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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Kenny Wallace, Brian Scott have heated discussion via Twitter

Kenny Wallace seemed to unintentionally set off a Twitter war between himself and fellow-NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott earlier this week. The Tweet from Wallace that set Scott off:

“MY THOUGHTS. . Trevor Bayne is a good driver, He will get a ride Imediately! . . Brian Scotts dad is wealthy he will BUY a ride Imediately. .

Wallace’s tweets were in response to announcements this week that both Bayne and Scott were parting ways with the teams they had driven for this season, up to that point.

Not long afterward, Scott tweeted back with this response:

“Jees @kenny_wallace thanks for all the kind words. . . Not! You should maybe give me a chance or get to know me first. . . Your choice.”

On some level, Wallace may have brought up an interesting—and disturbing to some—trend of some drivers seeming to buy their way into national level competition. But Brian Scott?

Whether or not Scott’s family has money and whether or not that money played a part in helping him reach the level he is currently competing at aside, at least Scott seems to have the talent to make the best of the opportunity the money may or may not have gotten him.

To read more, visit Auto Racing Daily.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

5 Things to Do and See in Kansas City, Kansas

Home of Kansas Speedway
A lot of NASCAR fans tend to get caught up in raceday excitement and forget that there are other things to do around the tracks. Sometimes, race fans don't always want to just hang around the track. I have not been to or visited all of these places but many of these have been suggested by fans or natives of the towns and states or even by folks in the NASCAR industry themselves! Others have come from websites or the chambers of commerce. So sit back and take an armchair road trip with me across the circuit...
Author’s note: This week I’m focusing on things to do free in Kansas City and the surrounding area! We all know many NASCAR fans in this economy are traveling on a budget and may not be able to afford admission into things they might want to see in the cities they visit. So this week, every one of my five things are free!

The Frontier Army Museum
The museum has collected and preserved artifacts that tell the tale of the Frontier Army from 1804 to 1916 and of Fort Leavenworth. The fort is the oldest active military post west of the Mississippi. Leavenworth has served as a military post since 1827. The museum provides wonderful insights into army life on the frontier during the Civil War. Of the Fort’s 5,634 acres, 214 of them are dedicated to a National Historic Landmark District.

If you want to honor and remember those who’ve died fighting for our country, the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery is located nearby. Buried here are Medal of Honor recipients, Operation Desert Storm soldiers, and even some Confederate prisoners of war.

If you have a taste for our nation’s history, be sure to check out the museum, fort, and cemetery. Best of all, it’s all free! Visit the Frontier Army Museum’s website or this Fort Leavenworth information site for hours of operation.

Hallmark Visitor’s Center
“If you switch the R and the C in racing, you get caring.” Mark Martin said it on the Letterman show in 2007 and today, if you’re visiting Kansas City, you can see how it rings true.

Located on the Missouri side of Kansas City, the Hallmark Visitor’s Center is dedicated to those little “chicken soup for the soul” moments that awe and inspire. The center has many permanent exhibits to visit as well as occasional special exhibits.

Parking and admission are FREE! And at the end, stop by the reception desk for your free souvenir! Visit their website for more information and virtual tours.

Harley Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations Tours
From Hallmark to Harley Davidson, the Missouri end of Kansas City offers a variety of sightseeing opportunities for everyone. If sweet and sentimental isn’t your thing, you might want to check out this destination geared toward enthusiasts of the popular motorcycle manufacturer.

You will have the opportunity to take a guided tour through the 358,000-square-foot facility and watch the birth of one of these highly popular American-made machines. From gas tanks to fresh painted frames and highly sophisticated welding technology, fulfill all your testosterone powered dreams.

Tours of the operations plant are FREE but on a first come, first serve basis. Check out their website for hours of operation and tour schedules.

Kaleidoscope
Travelling with children? Kids can get restless and all that pent up energy might be driving you crazy. Kaleidoscope by Hallmark is a children’s art studio where your kids can participate in independent art sessions geared toward their young and creative minds and to keep yours sane while you relax and take a break. If you want to participate, however, there are also family-oriented sessions so you can bond with your little ones.

The art studio is conveniently situated near the Hallmark visitor’s center. Admission is FREE and on a first come, first serve basis. Visit their website for more information and hours of operation.

Bizarre: Roadside Attractions
Every state and many towns have them. You’ve seen them. You probably wondered “what the #*%^@?” while driving past them. yeah, I’m talking about roadside attractions.

Everything’s up to date in Kansas City but for the domestic housewife, she might be happy to see this sculpture of a primitive iron to appreciate the modern conveniences of dry cleaning. It may not be a skyscraper but this T-rex statue stands more than seven stories high! At the end of your journey through Kansas City, you can have your meal delivered by train.

I’d say they’ve gone about as fur as they can go but if you’re itching for more, be sure to check out www.RoadsideAmerica.com for some more bizarre, offbeat, and fun destinations.

Roush Rewind: AAA 400

For the second time this season, the Sprint Cup Series traveled to Dover International Speedway for the running of the AAA 400. The Monster Mile is the second stop in the Chase, and was a place where some of the Chase drivers hoped to rebound from their outing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend. Two drivers dominated the race. A.J. Allmendinger led 143 of the 400 laps, and Jimmie Johnson led 191. After starting from the pole, it was Johnson who took the checkered flag on Sunday.

After a rough weekend at New Hampshire last weekend, the Roush Fenway Racing drivers looked to Dover as a track they could redeem themselves. Roush Fenway has eight Sprint Cup wins at Dover, and their best outing at Dover came in the fall of 2008 when Greg Biffle won, followed by teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. David Ragan finished 19th that race. This time around, Ragan, Biffle, and Kenseth all struggled, finishing 24th, 19th, and 18th respectively. Edwards led only two laps on Sunday, but finished 5th.

David Ragan—Start: 29th. Finish: 24th.

Early last week, it was announced that Drew Blickensderfer, who had been serving as Carl Edwards’s Nationwide Series crew chief, would replace David Ragan’s Cup crew chief Donnie Wingo, at least until the end of the season. There has been no confirmation yet as to whether Blickensderfer will remain with the No. 6 team for next season as well. On Tuesday mornings, Ragan calls into the radio morning show Moby in the Morning. This week, Moby asked Ragan how he felt about Blickensderfer being his crew chief. Ragan replied, "We weren't getting worse, and we weren't getting any better. We needed a change." So, with a new crew chief atop the pit box, Ragan and his crew came to Dover wanting to get a good finish. However, it seems that he has yet to get rid of that little black cloud that has been following him all season.

After qualifying 29th, Ragan knew he would have a lot of work to do on Sunday. Under the first caution of the day on lap 39, Ragan was in the 26th position and radioed to Blickensderfer that the No. 6 UPS Ford was a bit tight, but good on entry and through the center of the turns. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. The changes helped, and Ragan was up to 19th shortly after the restart. A long green-flag run resulted in Ragan making his pit stop under green on lap 117, while in the 13th position. The plan was to make another small air pressure adjustment while making a stop for four tires and fuel. Unfortunately, things went south from there. Ragan quickly radioed to the team that he felt like he had a loose left-rear wheel. Sure enough, after he pitted again, the UPS crew confirmed that the left-rear wheel was loose. Ragan went back out in the 33rd position, two laps down.

Just like he always does when things go wrong, Ragan refused to give up. He fought hard to get back on the lead lap. Eventually, he did take the wave around under a later caution, and got one lap back, but by then he was three laps down. A lack of cautions and the resulting unusually long green-flag runs left Ragan doing all he could to gain any positions. Ultimately, he was able to move up to the 24th position when the checkered flag waved. He is 25th in the standings.

Greg Biffle—Start: 6th. Finish: 19th.

With two wins at the Monster Mile, Greg Biffle felt confident he could get a good finish on Sunday. Biffle had solid practice times and qualified 6th in the No. 16 3M Ford. When the green flag dropped, it looked as though Biffle would get the finish he needed to remain a factor in the Chase.

