Daytona vs. Michigan in holiday food drive competition

BROOKLYN, Mich. and DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In the spirit of competition off the racetrack, Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway are having a friendly contest to see which track can collect the most food items for people who need it the most this holiday season.

Although it is a competition, both tracks aren’t looking at it as a win-lose situation. All the food donated at MIS and DIS will go to families in need. MIS’ donations will benefit the CCIS Food Pantry in Brooklyn, while Daytona’s will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

The overall weight of all donations collected for each track will determine the winner. The winner of the competition will receive lunch courtesy of the other track.

MIS has already collected some 2,100 items, thanks to a sizable donation from Brooklyn Elementary School. The students collected food throughout the Thanksgiving week.

“This is not only a fun contest, but one that really can make a difference in the lives of the givers and the receivers this holiday,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “We hope our friendly rivalry with Daytona will inspire others to participate and donate something.”

“We hope the heightened excitement around our contest with MIS will benefit area families who rely on Second Harvest during the holiday season,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “We encourage all our employees and local fans to stop by and help make this a wonderful holiday for our community.”

All MIS fans can get involved with this competition. Non-perishable food donations will be accepted at the speedway’s Administration Building from Monday, Nov. 29, to Friday, Dec. 3.

Donations of a non-perishable food item or unwrapped toy may also be made at the speedway’s Track Drive for Charity, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. With every donation, fans will receive a lap around the two-mile oval at a controlled speed. Longtime MIS sponsor GFS Marketplace will provide cider and donuts for all fans who attend the track drive.

All DIS fans that bring at least three (3) cans of food to the DIS ticket office counter on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4 will receive a free admission for the new Daytona International Speedway All-Access Tour.

Daytona International Speedway will also host the WESH-TV “Share Your Christmas” food drive, which also benefits the Salvation Army, on Monday Dec. 6.  Later that day, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson’s “Caravan that Cares” will begin its route from the main Daytona International Speedway parking lot on International Speedway Boulevard. Fans are encouraged to drop off their non-perishable donations at the Daytona ticket office lobby through Monday, Dec. 6.

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Roush Rewind: Carfax 400

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visited Michigan International Speedway for a second time for the running of the Carfax 400. The speedway is known as a track where the Ford drivers tend to excel. However, this year, a Ford driver would not win at Michigan. After Denny Hamlin, in a Toyota, won the race at MIS in June, Kevin Harvick, in a Chevrolet, won on Sunday.

Riding a wave of momentum, the Roush Fenway Racing drivers came into the weekend looking to prove that Michigan was still the “House of Roush”, and the organization welcomed back team owner Jack Roush in spectacular fashion. Roush’s presence at the track inspired all four Roush Fenway drivers to give it their all at MIS. Even though none of the Roush Fenway drivers won the race, all four finished inside the top 11—three of the drivers inside the top 5.
David Ragan started the weekend by running solidly inside the top 10 in practice on Friday and finishing final practice in the 2nd position on Saturday. However, a disappointing qualifying effort saw the No. 6 UPS Ford taking the green flag from the 29th position on Sunday. As soon as the race started, Ragan began to pick up positions. He was up to 23rd by the 2nd lap of the race, but reported his car was tight in the center of the turns, free off. The first caution of the day came out on lap 32 when Kurt Busch’s engine blew. Ragan took the opportunity to pit for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and track bar adjustments. Once the race restarted, Ragan’s car began to get loose and lacked the grip he needed. He fought the ill-handling machine, but remained between the 22nd and 24th positions over the next run. The caution came out again on lap 60 when rain fell due to a passing shower. The rain didn’t last long and caused no delay in the race. Ragan pitted under that caution for four tires, fuel, and another track bar adjustment. A long green-flag run followed, resulting in Ragan making a green-flag stop just after the halfway point of the 200-lap race. He cycled through in the 21st position, and despite more adjustments, the No. 6 Ford was still loose. The green-flag run continued, and Ragan pitted once more under green, but his stop was just a little ahead of the leaders’, which resulted in him going a lap down. However, the caution wasn’t too far off. Ryan Newman spun after getting tapped by Joey Logano, bringing out the caution. Ragan was in the Lucky Dog position and was able to get back on the lead lap. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment. The UPS crew also took the opportunity to raise the decklid to check the fuel intake—everything looked like it was working properly. After a great restart on lap 153, Ragan narrowly avoided disaster as Jeff Burton moved to avoid Jeff Gordon, who scraped the wall. Burton came ever so close to getting into Ragan, who was running near the 15th position at the time. The caution came out after Gordon made contact with the wall. Crew chief Donnie Wingo instructed Ragan to stay out since they couldn’t make it to the end on fuel anyway. As others pitted, Ragan restarted in the 3rd position. He took the lead a few laps later, leading two laps before settling into the 2nd position. A caution for debris came out on lap 168. Since they were inside the fuel window, Ragan pitted for four tires and fuel. Most of the drivers took two tires so Ragan restarted in the 10th position. He battled his way up to the 5th position, but as the laps wound down, his car got loose again. Ragan was 11th when the checkered flag waved. He is still 24th in the standings.

