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Earnhardt Ganassi Racing – Homestead-Miami Speedway Advance Notes

By
Official Release
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Homestead-Miami Speedway Advance Notes

Race: Ford 400 on Sunday, Nov. 22

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Location: Homestead, Fla.

Earnhardt Ganassi Media Contacts at Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

Jarrod England No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet

Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams 2010 Notes

Record Breaking Year: 2010 has been a historic year for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. The following are highlights of on-track success across all three sanctioning bodies (NASCAR, IndyCar, GRAND-AM)

· Chip Ganassi became the first owner in history to win what has become known at the Triple Crown of American auto racing – the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in NASCAR and the Indianapolis 500 in the IndyCar Series.

· He became the first owner to win both IMS events in the same year – the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

· Ganassi’s teams won 2010 championships in both the GRAND-AM Rolex Series (Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas) and the IZOD IndyCar Series (Dario Franchitti) – his 11th and 12th championships.

· All five of his teams and all six of his drivers found victory lane in 2010 to score a team record 19 victories (previous best was 14) – 4 in NASCAR, 9 in GRAND-AM and 6 in IndyCar

· The four wins by Chip’s NASCAR Sprint Cup operation, is the most in the organization’s history breaking their 2002 mark of three (Marlin 2, McMurray 1)

· Only Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Gibbs, RCR and Roush-Fenway have had multiple drivers win races in 2010

· Only Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have won more races in 2010 than Jamie McMurray (Harvick and Kyle Busch also won 3)

· Earnhardt Ganassi Racing leads all teams with the most Coors Light pole awards in 2010 with seven (McMurray 4, Montoya 3)

NOTES

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Team

McMurray at Homestead-Miami: McMurray has eight NSCS starts at the one-half mile Florida oval. McMurray has an average starting and finishing position of 15.8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). He has one pole award at the speedway when driving for car owner Chip Ganassi during the 2003 season. His career best finish came in the 2008 season finale finishing third. McMurray has three top-10 starts, one top-five and three top-10 finishes with only one DNF due to a blown engine. He has also completed 2121 of the 2141 laps raced (99.1%).

Phoenix Recap: Jamie McMurray made a dramatic comeback during last Sunday afternoon’s event at Phoenix International Raceway. McMurray, who started in the fifth position, was running well inside the top 10 early on in the 312 lap event when he brushed the wall coming off of turn four on lap 70. The brush with the wall nearly knocked the spoiler off of McMurray’s No.1 McDonald’s Chevrolet. Hanging on by a thread, McMurray would be forced to fight terrible handling conditions, dropping through the field several positions. The driver would continue his battle to stay on the lead lap, but would eventually succumb to a long green-flag run. McMurray would ultimately receive the lucky dog and with a fixed race car, would begin to move through the field eventually making his way to and finishing in the 10th position.

Visit Local Bass Pro Shops: Race Fans looking to stock up on all of their tailgating or fishing supplies should be sure to visit one of the two Bass Pro Shops located within minutes of HMS. The Miami location, located at 11551 Northwest 12th Street is the closest location, just 30 minutes from the Speedway. Fans seeking a bit more adventure can make the one-half hour drive down the scenic Overseas Highway to the Islamorada location at 81576 Overseas Highway. For more information on store activities, location and hours fans can visit www.basspro.com.

Fishing Trackside: Jamie McMurray will join a host of other NASCAR stars as they come together to support the 9th Annual Hot Shot ‘Hot Rods & Reels’ Charity Fishing Tournament this Saturday, November 20th at the infield lake at HMS. This will mark McMurray’s third appearance for the tournament after competing in the Darrell Gwynn Foundation’s season opening event on Lake Lloyd at Daytona International Speedway and this same tournament last season. The event benefits the non-profit Darrell Gwynn Foundation to Cure Paralysis and the “Speediatrics” unit at Homestead Hospital. The tournament begins at 8:30am ET, and race fans are encouraged to attend.

Consistency Streak: McMurray’s 10th place finish at Phoenix continues the No. 1 team’s trend of consistency since the mid-season Chicago race. Since Chicago, the team has had only two finishes outside of the top-20 in 17 starts, this includes two wins (Indy and Charlotte), two poles (Chicago and Fontana), 10 top-10 starting positions, five top-five, seven top-10, 11 top-15 and 15 top-20 finishes. The team has an average starting and finishing position of 12th.

McMurray vs. the Chase: While not in the Chase, McMurray and the No. 1 team haven’t given up on being one of the most impressive race teams on the track. The team has been on a hot streak throughout the nine Chase races. Compared to the top-12 Chase drivers this is how McMurray and the No. 1 Team currently stack up:

– Poles – Tied for 1st

– Wins – Tied for 2nd

– Average start of 12.4 – Ranks 3rd

– Top-five finishes – Tied for 4th

– Top- 10 finishes – Ranks 4th

– Average finish of13.1 – Ranks 5th

– Ranks 5th for the most points gained in the chase with 1175 points gained

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

Home Sweet Home: Juan Pablo Montoya will return home to close out the 2010 season this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Not only do the Montoya’s call Miami home, this weekend’s start will mark four years since Montoya climbed behind the wheel of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. In his inaugural race, Montoya started 29th and finished 34th due to an accident.

Homestead History: Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his fifth NSCS start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Montoya’s career best weekend at HMS came at the 2007 season finale when he started 11th and finished 17th. He has only one DNF in his first visit to the 1.5-mile oval.

About Phoenix: Juan Pablo Montoya and the Target team headed out west for the final time in 2010 to Phoenix International Raceway. The No. 42 Target Chevrolet found itself in contention for a win in the closing laps of the Kobalt Tools 500 until the team’s luck turned on them. Montoya was displayed in the second position chasing down the leader when the No. 42 ran out of fuel on the final lap and coasted across the finish line in the 16th position.

2010 Statistics: Montoya and the Target team have accumulated three pole awards, 24 top-10 starting positions, one win, six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes this season. He has led 411 laps, averages a starting position of 10.8 and a finishing position of 17.5 for the season. Montoya has set a career best for number of poles, laps led and average start in a season. He is just one top-five short of his career best set last season with seven. Along with these statistics Montoya currently sits in the top-10 in the following performance generated categories:

– Average start of 10.8 (2nd)

– 7141 Laps in top-15 (6th)

– 407 Fastest laps run (6th)

– Fastest drivers early in a run (7th)

– Quality passes (7th)

– Fastest drivers on restarts (7th)

– Average running position (7th)

– 733.08 Miles led (8th)

– Driver rating of 91.9 (8th)

– Green flag speed (8th)

– 411 Laps led (9th)

– Green flag speed (9th)

Montoya Makes an Appearance: Race fans attending this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway should be sure to stop by the Sprint Experience on Saturday, November 20. Montoya will be visiting the Sprint Experience to participate in a Q&A Session from 11:30am-11:45am (ET). The Sprint Experience is located outside of the racetrack on souvenir row.

Montoya’s Honor NASCAR Veteran Kyle Petty: Juan Pablo Montoya and his wife Connie Freydell Montoya will honor NASCAR veteran driver Kyle Petty at this year’s BeLive gala on Thursday, Nov. 18 in Miami. The former NASCAR driver turned analyst on SPEED will be presented with the BeLive Humanitarian award for his ongoing work and dedication to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. The award recognizes individuals that selflessly work towards helping others in need. Kyle and his wife Pattie created the Victory Junction Gang Camp in honor of their late son Adam who was killed in a racing incident at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000. Victory Junction provides life-changing experiences for kids with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Since the doors opened in 2004, the camp has enriched the lives of more than 11,000 children and families and has welcomed children from 47 states and three countries.

