This week in NASCAR: Francis joins Hendrick; Busch leads TV Exposure and ride along at Atlanta
Kenny Francis to join Hendrick Motorsports for 2012:
Veteran crew chief Kenny Francis will lead the No. 5 Sprint Cup Series team when driver Kasey Kahne moves to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season. Francis will join the organization after the conclusion of the 2011 NASCAR schedule. Francis has 11 Sprint Cup victories as a crew chief, with all but one coming with Kahne behind the wheel. Since being teamed for the first time in the final race of the 2005 campaign, the pair has posted 10 wins, 13 pole positions, 34 top-five finishes and 71 top-10s.
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[/media-credit]Lance McGrew will complete the 2011 Sprint Cup campaign as crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet team. After the season, he will remain in a key role with Hendrick Motorsports focusing on research and development and special projects, including work on the new Chevrolet Sprint Cup car scheduled to debut in 2013.
Kyle Busch Leads all NASCAR Drivers in TV Exposure for Sponsors:
According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc., which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast over the last 27 seasons, Busch’s sponsors as a group appeared for 12 hours, 31 minutes, seven seconds (12:31:07) during live and replayed telecasts of the season’s first 18 races. When also factoring in verbal mentions (142) of Busch’s sponsors, the Cup Series points-leader at mid-year amassed nearly $38.4 million of in-broadcast exposure value for his backing brands. Fox and TNT race announcers also mentioned Busch by name on 2,722 occasions during the first half of the season, or about 36% more frequently than the next closest competitor, Carl Edwards.
Kyle Busch to give Ride-Alongs to Five Fans at Atlanta Motor Speedway for AdvoCare 500:
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, will be in Atlanta on August 16 to promote the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Fans can register at the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at which time five fans will be selected to take the ride of a lifetime with Busch on the lightning fast high banks of the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway. For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (877) 9-AMS-TIX, (770) 946-4211 or visit http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com
No. 29 Pit Crew Scores Second Quarter Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award:
For their outstanding efforts on pit road during the second quarter of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet over-the-wall team for Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing has earned second-quarter honors in the 2011 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award competition.
The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award, which is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief, is given quarterly to the top-performing pit crew in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award presented during NASCAR Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.
Luke Lambert Named Interim Crew Chief for RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar Team:
Luke Lambert has been named interim crew chief for Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar/Chevrolet team with driver Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Lambert replaces veteran crew chief Todd Berrier. The 28-year-old has been with RCR since September 2005. He was named a team engineer for the No. 31 program in 2008. He is a 2005 graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
Elliott Sadler To Drive For Joe Denette Motorsports In Select NCWTS Races:
Elliott Sadler, will make his debut for Joe Denette Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway (August) and Martinsville Speedway (November). The No. 24 will be a second entry for Joe Denette Motorsports. A sponsorship announcement for Elliott Sadler and the No. 24 Joe Denette Motorsports entry will be forthcoming in the following weeks.
Win up to $1,000,000 or a new truck with DIRECTV’s NASCAR Head 2 Head Knock Out!:
Get ready for the second annual DIRECTV’s NASCAR® Head-2-Head Knockout competition, where you have chance to win the ultimate prize of $1 million! More Information: http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=14434
MWR/CAL WELLS STATEMENT:
Michael Waltrip Racing and Calvin Wells have mutually agreed to part ways it was announced today by co-owners Rob Kauffman and Michael Waltrip. The separation is effective immediately. “We want to thank Cal for his strong contribution to getting Michael Waltrip Racing to where it is today. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors, ” said Kauffman. “We plan to go forward now with the solid management team that is in place, and bring MWR to the next level.”
Talladega Superspeedway Welcomes Polk’s Meat Products as Pole Award Sponsor:
Talladega Superspeedway officials announced that Polk’s has been named the pole award sponsor for the upcoming Coca-Cola 250 Powered By fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The multi-year agreement will include sponsorship of the pole award for both NASCAR races during the spring Aaron’s Dream Weekend as well.
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, JOSTENS OFFER FANS EXCLUSIVE MEMORABILIA CONTAINING PIECES OF TRACK’S RACING SURFACE:
Phoenix International Raceway, in conjunction with Jostens, is offering a line of limited edition memorabilia containing actual track pieces from PIR’s iconic, 1-mile oval. Race fans and collectors will now have the rare opportunity to own a piece of racing history following the 2011 repaving of Phoenix International Raceway by visiting http://www.jostens.com/phoenix.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE NATIONWIDE SERIES MAKES IT FINAL ACCLAIM AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY
Since 1982 the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been racing at a .686 mile bullring oval in Clermont-Indiana that virtually stands in the shadows of the grandstands at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just down the highway. Now under the working name of the Lucas Oil Raceway, this annual short track classic has a tradition of generating some of the most exciting racing you’ll ever want to see. Saturday night’s 30th annual Kroger 200, benefiting the Riley Hospital For Children, is again expected to be its traditional sell out with literally millions more watching on live television.