Matt Kenseth came into the weekend ranked 2nd in the best average finish of active Cup drivers at MIS, and the Crown Royal crew had high hopes of a successful weekend. Kenseth was able to qualify well on Friday and started Sunday’s race from the 7th position in the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford. Almost as soon as the race started, Kenseth radioed to his team that his car was loose in and off the turns. It was a problem that had plagued the team during the practice sessions earlier in the weekend. Under the first caution, Kenseth pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments. The loose-handling condition continued, but Kenseth hung tough until the caution came out again due to rain on lap 60. The cloud cover had actually helped tighten the No. 17 Ford up, but Kenseth still didn’t have the handling he needed to challenge for position. The caution provided Kenseth’s crew with the opportunity to make more air pressure adjustments as well as a track bar adjustment. Once the race restarted, it became clear that, despite the adjustments, Kenseth was still having difficulty with the looseness of his racecar. He ran between the 11th and 13th position over the following green-flag run. Under the caution on lap 149, Kenseth reported that his car was lacking rear grip. Crew chief Jimmy Fennig called for a two-tire stop to try and gain track position. Kenseth restarted 8th, and after the caution on lap 155, he was in the 15th position due to some drivers taking the wave around. The restart found Kenseth mired in a group of drivers who were going three-wide when challenging for position. He slowly drifted back to the 19th positions. The caution came out again on lap 168 for debris, and Kenseth made another two-tire stop. He restarted 7th and was able to gain two more spots to finish 5th. It was Kenseth’s 5th top five finish of the season and it was also his 100th top five finish of his Sprint Cup career. He moved up one position to 9th in the standings.

Greg Biffle was inside the top five during all practice sessions and qualified 6th in the No. 16 3M Ford, despite an early draw. It didn’t take him long once the green flag waved on Sunday to take the lead. On lap 15, Biffle claimed the lead. He pitted under the first caution for four tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment to fix the loose-handling condition of the car. Biffle’s pit crew was able to send him right back out in the lead for the restart. Biffle continued to lead until lap 84 when Tony Stewart was able to pass him. Biffle had fallen to 3rd by the time green-flag starts began around lap 99. He made his stop on 101 for four tires, fuel, and another track bar adjustment. He cycled through in the 2nd position and remained there through another round of green-flag stops. When the caution came out again, Biffle pitted on lap 149 as crew chief Greg Erwin called for a two-tire stop. The caution came out again just a few laps later, and Biffle made a fuel-only stop. However, it seemed that more adjustments would be needed if Biffle was to get back to the front. The final caution came out on lap 168, giving Biffle the opportunity get those much needed adjustments. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. Many teams either stayed out or took only two tires so Biffle was stuck restarting 14th. Biffle powered his way through the field in the closing laps, battling teammate Kenseth to finish in the 4th position. He is 11th in the standings.

