Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Emory Healthcare 500 (Redux)
So last week, I screwed up.
I figured, “Hey, with college about to start and all, maybe I should write my Atlanta fantasy post right now, save it for a week, and then just take ten minutes to post it when people actually need it.” Seemed like a good idea at the time, right?
Well, it was, until I forgot what week of the year it was (blame it on me being awake at four in the morning) and posted it anyway. Oops. If you’re looking for this week’s fantasy picks, click here; otherwise, this column is going to be a general fantasy overview for the rest of the year.
We’re now two-thirds of the way through this Sprint Cup season, with only two regular-season races and the Chase for the Sprint Cup to go. The remaining schedule is dominated by four cookie-cutters (Atlanta, Kansas, Charlotte, Texas), but contains just about every type of track on the schedule besides a road course.
Of course, this is about the time where Jimmie Johnson kicks into gear. His charges to the championship have been well documented, as no driver has ever benefitted more from the Chase. Currently ninth in points and about a three-race deficit behind Kevin Harvick, Johnson’s top four tracks as judged by average finish – Phoenix, Martinsville, Fontana, and Loudon – all appear on the remaining schedule. Of the remaining tracks at which Sprint Cup will run this year, Johnson only has mediocre records at Richmond (which isn’t in the Chase anyway) and Talladega (which is a crapshoot anyway).
As for Harvick, his team has been the class of the field all year, but most of his best tracks are behind him on the schedule. Homestead is statistically his best track, but five of his six worst active tracks – Dover, Fontana, Martinsville, Atlanta, and Charlotte – come up in the following twelve weeks of racing.
But this year, things have been looking up for Happy on those tracks, and he may not have a reason to worry. Fontana yielded a second place finish, he ran a strong ninth at Atlanta, led 57 laps from the pole at Martinsville, placed seventh at Dover, and came home a respectable 11th at Charlotte. While those types of races alone won’t knock the defending champion off his pedestal, they will more than suffice for a driver at some of his worst tracks.
In effect, this brings us down to the question of present versus past. Which key factor – history or momentum – should be influencing your fantasy picks from here on out? Should you be focusing on only one over the other, and if so, which?
Here’s the thing: we all know that the 48 team has shown signs of, well, humanity this year. Add to that the intense pressure stemming from the fact that nobody has won five consecutive championships at NASCAR’s highest level, and you may be able to say that the goose is cooked on the drive for five.
Meanwhile, Harvick’s team has done everything right for the majority of the year, won a respectable one in eight races, and has even performed at the tracks on which he’s struggled in the past. (See above.)
In the end, it all depends on which fantasy game you’re playing, and who’s available to you on any given week. (Duh. A little more elaboration, please?)
For single driver, pick-‘em-once-and-they’re-done games like One and Done at OnPitRow.com, your best bet is undoubtedly to go for history. A driver like Harvick is probably not the best choice for a track at which he struggles, unless you’re picking last-minute and he qualifies really well. Johnson becomes your golden ticket to victory lane, so use him wisely. As for the rest, try and limit your picks to Chase drivers – they’re the only ones who really matter in the final ten events.
For games that give you a fleet of drivers every week, make sure to always pick one of the top five active drivers at any given track. (This is one of my Fantasy Pick’Em rules of thumb.) But in these games, you have a greater ability to go for momentum drivers. Sure, it can crash and burn on you if they perform as history suggested they would, but getting a little lucky with an interesting, out of left field pick could be the difference between first and second in your fantasy racing league.
NASCAR Racing Series Goes Up For Sale, Buyer Beware Rules Are Included
Don’t look any further from the title, because from the impression of NASCAR’s current situation, these few words are only a figment of what most fans could only dream would happen.
Wishful thinking could be another way of putting into perspective where the sport is headed today, if indeed there is trouble on the horizon with all the speculating that’s been crowding the various NASCAR social sites.
The latest word on the street is that NASCAR is headed down a road of destruction, and it won’t be long before the sport quickly disappears into its own self-made black hole.
Of course, none of this news is coming from the big man himself; instead, most of it gets started around these highly sophisticated tailgate parties, where the fans congregate to see who can conjure up the best destructive scenarios.
For those fans who really feel the need to challenge themselves, try visiting one of the hundreds of NASCAR social sites which can be found on the Internet.
