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Justin Wilson healed up and ready to go for Rolex 24 at Daytona

By
SM Staff
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Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin

In the season finale of the IndyCar Series season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, Justin Wilson was involved in a six-car incident that resulted in “non-operable pelvic fractures and a small pulmonary contusion.”

Three months later, Justin Wilson says that he is healed up and ready to go for the 2014 season.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “I mean, the recovery went well. I was back walking five and a half, six weeks after the accident, so I was very fortunate the way my pelvis broke, it healed fast. Didn’t need any surgery. I had some good doctors, good advice.”

Wilson has yet to be in an IndyCar since the injury, but has been back racing as he took part in practice for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona two weeks ago.

“I felt great when we tested here two weeks ago for the Roar Before, and it was good to get back in the car,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting back to competition. Hopefully it’s going to be a good 24 hours for us, and nothing would please me more than repeating what happened after my injury in 2011 and winning the Daytona 24 Hours the following year.”

In 2011, Wilson fractured a bone in his back following an incident in Saturday morning practice ahead of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. He was sidelined for the rest of the season and the first race back was the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona, where he took home the win.

“I think it’s great,” Wilson said of the Rolex event. “I mean, it’s the perfect way to start out your year and get seat time when there’s not a lot happening in IndyCar. The teams are just prepping, getting things ready, and you come here and get plenty of seat time, get some good racing in, and some really good competition. The thing that attracts me is nothing else is going on this time of year so you don’t have to worry about you’re missing something else, and you’re racing against some of the best guys from all over the world, and you come here and try something different out.

“It’s really a test of everything:  Your patience, trying to deal with the traffic, timing, getting through that traffic. There’s so many things that can go wrong that stop you from winning this race, and you’re just trying to not make any of those mistakes, fall down any of those traps.

“It’s just, like I said, the perfect way to get up to speed, blow off the cobwebs and get ready for the new season.”

Wilson will be competing in this year’s race once again with Michael Shank Racing.

“It’s great to keep that relationship going,” he commented. “I think it works really well together. Everyone is comfortable around each other. We’re not ‑‑ we all want to be the quickest on the team, but we’re not going to risk damaging the car to get that. We try and do everything we can to try and get the most out of ourselves and the equipment without taking any risks.

“Mike has a fantastic race team, great people, all pulling in the same direction, and it’s always a pleasure to be part of that and come down here and try and help them out. I feel very privileged to have built these relationships with some great people, now great friends. Like I said, hopefully we can repeat what we’ve done before. We’ve been on the top step. We’ve been second, been third. We want to get back to the top step again.”

Wilson will be looking to get some testing in before the IndyCar season though as he will once again race for Dale Coyne Racing in 2014. Current plans have his first pre-season test being February 3rd.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the IndyCar,” he said. “I’ve got a new engineer this year, Michael Cannon, and Bill Pappas left at the end of last year, went to Rahal Letterman, but looking forward to working with Michael, and hopefully we can gel quickly and do what we need to do, and hopefully we can win some races.”

There were some discussions that Wilson may not be back with Dale Coyne in 2014, but plans changed after some conversations.

“He promises me he’s going to get a couple of critical people in the right places and allow us to be more consistent and make life easier,” Wilson explained. “I think we had some good performances last year, but definitely felt like we need to work on that consistency and try and execute a little bit more in every aspect, not just the team, but the strategy, my driving, pit stops.”

The 2014 IndyCar season will kick off in March with the St. Petersburg, Florida street course.

“It’s a very challenging track,” Wilson commented. “You’re on the airport runways and then you go out to the city streets. It’s a really cool combination, and I think it’s a good event.

“I enjoy it. I’m looking forward to that, and hopefully we can be competitive. Last year was actually my worst year at St. Petersburg competitive‑wise. Before that I’ve always run really well. But we seemed to miss the setup last year and had a slow start to the year. But we recovered well after it.

“I’d like to think we’ve learnt a lot since then and can come back this year and be near the front again.”

Robin Pemberton says qualifying format brings excitement to NASCAR

By
SM Staff
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Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Today, NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition and Racing Development made the announcement that NASCAR will not feature single-car qualifying in 2014. Instead, they will be going to the group knock-0ut qualifying that is featured in open wheel racing.

