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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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Tony Lumbis · Monday August 18, 2008
Rookies in the Starting Lineup: Patrick Carpentier (6th), Regan Smith (8th), Sam Hornish, Jr. (23rd), Marcos Ambrose (29th), Brad Coleman (43rd)
Unofficial Finishing Positions: Sam Hornish, Jr. (22nd), Regan Smith (29th), Patrick Carpentier (30th), Brad Coleman (38th), Marcos Ambrose (43rd)
Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish, Jr. On lap two of Sunday’s event, it certainly didn’t look like Hornish would be taking home rookie honors at the 3M Performance 400. That’s when the No. 77 Dodge slid up into the wall coming off of turn two; as he lost control, the concrete swiped the side of his vehicle, luckily providing only cosmetic damage. As the race wound on, the Ohio native continued to battle a slick race track that both he and crew chief Chris Carrier did not expect based off their recent trip to the Irish Hills of Michigan back in June. Hornish lost a lap and could never break the Top 25 until the end of the day, when he charged to a 22nd place finish. That earned him the rookie honors for the seventh time this season, and his first since visiting this venue earlier this year.
Tony’s Take: It certainly didn’t contain the impressive stints he had in his June performance, but Sam Hornish, Jr. salvaged a good day on Sunday afternoon after a mediocre run for most of the race. Basically, he accomplished what pretty much every Rookie of the Year candidate has had to do to take home the honors this year, and that is finish in the Top 25. What is more important for Hornish at this point is he opened up some space on the hard-charging Patrick Carpentier in the ROTY standings, also regaining some of the ground he lost in the owner’s standings last week to maintain his “locked in” qualifying spot.
Rocky Rookie Performance: Marcos Ambrose. Talk about going from the penthouse to the outhouse. After an impressive career best third place finish last week at The Glen, the engine on the Wood Brothers Ford expired early in Sunday’s 3M Performance 400, relegating Ambrose to a 43rd place finish. As a result, the recent bout of bad luck will keep NASCAR fans wondering for a little while longer just how good he is. So far in 2008, Ambrose had a great run ended by mechanical problems at Sonoma, a DNQ at Loudon, a Top 25 at Indy, a third place at Watkins Glen, and a 43rd place this past Sunday due to mechanical woes once again. That’s hardly a consistent performance in that time span, but don’t wave the checkered flag on his 2008 season just yet — NASCAR’s favorite Aussie will return to the No. 21 Ford in two weeks in California.
In the last two weeks, Marcos Ambrose has been through the range of emotions that every driver faces: the highest of highs at Watkins Glen, and then the lowest of lows with a blown motor at Michigan.
Note: A close second in this category is Brad Coleman, who was making his Sprint Cup debut in the No. 96 Camry for Hall of Fame Racing. Coleman barely got into the field, qualifying 43rd, and was hardly noticed all day as the rookie ran at the back of the pack and finished 38th, three laps off the pace.
Rookie Wreck of the Weekend: None.
Sam Hornish, Jr. bounced off the wall early in the race, then made a nice save after receiving a tap from Travis Kvapil just after the halfway point. Then, approximately 30 laps later, Patrick Carpentier almost lost control of his No. 10 Dodge in front of leader Carl Edwards, but saved his fish tailing machine from what could’ve been near-certain disaster. Due to these solid saves, there were no rookie wrecks this weekend.
Who Wasn’t Here?: Michael McDowell.
Following suit with Team Red Bull’s handling of A.J. Allmendinger earlier this year, fellow Toyota team Michael Waltrip Racing has decided to relieve Michael McDowell of his driving duties until Richmond in favor of Mike Skinner. The hope is that Skinner can once again diagnose the problems of an ailing team as he stabilizes the downfall that dropped the No. 00 outside of the Top 35 in owner’s points.
While I admit Skinner did a nice job of “pinch-hitting” for the No. 84 team, the trend we are seeing here is starting to concern me. I have to ask… since when do teams start replacing rookies in their first year? I thought MWR brought the ARCA star — who had all of four starts in the Nationwide and Truck Series prior to 2008 — up to the Cup ranks way too early. However, once you commit to the guy, then stay with him and give him a fair chance to work through his growing pains.
Rookie Quotes of the Week:
Wondering what the heck happened to Patrick Carpentier, who finished a disappointing 30th after running in the Top 10 for much of the first half of the race? Looks like the Canadian himself isn’t so sure of that answer either.
“I don’t know. The car was amazing at the beginning of the race — really fast. It was actually easy to keep up with these guys and just started getting looser and looser and looser. It got so loose from the entry of the corner to the exit I was sideways — so I was kind of dirt tracking the whole race. It’s just sad. We had a good start and held on to it for quite awhile… and didn’t finish where we wanted. I don’t know what happened. It just did is all I know.”
