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Jimmie Johnson wins the Sprint All-Star race.....again
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 19, 2013
Five-time is now four-time when it comes to the Sprint All-Star race. Coming into Saturday night’s race, Johnson was tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt for most wins in the annual event with three wins. Johnson bided his time, restarted the last segment in the second spot, dueled Kasey Kahne for two laps to secure the lead and pulled away to a convincing win. Joey Logano started the last segment in the seventh position, took advantage of a slip up by Kyle Busch on the start of the final segment, and ultimately came home in the runner-up spot. Kyle Busch rebounded from his slip up to muscle his way back to third. Kahne started the final segment on the pole but couldn’t hold off Johnson on the first few laps of the restart and ended up fourth. Kurt Busch won two segments, was the first on pit road for the money pit stop, but finished the event in fifth place. Jimmie Johnson summed up his results in two words, “we’re lucky”. It was tongue in cheek but Johnson was poking fun at the people who continue to accuse the No. 48 of preferential treatment, fixed races, and a blind eye to cheating. Johnson has one of the highest winning percentages in NASCAR history and it comes from natural talent and chemistry with his crew. This race also now ties Johnson with Davey Allison as the only two drivers to win the race in back-to-back years. Logano and Busch visited with the media after the race to speak about their runs. Logano was understandably upbeat about his second while Busch was quite dejected, having another All-Star race slip out of his grasp. Kahne spoke about the elephant in the room that is the length of the segments in the race during his post race availability on pit road. He noted that the inherent problem with the format is that the car is designed with downforce, on a track that is cool and has a bunch of grip. The only way to make the races exciting after the first couple of laps of racing would be to extend the segments to the The first 20 lap segment was won by Kurt Busch. Segment two went to his brother Kyle. That segment win allowed Bruton Smith to breathe more easily since he put up a $1,000,000 bonus to anyone who won all four of the segments. Segment three also went to the younger Busch, while the fourth segment win was tallied in brother Kurt’ s account.
Kyle Busch wins the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 17, 2013
‘Rowdy’ Busch was back in his familiar No. 51 truck at his favorite track on the Truck schedule. Busch led 80 laps and thought he should have led more but had a fuel issue on pit road that resulted in him having to battle back through the field. The race was slowed by eight cautions that helped him work his way back through the field. Busch beat Brendan Gaughan to the finish by .488 seconds, while Max Gresham chased them both to the line for his first top three finish of his Truck career. Matt Crafton came home in fourth place after having to battle through a couple of tire mishaps during the event. Ty Dillon rounded out the top 5 for his first finish that high this season. Busch led the race three times for his 80 laps. Miguel Paludo was second on the laps led board with 33. Gaughan, Gresham and Dillon also scored bonus points for leading laps. There were two cautions in the first 72 laps of the race while 29 of the last 62 laps were completed under the yellow flag. Jeb Burton started the race on the pole but did not lead a lap. He did however end the race as the Rookie of the Race for his 13th place finish. Matt Crafton leads Burton by 22 points in the season standings after five races this season.
Matt Kenseth Snatches Victory from the Jaws of Defeat at Darlington
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 12, 2013
Kyle Busch appeared to be headed for another weekend sweep after winning the Nationwide race at Darlington on Friday night. However, a funny thing happened as they were bringing out the dustpan. Matt Kenseth chased down the dominant car of the night, passed him with relative ease and then strolled away to a 3.165 second victory. Kenseth led the final 13 laps after Busch had held the point for 265 of the 354 laps leading up to Kenseth’s race winning pass. After Kenseth worked around Busch, the No. 18 slid rapidly backwards over the final eight laps to fall from second to sixth place. Joe Gibbs Racing did manage a 1-2 finish after sweeping the podium in Friday night’s Nationwide tilt. Denny Hamlin, in his first full race back in the car since his vertebrae fracture at California, soldiered through the pain of his arms, neck and shoulders more than his recovered back to wrestle a second place finish away from the Lady in Black. Coming home in third was Jeff Gordon, who turned his 700th career start into a top 3 finish. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5 in the Bojangles Southern 500. Kurt Busch started the race on the pole and led the first 51 laps before coming to the pits for a green flag stop. After the stops cycled through Busch was back at the point for 18 more laps before his brother began his domination. The race went green for the first 302 laps save a seven lap caution stint from lap 125 to lap 131. The final 65 laps saw four more cautions that flew for accidents involving Regan Smith, Brad Keselowski, Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Josh Wise, David Reutimann and Kasey Kahne. The race saw four leaders including Jeff Gordon in addition to the Busch brothers and Kenseth. The win is Kenseth’s 27th of his career and breaks a tie between himself and his teammate Kyle Busch. The win is Kenseth’s third this season which is the most among all of the competitors in the Cup series. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Rookie of the Race. Jeff Gordon’s top 5 finish was his 300th of his career. He joins Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison as the only four drivers in the history of the sport to accomplish such a feat.