There you will find every rule or regulation that NASCAR has ever implemented, along with the current state of the sport broken down to the root while being argued with the basis being, “Because I said so, and I have been a fan for x amount of years.”
Now given the fact throughout the years, NASCAR just like any other sport is and always will be debated amongst its fans, try naming one person, or a group of people who could do a better job at managing one of motorsports’ biggest organizations?
The reason being is because once again, the integrity of those who are running the sport has come under intense enemy fire from the fans, with most of the ammo targeting a false sense that the sport is in dire need of another rebuilding process.
One area which is being falsely attacked is the decline in viewership, along with the current rule changes that many feel are not helping to boost the ratings.
Viewership along with the fan base within the sport believe it or not, is up from where it was before NASCAR went full-time to national television in 2001.
NASCAR is still the third most popular professional sport in the United States, behind the National Football League and Major League Baseball.
What other sport comes close to averaging 70 to 80 thousand fans per event, and that’s without the other three or four million who are watching at home?
Just this past weekend, ESPN reported a 6 percent increase from last year’s night race at Bristol, which attracted 5,322,537 viewers, and this increase was from the Sprint Cup race alone.
An average of 5,841,952 viewers tuned in on Saturday, which is still above the 4.5 million average who were watching back in the 90’s when attendance jumped from 3.3 million to 6.5 million between that 10-year time span (1990-99).
It’s no big secret the sport has seen a steady decrease in the last few seasons, but not all is lost in the game of love and war when looking at the numbers from a broader perspective.
When NASCAR went to national television in 2001, the attendance at each track grew, which forced a lot of the smaller tracks to add more seating to accommodate the rapid growth of the sport.
As an example, Bristol alone added an additional 90,000 seats between 1996 and 2002 which brought their total up to 160,000 from the 71,000 they were at before the increase.
Dover also added an additional 20,000 seats between the same time period, along with Richmond, which joined in with 10,000 of their own.
So as the sport continued to grow and become more popular, so did the fans that flocked to the various race tracks to get their fill of the fastest growing sport in the Nation.
The sudden growth left even the biggest critics scratching their heads in amazement, as America fell in love with the color, the speed, and the fast-paced excitement that at one time could only be viewed from one of the cable networks who covered the series.
NASCAR reached its peak amid the 2004-06 seasons, even though the fans began to complain about some of the rule changes, with the biggest one being the institution of the Chase format.
Between the 2007 and 2009 seasons, it became obvious the numbers began to taper off, and all you had to do was look at the empty stands which at one time were hard to come by.
Many of the fans began expressing their displeasure with the way the sport was being run, with much of the speculation focused on the Chase format along with the introduction of Car of Tomorrow in 2008.
No longer was NASCAR outpacing all other professional sports, and it was because the majority of the younger fans between the ages of 18-34, began looking elsewhere to get their adrenaline fix.
In the meantime, the core of older fans continued to stick next to a sport that most grew up with, and NASCAR began to once again take action in hopes of keeping them from wandering off.
“Our core fan is older, said NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.
Poston also added, “That’s a fact. Our strategy and focus the last couple of years has been to target our core fan base. If we’re making strides with that fan base, it shows that our strategy is working.”
NASCAR took it a step further by getting a fans perspective as far as what changes needed to be made to keep the sport exciting, and to bring the fans back when they created a 12,000 member online fan council.
The fan council was responsible for a series of rule changes which included the double-file restarts, multiple attempts at overtime finishes, and a return to the traditional spoiler.
NASCAR also added the Citizen Journalists Media Corps in 2009, which consists of 28 additional websites which are dedicated to providing information about NASCAR to a growing readership.
Ever since the invention of the Internet, more fans have become dependent on the various websites that provide up to the minute news and information about the sport.
The newspaper is quickly becoming obsolete around the world of sports, and NASCAR felt that a lot of the independent websites are becoming more professional with their content.
NASCAR has been taking the necessary steps to keep the fans involved in the sport, even though the economy has taken its toll on the sport as a whole.
Just like any other craze or trend, NASCAR reached its peak, and now it’s beginning to level off after going through a normal drop-off period.
When you look at the viewership numbers from 10 to 15 years ago, NASCAR is still above their average, even though the teams and the tracks look as if they to are scaling-down.
