A1 Team GBR to miss first round

Oct 1, 2008 A1GP

A1 Team Great Britain will miss the opening round of the A1GP series at Zandvoort this weekend, it was announced on Wednesday.

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Jordan gets Vectra for 2009

Oct 1, 2008 BTCC

Andrew Jordan will race a Vauxhall Vectra in next year’s British Touring Car Championship after Eurotech-John Guest Racing pulled off a major coup.

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More Problems Ahead for DEI?

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

The rumors that have been circulating in the garage areas at tracks for the last couple of months are apparently true: Paul Menard, who drives the No. 15 Menard’s Chevrolet, will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2008 season and will drive, with Menard’s sponsorship, for Yates Racing in 2009.

For Dale Earnhardt Inc, this presents more of a problem than the loss of a so-so driver. Though Paul has won in the Nationwide series, he has yet to post a win in the Sprint Cup series. The main problem for DEI is that Paul Menard came to the company with a built in sponsor. When Paul leaves DEI after the end of the season, the company run by his father John will leave as well.

Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s struggle to find sponsorship in 2009 and beyond is not unique among Sprint Cup teams. Yates Racing has not had a full time sponsor for either of its cars in 2008. If full time sponsorship cannot be found before the beginning of the 2009 season, it’s likely that either Travis Kvapil or David Gilliland will be looking for a new ride next year. It is also apparent that DEI will likely be dropping at least one team next year unless sponsorship is found and signed quickly.

The No. 01 car currently driven by Regan Smith, the 8 car that will be driven by Aric Almirola, and the No. 15 car currently driven by Paul Menard will all need sponsorship that has either not been secured or at least not announced at this point.

Only the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Martin Truex Jr. appears to have secure full time sponsorship for 2009. Whether or not the 15 team folds completely would appear to be contingent upon whether a driver can be found for the team that will attract sponsors. DEI does not appear to have a popular driver waiting in the wings for that Cup ride at this point.

It has been reported that Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, has taken a personal interest in helping the company started by his former championship driver and close friend started. When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, many questioned whether DEI would survive. In fact, the company did survive, at least up to this point.

With the loss of Dale Earnhardt Jr., last year, who left the team his father started after the 2007 season, many considered this event to be the beginning of the end for DEI. With the loss of a driver with a built-in sponsorship such as Paul Menard, it would appear that there are indeed tough times ahead for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

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NASCAR’s Top 10 Defining Moments

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

There will always be certain moments that we will never forget. They may be highlights from our favorite athlete or teams or just that single moment from a sport that will always stay with us; they are the ones that made us stop and stare in awe.

There’s Richard Petty’s and Dale Earnhardt’s seven cup championships. There’s Petty’s two hundred victories.

There’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s emotional victory in the Pepsi 400 and the image of him carrying the American flag after September 11, 2001 at Dover.

And who can forget Tony Stewart’s (2001) and Clint Bowyer’s (2007) wild rides in the Daytona 500?

The following are ten moments that I believe are some of the great highlights and defining moments of NASCAR.

10) R.J. Reynolds Leaves And The Chase Is Born

For thirty three years, NASCAR’s top division was known as the Winston Cup Series. Their red and white colors were as synonymous with NASCAR as it’s southern roots and generations of families.

In late 2003, R.J. Reynolds and Winston announced they were pulling out of the sport beginning in 2004, clearing the way for Nextel Corportation, now Sprint.

And along with a new name came a new way to race for the championship. The now twelve man, ten race Chase for the Championship was born.

The first year of the chase saw Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon in the closest title battle in history with Kurt Busch the champion by eight points.

9) Jack Roush Finally Wins A Championship

When Matt Kenseth won the 2003 Sprint Cup, it was the first for both himself and car owner Jack Roush. Roush had come so close so many times with Mark Martin who finished second in points on four different occasions.

“I feel like I’ve just crashed through a plate glass window. It’s been painful getting through it…We’ve learned to come up short and to be able to get through it this time with Robbie (Reiser) and Matt, it’s just a tremendous relief.”

The following year Roush won his second championship with Kurt Busch.

A Dark Day In Martinsville

As the Sprint Cup Series raced in Martinsville, Virginia, a plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in the Bull Mountain area due to heavy fog.

All ten members on board were killed: Rick Hendrick’s son Ricky and brother John, John’s twin daughters Kimberly and Jennifer, Dupont executive Joe Jackson, HMS general manager Jeff Turner, chief engine builder Randy Dorton, pilot for Tony Stewart’s plane Scott Lathram, and the pilots of the plane: Richard Tracy and Elizabeth Morrison.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won the race that day but the teams, fans, and media did not learn of the events until after the race was over.

Instead of a burnout and victory celebration, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter came on screen to tell of the horrifying event.

Victory lane sat empty and quiet.

For the remainder of the season all Hendrick Motorsports cars carried a special decal on their car hoods; Jimmie Johnson went back to victory lane the following week in Atlanta.

7) The Closest Finish In NASCAR History

There have been plenty of close finishes over the years, but nothing like Darlington in 2003.

Over the final four laps, Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven swapped the lead back and forth, and traded paint, sparks, and tire smoke all the way to the finish line for the closest finish in NASCAR history. Ricky Craven beat Busch by 0.002 seconds, which equates to about three inches.

“This will always be the greatest race of my life,” said Craven.

“It was awesome. That’s what it’s all about,” Busch said. “There was so much going on. My arms were numb, my brain was numb. The car felt like it weighed 10,000 pounds.”

6) The Talladega Tussle

During any restrictor plate race at either Daytona or Talladega there’s bound to be multiple lead changes.

However the bar was set, and not yet matched, in the 1984 Winston 500 when there was 75 lead changes.

The final lead change put Cale Yarborough in the lead and then victory lane.

5) Kevin Harvick’s Victory at Atlanta

Three weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick edged Jeff Gordon to win the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 by 0.006 seconds.

Afterward Harvick did a “John Force” burnout down the front stretch and held three fingers up, as did the fans. And everyone cried.

“I’m just thrilled,” Richard Childress said. “I kept praying for Dale to help us and he did.”

4) Hendrick Motorsports Spanks The Competition In 2007

It’s obvious that HMS is a dominant company and have accomplished almost everything there is in NASCAR.

But after the performance that Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon turned in in 2007, it may never be match, not even by them.

Jeff Gordon led the series with a record 30 top ten finishes and racked up six victories.

During the Chase ,as he tried to capture his fifth championship, Gordon had a 5.1 finishing average. He would finish second in points.

That’s because Jimmie Johnson went out and won ten races, including four straight during the Chase, which gave him a 5.0 finishing average in The Chase and his second championship.

At the end of the year, the HMS organization had 18 of 36 victories, with Casey Mears and Kyle Busch also adding a win apiece.

3) “The Fight”

The 1979 Daytona 500 was the first race that was televised in it’s entirety.

At the end of a long day Donnie Allison was leading with Cale Yarborough in second. On the last lap Yarborough tried to draft by on the inside and the two would bump and bang door-to-door down the backstretch before crashing in the turn three wall.

The two got out of their cars and began to argue when Donnie’s brother Bobby pulled up. More words were exchanged and that’s when Bobby said “Cale went to beating my fist with his nose. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

It did become a story, one that was told for many days after that and helped prompt NASCAR’s popularity.

2) Introducing Toyota

In January of 2006 Toyota Motorsports announced they would be entering the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series full time in 2007.

In 2004 they entered the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and a year later they started to dominate. Todd Bodine led the charge with six wins and a year after that he was the champion.

But in 2007 Toyota had no success in the Cup Series as their drivers struggled and the fans weren’t welcoming.

So before 2008 they decided to make major changes and spent the money to recruit Joe Gibbs Racing. That’s when they dominance began.

Kyle Busch was the star of the Daytona 500 and three weeks later he gave Toyota their first cup victory in Atlanta. Seven more followed and he led the Cup standings for nineteen straight weeks.

Denny Hamlin also added a victory at Martinsville in April.

And it won’t be long before the continuely growing Red Bull Racing breaks into the winners circle.

1) The Life And Death Of Dale Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt lived to race at the Daytona International Speedway. It would be where he died.