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1006. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boat team will bring chassis #1006 to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. This chassis has been used five times this season, most recent at Charlotte where McMurray started 27th and captured his third win of the season. This chassis has also captured the pole position three times at Kansas, Chicagoland and Darlington and has two out of three top-five finishes of second and fifth. It was also used in August at Michigan where the No. 1 started 19th and finished 20th. McMurray has led 143 laps with this chassis.

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1015. Crew Chief Brian Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #1015 to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. The No. 42 team has used this chassis three times this season at Charlotte last month and both Michigan events. Montoya has scored two top-10 qualifying positions of fifth and 10th (both Michigan) and three top-15 finishes of seventh, 13th and 11th (Charlotte).

2010 STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish Pts. Pos./(Prev)

Jamie McMurray 35 3 4 9 12 13.7 16.3 14/14

Juan Pablo Montoya 35 1 3 6 14 10.8 17.5 17/17

CAREER STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish

Jamie McMurray 293 6 7 39 92 19.6 19.0

Juan Pablo Montoya 144 2 5 18 41 17.2 19.7

TEAM ROSTERS

Tony Glover – Team Manager

Steve Hmiel – Director of Competition

No. 1 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown

Crew Chief: Kevin Manion Boylston, MA Rear Tire Changer: Chris Taylor West Plains, MO

Chief Mechanic: Gary Putnam Vernon, CT Rear Tire Carrier: Adam Mosher Fort Mill, SC

Front Tire Changer: Cory DeMarco St. Louis, MO Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs Richmond, VA

Front Tire Carrier: Doug Riepe Danbury, CT Catch Can: Eric Hoyle Asheville, NC

Jack Man: Tracy Duncan Lincolnton, NC Spotter: Keith Barnwell Hudson, NC

No. 42 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown

Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Zephyrhills, FL Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen Troutman, NC

Chief Mechanic: Heath Silver Asheville, NC Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode Statesville, NC

Front Tire Changer: Trevor Lysne Fergus Falls, MN Gas Man: Mike Bodick Norwalk, CT

Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu Waterford, MI Catch Can: Heath Silver Asheville, NC

Jack Man: TJ Ford Charlotte, NC Spotter: Tab Boyd Pensacola, FL

NASCAR Announcement: A Gigantic Load Of Fail For The 2011 Season

By
SM Staff
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All aboard the Failboat!

Even though it’s been some months since I’ve been able to sit down at a keyboard and type the usual sort of revolting prose that I’m not really all that famous for, I haven’t been sitting idle. I am keeping track of what’s going on in NASCAR, but I’m also working on a few side projects (one being a possible Youtube automotive show of sorts), and following the pursuits of other types of auto racing. A lot has happened in my absence, but at the same time, nothing has changed.

Top Gear USA

Before I say anything else, there is a USA-version of Top Gear coming out on the History Channel….and from what I’ve seen of the new show….I cannot come up with another term more stupendously powerful than ‘it freaking sucks’. This show sucks so freaking badly, I’m ashamed to even be in the same country as the location it’s produced in. This show is proof that brain donors do indeed walk the earth. This show makes me psychotically envious of those who are legally blind and deaf. This show sucks so freaking badly, that you’d be hard-pressed to get better sucking results from a $300,000 Hoover vacuum cleaner.

BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson once said something to the effect that “Americans don’t ‘get’ Top Gear”.

It’s not the viewing Americans with the problem. We ‘get’ the show just fine and dandy. Well, I take that back, Democrats don’t get it.

It’s the idiots who produce the American ‘car’ shows who are the scourge behind this rampant, all-enveloping stupidity.

Want to see what I’m talking about? Watch a car show, any car show, that’s produced in the USA. Watch NASCAR racing on TV.

See any correlation?

Both of these types of shows cater to….no one. Both types of shows are insults to the viewer’s intelligence….unless you’re a voting Democrat. I can think of a couple of shows on the Speed channel (or whatever it’s called)….but both grow boring rather quickly, as even these couple of shows constantly dip into the ‘Extreme!’ bucket for effect.

The only ‘shows’ on TV, for the car guy, that are worth watching, are Speedtv races….and BBC Top Gear.

The rest?

To borrow from the British….utter rubbish.

I shut my cable off over a year ago because of how bad it’s really gotten with American cable networks. The American Top Gear is yet another sterling example.

Here is the formula for Top Gear USA:

  1. Use the Top Gear logo. According to American TV producers, we’re too stupid to notice that it’s not the UK version of Top Gear
  2. Put two metrosexual males together with some guy that claims to be a race car driver, and hope we don’t notice, that in one of the commercials, two of the guys are wearing the same plaid metrosexual shirts
  3. Suggest that there is ‘chemistry’ between the three presenters….never mind that there clearly isn’t any
  4. Combine elements of the hit TV show ‘Jackass’ (and the dozens of other ‘Extreme!’ knockoffs that have popped up since then) with generic thematic elements of the original BBC show, because, once again, we’re too stupid to think we’d want to watch anything else
  5. Sound as fake as possible by saying  ‘Oh My God!’ and other boisterous exclamations as many times as you can during the span of a 60-second commercial spot, and laugh as much as possible, even though it sounds forced
  6. Simply ignore that some of the appeal with the BBC Top Gear is that a British accent adds something like 30 ‘perceived’ IQ points to the person who is speaking
  7. Ignore the fact that there have been two other major attempts to get Top Gear USA off of the ground, and that it failed miserably both times
  8. Do absolutely nothing to try to make it different from the UK version, even use the bits from the UK show that didn’t work too well
  9. Cover up the fact that American TV producers don’t understand the concept of ‘dry humor’, and how it’s a staple of British comedy (Monty Python, anyone?)

10. Insert butt-rock music as much as possible (something you’d hear from the late 1980’s/early 1990’s), because we do it with every other ‘car guy’ TV show in existence, and they’re too stupid to notice anyway

Well, there you go, that’s pretty much the formula for the new USA Top Gear. Feel free to add your own additions to the ‘formula’ in the comment section down below. And yes, the ‘Youtube’ show project of mine revolves around something of a Top Gear UK-type of show….same basic idea, much-different layout and subject material, however….and it will include viewer participation.

Moving on….

NASCAR Announcements

  1. Well, whaddya know, NASCAR is switching to E85 for the 2011 season. Does anyone except for the Corn lobby give two bleeps that NASCAR is switching to E85 for the 2011 season, and every other season after that? We need to get away from foreign fuel sources? Where is the other 85% of the fuel coming from, if 15% ethanol is coming from America?
  2. I think I saw somewhere where there was going to be a front splitter change for 2011….but I don’t have a source. That’s a nice suggestion, if it’s true, however, what is the France Cartel going to do about the rest of the car?
  3. Isn’t fuel injection coming in mid-2011? This was around 10 years overdue. Now if we could only get powerplants that are sourced from actual production cars or trucks….pushrod vs. overhead cam? Chevy and Dodge went with pushrods for their production V8’s, Ford and Toyota went with DOHC….
  4. I wonder if Ford is actually going to show up with a winning powerplant next year. The all-new FR9 has been a disaster, and I don’t care that Ford somehow won two races this year….out of 35 ran so far….that engine is still a turd, never mind how much time and engineering they’ve wasted upon it. Yes, it’s a great idea, and sure, it sounds like it should work…on paper…but they brought it out before it was ready to compete.

There are other announcements and developments that are out there….or at least I think there are….however, nothing has been done as to what to do about the elephant in the room, namely why viewers are leaving this sport in droves.

I have a thought about that.

