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Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Dodge – Gateway International Raceway Preview

By
Official Release
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Justin Allgaier

No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger

Gateway International Raceway – 5-Hour Energy 250

October 23, 2010

Verizon Team News and Notes

· This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-017 in Saturday afternoon’s 5-Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway. This is the same Dodge Charger that Allgaier used to record his first career Nationwide Series pole at Memphis Motorsports Park in October of 2009. It then raced at Richmond International Raceway in April, where the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year started ninth and finished 15th. Most recently, Allgaier raced this chassis to a 25th-place finish at Gateway in July, where he was involved in a late-race incident.

· Welcome Home, Justin … Allgaier, a native of Riverton, Ill., grew up just over 100 miles northeast of Gateway International Raceway. He began his career racing quarter midgets in his home state at the age of five. Since then, he has claimed two poles, one win, 10 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes in 70 Nationwide Series starts; two poles, eight wins, 31 top fives and 45 top 10s and the 2008 championship in 86 ARCA Series starts; and two top-25 finishes in eight Camping World Truck Series races.

· Through 31 Races … With 31 races of the 2010 season in the record books, Allgaier has accumulated one pole, one win, seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 12th and an average finish of 11.9. Allgaier has led 133 laps of competition and has completed 97.4 percent of the laps contested (5,536 of 5,684) so far this season.

· Get to the Points … Allgaier ranks fourth in the NNS championship point standings heading into this weekend’s event at GIR. He trails current point leader and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski by 851 points, and third-place contender Kyle Busch by 336 points.

· Best in Class … Allgaier’s fourth-place position in the point standings is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. Allgaier leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Trevor Bayne, currently ranked eighth, by 600 points.

· Allgaier at Gateway … In two NNS starts at GIR, Allgaier has a best finish of 11th, which came in his first start at the 1.25-mile oval. Additionally, the 24-year-old driver has an average starting position of 14.5, an average finish of 18th and has completed 98.5 percent of the laps contested (394 of 400).

· Penske Racing at Gateway … In three previous NNS starts at GIR, Penske Racing entries have recorded two top-15 finishes. Penske Dodges have been atop the leaderboard for 136 circuits in their time at Gateway, and have completed 594 of 600 laps contested.

· Penske Racing in 2010 … With 31 races completed in the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded six poles, six wins, a combined 29 top-five and 43 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 11,219 of 11,368 laps contested, and have been atop the leaderboard for 1,196 laps with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski.

· Are You Experienced? … In addition to his two previous NNS starts at the 1.25-mile venue, Allgaier has competed in four ARCA Series races at Gateway, posting his track-best finish of fourth in August of 2007.

· Driver of the Week … Nationwide has selected Allgaier as this week’s Driver of the Week. As part of the program, he will participate in an on-line chat with NASCAR.com this Wednesday at 12 p.m., where he will answer questions from race fans.

· In-Race Reporter … Allgaier will serve as ESPN’s in-race reporter for Saturday’s live broadcast of the 5-Hour Energy 250. Fans will see live in-car camera shots from the Verizon Dodge and listen as he and crew chief Chad Walter give live updates throughout the race.

· Cast Your Vote … Some 30,000 fans have cast their votes since July 6, and Allgaier is currently ranked among the top-five in the NNS Most Popular Driver award voting (through Wednesday, Sept. 15). Fans can visit www.nascarnationwideseries.com to vote for their favorite NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Voting continues through Saturday, November 13.

· Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Allgaier on Thursday, October 21 from 6 – 7 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless store located at 1108 Collinsville Crossing Blvd. in Collinsville, Ill. The following day, he will sign for fans at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer, located in the midway at GIR, from 12 – 12:30 p.m. He will return to the trailer on Saturday from 11 – 11:30 a.m.

· High Above Clear Lake Avenue … As a part of breast cancer awareness month, Springfield, Ill.-based St. John’s Hospital unveiled a “Real Men Wear Pink” billboard featuring Allgaier. The billboard will remain above one of the busiest sections of Springfield for the month of October.

