Home Blog Page 6651

ARCA: Bobby Gerhart, Hessert, Corr and McCumbee to test at Talladega

By
SM Staff
-

After the three-day open test at Daytona earlier this month, ARCA Series drivers Bobby Gerhart, Tom Hessert, Sean Corr and Chad McCumbee are heading to Talladega Superspeedway to continue to prepare for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona on Saturday February 12th.

Gerhart, a Lebanon, Pennsylvania native, has won the Daytona race six times so he knows the type of preparation that goes into winning it. This is something that he has done each year for awhile now with brother and crew chief Bill Gerhart.

“We’re taking just one car to the test,” Bill Gerhart told the ARCA Racing Network. “It’s the car we’re going to race at Daytona. It’s actually last year’s Daytona spare. We’ve practiced and tested the car, but we’ve never raced it. But when we took it back for the test (at Daytona) it out-performed last year’s winner (car). We built the car new; we’ve just never raced it. Sometimes it happens that way. With the new paving, the track just came to the car. We finally have most of the bugs out of it. We finally got it to go.”

Looking at the test speeds from Daytona, a lot of people have not paid any attention to Gerhart via being mid-pack, though that doesn’t work the No. 5 team.

“We’re not concerned about that at all,” Bill Gerhart said. “You can take all that speed from the test and throw it out the window. Let me put it to this way. Last year, it was the same thing. We came out of the test 28th fastest. We went back for the race and qualified eighth with the same speed we tested at. What’s that tell you?”

As a result, the car they are taking to the test and in essense running Daytona is the car that they felt comfortable with during the test.

“From what we saw in the drafting session, Bobby was able to pass with ease,” Bill Gerhart said. “We were stunned. Out leading the pack, nobody could pass him. I think this year’s race pace could be a half-second faster. Four car packs in the test were running last year’s race pace. Imagine what it will be this year with 20 in a pack.”

For Gerhart Racing, they have decided to focus on comfort and the race rather than speed since from the test, it was clear the Toyotas had the best single car speed runs, led by the Toyotas from Venturini Motorsports.

“Do I think we’ll contend for the pole? I don’t think so, not against the Toyotas; but can we contend for the win? Absolutely,” Bill Gerhart said. “If we’re still happy with the way our car is handling in tomorrow’s test we may load up after 10 laps and head for home. We actually made some rear suspension adjustments after the Daytona test, so we think we’re going to be even better. But if our car is going to perform like we think it’s going to, we won’t need a lot of laps tomorrow. Just head for home, do the final paint work, decal it, and we’ll be ready to go.

“Last year’s winning car was designed for the bumps and a slick track. But this year, the game has completely changed, so we had to make some changes. Our Lucas Oil-Slick Mist Chevrolet is going to be very good. It’s going to be a hell of a race; I can promise you that.”

In 15 starts at Daytona, the series veteran has six wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 6.1 while leading 401 laps out of the 1141 laps he has run. Gerhart has only one other ARCA Series win which came at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega.

More From Charlotte: The Media Tour Continues

By
SM Staff
-

The NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway continued into day two.  Though it was dreary outside, the outlook was sunny with owners, drivers and teams who wait for the start of Speedweeks in Daytona.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The morning started off with Michael Waltrip unveiling his new book, In The Blink of an Eye, and the new look on the NAPA car he will drive in the Daytona 500.

The book, which will be released February 1, deals with the life changing moments in Waltrip’s life. It speaks of how the tempered joy of his Daytona 500 win ten years ago affected his life when his boss and good friend, Dale Earnhardt, was killed on the last lap.

The car is a tribute to Earnhardt with it’s black paint, a departure from the blue and yellow NAPA colors that are only obvious on the hood and logos.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Director, Joe Balash, spoke of expectations for an exciting season in 2011 with the new style cars running a full season.  Fans only got a peak at the cars during four races in 2010.

Cup drivers will not be running for the series title which will allow the up and coming drivers in NASCAR’s second tier to run for the championship. 

