Happy Hump Day all...hope you have a fantastic day!
Today In Nascar History
6/08/1952-Tim Flock wins at Hillsboro, win #3 of the season, and #11 of his career.
6/08/1957-Eddie Pagan wins at Los Angeles, win #2 of the season, and #3 of his career.
6/08/1961-Jack Smith wins at Greenville, win #1 of the season, and #15 of his career.
6/08/1967-Richard Petty wins at Maryville, win #10 of the season, and #58 of his career.
6/08/1968-Richard Petty wins at Birmingham, win #6 of the season, and #81 of his career.
6/08/1975-Richard Petty wins at Riverside, win #7 of the season, and #171 of his career.
6/08/1980-Darrell Waltrip wins at Riverside, win #4 of the season, and #26 of his career.
6/08/1986-Tim Richmond wins at Pocono, win #1 of the season, and #5 of his career.
6/08/1997-Jeff Gordon wins at Pocono, win #6 of the season, and #25 of his career.
6/08/2003-Tony Stewart wins at Pocono, win #1 of the season, and #16 of his career.
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Quote of the Year
"To be a real, true NASCAR driver, you have to know where the sport came from and you have to respect that history and tradition. The guys that don't respect that history and tradition, I don't think they're going to be around all that long. And those guys who don't know the history and tradition, I think it's upon them to learn about it pretty quick if they want to be a success."
– Richard Petty
Quote of the Day
"I'm not sure where we finished, but I know it wasn't good."
—Dale Earnhardt Junior after a 22nd place finish at Dover
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New Poll
Should Shane Hmiel be Allowed back in NASCAR after Failing Drug Test for a Second Time?
http://de3fan4.tripod.com/
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Bits and Pieces
Jeff Hammond, Red Horse Racing Purchase Clean Line Motorsports
A NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion and a veteran motorsports business executive are joining forces with a top up-and-coming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.
Jeff Hammond, national television analyst and former Cup crew chief, and Thomas C. DeLoach, Jr., a successful corporate executive who is now heavily involved in motorsports, will partner with Marty Gaunt as co-owners of Red Horse Racing LLC. The new organization has purchased Clean Line Motorsports, which fields the #38 McMillin Homes/Cure Autism Now Toyota Tundra, from Dan and Karen Whitt.
“We are very pleased to have Tom DeLoach and Jeff Hammond joining the team,” said Gaunt, who has been part Owner and General Manager of the team since its inception.
“Dan and Karen (Whitt) worked very hard and did a great job in helping start this race team but they realized we needed to do more to move it ahead,” Gaunt said. “Tom DeLoach’s business and marketing savvy, and Jeff Hammond’s motorsports knowledge will complement our team perfectly, and will give us what we need to take our next step.”
Brandon Whitt will continue as driver and team personnel are anticipated to remain the same, Gaunt said. The #38 Truck has been one of the better qualifiers throughout this season and has run exceptionally strong at nearly every speedway. This is its second full year of operation.
“We’re ready for Texas and the Chex 400 this week, and we won’t miss a beat as we continue moving forward,” Gaunt said. “We’re proud of our association with Toyota and feel the Tundra is a terrific vehicle for the Craftsman Truck Series. We’re planning on doing some great things with ours.”
“This is a great time for Tom DeLoach and myself,” said Hammond. “We are very excited about being part of an up-and-coming team like this, especially one that has enjoyed such strong support from Toyota. That support has already shown itself on the track this year, and we’re excited about the future.”
Gaunt and DeLoach worked together at Penske Racing’s winning Cup organization, where Gaunt was General Manager and DeLoach part Owner. DeLoach and Hammond own and operate PIT Instruction and Training LLC, the number one pit crew training center in the world.
Hammond has been in motorsports his entire adult life. Starting as a tire changer for an independent team in 1974, Hammond became crew chief for Junior Johnson racing in 1982 and won two NASCAR Nextel Cup championships with Darrell Waltrip and 43 Cup races, and has participated in six Cup championship teams. He is currently a lead television analyst for FOX Sports, FX and SPEED channel.
DeLoach came to motorsports from the Mobil Oil Corporation, where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and later President of Global Midstream, which included global hydrocarbon supply and trading, marine operations, and worldwide natural gas sales and marketing. Worldwide coordinator of Mobil’s motorsports operations, DeLoach gained a unique knowledge of the racing world and gained insight into NASCAR.
Today In Nascar History
6/08/1952-Tim Flock wins at Hillsboro, win #3 of the season, and #11 of his career.
6/08/1957-Eddie Pagan wins at Los Angeles, win #2 of the season, and #3 of his career.
6/08/1961-Jack Smith wins at Greenville, win #1 of the season, and #15 of his career.
6/08/1967-Richard Petty wins at Maryville, win #10 of the season, and #58 of his career.
6/08/1968-Richard Petty wins at Birmingham, win #6 of the season, and #81 of his career.
6/08/1975-Richard Petty wins at Riverside, win #7 of the season, and #171 of his career.
6/08/1980-Darrell Waltrip wins at Riverside, win #4 of the season, and #26 of his career.
6/08/1986-Tim Richmond wins at Pocono, win #1 of the season, and #5 of his career.
6/08/1997-Jeff Gordon wins at Pocono, win #6 of the season, and #25 of his career.
6/08/2003-Tony Stewart wins at Pocono, win #1 of the season, and #16 of his career.
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Quote of the Year
"To be a real, true NASCAR driver, you have to know where the sport came from and you have to respect that history and tradition. The guys that don't respect that history and tradition, I don't think they're going to be around all that long. And those guys who don't know the history and tradition, I think it's upon them to learn about it pretty quick if they want to be a success."
– Richard Petty
Quote of the Day
"I'm not sure where we finished, but I know it wasn't good."
—Dale Earnhardt Junior after a 22nd place finish at Dover
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Poll
Should Shane Hmiel be Allowed back in NASCAR after Failing Drug Test for a Second Time?
http://de3fan4.tripod.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bits and Pieces
Jeff Hammond, Red Horse Racing Purchase Clean Line Motorsports
A NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion and a veteran motorsports business executive are joining forces with a top up-and-coming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.
Jeff Hammond, national television analyst and former Cup crew chief, and Thomas C. DeLoach, Jr., a successful corporate executive who is now heavily involved in motorsports, will partner with Marty Gaunt as co-owners of Red Horse Racing LLC. The new organization has purchased Clean Line Motorsports, which fields the #38 McMillin Homes/Cure Autism Now Toyota Tundra, from Dan and Karen Whitt.
“We are very pleased to have Tom DeLoach and Jeff Hammond joining the team,” said Gaunt, who has been part Owner and General Manager of the team since its inception.
“Dan and Karen (Whitt) worked very hard and did a great job in helping start this race team but they realized we needed to do more to move it ahead,” Gaunt said. “Tom DeLoach’s business and marketing savvy, and Jeff Hammond’s motorsports knowledge will complement our team perfectly, and will give us what we need to take our next step.”
Brandon Whitt will continue as driver and team personnel are anticipated to remain the same, Gaunt said. The #38 Truck has been one of the better qualifiers throughout this season and has run exceptionally strong at nearly every speedway. This is its second full year of operation.
“We’re ready for Texas and the Chex 400 this week, and we won’t miss a beat as we continue moving forward,” Gaunt said. “We’re proud of our association with Toyota and feel the Tundra is a terrific vehicle for the Craftsman Truck Series. We’re planning on doing some great things with ours.”
“This is a great time for Tom DeLoach and myself,” said Hammond. “We are very excited about being part of an up-and-coming team like this, especially one that has enjoyed such strong support from Toyota. That support has already shown itself on the track this year, and we’re excited about the future.”
Gaunt and DeLoach worked together at Penske Racing’s winning Cup organization, where Gaunt was General Manager and DeLoach part Owner. DeLoach and Hammond own and operate PIT Instruction and Training LLC, the number one pit crew training center in the world.
Hammond has been in motorsports his entire adult life. Starting as a tire changer for an independent team in 1974, Hammond became crew chief for Junior Johnson racing in 1982 and won two NASCAR Nextel Cup championships with Darrell Waltrip and 43 Cup races, and has participated in six Cup championship teams. He is currently a lead television analyst for FOX Sports, FX and SPEED channel.
DeLoach came to motorsports from the Mobil Oil Corporation, where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and later President of Global Midstream, which included global hydrocarbon supply and trading, marine operations, and worldwide natural gas sales and marketing. Worldwide coordinator of Mobil’s motorsports operations, DeLoach gained a unique knowledge of the racing world and gained insight into NASCAR.
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Leffler gets new crew chief
In its first year as a third team for Joe Gibbs Racing, the No. 11 Chevrolet has not performed to expectations. Through 13 races, Leffler is 36th in points with no top-10 finishes. His best finish this season was 12th at Martinsville, Va.
He also failed to qualify for the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte forcing the sponsor, Fed-Ex, to scramble and put together a deal to have teammate Bobby Labonte carry the Fed-Ex colors for the weekend.
A spokesperson for the sponsor denied rumors that weekend that Leffler would be replaced as the driver, but hinted that changes were in the works.
That change occurred late Monday as Mike Ford was hired as the new crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing's and the No. 11 team.
Ford spent last season and the first 11 races of this season as crew chief for Cup veteran Dale Jarrett and formerly served as crew chief for veteran Bill Elliott.
The status of Leffler's current crew chief, Dave Rogers, remains unclear.
Ford is expected to begin his new role with this weekend's Cup race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.. Look for the official announcement from JGR as early as today.
In its first year as a third team for Joe Gibbs Racing, the No. 11 Chevrolet has not performed to expectations. Through 13 races, Leffler is 36th in points with no top-10 finishes. His best finish this season was 12th at Martinsville, Va.
He also failed to qualify for the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte forcing the sponsor, Fed-Ex, to scramble and put together a deal to have teammate Bobby Labonte carry the Fed-Ex colors for the weekend.
A spokesperson for the sponsor denied rumors that weekend that Leffler would be replaced as the driver, but hinted that changes were in the works.
That change occurred late Monday as Mike Ford was hired as the new crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing's and the No. 11 team.
Ford spent last season and the first 11 races of this season as crew chief for Cup veteran Dale Jarrett and formerly served as crew chief for veteran Bill Elliott.
The status of Leffler's current crew chief, Dave Rogers, remains unclear.
Ford is expected to begin his new role with this weekend's Cup race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.. Look for the official announcement from JGR as early as today.
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Biffle's Crew Chief Takes Honor
Doug Richert has won the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award for the fourth time this season after his driver, Greg Biffle, piloted Roush Racing's No. 16 Ford to victory in Sunday's MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Wypall says Richert was the unanimous choice of a three-member panel in a contest that will give the crew chief with the most weekly selections $20,000 at the end of the season.
