Raikkonen impresses in Arctic Rally; Sordo wins
January 30, 2010
ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP)—Former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen had asecond day of impressive driving at the Arctic Lapland Rally, although hecouldn’t make up for a previous mistake and finished well behind winner DaniSordo of Spain.
Raikkonen lost more than 30 minutes Friday after running his Citroen off theroad and needing repairs, but still set the second-best time on nine specialstages during the two-day race.
Sordo won every stage to finish in 1 hour, 38 minutes, 29.1 seconds. KostiKatajamaki was second, 6:07.7 behind the winner.
Raikkonen, who will compete in the World Rally Championship this year afterbeing let go by F1 team Ferrari, used the race as a test ahead of the first WRCevent in Sweden next month.
Sabates apologizes for ‘poor taste’ remarks (NASCAR.com)
January 29, 2010
Felix Sabates, a part-owner of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, outraged many race fans and Michigan residents for suggesting Michigan International Speedway be cut from the Sprint Cup Series schedule because of the state's economy. He has now issued an apology.
"In an attempt at humor I made some comments about the city of Detroit and the people of Michigan that were in poor taste and that I sincerely apologize for," Sabates said. "I have worked directly or indirectly with the auto industry for over 40 years as both an auto dealer and a NASCAR owner and it was never my intention to put down the auto industry, its workers, the city of Detroit or the state of Michigan. I have such respect for all of them.
"I am so frustrated over the challenges that this tough economy has brought to everyone in this country that I inadvertently joked about one of the areas hit the hardest. Those of us that have the luxury of getting to work in such a great sport like NASCAR owe a great deal to the city of Detroit and their support of the auto industry because without either, the sport of NASCAR would not be what it is today.
"In fact, Michigan International Speedway, even in this tough environment drew an impressive 100,000 fans to the track at their last race.
"My sincerest apologies to anyone that I might have offended, it was certainly not my intent."
Sabates' apology comes at a time when MIS and its surrounding communities are taking a hard hit during the tough economic challenges that face the state. Fans issued several statements of their own on the speedway's Facebook page, through e-mails to the track, radio call-ins across the state and phone calls to the track's ticket hotline.
MIS president Roger Curtis accepted the apology Friday, calling Sabates' original comments, made during the NASCAR media tour in Charlotte, N.C., a rally cry from the speedway's loyal fan base who continually support the racetrack through tough economic times.
At a time when many businesses have slashed budgets and made cutbacks that affect consumers, Michigan International Speedway has lowered ticket prices on every grandstand seat and infield admission, and continues to invest millions of dollars into making the fan experience better. The track is widening seats across the center grandstand and Turn 3 grandstand, has widened every infield campsite and is building a $17 million suite and media center. These improvements for 2010 are on the heels of $55 million in investments over the past three years that addressed traffic, signage, camping, grandstand and other amenities needed at a world-class race track like MIS.
"I'm glad Felix finally came to an understanding that MIS has some of the most loyal fans in racing," Curtis said. "These fans choose to spend their hard earned dollars here because we are committed to them. I'm a race fan, too, and I came to Michigan because I feel that strongly about this racetrack, its employees and all the NASCAR fans who have supported us since 1968. The people of this state have earned their fun and Michigan International Speedway is committed to making sure they get it.
"We're proud to be a part of this great state. And the phone calls and comments of support we have received from race fans, Detroit residents, and business and political leaders from around the state, has reflected the pride and resiliency people have in Michigan."
Ganassi still ‘team to beat’ in Daytona’s 24 Hours
January 29, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—David Donohue was alone and nestled in the cornerof Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway for a photo shoot, watchingthe star drivers of Chip Ganassi Racing gobble up all the attention.
Even after winning the 24 Hours at Daytona last year, Donohue entersSaturday’s sports car endurance race knowing he’s not the favorite.
And neither is any other driver without Ganassi stitched on the uniform.
“With the depth of the Ganassi resources,” Donohue said, “they willalways be the team to beat.”
Maybe this year more than ever.
Donohue and the Brumos Racing team held off NASCAR star Juan Pablo Montoyaand the star-studded lineup a year ago in the closest finish by far in thehistory of the event, ending Ganassi’s three-year reign atop American sports carracing’s crown jewel. That upset in the twice-around-the-clock event gives thisyear’s race a little added spice.
Montoya will share the driver’s seat of the No. 02 BMW Riley with fellowIndianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and NASCAR’s JamieMcMurray. And with Scott Pruett leading Ganassi’s No. 01 BMW Riley, theorganization is not only aiming for one car at the top, it’s hoping for two.
“I would think that we are the favorites,” Montoya said. “I thinkeverybody is looking to knock us off again. We won three in a row, and wefinished second last year. This year, it would be nice if we had two cars incontention. It would be fun if we could make that like a one-two finish.”