Pemberton says the idea has been in the works for a long time and finally, they were able to put the pieces together after consulting those involved in the sport.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a track owner, a car owner, a crew chief, a driver, a sponsor, everybody has different ideas to help move this sport forward,” he said. “It’s something that we’ve been talking about for quite some time.  You know, you make these decisions, some benefit more than others at different times, but I don’t think you could put a finger on any one group that would have encouraged anything like this.

“We have really great relationships out there and we work hard together, and these are the products that we come up with when we work hard together.”

Pemberton said that they considered many ideas, though this was the best one to go with.

“Really for us to try to be as consistent as we could across the board for all of our racetracks and our stakeholders, we felt like this format here was going to serve as the best right now, with three rounds at our bigger tracks and two rounds,” he said. “And so we looked at a lot of different things.  We kept coming back and kept pointing to this that it could be the best for us currently.”

NASCAR released the following graphic to help explain their new format:

Photo Credit: NASCAR
Photo Credit: NASCAR

Other notables about the format include:

  • Provisionals will still be used to set positions 36 to 43.
  • If multiple cars finish with the same lap time and speed then the positions would be determined by owner’s points.
  • If there’s an incident on track, the red flag will be displayed and the clock will be frozen.
  • There will be a five minute break between sessions for adjustments. Teams can make wedge,tire pressure,track bar, and tape adjustments between each qualifying round, but can only use one set of tires for the entire qualifying session and are not allowed to jack up the car or raise the hood between sessions.
  • Random draw will determine the order of cars on pit road as they roll out for the first round of qualifying.
  • If weather halts qualifying starting positions will be based off the last completed qualifying session.
  • Daytona 500 qualifying,Eldora Truck qualifying, and qualifying for the two non points races however will remain unchanged.

From a fan’s perspective, this looks like a good idea as it should add excitement, though some competitors also believe that the change is a nice one.

I LOVE the new qualifying formats. Going to add new achievable goals for growing teams, as well adding excitement & strategy. Great Stuff!

For NASCAR, it’s also good on a financial side as Pemberton feels its a benefit to their sponsors.

“It’s better for Coors and Keystone, and it’s going to be a better show for TV and the people at home will have a better opportunity to watch these guys qualify,” he said.

Pemberton added that the change should work out well for the tracks as the added excitement versus two hours of single-car runs should help draw the crowd in.

It also make it easier for the TV partners in the sport as they don’t have to set aside two hours of broadcast time.

“We work with all of our key partners on a lot of these things,” Pemberton explained. “This isn’t a decision that was made in a short period of time.  It took a lot of work and effort and a lot of areas.  Whether it be broadcasters or competitors or sponsors here at NASCAR.  So there were a lot of people, a lot of groups that weighed in on all of this.  Like everything else that we do, it’s important that everybody’s engaged and we get everybody’s take on the ups and downs of some of these things.”

NASCAR knew that fans were bored with the current system as most would skip watching it at the track or on television and just view the results online later. With the new system and the unknowns associated with it, it should bring more excitement.

Though there’s also many unknowns….and the chance of cars wrecking together. If you put a bunch of cars in a pack at Daytona or Talladega, many times it brings forth wrecks.

The first test for the new qualifying format will be NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying for their season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February.

New NASCAR National Series Qualifying For The Coors Light Pole Award Unveiled

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FAST EDDIE RACEWEAR TO SHOWCASE ITS PRODUCT LINES AT THE CANADIAN MOTORSPORTS EXPO

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Daytona – What makes it so special?

By
Michelle Lippold
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Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Who would have thought all those years ago that a race which is run partially on sand would become the biggest race in NASCAR?

What would become the Daytona 500 started out on a track that wasn’t your typical track. It started off as a long square that was partially in the sand and partially on a highway that was near the beach. Can you imagine a race going from sand to asphalt then back to sand? Imagine trying to set up a car for sand then sliding onto a highway!

In 1959 the first Daytona 500 was run, but its roots could be traced back as far as 1903. That was the year some daredevils decided that the level, hard-packed sands of Ormand Beach, Fla. would be a perfect place to see how fast a race car could run. From there, beach racing in the Daytona area became a hit. It actually was the second 500 mile race, following the Southern 500. Did anyone realize that the best was yet to come and soon the race would be the iconic race it has become today?