Doug Richert has won the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award for the fourth time this season after his driver, Greg Biffle, piloted Roush Racing's No. 16 Ford to victory in Sunday's MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Wypall says Richert was the unanimous choice of a three-member panel in a contest that will give the crew chief with the most weekly selections $20,000 at the end of the season.
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Johnson not phased by NASCAR boo-boys
Every NASCAR fan that attends a race will have their own list of drivers they cheer for and a list of drivers they don't, and while Jimmie Johnson tends to crop up on the latter list more often than not, he isn't bothered.
Like his Hendrick Motorsport teammate Jeff Gordon a decade before him, Johnson has discovered that while the mention of his name over the loudspeakers often warrants a chorus of mainly good natured boos from NASCAR's vast grandstands. But while his reception at the track can be frosty, many of those fans that boo him still buy his merchandise.
Armed with those facts, Johnson isn't bothered about the fact that in recent months NASCAR fans have given him the kind of treatment usually saved for Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch.
“I know my fan base and the interesting thing to me is that my sales are higher than they've ever been,” said Johnson, whose recent retirement from the Richmond race was met with delirium in the grandstands. “I think I'm third in sales right now, I think, to Junior and Jeff. And the boos have gone up. A lot like Jeff-Jeff's been #1 in sales and he's been boo'd the loudest. I don't think that it necessarily means that you're the bad guy or disliked.”
“I think a lot of depends on whose fans are attending that race, what part of the country you're in, those things all play into who boos for you and who cheers for you. When I look at the big picture and understand it, at least they know I'm there. It's a good thing, it doesn't bother me.
“It's a hard dynamic to understand, but all of my indicators are showing that everything's fine. My fan base is stronger than it's ever been.”
Every NASCAR fan that attends a race will have their own list of drivers they cheer for and a list of drivers they don't, and while Jimmie Johnson tends to crop up on the latter list more often than not, he isn't bothered.
Like his Hendrick Motorsport teammate Jeff Gordon a decade before him, Johnson has discovered that while the mention of his name over the loudspeakers often warrants a chorus of mainly good natured boos from NASCAR's vast grandstands. But while his reception at the track can be frosty, many of those fans that boo him still buy his merchandise.
Armed with those facts, Johnson isn't bothered about the fact that in recent months NASCAR fans have given him the kind of treatment usually saved for Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch.
“I know my fan base and the interesting thing to me is that my sales are higher than they've ever been,” said Johnson, whose recent retirement from the Richmond race was met with delirium in the grandstands. “I think I'm third in sales right now, I think, to Junior and Jeff. And the boos have gone up. A lot like Jeff-Jeff's been #1 in sales and he's been boo'd the loudest. I don't think that it necessarily means that you're the bad guy or disliked.”
“I think a lot of depends on whose fans are attending that race, what part of the country you're in, those things all play into who boos for you and who cheers for you. When I look at the big picture and understand it, at least they know I'm there. It's a good thing, it doesn't bother me.
“It's a hard dynamic to understand, but all of my indicators are showing that everything's fine. My fan base is stronger than it's ever been.”
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Happy's Busch race ends sadly at Dover
REESE’S Racing driver Kevin Harvick dominated the first 130 laps of Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway, but a crash with 54 laps remaining took him out of contention for the win. Harvick finished 29th.
“Our car was really fast today,” Harvick said. “This was the fastest Busch car that I have ever had at Dover. It’s just a shame that we got caught in a wreck. The REESE’S Chevrolet was fast enough to win the race.”
Qualifying was rained out, and the REESE’S Racing team merited the second starting spot since it is second in the owners standings.
Harvick, who started in front on the outside row, passed Carl Edwards on the first lap around Dover International Speedway and led 77 of the next 120 laps. Harvick would lead the field by as much as three seconds during parts of the race.
On lap 136 of 200, while in second place, Harvick brought the REESE’S Chevy down pit road for his fourth pit stop of the day. Harvick asked for some minor adjustments and four new tires due to tight conditions on the REESE’S Chevy. Harvick exited pit road in the third spot.
“Happy” Harvick’s good day ended there. While running in the third spot on lap 146, Harvick was involved in a wreck with Kyle Busch. The REESE’S Chevy suffered extensive damage, but was able to maintain minimum speed and tally laps to gain valuable points. Despite leading the most laps, 86, and having one of the strongest cars in the field, Harvick finished 29th.
Despite the poor luck, Harvick still beat Carl Edwards (31st), so the REESE’S Racing team continues to cut the gap between it and Edwards’ team in the Busch Series Owners’ Points Standings. Sixty-eight points separate the top two teams.
Harvick’s teammate, Clint Bowyer, finished 19th. Bowyer is fourth in the drivers standings, 140 points short of Edwards’ series-leading total.
Martin Truex Jr. stole the lead from Harvick and held the lead for the win. Reed Sorenson, Jamie McMurray, Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson finished second through fifth, respectively.
Brandon Miller returns to the driver’s seat of the REESE’S Chevrolet Saturday, June 11, at Nashville Superspeedway. The FX television network will begin its coverage at 7:30 p.m. EDT. MRN will produce the live radio broadcast.
REESE’S Racing driver Kevin Harvick dominated the first 130 laps of Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway, but a crash with 54 laps remaining took him out of contention for the win. Harvick finished 29th.
“Our car was really fast today,” Harvick said. “This was the fastest Busch car that I have ever had at Dover. It’s just a shame that we got caught in a wreck. The REESE’S Chevrolet was fast enough to win the race.”
Qualifying was rained out, and the REESE’S Racing team merited the second starting spot since it is second in the owners standings.
Harvick, who started in front on the outside row, passed Carl Edwards on the first lap around Dover International Speedway and led 77 of the next 120 laps. Harvick would lead the field by as much as three seconds during parts of the race.
On lap 136 of 200, while in second place, Harvick brought the REESE’S Chevy down pit road for his fourth pit stop of the day. Harvick asked for some minor adjustments and four new tires due to tight conditions on the REESE’S Chevy. Harvick exited pit road in the third spot.
“Happy” Harvick’s good day ended there. While running in the third spot on lap 146, Harvick was involved in a wreck with Kyle Busch. The REESE’S Chevy suffered extensive damage, but was able to maintain minimum speed and tally laps to gain valuable points. Despite leading the most laps, 86, and having one of the strongest cars in the field, Harvick finished 29th.
Despite the poor luck, Harvick still beat Carl Edwards (31st), so the REESE’S Racing team continues to cut the gap between it and Edwards’ team in the Busch Series Owners’ Points Standings. Sixty-eight points separate the top two teams.
Harvick’s teammate, Clint Bowyer, finished 19th. Bowyer is fourth in the drivers standings, 140 points short of Edwards’ series-leading total.
Martin Truex Jr. stole the lead from Harvick and held the lead for the win. Reed Sorenson, Jamie McMurray, Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson finished second through fifth, respectively.
Brandon Miller returns to the driver’s seat of the REESE’S Chevrolet Saturday, June 11, at Nashville Superspeedway. The FX television network will begin its coverage at 7:30 p.m. EDT. MRN will produce the live radio broadcast.
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Shifty days may be over at Pocono
NASCAR's new rear-end gear limiting rule could make this weekend's Pocono 500 a different race from years past, with no shifting, so says Tony Stewart.
With teams able to use only a 3.89-ratio gear, much higher than the 4.22 that teams used to use at Pocono for more punch up off the corner, drivers may not be shifting any more, because they no longer need overdrive on the long frontstretch. Some drivers have shifted as many as four times a lap at the high-speed 2.5-mile triangular speedway.
Stewart likes the new Pocono game: "We'll actually have a chance to enjoy the race because we won't have to do all that shifting. I really didn't enjoy shifting at high-speed places like Pocono anyway. If you shifted too early, some guys get loose, and I've had cases where I almost wrecked because of that."
NASCAR's new rear-end gear limiting rule could make this weekend's Pocono 500 a different race from years past, with no shifting, so says Tony Stewart.
With teams able to use only a 3.89-ratio gear, much higher than the 4.22 that teams used to use at Pocono for more punch up off the corner, drivers may not be shifting any more, because they no longer need overdrive on the long frontstretch. Some drivers have shifted as many as four times a lap at the high-speed 2.5-mile triangular speedway.
Stewart likes the new Pocono game: "We'll actually have a chance to enjoy the race because we won't have to do all that shifting. I really didn't enjoy shifting at high-speed places like Pocono anyway. If you shifted too early, some guys get loose, and I've had cases where I almost wrecked because of that."
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Co-founder of Bristol Motor Speedway dies: Larry Carrier, who helped start the race track now known as Bristol Motor Speedway, died Tuesday after a long illness. He was 82. A developer, Carrier worked with Carl Moore and R.G. Pope in building the half-mile oval track, which opened in 1961. Carrier bought the track out of bankruptcy in 1985, gave ESPN exclusive rights to broadcast Bristol's night race for years, and built the seating capacity to 71,000 before selling the track to Bruton Smith in 1996 for $26 million. Bristol now seats 160,000 and hosts two NASCAR Nextel Cup races each year. Carrier and Moore also built the Bristol International Dragway and started their own sanctioning body, the International Hot Rod Association, in 1965. The dragway was part of the sale in 1996. ...Carrier is a member of both the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Drag Racing Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and four children. Carrier's funeral was scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Blountville, with burial on Friday. - AP/FOXSports
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Update On The N0. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger Crew Chief "Slugger" Labbe's Medical Condition From Evernham Motorsports: “Slugger is getting ready to go to the shop today. He says he doesn’t know how well he’ll do, but he wants to go by the shop. He says his body is very sore. He’s had headaches since Sunday, extremely severe headaches Sunday. It was diagnosed by the NASCAR medical staff as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The medication is working. He hasn’t eaten very much since then. He says he’s lost a lot of weight and you’ll see a lean, trim Slugger when you come to Pocono. He will come to Pocono, but he’s still having headaches and his body is sore. Other than that, that’s the update on Slugger and he says to assure everybody he’ll be at Pocono.”
