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NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Don’t expect Gordon to shop at Walmart

By
SM Staff
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The hunt for team sponsors for the Hendrick Motorsports racing stable hit a high and low point last Saturday in Atlanta. First off Rick Hendrick announced that Quaker State Motor Oil was returning as an associate sponsor on all four of his Chevrolet teams and would be the primary sponsor for Mark Martin’s no. 5 team during four races next year.

On the down side Hendrick announced that Jeff Gordon will not be shopping at Walmart next year.

All through out the 2010 racing season Hendrick Motorsports has captured our attention for a variety of reasons. There was Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team who scored five wins in short order only to develop a tail spin that now has them ninth in the championship standings. This is despite the prospects that say he still favored to win five consecutive titles.

Then there was the concern over the performance levels of the Hendrick #88 team and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This was followed by equal performance concerns regarding Mark Martin and the #5 team which is a factor that still surprises many observers.

Let’s not forget about several months of trying to find the company’s new hire, Kasey Kahne, a ride for 2011 while waiting for him to join the #5 team full time in 2012.

Somewhere in the middle of these dramatic moments we all had a tendency to overlook another surprising element from Hendrick Motorsports: four time series champion Jeff Gordon, for the first time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, seems to have sponsorship issues.

Out of 36 Sprint Cup points race, plus two special non points events, Gordon is fully sponsored in 2010.. The National Guard signed on as the primary sponsor for eight races, the Pepsi Cola Corporation products signed on for two races and Gordon’s long time sponsor, DuPont Automotive Finishes, signed on as primary for the remainder of the schedule.

However, in recent months, DuPont indicated that wanted to scale back their NASCAR sponsorship program for the 2011 season. Their current contract with the team ends at the end of this year. This is, of course, another testament to the current state of the nation’s economy.

In late July came rumors that Walmart could be the answer to the #24 team’s 2011 sponsorship profile. Yes, Walmart the nation’s number one retailer. The one major corporate entity who, in their illustrious history, has never really expressed much interest in a marketing partnership with major league sports in America. When you think about it, Walmart’s exposure level has been just fine without the wide world of sports.

Typical of their status as the nation’s number one retailer, Walmart interest in NASCAR racing began with a project much larger than just team sponsorship. They are reported to be in negotiations with NASCAR for a direct license agreement. Simply put, Walmart would become NASCAR’s exclusive retailer in the mass market space. Such an agreement could find Walmart using the direct license to select suppliers and set prices on NASCAR themed souvenirs such as hats and T shirts. In effect, the result would be a NASCAR located inside of a Walmart store. It appears that, at this point in time, negotiations for a direct license agreement are still ongoing.

From all this came rumors that Walmart might also be interested in direct team sponsorship. Their Executives reportedly visited many NASCAR Sprint Cup shops in late spring-early summer. Granted, Walmart will need the cooperation of these major teams for the direct license program to work but it was also an opportunity to get an up close look at the teams as individual entities in case an individual sponsorship program was an area they wanted to further explore.

The rumor mill hit a fever pitch and said Hendrick and Walmart executives were in serious talks regarding Gordon’s team. That actually turned out to be true. But on August 25th a statement surfaced indicating that a business relationship between Walmart and the #24 team wasn’t going to happen. The statement came from what was described as an in house company newsletter and stated “while we continue to employ a range of marketing initiatives to deliver our message of Save Money Live Better to our customers this is one we will not be doing.”

During a press conference, held last Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick acknowledged that a sponsor opportunity with Walmart wasn’t going to happen. “You talk to a lot of people, and they were someone we talked to,” he said adding “we got down the road a bit but timing is one of those things, possibly we’ll do something down the road with them but it won’t be next year.”

Hendrick also expressed optimism that the open sponsorship issues for his entire racing stable would be resolved soon and pointed out that many of the companies that he’s dealt with in the past will be returning next year. “We’ll be announcing details in the next 60 days. In the past, you would announce mid year but companies are waiting longer and longer. We plan to have everything done at the end of November.”

Hendrick has every reason to remain optimistic regarding his #24 team. After all, he will be presenting sponsor opportunity for Jeff Gordon, a four time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, a driver who clinched his 2010 berth in the Chase three weeks early and someone who truly has a good chance of making that “drive for five” championship theme a reality. It’s also well known that, when it comes to representing the goodwill needs of a sponsor, Gordon is one of the best ambassadors in the business.

All this means is: he won’t be shopping at Walmart next year.

Mark Martin’s Classiest Season Yet

By
SM Staff
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Mark Martin is one of NASCAR’s most talented drivers. That’s why some of his fans did not complain too much when owner Rick Hendrick made some questionable moves to Martin’s No. 5 team over the offseason, moving engineers from Martin’s team to teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr, who struggled in 2009.

Maybe if Martin’s knew how 2010 was going to turn out, the griping would have started earlier.

Martin has had an extremely disappointing 2010 season, he hasn’t found victory lane yet and hasn’t had back to back top ten finishes since Talladega.

Something even more surprising is that the runner-up in last year’s chase, won’t even race for the title this season as Martin was mathematically eliminated from the chase after a terrible 21st place finish at Atlanta on Sunday.

The 51 year old from Batesville, Arkansas will have to wait until next year to try and get his first Cup title.

Many people point towards the offseason moves as the cause for Mark Martin’s struggles.

Dave Moody has stated numerous times he thinks those changes have had an effect on Martin’s season.

Many drivers would have moaned and groaned about the changes, Mark Martin hasn’t. Deep down it has to bother the heck out of Martin to know his prime years of running for a championship in a Hendrick Motorsports car are dwindling down and in 2010 he won’t even have a shot at it.

Maybe Martin doesn’t care anymore? Some people might say. That is nowhere near the truth. Martin is one of the most passionate people in the sport. He would just sit home and not race if he didn’t care anymore. He’s made his money and his name. Yet, Martin wants that prize that has been o so close for many years.

Martin is a professional. That’s what it comes down to. He understands the team atmosphere at Hendrick Motorsports and understands why the move was made.

Yet his fans are livid. “I want my team back,” one fan screamed on a talk radio show earlier in the week. “We were good last year it wasn’t our fault so why,” the fan continued.  

