Smith responds….. ‘Las Vegas, Baby!’
Just after it had appeared that the animosity from the traffic debacle at Kentucky Speedway had somewhat subsided, Bruton Smith, who is Speedway Motorsports, opened up another can of hard feelings on Friday. He should have hidden from the media.
[media-credit id=24 align=”alignright” width=”229″]
[/media-credit]After saying he was sorry that he was sorry that fans had to endure the mess that was created when over 100,000 fans tried to enter the speedway, he let loose with some inflammatory comments that may have made things worse. He got some things right and some things terribly wrong, but those of us who admire Smith for his expertise in putting on good shows at his tracks and the general convenience of his properties, had to pause as he made his comments.
Bruton got some things right. Two two-car drafting at Daytona and Talladega is an abomination. This Restrictor Plate Two-Step is simply not racing. It puts a driver in an unnatural position of settling for second place—pushing the car—instead of racing. It should be fixed. Smith’s comments that he would fix Kentucky’s traffic problems before NASCAR fixed that particular problem at those two tracks were probably spot-on.
He’s also right about the highway system that goes into the track, but this is a problem at other SMI tracks like Bristol, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and others including the crown jewel, Charlotte Motor Speedway. Put that many people in one area and you will have problems. He has somewhat alleviated the problems at Bristol and Charlotte, two tracks I regularly attend. The secret there is to go early and stay late. It works. Oh yeah, and find a back road. The difference there is a very organized parking and camping situation—something Kentucky did not have.
What he missed on were his comments about building infrastructure. Sparta, Kentucky has a grand total of 235 residents (according to a 2007 estimate). It is only 42 miles from Cincinnati, OH in the north and about 60 miles from other population centers in the state, Louisville and Lexington. It’s not Charlotte where affluence is noted everywhere. While Smith was able to strong-arm officials in Charlotte, he may have a tough time with Kentucky officials. Building an extra 40,000 seats didn’t help any either.
He also stated emphatically that there would be no cash refunds because people couldn’t park, and were actually turned away from the track, because, “we don’t want to.” That’s a pretty arrogant statement. The ticket exchange is nice, but how many people can just pick up and go to Charlotte, Bristol, or Atlanta because they missed a race they paid for and sat in traffic for hours waiting to get into the facility.
More alarming were the stories of poor camping conditions (which are the lifeblood of most SMI tracks. These die-hard race fans are always there) and parking seem to indicate poor planning for the part of the speedway. Clearly as the head of the corporation, these maladies fall right on his shoulders—something he refuses to admit.
The final insult was the questions asked by Dustin Long, a reporter for Landmark Newspapers and Smith’s answers. When asked what he would discuss with the Kentucky governor next week about improvements to the infrastructure around the track, Smith responded, “Las Vegas, baby.” It was an apparent veiled threat to move the Kentucky date to his track in Nevada, giving that facility two dates. It’s something Smith has wanted for awhile and leaves the impression that the Kentucky debacle was a planned event for that end. Never mind the comments referring to the ISC track in Homestead, Florida, as being in “North Cuba.” Smith would like the season finale to be in Las Vegas instead of Homestead.
So, what will happen? Your guess is as good as mine. Kentucky officials might give in to Smith, but I doubt it. The track might be better managed next time, but it probably will get better, especially if folks just stay away, which I expect. I only know that Smith will eventually get his way. He always has been able to get things done, but this one will be a little tougher.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see another date at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a couple of years. Then the good folks of Kentucky will know how fans in Rockingham and North Wilkesboro felt. That’s not good.
Rachel Gilbert, 100 Year Old NASCAR Fan, Fulfills 100th Birthday Destiny at the Magic Mile
First it was a party, cake and a fast lap around the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Rachel Gilbert drove the pace car.
[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”231″]
[/media-credit]Now, for this race weekend, Gilbert has continued to fulfill her 100th birthday destiny by serving as grand marshal for the Whelen Modified Series race.
Gilbert’s adventure started several months ago when her daughter emailed the race track, asking if any accommodations could be made for her mother’s 100th birthday, particularly as she could not sit in the grandstands comfortably.
