Jeff Gordon clinches spot in NASCAR’s Chase
August 31, 2011
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon has clinched at least a wild-card berth in the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
NASCAR determined Wednesday that even if Gordon is knocked out of the top 10 in standings over the next two races, he still would get into the Chase via the wild card.
Gordon has two wins this season, and the only way he could fall out of the top 10 is if Brad Keselowski or Clint Bowyer win the final two races of the “regular season” to drop him out. Even if that happened, Gordon’s two victories would be enough to get him into the Chase.
Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards all clinched berths on Saturday night. Kevin Harvick clinched at least a wild card.
Austin race makes cut for 2012 F1 calendar (PA SportsTicker)
August 31, 2011
PARIS (AP) —The Formula One schedule is expanding to 20 races next year, growing by one event after adding a stop in the United States, returning to Bahrain and dropping the Turkish Grand Prix.
The World Motor Sport Council ratified by unanimous decision the schedule proposed in July by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
The United States will host a race in Austin, Texas, next November. The last U.S. GP was held in Indianapolis in 2007.
Turkey did not make the cut, despite complaints from some racing teams, but Bahrain is back on the schedule.
This year’s Bahrain GP was delayed, reinstated and then finally canceled in the wake of political unrest in the Gulf country in which at least 32 people have been killed in a crackdown on anti-government protests.
RCR teams slumping as regular season winds down
August 31, 2011
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Richard Childress guaranteed one of his drivers would dethrone Jimmie Johnson this year, and for a portion of this season, it seemed as if Kevin Harvick could indeed be the very guy to wrest the title from the five-time defending champion.
But that was when Harvick had driven to a pair of wins through the first six races. A third victory at Charlotte all but locked him into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field, and it was believed he could use the rest of the “regular season” to prepare for a run to the title.
Now he’s in a slump that seems to have hit the entire Richard Childress Racing organization. With only two races to go to set the 12-driver Chase field, Harvick may be the only RCR driver to make the cut.
He guaranteed himself at least a wild card berth with an underwhelming 22nd-place finish at Bristol last Saturday night. RCR teammates Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard struggled at Bristol, too, and saw their Chase chances take a hit.
Bowyer was off the pace early, fell several laps down and finished 26th. At 12th in the points, he either needs to win one of the next two races or crack the top-10 to get into the Chase.
“To come out (at Bristol) and be this far off was the last thing we needed right now,” Bowyer said. “We had the opportunity to gain major ground on the other Chase contenders and we blew it. We aren’t out of this thing yet, but we must get better these next two weeks to survive.”
Menard is likely at the mercy of others. His win at Indianapolis pushed him into wild-card contention, but he’s not capitalized since. His 30th-place finish at Bristol dropped him to 20th in the standings.
To have any shot at making the Chase, he has to first stay ranked inside the top-20. Then he’s got to hope that Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin, who have race wins this season, both don’t need a wild card to make the Chase. Should one of them crack the top-10, and Menard is still ranked inside the top-20, he could get the second wild card providing no one ahead of him in the standings wins a race.
“This was definitely not what we needed in our effort to make the Chase,” Menard said after Bristol. “We have two races to go and really need to capitalize on things. I think a second win is going to be what it takes for us. But we have a great team and I know we can do it.”
Menard also knows he struggles at Richmond, the final race to set the Chase field. With an average finish of 28.3 at Richmond, it’s the worst make-or-break track possible for Menard. So he’s got to perform this Sunday at Atlanta to improve his positioning.
But Bowyer and Menard aside, the real concern is Harvick, who once again was venting over his team radio as he struggled at Bristol. He’s always outspoken when his car isn’t performing, and he’s not shy about calling out team members after sloppy pit stops. He scolded the No. 29 crew midway through the race for a month of struggles, and his postrace response came via Twitter.
“Not a good night we gotta figure some things out fast … “ he posted on his page.
The next day was met with mandatory meetings at RCR, where presumably the team discussed how to get back to the level it was at in the spring.
Harvick hasn’t had a top-five finish since Pocono in June, and he’s led only 22 laps since then. He’s also had only one top-10 finish in the last seven races.
Asked about his struggles before Bristol, he said the pit crew needed immediate attention—something it got last week when pit crew coordinator Matt Clark was released.
“Right now we are working on making sure that we have the pit crew in order for the consistency on pit road that you are going to need for the last 10 weeks,” Harvick said. “A lot of that comes with the experience with the guys that are doing it. The guys have done a great job. They have kind of hit a slump over the last few weeks.
