Off the Wall Racing News

NASCAR

New Records set in NASCAR

In its 62nd year of operation, NASCAR’s 2010 season will go down as one for the ages. Here’s a listing of new records set this past season (from Speedway Media):

1. Average lead changes per race… 25.4 breaking the 1981 season record of 24.9.
2. 55 different drivers led laps in 2010 breaking the 2005 / 2007 years of 51.
3. There were 1,299 green flag lead changes in 2010. This literally destroyed the previous record of 994 set in 2006.
4. There were a total of 116,327 green flag passes breaking last season’s record of 110,626.

Individual track records:

1. Talladega’s spring meet had 88 lead changes among 29 drivers (67% of the field!).
2. The Daytona 500 set a new record in lead changes too with 22.
3. Sonoma’s Infineon race had 12 lead changes in the race setting a new record there.
4. Phoenix had 13 different leaders tying the record.
5. Texas had 33 lead changes during the later race setting the track record.

Last but not least, Marcos Ambrose set a dubious record last year in Sonoma when he became the first driver in NASCAR history to lose a race because he stalled the car during a caution flag playing with the ignition switches.
_______________________________________________________
And the 2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Goes To…
They had to use a tie-breaker to determine this year’s Tissot Pit Road Precision Award. The season ended in a four-way tie between Matt Kenseth’s number 17 Crown Royal team, Kyle Busch’s number 18 M&M’s team, Jeff Gordon’s number 24 DuPont team (which one? Oh yeah, the one that finished on the 48 car) and Jamie McMurray’s number 1 Bass Pro Shops team.

The tie-breaker used was straight forward as the driver with the highest Sprint Cup point total at the end of the season being the winner. That happened to be Roush Fenway’s and Matt Kenseth’s number 17 team as they finished fifth in the final standings.
For winning the season-long Tissot Pit Road Precision Award title the No. 17 team
will receive a $105,000 bonus from Tissot plus Tissot watches for the pit crew members and driver. The No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing crew will also receive an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to accept the prize money and Tissot watches at the Champion’s Week Awards Luncheon, Thursday, Dec. 2 in the Bellagio Ballroom.

Kenseth’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Justin Nottestad (front-tire changer), Joe Crossen (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer), Garrett Reding (rear-tire carrier), Cameron Cobb (jackman), Brad Robison (gasman) and Dave McDonald (catch can). The crew chief is Jimmy Fennig and the pit crew coach is Andy Ward.

Way to go guys!
______________________________________________________
NASCAR’s Television Ratings… Look a little deeper…


NASCAR being moved from ABC in 2009 to ESPN in 2010 (ABC has approximately 114 million households verses around 100 million households that receive ESPN) apparently played a big role in NASCAR’s huge ratings decline. ABC had an average share of 3.3 rating points in 2009 to ESPN’s 2.5 share in 2010. The 2.5 rating represents a 24% decline or a loss of approximately 1.12 million viewers.

Although NASCAR’s television ratings news seems to be full of gloom and doom as the
Ford 400’s viewership on ESPN (cable) November 21st was off .3 on ratings (3.3 share verses ABC’s 2009 season finale of 3.6), there is a definite silver lining inside the numbers… The male 18-34 year old demographic (popular sports television’s viewer bedrock) was actually up 33% verses 2009 running on cable/satellite while reaching only 87% of the potential viewers ABC would have reached. Comparing oranges to oranges concerning the Homestead Nationwide races (both shown on cable’s ESPN2 in 2009 and 2010) the 2010 rating was actually up one tenth of one rating point which equates to an increase of around 140,000 souls. So the change from a nationwide ABC audience to ESPN’s somewhat limited cable/satellite audience has worked to lower the Sprint Cup’s up front ratings. You just have to delve inside the numbers to find it’s really not as bad as it sounds after all.

I’ve given my opinion on this before… Just as the “Mainstream” media is slanted one way when it comes to politics in this country, I truly believe that same bias runs directly against auto racing generally and NASCAR in particular. You want to increase TV ratings and put more fans in the stands? There’s a mountain to climb trying to get a positive spin back in the media.
______________________________________________________

Petty Motorsports shrinks to 2 cars for 2011


November 22nd Richard Petty announced Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) has shored up its financial picture by finding sufficient backing to race the 2011 season with a reduced presence. Cutting the number of teams to be fielded in half, Petty appeared optimistic saying, ``Currently we are concentrating on building two solid programs. We are very fortunate to have an extremely loyal family of partners and are looking forward to the future.''

Petty’s new financial partners are Medallion Financial Corporation and DGB Investments with the King making the day to day decisions.

Here’s hoping A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose get the attention they deserve and have a rewarding 2011.
_____________________________________________________
What do the drivers think would make the Chase better?

``I don't think they need to change the Chase,'' said Clint Bowyer. ``I think the competition is closer than it has ever been. That is what we were lacking. Hats off to everybody involved in this sport. This has been a great year.''

The championship contenders were asked the week before Homestead about their preferences. Harvick and Hamlin support a variation of tracks in the final 10 races. The venues have shifted slightly since 2004, but as NASCAR discussed tweaks to the 2011 schedule, the only change was moving Chicago into the Chase and removing California, which has had attendance problems.

``I'd like to see a little bit more diversity in the racetracks,'' Harvick said. ``I don't think the last 10 weeks should be the same racetracks over and over and over again. I think it should rotate around. You have it end at different places, have it start at different places. Maybe you go to some of the same racetracks, but I think a different 10 weeks, even a road course at the end of the year would put that full diversity on your champion.''

Johnson actually deferred on Chase changes and set his sights on two other NASCAR issues: The grueling 36-race schedule that stretches from February to November, and an abundance of 500-mile races that stretch more than three hours.

``I think a shorter schedule would be awesome. Shorter races, too,'' Johnson said.

