NASCAR
Comings and Goings…
Billy Ballew Motorsports – Vision Aviation Racing
It was announced December 22nd that Billy Ballew Motorsports (successfully running the nos. 15 and 51 Toyota Tundra trucks in the Camping World Truck Series) has merged operations with Vision Aviation Racing (VAR), a west coast team that has successfully raced in the Super Late Model and K&N Pro Series West. The newly formed team will maintain operations in Mooresville North Carolina and assume the name Vision Aviation Racing. Billy Ballew will continue to have an ownership stake. Personnel decisions are yet to be announced.
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Kenny Wallace – RAB Racing
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard and veteran driver Kenny Wallace (488 Nationwide Series starts with nine wins, 10 poles, 63 top-five and 159 top-10 finishes) are teaming up to field a full-time Nationwide Series team in 2011. Wallace will make his debut for RAB Racing driving the No. 09 Toyota Camry beginning on Saturday, February 19, 2011, in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Ford Comes on Late
came the long awaited Ford-Yates FR9 engine about mid-season, and still the Ford teams’ overall performance was spotty at best. Finally, like a switch had been thrown, things started to click as Greg Biffle and then Carl Edwards posted wins late in the season and Matt Kenseth began finishing among the top teams each week. In the final analysis, only David Ragan in the UPS No. 6 Ford didn’t come on late.
Despite Roush Fenway’s lackluster performance in 2010 Jack Roush has publicly stated there won’t be any wholesale changes moving into 2011. “We’re re-evaluating everybody’s job, from crew chiefs to engineers to tire changers for all four of our programs,” Roush said last Tuesday. “We’ll certainly build on the strength we have had, but if we have a weakness or see an opportunity … again, promoting from within whenever possible and generally that is our trademark. We will be looking for ways to improve ourselves.”
Although winless in 2009 and for the first 34 races of 2010, Roush-Fenway’s real bright spot was the change in Carl Edward’s fortunes as he won back to back races at Phoenix and then Homestead to finish off the season coming in fourth in the final Chase standings. "I think I have a good perspective on the season," Edwards said after winning the Homestead season finale. "I'm able to look at what we've done, look at two race wins and fourth in points and say, 'Hey, if you would've told me 10 races into the season this is how we're gonna wrap this thing up,' I wouldn't have believed you.
"This is beyond the comeback that I expected. It's really beyond what I hoped for. This is a very good finish to the season."
Speculating on the late season turn-around, Edward’s Crew Chief Bob Osborne said, "There's not really any one specific piece, technique or process that we've changed to turn the corner. It's just a lot of little things that seem to have built momentum for us and has gotten us back to Victory Lane."
Although the most apparent change for the better, the introduction of the new Ford power package, would seem to have made the difference, Roush-Fenway personnel also point to solving RFR's computer and engine simulation program glitches that were eventually rectified at just about the same time as the stable's renaissance.
From my perspective as a fan I have to say that the new engine, once the break-in period had ended, made all the difference, whether it was in added horsepower or simply by changing the attitude around the RFR garages, the Ford entries, Richard Petty Motorsports teams included, began running to the front with the power necessary to hang in there and withstand challenges.
I’ve got to say that the late 2010 season surge among the Ford racers bodes well as these teams move into the 2011 racing season. The RFR racers and hopefully a revitalized Richard Petty Motorsports effort should push the Hendrick, Childress and Ganassi Chevrolets, the Penske Dodges and the Gibbs Toyotas all the way through the upcoming season.
Here are the top Ford drivers of 2010 and their records:
Roush-Fenway Racing
Greg Biffle – In 36 Starts – 2 Wins – 9 Top 5’s – 19 Top 10’s – 0 Poles
Carl Edwards – In 36 Starts – 2 Wins – 9 Top 5’s – 19 Top 10’s – 3 Poles
Matt Kenseth – In 36 Starts – 0 Wins – 6 Top 5’s – 15 Top 10’s – 0 Poles
David Ragan – In 36 Starts – 0 Wins – 0 Top 5’s – 3 Top 10’s – 0 Poles
Richard Petty Motorsports
A.J. Allmendinger – In 36 Starts – 0 Wins – 2 Top 5’s – 8 Top 10’s – 1 Poles
Kasey Kahne – In 31 Starts – 0 Wins – 7 Top 5’s – 9 Top 10’s – 2 Poles
Paul Menard – In 36 Starts – 0 Wins – 1 Top 5’s – 6 Top 10’s – 0 Poles
There’s certainly a lot of room for improvement…
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Speaking of Richard Petty Motorsports, Petty’s lead investor, Andrew Murstein, a New York-based taxi tycoon, has let it be known that he’d like to see a NASCAR track built in the New York City vicinity. I understand the original plans for the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey called for an auto racing track to be built there as well and Mr. Murstein was quick to point that out.
