Nascar Eyes

News – NASCAR Statement Regarding Richard Childress and Kyle Busch Incident

2011-06-05T12:42:00.002-04:00

NASCAR Statement – June 5, 2011

“NASCAR has reviewed the incident involving Richard Childress and Kyle Busch after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Saturday at Kansas Speedway. We have met with all parties involved and have determined what happened yesterday is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by NASCAR.

Richard Childress’s actions were not appropriate and fell far short of the standard we expect of owners in this sport. We have met with Childress this morning and made our position very clear to him. Further, we expect he will make it clear to all in his organization to ensure this situation does not escalate any further. We will announce our actions regarding this incident Monday.

Kyle Busch remains on probation with NASCAR and we continue to watch his actions carefully. However, we have determined that Kyle’s involvement in this incident does not violate his probation and no further action is required.”

-Official Statement made by NASCAR

Looking at the FedEx 400 through the Rear View Mirror...

2011-05-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR.com

I'm not sure what to take from this past weekend's Dover race. We saw pure excitement, and thrill during Saturday's Nationwide race, but got the complete opposite during Sunday's running of the FedEx 400. Sunday was dominated predominately by 2 drivers, Jimmie Johnson, and Carl Edwards.

Post Race Stats:

Winner: Matt Kenseth (Led 33 laps; 2 tire pit stop at the end put him in a position to win)

Led Most Laps: Jimmie Johnson (Led 207 laps)

Most Improved Driver: Brian Vickers (Marked the 1yr anniversary of his absence from NASCAR, finished P5)

Most Disappointing Driver: Denny Hamlin (Finished P16, can't seem to get over that "hump")

For over 75% of the race, I was almost convinced the winner would be either Jimmie Johnson, or Carl Edwards. I kept up with Matt Kenseth's lap times, and current position on Twitter, and knew he had a really fast car, but didn't know if he could beat those two. There was a period of time in the beginning when Matt Kenseth drove from his starting position of P24 to P3, before the competition yellow.

With just under 40 laps left in the FedEx 400, drivers were forced to make one last pit stop, and their crews knew they had to remain flawless! Leaders, Jimmie and Carl, took 4 tires thinking it would keep them up front, but Matt Kenseth, and Jimmy Fennig had a different idea. The plan for Kenseth was to take 4 tires, but just before Kenseth entered his pit, he keyed his mic "You sure you don't want to try 2?" at that very moment, Jimmy said "2 tires, 2 tires". Fennig gave word to his crew in just enough time for everyone to be on the same page. Kenseth's final stop was smooth and quick, something the "Killer Bees" take a lot of pride in.

Matt was first off pit road, but lined up just behind Mark Martin, who decided not to pit. Within 2 laps Kenseth worked the inside of Martin to take the lead, and did not look back! About 20 laps left, Joey got really loose right in front of Kenseth, shooting Joey up into the wall. Kenseth said later "I was praying he would get down to the apron, before they flew the yellow, lining up was the last thing I wanted to do at that point!"

Matt has now won twice this year, he is now tied with Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch for 2 wins this season. With 2 wins in this new point system, it almost guarantees the driver a spot in the chase. This race was won not by the "dominant" car, but a "dominant" call made all the difference.

Next up: The Sprint All-Star Race from Charlotte, NC

Until next time- "Let's go racin' boys!" - DW

Press Release-- Charlotte Motor Speedway Prepares Fans for Race Day Traffic

2011-05-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR Media Group

In preparation for May Race Weeks, Charlotte Motor Speedway officials are making sure race fans and
area residents are fully equipped to handle race day traffic by providing safe and efficient travel routes and information.

With help from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Charlotte Motor Speedway is working to ease travel for fans heading to and from the races. Here are tips from Charlotte Motor Speedway and NCDOT:

Best Routes
Interstate 85 to Exit 49, Bruton Smith Boulevard, is the heaviest-traveled route to Charlotte Motor Speedway during May Race Weeks. The two suggested roads from which to enter the speedway are
North Carolina Highway 29 and North Carolina Highway 49. These two roads can be easily accessed by taking Interstate 485.

Best Travel Times on Race Days
- It is best to arrive at Charlotte Motor Speedway before 5 p.m. for the N.C. Education Lottery 200 on Friday, May 20, and Thursday, May 26, for Windstream Pole Night, to avoid commuter traffic.
- The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 29 are both evening races, but fans are encouraged to arrive earlier to avoid Concord Mills Mall congestion. Parking is free and lots open at 7:00 a.m.
- The Top Gear 300 starts at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. It is best to arrive as early as possible. Parking lots will open at 7:00 a.m.

Post-Race Traffic Patterns for All-Star, Coca-Cola 600 NCDOT will utilize counter flow patterns after the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 29, meaning that all lanes of traffic will flow outward from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Traffic exiting from Entrance P onto Morehead Road will counter flow with three eastbound lanes being utilized until Highway 49 in Harrisburg, N.C.
- Those exiting from Entrance O onto Morehead Road will counter flow four lanes westbound out until Highway 29. All lanes will be directed to turn left towards Charlotte.
- Bruton Smith Boulevard will counter flow using three lanes from Entrance Y until Interstate 85.
- Highway 29 will counter flow using three lanes until Pitt School Road in Concord.
- West Morehead Road/Mallard Creek Church Road will counter flow until Salem Church Road.

Post -Race Traffic Patterns for Top Gear 300 NCDOT will only utilize the counter flow patterns for the Top Gear 300 on May 28 if needed. Traffic leaving Concord Mills Mall around 5:00 p.m. will not be able to connect to hotels, restaurants and businesses to the East of the Interstate 85 bridge.

Public Transportation Option
The Charlotte Area Transit System offers an express shuttle for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600. It will leave from the downtown terminal and costs $7 for a round trip ticket. For more
information visit www.ridetransit.org or call (866) 799-2287.

During each race, NCDOT uses nearly 3,500 cones and barrels. There are around 40 static flip signs that are used to inform the traveling public about any changes to the original traffic patterns. All of these are utilized to make traffic as efficient as possible, so that race fans and area residents may have the best experience possible when dealing with race day traffic.

For constant traffic updates, call 511 or follow CMSTraffic, NCDOT or Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter. Fans can also sign up for Charlotte Motor Speedway traffic alerts by texting CMS to 69050.

-Charlotte Motorsports PR

All Eyes on the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks...

2011-05-11T10:34:00.001-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR.com

As we left Darlington, NASCAR fans experienced the drama, that was indeed enough to energize it's base. The Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch fiasco, that took place at the end of the race, seemed to put 1st time NASCAR Sprint Cup winner, Regan Smith out of the spotlight. What I took away from Darlington is not the fights, but the fact that we as a sport have now had 2 first time winners in the same season, in arguably 2 of the most important races of the season. When was the last time that had happened?

NASCAR announced on Tuesday that Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick would be on a 4 week probation, and this would include the all-star race. Having said that, if we were to have another driver "disagreement" like we have had in the previous 2 weeks, I don't expect it to be Kyle/Kevin, but i'm not saying that isn't possible. I do expect tempers to be high on Sunday, short track's in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seem to do just that.