This series needs an overhaul. The failed COSHAT (Car of some hideous alternate tomorrow) hasn’t been updated in three years now, other than a spoiler change….wooo, what an upgrade….and it’s done nothing to improve ‘the racing’. Yes, it’s supposedly safer….nobody has been killed in one yet….but it punches such a huge hole in the air that anyone coming up on the leader has air taken off of the nose….and so we have race after race, where whoever gets in front during a pit stop pretty much has the lead for that round of green-flag racing….and people switch off the TV sets.

There’s another suggestion as to why nobody is watching….and it has nothing to do with racing.

I’m struggling with trying to identify the problem, simply because I think I’m suffering from ‘it’ also.

I can’t sit down and watch a race any longer, unless it’s something really significant. I’m having difficulty reading an entire news article. I’m having difficulty sitting down and reading an entire book. It’s so much easier simply reading the title of the article, and if it’s got a good hook, I’ll check it out….otherwise, I’ve already moved on.

This isn’t just affecting how I read.

I can’t stand talking to slow people. If you’re talking like Forrest Gump, and in addition, sound like you are further impaired as if you’re overdosing on valium, I really cannot talk to you. I’ve already moved onto three or four other thoughts or conversation topics by the time you’ve finished saying ‘hello’. I’m not trying to be rude, I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m simply operating at a speed at which you’re not, and unless I’m really trying to focus….you just lost me.

This is also how I feel when talking to people who vote democrat, but we all know that this particular disease is incurable, so I’ll put them into a ‘cuddly but dumb’ category, knowing that there’s nothing I can do for them and their mental illness….

However, moving on….I think what’s happened, is that our Information Age, along with fast-moving computer games, TV, and whatnot….it’s done something to the male population under 35. Think of it as ‘Acquired A.D.H.D’, where we’d really like to focus on a race….but if it’s not done in 10 laps….sorry, we’re done, and we’ve just checked our Facebook page, scanned through Drudge Report, gone through 3 different email accounts, and have eaten two frozen pizzas in the same space of time it takes a NASCAR announcer to say, “And there’s only 322 laps to go!”.

I’m going to spend more time working on this particular phenomenon….simply because I’m in this particular age bracket, and I’m curious if there isn’t  more to why we can’t watch an entire race….from any motorsport series….

But for now….have a good week. I hope to do this again sometime soon.

If at first you don’t succeed, call it ‘the Car of Tomorrow’.

CHEVY NSCS AT HOMESTEAD: Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick NASCAR Teleconference Transcript

By
Official Release
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Team Chevy team owners, Richard Childress, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, and Rick Hendrick, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, were guests on a NASCAR Teleconference to discuss the championship battle at the upcoming season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Full transcript:

An Interview With:

RICK HENDRICK

RICHARD CHILDRESS

            HERB BRANHAM: Thank you, and good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to today’s very special teleconference. We’re in advance of Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway. That’s the final event of this season in the culmination of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. We have three teams still in contention for the title. 

            Today we’re really pleased to be joined by the car owners of our championship contending teams. We have; Rick Hendrick, who owns the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet driven by Jimmie; and Richard Childress, who owns the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick.

            We’re going to start off with a quick opener from each of our owners. Then we’re going to go to media, and we’ll start with Richard Childress. Richard, you have those six Sprint Cup titles as a car owner, won them all with the late Dale Earnhardt. How special would it be to finally win one with Kevin Harvick?

            RICHARD CHILDRESS: It would be very special for RCR, myself. I’ve been there and been fortunate to have been aboard for those. We have so many new employees and sponsors that hasn’t been there, and for us to be able to bring a championship to them and to these employees, it would be very special for all of us.

            HERB BRANHAM: Rick, nine series car owner championships. That’s a record that you share in the Cup Series with Petty Enterprises. What would it mean if you came away from Homestead and had that record by yourself?

            RICK HENDRICK: It would be awesome. You know, when you think about it, time goes by, and I never thought I would win one of these deals. I thought I’d always watch Richard get them. The guys have worked hard, and we hope we can pull it off.

            But to have ten would be an amazing accomplishment for the organization. You never know when you’re going to win another one of these deals, so we’re excited to have an opportunity to do that.

            HERB BRANHAM: Thank you for those openers. We’ll go to the media now for questions for today’s three really special guests.

            Q. I have a question I’d like each of you to address, please. There’s been some surprises in this Chase, but as we look at this championship finale, what would surprise each of you about Sunday?

            RICK HENDRICK: You know, I would be surprised if we had an answer before the white flag Sunday. I think when the white flag comes out, it’ll still be up for grabs. I don’t think we’ll know until then, until after that.

            RICHARD CHILDRESS: I kind of go along with what both of them said. You’ve got three top organizations running for this championship, and that’s what the Chase was all built around is to have this. This is a storybook Chase right here, and I think it’s going to go down to the wire because you have three capable drivers, you have three capable organizations, and it’s going to be fun. I’m as excited about this championship effort — I wish we were 46 ahead or whatever we’re behind. I wish we were ahead that much. But we’ll take it just being able to have a mathematical chance of winning it.

            Q.  Rick, the perception persists that for all he’s accomplished, Jimmie Johnson still has not captivated the kind of credit that is warranted for what he’s done. Could you address that?

            RICK HENDRICK: You know, I don’t understand it, but to win two or three — two of these deals back-to-back is pretty impressive, three, and then four is just outstanding. You look at his stats, and he’s been amazing. And I don’t know. I think it’s one of those things that while sometimes you’re accomplishing an unbelievable results, it’s after the fact one day people will look at it and say, man, that was awesome back then. I can’t really answer it. I wish I knew.

            I think he does have the respect of the garage area, and I think he does have the respect of the competitors, both the teams that he competes against, but I think history will have to prove that what he’s done has been pretty remarkable.

            Q. The question I had for you, what is the price of victory? What special reward do each of you guys have to very willingly pay out if your team wins, to the driver, to the team in the shop? I guess is there a bounty on winning the Chase?

            RICK HENDRICK: It’s most all of us from our side. I think Joe and Richard, I think the driver gets his piece and then when you get through paying the bonuses to everybody, you might be able to pay your expenses to go out to the championship. But that’s the way we work it, incentivizing our people, and we want to put a carrot out there, and they don’t do it for the money, but it’s the recognition and rewarding them financially that’s important.

            I think it’s — I can’t give you a number because I haven’t added it all up, but there is a lot of incentives out there for them, for our team.

            RICHARD CHILDRESS: Same here with ours. I think the biggest thing is having that trophy as a car owner and driver is the largest incentive for us, but at RCR we will end up paying out most all of the winnings throughout the team and the company, so that’s the way we’re set up as well as Rick.

            Q. I think everyone would be in agreement that this is the best Chase since probably 2004, and yet the ratings have been down in each race and everyone still seems to act like the sky is falling in NASCAR. The Chase is so captivating this year, I’m wondering why you think it’s not resonating with fans and what more NASCAR could be doing.

            RICHARD CHILDRESS: I would hit it first. I don’t think Rome is burning in NASCAR. I think we still have a great sport. We have great fans. I think the economy has touched every sport at some point. I think that we will come back and be as strong as we ever were.

            I don’t know financially-wise, but I think with the fans, they’re going to get their NASCAR fix, and I just think it’ll be back. But Rome isn’t burning in our series.

            RICK HENDRICK: It sounds like all three of us agree totally here. I think it’s the best racing I’ve seen since I’ve been in the sport. When I first started you didn’t have to beat but two or three cars to win a championship. Now you’ve got 15 capable teams of winning it, and it comes down to a couple of you.

