Bowyer: 'We've got to finish this year strong'

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Fraser Nye

Talks Chase, MWR owner buying interest in CGR; gets new sponsor

LONG POND, Pa. — Michael Waltrip Racing driver Clint Bowyer met with media Friday at Pocono Raceway and gave a statement that echoed the "focused on 2015" sentiments expressed by MWR a day earlier that team owner Rob Kauffman had purchased an interest in Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

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"You need to bear with us," Bowyer said. "There’s obviously some change on the horizon. I got the same release you guys did.

"We’ve got a new sponsor on the car this weekend. It’s a big deal for us. We’ve been working on this a long time. Got a lot of momentum going into this. We’re 20 points out of the Chase. We’ve got to finish this year off strong.

"Like I said, there’s a lot of work to be done in the future, and we’re all working on it. When I have something to tell you guys, you all know me, and I’ll tell you."

According to Thursday’s statement, MWR and CGR would "continue to operate separately and compete against each other for the remainder of the 2015 season. They are also currently evaluating ways to field the most competitive race teams possible to provide an excellent platform for their partners and employees for the 2016 season and beyond."

The sponsor Bowyer referenced, Maxwell House, will run the first of four races this season as a primary on his No. 15 Toyota Camry in Sunday’s Windows 10 400 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra, MRN, SiriusXM).

Bowyer hopes the coffee maker will perk up his Chase chances this weekend and next at Watkins Glen. He currently sits in the final provisional position in the Chase Grid.

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"There’s obviously change on the horizon, and we’re going to have to work on the future and see what that looks like but for right now, we’re focused on 2015 — getting Maxwell House to Victory Lane this weekend and getting in this Chase," Bowyer said. "We’re close, and this can happen and these guys got to stay focused. I’ve got to stay focused. If we do our job, we can get in this Chase and compete for the championship."

During Friday’s first practice, in which he was 19th-fastest, Bowyer shed more light on his state of mind.

"The good news is there’s a car next to me that’s kind of falling like a rock (Hendrick Motorsports‘ Kasey Kahne) and those two RCR cars (Ryan Newman and Paul Menard) are right there for the taking, only 20 points out," Bowyer told MRN. "This is doable."

Former Michael Waltrip Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. expressed surprise at the developments surrounding his former team and teammate Bowyer.

"I don’t really know a whole lot of what’s going on," Truex said. "Hearing that Rob is buying into another team is interesting, for sure, so I’m not sure what they’ve got going on but it was definitely surprising.

"Got a lot of friends over there. They’ve got a lot of great people there. Hopefully they’ll all land on their feet and figure out some way to keep going."

Heading into the weekend, Bowyer is 15th in the points standings, 20 behind Kahne and Menard and trails Newman by 25, for the final drivers getting their way into the Chase on points. Currently, 10 drivers are locked into NASCAR playoffs with wins. Kyle Busch can make it 11 and take away another spot if he cracks the top 30 in points and stays there over the next six races.

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Fraser Nye

No. 18 driver has won three straight races with three different rules packages

LONG POND, Pa. — The 2015 season has been one of change for Kyle Busch, missing the first 11 races of the season with a broken leg and a broken foot and then coming back with a new crew chief, Adam Stevens, for his No. 18 ride. On Friday, the winner of the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races said embracing change has been key to his success.

As the Joe Gibbs Racing driver attempts to become the first driver to win four consecutive races since 2007 when Jimmie Johnson did it on the way to his second Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, Busch hopes this strong streak will carry over into the fall to follow in Johnson’s footsteps.

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"I look forward to continuing on our Chase march here and then once we get to Chicago, being able to capitalize on this hot summer to have a continuation of that into the Chase," Busch said.

The driver has not only won three races in a row, but has done so with three different rules packages. His first win in the string came with the low downforce package at Kentucky Speedway, followed by a victory under 2015 rules at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His first win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway the next week came with NASCAR’s high drag package.

