NASCAR Ranting and Raving

Kyle Busch Loses Truck Sponsor Miccosukee But May Have Replacement In Helluva Good

2010-02-09T05:12:59Z

2009 No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota driven by Kyle Busch via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Last night I was surfing the web looking for a little bit of this and a little bit of that dealing with NASCAR and I came across the story about Danica running in the Daytona Nationwide race and I came across the story of Kyle Busch losing his primary sponsor for his Truck team. I couldn't write about both as I didn't have the time so I wrote about Danica because it was more time sensitive, so tonight its Kyle's turn.

Just before Christmas Kyle announced his plans to become a NASCAR Camping World Truck owner fielding two trucks with himself as one of the drivers with Miccosukee as his sponsor and Tayler Malsam as the other driver with Talking Rain as his sponsor for an "undetermined number of races" with hope of fielding a third team in the near future for 2008 Truck Champ Johnny Benson.

Miccosukee has since re-evaluated their budget for this year and has gone into cost cutting measures to save the Tribe money and has opted out of sponsoring Kyle's truck.

Where does this leave Kyle? He is still committed to running a full schedule and has said that he is currently in negotiations with another potential sponsor and that an announcement should come either Monday or Tuesday.

Well Monday is almost over and there has been no announcement but if you look at the entry list for the racethis weekend Kyle's sponsor is listed as 'Helluva Good'.

Could Helluva Good be Kyle's new sponsor? At least for this race anyway, I don't know about the rest of the season but if this is any indication look for the announcement to come sometime on Tuesday.

Even Bob Pockrass Twittered about this tonight: "Don't think it's been announced, but truck entry list shows @kylebuschtruck sponsor as Heluva Good for Daytona. #nascar"

The Bud Shootout: My Take

2010-02-08T07:31:54Z

Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, celebrates winning back-to-back Budweiser Shootout with a burnout at Daytona International Speedway. via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

Another ~~Busch Clash~~ Bud Shootout is in the books and officially it was Kevin Harvick that won, but I also think that the biggest winner was NASCAR.

The 'have at it boys' approach NASCAR took to this season regarding bump-drafting played into effect during the shootout as well as the larger restrictor plate change and this is why NASCAR was the biggest winner because the emphasise was on the driver and his abilities rather than the rules - except the gren/white/checkers as there seemed to be some debate after the race as to if the race should have finished under green flag conditions or not.

It would appear that it should have finished under green if it were before 10:00 pm and faster if after 10:00 pm and since it was after 10:00 pm NASCAR ended it as fast as they could with the green/white/checkers with no chance of another restart to end the race.

Race winner Harvick benefitted from the caution coming out just before the scheduled break as he had a rear tire going down and he was able to pit and change his tires without losing positions on the track. In fact the rcr team Twittered, "Crew found hole in @KevinHarvick's right rear tire during break. Caution was good timing for 29!" after Kevin went back out onto the track.

Harvick's wife, Delana, Twittered during the race that, "@kevinharvick says if we get out front the wont get by us" and once he did get out front he was a hard one to catch and pass.

What makes Harvick's win all the more interesting is that he had no seat time in the car as he was suffering from flu-like symptoms since Thursday and had to rely on his RCR teammates Bowyer and Burton to test and set-up his car for him while he recovered.

Early in the day Harvick Twittered, "feeling alot better now that i am moving around. ready for some racing!" and boy was he ready!

As one Twitter prose whitted fan Spectricide said, "Harvick flu by them all" and that is just what he did to win his second straight Bud Shootout!

What a great start to the year for Harvick and his RCR team - I wonder if this will help him or not for his contract negotiations with RCR - I guess it all depends on how you look at it really as a win looks good for both him and RCR, but on the other hand a win might make him look more desirable to other teams too!

Here is something totally random; Ford only had one car in the top ten finishers of the race. I wouldn't put anything into that stat as a ton of Fords got caught up in that late wreck and weren't able to finish. But still its something to look at, especially if you're a Ford fan!

ESPN.com reports that Danica Patrick will be racing in the Nationwide Series next weekend

2010-02-08T05:40:50Z

2009 Daytona Dec ARCA Test Danica Patrick Tony Eury Jr via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

David Newton at ESPN.com has reported that he has learned through sources that Danica Patrick will be racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race next weekend at Daytona.

The full story can be found here.

The article is a little unclear when it is talking about Danica racing at Daytona and keeping Kelly Bires out of the car as a result, as well as possibly costing someone a potential Championship run due to an error on her part. I can only assume that David is referring to this as it pertains to the Nationwide Series and not the ARCA Series as I believe that Kelly is not running ARCA this year.

Man you really have got to feel for Kelly if he does have to give up his ride for Danica next week.

Update: It would appear that the ride was never Bires' to give up anyway. It still sucks to be in Bires' situation though and I would imagine that in this economy Bires might not be the only one at some point this season that is on the outside looking in.