The general consensus from Cup drivers, who will run in that series, is that they are there to race and win.  The fact they are not eligible for the title is no big deal.

Charlotte Motor Speedway continues with construction of the largest high-definition video board in the world.

The 16,000 square-foot screen will be located on the backstretch of the speedway.  Piers will be installed at the construction site to support the 500,000 pound steel frame that will hold the 165,000 pound video board.

Fans will have an awesome view of the board when it is lit up with the more than nine million LED lamps during each event beginning in the spring.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is never shy on new things including the record they hope to set with the “Light Up the Night” event that will take place May 21 during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Thousand of fans will be sporting LED Headlights with the help of Energizer.  During pre-race activities, an attempt to break a world record will be monitored by Guiness World Record officials when fans “flash their brights.”

At Richard Childress Racing, Richard Childress announced, “Rome isn’t burning.  This is still a great sport.”  His comment reflects the upbeat attitude that continues to resound in the NASCAR community for the 2011 season.

Childress claims to have a gut feeling, RCR will knock NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmy Johnson from his throne.  Childress said, “Nothing lasts forever in life.”

The statement had a bit of irony, as members of the media questioned Childress on his feelings about the ten year anniversary of the death of his best friend and driver, Dale Earnhardt.

Childress was asked why he felt going back to a four-car team would work this time when it didn’t work too well last time.  His response was, “We are a lot more prepared.  You have to add personnel and we beefed up stuff.”

Paul Menard is the fourth driver to join the stable of Cup drivers for RCR alongside Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer.  He was asked what the biggest change was at RCR and said, “Everything under one roof, crew chiefs can explore and push forward.”

So as the media tour continues, it may be Marcus Smith of Charlotte Motor Speedway who best summed up the theme during the events of the week.  Smith said, “2011 will be a springboard to the future of NASCAR.”

Springtime in Florida

By
SM Staff
-

When you think about springtime in Florida what comes to mind? Maybe the warm sunshine or the palm trees gently swaying in the tropical breezes. Perhaps you think about a family vacation to visit Mickey Mouse, how about the beaches, the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. For most people that reside somewhere other than the sunshine state, any of these things could justify the trip, if for no other reason to get out of the snow.

[media-credit name=”Cg Photography” align=”alignright” width=”187″][/media-credit]For those individuals that have a need for speed, springtime in Florida means one thing, and one thing only, Racing. Most of the racing world begins their respective seasons in Florida. Racers and fans alike make an annual pilgrimage to compete, and support their favorite series. There is a series for almost any race fan to enjoy, the high profile events like the 24Hr. sports car race, the pageantry surrounding the high banks of Daytona. Maybe you prefer the world of dirt track racing, no problem there, the sprint cars that normally run in the mid west all start their seasons in Florida, the modifides, and late models storm into Tampa in February. One of the best, but often overlooked, national series to visit Florida in February is the Inex Legends cars.

The INEX legend cars start the 2011 season with the annual Winternationals at Auburndale Speedway in Winter Haven. This is a series that offer great racing and affordable costs for the competitors and fans too.  The legend cars are scaled down replicas of the old Chevy coupes, and Ford sedans. They are all powered by a factory sealed motorcycle engine; engines are sealed to allow a level playing field. Drivers range in age from twelve to over sixty, and are divided into four separate classes according to age, and experience. This series has fast become the true grassroots of motorsports worldwide. Founded in 1992 INEX had a vision of building an affordable, yet competitive series using Spec cars, and Sealed engines to allow younger drivers to develop, and older drivers to continue to race, with every racer having the chance to capture the glory. To date INEX has over 3500 members and sanctions around 2000 events at tracks worldwide.

If you plan to be in Florida in February to satisfy your speed addiction, weigh your options. Skip all the high profile events, and check out the Legend cars, five days of racing, over 100 race teams, all for less than the cost of just one ticket to those other events. For more details visit the legend cars website at uslegendcars.com or the track website at Auburndaleracing.com.

