Sam Bass Partners with Richard Petty To Do Good with Goody’s
NASCAR artist Sam Bass and the ‘King’ Richard Petty are partnering with Goody’s and BC Powders to do good for two charities, the Wounded Warrior Project and Victory Junction Camp. The special promotion, ‘Pick a Powder’ will culminate at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Cup race this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
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[/media-credit]Throughout this month, fans have had the opportunity to get involved by voting on which powder provided the fastest relief, Goody’s or BC Powders. Richard Petty championed the Goody’s cause benefiting the charity nearest to his heart, Victory Junction Camp, and county singer Trace Adkins was the cheerleader for the BC Powders team with his charity being the Wounded Warrior Project.
Artist Sam Bass got involved in this special promotion as he was asked to design the paint schemes for each charity that will be displayed on two cars during the Martinsville race. Even more special was that two individuals, one representing each charity, worked with Bass to craft the designs.
“Well, it’s going to be a very exciting weekend,” Bass said. “These are two tremendous causes brought together by Goody’s and BC Powders.”
“It’s a unique pairing of a lot of different things,” Bass continued. “BC Powders and Goody’s have been around the sport of NASCAR for a long, long time. Victory Junction Gang Camp and Wounded Warriors Project have been as well.”
“The idea was what could we do to represent these two charities and make people happy and tie it in to Sam Bass and NASCAR design work.”
“What I got to do, which was really, really special, was that I got to work with a gentleman named Cory Collins on the Wounded Warrior Project and I got to work with a little girl named Eleanor Bolton from Victory Junction Camp,” Bass said. “Both of them are tremendous NASCAR fans and basically what they did was to work with me to design their race cars.”
Bass began his collaboration with the two at the first race in Daytona. His work started with phone calls to pick their brain about their interest in the sport and their respective relationships to their charities.
Eleanor Bolton, a Victory Junction camper, is an eight year old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She and her family first attended Camp for a family weekend in February 2010.
“She is as sweet as she can be,” Bass said. “She sent me some drawings she had done and I just took all of her information, all of her colors, all of her family photos, all of her drawings and then kind of took the logo of Camp and Goody’s.”
“Her car number was 43, of course with Richard Petty,” Bass continued. “And I just designed a car with her input and came up with something that she would like.”
“She had peace symbols and hearts and photos of her and her family,” Bass said. “That’s how her car was.”
The other participant with whom Bass worked was Cory Collins. On his first tour in Iraq in 2005, Collins was injured 27 days after arriving. He and his unit ran over a 500-pound IED and he was the sole survivor of the attack.
“Cory is a veteran of the armed forces and had been injured serving this country and ultimately it cost him his left leg,” Bass said. “I could sympathize because I lost my lower left leg to diabetes a few years ago. He and I hit it off from the very beginning.”
“I worked with him and got his favorite colors and learned that he was a Jeff Gordon fan,” Bass continued. “So, having designed for Jeff since he came into the sport of NASCAR, I quickly related to Cory.”
Bass took Collins’ favorite color, which was black, and put some flames into the mix a la Jeff Gordon. Bass then featured Collins’ car number, 101 for his unit, the 101st Airborne.
“We came up with a couple of designs that mirrored the tattoo that he had gotten on his arm over there,” Bass said. “It’s got a flaming skull that looks really cool. And of course the Wounded Warriors logo is prominently featured on the hood.”
“To keep the cars in symmetry, I had Cory send me photos of his family and his friends,” Bass continued. “So things are meaningful on both cars for both participants.”
Both Collins and Bolton will get to ride in their respective cars during the pace laps of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.
“Over the weekend they’re going to get to meet Richard Petty and Trace Adkins,” Bass said. “It’s just going to be a blast and I’m going to get to be a part of it.”
“From dealing with the child in Eleanor to the adult experiences of Cory was very meaningful to me.”
“It’s going to be a great day for both of them,” Bass said. “To see their reactions and to spend the day with them will warm my heart and I feel very proud to participate in this project.”
