Brad Keselowski rallies to win Indianapolis Nationwide race
By Jim Pedley
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 30, 2011)
CLERMONT, Ind.—Calm, droning racing wasn’t getting it done for Brad Keselowski in Saturday night’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway. The defending series champion needed a bit of mayhem, and when he got that late in the race, it resulted in his second victory of the season.
Keselowski, a non-factor through the middle portion of an atypically unremarkable race at the .686-mile track, jumped ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on a green-white-checkered restart and cruised to a .987-second victory. The race went four laps beyond its scheduled 200.
“It’s a very special win being from Michigan,” Keselowski said. “I’ve been coming to this racetrack for years. I’ve been to victory lane as a team guy and a mechanic but never a driver. It’s so special to win here and win here in a Dodge.”
The battle for second place was so close that NASCAR officials had to review video. Several minutes after the race ended, second place was taken from Stenhouse and given to James Buescher, who had finished second in Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series race at the track.
It took several more minutes before officials finally announced Stenhouse had moved into first place in the standings—three points ahead of Reed Sorenson, who started the night as the leader and finished ninth Saturday.
But all of that was just the end of a chaotic final 25 laps. After a mild first 175 laps, in which only two yellow flags waved and in which Stenhouse led all but four laps, a wild crash occurred on Lap 177.
Michael Annett and Tim Andrews tangled and hit the wall in Turn 3. After their cars had spun to a stop, the car of Steve Wallace came in sideways at speed and slammed both stalled cars.
“Tried to accelerate away from those guys and got sideways,” said Wallace, Annett’s Rusty Wallace Racing teammate.
“It was horrible,” Annett said.
A red flag ensued.
Six laps after the race restarted on Lap 184, Trevor Bayne, who was running second, blew an engine and oiled down the track to bring out another caution. Just as the race was about to go green with seven laps to go, Justin Allgaier’s car caught fire. He pulled off the track, and the restart was aborted.
Suddenly Keselowski was in the front row set to restart next to leader Stenhouse.
He got there, according to Nationwide Series director Joe Balash, because Allgaier pulled out of line and the whole line behind him moved forward and Keselowski was at the head of the line.
Keselowski took the lead on the restart. But another quick caution on Lap 199 pushed the race into overtime. Keselowski pulled away for the victory and some head scratching.
“I’m not sure what happened at the end of that race,” he said. “I’m going to have to go back and watch it on TV to fully understand what happened. The 16 car blew up. The 31 caught on fire. We ended up restarting in second position on the outside lane, and I knew that if I could get around the 6 car (of Stenhouse, who led 189 laps) that we had a shot at the win.
“I had a great short-run car that could give Ricky a run for his money. If the race was two of three laps longer, I’m sure Ricky would have drove around us.”
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Timothy Peters wins Indianapolis truck race
Timothy Peters wins Indianapolis truck race
(July 29, 2011)
CLERMONT, Ind.—A flat tire turned out to be one of the biggest breaks of Camping World Truck Series driver Timothy Peters’ career.
That flat tire occurred just before the halfway point in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. It put him off cycle in terms of pit stops, allowed his crew to improve his truck and paved the way for Peters to take the lead with six laps to go.
Once in the lead, Peters went on to get his first victory of the season and third of this career.
“That’s what saved our night right there,” Peters said.
The truck he passed with six laps to go belonged to James Buescher, who led from just past the halfway point until being overtaken by Peters.
Buescher, 21, was going for the first victory of his career in his 60th start.
“It’s definitely frustrating when you lose the lead that late,” said Buescher, who led a race-high 97 laps. “Can’t get any closer to a win than that. But we had nothing for him.”
David Starr was third, his first top five since October 2009 at Talladega. Rookie Miguel Paludo finished fourth, and Ron Hornaday Jr. was fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Crafton, rookies Joey Coulter and Cole Whitt, polesitter Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain, who was making his first start.
Coulter was the last car on the lead lap as the final 107 of 200 laps were run under green. The race set a record for fewest cautions—four—for a truck race at the .686-mile track. The second caution, for 17 of the 28 laps run under yellow, was because of rain.
Peters’ fateful flat occurred just before he made contact with Steve Arpin. Peters said he didn’t even realize he had cut the tire until much later.
During the ensuing pit stop, crew chief Butch Hylton and his crew went to work with a series of adjustments to the track bar and tire pressures. Peters’ Toyota Tundra, which was slow off the truck Friday morning, came alive.
Points leader Johnny Sauter also suffered a cut tire, but he finished 23rd. He also damaged a track bar. Before those troubles, Sauter, who started the race leading the standings by 18 points over Dillon, had led 44 laps and appeared to be the driver to beat.
Dillon led 36 laps and closed to four points of Sauter. He also closed in on a postrace confrontation with Todd Bodine. The two tangled late in the race, and Dillon didn’t like it. He blocked Bodine’s way on pit road after the cool-down laps.
Bodine, who finished 12th, took the blame for the incident and apologized.
“I thought I was clear (of Dillon),” Bodine said. “Austin is the last person in the world I would do that to.”
By Jim Pedley
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 29, 2011)
CLERMONT, Ind.—A flat tire turned out to be one of the biggest breaks of Camping World Truck Series driver Timothy Peters’ career.
That flat tire occurred just before the halfway point in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. It put him off cycle in terms of pit stops, allowed his crew to improve his truck and paved the way for Peters to take the lead with six laps to go.
Once in the lead, Peters went on to get his first victory of the season and third of this career.
“That’s what saved our night right there,” Peters said.
The truck he passed with six laps to go belonged to James Buescher, who led from just past the halfway point until being overtaken by Peters.
Buescher, 21, was going for the first victory of his career in his 60th start.
“It’s definitely frustrating when you lose the lead that late,” said Buescher, who led a race-high 97 laps. “Can’t get any closer to a win than that. But we had nothing for him.”
David Starr was third, his first top five since October 2009 at Talladega. Rookie Miguel Paludo finished fourth, and Ron Hornaday Jr. was fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Crafton, rookies Joey Coulter and Cole Whitt, polesitter Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain, who was making his first start.
Coulter was the last car on the lead lap as the final 107 of 200 laps were run under green. The race set a record for fewest cautions—four—for a truck race at the .686-mile track. The second caution, for 17 of the 28 laps run under yellow, was because of rain.
Peters’ fateful flat occurred just before he made contact with Steve Arpin. Peters said he didn’t even realize he had cut the tire until much later.
During the ensuing pit stop, crew chief Butch Hylton and his crew went to work with a series of adjustments to the track bar and tire pressures. Peters’ Toyota Tundra, which was slow off the truck Friday morning, came alive.
Points leader Johnny Sauter also suffered a cut tire, but he finished 23rd. He also damaged a track bar. Before those troubles, Sauter, who started the race leading the standings by 18 points over Dillon, had led 44 laps and appeared to be the driver to beat.
Dillon led 36 laps and closed to four points of Sauter. He also closed in on a postrace confrontation with Todd Bodine. The two tangled late in the race, and Dillon didn’t like it. He blocked Bodine’s way on pit road after the cool-down laps.
Bodine, who finished 12th, took the blame for the incident and apologized.
“I thought I was clear (of Dillon),” Bodine said. “Austin is the last person in the world I would do that to.”
By Jim Pedley
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Friday, July 29, 2011
Lucas Oil Raceway Winner Timothy Peters
Timothy Peters took the lead from James Buescher with six laps to go and went on to win the AAA Insurance 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Friday night at Lucas Oil Raceway.
The victory was the first of the year for Peters and the third of his career.
Buescher, 21, going for his first victory, finished second for the third time in his career. David Starr finished third, and Miguel Paludo and Ron Hornaday Jr. completed the top five.
Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Crafton, Joey Coulter, Cole Whitt, polesitter Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain.
Points leader Johnny Sauter suffered a cut tire and finished 23rd.
The victory was the first of the year for Peters and the third of his career.
Buescher, 21, going for his first victory, finished second for the third time in his career. David Starr finished third, and Miguel Paludo and Ron Hornaday Jr. completed the top five.
Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Crafton, Joey Coulter, Cole Whitt, polesitter Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain.
Points leader Johnny Sauter suffered a cut tire and finished 23rd.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Drew Herring making most of opportunity with JGR
Drew Herring making most of opportunity with JGR
By Lee Montgomery
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 28, 2011)
Drew Herring decided to take some time off from pursuing his engineering degree from N.C. State University a couple of years ago to go racing. Herring knew he would always have a chance to go back to school, but he also knew "these racing deals don't always come around," he said.
Especially not ones with powerhouse organizations like Joe Gibbs Racing.
Yet, that's what Herring has this season. After only four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, Herring got a chance to drive for JGR, the team that has won three consecutive Nationwide owners championships, and he's in the No. 20 Toyota for this weekend's Kroger 250 at Lucas Oil Raceway.
"It's amazing," Herring said. "There's no other way to describe it. It's absolutely a complete privilege to have the honor to drive of those these cars."
How did Herring get the chance? He raced with JGR Sprint Cup driver Denny Hamlin in Late Models around the Southeast a few years ago, and after Hamlin reached Sprint Cup, he told the people at JGR about Herring.
Herring, 24, continued to cultivate that relationship, and when Gibbs had some open spots for up-and-coming drivers in the Nationwide Series this year, the team gave Herring a call.
"Denny was pushing my name pretty hard up there," Herring said. "Next thing I know, we were making a deal to go to Iowa and run. Ever since, I've been on Cloud 9."
JGR likely was impressed by Herring's performance in part-time duties last year with Baker Curb Racing. He qualified 15th and ran in the top 10 before finishing 15th in his Nationwide debut at Iowa last year, and also qualified 13th and finished 17th at Gateway.
This season, Herring debuted with JGR at Iowa , leading 39 laps after starting from the pole when qualifying was rained out. He finished 12th, and then was seventh at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend, the best finish of his young career, and has the chance to race in back-to-back events by competing at Indy this weekend. That's huge for a young driver."I'm jumping in there trying to do the best I can, but I know I'm not at the top of my game like I could be if I had the chance to … get the seat time these other guys are getting," Herring said. "Going back to back weekends, you can jump in the car and you've got some confidence in you."
"I'm real excited to finally have a couple races back to back. I think it'll really pay off for us."
Herring said he's excited to run the Lucas Oil Raceway short track, as he grew up racing on similar tracks.
"I'm still going there with the same mindset I have every race," Herring said. "The first few laps, I'm going to take it easy and get used to the race track. We'll progress as the weekend goes, and hopefully the best laps we run all weekend will be the last few of the race."
By Lee Montgomery
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 28, 2011)
Drew Herring decided to take some time off from pursuing his engineering degree from N.C. State University a couple of years ago to go racing. Herring knew he would always have a chance to go back to school, but he also knew "these racing deals don't always come around," he said.
Especially not ones with powerhouse organizations like Joe Gibbs Racing.
Yet, that's what Herring has this season. After only four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, Herring got a chance to drive for JGR, the team that has won three consecutive Nationwide owners championships, and he's in the No. 20 Toyota for this weekend's Kroger 250 at Lucas Oil Raceway.
"It's amazing," Herring said. "There's no other way to describe it. It's absolutely a complete privilege to have the honor to drive of those these cars."
How did Herring get the chance? He raced with JGR Sprint Cup driver Denny Hamlin in Late Models around the Southeast a few years ago, and after Hamlin reached Sprint Cup, he told the people at JGR about Herring.
Herring, 24, continued to cultivate that relationship, and when Gibbs had some open spots for up-and-coming drivers in the Nationwide Series this year, the team gave Herring a call.
"Denny was pushing my name pretty hard up there," Herring said. "Next thing I know, we were making a deal to go to Iowa and run. Ever since, I've been on Cloud 9."
JGR likely was impressed by Herring's performance in part-time duties last year with Baker Curb Racing. He qualified 15th and ran in the top 10 before finishing 15th in his Nationwide debut at Iowa last year, and also qualified 13th and finished 17th at Gateway.
This season, Herring debuted with JGR at Iowa , leading 39 laps after starting from the pole when qualifying was rained out. He finished 12th, and then was seventh at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend, the best finish of his young career, and has the chance to race in back-to-back events by competing at Indy this weekend. That's huge for a young driver."I'm jumping in there trying to do the best I can, but I know I'm not at the top of my game like I could be if I had the chance to … get the seat time these other guys are getting," Herring said. "Going back to back weekends, you can jump in the car and you've got some confidence in you."
"I'm real excited to finally have a couple races back to back. I think it'll really pay off for us."
Herring said he's excited to run the Lucas Oil Raceway short track, as he grew up racing on similar tracks.
"I'm still going there with the same mindset I have every race," Herring said. "The first few laps, I'm going to take it easy and get used to the race track. We'll progress as the weekend goes, and hopefully the best laps we run all weekend will be the last few of the race."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Bodine unsure of future but ready to race the rest of the season
Bodine unsure of future but ready to race the rest of the season
By Jared Turner
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 27, 2011)
Todd Bodine doesn’t know exactly what his racing future holds beyond 2011.
The reigning Camping World Truck Series champion is holding fast to what he does know, however: He’ll be a participant in each of this season’s remaining Truck Series events.
Just two weeks ago, no such assurance existed.
With his Germain Racing team lacking sponsorship for eight of the 15 races that still remained, Bodine faced the grim reality of having to skip the July 16 event at Iowa Speedway, which would have marked the first time since 2004 that he had missed a Truck Series race.
But two days before the Iowa race, Germain and Randy Moss Motorsports officials announced a "collaborative effort" to field a truck Bodine in that weekend’s event.
That truck – a No. 5 Toyota – is the one Bodine will drive in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis and for the rest of the season as Germain and Randy Moss Motorsports split the sponsorship load.
“We were going to sit some races out,” said the two-time NCWTS champion and 21-time Truck winner. “Actually we were planning on sitting eight races out because those were the eight races we didn’t have covered for sponsorship.
“Going to the race track is better than sitting home for sure. It’s better for the team, better for the sponsors. It was pretty disheartening on the Tuesday before Iowa.”
Bodine will carry sponsorship from Big Red this weekend. The remaining races will be covered by Randy Moss team sponsor International Trucks/Monaco RVs, along with Germain sponsors Tire Kingdom/Service Central and Valvoline.
“I actually knew nothing about it until it was a done deal, and it only happened like in three days,” said Bodine, who is mired back in 10th in the standings, 81 points out of the lead. “They had a lot of things to do other than worry about telling me what was going on. They just had to get it done, so it was a pretty quick deal. They basically talked on Saturday and it was done by Wednesday.”
Bodine, who made his first NASCAR national series appearance in 1986 and has logged 741 starts between the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series, understands as well as anyone the ups and downs that big-time auto racing can bring.
And that makes him even more thankful he’s still racing.
“The way this sport is you never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “You never know which direction it’s going to go. And you have to able to adjust your plans and change direction quickly. It’s hard to understand that if you’re not in the sport. The way the economy is right now makes it even harder to be able to have something solid and secure."
Just being able to race isn’t enough to satisfy Bodine. The 47-year-old wants to run up front and contend for victories.
After an unforgettable 2010 in which he won four times and ran away with the series title, Bodine has struggled this season.
Prior to the Germain-Randy Moss pairing, Bodine had finished no better than third in 10 starts. Since the new arrangement, he’s finished 10th at Iowa and sixth last weekend at Nashville.
“We expect more out of ourselves than just a top 10,” he said. “ … We’re going to win some races – there’s no doubt about that. That’s what we’re about but to go through what we’ve been through and come through the other side and have the deal we have, it would be pretty special to be able to do that.”
By Jared Turner
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 27, 2011)
Todd Bodine doesn’t know exactly what his racing future holds beyond 2011.
The reigning Camping World Truck Series champion is holding fast to what he does know, however: He’ll be a participant in each of this season’s remaining Truck Series events.
Just two weeks ago, no such assurance existed.
With his Germain Racing team lacking sponsorship for eight of the 15 races that still remained, Bodine faced the grim reality of having to skip the July 16 event at Iowa Speedway, which would have marked the first time since 2004 that he had missed a Truck Series race.
But two days before the Iowa race, Germain and Randy Moss Motorsports officials announced a "collaborative effort" to field a truck Bodine in that weekend’s event.
That truck – a No. 5 Toyota – is the one Bodine will drive in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis and for the rest of the season as Germain and Randy Moss Motorsports split the sponsorship load.
“We were going to sit some races out,” said the two-time NCWTS champion and 21-time Truck winner. “Actually we were planning on sitting eight races out because those were the eight races we didn’t have covered for sponsorship.
“Going to the race track is better than sitting home for sure. It’s better for the team, better for the sponsors. It was pretty disheartening on the Tuesday before Iowa.”
Bodine will carry sponsorship from Big Red this weekend. The remaining races will be covered by Randy Moss team sponsor International Trucks/Monaco RVs, along with Germain sponsors Tire Kingdom/Service Central and Valvoline.
“I actually knew nothing about it until it was a done deal, and it only happened like in three days,” said Bodine, who is mired back in 10th in the standings, 81 points out of the lead. “They had a lot of things to do other than worry about telling me what was going on. They just had to get it done, so it was a pretty quick deal. They basically talked on Saturday and it was done by Wednesday.”
Bodine, who made his first NASCAR national series appearance in 1986 and has logged 741 starts between the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series, understands as well as anyone the ups and downs that big-time auto racing can bring.
And that makes him even more thankful he’s still racing.
“The way this sport is you never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “You never know which direction it’s going to go. And you have to able to adjust your plans and change direction quickly. It’s hard to understand that if you’re not in the sport. The way the economy is right now makes it even harder to be able to have something solid and secure."
Just being able to race isn’t enough to satisfy Bodine. The 47-year-old wants to run up front and contend for victories.
After an unforgettable 2010 in which he won four times and ran away with the series title, Bodine has struggled this season.
Prior to the Germain-Randy Moss pairing, Bodine had finished no better than third in 10 starts. Since the new arrangement, he’s finished 10th at Iowa and sixth last weekend at Nashville.
“We expect more out of ourselves than just a top 10,” he said. “ … We’re going to win some races – there’s no doubt about that. That’s what we’re about but to go through what we’ve been through and come through the other side and have the deal we have, it would be pretty special to be able to do that.”
Travis Pastrana Makes His NASCAR National Series Debut
7/27/11
Travis Pastrana Makes His NASCAR National Series Debut
After back-flipping his way through the ESPN X Games, Travis Pastrana will catch a red-eye flight to Indianapolis to make his first ever start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. The long awaited arrival of the action sports star is finally here.
Pastrana has 16 X Games gold medals in addition to multiple titles in supercross, motocross and rally cars. He’ll make his series debut for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota.
“For me it is always about a new challenge and finding the most competition,” Pastrana said.
Pastrana got a taste of NASCAR racing, having run a combination of five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races this year including his best finish of sixth in his NASCAR debut in January at the Toyota All-Star Showdown. His other NASCAR K&N Pro Series races were Phoenix (25th), Richmond (33rd), Iowa (22nd) and Loudon (22nd).
