Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins eighth consecutive Most Popular Driver award
Junior Nation still looms large… Although I like Dale Jr., I think it’s about time for his fans to back off until he becomes relevant once again… Eight of these awards puts Dale Jr. in third place all-time behind Bill Elliot (16) and Richard Petty (9).

Others receiving votes (No, I didn’t put Kyle first, it’s alphabetical order… Ha!): Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

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Marcos Ambrose Is NASCAR Crash King With 19 Incidents in 2010. Elliot Sadler came in second having caused 15 yellow flag cautions. Kyle Busch and Joe Logano tied for third with 14 such occurrences, while the following drivers were involved in 13 spins or crashes drawing yellow flags during the 36-race schedule, or one every three races, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Now let me ask... With 33% of all the Sprint Cup cars that ran in 2010, Chevrolet only has one driver on that list up above? There's 3 Toyotas, 2 Fords and Dodges and JPM... Is this a driver problem, just circumstances or a vehicle problem?
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For Gene Haddock and anyone else interested in NASCAR’s decline in popularity, here’s the best article I’ve been able to find to date…

NASCAR’s slide on TV continues
Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal
By John Ourand AND Tripp Mickle Staff writers
Published November 29, 2010

The Link: http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/67435

I’ll leave it to you to go to the source and read the well written article, but here is the opening paragraph:

Four years after signing a record $4.48 billion media deal with Fox, ESPN and Turner, NASCAR has lost nearly a quarter of its TV viewership base, a four-year trend of massive viewer defections that has been punctuated by the erosion of the young male demographic.

The article uses graphs to display where NASCAR stands against the other major sports and to show the age groups that are watching…
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Which network does the best job with NASCAR broadcasts?

Since television plays such a huge role in racing generally and NASCAR in particular, here’s a little poll on which network does the best job in the eyes of the fans from NASCAR Insiders…

FOX (44%, 583 Votes)
SPEED (26%, 342 Votes)
TNT (16%, 215 Votes)
ESPN/ABC (14%, 186 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,329

Gene, doesn’t ole DW work for FOX? And it looks like Crusty Rusty is coming in last!
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Here’s a little rundown on the companies we need to support as NASCAR racing fans…

Sunoco fuel oughta be your motion lotion…
Pennzoil, Quaker State, Valvoline or Mobil One should be lubricating your motor…
Go to at Discount Tires to purchase your Goodyear tires …
Use Exide or Interstate for your automotive battery needs…
Maintain your vehicles with Wix and / or K&N automotive filters and Peak anti-freeze…
When you press on your brake pedal and have to say WHEEEEEE!!!! Remember to ask for Raybestos brake liners!
Work with Craftsman, DeWalt, Irwin, Lenox, Mac, Snap-On, Stanley, Okuma, Lincoln, Impact, Fastenal and Kobalt Tools…
Go to NAPA, O’Reilly or Car Quest for your auto parts needs and use Bosch, Royal Purple, Safety Kleen, AC Delco, Champion, Delphi, and SKF parts and products…
Use Carfax before buying a Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford or Toyota vehicle, then Carchex will put an extended warranty on your ride while LifeLock will protect it from thieves…
Freightliner should be pulling your Featherlite carrier…
If you’re into diesels, Caterpillar better be in your vehicles (or your crawler if you’re so inclined…)
Farmers and equipment operators should use New Holland equipment…
When you have to, use Avis to rent your car…
Go to Camping World for your Featherlite recreational vehicle needs then head off to Bass Pro Shops to outfit your outdoor excursions…
Get a Polaris ATV for the fun of it!
Remember, AAA Auto Club is ready to help with your travel needs…
Nationwide, GEICO, Hartford and/or AFLAC should cover your insurance needs…
When looking to buy or sell your ride go to Auto Trader or Coparts…
Use Sprint, Verizon or Alltel for your cell phone service…
Go to Office Depot for your computing and office needs being sure to purchase 3M and Z-Line products when you’re there…
TaxSlayer should be doing your taxes…
Get your household and building needs at Lowes, Menards and Home Depot where you should pick up USG, MasterCraft and DuPont products…
Fertilize your yard and protect your plants with Scott’s products…
Bravely wave the flag and support the U.S. Military (Air Force, Army, National Guard and Navy)…
Use Go Daddy and Time-Warner’s Road Runner for internet services…
Go to Aaron’s or Furniture Row for your home furnishings and electronics…
Shop Best Buy for televisions, theaters, stereos and for your entertainment needs (look for Samsung Mobile Phones, Insignia HDTV and Philips products)…
Use Target as your department store and look for Sylvania products…
Dollar General ought to have it if no one else does…
UPS, Fed-Ex and / or Con-Way Freight are ready to handle your shipping needs…
Bank of America or Citibank should be your bank and be sure to carry a Visa card…
Subscribe to Direct TV and Sirius satellite radio…
Watch Comcast programing and Showtime movies at home…
Wear a Tissot wrist watch…
Get your uniforms at Cintas…
Pull on Wrangler Jeans and tie up either Puma or Adidas Shoes…
Grocery shop at Krogers, Food City and Save Mart…
Chew Wrigley’s Gum (Doublemint’s my fav…)
Try to eat Hellman’s Mayo (Best Foods out west), Bubba Burger, M&M’s, Snickers, Cherrios, Kellogg’s Cereals, Hamburger Helper, Edy’s Ice Cream (Dreyer’s out west), Nabisco snacks, Pillsbury snacks, Combo’s snacks, Tom’s snacks, Tornado’s Mexican Foods, Heluva Good! dips/cheeses/condiments, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches and Bush’s Beans…
When eating out you should find yourself at Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Long John Silver’s, A&W, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Zaxby's or Sub Way…
You and your kids should drink Coca Cola products, Pepsi Cola products, Gatorade, Red Bull Energy, Amp Energy, 5 Hour Energy, NOS Energy and Wave Energy…
Your adult beverages should be Budweiser, Coors Lite and Miller Lite beer, Crown Royal sipping whiskey and Diageo products (Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Jose Cuervo, Bailey’s, Guinness, Moet and others)…
Fire up the Bar-B with Kingsford charcoal…
Switch away from Old Spice deodorant and body wash (not a sponsor anymore) to Gillette personal care products…
Kleenex products should be kept on hand…
Get your hair cut at Sports Clips then slip on your Electric Sunglasses… Cool…
Wash your hair with Head and Shoulders…
Use Unilever brand health, personal and food items…
Use Zippo lighters to fire up your smokes then get on the Nicoderm bandwagon to quit smoking…
Poor performing men should use Viagara and Extenze…
This leads to Tylenol or Goody’s Powder for your mate’s headache relief and Prilosec OTC or Tums to cure the acid indigestion that sets in when turned down!