Hmmm, I like Kevin Harvick’s idea about putting a road course race in the Chase. Maybe the new Austin Texas road course when it’s ready down the road? ___________________________________________________
Jeff Gluck’s latest poll on SB Nation… http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2010/11/29/1842543/poll-what-was-the-most-memorable-moment-of-the-2010-nascar-season

What was the most memorable moment of the 2010 NASCAR season?
After 781 votes at 9:00 PM EST on Monday, November 29, 2010…

9% Jimmie Johnson wins historic fifth consecutive Sprint Cup championship - 75 votes

18% Veteran drivers Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton fight after crash at Texas - 143 votes

44% Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins Nationwide race at Daytona in No. 3 car - 345 votes

6% Kyle Busch sweeps Bristol weekend after Brad Keselowski's "Kyle Busch is an ass" comment - 54 votes

9% Emotional Jamie McMurray wins pothole-marred Daytona 500 - 74 votes

5%Angry Carl Edwards flips Brad Keselowski at Atlanta - 45 votes

5% Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick clash at Pocono, prompting Logano's "firesuit" comment - 45 votes

Looks like Junior Nation is alive and well…

____________________________________________________

Sign of NASCAR’s Times?

In celebration of Jimmie Johnson’s 5th consecutive Sprint Cup Championship ESPN put up a graphic with Jimmy Johnson on it…

*****************************************************

IndyCar

Pennzoil and Penske in IndyCar? Again?

I vividly remember Rick Mears’ Indianapolis 500 victories back in the mid 80’s… You
see I had more than one opportunity to actually sit down and talk with the man. I was living in a small resort area in the Central California Sierra Nevada Mountains where the lady that owned the local watering hole / restaurant / store was the mother of Rick’s first wife. I was a frequent visitor to the resort back in my bachelorhood days and there were times around the holidays when Rick might show up. Naturally I kept tabs on his racing career… Anyway those bright yellow cars he drove were burned into my memory banks. Now there are unconfirmed rumors that Roger Penske might just get his old sponsor back in IndyCar, this after the announcement seven months back concerning Shell / Pennzoil shifting sponsorship away from Richard Childress and Kevin Harvick in favor of Penske and Kurt Busch. If the Penske IndyCar / Shell-Pennzoil re-marriage comes to pass what’s next for Penske?

With one year left on Roger’s NASCAR contract with Dodge there will be a lot of speculation about that in the coming months. Is Penske German?

*****************************************************
Formula 1

Is it Sour Grapes or is Red Bull driving illegal equipment?

"Petty finger pointing" has Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey unhappy
with the competition. Red Bull’s dominating RB6 model package Newey is responsible for developing has drawn consistent complaints over alleged technical illegalities.

Newey stated, "It wasn't a distraction, but it was an annoyance. I've got to say I've never known a season quite like this one for the petty finger pointing that's gone on in the paddock."
Even though every complaint survived F1A’s checks, the rules will be changed in the future as a result. The innovative Newey had F1A inspectors looking at such things as alleged adjustable ride height systems, flexible floors and flexible wings.

Nevertheless, complaints persisted. A common claim revolved around the fact that the RB6's drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were able to increase their qualifying speed by as much as three tenths in the crucial 'Q3' qualifying.

Newey defended Red Bull against the allegations saying, "It's a myth! I'm not sure our Q3 performance has been particularly different to our Q1 and Q2 performance, to be honest.

"I haven't bothered looking through statistics, but I think it's one of these stories that starts when once or twice the drivers have improved in Q3 and suddenly everybody writes it and it becomes accepted without any real basis," he added.

Sounds like sour grapes to me… You know how those Europeans are! LOL

*******************************************************
They’re Still Racing!

Kurt Busch parlayed a ride in Rockingham’s Frank Kimmel Street Stock Polar Bear 150
November 27th to a second place finish behind Will Kimmel (Frank’s nephew)… Looks like a good time was had by all at the Rock.
_______________________________________________________


The Race of Champions in Dusseldorf Germany (November 27th-28th). The team race Nations Cup was won by Team Germany made up of F1 Champion Sebastian Vettel and fellow F1 driver and multi-championship winner Michael Schumacher. Team Great Britain finished second.

In the individual Race of Champions held Sunday, former Red Bull driver Filipe Albuquerque surprised everyone with the win.

Carl Edwards, Travis Pastrana and Tanner Foust made up the American team (I know this is an exhibition but what’s up with that???).
__________________________________________________________
Upcoming: Australian Supercar V8’s Season Finale - 2010 Sydney Telstra 500 December 3rd - 5th…
We'll have to refer to tez for the television times... tez, I found Speed TV's Schedule... This race won't be shown until December 19th... That's a shame.
**********************************************************
Now... Go Christmas Shopping!

A Little Levity!

How about a little Black Friday fun?

Captions Please!

1.


2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

As usual... The Zebras get the last laugh!

Hope you're all enjoying your holiday!

Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR


Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports for their come-from-behind 2010 Sprint Cup Championship! An unprecedented in NASCAR five in a row puts the number 48 Lowe’s team in rarefied air indeed…
Johnson now stands next to sports icons such as the New York Yankees (the best team money can buy), the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Celtics, NHRA’s John Force and Formula 1’s Michael Schumacher, all with five consecutive championships…
______________________________________________________
So… What do Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have in common?

2010 – Kevin Harvick
2009 – Jimmie Johnson
2008 – Carl Edwards
2007 – Jeff Gordon
2006 – Jimmie Johnson
2005 – Tony Stewart
2004 – Jeff Gordon

Does that ring a bell? Yep, these are the “would have been” winners of the Sprint Cup if not for the Chase…

Are Johnson’s five consecutive championships tarnished? I’ve gotta believe Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and yes, current drivers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart all did it the hard way…

Has NASCAR gained on any of the other major sports with its Chase? We all know the answer to that one…

So now we’re hearing that despite the greatest Chase in the format’s seven year history, more tweaks may be on the way as NASCAR still searches for those "Game 7" type moments.