"With the different aero packages, I actually was pretty excited about it," Busch said. "I kind of like change, and I feel like I’m the best at being able to adapt to it the fastest before crew chiefs and engineers get too much of an understanding of the basis of what they have to work on to make those packages better in order to get their drivers better, their cars better and to be able to keep up with me. I kind of like the change."

Busch likes change so much that he suggested running last weekend’s rules at Pocono Raceway, a track where he’s winless in NASCAR’s premier series.

"I actually wouldn’t mind if we had that high drag package here at Pocono," Busch said. "I think here would definitely be a place that you’d want to see it with these long straightaways. That would certainly make for a really interesting race."

Pocono is one of only five tracks where he hasn’t won a race. The other four — Martinsville Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway — are in the Chase, and the last three are 1.5-mile tracks, which make up half of the races in NASCAR’s playoffs.

When the Chase starts, Busch will have run only one points race with the 2015 package on a 1.5-mile track, Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600. He earned an 11th-place result behind JGR teammate and winner Carl Edwards. Busch acknowledged his lack of track time with the current package, and the driver may need to learn behind the wheel during the final 10 races of the season.

"The lower downforce at Kentucky was fun," Busch said. "It’s definitely a lot harder than what a lot of the other mile-and-a-halfs have been this year. I haven’t run in a whole lot of them. But just from the drivers’ sense of what I got, the off-throttle time was a heck of a lot more. Everybody enjoyed it a lot so I hope to continue on down that path."

Although Busch’s first win of 2015 came on a road course last month at Sonoma Raceway, Busch said next week’s return to road racing may present the biggest obstacle over the final six races of the regular season as he needs to make and then stay in the top 30 in points to secure a playoff berth.

"With Watkins Glen coming up next week, that’s going to be another hard one to get through so that’s going to be a tough challenge for myself in the left foot. So we’ll make it, and I think we’ll be OK like Sonoma," Busch said. "It’ll be sore on Monday afterwards, and we’ll continue to ice it and make it feel better."

Sunday’s Windows 10 400 (1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM) will be the first time this season Busch will run a second race at the same track. He finished ninth in June, and hopes to replace the zero in his victory column with a win based on JGR adjustments over the last six weeks.

"I’ve never won at Pocono Raceway, and I hope that’s about to change," Busch said, using the "c" word again. "We’ve certainly had some good runs over the years, sometimes in the spring race, sometimes in the summer race, but overall, I feel like our team’s really come a long way. I like where we’re going and where we’re at so I just hope that we can continue that here this weekend and get ourselves a win and make it four in a row."

Posted on July 30, 2015 by NASCAR Official Release

Partnership to focus on benefits of residential and commercial solar power tech

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., and BELMONT, Calif., (JULY 30, 2015) — NASCAR and SunEdison, Inc. (NYSE: SUNE), the world’s largest renewable energy development company, today announced SunEdison as the Official Solar Energy Partner of NASCAR Green. This new partnership builds on the expanded use of solar technology across the sport, particularly at race team shops and race tracks across the country.

Over the next three years, SunEdison and NASCAR will embark on an effort to educate millions of NASCAR fans on the financial and environmental benefits of solar power use. SunEdison plans to work with NASCAR partners, tracks and teams on commercial-scale solar solutions. The White House cited this newly forged partnership as a prime example of making renewable energy accessible to all U.S. homeowners.

"Solar power is a proven and reliable form of renewable energy and the technology is already making a significant impact throughout our industry," said Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. "Our strategic partnership with SunEdison will help NASCAR further reduce the sport’s environmental impact and help continue to educate our fans on renewable energy."

"SunEdison is excited to be partnering with NASCAR to highlight the benefits of solar both at and away from the race track," said Vikas Desai, SunEdison senior vice president of residential and small commercial. "We look forward to being a strategic NASCAR Green partner and helping fans, partners and the sport save money while reducing their carbon footprint."

NASCAR has taken a holistic approach across its wide-ranging effort to help protect the environment and has been collaborating in earnest with teams, tracks, partners and fans to do that since 2008. NASCAR’s efforts to champion sustainable behavior align with NASCAR fan values.