And Mark Martin continues his silence about the subject. Martin has had his share of distractions this season. Kasey Kahne rumors of taking over the No. 5 car were a distraction to him no doubt. The Jimmie Johnson/Jeff Gordon feud was a distraction as well.

Maybe Martin doesn’t want his comments to be a distraction towards Jimmie Johnson’s and Jeff Gordon’s fight for the championship this season. Maybe Martin’s too professional to blame someone else for his struggles.

Interesting! Maybe Martin doesn’t want certain fans to turn against him with comments like that. Whatever the reason may be it sure is a problem and Martin has been silent about it.

Mark Martin has always been called one of NASCAR’s classiest drivers. This season however, he has shown his classiest side yet.

‘Second place is just the first loser.’ … Dale Earnhardt

By
Angie Campbell
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I’m not sure if he was the first to say it but this simple phrase captures the heart and soul of the man we knew as “The Intimidator.” His fierce determination to never settle for anything less than first place resulted in seven championship titles.

The history of auto racing is filled with colorful characters who willingly share their unique perspectives. If you really want to know the story of competitive racing, all you have to do is listen.

In unguarded moments, their words can paint a picture that takes us inside their world. Through humor and passion, they shine a light on racing and bring the sport to life.

When Janet Guthrie was asked how to succeed in racing, her answer was short and to the point. “Be born rich,” she said.

Today’s media can quickly turn our racing stars from ordinary men and women into superheroes but the pioneers of yesteryear didn’t drive for fame or fortune.

“We drove for the sheer fun of driving because there wasn’t that much money to be made.”

Richard Petty

“Sometimes it seemed like the more you drove the less money you had,” Louise Smith once said. “I remember one time Buck Baker and Lee Petty and I had to put our money together just to split a hot dog and a Coke.”

While all drivers strive for the same goal, each individual has their own distinct philosophy on winning.

“The winner ain’t the one with the fastest car; it’s the one who refuses to lose.” Dale Earnhardt

“Racing is a matter of spirit not strength.” Janet Guthrie

“Nobody remembers who finished second but the guy who finished second.” Bobby Unser

“To finish first, you must first finish.” Rick Mears

It takes more than skill and determination to win races. Innovation can often mean the difference between success and failure.

“Trying to figure out NASCAR’s rule book threw me at first. Then, after studying the rules from all sides, I realized I’d made a colossal mistake. I’d been reading the rule book to see what it said. And all along what I should have been doing was finding out what it didn’t say. After I started doing that, racing became fun in a big way.” Smokey Yunick

Some drivers yearn for the good old days when wins meant bringing home food to put on the table and emotions were raw.

“Moonshiners put more time, energy, thought, and love into their cars than any racer ever will. Lose on the track and you go home. Lose with a load of whiskey and you go to jail.” Junior Johnson

“Years ago, you used to get out and fight and run around and chase each other with a jackhammer and stuff like that. Those were the good old days.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR has provided us with unprecedented access to the drivers and a front row seat to the intensity and frustration of competition.

“I love this kind of racing, but these guys sure change their personalities in race mode. They’re like Doberman pinschers with a hand grenade in their mouths.” Boris Said speaking about Sprint Cup drivers.

“I’ve been doing this for 26 years and I’ve played mind games with people and I’ve had people play mind games with me,” Tony Stewart

“Passing Earnhardt is like trying to take a bone out of a Pit Bulls mouth.” Buddy Baker

“You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your success, and last year I learned a lot. That was an unfortunate season but maybe I needed to experience it to get back mentally to where I need to be.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A driver needs skill, determination and money in order to succeed. A sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.

“I got wrecked racing for last. That’s Bristol.” Todd Bodine

If we’re going to keep fuel mileage racing, we might as well build solar cars and let the sun decide who wins. Tony Stewart

“My grandfather is the King, My Dad is the Prince, I guess that makes me the Butler.” Adam Petty

“I make jokes about the fact that as a neurosurgeon I shouldn’t be required at a motor race because the drivers don’t have any brains…. otherwise they wouldn’t race.”

Syd Watkins – Formula One Chief Medical Officer

Much has changed over the years but the quest for victory remains the ultimate goal. Capturing that elusive win can bring the toughest competitor to tears.

“I cried a little bit in the race car on the way to the checkered flag. Well, maybe not cried, but at least my eyes watered up.” Dale Earnhardt Jr.

You will never know the feeling of a driver when winning a race. The helmet hides feelings that cannot be understood. Ayrton Senna

“We lost everything here. To come back here and win with that number means everything.” Tony Eury Jr.

When all is said and done, you can sum up auto racing in three words.

Winning is everything.

“If I died right now, my life would be complete.” Tony Stewart after winning the Allstate 400.

Jamie McMurray claims victory for JR Motorsports

By
SM Staff
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Kasey Kahne brought the field to the green flag for the Great Clips 300, NASCAR Nationwide Series  race at Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday night with a near blinding sun off of turns one and two. With pressure from the start from Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman, Kahne steadfastly held his line and prevailed for the first 3 laps before Bush would get by.

But Kahne was not about to give up as he dogged Busch, taking the lead back on lap 11. Kahne could not hold on up front as Bush moved past him again on lap 25.  As the 50 lap mark approached Jamie McMurray was charging forward and moved past Kahne to take second place.  The first caution of the race came for debris on the front stretch on lap 43. The race went green again 4 laps later.

Busch held onto the lead as Michael McDowell spun in turn 2 on lap 61 bringing out the races second caution.  Following pit stops McMurray emerged the leader as the green flag flew on lap 64. McMurray’s lead  only lasted  5 laps as Kevin Harvick roared past to become the fourth leader on lap 70. Harvick fought hard to stay out front and managed to hold off the field until Kyle Busch took over once again on lap 122.
With 50 laps to go in the race the top five included, Busch, McMurray, Harvick, Edwards and Keselowski.

Caution number three came out on lap 148 when Trevor Bayne slid up high on the backstretch just as Ryan Newman was going high to pass him. The contact sent Bayne spinning into the inside wall. As the leaders pitted on lap 149, it was Jamie McMurray once again taking the lead, where he stayed until the fourth caution came out on lap 169 when Reed Sorenson spun on the backstretch.