Jerry Gappens, New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s executive vice president and general manager, and his staff were intrigued by the request. Not only did they accommodate this family’s wish, but also helped Gilbert fulfill her NASCAR destiny, naming her the Speedway’s oldest fan.
For her 100th celebration, Gappens provided a race car birthday cake at the track, an official LENOX Industrial Tools 301 hat, a NHMS jacket and a birthday card. The Speedway even made arrangements for her to take a few fast laps around the track.
“Rachel is a true pace setter,” Gappens said. “We wanted to take the opportunity and celebrate this special occasion.
But Gappens had even more in store for Gilbert. She also got an official crew shirt from her favorite driver Carl Edwards, as well as tickets to Sunday’s Cup race.
“This all started from the email,” Marie Ann Mills, Gilbert’s daughter said. “It started by having her go around the track and then providing her with tickets to Sunday’s race.”
“And I also got to drive the car,” Gilbert reminded her daughter. This was especially a treat for Gilbert as she gave up her car once she moved into an independent living facility for seniors.
And celebrate she has. One of the biggest highlights for her has been serving as the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series race and giving the command to start engines.
Gilbert admitted she was slightly nervous prior to giving the command. But armed with a note that read “Drivers Start Your Engines” and surrounded by her family, she delivered the most famous words in motorsports beautifully.
“I was nervous at the very beginning,” Gilbert said. “But it was a dream come true. This was great.”
“That was unbelievable,” Gilbert’s daughter shared. “We were so proud of her.”
Gilbert is a true NASCAR fan and has been for many years, starting in the 1960s when she followed her husband and some of their friends to races at Bryar Motorsports Park in Loudon, New Hampshire. She has also attended the Daytona 500, where she saw legends like Richard Petty and Bobby Allison race.
Since that time, Gilbert has been hooked, never missing a race on television according to her family. In fact, residents of the facility where she lives have affectionately nicknamed her “Speedy” because of her affection for the sport.
“I’ve been a fan for so long,” Gilbert said. “I have friends that we would go to the races with and we kept it up every year.”
Gilbert’s favorite driver during that period of her life was Dale Earnhardt, Sr. She still struggles when she talks about him and cannot believe he has been gone that long.
Not only has Gilbert been a race fan forever, but she also has a few other secrets to her achieving her centennial birthday. What are her keys to her longevity?
“Good exercise,” Gilbert said simply. “That and a good gin and tonic when I go out.”
Gilbert’s other key to her success has been her family, their love as well as their support of her NASCAR dream.
“She always has a smile on her face,” Gilbert’s daughter shared. “If I could be half the woman that she is, I will be a hell of a woman.”
Ryan Newman Works Magic for Third Consecutive Whelen Modified Series Win
Ryan Newman worked his magic at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway by winning his third consecutive Whelen Modified race. And Newman did so in style, taking the No. 7 Aggressive Hydraulics/Menards Chevrolet from the pole position to victory lane in the F.W. Webb 100.
[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”213″]
[/media-credit]This was Newman’s 8th career Modified Series start and his 4th career win. Three of those victories have come consecutively at the New Hampshire track known as the ‘Magic Mile.’
“We had a really good car today and I’m proud of this team,” Newman said, holding his daughter in Victory Lane. “We didn’t know what was going to happen if a yellow came out. But it all worked out.”
“I didn’t really know what to expect with the race and how it was going to unfold,” Newman said. “Typically we have multiple cautions here.”
“Our car was really loose and I really had to manage the steering wheel,” Newman continued. “It seemed like the track wasn’t like it was in practice and we struggled a little bit with that part.”
“We were the tightest of the loose guys and that was all it took,” Newman said. “We had a lot of fun.”
Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion, Newman’s team owner and crew chief, echoed his driver’s thoughts on the historic win.
“It’s really special,” Manion said. “We won here as a team in the early 90’s and as a kid to come up and race with the Cup guys was really cool.”
“So, to come back here and learning the aspects of owning a car, it’s really special.”
