Sprint Media Tour – Day Four – Ford, Roush-Fenway, and Joe Gibbs Racing
The final day of the Sprint Media Tour had it all—announcements, fireworks, and humor at Joe Gibbs Racing. The first stop was the Ford breakfast where all the Ford teams with the notable exception of Roush-Fenway were represented. After a short introduction, drivers were given designated places for interviews. Drivers and officials from Richard Petty Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, Germain Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing were in attendance along with Ford’s Edsel Ford and Jamie Allison.
The only major announcement was that Smithfield Foods had announced an expansion of its partnership with RPM. This extension will include being primary sponsor on the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion in 25 events during the 2013 season. Those brands include Eckrich, Farmland, Gwaltney, and Smithfield and all will appear on the car. Aric Amirola will continue to drive the No. 43 as announced earlier. Smithfield Packing will be the sponsor at Daytona in February.
Next, the media headed to Uptown Charlotte to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the Roush-Fenway presentation. The 2013 drivers were announced and included Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in Sprint Cup. Trevor Bayne will pilot the No. 6 Mustang in the Nationwide Series while Travis Pastrana will drive the No. 60 Mustang.
Pastrana said he was humbled to be with Roush-Fenway.
“I’ve always wanted to be with a team that has won championships and knew what takes to win. I’m there now,” Pastrana said. “I’m in awe of that No. 60 Ford and all the success it has had.”
Robbie Reiser was promoted from General Manager to Vice President of Competition. “That’s the job he was doing anyway,” Roush said. Roger Penske said Wednesday night that their main contact with RFR was Reiser, but Roush said that “they have a dramatically different car than our car. The underbody and the suspension do not relate.”
Roush said he was looking to add a fourth team as soon as possible. The driver of that car would be Trevor Bayne. Regardless, Bayne said to this writer, “All I have so far is the Nationwide Series and Cup with the Wood Brothers. I hope someday to run Cup. That’s what I want.”
Roush said they were able to renew nine sponsorships even with the tough economic times. When asked about the No. 17 to be driven by Stenhouse, he commented that there was sponsorship available to run the entire season there.
The most spectacular end to the visit was when all the Ford Cup cars paraded around Uptown Charlotte in their new 2013 Fusion race cars. Biffle, Edwards, and Stenhouse from RFR, Ambrose and Almirola from RPM, Keselowski and Logano from Penske, Casey Mears from Germain Racing, and David Ragan and David Gilliland from Front Row Motorsports took a wild run through the streets of the Queen City with a police escort. During the run, the drivers had fun with the photographer’s F-150 truck just ahead of the cars, nearly touching the truck at times.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Keselowski. “I hope we didn’t get into trouble and we might have.” When told that he had scared the photographers, Keselowski said, “That’s what we intended to do.” The cars made the trip around two city blocks and came back to the plaza of the Hall of Fame for pictures with drivers and car owners, as well as Edsel Ford.
The final stop on the Tour was Joe Gibbs Racing where the driver lineup of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, and Brian Vickers were introduced. Elliott Sadler was testing and couldn’t attend. It was a light-hearted affair with Kenseth and Busch throwing jabs at each other. At one point, Kenseth told the crowd that Busch had told him not to be disappointed in their restrictor plate performance because it wasn’t too good. Kenseth was fast off the truck at Daytona. Later on Busch proclaimed his desire to be a Sprint Cup Champion, and hoped to challenge Hamlin in that race in 2013. Gibbs said, “What about that guy,” pointing at Kenseth. “He already has his,” Busch said.
Gibbs announced a multi-year extension with Busch.
“I’ve always wanted to be here,” Busch said. I love Joe Gibbs and J.D. and he work so well together, Busch said. “That’s not always the case with a father and son as I can tell you about my father and me.” When asked if he wanted to end his career at Gibbs, Busch said he would never say never, but for now, it’s a perfect fit for him.
