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Alltel unveils weekly NASCAR Podcast- Weekly audio programming featuring exclusive race analysis and commentary from one of NASCAR’s top crew chiefs to debut on AlltelRacing.com:  Alltel, owner and operator of the nation’s largest wireless network, today announced the launch of its innovative motorsports Podcast, which will be available weekly throughout the 2006 NASCAR season. Matt Borland, crew chief for the No.12 Alltel Dodge, will be featured on the weekly Podcast each Tuesday following a race. With Purdue University engineering graduate Ryan Newman at the wheel, the No.12 Alltel Dodge team has remained on the cutting edge of technology and is the first NASCAR Cup Series team to debut a team Podcast. Providing exclusive recaps following each NASCAR Cup Series race, as well as a preview of the upcoming race... Podcast will be available for download via a link on alltelracing.com. “The Alltel Racing Podcast will provide listeners with weekly, behind-the-scenes programming that puts them right there in the pits with the No.12 Alltel Dodge team,” said Frank O’Mara, executive vice president of marketing for Alltel. “Our racing sponsorship continues to provide invaluable exposure as well as the opportunity to bring unique and compelling NASCAR content to our current and potential customers.” “Our fans are becoming more race savvy, and we want to continue to keep them excited each week,” said Matt Borland, crew chief of the No.12 Alltel Dodge. “This technology is a great way to keep our fans connected by giving them behind-the-scenes updates and developments from the No.12 Alltel Dodge team.” ...The Alltel Racing Podcast will include a recap of the previous week’s race complete with turn-by-turn analysis, commentary on NASCAR’s hot topics, emerging trends in the sport and a preview of the upcoming race all from an insider’s viewpoint. - Alan Taylor Communications

Off to shaky start
Mark Decotis\Florida Today


Nick Lachey?

Don't insult my intelligence.

The fact that the California Speedway braintrust hoped someone -- anyone -- would be inclined to pay attention to Sunday's Auto Club 500 because some teeny-bopper idol who is suing his soon-to-be or recent or whatever ex-wife for support is "prowling" the pits is enough to make me ill.

The whole California weekend episode as it applied to Nextel Cup and the inability of the speedway to sell all its tickets -- in the largest market NASCAR plays -- laid bare the problems facing the sport.

Let's discuss them.

1. Plain and simple, the racing STINKS. None other than the driver who is the face of the sport, Jeff Gordon -- sorry, Junior -- said as much following Sunday's bore-fest.

Drivers avoided other cars as much as possible, lest they fall victim to "dirty air" or "aero-push" or the myriad other ills befalling today's over-aerodynamically sensitive race vehicles. And because the racing at California and other "flat" tracks STINKS, brings us to No. 2.

2. Creating drama. Because the racing STINKS, NASCAR and the track management, in California especially and at other venues, are forced to cast their lots with two-bit, B-roll, other-side-of-the-45 "celebrities" to create a buzz around the event.

If the "celebrities" even cared about the race or had any basic knowledge about what they were watching, it would be one thing. But to parade wannabes and has-beens and rehabbers before masses, being stage-managed to be adoring, smacks of phoniness that is both transparent and insulting, especially to longtime fans, which brings us to No. 3.

3. Unhappy lifers. All sports have their detractors among serious fans. That has to be factored into whatever sour grapes emanate from those who believe their feelings don't matter and their loyalty has long ago ceased being taken for granted or even considered.

But the e-mails and phone calls I have been receiving over the past season or so tell me there is a swelling undercurrent of dissatisfaction and disenchantment -- and just plain "I don't give a damn" anymore -- that NASCAR needs to pay attention to at the risk of TV ratings and ticket sales. Which brings us to No. 4.

4. The "new" fan. As the retired Rusty Wallace bemoaned in a press conference during Speedweeks, the sport's marketing efforts have degenerated to the level of what he called "acid rock."

In its defense, NASCAR needs to grow the sport. After all, sponsors demand it and the France family does have bills -- albeit much larger than yours and mine -- to pay. But that effort is 100 percent aimed at a demographic that leaves much of NASCAR's longtime, loyal and (this is important) sophisticated fan base out in the cold.

What the sport is selling now is not racing. As a veteran wag said last year at Daytona: The new fans think they are seeing racing, when in reality they are seeing drivers driving fast in circles. Which leads us to No. 5 -- and, in reality, back to No. 1.

5. The racing STINKS. Until NASCAR does something about the quality of its competition -- hint, puts the Car of Tomorrow on as many racetracks as possible in 2007 -- all the ills inherent in overly aerodynamically-sensitive race cars are going to continue to rear their ugly heads.

Consequently, NASCAR will find itself relying on over-the-hill, or not yet on the ascent, celebrities to draw fans to the track or the TV screen. As if the fact that a "star" is singing the national anthem or waving the green flag or giving the command to start engines or "prowling" the pits will be enough to convince people to pay attention.