The Intimidator won thirty four races at Daytona, from Nationwide races to everything in the Cup series-except the Daytona 500. For so many years, nineteen, heartbreak after heartbreak kept him from winning the Great American Race.

Then in 1998, the most anticipated moment in motorsports occurred as Dale Earnhardt finally won a race he loved very much.

It was his first and only.

Three years later Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the Daytona 500, February 18, 2001.

After Earnhardt’s death NASCAR kicked their safety concerns into high gear. They began developing a newer, safer car which is now used today. They demanded that all drivers wear the head and neck safety device (HANS) and put soft walls at every track.

Drivers began to personally switch to the full faced helmets.

Earnhardt’s death made it all too real that even the one’s we thought were invincible are not and the impact of his death continues to affect many still today.

“NASCAR has lost its greatest driver,” said chairman Bill France. “And I personally have lost a great friend.”

Bonus:

Tony Tackles the Brickyard

Much was made of Dale Earnhardt Jr winning the Daytona 500 and the great moment it was and everyone wondered and waited for Indiana’s son, Tony Stewart, to kiss the bricks.

After many years of heartbreak and a run in with a photographer, Stewart finally won at his home track in 2005.

Starting twenty-second, Stewart methodically and patiently worked his way through the field to lead 44 of 160 laps.

“This is one of those days that I don’t want to end,” Stewart said. “I don’t want to see the sun set.”

But the sun did set for Kasey Kahne, who Stewart passed with ten laps to go on his way to kissing the bricks.

“I know part of it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “Then when I realized that, I was like, we ran so well and missed it so many times, it was like, ‘I know I can win at the Brickyard one day,’ So finally today was that day.”

“I’m the first Indiana-born driver to win the Brickyard 400. That’s an award and an honor that I’m proud to have finally.”

The next great moment and highlight is just around the corner…

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What Got NASCAR On The Map?: How The Sport Became a Pheonomenon

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

Ah, the much fretted open-ended question which has answers that can range from the specific to the general. These can be the hardest questions to answer, and often when we do answer them, we realize another one that contends as strong or is a far more stronger response to a case like this. In either way, opinions count and I’m curious, BR writers and fans, as to what you think got the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, on the map of relevancy and fandom across America and the world.

Quite honestly, if it wasn’t for the 1994 Brickyard 400, NASCAR probably wouldn’t have grown into the popular, widely accepted motorsport spectacle that it is today. Sure, NASCAR had its own prestigious track down in Daytona Beach, Florida, had a “King” that won 200 races and seven titles, an Intimidator who was seeking to tie Richard Petty’s championship count 14 years ago, and many sentimental stories that have captivated fans across the country for 46 years.

But for these 43 stock cars, which were seen in the eye of Indy purists as invaders, to race on America’s beloved 2.5 mile track, where many drivers in their Indycar counterparts have risked all and their lives to win there, was a huge accomplishment. The sights and sounds of 3400 pound NASCAR Winston Cup machines coming to life and negotiating around the rectangular shaped track affirmed the series’ status as a nationally accepted, household sport and motorsport.

Though many unofficial stock car tests took place at the track in the past, it wasn’t until a fateful announcement on April 13, 1993 when the late NASCAR President Bill France Jr. and current Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George told the motorsports world that the Winston Cup Series was going to race at the famed Brickyard in the following year on Saturday, August 6th.

The 81-year-old speedway went under a massive renovation, with the implemention of a warm up lane, which eliminated the wide corners of the track. Every wall and catchfence was replaced to be stock car strong in case of any accidents in the 400 miler in the ‘94 event.

Indy 500 veterans and champions wanted a piece of the action too, as AJ Foyt and Danny Sullivan, among notables, competed in the spectacle.

Media passes were hard to come by if a journalist didn’t grab one as soon as the announcement was made. More credentials were requested for this race than in any other race at the time - and considering how NASCAR was starting to gain its national audience, the prospects and fact that the series was able to race at the one race a year track was nothing short of amazing.

Fans weren’t lucky either. Searching for any temporary lodging was like hoping for Major League Baseball to avoid the impending strike of ‘94. It was the hottest show in Speedway, Indiana.

If there was one word to describe the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400, it would have to be groundbreaking. Very slowly, the sport started to define itself after the tragedies in ‘93 with 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup champ Alan Kulwicki and much loved and 19 time race winner Davey Allison.

‘91 BGN rookie and four-time race winner Jeff Gordon was making his presence known, coming into the race with a triumph in the Coke 600 at Charlotte, his debut trip to Victory Lane.

Ernie Irvan had finally harnessed some of his “swervin’” skills and became a polished but still aggressive front runner, Rusty Wallace was giving Ford another reason to go crazy at the track with wins, and veterans like Terry Labonte, Sterling Marlin and Ricky Rudd were having quite a year and showing that their experience and perserverence would pay off.

And of course there was “The Intimidator.” Surely, he and his No. 3 Goodwrench team were having quite a year and were going to do whatever it took to win the first one at Indy.

The race had a surprise pole sitter in Rick Mast, a sadly publicized sibling rivalry between Geoff and Brett Bodine, and late race drama that thrilled fans all across the track with veteran Irvan and upstart Gordon dueling for the win.

Both drivers went at it, trading positions for the lead and trying to play a racing game of cat and mouse or who’d blink first. With some veteran leadership calls by Gordon’s crew chief Ray Evernham to stay in striking distance of the 28 car, JG pressured Irvan in the closing laps of the race. That was when a little bit of the unusual happened.

A cut tire did Ernie Irvan in unfortunately with less than a handful of laps left in the 400. Gordon successfully passed the helpless Texaco Ford for the lead and went on to win in front of his “second” hometown fans in Indiana, defeating Brett Bodine, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt among others to the stripe.

How perfect were those storylines for the 400 at Indy? America witnessed history in stock cars conquering the Brickyard and saw the sport’s rising star in Jeff Gordon possibly the moment that got the ex-open wheel star and racing series on the map of relevancy with sports.

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A NASCAR Fairy Tale: The Fall of the Kingdom of Earnhardt

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

Once upon a time in a land called the Kingdom of E, lived a great and powerful King.  This King, not to be confused with the other great King Richard, lived in the South, yet lands North and East revered and feared him. 

The King had indeed arisen from the humble beginnings of the masses to ascend to greatness.  He was expert in all things going left, especially chariot racing, which was his passion and true love.  He honed his skills and soon intimidated all around him with his prowess and winning abilities.

As with many great Kings, this one took several wives.  His first wife, Queen Latane, bore him a wonderful Prince called Kerry. 

The King’s second wife, Queen Brenda, produced his first Princess, which he named Kelly.  Queen Brenda also produced the King’s second Prince, which bore his name.  The King proudly called him Dale Junior. 

The King then took his final wife, Queen Teresa, who produced his last heir, Princess Taylor.  All of his children became important parts of the King’s noble family.

All seemed right in the kingdom of E. The King was so pleased with his royal brood and had every intention of handing down his legacy of speed and intimidation through his offspring. 

But there came a fateful day, in the final laps of one of the King’s favored chariot races, when his wheels tangled with another chariot and there was a terrible crash. 

The King perished, and his kingdom would never be the same.  Subjects all throughout the lands mourned his passing.  His Queen grieved and vowed to protect his legacy.  And his children swore on their father’s carriage that they too would take up his mantle and carry out his passion for all things going left.

It seemed indeed that Queen Teresa would lead the family in the continuation of her King’s legacy.   She became a trustee of the Kingdom of E, and all of her step-children and her own child were involved in this noble venture. 

In fact, Prince Junior, as he soon became to be known, was officially knighted as the next great chariot racer, taking over his father’s place of glory.  The adoration of all of the subjects throughout the Kingdom of E passed quickly to Prince Junior and he became the favored son.

Time passed and Prince Junior and Princess Kelly became closer and closer, working together to carry out their beloved father’s chariot racing legacy.  Even older Prince Kerry grew in his love of all things that turned left.

Yet, all was not right in the Kingdom of E.  Queen Teresa, although claiming throughout the land how much she wanted the King’s memory to be kept alive, began to withdraw and become more silent.  An avid chariot fan herself, she stopped going to the various races held throughout the land. 

