Busch Makes History in History 300
CONCORD, NC – If you were at Charlotte Motor Speedway this morning, you would have been tempted to check the calendar. Saturday morning started out feeling more like it should be October, than May, with local temperatures breaking all-time lows overnight.
However, Kyle Busch made sure that the day ended hot. Busch smoked the field in the 32nd History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to earn his 57th career Nationwide Series race – the most of any driver. Busch’s Monster Energy Toyota led 186 of the 200 laps and moved him ahead of Mark Martin as the all-time winningest driver at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch was really never challenged throughout the race. A series of late caution flags was the biggest challenge he had to overcome, each time, holding off race runner-up Kasey Kahne. It appeared that Kahne’s Great Clips Chevrolet got stronger as the race went on and appeared to be the only one had anything for Busch at the end. Sprint Cup regulars, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick were third and fifth respectively.
Rookie Kyle Larson continued to show signs of his potential greatness, finishing third. Trevor Bayne was sixth, Justin Allgaier was seventh, Matt Kenseth, Parker Kligerman and points leader Regan Smith rounded out the top ten.
Allgaier was the only driver in the top five of points who was able to cut into Smith’s lead today. Smith increased his points lead over Sam Hornish Jr by one point and will head to Dover with a 29 point lead. Hornish finished twelfth. Elliot Sadler was 13th and Brian Vickers was eleventh and remains in fifth in points, 49 behind Smith.
| Unofficial Race Results | |||||
| History 300, Charlotte Motor Speeday | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=10 | |||||
| ========================================= | |||||
| Pos. | St. | No. | Driver | Make | Points |
| ========================================= | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 54 | Kyle Busch(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | 11 | 5 | Kasey Kahne(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 3 | 6 | 22 | Joey Logano(i) | Ford | 0 |
| 4 | 18 | 32 | Kyle Larson # | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 5 | 16 | 33 | Kevin Harvick(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 6 | 21 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 38 |
| 7 | 14 | 31 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 37 |
| 8 | 9 | 18 | Matt Kenseth(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 9 | 5 | 77 | Parker Kligerman | Toyota | 35 |
| 10 | 10 | 7 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 34 |
| 11 | 3 | 20 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 34 |
| 12 | 7 | 12 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Ford | 33 |
| 13 | 20 | 11 | Elliott Sadler | Toyota | 31 |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 31 |
| 15 | 4 | 2 | Brian Scott | Chevrolet | 29 |
| 16 | 13 | 30 | Nelson Piquet Jr. # | Chevrolet | 28 |
| 17 | 33 | 43 | Michael Annett | Ford | 27 |
| 18 | 17 | 98 | Kevin Swindell | Ford | 27 |
| 19 | 15 | 19 | Mike Bliss | Toyota | 25 |
| 20 | 8 | 99 | Alex Bowman # | Toyota | 24 |
| 21 | 24 | 4 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 23 |
| 22 | 22 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 22 |
| 23 | 36 | 44 | Hal Martin # | Toyota | 21 |
| 24 | 34 | 1 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | 20 |
| 25 | 40 | 66 | Steve Wallace | Ford | 19 |
| 26 | 30 | 79 | Kyle Fowler | Ford | 18 |
| 27 | 29 | 92 | Dexter Stacey # | Ford | 17 |
| 28 | 35 | 74 | Juan Carlos Blum # | Chevrolet | 16 |
| 29 | 27 | 29 | Kenny Wallace | Toyota | 15 |
| 30 | 32 | 14 | Eric McClure | Toyota | 14 |
| 31 | 19 | 21 | Dakoda Armstrong(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 32 | 31 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 12 |
| 33 | 25 | 60 | Travis Pastrana | Ford | 11 |
| 34 | 23 | 55 | Jamie Dick | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 35 | 26 | 25 | John Wes Townley(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 36 | 28 | 70 | Johanna Long | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 37 | 38 | 40 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 38 | 12 | 16 | Chris Buescher | Ford | 6 |
| 39 | 37 | 24 | Jason White | Toyota | 5 |
| 40 | 39 | 23 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Chevrolet | 4 |
Busch wins the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch won the 32nd Annual History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is his sixth victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2013. Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-5.
Austin Dillon led the field to green for the first time this year but did not last long as Busch took over the lead and drove away like he has been doing for the past 3-4 races this season.
First caution waved when there was debris spotted in turn 3. Everybody came in but Busch got out in front and will lead them to the green.
