempting to hide the ugliness that occasionally lies within.

His name was Kyle.

Now, Kyle is not like every other boy. He’s special. Every time he gets into a car, he can go faster than just about everybody else, turning rivals into mincemeat and race tracks into his own personal playground. This makes Kyle proud… and it makes many people around him very impressed.

On this particular Friday, Kyle was busy impressing all those people. Kyle would be driving three whole races this weekend, and he was going to go faster than everybody else on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. With him, there was no second guessing … only the fear caused by second place being the first loser.

Then, a question came out that changed everything. One of the impressed people asked, “Kyle, what do you think about the new crew chief over in Junior’s garage?”

Now, Kyle used to drive Junior’s car not so long ago. However, that was before he could run fast every single day, making him a target at a time when NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver came calling. Still, it made Kyle sad to think about a time when he struggled, too. And maybe it made him a little mad.

Kyle thought for a moment, and then replied. “I feel sorry for the new crew chief,” he said. “It’s never going to be Junior’s fault when that car loses. It’s always going to be somebody else’s fault.”

The impressed people gasped and looked at each other, wondering what to say. It seemed a bit rude, what Kyle said. It seemed very rude. Offended that the boy in the yellow suit would make fun of somebody who did not win all the time, all the good people of the media center got out their pens, cell phones, and laptops to start reporting what Kyle had done.

Meanwhile, Kyle sat at the front of the room and simply smiled. He knew he was going to win this weekend — so why should he worry if he made some of the impressed people frown?

But it wasn’t just mankind who paid the price.

High above in the sky, the racing Gods did not like what they saw. Thunderclouds gathered over the media center, and rain began pouring down. Kyle would not win a race today.

Kyle looked out the window and frowned… but only for a moment. He thought to himself, OK … Saturday, he would get to win twice!

The next day was sunny and bright. All the cars gathered on pit road, and Kyle couldn’t wait to start his engine. He would be fast… he always was.

The green flag flew, and Kyle’s car raced to the front. His chest swelled with pride as the day wore on, for other drivers had problems… but he did not. The checkered flag swam before his eyes like a promised dream.

And then…leading the field with only 3 laps to go, Kyle came to the restart with his teammate, Joey, just behind. They put their pedals down and raced into Turn 1. But something was not right. Kyle’s car did not go faster than Joey’s; instead, it slowed down a bit, like a tire was going flat. Unable to avoid Kyle’s car, Joey bumped his teammate into the wall.

One minute later, the checkered flag flew… but it flew for Brad in the pretty green car.

Angry and frustrated, Kyle drove to the garage area, glared at the sort-of-impressed reporter who wanted to talk to him, and ran off to change. After all, he had another race today — and this next one he surely would win.

This time, Kyle was driving his truck. He liked it… because he usually won in it. Brushing away thoughts of his disappointing finish, Kyle buckled in and looked for the green flag, again.

The laps wound down, and Kyle once again thrilled in the moment. His truck was fast. It felt good. Leading the field, his chest swelled in anticipation of winning. And then…with only 17 laps to go, Kyle’s tire blew. He did not win; Brian in the shiny black truck did.

Kyle did not look for the usually impressed people. He did not smile for the cameras. Tired and a little angry, Kyle just went to bed and tried to stop being mad. Tomorrow, he would surely win…wouldn’t he?

On Sunday, the mists swirled around the track. The drivers gathered next to their cars and spoke to the impressed media people. Kyle stood next to his yellow car, answering a few questions. During the night, he had thought long and hard.

There was no reason for him to be sad. He had won many races. He would win many more. Yesterday’s odd double disaster could not possibly mean anything. He was proud of his yellow car and himself. Today would surely be something to talk about after he won. He smiled at the impressed people, hoping they would come back after his victory.

After all, the front was not so far away; there were only five other cars in front of him. The green flag flew, and Kyle’s expectations rose up along with it.

But his car was not the fastest. It wiggled and wobbled, causing him to pit and take on four tires. It didn’t help! Refusing to give up, Kyle kept at it. He turned the wheel. He feathered the pedal. He fought…and lost a lap. His crew chief helped him out and the car got better. For the first time all weekend, luck came to him. Back on the lead lap, Kyle knuckled down and worked on winning.