It was also announced that Busch would once again be driving in 25 Nationwide Series races for JGR. He will drive the No.94 Toyota Camry along with Matt Kenseth.
Sprint Media Day Day Three – Penske Racing
The last stop on Day Three of the Sprint Media Tour found the media heading to Mooresville, North Carolina, to visit Penske racing. Fresh off a Sprint Cup Championship with Brad Keselowski winning the prize, things were still being improved and changed in the organization.
It was announced that Pennzoil had extended its sponsorship on the No. 22 car and other Penske vehicles for the “long term.” No duration was mentioned, but Roger Penske’s body language seemed to indicate that it was longer than the normal two or three years.
The driver lineup was introduced to all in attendance, which included Jamie Allison, Ford’s racing czar and Edsel Ford. Penske drivers for 2013 include 2012 Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Ryan Blaney. Keselowski will pilot the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford while Joey Logano will drive the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford in Sprint Cup. In addition, Logano and Blaney will run the full season in the Nationwide Series in Ford Mustangs. Penske also announced a new sponsor, Hertz. Hertz will be a co-primary sponsor on the #22 in fall Charlotte Cup race, and possibly others. Greg Erwin will be Sam Hornish’s crew chief in the Nationwide Series.
Penske executive Walt Czarnecki says the transition to Ford has been seamless. “It’s like we never left,” he said. Team owner Roger Penske said the goal was a manufacturer’s championship for Ford and the organization was endorsing the “One Ford” concept. “We’re excited about working with Doug Yates and his marvelous engines and Jack Roush for his knowledge of what makes a Ford go,” Penske said
Penske said that he had talked to Ryan Newman about running a third car in 2013 before he reached agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing, but sponsorship money was not there for the third car. “Right now, Sam (Hornish) is in line for the third car when it happens.”
The enthusiasm for Ford’s newest team was shown as Allison, Ford, and other executives were in attendance and in good spirits at the dinner. All the new cars were on site, including the bright yellow Hertz car to be on the track in October.
2013 Sprint Cup Team Preview: Michael Waltrip Racing
Today our 2013 Sprint Cup team previews focus on Michael Waltrip Racing, the organization that finished 2nd in points in 2012. Michael Waltrip Racing will field three entries in 2013, the #15 for Clint Bowyer, #56 for Martin Truex Jr, and the #55 will feature a combination of drivers including Mark Martin, Brian Vickers, and Michael Waltrip.
Clint Bowyer
In his first year with Michael Waltrip Racing, Clint Bowyer surprised everyone with a 2nd place points finish in 2012. Many thought there would be an adjustment period for Bowyer and crew chief Brian Pattie, but the team ran strong all year, accumulating 3 wins. If not for getting caught up in the last lap melee at Talladega and getting intentionally wrecked by Jeff Gordon at Phoenix, Bowyer most likely would have been in the running for the Sprint Cup championship at Homestead. With sponsorship from 5 Hour Energy and Peak Antifreeze, Bowyer and Pattie will team up once again in 2013 and if the debut season for the duo is any indication, this team should have no problem winning races and making the Chase in 2013 and could be a strong contender for the 2013 title.
Martin Truex Jr
The 2012 season for Martin Truex Jr was one in which Truex was competitive week in and week out and came close many times to winning a race, but came up just short every time. The consistent run landed Truex in the Chase and he finished the year in 11th place. Truex and crew chief Chad Johnston will team up once again in 2013 and with the chemistry building between the two, look for Truex to finally get that monkey off his back and get back to victory lane for the first time since 2007 and most likely make it back into the Chase as well.
