LIONEL NASCAR COLLECTABLES UNVEILS THE TOP 10 DIE-CAST CARS OF 2011
Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick claim top two spots, but a surprise newcomer comes in a close third.
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[/media-credit]CONCORD, NC (December 12, 2011) – Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet and Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet were the best-selling 1:24 scale die-cast cars of 2011, according to a top 10 list released today by Lionel NASCAR Collectables.
However in a surprise showing, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne clinched the third sport as his No. 21 Motorcraft Daytona 500 Win Ford made the cut.
“The interesting thing about our top 10 list is that it proves how much NASCAR fans love a good story,” said Howard Hitchcock, Vice President of Lionel NASCAR Collectables.
“Trevor Bayne driving the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane at the Daytona 500 is one of the most compelling stories in the history of the sport,” he continued. “And while we realized Trevor’s win was beyond big, our team had little idea just how popular the die-cast would be.”
While Gordon’s AARP Chevy was the best-selling die-cast car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tops the list as the driver garnering the most die-cast sales in 2011. Earnhardt cars claimed spots four, seven and nine.
“There’s no denying that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still the sport’s most popular driver from a merchandise perspective,” Hitchcock said. “Our sales clearly reflect that and there is consistently strong demand for any Dale Jr. car.”
Another Earnhardt also made the list of heavy hitters. Dale Earnhardt’s No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford was introduced in July as the first release in the company’s NASCAR Classics line – a series of historical die-cast which have never before been made. The result? Collectors loved the No. 96 car so much; it shot to the sixth spot on the list of 2011 best-sellers.
The Top 10 Die-Cast Cars of 2011 are listed below. For images and a slideshow detailing the story behind each car, please visit www.lionelnascar.com/top10.
Jeff Gordon No. 24 AARP/Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet
Trevor Bayne No. 21 Motorcraft Daytona Win Ford
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Amp Energy Chevrolet
Tony Stewart No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt No. 96 Cardinal Tractor Ford
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 National Guard Heritage Chevrolet
Tony Stewart No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet
Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Dale Jr. Foundation/Vh1 Save the Music Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick No. 29 Budweiser Military Tribute Chevrolet
About Lionel NASCAR® Collectables
The official die-cast of NASCAR, Lionel NASCAR® Collectables is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed die-cast race cars. A joint venture with the NASCAR® Team Properties and Lionel Electric Trains, LNC makes and sells replica die-cast race cars through a variety of channels, including Corporate, National Accounts, trackside, online, a network of specialty dealers and the Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA). Made up of a group of experienced merchants, artists, sales people and support staff, LNC has its pulse on the racing community and is committed to giving fans the very best in die-cast collectable cars. LNC is based in Concord, NC. For more information about Lionel NASCAR® Collectables, please visit the Web site at www.lionelnascarcollectables.com. Follow Lionel NASCAR® Collectables on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lionelnascar and Twitter @LionelNASCAR.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG
In late January of this year NASCAR officials announced a new championship points procedure based on a 43 to 1 concept. In other words the winner of a Sprint Cup race received 43 points with a one point descending deficit from second, 42 points, all the way to one point for the driver who finished 43d.
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[/media-credit]There were two basic ideas behind this new plan. The first was to place greater emphasis on winning races, along with consistent finishes, towards winning the Sprint Cup championship. The second idea was to simplify the system and create a clearer understanding for the fans regarding tracking the points of their favorite drivers. This was especially relevant for the newer fans of NASCAR racing.
Obviously it worked well as evidenced by the conclusion of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. The drama of Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards racing for that title in the final laps of the final race only to be tied in points at the checkered flag had to be an unexpected dream come true for NASCAR officials.
Having said that, there was an aspect of the new points structure that made me cringe. It was the words “WILD CARD”. The new points reconfiguration called for expanding the Chase line up to 12 drivers that included two wild card berths primarily based on the two drivers who had the most wins during the regular, 26 race, season as long as they were within the top 20 in the points standings.