Steve Arpin Looks to 2011 After Successful 2010 Season

By
SM Staff
-

This past 2010 season, Steve Arpin had his breakout year as it saw him having success on a magnitude of scales. It welcomed a solid year in the ARCA Series with multiple visits to victory lane and a chance to move up and run some Nationwide Series races for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Arpin was honored for his success at the 2011 Canadian Motorsports Expo as the 2010 Inside Track Reader’s Choice Awards Canadian Racer of the Year at the Highest Levels of International Competition.

[media-credit name=”stevearpin.net” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]“It was a complete success for us,” Arpin said of the season. “Everything about 2010 was a definite success. There was definitely some learning curves throughout the year. We accomplished everything we wanted to accomplish. We wanted to go out there and run strong, run strong consistently and run upfront consistently. We wanted to open eyes and get an opportunity at a higher level, and we did that with JR Motorsports. We won the most races in the ARCA series. Unfortunately with the timing of the deal with JR Motorsports, we weren’t able to compete for the championship in the ARCA series. But everything I learned, the progression I made was all a true success.”

The season started off solid for the Fort Frances, Ontario native as he finished 10th and fifth in the first two ARCA races of the season. Though following a win in the third race of the season at Salem, the season took a whole new course in a 24-hour period.

“I would say the coolest part of my career is a 24 hour span,” Arpin said of the moment. “Last year, when we won Salem on Sunday night and Monday morning, we signed Mike’s Hard Lemonade to sponsor the ARCA program and then Monday afternoon, Dale Jr. called me to drive his racecars. I say that has to be the biggest memory of my life.”

Arpin drove seven races for JR Motorsports in 2010, including a 10th place finish at Daytona last July. Arpin says that lessons learned there led to the ARCA Series success that he would have in winning three races, seven top fives and 10 top 10s. Arpin comes from a dirt background so he has worked at taking advantage of all the seat time to learn more.

“The biggest thing for me is that in my career, I’ve only got 47 asphalt races to this day and there’s a lot to learn,” he told me. “These are a whole different type of racecar so we’ve been really working hard at a developing myself, developing me to the point where I’m comfortable in every situation. Its not so much being comfortable, but making the right decisions and there’s a lots of things you got to learn the hard way and do wrong before you know what’s right, and we went through a lot of that. I shouldn’t say we went that a lot this year – we made a lot of wrong decisions in 2009 and I was able to go back and be put in those same situations this year and come out ahead of the game making the right decisions.”

For 2011, Arpin is working at continuing to run more NASCAR races to continue moving up the ladder and growing as a driver.

“I’ve got all my plans – I’ve just got to convince all the teams owners to go along with it,” he said. “We’ve been working feverishly on it and we actually had a lot of big meetings this past week. I’m not at liberty to say exactly what the plans are, but we’re hoping in the next two or three weeks that we have an announcement.”

Arpin has already been behind the wheel in 2011 season as he tested at Daytona for Venturini Motorsports during the ARCA test.

“The new surface is awesome,” he said. “It’s going to make for awesome racing. I tested twice there since the new surface has been down – the tire test for Hoosier and the ARCA test for Venturini Motorsports. Venturini had a whole fleet of fast racecars there; it’d be cool to go back there and drive one, but the new race track is going to make for awesome racing. I think you’re going to see the whole bunched up, nose-to-tail, a lot tighter, more so like you do at Talladega. But then in token with the transitions so much more aggressive at Daytona, it’s going to make for a lot of interesting scenarios throughout the race.”

Arpin would like to run the Daytona race, though is still working at locking down a deal to do it. He originally just went down to just coach Venturini Motorsports young drivers Hal Martin and Kyle Fowler, though ended up also testing a car for them.

“Billy brought me down as he knows I work well with the young guys and Kyle and Hal are doing absolutely great,” he said. “Hal has done a couple speedway races before so he knows a little bit more of what’s going on and Hal is really going to come on strong and fit in real good.”

With having a diverse background, Arpin has hit a lot of tracks throughout his career, whether dirt and asphalt, so it equals no wonder that he has a diverse list of favorites.

