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Chris Buescher and Frank Kimmel Happy With Finishes at Elko Speedway

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SM Staff
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[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”345″][/media-credit]While Brennan Poole took the victory, Chris Buescher was happy to come home third after escaping major damage in a final-lap dustup involving Tom Hessert and Larry Barford Jr.

Buescher was happy with the ARCA Racing Series’ first race on the short track after the worries going into the event about it being too narrow for side-by-side racing.

“It’s a pretty wild race track,” Buescher says. “I’m glad we got to come up here. There are a lot of beat-up race cars, but we halfway expected that. We were hoping it wouldn’t be the case, but you’ve got to kind of expect it coming to a place like this. I think we showed there’s a passing groove. We raced two-wide a lot of the race; a lot of people did. I think it was a heck of a show, even from where I was sitting. I had a ball.”

Meanwhile, Frank Kimmel came home with a fourth place finish and is now one of just two drivers with three top-five finishes in six races.

“I really enjoyed it; what a great little race track,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a lot of fun and it was, just good, tight, hard racing. We pitted quite a bit earlier than some of the other ones, and that kind of caught us in the end. We were pretty much out of tires.”

Kimmel was surprised that there were only four cautions throughout the 200 lap race.

“When the track is so slick, the drivers really have to pay attention, you know,” he comments. “Sometimes, when it’s so easy to drive, you get complacent. Here, you had to stay on your toes every single turn and every single lap.”

The next race for the ARCA cars is this Saturday at Pocono Raceway, which will mark the first racing there since the off-season pavement. Buescher expects it to be a good race due to it being smoother.

“I think that was one of the main issues in Turn 1 that was really slowing us down before,” he says. “With the new rules, I think it’ll be interesting to see, but we’re all in the same boat. It’s just a matter of adjusting the quickest.”

The 80-lap, 200-mile race at Pocono will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with live timing and scoring coverage at ARCARacing.com. SPEED will air same-day delayed coverage of the race at 2:30 p.m.


JASON WHITE RUNS HARD AT CIRCUIT ICAR

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SM Archive
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CALGARY’S JARRAD WHISSELL BATTLES TO THE FINISH AT CIRCUIT ICAR

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SM Archive
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DOWLER HAS IMPRESSIVE SHOWING AT CIRCUIT ICAR

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SM Archive
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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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[media-credit name=”Tammyrae Benscoter” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson dominated atDover, leading 289 laps, including the final 76, to win for the second time this year and capture his seventh victory at the Monster Mile. Johnson is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 33 behind Greg Biffle.

“I got a great start when we went green for the last time,” Johnson said, “and we left Kevin Harvick and the Jimmy Johns No. 29 in our wake. What’s the difference in ‘Jimmie Johnson’ and ‘Jimmy Johns?’ Three letters….’W-I-N.’

“You may have seen wearing a multi-colored wig to promote Madagascar 3. Many sports fans see a colored wig and expect to see a ‘John 3:16’ sign. Not in this case. However, you may see a ‘Johnson 6:12’ sign, after a capture my sixth Cup title this year.”

2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished third in the Fed Ex 400, posting his eight top-10 result of the year. He has not finished outside the top 11th since a 16th atCalifornia and now trails Greg Biffle by only a single point in the standings.

“Jimmie Johnson certainly was dominant,” Kenseth said, “even while wearing a silly wig. The funny thing is, he made everyone else look like a clown.”

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished fourth in the Fed Ex 400 atDoveron a stellar day for Hendrick Motorsports, as Jimmie Johnson’s win led the way for three HMS cars in the top 10. Earnhardt is now third in the point standings, ten behind Greg Biffle.

“Doesn’t Jimmie look cool in a wig?” Earnhardt said. “If a narrow win is said to be by a ‘hair,’ then Jimmie’s margin of victory over Kevin Harvick must have been by a ‘wig.’

“I can’t say I’m not jealous, because after 142 races without a win, I’m dying to ‘wig out’ myself.”

4. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 11th in the Fed Ex 400, just missing his ninth top-10 of the year. He narrowly remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, ahead of Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth by a single point.

“Never underestimate the value of a single point,” Biffle said. “Carl Edwards never will.

“I’m hanging on to the points lead by a thread. And, as Kurt Busch has said on countless occasions, “I sure hope I don’t lose it.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led two early laps at Dover, but struggled with handling issues before coming home 18th. He dropped one place in the point standings to fourth, 22 out of first place.

“Jimmie Johnson’s win was historic,” Hamlin said. “His sevenDoverwins tied him with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. It was truly one for the books. And speaking of ‘books,’ just call Johnson the ‘Librarian,’ because he checked out on everyone.”

6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished a solid yet disappointing seventh atDover, posting his eighth top-10 result of the year. He remained sixth in the point standings, 45 out of first.

