eWallstreeter

Helio Castroneves would give up sex for a year if he could win another Indy 500

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:49 EDT

Helio Castroneves has won three Indy 500s. And come this Sunday, he wants another. Bad. Reeeeeal bad. On Thursday, Castroneves told a local radio show that he'd give up sex for an entire year to win Indy one more time. Castroneves asked whether the restriction was only on his girlfriend, or if he could play the hypothetical field in this hypothetical question that probably got him in a bit of real trouble, and was told, nope, everyone's off limits. “I would not give up Indy, my friend, I’ll tell you that,” he added. “I think I can handle one year without sex because Indy is Indy.” Yes, this is a hypothetical question. Very much so. Who would orchestrate such a trade? What would they have to offer the other drivers? How would Helio be tracked? The mind boggles. Castroneves is one of the co-favorites to win at 7-1, along with Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti and Ed Carpenter. Both Castroneves and Dario Franchitti are seeking a record-tying fourth Indy 500 win. -Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee for updates all weekend live from Indy.-

Happy Hour: Your suggestions for the All-Star Race

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:02:21 EDT

Throughout the week you can send us your best questions, jokes, rants and just plain miscellaneous thoughts to happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com or @NickBromberg. We'll post them here, have a good time and everyone's happy. Right? Oh who are we kidding, this is NASCAR. No one is ever happy. Saturday's All-Star race was the most popular (non-NRA division) topic in my email inbox this week. Let's start with the format suggestions first. After last night's snoozefest of an All Star Race, I decided to try and fix it with a new format. I know the race is suppose to be no points, no pressure, just pure fun but why not make each segment be worth a few points. It would put an emphasis on winning a race during the calendar year to be automatically locked into the event and it would make the showdown even more important to get one of those top two spots. Showdown- Top 2 Advance. No Fan Vote All Star Race: - Segments 1-4 would be 20 laps long with 2 bonus points awarded to the winner. - Average finish will dictate pitting order of Segment 5 (any strategies go) - Final Segment- 10-15 laps to decide the finish with a million dollars and 5 bonus points. - The bonus points are not for the CHASE just the drivers current total. Just a thought. - Jack. Nick -- OK, here's my proposal for the All Star Race. Four heats, 10 drivers each, so everyone in the top 40 in the standings gets a chance to race in. Maybe it will keep the S&Ps interested a few laps more each race. Top four from each heat makes the final, with all 12 drivers currently eligible for the Chase also seeded. This year that would have been Johnson, Edwards, Kenseth, Junior, Bowyer, Kahne, Keslowski, Kyle, Armirola, Harvick, PFM and Gordon. Any of those drivers who don't finish in the top four in their heat still make the field, so it can be larger than 16 cars if necessary. Then: Fifty lap final. Spin a wheel to invert the start. Maybe the Most Popular Driver can do those honors. Yellow flag laps don't count. No pitting under yellow, except to repair damage. Which means a team can replace a blown tire, but not change all four. This means each team must make one green-flag stop at any time they choose. So there's some fuel and tire strategy, too. Finally: Hold it at Rockingham. -Randy Nick, As a casual fan of NASCAR, I have enjoyed both the racing as well as the commentaries posted by you and by others. One thing that just might make the all star race a lot less boring is a required staggered 4 tire change pit stop, Make the final segment something like 30 to 35 laps. After about 5 laps, cars will be required to come to pit road, one car per lap. This could be based on average place after the first 4 segments, or a random draw. Just like in qualifying, there would be no pit road speed limit. Each team could have their own pit, or they could all be required to use the same pit, possibly in the center of pit road for better viewing by the fans. Such an arrangement would mean that the field would get spread out from lap 5 thru lap 25 or so, then all the cars would be on the same basis for the sprint to the finish. This would make all but the first few laps a whole lot more entertaining for everyone. -Al I like the idea of not making the final pit stop mandatory, and I like the idea of heat races. What would be wrong with two heats of 11 and two heats of 10 (42 cars were entered in the race) seeded based on current points standings and then we go from there? More than likely the top teams would still make the finals, but we'd have the potential for an upset or two. Or, if we wanted to keep the current qualifying format, then all 42 cars could participate in the three lap plus pit stop process and the field could be seeded into heats based off of that. However, I'm not sure about getting points involved with the All-Star Race. We've seen how stupid it is that the MLB All-Star Game determines homefield advantage in the World Series. But because NASCAR drivers are racing against each other every week, there's no real comparison to another league. Thoughts on that? _____________________ I find it truly amusing that such a fuss has been made about Danica Patrick being voted into the All Star race. The fan vote was not implemented to get her into the race, it was to get Jr. into the race. During the years that Jr. was running middle of the pack and not finishing much higher on average than Danica, he needed the fan vote to make the race. He had better equipment than she does and had way ...