“It has been awesome,” Pastrana said. “I have been talking with [driver coach] Matt Crafton (see page 4 for more on his relationship with Crafton) and the team and really working on figuring out how to adjust the car. You might be good at the beginning of practice or the end of practice or good in your qualifying run or be good in the race, but it’s difficult. You have to continue to work with the team to make your car better. It has been a lot of fun and humbling for sure.” (Click here video of Travis Pastrana’s interview.)
Standings Battle Gets Fierce With 14 Races To Go
No one has been able to run away with the points lead this season and the trend continues into Lucas Oil Raceway – the top-three drivers are separated by 14 points. Turner Motorsports’ Reed Sorenson leads the way with 14 races to go just five points ahead of Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and 14 points ahead of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Elliott Sadler, in third. There have been 11 points lead changes this season and the tight competition does not appear to be loosening up one bit.
Sorenson is a fan of short-track racing and it shows in his stats at Lucas Oil Raceway, site of his series debut in 2004. In four starts, he has notched three top fives, three top 10s, one pole and 49 laps led. Sorenson has completed 100 percent of the laps attempted and has an average starting position of 6.8 and average finish of 5.8. Sorenson’s best career finish at the .686-mile short track is second in 2006.
Stenhouse has made one start at LOR, starting third and finishing 11th last season. Sadler on the other hand has three starts, but hasn’t competed there since 1998. In his last two starts at the .686-mile track, he finished second.
Sorenson leads all championship contenders in pre-race Driver Rating with 116.1.
Drivers Emerge As The Future Of The Series
This time last season Trevor Bayne lit the wick on his rocket to stardom in NASCAR, posting his first of three consecutive poles at Lucas Oil Raceway. The feat tied a series record, and he went on to finish fourth that night.
“I love short-track racing and this race is all about the drivers,” Bayne said. “I have been in position to win the last two times we were at LOR and I am really looking forward to Saturday night.”
Like Bayne, Austin Dillon and Drew Herring are also beginning to climb the ranks of popularity. Dillon primarily races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but last weekend finished third in the NASCAR Nationwide race at Nashville. Dillon has finished in the top 10 in all three of his starts this season and will be piloting the No. 33 car for KHI again this weekend.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Drew Herring made his second start of the season last weekend at Nashville in the No. 18 car. He posted his first top-10 finish and kept the No. 18 team atop the owners’ standings. This weekend Herring will still be working with the same crew chief, Adam Stevens, but will be in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota instead of the No. 18.
NASCAR Nationwide Series
NASCAR.COM’s TrackPass RaceView, its premier season-long, live NASCAR Sprint Cup Series virtual experience, will cover three marquee NASCAR Nationwide Series races for the first time ever. The free application will debut at Lucas Oil Raceway on July 30 and also will be available for NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 13) and Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 9). … Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director, is from Hobart, Ind. Balash’s leadership has been instrumental in the introduction of the series’ new car, which makes its track debut at LOR. … The No. 70 ML Motorsports team owned by Mary Louise Miller, is based in Warsaw, Ind. The team’s driver, David Stremme is from South Bend. … Jason Leffler may be a California native, but he considers Indiana his second home and LOR one of his favorite tracks. Leffler built his USAC legacy at LOR and also won his most recent NASCAR Nationwide Series race there in 2007.
Travis Pastrana Makes His NASCAR National Series Debut
After back-flipping his way through the ESPN X Games, Travis Pastrana will catch a red-eye flight to Indianapolis to make his first ever start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. The long awaited arrival of the action sports star is finally here.
Pastrana has 16 X Games gold medals in addition to multiple titles in supercross, motocross and rally cars. He’ll make his series debut for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota.
“For me it is always about a new challenge and finding the most competition,” Pastrana said.
Pastrana got a taste of NASCAR racing, having run a combination of five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races this year including his best finish of sixth in his NASCAR debut in January at the Toyota All-Star Showdown. His other NASCAR K&N Pro Series races were Phoenix (25th), Richmond (33rd), Iowa (22nd) and Loudon (22nd).
“It has been awesome,” Pastrana said. “I have been talking with [driver coach] Matt Crafton (see page 4 for more on his relationship with Crafton) and the team and really working on figuring out how to adjust the car. You might be good at the beginning of practice or the end of practice or good in your qualifying run or be good in the race, but it’s difficult. You have to continue to work with the team to make your car better. It has been a lot of fun and humbling for sure.” (Click here video of Travis Pastrana’s interview.)
Standings Battle Gets Fierce With 14 Races To Go
No one has been able to run away with the points lead this season and the trend continues into Lucas Oil Raceway – the top-three drivers are separated by 14 points. Turner Motorsports’ Reed Sorenson leads the way with 14 races to go just five points ahead of Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and 14 points ahead of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Elliott Sadler, in third. There have been 11 points lead changes this season and the tight competition does not appear to be loosening up one bit.
Sorenson is a fan of short-track racing and it shows in his stats at Lucas Oil Raceway, site of his series debut in 2004. In four starts, he has notched three top fives, three top 10s, one pole and 49 laps led. Sorenson has completed 100 percent of the laps attempted and has an average starting position of 6.8 and average finish of 5.8. Sorenson’s best career finish at the .686-mile short track is second in 2006.
Stenhouse has made one start at LOR, starting third and finishing 11th last season. Sadler on the other hand has three starts, but hasn’t competed there since 1998. In his last two starts at the .686-mile track, he finished second.
Sorenson leads all championship contenders in pre-race Driver Rating with 116.1.
Drivers Emerge As The Future Of The Series
This time last season Trevor Bayne lit the wick on his rocket to stardom in NASCAR, posting his first of three consecutive poles at Lucas Oil Raceway. The feat tied a series record, and he went on to finish fourth that night.
“I love short-track racing and this race is all about the drivers,” Bayne said. “I have been in position to win the last two times we were at LOR and I am really looking forward to Saturday night.”
Like Bayne, Austin Dillon and Drew Herring are also beginning to climb the ranks of popularity. Dillon primarily races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but last weekend finished third in the NASCAR Nationwide race at Nashville. Dillon has finished in the top 10 in all three of his starts this season and will be piloting the No. 33 car for KHI again this weekend.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Drew Herring made his second start of the season last weekend at Nashville in the No. 18 car. He posted his first top-10 finish and kept the No. 18 team atop the owners’ standings. This weekend Herring will still be working with the same crew chief, Adam Stevens, but will be in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota instead of the No. 18.
NASCAR Nationwide Series
NASCAR.COM’s TrackPass RaceView, its premier season-long, live NASCAR Sprint Cup Series virtual experience, will cover three marquee NASCAR Nationwide Series races for the first time ever. The free application will debut at Lucas Oil Raceway on July 30 and also will be available for NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 13) and Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 9). … Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director, is from Hobart, Ind. Balash’s leadership has been instrumental in the introduction of the series’ new car, which makes its track debut at LOR. … The No. 70 ML Motorsports team owned by Mary Louise Miller, is based in Warsaw, Ind. The team’s driver, David Stremme is from South Bend. … Jason Leffler may be a California native, but he considers Indiana his second home and LOR one of his favorite tracks. Leffler built his USAC legacy at LOR and also won his most recent NASCAR Nationwide Series race there in 2007.
Change Is Good: First Half Highlighted By Youth Movement
7/27/11
Change Is Good: First Half Highlighted By Youth Movement
Names like Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman and Joey Coulter, not to mention Austin Dillon and James Buescher, share a trait that has defined the first half of the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: The rise of young talent, possibly signaling a changing of the guard.
Friday night’s race at Lucas Oil Raceway marks the exact midpoint of the season, and the names above have become the key storylines of the first half – and, in all likelihood, the remainder of the season.
Cole Whitt: The 20-year-old launched into the 2011 season, tallying five top 10s in the first seven races. Since then, his pace has slowed. Over his last four starts, Whitt has just one top-10 finish and he has dropped from the points lead after Charlotte to his current position of fourth. Still, he owns the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead, 10 points up on the following two young guns.
Parker Kligerman: Flip-flop Whitt’s season, and you get Kligerman’s. The 20-year-old started 2011 with five finishes outside the top 10 in the first six events. Since then, he has had four top 10s in six races – including runner-ups at Texas and Kentucky. He’s currently seventh in points.
Joey Coulter: Quietly, Coulter has climbed the Sunoco Rookie standings thanks to five consecutive top-10 finishes (three of them in the top five).
Austin Dillon: Without frustration, there’s no such thing as perseverance. That might as well be Dillon’s 2011 motto. Inconsistency has plagued much of the 21-year-old’s season, but all seems well – for now. Last week’s winner at Nashville, Dillon has finished in the top-two in the last two races and has climbed to second in the points, 18 points behind Johnny Sauter.
James Buescher: The “what if” discussions continue. What if Buescher earned a spot in that Phoenix race, the second event of the season? Buescher has run off a string of eight consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest of any driver this season (the record is 24 straight by Jack Sprague over the course of the 1997-98 seasons). Buescher now sits third in points, 42 behind Sauter.
The young guns dethroned the veterans, at least atop the standings … for now. Two of those veterans are reigning series champion Todd Bodine and four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
Todd Bodine: His campaign to become the first repeat champion has hit speed bump after speed bump. The 47-year-old struggled at the start (six of his first seven finishes were outside the top 10), and moved from his usual No. 30 ride to the No. 5 Toyota. Change was good, to the tune of two consecutive top 10s.
Ron Hornaday Jr.: Hornaday chewed off a four consecutive top fives early on, and a points position of third. But his performance has since dipped, and he now sits ninth, the second-lowest points position of his career through 12 races.
Crafton: Expert Driver and Now Coach
With two victories and more than 250 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton has earned a reputation for being one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit. That experienced background makes Crafton the perfect choice as the driver coach for Travis Pastrana in his first NASCAR season.
This weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway, Pastrana, the action sports superstar, will make his much-anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. All the while, Crafton has served as Pastrana’s tutor, dating back to January and the beginning of his NASCAR initiation with K&N Pro Series events. Crafton has been at Pastrana’s side during each test and each race patiently coaching him throughout.
In his “full-time” job, Crafton is currently sixth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings and earned his second career victory earlier this month at Iowa Speedway. Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet, started his NASCAR national series career in 2008 and has consistently placed well in the standings. He ranks fourth in career starts among active series drivers and has 135 top-10 finishes. His first win came at Charlotte in 2008.
Crafton – who will compete in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 – will be on site for Pastrana’s NASCAR Nationwide debut this weekend at LOR.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Dakoda Armstrong will pilot the No. 98 Ferrellgas-Agrosure entry for ThorSport at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The New Castle, Ind. native made his series debut two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway and finished 21st. Armstrong is a fourth generation farmer. His family owns Armstrong Farms (based in Indiana) which is the largest ethanol-producing corn farm in the Midwest. … Some series midpoint facts and figures: eight different winners, nine different Keystone Light Pole winners, an average of nine lead changes and seven leaders per race, and average margin of victory of .959 seconds with seven races featuring a margin of victory under one second. … Drivers pulling LOR-specific double duty: Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, James Buescher and Jennifer Jo Cobb.
Change Is Good: First Half Highlighted By Youth Movement
Names like Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman and Joey Coulter, not to mention Austin Dillon and James Buescher, share a trait that has defined the first half of the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: The rise of young talent, possibly signaling a changing of the guard.
Friday night’s race at Lucas Oil Raceway marks the exact midpoint of the season, and the names above have become the key storylines of the first half – and, in all likelihood, the remainder of the season.
Cole Whitt: The 20-year-old launched into the 2011 season, tallying five top 10s in the first seven races. Since then, his pace has slowed. Over his last four starts, Whitt has just one top-10 finish and he has dropped from the points lead after Charlotte to his current position of fourth. Still, he owns the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead, 10 points up on the following two young guns.
Parker Kligerman: Flip-flop Whitt’s season, and you get Kligerman’s. The 20-year-old started 2011 with five finishes outside the top 10 in the first six events. Since then, he has had four top 10s in six races – including runner-ups at Texas and Kentucky. He’s currently seventh in points.
Joey Coulter: Quietly, Coulter has climbed the Sunoco Rookie standings thanks to five consecutive top-10 finishes (three of them in the top five).
Austin Dillon: Without frustration, there’s no such thing as perseverance. That might as well be Dillon’s 2011 motto. Inconsistency has plagued much of the 21-year-old’s season, but all seems well – for now. Last week’s winner at Nashville, Dillon has finished in the top-two in the last two races and has climbed to second in the points, 18 points behind Johnny Sauter.
James Buescher: The “what if” discussions continue. What if Buescher earned a spot in that Phoenix race, the second event of the season? Buescher has run off a string of eight consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest of any driver this season (the record is 24 straight by Jack Sprague over the course of the 1997-98 seasons). Buescher now sits third in points, 42 behind Sauter.
The young guns dethroned the veterans, at least atop the standings … for now. Two of those veterans are reigning series champion Todd Bodine and four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
Todd Bodine: His campaign to become the first repeat champion has hit speed bump after speed bump. The 47-year-old struggled at the start (six of his first seven finishes were outside the top 10), and moved from his usual No. 30 ride to the No. 5 Toyota. Change was good, to the tune of two consecutive top 10s.
Ron Hornaday Jr.: Hornaday chewed off a four consecutive top fives early on, and a points position of third. But his performance has since dipped, and he now sits ninth, the second-lowest points position of his career through 12 races.
Crafton: Expert Driver and Now Coach
With two victories and more than 250 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton has earned a reputation for being one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit. That experienced background makes Crafton the perfect choice as the driver coach for Travis Pastrana in his first NASCAR season.
This weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway, Pastrana, the action sports superstar, will make his much-anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. All the while, Crafton has served as Pastrana’s tutor, dating back to January and the beginning of his NASCAR initiation with K&N Pro Series events. Crafton has been at Pastrana’s side during each test and each race patiently coaching him throughout.
In his “full-time” job, Crafton is currently sixth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings and earned his second career victory earlier this month at Iowa Speedway. Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet, started his NASCAR national series career in 2008 and has consistently placed well in the standings. He ranks fourth in career starts among active series drivers and has 135 top-10 finishes. His first win came at Charlotte in 2008.
Crafton – who will compete in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 – will be on site for Pastrana’s NASCAR Nationwide debut this weekend at LOR.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Dakoda Armstrong will pilot the No. 98 Ferrellgas-Agrosure entry for ThorSport at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The New Castle, Ind. native made his series debut two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway and finished 21st. Armstrong is a fourth generation farmer. His family owns Armstrong Farms (based in Indiana) which is the largest ethanol-producing corn farm in the Midwest. … Some series midpoint facts and figures: eight different winners, nine different Keystone Light Pole winners, an average of nine lead changes and seven leaders per race, and average margin of victory of .959 seconds with seven races featuring a margin of victory under one second. … Drivers pulling LOR-specific double duty: Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, James Buescher and Jennifer Jo Cobb.
NATIONWIDE SERIES TO Lucas Oil Raceway
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Pastrana Ready To Perform NASCAR Nationwide Series Trick
An A-List of drivers have used NASCAR’s ladder system, specifically the NASCAR Nationwide Series, en route to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stardom (see: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch).
But the series also has been a developmental platform for drivers in other forms of motorsports who have had NASCAR aspirations. Since 2006, the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Jacques Villeneuve, Ricky Carmichael, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen have competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to get the feel for stock cars.
Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway, another big name takes to the NASCAR national series stage: Travis Pastrana.
An action sports superstar with 16 X Games gold medals in addition to multiple titles in supercross, motocross and rally cars, he’ll make his series debut for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. He’s gotten a taste of NASCAR racing, having run a combination of five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races this year including his best finish of sixth in his NASCAR debut in January at the Toyota All-Star Showdown.
Tag … Sorenson’s “It”
In a season where the top spot in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver standings has changed 12 times in 20 races – and three times over the last three events – Saturday’s stop at Lucas Oil Raceway could be telling.
Since 1987, when Larry Pearson won the first of his consecutive series titles, the winner at LOR has gone on to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship 11 times – nearly a 50% clip.
Reed Sorenson again is the standings leader, overtaking Elliott Sadler after last Saturday’s race at Nashville after Sadler suffered a mechanical issue, spoiling his top-five run. Sadler has dropped to third, 14 points behind Sorenson. It’s the furthest behind the leader he’s been since he was 30 points out following the April race at Talladega.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is second, five points behind Sorenson, while Justin Allgaier, Sorenson’s Turner Motorsports teammate, is within striking distance in fourth, 30 points out of the lead.
Sadler needs a rebound in the worst way, which is an odd statement considering he’s led the standings twice this season and has nine top fives and 13 top 10s. However, he’s yet to capture that elusive victory. His last NASACR Nationwide Series win was at Nazareth in 1997.
Sadler hasn’t been in a series race at LOR since 1998, when he finished second. In fact, he has runner-up finishes in each of his last two races there.
What’s In A Name? Bayne’s Made His At LOR
As he was crossing the finish line in the season-opening Daytona 500, the rush was on for the answer to the question: “Who is Trevor Bayne?”
Over the last two seasons, Lucas Oil Raceway has been a part of that answer.After a handful of races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East from 2007-09 – including his first NASCAR win in 2009 at Thompson (Conn.) Speedway – Bayne graduated to a partial schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2009. In 15 races, he captured a pole and two top 10s – the pole was at LOR as was his first career top 10 (seventh).
Last year at LOR, Bayne won the pole again, and improved his finish to fourth. That pole was a springboard to a span of three consecutive poles, tying the series record with the likes of Sam Ard, Mark Martin and fellow Daytona 500 winners Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip.
NNS LOR : Kenny Wallace recorded his ninth top 10 of the season last Saturday at Nashville. He had none last year and this total is the most he’s had since 2005 (11). … On the flip side, Michael Annett had his career-best streak of four consecutive top 10s broken at Nashville after a 14th-place finish. … Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director, is from Hobart, Ind. Balash’s leadership has been instrumental in the introduction of the series’ new car, which makes its track debut at LOR. … The No. 70 ML Motorsports team owned by Mary Louise Miller, is based in Warsaw, Ind. The team’s driver, David Stremme is from South Bend. … Jason Leffler may be a California native, but he considers Indiana his second home and LOR one of his favorite tracks. Leffler built his USAC legacy at LOR and also won his most NASCAR Nationwide Series race there in 2007. … Drew Herring is back in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the second consecutive week. Herring rallied to a seventh-place finish at Nashville last week, keeping the No. 18 team atop the series owner standings, +28 over the No. 32 Turner Motorsports team. … Austin Dillon has top-10 finishes in each of his four series starts this year with a best of third last week at Nashville to compliment his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. He’s one of four drivers pulling double-duty this weekend; Elliott Sadler, Jennifer Jo Cobb and James Buescher also will run Friday and Saturday night.
Pastrana Ready To Perform NASCAR Nationwide Series Trick
An A-List of drivers have used NASCAR’s ladder system, specifically the NASCAR Nationwide Series, en route to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stardom (see: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch).
