Force grabs top spot and closes in on record (PA SportsTicker)
April 30, 2011
BAYTOWN, TEXAS (AP) —John Force moved within one of NHRA Pro Stock great Warren Johnson’s No. 1 qualifying record by racing to his third consecutive top-spot Saturday at the NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway.
Force earned the 137th No. 1 of his Funny Car career with his Friday pass of 4.097 seconds at a top speed of 310.27 mph. Warmer weather conditions prevented the majority of racers in all categories from improving their performances during Saturday’s two sessions.
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Force will face Bob Bode in the first round of eliminations Sunday, seeking his 133rd career victory.
The other three top qualifiers from Friday also held on to their spots as Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ronnie Humphrey (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) will lead their categories into Sunday’s eliminations.
Bahrain still wants to host F1 race this season (PA SportsTicker)
April 30, 2011
MANAMA, BAHRAIN (AP) —Bahrain says it still wants to host a rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in the “near future” but did not set a date for the race.
The announcement on Saturday comes a day before Bahrain’s federation is supposed to advise the FIA on a new date. It was accompanied a statement by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone expressing support for Bahrain.
Ecclestone did not mention a new date, only saying that “restoring the Bahrain Grand Prix has been of paramount importance.”
The Bahrain GP was scheduled to be the F1 season-opener on March 13. It was canceled in February by Bahrain’s crown prince after widespread anti-government protests in the country.
The F1 season began instead at the Australian GP in Melbourne on March 27.
Around Richmond, Markham known as more than a spotter (NASCAR.com)
April 30, 2011
Curtis Markham hasn’t raced regularly in years, but when he shows up to compete at a short track in central Virginia, people still take notice. That much was evident after Markham’s qualifying lap for Denny Hamlin’s late model charity event at Richmond International Raceway, when a fan approached him with a stack of autograph cards bearing images of the driver alongside some of his old cars.
There he was with the No. 7 Skoal Bandit Pontiac, which Markham drove for owner Quint Boisvert. There he was with the No. 63 Lysol car, which he wheeled for owner Hubert Hensley. They were vehicles Markham competed in on the then-Busch Series in the early- to mid-1990s, NASCAR entries long ago obscured by time. But here in central Virginia, where Markham was a local hero who used his short-track success as a springboard into the sport’s national levels, they still remember.
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“I’ve had a lot of people say they remember me from back when I raced,” said Markham, who shook more than his share of hands on pit road prior to Thursday’s event benefiting Hamlin’s foundation. “We’re having a good time.”
Hamlin’s late model charity event was studded with star drivers, from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Joey Logano to Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip, Travis Pastrana and Tony Stewart. But in this part of the world, few current or former drivers have accomplished more than Markham, who these days is best known as Hamlin’s spotter on the Sprint Cup tour. But before that he was a dominant driver on Virginia short tracks, winning four track championships and countless late model features at facilities like Southside, South Boston and Old Dominion.
Now 51, Markham doesn’t race regularly anymore. His appearance in Hamlin’s annual charity event, which moved from Southside to the big speedway this season, is his one stint behind the wheel each year. But he still gets recognized, even if he was wearing the firesuit of Hamlin’s Sprint Cup mechanic Rick Bray, the last name on the back blotted out by a strip of black tape.
“I’m enjoying myself,” said Markham, who was born in Richmond and now calls Fredericksburg, Va., his home. “I haven’t been on this race track since 1999. It was a Busch race, a Nationwide race now. It just feels different. I’ve gotten used to watching it from the spotter’s stand, but it’s a whole different perspective you have actually driving. Now, to come out here and drive again—I’ve got new things to holler at Denny about.”
Markham’s second career as a spotter began shortly after Gibbs started his Nationwide program, when the former short-track ace was brought on board as a driving coach. His prized student was unearthed on a cold day at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in late 2003, when Markham was Gibbs’ point man at a test of some equipment the organization had purchased for the diversity program it ran with late NFL great Reggie White. The cars came from the stable of renowned Virginia late model owner Jim Dean, who sent along one of his drivers to shake them down.
Markham had heard about Hamlin, a late model star in the Old Dominion State who would win 25 times in one year, but until that point he had never seen him turn a lap in person. Hamlin, who had won at the same facility earlier in the year, turned times that rivaled the track record. Suddenly, the Gibbs team had found something else besides equipment for a diversity program. “I saw him drive that car and I called [team president] J.D. Gibbs and was like, ‘We ought to look at this guy. He’s got a lot of talent,’” Markham remembered. “And the rest was history.”