She became a recluse, only coming out of the palace once or twice a year to mark the anniversary of the King’s death.  In fact, some would say that she became increasingly bitter towards all.

Queen Teresa especially began to lash out at Prince Junior.  Perhaps he reminded her too much of her lost King.  Or perhaps she had lost all interest in her King’s passion for chariot racing due to the terrible crash. 

But one thing was certain, she took all of her bitterness and sadness out on Prince Junior.  She belittled his chariot racing and gave him broken down chariots to race, ensuring his loss each and every time.  She repeatedly told Prince Junior that she “owned” him and always would, controlling every aspect of his life.

Finally, Prince Junior could take it no more.  He had to get away from his stepmother, who truly had become wicked in his eyes.  Taking Princess Kelly with him, he ran and ran, finally arriving in a new land, the Kingdom of H.  There he found a Noble Sire, who tragically had just lost his own son in a terrible accident.

Prince Junior and Sire H became fast friends.  They decided that they would work together to continue the legacies of both of their loved ones in the chariot racing world.  Prince Junior broke free of the wicked Queen and began to live his own life, thereby establishing his own reputation in chariot racing throughout the lands.

But the Queen was not yet done.  She focused her vitriol on Prince Kerry and his heir Jeffrey, the next great family hope for chariot greatness in the kingdom.  She invited Jeffrey to come and race in the Kingdom of E. 

But just when Jeffrey began to enjoy some modicum of success, she ripped the chariot away from him, and gave it to some other lowly knight in the kingdom to race instead.  Young Jeffrey was crushed and vowed that he too would get even with the evil Queen.

The Kingdom of E began to lose its glory.  While Sir Martin, one of Queen Teresa’s favored chariot drivers, decided to stay in the Kingdom, two esteemed chariot drivers, Sir Paul and Sir Mark, decided they must flee.   They too, like Prince Junior, had to find other places in the land where they could be out from under the thumb of the wicked Queen, free to live and race.

Will the Kingdom of E survive?  Will Queen Teresa break her silence and attempt to restore order throughout her land?  Or will the legacy of her beloved King pass into nonexistence and become no more?

Perhaps one day, Prince Junior might just return and rescue this most troubled land.  But until then, this tale does not seem to have a very happy ending…..

(This article was written in collaboration with one of the most honored in the kingdom of Buchanan, Prince Gary, noble spouse).

Photo Credit  Gustave Doré’s illustration of Camelot from “Idylls of the King”, 1868

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Menard to join Yates for 2009

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated at the end of the season to join Yates Racing in 2009.

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Three Cards To Play: Who Has the Best Hand in Formula One?

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

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Formula One Drivers: Race To Name Their Autobiographies

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

If each of the drivers were to write an autobiography…

Kimi Raikkonen: Let The Rest Choke

Felipe Massa: The Ups and the Downs

Lewis Hamilton: Cracking Under Pressure for Dummies

Heikki Kovalainen:

Nick Heidfeld: Its a Long Way To The Top, If You Want A Win

Robert Kubica: Pole For The Pole

Jarno Trulli: Train Driving for Dummies

Timo Glock: Clocking It Up

Fernando Alonso: Hating Ron for Dummies

Nelson Piquet Jr: If Only I was As Good As Dad

Mark Webber: Sh*tboxes I Have Driven

David Coulthard: Crashing for Dumbies

Sebastien Vettel: Being The New Kid

Sebastien Bourdais: Harder Than I Thought

Nico Roseberg: Fast But Not Fast Enough

Kazuki Nakajima: Life In The Slow Lane

Jenson Button: The Other Pom

Rubens Barrichello: The Shadow

Giancarlo Fisichella:

Adrian Sutil: How To Drive A Sh*tbox!

Couldn’t think of ones for Kovalainen or Fisichella myself, that’s for you to think.

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Adrian Newey: Formula One Designer Par or Sans Excellence?

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

After almost three seasons with Red Bull, has Adrian Newey been a great success or a catastrophic failure?

Well the answer is neither.

After success and domination of the 90’s with Williams and McLaren and an abundant of wins after the turn of the century with McLaren, Adrian Newey signed with Red Bull Racing in February 2006, for a reported bumper USD 10 million a year salary. His decision to join the Milton Keynes backed squad was a surprise to the the Formula 1 community; But has this move paid off?

In my mind it’s a yes and a no.

Newey arrived at Red Bull at the beginning of the 2006 season, too late to influence the Mark Smith designed RB2, which was plagued by cooling issues during the pre-season. Newey instead developed the RB2, until early development of the RB3.

2007 was set to be the breakthrough year for Red Bull Racing, with a Adrian Newey designed car, the combination of Coulthard and Newey who worked together at McLaren and Williams, the arrival of Aussie Mark Webber after a dismal season at Williams, and the ever so reliable Renault engines which had dominated the previous season. Red Bull were poised to be a front running team, but in reality the team awakened to a surprise when the RB3 was languishing in the time sheets for pre-season testing.

During the season the RB3 gradually improved in speed, but the car was plagued by reliability issues. With fourteen retirements throughout the entire season, only surpassed by sister car Toro Rosso’s STR2 which was also Adrian Newey designed with seventeen retirements; the team finished finished fifth in the constructors championship aided by Mclarern’s disqualification from the constructors championship.

2007 proved to be a difficult season for Red Bull Racing, with promising speed and potential, only to be all let down by reliability issues continuing Newey’s trend of having fast but unreliable cars.

For 2008, the team hired Geoff Willis, who had prior worked with Newey at Leyton House and Williams in the early 90’s. Together they produced the RB4, an evolution of the RB3. The RB4 proved to be ever so reliable with only one mechanical retirement in the season thus far. The car proved to be fast and reliable, evidence of Willis’s touch to the RB4. The car also sported a “Shark Fin” introduced by Red Bull most likely thought of by Newey.

The speed of the RB4 was also evident to have improved as opposed to the RB3, with seven points scoring finishes in a row for the team and a podium at Montreal. The team were set for fourth in the Constructors Championship, up until a lean run for the team, with four non-points scoring finishes in a row, while its rivals scored podiums and consistent points.

Adrian Newey has certainly left a touch of “McLarenesque” but the speed is what’s lacking of the ‘McLarenesque’ resemblance of Newey’s Red Bull design’s. With two cars already designed for the Milton Keynes team, the 2009 RB5 is set to be Newey’s third car for the team, and may certainly have a make or brake agenda for the once dominant designer of the late 90’s.

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From Greats to Greats: How F1 Has Gone 360 Degrees

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

I’ve been watching Formula One since I can remember.  I am 22-years-old and I can still remember May 1st, 1994.  I was eight and I don’t think I have ever cried so hard in my life.  That was the day I never thought would come, the day my immortal hero was gone, the day Ayrton Senna left this world.

With Senna’s death, the F1 world seemed to have a black hole that couldn’t be filled. Michael Schumacher burst into the scene that same year and took the next two championships, but then came an era of non-spectacular, non-charismatic champions like Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, and Mika Hakkinen.  Finally, in 2000, we saw Schumi back on top and in 2001 came a driver who looked like he could have some legendary battles with the German, Juan Pablo Montoya.  

However, the Ferrari was unbeatable for four years and the seasons were boring, and the greatest racing series in the world turned into a never-ending red parade.  So in came Fernando Alonso and a Renault team that for two years was king. There was a clear changing of the guard once again. Alonso was bold, brash, and daring, but still, something was missing.  I missed the old two or three team battles, the pure dislike felt by Senna towards Prost, and the great abundance of talent from the 80’s and 90’s.

And suddenly in 2007, it began to happen.  

Ferrari had two drivers at a similar level, McLaren had two teammates who despised each other, and the bitterness translated beautifully on the track.  It didn’t matter whether you were an Alonso fan or a Hamilton fan, you had to love their battles and their Senna-Prost like hatred for one another. In some strange way it was also a perfect ending—Hamilton and Alonso winding up empty-handed, in part due to their struggles against each other, and Raikkonen strolling in, taking the title in the final race.

F1 was back to what it once was, people were bickering and fighting, but most importantly, the talent was incredible on both the dominant teams.  