Justin Allgaier on Gateway International Raceway

“There’s always a compromise at Gateway, and I’ve always been a believer in making the car better at one end or the other. You know when the car unloads off the truck which corner you’re going to be better at. Turns 3 and 4 for me always seem to be where I hit it. It’s wider than the other end of the track, which lets you build a lot of speed to carry down the frontstretch. That being said, the last time we raced at Gateway, it seemed the cars that were able to get off Turn 2 better were at an advantage. Our goal for this weekend is to find a decent balance, knowing that we’ll have to sacrifice at one end to be better in the other.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Gateway International Raceway

“Gateway is a challenging track with very different corners at each end. It’s like a paperclip in Turns 1 and 2, and has long, sweeping turns at the other end of the track. Getting our Verizon Dodge loose enough to turn in 1 and 2 while still being able to put the power down through Turns 3 and 4 is what will make our race a lot more enjoyable. This track means a lot to Justin; it’s one of his favorites. We know that he’ll be up on the wheel to get a good finish for his hometown crowd.”

Team 48 Martinsville Speedway Preview

By
Official Release
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Jimmie Johnson

2010 Starts: 31 Wins: 6 Top 5: 14 Top 10: 18

Current Driver Point Standing: 1st

Finish in Charlotte: 3rd October 2009 Finish at Martinsville: 2nd

RACE NOTES

Martinsville Speedway

Johnson has made 17 Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, where he has earned six wins, 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

Johnson has completed 99.4% (8465 of 8519) of competition laps at the .526-mile venue and has led 1551.

He has an average start and finish of 11.5 and 5.4.

Chassis

Johnson will pilot chassis No. 540 in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race. He last drove that car to a 25th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. Before that, he took it to Victory Lane in New Hampshire in June.

Back up chassis No. 520 has collected four wins in five starts – the most recent coming at Martinsville Speedway in March 2009.

QUOTES

WE TALK TO DRIVERS ABOUT THEIR SHORT TRACK BACKGROUNDS. YOU HAVE AN OFF-ROAD BACKGROUND YET YOU ARE AMONG THE ONES TO BEAT AT MARTINSVILLE. TALK ABOUT THAT. “It took a while to get there. And when I came into the sport, I had two years in ASA and thought that the short tracks would fit well for me and it was quite the opposite. It took a long time to understand the big car, the radial tire, the extra power, and how to maneuver around on a short track. But the track at Martinsville, especially when the rubber is laid down, reminds me of some of my off-road stuff where we would have barrels or tractor tires stacked up as the turn-marker, but it was that tight of a radius. And when the rubber lays down, especially the right-side rubber on corner exit at Martinsville, you have to change your line to not run through the rubber at the wrong spot. “And that rhythm really helps all dirt drivers. It doesn’t matter if it’s Tony (Stewart) in a Sprint Car or Dirt Late Model, or Kasey Kahne for that matter. I think certain guys have an eye for where the slick spots are on the track and how to change their lines and I think all of our dirt backgrounds really help that.”

GOING TO MARTINSVILLE WHO DO YOU NOT WANT TO SEE SITTING NEXT TO YOU ON A RESTART? YOUR BOSS SEEMS TO THINK THAT THE DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS ARE WHAT IS GOING TO EVENTUALLY FIGURE OUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP. “Yeah and we had a really exciting finish there in the spring with the double-file restart. First and foremost, you would have to assume the front-row outside driver—the old theory of eight wheels are better than four is going to come into play—and whoever the inside car is going to lean on him pretty heavily. There we can turn people around pretty easily. It could. I’ve heard Jeff [Gordon] make those comments on how double-file restarts could affect things. I naturally think that he’s speaking more to the mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks because the cars are really out of control in low-air situations. You have more control over your car at Martinsville than at any of the other tracks on a double-file restart. We’ll see. Who I wouldn’t want next to me—man I guess whoever would be second in points. We’re going to be gouging for every single point at that part of the race and the way the points are stacked up, the top-five are all guys that are really good at Martinsville. It could be exciting.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

Career Wins

Johnson has 53 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, 2010.