He was running 5th when the first caution of the day came out on lap 39. He pitted for four tires and fuel. The 3M Pit Bulls were able to send Biffle out third for the restart. Over the following run, the sun came out from behind the clouds. Biffle soon reported his car had become very loose in the sunlight, and his crew made some adjustments under a green-flag stop on lap 116. The adjustments didn’t work, and Biffle soon found himself dropping back. When the next set of green-flag stops were supposed to begin, crew chief Greg Erwin called Biffle down pit road a few laps early on lap 184. Just three laps later, Biffle’s teammate Matt Kenseth had a left-front tire blow, which brought out a caution. The caution would be the setback Biffle didn’t need. A majority of the leaders had yet to pit, and Biffle went two laps down. He took the wave around when the leaders pitted under that caution, but was still one lap down.
After restarting 22nd, Biffle spent the rest of the race trying to get in the Lucky Dog position in case the caution came out again. The caution did come out once more, but Biffle wasn’t in position to get his lap back. He was able to run as high as 16th, but slipped back to take the checkered flag from the 19th position.

Biffle remains 9th in the standings, 140 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. However, he is only 75 points behind the fifth position.

Matt Kenseth—Start: 14th. Finish: 18th.

Following a disappointing finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, Matt Kenseth came to Dover International Speedway anticipating having a great run in the AAA 400. Kenseth considers Dover as one of his favorite tracks and has seen a lot of success at the 1-mile speedway, where he’s accumulated one win, 10 top-5 finishes, 15 top-10 finishes and two poles. Kenseth and the Crown Royal crew were hoping to add to those impressive stats, but just like at New Hampshire, the team just couldn’t catch a break.

Throughout the weekend, Kenseth’s No. 17 Crown Royal Ford looked like it would be rather competitive on Sunday. There were three practice sessions over the weekend, in which Kenseth finished 6th, 13th and 4th. Even Kenseth’s spotter Mike Calinoff felt confident they had a great car for Sunday’s race. Kenseth took the green flag from the 14th position to start the 400-lap race. When the first caution of the day came out on lap 39, Kenseth took the opportunity to inform crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Ford was a bit loose, free on entry of the turns, and lacking grip. Kenseth pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments. After restarting 15th, Kenseth told Fennig the changes had helped, but the car was still a bit loose.

A long green-flag run followed, and Kenseth had worked his way well inside the top 10 when a second round of green-flag stops began around lap 180. While fighting the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin for position, Kenseth had to work his way to the bottom to try to get to pit road. He missed the commitment line and tried to slow his car down. The move caused the left-front tire of Kenseth’s car to blow out, causing considerable damage to the left-front of the car. Under the resulting caution, Kenseth pitted numerous times so his crew could repair the damage. He restarted 26th, one lap down on lap 194. Kenseth worked his way up to 18th after that and focused on getting into the Lucky Dog position to get back on the lead lap.

Unfortunately, the caution he needed never came out. Even with the damage, Kenseth had been running comparable lap times to the leaders, but was unable to get back on the lead lap. He was forced to accept an 18th place finish.

Kenseth came to Dover 11th in the standings, 136 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. His 18th place finish kept him in the 11th position, and he is now 165 points behind Hamlin. With the 2nd race of the Chase completed, it looks like Kenseth’s hopes of being the 2010 champion might be over.

Carl Edwards—Start: 10th. Finish: 5th.

Dover is one of Carl Edwards’s favorite tracks. He and his team knew they had to perform well on Sunday if they wanted to gain any ground in the standings. Edwards qualified the No. 99 Aflac Ford in the 10th position, and remained inside the top 10 for much of the race.

In the opening run, Edwards reported to crew chief Bob Osborne that his car was a little tight, and when a caution came out on lap 39, he pitted for four tires, fuel, and wedge and air pressure adjustments. Edwards was 10th on the following restart and held onto that position until a second pit stop for more adjustments helped him gain some ground on the drivers ahead of him. He had worked his way back up to 6th by lap 175. When the caution came out for teammate Kenseth’s blown tire, Edwards pitted for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment, which helped improve the handling.

By lap 214, Edwards had cracked the top five. At this point, the No. 99 Ford was a little loose, but Edwards was still able to run down the drivers ahead of him. On lap 268, Edwards made another green-flag stop for tires, fuel, and track bar and air pressure adjustments. The adjustments helped, and Edwards was third by lap 286. The caution flag waved on lap 292, and Edwards’s crew made their best stop of the race. The 12.29-second stop helped Edwards remain in the third position. However, he lost a few positions on the restart. As the race wore on, a final round of green-flag stops was made. Edwards led two laps, gaining those valuable bonus points for leading a lap, before pitting on lap 365. The Aflac crew performed the stop in 13 seconds, and once everything had cycled through, Edwards was sitting in the 6th position. Edwards gained one more position before the race ended t o finish 5th.

The top-5 finish helped Edwards gain one position in the standings. He is currently 6th, 73 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Race winner: Jimmie Johnson

While A.J. Allmendinger was the strongest non-Chase driver on Sunday, the second Chase race would be won by a Chase driver. Jimmie Johnson led nearly half of the 400-lap race, showing he’s more than ready to make the “drive for five” to get his 5th consecutive Sprint Cup championship. Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team on their victory!

Can Jimmie Johnson win his 5th consecutive Cup championship? Will Roush Fenway Racing get another win before the season ends? Is Carl Edwards now the only hope Roush Fenway has for winning the championship? Anything can happen! There’s 8 races left.

The Chase continues…

Next up: Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway October 3, 2010.

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As you all have probably noticed, the format of the Roush Rewind has changed a few times over the season. Today’s change is a new format I thought I would try out. I think it helps it flow better. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think about it. I’m open to suggestions on how to improve this column.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

#18 Crew Wins Pit Road Award at AAA 400

At Dover International Speedway

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Photo courtesy of @SamSarcinella


Kyle Busch's Crew Captures NASCAR Sprint Cup Pit Road Award At Dover

Kyle Busch's pit crew claimed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's AAA 400 Sprint Cup race (Sept. 26) at Dover International Speedway.

It was the third Tissot win of the season for the No. 18 crew, which moved into a three-way tie for second place in the Tissot standings. Jeff Gordon's No. 24 crew continues to lead with four wins.

The weekly-winning crew receives $5,000 from Tissot plus a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.

The Joe Gibbs Racing team finished 1-2-3 in the Tissot pit road competition in Dover with Busch's No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota spending the least amount of time on pit road - 254.478 seconds. Denny Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota was second (255.463) and coming in third was Joey Logano's No. 20 Home Depot Toyota (257.578).

The No. 18 over-the-wall crew consists of: Nick Odell (front-tire changer), Brad Donaghy (front-tire carrier), Jake Seminara (rear-tire changer), Kenny Barber (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Fender (jackman), Tom Lampe (gasman), Jason Hinson (catch can). The team's pit crew coach is Mike Lepp and the crew chief is Dave Rogers.

"I'm real proud of this Interstate Batteries / M&M's over-the-wall gang," said Rogers. "They've been extremely fast and reliable all year. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award is a testament to their speed, but their talent goes far beyond that. They are a fun group of guys to work with, they keep their egos in check, and they thrive on pressure. These guys are the real deal and are instrumental in the success of this race team."

Post credited to PaddockTalk NASCAR News

Infineon Raceway Schedule for 2011



NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Highlights
Infineon Raceway 2011 Season Schedule


The Infineon Raceway will feature the most diverse motor-racing schedule in the country during the 2011 Big O Tires Racing Season, highlighted by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, IZOD IndyCar® Series, motorcycles, historic car racing, and more.



NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will again headline the schedule with the Toyota/Save Mart 350, which will return to its more traditional date, June 24-26. The race had been held on Father’s Day each of the last two years. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 has boasted six different race winners in six years, with Jimmie Johnson claiming his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road-course win in Sonoma earlier this year. Fans can also look forward to the earlier noon start time on race day.

Drag racing will play a major part in the 2011 season, highlighted by the 24th annual FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 29-31. Funny Car driver Ron Capps ended a one-year winless streak in 2010 with a victory at Infineon Raceway. The NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel will be hosted the weekend prior, July 22-24.

The Indy® Grand Prix of Sonoma marks the IZOD IndyCar Series’ seventh annual visit to the Sonoma Valley, Aug. 26-28, and its only stop in Northern California in 2011. Team Penske’s Will Power claimed his first Infineon Raceway victory earlier this year; becoming the sixth race winner in as many years.

