Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR EDITION

What Hath NASCAR Wrought? Alliances…

Over the years several alliances have been formed in NASCAR among the various racing teams. The most obvious should be alliances concerning the make of vehicle each team races and for example there’s a lot of cooperation between the Chevrolet teams or between the Ford teams, but not necessarily what I’d call “alliances”. A few years back NASCAR limited the number of cars any one team owner could race then NASCAR’s officials had to get busy inspecting the new “alliances” that sprang up. NASCAR allows technical alliances such as engine development and leasing or chassis building but has made it clear there can be no co-mingling of purse money or sharing of racetrack operations. The difficult economic times we’ve been in since 2009 have spawned several alliances as team owners strive to live on less revenue.

Considering the NASCAR maximum limit of four cars per racing team, in 2011 Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) are set to run the maximum of four teams each, but beyond that there comes the alliances. HMS has formed an alliance with Stewart-Hass Racing’s (SHR) two car Sprint Cup team and JR Motorsport’s (JRM) Nationwide team, supporting them with engine development and engineering data. Recently it was announced that Furniture Row Racing has formed an alliance with SHR. Furniture Row’s pit crew on their number 78 Chevrolet driven by Regan Smith will be under the supervision of SHR’s pit crew coach Joe Piette, who also oversees the pit crews for Tony Stewart’s No. 14 team and Ryan Newman’s No. 39 team. So you could say HMS is influencing an ever expanding stable of race teams. Is that as far as these alliances run?

RCR has an engine development and manufacturing partnership with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) and in a roundabout way this partnership draws in Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing (EGR) a two car Sprint Cup team that also uses DEI engines.

Then there’s RFR’s alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) now running a two car Sprint Cup team concerning engine development and technical support.

Next, along comes Toyota whose existence in NASCAR only dates back to 2007. Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) was first to affiliate with the Japanese auto manufacturer fielding a three car Sprint Cup team and now, after five short years, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is on board with a three car Sprint Cup team, Red Bull Racing with a two car Sprint Cup team, Prism Racing another two car Sprint Cup team, JTG Daugherty Racing (JTG) a single car Sprint Cup team directly affiliated with MWR, Germain Racing, a single car Sprint Cup team, Gunselman Racing, a single car Sprint Cup team, Robby Gordon Motorsports, a single car Sprint Cup team, and NEMCO, a sometimes two car Sprint Cup team making a total of 15 to 16 potential Toyota Sprint Cup entrants each race. Toyota has made it clear that all the teams racing under their banner shall share information for the betterment of the whole. Of all the upper echelon team owners only Joe Gibbs Racing has not formed some sort of alliance other than with Toyota.

I’ve included just a few of the alliances currently in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Racing Series’. It remains only conjecture how many behind the scenes alliances there actually are.

A different deal concerning the four team rule was scrutinized by NASCAR last season when Rick Hendrick announced he had signed Kasey Kahne to an HMS driving contract that included the 2011 season even though he already had four drivers under contract for the year. This brought questions from the other team owners but after checking it out a NASCAR spokesman stated, "Based on conversations with Hendrick Motorsports, the company has a clear understanding of the multi car rule and will abide by it. NASCAR will ensure that the rule is followed as it has with other teams with similar circumstances."

In a strange twist, up pops Red Bull, a Toyota team, announcing they had a 2011 driving agreement with Kahne. Now Kasey's a talented driver, but it seems to me Red Bull, who released Scott Speed last December from their NASCAR Sprint Cup team, would be better served to put an established driver in their car that might stick around for more than one year. The situation also begs a couple of questions; Did Rick Hendrick cut some sort of a deal with Red Bull to take care of Kasey until Mark Martin’s contract runs out? Is this a roundabout way of supporting a fifth team by Rick Hendrick even though Toyota is involved?

Now here comes a very unusual occurrence that in my opinion stretches NASCAR’s alliance rules and once again some of the biggest names in the sport are involved.

What do you get when you take a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet prepared and raced in the 2008 Sprint Cup season, Roger Penske’s automatic points entry for his number 77 car (the Sam Hornish ride that Roger decided not to race in 2011), throw in Toyota nose and tail body sections and finally a young Nationwide driver wanting to get a ride in the big show who happens to have a famous dad that knows how to pull strings to get things done? You get Rusty Wallace’s son Steve driving an RCR Chevrolet made to look like a Rusty Wallace Racing Toyota that automatically qualifies to race in the 2011 Daytona 500 using Roger Penske’s number 77 exemption points. Nice deal… It certainly feels sleazy to me but I haven’t heard a word out of NASCAR…

Then there's the smack talk going on between SB Nation's Jeff Gluck (a favorite NASCAR writer of mine) and the afore mentioned Steve Wallace. Check this out...

It's warmin' up folks! I like it!

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Speaking of alliances, if you want to call them that, let’s talk drafting partners…

Would you like to draft? Don’t mind if I do!

With NARCAR’s Daytona testing completed last week the top speeds posted were just shy of 200 mph despite the use of a smaller restrictor plate. Speeds actually exceeded those posted during December’s Goodyear tire testing on the superspeedway with a larger restrictor plate in use.

Now how was that possible? Why drafting, my dear!

Penske teammates Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski hooked up on the last day of testing to post the top speeds of the three day testing period as they both exceeded 198 mph
in their Dodges. This came as a surprise to me since Saturday’s weather conditions were a lot worse than the prior two days of testing. Thursday was relatively calm and warm (70’s) with 60-70% humidity and light breezes (great racing conditions). Friday saw the wind pick up with scattered showers as a cold front pushed rain clouds in ahead of lower temperatures. Saturday dawned clear and quite a bit colder (highs in the low 60’s with a wind chill at work). The humidity was down to around 30% with 10 to 15 mph wind conditions. If I’m not mistaken, higher humidity equates to higher engine horsepower and we all know how much even a light breeze can affect vehicles traveling at near 200 mph.

