BRISTOL, Tenn. -- If NASCAR is about to enter a new era of cooperation, where competing teams and organizations share much of the same information relating to new electronic fuel injection systems, the drivers have two words to add to the conversation.
They can look at all the data they want, but unless you're Tony Stewart doing what Tony Stewart does with his talent, you're not going to have a restart like he does.
It's kind of like this: if you've got a video game and everybody knows how to win, how fun is that? Keep the challenge in it without giving away all the answers.
"I'd rather not have that," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "It would be a benefit to be able to see all that. But I think it's a slippery slope.
"With the fuel injection it brings in the ability this year to be able to see data that we've never been able to see before. I think we should ease into how we use that data -- and how NASCAR allows us to use that data -- kind of slowly so as to not upset the culture of the sport, or how things have worked in the past. I think if we take this new door that has been opened to us and abuse it, it might not be good for the sport. I think it's better for competition for everybody to have a few secrets."
Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, said he agrees with Earnhardt.
"The thing with us drivers is what we do with the pedals and steering wheel and all that stuff is all our proprietary stuff," Edwards said. "From NASCAR's perspective, I can see how they would want everyone to not have an advantage and [how they would want to] keep feeding everyone information to make it tougher and closer.
"But I know for me personally, with the fuel-mileage things and other stuff, there have been times when I thought there were things I did in the car that I wouldn't want anyone else to see. If those days are over, then they are over. I guess that's just the way it is."
The ushering in of EFI has brought NASCAR a new reality where there are mounds of data available through computers that never before could have been measured inside the car during competition. For instance, "mapping" of race winner Tony Stewart's engine data could provide insight to other drivers as to how Stewart repeatedly was able to stage faster restarts than the rest of the field during last Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas.
In fact, fellow driver Jimmie Johnson said it already has for him. As driver of the No. 48 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson's team has a technical alliance with Stewart's No. 14 Chevy team at Stewart-Haas Racing. So it's not unusual for them to share information anyway. There's just more of it to share -- or not to share -- now.
"I did look at Tony's data and definitely have a direction and know what's going on," Johnson said. "It's a complicated thing that I'm certainly not going to share for the world to see. But I've got a clear direction of where to work."
And that, Johnson said, is the way it should be -- in that SHR and HMS have that technical alliance. He just wouldn't necessarily want NASCAR to go share all the information he's just learned with competing teams who drive Toyotas for Joe Gibbs Racing, Fords for Roush Fenway Racing or Dodges for Penske Racing, and so on.
"In a situation like what we have at Hendrick, from the inception or start of Stewart-Haas Racing having that relationship with Hendrick, we've been sending information back and forth. It's designed as a two-way street. So it's good to have that," Johnson said. "Amongst those six cars, that's the way it is. That's the way it works and I'm sure it's the same way through Roush and their satellite teams."
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing, said he thinks he understands why many drivers are fearful of the new information age.
"The ultimate fear is whenever you involve computers, you replace humans -- whether it's in the car or out. And that's been the fear for the last 60 years. This is no different," Keselowski said. "This sport has always managed to maintain the human element. The real fear is that as that technology develops, the human element will become less and less critical and the sport will lose some of its substance -- just as anything else would."
Meanwhile, Sprint Cup series director John Darby insisted that the drivers' fears are largely unfounded. He said NASCAR has yet to share widespread EFI information from the season's first three races with teams or organizations, and pledged that the governing body would indeed be very careful about what it dispenses when the time comes.
"We've got data files from cars that we've downloaded from our first three races," Darby said. "Part of what we're doing right now is going through the data to understand what would be of value from tuning an engine operation versus the data you could extract that would be driver information, if that makes sense.
"Our interest is not to show the world where Tony Stewart slammed his throttle to the floor on a restart. It's about how the engine was tuned, whether it be a fuel map or a timing map. That's all we're worried about."
Teams then can use the general information given them by NASCAR to help alleviate possible engine-wear issues that might be related to the new fuel-injection systems. Plus Darby thinks the theory that a driver can learn to perform better on a restart by merely looking at computer data is a long shot for most.
"There is enough driver-characteristic information that could be extracted from the data if it was looked at properly, but we have no interest at all in passing that out. That would be up to the individual teams," Darby said.
"The bottom line is that a driver having a great restart and fuel injection have absolutely nothing to do with each other. That comes from the driver's talents. They can look at all the data they want, but unless you're Tony Stewart doing what Tony Stewart does with his talent, you're not going to have a restart like he does."
Earnhardt just thinks less is more in this case, and hopes NASCAR doesn't share too much with the entire racing world. He tried to put it in a perspective that everyone should be able to understand.
"It's kind of like this: if you've got a video game and everybody knows how to win, how fun is that? Keep the challenge in it without giving away all the answers," Earnhardt said.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Kahne sees a turnaround on the horizon in 5 car
CONCORD, N.C. -- He was involved in three wrecks during Speedweeks, most notably one in the Daytona 500. At Phoenix, he got loose off a corner and hit the wall. At Las Vegas, he came home in the middle of the pack despite setting a track record in qualifying. At Bristol, he crashed when his spotter told him he was clear, and he wasn't. At California, he competed with the knowledge that one slip-up might knock him -- unthinkably -- outside of the top-35 cars in owners' points, which have guaranteed starting spots in each Sprint Cup event.
It's hardly been the start Kasey Kahne envisioned in his debut season with powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, an organization that's won 10 titles on NASCAR's premier series, and is chasing its 200th race win. But Kahne looks at the fast cars he has every weekend, looks at the potential within his No. 5 team, and delivers a warning.
I knew going in, that just because I was going to Hendrick Motorsports didn't mean I was going to start winning more races.
"We've got fast cars," he said Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "I think all the guys have been really quick at the majority of the tracks we've been to. All the Hendrick guys. I feel like our engines are doing great, our cars are awesome. Myself, I'm still learning things there, but I feel lime we're getting pretty good at it. I feel like we're competitive. We've had some bad luck and made some mistakes and things, but I think we can be a contender as this season goes, for sure."
Much like Jeff Gordon, whose similar run of early season misfortune has him just two spots north of the 27th-place position his teammate currently occupies in the standings, Kahne's cars have been fast every week. That much is evident in Kahne's starting positions this season, the past four of which -- including the track-record pole run at Las Vegas -- have been inside the top 10. The issue has been finishing, something complicated by a mistake here or there, or just plain bad luck.
By necessity, it all reached a head last weekend in Southern California. Owners' points change from 2011 to the current season for this week's event at Martinsville Speedway, and heading to Auto Club Speedway, Kahne sat uncomfortably near the top-35 cutoff. His No. 5 car was loose early, but improved to the point where it was about the seventh-fastest vehicle in the race. Long green-flag runs made it tough for Kahne to gain track position, and rain ended the event before the car came in. But an uneventful 14th-place finish was relief enough, given that it ensured Kahne won't have to make Sunday's race -- or any later ones, for that matter -- on speed.
* Standings: Driver | Owner
"I was a little worried at California," he admitted. "If we had one more bad race there, we would have been fighting for position at Martinsville, which would have been unheard of for us. I was glad. We didn't finish where we wanted to, but if 200 laps were there, we would have had a pretty strong car by the end of that race. I was fine with that, and we're solid now. We just need to keep it up. We need to keep finishing strong, having good race cars like we've had, and I think it will all work itself out."
It was difficult not to foresee all kinds of potential in the combination of the 11-time race winner Kahne with Hendrick, the best team of the sport's modern era. Kahne had won with much lesser organizations, including at Phoenix this past fall for a Red Bull team that was a one-year stopover for the driver, and about to go out of business because its sponsor was pulling out. That he was making the move with Kenny Francis, his longtime crew chief and trusted friend, made the pieces fit together that much more snugly.
Or so it seemed. But for all of Hendrick's promise and Kahne's talent, it was still a new team, and it brought with it an adjustment. Drivers like Kahne operate on feel, their bodies telling them how each of the tires are doing, and how the vehicle itself rolls through the corners. Hendrick's cars are somewhat different than what he had been used to at Red Bull -- and Richard Petty Motorsports before that -- and figuring out that feel takes time. At one point in the race in California, for instance, Kahne's car behaved in traffic in a way that was different from practice, and he wasn't prepared for it.
Such are the smaller, unseen fine-tuning processes a new driver must go through with a new organization, regardless of how many races he's capable of winning. Teammates Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have all been at Hendrick for years, and to a certain degree know what to expect from the vehicles underneath them. Kahne is just starting to get there.
"They do things for a reason [at Hendrick], and they've done them for a long time," Kahne said. "Jeff and Jimmie and Dale, they know exactly where they're at, and so do their crew chiefs and teams, and they're working on stuff. We are slowly getting there. We have the speed, but putting together that whole race is what is a little more difficult."
Knowing the car is fast helps. So does knowing the owner supports you, no matter how trying the first weeks of the season have been. Kahne said he and Rick Hendrick talk or text every week, and occasionally enjoy longer periods of time together like a flight to California for a sponsor event. Over and over again, he said, the boss has relayed the same message -- the cars have speed, fortunes will change, and you'll be fine. There's never any shortage of encouragement from the top.
"I just think if your owner is still behind you, and speaking highly of what you're doing and how your team is, and sees what your team is and what's going on and isn't putting it all on you ... you just feel good about it," Kahne said. "You feel like you're fine and you'll get through it and you'll figure out what those problems are we've had. Maybe it's bad luck, maybe it's not. But he's been right there and has told me, don't worry about it. We have another car for next week that's just as good, maybe better."
It's all helped Kahne keep up his own spirits. "I feel really confident with everything we have, and it just takes time to get acclimated and figure some of that stuff out," he said. "I think we're getting there, I think we're getting closer. As we put races together, I think we'll show [it] and we'll get back to where we need to be."
That would be battling for race wins and potentially a Chase berth, although Kahne does have to get back inside the top 20 in points to make himself eligible for a wild card to NASCAR's 12-driver playoff. For now, though, sunrise appears on the horizon. The California run staunched the bleeding, for the time being. Kahne's left knee, which underwent surgery for a torn meniscus prior to the Daytona 500, doesn't swell up on him anymore after races. He's even started running again, albeit at a slower pace than he's used to. In the upcoming off weekend, he's heading to Attica, Ohio, to race sprint cars, his first love.
It was that or the Bahamas. Sitting on the couch wasn't an option.
"It's actually a pretty nice couch," he said. "I just don't spend a lot of time on it."
There's too much else to do, primarily salvaging his Sprint Cup season after an opening month of frustration and bad luck. These days, though, Kahne feels like he can see the corner. It's just a matter of turning it, and watching all the potential that exists with his new organization spring to life.
"Probably because of the results, I feel a little bit on edge maybe for some of the races, just because I want to run better and things," he said. "But I knew going in, that just because I was going to Hendrick Motorsports didn't mean I was going to start winning more races. It's still a huge team effort, and there's still a lot of things you have to do right in order to run up front and contend for those wins. It takes a little bit of time. I think we've had some time now, and we're getting pretty close. I think we're pretty good as a team, and hopefully we can start running in the top 10."
It's hardly been the start Kasey Kahne envisioned in his debut season with powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, an organization that's won 10 titles on NASCAR's premier series, and is chasing its 200th race win. But Kahne looks at the fast cars he has every weekend, looks at the potential within his No. 5 team, and delivers a warning.
I knew going in, that just because I was going to Hendrick Motorsports didn't mean I was going to start winning more races.
"We've got fast cars," he said Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "I think all the guys have been really quick at the majority of the tracks we've been to. All the Hendrick guys. I feel like our engines are doing great, our cars are awesome. Myself, I'm still learning things there, but I feel lime we're getting pretty good at it. I feel like we're competitive. We've had some bad luck and made some mistakes and things, but I think we can be a contender as this season goes, for sure."
Much like Jeff Gordon, whose similar run of early season misfortune has him just two spots north of the 27th-place position his teammate currently occupies in the standings, Kahne's cars have been fast every week. That much is evident in Kahne's starting positions this season, the past four of which -- including the track-record pole run at Las Vegas -- have been inside the top 10. The issue has been finishing, something complicated by a mistake here or there, or just plain bad luck.
By necessity, it all reached a head last weekend in Southern California. Owners' points change from 2011 to the current season for this week's event at Martinsville Speedway, and heading to Auto Club Speedway, Kahne sat uncomfortably near the top-35 cutoff. His No. 5 car was loose early, but improved to the point where it was about the seventh-fastest vehicle in the race. Long green-flag runs made it tough for Kahne to gain track position, and rain ended the event before the car came in. But an uneventful 14th-place finish was relief enough, given that it ensured Kahne won't have to make Sunday's race -- or any later ones, for that matter -- on speed.
* Standings: Driver | Owner
"I was a little worried at California," he admitted. "If we had one more bad race there, we would have been fighting for position at Martinsville, which would have been unheard of for us. I was glad. We didn't finish where we wanted to, but if 200 laps were there, we would have had a pretty strong car by the end of that race. I was fine with that, and we're solid now. We just need to keep it up. We need to keep finishing strong, having good race cars like we've had, and I think it will all work itself out."
It was difficult not to foresee all kinds of potential in the combination of the 11-time race winner Kahne with Hendrick, the best team of the sport's modern era. Kahne had won with much lesser organizations, including at Phoenix this past fall for a Red Bull team that was a one-year stopover for the driver, and about to go out of business because its sponsor was pulling out. That he was making the move with Kenny Francis, his longtime crew chief and trusted friend, made the pieces fit together that much more snugly.
Or so it seemed. But for all of Hendrick's promise and Kahne's talent, it was still a new team, and it brought with it an adjustment. Drivers like Kahne operate on feel, their bodies telling them how each of the tires are doing, and how the vehicle itself rolls through the corners. Hendrick's cars are somewhat different than what he had been used to at Red Bull -- and Richard Petty Motorsports before that -- and figuring out that feel takes time. At one point in the race in California, for instance, Kahne's car behaved in traffic in a way that was different from practice, and he wasn't prepared for it.
Such are the smaller, unseen fine-tuning processes a new driver must go through with a new organization, regardless of how many races he's capable of winning. Teammates Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have all been at Hendrick for years, and to a certain degree know what to expect from the vehicles underneath them. Kahne is just starting to get there.
"They do things for a reason [at Hendrick], and they've done them for a long time," Kahne said. "Jeff and Jimmie and Dale, they know exactly where they're at, and so do their crew chiefs and teams, and they're working on stuff. We are slowly getting there. We have the speed, but putting together that whole race is what is a little more difficult."
Knowing the car is fast helps. So does knowing the owner supports you, no matter how trying the first weeks of the season have been. Kahne said he and Rick Hendrick talk or text every week, and occasionally enjoy longer periods of time together like a flight to California for a sponsor event. Over and over again, he said, the boss has relayed the same message -- the cars have speed, fortunes will change, and you'll be fine. There's never any shortage of encouragement from the top.
"I just think if your owner is still behind you, and speaking highly of what you're doing and how your team is, and sees what your team is and what's going on and isn't putting it all on you ... you just feel good about it," Kahne said. "You feel like you're fine and you'll get through it and you'll figure out what those problems are we've had. Maybe it's bad luck, maybe it's not. But he's been right there and has told me, don't worry about it. We have another car for next week that's just as good, maybe better."
It's all helped Kahne keep up his own spirits. "I feel really confident with everything we have, and it just takes time to get acclimated and figure some of that stuff out," he said. "I think we're getting there, I think we're getting closer. As we put races together, I think we'll show [it] and we'll get back to where we need to be."
That would be battling for race wins and potentially a Chase berth, although Kahne does have to get back inside the top 20 in points to make himself eligible for a wild card to NASCAR's 12-driver playoff. For now, though, sunrise appears on the horizon. The California run staunched the bleeding, for the time being. Kahne's left knee, which underwent surgery for a torn meniscus prior to the Daytona 500, doesn't swell up on him anymore after races. He's even started running again, albeit at a slower pace than he's used to. In the upcoming off weekend, he's heading to Attica, Ohio, to race sprint cars, his first love.
It was that or the Bahamas. Sitting on the couch wasn't an option.
"It's actually a pretty nice couch," he said. "I just don't spend a lot of time on it."
There's too much else to do, primarily salvaging his Sprint Cup season after an opening month of frustration and bad luck. These days, though, Kahne feels like he can see the corner. It's just a matter of turning it, and watching all the potential that exists with his new organization spring to life.
"Probably because of the results, I feel a little bit on edge maybe for some of the races, just because I want to run better and things," he said. "But I knew going in, that just because I was going to Hendrick Motorsports didn't mean I was going to start winning more races. It's still a huge team effort, and there's still a lot of things you have to do right in order to run up front and contend for those wins. It takes a little bit of time. I think we've had some time now, and we're getting pretty close. I think we're pretty good as a team, and hopefully we can start running in the top 10."
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Court refuses to revive ex-driver Mayfield's suit
RICHMOND, Va. -- A federal appeals court on Monday refused to reinstate former race car driver Jeremy Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR over his 2009 suspension for failing a random drug test at Richmond International Raceway.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a federal judge did not abuse his discretion in dismissing Mayfield's complaint against NASCAR; its owner, Brian Zachary France; and a drug testing company.