He passed cars left and right. That familiar feeling filled his veins…victory was within reach. Once again, only five cars remained between him and his rightful place in Victory Lane. Proud and eager, Kyle tightened his grip on the wheel.

And then…with only 56 laps to go, it happened. How could it? It wasn’t fair!

Kyle drove down pit road with a vibration. He thought it was a flat tire. His crew hovered over the yellow car; but the new tires did not fix it. They looked again at the wheels. Still, Kyle did not know what was wrong!

The leaders drove away. His win turned to dust … but his problem was soon made clear. The yellow car limped around the track, its splitter banging against the pavement.

When the boy with the yellow suit pulled into pit lane after the race, the racing Gods above watched closely. Kyle climbed from his car. He looked at the unimpressed media people and left. He was mad and sad and didn’t want to talk to anybody.

On this day, Kyle did not feel quite so proud. And yet, he was sure he would be again…and soon.
~~~

From behind one cloud, the elder God frowned. “I thought the boy in the yellow suit might learn his lesson this time. I really did.”

His friend laughed. “Not yet. That one will require his pride to be pricked several times more. But don’t worry, he’ll challenge us again.”

They both jumped as the boy slammed the door on his RV. Then, they sighed.

“Yes, he will.”

Petty: Chrysler bankruptcy affecting Dodge teams

By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

DOVER, Del.–Team owner Richard Petty says the Chrysler bankruptcy has put cash flow from the manufacturer to the Richard Petty Motorsports organization he co-owns with George Gillett “in a holding pattern.”

From the point of view of the Dodge Motorsports program, however, the commitment to racing is undiminished.

“They’ve stopped everything,” Petty said Saturday in the garage at Dover International Speedway. ”They went into bankruptcy, and they’re sort of in a floating stage right now. They’re trying to see where they come out of this at. If they’ve got new people running the show, are they still going to continue to back everything exactly like they are, or whatever?

“They’re in a holding pattern right now. I think GM’s that way–I don’t know about Ford–and I know Chrysler’s that way. The rest of them I don’t know. I don’t deal with them.”

(Monday morning, General Motors filed for bankruptcy under a government-backed reorganization plan.)

Walter Czarnecki, vice chairman of Penske Racing, which has three Dodge teams, said the legal proceedings also have held up payments to his organization. “In the legal procedure, you have to file what’s called a ‘Cure Letter’ that lists all the things that you are owed. And when it’s submitted and approved, they’ll pay. We have money that was due April 30 that has not been received yet and probably won’t be received for several weeks.”

Czarnecki expects, however, that with Chrysler’s imminent emergence from bankruptcy and the pending merger with Fiat, the situation will straighten itself out relatively soon.

Mike Accavitti, director of brand marketing and strategy for Chrysler, acknowledged the reorganization has affected the flow of cash from Chrysler but affirmed the company remains committed to Cup racing and that at-track services provided to the teams continue to be available.

“The amount of engineering and other technical services, along with supply of racing components we provide to the Dodge factory-backed teams has not changed,” Accavitti said in a statement to Sporting News. “NASCAR remains a strategic part of our marketing plan and the Dodge brand. … We have commitments to the sport and our teams and plan to continue our sponsorship into the foreseeable future.”

Cash payments, however, have fallen victim–at least on a temporary basis–to the supervision that comes with a bankruptcy filing. A race team might have to forgo a session on a seven-post rig, for example, if the money from Dodge that typically pays for such a simulation of suspension dynamics isn’t available.

“As we have previously stated, we remain committed to our Dodge factory-backed teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” Accavitti said. “During our Chapter 11 reorganization, Chrysler has strictly followed each and every step of the court-supervised process according to bankruptcy law. Interruption to the normal course of business, including supplier payments, is inherent during this process.”

Clearly, Petty and Chrysler want the same thing. One of RPM’s drivers, Kasey Kahne, used the new Dodge R06 engine at Dover, qualified a season-best second and finished sixth. Petty expects to phase in the new engine with his other drivers–AJ Allmendinger, Reed Sorenson and Elliott Sadler–based on an evaluation of its performance with Kahne over the next several weeks. All three Penske teams already have incorporated the R06.

