Home Blog Page 5857

Daytona: Changes, Domination, and a New Star

By
SM Staff
-

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup season begins, there has been change after change. The new surface of Daytona International Speedway has given the teams a smoother track with more grip than ever before. It also created the new popular custom of pairing up with another car to gain speed. In practice, the two-car drafts achieved speed in excess of 200 mph, and in the Bud Shootout exhibition race, speeds were recorded as high at 207 mph. You just knew something had to be changed before the Daytona 500.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Sunday evening, NASCAR introduced what they called two technical changes. Frontal openings that cool the engine were reduced in size and the pressure release valve on the water system is to be set at 33 pounds per square inch. The intent is to make it impossible for cars to stay in prolonged, close drafting. Thus, the high speeds seen in the two-car drafting will be lowered.

Many fans found the racing in the Budweiser Shootout to be exciting, but it had its drawbacks. It made it nearly impossible for one car to pull out and slingshot past even its drafting partner and it created the necessity for a “dancing partner” to be competitive. That has always been the case, but the practice favored multi-car teams and made the field less competitive from first to last place. Regardless of the praise from the media covering the race, it was less than what people expect from the Daytona experience. Practice and the Gatorade Duels will be the first indication of whether or not the rules change will accomplish what NASCAR is trying to do…

***

I’ve been watching this whole Dale Earnhardt love fest signifying the 10th anniversary of his death at the speedway, and I have to admit I’m a bit perplexed. There is no doubt that Earnhardt was special and I loved to watch him race, but it seems that concentrating on his death a decade later is a little much. I found it interesting that his son is finding it hard to deal with now. On an ESPN interview shown today, he admits that he doesn’t dwell on that sad Sunday in 2001, and that he was sure that his father would have a problem with it. It’s almost like NASCAR, in hard times, is reaching for anything that will create interest in today’s less than attractive product. If you have to use a tragic event to do it, well, why not?

It was also announced that there will be a “silent lap,” which will be Lap 3 and have asked fans to hold up three fingers during that lap. That’s almost the same scenario we saw ten years ago. Judging by the number of Earnhardt flags and stickers on campers at the tracks today, it will be a popular thing to do, but it cannot take away from what we saw today in qualifying—complete domination from one organization and once manufacturer. If NASCAR wants to boost interest, that’s where to start, but I realize that they can’t do anything about a team being better than everyone else. It’s up to the other teams to catch up.

***

The most pleasant surprise of qualifying today was the performance of Trevor Bayne in the Wood Brothers Ford. Bayne flirted with the pole on his run and initially wound up third before he was bumped back to fourth at the end of the day. Some forget that Bayne is a 19-year old rookie and the Woods have been struggling the last few years. Who knows how he’ll race, but if his performance at Texas last season is any indication, he’s going to only get better. It’s good to see a team that has the longevity of the Wood family perform like this. It’s enough to make me forget that Hendrick and RCR Chevrolets have dominated Speedweeks so far, and anyone in a Toyota is out to lunch in speed.

***

Another driver to watch in the Gatorade Duels is Chevrolet driver Bill Elliott in the No. 09 Phoenix Racing entry. Although he only qualified 17th, he has Hendrick power under the hood and engineering help from the front row owner. Match that with Elliott’s experience at this track, and Awesome Bill might have a really good day. That would be special for everyone.

Delana Harvick: Gaining Respect, One Win at a Time

By
SM Staff
-

On Valentine’s Day, everybody thinks about the one that they love. NASCAR drivers are no different as most of them have that significant other that means a lot to them. Each week, us fans see them holding hands together on pit road before a race, sharing a moment before the driver goes to battle. However, there are some wives that find themselves in the spotlight more than others – such as Delana Harvick.

[media-credit name=”SM.com” align=”alignright” width=”226″][/media-credit]While most wives can be seen at the track looking fancy, dressed up, she shows up for ready for the day of racing. Wearing a firesuit that looks her husband’s, she can be seen on racedays taking down Kevin’s lap times on Sundays. She has mentioned on many occasions that she wears the firesuit for safety reasons as you never know what can happen on pit road.

On Saturdays, she can be seen running around, helping with keeping all things to do with Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) in line at he track.

She has found her way to the spotlight moreso than most wives through partly owning Kevin Harvick Incorporated and running daily operations, though also found herself in the middle of a feud last year.

At Pocono after Kevin Harvick spun Joey Logano and they had a scuffle on pit road, Logano released a quote that became the quote of the season in many people’s eyes.

“It’s probably not (Harvick’s fault),” Logano said. “His wife wears the firesuit in the family, tells him what to do, so it’s probably not his fault.”