            I think our season is long, but the racing is the best I’ve ever seen. But when you turn on TV you might watch the World Series, football, they’re talking about cranking up college basketball. It’s so much for people to see and a lot of things that are popping up every week that are new. So I can’t explain the ratings.

            But the stands are — Phoenix looked full. Like Joe said, it was awful quiet with the economy being soft from new sponsors and sponsors wanting to re-up or even new people coming in, and that activity has gotten a lot stronger. This has been — we’ve had more movement, more action with companies — some new companies and the old companies that were there that are re-upping, and the economy is not fixed yet.

            But I can definitely feel a difference, and I think NASCAR has done everything they could do, that we’re a victim just like everybody else of the economy just like these guys have said.

            But I feel very good. I mean, in the end of ’08 when the world looked like it was going to come to an end for everybody, banks, companies, the whole U.S. and worldwide economy, I feel much better, and we’re seeing a lot more activity. So I think we’re on a tremendous upswing, and I think this Chase is proof positive that NASCAR came up with the best formula for the fans and to make it competitive.

            Q. When you were building your championship organizations did you look at Richard’s organization at all, and is there anything that you can remember that you kind of took from either Richard’s style or RCR in general that you saw what they were doing and put it to use for yourself?

            RICK HENDRICK: I’ll take that one first because I did look at Richard’s organization extremely hard because we led a lot of laps and we won a lot of races, but we’d get down to the end of the year and Richard won the championships. I think Richard showed us how you have to prepare and run for a championship. You’ve got to be there and you’ve got to race every race and every lap, and you’ve got to finish.

            So I did learn an awful lot and watch Richard from the day I started and actually not only followed some of his standards, but he has helped me along the way. We’ve worked together many times on projects. He’s been a great friend and a great competitor just like Joe. But it’s amazing how we do learn from each other, and I learned an awful lot from Richard early on.

            Q. I guess I just want to ask you what you guys fear. I don’t think fear like totally being afraid of it, but as maybe this comes down to a green-white checkered or it comes down to a caution being called from the tower, I think we all know NASCAR does a good job of officiating, but what do you want to see there? And what part of it being so close and the officiating of it being different than other sports do you guys think about?

            RICK HENDRICK: Well, I said early on this year that I thought that the double-file restarts and the green-white checkered was going to decide this championship. You know, I think all of us have been in a situation where there was a double-file restart and somebody got into us. I know Jimmie spun at Loudon and all those things, and you can’t control that. That’s just kind of chaos with so many good cars and everybody racing hard and guys wanting to win a race, guys wanting to win a championship.

            From my standpoint I think there’s no debris in the last few laps, ten laps, and I hope we can race clean, and I hope for all of our sakes that there’s not one of those deals to decide it that — caution at the wrong — you can’t help it, those kind of things are going to happen. But I hope that each one of these three cars can finish this race without being taken out by somebody else’s mistake. If one of our guys make it, that’s fine, and we’ve got to live with it. That’s racing. But I think my fear is that they’re going to get caught up in something here and it’s going to be decided by something out of their control.

            But that’s racing, and I guess we’ve got to live with it.

            Q. Rick, after the standard you set at Hendrick Motorsports the last few years, winning championships and having multiple drivers contend for the Chase, do you consider this a success if Jimmie doesn’t win this thing? And the second part is you said three years ago the pressure was on you to make Dale, Jr., a winner. You’ve thrown everything you can at him. Is the pressure now on him?

            RICK HENDRICK: Well, first of all, this deal is pretty competitive and pretty tough, and you never — you’ve never done your best, and we’re going to keep digging in every area. You wrap up a year and you finish one, two, three and you come back and you struggle and you don’t win. I don’t think this is a disaster year by any stretch, but we’re not satisfied. I don’t think we’ve made as much improvements as Richard’s organization has or Joe’s organization, so we’ve just got to go to work. If we want to compete and be a part of the championship in ’11, and all of our cars for your sponsors’ sake you commit to all your drivers and all your sponsors that you want to be competitive and win races with all your cars, then it’s not easy. It’s kind of like being at the fair with those gophers and you hit one and the other one pops up somewhere else. There’s always something to work on.

            We can’t be satisfied because we’re not where we were a year ago in the results, in the final standings, so we need to work harder and work smarter, and we’re going to do that.

            Q. Rick, as championships go, you can say this may have been the toughest year for the 48 team to win one. If you’re able to get the job done this weekend, will you kind of take some extra satisfaction in the fact that it was more difficult to achieve?

            RICK HENDRICK: Yeah, I mean, none of them are easy. I mean, you know, they may look a little bit easier and maybe we had a little bit more points going into the last race, and this one has been hard-fought, and if we’re fortunate enough to win it, yeah, we just know that it was a dog fight to the very end.

            We’re just kind of glad we’re in that position to be there. But none of the championships were easy. The point spread might have been a lot different, they might have looked easy, but there was an awful lot of pressure to get it done. But I think this one will go down — I think we lost one in ’04 by, I don’t know, eight or ten points or whatever, and there was a — if Busch’s tire had gone the other way on pit road we’d have I think been first or second.

            This is the kind of deal you deal in the moment and you do the best you can, and if you come up short, you’ve just got to go to work and try to be there next year.

            Q. Question for each of you. Who’s got a bigger knot in his stomach right now on your team, the owner, the driver or the crew chief?

            RICK HENDRICK: I think Jimmie and Chad are — I flew back home with Chad last Sunday night, and I’ve been with Jimmie early in the week, and they seem to be pretty relaxed, and I am, too. I just feel like it’s — we got here, and when we walk into the track is when I’m going to get knotted up. And they get ready to start the race, so many things are happening around you, and you’re trying to keep up with it. I’m trying to wait until Sunday when I walk in out there to get kind of in a bind. Actually I’m fishing today with Joe and Richard, so I’m taking the day off.

            RICHARD CHILDRESS: I think we probably got it the easiest on our end because the worst we’re going to finish in the points is third, and we’re the team that’s chasing, and we’re just going to go down there and have fun. If it gets down to the last ten laps and there’s five points difference or ten points difference and we’ve got a solid chance of winning it, leading it or are right there, yeah, I think I’ll probably be like Joe. I may end up having to jump off the truck or something.

            HERB BRANHAM: Thank you, and thanks to our championship contending owners. This is one of our best teleconferences of the year. We appreciate it, and best of luck on Sunday.

About Chevrolet: Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly” solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model that is expected to deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway, and 2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer 25-50 miles of electric driving and an additional 310 miles of extended range with the onboard generator (based on GM testing).  Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

The scenarios that will turn one of our 3 contenders into a champion at Homestead

By
Ron Thornton
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When the cars come to life this Sunday, just 15 points will separate series leader Denny Hamlin from the four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin wins, as he did at Homestead a year ago, and the title is his. Johnson wins, but Hamlin leads the most laps, and the crown still goes to the challenger. Johnson wins and leads the most laps, it goes to him.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]Of course, that is if it comes down to one of the two winning, something Johnson has never done at Homestead. He was second in 2004, fifth last year, and he has 6 top tens in nine tries. Still, he has never won. Hamlin did just that in 2009, and with 3 top fives in the last four there, he could have the advantage. He also finished 13th in 2008, and seventh is all Johnson would need to take the crown for a fifth consecutive year if that should happen again this Sunday.

So, the Reader’s Digest version has Hamlin winning it all by finishing ahead of Johnson. Jimmie wins it by finishing anywhere from one to nine spots ahead of Denny. It will depend on who leads a lap, who leads the most laps (both which award five bonus points), and if we are talking about position gains equalling five (Top Five), four (Top Ten), or three points, which is the case for those spots outside the Top Ten.

