No Disappointment at Bristol.
“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” – Unknown
This week 43 of the world’s greatest drivers embarked on a great adventure. This week they found themselves standing at the doors of the last great coliseum of racing. A track that consistently plays host to 160,000 enthusiastic fans. All anxious to see their favorite driver, conquer the 30 degree concrete banks of the jewel of east Tennessee.
This coliseum tests tempers, equipment and the patience of all who run here. But if you are a warrior, if you persist and if the jewel smiles on you – you will join the elite class of champions that have tasted the fine vintage and most sought after of victories in NASCAR. Champions whose names are still synonymous and defining of our sport, names like Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Sr. Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, to name a few. She is loyal to her chosen champion and he will ultimately earn the title of short track king. Because if you can win here, you have what it takes to win anywhere.
The jewel has yet to pick her new crown prince to replace her favorite son Rusty Wallace. Will it be a veteran driver like, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, or Kyle Busch? Or will it be a new comer like Brad Keselowski or Reed Sorenson? That is a question that only time would answer. The secrets of this jewel are not easily found and they are treasured and guarded once they are. This is what stock car racing is all about. Saturday night, cinch your belts, grab the wheel find your guts and let’s go racing.
You will respect her. You will either give your respect or she will take it. But you will learn to respect the crown jewel of motor sports.
To quote NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Victory lane at Bristol! It doesn’t get any better than this.” So welcome folks to the crown jewel of East Tennessee. Welcome to Bristol.
Once again, Bristol did not disappoint. With her graduated banking she provided a multi groove race surface that was not only fast but allowed more competitive racing than we have seen anywhere else on the circuit.
As has been the case many times this season, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson dominated the show. A strong and dominating performance from Jimmie Johnson came up short when on the restart on lap 262 he tangled with Juan Pablo Montoya and found himself in the garage under going repairs to a badly wrecked race car. Returning to the track 26 laps down, Johnson would finish 35th.
Kyle Busch on the other hand was a man on a mission, seeking a three race sweep in a single weekend and avoiding incidental or intentional contact with Brad Keselowski after a slide job gone badly the night before in the Nationwide race. Busch would dominate the race leading the most laps and truly never being challenged for more than a couple of laps on restarts. His dominance gave him a record never before held in NASCAR, the sweep in all 3 national touring series.
This race seemed to bring more questions about the power house teams. What has happened to HMS? One wrecked car. One that would run and could race but couldn’t hold it’s own for a full tire run, one car that continued to struggle bitterly with a driver carrying it on his back to the checkers. And one that just never seemed to be a factor in the competition at all. Although, this is not indicative of the performances we are use to seeing from HMS it appears, at least in the last several races, to be the course for their 2010 season.
RCR, which had shown dominance to this point, was a victim to a fickle Bristol as well, with only Clint Bowyer seeming to find the handle on the concrete princess.
Penske Racing ruled Bristol for 10 years even its flagship car, the Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch, could make no headway at Bristol.
Although Kyle Busch was a dominate winner. The same can not be said for the rest of the JGR stable. A struggling Denny Hamlin held on to finish 34th and Joey Logano was a disappointing 18th.
The drama of the 88 and Dale Earnhardt Jr continued with Junior Nation shaking it’s heads in the grandstands over communication or lack there of between the driver and crew chief. After a very successful outing in the Nationwide Series, which saw Earnhardt Jr go a lap down early and then come back for a strong 4th place finish, the 88 Sprint Cup ride struggled the entire day with a loose car. Remembering that listening to scanner communication is literally eves dropping and considering that no one knows the background on the conversations, I am making an observation based strictly on what was heard and it seemed there was friction between driver and crew chief over that performance (Nationwide) when Lance McGrew asked his driver, “Fine, since this is the part of the race when you want to argue with me, What would Pops do?” One has to question at times if Mr. McGrew forgets that Junior Nation is listening and if he is aware that he is not making any fans with those type comments.
I was impressed with the honesty of Chad Knaus after the race when he commented regarding Jimmie Johnson’s problem, that he didn’t know how to set a car up for this track and his driver couldn’t get a handle on this track. Johnson himself stated that the incident with Montoya was “just a product of racing at Bristol. I don’t think it was anything intentional.” Honesty and championship attitude is refreshing. “To admit one’s short coming and build on your strengths is the mark of a championship dynasty.” — Roger Penske.
It had been quite awhile since I had been home. Life has dealt some blows. Some fair some not. Some were of my own making. Some were the result of devious and envious people. There were troubles that were nagging me deeply with questions I couldn’t answer. So when I rounded the bend in the road and saw her sitting there, I was surprised to feel myself sigh deeply. Suddenly there was one word in my heart and in my head. That word was Home. There in front of me. It was close enough to smell it, see it, and I could almost touch it. I was home. And this was Bristol.
____________________________________________________________________________
Many Many congratulations to Kyle Busch on his sweep of NASCAR’s weekend in Bristol. He may not be a fan favorite but there is simply no denying the young man’s talent behind the wheel of a race vehicle. Maturity comes with time and life experience. It will be his someday. Congratulations also to Ryan Newman on his victory in NASCAR’s Whalen Modified Series Race on Wednesday. Incredible competition by all 4 series all weekend long.
And finally to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you had to give, you are our heroes. Most importantly, thanks to all the families who shared their loved ones with us so we could cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.
Busch completes Bristol triple with Sprint Cup win
BRISTOL, Tenn.—Check off a major accomplishment from Kyle Busch’s bucket list.
Busch fended off strong challenges from David Reutimann and Jamie McMurray to win Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and complete his unprecedented sweep of three NASCAR national touring events at the same track in the same week.
On Lap 429 of 500, Busch nosed past Reutimann after an intense 15-lap battle and pulled away to a Sprint Cup victory that fit quite nicely with his Wednesday win in the Camping World Truck Series and his Friday triumph in the Nationwide Series.
“Oh, Dave, thank you, guys,” Busch radioed to crew chief Dave Rogers moments before crossing the finish line. “I can’t believe it—swept the weekend at Bristol!”
The victory was Busch’s fourth at the .533-mile track, his third of the season and the 19th of his career. McMurray came home third, followed by Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne.
It was a statement race for Bowyer, who separated himself from Mark Martin in the battle for the final berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Bowyer overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to finish in the top five while Martin foundered to a 23rd-place result in a car that didn’t handle to his liking.
With two races left before the Chase field is set Sept. 11 at Richmond, Bowyer, 12th in the standings, leads McMurray, who supplanted Martin in 13th place, by 100 points. Martin is 14th, 101 points back.
