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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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Team Lowe's Racing - Jimmie Johnson - Bristol Motor Speedway Preview
Tuesday August 17, 2010
Jimmie Johnson 2010 Starts: 23 Wins: 5 Top 5: 8 Top 10: 12 Current Driver Point Standings: 5th Points Behind 1st: 386 Finish in Michigan: 12th August 2009 Finish at Bristol: 8th |
NEWS
Two More Charities Picked to Adorn Samsung Helmet of Hope
Cookies for Kids Cancer and Birthday Blessings newest additions
Cookies for Kids' Cancer (Califon, N.J.) and Birthday Blessings (Charlotte, N.C.) will be two of 13 charities which will adorn the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Samsung Helmet of Hope at Auto Club Speedway in October. Each organization will also receive a $10,000 grant.
ESPN's Marty Smith nominated Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a group committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer. Through the concept of local bake sales, Cookies for Kids' Cancer provides money, inspiration and support for families fighting pediatric cancer.
"Cookies for Kids' Cancer was founded by Gretchen Witt, a mother inspired by her young son Liam's cancer battle," offered Smith. "She did not accept his plight sitting down. Rather, she sought to change his world through sheer will, and as a result is changing the lives of children battling cancer every day."
Terri Springer of Matthews, N.C. nominated Birthday Blessings, an organization whose goal is to bring joy, recognition, and support to needy children and families during difficult and sad times in their lives. The three core programs raise spirits and boost confidence for homeless children ages tots to teens, and offer help and hope to homeless parents and their babies.
"Birthday Blessings is a fantastic nonprofit dedicated to serving homeless children," explained Springer. "Birthday Blessings is a new charity (whose demand) keeps growing due to the economy. Logan, my 10 year old, loves to go and help. He helps at some parties and watched as one boy blew out his candles. The boy didn't know how to do it because he had never had candles on his cake before. The organization not only provides smiles but gives the children a moment of normalcy in a time when it isn't normal."
Johnson will draw one winner from a list of media submissions and one from a list of fan submissions each race weekend through the Atlanta event in September. The two charities selected Friday join the Feeding America® Kids Café program, which was nominated by Samsung to kick-off this year's campaign program. The Kids Café program works to address the growing epidemic facing children's hunger.
To nominate a charity, fans and media may visit www.HelmetofHope.org.
RACE NOTESBristol Motor Speedway
- Johnson has made 17 Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he has earned one win, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
- Johnson has completed 98.1% (8349 of 9513) of competition laps at the .533-mile oval and has led 322.
- He has an average start and finish of 15.9 and 15.0.
- Chassis No. 580 will be the primary for Saturday night's event. Johnson last piloted that car to a sixth-place finish at Michigan in June.
- Back up chassis No. 553 has collected three wins in four starts – the most recent coming at Auto Club Speedway in February
QUOTESYOU'RE HEADING BACK TO BRISTOL IN A FEW WEEKS, DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISM THAN YOU'VE HAD IN YEARS PAST GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SPRING? "We ran so well there in the spring, even last year, we had a great spring and fall race. That night race has always been one of my favorites. We look forward to being competitive and hopefully going back to victory lane there. It's a great race track; I've always loved watching races there. I'm glad to actually enjoy racing on that track now."
WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH ON POINTS NOW? "The bonus points, that's kind of the obvious one that all the drivers want and as a team, the momentum from a win would be very important and helpful. But from our standpoint, not just this year but others as well, we felt the consistency going into the Chase was really important. We've had some races in the last four or five weeks where we've been competitive and didn't finish well. We've had races where we weren't competitive and didn't finish well. I think we're looking more for a consistent run here leading into New Hampshire before we start the Chase. If we can get 10 points, obviously that's what we need and what we want. But I think the momentum and the confidence that comes with four or five strong races is really important."
SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins
- Johnson has 52 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2010.
- The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR's all-time wins list, two victories behind Lee Petty.
- He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).
- Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
- Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.
- Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.
- Johnson was the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.
- Johnson's 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
- The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.
- Johnson has collected 23 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
- The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
- He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
- Johnson's most recent pole position was at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20, 2009.
- In 23 2010 starts, Johnson has collected five wins, eight top five and 12 top-10 finishes.
- Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
- Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
- In 314 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 125 top-five and 192 top-10 finishes.
- He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
- Johnson has led a total of 10,574 laps (of 89,987) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 121,241 miles.
- He has finished on the lead lap 242 times.