Mayfield sued for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract and negligence after France held a news conference to announce the driver had been suspended for testing positive for a "performance enhancing" or "recreational" drug: methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen, in Charlotte, N.C., had tossed out the lawsuit because Mayfield had twice -- as a driver and an owner -- signed documents waiving his right to sue.
"In this case, the liability waiver is enforceable under Florida law," Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the unanimous appeals court opinion. Gregory was joined by Judge Barbara Milano Keenan and visiting U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady.
Florida law governed because NASCAR has its headquarters in that state.
Mayfield's attorney, Tillman Finley, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Helen Maher, an attorney at the New York firm that represented NASCAR, said the ruling verifies the fairness of the organization's substance abuse policy.
"This case was never about anything more than NASCAR's ability to keep the sport clean and our competitors safe," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's senior vice president for racing operation.
Mayfield, 42, has argued that a combination of the over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D and the prescription medication Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder led to the positive test. He also argued that NASCAR's testing system was flawed and that it did not follow federal guidelines in its testing methods.
After failing his first drug test, Mayfield was given the option of having another sample evaluated to confirm or refute the first test. The second sample also was positive for methamphetamine, and NASCAR suspended him until he completed a recovery program. A few days later, France went public with the results.
Mayfield made his NASCAR debut in 1993. He recorded five victories, 96 top-10 finishes and $30.2 million in career winnings.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a federal judge did not abuse his discretion in dismissing Mayfield's complaint against NASCAR; its owner, Brian Zachary France; and a drug testing company.
Mayfield sued for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract and negligence after France held a news conference to announce the driver had been suspended for testing positive for a "performance enhancing" or "recreational" drug: methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen, in Charlotte, N.C., had tossed out the lawsuit because Mayfield had twice -- as a driver and an owner -- signed documents waiving his right to sue.
"In this case, the liability waiver is enforceable under Florida law," Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the unanimous appeals court opinion. Gregory was joined by Judge Barbara Milano Keenan and visiting U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady.
Florida law governed because NASCAR has its headquarters in that state.
Mayfield's attorney, Tillman Finley, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Helen Maher, an attorney at the New York firm that represented NASCAR, said the ruling verifies the fairness of the organization's substance abuse policy.
"This case was never about anything more than NASCAR's ability to keep the sport clean and our competitors safe," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's senior vice president for racing operation.
Mayfield, 42, has argued that a combination of the over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D and the prescription medication Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder led to the positive test. He also argued that NASCAR's testing system was flawed and that it did not follow federal guidelines in its testing methods.
After failing his first drug test, Mayfield was given the option of having another sample evaluated to confirm or refute the first test. The second sample also was positive for methamphetamine, and NASCAR suspended him until he completed a recovery program. A few days later, France went public with the results.
Mayfield made his NASCAR debut in 1993. He recorded five victories, 96 top-10 finishes and $30.2 million in career winnings.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Earnhardt keeps carrying flag for Hendrick stable
FONTANA, Calif. -- Kasey Kahne is battling back from a near-disastrous start. Jeff Gordon is watching something else go wrong every week. Jimmie Johnson is showing only a glimpse of the consistency he once used to win five consecutive championships at NASCAR's highest level.
I like how our season is going so far. If we can keep going like this, we might get some opportunities like we did last year of winning some races and seal the deal eventually.
That's certainly the way it's been through the first five weeks of this Sprint Cup season, as consistently strong runs by NASCAR's most popular driver have made him the class of what has long been NASCAR's best organization. It happened again Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, where Earnhardt was one of several drivers to stay out of the pits during a caution for rain, and parlayed that move into an eventual third-place finish when wet weather forced officials to call the event 71 laps short of its scheduled distance.
"We drove the car up to fifth before the weather came. We had been watching the weather all day. We felt certain if it started to rain, it wasn't going to stop," Earnhardt said. "We made the right choice by staying out and building ourselves into the top three."
It was no fluke finish for Earnhardt, who was in the top 10 for almost the whole race before recording his second-best finish of this young season. In the process he moved up three positions to third in points, making him easily the highest-ranking driver in a Hendrick Motorsports stable that's suddenly juggling one problematic issue after another.
There's Kahne, who pulled himself off the top 35 bubble with a 14th-place finish Sunday but still languishes low in the standings. There's Johnson, who had smoke emitting from his No. 48 car just as the rain came and was bailed out by the weather. And there's Gordon, who saw another great car go for naught -- this time because of a pair of pit penalties that relegated him to a 26th-place finish.
And then there's Earnhardt, who maybe hasn't won since 2008, but is sailing along despite all the havoc around him.
"Jeff had a little trouble on pit road. Jimmie, they decided to come down pit road because they thought it was not going to run all day. They've been beating us most of the weekend," Earnhardt said. "We've really been competitive, though. I like how our season is going so far. If we can keep going like this, we might get some opportunities like we did last year of winning some races and seal the deal eventually."
Sunday, his teammates weren't as fortunate. Johnson had one of the better cars in the race, but smoke began billowing from beneath his vehicle shortly after NASCAR threw the caution for rain. A radio problem only complicated the issue, which turned out to be a severed oil line. Johnson watched his oil pressure plummet, fell backward in the running order, and yet salvaged a 10th-place finish when the race was called due to weather.
"I really don't know what had happened," Johnson said during the red flag before the race was ended. "I was just idling along and my friends pulled up alongside of me and were pointing. They said, 'You're smoking.' I heard it over the radio and I could obviously see and smell it, but I don't know what really caused it yet. It's just a wild change of events, because when I came to pit road and took four tires, I wanted it to dry up real quick. Now I'm sitting here praying for rain."
He got just that. "If we did go back to green-flag racing, we would be multiple laps down," crew chief Chad Knaus said. "We don't really know what happened to the car just yet. We've got to get it in here and take a look at it."
Gordon wasn't as fortunate, and added another chapter to his litany of 2012 frustration. At Daytona, he was caught up in a wreck. Last week at Bristol, he was knocked out when Earnhardt's tailpipe inadvertently cut down the left-rear tire on his No. 24 car. Friday in Fontana he spoke about feeling some pressure to get good finishes to match good cars like the one he had Sunday, which ran in the top five for much of the event.
But it all unraveled on pit road, where Gordon first had to serve a stop-and-go penalty that put him a lap down, the violation coming when he dragged a fuel can -- and the fuel man attached to it -- out of his pit box. Later, taking two tires to try to gain track position, his crew was flagged for having a tire get away. Gordon finished 26th in the race, and dropped to 25th in points.
Meanwhile, Earnhardt just keeps rolling along, propelled by crew chief Steve Letarte, good finishes, and strong cars almost every week.
"I'm really happy," he said. "I'm performing better. Most of the credit has to go to Steve and the team. Those guys did a great job today on pit road. We had some really good stops. Steve is doing an amazing job. He deserves most of the credit for how well we're running. He's giving me really good cars, cars that are fun to drive, relatively easy to drive."
I like how our season is going so far. If we can keep going like this, we might get some opportunities like we did last year of winning some races and seal the deal eventually.
That's certainly the way it's been through the first five weeks of this Sprint Cup season, as consistently strong runs by NASCAR's most popular driver have made him the class of what has long been NASCAR's best organization. It happened again Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, where Earnhardt was one of several drivers to stay out of the pits during a caution for rain, and parlayed that move into an eventual third-place finish when wet weather forced officials to call the event 71 laps short of its scheduled distance.
"We drove the car up to fifth before the weather came. We had been watching the weather all day. We felt certain if it started to rain, it wasn't going to stop," Earnhardt said. "We made the right choice by staying out and building ourselves into the top three."
It was no fluke finish for Earnhardt, who was in the top 10 for almost the whole race before recording his second-best finish of this young season. In the process he moved up three positions to third in points, making him easily the highest-ranking driver in a Hendrick Motorsports stable that's suddenly juggling one problematic issue after another.
There's Kahne, who pulled himself off the top 35 bubble with a 14th-place finish Sunday but still languishes low in the standings. There's Johnson, who had smoke emitting from his No. 48 car just as the rain came and was bailed out by the weather. And there's Gordon, who saw another great car go for naught -- this time because of a pair of pit penalties that relegated him to a 26th-place finish.
And then there's Earnhardt, who maybe hasn't won since 2008, but is sailing along despite all the havoc around him.
"Jeff had a little trouble on pit road. Jimmie, they decided to come down pit road because they thought it was not going to run all day. They've been beating us most of the weekend," Earnhardt said. "We've really been competitive, though. I like how our season is going so far. If we can keep going like this, we might get some opportunities like we did last year of winning some races and seal the deal eventually."
Sunday, his teammates weren't as fortunate. Johnson had one of the better cars in the race, but smoke began billowing from beneath his vehicle shortly after NASCAR threw the caution for rain. A radio problem only complicated the issue, which turned out to be a severed oil line. Johnson watched his oil pressure plummet, fell backward in the running order, and yet salvaged a 10th-place finish when the race was called due to weather.
"I really don't know what had happened," Johnson said during the red flag before the race was ended. "I was just idling along and my friends pulled up alongside of me and were pointing. They said, 'You're smoking.' I heard it over the radio and I could obviously see and smell it, but I don't know what really caused it yet. It's just a wild change of events, because when I came to pit road and took four tires, I wanted it to dry up real quick. Now I'm sitting here praying for rain."
He got just that. "If we did go back to green-flag racing, we would be multiple laps down," crew chief Chad Knaus said. "We don't really know what happened to the car just yet. We've got to get it in here and take a look at it."
Gordon wasn't as fortunate, and added another chapter to his litany of 2012 frustration. At Daytona, he was caught up in a wreck. Last week at Bristol, he was knocked out when Earnhardt's tailpipe inadvertently cut down the left-rear tire on his No. 24 car. Friday in Fontana he spoke about feeling some pressure to get good finishes to match good cars like the one he had Sunday, which ran in the top five for much of the event.
But it all unraveled on pit road, where Gordon first had to serve a stop-and-go penalty that put him a lap down, the violation coming when he dragged a fuel can -- and the fuel man attached to it -- out of his pit box. Later, taking two tires to try to gain track position, his crew was flagged for having a tire get away. Gordon finished 26th in the race, and dropped to 25th in points.
Meanwhile, Earnhardt just keeps rolling along, propelled by crew chief Steve Letarte, good finishes, and strong cars almost every week.
"I'm really happy," he said. "I'm performing better. Most of the credit has to go to Steve and the team. Those guys did a great job today on pit road. We had some really good stops. Steve is doing an amazing job. He deserves most of the credit for how well we're running. He's giving me really good cars, cars that are fun to drive, relatively easy to drive."
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Hamlin knocks teammate Busch off Fontana pole
FONTANA, Calif. -- Kyle Busch had the pole for Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway -- until Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin took it away from him.
Hamlin circled the two-mile track in 38.626 seconds (186.403 mph) to claim his second Coors Light pole award at Fontana and the 10th of his career, and he did it by taking the opposite approach from his teammate -- running the bottom of the track through Turns 1 and 2 rather than the top groove.
Busch and Mark Martin both ran 185.534 mph, with Busch getting the second starting spot for the fifth race of the season by virtue of a higher finish in last year's owners' standings.
* Out Front with Miss Coors Light: Denny and Rachel talk
Martin will start third, followed by series points leader Greg Biffle (185.510 mph) and Kasey Kahne, who also tied for the fourth spot, with Biffle winning the position on owner points.
Hamlin ran a spectacular lap despite ignoring the example of teammate and eighth-place qualifier Joey Logano, who ran the top of the track and picked a line through the corner many drivers who followed him in the qualifying order sought to emulate.
Hamlin thought the gusty wind would have more of an effect on the high line, and the driver of the No. 11 Toyota had run the bottom of the track during his mock qualifying runs in practice.
"Everyone had a different way of doing it," Hamlin said. "It seemed like there were some guys who were five lanes up and some who just worked their way down. We were one of the few cars that ran all the way on the bottom.
"That's where we practiced, and I didn't want to change that. I'd done all my qualifying runs early in the day and practiced race runs on the bottom. Really, I think I would have been less efficient running the top, even though it might have been faster. My safest route was to take the bottom, and I just took what it gave us."
After seeing Logano take the provisional pole with his run on the top in the first two corners, Busch did the same.
"I've never run 1 and 2 up in the third lane like that," Busch said. "I think Joey kind of started the trend there, and a lot of people picked up it and started running some really good times. And lo, and behold, one of the only guys that runs the bottom -- Denny -- beats you."
A Toyota driver has never won a Cup race at Fontana, but with Camrys in the top three positions on the grid, the odds have improved for the Japanese car maker.
Robby Gordon, Joe Nemechek and rookie Timmy Hill failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Nemechek had not missed a Sprint Cup event since failing to qualifying at Phoenix in November 2010. Friday's DNQ broke a string of 41 consecutive successful attempts.
Hamlin circled the two-mile track in 38.626 seconds (186.403 mph) to claim his second Coors Light pole award at Fontana and the 10th of his career, and he did it by taking the opposite approach from his teammate -- running the bottom of the track through Turns 1 and 2 rather than the top groove.
Busch and Mark Martin both ran 185.534 mph, with Busch getting the second starting spot for the fifth race of the season by virtue of a higher finish in last year's owners' standings.
* Out Front with Miss Coors Light: Denny and Rachel talk
Martin will start third, followed by series points leader Greg Biffle (185.510 mph) and Kasey Kahne, who also tied for the fourth spot, with Biffle winning the position on owner points.
Hamlin ran a spectacular lap despite ignoring the example of teammate and eighth-place qualifier Joey Logano, who ran the top of the track and picked a line through the corner many drivers who followed him in the qualifying order sought to emulate.
Hamlin thought the gusty wind would have more of an effect on the high line, and the driver of the No. 11 Toyota had run the bottom of the track during his mock qualifying runs in practice.
"Everyone had a different way of doing it," Hamlin said. "It seemed like there were some guys who were five lanes up and some who just worked their way down. We were one of the few cars that ran all the way on the bottom.
"That's where we practiced, and I didn't want to change that. I'd done all my qualifying runs early in the day and practiced race runs on the bottom. Really, I think I would have been less efficient running the top, even though it might have been faster. My safest route was to take the bottom, and I just took what it gave us."
After seeing Logano take the provisional pole with his run on the top in the first two corners, Busch did the same.
"I've never run 1 and 2 up in the third lane like that," Busch said. "I think Joey kind of started the trend there, and a lot of people picked up it and started running some really good times. And lo, and behold, one of the only guys that runs the bottom -- Denny -- beats you."
A Toyota driver has never won a Cup race at Fontana, but with Camrys in the top three positions on the grid, the odds have improved for the Japanese car maker.
Robby Gordon, Joe Nemechek and rookie Timmy Hill failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Nemechek had not missed a Sprint Cup event since failing to qualifying at Phoenix in November 2010. Friday's DNQ broke a string of 41 consecutive successful attempts.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Keselowski Looking to change results
FONTANA, Calif. -- Keeping momentum going after a Cup Series victory can be a very difficult task, especially early in the season. In four races there have been four different winners, four different manufacturers in Victory Lane and only five drivers have two or more top-fives. The reason is the Cup Series has been on four very different and unique tracks. That trend continues Sunday as the Cup Series makes its annual visit to Auto Club Speedway.
Last week's winner at Bristol, Brad Keselowski, recognizes just how challenging going from the .533-mile short track to the wide, fast two-mile Fontana, Calif., oval will be.
For me, it's great to have won last week, but that win doesn't guarantee any performance here at Fontana.
"It's a big change," Keselowski said. "I think that if you look at the schedule and the first five races, we've covered every genre that we can. From restrictor-plate tracks to a one-mile flat track in Phoenix to a mile-and-a-half, high-banked track in Vegas and Bristol, the very short, high-banked track and now a flat, two-mile track [at Fontana]. We've covered all the genres that we can. It's a real test of any team.
"For me, it's great to have won last week, but that win doesn't guarantee any performance here at Fontana. It's going to come down to aerodynamics and platform control here at Fontana. It's going to be a different race for sure."
The challenge is even greater for Keselowski because Fontana just hasn't been kind to him in his short Cup career. What makes it more interesting is the driver of the No. 2 Dodge has been successful at Michigan and Kansas, tracks similar to Fontana's wide-open layout.
"Up until last year here, I'd say that I've never run well at the big, flat tracks at the Cup level," Keselowski said. "We had some success at Kansas, which I think is the most similar track to this, how it widens out. I feel like we've had some success at Michigan as well. I think that we've made the cars a lot better. I don't feel like that I've had a good car here at the Cup level."
If Saturday's practice speeds are any indication, that trend is about to change.
Keselowski was seventh in the first practice with a speed of 183.875 mph and fell slightly with a lap of 180.424 mph, the 11th-fastest in Happy Hour.
Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin paced first practice with a lap of 186.018 mph followed by Matt Kenseth (185.209), Ryan Newman (184.928), Tony Stewart (184.554) and Kevin Harvick (184.270).
In final practice, Hamlin continued to show he is one of the drivers to beat this weekend with a lap of 182.034 mph. Jeff Gordon had a huge improvement from the first to second practice. The No. 24 was second-fastest (181.360) in Happy Hour after running 17th in the first practice. Clint Boywer (181.214), Jamie McMurray (181.132) and Kyle Busch (181.050) rounded out the top five.