Suggestion… Put some REAL money on the line and have a nationwide NASCAR sponsored fantasy league. The winner will get what… One hundred grand? Then feed diminishing returns to the top eleven finishers below the overall champ. You want people to pay attention? That might do it… I know in football, fans tune into every game just to check out how their fantasy players are doing. NASCAR needs that kind of participation and a little financial reward might yield great benefits.
_____________________________________________________

Here’s a driver’s answers to several questions… Who do you think is saying such things?
Who is the most talented driver in NASCAR? The most talented driver in the sport is... (thinks for a moment)... it's either Jimmie (Johnson) or Kyle (Busch). Probably Jimmie.
What's the worst track on the NASCAR circuit? I don't like Sonoma. I just don't think these cars were meant to go left and right. There's nowhere to pass, and we all run over the top of each other and wreck the shit out of each other to get positions.
If you were in charge of NASCAR, what would you change? Everything we do needs to be geared toward making the sport more accessible to the fans – the rules of the sport, how the race plays itself out, how people qualify into the races – everything needs to be as easy to understand as possible.
If a new driver came to you for advice, who is one driver you'd tell him to learn from and one driver you wouldn't? I'd tell ‘em to go learn from Mark Martin, and I'd tell ‘em to not do anything I ever did. Why's that? I don't know. Well...I just don't want to name any names in that category, so I named myself (laughs).
How much longer would you like to keep driving? Till I'm 50 or 55, that'd be awesome.
Who wins Sprint Cup in 2015? 2015? Shit! My dark horse is going to be Brad Keselowski, but...I'm going to go for me. I think I'm going to win it. So I'll pick me, and then Brad Keselowski as the dark horse.
Would you rather be known as a great driver or great person? A great person. That reaches all facets of your being, you know? Not just your job. When you say great person, that includes your family, your friends. I've already done enough to have earned ‘good driver,' so if I can be known as a great person and a good driver, that's better than only being a great driver.
______________________________________________________
The 48 team’s pit crew won the Tissot Pit Road Award in Phoenix for spending the least amount of time on pit road (170.246 seconds) and finishing on the lead lap. How about some props for these guys? They are: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front-tire carrier), Joe Slingerland (rear-tire changer), Matt Ver Meer (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), and Jamie Frady (catch can). The team's pit crew coach is Greg Morin.
Thinkin’ about it… I could be a great gasman!

Greg Biffle and Roush Fenway number 16 crew, pictured here, won the 2009 Season Tissot Pit Crew Award. The crew members received Tissot wrist watches and divided $100,000 between themselves...

Now, who deserves the Tissot Award this season?
Here were the standings through the November 7th race at Texas...

T1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 $20,000
T1 18 Kyle Busch 4 20,000
T1 17 Matt Kenseth 4 20,000
T1 1 Jamie McMurray 4 20,000
T5 33 Clint Bowyer 3 15,000
T6 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000
T6 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000
T6 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000
T9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000
T9 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000
T9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000
T9 39 Ryan Newman 1 5,000
T9 2 Kurt Busch 1 5,000
T9 26 Boris Said 1 5,000
T9 16 Greg Biffle 1 5,000
T9 29 Kevin Harvick 1 5,000
T9 5 Mark Martin 1 5,000

This certainly begs the question... Gordon's 24 team was tied for the lead and then won the Phoenix race award on the 48 car... Does that knock them out of consideration? Four crew teams were tied for first after Texas. Go figure...
_____________________________________________________
Joe Gibbs on Kyle Busch

In an interview on NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody, Joe Gibbs stated that he’s spoken with Kyle Busch about the profanity laced tirade at Texas Motor Speedway.
"(Kyle) gets so uptight that every now and then, he makes mistakes," said Gibbs. "We've got to do everything we can here inside Joe Gibbs Racing to make sure that doesn't happen. That's what we're totally focused on. We've got a plan laid out, and Kyle has agreed to do the things he needs to do to ensure that we don't put ourselves in that position again. We think he's a huge talent; a smart, bright guy that we enjoy being around. His whole life is Sam (his fiancée) and racing. There are no issues with him running around drinking or anything. He doesn't care about any of that. He's totally focused, and all he wants to do is race cars. (Unfortunately) he gets so wound up at the race track that it's hard for him to handle some of the things he needs to handle. We love his competitive nature, but he just needs to learn to handle things better." Gibbs declined to speak specifically on what discussions have been had, or what guidelines have been put in place regarding Busch's future behavior. He stressed, however, that all parties agree that incidents like his recent outburst at Texas Motor Speedway cannot continue to occur. "(It) was not good for us at Joe Gibbs Racing, and it certainly wasn't good for our sponsor," he said. "We feel like there was a plan that we had to put out there, to assure that this doesn't happen again. We're going to keep that in-house, but it's something that we think is smart, and Kyle does too. He realizes where he is, and that's a great part of this. We just have to make sure it doesn't happen again.”
_____________________________________________________
Another Crew Chief Change in Junior’s Future?

Evidently the search is on for a new crew chief in 2011 for the 88 Chevrolet. Give me your honest opinion… Do you truly believe Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s problems getting into victory lane are centered on who’s making the calls from the pit box? Do you think the change is Rick Hendrick’s idea or is it Junior’s?


My idea… Put Tony Eury Jr. back on Dale’s box. Yeah I know what happened the last time but just maybe they can figure out how to get tunnel vision like last July when they partnered to win the Nationwide 250 at Daytona when Junior honored his dad’s memory driving the Wrangler number 3. Seems to me Junior needs that kind of incentive and Eury might be the guy to keep him focused. Just a thought…
_____________________________________________________
Speaking of Daytona, how are things going with the track resurfacing?

The repaving work has boiled down to the skid pads, the apron and pit road. Yes sir! The track itself is done. Wednesday and Thursday, December 15th and 16th, have been scheduled for Goodyear tire testing. The drivers for the test have not been named at this time but a bit of interesting information concerns fans wanting to watch the tests that will mark the first time race cars will be allowed on the track: The Oldfield Grandstands will be open for free access to anyone willing to come. Might be fun!