As I said, don't insult my intelligence.

Good weekend in California boosts rookie Yeley
By Mark Ashenfelter
Special to ESPN.com


For J.J. Yeley, a trip to California Speedway might have marked a turning point in his NASCAR career.

If so, it'll reward the faith shown in him first by friend Tony Stewart and later by Joe Gibbs Racing. Yeley might not have won anything while in California, but he undoubtedly lifted his stock while opening a few eyes.

With just six Nextel Cup Series starts to Yeley's credit entering the season, it was hard to expect too much from him -- especially with teammate and fellow Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Denny Hamlin stealing the limelight by winning the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

In two starts in 2004, Yeley's best finish was a 27th at Atlanta. Four starts a year ago didn't end up much better, with a 25th-place finish at Dover being the highlight.

At the time, it appeared as if Yeley and Hamlin were auditioning for one Cup opening at Gibbs; but Hamlin clearly won the race for a seat in the team's No. 11 Chevrolet. So, it appeared Yeley would simply spend another year running the Busch Series schedule while getting more seasoning in stock cars.

That changed, though, once the team agreed to let Bobby Labonte move to Petty Enterprises. Yeley was handed the proverbial keys to the team's No. 18 Chevy -- while still running the full Busch schedule, as well.

Getting caught up in a crash left Yeley 41st in the Daytona 500 and wasn't exactly the way to start a season. However, heading west seemed to do the trick for the Phoenix native.

Yeley qualified fourth and showed it wasn't a fluke by finishing eighth. Coupled with finishes of eighth (Daytona) and seventh (California) in the Busch Series -- he is second in points in that series -- Yeley is off to a pretty impressive start before heading to this weekend's Busch Series race in Mexico City.

"It's a big confidence boost," Yeley said after Fontana. "I was getting worried there with those guys taking tires [before a green-white-checker finish]. We ran too good there the entire race to give up some spots there at the end because of not pitting. The guys made an excellent call to stay out on the racetrack. Our first top-10 sounds good."

It all started with his qualifying effort, one that set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

"It wasn't exactly the fastest car the first 10 laps [of a fuel run,] but after that, the car freed up a little bit in the center [of the corners]," Yeley said. "I was one of the lone soldiers up there [running the high line] trying to knock the fence down. My car was handling great up there. To come away with an eighth-place finish was great. It was definitely a lot of fun. I'm happy to finish in the top 10. This team really needed this good finish."

And it can be argued that the talented 29-year-old is still trying to show he belongs in NASCAR's highest levels. Having won the USAC "triple crown" in 2003 by taking the Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget titles, there's no doubt he can drive.

Yeley, though, didn't wheel a stock car until 2004, so he still has plenty to learn. An 11th-place finish in the Busch Series standings shows that a driver who finished ninth in the 1998 Indianapolis 500 is getting the hang of things.

His finishes at California might be a sign that he's taking the next step, even, and that's exactly what Steve Addington, his Cup crew chief, is hoping to see more of.

"We're really, really proud of J.J. He ran an awesome race, and he did everything that we asked out of him," Addington said. "Everybody was like, 'Why is he falling back [at the start]?' We just wanted to get settled in here and work our way back up, get his feet wet and let him run all day long."

At the end, Yeley really made his crew chief happy. A number of the cars behind him pitted at the end of the race, but Yeley wasn't flustered.

"He drove his tail off there at the end of the race to hold his position on those guys on two [fresh] tires," Addington said. "I'm really proud of him. We didn't come in. Everybody behind us did, and I thought we were kind of like a sitting duck. He said he wasn't going to give up the spots right then. He dug down deep and pulled it out for us."

Clint Bowyer still leads the Raybestos Rookie standings by six points, but Yeley is ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Hamlin, both of whom were considered among the favorites for the award.

Yeley, though, was simply worrying about a solid finish at Fontana. And the way in which it was achieved reminded him of his days racing USAC cars on dirt.

"It was kind of a throwback to what I'm used to -- put the thing up on the fence and let her eat," he said. "We definitely needed a good finish after Daytona, which put us back to 41st in points. We wanted to get up there and be solid every week and this is a good race to start it off."

At 23rd in points, Yeley can head to Mexico feeling confident about both his programs. And if he hadn't found Casey Mears in his path at the end, his best Cup finish might have been even higher than eighth.

"I was afraid of the restart, but then I started thinking, 'Man, all those guys are just throwing down there on the bottom and leaving the top wide open,'" Yeley said. "I think if it wouldn't have been for the 42 car [of Mears], we would have picked off a couple more. Coming off Turn 4 there, he pinched me in the fence and I had to check up. It's awesome to run in the top 10, the first real race of the season. It's a good start for this team, and we're looking forward to Las Vegas."