“We are working on getting that in order before we get started.”
Harvick, however, still thought he was in good shape for the Chase.
If Childress’ claim is going to come true, he is going to need to get into excellent shape, and quickly.
AUTO RACING PACKAGE: Auto Racing Glance
August 31, 2011
All Times EDT
NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
ADVOCARE 500
Site: Hampton, Ga.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 6-7:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 1:30-3 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 5-7 p.m.); Sunday, race, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN, 6:30-11:30 p.m.).
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (tri-oval, 1.54 miles).
Race distance: 500.5 miles, 325 laps.
Last year: Tony Stewart raced to the first of his two 2010 victories, pulling away from Carl Edwards.
Last week: Brad Keselowski won at Bristol, racing to his third victory of the season—and second since breaking his left ankle Aug. 3—to nearly wrap up a spot in the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Edwards and Kevin Harvick clinched Chase spots.
Fast facts: There are two races left in the regular season. The top 10 in the standings and the top two victory leaders from Nos. 11-20 will earn spots in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is ninth, 39 points ahead of Stewart. Keselowski is 11th (21 points behind Stewart) and Clint Bowyer is 12th (22 points behind Stewart). Keselowski and Denny Hamlin (13th with one victory) are in the wild-card positions. … Speedway Motorsports Inc. shifted one of Atlanta’s two races to Kentucky Speedway, leaving the Georgia track that opened in 1960 with one event for the first time.
Next race: Wonderful Pistachios 400, Sept. 10, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
———
NATIONWIDE
GREAT CLIPS 300
Site: Hampton, Ga.
Schedule: Saturday, practice (Speed, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 3:30-5 p.m.), race, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 7-10 p.m.).
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (tri-oval, 1.54 miles).
Race distance: 300.3 miles, 195 laps.
Last year: Jamie McMurray held off Kyle Busch for his first series victory since 2004.
Last week: Busch raced to his 50th Nationwide victory to break a tie with Mark Martin for the series record, edging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano at Bristol. Busch leads the series with seven victories.
Fast facts: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has a five-point lead over Elliott Sadler with nine races left. Reed Sorenson is third, 10 points behind Stenhouse. … In the owner’s standings, Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota has a 50-point lead over Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford. Busch has driven the No. 18 in 17 of the 25 races, and Carl Edwards has made 24 starts in the No. 60. … Brad Keselowski will drive the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge for the first time since breaking his left ankle in an Aug. 3 crash in testing at Road Atlanta. He has won two Cup races since the injury.
Next race: Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Sept. 9, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
———
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
ATLANTA 200
Site: Hampton, Ga.
Schedule: Friday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 5-6 p.m.), race, 8 p.m. (Speed, 7:30-10:30 p.m.).
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (tri-oval, 1.54 miles).
Race distance: 202.2 miles, 130 laps.
Last year: Kevin Harvick won the first of his three 2010 Truck Series victories.
Last week: Harvick raced to his third straight Truck victory, holding off Johnny Sauter at Bristol. Coming off victories at Pocono and Michigan, Harvick led the final 103 laps en route to his 12th career Truck win.
Fast facts: Sauter has a seven-point lead over James Buescher with nine races left. Timothy Peters is third, 15 points behind Sauter. … Kyle Busch has a series-record four victories at the track.
Next race: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 225, Sept. 16, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
———
INDYCAR
BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX
Site: Baltimore.
Schedule: Friday, practice; Saturday, practice, qualifying (Versus, 2-3 p.m.); Sunday, race, 2:45 p.m. (Versus, 2-5 p.m.).
Track: Streets of Baltimore (street course, 2.0 miles).
Race distance: 150 miles, 75 laps.
Last year: Inaugural race.
Last week: Australia’s Will Power won for the second straight year at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., leading a Team Penske podium sweep for his series-leading fifth victory of the year. Helio Castroneves was second.
Fast facts: Target Chip Ganassi’s Dario Franchitti, a four-time winner this year, has a 26-point lead over Power with four races left. Franchitti was fourth in Sonoma. … The downtown course runs along the Inner Harbor and goes around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. … The 35-lap Indy Lights race also is Sunday (Versus, noon-2 p.m.).