Could 2008 get any better? It turns out it could. Just add a third dominant team, take Alonso back to the squad that brought him success, and mix in a 21-year-old driver with so much talent who could bring the team that used to be perennial losers, Minardi, their first ever win in Formula One.  

14 years have passed since the light when out on Ayrton Senna’s spectacular life.  His talent, along with Prost’s retirement in 1993, left Formula One with only sadness and yearning for the times when three, four, and even five drivers battled for championships. Now, the overwhelming talent is back. The charismatic, loved, and hated drivers are out in force and we better brace ourselves for some more years of dramatic, controversy-filled finishes just like when Senna ruled the racing world.

Let’s just hope Sebastian Vettel gets into a good car and steps up to the fight as well.

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Formula 1, Round 16: Will History Repeat Itself In Fuji?

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

After the highly surprising and successful Singapore Night race, we move to the Fuji Motorspeedway in Japan, where there is a possibility of history repeating itself. That’s certainly what Mclaren fans will be hoping for anyway as, last year, Lewis Hamilton dominated and his current teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, came home second in his Renault.

The Japanese Grand Prix was highly entertaining last year.

The weather was bad, the conditions were tricky, Fernando Alonso crashed out heavily whilst trying to catch teammate and fierce rival Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel was on for a podium and crashed into the back of an incredibly ill Mark Webber who was suffering from Food poisoning and was sick in his helmet all whilst running second.

The Images of Vettel with head in hands crying against a set of tyres in the Torro Rosso garage sticks in the mind. Since then, he has gotten stronger and stronger, winning his first Grand Prix in Monza, well ahead of schedule in.

I feel he is much better equipped this time around to deal with wet conditions and safety cars, if any either should be present occur.

Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica had a fantastic battle in the last few laps, almost resulting in two more DNF’s as they slid into each other’s paths and went off the track.

The race was nearly cancelled due to heavy rain and fog limiting visibility. If the emergency helicopter can’t take off, the race doesn’t happen.

Thankfully, the fog cleared up and the race went ahead; good job really as a few million brits who woke at four in the morning so as not to miss it would of been not best pleased had it been cancelled.

It was one of the more memorable races of a highly bitter 2007 season I’m sure you will all agree.

The Fuji Motor Speedway is situated in the foothills of Mount Fuji, Oyama, Sunto District, and Shizuoka.

It was recently added back to the calendar in 2007 after a 30 year absence from the F1 World Championship due to safety concerns.

The Japanese Grand Prix now alternates two seasons at a time between the legendary Suzuka circuit and the Toyota owned Fuji speedway.

The circuit is used for Formula 1, JLMC, and Japan GT races.

It is 4.563 Kilometres, or 2.835 miles, in distance per lap.

There are 16 corners in all, with the famous 300 R, The Dunlop Curve, The Coca Cola section and turn 16 The Panasonic.

Lap Record: Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren in 2007 in 1: 28.193

Last Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren 2007.

Last Winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren 2007.

Ferrari will be looking to bounce back here after a disaster in Singapore, where both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa failed to score. Massa was on fire in Singapore, until the traffic light system let him and the team down again. Kimi was doing great until Nelson Piquet’s Renault obliterated itself against the wall, bringing out the safety car .

That was where the problems started for the defending champion, who could not find the pace to get back on top afterwards. It all ended with a quite bemusing crash into the wall after the chicane which used those silly little humps, although Kimi should not have been in that wall at all, you could see the disbelief in his face as he stood and watched.

However, you can’t keep Ferrari down. As much as you may hate or love them, only a fool would write off the prancing horses. As a Mclaren fan, I’m taking nothing for granted until that trophy is in Lewis’ hands come Brazil; Massa will be back in the hunt without question .

Can Lewis refrain from the errors last season that ended in that “so close but no cigar” conclusion? I think he has matured nicely this season and will take the Japanese GP this year too.

As hated as he is, no one can deny he has been more consistent this season in terms of getting the points rather than losing them after going all out; Singapore proved this as he eased the car home third.

I think it will go to the wire, but I’m certain this is Hamilton’s year.

Most have written off Kimi “The Iceman” too. But, he was 17 points behind with two races remaining last year and won the title. This year, he is more or less in the same position. It will all make for an interesting finale to this great season.

If Robert Kubica can Grab the win in Fuji, it will put him within a distant chance of the title or second place; not bad to say since BMW Sauber’s car has had a somewhat mixed season. I think fourth in the title will be pleasing enough for the young Pole, who has stamped his mark firmly on F1.

My Prediction for Japan :

1.  L Hamilton, Mclaren

2.  H Kovalainen, Mclaren

3.  F Massa, Ferrari

4 . F Alonso, Renault

5 .K Raikkonen, Ferrari

6.  S Vettel, STR Ferrari

7.  R Kubica, BMW Sauber

8.  T Glock, Toyota

So there you have it. I’m betting on Lewis extending his lead here, especially if the conditions are the same as last year.

I’ve predicted a Mclaren one-two, as I think history could repeat itself. Plus, it will be nice to see a one-two for the boys in silver before the season ends. If Mclaren do qualify first and second, then Heikki can be Lewis’ rear gunner and steer home the 18 points, and possibly one hand on the title .

Watch out for the recently Rejuvenated Fernando Alonso, who may spoil the party. He is back on a high after taking his first win in exactly 12 months.

The Spaniard immediatly won back my respect with his performance in Singapore and his showing of mutual respect with Lewis after the race had finished; his season in the doldrums has matured him greatly.

What do you think Bleachers? Who will win, who will take a huge stride closer to the title, and who’s dreams are about to be shattered? Are my predictions off the mark ?**

I’m sorry I’ve not been around recently to bore you all with my excruciating articles. I was taking a break. But, love me or hate me, I am back. **

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Formula One: Who Needs Rain When You Have Singapore?

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

Formula One has a new star and it’s shining brightly above Singapore. It might just be out for one night a year but I bet that night will be the most anticipated “race day” next season.

I must admit I was skeptical when I heard F1 was to stage a night race but well was I wrong or what?

It was like a giant indoor go kart track with the dark sky acting as a roof over the action, holding all the entertainment tight inside with the cars bumping their way around the uneven street circuit much like the go karts would at your nearby carting track.

There was a feeling of pure racing and it was F1 at its best.

Singapore really did put Valencia to shame and it would have done so even during the day. Take away the darkness and you’d still be left with a great tight street circuit that F1 fans crave. Valencia was a podgy size 16, Singapore is a perfect 10.

The drivers loved it and it brought out the best in many of them.

Felipe Massa stole pole position with a lap that was over half a second quicker than Lewis Hamilton. In Marin Brundle’s words, “something quite special.” Who says ITV is biased? They may be pro-Hamilton but they are anti-no one.

The Brazilian is certainly turning it on this season and will take the challenge to Hamilton down to the last race of the season. It was Massa’s fifth pole of the season and the 14th of his career.

Pity the race wasn’t to turn out as well for the Ferrari man but watching the fat Ferrari pit crew sprinting 500 meters to the stranded Massa certainly added to the entertainment factor. I doubt they’d have made it in the mid day sun of Bahrain though. Those Ferrari fuel men must be on serious danger pay by now.

I must add my dissenting voice to the safety car pit lane rules. Even if they did get my man DC a couple of points. For teams to be punished for running out of fuel is simply ridiculous.

A big well done to Timo Glock. The German has had a stellar second half of the season and is finally looking like a quality driver.

Not such a big well done to Ferrari though. Zero points as they fall behind in the Driver’s Championship and will someone at Ferrari send Kimi on holiday for the rest of the season. He’s just not interested if we’re honest.

Anyway, F1 is on the crest of a wave and long may it continue.

And who needs rain, when you have Singapore?

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Why Are Toro Rosso Beating Red Bull?

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

One of the stories of the season has been the increasingly strong form of Toro Rosso.

Of particular note has been the alarming rate that Toro Rosso have caught up with big sister Red Bull, and now overtaken them in the Constructors championship.

Red Bull have slid down in the grid in comparison to Toro Rosso’s recent rise.

Here are the two teams’ positions in the Constructor’s championship after the Singapore GP?