Infineon Raceway will also host the best in AMA Pro Road Racing featuring double headers in both SuperBike and DaytonaSport Bike at the West Coast Moto Jam, May 13-15. The weekend will also feature Supermoto USA, as well as electric motorcycle racing with the return of the TTXGP U.S. Championship. The raceway is working on other two-wheel action to enhance the weekend.

Historic-car racing will take center stage during two unique weekends, including the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival (June 4-5) and the Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge (Oct. 1-2).


Tickets for all 2011 major events go on sale to the public, Nov. 15. For tickets or more information, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The complete major event schedule for 2011 is as follows:

  • West Coast Moto Jam – May 13-15
  • Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival – June 4-5
  • Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – June 24-26
  • NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel – July 22-24
  • FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals – July 29-31
  • Indy® Grand Prix of Sonoma – Aug. 26-28
  • Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge – Oct. 1-2
Text the word SONOMA to 41411 to receive mobile alerts from Infineon Raceway

Chase Coverage: Dover Wrap-Up Report

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This past weekend the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series set their sights on the Monster Mile. Twelve drivers were fighting it out for top spot in the points but a few of the non-Chasers looked to spoil the fun. Although AJ Allmendinger led a large portion of the laps, it was Jimmie Johnson who led the most and emerged the victor. With two of the 10 races in the books, Denny Hamlin is the points leader. Here’s what our team had to say following the AAA 400.

1. DENNY HAMLIN – (LEADER) – HOLLY MACHUGA
Considering how bad of a track Dover is for Denny Hamlin, it is pretty amazing to see him still in the lead for points this week. Denny started fourth for the AAA 400 and finished ninth, adding another top 10 to his races at Dover.

Denny heated things up between himself and RCR this week when he told the media his thoughts on Bowyerpalooza. To sum things up, he said that this had been going on in the garage for awhile and everyone knew and that he didn't blame them for pushing the limits. Due to this, there was a little bit of on-track action between the 11 team and Kevin Harvick's 29 team during practice on Saturday. Hamlin and Harvick spoke with one another in the garage, wasting precious practice time. It was a warning to Denny that he should not mess with Richard Childress Racing. Before getting out of the car on Sunday after the race, he was told to calm down and think about what he was going to say. He had been reprimanded for speaking his mind to the media.

All in all, it was a good weekend for Denny and the FedEx team. Ninth is one of his best finishes at Dover. Keep watching that FedEx team! They are truly working for this championship and holding the 48 team off!

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – (– 35) – REBECCA KIVAK

Putting a brutal race at New Hampshire in the rear-view mirror, Jimmie Johnson won in dominant fashion at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. Despite some slow pit stops early on in the AAA 400, Johnson led a race-high 191 laps and cruised to his sixth victory of the season with a 2.6-second lead over Jeff Burton.

The win marked the four-time Sprint Cup champion’s sixth victory at the Monster Mile and propelled him four spots, from sixth to second, in the championship standings, 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. The strong effort showed the 48’s “drive for five” is indeed alive and sent a message to the garage that Johnson doesn’t intend to back down. The day was made even sweeter by the first appearance of his daughter, 2-month-old Genevieve Marie, in victory lane.

Johnson and the 48 Lowes team started the weekend on a high note, winning the pole position for Sunday’s race, his fourth at the 1-mile concrete oval. He reported a tight racecar for much of the AAA 400. He led the first 12 laps before being passed by AJ Allmendinger. Running second when a caution came out on lap 39, Johnson pitted and got four tires as well as a trackbar adjustment, but a problem on the left side led to a 15.3-second stop. Johnson lost three spots on pit road and restarted the race in fifth. For the next 70 laps Johnson was running between the third and sixth positions.

On lap 116, the 48 crew made an air pressure adjustment but stumbled in the pits, resulting in a 15-second stop. Johnson continued to run in the top five and on lap 172 retook the lead when Allmendinger pitted. After a caution for a blown tire by Matt Kenseth on lap 186, Johnson pitted and took four tires. He won the race off pit road with a 13.5-second stop. Before green pit stops started on lap 265, Johnson built as high as a 4.1-second lead over the rest of the field. After a caution on lap 290, Johnson lost the lead in the race off pit road to Kyle Busch. On lap 337 Johnson reclaimed the lead from Busch. In the remaining 63 laps of the AAA 400, Johnson only gave up the lead once, when he pitted on lap 364 and Carl Edwards led for a single lap. Johnson was able to maintain at least a 2-second lead over second-place Burton right up to the checkered flag.

After his win, Johnson said, “There's this huge weight off my shoulders that we were able to win a race in the Chase, rebound from last weekend. We're in the middle of this thing, and I'm really, really excited."

3. KYLE BUSCH – (– 45) – LINDI BESS
With the #48 Lowes Chevy sitting on the pole for the second race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, it was important for the #18 Interstate Batteries Camry to strengthen its position in its pursuit and prove that JGR is among the top competitors in the series, showing that they have what it takes to be champions!

The #18 Toyota Camry went into Dover sitting third in the points standings. Having a qualifying run of 154.619 mph and starting 11th, Kyle knew he had some ground to make up, especially if he really wanted to repeat the double at Dover. Going into the AAA 400 on the momentum gained from running away with the NNS race on Saturday, Kyle said, "Yesterday was good, today will be great."

The race was dominated by Johnson with having led almost half of its 400 laps, but JGR managed to get all three of its drivers a place in the top 10 for the day. The Interstate Batteries Toyota had an awesome afternoon on pit road with pit stops under 15.0 seconds. This top-10 finish was definitely a product of the pit crew of the #18 .

With less than 130 laps to go, a caution came out. The #18 Toyota Camry had a great pit stop coming out in first position. With under 70 laps remaining, Kyle reported the car was too tight. He drops to the second position, behind the #48. He soon loses second position to Jeff Burton in the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for RCR, finding himself in third. Kyle begins to fight for positions and continues to push his Interstate Batteries Camry forward. He finds himself up against brother Kurt for fourth.

Pitting one last time with 35 to go, it's four tires and fuel to take the Interstate Battery Camry to the end of the race. The #18 car remained too tight for the balance of the race but Busch managed to bring it home in sixth place. He tightened his third-place grip on Denny Hamlin and will be knocking on the doors of both him and Jimmie Johnson next weekend.

Now only 45 points out of leader Hamlin, and 10 points behind four-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Kyle and crew chief Dave Rodgers must remain focused on the big picture. There are some strong teams out there, both in and out of the Chase. You can bet that the Chasers who still have a chance are gonna show up with every intention of taking that checkered flag.

Good luck to all the 2010 Chasers!

4. KURT BUSCH – (– 59) – KATY LINDAMOOD
Dover has always been a question mark on the schedule for Kurt Busch. Not traditionally a good track for the Penske driver, Busch went into the weekend confident that the team could bounce back from last week’s solid, yet disappointing performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Starting from the eight position, Busch stayed within the top 10 for most of the day and ended the race in fourth position, which allowed him to move up one spot in the points standings.

What started out as a good day for the Miller Lite team had the potential to end poorly because of driver error on pit road. Busch had moved into third position when the caution came out on lap 189 for debris caused by the shredded Matt Kenseth tire. Busch entered the pits in third position and the team took on four tires and removed air pressure from the right front. Busch was set to restart in the fourth position when he was informed of the pit road speeding penalty. Busch was forced to head to pit road again for a pass-through penalty and restarted in 18th. Of the error Busch said, “We had a pit road speeding penalty and it was my fault. The driver was just too aggressive. I was trying to be right on the edge getting in the pits. That hurt us. That was right at half way and it took us 200 laps to get back up to fourth. I think we were running third when we had the penalty.”

Busch was also quick to point out that crew chief Steve Addington has helped him to perform better at Dover this season than he has in the past. Addington, in his first season with Busch and the Penske said following the race, “We'd been loose all day and we just kept chipping at it and finally got a little bit more aggressive with the car. We ended up being the fastest car on the race track at one point. One set of tires didn't have the grip that the other sets did and that's where we got a little bit off.”

Up next on the schedule in Kansas, which has never been a good track for Busch. However, given the consistent finishes the team has pull off recently. Busch’s chances of a good weekend at the Kansas track are looking up and for fans of the elder Busch this is a very good sign.