Next race: Indy Japan 300, Sept. 17, Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
———
NHRA FULL THROTTLE
U.S. NATIONALS
Site: Clermont, Ind.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying; Sunday, qualifying (ESPN2, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., ESPN2, 5-7 p.m.); Monday, final eliminations (ESPN2, noon-6 p.m.).
Track: Lucas Oil Raceway.
Last year: Larry Dixon raced to the 10th of his record 12 Top Fuel victories in 2010. Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.
Last event: Antron Brown won the NHRA Nationals on Aug. 21 in Brainerd, Minn., for his fourth Top Fuel victory of the season. Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.
Fast facts: The event ends the 16-race regular season. The top 10 in each division will qualify for the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs. … Del Worsham leads the Top Fuel standings, 136 points ahead of Brown. Worsham, a six-time winner this year, only needs to qualify to wrap up the top playoff seed. … In Funny Car, Mike Neff has a 141-point lead over Robert Hight. … Anderson has locked up the top Pro Stock seed.
Next event: O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationals, Sept. 15-18, zMAX Dragway, Concord, N.C.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
———
FORMULA ONE
Next race: Italian Grand Prix, Sept. 11, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy.
Last week: Sebastian Vettel won the Belgian Grand Prix for his seventh victory of the season and 17th overall. Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was second.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
———
OTHER RACES
ARCA RACING SERIES: Southern Illinois 100, Monday, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Macon, Ill. Online: http://www.arcaracing.com
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES: Baltimore Grand Prix, Saturday (ABC, Sunday, 4-6 p.m.), Streets of Baltimore, Baltimore. Online: http://www.americanlemans.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday-Saturday, Skagit Speedway, Alger, Wash.; Monday, Cottage Grove Speedway, Cottage Grove, Ore. Late Model: Black Diamond 125, Saturday, Tyler County Speedway, Middlebourne, W.Va.; Workforce 50, Sunday, Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, Markleysburg, Pa. Super DirtCar: Sunday, Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, N.Y. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Silver Crown: Ted Horn 100, Sunday, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Macon, Ill. Online: http://www.usacracing.com
Fantasy Preview: Hedge your bets but focus on experience, reliability at AMS (NASCAR.com)
August 31, 2011
It is fitting that one of the final two races before the Chase comes on a cookie cutter track. All seven similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks are different, but the effort to go fast on each of them is comparable and that allows drivers and teams to carry momentum from one to the other. Six drivers have finished 17th or better in the five races run on this configuration so far in 2011 and most of them have more results inside the top 10 than in the low- to mid-teens. It probably won’t surprise anyone to know that the majority of these drivers are the ones currently in Chase contention. Several others have come close to sweeping the top 15, with only one bad finish on this track type.
NASCAR travels this week to Atlanta for its first and only visit of the season. And that is significant for two reasons. First, while Atlanta is obviously unique compared to the other doglegged or double-doglegged mile-and-half tracks, it requires a similar approach in terms of power versus handling. It’s not a short track on which teams can get by with slightly less horsepower so long as handling makes up for the difference, or a superspeedway on which the engine is maxed out for an entire lap. Secondly, because this is the only time NASCAR will visit Atlanta in 2011, teams have to react quickly and get the handling perfect with year old notes that may not be 100 percent reliable. In three weeks, they will have to do the same thing at Chicagoland for the first Chase race and the stakes will be even higher.
This is the next-to-last race of the regular season and on paper, Atlanta should require unique skills compared to Richmond. Even though Richmond is only half the distance of Atlanta, the two tracks are not that dissimilar, however. The three-quarters-mile short track in Virginia is wide and has a sweeping frontstretch that allows drivers to keep their momentum. Someone who gets on a roll this week is liable to run strong next week as well. Everyone currently in the top 20 in points knows they can make the Chase if they can put together two perfect races and the pressure has rarely been greater.
Strong impression
There is yet another reason why everyone wants to do well at Atlanta. Since it joined the senior circuit in 1960, this track has always held at least two races per year, which means that it has always been a NASCAR staple. Drivers like Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, and Marvin Panch join Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Bobby Allison as winners on this track and while it lacks the raw prestige of the Daytona 500 or Brickyard 400, a victory at Atlanta is capable of making a driver’s career.
There are very few unknown names in Atlanta’s record books. But as tough a track as this can be, six drivers have earned their first victory on its surface. Three of those came in the 1960s before veterans took control of the track. The three most recent came during this century and two of those drivers are among the best in the business. Kevin Harvick earned a dramatic win in 2001 mere weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Carl Edwards bested the field in the 2005 Golden Corral 500. Jerry Nadeau won the fall 2000 race in a Hendrick Motorsports entry.
Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard, and Marcos Ambrose have all earned their first career Cup victory this season, and it’s not out of the question that someone else with etch their name in the records books. Unrestricted, intermediate speedways—including the mile-and-half tracks—are where teams put the majority of their efforts. And this season has proved, teams are not timid about rolling the dice.
Some dominant drivers have won in 2011, but it is equally likely that someone will gamble late or get the right adjustment on the final pit stop and steal a victory. Fantasy owners need to hedge their bets for the AdvoCare 500, but concentrate mostly on experienced teams with reliable engines.
The Favorites
Edwards not only earned his first Cup victory at Atlanta, he has long considered the track one of his favorites. In his first attempt, he qualified fourth. No one expected him to stay there, but he ran with the leaders all afternoon and finished third.
His next two attempts during the 2005 season featured starts on one of the first two rows and ended in a sweep of Victory Lane. His third win at this track came in the 2008 Pep Boys Auto 500 after he started fourth. And in this race last season, another fourth-place start resulted in a second-place finish. If he starts up front, he absolutely has to be on your roster, but he is a threat from anywhere in the field as long as he stays out of trouble. He has finished worse than seventh only four times at AMS. Two of those were because of engine problems, once was after he suffered crash damage, and the fourth was last spring when he was black flagged by NASCAR for retaliating against Brad Keselowski who wrecked him earlier in the afternoon.
Kurt Busch has run hot and cold this year, but he has been consistent on one track type. The No. 22 team is the only one in the field to sweep the top 10 at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Kansas, and Kentucky . Only one of those races resulted in a top-five when he combined speed and fuel mileage in the Coke 600. And with the remaining four events ending in either ninth- or 10th-place finishes, there are others in the field with a better average on the cookie cutter courses. At this stage of the season, however, fantasy owners should be willing to give up dominance for consistency, and that makes Busch a very compelling pick. If they make the right calls in the pits, Busch could be worth much more than a simple top-10 finish. Last year, he won one of Atlanta’s races and finished sixth in the other.
Another driver that seems to be hitting on all cylinders at the right time and has dominated the cookie cutter tracks this year is Matt Kenseth. In fact, dating back to the 2009 NASCAR Banking 500 at Charlotte, he has amassed a near-perfect record of top-15s on similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks. His only poor result was a 20th at Texas last spring, but since then he has an average finish of better than eighth in his past 11 attempts on this track type. A win and a second-place finish at Texas this spring and last fall respectively, makes him even more appealing because these two tracks are among the most similar on the circuit and regularly battle one another for the top speed record. Kenseth knows how to stay out of trouble and that comes in handy at Atlanta.
Dark Horses
Several drivers deserve to be mentioned this week, such as Brad Keselowski with his remarkable run after breaking his ankle or Jeff Gordon who finally seems to be in championship form. While neither of them will catch your competition by surprise—Juan Montoya might. His record this season on cookie cutters has been solid with a worst finish of 17th in five races, but he’s flown under the radar with just one top-10. That was a third in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Vegas and since then, he has been a good pick only as filler for your last slot. Along with Kurt Busch, Montoya is the only driver who swept the top 10 on this track last year with a third in the spring and a ninth in the fall. He can also lay claim to something even Busch cannot. With a third in the fall 2009 Atlanta race, he is the only driver with a three-race top-10 streak on this track.
Marcos Ambrose got off to an excellent start on this track type with three consecutive top-10s at Vegas, Texas, and Charlotte, but his two most recent efforts at Kansas and Kentucky fell flat just when a Tasmanian-themed bandwagon was starting to form. His victory at Watkins Glen rejuvenated interest in the No. 9 team. They failed to capitalize on the momentum at Michigan the following week, but Ambrose was strong at Bristol and finished in the top 10. That track is radically different from Atlanta, so there are no assurances he will pick up where he left off at Charlotte, but that is why he’s a dark horse instead of a favorite.
Underdogs
At the beginning of last week, fantasy owners might have assumed Tony Stewart was kidding about not belonging in the Chase. During the Bristol weekend, it appeared he was actually being diplomatic because his car never got out of the starting blocks with poor practices, a bad qualification, and a dismal run. It’s hard to know if he made a self-fulfilling prophecy and drove down to the standard he had in his mind or if the team really has completely run out of steam, but if they cannot control the mental aspect of this sport, there is very little hope at Atlanta either. Whether he makes the Chase is for others to decide, but fantasy owners want to look elsewhere for a contender among drivers in his price range.