And when you’re done… Pack all the boxes, wrappers and whatever else is leftover all up in a Hefty bag!

Looking at that list of sponsors I think I’m doing a pretty good job supporting them on my end…

Thanks to all of them!
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Okay Kristen… Here ya go! How about the nickname “22 Skidoo Crew” for Kurt’s crew? I know… Kinda hokie…
(Kurt's shoes are on fire!)

The phrase originated in New York City. It was the result of policemen having to disperse groups of men who would hang out near the 23rd street subway stop to watch women’s skirts get blown up by air coming up from the subway airshaft through the sidewalk. 23rd street is the flatiron district and was known for a high concentration of women office workers. When the police showed up the men would “skidoo” to 22nd Street thus “22 skidoo”…
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Possible Rule Change Will Effect NASCAR’s Drivers

An expected rule change before the commencement of the 2011 season: NASCAR drivers will be limited to running for only one of the three major series championships.
With the last five Nationwide points champions being full-time Cup drivers it’s thought this change will effectively keep Cup drivers from running in the Nationwide series. To appease track operators who want the big name drivers to continue competing on their tracks in Nationwide and / or Camping World Truck Series events, the rule will allow Cup drivers to continue to run in their Friday or Saturday races, but they won't earn championship points.

Word is the drivers will have to declare what series they want to points race in when they apply for their license prior to Speed Week '11 at Daytona Beach next February.

Former driver and mediocre announcer Rusty Wallace (a Nationwide team owner) said last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, “I don't think Cup guys will be getting points at all if they're running the Nationwide Series. Once they get their license, they'll have to commit: Do you want your points in the Nationwide Series, do you want your points in the Truck Series or do you want your points in the Cup Series? That's just a guess.”

NASCAR chairman Brian France has said he wants the Nationwide Series to build its own identity and personality, to become a solid and viable stand-apart series. The move to pony cars is testament to that philosophy.

Limiting drivers to accumulating points in just one of the major NASCAR racing series looks like a change whose time has come…

(I wonder how big the current NASCAR rule book is compared to that 1962 pamphlet...)
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IndyCar

Penske and Shell / Pennzoil are back in IndyCar!

In a remarriage of sorts, Team Penske announced December 2nd their new number 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup sponsor, Shell / Pennzoil, would also support Penske’s IndyCar team setting the stage for a joint venture that they hope will yield the same type of results as the venture enjoyed through the 1980’s.