The two drivers who are guaranteed at least a tie for top seeding when the Chase begins—Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin—had major issues in Saturday’s race.
After leading 175 laps, Johnson was fighting for position on Lap 262 when contact from Juan Pablo Montoya’s Chevrolet sent Johnson’s Chevy spinning down the backstretch and into the Turn 3 wall. The polesitter lost 66 laps during repairs and finished 35th.
Hamlin snapped a drive shaft near the midpoint of the race and lost 26 laps in the garage while his crew replaced it. He finished 34th. The only consolation for Johnson and Hamlin is that each has a series-best five victories, good for 50 bonus points to start the Chase.
Vickers reveals heart surgery in July, promises 2011 return
BRISTOL, Tenn.—Brian Vickers’ story took an unexpected turn Saturday when the Red Bull Racing driver revealed he had surgery July 12 to repair a small hole between the upper chambers of his heart.
Vickers, 26, who was sidelined from racing for the balance of the year after blood clots were discovered in his legs and lungs in mid-May, said he was diagnosed with a PFO (patent foramen ovale), a hole between the atria after a clot traveled from the right atrium to the left atrium of his heart and into one of the fingers of his left hand.
He opted for corrective surgery, and one day later had a stent placed in a vein in his left leg to counter May-Thurner syndrome, which leads to deep vein thrombosis because of compression of blood vessels in the leg. Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of May-Thurner syndrome during the July 12 procedure.
Despite the surgery, Vickers said he is on schedule to resume racing next season and expects to get back on track in January to begin preparation for the 2011 season.
The primary hurdle Vickers must clear in order to race again is the approval of his doctors. Typically, NASCAR relies on the medical opinion of a driver’s doctors and does not seek independent testing or verification.
Vickers is taking the blood thinners to treat the blood clots and will be off the medication before he races again.
“I’m on Coumadin and Plavix still, and I will be for the rest of the year, so I’m still out of the car,” Vickers said Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “But they gave me full clearance for next year. I will be back next season. I’ll be racing in January, and I’m really excited about it.
“They feel that I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve got two issues that I never knew about fixed. Both surgeries went extremely well, and it’s been a bit of fresh air for me to really kind of know what caused this, or part of (the cause)—it wasn’t just one thing.”
In fact, Vickers recovered from the surgery so quickly that, three weeks later, he was doing 40- to 60-mile bike rides at 10,000 feet in the mountains near Aspen, Colo.
Three teams or two?
On the assumption Vickers will return to the No. 83 Toyota next season, Red Bull faces a choice between adding a third team to accommodate the signing of Kasey Kahne for one year or replacing Scott Speed with Kahne and continuing to operate as a two-car team.
General manager Jay Frye has said the organization is still evaluating Speed’s performance and wants to see improvement. Speed entered Saturday night’s race 27th in the Sprint Cup standings, with a best finish of 10th at Atlanta in March and Daytona in July.
“As far as Kasey, I’m excited to work with him,” Vickers said. “As far as how all that goes down, I know what you know—honestly, I read about it online. I didn’t even know about it. Jay told me something was going to happen, but he didn’t tell me what, and then I read an article.
“That’s really a question for Red Bull and Jay Frye. I have no idea. But I’m going to be in the 83, and I’m really excited about it.”
NASCAR still debating Nationwide policy
Possible changes to eligibility requirements for the Nationwide Series title may be getting a second look, sources told Sporting News.
The sanctioning body had contemplated making full-time Sprint Cup drivers ineligible to win the Nationwide championship and had discussed that possibility with the relevant teams. Recently, however, there are indications the restrictions against Cup drivers may not happen, based on what NASCAR has been telling the teams that would be directly affected by such a policy.
NASCAR is still holding meetings on possible changes and hasn’t made a firm decision. Currently, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard are the only drivers doing full-time double duty. Edwards says he plans to run a full Nationwide schedule next year, even if he’s not eligible for the title.
“We’ve got a great shop and a bunch of people that work very hard,” Edwards said. “I kind of halfway committed to doing it a year ago, these two years, so (even if) NASCAR says that we can’t race for driver’s points, I still feel like I owe it to my guys and my sponsors and myself to follow through and do what I said I’d do.”
Track owners are all for the participation of Cup drivers in Nationwide events, because it helps put fans in the grandstands. And there’s an undeniable coattail effect, where Cup drivers can help raise sponsorship money that also provides opportunities to younger, less experienced drivers.
Fireworks in driver intros
Prerace driver introductions typically are a routine, humdrum affair. Not Saturday night.
Fresh from Friday’s Nationwide Series victory, in which he dumped Brad Keselowski to take the lead on Lap 219 of 250, Kyle Busch was greeted with boos as he walked down the gangway toward a waiting pickup truck.
“Aw, you’re so loving,” was Busch’s sarcastic response to the crowd.
Moments later, Keselowski strode down the gangway. “I’m Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 12 Penske Dodge,” he announced. “Kyle Busch is an ass.”
AJ Allmendinger subsequently told the crowd, “I just hope I’m ahead of Brad and Kyle when this stuff goes down tonight.”
Conor Daly Wins Star Mazda Round 11 From The Pole at Road America
Elkhart Lake, WI (August 21, 2010) – Conor Daly, adding another layer of polish to an already gleaming season, won his 6th race from his 8th pole position in Round 11 of the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase at Road America. The Indianapolis native, who dropped back to 3rd on the opening laps but fought his way back into the lead by lap 5, survived a full-course yellow in the closing laps that led to a one-lap shootout and brought his #22 Juncos Racing / INDECK / The College Network / Merchant Services Ltd. Mazda across the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of the Venezuelan racer Jorge Goncalvez who started 3rd on the grid in the #9 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda. Rounding out the top-3 with his first-ever Star Mazda Championship podium finish was Californian Connor De Phillippi, who qualified his #11 JDC Motorsports / MAZDASPEED Motorsports / Skip Barber Mazda on the outside of the front row, also his best-ever qualifying effort.
The top-finishing Expert and Master Series drivers were a replay of last weekend at Trois-Rivieres with Team GDT teammates J.W. Roberts (#65 Team GDT / General Data Tech Mazda and Carlos Conde (#31 Team GDT / Pronto-GMT / Olympus Securities Mazda winning their respective classes. Roberts’ drive was particularly notable as, in winning his class, he also finished 11th overall; he has now scored eight in-class victories this season and has clinched the 2010 Star Mazda Master Series Championship.
