Chad Hackenbracht is Making a Name for Himself On and Off the Track
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[/media-credit]In spite of his difficult to pronounce moniker, up and coming 20 year old racer Chad Hackenbracht has been making a name for himself on and off the track.
Hackenbracht definitely made a name for himself on the track at Talladega by leading laps at the end of the race and pushing Brandon McReynolds, son of former crew chief and FOX broadcaster Larry McReynolds, to his first ARCA win.
The driver of the No. 58 Kindify Chevrolet Impala led 38 laps and was leading when the white flag flew. Unfortunately, Hackenbracht was a sitting duck at the front of the field and had to settle for a third place finish in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 when all was said and done.
This was Hackenbracht’s fifth career top five finish and his best finish ever at a superspeedway.
“I knew we had a good chance at winning for sure,” Hackenbracht said. “But you don’t want to be in the lead at a superspeedway.”
“You’re a sitting duck with no friends at all,” Hackenbracht continued. “So, they got me on that last restart. I tried to back up to them but they wound up getting around me.”
While rivals on the track, Hackenbracht and McReynolds have been good friends off the track. And they planned on working together in the draft during their superspeedway competitions.
“Brandon and I talked about pushing each other since the tandem racing began at Daytona,” Hackenbracht said. “Ever since then, we tried to work together but never got the opportunity until the Talladega race.”
So, how has McReynolds paid Hackenbracht back for that winning push, which has brought great attention to both racers’ names, at Talladega?
“He hasn’t given me anything,” Hackenbracht said with a laugh. “He called me after the race and thanked me.”
“He said we could go get some lunch or dinner or hang out,” Hackenbracht continued. “He has thanked me a lot and really that’s all you can ask for.”
“Obviously with Brandon being Larry Mac’s son and me pushing him to the lead, we’ve both gotten a lot of exposure,” Hackenbracht said. “So, when they talk him, they’re also talking about me.”
“We’re getting some good press out of it for sure and hopefully making a name in the garage area.”
Hackenbracht certainly had mixed emotions after the ARCA race, even with his third place finish. Among those emotions were elation for his friend, sadness that he was not in Victory Lane, and a little bit of anger all at the same time.
“Right after the race, I was actually kind of upset because the 16 came up and damaged our car,” Hackenbracht said. “He decided to come up and block us after we were right next to him.”
“Third is good because it helps us go after the championship,” Hackenbracht, who is third in the ARCA point standings, continued. “You always want to be in Victory Lane but it will happen when it’s supposed to happen.”
Hackenbracht has also been making a name for himself off the track as well. The young driver was chosen to do the Hoosier tire test at several newly paved tracks, as well as fulfilling a great deal of sponsor and charitable appearances.
“We did the Hoosier tire test,” Hackenbracht said. “We were the only team that went up and tested the tires on the new surface.”
“We also did that a few weeks ago in Michigan, as well as at Pocono,” Hackenbracht continued. “Michigan was very similar to the old track as far as conditions.”
“It had a lot of grip and is a lot faster,” Hackenbracht said. “We were actually only two tenths off of the Cup speeds in the ARCA cars.”
“Pocono also looks great,” Hackenbracht continued. “I can’t complain about that at all. It’s smooth and fast too.”
Hackenbracht has become a bit of a rock star off the track as well, between all of his sponsor visits and charities.
“Before Talladega, we went to Fort Bragg and did a show car appearance,” Hackenbracht said. “I had never once been on a base before and I didn’t realize it was like a whole other town.”
“It was great to meet the troops and spend time with them.”
“That Thursday of Talladega, we went to Fort Rucker and it was so nice to meet people and get my name out there,” Hackenbracht continued. “Another thing that I’ve started to do is with the RAD (Race Against Drugs) program. They’re going to have a go kart thing where kids get to race against us ARCA racers.”
“At ‘Dega, as soon as I got out of the car after finishing the race, I rushed everybody out and went to the hauler, changed my clothes and went outside the track to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame to sign autographs for different kids with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind,” Hackenbracht said. “That was fun to speak with a bunch of different kids.”