Newman and Bono both reiterated their desire to see more Cup and Whelen Modified race combination dates, naming Richmond, Phoenix and Martinsville as just a few possibilities.
“The one mile tracks for sure fit this car,” Manion said. “I think Richmond would be an incredible Modified track. This is a great Series and they put on a great race.”
“We just like it when it’s convenient,” Newman said. “And at the same time, it’s good for NASCAR Whelen Modified Racing to have quite a few people sitting in the grandstands. So, it works out good.”
Runner up Todd Szegedy, driver of the No. 2 Wisk Detergent/A&J Romano Construction Ford, secured his fourth top-five finish in six races of the 2011 season.
“Second to me was kind of a win,” Szegedy said. “We beat all the regulars.”
“We’ve had some bad luck here for the last three or four races so this was definitely a good run,” Szegedy continued. “We had a great car.”
“At the end, I went into fuel conservation mode, so I started backing out of it a little bit,” Szegedy said. “I could run up on Ryan a little bit but I’d get free off so I never could make a good move on him.”
“Ryan made it interesting,” Szegedy continued. “So, good for him anyways.”
“I think we’ve got some work to do,” Szegedy said. “We’ve got to drive the track different and set the car up different. He’s not unbeatable. We’ll just have to work harder.”
Ron Silk, driver of the No. 6 T.S. Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet, scored the third position. This was Silk’s fourth podium finish in six races this year.
“I was surprised how long it went green,” Silk said. “All my guys did a great job all weekend and we made about a thousand adjustments since we got here.”
“I got a little bit close to Newman on the last lap but I just got up in the loose stuff,” Silk continued. “And once you get up there, you just can’t get out.”
Matt Hirschman, driving the No. 3 Cape Cod Copper/Riverview Chevrolet, finished fourth. And Doug Coby, behind the wheel of the No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.
Jeff Gordon Tackles Ending Hunger, Congo Refugees and Racing at New Hampshire
Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Cup champion, is a busy man this weekend in New Hampshire. Not only will Gordon tackle the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but he is also tackling his philanthropic destiny, both locally and globally.
[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”235″]
[/media-credit]Prior to the start of the race weekend, Gordon visited the New Hampshire Food Bank as part of his Drive to End Hunger campaign with the AARP Foundation. He presented a $10,000 check to the Food Bank and toured their distribution facility.
“Getting to work with the AARP Foundation through Drive to End Hunger has been really inspiring,” Gordon said. “To not only help nationally but to go into these communities and make an impact on those that are suffering from hunger is great.”
“This was my first time this year visiting one of the food banks that actually is collecting the food, sorting the food, and distributing the food,” Gordon continued. “They really impressed me in how organized they were and how efficient they are with the food that is either donated or purchased through the funds that are donated.”
“They’re cooking hot meals that are being distributed out to the Boys and Girls Clubs and different organizations,” Gordon said. “It was great to see the dollars that are being donated by fans and companies, being brought together by AARP and the Drive to End Hunger program, and to see it at work.”
Gordon’s visit to the New Hampshire Food Bank not only had a tremendous impact on the fans who attended to see him and donate food, but it also made the world of difference to the work of the Food Bank.
“This was a huge opportunity for us to partner with AARP and Jeff Gordon,” Melanie Gosselin, Food Bank Executive Director, said. “Often we don’t get celebrities here in New Hampshire so we’re tremendously thrilled that Jeff and his team are behind the fight against hunger nationally and locally as well.”
“We’re serving one in ten in the State and one in seven are senior citizens,” Gosselin said of the work of the Food Bank. “So we can turn that $10,000 donation that was made into 70,000 meals. It’s a huge boost to us.”
In addition to his philanthropy boosting the Food Bank, Jeff Gordon is looking forward to a great race weekend at New Hampshire. He is currently seventh in points with two wins for the season at the halfway point to the Chase.
“Even though we are half way through the season, we have only a handful of races left before the Chase and the real championship begins,” Gordon said. “We’re pretty pleased with our season to this point and certainly happy about the two wins.”
“I feel like we’ve been fortunate the last few weeks to get some pretty good finishes to move ourselves up in the points,” Gordon continued. “But I feel like we need to perform a little better than that if we’re really going to not only advance in but also be a real threat for the championship.”