“We’ve got to figure is ‘Where is Chrysler going to go? Where are we going to be next year?’ ” Petty said. “So we’ve got to start planning right how for how we come out in February at Daytona. All those things are relative to each other, I guess, as far as whatever we’ve got to do to make it better than what it is. We’re still not giving up on this season, by any means. With the new engine deals, we’re going to really, really work hard this year to get us in a better position as far as next year.”

Jeremy Mayfield lawsuit describes his version of drug test

By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily.com

Jeremy Mayfield’s court complaint against NASCAR offers the suspended driver/owner's most detailed account to date of the events that led to his suspension earlier this month.

Mayfield filed the lawsuit Friday in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. He failed in his attempt to get a temporary restraining order to have his indefinite suspension lifted but will have another hearing Wednesday on an injunction request to stop NASCAR from continuing to enforce the ban.

The lawsuit includes claims of defamation, breach of the North Carolina Persons with Disabilities Act, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract in regards to the driver-owner agreement with NASCAR and negligence in that the drug tests were not performed properly.

According to Mayfield, he was taking Adderrall-XR for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and on April 30, he took two Claritin-D doses to combat allergies, according to the complaint.

Mayfield says he took the NASCAR drug test May 1, in an unsecure, unsterilized area. He claims he did not see the labels he initialed affixed to the specimen bottles.

Mayfield called Dr. David Black, who administers NASCAR’s drug-testing program as chief executive officer of Aegis Laboratories, on May 3 to tell him about the Adderrall prescription and taking the Claritin-D. “Black expressed doubt that someone of Mayfield’s age and experience legitimately needed to take Adderrall,” the complaint states.

On May 7, Dr. Doug Aukerman with Penn State Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation informed Mayfield of the positive test and requested medical records. Mayfield provided the records, according to the complaint.

The next day, Mayfield was asked if he had taken inhalants, which Mayfield denied, but he also said he had been in a fiery wreck at Talladega and had inhaled a large amount of fumes.

The complaint alleges that Mayfield was intentionally misled in what could be done with his “B” sample, that he never authorized anyone to have it tested and that it was tested without his permission.
He eventually was suspended May 9.

The complaint cites several instances in which it says NASCAR failed to comply with the federal agency work-place drug testing program, although during Friday's hearing NASCAR’s attorney argued that the sanctioning body does not have to follow such guidelines.

In his claim of defamation, Mayfield states in the complaint that NASCAR Chairman Brian France and Dr. Black “intended to injure Mayfield by publicly disgracing and degrading him” and did so to make “him an example of NASCAR’s power to suspend a driver/team owner, based upon numerous violations of its [sic] flawed drug policy.”

The judge Friday issued a gag order that prohibits both sides from talking about the failed drug test.

Listed defendants in the case are NASCAR, France, Black, Aukerman and Aegis.

Hendrick Mojo Strikes Again

By Jim Pedley | Managing Editor | RacinToday.com

Last week was a tester for Hendrick Motorsports. It was a week during which NASCAR’s premier team would be assaulted from all imaginable sides. It was a week during which HMS would be scrubbed, sudsed and pounded on the rocks by anybody and everybody who has an opinion and you know what they say about the proliferation of opinions.

But when Hendrick Motorsports emerged from the wringer of public and media scrutiny, when it packed up its caravan of haulers and left Dover International Speedway late Sunday, it did so with its mojo intact.

Not only does the Hendrick operation maintain it reputation as The Operation today, it has added another layer of bullet-resistant body armor.

Sunday evening, cornered by some of those who had staged the assault, team-owner Rick Hendrick responded it all by simply saying, “I’m really pleased.”

Very little had been simple when it came to HMS’s problem at hand, however.

That focal point of tester week was the No. 88 car. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. car.

In its second season with Hendrick, the car/driver/crew chief combination was pleasing absolutely nobody.

It had one points-paying victory – that last year at Michigan.

Earnhardt admitted in January that he was scared in 2008. Scared of letting people down.

“Last year there were a lot of questions and uncertainties and insecurities about how we were going to do,” Earnhardt said during the annual media tour in North Carolina. “I was scared to fail trying to win.”

By that January media tour, Earnhardt’s crew chief/cousin, Tony Eury Jr., was furrowed-brow deep in criticism of the job he was doing. He, too, said he felt scared.