Now for the kicker in this blurb, and, if you feel the way I do, it’ll make your blood boil…
A “Big City” sports writer covering sports for that liberal media bastion known as NBC had to pop off a couple of weeks ago concerning Mr. Murstein’s comments. If you’d like to read the complete version of what this pseudo-intellectual had to say, here’s the link to the article entitled NASCAR in New York City? You sure about that? Written by one Rob Sylvester on December 15th:
http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2010/12/15/nascar-in-new-york-city-you-sure-about-that/#comments
For a sample of this simpleton’s work, here’s the first paragraph:
Look, I’ve never been much for NASCAR, mainly because if I wanted to watch teams of rednecks expel gas while going in circles for hours, I’d turn on FOX News. That said, there’s obviously a large, national audience for the sport that perpetually draws strong ratings and has made millionaires many times over out of quite a few good ol’ boys (and not to mention the occasional California pretty boy, such as the polarizing Jeff Gordon). But now one Andrew Murstein, a New York-based taxi tycoon and self-styled racing enthusiast (in addition to the new owner of Richard Petty Motorsports), has a plan to expand NASCAR’s interests even further– into the basketball-loving, NASCAR-averse urban sprawl known as New York City.
Nice huh?
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Gene Haddock’s good buddy, Darrell Waltrip,
wrote an article for Fox Sports entitled Taking up the short track debate. It’s a well written piece that speaks about what the author claims is the backbone of NASCAR (short track racing) and what needs to be done to preserve and expand it.
Here’s the link:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Darrell-Waltrip-How-to-make-short-track-racing-matter-again-122310
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Who will be the new movers and shakers in 2011 Sprint Cup?
In no particular order, here are the names of several second tier Cup drivers who could step up their game in 2011 and challenge the perennial top drivers:
Jamie McMurray
A.J. Allmendinger
David Reutimann
Brad Keselowski
Paul Menard
Do you have any names to add to that list? I have one if his medical issues have been solved and from what I hear they have… Brian Vickers.
Now remember, for every new driver arriving in the upper echelon of Cup racing someone’s got to begrudgingly give way… Who are the most likely drivers to slip a notch or two in 2011? Here’s my short list… Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle… Any additions?
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Bad Boys, Bad Moves… The worst moves of the 2010 season
Next, here’s a list of the worst moves of 2010 reproduced here verbatim from a Scene Daily article written by Bob Pockrass and published last Thursday.
Here’s the link: http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Bad_boys_bad_moves_The_worst_moves_of_the_2010_season.html:
Not every move can be a good move. Even some made with the best of intentions go wrong once in a while. So in that spirit, here are the eight worst moves of 2010. If you’re a fan of Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, Clint Bowyer or Dale Earnhardt Jr., you might want to stop reading now.
What’s the use of bringing up bad memories? Hey, learning from the bad can create better results in the future, right?
Yeah, Denny Hamlin fans. That’s right. Believe it.
1. Denny Hamlin spins early at Homestead – Just 24 laps into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hamlin attempted to make what he thought was a fairly routine move when he ducked inside Greg Biffle. But it turned out to be anything but routine. Hamlin didn’t know Paul Menard would try to make it three-wide on the outside, pinching Biffle down and causing Hamlin to spin. Hamlin damaged his splitter and wound up 14th in the race. That finish, coupled with a second-place finish by Jimmie Johnson, turned a championship season into a second-place result for Hamlin, who went from 15 points ahead of Johnson to 39 points behind on the final day.
2. Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski contact – It all started with what seemed to be a mistake by Brad Keselowski as he slid into Carl Edwards early during the March race at Atlanta. After spending 153 laps in the garage, Edwards returned to the race and later tapped Keselowski, whose car went airborne and hit roof-first on the wall. Edwards said he didn’t intend to flip him, but he did mean to wreck him and showed little remorse – and acted the same after Keselowski slid into him battling for the lead in the final lap at Gateway in a Nationwide race in July. In that event, Edwards turned Keselowski just before they came to the finish line, leaving the Penske Racing driver to be hit by several drivers. Keselowski once again escaped serious injury. Both drivers were put on probation, but Edwards drew more of the public scorn as this wasn’t boys have at it. This was boys gone wild.
3. Marcos Ambrose stalls at Infineon – Trying to save gas with eight laps remaining while appearing to be on his way to his first Sprint Cup victory, Ambrose couldn’t get his car restarted going up the hill into the first turn at Infineon Raceway. Because he didn’t keep a reasonable speed, he fell back to seventh and had to settle for a sixth-place finish. While this was the worst move of his Cup career, Ambrose still put a good face on it as he handled questions that day and in the weeks that followed with the politeness and humor that has allowed fans to embrace him through his NASCAR career.
4. Inability for quick fix to Daytona pothole – Stuff happens. But when it happens, it needs to be fixed. A pothole during the Daytona 500 led to two lengthy delays while officials attempted to repair the damaged asphalt. While such an occurrence could be considered an uncontrollable act of nature, the inability to repair the hole quickly because of the cold and wet conditions of the past month was unmistakably a lack of preparation for NASCAR’s biggest race. With 77 laps remaining, workers spent 1 hour, 40 minutes trying to patch the track before the race resumed. But after 32 green-flag laps, another delay of 44 minutes was needed to again repair the hole. Television ratings suffered, fans suffered, and NASCAR’s reputation suffered thanks to the pothole that turned the race into an event that lasted 6 hours, 12 minutes and 36 seconds.
5. RCR violation ruins Chase for Clint Bowyer – Their car, Richard Childress Racing officials swore, left the shop for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway race within the NASCAR specifications. How it got to be outside of specifications following Clint Bowyer’s victory in the opening Chase race? It had to be the tow truck, the team and its crash expert said. NASCAR and its independent panels didn’t agree and a 150-point penalty was upheld, knocking Bowyer out of Chase contention. The penalty came a week after RCR was warned about Bowyer’s car being too close to the tolerances. Either RCR didn’t listen to the warning or it just had one very unlucky circumstance.
6. Chase races move from ABC to ESPN, ratings fall – ESPN officials said they didn’t believe the move from ABC to ESPN made a big difference in the ratings for the Chase For The Sprint Cup. But the data shows double-digit decreases for eight of the nine Sunday races that went from ABC to ESPN. Could it be a coincidence and that fans just weren’t enamored with this year’s Chase? Possibly. But it also was one of the best Chases in series’ history. This seems to be a classic case of research and science indicating one thing, but basic facts in front of the eyes telling another story.
7. Kyle Busch flips off NASCAR official at Texas – So giving the one-finger salute with both hands wouldn’t be bad as long as you don’t have a sponsor that caters to kids. Oh wait, that’s exactly what Mars does. Bad Kyle. Bad, bad Kyle. Whether NASCAR fined him or not, Busch learned a valuable lesson – that he can’t treat NASCAR officials with disrespect. Especially with an in-car camera to catch the salute.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move triggers multicar wreck at Talladega – In a year where most things didn’t go right for Earnhardt Jr., this was one of the worst. His mistake while bump-drafting Jeff Burton triggered a multicar wreck at Talladega, leaving the Hendrick Motorsports driver to apologize to Burton and his competitors.
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What about Smoke and Boris? Did they forget the dust up between Jeff Gordon and Kurt? How about the two Jeff’s having at each other? Then there was “who wears the fire suit in the family”… All moments worthy of being on this list in my humble opinion…
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NASCAR’s Nutty Moments…
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Formula One
Is it just me or has Formula One gone down the drama road?
From speedtv.com comes the following headline:
F1: Chapman Family Comes Out Against New Team Lotus
The Chapman family doesn't want to see the Team Lotus name back in F1...