Helio Castroneves is pictured next to his new ride. Note the predominate red color scheme as compared to Rick Mears’ racers…

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Team Commitments and Their Drivers for 2011:

Target Chip Ganassi Racing - Dario Franchitti & Scott Dixon.
Chip Ganassi Racing - Graham Rahal & Charlie Kimball (Conformation forthcoming).
Team Penske - Will Power, Helio Castroneves & Ryan Briscoe.
Andretti Autosport - Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti & Danica Patrick are signed but word is Andretti will once again field a four car team…
Panther Racing – 2009 Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand should replace Dan Weldon…
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing - Justin Wilson is back.
A.J. Foyt Enterprises - Vitor Meira
FAZZT Race Team - Alex Tagliani & Ho-Pin Tung (Ho-Pin will be confirmed shortly).
de Ferran Dragon Racing – Still searching for season-long sponsorship but expected to be back with Brazilian Rafa Matos as the team’s driver.
KV Racing Technology - Takuma Sato, Mario Moraes & E.J. Viso are all expected back along with increased participation from Lotus.
Dale Coyne Racing - Britain’s Alex Lloyd, rookie of the year in 2008, is expected back.
Newman Haas Racing – Funding remains a problem… Tony Kanaan or popular Canadian Indy Lights veteran James Hinchcliffe have been mentioned.
HVM Racing - Simona De Silvestro should be back and possibly a second, self-funded team.
Conquest Racing - Belgium’s Bertrand Baguette should be in one car and possibly, just as last year, a second car will be run.
Rahal Letterman Racing – with Graham leaving RLR may have 2009 Mazda Atlantic champion John Edwards in the seat.
Sam Schmidt Motorsports – Returns with Townsend Bell.
Bryan Herta Autosport - 2010 rookie Sebastian Saveedra will drive a proposed 6 race effort.

Free agent drivers: As yet unsigned… Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, Jay Howard, Dan Wheldon, Ana Beatriz, Bruno Junqueira, Hideki Mutoh and Tomas Scheckter.
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Formula 1

Virgin Racing Looks to 2011 with Confidence

Virgin Racing announced November 11th that Marussia Motors has acquired a significant share in the team, securing its long-term future ensuring it can continue to pursue its racing ambitions. From the 2011 season the team will be known as Marussia Virgin Racing.

Marussia was a new name to me so I went on a search… This is a Russian automobile manufacturer that has held a minority share of Virgin Racing since its launch in 2009. Marussia is headed by former racer Nikolay Fomenko.

Virgin Racing was established when Manor Motorsport joined forces with WR Technology Limited (‘WRT’) and Virgin to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

“This is definitely a good news story for Virgin Racing and for Formula One,” said Graeme Lowdon, Chief Executive of Virgin Racing. “Marussia Motors has been a much-valued team partner throughout the 2010 season and we are delighted to introduce them formally as the significant shareholder in Virgin Racing and a major force in the team’s future. This announcement cements our place on the Formula One grid and is testimony to the hard work and dedication of every single member of our team.”

Marussia Motors has now moved itself to center stage in the worldwide automotive world. Marussia Virgin Racing is becoming a major Russian presence in Formula 1. The move is considered a big first step leading to the inaugural Russian Grand Prix to be staged in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in 2014.

“This is the realization of a dream for Marussia Motors,” confirmed Fomenko. “While manufacturing, launching and marketing the Marussia B1, B2 and other concepts in Europe, we will have a Formula One team to promote these activities and demonstrate to the world that a new car manufacturer has arrived from Russia with truly international ambitions.”

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin group of companies, commented: “Our first year in Formula One was always going to be tough – even more so as we were launching in the midst of a worldwide recession. Virgin is delighted to have secured a partner which shares our vision and spirit for challenging the establishment and we look forward to working together to move the team up the Formula One grid.”

A look at Marussia’s B2 sports car (Low Flying Mig?):
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Australian Grand Prix – The show will go on!

There was a question that had to be resolved before Melbourne’s Australian Grand Prix (March 24-27, 2011) could be run and it was thought the race may be in jeopardy but word has just come out… The race will go on!

Evidently the race promoter, Australian Grand Prix Corporation and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport which supplies race officials for the event, have come to an agreement after several months of haggling.

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Green Machines

Jaguar's C-X75
How about a twin jet engine production car? Sound far-fetched? Well think again.
The jet engines are each only as big as large sized coffee thermoses as their function is to recharge the lithium batteries that actually store and supply electrical power to four separate electric motors, one for each wheel. This is a four-wheel drive electrical vehicle that can reach speeds in excess of two hundred miles per hour! Check out these shots of the futuristic Tata Motors’ vehicle that debuted at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show held last November 19th through November 28th.
For more on this vehicle go to - http://www.racer.com/jet-set-go-jaguars-amazing-c-x75/article/191633/

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Other News…

20% unemployment gets trumped by the Sierra Club in California…

Well it looks like the Sierra Club has effectively killed the proposed race track in Tulare County California a project that would have meant millions upon millions of dollars year after year to the local and state economies… A Tulare County Superior Court Judge signed a writ of mandate ordering that certification of the project's EIR be voided. The writ also orders voiding of the Tulare City Council's project approval, zoning changes, general plan amendments and other land-use entitlements.

If those interested in seeing the proposal come to fruition continue to pursue it, they will now be faced with either appealing the ruling (it’ll be a cold day in hell when a California Appellate Court overturns that decision) or starting at square one again. I think it’s safe to say this is a dead issue… It’s a shame.


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Got your Christmas shopping done?