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Hermie Salder Steps Down As Driver For Peak Performance - Veteran Driver Makes Decision to Leave Team: Hermie Sadler has officially resigned as driver of the No. 66 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford effective immediately. Sadler has attempted to qualify for all 14 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series events this season, successfully making eight races. The No. 66 currently stands 40th in the owners’ points. Sadler, a veteran racer of 13 years in NASCAR’s top three series, agrees that the split is amicable and is the right decision for all involved parties. “I appreciate the opportunity given to me at Peak Performance Motorsports, but I feel at this time it is best that I step aside and allow the team to search for the combination that will help it improve,” stated Sadler. Team owner Jeff Stec will make announcement of the team’s intentions for the race at Pocono later this week. “We know that Hermie gave us his best effort each week and we appreciate what he has done for the team,” Stec said. “Peak Performance Motorsports has been proud to associate itself with Hermie and we wish him all the best." - PSE-3
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Ride the Bus to Infineon Raceway on NASCAR Sunday: For the third consecutive year, you can leave the driving to Infineon Raceway on race day during the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend, June 26. The Ride the Bus program provides race fans with an alternative to driving their vehicles to the raceway for the biggest sporting event of the year in Northern California — more than 2,000 people have opted for the program over the last two years. Cost is just $125 and the package includes: * Transportation to/from the raceway. * Premium reserved seat for Sunday, June 26. * Infineon Raceway Prize Pack. * Commemorative souvenir race program. If you have already purchased your race ticket, you can add the Ride the Bus option for just $35. Four strategic locations have been targeted as pick-up/drop-off locations: Solano Community College (Solano County); Sonoma State University (Sonoma County); Diablo Valley College (Contra Costa County); and Fireman’s Fund-Novato (Marin County). Buses depart for the raceway beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 26. - Infineon Raceway PR
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Daytona International Speedway Offers Special Pepsi 400 Father's Day Package: If you've got your sights set on another Father's Day tie, Daytona International Speedway has a deal for you. In addition to a unique, one-of-a-kind rubber tie, "The World Center of Racing is offering a special $110 Father's Day Pepsi 400 ticket package through June 19 that includes: * One Pepsi 400 ticket located on the always unpredictable Superstretch; * A NEXTEL FANZONE pass/Pre-Race access; * The first 100 that purchase the Father's Day Pepsi 400 ticket package will also receive a pace car ride around the legendary 2.5-mile tri-oval on Saturday, July 2. The exclusive Father's Day package is available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Jeff Gordon, the defending Pepsi 400 champion, will be gunning for his third straight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory at "The World Center of Racing" in the exciting mid-summer classic under the lights. Gordon, who drives the No. 24 DuPont Automotive Finishes Chevrolet, has won the previous two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points events at the legendary 2.5-mile tri-oval - the 2004 Pepsi 400 and the 2005 Daytona 500. The only driver who accomplished three straight victories at Daytona was Cale Yarborough, who won the 1967 Pepsi 400 and the 1968 Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400. Also included in the Pepsi 400 Weekend is the Winn Dixie 250 presented by Pepsico on Friday night, July 1 and the Brumos Porsche 250 Rolex Sports Car Series race on Thursday night, June 30. - Daytona International Speedway PR
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Office Depot Launches New Nascar Program for Small Businesses at Five Speedways; Local Area Businesses Given Chance to be 'Official Small Business of the Race': Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, today announced a new promotion for its small business customers in five key markets across the country. Following the success of the Company's recent "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot national sweepstakes, Office Depot is now offering small businesses in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas and Miami the opportunity to be named the "Office Depot Official Small Business of the Race." Each winning business will have its company name featured on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford driven by Carl Edwards in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race located in that market. The winner will also receive a $1,000 Office Depot Shopping Spree, a VIP NASCAR Nextel Cup weekend experience, and a host of other prizes.
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Marlin's future still in question: Is a shakeup in the works in the Ganassi Racing camp? Sterling Marlin still hasn't been officially told what the plans are for the No. 40 Dodge in 2006, but he says he's not ready to retire. "I'd like to race another two or three years and then go fishing," says Marlin, who'll turn 48 on June 30. Marlin has spoken with several teams and hopes to have a plan solidified in the next two weeks. Busch driver David Stremme is considered the heir apparent in the 40. He could replace Marlin for the last seven races of the season, gaining experience while not jeopardizing his rookie status for next season. Changes are expected involving the No. 41 team and driver Casey Mears. Sources say owner Chip Ganassi plans to clean the entire house, making way for Busch Series rookie sensation Reed Sorenson and crew chief Brian Pattie. Mears' crew chief, Jimmy Elledge, has been mentioned as a potential crew chief for Stremme.
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DEInc., Tidbits: Richie Gilmore, vice president at Dale Earnhardt Inc., says Dale Earnhardt Jr. apologized to Michael Waltrip and Waltrip's team for the accident at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "They talked a couple of times during the week, and we don't think we have any problems," Gilmore says. Earnhardt invited both teams to his house to race go-karts, but the racing was rained out... DEI is close to completing Martin Truex Jr.'s deal for next year and asked NAPA for an extension on contract discussions with Waltrip. - FOXSports
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New Crew Chief for Riggs? hearing that car chief Rodney Childers will take over the crew chief job at the #10-Scott Riggs Valvoline team, for Doug Randolph.(jayski.com)
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Hmiel fighting NASCAR? the ANR-AtT site is reporting that Shane Hmiel has hired a lawyer to fight NASCAR about his latest drug suspension. According to sources Hmiel admitted that in 2003 he was on drugs when he was tested and failed, but he went on to say that he was not on drugs this time and had nothing in his system (he would not say what NASCAR suspended him for). The lawyer is going to have drug test run by Hmiel giving hair, urine and blood samples to prove the NASCAR test was wrong and try to get Hmiel reinstated as soon as possible.(ANR-AtT )
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TV Ratings from Dover: hearing that the TV Ratings for the MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover International Speedway on FX was a 3.9 rating/10 share (6.1 million viewers), up +15% over last year's 3.4/9.
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DCT Motorsports Not For Sale, Owner Says
John McGill is flattered by the attention but wants to make it plain he and his co-owner, wife Nancy McGill, have long-term plans for DCT Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Rumors of the team's possible sale are untrue, he said, and have no basis.
"Being in the rumor mill in this sport is almost a badge of honor. NASCAR racing was pretty much built on rumors," McGill laughed, "but this one has no foundation at all. We haven't talked with anyone at any level about selling DCT Motorsports, and we don't have any interest whatsoever in selling DCT Motorsports."
As far as McGill is concerned, the team is moving in the right direction. In its first full year of operation, it has picked up momentum over the past several weeks and has begun making something of a charge in the points standings.
Driver Stanton Barrett, who has 1259 points, is 17th in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, just 24 points out of the top 15 and just over 100 out of the top 13. In fact, if you take Barrett's points average over the past six races, he is running at a pace that would place him in the top 10 of the standings for the season. The team was first nationally noticed with Barrett's strong run on the road course at Mexico City, where he was at the front of the field most of the last part of the race before being tagged by a car behind him. His three top-19 finishes in the last six races have helped the team tremendously, giving them solid runs and lead-lap finishes, a string broken only when he was caught up in a large crash immediately in front of him at Talladega.
"We're working hard on sponsorship for the team and I want all of those companies we have talked with to know Nancy and I are here for the long haul," McGill said. "We've come up with some unique and cost-efficient ways for sponsorship to work for companies on a regional and national level, and we want to continue making headway in that direction."
The McGills are the only Cleveland, Ohio, residents to have owned a team full time in any of NASCAR's top three series. McGill has developed sponsorship packages that could incorporate the full remainder of the season or blocks of races. Utilizing his own business and marketing acumen, he brings creative and fresh approaches not just to team sponsorship itself but areas such as hospitality, cross-promotions and business-to-business possibilities.
Besides being one of the top younger drivers in the Busch Series, the 32-year-old Barrett is well known in other areas. An award-winning stunt man from Hollywood, Barrett has appeared in well over 100 movies -- including the soon-to-be-released Dukes Of Hazzard, Spiderman II and others -- as well as hundreds of television shows and commercials. Barrett, who is also running some NASCAR Nextel Cup Series events again this season, has been driving since he was 16 years old, and has competed on the highest levels of NASCAR racing. He is a native of Bishop, Calif.
John McGill is flattered by the attention but wants to make it plain he and his co-owner, wife Nancy McGill, have long-term plans for DCT Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Rumors of the team's possible sale are untrue, he said, and have no basis.
"Being in the rumor mill in this sport is almost a badge of honor. NASCAR racing was pretty much built on rumors," McGill laughed, "but this one has no foundation at all. We haven't talked with anyone at any level about selling DCT Motorsports, and we don't have any interest whatsoever in selling DCT Motorsports."
As far as McGill is concerned, the team is moving in the right direction. In its first full year of operation, it has picked up momentum over the past several weeks and has begun making something of a charge in the points standings.
Driver Stanton Barrett, who has 1259 points, is 17th in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, just 24 points out of the top 15 and just over 100 out of the top 13. In fact, if you take Barrett's points average over the past six races, he is running at a pace that would place him in the top 10 of the standings for the season. The team was first nationally noticed with Barrett's strong run on the road course at Mexico City, where he was at the front of the field most of the last part of the race before being tagged by a car behind him. His three top-19 finishes in the last six races have helped the team tremendously, giving them solid runs and lead-lap finishes, a string broken only when he was caught up in a large crash immediately in front of him at Talladega.
"We're working hard on sponsorship for the team and I want all of those companies we have talked with to know Nancy and I are here for the long haul," McGill said. "We've come up with some unique and cost-efficient ways for sponsorship to work for companies on a regional and national level, and we want to continue making headway in that direction."
The McGills are the only Cleveland, Ohio, residents to have owned a team full time in any of NASCAR's top three series. McGill has developed sponsorship packages that could incorporate the full remainder of the season or blocks of races. Utilizing his own business and marketing acumen, he brings creative and fresh approaches not just to team sponsorship itself but areas such as hospitality, cross-promotions and business-to-business possibilities.
Besides being one of the top younger drivers in the Busch Series, the 32-year-old Barrett is well known in other areas. An award-winning stunt man from Hollywood, Barrett has appeared in well over 100 movies -- including the soon-to-be-released Dukes Of Hazzard, Spiderman II and others -- as well as hundreds of television shows and commercials. Barrett, who is also running some NASCAR Nextel Cup Series events again this season, has been driving since he was 16 years old, and has competed on the highest levels of NASCAR racing. He is a native of Bishop, Calif.
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Atwood teaming with Evernham for 2 Busch races
Larry Woody
The Tennessean
It's not a full-time ride, but at least it will get Nashville's Casey Atwood back on the track for a couple of races.
Atwood is scheduled to compete in upcoming NASCAR Busch Series races at Kentucky Speedway (June 18) and Pikes Peak International Raceway near Colorado Springs, Colo., (July 23).
Atwood will drive a car fielded by Evernham Motorsports, for whom he once drove in the Nextel Cup Series.
The 24-year-old racer lost his Busch ride with Fitz-Bradshaw Racing late last season and has not landed another full-time ride. He drove a few NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for Mt. Juliet-based Bobby Hamilton Racing earlier in the year.