But the series also has been a developmental platform for drivers in other forms of motorsports who have had NASCAR aspirations. Since 2006, the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Jacques Villeneuve, Ricky Carmichael, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen have competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to get the feel for stock cars.
Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway, another big name takes to the NASCAR national series stage: Travis Pastrana.
An action sports superstar with 16 X Games gold medals in addition to multiple titles in supercross, motocross and rally cars, he’ll make his series debut for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. He’s gotten a taste of NASCAR racing, having run a combination of five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West races this year including his best finish of sixth in his NASCAR debut in January at the Toyota All-Star Showdown.
Tag … Sorenson’s “It”
In a season where the top spot in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver standings has changed 12 times in 20 races – and three times over the last three events – Saturday’s stop at Lucas Oil Raceway could be telling.
Since 1987, when Larry Pearson won the first of his consecutive series titles, the winner at LOR has gone on to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship 11 times – nearly a 50% clip.
Reed Sorenson again is the standings leader, overtaking Elliott Sadler after last Saturday’s race at Nashville after Sadler suffered a mechanical issue, spoiling his top-five run. Sadler has dropped to third, 14 points behind Sorenson. It’s the furthest behind the leader he’s been since he was 30 points out following the April race at Talladega.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is second, five points behind Sorenson, while Justin Allgaier, Sorenson’s Turner Motorsports teammate, is within striking distance in fourth, 30 points out of the lead.
Sadler needs a rebound in the worst way, which is an odd statement considering he’s led the standings twice this season and has nine top fives and 13 top 10s. However, he’s yet to capture that elusive victory. His last NASACR Nationwide Series win was at Nazareth in 1997.
Sadler hasn’t been in a series race at LOR since 1998, when he finished second. In fact, he has runner-up finishes in each of his last two races there.
What’s In A Name? Bayne’s Made His At LOR
As he was crossing the finish line in the season-opening Daytona 500, the rush was on for the answer to the question: “Who is Trevor Bayne?”
Over the last two seasons, Lucas Oil Raceway has been a part of that answer.After a handful of races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East from 2007-09 – including his first NASCAR win in 2009 at Thompson (Conn.) Speedway – Bayne graduated to a partial schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2009. In 15 races, he captured a pole and two top 10s – the pole was at LOR as was his first career top 10 (seventh).
Last year at LOR, Bayne won the pole again, and improved his finish to fourth. That pole was a springboard to a span of three consecutive poles, tying the series record with the likes of Sam Ard, Mark Martin and fellow Daytona 500 winners Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip.
NNS LOR : Kenny Wallace recorded his ninth top 10 of the season last Saturday at Nashville. He had none last year and this total is the most he’s had since 2005 (11). … On the flip side, Michael Annett had his career-best streak of four consecutive top 10s broken at Nashville after a 14th-place finish. … Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director, is from Hobart, Ind. Balash’s leadership has been instrumental in the introduction of the series’ new car, which makes its track debut at LOR. … The No. 70 ML Motorsports team owned by Mary Louise Miller, is based in Warsaw, Ind. The team’s driver, David Stremme is from South Bend. … Jason Leffler may be a California native, but he considers Indiana his second home and LOR one of his favorite tracks. Leffler built his USAC legacy at LOR and also won his most NASCAR Nationwide Series race there in 2007. … Drew Herring is back in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the second consecutive week. Herring rallied to a seventh-place finish at Nashville last week, keeping the No. 18 team atop the series owner standings, +28 over the No. 32 Turner Motorsports team. … Austin Dillon has top-10 finishes in each of his four series starts this year with a best of third last week at Nashville to compliment his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. He’s one of four drivers pulling double-duty this weekend; Elliott Sadler, Jennifer Jo Cobb and James Buescher also will run Friday and Saturday night.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK TO LUCAS OIL RACEWAY
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Sauter, Dillon Lead the Championship Fight; Buescher Moves Into Third
Johnny Sauter continues to lead the NCWTS series standings – a position he has held for five consecutive weeks.
But, his lead continues to shrink.
After battling the sophomore slump for the first half of the season, Austin Dillon finally found his way to victory lane.
Dillon’s third career victory moved him up to second in the standings – only 18 points behind Sauter.As Sauter and Dillon move to the forefront of the championship battle, James Buescher is quietly climbing into the picture.
Buescher – who failed to qualify for the second race of the season – has climbed 21 spots in the standings since missing the field at Phoenix. He has now scored eight consecutive top-10 finishes.
Hornaday Dominant at Lucas Oil Raceway
Ron Hornaday Jr. holds the winning key to Lucas Oil Raceway with five overall victories at the .686 mile oval – four NCWTS and one NNS.
And it could not have arrived on the schedule at a better time for the four-time NCWTS champ.
Despite winning at Texas in June, Hornaday has finished outside the top-15 in all three races held since then. He has dropped from third to ninth in the series standings.
But this weekend could change the face of his 2011 season – in a good way.
Hornaday has visited victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway in three of the last four events held at the famed short track.
Crafton: Expert Driver and Now Coach
With over 250 starts and two victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Matt Crafton knows how to get around a race track and has earned the title as one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit.
Which explains why Crafton was tabbed as Travis Pastrana’s driver coach for the 2011 season.
In January, Crafton started coaching Pastrana during all test sessions and at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series events he competed in.
Crafton – who will compete in Friday’s nights NCWTS event – will be on site for Pastrana’s NASCAR Nationwide debut this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
“I’m excited to see what he can do out on the track. It has been a great experience working with him this season and prepping him for this race, said Crafton, who sits sixth in the NCWTS standings. He’s a legend in the Motorcross and X Games world, so it will be interesting to see him begin his NASCAR career. I really enjoy working with rookies and coaching young drivers, so to work with guys like Travis is always fun”
Armstrong Ready to Compete In Home State
Dakoda Armstrong will pilot the No. 98 Ferrellgas-Agrosure entry for ThorSport at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
The New Castle, Ind. native made his series debut two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway and finished 21st.
Armstrong is a fourth generation farmer. His family owns Armstrong Farms (based in Indiana) which is the largest ethanol-producing corn farm in the Midwest.
Sauter, Dillon Lead the Championship Fight; Buescher Moves Into Third
Johnny Sauter continues to lead the NCWTS series standings – a position he has held for five consecutive weeks.
But, his lead continues to shrink.
After battling the sophomore slump for the first half of the season, Austin Dillon finally found his way to victory lane.
Dillon’s third career victory moved him up to second in the standings – only 18 points behind Sauter.As Sauter and Dillon move to the forefront of the championship battle, James Buescher is quietly climbing into the picture.
Buescher – who failed to qualify for the second race of the season – has climbed 21 spots in the standings since missing the field at Phoenix. He has now scored eight consecutive top-10 finishes.
Hornaday Dominant at Lucas Oil Raceway
Ron Hornaday Jr. holds the winning key to Lucas Oil Raceway with five overall victories at the .686 mile oval – four NCWTS and one NNS.
And it could not have arrived on the schedule at a better time for the four-time NCWTS champ.
Despite winning at Texas in June, Hornaday has finished outside the top-15 in all three races held since then. He has dropped from third to ninth in the series standings.
But this weekend could change the face of his 2011 season – in a good way.
Hornaday has visited victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway in three of the last four events held at the famed short track.
Crafton: Expert Driver and Now Coach
With over 250 starts and two victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Matt Crafton knows how to get around a race track and has earned the title as one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit.
Which explains why Crafton was tabbed as Travis Pastrana’s driver coach for the 2011 season.
In January, Crafton started coaching Pastrana during all test sessions and at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series events he competed in.
Crafton – who will compete in Friday’s nights NCWTS event – will be on site for Pastrana’s NASCAR Nationwide debut this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
“I’m excited to see what he can do out on the track. It has been a great experience working with him this season and prepping him for this race, said Crafton, who sits sixth in the NCWTS standings. He’s a legend in the Motorcross and X Games world, so it will be interesting to see him begin his NASCAR career. I really enjoy working with rookies and coaching young drivers, so to work with guys like Travis is always fun”
Armstrong Ready to Compete In Home State
Dakoda Armstrong will pilot the No. 98 Ferrellgas-Agrosure entry for ThorSport at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
The New Castle, Ind. native made his series debut two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway and finished 21st.
Armstrong is a fourth generation farmer. His family owns Armstrong Farms (based in Indiana) which is the largest ethanol-producing corn farm in the Midwest.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Edwards overcomes error, dominates at Nashville
Edwards overcomes error, dominates at Nashville
By Brian Citino
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 23, 2011)
LEBANON , Tenn. —Carl Edwards did not let a penalty for speeding on pit road slow him down Saturday night, as he regained position quickly and dominated the field en route to a victory at Nashville Superspeedway in the Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
After leading from Laps 59 to 82, Edwards made a yellow flag pit stop but approached his stall a bit too fast, and was forced to restart in the 14th position. However, it took him only 39 laps to regain the lead and backflip his way into victory lane in Nashville for the sixth time in his career—five times in the Nationwide Series and once in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came in second place, followed by the weekend's truck series race winner, Austin Dillon, in third, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Aric Almirola in fifth.
Even though Brad Keselowski started the race on the pole and led for 89 of the first 116 laps, engine problems saw him fall to a 12th-place finish, allowing Edwards and his extremely fast No. 60 Ford to dominate the race despite the pit-road penalty.
Edwards, who led 124 laps, said he thought the penalty would be a problem for him in the race, but the speed of his Ford through traffic nullified the loss in position.
"I can't believe I was leading and I sped on pit road," he said. "That was really, really not smart. But in the end it made our night more fun. I probably learned more."
Stenhouse, a teammate of Edwards' at Roush Fenway Racing, noted Edwards' fast car in the race. He added that his own Ford had a few slight problems, but that adjustments still might not have been enough to overtake his teammate.
"We were just too loose on that last run," Stenhouse said. "We were tight in the middle part of the race. I never really got it exactly where I needed it. We were one adjustment away from being really fast, but Carl's Fastenal Mustang has always been really good here.
"But at the end of the day it was a really good day for Roush Fenway."
Edwards hit a milestone during the race, leading his 1,000th Nationwide lap of the season, a career high, which he said is all due to the team's effort and willingness to listen to the drivers.
"It boils down to (team owner Jack Roush) and the guys listening to us complain and not ignoring us," he said.
Edwards did say, however, that the fast car was not all that got him to victory lane, as the invocation from Pastor Joe Nelms, which featured "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" references, as well as a number of racing puns, and had the drivers laughing during prerace activities. The video of the invocation has already gone viral on YouTube.
"I turned to Jack after that and said if anything happens tonight, I'd like him to be at my funeral," Edwards said, laughing. "That was one of the best invocations that I've ever heard
By Brian Citino
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 23, 2011)
LEBANON , Tenn. —Carl Edwards did not let a penalty for speeding on pit road slow him down Saturday night, as he regained position quickly and dominated the field en route to a victory at Nashville Superspeedway in the Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
After leading from Laps 59 to 82, Edwards made a yellow flag pit stop but approached his stall a bit too fast, and was forced to restart in the 14th position. However, it took him only 39 laps to regain the lead and backflip his way into victory lane in Nashville for the sixth time in his career—five times in the Nationwide Series and once in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came in second place, followed by the weekend's truck series race winner, Austin Dillon, in third, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Aric Almirola in fifth.
Even though Brad Keselowski started the race on the pole and led for 89 of the first 116 laps, engine problems saw him fall to a 12th-place finish, allowing Edwards and his extremely fast No. 60 Ford to dominate the race despite the pit-road penalty.
Edwards, who led 124 laps, said he thought the penalty would be a problem for him in the race, but the speed of his Ford through traffic nullified the loss in position.
"I can't believe I was leading and I sped on pit road," he said. "That was really, really not smart. But in the end it made our night more fun. I probably learned more."
Stenhouse, a teammate of Edwards' at Roush Fenway Racing, noted Edwards' fast car in the race. He added that his own Ford had a few slight problems, but that adjustments still might not have been enough to overtake his teammate.
"We were just too loose on that last run," Stenhouse said. "We were tight in the middle part of the race. I never really got it exactly where I needed it. We were one adjustment away from being really fast, but Carl's Fastenal Mustang has always been really good here.
"But at the end of the day it was a really good day for Roush Fenway."
Edwards hit a milestone during the race, leading his 1,000th Nationwide lap of the season, a career high, which he said is all due to the team's effort and willingness to listen to the drivers.
"It boils down to (team owner Jack Roush) and the guys listening to us complain and not ignoring us," he said.
Edwards did say, however, that the fast car was not all that got him to victory lane, as the invocation from Pastor Joe Nelms, which featured "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" references, as well as a number of racing puns, and had the drivers laughing during prerace activities. The video of the invocation has already gone viral on YouTube.
"I turned to Jack after that and said if anything happens tonight, I'd like him to be at my funeral," Edwards said, laughing. "That was one of the best invocations that I've ever heard
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Federated Auto Parts 300 Pole Winner: Brad Keselowski
Qualifying Fast Facts
Nashville Superspeedway
10th Annual Federated Auto Parts 300
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, July 23, 2011 @ 03:39 PM Central
Coors Light Pole Winner: Brad Keselowski(i)
Age: 27
Team : No. 22 - Discount Tire Dodge
Owner: Roger Penske
Crew Chief: Todd Gordon
Brad Keselowski(i) won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 10th Annual Federated Auto Parts 300 with a lap of 30.871 seconds, 155.447 mph.
This is his 10th pole in 158 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
This is his second pole and 13th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in ten races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Steve Wallace (second) posted his sixth top-10 start of 2011 and his fifth in 12 races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Carl Edwards(i) (third) posted his 12th top-10 start at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his 19th in 19 races this season.
Timmy Hill (22nd) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Nashville Superspeedway
10th Annual Federated Auto Parts 300
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, July 23, 2011 @ 03:39 PM Central
Coors Light Pole Winner: Brad Keselowski(i)
Age: 27
Team : No. 22 - Discount Tire Dodge
Owner: Roger Penske
Crew Chief: Todd Gordon
Brad Keselowski(i) won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 10th Annual Federated Auto Parts 300 with a lap of 30.871 seconds, 155.447 mph.
This is his 10th pole in 158 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
This is his second pole and 13th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in ten races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Steve Wallace (second) posted his sixth top-10 start of 2011 and his fifth in 12 races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Carl Edwards(i) (third) posted his 12th top-10 start at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his 19th in 19 races this season.
Timmy Hill (22nd) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Kahne uninjured after sprint car wreck
Kahne uninjured after sprint car wreck: Kasey Kahne spent his off weekend racing a sprint car at Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania and flipped out of the track during a heat race. He was uninjured. Kahne, who owns sprint car teams, was racing World of Outlaws driver Craig Dollansky when they made contact during the second heat in the opening night of the Summer Nationals. Kahne's car somersaulted twice before flying over the fence and going down an embankment. A story in the York (Pa.) Daily Record reported that Kahne's car came to rest about 30 feet outside the track. The paper reported that Kahne got out and jogged back to the track to the cheer of the crowd. Kahne later wrote on Twitter: "got wiped out in my heat race tonight. haven't flipped like that in a long time!''(Virginian-Pilot)(7-23-2011)
Dillon scores first trucks win of season at Nashville
Dillon scores first trucks win of season at Nashville
LEBANON , Tenn. —Austin Dillon passed Johnny Sauter with 23 laps to go and did not look back, winning Friday night's Lucas Deep Clean 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway for his first trip to victory lane this season.
Dillon, who won two races in 2010, picked up his third career win and his first since Sept. 2010 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Trailing Dillon and Sauter across the finish line were Timothy Peters in third, Nelson Piquet Jr. in fourth and Parker Kligerman in fifth.
Starting the race from the pole position, Dillon made a gutsy call with 46 laps to go, when on a yellow flag pit stop he opted to take two tires while much of the field changed all four, and pulled into the lead on the restart.
Three laps later, he was overtaken by Sauter, but pulled ahead again on Lap 128 and gained a wide margin of space to win by 3.981 seconds. He then attempted a celebratory slide through the grass to a loud and approving grandstand crowd, but comically couldn't slide very far.
Dillon and crew chief Danny Stockman agreed on the two-tire pit stop, saying tires weren't an issue during the race, but track position was.
"It was all about sticking with (Sauter) as long as I could, keep the pressure on," Dillon said. "I knew he was getting looser and looser and I finally had to get up in there with him and loosen him up a little more, and when it happened we just went on."
"I looked at all the tire wears all day and the tires weren't wearing, and I knew if we had track position and clean air, we were gonna go," Stockman said. "And we didn't even have clean air and we still win. Tires weren't an issue tonight."
Sauter, who leads Dillon by 18 points in the standings, was looking for his second win of the season but said at the end of the day the victor's truck was just better.
"He obviously knew that he had a fast truck, because before that pit stop he was dogging me lap after lap," Sauter said. "I knew it was just going to be a matter of time before he got around me."
With the win, Dillon claimed one of the most coveted trophies in the sport—a Sam Bass custom-painted Gibson Les Paul guitar.
"I've been talking about it all week," he said. "They said in the driver's meeting today that it was voted one of the 10 coolest trophies by Sports Illustrated. It's just a beautiful trophy."
Dillon also said the win boosted his confidence moving forward.
"It's just so great to have a win," he said. "When you get a win, everything just seems to be a lot easier."
By Brian Citino
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 22, 2011)
LEBANON , Tenn. —Austin Dillon passed Johnny Sauter with 23 laps to go and did not look back, winning Friday night's Lucas Deep Clean 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway for his first trip to victory lane this season.
Dillon, who won two races in 2010, picked up his third career win and his first since Sept. 2010 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Trailing Dillon and Sauter across the finish line were Timothy Peters in third, Nelson Piquet Jr. in fourth and Parker Kligerman in fifth.
Starting the race from the pole position, Dillon made a gutsy call with 46 laps to go, when on a yellow flag pit stop he opted to take two tires while much of the field changed all four, and pulled into the lead on the restart.
Three laps later, he was overtaken by Sauter, but pulled ahead again on Lap 128 and gained a wide margin of space to win by 3.981 seconds. He then attempted a celebratory slide through the grass to a loud and approving grandstand crowd, but comically couldn't slide very far.
Dillon and crew chief Danny Stockman agreed on the two-tire pit stop, saying tires weren't an issue during the race, but track position was.
"It was all about sticking with (Sauter) as long as I could, keep the pressure on," Dillon said. "I knew he was getting looser and looser and I finally had to get up in there with him and loosen him up a little more, and when it happened we just went on."
"I looked at all the tire wears all day and the tires weren't wearing, and I knew if we had track position and clean air, we were gonna go," Stockman said. "And we didn't even have clean air and we still win. Tires weren't an issue tonight."
Sauter, who leads Dillon by 18 points in the standings, was looking for his second win of the season but said at the end of the day the victor's truck was just better.
"He obviously knew that he had a fast truck, because before that pit stop he was dogging me lap after lap," Sauter said. "I knew it was just going to be a matter of time before he got around me."