“Every time we go to a racetrack and at the end of the race, I say ‘God, that’s my favorite track’ and so, I couldn’t honestly tell you what my favorite track would be,” he said. “As far as dirt tracks, my favorite track by far is Deer Creek Speedway up in Rochester, MN. Asphalt so far – asphalt racing, every track is completely different. A short track – my favorite one would be Salem, just because it’s high-banked, its rough and you’re just up on the wheel every lap. And then you go to the intermediate tracks and that’s more of a mental focus. It’s more of a mental chess game as you have to figure how to use the air and do things like that right. So intermediate tracks, I’d have to say Texas for sure and Daytona is just Daytona – it’s the coolest place ever, just the history there.”

Florida United Promoters Late Model Series

By
SM Staff
-

Late model pavement racing in the state of Florida over the past few years has at best, been “iffy”.  Everyone involved in the sport were left scratching their heads trying to figure out why the premier division in short track racing was in such decline. It seems that the tracks outside of the sunshine state were doing very well with their late model programs, and promoters were anxious to run their next scheduled event, so, what was the problem in Florida?

[media-credit name=”Cg Photography” align=”alignright” width=”187″][/media-credit]First, lets’ look at short track racing in general. No matter how you shake it out, short track racing falls into the category of “entertainment” meaning the people that buy the tickets for the show expect to be entertained, to enjoy the experience, not to be left wanting more. Now how does this relate to late model racing you ask? Simple, you can’t put on a show with eight, or ten race cars, and expect the fans to flock back for the next scheduled show. This unfortunately seemed to be the root of decline in Florida.

Race promotion is a vicious circle, to get more race cars, you need to raise the purse, in order to up the purse you need more race cars, are you starting to see how this works? With this in mind, any promoter will tell you the Late Model Division is the premier class to schedule at your track; the Late Models will always draw a crowd. So, in Florida, it is not unusual to see two or three late model races scheduled on the same night at different tracks as promoters struggled to get their fair share of the market. Of course this strategy would fail. Low car counts would bring smaller crowds than expected, and leave the promoters to bite the bullet and ultimately go in the hole to cover the purse for the night. This left the promoters with a sour taste concerning the validity of the late models to draw a crowd, and the fans would express their displeasure that they paid good hard earned money to watch eight late models race.

As the 2010 race season was winding down, promoters throughout the state all knew something had to happen, not to just to keep the doors open at their facility, but for the betterment of short track racing in general. With this goal in mind, six promoters from six different tracks came together to resolve the differences, and work together. Thus the foundation of the Florida United Promoters Late Model Series.

[media-credit name=”Cg Photography” align=”alignleft” width=”210″][/media-credit]First they worked out a twelve race series, with each track hosting two races, this will allow a touring series within the state, and will be the only late model race on any given week end throughout the state. Care was taken to come up with a unified rules package that will allow the teams to compete without making major, costly changes to their cars, a simple tire rule, all six tracks run Hoosier tires, so all teams will race on Hoosiers. Hoosier has also signed on as primary sponsor for the series and will fund the points fund. Promoters also hired a race and technical director to take charge of the operation, and no promoter will have anything to do with the everyday nuts, and bolts of this series.  The purses will remain constant, and entry fees will be the same one hundred dollars for every race. Hoosier Tire will also be giving away two tires at each race. Additional sponsors are said to be in negotiations with the series, but there have been no formal announcements at this point.

Will the formation of this series bring the late models back to the forefront of Florida short track racing? Will it accomplish bringing the crowds back? Only time will tell, whatever the results,  this is a positive step forward, not only for the promoters, and late model teams, but for the race fan that supports  their local short tracks.  For more information on this new series visit www.auburndaleracing.com.