Atwood said recently that he was pursuing some opportunities and was confident that he eventually would race again.
Attempts to reach Atwood yesterday were unsuccessful.
Larry Woody
The Tennessean
It's not a full-time ride, but at least it will get Nashville's Casey Atwood back on the track for a couple of races.
Atwood is scheduled to compete in upcoming NASCAR Busch Series races at Kentucky Speedway (June 18) and Pikes Peak International Raceway near Colorado Springs, Colo., (July 23).
Atwood will drive a car fielded by Evernham Motorsports, for whom he once drove in the Nextel Cup Series.
The 24-year-old racer lost his Busch ride with Fitz-Bradshaw Racing late last season and has not landed another full-time ride. He drove a few NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for Mt. Juliet-based Bobby Hamilton Racing earlier in the year.
Atwood said recently that he was pursuing some opportunities and was confident that he eventually would race again.
Attempts to reach Atwood yesterday were unsuccessful.
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Nemechek hopes to give Army birthday present
Though Joe Nemechek will be a special guest of a major birthday celebration at Pocono Raceway this weekend, don't look for the U.S. Army driver to be going gift hunting. He knows exactly what the birthday recipient would relish.
"This is the weekend the Army celebrates its birthday and the present I have in mind is a big bow on the roof of the 01 car while it's parked in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon," said Nemechek. "Luckily, I do have something in mind --it's never easy to shop for someone who is turning 230 years old."
As part of the Army's birthday celebration, Nemechek's 01 Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme in the Pocono 500. The paint scheme will resemble the look of the new Army Combat Uniform that features a new digital camouflage pattern, a mix of green, tan and gray that is designed to help soldiers blend into the woodland, desert and urban environment more effectively. The new uniform was fielded to deploying units starting in April.
The hood of the 01 Army car will spotlight the theme, "Call to Duty: 230 Years." The Army's official theme for its 230th birthday is "Call to Duty: 230 Years of Service to Our Nation." To enhance the Army's birthday (which falls on June 14), 7,500 small American flags will be given to Pocono fans to celebrate not only the Army's birthday but Flag Day, which also falls on June 14.
"If you stop to reflect -- 230 years of protecting freedom is pretty awesome," said Nemechek. "I am deeply honored to drive the Army car."
When Nemechek talks about being in Pocono's Victory Lane, he has every reason to feel optimistic, based on last year's performance at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. He might have finished 18 and 16 at the two Pennsylvania races last year, but the results were not reflective on his performances. Nemechek's qualifying spots at the two races were third and second respectively. He ran up front at both events and led the first 31 laps of the second race. What eventually pushed him to back was a transmission failure at each race.
"We sure had a good book on Pocono last year," explained Nemechek. "We were capable of winning both races had we not experienced transmission problems. The good news for us is that the new rules for this race should take the transmission issue out of the picture. We will not be shifting on the long straightaway."
Nemechek is also looking to get back into a contender role after last week's disappointing race in Dover. "The week before Dover we almost won in Charlotte," said Nemechek. "But we were not good in Dover (finished 27th) and need to get back to running with the leaders and putting the Army car in position to win. We can do that at Pocono. I know we can and that would be the ultimate birthday present to the Army."
Though Joe Nemechek will be a special guest of a major birthday celebration at Pocono Raceway this weekend, don't look for the U.S. Army driver to be going gift hunting. He knows exactly what the birthday recipient would relish.
"This is the weekend the Army celebrates its birthday and the present I have in mind is a big bow on the roof of the 01 car while it's parked in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon," said Nemechek. "Luckily, I do have something in mind --it's never easy to shop for someone who is turning 230 years old."
As part of the Army's birthday celebration, Nemechek's 01 Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme in the Pocono 500. The paint scheme will resemble the look of the new Army Combat Uniform that features a new digital camouflage pattern, a mix of green, tan and gray that is designed to help soldiers blend into the woodland, desert and urban environment more effectively. The new uniform was fielded to deploying units starting in April.
The hood of the 01 Army car will spotlight the theme, "Call to Duty: 230 Years." The Army's official theme for its 230th birthday is "Call to Duty: 230 Years of Service to Our Nation." To enhance the Army's birthday (which falls on June 14), 7,500 small American flags will be given to Pocono fans to celebrate not only the Army's birthday but Flag Day, which also falls on June 14.
"If you stop to reflect -- 230 years of protecting freedom is pretty awesome," said Nemechek. "I am deeply honored to drive the Army car."
When Nemechek talks about being in Pocono's Victory Lane, he has every reason to feel optimistic, based on last year's performance at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. He might have finished 18 and 16 at the two Pennsylvania races last year, but the results were not reflective on his performances. Nemechek's qualifying spots at the two races were third and second respectively. He ran up front at both events and led the first 31 laps of the second race. What eventually pushed him to back was a transmission failure at each race.
"We sure had a good book on Pocono last year," explained Nemechek. "We were capable of winning both races had we not experienced transmission problems. The good news for us is that the new rules for this race should take the transmission issue out of the picture. We will not be shifting on the long straightaway."
Nemechek is also looking to get back into a contender role after last week's disappointing race in Dover. "The week before Dover we almost won in Charlotte," said Nemechek. "But we were not good in Dover (finished 27th) and need to get back to running with the leaders and putting the Army car in position to win. We can do that at Pocono. I know we can and that would be the ultimate birthday present to the Army."
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Said leads testing at Infineon
Boris Said posted the fastest time on Tuesday during the first day of a two-day NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test session at Infineon Raceway. Said, who has placed sixth the last two years at Infineon Raceway in the Dodge/Save Mart 350, turned the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 1 minute, 16.50 seconds. Jeff Gordon (DuPont Chevrolet) holds the track qualifying record of 1:15.968, set in 2004.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming out here and I’m hoping we can have a good finish in a few weeks,” commented Said, who has won at Infineon Raceway in a variety of classes, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998. “I know this track pretty well and think we’ll have a good shot at it.”
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will visit the Sonoma Valley, June 24-26, for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend.
Said was one of six drivers testing the course on Tuesday. Scott Pruett (Target Dodge) and Jamie McMurray (Texaco Havoline Dodge) both posted identical times of 1:16.60, while Kyle Busch (Kellogg’s Chevrolet) clocked in at 1:17.25. Pruett, a road-race specialist and native of Sacramento, placed third in last year’s event, while McMurray took second.
“I wish they had more than just the two road courses on the schedule,” Busch said. “I’d like to see at least four, just to make the schedule more diversified.”
Brian Simo, a road-race specialist who will compete for Richard Childress Racing in Sonoma, ran a 1:17.49. Chris Cook (NEMCO Motorsports) did not report a time.
Testing resumes on Wednesday with a full day scheduled from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Pacific). Robby Gordon (Harrah’s Chevrolet) is scheduled to join the group on Wednesday. Gordon, the 2003 Dodge/Save Mart 350 champion, has decided to make this a one-day test.
Boris Said posted the fastest time on Tuesday during the first day of a two-day NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series test session at Infineon Raceway. Said, who has placed sixth the last two years at Infineon Raceway in the Dodge/Save Mart 350, turned the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 1 minute, 16.50 seconds. Jeff Gordon (DuPont Chevrolet) holds the track qualifying record of 1:15.968, set in 2004.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming out here and I’m hoping we can have a good finish in a few weeks,” commented Said, who has won at Infineon Raceway in a variety of classes, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998. “I know this track pretty well and think we’ll have a good shot at it.”
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will visit the Sonoma Valley, June 24-26, for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend.
Said was one of six drivers testing the course on Tuesday. Scott Pruett (Target Dodge) and Jamie McMurray (Texaco Havoline Dodge) both posted identical times of 1:16.60, while Kyle Busch (Kellogg’s Chevrolet) clocked in at 1:17.25. Pruett, a road-race specialist and native of Sacramento, placed third in last year’s event, while McMurray took second.
“I wish they had more than just the two road courses on the schedule,” Busch said. “I’d like to see at least four, just to make the schedule more diversified.”
Brian Simo, a road-race specialist who will compete for Richard Childress Racing in Sonoma, ran a 1:17.49. Chris Cook (NEMCO Motorsports) did not report a time.
Testing resumes on Wednesday with a full day scheduled from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Pacific). Robby Gordon (Harrah’s Chevrolet) is scheduled to join the group on Wednesday. Gordon, the 2003 Dodge/Save Mart 350 champion, has decided to make this a one-day test.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting dirty
By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
You've got to hand it to Tony Stewart. When he wants to kick up his heels, not only does he do it in the dirt but he also invites several of his Nextel Cup buddies to play along.
Stewart and more than a dozen other big-name drivers – including Cup regulars Kevin Harvick, Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Dave Blaney, Jeff Green, Mike Wallace and Kenny Wallace – will get behind the wheel of super late models and race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
A standing-room only crowd of nearly 20,000 is expected to jam the small dirt track – which Stewart purchased during the offseason – about 40 miles north of Dayton for the first-ever Nextel Prelude to a Dream.
Although $10,000 is on the line for the race winner, Stewart and his Cup buddies are competing for the fun of it, with any of their winnings and most of the night's proceeds targeted for Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp for ill and underprivileged children.
"It's a big honor to me that these guys care enough about me to want to come to my race track and help raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp and support what they're doing there," Stewart said. "It just shows how good a group of friends they really are."
They might be friends, but they're racers first and foremost. Even though they'll be raising money for a good cause, they're also coming to have some fun and try to win bragging rights in a virtually no-holds-barred environment.
"I think all of them are excited," Stewart said. "Matt Kenseth is one that hasn't raced on dirt a lot, but he's excited to do it. Then you've got my friend Kevin Harvick, who hasn't run on dirt but once and stuffed a dirt modified in the wall at Kenny Schrader's track [in Missouri]."
Stewart says he'll have the most fun watching Harvick compete.
"[Harvick is] so nervous about it. I think he's just worried about looking bad doing it," Stewart said. "But it's not about looking bad or looking good. It's just about going out and having fun and giving all our fans an opportunity to come watch us. No matter how good or bad we do, it's just a chance for them to watch us run something other than a Nextel Cup car."
Also on the bill are some of Stewart's other friends, including sprint car driver Danny "The Dude" Lasoski (Stewart owns the team Lasoski races for), drag racer Ron Capps and legendary stock car racer and Stewart mentor Red Farmer, who at the spry age of 70 is looking forward to teaching some of his competitors a trick or two.
"I love racing with these youngsters," Farmer said.
The evening will begin with practice, followed by single-lap qualifying efforts to determine the placement of drivers in two preliminary heat races. How drivers finish in both heats will determine their placement in the evening's featured event.
Since purchasing Eldora during the offseason, Stewart has helped make a legendary track even better and more popular, and it's a track at which Stewart has plenty of history.