Last week I did really well, actually picking the SHOWTIME Southern 500 race winner Regan Smith in my bargain lineup, I hope to continue the streak of picking race winners! I do advise you, these are amateur picks, so if you use them, please be cautious!

Target: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, and Kurt Busch

Avoid: Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Analysis: Ten of the last 16 reaces have been won by drivers starting in the top 5. Jimmie Johnson has led more laps in the last 5 races (1,066) than everyone else combined.

Bargain: Brad Keselowski has won here in the Nationwide Series, and he finished P18 in May 2010. Paul Menard ran P7 in Dover on Septemeber 2010.

Dover NSCS Schedule:

Practice (Friday 11:30am, 2:30pm)

Qualifying (Saturday 12pm)

FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks (Sunday 1pm)

**All Times are EST**

Next Up: NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race

Dover will be full of excitement, just what we need heading into the All-Star weekend! Until we meet again, "Let's go racin' boys!" ~DW

All Eyes on the SHOWTIME Southern 500..

2011-05-04T15:34:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR.com

Earning your Darlington stripes is a given when racing at this prized jewel of racing. Learning how to tame the track “Too Tough to Tame”, and mastering the art of dancing with “The Lady in Black” is all needed if you want to have success in Darlington. For years this 1.366mile track has created a lot of frustration among NASCAR’s elite. Darlington has remained a pillar of this sport since it came to be in 1950. Drivers like Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett, and Jeff Gordon seemed to have mastered the art of success when racing here. However, on the other end of the spectrum, some drivers aren’t as lucky.

If you don’t get excited about the racing in Darlington, then someone might need to check you r pulse. I expect another wild, crazy race, which is an understatement of what our 2011 NASCAR season has been like thus far! I did pretty good in picking my fantasy drivers last week, actually picking the race winner Kyle Busch, this week might be a different story. You can use these picks in your personal Fantasy NASCAR lineups, but I advise you, these are amateur picks.

Target: Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman

Avoid: Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, and A.J. Allmendinger

Analysis: The last time Gordon finished outside the top 5 was 2004. Ryan Newman has five top-10′s in the last 6 races. Jamie McMurray often does his best at NASCAR’S toughest oval.

Bargain: David Ragan has two top-15 finishes among his 4 starts. Regan Smith has finished P21 and P17 the last 2 years.

NSCS Schedule for Darlington:

Practice (Fri 11:30am, Fri 2pm) Qualifying (Fri 5pm), SHOWTIME SOUTHERN 500 (Sat 7:30pm)

Next Up: Dover

Enjoy everything that Darlington has to offer! Until we meet again, “Let’s go racin’ boys!”~ DW

The History of the Darlington Raceway..

2011-05-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com

For years this 1.366 mile track has been a staple for this sport, and NASCAR looks to continue that tradition. This track that many have nicknamed "The Lady in Black", to "Too Tough to Tame", always lives up to it's name. In the fall of 1949, Harold Brasington saw a vision just outside of Darlington, South Carolina that very few men had ever seen before.

Many have questioned the unique design of the "egg shaped" track, it came to be when (Turns 3&4) were narrowed so they wouldn't disturb the minnow pond just outside. The first race was set to be scheduled on Labor Day of 1950, Harold wasn't expecting many, he estimated at that time maybe 10,000 would show up for attendance. To his amazement, as well as the others in Darlington, S.C., over 25,000 showed up in attendance causing fans to literally stand on top of one another. 75 drivers set the field that day, and the driver that started P75, Johnny Mantz drove on to victory lane.

Home to one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven, took that honor in 2003 when Craven edged out Kurt Busch by only .002 sec, earning his 2nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.

In 2004, the Darlington Raceway started a new tradition, having the race on Mother's Day weekend. Along with this tradition, all of the driver's mothers line up in the front of the track to participate in the pre-race ceremonies, "Gentleman Start Your Engines!"

The track "Too Tough to Tame" has definitely lived up to it's name, and remains a NASCAR fan's favorite. The question remains, who will learn to tame this track, and go dancing with the lady in black?

Looking Back at the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400...

2011-04-30T23:29:00.000-04:00

As most would have expected, this race was dominated by the Joe Gibbs Racing show, with some extra drama thrown in there. This is what I love about Richmond, you have the short track drama, the intermediate track feel, and the feeling of excitement as we head into the next NASCAR race! Some of the best drama that took place tonight was the Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya feud. I don't think Ryan meant any harm getting into the back of Juan, but evidently Juan would disagree. Montoya would then retaliate, causing Ryan Newman to spin, obviously this would not set well with him. Both drivers were told to report to the NASCAR hauler at the end of the race.

What I did not expect to take place at the Richmond International Raceway, so much action with 100 laps to go. Drivers were going 3 to 4 wide around a 3/4 of a mile track. Why would they be so anxious with over 100 to go? It was pretty difficult to tell who was at fault, in the largest accident of the night, but I believe they all played a part in the crash that took out some of the best cars left in the field. Jeff Gordon had been running in the top 5 all night, dropped back some, and was involved in the fiasco, along with Matt Kenseth. Matt had one of the fastest cars of the night, seemingly to go unnoticed, as usual. But this still raises the question why? We saw more action with a 1/4th of a race left, than we did with 10 laps to go.

We have a lot to look forward to, heading into the month of May. Great racing at Darlington, Dover, and Charlotte; and let's not forget about the Sprint Cup All-Star race!

As we leave Richmond, we are left with questions both answered, and unanswered, but what we all know, JGR has got Richmond figured out!

Until we meet again, in preparation to make a visit with "The Lady in Black", I hope you have enjoyed everything that Richmond had to offer!

All Eyes on the Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400

2011-04-26T15:06:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR.com

After a week off in the NASCAR circuit, it's back to racing at the Richmond International Raceway. If you aren't too excited about heading into Richmond this week, someone might want to check your pulse! The 2 race teams that seem to understand what it takes to win here are Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch. Each of these drivers have won 2 in the last 2 years, the last different driver to win here, Jimmie Johnson in 2008.

What makes this track so unique? It's only 3/4 of a mile long, with 14° turns, and only an 8° frontstretch. The Crown Royal Presents The Matthew & Daniel Hanson 400 is only 300 miles long, one of the shorter races of the year. But after all of these unique characteristics, my favorite is that it is Saturday night! Usually I don't like Saturday races, being that there is nothing to look forward to on Sunday, but who doesn't like short track racing on Saturday night?

I have done pretty decent in my picks in the previous weeks, with it being such a strange year thus far, I think that says a lot! Here are my 2011 Crown Royal Presents 400 Fantasy Picks:

Target: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman

Avoid: Any Roush Driver, Jamie McMurray, and AJ Allmendinger

Analysis: Four of the last five races have been won by Joe Gibbs Racing cars. Ryan Newman isn't a threat to win, but is a consistent top-10 finisher.

Bargain: Brad Keselowski had two top-15 finishes in 2010, and Marcos Ambrose finished P5 in the Fall race.