David Ragan and a couple of brave souls took a spin around the track in a bright red Ford Mustang last week… Check out the video and the wide eyed guy riding shotgun! That dude is not taking his eyes off the road while Ragan is virtually free wheeling! LOL

I can’t wait to enjoy the “World Center of Racing” next February!

*********************************************************************

IndyCar

Two’s Company… So Is Three A Crowd?

Just on the heels of Chevrolet’s announcement they are getting back into IndyCar racing in a partnership with Cosworth, Lotus announced they’ll jump in as well.


Lotus Group CEO Dany Behar stated, "We want to really fight and compete with the big guys," Behar said. "But we have a Lotus way to do things. We always try to understand what we are getting into. That's why we started this year with a very small activity with Takuma Sato with one car to understand IndyCar racing and to see whether there was an opportunity for us to become a real contender.

"We made the brave decision. Yes, this is where we want to be. We believe in the series. We believe the series is developing very, very well. I think it fits perfectly very well our activities and strategies in the U.S., which is our biggest market"

The move sets up competition of sorts between the U.S. (Chevrolet), Asia (Honda) and now Europe (Lotus).

Once again the IZOD IndyCar Series appears to be growing at a time when NASCAR seems to be stagnating or shrinking.
_____________________________________________________

Last week it was a green article about the European Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) sports car division with news of a “flybrid” gasoline / electric engine being readied for 2011. Now there’s word of a Honda IndyCar concept frame by designer Nicolas Stone that may feature an innovative new propulsion system enabling the car to power itself with its own momentum by employing wind turbines to generate electricity from the air traveling over the car at high speeds. The IndyCar is said to be capable of reaching a top speed of over 230 mph! Not sure when or if a prototype will show up on the track, but here’s an artist’s rendition:

I don’t know about you folks, but personally I’m all for this kind of research within the auto racing industry. I see it as one more nail in foreign oil’s casket. The more we learn about alternative fuel powered transportation the closer we are to ending our dependency on people who don’t give a damn about us. The sooner this happens the better off we’ll all be.
__________________________________________________
Speculation has popped up about a possible marriage between Graham Rahal and Target/Ganassi Racing for 2011. Hmmm… A top young talent and the dominate IndyCar team?
*******************************************************************
Formula 1

Is Sebastian Vettel going to jump ship? Rumors are beginning to swirl that Red Bull may not have a lock on the newly crowned F1 champion. Earlier it was Mark Webber who might be gone… Now Vettel? What’s up with these Red Bull drivers? Or maybe it’s the other F1 team member’s just wishful thinking. But on the other hand Sebastian has stated in the past how much he’d like to drive for Mercedes and Ferrari (like Michael Schumacher)...

Here’s what Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has to say on the matter: "The
whole 'dream team' - maybe that's exaggerated, but I think it's true - will remain together. They all got even more bound together by that success. I am sure this won't change after having won two titles. One thing is for sure however: in 2011 we will be the hunted ones, not the hunters anymore."
____________________________________________________
More on Sebastian…

Winning the Formula 1 championship at 23 years of age, young Vettel is poised to become one of Formula 1’s dominate drivers for years to come. So says the man who brought him into major racing, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen. "He did a fantastic job - especially in the final four races when the pressure was mounting," Theissen told AUTOSPORT when asked about his feelings on Vettel. "When it didn't go his way, he kept his cool. Among the four or five title contenders, the youngest one was the one who didn't make any mistakes anymore. That was really, really good. He is a top driver, one of the top drivers in Formula 1 already at 23. If it all goes well, he has another 15 years in Formula 1, so there are quite some championships he can win if the car is right."

I’ll bet Mr. Theissen wishes he could rethink letting Sebastian go to Red Bull back in 2007…
_____________________________________________________

With a new Italian racing venue looming on the horizon (2013 - a Formula 1 Grand Prix is scheduled to run through the streets of Rome), concerns are being raised about Monza’s Autodromo Nazionale course outside of Milan. Monza officials worry Formula 1 may opt for only one Italian site on their schedule in the future and with Rome’s influence Monza may be the odd race out.

Here’s a look at the proposed downtown circuit through Rome…
__________________________________________________
Speaking of new circuits for Formula 1… The Austin Texas Environmental Board unanimously approved the United States Grand Prix Site in what is considered to be the most difficult approval to secure. The Austin Environmental Board raised the excitement level around central Texas by unanimously voting in favor of the 900 acre road course plan. Also out this month was the announcement that HKS, the same company responsible for designing Jerry Jones’ new Taj Mahal Cowboy Stadium near Dallas has joined the design team for this ambitious $250 million project. The track and multi-use stadium remains on schedule to break ground next month and be ready in time for races beginning in 2012. Here’s a look at the proposed course:

The 3.4-mile Austin track will combine 133 feet of elevation change and 20 turns.

I like it! Kinda looks like an Indian hatchet…

How many races will Formula 1 shortly have?
**********************************************************************

Everybody have a good off-season and a great Thanksgiving!

Off the Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Okay… The difference in pit stop times between Gordon’s old crew (now on the 48) and Johnson’s old crew as they pitted at Phoenix (from Yahoo Sports):

Stop #1 (lap 60):
Johnson: 13.6 seconds
Gordon: 13.6 seconds

Stop #2 (lap 102):
Johnson: 13.6 seconds
Gordon: 16.0 seconds

Stop #3 (lap 162):
Johnson: 14.2 seconds
Gordon: 16.8 seconds

Stop #4 (lap 232):
Johnson: 13.6 seconds
Gordon: 15.6 seconds

One push and three better times pretty much confirms the move Chad Knaus made in Texas…
_____________________________________________________________

In light of the highly successful 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, take a look at this article published late last July:

Auto Racing Insider: NASCAR mulls tweaking Chase format again

George Diaz COMMENTARY
3:34 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2010

Like any good partner, NASCAR keeps trying to made amends in a relationship in which passion is waning. They want to make nice with fans. You know who you are. You are tired of NASCAR going corporate more and more each year, squeezing out the small-town tracks steeped in tradition. You are frustrated with the playoff format that has turned into dudsville, courtesy of four consecutive titles by Jimmie Johnson.