As for Kevin Harvick, he would need to win, lead the most laps, and then he would claim it all if Hamlin is no better than 10th and Johnson 7th. That margin even shrinks if neither of those boys lead the most laps, or none at all. At least there is no way we could end up with a three way tie, right? Right? Well, there is. For example, if Harvick finishes second (170 points), Johnson leads a lap and finishes 10th (139 points), and Hamlin does not and winds up 13th (124 points), we would have, what they would call, a real interesting situation. Well, not really. The tie-breaker would go to the driver with the most wins, and Hamlin’s eight puts him in the driver’s seat, ahead of Johnson’s six and Harvick’s three.

NASCAR took a risk when they went away from recognizing the most dominant car over the course of the season as champion, yet most fans bought into it. The change may have cost Jeff Gordon a couple of titles and Carl Edwards one, but it did extend the drama a few more weeks with even more contenders vying for the crown. Be it with ten, twelve, or even twenty in the Chase, the format works. However, to push this further with “winner take all” or “elimination round” formats would risk crowning a paper champion that has no legitimacy with the fans. You have to remember that sometimes the best driver, car, and team simply kicks the stuffings out of the competition. That is not the case this year.

When the action resumes at Homestead on Sunday, we will have three drivers, each with a legitimate chance to become the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. While Kevin Harvick might be forgiven for yearning for the classic system this season, the current format has presented us with a true “game seven” conclusion to the year. NASCAR wanted an exciting finale when they instituted the Chase, and they now have that.

All that they have to do now is decide how many they want to invite to the party next season. If they want Junior in it, they just might have to extend the number of invitations to twenty.

Hamlin, Harvick or Johnson? No matter who is crowned champion, NASCAR will be the real winner

By
Angie Campbell
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The Chase for the Championship is no longer just a catchy phrase but an actual nail biting, drama filled, race to the bitter end.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]It’s what fans have been screaming for and exactly what NASCAR needs. It’s down to the last race at Homestead and we have three contenders who all have a legitimate chance to win it all.

Each driver has their own unique story and it’s impossible to find a NASCAR fan that isn’t salivating in anticipation.

Denny Hamlin was widely proclaimed by the media at the end of last season as the driver who could de-throne the reigning king, Jimmie Johnson.

But early this season a knee injury and subsequent surgery had the same media writing him off.

Hamlin had a slow start this season but rallied back with eight wins and heads into Homestead with a slim 15 point lead in the points standings.

Last year, Hamlin won at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has three top-three finishes in five starts at the track.

The Championship is his to win or lose but his triumph over adversity would make this young driver a popular hero if he pulls it off.

Kevin Harvick is probably the long shot in the equation but with 25 top-10 finishes this season, don’t count him out. Throw strategy and luck into the mix and anything could happen.

And what a story that would be. Who wouldn’t be happy to see the driver who replaced Dale Earnhardt win another championship for Richard Childress?

Jimmie Johnson is already in the NASCAR record books for winning four consecutive championships. If you think he’s satisfied with that, think again. The team of Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus don’t show any indication that they’re done yet.

Johnson knows how to win a championship and another title is within his grasp. If you love to see history in the making, then Johnson is your man.

NASCAR has been plagued with sagging ratings and empty seats but this three driver shootout is just what the doctor ordered.

Win, lose or draw, these three drivers have breathed new life into NASCAR.

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The final NCWTS tail gate party of the year

By
SM Staff
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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will launch their final high speed tail gate party of the year this Friday night, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the running of the Ford 200. There is no driver championship implications connected to this race. Todd Bodine, and Germain Racing, took care of the driver’s title last weekend at Phoenix. But there are some more series records that could be broken or tied this Friday in Florida. To no real surprise, the name Kyle Busch is attached to of them.

THE RACE BREAKDOWN

It wasn’t that long ago when it appeared that Todd Bodine, and Germain Brothers Racing, was going to take both the driver’s and owner’s points championships. That feat is actually regarded as a NASCAR tradition. In other words, one title leads to another.

That’s not the case regarding the 2010 series’ owner’s championship. Kyle Busch Motorsports, in its rookie season, can claim that title with a finish of 29th or better at Homestead- Miami. That’s largely due to owner/driver Kyle Busch who has won seven races this year despite running a part time schedule. Busch goes into Friday night with a 120 point lead over the Bodine team. He’s poised to become the series’ first team owner to win this title without winning the driver’s championship. He’s also looking to become only the second driver in the series to win eight races in one season.

The amazing aspect here is the fact that Busch and company has put a lock on this owner’s title within a short period of 20 days. Going into the October 23d race at Martinsville, Bodine held a 39 point lead in the owner’s championship and was planning to build on those numbers. That’s where Busch hit another one of his famous hot streaks. He finished second at Martinsville, won back to back races at Talladega and Texas and finished second at Phoenix. In a period of 20 days Busch melted Bodine’s owner’s championship hopes like butter.

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

Austin Dillon will be wrapping up the series’ Raybestos Brakes Rookie of the Year title Friday night. The driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, for Richard Childress Racing, has enjoyed an amazing rookie season with two wins and six Keystone Light poles. He will be the first to tell you that he owes it all to “Pop Pop.” That would be the name he calls his team owner, and more importantly, grandfather Richard Childress.

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

The Ford 200 will also have some noteworthy seat assignments Friday night. Elliot Sadler returns to Kevin Harvick Inc’s #2 Chevrolet Friday night with new sponsor CitiFinancial on the hood making its debut with the team. Sadler will be spending the 2011 season driving for Kevin Harvick Inc in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, plus some appearances in the truck series, with the backing of the financial institution.

Rick Ware Racing will field three Chevrolet Trucks in Friday night’s race. Derek White will make his first start of the season, and third start overall, in the team’s #6 truck. In the spirit of maintaining family tradition, Jeffrey Earnhardt, the grandson of Dale Sr, gets another series start in Rick Ware’s #47 Chevrolet.

2003 series champion Travis Kvapil will be making his first start of the season in Rick Ware’s #16. There appears to be a special reason for Ware entering a third truck in this race. There has been a rampant rumor that says Jack Roush, and Roush Fenway Racing, is looking to return to truck racing in 2011 and Kvapil is rumored to be their primary driver. He will of course bring a past champion’s provisional option to the table but, to activate that provisional next year, he has to make at least one series start this year.

Keep a sharp eye on the racing fortunes of Cole Whitt Friday night. This outstanding young talent has already garnered a lot of attention in a short amount of time. Whitt will be making his series debut in the #60 Safe Auto Insurance Chevrolet. Whitt made his NASCAR debut last Saturday, in the Nationwide Series at Phoenix, where he scored a very credible 15th place finish.

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

THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Ford 200 is 134 laps/201 miles around the Homestead-Miami Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval.

The race has 38 entries vying for the 36 starting positions.

12 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in the race because they are currently outside of the top 25 in the series’ owner’s points standings.  These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race.

The defending race winner is Kevin Harvick. But there will be no repeat visit to victory lane. Harvick isn’t scheduled to drive in this race.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has run 14 races at the Homestead-Miami Speedway that has sent 13 different winners to victory lane. Todd Bodine is the only multiple winner there.

The Ford 200 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel beginning with the pre race show at 730 pm eastern time.

ARCA Driver Steve Arpin Has Big Plans for Next Year After NASCAR Stint

By
SM Staff
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After running some Nationwide races for JR Motorsports, Arpin is now looking for something bigger.