“It was hectic getting right out of the car but it was really fun.”
While Hackenbracht likes to go fast and finish well on the track, making a name for himself and causes he cares about off the track is something that is vitally important to the young driver.
“That’s one thing I really like to do is the off-track stuff, whether it’s autographs or just meeting people,” Hackenbracht said. “I love meeting new people and you never know where there connections will lead.”
Although it is early in the season, Hackenbracht has been enjoying making a name for himself on and off the track. And he just knows that his team will be the next ones in Victory Lane.
“We’re getting closer to finally closing the deal on the win,” Hackenbracht said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“We’ve had dominant performances but bad luck or other problems have gotten in the way of the win,” Hackenbracht continued. “It’s definitely been a good season so far.”
“Hopefully we will continue to go in the right direction.”
The Final Word – A tale of three drivers; one good, one bad, and one acting ugly again
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[/media-credit]The Southern 500 at Darlington is tradition. Sometimes it is good, such as during the latter portions of the event, and sometimes it is not. Sometimes there are no cautions, sometimes that leaves very few on the lead lap, and sometimes NASCAR has to throw a caution for debris, or too many mosquitos, or whatever they can think of. At least the final hundred miles got interesting.
That was good, as was the win by Jimmie Johnson. Finally, all the trinkets that have been following Rick Hendrick around to celebrate his 200th Cup win would be handed out, the champagne uncorked, and we could begin the countdown to the 268 put on the board by Petty Enterprises. For Five-Time, it marked his 56th career victory and the 11th straight season he has visited Victory Lane. He moves ahead of Rusty Wallace to sit alone in eighth place among all-time winners. As for this year, Johnson is ranked fifth in the standings, which is better than the 16th place team-mate Kasey Kahne finds himself in, despite a Top Ten at Darlington.
Not so for amigo Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He was 17th on the day, his worst result of 2012, yet third in the standings. Still, if you want the one Hendrick driver who has, through no fault of his own, discovered his season sailing down the crapper, you would be looking for Jeff Gordon. He was in the Top Ten at Darlington until he cut a tire. They changed it, they went out, and cut the sucker again. Off to the garage they went to seek answers, laps ticked off, and Gordon was left in 35th place on the track, and 24th in the standings. So, what needs to happy now? The simplest thing, if there is such a thing, would be to win two of the next 15. Two, that is, as long as Ryan Newman doesn’t win another. If not by wins, by points he has to make gains of at least six positions ahead of whomever is sitting in 10th that week, and do it every week until Richmond. It might be easier to win than to peg his way back, to be honest, in a season that has truly been bad to the bone.
We got our good, we got our bad, so let me introduce you to ugly. Kurt Busch had another one pop in the old fuse box in the Southern 500. After a late wreck that had him put Ryan Newman into the fence and bust his own car up, Busch hit the pits. In leaving, he hit the gas, peeled through Newman’s pit box on his way out, and ticked off some big boys. As the cars were lining up to head to the garage after the race, Busch hit Newman’s car again.
I have never met Andy Rueger, but from what I have seen of him on the tube I would want such a meeting to take place on very pleasant circumstances. The gasman for Newman appears to have had enough of Mr. Busch and his bovine excrement. He went looking for the boy, who kept behind a wall of crew men who probably would not get paid if Kurt got all crunched up and kicked to the curb by Mr. Rueger. Too bad they didn’t just step aside.
Kurt Busch, the man who irritated Dale Earnhardt enough to get the finger from the legend during the last race of his life. Kurt Busch, the weasel who thought he could run his mouth off at Jimmy Spencer only to have the big guy put his fist to Busch’s reset button. Kurt Busch, who took on the personality of Hal the computer after the fans sided with Spencer, actually won the 2004 crown before putting a fork in a year early to his Roush tenure to join Penske. Kurt Busch, who’s real personality was publicly exposed last season as he verbally abused Dr. Jerry Punch while awaiting being interviewed on ESPN. Kurt Busch, who Penske punted after last season, the man who was going to seek professional help, the 33-year old driver exiled to an underfunded outfit to try to reclaim his career, once again demonstrates what a swell boy his momma and poppa raised.