Green flag waved but did not last long as the caution waved again when the No.23 of Robert Richardson Jr spun and hit the wall and collected Johanna Long in the process. Both of them went to the garage. Nobody pitted due to coming in during the last stop.
The third yellow waved when the No.25 of John Wes Townley was trying to find grip and he found the wall instead. Busch had a huge lead and lapped all but 25 cars. He has led 80 of the 88 laps before this caution. Everybody came in and got four tires but Vickers took over the top sport and beat his JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) teammate out of pit road.
Green flag pit stops starting to occur on lap 146 with Sam Hornish Jr coming in. He came in for four tires and was out. Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier, Parker Killgerman, Vickers and others came in as well and got their stops completed. Juan Carlos Blum and Allgaier will have a pass-through penalties due to being too fast entering. Busch went in for his stop and came out with the lead as they had a solid stop with no hiccups.
Right after the pit stops, Kyle Busch 3.8 second lead was gone. Debris was the cause to Vickers gave up 4th position to come in.
We went back to green with 43 to go and wow! Larson found something with his car and drove all the way up to 3rd with 39 to go and set his sights on the 54.
A nasty wreck including the #60 of Travis Pastrana and No.87 of Joe Nemechek as well as the No.25 of Townley. Pastrana hit the inside wall really hard and came out the track and almost got away but Nemechek hit the back of Pastrana’s car. Busch and six others cars did not pit but Busch was the only one of the leaders that stayed out.
Green waved and it was wild! three wide in the middle of the pack and a very nice save from Hornish Jr and Michael Annett. Couple laps later, the caution waved for the 40 car of Reed Sorenson. Sorenson told his crew, on his radio, that the motor blew up before he spun.
They tried to go back to green but it did not last as the No.21 of Dakota Armstrong spun off the backstretch while going three wild. He was okay but was visibly upset.
Regan Smith leads the point standings by 29 points over Sam Hornish Jr.
| Unofficial Race Results | |||||
| History 300, Charlotte Motor Speeday | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=10 | |||||
| ========================================= | |||||
| Pos. | St. | No. | Driver | Make | Points |
| ========================================= | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 54 | Kyle Busch(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | 11 | 5 | Kasey Kahne(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 3 | 6 | 22 | Joey Logano(i) | Ford | 0 |
| 4 | 18 | 32 | Kyle Larson # | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 5 | 16 | 33 | Kevin Harvick(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 6 | 21 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 38 |
| 7 | 14 | 31 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 37 |
| 8 | 9 | 18 | Matt Kenseth(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 9 | 5 | 77 | Parker Kligerman | Toyota | 35 |
| 10 | 10 | 7 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 34 |
| 11 | 3 | 20 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 34 |
| 12 | 7 | 12 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Ford | 33 |
| 13 | 20 | 11 | Elliott Sadler | Toyota | 31 |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 31 |
| 15 | 4 | 2 | Brian Scott | Chevrolet | 29 |
| 16 | 13 | 30 | Nelson Piquet Jr. # | Chevrolet | 28 |
| 17 | 33 | 43 | Michael Annett | Ford | 27 |
| 18 | 17 | 98 | Kevin Swindell | Ford | 27 |
| 19 | 15 | 19 | Mike Bliss | Toyota | 25 |
| 20 | 8 | 99 | Alex Bowman # | Toyota | 24 |
| 21 | 24 | 4 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 23 |
| 22 | 22 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 22 |
| 23 | 36 | 44 | Hal Martin # | Toyota | 21 |
| 24 | 34 | 1 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | 20 |
| 25 | 40 | 66 | Steve Wallace | Ford | 19 |
| 26 | 30 | 79 | Kyle Fowler | Ford | 18 |
| 27 | 29 | 92 | Dexter Stacey # | Ford | 17 |
| 28 | 35 | 74 | Juan Carlos Blum # | Chevrolet | 16 |
| 29 | 27 | 29 | Kenny Wallace | Toyota | 15 |
| 30 | 32 | 14 | Eric McClure | Toyota | 14 |
| 31 | 19 | 21 | Dakoda Armstrong(i) | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 32 | 31 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 12 |
| 33 | 25 | 60 | Travis Pastrana | Ford | 11 |
| 34 | 23 | 55 | Jamie Dick | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 35 | 26 | 25 | John Wes Townley(i) | Toyota | 0 |
| 36 | 28 | 70 | Johanna Long | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 37 | 38 | 40 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 38 | 12 | 16 | Chris Buescher | Ford | 6 |
| 39 | 37 | 24 | Jason White | Toyota | 5 |
| 40 | 39 | 23 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Chevrolet | 4 |
Erin Crocker Back in Racing Saddle With Team WIX
With the admission of “racing is in my DNA,” Erin Crocker announced her return to the track, with WIX® Filters as her sponsor. Team WIX will sponsor Crocker in seven POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series races in 2013, as well as the 2014 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.