There's hope. We think.

CEO Brian France recently said that NASCAR is considering a significant overhaul to its championship Chase.
"If we have the perfect Chase that we would love to see, it would be just like every commissioner would tell you," he told reporters before Sunday's Brickyard 400. "They'd like to see great playoff events ... action-packed, close games, great story lines. That's what anybody's after. We're no different."

France didn't delve into a lot of details, but he likes the idea of a system that would eliminate drivers from the playoffs. One idea involves eliminating drivers halfway through the Chase, trying to replicate the drama of the fall race at Richmond, which sets the 12-car field for the Chase. Under that scenario, five drivers could be eliminated after the first four races and five more drivers knocked out four or five races later.

"It comes with some version as you go along where certain races in the Chase, you have to win or do very, very well, to in fact move on," France said. "When you peel that back and look at it, it's not that different."

The possible tweaking of the Chase format — much like the Chase format itself — is a reactionary move by NASCAR to continue to manufacture drama. In attempts to think bigger, NASCAR has shrunk with TV ratings that are stagnant and attendance that is sagging.

It's understandable that France and company want to continue to look for ways to spark interest. But it's also fair to suggest they also have a hand in that decline by shifting the dynamics so drastically that many fans walked away.

"I don't really have a problem with the way it's structured," said David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series. "Obviously there could be some little tweaks here and there, but I don't think we need to go in and overhaul it, either. It's not perfect. Nothing is…but if NASCAR can continue to make it better and add more excitement I think it will be a win-win."

To his credit, France said he will attend focus groups with fans in a few weeks to gather perspective, as well as gauge reaction from insiders in the garage.

He wants to make it right. A bouquet of flowers simply won't do.

Now, do they or don’t they? _______________________________________________________________
Did you know they were measuring the crowd noise during the driver introductions at Talladega?

According to Jeff Gluck at SB Nation, this is who won and by how much in the noise chase (Gluck’s comments are on the right…):
Driver------------------dB----Type of Noise--Comment/Explanation
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr..---85.9---Cheers--------Was there any doubt?
2. Mark Martin-----------83.1---Cheers--------Love for old-school driver
3. Tony Stewart----------82.7---Cheers--------Popular
4. Jimmie Johnson------81.3---Boos----------Boos louder as fifth title gets closer
5. Kyle Busch-------------81.0---Boos----------Cool Truck win did little to change fans' opinions
6. Jeff Gordon------------80.7---Mix----------Actually heard some audible cheers...at Dega!
7. Juan Pablo Montoya-79.4---Boos---------Pole-sitter
8. Michael Waltrip ------79.2---Cheers-------Fan favorite makes his return
9. Ryan Newman --------79.1---Cheers-------Warm reception at track that hasn't been kind to him
10. Kurt Busch-----------78.8---Boos----------Busch Brother

Is this tunnel vision or what? ______________________________________________________________
The Mr. “Big Name” But Actually Irrelevant Award Recipient… Jeff Gordon!

With only 33 wins since 2000 translating to just three wins per season over the last 11 years, Jeff wins the award hands down. Jeff’s current winless streak? How about 63 races with only one win in the last three seasons…

Conversely, bad boy Kyle Busch has 22 victories in 2010 alone (3 Cup, 12 NWS and 7 CTWS).

Oh, by the way, did you hear Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton made up?
They're just a couple of good 'ol boys afterall...
__________________________________________________________________
KBM Signs Sponsor

Dollar General has stepped up to back Kyle Busch Motorsports on the number 10 CWTS Toyota Tundra for five races next season. Hopefully Kyle will cool it with the kid’s stuff action we’ve seen recently and add more sponsors for his rides…

********************************************************************************
IndyCar

Report: Chevrolet linked to IndyCar's Ganassi

Owner Chip Ganassi denied an Internet report that his team will be linked to Chevrolet in the IZOD IndyCar Series. "I literally know nothing about that," Ganassi said November 8th, just days before Chevrolet formally announced they will end a six season hiatus and reform their alliance with Cosworth building IndyCar racing engines once again. According to IndyCar rules, turbocharged engines can be anything up to six cylinders with a maximum displacement of 2.4 liters. Honda has been the sole engine supplier to IndyCar since 2005 when both Chevrolet and Toyota dropped out.

IndyCar is also set to debut a new engine and chassis configuration in 2012. Italian chassis builder Dallara will manufacture the core of the car in a new multi-million dollar 100,000 square foot shop in Indianapolis. Here’s a look at one of the proposed concepts:

__________________________________________________
Versus pulls in more viewers...

IndyCar Series officials announced a 16.2 increase in cable-television viewers on Versus. Sounds really good until you realize it comes with an asterisk.
In case you didn’t know, Comcast and DirecTV have been going round and round in recent months over the cost of Versus. That disagreement was finally resolved so Versus had more possible viewers this season.
Despite the promising announcement, IndyCar's overall ratings remain well below what sponsors want to see. Still, this year's improvement is positive news.
The 12 races on Versus averaged 366,000 viewers, with the championship-deciding race at Homestead-Miami Speedway marking an increase of 34 percent over last year's race.

Versus aired the final seven races of the season, averaging 316,000 viewers. That's an 8.2 increase over last year's 292,000 viewers for the final seven races.

*********************************************************************
Formula 1

Congratulations to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, 2010 World Champion!

____________________________________________________
An estimated 50 million viewers worldwide (over 40 million in Europe) watched television coverage of Formula 1’s season finale race in Abu Dhabi!
____________________________________________________
No crying over spilt milk at Ferrari…
A tough call to pit and switch tires from soft to hard matching a decision made earlier on the suddenly faster Red Bull Mark Webber car in Abu Dhabi’s showdown Formula 1 finale left Ferrari’s contender Fernando Alonso stuck six places behind eventual Red Bull Renault race and 2010 World Champion Sebastian Vettle, but Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was not going to be drawn into the blame game. Alonso finished the race in 7th needing only three more positions to win the World Championship, but it just wasn’t to be as he couldn’t get around another Renault driven by Vitaly Petrov for the remainder of the race.