As I sat in my office last January reading this announcement I vividly recalled yelling “W-T-F”. Although wild card playoff berths have been a factor in the other major American sports for many years now, I have never really cared for them. Yes, I understand that the presence of wild card teams expands the playoff period which translates into more television time and money from the broadcast networks. Yes, I understand that this expanded playoff period creates more drama for the fans and, in turn, raises television rating which also leads to future increases in advertising revenue. I’ve spent enough time in radio and television over the years to develop an awareness of how this concept can work.
An example of how a wild card berth can work in major American sports can easily be found in the National Football League. The league has a roster of 32 teams. At least 12 of them are going to make the post season playoffs. Consider this hypothetical situation: a team in the National Football League finishes the regular season with an 8-9 won/loss record. Despite those disappointing numbers, this team can still qualify for a wild card berth.
Now let’s say that this team goes into round one of the playoffs facing an opponent with far superior regular season stats. It’s possible that the favored to win team could arrive at this game thinking they have a lock on a round one win. That mental aspect could actually lead to a major upset on the scoreboard. It’s also very possible that the 8-9 team could get extraordinary lucky and actually find themselves in the Super Bowl.
Despite the all American never give up, Cinderella story, aspect, I’ve always found his wild card concept to be unacceptable. I truly believe that the only thing a NFL team, with an 8-9 record, should receive is a plane ticket home at the conclusion of the regular season.
So, you can well imagine my initial thoughts when I learned that NASCAR had implemented a wild card system in their play off procedures. In the days that followed last January’s announcement, some of the NASCAR conspiracy theorists ran a muck and referred to the new wild card concept as “the Dale Earnhardt Jr Rule.” In other words, it was viewed as a ways and means to make sure that NASCAR’s most popular driver made the Chase line up.
In total honesty, I must admit that there were a short period of time where I actually considered signing off on that theory. My apologies to Earnhardt and the “Junior Nation.”
For that matter it’s time to admit that I was wrong and forward an apology to NASCAR for jumping to conclusions, regarding the new wild card policy, instead of taking a more appropriate wait and see approach to determine how this program could actually work.
That’s because it worked extremely well. As the summer of 2011 turned into the fall, it was apparent that the wild card scenario was going to become a major NASCAR story line. Tony Stewart was a perfect example of that. At the conclusion of the second event at Daytona, held in early July, Stewart’s team was mired down with performance issues. They were still seeking their first win and were 12th in the points.
Meanwhile young David Ragan finally flexed his racing muscles and won his first ever Sprint Cup race at Daytona. The win elevated him to 17th in the points and in a prime position to possibly claim one of the wild card berths. Ragan’s victory created the possibility that Stewart, the driver who ultimately won the championship, might not make the Chase line up at all.
The one wild card scenario that really electrified the fans involved Brad Keselowski and his Roger Penske Racing/Miller Lite blue deuce team. In January, NASCAR observers were in complete agreement that this team was going to experience a break out season in 2011. However, following the Memorial Day weekend running of the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, it appeared the break out wasn’t coming. Keselowski was still seeking his first win of the season and was mired down at 25th in the points.
That all changed a week later when Keselowski scored his first win at Kansas. The victory elevated him to 21st in the standing, and only seven points away from the all important top twenty wild card requirement. But it was the month of August where the driver really caught fire. He began that month by scoring his second win at Pocono and virtually locked up a wild card berth in the Chase. He finished the month of August by winning his third race at Bristol. Keselowski had now accomplished the one thing we thought impossible: he had driven his way into the 12 man Chase line up.
The team began the Chase as the 11th seed. They finished the Chase in fifth based on three wins, ten top five finishes and 14 top tens. Now those were the stats we were expecting from this team last January.
It was also absolute proof that NASCAR’s new wild card system was a very viable part of its new championship format.
That’s also why it’s time for your truly to admit I was wrong.
Oliver Webb To Drive For Sam Schmidt Motorsports in Firestone Indy Lights
Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) announced that Oliver Webb will run the entire Indy Lights schedule in 2012 for the team.