Based on the reported speeds and the less than favorable weather conditions when those speeds were produced I immediately thought NASCAR would come out with an even smaller restrictor plate mandate, but now I’m hearing they’re satisfied with the plate size and resulting speeds during the testing period. The only real negative I’ve heard from some of the drivers concerning the testing period was that they couldn’t get enough people on board to run the new track in a pack of ten to twenty cars to get a feel for that type of drafting on the new surface. The explanation I heard concerned the crew chiefs not wanting to have any mishaps that might put them in the garage trying to rebuild their cars with just a couple of weeks left before speed week. Those drivers who participate in the Bud Shootout will get their first taste of pack drafting at that time.

This need to draft certainly leads to some strange bedfellows… Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson, first and second in the 2010 Chase standings at the time, helped each other at Talladega last fall…
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Is There Room for Another Elite Team in NASCAR?

Could it Be Red Bull Racing?

If Red Bull’s run in Formula One is any indicator, then 2011 may be a banner year for the five year old NASCAR racing team. By Sebastian Vettel winning Formula One’s Championship in 2010, Red Bull’s sixth year of Formula One competition, a realization about how seriously Red Bull Racing pursues victory has taken hold.

Now, entering its sixth year of NASCAR racing, Red Bull appears poised to challenge the front runners for dominance. Since purchasing Roger Penske’s old Mooresville North Carolina racing facility in early 2006 Red Bull Racing has systematically, step by step, put together an ever stronger two car Sprint Cup racing team. Red Bull’s owner, Austrian/Croatian business entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz assembled an experienced management team putting them next to talented young drivers allowing everyone to grow together. At this point in time Red Bull’s number 83 car shall once again be driven by Brian Vickers while a number 4 Toyota shall be driven under the terms of a one year agreement by Kasey Kahne.

Both Vickers and Kahne are coming off very difficult 2010 seasons for very different reasons.

Blood clots were found in Brian Vickers’ legs and around his lungs just after the eleventh race of the 2010 NASCAR season (the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington). Brian had averaged a 20th place finish across those eleven races with a season high finish of 6th at Martinsville and was 20th in the Chase standings when it all suddenly came to a halt. The next thing Vickers knew, he was in a hospital telling the doctors he had to be out and practicing by next Friday at 10:00 AM. That’s when realization finally set in… He wasn’t going to drive in next weekend’s race and maybe never again. After heart surgery, months of treatment and amid constant speculation that he might be done as a race driver, Brian’s life threatening condition was evidently controlled. Today Brian Vickers is medication-free, fully recuperated and anxiously ready to shove aside all the doubts 2010 presented to him. He wants to get on with the new season. In a recent interview Vickers stated, “Everyone keeps asking me, ‘How’s it feel to be back?’ I guess it feels damn good. You look for all of these words and ways to describe your emotions and your feelings and sometimes there’s just nothing to say.” This after one of Brian’s doctors told him last summer it was doubtful he’d ever drive a race car again. He must be chomping at the bit to get it going. I look for him to challenge for the lead race after race this season. He has the talent and now a newfound desire to make his mark in NASCAR.

For Kasey Kahne, the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is one I’m sure he’d like to totally forget. The year started off full of anticipation as Kasey drove the red number 9 Budweiser Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports but somewhere along the line financial concerns among Petty’s business partners made RPM’s ability to operate week to week race operations questionable. There were stories that speculated whether the RPM haulers would show up at west coast races or whether the team could pay Roush Fenway for necessary parts. With all this negativity swirling around came the announcement that Kasey had signed on with Hendrick Motorsports and would be leaving RPM at the end of the season. Then there came inexplicable car failures that led to questions between Kahne and his racing team’s personnel. Rumors had it that Kasey was concerned for his personal safety as he continued to race substandard equipment prepared by personnel no longer enamored with him. It finally all came to a head after the 31st race of the season. The Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway became Kasey’s last race with RPM when he essentially parked his car and walked away. The next race on the schedule, the Tums 500 at Martinsville found Kasey driving the number 83 Red Bull Toyota to a fourteenth place finish. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders and you could see it in his smiling expression. So now Kasey enters the 2011 season with everyone involved on the same page and a lot to prove, both to himself and his fans.

If I don’t miss the mark too far, I’m thinking this will be a year to remember for Team Red Bull as it attempts to match Red Bull’s sister Formula One racing team that won the driver’s championship last season in its sixth year of operation. Two very hungry drivers may take Team Red Bull to unexpected heights in its sixth season racing the Sprint Cup Series.
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Have You Seen the New Budweiser Color Scheme on Kevin Harvick’s 29 Car?
First appearance reminded me of the Intimidator’s black Good Wrench ride… I don’t think that’s a coincidence…

What’s Kevin thinking as the new season approaches?

“I'm excited as I've ever been about the 2011 season after finishing third in last year's Chase for the Sprint Cup. Last year, we learned how to do something we never had done: Contend until the last week of the season. It was a different mindset. When the pressure came on, we didn't back down and didn't fold. We actually got better. We proved the final 10 weeks that we can do it. We feel like we know how that mindset needs to be when it's time to go this year.”

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Will the third time be a charm?