Yes, there was one man who saw what things could be. It was 1934 when a mechanic named “Big Bill” France migrated to Daytona from Washington D.C. The only thing France enjoyed more than working on cars was racing them. It was “Big Bill” that announced in 1955 that he was building a track that was going to be called Daytona International Speedway He would also go on to organize the drivers and NASCAR was born. By 1961 the race was referred to as simply the “Daytona 500” but it would be far from simple. We just didn’t know it yet, or perhaps we did, but who would have guessed that it would grow to the magnitude that it has today?

The year was 1979 and for the first time a 500 mile race would be broadcast in its entirety. Eager fans tuned in to see this race and it did not disappoint. Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough were in a tight race for the win. Neither driver was going to give and Yarborough ended up spinning into Allison, both cars ended up in the grass and a disagreement ensued. Bobby Allison, who at that point was a lap down, would stop his car, get out and then the fight was on. It was shown on live television and that race cemented Daytona as the place to be. Richard Petty would go on to win that race with Darrell Waltrip coming in second.

NASCAR has had several great finishes at Daytona, too many to even really write about, which also has made it such a special place. It’s the one race every driver wants to win. It’s the race that little boys watch with their fathers and think “this is what I want to do.”

NASCAR is all about family. The Alabama Gang of Bobbie, Donnie, and Davey Allison, along with Red Farmer is one example. You also have Ned Jarrett and son Dale, Dale Earnhardt and son Dale Earnhardt Jr. as well as Darrell Waltrip and his brother Michael. Most of those named have won the Daytona 500, though for some it was easier than others.

Darrell Waltrip finally won the Daytona 500 in 1989 on his 17th attempt in the car No. 17 and celebrated by doing the “icky shuffle.” Dale Earnhardt Sr. tried 19 times and so many times something would happen on the last lap. His is probably the most special win of all, as on his 20th time he finally conquered the Daytona curse and won the race. No one will forget seeing the black No. 3 coming down pit road with members of other teams and the media lined up to slap his hand and congratulate the “Intimidator” on his victory. When he got to victory lane, all he said was, “finally!”

There has been tragedy as well, 22 drivers have been killed at the track. Of course the most notable was Dale Earnhardt Sr. but others have been lost as well, including Neil Bonnett and Rodney Orr.

What makes Daytona special? I think Darrell Waltrip summed it up perfectly when he said, “For a race driver, when you drive through that tunnel and into the infield at Daytona, it’s like you’ve entered the gates of Heaven. If you roll onto the track at Daytona and don’t get goosebumps, buddy you ain’t a racer.”

So as we get closer to Daytona this year think to yourself, what was your special moment that gives you goosebumps? Close your eyes and picture yourself there, feel the sun hitting your face and the roar of the crowd. Imagine that you can see Fireball Roberts, Lee Petty, Tiny Lund, and Pete Hamilton taking the checkered flag. If you close your eyes and look into turn four you can see the black No. 3 coming at you and that smirk on his face as he takes the checkered flag. Little boys that will be drivers someday dream of that checkered flag, and we are lucky enough to experience it all.

If by chance the France proposal had come to pass…in 2013

By
Ron Thornton
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Photo Credit: David L. Yeazell

A year or two ago, let us say that Brian France had a brainwave. He came up with a proposal to allow 16 drivers into the Chase, first determined by wins gathered up to and including Richmond. The rest would get an invite due to the points accumulated. Let him add another twist. Let him have the rank of contenders drop by four after three Chase events, another four after six, with four more gone just as they headed to Homestead. In the big finale, an artificially engineered four driver showdown for all the marbles would take place, also featuring 39 also-rans out there to keep them company.

So, after the race in Richmond in 2013, they would have set the sweet 16, to steal yet another concept from another sport. A dozen would wind up getting a pass based on having won at least once up to that moment. Welcome David Ragan to the derby for his win at Talladega. Tony Stewart would limp in, though he would be gone after the third race of the Chase for obvious reasons.  Just like Clint Bowyer, not enough penalties could have kept Martin Truex Jr out, due to his win at Sonoma. The remaining four spots get in on points, which would mean no help needed by Jeff Gordon as he would join Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch, and Bowyer..

Three races down in the Chase, and four drivers would be eliminated. Stewart is officially gone, to be joined by Ragan, who in three races earned only 53 points more than the idle Smoke.  A lousy day at Loudon finished Kasey Kahne’s hopes, while Joey Logano started the Chase bad and that was all that was needed. Then, to keep us all on the edge of our seats, they evened up the points to put the final dozen on an equal footing.