“So, I think this is a crucial weekend for us and one that I feel confident in,” Gordon said. “At this point you just have to keep taking it one at a time and see and hopefully improve each week.”
Almost immediately after the race, Gordon will turn his attention to his newest philanthropic work, one that will take him around the world to the Congo.
“I leave Sunday night after the race,” Gordon said. “I became a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, what they call the lead group, which is a smaller, younger group of philanthropists in all different areas. It’s a very ambitious group and prestigious group to be a part of, led by former President Clinton.”
“We decided our initiative together was a refugee camp in the Congo,” Gordon continued. “They want to go to the harshest environment to make the biggest impact.”
“We decided we needed to go and visit the refugee camp as we couldn’t talk about it and make a difference if we had never seen it,” Gordon said. “So, we’ve been planning this trip.”
“I leave Sunday, get there Tuesday and come back on Thursday,” Gordon continued. “So, it’s a quick trip but there’s a lot packed into a short time.”
“My expectations are to see some jaw-dropping, eye-opening experiences that are going to change my life forever,” Gordon said. “And hopefully we can do some very good things to try to change that in the future.”
NASCAR’s Unsung Heroes; The Research and Development Team Saves Another Life
[media-credit name=”Freddy Martinez” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]The last noise a race car driver never wants to hear when his mind is focused on maneuvering around his favorite track, is the deafening screech of tires, followed by the impact of the car exploding against a retaining wall or tire and foam attenuator.
After the initial impact, there is usually an eerie moment of silence from the fans as the driver slowly gathers his thoughts, while wondering if it’s an indication he is no longer breathing the air around him.
For the fans there is nothing more spectacular and exciting than watching some aggressive side by side racing, where each driver pushes the limits of his Sunoco burning race car beyond what is almost abnormal for a 3500 pound motor vehicle. As with all forms motorsports, there is always the high element of danger lurking around lap after lap, as it waits for the driver to make one crucial mistake so it can strike with deceitful intentions.
Each driver knows ahead of time the risks they take playing a game of cat-and-mouse, which pits man or woman against a highly sophisticated, and extremely dangerous fast moving maze of metal parts. It’s this maze of metal parts coupled together with a high performance power plant that can change a driver’s world in a moment’s notice, because of the high speeds they are racing at.
NASCAR racing at any level will always be one of most competitive forms of motorsports, when you factor in all the banging and bumping that takes place as each driver fights for the same piece of real estate. So what happens when two, three, or even four drivers are racing for the same piece of track, and within a moment’s notice the cars become entangled with one another?
Jason Patison, a driver in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist Super Late Model series at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, found out first hand as so many driver have in the past just how dangerous this sport can become in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t so much who was at fault, or the circumstances that led up to Patison and fellow driver Dennis Schlarbaum both sliding against the front stretch wall, and hitting the tire and rubber attenuator which is in front of the exit to the track.
Instead it was the fact that both drivers were able to walk away from yet another spectacular crash, but looking at the cars it would leave one to believe the driver of the No. 17 should have sustained some sort of life threatening injuries. Patison was transported to an area for hospital for precautionary measures after complaining of a headache, and was found to have suffered a mild concussion, but was treated and released after his injuries were found not to be life threatening. “It happened so fast I didn’t have time to back out of it.
The car carried momentum and pushed me out the exit into the attenuator. I closed my eyes and waited for the hit. Honestly it jarred me it hurt but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I thought it was gonna be a lot worse,” said Patison the next day after the crash. Patison added that, “I think with the way the seats are built and the Hans device, and the cage was built really well. It absorbed a lot of the impact. I commend the car builder Port City Muskegon, MI and Short Track Racecars in Ramona, CA. for building a safe car.”
The NASCAR research and development team is responsible for every aspect when it comes to driver safety, and the team spends countless hours testing, designing, and carefully looking for any flaws to ensure that each driver has the safest car possible. From the twisted metal steel that makes up the roll cage, to the six-point racing harness, along with the carbon fiber seat that holds the driver snuggly in place, no expense is spared in the construction of these technically advanced racing machines.