“The decision to move to the U.S. for Indy Lights was a tough one to make,” Webb said. “However, the efforts of Sam Schmidt and the team made it much easier. We have been in contact with Sam for a couple of years now, and after securing a podium in my Indy Lights debut, I was keen to have a full test program with Sam and the guys. I completed a two-day test and very quickly decided it was the right move for my career toward the top end of motorsport. I look forward to challenging for the 2012 title with SSM.”
The twenty-year-old comes from Knutsford, England after competing in the World Series by Renault in 2011 for Pons Racing. He made four Firestone Indy Lights starts in 2011 with Jensen MotorSport, scoring his first podium in Edmonton when he finished third.
SSM had a successful 2011 season as they won the championship with Josef Newgarden. For 2012, Newgarden will be competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. The championship last season with Newgarden marked their fourth driver’s championship in six seasons.
“I have been waiting for this day for quite some time,” Schmidt said. “I invited Oli and his father to the Toronto race in 2009 and have been trying to get him into the series ever since. He is extremely dedicated, focused and has raced in some very competitive European series. He proved he can drive an Indy Lights car when he finished third in his first outing this past season. With his four Indy Lights starts in 2011, we look for him to be at the front of the grid in St. Pete and a championship contender all season.”
Webb will join the multi-car lineup that has 2011 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear champion Tristan Vautier behind the wheel.
Simon Pagenaud To Drive For Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2012
On December 8th, Sam Schmidt announced that Simon Pagenaud would drive the Honda-powered Dallara for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2012.
“I am delighted to be joining the IZOD Indy Car Series full time with Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Honda,” Pagenaud said. “The series represents the most competitive racing in the world right now, and I am really looking forward to the challenge of racing in a single-seater again. I have to thank Sam Schmidt Motorsports for giving me the opportunity and to continue with the Honda engineers at HPD. It is the best situation I could wish for.”
The 27-year-old frenchman has driven a variety of cars throughout his career. In 2011, he finished second in both the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also raced V8 Supercars, Rally cars and made three IndyCar starts in 2011, filling in for injured drivers.
“We are very fortunate to land a driver of Simon’s caliber for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season,” Schmidt said. “As all the teams work to develop the new cars and engines, his diverse experience will be invaluable to us. Simon has a strong relationship with Honda and its engineers, which is also a huge asset. This is a big day for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.”
Pagenaud got his start racing go-karts and began moving his way up through the ranks throughout Europe from 1994 and 2005. In 2006, he made the move to Indianapolis and has since driven a variety of cars.
“America has been a lucky charm to me, really,” Pagenaud said. “The start of it was 2006, when I won the Champ Car Atlantic Championship with Walker Racing, which allowed me to enter the Champ Car Series in 2007.”
In his rookie season in 2007, he finished eighth in the standings.
In 2008 and 2009, Pagenaud won five American Le Mans Series LMP1 races, seven poles and several podium finishes. In 2010, he won the American Le Mans Series LMP1 championship with four wins and three poles.
Pagenaud’s car number and sponsorship package will be announced at a later date. The focus right now is on getting ready for 2012 with the new chassis that IndyCar is debuting.
“I know 2012 will be a big challenge with the new Dallara chassis and being on a new team but, quite frankly, that is what is so interesting,” Pagenaud said. “To fulfill a lifelong dream to race an Indy car and to compete in the Indianapolis 500 is a special time in my life. I can’t wait for the start of the season in St Petersburg. I also want to especially thank Sam Schmidt for giving me the opportunity to drive for his team and for my friends at HPD.”
The 2011 Nationwide Series Year in Quotes Review
Daytona: “You just know. After 30 years of doing this, I know.” — Tony Stewart
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[/media-credit]The season started with a photo finish between Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart with the margin of victory being 0.007 seconds. But Stewart says he knew that he had won before NASCAR relayed the official timing. The victory was the fourth straight for Stewart in the event.
