Sprint Media Tour – Day One Continued – JTG Daugherty and Leavine Family Racing
The final stop on the Sprint Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway was a double stop with JTG Daugherty Racing and Leavine Family Racing. These two smaller teams are trying to make inroads in the Sprint Cup Series and have high hopes for 2014.
JTG Daugherty is facing many changes in the new year, but leaving Toyota and aligning with Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet gives the new team new hope. Co-owner Brad Daugherty was extremely pleased with the results of their Daytona test.
“I watched that 195 mph lap at Daytona and I knew things would be better,” Daugherty said. “Not criticizing any of our former partners, but we struggled last year. We had no direction. With RCR equipment, we’re on the right track. We’ve scanned the cars they’ve sent us and are building identical cars in-house. We feel like we have the tools to do what we can to be competitive. Bobby Labonte drove his guts out last year and the result just wasn’t there.”
Daugherty also spoke about signing Allmendinger to drive for the team in 2014.
“I talked to Roger Penske about (Allmendinger), and I told him I wanted to offer him a full time Cup Ride. Roger said, ‘I can live with that,’ and that was that. We feel we have the driver to win races and challenge for the championship.”
Leavine Family Racing will go to war with Michael McDowell as its driver in 2014. The talented McDowell will drive their cars in the Sprint Cup Series in 2014, as he moves over from Phil Parsons Racing, in Ford Fusions with motors from Roush-Yates power.
Finally, the Nationwide Series hosted a stop at Strike City with Nationwide Series drivers taking part in the festivities. Trevor Bayne, Sam Hornish, Jr. and Ty Dillon were among the participants. Members of the media were challenged to bowling matches with Nationwide Series drivers.
Sprint Media Tour Day One – Stewart-Haas Racing
The first day of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Sprint Media Tour involved three teams—Stewart-Haas Racing and a joint media event with JTG Daugherty Racing and Leavine Family Racing. Following the usual presentation by each team where an opening statement was made with questions from those present, all drivers and team principals were available for breakout sessions.
First up was Stewart-Haas Racing. The new four-member team of Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch was announced to the multitudes present. The first question fielded by Stewart was the obvious one. Will the team be a clash of egos as the season goes along?
“We do have four alpha drivers here, but we understand each other,” Stewart said. “It’s like a support system.”
Stewart went on to say since the drives know each other so well, it will tend to make them stronger rather than weaker.
Stewart was asked about his health after last summer’s injury and if he was cleared to compete in the Daytona 500 in February. His first response was, “Read the internet,” followed by, “I got released a couple of weeks ago. I feel great and I’m ready. It was harder not being in the car than it will be getting in the car. We’ve all had injuries.”
Patrick was asked how she viewed 2014 and what she expected for the new season.
“Kurt and Kevin have been a big help already,” Patrick said. “I have so much to learn from this group since they have all this experience already. I’m growing.” She was upset that the team got better in the middle part of the schedule in 2013, but floundered as the season ended.
Team co-owner Gene Haas also took the stage, which was unusual. He has been taking more of a hands-on approach of late, but insisted no changes were going to be made in the management area.
“I’m the kind of guy who hires great people and lets them do what they do best,” Haas said. “I’m there and I take part in all the big decisions, though.”
Haas also commented on his publicized desire to form a Formula One team. He made it clear that he would not want to buy an existing team, nor would he move the team from North Carolina, but said it was going to be a tough road getting a team.
“Mr. Ecclestone made it clear that he didn’t think I could get a team. I don’t know if that was his way of just showing me how tough it was going to be or what,” Haas said. “I’m interested in that form of racing because it’s the most difficult racing in the world. It would show the world Haas Automotive could compete with the best and it might open markets worldwide for our products.”
Harvick and Busch admitted they were excited to start the season with Stewart-Haas. Harvick, who was fast at Daytona, was beaming.
“I’m really excited to start (2014). This team is what I have been seeking for a long time. I think we can go out and be fast immediately and challenge for a championship. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
The day began with a noon luncheon presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Attending were the Governor of North Carolina, Charlotte’s mayor, and the staff at CMS, as well as other Speedway Motorsports facilities. At the luncheon, Governor Pat McCrory admitted he saw his first race at CMS by sneaking in the speedway. He offered SMI’s CEO, Bruton Smith, the price of a ticket since he was honored at the luncheon. Later on, McCrory offered Smith $5 for the ticket—half of the cost of admission because he only saw half the race.
The media met with JTG Daugherty and the Leavine Family Racing principals later on and will be reported on in a separate article.
The Final Word – The only 25 drivers’ names you need to concern yourself with this Cup season
When the 2014 Cup season begins, we will have new faces, old faces in new places, along with a cast of characters still where we last saw them. However, when they are done determining who is in and who is out each week, only 25 drivers on ten teams will actually matter. The rest will simply be hamburger helper sprinkled amongst the real meat.
The steak that will sizzle is once again expected to be provided by Team Hendrick, led by 6-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Four-time king Jeff Gordon, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr, and 16-race winner Kasey Kahne will all be behind the wheel of Chevrolet SS models, but this quartet is all Corvette. 189 career wins and 10 championships between them. Enough said.