Norwegian racer Anders ‘The Viking’ Krohn, who qualified 7th and finished 4th in his #47 Andersen Racing / Norse Cutting & Abandonment / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda, has not won a race this year, but has finished consistently well and positioned himself so that he is the only remaining driver in the field with a chance to keep Daly from winning the championship. With two races left in the season, and a maximum of 90 points to be won by any one driver (44 for the win and 1 point for pole), Daly has 457 points and Krohn has 388. And De Phillippi (5th in the championship) is leading the Rookie of the Year battle by a slim 10-point margin over Frenchman Tristan Vautier who is currently 6th in the championship with two wins in the #38 Andersen Racing / Moulin TP / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais / Fontanel Mazda… but also several finishes well outside the top-10.
Pos
No.
Name
Laps
Diff
Avg. Speed
Best Tm
In Lap
Sponsor
1
22
Conor Daly
19
103.008
2:07.494
6
INDECK, The College Network, Merchant Services Ltd.
2
9
Jorge Goncalvez
19
1.561
102.949
2:07.657
7
Wabash Capital Investments
3
11
Connor De Phillippi
19
2.314
102.920
2:08.064
4
Mazdaspeed Motorsports, Skip Barber
4
47
Anders Krohn
19
3.501
102.874
2:08.189
8
Norse Cutting and Abandonment, Trallfa Industries, Colosseum
5
66
Rusty Mitchell
19
4.696
102.829
2:08.321
5
Motorola, Petro Comm.
6
28
Juan Piedrahita
19
5.716
102.790
2:09.231
9
Petrosur, GFK Motors
7
16
David Ostella
19
9.542
102.644
2:08.762
3
GP Global Precast
8
25
Tatiana Calderon
19
9.986
102.627
2:08.792
11
JAC Motors
9
31
Carlos Conde
19
10.995
102.589
2:11.334
7
Pronto-GMT, Olympus Securities
10
57
Court Vernon
19
11.514
102.569
2:08.837
10
Capt. Harry’s, GDT
11
65
J.W. Roberts
19
11.634
102.565
2:11.425
9
General Data Tech
12
20
Carlos Linares
19
11.925
102.553
2:09.943
6
Instituto Nacional De Deportes
13
38
Tristan Vautier
19
19.809
102.255
2:07.952
4
Moulin TP, Cecibon, Circuit du Laquais, Fontanel
14
81
Nick Andries
18
1 Lap
102.430
2:08.316
12
Indy 500/ American Icon Team Pelfrey
15
37
Dom Bastien
14
5 Laps
109.451
2:11.123
9
Andersen Race Park
16
17
Mikael Grenier
13
6 Laps
111.703
2:07.829
7
Slow Cow, April Super Flow, NAPA Auto Parts, HS Telecom, Desharnais
17
85
Chris Miller
8
11 Laps
109.422
2:09.644
4
Miller Milling, Red Line Oil
18
55
Gerry Kraut
7
12 Laps
97.360
2:09.787
5
Dougherty and Co./Dougherty Funding LLC.
19
18
Joao Horto
4
15 Laps
103.297
2:09.429
4
Wabash Capital Investments, BomBril – Programa LeiLoes
This is the second event of a 3-race, back-to-back ‘road trip’ for drivers and teams in the Star Mazda Championship. The next event, Round 12 at MOBIL1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport will take the green at 1:15 pm Saturday, August 28. The series’ finale, also with ALMS at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, will take place October 1.
Bruton Smith and Ray Evernham Team Up to Launch New Dirt Track Series for U.S. Legends International
CONCORD, NC (August 21, 2010) – Today, two of racing leaders took a bold step in preserving and protecting the future of racing for generations to come.
Bruton Smith, chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., and Ray Evernham, CEO of Ray Evernham Enterprises, have partnered to launch a new dirt track racing series as part of U.S. Legend Cars International. The series will run an innovative dirt track version of the Legend Car, designed by Evernham.
“The local tracks around the country are where the stars of the sport get their start, and we need to create the opportunities that inspire young racers today and hone their talents for tomorrow,” said Smith. “Grassroots racing is a passion of mine and of Ray’s, and through this partnership we can give back to our roots and support the future of grassroots racing.”
The series will initially run at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C. next year, which is owned by Evernham, and expand to other top dirt tracks around the country. A special unveiling of the new car will be held on October 13, 2010, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, followed by an on-track demonstration in early November.
“Through this partnership, we will offer a comprehensive program featuring great race cars, safe, sanctioned racing for the drivers and thrilling racing for the fans,” added Smith. “It will be an excellent development series for young drivers and a fun, affordable experience for adults who want to race.”
“It’s an honor to be working with a visionary like Bruton Smith on this program,” said Evernham. “He has done so much to move this sport forward and continually looks for new ways to inspire drivers and fans alike. This partnership will help keep dirt track racing alive for years to come.”
Car Designed for Dirt Track Power, Performance and Affordability
The new dirt track race car is being developed by Ray Evernham in conjunction with SMI and U.S. Legend Cars International. Evernham will oversee the design, fabrication and testing of the new chassis, engine and body style for the car. The cars will be manufactured at the U.S. Legend Cars International factory in Concord, N.C. and sold through the current dealer network.
“The challenge of designing a brand new race car is always an exciting one, because you basically start with a clean sheet of paper,” said Evernham, who led the design of the Dodge race car for return to NASCAR Sprint Cup competition in 2001. “You get to start with the elements that are performing well, then incorporate new materials and technology to build a race car to meet your goals.”
The new dirt race car will be built on the same common platform as the current Legend Car platform, but will offer a more powerful engine, improved handling and a bigger car body.
“Basically, we’re developing an entry level, open-wheel, dirt-style race car,” said Evernham. “We want to give drivers a car that is safe, powerful and easy to handle. We also want to give teams the ability for some customization, but still control the costs for excessive development and maintain a level playing field among competitors.”
In addition to designing the car, Evernham will consult with the series on rules and competition, and serve as consultant for marketing and promotion.
Competitors and track owners interested in participating in the new series can contact U.S. Legend Cars International for information.
Kyle Busch plays spin-to-win at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn.—After spinning his strongest challenger on Lap 219, Kyle Busch held off Jason Leffler and Elliott Sadler through a spate of cautions in the closing laps to win Friday night’s Food City 250 Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Busch won his 10th Nationwide race of the year, tying the single-season record he already shared with Sam Ard. The victory was Busch’s 40th in the series, but it was not without controversy.