The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory behind Lee Petty.

He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).

Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).

Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.

Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.

Johnson was the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.

Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.

The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

Career Poles

Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.

The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.

He had a career-high six poles in 2008.

Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

Career Starts

In 31 2010 starts, Johnson has collected six wins, 14 top five and 18 top-10 finishes.

Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.

Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.

In 322 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 131 top-five and 198 top-10 finishes.

He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

Johnson has led a total of 10,992 laps (of 92,627) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 124,280 miles.

He has finished on the lead lap 248 times.

Ricky Carmichael: NCWTS Martinsville Race Preview

By
Official Release
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PREVIEW: RICKY CARMICHAEL (NO. 4 MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET)

VENUE: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY (.526-MILE OVAL)

CIRCUIT: NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES (RACE 21 of 25)

EVENT: KROGER 200 (200 LAPS, 105.2 MILES)

DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2010

CARMICHAEL AT MARTINSVILLE: Ricky Carmichael will be making his NCWTS debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

CARMICHAEL ON TRUCKS: Carmichael’s last race came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where an early spin in the race relegated him to a 29th-place finish. So far this season, Carmichael has scored two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

CARMICHAEL ON COMPETING AT MARTINSVILLE: “I’m looking forward to going back to Martinsville. We ended up 10th there in the Spring, despite a long day and a few problems, but we worked hard to get where we needed to be in the end to put ourselves in the top-10. I know we’re going to go back there with a better piece of equipment and I’m looking forward to improving on that finish.”

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Crew chief Doug Randolph has chosen chassis No.13 for Carmichael to pilot at Las Vegas. This truck was previously on-track at Chicago and Kentucky, where he finished 28th and fifth, respectively.

NO BREAK IN THE ACTION FOR CARMICHAEL: While most of his NCWTS competitors were taking the last few weeks off, Carmichael was busy making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Kansas Speedway and followed it up with his second race at Auto Club Speedway in California. He finished 18th and 31st, respectively.

RIDING WITH RICKY: The Monster Energy Chevrolet will be hosting The Apple Mart and Kroger stores on the rear quarter panels this weekend at Martinsville. Fans can get a first-hand look at the Monster Energy Chevrolet when the show truck appears at the Apple Mart store in Danville (4168 Franklin Turnpike) on Thursday from 2 pm -6 pm and at the Kroger in Martinsville (240 Commonwealth Blvd.) on Friday from 2 -6 pm

HIT THE POLLS: It’s time for NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver fan vote! Carmichael won the award last season and is hoping his fans will help him win a repeat. Go to NASCAR.com (http://www.nascar.com/news/features/2010.truck.mpd/index.html) to cast your votes today.

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at Carmichael’s home in Tallahassee, Fla., by picking up the current issue of Architectural Digest magazine. The issue, on newsstands now, features the home’s interior design which was created by his wife Ursula’s interior design company, CDecor (www.cdecor.net). The article can also be viewed online at http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2010/11/ricky_carmichael_article

MONSTER MANIA: Fans can log onto www.monsterenergy.com for a chance to win race tickets, garage passes and a meet & greet with Ricky Carmichael during the 2010 season. The promotion will run throughout the remainder of the season and a winner will be awarded at each venue the Truck Series visits. Fans can always stay up to date with Ricky and the Monster Energy team via Twitter @RickyCarmichael, @MonsterEnergy and @TurnerMotorspts or online at www.rickycarmichael.com and www.teamturnermotorsports.com.