#55 Team
Although no one driver drove the #55 full time in 2012, the trio of drivers that split up the schedule (Mark Martin, Brian Vickers, and Michael Waltrip) had a good enough performance between the three to land the #55 car at 15th in the owners points in 2012. The three drivers will once again split time in the #55 in 2013, with Martin running 26 races, Vickers running 9 races and team owner Waltrip running the two restrictor plate races at Talladega and the July Daytona race. With the talent in the seat of the #55 car, it definitely would not be a surprise to see this team in Victory Lane at least once this year
Jimmie Johnson looks for more consistent season with clean mind
A couple years ago, it was all about the streak and continuing to win championships. Questions were surrounding as to whether Jimmie Johnson could continue to win championships,win six in a row, seven in a row.
“I feel like through those five years, there was some pressure on me that I didn’t know existed till the streak ended,” he said.
However, the 2011 season didn’t play into Johnson’s hands as he would finish sixth in points, ending the streak at five. For Johnson, it was like cleaning off the sheet of paper. Though, the pressure was still there. Instead of wondering if the streak would continue, the pressure was there to bounce back and return to the championship form.
“We did everything we could last year,” Johnson said as his team came close, finishing third in points to Brad Keselowski. However, in their mind, they did what they could. They won the most poles with four, won the most races with five while scoring 18 top fives and 24 top 10s. Even with the success, they lost and they know why – the six DNFs they had, including two engine failures.
“I think we have to fix those pieces and finish the races,” he said. “You can’t not finish races in the Chase.”
Though even with falling short of the championship and the DNFs from last year, Johnson feels he is more mentally prepared for this year than any year in the past.
“I have been excited other years, but this year it’s different,” he said. “I have a clean mind. I’m not worried about anything. I’m carrying no baggage. No pressure. “
Part of that could be due to the excitement surrounding the new car as Johnson has been solid in testing, posting the fifth fastest speed during the Charlotte test. For Johnson, he says that the aero balance is more forgiving, which will lead to better racing.
“I think that is NASCAR’s intent to be able to run side-by-side and be more aggressive on restarts,” he said. “With the added downforce, you may want to take a chance and get side-by-side with someone. The car is more comfortable with the downforce, the speed is up. “
While Johnson looks to go after the fourth championship, he will make his 400th career start at Daytona in the Daytona 500.
“Time flies, bottom line,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like 400 starts, but that’s the case. Can’t thank Hendrick Motorsports enough for the opportunity. All of those starts were with Hendrick, Chevrolet, with Lowe’s. Can’t thank everybody enough for the relationships. Hope to have another 400 more.”
Bayne excited to go racing with ‘the best team in Nationwide’
When then 20-year-old Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers, many – including Bayne – thought he was on the fast track for a full-time ride in the series.
But two years later as he sat and answered questions during a Nationwide event as part of the Sprint Media Tour hosted by the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bayne acknowledged the frustrations that came when it didn’t happen. He thought he was ready and the ride would be there and while he started other races for the Wood Brothers, and continued running Nationwide Series races for Roush Fenway, nothing opened up. And it didn’t help that a few months later he lost a chance to run full-time when he had to sit out because of fatigue and double vision, presumably from an insect bite.
Bayne though, stuck with it and ran as many races that were presented to him. Roush stayed committed to the young driver and promised that as soon as something came along, Bayne would be the first one to get the call. When the 2013 season starts, that promise will become a reality as he runs for the NNS championship with Roush and the No. 6 team, who won the last two titles with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“There was a little bit of frustration initially, because I felt like, ‘Hey we’re ready to go racing’ and it’s hard to wait,” Bayne said on Tuesday night.
“Now that’s it’s here that frustrations gone away because I see the perseverance and the patience paying off and I see they’re [Roush] doing everything they said they were going to do and now I have the best team in Nationwide to run with. Best team in any NASCAR top series, I think that these guys can do it. To know that I waited this long for that, it’s worth it to me.”
Stenhouse moves to Cup to fill the seat of the departing Matt Kenseth. It was finally the opening that Bayne needed as Roush quickly put him in the NNS seat vacated by Stenhouse. Mike Kelley, who led Stenhouse to his championships, will remain the crew chief and Cargill Beef will remain a primary sponsor. Oh, Bayne also got engaged during the Christmas offseason to longtime girlfriend Ashton.