Busch Dominates at Darlington as JGR Sets Nationwide Series Record
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 10, 2013
Kyle Busch dominated the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 on Friday night en route to his 56th career Nationwide Series victory and fifth series win of 2013. Joe Gibbs Racing in general was the class of the field all night at Darlington Raceway, claiming four of the top 5 finishing spots, with only fourth-place Joey Logano keeping them from sweeping the top four spots. It was a historic night for JGR, as no team has ever before placed four cars in the top 5. Elliott Sadler finished second to Busch and Brian Vickers third, with Logano and Matt Kenseth rounding out the top 5. Busch led 107 of 147 laps on the way to the win. Sadler was the best among the Nationwide Regulars, finishing second despite an early spin in Turn 2, and gained points on leader Regan Smith, who finished seventh. Kyle Larson continued to impress at the Lady in Black, posting a sixth-place finish in his first Darlington start as he runs for rookie honors. Sam Hornish, Jr., who remained second in points, finished eighth while Kasey Kahne and Justin Allgaier filled the top 10. Smith now leads Nationwide Series points by 28 over Hornish. Sadler jumps two spots to third on his second-place run as Justin Allgaier fell one place to fourth. Vickers gained three sports and is now fifth, 49 behind Smith. Austin Dillon, Parker Kligerman, Brian Scott, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson round out the top 10.
Joe Gibbs Racing Penalties Reduced Following Appeal
posted by Summer Bedgood
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Joe Gibbs Racing had many of their penalties for the No. 20 team reduced during the appeal process on Wednesday. Driver Matt Kenseth and owner Joe Gibbs had their points penalties reduced from 50 to 12 points. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s suspension has also been dropped from seven races to one, though he will still be forced to pay the $200,000 fine. Not all of the penalties were reduced, however. Toyota Racing’s manufacturer points penalty was increased from five points to seven. All other penalties were dropped, including the suspension of Joe Gibbs’ owners license, the loss of bonus points for the Chase earned at Kansas Speedway, and the loss of eligibility into the Sprint Unlimited garnered from the pole at Kansas Speedway. JGR has accepted the penalties and will not appeal further. Following a dominant win at Kansas Speedway a few weeks ago, Kenseth’s car failed post-race inspection when it was found that a connecting rod was 2.7 grams below the minimum weight. Toyota Racing Development accepted the blame for the incident. The reduction moves Kenseth up to fourth in points, 66 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. JGR has not announced who will replace Ratcliff this weekend in Darlington. The appeal was heard by Mark Arute, Dennis McGlynn, and Jack Housby. NASCAR cannot appeal the revised penalties.
Penske Has Suspensions Reduced On Appeal
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Roger Penske’s team got some relief Tuesday from NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook, as he chose to reduce penalties assessed to that organization at Texas Motor Speedway in early April. Middlebrook, after hearing the evidence from both sides Tuesday chose to reduce all suspensions in the case from six to two weeks, plus NASCAR’s All-Star Race on May 18th. That means the final consequences for both teams are the following: No. 2 car No. 22 car Other Middlebrook’s official statement was short, simply stating, “After looking at all the facts, data, and interpretations from the rule book, I have decided to uphold the original fines and points penalties. However, I have decided to reduce the suspensions of the seven team members involved from six points races and the All-Star race to two points races and the All-Star Race.” However, it seemed both sides, after presenting their cases were far more pleased with how the case was handled during this portion of the appeal. “We were able to talk about areas we worked in,” said Roger Penske, referring to the “gray area” of the NASCAR rulebook officials ultimately felt stepped over the line. “I’m very happy with the outcome. This sport has been built on innovation. All of us have tried to innovate in areas not defined in the rulebook. We were in that area.” In conversations with the parties involved, it was clear the controversy surrounded parts designed to increase the rear-end angle at the back of both cars. In past years, with innovation limited through the Car of Tomorrow templates teams have played around with suspension systems designed to make the rear end of the car easier to “move.” The more the car skews in the corner, the easier it can be to handle and gain extra speed. However, NASCAR had made rules designed to curb those types of innovations this year and made the determination Penske parts to build the rear suspension were unapproved. Why they had gone undetected in previous inspections was never addressed, along with claims someone else in the garage had alerted officials to possible inappropriate car construction. One thing Penske did admit, though is had this decision been issued by the initial appeals panel, he would not have pressed his luck with Middlebrook. “All of us,” he said. “Have lost points for certain infractions over the years. The key thing is to have people back at the racetrack operating in full control.” The end results leave Logano 18th in points, 146 behind championship leader Jimmie Johnson and 43 outside a Chase position. Keselowski is far more stable; fifth in points, he’s 69 behind and 45 ahead of 11th-place Matt Kenseth. Neither of the Penske cars have won a race this season. “Moved on from last few weeks,” Keselowski tweeted Wednesday morning. “And ready to focus on @TooToughToTame (Darlington Raceway).” The next round of NASCAR penalty appeals, focusing on Joe Gibbs Racing and Matt Kenseth will be heard on Wednesday morning. Connect with Tom!