These are just a few of the safety features that are very noticeable, along with the rest of the equipment that goes into building some of the safest race cars that are out on the track today. Track safety also plays a major role, and has always come under fire anytime an incident such as the one that involved Patison this past weekend, with most of the controversy surrounding the magnitude of the wreck.
The tracks are continuously evaluated to ensure the safety of the drivers, and also the fans that come out to enjoy this high speed and dangerous sport which pits man against machine. I talked with Bob DeFazio who is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, about their policy on keeping the drivers safe, and giving the fans the comfort of knowing the track is as safe as it can possibly be.
DeFazio started off by saying that, “There are guidelines we have to follow. We are the poster child for NASCAR in the weekly series, and they look at our race track but also the emergency and safety personal crews.” DeFazio also added that, “There are 50 plus tracks around the country in their weekly family, and we are looked at for all our procedures,” which should give both driver and fan the comfort of knowing that NASCAR does consider TS@I one their safest and a premier facility.
The speedway has never spared any expense when it comes to driver safety, “We constantly look at safety whether there is an incident or not. Two cars were involved and both drivers walked away because of the steps we take to make sure the race track is safe.”
Clint Bowyer Has One Word for 200th Career Start: Pride
Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, is set to mark a milestone in his career. He will make his 200th Sprint Cup career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Lenox Tools 301 this weekend.
“200 races means a lot to me,” Bowyer said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity just to be in this sport.”
[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”201″]
[/media-credit]Bowyer’s milestone also had him thinking about his first race in the Cup Series in Phoenix.
“To think back to Phoenix and what that race meant to me and to now,” Bowyer said. “It truly meant a lot to my career.”
“That race is what led to all of this,” Bowyer continued. “I’m just thankful for all the opportunities along the way and I’m trying to make the most of them.”
Does the 200th start make the young driver feel just a tad bit old?
“No, it doesn’t make me feel old”, Bowyer said with a laugh. “But it does make you realize how fast time flies.”
“200 races, it’s like ‘Holy cow, already?’, Bowyer continued. “It’s just amazing how fast things happen.”
Bowyer will definitely have to try to make the most of his achievement, especially at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with whom he seems to have a love/hate relationship.
NHMS was the site of Bowyer’s first ever Cup win, however, it was also be the beginning of the end of his Chase chances last year, when he suffered a lethal penalty that put him dead last in the Chase standings.
“Probably the best moment in my career was right here in New Hampshire with my first win,” Bowyer said. “And probably the worst was having that penalty right here.”
Although Bowyer has run well at the track in the past, he is not taking anything for granted for his upcoming race this weekend.
“We’ve always run well in a short flat-track program,” Bowyer said. “But there’s nothing saying that we’re not going to bring that same recipe back that we did last year and find that same success.”
“We’re going to have to work hard,” Bowyer continued. “And we’re going to have to find a good balance on our race car.”
“But it seems like it’s easier to find that balance for us on a track like this.”
Can the RCR driver put aside the penalty that he suffered the last time he was at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“It is what it is,” Bowyer said philosophically. “It doesn’t matter. It’s behind me.”
In fact, Bowyer is more worried about what happened to him last weekend at Kentucky than what he endured the last time he ran a race in New Hampshire. Bowyer had a terrible run in Kentucky, cutting a tire and wrecking in the waning laps of the race, finishing miserably in the 35th position.
“It’s frustrating to have to come back here and answer questions about last year because I’m worried about last week and overcoming last week; forget about last year,” Bowyer said.
Yet Bowyer is trying to put his bad week in his rear view mirror, especially in light of his 200th start milestone.
“It can very easily become a negative and spiral out of control,” Bowyer said. “But there are so many positives about our season. We’ve run well and that’s what has put us in this situation.”
Bowyer’s situation is that he is now 12th in points and battling mightily to make the Chase to contend for the 2011 NASCAR Cup championship.
“This is a crucial time for us,” Bowyer said. “We’ve got them breathing down our necks.”