12 left, with four more about to go by the time they left Talladega. A bad day in Chicago was all that was needed to eliminate Ryan Newman while Truex had a tough time just finishing in the Top 20 in those initial Chase weeks. Chicago also meant the end of Kyle Busch’s hopes, as the second stage also would have spelled adios for Greg Biffle. For the eight that remain, the points are again evened out as they all start from scratch, season be damned.

While Johnson would have cruised through the next segment with a win and a pair of Top Fives, Kurt Busch was just so-so, so he had to go. Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards both had Texas disasters, while Bowyer was good at a time he needed to be great. 12 drivers and nine races down and it was down to NASCAR’s manufactured “game seven”…even though no other sport actually attempts to engineer such a thing. There is the Super Bowl, I guess, but I can’t help but notice that only the contenders ever hit the field on game day and most often the two teams are meeting for the first time that year. Still, I digress.

So, off they would have gone to Homestead, just four still alive in the hunt for the paper title. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Matt Kenseth in a one race showdown. What a wonder for the ages it would have been, that is if the fans had bought into the nonsense.  All four were on the lead lap on the final day, and while in-race observer Denny Hamlin was out in front at the end, the third place Junior was putting on a furious charge in an attempt to catch the second place Kenseth on the track. He would come up just short. Matt would no doubt have been overjoyed to win his second title, while Johnson finished ninth in the one race spectacular. Despite an average finish of 5.1 over the final ten races, it just would have not been good enough under the new France system. Would it have been a good enough finish for you?

While Matt celebrated and Johnson pondered what could have been, Dale Earnhardt rolled over in his grave. As for Richard Petty, he was just happy that the 1967 season was run under different rules. If it had not been, Bobby Allison’s sixth win that year in the Weaverville, North Carolina finale would have trumped the King’s 27 to claim the title that year. Petty finished second in the race, but even the best season in NASCAR history would have been reduced to a mere footnote.  Still, imagine the excitement and joy of the fans in watching that “game seven” spectacular. Imagine the legitimacy of the championship.

Just imagine.

NASCAR’S NEW QUALIFYING FORMAT BRINGING EXCITEMENT TO RICHMOND INT’L RACEWAY ON FRIDAY, APRIL 25

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Last minute deals and it’s only January

By
SM Staff
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Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

It seems rather odd to think of NASCAR racing teams making last minute deals during the month of January. After all, it’s only the first month of a brand new year. However, when the 2014 NASCAR racing season is less than a month away, and the start of that season is the highly prestigious and lucrative Daytona 500, that does mean that January is indeed the month for last minute deals for wheels. Here’s a few examples from just the last week or two:

ALLGAIER GETS THAT ALL IMPORTANT SHOT AT THE CUP

In a move that was very much expected, Harry Scott, owner of Phoenix Racing, announced that he has signed Justin Allgaier to drive his No. 51 BRANDT Chevrolet for the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

The 27 year old driver, from Riverton-Illinois, spent the 2013 season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the BRANDT Chevrolet, for Turner Scott Motorsports where he finished fifth in the final standings. Allgaier has already filed as a candidate for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie Of The Year award.

Needless to say, Allgaier is thrilled over the opportunity to get a coveted ride in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In a statement issued by the team’s public relations department, Allgaier said, “This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I intend to make the most of it. I am very grateful to Harry Scott and BRANDT for having faith in me to compete against the best drivers in the world.”

BRANDT, a manufacturer and retailer of agricultural speciality products, will make the move to the Sprint Cup Series with Allgaier and sponsor him for 21 races. Also signing sponsorship agreements with the team are: the National FFA, Trademark Nitrogen, the Nutrients For Life Foundation, Precision Tanks and the Griggs Brothers. That line up creates a very unique factor: the Phoenix Racing No. 51 Chevrolet will be sponsored by a group of companies that are all related to the agriculture industry.

Team owner Harry Scott also announced that NASCAR veteran driver, and former Sprint Cup champion, Bobby Labonte will drive his No. 52 Chevrolet for several races in 2014 including the upcoming Daytona 500.

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BK RACING EMBRACES THE YOUTH MOVEMENT

Ron Devine, owner of BK Racing, announced the signing of young gun drivers Alex Bowman and Ryan Truex for 2014. Both drivers will make their debut with the team in the upcoming Daytona 500 and will be considered candidates for the 2014 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year competition.

