Corey LaJoie Scores First Monster Mile Win In Wild K&N Pro Series East Race

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September 28, 2012

[media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]With wrecks aplenty, a torn off bumper, and a green, white checkered finish, Corey LaJoie survived to score the win in the K&N Pro Series East race, the American Real TV 150, at Dover International Speedway.

And in one of the more unique victory celebrations, LaJoie removed his driving shoe, autographed it and handed it to a young race fan in the stands.

This was LaJoie’s fourth career K&N Pro Series East victory, with all four wins in the 2012 season. It was his first win at the Monster Mile, where he finished

“First I just want to start by saying how blessed I am to be in this situation,” the driver of the No. 07 Sims Metal Management Ford, said. “There are a million and a half kids who’d like to be in my spot right here so I’m just lucky enough to have the opportunity.”

“It doesn’t matter how many races I win in my career, I’ll always be second to the Lord.”

LaJoie was also effusive in his praise for third place finisher and good friend Brandon McReynolds.

“Brandon’s my best buddy since we came out of the womb,” LaJoie said. “To get to race for Miles the Monster in one of his one-off races, man it’s something you couldn’t ask for more.”

“I also need to thank Brand Gdovic for pulling that bumper off or we’d be sitting her in tenth place half tore up.”

“All in all, that was an awesome race.”

LaJoie admitted that the car he was driving and won the race in just happened to be borrowed.

“Miguel Paludo drove it last year and we pulled it out of the barn to get it out,” LaJoie said. “We got it a month ago, stripped it, painted it and the first time it hit the track was yesterday.”

LaJoie is also focused on the biggest prize in the series, the championship. And what does he have to do in his opinion to achieve that goal?

“Win the next two races,” LaJoie said simply. “If we win the next two races, no matter what anybody else does, we’re going to win the championship.”

LaJoie also came into the media center shoeless, thanks to his unique victory celebration.

“I give both of my shoes away,” LaJoie said. “I started that at Iowa.”

“I gave one away in the stands and one away in Victory Lane and my socks are soaking wet with Budweiser.”

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr. had an incredible comeback to finish second, his second top-2 finish at Dover having won the race last year, but he was none too happy in the media center after the race.

“It’s not even that I’m disappointed that we lost,” the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, said. “We lost the wrong way.”

“If you have to cheat to win and get somebody else to take your rear bumper off, I don’t understand that.”

“I’m frustrated over that but great day for us and a great weekend overall,” Wallace said. “We’ve been struggling all year and to be able to finish second, I’ll take it.”

“That’s how it is,” Wallace continued. “Maybe that will come around to us when our bumper gets ripped off and we get someone else to take it off for us.”

“It is complete awesomeness – sarcasm there – but we’ll take it.”

Brandon McReynolds, son of broadcaster Larry McReynolds, came in third in his No. 28 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet. This was McReynolds best finish in his eighth K&N Pro Series East start and his first race of the season.

“I really believe the 18 or us had the best car to beat,” McReynolds said. “I just didn’t get the pickup full of fuel so our restart was pretty terrible.”

“But it all started when I got a good run on the top and got on the outside of the 07,” McReynolds continued. “He just stuck me in the fence and tore up his bumper.”

“But that’s fine,” McReynolds said. “He’s one of our buddies and we’ll get over it and talk about it sometime.”

“He’ll realize pretty quick when you move up, you ain’t going to go far doing stuff like that,” McReynolds continued. “There’s only so many guys who will cut you breaks.”

“I shouldn’t have cut him a break,” McReynolds said. “I should have put him in the fence.”

“But we’ll move on to the next one,” McReynolds continued. “We were here to spoil the party and everyone knows we were a force to be reckoned with.”

“We made our statement and hopefully Mr. Turner sees that we have a really good thing going here and we can get some more races.”

The rest of the top five finishers were Ben Kennedy in fourth and Kyle Larson in fifth place.

Michael Annett Wishing To Start Season All Over Again

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SM Staff

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September 28, 2012

[media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]With his fifth consecutive top-10 finish under his belt as of Kentucky Speedway last weekend, Michael Annett has been very pleased with the consistency of his No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series.

But the young up-and-coming racer also wishes that he could start the season all over again and really compete for that coveted championship with all the momentum he has gained since the start of the season.