DON’T MISS A LAP: The Kroger 200 will take the green flag this Saturday, October 23rd at 12:30 PM Eastern. Viewers can watch the race live on SPEED. Additionally, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio (Channel 128) will have the live radio broadcast.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr/No. 6 CitiFinancial Team Advance – Gateway

By
Official Release
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

No. 6 CitiFinancial Ford Fusion

Gateway International Raceway (1.25-mile Oval)

5 Hour Energy 250 (200 laps/250 miles)

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010

Nationwide Series Driver Points Position – 17th (after 31 of 35 races) 

No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing News and Notes Heading Into St. Louis:

The Driver…Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings by six points, will make his third NASCAR Nationwide Series start Gateway International Raceway on Saturday. In July, Stenhouse started 15th and finished 9th. In 2009, Stenhouse started eighth and finished 30th while driving the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

The Organization…Roush Fenway Racing has four wins, nine top fives and 16 top 10s in 21 Nationwide Series starts at GIR. Stenhouse joins teammates Carl Edwards, Paul Menard and Trevor Bayne in the 5 Hour Energy 250 on Saturday afternoon. Edwards won at GIR in July.

The Machine…Stenhouse’s Ford Fusion will carry the familiar red, blue and silver colors of CitiFinancial again this weekend. CitiFinancial is the primary sponsor for 24 races in 2010 with Stenhouse. The team will use chassis #RK-296 at Gateway. Stenhouse raced this chassis four times in 2010, most recently in September at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he started 13th and finished 10th.

On Air…The 5 Hour Energy 250 can be seen live on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010 on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT. The event can also be heard live on MRN affiliates beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Now Appearing…Stenhouse will be at the CitiFinancial Branch on 94A North Port Dr., Alton, Ill. 62002 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. local time. This appearance is open to the public.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Gateway International Raceway:

“I can’t wait to get to Gateway this weekend. Even though we didn’t get the finish we wanted in Charlotte last Friday, we still had a fast car and I know that we will be fast in Gateway as well. Since I have been there before, I feel like I know the line around there and am confident we will be competitive on Saturday. We had a decent run earlier this year at Gateway so we’re expecting to improve on it this weekend. We have been running well lately and the fact that I have experience on the track, makes me and this entire CitiFinancial team excited about the weekend.”

Crew Chief Mike Kelley on racing at Gateway International Raceway:

“Gateway is relatively flat and Ricky (Stenhouse) has been good on these types of tracks this year. He has also been there before so his learning curve will not be as steep this weekend. Our CitiFinancial team has been giving Ricky fast cars every week and I don’t expect anything different this weekend. We’ve got to focus on making the car turn in the center of the corner so our race set-up will be top priority during practice.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. NASCAR Nationwide Series Career Totals

Races

Wins

Top-Fives

Top-10’s

Poles

35

0

3

8

1

McMurray Gives ECR its Eighth Sprint Cup Series Victory in 2010

By
Official Release
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WELCOME, N.C. (October 18, 2010) – Jamie McMurray and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team’s victory in the Oct. 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the eighth points-race win of the 2010 season for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines.

It was the third series victory this year for McMurray, who also took top honors in the February 14 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and the July 25 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team also have three victories this season: April 25 at Talladega Superspeedway; July 3 at Daytona International Speedway; and August 15 at Michigan International Speedway. EGR’s Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Target team earned the victory August 8 at Watkins Glen International and RCR’s Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team took captured the checkered flag September 19 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“It was another big win for ECR and congratulations to EGR, Jamie McMurray and the entire Bass Pro Shops team,” said Richie Gilmore, chief operating officer for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines. “We’ve been able to win races at a number of different types and lengths of tracks which, I think, shows the overall strength of our organization. It was also the 47th victory for ECR across all the racing series’ we’re involved in. We have some lofty goals over the final few weeks of the season. We’re focused on sweeping the restrictor plate races at Talladega and then finish the season with a Sprint Cup Series championship.”

ECR has earned victories on seven tracks of different lengths in 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition: 2.66 miles (Talladega); 2.5 miles (Daytona and Indianapolis); 2.0 miles (Michigan); 1.5 miles (Charlotte), 1.0 miles (NHMS); and a road course (Watkins Glen).

