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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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Editor’s Note: Mike Ravesi could not submit this week due to internet issues. Look for our site’s Fantasy Insider to return next Thursday for Martinsville!
There’s no race more nerve-wracking to set your fantasy team for than Bristol. It’s tough enough to pick at short tracks as it is, but the unpredictability of 500 laps at this half-mile puts so much outside your control that you’re spending most of your three hours Sunday simply trying to avoid a heart attack. Lightning can strike at Thunder Valley anytime, any place, causing unavoidable wrecks that can take a successful day down the wrong road in an instant. And with the SAFER barriers narrowing up the groove, we’re bound to see a race resembling the Bristol of old, with bumping and grinding making survival the name of the game on Sunday.
So how do you plow through the wreckage and wind up with a solid fantasy weekend? The honest truth is these tips will only take you so far. But if you keep a lucky penny and this article by your side, you just might make it through with your roster in one piece.
With that in mind, here’s an Inside Look at the best and the worst at Bristol:
Studs
Kyle Busch – During a disastrous 2009 Sprint Cup season, Bristol was the lone shining light for Busch and the No. 18. Replacing brother Kurt atop the Thunder Valley throne, he’s led an astounding 861 of the last 1,503 laps here in finishing 2nd, 1st, and 1st in his last three starts. Yes, Busch doesn’t have a top 10 finish in his first four races of 2010. But that just makes him more determined to keep from deepening his hole in the standings – and there’s no better track than to start the long process of digging himself out.
Fun fact: Busch was the first driver to win with NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow, charging to victory at Bristol in 2007. Isn’t it a storybook ending for him to win in the winged car’s grand finale?
Kyle Busch has been the man to beat at the half-mile bullring the past few years.
Jeff Burton – The veteran has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Bristol, posting four top 5 finishes in his last thirteen starts to go with five of 31st or worse. But the Spring race in particular has been kind to Burton as of late, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 8th the last three years, respectively. RCR’s short track program, usually their biggest strength, hit a snag last season and they’re eager to prove things have turned around in 2010. And with the momentum the No. 31’s been carrying over the past six months (they haven’t finished outside the top 20 since October), would you really want to bet against them?
Fun fact: Burton has never posted top 10 finishes in both Bristol races since 2000. So if he does well this weekend, chances are you want to take him off your roster in August.
Honorable mention: Mark Martin. He was one of two drivers to post top 10 finishes in all six short track races last season. To me, that means he’s due for a date with the outside wall … but if you think he’s put years of bad mojo behind him, it’s a near-automatic top 10 selection for Sunday.
Who will carry you
Ryan Newman – This stat might surprise you, but the other driver to achieve that “6-for-6” top 10 stat was Newman. Not really known as a short track racer, it was his success on the bullrings that singlehandedly carried him to a Chase bid last season. Posting an average finish of 6.5 at Bristol last season, he also led 25 laps in the Spring during what became one of his most competitive races of 2009. Newman enters the 2010 race in much the same way he stumbled into last year, without a top 10 finish and over 100 points behind the Chase cutoff already. The pressure is on to stop the bleeding, and I’d be shocked if the U.S. Army team wasn’t disciplined enough to get it together for Sunday.
Marcos Ambrose – Another driver with a lot on the line, Ambrose’s two DNFs in four races have left him simply struggling to stay inside the top 35 in owner points. A bad wreck at Bristol could put that in jeopardy, but the Aussie isn’t the type of driver to get in trouble: in 51 career starts, he’s never failed to finish due to a wreck. Add in a 6.5 average finish at this track (he was 10th in the Spring and 3rd in the Fall), and it’s the perfect “value” driver to round out your roster for this week.
Sleeper – This pick might surprise you, but I’m going to go with David Gilliland. Driving the underfunded Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet, he hung on the lead lap all day in the No. 38 car at Atlanta before a chaotic finish dropped him to 26th. And while he’s wrecked the last two times at Thunder Valley, he’s also qualified in the top 15 three straight starts and has an 8th place finish in the Spring race (2008). At some point, the bad luck’s got to stop – and when it does, he’ll be sitting pretty well inside the top 20 at a bargain price.
Who will bury you
A lot of people think Elliott Sadler is a Bristol steal, one of the few tracks the fading Cup veteran still performs well at. But despite picking up his first Cup win at the track in 2001, he’s gone five years there without a top 10 finish, running 26th or worse in 50 percent of his starts during that stretch. Teammate Kasey Kahne is just as inconsistent, posting nearly as many DNFs (three) as top 10 finishes (four) throughout his Cup career.
Finally, ‘09 Chaser Brian Vickers is a “no brainer” most weeks, but he’s yet to find an intelligent way to circle around in Tennessee. Eleven career starts at Bristol have yet to earn him a top 10 finish, and in the last two Spring races his average finish is a paltry 34th. Stay away! Stay away!
Recap and Advice
Like I said up top, all the knowledge in the world won’t keep an “A” level roster from having a disastrous day at Bristol. Especially with a groove that’s been narrowed considerably over the offseason, wrecks aplenty threaten to turn your day into a walking disaster at any time. So don’t overthink it, and keep in mind low-value picks may be more valuable than ever this weekend: even a severely underfunded team could sneak away with a top 20 as long as they plan on running the distance. So if you’re itching to take a guy like Mike Bliss just once over the course of 36 races … now’s your chance to put on that Cinderella slipper and hope it doesn’t break into a million pieces.
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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