Phoenix: “I think from last year I owe Kyle one little bump and I thought about taking it but it’s a new year and I thought I could get by him clean.” — Carl Edwards
The two dominant drivers in the NNS have to be Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. At Phoenix Busch led all 200 laps on his way to victory as Edwards did his best to steal it at the end. While he says he owed Busch one from 2010, Busch said in victory lane he didn’t know what Edwards was talking about.
Las Vegas: “I just decided I wasn’t going to run out of gas.” — Mark Martin
Mark Martin wasn’t supposed to be in victory lane at Vegas but the wheel hit the No. 32. Martin stole the win as Brad Keselowski hit the wall on the final lap. The win helped Martin stay ahead of Kyle Busch as the all-time wins leader before Busch tied and broke the record later in the season.
Bristol: “I feel like God has given me the opportunity to race in NASCAR and I owe it to the fans, sponsors, that I am not a start and park driver. I’m here to race.” — Jennifer Jo Cobb
The green flag hadn’t even fallen at Bristol before there was drama. The short-track in Tennessee plays host to the best of rivalries but it’s rare for it to between driver and owner. Cobb stepped out of the car before the start of the race when told by the owner that she needed to start and park.
Fontana: “We stole this one, it wasn’t ours.” — Kyle Busch
The day that Busch doesn’t dominate a NNS race and win is surprising but that was the case in California. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards had the field covered and separated themselves for much of the day. That was until the No. 18 team used pit strategy to get Busch out front and pick up another win.
Texas: “The crowd at Texas it a little bit wild.” — Carl Edwards
No longer are backflips enough for Edwards when he wins a race. At the end of 2010 he started going into the grandstands to get up close and personal with the fans. In Texas he discovered that going into the stands was a lot easier then coming back out.
Talladega: “What a day. We just have a small crew; just a small team, trying to do what we can do week by week and we gave ‘em a run for their money today. I wish it would have ended under green.” —- Joe Nemechek
The plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega provide a great chance for a driver to shock the NASCAR world. Trevor Bayne did as much in the Daytona 500 in the Sprint Cup Series in 2011. Here though, Nemechek didn’t get the win but thought he could have for his self-owned, underfunded team had the race gone to completion.
Nashville: “Them Roush cars are just so dang fast, all of them.” — Brad Keselowski
A common theme in 2011 was the resurgence of Roush Fenway Racing and Ford. Both Keselowski and Kyle Busch found it hard to beat them and said they had an advantage. At Nashville Keselowski finished third behind Edwards and Busch.
Richmond: “Well, I guess NASCAR decided that we should be the tail end of the one lap down cars, I’m not really sure how they decided that … They’re gonna have to explain that to me” — Aric Almirola
Following a pit road speeding penalty NASCAR placed Almirola at the rear of the field. After contesting that NASCAR had made a mistake he fought back to finish 14th but still wasn’t happy about what had happened. A few weeks later Reed Sorenson would line up incorrectly on a restart, which NASCAR did not correct.
Darlington: “That seems to be my best style here at Darlington, beat ‘em up as much as you can and see if you can win with it.” — Kyle Busch
It wasn’t pretty and he certainly didn’t have the best looking car, but Busch always finds a way to win. At Darlington the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ reached out and abused his car a few times but it didn’t help the competition stop him from winning again.
Dover: “That was pretty wild man, I thought I was going over the wall.” — Clint Bowyer
The fireworks that normally appear at Daytona and Talladega when it comes to spectacular but scary wrecks appeared in Dover this year. On the final lap coming off turn four Joey Logano got loose while racing Carl Edwards. He bounced off the wall and came down the track where Bowyer hit him and flipped on his side down the frontstretch.
Iowa: “I couldn’t think of a better place to win.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The 2011 season was that of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. From wrecking, being benched and fighting for his job in 2010, Stenhouse came back with a vengeance. He gave the Cup drivers a run for their money every week and finally broke through for his first win at Iowa – where he had wrecked in 2010 – by holding off teammate Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski.