Positive Coverage From Day 1 of the Media Tour

By
SM Staff
-

With Charlotte Motor Speedway hosting over 200 journalists from all over the world for the 2011 edition of the “media tour” you were thinking that it might just be another tour were everything is great in the sport and here’s our new sponsors and uniforms.  In many cases that is exactly what it was as Earnhardt – Ganassi  Racing and Stewart – Haas Racing made quite a few announcements but nothing new (new sponsor for Stewart with Mobil 1, and the  annoying but lovable Energizer Bunny at EGR).

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]At EGR is where things took a bit of a surprising tour when emcee, Larry McReynolds decided to remind everyone there that we needed to be more positive when we cover the sport. He also said many of us make our living in the sport.  McReynolds said, “You all know that no matter what role you play, we’ve got to roll our sleeves up and we’ve got a lot of work to do in 2011 to get this sport back where it was at one time. I know it’s easy to write about all the bad things and I know it can’t all be about the good things, but … he continued, “If it’s television ratings, we know the ratings are down. How about also promoting that we’re second only to the NFL? If there’s 25,000 empty seats at Michigan, how about making sure you document there’s still over 100,000 people in those grandstands?

Really? I will tell you it was not well received by my peers in attendance. I have long thought that there’s freedom of the press but not in sports reporting. Many of us know how it works, we’re there to promote the sport and what is going on, not tear it up week in and week out about how bad everything stinks.

We made a stop  Stewart- Haas Racing where Tony Stewart said, “The first year was a learning year and a building year but, this past year, I think we all started the season a lot more comfortable in knowing what to expect. It’s definitely not easy, for sure.”  One thing that I noticed right away was that Stewart looked refreshed.

Stewart said that he did not think that things were going to be any easier with sponsorships. He said, “I don’t think that we’ve turned the corner on the economy side, yet. It’s very competitive. The work off the racetrack, between the car owners and sponsors right now, it’s probably more competitive than I ever imagined it would be. And, especially nowadays, I think it’s probably harder than it’s been in the past 15 or 20 years. The good thing is, you don’t see a lot of sponsors really leaving the sport. They just have been moving around a little bit.” Speaking about his own team’s sponsors, “I really feel fortunate to have somebody like Office Depot, that was here from day one, and that was when the economy started turning. They were one of the first people who wanted to be on board with us. And we had a great run with Old Spice, but having Mobil 1 on board now and having them come over in this economy is something we are really proud of.”

But speaking of feeling refreshed someone asked him if he lost weight. “I’m definitely not the guy to be adding a lot to the fitness comments,” he said to the laughter of the media and guests gathered. “I can tell you that my left hand controls the volume and the right hand controls the channel. That’s about the best workout regimen I’ve got. But I did start working out a little bit before the end of the year and changing how I eat a little bit.”

At EGR we had a great lunch (with some commentary) and it was confirmed that defending Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray and defending Watkins Glen race winner Juan Pablo Montoya were returning to their race teams in 2011. McMurray will have sponsors Bass Pro and McDonalds returning to the car but also added two new ones as well, WIDIA and LiftMaster.  

Montoya also looked refreshed (did he too lose weight?) He discussed how bad last season started with many wrecks and his hopes in making the Chase again this year after missing the 2010 edition.  The one thing that I was surprised about with Montoya was his position on racing in the Indianapolis 500 again regardless of any bonus for winning the Coca-Cola 600 and the 500. “It would be a nightmare,” Montoya said. “I race 39 weekends a year with Cup and the 24 Hours (at Daytona).  Add another month for Indy and I’d be looking for a new family. I don’t have to prove myself there. I’m happy where I am.”

Although Teresa Earnhardt was nowhere to be found both Felix Sabates and Chip Ganassi were present and seemed excited 2011. They should be. The team won 4 races in 2010 including two of the crown jewels of NASCAR by the No. 1 team of McMurray (Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400). They feel both teams will be in the chase and will be a factor in determining a champion. I tend to agree.

More photos by Brad Keppel of Day 1 can be found here.

Kurt Busch announces NHRA debut

By
SM Staff
-

After spending much of his off-season testing NHRA drag racing cars, Kurt Busch will make his first NHRA Full Throttle Series start at the 42ndt annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornational on March 11-13 at the Gainsville Raceway in Florida.