Denny Hamlin earned a top-10 finish last week at Bristol, but he is not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. Clint Bowyer is still ahead of him in the points and a single win would knock the No. 11 out of the playoffs. A.J. Allmendinger is not far behind Hamlin in 14th and Richard Petty Motorsports has come close to winning on several occasions and did in fact take the checkers at the Glen with Ambrose behind the wheel. Hamlin’s biggest concern this week has to be engine reliability. Conceding a flaw in their own power plants, Joe Gibbs Racing is switching to Toyota Racing Development motors, but they too have experienced occasional problems in 2011. The team will be tempted to push a little harder this week and that could result in a shortened race that ends behind the wall.
Sprint Cup Series Standings 1. —Kyle Busch 830 — 2. —Jimmie Johnson 830 —3. +2 Matt Kenseth 798 -324. — Carl Edwards 795 -355. -2 Kevin Harvick 782 -48 Fantasy Power Ranking Cookie cutter tracks (past three years) 1.Jimmie Johnson8.87 17.Dale Earnhardt Jr.17.21 33.David Gilliland31.96 2.Jeff Gordon8.89 18.Martin Truex Jr.17.40 34.Bobby Labonte32.473.Greg Biffle10.41 19.Jamie McMurray17.88 35.Robby Gordon33.164.Carl Edwards10.85 20.Brian Vickers19.23 36.Andy Lally35.365.Tony Stewart11.19 21.Ryan Newman21.02 37.T.J. Bell36.336.Matt Kenseth11.31 22.Trevor Bayne21.26 38.Travis Kvapil36.627.Kyle Busch11.46 23.David Ragan21.66 39.Dave Blaney37.078.Denny Hamlin11.76 24.Joey Logano21.68 40.Landon Cassill37.779.Kurt Busch12.88 25.Paul Menard22.11 41.Mike Skinner38.0010.Kasey Kahne14.71 26.A.J. Allmendinger23.05 42.Mike Bliss38.1811.Kevin Harvick15.36 27.Brad Keselowski23.43 43.Michael McDowell39.0512.Juan Montoya15.53 28.Marcos Ambrose24.59 44.Joe Nemechek39.4413.David Reutimann15.68 29.Casey Mears28.04 45.J.J. Yeley39.4514.Mark Martin15.93 30.David Stremme29.32 46.David Starr42.0415.Clint Bowyer16.16 31.Scott Speed30.26 47.Jeff Green43.0016.Jeff Burton16.59 32.Regan Smith31.17 48.Geoff Bodine47.00 Atlanta Favorites Career statistics (cookie cutter tracks) Kurt Busch239 155010214.216.9 Carl Edwards16117639516.212.0 Matt Kenseth261 147813619.513.5
Caraviello: Danica’s move leaves Wise again in limbo (NASCAR.com)
August 31, 2011
No one would have blamed him had he felt somewhat jaded, or in the least a touch bittersweet. Last week’s announcement that Danica Patrick was moving into NASCAR’s Nationwide Series full time was greeted with such rampant jubilation that it merited a statement even from the series chairman himself. But for Josh Wise, news of the open-wheel starlet’s looming career shift boiled down to one very simple and very personal thing—he was losing the best ride he had ever known.
Wise has been the other driver in JR Motorsports’ No. 7 car this season, piloting the vehicle for most of the events that Patrick misses in her partial NASCAR schedule, and keeping the entry safely in the top 30 in owner points. While Patrick rotates between Nationwide and IndyCar, Wise rotates between start-and-park efforts and competitive runs in the No. 7 car. Results like the fourth-place finish he recorded early this month in Iowa stand among the highlights of his brief but already checkered NASCAR career.
Next year, though, the No. 7 will belong to Patrick full time, a fact that thrusts Wise—who has floated around the Nationwide tour since a ride with Michael Waltrip Racing went belly-up due to a lack of sponsorship—back into a career limbo he knows all too well. And yet, don’t expect anger or disenfranchisement from a driver who has long since learned to roll with disappointment and appreciates every break he gets.
