Qualifying at Bristol could be interesting and disastrous this weekend
For the first time season, NASCAR will take their multi-car qualifying format to a short track and let’s just say that it could be interesting.
Granted, before we begin, NASCAR has helped the situation tremendously with banning cool-down laps and letting teams use their cool-down units. It goes without a doubt that cool-down laps were dangerous as a car going slow along the apron with cars flying by on the outside is not a situation you want to be in. Could you imagine what would happen if the guy trying to lay down a lap got sideways and hit the car trying to cool his motor? Yikes!
“From my perspective I kind of thought it was a no brainer to just let us cool the engines down,” McMurray commented. “I know that there is a reason they are not letting us do that.”
“I think we could have much better qualifying and give the fans more laps to see and a little bit more drama if they give us the units to actually cool the cars down,” Newman also commented last weekend. “That, I think is something we need to look into.”
NASCAR listened and made the change – thankfully.
Though even with that change, qualifying will be interesting to watch on Bristol’s half-mile oval. The track barely fits 43 cars as it is by itself as everybody is nose to tail. Now imagine the fact that you have guys trying to make quick laps, but being in a tightly confined space.
The drivers should be able to police themselves because, after all, they have 25 minutes in first window and 10 minutes in the second window. With each lap taking approximately 15 seconds, everybody should have adamant time to get in more than one set of laps and give each other room.
However, it’s still a concern as someone may not time it right and screw up someone else’s lap. What if that happens? This was a concern that Newman expressed earlier this year back in February at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, stating that you could have manipulation – especially on the tracks a mile and a half and bigger.
“I’m going to go out first as soon as I can so that way I can come in and let my tires cool off so I can go again later,” he started. “Then if I go out later, or I’ve waited till the end of the session and someone blocks my last run because they have the right to or the opportunity to or whatever, they’ve manipulated my chance to be in that last five minutes and have a shot at winning the pole. I just don’t want to see it where other teams can – because we’re competitors and we have egos – other teams can manipulate the outcome. We were critized heavily after Richmond with everything that went down. We don’t need to be opening ourselves up to that situation again – even if it’s just qualifying.
“That’s not the racing that we grew up with. I think that’s the biggest part of the change that as a competitor I have to deal with.”
Bigger tracks, it’s just resulted in a slower speed. A short track like Bristol – well, that’s another story. It could be disastrous as both drivers may end up with wrecked cars. Does NASCAR really want to increase the chance of wrecking cars during qualifying? Welp, if it makes for a more interesting session and it gets fan to tune in, then I guess so!
The current format may work this weekend and all this worry that I have expressed here may be for nothing at all. However, I still advise that you tune in as it may become disastrous and you may get more excitement than you bargained for.
IndyCar expected to announce Verizon as new series sponsor on Friday
IndyCar sent out a bulletin in the early evening – they have a major announcement to make tomorrow morning. Though like any major announcement, the details have already leaked.
The Indianapolis Star is reporting that tomorrow’s announcement pertains to who will become the new series sponsor. IZOD, a clothing company, sponsored the series through the last stretch with it’s contract running out at the end of last season.
So who’s the new sponsor? Verizon Communications.
The company has good standings in the business market, ranked 16th in the latest Fortune 500 list based on revenues and profit in 2013. It was also ranked No. 1 in the telecommunication sector in the category of World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune Magazine.
The Sports Business Journal has reported that the deal will last 10 years, being worth approximately $10 million per year. IndyCar is expected to announce formal details tomorrow.
The addition of Verizon as the series sp0nsor shows promise for the series. A lot of people didn’t know IZOD as a company due to the lack of marketing. Verizon, meanwhile, is one of the most well-known companies and has a solid marketing campaign. They have also shown their commitment to the sport through the marketing that they’ve done with Team Penske over the last few years in bringing forth IndyCar Penske’s drivers to the public forefront.
Capitalizing on that with the whole series at a time when competition looks to be at a peak compared to other recent years may be what the series needs to get back to the popularity that it once held before.
On another note, Verizon is expected to continue sponsor Team Penske drivers Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya this season.
Smith’s finish at Vegas may become moment to remember of season
This past weekend at Las Vegas, Regan Smith did not have the race that he was looking for. Coming off a pair of solid finishes to start the year and the points lead, Smith had high hopes in possibly contending for the win.
However, the pieces weren’t there from the beginning as Smith struggled through practice to get the handling right, and the speed to match his teammates. Based on practice, it looked like Smith would possibly finish in the teens or maybe even the 20s.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t unload as well as we wanted to,” he commented post-race. “We struggled through practice trying to get the car balanced. We made big changes going into qualifying and the car felt a lot better.”
Though grown from last year’s experience, Smith continued to work on his car and got it better throughout the race, running inside the top 10 with a solid car and good pit strategy.
Then with three laps to go, he’d make considerable contact with the wall – forcing him to limp the car home. Still, though, because many drivers were a lap or two down due to the caution coming out among green flag pit stops, Smith would be credited with a 10th place finish.
“We started the race off extremely loose on exit,” Smith said. “We had to adjust for that as soon as we could. In the process of adjusting on that, the caution came out and trapped us a lap down. We battled for the lucky dog, which we got and then had to restart toward the back. That required us to pick our way through traffic. Eventually we got up there and raced with the guys. We were just on the splitter really hard at the end of the race. Then I slapped the wall with four to go. We were fortunate to salvage 10th.”