“Jimmie Johnson whipped the field easily,” Truex said. “His lead was so big, he was able to celebrate early. I think that’s called a ‘whoopee cushion.’”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took the runner-up spot atDoverafter Jimmie Johnson ran away from the No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevy on the final restart with 31 laps to go. It was Harvick’s second runner-up finish of the year as he continues to search for the season’s first win.

“Close, but no cigar,” Harvick said. “But no worries. As an expectant father, I can at least expect one cigar this season.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch’s engine expired on lap 205, sending the No. 18 M&M’s Toyotato the garage with a 29th in the Fed Ex 400. Busch fell one place to 9th in the point standings, where he is 80 behind Greg Biffle.

“What can you say?” Busch said. “I say the same thing about engine failure that my brother Kurt says about his emotions: ‘I have no control over it.’ Kurt is truly psychotic. His car number shouldn’t be ’51;’ it should be ‘5150.’”

9. Tony Stewart: Stewart was collected in a lap 10 wreck that involved 12 cars and left his No. 14 Chevrolet with considerable damage. He limped home with a 25th-place finish and is now eighth in the point standings, 79 out of first.

“Kurt Busch has been suspended for one race,” Stewart said. “And deservedly so. NASCAR had no recourse but to punish him. Kurt forced their hand, just like he did mine when I punched him.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led a strong Michael Waltrip Racing charge at Dover, finishing fifth, as teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin finished 7th and 14th, respectively. Bowyer improved two places to 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he is 81 out of first.

“You probably saw Ryan Newman nearly run over one of my crewmen,” Bowyer said. “And that was the only time during the race that the words ‘That was close!’ were uttered. It was a scary moment, almost as scary as Jimmie Johnson’s dominance.”

Mixed Results For Teammates Martin Roy and Isabelle Tremblay at Circuit ICAR

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SM Staff
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[media-credit name=”Todd Lewis” align=”alignright” width=”314″][/media-credit]When it came down to the end of the second event this year for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Martin Roy had a breakthrough performance while teammate Isabelle Tremblay ran into mechanical difficulties.

Roy drove his No. 90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge to his first ever series top 10 finish after starting 21st.

“I’m very happy with the result today,” Roy says.  “The whole team is happy and now we are going to an oval track next and I’m more at home on the ovals so we’re hoping for more good results.”

He made his way steadily up through the field early in the race. He would get up to as high as sixth, though dropped back to 10th after his car substained significant damage to the left rear during the green-white-checkered finish.

He was looking for a successful day after finishing 18th in the last race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).

Meanwhile, Tremblay drove her No. 07 Frank Lyman Design Dodge to a 25th place finish after mechanical difficulties. She finished 21st the week before at CTMP.

“Unfortunately that is how it goes sometimes in racing,” she says.  “You have a mechanical failure and there is nothing you can do about it”

She started the race in 11th after qualifying was rained out and ran strong early in the race amongst the front half of the field.

“I enjoyed running with some of the best racers in this series very much,” she comments.

Early in the race, she was suffer some damage after contact from another racer, putting her at the back of the field. She’d work her way back up to 12th before her car began to slow and forced her to make a pit stop at the halfway point. Her crew determined that she had broken a left axle.

There was some positive from the event for Tremblay, however, as she raised $12,000 for the CHU of St. Justine Children’s Hospital in Montreal with support from Promath and Arcopel.

“It’s nice to make a difference and seeing how much support we can generate,” she says.

Tremblay is hoping to have better runs as the season goes on as with how good her car has run, she feels it’ll be a good year.

“We’ve grown a great deal and I can see the improvement we’ve made in a short time and so can others,” she says.  “I am also very pleased to announce that Frank Lyman Design has increased their support of our program and we will be competing in a fifth race this season.”

 

Samantha Busch: A Woman of Many Passions

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SM Staff
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[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]While NASCAR race fans may know of Kyle Busch’s passion on the track as driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, they may not be as familiar with the many passions of his wife Samantha.

One of her biggest and most obvious passions is, of course, her husband, as they are still newlyweds in the midst of a sport that where the spotlight is often on them.

But Samantha Busch is also very passionate about family, hers, Kyle’s and the family they hope to start together sometime in the future.

“We still go and do date nights and I cook dinner for him,” Samantha Busch said. “We still hold hands, so we still feel like newlyweds.”

“I think the biggest thing is that you always lean on each other,” Busch continued. “We’re each others’ rocks. When he has a bad day, I’m here for him and when I have a bad day, he’s there for me.”

“Also, we have learned the importance of family,” Busch continued. “Kyle’s parents have been married for thirty some years and my parents have been for 26 years, so just learning from them, like what things to not fight about, has been helpful.”