“I went to the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma in January of this year,” Crocker said. “As soon as I was at the race with all of the excitement, I immediately wanted to be a part of it again.”
Although she was attending the race as a spectator, Crocker was convinced by a few compatriots to just sit in one of the race cars. And that was all it took for her passion to reignite.
“Once I did that, it was over,” Crocker said. “As soon as I got back from the race I started making plans to get back in racing.”
Crocker most definitely has the dates of January 14th to January 18th, 2014 circled on next year’s calendar when she will race in the Chili Bowl herself with WIX as primary sponsor.
“I love being at the Chili Bowl,” Crocker said. “It is one of the best events for short-track racing and it is at a perfect time of year – in January – when most racing is in the offseason.”
“I’m really excited to race in the next Chili Bowl,” Crocker continued. “I ran it once about ten years ago and it was the only time I’ve raced a dirt midget.”
“It was the Saturday night, local track atmosphere that I’ve been around for so long and I feel like the people are my family,” Crocker said. “I will have great equipment and sponsorship behind me so I will have a full team of support.”
Before the Chili Bowl, however, Crocker will be perfecting her craft by racing her No. 98 WIX Filters midget in POWRi races all over the mid-west for the rest of the year.
“I am thrilled to get back in the driver’s seat with the Team WIX program that embraces the American tradition of grassroots racing,” Crocker said. “When I spend time at the race track, my passion for racing is renewed.”
“Partnering with Team WIX allows me to focus on my racing roots and get back to what I love.”
WIX® Filters is also thrilled to have Erin Crocker back in the sport representing their brand.
“WIX has a deep heritage with hometown racers, teams and local tracks as part of Team WIX program,” Mike Harvey, brand manager for WIX Filters, said. “Erin embodies what a true, grassroots racer is through her childhood, passion and love for racing.”
“We are proud to partner with her as she makes her comeback behind the wheel and fuels her passion as part of Team WIX.”
Although Crocker is thrilled to return to her place behind the wheel, her husband, former crew chief now ESPN analyst Ray Evernham, has expressed his own reservations.
“Ray is a little nervous about me racing again,” Crocker admitted. “We’ve been around midgets and sprint cars a lot and I think he would feel better if I was in a stock car with more body around me.”
“I took a bad tumble a few years ago in Knoxville and went over the guardrail and Ray was about 30 feet from it and he didn’t like that too much,” Crocker continued. “But he supports what I want to do and is letting me take the lead.”
Although Crocker has earned many awards throughout her career, from Female Driver of the Year awards from 1993 to 1995, as well as being the first woman to qualify for the Knoxville Nationals in 2003, she acknowledged that she will face challenges as she returns to the track.
“I don’t have a ton of experience racing midgets,” Crocker said. “I have a lot of dirt, sprint car experience with a wing on the top so it will take time getting used to driving without a wing on the car.”
“The horsepower won’t be anything too crazy for me because it is a little less than the sprint cars.”
Although Crocker is competitive and, of course, wants to win, she is also trying to manage her own expectations as she returns to racing.
“I’m a race car driver so I can’t help but have expectations,” Crocker said. “I’m sure I’ll adjust my expectations as I go.”
“I don’t’ know what to expect, but I always expect to win,” Crocker continued. “If you go to the track thinking anything else, you won’t be successful.”
“In my mind, I’d like to make the A-main, which is hard to do and an accomplishment itself,” Crocker said. “I’m the only woman who has qualified for the Knoxville Nationals A-main, which is the biggest event for winged sprint cars, and I’d like to have a similar accomplishment in midget racing.”
In spite of needing to knock the rust off, Crocker is very much looking forward to all of the sights, sounds and smells of the racing environment.
“I’m looking forward to the feeling back behind the wheel with the pedal to the floor and the smell of methanol fumes and just the adrenaline of the racing competition,” Crocker said. “It almost doesn’t feel right when I’m not racing, which is why I’ve come in and out of retirement a few times.”
“There is no better accomplishment than coming off a feature event knowing you’ve driven the wheels off the car.”