As the leaders came in for their final pit stops, Brad Keselowski stayed out to take the lead.  However, with fresh tires, Jamie McMurray made quick work of Keselowski taking the lead for the final time. Staying out front, holding off Kyle Busch in the closing laps, McMurray brought the #88 car to Victory Lane for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win of the year. Busch was followed across the line by Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth.  Rounding out the top ten were Joey Logano, Jason Leffler, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The win was McMurray’s eight win in 179 career NASCAR Nationwide Series races, his last win came at Darlington Raceway on November 13, 2004.  This was his second win and fourth top ten at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Unofficial Results

Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps
1 7 88 Jamie McMurray  Chevrolet 190 5 195
2 2 18 Kyle Busch  Toyota 180 10 195
3 5 60 Carl Edwards  Ford 165 0 195
4 8 33 Kevin Harvick  Chevrolet 165 5 195
5 18 16 Matt Kenseth  Ford 155 0 195
6 10 20 Joey Logano  Toyota 150 0 195
7 12 10 Jason Leffler  Toyota 146 0 195
8 4 1 Ryan Newman  Chevrolet 142 0 195
9 9 98 Paul Menard  Ford 138 0 195
10 13 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. * Ford 134 0 195
11 6 7 Josh Wise  Chevrolet 130 0 195
12 15 22 Brad Keselowski  Dodge 132 5 195
13 20 12 Justin Allgaier  Dodge 124 0 195
14 16 21 Clint Bowyer  Chevrolet 121 0 195
15 17 40 Mike Bliss  Chevrolet 118 0 195
16 33 62 Brendan Gaughan  Toyota 115 0 195
17 14 42 David Gilliland  Dodge 112 0 195
18 23 35 Jason Keller  Chevrolet 109 0 193
19 1 38 Kasey Kahne  Toyota 111 5 192
20 39 34 Tony Raines  Chevrolet 103 0 192
21 32 15 Michael Annett  Toyota 100 0 192
22 35 9 John Wes Townley  Ford 97 0 191
23 29 5 Willie Allen  Chevrolet 94 0 191
24 11 99 Trevor Bayne  Toyota 91 0 191
25 40 28 Kenny Wallace  Chevrolet 88 0 191
26 27 27 Brad Baker  Ford 85 0 190
27 26 81 Michael McDowell  Dodge 82 0 190
28 30 11 Brian Scott * Toyota 79 0 189
29 25 87 Joe Nemechek  Chevrolet 76 0 189
30 36 24 Eric McClure  Ford 73 0 188
31 34 26 Brian Keselowski  Dodge 70 0 184
32 41 70 Mark Green  Chevrolet 67 0 183
33 42 23 Robert Richardson Jr.  Chevrolet 64 0 170
34 3 32 Reed Sorenson  Toyota 61 0 166
35 37 66 Steve Wallace  Toyota 58 0 139
36 22 1 Mike Wallace  Chevrolet 55 0 100
37 21 91 Chase Miller  Chevrolet 52 0 19
38 28 90 Danny O’Quinn Jr.  Chevrolet 49 0 15
39 43 89 Johnny Chapman  Chevrolet 46 0 11
40 31 52 Kevin Lepage  Chevrolet 43 0 3
41 24 92 Dennis Setzer  Dodge 40 0 2
42 19 43 Kevin Hamlin  Ford 37 0 2
43 38 136 Jeff Green  Chevrolet 34 0 1

Spin to Win- Bodine Wins at Kentucky

By
SM Staff
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Todd Bodine experienced the rare “spin and win” Friday evening during the “Built Ford Tough 225” at the Kentucky Speedway.

Bodine was in the lead when Kyle Busch passed him to the outside coming off turn four, possibly taking the air off of Bodine’s truck causing the spin. Bodine spun in front of the entire field but kept the truck off the wall and out of harm’s way.  Since he flat spotted the tires he pitted for fuel and tires and moved to the rear of the field.

The race would go green the rest of the way and the leaders needed fuel as Bodine nursed his throttle to save fuel.

In victory lane Bodine was not happy with Busch saying, “I’d like to thank Kyle for driving dirty and pushing us down. That made us get the gas. Unfortunately, I’ve always had a lot of respect for Kyle,” Bodine said. “Slowly but surely I’m losing it.” Those comments apparently angered Busch who went to victory lane and had a discussion with Bodine.

“We didn’t get into the fence with the spin,” Bodine said. “So our misfortune became our fortune tonight.   Spinning out was what gave us the fuel to get to the end because we didn’t get into the fence. The guys did a great job fixing the truck and everything fell the way we needed it. The race went green the whole way and everybody else had to pit under green.”

Bodine, who has won three of the last five series events said, “You never give up. We had a good enough truck to get through the field and pass those guys. I started pedaling with about 20 to go to save fuel and we had enough to get to the end,” Bodine said.

Second place went to Johnny Sauter which was his second straight top five  and third one in the past four races.

“The guys made a great call to bring me down (pit road) to get gas and tires there,” Sauter said. “We kind of had a hunch we would be going green the rest of the way there. I argued with them and they made the right call. We had a fourth-, fifth-place truck the all night and we got second out of it. We just have to keep going on to our next race and I think I am pretty damn good there so I may win that race.”

Busch dominated the race after taking the lead on lap 55 , leading the most laps. He appeared to be ready to dominate the race like he had at Bristol and Chicago the prior tow outings. The problem was his truck needed fuel and he surrendered the lead when he pitted for fuel with 23 laps remaining in the race.

Other notables were Aric Almirola (3rd)  who earned his sixth consecutive top-10 finish. Almirola is second in points, 261 back. Jason White (4th) tied his best finish of the season and Ricky Carmichael (5th) earned his third career top-five finish and scored his second-best finish this season. He had finished 4th earlier this season in Dover.   

Busch finished the race in 7th.

