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Rolex 24 Standings Through 21.5 Hours (1pm EST)
posted by Phil Allaway
Sunday January 29, 2012
DP: GT:
Rolex 24 Standings Through 18.5 Hours
posted by Phil Allaway
Sunday January 29, 2012
DP: GT:
Rolex 24 Standings Through 11 Hours
posted by Phil Allaway
Sunday January 29, 2012
DP: GT:
Standings after 5 Hours 50 minutes
posted by Phil Allaway
Saturday January 28, 2012
DP: GT:
Standings After Regulation Sprint Race Distance (2 hours, 45 minutes)
posted by Phil Allaway
Saturday January 28, 2012
DP: GT:
Grand-Am to Add B-Spec Events Later in 2012
posted by Phil Allaway
Saturday January 28, 2012
On Saturday, Grand-Am Road Racing officially announced the creation of a new series that will act as the teritary division for the organization. The series will simply be referred to as “B-Spec.” The new B-Spec class is designed to be a very inexpensive way for brand new organizations to get involved with racing, and for existing organizations to cultivate new talent at a minimal cost. No professional drivers from any series will be allowed to participate in any B-Spec races. The B-Spec series will race four cylinder subcompact automobiles. Five manufacturers have already signed on to provide vehicles for the series. Those are Mazda with their 2, Honda with their Fit, Ford with their Fiesta, Mini with their Cooper and Kia with their brand-new Rio. As for how expensive these cars will be, Mazda would have prospective teams purchase a new Mazda 2. These start at roughly $15,000. From there, there would be a $2600 package that teams would have to buy from Mazdaspeed Motorsports. Finally, there would the all-important safety equipment (roll cage, racing seat, safety harness, fire extinguisher, etc.). The total cost per new car would be somewhere between $20,000-$30,000. Grand-Am brass are quite confident that the series will be a great fit in the organization. “This new form of Grand-Am racing will attract new racers and in the process, new fans,” said Mark Raffauf, Grand-Am’s Managing Director of Racing Operations. “The cars are cool and the competition will be door-to-door, which should be a lot of fun for everyone – a nice fit with what Grand-Am already has happening at every event.” The B-Spec class will race at six tracks later this season starting with Homestead at the end of April. Subsequent rounds would be held at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen (during the Six Hour weekend), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park. Events will be 30-45 minutes in length with no pit stops. The new series has been likened to the Renault Cup, a spec-series of Renault Le Car’s (and later Renault Alliances) back in the 1980’s. However, it more closely resembles IMSA’s International Sedan Series, which featured Acura Integras, Plymouth Horizons, Volkswagen Golfs, and the 1980’s version of the Dodge Charger, amongst others.
Ryan Dalziel Wins Overall Pole for Rolex 24, Brumos Racing on GT Pole
posted by Phil Allaway
Friday January 27, 2012
One of the sport’s legendary racetrack owners, spearheading the last independently-owned Sprint Cup facility has died. Dr. Joe Mattioli, 86, passed away Thursday afternoon at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center after a lengthy illness. A dentist by trade, the patriarch of one of the most influential NASCAR families staked the biggest portion of his reputation on racing, constructing the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in Northeast Pennsylvania and convincing the most popular series in the country to stage races there. Constructed in the early 1960’s, the “Tricky Triangle” as it’s become known has hosted a total of 68 Cup Series events, beginning in 1974. Pocono Raceway is also home to a successful driving experience, a mainstay for the ARCA Series (two races per year) and has recently hosted one Camping World Truck Series event per season. Open-wheel cars also once graced the asphalt at a facility that has grown to hold over 100,000 fans. But Mattioli’s legacy reaches far beyond the racetrack. His land in Northeast PA is now home to a 25-acre solar energy system, made up of 40,000 American-made photovoltaic modules that will produce more than 72 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the next 20 years. Opened in 2010, it makes the raceway the largest solar-powered sports facility in the country, spearheading NASCAR’s push towards protecting the environment and renewable energy. A Navy medic during World War II, Mattioli went to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA through the G.I. Bill and established a successful dental practice in the area. Investing in real estate during the ensuing decades allowed him to accumulate wealth and establish the funding necessary to build the racetrack, which now has expanded to include nearby lodging year-round among other projects, past, present and future which have helped boost the economy in the Pocono Mountain Region. “‘Doc’ was a true leader in every sense of the word,” said the Mattioli family in a statement. “As a visionary, he brought an unknown sport into an alien place, where he along with his unstoppable will and undeniable tenacity built one of the biggest monuments of sports. His passion for his projects was only overshadowed by his deep love for his family, which he gave to all of us hand over fist.” For years, other corporations have looked to buy the speedway and the surrounding land but Mattioli would never sell. That leaves Pocono one of just three tracks on the NASCAR schedule not owned by NASCAR-linked International Speedway Corporation or Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (Indianapolis and Dover are the other two). Mattioli also steadfastly clung to the track’s 500-mile distances, a tradition that was only recently changed for 2012. The good doctor leaves behind his wife Rose – the couple was married 63 years – three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In August, 2011 he had retired from his role as President of the Raceway and left the day-to-day operations in the hands of grandchildren Brandon, Nick, and Ashley Igdalsky. There are no plans to sell the facility in the wake of his death; in fact, it was left in a trust so the track will remain in family hands for generations to come. “They can’t touch it,” he said last year in a conversation recounted by Brendan Gaughan Thursday on SiriusXM’s NASCAR channel. “They’re going to learn how to run it or starve.” Chances are, with the great teacher the grandkids had to learn from success, not starvation will be the modus operandi for years to come.