Crocker also admits that she will enjoy adding another female back into the ranks of racing, particularly since she was one of the initial women drivers in the NASCAR arena.
“I’m always flattered when people say I helped pioneer women in racing because it was never really my intention,” Crocker said. “I just grew up around it and it is something I love.”
“To know that I’ve helped other females is an honor, and it is also an honor if I can be a role model or an example for a young girl coming up in racing.”
“I grew up with a lot of females that raced quarter midgets,” Crocker said. “As we got older, most girls weren’t pushed into racing and went off to college.”
“In the higher levels of racing, I’ve seen the numbers change and it is more acceptable and there are more women in racing,” Crocker continued. “But there is also still a lot of room for improvement.”
“There is always interest and attention on women drivers but you need to attract people who truly believe in you to be successful,” Crocker said. “Danica Patrick is the best example now of having that support but I’d like to see more women get that chance as well.”
Crocker will indeed get her chance as a female driver back at the track and behind the wheel. Her first race with Team WIX will be in the POWRi races in Bloomington, Indiana on June 28th.
Brian France on criticism: ‘You can’t cross a line into the product’
Brian France loves when NASCAR’s getting talked about and with new and many different changes on the agenda entering the 2013 season there’s been a ton of talk.
Speaking to the media Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, France provided insight on ratings, the Gen6 car and the new Air Titan, which he said made it possible for the races at Talladega Superspeedway to be completed. Weather moved in on both races and the new track drying system NASCAR developed was able to at one point, have the track dry in 61 minutes.
That’s been the attention France’s looking for as opinions have raged all season about the racing, cars and tracks. So much so, NASCAR fine Sprint Cup driver Denny Hamlin after Phoenix for his comments about the new car. Hamlin saying it was going to take time for the Gen6 cars to drive like the old cars had. Saturday France said that NASCAR stuck to their guns on what is and isn’t acceptable.
“Our policy is our policy. You can say rowdy things. You can say things that we don’t like at all,” France noted.
“You can criticize us, and it happens quite a bit. That policy goes further than any other sport, major sport, in this country. What you can’t do is you can’t cross a line into the product, in any way talking about our racing product. We’re very clear.”
Hamlin talked about the product and was hit for it. It wasn’t the first time either; Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski have both been fine in the past for their comments NASCAR deemed detrimental to the sport. After Hamlin’s fine, which at first said he refused to pay and would appeal before eventually backing down, drivers seemed more tightlipped when asked about the new car.
France however, insists NASCAR wants drivers to show their personalities and voice their opinions. But he revealed, sometimes that opinion isn’t always popular with your peers.
“I can’t tell you how many drivers came up to me after the Denny Hamlin comment and said, ‘You got to do that or we won’t be able to help ourselves from time to time, I’m glad you did that,’” said France.
“They all know the line. They all know exactly where it is, because we talk about it. I talk about it directly with every one of the drivers, every one of the owners. No disputing that. But it shouldn’t be confused, and it never should have been confused, as a policy to stifle the drivers’ personalities. It’s quite the opposite.
“We want them to have emotion, even if we don’t like to hear it, one thing or another. That’s the emotional part of sports and NASCAR that we would never want to take away from.”
From Hamlin to Keselowski and other penalties and appeals, NASCAR’s been plenty busy this season. There hasn’t been a week gone by that there wasn’t a major headline from one of the three National Series. France is aware of that and whether it’s good or bad, the attention can’t be avoided. Thus far though, there’s been a lot of positives about the season.
“We always want it to be on the racing action and the drivers and the teams. When things are a distraction that are unavoidable, like a fine or whatever else, we would prefer that no one tried to game the system, that nobody made a mistake, we never had a fine at all,” said France.
“I think we have had great storylines if you look throughout the first part of the year with different rivalries popping up, very, very close racing action at a number of venues. California in particular was just a spectacularly good event for us. That would be our preference, would be to have all of the events focus on that.”
After many changes Earnhardt Jr. says JR Motorsports ‘a contender’ again
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is pleased his JR Motorsports team has been making plenty of positive headlines this Nationwide Series season.
Years removed from Brad Keselowski’s emergence as a star the company has found themselves another winner and the man who has delivered them into the point lead for the first time in company history.
“Yeah, I think we are a contender. We are just off a little bit on speed, but we have made gains this year already to get there,” said Earnhardt Jr. last weekend in Charlotte during the Sprint All-Star race.
