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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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Red Bull Racing Team - Phoenix November 08 advance
Wednesday November 5, 2008
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
ENTRIES: Red Bull No. 83 Brian Vickers and Red Bull No. 84 Scott Speed
RACE: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, “Checker Auto Parts 500“
TRACK: Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, AZ
DATES: November 7-9, 2008
TEAMMATES TAKE SAME PATH
Brian Vickers had the knack for getting around Phoenix International Raceway when he first arrived there in November 2003.
A 19-year-old kid from North Carolina qualified second and finished 13th, a performance that began a string of several strong runs at the tricky one-mile flat track. Vickers has five top-five starts, with a best finish of fifth after he led 50 laps in April 2005.
Then, he was in a position similar to Red Bull Racing teammate Scott Speed. Vickers drove in five of the final six races in preparation for his 2004 rookie season — the same plan Speed’s currently on.
“Entering the Cup series is a very humbling — and necessary — experience, especially when you are used to winning races and championships,” Vickers said. “The most important lesson I learned was to be patient. You aren’t going to win out of the gate. The best thing you can do for yourself is go out there and make laps, finish the races and earn respect from your fellow competitors. Just learn how to race so you are ready for the next year.”
Speed has finishes of 30th, 34th and most recently 33rd on Sunday in Texas, but he’s completed 99 percent of the laps, good enough to keep the No. 84 in the top 35 in car owner points with two races remaining.
“It’s very important for us to have Scott run the final five Cup races of the season so we have a good idea for how his performance level is going to stack up,” said Jay Frye, vice president and general manager. “He obviously exceeded our expectations in both the ARCA and the Truck series, but the Cup series is a different animal and he’s learning the challenges that come with racing in Cup.
“He’s doing well, though, and he’s finishing races, making laps, gaining experience and getting seat time. From Atlanta to Texas we saw a huge improvement and that’s part of the goal — to continue improving and learning.”
SPEED ON SPEED
Q: What are your thoughts after completing your first three Cup races?
SS: “I definitely expected myself to be more competitive in the Cup cars than our performance has been, and I think the team expected us to perform better, too. We really struggled in all three races, but for different reasons in each. It’s frustrating at the time, but when you can walk away and be able to figure out what exactly you were struggling with and what the solution is for next time, that makes a lot of difference in keeping your head up and moving on
to the next race. We do have answers for why we were struggling and why we were off the pace, so that’s a step in the right direction for improving our performance as we move on to Phoenix and Homestead.”
Q: What’s been the hardest thing to learn so far in Cup?
SS: “For me, the hardest thing has been getting the setup of the car right so that we’re competitive during the race. We can have really good practice sessions and even end happy hour feeling like we’re going to have a good car for the race, but then the race starts and we’re not where we thought we’d be at all. The conditions change so much between happy hour and the race, so I still need to learn how to set up my car so we’re not so far off when the race starts.”
Q: How is Cup racing different from the Truck series?
SS: “Racing in the Cup series has been a lot more competitive for me than racing in the Truck series. There are a lot of great drivers and trucks in the Truck series, but there are also that many more in Cup. In trucks, you’ll usually have about 10 good trucks and the rest aren’t as competitive, but in Cup it seems like everyone is good and competitive.”
83 NEARLY STEALS A TOP FIVE
Brian Vickers endured an up-and-down weekend at Texas, finishing a hard-fought 18th to move up to 17th in points.
After qualifying 13th, the No. 83 changed an engine after final practice and Vickers charged from 43rd to 10th in 100 laps. He suspected problems with the right-rear tire near the halfway point, made an unscheduled stop and dropped from seventh to one lap down in 25th. When fuel mileage came into play in the closing laps, the No. 83 decided to stretch it and just missed a top-five finish, running out of fuel with one to go.
SWEET SOUNDS OF BV
From Eminem to Elvis, Sinatra to The Stones, Brian Vickers’ taste in music covers the spectrum. He even titled his MySpace Music playlist “Never Too Old To Be Young.”
“Music is timeless. Many artists are timeless,” Vickers said. “The old influences the new and in the case of myself, I as a young person, enjoy some of the classics.”
Twelve of Vickers’ favorites went up Monday in the featured playlist section at music.myspace.com, and they’ll be given more real estate Saturday and Sunday. Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” leads off.
“There are some things that we can all relate to. Music is one of them because it’s all around us,” Vickers said. “Whether you’re in the car, or in line at the store, chances are there will be some form of music around you. MySpace Music has given me the opportunity to share some of my favorite songs with their members.”
‘MUFFIN MAN’ LEADS SPEED’S CHARITABLE CHARGE
Sitting shotgun in Scott Speed’s race to help the Chron’s & Colitis Foundation of America is the “Muffin Man.”
The little guy serves up muffins on the front of a T-shirt, and, through Speed’s own design and partnership with Scottsdale-based Muze Clothing, will hopefully serve up cash and awareness for a disease that hits home for driver No. 84.
Speed was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2003, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and sores in the large intestine or colon. Ulcerative colitis has similarities to Crohn’s disease, another form of IBD.
“This is a really cool opportunity for me to work on a project that ties one of my biggest passions — fashion — into motorsports, while also raising money for a great cause,” Speed said. “We’re hoping that through this project we can help create awareness and raise money for conditions such as ulcerative colitis, a disease that affects me personally.”
Muffin Man T-shirts went on sale Monday at muzeclothing.com. Half of the $40 will go to the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation of America. They’ll also be on sale this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, where the Muffin Man’s creator will autograph shirts at an TBD location Sunday from 12:15-12:30 p.m. MT.
Why the Muffin Man?
“Just random, mate,” Speed said.
Speaking of fashion, Red Bull Racing Team will hit the runway as part of Scottsdale Fashion Week. Models will show off team gear Friday on the Southbridge Runway (9 p.m. MT). Visit scottsdalefashionweek.com.
BEST (AND WORST) OF BOTH WORLDS
An upcoming fourth straight weekend of Craftsman Truck and Sprint Cup racing gave Scott Speed an interesting take on doing “the double.”
“In trucks,” Speed said, “the green flag drops and the drivers act like dogs being let off a leash and going at each other. The green flag drops in a Cup race and the drivers start out a little bit more mature and calculated. That’s more my driving style.”
Off the leash, Speed has fared pretty well. He finished 10th in Friday night’s truck race at Texas for his eighth top 10 in 14 starts. Only once has he finished outside the top 15 in his past seven races.
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 Kim DeHaven.
©2000 - 2008 Kim DeHaven and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