For most drivers who got into the wall, they had the unfortunate circumstance of finishing outside of the top 15, losing valuble points. Smith, meanwhile, was able to hold on to the points lead due to his 10th place finish.
Championship seasons are all about being successful, winning races and being consistent – though also about salvaging the best finish that you can on your toughest days.
Last year, there were times where Smith ran into similar situations, and finished outside of the top 10. As a result of those poor finishes and struggles on the Elkhart Lake road course, he finished third in points.
This year’s performance at Las Vegas may not have been the most glamorous, but continuing to make hte car better and salvage the best day possible shows growth in Smith as a driver and growth in the JR Motorsports team.
If Smith can keep the consistency going, this day in Vegas may be one of hte races that they look back on at hte end of the season when they’re hosting the championship trophy.
Smith now heads to a track that he’s ran well at in the past – Bristol Motor Speedway. Last year, he finished sixth in spring, while finishing 21st after an issue on pit road.
“As a company, we’ve been fortunate to run well at Bristol, but we had a wheel mishap last fall that we never could recover from,” Smith said. “Still, we have confidence heading up there and that’s a testament to everyone on this team and all their hard work. We’ve started the season strong, and aside from a struggle last week at Vegas, I think we’re on the right track and focused.”
Hot 20 – Earnhardt and Keselowski near perfect heading to Bristol
When you can tout an average finish of 1.67, as in the case of Dale Earnhardt Jr, or Brad Keselowski’s 2.33 you know you are doing something right. Each has a win, with Junior having a pair of runner up finishes compared to the two third place runs put in by the 2012 champion. While Kevin Harvick won at Phoenix, his 41st place result at Las Vegas drops him in our search for the most noteworthy driver of the year.
Bristol is a place Earnhardt has won only once in 28 starts, and that was back in 2004. While he has recorded a top ten only half the time there, his average finish of 11.5 is second best amongst active drivers, only behind the 9.9 of five time winner Kyle Busch. While the chances are you will not see him crossing the line first on Sunday, odds are he will not be far behind. In his last ten starts there, Junior has come home between six and 16th. Maybe still on top come next week, but so much for a near perfect pace.
Keselowski, on the other hand, once won a pair back-to-back at Bristol and was third in the spring race last season. However, he has also finished 30th two of his last five, so it is anybody’s guess if he will experience feast or famine. As for Kyle Busch, he won half of the ten raced at Bristol between 2007 and 2011 and while he has had the odd off day, his last three show results of sixth, second, and 11th.
Kurt Busch has not added to his five wins there since 2006, but maybe this is where he can get back on track this season. Jeff Gordon also has won five Bristol events, though none since 2002. Matt Kenseth can be hot and cold in the bowl as well, but he could up his tally to four Bristol wins by matching his result from last fall. Unless the doctor calls and he winds up heading back to North Carolina before race time to welcome the arrival of the latest addition to his family.
As we hunt down our season’s top driver, we give 22 additional points to the winner of each race and punt the Chase. I would expect either Kyle or Matt to move up into third place after this weekend, with both our leaders still atop the ladder when the smoke clears Sunday at Bristol.
|
Fin |
Driver |
Points |
Wins |
|
1 |
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
155 |
1 |
|
2 |
Brad Keselowski |
154 |
1 |
|
3 |
Jimmie Johnson |
117 |
0 |
|
4 |
Joey Logano |
116 |
0 |
|
5 |
Jeff Gordon |
115 |
0 |
|
6 |
Carl Edwards |
105 |
0 |
|
7 |
Kevin Harvick |
105 |
1 |
|
8 |
Kyle Busch |
105 |
0 |
|
9 |
Matt Kenseth |
105 |
0 |
|
10 |
Denny Hamlin |
101 |
0 |
|
11 |
Ryan Newman |
97 |
0 |
|
12 |
Jamie McMurray |
93 |
0 |
|
13 |
Greg Biffle |
86 |
0 |
|
14 |
Austin Dillon |
84 |
0 |
|
15 |
Kasey Kahne |
83 |
0 |
|
16 |
Casey Mears |
80 |
0 |
|
17 |
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. |
80 |
0 |
|
18 |
Paul Menard |
76 |
0 |
|
19 |
Marcos Ambrose |
69 |
0 |
|
20 |
Brian Vickers |
64 |
0 |
Delong Motorsports to raise money for United Way and Autism Ontario
Delong Motorsports announced today that they’ve partnered with Hishons Custom to create a t-shirt to sell throughout the season. The best part of the t-shirt sales is 100% of the proceeds will go directly to United way and Autsim Ontario. Team owner Kevin Delong came up with the idea as his son is autistic.
Autism’s Ontario mission is to ensure that each individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder is provided the means to achieve quality of life as a respected member of society. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life: it is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain.
“Autism impacts the typical development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills,” Autism Ontario’s website states. “Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. They find it hard to communicate with others and relate to the outside world.”
United Way, meanwhile, works in communities across Canada to create opportunities for a better life for everyone.
This year will mark Delong Motorsports’ first season in the OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modified ranks with their two-car team. Kevin Delong will be driving the No. 2Lo car for the full season, in hopes of winning Rookie of the Year and possibly the championship. Meanwhile, Scott Way will be driving the No. 17k on a limited basis.
Delong Motorsports has stated that fans can begin to pre-order shirts as early as April 1st, with the shirts being printed by the first week of racing in May.
Fans interested in more information about Delong Motorsports, their t-shirt fundraiser and more are encouraged to head over to Delong Motorsports’ facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/delongmotorsports17.