Primary Car History – Chassis No. 580
Date | Event | Start | Finish |
02/28/2010 | Las Vegas | 20 | 1 |
04/19/2010 | Texas | 4 | 2 |
05/22/2010 | All-Star | 7 | 13 |
06/13/2010 | Michigan | 3 | 6 |
Backup Car History – Chassis No. 553
Date | Event | Start | Finish |
07/26/2009 | Indy | 15 | 1 |
10/10/2009 | California | 3 | 1 |
11/22/2009 | Homestead | 1 | 5 |
02/21/2010 | California | 7 | 1 |
Jimmie Johnson – Bristol Motor Speedway
Race | Start | Finish | Laps | Status | Led |
03/24/2002 | 33 | 7 | 500/500 | Running | 0 |
08/24/2002 | 32 | 34 | 462/500 | Running | 0 |
03/23/2003 | 23 | 8 | 499/500 | Running | 0 |
08/23/2003 | 16 | 5 | 500/500 | Running | 0 |
03/28/2004 | 11 | 16 | 500/500 | Running | 8 |
08/28/2004 | 11 | 3 | 500/500 | Running | 20 |
04/03/2005 | 14 | 6 | 500/500 | Running | 1 |
08/27/2005 | 29 | 36 | 410/500 | Engine | 0 |
03/26/2006 | 5 | 30 | 487/500 | Running | 0 |
08/26/2006 | 18 | 10 | 500/500 | Running | 0 |
03/25/2007 | 6 | 16 | 503/504 | Running | 0 |
08/25/2007 | 9 | 21 | 499/500 | Running | 0 |
03/16/2008 | 1 | 18 | 504/506 | Running | 14 |
08/23/2008 | 34 | 33 | 482/500 | Running | 0 |
03/22/2009 | 3 | 3 | 503/503 | Running | 88 |
08/22/2009 | 21 | 8 | 500/500 | Running | 107 |
03/21/2010 | 4 | 1 | 500/500 | Running | 84 |
Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics
Year | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Final |
Points | ||||||
2001 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
2002 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 4 | 5 |
2003 | 36 | 3 | 14 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
2004 | 36 | 8 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 2 |
2005 | 36 | 4 | 13 | 22 | 1 | 5 |
2006 | 36 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
2007 | 36 | 10 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 1 |
2008 | 36 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 6 | 1 |
2009 | 36 | 7 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 1 |
2010* | 23 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 5 |
* to date
No. 48 At-Track Crew List
Name | Shop Job | Track Job | Hometown |
Knaus, Chad | Crew Chief | Crew Chief | Rockford, IL |
Apple, Bart | 48 Interior | Driver Equipment | Columbus, OH |
Barban, Earl | Facilities | Spotter | St. Louis, MO |
Barnette, R.J. | Pit Support | Pit Support | Birmingham, AL |
Bazzell, Kyle | Truck Driver | Truck Driver | Fairburg, IL |
Boydston, John | Engine Tuner | Engine Tuner | Oswego, NY |
Bradshaw, Randy | N/A | Pit Support | Charlotte, NC |
Brown, Andy | Mechanic | Rear Tire Carrier | Jamestown, NY |
Claridge, Joe | Mechanic | Mechanic | Barrington, NH |
Flynn, Keith | Asst. Pit Crew Coach | Asst. Pit Crew Coach | Burlington, NC |
Gutierrez, Rich | Mechanic | Gas Man | Yorba Linda, CA |
Harder, Brandon | Truck Bay | Back-Up Jackman | Toledo, OH |
Ives, Greg | Race Engineer | Race Engineer | Bark River, MI |
Kohn, Chad | Truck Driver | Truck Driver | Decatur, IL |
Lingerfelt, Mike | Mechanic | Front Tire Changer | Greenville, SC |
Malec, Ron | Mechanic | Car Chief | Franklin, WI |
Michel, Pete | Shock Specialist | Shock Specialist | Cobleskill, NY |
Miller, Zack | Tire Specialist | Tire Specialist | Mission Viejo, CA |
Morin, Greg | Pit Crew Coach | Pit Crew Coach | Waltham, MA |
Plemmons, Cody | Engineer | Engineer | Charlotte, NC |
Puchalski, Marc | Mechanic | Mechanic | San Jose, CA |
Purcell, Kenneth | Mechanic | Jackman | Savannah, GA |
Simmons, Art | Chassis Set Up | Front Tire Carrier | Kirksville, MO |
Teague, Calvin | N/A | Catch Can | Taylorsville, NC |
West, Jeremy | Mechanic | Rear Tire Changer | Harbor City, CA |
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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