Unofficial Results

Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps
1 14 30 Todd Bodine  Toyota 190 5 150
2 2 13 Johnny Sauter  Chevrolet 175 5 150
3 5 51 Aric Almirola  Toyota 165 0 150
4 13 23 Jason White  Ford 160 0 150
5 9 4 Ricky Carmichael  Chevrolet 155 0 150
6 12 17 Timothy Peters  Toyota 150 0 150
7 4 18 Kyle Busch  Toyota 156 10 150
8 26 39 Ryan Sieg  Chevrolet 142 0 150
9 1 3 Austin Dillon * Chevrolet 143 5 149
10 10 88 Matt Crafton  Chevrolet 134 0 149
11 7 7 Justin Lofton * Toyota 130 0 149
12 16 60 Stacy Compton  Chevrolet 132 5 149
13 3 5 Mike Skinner  Toyota 124 0 149
14 20 181 David Starr  Toyota 121 0 149
15 24 192 Dennis Setzer  Chevrolet 118 0 149
16 29 12 Mario Gosselin  Chevrolet 115 0 149
17 27 85 Brent Raymer  Ford 112 0 149
18 6 90 Donny Lia  Toyota 109 0 148
19 15 2 Shelby Howard  Chevrolet 106 0 148
20 21 177 Miguel Paludo  Toyota 103 0 148
21 36 244 Will Kimmel III Ford 100 0 148
22 11 31 James Buescher  Chevrolet 97 0 148
23 30 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb * Ford 94 0 147
24 32 46 Clay Greenfield  Dodge 91 0 147
25 18 41 Steve Park  Toyota 88 0 147
26 31 6 Carl Long  Chevrolet 85 0 147
27 19 172 John Jackson  Chevrolet 82 0 147
28 22 47 Jeffrey Earnhardt  Chevrolet 79 0 146
29 8 33 Ron Hornaday  Chevrolet 81 5 146
30 35 1 Chris Lafferty  Dodge 73 0 141
31 34 57 Norm Benning  Chevrolet 70 0 130
32 23 182 Paddy Rodenbeck  Chevrolet 67 0 91
33 17 187 Chris Jones  Chevrolet 69 5 41
34 25 93 Mike Garvey  Chevrolet 61 0 10
35 33 7 Butch Miller  Dodge 58 0 4
36 28 95 Tim Andrews  Dodge 55 0 2

Paulie Harraka Is NASCAR’s Next Jersey Boy

By
SM Staff
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“Fuggedabout” Cup driver Martin Truex, Jr. and his baby brother, K&N East Series Champion Ryan. There is a new Jersey boy in town and his name is Paulie Harraka, K & N Pro Series West ace and now officially a Nationwide driver based on his debut at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last weekend.

Harraka, 20 year old native of Wayne, New Jersey, officially took the next step in his NASCAR career by running his first race on the famous road course north of the border. Harraka drove the No. 87 Nationwide car for NEMCO Motorsports, along with owner and race teammate Joe Nemechek.

According to Harraka, his deal came together when Joe Nemechek spotted him at Infineon Raceway, where both the West and Cup Series were running together. Harraka came in second in the West race at that track, solidifying Nemechek’s interest in the up and coming Jersey boy.

“That’s when Joe and I started talking,” Harraka said.

Harraka also took another important step in his rise up the ladder by snagging a sponsor for his Nationwide debut. In a deal that came together very quickly, the week before the race to be exact, Exide came on board Harraka’s car to sponsor the young driver.

Unfortunately, Harraka did not have the run he had hoped for in his inaugural introduction to the next level of racing in the Nationwide Series. Both he and owner Nemechek were involved in an early wreck, relegating Harraka to a 29th place finish.

“It was frustrating, you know,” Harraka said. “At the beginning of the race you have to be patiently aggressive, aggressive enough to be ahead of the wrecks when they happen and patient enough not to cause the wreck. I guess I was a little bit too patient.”

“Somebody got into Nemechek and spun him and by the time I got there, the entire race track was blocked,” Harraka continued. “Not an inch of racetrack was left for me to use. There was nothing for me to do at that point.”

“Unfortunately, we got the radiator and some other stuff and had to spend a fair amount of time in the garage, cutting pieces off to get back out there and score some points,” Harraka said. “And we did that, we finished and ended up 29th so overall it wasn’t terrible. It was just frustrating.”

In spite of the tough finish, Harraka thoroughly enjoyed his time on the road course in Montreal, including its unique challenges.

“Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a ton of fun to run at,” Harraka said. “It’s a cool place and Montreal is a great city.”

“The race track is cool but it’s different than any other race tracks we run on,” Harraka noted. “It’s very narrow and the wall surrounding it is very narrow, with very little run off. So, if there’s a wreck you can’t just drive around it by virtue of it being narrow.”

“With all the foliage around the track, I had four different spotters,” Harraka said. “And even with that, I didn’t have a spotter that could see the entire race track. It makes for difficult situations and unfortunately our Exide car got caught up in one of them.”

Harraka had no time to be disappointed as shortly after leaving the track at Montreal he was headed back to Jersey to change, shower and catch a flight back to Duke University, where he was set to start his classes and his junior year.

“It’s not easy,” Harraka said about being a full-time student as well as a race car driver. “But I can do both. I can handle the schedule.”

If there is one thing that the young driver does get from his home state, it is that Jersey brashness and confidence. Harraka absolutely believes that he is meant to continue advancing up in NASCAR and has the boldness and belief in himself to do just that.

Harraka’s confidence and attitude are also evident in NASCAR’s newest show, Changing Lanes, about young racers of diverse backgrounds who are competing in the Drive for Diversity program. The show airing on BET spotlights 30 young drivers, including Harraka who is of Syrian descent, competing for shots at their NASCAR dreams.

Although Harraka has grown up in that program, spending four years under the D4D tutelage, he has now “graduated” and has moved on with his career based on his own networking and contacts.

As for his plans for the future now that he has a Nationwide start under his belt, Harraka acknowledged that it was all a work in progress.

“We’re working on some stuff,” Harraka said. “We don’t have any firm plans at present but we’re certainly working really hard to see what we can put together.”

Until that time when things do come together for the young Jersey boy, Harraka will continue to race for the K & N Pro Series West Championship, where he sits in the third position with just three more races to go in the season.

“We’re looking forward to the next few races, especially the next two,” Harraka said of his West Series run. “At Miller Motorsports Park, we finished second and Roseville (All American Speedway) we won last year.”

“We’re still pushing for the championship,” Harraka said. “We need to do very, very well and have some other guys have some bad luck. But winning the championship is still our goal.”

“I think for sure that’s the goal,” said Harraka of his bid to be the next NASCAR Jersey boy. “We’re working hard at it and things are falling in place.”