Coca-Cola 600 From Charlotte Starting Lineup

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:59:25 EDT

Denny Hamlin won the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte with a time of 27.604 seconds. Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Clint Bowyer round out the top five starting positions. The only driver who did not make the event was Mike Bliss. The event will be live on FOX at 6 PM EST. Pos # Driver Team Time 1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 27.604 2 78 Kurt Busch Furniture Row Racing / Sealy Chevrolet 27.661 3 20 Matt Kenseth Home Depot / Husky Toyota 27.679 4 55 Mark Martin Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 27.750 5 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 27.763 6 5 Kasey Kahne Time Warner Cable Chevrolet 27.785 7 16 Greg Biffle Fastenal Ford 27.801 8 18 Kyle Busch M&M’sRed-White-BlueM-ProveAmer. Toyota 27.842 9 1 Jamie McMurray Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet 27.879 10 39 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 27.887 11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevrolet 27.915 12 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet 27.937 13 99 Carl Ed...

Denny Hamlin on pole for Coca-Cola 600

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:32:36 EDT

Denny Hamlin knocked Kurt Busch off the provisional pole and will lead the field to green in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was looking like it'd be Busch's third straight pole after he won the pole at Darlington and for the All-Star Race on Saturday, but Hamlin bested Busch and broke Busch's then-new track record with a lap of 195.624 MPH. The 600 will be Hamlin's second points race since returning from a back injury that sidelined him for five races. Hamlin's teammate Matt Kenseth starts third, Mark Martin is fourth and Clint Bowyer starts fifth, meaning that Toyotas have four of the top five spots. Kyle Busch, the driver of the other Joe Gibbs Racing car, was no slacker himself, qualifying eighth. . Jimmie Johnson, winner of the All-Star Race, starts 12th. Mike Bliss was the only driver to fail to qualify.

Denny Hamlin wins pole for Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:31:30 EDT

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hamlin set a new track record at 195.6 mph, seven other drivers also topped the previous track record. He will lead a field of 43 cars to the green flag in the twelfth race of the Sprint Cup season. Kasey Kahne won last years race, he will start sixth in Sunday’s race. Only one car failed to qualify for the race,the No. 19 of Mike Bliss who lost out due to provisionals. Starting Lineup for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Denny Hamlin Kurt Busch Matt Kenseth Mark Martin Clint Bowyer Kasey Kahne Greg Biffle Kyle Busch Jamie McMurray Ryan Newman Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jimmie Johnson Carl Edwards Jeff Gordon Kevin Harvick Juan Pablo Montoya Martin Truex Jr. Aric Almirola Marcos Ambrose Brad Keselowski Casey Mears Paul Menard J.J. Yeley Danica Patrick Tony Stewart David Gilliland Jeff Burton Travis Kvapil Trevor Bayne Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Joey Logano Michael McDowell Dave Blaney Bobby Labonte David Rag...

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Form Athletic Apparel Partnership with C9 by Champion

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:13 EDT

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) announces a multi-year partnership with C9 by Champion, Target’s exclusive brand of performance activewear, to become the official athletic apparel provider to all six of the organization’s race teams across the NASCAR, INDYCAR and GRAND-AM series. The performance collection will be worn for working out in the gym and training for race days. The lifestyle pieces will be worn by drivers, crew and executive staff at the track. The program launches over Memorial Day weekend with the Indianapolis 500 (IZOD IndyCar Series), the Coke 600 (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – NSCS) and the History 300 (NASCAR Nationwide Series – NNS), one of the biggest weekends on the racing calendar. In addition, the C9 by Champion branding will be carried on multiple assets across all six teams and eight drivers, including race cars, team transporters, firesuits and team gear. Notes of Interest: · Performance is Paramount: The C9 by Champion performance collection includ...

Earnhardt Jr to run camo scheme for Coca-Cola 600 (photos)

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:09 EDT

Dale Earnhardt Jr and his sponsor the National Guard will continue to honor those who have served when the veteran driver gets behind the wheel of his No. 88 Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt will have a camouflage car this Sunday for the running of the Coca-Cola 600. Prior to the race five soldiers from the North Carolina National Guard will be on hand to help push the car to the starting grid prior to the race. Currently Earnhardt ranks 4th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver standings accumulating three finishes inside the top-five in 11 starts. Earnhardt Jr. has never won a points race at Charlotte and it has proven to be one of his tougher tracks. In 26 career starts he has just 5 top-five finishes and 11 finishes inside the top-ten.

LIVE CHAT: Join us for the Indianapolis 500

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:52:20 EDT

It's the greatest spectacle in racing and we're live-chatting it. Join us at 11:45 AM ET on Sunday for the 97th Indianapolis 500. There may even be a special appearance by one Jay Busbee, who is rumored to be in Indianapolis for the race. We'll see you then! Indianapolis 500

LIVE CHAT: Join us for the Grand Prix of Monaco

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:49:20 EDT

A From the Marbles first! We're attempting the chat triple this year, and first up is the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco Sunday at 7:45 AM ET. Grab your coffee and join us as we gaze in envy at the people sunbathing on the multi-million dollar yachts while watching the race. Monaco Grand Prix

Why does the Indy 500 run for 500 miles?