“I think we are contending well. The fact that I’m getting asked about it is reason enough to believe we are doing well. Used to have to bring up how JR Motorsports was doing, used to not get too many questions about it, and really had to promote it myself. The fact that we’re relevant in the series and we are considered competitive and considered one of the teams that is going to be up there racing each week I think that says a lot.”
With how it’s all worked out, Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t afraid to say it was fate that brought driver Regan Smith to his doorstep. And that it’ll be Smith who takes the company back to where Keselowski had them in 2008 and 2009. As Keselowski was winning and contending for a championship, which he was never able to bring to JRM, Smith was beginning his rocky NASCAR career, one as unpredictable as a race at Daytona and Talladega.
Fitting, since a few of his personal headlines have come at those tracks. After ending the 2012 season in Victory Lane at Homestead [the first of his career], he was yards away from the finish line at Daytona to kick off the 2013 season before wrecking with, you guessed it, Keselowski, whom he tried to block. Three weeks ago in Talladega [where he thought he won the Cup race in 2008] a wreck and subsequent caution were what had Smith in the right place at the right time, declared the winner over Joey Logano and teammate Kasey Kahne.
It’s what has Smith sitting atop the NNS point standings heading into Saturday’s History 300 at Charlotte, having extended it to 28 over Sam Hornish Jr. following a solid seventh place finish in Darlington. Perhaps a bit unexpected but not all surprising, JRM has made many changes just in the last two-to-three seasons in hopes of being where they are now.
“It’s been really good. We have turned things around somewhat,” said Earnhardt Jr. “We still got a ways to go. I think we are still a little bit off speed wise from some of the other teams. We are doing really good in the points. Regan has driven some great races. He makes me nervous because he drives so hard.
“Sometimes I feel like there was a couple of laps at Richmond where I thought he was going to spin out on the inside of the No. 31 car. There are just instances like that where I’m like I wish I could take to him or be like, ‘you sure you know what you are doing? Or do you really need to be driving this hard right now?’”
But Smith has been putting together finishes and that’s good enough for the boss.
“I told him that we are going to put him in position with cars and people to have a shot at winning the championship,” he said. “I really felt comfortable about that. I think if he makes good decisions and we don’t have any odd failures or anything like that we can really make a run for the championship.
“Obviously, we are in good position right now to do that. Real happy with everything going on, especially the people. We changed a lot of people, we changed some crew chiefs and really kept a lot of people that had been there for a long time. It’s real easy to move people around under the surface, but when you keep that all the same and you bring in top tier management type people it’s hit or miss whether the group is going to listen to this guy or listen to that guy or follow this guy’s ideas or the way he wants to do things. We were real fortunate that everybody is really on the same page and excited about each week.”
A recap includes the short-lived career of Kelly Bires, the high hopes of Cole Whitt and of course, the NASCAR introduction and beginning for Danica Patrick. None of those drivers won a race or competed for the championships as hoped, causing speculation and negative attention to surround the company.
Then uncle Tony Eury Sr. and cousin Tony Eury Jr. were gone. Earnhardt Jr. made it known that there’s been no bad blood, everyone understanding what happens with business. And business for JRM has been booming. Earnhardt Jr. himself and Cup crew chief Steve Letarte have given their time to the cause with Cup teammates Kahne and Jimmie Johnson driving JRM cars.
And don’t leave out the new guy, Smith’s crew chief, Greg Ives. Smith’s story is well known – time at DEI after Earnhardt Jr. departed, onto Furniture Row Motorsports where he won the 2011 Darlington race, then a short shot with Phoenix Racing before driving in relief of Earnhardt Jr. for his concussion and now driving for him – but little is known about Ives. Simply – he’s been holding down the same job for quite a while and enjoying the best of NASCAR success. Until this season Ives was the engineer on Jimmie Johnson’s championship winning cars. Now a crew chief, Talladega was the first win for Ives.
“Nothing seems to faze the guy,” Smith revealed about his crew chief on Wednesday at Charlotte and what he’s been learning from him.
“If we’re having a bad day on the racetrack he’s the same tone as if we just won the race and I think anyone that’s been around him in any extent of time or had a conversation with him kind of notices that he just is very, very even keeled. Same demeanor all the time and doesn’t let stuff get to him, which in turn comes back on me because I have a tendency to get wound up very easily.”
Thinking about the championship is a long ways away, Smith knows. But he, like his owner believes that the right people are in place to make a run at it happen, led by the experience of Ives.
Said Smith, “As for the championship stuff I think we’ll definitely get to experience that and see that down the road here.”