Ford Bud Shootout Post-Race Quotes‏

2010-02-07T14:56:12Z

Ford drvier Kasey Khane via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

I know I still have to write a post about yesterday, that is in the works but here are some post-race quotes from the Ford camp to tied you over.

JOHN ANDRETTI – No. 34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion (Finished 22nd)
– "Somebody turned the 51 and, boom, there he was right in front of
me. It happened that quick." YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS RACE BEING
HELPFUL FOR FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR NEXT WEEK?
"Well, it is but this is our backup car, so now we’re in a tight
space."

After the jump you'll find Kasey Khane, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, and a transcrip of Kasey's Press Conference after the race.

KASEY KAHNE – No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (Finished 2nd) – ARE YOU
GLAD YOU DIDN’T PIT WITH THAT WRECK HAPPENING BEHIND YOU? "Yeah, that
actually worked out great for us. We had a great Budweiser Ford the
entire race. I was having a blast out there. The racing was good, it
was side-by-side, and there was a lot going on. We were right there.
Even on the restart there, Harvick got in front of me and I was
pushing him and I was right on the white line. I was like, ‘Man, the
tires aren’t too bad.’ So I was happy. The Roush Yates Ford engine
is definitely an improvement. That’s nice to have." A GOOD FINISH.
"I’m pretty happy with that. My car was really good all night. We
were sliding around a lot and bouncing off the track. It was doing
some things we didn’t exactly want it to do, but it handled awesome
and was really fast. The Roush Yates Ford engine was unbelievable for
me. I loved it, so I can’t wait for next week. We’ll just keep
working on the car and keep trying to get better and, hopefully, we’ll
have a good shot in the 150 and the 500 as well."

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Finished 16th) – "You
don’t expect it because you know that you can wreck anytime at a plate
race, but you don’t really expect it. When you’re behind Jeff Gordon,
who is one of the sport’s best, and the 16 was on old tires. I don’t
know, one of them got into each other and lost it or something."

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Scotts Ford Fusion (Finished 17th) – "I didn’t
see what happened, but they all started wrecking there. I saw Biffle
get real sideways, but I had a lot of fun. We led a bunch of laps and
it’s just too bad it ended that way. That was coming for a long time.
Guys did a really good job, everybody did, the whole day or racing
pretty clean." WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR NEXT WEEK? "My pit crew is
really good. That’s good."

KASEY KAHNE PRESS CONFERENCE – "I thought it was a great race. I
really enjoyed it. From the time it went green, we started 19th, and
just kind of marched our way right up to the top three or four cars
and raced there for the majority of the race. It was a lot of fun to
have a Budweiser Ford that fast and the Roush Yates engine, the way it
comes up through the gears, the way it races, the way you can get
pushes and push other cars was something that was new to me and I
enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty awesome." DID IT FEEL ANY
DIFFERENT OUT THERE WITH THE WAY THE CARS RACED? "To me, my car slid
around a lot, but it always turned. You can’t really push off these
corners because it kills your straightaway speed, to me. So the way
ours was, it slid around a lot but it was fast that way, and I thought
it was some pretty exciting racing. I was on edge from the time it
went green. Even in the first 25. In intros there were guys saying,
‘Should we take it easy? Should we do this? Should we do that?’ And
I felt like it was on from the time the green flag came out tonight."
DID YOU RECEIVE MORE BUMP DRAFTING THAN NORMAL? "I was getting hit
and I was hitting cars, but I thought it was pretty similar at times
the way the packs get caught up. I think the biggest thing is you can
just get some huge bursts of speed and get some big pushes, but more
bump drafting or any of that, I don’t know, I thought it was probably
pretty similar to how it’s been." WHAT COULD YOU TELL FROM THE ROUSH YATES
HORSEPOWER AND HOW IT COMPARED TO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DRIVING? "The
way the car handled was fairly similar to what we’ve done in the past.
I still have the same team, so we’re still doing a lot of the same
things, which is really nice. I understand how our cars feel and the
way they’re set up. The biggest difference was just the engine and
from the time it goes green, up through the gears, second, third,
fourth, it just pulls hard. I can bump a little bit and get bumped a
lot, so that, to me, was really good. I was pleased. I was really
happy with it. You come down here and you always see how well the
Roush Yates engines run in the past. They’ve won a lot of races at
this track over the years, so I feel like it was something to look
forward to and I was real happy with it and look forward to next week.
I think it’s gonna be a great week for us." IS THERE ANYTHING YOU
CAN DO WITH THIS PACKAGE YOU COULDN’T DO WITH THE PREVIOUS ONE?
"That’s kind of tough for me because my engine is so much different
and my car runs so much different than it has in the past, so it’s
hard to say it was this that made you feel that way, was it the plate
or the end plates? There were a lot of changes for myself at this
type of a track. I like everything that’s been changed. I think it’s
more exciting. Definitely in the car tonight I was excited the whole
time and there was a lot of times we were on edge, so I think the
changes were good." DID THE RACING TURN OUT LIKE YOU EXPECTED? "I
was a little bit nervous because I saw one stay. You would think that
more would stay out and, I mean, the whole field came in, so, yeah, I
was definitely nervous. But my car handled good on the bottom, I just
needed to kind of stay in front of cars. When we got one lap to go,
who knows what was gonna happen. It would have been pretty wild, but
we made it. It worked out well for us. I don’t know about the rest.
I think it was good and pretty exciting. I liked the way the cars
handled tonight." DOES THIS GIVE YOU SOME MOMENTUM FOR NEXT WEEK? "I
think it goes away, but this is a great night for us. We run well in
the Bud Shootout. We were up there all night with our Budweiser car
and we have some things that we learned tonight. We didn’t get a
whole lot of practice. We didn’t run that second practice because I
got a fender bender a little bit in the wreck with Kurt, so we didn’t
run a whole lot there, but tonight in the race I felt like I learned a
lot. Talking to Kenny, there are some things we’re gonna be able to
make our Daytona 500 car even better than it was tonight, hopefully,
and have just as fast of a car throughout the whole week." WOULD YOU
HAVE LIKED TO SEE THE RACE END UNDER GREEN? "I’m happy I’m right
here. I don’t know. I thought it was green-white-checkered, and if
it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. In the driver’s meeting they
did say one attempt at a two-lap green-white-checkered. That’s what I
understood the way it ended was normal." HOW COMPETITIVE WAS THE
RACING? "I thought it was really competitive. Like I said earlier,
when it went green, I was two to three wide for 75 laps. I thought
throughout most of the race there was action, at least where I was,
and I felt like I was in the mix and had runs going. I just felt like
there was a lot going on and it was exciting. I thought it was a
little more than usual and I was happy with it." CAN YOU PLAY WITH
THE THROTTLE MORE WITH THE PLATE CHANGE? "I agree. I drive like
Jamie, I guess, we do similar work with our feet, but there are guys
out there – I’ve always known of Harvick to lift. You hear him
lifting a lot. He was lifting tonight and he was lifting three years
ago, so I think it’s just a driving style and however you learn to
race these types of tracks. But he’s (Jamie) definitely right on the
plate. You can get speed up quicker than what you could in the past."

