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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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Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance - Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 - Phoenix International Raceway
Sunday November 15, 2009
HISTORICAL DATA
• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.
• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Kurt Busch, 11/08/2009, 2009 Dickies 500, 147.137 mph avg. speed.
THE DODGE BOYS
• Dodge has 205 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins.
• Busch has scored at least one victory in each of the last eight years (2002-2009).
• Kasey Kahne recorded the 200th win by Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series with his victory in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway last season.
• Dodge teams have posted 45 wins since the returning to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.
• Dodge has recorded four wins in 2009; Busch (Atlanta-1, Texas-2), Kahne (Infineon & Atlanta-2).
• All six Dodge teams are in the top-35 in 2009 NSCS owner points: Busch (4th), Kahne (10th), Elliott Sadler (25th), Reed Sorenson (28th), Sam Hornish Jr. (29th) and Brad Keselowski (30th).
DODGE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
• Dodge is seeking its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at PIR.
• Dodge has earned four poles at PIR since returning to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 (Casey Atwood- 1, Ryan Newman - 3).
• Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) is the only active Dodge driver with a win at PIR. He won in 2005 before moving to Penske Racing and the Dodge ranks in 2006.
DODGE IN THE CHASE
• Kurt Busch is currently fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, 171 points behind the leader, after winning Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He has finished 6th, 5th, 11th, 8th, 10th, 17th, 30th and 1ST respectively, in this year’s Chase races.
• Kasey Kahne is 10th (-399 points) in the Chase standings after running out of gas and finishing 33rd at Texas. He has finished 38th, 8th, 6th, 34th, 3rd, 32nd, 2nd and 33rd respectively, in this year’s Chase races. He is 399 points behind the leader.
• Two Dodge drivers (Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman) were in the inaugural Chase in 2004.
• In 2005, three Dodge drivers (Mayfield, Newman and Rusty Wallace) made the Chase field with Newman winning the opener at New Hampshire.
• Kasey Kahne was the lone Dodge driver in the 2006 Chase field. He finished eighth in the final Chase standings.
• The Chase field was expanded from 10 to 12 drivers in 2007. Kurt Busch was the lone Dodge representative; he finished seventh in the final standings.
• There were no Dodges in the 2008 Chase field.
• Busch and Kahne are the Dodge representatives in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
THE CHASE – KURT BUSCH AT PHOENIX
• Busch started third and finished second in last year’s fall event at Phoenix International Raceway. It’s his best finish in the fall race.
• In 13 starts at PIR, Busch has one win (2005), four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has led 571 laps.
• Busch has posted top-10 starts in seven of his last eight races at PIR.
• Busch is making his fourth Chase appearance and second driving a Dodge.
• Average start: 14.8 Average finish: 12.5
THE CHASE – KASEY KAHNE AT PHOENIX
• Kahne started 11th and finished 13th in last year’s fall event at Phoenix International Raceway.
• In 10 starts at PIR, Kahne has one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
• Kahne’s best finish at PIR was fifth at the fall race his rookie year in 2004.
• Kahne’s best starting position at PIR is fourth (2004).
• Kahne won six races in 2006 and finished eighth in the final standings in his only other Chase appearance.
• Average start: 13.0 Average Finish: 19.5
DID YOU KNOW: Penske Racing’s Sam Hornish Jr. made his Sprint Cup debut at PIR at the fall event in 2007. Hornish, driving the No. 06 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, qualified 26th and finished 30th.
QUICK FACTS:
• There have been 16 different pole winners in 26 races at PIR. Qualifying at Phoenix has never been canceled.
• Five races at Phoenix have had at least one green-flag stretch of 125 or more laps. The longest was 189 in 1984.
• Kurt Busch is one of two drivers that have led in seven of the eight Chase races. Denny Hamlin is the second.
DODGE QUOTES
“Phoenix is a pretty unique race track. To me, it’s a neat place to go (race). The weather always seems to be good out there. That’s a track that I haven’t really run that well at. Early on (in my career) I did…my first year. We’ve kind of been up-and-down there. I feel like this year, with where we’re at right now and the gains that we’ve made in the last month. Phoenix will be another track where we can run pretty well.”
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
“Kurt is as good as they get on those tracks and his record certainly shows that. He’s won a ton of races on the flat one‐mile tracks and is always on top of his game every time we race there. When we get out to Phoenix, Kurt seems to have some extra swagger going and I’m sure that’ll be the case again this weekend. He has such a strong background and connection with that track.”
Pat Tryson, Crew Chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
“I have run Phoenix [International Raceway] in the Nationwide Series car and have had a couple of good runs there. This will be my first time in a Cup Series car at Phoenix. I feel like the Penske cars have been extremely strong on the short tracks. Phoenix, to me, is a short track even though it is one mile in length. It drives like a short track. [Teammate] Kurt [Busch] has historically run really well there, and hopefully we can build on the success Penske has had. The No. 12 team did a great job in our first weekend together. We did not get the finish we deserved last weekend in Texas, but I feel like we really have a solid foundation.”
Brad Keselowski, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
“There is something special about Phoenix International Raceway because it is a track where I experienced many of my firsts in racing. I would never think that my first top-10 in Cup Series competition would come on a short track, but the April race was very special to me and the entire No. 77 team.”
Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge
“Phoenix is a tough track. As a crew chief, you have to set up the car for two separate corners. If you can get your car to really run well through turns 3 and 4, you will have a solid car. We know going in we have a good car and a great driver. We just need a bit of luck to get the finish we deserve."
Roy McCauley, Crew Chief, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
“This weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway is a really good opportunity for the Mobil 1 Dodge to get back on track. We have had some very good runs on short tracks this season, including the first race at Phoenix earlier this year. It is a challenge to balance the car at the one-mile oval because of the difference in the corners. Turns 1 and 2 are tighter with more banking than turns 3 and 4, which are more flat, sweeping corners.”
Travis Geisler, Crew Chief, No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge
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.
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