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team also earned the victory in the Budweiser Shootout all-star event that precedes the Daytona 500. Harvick finished eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway and is third in the Sprint Chase for the Championship, 77 markers behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

About Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines

Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines is a high performance engine production and research and development company. ECR provides engines for NASCAR teams like Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Kevin Harvick Incorporated and others. ECR also produces engines used in GRAND-AM Rolex Series racing, SCCA Trans-Am and Club Racing, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing.

New Entrance Ramp Open For This Weekend’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 At Martinsville Speedway

By
Official Release
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MARTINSVILLE, Va (October 14, 2010) – Many fans will find it easier to get in
and out of Martinsville Speedway for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 this Sunday
while more will find it easier to see the action on the track.

Work has been completed on a new on/off ramp to the US 58 bypass that will
allow fans easier entrance and exit from the first and second turn of the race
track.

“We believe this new ramp will really help alleviate some of the delays we’ve
had at the South end of the track,” said Martinsville Speedway President W.
Clay Campbell. “We really appreciated the Commonwealth of Virginia and the
Virginia Depart of Transportation working so hard and so quickly to get this
project finished in time for this weekend.”

The ramp will utilize an existing access road that has been upgraded to handle
race weekend traffic.

To utilize the new entrance and exit ramp, please follow directional signage
this weekend.

Fans sitting in the first and second turn areas this weekend will find their
sight lines improved. An old wire fence, which was in front of the main fence
separating the grandstands and the race track, was recently removed. The older
fence became obsolete when the new, start of the art safety fence was added in
recent years.

“It should be much more enjoyable now for fans in that area to just have to
watch through one fence,” said Campbell.

A three-foot high retaining fence has been added, though, to keep fans from
getting too close to the safety fence.

Tickets for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 begin at $25 and range to $77.

Tickets to the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday
are $30 in advance, with children 12 and under admitted free.

Tickets for Farm Bureau Pole Day on Friday, which features practice and
qualifying for both the Kroger 200 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500, are $15,
children 12 and under admitted free.

The Final Word – A nice guy finished first at Charlotte, but the drive for five is very much alive for Mr. Johnson

By
Ron Thornton
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So, what did we learn from Charlotte last Saturday night?

Well, we learned that NASCAR’s home track for most teams still provides us with good racing that keeps us watching. Kyle Busch has never won a Cup race there, but he once again was the class of the field most of the night. He might have wound up second, but after leading nearly two-thirds of the way he was the star of the evening.

We learned that nice guys can finish first. You sure get the feeling that Jamie McMurray is a nice guy, one who is thankful for where he is and what has happened to him this season. From not being sure where, if anywhere, he might be driving this year, he has claimed wins at three of the circuits most revered venues.

We learned that Jimmie Johnson can get loose, go for a slide, fade back to 37th place, and still wind up third on the day. Now only two drivers, fourth place finisher Denny Hamlin (41) and Kevin Harvick (77), remain within a hundred points of the defending champion with only five events left in the season. You can almost hear the fat lady warming up.

We have learned that there remain those who believe having a driver seek a fifth straight title as being something of a bad thing. What nonsense. We are in a special era that will be long remembered, just as we presently honor the New York Yankees of the 1950’s and the 1960’s Boston Celtics. True dynasties both, yet neither faced 42 competitors as Johnson has faced each race week. Five straight crowns is something to be celebrated and remembered. I hope we get the chance to do just that.

We learned how important an alternator can be, as did Jeff Gordon. No power, no go, and if that wasn’t bad enough, a late speeding penalty in the pits really put this one to bed. He finished 23rd, and while Gordon remains fourth in the hunt, the 156 point deficit has curtailed any celebrations he might have been planning.

We learned that even in North Carolina, the outside lane made more than a few feel like they were on an Alaskan ice road. Kurt Busch was an early victim, as was Ryan Newman. In fact, the Rocket’s problem became that of his boss when Tony Stewart got run into when the boys hit the brakes. None would be a factor.

We learned that it does not matter how many cars you have in the Chase, you might not win if they come together. Clint Bowyer found Jeff Burton cutting across his bow, and hit ramming speed. Neither would be in the top fifteen, though team mate Harvick managed to finish eighth.