On Jan. 22nd a Speed TV commentator mentioned that
Josh Wise was testing Dale Jr.'s 88 car at Daytona because Dale had left to attend the wedding of his sister Kelley to L.W. Miller. Here's hoping Kelley's third time around, just like her dad's, will be the one to last forever...
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By the way… Guess who would have won last year’s Sprint Cup Championship if the new, simple (43 thru 1) points system we’re hearing about had been in place…

You got it! Jimmie Johnson.

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Last but not least…

Check out the 2011 Gillette Young Guns from NASCAR…


Kyle Busch in Gillette Young Guns



Denny Hamlin in Gillette Young Guns

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So long for now... 25 Days!

Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Michael Waltrip Is Set to Race in his 25th 500

Sprint Cup Series driver and team owner Michael Waltrip will compete in the Feb. 20 Daytona 500. Last Thursday Waltrip said, "This will be my 25th Daytona 500 in a row. I think two people have started that many. Richard Petty and Dave Marcis come to mind. Our plan is to race the Budweiser Shootout and 500. I'm looking forward to it."

Martin Truex Jr. and David Reutimann will also be driving for MWR.

This past weekend the busy 47-year-old team owner traveled to Dubai and competed in a road race with MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman, an international financial genius. The two men formed an alliance in 2007. "I wouldn't call it weird," Waltrip said of the trip. "We are going to Dubai to race a Ferrari. That seems more like a dream."
Waltrip said if Kauffman gets enough seat time, they hope to run the Rolex 24 At Daytona and/or 24 Hours of LeMans in 2012. He called that "a goal."

While this is all going on Waltrip is also preparing to launch his first book: "In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona and the Day that Changed Everything." Waltrip said he co-wrote the book, which goes on sale Feb. 1, to explain his emotions the day he won the 2001 Daytona 500 only to find out his car owner, Dale Earnhardt, had died in a last-lap crash.
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Sure Enough, NASCAR Reduces Daytona’s Restrictor Plate Size

The Sprint Cup cars are going faster thanks in large part to Daytona's new, $20 million racing surface.

Here’s a little history concerning the use of restrictor plates in NASCAR:

61/64 of an inch is the approximate diameter of a quarter.

1 inch (64/64) was the diameter of the holes in the first restrictor plate used for the first time at Daytona during the 1988 500.

30/32 inch (60/64) was the diameter of the holes in the restrictor plate used during Cup testing last month.

29/32 inch (58/64) will be the diameter of the holes in the restrictor plate to be used during Cup races during Speed Weeks.

63/64 inch was the diameter of the holes in the restrictor plate used during the 2010 Daytona 500.

1 1/32 inch (66/64) was the diameter of the holes in the restrictor plate used during the 2010 Coke Zero 400.

With speeds topping out at 197 MPH during the Sprint Cup Series tire testing in December at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR has moved to reduce the horsepower for Speed Weeks.

In a competition bulletin to the Cup race teams last Thursday, NASCAR mandated the reductions in hole size in the restrictor plates used at both the Daytona and Talladega Superspeedways.

The Preseason Thunder test Jan. 20-22 at DIS will display how much the reduction in size affects speeds. It’s expected the smaller holes will drop drafting speeds by 5 to 10 mph.

NASCAR will announce several additional competition changes for the 2011 season during the test here January 21st.
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Big Changes on the Way for Cup Points Determination?

How about 43 points to each race winner, 42 for second and so on right down to 1 for the first start and parker? An unconfirmed report on Yahoo sports says the announcement is coming up in the next few days… Here’s the link to Jenna Fryer’s story:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AjAt9urWM4zUleLWD_sPbJfov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-pointssystemchanges
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The Grand Slam of NASCAR?

If NASCAR, in all their wisdom, designated four races as its “Grand Slam” which races do you believe should be included? I think EVERYONE would agree on one race, the Daytona 500. After that’s out of the way there remains three slots to fill. How would you look at it?

Seems to me there should be a couple of things considered in this process, history and the type of racing each track features. Actually, there are four types of racing we witness during the course of NASCAR’s season, the long (restrictor) race tracks, the intermediate (cookie-cutter) tracks, and the short tracks along with the road courses. It seems to me that any driver wishing to win a “Grand Slam of NASCAR” should have his mettle tested on each of these types of race tracks. Now there comes the maelstrom… How could you possibly include a road course on NASCAR’s Grand Slam???

Okay, do you agree that the moonshiners of old form NASCAR’s roots? Now picture that late night illegal run through the Carolina hill country… Headlights cut through the darkness while an engine roars along and a driver expertly unravels the little dirt road. The moonshiner races along while leaving a cloud of dust that’s soon sliced through by a revenuer’s headlights as he hurtles through the night hopelessly trying to catch his quarry.

Was that country lane an oval? A Tri or D oval? You know the answer… For all the negative discourse about the road course races in NASCAR, it’s my contention that they actually come the closest to mirroring the roots of this sport and for that reason one such race should be included in a four race Grand Slam of NASCAR. Watkins Glen has been hosting NASCAR events since 1957 when Buck Baker won a 100 mile race and took home $1,000 for the work… So, in my way of looking at it the Glen takes precedence over Sonoma and we’ve got two of the four races…

Do you think the Brickyard 400 should be included? Maybe I’m not with it, but I don’t think it should. NASCAR has only been racing there since 1994 and Indianapolis is already considered the mecca of IndyCar racing. Seeing those NASCAR drivers that win this race on their knees kissing the bricks makes me think of subservience. NASCAR doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone, and especially IndyCar. Leave the Brickyard 400 off this list.
Charlotte is the recognized home of NASCAR for many reasons and the Charlotte Motor Speedway fits the bill as an intermediate sized track. NASCAR’s annual festivities in early July lend themselves very well to this track and race’s inclusion in a “Grand Slam of NASCAR”.