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:11 EDT

It's almost time for the greatest day in racing, three races that run from dawn to well after dusk. The centerpiece of the day is the Indy 500, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and one of the most famous sporting events in the world. Here, we answer a few of your pressing Indy 500 questions. See you Sunday from the track! The "500" in racing is a sacred number, as immutable as the 100 yards in football. In olden days, it was a test of drivers' nerve and cars' engineering; the odds were good that either man or machine couldn't go the distance. Now, though, both drivers and cars can sustain a 500-mile race. But how did we get to 500 miles in the first place? The number dates back to 1911, when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway head Carl Fisher decided to have one major race, not a series of smaller ones. The idea was to have a race that would last the entire day. (Back in 1911, people hadn't had their attention spans demolished by their smartphones and video games, you know.) The race was slated to run from mid-morning to sundown. Cars averaged about 70 miles an hour back then, so with a projected seven-hour window, 500 miles was a nice round number. The track remains the same 2.5-mile, nine-degree-banked layout that it was the day it opened. The first winner, Ray Harroun, completed the race in six hours, 42 minutes and eight seconds, an average speed of just under 75 mph. For comparison's sake, last year's winner, Dario Franchitti, was more than twice as fast, finishing the race in 2:58:51, or 167.7 mph. As for that famous tradition of drinking milk? That dates to the 1930s, when winner Louis Meyer regularly requested buttermilk. A local photographer captured the scene, the Indiana Dairy Council apparently spotted an opportunity, and a tradition was yanked into existence. Winners now get their choice of whole, two percent or skim ... well chilled. -For coverage straight from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-

CUP: Patrick Refuses To Be Danica Downer

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

Danica Patrick has finished 25th or worse in nine of 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season…

Warped Wednesday: Hall voters unanimously elect Jimmie Johnson pending future retirement

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:39:47 EDT

Welcome to Warped Wednesday. On this, we'll put out the rush to judgment mat, go a little too far and have a little fun. Will it be funny? Sometimes. Will it be crazy and largely unbelievable? Probably. Will not everyone get it? Definitely. Just days after his dominating win in the final segment of the Sprint All-Star Race, the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel made a statement about Johnson's NASCAR prowess during Wednesday's Hall of Fame voting. The panel, led by a prominent NASCAR figure who shall remain nameless because of the secret nature of the vote, petitioned NASCAR officials to hold a vote on Johnson's election today. The panel argued that there is no better time to acknowledge Johnson's dominance than while he was currently driving. Also, the election of Johnson now saves the panel time down the road after Johnson's retirement. While Johnson has no plans of retiring anytime soon, any future Hall vote would be a formality, so this was simply a move to go through the motions and get the voting process over with. Unlike Richard Petty and Dale Inman, Chad Knaus' Hall induction is also tied to Johnson's. (Inman was elected after Petty.) That was the day's lengthiest discussion, but it was ultimately decided that it'd be most appropriate that Knaus be inducted with Johnson. But those two decisions aren't the most controversial. That distinction belongs to the contentious decision to allow Johnson and Knaus to skip the post-retirement waiting period. After three hours of debate, involving lots of screaming, cursing and enough flying spittle from those shouts to fill up a five gallon bucket, the panel voted 28-27 to induct Knaus and Johnson into the Hall of Fame immediately following their last race. Yes, there will be a separate Hall of Fame Lane set up next to victory lane for the induction ceremonies. The panel also voted to not let the Fox graphic before the All-Star Race final segment anywhere near the Hall of Fame. A grassroots movement to create the NASCAR Hall of Shame formed, where the graphic and broken parts would live, but it didn't gain enough traction to be seriously considered.

Chrome Horn Episode 13: Sprint All-Star Race

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:09:53 EDT

Another new Chrome Horn! And it's the All-Star edition. Join myself and Geoffrey Miller as we talk all things, well, all things. Got any questions for us to use in the mailbag or the podcast? Hit us at HappyHourMailbag@Yahoo.com. Click here to download the podcast or here to listen to in your browser. And we're now on iTunes! Find us in the Podcast section right here and subscribe. Listen!

Maurice Petty On Being Elected To NASCAR Hall Of Fame

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:07:49 EDT

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Jarrett, Maurice Petty enter NASCAR HOF

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:00:27 EDT

NASCAR honored members of its royal families with inductions into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

NASCAR announces class of 2014 Hall Of Fame Inductees

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:59:58 EDT

NASCAR announced the five person group on Wednesday evening that will make up the 2014 Hall Of Fame class. The list includes Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett, Maurice Petty and Fireball Roberts. The voting committee was comprised of 54 members and included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders and a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com * which counted for the 55th and final vote. Flock was a two time premier series champion. In 187 starts, he had 39 victories, a total [...]

Patrick staying positive amid struggles on track

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:52:16 EDT

Danica Patrick refuses to get down on herself even though her first full season on the Sprint Cup series has been a struggle.