With the win, Dillon claimed one of the most coveted trophies in the sport—a Sam Bass custom-painted Gibson Les Paul guitar.
"I've been talking about it all week," he said. "They said in the driver's meeting today that it was voted one of the 10 coolest trophies by Sports Illustrated. It's just a beautiful trophy."
Dillon also said the win boosted his confidence moving forward.
"It's just so great to have a win," he said. "When you get a win, everything just seems to be a lot easier."
By Brian Citino
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 22, 2011)
Friday, July 22, 2011
Lucas Deep Clean 200 Winner: Austin Dillon
Race Fast Facts
Nashville Superspeedway
11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, July 22, 2011 @ 08:54 PM Central
Race Winner: Austin Dillon
Age: 21
Team : No. 3 - Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr.
Austin Dillon won the 11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200, his third victory in 39 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in four races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Johnny Sauter (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in five races at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his eighth top-10 finish in 2011.
Timothy Peters (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Nelson Piquet Jr. (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 18 points over Austin Dillon.
Nashville Superspeedway
11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, July 22, 2011 @ 08:54 PM Central
Race Winner: Austin Dillon
Age: 21
Team : No. 3 - Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr.
Austin Dillon won the 11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200, his third victory in 39 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in four races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Johnny Sauter (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in five races at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his eighth top-10 finish in 2011.
Timothy Peters (third) posted his fifth top-10 finish in eight races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Nelson Piquet Jr. (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 18 points over Austin Dillon.
Lucas Deep Clean 200 Pole Winner: Austin Dillon
Qualifying Fast Facts
Nashville Superspeedway
11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, July 22, 2011 @ 05:12 PM Central
Keystone Light Pole Winner: Austin Dillon
Age: 21
Team : No. 3 - Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr.
Austin Dillon won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200 with a lap of 30.603 seconds, 156.808 mph.
This is his 10th pole in 39 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his third pole and 11th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in four races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Joey Coulter (second) posted his eighth top-10 start of 2011 and his first in two races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Elliott Sadler(i) (third) posted his second top-10 start at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his fifth in five races this season.
Joey Coulter (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Nashville Superspeedway
11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, July 22, 2011 @ 05:12 PM Central
Keystone Light Pole Winner: Austin Dillon
Age: 21
Team : No. 3 - Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Danny Stockman, Jr.
Austin Dillon won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 11th Annual Lucas Deep Clean 200 with a lap of 30.603 seconds, 156.808 mph.
This is his 10th pole in 39 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his third pole and 11th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in four races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Joey Coulter (second) posted his eighth top-10 start of 2011 and his first in two races at Nashville Superspeedway.
Elliott Sadler(i) (third) posted his second top-10 start at Nashville Superspeedway. It is his fifth in five races this season.
Joey Coulter (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Piquet looking to raise more eyebrows at Nashville
Piquet looking to raise more eyebrows at Nashville
By Jared Turner
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 20, 2011)
Nelson Piquet Jr. has never arrived at a NASCAR track carrying the mantle of being a prerace favorite.
That could change this weekend.
The ex-Formula One driver turned Camping World Truck Series rookie is set to return Friday night to Nashville Superspeedway, site of his career-best second-place finish back in April, to race in the Lucas Deep Clean 200.
For Piquet, whose only NASCAR experience prior to 2011 was five truck races and a lone Nationwide Series appearance last season, moving from F1 to NASCAR's No. 3 series has been no small adjustment.
Despite landing a full-time gig this season with truck series powerhouse Kevin Harvick Inc., Piquet has struggled to achieve consistently strong results.
Outside of his runner-up effort at Nashville, the Brazilian's best finish this season has been eighth—accomplished twice.needless to say, he's pumped about making his second trip to the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
"I'm very excited to head back to Nashville," Piquet said. "Every week the team continues to get better and better, so heading back to the track where we got our best finish gives me a lot of confidence. The guys at KHI continue to bring fast trucks to the track, and I know we can win. As we head into this weekend, I feel like we have a great combination to finally win a race."
Piquet's journey to this point differs vastly from most of his truck series counterparts.The son of three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet, the younger Piquet began karting in 1993 at age eight in Brazil . He won three karting titles over eight years before advancing to open wheel cars in 2001.
Piquet won the 2002 South American F3 championship with 13 wins and two podium finishes, and in 2004 captured the British F3 championship with six wins and five poles.
Over one full and one partial Formula One season, Piquet earned a single podium finish driving for the fabled Renault team in 2008 and 2009.
NASCAR has represented a vast cultural shift for Piquet, but he's come to feel right at home.
"It's great to see how well-appreciated the truck series is wherever we go," said Piquet, who turns 26 on July 25. "The friendship everybody has together in the garage area, everybody's pretty close, everybody knows each other. I'm having my birthday next week and half of the garage is coming to my place. It's friendly. It's just very friendly and it's very healthy."
Piquet's Achilles heel this season has been finishing. He's recorded four DNFs—three of them a result of crashes—in 11 starts, and sits a distant 13th in points.
"He shows a lot of speed throughout the race," said KHI teammate and part-time truck series driver Elliott Sadler. "I think that is the quickest thing he's learned, is how to get speed out of his truck everywhere he's been. I think the first thing he needs to learn is racing in traffic and keeping his truck in one piece, making it to the end. That comes from experience."
Despite his famous pedigree and numerous motorsports achievements, Piquet believes he must earn his way in NASCAR, where his goal is to eventually reach the Sprint Cup level.
"I'm coming to a place (where) I didn't know anybody," said Piquet. "Nobody knows me, nobody knows my potential so I'm having to show it slowly, and I'm going to earn my place there (in Cup) in the future."The most immediate order of business in Piquet's future is Friday night's race at Nashville, where he could be a major factor.
"Nelson seemed to adapt well to the last time we were there," crew chief Chris Carrier said. "We had a good truck, and our entire program continues to get better every race, so we're feeling very confident heading into this event."
Fast facts
What: Lucas Deep Clean 200
Where: Nashville Superspeedway; Lebanon, Tenn.
When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: Speed, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN/Sirius-XM Satellite Ch. 90
Track layout: 1.33-mile oval
Race distance: 150 laps/200 miles
Qualifying: Friday, 5:10 p.m. ET
2010 winner: Todd Bodine
2010 polesitter: Todd Bodine
Points standings: 1. Johnny Sauter, 388; 2. Austin Dillon, 366: 3. Cole Whitt, 362; 4. James Buescher, 352; 5. Matt Crafton, 344; 6. Timothy Peters, 341; 7. Ron Hornaday, 335; 8. Parker Kligerman, 334; 9. Joey Coulter, 331; 10. Brendan Gaughan, 315.
By Jared Turner
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 20, 2011)
Nelson Piquet Jr. has never arrived at a NASCAR track carrying the mantle of being a prerace favorite.
That could change this weekend.
The ex-Formula One driver turned Camping World Truck Series rookie is set to return Friday night to Nashville Superspeedway, site of his career-best second-place finish back in April, to race in the Lucas Deep Clean 200.
For Piquet, whose only NASCAR experience prior to 2011 was five truck races and a lone Nationwide Series appearance last season, moving from F1 to NASCAR's No. 3 series has been no small adjustment.
Despite landing a full-time gig this season with truck series powerhouse Kevin Harvick Inc., Piquet has struggled to achieve consistently strong results.
Outside of his runner-up effort at Nashville, the Brazilian's best finish this season has been eighth—accomplished twice.needless to say, he's pumped about making his second trip to the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
"I'm very excited to head back to Nashville," Piquet said. "Every week the team continues to get better and better, so heading back to the track where we got our best finish gives me a lot of confidence. The guys at KHI continue to bring fast trucks to the track, and I know we can win. As we head into this weekend, I feel like we have a great combination to finally win a race."
Piquet's journey to this point differs vastly from most of his truck series counterparts.The son of three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet, the younger Piquet began karting in 1993 at age eight in Brazil . He won three karting titles over eight years before advancing to open wheel cars in 2001.
Piquet won the 2002 South American F3 championship with 13 wins and two podium finishes, and in 2004 captured the British F3 championship with six wins and five poles.
Over one full and one partial Formula One season, Piquet earned a single podium finish driving for the fabled Renault team in 2008 and 2009.
NASCAR has represented a vast cultural shift for Piquet, but he's come to feel right at home.
"It's great to see how well-appreciated the truck series is wherever we go," said Piquet, who turns 26 on July 25. "The friendship everybody has together in the garage area, everybody's pretty close, everybody knows each other. I'm having my birthday next week and half of the garage is coming to my place. It's friendly. It's just very friendly and it's very healthy."
Piquet's Achilles heel this season has been finishing. He's recorded four DNFs—three of them a result of crashes—in 11 starts, and sits a distant 13th in points.
"He shows a lot of speed throughout the race," said KHI teammate and part-time truck series driver Elliott Sadler. "I think that is the quickest thing he's learned, is how to get speed out of his truck everywhere he's been. I think the first thing he needs to learn is racing in traffic and keeping his truck in one piece, making it to the end. That comes from experience."
Despite his famous pedigree and numerous motorsports achievements, Piquet believes he must earn his way in NASCAR, where his goal is to eventually reach the Sprint Cup level.
"I'm coming to a place (where) I didn't know anybody," said Piquet. "Nobody knows me, nobody knows my potential so I'm having to show it slowly, and I'm going to earn my place there (in Cup) in the future."The most immediate order of business in Piquet's future is Friday night's race at Nashville, where he could be a major factor.
"Nelson seemed to adapt well to the last time we were there," crew chief Chris Carrier said. "We had a good truck, and our entire program continues to get better every race, so we're feeling very confident heading into this event."
Fast facts
What: Lucas Deep Clean 200
Where: Nashville Superspeedway; Lebanon, Tenn.
When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: Speed, 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN/Sirius-XM Satellite Ch. 90
Track layout: 1.33-mile oval
Race distance: 150 laps/200 miles
Qualifying: Friday, 5:10 p.m. ET
2010 winner: Todd Bodine
2010 polesitter: Todd Bodine
Points standings: 1. Johnny Sauter, 388; 2. Austin Dillon, 366: 3. Cole Whitt, 362; 4. James Buescher, 352; 5. Matt Crafton, 344; 6. Timothy Peters, 341; 7. Ron Hornaday, 335; 8. Parker Kligerman, 334; 9. Joey Coulter, 331; 10. Brendan Gaughan, 315.
Modified Tour Team Penalized :Ryan Newman
Car No. 7 Whelen Modified Tour Team Penalized For Rules Violations At NHMS
Official Release
July 20, 2011
Tweet DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today the No. 7 team that competes in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has been penalized as a result of rules violations committed Saturday, July 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.
The team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20D-5.9P (the intake manifold ports did not completely seal to the cylinder head ports. The use of metal shim-type intake manifold gaskets is not permitted) of the 2011 NASCAR rule book. The violations were discovered during post-race inspection on July 16.
Mike LaRochelle, crew chief of car No. 7, has been suspended from all NASCAR regional touring series events until Dec. 31, 2011.
Kevin Manion, owner of car No. 7, has been disqualified from the July 16 New Hampshire race, and has been suspended from all NASCAR regional touring series events until Dec. 31, 2011.
Ryan Newman, driver of car No. 7, has been disqualified from the July 16 New Hampshire race.
Official Release
July 20, 2011
Tweet DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today the No. 7 team that competes in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has been penalized as a result of rules violations committed Saturday, July 16 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.
The team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20D-5.9P (the intake manifold ports did not completely seal to the cylinder head ports. The use of metal shim-type intake manifold gaskets is not permitted) of the 2011 NASCAR rule book. The violations were discovered during post-race inspection on July 16.
Mike LaRochelle, crew chief of car No. 7, has been suspended from all NASCAR regional touring series events until Dec. 31, 2011.
Kevin Manion, owner of car No. 7, has been disqualified from the July 16 New Hampshire race, and has been suspended from all NASCAR regional touring series events until Dec. 31, 2011.
Ryan Newman, driver of car No. 7, has been disqualified from the July 16 New Hampshire race.
NATIONWIDE NEWS AND NOTES NASHVILLE
Annett, Viers Finding Stride At The Right Time
Michael Annett joined Rusty Wallace Racing at the beginning of the season and started a new chapter in his career. An accident-plagued season-opener relegated him to a 39th-place finish, which set the stage for a slow start. Over the first 12 races of the season his average finish was 21.0. But in late May, his team owner, Rusty Wallace, made a crew chief change, bringing Rick Viers to lead the 62 team. What has transpired has been one of the biggest turnarounds of the season thus far.
Since Viers took over, Annett, 25, has posted five top-10 finishes, and the last four have come in succession, including his season best sixth upon his return to Daytona in July. He’s also moved into the top 10 in the standings and is currently ninth.
“Michael is a talented driver, and I really believe in him,” Viers said. “I’ve been providing him with as much experience and knowledge as I can, and things have just clicked. We’ve got strong communication as a team, and I think these solid finishes have really given Michael and the whole team the confidence that they needed. We’ve learned a lot in the last several races, and we feel really good about the season ahead. This is just the momentum this team needed.”
Viers has a knack with young drivers. He served as Trevor Bayne’s crew chief once he joined Roush Fenway Racing last year and also had worked with Clint Bowyer as he started his transition from the NASCAR Nationwide Series to NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Title Picture As Unclear As Ever
With 15 races remaining in the season, the championship is still up for grabs. Three drivers still have a viable shot at making a run for this championship, Elliott Sadler, the current points leader, is seven points ahead of second-place Reed Sorenson and 18 points ahead of third place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Over the last six races, the points lead has been exchanged between Sadler and Sorenson twice and except for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s one-time lead during that stretch, the top spot has belonged either to Sadler or Sorenson. So far this season, each driver has led the standings five times.
Sorenson’s first NASCAR national series victory came at Nashville in 2005. He was eighth in April while Sadler was 13th in that race, his first time at the track. Sorenson does have the best pre-race Driver Rating of the championship contenders with a 108.2.
Stenhouse continues to work his way back into contention for the championship. He finished fourth last Saturday at New Hampshire posting a series leading 14 top-10 finishes, the best finisher among series driver championship contenders. Stenhouse finished fifth earlier this season at Nashville, once again making him the highest-finishing driver championship contender.
Herring’s Near-Death Tale Puts Racing In Perspective
Drew Herring, who will drive the No. 18 Toyota at Nashville this weekend, knows he’s fortunate to be able to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, Herring also knows that there is more to life than just getting to race; like getting to live it. Herring is still pursuing his racing dreams despite nearly losing his life in a hunting accident when he was just 17 years old. Herring and a number of friends were out raccoon hunting when a wild raccoon, scared by another hunter’s shot, came out of a tree right on top of Herring and several of his friends. As everyone tried to scrabble out of the way of the wild animal, Herring and a friend ran into each other and lost their balance, falling to the ground. When they hit the ground, his friend’s .22-calibur discharged, shooting Herring through the side. The bullet hit Herring’s stomach, colon and pancreas. Fortunately, after spending nine days in the hospital, Herring made a full recovery. Now, he’s back on track to go after his passion, racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, while celebrating life each and every day.
The Garage Area Will Have That Local Tennessee Flair
NASCAR Nationwide Series flagman Kevin Moss is from Mt. Juliet as is Stewart Cooper, crew chief for the No. 30 Turner Motorsports’ Chevrolet of driver Mikey Kile. Stewart Cooper’s passion for racing, honed in his hometown of Mt. Juliet, was the springboard that helped him land crew chief opportunities in each of NASCAR’s national series. He attributes his success to his personal mentor and former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, Bobby Hamilton, a legend in the Nashville area. Cooper and his buddies started a small-scale racing operation from Hamilton’s Mt. Juliet shop as teenagers. Now, he calls the shots for several Turner Motorsports drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Sam Bass Gibson Guitar Is Big Highlight For Drivers This Weekend
One of the most coveted trophies amongst drivers in all of NASCAR’s national series is the custom Sam Bass Gibson Les Paul guitar trophy that is awarded to the winner at Nashville Superspeedway. But getting that trophy can be trickier than usual as Mike Kelley, crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse explains, “The track’s concrete so it throws a lot of little things at you,” Kelley said. “Brakes are important there but you’ve got to have a good enough aero-balance because it’s high speed. There’d be nothing better than to go back there and come out of there with a win and get Ricky (Stenhouse) one of those guitars.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series Etc. – Nashville
Possible upcoming milestones this week at Nashville: Elliott Sadler will make his 150th series start, Tim Andrews will attempt to make his 25th series start and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will look to post his 25th series career top-10 finish.
Michael Annett joined Rusty Wallace Racing at the beginning of the season and started a new chapter in his career. An accident-plagued season-opener relegated him to a 39th-place finish, which set the stage for a slow start. Over the first 12 races of the season his average finish was 21.0. But in late May, his team owner, Rusty Wallace, made a crew chief change, bringing Rick Viers to lead the 62 team. What has transpired has been one of the biggest turnarounds of the season thus far.
Since Viers took over, Annett, 25, has posted five top-10 finishes, and the last four have come in succession, including his season best sixth upon his return to Daytona in July. He’s also moved into the top 10 in the standings and is currently ninth.
“Michael is a talented driver, and I really believe in him,” Viers said. “I’ve been providing him with as much experience and knowledge as I can, and things have just clicked. We’ve got strong communication as a team, and I think these solid finishes have really given Michael and the whole team the confidence that they needed. We’ve learned a lot in the last several races, and we feel really good about the season ahead. This is just the momentum this team needed.”
Viers has a knack with young drivers. He served as Trevor Bayne’s crew chief once he joined Roush Fenway Racing last year and also had worked with Clint Bowyer as he started his transition from the NASCAR Nationwide Series to NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Title Picture As Unclear As Ever
With 15 races remaining in the season, the championship is still up for grabs. Three drivers still have a viable shot at making a run for this championship, Elliott Sadler, the current points leader, is seven points ahead of second-place Reed Sorenson and 18 points ahead of third place Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Over the last six races, the points lead has been exchanged between Sadler and Sorenson twice and except for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s one-time lead during that stretch, the top spot has belonged either to Sadler or Sorenson. So far this season, each driver has led the standings five times.
Sorenson’s first NASCAR national series victory came at Nashville in 2005. He was eighth in April while Sadler was 13th in that race, his first time at the track. Sorenson does have the best pre-race Driver Rating of the championship contenders with a 108.2.
Stenhouse continues to work his way back into contention for the championship. He finished fourth last Saturday at New Hampshire posting a series leading 14 top-10 finishes, the best finisher among series driver championship contenders. Stenhouse finished fifth earlier this season at Nashville, once again making him the highest-finishing driver championship contender.