Statement On Dr. Joe Mattioli's Passing
posted by Thomas Bowles
Friday January 27, 2012
From the family of former Pocono Raceway owner and president, Dr. Joseph Mattioli… It is with the upmost remorse that we announce that Dr. Joseph Mattioli passed away this afternoon. His loss has left with each of us an unbearable sadness, which we’ll bear with us for the rest of our lives. “Doc” was a true leader in every sense of the word. As a visionary, he brought an unknown sport into an alien place, where he along with his unstoppable will and undeniable tenacity built one of the biggest monuments of sports. His passion for his projects was only overshadowed by his deep love for his family, which he gave to all of us hand over fist. Beyond our family, he had a true love and admiration for the wonderful members of his North Eastern Pennsylvania Community. He had a great respect for all of the great people that laid the foundations of prosperity before him, and an even greater hope for the future of our area, which he believed lies in its youth. He leaves not only his family, but also everyone he’s ever met with an insatiable desire to take life by the horns. He always lived life on his own terms He did it his way. “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” – Ernest Hemingway He died loved, respected, and admired.
SunTrust Racing, TRG fastest in Opening Practice for Rolex 24
posted by Phil Allaway
Thursday January 26, 2012
When the track opened up for practice at 10am Thursday morning, the teams were ready and raring to go. Many of the teams had new equipment to come to grips with, while others were using older, proven machinery. Unfortunately for Starworks Motorsport, their new equipment let them down before they even got onto the track. A failure in the Ford powerplant was found on pit road before the car even saw the track. As a result, they were forced to miss the first session while they changed the engine. The other 13 Daytona Prototypes managed to make their way onto the track and set times. The results more or less kept in line with the Roar Before the 24 test. The SunTrust Racing No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Max Angelelli turned in the fastest lap with a time of 1:41.952 (125.706 mph). This is about six-tenths of a second slower than the fastest test times. However, temperatures are just about 80 degrees at the track. Second was the No. 01 BMW Riley DPG3 for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The car, driven by Graham Rahal, posted a lap at 1:42.086 (125.541 mph), a tenth and a half slower than the Corvette. Third was the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Alex Gurney with a 1:42.199 (125.402 mph). Juan Pablo Montoya in Ganassi’s No. 02 and John Pew in the Michael Shank Racing No. 60 Ford Riley DPG3 rounded out the top-5. In GT, Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 67 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup set down the fastest lap of the session right at the end of the session. His lap of 1:49.867 (116.650 mph) was less than two-hundredths of a second faster than Dirk Muller in the No. 94 BMW M3 for Turner Motorsport. Third in class was the Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driven by former Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen with a 1:50.078 (116.426 mph). Sebastian Asch in the No. 17 Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was fourth fastest, while Emil Assentato in the No. 69 FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia rounded out the top-5.
Ford Racing unveils 2013 Ford Fusion
posted by Mike Neff
Tuesday January 24, 2012
In the biggest announcement so far of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ford Racing took the wraps off of their 2013 Ford Fusion. The car incorporates common areas agreed upon by all manufacturers with style components unique to the 2013 production car to give fans a race car that truly resembles the street version of the Fusion. While there are most likely going to be some tweaks to the design the car is definitely a much needed change from the current race car and a vast improvement toward bringing the STOCK back to stock car racing. The car was a collaborative effort across many different parts of the Ford organization. One of the key members of the project was Garen Nicoghosian, design manager for specialty vehicles. He was oozing with pride over the car as the assembled members of the media commented on the great looks. He’s a fan of the cars that used to race in the old Trans Am series and it shows in the end product. “I am a big fan of the flared fenders” Nicoghosian said. “The body style and the proportions we came up with lent itself to the flared fenders and the planted look that it gives to the car. It reminds you a lot of a Porsche 911 in how it just looks planted into the track.” While the other manufacturers have not yet unveiled their proposed cars for 2013, Ford has certainly set the bar high with their Ford Fusion. |
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Z-Line Designs Racing: Kyle Busch NNS Fontana II Advance
Wednesday October 7, 2009
Z-Line Looking for a ‘Four-Peat’ at Fontana
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 6, 2009) – Everyone enjoys a home-field advantage.