“I remember when I got this opportunity last year, I was just on cloud nine,” remembered Wise, a 28-year-old native of Riverside, Calif. “It was just one race at first. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is it.’ I’ve just had a blast. I guess I could have asked for more. I could have asked to run [full-time]. But really, I couldn’t have asked for more. They’ve been really great to me.”
Like everyone else in the sport, Wise knew it was coming, and understood when he signed on that the prospect of Patrick eventually taking over the ride full time was part of the deal. “It comes as no surprise,” he said. Wise has had plenty of experience dealing with uncertainty, having driven for 11 different Nationwide owners since moving to NASCAR from the U.S. Auto Club and ARCA. As a result, he’s developed a very practical, somewhat protective, and rather admirable mindset—make the best of everything, and hope opportunities come along.
Even so, it isn’t easy knowing his days in the No. 7 car are now finite. “This is by far the best opportunity I’ve had since I’ve been out here, and even then it’s still really hard because I’m filling in,” he said. “I run, and then I’m off a month, and then I’m jumping in. It’s just really challenging. I have high expectations, I know they have high expectations. It’s hard to not get down about results sometimes, but you kind of have to step back and look at the situation overall and kind of make the best of everything.”
Wise first hooked up with JR Motorsports for last year’s second race at Nashville, in what was supposed to just be a one-off event. The opportunity came as Wise was trying to pull himself out of a career drought that had gotten so bad he had gone back to racing sprint cars, believing his days in NASCAR were over. The Nashville ride turned into another the next week at Kentucky, and eventually the fill-in job for the races Patrick would miss. That gig continued into this season, when JR Motorsports was even able to sell many of Wise’s races to sponsor TaxSlayer. His consistent efforts have helped keep the No. 7 well inside the top 30 in owner points, allowing Patrick to race without the headache of making the races on speed.
“Josh can definitely help any race team, especially if they want to be consistent and run for the points,” said Tony Eury Jr., crew chief and co-owner of the No. 7 car. “That’s how we kind of got hooked up with him. He drove for a lot of start-and-parks, and he’s good on equipment. He doesn’t tear up a lot of stuff, he’s going to be consistent, and he just hasn’t had the opportunity where he can just get in a car and let it all hang out, and not have to worry about finding a ride or looking for a ride or keeping it for the next week. He’s done really well in our car. We picked up a ton of points with him last year. We were 15 points on the bubble, and came back to finish [17th] in the points. A lot of it was because of his races.”
In 13 starts in the No. 7 so far this year, Wise has an average finish of 15th. The high point was Iowa, and a fourth-place result that was the best of his career. “That’s Josh Wise. That’s the way he drives,” Eury said. “He’s very consistent, he’s got a very good arc into the corner. The only thing I’ve been preaching at him is, be a little bit more aggressive on these restarts … and he did all that at Iowa. He’s very knowledgeable about the car. He test drove for a year and a half under the radar with Michael Waltrip when the [new Sprint Cup car] was coming. So he’s got plenty of experience; he’s got a good feel for the car.”
These days, though, that’s often not enough to land a driver a competitive ride in a Nationwide tour where sponsors naturally gravitate toward the bigger names of moonlighting Sprint Cup stars. On weekends he’s not in the No. 7, Wise often races start-and-park efforts. He’s not sure what his future may hold at JR Motorsports or elsewhere, only that he’s now looking for a ride in a climate where most of the top Nationwide rides are affiliated with Cup teams, and where many owners aren’t even attempting full races, much less looking for drivers to build a contending team around.
“Nationwide is easy to sell when you have a Cup driver in it,” said Zak Brown, chairman of Just Marketing International, an Indianapolis agency that specializes in motorsports. “It’s harder to sell a Nationwide driver, especially with a lot of Cup drivers coming in. So if I’m a sponsor, you want to find the biggest name you can get.”
That makes it difficult for the many drivers on the Nationwide tour like Wise, who would seem to have the right combination of talent and marketability, but have found trouble trying to break through nonetheless. Wise said he will probably fill out the remainder of this season driving Curtis Key’s No. 40 car, which he piloted in recent events at Watkins Glen and Montreal. Beyond that, Wise’s future will likely be determined by sponsorship—or a lack of it.
“I don’t really have any long-term direction. I don’t even know what I’m doing three weeks from now, let alone next year,” Wise said. “I think the biggest challenge for me in all this is, I’ve won and I’ve been the best guy in everything I’ve ever driven up to now, you know? The fact that I haven’t been able to secure a full-time ride and be that guy at this level just motivates me even more. Because I want to be that, and I know I can. I’ll keep plugging away until that right opportunity comes.”