Later that night Hamlin and J.D. Gibbs met for dinner, within a month Hamlin was signed, and the next summer he was racing a truck backed by the Gibbs organization – the first, small steps in a career that came within a few points of netting a championship last year on NASCAR’s premier series. It was all fostered by vision on the part of a spotter and former driver whose vision, ironically, was once in question. Markham lost use of one eye as a child because of an episode unrelated to racing, a fact that did not prevent him from becoming a king of Virginia short tracks in the 1980s.
But to some owners in NASCAR’s national levels, it might have been an issue, perhaps explaining why Markham never made the big breakthrough so many expected he would. Markham made 89 career starts on what’s now the Nationwide tour, including the full seasons in that Lysol car in 1995 and’ 96. But despite some promising showings, the Cup offers never came, and he made just four starts on the sport’s premier level, the most recent in 1994.
Still, Markham has no regrets. “I’m real happy with the way things went for me,” he said. “I only have one eye, so a lot of people were scared to give me a chance. I understand that. Having the success I’ve had in racing, I’m just tickled.”
No one questions Markham’s vision as a spotter, where he’s established a reputation as one of the best in the business. He and Hamlin have been together ever since that first day at Hickory, and the driver of the No. 11 car has playfully referred to his spotter as his “one-eyed bandit.” The bandit can still drive a little bit, too—he qualified 26th for Hamlin’s charity race on Thursday night, and evaded two big crashes to finish 13th out of the 36 drivers who competed. Does he miss his days behind the wheel?
“Sometimes I do,” Markham conceded. “But most times, I’m happy doing what I’m doing. Next to driving, spotting is the closest thing you can do. So I’m happy with what I’m doing.”
And this weekend at Richmond, the locals were certainly happy to see him. Markham shook more hands and posed for some photos before the start of Hamlin’s charity event. But no one summed up the feelings so many race fans in central Virginia have for Markham more than the man waiting after qualifying with the autograph cards. “An honor to finally meet you,” he said. Curtis Markham may be a spotter now, but around Richmond, the locals still know him better for something else.
The opinion expressed are solely those of the writer.
Hamlin makes it 2 wins in 2 nights at Richmond
April 30, 2011
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—Make it two wins in two nights for Denny Hamlin at his home track.
Hamlin grabbed the lead for the first time 44 laps into the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night and dominated the rest of the 250-lap race.
He lost the lead briefly when he pitted under a green flag, again when Aric Almirola got underneath him after the first restart and then grabbed it back six laps later for good.
The victory is the 11th of Hamlin’s career in the Nationwide Series and came one night after he passed Kyle Busch on the last lap to win his charity race at the track.
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After arriving at Richmond 17th in points in the Sprint Cup Series and hoping to jump start his season, Hamlin said he hopes the momentum of two victories means the start of something.
“It’s one big snowball that’s rolling and rolling,” he said. “Hopefully it keeps going.”
Unlike the charity race, in which Hamlin needed all 75 laps to rally from starting at the back of the field, he was 11th on the starting grid and enjoyed huge leads most of the night.
But like Busch, who ran out of gas before the finish Thursday, Hamlin was cutting it close, prompting crew chief Adam Stevens to implore him to save fuel as he sought his first victory.
“It’s hard to tell a driver, `Slow down! Slow down!”’ Hamlin said. “It’s completely out of our mentality, but he had a plan. He knew we were right there on the number. I had a feeling we were going to make it. I felt pretty confident, but man, it’s great to win again at Richmond.”
He led 199 of the 251 laps and made it look too easy every time he had the chance.
When Kelly Bires’ spun into the Turn 4 wall for the first caution on lap 124, Hamlin was leading by 8 seconds. And when he opened a lead of nearly 6 seconds over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with under 30 laps to go, Hamlin was able to try to save fuel to make it to the checkered flag.
Stenhouse, however, brought out the second caution when he ran out of gas himself on lap 243, and when Almirola also ran out of gas behind him, Hamlin opted to pit to be safe.
On the restart on lap 250, he had Paul Menard behind him, followed by points leader Justin Allgaier. Hamlin easily outran Menard on the first lap under green and was already cruising when a crash in the fourth turn brought out another caution, clinching Hamlin’s victory.
With only three cars on the lead lap, Menard said he was “just going to dive-bomb it into One” trying to pass Hamlin on the final lap, but the caution took that option away.
“He just had a better restart than me, basically,” Menard said about Hamlin, adding that he wasn’t so sure Hamlin’s fuel would have lasted had the race finished without the caution.
It the Chesterfield native’s second at the track 15 miles from his hometown.
Menard was second, followed by Allgaier, Elliott Sadler and Brad Keselowski. The five were the only cars still on the lead lap at the finish, in part because Almirola, who crossed the finish line fifth, was penalized for speeding on pit road and dropped to 14th overall.
