Richard Childress Shares Indianapolis Memories As 20th Annual Brickyard 400 Approaches
This weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway marks the 20th running of the Brickyard 400 on the hallowed ground that was only graced by open-wheel cars until 1994, when NASCAR came to town and stock cars began racing on the famed 2.5 mile speedway as well. Since the inaugural running of the race, the Brickyard 400 has become one of the most prestigious races on the circuit, joining the Daytona 500, Southern 500, and Coca-Cola 600 as the “crown jewels” of the schedule.
Richard Childress has become one of the most successful owners at Indianapolis, winning the Brickyard 400 three separate times and with three different drivers, including Dale Earnhardt in 1995, Kevin Harvick in 2003, and Paul Menard in 2011. Childress is the only owner in the Sprint Cup Series to accomplish that feat.
Childress shared his thoughts on Indianapolis during a teleconference this week in the lead up to the 20th running of the Brickyard 400 this weekend.
“You know, when you said 20 years, it kind of reminds me of that old song Bob Seger sings, 20 Years Ago, Where Does It Go? It doesn’t seem 20 years ago when Dale Earnhardt pulled up there to run our first test. I guess that was a year or so before we went up there and raced, just to see how the Cup cars would do.To be able to see that car go around the racetrack in such a historical place as Indy with all the history there, to have Dale go around there, it was pretty amazing.”, Childress said.
“Then coming back in 2003, we won with Kevin Harvick up there. That was a special win, as well, because we did start from the pole that day. We’ve been right there to win other Brickyards, but unfortunately we didn’t pull them off. One that ranks really high, maybe above the other two, was when Paul Menard won in 2011. What made that so special was knowing that Paul’s family was there. Knowing what John Menard had put into that, I think he had entered like 30 some car over 20 years at Indy, in the Indy 500. To be part of watching his son win that race was such a special day. Riding around the track, that’s the neatest part of Indy, is getting to ride around the track, seeing all the fans hollering. That’s really a cool thing right there.”
Childress elaborated further on why he thinks the 2011 Brickyard 400 win by Menard ranks highly among the three Brickyard 400 wins that RCR has. “Not taking anything away from Dale or Kevin’s first win there, but that one was so special I think because of being able to win a race with Paul, being able to win at Indy where that whole family had put so much into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. John Menard played a huge role for many years. To be able to win that race with him, have his whole family there that day, it was almost like a storybook ending to a great venture in Indy for John Menard.”
Over time, the Brickyard 400 has lost some luster in the eyes of some in the sport, but Childress still believes that Indianapolis is one of the marquee events in the sport. When asked about that he said, “ If you want to win a race, you want to win the Daytona 500, you want to win the Coke 600, and Indy, the Brickyard 400. Those are the three, in my opinion, of the biggest crowns you can win”
Chevrolet has an impressive record at Indianapolis, winning the last 10 and 14 out of the 19 total Sprint Cup Series races at the track. Childress also shared his thoughts on that: “I think the caliber of the teams, the effort that every team puts in to go win at Indy, because we know it’s a big deal for Chevrolet to go up there and win. I think it’s just that extra motivation for all of us. The other guys have it, too. But I think we know how important that win is for Chevy.”
Richard Childress Racing will have the opportunity for a fourth win this weekend with four cars out of the RCR stable entered. In addition to regular drivers Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, and Jeff Burton, Austin Dillon will also be making his Cup Series debut at Indianapolis this weekend.
MudSummer Classic Returned NASCAR To Its Roots
There was wall scrapping, door slamming, dirt flying and not a single fan sitting at Eldora Speedway Wednesday night. NASCAR had finally gone back home to where it all began; they returned to dirt. After a 43 year hiatus, no one knew what to expect but everyone believed that it would be epic and that it was. Race pole-sitter Kenny Schrader called it the most anticipated race since the 1994 Brickyard 400 while others were hailing it as the biggest race ever run in the Camping World Truck Series. People flocked from 48 states and five countries to watch history be made in NASCAR’s field of a dreams; a track in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by cornfields. Despite its desolate location, the place was packed with well over 20,000 screaming fans. It was a race that will be remembered as a turning point in NASCAR history as this sport rediscovered its roots and I believe this is just the beginning of many good things to come.
The night kicked off with five heat races and a last chance qualifier. I wrote an article a couple weeks ago saying that NASCAR needs to implement heat races in place of single car qualifying and what we all witnessed at Eldora only proved my point that much more. The races put on a heck of a show as drivers battled fiercely for the win and even harder for that coveted transfer spot that would guarantee them a place in the main event. We saw close finishes, tempers flare, battles everywhere and a 61 year old back-marker drive the race of his life to make the MudSummer Classic after a thrilling battle with Clay Greenfield!