With an average finish of 24.3 and three finishes of 21st or worse in three Cup starts, Fontana ranks as Keselowski's third-worst track behind Daytona and Las Vegas. But despite dismal results in Los Angeles' Inland Empire, Keselowski enjoys his annual visit.
"I've never disliked [Fontana]. I like coming to a wide track to race on," Keselowski said. "This place, you get a really big draft down the front straightaway when the pack gets together on a restart and that really causes some great racing when we get to Turn 1. I was in one of those great races, in a big wreck because of it. It's still really cool to get that big run off of Turn 4 and feel that big effect of the draft here. It's one of the most interesting things about Fontana."
Keselowski will start Sunday's race 17th -- a career-best at Fontana. So perhaps this is the year he will break through. Keselowski feels all he needs is one good race to reverse his fortune at Fontana and after Saturday's practices, that hopefulness will be in the cockpit Sunday.
"I feel like, as a driver, that you just need to go to a track, have one good car there and it can completely change your outlook because you get a feel for what you need to perform there," Keselowski said. "Then you're able to replicate it when you come back; maybe your car isn't right and you know what to do to it to make it right.
"This track is one that I've never gotten that feel. Whether the car wasn't right to begin with or I wasn't able to tune it in, who knows. It could be all of the above. I've never gotten that here. I feel that we can get there, especially how we've performed at the Nationwide level before. We have a lot of reason for optimism."
Last week's winner at Bristol, Brad Keselowski, recognizes just how challenging going from the .533-mile short track to the wide, fast two-mile Fontana, Calif., oval will be.
For me, it's great to have won last week, but that win doesn't guarantee any performance here at Fontana.
"It's a big change," Keselowski said. "I think that if you look at the schedule and the first five races, we've covered every genre that we can. From restrictor-plate tracks to a one-mile flat track in Phoenix to a mile-and-a-half, high-banked track in Vegas and Bristol, the very short, high-banked track and now a flat, two-mile track [at Fontana]. We've covered all the genres that we can. It's a real test of any team.
"For me, it's great to have won last week, but that win doesn't guarantee any performance here at Fontana. It's going to come down to aerodynamics and platform control here at Fontana. It's going to be a different race for sure."
The challenge is even greater for Keselowski because Fontana just hasn't been kind to him in his short Cup career. What makes it more interesting is the driver of the No. 2 Dodge has been successful at Michigan and Kansas, tracks similar to Fontana's wide-open layout.
"Up until last year here, I'd say that I've never run well at the big, flat tracks at the Cup level," Keselowski said. "We had some success at Kansas, which I think is the most similar track to this, how it widens out. I feel like we've had some success at Michigan as well. I think that we've made the cars a lot better. I don't feel like that I've had a good car here at the Cup level."
If Saturday's practice speeds are any indication, that trend is about to change.
Keselowski was seventh in the first practice with a speed of 183.875 mph and fell slightly with a lap of 180.424 mph, the 11th-fastest in Happy Hour.
Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin paced first practice with a lap of 186.018 mph followed by Matt Kenseth (185.209), Ryan Newman (184.928), Tony Stewart (184.554) and Kevin Harvick (184.270).
In final practice, Hamlin continued to show he is one of the drivers to beat this weekend with a lap of 182.034 mph. Jeff Gordon had a huge improvement from the first to second practice. The No. 24 was second-fastest (181.360) in Happy Hour after running 17th in the first practice. Clint Boywer (181.214), Jamie McMurray (181.132) and Kyle Busch (181.050) rounded out the top five.
With an average finish of 24.3 and three finishes of 21st or worse in three Cup starts, Fontana ranks as Keselowski's third-worst track behind Daytona and Las Vegas. But despite dismal results in Los Angeles' Inland Empire, Keselowski enjoys his annual visit.
"I've never disliked [Fontana]. I like coming to a wide track to race on," Keselowski said. "This place, you get a really big draft down the front straightaway when the pack gets together on a restart and that really causes some great racing when we get to Turn 1. I was in one of those great races, in a big wreck because of it. It's still really cool to get that big run off of Turn 4 and feel that big effect of the draft here. It's one of the most interesting things about Fontana."
Keselowski will start Sunday's race 17th -- a career-best at Fontana. So perhaps this is the year he will break through. Keselowski feels all he needs is one good race to reverse his fortune at Fontana and after Saturday's practices, that hopefulness will be in the cockpit Sunday.
"I feel like, as a driver, that you just need to go to a track, have one good car there and it can completely change your outlook because you get a feel for what you need to perform there," Keselowski said. "Then you're able to replicate it when you come back; maybe your car isn't right and you know what to do to it to make it right.
"This track is one that I've never gotten that feel. Whether the car wasn't right to begin with or I wasn't able to tune it in, who knows. It could be all of the above. I've never gotten that here. I feel that we can get there, especially how we've performed at the Nationwide level before. We have a lot of reason for optimism."
Friday, March 23, 2012
Blue Bunny joins Johnson's Helmet of Hope for '12
FONTANA, Calif. -- Five-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson kicked off the 2012 Helmet of Hope campaign Friday at Auto Club Speedway by announcing Blue Bunny Ice Cream as the title sponsor of the program. Johnson unveiled this year's helmet, custom designed by Jason Beam and complete with ice cream scoops.
"We're thrilled to have Blue Bunny Ice Cream as the title sponsor for this year's Helmet of Hope," Johnson said. "Blue Bunny and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation share the same passion for helping those in need. We look forward to recognizing 13 great charities together this year."
To learn more, click here
The Helmet of Hope program, which began in 2008, allows fans, consumers and media members across the country to nominate their favorite charity to receive a $10,000 grant and special recognition on Johnson's race helmet. This year's Helmet of Hope campaign will run for six consecutive Sprint Cup race weekends beginning at Martinsville Speedway in April and culminating at Darlington Raceway in May. Nominations are currently being taken and will be accepted until 5 p.m. ET on May 7 at www.HelmetOfHope.org. To date, the program has contributed more than $300,000 to 49 different charities.
New this year, each selected charity also will receive a special Blue Bunny ice cream party. The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope will be worn by Johnson in June during the Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway.
"Blue Bunny is honored to be title sponsor for the Helmet of Hope program," said Mike Wells, president and CEO, Wells Enterprises Inc., makers of Blue Bunny Ice Cream. "The opportunity this program provides in assisting awarded organizations aligns with our company fundamentals and beliefs. We are committed to being a good corporate citizen in those communities in which we live and work by contributing our time, talent and resources."
Blue Bunny selected the United Way of Siouxland to be the first charity featured on the Helmet of Hope. The United Way of Siouxland raises funds for a variety of partner organizations in northwest Iowa, where Blue Bunny is based. The organization focuses on helping children achieve their potential, promoting financial stability, and ensuring basic "safety net" services are available for those in need. United Way of Siouxland will dedicate the dollars to the Imagination Library, a literacy program in partnership with Dolly Parton's Dollywood Foundation, which provides free books to area children from newborn to 5 years of age. In addition to United Way of Siouxland, Johnson will draw two charities each week to be included on the helmet, one from fan submissions and one from media submissions.
"We're thrilled to have Blue Bunny Ice Cream as the title sponsor for this year's Helmet of Hope," Johnson said. "Blue Bunny and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation share the same passion for helping those in need. We look forward to recognizing 13 great charities together this year."
To learn more, click here
The Helmet of Hope program, which began in 2008, allows fans, consumers and media members across the country to nominate their favorite charity to receive a $10,000 grant and special recognition on Johnson's race helmet. This year's Helmet of Hope campaign will run for six consecutive Sprint Cup race weekends beginning at Martinsville Speedway in April and culminating at Darlington Raceway in May. Nominations are currently being taken and will be accepted until 5 p.m. ET on May 7 at www.HelmetOfHope.org. To date, the program has contributed more than $300,000 to 49 different charities.
New this year, each selected charity also will receive a special Blue Bunny ice cream party. The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope will be worn by Johnson in June during the Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway.
"Blue Bunny is honored to be title sponsor for the Helmet of Hope program," said Mike Wells, president and CEO, Wells Enterprises Inc., makers of Blue Bunny Ice Cream. "The opportunity this program provides in assisting awarded organizations aligns with our company fundamentals and beliefs. We are committed to being a good corporate citizen in those communities in which we live and work by contributing our time, talent and resources."
Blue Bunny selected the United Way of Siouxland to be the first charity featured on the Helmet of Hope. The United Way of Siouxland raises funds for a variety of partner organizations in northwest Iowa, where Blue Bunny is based. The organization focuses on helping children achieve their potential, promoting financial stability, and ensuring basic "safety net" services are available for those in need. United Way of Siouxland will dedicate the dollars to the Imagination Library, a literacy program in partnership with Dolly Parton's Dollywood Foundation, which provides free books to area children from newborn to 5 years of age. In addition to United Way of Siouxland, Johnson will draw two charities each week to be included on the helmet, one from fan submissions and one from media submissions.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Six-race suspension of Knaus, Malec overturned
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook overturned on Tuesday an earlier ruling by the governing body that had threatened to cripple the No. 48 team of driver Jimmie Johnson for the 2012 season.
In doing so, Middlebrook rescinded the loss of 25 Sprint Cup championship driver and car owner points assessed, and also rescinded six-week suspensions levied against crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec. The only penalty that remained in place was a $100,000 fine for Knaus -- while both he and Malec will remain on probation until May 9.
I'm glad it's over with, for sure. It's been a tough 30 days for everybody. Everyone on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports put a lot of effort into this to prove our innocence, and it proved worthwhile.
With the restoration of the 25 driver points to his total, Johnson made a jump Tuesday from 17th to 11th in the point standings heading into Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Related: Penalties rescinded on Knaus, No. 48 team
Team owner Rick Hendrick spearheaded the final appeal Tuesday, along with Knaus. They met for about six hours with Middlebrook and NASCAR officials who defended their decisions to levy the penalties in the first place -- before Middlebrook eventually made his ruling at about 3:45 p.m. ET.
"I'm glad this is over. It's been a long 30 days, I guess. I appreciate the opportunity that we were able to present all the facts," Hendrick said. "I'm happy with the outcome -- to see the points reinstated, to see Chad and all our guys reinstated. I would have liked to have seen the fine gone, too, because I don't see that there is any reason for any penalty."
Spokesman Kerry Tharp of NASCAR said the governing body stands by its inspection process, despite Middlebrook's ruling. He also said there was, by definition, a rules infraction because the $100,000 Knaus fine remained intact.
"We think the process speaks for itself, and we think it's a good, fair process," Tharp said. "I think there is still evidence that there was a rules infraction. The $100,000 fine is intact, so there was a rules infraction committed.
"I think we take on the responsibility of regulating that garage, and we take that very, very seriously. The ability for us to regulate the sport is paramount. We've got to be able to do that, and we will continue to do that, and we think the sport is better off for it."
Knaus added: "I'm glad it's over with, for sure. It's been a tough 30 days for everybody. Everyone on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports put a lot of effort into this to prove our innocence, and it proved worthwhile."
The penalties were assessed by NASCAR prior to Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway for alleged illegal modifications to the C-posts on the No. 48 car, which could provide a race car with an aerodynamic advantage. The C-posts are supports that extend from the roof to the rear deck lid on a race car.
Knaus and Malec initially each were issued six-week suspensions. In addition, Johnson was docked 25 driver points and the team also was docked 25 owner points. (Johnson's car owner technically is fellow driver Jeff Gordon, not Hendrick).
Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, had said last Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway that he remained "optimistic" the penalties would be reduced or possibly even overturned altogether. After having an initial appeal denied by a three-member NASCAR appeals board on March 13, Tuesday's appeal was the final such opportunity for Hendrick Motorsports to make that happen.
Johnson's reason for optimism stemmed from the fact that Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive, had prior to Tuesday reduced suspensions in all three appeals he had heard since being appointed to his current position in 2010. In only one of those cases did the penalties being appealed involve points as well as suspensions, however, and in that case Middlebrook did not reduce the points penalty.
Hendrick said his company produced "about 20 photos" and 10-15 pages of detailed documentation proving that they had attempted to comply with NASCAR regulations regarding the C-posts at every turn. Knaus earlier contended that the same C-post configuration had been run on the No. 48 car on all four restrictor-plate races last season, and that each time the car had passed multiple inspections both at the track and at NASCAR's R&D Center.
Hendrick said his team also argued there were other cars at Daytona whose C-posts were called into question during visual inspections and that NASCAR allowed those teams to then work on their cars before presenting them for inspection again. He said the No. 48 car was not given that same opportunity -- and insisted that the car had not been altered in any way after passing a detailed inspection at the R&D Center itself in January, prior to taking the car to Daytona in February.
Asked if he felt vindicated, Knaus said: "To a degree. Obviously we're not very happy about the fine. That's an awful lot of money for something that really, obviously, proved to be OK. So that hurts a little bit.
"But it's not about vindication. It's over with. Now it's time to move on and get our focus back on trying to make the Chase and seeing what we can do with the No. 48 team again."
In doing so, Middlebrook rescinded the loss of 25 Sprint Cup championship driver and car owner points assessed, and also rescinded six-week suspensions levied against crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec. The only penalty that remained in place was a $100,000 fine for Knaus -- while both he and Malec will remain on probation until May 9.
I'm glad it's over with, for sure. It's been a tough 30 days for everybody. Everyone on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports put a lot of effort into this to prove our innocence, and it proved worthwhile.
With the restoration of the 25 driver points to his total, Johnson made a jump Tuesday from 17th to 11th in the point standings heading into Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Related: Penalties rescinded on Knaus, No. 48 team
Team owner Rick Hendrick spearheaded the final appeal Tuesday, along with Knaus. They met for about six hours with Middlebrook and NASCAR officials who defended their decisions to levy the penalties in the first place -- before Middlebrook eventually made his ruling at about 3:45 p.m. ET.
"I'm glad this is over. It's been a long 30 days, I guess. I appreciate the opportunity that we were able to present all the facts," Hendrick said. "I'm happy with the outcome -- to see the points reinstated, to see Chad and all our guys reinstated. I would have liked to have seen the fine gone, too, because I don't see that there is any reason for any penalty."
Spokesman Kerry Tharp of NASCAR said the governing body stands by its inspection process, despite Middlebrook's ruling. He also said there was, by definition, a rules infraction because the $100,000 Knaus fine remained intact.
"We think the process speaks for itself, and we think it's a good, fair process," Tharp said. "I think there is still evidence that there was a rules infraction. The $100,000 fine is intact, so there was a rules infraction committed.
"I think we take on the responsibility of regulating that garage, and we take that very, very seriously. The ability for us to regulate the sport is paramount. We've got to be able to do that, and we will continue to do that, and we think the sport is better off for it."
Knaus added: "I'm glad it's over with, for sure. It's been a tough 30 days for everybody. Everyone on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports put a lot of effort into this to prove our innocence, and it proved worthwhile."
The penalties were assessed by NASCAR prior to Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway for alleged illegal modifications to the C-posts on the No. 48 car, which could provide a race car with an aerodynamic advantage. The C-posts are supports that extend from the roof to the rear deck lid on a race car.
Knaus and Malec initially each were issued six-week suspensions. In addition, Johnson was docked 25 driver points and the team also was docked 25 owner points. (Johnson's car owner technically is fellow driver Jeff Gordon, not Hendrick).
Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, had said last Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway that he remained "optimistic" the penalties would be reduced or possibly even overturned altogether. After having an initial appeal denied by a three-member NASCAR appeals board on March 13, Tuesday's appeal was the final such opportunity for Hendrick Motorsports to make that happen.
Johnson's reason for optimism stemmed from the fact that Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive, had prior to Tuesday reduced suspensions in all three appeals he had heard since being appointed to his current position in 2010. In only one of those cases did the penalties being appealed involve points as well as suspensions, however, and in that case Middlebrook did not reduce the points penalty.
Hendrick said his company produced "about 20 photos" and 10-15 pages of detailed documentation proving that they had attempted to comply with NASCAR regulations regarding the C-posts at every turn. Knaus earlier contended that the same C-post configuration had been run on the No. 48 car on all four restrictor-plate races last season, and that each time the car had passed multiple inspections both at the track and at NASCAR's R&D Center.
Hendrick said his team also argued there were other cars at Daytona whose C-posts were called into question during visual inspections and that NASCAR allowed those teams to then work on their cars before presenting them for inspection again. He said the No. 48 car was not given that same opportunity -- and insisted that the car had not been altered in any way after passing a detailed inspection at the R&D Center itself in January, prior to taking the car to Daytona in February.
Asked if he felt vindicated, Knaus said: "To a degree. Obviously we're not very happy about the fine. That's an awful lot of money for something that really, obviously, proved to be OK. So that hurts a little bit.
"But it's not about vindication. It's over with. Now it's time to move on and get our focus back on trying to make the Chase and seeing what we can do with the No. 48 team again."
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Knaus, No. 48 team down to final appeal
Chad Knaus is down to his last stand.
The crew chief on Jimmie Johnson's team should find out Tuesday whether he will have to serve all or part of the six-week suspension handed down by NASCAR for illegal body modifications made to the No. 48 car prior to the Daytona 500. A final appeal of Knaus' suspension and other penalties levied for the Daytona infractions is slated to be heard at the NASCAR Research and Development Center by John Middlebrook, the chief appellate officer of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel.