Budweiser Shootout Open Thread

2010-02-05T04:40:39Z

POS CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND

1 99 Carl Edwards Ford Scotts Turf Builder - - -

2 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil - - -

3 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull - - -

4 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation - - -

5 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M - - -

6 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet GoDaddy.com - - -

7 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar - - -

8 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal - - -

9 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker - - -

10 34 John Andretti Ford Window World Cares - - -

11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy - - -

12 71 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TRG Motorsports - - -

13 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot - - -

14 82 Ken Schrader Toyota Red Bull - - -

15 151 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts - - -

16 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's - - -

17 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's - - -

18 175 Derrike Cope Dodge Asset Protect
/ Strutmasterspro.com - - -

19 9 Kasey Kahne Ford Budweiser - - -

20 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target - - -

21 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot - - -

22 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite - - -

23 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont - - -

24 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express - - -

+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MAKE	SPONSOR	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
1	99	Carl Edwards	Ford	Scotts Turf Builder	-	-	-
2	29	Kevin Harvick	Chevrolet	Shell / Pennzoil	-	-	-
3	83	Brian Vickers	Toyota	Red Bull	-	-	-
4	39	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	Haas Automation	-	-	-
5	16	Greg Biffle	Ford	3M	-	-	-
6	5	Mark Martin	Chevrolet	GoDaddy.com	-	-	-
7	31	Jeff Burton	Chevrolet	Caterpillar	-	-	-
8	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford	Crown Royal	-	-	-
9	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	Bass Pro Shops / Tracker	-	-	-
10	34	John Andretti	Ford	Window World Cares	-	-	-
11	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	National Guard / Amp Energy	-	-	-
12	71	Bobby Labonte	Chevrolet	TRG Motorsports	-	-	-
13	14	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet	Old Spice / Office Depot	-	-	-
14	82	Ken Schrader	Toyota	Red Bull	-	-	-
15	151	Michael Waltrip	Toyota	NAPA Auto Parts	-	-	-
16	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	Lowe's	-	-	-
17	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	M&M's	-	-	-
18	175	Derrike Cope	Dodge	Asset Protect / Strutmasterspro.com	-	-	-
19	9	Kasey Kahne	Ford	Budweiser	-	-	-
20	42	Juan Montoya	Chevrolet	Target	-	-	-
21	20	Joey Logano	Toyota	The Home Depot	-	-	-
22	2	Kurt Busch	Dodge	Miller Lite	-	-	-
23	24	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	DuPont	-	-	-
24	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	FedEx Express	-	-	-

See you in the comments area!