So we’re down to one more race and once again in my way of looking at it, that final venue should be a short track. Historically speaking, the short tracks have been the backbone of NASCAR. Here’s a list of the possibilities:
Bristol, Dover, Martinsville, New Hampshire, Phoenix and Richmond

If history plays in here too then Martinsville should carry the banner…

Let me know what you think…
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Sounds like NASCAR’s decision to have drivers declare if they’re racing for a Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck title has really stirred up the fans… Thought this was all talked out… How’s the old saying go? You can please some of the people some of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time…
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IndyCar

INDYCAR Announces Changes

Name Change: The sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy will now be known as INDYCAR.

All series names sanctioned by INDYCAR will remain the same as listed below:

• INDYCAR - The sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy.

• IZOD IndyCar Series - The top level of open-wheel racing in North America and the fastest, most versatile racing series in the world.

• Firestone Indy Lights - The developmental series for drivers and teams looking to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series.

• Mazda Road to Indy - The official ladder system that produces a defined road map for drivers looking to reach the pinnacle of open-wheel racing in North America through Cooper Tires presents US F2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Firestone Indy Lights.

Competition rules changes:

Double-wide restarts on ovals and the restart area moving closer to the start/finish line were among the 2011 rules alterations.

Other changes include:

• Pit order for the field will be based on the qualifying performance from the previous similar venue instead of based on entrant points standings. An example: The starting order from the St. Petersburg race will determine the pit box location for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

• The pit commit line is moving to avoid drivers being caught in "no-man's land."

• The first session of a race weekend will be 75 minutes, with rookies and cars outside the top 10 on the track for the initial 45 minutes followed by all cars for the duration. As a complementary rule change, an extra set of tires will be made available to those participating in the 45-minute session. At the conclusion of the 75 minutes, the top 10 cars will have to turn in one set and the other cars will have to turn in at least one, if not two if they chose to get the second set (teams will be charged for the second set).

• One set of tires will be allowed for each segment of road and street course qualifying (a maximum of three sets for the first, second and Firestone Fast Six sessions). "It's their choice whether they use reds or blacks in any of the three segments, but whatever set they bolt on and start the segment with that's the only set they can use," Barnhart said.
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IndyCar Is Back in Edmonton!

INDYCAR, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, announced January 12th that it will return to Edmonton, Alberta, after City Council and promoter Octane Motorsports Events, Inc., reached an agreement on providing facility upgrades.

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Formula One

A look at the evolution of Formula One cars over the years…


1957 Maserati 250F-------------------------------1961 Lotus 21---------------------------1967 BRM P83

1970 Lotus 49------------------------------------1978 Lotus 79--------------------------1983 Lotus 92

The most obvious changes in this look across 25 years are in the tires and body style aerodynamics…

Now take a look at the changes made after close to another 30 years:

2010 Red Bull Renault RB6


2011 Lotus-Renault R30…



These latest changes are raising eyebrows. Questions are beginning to be heard concerning how far is enough…
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The following is an article from the F1 Fanatic…

Newey concerned about “overly manufactured” F1
14 January 2011 by Keith Collantine

Adrian Newey, 2011

Red Bull designer Adrian Newey says he expects the new adjustable rear wings introduced this year to increase overtaking.
But he warned they could make passing too easy and creating an “overly manufactured” spectacle.
Speaking at the annual Sid Watkins lecture for the Motorsport Safety Fund at Autosport International Newey said:
It will help, sure. It reduces the drag of the car on the straights so that you’ve got extra straight-line speed.
I think the key thing is going to be adjusting it, juggling it, so that it makes overtaking possible but not too easy. If it makes overtaking too easy, so that you get into the position where you want to be second going into the last lap, it then becomes overly manufactured.
There is that danger and certainly at the moment the boost that’s provided, to me, looks too big.
Personally, I know I’m in a minority in this view, the difficulty of overtaking is vastly over-egged. Because what difficult overtaking does mean is that when someone does overtake it’s really memorable.
We all remember [Nigel] Mansell going around the outside of [Gerhard] Berger in Mexico or Nigel and Ayrton [Senna] having it out along the length of the Barcelona straight.
Those stand out because overtaking isn’t that easy and if it becomes like a NASCAR slipstreamer it’s going to lose something.

Newey also said he is concerned that high straight line speeds could contribute to accidents in 2011.

Increased closing speeds could create greater risk of an accident similar to the one suffered by Mark Webber in Valencia last year.
The very high end-of-straight speeds are probably the most dangerous area. That’s something that worries me slightly this year with the moveable rear wing and KERS.
We could potentially have some very high end-of-straight speeds. It’s not so much the speed itself as when you get that sudden difference between them.
That, of course, was what happened with Mark – Heikki braked earlier than Mark expected and it’s the huge difference in speed that causes the accident.

Newey explained the difficulties of preventing this kind of accident through car design:
There are ways being thought of. The fundamental problem is as long as we have an exposed rear wheel then when a nose hits a rear wheel the rotation is going to lift the car.
You could look at regulating very now front noses but that brings other things. At the moment the great thing about high noses is there’s little danger, if a car T-bones another one. If you T-bone a car with a low nose the car could end up on top of you.
So it’s like all these things. It’s almost like the original debate over safety belts: 99% of the time they’re good for you but occasionally there’s going to be an accident where you’d be better not to have a safety belt. Asked what else could be done to stop cars flying into the air Newey added: “Probably get the drivers to brake a bit earlier!”