5. KEVIN HARVICK – ( –65) – AMBER ARNOLD
Amber's post-race analysis for Kevin Harvick is temporarily unavailable and will be added as soon as possible.

6. CARL EDWARDS – ( –73) – AMANDA EBERSOLE
The Monster Mile seemed tame this time around and for Carl Edwards, this was another great race with a top-5 finish.

The weekend was off to a good start for Edwards; he started off practice Friday and posted the second fastest time on the charts. (Ryan Newman was fastest) Second practice was a bit of a struggle with Bob Osborne and the team trying some different setups for the car, leaving Carl at 21st on the time charts. Qualifying went well for the Aflac team: Carl was fifth after his run and eventually ended up in 10th.

Sunday’s race saw Carl Edwards be the leader of the Roush Fenway cars, as all his teammates finished the race a lap or more down. Carl, on the other hand, had a good race, no worse than 12th place at any time and he battled for position with Joey Logano and Kurt Busch throughout the race. The Aflac Ford Fusion was loose throughout the race and adjustments were made on pit road to tighten the car up. There were some stumbles on pit road and positions were lost, but the 99 team rebounded about halfway through the race and showed they are contenders for the Sprint Cup. Carl finished the race in fifth and now moves up to sixth in points. Denny Hamlin is still the current points leader, and Carl is -73 back.

7. JEFF BURTON – ( –80) – GENNA SHORT
From a 27th starting spot to a very impressive second-place finish at Dover, Jeff Burton proves that you can’t count out the 31 team just yet. Up two spots to seventh place, he sits just 80 points out of the lead.

The 31 car ran well under sunny skies but seemed to fall back when the cloud cover came.

“My guys did a great job of adjusting to the track and getting the car better at the right time,” Burton said in a post-race interview. “Halfway through that next to last run, my car just got really happy and took off. We then became a contender.”

Burton ran in the top six for a good part of the race but it wasn’t until the final quarter of the race where he really proved himself to be a potential threat for the win. With Clint Bowyer’s penalty, Jeff is currently seated in the second-best points position in the RCR garage.

8. JEFF GORDON – ( –83) – GENEVIEVE CADORETTE
Jeff Gordon finished 11th and dropped down to eight in the points standings with 5285, -83 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

He qualified in 15th position and finished 26th in practice. On race day Gordon started off strong, working his way to the top 10 and moving into the third position.

After a 17.7-second final pit stop, he lost five positions and went on to finish in 11th place at the Monster Mile, which drops him to the eighth seed.

It’s been nine races since his last top-5 finish, his longest drought since 2005.

He did struggle Sunday but managed to stay on the lead lap. In post-race comments, Gordon said, “It was everything I could do to just hang on to it, let alone finish 11th. So things didn’t go our way there at the end, we lost some extra positions and just held on for 11th. That’s all we can do.”

9. GREG BIFFLE – ( –140) – STACIE BALL
Dover International Speedway, also known as the Monster Mile, finally came and tamed the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion with the tricks that it played on Greg Biffle along with the whole team in the second race of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. With solid top-10 finishes in practice and a sixth-place starting position on the grid, the team along with fans had plenty of high expectations for the AAA 400. What happens when you do not beat or follow through and get the points expected?

The race in the eyes of Biffle and the 3M Pit Bulls: Up to lap 25 when the first caution came out, Biffle was running in the top five with the head of the pack when coming in to pit for four tires along with fuel sent him out third for the restart on lap 43. The next green flag run is when the sun came out and the loose condition in the car became noticable for the driver. Adjustments were made yet did not help the cause when crew chief Greg Erwin called Biffle in early on lap 184 when the No. 16 was falling back on the grid.

Three laps after Biffle returned to the track, teammate Matt Kenseth cut a tire and brought out the third caution of the day.  Unfortunately, several cars including the leaders had not yet pitted and this caused Biffle to be two laps down. He took the wave around when the leaders pitted to gain one lap back, but restarted one lap down in the 22nd position. Biffle vied for the Lucky Dog position to get his lap back.

There would only be one more caution, however, and at that time Biffle was not in position to take advantage. He reported that the car was loose and unpredictable and the team continued to adjust on it. Biffle ran as high as 16th in the closing laps but fell back after a late-race green-flag pit stop to 20th. He was able to get by Marcos Ambrose with two laps remaining for a 19th-place finish.

“It looked like my teammate just skidded his tires trying to get on pit road,” said Biffle. “Everybody does it, but that blew the left-front out and caught us two laps down because we had just pitted. If we were running on the lead lap, I thought we were a top-10 car. It’s unfortunate. We’re not out of it, but those two finishes are not a way to start the Chase off.”

Biffle and the 3M team remain ninth in the point standings, 140 points behind leader Denny Hamlin, but only 75 points out of fifth. The team will return to the track on Sunday, Oct. 3, at Kansas Speedway.

10. TONY STEWART – ( – 162) – UNIQUE HIRAM
Dover International Speedway, “The Monster Mile,” proved to be the campground of struggles for the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet piloted by Tony Stewart. He began the race in the 25thposition and finished in the 21st, still maintaining his 10th position in the Sprint Cup Chase standings.

On lap 115, Stewart got two laps off of the pace due to a pit road speeding penalty. “I’m sorry guys,” said Stewart over the radio on the race’s cool-down lap. “I knew it as soon as I came in. I just couldn’t get slowed down enough.” Approximately on lap 295, Stewart regained one of those lost laps back; however, he would lose that regained lap back once again shortly after 300 laps.

Although Stewart and his team realize that they have a hard fought battle ahead of them over these next eight weeks, there is still an air of optimistic and positive attitudes to be successful at the next track. “You can't race with the Chase in mind," said Stewart. "You have got to race the race and you have to take it one week at a time."

The Sprint Cup Chase has definitely seen its share of shakeups with just two races completed and I believe that there are still more surprises to come. I wouldn’t count Tony Stewart and his team out of this Chase just yet because a lot can happen in the next upcoming weeks.

11. MATT KENSETH – ( –165) – WHITNEY RICHARDS
Following a disappointing finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, Matt Kenseth came to Dover International Speedway anticipating having a great run in the AAA 400. Kenseth considers Dover as one of his favorite tracks and has seen a lot of success at the 1-mile speedway, where he’s accumulated one win, 10 top-5 finishes, 15 top-10 finishes and two poles. Kenseth and the Crown Royal crew were hoping to add to those impressive stats, but just like at New Hampshire, the team just couldn’t catch a break.

Throughout the weekend, Kenseth’s No. 17 Crown Royal Ford looked like it would be rather competitive on Sunday. There were three practice sessions over the weekend, in which Kenseth finished 6th, 13th and 4th. Even Kenseth’s spotter Mike Calinoff felt confident they had a great car for Sunday’s race. Kenseth took the green flag from the 14th position to start the 400-lap race. When the first caution of the day came out on lap 39, Kenseth took the opportunity to inform crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Ford was a bit loose, free on entry of the turns, and lacking grip. Kenseth pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments. After restarting 15th, Kenseth told Fennig the changes had helped, but the car was still a bit loose.

A long green-flag run followed, and Kenseth had worked his way well inside the top 10 when a second round of green-flag stops began around lap 180. While fighting the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin for position, Kenseth had to work his way to the bottom to try to get to pit road. He missed the commitment line and tried to slow his car down. The move caused the left-front tire of Kenseth’s car to blow out, causing considerable damage to the left-front of the car. Under the resulting caution, Kenseth pitted numerous times so his crew could repair the damage. He restarted 26th, one lap down on lap 194. Kenseth worked his way up to 18th after that and focused on getting into the Lucky Dog position to get back on the lead lap.

Unfortunately, the caution he needed never came out. Even with the damage, Kenseth had been running comparable lap times to the leaders, but was unable to get back on the lead lap. He was forced to accept an 18th place finish.

Kenseth came to Dover 11th in the standings, 136 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. His 18th place finish kept him in the 11th position, and he is now 165 points behind Hamlin. With the 2nd race of the Chase completed, it looks like Kenseth’s hopes of being the 2010 champion are over.