Delana Harvick turned the quote on its tails as she raised money for the Kevin Harvick Foundation by selling t-shirts for $15 each that said, “I wear the t-shirt in the family.”

Delana Harvick knew racing way before her and Kevin got together as her father, John Paul Linville, was a driver in the Nationwide Series until 1995 and she’d be seen with him at the track. She used this time to learn more about the sport and in 1997, became a public relations representative for two-time Nationwide Series champion Randy LaJoie, among others. During that time, she met Kevin Harvick and they married on February 28th, 2001.

“Kevin and I are not only husband and wife, but we’re best friends and we’re business partners,” Delana is quoted on Answer This… “I look back at some of my boyfriends and I think ‘what would have happened if, what if?’ I don’t think I could have been as truly happy professionally and personally as I am. I think you’re just destined to meet that person and for me that was Kevin.”

The show NASCAR 360 in 2004 showed that type of love that they share between each other and how close it is. They are also known as a pair of pranksters, who are always trying to prank each other. On top of that, they are also business partners.

“He and I balance each other,” she says. “The racer in him says if something new comes available you’ve got to have it. But I’m the most frugal person you’ll meet. It’s like being married. What we do wouldn’t work for everybody. We’re together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When people say you can’t bring work home with you, that’s never going to happen for us.”

With her professional background knowledge of racing and Kevin’s knowledge of the racing side, she helped Kevin build Kevin Harvick Incorporated and grow it to what it is today. 

“There’s no handbook on how to run your own race team,” she told the USA Today on the owning experience in late 2010. “It’s somewhat trial by fire. I think we’ve done a good job with it. We’ve definitely made mistakes. The good thing about the Nationwide and truck series is those mistakes aren’t multimillion-dollar mistakes. And we knew we were going to make mistakes. But we were willing to learn and take it slow. That’s the one thing I’m really proud of is that we didn’t try to burst on the scene and do all these things. We were really methodical about how we built KHI.”

Some of the mistakes she admits to making are how to correctly manage people.

“Learning the business side of the sport and trying to manage a sponsor’s needs,” she said. “Because if they’re not happy, it’s not enough to put the decal on their car. If they’re not happy overall, they’re not going to stay with you. Early on, we had some sponsors come in, and I don’t think we did the best job in helping them figure out that motor sports was a good fit for them. But I’m actually proud that a lot of the sponsors we’ve had for a couple of years stayed with us. I think we’ve learned how to be really serviceable when it comes to that side of the business. That doesn’t come with a manual. That comes with learning and making mistakes.”

Since it’s humble beginnings in 2001, they have built it to be one of the top organizations in both the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. They have won two truck series championships with Ron Hornaday and over 30 wins between the two divisions.

This year marks another key year for KHI as they have Elliott Sadler lined up to drive their Nationwide Series car all year, along with Hornaday and new driver Nelson Piquet Jr. in the Camping World Truck Series. Add in some one-off races that they have planned for  Tony Stewart, Harvick, and Austin Dillon, this year could easily equal to be a multi-championship, multi-win season. Is the Sprint Cup Series coming in the future though?

“People ultimately think Cup racing is in our future,” she said. “We’ll never say never. It could be. I think we’ve really laid the foundation. I think we could do it. It would have to be right time, right place, right sponsor. Ultimately we don’t have to be Sprint Cup team owners to be successful in the sport. Ultimately that’s probably to our benefit. That may not always get us in trouble. People come in and automatically think we’ve got to be in the Sprint Cup Series. We don’t. We want to be successful in what we do and contribute to the sport.

“If the time comes that we can do that in the Sprint Cup Series, we’ll look at it. The only thing we’ve ever wanted from KHI is to be able to sustain itself. I think anybody that goes into business for themselves and thinks they won’t have to invest a lot of their own money is probably kidding themselves. KHI can sustain itself at this point. I’m proud we’ve gotten to that point. For us, it’s not something we look at to generate income. It’d be great if it did. But we’re happy just being involved and being a part of it.”

With the success of KHI, Delana Harvick has gained a lot of respect in the garage that has many followers of NASCAR respecting her for what she’s been able to accomplish.

HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: The Shootout was a two car race all over the place

By
SM Staff
-

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series officially kicked off their 2011 season with the 33d annual invitational race known as the Budweiser Shootout. The 75 lap event brought some radically new changes to restrictor plate racing at Daytona. We also got introduced to some new racing terms such as “two car lockups”, “team mate for a day” and even “dancing with the stars.” With those thoughts in mind let’s begin this week with:

HOORAH to Kurt Busch for winning the Budweiser Shootout following a stunning finish that saw the race conclusion unveil itself during the final few feet to the checkers. The Las Vegas driver led three of the race’s 75 laps for his first ever Budweiser Shootout win, and a paycheck worth $203,000, in his Roger Penske Racing Dodge. The event was also the first Shootout win for Dodge.

