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NASCAR Will Use New Spoiler At Martinsville
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday March 17, 2010
During a press conference for the Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte, N.C. today, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton confirmed the Sprint Cup Series would officially make the transition to the rear spoiler beginning with the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at the Martinsville Speedway. Pemberton said 83 spoilers had been sent to the teams on Monday. Teams tested the new rear spoiler on Tuesday at the Talladega Superspeedway, where the cars reached speeds well over 200mph in the draft. Throughout the test, NASCAR tried different combinations of spoiler height and restrictor plate size. Next week there is a two-day (Tuesday and Wednesday) test planned at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where over 50 teams are scheduled to participate. Along with the return of the rear spoiler, Pemberton explained NASCAR is still working on other changes to the aero package on the Sprint Cup cars that will go into effect at all the tracks, possibly starting as soon as Texas in April.
High speeds in Talladega at first CoT spoiler test
posted by Doug Turnbull
Tuesday March 16, 2010
The highly anticipated first official spoiler test for the Car of Tomorrow may be noteworthy for other reasons. In an attempt to break up the large packs of cars, a notorious characteristic for restrictor plate tracks like Talladega, NASCAR allowed teams to try plates with larger holes – they started with a record size plate of 66/64th of an inch before shortening to 62/64ths of an inch after speeds were listed as too high. Just how high did those speeds go? Sources tell Frontstretch.com that this change, combined with the replacement of the rear wing with the traditional spoiler and the lowering of the front edge of the rear quarterpanels on both sides of the race car, allowed cars to approach straightaway speeds of up to 208 mph and average laps over the 200 mph mark. To set a mark for comparison, Juan Pablo Montoya’s April 2009 Talladega pole speed was 188.171 mph. Since speeds were in the 200 mph range, the same source says that NASCAR may consider having teams change the gear ratios on the cars, instead of decreasing the plate holes going forward, so the packs will remain broken up. Interestingly enough, the higher speeds come in light of the infamous Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards race car flipping episode at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Ryan Newman’s incredible end-over-end flip at Talladega last October, and Keselowski turning Edwards airborne into the Talladega frontstretch catchfence last April. Read Wednesday’s Frontstretch.com Newsletter for more details on the Talladega spoiler test.
Edwards Placed On Probation For Three Races
posted by Jay Pennell
Tuesday March 9, 2010
NASCAR President Mike Helton addressed the media Tuesday afternoon following Sunday’s late-race incident between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Well over 100 laps down, Edwards intentionally spun Keselowski through the tri-oval while Keselowski was running sixth. The No. 12 car lifted in the air and slammed the outside wall with the driver’s side window. NASCAR parked Edwards for his actions and ordered him to the NASCAR hauler for further discussion on the matter. Tuesday, Helton explained Edwards would be placed on probation for the next three races and the drivers and their teams would meet with NASCAR about the situation. “Following that incident we asked the driver of the 99 to visit us in the hauler, and we made it very clear to him that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers,” Helton said. “We believe the driver of the 99 understands our position at this point.” For NASCAR, the biggest issue emerging from Sunday’s incident was the fact the No. 12 car lifted into the air. “But the bigger topic is the 12 car getting airborne at a mile-and-a-half track which we typically don’t see,” Helton said. “It’s been years since we’ve seen that. So a lot of our effort yesterday, today and until we find resolve to it is figuring out how it happened, why it happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening in the future.”
Keyed Up and Key Motorsports split
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
If missing the first three races to date was not enough drama for the No. 90 Keyed Up Motorsports Chevy team and Casey Mears, organizational upheaval may tip the scales. A member with the team tells Frontstretch.com that Raymond Key’s Cup operation, originally formed with ties to Curtis Key’s teams in the Nationwide and Truck Series, has become its own entity. As of Monday, the team began a move into Tommy Baldwin Racing’s old shop while planning to continue trying to qualify on Cup races. However, if sponsorship for the team fails to pan out, Keyed-Up may vie for a partial schedule similar to that of the Wood Brothers and only run about 12 races the rest of the year.
Wood Brothers running FR9 for now, Roush says no big problems with new motor
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
Ford’s new FR9 motor has not made a speedy entrance to the Sprint Cup Series, mainly because the Ford teams need adequate supplies from the engine parts vendors and not because of performance problems, says team owner Jack Roush. Claiming the engine will perform well over the long-term, he still expects the new design to be “the Ford engine of the future” and fully in use by the end of 2010. While his four Ford teams are not running the revamped engine, Roush revealed that the Wood Brothers Ford team will run the FR9 this weekend at Atlanta and in April at Texas. Beyond that, either Roush nor Ford officials have announced a set schedule for full or future implementation of the power plants.