12. CLINT BOWYER – ( – 235) – AMY MCHARGUE
After a week a of many ups and downs, Clint Bowyer came into this weekend at Dover admittedly distracted. Qualifying 24th, the Richard Childress #33 Team hoped to come to Dover and perform well to regain some of the lost ground from points penalties. The race started out well; Clint gained five positions in the first five laps of green flag racing. The first 100 laps found Clint gaining on race leaders, making it through the day's first pit stop, and improving his running position consistently.

The problems began on lap 158 when Bowyer got loose and hit the wall. The #33 went a lap down and the day went downhill from there. On lap 187, when coming to the pits, a communication error from the team caused Clint to receive a penalty for speeding upon entry onto pit road. A crew member instructed Bowyer to keep his RPMs at 4600 instead of 3600. The pass-through penalty left the #33 car two laps down in 30th place on the restart.

At one point later in the race, Clint was heard on his radio saying, “Does it really matter if we are three or five laps down?” The team acknowledged that it really didn't, as Bowyer was the lowest placed Chase driver. Clint finished the race in 25th spot, three laps down. Bowyer is shown in 12th place in the Chase after his disappointing week in Dover. An appeals hearing is set up for Wednesday regarding the penalties assessed to the driver and team after the #33 car failed post-race inspection at the NASCAR R&D Center after the Louden race. If the appeals hearing finds in favor of the RCR #33 team, Clint will regain the 150 points, will be 85 points behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin, and gain three spots in Chase standings. As it is now, Clint is shown 235 points behind Hamlin. If the penalty stands, it's liable to be a long Chase for Clint Bowyer.

A look at NASCAR's appeals process

The turn of events following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway a couple of weekends ago that led to Clint Bowyer being docked 150 driver points, Richard Childress Racing losing 150 owner points and crew chief Shane Wilson being fined $150,000 and placed on probation for six races have sort of brought NASCAR’s appeals process into the spotlight.

As is often the case when penalties are handed down by NASCAR, especially penalties of this magnitude, Richard Childress Racing is appealing NASCAR’s decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commission. The appeal is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday.

The Stock Car Racing Commission, or NSCRC, is an independent board that hears appeals to NASCAR penalties. It’s made up of 32 volunteer members from various motorsports backgrounds, including track presidents, former drivers, former car owners, and even a few people from racing series other than NASCAR.

The Commission has a formal outline for how appeals are brought to the NSCRC and heard, which is described in section 14 of the NASCAR rule book. Anyone slapped on the wrist with a NASCAR penalty who wants to appeal it has 10 days of being notified of the penalty to do so. The penalized party seeking appeal is required to hand deliver the request for appeal, along with a $200 hearing fee, to the Commission Chairman.

To read more, visit Auto Racing Daily.

Charlotte area hotels reduce rates for Bank of America weekend

BAC_500 Charlotte Motor Speedway will partner with regional tourism bureaus and area hotel operators to secure lower room rates for fans attending races during Bank of America 500 Week, Oct. 13 - 16.
More than 50 hotels within approximately one hour of the 1.5-mile superspeedway have agreed to reduce their race week room rates by 15 percent and waive the minimum stay requirements.

“We strive to make the fan experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway second to none,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We understand that lodging can be a significant expense and we are very thankful to these area hotels who have taken the initiative to help fans alleviate some of those costs.”

A full list of participating hotels is available here or fans can call the speedway’s ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). In order to obtain the discounted rate, those interested must call the hotels directly and request the Speedway Special when making reservations.


In addition to the lower hotel rates, cost savings extend to the speedway as well. The Bank of America Fan 4 Pack, which includes four race tickets to the Bank of America 500, four hot dogs and four Coca-Cola-brand soft drinks, is available for just $39.75 a person. The Super Ticket is also available, giving fans the opportunity to see four nights of action-packed racing, including Bojangles’ Pole Night qualifying, the World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown at The Dirt Track, the Dollar General 300 Nationwide Series race and the Bank of America 500, starting at just $99.

Charlotte Motor Speedway offers 164 acres of free parking and coolers, limited to 14 inches in any direction, are also permitted in the grandstands.

For fans who are interested in camping instead of a hotel stay, Charlotte Motor Speedway also offers numerous affordable camping options, including Pre-Packaged Campsites – all fans need to bring is clothes! Speedway officials will set-up the campsite, which includes a tent, one lantern, a bottle of propane, sleeping bags and chairs for two, three, five or eight people. There are eight pre-packaged sites located in the infield or outside of the track from which fans can choose. 

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or by becoming a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

Brian Scott Released from Braun Racing

2010 NNS Brian Scott Waist Up MOORESVILLE, NC (September 27, 2010) – Braun Racing announced today the release of driver Brian Scott for the remainder of the 2010 season. The parting of ways was mutual after Scott scored three top-5’s and five top-10’s in the No. 11 Braun Racing Toyota. Scott currently leads NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year standings.

“Brian has done a great job this year for AccuDoc Solutions and BigSpot.com,” said No. 11 car owner Harry Scott, Jr. “We are very proud of our Rookie of the Year efforts together and we wish him well in the future.”

About Braun Racing: Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked four years ago by Toyota to help lead their entrance into the series.  The team is proud to have claimed Toyota’s first Nationwide Series pole on February 24, 2007 at California Speedway and their first win at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28, 2007.  Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its eighth season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is expanding into a four-car operation in 2010 with an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, David Reutimann, Jacques Villeneuve and Tayler Malsam.  Braun Racing’s marketing partners includes Great Clips, Dollar General, Beringer Vineyards, AccuDoc Solutions, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, Iron Horse Jeans, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, SEM and Safety-Kleen. For more information on Braun Racing, visit www.braunracing.com.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

WIN Series Presents Women of ESPN - Jamie Little

Fearless and Confident

Little Head Shot 2
Jamie Little

I had the pleasure of speaking to Jamie Little via Skype, and I have to say that I was extremely impressed by her.

Born and raised by a hardworking single mother, Jamie was raised with a sense of strength and self-confidence. Jamie is definitely her mother’s daughter.

Her mother began as a seamstress and did very well for Jamie and herself. Over a period of time, and by breaking down walls, she became a lead dancer in a show. From her mother, Jamie learned that limitations are things we put on ourselves and that she could do anything she put her mind to. She learned these important life lessons very early.

Jamie remembers watching intently from above Harrah’s showroom as her mother, who was the star, would dance. Jamie would watch her mother in amazement, as she performed. The audience was full, applauding after each number, for her mother. When she speaks of her mother, you can hear the respect and admiration she feels for her. In Jamie’s eyes, her mother was and still is her hero.

Over a 20-minute period, I spoke with Jamie about her life, her passions and her career. After you read this interview, I know you too will be impressed by her. She is beautiful, intelligent and extreme in all that she does.


Career and education
Jamie Little was born South Lake Tahoe, Nev., in April 1978 and lived there with mom until she was 13 years old. It was then for a job opportunity (for mom) that they moved to Las Vegas. She graduated from Green Valley High in Henderson, Nev., in 1996. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from San Diego State University in December 2001.

jl with mom and sister Jamie on far right, with mom and sister in Hawaii

Jamie has been a sports reporter/journalist for ESPN and ABC since 1998, reporting at many events. In 2000, Jamie made her broadcasting debut as a reporter on NBC’s "The Gravity Games." In 2002-2003 she was employed by the SPEED Channel, covering various sporting events and championship series such as Offshore Boat Racing, Karts and Supercross. She also worked as a sideline reporter for TNT in 2002 for Slamball.

Jamie has a passion for extreme sports, which began when she was 13 years old. She became interested in dirt biking through a friend and hasn’t stopped since. Taking part in many types of extreme sports, the idea of being a sports correspondent seemed to be the natural progression of things.

Fearless in her drive to succeed, she hasn’t allowed others to place "limits" on her, nor has her mother. From riding dirt bikes to driving racecars, from boxing to working out, Jamie loves to be physically active.


A Chat with ESPN’s Jamie Little:

jamie head shot
You dreamed of being a star at age 7. What inspired that confidence?
“I think it was being raised by a single mom who didn’t let anything stop her. She made everything happen and raised me as such a strong woman. She was a working woman and she was a showgirl. Dancing in the Cabaret shows in Lake Tahoe, she was a star in her own right. She got it on her own. She wasn’t a dancer her whole life, she had to learn to do it. She became a dancer when I was 6 years old.