The Fort Frances, Ontario native Steve Arpin told the Fort Frances Times that he had big things planned for 2011, yet can’t talk about them yet.

[media-credit name=”stevearpinracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]“I’ve got incredible plans of what I want to do,” Arpin said. “I’m just trying to talk all these team owners into going along with my plan.

“As hard as it is to keep my mouth shut, I have to at this point.”

In his plans, he looks to race full-time in NASCAR, either in the Nationwide Series or the Camping World Truck Series.

Most would say this is the off-season for racing that Arpin has entered, however his appointment book would say otherwise.

“We’re just really working hard,” he remarked. “It may be the off-season, but it’s the absolute most stressful time of the year putting these deals together.”

Whichever plan works out for Arpin, it’ll be another year of learning.

If he goes down the Camping World Truck Series route, he’s never raced a truck before.

If he goes down the Nationwide Series route, several tracks will be new and the new car set to be permanently implemented into the series.

“It was a lot different than the cars we’re used to running,” Arpin told me of driving the car at Daytona. “But they were fun. At times they were a handful, and you really had to be up on the wheel and focused at the job at hand.”

Arpin’s best showing in the Nationwide Series this past year was a 10th place finish at the Subway Jalapeno 250 on July 2nd at Daytona, driving the new Nationwide C.O.T.

“To come out of Daytona with a top-10 was an amazing feeling for me,” Arpin said. “The guys back at the JRM shop have put a ton of work into our restrictor-plate program and I think it showed with the finish we had there.”

Arpin is best known, though, for his racing on the ARCA circuit as he won three races and recorded six other top 10s driving the No. 55 for Venturini Motorsports.

“I think of all the places to get your first ARCA win, Salem is just the coolest place in the world,” he said in reference to the first win at Salem. “Regardless, you’re going to absolutely love it but just the history and looking at who has run there and who has won there is absolutely unbelievable. There’s just so much history. Like, almost every driver that’s in the Cup Series has raced at Salem one time or another. It’s just a really cool place.”

Arpin began racing in the ARCA season in 2008 after catching the eye of Eddie Sharp whole driving USAC Silver Crown cars for Carl Edwards.

However, things didn’t work out with Eddie Sharp so he made the transition to Venturini Motorsports.

“Before I signed up with Venturini Motorsports, I had talked to Bill Venturini a little bit and we really hit it off good,” Arpin said in speaking of how the deal came together. “But we were so far ahead with our deal with ESR that we decided to go with ESR and start in that direction and we really just kept in touch with Venturini. They just watched our performance and about halfway through the year when I talked with them, when my deal with ESR was up, we re-evaluated our program and we realized things weren’t going right there we decided to go with Venturini.”

Arpin ended the 2009 ARCA Season seventh in points and took home the Most Popular Driver award.

Easily, Arpin could have finished in the top 10 in points this year, though he missed some races as a result of running seven races for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

“When the opportunity came up to drive for Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. for them seven races, it was a pretty incredible thing that we just couldn’t pass up,” Arpin reasoned.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. chose to put Arpin in the No. 7 after both Mark Martin and Carl Edwards recommended him. The first meeting between Arpin and Earnhardt Jr. took place at Texas, a week before his first start.

“It was pretty cool,” he told me back in June. “I was always a Dale Jr. fan growing up. I liked how he showed a lot of respect and didn’t tear up a lot of his equipment. It was neat as the first time I met him, he was sitting in the trailer and you’d never know you’re sitting next to Dale Earnhardt Jr.”

“Since then, we’ve been able to hang out a little bit though not that much with both of our schedules. He’s also been good at giving me advice whenever I need it and sometimes we walk through what to expect at a track before running it.”

The entire experience, however, didn’t set in for Arpin till Talladega.

“To be honest, it didn’t set in till I was sitting on pit road with Carl Edwards beside me, Kevin Harvick on the pole and saw Dale Jr.’s name on the car,” he said. “Just to be involved and to be recognized for what I’ve done is an honor. It’s the biggest accomplishment so far for me with having Tony Eury Jr. as the crew chief and Kelley Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the owner.”

Working with Tony Jr. turned out to be a plus for Arpin as it allowed him to learn a lot.

“Tony Jr. is a great crew chief and mentor,” Arpin said. “Even for his age, he’s got a ton of experience and has seen pretty much everything this sport can throw at you. He’s an awesome guy to have in your corner.”

Right out of the gate, he met expectations as he qualified fourth in his first start at Talladega Superspeedway. Though a pit road speeding penalty set him back and a crash late in the race resulted in a 26th place finish.

“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “We had a really good car at Talladega. The pit road speeding penalty put us behind; we were only speeding by 0.03mph.”

The next three races he ran didn’t end much better, with the only highlight being a qualifying effort of seventh at Charlotte.

“Charlotte was the means of miscommunication and me not checking my mirrors,” he said in reference to the wreck. “You’ve got to learn every time you’re out, whether good or bad, and it’s been a good learning experience. Actually, this past month I’ve learned more then I had up to this point in racing.”

In Tony Eury Jr.’s mind, Arpin did well those first couple of races.

“Steve has impressed us with what he’s been able to do in the No. 7 Chevrolet with his limited experience,” Tony Eury Jr. told me back in June. “There’s no doubt the kid has a lot of talent, especially with what he’s been able to do dirt racing. He had a couple great qualifying efforts at Talladega and Charlotte over the past few weeks.”

“He did have his work cut out for him at Richmond and Darlington, which are two of the toughest tracks we race at. Being a rookie in the series it’s not easy to run at those facilities. We’ve had some growing pains, and caught some bad luck with a couple wrecks, but overall, he’s shown promise.”

Looking over everything, Arpin called it a good year.

“We were really fast wherever we went. We accomplished a lot of what we wanted to accomplish,” Arpin said. “We won more races than anyone else in the series and didn’t even race all of the races. It was, all in all, a really good year and opened up a lot of doors. We have a lot of possibilities for moving up next year.”

Arpin grew up racing racing on dirt at Emo Speedway so he has gone through a steep learning curve the past couple of years, learning about asphalt racing.

“The hardest thing was to forget all I knew on dirt racing that I thought would help on asphalt,” he said. “It was a real eye opener when I started running asphalt. Basically, you got to throw away 98% of what you know about dirt racing.”

In this past year with what he has learned, he said it could fill a novel, but noted patience was the biggest lesson.

“Back in dirt racing, you would take the green flag and you would have 20 or 25 laps and that’s it. That’s the race,” he explained. You’ve got to be 100 percent every lap.

“On the asphalt races, you’ve got 200 and 300 laps. When you’re getting 60, 70, 80 laps on a set of tires, it’s really easy to be really fast at the start of a run and then use up your equipment, use up your tires, and then from Lap 40 on, you’re really slow.”

Arpin’s love for racing started at the local dirt track at the age of five.

“I started going to the dirt tracks with my dad and watching dirt track racing with my dad and I’ve just loved it ever since,” he said. “When I was about eight years old, when I found there was a go-kart track that was about 45 minutes away, I just kind of worked my butt off for two years delivering newspapers and all that kind of stuff like that to try to save enough money to buy my first go-kart. By the time I was 10, I had enough money saved up to buy a go-kart and that’s where it all started.”

Arpin quickly showed that he had the talent as he started winning races at the go-kart and dirt modified level quickly, including a record that still stands today of winning every race at Emo Speedway for three straight years.

His success on dirt at Emo Speedway in Ontario and across the United States caught everybody’s attention, including Sprint Cup Series veteran Mark Martin.

Martin was quoted saying on SB Nation that he’d pick Arpin against anybody on dirt.