“I’ve never run this consistently well so the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how much it takes to win the championship,” Annett said. “It really can be won or lost at Daytona, the first race of the year because if you do have an issue, it takes awhile to bounce back.”

“Now, it’s like I wish I could start the season all over again because I’d be right there with them.”

Although he may wish that he could go back in time, Annett acknowledged that he is most pleased with the progress the team has made and with all the top-10 runs. But he also longs for even more performance and would especially like to get to Victory Lane.

“I think we’re definitely excited with the consistency we’ve had, especially with it being top-10 runs,” Annett said. “But we’re actually to the point now where we’re not satisfied with top-10s and are looking for those top-fives and knocking on the door for that first win.”

“I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to do here, especially the second half of the season and now we’re disappointed with a seventh place finish like last weekend.”

Annett acknowledged that his good runs have bred a bit of confidence, so much so that he feels that he can get one more spot in the point standings.

“I think the confidence is there now,” Annett said. “It started with the first time we went to Kentucky early in the season and we just had a really good run there.”

“I knew each time we unloaded, I knew we’d have cars capable of being up front,” Annett continued. “And the more I’ve run in the top-10, I’ve learned a lot more.”

“I’ve learned how difficult it is to take a seventh place car and make it a third place car.”

“Consistency is great, especially since we’re trying to chase down the No. 51 for fifth in points,” Annett said. “The past few weeks, we’ve gained on him, but if we could move those top-10s to top-fives, we could speed up that process of running them down.”

“We keep chipping away at the fifth place in points and that would definitely feel like a championship for us,” Annett continued. “You just have to have a perfect day to win one of these races.”

“I think we’re really close right now and it will just be one of those days where we have a top-three car and hopefully make it a winning race car.”

For Annett, winning will require a perfect mix of mental fortitude, as well as a great handling car.

“Racing really is mental, probably 40% mental and 60% car,” Annett said. “There are times you can get so frustrated and lose time on the race track and the next lap, you make up time.”

“The car didn’t change but the mentality of the driver did,” Annett continued. “It’s how you bring it back so if you can maintain consistency, that’s your job.”

Annett admits that he, like many other drivers including Cup driver Denny Hamlin, has consulted with a sports psychologist. And he also admits to being just a tad bit superstitious as well.

“I’ve done some things like sports psychologists and the biggest thing you learn is that if you do lose focus, there are things you can do to get you back on track and back where you need to be,” Annett said. “Confidence comes with success obviously. Once you get it, it’s hard for other guys to take it away from you.”

“I’m very superstitious actually,” Annett continued. “Not a whole lot to do with racing, but more just stuff in general.”

“I don’t think superstition changes anything because I have the same routine every race and sometimes we finish 28^th and sometime we finish third. And I didn’t do anything different.”

“I think that’s more just stuff in your head that in the long run doesn’t change anything.”

Whether confidence or superstition, Annett also credits his good runs to the alliance that his single car team at Richard Petty Motorsports has with the Roush Fenway organization.

“We have a really good alliance with Roush Fenway, just like our Cup program,” Annett said. “The engineers meet and we share all of our information.”

“There is a lot of communication there,” Annett continued. “I know for a fact we wouldn’t be where we are without this support.”

“That has been a key attribute. You can have an alliance but if you don’t use it, it does not lead to success,” Annett said. “I think we do a pretty good job of it.”

Annett is definitely wishing for a good run this weekend at Dover, a place that he has deemed “just fun to come to.”

“There’s nowhere else like it,” Annett said of the Monster Mile.”You try to say it’s like Bristol but the sensation in the car and what you go through in the corner here is completely different.”

“Obviously, they look a bit alike and you can take some things that you learned at Bristol and apply them at Dover,” Annett continued. “But I think the biggest thing we fight here is how hard the car lands in the corners.”

“That dropping sensation; this is the only place you feel that,” Annett said. “That’s the first thing we fight and start off working on that landing.”

“You’re never going to get a whole lap here comfortable for the driver,” Annett continued. “It’s just getting it comfortable enough so the driver can drive it consistently.”

In addition to the Roush Fenway alliance, Annett also counts himself among the fortunate who have a ride lined up for next year.

“I’m going to definitely be back in this car running for a championship,” Annett said. “When this season ends, I’m going to be really disappointed because we’ve had some of the best momentum in the garage right now.”

“It’s going to be a long off-season and I’ll be itching to get back to Daytona in February,” Annett continued. “And, if things work out, maybe I’ll get a handful of Cup races, but we’ll definitely be focused on that Nationwide championship for the upcoming year.”