I anticipate this week's race to be filled with lot's of action, and even more drama as we look ahead onto the "Lady in Black" next week!

This week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule:
Practice~ (Friday 12pm, 2:30pm) Qualifying (Friday 5:30pm) Race (Saturday 7:30pm) all times are EST

Until we meet again, "Let's go racing boys!"- DW

Did Jimmie Johnson Technically Win?

2011-04-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

All Images Courtesy of NASCAR.com

Many have already begun to question Jimmie Johnson’s close win at the Aaron’s 499 yesterday. It tied as the closest finish since 1993, when electronic score keeping came to be. Anybody will find something to speculate, and in this case they are speculating whether or not, Jimmie Johnson’s move was actually legal.

Several camera angles proved to be that Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Chevy appeared to have been right on the yellow line, but never crossing it. The only camera angle that appeared to be questionable, was the blimp camera. From a birds eye view, it looked as if it was just past the yellow line slightly. But whether or not he crossed the forbidden yellow line, is not the question.

In 2008, Regan Smith crossed the yellow line as he passed Tony Stewart, in what we thought would be his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory, but instead we saw Tony Stewart celebrating in Victory Lane. This rule was widely criticized but nothing seem to have changed. Granted, Regan Smith was clearly over the line in 2008, but was Jimmie Johnson? And if he wasover the line, was it even relevant?

The rule clearly states, that a driver can not advance his position if he were to cross that forbidden line. If you might recall, Jimmie Johnson did not advance his position, as he had a slight lead over 2nd place finisher Clint Bowyer coming out of the front-stretch tri-oval.

My opinion is the same as the other 42 NASCAR drivers that day, who did not challenge the call, Jimmie Johnson won fairly in one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history.

Looking at the Aaron's 499 through the Rear View Mirror!

2011-04-17T18:11:00.001-04:00

Wow!!! What else can anyone truly say? Today's finish of the Aaron's 499 from Talladega, ties the closest finish since electronic scoring came to be in 1993. This leaves us with the same "gut feeling" of the 2003 Darlington race, where Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven battled to the line (both races were separated by .002 sec). As Mike Joy said in the Television booth, "what other sport can you say, you can't tell who won, when you're only 100 feet away?" More than anything, Hendrick Motorsports needed this performance today. All 4 cars were there as they crossed the line, more so than any other race team. Not to mention, to start the Aaron's 499, all 4 Hendrick car's were in the top 4 as well. What surprised me were the lack of cautions. Granted we did have some today, and 2 that come to mind took out some really good cars, but we didn't see the "Big One" that we typically see at the Superspeedway tracks.

There wasn't a single car that totally dominated this week, unlike last weeks shellacking Kenseth put on the field. All this does is add to the excitement of a NASCAR season where in 8 races, we have had 7 different winners. Most of the cars that ran toward the front all day, had great drafting help. I couldn't help but be reminded of when Kenseth and Ragan hooked up for the first half of the race. They were one of the few pair-ups that seemed to stick toward the front.

Talladega was just one of those places that you really couldn't pick a single driver to win, being that it is so unpredictable, and everyone has a shot to win. Who would have thought that out of Tommy Baldwin's Racing team, Dave Blaney would be leading with just under 5 laps to go? Or how about David Gilliland's P9 finish. This is what makes Talladega so great, it's not the 2 car drafts we hate so much, but the great runs these drivers have, when they typically wouldn't have them.

Only one more race before we close out April, and head into "All-Star Month". There are plenty of great races, with great race cars ahead, and what NASCAR fan couldn't be more excited about that?

Next Week: Off week for Easter (Nationwide Series at Nashville Saturday)

As we enjoy a week off, let's get prepared for what is before us: Richmond, Darlington, Dover, All-Star race, and Charlotte to close out May!

Until next time~ "Let's go racin' boys!" -DW

All Eyes on the Aaron's 499

2011-04-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

Finally, it's time for the Aaron's 499 from Talladega Superspeedway! This track is exciting, but always tends to leave us with a reminder of how tough it is to win at the Superspeedway tracks. The big key to having a decent finish here, is not necessarily running up front the entire race, but trying to stay out of trouble. In 2005, Dale Jarrett did just that. It was Dale's last win as a Cup driver, ending his NASCAR Hall of Fame career victorious in a track that is too tough to tame! No one knows whether the big one will come in the beginning of the race or the end, which is tormenting for some drivers.

The biggest question I have going into the Aaron's 499, "will this be another Daytona 500?" I think it will. As in most cases, I believe NASCAR will always have the fan's interest, but at the same time, create a safe working environment for their drivers. NASCAR has once again regulated the restrictor plate size for Talladega, something that will drastically change the racing style here. The new plate is 3 sizes smaller than the old plate, which is less power than the previous races. The ARCA, and Nationwide series now has more power at Talladega, than the Sprint Cup Series, which I personally think is wrong. I want these drivers to remain safe, and they have been safe since the tragedy that took place in Daytona back in 2001, but at the same time, the previous races at Talladega has been pure excitement! I have a feeling that this race will once again be 2 car pair-up's, and the key to getting to the front is finding that fast car. Will the Ford's new FR9 engine allow them to push as well as they did in Daytona? This remains as a great question that will probably be answered sometime during Happy Hour.

When picking drivers at the Talladega Superspeedway, you may have better luck drawing names out of a hat. I didn't do so bad last week, picking Matt Kenseth to win the Samsung Mobile 500. So, here are my picks for the Aaron's 499:

Fantasy Picks:

Target: Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan, Carl Edwards

Avoid: Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth (although i'm not sold having him in the "avoid" .. might be a bargain pick)

Analysis: In the last 10 Talladega races, there have been nine different winners. Kenseth hasn't had a top-10 since 2006, but don't count him out, he has certainly turned a bunch of heads this year. Kyle Busch leads laps at Talladega, but doesn't have the finishes to show it.

Bargain: Regan Smith should have won here in 2008 and Brad Keselowski did in 2009. The latter has three top-10 finishes in four starts.

Talladega Sprint Cup Schedule:

Friday 2pm~ Practice
Friday 3:30pm~ Practice
Saturday 11:30am~ Qualifying
Sunday 1pm~ Aaron's 499

This track has the reputation of having "jaw-dropping" pure excitement, and I wouldn't bet against that happening again this week.

Next Race: April 30th~ Richmond International Speedway

Until next time~ "Let's go racin' boys!"-DW

Looking at the Samsung Mobile 500 through the Rear View Mirror!

2011-04-11T14:41:00.000-04:00

We knew going into the Samsung Mobile 500 that Matt Kenseth would be fast, but did anyone know he would dominate the way he did? I sure didn't! The only thing that concerned me about the Roush Fenway group racing in Texas was the fuel mileage. With the new FR9 engines, the Ford drivers are racing with much more power than those who are not; in return, they would burn more gas than the other drivers. The FR9 engines were averaging about 43-44 laps on fuel, while the others were averaging about 52-53 laps on fuel. Anyone who would read this stat would automatically think, the advantage would go to the non-Ford drivers, well not so fast my friend! Tires were probably the most important factor in this race behind the fuel. With Kenseth out front, the other drivers were forced to pit when he did, because they would be dramatically slower on older tires. Several times in this race when Kenseth came off pit road with 4 fresh tires, he would narrow the lead on the drivers who stayed out by about 2sec.'s in only 5 laps!