Nascar Twitter Call

2010-02-06T18:22:12Z

Between qualifying for the Daytona 500, the ARCA race and the Bud Shootout, it's a busy day at Daytona. Of course the drivers are taking a moment to tweet to their fans. So without further ado ...

KevinHarvick feeling alot better now that i am moving around. ready for some racing!

TravisKvapil What a great day, getting ready to qualify for the daytona 500!!

jpmontoya well season starting soon!!!!! bud shootout tonight, it should be fun!!!

Regan_Smith_ very windy today, could play a big part in qualifying

gbiffle Well here goes nothing!! Off to qualifying!!! Come on 16 car

DanicaPatrick http://twitpic.com/11puc6 Suit hanging, go daddy car ready to go.

RobbyGordon http://twitpic.com/11pwp3 1st one. Here we go.

mw55 dale jr looks like that dude from the hangover.

To keep updated on all the lastest tweets follow the link

NASCAR Ranting and Raving's NASCAR Driver Twitter List

Who's Your Go Daddy? Mark Martin

2010-02-06T06:07:58Z

Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Mark Martin gets ready to practice for his 26th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com.

I believe that if Mark remains this focused through-out the entire season he just may very well win his first ever Cup Championship. Wouldn't that be cool?

No Bull, Kenny Schrader Is Back

2010-02-06T05:58:37Z

Don't believe me? Well then here's your proof! Look below.

Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Ken Schrader returns to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing during Thursday's Budweiser Shootout practice. He'll drive the No. 82 Saturday night for Red Bull Racing. via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

I'd love to see him back full-time in the Sprint Cup Series. Wouldn't you?

NASCAR 'Bad Boy' Kyle Busch Gets Engaged (Updated)

2010-02-05T21:12:49Z

Recently engaged Kyle Busch via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Yep its true, Kyle is going to get married. No date has been set yet, but I mean they just got engaged so what do you expect?

Anyway, I could go on and on about this but I think you'd have a better read from SBN's resident 'Bad Boy' Jeff Gluck. His version of Kyle's engagement story comes straight from Kyle's fiancée, Samantha Sarcinella.

Go here for the exclusive story: (I'd have done a text link, but my computer keeps freezing when I do it)

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/2/5/1297037/kyle-busch-engaged-nascar

I don't think Kyle has to worry about his Bad Boy image too much, even Dale Earnhardt was married.

Update:

Kyle is now Twittering about the engagement - made me laugh by the way!

@Kylebusch: Sam bought her first book as my fiancé. Looks expensive ;) http://twitpic.com/11lcey

Double-duty driver hopefuls list growing

2010-02-05T21:09:21Z

NASCAR 'Double Dipper' Brad Keselowski via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Kyle Busch’s name may not be on the list, at least not yet, but the list of drivers hoping to race full-time in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series just keeps growing. It’s pretty much expected that Carl Edwards would do the double, after all it seems like he has been pulling full-time double-duty for years. Then, Brad Keselowski added his name to the list when he announced his move to Penske Racing, announcing that he would pilot cars for Penske full-time in both series.

Last month, Paul Menard signed up for full double-duty when Roush Fenway Racing announced that the driver would be behind the wheel full-time in a Roush Fenway Nationwide entry. Meanwhile, Menard will compete on the Sprint Cup side for Richard Petty Motorsports.

Plans for Edwards, Keselowski, and Menard to compete at both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup levels full-time in 2010 look to be a done deal. Meanwhile, a couple of other drivers are hoping for the same schedule.

During the offseason, Mike Bliss secured a Sprint Cup seat with Tommy Baldwin Racing in its No. 36 car. In the time since, he has announced that he’ll run at least the first three Nationwide Series races on the 2010 schedule for Key Motorsports – a deal that he hopes turns into a full-season gig.

"I will be in the No. 40 for the first three Nationwide Series races, Daytona, California and Las Vegas," Bliss said. "Depending on sponsorship, I could be in the car all year and we are working for that to happen."

If enough sponsorship is found for Key’s No. 40 team, enter full-time double-dipper number four.

Michael McDowell is in the opposite situation of Bliss, but has the same two-series full-time hopes.

McDowell has a ride that is seemingly secured for a full Nationwide season in MacDonald Motorsports, but he’s hoping that enough sponsor dollars can be secured by new Sprint Cup team Prism Motorsports to fund a full-season of competition.

Prism Motorsports, which is aligned with Michael Waltrip Racing, is still looking for a sponsor, so McDowell’s deal with the team is a race-by-race one for now, but McDowell has said that if he has is way, it’ll develop into a full-time ride to compliment his Nationwide gig with Key Motorsports.

Follow this author on Twitter or become a fan of NASCAR Examiner on Facebook to be notified when one of her articles is posted somewhere on the World Wide Web. Much of her work can be read at Louisville NASCAR Examiner and NASCAR Nationwide Series Examiner.

Pink Car Alert! Pink Car Alert!

2010-02-05T05:13:30Z

This comes straight from www.tommybaldwinracing.com

For another picture from Riki Rachtman go here.

Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid Vandebosch expecting second child

2010-02-05T03:23:07Z

Credit: Harold Hinson Photography

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour Hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. in January 2010 via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

Hey Jeff Gordon fans, Jeff made a big announcement at his website today:

"Hey fans, Ingrid and I wanted to be the first to tell you (ok maybe not the first, but not far from it) the exciting news that Ingrid is 12 weeks pregnant and expecting our second child. We're very excited and can't wait to expand our family to four. Ella is also very excited and can't stop talking about how much she's looking forward to being a big sister."

JG

All I can say to Jeff, Ingrid and Ella is, "Congratulations"!

NASCAR Twitter Call

2010-02-03T23:52:14Z

With the start of the 2010 racing season just days away, the drivers have managed to find time to tweet. So as everyone gets ready to head down to Daytona here is what they are saying.

dennyhamlin:I will be doing my free ticket program this year through twitter!! #dennyhamlinseats please RT

dennyhamlin: i will be giving away alot of cool stuff this year to my followers.. tickets to races, merchandise, and maybe even some personal belongings!

mw55: RT @ERE1968:Mr Waltrip opinion on wing vs spoiler car owner perspective? since I was a kid cars I raced and watched race had a spoiler on it .

aric_almirola: Just got done packing up the bus with janice. Ready to head to daytona in the morning. I'm really tired but now have stuff to do at home.

DanicaPatrick: Its race time people! I cant believe it is already here.

KellyBires: Slept in. Packing up shop, heading to daytona this evening to hangout with @danicapatrick and the #7 guys. Off-season officially over. #fb

jamiemcmurray: I have another photo shoot this am and then off to Daytona around 4pm

Kenny_Wallace: want my friends to know That I am "The Man of The Mountain" Because I am already in Daytona....ha ha ha..No Body better than me!..Me Silly

TravisKvapil:Just left Impact Racing, picked up my suit and gear. Heading to the shop to put it in the hauler before it heads south

BrianLVickers:Photoshoot for NASCAR Illustrated at the house in FL. Tonight- off to Daytona. More photos and media in the...http://bit.ly/aFUZJ2

And one final tweet from the newest addition to Twitter

MartinTruexJr56:New season, new team... why not try out Twitter too? Here goes nothing...

Remember there is an easy way to follow your favourite driver here:

NASCAR Ranting and Raving's NASCAR Driver Twitter List

Burton a title contender with Berrier, rejuvenated RCR

2010-02-02T13:04:00Z

2010 could be Jeff Burton's year (Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

View full size photo »

After their worst season as an organization in quite some time, it would be easy at first glance to write off Richard Childress Racing when it comes to predictions for 2010 success.

However, a late-season surge by each of the Childress team's cars - the #29 of Kevin Harvick, the #31 of Jeff Burton, the #33 of Clint Bowyer, and the since-shuttered #07 of Casey Mears - makes skipping over one of NASCAR's most storied organizations difficult.

At the head of the returning trio is Burton. The veteran driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet closed out the year with back-to-back second place finishes and, after pairing with crew chief Todd Berrier at Talladega, finished no worse than ninth in the final four races of the season.

While the same contract talk that loomed around the team's flagship #29 machine and driver Kevin Harvick will no doubt be even more intense this season with Harvick seemingly all but guaranteed to exit the ride at the end of this season, the #31 team has stability amongst sponsor, driver, and crew chief.

It is that stability and the blossoming chemistry between Burton and the soft-spoken Berrier that make the #31 team a strong, if unheralded, contender entering the season, should they be able to build on their strong finish to the 2009 campaign.

Entering his 17th season of full-time Sprint Cup competition, Burton has proven to be a capable wheelman on nearly any track. Berrier, meanwhile, partnered with Harvick to win the sport's two most prestigous races, the Daytona 500 in 2007 and the Brickyard 400 in 2003. Paired together, the veteran duo is one of NASCAR's most potent driver-crew chief combinations.

Whether or not Burton and Berrier's partnership carries through to the Sprint Cup title will hinge on how well the team sustains its performance throughout the season.

When the #31 outfit is at its best, its ability to mix outright speed with unwavering consistency is almost second-to-none. Sustaining that one-two punch throughout the ten-race Chase for the Championship has proven difficult, however. Should the team finally manage to maintain its tradiitional clockwork-like performance over those final ten races, it could be rewarded with the Childress team's seventh Sprint Cup championship and the first each for Burton and Berrier.

NASCAR changes the Camping World Truck series lineup rules

2010-02-01T16:30:01Z

Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Copart 200 via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com.

In an official release, NASCAR has reduced the number of weekly locked in trucks from 30 to 25. Beginning on February 12, the top 25 drivers will be locked into the race based upon 2009 owner points, 10 other drivers will have a chance to make the race via qualifying, and the 36th and final spot will be reserved for a past champion, if there is no past champion then it will be the next fastest qualifier.