Carl Edwards celebrated his 31st birthday on Sunday and had hoped to become just one of three drivers to ever win on their birthday. Edwards’s next victory will be the 50th of his career—it would have been a great way to celebrate his birthday! Still, Edwards was able to get a podium finish on Sunday. Edwards qualified in the 24th position, and it didn’t take long for him to make his way through the field once the race was underway. In the first 7 laps, he had gained 13 positions. He was 13th when the first caution came out on lap 32. The No. 99 Aflac Ford was loose so Edwards pitted for tires, fuel, and adjustments. The loose-handling condition continued, resulting in Edwards’s crew making wedge and air pressure adjustments when they had the chance. He cracked the top 10 around lap 107. As the laps began to wind down, crew chief Bob Osborne told Edwards to save fuel after a two-tire stop on lap 149. Edwards was 7th by lap 153 and if the caution didn’t come out again, he planned to make it to the end on fuel. When the final caution came out on lap 168, he was still in the 7th position. Osborne called Edwards down pit road for four tires. Edwards restarted 17th, but with four fresh tires, he was able to gain four positions on the restart. He passed Tony Stewart for the 3rd position with 5 laps remaining. While he had a fast car at the end, Edwards just didn’t have enough time to run down the two drivers ahead of him. He finished 3rd. The finish helped him gain enough point to move up three positions in the standings to 6th.

While the Roush Fenway Racing drivers were able to prove they are making a comeback this season, they were still not able to bring home another win for the organization. Kevin Harvick was the driver who made the trip to victory lane on Sunday. Congratulations to Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team on their victory!

Next up: Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

------
And I’d like to say…Welcome back, Jack! I was ecstatic when I found out he was released from the hospital. I was even happier when I saw he was at the track. I'm glad to see him back!

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TV Schedule Aug. 14-15

NASCAR makes its second stop at Motor City as the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series head to Michigan International Speedway this weekend.

A win in the backyard of the Top 3 manufacturers comes with bragging rights, perhaps even more so when your manufacturer isn't based there - such as when Denny Hamlin won in the spring in a Toyota. But no driver has swept both races at Michigan since 1995. Can Hamlin pull a double and add to the five wins he's already accumulated this season? Kasey Kahne will lead the field to green Sunday.

Michigan marks the second race where the new car will be used in the Nationwide Series. The new model won raves from drivers and fans after its first outing at Daytona, but this weekend marks the first time the car will be used on a 2-mile track. There are a lot of unknowns about how the car will perform on this kind of track. While Thursday's extended practice helped answer some questions, Saturday will be the true test to see how the car does in race conditions. Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of last year's event.

Meanwhile, the Camping World Truck Series returns to visit an old friend - the Lady in Black, Darlington Raceway. It's been nearly six years since the trucks have run at Darlington. During that time the track has been paved, which adds intrigue as well as more uncertainty to Saturday night's race. Who'll tame the Lady in Black - or end up on her bad side?

The following is a schedule of track events and television coverage at Michigan and Darlington. Events without a channel listed will not be televised. (All times in Eastern Standard Time):

Saturday, August 14:
9 a.m. NSCS Practice at Michigan, SPEED
10 a.m. NNS Qualifying at Michigan, SPEED
12 noon NSCS Final Practice at Michigan, SPEED
1 p.m. NNS Countdown at Michigan, ESPN
2 p.m. NNS: CARFAX 250, ESPN. Green flag: 2:16 p.m. (reruns at 3 a.m. on ESPN2)
4:30 p.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED
5 p.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
5:30 p.m. NCWTS Qualifying at Darlington, SPEED
7 p.m. NCWTS SetUp at Darlington, SPEED (reruns at midnight)
7:30 p.m. NCWTS: Too Tough to Tame 200, SPEED. Green flag: 7:48 p.m. (reruns at 12:30 a.m.)