Crawford says truck team is 'close' on sponsorship
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
While never a standout in the Camping World Truck Series, Rick Crawford has experienced moderate success over his long career in NASCAR’s third-tier. After losing sponsorship at the end of 2009, his Circle Bar Racing team finds itself on the ropes, wondering how many races the future may hold. The veteran Crawford, though, remains optimistic a deal is imminent. “I would say we’re pretty close on signing a sponsor for the 2010 season and 2011 and beyond. [Not starting 2010 with a sponsor] was a matter of losing a sponsor late last year and [the prospective sponsor] getting its marketing efforts done. We’ve got the contracts ready; we’re waiting to get that signed.” Crawford started 2010 with a DNF at Daytona, placing 28th.
Justin Marks Wins The ARCA Race!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
Justin Marks won a rain-shortened event at Palm Beach Saturday, collecting his first ever win in the series. Robb Brent, Blake Koch, Tom Hessert III, and Steve Arpin rounds out the top 5. Stay tuned to Frontstretch.com for plenty of post-race coverage on both the website and our Newsletter.
Looking For ARCA Coverage? We Got It!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
While the ARCA race at Palm Beach may not be televised … we’ve got you covered. Our own Bryan Davis Keith is at Palm Beach all weekend and will be posting news, commentary, and features from the Florida road course both on the website and in our newsletter. Don’t miss out! And don’t forget, our own Tom Bowles is spending the weekend in Vegas, too … so we’ve got you covered from all angles. Just another reason why we’re the best seat at the track and the best view on the ‘net!
Carter Simo still plans 2010 Cup races
posted by Doug Turnbull
Friday February 19, 2010
One story lost in the shadow of Speedweeks in Daytona was the absence of Carter Simo Racing’s No. 08 car. Much of the team’s equipment was put up for auction Tuesday; however, a source tells Frontstretch.com the operation still plans to field a car in 2010, with a limited schedule of races TBD. CSR may also try and field a car for the Talladega ARCA race in April; until then, most of the team’s employees have been temporarily released and are working for other teams in the sport. In mid-2009, team owner John Carter bought the assets of beleaguered owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield, using the newly purchased equipment and Toyotas to field entries in five races with two-time champion driver Terry Labonte. Equipment issues kept the team from cracking the top 30 in those races. Road course ringer Boris Said also wielded No. 08 Fords last year at both road course races, scoring the team’s season-best finish of 24th at Infineon. Later on that season, Said and longtime partner Mark Simo split, creating the newly-named Carter Simo racing with Labonte behind the wheel. On Tuesday, CSR only placed the equipment purchased from Mayfield on the block, including five Toyotas, a race hauler, and other pit equipment and tools. However, the source says that the team still owns three old Yates chassis and an old Ganassi piece (all of which they converted to Dodges last year) in the shop, with plans on returning to the track midseason pending sponsorship. The move is similar to what happened with Carter Simo last year, in which they took a four-month break between Daytona and Infineon while preparing to race at specific tracks. CSR, which still splits its time between its shops in Charlotte and in Toccoa, Georgia, just has to modify the top of the noses on their cars before returning to the track, due to a minor, lightly-discussed rules change before the season. As for CSR’s 2009 drivers and whether they will return to the team, Boris Said currently is driving the No. 26 for Bill Jenkins’ Latitude 43 Motorsports, and is working on a long-term deal that should remove him as an option. Terry Labonte is also out of the running; he and former owner Bill Stavola formed Stavola Labonte Racing in 2009, but are currently sidelined due to a lack of sponsorship. According to sources, Labonte was offered but initially turned down a return to the No. 08. A John Carter-owned car did participate in the ARCA race at Daytona on February 6th. Former CSR driver James Hylton borrowed a car from Carter, then leased it to driver Jill George for the race. But George infamously crashed the No. 48 roof-first into the wall just 25 laps into the 80-lap Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, finishing 31st in the 43 car field.
