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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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Tracking The Top 35 In Owner Points · Mike Ravesi · Monday November 9, 2009
The fight for the top 35 has now come down to three teams heading to Phoenix next week. Robby Gordon Motorsports, Front Row Motorsports, and Team Red Bull Racing are vying for the final spots in the top 35 heading into 2010. The good news for Scott Speed and his No. 82 team is they have been putting together some better runs as of late — but the bad news, though, is that so has John Andretti and the No. 34 of FRR. Their late surge has brought Gordon’s No. 7 back into the picture, who — entering Sunday — hadn’t posted a finish better than 30th since the first race of the Chase at New Hampshire. So read on to see if Robby continued his slide and just how close the back half of the points standings has become in this week’s edition of the Bubble Breakdown.
Focusing on the bubble:
Scott Speed needed to make a serious gain on John Andretti at Texas, but despite a top 20 performance, the gain wasn’t really enough. For the fourth time in five races, the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Chevrolet team finished in the top 26, minimizing the damage from Speed / Team Red Bull’s 18th place run with a 24th place finish of their own. As the green flag dropped on Sunday, Andretti started twelve spots behind Speed and quickly moved up through the field, getting up to 23rd by the halfway point. Speed also progressed through traffic, overcoming a too fast off pit road penalty on lap 89 to run in the top 20 by lap 180. One hundred laps later, Andretti had taken a 23rd to 28th place advantage over Speed as the cars flipped positions again, but the two teams used opposing pit strategies, enabling Scott to overtake Andretti late. Front Row Motorsports went into fuel conservation mode a little earlier than Team Red Bull, who pitted and then adopted the “drive it like you stole it” line of thinking. That allowed the No. 82 to muscle its way to an 18th place finish, while a fading Andretti fell back to 24th. However, that caused a gain of just 18 points for TRB — not nearly what they were hoping for with just two races left.
Around the Bubble:
Limping around the track for points couldn’t be how Roger Penske had scripted Brad Keselowski’s debut in the No. 12 on Sunday.
Penske Championship Racing’s No. 12 Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski: Well, that wasn’t how Roger Penske had hoped to usher in the Brad Keselowski era. After a poor qualifying effort had the team back in 35th for the start of the race, they got caught up in a multi-car wreck on lap 174. The team spent 70 laps in the garage, returning to the track on lap 252 to just ride around and deny a spot for Jimmie Johnson to pick up for the benefit of teammate Kurt Busch. As a result, Brad’s debut with his new team was a disappointing 35th place start and finish.
Robby Gordon Motorsports’ No. 7 Toyota driven by Robby Gordon: Gordon looked awesome early, moving from his 29th starting spot all the way up to 16th on lap 60. However, the troubles on pit road that have plagued him all year reared their ugly heads again, with several slow stops combined with adjustments that didn’t help the car enough. Robby slid back through the field, finishing three laps down in 27th position despite getting the Lucky Dog at one point. Because of yet another tough day, both John Andretti and Scott Speed gained on Robby in the owner standings as a result.
Who’s in and who’s out:
Well, it’s down to a three man race for the final spot in the top 35 of owner points. Based on their finishes, the No.’s 96, 55, and 98 are all locked into the top 35 for 2010. On the flip side, no one was eliminated, as Scott Speed remained in contention for the last spot, meaning it’s now down to Robby Gordon, John Andretti, and Scott Speed and their respective teams.
Bubble Chatter:
“They’re talking about debris on the track right now.” No. 82 team spotter
“This car exits really, really good.” No. 82 driver Scott Speed
“I can’t do anything with the six car right now, so I am just gonna wait and save my tires.” No. 7 driver Robby Gordon
“That must have been a really slow pit stop.”
“Well it certainly wasn’t one of out best.” Exchange between Robby Gordon and his crew chief
“It keeps jumping out of gear, even with the bungee on it.” No. 21 driver Bill Elliott, whose car broke a transmission Sunday
“I need a (expletive) side, they’re comin’ on! High, low, something cause I can’t see (expletive!) No. 82 Driver Scott Speed
What to look for at Phoenix:
To be quite frank, don’t expect much from our bubble teams next weekend out in the desert, as our remaining bubble dwellers Scott Speed, John Andretti, and Robby Gordon finished 34th, 38th, and 39th respectively last time out to Arizona. But I am thinking you’ll see Scott Speed drive like hell as he has to try and squeeze his team into the top 35. Meanwhile, John Andretti will probably run a more conservative race, maybe stay out under a caution to lead a lap, collecting a few more points while they look to set themselves for a nice, easy run at Homestead in two weeks. Finally, Robby Gordon will drive as hard as he can every lap, as he always does since the odds of Speed catching him are quite low. Speed will get a top 25, with Andretti and Gordon both posting finishes in the upper 20’s and Robby Gordon locking himself into the top 35 for 2010.
So, there you have it, your bubble breakdown for Texas. Check back next week to see what Scott Speed has to do to pull off a miracle and get himself into the top 35 by the end of the season. And don’t forget to check out the head-to-head picks in Friday’s newsletter. My rival Phil Allaway wrapped up the title at Texas… but I can at least still make it close. Until next Monday, so long from the bubble!
2009 Bubble Chart After Texas:
| Pos | Owner | Car # | Driver | Points | Points +/- of 35th Place |
| 31 | Hall of Fame / Yates Racing | 96 | Erik Darnell | 2,910 | +304 |
| 32 | Michael Waltrip Racing | 55 | Michael Waltrip | 2,900 | +294 |
| 33 | Yates Racing | 98 | Paul Menard | 2,818 | +212 |
| 34 | Robby Gordon Motorsports | 7 | Robby Gordon | 2,647 | +41 |
| 35 | Front Row Motorsports | 34 | John Andretti | 2,606 | 0 |
| 36 | Team Red Bull | 82 | Scott Speed | 2,489 | -117 |
| 37 | TRG Motorsports | 71 | Bobby Labonte | 2,099 | -507 |
| 38 | Phoenix Racing | 09 | Various Drivers | 1,826 | -780 |
| 39 | NEMCO Motorsports | 87 | Joe Nemechek | 1,534 | -1,072 |
| 40 | Tommy Baldwin Racing | 36 | Various Drivers | 1,425 | -1,181 |
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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