“I didn’t know he said that till I heard Dale Jr. say that on national TV,” Arpin said of the quote. “It knocked the wind out of me hearing that. For Mark Martin to go out of his way and say something like that means a lot to me. He’s a guy with a lot of respect so you listen if you hear something coming from him.”

Arpin has been through his share of adversity as the beginning of 2008 was rough for Arpin, as he would suffer burns on his hands, thighs, and groin as a result of a radiator hose blowing off and spraying him with water.

Away from the track he’s got his mind on racing, though he likes spending time with his wife Katrina.

“Thinking about the next time I’m going back to the track,” he said when I asked what he likes to do away from the track. “With the schedule, I’ve been pretty busy and haven’t had a lot of time to do much otherwise. When I’m not at the track, I’ve been running the simulator’s to try to get better.”

“When I do get time, I like to hang out with my wife (Katrina) as we don’t get a lot of time. The other day we played tennis. When we get back from Michigan actually, we’re going to take a trip to Charleston.”

Though five years down the road, Arpin hopes he’s at the Cup Series level.

“My dream is to be in the Cup Series,” he said. “I’d like to win the ARCA Championship this year and then keep a relationship going with JR Motorsports next year. Though I don’t want to move up too quick as I want to make sure I’m ready when the opportunity comes.”

To those who are looking to get to Arpin’s level, he says stick with it no matter what.

“Don’t get down,” he said. “There was a lot of people telling me you can’t do it, it’s all about the money, but I stuck with it and went after it. If you know you can do it, then keep going after it.”

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Some outstanding Nationwide Series business

By
SM Staff
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[media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]NASCAR’s Nationwide Series will be playing a major role in the champion’s weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida with Saturday’s running of the Ford 300. The 2010 series championship is of course already wrapped up. Brad Keselowski took care of that piece of business last Saturday in Phoenix. However, the series’ owner’s championship and rookie title are still up for grabs and that resolution could get quite interesting before the race is over.

THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The big contest in the Ford 300 is going to be centered around the series’ owner’s points championship. Joe Gibbs, owner of Kyle Busch’s #18 Toyota, currently leads those standings by a margin of 41 points over Jodi Geschickter, the owner of record of Brad Keselowski’s #22 Penske Racing Dodge.

This points battle became tighter following last Saturday’s Phoenix event. Going into that race Joe Gibbs held an 81 point advantage over their season rival. But a cut tire hampered Kyle Busch’s race effort and the team had to settle for a 16th place finish. Meanwhile Keselowski had another strong race and brought his car home with a third place finish that cut the Gibbs’ lead in half.

In recent years the owner’s title has increased in importance to the Nationwide Series teams. Joe Gibbs Racing could be in line to tie a series records by winning three consecutive owner’s titles. The last time this feat was accomplished was by former series owner Bill Baumgardner who won consecutive titles from 1995 to 1997. Traditionally, the championship driver usually delivers the owner’s title as well. If Kyle Busch can deliver Gibbs another title this Saturday, it will mark the fourth time in series history that the two titles were split among two different teams.

Kyle Busch is the defending race winner from last year and has a very healthy average finish ratio of 11.8 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. However, there’s a streak that he will want to bring to a complete halt this Saturday. The last time the 12 race winner visited a Nationwide Series victory lane was back on October 9th at the Auto Club Speedway in California. Since that time Keselowski has won two consecutive races followed by two consecutive wins from the red hot Carl Edwards.

Meanwhile Brad Keselowski has his own agenda for Saturday’s Ford 300 that goes well beyond just winning the race. He of course wants to give team captain Roger Penske a second championship within a period of seven days by winning the owner’s title. Also, he plans on setting a new series record for the most top five finishes in a single season. The present record, 25, is currently shared by Kyle Busch and 2000 series champion Jeff Green. Keselowski also plans on extending his streak of running at the finish which is currently 101 races.

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

Going into the Ford 300 there’s only eight points separating the contenders for the Nationwide Series’ 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. The combatants are Ricky Stenhouse Jr, driver of the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and Brian Scott, driver of the #09 RAB Racing Toyota.

Each of these young drivers has endured unexpected distractions during the course of their 2010 racing season. Stenhouse, who is hoping to become the fifth Roush Fenway Racing driver to win the rookie title, is well aware that he’s lucky to have this ride. Stenhouse began the season by becoming a model of inconsistency. There were poor finishes and crashes that even began to tax the patience of Jack Roush. When Stenhouse failed to qualify for last summer’s Nashville race, Roush benched him for a short while. That was a major wake up call for the young driver. Since that time he’s collected two top five finishes, seven top tens and has improved his average finish ratio to 19.9.

Brian Scott also endured his own distractions. He began the season with Braun Racing and was showing a great deal of promise. But late in the year Braun sold his entire Nationwide Series operation to Turner Motorsports and Scott suddenly found himself becoming a free agent without a ride. He made quick work of joining RAB Racing to finish out the season. But there’s no need to worry about this talented young driver. He will be joining Joe Gibbs Racing, as a full time Nationwide Series driver, next year. He’s going to be just fine.

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

THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Ford 300 is 200 laps/300 miles around the Homestead-Miami Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval.

The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting positions.

16 of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of the top 30 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on their qualifying speed to earn a starting berth.

14 of the entries are double duty drivers meaning they are entered in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series events.

The Ford 300 is the last ever race for the current Nationwide Series car. The series version of the car of tomorrow will be implemented full time in 2011.

The Ford 300 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network beginning with the pre race show at 4 pm eastern time.

JR Motorsports — NNS Homestead Preview

By
Official Release
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No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet/No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

EVENT – Ford 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)

TRACK – Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

DATE – Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 4 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4 p.m. EST)

 

Aric Almirola

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

“It’s been a long season but a good one for me. I think my success in the (NASCAR Camping World) Truck Series opened the door for a lot of things to happen, including hooking up with JRM at ORP. That was a big turning point for me this year. Fortunately we ran well enough there that I was able to land a full-time ride with JRM. Now we get the chance to compete for a championship next season. 

“I’m excited to have some time off, but I’ll still be looking forward to a fresh start next season. It’s going to be good going into next year knowing the guys on the team and how things work over here. I’ve got a solid relationship with “Pops” (crew chief, Tony Eury Sr.) and I think we both have a good understanding of each other. That’s an important element in racing. I’m glad we had the chance to work together so much over these last couple months. It gives us a good head start heading into 2011.”

 

Danica Patrick

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

“It was frustrating following last week’s race. We started off OK, but as the race progressed things kept happening. I just need to start racing competitors the same way they race me. My Go Daddy crew works too hard all weekend for me to let competitors use us up. I’ve always been a clean racer, but sometimes you’ve got to make a statement.

“This is probably one of the busiest racing years I’ve ever had. This whole NASCAR experience really left me out of my element, but it was a lot of fun. I had no idea what to expect when I started the season, and the good thing is we’ve made some progress over the year. It’s funny, in the beginning of the year I wasn’t even familiar with the cockpit of the car. Now I feel a lot more comfortable, both inside the car and on the racetrack. Most everyone has been supportive and patient of my transition, especially Kelley (Earnhardt), Dale (Jr.) and Bob Parsons (Go Daddy CEO and Founder). Tony (Eury) Jr. and my entire Go Daddy crew have been great too, and I want to thank them all for that.”  