The Boston Red Sox are tough to beat at Fenway Park. It’s quite a challenge to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. And the University of Southern California football team is 43-1 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since the 2002 season.
Along those same lines, Z-Line Designs is 3-1 as a sponsor in NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
The San Ramon, Calif.-based designer and import manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture has gone to victory lane in the last three Nationwide Series races at the 2-mile oval– in February 2008 with former Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver Tony Stewart, and in September 2008 and February 2009 with Kyle Busch.
And all three victories came in dominating fashion.
Stewart led 136 of 150 laps in the February 2008 race, while Busch led 144 of 150 laps in the August 2008 race and then obliterated the field again in February 2009 by leading 143 of 150 laps en route to victory. All told, Z-Line Designs was out in front for 423 of a possible 450 laps (94 percent) at the track located in the company’s home state of California.
Busch again will pilot the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in Saturday’s Copart 300 Nationwide Series race at Fontana and will do so in a car that has a 5-1 record in its last six outings.
Chassis No. 1861 scored five consecutive victories (August 2008 at Fontana with Busch, September 2008 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City with Denny Hamlin, November 2008 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth with Busch, February 2009 at Fontana with Busch and April 2009 at Texas with Busch). The lone defeat for the car came when Busch finished second to teammate Joey Logano in the June race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
The Copart 300 will be round 30 of 35 in Busch’s quest for his first Nationwide Series title. The 24-year-old Las Vegas native owns a commanding 245-point lead over his nearest competitor, Carl Edwards. Busch has scored six wins, 10 runner-up and 25 top-10 finishes in 29 starts thus far.
He has led 2,226 laps this season in Nationwide competition, which is a new single-season series record. By leading 173 laps last week in the Kansas Nationwide Series race, Busch broke the previous all-time single-season series record of 2,127 set by Sam Ard in 1984. Busch and Ard are the only two drivers to surpass 2,000 laps led in a season in Nationwide Series history.
Can Busch get Z-Line victory number four at Fontana? If its record is any indication, Z-Line definitely has a “home track” advantage.
***
Check Presentation: Just before Saturday’s race, Jim Sexton (president and CEO of Z-Line Designs) and his wife, Monica, will present a check along with Kyle Busch to Racing for Kids for winning the “Z-Line Charity Battle” at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway last month. Busch’s No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry carried the logo of Racing for Kids, while his JGR teammate, Denny Hamlin, drove the No. 20 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry which featured the logo of Operation Helmet.
Because Busch finished third and Hamlin finished 17th, Racing for Kids will receive $20,000 from the $30,000 “pot” which was contributed to by JGR and Z-Line officials. Operation Helmet will receive $10,000.
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Z-Line Designs NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry
How important is this race to Z-Line Designs?
“It’s very important. Fontana is a big race for Z-Line Designs since it is a California-based company. Jim Sexton (president and CEO of Z-Line) and his wife Monica are such big supporters of me and the whole Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide program. We’ve had a lot of success at Fontana in the last couple of years and we’d obviously like to get another victory for ourselves and for Z-Line.”
You have a commanding lead in the Nationwide Series championship point standings. What would a Nationwide Series championship mean to you?
“It would be big. It’d be my first NASCAR championship, so of course it would mean a lot to me. I haven’t won a championship since 1999 when I was racing Legends cars. It’s big to win any NASCAR championship, no matter what division it is.”
Can Carl Edwards catch you, despite being 245 points behind you?
“For sure. Anything can happen. We finished 17th twice this year due to tires going down in the last three laps of a race, so we know it’s possible and, hopefully, we can keep the luck on our side and come out in the last few races and run strong and try to win a couple and be there in the top-five every week.”