Is it safe to say that the Roush Fenway camp is back as the top racing team in NASCAR? It's sure looking like it! Kenseth's worst place finish after Daytona was P12. You can't get much better than that, when this year's new point system rewards the driver with the most consistency. But isn't it funny that the "Chase" started after Kenseth won his championship, because they wanted to reward the drivers who win, not just those who finish in the top-5 or top-10 week in and week out?

It's still too early to say that a Roush Fenway driver will win the Cup Series Championship this year, when we all know that it is important to be this productive through the entire NASCAR season. But my money is definitely on Matt Kenseth or Carl Edwards, if they continue to preform the way that they have.

If you have any questions or comments about any of my columns, please email me at nascareyes@gmail.com

My preview of the Aaron's 499 from Talladega will be posted on Thursday April 14th, 2011

Until next time~ "Let's go racin' boys!"- DW

All Eyes on the Samsung Mobile 500

2011-04-07T08:14:00.002-04:00

Many call these 1.5 mile tracks, "cookie-cutter" tracks. Between Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Texas, they all are very similar in several ways. Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has done a remarkable job with upgrading all of these facilities, and making the state of the art. Texas is one of those tracks that gives you the excitement of close racing, with the speed of a superspeedway.

I have never been shy from saying that I am a Matt Kenseth fan, however, my love for the sport of NASCAR is much greater. The Roush Fenway group has always done well at these tracks, which is smart cause they nearly make up a 1/3 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. But like in most cases with this sport, one can never count out the Hendrick camp.

I hope by doing these fantasy racing picks, I don't jinx any of the drivers. I have not done so well recently in my picks, but hopefully it changes this week. This has been a season like no other so far, and you can expect the very same for this week!

My Samsung Mobile 500 Fantasy Picks:

Target: Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Avoid: David Reutimann, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Ryan Newman

Analysis: Biffle led 224 laps last November and finished 5th, his fifth straight top-10 at TMS. Kurt Busch has raced far better than his finishes indicate. You might be surprised I mentioned "Junebug", well don't be, his first career cup win race came at this track; not to mention, his Crew Chief Steve Letarte, won 2009's TMS spring race with driver Jeff Gordon, ending his losing streak at this track!

Bargain: Paul Menard got his first career top-10 at the track last November. Texas is Bobby Labonte's home state, giving him added motivation to do better.

This Week's Texas Motor Speedway Schedule for the SCS:

Thursday 5pm ~ Practice

Friday 3pm ~ Practice

Friday 6:30pm ~ Qualifying

Saturday 7pm ~ Samsung Mobile 500

**All times are EST**

Also don't forget, next week the boys return to Talladega, so expect the unexpected!

Enjoy Texas this week, it's sure to be exciting under the lights, Saturday night style!

Until next time~ "Let's go racin' boys!" - DW

All Eyes on the Goody's Fast Relief 500

2011-03-31T21:52:00.000-04:00

This week is always one that I mark on my calendar with. Martinsville continues to prove to be a track that is too tough to pass, gain position, and stay out of trouble! You would think, with me being a Matt Kenseth fan, that this would be the last track I would love, but you're wrong! Last year really put the icing on the cake for me. Kenseth had stayed out of trouble the entire race, which seems to be unusual when mentioning Martinsville, and moved his way to the front by the end of the race. Something told me I was about to see something from Kenseth that I have never seen before. Kenseth was in P4, and attempted to gain the final 3 positions in the closing laps. Keep in mind he did this all in one move. The cars seemed to part like the red sea, opening right when the 17 car began to make his move, and closing right after he completed this aggressive move! With only 2 laps left, Kenseth was in P1 at the Martinsville Speedway, and I was just praying, "Hold on Kenseth, just hold on!" Then this dream of my driver possibly winning the race, that I would not have ever imagined winning, quickly took a turn for the worst. Gordon bumped him just enough to make him loose, putting him up in the wall, and finishing in the back of the pack. This kind of excitement took place all within about a half a lap. If this doesn't tell you what you will see this Sunday, I don't know what will!

Here are my fantasy picks for this week:

Target: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton

Avoid: Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Kasey Khane

Analysis: Has Jimmie Johnson started to lose his grip? He led no laps in 2010 at the Martinsville Speedway. Jeff Burton led 274 laps last year, but had a best finish of 9th. Kurt Busch has not had a top-10 at this track since 2005. Even though Matt Kenseth came close last year, I wouldn't be to sold on how he will perform this week!

Bargain: Paul Menard finished in the top-15 in both races last year, and David Ragan had two top-20's last year.

Schedule for this weekend:

Fri 12:30pm ~ Practice

Fri 3:30pm ~ Practice

Sat 12pm ~ Qualifying

Sun 1pm ~ Goody's Relief 500

*All times are EST*

This has the setup of being another great race at the legendary Martinsville Speedway!

Until next time, "Let's go racing boys!" - DW

All Eyes on the Auto Club 400

2011-03-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

all images courtesy of nascar.com

Fontana has always been, and will continue to always be a racetrack that you either love, or hate. It's a unique track with 14 degree bankings through the turns, and 11 degree bankings through the front stretch. If you are a Roush Fenway Racing fan, like myself, this is one of those races you can't help but look forward to. My favorite memory of this race, came in 2009. Matt Kenseth came off his very first, and RFR's first, Daytona 500 win just before winning again in Fontana.

Once again, I expect some great racing, like we have seen all season thus far. I have a few predictions this week, but as you may know, I haven't been doing great so far.

Auto Club 400 Fantasy Picks:

Target these drivers in your lineup: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Gordon

Avoid these drivers in your lineup: Dale Earnhardt Jr. AJ Allmendinger, and Martin Truex Jr.

Analysis: Jimmie Johnson has led 551 laps in the last 5 Fontana races, winning three. Matt Kenseth has and average finish of 7.7 over the last 10 races there.

Bargain: Regan Smith finished 12th in the October 2010 race, his best finish of the season. Red Bull is strong on the 2-milers. Give Brian Vickers or Kasey Khane a whirl too.

Schedule: Fri 3pm ~ Practice

Fri 7pm ~ Qualifying

Sat 2:30pm ~ Practice

Sun 2:30pm ~ Auto Club 400

All times EST

Until next time, "Let's go racin' boys!" -DW

All Eyes on the KOBALT TOOLS 400

2011-03-03T20:13:00.000-05:00

all images courtesy of NASCAR.com

As we look onto the KOBALT TOOLS 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, there are a couple things I think we can look forward too. This is just the beginning of the "1.5mile" tracks that make up the majority of the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. The Roush Fenway Ford's have been very good at these tracks, but so has RCR, and Hendrick Motorsports. The question will still remain, who will emerge as the victor on Sunday?

I have my list of drivers who I think you all should really watch out for this weekend. These drivers have had a history of success at LVMS, while the drivers I have on my "must avoid" list, have not.