According to a 2014 study commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Research Now, four out of five NASCAR fans believe the earth is going through a period of climate change, and two out of three of these fans feel a personal responsibility to do something about it. The study shows approximately two out of three NASCAR fans who believe there is climate change support buying cost-effective solar panels for the home. For additional information on NASCAR Green, visit www.nascar.com/green

Posted on July 30, 2015 by

Kyle works to keep up momentum to join brother, more in Chase

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Only six races remain before the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set.

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Here’s what we know:

Kyle Busch‘s third consecutive win continues his incredible comeback and brings him even closer to the Chase. He heads into Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway only 23 points behind Justin Allgaier for 30th in the standings — the position that would make him eligible for the Chase.

In order to do this before the Chase starts, Busch will need to average 19.8 points in the final six races of the regular season. This means "Rowdy" must finish 24th or better each race.

Kyle’s older brother, Kurt, left Indianapolis in good standings after locking up a top 30 spot. Kurt Busch joins Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson as they have all guaranteed their spots in the Chase.

Drivers with a win who are still looking to lock up a top 30 spot are Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards. A win at Pocono would secure any of these drivers a spot in the Chase, although Edwards may need some help.

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Holly Cain

Team Penske female race engineer: ‘You have to pinch yourself’

Andrea Mueller laughed and conceded that she still hesitates when people casually ask her what she does for a living.

Answering "rocket scientist" or "race car engineer" always seemed to raise eyebrows, drop jaws and invite more questions.

"It’s kind of funny, even when (rocket science is) what I was doing and we would go out at night or whatever I would always tell people I was either a teacher or a gardener,” the Team Penske race engineer explained. "I don’t know why I tried to hide it, but I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to fly under the radar. So even now, it’s definitely that people are bringing it out of me to talk about it."

For this unassuming and talented young woman the truth is a far better story than anything you could make up as a conversation starter.

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At only 35 years old, Mueller is one of the most respected people in the NASCAR XFINITY Series garage. In 2007, she left a successful job working on engine components for NASA’s space shuttle program to take an engineering position with Team Penske‘s XFINITY Series program and was a vital contributor to back-to-back team owner’s championships in 2013 and 2014.

Since Mueller joined Team Penske full time in 2012, the team has earned 25 of its 50 total victories — an impressive statistic that not only speaks to the talented array of drivers that steer Roger Penske’s cars, but the people — like Mueller — who prepare them.

"Andrea is kind of the central point of everything we do from an information and a setup-based environment,” explained Greg Erwin, who serves as director of competition for Penske’s XFINITY Series program. "She is critical to the success of this 22 program and has been for multiple years now. I saw it last year in a managerial role and now working with her more closely on a day-to-day basis.

"She’s the most pinpoint, focused, thorough individual with her craft that I’ve ever been around. She’s really, really a gift to the program. I’m thankful to have her."

RELATED: There is no ‘I’ in team

Mueller stands out in the sport because of her NASA background as much as for her gender. And that’s a source of pride for her. A former successful quarter- and micro-midget racer near her hometown of Fresno, California, Mueller insists she’s always just felt like "one of the guys."

And if she wasn’t going to be racing cars, then working around them was the next best option.

"I realized early enough, as much as I wanted to be a professional race car driver, it just wasn’t going to work out and quickly switched gears to race as long as I could and just have fun,” Mueller explained. "Then mechanical engineering became my focus. The deal with my dad was all through racing, I had to have straight-As to race so he pretty much set me up to help me stay on the path (to college) as well."

Gender really had nothing to do with either of her professional tracks.

However, Mueller acknowledges there are still few women working on cars in the garage, but the numbers are growing. And she’s hopeful her opportunity and success will attract others.

"Growing up with race teams I was around whether it was my dad’s or when I was racing as a teenager or even in college, I was always just one of the guys," Mueller said. "I’m very fortunate it never was an issue.

"The one thing I hope comes out of all this is that (young women) see there’s no reason they can’t do whatever they want."

And to her credit, Mueller’s team has always been more focused on her ability than her gender.