Keselowski and Busch battled ferociously for the lead during the final quarter of the race, and that heated contest produced the sixth caution of the event. On Lap 219, Busch slid past Keselowski for the lead off Turn 2 but bobbled slightly down the backstretch.
Busch clipped the wall after contact from Keselowski’s Dodge, and as the cars rolled through Turn 4, Busch spun his adversary in the corner, forcing Keselowski to pit to repair the damage to his car. Keselowski finished 14th.
In his postrace interview in victory lane, Busch twice acknowledged he purposely “dumped” Keselowski.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. rallied from a lap down to finish fourth. Carl Edwards ran fifth. Trevor Bayne, Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, Parker Kligerman and Joey Logano completed the top 10.
Busch can complete an unprecedented sweep of three races at one track in NASCAR’s top three touring series with a victory in Saturday’s Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race. Busch won Bristol’s Camping World Truck Series race Wednesday night.
Notebook: Pieces falling into place for JR Motorsports
BRISTOL, Tenn.—With the signing of Aric Almirola to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet next season JR Motorsports’ Nationwide Series program is coming sharply into focus.
Team co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said the team is close to filling out sponsorship for the No. 88 and will determine Danica Patrick’s races in the No. 7 Chevy after the IndyCar Series releases its schedule. Patrick is slated to drive approximately 13 races for JRM next year.
“We’re very close to wrapping up the sponsorship on the 88,” Earnhardt said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “It looks like we’ll definitely have GT Vodka back on board for a 15-race program. Our Unilever folks, we’re real close with them on about 12 to 15 races. That will leave us short four or six or eight, however the math works out on the 88. We’ve still got time to put stuff together for that car.”
Almirola, who had a brief stint in the Sprint Cup Series, sharing a ride in the No. 8 Chevrolet with Mark Martin at Dale Earnhardt Inc., jumped at the chance to drive for JRM.
“It was really easy for me,” Almirola said. “I had several other opportunities, but this was the opportunity that I looked at that I felt like, being 26 years old, I could wait a few more years before going to Cup and still be OK.
“I felt like this was the place where I needed to be to be able to prove that I can win races and run for a championship at the next level. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that this year (in the Camping World Truck Series), and I didn’t want to go too fast, too quick and end up like I was a couple years ago (without a full-time ride).”
Earnhardt acknowledged that Patrick has had difficulty getting up to speed in her six Nationwide starts to date.
“I think she’s definitely had a difficult year getting used to these cars from where she’s came from (IndyCars),” Earnhardt said. “I think still everyone has to keep in (mind) that she’s ran six Nationwide races and pretty much six stock car races in her career. She’s still very fresh and new at this and still has a lot to learn about the way these cars work.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete approximately six times in the No. 7 car next year. The allocation of the rest of the races is a work in progress, but Kelley Earnhardt said the organization has been pleased with the performance of Josh Wise in recent races.
“Josh has done very well for us and kept the car in the top 20 of the owner’s points and hasn’t put a scratch on our car, that I can recall,” she said.
The old switcheroo
It didn’t take Kevin Conway, the default Raybestos Rookie Of The Year winner in the Cup series, long to find a new home. A week after parting with Front Row Motorsports last Friday at Michigan—and taking sponsor ExtenZe with him—Conway landed in Robby Gordon’s No. 7 Toyota for Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol.
Gordon, who was initially entered in the No. 7, moved to his own No. 07 Camry, which originally was entered with driver TBA. Gordon qualified 37th, and Conway 40th.
Casey Mears took over for Max Papis in the No. 13 Toyota in a move that originally had been planned for Atlanta two weeks hence. Papis will concentrate his efforts on the truck series. Mears was the last car to make Saturday’s field.
Almirola, too, got an unexpected ride when David Reutimann began suffering from flu-like symptoms. Almirola drove Reutimann’s No. 00 Toyota for the majority of the first Cup practice session, making way for Reutimann for a few laps at the end of the session.
Reutimann practiced the car in Happy Hour and qualified fifth for Saturday’s race later in the afternoon.
New tire befuddles drivers
Based on a June 29-30 tire test involving Juan Pablo Montoya (Chevrolet), David Ragan (Ford), Scott Speed (Toyota) and Denny Hamlin (Toyota), Goodyear provided left- and right-side tires that had never been run before at Bristol.
Several drivers pointed to difficulties in adapting their setups to the new mold shape, construction and stagger of the tire combination.
“We’re getting used to that, because we rarely go back to the racetrack with the same set of tires,” Greg Biffle said. “I’m having trouble figuring that part out. This racetrack puts on great races. The last couple of races here were good, and now we’ve got a new tire, and it doesn’t seem like it has as much grip.
“It seems like, in my opinion, it’s going to be harder to run side-by-side. The tire is freer into the corner, which spells trouble for the guy on the bottom—and the guy on the top, if the guy spins out below you. … You can’t stand still, but you often wonder, when you have a great race, and you have no tire issues, why you’d come back with something different.”
Kurt Busch, who led 278 laps and finished third at Bristol in March, offered an explanation.
“A lot of teams were on the edge here in March,” Busch said. “There were a lot of tire blowouts on long green-flag runs. If you were to bring the same tire that was marginal in March, you’re definitely going to be on edge when it’s warmer in August.”
Bottom’s up: Johnson wins Bristol pole
BRISTOL, Tenn.—Qualifying hasn’t been an issue for Jimmie Johnson lately.
Finishing races has.
In Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Johnson will get another chance to convert a top-notch starting position into a strong finish—something he hasn’t been able to do in the past six races.
In Friday’s qualifying session, Johnson streaked around the .533-mile short track in his No. 48 Chevrolet to claim his first Coors Light Pole Award at Bristol and his first of the season in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. The pole was Johnson’s 24th in the Cup series.
Moments after Carl Edwards ran a lap in 15.608 seconds (122.937 mph) in the high groove, Johnson knocked him off the pole with a lap of 15.540 seconds (123.475 mph), running the bottom of the track. Edwards’ speed held up for second, barely ahead of third-place qualifier Joey Logano (122.764 mph).
“We spent a lot of time focused on the bottom of the racetrack,” said Johnson, who has averaged a 3.8 starting position over the past six races compared with a 21.3 average finish. “There was a lot of questioning and concern in my mind. I went on top of the transporter and watched all the guys go, and nobody made the bottom work until late, when the 20 (Logano) went out.
“That gave me hope, but we really couldn’t change directions at that point, because we’d set the car up to run the bottom for qualifying and felt like it would be foolish to change things.”