[media-credit name=”Courtesy NHRA Media” align=”alignleft” width=”250″][/media-credit]The stock-car champion will compete for one of 16 spots in the Pro-Stock class in his Shell Dodge Avenger for Allen Johnson and J&J Racing.

“Pro Stock is the tightest pro category as far as the elapsed time is concerned and it’s not going to be an easy task,’ Busch said. “I feel me teaming up with Allen Johnson and the Mopar folks, we’ve given ourselves the best opportunity to make the show.”

During one of his off-season tests, Busch earned his NHRA Pro Stock license with a speed of 210.43 mph at Bradenton, Fla. Last year’s top qualifier at the Gatornationals in the Pro Stock class was Mike Edwards with a time of 6.537-seconds and a top speed of 211.53 mph. Rickie Jones was the 16th driver with a time of 6.601-seconds at 209.10 mph. Under those circumstances and conditions, Busch would have qualified 11th with his off-season test time.

Busch competed in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series during the 2010 Tire Kingdom Gatornationals in a rebuilt 1970 Dodge Charger for Johnson. His time was limited due to weather and he finished with a first round loss.

“The 2010 event was an experience of a lifetime, the camaraderie with the sportsman guys was a truly fun experience,” Busch said. “Although it was tough to watch it rain for four days, the grassroots effort of the sportsman guys is what makes the true heart of NHRA racing.”

Tickets for the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals are available by visiting www.NHRAtix.com or calling 800-884-NHRA (6472).

Penske Racing announces sponsorship for Busch, Hornish and Keselowski

By
SM Staff
-

Kurt Busch joins Coca-Cola Racing Family

Kurt Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion, will join the Coca-Cola Racing family of drivers for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series campaign, Coca-Cola and Penske Racing announced Monday evening. Busch will be featured in many Coca-Cola in-store promotions this year as well as make promotional appearances for the brand.

[media-credit name=”Motorsports Images and Archives” align=”alignleft” width=”250″][/media-credit]“I am honored to represent Coca-Cola during 2011 racing season,” said Busch, who scored two wins and two poles in 2010, finishing 11th in the final Cup Series standings. “We’re looking forward to a great season as we transition to the No. 22 car and it’s awesome to have Coca-Cola on board for the ride.”
Busch finished 11th in last year’s Sprint Cup Series driver standings. He posted two wins last season.

The Las Vegas, Nevada native switched rides within the Penske Racing organization and will race the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger.

Alliance Truck Parts to sponsor Hornish in Nationwide Series

Alliance Truck Parts will be Sam Hornish Jr.’s primary sponsor for his NASCAR Nationwide Series efforts this season, Penske Racing confirmed today. Hornish’s ride in last year’s Nationwide Series finale was also sponsored by Alliance Truck Parts.

According to the press release, the sponsorship will be for at least eight races. Hornish is expected to race in at least ten events this season in the Nationwide Series. Specific events to be announced at a later date.

“It’s exciting to be able to return to the car and get a chance to represent the Alliance Truck Parts brand again this season. I know everyone at Penske Racing will be working hard to get the best results possible this year in the Nationwide Series.”

Hornish is moving from a full-time Sprint Cup Series ride to a full-time Nationwide Series ride in the Nationwide Series.

Ruby Tuesday to move to Brad Keselowski’s Cup ride

After sponsoring Brad Keselowski’s run to a Nationwide Series driver championship last season, Ruby Tuesday has expanded it’s sponsorship to the Cup Series for this season.

In addition to sponsoring Keselowski in nine Nationwide Series races, Ruby Tuesday will also have their logo on the rear deck lid of Keselowski’s No. 2 Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series.

“I am very excited to represent Ruby Tuesday again in 2011,” said Keselowski. “They were an integral part of our championship season in 2010, and I look forward to winning more races with them in the future. The fact that they have grown their relationship to include the ‘Blue Deuce’ is something in which we take great pride at Penske Racing.”