Ruling not appealing
An appeals board ruled in favor of the penalties levied against the No. 48 team, leaving owner Rick Hendrick with one more option.
Panel upholds all penalties
Off to chief appellate officer
Johnson still optimistic
Sound Off: Johnson upbeat
Caraviello: Carnival breaks out
H2H: A must win?
Knaus' Hendrick Motorsports team lost a preliminary appeal last week to a three-member board from the appeals panel, but NASCAR's appeals system allows the team one final plea. Knaus has been working in the interim pending the appeals process, but if NASCAR's penalty is upheld Tuesday, the crew chief would be forced to sit beginning with this weekend's event at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.
"If things stand, it will be a huge blow to the team," Johnson said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I feel like we can work through it and still have a chance to win races, but it would be very difficult."
In initial inspection prior to the Daytona 500, officials confiscated the No. 48 car's C-pillars -- the posts that run from the roof to the rear deck lid -- for allegedly being modified to give the vehicle an aerodynamic advantage. Although the car never made it onto the race track with the parts in question, the sanctioning body still came down hard. Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were each suspended six races, Knaus was fined $100,000, and Johnson was docked 25 driver points.
Hendrick Motorsports has argued the car in question has competed in other restrictor-plate races, and passed inspection on those weekends without incident. Hendrick and team vice president, Ken Howes, made that argument last week to a three-person appeals panel comprised of Leo Mehl, a former executive at Goodyear and the Indy Racing League; Dale Pinilis, operator of Bowman Gray Stadium, a short track in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Jon Capels, former chairman of the United States Auto Club. The trio unanimously upheld NASCAR's penalties.
Now the team's case comes down to a final appeal to Middlebrook, a retired General Motors executive who has a long relationship with Hendrick, who fields Chevrolets in NASCAR and operates a number of car dealerships. In 2010, Middlebrook reduced a monetary fine and a suspension levied against the crew chief of Clint Bowyer's former No. 33 team at Richard Childress Racing, but upheld a points deduction.
"I have hope that this next appeal will be heard and we will have a different outcome," Johnson said. "There is no telling how it is all going to shake out."
If the penalties are not overturned or reduced, Knaus and Malec will sit out until the May 12 event at Darlington Raceway, and the No. 48 team will need to find someone else to call the next six races. And Johnson would remain 17th in the Sprint Cup standings, thanks to a penalty that left him with negative points in the immediate aftermath of the Daytona 500.
"I feel like that Hendrick Motorsports definitely feels like there is a reason to be appealing, or we wouldn't be taking this next step," said Jeff Gordon, who is the listed owner of Johnson's No. 48 car. "Whatever the decision that is made, we will live with it and move on. We feel like we are in the right and [NASCAR] feel like they are, and that's why there is an appeal process."
The crew chief on Jimmie Johnson's team should find out Tuesday whether he will have to serve all or part of the six-week suspension handed down by NASCAR for illegal body modifications made to the No. 48 car prior to the Daytona 500. A final appeal of Knaus' suspension and other penalties levied for the Daytona infractions is slated to be heard at the NASCAR Research and Development Center by John Middlebrook, the chief appellate officer of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel.
Ruling not appealing
An appeals board ruled in favor of the penalties levied against the No. 48 team, leaving owner Rick Hendrick with one more option.
Panel upholds all penalties
Off to chief appellate officer
Johnson still optimistic
Sound Off: Johnson upbeat
Caraviello: Carnival breaks out
H2H: A must win?
Knaus' Hendrick Motorsports team lost a preliminary appeal last week to a three-member board from the appeals panel, but NASCAR's appeals system allows the team one final plea. Knaus has been working in the interim pending the appeals process, but if NASCAR's penalty is upheld Tuesday, the crew chief would be forced to sit beginning with this weekend's event at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.
"If things stand, it will be a huge blow to the team," Johnson said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I feel like we can work through it and still have a chance to win races, but it would be very difficult."
In initial inspection prior to the Daytona 500, officials confiscated the No. 48 car's C-pillars -- the posts that run from the roof to the rear deck lid -- for allegedly being modified to give the vehicle an aerodynamic advantage. Although the car never made it onto the race track with the parts in question, the sanctioning body still came down hard. Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were each suspended six races, Knaus was fined $100,000, and Johnson was docked 25 driver points.
Hendrick Motorsports has argued the car in question has competed in other restrictor-plate races, and passed inspection on those weekends without incident. Hendrick and team vice president, Ken Howes, made that argument last week to a three-person appeals panel comprised of Leo Mehl, a former executive at Goodyear and the Indy Racing League; Dale Pinilis, operator of Bowman Gray Stadium, a short track in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Jon Capels, former chairman of the United States Auto Club. The trio unanimously upheld NASCAR's penalties.
Now the team's case comes down to a final appeal to Middlebrook, a retired General Motors executive who has a long relationship with Hendrick, who fields Chevrolets in NASCAR and operates a number of car dealerships. In 2010, Middlebrook reduced a monetary fine and a suspension levied against the crew chief of Clint Bowyer's former No. 33 team at Richard Childress Racing, but upheld a points deduction.
"I have hope that this next appeal will be heard and we will have a different outcome," Johnson said. "There is no telling how it is all going to shake out."
If the penalties are not overturned or reduced, Knaus and Malec will sit out until the May 12 event at Darlington Raceway, and the No. 48 team will need to find someone else to call the next six races. And Johnson would remain 17th in the Sprint Cup standings, thanks to a penalty that left him with negative points in the immediate aftermath of the Daytona 500.
"I feel like that Hendrick Motorsports definitely feels like there is a reason to be appealing, or we wouldn't be taking this next step," said Jeff Gordon, who is the listed owner of Johnson's No. 48 car. "Whatever the decision that is made, we will live with it and move on. We feel like we are in the right and [NASCAR] feel like they are, and that's why there is an appeal process."
Monday, March 19, 2012
Earnhardt finds solace after late-race incidents
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- By his own admission, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to have to do some damage control this week.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver was racing for position with teammate Jeff Gordon on Lap 359 of Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway when he made the slightest contact with the No. 24 car. But it was evidently enough for the exhaust pipes peeking out from beneath his vehicle to cut down Gordon's left-rear tire, and send the four-time champion spinning up into the outside wall
I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car, and they had a good run going.
Gordon, who had one of the stronger cars in the early-going, lost dozens of laps for repairs and finished 35th. In perhaps a bit of cosmic retribution, Earnhardt was in line for a good finish until he was penalized for being too fast on pit road during the afternoon's final round of stops, and wound up 15th.
"I'm upset that I screwed myself on pit road speeding there. I'm pretty upset about that," Earnhardt said. "Otherwise, I feel bad about running into Jeff's car, and I had a good day other than that. I had a good time. Long green-flag run, man. That put us all to the test. I was watching for somebody to fall out of the seat. I don't know who did and who didn't, but I was watching for a couple of them to pull over."
Earnhardt ran in the top 10 for most of the day, and almost certainly would have finished there if not for the late penalty. Gordon spent much of Sunday before the accident in the top five, and seemed one of the contenders for the victory until he and Earnhardt raced side-by-side late in the race. The contact between the two cars as they came off a corner was almost unnoticeable, but it was just enough -- and the cars were aligned just so -- for the edge of the exhaust pipes on the No. 88 to cut down a tire on the No. 24.
"I think we bumped more than we should have is the way it looks like," said Gordon, who fell six spots in points to 23rd. "We definitely didn't hit in the right location, because I think the tailpipe or something just cut the left-rear immediately. We didn't hit that hard. We were a little bit too tight and he was pretty good on the restart there, and we were racing hard. I know that it wasn't intentional, but it certainly ruined our day. ... There were times we had the best car out there and I think we could have got back to that before this thing was over."
After the incident, Earnhardt immediately radioed his crew an apology to be sent to Gordon. He said following the race that he would sit down with his teammate this week to ensure everything is fine between them. "I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car, and they had a good run going. They had a potential win, or good finish going too, and they deserve it," Earnhardt said.
"We were racing really hard. It was fun," he added. "If there is a track where you can lean on each other a little bit, then this ought to be the place. We just barely rubbed down the back straightaway."
If anything, the speeding penalty seemed to eat at Earnhardt more, and with good reason. Earnhardt was sixth when Tony Stewart bounced off the wall to bring out the event's final yellow, but has to go to the rear of the lead lap after his vehicle was ticketed for speeding. NASCAR added two additional timing lines to each side of Bristol's split pit road this weekend, in reaction to an August race when some drivers took advantage of the gaps between the timed areas by speeding between them.
"I was told I was speeding on the back, but if anywhere, I was speeding on the front," Earnhardt said. "I don't know. This place is probably hard to tell exactly what is happening. I don't really trust those timing lines too much. If they say so, I guess we were speeding. It's a difficult way to give up a good finish. We ran hard. We worked hard all day."
Post-Race Reactions: Earnhardt, others weigh in on Bristol race
Earnhardt fell two positions to sixth in points with the finish, but took solace in an afternoon where his No. 88 car ran with the leaders almost the entire race. His effort at Bristol came one week after he led 70 laps at Las Vegas before finishing 10th.
"We're showing all the signs of any of these other guys capable of running up front and maybe winning us a race or two this year," Earnhardt said. "We're going to keep it up. I'm going to take all the positives I can out of this one. We ran good. We didn't run good last year. We struggled and just kind of limped around and made something out of nothing. [Sunday] we ran good, and I feel good about that."
The Hendrick Motorsports driver was racing for position with teammate Jeff Gordon on Lap 359 of Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway when he made the slightest contact with the No. 24 car. But it was evidently enough for the exhaust pipes peeking out from beneath his vehicle to cut down Gordon's left-rear tire, and send the four-time champion spinning up into the outside wall
I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car, and they had a good run going.
Gordon, who had one of the stronger cars in the early-going, lost dozens of laps for repairs and finished 35th. In perhaps a bit of cosmic retribution, Earnhardt was in line for a good finish until he was penalized for being too fast on pit road during the afternoon's final round of stops, and wound up 15th.
"I'm upset that I screwed myself on pit road speeding there. I'm pretty upset about that," Earnhardt said. "Otherwise, I feel bad about running into Jeff's car, and I had a good day other than that. I had a good time. Long green-flag run, man. That put us all to the test. I was watching for somebody to fall out of the seat. I don't know who did and who didn't, but I was watching for a couple of them to pull over."
Earnhardt ran in the top 10 for most of the day, and almost certainly would have finished there if not for the late penalty. Gordon spent much of Sunday before the accident in the top five, and seemed one of the contenders for the victory until he and Earnhardt raced side-by-side late in the race. The contact between the two cars as they came off a corner was almost unnoticeable, but it was just enough -- and the cars were aligned just so -- for the edge of the exhaust pipes on the No. 88 to cut down a tire on the No. 24.
"I think we bumped more than we should have is the way it looks like," said Gordon, who fell six spots in points to 23rd. "We definitely didn't hit in the right location, because I think the tailpipe or something just cut the left-rear immediately. We didn't hit that hard. We were a little bit too tight and he was pretty good on the restart there, and we were racing hard. I know that it wasn't intentional, but it certainly ruined our day. ... There were times we had the best car out there and I think we could have got back to that before this thing was over."
After the incident, Earnhardt immediately radioed his crew an apology to be sent to Gordon. He said following the race that he would sit down with his teammate this week to ensure everything is fine between them. "I'm going to have to do some damage control this week. I know Jeff understands what was going on out there, but his boys work real hard on their car, and they had a good run going. They had a potential win, or good finish going too, and they deserve it," Earnhardt said.
"We were racing really hard. It was fun," he added. "If there is a track where you can lean on each other a little bit, then this ought to be the place. We just barely rubbed down the back straightaway."
If anything, the speeding penalty seemed to eat at Earnhardt more, and with good reason. Earnhardt was sixth when Tony Stewart bounced off the wall to bring out the event's final yellow, but has to go to the rear of the lead lap after his vehicle was ticketed for speeding. NASCAR added two additional timing lines to each side of Bristol's split pit road this weekend, in reaction to an August race when some drivers took advantage of the gaps between the timed areas by speeding between them.
"I was told I was speeding on the back, but if anywhere, I was speeding on the front," Earnhardt said. "I don't know. This place is probably hard to tell exactly what is happening. I don't really trust those timing lines too much. If they say so, I guess we were speeding. It's a difficult way to give up a good finish. We ran hard. We worked hard all day."
Post-Race Reactions: Earnhardt, others weigh in on Bristol race
Earnhardt fell two positions to sixth in points with the finish, but took solace in an afternoon where his No. 88 car ran with the leaders almost the entire race. His effort at Bristol came one week after he led 70 laps at Las Vegas before finishing 10th.
"We're showing all the signs of any of these other guys capable of running up front and maybe winning us a race or two this year," Earnhardt said. "We're going to keep it up. I'm going to take all the positives I can out of this one. We ran good. We didn't run good last year. We struggled and just kind of limped around and made something out of nothing. [Sunday] we ran good, and I feel good about that."
Friday, March 16, 2012
Johnson still optimistic about penalty appeal
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- While it appears most everyone else in NASCAR seems to think the chances of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team having its recent penalties reduced or dismissed are all but over, Jimmie Johnson apparently did not receive that memo.
Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, said Friday that he's still "optimistic" the penalties assessed for alleged illegal modifications to his race car prior to Speedweeks in Daytona will be reduced or possibly even overturned altogether. After having an initial appeal denied by a three-member NASCAR appeals board last Tuesday, the team has one final opportunity to have its case heard this Tuesday when it will be presented before NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook.
An appeals board ruled in favor of the penalties levied against the No. 48 team, leaving owner Rick Hendrick with one more option.
Panel upholds all penalties
Off to chief appellate officer
Caraviello: Carnival breaks out
H2H: A must win?
"We clearly feel that we have a point to make, and that's why we continue to go through the process and appeal this thing," Johnson said. "We certainly will with this next and final step."
Johnson has some reason to be optimistic. Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive, has reduced suspensions in all three appeals he's heard since being appointed to his current position in 2010. In only one of those cases did the penalties being appealed involve points as well as suspensions, however, and in that case Middlebrook did not reduce the points penalty.
The penalties were assessed by NASCAR for alleged illegal modifications to the C-posts on the No. 48 car, which could provide a race car with an aerodynamic advantage. Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec each were issued six-week suspensions, and Knaus also was fined $100,000. In addition, Johnson was docked 25 driver points and the team also was docked 25 owner points.
Meanwhile, until the final appeal is heard, Knaus and Malec were at Bristol on Friday to help prepare Johnson's car for Sunday's Food City 500.
And while Johnson insisted he is optimistic about not losing two key members of his team for six weeks beginning with the March 25 race at Auto Club Speedway, he admitted he's thinking he needs to put the No. 48 car in Victory Lane -- and soon. The five-time Sprint Cup champions enters Sunday's race 23rd in the point standings, 64 behind leader Greg Biffle, and certainly would benefit greatly from restoration of some or all of the 25 points he lost via the penalty.
He also would benefit greatly from adding a victory to the back-to-back strong finishes he posted at Phoenix and Las Vegas after a second-lap wreck took him out in the Daytona 500.
"We've really tried to rule out that mindset, or that reality of what could be there if Chad has to sit out," said Johnson, who finished fourth at Phoenix and second last Sunday at Las Vegas. "And I've looked at it more like that 42nd at Daytona is not the way you want to start out. So either way, it's really sort of the same. We're either down a ton of points or at least some points, depending on what happens when the final appeal takes place.
"So race wins are at a premium and at the top of my mind right now. I think all drivers look at the Chase and say, 'If I could win two or three races right now, that's either enough points or will be enough as a wild card to carry you in.' So right now we're just focused on getting as many race wins and as many points as we possibly can."
Johnson insisted he has been so confident in winning the appeal that no definitive backup plan is in place for the potential dual losses of Knaus and Malec. Multiple sources have indicated, however, that Knaus likely will be replaced as crew chief during any suspension by Larry Carter -- the former general manager at Rusty Wallace Inc. who joined Hendrick Motorsports last January.
"To be honest with you, we haven't worked on the backup plan," Johnson said. "We put a lot of faith in what took place last Tuesday, and we thought everything would be overturned. We were shocked by the penalties to start with.
"In case things don't change, we're not overly concerned because of the depth we have in the organization. But at the same time, we understand the importance of chemistry in this sport -- and Chad and I have great chemistry. Ron Malec, for that matter, and the way he runs the team is part of it all as well."
The way things are now, if they stand, it will be a huge blow to the team.
Teammate Jeff Gordon noted that when Knaus served a previous suspension at the beginning of the 2006 season, Johnson won the Daytona 500 with Darian Grubb subbing for Knaus atop the No. 48 pit box.
"For me it would be a disruption," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevy for Hendrick. "For Jimmie Johnson, it doesn't seem to be. I think the sign of a good crew chief is that when they step away -- say whatever takes them away for a test or a race weekend or several race weekends -- I think a testament of a great leader is someone who can step away and someone either underneath them or people he puts in place can still follow through and execute as if they didn't skip a beat.
"I think everybody knows that Chad is one of the best crew chiefs out there, if not the best, and he's valuable. But you've got to give Jimmie and the team and everything Chad has orchestrated and put together a lot more credit. And I think if [the final appeal being denied] were to be the case, I think they'll show just like they have in previous years that they're still going to be a team to battle for the win whether Chad's here or not. Because basically, his influence is always going to be here."