The loss has made Ganassi more determined than ever to reclaim the title.
Montoya and his teammates complained last year that their car was too slowand couldn’t compete with some of the other Daytona Prototypes. They believenow, for the most part, the cars are up to speed and keeping up won’t be aproblem.
“As long as I don’t lose six or seven car lengths on the straightaway, I’llbe fine,” Montoya said. “But when we were losing what I was losing last yearon the straight, it wasn’t even funny. Hopefully now, I drive, give it to thenext guy and hope by the time I wake up I’m still in the race.”
Ganassi’s cars aren’t the only ones featuring big-name drivers crossing overto Grand-Am.
Four-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson headlines the GAINSCO/Bob StallingsRacing team that has had a rough week of practice. Johnson damaged the rear ofthe No. 99 Chevrolet Riley on Thursday when he slammed into a wall trying toavoid a slower car.
The No. 99 car missed qualifying because of the wreck and will begin last in45th place. The team worked overnight to get the car back on the track onFriday, and Johnson said the crash shouldn’t change the way they run because thelength of the race makes starting position less important.
Max Angelelli took the pole on Thursday, and Ozz Negri will start outsidehim on the front row. The No. 02 Ganassi led by Montoya will start fourth, andthe No. 01 will be fifth. Donohue will be seventh with Brumos Racing.
Johnson says that even with all he has accomplished in NASCAR, he’d like towin a 24 Hours title.
“It would be really high on my list of accomplishments because it’s sodifferent than the rest of the stuff I run,” he said. “It’s a helluva anadventure.”
One that won’t be easy.
Most NASCAR drivers said the toughest part about weaving around the 3.5-mile(5.7-kilometer) road course—not including the winding infield, the NASCARoval’s high banks and the narrow turns—is navigating through traffic.Especially with Daytona Prototypes running straightaway speeds at least 20 mph(30 kph) faster than the GT cars that will also be racing.
Then there’s trying to rest amid the endless endurance race. Switchingdrivers. The different strategy.
All things Ganassi does best.
For Donohue, that’s what made his win for Brumos so special. He said therecognition he received from other drivers and crew members was overwhelming.
But winning once might not be enough to be on Ganassi’s level.
“I never would have guessed one race win would have meant so much, but ithas,” Donohue said. “But I guess we have to repeat to get that level ofattention.”
Former F1 star Raikkonen crashes in rally debut
January 29, 2010
ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP)—Former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen crashedinto a snow drift at the Arctic Lapland Rally.
He trailed by more than 30 minutes after the first day of racing on Friday.
Raikkonen was just 5.5 seconds behind leader Dani Sordo before going off theroad. His car was pulled out of the snow, and the former Ferrari driver andco-pilot Kai Lindstrom escaped unhurt.
Raikkonen left Formula One after not renewing his contract with Ferrarifollowing last season.
Sordo led by 1 minute, 3.7 seconds ahead of Juha Salo of Finland.
The two-day rally, which covers 459 miles, ends Saturday.
The race is a warmup event for the World Rally Championship, which startsFeb. 11 in Sweden.
NASCAR giving tracks some relief in tough economy
January 29, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—NASCAR has alleviated some of the financial strain on racetracks during the rough economic climate.
The sanctioning body has lowered the fee it charges to hold NASCAR races, and the trickle down affects nearly every aspect of events. The reduction should allow track owners to reduce ticket prices and lower various fees associated with holding a race.
It also will affect prize money, which is largely determined by track profit. High-profile tracks like Daytona, Texas and Indianapolis pay a much higher sanctioning fee to NASCAR than smaller venues like Dover, Darlington and Martinsville—and the purses reflect that.
Tracks have suffered during the tough economy because of declining attendance and less money from sponsors.
Top 20 Countdown: No. 6 Carl Edwards (Yahoo! Sports)
January 29, 2010
.nascountdown { font-size:12px;line-height:18px;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;padding-bottom:2px; }
(Getty Images) 2009 statistics Finish Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10 11 0 0 7 14 The countdownNo. 20: Martin Truex Jr. | Career statsNo. 19: Brian Vickers | Career statsNo. 18: Kasey Kahne | Career statsNo. 17: Clint Bowyer | Career statsNo. 16: David Reutimann | Career statsNo. 15: Kevin Harvick | Career statsNo. 14: Ryan Newman | Career statsNo. 13: Greg Biffle | Career statsNo. 12: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Career statsNo. 11: Jeff Burton | Career statsNo. 10: Matt Kenseth | Career statsNo. 9: Juan Pablo Montoya | Career statsNo. 8: Kurt Busch | Career statsNo. 7: Mark Martin | Career statsNo. 6: Carl Edwards | Career statsNo. 5: Revealed Feb. 1
Editor’s note: Yahoo! Sports is counting down the top 20 drivers of the 2010 season. The order was determined by a survey, which asked five NASCAR journalists – Jay Busbee and Jay Hart (Yahoo! Sports); Jenna Fryer (Associated Press); Dustin Long (Landmark Newspapers); and Nate Ryan (USA Today) – to predict the final standings for the 2010 season. The countdown will conclude on Feb. 5 with the unveiling of the No. 1 driver.