Don’t think for a second that most of the fans who no longer attend a race are not sitting at home watching on television.
The organization now has nine regional touring series, and three national series including the Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, and its premier series, the Sprint Cup races.
NASCAR is not going to slowly disappear into the abyss known as another mismanaged business venture as many think it might.
Instead, the sport will be here longer than either you or I, and when you sit back and think about the competition it faces every single day as a family-owned organization.
It does really well at holding its own against the big multi-billion dollar sports organizations, which have many athletes under their belt.
Failure has never been part of the France family vocabulary, so why should they start now?
Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Emory Healthcare 500
The Atlanta Motor Speedway will play host to the Sprint Cup Series this weekend, putting on the series’ Labor Day weekend event for the second time. The Emory Healthcare 500 will be the track’s lone event in 2011, similar to the one race a year the series now runs at Darlington.
The penultimate event in the Race to the Chase, drivers like Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin are going to be going all in to try and take a playoff spot away from vulnerable drivers like Clint Bowyer. Their cunning will likely have a great affect on the finishing order, and should affect your fantasy picks as well.
So who’s going to be worth a look at Atlanta?
I’m going to make this interesting and say that Carl Edwards breaks his winless streak this weekend. (How many times have I picked Carl this year with no luck?) He’s won one in four at Atlanta, and in a way, team owner Jack Roush’s tragic plane accident has been the best thing to happen to that team – they’ve been stepping up their game in a way unlike they’ve been running all season. We all know he’s overdue.
As for a sleeper pick, look out for A.J. Allmendinger. He’s been unassumingly consistent at Atlanta, never finishing outside the top 20 at the track in five starts. His best finish, a sixth place, came this spring. Allmendinger’s average finish of 14.6 is sixth best of all active drivers.
Three more, for those who need them:
Jimmie Johnson’s average finish at Atlanta, a 10.2, tops all other drivers. He’s won one in six at the Georgia track, with nine top five finishes in 18 starts. He’s led laps in six of the past eight Atlanta events, including both 2007 races, a year where he swept the two Cup events at the track.
Jeff Gordon has four wins and 23 top-10s in 36 career Atlanta starts, equivalent to a top-five season (at least) in NASCAR’s top level these days. It’s been nearly seven years since his last Atlanta win, but consistency – no finishes outside the top 20 in his past 10 Atlanta events – suggests he knows what it takes to deliver a strong finish this weekend.
Finally, Jamie McMurray has never been a strong Atlanta driver – 16 starts with only four top-10s and no finish better than sixth – but the momentum coming off a great Bristol finish may have him making a surprise run at the Chase. Remember Jeremy Mayfield’s surprise ascent in 2004? Jamie Mac might be able to duplicate the feat if he can pull it together the next two weeks.
Smith, Furniture Row Racing Agree to Contract Extension
DENVER, Colo. (Aug. 26, 2010) — Furniture Row Racing announced today that Regan Smith has signed a contract extension through the 2012 season to drive the team’s No. 78 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Smith, the 2008 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, is currently in his second season driving for the Colorado-based Furniture Row Racing team. Last year he competed on a part-time basis, entering 20 races. The 26-year-old native of central New York is running a full schedule this season and will do the same in 2011 and 2012.
“Regan is a young, talented driver with an outstanding future,” said Joe Garone, Furniture Row Racing general manager. “He has done a great job as our athlete and also as a spokesperson for our organization. The contract extension does indeed express a serious commitment by both the race team and driver.”
Garone added, “We have a team of proven employees, state-of-the-art equipment and dedicated partners. We are producing increasingly positive performances and strongly feel that we’re on the right path to become a contending team.”
Smith, who has competed in 83 career Cup races since his debut in March 2007 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, also feels the energy and spirit of Furniture Row Racing’s commitment.
“I am both happy and humbled about the contract extension,” said Smith. “Furniture Row Racing is a team on the move. I feel we’ve made some big gains this season and we are all encouraged about the future. I really admire the behind-the-scenes work ethic and commitment of each and every member of this team. They want to win as bad as I do and I am proud to be their driver.”