6. Torro Rosso: 31 points

7. Red Bull: 28 points

Fernando Alonso recently said he thought that Toro Rosso were now the third-best team in Formula 1. Looking at current form, it’s not that easy to disagree with him.

So why are Toro Rosso outperforming Red Bull at the moment?

There are four main contributing factors:

• Same chassis and technologies as the main Red Bull team
• Strong Ferrari engine (compared to the Renault engine Red Bull have)
• Better team spirit and hunger/motivation
• Stronger driver pairing

Lets look at these four factors in more detail one by one.

Same chassis and technologies as Red Bull

Toro Rosso benefit hugely as effectively a customer team to Red Bull. Both teams’ chassis are developed by Adrian Newey-led technologies. So before Toro Rosso start work, they already have a very good base to work with.

The only real change they have to make from the Red Bull car, are a few alterations in order to accommodate the Ferrari engine. This arrangement is legal for the moment but will be outlawed in 2010.

This saves Toro Rosso a lot of money and time compared to Force India, who build their whole car on a limited budget. However Toro Rosso still have to make the most of their package and optimize it fully.

When it comes to race weekends, they have to test the car and find the right setup. This is something they have appeared to be very good at throughout the season.

Very often the small team that Toro Rosso have, have managed to find more time from their package than Red Bull. This has been leaving the main Red Bull team scratching their heads in the process.

Notably at the start of the season, Toro Rosso opted to use last season’s car to allow them more time to understand the current car. They used the new car for the first time at Monaco after having gotten a better grasp on the car. Vettel finished fifth in that race and the season has been a steep upward rise from then on.

Ferrari Engine

Torro Rosso have a Ferrari engine, whilst Red Bull are customers of Renault in the engine department. The main Red Bull team opted to use Renault engines and give the Ferrari engines to their sister team, Toro Rosso, at the end of 2006.

It was definitely the right thing to do at the time. Renault had become one of the best engines in F1, whilst Red Bull were struggling to adapt to the Ferrari engine and had issues with it, particularly with cooling, which dogged their 2006 season.

However the shift in balance has completely changed this season between the Renault and Ferrari engines. When the engine freeze started (restricting development on engines), Renault were definitely a touch ahead of Ferrari.

However, Ferrari have been clever and found loopholes in the rules and have found little things they can improve on the engine. Therefore, they have been able to squeeze out some extra horsepower.

Ferrari haven’t broken the rules though. They simply asked Charlie Whiting (F1 Race Director) what they are allowed to change/adjust and what they must leave untouched.

Renault simply haven’t taken the initiative to do this. They are therefore lagging behind on horsepower, affecting both the Renault team itself and customers Red Bull.

This means that Ferrari have been able to make a few key improvements (within the rules) and gain extra horsepower which have given Toro Rosso three- or four-tenths of a second worth of performance at some race tracks over the main Red Bull team, whose Renault engine is now behind on development.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso have been in the tight midfield pack all season, along with other teams like: Renault, Toyota, Williams and at times challenging BMW Sauber. This pack are only separated by mere tenths of a second (The whole grid is in fact only covered by less than 2.0 seconds).

This means that the few tenths that Toro Rosso have gained from the improvements sneaked into the engine has moved them from the back of the midfield to the front of the midfield. Only a few tenths are required to do this. It’s been that tight!

Ferrari gave Torro Rosso their updated engine in time for the Hungarian GP. There is a strong correlation between the arrival of this new Ferrari engine and further improved results.

Recently we had three very fast circuits in a row: the new street circuit in Valencia, Monza and Spa. A great engine at these tracks will give you an even bigger advantage than it would at normal circuits. This is a big reason why Toro Rosso did so well at these three races.

Another plus of the Ferrari engine is the performance over two race weekends. Currently the rules state that the same engine must be used for two race weekends (excluding Friday practise).

The Ferrari engine can keep practically the same level of performance over the two weekends. It may lose only a tenth of it’s performance in race weekend 2, this is one of the lowest wear rates on the grid. On the other hand the Toyota engine loses around 3 or 4 tenths during the second race weekend. That’s one hell of a difference.

Of course it would be completely wrong to say that, having the Ferrari engine is the only reason why Torro Rosso are punching above their weight. There are other reasons as you can see from this article but I feel engines is one of the biggest, if not the biggest contributing factor.

Team spirit and hunger/motivation

What you have to remember is that Torro Rosso used to be the old Minardi team. Minardi DNA still runs through the veins of this team. Many of the guys who were slogging away through the nights, to keep Minardi within 4 seconds of the teams at the front are still there. Winning a championship point was like winning a world championship to them in those days. Their work rate has always been incredible

All of sudden, a bit of investment and support from Red Bull technology, and better results are coming from all these guy’s hard work. After that win they must have been in dreamland. Nobody would care if Torro Rosso were still near the back of the grid. That’s what would normally be expected from a much smaller sister team. Therefore there is nowhere near as much pressure on Torro Rosso as there is the main Red Bull team who have the star names. Due to this reason everyone is expecting big things from Red Bull otherwise they are a failure in the media and fan’s eyes.

Great team spirit can help increase performance. When you have had a taste of success for the first time you just want more. The last few months will have brought all those guys at Torro Rosso together and they will be extra motivated to keep it up. Torro Rosso are showing what can be done when a small team has such spirit and motivation. Huge passion and dedication to what you are doing, can bring as good results as a team with great facilities and unlimited budgets.

Red Bull are under immense pressure. They want to get to the front quickly, and they may be frustrated that they haven’t matched their targets in the last couple of seasons. This doesn’t mean that team spirit is very low. However the body language may not be as positive as it is at Torro Rosso currently. That can make a big difference. Being beaten by Torro Rosso won’t help team morale, that’s for sure.

Some of the guys at Red Bull have tasted success, particularly Adrian Newey and Geoff Willis. How hungry are they for more success? Are they as hungry as the members of the Torro Rosso team? They won’t be happy men messing around in midfield. Is this bad taste spreading through the team currently?

Torro Rosso are a smaller and a very close-knit group of people in comparison to Red Bull. With no pressure being an underdog, it’s a very nice position for them to be in. They can really go for it without many implications if it doesn’t go right all the time.

Better driver line-up

There is no doubt that Sebastien Vettel is a very special driver. He is potentially one of those drivers like: Senna, Prost, Schumacher and more recently Lewis Hamilton who don’t come around very often. He can squeeze extra tenths out of the car and upset established superstars. Since Vettel joined Torro Rosso in the middle of last season, Vettel has got used to the team and the car and has developed very quickly.

He won at Monza fully on merit. In the same conditions as everyone else he took the car to pole position. In the race he drove away from drivers who should really have beat him. His talent was finally confirmed to his persisting doubters.

It’s having a superstar like this who can really transform a team. His giant killing results have gone a long way to make team spirit really high and motivate the team even more. Vettel’s very positive and happy personality is very endearing to the team. They all love having him around the team, and this makes the mechanics want to work even harder, to give a driver they really like the best possible chance of winning. He approaches his pit crew with a smile on his face and values the work they do for him highly. Drivers can be great motivators. We have seen this with the likes of Schumacher at Ferrari and Alonso at Renault. On their own they make such a good positive influence on the team that it gets extra tenths out of the car. The mechanics build the car but the driver is the one who has to get the best out of it. 

The relationship with the driver is so important. Last season at Torro Rosso the experience was very different with Scott Speed and Liuzzi. The relationship was poor for a variety of reasons. This led to the spirit in the Torro Rosso garage often being quite poor and tense. This affected the performance and Torro Rosso parted company with the pair of them.

A strong and professional relationship with your drivers can make a huge difference to one that is a bit edgy. Sebastien Bourdais, although being not as talented as Vettel has also worked very hard for the team and been very positive, despite not adapting brilliantly to F1 initially at the start of the season. He is now capable of scoring points for the team too. Despite being a rookie he has won major championships in America and knows how a winning team operates. He can pass this onto the Torro Rosso team.

Mark Webber and David Coulthard at the main Red Bull team are both decent drivers. In all due respect to them though, they don’t match the sheer level of natural talent that Vettel has. Vettel will be a great addition to the Red Bull team next season and will help them onto the next level. He will force Webber to get more out of himself, so overall for Red Bull it will be a very positive driver line-up next season.

