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Track Changes Force World of Outlaws to Cancel Race at Tucson
posted by Mike Neff
Thursday February 9, 2012
Unavoidable issues with venue lead to cancellation of March 3 event at USA Raceway CONCORD, N.C. – Feb. 9, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has cancelled the Wildcat Shootout originally scheduled for March 3 at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., because of permitting issues resulting from the recent change in track management. Anyone who purchased advanced tickets will be contacted in the near future, and all tickets purchased will be refunded in full. The World of Outlaws will now start its West Coast swing on Thursday, March 8, at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas. Following that event, the Outlaws will have seven races in California throughout the month of March, beginning with the SoCal Showdown on Saturday, March 10, at Perris Auto Speedway. Tickets for most of the events can be ordered online by clicking WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets or by calling 877-395-8606. For tickets to Las Vegas, click LVMS.com and for tickets to Thunderbowl Raceway, click ThunderbowlRaceway.com.
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. |
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Mike Lovecchio · Thursday February 18, 2010
Jimmie Johnson expected to kick off 2010 with a solid run in Daytona and begin his quest for a fifth consecutive championship. Instead, he finds himself behind the 8-ball.
A DNF and subsequent 35th place finish in the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 may not seem like much for a four-time defending championship team with 25 races left until the Chase field is set, but try telling that to Jimmie Johnson and his perfectionist crew chief Chad Knaus.
For them, this is unacceptable. They don’t see a poor finish at Daytona as just a minor hiccup in a long and probably successful season, they look at the standings and see that heading into California, there are 34 other teams with more points than the No. 48.
Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus strive for perfection week in and week out.
It’s an unfamiliar position for a team that strives for perfection week in and week out. Just as a pothole in the Daytona 500 is a black-eye for NASCAR, a mechanical failure – a bad wheel bearing — in the sport’s biggest race is enough to embarrass the No. 48 team and make them feel they have something to prove going forward. Two bad races to open the season would be uncharted territory for Jimmie Johnson, and while it wouldn’t be the end of the world with half a calendar year left on the schedule, it sure would feel like it.
Enter California.
It’s a track that the media and fans have come to expect as one of those “Roush tracks.” Every Roush car, it seems, every year runs well at Auto Club Speedway. Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth have combined for 27 starts at the 2-mile oval with 21 of those starts resulting in top 10 finishes. That, my friends, is domination.
But what fans often forget is that Jimmie Johnson is the rightful king of California. In 14 starts he has four wins, 9 top 5s and 10 top 10s. His average finish? 5.8. He has won a race at the track each of the past three years, albeit they were all in the fall, and has completed every lap since his first start in 2002.
It would almost be insane to think that Jimmie Johnson won’t be in contention for the win this weekend. You can’t say that the No. 48 team is satisfied after winning a fourth consecutive…they want a fifth, and a sixth. They know there’s a bulls-eye on their backs and they work extra hard to make sure nobody gets to their level.
This is everything we’ve come to expect from this team. Nothing’s changed. And this weekend in California don’t be surprised if the 4-time defending champion returns to victory lane.
What You Need to Know About this Weekend’s Races:
Qualifying and Race Coverage
All times Eastern
February 19
6:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying (SPEED)
February 20
12:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series qualifying (SPEED)
5:30 p.m. – Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300
February 21
3 p.m. – Sprint Cup Auto Club 500 (FOX)
What’s the Odds?
Suggested bets for this weekend’s Sprint Cup race using BetUS.com as of Thursday night
Carl Edwards: 12/1
Clint Bowyer: 25/1
Jamie McMurray: 40/1
David Ragan: 50/1
Advice: Auto Club Speedway has traditionally been dominated by the Roush brigade. I expect the same this weekend as Ford showed promise last weekend in Daytona after a disappointing 2009. If you can get any Roush driver at odds that you deem favorable, take him. Why not take a flier on a guy like David Ragan at 50/1? Stranger things have happened.
Frontstretch Live Blog
The Frontstretch live blog kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. for the Auto Club 500. Make sure to stop by and join in the chat as your favorite Frontstretch writers breakdown all of the on-track action live from Auto Club Speedway.
Drivers to Watch
Nationwide Series (Nationwide-only drivers)
- Danica Patrick: I’ll admit I’m curious as to how she handles an intermediate track.
- Trevor Bayne: Crashed out early in Daytona, but has the car and talent to compete in California.
- Justin Allgaier: Could have best season of all Nationwide-only drivers.
- Kelly Bires: Unfortunate circumstances cost him a ride in Daytona…this weekend is about proving himself.
Sprint Cup
- Carl Edwards: Will be racing for a lot more than a win on Sunday.
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Okay Jr…you got everyone’s attention at Daytona, now do something.
- Jimmie Johnson: Best average finish at Auto Club, needs a good run.
- Jamie McMurray: Don’t be surprised at back-to-back to wins.
- Greg Biffle: Top 5 in Daytona, should be good this week.
LOOKING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
WINNERS:
Stater Bros. 300: Joey Logano
Auto Club 500: Carl Edwards
2010 Predictions: 6 Races, 0 Win(s), 4 Top 5s, 5 Top 10s
Have a prediction/thought on this weekend’s races? Send Mike a Tweet
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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