Perhaps now, as it appeared to be in 2011, things are finally falling into place for the Tennessee native. It’s the perfect storm for Bayne as he fits in perfectly with Roush and his new team. He’s worked with them for years, watched them win races and knows what they’re capable of. His own expectations will only be matched by those of a team who make the most of every opportunity and who Bayne say, give it everything they have.
“It’s not a lot of pressure after I’ve seen these guys working together. Now that I’ve been in the shop and I’ve seen how they’ve done that, I see why they’ve done it. It’s not some crazy magic, something they have going on. It’s just chemistry and how good they work together,” he said.
“It comes from Mike Kelley’s leadership and after I’ve seen that, it takes all the pressure off because I know they give me the best racecars that I could possibly have. They make great calls on the pit box and now it’s up to me and I think I have the ability to do it and we’re going to go for it.”
His lone NNS win at Texas in the fall of 2011 make him no rookie. This season, however, will be one in which he starts over. Bayne’s OK with that and looks forward to the challenge of finally getting to compete for a championship and prove he – and the wait – have been worth it.
What should help, Bayne spent much of his offseason spending as much time as he could to better get to know his guys. Before they roll up to Daytona International Speedway to start the season they’ll already prepared, not learning as they go. It was Bayne who took it upon himself to give them that extra attention and make sure everyone is on the same and ready to go when the garage doors open. Cars are important but the people who prepare those cars are everything.
“Everybody knows it’s going to be tough this year and we be crazy to think it’s going to be an easy walk but I think it’s something we can do and I think we have enough ability within our team with Mike Kelley, like I said, and all the guys on that team that have worked together,” Bayne noted about competition in Elliot Sadler, Brian Vickers and Austin Dillon to name a few.
As well as noting that his team has won races not with just Stenhouse but Carl Edwards and David Ragan years before.
“It’s something that Mike text me and said, ‘Hey man, we’ve won races with all these guys and now it’s your turn. It’s your team and we’re going to support you and it’s our team.’ It’s not like Ricky did this and your going to fill his shoes. This is your team and it’s our team and we’re going to run for a championship and I think that’s what we’ve got on our side this year.”
Joe Gibbs Racing Set for a Great 2013 Nationwide Series Season
With the 2013 season approaching, Joe Gibbs Racing has many people picking them as a serious contender for the Sprint Cup Series championship.
While that is likely the case, JGR is perhaps best prepared for the team’s Nationwide Series effort for this upcoming season.
Thursday, the fourth and final day of the Sprint Media Tour, it was announced that Kyle Busch has re-signed with JGR in a multi-year deal. In the announcement, the team confirmed Busch would be a key player in the organization’s Nationwide Series plans for 2013.
Busch, who competed in the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports last season in NASCAR’s second-tier series, will take the number and sponsor Monster Energy to Coach Gibbs’ racing operation for this season.
Busch, who is known in the Nationwide Series for his success with JGR, of course is going to be a major contender for multiple wins in the series this year. In total, he will compete in 25 races and he likely will be in victory lane for a good chunk of those events.
Adding to the lineup for JGR, the No. 18 Toyota will field the drivers of Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Michael McDowell and others in what will almost be a full time effort for the car.
In addition to the Cup drivers who are to participate in the entries, both Elliott Sadler and Brian Vickers will compete full time for the championship with JGR.
In what has already been a stellar Nationwide Series effort – Joey Logano won nine races in the series last year – Joe Gibbs Racing has perhaps one of the best lineups for its program in quite some time.
Four car operations are quite unlikely in this series – even the Sprint Cup Series – so the depth of the team will likely benefit them in a great way for 2013. All the drivers in this lineup have proven to be very successful and their equipment is known to be some of the best there is.
If you think JGR wins often in the Nationwide Series already, you haven’t seen anything yet.