Here’s the link to the Fanatic: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/01/14/newey-concerned-about-overly-manufactured-f1/
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And then here comes an article that sounds like sour grapes from Ferrari to me…

F1: Red Bull Not Behaving Like Champions – Montezemolo
Here’s the link… Got a hanky handy?

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/f1-red-bull-not-behaving-like-champions-luca-di-montezemolo/
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Australian V-8 Supercars

V8: Series, Drivers Helping Australian Flood Victims
Reigning V8 champion James Courtney and Chairman Tony Cochrane will be among guests attending a private fundraiser to support victims of the floods.

V8 Supercars http://www.v8supercars.com.au/

Posted January 13, 2011

V8 Supercars Australia has moved quickly to assist those that have been affected by the floods that have devastated much of Queensland.

V8 Supercars Media Manager Cole Hitchcock said that the organisation is throwing their support behind the Queensland Flood Appeal.

“The flood disaster has affected so many people in the V8 Supercar fraternity- not only local teams but friends, relatives and fans in all regions across Queensland.”

“Many of the devastated regions such as Ipswich, Toowoomba, Brisbane and North Queensland are heartlands for our sport, and our thoughts are with all those who are going through a difficult time.”

V8 Supercars are supporting the Mates In Need Street Party in the Gold Coast’s Main Beach area this Friday night.

In partnership with companies including Harvey Norman, Myer, the street party in Tedder Avenue will raise money for victims of the Queensland floods.

Reigning V8 champion James Courtney and Chairman Tony Cochrane will be among guests attending a private fundraiser to support victims of the floods associated with the thoroughbred horse industry, which coincides with the Gold Coast’s annual Magic Millions event.

Show cars will be on display and V8 Supercar drivers will be in attendance at the street party, which will be open to the general public. V8 Supercars are also donating items to a public raffle that will help raise funds for the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.

“Our headquarters are based in Queensland so it is important that we help our local community, however I would urge all our fans across the country to donate to the Queensland flood appeal.” said Hitchcock.

Donations can be made via www.qld.gov.au/floods
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Speaking of Australia… By now you’ve heard about Tony Stewart coming up with a black eye after having a set to with Sydney Speedway’s co-owner Brett Morris… I recall reading last summer about Tony having a problem at a small track here in the U.S. as well. At 39 years of age I think it’s time for Tony to slack back just a little bit…

Heck of a way to start the new year Tony!

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Now, in my humble opinion, one of the finest looking cars ever built…

The 1969 Jaguar XKE…

The one pictured has the right colors (forest green / reddish tan leather upholstery) and everything!
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Finally, a little levity…

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One month and counting!

Politically Correct NFL Playoffs

This is being written while the first of four NFL playoff games this weekend is being played.

Now think about this...

If you're any kind of a pro football fan you're well aware of all the hype behind these games as the build-up began after last Sunday's games came to an end... But let's just throw all of that talk out the window and look at the playoffs as if through the eyes of the NFL's executives (always concerned with perception in terms of television ratings and sponsorship deals)...

Today we've got the Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers (the game that's nearing halftime as I write this) and later the Green Bay Packers will invade the Georgia Dome and take on the Atlanta Falcons. Tomorrow it'll be the Seattle Seahawks at the Chicago Bears followed by the New York Jets at the New England Patriots.

So given this group of eight teams who should make it to the Superbowl and win? The top seeds in the NFC and AFC are Atlanta and New England respectively and it's my contention that that's just who should square off in Dallas on February 6th. How do I know that? Well, in the eyes of the NFL they are the two most unblemished of all the possibilities, that's how.

Big Ben... Drunk Again

For example... Pittsburgh is QB'd by an almost rapist... (I know that sounds harsh, but if you're familiar with what happened between Ben Roethlisberger and that young college girl, what would you call it?). Do you think the NFL wants a guy like that leading a team into their Super Bowl? I don't... Pittsburgh is struggling against the Ravens right now...

Then there's the hapless Seattle Seahawks who happen to play in the weakest division in the NFL. For all the parity hype we annually hear out of the NFL do you really think they'll allow the Seahawks to play in the Super Bowl? How would having a 7-9 team in the league's biggest game make the NFL look? Sorry Seattle, if Chicago doesn't get ya whoever you play next Sunday will. Count on it...

Refs meeting at Chicago Bear / Seattle Seahawk game...
"Who wants to make this next call against the Seahawks?"
"Me! "Me!" "I do!" "Let me!"

I don't think the NFL has a problem with either Atlanta or the Green Bay Packers... For this reason I'm gonna say the Falcons pull out the victory on the strength of the home field advantage.

Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers, quarterbacks for the Falcons and Packers respectively are the epitome of the NFL's All-American boys...

Finally, there's the late Sunday matchup between the Jets and the Patriots. I've got it in my head that the NFL really doesn't care for all the rhetoric coming out of the Jets' Head Coach and several of their players. Normally I wouldn't bet against a New York team (corporate headquarters for the NFL is New York City and we see favoritism toward the New York teams in many subtle ways) but the Jets have become a real problem... So long Rex...

If I don't miss my politically correct mark, next weekend will feature the Bears at the Falcons and the Ravens at the Patriots thus setting up the Super Bowl the NFL would prefer and if it's the Steelers verses the Patriots next week count on the Steelers losing...

Yeah I know, I'm pulling for the Seahawks, but NFL reality has set in...

Hang in, Pete!

Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR

A New Twist for Daytona’s Budweiser Shootout


It was announced last Friday that NASCAR has changed the eligibility requirements for the February 12 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
Drivers who have won Sprint Cup rookies of the year honors from 2001-2010 will now be included in the non-points exhibition race.