Will Torro Rosso stay ahead of Red Bull in the championship?

At the moment Torro Rosso is 3 points ahead of Red Bull in the championship. This isn’t a very big gap so Red Bull could still save themselves from embarrassment yet. However  Torro Rosso have a very strong chance of staying ahead. There is a possibility of rain at any of the final 3 races. Vettel seems to be a rain master and Torro Rosso appear to have adapted the car brilliantly to the wet conditions. The long-term forecast suggests rain for the race in Fuji. If any rain comes at all then Torro Rosso are better positioned than Red Bull to take a full advantage of it. A wet race could well clinch it for Torro Rosso in terms of finishing ahead of Red Bull.

If there is no rain its closer to call. However the giant straight at Fuji and fast sectors 1 and 2 should give Torro Rosso the edge. Shanghai is a mixture of fast and slow sections so the two teams should be evenly matched there. This may be Red Bull’s opportunity to get in front of Torro Rosso. Brazil is faster than it is slow with two long straights. So I expect Torro Rosso will have an edge there like in Fuji.

Overall Torro Rosso and in particularly Vettel are in the form of their lives at the moment whilst Red Bull are on a slight downer. This writer thinks Torro Rosso can finish the job off. Red Bull’s big opportunity was in Singapore as they anticipated the release of the Safety Car at the right moment. However they didn’t score all the points that they could have got.

Next season and beyond

Currently Torro Rosso is for sale but the boss of Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz is willing to hold out for the right offer. In 2010 customer cars will finally be outlawed for good. This means that Torro Rosso have to be prepared to be a constructor by this time. Torro Rosso have already started preparing by taking on more staff gradually. That historic win in Monza will do Torro Rosso no harm in trying to find sponsors or potential big investors to takeover the team. Clearly overall there is a future for Torro Rosso (or whatever name they possibly change to) from 2010 and beyond. Chances of them becoming extinct are a lot less than may have been previously thought earlier in the season. Their recent success has raised the teams credit rating and future potential as a team.

Whether they can continue to stay as competitive as Red Bull in the future is another matter. Torro Rosso should have a good car for at least next season. My tip is that Red Bull will adapt to the 2009 regs very well,  Newey’s and Willis’s experience may prove invaluable to this huge change. If this is proved to be the case then Torro Rosso will reap the benefits too and have another great season. The main difference is that they will no longer have Vettel but they will have the Ferrari engine still as a trump card. 2010 and they will be on their own. Future success will depend on how many sponsors they can find and how big an investor they can get for the team.

In the short term this writer believes Torro Rosso can continue to outshine Red Bull but in the long term expect Red Bull to come good and finally realize their full potential, which for various reasons hasn’t come yet.

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Senna says race seat possible for 2009

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

Bruno Senna says he has offers to race in Formula One next season, but admits reaching a deal will depend on beating the competition.

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Q and A with Timo Glock

Oct 1, 2008 Formula One

Q and A with Timo Glock

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The Prolonged End of DEI; Out with the New, In with the Old

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

Dateline September 30, 2008:  We are rapidly approaching the end of yet another NASCAR Season. The points Chase is in full swing, with Jimmie Johnson swinging to the top again… surprise surprise.  The news of my night last night though was a jayski article about Rusty Wallace coming out of retirement to drive for DEI.

This tidbit caused me to drop my mouth wide open as a slight chill tingled through my body. 

In other news from DEI, Paul Menard is taking one of DEI’s two sponsors and heading to Yates Racing. 

Therefore, DEI is left with four cars, three drivers, one sponsor, and one bozo calling the shots. 

Ragan Smith is in the unsponsored No. 01 car: 29th in the standings.

Aric Almirola is in the unsponsored No. 8 car: 15th in the standings (thanks to Mark Martin).

Martin Truex Jr. in the Bass Pro Shops No. 1 car: 17th in the standings.

Then, there is the No. 15 car with no driver and no sponsor. 

That gives Teresa Earnhardt, in all her brilliance, basically a one car team with two test teams. One driver will be in his first full season in 2009.

DEI officially came into being around 1980, but it took them until the mid 1990’s to field full time teams. Their first full time drivers were Ron Hornaday in the Truck Series, and Jeff Green in the Busch Series. These drivers were rookies, and anxious to make their mark on the sport. Hornaday found early success, winning championships in 1996 and 1998. 

Then came Steve Park, who took over the Busch series ride in 1997. Park quickly jumped to Winston Cup in 1998 with the No. 1 Pennzoil car. Dale Jr. stepped into the empty Busch series seat, then proceeded to Cup starting in 2000.

This slight history was given to make you see the quick rise and fall of this great organization. The factor you need to note is the presence of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in everything mentioned. Dale, Sr. knew what he needed to do to make his company successful, and he did it. 

The climax to the story comes in Daytona in July 2001. Dale Sr. lost his life at Daytona in February that year, then Dale Jr. came back to win it. Starting that day, Dale Jr. figured out that he could do it on his own. Around that same day, Teresa figured out she could do it on her own. Unfortunately only one was half right, the other was completely wrong. 

The relationship between Dale Jr. and Teresa worsened, leading to Dale Jr finally breaking away from his fathers company to try racing under the Hendrick banner.  Though improvements have been made, you can still see Jr. struggling with himself. 

With the marked improvement, I say Dale Jr. was half right. It remains to be seen if Rick can make him a champion like he has done with so many others. 

On the other hand is Teresa Earnhardt. She figured out early she had underestimated her capabilities. She brought on Max Siegel, a music industry suit, with no knowledge of racing (brilliant!!). 

And her driver and sponsor lineup had been suffering even before Siegel came in.

Micheal Waltrip who took her second biggest face (can’t call him a driver so much) to his own company, taking with him her second biggest and longest standing sponsor, NAPA, with him.

Then she watched as her biggest driver, Dale Jr. left, taking her biggest sponsor, Budweiser, at the same time.

In a time when it seemed like a smart thing to do, she agreed to purchase Ginn Racing,  helping her immensly with new sponsorship, like the Army and Ginn Resorts. 

Bobby Ginn took Ginn Resorts sponsorship with him upon his departure. This year, The Army looks to leave to go to Ryan Newman at Stewart Haas. Now, Paul Menard is leaving and taking one of her last two big sponsors with him. 

The remaining is a underperforming No. 1 car, with Martin Truex who wanted to leave earlier this year, driving the Bass Pro Shops car.  I personally wouldn’t be surprised to see Bass Pro go to Stewart Haas after the 2009 season. Bass Pro and Stewart have strong ties within other racing series. 

Now to why I am writing to begin with…

Rusty Wallace… Rusty Wallace??? 

Your company is dwindling and looks to be failing around you, and you look to Rusty Wallace? 

706 starts… 1 Championships… 55 wins… 202 top fives

Rusty retired after the 2005 season.  He provided Penske with their glory years through the 80’s and 90’s and early 00’s.  But why now should he be considered for a ride at DEI?

Maybe Teresa’s new philosophy will be… out with new, in with the old. 

If she can’t get results from the rookies, maybe she will start putting retirees in her cars. 

Rusty to the No. 15… maybe she will put some other golden oldies in the other cars…

Cale Yarbrough in the 01… which would be awesome!

DW in the 8… anything to get him out the TV Booth.

Richard Petty?  Dale Jarrett?  Ricky Rudd?  Terry Labonte?  Geoff Bodine?  Harry Gant? 

Why can’t she look at some established drivers who are without rides in Cup?

Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson, etc.?

Maybe some that never really got the right chance? 

Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger? 

I know Rusty won some, but he was beginning his descent into a DW type presence at the track. I just hope him coming back doesn’t start a new fad, causing other owners to make a push to bring all retirees back, like happened with the open wheel driver push. 

My question for you readers is how much longer before DEI is nothing more than a tourist attraction in North Carolina? 

I give it two more years. Bass Pro leaves after next year.  Rusty provides temporary help, then fizzles out.  Truex is out at the time his contract is up. 

DEI folds, but they will still sell all the stuff at the garage-ma-hal, and have tours.  Teresa will be a tour guide!