Parrott In As Crew Chief For Kenseth
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday February 17, 2010
Less than a week into the 2010 season and Roush Fenway Racing has already made a switch at the crew chief position. News broke on Wednesday that Todd Parrott would take over atop the pit box for the No. 17 team with driver Matt Kenseth, replacing Drew Blickensderfer. The Kenseth-Blickensderfer combination won last year’s Daytona 500 and backed it up by winning the next weekend at the Auto Club Speedway. Despite their strong start out of the box, the No. 17 team failed to live up to expectations in 2009, scoring seven top-5s, 12 top-10s and failing to make, along with missing the Chase. Now after an 8th place finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Blickensderfer is headed to the Roush Fenway Racing R&D Department and Parrott is taking over as crew chief. |
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EARNHARDT GANASSI RACING - Budweiser Shootout At Daytona Advance Notes
Thursday February 4, 2010
Race: Budweiser Shootout, Feb. 6
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Media Contacts at Daytona:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Jarrod England No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES OF INTEREST
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats Team:
Coming Home: Joplin, Missouri native Jamie McMurray returns to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for the 2010 NSCS season as driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet. McMurray has won three NSCS races since he entered the series near the end of 2002. In his seven years and 258 races at NASCAR’s highest level he has 30 career top-five finishes and 80 top-10 results. McMurray broke into the NSCS in 2002 as a member of the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team of drivers and spent three full seasons there from 2003-05. Those three seasons are statistically the best seasons of McMurray’s career. In those three years he had a combined 18 top-five finishes and 46 top-10s and competed until the end for a spot in the 10-member Chase field every year. He finished 13th, 11th and 12th in those three seasons. His 23 top-10 finishes in 2004 were tied for second most with Jimmie Johnson and behind only Jeff Gordon in the NSCS.
Shootout at the Beach: McMurray will attempt to best his second-place finish in the 2009 Bud Shootout, where he started 15th going on to lead a total of four times for 16 laps (second most). In his four Shootout attempts (04, 06, 08, 09), McMurray has collected one top-five, two top-10, and three top-20 finishes. His best starting position came during the 2004 edition (McMurray’s first ever), when he started third.
Driver Highlights:
· McMurray will enter his eighth full-time year in the NSCS in 2010 with Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats as the sponsor
· Total of 258 career starts in NSCS heading into Daytona.
· Led the final 32 laps of the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway for his third career NSCS win.
· Ranked 22nd in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) point’s standings with one win, one top-five, and five top-10 finishes.
· 11 victories and 9 poles in his stock car career with 60 top-five and 145 top-10 finishes in 454 starts
· Earned three consecutive third-place finishes in the series’ last three races of 2008 on the way to placing 16th in the final point standings.
· In July of 2007, McMurray recorded the second closest finish in NASCAR history after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap of the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, winning the race by just .005 seconds.
· In 2005, McMurray returned to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for the third consecutive season grabbing four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes en route to a 12th place finish in the final point standings.
· In 2004, McMurray’s second season for Chip Ganassi Racing, McMurray earned nine top-five and 23 top-10 finishes – tied for second most with Jimmie Johnson and behind only Jeff Gordon.
· 2004 saw McMurray score the second most points during the ten race Chase for the Championship - finishing 11th in the points and earning a 1 million dollar bonus.
· In 2003, McMurray grabbed his first career pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway and earned the 2003 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award.
· In 2002 McMurray shocked the motorsports world when he filled in for an injured Sterling Marlin of Chip Ganassi Racing and won his first NSCS race at Charlotte Motor Speedway – still holding the NASCAR record for quickest to record first victory
Bass Pro Shops: Bass Pro Shops, of Springfield, Missouri, will enter their fifth season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as one of the primary sponsors of the No. 1 Chevrolet. With 56 retail stores in 26 states and Canada, Bass Pro Shops are visited by over 100 million people annually. Their international catalog and internet retailing are second to none. The American Rod & Gun wholesale division sells to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, and the Outdoor World Incentives sell Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America. Bass Pro Shops is also extremely proud of their restaurant division, featuring 26 unique locations.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team:
High Expectations: Juan Pablo Montoya returns for his fourth full-time NSCS season at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the No. 42 Chevy with long-time partner Target. Montoya and Team Target capped off a 2009 NSCS campaign with two pole awards, seven top-fives, 18 top-10 (50%) and 22 top-15 finishes, with a trip to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In the 36 Cup races of the 2009 season Montoya earned 27 top-20 finishes, led 388 laps, and averaged a starting position of 12.8 and a finishing position of 14.2. Team Target completed 10,336 of out 10,492 possible laps (98.5%) which ranked sixth for active drivers and had zero DNFs (did not finish). Montoya made the Chase for the Cup for the first time finishing eighth in the points standings. In the 10-race Chase for the Cup, Montoya had five top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 12.5, an average finishing position of 15.4, an average running position of 11.7 and 77% of his laps were run within the top-15. Montoya and Team Target now turn their attention to building on their successes during the 2010 NSCS season.