This Saturday, they run the all-star race at Charlotte. Johnson, Gordon, and Busch will all be there. Two will be among the fan favorites. Enjoy the week.
Rearview Mirror: A look back at the last 5 All-Star races
[/media-credit]2007: The 2007 Nextel All-Star Challenge featured some fireworks along with a first time All-Star Race Winner in Kevin Harvick. Kenny Wallace won the fan vote spot in the race and Martin Truex Jr. and Johnny Sauter raced their way into the Nextel All-Star Challenge from the Nextel Open. Fireworks went off when the Busch Brothers were both involved in a wreck. At this time Kyle Busch was still driving the No.5 Kellogg’s car for Hendrick Motorsports and Kurt Busch was in the No.2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing. Going into turn one, Kyle got loose and spun up track into Kurt. Both drivers made heavy contact with the wall. Kevin Harvick went on to win the race.2. No.48 Jimmie Johnson
3. No.01 Mark Martin
2008: The first year Sprint was the sponsor of the All-Star Race. In the Sprint Showdown, A.J Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr. raced their way into the race. Kasey Kahne was the fan vote winner. The All-Star Race featured few cautions and the fan vote winner Kasey Kahne went on to victory.
2. No.16 Greg Biffle
3. No.17 Matt Kenseth
2009: This was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the All-Star Race. Some format changes for the 2009 race included the first quarter of the race being fifty laps with a mandatory pit stop on lap twenty five. Then there would be two twenty lap segments then a ten lap shootout for the finish. Sam Hornish Jr. and Jamie McMurray raced their way into the All-Star Race via the Sprint Showdown. Joey Logan won the fan vote. In the race, with eight laps to go, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman went three wide for the lead coming out of turn four. When Gordon got up into Busch, Busch got loose and up into Newman putting Newman into the wall and bouncing Busch down into Gordon spinning Gordon through the infield and eventually Gordon went nose first into the outside wall. Tony Stewart went on to win the race; this was Stewart’s first win driving for his own team, Stewart-Hass Racing.
2. No.17 Matt Kenseth
3. No.2 Kurt Busch
2010: The 2010 All-Star race would be shown on SPEED TV for the first time. A new rule for the 2010 All-Star Race was a mandated four tire pit stop for all teams needed to make before the final fourth segment. Martin Truex Jr. and Greg Biffle raced their way into the All-Star Race from the Sprint Showdown. Carl Edwards won the Sprint Fan Vote. The “Big One” occurred on a restart when Joey Logano made slight contact with Mark Martin, Martin then spun out right in front of the field. Martin slid down the track collecting David Reutimann first. Also involved in the wreck were; Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. With eight to go in the final segment, Kyle Busch was racing Denny Hamlin when Hamlin cut him off exiting turn two, Busch got into the wall and ending his chances of winning the race. Finally with two to go, Kyle Busch got into the wall at the end of the front stretch. Busch then bounced off the wall and got into Kahne turning Kahne into the wall bringing out the caution. After the restart Kurt Busch went on to win his first All-Star Race.
2. No.56 Martin Truex Jr.
3. No.20 Joey Logano
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[/media-credit]2011: Carl Edwards would go on and win the 2011 Sprint All-Star Race. The race featured few cautions. David Ragan and Brad Keselowski advanced to the All-Star Race from the Sprint Showdown and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Sprint Fan Vote. Late in the All-Star race Kyle Busch began to catch Edwards but came up short and Edwards went on to win the race. During his celebration, Edwards spun through the grass attempting to do a burn out when his car met a drainer in the infield; Edwards heavily damaged his front end.
2. No.18 Kyle Busch
3. No.00 David Reutimann