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A Tribute To A Racer Paul Newman 1925 to 2008

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

Paul Newman’s a Hollywood icon as a actor, whose passion was racing both as a driver, then an owner, passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer on Friday evening.

He was a co-owner of the legendary Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team that competed in the IndyCar series, and also raced in the 70’s and 80’s, and died with his wife Joanne and five daughters at his side at home in Westport, Connecticut.

Newman was a blessed man. He quite honestly had three careers in his 83 year life. The first was his acting, the second was his love of racing, and his Newman’s Own Foundation his third career, which is his legacy. I feel it’s a fitting way to honor this icon, who gave a tireless effort to make the world a better place.

I’ve chosen to concentrate my tribute more on his racing career and his charitable work that’s changed or touched so many lives around the world.

He was born January 25, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, showing an early talent for acting. His first movie role came in 1954 and he starred in more than 60 movies throughtout his career.

Through his acting career, Newman earned 10 Academy Award nominations, with eight being for best actor and his sole Oscar win coming in 1986 for his reprised role of Fast Eddie Felson in “The Color of Money”.

In 1969 Newman made a movie titled “Winning”, which was a racing movie, for which he attended the Bob Bondurant Racing School. In fact, many of the at speed scenes he did himself without using a stunt driver.

It would be in 1972, that Newman began his second career as a successful race driver, rearranging his schedule to fit the time into obtaining his license. He recorded his first win in Sports Car Club of America that same year driving a Lotus Elan.

He would then move up graduating to a series racing the more powerful Datsun sedans, where he won four SCCA Professional National Championships between 1979 to 1986.

Once he started racing, Newman would never do movie roles from April to October, as he just concentrated on racing.

In 1979, he finished in second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Porsche 935. Newman would have a active career in endurance racing, making his last start at 81 years of age at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2006.

Newman, in 1977, would team up with Bill Freeman forming Newman-Freeman Racing, entering cars driven by Elliot Forbes-Robinson, later for both Keke Rosberg and Danny Sullivan in SCCA Can-Am Series through 1982.

In 1983, he accepted an offer from Carl Haas to form Newman-Haas Racing, becoming one of the most enduring and successful teams in IndyCar Racing.

They ended up compiling 107 wins, winning Championships with Mario Andretti (1984), Michael Andretti (1991), Nigell Mansell (1993), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004 - 2007) (John Oreovicz).

“We’ve lost a great human being,” Haas said. “We’ve been partners for 26 years and I’ve come to know his passion, his humor and, above all, his generosity. Not just economic generosity, but his generosity of spirit”. (Terry Blount).

The teams never won the Indianapolis 500, the only major race they lack a win in and had a couple of second place finishes.

In 1996, with Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George splitting American open-wheel by forming the Indy Racing League, Newman bitterly opposed the split and would support Cart, later Champ Car.

Newman would not set foot in Indianapolis Motor Speedway for eleven years and it wasn’t until the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 2007 did he come back, and only to accept money for his charity.

Months later the remains of the Champ Car, including his team, would rejoin the IRL sanctioned IndyCar Series.

“Reunification was absolutely necessary for both groups”, he said during his 2008 Pole Day appearance. “It’s tragic that it didn’t happen sooner, but it’s good that it at least happened when it did. I think it’s going to be a great boost for both groups. It’s good to back at Indianapolis”. (John Oreovicz).

Newman attended most of his teams races, up until he wasn’t able to due to his cancer getting to critical stages.

Newman also had ties to NASCAR. He enjoyed the series and many open wheel fans may not be aware of this. He narrated the documentary film of Dale Earnhardt’s life, and was the voice of the old Hudson Hornet in the animated movie “Cars”.

NASCAR driver and stuntman, Stanton Barrett,  was Newman’s godson and his father Stan was Newman’s stunt double. Barrett spoke highly of Newman, commenting on his love of family, the closeness he kept with friends, and how he never wanted to be in or receive the limelight or be publicized about the good he did.

Mentioning it was too bad, since he was a character, people need to realize the type of person Newman was. Barrett would also remark on Newman’s competitiveness. Whatever he was doing, whether it be shooting pool, playing a game of ping-pong, or racing, he always wanted to win.

Jimmie Johnson fondly remember two years ago at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, when Newman was there for the premiere of “Cars” and took some laps around the track.

“I remember at the [making of the movie] “Cars”, they put that Fabulous Hudson Hornet body on a stock-car frame and we’re doing the stuff leading into the movie debut,” Johnson said. “The only guy on pit road with a stopwatch was Paul Newman. I was running, other guys were running, then he got in that car where he had no business, with that body especially and he was trying to beat the lap times that we were running with the [driving school] cars”. (Bob Pockrass, Kenny Bruce and Mike Hembree).

“Paul was a phenomenal individual,” Tony Stewart said. “We connected as racers, but his ideas on charity are what resonated with me the most. He did things right and he did them with class”. (Terry Blount).

Newman also drove for NASCAR owner Jack Roush, competing in Sports Car. ” Paul Newman: a real American hero, an inspiration to me in much that I have attempted in my adult life,” Roush said in a statement, “not so much for the parts he played, but for the man he was. (Bob Pockrass, Kenny Bruce and Mike Hembree)

“He was one of Hollywood’s greatest. He could not only talk the talk on film but more importantly could walk the walk as a private citizen. As a young man he was an American hero who served his country in one of the U.S. Army Corps’ most dangerous assignments in western Europe.

“Additionally, his charitable enterprises have generated tens of millions for the benefit of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged Americans. He will be never forgotten”. (Bob Pockrass, Kenny Bruce and Mike Hembree).

He also was very good friends with the Petty’s. Their Victory Junction Gang Camp was one of the Hole in the Wall Camps and they developed a close relationship with him.

“He’s a timeless person, not only for his acting, but for the other great things he was involved in”, said Patty Petty. (Bob Pockrass, Kenny Bruce, and Mike Hembree).

Newman helped start Hole in the Wall Camps over twenty years ago, designed for children with life threatening conditions and today they number eleven camps around the world.

Through the camps, well over 135,000 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be. (Racer Magazine/speedtv.com).

“An exceptional example is the legacy of Newman’s Own. What started as something of a joke in his basement of his home, turned into a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food company. And true to form, he shared this good fortune by donating all the profits and royaltieshe earned to thousands of charities around the world, a total which now exceeds $250 million”. (Racer Magazine/speedtv.com).

“Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor and humaneness”. (Racer Magazine/speedtv.com).

Growing up as a teenager in the ’80s, I fondly remember watching his SCCA races with my dad and postponing my yard work chores for a few hours to watch him race. He was a great man, one any fan could not help but cheer for him as a driver or root for his Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing in Indycar.

Newman, with his blue eyes, always had a spark in his eye racing. The birth of a child, a spouse on your wedding day, or a championship won. It’s that look someone gets when they feel contentment and true joy. (Terry Blount).

Newman found that in racing, and many people in racing found it in him. (Terry Blount)

Sources are as follows: 

speedtv.com, espn.com, and scenedaily.com                                       

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NASCAR Chase for the Cup Less Crowded After Kansas

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

After three races in the Chase for the Cup, things are starting to get clear. We have a few definite observations from this past weekend.

First, Joe Gibbs Racing has run out of its season-long domination and has effectively eliminated itself from contention.

Second, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are the two to beat (but you knew that already).

Finally, four drivers who weren’t a factor all season have suddenly found themselves still in contention and waiting for the top two guys to make a mistake.

Kyle Busch’s season has fallen apart. Yes, we will remember his pure domination, winning eight races and lapping the field consistently.

But we will also remember how when the Chase started, the one driver who led by consistency and equipment has had mechanical failures in all three races. Now he sits 311 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, and we can effectively say he is eliminated.

Now, I know he’s not just going to roll over and play dead. He’s got pride, and I am sure he will be a factor to win some races. But if you thought the deficit before was at least giving him a shot before Kansas, we all have to agree his quest for a championship is over.

Kyle Busch: eliminated.

For Tony Stewart, it was Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers who got in his way. He never had a great car, from the moment they unloaded on Friday. He qualified poorly.  For many Chase  drivers, pit road was worse than the on-track accidents.  Brian Vickers and the No. 20 crew  got in each other’s way.