“We go there each week and try to do the best we can, but there’s big expectations that people think we can do, and there are only so many people who can do it on any given weekend,” Eury said.

This year, the hope was that the newness of the situation would be worn away, the fear would be conquered, the comfort factor of all involved would be at a level consistent with success and that the pressure of adding the sport’s most popular driver to the sport’s best team would be gone and that it would all make for one big, 36-week-long party.

Didn’t happen.

Earnhardt rolled out of Concord, N.C. after the Coca-Cola 600 a week ago winless, in 19th place in points, all but out of contention for a Chase berth and bereft of answers.

But Rick Hendrick, Mr. H as he is lovingly called by those who work for him, was not out of answers or options.

He made a series of changes in his organization that were quite large when their ripples are followed out to their furthest points.

Eury Jr. was asked to climb down from the No. 88 pit box. That was step one. Originally, general manager Brian Whitesell was to take his place for the Dover race and then turn it over to Lance McGrew, who would serve as crew chief on an interim basis.

Eury would go over to the HMS development team and work with Brad Keselowski, a job which McGrew had been performing.

But Keselowski failed to make the Cup race and Saturday night the decision was made to bring McGrew over to the 88 pit box for the Dover race the next day.

As part of his R and D duties, Eury this week will spend some time with Jimmie Johnson’s team. He is going with the No. 48 team on Tuesday and Wednesday to test the road course at Kershaw. No. 48-car crew chief Chad Knaus is not attending, so Eury will be overseeing the test with Johnson.

Hendrick explained the latter move late Sunday.

“That means Chad’s got total confidence in him and that maybe Tony will come up with something that he hadn’t thought about and try some things different,” Hendrick said. “I’ve seen Tony really engage with simulation and with no testing, you’ve got to depend on that. These crew chiefs have to depend on somebody that has been there and done that. His job now is to help us win a championship. And that’s what he’s committed to doing.”

It would be easy to describe Hendrick’s moves as simply a last-gasp, throw-something-against-the-wall-to-test-its-tackiness Hail Mary. Hendrick himself made it sound that way during a teleconference last week.

But this is Hendrick Motorsports, a team that seems to turn tragedies into lessons, setbacks into fresh starts, their problems into other people’s problems on the race track.

Earnhardt ran as well about as he has all season at Dover. His 12th-place finish was not nearly indicative of his performance.

Hence Hendrick’s statement about being pleased.

A bit later, the man with the plan dissected the whole 88-car affair.

“To sit down and tell a crew chief and a driver, they’ve done it one way for eight years or whatever it’s been, it’s hard to do,” Hendrick said. “But I think today, working through the weekend, I think it challenged Junior (Earnhardt) and he did a super job. I am extremely proud of the way he worked on the radio with Lance and the communication sounded to me like they’ve been together for years. It’s just a method that our engineers and our crew chiefs use and Lance has been in the middle of that.

“And I think Tony was really kind of letting Junior make the decisions and he would give some input, but then they would lockup. All I can tell you is that I’m pleased with what happened today. Everybody made a tremendous effort to say let’s do this as a group. They burned a lot of midnight oil since Wednesday and I think Junior and Lance spent an hour together last night and Brian Whitesell and the engineers and Rex (Stump).

“I feel like it’s been three weeks since Wednesday night with all the conversations I’ve had with so many different people. But everybody had a positive attitude once the dust settled and said, okay, we’ve got to regroup. This is a new deal and let’s go to work. I was really happy this morning talking to Tony Eury Jr. about what he’s doing next week. So that’s it.”

That’s it, alright. It may have been a completed Hail Mary or it may result in nothing in the long run.

But today, right now, that Hendrick mojo is still looking pretty dang powerful.

Passing Should Always Be Between Two Non-Consenting Adults

By Larry Woody | Senior Writer | RacinToday.com

It’s one for NASCAR’s Lowlights Film:

At one point during last Sunday’s race at Dover, leader Jimmie Johnson deliberately slowed down and allowed teammate Mark Martin to pass him.

Martin led the lap, “earning” five bonus points.

Then Johnson zipped back around him, reassumed the lead, and sped off to victory.

A charity pass for charity points. How shameful.

And don’t give me excuses about how it’s always been done in the past – teammates helping teammates improve their position, get back on the lead lap, collect bonus points.