Mark Ashenfelter is an associate editor at NASCAR Scene magazine, which has a Web site at scenedaily.com.

Burton yet to find Victory Lane with RCR
By Mark Ashenfelter
Special to ESPN.com


One of these days, maybe Riki Rachtman will have to shave his head courtesy of Jeff Burton. Rachtman, who hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Racing Rocks" is a big Burton fan, so much so that the original host of MTV's Headbanger's Ball has vowed to shave his head once Burton gets back to Victory Lane.

The amazing thing is that it's been since the fall of 2001 that Burton's been there following a Cup race. And if it happens Sunday at California Speedway, it'll mark not only a resurgence for Burton, but for Richard Childress Racing as well.

The team has struggled the past few years, with Kevin Harvick reaching Victory Lane on occasion, but not as regularly as one would expect. Burton, meanwhile, has yet to win since joining the operation in August 2004 and rookie Clint Bowyer is just starting to settle in at the sport's highest level.

But RCR's engine program has been greatly revamped over the last year and that may be the spark needed to push Burton over the hump. Of course, a week ago the hope was that winning the pole for the Daytona 500 would help turn the tide.

Instead, Burton's car never handled to his liking and that led him to try to make something out of nothing late in the event. Instead, Burton got into some people and ended up 32nd.

Wisely, Burton knew better than to predict Daytona success after winning the pole. That doesn't mean he's not excited about the rest of the season, especially after a strong test session last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"My confidence level is as high as it was in 1998 and 1999," Burton said. " … That is not just wanting to feel good, that is based on facts in regard to our test. We will see what happens, but I have very high hopes for our team. I hope [winning the pole at Daytona] isn't the only highlight of our season."

Childress, naturally, feels the same way, hoping this is the year he celebrates with Burton in Victory Lane.

"I feel like we've let Jeff Burton down over the last couple of years that he's been with us," Childress said. "We had high expectations. We had the equipment and everything, but we just didn't get it all put together. I think it is something we should have done a long time ago."

Childress said that Burton's been good for RCR, even if that hasn't translated into a win just yet.

"Jeff came in and fired me back up," Childress said. "Knowing some of the ideas and things he's brought to the table -- he's just good for the whole organization. He can look and say, 'Hey, I know we're off here or there in aero or wind tunnel or horsepower.' We've just made a lot of changes."

Many of those changes were based, in part, on suggestions made by Burton, who moved to RCR from Roush Racing. He's come up with ideas as to how the team could best utilize its aerodynamic experts and its engineers to build the best possible cars.

"We have enough tools at RCR to compete at a high level. We have to make sure we utilize those tools and use them to the best of our advantage," Burton said. "That is something that we were not doing and the results showed it. One of the reasons Richard wanted me to come to RCR was to help with that. And that is what I have tried to do.

"At the same time I have tried to be very focused on the Cingular team in particular. But for us to excel, we needed to have better equipment than we had last year. So part of my role is helping build the structure and format to go build better cars."

Burton said the nice thing about Childress is that he doesn't hold structured meetings all that often. The two can discuss things informally and Childress takes care of business from there.

"I have certainly been part of my fair share of formal, structured meetings, but my time with Richard is generally him calling me when I didn't know he was going to call or me calling him when he didn't know I was going to call," Burton said.

A win this weekend in the Auto Club 500 would be a big turnaround for Burton at California Speedway. He finished 19th there last February and was 35th there in September. Burton had three straight top-10 finishes at the 2-mile facility from 1998-2000, but hasn't finished better than 15th in his last seven races at the track.

Fresh off a visit to Disney World with his family before leaving Florida for California, Burton will be unveiling a new car for the race. The car was tested at Nashville and Las Vegas, but is untried in race conditions.

Still, crew chief Scott Miller's looking forward to the weekend; hoping it will show how far RCR has come at the intermediate tracks where it has struggled the past few years.

Miller said what the team learned at the Vegas test will carry over into California.

" … We use the same style of race car at both of the tracks," Miller said. "So, off of the results we had at the Vegas test, we expect to go into California looking for a strong run. Over the winter everyone at RCR has worked really hard to try to improve all areas of the race car. The chassis department made gains, the engineering department worked hard on some things, the aero department has come up with a better aero package and the engines have gotten better. Every little area has been improved and that's what it takes. There's not a lot of separation from running in the top-five to running in the top-25, so every little thing counts on getting you where you need to be."

Mired deep in the point standings, Miller knows the team needs to dig out of its hole quickly.

"The points at the end of the first five races are going to determine who is guaranteed a starting position," Miller said. "It's certainly important for Team Cingular to rebound at California. But, really and truly, we've got to go into every race thinking we have a chance to win. If we do that and have strong finishes, the points will take care of themselves."

Mark Ashenfelter is an associate editor at NASCAR Scene magazine, which has a Web site at scenedaily.com.