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The Nationwide Series at Atlanta

By
SM Staff
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NASCAR’s Nationwide Series will join their Sprint Cup counterparts this weekend to race on the fastest track on their schedule; the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Great Clips 300 is a Saturday night under the lights event that is expected to treat the series’ fans to an evening filled with side by side racing and perhaps even an oh so close finish that this race track is famous for. The starting field for the Great Clips 300 will once again be comprised of so called double duty drivers from the Sprint Cup Series with many of them representing high profile team owners.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

With ten races left on the Nationwide Series schedule there will be a point in time when the official trophy manufacturer of NASCAR will receive a call from Daytona Beach informing them to start engraving a champion’s name. They will likely need some additional time in this process to perform a spell check on the name Keselowski.

Going into the Atlanta race, Brad Keselowski has a very healthy 365 point lead over season rival Carl Edwards. He padded that lead with an additional 52 points last weekend, at the Montreal race, with an impressive fourth place finish on a road course while his rival languished in the pits with a broken track bar.

With ten races left, 365 points is not exactly insurmountable but it’s also not likely that Keselowski will not suffer the kind of free fall Edwards is going to need to steal the series’ title. The time to call the NASCAR trophy engraver will be coming soon because it appears that this young driver is going to present team owner Roger Penske with a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

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

Keselowski may also be presenting Penske with a Nationwide Series owner’s championship as well. However, this coveted title is going to be a lot harder because the points spread in this competition is still too close to call.

Team owner Joe Gibbs, and his #18 Toyota, leads the standings with 4,030 points going into Saturday night’s race. Needless to say those numbers are based on the amazing performance by driver Kyle Busch. The numbers associated with this driver and team are simply astounding especially in light of the fact that the driver is not running the full Nationwide Series schedule like he did last year when he won the championship. In 25 series races Busch has 20 starts, 10 wins, 16 top five finishes and 17 top tens. He’s also third in the series’ driver standing despite the five races he didn’t start.

As strong as these numbers are, they are not enough to walk away with the owner’s championship at this point in time. Team Gibbs only has a 35 point lead over Jodi Geschickter who is the owner of record for Brad Keselowski’s #22 Penske Racing Dodge. Look for this battle to go all the way to the season ending race in November.

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Also very interesting is the competition for the series’ Raybestos Brakes Rookie of the Year title. Going into Saturday night’s race Brian Scott, driver of the #10 Braun Racing Toyota, has a very slim 15 point lead over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the driver of the #6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing.

This rookie competition has always been regarded as being prestigious and has often become a career defining moment for a young driver.

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NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner Jay Robinson, who fields the #28 Chevrolet for driver Kenny Wallace, has endured a full season of obtaining sponsors virtually on a race to race basis. Of course it helps when one of NASCAR’s most popular personalities is sitting in the driver’s seat, but still it’s an arduous process that detracts from matters of equal importance.

It appears that Robinson and Wallace has once again found a unique sponsor for their Atlanta efforts. It’s the FX television network and their hit show “Sons Of Anarchy.” This wildly popular show about the gritty life of a southern California motorcycle gang will be using the Robinsion/Wallace ride to promote the start of their third season which begins on September 7th.

The always fun Wallace said “Sons Of Anarchy is a great show, one of the best on television. I create anarchy all around me and it follows me where ever I go so we’re a good match.”

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The frustration and stress level of an underfunded team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series can often push someone right up to the proverbial ragged edge. That’s pretty much what happened to team owner Johnny Davis who was involved in a pit road altercation following last Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at Montreal.

The details of that altercation are not exactly clear but NASCAR’s reaction were crystal clear on Wednesday morning when they announced that Davis was in violation of their rule known as “action detrimental to stock car racing.” The result was a $5,000 fine and probation until December 31st.

Here’s hoping that the team owner’s driver, Mike Wallace, can create a strong enough finish at the Atlanta race to help pay for Montreal misgivings.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Great Clips 300 is 195 laps/300.3 miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.54 mile oval.

The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. 14 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning these teams do not have a guaranteed start in the race because they are currently outside of the series’ top 30 in owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speeds to earn a starting berth in the race.

The 2009 defending race winner is Kevin Harvick. The driver of his self owned #33 Rheem Heating, Cooling and Water Heating Chevrolet is one of the Sprint Cup double duty entries in the race and will be looking for his third series win of the season.

The Great Clips 300 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network beginning at 630 pm eastern time.

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: A tail gate party in the Bluegrass state

By
SM Staff
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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again be given a well deserved opportunity to take center stage during a stand alone event at the beautiful but challenging Kentucky Speedway. Friday night’s Built Ford Tough 225 is going to feature 36 race trucks running door to door on a 1.5 mile, multiple groove, oval that easily allows two, even three, wide racing. Fans can expect to see action very similar to last week’s race at the Chicagoland Speedway and Chicago was a very good race.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

Any NASCAR race with Kyle Busch on the entry list automatically creates its own story lines. Busch will be driving his self owned Dollar General Toyota Tundra in Friday night’s race. He will also be going after his fifth consecutive NASCAR win in one of their national touring series, his 80th national touring series win and his third consecutive truck series win.

There has been somewhat of a series tradition over the years that say victory at the Kentucky Speedway is usually owned by a series veteran. A perfect example of that is the fact that four time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. is a two time winner of the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky including last year’s event which he won from the pole position.

But there is a rather eyebrow raising exception to this theory and it involves Todd Bodine. The driver of the Germain Racing Toyota excels on the 1.5 mile, so called cookie cutter, tracks and has plenty of statistics to back that up. One would think that Bodine would own the 1.5 mile oval at Kentucky. Amazingly this particular track seems to shut down the former series champion every time. His average finish ratio at Kentucky is 13.2 and the only reason it’s that high is because of a second place finish there in 2005. Look for Bodine and company to arrive in the bluegrass state this week determined to rectify this situation.

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However, the good news surrounding Todd Bodine is the fact that his lead in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings has grown and it’s starting to look like a second series title will be coming his way. While it’s still too early to start engraving his name on the championship trophy, Bodine will be arriving at Kentucky with a 236 points advantage over Aric Almirola based on three wins and 12 to five finishes. It’s not exactly an insurmountable lead, but it’s going to take a free fall that is not likely for Almirola to pass him in the standings.