Sadler, a Virginia native from Emporia who has never run well at the track also considered his home course, credited team owner Kevin Harvick with giving him very helpful advice.
“He said, `Look, this is what I want you to do, this is how I want you to run, this is what I want you to concentrate on,’ and he saved my butt. I ran so much better tonight,” Sadler said.
Stenhouse, who shared the points lead with Allgaier coming into the race, wound up 21st.
“We hated to see Ricky have the trouble he had tonight,” said Allgaier, who leads No. 2 Sadler by six points. “You never want to take something on somebody else’s misfortune.”
Montoya wins 7th career pole, 1st at Richmond
April 29, 2011
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP)—Juan Pablo Montoya took the pole Friday for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday.
The Brazilian turned in a fastest lap of 128.639 mph (207.024 kph) on the 0.75-mile (1.21-kilometer) oval.
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Montoya earned his second No. 1 starting spot of the season and the first of his career on a short track.
Regan Smith qualified second, the best starting spot of his career, at 128.352 mph.
Clint Bowyer was third, followed by Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, points leader Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and Paul Menard.
Qualifying was held prior to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race under the lights at RIR.
Bowyer on roll as Sprint Cup heads to Richmond
April 29, 2011
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—Clint Bowyer’s season started with a chance to win the Daytona 500. A late-race wreck ended his opportunity, and set the tone for a miserable opening month.
The low point came after a blown engine at Bristol dropped Bowyer to 24th in the Sprint Cup standings, and there were few indications that his Richard Childress Racing team could climb out of the hole.
Until they did.
Bowyer goes into Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway as the hottest driver in the series. Four consecutive top-10s, including back-to-back second-place finishes, has vaulted him all the way up to 10th in the standings.
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“A month ago I was worried, very much so,” Bowyer said. “But at the end of the day, the reality was it was still way early in the season, still is even today. … But it feels good to be able to get on a little bit of a roll here, and hopefully we can continue to ride that wave.”
Next up comes Richmond, one of Bowyer’s better tracks. He has five top-10s in 10 career starts, and his victory in 2008 was one of the more memorable wins of his entire racing career.
Denny Hamlin led 381 of the first 382 laps until a tire issue allowed Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to sail past him for the lead with 17 remaining. Caution eventually was called for Hamlin, setting up a five-lap sprint to the finish with Earnhardt, Busch and Bowyer holding the first three spots.
Busch then made contact with Earnhardt’s car, sending Earnhardt spinning into the wall—and opening a hole for Bowyer to slide past and steal the victory.
“That was win was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in Victory Lane because it was a surprise,” Bowyer said. “I knew we had a fast car, and we put ourselves up there and put ourselves in position and the right circumstances played out and we were able to win the race. You couldn’t help but laugh about it. Just an incredible feeling, an incredible win for us.”
Bowyer is hoping he won’t need late-race fireworks to win Saturday night.
He’s running well enough to win races and lost to Jimmie Johnson two weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway by .002 of a second—tying the closest finish in Cup history since implementation of electronic scoring in 1993.
But wins don’t come easy—Bowyer has made four trips to Victory Lane in his Cup career.
“We’ve got to win races,” he said. “I’ve been saying that all the time, and it’s time for myself and our race team to prove ourselves this year, and hopefully we can win some more.”
They’ve gotten closer the past month because of changes made after the No. 33 Chevrolet was not running nearly as well as teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard. Bowyer crew chief Shane Wilson began to use setups closer to Harvick’s and Menard’s, resulting in a seventh-place finish at California, ninth at Martinsville—where Bowyer led 91 laps and Harvick won—and then second-place finishes at Texas and Talladega.
“(I’m) very proud of our race team to get things turned around,” Bowyer said. “The first four races were just terrible, and we dug in deep and had a decent run at Martinsville and just kind of continued to build on that and get that ball rolling, get the monkey off your back.”
Harvick said he never doubted the No. 33 team would snap its slump.
“It was good to see what they were doing, they could change the direction and turn it around instantly,” Harvick said. “They’re running like they have in the past and the last four weeks have been really good.”
The past month has given Bowyer reasons not to look too far outside RCR during his current contract negotiations. He’s in the final year of his deal with Childress, but running well often is enough to keep drivers from straying.
“I’ve talked to Richard a couple of times, and hopefully we’re getting close on that,” Bowyer said. “I’ve just been having fun at the race track, focusing on what I can do. I haven’t won, but we’ve been running well. The last four races have been really solid for us. If you go have fun at the race track then I feel like the rest will come.