Meet the No. 18 Z-Line Designs / Joe Gibbs Racing Team
Primary Team Members:
| Driver: Kyle Busch | Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff
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| Car Chief: Leo Thorson
| Engine Builder: Mark Cronquist
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| Engine Tuner: Kevin Grubb
| Spotter: Jeff Dickerson
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Over-The-Wall Crew Members:
| Gas Man: Brad Rothlin (also serves as shock specialist)
| Front Tire Changer: Nick Odell
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| Catch Can Man: Jon Eicher
| Front Tire Carrier: Brad Donaghy
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| Windshield: Toby Bigelow
| Rear Tire Changer: Jack Seminara
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| Jack Man: Jason Tate
| Rear Tire Carrier: Eric Groen
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Other Crew Members:
| Truck Driver: Dennis Valverde
| Tire Specialist: Jason Clements
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| Mechanic: Josh Koch | Scorer: Gaye Busch |
The Car
Chassis No. 1861: This car has a long history of competition for JGR, including a 5-1 record in its last six outings. Chassis No. 1861 saw its first race action in June 2007 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta with Brad Coleman finishing a career-best second. The car returned to action in August 2007 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where Coleman finished 15th. Former JGR driver Tony Stewart drove this car to a seventh-place finish in November 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth after leading a race-high 114 laps. Despite Stewart’s dominance that day, contact midway through the race with lapped traffic hurt the car’s aerodynamics and cost him a chance at victory. Chassis No. 1861 made its next start in March 2008 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Kyle Busch at the controls. He led 18 laps before a cut right-front tire and subsequent accident ended his day, resulting in a 31st-place finish. Next, the car attempted to make the race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May 2008, but Denny Hamlin wrecked it during qualifying and the No. 18 team did not participate in the event. JGR rebuilt the car in time for an August 2008 run at Michigan International Speedway, where Joey Logano started sixth and brought home a solid seventh-place finish. In August 2008, Busch used Chassis No. 1861 to lead three times for a race-high 144 laps en route to victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. In September 2008, Hamlin drove this car at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where he started 19th and won the race after leading a race-high 99 laps. The car continued its winning ways in its next appreance with Busch leading 174 of 200 laps to win in November 2008 at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch has driven the car three times in 2009, scoring victories in February at Fontana, where he started second and won after leading 143 of 150 laps, and again in April at Texas, where he started from the pole at led 178 of 200 laps en route to victory. The lone defeat for the car in the last six races came in June at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, when Busch led 162 of 200 laps but finished second to teammate Logano.
Kyle Busch’s Auto Club Speedway Nationwide Series Box Score
| Year |
| Event | Start | Finish | Status/Laps | Laps Led | Earnings |
| 2009 | 2/21 | Stater Bros. 300 | 2 | 1 | Running, 150/150 | 143 | $76,820 |
| 2008 | 2/25 | †Stater Bros. 300 | 14 | 2 | Running, 150/150 | 2 | $62,350 |
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| 8/30 | Camping World 300 | 1 | 1 | Running, 150/150 | 144 | $99,195 |
| 2007 | 2/24 | Stater Bros. 300 | 7 | 3 | Running, 150/150 | 27 | $49,400 |
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| 9/1 | Camping World 300 | 3 | 2 | Running, 150/150 | 31 | $63,400 |
| 2006 | 2/25 | Stater Bros. 300 | 7 | 3 | Running, 150/150 | 27 | $49,400 |
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| 9/2 | Ameriquest 300 | 15 | 23 | Running, 149/150 | 0 | $24,125 |
| 2004 | 5/1 | Stater Bros. 300 | 24 | 7 | Running, 150/150 | 0 | $39,800 |
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| 9/4 | Target House 300 | 4 | 9 | Running, 150/150 | 0 | $38,030 |
× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish. † Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.
About Z-Line Designs
Based in San Ramon, Calif., Z-Line Designs is one of the nation’s leading designers and import manufacturers of home office, home entertainment furniture and office chairs. Its products can be found at Staples, OfficeMax, Sears, Wal-Mart, Fry’s Electronics and other national retailers. The company designs and sources innovative, award-winning home office, home entertainment and home décor furniture in hi-tech-inspired and traditional designs using a range of materials from solid American oak, birch and maple to mixed media combinations of wood, metal and glass. With manufacturing plants in China and Taiwan, Z-Line Designs is one of the most innovative manufacturers of computer desk systems, computer workstations, computer armoires, file/storage products and a large variety of television, audio and entertainment centers. Z-Line Designs is a 2007 CES Innovation Award Honoree, a two-time winner of the Staples “Best Category Development” Award (2003 & 2005), a seven-time ADEX Award winner (1999, 2001, 2003-2007) and a two-time Pinnacle Award winner (2002 & 2005). In 2008, Z-Line Designs launched a new line of racing-inspired office chairs. In addition, the company expanded its entertainment division to include the next generation of full-motion wall mounts and wall furniture systems.
This Week on the Frontstretch:
Mirror Driving: Rebuilding Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Penske, And The NASCAR Banquet’s Future
The Only Thing Mutual? Penske, Kurt Busch Both Stand to Lose Big
Who Gets An Early Christmas Gift? Sorting Through Potential Busch Replacements
Burned At The YouTube Stake: How Technology Brought Busch Down
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: Justin Allgaier
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: A.J. Allmendinger
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: Aric Almirola
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: Marcos Ambrose
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: Michael Annett
2011 NASCAR Driver Review: Greg Biffle
2011 Driver Review Schedule
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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Beth Lunkenheimer.
©2000 - 2008 Beth Lunkenheimer and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