Charlotte: “Once I cleared Carl I waved to him like, ‘OK we got ‘em’ but then he passed me back and I felt pretty stupid.” — Matt Kenseth
With an ill Trevor Bayne sidelined it was 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth getting a chance at the No. 16. In a one-race deal Kenseth came in and won after putting on a great battle with teammate Carl Edwards after he nearly gave it away.
Chicago: “I got a big grin on my face from ear to ear and turned left and as soon as I got even with him, I ran out of fuel.” — Justin Allgaier
There are many arguments for and against fuel mileage races but in Chicago it couldn’t have been more exciting. Allgaier and Carl Edwards battled each other and their fuel gauges with little laps left. On the final lap Edwards ran out going down the backstretch and Allgaier ran out shortly after. Both drivers coasted all the way around to the checkered flag.
Michigan: “This track definitely needs a motor and we have it.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Leading the race with less than 10 laps to go it looked like Stenhouse Jr. was about to pick up his second career win. But teammate Carl Edwards wasn’t about to let Stenhouse have it as he took it away as Stenhouse’s car got too tight at the end. In Detroit’s backyard Edwards and Stenhouse powered Ford to a one-two finish.
Road America: “That is why [Jacques Villeneuve] should quit driving NASCAR no sense. I hope Max Papis punches his dumbass in the mouth.” — Kevin Harvick
Road course ringers are supposed to be the professionals who whip on the NNS regulars. But Jacques Villeneuve didn’t give them a good name in 2011, as he was involved in numerous incidents that prevented himself and others a chance to win. When he took out Max Papis at Road America it was the team owner of the car Papis was driving that let loose on his Twitter page.
Daytona: “Kept it straight, kept my foot in it too. I know that’s probably not the right thing to do when there’s a crash but I was going for broke in the GoDaddy car.” — Danica Patrick
Again running a limited schedule for JR Motorsports, Danica Patrick nearly won at Daytona and it wouldn’t have been a fluke. Drafting with teammate Aric Almirola and now Sprint Cup team owner Tony Stewart, Patrick led a majority of the race and was in content heading to the finish. A last lap wreck kept her from a top five finish.
Kentucky: “He’s just got to make up his damn mind up on the box.” — Kevin Harvick
Never one to hold his tongue, Harvick makes sure others know where they stand with him. That includes his team on pit road and his crew chief, who he ripped on after Kentucky following pit calls he didn’t agree with.
Loudon: “I hope some day we get to 200.” —- Kyle Busch
It took longer than he expected but Busch finally broke Martin’s record. It was his 49th career win in the NNS and his 100th across all three series. Busch hasn’t hidden the fact that he wants to win 200 races to join Richard Petty in the record books.
Nashville: “Heavenly father we thank you tonight for all your blessings. We want to thank you tonight for these mighty machines that you’ve brought before us. Thank you for the Dodges and the Toyotas, thank you for the Fords and most of all we thank you for you the Roush and Yates partnering to bring us the power we see before us tonight. Thank you GM Performance technology and R07 engines. Thank you for Sunoco racing fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track. Lord I want to thank you for my smoking hot wife tonight, Lisa. And my two children Eli and Emma, or as we like to call ’em, the little E’s. Lord I pray that you’ll bless the drivers and use them tonight, may they put on worthy of this great track. In Jesus name, boogity, boogity, boogity, amen!” — Pastor Joe Nelms
Quote of the year, ’nuff said. No one remembers the race after that.
Indianapolis: “Ricky really deserved to win this race with the car he had but things kind of fell our way tonight.” — Brad Keselowski
The fastest car doesn’t always win and Keselowski made sure of that in Indy. When a late race caution and subsequent readjusting of the lineup put Keselowski near the front he engaged in a hard battle with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He used up the No. 6 just enough to get by him to lead the final seven laps and took the win after Stenhouse had nearly the entire race.
Iowa: “I was aggressive there at the end, you gotta do what you gotta do to win. I wasn’t going to let another one slip by us.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
A week later Stenhouse made sure that he ended up in victory lane when he again spanked the field at Iowa. He battled hard with teammate Edwards and traded paint with him when he felt needed. The two traded barbs afterwards but Stenhouse went home with the trophy.