Fans can also get in on the action as Goody’s and BC Powders will make donations to each charity on every box of either product sold. During the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 race at Martinsville Speedway, both charities will be presented checks by their respective powders to continue their missions.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE TIME OF DAY AT MARTINSVILLE?
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[/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be returning to the fan favorite Martinsville Speedway for this Sunday’s running of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. The race has all of the ingredients that makes drivers and crew chiefs crazy but, at the same time, revs the fans to a feverish frenzy. It’s 43 cars on a half mile track that often produces demolition derby like incidents. It’s also bragging rights regarding who gets to take Martinsville’s unique trophy home. That would be that beautiful grandfather clock.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
There are keys areas to racing at the Martinsville Speedway that requires detailed protection. Certainly topping that list is the protection of the race car’s brake system. This track is extremely tough on brakes and a good system to keep the brake roters cool is a must. Drivers will also have to protect the front nose of their cars, in order to further protect brake duct systems, which is not easy to do considering the aggressive nature of short track racing at Martinsville.
Still another area of concern is that pesky little, six inches high, curb that borders the bottom of the Martinsville Speedway. The first area of concern is obvious: hit the curb and you could find yourself spinning sideways headed towards the middle of expensive crash damage. Hit the curb hard enough and you could severely damage the car’s front end handling capability.
Track position is extremely important at a track like Martinsville which in turn places an increased importance on qualifying day. There has been 124 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at the historic racing facility. 19 of them, roughly 15.3%, have been won from the pole position while 15 of the races have been won from the outside of the front row. 65 times, 52.4%, Martinsville winners have started the race from the top five starting positions while 89 previous race winners, 71.8%, have started from the top ten. Driver Tony Stewart owns the Martinsville track qualifying record, 98.083 MPH, which was set back in October of 2005.
Also of crucial importance is the maintaining, and gaining, of track position while motoring out of the pits. That’s also easier said than done at Martinsville. The pit stalls there are narrow, measuring 14 feet wide by 28 feet long, The pit road speed is a slow 30 MPH.
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The thought of racing at Martinsville Speedway brings a variety of thoughts from a lot of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers. It’s safe to assume that Denny Hamlin loves this speedway. The driver of the #11 Fed Ex/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has 11 starts at Martinsville and his personal stats there are simply awesome. They include four wins, including the last three consecutive races, ten top ten finishes and a very healthy average finish ratio of 6.0. There is also a strong sense of home whenever Hamlin races at Martinsville. His home town of Chesterfield is just a short drive from the race track.
But Hamlin has a serious matter on his mind these days. It’s the recent rash of engine failures that has left engineers at Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development in a state of confusion. In the first five races of the still young season, Gibbs Racing has suffered DNF’s, (did not finish), in three of them due to engine failure. There has also been three cases where engines had to be changed prior to a race because of the discovery of suspected problems. All three team drivers: Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano have been plague by this problem. In comparison to last year, the organization only had two DNF’s in 38 races related to engine failure.
The situation has also placed Hamlin in a bit of a hole regarding the current championship standings. The engine failure suffered last Sunday, at the Auto Club Speedway in California, dropped Hamlin to 21st in the rankings and 45 points out of the top ten which determines the Chase line up.
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Jimmie Johnson is another driver who thoroughly understands and appreciates the Martinsville Speedway. The driver of the #48 Lowes/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has driven into victory lane there six times and has an amazing average finish ratio of 5.3.
But it’s his Hendrick Motorsports team mate Jeff Gordon who owns all of the professional stats at the Martinsville Speedway. Among the active Sprint Cup drivers, Gordon has a series high seven wins. He also leads the series in top five finishes with 23, top ten finishes with 29 and he’s led a series high 2,994 at Martinsville. He also has earned a healthy average finish ratio of seven.
In some recent comments on Sunday’s race, Gordon said “not much has changed at Martinsville and it seems like all the things that I’ve done over the years at Martinsville still apply and still work well there. I think we’re very capable of winning at Martinsville this year.”