After a 13 year absence, Dale Earnhardt’s old slant No.3 returns with his old boss, with the team owner’s grandson in the driver’s seat. All 23-year old Austin Dillon has done to deserve the opportunity was to show Grandpa that he can win championships, as he did last year in the junior series and the year before in the trucks. Okay, he looks rather goofy in a cowboy hat, I admit, but when he pops on a racing helmet the lad is solid gold. Add to the mix Ryan Newman and Paul Menard and this should prove an interesting season for this outfit.
Joe Gibbs has his own trio of note, as Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin all have shown star quality on the track. Kenseth was the chief contender to Johnson last year, Kyle is always in the mix, and Hamlin was the last guy we saw in Victory Lane last year, despite what was for him a season of misfortune.
Jack Roush drivers claimed three wins in 2013, even though 9th was the best season showing from a lineup that boasts Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. None have won a Cup crown, all are hungry to change that, and the pressure will be on to be succeed this season.
2014 brings us Kyle Larson, as the 21-year old joins Jamie McMurray with Chip Ganassi. He won one of two truck races he ran last year, but still is best known for being sent up into the fence and spreading car parts into the stands during Daytona’s junior series opener last year.
Roger Penske has a two car operation, with former champ Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano driving again for him. Richard Petty is back with Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola. Michael Waltrip had himself an annus horribilis, as Queen Elizabeth might say, in 2013. Still, while NAPA may be gone, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers remain. No sponsor, no Martin Truex Jr, but he wound up with Furniture Row, and along with the rest mentioned here should be more than relevant when they roll off the line.
No, I have not forgotten about Tony Stewart, nor Gene Haas who made himself relevant by hiring his own boy, namely Kurt Busch, for the team. Along with the mending co-owner and the arrival of Kevin Harvick, this should be quite a team to watch, both on and off the track. Call this the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I will leave it to you to determine who is who.
Did I miss anyone? Well, actually, no. I am with Kyle Petty when it comes to 31-year old Danica Patrick. She is a marketing machine but she has yet to prove she can race when there are others out there to compete against. Despite the quality equipment she has, and I am talking about that provided by Stewart-Haas not God Almighty, her results have been pedestrian, at best. A single Top Ten in 46 Cup races, 7 for 60 in the junior league, one win and 7 podiums in 115 IndyCar events does not a legend make. However, until another woman arrives on the scene, and I see none even close just yet, she will remain. At least she will until the novelty runs its course and she faces the same expectations as, say, 24-year old Landon Cassill, 22-year old Cole Whitt, 22- year old Trevor Bayne or 21-year old Ty Dillon.
Ten teams, I say, but what about Tommy Baldwin? If you expect Michael Annett or J.J. Yeley to do something, then maybe. I just do not see it. Swan Racing is running two teams, but will Whitt or Parker Kligerman outlast even start and parker Joe Nemechek? There will be Front Row (with David Ragan and David Gilliland), BK and Daugherty teams attempting to qualify and even making it, but will they add to your race experience? I doubt it, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone made a liar out of me? Anyone?
There will be a lot of story lines this season, such as Johnson’s quest to reach NASCAR immortality, Junior seeking a win, the rookie seasons of Dillon and Larson, Roush veterans seeking a title, the Stewart-Haas potential drama, if Furniture Row can maintain, and so much more. However, just as important will be the answer as to whether Patrick is the real deal or a 3 dressed up as a 9 and if Baldwin, Swan, or Front Row can make the jump to actually matter. We are down to just weeks before the results start trickling in.
In the meantime, enjoy the Super Bowl.
Tim Hortons partners with Jeff Lapcevich for 25th season
Fastline Motorsports announced earlier this week that Tim Hortons will once again sponsor Jeff Lapcevich in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. It marks the 25th season that Tim Hortons has partnered with the Grimsby, Ontario native.
“I can’t express how honored I am to once again have the support of Tim Hortons,” Lapcevich said. “They’ve supported our team for the last 24 seasons, I’m sure our 25th year together is going to be a great one.”
Lapcevich had a solid season in 2013, finishing in the top 10 in six of his seven starts. The season was highlighted by Fastline Motorsports announced earlier this week that Tim Hortons will once again sponsor Jeff Lapcevich in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. It marks the 25th season that Tim Hortons has partnered with the Grimsby, Ontario native.a podium finish in both the season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and the season finale at Kawartha Speedway.
“2013 was an exciting year for us,” Lapcevich expressed. “We had a brand new road course chassis and had performed a bunch of upgrades to our oval chassis over the off-season. In many ways, it was a season of experimenting and finding just how far we could push our equipment to get the results we needed. After all that we’ve learned, I feel as though we have a phenomenal package for our 2014 season and I can’t wait to hit the track and start testing.”
Fastline Motorsports also announced that Castrol, Cathcart Trucking, Springers Meats and Troy Cove Marine will once again sponsor Lapcevich in 2014 as well.