When Edwards saw Johnson running the bottom of the track, Edwards was convinced he was the pole winner.
“I couldn’t believe Jimmie got the pole running the bottom,” Edwards said. “I thought the top was faster. When I was watching his lap on the big screen, I thought, ‘Oh, he’s on the bottom; he’s screwed this up.’ And, lo and behold, he ran a really fast lap.”
Tony Stewart will start fourth, followed by David Reutimann, who missed most of Friday’s opening practice with flu-like symptoms but returned to claim his third top-five start of the season.
Johnson said his inability to capitalize on excellent qualifying efforts has been most glaring at intermediate speedways.
“If you look at the mile-and-a-half racetracks and above, I don’t think, in the summer months, we have had the package we need,” Johnson said. “I can burn off a fast lap, I can be fast in practice session, I can be fast in a qualifying effort, but when we get into the heart of the race—in a long run or a series of long runs—we seem to fade.
“We have time to figure some stuff out, and we have some good ideas.”
In the race for the final spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, 13th-place Mark Martin qualified 13th, and 12th-place Clint Bowyer will start 24th. Martin trails Bowyer by 35 points with three races left before the Chase field is set.
Dave Blaney, Joe Nemechek, Kevin Lepage, J.J. Yeley, Brian Keselowski and Mike Bliss failed to qualify for the 43-car field. Series points leader Kevin Harvick will start 28th.
Sadler sits on Bristol NNS pole
Elliott Sadler will sit on the pole for tonight’s Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway — his first pole at Bristol in his Nationwide career. Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Justin Allgaier and Steven Wallace will round out the top-five in the starting lineup.
Click here to view more race stats for this weekend’s races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Qualifying Fast Facts
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 250
Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, August 20, 2010 @ 05:10 PM ET
Coors Light Pole Winner: Elliott Sadler
Age: 35
Team : No. 33 – Rheem Heating and Air Conditioning Chevrolet
Owner: Delana Harvick
Crew Chief: Ernie Cope
- Elliott Sadler won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Food City 250 with a lap of 15.934 seconds, 120.422 mph.
- This is his sixth pole in 128 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
- This is his first pole and first top-10 start in 2010.
- This is his first pole in eight races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Joey Logano (second) posted his 14th top-10 start of 2010 and his second in four races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Kyle Busch (third) posted his seventh top-10 start at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is his 19th in 20 races this season.
- Brian Scott (30th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Kyle Busch has just enough fuel to win at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn.—In a race where the typical Bristol gremlins came out early and often, Kyle Busch managed to get his out of the way before the green flag waved.
The result was a commanding victory for Busch in Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
After winning the pole but being forced to start at the rear because of prerace engine repairs under impound rules, Busch moved forward in a hurry. He took the lead when Mike Skinner pitted for the first time on Lap 91 of 206 and survived a green-white-checkered finish for his third triumph of the season in his No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.
Busch, whose only pit stop came around Lap 30, overcame a late fuel scare to win his third straight race at Bristol.
“I wasn’t 100 percent aggressive on saving fuel, but I was 92 percent,” said Busch, who led the final 116 laps. “There was concerns all around.”
Aric Almirola finished second, followed by Ron Hornaday Jr., who rallied from a spin and a lost lap. Skinner and rookie Justin Lofton completed the top five. Points leader Todd Bodine finished sixth, and his lead over Almirola took a small hit from 231 to 211 points.
The race was slowed by a record-setting 13 cautions, including eight in the first 85 laps.
That last of the accidents was the most vicious, occurring when Ken Schrader slammed hard into the right side of the spinning truck of David Starr. It brought out a red flag and forced the race to go six laps past its scheduled distance. Both drivers walked away uninjured.
“It was a pretty hard hit,” Starr said.
A more consequential incident involved Sprint Cup regular Elliott Sadler and Timothy Peters. Battling for second in the closing laps, Sadler hooked the right rear of Peters’ truck on the backstretch, sending the No. 17 Toyota into the wall and to pit road for repairs. Peters, who is third in the standings, recovered to finish eighth.
Sadler moved into second momentarily but hit the wall several laps later when the right-front tire on his Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet let go on Lap 185. He finished 26th.
Rookie Austin Dillon also had a rough night, and his streak of eight straight top 10s came to an end. Dillon was involved in two accidents—one with Donny Lia on Lap 20 and another with Clay Greenfield on Lap 44—that knocked his No. 3 truck out of contention. Dillon finished 17th.
A Destiny of Choice
“Courage is being scared to death… And saddling up anyway.” ~John Wayne
In 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr assessed his life and future. He made a choice like most men and women make to walk his own path. He discovered that although he was in a familiar place, a place that should have been home, the voices that were echoing loudest were not familiar ones. They were people claiming his father would want this and his father would want that yet they didn’t even know his father according to Tony Eury Sr. In an interview with TNT Sports.
To make his father’s team better, Dale pushed for up to date equipment so that all would succeed, marks of a leader and a champion. His pleas met deaf ears. He was then stuck between his heart and reality; stay where the “world” thought he should be, in “C” class equipment to satisfy a morbid need of some fans, or find his courage and step out into the world and risk failing on his own. Jr. asked himself a question that at some point in our lives we all ask ourselves, “What would Dad have done?” Since his father was never a follower the answer was obvious as well as frightening. He looked around, said his good byes and respectfully closed the door on the past and opened up his future.
It has not been easy for him at any juncture. “A” class equipment brought the illusion of ease and comfort. He very soon discovered there is a lot more to the game than a name, his or his car owners. There is a lot more to being competitive than desire, heart and talent. It’s all about the parts and pieces. Do they fit? Do they click? Do you understand why? This would be a scary journey for him. One he has handled with as much dignity as we have the right to expect.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. last weekend at Michigan. (Brian Czobat/Autostock)
| Year | Races | Win | T5 | T10 | AvFn |
| 1999 | 5 of 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21.4 |
| 2000 | 34 of 34 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20.9 |
| 2001 | 36 of 36 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 15.2 |
| 2002 | 36 of 36 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 17.1 |
| 2003 | 36 of 36 | 2 | 13 | 21 | 12.7 |
| 2004 | 36 of 36 | 6 | 16 | 21 | 12.1 |
| 2005 | 36 of 36 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 20.5 |
| 2006 | 36 of 36 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 13.5 |
| 2007 | 36 of 36 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 18.6 |
| 2008 | 36 of 36 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 14.1 |
| 2009 | 36 of 36 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 23.2 |
| 2010 | 23 of 23 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 17.1 |
| 12 years | 386 | 18 | 90 | 148 | 16.8 |
On track struggles would lead to him become a target for media and haters alike. Dale Jr was suddenly faced with something he had never known before, a struggle to prove himself on the track. Although he had always faced the obstacle of being Dale Earnhardt’s son, that was now complicated by those that wanted him to be his clone…drive like him, act like him, perform like him. What he thought would help him leave the shadow behind actually threw him deeper into it. To make matters worse, he was struggling on the track. Lack luster performances followed quick out of the box success. Rumors of conspiracies and favoritism began to surface.