This will be a departure from a 5 year rule where the top 30 drivers are locked into each week’s race. This move was made by NASCAR to strengthen the field and ensure the best trucks are on the race track as there were only 25 teams who raced in all 25 races in 2009.

It will also make it easier for new teams to make the races.

Here is the official press release:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2010) – NASCAR will revise its five-year-old procedure governing guaranteed starting positions for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010. The revision will open up additional spots in the line-up for teams qualifying via time trials.

            Under the procedure implemented in 2005, the top 30 eligible owners’ trucks were locked into the starting lineup and guaranteed a spot among the top 35 positions in the 36-truck field. Beginning with the Feb. 12 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway, the "lock-in" will be reduced to the top 25 eligible owners who have entered the event based upon 2009 Owner Championship point standings.

            The 36th and final position continues to be reserved for a past champion not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion is eligible, the position is filled by the next fastest qualifier.

            The reduction in guaranteed starting positions brings the series in line percentage-wise with the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which guarantees a top 30 eligible owner’s car a position among 42 of 43 starting spots.

            Twenty-five teams competed in all 25 races in 2009 and are thus eligible for guaranteed starting positions for the season’s first four races. Eligibility for the lock-in is set by 2010 Owner Championship points for the remainder of the season.

            "All owners who would have been locked in under the previous procedure will have guaranteed starting positions at Daytona and for three additional races," said NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Director Wayne Auton. "Teams which saw limited competition in 2009 or are new to the series will have greater opportunity to qualify for races than they might have had in the past – especially at short tracks such as Martinsville Speedway – where drivers who may not have a great deal of experience at the national series level are attempting to further their careers."

            Red Horse Racing owner Tom DeLoach praised the move. DeLoach has a pair of teams locked into the field and the possibility of another with a rookie driver with zero points and no NASCAR experience.

            "This is the thing to do," said DeLoach. "If I’m starting a team moving from five (open positions) to 10 you’ve doubled my chances. It’s absolutely the right thing to do. Let’s get out there and race.

            "It strengthens the field and it should work well for the fans and the teams."

            The revised procedure does not affect races in which qualifying is canceled. Starting fields in such instances are based upon a separate procedure dictated by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rule Book.

Black: The hue of championships?

2010-01-31T15:29:50Z

Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet (Tony Stewart) via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

When you look at the last decade's worth of Sprint Cup champions, from Bobby Labonte in 2000 through the four-year reign of Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team, you might be hard pressed to find a connecting factor. Indeed, the personalities and racing backgrounds of Labonte, Johnson, Jeff Gordon (2001), Tony Stewart (2002 and 2005), Matt Kenseth (2003), and Kurt Busch (2004) are all rather diverse. Each driver can tell his own tale of trials and triumphs before reaching the pinnacle of American motorsports, and only Gordon and Stewart, who each toiled the USAC ranks before making highly publicized swaps to stock cars, could claim a background that mirrored one another on any substantial level.

However, there is one minor detail that ties nine of the ten championship-winning rides together.

With the exception of Gordon's championship at the wheel of a flourescent red flame-bedecked blue Chevrolet, each champion's primary paint scheme prominently featured one mutual hue: black.

Labonte's championship in 2000 was much more noted for the fact that his Interstate Batteries-sponsored Pontiac was a primarily green machine, but the then-Joe Gibbs Racing driver's title brought to an end a drout for black that had dated back to Dale Earnhardt's last championship in 1994.

After Gordon's brightly-colored romp to the title in '01, Stewart outdueled Mark Martin at the wheel of an orange, white, and - yep - black Pontiac. In addition's, Martin's runner-up Ford featured a primarly black paint scheme.

Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch brought Jack Roush the final NASCAR Winston Cup title and the first title of the "Chase" era, in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Whilte the two immensely different racers enjoyed immensely different runs to the top, their Roush Racing Ford Taureses each sported paint schemes with significant amounts of black, with Kenseth's machine being a near half-and-half mix of DeWalt black and yellow and Busch's ride featuring a full black paint scheme offset by metallic gold marks of primary sponsor Sharpie.

Stewart took his second title in 2005, at the wheel of an orange and black Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and the next year, Johnson began his stint at the top that is still ongoing with his silver, blue, and black Chevy with flourescent yellow trim. Is it any coincidence that prior to 2006, Johnson's primary paint scheme was always silver, blue, and red?

Okay, so you may be thinking, "Whats the point? No, there isn't a point, its just the most pointless article I think I've ever read. Certainly the most pointless one I've read on this website."

Aha, not so fast, my friend! There is plenty of reason why this is relevent to the season that will begin February 6 with the exhibition Bud Shootout at Daytona: Johnson's Chevrolet will not only for the first time since the last time another driver won the title be without the black, but its primary hue is the exact opposite on the color wheel: white.

Certainly it will take more than just a change in paint scheme and the dropping of one color and the addition of the complete opposite shade to bring the #48 team's reign to an end, but it is certainly worth noting, none the less.