One of the more interesting aspects of this event was the multiple use of the two car drafting technique instead of the long draft lines we’ve seen in the past at Daytona. This was often referred to as “two car lockups.” It was a game of drivers finding out who they could line up and bump draft the best with. It was also a little hairy at times because the second driver had trouble seeing the track in front of the first car. That led to the driver’s spotters working together in order to quickly convey on track information.

It was Jaime McMurray’s Chevrolet that actually pushed Busch into the lead during the final few feet of the race. In victory lane a very appreciative Busch called him his “team mate of the day.” That’s a term you’re likely going to hear a lot during the course of Thursday’s Gatorade Duel qualifying events as well as Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Busch deserves another HOORAH for coining that new racing term as well as a second one when he said “someone call Helio Castro Neves because this is “Dancing With The Stars.” He was of course referring to the IZOD Indy Car champion who surprised us all when he appeared on the popular ABC television show and then danced his way to the winner’s trophy.

But it was the conclusion of the Budweiser Shootout that everyone is still talking about. On that final quarter lap Ryan Newman was the race leader with Denny Hamlin right on his bumper. Newman’s Chevrolet inched up just a bit in the tri-oval and that’s when Hamlin dropped to the extreme bottom of the track to attempt a winning pass. Unfortunately Hamlin’s tires went below the two yellow safety lines which is an automatic disqualification. NASCAR officials dropped Hamlin from first to 12th in the final finishing order.

One would think that a mistake like that would automatically generate a WAZZUP. But I’m going to make an exception here and give Hamlin a HOORAH for his mature attitude and the decision he felt he had to make when his car drifted below the yellow lines. After the race Hamlin said he had no problem with NASCAR’s decision and added “the yellow lines are there to protect us and for the fans in the stand’s safety. I just chose to take the route. Winning a Shootout is not worth sending Newman through the grandstands. And for me, as fast as we were running, if I got into his left rear that car would have went airborne.”

***********************

Having said that, Hamlin absolutely gets a WAZZUP regarding that bizarre incident that occurred with his steering wheel during Sunday’s qualifying session for the Daytona 500. Due to space restraints, the steering wheels of Sprint Cup race cars are removed so a driver can get in and out. When Hamlin crawled into his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, he attached the steering wheel onto the column but apparently didn’t give it a tug to insure that it was properly secured.

After exiting pit road Hamlin pulled out onto the track only to have the car make a sharp left turn all by itself. That’s because the steering wheel came off in the driver’s hands. Fortunately he was only doing approximately 70 MPH at the time, but the car veered into the infield grass and there was some minor damage to the front end. Hamlin did an obligatory slow lap to officially qualify for the race and then brought the car back to the garage for repairs.

*************

HOORAH to the Junior Nation, the official fan club of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who have found their smiles again. Okay, I’m well aware that Earnhardt crashed out of Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout after being caught up in a WAZZUP moment triggered by drivers Regan Smith and Carl Edwards. But prior to that, the car and the driver looked really strong.

His primary car for the Daytona 500 looked even stronger after Earnhardt locked up the pole position for the 500 following Sunday’s qualifying. He accomplished that by turning in a lap of 186.089 MPH. His team mate, Jeff Gordon, posted the second fastest speed marking the third time a Daytona 500 will start with a front row from Hendrick Motorsports.

Meanwhile the girl friend, still a T shirt wearing card carrying member of the Junior Nation, spent Sunday evening strutting her stuff, in her Junior Nation official clothing, while grinning like the proverbial cat who ate the canary. I, on the other hand, had to sit there and take it because I’m old enough and smart enough to know not to make wise cracks the day before Valentines.

**************

HOORAH to young rookie driver Trevor Bayne who guaranteed himself a start in the 500 by qualifying his Wood Brothers Ford third on the speed chart. After the run, the happy young driver said “I didn’t know I could hold my breath for a minute and a half.”

But the Wood Brothers had a back up plan to make the Daytona 500 via the NASCAR Stock Exchange. In other words they made a deal to acquire owner’s points which would place them in the top 35 of the owner’s points standings. As we all know, any team within the top 35 is guaranteed a start in Sunday’s race. It also guarantees them a WAZZUP from yours truly.

This arrangement was made with Richard Petty Motorsports who had 2010 owner’s point available from their now defunct #19 team. The details called for the creation of a new racing organization that was named Wood Brothers 2 LLC with Richard Petty being named as the official owner of record of the #21 Ford Fusion. This move, approved by NASCAR, is being referred to as an equity partnership.