I’m talking about Norm Benning who in 103 CWTS starts, has never finished higher than 15th but nonetheless, he shows up every weekend undeterred and gives it his all. At Eldora, he held the final transfer position in the LCQ and was not about to bow for the hungry young drivers that were harassing him for the position. Clay Greenfield grew very impatient as the laps clicked away and finally went on the attack with the white flag in the air. He bumped and slammed Norm whose truck slid sideways but he stayed in the throttle and kept it pointed in the right direction. In the final corner, Clay door-slammed him and ran the No.57 up into the wall but Benning could see the checkered flag and kept that pedal nailed to the floor as he rode the wall all the way to the finish line. With both sides beat all to hell and the exhaust dragging on the ground, he made the race and gave Greenfield the 1-finger salute on the cool down lap before merging triumphantly from his battered machine.
The race itself was just as good with trucks fanning out four and even five wide at times as they tried to make some ground on the leaders. Thankfully, the race was not a wreck-fest as many had feared it would be but the lack of cautions actually helped build the drama on track as the leaders cut through lap traffic while still battling for the top spot with remarkable precision. The race ended with three dirt track aces battling it out for the win in the form of 2011 CWTS champion Austin Dillon, 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman and the man considered by many as one of the most versatile drivers out there today; 20 year old Kyle Larson. Larson and Newman were teammates but you couldn’t tell on the final two restarts as they proceeded to slam into each other which allowed Dillon to get a little breathing room. After putting Newman in the wall, Larson tried desperately to hunt down Austin but to no avail as the elder Dillon would win the inaugural MudSummer Classic at Eldora Speedway!
After the race, practically every driver was using the words “fun”, “wild,” and “crazy” to describe their nights. Everyone had a great time and every single driver wanted to do it again. I did a Twitter poll last night asking what everyone thought of the race and 100% of the people that voted said they enjoyed it. Jeff Gluck did a similar poll and 95% of fans said that they loved the race as well. Ratings were some of the highest ever for the truck series with 1.4 million people tuning in and topics such as “Norm Benning,” “Eldora” and “MudSummer Classic” trending nationally on Twitter. With how well-received this race was, the longevity of the MudSummer Classic is all but assured and I think this is just the beginning for dirt racing’s resurgence in NASCAR. I believe we will see more dirt races on the truck schedule in the future, a couple in Nationwide and a Cup race on dirt is not completely out of the question but it would be difficult. The 20th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a just a few days away and it might as while not exist because all the talk right now surrounds a truck race at a little dirt track in Ohio.
If NASCAR does make the very prudent decision to give dirt racing more of a presence in the three national touring series, the next best candidate in the minds of many drivers is Knoxville Raceway and I heard Duqoin being tossed around by a few people too. Then there’s always the possibility of pouring dirt on a track already in use like when they used to cover Bristol Motor Speedway in dirt for some regional races. I would love to see the March event be a dirt race and then have the August race still be on the concrete; that would be awesome to watch. Knowing Bruton Smith, I think he’d be up for that! Steve O’Donnell said it would be feasible to get Nationwide and Cup at Eldora but those conversations haven’t happened…yet. All I know is that this highly anticipated truck race on dirt lived up to the hype and every person was smiling when they left the track.
You are onto something here NASCAR and please pursue it. If you can get people from across the USA and around the world to show up in the middle of nowhere and pack the house for a standalone truck race, just imagine what you could do for a Cup event!? With the new TV deals taking place in 2015, that could be the perfect opportunity to refine the schedule and add more excitement to the circuit. NASCAR was built on dirt racing and a return to dirt track racing could just be the boost that NASCAR needs to bolster their fan base and regain their former glory.
Knaus preparing for fifth Brickyard win while keeping team focused on Chase
When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday for the 20th annual event, Chad Knaus has the opportunity to again make driver Jimmie Johnson stand above the rest.
Not just on the pagoda of Victory Lane, but in the record books, a place they are already so familiar with. The Lowe’s Chevrolet team from Hendrick Motorsports will attempt to defend their 2012 victory, their fourth Brickyard 400 win. It tied Johnson with teammate Jeff Gordon for the most at IMS in the series.
A fifth victory on Sunday would place Johnson ahead of other racing greats, such as A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. It would tie him for most all-time IMS wins with Formula 1 superstar Michael Schumacher.