That same finish consistency that has placed Bodine on top of the championship standings has also placed Germain Racing on top of the owner’s points race. Registered owner Steve Germain is on top of those standings with 2,708 points.

However, unlike the championship standings, this points race is extremely too close to call. That’s because Kyle Busch Motorsports is right behind the Germain brothers and only 48 points away from taking the lead. Over the past several years, the owner’s points championship has reached new levels of respectability and has become extremely important to both the owners and their drivers. Look for this points battle to go all the way to November before it’s resolved.

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We also need to maintain an awareness of the presence of some young drivers who could turn out to be the future stars of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Chief among these drivers will be Jeffrey Earnhardt, the grandson of you know who. Earnhardt will be making his second series start at Kentucky behind the wheel of the #47 Fuel Doctor/Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet.

Also very noteworthy is the series debut of young Will Kimmel III who will be driving the #44 Lucas Oil Ford. Kimmel is the nephew of Frank Kimmel, the nine time ARCA Series champion, and is already being regarded as the coming of the next generation of the famed Indiana based Kimmel racing family.

Also bearing a great deal of scrutiny will be the second series start by Miguel Paludo who will be driving the #77 Toyota for Germain Racing. Frankly, I owe this man and his team owners an apology. The Brazilian sports car champion made his NASCAR debut last month at Brazil. A lot of motorsports writers, including yours truly, noted that a Bristol debut in the truck series was absolutely crazy for anyone let alone some sports car driver from another country.

Much to our surprise, Paludo ran a smart and patient race, kept himself on the lead lap and then amazed us with a ninth place finish in his NASCAR debut on a track that specializes in surprise mayhem. He’s going to be on the receiving end of a lot of attention when he takes the green flag at Kentucky Friday night.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Built Ford Tough 225, presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers, is 150 laps/225 miles around the Kentucky Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval.

The race has 39 entries vying for the 36 starting berths. 13 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they do not have a guaranteed start because they are currently outside of the top 25 in owner’s points. These 13 teams will have rely on an expected intense qualifying session to earn a starting berth in Friday night’s race.

The Built Ford Tough 225 will be broadcast live by the SPEED Channel beginning at 730 pm eastern time.

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Fast Times In Hot ‘Lanta

By
SM Staff
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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, fresh from a weekend off, returns to action this Sunday at NASCAR’s fastest venue at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Emory Healthcare 500 is the first of two final events that will conclude the series’ 26 race regular season and send the top 12 teams into the beginning of the ten race series that comprises the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. This race is also on a venue that in the past has created some extremely exciting finishes.

THE STORY LINE

The final 12 man line up for the Chase is of course the big story line this week. This is especially true of the bottom of the list where there could be a final two race shoot out for that coveted 12th position. Going into Sunday’s race at Atlanta, here’s the current prognosis for the Chase:

1. Kevin Harvick. The driver of the #29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing has already clinched his berth for the Chase. Harvick, who won one of the most dramatic events in Atlanta Motor Speedway history, is now free and clear to charge hard and collect the ten bonus points for winning a race. He’ll need those bonus points when it comes time to reset the top 12 at 5,000 points each. Harvick has three wins this year but he could find himself falling from first to third in the standings when the Chase begins later this month in New Hampshire. That’s because Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have five wins and that means they could become the number one and two seed in the Chase with 5,050 points each. Keep an eye on Harvick this Sunday at Atlanta. He has absolutely nothing to lose here and plenty to gain by using hard charging tactics.

2. Jeff Gordon. NASCAR’s four time champion, and driver of the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, has also clinched his berth in the Chase and can now proceed towards his “drive for five” goal. While Gordon will also be seeking the winner’s bonus points over the next two Sundays, there another major issue he wants resolved. It’s that win less streak that began last year after the Texas race. This team has had some great runs this year but somehow couldn’t get their car in victory lane. Privately, it’s probably driving him crazy. Publicly, he can’t seem to do an interview without hearing about it. Like Harvick, Gordon has nothing to lose and everything to gain by employing hard charging tactics at Atlanta. The fact that he’s a four time winner there already proves that he can get the job done.

3. Kyle Busch. The driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota can virtually employ start and park tactics this Sunday at Atlanta and still secure his berth in the Chase. Busch needs to finish at least 40th to clinch, 42nd with the bonus points from leading a lap in the race or 43d after leading the most laps. This is a done deal. With three wins this year Busch is also free and clear to go after those ten bonus points this Sunday.

4. Carl Edwards. The driver of the #99 Roush Fenway Ford has a very good chance of clinching his Chase spot at Atlanta. Edwards needs a minimum 21st place finish, 23d after leading a lap or 25th with leading the most laps. But here’s another driver who’s bothered by a win less streak. He may opt to go for the win knowing he can easily clinch a Chase berth the following week at Richmond. Atlanta would be a great place for Edwards to display a go for it approach. He’s a three time winner there.

5. Denny Hamlin. This is the second of the Joe Gibbs Toyotas that is Chase bound. Despite a run of recent harsh racing luck, Hamlin has five wins and will start the Chase with at least 5,050 points. He needs a 20th place finish to officially clinch on Sunday. A 22nd place finish with a lap led or a 23d finish with the most laps led will also get the job done. However, expect Hamlin to go for that sixth win which could place him at the top of the standings when the Chase starts.

6. Tony Stewart. “Smoke” is also guaranteed to clinch a Chase berth either this Sunday or next week at Richmond. A 19th place finish at Atlanta will get the job done. He can also clinch via a 21st with a lap led or a 23d with the most laps. Stewart is another driver still looking for that first win of the season so don’t be too surprised if his emphasis is on winning this Sunday. Atlanta would be a great place to launch that offensive. Stewart is a two time winner there.

7. Jeff Burton. Here’s another driver who should have made it to victory lane by now but somehow has some trouble closing the deal. However, he is guaranteed to become the second team car from Richard Childress Racing to clinch a Chase berth either on Sunday or the week after. Burton can get the job done with a 17th place finish, 19th with a lap led or 21st after leading the most laps.

8. Matt Kenseth. The second of the Roush Fenway Fords that is Chase bound, Kenseth is still looking for his first win since early 2009. He can claim his spot in the 2010 Chase this Sunday with a 15th place finish, 17th with a lap led or 19th with the most laps led.