Fans were not kind as they began saying the departure from DEI was leaving his destiny behind. They felt he should have stayed and not left his family behind and that his father would never have done that. Or no, leave where he was but gone to RCR instead. The criticisms from his fan base seemed endless. But the truth is no one really knows what he should have done except Dale himself. Now, time and again he has said he’d made the right choice and believes his father would have supported that choice. Many who knew his father including the likes of Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace have echoed that sentiment. But still the cry from the fans was that he should never have left DEI.
At no time have any of those enthusiasts acknowledged the changes in the sport that occurred at the same time as the change up in teams. And those changes have been mighty. From the Car Of Tomorrow (COT) and changes to it, point system shifts and personnel changes. Then there are the economic changes which effected every team in the sport. If we really go and look, the numbers don’t match. They don’t because you can not compare apples and oranges. The cars are different. The people are different. The sport is different. The comparisons are simply not sound.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands by his No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet at Phoenix in 2007. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
17 of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 18 victories came with Dale Earnhardt Inc. With DEI in 2004, he recorded a career-high six victories and went on to finish third in the final Sprint Cup Series points.
Dale Jr has won more races with DEI than with HMS, he was there longer. He was more successful in his first 3 years there under the watchful hands and eyes of his father and then his uncle. Not only were the cars different but so were the situations. The resource changes alone were staggering.
The only accurate comparison can come between comparing the teams themselves. DEI after the death of Dale Earnhardt became a mediocre team with outdated equipment and understandably absent ownership. If I may be frank, I think most of us would have had a hard time embracing the race teams after losing the center of that world in a racing accident. Even up to the time of Dale Jr’s parting, they were struggling to make their presence known with other than the 8 car which carried the name sake.
When it merged with Ganassi racing, the Earnhardt name became window dressing as the team is run by Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates. What was DEI no long exists in that capacity. Although DEI itself still remains, it is not as a race team or operation. The once stately “Garage Mahal” is now basically a museum in tribute to the late great Dale Earnhardt’s accomplishments and success’.
Hendrick Motorsports, on the other hand, was a dominate power house which could boast of more championships and more wins than any other single team currently competing on the circuit. It’s resources seemed and continue to seem almost endless. It’s sprawling complex, a state of the art cutting edge race machine factory. I don’t think there’s a single driver who doesn’t drool over the thought of getting a ride with the legendary Rick Hendrick.
So why would Dale Jr be any different? He wasn’t. He wanted to win races. He wanted to win championships and from his perspective at the time, there was no way he would do anything else at HMS. After all if there was a problem, Rick Hendrick was the ultimate Gremlin killer. His teams didn’t have those kinds of issues long. It was top of the line equipment and nothing could go wrong or stand in his way.
And so it seemed that first Daytona and in fact that first year until the Chase began. Things began to falter and he began to struggle. The Gremlin Killer was without answers. It became worse, to the point that following the Coke 600 in 2009, the unthinkable happened to Dale Jr. He lost Tony Jr. The press conference that day found a pale, shaken, and obviously emotional Dale Jr. Who said he knew the night before. And he didn’t know what else to do but let Rick run the business.
Lance McGrew and Dale Earnhardt Jr. talk prior to that start of the 2010 Sprint All-Star Race in May. (Tom Whitmore/Getty Images)
With the addition of Lance McGrew on the box the hopes were high. However, the results have been spotty. Although improvements have been noted since 2009, Earnhardt still has yet to find victory lane. The rumblings are in earnest for a crew chief change. The conspiracy theorists say the cars are not the same and Dale Jr. is not getting quality equipment. But there is NO evidence to support that. No one is willing to go on record to say that any one team gets or has access to anything the other 3 don’t have. As a matter of fact quite the contrary. But still there is no denying the lack of performance in both the 88 and the 5 in 2010.
Earnhardt’s fellow drivers are stumped. 4 time champion Jimmie Johnson said, “I don’t understand it. No one is working harder than he is.” Team mate Mark Martin was quoted in Scene Daily as saying, “That young man is working his butt off. He is out there giving everything he has every week. He is carrying a heavy load.”
In Sunday’s race at Michigan, race winner Kevin Harvick’s radio exchange was quoted as the following:
O’Dea(spotter for the 29): “88 has the heebie-jeebie’s!” Harvick: “If they give him something to drive, he can haul ass!
Yet the problems continue to elude the managers, engineers and rocket scientists (this is literal not a put down) that make up HMS.
One would think that at a time like this his fan base, Jr. Nation, would be surrounding him with positive vibes and support. Instead, what he has received from many of his “loyal” fan base, is constant criticism and second guessing on sites that range from Nascar.com to his own fan club site. It is sad that the man once dubbed the future of the sport, of late can get no more support from that huge fan base except to vote him MPD 7 times.
Internet web sites are full of comments trashing his crew chief, his efforts, his car owner and his team. Statements run the gamut from “Grow a set” or “Make your father proud”, to “You walked away from your destiny”. Words like “I can’t take this anymore” and “You need to drive like your father” fill the forums and blogs. Negative comments touting him as the most famous loser in sports history appear seemingly everywhere. Although there are the diehard loyal, they are often assaulted to the point of silence as they are called everything from “Sheeple” to “Idiots with no brain cells” and thought to be a “Loser just like your pretty boy driver”.
His fans say he should drive for himself. He should go to RCR. He should….He should….He should… But when I took the opportunity to put the ball in their court and asked Jr. Nation in their post race chat three questions “What is the problem with the 88?”, “How specifically should it be fixed?” and “What qualifications do you bring to the table to make those evaluations?” What I got in return was “We are just fans. We aren’t qualified to make those decisions.” The general consensus was felt to be that communication was lacking in respect and response to the driver. There were a few that thought there should be yet another crew chief change, citing McGrew’s lack of experience and behavior towards Dale Jr. But basically the only thing they came up with consistently was ”Tell Junior we love him and we will stand behind him no matter what”.