Perhaps, but Johnson did acknowledge that losing Knaus and Malec for six weeks would equate to a twist of the knife in a gaping wound already created by the 25-point penalty.
"The way things are now, if they stand, it will be a huge blow to the team," Johnson said. "I feel like we can work through it and still have a chance to win races, but it will be very, very difficult. And then you look at the points that are lost, 25 points is a big number. That puts the premium back on winning -- but then having your crew chief and your car chief [suspended] would make winning that much more difficult.
"So it's a double-edged sword. It's not an easy deal to go through and that's why we're fighting it. That's why we're going through with the final appeal. ... I'm definitely disappointed about what happened last Tuesday. I hope that this next appeal will be heard and will have a different outcome. But there's no telling how it will all shake out."
Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, said Friday that he's still "optimistic" the penalties assessed for alleged illegal modifications to his race car prior to Speedweeks in Daytona will be reduced or possibly even overturned altogether. After having an initial appeal denied by a three-member NASCAR appeals board last Tuesday, the team has one final opportunity to have its case heard this Tuesday when it will be presented before NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook.
An appeals board ruled in favor of the penalties levied against the No. 48 team, leaving owner Rick Hendrick with one more option.
Panel upholds all penalties
Off to chief appellate officer
Caraviello: Carnival breaks out
H2H: A must win?
"We clearly feel that we have a point to make, and that's why we continue to go through the process and appeal this thing," Johnson said. "We certainly will with this next and final step."
Johnson has some reason to be optimistic. Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive, has reduced suspensions in all three appeals he's heard since being appointed to his current position in 2010. In only one of those cases did the penalties being appealed involve points as well as suspensions, however, and in that case Middlebrook did not reduce the points penalty.
The penalties were assessed by NASCAR for alleged illegal modifications to the C-posts on the No. 48 car, which could provide a race car with an aerodynamic advantage. Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec each were issued six-week suspensions, and Knaus also was fined $100,000. In addition, Johnson was docked 25 driver points and the team also was docked 25 owner points.
Meanwhile, until the final appeal is heard, Knaus and Malec were at Bristol on Friday to help prepare Johnson's car for Sunday's Food City 500.
And while Johnson insisted he is optimistic about not losing two key members of his team for six weeks beginning with the March 25 race at Auto Club Speedway, he admitted he's thinking he needs to put the No. 48 car in Victory Lane -- and soon. The five-time Sprint Cup champions enters Sunday's race 23rd in the point standings, 64 behind leader Greg Biffle, and certainly would benefit greatly from restoration of some or all of the 25 points he lost via the penalty.
He also would benefit greatly from adding a victory to the back-to-back strong finishes he posted at Phoenix and Las Vegas after a second-lap wreck took him out in the Daytona 500.
"We've really tried to rule out that mindset, or that reality of what could be there if Chad has to sit out," said Johnson, who finished fourth at Phoenix and second last Sunday at Las Vegas. "And I've looked at it more like that 42nd at Daytona is not the way you want to start out. So either way, it's really sort of the same. We're either down a ton of points or at least some points, depending on what happens when the final appeal takes place.
"So race wins are at a premium and at the top of my mind right now. I think all drivers look at the Chase and say, 'If I could win two or three races right now, that's either enough points or will be enough as a wild card to carry you in.' So right now we're just focused on getting as many race wins and as many points as we possibly can."
Johnson insisted he has been so confident in winning the appeal that no definitive backup plan is in place for the potential dual losses of Knaus and Malec. Multiple sources have indicated, however, that Knaus likely will be replaced as crew chief during any suspension by Larry Carter -- the former general manager at Rusty Wallace Inc. who joined Hendrick Motorsports last January.
"To be honest with you, we haven't worked on the backup plan," Johnson said. "We put a lot of faith in what took place last Tuesday, and we thought everything would be overturned. We were shocked by the penalties to start with.
"In case things don't change, we're not overly concerned because of the depth we have in the organization. But at the same time, we understand the importance of chemistry in this sport -- and Chad and I have great chemistry. Ron Malec, for that matter, and the way he runs the team is part of it all as well."
The way things are now, if they stand, it will be a huge blow to the team.
Teammate Jeff Gordon noted that when Knaus served a previous suspension at the beginning of the 2006 season, Johnson won the Daytona 500 with Darian Grubb subbing for Knaus atop the No. 48 pit box.
"For me it would be a disruption," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevy for Hendrick. "For Jimmie Johnson, it doesn't seem to be. I think the sign of a good crew chief is that when they step away -- say whatever takes them away for a test or a race weekend or several race weekends -- I think a testament of a great leader is someone who can step away and someone either underneath them or people he puts in place can still follow through and execute as if they didn't skip a beat.
"I think everybody knows that Chad is one of the best crew chiefs out there, if not the best, and he's valuable. But you've got to give Jimmie and the team and everything Chad has orchestrated and put together a lot more credit. And I think if [the final appeal being denied] were to be the case, I think they'll show just like they have in previous years that they're still going to be a team to battle for the win whether Chad's here or not. Because basically, his influence is always going to be here."
Perhaps, but Johnson did acknowledge that losing Knaus and Malec for six weeks would equate to a twist of the knife in a gaping wound already created by the 25-point penalty.
"The way things are now, if they stand, it will be a huge blow to the team," Johnson said. "I feel like we can work through it and still have a chance to win races, but it will be very, very difficult. And then you look at the points that are lost, 25 points is a big number. That puts the premium back on winning -- but then having your crew chief and your car chief [suspended] would make winning that much more difficult.
"So it's a double-edged sword. It's not an easy deal to go through and that's why we're fighting it. That's why we're going through with the final appeal. ... I'm definitely disappointed about what happened last Tuesday. I hope that this next appeal will be heard and will have a different outcome. But there's no telling how it will all shake out."
Monday, March 12, 2012
Johnson pushes away more bad luck at Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- It seems like nothing is going right for a driver who went through a five-year period where nothing could go wrong.
The fates have seemingly turned their attention somewhere other than in Jimmie Johnson's direction.
"[There's] definitely a lot to be proud of [Sunday]. Look at our pit stops on pit road, the consistent speed we had there -- the consistently fast race car that we had all day long."
NASCAR officials declared Johnson's Daytona car illegal, resulting in a points reduction, fines and a six-week suspension for crew chief Chad Knaus -- all pending an appeal that will be heard Tuesday.
He didn't make a complete lap of the Daytona 500, getting caught up in a multi-car accident on Lap 1. And he wrecked his primary car in practice Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, forcing him to start at the tail end of the field in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400.
With all that in mind, it would have been easy for Johnson, Knaus and the entire No. 48 Chevrolet team to bemoan their misfortune. Instead, they told bad luck to take a flying leap.
Johnson not only accentuated the positive Sunday, he eliminated the negative. And with a second-place finish, the sun seemed a bit brighter, the sky a bit bluer on a season that started out gray and gloomy.
"[There's] definitely a lot to be proud of [Sunday]," Johnson said. "Look at our pit stops on pit road, the consistent speed we had there -- the consistently fast race car that we had all day long."
Johnson said the only hitch in his day was a bad set of tires that caused the No. 48 to fall back with about 50 laps remaining. But when the car was good, it was very, very good.
Johnson and Kyle Busch both went to backup cars -- and both made significant gains as soon as the green dropped. But while Busch seemed to stall out once he got into the top 20, Johnson continued to pick off cars and move through the field.
He moved into the top 10 by Lap 60 and took the lead for the first time 39 laps later. While others complained about "dirty air" in traffic, Johnson's car seemed to thrive on it.
"I don't know what the average speed was, but we're flying around here," Johnson said. "The faster you go, the more that clean air becomes a priority. Passing for the lead was tough. I worked my way all the way through the field. [It] took me forever to get by [Kenseth] on one of those runs for the lead itself.
"Luckily, we're on a track with multiple grooves and we can move around. [But] the first car definitely has an advantage."
Still, Johnson was right in the thick of it with Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart at the end. And he had his shot at Stewart not once, but twice on late-race restarts.
He admitted he spun the tires on the first one, but thought he might have the chance to pull up even with Stewart on the second. However, Johnson realized he needed the lane that Stewart was occupying.
"I felt like I got a good [restart]," Johnson said. "He still cruised away. My only chance was to be at his outside through [Turns] 1 and 2, but I didn't have that opportunity.
"He had the lane at that point. I drove my guts out, but just didn't get it done. On the short run, there was enough parity to get something done. That's why I'm frustrated with my restarts. If I could have got to his outside on the restart, I think I had a chance."
After the debacle that was Daytona, Johnson now has finishes of fourth and second -- and is heading for Bristol, where he's had four top-five finishes (including a win in 2010) in his past six starts.
Luck? Johnson doesn't believe in it, good or bad. But he does believe in his team and his equipment. And both are starting to show signs of improvement -- something that could mean ill fortune for the competition.
"We've worked so hard over the offseason to put speed in our cars, make them comfortable and consistent so I can get in there and not be on edge while driving it," Johnson said. "We've achieved that goal. We did some early testing in Nashville and Disney World.
"[And] we saw that we had a better product. That's had me very excited."
The fates have seemingly turned their attention somewhere other than in Jimmie Johnson's direction.
"[There's] definitely a lot to be proud of [Sunday]. Look at our pit stops on pit road, the consistent speed we had there -- the consistently fast race car that we had all day long."
NASCAR officials declared Johnson's Daytona car illegal, resulting in a points reduction, fines and a six-week suspension for crew chief Chad Knaus -- all pending an appeal that will be heard Tuesday.
He didn't make a complete lap of the Daytona 500, getting caught up in a multi-car accident on Lap 1. And he wrecked his primary car in practice Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, forcing him to start at the tail end of the field in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400.
With all that in mind, it would have been easy for Johnson, Knaus and the entire No. 48 Chevrolet team to bemoan their misfortune. Instead, they told bad luck to take a flying leap.
Johnson not only accentuated the positive Sunday, he eliminated the negative. And with a second-place finish, the sun seemed a bit brighter, the sky a bit bluer on a season that started out gray and gloomy.
"[There's] definitely a lot to be proud of [Sunday]," Johnson said. "Look at our pit stops on pit road, the consistent speed we had there -- the consistently fast race car that we had all day long."
Johnson said the only hitch in his day was a bad set of tires that caused the No. 48 to fall back with about 50 laps remaining. But when the car was good, it was very, very good.
Johnson and Kyle Busch both went to backup cars -- and both made significant gains as soon as the green dropped. But while Busch seemed to stall out once he got into the top 20, Johnson continued to pick off cars and move through the field.
He moved into the top 10 by Lap 60 and took the lead for the first time 39 laps later. While others complained about "dirty air" in traffic, Johnson's car seemed to thrive on it.
"I don't know what the average speed was, but we're flying around here," Johnson said. "The faster you go, the more that clean air becomes a priority. Passing for the lead was tough. I worked my way all the way through the field. [It] took me forever to get by [Kenseth] on one of those runs for the lead itself.
"Luckily, we're on a track with multiple grooves and we can move around. [But] the first car definitely has an advantage."
Still, Johnson was right in the thick of it with Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart at the end. And he had his shot at Stewart not once, but twice on late-race restarts.
He admitted he spun the tires on the first one, but thought he might have the chance to pull up even with Stewart on the second. However, Johnson realized he needed the lane that Stewart was occupying.
"I felt like I got a good [restart]," Johnson said. "He still cruised away. My only chance was to be at his outside through [Turns] 1 and 2, but I didn't have that opportunity.
"He had the lane at that point. I drove my guts out, but just didn't get it done. On the short run, there was enough parity to get something done. That's why I'm frustrated with my restarts. If I could have got to his outside on the restart, I think I had a chance."
After the debacle that was Daytona, Johnson now has finishes of fourth and second -- and is heading for Bristol, where he's had four top-five finishes (including a win in 2010) in his past six starts.
Luck? Johnson doesn't believe in it, good or bad. But he does believe in his team and his equipment. And both are starting to show signs of improvement -- something that could mean ill fortune for the competition.
"We've worked so hard over the offseason to put speed in our cars, make them comfortable and consistent so I can get in there and not be on edge while driving it," Johnson said. "We've achieved that goal. We did some early testing in Nashville and Disney World.
"[And] we saw that we had a better product. That's had me very excited."
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Johnson's optimism tempered by practice crash
LAS VEGAS -- Saturday's Happy Hour at Las Vegas Motor Speedway definitely was not what Jimmie Johnson wanted out of the day.
Fewer than 24 hours after expressing optimism for the car he had brought and the finish he thought the No. 48 team could earn, Johnson lost control of his car on the first lap in Turn 2 and backed it into the wall. He damaged the rear end and right side of his primary car, which had qualified sixth, and was forced into a backup for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400.
Jimmie Johnson made his task at Las Vegas a little tougher after crashing in practice.
-- JIMMIE JOHNSON
"I was just a little loose back to the gas," Johnson said. "We made some adjustments from the first practice to the second, and I was really happy with what I had in [Turns] 3 and 4. And probably not enough grip for me there in [Turns] 1 and 2. I just lost the car, slid it and hit the outside wall."
Johnson said he had a "great backup race car" but he rallied to only the 24th-fastest time in that final practice. His fast lap of 180.832 mph was well off the pace set by Joey Logano at 182.970 mph. Mark Martin (182.698 mph), Kevin Harvick (182.698 mph), Marcos Ambrose (182.618 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (182.618 mph) rounded out the top five in Happy Hour.
Ambrose also spun out during Happy Hour, but he kept it off the wall and was able to keep it clean (watch).
Kyle Busch wasn't so lucky. He had the second-fastest qualifying time Friday but moved to a backup car after brushing the wall in Saturday's first practice.
Despite being mired in 37th in the Sprint Cup Series point standings and facing Tuesday's appeal of the team's penalties from Daytona, Johnson was all optimistic on Friday before practice had even begun.
"My outlook's good," Johnson said. "Very competitive at Phoenix last week and I think the stuff we learned over the offseason that we had a chance to run at Phoenix will cross over here to Las Vegas.
"Eager to get on track and hopeful to have good speed in the car and a comfortable race car. I've always enjoyed this race track. I've been able to win here a bunch of times. You have to pull the belts tight and man up to run around here. It's a lot of fun."
Now, though, things are different. With a new car that ran only 20 laps and a starting spot at the back of the field, Johnson definitely has his work cut out for him.
But, in a little bit of silver lining, Johnson's strong qualifying run did earn him the final spot on pit road, meaning he has clear entry to his stall.
"Track position's everything," Johnson said. "We'll have to do something creative to gain some track position. I don't think we'll be in any trouble on pit road as a result of this. But we'll need to get a little creative on strategy."
As for his strategy for Tuesday's appeal of the penalties NASCAR handed down after Daytona, Johnson claims he doesn't know much. Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were suspended six weeks and Knaus was fined $100,000. In addition, Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick each were docked 25 championship points, putting Johnson in the red before last week's race at Phoenix.
"We're prepared and ready and it's outside of my realm of knowledge," Johnson said. "It's through upper management at Hendrick -- Rick himself, personally, and Chad. I'll be waiting eagerly Tuesday to hear what happens and I know that there's one step after this appeal process if things don't turn out favorable for us -- we're ready to go to the next level, too, because the strength we have in our case and our opinion of the situation.
"There's really nothing I can do for that issue or for that situation. At the end of the day, I have to get maximum points each and every week and at a minimum, to secure a wild-card spot. Winning at least one race, maybe two races would do that."
His opportunity to do so at Las Vegas got a little bit tougher on Saturday.
As for Busch, because of the change to a backup No. 18 Toyota, he must give up his second-place starting position and also take the green flag from the rear of the field.
According to Jimmy Makar, vice president of racing operations at Joe Gibbs Racing, the choice to go to the backup was a difficult one.
"We can repair it -- we just don't know if we can get it back where it needs to be," Makar said of the primary car. "The frame is bent a little bit in the back. That makes us a little bit nervous, so we opted for the backup car to make sure we have a car that that we know is proper.
"The backup car is good. I don't think there will be any issues with that. It's a good up-to-date race car. It just puts us a little behind working on that. The car was awful good in practice. [It] came off the truck, and he was fast, consistent. He felt good in it. He liked the way it felt. To give that up is a bit disheartening, but it will be all right."
Fewer than 24 hours after expressing optimism for the car he had brought and the finish he thought the No. 48 team could earn, Johnson lost control of his car on the first lap in Turn 2 and backed it into the wall. He damaged the rear end and right side of his primary car, which had qualified sixth, and was forced into a backup for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400.
Jimmie Johnson made his task at Las Vegas a little tougher after crashing in practice.
-- JIMMIE JOHNSON
"I was just a little loose back to the gas," Johnson said. "We made some adjustments from the first practice to the second, and I was really happy with what I had in [Turns] 3 and 4. And probably not enough grip for me there in [Turns] 1 and 2. I just lost the car, slid it and hit the outside wall."
Johnson said he had a "great backup race car" but he rallied to only the 24th-fastest time in that final practice. His fast lap of 180.832 mph was well off the pace set by Joey Logano at 182.970 mph. Mark Martin (182.698 mph), Kevin Harvick (182.698 mph), Marcos Ambrose (182.618 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (182.618 mph) rounded out the top five in Happy Hour.