Sunday, August 15:
9 a.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
9 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
9:30 a.m. NASCAR in A Hurry, SPEED
10 a.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
12 noon NSCS Countdown, ESPN
1 p.m. NSCS: CARFAX 400, ESPN. Green flag: 1:16 p.m. (reruns at 2 a.m. on ESPN2)
8 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday)
1 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2

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Fans In The Stands - My Michigan Experience.

Every time Michigan International Speedway rolls around, I get so excited. MIS is my favorite track. The track is so much fun to be at and the staff is wonderful. They have so much that fans can do at the track and have made this a fan-friendly environment. I just love going to MIS.

The race day started out normal for me, wake up early and be out on the road before 7 a.m... Michigan International Speedway is only about two and half hours away from Warsaw, IN, so my mom and I always stop at the same Cracker Barrel restaurant on the way to MIS. I encourage all of you to eat at Cracker Barrel is you are ever near one, it’s delicious! After we ate breakfast, we were back on the road and headed towards the track. We were about 4 miles from the track and we hit traffic. Which is kind of normal but we normally don’t hit traffic.



After we parked and got our race bags ready, we headed towards the discount tents! You can find great deals in the tents but I only bought a shirt because I wanted to save my money for the souvenir trailers! We left the discount tents and headed towards the souvenir trailers. We stopped at Kyle Busch’s, Denny Hamlin’s, Jimmie Johnson’s, Joey Logano’s, and Clint Bowyer’s. I only bought a tank top from Kyle’s trailer because I’m just one of those people who can’t make up their minds and want everything! All of the other souvenir trailers were having sales, but Kyle’s wasn’t which made me mad! Haha! My mom got three shirts which I was happy about because she normally doesn’t get anything. We walked around some more and it was starting to get humid and sticky but the sun would only peak through sometimes. We walked around till we found the Sprint Experience Tent! Since we are Sprint customers, we got to get free gifts! We each got a Sprint Cup bag, hat, sticker, and a lanyard. We also got to take this quiz about the 2009 season. I scored 5 out of 5 and my mom scored 4 out of 5!

It was getting close to race time, so we decided to go and find our seats. We always sit in Turn 1 and we love sitting there. This time, we were around a lot of people. Which was alright but it was still humid and my mom didn’t want to sit there anymore so we moved down to where some empty seats were. Before we moved, a couple rows in front of us was a guy who looked just like Dale Earnhardt! I mean, it was shocking! I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t take a picture of him!

Driver introductions started, Kyle came around and I screamed my head off. I must add that when Kevin Harvick came around, I yelled “TEAM LOGANO!”. I seriously doubt he heard me but had to get it out there! The flyover came and went, then it was time for the command. Adam Sandler and Kevin James are two of my favorite actors and I was so excited that they were there! Their command was amazing and everyone around me loved it! Before their command, you could hear Adam Sandler say into the microphone “Michigan” several times in his iconic voice! I loved it!

It was race time and my mom and I had our scanners so we could listen to our favorite drivers! For some reason, my moms scanner wasn’t switching to Sprint Cup because it was stuck on Nationwide radios from when we went to Nashville in April. She had to run down the radio and scanner trailer to get it fixed. While she did that, I moved our stuff down to the empty seats. Without my scanner, I listened to the engines roar as they went by and loved it. My mom finally came back with the scanner fixed and then I programmed the numbers for my favorite driver’s radios. I listened to Kyle Busch most of the time, but I would switch around to Denny, Joey, Carl, and Clint. As the race went on, Denny Hamlin showed his strength and went to the lead. I was completely happy. Denny Hamlin is my second favorite driver. As Denny soared to the lead, Kyle was stuck. For awhile, he would be gaining ground and then he would be losing ground. I was upset because I just wanted to see Kyle run well at MIS. He hit the wall twice and I knew it was over for him.

The checkered flagged waved and it was Denny Hamlin crossing the finish line first! I was just so excited and happy! This was my second time seeing Denny win in person. Seeing him win at Martinsville in 2008 was amazing but seeing him win at my home track was bitter sweet. I’m so proud of Denny Hamlin and the #11 crew!