Target for your fantasy racing teams: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Burton

Must avoid for your fantasy racing teams: Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, and Brian Vickers

Analysis: Jimmie Johnson's four career wins are most among Cup drivers at LVMS. Jeff Gordon led 219 laps last year, before being outfoxed by Johnson for the win. Biffle is a near-constant in the top 10, as Matt Kenseth is also.

But don't overlook drivers like Kyle Busch, Kasey Khane, Juan Pablo Montoya, or Mark Martin

My favorite to win: This driver was fastest in all practices, and is starting from the pole position, this driver is no other than Matt Kenseth :)

These 1.5mile tracks have proved to be full of excitement in the past, let's just hope that it continues again this week.

Until next time, remember... "Let's go racin' boys!"- DW

Looking at the Daytona 500 Through the Rear View Mirror..

2011-02-20T20:31:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of NASCAR.com

This was by far the best Daytona 500, I have ever witnessed! It was a Cinderella ending for the Wood Brothers, and the slipper fit Trevor Bayne! One day after turning 20yrs old, he wins the greatest race of them all, that very few drivers ever have a chance to win. Wood Brothers Racing deserves this win. They have been in the sport longer than anyone else, and they have been faithful to their car manufacturer Ford.

Not only was this a great win for the Wood Brothers, but what a win for the Ford Motor Company! This makes 3 races in a row that Ford has won, and they finished 1,2,3 yesterday in the 500. For those who wrote off Ford over the past few seasons, might just be eating their words right about now. I believe this is a resurgence for Ford Racing, and it's let by Jack Roush, and the Wood Brothers (who are partners with Roush Fenway Racing).

The entire race yesterday was pretty exciting, unless you had a driver

in the lap 29 "Big One." As a personal fan of Matt Kenseth, it was tough the entire race watching him struggle after barely getting tagged in that fiasco. It seems as if once he had his hard hit towards the latter part of the race, I almost felt better, that I could actually pull for a driver still in the hunt. I was pulling originally for the David Ragan/Trevor Bayne combo, cause I thought "What a great story this would be for Ragan, and Bayne?" When David messed up on the restart, I immediately began to think, "Bayne won't have anyone now!" and as soon as I thought that, the veteran Bobby Labonte gave Bayne the biggest push of his life!

Speedweeks turned out to be a success for not only Daytona International Speedway, but also NASCAR. I am waiting to hear the viewing numbers, but I believe that this race might have brought "that spark" back to NASCAR. The 2011 Racing schedule has changed this year, than in previous years. We go onto Phoenix next week and then onto Las Vegas!

My next blog post: Previewing the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix, AZ

Until next time- "Let's Go Racin' Boys!"- DW

All Eyes on the Daytona 500

2011-02-19T16:19:00.000-05:00

As we look back on the Gatorade Duels, some will be eager at the thought of the new style of racing, and others disappointed. Tony Stewart said it best in the media center yesterday, "It's up to the media on how they portray this racing for the fans to have a favorable view." Stewart has a point, the media often acts like the funnel of information, and they may only tell us what we want to hear. We should all have a positive outlook on this new style of racing, cause I have a feeling that it is here to stay at restrictor plate races. This 2x2, or "noah's ark" racing, has made the drivers put forth more effort than ever before. Drivers were complaining of tired muscles in their arms after 150 miles than they ever had before. If you watched the 1st Gatorade Duel and compared it to the 2nd, it was quite obvious which one was better. The drivers that went out first, did not have the luxury to watch, and observe, how the track responded in the daytime, with the new style of racing. The drivers that went out 2nd did, and it was obvious. With 43 cars on the track, I expect to see 10-15 rows of 3 wide, with the occasional 4-6 car breakaway up front. The key is to find your "dancing partner" and stick with him.

My Daytona 500 pick: Kevin Harvick- His car was really strong in all the practices, and the Gatorade Duel race. Granted Kenseth has a really fast car, and as a fan I would love to see him win, but Harvick is due for another. I wouldn't be shocked to see a Ford in victory lane, as the FR9 engines are really something else. No other engine could push as long and as hard as the Ford's, so definitely look for them to contend.

Tune into the SPEED channel for a 3-hr pre-race show starting at 9am est. Then switch over to FOX for "The Great American Race", the Daytona 500 at 12pm est.

Until next time "Let's go Racing Boys!" -DW

all images courtesy of nascar.com

Looking in the Rear View Mirror...

2011-02-17T20:42:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of Nascar.com

After watching both races today, I find myself asking the question, "Is this what I expected?" The answer to that question is simply NO!!! I believe NASCAR did make the correct changes in preparation for this weekends most cherished race, the Daytona 500. Granted cars were still going 200mph or even some going a hair over, it allowed more exciting side by side racing. I personally believe the whole point of the changes were to prevent drivers from staying bumper to bumper for long periods of time. One might have thought that the these powerful machines could have caused overheating, or other car issues. The new Ford engines (FR9), proved to be what they were hyped up to be, a very powerful engine. Even though a Ford did not win either of today's races, they dominated the entire day.

The driver that impressed me the most in the first duel, was Matt Kenseth. Early on in

the race it was evident that there was a need to find a drafting partner, to work your way up to the front. I am not sure if it was planned or not, but Kenseth stumbled upon Kevin Harvick. I found myself wondering early on how long could Kenseth continue to push Harvick's car, and keep it up front. Kenseth pushed Harvick for nearly 90% of the race without taking the lead. It was not until the last pit stop, that Kenseth took the lead. The Harvick/Kenseth duo was by far the strongest in the first race, but as we all know the strongest cars do not always win!

Kurt Busch won his 2nd race in less than a week. This #22 Shell machine has proven it has the "stuff" to be victorious this season. If you are a Kurt Busch fan, you have a lot to look forward to. Is it possible that Busch could go for the sweep, and win the Bud Shootout, the Gatorade Duel, and the Daytona 500? If I were you, I wouldn't count him out!

The 2nd duel race today was proven to be very intense, and exciting! If you wanted to see drivers not afraid to put their machines in places that probably wouldn't work, then this was the race for you. Countless numbers of time we witnessed drivers lining up 2x2 on either the high side, or the low side, but we really haven't seen drivers attempt to put their car's in the middle. This was very prevalent during the latter race. We saw drivers really use their teamates as drafting buddies, something we also haven't really seen before. Carl Edwards/Greg Biffle stayed together the entire race, along with Clint Bowyer/Jeff Burton. Jeff Gordon did hook up with Trevor Bayne, even though Bayne really didn't have any experience.

It was nice to see Burton win his first Gatorade Duel race. With this new style of racing, it seems like you just need to be in the right place at the right time! I was disappointed in the Toyota's today, thought I would see more umph!

The Daytona 500 looks to be a promising one, only a couple days away. After today's duel races, we can now say we have NASCAR racing everyday till the "Great American Race." The truck series square off tomorrow night, while the Nationwide Series kicks off on Saturday.