9. Jimmie Johnson. Now here’s a driver everyone has been talking about lately. Several weeks ago Johnson was at the top of the standings with five wins. There’s been somewhat of a tail spin lately but it’s not expected to impact Johnson’s quest for a fifth consecutive title. Before the recent tail spin he collected five wins and that’s going to place him back at the top of the standings when the Chase points are reset. The driver of #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet needs at least a 10th place finish to clinch a Chase berth at Atlanta. He can also get the job done with an 11th plus a lap led or a 13th after leading the most laps in the race. Those numbers are very strong possibilities. Johnson is a three time winner at Atlanta.

It’s believed by many that the top nine in the current Sprint Cup standings are likely to clinch their Chase berths at Atlanta. The scenarios gets a little more interesting from this point on.

10. Kurt Busch. One has to believe that Kurt Busch will drive his #2 Penske Racing Dodge into the Chase next Sunday at Atlanta. He’s a three time winner there including winning the spring event last March. He already has two wins this year and a third one at Atlanta will put him to great shape to launch a run for his second NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. To clinch a Chase berth this Sunday Busch will require at least a 9th place finish, 10th with a lap led or 11th after leading the most laps.

11. Greg Biffle. The third of the Roush Fenway Ford drivers is the only one of the group who has found victory lane this year. Biffle is 235 points away from 13th. The cut off number to clinch at Atlanta is 196 points ahead of 13th. He may have to wait until the following week at Richmond to earn his berth in the 2010 Chase. Having said that, a fourth place finish at Atlanta will get the job done. So will a 5th place finish with a lap led or a 7th place finish if Biffle can lead the most laps next Sunday.

12. Clint Bowyer. Now here’s the story line we’ll all be watching this Sunday. Bowyer’s presence in the 2010 Chase will place all three of the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets in the championship run. It’s not expected that Bowyer will clinch a Chase berth at Atlanta but he could put himself in a position this Sunday to get the job done at the Richmond race. He will need to insure that he finishes ahead of drivers Jaime McMurray, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman during these final two events.

Bowyer is 100 points ahead of McMurray who currently holds the 13th position in the standings. But McMurray performance levels have been running up and down like a roller coaster this year. The question remains which version of a McMurray performance level will we see at Atlanta? Will it be the powerful performance that allowed him to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 at Indy or will it be the so-so performance level that we’ve seen from some of his other races? The good news here, for the driver of the #1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, is the fact that McMurray has picked up five points positions in the last five races while outscoring Bowyer by 81 points. A combination of harsh luck for Bowyer along with a strong run by McMurray this Sunday could make the Richmond race most interesting.

Not to be overlooked here are the last chance Chase possibilities for drivers Mark Martin, 101 points away from 12th, and Ryan Newman, 118 points out. Martin is a two time winner at Atlanta and a strong run on Sunday could make the 26th race at Richmond even more interesting. But, in reality, both drivers are going to need some help from Bowyer to sneak into the back door of the 2010 Chase.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

Sunday’s Emory Healthcare 500 is 325 laps/500.5 miles around the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.54 mile oval.

The race has 47 entries. 12 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not guaranteed a starting berth in Sunday’s race because they are outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to earn a starting berth in the race based on qualifying speeds.

The defending race winner from last year is Kasey Kahne. By the way Kahne fans may be a little confused while searching for the bright red #9 Budweiser Ford. Kahne’s car will be featuring the blue and white colors of Valvoline this Sunday.

When it comes to winning at Atlanta, Dale Earnhardt Sr tops the list with nine trips to victory lane there. Bobby Labonte leads the active driver’s list with six wins at Atlanta.

The famed Wood Brothers leads the team wins at Atlanta with 12. But it’s the bow tie brigade that leads the manufacturer’s win list. Chevrolet teams has visited the Atlanta victory lane 35 times.

The first ever NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta was held in July of 1960 and was won by the legendary Fireball Roberts. Since that time the NASCAR Cup teams have raced there 102 times sending 42 different winners to victory lane.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway is the fastest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule with speeds hitting over 200 MPH on the straightaways.

The track qualifying record, 197.478 MPH, was set by Geoffrey Bodine back in November of 1997.

Ryan Newman holds the track record for the number of pole positions at Atlanta with seven. Six of them has been consecutive poles that ranged from March of 2003 to October of 2005.

An Atlanta race has been won from the pole position 14 times.The last driver to accomplish this feat was Kasey Kahne back in 2006. 58 wins at Atlanta came from drivers who started withing the top five starting positions.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway’s massive 1.54 mile oval features 24 degrees of banking in the turns and five degrees on the straightaways. The front stretch measures 2,332 feet while the back stretch is 1,800 feet long.

The pit road speed is 45 MPH.

The speedway has seating for 124,000.

The purse for Sunday’s race is $6,101,958

Weather should not be a factor, other than driver comfort, during the Atlanta weekend. The forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 90’s.

The Emory Healthcare 500 will be broadcast live by the ESPN Network beginning at 7 pm eastern time. The early Monday morning rebroadcast is on a time to be announced status so check your local listings. The usual time is generally 2 am Monday morning, eastern time, on ESPN2. The SPEED Channel will re air the race, 12 pm et, on Wednesday.

Finally, just when you think you’ve read it all, consider this vital fact: former President Jimmy Carter was once employed by the Atlanta Motor Speedway as a ticket taker.

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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN.

The Las Vegas based WSE-World Sports Exchange- seems to believe that this is the weekend that three time Atlanta winner Jimmie Johnson is going to rid himself of the aforementioned tail spin and start flying high again. They have rated Johnson at a chart topping 6 to 1 odds this week which is actually a very good wager. Also a good bet is Kurt Busch, another three time Atlanta winner, at 8 to 1. Yet another wager worthy of consideration is the trio of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, all former Atlanta winners, who are ranked at 10 to 1.

In the WSE’s middle grouping you will find a half dozen drivers ranked at 12 to 1. That group is led by three time winner Carl Edwards, two time race winners Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart along with Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Greg Biffle. Also in middle group you will find Jeff Burton, 18 to 1, along with Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr, a former Atlanta winner, at 20 to 1.