“There is a great sadness at this moment, because to come so close to our goal and to see it slip away for just a few points really hurts," Domenicali said. "We made a wrong decision in terms of strategy for three reasons: We marked a rival with two cars, we were unduly concerned about the wear rate of the soft tires, and we did not take into consideration the difficulty of getting past other cars on the track."

Domenicali went on to thank his team and their fans in 2010…
**********************************************************************
FIA gives Australian V8 Supercars international status

The FIA has recognized the Australian V8 Supercars series as an international racing series. This allows the series to expand outside of Australia, and it plans to hold six races outside of the country in 2012, rather than the two such events it has held recently. The 2011 schedule features 12 races in Australia as well as races in Abu Dhabi and New Zealand.

Martin Whitaker, CEO of V8 Supercars had this to say:
“This is tremendous news for the sport, and we thank the FIA for their endorsement and recognition of V8 Supercars as a major international player, particularly in the Asia Pacific region,”

Whitaker placated his fan base as the say time letting them know the series will remain true to its Australian roots regardless of its international status.
“Australia and New Zealand remain our absolute priority in terms of where we race, although the new status means we can move forward with confidence when exploring growth outside of Australasia,” he said.
V8 Supercars is working toward adding races in Singapore, Korea, India, Hong Kong and South Africa.

Hold on tight tez, these guys may be coming to a track near you!

********************************************************************
American Le Mans Series


A Swiss team, Hope PoleVision (HPV) has announced plans to race a hybrid gasoline / electric engine car in the European Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) sports car division in select races next season hoping to catch the eye of a manufacturer for the 2012 season. If successful, the team would then make a run at the championship with a manufacturer’s financial backing. The sports car will be equipped with what is known as a “flybrid” kinetic energy recovery system added to a turbo charged four cylinder engine.

An ambitious undertaking and definitely a look into the future of auto racing.

*********************************************************************
A completely different look into the future… Will there be a time when people race these?

Swiss pilot and stunt man Yves Rossy became the first man in the world to fly under a jet-fitted wing. Here he performs a looping maneuver above Bercher, Switzerland, earlier this month. Rossy jumped from a hot-air balloon and performed the loop before landing safely with a parachute.

Rossy declared himself "very happy and satisfied" with Friday's stunt, which comes two years after his first successful flights over the nearby Swiss Alps.
The extreme sports enthusiast has since flown across the English Channel and last year tried to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain. That attempt ended in failure when Rossy ditched in the sea due to strong turbulence.
Rossy said he is still hoping to fly through the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but is waiting for permission from U.S. authorities.
*******************************************************************
Speaking of extreme sports…

In case you’re not familiar with him, meet Travis Pastrana…

Travis announced November 10th that he’s parting ways with Subaru Rally Team USA, then one day later an even more compelling announcement came from the camp of the 11-time X Games gold medalist: Pastrana will be racing NASCAR in 2011.

If plans come to a timely fruition, he’ll make his 2011 debut in the Nationwide Series with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, both as a driver and team owner.
Pastrana hopes to compete in seven NASCAR Nationwide races in 2011 and twenty races in 2012.
"I've been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport with competing in the sport a life-long dream," Pastrana said. "I decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality and with the help of the Bechtel family [Gary and Blake], Michael Waltrip Racing and Wasserman media group I'm now one step closer!"
Pastrana-Waltrip Racing will run Toyotas out of MWR’s shop in Cornelius, N.C.

Michael Waltrip said of the announcement, "Travis has built an enormous and unique following all over the world. As a race team owner, we are always looking for ways to deliver to our partners and engage our fans better. This is an opportunity to showcase our company and our sport to a new generation of young fans. We're also looking for that next big star. Travis already is one and action sports is full of talented athletes. Having Travis as a part of our program adds another great dimension to our team and NASCAR."

We’re all aware of the problems faced by first time NASCAR drivers regardless of their racing backgrounds. Here’s hoping Travis delivers not only on the track but in the stands as well...
*******************************************************************

Apocalypse Now! This is the end…

Pit Wars!

A long time ago, at a race far, far away... Pit Wars!

It's the period of NASCAR’s Chase. Rebel drivers

(Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin), striking from a hidden base,

have won their first victories against the evil Galactic Empire of Hendrick

Motorsports. During the most recent races, Rebel spies managed to devise a

plan to intimidate the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR mani-

pulator, Chad Knaus, an unadulterated crew chief with enough power to

destroy an opponent’s entire racing season. Pursued by the Empire's

sinister agent, Darth Johnson, Prince Luke Hamlin and Prince Hans

Harvick race home aboard their Toyota and Chevrolet starships,

custodians of the plans that can save their people and

restore freedom to NASCAR...

****************************************************************

It all started during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in mid-October. Kevin Harvick was on the radio chastising his pit crew after losing track position over and over again. In response, Richard Childress moved Clint Bowyer's over-the-wall crew to Harvick's pit. Two races later Harvick was second to Bowyer at Talladega...

Next it was Denny Hamlin's crew chief Mike Ford who apparently made a great call when it came time to choose which pit stall to use at Texas. Thinking if Chase leader Jimmie Johnson couldn't be corrupted, maybe Chad Knaus and the 48's crew could be thrown off somehow. Ford opted to park his team right in front of the four time Sprint Cup champion's pit. Several subpar pit stops cost the Hendrick Motorsports' Chevrolet to the point that when the opportunity came up, Chad switched to Jeff Gordon's over-the-wall crew of tire changers and fuelers. This while Hamlin's crew performed flawlessly allowing him to hold on for the victory that gave him the point leadership over Jimmie Johnson.