When asked if he considered Martinsville to be a wild card race Gordon replied “not necessarily,” adding “it’s tight racing and it’s a short track. You have to be careful not to overheat the brakes and use up your equipment. I think if you run well and have a good race car, you can drive away to work yourself through some of the wrecks and things you see that gets guys in trouble. It’s a small, tight race track and we’re running inches away from each other so anything is possible.”
For Hendrick Motorsports team mate Mark Martin, next Sunday’s race will become the latest milestone in his amazing career. Martin will be making his 800th official NASCAR Sprint Cup start. He’s only the eighth driver in Cup history to reach that milestone and, before the season is over, is expected to pass Darell Waltrip, 809 starts, and Kyle Petty, 829 starts.
The driver of the Go Daddy Chevrolet is a two time winner at Martinsville. When recently asked what does it take to be successful at the Virginia short track, he said “It’s the same as everywhere else: good engine, good handling, good crew, good brakes and fast through the corners. The only difference is the brakes are really important there and they are not at most places we race so that’s a big deal.”
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Finally there’s the matter of 43 drivers who would love to be the one to take that beautiful Martinsville grandfather clock home. The beautiful custom clock, created by the Martinsville based Ridgewood Clocks, is seven feet tall and is valued at $10,000. The tradition began in the fall of 1964 when “Fearless” Fred Lorenzen became the recipient of the first ever clock. NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty tops the list with 15 of those beautiful clocks.
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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN
To absolutely no surprise the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE), has Denny Hamlin, 7 to 2 odds, and Jimmie Johnson, 5 to 1, on the top of their list for Sunday’s race. Why wouldn’t they? These two drivers have combined to win the last nine races at Martinsville.
Right behind them, at 8 to 1, is the driver who is favored to win any race he enters. That, of course, would be every body’s favorite “rowdy” one Kyle Busch. At 9 to 1 is the duo of Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. These are both good wagers. Harvick is running on high momentum especially after that dramatic win in California last weekend. But it’s Gordon at 9 to 1 that is a bit of a mystery. The four time NASCAR champion literally owns all of the modern day Martinsville stats from wins to laps led. This is an excellent long shot wager. At ten to 1 you will find Tony Stewart. The two time Martinsville winner is another solid long shot consideration. He will also be seeking his 250th career top ten finish on Sunday.
The middle tier of this week’s WSE listing is led by Carl Edwards. The current series points leader is rated at 12 to 1 this week and his NASCAR power ranking this week suggests he may be a very interesting long shot wager. At 16 to 1 is former race winner Jeff Burton followed by Richard Childress Racing team mate Clint Bowyer at 20 to 1. Both drivers will be seeking to get their Chase status back on track this Sunday. At 25 to 1 you will find the trio of Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr and former race winner Kurt Busch. The elder Busch brother recently went on record as saying he’s not that fond of the Martinsville brand of racing and said “It’s not one of my favorite tracks, but they’re handing out 48 points if you have a perfect day.”
The bottom of the WSE Martinsville rankings features Jamie McMurray, who is making his 300th official Sprint Cup start, and the aforementioned Mark Martin at 28 to 1. At 30 to 1 are the trio of Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya. The duo of Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle, also making his 300th official start, are ranked at 35 to 1 while Martin Truex Jr completes the list at 40 to 1.
By the way, if you don’t see your favorite driver listed here they are automatically ranked at 5 to 1.
Now for the disclaimer. NASCAR wants us to remind you that these posted Las Vegas numbers should be regarded for information and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their events.
They would instead prefer that you make fantasy, aka pretend, wagers. That way you can still cover your realistic mortgage, realistic car payment, realistic food and gas bills and, in an effort to really get real, you’ll have money left over for realistic NASCAR tickets and souvenirs.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 is 500 laps/263 miles around the Martinsville Speedways 0.526 oval and is race number six of the 36 points events on the schedule.
The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they do not have a guaranteed start in the race because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to earn a starting spot.