Herring’s Near-Death Tale Puts Racing In Perspective
Drew Herring, who will drive the No. 18 Toyota at Nashville this weekend, knows he’s fortunate to be able to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, Herring also knows that there is more to life than just getting to race; like getting to live it. Herring is still pursuing his racing dreams despite nearly losing his life in a hunting accident when he was just 17 years old. Herring and a number of friends were out raccoon hunting when a wild raccoon, scared by another hunter’s shot, came out of a tree right on top of Herring and several of his friends. As everyone tried to scrabble out of the way of the wild animal, Herring and a friend ran into each other and lost their balance, falling to the ground. When they hit the ground, his friend’s .22-calibur discharged, shooting Herring through the side. The bullet hit Herring’s stomach, colon and pancreas. Fortunately, after spending nine days in the hospital, Herring made a full recovery. Now, he’s back on track to go after his passion, racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, while celebrating life each and every day.
The Garage Area Will Have That Local Tennessee Flair
NASCAR Nationwide Series flagman Kevin Moss is from Mt. Juliet as is Stewart Cooper, crew chief for the No. 30 Turner Motorsports’ Chevrolet of driver Mikey Kile. Stewart Cooper’s passion for racing, honed in his hometown of Mt. Juliet, was the springboard that helped him land crew chief opportunities in each of NASCAR’s national series. He attributes his success to his personal mentor and former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, Bobby Hamilton, a legend in the Nashville area. Cooper and his buddies started a small-scale racing operation from Hamilton’s Mt. Juliet shop as teenagers. Now, he calls the shots for several Turner Motorsports drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Sam Bass Gibson Guitar Is Big Highlight For Drivers This Weekend
One of the most coveted trophies amongst drivers in all of NASCAR’s national series is the custom Sam Bass Gibson Les Paul guitar trophy that is awarded to the winner at Nashville Superspeedway. But getting that trophy can be trickier than usual as Mike Kelley, crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse explains, “The track’s concrete so it throws a lot of little things at you,” Kelley said. “Brakes are important there but you’ve got to have a good enough aero-balance because it’s high speed. There’d be nothing better than to go back there and come out of there with a win and get Ricky (Stenhouse) one of those guitars.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series Etc. – Nashville
Possible upcoming milestones this week at Nashville: Elliott Sadler will make his 150th series start, Tim Andrews will attempt to make his 25th series start and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will look to post his 25th series career top-10 finish.
CAMPINGWORLD NEWS AND NOTES NASHVILLE
Frustration, Momentum Accompany Dillon, Crafton To Music City
Austin Dillon expressed frustration after leading the most laps but finishing second to Matt Crafton in last weekend’s race at Iowa. Still, the 21-year-old driver makes his second trip of the year to Nashville Superspeedway in much better shape points-wise than in April.
Dillon’s Iowa Speedway performance boosted the series sophomore to second in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points entering Friday night’s Lucas Deep Clean 200 – five spots higher than he ranked in the spring and best of 2010. Johnny Sauter continues to head the standings for the fourth consecutive race, 22 points up on Dillon.
Dillon hopes to improve April’s 11th-place Nashville finish. He was ninth in last year’s second race.
Dillon has seen victory slip away in three recent races. “We’ve given them away lately; disappointing but good for points,” said Dillon, who won twice as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2010. “It’s disappointing. We just can’t finish … (Iowa), Kentucky and Texas.”
Iowa proved redemptive for Crafton, who snapped a 79-race winless streak dating to 2008 and leapt three spots to the top-five in points. Crafton led the standings earlier this year but four straight finishes outside the top 15 – two of them outside the top 25 – made his championship hopes problematic. He finished sixth in Nashville’s spring stop.
“It’s a huge momentum builder,” said Crafton after collecting his second series victory. He was sixth at Nashville in the spring, a position ahead of ThorSport Racing teammate Sauter. “I'd say the biggest thing after a weekend like we had is just trying to keep that momentum.”
No Arguing Nashville Superspeedway’s Championship Pedigree
This can be said about Nashville Superspeedway’s winner’s trophy, the iconic Sam Bass-designed Gibson guitar: It’s one of the most sought-after pieces of NASCAR Camping World Truck hardware.
Six series champions counting 115 victories have won at least one. Johnny Benson is the only titleholder with two.
• The past three winners – Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Benson – captured Nashville Superspeedway’s late-summer race on the way to the series champion’s table in Miami Beach.
• Mike Bliss, his face seriously rearranged after chasing a fly ball into the outfield fence during the previous day’s driver/media softball game, won both Nashville and the championship in 2002.
• Bobby Hamilton was the track’s 2004 winner and series champion.
• Travis Kvapil, the 2003 champion, won Nashville’s 2007 race.
Bodine and Ron Hornaday Jr. are the only NCWTS concrete track winners expected to compete in the Lucas Deep Clean 200.
Buescher, Piquet Return To Site Of Early-Season Success
If you guessed Kyle Busch owns the season’s greatest number of top-10 finishes – eight – you’d be wrong. The leader is James Buescher, who logged his ninth top 10 at Iowa Speedway.
Buescher, holding steady in fourth place, 36 points behind leader Sauter, has finished among the top 10 in seven consecutive races beginning at Nashville in April – most by a series regular. Busch has finished no worse than sixth in a partial season of eight starts.
At age 22 and still seeking his first series victory, Buescher could become Nashville Superspeedway’s youngest winner. Carl Edwards was eight days shy of his 24th birthday when he won in 2003.
Nelson Piquet Jr. also is eager to return to Nashville where April’s second-place finish stands as the Brazilian rookie’s best series result to date.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
David Starr spun his No. 81 Zachry Toyota during qualifying, started last in the 32-truck Coca-Cola 200 field but ended up posting his fourth top-10 finish and first back-to-back top 10s of the season. One more top 10 will match Terry Cook’s ninth-best, all-time total of 112. … Josh Richards moves into Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota in Nashville for the first of consecutive starts for the current owners championship points leader. … Dillon will do double duty this weekend with an added stint in Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 33 Chevrolet. Fellow KHI competitor (and NNS points leader) Elliott Sadler also will double up, taking over the No. 2 Chevrolet driven to the Iowa Keystone Light Pole by David Mayhew, who finished third. … Nashville’s last three races were won from the pole. Drivers starting from the No. 1 position also won the track’s first two races.
Austin Dillon expressed frustration after leading the most laps but finishing second to Matt Crafton in last weekend’s race at Iowa. Still, the 21-year-old driver makes his second trip of the year to Nashville Superspeedway in much better shape points-wise than in April.
Dillon’s Iowa Speedway performance boosted the series sophomore to second in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points entering Friday night’s Lucas Deep Clean 200 – five spots higher than he ranked in the spring and best of 2010. Johnny Sauter continues to head the standings for the fourth consecutive race, 22 points up on Dillon.
Dillon hopes to improve April’s 11th-place Nashville finish. He was ninth in last year’s second race.
Dillon has seen victory slip away in three recent races. “We’ve given them away lately; disappointing but good for points,” said Dillon, who won twice as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2010. “It’s disappointing. We just can’t finish … (Iowa), Kentucky and Texas.”
Iowa proved redemptive for Crafton, who snapped a 79-race winless streak dating to 2008 and leapt three spots to the top-five in points. Crafton led the standings earlier this year but four straight finishes outside the top 15 – two of them outside the top 25 – made his championship hopes problematic. He finished sixth in Nashville’s spring stop.
“It’s a huge momentum builder,” said Crafton after collecting his second series victory. He was sixth at Nashville in the spring, a position ahead of ThorSport Racing teammate Sauter. “I'd say the biggest thing after a weekend like we had is just trying to keep that momentum.”
No Arguing Nashville Superspeedway’s Championship Pedigree
This can be said about Nashville Superspeedway’s winner’s trophy, the iconic Sam Bass-designed Gibson guitar: It’s one of the most sought-after pieces of NASCAR Camping World Truck hardware.
Six series champions counting 115 victories have won at least one. Johnny Benson is the only titleholder with two.
• The past three winners – Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Benson – captured Nashville Superspeedway’s late-summer race on the way to the series champion’s table in Miami Beach.
• Mike Bliss, his face seriously rearranged after chasing a fly ball into the outfield fence during the previous day’s driver/media softball game, won both Nashville and the championship in 2002.
• Bobby Hamilton was the track’s 2004 winner and series champion.
• Travis Kvapil, the 2003 champion, won Nashville’s 2007 race.
Bodine and Ron Hornaday Jr. are the only NCWTS concrete track winners expected to compete in the Lucas Deep Clean 200.
Buescher, Piquet Return To Site Of Early-Season Success
If you guessed Kyle Busch owns the season’s greatest number of top-10 finishes – eight – you’d be wrong. The leader is James Buescher, who logged his ninth top 10 at Iowa Speedway.
Buescher, holding steady in fourth place, 36 points behind leader Sauter, has finished among the top 10 in seven consecutive races beginning at Nashville in April – most by a series regular. Busch has finished no worse than sixth in a partial season of eight starts.
At age 22 and still seeking his first series victory, Buescher could become Nashville Superspeedway’s youngest winner. Carl Edwards was eight days shy of his 24th birthday when he won in 2003.
Nelson Piquet Jr. also is eager to return to Nashville where April’s second-place finish stands as the Brazilian rookie’s best series result to date.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
David Starr spun his No. 81 Zachry Toyota during qualifying, started last in the 32-truck Coca-Cola 200 field but ended up posting his fourth top-10 finish and first back-to-back top 10s of the season. One more top 10 will match Terry Cook’s ninth-best, all-time total of 112. … Josh Richards moves into Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota in Nashville for the first of consecutive starts for the current owners championship points leader. … Dillon will do double duty this weekend with an added stint in Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 33 Chevrolet. Fellow KHI competitor (and NNS points leader) Elliott Sadler also will double up, taking over the No. 2 Chevrolet driven to the Iowa Keystone Light Pole by David Mayhew, who finished third. … Nashville’s last three races were won from the pole. Drivers starting from the No. 1 position also won the track’s first two races.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
NATIONWIDE SERIES TO NASHVILLE
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Nashville Jam: Sorenson Chases Sadler For Points Lead
With 10 laps to go last Saturday at New Hampshire, this Saturday’s race at Nashville looked to have some serious momentum on the side of Reed Sorenson. Four points out of the standings lead and driving inside the top 10 with points leader Elliott Sadler stuck outside that group, Sorenson seemed to be a lock to overtake Sadler and carry the lead to Nashville (which, by the way, is the hometown of his sponsor, Dollar General).
It was a great storyline that carried great momentum until an accident collected Sorenson on Lap 189.
End of story.
Instead of a top-10 finish and probable NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead, Sorenson finished 15th and fell to seven points behind Sadler in the championship race.
Over the last six races, the points lead has been exchanged between the two divers twice and except for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s one-time lead during that stretch, the top spot has belonged either to Sadler or Sorenson. So far this season, each driver has led the standings five times.
Sorenson’s first NASCAR national series victory came at Nashville in 2005. He was eighth in April while Sadler was 13th in that race, his first time at the track.
Carl Edwards won in April and will be back to defend that victory. His Roush Fenway Racing teammate Stenhouse was sixth, making him the highest-finishing driver championship contender. Stenhouse also was sixth last Saturday at New Hampshire, once again the best finisher among series driver championship contenders. He’s quietly crept back into the championship, now 18 points behind the leader.
Annett-Viers Combo Clicking
There’s a lot to be said for fresh starts. Just ask Michael Annett.
After his 2011 season began dealing with a legal issue, Annett promised a fresh start of his own, personally and professionally. That start began slowly on the track as an accident at the season-opener at Daytona relegated him to 39th place. His average finish over the first 12 races was 21.0.
In late May, his team owner, Rusty Wallace, made a crew chief change, bringing Rick Viers to lead the 62 team. What has transpired has been one of the biggest turnarounds of the season thus far.
Since Viers took over, Annett, 25, has posted five top-10 finishes, which also are his season total and one-season career high. The last four have come in succession, including his season best, sixth, upon his return to Daytona in July. He’s also moved into the top 10 in the standings and is currently ninth.
Viers has a knack with young drivers. He served as Trevor Bayne’s crew chief once he joined Roush Fenway Racing last year and also had worked with Clint Bowyer as he started his transition from the NASCAR Nationwide Series to NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Cool trophy
It has long been described as the most coveted trophy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Win at Nashville and you take home a one-of-a-kind award – a Gibson Les Paul guitar with an original design by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
NASCAR’s second and third-tier series can certainly boast when it comes to the winning trophy "cool factor."
From the opportunity to act like a rock star in Victory Lane to falling asleep with it in on the plane ride home as Brad Keselowski did after this race in 2008 – his first NASCAR national series win – to the controversial Pete Townshend imitation by Kyle Busch in 2009 so each of his crew members could "have a piece," the guitar always has been special.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series has another unique award for the winner that stands alone among all three national series. Carl Edwards and Reed Sorenson – both owners of Nashville guitars – also have claimed a Harley Davidson motorcycle as winners at Road America. Edwards won the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., last year and auctioned his bike off for charity. Sorenson’s first victory of this season came at Road America last month.
NNS Nashville ETC: NASCAR Nationwide Series flagman Kevin Moss is from Mt. Juliet as is Stewart Cooper, crew chief for the No. 30 Turner Motorsports’ Chevrolet of driver Mikey Kile. … This will be the second race for the series’ new car at Nashville – sportier Chevrolet Impalas and Toyota Camrys in addition to new 2011 models, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. Nashville will be one of only five tracks on which the new car has made more than one start after debuting at four tracks last year before full integration this season. The other tracks are Daytona, Richmond, Charlotte and Michigan.
Nashville Jam: Sorenson Chases Sadler For Points Lead
With 10 laps to go last Saturday at New Hampshire, this Saturday’s race at Nashville looked to have some serious momentum on the side of Reed Sorenson. Four points out of the standings lead and driving inside the top 10 with points leader Elliott Sadler stuck outside that group, Sorenson seemed to be a lock to overtake Sadler and carry the lead to Nashville (which, by the way, is the hometown of his sponsor, Dollar General).
It was a great storyline that carried great momentum until an accident collected Sorenson on Lap 189.
End of story.
Instead of a top-10 finish and probable NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead, Sorenson finished 15th and fell to seven points behind Sadler in the championship race.
Over the last six races, the points lead has been exchanged between the two divers twice and except for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s one-time lead during that stretch, the top spot has belonged either to Sadler or Sorenson. So far this season, each driver has led the standings five times.
Sorenson’s first NASCAR national series victory came at Nashville in 2005. He was eighth in April while Sadler was 13th in that race, his first time at the track.
Carl Edwards won in April and will be back to defend that victory. His Roush Fenway Racing teammate Stenhouse was sixth, making him the highest-finishing driver championship contender. Stenhouse also was sixth last Saturday at New Hampshire, once again the best finisher among series driver championship contenders. He’s quietly crept back into the championship, now 18 points behind the leader.
Annett-Viers Combo Clicking
There’s a lot to be said for fresh starts. Just ask Michael Annett.
After his 2011 season began dealing with a legal issue, Annett promised a fresh start of his own, personally and professionally. That start began slowly on the track as an accident at the season-opener at Daytona relegated him to 39th place. His average finish over the first 12 races was 21.0.
In late May, his team owner, Rusty Wallace, made a crew chief change, bringing Rick Viers to lead the 62 team. What has transpired has been one of the biggest turnarounds of the season thus far.
Since Viers took over, Annett, 25, has posted five top-10 finishes, which also are his season total and one-season career high. The last four have come in succession, including his season best, sixth, upon his return to Daytona in July. He’s also moved into the top 10 in the standings and is currently ninth.
Viers has a knack with young drivers. He served as Trevor Bayne’s crew chief once he joined Roush Fenway Racing last year and also had worked with Clint Bowyer as he started his transition from the NASCAR Nationwide Series to NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Cool trophy
It has long been described as the most coveted trophy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Win at Nashville and you take home a one-of-a-kind award – a Gibson Les Paul guitar with an original design by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
NASCAR’s second and third-tier series can certainly boast when it comes to the winning trophy "cool factor."
From the opportunity to act like a rock star in Victory Lane to falling asleep with it in on the plane ride home as Brad Keselowski did after this race in 2008 – his first NASCAR national series win – to the controversial Pete Townshend imitation by Kyle Busch in 2009 so each of his crew members could "have a piece," the guitar always has been special.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series has another unique award for the winner that stands alone among all three national series. Carl Edwards and Reed Sorenson – both owners of Nashville guitars – also have claimed a Harley Davidson motorcycle as winners at Road America. Edwards won the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., last year and auctioned his bike off for charity. Sorenson’s first victory of this season came at Road America last month.
NNS Nashville ETC: NASCAR Nationwide Series flagman Kevin Moss is from Mt. Juliet as is Stewart Cooper, crew chief for the No. 30 Turner Motorsports’ Chevrolet of driver Mikey Kile. … This will be the second race for the series’ new car at Nashville – sportier Chevrolet Impalas and Toyota Camrys in addition to new 2011 models, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. Nashville will be one of only five tracks on which the new car has made more than one start after debuting at four tracks last year before full integration this season. The other tracks are Daytona, Richmond, Charlotte and Michigan.
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES TO NASHVILLE
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Sauter, Crafton Still Searching For First Nashville Victory
Following Matt Crafton’s victory at Iowa, ThorSport Racing has solidified itself as the team to beat in the quest for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship title.
Crafton – who broke a 79 race winless streak – moved from seventh to fifth in the standings. He sits 44 points behind teammate and standings leader Johnny Sauter – who has garnished two poles, one victory, and five top-fives in 11 races this season.
The ThorSport Racing duo now turns their focus to their next target – the Nashville Superspeedway Gibson Guitar trophy.
Sauter and Crafton have a combined 16 starts at the superspeedway. Sauter has one top-five and three top-10 finishes in four starts with Crafton garnishing two top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 12 starts.
ThorSport racing is the longest running team in the NCWTS garage, but is still searching for their first visit to victory lane at Nashville Superspeedway.
Like Kentucky, Nashville Victory Often Leads To Championship Trophy
It is no secret that the famed Nashville Superspeedway Gibson Guitar trophy is one of the most sought after trophies on the 25-race schedule –slightly behind the NCWTS championship trophy.
So, what are your chances of winning both in the same year? Not too shabby.
Five out of 10 previous winners have captured both a win at the concrete oval and the championship trophy in the same season.
Mike Bliss kicked off the trend in 2002 followed by Bobby Hamilton in 2004.
Most recently Johnny Benson (2008), Ron Hornaday Jr. (2009) and Todd Bodine (2010) have all strummed the guitar in victory lane before hoisting the championship trophy several months later.
Also, Bliss, Hamilton, Benson, Hornaday and Bodine captured victories at Kentucky Speedway during their championship seasons.
Nelson Piquet Jr. Looks To Repeat Previous Success At Nashville
Nelson Piquet Jr. has had Nashville Superspeedway circled on his calendar since the series last visited the 1.33-mile d-shaped concrete oval for the fifth race of the 2011 season.
In April, the Brazilian-native passed his KHI teammate, Ron Hornaday Jr., in the closing laps of the 150-lap event to earn a second-place finish, the first top-five of his career.
Since then Piquet has continued to impress with three finishes inside the top-15 – almost capturing another top-five finish at Kentucky before an accident derailed his night.