Eury, for one, would like to see it happen. Patrick has received all the attention in the No. 7 car this season, but Wise has done much of the heavy lifting. “It’s been great for our company to have somebody like Josh. We’ve been fortunate enough to keep him as long as we have,” Eury said. “But you hope somebody in the garage would notice him enough to where he can get a full-time ride, because he deserves to be here, and deserves another run.”
Josh Wise 2011 results with JRM Fontana616Running Fort Worth1714RunningNashville129RunningRichmond176RunningDarlington1314RunningDover1617RunningIowa1229RunningCharlotte2017RunningMichigan2516RunningNashville2020RunningLucas Oil2019RunningIowa184RunningBristol1916RunningAverage</b>16.5</b>15.1</b>
Keselowski will return to Nationwide at Atlanta
August 31, 2011
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Brad Keselowski will return to the Nationwide Series this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway after missing the last five races with a broken ankle.
Keselowski has not missed a Sprint Cup Series race since breaking his ankle in a crash during a test session at Road Atlanta on Aug. 3. In the four races since that accident, he’s got two wins, a second- and a third-place finish and climbed into contention for a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
But he sat out five Nationwide races while trying to give his ankle some rest. He said Tuesday night he knows his decision to return to the second-tier series will be criticized. Keselowski is the defending Nationwide champion.
“It was really important for me to return to the Nationwide Series this season,” he said. “I know there are a lot of people who think it may be a bad idea, but I am a man of my word. I made a promise to everyone on my team that I would be behind the wheel.”
Keselowski indicated Saturday night’s win at Bristol Motor Speedway made it easier to return to his Nationwide car. The victory was his third of the season and moved him to 11th in the standings. At worst, he should claim one of the two available wild-card spots in the 12-driver Chase because of his win total.
Since the accident, Keselowski has climbed 10 places in the standings.
“We’re in a pretty good spot as far as the Chase is concerned, so this is a good time to go back to the Nationwide Series,” Keselowski said. “My injuries are feeling better every day and the extra seat time should benefit both teams.”
Keselowski has two wins and 13 top-10 finishes in 20 Nationwide races this season. Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch drove his No. 22 Dodge to a victory at Watkins Glen as the replacement driver. Sam Hornish Jr., Parker Kligerman and Jacques Villeneuve have also driven the car during Keselowski’s absence.
“These last four weeks have very interesting for me,” crew chief Todd Gordon said. “On one hand, my driver was on the sidelines with an injury and my thoughts were with him, as much as they could be. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to work with four outstanding racecar drivers. I feel that’s made me a better, more well-rounded crew chief.”
Keselowski has two top-10 finishes at Atlanta in four career Nationwide starts. His best finish there in two Cup starts was 25th last September. In his first Cup visit there in 2010, intentional contact from Carl Edwards sent Keselowski’s car sailing into the fence.
Ky. to spend $3.6M on roads near motor speedway
August 30, 2011
SPARTA, Ky. (AP)—Gov. Steve Beshear says the state will make $3.6 million in road improvements around the Kentucky Speedway racetrack where massive traffic jams marred a Sprint Cup race in July.
Beshear joined Kentucky Speedway officials Tuesday at a news conference at the northern Kentucky track where scores of disgruntled fans spent hours in traffic jams during the track’s first Sprint Cup race in July.
Speedway Motorsports officials say the company has already purchased a 143-acre parcel of land that will be turned into 35 percent more parking. Road construction vehicles on the parcel across the Interstate 71 could be seen tearing down an old barn during the news conference.
The track is also planning to hire a professional parking and engineering service to handle traffic flow during events.
SMI to add parking, improve traffic at Kentucky (NASCAR.com)
August 30, 2011
Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced the acquisition of a 143-acre parcel of land that will be used to greatly expand Kentucky Speedway parking and the hiring of professional parking and engineering services to best manage automotive and pedestrian traffic flows during venue event days.
Because of the actions taken by the speedway, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) pledged to improve surrounding highways to allow faster access to expanded parking areas.
“We learned meaningful lessons during our inaugural Sprint Cup Series race weekend and we committed that the traffic congestion that occurred on race day would not happen again,” Mark Simendinger, Kentucky Speedway general manager said. “It was important for us to act quickly and I am thrilled to report this solution, which was formed in only seven short weeks. I compliment and thank SMI chairman and CEO Bruton Smith, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and KYTC Secretary Mike Hancock for working collaboratively on this plan.”
