This week in NASCAR: Probation, NASCAR on ‘The Glades’, contingency awards, and more
Watch Edwards, Logano, Stewart and Vickers on A&E’s “The Glades”:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers will be playing themselves in Sunday night’s episode of the popular A&E drama The Glades.
Set to air on Sunday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET on A&E, the episode “Moonlighting” will explore the murder investigation of Cole Hunter, the fictitious mechanic for NASCAR driver Trey Lancer. In his search for the truth, Jim Longworth (actor Matt Passmore) centers much of his attention inside the NASCAR garage, where he meets NASCAR stars Edwards, Logano, Stewart and Vickers.
Mike Ford Named The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Michigan:
Mike Ford, crew chief for the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Kenseth, Fennig Capture Contingency Awards:
Kenseth earned his third American Ethanol Green Flag Restart of the Race Award this year which goes to the eligible driver that records that fastest average speed on restarts and finishes the race on the lead lap. Kenseth’s crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, also captured his second DIRECTV Drew Chief of the Race Award given weekly to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort based on starting and finishing positions during the weekend.
The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provides teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.
Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Raises $650,000:
The Jimmie Johnson Foundation Golf Tournament Auction has raised $650,000, an event record. The event has raised over $500,000 each year since its inception in 2007, which in five years has raised more than $2.5 million. It now focuses on the Champions Grants program, a partnership between the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s Toolbox for Education.
Applications for grants in are being accepted through Sept. 15, 2011. For more information, visit www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.
“Is Ryan Newman Smarter than a Grade School Student?”:
Newman, who graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Vehicle Structural Engineering, answered 10 first-round questions on a variety of topics such as Science, Math, Social Studies, English and Geography as students from five different Volusia County elementary schools were in attendance for the trivia game show “Is Ryan Newman Smarter than a Grade School Student?” For every question Newman answered correctly, DIS donated $100 to Volusia County Schools.
Newman also correctly answered the “bonus round” question and earned a special prize for every student in attendance, a ticket to the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday, July 2. The complete press release can be found here http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12735
Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs penalized for unapproved parts:
Mike Ford (No. 11 car), Dave Rogers (No. 18) and Greg Zipdelli (No. 20) were fined $50,000 and placed on probation for the remainder of the season after NASCAR discovered unapproved oil pans in each of the JGR cars at Michigan International Speedway. The oil pans were confiscated and never used in competition. Also the car chiefs for all three teams and Jimmy Makar, JGR’s senior vice president of operations, were also placed on probation for the remainder of the season.
Red Bull leaving NASCAR:
The Austrian-based energy drink company Red Bull entered NASCAR in 2007. Currently sponsors with two teams with current drivers Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers, but plans on leaving the sport at the end of 2011. Rumors say that “NASCAR does not attract the same demographic that Red Bull markets its product.”. The energy drink markets to the 18-to-34 age group.
The general manager of Red Bull Racing said Tuesday that he is optimistic that the team can keep going with more investors.
More on this story can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12742 by Sal Sigala Jr.
Lofton returns to Germain Racing, Eddie Sharp Racing:
Germain Racing and Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) have reached an agreement to put 2009 ARCA Racing Series champion Justin Lofton back behind the wheel of ESR equipment. The move has been facilitated by the departure of Craig Goess from ESR. Ryan “Rudy” Fugle, crew chief for Lofton’s No. 77 Tundra at Germain Racing, will remain with Germain Racing.
MOBIL 1 car swap was UNBELIEVABLE:
The overwhelming response has indicated that the Mobil 1 Car Swap at The Glen was an event that will last in the minds of the participants and spectators forever.
More details can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12743
Tissot Launch Alert! Keep Time Danica-Style:
Tissot, a manufacturer of Swiss Watches since 1853, has launched a new Danica Patrick timepiece.
From the driver seat of design comes a Limited Edition watch with the defining style Danica is renowned for, both on the racetrack and off. This is a first-time opportunity for fans to pre-order the Tissot PRC200 Danica Patrick 2011 Limited Edition, a sleek, streamlined design featuring Swiss-made quartz movement.
Fans can check out TissotShop.com to pre-order and reserve this unique Limited Edition watch, numbered from 0001 to 4999
Vote for your favorite design:
There are only days left to vote in the fourth-annual “JDRF Race Car Design Contest,” hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Voters from around the country are casting their ballots in the form of donations for their favorite design, while the young artists wait in the hopes they’ll see their work on NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Trevor Bayne’s Ford Fusion as it races around Michigan International Speedway in August.