KHI has 16 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Nashville with nine different drivers earning one victory, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
Sweet Home Music City
The Volunteer State is home to numerous crew members inside the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage:
Dennis Adcock - NASCAR Camping World Truck Series official – garage supervisor. Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Jonathon Ellis – Mechanic for Turner Motorsports, No. 31 Chevrolet driven by James Buescher. Hometown: Hixson, Tenn. (Chattanooga area).
Daniel Rankin – Mechanic and rear tire changer for Kevin Harvick Inc., No. 33 Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. Hometown: Hixson, Tenn. (Chattanooga area).
Todd Perryman – Mechanic and front tire changer for Kevin Harvick Inc. No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. Hometown: Lebanon, Tenn.
Sauter, Crafton Still Searching For First Nashville Victory
Following Matt Crafton’s victory at Iowa, ThorSport Racing has solidified itself as the team to beat in the quest for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship title.
Crafton – who broke a 79 race winless streak – moved from seventh to fifth in the standings. He sits 44 points behind teammate and standings leader Johnny Sauter – who has garnished two poles, one victory, and five top-fives in 11 races this season.
The ThorSport Racing duo now turns their focus to their next target – the Nashville Superspeedway Gibson Guitar trophy.
Sauter and Crafton have a combined 16 starts at the superspeedway. Sauter has one top-five and three top-10 finishes in four starts with Crafton garnishing two top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 12 starts.
ThorSport racing is the longest running team in the NCWTS garage, but is still searching for their first visit to victory lane at Nashville Superspeedway.
Like Kentucky, Nashville Victory Often Leads To Championship Trophy
It is no secret that the famed Nashville Superspeedway Gibson Guitar trophy is one of the most sought after trophies on the 25-race schedule –slightly behind the NCWTS championship trophy.
So, what are your chances of winning both in the same year? Not too shabby.
Five out of 10 previous winners have captured both a win at the concrete oval and the championship trophy in the same season.
Mike Bliss kicked off the trend in 2002 followed by Bobby Hamilton in 2004.
Most recently Johnny Benson (2008), Ron Hornaday Jr. (2009) and Todd Bodine (2010) have all strummed the guitar in victory lane before hoisting the championship trophy several months later.
Also, Bliss, Hamilton, Benson, Hornaday and Bodine captured victories at Kentucky Speedway during their championship seasons.
Nelson Piquet Jr. Looks To Repeat Previous Success At Nashville
Nelson Piquet Jr. has had Nashville Superspeedway circled on his calendar since the series last visited the 1.33-mile d-shaped concrete oval for the fifth race of the 2011 season.
In April, the Brazilian-native passed his KHI teammate, Ron Hornaday Jr., in the closing laps of the 150-lap event to earn a second-place finish, the first top-five of his career.
Since then Piquet has continued to impress with three finishes inside the top-15 – almost capturing another top-five finish at Kentucky before an accident derailed his night.
KHI has 16 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Nashville with nine different drivers earning one victory, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
Sweet Home Music City
The Volunteer State is home to numerous crew members inside the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage:
Dennis Adcock - NASCAR Camping World Truck Series official – garage supervisor. Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Jonathon Ellis – Mechanic for Turner Motorsports, No. 31 Chevrolet driven by James Buescher. Hometown: Hixson, Tenn. (Chattanooga area).
Daniel Rankin – Mechanic and rear tire changer for Kevin Harvick Inc., No. 33 Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. Hometown: Hixson, Tenn. (Chattanooga area).
Todd Perryman – Mechanic and front tire changer for Kevin Harvick Inc. No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. Hometown: Lebanon, Tenn.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Crafton wins Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway
Crafton wins Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway
By Barry Johnson
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 16, 2011)
NEWTON , Iowa —Matt Crafton won Saturday night's Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway, holding off a determined Austin Dillon in the closing laps for his second career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Crafton snapped a 79-race winless streak with his victory. His previous win came May 16, 2008, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Crafton started the race 11th and ran inside the top 10 for the entire race. Following a caution on Lap 154, Crafton found himself in the lead on the Lap 161 restart, following a final pit stop session. Polesitter David Mayhew followed Crafton in second, while the truck of Dillon restarted seventh. Dillon looked to have the strongest truck on the evening, leading 127 laps, but he had to mount a closing charge to try and get past Crafton.
Over the final 12 laps, it was a duel between Crafton and Dillon, with Dillon being credited for leading Lap 188 before Crafton resumed the point, which he held to the end of the race.
"I saw him back there," Crafton said of Dillon, "and I thought, 'Oh boy, I'm going to have to work for this one.' I knew he had a fast truck and I knew I was going to have to save mine to race with him at the end.
"This is really a huge momentum-builder for the team. The last four weeks, anything that could have gone wrong did, and now here we are in the fifth week winning the race. I want to thank the guys for all they have done and for sticking with me when everything was going wrong."
Second-place Dillon seemed to both enjoy and be disappointed in his finish.
"We were fastest all night, but they (Crafton's team) just made the right call in the end. It was good for the points tonight, but we've just been giving the wins away here in the end. It hurts when you do that."
Following Dillon in third place was Mayhew. Johnny Sauter finished fourth, followed by Joey Coulter.
Sauter leaves Iowa with the point lead, with Dillon now in second, 22 points behind. Cole Witt is third in points, 26 out of the lead.
By Barry Johnson
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 16, 2011)
NEWTON , Iowa —Matt Crafton won Saturday night's Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway, holding off a determined Austin Dillon in the closing laps for his second career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Crafton snapped a 79-race winless streak with his victory. His previous win came May 16, 2008, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Crafton started the race 11th and ran inside the top 10 for the entire race. Following a caution on Lap 154, Crafton found himself in the lead on the Lap 161 restart, following a final pit stop session. Polesitter David Mayhew followed Crafton in second, while the truck of Dillon restarted seventh. Dillon looked to have the strongest truck on the evening, leading 127 laps, but he had to mount a closing charge to try and get past Crafton.
Over the final 12 laps, it was a duel between Crafton and Dillon, with Dillon being credited for leading Lap 188 before Crafton resumed the point, which he held to the end of the race.
"I saw him back there," Crafton said of Dillon, "and I thought, 'Oh boy, I'm going to have to work for this one.' I knew he had a fast truck and I knew I was going to have to save mine to race with him at the end.
"This is really a huge momentum-builder for the team. The last four weeks, anything that could have gone wrong did, and now here we are in the fifth week winning the race. I want to thank the guys for all they have done and for sticking with me when everything was going wrong."
Second-place Dillon seemed to both enjoy and be disappointed in his finish.
"We were fastest all night, but they (Crafton's team) just made the right call in the end. It was good for the points tonight, but we've just been giving the wins away here in the end. It hurts when you do that."
Following Dillon in third place was Mayhew. Johnny Sauter finished fourth, followed by Joey Coulter.
Sauter leaves Iowa with the point lead, with Dillon now in second, 22 points behind. Cole Witt is third in points, 26 out of the lead.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Coca-Cola 200 Winner: Matt Crafton
Race Fast Facts
Iowa Speedway
3rd Annual Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, July 16, 2011 @ 09:23 PM Central
Race Winner: Matt Crafton
Age: 35
Team : No. 88 - Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet
Owner: Rhonda Thorson
Crew Chief: Vance Haefele
Matt Crafton won the 3rd Annual Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee, his second victory in 258 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2011. Crafton breaks 79-race winless streak dating to his victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16, 2008. This is ThorSport Racing's third win of 2011.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Iowa Speedway.
Austin Dillon (second) posted his second top-10 finish in three races at Iowa Speedway. It is his fifth top-10 finish in 2011.
David Mayhew (third) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Iowa Speedway.
Joey Coulter (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 22 points over Austin Dillon.
Iowa Speedway
3rd Annual Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, July 16, 2011 @ 09:23 PM Central
Race Winner: Matt Crafton
Age: 35
Team : No. 88 - Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet
Owner: Rhonda Thorson
Crew Chief: Vance Haefele
Matt Crafton won the 3rd Annual Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee, his second victory in 258 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2011. Crafton breaks 79-race winless streak dating to his victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16, 2008. This is ThorSport Racing's third win of 2011.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Iowa Speedway.
Austin Dillon (second) posted his second top-10 finish in three races at Iowa Speedway. It is his fifth top-10 finish in 2011.
David Mayhew (third) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Iowa Speedway.
Joey Coulter (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 22 points over Austin Dillon.
Kyle Busch ties Martin's record with 49th Nationwide win
Kyle Busch ties Martin's record with 49th Nationwide win
LOUDON, N.H.—It was a day of major milestones for Kyle Busch, who tied Mark Martin for the career victory lead in NASCAR's Nationwide Series with Saturday's win in the New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The victory was Busch's sixth of the season in 14 starts and the 49th of his career, tying Martin. At the same time, Busch, 26, won for the 100th time in NASCAR's top three series combined.
Busch pulled away on a restart after contact from Steve Wallace knocked Joey Logano's Toyota into the Ford of Trevor Bayne on Lap 190 to cause the eighth caution of the race. The accident also collected the No. 32 Toyota of Reed Sorenson and deprived Sorenson of a chance to wrest the points lead from Elliott Sadler.
That wasn't the last major incident. When the field reached the second corner on Lap 197, a massive pileup slowed the race for the ninth time, and necessitated a green-white-checkered-flag finish that sent the race six laps past its scheduled distance at the 1.058-mile flat track.
Busch beat Kevin Harvick to the finish line by .304 seconds. Kasey Kahne ran third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola.
Brad Keselowski was first out of the pits for a restart on Lap 130, with enough fuel to go the distance. After quickly dispatching Mikey Kyle, Kenny Wallace and Stenhouse, who had stayed on the track under the fifth caution of the race, Keselowski opened a lead of more than a half-second over Stenhouse.
But Keselowski surrendered the top spot to Stenhouse on Lap 152 and began to fade. Stenhouse stayed out front through an intense battle with Busch until NASCAR called the sixth caution for debris on the frontstretch on Lap 167.
With history in his sights, Busch passed Stenhouse for the lead on Lap 173 and began to pull away
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
LOUDON, N.H.—It was a day of major milestones for Kyle Busch, who tied Mark Martin for the career victory lead in NASCAR's Nationwide Series with Saturday's win in the New England 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The victory was Busch's sixth of the season in 14 starts and the 49th of his career, tying Martin. At the same time, Busch, 26, won for the 100th time in NASCAR's top three series combined.
Busch pulled away on a restart after contact from Steve Wallace knocked Joey Logano's Toyota into the Ford of Trevor Bayne on Lap 190 to cause the eighth caution of the race. The accident also collected the No. 32 Toyota of Reed Sorenson and deprived Sorenson of a chance to wrest the points lead from Elliott Sadler.
That wasn't the last major incident. When the field reached the second corner on Lap 197, a massive pileup slowed the race for the ninth time, and necessitated a green-white-checkered-flag finish that sent the race six laps past its scheduled distance at the 1.058-mile flat track.
Busch beat Kevin Harvick to the finish line by .304 seconds. Kasey Kahne ran third, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola.
Brad Keselowski was first out of the pits for a restart on Lap 130, with enough fuel to go the distance. After quickly dispatching Mikey Kyle, Kenny Wallace and Stenhouse, who had stayed on the track under the fifth caution of the race, Keselowski opened a lead of more than a half-second over Stenhouse.
But Keselowski surrendered the top spot to Stenhouse on Lap 152 and began to fade. Stenhouse stayed out front through an intense battle with Busch until NASCAR called the sixth caution for debris on the frontstretch on Lap 167.
With history in his sights, Busch passed Stenhouse for the lead on Lap 173 and began to pull away
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Friday, July 15, 2011
Max Gresham Captures New England 125 Checkered Flag
Max Gresham Captures New England 125 Checkered Flag
LOUDON, N.H. (July 15, 2011) -Max Gresham started his day out front and ended it in the same position, capturing the checkered flag at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East's New England 125 event.
Behind the wheel of the No. 18 World Crown 300 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing the 18-year old from Griffin, Ga., scored his second win of the 2011 season, fighting his way from the back to the front because of a pit stop gaffe.
"We had a great weekend. I can't thank the Joe Gibbs team enough," said Gresham. "We started on the pole but had to fight our way back to the front after a miscommunication in the pits. We were able to keep our nose clean and run our own pace. I ended up getting past Brett (Moffitt) with 15 laps to go and ran away with it. It all paid off in the end."
Two-time NHMS pole winner Brett Moffitt finished second in his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.
"We worked really hard all day," said Moffitt. "Normally a second place finish would be good but when the points leader wins it takes a little of the fun out of it. But we're just going to keep going and try to win this championship."
Behind the wheel of the No. 07 Riverside Precision Sheet Metal Ford, Corey LaJoie also had to race his way through the field to finish third.
"I'm pretty happy with a third place finish," said LaJoie. "We gave our best driving the car from the back to the front. In the end, a top-three is a good points day, so I can't complain."
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East New England 125 wrapped up an exciting day of racing at "The Magic Mile." Tomorrow the action continues with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour F.W. Webb 100 beginning at 1 p.m. and the NASCAR Nationwide Series New England 200 beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Great seats are still available for all of the NASCAR action.
LOUDON, N.H. (July 15, 2011) -Max Gresham started his day out front and ended it in the same position, capturing the checkered flag at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East's New England 125 event.
Behind the wheel of the No. 18 World Crown 300 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing the 18-year old from Griffin, Ga., scored his second win of the 2011 season, fighting his way from the back to the front because of a pit stop gaffe.
"We had a great weekend. I can't thank the Joe Gibbs team enough," said Gresham. "We started on the pole but had to fight our way back to the front after a miscommunication in the pits. We were able to keep our nose clean and run our own pace. I ended up getting past Brett (Moffitt) with 15 laps to go and ran away with it. It all paid off in the end."
Two-time NHMS pole winner Brett Moffitt finished second in his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.
"We worked really hard all day," said Moffitt. "Normally a second place finish would be good but when the points leader wins it takes a little of the fun out of it. But we're just going to keep going and try to win this championship."
Behind the wheel of the No. 07 Riverside Precision Sheet Metal Ford, Corey LaJoie also had to race his way through the field to finish third.
"I'm pretty happy with a third place finish," said LaJoie. "We gave our best driving the car from the back to the front. In the end, a top-three is a good points day, so I can't complain."
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East New England 125 wrapped up an exciting day of racing at "The Magic Mile." Tomorrow the action continues with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour F.W. Webb 100 beginning at 1 p.m. and the NASCAR Nationwide Series New England 200 beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Great seats are still available for all of the NASCAR action.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Crew chief change energizes Annett's team
Crew chief change energizes Annett's team
By Lee Montgomery
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 14, 2011)
Michael Annett is a big believer in momentum. He should be, for he and his No. 62 Rusty Wallace Racing team are on quite a roll.
Annett has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five NASCAR Nationwide Series race, all with new crew chief Rick Viers. Annett ended up seventh in the last race at Kentucky Speedway, and he heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Saturday's New England 200 tied for ninth in the Nationwide points standings.
"We definitely have some momentum going right now," Annett said. "Things are just really starting to click. ... All year, the guys have known that that's what we're capable of running, and that we can do this week in and week out. We just needed to get one (top-10) under our belt, and we knew more would come. They just keep coming."
Annett's move to RWR for 2011 didn't start out as planned, as his best finish in the season's first 12 races was 13th, twice, with Jason Overstreet as crew chief. Viers took over as crew chief in late May at Charlotte , and in his second race with the team, Annett posted his best finish, ninth at Chicagoland.
Annett said Viers didn't immediately come into the RWR shop and start changing setups on the cars, noting that Viers didn't have any experience with the new Nationwide Series chassis. But Viers brought something more important.
"He came in the door with a new attitude, very, very confident," Annett said. "We sat down, and he said, 'All right, we need to be here in points by this date, this race. We can get to here.' He just looked at where we were and where we wanted to be, and there was no doubt in his mind that that was where we were going to end up. That was a breath of fresh air for me and made me excited."
Annett believes RWR can take the next step, too, battling for top-five finishes and, eventually, victories. It won't be easy, as teams like Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Turner Motorsports all have multiple cars that compete for top 10s.
"There's just so many good cars," Annett said. "It just needs to be your weekend right now. We know we don't have a Cup affiliate and it's just Steven (Wallace) and I, and every time we go into a weekend, we've got a huge battle ahead of us.
"If we keep running top 10, we're going to keep moving further up the pack. We'll be there for chances at the top five. You get one of those under our belt, we'll figure out what we need to do for that. If you start running top five consistently, you'll start battling for wins."
See what momentum will do?
By Lee Montgomery
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 14, 2011)
Michael Annett is a big believer in momentum. He should be, for he and his No. 62 Rusty Wallace Racing team are on quite a roll.
Annett has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five NASCAR Nationwide Series race, all with new crew chief Rick Viers. Annett ended up seventh in the last race at Kentucky Speedway, and he heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Saturday's New England 200 tied for ninth in the Nationwide points standings.
"We definitely have some momentum going right now," Annett said. "Things are just really starting to click. ... All year, the guys have known that that's what we're capable of running, and that we can do this week in and week out. We just needed to get one (top-10) under our belt, and we knew more would come. They just keep coming."
Annett's move to RWR for 2011 didn't start out as planned, as his best finish in the season's first 12 races was 13th, twice, with Jason Overstreet as crew chief. Viers took over as crew chief in late May at Charlotte , and in his second race with the team, Annett posted his best finish, ninth at Chicagoland.
Annett said Viers didn't immediately come into the RWR shop and start changing setups on the cars, noting that Viers didn't have any experience with the new Nationwide Series chassis. But Viers brought something more important.
"He came in the door with a new attitude, very, very confident," Annett said. "We sat down, and he said, 'All right, we need to be here in points by this date, this race. We can get to here.' He just looked at where we were and where we wanted to be, and there was no doubt in his mind that that was where we were going to end up. That was a breath of fresh air for me and made me excited."
Annett believes RWR can take the next step, too, battling for top-five finishes and, eventually, victories. It won't be easy, as teams like Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Turner Motorsports all have multiple cars that compete for top 10s.
"There's just so many good cars," Annett said. "It just needs to be your weekend right now. We know we don't have a Cup affiliate and it's just Steven (Wallace) and I, and every time we go into a weekend, we've got a huge battle ahead of us.
"If we keep running top 10, we're going to keep moving further up the pack. We'll be there for chances at the top five. You get one of those under our belt, we'll figure out what we need to do for that. If you start running top five consistently, you'll start battling for wins."
See what momentum will do?
Dillon has a firm grip on going fast at Iowa
Dillon has a firm grip on going fast at Iowa
By Jared Turner
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 14, 2011)
Rarely lacking in confidence, Austin Dillon is raring to get to Iowa Speedway for Saturday night's Camping World Truck Series race.
In this case, if not in most, his confidence is certainly warranted.
Dillon, lest anyone need reminding, notched his first career truck series win a year ago at the .875-mile track. And he didn't just win.