What’s in a name? Now let me get this straight… There’s a play being carried out concerning the use of the famous racing name “Lotus”.
The Players:
1. The Colin Chapman (who formed Team Lotus Racing several years ago) family members.
2. Investor Tony Fernandes (a Malaysian entrepreneur).
3. Proton Holdings, parent company of Group Lotus (also a Malaysian entity)…
4. David Hunt – A former Formula driver and businessman who purchased the bankrupt Lotus Racing in 1994, couldn’t resurrect it then sold the Lotus branding rights to Litespeed F3 racing in 2009.
5. Litespeed F3 a UK based auto racing team.
Enough players?
So… Hunt buys Lotus Racing in 1994 through a bankruptcy.
In 2009, after unsuccessfully attempting to resurrect the racing team for 15 years, he sells the Lotus rights to Litespeed F3 who let it be known they planned on entering F1 racing.
After unsuccessfully applying for F1 membership, a change in F1A policy (a team budgetary cap was eliminated) and a BMW entry’s backing out on the 2010 season led Litespeed F3 into selling 90 percent of its new Lotus racing venture to two Malaysian investors, Tony Fernandes (55 percent) and Proton Holdings (35 percent). The financially reinvigorated team then successfully gained admission to F1 in 2010.
Both Fernandes, a millionaire business promoter, and Proton Holdings’ management knew the Lotus name was right up there in Formula racing with Ferrari in recognition and evidently both planned to take advantage of it. The investors went about including Lotus originator Colin Chapman’s family in the racing company’s promotional dealings, clearly making ties to the Lotus legacy.
Everything seemed to be going along well so long as the name “Team Lotus” was not used (Lotus originator Colin Chapman called his racing venture “Team Lotus”). This is where it gets hazy for me… At some point during the team’s first year of operation there was a falling out between Tony Fernandes and the Chapman Family who pulled their favorable backing of Fernandes in a statement issued by Clive Chapman (Colin’s eldest son) last Wednesday. Evidently, Fernandes was intent on changing the venture’s name from “Lotus Racing” to “Team Lotus” setting off the disagreement.
While all this was going on, Proton Holdings put together a motorsports subsidiary named “Group Lotus”. This subsidiary goes about branding a special edition Proton street car as “Lotus”, they enter IndyCar racing by planning to build new race cars and engines (in a partnership with Cosworth) in an Indianapolis shop with the Chapman family condoning what Proton is doing.
So the Chapmans and Proton are now aligned against the majority owner of Lotus Racing, Tony Fernandes… A British court is scheduled to hear both sides of the branding issue next summer and will hopefully put an end to what ultimately has become a convoluted mess…
If you want to see what I mean, go to http://www.speedtv.com/ and look for Adam Cooper‘s article posted December 23, 2010.
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Another Soap Opera?
Rome Grand Prix promoter Maurizio Flammini Pushing Ahead With Rome GP For 2013
Even though it appears opposition is mounting on all sides, Rome Grand Prix promoter Maurizio Flammini is moving ahead with his plans to put a Formula One race on the streets of Rome by 2013. Beyond Monza race official’s understandable disapproval, Ferrari and a majority of Rome’s residents have made their opposition known.
Despite the opposition of Monza, Ferrari and an apparent vast majority of local residents, promoter Maurizio Flammini has vowed to push ahead with his plans for a Rome street race.
Monza and Ferrari want F1 to limit itself to one annual race per country, and a survey published this week shows 80-90 percent opposition to the Rome event from residents who live near the proposed layout in the capital's EUR district.
Armed with support from Formula One’s president Bernie Ecclestone, Flammini said the final plans will be reviewed by authorities by the end of December. "According to the standard procedure this will take at least 60 days. If the project would have been approved by the end of the year, we would have been ready for 2012," he said.
"In Italy everything is ready (for 2013)," continued Flammini, "and the Formula One circus is ready to welcome us. A few days ago I spoke with Bernie Ecclestone and he asked me to go ahead.
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Red Bull Christmas Card is said to be mocking Ferrari... See for yourself:
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Finally, What not to do with your off road vehicle…
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Everyone have a safe and sane and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