Opinion: How To Spice Up The All-Star Race In 2014

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:21:05 EDT

Photo Credit: Sicknissified.com By: Toby Christie – Follow on twitter @tobalical NASCAR came up with the 2013 format for the Sprint All-Star Race with all intentions of spicing the competition up after things fell flat in 2012. However days after the race, many are still grumbling that the new format, which placed emphasis on running well in every segment, didn’t bring excitement back to the race that we all have aligned in our minds with such great moments as “The Pass In The Grass” the time that Rusty spun Darrell and of course “One Hot Night”. So how do we spice the race back up to epic status? Personally, I like Bruton Smith’s $1 million bonus, but in order to have it cause spectacular moments it can’t be eliminated from consideration after segment two like was the case Saturday night. How about this: after three segments you take the average running order of the field, just like they did Saturday after segment four, but this time they invert the top-15 on that list for the four...

Michael Annett cleared to race at Charlotte for History 300

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:41:09 EDT

Michael Annett, driver of the No.43 Pilot/Flying J Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is returning to his race car this weekend at Charlotte after being sidelined for the past eight races. Annett, who drives [...]

Power Rankings: All-Star dream destinations

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:29:42 EDT

It's time for Power Rankings! After every race, we opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. But this week, it's different! The All-Star Race wasn't for points, so there's no point (pun!) in ranking the Sprint Cup field again. Besides we'd just put Jimmie Johnson back at the top. Instead, let's stick with the All-Star theme. There's been some fantastic fodder for Happy Hour in the email inbox this week; people are incredibly passionate about the All-Star Race. So what if the All-Star Race was going to go to another track? Where would it go? Let's answer that question. P.S. -- We're inverting the field this week. Why? Because we can. And we're dreaming big, too. 12. Rockingham: Let's start off with a fan favorite. Rockingham has produced some great racing since the Truck Series has returned to it, and given the multiple grooves through the corners and the tire wear, there would be no shortage of side-by-side racing. Of course, the size of the grandstands and the accessibility to the track would be a drawback, but this is a dream list, right? Let's not worry about stuff like that. 11. Texas World Speedway: The last NASCAR race at TWS was in 1981, but the two-mile track has been a testing site for some teams. It's got steeper banking than Michigan and older pavement, plus a road course if the oval (where Greg Biffle hit 218 in 2009) is too fast. 10. Daytona Road Course: If you're looking for a great test of both driver and car, you can't go wrong with the Daytona Road Course. Drivers would have to be able to navigate the road course turns in the Daytona infield with aplomb, hit the chicane on the backstretch perfectly, and then hope they have enough horsepower to pull away from the field through turns three and four and the tri-oval. Sounds fun, don't you think? 9. O'Reilly Raceway Park: The Nationwide Series should never have left this short track for the Brickyard, so the Cup Series should come back, if only for an exhibition race. How cool would it be to see half the field in the preferred high groove and half the field diving down as low as possible to attempt a slide job at the beginning of the final 10 lap sprint? 8. Talladega: Yes, anything can happen at Talladega, and it usually does. And yes, Talladega is on here because of its popularity amongst the NASCAR fanbase. Can you imagine the infield All-Star parties? That being said, is a restrictor plate track really the best venue? 7. Circuit of the Americas: Catch any of the V-8 Supercars race on Sunday at Austin? The Circuit of the Americas would be a fine host and the mad dash into the tight left-hand turn one after the field storms up the hill on a restart would be a hold-your-breath moment. 6. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: The track that's produced some of the most compelling Nationwide Series races in recent memory is unfortunately not on the schedule any longer. And given how awesome those races were, can you imagine watching a Cup race there? If this were to happen, there'd have to be a way to guarantee Robby Gordon's inclusion. 5. Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond: The current Cup Series short tracks are all here because each of them would make fine venues for an All-Star Race. But like Talladega, do we really want to see three races a year at each track? Because there's no way we should take away a points race from any of the three. 4. Laguna Seca: Cup cars in the Corkscrew. Need I say more? If you haven't seen it before, take a moment and watch Alex Zanardi's pass of Bryan Herta in 1996. 3. Eldora: Yeah, we've had a version of this with Tony Stewart's annual Prelude to the Dream dirt late-model race, but let's divide the field up into heats and run Cup cars minus the front splitters. Would anyone complain about that? 2. Monaco: Of all the farfetched ideas in this week's edition of Power Rankings, this is the one that's the most out there. Hell no, it ain't happening, but it's fun to dream about, right? Instead of luxury suites, team and series VIPs could be stationed on yachts and everyone would have a great time at the Monte Carlo Casino. This is also a great time to let you know that we're having a live chat for Sunday's F1 race at Monaco. The chat triple! 1. Iowa Speedway: You've likely noticed that most of the tracks on this list don't currently host a Cup Series race. That's by design. If the race is going to change venues, the ideal place is a new track. Iowa gets rave reviews from drivers, ha...