I will preview the Daytona 500 in tomorrow's blog post. But until next time, "Let's go racin' boys!" -DW

all images courtesy of Nascar.com

Next Up.. The Gatorade Duels

2011-02-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of NASCAR Media Group

After last Saturday night's Bud Shootout, NASCAR nation was split on whether they enjoyed the race or not. It was extremely different to see racing at Daytona the way we did! Cars were fast, some over the 200mph "magic number" NASCAR tends to use. I don't fault why NASCAR had to make the change, cause I know where they are coming from. If cars are only going to go in pairs of 2, with that kind of speed anything can happen. When there were only 24 cars in the field, we saw drivers attempting to put their machines in areas that wouldn't work. One instance is when Carl Edwards was attempting to squeeze his Ford Fusion through the middle, but ran out of room, leading to a decent size pileup. If NASCAR allowed the same equipment setup used last Saturday night for t

he Daytona 500, we would probably see some cars go airborne. NASCAR has shortened the size of the four holes on the restrictor plates by a slim 1/64th of an inch. Restrictor plates limit airflow in the carburetors and therefore reduce horsepower. The hole size on the plates had been 58/64th of an inch.

Now to focus on the Gatorade Duels. As time has gone on, it has been more and more difficult to determine the lineup for the Daytona 500 by the finish of these races. With the top 35 rule in place, I find myself having to just watch the broadcast to figure out which racing team will have an opportunity to race in the "Great American Race". The good thing, if you wanted to see more racing than last Saturday night, here is your opportunity. These races are 150 miles, and a chance to see which racing team has a tough car going into Sunday. Here are the starting lineups for the 2011 NASCAR Gatorade Duels from Daytona.

courtesy of daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Green Flag: 2pm est Thursday

Row 1:
1. No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet
2. No. 27 Paul Menard Menards/Peak Chevrolet

Row 2:
3. No. 39 Ryan Newman U.S.Army Chevrolet
4. No. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

Row 3:
5. No. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
6. No. 22 Kurt Busch Shell/Pennzoil Dodge

Row 4:
7. No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
8. No. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford

Row 5:
9. No. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
10. No. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet

Row 6:
11. No. 09 * Bill Elliott Phoenix Construction Chevrolet
12. No. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford

Row 7:
13. No. 87 * Joe Nemechek(i) AM FM Energy Toyota
14. No. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford

Row 8:
15. No. 36 * Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
16. No. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet

Row 9:
17. No. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
18. No. 47 Bobby Labonte Kroger/USO Toyota

Row 10:
19. No. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20. No. 97 * Kevin Conway(i) Extenze Toyota

Row 11:
21. No. 34 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
22. No. 66 * Michael McDowell HP Racing LLC Toyota

Row 12:
23. No. 46 * J J Yeley Red Line Oil Chevrolet
24. No. 71 Andy Lally Adobe Road Winery Chevrolet

Duel #2

Row 1:
1. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
2. 21 Trevor Bayne(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford

Row 2:
3. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
4. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet

Row 3:
5. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
6. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford

Row 4:
7. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
8. 38 * Travis Kvapil(i) Long John Silver's Ford

Row 5:
9. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
10. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge

Row 6:
11. 15 * Michael Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
12. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet

Row 7:
13. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
14. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota

Row 8:
15. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
16. 60 * Todd Bodine(i) Tire Kingdom/Valvoline Toyota

Row 9:
17. 13 * Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
18. 77 Steve Wallace(i) 5-hour Energy Toyota

Row 10:
19. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy Dodge
20. 32 * Terry Labonte U.S. Chrome Ford

Row 11:
21. 37 Robert Richardson Jr.(i) North Texas Pipe Ford
22. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota

Row 12:
23. 64 * Derrike Cope Sta-Bil Toyota
24. 92 * Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Dodge

It will definitely be an interesting Thursday in setting up for the greatest race of them all, the Daytona 500!

Tune in to the SPEED channel for all of the Gatorade Duel action! This is definitely one to watch!

My next blog post: Friday- Recapping the Gatorade Duels, and Previewing the Daytona 500!

Until next time- "Let's go racin' boys!" -DW

all images courtesy of nascar.com

Something To Hang Your Hat On...

2011-02-13T05:47:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of NASCAR Media Group

 WOW!!! All I can say is Wow!! The 2011 Sprint Cup Series Bud Shootout was clearly a shootout! We knew with the repaved surface, we would see great racin', but did anyone expect what we saw last night? As I wrote in my last post, expect to see the cars go 200+ mph going into the turns 3wide. I got that part right, but what I didn't get right was the 2x2 racing. I like to call it Noah's Ark racin'. This made it very exciting towards the end, cause one did not know which pair was going to be able to prevail, which then enticed the ending to be as grand as it was. 

 Now let's focus on the winner, Kurt Busch.. If you look back in the previous post setting up for this race, Kurt Busch was not even listed in my drivers to watch out for. If you are asking yourself why, it's because Kurt Busch had never won a restrictor plate race. I know there is always a first for everything, but Kurt winning shouldn't really be that shocking. Could it honestly be, that the chance of a new sponsor (Shell), a new car number (#22), gives Kurt a sense of a "new beginning", or was it just Daytona racing where anybody really has a shot to win? It is far to early to tell if he will be a contender, but don't ever count out Kurt Busch, especially with Steve Addington as Crew Chief. 

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has shown once again they have the equipment to challenge other race teams. When a team has the right equipment, and the right people in place to win championships, watch out! My early pick to really be a title contender out of this camp should be no surprise, Denny Hamlin. I admired what Hamlin said after the race, "I had to go under the line, cause if I didn't I know I would have sent the #39 airborne, going over 200mph that was just not safe, but I was trying to go for the win." This speaks volumes to me, for a driver of his caliber, able to make a decision that fast to risk losing the race, and not send a fellow driver airborne, is one that will win over a bunch of races in his career.

All in all a very exciting 2011 Budweiser Shootout! Today we got the Daytona 500 Qualifying set to begin on FOX at 1pm est.

Next Post: Wednesday- "Previewing the Gatorade Duels"

Until next time- "Let's go racing boys!" -DW

2011-02-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

"Tighten Up Your Seat Belts One More Time Shootout Style"

I can already hear it now, "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Let's go racin' boys!" The thrill and excitement of the Saturday night shootout has finally come upon us. Traditionally, the Bud Shootout has given us a preview of what could be for the beginning of this brand new season. One might add, it is very similar to the NFL's 4th preseason game, but just add tons more excitement as if it were a playoff game. For a long time Daytona International Speedway has been a fan favorite, and now with the track's newly repaved surface, watch out! You will see cars approach nearly 200+ mph coming off the backstretch 3wide!

I've got a list of drivers to watch for this weekend's Bud Shootout:

1.) Jamie McMurray- Defending Daytona 500 Champion

2.) Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Yes I said Dale! With Steve Letarte as CC.. this could be an interesting combo!

3.) Carl Edwards- Finally emerged the last 2 races in 2010, winning them both

4.) Jimmie Johnson- Can never count him out.. and I think you know why!