When I was in second grade at parent-teacher night and we had drawn pictures of what we wanted to do when we grew up, I drew a picture of being a showgirl and I said when I grow up I want to be a star. My mom about died. Of course all the other kids wanted to be fireman and policeman and here’s me being this showgirl on a stage. It all started then. She didn’t realize with me being so young what a big impression she was making on me. I knew then I wanted to be in the lights. It's ironic how I found my way into the business. My real father was a drummer and has been all of his life. So I found my way there as well, just on a different path.”

Was your mom your inspiration growing up?
Jamie with Mom, Laura Thomasjamie and mom
“Absolutely. She is still my number 1 hero and my number 1 fan to this day. She is my ultimate, she is my everything.”

You have a love for extreme sports from what I’ve read. Is that putting it mildly?
"Yes I’ve definitely loved action sports. I think I was 18 when the first X-Games happened. From there it just grew. I just loved the sports. My first network job was for NBC in 2000 covering as a co-host for NBC’s version of the X-Games. I was already dabbling in TV but that was a big deal for me. I was 23 at the time and I got to be on network TV. That’s really when I got to know everything about action sports. In 2002 I went to Rich Feinberg at ESPN, who is my current boss now, and tried to sell myself to him for 20 minutes. He knew who I was from racing and the things I’ve done up to then. I just told him ‘I know action sports, I promise I won’t let you down. I really want to be a part of the ESPN. Just give me a shot with the X-Games. He finally gave in and alright, we’ll give you a shot. We’ll put with the Summer X-Games and see how you do. That was 2002 and the rest is history.”

#1 After winning a race in 2008

You don’t just report on them, you actually participate in them, right?
“Yes I definitely participate (laughs) in my fair share. That’s for sure. I’ve never raced Motocross professionally but I have raced mini-bike type races in front of people on little super tracks. I’ve gone skydiving, love dirt-bikes, I’m an adrenaline junkie. I absolutely love racing cars; if I wasn’t a reporter on it, I’d probably be a racecar driver. Actually I know I would be. I definitely have that bug for adrenaline. I think it shows in my work. I absolutely love it..”

What was your most memorable experience as far as a sports activity?
“I’d have to say it was probably back in 2007 when I went skydiving, my first year covering NASCAR. I wanted to do a feature with Bryan Vickers. He was going skydiving with the Red Bull Flight Crew, I think that’s what they call them. Of course through action sports I got to know alot of them. They are all so great and so crazy. So I thought, let's do it! So I went along, we brought the camera crew to Florida, right before the Daytona race. I went up there with Bryan Vickers and I tandem jumped and he went solo. We had only been in the training that morning, and we went out and did it. He knocked my socks off! It was scary enough going tandem, but him going solo … man it was just an awesome experience.”

How did your mom feel about having a "fearless" daughter?
"I stressed her out (laughs) her whole life. It's really funny because my mom is this girly girl and I have always been this tomboy. I remember one day when she came home from work. I was 14 and had gone to my first Supercross race with a bunch of my guy friends and got the autographs of all the riders. It was my first time meeting Jeremy McGrath. I just thought it was the coolest thing. When I got home, I took down all my horse posters and put up all my Motocross posters to the ceiling and my mom came home and just about died. “She said, “What the heck is this?” She couldn’t understand how I could love such a boy sport. But now she gets it. She understands that I love it and it's paid off.”

Is your job with ESPN a dream job or would that be driving?
“I’m doing my dream job. This career will last a lot longer than if I raced and I can make more money NOT racing as I'm not good enough."

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a sports journalist?
“I’d absolutely say go for it! Don’t let anyone or thing stop you. Don’t accept any excuses such as "that’s what men do" or "it's too hard and too physical" out there in the world covering sports. If you love it, go for it! I do always tell the young women who ask that they need to find a sport that they are passionate about. I don’t care if it's snowboarding, or Motocross, or if it's NASCAR. Find one that you really love and go from there. Just study your butt off. Go to school and get your degrees in journalism, not broadcasting. You need to learn how to speak and write in order to be good on TV. If you love it and are passionate about it, it doesn’t seem like that much work. It's so much fun climbing the ranks and paying your dues isn’t as bad as it could be if you get stuck doing a sport your not passionate about.”

Have you interviewed any legends, anyone who stands out?
“Absolutely, Parnelli Jones. I got to interview him at my first Indy 500. I actually got him to cry. That was pretty amazing. His son PJ was making his first start in the 500. It was also my first time interviewing AJ Foyt. That man is the biggest legend that is living right now in racing, in my opinion. I’ve interviewed him many times over my years as a sportscaster covering the Indy cars. Honestly, everytime I interview Jeff Gordon, I know I’m interviewing a legend. One day I’m gonna look back and know that I was there when Jeff was still very competitive.”
JamieLittle2008-2 Jamie with Kyle Busch in 2008

What is your opinion on NASCARS ‘have at it boys’ policy?
I think it's great! The way I see it is that drivers at this level in NASCAR, whether it's trucks, NNS, or the Sprint Cup Series, they’re the best in the world. These guys aren’t stupid. They know how to police themselves. If they have an issue with one another, the know they’ve got to settle it. They are at the racetrack together four days a week all year long. They can’t escape one another. I think they are very capable of policing themselves. Dealing with an issue on the track or off, and I commend NASCAR for letting them do that. I think it's smarter and I think it makes the racing more exciting. We’re seeing more skuttlebutts on the track and more bumping and banging. It's more fun. It's a great idea and there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t like when sanctioning bodies try to tell their drivers or riders how to compete with one another. I don’t like that at all. I think "boys have it" is what the sport was founded on and that’s how it should be.”

Do you see anyone blowing #48 out of the #1 position?
“I think the drivers are a lot more equal this year. The competition level is the best I’ve seen it at right now. The #48 isn’t dominating like they were. There have been races where Chad Knaus really thinks they have the car to win and all the sudden the door gets closed on them. This is something they haven’t felt in the last few seasons. So there are a lot more drivers to watch for. As far as a favorite … get that a lot. I don’t necessarily have a favorite driver. But when it comes to being a reporter on the sport, there are drivers that make our lives easier and make it more enjoyable for the fans watching. Carl Edwards is one of those guys. He’s always accessible. Whether he's upset, or something bad just happened, he always makes himself available to talk about it. He’s always a gentlemen. He’s always our in-race reporter when we’ve asked. Now he’s even an analyst for us on Sports Center. He makes our job easier and he gives great content. Juan Pablo Montoya is a more challenging one as is Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. They make it much more challenging. They make us work very hard and choose our words wisely, choose our timing wisely. Good or bad, they give us content. They are extra challenging, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

carl edwrds Interview with Carl Edwards following Dover Race on Sept. 26th, second race of the 2010 Chase

Anyone you see as far as women coming up into Cup?
“Obviously Danica. She’s got the best chance of any woman out there right now. That’s for multiple reasons. We’ve had four women in the IndyCar series, and there is a lot of potential over there. I love how they’ve been open … the sanctioning bodies, the team owners. That’s key. That’s how Danica has gotten where she is. Because Bobby Rahal took a chance with her. He put her in great equipment and gave her a shot. That’s what we need the owners to do on the Cup side and the NNS. My hats off to Dale Jr. and his sister for giving Danica a shot. Yeah, she brought great money and sponsors, but so do a lot of other drivers. They are giving her a chance because they know she is talented. They are willing to give her the time that it will take to adjust to that level of racing. So there are a lot of women out there. I’m great friends with Lyn St. James and I co-host her racing luncheon every year. We see so many girls and women coming up through the ranks that are just awesome. In the late model series right now, the NASCAR East or West Series, women are doing great. I think in the next few years we’re going to see more women trying to qualify for races. Even contending.”