Ambrose also spun out during Happy Hour, but he kept it off the wall and was able to keep it clean (watch).
Kyle Busch wasn't so lucky. He had the second-fastest qualifying time Friday but moved to a backup car after brushing the wall in Saturday's first practice.
Despite being mired in 37th in the Sprint Cup Series point standings and facing Tuesday's appeal of the team's penalties from Daytona, Johnson was all optimistic on Friday before practice had even begun.
"My outlook's good," Johnson said. "Very competitive at Phoenix last week and I think the stuff we learned over the offseason that we had a chance to run at Phoenix will cross over here to Las Vegas.
"Eager to get on track and hopeful to have good speed in the car and a comfortable race car. I've always enjoyed this race track. I've been able to win here a bunch of times. You have to pull the belts tight and man up to run around here. It's a lot of fun."
Now, though, things are different. With a new car that ran only 20 laps and a starting spot at the back of the field, Johnson definitely has his work cut out for him.
But, in a little bit of silver lining, Johnson's strong qualifying run did earn him the final spot on pit road, meaning he has clear entry to his stall.
"Track position's everything," Johnson said. "We'll have to do something creative to gain some track position. I don't think we'll be in any trouble on pit road as a result of this. But we'll need to get a little creative on strategy."
As for his strategy for Tuesday's appeal of the penalties NASCAR handed down after Daytona, Johnson claims he doesn't know much. Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were suspended six weeks and Knaus was fined $100,000. In addition, Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick each were docked 25 championship points, putting Johnson in the red before last week's race at Phoenix.
"We're prepared and ready and it's outside of my realm of knowledge," Johnson said. "It's through upper management at Hendrick -- Rick himself, personally, and Chad. I'll be waiting eagerly Tuesday to hear what happens and I know that there's one step after this appeal process if things don't turn out favorable for us -- we're ready to go to the next level, too, because the strength we have in our case and our opinion of the situation.
"There's really nothing I can do for that issue or for that situation. At the end of the day, I have to get maximum points each and every week and at a minimum, to secure a wild-card spot. Winning at least one race, maybe two races would do that."
His opportunity to do so at Las Vegas got a little bit tougher on Saturday.
As for Busch, because of the change to a backup No. 18 Toyota, he must give up his second-place starting position and also take the green flag from the rear of the field.
According to Jimmy Makar, vice president of racing operations at Joe Gibbs Racing, the choice to go to the backup was a difficult one.
"We can repair it -- we just don't know if we can get it back where it needs to be," Makar said of the primary car. "The frame is bent a little bit in the back. That makes us a little bit nervous, so we opted for the backup car to make sure we have a car that that we know is proper.
"The backup car is good. I don't think there will be any issues with that. It's a good up-to-date race car. It just puts us a little behind working on that. The car was awful good in practice. [It] came off the truck, and he was fast, consistent. He felt good in it. He liked the way it felt. To give that up is a bit disheartening, but it will be all right."
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Kahne tops record-breakers for Las Vegas pole
LAS VEGAS -- Kasey Kahne was the fastest of the fast Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In a qualifying session that saw 15 drivers break Matt Kenseth's 2011 track record of 188.884 mph, Kahne led the field with a lap at 190.456 mph (28.353 seconds) to earn the top starting spot for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at the 1.5-mile track.
Kahne edged Kyle Busch (190.040 mph) to claim his third Coors Light Pole award at Las Vegas and the 23rd of his career. Kahne won his first career pole at Las Vegas in 2004.
* Out Front with Miss Coors Light: Rachel and Kasey
Kevin Harvick qualified third at 190.014 mph, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (189.873 mph) and Clint Bowyer (189.807 mph). Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr. will start from positions 6 through 10, respectively, in the season's third Sprint Cup race.
Kahne was sorely in need of a strong performance. In his first year with Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne has suffered through disappointing results in the season's first two races, crashing out of the Daytona 500 in 29th place and scraping the wall early in the event at Phoenix with a car many thought capable of winning the race (standings).
"I feel good about our speed," Kahne said. "At Daytona, so many things happen there, and you're not in control of a lot of that stuff -- I got caught up in other people's messes at times. Last weekend, we had as good a car as anybody at Phoenix. I qualified well, was really good in practice -- the best car in practice -- and then in the race, we just needed to do things right and be there at the end.
"I made a mistake, and we lost a lot of points because of that. We had a rough day because of a mistake I made. You add all that up, and we haven't started off very good, but our cars have been fast ... I feel like I'm in a really good spot. The way to dig out [of the deficit] is to qualify well, run well and not make mistakes -- and I feel like we can do that."
Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Earnhardt and Johnson took a higher line around the bump in Turn 1 than most of their competitors. Kahne said he scouted Kenseth's record run from last year before picking his line.
"I didn't talk to those guys about it, but I watched Dale and also Jimmie in practice and saw where they were running -- they were a little bit faster than I was," Kahne said. "And then, right before qualifying, I did it a little different in the Great Clips car [during Nationwide Series practice].
"I wanted to check on some things, so I had [team engineer] Keith [Rodden] check back on last year. We wanted to see where Matt Kenseth ran, and he ran right around the top [in Turns 1 and 2], just basically like I did, and right around the bottom in [Turns] 3 and 4. When I saw that, I was like, 'That's the spot; I'm going to try to make it work.' "
Series points leader Denny Hamlin was 17th-fastest in time trials. Carl Edwards, last year's winner at LVMS, fought a loose handling condition throughout his run and qualified 21st.
Scott Riggs and Robby Gordon failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Gordon wouldn't have raced at Las Vegas even if he had qualified. He's scheduled to drive his Trophy Truck in San Felipe, Mexico, this weekend and had Reed Sorenson lined up as a stand-in at LVMS.
In a qualifying session that saw 15 drivers break Matt Kenseth's 2011 track record of 188.884 mph, Kahne led the field with a lap at 190.456 mph (28.353 seconds) to earn the top starting spot for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at the 1.5-mile track.
Kahne edged Kyle Busch (190.040 mph) to claim his third Coors Light Pole award at Las Vegas and the 23rd of his career. Kahne won his first career pole at Las Vegas in 2004.
* Out Front with Miss Coors Light: Rachel and Kasey
Kevin Harvick qualified third at 190.014 mph, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (189.873 mph) and Clint Bowyer (189.807 mph). Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr. will start from positions 6 through 10, respectively, in the season's third Sprint Cup race.
Kahne was sorely in need of a strong performance. In his first year with Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne has suffered through disappointing results in the season's first two races, crashing out of the Daytona 500 in 29th place and scraping the wall early in the event at Phoenix with a car many thought capable of winning the race (standings).
"I feel good about our speed," Kahne said. "At Daytona, so many things happen there, and you're not in control of a lot of that stuff -- I got caught up in other people's messes at times. Last weekend, we had as good a car as anybody at Phoenix. I qualified well, was really good in practice -- the best car in practice -- and then in the race, we just needed to do things right and be there at the end.
"I made a mistake, and we lost a lot of points because of that. We had a rough day because of a mistake I made. You add all that up, and we haven't started off very good, but our cars have been fast ... I feel like I'm in a really good spot. The way to dig out [of the deficit] is to qualify well, run well and not make mistakes -- and I feel like we can do that."
Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Earnhardt and Johnson took a higher line around the bump in Turn 1 than most of their competitors. Kahne said he scouted Kenseth's record run from last year before picking his line.
"I didn't talk to those guys about it, but I watched Dale and also Jimmie in practice and saw where they were running -- they were a little bit faster than I was," Kahne said. "And then, right before qualifying, I did it a little different in the Great Clips car [during Nationwide Series practice].
"I wanted to check on some things, so I had [team engineer] Keith [Rodden] check back on last year. We wanted to see where Matt Kenseth ran, and he ran right around the top [in Turns 1 and 2], just basically like I did, and right around the bottom in [Turns] 3 and 4. When I saw that, I was like, 'That's the spot; I'm going to try to make it work.' "
Series points leader Denny Hamlin was 17th-fastest in time trials. Carl Edwards, last year's winner at LVMS, fought a loose handling condition throughout his run and qualified 21st.
Scott Riggs and Robby Gordon failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Gordon wouldn't have raced at Las Vegas even if he had qualified. He's scheduled to drive his Trophy Truck in San Felipe, Mexico, this weekend and had Reed Sorenson lined up as a stand-in at LVMS.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Smith, Menard escape injuries in road accident
Regan Smith and Paul Menard, along with Smith's wife, Megan, and a friend of the Smiths, escaped injuries in a Colorado road accident Wednesday. The foursome was on the way to a nearby ski slope.
At 8:45 a.m. local time, Smith lost control of his Silverado truck after hitting a patch of ice near his mountain home in Evergreen, outside of Denver. The truck slid off the road and crashed into a collection of trees.
Smith and Menard will compete in Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing while Menard drives the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
At 8:45 a.m. local time, Smith lost control of his Silverado truck after hitting a patch of ice near his mountain home in Evergreen, outside of Denver. The truck slid off the road and crashed into a collection of trees.
Smith and Menard will compete in Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing while Menard drives the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sadler backs out of Cup deal with MWR
Less than two days after Michael Waltrip Racing announced Elliott Sadler would run five Sprint Cup races later this season in MWR's No. 55 Toyota, Sadler went on several national media outlets Monday to say he was backing out of the opportunity -- which reportedly was nullified by Sadler's Nationwide Series owner, Richard Childress, within hours of it being announced.
Sadler initially went on Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway show to say that, in the aftermath of his Nationwide Series victory last Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, which propelled him into the lead in the Nationwide championship standings and came just hours after MWR's announcement, his car owner Richard Childress summoned him to a meeting in PIR's driver/owner RV lot.
On radio, and later on SPEED Channel's Race Hub, where Sadler is a regular NASCAR analyst, Sadler said he and his owner had agreed it would be more appropriate if Sadler concentrated on driving Richard Childress Racing's No. 2 Chevrolet. Sadler currently has a 10-point lead on his teammate, Childress' grandson and Nationwide rookie of the year leader Austin Dillon.
Sadler said the question of driving for different manufacturers was never raised by Childress, who has fielded General Motors products in all his racing endeavors for more than four decades, including at least a dozen NASCAR championships.
Waltrip needed a replacement driver in the No. 55 that Mark Martin will drive in 24 points races this season. Sadler's first start was scheduled to be next weekend at Bristol and would've included two events at Bristol, two at Martinsville and the July event at New Hampshire. MWR has yet to name a replacement for the replacement.
Sadler initially went on Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway show to say that, in the aftermath of his Nationwide Series victory last Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, which propelled him into the lead in the Nationwide championship standings and came just hours after MWR's announcement, his car owner Richard Childress summoned him to a meeting in PIR's driver/owner RV lot.
On radio, and later on SPEED Channel's Race Hub, where Sadler is a regular NASCAR analyst, Sadler said he and his owner had agreed it would be more appropriate if Sadler concentrated on driving Richard Childress Racing's No. 2 Chevrolet. Sadler currently has a 10-point lead on his teammate, Childress' grandson and Nationwide rookie of the year leader Austin Dillon.
Sadler said the question of driving for different manufacturers was never raised by Childress, who has fielded General Motors products in all his racing endeavors for more than four decades, including at least a dozen NASCAR championships.
Waltrip needed a replacement driver in the No. 55 that Mark Martin will drive in 24 points races this season. Sadler's first start was scheduled to be next weekend at Bristol and would've included two events at Bristol, two at Martinsville and the July event at New Hampshire. MWR has yet to name a replacement for the replacement.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sportvision extends partnership with NASCAR
CHICAGO -- Sportvision, Inc., partner of NASCAR since 2000 and the leading innovator of digital sports content, broadcast enhancements and tracking data, announced that it has extended its partnership with Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Media Group as the exclusive tracking partner for NASCAR-sanctioned events through the 2018 racing season.
As part of the extended agreement, Sportvision has broadened its RACEf/x system technology to the Camping World Truck Series broadcasts on SPEED, and has rolled out a new premium tier to the NASCAR.COM RaceView 360 subscription product available at www.nascar.com/raceview.
"Our longstanding partnership with NASCAR has truly changed how fans consume the sport on multiple platforms, and I'm thrilled to extend our agreement," said Hank Adams, CEO, Sportvision, Inc. "By capturing the complete digital record of a race, we will continue to develop innovative consumer-based applications that bring passionate fans closer to the action and their favorite drivers."
Sportvision's RACEf/x technology, the most advanced tracking technology created for televised sports, is now utilized in all three NASCAR national series after expanding to the Truck Series in 2012. Like Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series cars, the trucks are equipped with Vector II tracking devices. These devices are the latest generation of Sportvision RACEf/x technology and the first to utilize both Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) satellite navigation systems.
The technology debuted in the Sprint Cup Series at the 2001 Daytona 500 and was introduced to the Nationwide Series in 2007. This patented, state-of-the-art technology tracks the cars at speeds reaching 200 MPH to create a complete "digital record" of a NASCAR race in real-time.
With the addition, SPEED will now highlight a full slate of broadcast graphics during Truck Series broadcasts and the technology will continue to be an integral component utilized by other NASCAR broadcast partners through 2018.
"Sportvision is an excellent partner that continues to develop and introduce technologies that enable us to deliver a richer, deeper and more compelling race experience to our fans at-track, on television, on the internet and through the use of wireless devices," said Jay Abraham, COO, NASCAR Media Group.
In conjunction with NASCAR Media Group and Turner Sports Interactive, Sportvision has rolled out a new premium tier of the RaceView 360 subscription product available at www.nascar.com/raceview. The TrackPass RaceView application -- which won the 2011 Adobe Max Award in Entertainment and offers a live rendering of a NASCAR race in 3-D -- provides fans with advanced live virtual video and in-car audio, complete race coverage and driver stats, head-to-head action, multiple camera angles, and customized views.
In 2012, TrackPass RaceView has been updated to include every driver's real-time pit statistics, new advanced driver performance statistics and a breadth of virtual video options, including where a driver hits the gas and/or brakes, fuel estimates, and more.
As part of the extended agreement, Sportvision has broadened its RACEf/x system technology to the Camping World Truck Series broadcasts on SPEED, and has rolled out a new premium tier to the NASCAR.COM RaceView 360 subscription product available at www.nascar.com/raceview.
"Our longstanding partnership with NASCAR has truly changed how fans consume the sport on multiple platforms, and I'm thrilled to extend our agreement," said Hank Adams, CEO, Sportvision, Inc. "By capturing the complete digital record of a race, we will continue to develop innovative consumer-based applications that bring passionate fans closer to the action and their favorite drivers."
Sportvision's RACEf/x technology, the most advanced tracking technology created for televised sports, is now utilized in all three NASCAR national series after expanding to the Truck Series in 2012. Like Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series cars, the trucks are equipped with Vector II tracking devices. These devices are the latest generation of Sportvision RACEf/x technology and the first to utilize both Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) satellite navigation systems.
The technology debuted in the Sprint Cup Series at the 2001 Daytona 500 and was introduced to the Nationwide Series in 2007. This patented, state-of-the-art technology tracks the cars at speeds reaching 200 MPH to create a complete "digital record" of a NASCAR race in real-time.
With the addition, SPEED will now highlight a full slate of broadcast graphics during Truck Series broadcasts and the technology will continue to be an integral component utilized by other NASCAR broadcast partners through 2018.
"Sportvision is an excellent partner that continues to develop and introduce technologies that enable us to deliver a richer, deeper and more compelling race experience to our fans at-track, on television, on the internet and through the use of wireless devices," said Jay Abraham, COO, NASCAR Media Group.
In conjunction with NASCAR Media Group and Turner Sports Interactive, Sportvision has rolled out a new premium tier of the RaceView 360 subscription product available at www.nascar.com/raceview. The TrackPass RaceView application -- which won the 2011 Adobe Max Award in Entertainment and offers a live rendering of a NASCAR race in 3-D -- provides fans with advanced live virtual video and in-car audio, complete race coverage and driver stats, head-to-head action, multiple camera angles, and customized views.
In 2012, TrackPass RaceView has been updated to include every driver's real-time pit statistics, new advanced driver performance statistics and a breadth of virtual video options, including where a driver hits the gas and/or brakes, fuel estimates, and more.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Back-to-back thirds have Biffle in second
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Phoenix race winner Denny Hamlin isn't the only driver looking to put behind him a disastrous 2011 season. Greg Biffle also is attempting a bounce-back season after his worst points finish in seven years.
After two races in 2012, Hamlin and Biffle sit 1-2, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series standings, with Biffle bringing home his second consecutive third-place finish Sunday in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
I've got all new guys. I've got guys working really hard on the car ... and a guy that's really, really smart paying attention to all the fine details, and that's Matt Puccia.
It's a far better start to the season for Biffle than last year, when after two races he was mired 28th in points; he finished 16th, missing the Chase for the first time in four years. Now, Biffle sits six points behind Hamlin after the best start in his Cup career -- in nine previous full seasons, he never had started off with consecutive top-fives and only once had opened with back-to-back top-10s.
Biffle credits the quick start to a new start, of sorts, as the No. 16 team has a considerable different look, beginning with crew chief Matt Puccia.