NASCAR Mourns Two Legends Chris Economaki and Bob Newton

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SM Staff

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September 28, 2012

NASCAR and the racing world in general lost two legends this week, Bob Newton and Chris Economaki. As news filtered through the NASCAR garage and media center at Dover International Speedway of Economaki’s passing and of the passing earlier in the week of Newton, many in leadership roles, as well as the drivers themselves, took time to remember.

Chris Economaki, who died at the age of 91, was so important to the world of motorsports. The ‘Dean of Motorsports’ worked for more than forty years for venues including CBS, ESPN and ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

“The passing of Chris Economaki is a tough loss for me on both a personal and professional level, having known Chris throughout my life,” Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO, said. “Many people consider Chris the greatest motorsports journalist of all time.”

“He was, indeed, the ‘Dean’ and was a fixture for years at NASCAR events, playing a huge role in growing NASCAR’s popularity,” France continued. “I’ll miss seeing him and of course, I’ll miss hearing that voice.”

“Our thought and prayers are with his daughters Corinne and Tina and the rest of Chris’ family.”

In addition to NASCAR leadership, the leadership of Ford Motor Company and Ford Racing Communications also paid tribute to Economaki.

“All of us at Ford Motor Company are sorry to hear of Chris Economaki’s passing,” Edsel B. Ford II, said. “He was an icon of the sport of auto racing a familiar, knowledgeable face and voice to millions of race fans around the world.”

“Chris’ passing marks the end of a great era of auto racing and how it was covered in this country,” Kevin Kennedy, Ford Racing Communications Director, said. “He truly loved the sport, probably more than any journalist I knew, but he also loved the people who made up the sport and was quick to tell a great story, say a kind word to those new in the sport, and hold court on any subject the sport could dish out.”

“I’ll miss that great voice.”

In addition to NASCAR leadership, the drivers themselves also weighed in on Economaki’s passing, including Jeff Gordon, four-time champion; Tony Stewart, reigning champ; Danica Patrick, making her way in the Nationwide and Cup Series; and past champion Matt Kenseth.

“Speed Sport News was something that I read religiously,” Jeff Gordon said. “Chris did a lot for that newspaper and for motorsports and he was passionate about all of it.”

“The last time I saw him was earlier this year and still, that is all he thought about was racing,” Gordon continued. “And he cared so much about what was happening in this sport and wanted to make a difference and wanted to get those stories out there.”

“It’s just not very often that you come across somebody that puts their heart and soul and entire life mission into that.”

“Obviously, Chris has covered racing for so long, not only been a journalist but a great announcer at the same time and pit report,” Tony Stewart said. “I don’t think anybody here that has been involved in racing for very long didn’t get Speed Sport News every week.”

“Luckily, Speed Sport News is still going on and then it got turned over to some really good hands,” Smoke continued. “The guy that started it all unfortunately we lost.”

“I’ve met him a couple times and am aware of what he’s done and how much he means to journalism and motorsports,” Danica Patrick said. “I just know how instrumental he’s been and how long he’s been around.”

“It’s sad that any time someone who has been around forever and is a legend dies.”

“You would hear him when NASCAR racing first started being on TV, or at least being on TV in Wisconsin before I could see it in person, and you couldn’t help but notice Chris,” Matt Kenseth said. “He was one of the first and probably the most recognizable and famous voices there was with motorsports.”

“I’m sad about his passing.”

The racing world, including NASCAR, also lost another member of the family with the death of Bob Newton this week. Newton founded the company that produced tires for NASCAR cars in the 1980s and in other racing series as well.

“What an impact he made,” Jeff Gordon said. “Bob Newton with Hoosier Tire really changed what short track racing his today.”

“His efforts and that family certainly made a big impact on my life, and racing, and what I raced on for years before I ever got tot eh Cup Series.”

“So, two big losses this week.”

“Bob Newton, I don’t even know where to start,” Tony Stewart said. “There is so much I can say about him. He is just a great guy.”

“I’ve worked with Hoosier Racing Tire since I was probably 20 or 21 years old,” Smoke continued. “They have been a sponsor of mine ever since.”

“The thing about Bob is he always cared about the racers more than he cared about himself.”

“You hate it when you have a week where you lose two great people that meant so much to the sport like this.”