Seriously? Equity partnership? I call it buying your way into the Daytona 500.

*************

The final WAZZUP of the week involves a bizarre incident from a jet dryer belonging to the Daytona Speedway. Following a crash, suffered by driver Jamie McMurray during Friday’s practice session, the speedway clean up crew came out onto the track. All of a sudden the engine of this very expensive jet powered dryer burst into flames. It was a sight we may never see again.

We have two final HOORAHS for you. The first goes to SPEED Channel analyst Kyle Petty who was participating in a lively panel discussion regarding NASCAR’s very popular have at it boys, police yourselves, policy initiated last year. During the course of the topic there was a video overlay of last year’s alleged fight between drivers Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon. I refer to that moment as alleged because I still say I’ve seen girls in cocktail lounges fight better than that.

Apparently Kyle Petty has a similar opinion because he said “I’m still not sure if that fight was Ali versus Frazier or Laverne and Shirley. That’s just one more reason why everyone loves Kyle Petty.

The final HOORAH of the week goes to Fox Sports for their very limited appearances from their animated mascot “Digger.” I honestly can’t tell you exactly why that cartoon fat rat bothers me. Perhaps I should seek professional help and deal with this issue once and for all. Then again, I could spend the money on Budweiser at which point, following a certain point in time and libation, “Digger” simply won’t matter anymore.

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra Daytona Preview

By
Official Release
-

Justin Lofton, No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra

Track: Daytona International Speedway

Event: NextEra Energy Resources 250

When: Friday, February 18th 7:30 PM

Broadcast information: 7:30 PM, SPEED

New Year, New Team: Lofton joins Germain Racing for his sophomore effort in 2011 behind the wheel of the No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota Tundra. Lofton is now part of a four-truck stable including teammates Max Papis, Brendan Gaughan, and two-time series champion Todd Bodine. To date, Germain Racing has 22 wins, nine pole awards and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships. During Lofton’s debut season in trucks in 2010, he accumulated a solid stat sheet including four top-five and eight top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third, and a season-ending 12th place showing in the driver point standings.

No “Off” Season for Lofton: Despite the break in competition, Lofton had anything but downtime. He kept busy during the two month absence from the track by hosting a charity golf tournament in his native California. All proceeds from the event benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Imperial Valley. Following the golf outing, Lofton trekked to Nevada and participated in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. He led day one in Class 1 Unlimited and was well on his way to the win on the second and final day before breaking a spindle on the last lap of the event. From there, Lofton returned to North Carolina and participated in two separate test sessions with his new team before heading to Daytona.

Lofton at Daytona: Friday’s event at Daytona may be his first with his new Germain Racing team, but it will not be Lofton’s first on the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In 2010 in truck competition, Lofton started 19th and finished 18th. In 2009, en route to the ARCA Racing Series championship, Lofton earned the pole for ARCA’s season-opener and finished an impressive third.

Birthday Boy: In addition to kicking off the new season on Friday, February 18th, Lofton will celebrate his 25th birthday at the World Center of Racing.

Truck Information: Lofton will race chassis GR015 this week at Daytona. It is a brand new truck that has yet to hit the racetrack.

Lofton on Daytona: “I am so excited about this season with Germain Racing. I’ve spent a lot of time with my new crew chief and we get along great. We’ve got a great group of guys on the No. 77 team and I can’t wait to start the season. It is really going to be a lot of fun this year, and there is no better way to start than racing under the lights at Daytona. I really enjoy superspeedway racing. It’s fun and historic.”

Crew Chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle on Daytona: “I am excited to be part of the Germain Racing truck program and to work with Justin. Germain is always strong at superspeedways. I feel like we have a good shot at the win. With Friday being Justin’s birthday, it would be extra special.”

Michael Waltrip Daytona Duel Preview

By
Official Release
-

Daytona, Fla.

To race in:

Waltrip must finish first or second among the following drivers in his 150-mile qualifying race:

1. Travis Kvapil

2. Todd Bodine

3. Casey Mears

4. Terry Labonte

5. Derrike Cope

6. Brian Keselowski

To qualify based on his speed:

On Sunday, Waltrip posted the fourth fastest speed among the drivers outside the top 35 behind Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek and Travis Kvapil. If any of those drivers race into the Daytona 500 (Elliott or Nemecheck in the first 150-mile race or Kvapil in the second), Waltrip’s qualifying speed will be fast enough to make the race regardless of where he finishes in his race.

Waltrip’s odds of securing entry into the Daytona 500 are favorable especially considering his Michael Waltrip Racing teammates David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr are both in the second qualifying race and could be potential drafting partners.