Alex Bowman will be making his official Sprint Cup debut in BK Racing’s No. 23 Toyota at Daytona. The 20 year old Arizona driver made 32 starts last year as a rookie in the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he scored a pair of top five finishes, six top tens and finished the season with an impressive 11th place in the series’ championship standings. Crew chief Dave Winston will be guiding Bowman during his rookie Sprint Cup season.

Bowman’s Toyota has been assigned a new number. Last year the car was No. 93. Explaining the number change, via a team press release, team Ron Devine said, “In an effort to better align with long-time partner Dr Pepper, BK Racing will renumber the #93 to the #23 in 2014. The number is synonymous with the regular Dr Pepper’s original 23 flavors. However the #93 will remain with the team on a part-time basis.”

Bowman, whom many believe has a bright future in NASCAR racing, commented on his new opportunity, via the team’s release, and said, 

”This is an extremely good opportunity for me. Ron (Devine) and I first started talking about the possibilities months ago. I’m happy to be a part of this organization.”

21 year old New Jersey native Ryan Truex is the third generation of a racing family and joins older brother Martin Truex Jr. in the Sprint Cup Series this year. He’s a two time champion of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and made a total of three Sprint Cup starts last year. His full time venture in Cup racing this year, in the team’s No. 93 Toyota. will be led by crew chief Dale Ferguson.

Commenting on his Sprint Cup opportunity, from the team’s press release, Truex said, “Driving in the Sprint Cup Series has been a goal since I started racing, and to start this next chapter with BK Racing makes it extra special. I am very excited for this opportunity.”

Both drivers drove the BK Racing Toyotas in the NASCAR Pre Season Thunder test held earlier in January at Daytona. Each made a very positive impression on Devine who said, “Alex and Ryan have always impressed me,” team owner Ron Devine said in a release from the team. “Both take care of their cars and have shown speed at every level they have competed in. With their abilities, we feel they can both excel in our equipment. As a team we are very excited, and their abilities to work with everyone here at BK Racing will be important.”

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BK GETS A NEW ALLIANCE

From a January 21st team press release, Team Penske announced that Alliance Truck Parts will join the No. 2 Ford Fusion team for the 2014 Sprint Cup Series.

After successfully partnering with Team Penske in the Nationwide Series for the last several seasons, Alliance Truck Parts will transition to become a primary sponsor for the No. 2 Ford Fusion, driven by 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski. The distinctive bright yellow Alliance Truck Parts colors will adorn the Team Penske Ford for eight races in 2014 beginning with the race at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2.

An industry-leading provider of heavy duty truck parts for the commercial transportation industry, Alliance Truck Parts will also be a prominent associate sponsor on the No. 2 Ford throughout the 2014 season.

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SOME LOVE FOR DAVID GILLILAND

From a January 21st team press release from Front Row Motorsports:

Love’s Travel Stops will significantly broaden its partnership with Front Row Motorsports in 2014, partnering with the Sprint Cup Series team for 14 races on David Gilliland’s No. 38 Ford. Fans will first see the return of the bright yellow, red and black paint scheme at the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Love’s Travel Stops first teamed up with Front Row Motorsports in 2013, sponsoring three races in the company’s first venture into NASCAR. Gilliland pushed the brand to the center of attention at Talladega Superspeedway in May, when his Love’s Travel Stops Ford shoved teammate David Ragan to the front of the field to earn Front Row’s first victory in a 1-2 Ragan-Gilliland finish.

Love’s Travel Stops, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., is family-owned and operated with more than 310 locations in 39 states and is currently ranked No. 9 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies.

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A VERY POWERFUL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ERNIE ELLIOTT

Power by Ernie Elliott announced the company has officially restructured and is offering full service leasing programs to NASCAR’S top-3 divisions, ARCA Racing Series, and other motorsport divisions.

The company develops and builds high performance Chevrolet and Toyota engines with legendary engine builder Ernie Elliott at the helm. Ernie Elliott’s accomplishments include holding the NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying record of 212.809 mph, one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship, 51 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series poles, 39 wins, 148-top 5’s and 291-top 10’s. His engine building expertise has also earned him three ARCA Championships including 37 wins.

Located in Dawsonville, GA, the Power by Ernie Elliott facility is a fully equipped engine shop with the latest technology utilized to achieve top results.

INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Jan. 22, 2014

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TEAM PENSKE WELCOMES WURTH AS A PRIMARY SPONSOR OF THE NO. 2 FORD IN THE 2014 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

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