“We’ve been doing that and doing a good job at that, and hopefully we can get our sponsors locked in and get everything put in place and not have to worry about it.”
Bowyer on roll as Sprint Cup heads to Richmond (PA SportsTicker)
April 29, 2011
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—Clint Bowyer’s season started with a chance to win the Daytona 500. A late-race wreck ended his opportunity, and set the tone for a miserable opening month.
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The low point came after a blown engine at Bristol dropped Bowyer to 24th in the Sprint Cup standings, and there were few indications that his Richard Childress Racing team could climb out of the hole.
Until they did.
Bowyer goes into Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway as the hottest driver in series. Four consecutive top-10s, including back-to-back second-place finishes, has vaulted Bowyer all the way up to 10th in the standings.
Earnhardt Jr.’s season at a crossroads (Yahoo! Sports)
April 29, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s season has reached a crossroads. He’s third in the standings and is running as good as he has in years. But – and this is a big but – the next six races will determine if he’s truly back or if the first two months of the season were nothing more than a tease.
Saturday night’s Crown Royal 400 begins a stretch of six races at six tracks where, lately, Earnhardt has not been very good. Between Richmond, Darlington, Dover, Charlotte, Kansas and Pocono, Junior has not had a single top 10 since 2008 – a span of 20 races.
If that trend holds, come mid-June, Junior’s fast start will be nothing more than a memory.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. credits Steve Letarte for his fast start to the season.Getty Images
“I’ve run good a lot of race tracks in my career, but if you pick out the three or four that maybe were my best, I’ve struggled at all three or four of them in the last couple of years,” Earnhardt said Friday. “It’s not a good reflection, I guess, of how well I can do at this place. … The changes that we’ve made seem to be working everywhere else, and I hope that they work this weekend.”
What optimism Junior has stems from crew chief Steve Letarte. For Earnhardt, going to the track every weekend with his new crew chief has been like opening up a present and seeing what’s inside. In this case, it’s getting inside the cockpit, rolling onto the track and finding out how Letarte’s setup is going to suit him.
So far, Junior’s been pleasantly surprised every week, including Friday when he rolled out onto the track at Richmond and promptly clocked the fastest lap in the first Cup practice.
“I think a big factor in their consistency and in the confidence that I see in Dale Jr. today is the chemistry between he and Steve,” Jimmie Johnson said. “This sport is about people. We always say it. We preach about in the No. 48 car and why it’s had the success that it’s had. It really boils down to people and the relationships those people have. What they have is working.”
Again, so far.
When Junior arrived at Hendrick Motorsports back in 2008, he got off to the kind of start that had people thinking championship – the kind of start he’s had this season. He won the Bud Shootout and his Gatorade Duel, then rattled off 12 top 10s, including a win, in his first 15 races with the organization. After winning at Michigan, he sat third in the standings, 170 points better than Johnson, then the two-time defending champion.
As it turned out, that was the highwater mark for Junior at Hendrick Motorsports. He’d collect just four more top 10s the rest of the season, finish last in the Chase and hasn’t been back to victory lane since.
There have been flashes of brilliance – his final-lap dash that nearly won him last year’s Daytona 500 foremost among them. But to this point, they’ve been only that – flashes. Nothing sustaining, little consistency.
This is why Junior refuses to celebrate his latest good start.
“When we accomplish certain goals, you know, like win a race or win a couple of races or make the Chase or win a race in the Chase or battle for the championship, those kinds of things I can get excited about and get happy with,” Junior explained. “I’ll enjoy those moments. But we still have another step to go.
“Every time we go to the race track every weekend, it’s me and Steve going to the track for the first time together,” he continued. “There is a lot of anticipation to get in the car for that first practice; tons of anticipation. So I look forward to seeing how the day turns out.”
How it does turn out will be a good indication of which path Junior is about to embark upon. Run up front, collect another top 10 and there will be a growing sense of optimism. Struggle and the doubt that’s eroded his confidence will inch its way back inside Junior’s head.
“I’m the only one under the pressure to keep it up,” Junior said. “I hope I can come into the next race and keep up the consistency and do it again and do it again.”
Saturday night we’ll find out if he can.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports: • Race fan drives around track for 100th birthday • Golfer breaks toe with club, withdraws from tournament • David Beckham’s royal wedding faux pas
Jay Hart is the NASCAR editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jay a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Earnhardt Jr.’s season is at a crossroads (Yahoo! Sports)
April 29, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s season has reached a crossroads. He’s third in the standings and is running as good as he has in years. But – and this is a big but – the next six races will determine if he’s truly back or if the first two months of the season were nothing more than a tease.
