NASCAR Returns to Road America
Following the cancellation of the Milwaukee Mile race on the NASCAR Nationwide Series calendar, it was decided to keep the event in Wisconsin and to hold it at the Road America track. Set to take place on 19 June 2010, it has been nine years since the last NASCAR event took place on the road course and it is set to be a thrilling occasion.
Located near to Elkhart Lake, Road America is currently host to the AMA Superbike series, American Le Mans, SCCA Speed World Challenge Series and other events. The track is 4.048 miles (6.515 km) long and boasts 14 turns. It is known for its numerous changes in elevation, as well as a renowned turn on the backside called “the kink”. The Road America track also features a long front stretch that allows drivers to reach speeds near to 200 mph.
Visitors to the Road America track can make use of grandstands and hillside seating, though the seating is open and spectators may move about through the area. There are 13 concession stands, as well as place for RVs and camping. Spectators are sure to enjoy the 640 acre facility and park-like atmosphere.
NASCAR fans, drivers and organizers are eager about the move and are looking forward to the 200-mil, 50-lap race. The first NASCAR-sanctioned race took place at Road America when the track was just a year old on 12 August 1956, and was won by Tim Flock. The track has a reputation for excitement and this is sure to draw the crowds. Strategy is vital when racing at Road America, testing driver skill to the max. With the addition of Road America to the calendar, NASCAR Nationwide teams now have two permanent road courses as well as a temporary circuit to contend with; the others being Watkins Glen International and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. NASCAR teams racing at Road America will be allowed an added full day of practice on 17 June, before the official on-track activity begins on 18 June.
Be sure to get your ticket well in advance so as not to miss this exhilarating event!
NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests 2010
Fans attending the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests have much to look forward to, including a sneak peek at the upcoming NASCAR season, the 52nd Daytona 500 and the Speedweeks 2010. During this time visitors can enjoy interactive fan forums, autograph sessions, displays, music, the Richard Petty Driving Experience and meet SPEED Channel personalities.
Date: 15 – 16 January 2010
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
City: Daytona Beach, FL
Country: United States of America
Victory for Mike Skinner
Mike Skinner has been involved in the world of racing since his first racing event in 1987. NASCAR is in Skinners’ blood, and over the weekend he proved that he still has the winning magic that he has become known for. And his victory in the O’Reilly Parts 250, which was held at the Kansas Speedway, was a moment of elation for both Mike Skinner and Randy Moss Motorsport. Randy Moss Motorsport was known as Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, but with the withdrawal of Rob Morgan, Randy Moss stepped in to team up with David Dollar.
The Randy Moss Motorsport team has two trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, of which one is driven by Mike Skinner and the other by rookie driver, Tayler Malsam. Even though the Kansas Speedway was hindered by bad weather, Mike Skinner was determined to win the O’Reilly Parts 250, and had perfectly executed his racing plan.
A new rule, in regard to pit stops, seems to have hindered some of the efforts made by drivers, requiring that drivers make separate stops for tires and fuel. Under the caution that went out after the restart on Lap 11, and after fourteen laps being run under the caution flag, drivers and spectators were disappointed to see the weather worsening, and the red flag make its appearance. Fortunately, Skinner was in the lead at this stage, and till the end of the race, followed by Brian Scott, Ron Hornaday Jr and Brian Ickler. Racing was suspended by NASCAR due to the weather, and once racing resumed in intervals over Monday, the writing was on the wall, as Skinner retained his lead to not only win, but gain a 25 point lead on the point’s board in the series.
After the grueling and interrupted racing event, not even the miserable weather could wipe the smile off Skinners face. He spoke to the media afterwards, commenting on the weather conditions that plagued the race: “It’s always good to be leading the race, but you’re the first guy to get to the water. It was definitely too dangerous to drive, and my biggest concern was even if we didn’t slip and slide and wreck our own truck, in these times, it’s tough on the owners, and if one of these trucks slips and wipes out four or five trucks, it’s a lot harder on the owners than it is on the drivers.” But fortunately, all Skinner had to report back on, was great driving and a breathtaking victory.