It was shameful then and it’s shameful now.

What’s the harm, you say? The harm is to NASCAR’s image as a legitimate pro sport.

What Johnson and Martin did was nothing short of rigging the point standings. Johnson gave Martin five points he didn’t earn and didn’t deserve.

Granted, they rigged the standings by only five points – Martin is in 12th place with 1,567 points – but that’s five more points that he should have.

A rig is a rig, just like fixing a football or basketball game is a fix. The number points involved in the fix is irrelevant.

Five points must be fairly important, otherwise why embarrass a proud old veteran like Martin by giving them to him?

Thirteen races remain to set the 12-driver field for the championship Chase. Let’s say that Martin comes out of the 26th and deciding race leading current 13th-place driver David Reutimann by four points.

Think those five charity points Martin was given Sunday would loom large? They would be the difference him making the Chase and Reutimann getting bumped out.

Let’s take it even further: suppose Johnson should take a nose-dive in the next 13 races – unlikely but possible – and he ended up on that number 12-13 Chase bubble.

And let’s imagine that Martin beat Johnson out for the 12th and final spot – by four points! Forget Johnson’s bid for a record fourth championship.

Talk about poetic justice – if Johnson knocked himself out of the Chase by giving another driver five championship points.

I realize such a scenario is unlikely, but it could happen. And even if doesn’t, giving a teammate points is a sham. Some might argue about how big a sham it is but can’t deny that it’s a sham.

Back before the advent of the Lucky Dog Award, when lapped drivers had to beat the leader back to the line under caution get their lap back, some drivers whined if the leader didn’t slow down and give them a free pass.

I always thought that was absurd. By allowing a rival to get back on the lead lap the leader gave new life to a potential threat for the victory. Every driver he could keep a lap down was one less driver he had to worry about toward the end.

Deliberately giving an opponent a lap back was disgraceful; deliberately giving an opponent championship points – teammate or no teammate – is equally unseemly.

After 13 more races, when the Chase field is set, just remember that Mark Martin will be credited with five more points than he earned.

It may not make any difference. Probably won’t. But if somebody – including big-hearted teammate Jimmie Johnson – should be bumped out of the Chase by Mark’s five-point edge, just remember what went down last Sunday at Dover:

That’s the day the standings were rigged. 

NASCAR about to dish out some more freebies

Monte Dutton/ NASCAR This Week

DOVER, Del. - Pocono Raceway could be the place where so-called double-file restarts are implemented in Sprint Cup races. If not, perhaps the rules will change at Michigan a week later. The prevailing view, coming out of NASCAR's parley with the drivers last week (ridiculously referred to as "a town meeting"), is that it's inevitable.
Why is it ridiculous to call it a town meeting? Because town meetings are open.
When the most affluent slaves in human history arrived at Dover International Speedway, they all had their "talking points" down. No one seemed too concerned about double-file restarts, as they had been at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Everyone was happy with the drug testing procedures, even though they still don't seem to know what they are.
NASCAR loves them, this they know, because NASCAR tells them so.
Greg Biffle, fresh after finishing third in Sunday's Autism Speaks 400, sounded a little like a sixth grader reciting a poem in English class when interviewed by broadcasters.
My car was too tight at the end," he said.
And ... oh, yeah. Almost forgot.
"I've got to argue with the people who say these cars don't put on good races."
If the races are indeed so good, why does NASCAR have to trick up the rules yet another time in the name of, uh, good races?
At present, when restarts occur, the lapped cars are on the inside and the lead cars on the outside. If restarts occur in the form in which the race begins, by running order, it will be virtually impossible for a car that is a lap down to get back on the lead lap by its own efforts. It will represent a diametric shift from the old days, when drivers "raced back to the caution," to a situation where it is virtually impossible for any driver to get a lap back any other way than by NASCAR decree.
In effect, the dogs will become luckier. Issues must yet be resolved, but it's probably safe to anticipate that NASCAR will err on the side of the giveaway.
At present, when the leaders pit, the lapped cars remain on the track until a lap later, at which point they are allowed to pit. If those lapped cars do not pit, they join what is known as "the tail end of the lead lap" because when others pit, they move up behind the pace car.