“But I tell you, with this crazy wildcard thing, this is a good track for us to get a win and solidify ourselves in the Chase,” Bowyer continued. “So, it’s an important weekend for sure.”
Bowyer is definitely viewing his 200th career start as a chance to redeem himself and his race team. And for Bowyer, he wants to do so not just for himself but also his fans.
“This is a chance to redeem myself absolutely,” Bowyer said. “You see a guy with a shirt on their back and it’s a sense of pride as well as responsibility for me.”
“I look to go out there and run well for them and make them proud,” Bowyer continued.
Bowyer was fastest in practice but could not quite pull off a pole run. He qualified 12th, with a speed of 133.595 mph and a time of 28.540 seconds.
“New Hampshire has always been a great place for us to come,” Bowyer said. “The best thing is all the fans and all the people I have met over the years.”
“Those relationships you’ll have with you the rest of your life and will mean the most to you,” Bowyer continued. “It makes me focus on this next race to make sure there is another 200 races after that.”
David Ragan Under Pressure In Spite of Daytona Redemption Win
David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS ‘We Love Logistics’ Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, finally achieved his goal of being a NASCAR Sprint Cup winner, redeeming himself with a victory at Daytona International Speedway.
[media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”233″]
[/media-credit]Even with that win, however, the 25 year old driver is still feeling pressure all around him as he readies for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway race weekend. And that pressure has been with him since his first day at Roush Fenway Racing.
“I’ve said it a lot that I’ve had pressure from day one being at Roush Fenway, being a young guy, not having a lot of experience coming in, having a good year my rookie year and an even better year my sophomore year and then really struggling,” Ragan said.
“Coming into this season, we knew we’d have a lot of pressure to run well,” Ragan continued. “We knew we had to win.”
While Ragan has definitely gotten one monkey off his back with his Daytona race win, he acknowledged that the pressure to now make the Chase is even more heavily on his mind.
“Honestly, that win was big,” Ragan said. “And following it up with a top-10 and leading some laps at Kentucky was a Chase caliber run for our team.”
“Wins are very important to us still and that’s what we come to the race track every weekend to do,” Ragan continued. “But top tens, top fives, and leading laps are what’s going to get us to that top ten in points.”
“We’ve put ourselves in a position to make the Chase and I think that brings up more pressure,” Ragan said. “Now we’re so close to capitalizing on the progress that we’ve made.”
“Being right outside that top-10 with the win, it’s like ‘hey, we’ve got to do something with it’,” Ragan continued. “We can’t turn back now.”
Another major looming pressure for the young driver is his future with Roush Fenway Racing, as well as the team’s continued sponsorship relationship with UPS. And for Ragan, he would like nothing better than to have that pressure relieved with the finalization of both of those deals.
“I’m really happy at Roush and the Fords are running great,” Ragan said. “I think Jack’s happy with the performance of the 6 team in comparison to his other teams.”
“A lot of it depends on what UPS does,” Ragan continued. “So, it’s just a matter of the negotiations between Roush and UPS and working out all the details.”
“I still think we’re four to six weeks out from really having some announcements and look forward to some good runs in between them,” Ragan said. “But you can’t stop with what you’ve done. You’ve got to keep going and that’s what’s important.”
“I’m encouraged by some of the recent conversations we’ve had,” Ragan continued. “Things look to be on the good side.”
For this race weekend, Ragan is also feeling the pressure of being good at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a place where he has admittedly struggled at times. Ragan’s best finish in eight appearances at NHMS was 15th during his first ever start at the track in the summer of 2007.
The driver, however, is hoping to take some of the pressure off as he is bringing the same UPS Ford race car that he raced last at Richmond, earning him his first top-five finish of the season.
“Coming off our recent success at Martinsville and Richmond, I’m looking forward to another short track.” Ragan said of NHMS. “Our Fords have improved a lot at the flatter short tracks, so I think we’ve got a good shot.”
“Our Fenway tie to the Boston area means a lot to our team,” Ragan continued. “That gives us extra motivation to get a good finish this weekend in Loudon.”