"I've got all new guys. I've got guys working really hard on the car ... and a guy that's really, really smart paying attention to all the fine details, and that's Matt Puccia," Biffle said. "The reason why we got two third-place finishes is because of his leadership and his decision-making on pit road on what to do to the car. He makes the decisions he wants, and that's why we're sitting here now."
Puccia had his work cut out for him at Phoenix, as Biffle had trouble getting a handle on his car at the wave of the green.
"We fought the car really bad at the beginning of this race," Biffle said. "Matt never gave up on the car. He kept adjusting on it and I never thought it would get that good. I thought I was in trouble. I was ready to write that thing off for a 15th- or 20th-place finish.
"I am excited about how they got the car going."
Biffle's difficulty began with the weekend schedule, as there were no Saturday practices leading up to the race. After two practices Friday, the only on-track action for the Cup drivers Saturday was qualifying. Adding to Biffle's concern was a considerably warmer day Sunday.
"You know, I certainly would have thought we'd run better [Sunday] than we did," said Biffle, who had high hopes after his qualifying effort. "I knew my car was just super fast. But I went a little more aggressive on the front end. I was a little nervous about it with the heat [Sunday] and how warm it was, if what I was going to do was going to work out.
"I guess the track is just a lot different than it was on Friday. It is difficult coming to a green race track and do all your race stuff in one day to get set up for the race and just qualify on Saturday. It was challenging and I missed it a little bit."
Despite starting seventh, Biffle reported a loose car on Lap 52 and had fallen to 20th in the running order by Lap 75. He labored for the next 100-plus laps; he still was running 20th on Lap 195. Then, he started to make his move.
"It started out really loose and then we would go dead right," Biffle said. "We got the balance much better toward the end of that race and got some track position.
"It was a great third-place finish."
A third-place finish that could have been a runner-up. In fact, Biffle has had second in his sights in both races this season -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Biffle for second in the Daytona 500.
On Sunday, Biffle could have passed Kevin Harvick, who coasted to the checkered flag on fumes, for second place, but Biffle was concerned with his own gas mileage. Or more precise, his team was worried.
"With about 20 [laps] to go they were panicked to say the least," Biffle said. "I heard the panic in their voice. ... They wanted me to slow down and I felt like I had saved enough gas so I kept my rhythm about right where I had it. With about four laps to go he sounded desperate and I backed up a little more and started drafting those lap cars and then they were like, 'The No. 29 [Harvick] is running out, try to pass him, try to pass him!'
"I was like, 'Well, it is a little late for that ... you should have told me that a lap ago and I could have passed him.' I missed him by like 100 feet at the start/finish line and we still had gas in the car. I made the cool-down lap and came back and still was running with no flicker of fuel pressure so I know I at least had one more lap. That being said, I probably could have easily got the No. 29 since he ran out. Obviously not the No. 11 [Hamlin] though."
After two races in 2012, Hamlin and Biffle sit 1-2, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series standings, with Biffle bringing home his second consecutive third-place finish Sunday in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
I've got all new guys. I've got guys working really hard on the car ... and a guy that's really, really smart paying attention to all the fine details, and that's Matt Puccia.
It's a far better start to the season for Biffle than last year, when after two races he was mired 28th in points; he finished 16th, missing the Chase for the first time in four years. Now, Biffle sits six points behind Hamlin after the best start in his Cup career -- in nine previous full seasons, he never had started off with consecutive top-fives and only once had opened with back-to-back top-10s.
Biffle credits the quick start to a new start, of sorts, as the No. 16 team has a considerable different look, beginning with crew chief Matt Puccia.
"I've got all new guys. I've got guys working really hard on the car ... and a guy that's really, really smart paying attention to all the fine details, and that's Matt Puccia," Biffle said. "The reason why we got two third-place finishes is because of his leadership and his decision-making on pit road on what to do to the car. He makes the decisions he wants, and that's why we're sitting here now."
Puccia had his work cut out for him at Phoenix, as Biffle had trouble getting a handle on his car at the wave of the green.
"We fought the car really bad at the beginning of this race," Biffle said. "Matt never gave up on the car. He kept adjusting on it and I never thought it would get that good. I thought I was in trouble. I was ready to write that thing off for a 15th- or 20th-place finish.
"I am excited about how they got the car going."
Biffle's difficulty began with the weekend schedule, as there were no Saturday practices leading up to the race. After two practices Friday, the only on-track action for the Cup drivers Saturday was qualifying. Adding to Biffle's concern was a considerably warmer day Sunday.
"You know, I certainly would have thought we'd run better [Sunday] than we did," said Biffle, who had high hopes after his qualifying effort. "I knew my car was just super fast. But I went a little more aggressive on the front end. I was a little nervous about it with the heat [Sunday] and how warm it was, if what I was going to do was going to work out.
"I guess the track is just a lot different than it was on Friday. It is difficult coming to a green race track and do all your race stuff in one day to get set up for the race and just qualify on Saturday. It was challenging and I missed it a little bit."
Despite starting seventh, Biffle reported a loose car on Lap 52 and had fallen to 20th in the running order by Lap 75. He labored for the next 100-plus laps; he still was running 20th on Lap 195. Then, he started to make his move.
"It started out really loose and then we would go dead right," Biffle said. "We got the balance much better toward the end of that race and got some track position.
"It was a great third-place finish."
A third-place finish that could have been a runner-up. In fact, Biffle has had second in his sights in both races this season -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Biffle for second in the Daytona 500.
On Sunday, Biffle could have passed Kevin Harvick, who coasted to the checkered flag on fumes, for second place, but Biffle was concerned with his own gas mileage. Or more precise, his team was worried.
"With about 20 [laps] to go they were panicked to say the least," Biffle said. "I heard the panic in their voice. ... They wanted me to slow down and I felt like I had saved enough gas so I kept my rhythm about right where I had it. With about four laps to go he sounded desperate and I backed up a little more and started drafting those lap cars and then they were like, 'The No. 29 [Harvick] is running out, try to pass him, try to pass him!'
"I was like, 'Well, it is a little late for that ... you should have told me that a lap ago and I could have passed him.' I missed him by like 100 feet at the start/finish line and we still had gas in the car. I made the cool-down lap and came back and still was running with no flicker of fuel pressure so I know I at least had one more lap. That being said, I probably could have easily got the No. 29 since he ran out. Obviously not the No. 11 [Hamlin] though."
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Martin makes his mark with pole run at PIR
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Mark Martin didn't need a second qualifying lap Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Driving the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, Martin claimed the pole for Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the 1-mile track with a speed of 136.815 mph (26.313 seconds) on his first qualifying lap.
The next-to-last driver to make an attempt, Martin waited as Tony Stewart tried to knock him off the pole but fell one position short, qualifying on the outside of the front row at 136.126 mph.
Video: Out Front with Miss Coors Light
The pole award was the 52nd of Martin's career -- eighth-most all-time -- his second at Phoenix and his first since joining MWR this year.
Regan Smith (135.998 mph) qualified third, followed by Jimmie Johnson (135.583 mph) and Juan Montoya (135.547 mph). Ryan Newman (135.491 mph) was sixth-fastest in a backup car necessitated by a brush with the Turn 3 wall in Friday's practice.
Martin credited the equipment he's driven over the years with his success at winning poles and winning races.
"I've driven really good stuff, ever since 1988," Martin said. "I did drive a couple of slugs back in the early '80s, but since then ... you can't do that without superior effort and equipment -- but effort on top of that. It's more than equipment that does that.
"I think all of you know that I do work real hard at it, and I know that I have to work harder at it than the guys that are 20 years younger than me. I'm willing to do that to be able to continue to compete. But make no mistake -- MWR and [crew chief] Rodney Childers have good stuff."
Martin turned his pole-winning lap on a track that was appreciably warmer and slicker than it was during Friday's practice sessions. The forecast for Sunday calls for even hotter temperatures, in the mid-80s, and that suits Stewart's driving style.
"I always like it when it's hotter and slicker, to be honest," said the 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion. "I'm actually more excited that it will be hotter [Sunday]. I think that'll hopefully separate some of the cars that we think are good cars now [but] may not be quite so good [on Sunday]."
Timmy Hill failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Last year's Nationwide Series rookie of the year had hoped to make his Cup debut at Phoenix.
Driving the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, Martin claimed the pole for Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the 1-mile track with a speed of 136.815 mph (26.313 seconds) on his first qualifying lap.
The next-to-last driver to make an attempt, Martin waited as Tony Stewart tried to knock him off the pole but fell one position short, qualifying on the outside of the front row at 136.126 mph.
Video: Out Front with Miss Coors Light
The pole award was the 52nd of Martin's career -- eighth-most all-time -- his second at Phoenix and his first since joining MWR this year.
Regan Smith (135.998 mph) qualified third, followed by Jimmie Johnson (135.583 mph) and Juan Montoya (135.547 mph). Ryan Newman (135.491 mph) was sixth-fastest in a backup car necessitated by a brush with the Turn 3 wall in Friday's practice.
Martin credited the equipment he's driven over the years with his success at winning poles and winning races.
"I've driven really good stuff, ever since 1988," Martin said. "I did drive a couple of slugs back in the early '80s, but since then ... you can't do that without superior effort and equipment -- but effort on top of that. It's more than equipment that does that.
"I think all of you know that I do work real hard at it, and I know that I have to work harder at it than the guys that are 20 years younger than me. I'm willing to do that to be able to continue to compete. But make no mistake -- MWR and [crew chief] Rodney Childers have good stuff."
Martin turned his pole-winning lap on a track that was appreciably warmer and slicker than it was during Friday's practice sessions. The forecast for Sunday calls for even hotter temperatures, in the mid-80s, and that suits Stewart's driving style.
"I always like it when it's hotter and slicker, to be honest," said the 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion. "I'm actually more excited that it will be hotter [Sunday]. I think that'll hopefully separate some of the cars that we think are good cars now [but] may not be quite so good [on Sunday]."
Timmy Hill failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Last year's Nationwide Series rookie of the year had hoped to make his Cup debut at Phoenix.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Drivers feel lessons learned as they return to PIR
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- When NASCAR last visited Phoenix International Raceway, drivers were met with a new track of sorts, as PIR completed a repaving project between its February and November races that also included a reconfiguration, notable among the changes a widening of the frontstretch, readjusted dogleg, and progressive banking in the corners.
Between a tire test, open test and practices, drivers had ample opportunity to acclimate themselves to the new racing conditions. But nothing prepares you for the real thing than does the real thing itself -- which is why drivers are eager for their second go-round at the new-look PIR.
Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell both had problems in practice at Phoenix and will have to go to a backup car.
Watch video
"I feel like we have learned a bit and can apply some things to the race car to take on the track this time," said Jimmie Johnson, echoing a similar refrain among drivers.
Johnson, of course, had his streak of 10 top-five finishes at Phoenix, including four wins, snapped with a respectable but, for PIR, un-Johnson-like 14th-place finish (one lap down) in November.
"The tough thing here -- just to summarize a race run, the car gets tight relatively quick so you need to start the car really loose at the beginning of a run to be good over the long haul. That difference makes it tough," Johnson said. "Your balance of the car from the start of the run to the end of the run, there is a huge swing in events there and that is what we fought so badly here in the fall. I feel like we know where to go this year."
Others weren't as fortunate as Johnson, chief among them his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who followed a victory in February with a 32nd-place finish in November, when he was plagued by mistakes and brake issues.
"Somebody sent a tweet to me this week saying, 'When did preparation for Phoenix start?' I said, 'Since the last time we were here and we stunk so bad.' Obviously, we learned a lot the last time we were here. We were not very good, we didn't qualify very good, we weren't very good in the race," said Gordon, who posted the fifth-fastest speed in final practice (138.244 mph) Friday, covering the 1-mile track in 26.041 seconds, and his 59 laps in the session was the most of all drivers in the top five.
Johnson made 63 laps -- second-most in the practice to Kyle Busch's 64 -- with a top speed of 137.799 (26.125 seconds), good for seventh on the chart. Among the 22 drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps in the final practice, Johnson was second with an average speed of 135.758 mph. Only new teammate Kasey Kahne was better (136.451 mph).
"It just takes a little time to figure out race tracks from time to time. We have always been good at adapting and I think that this weekend we will run a lot better than we did in the fall," Johnson said.
Martin Truex Jr. led final practice with a speed of 139.481 mph (25.810 seconds). He was followed by Clint Bowyer, Juan Montoya and Kurt Busch. Montoya, who was sixth in the first session, and Ryan Newman were the only drivers to post top-10 speeds in both sessions.
Obviously, we learned a lot the last time we were here. We were not very good, we didn't qualify very good, we weren't very good in the race
Newman, however, used the final 90-minute practice to get acclimated to his backup car after wrecking between Turns 3 and 4 during the closing minutes of the first session.
"I opened my entry up a little too far. I got a little aggressive and just got loose getting in, and that was it," Newman said. "We'll just plug in the same game [to the backup car] and we'll be all right."
Newman was fourth-fastest in the first practice before the accident, and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, led the session, giving Newman and Stewart confidence in the No. 39 backup.
"Like I told him, that is why we bring two cars to the race track," Stewart said. "The second car is just as good as his first one is. It will be fine."
As for the track, Stewart is the proverbial exception to the rule, and doesn't view a return trip to the track as any kind of advantage. And he backed that statement by posting the third-fastest 10 consecutive lap average (135.534 mph) in final practice.
"You know we got to do the Goodyear tire test here and then the open test and then the race. By the time the end of the race weekend was over it was our third time on the new track," said Stewart, who finished third in the race. "I think we probably made our biggest gains between the tire test and the open test and then the open test to the race. More so than what we did coming back here in the spring.
"It is not changed much from when we were here last fall."
Stewart's ease has to be of extra comfort for Gordon, who is looking for all the help he can get when it comes to setup. His newest teammate, Kasey Kahne, will have much to add to the conversation. Driving for Red Bull, Kahne won the first race on the repaved surface.
"We got a lot of information from our teammates including Stewart-Haas that we share data with of what they had in their car, as well as now [crew chief] Kenny Francis and Kasey Kahne being at Hendrick -- we feel like we've got a lot of really valuable information from what we learned as well as what they learned to come back here and be a lot more competitive," Gordon said.
Besides Newman, other drivers forced to backups are Matt Kenseth, Brendan Gaughan and Michael McDowell. Kenseth and Gaughan each had trouble in final practice.
Kenseth, who sat on the pole in the first race at repaved PIR, got in only 10 laps in the session and only mustered a top speed of 135.186 mph, more than 4 mph slower than Truex. Kenseth side-swiped the wall coming out of Turn 2; the car sustained severe damage to the right-front corner.
The only other incident in final practice came 53 minutes into the session when Montoya made right-side contact with the wall but was able to return after repairs.
In the first practice, McDowell hit the wall along the frontstretch, requiring his car to be towed to the garage. He was brought to the infield care center, where he was examined and released. He'll go to a backup. McDowell, who must make the race on time, did not turn a lap in the final session. He was the second-slowest of 44 cars in the first practice.
Between a tire test, open test and practices, drivers had ample opportunity to acclimate themselves to the new racing conditions. But nothing prepares you for the real thing than does the real thing itself -- which is why drivers are eager for their second go-round at the new-look PIR.
Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell both had problems in practice at Phoenix and will have to go to a backup car.
Watch video
"I feel like we have learned a bit and can apply some things to the race car to take on the track this time," said Jimmie Johnson, echoing a similar refrain among drivers.
Johnson, of course, had his streak of 10 top-five finishes at Phoenix, including four wins, snapped with a respectable but, for PIR, un-Johnson-like 14th-place finish (one lap down) in November.
"The tough thing here -- just to summarize a race run, the car gets tight relatively quick so you need to start the car really loose at the beginning of a run to be good over the long haul. That difference makes it tough," Johnson said. "Your balance of the car from the start of the run to the end of the run, there is a huge swing in events there and that is what we fought so badly here in the fall. I feel like we know where to go this year."
Others weren't as fortunate as Johnson, chief among them his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who followed a victory in February with a 32nd-place finish in November, when he was plagued by mistakes and brake issues.
"Somebody sent a tweet to me this week saying, 'When did preparation for Phoenix start?' I said, 'Since the last time we were here and we stunk so bad.' Obviously, we learned a lot the last time we were here. We were not very good, we didn't qualify very good, we weren't very good in the race," said Gordon, who posted the fifth-fastest speed in final practice (138.244 mph) Friday, covering the 1-mile track in 26.041 seconds, and his 59 laps in the session was the most of all drivers in the top five.
Johnson made 63 laps -- second-most in the practice to Kyle Busch's 64 -- with a top speed of 137.799 (26.125 seconds), good for seventh on the chart. Among the 22 drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps in the final practice, Johnson was second with an average speed of 135.758 mph. Only new teammate Kasey Kahne was better (136.451 mph).
"It just takes a little time to figure out race tracks from time to time. We have always been good at adapting and I think that this weekend we will run a lot better than we did in the fall," Johnson said.
Martin Truex Jr. led final practice with a speed of 139.481 mph (25.810 seconds). He was followed by Clint Bowyer, Juan Montoya and Kurt Busch. Montoya, who was sixth in the first session, and Ryan Newman were the only drivers to post top-10 speeds in both sessions.