5.)Kevin Harvick- New sponsor, New paint Scheme, but the same ol' fearless attitude

Look for these drivers to emerge to the front going into the latter part of the race.

Tune in Saturday night on FOX 8pm est

Saturday night on MRN Radio 7pm est

-Until next time... LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!!!!

Finally... the 2011 NASCAR season is upon us!

2011-02-04T09:54:00.000-05:00

Most people say that the NASCAR season is way too long. I think I would have to agree when the month of October comes around. But the beauty of NASCAR, as soon as one starts to have that "itch" , it comes right back! Unlike the NFL, NBA, or even the MLB, NASCAR is truly a 24/7/365 sport! There is so much to look forward to this season. There have been some driver changes:

Kasey Kahne

We know that in 2012 Kasey Kahne will be driving for Rick Hendrick, but until then he was looking for a ride in the 2011 season. Mission accomplished. Kasey landed with Red Bull Racing and will drive the No. 4 car. He’ll be replacing Scott Speed and take over the former No. 82 car.

Brian Vickers
There won’t be any car changes for Brian, but he is expected to be healthy and recovered from the blood clots in time for the 2011 season. He’ll be given his old ride with Red Bull Racing and the No. 83 car.

Brad Keselowski
Brad is staying with Penske racing, but will now be in car No. 2. Also new to the No. 2 car will be crew chief Paul Wolfe. Paul was Brad’s Nationwide crew chief where they won the championship and had an amazing 26 top-five finishes.

Marcos Ambrose
Marcos has landed with the re-structured Richard Petty Motorsports for 2011. Marcos will be driving car No. 9 for The King. Stanley and DeWalt will serve as the primary sponsors for the No. 9 car.

Aric Almorila
Almorila will be focusing on the Nationwide Series in 2011 and not have a regular Cup ride…at least to start with. You never know what will happen though.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale isn’t changing teams, but Rick Hendrick is looking to give Dale a contract extension. Earnhardt’s current contract ends after the 2012 season. Hendrick said he wants Earnhardt to race for him until one of them retire. So much for the speculation that Earnhardt will bring his Nationwide team to the Cup Series and drive for his own team.

Paul Menard
Menard will drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2011, becoming the 4^th car that RCR will field. Paul signed a multi-year deal and will have Menards remain as his primary sponsor. His car number with be either 30 or 32.

Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch is staying with Penske racing, but will move to the No. 22 car and have AAA and Shell-Pennzoil as his primary sponsors.

J.J. Yeley
J.J. has signed with Whitney Motorsports for the 2011 season and will be driving car No. 46. Cash America International has signed on to be his sponsor for four races.

Dave Blaney
Blaney has agreed to drive the No. 36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 16 of the Cup races in 2011. No report of who the sponsors will be.

Trevor Bayne
The 19 year old Bayne will race for Wood Brothers in 2011. The team will attempt to run in 17 races this season. Bayne made his debut in Texas with the team last season finishing 17th. Motorcraft/Quick Lane is said to be the sponsors.

David Starr
Starr will attempt to qualify for six Cup races for Leavine Fenton racing in 2011. The car will be a Ford, No. 95.

Jamie McMurray
After a solid 2010 season McMurray now signed a multi-year deal with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. I haven’t seen any disclosures on the number of years or dollar amount.

Michael McDowell
McDowell, who may be best known for his horrific wreck at Texas in 2008 (You Tube link), signed with HP Racing (No, not HP the computer manufacturer). HP as in Randy Humphrey & Phil Parsons. McDowell will drive the No. 66 Toyota for the team in a select number of races.

Steve Wallace
Wallace, son of Rusty Wallace, will drive the No. 77 Toyota for Rusty Wallace Racing. Steve Wallace is guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 since Rusty Wallace Racing is partly owned by Roger Penske and the points earned by Sam Hornish Jr. in the 2010 season make the team an automatic qualifyer. Penske isn’t fielding a car for Hornish to start the season since they don’t have sponsorship lined up.

Bill Elliott
It seems that Awesome Bill can’t get away from racing.

If you were just wanting to know the sponsors and where they are now:

Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless was a sponsor for Brad Keselowski’s No. 12 car last season, but cannot be a NASCAR sponsor any longer due to the competition clause NASCAR has set up with Sprint. This will take anywhere from $12 to $17 million dollars out of a team’s hands. Verizon instead will spend the money in the IndyCar circuit. Verizon Wireless purchased Alltel in 2008, who you may remember was a long-time sponsor of Ryan Newman’s No. 12 car.

Shell-Pennzoil
Shell-Pennzoil is leaving Richard Childress Racing to go to Penske to be the primary sponsor on the No. 22 car as well as Penske’s IndyCars.

Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart would have been a huge shot in the arm for NASCAR. They were negotiating with Jeff Gordon during the 2010 season, but couldn’t reach an agreement and won’t be sponsoring Jeff in the 2011 season. NASCAR is still hopeful that a deal can be cut to make Wal-Mart the exclusive mass retailer for the sport.

DuPont
We all associate DuPont with Jeff Gordon as they’ve been together since Gordon started in 1992, but DuPont’s contract was up after the 2010 season and it doesn’t look like they’ll be the primary sponsor for Gordon in 2011. They may stay on as an associate sponsor though. Right now it doesn’t look like Jeff as a primary sponsor.

Quaker State
Mark Martin will have Quaker State on his hood as well as under it for five races in the 2011 season. The associate sponsor will take the primary role for five races in 2011 for Mark Martin.

AAA
AAA has signed a multi-year extension with Penske racing beginning in 2011. They will be the primary sponsor in three races for the No. 22 car to be driven by Kurt Busch.

Best Buy
Best Buy has renewed their sponsorship with A.J. Allmendinger and the No. 43 RPM car for 2011. They will be the primary sponsor for 24 Cup races and two non-point races (Duels at Daytona and All-Start race). Best Buy will also be an associate sponsor for RPM’s No. 9 car driven by Marcos Ambrose.

Valvoline, U.S. Air Force, WIX Filters, Reynolds and Paralyzed Veterans of America
All of these organizations have signed deals to sponsor A.J. Allmendinger’s No. 43 car for the 12 races that Best Buy will not be the primary sponsor in 2011.

Stanley & DeWalt
Both comanies will be primary sponsors for the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 9 Ford Fusion driven by Marcos Ambrose in the 2011 season. DeWalt’s deal was for two years, so they’ll be sponsoring the No. 9 car in 2012 as well.

Budweiser
Bud will sponsor Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 car for the 2011 season.

Courteous of http://blog.chadsfantasynascar.com/2011/01/02/2011-nascar-sponsor-and-driver-changes/

I don't know about you, but finally we can say the 2011 NASCAR season is upon us, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Is Indy really that big of a deal in NASCAR?