WALTRIP QUOTES

“I don’t take anything for granted but I’m confident we’ll not only race our way into the Daytona 500 on Thursday, but we’ll finish well and that means a good starting spot for Sunday’s race. Our NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota was rolling Saturday night. We had the fastest lap of the Shootout (206.7 mph) and could hook up pretty well in the draft. We’ll use Wednesday to figure out what works and what doesn’t work with some of the rule tweaks NASCAR announced Sunday and be ready for Thursday. Reutimann and Truex in our race is cool but I think all three of our cars are going to be up there battling for the victory instead of worry about getting me in the race. Our Toyotas are a lot better drafting than they are in single lap qualifying and that’s what you want. Thursday and Sunday is when you want to be fast and I know we are fast.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

 Sunday’s Daytona 500 marks Waltrip’s 764th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and 48th Sprint Cup race at the track. He has led 351 laps at Daytona in Sprint Cup competition.

 Waltrip is one of only eight drivers to win more than two Daytona 500 titles.

 Waltrip’s book “In the Blink of an Eye” is No. 11 on the New York Times best-seller list.

 Waltrip, Richard Petty and Mark Martin are the only drivers to start more than 1,000 races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series.

 Waltrip will appear on SPEED-TV’s live edition of Trackside airing Friday at 6 p.m.

 Waltrip will make his Daytona truck debut driving the No. 15 Race View/Wounded Warrior Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series on Friday and the No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota in Saturday’s Nationwide race.

 Check out NAPA Reserve Online. Visit napaonline.com to make shopping for an auto part easier. Order online and pick up at your favorite NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

— No. 15 NAPA AUTO PARTS driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has two ways to make the 43-car field for Sunday’s Daytona 500. He can race his way into the field in the second of Thursday’s 150-mile Duel qualifying race or qualify based on his single-lap qualifying speed posted last Sunday.

Legends Teams Descend on Auburndale

By
SM Staff
-

With the start of the 2011 INEX Winternationals just on the horizon, Legend, and Bandolero teams from across the United States, and as far away as Norway, have all made their way to the small town of Auburndale, Florida. Auburndale is located in central Florida about halfway between Tampa, and Orlando, and just a little outside of Lakeland. About three miles south of a quaint, old Florida downtown area is the destination for these traveling teams, Auburndale Speedway.

[media-credit name=”Cg Photography” align=”alignright” width=”187″][/media-credit]Auburndale Speedway is a true example of short track Americana, this quarter mile, moderately banked paved oval hosts shows every Saturday night from February through November, and is not unlike the hundreds of other such facilities across this nation, the back bones of motorsports. This facility is family owned, and operated. The Guy family promotes a friendly family atmosphere, which helps make this the perfect venue for the INEX Winternationals. Rex Guy, Owner, and promoter of the speedway said, “We are very pleased to host this national event here at Auburndale, The Legends are one of the most popular classes we run here during our weekly shows.” Everyone here has really worked hard, dedicated a lot of hours, and effort to make sure we would be ready for this event, and now we are ready to drop the green and get started. Guy Added.

The Legends cars, and INEX 600 Racing, have fast become the grassroots of motorsports almost worldwide. With over 3500 members Inex sanctions over 2000 events at 200 race tracks. This makes INEX the 3Rd largest sanctioning body, behind Nascar, and IMCA.  Formed in 1995 The INEX mission statement is a simple one, provide a fun and affordable racing opportunity in which any one can compete. In order to accomplish these legends cars are all “spec” racers, meaning they are virtually the same, same chassis, same engines; the biggest difference is the driver. Drivers range from eight years old up to sixty plus.

With over 150 teams expected to take part in this event it will be one of the largest legend car events to take place in 2011, Teams from across the United States, and Canada have been arriving at the speedway as soon as Friday morning in anticipation of the event, One team made the pull from Alaska, that’s dedication to your sport.

Action starts valentine’s day Feb. 14th and continues through Saturday Feb. 19th. For additional details visit www.auburndaleracing.com.

Budweiser Shootout watch party kicks off 2011 NASCAR season on exciting note for MIS race fans

By
Official Release
-

MIS fan Marti Honeycutt of Battle Creek, Mich., wins trip to this weekend’s Daytona 500

BROOKLYN, Mich. (Feb. 14, 2011) — Michigan International Speedway, Budweiser and FireKeepers Casino kicked off the start of the 2011 NASCAR season on Saturday during a Budweiser Shootout party attended by current and future race fans.

The casino hosted MIS, its partner Budweiser and hundreds of race fans, many of them festooned in their favorite drivers’ apparel, to watch the Budweiser Shootout from Dacey’s Sports Bar. The race, held on the newly paved Daytona International Speedway, proved to be an exciting three-way finish between Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman and eventual winner Kurt Busch.