The expansive parcel located east of the 107,000 capacity facility and state Highway 35 is expected to increase available event parking by 35 percent. The speedway will further improve its parking operation by reinforcing all areas with gravel and painting guidelines to help maximize available space.
Veteran’s Security and Patrol Co., which has extensive experience managing parking during events at prominent motorsports venues such as Daytona International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Watkins Glen International, will begin servicing the speedway in October. Kentucky Speedway will additionally retain the services of a traffic engineering company that will employ sophisticated modeling techniques to assimilate the new improvements with existing infrastructure to create the best possible traffic management plan.
SMI will invest an estimated $7.5 million in its service and parking improvements. The company has already begun engineering the newly-acquired land.
“Kentucky Speedway is a premier destination for the country’s best racing, and it’s clear that tens of thousands of people want to be right here to experience those events. The NASCAR race weekend this July was a huge success, but it did experience traffic problems, caused largely by inadequate parking,” Governor Beshear said. “To assure visitors have an even better experience next year, we’ve worked hand in hand with SMI to plan improvements that will benefit fans on race day and Gallatin County residents year-round.”
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) complemented the SMI commitments by approving several enhancements to existing infrastructure that will assist in moving traffic more quickly during future race events. Enhancements will:
— Improve the Interstate 71 Exit 57 southbound ramp shoulder to allow three lanes of traffic to exit to KY 35 and directly access staggered speedway entrances during event days.
— Improve nearly one mile of KY 35 from the I-71 interchange. Approximately 0.6 of a mile of KY 35 will be widened to five lanes with two full width shoulders to better service two primary speedway access roads and improve daily traffic flow to Warsaw.
— Construct a tunnel beneath state KY 35 to safely and efficiently route pedestrian traffic to shuttles which transport fans to speedway gates.
The Cabinet will support the $3.6 million project with its contingency fund, and plans to present the project for bid by the end of 2011 to ensure work will be complete before the summer of 2012.
In a statement, NASCAR president Mike Helton said he was pleased with the planned improvements.
“NASCAR is pleased with the efforts announced [Tuesday] by Kentucky Speedway, Speedway Motorsports Inc. and the Commonwealth of Kentucky to address the traffic and parking issues faced by fans at their inaugural Sprint Cup Series race this year. We’ve been in close touch with the track and its management since July and the significant commitments announced [Tuesday] support the common goal of hosting the most successful events possible at Kentucky Speedway next season.
“We believe improvements like these are necessary in order to ensure that our fans have the opportunity for an enjoyable race experience. We appreciate these efforts and will continue to monitor the progress that is being made.”
Creating a spark: Spark plugs key to fuel economy (NASCAR.com)
August 30, 2011
Spark plugs produce the spark of electricity that ignites the air/fuel mixture within your cylinders to power your vehicle.
Is it time for new spark plugs?
If you’re experiencing a sluggish engine, there’s a good chance that you could have a bad spark plug. Difficulty cranking, low momentum while running or sluggish performance in your engine can all mean spark plug failure.
And bad spark plugs equal bad fuel economy. So when is it time to retire a spark plug?
Replacing worn or broken spark plugs with a fresh set can increase fuel economy by up to a few miles per gallon and will perk up even a tired engine and help keep it running efficiently.
Spark plugs are a vital part of your engine’s combustion process. They produce the spark of electricity that ignites the air/fuel mixture within your cylinders to power your vehicle.
However, several things happen over time that can reduce the efficiency of your spark plugs and your fuel mileage. Spark plugs may fail or reduce their output in a number of ways including oil fouling of the plug, carbon buildup, excessive engine temperatures, or general wear of the electrode from high mileage.
Changing fouled spark plugs will often give you a smoother idle and quieter engine by restoring combustion back to its peak efficiency within each cylinder. Depending on the shape of the old plugs you may also notice an increase in power and acceleration.
Look for bad spark plug wire symptoms like engine stalling, ignition problems, rough idling or low power. A general rule to follow is to change your spark plugs after every 30,000 miles to keep your engine running well.
A properly tuned vehicle runs more efficiently, performs better and saves money at the gas pump, so make sure to give your vehicle regular tune ups and quality fuel. Your plugs will thank you for it by doing their job for many miles longer.
Is it time to change your plugs? Visit www.autolite.com for more information.