This asphalt oval is unique in the fact that its four turns are covered in concrete. There is only 12 degrees of banking in the turns and zero degrees on the straightaways. The front and back stretch measures 800 feet each which means the left turns are going to come at the drivers very quickly. The speedway presently has seating for 61,000.
The Martinsville Speedway was built by the legendary Clay Earles and opened in September of 1947. The speedway began as a dirt track and was paved in 1955. The concrete overlays were placed on the speedway’s four turns in 1976.
The Martinsville Speedway played a huge role in the history of NASCAR. The first NASCAR Grand National, now known as the Sprint Cup, event was held there in September of 1949 and was won by the legendary Red Byron.
Since that time the speedway has hosted 124 Sprint Cup events that has sent 45 different winners to victory lane.
Petty Enterprises, led by King Richard’s 15 wins, leads the team win list at Martinsville with 19. Hendrick Motorsports, based largely on Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson’s efforts, leads the modern era teams with 18 wins at Martinsville.
When it comes to manufacturer wins the bow tie brigade tops the list. Chevrolet has been to victory lane at Martinsville 46 times followed by Ford with 26 wins, Dodge with ten and Toyota at five.
Weather could play a role in Friday’s practice sessions. The Martinsville area forecast calls for cloudy conditions on Friday with a 30% chance of afternoon showers. Saturday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, a daytime high of 56 degrees and breezy winds. On Sunday race day expect clear skies and a high of 61 degrees. But if race conditions, such as a high number of yellow flags, forces the race to run long there is a chance of showers on Sunday evening.
The Goody’s Fast Relief 500 will be broadcast live by Fox Sports with the pre race show beginning at 1230 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, April 6th, on SPEED beginning at 12 pm eastern.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Point Standings Analytics – After Race 5
The announcement of a change to the distribution of points across NASCAR national series sparked debate among even the most conservative NASCAR fans. One of the explanations behind the change was to develop a more dramatic points battle to increase fan interest.
A debate arose over the fact that a quick calculation would show that very little, if anything, would change in the final championship standings. In fact, even among the more common point distributions across all major racing series, by the end of the season there did not appear to be much of a difference in the order of the final standings.
Here, I shall contend that debate with weekly comparisons across the three most commonly mentioned distributions, plus my own personal points schedule designed to reward both race winners and consistent high finishes.
On the left side of the standings is the difference between where they stand in actual Sprint Cup Standings and their position in the respective system.
Classic Points System – Standings After Race 5
Carl Edwards would maintain a 33 point lead over new second place driver Kyle Busch. Ryan Newman would jump up a spot to third, with Jimmie Johnson up to fourth and Kurt Busch down three positions to fifth, 61 points back
Notable changes in position compared to current system: None really… as we move forward in the season it is becoming apparent that there is little, if any difference, between the two point distributions.
F1 System – Standings After Race 5
Edwards maintains the points lead again, this time it shrinks to a mere 7 points over Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson remains in third while Kevin Harvick, by virtue of his California win jumps up to fourth. Clint Bowyer earns his first points of the season, sliding into the 18th position.
Drivers without points: David Reutimann, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Joey Logano
Notable changes in position compared to current system: David Gilliand (+14), Jeff Gordon (+10), Kevin Harvick (+5), A.J. Allmendinger (-9), Dale Earnhardt Jr (-10)
IndyCar System – Standings After Race 5
Once again, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch top the standings, this time with commanding leads over third place Jimmie Johnson. Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman round out the top five.
Notable changes in position compared to current system: Jeff Gordon (+6), David Gilliand (+6), Kevin Harvick (+5), Paul Menard (-5), Brad Keselowski (-6), Clint Bowyer (-7)
Phat’s System – Standings After Race 5
For an explanation of the points distribution, please see consult table below standings. This distribution is designed to reward race winners, while also rewarding those who run well every week.
Not so surprisingly, Edwards and Busch are atop the standings and, again, Harvick, Johnson and Newman round out the top five.
Notable changes in position compared to current system: Kevin Harvick (+6), Jeff Gordon (+6), Paul Menard (-6), Clint Bowyer (-7), Martin Truex Jr (-7)