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

 

NEW LOOK FOR THE GO DADDY MACHINE – Patrick’s No. 7 Chevrolet features an all-new paint scheme this weekend, which was designed by Hot Wheels. The design is one of three sketches that Hot Wheels designers created by hand and in digital form.  Of those three blueprints, Patrick and Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons mutually selected their favorite.  The winning selection features a black No. 7 Chevrolet accentuated with vibrant Go Daddy-green flames that emblazon the hood, roof and sides of the vehicle. A 1:64-scale die-cast version of Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com Designed by Hot Wheels Chevrolet will be available in retail stores and at track beginning this weekend. 

 

MEET ARIC ALMIROLA AT GT VODKA SIGNING – Fans are welcome to meet Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet, for autographs on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 9:00 – 9:45 p.m. at the Mutineer Restaurant located at 11 SE 1st Ave, Homestead, Fla.

 

A WRAP FOR DANICA’S ROOKIE CAMPAIGN – Patrick embarks on the 13th and final race of her rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Homestead. In her previous 12 starts, she’s earned a career-best finish of 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with her season-best qualifying effort of 14th coming at Auto Club Speedway. Patrick’s average finish on the season is 28.8.

 

ALMIROLA’S SUCCESS – In his short time driving the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet, Almirola has already posted one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His sixth-place finish a PIR last week marked his best Nationwide Series showing at the facility. The eight laps Almirola led on the day also marked a personal best for his 2010 NNS season. His average finish with the 88 team is 10.1.

 

HOMESTEAD STATS – On the IndyCar side, Patrick owns five starts with one top-five and two top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway. Her career best finish at the facility was a second-place outing earlier this year.

 

ALMIROLA AT HOMESTEAD – Almirola has four starts at Homestead across NASCAR’s top-three series. His best finish of 14th came during the Camping World Truck Series season finale last year.

SEASON RECAP FOR 88 TEAM – The GT Vodka team has notched one win (Jamie McMurray), seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes on the year.  They’ve also led a total of 124 laps. The team is ranked eighth in owner points with an average finish of 12.8 on the season.

 

ALL–STAR CAST – Fourteen different drivers have piloted JRM’s No. 88 and No. 7 Nationwide Series entries in 2010. The driver lineup includes Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Kelly Bires, Landon Cassill, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick, Coleman Pressley, Greg Sacks, Elliott Sadler, Scott Wimmer and Josh Wise.

 

SEASON RECAP FOR 7 TEAM – The No. 7 team has secured six top-10 finishes and led 42 laps with seven different drivers in 2010. Fitzpatrick and Wimmer both tied for the team’s best finish of the season with seventh-place showings at Nashville, Road America and Montreal. The team’s average finish on the year is 20.5. They are ranked 17th in 2010 owner points.

 

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media on Friday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. in the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center.

JRM SOCIAL NETWORKING – Join the JR Motorsports team on Facebook at Facebook.com/dalejr

and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/jrmotorsports.

FREE JR NATION CREW FAN CLUB – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports encourage fans to join the JR Nation Crew Fan Club for free. The official fan club provides members with exclusive ticket and merchandise offers, in addition to JRM blogs, forums, and chat rooms to interact with other members of JR Nation. For more information, visitwww.jrnation.com

Former Champion, Kvapil with KIDSEmbrace at Homestead

By
Official Release
-

Thomasville, North Carolina (November 16, 2010)–Rick Ware Racing(RWR) and KIDSEmbrace™, a cutting edge manufacturer of children and toddler automobile safety seats look towards victory lane with former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, Travis Kvapil this time at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in his #16 Chevy.

Kvapil, the 2003 Camping World Truck Champion, has scored nine wins in the series and knows there more on the horizon.

“I have been watching the Kids Embrace trucks/cars all season and they just keep getting stronger. Their trucks are strong and I feel really good about our chances at Homestead,” stated Kvapil.

David Williams of KIDSEmbrace™ understands the market of NASCAR fans and has instilled the same high quality of safety that his champion driver utilizes in his race cars to keep him safe every weekend. “Our seats feature the 5-point harness, head, neck, shoulder, and rib protection, just like the seats that are mandatory for NASCAR competition. We even use Sabelt harnesses just like those you would find in a NASCAR or top level European race car.”, stated David.

KIDSEmbrace™ has taken their commitment to NASCAR and safety a step further and their first edition seat is a Dale Earnhardt Jr., National Guard seat, featuring the same uniform that Dale wears himself once he is strapped into race. “The parents love the seat but more importantly, the child actually wants to get in the seat! Children have a great imagination and when you place something as cool as a NASCAR seat for them to ride in they are instantly entertained. Making safety fun is a hard thing to do but KIDSEmbrace™ has created a line of seats that kids actually enjoy spending time in,” stated Dave Williams.

“I’m really excited to be with RWR and KIDSEmbrace,” stated the father of three. “With my three kids, I have always tried to instill the same safety measures as I do with our NASCAR program. The Kids Embrace car seat does just that and it resembles a race car driver which gets them really excited.”

Kvapil looks to drive to the front at a track where he has (3) Top 10’s including a runner-up finish.

“I love racing at Homestead. It’s a great way to close out the season but always leaves you wanting more at the same time. I want to thank Dave Williams and Kids Embrace for this great opportunity!”

For more information on KIDSEmbrace™ please visit www.kidsembrace.com

For the latest on Rick Ware Racing, please visit us at www.wareracing.com or you can also follow the team on Twitter at @rickwareracing

Join the Official Rick Ware Racing Fan page on Facebook by clicking here RWR Facebook

About Rick Ware Racing: Rick Ware Racing (wareracing.com) is a multi-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of both dirt and asphalt competition and ranging from AMA Motocross to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. With over a dozen National Championships and hundreds of wins in the AMA Arenacross, Motocross, NASCAR Whelen Modifieds and Legends Series, Rick Ware Racing spans the largest demographics of motorsports in the industry. Competing for the title in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with two entries and competing in a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide, K&N Pro, Whelen Modified, Automotive Racing Club of America (ARCA), Legends, AMA Arenacross Series’ and X Games, RWR is the “Biggest Little Team in Motorsports” with over 150 races per year. The team is headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina with satellite operations in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Indianapolis, Indiana.

About Kids Embrace: KIDSEmbrace™ is set apart from our competitors by our people and their unequalled dedication to the product and service for our customers. With KIDSEmbrace™ our purpose is to establish and maintain a lifetime relationship with our customers and to satisfy their needs. We work closely with parents, reviewing their input, and in doing so we have delivered a product that is unmatched in safety, appearance, quality and comfort.

KIDSEmbrace™ also involves the child with the parent in the selection process of the car seat. Interaction between child and parent will play a key role when arriving at the final decision.

The KIDSEmbrace ™ design team represents over 60 years combined experience in manufacturing and engineering child safety equipment.

We’re Designers. We’re Engineers. And, yes, we’re parents, too.

Our team includes engineers who led development of the industry’s most successful child safety seats. Our chief engineer serves as a consultant to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal agency that sets standards for vehicle safety. Rest assured, this is not only a fun product, the KIDSEmbrace™ child safety seat is also one of the safest seats available today. Our 5-point harness design was developed in partnership with the European company Sabelt®, the race-tested supplier of safety harness systems to NASCAR® and Formula 1™ race teams.

In sudden stops or crashes, the KIDSEmbrace™ seat controls forward movement of the child’s head using our own patent-pending high-position top tether system, which allows the head support to rise and lower with the tether in place. The KIDSEmbrace™ car seat offers side-impact protection and our deeper “wraparound” headrest design shields the sides of your child’s face from flying glass in event of a collision. In fact, no other child safety seat on the market has the same combination of features as this one. We are providing the highest quality product, conceived by a veteran design team and engineered to NHTSA rigid crash test standards and our own rigorous KIDSEmbrace™ quality standards.

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