Then came the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International last Sunday. Prior to the race and amid an almost constant buzz about Ford's different twist to pit strategy, these strategic occurances prompted some prodding from NASCAR's media that in turn influenced Hamlin's crew chief to open up a little more. The next thing we hear is Mike Ford actually talking smack about Hendrick Motorsports.

In defense of his crew switch in mid-race, Knaus stated, "I don't think people understand it's not an easy decision," the crew chief said Tuesday (November 8th), "There are emotions involved. We love our guys. We eat, sleep, drink with them. We win with them and we lose with them. But ultimately it is bigger than seven guys. We are 520-people strong here (at Hendrick Motorsports)."

Now… Check out this Knaus statement from the same interview: "I hate to say this as bluntly as it is, but it's like changing a spring or changing a shock," he said. "You have to put the best components together to try to win the championship. Unfortunately, we're not in the situation where (Gordon) can win the championship right now from this building, and that's what it's about — this building."

(Sidelight - Ya know… If it’s simply a question of plugging the right components in, then why isn’t Knaus opting for Dale Earnhardt’s 88 pit crew? Aren’t they rated the number one pit crew by NASCAR’s very knowledgeable fans?)

So here we are late in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International last Sunday and a stream of cars heads into the pits for tires and fuel. Kevin Harvick hurriedly left minus one dropped lug nut. By the time he repitted and got back out on the track that lug nut had cost him 14 places from 5th to 19th with the remaining race laps dwindling down. Once again a pit crew mistake looked like it would undo the 29 car. Harvick was quoted after the race, "I wasn't really mad. I was just disappointed because I thought that it all had come out from underneath us. But in the end, our mistake is the thing that gained us ground today." Do you buy that?

Then the last caution of the race put the 29 back in the pits for a splash of gas. This seemingly terrible set of circumstances actually worked to Harvick's favor. Suddenly he had enough fuel and was driving on good tires. So Knaus has Johnson driving to conserve fuel, Harvick is furiously making up track position and all the while Hamlin's up on the wheel racing with Carl Edwards. It's a long green flag run heading for the checkered flag when Denny Hamlin, looking like a winner out in front of Carl Edwards, is suddenly very conscious of the one question remaining to be answered; Who does and who doesn't have enough fuel to finish out the run without pitting? It soon becomes obvious that Denny's not going to make it. While he used up his fuel racing with Edwards, Denny's two closest Chase competitors, one as a result of good advice from his crew chief and the other as the result of a set of circumstances, positioned themselves to take advantage. After all the smack talk out of Ford, it turned out to be his lack of good communication with his driver that cost the 11 team several points and the 2010 Sprint Cup is still up for grabs.

Pit Wars!

On to Homestead...

Our Daily Meditation

Please my friends, activate the video...

Now as we sit back, relax and let our everyday menial mind clear…

Let the power of unity guide us as we fervently appeal to a higher deity…

When you have freed yourself, please imagine a blue and white Chevrolet…

A car emblazoned with strange figures, clearly marked with yellow 48’s…

Now carefully envision this car as it slowly spins through traffic…

Smoke billowing as it whirls aimlessly onward, out of control…

Almost as if in slow motion, it smashes into the safer barrier…

On this day never to return to a racetrack surrounded by desert…

Peace be with you brothers and sisters…

Off the Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Denny's got good reason to shoot 'em up!

Sobering fact for everyone other than Denny Hamlin and his fans: Since the NASCAR Chase for the Championship format began in 2004, the driver leading in points after eight of the 10 Chase races has gone on to win the Championship.

Yep, records are made to be broken…

______________________________________________________________

How about Mike Ford (crew chief on JGR’s number 11 team) choosing to pit right next to Jimmie and Chad’s pit. Great strategy! If Johnson is so unshakeable then why not go after his pit crew. Obviously intimidated watching the 11 crew out work them and then seeing Jeff Gordon’s rig go down hard and leave the race, Chad Knaus effectively fired the 48 crew after four substandard time and position losing pit stops when he pulled the over-the-wall portion of the 48 team (tire changers and fuelers) out of the pits in favor of the suddenly idle 24 crew. Hendrick Motorsports then announced on Monday the changes made in Texas will stay in place through the next two races.

___________________________________________________________________________

It appears Phoenix, in terms of the three Chase contenders’ history of success here, can be won by any one of 'em. Other Chasers who’ve done well on this track? None other than last week’s news makers, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch (Kyle earned himself a $25,000 fine besides the laps penalty for his HANDy work).

Phoenix International is a relatively flat one mile “D” oval with 11 degree banking in turns 1 and 2 and 9 degrees of banking in turns 3 and 4. Check out this info from Racing-Reference (http://racing-reference.info/factsheets/statfacts_2010-35.htm):
From 2005-2010 a typical Phoenix race had 12.9 lead changes, 8.0 cautions for 41.6 laps, and an average green-flag run of 30.7 laps.

31 laps per green flag run? Sounds like rock-em sock-em NASCAR to me!
____________________________________________________________________________
New driver at JGR


JGR signs Brian Scott for full-time driving in the Nationwide series next season. I wouldn’t normally put this up, but it certainly flies in the face of Joe Gibbs’ past high-profile driver selections. Scott has driven in 97 NASCAR events with only one win (0-40 in NWS and 1-57 in CWTS) driving for his family-owned racing team. No hype, no muss, no fuss…

Joe certainly seems to have an eye for talent… Good Luck Brian!
***********************************************************************************

Formula 1

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix… The state of Brazil


Jenson Button and a group including his father John Button, his trainer Mike Collier and his manager Richard Goddard were being driven in an armored vehicle with an off-duty policeman at the wheel in Sao Paulo when a group of bandits brandishing weapons unsuccessfully attempted to hold them up. The driver, trained in danger avoidance techniques, was able to bang his way through several vehicles in a traffic jam and leave the congested area where the attack took place. No one was injured. Later it’s been speculated this may not have been a hold-up after all but rather an attempted kidnapping.