So although supporters on Twitter continue with demands and opinions and other sites continue to be filled with negativity, when asked to give their solutions and qualify themselves as evaluators, the bulk of JRNation, on Sunday night at least, was not willing to do that.
All things come in time I guess. As Roger Penske has said, “One must first measure success by inches and feet before it can be measured in miles.” Eventually, I suppose, we will all realize that what we put out into the world, be that negative or positive, will come back around to us and the ones we care about.
Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. discuss race strategy atop the hauler in the Talladega pit area. (RacingOne/Getty Images)
In the meantime, Dale Jr has made himself the master of his OWN destiny. Not the one others would choose for him. Nor the one it seems the world wanted him to have. He chose for himself. He looked inside himself where he lives, he looked at who he is and made the choice that was best for him. More power to him. I applaud that courage. I support that flame that will always burn in him. It is a path of his own. His name is Dale Earnhardt JR. He is not a clone. His father wouldn’t have wanted him to be. It’s just not in the nature of a parent. And as his father would also have wanted it, he walks the path that his choice of destiny’s has put him on no matter how scary or frustrating.
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Congratulations to Todd Bodine on his Truck series win and Brad Keselowski on his NNS win. And of course to Kevin Harvick on his Sprint Cup win. Absouletely great racing by all three series this week.
That said to all the competitors in all the series thanks for giving us everything you have to give. You are our heroes. Most importantly though thanks to all the families who share their loved ones with us each and every week so that we can cheer our favorite driver and favorite teams. You are the true heroes of the sport and we are forever in your debt.
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Authors notes: Please note that opinions expressed by the members of Jr. Nation do not in anyway reflect the opinions of Dale Jr or Jr. Motorsports or its staff. They are the opinions of the membership present at the time of the chat and their postings.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the members of Jr. Nation that were my hosts Sunday evening in their chat room. Your insights to the sport and your drivers possible thought process and abilities were enlightening and refreshing. You all have my respect and my thanks.
If you are a Dale Earnhardt Jr fan and would like to join his fan club. You may do so free of charge at www.jrnation.com . They do have community guidelines and they do enforce them. So please do not go with the intention of disrespecting the members or Dale Jr. there.
Notebook: JRM puts Almirola in No. 88 beginning in ’11
Aric Almirola has signed a multiyear deal to drive the No. 88 Nationwide Series Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports beginning next season.
Almirola, 26, who started 30 Sprint Cup races over a four-year stretch, is second in the Camping World Truck Series standings and now has a Nationwide Series ride with what he believes is a championship-caliber team.
“I felt like I could go and get in their car and win races,” Almirola said Wednesday following truck practice at Bristol Motor Speedway. “That’s what it’s really about for me. I’ve been up to the top and was let down, so to be able to come to the truck series and win races and run for a championship, I truly am having the time of my life. I’m having a lot of fun.
“So why would I want to go and just for a bigger paycheck run 25th every weekend when I have the opportunity to go and win races and still be competitive and run in competitive equipment?”
Almirola said he had offers from other teams, including Cup teams, but opted for the JR Motorsports No. 88 car, which Brad Keselowski drove to six victories and two third-place finishes in points.
“I had other opportunities to do other things,” Almirola said. “That was by far the one that was at the top of my list. … I feel really confident that I can go there and do a good job for them and that my career will still continue to grow.”
The JR Motorsports No. 88 car has had 10 drivers this year as the organization had a falling out with driver Kelly Bires, who started the season with the team. Almirola has driven in one race for the team and finished third at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
Mears replaces Papis in the No. 13 Cup car
Casey Mears will take over the driving duties in the Germain Racing No. 13 Toyota for the remaining races this year in which the team has sponsorship from Geico, team officials announced Wednesday.
Mears replaces Max Papis, who will move into the team’s No. 9 Camping World Truck Series ride full time in 2011.
Mears will make his initial Sprint Cup appearance with the team next month at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Sept. 5 Emory Healthcare 500. It will be the first of seven remaining races this season for the group with Geico backing.
“It’s a great opportunity, and I believe with all the hard work that Germain Racing has put into their Cup program, as well as our relationship with Michael Waltrip Racing, that we’ll be able to do good things,” Mears said. “I’ve known (crew chief) Bootie Barker for a long time, so I think we’ll work well together.”
According to the team, Mears is scheduled to compete in 18 events in 2011 in which Geico will provide sponsorship.
Papis is currently 38th in driver points. He has made 18 starts this season, with a best finish of 22nd (at Texas and Watkins Glen). His best career finish in Cup is eighth, which came last year at The Glen.
Nemechek’s Nationwide team penalized
NASCAR has fined Joe Nemechek’s Nationwide Series crew chief Mike Boerschinger $5,000 and placed him on probation through the end of the year for carburetor venturies that were too big.
The violation was found during opening-day Nationwide Series inspection last week at Michigan.
Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Irwin Tools Night Race
If NASCAR had to, for some strange reason, pare down the Sprint Cup season to only five races, this weekend’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway would be almost certain to make the cut.
The rough-and-tumble racing that Bristol is famous for, under the Saturday night lights in the dog days of summer, provides fans with a powder keg that’s ready to explode at any moment – and frequently does, claiming many contenders along the way. Many fans will never forget Dale Earnhardt punting Terry Labonte out of the way to win the 1999 edition, nor the post-race fireworks between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch a couple years ago.
So who’s got a shot at surviving the event and driving into victory lane this year?
Bristol is one of Busch’s best tracks, and its tendency to produce interesting and exciting on-track action makes it a perfect fit for him. His 10.1 average finish trumps all other active drivers. Besides this spring’s aberration, Busch hadn’t failed to lead in a Bristol race since his 2005 rookie season. He has three wins at the track, and top-two finishes in three of the past four Bristol events. He’s my pick.
My dark horse pick for this weekend is Marcos Ambrose, who had finishes of 10th and 3rd at Bristol last year but a dismal 33rd this past spring. Now that he and JTG Daugherty Racing have both announced plans for 2011 that don’t involve one another, they might just mail it in until the end of the year. On the other hand, they could both step up their game, showing their new partners (Richard Petty Motorsports for Ambrose, Bobby Labonte for JTG) a commitment to a strong year next year.
Three more, because we can:
Greg Biffle, despite having never won at Bristol in a Sprint Cup car, has the second best average finish of active drivers at the track, a solid 11.0. He’s got six top fives and nine top-10s in 15 starts. His Roush Fenway Racing team is also peaking at the right time, finding victory lane and the front of the pack these past few weeks in the wake of owner Jack Roush’s plane crash. Roush cars won this race each year from 2005 to 2008, and there’s no reason to think they can’t again.