As we walked to the car, my shoulders, chest, and face were sun burnt as always. We got out of the parking lot fast and we headed south to Indiana. I had a great time even though I woke up Monday morning with blisters on my shoulders, but I have had worse sunburns...The Brickyard! I can't wait to go back to Michigan International Speedway in August!


Picture #1 - The cars rolling off Pit Road!
Picture #2 - The Sprint Experience Tent!
Picture #3 - Kyle Busch during Driver Introductions!
Picture #4 - Denny Hamlin's Burnout!

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Roush Rewind: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

Michigan International Speedway is a favorite stop on the NASCAR circuit for the Roush Fenway Racing drivers. Not only is it a track that Fords, particularly those of Roush, are known for performing well at, Michigan is also the home of Roush Industries and Ford. With the new FR9 engine under the hoods of their racecars, the four Roush Fenway Racing drivers were looking forward to the running of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400. However, when the checkered flag waved on Sunday, none were able to bring home the win. Three finished inside the top fifteen, while one was left with a finish near the rear of the field after bad luck hit just before the halfway point of the race.

There was no denying that David Ragan was having one of the best weekends of the season leading up to Sunday’s race. With solid times in practice, Ragan proved he had a pretty good car when he qualified the No. 6 UPS Ford in the 14th position. Once the green flag waved on Sunday, Ragan hung around outside the top ten. Lap 18 saw the first caution as Marcos Ambrose spun. Ragan pitted for fuel, tires, and an air pressure adjustment to help tighten his racecar up. The second caution, for debris, came out on lap 48, and once again Ragan’s crew made an air pressure adjustment to try and correct the loose-handling issues. Ragan had worked his way inside the top ten after that stop. A long green-flag run followed, and Ragan continued to battle a loose racecar that wanted to slide off the turns. Ragan made a green-flag stop on lap 90 for tires, fuel, and a trackbar adjustment. Just nine laps later, the caution came out when Casey Mears, in the No. 83, got into teammate Scott Speed. Crew chief Donnie Wingo called Ragan down pit road for two tires and fuel in an effort to gain track position. Unfortunately for Ragan, that pit stop would be the turning point of the race for him. As Ragan was exiting his pit stall, Mears was entering his. The two made contact on pit road, resulting in damage to the right front fender of the No. 6 Ford. Ragan backed back into his pit stall, and his crew went to work repairing the damage. Ragan went back out so he wouldn’t go a lap down, then returned to pit road. The pit stop took longer than expected and left Ragan at the tail end of the lead-lap cars when the green flag waved. On lap 118, things only went from bad to worse for Ragan. He radioed to his crew to inform them that the right-rear tire was flat. He was forced to pit, but the damage had already been done. Pitting under green left his team hoping the cautions would fall in their favor. The long green-flag run that continued did nothing to help Ragan and his crew. Unable to make up those lost positions, Ragan finished a disappointing 34th on Sunday. He remains 25th in the standings.

Matt Kenseth struggled in practice on Friday and it carried over to qualifying later that evening when he qualified 39th in the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford. However, during practice on Saturday, Kenseth posted the 6th fastest time. The Crown Royal had high hopes for a strong run on Sunday when the green flag waved. By lap 10, Kenseth had moved from 39th to 23rd in the field. Under the caution on lap 18, Kenseth informed crew chief Todd Parrott that the car was loose in and off the turns. He pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments. Kenseth worked his way inside the top 20 following the restart, but reported his car was even looser than it had been before the adjustments. Kenseth’s next pit stop came under the caution that came out on lap 48. His crew made track bar and air pressure adjustments, but even after those changes, Kenseth still wasn’t happy with the way his car was handling. Green-flag stops began around lap 88, and Kenseth pitted on lap 91 for even more track bar and air pressure adjustments. The adjustments seemed to help as Kenseth had ran in the 16th position, but the No. 17 Ford was still a little loose. The next pit stops saw the Crown Royal crew making more track bar and air pressure adjustments. Kenseth managed to lead two laps before making a green-flag stop around lap 135. Kenseth hovered around the top fifteen after that. The final caution of the race came out with 17 laps remaining, and Kenseth pitted for four tires and another series of adjustments. Restarting 14th, Kenseth got caught up in traffic on the restart and was unable to advance further up the field. Kenseth was 14th to take the checkered flag. He is now 5th in the standings, down one position from last week.