2009 finish: 11th
Our 2010 predictions:
• Jay Busbee: 6th• Jay Hart: 8th• Jenna Fryer: 6th• Dustin Long: 8th• Nate Ryan: 5th
2010 outlook: If it weren’t for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s plummet off the side of the earth, Carl Edwards would have been a shoo-in for the most disappointing driver of 2009. Sure, he made the Chase, but the distance between expectation and result was greater for Edwards than anybody this side of Earnhardt.
Edwards was the consensus “most likely to defeat Jimmie Johnson” in 2009, and the end result was exactly zero wins. Coming off a 2008 in which he won one-quarter of all the races, it was quite a fall from grace – a back flip to mediocrity, if you will.
Edwards did have his shots at victory, only to be undone by a spectacular wreck or bad work on pit road. Even when he did qualify for the Chase – the same 10 events in which he won three races in 2008 – Edwards failed to deliver, notching a pair of 39th-place finishes and only three top 10s. Adding insult to injury, he broke his foot playing Frisbee in early September, forcing NASCAR’s most athletic driver to rely on a pair of crutches.
Still, that Edwards hobbled his way through the final few weeks of the season had nothing to do with the injury. It was a down year for the entire Roush Fenway Racing team. As a whole, the organization won just three races and only one after the calendar flipped to March.
If things turn around for Roush Fenway, then they will also turn around for Edwards, who this preseason won’t be burdened with the high expectations of a year ago.
What you need to know: For the first time in his five-year Cup career, Edwards failed to notch double-digit top-five finishes. In fact, he had more wins in 2008 (nine) than he did top fives in 2009 (seven).
Stenhouse Jr. has longtime friend, mentor in Stewart (NASCAR.com)
January 29, 2010
Ricky Stenhouse and Tony Stewart share a witty banter that stems from their similar open-wheel backgrounds and love for dirt tracks.
Tony Stewart doesn't have any children but if he was to adopt someone it might be Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
You could say the two already have a fatherly relationship.
"Whenever I call him, he always answers the phone 'hello son,' " Stenhouse laughed. "He's always messing with me like that."
Both share a witty banter that stems from their similar open-wheel backgrounds and love for dirt tracks, however, the personal time and tutelage Stewart puts forth is very serious.
"Tony is like a father in the way that he has helped my racing career," Stenhouse said, a member of the Roush Fenway Racing stable set to campaign his first full-time Nationwide Series season this year in the No. 6 Citifinancial Ford.
The 21 year-old is a Ford driver being mentored by a Chevy driver and team owner who one day undoubtedly will compete against him in the Sprint Cup Series.
Is this a concern? Not in the slightest bit, their history goes back too far.
"Everyone at Roush says 'when are you going to race for Tony' but I plan on being here for a long time," Stenhouse said, signed to a multi-year contract in 2007. "I tell them me and Tony don't talk about that. Overall we sit and talk about what we used to race and have a good time talking about that. It's just good to know he is supportive of me."
The Mississippi native made a name for himself in 2007 here when he drove for Tony Stewart Racing in the USAC (United States Auto Club) National Sprint Car and USAC National Midget Series. Stenhouse took home five Midget wins and two Sprint wins while on his way to becoming Rookie-of-the-Year in the USAC National Midget and Sprint Car Series, only the second driver to win both accolades in the same year.
When Stenhouse went ARCA racing the following season, Stewart was in his corner. "And on my pit box," Stenhouse said. "For the Talladega race he was giving me pointers but we ended up blowing a right-rear tire going down the straightaway."
Stenhouse was in a tight points battle for the championship with Scott Speed.
"We got the car back to garage and I was getting ready to do an interview," he said. "I was upset and Tony was talking to me. Then all of the sudden he takes off running."
Speed had a tire blow as well so the championship battle had gone from the track to the garage. "I get back to the car and Tony is under the car beating it with a hammer. So I started cutting stuff up too. We got back out there and made up some laps. It was great."
Another testament of Stewart's dedication was in Salem, Ind. that same 2008 season. The Cup driver flew from his Saturday night race in Phoenix, Ariz. to make Stenhouse's event in Salem on Sunday.
"He came to spot for me, but I was in a bad mood because I qualified 10th. I was with my guys in the lounge of the trailer and Tony came in and blew up at me. He yelled at me and told me I wasn't going to set the world on fire and win everything. And that it didn't matter where I qualified. It only mattered where I was at the end of the race," Stenhouse said. "My guys were like ugh…and left. Tony gives it to me when I need it. It's great, I appreciate it."