Fans and a few gamblers took advantage of numerous prizes given away throughout the night, including tickets and hospitality packages to MIS’ June and August events, as well as drink specials courtesy of Budweiser.

“We had a great turnout with many race fans attending the event,” speedway Director of Corporate Partnerships Josh Burgett said. “A big thanks goes to Budweiser and FireKeepers Casino for hosting the event with us and giving our fans an exciting start to the NASCAR season. Everyone really seemed to have a great time – and I think we even converted a few gamblers into NASCAR fans.”

In all, about 1,000 people signed up for prizes.

Marti Honeycutt of Battle Creek, Mich., who regularly attends NASCAR events at MIS, won the grand prize drawing of a trip for two to this weekend’s Daytona 500. She’ll make her first trip to Daytona with her husband James to watch the Great American Race.

“I’m so excited! My husband and I have always talked about saving up enough money to go to the Daytona 500 someday, but now that wish has come true sooner than we expected,” Honeycutt said. “This was a very fun event tonight. MIS and Budweiser made the party a lot of fun for us race fans and it was an exciting way to kick off the racing season. We can’t wait to get to Daytona this weekend and see the Daytona 500!”

The grand prize package includes airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to the Daytona 500, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races, which are held on Feb. 18-20. Garage passes, a hauler tour of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet and meet and greet with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series superstar Kevin Harvick are all included in the package.

“What a trip this will be,” Honeycutt said. “Being able to meet Kevin Harvick and walk through the garage area is something that will be very special for me and my husband. Words can’t say enough for how excited we are.”

Another fan, Cheryl Carr of Sherwood, Mich., won a Budweiser fireplace during a random draw.

Carl Rhodes of Okemos, Mich., was at FireKeepers gambling with one of his friends, and stopped by after hearing the race excitement and cheers that radiated throughout Dacey’s Sports Bar.

“I heard cheers and announcements, and saw everyone wearing race T-shirts, and had to see what was going on,” Rhodes said. “It was great to see such excitement about the race that I stayed and watched for a bit. I haven’t been to a race in years – I was always a Davey Allison fan – so I may have to go back to the track.”

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

MIS’ Value Pricing ends on February 28. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 19 and NSCS 400 on August 21 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2011 events at MIS.

Michigan International Speedway – 2011 Schedule

Saturday, May 21 Great Lakes Wine Fest

Friday, June 17 ARCA Racing Series RainEater Wiper Blades 200

Saturday, June 18 NASCAR Nationwide Series

Sunday, June 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

Friday, Aug. 19 Meijer Pole Day

Saturday, Aug. 20 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200

Sunday, Aug. 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP OF DRIVER APPEARANCES FOR SUBWAY FRESH FIT 500 WEEKEND

By
Official Release
-

Five-time defending NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson & DAYTONA 500R winner headline

(PHOENIX, Ariz.) – NASCAR fans at Phoenix International Raceway will be treated to a star-studded line-up of drivers taking time to visit with crowds as part of the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T weekend Feb. 24-27. Guests for fan Q&A appearances throughout the weekend include five-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, 2010 Sprint Cup Series regular season points leader Kevin Harvick, 1989 Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Clint Bowyer and the winner of the 2011 DAYTONA 500R.

Other drivers scheduled to mix with fans throughout the race weekend include extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana, who is racing in the 3 Amigos Organic Blanco 100 at PIR on Feb. 24, defending SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T champ Ryan Newman and West Coast fan favorites AJ Allmendinger and Robby Gordon.

PIR will also offer fans a host of live entertainment options, headlined by renowned New York DJ Kid Capri. Kid Capri will perform at 11 a.m. on Feb. 27 on the Budweiser ROLL-BAR main stage – just before SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T pre-race ceremonies commence. The pre-race ceremonies promise to be equally exciting, with Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum performing the Star-Spangled banner and record-setting speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno serving as Grand Marshal for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T. Ohno will also make an appearance in PIR’s Octane lounge on Feb. 27.

The weekend’s full schedule of entertainment is listed below. Please note that events scheduled within the Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club or the Trackside Club require patrons to purchase a ticket to those areas.

Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club are available for advance purchase at $99 for Feb. 26 and $149 for Feb. 27. Additional purchase of a grandstand ticket is still required for track admission. Tickets for a full weekend package in Trackside Club are $699. A three-day package for Octane is $2,400 per person and includes unlimited food/beverage and many other plush accommodations. Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR, Octane, and Trackside Club are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T – Entertainment Schedule

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Travis Pastrana Q&A Pre-race On track Chad Freeman and Redline 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. SPEED Cantina

Friday, February 25, 2011

Tickle Checkered Flag Budweiser ROLL-BAR Main Stage

TRACKSIDE Special Edition 8:30 p.m. SPEED Display on Fan Midway

Hollywood Yates 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. SPEED Cantina

Saturday, February 26, 2011

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Driver Autograph Session 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Budweiser ROLL-BAR Beer Garden METALHEADS Checkered Flag Budweiser ROLL-BAR Main Stage

Crown Kings 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. SPEED Cantina

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Clint Bowyer Q&A 9:30 a.m. Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club Stage Kevin Harvick Q&A 10:00 a.m. Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club Stage

Jimmie Johnson Q&A 10:15 a.m. Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club Stage NASCAR RaceDay 10:30 a.m. SPEED Display on Fan Midway

Ryan Newman Q&A 10:30 a.m. Chevy Display on Fan Midway

DJ Kid Capri 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Budweiser ROLL-BAR Main Stage

DAYTONA 500R Winner Q&A TBD Budweiser ROLL-BAR Main Stage

Apolo Ohno Q&A TBD Octane

AJ Allmendinger Q&A TBD Trackside Club Robby Gordon Q&A TBD Trackside Club

Robby Gordon Q&A TBD Octane

No. 42 Chevy Pit Crew Autograph Session TBD Chevy Display on Fan Midway

(Entertainment schedule and locations subject to change)

Tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T on Feb. 27 are available now and start at just $25. For Phoenix International Raceway tickets and information, call 866-408-RACE (7223) or visit http://phoenixraceway.com/ PhoenixRaceway.com. Let the GO begin.

About Phoenix International Raceway Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval – including five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and many more – on February 27, 2011 in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Tickets for the entire Subway Fresh Fit 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at http://www.PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit http://PhoenixRaceway.com/ PhoenixRaceway.com, http://Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway/ Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and http://Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway/ Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

‘Casper’ Not So Friendly For Chad Hackenbracht; CGH Motorsports At Daytona

By
Official Release
-

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 14, 2011) – – CGH Motorsports with driver Chad Hackenbracht brought a Chevrolet Impala SS nicknamed “Casper” to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this past week for the opening race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

In the childhood story, “Casper” is known as the friendliest ghost that you ever did see. Unfortunately when the checkered was thrown in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, friendly wasn’t the word of choice for the CGH Motorsports team.

Unhappy with their performance in the three-day open test at Daytona last month, the Concord, North Carolina-based team went back to their shop, completely stripped and rebuilt their Chevrolet bowtie, all with the intention of allowing Hackenbracht, ARCA’s newest rising star to make a name for himself at the “World Center of Racing.”

When practice began on Thursday afternoon, the team was baffled with the performance of their No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS. While the New Philadelphia, Ohio native reported that his car seemed to have plenty of horsepower, the car could not produce the speed that the freshman ARCA team was looking for.

Help from other friends and colleagues in the ARCA garage discovered several potential solutions to the team’s hiccups. After an array of changes on Friday morning before qualifying, the CGH Motorsports headed into qualifying optimistic.

While the changes helped the overall performance of the car, the team would become challenged once again as it was determined post-qualifying that a spark-plug issue had significantly thwarted the team’s prior obstacles but thus created a new one.

Correcting the motor issue prior to Saturday morning’s happy hour session, the CGH Motorsports team participated in the final practice with the objective to get their 19-year old driver comfortable with his reconfigured race car. A productive session had the family-owned team focused on the race.

The green flag was displayed for the first time in 2011 with Hackenbracht quietly making his move towards the front. Keeping his No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS tucked in his drafting pack.

Hackenbracht would continue his steady climb up the running order and positioned himself comfortably inside the top-30. When a caution ensued approaching lap 20, the CGH Motorsports team opted to keep the rising star out on the race track, thus placing the No. 58 Chevrolet into the top-10.

On the restart, Hackenbracht wasn’t able to fend off his competitors but did maintain a comfortable position in the lead draft.

Slipping back to the middle of the pack, Hackenbracht’s day took an ugly turn on lap 44 of the 80-lap contest. While racing behind the No. 30 of Terry Jones, smoke began to billow out from Jones’s automobile forcing the No. 58 to the outside line. Unbeknownst to the driver, oil was spewed onto the track and onto the tires of the Greg Hackenbracht-owned machine which threw the car into a vicious spin and hard into the outside wall. How hard was the hit? The impact with the safer barrier wall was strong enough to lift the automobile off the ground and virtually turned it over before slamming back to the ground with heavy damage.

Hackenbracht waited until ARCA safety officials arrive at the scene of the accident where he pulled the window net down and climbed from his battered machine but not before waiving to the fans while making the mandatory trip to the infield care center. He would be later released with no injuries.