Keselowski posted two top-ten finishes last season, earning an average finish of 22.4. The 2011 season will be his second full-time season after making his debut in 2008.

Trevor Bayne – The Best of Both Worlds

By
Angie Campbell
-

Trevor Bayne has a knack for turning adversity into opportunity.

Lack of sponsorship led to an abrupt release from Diamond Waltrip Racing in September of 2010. But just as quickly, Bayne found a new home with Roush Fenway Racing and his future has never looked brighter.

On Friday, January 20th, Wood Brothers Racing announced that Trevor Bayne will drive the legendary No. 21 car during the 2011 season for a limited number of races in the Sprint Cup series.  He’s currently scheduled to run the first five Cup races of the season and then selected races during the remainder of the season. The goal is at least 17 starts with the possibility of more.

[media-credit id=9 align=”alignleft” width=”100″][/media-credit]
C)NASCAR
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Bayne a few times over the last couple of years and there are certain things I’ve come to expect. He’s always well-spoken and passionate; the perfect interview subject.

But this time was a little different.

This was Trevor Bayne in overdrive and the joy in his voice was unmistakable.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this,” he told me. “I’ve had to keep it bottled up for the last month or so while we’ve been working on it. I’ve been really pumped up and now I finally get to let it all out.

“I ran my first Cup race with them and now I’m going to get to continue with them this year. I think its awesome news.”

“They’re one of the longest standing NASCAR teams and then here I am, their youngest driver ever, so you get a little bit of both worlds.”

We talked about his first full season in the Nationwide Series and the experiences he’ll take with him as he begins the next stage in his career.

“I learned you have to be consistent. It doesn’t matter if you win every race or finish fifth or tenth. You have to be around at the end of every race. There’s no way you’re going to win a championship if you put your car in situations it shouldn’t be in.”

Another thing that sets Bayne apart from other young drivers is his ability to learn from not only the good, but the bad experiences, as well.

His unanticipated release from Diamond Waltrip Racing taught him a valuable lesson.

“Every time it seems like things are falling apart, another door opens and that’s the way it happened for me. I’m really fortunate to have these kinds of opportunities. It would be easy to point fingers or be upset about things and sometimes I feel like that. But for the most part, I try to look for that next opportunity and keep moving forward.”

Bayne is thrilled to be part of the Roush Fenway Racing team and his new alliance with Wood Brothers Racing is the icing on the cake.

His enthusiasm is infectious as he talks about his latest opportunity with the legendary team.

“You can go into their shop and almost see a piece of every bit of NASCAR since it started. It’s really cool to see that within one team. They’ve been around for everything and you can’t buy that kind of experience.”

While Bayne has been testing the No. 21 car, he’s spent his down time soaking up the atmosphere and listening to tales of the “good old days.”

“Since we’ve been down here in Daytona they’ve been telling me stories about what people used to do, just all kinds of crazy things that no one would even think about doing now or they’d be in NASCAR jail,” he joked. “It’s been really cool to hear the history.”

Bayne isn’t worried that he might be over-extending himself by running in both the Nationwide and Cup series. Instead he looks at it as opportunity for growth.

“I’m 19 years old, I’ve got all the energy in the world and I need to use it and get as much experience as I can. Obviously this is a much higher tension, more pressure situation than I’ve had in the past but I think it’s going to help me grow a lot faster, being in the seat that much.”

I asked Bayne about his plans for the future but for right now he’s happy living his dream and savoring each moment.

“I’m going to take things one step at a time. No matter how far you plan ahead, no matter how long a contract you have, no matter what anyone says, everything can change in the matter of a month or a week.  I’ve learned to make the most of what I have while I have it. I think if we do that other opportunities will come and we’ll take those when they get here.”

Trevor Bayne is bursting with energy and loving every minute of his life. Add talent and determination to the equation and you have a recipe for success.

As we ended the interview, something Bayne said, struck a chord.

“When you look around the shop you can just tell there are a lot more stories to be written.”