Fans are invited to vote at www.jdrf.org/ford
The NASCAR Foundation Launches Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award:
The NASCAR Foundation will recognize the outstanding charitable and volunteer efforts of NASCAR fans by awarding the first annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which includes a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to the children’s charity of the recipient’s choice.
More details can be found at http://www.speedwaymedia.com/?p=12650
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON ROAD AMERICA
The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be spending this Saturday afternoon taking on the always challenging road course at Road America at Elkhart Lake-Wisconsin. The series made its official debut at this mammoth road course last year. If the finish of the 2010 event is any indication, then Saturday’s Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, is going to be extremely competitive and very exciting.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”230″]
[/media-credit]The pre-race favorite has to be Carl Edwards who made a late race surge to win last year’s inaugural event. Edwards is one of the small group of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who has been campaigning full time in both series although a new NASCAR policy says he cannot win the Nationwide Series title.
Edwards will be the only double duty Cup driver in Saturday’s race at Road America. He will be spending his off time flying back and forth between Wisconsin and Sonoma-California, the site of the Cup race at Infineon Raceway and the site of NASCAR’s other road course race this weekend. The seemingly frantic pace for the driver of the Roush Fenway Fords is actually not as bad as it seems. That’s largely due to the presence of Roush Air. Jack Roush’s flying armada can literally get any driver to any location in record time.
But the question remains: why should Edwards put himself in the middle of this hectic schedule when he’s only eligible to win the Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship? The answer is the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Points Championship and that’s a trophy Jack Roush wants to add to his collection.
Edwards, based on four wins including last Saturday’s race at Michigan, leads the owner’s standings in his #60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang. However, going into next Saturday’s race, he only holds a 13 point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing and their #18 Toyota normally driven by Kyle Busch.
Saturday’s Nationwide Series race will be Busch-less. Driver Michael McDowell will be behind the wheel of Gibbs’ #18. Their second series team, the #20 often driven by Joey Logano, will be sitting idle this Saturday.
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There’s another points battle that Roush Fenway Racing will be defending this weekend as well. It’s of course the series’ championship. Roush protege Ricky Stenhouse Jr is leading those standings going into this weekend. However, he only holds a two point advantage over Elliot Sadler with Reed Sorenson only three points away in third. Also not to be overlooked here is the presence of Justin Allgaier who is ranked fourth in the standings only 17 markers from the top.
Stenhouse and Allgaier found their debut at Road America last year to be somewhat of a struggle after finishing 26th and 35th respectively. Meanwhile, Sadler and Sorenson will be taking on this challenging road course for the very first time this Saturday.
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The points contenders may find themselves having to deal with an impressive list of road course ringers this Saturday. These are the drivers, who excel in this type of racing, that have been brought in by team owners just for the road course races.
The Road America ringers list will be led by the presence of Jacques Villeneuve. The ex Formula 1 racing champion will be behind the wheel of the Roger Penske Racing #22 Dodge normally driven by Brad Keselowski. Villeneuve was a major player in last year’s race and appeared to be on the way to the win before a defective alternator wire sidelined him during the final laps.
Also in this race is Max Papis who will be driving the #33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Road race veteran Ron Fellows, who finished second last year, will be carrying the hopes of the Junior Nation by driving the #7 Chevrolet for J R Motorsports.
Other road race ringer entries include Andrew Ranger, a star from the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, who will be driving the #53 Dodge for team owner Robert Torriere. J R Fitzpatrick will be behind the wheel of the #67 Go Canada Racing Ford for owner Steve Meehan. Tommy Drissi is the newest member of Rick Ware Racing’s Nationwide Series operation and will make his debut this Saturday in the #37 Ford. Drissi is the 2009 Trans Am Series champion and has been racing lately in the Rolex Grand American Series as well as the American Lemans Series. Also of interest here is the Nationwide Series debut of Ricky Carmichael which will take place at Road America this Saturday. The 15 time motocross champion has been building his NASCAR career in the Camping World Truck Series this year for Turner Motorsports. Saturday will be the first of four Nationwide events this year for Carmichael in a Turner Chevrolet.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be 50 laps/200.4 miles around Road America’s massive 4.048 mile, 14 turn, road course. It’s the first of three road course events on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.
The race has 41 entries meaning all entries will be guaranteed a start in a race that can accommodate 43 cars. The starting line up will be based on Saturday morning’s qualifying sessions.
The race is also the official debut of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ newly configured race car on a road course.
If season statistics are an indicator then the race should be highly competitive. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series races so far has turned up eight different winners and seven different Coors Light Pole winners.
The Bucyrus 200, presented by Menards, will be broadcast live by ESPN on Saturday beginning at 5 pm eastern time.