Grand-Am Rolex Series 24 Hours of Daytona Open Thread

2010-01-30T17:00:47Z

via www.gjezarianracing.com

Grand-Am Rolex Series Starting Grid

Pos No Class Car Time Name

1 10 DP Ford Dallara 1:40.681 Max Angelelli

2 60 DP Ford Riley 1:41.100 Oswaldo Negri Jr

3 6 DP Ford Riley 1:41.110 Michael Valiante

4 02 DP BMW Riley 1:41.147 Scott Dixon

5 01 DP BMW Riley 1:41.164 Scott Pruett

6 55 DP BMW Riley 1:41.463 Christophe Bouch

7 59 DP Porsche Riley 1:41.513 Darren Law

8 9 DP Porsche Riley 1:41.603 Joao Barbosa

9 75 DP Ford Lola 1:42.060 Ricardo Zonta

10 90 DP Porsche Coyote 1:42.074 Buddy Rice

11 77 DP Ford Dallara 1:42.606 Memo Gidley

12 7 DP BMW Riley 1:43.322 Ian James

13 2 DP Chevrolet Crawford Dane Cameron

14 95 DP BMW Riley Scott Tucker

15 99 DP Chevrolet Riley Johnson/ Gurney/

16 69 GT Mazda RX-8 1:49.282 Jeff Segal

17 30 GT Mazda RX-8 1:49.371 Jordan Taylor

18 70 GT Mazda RX-8 1:49.462 Sylvain Tremblay

19 07 GT Corvette 1:49.474 Paul Edwards

20 66 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:49.637 Andy Lally

21 88 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:49.831 Johnny Mowlem

22 67 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:49.855 Patrick Long

23 32 GT BMW M6 1:49.968 Max Hyatt

24 41 GT Mazda RX-8 1:49.971 Leh Keen

25 94 GT BMW M6 1:50.063 Joey Hand

26 71 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:50.271 Spencer Pumpelly

27 57 GT Camaro GT.R 1:50.274 Robin Liddell

28 48 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:50.662 Bryce Miller

29 43 GT Mazda RX-8 1:51.033 Wayne Nonnama

30 40 GT Mazda RX-8 1:51.122 Joe Foster

31 22 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:51.199 Darryl O'Young

32 64 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:51.449 Eric Lux

33 46 GT Pontiac GXP.R 1:51.816 Shane Lewis

34 20 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:52.235 Jos Menten

35 97 GT Camaro GT.R 1:52.321 Mike Borkowski

36 23 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:50.298 Martin Ragginger

37 44 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:50.722 Craig Stanton

38 14 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:52.580 Cory Friedman

39 63 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:53.004 Henri Richard

40 52 GT Ferrari F430 CH 1:53.088 Bob Michaelian

41 42 GT Mazda RX-8 1:54.393 Joe Sahlen

42 21 GT Pontiac GTO.R 1:55.482 Jim Briody

43 19 GT Corvette 1:57.357 Sean Paul Breslin

44 18 GT Porsche GT3 Cup 1:58.932 Dan Watkins

I thought I'd put this up so that people would have a place to go and speak about whatever is on their minds while watching The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. I myself won't be here the whole time, nor do I expect anyone else to be either, but I will be dropping in from time to time over the next 30 hours to check up on everyone and post a comment or two while I'm here.

I hope to see some of you in the comment area - talk with you later!

Racing for Cancer

2010-01-30T02:47:19Z

Fox 6 News Interview

Donations and sponsorships for Ricky Byers "Race for a Cure" fall short for Daytona
Uncategorized — posted by karen pistone on January, 29 2010 9:17 PM

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Ricky Byers (read my previous blog about Ricky Byers) is still on a mission. Ricky was unable to get the $30,000 left (down from $150,000) he needed to race in the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 6th – right before the Budweiser Shootout. Now his focus has turned to the ARCA series race in Texas for April 16th. If not Texas, then it will be at his home track – Talladega Super Speedway on April 23rd, and so on…. until he gets a sponsorship or just enough money to get him racing on the track.

Ricky told me he is not giving up and he will continue to push his dream of being able to race in hopes of helping in the search for a cure for cancer (funding wise). He did some tweaking and was able to get his "asking" price for sponsorship for a full ARCA season decreased by a Million…. Ricky Byers Racing was asking for $2 Million. "We actually got the whole thing down by a $1 Million so we can run the full season and have a weekly show car displayed," Byers said.

Folks, this is a 39 year-old man (and single, ladies!!), a race car driver (with five Championships under his belt from Super Pony Late Model and Sportsman) who has survived battles with cancer – twice – the same cancer that claimed Bobby Hamilton’s life in January 2007, who is willing to race and has the motivation and fire under him that he WILL win races just so he can donate all his winnings to cancer research.

Ricky Byers Racing has a fan page on Facebook and he can also be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RickyB1363.