Penske Racing LOSES Penalty Case, Will Appeal To NSCRC John Middlebrook
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 1, 2013
A three-member panel Wednesday unanimously upheld penalties assessed to Penske Racing after pre-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway. Comprised of Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky, Bowman-Gray President Dale Pinilis and former NASCAR VP Paul Brooks, the trio determined the sanctioning body’s evidence was enough to “convict” Penske to the tune of points lost, suspensions given and $200,000 in fines. Roger Penske, in response has pledged to send a final appeal to National Stock Car Racing Commissioner John Middlebrook. That hearing will occur Tuesday, May 7th at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center. Here’s a quick list of what penalties are pending (everything but the points deductions will be deferred, pending Middlebrook’s approval until after the final appeal): No. 2 team No. 22 team Both teams NASCAR’s representation included Sprint Cup Director John Darby but not Vice President Robin Pemberton, who was whisked away to Florida on jury duty. Owner Roger Penske was in attendance to defend the allegations along with Team Manager Travis Geisler, Tim Cindric, Walt Czarnecki, Joey Logano’s crew chief Todd Gordon along with several other key principles. UPDATE: The National Stock Car Racing Commission issued a brief statement, reviewing the penalties and then explaining the following. “Upon hearing the testimony and carefully reviewing the facts, it was a unanimous decision by the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR.” “The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the rule book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.” Connect with Tom!
Kyle Busch Wins Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown
posted by Thomas Bowles
Friday April 26, 2013
Who says Joe Gibbs Racing teammates don’t get along? Kyle Busch is certainly receiving gifts, from Denny Hamlin in the form of shiny trophies from winning the latter’s annual charity event. Rowdy was romping through the field again at Richmond Thursday night, taking control at the race’s midpoint and cruising during the latter stages to win the Showdown for the third time in the past six years. In a race that benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, created to help those with cystic fibrosis Busch had his late model hitting on all cyilnders down the stretch. Pulling away from fellow Cup driver David Ragan, in the final segment of the 75-lap race the outcome was simply never in doubt following a 5-minute break for pit stops prior to Lap 47. Ben Rhodes, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., and Garrett Campbell rounded out the top-5 finishers. Other Cup drivers, including defending race champion Tony Stewart were in the field but never a factor up front. Smoke, actually extending his slumping start to 2013 into this race got wrecked before the halfway point and wound up 28th. Matt Kenseth, still distraught after a midweek penalty virtually negated his win at Kansas was never truly competitive, either; he finished 22nd. Also on Thursday night, African-American driver Ryan Gifford won the first K&N Pro Series East race of his young career. Surviving a five-lap shootout, following a red flag he cruised home over Brandon Gdovic. Connect with Tom!