Hometown victory for Busch
Born in the city of Las Vegas on 2 May 1985, Kyle Thomas Busch was destined to become a household name in the NASCAR industry, following in the footsteps of his brother Kurt. With supportive parents, Kyle was given the opportunity to explore his passion for driving from the early age of thirteen. Now, aged 23, Kyle Busch took his NASCAR career to a new high, by winning on his home turf in Las Vegas on Sunday.
In his first Cup racing event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Busch has to settle for a very disappointing 41st place finish. But on Sunday, he was ready to change past failures into tough, action packed and breathtaking victory. Before the race Kyle Busch, also referred to as the “Wild Thing”, prepared his fans for the race. He told the crowd that he would fall to the back and fight his way to first position, and he did not let his fans down.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway was packed with spectators as Kyle Busch pulled into pole position with his brother behind him, waiting for the race to begin. It was not an easy 285 lap race, as Busch began to fight his way through the pack, forced to drop back due to changes made to his engine. The excitement built as Busch took the lead and lost it again with 57 laps remaining. Between late pit stops, caution laps and restarts, Busch clawed his way into the lead and held off the rest of the field by widening his gap between them. Passing the checkered flag was one of the proudest moments in his racing career. Not being able to contain his joy he commented to the press: “I didn’t know exactly what it would mean, but coming to the checkered flag, there were knots in my stomach. It’s bigger than winning the Daytona 500. I said it wasn’t going to be, but it is.”
Being able to overcome difficulties, realize dreams and achieve goals at such a young age, makes Kyle Busch a deserving winner and a phenomenal driver. No doubt that his racing career will only grow stronger in the future and that he will return to Las Vegas to try and recapture Sunday’s glory.
Donohue Wins Rolex 24
No doubt this weekend’s NASCAR Rolex 24 at Daytona was an emotional race for David Donohue who managed to follow in his late father’s footsteps (winner of the race almost forty years ago). The victory didn’t come easy and it was careful timing and skill that took Donohue to the front of the pack to cross the finish line just split-seconds ahead of other competitors.
Until now Chip Ganassi Racing seemed to have a strong competitive edge as the team has taken home the winner’s trophy for the past three races. In the end, however, it seems that some really sharp driving was all that was needed to end the winning streak. David Donohue started from pole position in a Brumos Porsche Riley when the race got underway on Saturday afternoon, with little hope of coming home with the winner’s trophy. He was facing the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya who replaced teammate Scott Pruett in the Ganassi Lexus Riley at some point during the race and it seemed that this much more experienced driver had the edge to keep the lead during the 53rd hour of the race. But Donohue was not to be outdone. Working with teammates Buddy Rice, Antonio Garcia and Darren Law, Donohue came out of the cockpits with 53 minutes to go in the No. 58 Porsche just behind Montoya. He struggled for a while, almost overtaking him or bumping Montoya a number of times over the course of several laps until finally he was able to take advantage of slower GT class traffic and slip ahead of Montoya’s Lexus, taking the lead on lap 711. Montoya wasn’t about to go down easy. He chased Donohue relentlessly for the remainder of the race, keeping him on his toes. But Donohue was clearly up for the challenge and Montoya ended up finishing just 0.167 seconds behind him. The victory was a new record, with the previous closest 1-2 finish being 30.879 seconds. Hurley Haywood finished third in a Porsche Riley.
Speaking about his victory, a teary Donohue said: “We’re just a small part of what this team could do. I’m just glad I could carry the flag.” What was especially interesting was that four of the new, sleek prototypes finished on the lead lap. This was the most ever, since no more than two cars had ever finished in this way before. To top it off, the four cars spent most of the final two hours of the race nose-to-tail, showing that the cars have incredible potential to dominate the season.
NASCAR Season Kicks Off With Rolex 24
NASCAR hosts a number of exciting auto racing championships every year and this year will be no different. Not only will the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series be kicking off in less than three weeks time, but a number of great drivers, such as Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya and Casey Mears, are set to return to the racetracks for another great season.