"Eldora is a place where I've gone as a spectator, as a crew member, as a driver and as a car owner," Stewart said. "I know a lot about the facility. It's a new venture for me. Kenny Schrader and Dave Blaney are drivers that have gotten into owning race tracks and now I've added my name to the list."
Eldora hosts the two biggest dirt track races in the country and the second- and third-biggest sprint car races, as well.
"You can't go anywhere else in the country and find a facility that's like Eldora," Stewart said. "It's not like going to a regular race track. When you go to an event at Eldora, you go to a happening. If there are things I can do to help promote the sport and help the sport grow, I'm all for it."
Stewart plans on returning to Eldora to race again on Aug. 17 and already has promises from fellow Cup competitors Blaney and Kasey Kahne to attend, with another overflow crowd expected.
Stewart hasn't committed to making Wednesday's exhibition an annual event just yet, but given the response and excitement being generated, it's looking likely that it will.
"I'm going to go off of what the fans think," Stewart said. "If the fans enjoy it and enjoy having us up there, then we'll try to do it again every year, hopefully. As much excitement has gone around this event so far, I can see it being an annual event."
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR analyst.
By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
You've got to hand it to Tony Stewart. When he wants to kick up his heels, not only does he do it in the dirt but he also invites several of his Nextel Cup buddies to play along.
Stewart and more than a dozen other big-name drivers – including Cup regulars Kevin Harvick, Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Dave Blaney, Jeff Green, Mike Wallace and Kenny Wallace – will get behind the wheel of super late models and race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
A standing-room only crowd of nearly 20,000 is expected to jam the small dirt track – which Stewart purchased during the offseason – about 40 miles north of Dayton for the first-ever Nextel Prelude to a Dream.
Although $10,000 is on the line for the race winner, Stewart and his Cup buddies are competing for the fun of it, with any of their winnings and most of the night's proceeds targeted for Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp for ill and underprivileged children.
"It's a big honor to me that these guys care enough about me to want to come to my race track and help raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp and support what they're doing there," Stewart said. "It just shows how good a group of friends they really are."
They might be friends, but they're racers first and foremost. Even though they'll be raising money for a good cause, they're also coming to have some fun and try to win bragging rights in a virtually no-holds-barred environment.
"I think all of them are excited," Stewart said. "Matt Kenseth is one that hasn't raced on dirt a lot, but he's excited to do it. Then you've got my friend Kevin Harvick, who hasn't run on dirt but once and stuffed a dirt modified in the wall at Kenny Schrader's track [in Missouri]."
Stewart says he'll have the most fun watching Harvick compete.
"[Harvick is] so nervous about it. I think he's just worried about looking bad doing it," Stewart said. "But it's not about looking bad or looking good. It's just about going out and having fun and giving all our fans an opportunity to come watch us. No matter how good or bad we do, it's just a chance for them to watch us run something other than a Nextel Cup car."
Also on the bill are some of Stewart's other friends, including sprint car driver Danny "The Dude" Lasoski (Stewart owns the team Lasoski races for), drag racer Ron Capps and legendary stock car racer and Stewart mentor Red Farmer, who at the spry age of 70 is looking forward to teaching some of his competitors a trick or two.
"I love racing with these youngsters," Farmer said.
The evening will begin with practice, followed by single-lap qualifying efforts to determine the placement of drivers in two preliminary heat races. How drivers finish in both heats will determine their placement in the evening's featured event.
Since purchasing Eldora during the offseason, Stewart has helped make a legendary track even better and more popular, and it's a track at which Stewart has plenty of history.
"Eldora is a place where I've gone as a spectator, as a crew member, as a driver and as a car owner," Stewart said. "I know a lot about the facility. It's a new venture for me. Kenny Schrader and Dave Blaney are drivers that have gotten into owning race tracks and now I've added my name to the list."
Eldora hosts the two biggest dirt track races in the country and the second- and third-biggest sprint car races, as well.
"You can't go anywhere else in the country and find a facility that's like Eldora," Stewart said. "It's not like going to a regular race track. When you go to an event at Eldora, you go to a happening. If there are things I can do to help promote the sport and help the sport grow, I'm all for it."
Stewart plans on returning to Eldora to race again on Aug. 17 and already has promises from fellow Cup competitors Blaney and Kasey Kahne to attend, with another overflow crowd expected.
Stewart hasn't committed to making Wednesday's exhibition an annual event just yet, but given the response and excitement being generated, it's looking likely that it will.
"I'm going to go off of what the fans think," Stewart said. "If the fans enjoy it and enjoy having us up there, then we'll try to do it again every year, hopefully. As much excitement has gone around this event so far, I can see it being an annual event."
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is a Yahoo! Sports NASCAR analyst.
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Earnhardt Junior and team need to catch a break
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily
Poor old Dale Earnhardt Jr. just can’t catch a break.
So far this year he has only three top-fives and has led only five laps all season. This time last year Earnhardt had already scored three wins and led the series points.
His less than stellar season sank deeper into a pit of misery last Sunday with a 22nd place finish at Dover. Earnhardt now finds himself out of the critical 400-point cutoff in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
There seemed to be a glimmer of hope going into the weekend as the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated team doused the firestorm that was created at Lowes Motor Speedway when Dale Jr. took out teammate Michael Waltrip along with two other cars in the Coca-Cola 600. Junior admitted fault, issued the appropriate apologies and the team along with new interim crew chief Steve Hmiel, headed north to the Delmarva Peninsula to a track where the star driver had one win, three top-5s and five top-10s in 10 starts.
And then on Thursday, disaster struck. Steve Hmiel’s son, Shane, was escorted from the track after testing positive for drugs, again. And surely the thoughts of the father were focused more on his son and less on his team heading into the weekend. Add to that the task of trying to turn around a struggling team and the weight on Steve Hmiel’s shoulders must have been great indeed.
Starting 15th by virtue of his position in the points after qualifying was rained out, the DEI Chevy never climbed higher than its opening position. Earnhardt Junior spent a hot miserable afternoon trying to hang on to his position finally being bypassed by the field on lap 273. When the checkered flag fell, Earnhardt was 3 laps down.
"We struggled with the car; never really could find out how to make it work through the corners, “ Junior said in his post race comments,” I'm not sure where we finished, but I know it wasn't good."
In the end he was emotionally and physically shattered after battling the Monster Mile for 400 laps.
-(cont'd from page 1) "I'm actually pretty sore from the car bouncing and throwing me around so much," he said after crawling from his car. "I felt like a paint-can shaker with a cinder block tied to my back. The car just bounced, bounced, bounced all day through the corners, and it didn't matter what we did, the bounce never went away.”
Of course there’s still 13 races until the cutoff, but unless Earnhardt finds his ripcord and deploys a parachute to slow his freefall, he could be in serious jeopardy of failing to be a contender for the Nextel Cup in the last ten races of the season.
It will be with renewed hope and a big dose of optimism that Earnhardt Junior and the DEI team will try and put Dover behind them and head for the hills of Pocono. Earnhardt Junior seemed to set the tone before disappearing into his hauler Sunday at Dover.
"We've got to get better and we know it," said Earnhardt. "This is a track we've never really been consistent at. Sometimes we do good, sometimes we do bad. But we'll learn from this. We're going to test at Michigan this week and then head to Pocono."
By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily
Poor old Dale Earnhardt Jr. just can’t catch a break.
So far this year he has only three top-fives and has led only five laps all season. This time last year Earnhardt had already scored three wins and led the series points.
His less than stellar season sank deeper into a pit of misery last Sunday with a 22nd place finish at Dover. Earnhardt now finds himself out of the critical 400-point cutoff in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
There seemed to be a glimmer of hope going into the weekend as the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated team doused the firestorm that was created at Lowes Motor Speedway when Dale Jr. took out teammate Michael Waltrip along with two other cars in the Coca-Cola 600. Junior admitted fault, issued the appropriate apologies and the team along with new interim crew chief Steve Hmiel, headed north to the Delmarva Peninsula to a track where the star driver had one win, three top-5s and five top-10s in 10 starts.
And then on Thursday, disaster struck. Steve Hmiel’s son, Shane, was escorted from the track after testing positive for drugs, again. And surely the thoughts of the father were focused more on his son and less on his team heading into the weekend. Add to that the task of trying to turn around a struggling team and the weight on Steve Hmiel’s shoulders must have been great indeed.
Starting 15th by virtue of his position in the points after qualifying was rained out, the DEI Chevy never climbed higher than its opening position. Earnhardt Junior spent a hot miserable afternoon trying to hang on to his position finally being bypassed by the field on lap 273. When the checkered flag fell, Earnhardt was 3 laps down.
"We struggled with the car; never really could find out how to make it work through the corners, “ Junior said in his post race comments,” I'm not sure where we finished, but I know it wasn't good."
In the end he was emotionally and physically shattered after battling the Monster Mile for 400 laps.
-(cont'd from page 1) "I'm actually pretty sore from the car bouncing and throwing me around so much," he said after crawling from his car. "I felt like a paint-can shaker with a cinder block tied to my back. The car just bounced, bounced, bounced all day through the corners, and it didn't matter what we did, the bounce never went away.”
Of course there’s still 13 races until the cutoff, but unless Earnhardt finds his ripcord and deploys a parachute to slow his freefall, he could be in serious jeopardy of failing to be a contender for the Nextel Cup in the last ten races of the season.
It will be with renewed hope and a big dose of optimism that Earnhardt Junior and the DEI team will try and put Dover behind them and head for the hills of Pocono. Earnhardt Junior seemed to set the tone before disappearing into his hauler Sunday at Dover.
"We've got to get better and we know it," said Earnhardt. "This is a track we've never really been consistent at. Sometimes we do good, sometimes we do bad. But we'll learn from this. We're going to test at Michigan this week and then head to Pocono."
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10 Questions: Dave Blaney
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
Former World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Dave Blaney is currently in the best opportunity of his NASCAR career, driving the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
During a break in pre-season testing at Daytona International Speedway, Blaney sat down to answer 10 questions not specifically directed at his racing career.
1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?
Dave Blaney: My dream vehicle would be a helicopter that I pay the price of a Volkswagen for.
Q: With all the aviation opportunities you guys have, it sounds like you've done a few helicopter rides?
Dave Blaney: Yeah, but I just didn't want to pay for them.
2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?
Dave Blaney: I'm not much of a pet guy. If you had a lot of time to spend at home, a good dog is a great pet -- but you've got to have a lot of time for 'em.
Q: Do you favor any particular breed or size of dog?
Dave Blaney: Big, outside dogs -- Labradors.