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Penalized As Engine Fails Kansas Post-Race Inspection
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Until the end of time, Matt Kenseth can say he crossed the finish line first at Kansas Sunday. NASCAR Record Books will say the same. But after a harsh series of penalties announced on Wednesday, should they stand that’s about the only thing Kenseth can hang his hat on after a successful weekend turned sour. According to multiple reports, officials at the NASCAR R & D Center in North Carolina discovered a connecting rod on Kenseth’s engine, brought in for Kansas post-race inspection weighed three grams less than the minimum weight of 525g. The consequences, announced today are crippling for both driver and team. Kenseth, along with car owner Joe Gibbs have been docked 50 driver and owner points, actually reducing their overall totals heading into Kansas even though the No. 20 car won the race. That lost chunk of points drops Kenseth from eighth to 14th in the standings. More importantly, the win “won’t count” for either bonus points in the Chase or determine postseason eligibility; that means the driver, now in “Wild Card” position is considered to have one win so far this season instead of two. That’s just the tip of the iceberg on these consequences. Crew chief Jason Radcliffe, fined $200,000 based on the infraction has also been suspended for the next six Sprint Cup points events, along with the All-Star Race. Toyota, whose TRD engine department ultimately supplies the JGR powerplants has had five points deducted from its total in the manufacturer’s championship. And finally, Joe Gibbs himself, already docked 50 owner points has had his license suspended by NASCAR, which means he’s ineligible to accrue owner points for the No. 20 until the next six Sprint Cup Series points races are completed. Gibbs, NASCAR has clarified will still be able to travel to the racetrack despite a suspended license. In a tersely worded statement, the owner says he’ll appeal the ruling, which violated three parts of the series rulebook. The one most pertinent is Section 20-5.5.3(E) which states only magnetic steel connecting rods, with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted. Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4J, which gives officials the right to penalize for parts they claim do not conform to NASCAR rules were also cited in the sport’s official release. Toyota Racing Development’s Lee White, in a statement released early this afternoon took responsibility for the violation. During NASCAR’s routine post-race tear down of Matt Kenseth’s race-winning car and engine from Kansas Speedway,” he stated, “One of our engine connecting rods weighed in approximately three grams under the legal minimum weight of 525 grams. None of the other seven connecting rods were found to be under the minimum weight. We take full responsibility for this issue with the engine used by the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team this past Sunday in Kansas — JGR is not involved in the process of selecting parts or assembling the Cup Series engines. It was a simple oversight on TRD’s part and there was no intent to deceive, or to gain any type of competitive advantage. Toyota is a company that was built on integrity, and that remains one of the guiding principles of the company. The goal of TRD has always been — and will continue to be — to build high-performance engines that are reliable, durable and powerful, and within the guidelines established by NASCAR.” Kenseth, who has led 482 laps this season, two higher than his total last year has been one of the strongest competitiors on the Sprint Cup track in 2013. His engines have also passed several previous inspections.
Johnny Sauter Penalized For Fuel Cell Infraction At Kansas
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Thorsport Racing, along with former Truck Series point leader Johnny Sauter are reeling this Wednesday after a major penalty involving their No. 98 Toyota. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the team was fined $10,000, crew chief Joel Shear has been suspended for four races and 25 owner points were taken away as a result of a faulty fuel cell, confiscated during pre-race inspection at Kansas. Driver Sauter was also hit was a loss of 25 points, completely reshaping the championship Chase heading into the next race of the season at Charlotte May 17th. According to NASCAR officials, the team violated multiple sections of the rulebook. The key ones involve Section 20B-16 and 20B-16.1B, regarding the proper size and functioning of fuel cells. “Once a fuel cell or fuel cell components have been certified,” the rules say, “Modifications of any kind will not be permitted.” The 16.1B portion refers to black safety foam, with a minimum height of eight inches that must be used as a safety mechanism when putting together the fuel cell itself. By violating that rule, NASCAR is insinuating the team modified or enhanced the cell in some way by cutting back / replacing that foam. Section 12-1, actions detrimental to stock car racing was also listed as a rules violation along with 12-4K, which gives NASCAR Officials the leeway to penalize teams when they feel previously legal equipment was modified, in any manner after being initially inspected. Thorsport, as of yet has not said whether they plan to appeal. The penalties mean Matt Crafton becomes the new Truck Series point leader, by 13 over Jeb Burton while Sauter gets pushed back into a tie for second place. |
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Frontstretch Staff · Monday March 4, 2013
Did you miss an event during this busy week in racing? How about a late-night press release, an important sponsorship rumor, or a juicy piece of news? If you did, you’ve come to the right place! Each week, The Frontstretch will break down the racing, series by series, to bring you the biggest stories that you need to watch going forward for the week ahead. Let our experts help you get up to speed for the coming week, no matter what series you might have missed, all in this edition of Pace Laps!
With one surprise victory, backflip, and postrace walk through the crowd Carl Edwards has gone from invisible to impressive on the Sprint Cup level once again.
Sprint Cup: Ford’s Front Man Relevant Again For Carl Edwards, 2011’s title runner-up his 2012 couldn’t have gone any worse. Lose crew chief Bob Osborne, the only successful wrench he ever had? Check. Miss the Chase for the first time since 2006? Check. Lose veteran teammate Matt Kenseth to rival Joe Gibbs Racing, the very team that was trying to sign him before Ford stepped up to the plate? Check.