So far it seems as though NASCAR enthusiasts cannot wait the last few weeks before the Daytona 500 officially kicks off the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. A large number of drivers and car owners will be heading down to the Daytona International Speedway this Saturday to take part in the Rolex 24. So far the line-up is looking pretty good. NASCAR stars have been participating in this pre-sprint cup race since 1962, making the most of the race and enjoying a fun-filled weekend that also gives them a great season warm-up. Casey Mears, who won the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype in 2006, and Juan Pablo Montoya who took the title in 2007 and 2008, will both be returning to Daytona for this year’s race. Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson will also be making an appearance, as will other greats such as Kyle Petty, AJ Allmendinger and Colin Braun. Roger Penske, Richard Childress and Kevin Buckler have also submitted entries for the event. More than fifty different Daytona Prototype and GT cars are expected to be entered for the event, making the Rolex 24 at Daytona action packed and exciting.
So far the race is set to start at 15:30 on Saturday, but practice runs and qualifying will get underway long before on Thursday. All eyes will be on Montoya, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas to see if they can again burn up the tarmac on the “Roar Before the 24″ test to determine the fastest speed. Both Pruett and Rojas are defending Rolex 24 at Daytona winners and they have taken the Daytona Prototype trophy home before. Montoya has remarked that his car is ‘pretty quick’ and said he is excited about the event. It won’t be long now before fans crowd the Daytona stadium ready to warm up for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship with a little pre-championship racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
NASCAR Trying To Make Racing More Affordable
NASCAR CEO Brian France recently discussed the dilemma facing most budding auto racing teams – finances. It’s a dilemma that is currently affecting the entire industry and NASCAR seems set on finding ways to cut costs and making racing more accessible so that the sport stays afloat in this time of economic hardships.
Brian France recently commented: “It’s very difficult. It’s on our whole industry. And there are always some unfunded teams. Now, that’s not anything new. One of my goals and one of our goals is to have a system where you don’t need $26 million to put a competitive team forward. So that is one of the things NASCAR has a lot of influence on and we’re working all the time to figure that out.” So far the organization has been kept afloat by sponsorship deals that had already been put in place long before the global economic meltdown began. NASCAR is also incredibly lucrative as a spectator sport, with television contracts raking in some $600 million each year. Pre-arranged contracts should enable the organization to stay afloat until around 2014. So then, where’s the problem?
NASCAR is struggling to keep afloat at team level. Sponsors have dropped off, leaving teams struggling to get what they need to make it through the next racing season, let alone the next couple of years. The teams that are still managing to make the cut are currently discussing possible mergers. This involves noteworthy teams such as Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises. Mergers mean less cars on the track, which means less excitement, less chance of a long-shot and less crowd pull. Driver Denny Hamlin summed up the situation nicely. He said: “Ultimately the sponsors are going to look to the teams that perform well. If it kind of gets where the smaller teams can’t do it, it’s going to be tough for them to go out there and race with the guys that have four cars each and every week.”
The current economic crises also crosses into the manufacturing sector, with longtime NASCAR supports such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler now facing a never-before-seen financial crises. This means that even if these manufacturing companies continue to support NASCAR – as they most likely will – their support will be greatly reduced, adding to the financial plight of the NASCAR organization. A lot of teams will probably be laying off some of their employees at the end of this year’s racing season, leaving a lot of people with uncertain futures. One of NASCAR’s only ways of trying to counter all this, is to make racing cheaper and more affordable so that less money is needed to run a team. One possibility currently being looked into is reducing or eliminating test runs before races. All eyes are now waiting to see exactly what strategies NASCAR implements to try and slow down this very worrying trend.
NASCAR Supports Minority Dreams
NASCAR has long been the realm of aggressive male drivers who just ‘fit’ in the auto racing industry. But what if you don’t ‘fit’, but you still love the sport of auto racing? What if you don’t have great sponsorship or famous parents? NASCAR has been supporting the dreams of minority drivers for some time now – and their efforts are paying off.
Long blonde hair surrounding a pretty face is usually accompanied by minimal clothing and a buxom body in the racing fraternity. But Kristin Bumbera is no average car-hood pin-up. No, she’s nothing like that. Her long blonde locks hang over the back of a well-sponsored racing suit and, instead of adorning the hoods of cars, she gets behind the steering wheel and grinds up the tarmac with the best of them. The 21-year-old Late Model driver from Sealy, Texas, has already claimed two victories and 11 top-five finishes during the course of 2008 when she took part in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Now she is hoping to pursue her dreams and take her career even further by joining 24 other hopefuls this weekend in NASCAR’s sixth Drive for Diversity class. All 25 drivers will be individually tested and evaluated at the South Boston Speedway in preparation for the class. Only 14 spots are available in the Drive for Diversity class, each of which will earn a fully funded ride for 2009.