So, along with the 12 drivers who competed in the 2010 Chase for the championship and the past series champions and previous winners of the Budweiser Shootout, the Daytona 500 and the July Cup race at Daytona, any ROY’s who don’t qualify under the other requirements will be included. This means that Kasey Kahne (ROY in 2004), Regan Smith (2008), Joey Logano (2009) and Kevin Conway (2010) are now eligible bringing the total to thirty drivers for this year's Budweiser Shootout.
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NASCAR Illustrated’s Person of the Year:

Joe Gibbs

Gibbs fits the bill as a person who has had the greatest positive impact both on and off the track in NASCAR…

Since entering NASCAR as the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992, Joe’s teams have won three Cup Championships and nearly a fourth with Denny Hamlin finishing second in 2010.

With 88 career Cup victories, JGR has thrived in NASCAR. Beyond NASCAR, Joe is a
winner in every aspect of the term. Prior to becoming involved in auto racing, Joe’s Washington Redskin NFL teams won three Super Bowl Championships leading up to Gibbs' induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1996.

But the measure of this man is much deeper than simply as a winner in sports. Joe Gibbs is a strongly religious man who has positively touched many lives with his faith-based philosophy. He has written a best-selling book entitled “Game Plan For Life” in an attempt to inspire people in every walk of life. Giving inspirational speeches on many occasions, this man, in his soft-spoken way, has become a part of the fabric that is America.

Joe Gibbs is a true asset not only to American sport, but to the human race.
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SPEED TV is on it! Daytona testing coverage...

23 hours of live testing coverage from Daytona Jan. 20-22 will be presented on both SPEEDTV and SPEEDTV.com as the Sprint Cup Series engine testing roars back to life next week for the first time in three years.

Here’s the schedule:
Thursday, Jan. 20
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. (same-day delay) (SPEED)

Friday, Jan. 21
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)

Saturday, Jan. 22
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
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Funnies!

For you Jeff Gordon fans…

An Oldie But a Goodie!
tez oughta like Taz!

Powerful Auto Batteries!

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Add this to Gene Haddock’s list of things to do to help NASCAR bring the fans back:

Start an office pool!

This is very similar to what we do here on Lug-Nuts. Check out the article. This pushes people, just like fantasy games, to at least tune in to the races and who knows, maybe it would push them to attend racing events in their area...

Here’s a link to the article on buzzle.com:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-do-nascar-office-pools-like-nfl-office-pools.html
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Want to know what Travis Pastrana was doing before NASCAR?

I know the vid is a little long but it’s worth the look…

Do you believe those guys literally flying just a few feet above the ground with those wing-like garments? Amazing… Must really be a rush! Then there’s the guy that parachuted from a helium balloon at over 70,000 feet above the earth… Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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Formula One

Construction begins on Austin F1 track!

Wow! People are working… Earning a living! It’s a miracle! Way to go Texas!
(Now why does our wonderful media have to put a negative spin on this... The Austin track is a GREAT thing for thousands of people but here's this one poor guy upset about it and the media focuses on him. Want to know what one of the symptoms to our poor economy is? Look no further than the practices used by our news media. There, got that off my chest...)
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The 2011 Formula One Racing Calendar

13 March Bahrain
27 March Australia
10 April Malaysia
17 April China*
8 May Turkey
22 May Spain
29 May Monaco
12 June Canada
26 June Europe (Valencia)
10 July Great Britain
24 July Germany
31 July Hungary
28 August Belgium
11 September Italy
25 September Singapore
9 October Japan
16 October Korea
30 October India*
13 November Abu Dhabi
27 November Brazil

* Subject to circuit approval
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Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series – A Harbinger of Things to Come?

Last Sunday, Ryan Dalziel served notice that Starworks Motorsport is a team to watch in the 49th running of Daytona’s Rolex 24 later this month, unofficially breaking the Daytona International Speedway track record with a lap of 128.194mph (1:39.973) in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care Ford/Riley.

I believe they run a portion of this race on the new surface... Makes me wonder, will speeds top out above NASCAR’s mandated ceiling at the 500?
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Finally, how about going to the mall when looking for a new car? Check out this video of Europa Autopia’s new auto mall now under construction in Istanbul Turkey… There will be 48 dealerships, financing companies and insurance companies all under one roof and did you notice the roof? A test track is being constructed up there for people to test drive the vehicles! The time for auto malls is upon us!

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39 Days!

Frustrated Seahawk Fan explains the NFL Playoffs...

Okay... Yeah I know, the Hawks are the first playoff team to come in with less wins than losses. And yes, in their nine losses the average margin of victory was 21 points. Yeah, yeah, yeah...

So I figure this will never happen, but I'm going to float it anyway (step by step)...

#1. The Seattle Seahawks host the New Orleans Saints (the reigning World Champion) at the home of the 12th man tomorrow at 4:30 EST... The Hawks don't have a chance, right? They come out smelling like roses and squeak out the win...
#2. Sunday afternoon at 4:30 EST the Green Bay Packers play the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly and pull off a road victory (entirely possible given the Eagles' health concerns and the strength of the Packers defense)...
#3. This scenario puts Seattle in Chicago to face Da Bears while Green Bay moves down the east coast to square off against the top team in the NFL this season, the Atlanta Falcons...
#4. Now, don't forget, last October Seattle traveled to Soldier Field and got after poor Jay Cutler for 6 sacks and pulled off a 23-20 road victory. The confidence that win means to the Hawks puts them over the top in another squeaker win only this time its for the right to play for the NFC Championship...
#5. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers matches the Falcons' Matty Ice score for score and ends up in the lead when the game ends...
#6. This sets up the NFC title game in the home of the 12th man once again (Division winner trumps better record by wild card team in determining home field advantage)...
#7. Once this stage has been realized the Seahawks' confidence is soaring...