Do you consider yourself a “Foodie”? (reference to her being on Iron Chef America)
“That’s funny that you say that. I am a foodie, a little bit. I love to cook. My mom’s a great cook. I call her a gourmet chef. I’ve learned through her. I love to cook and the opportunity arose through them coming and requesting personalities from ESPN. ESPN suggested me and I loved the opportunity. It was so much fun and I learned a lot. Just being able to do something outside the world of racing to show fans and other people who might not know about racing. It introduces them to it and maybe makes them want to watch it. I also got to do "Hell's Kitchen." It was very interesting and very different from "Iron Chef." We were just patrons of the restaurant. We sat right next to the kitchen so we could hear Chef Ramsey yelling and see him running around the kitchen with his pencil behind his ear. Screaming at the chefs and we were just cracking up. The food was good and it was fun. That was actually thanks to Bryan Vickers. He got the deal and invited a bunch of friends. I took my fiance and a group of people from racing were at the table and we had such a great time.”

What do you do to unwind, if you ever do?
“I do unwind. I love to ride my jetski. I take my boat out and ride the wake board. I work out and love to do Yoga. Love to travel even though that's my job. I spend a lot of time with family when I can. I go back to Vegas. I love to spend time with my fiance and my new puppy now."

Jamie on Jetski

New Puppy? What do you have?
“We rescued a Boston terrier. His name is Ike.”

x2_2657a1c

Speaking of you and your fiance, have you set a date?
“Yes were getting married on Dec. 11 in Torrey Pines, San Diego.”

Engagement 2 Jamie with fiance, Client Manager, Cody Selman

Do you find yourself running from the garages with the baby boom?
“We were standing on pit road at Pocono speaking to Matt Kenseth and his wife Katie walked up with their baby and I’m talking to them, playing with the baby. Then up walks Jamie McMurray and his wife with her baby bump and then her comes Krissie Newman with her baby bump ... I’m just like “Oh my gosh.” Don’t drink the water. It's really cute though. I love talking to these fathers, especially the first-time dads. They are so cute about it. Jimmie Johnson, for instance. I saw him at Indy, the first time I’d seen him since the baby was born. He’s in his car ready to pull out to the first practice session. He calls me over to the window and he said, "My baby is the coolest thing. I have a camera set up and I can see her on my phone anytime I want. I would tell Chad to bring my phone right now. I will show you after practice." He was just so thrilled to talk about it."

Jamie continued, “I talked to Ryan Newman and said what’s this with the babies, you too? Is it in the water?" He replied, "It's too many rain delays."

kissin the brick “Kissin’ the Bricks”

Photos furnished by ESPN and Jamie Little and are not for duplication. Skirts and Scuffs and Lindi Bess have expressed consent for use.

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of the site or its administrators.

I’d like to thank Jamie Little for opening up to me and allowing the followers of Skirts and Scuffs into her life.

jamielittletv

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Where's the Respect Denny?

You don’t see me posting very often on Skirts and Scuffs, mainly because it takes a lot to get me involved in a story. It appears that Denny Hamlin is one issue worth breaking my silence for.

The Denny Hamlin/Clint Bowyer feud appears to have come out of nowhere. Better writers have covered the story, including right here, so I don’t need to delve into details. Had Denny made only one comment here or there, I wouldn’t even feel the need to comment, but it was thing he said in particular that got this writer up in flames.

On one side you have a driver, who many picked to win the NASCAR Cup title this year. On the other, you have a driver who actually won the first race of the Chase, backed by a team with decades of experience in NASCAR. The team and the teammates are what brought about the latest issue.

Maybe the problem is that Hamlin doesn’t understand how teammates actually work. When Harvick and Joey Lagano exchanged words earlier in the season, neither he nor Kyle Busch got involved. When Kyle had problems with a number of drivers in previous years, Hamlin stood idly by, twiddling his thumbs and waiting for the conversation to cycle back around to him. When he made his comments this week, perhaps he didn’t realize that Bowyer’s teammates and car owner would get involved.

That’s exactly what happened when Harvick gave him a minor bump both on Pit Road and on the track, during a practice session. Hamlin later said he knew something was coming because crew members wished him luck and made comments about the track. He then told reporters, “It's unnecessary that the team guys have to get involved in it…”


Wait a second, what? Let’s look at that again. “It's unnecessary that the team guys have to get involved in it.”

I’m sorry? Does anyone else remember the Nationwide race in Charlotte two years ago? I know I do because I was sitting on the Start/Finish line, when the checkered flag dropped. I watched his crew get into a scuffle on Pit Road with Dale Earnhardt Junior’s crew and Brad Keselowski’s crew. Hamlin and Keselowski exchanged bumps during the race, which led to an altercation after the race.

Afterwards, Hamlin made his infamous “concrete block” comment and seemingly had no problem with his crew getting involved in an incident that involved the two drivers. When the shoe’s on the other foot…

To quote Limp Bizkit, “your mouth’s writing checks that your *** can’t cash.” Maybe Hamlin expected RCR to lie down and take whatever he said. Maybe he even thought other teams would jump on his bandwagon. We’ve learned that other drivers, including his own teammates, are letting him float in the wind. No one has his back and no one is even willing to say they believe him.

What it all boils down to is a driver that’s worried about his own future. He may have the points lead now, but Harvick had it for weeks and he’s not that far removed from it now. If he truly wants, “to just keep focused on trying to win a championship,” then why all the comments now? Focus on your own driving and keep your mouth closed when it comes to others.

Can anyone see him doing this if Dale Earnhardt was still alive and racing? Dale would put him in the wall and close the case on the story. You would think that a younger driver would have more respect to the ones who came before him and the teams that helped make NASCAR what it is today. Then again, what do you expect from someone who brought Paris Hilton to a track?

Kyle Busch: One Down and One 2 Go!


Another Double at Dover?


On Saturday afternoon the #18 NOS Toyota Camry not only gave Toyota their 14th win for 2010, it broke the record for most wins in a season, giving Kyle his 11th win for the season. Having led 192 laps out of 200, Kyle made history, and broke the record previously set in 2008. In his career at the Dover Oval, Busch has taken the checkered flag 11 times out of a total of 23 races, a stat that he hopes to increase one more time this weekend. Kyle is also tied with Todd Bodine 'Onionhead' for most wins at Dover by a NNS driver with three.

Sunday's Sprint Cup AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway is Kyle’s chance to prove it wasn’t a fluke when he doubled at Dover last May. It was more than just luck when he beat out #48 Lowes Chevy. He is a definite contender in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

In an interview on Tuesday, the driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries for JGR said, "Our game plan (for Dover) is to try to repeat what we can from the Spring race. Obviously we had a good race going, qualified well. We raced well all through the event. Towards the end of the race, it came down to the final pit stop and we were able to get out of there smoothly and cleanly.

Kyle went on to say,"We'll just go back there with our Interstate Batteries Camry and try to make the most of the event and the weekend and get a good, strong finish and keep our momentum rolling here; Trying to get through the final 10 races strong in order to get the championship come Homestead."

With the #48 Lowes Chevy sitting on Pole for the 2nd Race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, this could be a chance for the #18 Interstate Battery Camry to strengthen its position in its pursuit and prove that JGR is among the top competitors in the series.

Sitting at 3rd in the point standings, Kyle had a qualifying run of 154.619 mph and will be starting 11th, 0.167 behind the 4x champion, and new Daddy, Jimmie Johnson.


Turner Motorsports Acquires Braun Racing

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 24, 2010) – Turner Motorsports, currently a two-team operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), announced today that they are acquiring select assets of Braun Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) team and will immediately take over operation of the organization.

Braun Racing fields four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – the No. 32, No. 38, No. 10 and No. 11 cars with a driver line-up that includes Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, David Reutimann, Brian Scott, Tayler Malsam and Jacques Villeneuve. These four teams will join forces with the existing Turner Motorsports’ NCWTS entries – the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Ricky Carmichael, and the No. 31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet Silverado, driven by James Buescher.


With the acquisition of Braun Racing, Turner Motorsports will field six teams in two of NASCAR’s top-three premier series. Plans for the 2011 racing season include three NNS teams and three NCWTS teams. The NNS driver line up for Turner Motorsports will be announced in October. As for the NCWTS teams, James Buescher will once again pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado with Ricky Carmichael also returning to drive the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado. The team will operate out of Braun Racing’s current 88,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, NC. Todd Braun, Doug Stringer and Harry Scott, Jr. will continue to be an integral part of Turner Motorsports.