Obviously, we learned a lot the last time we were here. We were not very good, we didn't qualify very good, we weren't very good in the race
Newman, however, used the final 90-minute practice to get acclimated to his backup car after wrecking between Turns 3 and 4 during the closing minutes of the first session.
"I opened my entry up a little too far. I got a little aggressive and just got loose getting in, and that was it," Newman said. "We'll just plug in the same game [to the backup car] and we'll be all right."
Newman was fourth-fastest in the first practice before the accident, and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, led the session, giving Newman and Stewart confidence in the No. 39 backup.
"Like I told him, that is why we bring two cars to the race track," Stewart said. "The second car is just as good as his first one is. It will be fine."
As for the track, Stewart is the proverbial exception to the rule, and doesn't view a return trip to the track as any kind of advantage. And he backed that statement by posting the third-fastest 10 consecutive lap average (135.534 mph) in final practice.
"You know we got to do the Goodyear tire test here and then the open test and then the race. By the time the end of the race weekend was over it was our third time on the new track," said Stewart, who finished third in the race. "I think we probably made our biggest gains between the tire test and the open test and then the open test to the race. More so than what we did coming back here in the spring.
"It is not changed much from when we were here last fall."
Stewart's ease has to be of extra comfort for Gordon, who is looking for all the help he can get when it comes to setup. His newest teammate, Kasey Kahne, will have much to add to the conversation. Driving for Red Bull, Kahne won the first race on the repaved surface.
"We got a lot of information from our teammates including Stewart-Haas that we share data with of what they had in their car, as well as now [crew chief] Kenny Francis and Kasey Kahne being at Hendrick -- we feel like we've got a lot of really valuable information from what we learned as well as what they learned to come back here and be a lot more competitive," Gordon said.
Besides Newman, other drivers forced to backups are Matt Kenseth, Brendan Gaughan and Michael McDowell. Kenseth and Gaughan each had trouble in final practice.
Kenseth, who sat on the pole in the first race at repaved PIR, got in only 10 laps in the session and only mustered a top speed of 135.186 mph, more than 4 mph slower than Truex. Kenseth side-swiped the wall coming out of Turn 2; the car sustained severe damage to the right-front corner.
The only other incident in final practice came 53 minutes into the session when Montoya made right-side contact with the wall but was able to return after repairs.
In the first practice, McDowell hit the wall along the frontstretch, requiring his car to be towed to the garage. He was brought to the infield care center, where he was examined and released. He'll go to a backup. McDowell, who must make the race on time, did not turn a lap in the final session. He was the second-slowest of 44 cars in the first practice.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Newman happy to leave Daytona
To say that I was ready to leave Daytona and head to Phoenix is quite the understatement. In fact, I think I told one of the drivers I was ready to go to Phoenix after the Budweiser Shootout. Racing at Daytona just isn't one of my favorite things to do.
It's an honor to be able to race in the Daytona 500 and even to have won one, but I'm looking forward to getting back to a race track where I have a little more control of the situation than I do in the pack racing at Daytona. Daytona ended up being a disappointment for us.
That fire was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. It was pretty amazing to look up in the stands and see how many race fans were there to see the Daytona 500 in prime time on a Monday night.
I don't have a lot to say about Daytona except for one thing -- we have the best fans of any sport. Our fans hung in there through two rain postponements and a massive fire and cleanup. And yes, that fire was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. It was pretty amazing to look up in the stands and see how many race fans were there to see the Daytona 500 in prime time on a Monday night. Thank you for being fans. And I hope we made even a few more fans along the way.
So, what was the best thing about getting out of Daytona? For me and Krissie, it was getting home in time to find out on Tuesday that we are going to have a baby girl in late July. Brooklyn is really excited to have a little sister.
It's going to be a great year, and we're both very excited to meet our little girl. July will be here before we know it, especially considering all the time we will be on the road before then.
But now, it's on to Phoenix. I'm really looking forward to getting to Phoenix. I've often said I don't feel like our season really gets started until the second race of the season because Daytona is such a crapshoot.
Phoenix, on the other hand, is a driver's race track, and it's probably one of my favorites. It's a unique track that can be pretty challenging because of the design and how the track is different on both ends. Therefore, the crew chief can only get one end perfect, it seems, and the other one the driver has to adapt to. It's not a compromise if your crew chief does a good job setting up the race car because you can do things to try to manipulate those opposite ends of the race track. But, when your car is not working, it's up to the driver to make up what you can of what's left, and that I think separates the men from the boys at Phoenix. The driver really has to drive and hustle the car a little bit more and a little bit differently and still be smooth. It's those aspects that make the track a lot of fun to me.
I really thought Phoenix did a nice job getting the track ready for us last fall. The racing itself was good, and the track, I don't think, is a huge difference. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was to drive. They worked really hard to put rubber down on the track, and we had two grooves for the better part of the race. The track was probably at its best when the checkered flag fell and, with time, weather and a couple of months of aging, I'm sure it has already improved. I think it will only be better by the time we race this Sunday.
The biggest thing for the No. 39 WIX Filters Chevy this weekend is that we have a good run. We didn't get the finish we wanted in Daytona, so we are in a little bit of hole, which is kind of familiar territory for us. But we need to take advantage of the tracks where we run well and maximize the points we can get. Phoenix is one of those tracks. We have had very strong runs at Phoenix recently, and we want to continue that. We have a good setup for that race track, and we have been able to capitalize on that.
It's an honor to be able to race in the Daytona 500 and even to have won one, but I'm looking forward to getting back to a race track where I have a little more control of the situation than I do in the pack racing at Daytona. Daytona ended up being a disappointment for us.
That fire was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. It was pretty amazing to look up in the stands and see how many race fans were there to see the Daytona 500 in prime time on a Monday night.
I don't have a lot to say about Daytona except for one thing -- we have the best fans of any sport. Our fans hung in there through two rain postponements and a massive fire and cleanup. And yes, that fire was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. It was pretty amazing to look up in the stands and see how many race fans were there to see the Daytona 500 in prime time on a Monday night. Thank you for being fans. And I hope we made even a few more fans along the way.
So, what was the best thing about getting out of Daytona? For me and Krissie, it was getting home in time to find out on Tuesday that we are going to have a baby girl in late July. Brooklyn is really excited to have a little sister.
It's going to be a great year, and we're both very excited to meet our little girl. July will be here before we know it, especially considering all the time we will be on the road before then.
But now, it's on to Phoenix. I'm really looking forward to getting to Phoenix. I've often said I don't feel like our season really gets started until the second race of the season because Daytona is such a crapshoot.
Phoenix, on the other hand, is a driver's race track, and it's probably one of my favorites. It's a unique track that can be pretty challenging because of the design and how the track is different on both ends. Therefore, the crew chief can only get one end perfect, it seems, and the other one the driver has to adapt to. It's not a compromise if your crew chief does a good job setting up the race car because you can do things to try to manipulate those opposite ends of the race track. But, when your car is not working, it's up to the driver to make up what you can of what's left, and that I think separates the men from the boys at Phoenix. The driver really has to drive and hustle the car a little bit more and a little bit differently and still be smooth. It's those aspects that make the track a lot of fun to me.
I really thought Phoenix did a nice job getting the track ready for us last fall. The racing itself was good, and the track, I don't think, is a huge difference. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was to drive. They worked really hard to put rubber down on the track, and we had two grooves for the better part of the race. The track was probably at its best when the checkered flag fell and, with time, weather and a couple of months of aging, I'm sure it has already improved. I think it will only be better by the time we race this Sunday.
The biggest thing for the No. 39 WIX Filters Chevy this weekend is that we have a good run. We didn't get the finish we wanted in Daytona, so we are in a little bit of hole, which is kind of familiar territory for us. But we need to take advantage of the tracks where we run well and maximize the points we can get. Phoenix is one of those tracks. We have had very strong runs at Phoenix recently, and we want to continue that. We have a good setup for that race track, and we have been able to capitalize on that.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Despite bad start, Patrick thankful for experience
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- What ultimately was a brutal debut Sprint Cup Series weekend for Danica Patrick continued Monday night in the Daytona 500.
But despite getting caught up in a swirling, six-car melee on just the Great American Race's second lap -- the third no-fault accident she's been involved in during a five-day stretch -- Patrick spent a workmanlike 138 laps getting as much experience as she could once her Stewart-Haas Racing crew repaired her wounded car.
There wasn't much to gain, as far as position-wise, but what there was to gain was for me to get the experience of running out there.
"Every lap that I turn is a progression, that's for sure," Patrick said on pit road after the race. "That's why I was so proud of everyone working so hard -- and they were working hard -- to get me back on the track. There wasn't much to gain, as far as position-wise, but what there was to gain was for me to get the experience of running out there."
The most positive aspect of her 500 came immediately after Patrick left the garage in a car which she had no idea how it would perform. Patrick immediately jumped into the midst of a drafting pack and, after working for several laps with SHR teammate Ryan Newman, set her best lap of the race to that point after swinging to the outside to pass Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Once she was up to speed, Patrick cranked off consistent laps of 45.97 seconds, 45.287, 45.377, 45.348, 45.341, 45.237, 45.724, 45.629, 45.576 and 45.007 on lap 78, her best to that point. It definitely left her wondering "what if..."
Patrick eventually clocked her best lap of the night at 44.763 seconds, an average speed of 201.059 mph. Having enough speed to compete wasn't enough though.
"I've got to get further up the grid [because] the further you are up front, the less things happen," Patrick said of her three days of wrecks. "Every time the accident happened I was further back in the field. The further up front you are the better off you are -- but then again, you need that experience to get further up front, which is what I'm trying to get.
"So I'm sure this is not new territory for a new driver, I just wish it could have gone better for everybody that was so excited -- especially the fans. It was great to see them cheering all the way around the track, even when we were parked on the back straight [under a red flag with 40 laps to go]. But it would have been nice to have a solid finish."
Patrick's stock car career, in its first 29 races, has been marked by patience, a level head and applying every lesson she learns. Every one of those attributes was tested Monday evening and into Tuesday morning, when the race finally ended.
Patrick started the Great American Race in 29th after she was an innocent bystander in a devastating wreck during her Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying race.
After just one lap in the Daytona 500, which was delayed more than 30 hours, eighth starter Jimmie Johnson's car was turned sideways entering Turn 1. Just before she got to Johnson, Patrick's car was tipped, and it slid into Johnson's car with her car's left-rear. Patrick slid into the infield and passed between the still-wrecking cars of David Ragan and Trevor Bayne without making additional contact.
Patrick was instructed to drive her car to its garage stall on the race's third lap. Once it was there, her crew cut and hacked and even welded -- replacing the complete rear-end assembly and the left-side truck arm -- a critical rear-suspension piece.
After effecting body repairs to the left side, between the driver's door and the left-rear wheel, as well as to the left front fender with liberal applications of Bearbond adhesive sheets, Patrick was back on track, 62 laps down to the leaders.
Patrick's affinity for her team was borne out when she came on her in-car radio and said "thanks for working so hard to get me back out."
As she drove to the garage's exit gate, where her spotter, Mark Robertson, instructed her to wait until the cars racing had completed their pit cycle, Patrick displayed her level-headed mastery of her latest situation.
"I'll let you know if anything feels weird," Patrick said, before questioning Robertson on where she should start out running. "I'd rather learn. I don't want to ruin anyone's day, but I want to learn, too."
As the race restarted, Patrick immediately got up to speed and Robertson instructed to help Newman in the draft, which she did before he moved high and went on. Five laps later, she moved up and past Stenhouse Jr.
During several caution periods, Patrick proved capable of providing detailed feedback to Robertson and her crew chief, Greg Zipadelli. Later, she tried to sum up her experience.
"I kind of feel like I almost need to put the whole week in perspective -- it's just been up and down," Patrick said. "Everything from running good in the Duels to crashing on the last lap, to qualifying on the pole [in the Nationwide Series], to running well in the Nationwide to crashing; and a lot of this stuff, obviously, is out of your control at times and that's kind of the exciting thing about Daytona and big tracks is that anything can happen and will happen as we've seen.
"But I learned a lot. I got a lot of experience and I'm really proud of the crew putting the car back together. They had to do some welding and whatnot. But I got back out there. It felt all right considering the fact that they were welding. I think it felt really good."
There was no mistaking the fact that the large crowd of fans that persevered through a day and a half of bad weather cheered raucously when Patrick came out of the garage with her tape-plastered day-glo green-and-orange car.
She smiled wanly at the thought.
"It's disappointing," Patrick said of finishing 38th, 64 laps behind race winner Matt Kenseth. "I would have loved to have gotten a great finish. I would have loved to have been able to run on the lead lap there at the end. I feel bad for disappointing my fans who were cheering for me -- especially going out so early.
"But I'll come back stronger."
But despite getting caught up in a swirling, six-car melee on just the Great American Race's second lap -- the third no-fault accident she's been involved in during a five-day stretch -- Patrick spent a workmanlike 138 laps getting as much experience as she could once her Stewart-Haas Racing crew repaired her wounded car.
There wasn't much to gain, as far as position-wise, but what there was to gain was for me to get the experience of running out there.
"Every lap that I turn is a progression, that's for sure," Patrick said on pit road after the race. "That's why I was so proud of everyone working so hard -- and they were working hard -- to get me back on the track. There wasn't much to gain, as far as position-wise, but what there was to gain was for me to get the experience of running out there."
The most positive aspect of her 500 came immediately after Patrick left the garage in a car which she had no idea how it would perform. Patrick immediately jumped into the midst of a drafting pack and, after working for several laps with SHR teammate Ryan Newman, set her best lap of the race to that point after swinging to the outside to pass Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Once she was up to speed, Patrick cranked off consistent laps of 45.97 seconds, 45.287, 45.377, 45.348, 45.341, 45.237, 45.724, 45.629, 45.576 and 45.007 on lap 78, her best to that point. It definitely left her wondering "what if..."
Patrick eventually clocked her best lap of the night at 44.763 seconds, an average speed of 201.059 mph. Having enough speed to compete wasn't enough though.
"I've got to get further up the grid [because] the further you are up front, the less things happen," Patrick said of her three days of wrecks. "Every time the accident happened I was further back in the field. The further up front you are the better off you are -- but then again, you need that experience to get further up front, which is what I'm trying to get.
"So I'm sure this is not new territory for a new driver, I just wish it could have gone better for everybody that was so excited -- especially the fans. It was great to see them cheering all the way around the track, even when we were parked on the back straight [under a red flag with 40 laps to go]. But it would have been nice to have a solid finish."
Patrick's stock car career, in its first 29 races, has been marked by patience, a level head and applying every lesson she learns. Every one of those attributes was tested Monday evening and into Tuesday morning, when the race finally ended.
Patrick started the Great American Race in 29th after she was an innocent bystander in a devastating wreck during her Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying race.
After just one lap in the Daytona 500, which was delayed more than 30 hours, eighth starter Jimmie Johnson's car was turned sideways entering Turn 1. Just before she got to Johnson, Patrick's car was tipped, and it slid into Johnson's car with her car's left-rear. Patrick slid into the infield and passed between the still-wrecking cars of David Ragan and Trevor Bayne without making additional contact.
Patrick was instructed to drive her car to its garage stall on the race's third lap. Once it was there, her crew cut and hacked and even welded -- replacing the complete rear-end assembly and the left-side truck arm -- a critical rear-suspension piece.
After effecting body repairs to the left side, between the driver's door and the left-rear wheel, as well as to the left front fender with liberal applications of Bearbond adhesive sheets, Patrick was back on track, 62 laps down to the leaders.
Patrick's affinity for her team was borne out when she came on her in-car radio and said "thanks for working so hard to get me back out."
As she drove to the garage's exit gate, where her spotter, Mark Robertson, instructed her to wait until the cars racing had completed their pit cycle, Patrick displayed her level-headed mastery of her latest situation.
"I'll let you know if anything feels weird," Patrick said, before questioning Robertson on where she should start out running. "I'd rather learn. I don't want to ruin anyone's day, but I want to learn, too."
As the race restarted, Patrick immediately got up to speed and Robertson instructed to help Newman in the draft, which she did before he moved high and went on. Five laps later, she moved up and past Stenhouse Jr.
During several caution periods, Patrick proved capable of providing detailed feedback to Robertson and her crew chief, Greg Zipadelli. Later, she tried to sum up her experience.
"I kind of feel like I almost need to put the whole week in perspective -- it's just been up and down," Patrick said. "Everything from running good in the Duels to crashing on the last lap, to qualifying on the pole [in the Nationwide Series], to running well in the Nationwide to crashing; and a lot of this stuff, obviously, is out of your control at times and that's kind of the exciting thing about Daytona and big tracks is that anything can happen and will happen as we've seen.
"But I learned a lot. I got a lot of experience and I'm really proud of the crew putting the car back together. They had to do some welding and whatnot. But I got back out there. It felt all right considering the fact that they were welding. I think it felt really good."
There was no mistaking the fact that the large crowd of fans that persevered through a day and a half of bad weather cheered raucously when Patrick came out of the garage with her tape-plastered day-glo green-and-orange car.
She smiled wanly at the thought.
"It's disappointing," Patrick said of finishing 38th, 64 laps behind race winner Matt Kenseth. "I would have loved to have gotten a great finish. I would have loved to have been able to run on the lead lap there at the end. I feel bad for disappointing my fans who were cheering for me -- especially going out so early.
"But I'll come back stronger."
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