The final stats, for last season were truly staggering indeed for Edwards, whose long-term contract extension came paired with career lows in races led (five), top 5s (three), top 10s (13) and points finish (15th) for a full season in Cup. Who knew that with a financial windfall would come an actual “fall?” Add in five wrecks, all not of his own making since January testing started at Daytona and the season couldn’t have started off any worse. That’s why Sunday’s surprise victory, where Edwards led 122 laps and held off the sport’s five-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, in a green-white-checkered finish could not have come at a better time. In a sport where slumps can lead to self-doubt, a 70-race winless streak, for the second time in his career could have threatened to tear apart the psyche of the Blue Oval star had it continued.
“When you’re struggling,” he said Sunday. “It seems like time slows down, you’re working harder, you’re trying more, you’re questioning yourself more. [2012] was one of the longest years of my life to work that hard and not get the victory.”
Now, after ending that career-tying drought for the second time, at the same track (Phoenix) Edwards has become, in the words of third-place finisher Denny Hamlin “relevant” again. Certainly, new crew chief Jimmy Fennig, one of the most experienced in the Cup garage deserves a ton of the credit. So does the pit crew, who churned stops out nearly a second, on average, better than the No. 48. But in racing, despite being a team sport the ones who don’t drive the car can only do so much. It was Edwards’ responsibility, in the face of a devastating start to step up and show, with Kenseth gone how much of a team leader he could be.
Certainly, there’s still a long way to go; in the last four years, Edwards has won in Cup just four times, zero of them in the “meat” of the season (races four through 33 on the Sprint Cup schedule). But for a driver looking to rebound, and a team facing Ford competition for the first time (note a green-white-checkered push from “teammate” at Penske Brad Keselowski) Roush Fenway Racing couldn’t have asked for any better from their “franchise player” this Sunday. Tom Bowles
IndyCar: A Familiar Face Getting A Famous Ride An 11th-place finish at Phoenix this Sunday, in a stock car isn’t the only thing AJ Allmendinger is smiling about these days. On February 19th, he ran laps in an open-wheel car for the first time since 2006 during a preseason test for the IZOD IndyCar Series at Sebring. Allmendinger tested a car for Team Penske at the invitation of its team owner, with the potential for a partial season in the series this year. Penske Racing president Tim Cindric said the April 7th race at Barber Motorsports Park would be a good event for Allmendinger and acknowledged the Indy 500 is also a possibility.
“My heart was beating fast and the first couple of runs, the car was definitely driving me,” said Allmendinger, who spent the last six years racing in NASCAR – including last season for owner Roger Penske before a drug-related suspension ended his employment. “I’m looking for the best opportunity. It slowly has come back to me. Everything feels real fast. A Cup car has more horsepower, but because of its weight that sensation of speed is a lot different. When you get in an IndyCar on a road course, it feels like it has 1,500 horsepower.”
So was the test strong enough ‘Dinger is thinking of a full-time conversion back to open-wheel, down the road? For now, he wouldn’t commit.
“I’m definitely happy to be here,” he said. “I’d love for it to lead to some races, especially Indy. I’m so grateful to the organization to give me this opportunity. From what I went through last year, to have Roger ask me to come here and drive one of his race cars ‘happy’ is an understatement [for how I feel].”
Meanwhile, driver JR Hildebrand turned heads when he arrived to a Chevrolet test at Sonoma Raceway on February 27th behind the wheel of a pink, 1962 Cadillac Coupe De Ville. Hildebrand already owns a 1966 Chevelle SS he received as a gift from team owner John Barnes for being named Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 2011 and a TransAm he’s working on restoring.
Hildebrand has always been a fan of early model year Cadillacs and decided to make this one his newest project car. He specifically looked for one that wasn’t completely restored so he could put his own finishing touches on it. It’s a great story, although the biggest question is… does he plan to leave it pink? Toni Montgomery
Nationwide: What’s Old Is New Again… And It Might Get Old Quick At Phoenix, the story coming out of the Nationwide race was not a last-lap crash, but the race winner. Kyle Busch, who didn’t visit Victory Lane in the series at all in 2012 while driving for his own team, dominated the Dollar General 200 Fueled by AmeriGas with Joe Gibbs Racing, leading 142 laps and only faltering when two pit road errors sent him to the rear of the field early on. It only took him a few dozen laps to get the point back.