Watkins Glen: “It was one of those feelings like, we’re going to see this race on ESPN Classic if we could have gotten to duel it out at the end.” — Kurt Busch
When Brad Keselowski broke his ankle testing he asked Cup teammate Kurt Busch to sub for him at The Glen. Busch won the pole and dominated the race, battling with his younger brother Kyle during parts of the event. A fuel mileage race ended the possibility of the two fighting for the win late in the race.
Montreal: “Only girls pull hair.” — Steve Wallace
Another recurring theme in 2011 was that of Steven Wallace being involved in accidents. The No. 66 was constantly being torn up and in Montreal he wrecked Patrick Carpentier, who was racing in his final NASCAR race. After the race Carpentier’s crew chief got a handful of Wallace when expressing his displeasure with the move.
Bristol: “Wish I was the one in victory lane right now and not sitting over here in second by three inches.”—- Joey Logano
Never the bride, always the bridesmaid, at least that’s what some viewed Logano as in 2011. Coming up short in Bristol to his teammate in a photo finish Logano said he did everything he could to win besides wrecking Busch.
Atlanta: “I will tell you one thing: I’ll find him after the race and it’ll be between me and him.” — Reed Sorenson
When teammates wreck each other it’s never good, except for outsiders who get to watch what happens next. When Justin Allgaier wrecked Sorenson in Atlanta when Sorenson was battling for the championship, he vowed to find him after the race and settle it.
Richmond: “One of those deals and hate the way it all turned out but all in all, it’s short track racing I guess.” — Kevin Harvick
At first Harvick tried to calm that his intentional wrecking of Trevor Bayne was caused because he got loose. Afterwards though he admitted to racing hard with Jason Leffler and then Bayne who got into the back of him and was then retaliated upon.
Chicago: “I’m going to take every one of those freakin’ lapped cars and wreck ‘em.” — Brad Keselowski
Trying to make his way through the slower traffic in front of him, Brad Keselowski lost the lead to Carl Edwards midway through the race. He vented on the radio to his team but after he regrouped was able to hold off Edwards for the win.
Dover: “Fun, fun day. Just got beat, got beat up all day by Carl.” — Clint Bowyer
Unlike the first race at Dover where Bowyer was sliding on his door over the finish line as Edwards won, Bowyer was able to battle to the finish in September. Unfortunately he came up short to a very fast Roush Fenway Ford.
Kansas: “He races way over his head and he’s very fortunate that his dad has a lot of money and spends a lot of money on his racing and that’s a big factor in what he’s got going on.” — Aric Almirola
There were many highlight moments between Almirola and Brian Scott in 2011 and at Kansas the two traded more than paint. Scott accused Almirola of racing him too hard and blocking him from getting in the pits. Almirola came back and said that Scott was overreacting as always.
Charlotte: “I may give that car a kiss before I go to bed tonight.” — Jack Roush
Even after pancaking the right side of his car, Carl Edwards went on to win at Charlotte for his eighth win of the year. Team owner Jack Roush said afterwards that he couldn’t be prouder of his organization for building great racecars and rebounding for a horrible 2010.
Texas: “I don’t know if you could script a story like the year I’ve had.” — Trevor Bayne
He started the year by wining the Daytona 500 just a day after he turned 20 years and in his second career Cup start. But a few weeks later Bayne was sidelined from running for the NNS championship when he fell ill. Then in November he finally won his first NNS race after beating teammate Carl Edwards.
Phoenix: “Every 10 years, I guess, I get to come to victory lane here for the first time in a different kind of car, so it’s pretty special.” — Sam Hornish Jr.
It’s been a tough road in NASCAR for Sam Hornish Jr., who lost his Cup ride following sponsorship woes and bad performances. Not one to give up he decided to stay in stock cars and give it more time, running a limited schedule in 2011. At Phoenix he shocked everyone when he won his first race after dominating the final 100 laps of the race.