The learning will continue into this season, however Stewart and Stenhouse will surely compete in some of the same events; Charlotte and Daytona are possibilities.
"I can't wait. I'm going to learn so much just from driving behind Tony," he said.
Last season, Stenhouse made his Nationwide Series debut and split the ride with teammate Matt Kenseth. He made seven starts and posted one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He also won the pole is Iowa.
"We struggled to get in a rhythm but I know that will change with running the full season," he said.
There are ways to set yourself apart from the competition when you're a rookie; seat time, sponsorship dollars, crew chief, number of engineers, etc.
But few young drivers can bend the ear of a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion like Stewart whenever they want—night or day.
"Without him it would be hard to be in the place I'm in," said Stenhouse. "Tony helped me stay in the seat when my dad and I were about out of money. He got my name out there and Jack [Roush] talked to him about me so I know he had a big part in getting me into a stock car."
Then perhaps when Stenhouse finds Victory Lane this season, Roush can send over a finder's fee to Stewart Haas Racing with a note that says to Tony from your "son."
NASCAR champ Johnson crashes in practice (PA SportsTicker)
January 29, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.(AP) —Four-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson crashed during practice Thursday for this weekend’s 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson is feeling fine and hoping to get back behind the wheel for another practice on Friday, driver spokeswoman Kristine Curley said. Johnson is still planning to drive in the 24 Hours of Daytona on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course.
“I put myself in a position with a GT car that I shouldn’t and paid the price,” Johnson said in a statement. “I hate it that I tore up equipment and put the guys in this spot. It looks like we will get this fixed and hopefully everything will be good for tomorrow.”
Johnson damaged the rear end of his No. 99 Chevrolet Riley Daytona Prototype trying to avoid a slower car. He hit the brakes, turned sideways, slid backward and slammed into the wall.
Johnson’s team is planning to rush parts to Daytona and work through the night in hopes of getting the car back on the track by Friday.
McLaren unveils Hamilton, Button and new car (PA SportsTicker)
January 29, 2010
By ROB HARRIS AP Sports Writer
NEWBURY, England(AP)—Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button unveiled McLaren’s car for the Formula One season Friday in their first public appearance as teammates.
Button’s MP4-25 car is adorned with the No. 1, and he seemed to take the upper-hand at the launch despite the presence of the 25-year-old Hamilton, who won the 2008 championship.
“You never know what to expect going into a new team, not knowing what the atmosphere will be,” said Button, who won last year’s title with Brawn. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Both Button and Hamilton are eager to forget the 2009 season – for very different reasons.
While Button doesn’t want to dwell on ending his long wait for a first title, Hamilton had a difficult third season, finishing 46 points behind his new teammate.
“After the last race you think about what you have achieved and it goes through your mind, the road to becoming world champion, but soon after that you start forgetting because you are already focused on 2010 and the new challenge,” Button said. “We need to start forgetting about last year … and start looking to the future.”
Hamilton, who won the title in his second season in F1, is hoping the improvements in downforce and aero efficiency will allow him to challenge for the championship again this season.
“I’m sure it’s going to handle completely differently to last year’s car,” Hamilton said. “I hope so.”
Testing will begin next week, and each driver will have seven days in the car ahead of the season-opening race in Bahrain.
Angelelli captures pole for 24 Hours Daytona
January 28, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP)—Max Angelelli won a tight qualifying race tocapture the pole for the 24 Hours of Daytona on Thursday.
Angelelli secured the top position for Saturday’s race with a lap of1:40.827 seconds (127.108 mph, 204.55 kph) in the No. 10 Ford Dallara at DaytonaInternational Speedway.
Ozz Negri will start from the outside of row one after running 1:41.100(126.765 mph, 204 kph) in the No. 60 Ford Riley. He edged out Michael ShankRacing teammate Michael Valiante with a time of 1:41.110 (126.755 mph, 203.98kph) in the No. 6 Ford Riley.
“The car is great,” Angelelli said. “It’s really easy to drive. It’sfast. We have everything in place, and we’re really looking forward to the raceto get a good result. Now it’s up to us as drivers to make it happen.”
The opening practice session had three single-car incidents that damagedcontending cars driven by four-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, Lucas Luhrand Martin Ragginger. All three cars are expected to be ready to race followingextensive repairs.
The defending Daytona Prototype champion GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing teaminitially made plans to fly in another car—driven by Alex Gurney and JonFogarty to the 2007 championship—after Johnson crashed in the infield when aslower car moved in front of him. But the team decided to rebuild the damagedcar with parts being flown in from North Carolina.
Jeff Segal won the GT pole in the final lap of qualifying with atrack-record lap of 1:49.282 (117.275 mph, 188.73 kph) in the No. 69 FXDD MazdaRX-8.