“That was wild,” said Hackenbracht, who is planning to run the full ARCA Racing Series schedule in 2011. “We had our struggles with our Casper this week, but we made considerable improvements and actually had a good car for the race. I’m not sure what happened with the 30. It looked like he lost a motor and I went around him on the outside and the next thing I knew I was hard into the wall.”

He continued, “I am thankful to all my guys on the CGH Motorsports team for building me a safe race car. That was probably one of my hardest hits in my racing career and it stinks that Casper is junk, but I’m able to walk away from it okay and we’ll be back after it at Talladega.”

Ron Hornaday, a four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) champion served as a driver mentor and coach for the former Legend Car Series (LCS) pilot.

Axel Fuel, the Official Energy Drink of CGH Motorsports, JRI Shocks, Metal Parts Manufacturing, Performance Vehicle Works, Portable Shades, R2C Performance and Xflex Racers Tape join Tastee Apple as marketing partners for the first of 19 races this season.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will take nearly an eight week pause before action resumes at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Friday, April 15th, 2011 live on SPEED.

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com http://www.chadhackenbracht.com/ and CGHMotorsports.com .

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com ), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Concord, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team will step up their commitment from a partial schedule and prepare for a hopeful full-season ARCA championship assault beginning in February 2011.

Roush Fenway Racing and Ford Take Propane Autogas for a Test Drive in 2011

By
Official Release
-

Race legend Jack Roush and Ford team up to debut two alternative-fueled emergency service trucks on the track at the Daytona 500 for the 2011 season.  

Plymouth Township, Mich. (February 14, 2011) —As the 2011 NASCAR season opens at Daytona International Speedway, race fans will see even more ‘green’ on the track when Ford Motor Company and ROUSH CleanTech roll out two environmentally friendly Track Services trucks. Two Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup trucks equipped with the ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel system will be tested in the sport’s fleet of emergency vehicles throughout the 2011 season.  

“NASCAR is famous for serving as a proving ground for new technology,” said Jack Roush. “It is a privilege to show race fans and the sport what we at ROUSH CleanTech know about clean alternative fuels. Propane autogas is already the third most widely used fuel in the world. It’s readily available in the U.S., and we’re ready to test it as a workhorse on the track this season.”  

Beyond this test in its Track Service vehicles, NASCAR has put significant emphasis on conservation with measurable initiatives on and off the track, including switching to Sunoco Green E15 race fuel made with American ethanol in its three national series; recycling all tires, oils, fluids, and batteries used in competition; rolling out the largest bottle-and-can event recycling program in sports; launching the largest tree-planting program in sports to neutralize all the carbon produced by Sprint Cup Series racing; and attaining LEED certification for new office buildings in Charlotte and Daytona Beach.

“Green is not an exclusively NASCAR-led initiative,” said Dr. Mike Lynch, managing director of green innovation for NASCAR. “It takes the efforts of our entire industry contributing to and collaborating on new initiatives such as this.”

ROUSH CleanTech’s propane autogas-powered vehicles lower emissions fuel costs while maintaining the vehicle’s factory warranty coverage and trademark durability. Research shows propane autogas burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, with up to 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide, up to 24 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and fewer particulate emissions when compared to gasoline.  

“ROUSH CleanTech is driven to win the alternative fuels race with a lineup of propane autogas-powered Ford vehicles unparalleled in performance, dependability, and environmental soundness,” said Joe Thompson, president of ROUSH CleanTech. “Our propane autogas-fueled trucks impart green power at peak performance, and we can’t wait to showcase that to the millions of NASCAR fans across the nation.”   The test trucks, featuring the ROUSH CleanTech logo on their back quarter panel behind the tires, are a sample of what is currently driving into the market now. ROUSH CleanTech has a growing list of fleets adopting their propane autogas fuel system for Ford trucks and vans. Starting with 2012 models, the ROUSH CleanTech system will be available directly from the factory, ordered as an option on Ford’s F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickup truck models.

About the company: Based in Plymouth Township, Mich., ROUSH CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and installs dedicated liquid propane autogas fuel systems for a variety of light- and medium- duty Ford vehicles, including the F-150, F-250, and F-350 truck series, and the E-150, E-250, E-350, and E-450 cutaway van series. Currently offered through authorized Ford dealerships around the country, the ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel system delivers the same factory Ford performance characteristics, warranty coverage, and serviceability. Customers can reduce operating costs significantly while reducing vehicle emissions. Complete details on ROUSH CleanTech fuel system offerings can be found online at ROUSHcleantech.comor by calling 800-59-ROUSH.

1...5,8565,8575,858...6,017Page 5,857 of 6,017

© SpeedwayMedia.com. All rights reserved.

Site Map

Archives

Popular Category