How is this going to be resolved? Undoubtedly, what will happen is that, like Indy cars, all such cars are "waved around the pace car" and go to the back of the pack ... but back on the lead lap.
Free. Like government cheese.
If the racing's so good, what's the need for the welfare program?

Well, now that GM and Obama have pulled the trigger on bankruptcy, what next?

Mike Mulhern/mikemulhern.net

DOVER, Del. -  Okay, what are the game plans?
Let's have some specifics.
From General Motors – and what it says will be, in 60 to 90 days, "the New GM" -- and from NASCAR.
President Obama's stunning decision to push GM into bankruptcy, announced Monday, in exchange for pumping some $50 billion into the company to keep it going, is part of a simply amazing situation.   
What it all portends, on both the GM and NASCAR sides, is still only a big guessing game.
But Rick Hendrick, GM's most successful NASCAR team owner, just moments after Sunday's thrilling Dover 400 victory charge by Jimmie Johnson, says no matter what happened next in Detroit/Washington, "My Plan A is Chevrolet, and my Plan B is Chevrolet, and my Plan C is Chevrolet."

Obama insists he doesn't want to run, or micromanage, GM. However he is now the biggest single stockholder in the company, with at least a 60 percent share. So when he says he wants "sweeping changes" at GM, just what might that really mean?

At one point in time GM had half the entire U.S. car market and was the largest private employer in the country. Now its market share is about 20 percent. In filing Chapter 11 Monday GM listed $82 billion in assets and $172 billion debts. 
Gulp.
Okay, what's the game plan for turning GM around?
And what does all this mean for NASCAR racing, which GM's Chevy teams have been dominating lately, with four straight championships and leading toward a fifth?
As GM goes, so goes the country?
Whoops.
A new day, a new world….or will the 'Heartbeat of America' flatline?

Certainly GM – and whoever is going to be running this thing -- has to kick off a marketing revival to start selling cars again.
And what can NASCAR do to help?
If there's a solid game plan out there anywhere, it's not been made very clear. 

Shouldn't we be getting more specific information about all this?
For this kind of money?

For those down here in the stock car trenches, the question is more personal -- is NASCAR simply going to stand on the sidelines and just watch what happens?
Maybe NASCAR should try to become an active part of the solution, rather than risk being seen as just another aspect of the problem.
Is it only going to be 'business as usual' in the stock car world?

But then maybe it really doesn't matter all that much in NASCAR country what goes on up in Detroit-Washington. This sport got along, albeit not all that well, when Ford and Chrysler pulled out in the early 1970s. (Of course it was GM's Chevrolet division which then stepped in to fill the void in NASCAR.)
However it does seem curious that NASCAR executives have seemed so noncommittal about this thing, as if almost disinterested.
Of course NASCAR stockers these days are purpose-built, hand-crafted machines….and the sport could survive with teams doing all the engineering.    
But one thing that has helped sell NASCAR over the years is that symbiosis between the fan as fan and fan as vicarious racer himself. NASCAR is car culture at its finest.

Brand loyalty…heritage…marketing…promotion…sales….huge crowds of people…corporate synergies….NASCAR has a lot of weapons at its disposal. And there has been a decided sense this spring, from Detroit sources, that Detroit executives have been less than pleased with what may look like lukewarm interest in this debate on the NASCAR side.
And NASCAR, remember, has a lot invested not just in Detroit but in GM, which has pumped a lot of money and enthusiasm into this sport, going back to that 1955 small block V8 and that 1963 Chevy porcupine 427 of Junior Johnson's and the 1972 comeback at Charlotte that helped rescue Charlotte Motor Speedway and other key NASCAR venues from bankruptcy…..
But if NASCAR is doing much in this deal right now, it's keeping it under wraps.
Maybe it's time for the NASCAR Frances and Bruton Smith to step up to the bully pulpit.
Win on Sunday, sell on Monday….Well, if NASCAR doesn't start helping Detroit sell more on Monday, there might not be as much going on out at the race track on Sundays.
And how in the world did this sport miss the gimme of having Delaware's Joe Biden at Sunday's 400?
Hendrick, cautiously, says he doesn't think GM's bankruptcy will affect its racing programs: "I don't think so…because you see Ford and Toyota and Chrysler here.
"But you just never know.
"We just have to do the best we can.
"They've been a big asset to this sport, and when you look at their competition, the people they're heads-up with are here. So I've had no indication that they're going to cut back or do anything." GM's various sports sponsorships including more than just NASCAR, where it supports 20 Sprint Cup teams and has sponsorship contracts with 10 major NASCAR tracks. It also spends ad money in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the PGA, the NBA, and the American LeMans series.