Along with his 83 career Sprint Cup starts, Smith has also competed in 102 Nationwide Series races and 23 Camping World Truck Series races. His first NASCAR start was in the truck series — Sept. 21, 2002 — at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., computer geek
Dale Earnhardt Jr. competed with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson this summer for a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. Each driver had an idea for a project, and the plan that received the most Internet votes received $100,000 in grant money. Johnson’s project won, and Gordon’s and Earnhardt’s projects received $25,000 each. Earnhardt’s project: constructing a computer lab at an elementary school in his neighborhood. Earnhardt is a computer whiz, so it’s a cause close to his heart. He told Sporting News how he became a techie.
“I was 16, so it must have been around 1990. I got a computer, and AOL had just kind of crept into the mainstream, and I created an e-mail account. My sister, Kelley, financed the computer because I didn’t have any credit. I was telling my Dad about it, and I was telling him about the Internet. He had never seen it or been in front of it or anything.
“Anyone I really talked about it with, they underestimated its importance on life and how it was going to change things. So I started messing with that at that age, and just like everybody else, you kind of teach yourself.
“Now I’m to the point where I can build a computer from scratch. I can replace hardware. Sometimes we joke around that I’m better than my own IT department at JR Motorsports, but that’s not technically true. I learned how to do software throughout the ’90s, and then I got into installing hardware—sound cards, easy stuff like that. But then in the past four years, I got to where I can do almost everything from the ground up. It’s all just trial and error, just fixing things that break and starting to understand how really, truly simple it is to build.
“I don’t know everything I need to know. I’m still real shy on knowledge about the bias and the motherboard and stuff like that. But if you just put the time in to really put yourself through the experience of trying to install it—even if you screw it up—you do learn eventually how to get it done. I really do enjoy that part of it.”
— As told to Reid Spencer
Randy LaJoie Reinstated By NASCAR for Competition
CONCORD, NC (August 25, 2010)– Randy LaJoie has been re-instated by NASCAR for competition following completion of a NASCAR-approved treatment program and the satisfactory fulfillment of all requirements for reinstatement.
“I am thankful to NASCAR for reinstating me for competition, and grateful to my friends and family who supported me through this time,” said Randy LaJoie, who was suspended on June 22, 2010, for violation of NASCAR’s drug policy. “This has been a tremendous learning and growing process for me, and I have come through it a stronger, better person. I am looking forward to returning to work, and continuing to prove to NASCAR, my colleagues, my family and my friends that this was an isolated incident that I have put behind me.”
LaJoie will continue to lead the Joie of Seating, the seat design business he founded, and the Safer Racer Tour, a non-profit organization that was designed to help reach out to the auto racers many feel are most at risk; the numerous short track drivers around the country.
Business of NASCAR: Walmart could sponsor Gordon in ’11
Walmart’s potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet next season.
There continue to be several moving parts to the Walmart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and have progressed through the summer. Walmart’s play could have tentacles in sponsorship and licensing at the team and league level, according to industry sources.
The retailer has been hesitant to spend money on sports sponsorships in the past, so Walmart’s entrance to NASCAR would provide a huge boost to a sport that has been ravaged by the recession and attracted little new sponsorship money in the past two seasons.
“It’s very significant,” said Mark Dyer, senior vice president at IMG and formerly chief of the licensing division at NASCAR until 2007. “We tried for years to get Walmart’s attention when I was at NASCAR and we made some inroads. If they truly decide to take a position in the sport, that’s a big deal to get a company that should have been in that space all along.”
While Walmart ponders a new place in NASCAR, other consumer packaged goods sponsors are clearly energized and they’re not waiting for contracts to be signed before mobilizing.
Sources say six of NASCAR’s official consumer packaged goods partners met earlier this month to discuss a retail strategy for Walmart. Those sponsors were Coca-Cola, Kraft, Mars, MillerCoors, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
Phil Grieco from Mars’ sponsorship and marketing division helped arrange the meeting, according to industry sources. Matt Shulman from NASCAR’s partnership marketing division attended, as did Erik Brothers from Bulldawg Marketing, a retail-focused agency based in Mooresville, N.C., near many of the team shops. Bulldawg has worked with NASCAR and its consumer packaged goods partners on retail programs in the past, including this year’s promotion with Brookshire’s, a Texas-based grocery chain, and the Ahold chain of grocery stores.
Those executives reached said they couldn’t comment on the meeting because of the continuing nature of their planning.