But for Knaus, he’s already an IMS great. With the four Brickyard wins in his pocket, Knaus is the winningest crew chief at the speedway. He won with Johnson in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012.
“I think quite honestly, all of those victories were so special. Last year’s was a lot of fun, from the standpoint of really having a super dominant racecar, so that was definitely one that stood out,” Knaus said this week, while looking ahead to the Indy weekend.
“I think one that was always kind of fun and different was probably not the one that the sport is most likely the happiest about, is when we did have the tire issues up there [in 2008] and we were running out of tires and we were throwing a lot of cautions and we were actually able to maintain and win that race.
“That was a lot of fun. I think that was our second one. They are all just so special. It’s such an amazing racetrack, so much history.”
The NSCS comes off their final off weekend of the year. It’s now 17 straight weeks until the conclusion of the season at Homestead where a champion will be crowned. There are only seven races remaining until the Chase begins in Chicago and Knaus has Johnson sitting atop the point standings with a comfortable 56-point lead.
Four wins – tied for most on the season – and a few impressive late race comebacks are the reason why some believe Knaus and company are already in control of another title run. Except, Knaus is always the realist and never one to stop working. Even during the week off he revealed he only took three days off of personal time.
The team is still hard at work, Knaus not having to remind anyone that in seven weeks all that they’ve accomplished will mean nothing. The big point lead, wins and momentum. Twelve teams will start fresh and that’s when it’s time to be on your best game.
“The issue is making them [the team] realize that in seven weeks they have to take their games to the next level and that’s really hard to do,” said Knaus.
“Because if you sit back now and think that you can coast until Chicago, you’re sadly mistaken, because most important thing to do going into Chicago is to make sure you have momentum on your side, and that’s what our focus is.”
As for the upcoming weekend, the team comes off a solid sixth place finish in New Hampshire. A hard fought weekend that included inspection problems and having to start 43rd. Knaus was never rattled, taking responsibility for a mistake, sticking to his strategy and faith in a fast car with a great driver.
After 11 years together, 62 wins and five championships, there’s no reason for Knaus not to be. Adversity has never defeated the duo and success continues to amount. Not surprising for a man whom others – the ones not continually enraged by the domination – call the hardest working guy in the garage. A man who admits that he’s not one of the most educated crew chiefs but who lives with one recurring nightmare everyday, every weekend.
“It’s kind of funny; I always am in just a semi-state of a little bit of fear. I’m not going to lie,” he revealed.
“I fear the fact that one day, we’ll never win a race again. I fear the fact that one day I won’t work with Jimmie again. I fear the fact that one day, I won’t have this amazing facility at Hendrick Motorsports to work in. And I try to work as hard as I can every single day to go out there and win races, because I know at some point in time, it’s going to go away.
“And you just can’t take anything for granted.”
NASCAR Gets it Right at Eldora Speedway
The Mudsummer Classic Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway Wednesday night was everything a race fan loves. It wasn’t the biggest or the fastest, but it showcased the best racing action that NASCAR has to offer.
The event marked NASCAR’s first national series dirt race since 1970. It was filled with side-by-side racing, exciting passes and enough beating and banging to keep the sold-out crowd on their feet. Austin Dillon fought off Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman to win the inaugural race and become the first driver to win a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race on dirt.
In an attempt to make stock car racing more mainstream and to attract more fans, NASCAR often hides its past like a closely guarded family secret. Historic tracks are left behind in favor of newer venues. The exploits of bootleggers like Raymond Parks and moonshine runners like Junior Johnson are relegated to the shadows.
But NASCAR wasn’t always about corporate sponsors and media savvy drivers. It was built on the backs of blue collar drivers who raced for little more than bragging rights. In fact, the first NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race was held on a ¾ mile dirt track in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The race at Eldora was one of the most highly anticipated events of the current NASCAR season and will undoubtedly be one of the highlights at year’s end. Comments from fans on Twitter and Facebook were rich with superlatives such as “beyond awesome and fantastic” and the general consensus was, “I want more.”
Much like the decision to bring the NCWTS back to the legendary Rockingham Speedway in 2012, this nod to NASCAR’s beginnings should serve as a continued incentive to the powers that be. Change is inevitable, but NASCAR should never forget its roots. This back to basics stripped down version of racing is the heart and soul of a sport that many feel has lost its way.
Thanks to the vision of NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell, track owner Tony Stewart and General Manager/Promoter Roger Slack for listening to the fans and honoring those traditions at Eldora Speedway. It was a night to remember.