Mike Harmon told detective he knew whereabouts of JJC trailer

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:41:19 EDT

Veteran NASCAR driver Mike Harmon denied to reporters that he knew the whereabouts of Jennifer Jo Cobb’s racing trailer. However, the story that the 55-year-old Harmon gave to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office was considerably different. Cobb’s hauler which transports the Camping World Truck Series team’s racing equipment and vehicles, was stolen May 11. The theft is part of an ongoing dispute between Cobb and former business partner David Novak. Cobb and Novak were romantically involved before they stopped working together. “I guess her hauler is gone but she does not have no video of me because I was on my way back from Darlington,” Harmon said after the theft of Cobb’s trailer was reported. “The truth has got to come out. It’s not me.”’ As Sporting News reports, when Harmon met with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office he indicated he knew where the trailer was and would return it if it was not returned to Cobb according to a probable cause affidavit. Harmon never delivered the traile

Five Things To Remember About The 2013 Sprint All-Star Race At Charlotte

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:31:15 EDT

Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Fastenal Ford, and Kurt Busch, driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Sealy Chevrolet, the the field past the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18, 2013 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/NASCAR via Getty Images) By: Toby Christie – Follow on Twitter @Tobalical The Sprint All-Star Race lived up to it’s billing. It was simply an amazing race that was contested between the greatest drivers on the planet. This fact was evidenced by the many many close calls Saturday night. Somehow, some way there was just one lone caution all the way through the event, despite fender banging, wild segment restarts that spawned three-wide racing and more. There were so many memorable moments, it’s almost impossible to narrow this race to just five. With that being said, here are five things to remember about the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. 1. Busch brothers dominate, but fail to capital...

2013 Indianapolis 500: Chip Ganassi Racing repeating 2012 script at Indy…will it be same result?

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:49:53 EDT

INDIANAPOLIS- Much of the 2012 Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was disappointing for Chip Ganassi Racing until race day. The four car team didn’t have much speed in qualifying trim but outworked everyone in race conditions which ending up paying off in the 96th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Dario Franchitti earned his third 500 victory while his Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon came home runner-up. The duo battled hand in hand at the end and swapped the lead numerous times the final 100 miles of the race. The race though was won in practice as the duo completed more laps than anyone on Bump Day and Carb Day. They were near the top of the board in the sessions and that obviously translated to success on race day. Fast forward 12 months. The same is happening again. The main two cars in the stable were down in speed all month. They couldn’t care less about qualifying speed, rather shifting their focus to race trim. They worked on every scenario all week with doing every...

Jimmie Talks Record Win, Commercial

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:28:34 EDT

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2014 HOF Class To Be Announced

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:06:51 EDT

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Annett back 9 races after Daytona wreck

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:28 EDT

Michael Annett has been medically cleared to return for Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway after being sidelined for eight races.

Roush Fenway Racing | Greg Biffle has no wins at Charlotte

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:42:16 EDT

Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle has no wins, five top-fives and eight top-10s in ...

Roush Fenway Racing | Carl Edwards has no wins at Charlotte

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:38:15 EDT

Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards has no wins, five top-fives and ten top-10s in ...

SHR will not make crew chief changes despite slow start

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:46:37 EDT

Stewart-Hass Racing has gotten off to a slow start in the 2013 Sprint Cup season but the team has no changes planned atop the pit box. “We’ve all won races together and championships together, we’re going to pull ourselves out of this together,” a team official told SPEED.com. SHR has struggled this season. Between three cars the team has one finish inside the top-five and a lone top-ten. Through 11 Sprint Cup points races, Ryan Newman is 17th in points, Stewart 21st and Danica Patrick 28th. Just two years ago Tony Stewart won the Sprint Cup Series Championship. Things have changed since then as Steve Addington came aboard to replace Darian Grubb. Newman was reunited with his former crew chief at Penske Racing, Matt Borland, at the end of last season. Patrick is competing her first Cup season with Tony Gibson serving as crew chief. In last Satrday’s Sprint All-Star race the SHR cars were unseen. In a field of 22 cars the cars could only manage efforts of 13th for Newman, 14th for St...

Bruton Smith wants to move fall race from Charlotte to Vegas

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:49:33 EDT

credit: getty images Bruton Smith owns eight tracks across the country and if he has his way he would move the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway to Las Vegas. Charlotte Motor Speedway is home of two races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. The Coca-Cola 600 will be run on Sunday but the fate of The Bank of America 500 is up in the air after Smith told WBTV that he would like to move the race to his track in Las Vegas. WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC The only Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas is held in early March. There has been continuous talk of the track getting a second race date but that date would have to come at the expense of another track currently on the circuit as NASCAR has not announced any plans of expending its schedule past 36 events. Humpy Wheeler called Smith’s decision a bad deal all around. Clearly the motivating factor in this for Smith is money. Smith has been involved in legal fights with Cabarrus County for years about roughly $6...