Walmart was not present, but sources said the consumer packaged goods marketing executives met to discuss ways to take national programs to Walmart, with the belief that the retail giant is close to finalizing sponsorship and merchandising agreements to enter NASCAR.
“We’ve never been able to put together a national program with Walmart,” said one source familiar with the talks. “A multivendor campaign, which would be exclusive to NASCAR partners, would put more weight behind it.” The meeting, which took place just outside of Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., was described as an all-day brainstorming session to form plans for a 2011 promotion that would be exclusive to NASCAR official partners.
For companies such as P&G, Unilever and Kraft with similar products, they would stick with only the brands that have NASCAR official designations for the promotion.
“The opportunities with this are huge,” the source said. “In the past, you could get regional activation with a Walmart close to the track, but they liked to control their national promotions. They typically develop their own programs and then bring in the manufacturers that they choose. But we’re hearing that it could be changing.”
The store’s sponsorship of Gordon would be the most visible bet that Walmart believes an association with NASCAR would help its business.
Sources say Walmart has been seeking ways to reconnect with its core U.S. customers, who compare favorably with the avid fans in NASCAR.
Walmart has experienced gains internationally with strong sales growth in Mexico, Brazil and China, but domestic sales continue to lag. Stores in the U.S. that have been open at least a year have seen sales drop for five straight quarters as core customers continue to be pressed by high unemployment and tight credit.
During its second-quarter report, Walmart said its strategy to roll back prices did not work as well as hoped and it is exploring other options to spur sales.
A four-time Cup champion, Gordon is one of the sport’s most popular drivers and a future hall of famer.
Gordon’s Cup career began with the final race of the 1992 season, and DuPont has been his only primary sponsor. But the most recent deal between DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports ends this year.
While DuPont might be back on the No. 24, it is expected to be in a reduced role. Pepsi and National Guard also have associate sponsorships on Gordon’s car this year. Gordon, 39, has said that he plans to drive for four or five more years and that he’s over the back injury that at one time was considered a threat to his career.
If Walmart completes an agreement for the No. 24 Chevrolet, it remains to be seen whether the retailer will keep its marks on the car or sell off races to vendors.
Walmart also has been in discussions with NASCAR’s licensing trust to be the sport’s exclusive retailer in the mass merchandise space. If NASCAR granted Wal-Mart a direct license, it would allow the store to select its merchandise partners and set prices. Those talks have been going on since the spring.
Michael Smith is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.
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.”
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.
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.
Ambrose signs with RPM for next year, Stanley will sponsor
Concord, N.C. (August 17, 2010) – In preparation for the 2011 season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that driver Marcos Ambrose has signed a multiyear agreement with the organization to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Long-time RPM sponsor Stanley Black & Decker will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team.
“I’m very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports,” said Ambrose. “It’s an incredible honor to be able to race for a legend like The King and be a part of this organization. I’m also happy to be back with Ford Racing. The No. 9 team has been a very successful team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the support of Ford and everyone at RPM, I believe we can continue that tradition of success. I’m also excited to join forces with Stanley.”
“We are very happy to have Marcos Ambrose join our team,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty. “He’s a very talented and passionate driver and will be a great addition to our team.”
“We knew once Marcos became available that we wanted him to be a part of the RPM family,” said Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. “He’s a fan favorite and he’s proven to be a tough competitor on track. We’re thrilled to have Stanley continue their partnership with our team and believe that Marcos is a great fit for the Stanley Racing program.”
“Stanley is pleased to partner with Marcos,” said Scott Bannell, Vice President Brand Management and Licensing, Stanley Black & Decker. “We look forward to carrying the winning tradition of the No. 9 car into the 2011 season.”
The Tasmanian-born driver cut his racing teeth in V8 Supercar competition before making the shift to NASCAR in 2006. Through a partnership with Ford Racing, Ambrose made his American racing debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. In 2007, the driver made the jump to the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he competed for two seasons before his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2009.
“All of us at Ford are very happy to have Marcos ‘back home,’” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. “We helped Marcos come to America and become a NASCAR driver because we believed in his talent, and loved the way he connected with Ford fans here and in Australia. Already a Ford champion in Supercars, we believe his move to RPM will give him the car and equipment to win races and contend for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup going forward.”
Ambrose, 33, is in his second season in NASCAR’s premier racing series. He collected a third straight win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in July.