Homestead-Miami: “This is a dream come true.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The story of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be told for many years to come. In 2010 he wrecked more than he raced, was then benched by owner Jack Roush before getting a second chance in the second half of the season. He came back to win Rookie of the Year honors before embarking on a championship tour in 2011. Stenhouse won two races and looked like a completely different driver than who was on track a year ago.
Defying the Odds: Timmy Hill Wins Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year
For much of the season, the focus was on the big teams – Roush-Fenway Racing, Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Turner Motorsports and others. Though at the other end, there were teams out there fighting to run strong week-in-and-week-out to accomplish their goals.
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[/media-credit]Rick Ware Racing was one of those teams and at the end of the year, they accomplished their main goal. They ended the season with Timmy Hill winning Nationwide Rookie of the Year.
“I can’t thank this team enough,” Hill said. “When it was crunch time, they pulled through. They have done it all year with our back against the wall!”
It was a season full of hurdles with lots of lessons being learned along the way.
“Previously before Nationwide, I’ve run short races at local half mile tracks,” the 18-year-old said in a phone interview. “In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, most of the races are about 300 miles long so I had to learn to pace myself throughout a race, knowing that the race was long and you got to be there at the finish to get those good finishes. So I’ve learned I’ve got to pace myself and be there at the end.”
The driver of the No. 15 Poynt Ford had his fair share of struggles, though also had times during the season that stood out. An 11th place finish at Road American would mark Hill’s best finish of the season.
Competing against the veterans of the Nationwide Series would be enough to intimidate a new driver. Though on top of that, there are some Sprint Cup Series regulars who would come run some Nationwide Series races.
“I feel like with those guys, it gives you something to shoot for,” Hill said of the cup drivers. “At the same time, it makes it kind of tough because it’s hard for the new guys, like myself, to try and shine when these superstars come down to the Nationwide Series and take all the spotlight.”
One of those Sprint Cup regulars who run the Nationwide Series, Carl Edwards, is whom Hill considers his racing hero.
“One thing that stood out to me is he’s always a nice guy,” Hill said. “He always the guy that I wanted to attire myself after because he’s always clean on the race track, good driver, good with the fans; that’s the guy that I always try to patter myself after.”
Hill began racing at the age of nine in go-karts.
“Previously, my dad used to race through the 90s and the early 2000s,” he said. “I always wanted to do it growing up ever since I was a little kid. I kept bugging my dad over and over again. He finally let me drive a go-kart and I just got hooked right away.”
Racing in go-karts in 2005, Hill won over 80 races and multiple championships, including two World Karting Association (WKA) championships. Hill then began the moving his way up the ladder from the Bandoleros to Legends to Allison Legacy Series to the ARCA Racing Series, and lastly the K&N Pro Series in 2010.
The transition from the Allison Legacy Series to NASCAR Nationwide Series racing marked a big step for the young driver.
“The Allison Legacy Cars and the smaller cars, they race on the half-mile tracks, like Bristol,” he said. “You go to a mile-and-a-half and these faster tracks, it’s a whole different ball game and it’s like starting over, so to speak. You have to learn everything over. Basically what comes into play is all the aerodynamics and you got to pay attention to what’s going on as you see a lot of different things than the short tracks.”
To go with the races being longer as you move up, Hill stresses the element to drivers trying to get into the higher ranks.
“A lot of times you see the guys that they only have a couple races that they get to run,” he said. “They go out, try too hard and end up taking them self early so they don’t get time to learn or time to shine. “So the biggest thing is these races are long, pace yourself and be there at the end.”
Hill says for next year, he is looking to consistently get good finishes to finish top-10 in points.
“At the beginning of this year, I had to learn all the tracks and the ins-and-outs of the series and it took me awhile to get going,” he said. “Next season, our main goal is to go out and get good finishes; top-15 finishes are what we’re looking for every week and to be there. Our goal for the points is to finish in the top 10 in driver’s points and top 10 in owner’s points.”