Jenson Button in Brazil

Both Button and his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had been provided with bullet-proof vehicles driven by police drivers in anticipation of such an event (The proverbial ounce of prevention).

In a second F1 incident with Brazilian thugs, three Sauber Motorsport engineers were robbed after leaving the Interlago race track Saturday evening. Five men, one reportedly carrying an automatic weapon, stopped the van they were in. No one was hurt but a couple of backpacks with cameras were stolen. Guess those engineers don’t get the same kind of protection as the drivers… It’s either that or they’re simply easy marks… Ha!

In 2009 Tonio Liuzzi had to run down a Brazilian race Steward who made off with his steering wheel after Tonio was wrecked out of the Grand Prix. Evidently the Steward thought it would be a collectors’ item or something. I understand an F1 steering wheel costs somewhere around $45,000 (!). Kinda sounds like those very expensive US Air Force toilet seats we’ve all heard about… Now can anyone tell me why a steering wheel is so expensive?

In 2008 Lewis Hamilton’s luggage was stolen while he was vacationing in Brazil.

The first paragraph of the U.S. State Department’s crime warning to Americans considering travel to Brazil:

Crime throughout Brazil has reached very high levels. The Brazilian police and the Brazilian press report that the rate of crime continues to rise, especially in the major urban centers – though it is also spreading in rural areas. Brazil’s murder rate is more than four times higher than that of the U.S. Rates for other crimes are similarly high. The majority of crimes are not solved. There were rapes reported by American citizens in 2008.

For the complete warning, refer to: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html#crime

Sounds like a great place to go racing (sarcasm)… or go do anything else for that matter.
_________________________________________________________________________

F1 moves from Brazil to the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi for the final showdown. This is the first sentence in the U.S. State Department’s Travel Information on crime for the UAE: Most travelers to the UAE are not impacted by crime. F1 passes from one end of the spectrum to the opposite concerning personal safety, all in one week’s time.

Speaking of Abu Dhabi’s final showdown in F1’s 2010 season, Team Red Bull official
Christian Horner speaking to the fact that both Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettle and Mark Webber have a chance to win the driver’s championship, announced there will be no team orders. “The drivers know that they need each other. It would have been wrong for us this weekend to remove one of the drivers from the World Championship effectively. If they’re in that situation I’ve every confidence that they will do the best thing for the company, which is to ensure that we achieve the best result. Still a few racing laps before we get there.

“Both drivers can win this World Championship. We’ve backed them all year, and we’ll do it again next weekend. They’ve both got a chance. Some of it will depend on what Fernando (Alonso) does, but we’re going there with an objective to try and win the championship, and I’m sure that they’ll do the best they can to ensure that we lift the trophy.”
_________________________________________________________________________
The question that came to mind about the F1 steering wheel sent me off on a search... The results:

This is the Mercedes version... I knew it had to be high tech. Kinda looks like a gamer's control.

1/ MSG OK
Confirms settings dialled in with multi-function dial and menu settings.

2/ Menu scroll buttons
Steps through menus of settings chosen using the master switch (14).

3/ Differential adjustment
Can be shifted to suit track conditions and tyre wear, for instance to increase traction, grip, braking stability and turn-in.

4/ Neutral switch
Engages neutral/reverse.

5/ Front wing switch
Adjusts angle of front flaps to increase downforce.

6/ Radio LED
Illuminates in blue to inform the driver that the pit-to-car radio is active.

7/ Pit-to-car radio
On/off toggle.

8/ Fuel mix adjustment
Adjusts the fuel mix and revs either to preserve the engine or increase performance, as required.

9/ Throttle map override
Adjusts throttle and power characteristics to suit track conditions.

10/ Overtake button
Momentarily increases the engine revs to its 18,000rpm maximum. Helps with overtaking and scaring off pigeons.

11/ Pitlane speed limiter
On/off toggle.

12/ Engine braking level
Particularly useful in the wet for increasing rear-end stability.

13/ Tyre configuration
Optimises car settings for slick, intermediate or wet tyres. Also activates the rear rain light.

14/ Master multifunction switch
Allows the driver to access a number of system settings including engine maps, front wing controls and an aero-mapping function that monitors and maximizes car airflow.
I REALLY like that overtake button...
***********************************************************************************

IndyCar

Take a look at Honda’s short film, Failure: The Secret To Success (Caution Gene… Danica Patrick is featured here along with other IndyCar racing people and Honda America management). Interesting film if you haven’t seen it…

_____________________________________________________________


Is Chevrolet planning to reenter the IZOD IndyCar series with their racing engines? That’s the rumor circulating for 2012, but GM (Government Motors) hasn’t confirmed as yet. Hopefully they’ll repay America’s tax payers before challenging Honda’s IndyCar dominance… Ya know… I can remember a time when Japan’s automakers were passed off as a joke by the “Big Three” American automakers. That was way back before government mandated safety and emission standards were enacted. The Japanese addressed those problems and kept infiltrating the American market while our auto builders cheapened their products (GM was the worst) in order to meet the regulations and keep profits up. Damned short sighted if you ask me.
________________________________________________________
The Edmonton Deal…
Edmonton is off the 2011 IndyCar schedule due to the City of Edmonton wanting to reconfigure the race course around the municipal airport in order to keep a runway open during the event. The city was unwilling to foot the bill for the change while the race promoter, Octane Management, couldn’t afford the changes on their own. Octane’s only option was to shut down the race.
IndyCar Series commercial division president Terry Angstadt commented, “It is tremendously disappointing, particularly after the fanfare of welcoming Octane to the fold and having the press conference with the mayor," Angstadt told the Edmonton Journal. "Just in terms of the way it has happened, it doesn't make you feel terribly welcome. We always say that we need places that want us to be there. We thought we had that in Edmonton. To have this come down and not receive a call is a little shocking."

Currently there’s no make-up race in the offing for the suddenly open July 24th date…
************************************************************************************

Hold on tight! It oughta be a great weekend of racing coming up out on two deserts half a world away from each other!