Moment Of Clarity

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:41:48 EDT

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Johnson Wins Record 4th NASCAR All-Star Race

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:37:48 EDT

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Busch Brothers Win 1st 4 All-Star Race Segments

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:23:41 EDT

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i’m still here. i’m just really, really tired

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:18:25 EDT

I haven’t posted anything in a really long time and I apologize. My day job has taken over my life

Kyle Busch running Habitat for Humanity scheme for Coca-Cola 600

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:55:08 EDT

Kyle Busch will continue to drive his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. There will be one slight difference with the paint scheme of the car. The familiar M&M characters will don construction gear as part of Joe Gibbs Racings’ partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The car will make its first appearance in the May 26th Coca-Cola 600 but will also hit the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28. Busch has never won at CMS but has managed eight finishes inside the top five in 18 starts. Last season Busch finished third and fifth during the two races at the 1.5 mile dog legged track. Busch recently was on hand for the framing of a home. Watch at 6pET on @speed! RT @alanfuehring: Working hard! @kaitlynvincie sitting down with @kylebusch twitter.com/AlanFuehring/s… #NASCAR — NASCAR Race Hub (@RaceHub) May 20, 2013

What’s with the disappointment about Saturday’s All-Star Race?

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:52:09 EDT

In the last Warped Wednesday feature, I asked the (not-so serious) question of what the point of the All-Star Race was. After all, it's not like NASCAR drivers race against each other 38 times a year or anything. After watching the reaction after Jimmie Johnson's runaway victory in the final segment of Saturday night's race, allow me to be serious for a moment: Why was the race such a letdown for so many? I'll be blunt. If you're one of those people, you've allowed yourself to be manipulated by the hype and promotion surrounding the All-Star Race. Last night's race wasn't certainly one of the ones that will be shown on the glossy teaser package to be played 10,000 times before next year's race. But let's not undersell it either. This is NASCAR. In 2013. On an intermediate track. If you watched – and were disappointed – on Saturday night, you've likely seen one or three or fifty intermediate track races over the last few years. If this was a points race, would anything that happened Saturday night have merited such a disappointing reaction? Hell, after restarts, the racing was pretty damn good, especially by our intermediate track standards. The racing that Johnson and Kahne carried on for two laps before Johnson checked out was compelling, Clint Bowyer's three-wide move for the lead was daring and Ryan Newman's charge on the high side of 1 and 2 seemed inexplicable. Yes, ultimately, clean air was the order of the evening. But that's no different than what we'll see Sunday night in the 600. Just because it was "no-holds barred" and not for points, did you expect clean air not to be a factor? There have been 29 All-Star Races. And there have been, what, five or six truly memorable moments? After the Pass in the Grass, the first race under the lights (and Davey Allison and Kyle Petty's crash), Jeff Gordon's T-Rex car, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip crashing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning, are there any other races that really stand out? Yet we're conditioned to think that every All-Star Race is exceptional, given the excitement in the booth and those glitzy promotional videos. I get that it's the job of the sport and Fox, the network that broadcasts it, to get viewers to tune in for a non-points race on a sprint Saturday night. But at the same time, those promotions fuel the cries to change the race's format yet again or make significant location and structure changes every time each race doesn't have a signature moment. Johnson has something to do with that too, though, especially given the tinfoil-hat wearing that blew up Twitter shortly after the race thanks to an inaccurate in-race graphic. Not only has he won the most All-Star Races of any driver, but he and Chad Knaus have won back-to-back races under completely different formats. If the All-Star Race is about showcasing NASCAR's best, isn't it fitting that perhaps the best crew chief and driver combination in NASCAR is proving their excellence? The All-Star Race isn't untouchable; the discussion whether or not it should be moved around is a worthy one. The easiest way to try to create a signature moment would be to add a track wrinkle that's only seen at the race. But until that actually happens and the race is still staged at a 1.5 mile track and intermediate track racing continues to be ruled by clean air, treat it just like you would a points race. Don't expect to be exhilarated every year.

Fourth All-Star Win for Jimmie Johnson

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:28:01 EDT

While Kyle and Kurt Busch dominated the first four segments of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night, Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line in first place, adding another victory to his impressive record which now includes four All-Star victories... Related posts:Jimmie Johnson Claims 7th Dover VictoryJimmie Johnson Wins Second Daytona 500All Stars Won By Edwards

Brad Keselowski Charlotte Truck Post-Race Report

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:41:47 EDT

Brad Keselowski (@Keselowski), driver of the No. 2 Draw-Tite Ford F-Series, made his inaugural season start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) during the 11th Annual North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski, the owner of Brad Keselowski Racing (@TeamBKR), qualified his Ford F-Series machine in the 19th position earlier in the day. Keselowski opted to not pit during the second caution of the night on lap 25, instead, elected to stay out which positioned the Draw-Tite Ford in the 12th spot once the green flag fell again. On lap 71, under caution, Keselowski brought his Ford down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, saying he can see the leaders lift in the corners, but not being able to make up any ground. After battling all night long to get up to the lead pack, Keselowski found himself sitting in the 2nd position with a little under 50 laps to go. The caution came out on lap 115 - Keselowski...