One way that Ragan has relieved his sense of pressure is by racing his Legends car. He even had a win this past week at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I raced my Legends car at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday and won,” Ragan said. “This was in preparation for a big race coming up the first week in August.”
“It’s always fun,” Ragan continued. “I get out there and race three or four times a year and we really enjoy ourselves. So, that win was a good omen for things to come this weekend.”
Although he has had a bit of a pressure release with his Legends win, Ragan knows full well that the pressure will return in force when he gets behind the wheel of his Cup car for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 this Sunday.
“There’s a lot of pressure at this Sprint Cup Series level but that’s what we thrive on,” Ragan sad. “So, it affects us in a good way.”
Matty’s Picks Vol. 10 – Loudon – Lenox Industrial Tools 301 – July 17, 2011
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its next stop in the first state to declare its independence from Mother England. It was actually the first of the thirteen original colonies to sever ties with England, a full six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been the site of a few incidents that have shaped the current rules we have in NASCAR today. For instance, NHMS was the first track where NASCAR started the field in two separate groups under the warm-up laps, helping drivers to set their pit road speeds.
[media-credit name=”nhis.com” align=”alignright” width=”250″]
[/media-credit]An incident occurred at the track during the September 2003 race that would eventually end racing back to the caution flag. The rule implemented following an incident involving Dale Jarrett is the “free pass” or more commonly referred to as “the lucky dog” rule.
Finally, following two fatal accidents at the track in 2000, New Hampshire Motor Speedway became the only track in recent history (outside of Daytona and Talladega) to run restrictor plates on Sprint Cup cars. Jeff Burton won the race in the first race to go wire-to-wire without a lead change, as a product of the plates.
Kentucky Recap
TRAFFIC!!
Just kidding… I know everyone has heard by now about the issues at Kentucky so I will stick to the on track action.
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner! I put all my eggs for last weekend in one basket and came out on top. Kyle Busch was my winner pick for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races last weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
After starting dead last in both the truck series and Nationwide series races, he finally got the best starting spot on Saturday Night via his top practice speed on Friday. Had qualifying taken place Friday Afternoon, I do not think any other driver would take the top starting spot for the Quaker State 400 as the #18 car was on a rail around Kentucky Speedway all weekend.
It really was a treat to watch Kyle wheel his way through the field Thursday Night to win the UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. He did it again Friday Night in the Nationwide Series, coming from dead last to finish third in the Feed The Children 300. As for Saturday Night’s Quaker State 400, Kyle would start from the pole and lead a race-high 125 laps en route to Gatorade Victory Lane.
Kyle Busch etched his name in Kentucky Speedway’s history book as the inaugural Sprint Cup Series race winner, and also took over the points lead from Kevin Harvick with his three wins this season. This netted me not one, but two wins for winner picks, and also a top 5 for a winner pick in the Nationwide Series. It was a great points weekend at Kentucky Speedway for not only KB, but for myself as well.
My Dark Horse pick last weekend – Joey Logano – nothing to speak of in 14th place.
New Hampshire Picks
For my Dark Horse this week, I’m going with a guy from my neck of the woods in Central New York. Reagan Smith picked up his first and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win earlier this year at Darlington. Since then, the Furniture Row Racing driver has been out to prove his worthiness in the Sprint Cup Series. He has run fairly consistent this year, finishing in the top 10, three times this season including his win in the Showtime Southern 500. He was seventh fastest in practice today so, look for him to lay down a quick qualifying lap and start towards the front on Sunday Afternoon.
Tony Stewart is my winner pick this week for his history at New Hampshire. He won the very last Indy Racing League event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1998, which returns to the track next month after a twelve year hiatus. Stewart has also visited Gatorade Victory Lane at Loudon in a Sprint Cup car twice. He has an outstanding average finishing spot of 12.4 at New Hampshire, directly on par for his average career finish. Smoke was second fast in practice earlier today, and is due for a win for his Stewart-Haas racing team. Look for the 14 car to take the checkered flag on Sunday.
This is all I have for this week, stay tuned next week for a full Matty’s Picks stats update!
Until next time….You stay classy NASCAR NATION!