Superspeedway Success: Montoya matched his best finish of second at Talladega Superspeedway on August 27, 2008 by bringing home a second place finish at Pocono Raceway on August 3 – his highest finish of 2009. In his 11 Superspeedway starts, Montoya has never finished outside the top-20 with two top-fives, five top-10s, and eight top-15s.
Target Shootout History: The Target Chevy last appeared in the Bud Shootout in 2008 driven by Reed Sorenson when he drove to a fifth place finish. In three Bud Shootouts, the Target car has never placed outside the top-20. This will mark Montoya’s first appearance in the Bud Shootout.
Special Paint Scheme for the Shootout: The Target team will run a reverse Target paint scheme for their appearance in the Bud Shootout. The white car will be decaled with red logo’s to add additional flare to Montoya’s first appearance in the show.
Driver Highlights:
· Montoya will enter his fourth full-time year in the NSCS in 2010 with Target returning as the sponsor.
· 2010 marks Montoya’s 10-year anniversary of his Indianapolis 500 win. It was his first and only race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he went on to lead 167 of 200 laps, bringing home a win in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
· Total of 109 career starts in NSCS heading into Daytona.
· Montoya will reach 300 combined starts in 2010 (between NASCAR Cup-109, Nationwide-23, IndyCar-1, CART-40, and Formula One-94)
· No DNF’s at 10 NASCAR sanctioned tracks – Fontana, Las Vegas, Bristol, Martinsville, Phoenix, Darlington, Sonoma, Loudon, Chicago and Kansas.
· Has completed 35,193 laps in stock cars over the course of three years compared to 9,937 laps in open-wheel over the course of six years.
· First Latino, first Formula 1 driver, and first Indianapolis 500 winner to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2009. Finished eighth in the point standings.
· Two wins and two poles in his stock car career (ARCA, Nationwide, NASCAR) with 14 top-five and 31 top-10 results in 134 combined starts.
· One of only three drivers to win in Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup (Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti).
· In 2008, became the first driver in history to win in his first two starts in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2007 & 2008).
· Visited victory lane three times across three different racing series in 2007 – winning his first Rolex 24 At Daytona, his first Nationwide Series race in Mexico City, and picked up his first Sprint Cup victory at Infineon Raceway.
· 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
· Crowned as the youngest ever CART Champion at age in 24 (1999) and earned the CART Rookie of the Year Award
· 18 victories and 27 poles in his open-wheel career (CART, IndyCar, Formula 1) with 64 top-five and 81 top-10 results in 135 starts.
Target: Minneapolis-based Target celebrates its 21st season in motorsports with Chip Ganassi in 2010. The partnership continues to rank as one of the longest current sponsor relationships in motorsports. With two full-time entries in the Indy Racing League and a full-time car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Team Target features some of the world’s most accomplished race car drivers.
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats (NSCS): Chassis #808. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats team will bring chassis #808 to the Bud Shootout. This is a brand new chassis.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #809. Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #809 to the Bud Shootout. This is a brand new chassis.
2009 STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish Pts. Pos./(Prev)
Jamie McMurray 36 1 0 1 5 22.6 21.4 22
Juan Pablo Montoya 36 0 2 7 18 12.8 14.2 8
CAREER STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish
Jamie McMurray 258 3 3 30 80 20.4 19.4
Juan Pablo Montoya 109 1 2 12 27 19.3 20.4
TEAM ROSTERS
No. 1 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown
Crew Chief: Kevin Manion Boylston, MA Rear Tire Changer: Chris Taylor West Plains, MO
Chief Mechanic: Gary Putnam Vernon, CT Rear Tire Carrier: Adam Mosher Fort Mill, SC
Front Tire Changer: Cory DeMarco St. Louis, MO Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Doug Riepe Danbury, CT Catch Can: Eric Hoyle Asheville, NC
Jack Man: Tracy Duncan Lincolnton, NC Spotter: Keith Barnwell Hudson, NC
No. 42 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Zephyrhills, FL Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen Troutman, NC
Chief Mechanic: Heath Silver Asheville, NC Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode Statesville, NC
Front Tire Changer: Trevor Lysne Fergus Falls, MN Gas Man: Mike Bodick Norwalk, CT
Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu Waterford, MI Catch Can: Heath Silver Asheville, NC
Jack Man: TJ Ford Charlotte, NC Spotter: Tab Boyd Pensacola, FL
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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!