Danica Patrick Sprint All-Star Race Recap

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:00:40 EDT

It was a night of highs and lows for Danica Patrick on Saturday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Patrick won the Sprint Fan Vote to gain entrance into her first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which was a high for the Rookie of the Year contender. But she fought a tight-handling No. 10 GoDaddy Cares Chevrolet in the 90-lap non-points event and finished 20th. “First and very foremost, thank you to all the fans who voted for me or maybe voted so many times for me,” Patrick said. “I’m very fortunate to have the fan base that I do, and I never forget that. It really just makes me feel bad to win the Sprint Fan Vote and run in the back of the race. We just couldn’t get the GoDaddy Cares Chevrolet right. We were just too tight. The guys did a great job on pit road. That goes without saying. It was just a tough night, but hopefully we are able to figure out what was wrong, and we can come back here next weekend and have a better run.” Patrick earned entry into the race by being the recipie...

Johnson eases to record 4th All-Star victory

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:52:08 EDT

Jimmie Johnson became the first four-time winner of NASCAR's annual All-Star race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Johnson Wins Record 4th All-Star Race

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:04:48 EDT

Visit ESPN.com for the complete story.

Craziest Moment: Ryan Newman’s incredible high-side run and his contact with Kyle Busch

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:02:23 EDT

Where the heck did Ryan Newman come from?On a restart in the middle of the fourth segment of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race, Newman dashed to the outside in turns one and two like his car suddenly got a boost of nitrous oxide and made a pair of three-wide passes before he had even gotten to the backstretch.He wasn't done there. His crazy momentum off the high side of turn two had him on the back bumper of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a flash and after giving Junior a bump, Newman moved to the inside to pass him.However, Kyle Busch was there, because unlike Newman, he hadn't gotten through turns one and two very well and lost positions. As Newman came down, Busch drifted up and the two made contact with Busch suffering some right front fender damage and Newman acquiring a tire rub.And with that tire rub, the headway that Newman made that lap stalled out. He ended up 13th while Busch maintained his position near the front of the field and finished third.More NASCAR coverage from Yahoo! Sports:• Jimmie Johnson wins record fourth Charlotte All-Star race• Raunchy toilet paper ad at Charlotte Motor Speedway• Dale Earnhardt Jr's special connection to Charlotte

Jimmie Johnson becomes first driver to win four All-Star Races

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:34:37 EDT

The five-time Sprint Cup Series champ is now a four-time All-Star Race winner.Jimmie Johnson bolted away from Kasey Kahne after a spirited battle for the lead at the beginning of the final 10 lap segment of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race to win by more than a second over Joey Logano.It was Johnson's second straight All-Star Race win, and this time, he did it – with the help of redesigned rules – considerably differently than last year. In last year's race, Johnson won the first segment, which guaranteed his position at the front of the field before the race's final mandatory pit stop. Since his spot was assured so early, he and Chad Knaus used the middle segments as a glorified test session to make adjustments on the car for the final sprint.This year, perhaps in response to Johnson's winning strategy in 2012, the race was divided into four 20 lap segments and a final 10 lap sprint, with the average finish of each driver in the first four segments determining the order in which the field entered pit road before those final 10 laps. After starting 18th, Johnson wasn't in a position to win the first segment, but meticulously worked his way through the field and finished third in the final two 20 lap segments.Those third place finishes helped Johnson enter pit road fourth after Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne, and thanks to some quick pit work by his team, Johnson exited pit road second to Kahne.After Kahne restarted on the outside for the sprint to the finish, Johnson stayed glued to Kahne's inside and prevented his teammate from clearing him on the high side. As the two sailed through turn four approaching eight laps to go, Johnson moved in front of Kahne and it was over from there.Of course, this being NASCAR and this being Jimmie Johnson, the result wasn't without an obligatory post-race spell of tinfoil-hat wearing amongst the conspiracy theorist set. Those new Johnson-inspired rules meant that math was involved in determining who was lined up where after the fourth segment. And in Fox Sports' attempt to calculate the average finishes of each driver before the field hit pit road, the on-screen graphic displaying what the lineup should be was horribly incorrect. Kyle Busch was listed as the leader (he would be second), and Johnson wasn't even listed in the top 10. Johnson's average segment finish was 6.5. There was no question he was legitimately fourth.Before Johnson took over the race's final eight laps, the first eighty were a main course of the Busch brothers with a side of Kahne. Kurt Busch won the first and third segments while Kyle took the second and Kahne the fourth. After those four segments, the Busch brothers were tied for the best average finish, and by virtue of his higher finish in the fourth segment, Kurt Busch led the field onto pit road. However, he exited fifth and that's where he finished.In the Sprint Showdown for drivers not qualified for the All-Star race, Jamie McMurray led all 40 laps for the win and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second. And in a surprise to no one, Danica Patrick won the fan vote to qualify. She finished 20th.

Jimmie Johnson wins NASCAR All-Star race, full race results

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:53:13 EDT

The only thing that mattered on Saturday night was winning. Points, cars nothing else mattered and that is exactly what Jimmie Johnson did driving his No. 48 car to a win in the Sprint All-Star race. NASCAR’s annual All-Star race is made up of five segments with a mandatory pit stop before the last. The first four segments are twenty laps with the last being a ten lap mad dash with only green laps counted. The final pit stop order onto pit road was determined by average finish in the first four segments. Carl Edwards began the race on the pole but Kurt Busch stormed to the front of the field to lead the first lap. On lap three the transmission of Brad Keselowski broke ending his night. On lap eight ran began to fall on the track and cars made pit-stops. By lap 11 the red flag dropped. Kurt Busch would lead the remainder of the segment before a caution at the completion of the 20th lap. Clint Bowyer snuck past Busch on lap 22 for the lead. The third caution came out after Ricky Stenh...