We learned that things are not getting better for Dale Earnhardt Jr, and doubtful they will anytime this season. Charlotte found him 29th, the thirteenth time he has been outside the top twenty this campaign. I wish I knew what the problem was and its solution. Whoever does probably could wind up with a lifetime of free drinks at Whiskey River.

Next up is Martinsville, where legends have been known to win a bunch. Those who have won three straight or more there include Fred Lorenzen, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, and Jimmie Johnson. Denny Hamlin could join them, having won the last two. As he could soon be the only legitimate challenger left for Johnson’s title, this would be the time. Enjoy the week.

HOORAHS & WAZZUPS: The Charlotte Edition

By
SM Staff
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Over the previous weekend we watched another exciting episode of the comeback of the year. We saw another example of why a championship team may actually have a golden horseshoe inside of their anatomy. We also learned how to adjust a tachometer while driving a race car at a high rate of speed. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

HOORAH to Jamie McMurray for winning Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The effort marked the popular driver’s third win of the season and his sixth career Sprint Cup win. McMurray also became the first non Chase driver to win a Cup race since the championship series began.

When you consider the state of McMurray’s career this time one year ago his racing career is absolutely the big comeback story of the year. Last year the driver was not sure what direction his Sprint Cup career would take. He was the odd man out at Roush Fenway Racing when NASCAR’s team ownership cap, limiting owners to four teams, became effective this year. He was signed by former owner Chip Ganassi to drive the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet for one year. There were reports that the team’s sponsor, Bass Pro Shops, was a little dubious about the arrangement.

We all know what happened next. McMurray won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis two of the most prestigious events on the Sprint Cup schedule. Needless to say his team owners are very busy preparing a contract extension and the sponsors are reported to be very happy.

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This week’s making chicken salad out of chicken do-do HOORAH goes to Jimmie Johnson and his #48 Lowes team. Johnson found himself involved in a solo car spin during the early laps of the Bank Of America 500. Amazingly, good luck followed the spin out. Despite the presence of on coming race traffic, no one hit the Johnson Chevrolet.

The always stoic Chad Knaus led #48 team remained calm and used pit road to massage their car’s handling and help their driver charge through the field. Johnson wound up with a third place finish and even managed to add some padding to his Chase points lead over championship rivals Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

Several months ago Harvick made a wry observation about this team’s good luck and speculated that they may have golden horseshoes up their backsides. It’s becoming more and more apparent that Harvick may be right.

***********

Speaking of Jimmie Johnson, and we will be doing that a lot during the weeks to come, we have three HOORAHS for this week’s NASCAR notable quotable.

The first one goes to SPEED Channel’s Jimmy Spencer who said “if the #48 teams wins a fifth consecutive championship I’m going to need therapy or least a few cases of beer. Maybe Kurt Busch. (driver of the Miller Lite Dodge), can help me out with that.”

Another HOORAH goes out to Dave DeSpain, the host of the SPEED Channel’s “Wind Tunnel” who recently invited his viewers to come up with a suitable nickname for Jimmie Johnson. So far my favorite is “J-LOWE” although Jennifer Lopez might have an objection to that.

Then there’s the matter of the girl friend. Upon learning that Jimmie Johnson padded his points lead following the Charlotte race, “Sweetie” growled “why don’t they just install him in the damn Hall Of Fame right now and be done with it?”

It’s not that the girl friend is anti Jimmie Johnson. The remark was made out of sheer frustration. “Sweetie” is a card carrying, T shirt wearing, member of the Junior Nation and she was frustrated with spending the better part of three hours watching Dale Earnhardt Junior’s latest mediocre finish.

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WAZZUP with Johnson’s team mate, Jeff Gordon, who could have used some of that golden horseshoe luck during the Charlotte race? Gordon’s Chevrolet suffered a mysterious loss of power that was later attributed to the voltage regulator not charging the car’s battery system. That resulted in a lengthy pit stop for a battery change. Adding insult to injury was a second pit road situation involving a speeding penalty. The result was an unfortunate 23d place finish.