Kevin Harvick is the only driver to have a Chase berth right now. Coming off that clinch, his Michigan victory, and a lucrative sponsorship deal with Budweiser for 2011, Happy’s gotta be living up to his nickname right now, and the momentum can certainly carry into Bristol. Harvick can be Superman at Bristol – while the box score for his 2005 victory at the track says he started 13th, he actually started dead last due to unapproved impound work and passed every car in the field for the victory.
Finally, Kurt Busch has the second-best winning percentage at Bristol of active drivers, behind only brother Kyle. And while four of his five wins came in 2004 or earlier, he showed us all a thing or two about how to race at Bristol this spring, leading a race-high 278 laps and finishing third. While Jimmie Johnson may have used that race to get the Bristol monkey off his back, Busch showed the field that he had his old Bristol magic back.
2011 NASCAR Schedules Officially Released
Today, the 2011 NASCAR schedules were released. Much was already known about what the schedules would probably look like, such as Texas’ spring race being moved to Saturday night and that Kentucky would finally get a cup date. Now the schedules have finally been released, and these and many other changes have been added to the schedule.
There are two realignments in the Sprint Cup schedule. First Kansas Speedway will get a second cup race which will be held on June 5th, the first race after the Coca-Cola 600. Also, Kentucky will get its first cup race, which it had been vying for for years. That will take place on July 9th, Chicagoland’s former date. Chicagoland’s race has been moved to September 18th, and will open up the Chase.
As for the Nationwide and Truck Series schedules, there are many changes there. Gateway will no longer hold any NASCAR sanctioned events, and second races will be added at Iowa and Chicago for the Nationwide Series. The Truck series will see many changes, nine to be exact. Darlington will moving from March to August and moving the Kansas date to June are just a few examples of the changes to the 2011 NASCAR schedule.
While there are many changes to the 2011 schedule, two traditions will stay the same. Those are starting the season with the Daytona Speedweeks, and ending it with the Ford Championship Weekend. These are two things that don’t look like they will change anytime soon.
These changes to the schedule are based on input from the owners and operators of tracks and from the industry. They did it in the fans’ best interest, and hope they will react well to the changes of the schedule. This will be become clear in 2011, which will include quite a few firsts.
2011 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 12 Daytona International Speedway (Budweiser Shootout At Daytona *)
Feb. 13 Daytona 500 Qualifying
Feb. 20 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 27 Phoenix International Raceway
March 6 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 20 Bristol Motor Speedway
March 27 Auto Club Speedway
April 3 Martinsville Speedway
April 9 Texas Motor Speedway
April 17 Talladega Superspeedway
April 30 Richmond International Raceway
May 7 Darlington Raceway
May 15 Dover International Speedway
May 21 Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race *)
May 29 Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 5 Kansas Speedway
June 12 Pocono Raceway
June 19 Michigan International Speedway
June 26 Infineon Raceway
July 2 Daytona International Speedway
July 9 Kentucky Speedway
July 17 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 31 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 7 Pocono Raceway
Aug. 14 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 21 Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 27 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 4 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 10 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 18 Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 25 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Oct. 2 Dover International Speedway
Oct. 9 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 15 Charlotte Motor Speedway
Oct. 23 Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 30 Martinsville Speedway
Nov. 6 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 13 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 20 Homestead-Miami Speedway
* – Denotes non-point event.
2011 NASCAR NATIOWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 19 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 26 Phoenix International Raceway
March 5 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 19 Bristol Motor Speedway
March 26 Auto Club Speedway
April 8 Texas Motor Speedway
April 16 Talladega Superspeedway
April 23 Nashville Superspeedway
April 29 Richmond International Raceway
May 6 Darlington Raceway
May 14 Dover International Speedway
May 22 Iowa Speedway
May 28 Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 4 Chicagoland Speedway
June 18 Michigan International Speedway
June 25 Road America
July 1 Daytona International Speedway
July 8 Kentucky Speedway
July 16 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 23 Nashville Superspeedway
July 30 O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Aug. 6 Iowa Speedway
Aug. 13 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 20 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Montreal
Aug. 26 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 3 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 9 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 17 Chicagoland Speedway
Oct. 1 Dover International Speedway
Oct. 8 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 14 Charlotte Motor Speedway
Nov. 5 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 12 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 19 Homestead-Miami Speedway
2011 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 18 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 25 Phoenix International Raceway
March 12 Darlington Raceway
April 2 Martinsville Speedway
April 22 Nashville Superspeedway
May 13 Dover International Speedway
May 20 Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 4 Kansas Speedway
June 10 Texas Motor Speedway
July 16 Iowa Speedway
July 22 Nashville Superspeedway
July 29 O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Aug. 6 Pocono Raceway
Aug. 20 Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 24 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 2 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 16 Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 24 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Oct. 1 Kentucky Speedway
Oct. 15 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 22 Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 29 Martinsville Speedway
Nov. 4 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway
Note: one additional date to be added
Texas to Host Night Race in 2011
A crowd of over 1,600 crammed into the House of Blues Dallas last night. They weren’t there to see a Grammy-award winning artist, but to hear the announcement of Texas Motor Speedway’s 2011 schedule. All of their nights were made when they found out that Texas Motor Speedway will host its first ever night race.
“Night racing has always been special.” Track President Eddie Gossage said. That is very true. Fans pack into Charlotte, Richmond, Bristol, and Atlanta for their yearly night races. Night races always seem to be more exciting. Perhaps it’s because the cars seem faster, and the sparks are more visible.
Texas Motor Speedway, which has been hosting races since 1997, has been waiting for a night race for a long time, and they finally landed the date. Among those there to witness the unveiling of the 2011 schedule were NASCAR chariman Brian Francs, ISC chairman Bruton Smith, and driver Tony Stewart. The fall date, however, was left untouched, as it is one of the most popular Chase races, and is regularly attended by many NASCAR fans.
Tickets to the unveiling sold out within three days of being available. Gossage said that he was happy that France attended, and that NASCAR worked so well with them in planning the night race. “I think NASCAR is being creative and inventive because these are tougher times,” Gossage said. That is also true, seeing that NASCAR is seeing a decline in both TV ratings and race attendance.
This is just another change to NASCAR’s regular season schedule, which also includes a date at Kentucky Speedway. These changes will hopefully be for the better, and we will se next season how all of the new dates pan out.