The lower tier of this week’s WSE rankings starts off with the two drivers involved in the Chase drama. That’s where you’ll find Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray at 22 to 1 odds. At 30 to 1 you will find a trio of drivers led by two time race winner Mark Martin along with Martin Truex Jr and David Reutimann. Closing out this week’s rankings are Ryan Newman and Joey Logano at 40 to 1.

Now for the weekly disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for information and entertainment purposes. In other words talk about the numbers all you want, while standing in front of the water cooler at work, but don’t expect NASCAR to either encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their races.

HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: Who Said? Boris Said!

By
SM Staff
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With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series taking the weekend off, the Nationwide Series was provided a much deserved opportunity to take center stage over the previous weekend. What a stage it was. The Series ventured north of the border to stage an exciting event in Montreal-Canada on the famed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. 77 circuits later around the 2.7 mile, 14 turn, road course a very popular winner stood in victory lane.

Meanwhile, here in the states, the “Rowdy” one set another NASCAR milestone and then got a reality check when he went to play in someone else’s back yard.

Then there was the matter of animal control. To coin a phrase from a movie or television show’s closing credits, “no animals were harmed during the making of this production.” With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin with:

HOORAH to road racing veteran, and part time NASCAR veteran, Boris said for winning the Napa 200 at Montreal. As we all know, Said has a group of dedicated fans known as the “Said Heads” who wear black curly wigs to match their favorite driver’s natural hair style. I’m thinking the fan club is still yelling their favorite slogan: “WHO SAID? BORIS SAID ! ”

HOORAH to Said’s team, RAB Racing, who scored their first ever NASCAR Nationwide Series win. Their driver only led two laps of the race in their Zaxxby’s/PFC Ford but it was the most important laps: the final ones. Said came off of the front row of a green-white-checker finish to claim the win and the $101,000 plus winner’s check which is really going to help out the often underfunded RAB Racing organization.

He was followed across the line by Max Papis, in Kevin Harvick Inc’s #33 Chevrolet, by a mere 0.12 seconds. Montreal native and fan favorite Jacques Villeneuve, in the #32 Braun Racing Toyota, finished third to give the so called specially hired road course ringers a one-two-three sweep of the race.

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HOORAH for the European style, multi car, qualifying system used to determine the line for the Napa 200. It added a lot of pep to what can often be mundane live television broadcasts of NASCAR qualifying.

Wouldn’t you just love to see the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on this very beautiful, but very challenging, Montreal road course? I know I would.

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Question: why did the ground hog try to cross the road?

Answer: because he truly thought he could out run Robby Gordon’s Toyota

That question of course leads to a WAZZUP with Robby Gordon’s horrible luck during his visit to Montreal last weekend? The near miss of the errant ground hog was the least of his problems, but it’s the incident that’s going to make the video highlights all week long.

Gordon’s Canadian disaster began on Saturday afternoon during qualifying when his left side tires went off course and completely ripped a brake hose loose. In an effort to redeem himself, Gordon remained on the track to get the fastest qualifying lap possible.

It was one lap later than he met up with the errant ground hog who thought this would be a great time to cross the road. Fortunately this fat furry animal had second thoughts and held his position at the edge of the track as Gordon’s tires when flying by him. This precautionary action likely spared Gordon problems with PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

But the worst moment of all came on Sunday afternoon. Gordon, a pre race favorite, was en route to winning the Napa 200 when he ran out of gas. Gordon helplessly watched a trip to victory lane turn into a 14th place finish. This was the incident that set up the green-white-checker finish and the win for Boris Said.

You can bet that Gordon couldn’t wait to get back to the USA after that weekend.

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WAZZUP with the bad luck with two other pre race favorites? Carl Edwards led 29 laps of the Napa 200 and was a strong candidate to score his second NASCAR Nationwide Series win of the season. But the effort turned sour on him, with ten laps left in the race, when his Roush Fenway Racing Ford suffered a broken track bar. Edwards had to deal with the frustration of watching a race win turn into a 20th place finish.

Then there’s the matter of every one’s favorite “Aussie” : Marcos Ambrose. We’re all aware of the bizarre, last minute, bad luck that kept him out of the Montreal victory lane for the past three years in a row. We were all willing to bet the farm that last Sunday was going to the day that Ambrose rectified the situation and get the Montreal win he richly deserves.

The effort started on a strong note during Saturday’s qualifying session. Ambrose, in his JTG Daughterty Racing Toyota, set the Coors Light fast time after touring the massive road course with a speed of 97.079 MPH.

But, after leading 25 of 77 laps, during the race Ambrose found himself having to deal with a surprise electrical problem that sent him behind the wall on lap 50 and a 33d place finish.

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HOORAH to Kyle Busch for accomplishing his latest NASCAR milestone. Busch won the Enjoy Illinois Dot Com 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Friday night at the Chicagoland Speedway. In typical dominant fashion, Busch led 121 of the race’s 154 laps en route to his second, consecutive, win at Chicago as well as his 20th series career win. Remarkably, it was also the fourth NASCAR national touring series win for Busch within a period of nine days.

But, WAZZUP with the harsh racing luck Busch endured when the decided to visit the rough and tumble world of stadium off road racing last week? Busch had just secured a three race sponsorship deal with TRAXXAS, a well known manufacturer of radio conrolled race vehicles, for his self owned NASCAR truck team. TRAXXAS is also the official sponsor of TORC, The Off Road Championship Series.

Busch, well known for packing his schedule with appearances in a variety of racing formats, thought it would be a great idea to visit the TRAXXAS TORC Series while driving a Toyota truck at the Route 66 Raceway last Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Realizing that he was entering what is absolutely one of the most physically demanding forms of racing on man and machine, Busch knew he needed some prep work. He spent two days, the week before in Wisconsin, testing with series veterans Rob MacCrachen and Jeff Kincaid. By the time the test was over, Busch was within a tenth of a second from the fastest time. Everyone was extremely impressed with how fast he got the feel of flying a full sized truck off of those dirt jumps.

However, three trucks at a test session does not quite equate to a dirt track filled with racing trucks that are often flying by you with all four wheels in the air. On Wednesday night Busch found himself back in the garage area, with a broken shock, after only completing one lap. The news wasn’t any better on Thursday night when he was also sidelined early in the event by mechanical problems.

For a guy who’s generally favored to win any and every event he enters, Busch’s venture into stadium off road racing had to be a very large reality check.

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