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings:
Smith 178
Hornish, Jr. 177
Carpentier 167
McDowell 156
Franchitti 97 (DNS)
UNOFFICIAL Driver Points Standings
Sam Hornish, Jr.: 33rd (0)
Regan Smith: 35th (-1)
Patrick Carpentier: 36th (0)
Michael McDowell: 40th (40th, DNS)
Dario Franchitti: 43rd (0, DNS)
Aric Almirola: 47th (-1, DNS)
Next Up: Unless your name is Wallace or Waltrip, the half-mile in Bristol, Tennessee has been one of the more challenging tracks to get around for NASCAR drivers. Our regular Rookie of the Year candidates proved that in the Spring, with Regan Smith finishing no higher than 26th to lead a disappointing group. However, Aric Almirola pulled off a shocker, running in the Top 10 for virtually the entire race and finishing eighth in his 2008 debut.
Qualifying Next Week: Sam Hornish, Jr. and Regan Smith will once again be the only rookies who are locked into the field at Bristol next weekend. Both Patrick Carpentier — who missed the Spring race here when qualifying was rained out — and Brad Coleman will have to put their entries into the field on time.
Tony’s Top Finishing Rookie Pick: Look out, it might snow on NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach this week! Seven months and 23 races into the season, I finally made a correct prediction with Sam Hornish, Jr. coming home as the top finishing rookie on Sunday. It looked like Patrick Carpentier was going to rise to the occasion once again, but problems with a loose race car kept him from besting the rest of the rookies. Looks like David Ragan isn’t the only one making a late season surge before the Chase!
You Make The Pick: Many of you thought that Marcos Ambrose would make it two in a row at Michigan. However, as was earlier documented, the woes of the No. 21 team continue — allowing me to finally get to cut into your lead.
Tony’s Pick for Next Week’s Top Finishing Rookie: While he hasn’t done much since then, the way Aric Almirola blew everyone away at Bristol earlier this year makes him the sure favorite to repeat under the lights. I’m going to go with the U.S. Army driver next Saturday night!
2008 Rookie Prediction Table
| Event | Track | Tony’s Pick | Finish | Reader’s Pick | Finish | Top Finishing Rookie | Finish |
| Daytona 500 | Daytona | Regan Smith | 37th | Dario Franchitti | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 15th |
| Auto Club 500 | California | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 43rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 43rd | Regan Smith | 31st |
| UAW-Dodge 400 | Las Vegas | Patrick Carpentier | 40th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 41st | Dario Franchitti | 33rd |
| Kobalt Tools 500 | Atlanta | Dario Franchitti | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 25th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 25th |
| Food City 500 | Bristol | Regan Smith | 26th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 29th | Aric Almirola | 8th |
| Goody’s Cool Orange 500 | Martinsville | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 28th | Aric Almirola | 42nd | Regan Smith | 14th |
| Samsung 500 | Texas | Regan Smith | 35th | Michael McDowell / Regan Smith | 33rd / 35th | Patrick Carpentier | 28th |
| Subway Fresh Fit 500K | Phoenix | Michael McDowell | 34th | Michael McDowell | 34th | Sam Hornish Jr. | 20th |
| Aaron’s 499 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 35th | Regan Smith | 21st |
| Crown Royal 400 | Richmond | Patrick Carpentier | 43rd | Patrick Carpentier | 43rd | Regan Smith | 21st |
| Dodge Challenger 500 | Darlington | Regan Smith | 29th | Regan Smith | 29th | Michael McDowell | 28th |
| Coca-Cola 600 | Lowe’s | Michael McDowell | 32nd | Michael McDowell | 32nd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 13th |
| Best Buy 400 | Dover | Regan Smith | 21st | Michael McDowell | 30th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 18th |
| Pocono 500 | Pocono | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 42nd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 42nd | Michael McDowell | 27th |
| LifeLock 400 | Michigan | Regan Smith | 32nd | Michael McDowell | 37th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 22nd |
| Save Mart 350K | Infineon | Patrick Carpentier | 23rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 31st | Michael McDowell | 21st |
| Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | New Hampshire | Regan Smith | 27th | Marcos Ambrose | DNQ | Aric Almirola | 23rd |
| Coke Zero 400 | Daytona | Michael McDowell | 25th | Patrick Carpentier | 14th | Patrick Carpentier | 14th |
| LifeLock 400 | Chicagoland | Michael McDowell | 25th | Patrick Carpentier | 30th | Patrick Carpentier | 30th |
| Allstate 400 | Indianapolis | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 37th | Patrick Carpentier | 18th | Patrick Carpentier | 18th |
| Sunoco Red Cross 500 | Pocono | Regan Smith | 25th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 26th | Chad McCumbee | 17th |
| Centurion Boats At The Glen | Watkins Glen | Patrick Carpentier | 20th | Patrick Carpentier | 20th | Marcos Ambrose | 3rd |
| 3M Performance 400 | Michigan | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 22nd | Marcos Ambrose | 43rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 22nd |
2008 Score: Readers 4, Tony 1.
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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