“I’ve also learned from the other couples here,” Busch said. “We’re talking about having kids in two or three years, so picking the brains of all the girls here that are pregnant or have kids about how they do it has also been helpful.”

In addition to her passion about her family, Samantha Busch has also become focused on her interactions with women, especially young women who seek her advice on everything for fashion to healthy eating and a better body image.

Much of this interaction has been possible through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and even her own website. And while Busch most certainly shares updates from the racing world, she also knows that for many of these young women, she has become a role model and even mentor.

“This year has taken off with a lot of women in racing via Twitter,” Samantha Busch said. “I kind of give them the whole racing aspect with updates and what not, but I also add more of the girlie touch.”

“It’s really taken off this year and I love it,” Busch continued. “I have girls that I help with for prom and other events.”

“A lot of women email me for all kinds of tips, from how to eat healthy, to my work out videos to even makeup product reviews,” Busch said. “I try to be honest and I have really enjoyed that this year. It has really taken off.”

Samantha Busch is careful to practice what she preaches and so is devoted to trying to eat healthy and exercise, a challenge for both her and her husband while spending so much time on the road. And yes, she admits that she does have her own ‘guilty pleasures.’

“The bus is my work out area,” Samantha Busch said, who regularly exercises even in those close quarters of their motor home. “I love to work out.”

“And I love to cook,” Busch continued. “I really never enjoyed cooking until I married Kyle because it was just me. It’s easy to know what to eat but it’s making that call to choose the non-fat or the low-fat or the vegetables over this or that.”

“We splurge, don’t get me wrong,” Busch said. “Our decadent passion is ice cream. Kyle and I could eat ice cream every day if we had the choice.”

“I tell girls that I don’t follow a super-strict diet because when you do then you’re just tempted,” Busch continued. “So, if you give yourself a little bit of something, then you’re good.”

Samantha Busch also admits to one other ‘guilty pleasure’, one that is shared by many others involved in Facebook. She just loves to pin.

“I’m addicted,” Busch said. “It’s bad. It’s like 2 AM and Kyle will wake up and say, ‘Get off of Pinterest’.”

“And I’m like, ‘Just let me pin one more thing.’ Busch continued. “It’s so addictive. But it’s really cool.”

“I planned a baby shower off of Pinterest for my best friend,” Busch said. “I love it. Whoever created that, I’ve lost countless hours to Pinterest.”

While Busch loves fashion and fitness, especially in sharing that with girls and young women, she also is passionate about education. In fact, she just accomplished a major milestone in her own academic life, achieving a Master’s degree from Austin P. State University.

“I graduated!” Busch said proudly. “I have a Master’s in industrial organizational psychology.”

“I actually did my thesis on Joe Gibbs Racing and how they reward their crew members and different things they can do in an ailing economy, such as health and wellness, as well as verbal rewards,” Busch continued. “I defended my thesis and they loved it.”

“It’s good to be done,” Busch said. “People are like, what are you going to do with your degree, but I think it applies a lot to racing and also to Kyle Busch Motorsports. “

“I hope it will help people around us.”

Speaking of the team that bears her husband’s name, Samantha Busch is also passionate about that endeavor as well.

“Kyle Busch Motorsports is awesome,” Samantha Busch said. “We thought it was going to be easy and then the first five races came and it was tough and was really hard.”

“It was kind of nice to go through the struggle as a whole family,” Busch continued. “Kurt and Kyle are so close this year.”

“Obviously, they are brothers and have had struggles, but this year them racing together, they are together for hours,’ Busch said. “I think it’s been really great for them and it’s fun to watch.”

“And even better, we got our first win under our belts, so it’s good.”

So, what does the future hold for Samantha Busch, especially given her passions, from education to fashion to helping young women with self-esteem and body image issues?

“I don’t know,” Busch readily admits.”I’m like a moving target.”

“I always travel with Kyle and his racing is our life,” Busch continued. “But I have to find something that is my own and in my own realm.”

“I would love to be more in front of the camera,” Samantha Busch said, after a stint with the SPEED channel. “I love working with Speed, especially in the social garage.”

“It’s really fun and I’d do whatever they asked me to do,” Busch continued. “I’m not shy so that’s a plus.”

But Busch would also like to work more on the retail and foundation side of the Kyle Busch Motorsports business as well.

“I don’t know anything about cars honestly,” Busch admitted. “My involvement with the team crew guys is that I like to bring them food and treats. That’s my role on the car side of things.”

“But I do a lot with the retail,” Busch continued. “I have four or five shirts out right now; one has glitter, one is a V-neck and one is more graffiti-ish.”

“We submit our designs to the sponsors. I’m going to be designing more for Monster Energy and also for the 18 team,” Busch said. “So, hopefully they will let me do more.”