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HOORAH to Brad Keselowski for winning Friday night’s Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It marked his fifth win of 2010, 11th win in 135 series starts and his second win in the Nationwide Series Car Of Tomorrow. More importantly, Keselowski increased his points lead to a whopping 450 points over second place Carl Edwards. It’s absolutely guaranteed that he will be presenting team owner Roger Penske his first ever national NASCAR title.

HOORAH to the fourth, and final appearance, of the Nationwide Series’ Car Of Tomorrow of 2010. Once again these racy new cars turned up another highly competitive performance during the Charlotte race while increasing the element of driver safety. This exciting new car will be on the track full time next season.

WAZZUP with Carl Edwards having to make in car adjustments the old school way? During the Charlotte Nationwide Series event some paper debris lodged itself on the grill of Edwards’ Ford. This in turn created a rise in the engine’s water temperature. But Edwards had a problem reporting the water temperature to his crew chief. That was because the tachometer, attached to the steering column, was blocking the view of the water temperature gauge. While piloting his Ford at speeds of 190 MPH plus, Edwards used his left hand to loosen the tach and then hit it several times until the gauge was moved over to the right. It’s good to know that old school methods still work.

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

Finally this week we have two GOD BLESS items. The first notes the sad passing of Jeff Byrd who succumbed to a lengthy illness last Sunday at the age of 60. Byrd took over the reigns as President and General Manager of the Bristol Motor Speedway and Drag way in 1996. His vision and dedicated hard work was the catalyst that led to Bristol becoming one of the premiere racing facilities in the country. Our condolences go out to Mr. Byrd’s family, friends and fans.

The second GOD BLESS goes to Chris Economacki, the founder of the famed “National Speed Sport News” who recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Economacki is a true NASCAR icon who played a major role in ushering the sport into its television age.

Patrick Sheltra Looks for Nationwide Opportunity

By
SM Staff
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This past weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Patrick Sheltra was spotted sitting on the No. 21 pit box for Clint Bowyer during the Nationwide race.

Sheltra Motorsports earlier this year expressed that they were negoitating to get Sheltra into a full-time Nationwide Series ride after winning the 2010 ARCA Re/Max Series Championship. In 20 races this past season, Sheltra had two wins, 12 top fives and 17 top 10s on his way to his first championship.

The combination of Sheltra and Richard Childress Racing would seem unlikely, however, as RCR has announced they will not be doing a Nationwide Series program in 2011. Though speculation has it that this could lead to Sheltra running some races in the No. 21 car to close out the season as no full-time driver is in place.

The ARCA Series has been known for producing great NASCAR drivers as both Justin Lofton, Parker Kligerman, Michael McDowell, T.J. Bell and Justin Allgaier have recently moved up from the ARCA ranks. Each driver has had their own degree of success, however the 2008 and 2009 champions have experienced the most lately.

Justin Lofton, the 2009 champion, is driving the No. 7 truck in the Craftsmen Truck Series this year for Tuner Motorsports. So far this year, Lofton has four top fives and six top 10s in 20 starts.

Justin Allgaier, the 2008 champion, is driving the No. 12 car in the Nationwide Series this year for Penske Racing. So far this year, Allgaier has one win (Bristol), seven top fives, 18 top 10s and one pole in 31 starts. Allgaier hopes to catch the eye of a sponsor or a new team owner as he could left on the sidelines next year.

Parker Kligerman, the 2009 series rookie of the year, looks to follow in the footsteps of Allgaier as he is currently under a developmental contract with Penkse Racing.

Could Sheltra be the next success story? It is very well possible as Sheltra showed this year that he can be consistant, determined and ready for the next level.

NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Bud Moore

By
Angie Campbell
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Bud Moore was recently announced as an inductee into the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

His reaction was poignant.

“I’m really thrilled,” Moore said. “You just don’t know how thrilled I really am to be chosen. It is one of the greatest moments of my life.”