Hendrick, of course, has much more riding on all this than just his four-car Sprint Cup team and the Tony Stewart-Ryan Newman satellite operation. He's one of the biggest auto dealers in the country.
The bankruptcy, Hendrick says, "is a planned 'get-in/get-out.'
"I've got a lot of faith in GM, and especially Chevrolet. I've been with them for a long, long time.
"Our business is good, the products are good…And this economic downturn has hurt everybody, it's hurt every manufacturer -- Toyota and everybody else.
"Some people, maybe their pockets were deeper than others.
"But I feel we're going to be good, we're going to be okay.
"They've got great products right now, so I'm hoping they'll get in and get out in a hurry…and we'll just take it a day at a time."
GM and Chevrolet are iconic American brands…
However GM's credibility is now at stake. Bankruptcy isn't good for business, no matter how you try to spin it. And simply dumping so many workers, kicking them out the door like so much trash, won't help the image either. GM needs a clear,  bold marketing strategy – based on more than just 'We're closing a lot of plants, firing thousands of workers, killing off some legendary brands, and promising to build a new small car.'

Yes, GM management has made some major blunders the past few years, like buying into Fiat, for a bigger share of the European market, and then bailing out (at a cost of billions); like not creating a more diversified lineup of passenger vehicles; like selling off controlling interest in its GMAC financing arm; like giving the lead in 'green' to rival Toyota; like those crazy rebate wars that created unrealistic MSRP stickers….
But now whoever is going to run the new GM not only has to come up with a good business model and product line but also with a good marketing program. After all, who wants to buy a car from a company in bankruptcy? So this marketing gig better be a strong one: You now own the company, so why not buy the car too.
One problem facing GM and Chevrolet, though, might be that some would see NASCAR racing as 'extravagance.'
This sport certainly needs to avoid that.

So how to use NASCAR racing to sell Obama Motors?
Well, first off, get Juan Pablo Montoya some wins. He's got a shot at making the championship chase. He's been running well lately.
Diversity? May be time to crank that program up a couple of notches.
Get Sarah Fisher into a stock car…teach Ashley Force to make left turns…create a NASCAR Danica.
Steal Lewis Hamilton from Formula One.
Montoya is running much better this season, after switching to Chevrolets: "Our car (last year) was nowhere near where we are right now. The performance of the car and the company moved a long way. We're running Chevys now, and that's huge.
"If I look at myself now and I look at myself a year ago, last year we were there because we finished every race, but this year we're there because we've got a fast car.
"So I'm pretty optimistic we have the chance of making the chase. It's not going to be easy, but the potential is pretty encouraging.
"The magic number (average finishing position) is a 14.5 (to make the chase), and we're like a 15-something. So you've got to improve it a little.
"For us the next four or five weeks are really important; they are weeks we normally run really bad.
"Dover is a good race track for us. (Montoya qualified third and ran up front until blowing right-side tires.)
"Michigan is a tough one, and it's always been a tough one. But if you look the places where it's been tough on how we've been running, you know it should be good.
"And we have two good road courses (including Sonoma in just three weeks), and we have a good chance of winning there.
"But the main goal is to make the chase."

And NASCAR is pushing its diversity initiatives, though they may need stronger promotion. It just announced the 13 college students picked for the summer's diversity internships at various NASCAR operations. There is more to NASCAR's diversity efforts than just offering opportunities for promising new drivers. Details on the program HERE
Maybe NASCAR – and GM – need to start running some TV ads trumpeting just what's going on down here in the stock car world.
Of course it's not clear if anyone at NASCAR headquarters really knows any of the new players at GM all that well. And that was always one of NASCAR's strengths (and GM's) -- that the key players in this Detroit-NASCAR racing game on both sides knew each other well.
So maybe we should watch what Roger Penske might decide to do if he buys Saturn from GM.
And then maybe the new bosses at GM should go back over that original Saturn game plan -- of creating something 'new and unique.'
And maybe NASCAR can help.

NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK

All times Eastern

Well, that's all for today.  Until the next time, I remain,

Your Nascar 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!"

his list is authored by:

Sandra Monacelli
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