2010-07-20T17:02:00.000-04:00

Yes-
No matter what you race, open-wheel cars, stock cars or Pinewood Derby cars, getting a checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a big deal.
Obviously, the Daytona 500 is first on the list because it's tied to the birth of stock-car racing and we've heard it referred to over and over as the "Super Bowl" of NASCAR. For me, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte also is on that list, as is the night race at Bristol and this week's race at Indianapolis.
In my mind, there are two things that make an event a "major." You have to have history and a winner's list that looks like a Hall of Fame ballot. Obviously, we don't need to debate the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While most of it isn't NASCAR history, a good deal of the history of racing in America is tied to Indianapolis. That's history.
Wanna talk recent NASCAR history, check out the list of drivers who have taken a stock-car to Victory Lane at the Brickyard: Earnhardt, Gordon, Stewart, Jarrett, Rudd, Labonte, Elliott, Harvick and Johnson.
Find me a name in there that won't be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame someday.
NO-
Ahhh, the Brickyard. It's time for NASCAR's annual to visit to the track that has a start/finish line made of bricks, the Pagoda, and more history than any other track on the NASCAR schedule.
Yet, I don't think fans consider this a "must-see" race, and I don't believe drivers look at this race differently than any other.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a historical landmark -- no one questions that. Indy is auto racing -- but it's not NASCAR.
IMS is open-wheel, it's the Indianapolis 500, and that's why this track never will be among the greatest in NASCAR. If a list was made of the 20 biggest moments in Indy history -- there would be no mention of NASCAR.
With just 16 races at the famed Speedway, it's among the newest tracks on the schedule. Sure, there have been some dramatic finishes at the Brickyard, but it doesn't hold the same regard among fans and drivers as Daytona, Darlington, Charlotte or Bristol.
Then there is the racing. Indy hosted some fantastic racing when it first came onto the NASCAR scene, but lately the races have been largely unforgettable, sans the tire debacle in 2008. Half of the past 10 races have been won by more than a second.
For guys like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, Midwest guys who grew up around the mystique of Indy, it's a big race. But for a majority of the garage and the fans watching on TV, Indy is just one of 36, nothing more, nothing less.

Pick Kyle Busch, Kasey Khane For Fantasy This Week!

2010-05-26T15:48:00.000-04:00

There is saying in business that states "success predicts success." During the past several weeks, this saying has applied to racing as well, on tracks like Dover and Darlington, that featured drivers with long streaks of top-fives and top-10s. Unfortunately, the formula for success on the similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks is not quite as simple.
Charlotte- Coke 600-

My Fantasy Picks this week are-
With more than one-third of NASCAR's races held on "cookie-cutter" 1.5- and 2-mile unrestricted, intermediate speedways, teams spend the majority of their energy trying to find the perfect setup for this track type and that insures parity is at its peak on race courses like Charlotte Motor Speedway. To contend for the championship, organizations have to be strong on short tracks, road courses, and flat tracks, as well as lucky and good on the restrictor-plate superspeedways, but up-and-coming teams can put their energy where it is best served.
For that reason, one dark horse or another always seems to run well on the "cookie-cutter" courses. Instead of being one of the most predictable tracks types with reams of data at your disposal, finding the elusive Cinderella to fit your glass slipper is tricky. To further complicate the matter at Charlotte, several races in the past three years have seen their finishing results altered by rain or fuel mileage gambits, which caused dominant drivers to slip outside of the top 10.
Even with last year's Coca-Cola 600 being shortened by rain just before a green flag cycle of pit stops were about to take place, four drivers managed to sweep the top 10. In 2008, five drivers swept the top-10, but that was the greatest number of repeat top-10 finishers during a season since 2004, and it is a large part of the reason why only two drivers enter the weekend with more than two consecutive results of 10th or better.
Because "success predicts success," you should treat Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne as favorites this week. Both of these drivers enter the weekend with five-race top-10 streaks at Charlotte.
Coming off a victory at Dover, Busch is the hottest driver on the circuit for the moment. This year, he has the right mixture of speed and consistency with two wins in his past three Cup starts and an active six-race top-10 streak. During the season, he's only failed to crack the top 15 twice and that suggests that the downside of starting him is almost non-existent. The only concern is that Busch can be hard on equipment and 600 miles is a long race, but in 2008 he finished third and did not have nearly as much momentum then as he does now.

Kahne has suffered through an up-and-down season so far with only three top-10s in the first 12 races. His past four attempts have ended in mediocre 20-something results, but Charlotte has long been a place he comes to for relief. After Jimmie Johnson spent two years dominating Victory Lane by sweeping 2004 and 2005, Kahne picked up the mantle and won both races of 2006. He momentarily stumbled in 2007 in a topsy-turvy race decided by fuel mileage and then started his current five-race top-10 streak in fall of that year. He added one more victory in the 2008 Coca-Cola 600 and has finished first, second, or third in all but one of his past four Charlotte attempts. His recent spate of bad luck might keep him from Victory Lane this week, but he should be a lock to earn another top-10.
Certainly, you can't come to Charlotte without considering Johnson a favorite. From 2003 through 2006, he won five races and never finished worse than third in eight attempts. Since then, he's earned only one more top-five, but that tells only half the story. That top-five was a victory last fall and without the unwanted intervention of Mother Nature in the Coca-Cola 600, he might very well have swept Victory Lane for the third time in his career. His luck has been abysmal in recent weeks, but there is no way the team will stay down for long.
Dark Horses
Sleepers can be tricky to identify on the similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks -- just ask all the drivers who finished behind David Reutimann last year in this race. If you back the right horse, however, they can give you a ride to the top of your league. One might be tempted to discount Joey Logano's ninth-place finish in this race last year because of the rain that altered the ending, but there was no such caveat in the fall when he finished fifth with a car capable of winning. Logano is one of the most patient drivers in the field -- which is a counter intuitive statement to make about a driver who just recently passed his 20th birthday -- and a 600-mile race fits into his comfort zone.
Casey Mears is another driver who might very well catch your competition by surprise. With Brian Vickers leading the way, the Red Bull team has always been strong on the similarly-configured, 1.5- and 2-mile tracks and Mears has his own history of success. Last fall, he drove his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to sixth in the NASCAR Banking 500 and he will be in equally strong equipment this week. He will also be highly motivated to run well in a car that is expected to finish among the leaders.
Underdogs
After getting off to such a strong start with seven top-10s in the first eight races of 2010, Biffle has hit a bump in the road and earned only one more quality finish in his past four attempts. The good news is that was a sixth last week at Dover, which gives him a little momentum entering the weekend. Better still, dating back to last fall's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta, he's finished 16th or better in seven consecutive races on the similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks with all but one of these results as a top-10. On this track type, Charlotte was practically the only place he struggled last year, but in 2008 he was one of a handful of drivers who swept the top 10.
Scott Speed could be a true underdog this week. With Vickers on the sideline due to blood clots, this is his opportunity to show that he can be the primary driver at Red Bull Racing and the "cookie-cutters" are a good place for him to do precisely that. He's been consistent on this track type in 2010 with occasional flashes of brilliance. Last fall at Texas, he finished 18th and this year in three races at Las Vegas, Texas, and Atlanta he hasn't finished worse than 22nd. That gives him an average finish of 16.5 in his past four "cookie-cutter" races, and with a little luck, he could match his 10th-place result from the Kobalt Tools 500.
(Research from www.thatsracin.com)