Ganassi foursome endures trying day at Indy

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:18:45 EDT

Once again, Chip Ganassi Racing will start the Indianapolis 500 packed close together. Unfortunately, for the foursome, that proximity is in the middle of the pack. Hopes of cracking the top nine and claiming a front-row view were quashed Saturday during pole qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a gaggle of faster Chevrolets left Ganassi's Hondas behind as the first 24 slots were decided. Defending champion Dario Franchitti was 17th after posting a four-lap average of 226.069 mph in his No. 10 Honda. Teammate Scott Dixon was one spot better in the No. 9 at 226.158. Charlie Kimball was 19th in Ganassi's No. 83 (225.880), and Ryan Briscoe's third attempt claimed 23rd for the No. 8 (225.265). Of course, Franchitti and Dixon started far back last year before finishing 1-2. And Franchitti, the three-time Indy champion, believes CGR is capable of another recovery on May 26. ''If we're going to be in a difficult spot, these are the guys I'd like to be with,'' Franch

Photo: Jeff Gordon’s All-Star Race helmet features “The Cat In The Hat”

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:28:35 EDT

In tonight’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon’s helmet will feature images from the hit book and TV series The Cat in the Hat. The helmet design was a collaboration between the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. and Random House Children’s Books, as part of their year-long celebration, Hats Off To Hope! The goal of the partnership is to bring hope and joy to the 40,000 children currently undergoing treatment in cancer centers throughout the United States. Gordon’s helmet will be auctioned later this year, and funds raised will be used to support childhood cancer research. The unique helmet will be the first-ever, Cup Series worn helmet that Gordon has ever authorized for sale. Gordon is a three time All-Star Race winner. Photos from Jeff Gordon Foundation Facebook Page

Charmin has “Stop Skidmarks” sign at NASCAR race

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:59:50 EDT

If there is one thing that racing and toilet paper have in common it is skidmarks. So it should come as little surprise that Charmin put up a sign at Charlotte Motor Speedway letting NASCAR fans know that they had their behinds. “Stop Skidmarks” reads the sign which is made in the shape of a pair of white underwear. This is one of the best signs ever. Here is a little more about the marketing genius behind this sign. Skidmarks developed by Charmin agency, Publicis’ Kaplan Thaler:“We think about poop and toilet paper all day, every day. And we love it.” — Tripp Mickle (@trippmickle) May 18, 2013

2013 Indianapolis 500: Rough Pole Day for Ganassi Bunch

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:58:48 EDT

The entire Chip Ganassi Racing organization had to have wanted better on Pole Day for the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500. 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon was ninth quickest in the morning practice session while his teammate and defending 500 champion Dario Franchitti was 10th on the speed charts. The gang hasn’t been the quickest all month and certainly weren’t pole favorites but they did hope to put cars near the top nine and have at least one of the four cars in the stable in the Firestone Fast Nine session. Instead, they find themselves 16th, 17th, 19th and not in the top 24 with a Bump Day qualifier for the big show. When it counted the gang was just a bit off. Dixon was the first qualifier of the day and had a four-lap average of 226.158 mph. That lap surprisingly was only good enough for 16th. Right behind him is three-time winner Franchitti who had an average of 226.069 mph in the No. 10 Target Honda. What’s very ironic is the duo started 15th and 16th last year and fi...

The best NASCAR track billboard ever?

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:44:24 EDT

NASCAR is a sport full of double-entendres and this one in Charmin's is one of the better ones we've ever seen. This is the billboard that's on the grandstands at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. According to AutoWeek, it's a two race deal between the track and the company, which also has a "Stop Skidmarks" banner on the pit wall. Will it prevent drivers from peeling out of their pit stalls and laying rubber on the track? Charmin is also handing out free samples. No word if CMS took the giveaways as an opportunity to save some money and not stock the track bathrooms.

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race line, green flag and streaming info

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:02 EDT

The NASCAR All-Star Race takes place Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards will lead a field of 22 cars to the green flag under the lights at the 1.5 mile track which boasts the most miles run on the NASCAR circuit. NASCAR’s All-Star race is a mixture of winners from the 2012 and 2013 seasons and any drivers who have won the All-Star race or Sprint Series Championship over the last ten years. Coverage of the All-Star race will begin on at 7:00 pm ET on SPEED with the Sprint Showdown. The Sprint Showdown features drivers not eligible for the All-Star race. The top two finishers and one driver voted in by the fans will then be added to the All-Star field. Fans who simply want to see the All-Star race should wait to tune in until 9:00 pm ET. Thus far Green Flag times have not been announced for either race. HONORING DICK: Edwards, Busch to drive with Dick Trickle on cars The All-Star race will continue to be run in four, 20-lap segments and one 10-lap final segment. ...