Anything can happen!

Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Daytona!

Okay… The hype begins… Go to the following site, Driver Averages at http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/track.php?trk_id=6 to see who has run at the top of the Daytona 500 since 2009...

I was really surprised to see Matt Kenseth at the top of that list... Harvick? Edwards? Kurt Busch? Those I can understand. Maybe Matt's the one to watch out for with that new Ford power package...
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NASCAR Drivers on “The All Time Dirtiest Athletes List”?

I’m devastated… Guess who made The 50 Dirtiest Athletes of All Time list that was recently released by the “Complex Media Network”…
Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards was listed number 48 on the list of 50. The “Complex Media Dot Com” write up on Edwards reads as follows: “we all get road rage at times but, when it happens in NASCAR, careers and lives are put in danger. Such was the case at the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500, (at the Atlanta Motor Speedway), when Edwards repeatedly tried to take revenge on Brad Keselowski for a crash causing block laps before. Edwards eventually succeeded, sending Keselowski’s car airborne at 190 MPH. Don’t let the endorsement cake and wry smile fool you. Edwards knows all about riding dirty.”
That’s all fine and good… Edwards deserves it. But only 48th out of 50?

This is the one I’ve got a real problem with… Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch was listed at number 38 on the list and, yes, with only two drivers on the list, that makes Kyle the supposed dirtiest driver in NASCAR.


Kyle gets the following accolades: “from causing wrecks to flipping off officials and even breaking s**t after victories, (that would be the famous Gibson Guitar incident), Busch makes cars going around in a circle 400 times slightly more entertaining. The thing that makes Busch one of the most loved and loathed drivers is the fact that he knows he’s an a**h**e, but simply doesn’t give a f**k.”

Nice commentary… I certainly hope Kyle takes a gander at this…

For those with inquiring minds, here’s the whole list:

1. Marty McSorley – Boston Bruins – NHL 2. Luis Resto – Pro Boxer
3. Roy Keane – Pro Soccer 4. Brusce Bowen – San Antonio Spurs – NBA
5. Bill Romanowski – Denver Broncos – NFL 6. Ulf Samuelsson – NY Rangers – NHL
7. Bryan Marchment – Hartford Whalers – NHL 8. Vinnie Jones – Pro Soccer
9. Tonya Harding – Ice Skating 10. Steve Downie – TB Lightning – NHL
11. Bill Laimbeer – Detroit Pistons – NBA 12. Todd Bertuzzi - Vancouver Canucks – NHL
13. Dennis Rodman – Chicago Bulls – NBA 14. Karl Malone – Utah Jazz - NBA
15. Elizabeth Lambert – New Mexico – NCAA Soccer 16. Ty Cobb – Detroit Tigers – MLB
17. Sean Avery – NY Rangers – NHL 18. Chris Pronger – Phil. Flyers – NHL
19. Albert Haynesworth – Wash. Redskins – NFL 20. Mark van Bommel – Pro Soccer
21. Alex Rodriguez – NY Yankees – MLB 22. Ron Artest – LA Lakers - NBA
23. Reggie Evans – Toronto Raptors – NBA 24. Roger Clemens – NY Yankees – MLB
25. Dale Hunter – NHL 26. Pete Rose – Cincinnati Reds - MLB
27. Rasheed Wallace – NBA 28. Hines Ward – Pittsburgh Steelers – NFL
29. Robert Horry – San Antonio Spurs – NBA 30. Marco Materazzi – Pro Soccer
31. James Harrison – Pittsburgh Steelers – NFL 32. Louis Suarez – Pro Soccer
33. Gilbert Yvel – MMA 34. Rodney Harrison – NE Patriots – NFL
35. Darcy Tucker – Toronto Maple Leafs – NHL 36. Roy Williams – Dallas Cowboys – NFL
37. Nigel de Jong – Pro Soccer 38. Kyle Busch – JGR - NASCAR
39. Sammy Sosa – MLB 40. Mike Tyson – Pro Boxer
41. Reggie Miller – Ind. Pacers – NBA 42. Gaylord Perry – MLB
43. Raja Bell – Phoenix Suns – NBA 44. Cortland Finnegan – Tenn. Titans – NFL
45. Kobe Bryant – LA Lakers – NBA 46. Antonio Margarito – Pro Boxer
47. Zola Bud – Olympic Runner 48. Carl Edwards – RFR – NASCAR
49. Jack Tatum – Oakland Raiders – NFL 50. Steve Ott – Dallas Stars - NHL

It’s interesting that 42% of the dirtiest athletes (21 of 50) are from the winter sports, the National Basketball Association (11) and the National Hockey League (10). Cabin Fever?

I was really surprised to see anyone from NASCAR or auto racing in general on this list. These guys play with fire. They shouldn’t be doing anything that qualifies as dirty on the race track.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Are you ready for this? A rock band named Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr.? Not a bad sound (I’m kind of an unofficial music connoisseur and I’ll probably buy it!) and it appears the use of an icon’s name is spelling recognition as they are busily filling a performance schedule with their first album due out this coming spring…
Here’s one of several videos available on Youtube:

Pretty imaginative. Wonder what Junyer has to say about it…

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Jennifer Jo Cobb featured on CNN

I hoped to present the interview video here but CNN being CNN, access to the embed code was restricted… (Just another reason why I don’t tune in to this wonderful “news” network)
Jennifer Jo is interviewed by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta with questions circling the physical demands of racing, the fear of racing accidents and how Ms. Cobb deals with it.

Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFEaOwIYtYY
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Australian Sprintcar

What's Tony Stewart do when NASCAR's not racing? He goes out and finds another racing circuit! This isn't the first NASCAR off-season when Tony's run down to Australia (of course it's summer down there right now...), but wouldn't ya think he'd be on cruise control and relaxing in the sunshine? Not Tony the Tiger. I guess he's just got to be standing on a throttle pedal, even if it's in an Australian Sprint Car! That led to the following headline:

STEWART FINISHES SECOND, SCHATZ THIRD IN AUSTRALIAN SPRINT CAR GRAND PRIX

Link: http://www.tonystewartracing.com/news/1/Stewart-Finishes-Second-Schatz-Third-in-Australian-Sprint-Car-Grand-Prix-46/

Maybe that's just how Smoke relaxes...

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IndyCar

Indianapolis is gearing up for the Centennial celebration of the Indianapolis 500 this year... Here are some commemorative stories...

1911 Indianapolis 500

The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. A departure from previous Speedway policy of holding numerous smaller racing meets during 1909 and 1910 racing seasons, the singular, large-scale event attracted widespread attention from both American and European racing teams and manufacturers, and, despite controversy surrounding its conclusion, proved far and away a successful event, immediately establishing itself both as the premier motorsports competition in the nation, and one of the most prestigious in the world.
From the archives…

Things have certainly changed in 100 years... Isn't it great that we can actually see back then on film?
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Stamp Commemorates 100 years of racing at Indianapolis 500…

The 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 will be honored on a United States Postal
Service commemorative stamp that will go on sale in May 2011.
The stamp will be a "Forever Stamp," always equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1-ounce letter regardless of price changes in the future.
Illustrator John Mattos created the stylized, art deco illustration of Ray Harroun driving the Marmon "Wasp," winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, on the Indianapolis 500 Forever Stamp. Text along the bottom of the stamp reads "Indianapolis 500," with small type along the bottom of the stamp opposite the year 2011 reads "100 YEARS OF RACING."

"It's a great honor for the Indianapolis 500 to be featured on a United States Postal Service stamp," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "The stamp recognizes the '500' as a vital part of American culture and is a wonderful addition to our celebration of the 100th anniversary of the race in 2011."
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Indianapolis 500 Centenary Countdown: First Times for a Legendary Trio
In one hundred races at the Brickyard there are but three drivers who have won four Indianapolis 500's in their career.

Here's a link to the story: http://www.racer.com/indianapolis-500-centenary-countdown-first-times-for-a-legendary-trio/article/192748/

The names resonate with racing fans the world over... A.J. Foyt (won in 1961, '64, '67 and '77), Al Unser (won in 1970, '71, '78 and '87) and Rick Mears (won in 1979, '84, '88 and '91). Notice how the three overlap in the years they won in and yet outside of this 30 year span there hasn't been another... 2011 marks the second year when another driver will have a chance to join this elite group... One of Kristen's favorites, Hélio Castroneves.

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Will Power’s will power wears down…

Coming off his best IZOD IndyCar Series season of his career, Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power is having a good offseason as well. Power married his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Cannon in Maui, Hawaii a few days ago.
Will first met Cannon, who is from Texas, when he came to the United States from his native Australia to race cars in 2006. The two worked together at Walker Racing and they began dating.
Cannon now is employed as a public relations representative for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series while Power has established himself as one of the rising stars of motorsports following a runner-up finish in the 2010 series championship.
Power will return to action in the number 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara /Honda in 2011 looking to defend his Mario Andretti Road course championship and once again fight for the overall IZOD IndyCar Series title.

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Formula One

Team Lotus verses Group Lotus

The beat goes on with the Lotus split. Team Lotus will continue racing with the familiar forest green and bright yellow Lotus colors while Group Lotus has adopted black and gold for their Renault partnership cars.

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Petrov confirmed at Renault until 2012

Lotus Renault announced they will retain Vitaly Petrov for the next two seasons.

"I am very happy to continue with the team and proud to be representing Lotus Renault GP for the 2011 and 2012 seasons,” said Petrov, who has just completed his rookie F1 campaign with the team. “I learned a lot about the sport, the circuits and the car this year. That will help me improve even more in the future.

“I am very excited about working with this great team once more, and I'm confident that I will deliver. In many ways, 2010 was about learning. 2011 will be about performing. Today, I feel I am ready to rise to this challenge."

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D’Ambrosio lands Virgin race seat for 2011

The Virgin team announced Belgian driver Jerome D’Ambrosio will partner with Timo Glock in their race line-up for the 2011 Formula One season.

Last month, 25 year-old D’Ambrosio successfully concluded an evaluation role with Virgin, taking part in Friday practice sessions at the Singapore, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Grands Prix. In addition, he conducted a further half-day program in the team’s VR-01 car during last month’s Abu Dhabi young driver test.

“I’m thrilled to have achieved my goal of a Formula One race seat with Marussia Virgin Racing,” said D’Ambrosio. “When I came to the team in September this year it was everything I could hope for.

“I had a tough test to complete because there was a lot of competition for this seat, but at the same time I got on well with the team and felt that I had found my home. I feel very comfortable with them - they are extremely professional and ambitious people and it is exciting to think that I can be a part of shaping the team’s future.”
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Finally... What do Cadillac STS, Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Element, Kia Borrego, Kia Rondo, Lexus SC, Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, the complete Mercury line of automobiles, Mitsubishi Raider and the Volvo V70 have in common? 2010 was the last year all these models and one make of automobiles were manufactured...

1951 Mercury Convertible... So long to another American icon...

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47 Days Kristen, Gene...