The then-rookie driver administered an all-out spanking on the competition, starting from the pole and leading 187 of a possible 205 laps on the way to victory.
"It was just a perfect race for us," Dillon says.
Dillon used the momentum of that memorable run, and a second victory last September at Las Vegas , to finish fifth in points and claim top rookie honors.
The Richard Childress Racing driver hasn't been back to victory lane since Vegas, but he's been in thunt throughout 2011. He sits third in the points standings, two points out of second and 25 out of first, as the trucks prepare for Saturday's Coca-Cola 200.
In addition to his 2010 Iowa triumph, Dillon also has other reasons to favor the Midwestern short track.
He made his truck series debut at the facility in 2009, finishing a respectable 12th. Iowa also has been the site of two of Dillon's nine Nationwide Series starts, with the latter yielding a 10th-place finish this past May.
Dillon has even made ARCA and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East appearances at Iowa , coming home second in his lone ARCA run and recording a pair of top-10s in two East series outings.
" Iowa is just a great track that I've been able to run a lot at and run a bunch of races at and have some experience," said Dillon, the 21-year-old grandson of team owner Richard Childress. "And the fans are great there. They always pack the place out. I really enjoy it and can't wait to get back. Any place you run well you love going to and love racing there."
On top of wanting another Iowa win, Dillon is intent on making a run at the series title. That likely will require cutting down on some of the mistakes that have kept him out of victory lane in 2011.
Despite wheeling fast trucks, Dillon has just four top 10s in the season's first 10 races. He comes into the weekend in a mini-slump, having finished no better than 12th in his last three starts."I'm happy with our speed. I'm not happy with our finishes," said Dillon. "I feel like we've got way more potential than what we've been able to show just because our finishes haven't been there."
While Dillon admits he's already thinking about a possible full-time Nationwide Series run in 2012, his main priority is the present.
"The first thing we're focused on is that championship. If we can get that done, I think it will make things a lot easier going into next year," he said. "Nationwide's what we're looking towards, looking forward to hopefully if everything lines up with sponsors. It's going to be exciting and fun what's to come. Just to focus on what we have right now is the biggest thing."
By Jared Turner
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 14, 2011)
Rarely lacking in confidence, Austin Dillon is raring to get to Iowa Speedway for Saturday night's Camping World Truck Series race.
In this case, if not in most, his confidence is certainly warranted.
Dillon, lest anyone need reminding, notched his first career truck series win a year ago at the .875-mile track. And he didn't just win.
The then-rookie driver administered an all-out spanking on the competition, starting from the pole and leading 187 of a possible 205 laps on the way to victory.
"It was just a perfect race for us," Dillon says.
Dillon used the momentum of that memorable run, and a second victory last September at Las Vegas , to finish fifth in points and claim top rookie honors.
The Richard Childress Racing driver hasn't been back to victory lane since Vegas, but he's been in thunt throughout 2011. He sits third in the points standings, two points out of second and 25 out of first, as the trucks prepare for Saturday's Coca-Cola 200.
In addition to his 2010 Iowa triumph, Dillon also has other reasons to favor the Midwestern short track.
He made his truck series debut at the facility in 2009, finishing a respectable 12th. Iowa also has been the site of two of Dillon's nine Nationwide Series starts, with the latter yielding a 10th-place finish this past May.
Dillon has even made ARCA and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East appearances at Iowa , coming home second in his lone ARCA run and recording a pair of top-10s in two East series outings.
" Iowa is just a great track that I've been able to run a lot at and run a bunch of races at and have some experience," said Dillon, the 21-year-old grandson of team owner Richard Childress. "And the fans are great there. They always pack the place out. I really enjoy it and can't wait to get back. Any place you run well you love going to and love racing there."
On top of wanting another Iowa win, Dillon is intent on making a run at the series title. That likely will require cutting down on some of the mistakes that have kept him out of victory lane in 2011.
Despite wheeling fast trucks, Dillon has just four top 10s in the season's first 10 races. He comes into the weekend in a mini-slump, having finished no better than 12th in his last three starts."I'm happy with our speed. I'm not happy with our finishes," said Dillon. "I feel like we've got way more potential than what we've been able to show just because our finishes haven't been there."
While Dillon admits he's already thinking about a possible full-time Nationwide Series run in 2012, his main priority is the present.
"The first thing we're focused on is that championship. If we can get that done, I think it will make things a lot easier going into next year," he said. "Nationwide's what we're looking towards, looking forward to hopefully if everything lines up with sponsors. It's going to be exciting and fun what's to come. Just to focus on what we have right now is the biggest thing."
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES :IOWA
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Bluegrass State Provides Shake Up In NCWTS Standings
Kentucky provided quite the shakeup among the top spots in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings. It is not unusual for championship contenders to find trouble during a race weekend, but it is a rarity for four of the top six contenders to finish outside the top-20.
The drivers impacted the most were current standings leader Johnny Sauter, Cole Whitt and Ron Hornaday – who finished 24, 26 and 27 respectively.
Austin Dillon, Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters all suffered disappointing finishes.
Sauter currently maintains a 23 point lead over Whitt. Hornaday suffered the biggest drop in the standings falling three positions to sixth – 37 points out of the lead.
Starting From The Pole Leads To Good Things In Iowa
In the two NCWTS races ran at Iowa Speedway both winners (Mike Skinner, Austin Dillon) started from the pole.
And Iowa could not come at a better time for defending race winner Dillon who is yet to pull into Victory Lane in 2011.
In 10 races this season, Dillon has two poles, two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His two top-five finishes have come on tracks a mile or less in length.
Current standings leader Johnny Sauter could be Dillon’s biggest threat. Sauter is the only driver to finish inside the top-five in both events held at the speedway.
And don’t count out three-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West winner at Iowa Speedway – David Mayhew. Fresh off his second-place finish at Texas Mayhew rejoins the truck series in the No. 2 KHI entry for his third start of the season.
Rookie Continue To Impress
As the races tick off the 2011 schedule, the Sunoco Rookie class continues to impress.
Cole Whitt was the early season standout, but just 10 races into the season Parker Kligerman and Joey Coulter have caught up to the young gun.
Despite Whitt’s pole at Darlington, all three rookies are dead even with two top-five and five-top10 finishes.
And maybe even more impressive is two (Whitt, Kligerman) of the three have scored runner-up finishes.
Buescher Continues to Rebound After Phoenix Disappointment
At quick glance over the statistics for the 2011 season it is hard to believe that James Buescher missed the field for the second race of the season.
In the eight races since, Buscher and his No. 31 Turner Motorsports team have earned six consecutive top-10 finishes and climbed from 24th to fourth in the standings.
NCWTS Setup Host – Voda Calls Iowa Home
Iowa native Krista Voda has become a staple in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Voda joined the truck series garage in 2006 and has moved from her duties as a pit road report to the host of the NCWTS Setup show that airs before each race broadcast.
She attended the University of Northern Iowa, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Business Communications.
Her hometown of Clinton is located about 2.5 hours from Iowa Speedway.
Bluegrass State Provides Shake Up In NCWTS Standings
Kentucky provided quite the shakeup among the top spots in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings. It is not unusual for championship contenders to find trouble during a race weekend, but it is a rarity for four of the top six contenders to finish outside the top-20.
The drivers impacted the most were current standings leader Johnny Sauter, Cole Whitt and Ron Hornaday – who finished 24, 26 and 27 respectively.
Austin Dillon, Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters all suffered disappointing finishes.
Sauter currently maintains a 23 point lead over Whitt. Hornaday suffered the biggest drop in the standings falling three positions to sixth – 37 points out of the lead.
Starting From The Pole Leads To Good Things In Iowa
In the two NCWTS races ran at Iowa Speedway both winners (Mike Skinner, Austin Dillon) started from the pole.
And Iowa could not come at a better time for defending race winner Dillon who is yet to pull into Victory Lane in 2011.
In 10 races this season, Dillon has two poles, two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His two top-five finishes have come on tracks a mile or less in length.
Current standings leader Johnny Sauter could be Dillon’s biggest threat. Sauter is the only driver to finish inside the top-five in both events held at the speedway.
And don’t count out three-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West winner at Iowa Speedway – David Mayhew. Fresh off his second-place finish at Texas Mayhew rejoins the truck series in the No. 2 KHI entry for his third start of the season.
Rookie Continue To Impress
As the races tick off the 2011 schedule, the Sunoco Rookie class continues to impress.
Cole Whitt was the early season standout, but just 10 races into the season Parker Kligerman and Joey Coulter have caught up to the young gun.
Despite Whitt’s pole at Darlington, all three rookies are dead even with two top-five and five-top10 finishes.
And maybe even more impressive is two (Whitt, Kligerman) of the three have scored runner-up finishes.
Buescher Continues to Rebound After Phoenix Disappointment
At quick glance over the statistics for the 2011 season it is hard to believe that James Buescher missed the field for the second race of the season.
In the eight races since, Buscher and his No. 31 Turner Motorsports team have earned six consecutive top-10 finishes and climbed from 24th to fourth in the standings.
NCWTS Setup Host – Voda Calls Iowa Home
Iowa native Krista Voda has become a staple in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Voda joined the truck series garage in 2006 and has moved from her duties as a pit road report to the host of the NCWTS Setup show that airs before each race broadcast.
She attended the University of Northern Iowa, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism and Business Communications.
Her hometown of Clinton is located about 2.5 hours from Iowa Speedway.
NATIONWIDE SERIES :NEW HAMPSHIRE
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Sadler, Sorenson Bring Points Battle To New Hampshire
Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson are waging a back-and-forth battle for the NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead. Sadler currently has a four-point advantage heading to New Hampshire. It’s his fourth time atop the standings and first since the May race at Charlotte. Sorenson also has led four times this year, most recently after Daytona before ceding the top spot to Sadler following last Saturday’s race at Kentucky.
So far in 2011, the points lead has changed hands 11 times.
Sadler has made an incredible comeback since finishing 27th at the season-opener at Daytona when he was 35 points out of the lead. He has yet to collect a win this year; Sorenson has already done so, winning three weeks ago at Road America. Neither has won at New Hampshire in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition. Sorenson has raced there four times with a best finish of eighth last year. Sadler has seven series starts at NHMS, including a 13th last year while driving for JR Motorsports. His best series finish there is fourth, in 2005.
Both drivers are in “chip on the shoulder” mode, too. Each had built a career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after getting their starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Sadler spent two full years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1997-98 before moving to NASCAR Sprint Cup from 1999-2010. Sorenson moved up as a 19-year-old in 2006 after one season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and ran full-time until 2009.
At a career crossroads, both drivers have found that they can “go home again,” and have rediscovered themselves in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Despite pushes from a group of young drivers who have aspirations to win a title and make the move to the premier series, Sadler and Sorenson are fighting back with gusto. And are using that chip to perhaps take that next step once again.
Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 6 Gets Its Sox On
Baseball players have plenty of superstitions. Perhaps Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be in that same mode this weekend at New Hampshire.
Sporting a Fenway Park – home of the Boston Red Sox – paint scheme on his Ford Mustang, Stenhouse might be able to point to the baseball gods to bring him the NASCAR version of a slump-snapper.
Following a second-place finish at Michigan where he challenged Roush Fenway Racing teammate and race winner Carl Edwards late for the victory, Stenhouse, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, took the series points lead for the second time this season. But an eighth-place finish at Road America, coupled with a 27th at Daytona and ninth last Saturday at Kentucky have dropped him to third in the standings, 27 points behind leader Elliott Sadler.
Stenhouse’s third RFR teammate, 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, also will carry a Sox-related scheme this weekend. He’ll have the New England Sports Network (NESN) on his Ford Mustang, calling attention to the Sox’ long-time television network. The two drivers also will be part of Roush Fenway Racing’s “Fan Appreciation Day” in Boston on Thursday, July 14 at City Hall Plaza, adjacent to Quincy Market after facing off in activities at Fenway Park that morning as part of their season-long “Ricky vs. Trevor” competition (http://www.roushfenway.com/rfr-dirextion/ricky-vs-trevor/).
New Car Makes New Hampshire Debut
Saturday’s race will be the track debut for the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car, inclusive of new models Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, in addition to sportier looks for the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Camry.
Toyota has won the last three series races at NHMS, the last two by 2009 series champion Kyle Busch, who is the only driver to win multiple series races at the 1.058-mile track. His win last year broke a 23-race string of different winners.
Should Busch find Victory Lane again at Loudon, he would reach two NASCAR milestones. First, he would collect his 100th NASCAR national series victory, the youngest driver to reach 100 wins. He’d also tie Mark Martin for the all-time NASCAR Nationwide Series record for wins at 49. Martin has collected his 49 wins in 235 series starts; Busch will be making his 216th start.
NASCAR Ladder System Has Climbers At NHMS
Saturday’s race will feature drivers who are moving up the NASCAR ladder system in addition to those who are familiar with and who call New Hampshire Motor Speedway home.
Andrew Ranger, coming off a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series win at Toronto on Saturday, will pull double-duty. Ranger is in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on Friday and NASCAR Nationwide Series on event on Saturday. He’ll be joined by Matt Frahm (North Salem, N.H.), who made two of his three career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at New Hampshire. Frahm, 21, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the No. 39 for Go Green Racing.
Other drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race with NASCAR K&N Pro Series East ties include New Englanders Joey Logano (Middletown, Conn.), who won at New Hampshire twice in 2007, and Charles Lewandoski (Stafford, Conn.). Travis Pastrana will return to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series at New Hampshire, his last stock car test before his much-anticipated debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Lucas Oil Raceway Park on July 30. Additionally veteran Kevin Lepage, from Shelburne, Vt., will be racing at his NASCAR national series home track in the No. 52 for Jimmy Means.
Sadler, Sorenson Bring Points Battle To New Hampshire
Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson are waging a back-and-forth battle for the NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead. Sadler currently has a four-point advantage heading to New Hampshire. It’s his fourth time atop the standings and first since the May race at Charlotte. Sorenson also has led four times this year, most recently after Daytona before ceding the top spot to Sadler following last Saturday’s race at Kentucky.
So far in 2011, the points lead has changed hands 11 times.
Sadler has made an incredible comeback since finishing 27th at the season-opener at Daytona when he was 35 points out of the lead. He has yet to collect a win this year; Sorenson has already done so, winning three weeks ago at Road America. Neither has won at New Hampshire in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition. Sorenson has raced there four times with a best finish of eighth last year. Sadler has seven series starts at NHMS, including a 13th last year while driving for JR Motorsports. His best series finish there is fourth, in 2005.
Both drivers are in “chip on the shoulder” mode, too. Each had built a career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after getting their starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Sadler spent two full years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1997-98 before moving to NASCAR Sprint Cup from 1999-2010. Sorenson moved up as a 19-year-old in 2006 after one season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and ran full-time until 2009.
At a career crossroads, both drivers have found that they can “go home again,” and have rediscovered themselves in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Despite pushes from a group of young drivers who have aspirations to win a title and make the move to the premier series, Sadler and Sorenson are fighting back with gusto. And are using that chip to perhaps take that next step once again.
Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 6 Gets Its Sox On
Baseball players have plenty of superstitions. Perhaps Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be in that same mode this weekend at New Hampshire.
Sporting a Fenway Park – home of the Boston Red Sox – paint scheme on his Ford Mustang, Stenhouse might be able to point to the baseball gods to bring him the NASCAR version of a slump-snapper.
Following a second-place finish at Michigan where he challenged Roush Fenway Racing teammate and race winner Carl Edwards late for the victory, Stenhouse, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, took the series points lead for the second time this season. But an eighth-place finish at Road America, coupled with a 27th at Daytona and ninth last Saturday at Kentucky have dropped him to third in the standings, 27 points behind leader Elliott Sadler.
Stenhouse’s third RFR teammate, 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, also will carry a Sox-related scheme this weekend. He’ll have the New England Sports Network (NESN) on his Ford Mustang, calling attention to the Sox’ long-time television network. The two drivers also will be part of Roush Fenway Racing’s “Fan Appreciation Day” in Boston on Thursday, July 14 at City Hall Plaza, adjacent to Quincy Market after facing off in activities at Fenway Park that morning as part of their season-long “Ricky vs. Trevor” competition (http://www.roushfenway.com/rfr-dirextion/ricky-vs-trevor/).
New Car Makes New Hampshire Debut
Saturday’s race will be the track debut for the NASCAR Nationwide Series new car, inclusive of new models Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger, in addition to sportier looks for the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Camry.
Toyota has won the last three series races at NHMS, the last two by 2009 series champion Kyle Busch, who is the only driver to win multiple series races at the 1.058-mile track. His win last year broke a 23-race string of different winners.
Should Busch find Victory Lane again at Loudon, he would reach two NASCAR milestones. First, he would collect his 100th NASCAR national series victory, the youngest driver to reach 100 wins. He’d also tie Mark Martin for the all-time NASCAR Nationwide Series record for wins at 49. Martin has collected his 49 wins in 235 series starts; Busch will be making his 216th start.
NASCAR Ladder System Has Climbers At NHMS
Saturday’s race will feature drivers who are moving up the NASCAR ladder system in addition to those who are familiar with and who call New Hampshire Motor Speedway home.
Andrew Ranger, coming off a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series win at Toronto on Saturday, will pull double-duty. Ranger is in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on Friday and NASCAR Nationwide Series on event on Saturday. He’ll be joined by Matt Frahm (North Salem, N.H.), who made two of his three career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at New Hampshire. Frahm, 21, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the No. 39 for Go Green Racing.
Other drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race with NASCAR K&N Pro Series East ties include New Englanders Joey Logano (Middletown, Conn.), who won at New Hampshire twice in 2007, and Charles Lewandoski (Stafford, Conn.). Travis Pastrana will return to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series at New Hampshire, his last stock car test before his much-anticipated debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Lucas Oil Raceway Park on July 30. Additionally veteran Kevin Lepage, from Shelburne, Vt., will be racing at his NASCAR national series home track in the No. 52 for Jimmy Means.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Leaders’ Kentucky Stumbles Open The Door For ‘Young Guns’
Leaders’ Kentucky Stumbles Open The Door For ‘Young Guns’
For three years running Kentucky Speedway’s winner became the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion. It may not happen in 2011 – although contenders will get a second chance when the series returns in October.
Kyle Busch, ineligible for series points, spoiled the party last week, winning for the fifth time in eight season starts.
What the UNOH 225 did was muddy the waters considerably as the top six championship contenders stumbled. Leader Johnny Sauter actually increased his lead by three points to 23 over Cole Whitt. But Sauter and Whitt finished outside the top 20 for the second consecutive week – and the land rush from behind continues.
• James Buescher continued his remarkable charge back from the virtual oblivion of a Phoenix DNQ. Buescher’s sixth consecutive top 10 brought the 21-year-old driver to fourth place in the standings 32 off the lead.
• Parker Kligerman, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender who by his own admission wrecked too much equipment early on, posted his second consecutive runner up finish to rank fifth in overall points.