I can’t help but picture future generations of drivers listening to stories of Trevor Bayne and how he wrote a new chapter in the legacy of Wood Brothers Racing.

Hard Cards Available at NASCAR Hall of Fame

By
SM Staff
-

Every race fan dreams of having a NASCAR hard card, which provides full access to the garage area, the drivers, and all of the behind-the-scenes action at every NASCAR race. While limited only to those involved full-time at the top levels of the sport, every fan can now get a hard card just by visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Indeed, upon entry to the HOF, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, I received my very own hard card personalized. I used it throughout the building, from the opening film about the history of the sport to participating in the myriad of interactive exhibits throughout the Hall.

After hard carding my way into the Belk High Octane Theatre for a massive screen NASCAR movie adventure, I used my card to wind my way onto Glory Road. Here, poised on a race track with several degrees of banking, were actual race cars, from the Hudson Hornet to Jimmie Johnson’s most recent championship No. 48.

My hard card gave me access to go up onto the track and snap a picture of those race cars coming right at me, as well as access to try out the banking at Daytona, which I admit that I would have tumbled down without the hand rails to which I was holding on for dear life.

With my hard card in tow, I entered the Hall of Honor, which featured the five inaugural inductees: Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., and Dale Earnhardt. As we entered the room and paid tribute to these jewels of the sport, almost a hush fell upon us.

I also did indeed get misty-eyed when I saw that famed black No. 3 car, complete with many mementos from the Intimidator’s days gone by and glory lost just ten years ago.

After leaving the solemnity of the Hall of Honors, I took myself and my card and headed to the interactive exhibit area. This was where the fun began, as my hard card was my access to accumulating points, fueling the competition with others in everything from hoisting a gas can to removing those pesky lug nuts during a pit stop.

One of the most interactive areas in the Hall was solely designed for children, focusing on educating the next generation of NASCAR fans. The best part of that section was seeing the memorabilia from the childhoods of the likes of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson. They were so cute as little boys and just a bit geeky, too.

Another interactive exhibit in this section allows the hard card holder to actually call a race. Donning the headsets and microphone, I suddenly discovered how difficult that actually was and have renewed respect and regard for the MRN, PRN, ESPN, and all of those broadcast professionals who call the races for us each and every weekend.

My favorite interactive exhibit was the race simulators, whereby you could race other fans sitting in actual race cars, driving like you stole it. Yes, I do realize that this is all simulated, but after five minutes, I was definitely working up a bit of a sweat trying to keep my car on the track and out of the way of all the others who were intent on either passing or wrecking me.

I am pleased to report that, after a rather difficult start, during which I did indeed pass the pace car, resulting in a trip to pit road to serve my penalty, I got the hang of it and actually stayed out of harm’s way. In fact, I finished first and then promptly ran over the official on my way to Victory Lane, a first, or so they tell me at this exhibit.

Waving my hard card, I admit that I immediately hurried over to get my picture taken with the Sprint Cup. And yes, I did hold up my index finger, strike the No. 1 pose, and yell woo. Unfortunately, thanks to my hard card and my debit card, I have the pictures to prove it.

My NASCAR Hall of Fame hard card took me inside a race team hauler, inside a race shop of days gone by, and right past the exhibit filled with various race trophies, from the Martinsville Grandfather’s clock to Dover’s Miles the Monster.

I was again moved to tears by the room honoring those lost in racing, including most recently NASCAR PR executive Jim Hunter, and moved to laughter by the staff person waving the yellow flag vociferously in the race flag display.

My final hard card stop was to purchase my souvenir pictures from my visit and shop in the Hall of Fame gift store. Unfortunately, the big-screen television there showed the NFL playoff game, but I am sure that will change in just a few short weeks when the cars return to Daytona’s track.

So, you’ve got to get your own hard card for a once-in-a-lifetime NASCAR experience. I will keep my card in a safe place in my wallet for the next time I make the trek to Charlotte, and I can’t wait to see what’s next at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

1...6,6506,6516,652...6,700Page 6,651 of 6,700