Thus far the candidates for the class include 16 women and nine men. Ages range from 17-29 and all of them are excited at the prospect of winning the grand prize. The program will place ten of the winners in the Whelen Series, while four others will be driving in the Camping World Series. This is the next step in the career of all these drivers and is one they possibly wouldn’t be able to take without the assistance of NASCAR. Unlike a number of her competitors, Bumbera will be trying for a second year in the program after a very successful first year. She looks forward to the day when a female driver makes a real mark in NASCAR instead of just becoming another ‘female pioneer’. She faces stiff competition from a number of other really good young drivers who are equally eager to make their mark on the NASCAR world. No doubt the final results of the class will see some great new blood injected into the industry.
Burton Steals Bank Of America 500
Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, was the stage for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup. The night was full of fast-paced action, with an exciting turn of events taking place as Jeff Burton took his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to its limit to take home the winner’s trophy.
The race was exciting and had the phenomenal 160,000-strong crowd on the edge of their seats. Jeff Burton led the final 57 laps of the race, finally managing to beat 2nd place winner Kasey Kahne by just one second. Burton’s entire racing strategy was a gamble, but it paid off. This is his second victory this season and it has had even bigger implications for him in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The win helped Burton gain 30 points on Jimmie Johnson, who only finished sixth in the race. Burton is now just 69 points behind Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup and there are still plenty of races in the season for Burton to gain even more ground. Commenting on his move up on the Sprint Cup standings, Burton said: “People keep wanting to give the trophy to someone, but we’re only halfway through this chase, and it’s a long time from here to Homestead.” Indeed, contenders for the coveted Sprint Cup trophy are only five races into the ten-race chase. A lot can happen between now and then and Burton’s latest victory might give him quite a big psychological advantage over his chief rival.
Dodge driver Kurt Busch finished third and both he and Kasey Kahne were a surprise to fans who watched Johnson fade into the background after some stiff competition initially. Carl Edwards had an even more dismal race, crashing early and finishing a distant 33rd. Prior to the start of the race, Edwards had been second in the standings for the Sprint Cup, just 72 points behind Johnson. He will now have to work extremely hard if he wants to regain the ground he has lost. Sprint Cup contenders will be looking forward to driving at Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Miami during the second half of the challenge. A lot has already happened in the first half of the Sprint Cup challenge and it is impossible at this point to predict who will be taking the Cup home after the Miami finale.
Tony Stewart Wins AMP Energy 500 at Talladega
After just barely surviving a mass of collisions at the AMP Energy 500 on Sunday, October 5, an exuberant Tony Stewart managed to take home the winner’s trophy. This was his first ever win at Talladega Superspeedway and Stewart certainly had a lot to be thankful for after a very difficult and trying race.
The Talladega Superspeedway is known for its ability to produce excitement – lots of it. The race held here on Sunday was certainly no exception to the rule. Things got really hair-raising just fourteen laps from the end of the race when Carl Edward’s Ford lost grip on the track and spun out. This created a chain-reaction, which left a number of cars spinning all over the track. Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth were amongst those caught in the mess. All four of them are engaged in the battle for NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, so the tangle would have caused a fair amount of frustration. Juan Pablo Montoya, Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Travis Kvapil and Reed Sorensen were less fortunate and were either sidelined or seriously damaged in the incident. By the end of it, Tony Stewart was able to pull out ahead of the pack. But he wasn’t about to have it easy. Rookie Regan Smith was hot on his tail for most of the remainder of the race and he even made a last-minute attempt to pass the two-time champion. Unfortunately for Smith, passing below the yellow line is prohibited in NASCAR rules.
Despite his attempts to get into first place on the last lap, it was Smith’s teammate Paul Menard who eventually crossed the finish line in second place. Officials didn’t take Smith’s unruly behaviour very well and, as punishment for his rule violation, Smith was moved back to 18th place. David Ragan finished third, Burton claimed fourth place and Bowyer finished fifth. The race set a new all-time record for leaders in a race with 27 drivers taking the lead during the course of the race. The ever-changing race leaders gave the crowds plenty to cheer for and there wasn’t a dull moment at Talladega that day!
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