3. What's your pet peeve driving on the road?
Dave Blaney: Slow guys in the left lane. Or slow women in the left lane -- I'm not sure, most of the time I think it's women (laughing).
I'm making fun of my wife, here (laughing) -- not all women.
Q: Have you figured out a solution for that -- and please don't say the median or the breakdown lane?
Dave Blaney: No, they should make -- no, I'm not going to say it. I'd get in more trouble.
4. Racing means travel, so what is your worst hotel experience?
Dave Blaney: I don't know. I've had stuff stolen out of hotels and you just wonder who's in there, when and all that.
But not having a hotel is worse sometimes and sleeping in that car is sometimes worse than having a bad hotel room.
5. What's your favorite food?
Dave Blaney: I've got a lot of favorite foods, as you can see. I don't shy away.
Q: Where do you like to eat the most, on the road?
Dave Blaney: I don't have a favorite. I like steak places, seafood places, Italian. I like to sample 'em all.
Q: So the depth and breadth of places the Nextel Cup Series goes is perfect for you in terms of finding new hot spots?
Dave Blaney: Yeah, but then, I don't ever leave the motorhome. I stay there most of the time, anyway. I'm too lazy to go find food.
6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest or being nice?
Dave Blaney: Honest.
Q: You find that comes around a little bit better?
Dave Blaney: Yeah -- every time.
7. What's your fondest childhood memory?
Dave Blaney: Watching my dad race. We grew up doing a lot of that. Watching him race, watching him win and watching the way he drove, and the way he won.
Those were good memories.
Q: How did the fans react to him winning all the time?
Dave Blaney: He was most all the time a fan favorite. For a lot of years he won more than anybody, and was still a fan favorite.
So that was kind of an odd combination, but it was pretty good.
8. What would be your dream date: Where and with whom?
Dave Blaney: Dream date (laughing)?
Q: Politically correct is all right, here.
Dave Blaney: I don't know -- I want to do it right, but I just can't single it out.
I'd probably say going out somewhere with Courtney Cox. I kind of like her, but I don't know -- I'm not much of a fantasy guy.
Q: Was it a bleak day when Friends went off the air?
Dave Blaney: No. There's re-runs.
9. Thinking of your Outlaw career particularly, what is the worst prank that you either perpetrated or had played on you?
Dave Blaney: I can't remember any good ones that I did. I remember, early in my career we went to Florida racing, and had an open trailer.
We went in to eat somewhere and one of the guys that I was racing with came into the place behind us. They unloaded my car off the trailer and rolled it into the bushes somewhere.
So we came out thinking it was stolen. That was a pretty good one.
10. What would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR moment?"
Dave Blaney: I don't know. Boy, I got beat around a lot when I first came into NASCAR.
You kind of expect it. You don't enjoy it, but it's part of what you go through.
I remember having a couple rough moments with Earnhardt Jr. early on. We had a couple of them, but that's part of it.
I know when new guys would come into Sprint Car racing; I'd make it as hard on them as I could, so there's both sides to that.
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
Former World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Dave Blaney is currently in the best opportunity of his NASCAR career, driving the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
During a break in pre-season testing at Daytona International Speedway, Blaney sat down to answer 10 questions not specifically directed at his racing career.
1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?
Dave Blaney: My dream vehicle would be a helicopter that I pay the price of a Volkswagen for.
Q: With all the aviation opportunities you guys have, it sounds like you've done a few helicopter rides?
Dave Blaney: Yeah, but I just didn't want to pay for them.
2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?
Dave Blaney: I'm not much of a pet guy. If you had a lot of time to spend at home, a good dog is a great pet -- but you've got to have a lot of time for 'em.
Q: Do you favor any particular breed or size of dog?
Dave Blaney: Big, outside dogs -- Labradors.
3. What's your pet peeve driving on the road?
Dave Blaney: Slow guys in the left lane. Or slow women in the left lane -- I'm not sure, most of the time I think it's women (laughing).
I'm making fun of my wife, here (laughing) -- not all women.
Q: Have you figured out a solution for that -- and please don't say the median or the breakdown lane?
Dave Blaney: No, they should make -- no, I'm not going to say it. I'd get in more trouble.
4. Racing means travel, so what is your worst hotel experience?
Dave Blaney: I don't know. I've had stuff stolen out of hotels and you just wonder who's in there, when and all that.
But not having a hotel is worse sometimes and sleeping in that car is sometimes worse than having a bad hotel room.
5. What's your favorite food?
Dave Blaney: I've got a lot of favorite foods, as you can see. I don't shy away.
Q: Where do you like to eat the most, on the road?
Dave Blaney: I don't have a favorite. I like steak places, seafood places, Italian. I like to sample 'em all.
Q: So the depth and breadth of places the Nextel Cup Series goes is perfect for you in terms of finding new hot spots?
Dave Blaney: Yeah, but then, I don't ever leave the motorhome. I stay there most of the time, anyway. I'm too lazy to go find food.
6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest or being nice?
Dave Blaney: Honest.
Q: You find that comes around a little bit better?
Dave Blaney: Yeah -- every time.
7. What's your fondest childhood memory?
Dave Blaney: Watching my dad race. We grew up doing a lot of that. Watching him race, watching him win and watching the way he drove, and the way he won.
Those were good memories.
Q: How did the fans react to him winning all the time?
Dave Blaney: He was most all the time a fan favorite. For a lot of years he won more than anybody, and was still a fan favorite.
So that was kind of an odd combination, but it was pretty good.
8. What would be your dream date: Where and with whom?
Dave Blaney: Dream date (laughing)?
Q: Politically correct is all right, here.
Dave Blaney: I don't know -- I want to do it right, but I just can't single it out.
I'd probably say going out somewhere with Courtney Cox. I kind of like her, but I don't know -- I'm not much of a fantasy guy.
Q: Was it a bleak day when Friends went off the air?
Dave Blaney: No. There's re-runs.
9. Thinking of your Outlaw career particularly, what is the worst prank that you either perpetrated or had played on you?
Dave Blaney: I can't remember any good ones that I did. I remember, early in my career we went to Florida racing, and had an open trailer.
We went in to eat somewhere and one of the guys that I was racing with came into the place behind us. They unloaded my car off the trailer and rolled it into the bushes somewhere.
So we came out thinking it was stolen. That was a pretty good one.
10. What would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR moment?"
Dave Blaney: I don't know. Boy, I got beat around a lot when I first came into NASCAR.
You kind of expect it. You don't enjoy it, but it's part of what you go through.
I remember having a couple rough moments with Earnhardt Jr. early on. We had a couple of them, but that's part of it.
I know when new guys would come into Sprint Car racing; I'd make it as hard on them as I could, so there's both sides to that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We wonder ... after Dover
...how the pressure of a tough season is affecting Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Junior just wasn't anywhere near himself during his pre-race interview at Dover. He seemed as though there was a lot more on his mind that how to attack the racetrack. If that's true, for the safety of everyone, DEI needs to help him get his head back on what he loves -- racing.
...what was up with Tony Stewart on Sunday?
First there was the incident with Jeff Gordon on Lap 41 on Sunday, then there was the bit of contact with Scott Riggs a little bit past halfway and then the tirade against Gordon after the race concluded. It appears that Stewart is prone streaks of frustration. Could this be one of those streaks?
... should we change the definition of a superspeedway?
Chris Myers called Dover's one-mile oval a superspeedway during the FOX pre-race show on Saturday and it got us thinking. If you ask the folks in the garage area, the only superspeedways on the NASCAR circuit are Daytona and Talladega.
However, in Myers' defense, the true definition has it stands now is any track of one-mile or longer. Still, it's awfully tough to think of some of the tracks that fit the strict definition as superspeedways.
On the other hand, there are tracks like Richmond and Bristol that seem to be super even though they don't fit the proper definition.
...does the FOX crew get paid every time they say "self-cleaning racetrack" at Dover.
Charlotte Observer writer David Poole made this point in his column Sunday morning, but it bears repeating. Guys, we get it. When cars crash up top, they slide on down. It's not a tough concept to get. There's no need to explain it 135 times during the weekend.
We will give them credit, however. At least the self-cleaning theory has merit, unlike that whole "when the weather's bad, we'll just run the cars around the track and it creates a vortex" thing they tried to pull on us a couple of years ago.
...couldn't somebody have gotten Jeremy Mayfield's dog some water during that interview with Matt Yocum on Sunday.
It's bad enough that "Izzy" was forced to wear a baseball cap, but the poor dog looked to be suffering in that pre-race interview. If we're not careful, PETA will start picketing NASCAR races, too.
...does anyone in America not know who's going to win the Sexiest Driver contest on FOX.
Here's a hint. He wears and drives red. The bigger question is who would have thought Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s first win of the year would come in a fan vote -- in June.
...was it just us, or did DW use the word, "butthead" Sunday?
We could have sworn we heard it. Isn't it priceless to hear a guy DW's age use that term. It's like the overused old lady character on all those bad 70s sitcoms saying things like "that really bums me out."
...which type of racing fans like more -- lots of wrecks like in the Coke 600 or more green-flag runs like we had last week at Dover.
Sure, every time we see a commerical for NASCAR, the networks like to promote the crashes, but a lot of us here think fans like side-by-side, green flag action.
...are Jack Roush or the folks in the Roush Racing shop upset at Greg Biffle for backing his winning car into the wall while doing victory burnouts?
Sure, you got the win, but now you have to hope that you can get the car back to where it was for the next race at Dover in September. Nice work.
...how great was that little discussion between Mark Martin and Kyle Busch on pit road after the race?
Two things to consider: That was a great job by the FOX crew to capture that moment. secondly, it's great to see Martin -- who for a long time had a reputation as a crumudegon -- warming up as his retirement looms.
Or maybe it was just the heat.
...is it that hard to find someone to sing the national anthem.
It seems like every week, we're talking about someone screwing it up. There was John Michael Montgomery's horrid version at Atlanta, Anthony Hamilton melodically-challenged verse at Charlotte and last Saturday Susanne Truitt had fans nationwide cringing before the Busch Series race at Dover.
Do us all a favor. Just play a tape of Whitney Houston version from Super Bowl XXV -- before crack was whack -- and be done with it.
"We wonder ..." appears each Wednesday. The opinions expressed reflect only those of the contributors.
...how the pressure of a tough season is affecting Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Junior just wasn't anywhere near himself during his pre-race interview at Dover. He seemed as though there was a lot more on his mind that how to attack the racetrack. If that's true, for the safety of everyone, DEI needs to help him get his head back on what he loves -- racing.
...what was up with Tony Stewart on Sunday?
First there was the incident with Jeff Gordon on Lap 41 on Sunday, then there was the bit of contact with Scott Riggs a little bit past halfway and then the tirade against Gordon after the race concluded. It appears that Stewart is prone streaks of frustration. Could this be one of those streaks?