Saturday night’s Crown Royal 400 begins a stretch of six races at six tracks where, lately, Earnhardt has not been very good. Between Richmond, Darlington, Dover, Charlotte, Kansas and Pocono, Junior has not had a single top 10 since 2008 – a span of 20 races.
If that trend holds, come mid-June, Junior’s fast start will be nothing more than a memory.
Related Video Kyle or Denny?
Kyle or Denny?
Hamlin in trouble? More NASCAR Videos More From Jay Hart Drivers arent on the same wavelength Apr 15, 2011 Dale Earnhardt Jr. credits Steve Letarte for his fast start to the season.Getty Images
“I’ve run good a lot of race tracks in my career, but if you pick out the three or four that maybe were my best, I’ve struggled at all three or four of them in the last couple of years,” Earnhardt said Friday. “It’s not a good reflection, I guess, of how well I can do at this place. … The changes that we’ve made seem to be working everywhere else, and I hope that they work this weekend.”
What optimism Junior has stems from crew chief Steve Letarte. For Earnhardt, going to the track every weekend with his new crew chief has been like opening up a present and seeing what’s inside. In this case, it’s getting inside the cockpit, rolling onto the track and finding out how Letarte’s setup is going to suit him.
So far, Junior’s been pleasantly surprised every week, including Friday when he rolled out onto the track at Richmond and promptly clocked the fastest lap in the first Cup practice.
“I think a big factor in their consistency and in the confidence that I see in Dale Jr. today is the chemistry between he and Steve,” Jimmie Johnson said. “This sport is about people. We always say it. We preach about in the No. 48 car and why it’s had the success that it’s had. It really boils down to people and the relationships those people have. What they have is working.”
Again, so far.
When Junior arrived at Hendrick Motorsports back in 2008, he got off to the kind of start that had people thinking championship – the kind of start he’s had this season. He won the Bud Shootout and his Gatorade Duel, then rattled off 12 top 10s, including a win, in his first 15 races with the organization. After winning at Michigan, he sat third in the standings, 170 points better than Johnson, then two-time defending champion.
As it turned out, that was the highwater mark for Junior at Hendrick Motorsports. He’d collect just four more top 10s the rest of the season, finish last in the Chase and hasn’t been back to victory lane since.
There have been flashes of brilliance – his final-lap dash that nearly won him last year’s Daytona 500 foremost among them. But to this point, they’ve been only that – flashes. Nothing sustaining, little consistency.
This is why Junior refuses to celebrate his latest good start.
“When we accomplish certain goals, you know, like win a race or win a couple of races or make the Chase or win a race in the Chase or battle for the championship, those kinds of things I can get excited about and get happy with,” Junior explained. “I’ll enjoy those moments. But we still have another step to go.
“Every time we go to the race track every weekend, it’s me and Steve going to the track for the first time together,” he continued. “There is a lot of anticipation to get in the car for that first practice; tons of anticipation. So I look forward to seeing how the day turns out.”
How it does turn out will be a good indication of which path Junior is about to embark upon. Run up front, collect another top 10 and there will be a growing sense of optimism. Struggle and the doubt that’s eroded his confidence will inch its way back inside Junior’s head.
“I’m the only one under the pressure to keep it up,” Junior said. “I hope I can come into the next race and keep up the consistency and do it again and do it again.”
Saturday night we’ll find out if he can.
Jay Hart is the NASCAR editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jay a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Kahne expects knee to be sore at Richmond
April 29, 2011
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—Kasey Kahne expects to feel some soreness in his surgically repaired knee during Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway.
“I hope it doesn’t, but it’s still a little bit sore,” Kahne said Friday. “I think it may be sore throughout the race, but really as far as affecting the speed or the way that the race plays out, I don’t think it will affect that at all.”
Kahne had surgery April 18 to repair the meniscus in his right knee. He also had surgery on both knees in November, but said Friday he re-injured the right one earlier this season when he slipped while exercising.
“I finished a workout and I slipped off the bench and my feet kind of gave out,” he said. “I laid there for about five minutes, and then the last two months, I’ve hoped that it would get better. It didn’t, so I got it checked again and I had blown basically the stitches that held it together that they had fixed the first time.”
Kahne said he knew he needed a second surgery, and waited until NASCAR’s break last week to have the procedure. He’s hoping the issue is now resolved.
“I needed an off week, I needed a little time and there was only one time slot basically for that and that’s what I waited for,” he said. “I don’t want any more surgeries. I’m over it. It’s not that much fun.”
Kahne goes into Saturday night’s race at Richmond ranked 18th in the Sprint Cup Series standings.