For Carl Edwards, it looked like Michigan would be his chance for a great finish. In his previous 11 starts, Edwards had only finished outside the top ten once. Edwards started the race in the 19th position in the No. 99 Aflac Ford. From the drop of the green flag, Edwards began to gain positions. He was up to tenth when the first caution came out on lap 18. Edwards pitted for tires, fuel, and a slight air pressure adjustment. A quick stop by the Aflac crew had Edwards sitting 10th for the restart. Edwards was up to 8th just a few laps later. He was 9th when the caution flag waved a second time and pitted for tires, fuel, and a trackbar adjustment. Edwards’ crew helped him gain three positions on pit road to restart 6th. It soon became clear that Edwards was good on the short runs when he made his way up to 4th, but the car was still loose in the turns. He dropped back to 6th and remained there even after making a green-flag stop around lap 90. Edwards pitted under the caution on lap 98, and crew chief Bob Osborne called for right-side tires only, putting Edwards 7th for the restart. Edwards maintained that position throughout the following green-flag run. A couple more pit stops under green had Edwards’ crew making adjustments to tighten up the No. 99 Ford. Just when it seemed Edwards would get another top ten finish at Michigan, a caution with 17 laps remaining put a stop to it. Edwards was shuffled back to 11th with 10 laps to go since some of the teams behind him had opted to pit under that final caution. He held on to finish 12th. Edwards is now 10th in the point standings, down one position from last week.

Having taken wrecked racecars back to the shop the last two races, Greg Biffle was hoping for a turnaround at Michigan. Biffle qualified the No. 16 3M Ford in the 16th position and from the drop of the green flag, began to move his way up through the field. He was up to 11th when the first caution of the day came out. The No. 16 Ford was loose and crew chief Greg Erwin called for a track bar adjustment when Biffle pitted. Biffle restarted 13th, but was 10th just a few laps later. More adjustments were made when Biffle pitted under the second caution. This time his car had become too tight. However, those adjustments made under the second caution made the car too loose. Biffle tried to hang on to the 10th position while fighting the loose-handling racecar. The 3M crew made more adjustments under the caution on lap 98. It was under that pit stop that the No. 16 team discovered damage had been done to the nose of the car. The damage was quickly repaired, and Biffle was back inside the top ten by lap 119. Green-flag stops began once again around lap 135, and Biffle pitted on lap 139 for four tires, fuel, and trackbar and air pressure adjustments. Once the stops cycled through, Biffle was up to 5th. He maintained that position until the final round of green-flag stops began. Biffle’s car had gotten too tight, and his crew made more adjustments when he pitted on lap 176. When the final caution came out, Biffle and his team had an important decision to make. To pit or not to pit, that was the question. Biffle opted to stay out, but some teams behind him pitted. With 14 laps remaining, the field took the green flag one last time. Biffle dropped back to 10th, but was able to pass Joey Logano on the last lap to get a ninth place finish. Biffle is 9th in the standings, up one position from last week.

While the Roush Fenway Racing drivers were decent on Sunday, none were able to show the dominance that Ford has been known for at Michigan International Speedway. It was Denny Hamlin who brought home yet another win for Joe Gibbs Racing. Congratulations to Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 crew!

Next up: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway

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Busch vs. Busch: Michigan

Kyle Busch

Trucks: Kyle Busch took back the wheel of his truck this weekend at Michigan. He was sixth in practice and started eighth. After leading five times for a total 25 laps, he finished third to Aric Almirola. This is Busch's fifth top 10 in fives races at Michigan International Speedway and he leaves MIS 13th in points, two spots up from last week.