However, on a day intended to honor and celebrate his life’s work, controversy reared its ugly head. There are those who question his inclusion over more well-known names such as drivers Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough.

There is no standardized template for the perfect Hall of Fame candidate. It’s not as simple as comparing statistics to determine who comes out on top. Each individual’s contributions, both on and off the track, must be considered. For often indefinable reasons, there are always those special few who shape the sport for future generations.

Bud Moore is one such man.

Walter M. “Bud” Moore was born on May 25, 1925, in Spartanburg, South Carolina and once described himself as “an old country mechanic who loved to make ‘em run fast.”

As a young man, he was drafted into the Army and went off to serve his country as an infantryman. Moore returned from World War II as a highly decorated hero with two Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts.

He showed that same level of commitment and focus when he began his racing career and was a prominent figure in the early days of NASCAR. When you talk about the founding fathers of NASCAR, you’re talking about Bud Moore.

He owned and operated a NASCAR team for 37 years and in 959 starts accumulated 63 victories, 43 poles, 298 top-five finishes and 463 top-10s.

Moore was the crew chief for Buck Baker when Baker won the championship in 1957. He won back to back championships as a car owner with Joe Weatherly in 1962 and 1963. Moore also won a Grand American championship in 1968 with Tiny Lund and a Sports Car Club of America Trans-Am title in 1970 with Parnelli Jones.

If you take a look at the biggest names in NASCAR history, it’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t driven a Bud Moore car.

Those drivers include David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Alison, Buddy Baker, Billy Wade, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, Morgan Shepherd, Dale Earnhardt and more.

Bud Moore had a front row seat to NASCAR’s future stars.

“The thing is, a lot of people ask me, who was the best? They all were good,” Moore once said. “Some were better on some racetracks and others were better on others.”

“Buddy Baker was the best on mile-and-a-half, two-mile racetracks. Bobby Allison was good on all the racetracks, and Dale Earnhardt was just as good, or better.”

“But those (last) two stand out to me, as far as being drivers on all the tracks. But I can’t pick a favorite. I liked them all.”

Bud Moore cars have also won at some of NASCAR’s most prestigious tracks.

Darel Dieringer won the Darlington Southern 500 in 1966. Buddy Baker won three straight races at Talladega in 1975 and 1976 in Moore owned cars. Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 and the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1978.

Bud Moore’s retirement tells a familiar story of talent versus money. After problems finding sponsors, he finally closed his shop and retired from racing in 1999.

“I spent a bunch of my own money keeping the team alive, keeping the shop and keeping key personnel on board,” Moore said. “Whenever we thought we had a sponsor deal, somebody would say to them, ‘Wait a minute. Why in the world would you spend millions on Bud Moore? We’ll put you on four or five cars for a million.’ If that was you, what would you do? You’d go on four or five cars. So that put us out of business. From 1994 to 1999, there were 23 single-car teams that went out of business.”

Bud Moore may not have been the popular choice for the NASCAR Hall of Fame but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t the right choice.

If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Dale Earnhardt.

In 1983 Bud Moore predicted that Dale Earnhardt would make NASCAR history.

“He can do more things with a car than anyone I’ve ever seen. I’ll put it this way, he’s the best I’ve ever seen, and that includes Fireball Roberts and guys like that.”

When Earnhardt heard what Moore had said, he responded by saying, “It takes more than a driver. You have to have a good team and they’re hard to come by.”

He went on to say, “I’m glad Bud feels that way. I can also say, I think he’s the best. It’s an honor coming from him considering what he’s seen and the drivers he has seen go by.”

Awards and Achievements:
Two Cup championships with Joe Weatherly in 1962 and 1963
One Grand American championship with Tiny Lund in 1968
63 career victories
43 career poles
Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in August 2002
Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame in April 2009
Announced as Inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, Induction ceremony to be held in May 2011

Quotes courtesy of darlingtonraceway.com, Todd Shanesy at goupstate.com and Tom Higgins – The Charlotte Observer

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