I have inserted his recent interview for you to see which was held by Birmingham, AL FOX News to help in his quest to "Race for a Cure."

JR Motorsports Announces 2010 Schedule for Danica Patrick

2010-01-29T03:09:24Z

Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 28, 2010) – Danica Patrick will compete in 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series races with the possibility of 13 in her debut season with JR Motorsports, co-owner and general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today.

The only event uncertain on Patrick’s schedule is the Feb. 13 season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet is entered in the event, but its driver will not be determined until after Patrick’s race in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) event on Feb. 6. Patrick will compete in the Daytona ARCA race in a JR Motorsports-prepared No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

Beyond Daytona, Patrick’s 2010 campaign is confirmed starting with the Feb. 20 race at Auto Club Speedway and the Feb. 27 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Following Vegas, Patrick will take a four-month hiatus to focus on her IndyCar Series responsibilities before returning to drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevy in the Nationwide Series June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The remainder of her schedule includes Nationwide races at Chicagoland Speedway (July 9), Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 14), Dover International Speedway (Sept. 25), Auto Club Speedway (Oct. 9), Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 15), Gateway International Raceway (Oct. 23), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 6), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 13), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 20).

"I’m thrilled to announce our 2010 Nationwide Series schedule," said Patrick. "Like I’ve said before, we just want to be smart and calculative about this process. The tracks we’ve selected not only compliment the IndyCar schedule, but will give me quality seat time at a variety of facilities."

While Patrick’s participation in the Daytona race is to be determined, JR Motorsports will still field two cars for the Nationwide Series season opener. Due to sponsorship reallocation for the upcoming season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet in place of Kelly Bires in what is the first of two scheduled races for the JRM co-owner. Bires will return to the seat of the No. 88 Chevy the following week at Auto Club Speedway and could be called upon to drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Daytona should Patrick not compete in that event.

"We want to give Danica the best opportunity to compete at Daytona, and that includes making sure she is 100 percent comfortable in that driver’s seat," Kelley Earnhardt said. "The Nationwide race there is perhaps the most competitive race of the year. Once the ARCA race is complete, we will get with Danica and make a decision based on the best interests of her, the team, and our sponsor Go Daddy. I’m extremely pleased with the working relationship between Danica and (crew chief) Tony Eury Jr. They are communicating well and working extremely hard in preparing for this season."

GoDaddy.com will serve as primary sponsor for 10 of Patrick’s 12 races in the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2010.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s seven-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2008 JRM enjoyed a breakout season with four Nationwide Series victories between its two teams. The company followed suit with four more wins in 2009. The JR Motorsports facilities are based out of Mooresville, N.C., and include the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment, and DEJ Realty. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

Danica Patrick’s 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule
Date	Venue
2/13	Daytona International Speedway (TBD)
2/20	Auto Club Speedway
2/27	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
6/26	New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/9	Chicagoland Speedway
8/14	Michigan International Speedway
9/25	Dover International Speedway
10/9	Auto Club Speedway
10/15	Charlotte Motor Speedway
10/23	Gateway International Raceway
11/6	Texas Motor Speedway
11/13	Phoenix International Speedway
11/20	Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR's Roush Yates Engines flexing some muscle for the Rolex 24 in Daytona

2010-01-29T02:34:40Z

According to this press release anyway:

Roush Yates Engines Sets the Standard Qualifying 1-2-3

for Rolex 24 in Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 28, 2010) – Roush Yates Engines is off to a solid start in their 2010 motorsports campaign by powering the top-three qualifying positions for this weekend’s Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway.

Round 1 was held Thursday at the World Center of Speed. This kick-off is a good forefront of things to come for the legendary engine builder, who has a total of 46 entries in Daytona’s overall Speedweeks activities.

Claiming the pole in their Daytona Prototype No. 10 Ford Dallara was the Sun Trust Racing team of Max Angelelli, Pedro Lamy, Wayne Taylor and Ricky Taylor. The lap for the team was 1:40.686 min/127.293 mph to earn the top-starting honors.

Right behind them was the No. 69 Ford Riley team of Michael Shank Racing in their Daytona Prototype. Drivers Brian Friselle, Ozz Negri, John Pew and Wilkins will pilot this Ford on Saturday and Sunday. The lap of 1:41.100 min/126.753 mph earned the outside pole.

Rounding out the Roush Yates Engine-built performance dominance, in third, was once again Michael Shank Racing. This Ford Riley will be driven by A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Friselle, Mark Patterson and Michael Valiante. The lap of 1:41.110 min/126.753 mph earned them the honor.

For more information about Roush Yates Engines and Parts, log on to www.roushyates.com

About Roush Yates

Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high-performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow.

Roush Yates CEO, Doug Yates, leads a staff of 150 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, ASCS 360, Dirt Late Model, Marine and now NHRA Pro Stock.

At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation design, precision engineering, and skilful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.

via profile.ak.fbcdn.net

or www.RoushYatesParts.com.