On one of the early stops, Vickers’ crew literally ran in front of Stewart’s crew and caused him to lose what little track position he had gained.

Then soon after the restart, an on-track incident with Brian Vickers sent Tony mowing through the grass, causing damage to his Toyota and after delaying the inevitable, came in to pit road for repairs and was several laps down.

Poor track performance and setups put him in the position to be deep in traffic for most of the day. His finish dropped him four places in the standings to 11th, 255 points behind the leaders.  His final season with JGR and Home Depot might be one he wants to forget.

Tony Stewart: eliminated.

For Denny Hamlin, once again his issues just seemed off. He ran with the leaders for a while, but a ill-handling car took his Toyota well off pace, and he struggled to make ground on the track and in the standings. He moved up one position only due to Tony Stewart’s issues.

I don’t want to eliminate him quite yet. I still think some of his better tracks are coming up. But there are too many guys in front of him who are running well.

Sitting 243 points off the pace will be tough to overcome. For the Gibbs boys, they are hoping to dig themselves out of the cellar and finish the season with some momentum heading into Speed weeks.

Denny Hamlin: Hanging on by a thread.

Matt Kenseth once again led laps and qualified strong in third. But he spun when Casey Mears tapped him after a restart, so he had to fight his way back into the top 10. Finishing in the top five was a huge rebound for this team.

They stayed with the car and kept up with the adjustments. Kenseth is a smart racer and knows his deficit might not win him a championship, but with his recent runs, finishing in the top five in points is a possibility.

Kenseth has no room for error at this point. He sits 192 points back on the leaders. Mathematically he is still in this.

Matt Kenseth: Still fighting…for now…

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has garnered a pattern. Start the race off strong, battle for the lead, fall behind on adjustments, battle an ill-handling car to have decent finishes.

But the problem is, decent finishes won’t win NASCAR’S poster child a championship, at least not this year. While he is a contender every week, he has struggled during the race keeping up with the track and the conditions.

He is one of the final drivers still one within one points race of the leaders at 190 points off. Unless seven drivers in front of him make major mistakes, he is looking toward just finishing in the top 10 or top five to keep pace with the leaders.

Dale Jr.: Within reach.

Clint Bowyer got into this Chase barely, and he has barely made any noise. An early mistake  had him battling all day. Their problem seems to be getting marred back in traffic and losing touch with the leaders. 

While they are running around fellow Chase drivers, they are never getting close enough to the front two, to ever become a factor. Talladega will be telling for this group. If they come out of this with a strong finish, they are still in this Chase. But one wrong move and Clint will watch his Chase hopes fade, as he is 164 points back.

Clint Bowyer: Fading.

Jeff Gordon is doing something he hasn’t been able to do all year: adjust with the car and the track and be a factor. This four-time champion has steadily been climbing the standings while others have been fading.

With strong finishes in the first three races (yes, New Hampshire was a strong finish considering he avoided a major hit and still finished in the top 15), he needs to win a race, not only for his own personal best but to stay in touch with the leaders.

He has been consistent, and Talladega is the perfect place for him to find his first win.

With recent Chase finishes of 14th, seventh and fourth, a first-place finish is the next one for Gordon.  I am keeping him in, not only because he is sitting 143 points behind, but the fact that he was sick, and he battled all day in that car just to stay in the race.

He is actually still a contender; the next couple tracks will be a real test for this team, including Texas, where this team posted its worst finish in his career early this year.

Jeff Gordon: Still kicking and sneezing…

Kevin Harvick sits 136 points behind the leaders.  Sunday was nothing to flashy for him. He started in the back and worked his way up front. With good pit stops and the right adjustments on this car, a strong top 10 finish allowed him to continue his steady climb in the Chase. He is still alive as a dark horse, but he is not the only one.

Kevin Harvick: Making his charge.

Jeff Burton, ever so consistent, sat in the top five in points all season and has stayed in the top five in the Chase. But he needs a win to stay in touch with the leaders. Leading laps and collecting bonus points is what he needs to do. While he knows their equipment does not match the leaders’, he is holding in strong 121 points off the pace.

Jeff Burton: Wading in the water.

Greg Biffle started off hot, well, scorching, winning two in a row and coming to one of his best tracks. But he was never a factor as he struggled with the handling and lap traffic most of the day. A late-race move to pass Gordon allowed him to finish better than the car actually ran. He sits only 30 points behind, waiting for the two guys in front to make a mistake.

Greg Biffle: On the prowl…

Carl Edwards loves his video games. He loves them so much he tried a move to win the race.  He was hungry for a win at his home track. It’s clear Carl Edwards is tired of playing second fiddle to once-leader Kyle Busch and now to Jimmie Johnson.

Talladega is not his best track, but he will be a factor. Watch for Carl to make his move on Jimmie Johnson sitting only 10 points behind.

Carl Edwards: Just waiting.

Jimmie Johnson is doing what Jimmie Johnson does: dominating the Chase with strong runs and winning races. It’s unbelievable what he can do in the final 10 races. But Jimmie can’t afford to make a mistake, because there are seven other drivers who are more than ready to make a charge.

Sitting atop the points lead is nice, but he wants to be there at the end, in the final lap of Homestead.

Jimmie Johnson: In championship form.

Talladega will be a wild card. A few drivers have an advantage, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart have mastered the draft.

As I’ve said before, mistakes are key. We saw JGR eliminate themselves this past week, and a few drivers are on the bubble. The leaders don’t want to make a mistake that can cost them a championship, and Dega is the place that can happen.

Drivers who have not been a factor find some consistency and have been making up ground.

Look for our dark horses; drivers four through seven to make some ground on the leaders this weekend at the world’s fastest super speedway.

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Joey Logano to begin truckin’ it at Talladega

Oct 1, 2008 NASCAR

It has been a busy year for 18-year old Joey Logano, and it just keeps getting busier.

A week after turning 18 in May, Joe Gibbs Racing’s newest addition made his Nationwide Series debut in the No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry at Dover where he finished sixth.

The next week, the boy wonder—nicknamed “Sliced Bread” by two-time Busch Series Champion Randy LaJoie—won his first pole at Nashville but got caught up in an early race incident and finished 31st.

A week later at Kentucky, he won his second pole and went on to win his first race in the series, setting a new record as the youngest driver ever to win a Nationwide Series event.

Logano has now run in 14 Nationwide races racking up a win, three top-fives, 10 top-10s, and three starts from the pole.

In late August it was announced that Logano would be taking over the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009, filling the vacancy left by Tony Stewart’s planned departure from JGR to become a driver-owner for Stewart-Haas Motorsports next year.

Logano’s development schedule quickened when shortly thereafter it was announced that he would run two races in a fourth JGR Cup car and five more in the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota before the end of the year.

A qualifying rain-out postponed Logano’s Cup debut from Richmond to Loudon. In the two Cup races he has started so far his finishes have been anything but spectacular. But, they have been learning experiences that have given him seat time and helped him gain respect from other drivers in the series.

Now, according to an article on SceneDaily.com, Logano will make his NASCAR Truck Series debut in the Mountain Dew 250 at the Talladega Superspeedway this weekend.

He will be driving the No. 59 HT Motorsports Toyota Tundra, recently left vacant when Ted Musgrave parted ways with the team suddenly during the recent race weekend at Las Vegas.

Stacy Compton was brought in at the last minute for the Vegas race, and the team has made no statement yet on who will be driving for the remainder of the season. For now all that has been reported is that Logano will start this weekend at Talledega.

Besides the truck series regulars, Cup driver Kyle “Rowdy” Busch will be driving the No. 51 Billy Balew Motorsports entry. 

Other non-series regulars in the 34 truck field will include Mike Wallace, John Wes Townley, John Andretti, Jon Wood, Scott Speed, and Landon Cassill.

UPDATE: At long last the entry list for the truck series race is out on NASCAR.COM and indeed, Logano as well as all the others mentioned are on it.

UPDATE: In a story broken by Marty Smith of ESPN, Hall of Fame Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing have mutually agreed to pull Logano from the No. 96 Toyota for his remaining three Cup races with them this year.

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