Nationwide: This weekend the Nationwide series was in Kentucky. Brad Coleman drove Busch's No. 18, qualifying second, finishing 13th and leading one time for two laps.

Cup: Busch's Cup weekend can be summed up in one word: frustrating. Finishing fourth, 10th and 32nd in practices, he had to start in the rear of the pack after qualifying 15th for an engine change. After making his way up to fourth by lap 140, he wound up on pit road with damage to the spoiler and finished the race in 20th. Busch still remains second in points, 22 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.



Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch is having a great season ...

The remainder of this article can be read at examiner.com.

Article originally published at LV NASCAR Examiner and republished with permission of author.

Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

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Almirola Edges out the Competition in Michigan (NCWTS)

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(June 12, 2010)

BROOKLYN, Mich.—Aric Almirola passed Todd Bodine and Kyle Busch three-wide through the middle with seven laps left in Saturday’s VFW 200 and held on to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Bodine finished second and retained his series lead by 55 points over Almirola, who won for the second time this season in Billy Ballew’s No. 51 Toyota. Busch ran third, followed by Ron Hornaday Jr. and polesitter Austin Dillon, who overcame a late pit-road penalty to post his second straight top five.

“I didn’t think it was the greatest place to be,” Almirola said of his middle position after a restart on Lap 93 of 100. “But I knew we were going to run wide open through the corner. We were either going to crash, or we were going to make it out the other side—because I knew how important clean air was.

“I knew that was my only shot to get out in the lead, and if I didn’t get out in the lead, there was no chance of us winning the race. So I went down in Turn 1, and I knew I was going to run a shorter distance than Todd (who was on the outside), so I just tried to hang tight on Kyle’s door and get him loose, which I did.

“By the time we got off Turn 2, I was almost clear of Todd, and then when we went through (Turns) 3 and 4, I cleared him. So I think that was the move of the race, as far as I’m concerned.”

In a race that featured a track-record 20 lead changes, Almirola didn’t go to the front until his pass on Lap 93. Bodine had held the lead for a restart on Lap 89 and had begun to pull away when Nelson Piquet Jr. spun through the frontstretch grass to bring out the fifth and final caution of the afternoon.

“Maybe it caught me a little off guard,” Bodine said of Almirola’s pass for the lead. “Aric’s a hell of a racer, and they had a good truck when it counted. On a short run like that—especially as many laps as we rode around under caution, with the tires cooling down—everybody’s handling pretty good for three or four laps, five laps.

“I really believe that, if this race was 10 laps longer, I probably would have beat him—but, guess what, there weren’t another 10 laps.”

Notes: The race was red-flagged for 40 minutes, 12 seconds because of a rain shower that caused the third caution on Lap 34. … Timothy Peters finished sixth and remained third in the standings, 165 points behind Almirola. … Matt Crafton retired after 83 laps with an engine failure and fell three spots to 10th in points.

Final Results:

1. Aric Almirola
2. Todd Bodine
3. Kyle Busch
4. Ron Hornaday
5. Austin Dillon
6. Timothy Peters
7. Jason White
8. David Starr
9. Elliott Sadler
10. Nelson Piquet Jr.
11. Stacy Compton
12. Mike Skinner
13. Donny Lia
14. Johnny Sauter
15. Ricky Carmichael
16. James Buescher
17. Chris Fontaine
18. Justin Lofton
19. Brad Sweet
20. Hermie Sadler
21. Jennifer Jo Cobb
22. Ryan Sieg
23. Mario Gosselin
24. Brett Butler
25. Donnie Neuenberger
26. Michael Guerity
27. Matt Crafton
28. Norm Benning
29. Brent Raymer
30. Chad McCumbee
31. Mark Garvey
32. Terry Jones
33. Chris Jones
34. Mike Harmon
35. Chase Austin
36. JC Stout

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Sandler and James to Serve as Grand Marshalls for Michigan Cup Race

Stars of “Grown Ups” Will Serve as June 13 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Grand Marshals

BROOKLYN, Mich. (May 26, 2010) – Michigan International Speedway is known as NASCAR’s summer reunion for friends and family. And on June 13, a pair of “Grown Ups” will reunite at the racetrack to prove it.