“With the Kyle Busch Foundation, we’re kind of taking this year off to revamp and expand it to get partnerships with other, already established foundations,” Busch said. “We support the five homes and always will, but we’re looking at other kinds of partnerships right now and how we can help each other.”

“Maybe in the future, I’d love to do a foundation event with Zumba where everyone donated to dance together.”

But most of all, Samantha Busch is passionate about finding that perfect blend and balance between wife, fashionista, fitness guru, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. And all of that with a focus on helping young women achieve their life goals.

“One of my favorite things is getting to meet the women fans and hearing their stories,” Samantha Busch said. “At our fan day, I had this lady tell me she’s already lost 40 pounds.”

“I’ve had a girl who said she had image problems and now she’s gotten over them,” Busch continued. “That’s one of the best things.”

“I just want to show girls how to be healthier and I really take to the women out here,” Busch said. “I love the guys that follow me on Twitter but I relate more with the women and I love helping them.”

“I’m open to anything that helps someone else.”

 

The Final Word – Jimmie must have all the luck, as Jeff sure does not

By
Ron Thornton
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[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]Jimmie and Jeff, taking turns ruling the roost at Dover, at least they did until a fox ventured into the hen house in the form of a loose wheel that required a unscheduled stop for tightening. Yes, Gordon could not only challenge Johnson, he could pass him, but no matter how lovely the picnic is, one bite of a crap sandwich will ruin the entire day. 13th was not the fate Four Time needed.

Five Time, on the other hand, picked up his second victory over the past three contests, leaving him fifth in the standings with a pretty good hold on a place in the Chase. With Gordon playing catch up, no one was going to prevent Johnson from claiming his 57th career victory, his seventh on the Monster Mile.

The guy he loaned his title to last year did not get very far before bad things happened. Just nine laps in Stewart slowed as a car got loose in front of him, but Regan Smith could not stop in time behind him. Thirteen cars got caught up in the mess as Stewart finished 25th while Juan Pablo Montoya landed 28th. Stewart is eighth overall, just seven points ahead of 11th place Brad Keselowski, but his two wins still keeps him well above water. Montoya is 20th in the standings, a spot ahead of Gordon, as both see at least two wins as their most viable way to salvation.

Ryan Newman has a win, but is outside the Top Ten, in 13th. He finished 15th after having a tire roll away in the pits and coming close to running down Clint Bowyer’s jackman. Carl Edwards is 12th, has no wins, and no luck at Dover after a blown tire sent him to the garage for repairs and a 26th place finish. Kyle Busch has a win, still is clinging to the Top Ten, but blew up to sit 29th on the weekend. A lot of boys will be seeking redemption heading into this upcoming weekend.

Pocono awaits them on Sunday, a race won last year by Jeff Gordon. Well, it awaits everyone but Kurt Busch. A day after blowing a gasket at a reporter following the Nationwide race, he blew an engine in the Cup race to wind up 24th. That is about 20 spots better than this upcoming weekend as his tirade got him suspended by NASCAR for a week. As for making the Chase, the boy has enough on his plate avoiding problems from week to week. Stupid is as stupid does, but at least Forrest Gump only got upset when someone tried to take liberties with Jenny.

Don’t expect many changes, if any, in our Chase placers at Pocono. Edwards could replace Bowyer with a win, or by finishing at least 16 spots ahead of him. Ryan Newman is in now, but could lose it if Kasey Kahne finishes ahead of him on Sunday or if Kyle Busch tumbles out of the Top Ten and gets the wildcard nod.

As for Junior, he might not have won in nearly four years, but going back to Homestead his worst finish in 14 races is 17th, an average finish of eighth over that time. Earnhardt may have never won at Pocono, but he hasn’t won anywhere else in recent years for that matter. Why not now? Enjoy the week.

Kurt Busch Suspended and Probation Extended

By
SM Staff
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[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Charlotte, NC- Monday afternoon, Marty Smith of ESPN broke the news on Twitter announcing that NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch, the driver of the No. 51 for Phoenix Racing and cannot compete or participate in any NASCAR events at Pocono.

Busch was placed on probation last month for an incident involving Ryan Newman’s team at Darlington. Saturday, Busch raced the No. 54 car for his brother in the Nationwide Series and after his 4th place finish he was asked about his probation by Sporting News reporter, Bob Pockrass and according to NASCAR, he verbally abused a member of the media by saying “It refrains me from not beating the s— out of you right now because you ask me stupid questions. But since I’m on probation, I suppose that’s improper to say as well,” and having actions harmful to stock car racing.

“I accept NASCAR’s decision. I put them in a box, they had to take action, and it’s my fault for putting them in this position. I apologize for the comments I made to Bob Pockrass.” Busch said.

Busch’s probation was to end in July but NASCAR has extended his probation til Dec. 31st.

TREK TO TRIANGULAR TRACK TRICKY FOR NO. 24 TEAM

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