... should we change the definition of a superspeedway?
Chris Myers called Dover's one-mile oval a superspeedway during the FOX pre-race show on Saturday and it got us thinking. If you ask the folks in the garage area, the only superspeedways on the NASCAR circuit are Daytona and Talladega.
However, in Myers' defense, the true definition has it stands now is any track of one-mile or longer. Still, it's awfully tough to think of some of the tracks that fit the strict definition as superspeedways.
On the other hand, there are tracks like Richmond and Bristol that seem to be super even though they don't fit the proper definition.
...does the FOX crew get paid every time they say "self-cleaning racetrack" at Dover.
Charlotte Observer writer David Poole made this point in his column Sunday morning, but it bears repeating. Guys, we get it. When cars crash up top, they slide on down. It's not a tough concept to get. There's no need to explain it 135 times during the weekend.
We will give them credit, however. At least the self-cleaning theory has merit, unlike that whole "when the weather's bad, we'll just run the cars around the track and it creates a vortex" thing they tried to pull on us a couple of years ago.
...couldn't somebody have gotten Jeremy Mayfield's dog some water during that interview with Matt Yocum on Sunday.
It's bad enough that "Izzy" was forced to wear a baseball cap, but the poor dog looked to be suffering in that pre-race interview. If we're not careful, PETA will start picketing NASCAR races, too.
...does anyone in America not know who's going to win the Sexiest Driver contest on FOX.
Here's a hint. He wears and drives red. The bigger question is who would have thought Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s first win of the year would come in a fan vote -- in June.
...was it just us, or did DW use the word, "butthead" Sunday?
We could have sworn we heard it. Isn't it priceless to hear a guy DW's age use that term. It's like the overused old lady character on all those bad 70s sitcoms saying things like "that really bums me out."
...which type of racing fans like more -- lots of wrecks like in the Coke 600 or more green-flag runs like we had last week at Dover.
Sure, every time we see a commerical for NASCAR, the networks like to promote the crashes, but a lot of us here think fans like side-by-side, green flag action.
...are Jack Roush or the folks in the Roush Racing shop upset at Greg Biffle for backing his winning car into the wall while doing victory burnouts?
Sure, you got the win, but now you have to hope that you can get the car back to where it was for the next race at Dover in September. Nice work.
...how great was that little discussion between Mark Martin and Kyle Busch on pit road after the race?
Two things to consider: That was a great job by the FOX crew to capture that moment. secondly, it's great to see Martin -- who for a long time had a reputation as a crumudegon -- warming up as his retirement looms.
Or maybe it was just the heat.
...is it that hard to find someone to sing the national anthem.
It seems like every week, we're talking about someone screwing it up. There was John Michael Montgomery's horrid version at Atlanta, Anthony Hamilton melodically-challenged verse at Charlotte and last Saturday Susanne Truitt had fans nationwide cringing before the Busch Series race at Dover.
Do us all a favor. Just play a tape of Whitney Houston version from Super Bowl XXV -- before crack was whack -- and be done with it.
"We wonder ..." appears each Wednesday. The opinions expressed reflect only those of the contributors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last Lap: Zero Tolerance
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
Considering Shane Hmiel's second drug-related suspension in less than two years and the heightened state of drug-awareness across the professional sporting landscape, it seems the time has come for NASCAR to stand up and ensure substance-free competition behind the wheel and on pit road.
But to do so properly, the sanctioning body must work in conjunction with its team owners. NASCAR teams are contract laborers. Drivers and crew members do not work for NASCAR. They work for a team owner who chooses to enter NASCAR-sanctioned events.
For example, Jeff Gordon does not work for NASCAR. He works for Rick Hendrick. And like any other job it is the boss' responsibility (Hendrick in this case) to ensure that Gordon is drug-free.
But NASCAR must reserve the right to test him, too, without warning, as a means of ensuring honesty. This is crucial. NASCAR can't assume its teams will inform them if someone tests positive.
Jeff Burton said it well Monday: "It's not NASCAR's position to make us be drug-free. It's NASCAR's responsibility to make us wish we were drug-free."
Therefore, the sanctioning body must implement, and strictly enforce, drug regulations on its team owners. These rules should require owners to randomly test employees without needing suspicion of usage, while also leaving room for a checks-and-balances system under which NASCAR reserves the right to randomly test at any moment to ensure honesty.
It's a complicated prospect.
"We don't work for NASCAR. We are not in franchise situations, so that complicates the issue greatly," Burton said. "We have a responsibility to our car owners. The duty of enforcement of the rules falls on NASCAR.
"They have to make the rules and enforce the rules. Without enforcement, they're guidelines. There's a huge difference there."
Defending Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch said the competitors understand the depth of this issue and the ramifications involved, and would accommodate a stricter policy.
"With it being zero tolerance -- and the reasoning behind that is because it is a dangerous sport, and you have to rely on the other competitors out on the track, trusting them and racing them -- I'm sure all the drivers know what's going on and they'll be more than willing to go get tested," Busch said.
"This is something the sport has to take seriously. And they showed how serious they are with the way they reacted with Shane."
I spoke with NASCAR on Monday evening to get a gauge on when, or if, Hmiel may return.
"Don't expect him back any time soon -- indefinitely means indefinitely," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.
Should NASCAR's substance abuse policies be stricter than other major sports because of the dangerous nature of auto racing?
I asked Burton that question with a preface that, to my knowledge, NASCAR wasn't currently overrun with drugs. He agreed, and said it needs to stay that way and that NASCAR needs to set the standard for drug testing in professional sports.
"I like that we don't have unions, and that NASCAR says 'If you don't like how we're doing it, go the hell somewhere else,'" Burton said. "I may not always agree, but I like that they stand up for something.
"We have to lead all other professional sports on this. When I turn on the news and I see that some basketball player got caught smoking dope for a second time, and all he gets is 'Don't do that,' it makes me mad.
"We do so much good -- I'd put our athletes up against any other athletes in the world. We do so much good with fans, the media, our sponsors. I believe we have very little drug use in our sport. But we've got to be proactive and take the lead here."
dettigersnw2: There should be no tolerance at all. Shane Hmiel should be done. If they test positive, ban them for a year and give them a chance to clean up. If they fail the test again, that's it. It's dangerous.
Several garage sources indicated to me that some Busch Series drivers were livid when informed that Hmiel had tested positive and was still on the racetrack with them at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
I can't say I blame them. I'd be irate, too. But let's not judge too harshly just yet. It's moot, but we don't even know the drug in question. And when NASCAR tests samples, they test for everything. That takes far longer than attempting to pinpoint a single drug.
And we must remember: There's a lot at stake, here, possibly Shane Hmiel's driving career. NASCAR may have tested and re-tested the sample to give Hmiel the benefit of the doubt.
"It's unfortunate what happened to Shane, but the main thing within NASCAR is it's zero tolerance," Busch said. "He had his first shot at it, and was given a second chance. That was unique. And with the steroids case in baseball and Congress coming down, there's no room for it."
20Stewart02: Of course NASCAR, as with all forms racing, should have a strict substance abuse policy. Unlike most other sports, in racing not only are you jeopardizing your life doing 180 while on drugs, you're risking the lives of your fellow competitors.
Lives. Not just the reputation of the team, but their lives. No one should be allowed to race in any venue if they abuse drugs of any kind.
On that note, I would like to express that Shane Hmiel get the help he needs, and quickly. His whole life shouldn't be ruined because of his addiction. Should he be allowed to race again? If I were to have a say, I'd say no. At least not for quite some time.
He's lost the trust of the NASCAR community right now, and it will take a lot to gain that back. What owner is going to risk millions, as well as his fellow competitors, on Hmiel when he proved twice he cannot control his addiction?
And what drivers are going to want to compete with him for those same reasons? I feel bad for Shane, but he was given a chance and he blew it. Maybe he could work for a team, as a spotter or in a shop after a period of time and after he's proven he's done with drugs.
Per usual, Burton nailed it: "We shouldn't just turn our backs on Shane," he said. "We need to ask what we can do to help. We think the whole world revolves around racing, because we live in this [racing] world. But a person's life is more important than racing, a lot more important. We need to help him."
I couldn't agree more. I'm sad for Hmiel. I'm sad that all that talent and all that opportunity were expendable in the name of a temporary high. I'm sad for the thousands of short track racers out there that would sever a limb for the opportunities Hmiel has squandered.
I'm sad he didn't take it seriously enough the first time. That, to me, is the key element here: Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.
NASCAR isn't keen on being burned twice.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said last weekend he will stand by his friend. And while there is no denying Hmiel made a terrible decision, we should all join Earnhardt in supporting Hmiel during this time.
3Man: No it should not. Other sports should be just as strict as NASCAR. In the real world, doesn't matter what line of work it is, if you fail a drug test you're dismissed. The exception is the sports world. The other sports could learn from NASCAR on this one.
Like Burton said, NASCAR needs to set the standard.
RCR293107: Is this question serious? I think the rules NASCAR has regarding drug violations is much to harsh. I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't want somebody that has a drinking problem, smokes too much weed, or abuses cocaine racing around at 200 mph with the sports top stars?
What is NASCAR thinking? Maybe we'll all get lucky and the drivers will form a union so the drivers will only miss a week or two of racing for putting the sports top stars in jeopardy. Just when I think the questions can't get any more ridiculous. Once again MartDope ... I mean MartDawg ... you never fail to let us down. Can I get a "JUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNIORRRRRRR!
Hello class, and welcome to fifth grade...
Many responders (as you can see) had hoped this week to discuss Tony Stewart vs. Jeff Gordon. And Jimmie Johnson. And Ryan Newman.
But what's to say? Really? Regardless your allegiances, it's pretty simple: Smoke dumped the 24, had no remorse for doing so, and when asked about it labeled Gordon, Johnson and Newman crybabies with competitive double-standards.
Gordon is irate and warned Smoke to watch his back. (He said the same thing at Watkins Glen a few years back). Johnson laughed. Newman, to my knowledge, said nothing.
It makes for captivating television and sparkling sound bites. Do I love it? Hell yeah I love it. But spending time debating it? Nah. May as well just hop on a merry-go-round...
nascarlives: I would actually like to know what the rules are for NASCAR. When do they test? Do they test all drivers at certain times? Or just when someone in the garage feels you are using? And, of course, immediate suspension is a great idea. We can't have them running 200 mph and using ... not good!
Currently, NASCAR only tests under "reasonable suspicion," as laid out in the NASCAR substance abuse policy, which must be signed by each driver, crew member and official at the outset of every season.
"Reasonable suspicion" can mean many things, including erratic behavior, slurred speech, extreme mood swings, inability to remain focused, irritability, violent tendencies, deteriorating personal hygiene, etc.