• Joey Coulter came within a late caution of posting his first victory, finished seventh and retained his solid top-10 ranking.Three rookies – Whitt, 20; Kligerman, 20 and Coulter, 21 – continue to rank among the top 10 overall. What appeared an early Whitt runaway toward the Sunoco title has narrowed considerably. His lead over Kligerman is just 11. Coulter trails by 15.
Keystone Light Pole Is Good Start To An Iowa Victory
Victory at Iowa Speedway in two visits by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has followed a simple formula: Win the Keystone Light Pole, win the race.
That’s how Austin Dillon, 22, became a first-time series winner in 2010. Mike Skinner won the 2009 inaugural race in the same fashion.
Saturday’s race may follow the same script based on the results of the season’s first short track event at Martinsville Speedway which Sauter won from the No. 1 starting spot. But consider this: Sauter didn’t exactly waltz to victory. With eight drivers swapping the lead a record 12 times, track position wasn’t a sure thing. Sauter took the point for the final time with two laps remaining.
The last eight short track races have produced seven different winners. Ron Hornaday Jr. won twice and has a series record 22 victories on short tracks. Seven NCWTS short track winners are on the preliminary entry list.
Saturday night’s Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee marks Iowa Speedway’s first race under ownership of Conrad Clement, whose Featherlite Trailers is a longtime official sponsor of NASCAR.
Veteran Drivers: Don’t Leave Us Out Of The Conversation Yet
It’s been a big year so far for the “young guns” with four of the top five in points 22 years of age or younger. But several veterans – some absent from discussion for awhile – shouldn’t be forgotten.
• Brendan Gaughan finished third in Kentucky, his first top-five finish since 2008 at Michigan International Speedway. Gaughan tightened his hold on 10th in points.
• Jason White finished fifth to post his first top five of the season.
• David Starr finished eighth to match his best 2011 performance.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Voting for the NCWTS Most Popular Driver has begun and runs through Nov. 17. Fans may vote once a day by going to http://www.nascar.com/ncwtsmpd. ... Busch’s Kentucky victory was his 29th in the series breaking a tie for second all-time with Skinner. Hornaday leads with 48. … Busch will be out of the No. 18 Toyota until Pocono on Aug. 6. Brian Ickler is at the controls this week in Iowa. He finished fourth last month at Texas Motor Speedway and is a former Iowa K&N Pro Series East winner. Defending series owner champion KBM heads the current owner standings by 56 points. … Eric Phillips goes for his 25th win as a crew chief after visiting Kentucky Speedway’s Victory Lane with Busch. The team’s general manager Rick Ren is the all-time leader with 27. … David Mayhew hopes to better his Texas debut for Kevin Harvick Inc., which resulted in a career-topping third-place finish. Mayhew has three K&N Pro Series victories at Iowa Speedway and finished second in the track’s May race. … Two drivers make their series debut in Iowa. Dakoda Armstrong joins Crafton and Sauter out of the ThorSport Racing stable. K&N Pro Series East veteran Todd Peck is the nephew of NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran Tom Peck, who competed in 171 races between 1984 and 1995 with a fifth-place championship finish in 1980.
For three years running Kentucky Speedway’s winner became the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion. It may not happen in 2011 – although contenders will get a second chance when the series returns in October.
Kyle Busch, ineligible for series points, spoiled the party last week, winning for the fifth time in eight season starts.
What the UNOH 225 did was muddy the waters considerably as the top six championship contenders stumbled. Leader Johnny Sauter actually increased his lead by three points to 23 over Cole Whitt. But Sauter and Whitt finished outside the top 20 for the second consecutive week – and the land rush from behind continues.
• James Buescher continued his remarkable charge back from the virtual oblivion of a Phoenix DNQ. Buescher’s sixth consecutive top 10 brought the 21-year-old driver to fourth place in the standings 32 off the lead.
• Parker Kligerman, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender who by his own admission wrecked too much equipment early on, posted his second consecutive runner up finish to rank fifth in overall points.
• Joey Coulter came within a late caution of posting his first victory, finished seventh and retained his solid top-10 ranking.Three rookies – Whitt, 20; Kligerman, 20 and Coulter, 21 – continue to rank among the top 10 overall. What appeared an early Whitt runaway toward the Sunoco title has narrowed considerably. His lead over Kligerman is just 11. Coulter trails by 15.
Keystone Light Pole Is Good Start To An Iowa Victory
Victory at Iowa Speedway in two visits by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has followed a simple formula: Win the Keystone Light Pole, win the race.
That’s how Austin Dillon, 22, became a first-time series winner in 2010. Mike Skinner won the 2009 inaugural race in the same fashion.
Saturday’s race may follow the same script based on the results of the season’s first short track event at Martinsville Speedway which Sauter won from the No. 1 starting spot. But consider this: Sauter didn’t exactly waltz to victory. With eight drivers swapping the lead a record 12 times, track position wasn’t a sure thing. Sauter took the point for the final time with two laps remaining.
The last eight short track races have produced seven different winners. Ron Hornaday Jr. won twice and has a series record 22 victories on short tracks. Seven NCWTS short track winners are on the preliminary entry list.
Saturday night’s Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee marks Iowa Speedway’s first race under ownership of Conrad Clement, whose Featherlite Trailers is a longtime official sponsor of NASCAR.
Veteran Drivers: Don’t Leave Us Out Of The Conversation Yet
It’s been a big year so far for the “young guns” with four of the top five in points 22 years of age or younger. But several veterans – some absent from discussion for awhile – shouldn’t be forgotten.
• Brendan Gaughan finished third in Kentucky, his first top-five finish since 2008 at Michigan International Speedway. Gaughan tightened his hold on 10th in points.
• Jason White finished fifth to post his first top five of the season.
• David Starr finished eighth to match his best 2011 performance.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Voting for the NCWTS Most Popular Driver has begun and runs through Nov. 17. Fans may vote once a day by going to http://www.nascar.com/ncwtsmpd. ... Busch’s Kentucky victory was his 29th in the series breaking a tie for second all-time with Skinner. Hornaday leads with 48. … Busch will be out of the No. 18 Toyota until Pocono on Aug. 6. Brian Ickler is at the controls this week in Iowa. He finished fourth last month at Texas Motor Speedway and is a former Iowa K&N Pro Series East winner. Defending series owner champion KBM heads the current owner standings by 56 points. … Eric Phillips goes for his 25th win as a crew chief after visiting Kentucky Speedway’s Victory Lane with Busch. The team’s general manager Rick Ren is the all-time leader with 27. … David Mayhew hopes to better his Texas debut for Kevin Harvick Inc., which resulted in a career-topping third-place finish. Mayhew has three K&N Pro Series victories at Iowa Speedway and finished second in the track’s May race. … Two drivers make their series debut in Iowa. Dakoda Armstrong joins Crafton and Sauter out of the ThorSport Racing stable. K&N Pro Series East veteran Todd Peck is the nephew of NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran Tom Peck, who competed in 171 races between 1984 and 1995 with a fifth-place championship finish in 1980.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Excellent fuel mileage propels Keselowski to Kentucky win
Excellent fuel mileage propels Keselowski to Kentucky win
(July 8, 2011)
SPARTA , Ky. —Saving fuel from the start of the final green-flag run, Brad Keselowski held off Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to win Friday night's Feed the Children 300 Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
In winning his first Nationwide race of the year and the 13th of his career, Keselowski beat runner-up Harvick to the finish line by 1.180 seconds. Busch rolled across the stripe 3.796 seconds behind the winner.
Kasey Kahne came home fourth, followed by polesitter Elliott Sadler, who took the series points lead from 17th-place finisher Reed Sorenson with his fifth-place run. Sadler leads Sorenson by four points 18 races into the season.
Keselowski said calculating how much fuel he was saving is more of a seat-of-the-pants operation, rather than a precise calculation.
"I like to say it's a special gauge we put in the car—I call it an assonometer," Keselowski said. "It's my ass. That's my gauge."Keselowski said clean air was crucial to the performance of his car.
"I felt like we were pretty good the very first run," Keselowski said. "You never know when you have a race-winning car, especially when it transfers from day into night. I certainly felt more comfortable once I got clean air, and I said something to (crew chief) Todd (Gordon) about it.
"You get that clean air, and these cars are just phenomenal to drive, and mine was no exception. It was really, really fast."
Keselowski, who led a race-high 132 laps, had pulled away to a lead of more than two seconds before Robert Richardson backed into the outside wall on Lap 133 to cause the fifth caution of the race. Taking fuel only, Keselowski was first off pit road, followed by Harvick and three Turner Motorsports Chevrolets, driven by Mark Martin, Justin Allgaier and Sorenson.
With all drivers trying to save fuel after a restart on Lap 139, Keselowski again pulled out to a lead of more than one second and held the top spot the rest of the way, as the race ran green for the final 61 laps.
Ford drivers Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne all had to make late pit stops for fuel. Stenhouse, third in the series standings and 27 points behind Sadler, left the track frustrated.
"That was a tough night," Stenhouse said. "Our (car) was fast. We had a car to win—we just are getting beat on this fuel mileage stuff every week. We're just going to have to go to the shop and figure it out."
Notes: Mike Wallace finished 16th in his 400th career start. … Kahne had his first trip in a JR Motorsports car, after five Nationwide starts for Turner Motorsports this year. … Kenny Wallace continued his Lazarus act with his seventh top 10 of the season, after recording none last year. … The victory was Gordon's first as a crew chief.
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 8, 2011)
SPARTA , Ky. —Saving fuel from the start of the final green-flag run, Brad Keselowski held off Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to win Friday night's Feed the Children 300 Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
In winning his first Nationwide race of the year and the 13th of his career, Keselowski beat runner-up Harvick to the finish line by 1.180 seconds. Busch rolled across the stripe 3.796 seconds behind the winner.
Kasey Kahne came home fourth, followed by polesitter Elliott Sadler, who took the series points lead from 17th-place finisher Reed Sorenson with his fifth-place run. Sadler leads Sorenson by four points 18 races into the season.
Keselowski said calculating how much fuel he was saving is more of a seat-of-the-pants operation, rather than a precise calculation.
"I like to say it's a special gauge we put in the car—I call it an assonometer," Keselowski said. "It's my ass. That's my gauge."Keselowski said clean air was crucial to the performance of his car.
"I felt like we were pretty good the very first run," Keselowski said. "You never know when you have a race-winning car, especially when it transfers from day into night. I certainly felt more comfortable once I got clean air, and I said something to (crew chief) Todd (Gordon) about it.
"You get that clean air, and these cars are just phenomenal to drive, and mine was no exception. It was really, really fast."
Keselowski, who led a race-high 132 laps, had pulled away to a lead of more than two seconds before Robert Richardson backed into the outside wall on Lap 133 to cause the fifth caution of the race. Taking fuel only, Keselowski was first off pit road, followed by Harvick and three Turner Motorsports Chevrolets, driven by Mark Martin, Justin Allgaier and Sorenson.
With all drivers trying to save fuel after a restart on Lap 139, Keselowski again pulled out to a lead of more than one second and held the top spot the rest of the way, as the race ran green for the final 61 laps.
Ford drivers Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne all had to make late pit stops for fuel. Stenhouse, third in the series standings and 27 points behind Sadler, left the track frustrated.
"That was a tough night," Stenhouse said. "Our (car) was fast. We had a car to win—we just are getting beat on this fuel mileage stuff every week. We're just going to have to go to the shop and figure it out."
Notes: Mike Wallace finished 16th in his 400th career start. … Kahne had his first trip in a JR Motorsports car, after five Nationwide starts for Turner Motorsports this year. … Kenny Wallace continued his Lazarus act with his seventh top 10 of the season, after recording none last year. … The victory was Gordon's first as a crew chief.
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Friday, July 8, 2011
Busch holds off Kligerman for Kentucky truck win
Busch holds off Kligerman for Kentucky truck win
SPARTA , Ky. —Starting from the rear after missing the drivers' meeting and driver introductions didn't deter Kyle Busch, who held off charging Parker Kligerman to win Thursday night's UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
Busch won his fifth race of the season and the 29th of his career in a green-white checkered-flag finish set up by a late caution. The win was his 98th national series victory in NASCAR racing, third most all-time.
Kligerman ran second, followed by Brendan Gaughan, Todd Bodine and Jason White.
"On the (last) restart, when Jason White was on my inside, I figured if I could just get another good restart where I didn't spin my tires, I'd be all right," Busch said. "Those guys spun their tires every time, and it kind of worked for us.
"It's hard to not be the leader in those positions and not spin your tires. I know how they feel."
Busch won the first leg of a potential weekend triple. He will race in Friday's Feed the Children 300 Nationwide Series event and Saturday's Quaker State 400 Sprint Cup race before traveling to Wisconsin for a Super Late Model event at Slinger Speedway on Sunday.
Moments after a restart on Lap 76, four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr. felt his No. 33 Chevrolet break loose as he raced on the inside of the No. 60 Chevrolet of Cole Whitt. Both trucks slammed into the outside wall, and Jack Smith's Ford plowed into Hornaday's Chevy, knocking Hornaday back across the track, collecting the trucks of Josh Richards and John King in the process.
Busch led the field to a restart on Lap 83 with Johnny Sauter beside him. After that, things got crazy. Sauter passed Busch for the lead on Lap 103 but fell out of the race when he broke his rear axle during a pit stop on Lap 124.
Nelson Piquet Jr. overshot his pit stall on Lap 120 during that same round of green-flag stops and fell five seconds off the lead. When the cycle was completed, Busch had a two-truck-length lead over Austin Dillon, but as Dillon was closing in, the hood of his No. 3 Chevrolet came unpinned and covered the windshield, obstructing his vision.
Busch led until caution flew on Lap 142 for Charles Vest's spin. On the subsequent restart on Lap 146, Busch began to pull away, but a multicar wreck involving Piquet, Miguel Paludo, Steve Arpin, Tim Peters and Ryan Sieg slowed the race for the seventh time and sent the event to overtime.
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 7, 2011)
SPARTA , Ky. —Starting from the rear after missing the drivers' meeting and driver introductions didn't deter Kyle Busch, who held off charging Parker Kligerman to win Thursday night's UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
Busch won his fifth race of the season and the 29th of his career in a green-white checkered-flag finish set up by a late caution. The win was his 98th national series victory in NASCAR racing, third most all-time.
Kligerman ran second, followed by Brendan Gaughan, Todd Bodine and Jason White.
"On the (last) restart, when Jason White was on my inside, I figured if I could just get another good restart where I didn't spin my tires, I'd be all right," Busch said. "Those guys spun their tires every time, and it kind of worked for us.
"It's hard to not be the leader in those positions and not spin your tires. I know how they feel."
Busch won the first leg of a potential weekend triple. He will race in Friday's Feed the Children 300 Nationwide Series event and Saturday's Quaker State 400 Sprint Cup race before traveling to Wisconsin for a Super Late Model event at Slinger Speedway on Sunday.
Moments after a restart on Lap 76, four-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr. felt his No. 33 Chevrolet break loose as he raced on the inside of the No. 60 Chevrolet of Cole Whitt. Both trucks slammed into the outside wall, and Jack Smith's Ford plowed into Hornaday's Chevy, knocking Hornaday back across the track, collecting the trucks of Josh Richards and John King in the process.
Busch led the field to a restart on Lap 83 with Johnny Sauter beside him. After that, things got crazy. Sauter passed Busch for the lead on Lap 103 but fell out of the race when he broke his rear axle during a pit stop on Lap 124.
Nelson Piquet Jr. overshot his pit stall on Lap 120 during that same round of green-flag stops and fell five seconds off the lead. When the cycle was completed, Busch had a two-truck-length lead over Austin Dillon, but as Dillon was closing in, the hood of his No. 3 Chevrolet came unpinned and covered the windshield, obstructing his vision.
Busch led until caution flew on Lap 142 for Charles Vest's spin. On the subsequent restart on Lap 146, Busch began to pull away, but a multicar wreck involving Piquet, Miguel Paludo, Steve Arpin, Tim Peters and Ryan Sieg slowed the race for the seventh time and sent the event to overtime.
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(July 7, 2011)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
UNOH 225 Winner: Kyle Busch
Race Fast Facts
Kentucky Speedway
Inaugural UNOH 225
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, July 07, 2011 @ 10:19 PM Eastern
Race Winner: Kyle Busch(i)
Age: 26
Team : No. 18 - Dollar General Toyota
Owner: Kyle Busch
Crew Chief: Eric Phillips
Kyle Busch(i) won the Inaugural UNOH 225, his 29th victory in 93 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his fifth victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Kentucky Speedway.
Parker Kligerman (second) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Kentucky Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2011.
Brendan Gaughan (third) posted his second top-10 finish in seven races at Kentucky Speedway.
Parker Kligerman (second) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 23 points over Cole Whitt #.
Kentucky Speedway
Inaugural UNOH 225
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, July 07, 2011 @ 10:19 PM Eastern
Race Winner: Kyle Busch(i)
Age: 26
Team : No. 18 - Dollar General Toyota
Owner: Kyle Busch
Crew Chief: Eric Phillips
Kyle Busch(i) won the Inaugural UNOH 225, his 29th victory in 93 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his fifth victory and eighth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Kentucky Speedway.
Parker Kligerman (second) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Kentucky Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2011.
Brendan Gaughan (third) posted his second top-10 finish in seven races at Kentucky Speedway.
Parker Kligerman (second) was the highest finishing rookie.
Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 23 points over Cole Whitt #.
Campingworld UNOH 225 Pole Winner Johnny Sauter
Qualifying Fast Facts
Kentucky Speedway
Inaugural UNOH 225
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, July 07, 2011 @ 04:10 PM Eastern
Keystone Light Pole Winner: Johnny Sauter
Age: 33
Team : No. 13 - Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet
Owner: Mike Curb
Crew Chief: Joe Shear Jr.
Johnny Sauter won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the Inaugural UNOH 225 with a lap of 31.015 seconds, 174.109 mph.
This is his fourth pole in 71 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second pole and 10th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in three races at Kentucky Speedway.
Austin Dillon (second) posted his ninth top-10 start of 2011 and his second in two races at Kentucky Speedway.
Nelson Piquet Jr. (third) posted his first top-10 start at Kentucky Speedway. It is his seventh in ten races this season.
Parker Kligerman (fifth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Kentucky Speedway
Inaugural UNOH 225
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, July 07, 2011 @ 04:10 PM Eastern
Keystone Light Pole Winner: Johnny Sauter
Age: 33
Team : No. 13 - Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet
Owner: Mike Curb
Crew Chief: Joe Shear Jr.
Johnny Sauter won the Keystone Light Pole Award for the Inaugural UNOH 225 with a lap of 31.015 seconds, 174.109 mph.
This is his fourth pole in 71 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second pole and 10th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in three races at Kentucky Speedway.
Austin Dillon (second) posted his ninth top-10 start of 2011 and his second in two races at Kentucky Speedway.
Nelson Piquet Jr. (third) posted his first top-10 start at Kentucky Speedway. It is his seventh in ten races this season.
Parker Kligerman (fifth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
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