Adam Sandler and Kevin James, stars of Columbia Pictures’ “Grown Ups,” in theaters June 25, will serve as grand marshals for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Sandler and James know how to say the most famous words in motorsports with passion and enthusiasm. Each have given arguably the two most amazing commands in the NASCAR history — James in 2007 at Daytona International Speedway and Sandler at MIS in June 2006.

“It’s exciting to return to Michigan to give the command and launch the film,” Sandler said. “Last time I was there, we had the winning car for the movie ‘Click’ with Kasey Kahne, so hopefully we will have the same luck with ‘Grown Ups’.”

“Grown Ups,” starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider, is a hilarious comedy about five men who were best friends when they were young kids and now are getting together for the Fourth of July weekend to meet each others' families for the first time. Picking up where they left off, they discover why growing older doesn't mean growing up. The film also stars Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph. The film is directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf, and produced by Adam Sandler and Jack Giarraputo.

“It’s exciting that ‘Grown Ups’ will use Michigan International Speedway and the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 as a promotional platform for the movie’s summer release,” track President Roger Curtis said. “I can’t think of a better venue nor two better, more exciting grand marshals than Adam Sandler and Kevin James. This must be a sporting first to have two such high-caliber and big-name superstars serving as grand marshals.”

The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Live television coverage of the race is on TNT.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.

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Front Row Motorsports Names Crew Chief for Michigan

Statesville, N.C. (June 10, 2010) – Front Row Motorsports named Brian Burns interim crew chief for the No. 38 team for the race weekend at Michigan International Speedway. He has served as the team’s engineer since the beginning of the 2009 season. Burns takes the place of Steven Lane, who is serving a NASCAR-imposed suspension for rule infractions at last weekend’s Sprint Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 9, 2010) – NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the No. 38 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions committed during last Sunday’s event at Pocono Raceway.

The team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-10.7J (unapproved modification to valve stem hardware) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Steve Lane has been fined $100,000, suspended for the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Richard Bourgeois and tire specialist Michael Harrold have also been suspended from the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

Driver Travis Kvapil and owner Doug Yates have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.

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MIS Goes Smoke-Free

(February 24, 2010) All grandstand seating, mezzanines, concession and restroom buildings, suites and chalets at Michigan International Speedway will be smoke-free, racetrack officials have announced.
The ban comes on the heels of a state measure that will go into effect May 1, banning smoking in public places.

“Not only are we adhering to the law, but we are addressing a growing number of concerns from our race fans who do not smoke,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “Race fans who smoke, can still do so in approved areas. We appreciate all our fans for their understanding and patience.”

Smokers may choose to smoke in open-air areas behind the grandstands, in the New Holland Fan Plaza and in campgrounds.

The Champions Club, seating and adjacent patios will also be smoke-free.

Anyone who does not adhere to the new smoke-free policy will be subject to fines by state and county enforcement officials who are on site during race weekends.

Signs will be posted throughout the grandstands, reminding fans of non-smoking areas.

“MIS ushers and security will monitor the grandstand seats, and we fully expect our fans to police each other,” Curtis said. “We will have a number of avenues in place for fans to notify us, including our text messaging service as well as notifying security, if someone around them is smoking in the grandstands or suites.”

Affordable tickets, wider seats, larger infield campsites and earlier NASCAR Sprint Cup start times are just a few of the fan initiatives in place at MIS. Fans are celebrated year-round with the Fan Appreciation Program presented by LifeLock. Check out MISpeedway.com for details.

MIS’ Value Pricing is now available to the public until April 4. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

- Release Courtesy of Michigan International Speedway

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