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[/media-credit]Sadly, this outstanding racing tradition may be coming to an official end after the checkers falls on the Kroger 200 Saturday night. In a rather surprising announcement made earlier this month by NASCAR officials, it appears that this race will be joining it’s NASCAR Sprint Cup counterparts at the mammoth Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year. Also on hand for that summer of 2012 weekend will be the Grand American Rolex Series, which is now owned by NASCAR, who will open the weekend with a race on the IMS road course.
Where that announcement leaves the Lucas Oil Raceway Park remains to be seen. It’s seemingly apparent that the NASCAR Nationwide Series will not be returning to that track despite three decades of outstanding racing. The raceway’s annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, who will be racing at the Lucas Oil Raceway Friday night, will also be making their final acclaim at the famed short track and is not expected to return next year.
This decision has sparked a tremendous amount of debate. Some believe that it’s important for the Nationwide Series teams to race on the most internationally known speedway in the world. There’s also the opinions that say three prominent series racing on the same track on the same weekend is going to generate a lot of attention, a lot of good racing and a lot of money. Still others believe this is a horrible decision that will ultimately cause more embarrassment than good. These opponents openly wonder why would NASCAR pull a race off of the Nationwide Series schedule that is so steeped in history and quality. I suppose we will have to wait until next summer to discover who’s right.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
The Nationwide Series teams will be bringing an extra layer of drama to Saturday’s Kroger 200 with a very tight, way too close to call, championship points battle. Reed Sorenson, and his Turner Motorsports Toyota, is currently the points leader going into Saturday but only holds a five point advantage over the Roush Fenway Racing Ford team led by driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Holding down third, only 14 points from the top, is Elliot Sadler last week’s points leader. The misfortune of a broken gear, during a pit stop, dropped Sadler from first to third in the standings. However the driver of the Kevin Harvick Inc Chevrolet will be expected to be a hard charger Saturday night while seeking his first win of the season as well as a return to the top of the points standings.
Also of interest here are the overall lack of double dip drivers in this race. The double dippers are of course the Sprint Cup drivers, and their high dollar teams, who frequently enjoy a little extra racing on Nationwide Series Saturday. With the Cup team just down the highway, for Sunday’s Brickyard 400, one would think that they would jump on some double dip fun available to them at the Lucas Oil Raceway.
Apparently not. There are only four them entered in the Kroger 200. That list is topped by Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski who have been very busy racing both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series full schedules this year. Joining them will be Michael McDowell who will be driving the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota normally occupied by Kyle Busch. That’s right, for the second week in a row a Nationwide Series race will be ran Busch free despite the fact that he’s the defending race winner from last year. Joining the double dip squad will be NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Austin Dillon who, for the second race in a row, will be driving Kevin Harvick Inc’s #33 Chevrolet.
Yet another Kroger 200 storyline that will generate a lot of attention Saturday night will be the Nationwide Series debut of Travis Pastrana. His accomplishments in the action sports arena are well documented. He has 16 medals in the famed X games as well as multiple titles in supercross and motocross racing and equal success driving rally cars. His transition to NASCAR stock cars this year has included five appearances in the K&N Pro Series East and West, NASCAR’s racing feeder system. His best finish came in January when he finished sixth in the Toyota All Star Shootout at the Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles. His transition has been helped by his driver coach Matt Crafton a veteran of NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series.
Pastrana is well versed in handling busy schedules. That’s a good thing because his schedule for this weekend is well beyond hectic. It starts on Thursday night when he will be at the annual X Games in Los Angeles to compete in the Best Trick Competition. Pastrana will once again attempt the 720 at the X Games. He will fly off of a ramp on his motorcycle and do two complete back flips. He’s been trying to perfect this dangerous stunt for approximately four years now and he recently pointed out “if you miss any one of the steps any time you will be broken.” Speaking of broken, this is the same trick that handed Pastrana multiple injuries during the X Games two years ago.
On Friday he will be participating in the X Games’ Freestyle Competition. Then it’s off to the airport to catch a late night flight to Indianapolis. There he will have a full day at the Lucas Oil Raceway that begins with a rookie meeting, two Nationwide Series practice sessions, qualifying and of course the running of the Kroger 200. Then it’s back to the airport for a return flight to Los Angeles, and the X Games, to compete in the Rally Cross Competition. On Monday morning he will fly to Salt Lake City-Utah to spend the week filming his “Nitro 3-D Circus” movie. Again, he’s well versed in handling busy schedules. So is the ESPN Network who will covering all of Pastrana’s activities including his back and forth commute.
THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Kroger 200, Benefiting the Riley Hospital For Children, is 200 laps/137.2 miles around the Lucas Oil Raceway’s challenging .686 mile oval with its progressive banking.
The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 official starting berths. 14 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of the top 30 in the Nationwide Series owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to make the race. The lone exception here is driver Jeff Green who can make the race via a past champion’s provisional.
Weather could turn out to be more challenging than the race track. The Saturday forecast for the Clermont-Indiana area calls for a chance of scattered thunder storms with daytime highs at 87 degrees.
The Kroger 200, Benefiting the Riley Hospital For Children, will be broadcast live by the ESPN Network beginning at 7 pm eastern time.