The main method of reasonable suspicion, though, is information gathered from a reliable source. In other words, someone telling NASCAR to be on the lookout.
CDD20: Yes, the policy should be more stringent. Lets not let NASCAR become the joke that other professional sports has become with their spoiled, pampered athletes. Lets do all that can be done to help someone with a problem but NO excuses. It is not appropriate at any level of sports, especially one as dangerous as racing.
This post is a microcosm of this week's message board -- well, at least among those that chose to answer the question. Ninety-nine percent of responses agreed this is a serious issue and must be addressed.
I don't foresee NASCAR making rash changes to its policy or overhauling its stance on drugs. Zero tolerance needs to be zero tolerance.
"The big thing is it's a multifaceted issue," Burton said. "The responsibility starts with the individual. We need to be responsible for ourselves in a society that's always pointing fingers everywhere else.
"It does get complicated. Unlike most sports there is no players union. And that's a good thing. But if it were up to me, every driver could expect to be tested multiple times throughout the year without notice. First offense would result in a large penalty. Second offense would be a much stiffer penalty."
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
Considering Shane Hmiel's second drug-related suspension in less than two years and the heightened state of drug-awareness across the professional sporting landscape, it seems the time has come for NASCAR to stand up and ensure substance-free competition behind the wheel and on pit road.
But to do so properly, the sanctioning body must work in conjunction with its team owners. NASCAR teams are contract laborers. Drivers and crew members do not work for NASCAR. They work for a team owner who chooses to enter NASCAR-sanctioned events.
For example, Jeff Gordon does not work for NASCAR. He works for Rick Hendrick. And like any other job it is the boss' responsibility (Hendrick in this case) to ensure that Gordon is drug-free.
But NASCAR must reserve the right to test him, too, without warning, as a means of ensuring honesty. This is crucial. NASCAR can't assume its teams will inform them if someone tests positive.
Jeff Burton said it well Monday: "It's not NASCAR's position to make us be drug-free. It's NASCAR's responsibility to make us wish we were drug-free."
Therefore, the sanctioning body must implement, and strictly enforce, drug regulations on its team owners. These rules should require owners to randomly test employees without needing suspicion of usage, while also leaving room for a checks-and-balances system under which NASCAR reserves the right to randomly test at any moment to ensure honesty.
It's a complicated prospect.
"We don't work for NASCAR. We are not in franchise situations, so that complicates the issue greatly," Burton said. "We have a responsibility to our car owners. The duty of enforcement of the rules falls on NASCAR.
"They have to make the rules and enforce the rules. Without enforcement, they're guidelines. There's a huge difference there."
Defending Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch said the competitors understand the depth of this issue and the ramifications involved, and would accommodate a stricter policy.
"With it being zero tolerance -- and the reasoning behind that is because it is a dangerous sport, and you have to rely on the other competitors out on the track, trusting them and racing them -- I'm sure all the drivers know what's going on and they'll be more than willing to go get tested," Busch said.
"This is something the sport has to take seriously. And they showed how serious they are with the way they reacted with Shane."
I spoke with NASCAR on Monday evening to get a gauge on when, or if, Hmiel may return.
"Don't expect him back any time soon -- indefinitely means indefinitely," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.
Should NASCAR's substance abuse policies be stricter than other major sports because of the dangerous nature of auto racing?
I asked Burton that question with a preface that, to my knowledge, NASCAR wasn't currently overrun with drugs. He agreed, and said it needs to stay that way and that NASCAR needs to set the standard for drug testing in professional sports.
"I like that we don't have unions, and that NASCAR says 'If you don't like how we're doing it, go the hell somewhere else,'" Burton said. "I may not always agree, but I like that they stand up for something.
"We have to lead all other professional sports on this. When I turn on the news and I see that some basketball player got caught smoking dope for a second time, and all he gets is 'Don't do that,' it makes me mad.
"We do so much good -- I'd put our athletes up against any other athletes in the world. We do so much good with fans, the media, our sponsors. I believe we have very little drug use in our sport. But we've got to be proactive and take the lead here."
dettigersnw2: There should be no tolerance at all. Shane Hmiel should be done. If they test positive, ban them for a year and give them a chance to clean up. If they fail the test again, that's it. It's dangerous.
Several garage sources indicated to me that some Busch Series drivers were livid when informed that Hmiel had tested positive and was still on the racetrack with them at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
I can't say I blame them. I'd be irate, too. But let's not judge too harshly just yet. It's moot, but we don't even know the drug in question. And when NASCAR tests samples, they test for everything. That takes far longer than attempting to pinpoint a single drug.
And we must remember: There's a lot at stake, here, possibly Shane Hmiel's driving career. NASCAR may have tested and re-tested the sample to give Hmiel the benefit of the doubt.
"It's unfortunate what happened to Shane, but the main thing within NASCAR is it's zero tolerance," Busch said. "He had his first shot at it, and was given a second chance. That was unique. And with the steroids case in baseball and Congress coming down, there's no room for it."
20Stewart02: Of course NASCAR, as with all forms racing, should have a strict substance abuse policy. Unlike most other sports, in racing not only are you jeopardizing your life doing 180 while on drugs, you're risking the lives of your fellow competitors.
Lives. Not just the reputation of the team, but their lives. No one should be allowed to race in any venue if they abuse drugs of any kind.
On that note, I would like to express that Shane Hmiel get the help he needs, and quickly. His whole life shouldn't be ruined because of his addiction. Should he be allowed to race again? If I were to have a say, I'd say no. At least not for quite some time.
He's lost the trust of the NASCAR community right now, and it will take a lot to gain that back. What owner is going to risk millions, as well as his fellow competitors, on Hmiel when he proved twice he cannot control his addiction?
And what drivers are going to want to compete with him for those same reasons? I feel bad for Shane, but he was given a chance and he blew it. Maybe he could work for a team, as a spotter or in a shop after a period of time and after he's proven he's done with drugs.
Per usual, Burton nailed it: "We shouldn't just turn our backs on Shane," he said. "We need to ask what we can do to help. We think the whole world revolves around racing, because we live in this [racing] world. But a person's life is more important than racing, a lot more important. We need to help him."
I couldn't agree more. I'm sad for Hmiel. I'm sad that all that talent and all that opportunity were expendable in the name of a temporary high. I'm sad for the thousands of short track racers out there that would sever a limb for the opportunities Hmiel has squandered.
I'm sad he didn't take it seriously enough the first time. That, to me, is the key element here: Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.
NASCAR isn't keen on being burned twice.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said last weekend he will stand by his friend. And while there is no denying Hmiel made a terrible decision, we should all join Earnhardt in supporting Hmiel during this time.
3Man: No it should not. Other sports should be just as strict as NASCAR. In the real world, doesn't matter what line of work it is, if you fail a drug test you're dismissed. The exception is the sports world. The other sports could learn from NASCAR on this one.
Like Burton said, NASCAR needs to set the standard.
RCR293107: Is this question serious? I think the rules NASCAR has regarding drug violations is much to harsh. I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't want somebody that has a drinking problem, smokes too much weed, or abuses cocaine racing around at 200 mph with the sports top stars?
What is NASCAR thinking? Maybe we'll all get lucky and the drivers will form a union so the drivers will only miss a week or two of racing for putting the sports top stars in jeopardy. Just when I think the questions can't get any more ridiculous. Once again MartDope ... I mean MartDawg ... you never fail to let us down. Can I get a "JUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNIORRRRRRR!
Hello class, and welcome to fifth grade...
Many responders (as you can see) had hoped this week to discuss Tony Stewart vs. Jeff Gordon. And Jimmie Johnson. And Ryan Newman.
But what's to say? Really? Regardless your allegiances, it's pretty simple: Smoke dumped the 24, had no remorse for doing so, and when asked about it labeled Gordon, Johnson and Newman crybabies with competitive double-standards.
Gordon is irate and warned Smoke to watch his back. (He said the same thing at Watkins Glen a few years back). Johnson laughed. Newman, to my knowledge, said nothing.
It makes for captivating television and sparkling sound bites. Do I love it? Hell yeah I love it. But spending time debating it? Nah. May as well just hop on a merry-go-round...
nascarlives: I would actually like to know what the rules are for NASCAR. When do they test? Do they test all drivers at certain times? Or just when someone in the garage feels you are using? And, of course, immediate suspension is a great idea. We can't have them running 200 mph and using ... not good!
Currently, NASCAR only tests under "reasonable suspicion," as laid out in the NASCAR substance abuse policy, which must be signed by each driver, crew member and official at the outset of every season.
"Reasonable suspicion" can mean many things, including erratic behavior, slurred speech, extreme mood swings, inability to remain focused, irritability, violent tendencies, deteriorating personal hygiene, etc.
The main method of reasonable suspicion, though, is information gathered from a reliable source. In other words, someone telling NASCAR to be on the lookout.
CDD20: Yes, the policy should be more stringent. Lets not let NASCAR become the joke that other professional sports has become with their spoiled, pampered athletes. Lets do all that can be done to help someone with a problem but NO excuses. It is not appropriate at any level of sports, especially one as dangerous as racing.
This post is a microcosm of this week's message board -- well, at least among those that chose to answer the question. Ninety-nine percent of responses agreed this is a serious issue and must be addressed.
I don't foresee NASCAR making rash changes to its policy or overhauling its stance on drugs. Zero tolerance needs to be zero tolerance.
"The big thing is it's a multifaceted issue," Burton said. "The responsibility starts with the individual. We need to be responsible for ourselves in a society that's always pointing fingers everywhere else.
"It does get complicated. Unlike most sports there is no players union. And that's a good thing. But if it were up to me, every driver could expect to be tested multiple times throughout the year without notice. First offense would result in a large penalty. Second offense would be a much stiffer penalty."
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that's racin' (phrase): Expresses frustration or emotion. 1. When a small part costing just a few dollars fails and stops a $150,000 race car, that's racin'. 2. When you race a competitor for 500 miles and lose to him by just a few feet, that's racin'. 3. When a hot dog wrapper blows out of the stands, gets caught across the air vent on the front of your car and causes your engine to overheat, that's racin'.
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NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
| NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE | 4 p.m. Friday | Speed Channel |
| CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES CHEX 400 | 9 p.m. Friday | Speed Channel |
| NEXTEL CUP QUALIFYING | Noon Saturday | FX |
| BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING | 5 p.m. Saturday | Speed Channel |
| BUSCH SERIES FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 300 | 7:30 p.m. Saturday | FX |
| NEXTEL CUP POCONO 500 | 1 p.m. Sunday | Fox |
| All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change. | ||
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
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
Your
"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
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
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