Troubling as it may be to many, this dominance will likely be a familiar sight in 2013. Busch is running 25 total races in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54, a return to the organization with which he was almost unbeatable in this series during the late ’00s. Last season was a welcome respite from Busch domination for a lot of people, even though Joey Logano pretty much replaced him by excelling in Gibbs equipment. It seemed, during that year between the intriguing title battle, along with the emergence of youngsters like Austin Dillon the series was regaining some of its former flavor. But if Phoenix is any indication, with a strong performance by Busch, teammate Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski it looks like Nationwide regulars getting a foot in Victory Lane are going to have a hard time again in 2013.
All three will be formidable foes, whenever they jump behind the wheel of a car. Yet you can sense that jumping to the head of the class, topping on the list of obstacles for series regulars is now Busch, the Nationwide’s winningest driver who’s now equipped to run on all cylinders.
A hungry driver, top-tier equipment and a proven history of success? Nationwide Series competitors better watch out. Kevin Rutherford
NEFF: NATIONWIDE BREAKING NEWS – Michael Annett’s Nationwide Series Sub: Reed Sorenson?
Grand-Am: A Two-Year Drought Comes To An End Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney brought GAINSCO / Bob Stallings Racing their first victory since Montreal, in 2011 by claiming Saturday’s inaugural Grand-Am of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Dallas, TX-based team started on the pole but never led until the final seven laps of the race, when they took advantage of a broken suspension suffered by then-leader Brendon Hartley.
“It’s great to be back. We finished second quite a few times last year, and man, what a day! We pushed it so hard the whole way,” Gurney said. “It was an incredible battle at the end with [Ryan] Dalziel and [Scott] Pruett, and it feels amazing to hold them off. We had 500 GAINSCO guests today, and we created 500 new racing fans. They were all going crazy.”
Co-driver Jon Fogarty echoed Gurney’s thoughts on their return to Victory Lane.
“It’s great to win, obviously, but today couldn’t have been a better time with all the people here from GAINSCO,” Fogarty said. “Victories are always great, and beyond that, we just put ourselves in a great position for the points championship. Now, we have to keep it going.”
The duo, who took home a seventh-place finish in last season’s standings now find themselves just six points behind defending champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas. And while there are still ten more races this year, the GAINSCO / Bob Stallings Racing team have set themselves up in a great position to battle Pruett and Rojas for the title.
The Grand-Am Rolex Series is back on track again April 6th for the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Rick Lunkenheimer
Short Tracks: Chip Ganassi’s “Old Flame” Taking Center Stage Over The New One Earnhardt Ganassi development driver Kyle Larson has been shining the spotlight on many different forms of racing, thanks to his broad resume of series he competes in during a typical year. While Larson is obviously excelling everywhere, though he’s not the only driver around doing that. This weekend, Bryan Clauson put more trophies on his mantle from Canyon Speedway Park during the 6th Annual Copper on Dirt. Clauson swept the Midget features and won the first of the two Sprint Car ones. Still an up and coming star in racing, Clauson – who was once a Ganassi project himself, a limited Nationwide Series participant in 2007-08 before being released – has not been able to secure a full-time ride since.
That’s a shame, considering the talent Clauson has showed on the short track level. In the meantime, he’ll just keep racking up trophies, in both Midget and Sprint Car racing while pursuing that Nationwide / IRL opportunity. Canyon Speedway Park, especially is the type of place where he can do so, repeatedly. When R.J. Johnson beat Clauson in the Sprint Car feature on Saturday night, it was his first loss in ten starts at Canyon. Elsewhere, he has started the year finishing eighth in the Chili Bowl and already won races at Bubba Raceway Park and Canyon as he starts his defense of his 2012 National Sprint Car title. Clauson also won the USAC National Midget Championship in 2011 and 2010… and, sometime soon, he’ll also be competing for a NASCAR title in front of your television set. You’ll see… Mike Neff
Connect with Tom!
Contact Tom Bowles
Connect with Kevin!
Contact Kevin Rutherford
Connect with Beth!
Contact Beth Lunkenheimer
Connect with Rick!
Contact Rick Lunkenheimer
Connect with Mike!
Contact Mike Neff
Thursday on the Frontstretch:
NASCAR Mailbox: Hall of Fame Anomalies, Career Shifts, and High Expectations
Going The Distance: Fantasy Picks For The Coca-Cola 600
The Indianapolis 500 History Lesson, Part II
Tech Talk: Jason Ratcliff Looks Back On Suspension, Moves Forward To 600
Truckin’ Thursdays: Off Week Observations
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