“We are really excited about expanding Turner Motorsports into to the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” says Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports, LLC. “We have been looking at ways to grow our team structure to provide additional sponsorship opportunities for our partners and to create new opportunities for our drivers. It became apparent that we could accomplish those goals by making a deal with Todd Braun and purchasing select assets of Braun Racing. We also hope that this purchase will allow us to continue to grow very positive relationships with the existing sponsors as well as the tremendous list of marketing partners that have supported Braun Racing over the years including Dollar General, Great Clips, AccuDoc Solutions, Iron Horse Jeans, BigSpot.com, ABF and Fraternal Order of Eagles. Braun Racing has put together a great group of drivers, crew chiefs and employees and they have put very competitive teams on the track. We look to help them get even more competitive as we move forward.”

“We are dedicated to making our Nationwide teams ultra-competitive,” Turner added. “With the introduction of the Nationwide Series’ ‘new car,’ we know that success will require a significant upgrade in infrastructure, technology and financial commitment. Going head to head in this series with teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Penkse Racing, we know that it will take a total commitment and we are prepared to make that commitment. Everyone at Braun Racing has done a really good job of building a solid program and we look to expand on that. Our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program has been up and running for about a year now and we have made great strides with that program. Our goal for next year is to compete for dual championships in both series.”

Braun Racing’s No. 32 car is currently sixth in NNS owner point standings, only 167 points out of the top-five. The No. 10 car is 17th, the No. 38 sits 19th and the No. 11 rounds out the top-20 in owner points with its driver, Brian Scott, currently leading the NNS rookie-of-the-year standings. The team was created in 2002, running races in the ARCA Racing Series. The following year, they made their entrance into the NASCAR Nationwide Series and have since grown into one of the most successful independent teams in the series, producing four wins with drivers Jamie McMurray, Jason Leffler, Dave Blaney and Kyle Busch.
Turner Motorsports has experienced its own success in a short amount of time with drivers, James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. So far this season, Carmichael is credited with two top-five and five top-10 finishes, while Buescher has produced five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Last weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway, Buescher posted a career-best finish of second.


About Turner Motorsports:
Turner Motorsports, LLC, was established in 1999 and is currently in the midst of its inaugural full season of NASCAR competition. Co-owned by Texas natives Steve and Sandra Turner, the racing organization is operated out of a 30,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which houses two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet entries piloted by James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. In addition, Turner Motorsports fields part-time entries in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, with Carmichael behind the wheel and a full-time USARacing Pro Cup Series team with driver Logan Ruffin.


About Braun Racing:
Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked four years ago by Toyota to help lead their entrance into the series. The team is proud to have claimed Toyota’s first Nationwide Series pole on February 24, 2007 at California Speedway and their first win at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28, 2007. Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its eighth season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is expanding into a four-car operation in 2010 with an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, David Reutimann, Brian Scott and Tayler Malsam. Braun Racing’s marketing partners includes Great Clips, Dollar General, Beringer Vineyards, AccuDoc Solutions, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, Iron Horse Jeans, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, SEM and Safety-Kleen.

For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com.

Pole Report: Joey Logano Leads Field at Dover 200

LoganoPoleDover200
Joey Logano the driver of the No. 20 Game Stop Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing takes the pole at Dover International Speedway with a lap of 23.330 (154.308 mph.) to tame Miles the Monster.  His fellow JGR teammate Kyle Busch is right behind him with a lap of 23.355 (154.143 mph.) in the NOS Energy Drink Toyota. 

The thing to be watching today is definitely Danica Patrick who is driving the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports who will be racing the rest of the season once the IZOD Indy Car season is over, giving her more seat time in the car.  What kind of challenges will the track be bringing her today? 

For all the racing action you can catch it all on ESPN 2 at 3 p.m. EST. 





  1. Joey Logano
  2. Kyle Busch
  3. Carl Edwards
  4. Brad Keselowski
  5. Paul Menard
  6. Reed Sorensen
  7. Justin Allgaier
  8. Trevor Bayne
  9. Steve Wallace
  10. Kevin Harvick
  11. Michael Annett
  12. Jason Leffler
  13. Ryan Newman
  14. David Gilliland
  15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  16. Elliott Sadler
  17. Dennis Setzer
  18. Mike Bliss
  19. Eric McClure
  20. Brendan Gaughn
  21. Drew Herring
  22. Danny O’Quinn Jr.
  23. Brian Scott
  24. Tim Andrews
  25. Mike Wallace
  26. Willie Allen
  27. Kelly Bires
  28. Jeff Green
  29. Josh Wise
  30. Marc Davis
  31. Johnny Chapman
  32. Joe Nemechek
  33. Jason Keller
  34. Mark Green
  35. Derrike Cope
  36. Erik Darnell
  37. Morgan Shepard
  38. Jeremy Clements
  39. Brian Keselowski
  40. Tony Raines
  41. Kenny Wallace
  42. Danica Patrick
  43. Michael McDowell

Denny Hamlin on "Bowyerpalooza"

On Friday, Denny Hamlin had his own opinions about Clint Bowyer and what Jeff Gluck appropriately calls "Bowyerpalooza."

After last Sunday's race at Loudon, New Hampshire, in which Clint Bowyer held Denny Hamlin off for the win, Bowyer's 33 car was taken in for further inspection. It was found that his car was illegal and NASCAR took action, since the 33 Hamburger Helper/ Cheerios team had been warned the week before that their cars was borderline legal. NASCAR fined both Bowyer's crew chief, and his car chief $150,000 each, deducted 150 points from both Bowyer's Chase points and Richard Childress' owner points, and suspended Shane Wilson, his crew chief for six weeks.

Denny Hamlin a bit to say about that by starting with "I'm not too discouraged with what we ended up with [at New Hampshire], but I know we were the fastest legal car."


In the media center, he continued, "NASCAR has been very, very lenient on this car. And they've given these guys chances. It's not Richmond, I think they should just be happy they're in The Chase at this point because they were warned, and they werre warned before Richmond. Everyone in the garage knows that, so they're the ones who wanted to press the issue to make sure they got in The Chase, they got in The Chase and got busted."

"One thing I can tell you is that my car- this is the car I had at Atlanta, we blew up at Atlanta, okay- they towed this car all the way in and they destroyed the trunk, the tow truck destroyed the trunk. But, we never replaced one thing on the tail of this car and it just went through inspection fine. So, my car went through way more destruction than what his did just getting a simple push and my car is fine. You know?" he continued on to say. Very valid point made by Hamlin.

"At this point, I think that they're just trying to salvage their season basically and they're going to do everything they can. I understand that. The whole appeal process that they're gonna go through."

"There has to be a point where it's not black or white and it's no longer grey. If they let them get away with this sixty thousandths of an inch, then when do you stop? When do you break it and say "Okay, now we have to penalize." because there has to be a point of tolerance. If you go past it, you're in trouble. If they're gonna let him go, they're gonna open up the entire field to do what they want."

He continues on to say that some teams play closer to that line than others, there are other things that happen out on the track that effect the car that could make you wrong, but you have to take that risk. He makes a valid point in saying that if you go out on the race track saying "I can't get one bump on this car." you're not going to do well. But, then came the shocking, "In the garage, everyone has known for months. This isn't two weeks old, this is something that's been going on for months. It's been going on for a long time. way before Richmond."

Here's my opinion on this whole matter. I do agree with Hamlin, but if everyone has known for a long time, then why didn't anyone go to NASCAR and say "Look, the 33 team is messing around with their car and it's on the borderline of being illegal." I suppose if I were a driver just outside The Chase bubble and I knew this information, I would go straight to the source.

Later yesterday, Denny adressed some more on Twitter. Here are the posts:

"sorry all RCR fans.. im not bashing clint, richard or anyone else.. just defending Nascar on this one.. all these teams work damn hard"
"we all want a level playing field. Nascar just has to make that happen and facts are facts.. they had no choice."
"richard might have a compelling enough case to convince them and this will all go away for them. nobody wants to be called a cheater"
"ok ive reached my twitter limit for the day.. its time everyone just worries about themselves.. me included..."

It was surprising to me that Denny defended NASCAR on this one. Especially after he was fined $50,000 after his commments about NASCAR on Twitter.

So, here's my question. What do you think about Denny's take on "Bowyerpalooza?" Leave your comments below and I would like to do follow-up article about your thoughts and opinions.

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of the site or its administrators.