"Our team doesn’t look at her any differently,” Penske driver Joey Logano said after celebrating yet another XFINITY Series win at Talladega Superspeedway this spring. "Andrea’s a great asset. She helps (crew chief) Jeremy Bullins, she helps Greg (Erwin) a ton and I like that she’s very assertive. She’s not scared to put in her opinion and that’s a good thing to have in that position.

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"The best crew chiefs and engineers are racers first and I think you have to have racing in your blood to understand the grassroots of motorsports then to have the engineering degree … that’s key. You’ve got to have both and Andrea does. They don’t teach the sport in college.

"And Andrea’s more exited than anyone to win these races."

With the success and recognition Mueller’s earned, flying under the radar won’t be an option, especially when she achieves her next goal — to be a race engineer in the Sprint Cup Series.

Breaking down gender stereotypes is old hat and a non-issue for Mueller, who’s held dream job after dream job. Her focus is not surprisingly more singular: winning.

"At the end of the day, sometimes you have to pinch yourself," Mueller said. "Am I really working on race cars for Mr. Penske and this is really my job and I’m getting paid to do this? That’s outstanding."

Posted on July 30, 2015 by

2002 wreck mirrors Austin’s Daytona crash, Rusty Wallace involved, too

Austin Dillon‘s much-talked about Daytona crash paralleled to a wreck from more than a decade ago in Pocono, with both crashes involving Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In 2002, Steve Park was lining up with his competition at Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania 500, hoping to snag his second top-10 at the track.

Park never did see a top-10 finish that day. In fact, he didn’t even complete the first lap thanks to a nasty wreck involving Park, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. between Turn 1 and 2.

The accident was initially sparked by NASCAR Hall of Famer Wallace. Wallace’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford hit the wall after the first turn. Park tried to avoid making contact with the spinning Ford and attempted to move sideways. In his quest to dodge out of Wallace’s path, he came into contact with teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Jr. got under Park’s No. 1 Chevrolet causing both cars to spin onto the grass. While on the grass, Park slammed into an interior guardrail, flipping the car over violently, multiple times.

Similar to his reaction to Dilllon’s crash, Dale Jr. was concerned about Park’s well-being as it took safety workers some time to help him out of his upside-down vehicle.

When Junior was able to get out of his own car, he sprinted over to check on his teammate.

Not only was it difficult getting Park out of his car, but it led to a 65-minute red-flag caution with repairs to the interior barrier having to take place before the field could go back to green.

Park, like Austin Dillon, walked away from the crash just fine and headed to the infield care center arm-in-arm with Junior.

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Staff Report

17-year-old Gray Gaulding set to run in three NCWTS races

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced on Thursday that 17-year-old Gray Gaulding will drive the No. 54 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota Tundra for three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season.

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Gaulding, who ia a NASCAR Next alumni, will gear up for his first race on August 30 for the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Ontario.

"I’m very excited to be a part of KBM," said Gaulding.

"It’s a dream as a driver because I remember growing up watching Kyle and how much I wanted to drive for him when he started his own team. I know his mentality is to go out every weekend and win races. It’s a championship organization with great people and I know I’ll be able to go to the race track and have an opportunity to win at each race.

"I can’t thank Krispy Kreme and the over 40,000 world-wide team members enough for believing in me and taking a chance on a 17-year-old kid. Driving a KBM Toyota Tundra is my dream opportunity."

The Virginia native will also participate in the upcoming NCWTS races in Loudon Sept. 26 and Martinsville Oct. 31.

Gaulding has made 10 starts in the series since 2014 with his best place finish being at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, where he finished fourth.

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Nascar

Bruce: Never count ‘Smoke’ out, but he needs a win

It’s been three years since Tony Stewart qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

And it’s beginning to look as if the three-time series champion might miss this year’s field of 16 as well.

Stewart, 44, is 26th in points heading into this weekend’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway. With only six races remaining before the field is set, it’s unlikely that the co-owner/driver at Stewart-Haas Racing will qualify for one of the 16 positions based on points.

To earn a chance to compete for this year’s championship, Stewart needs nothing less than a victory in the coming weeks.

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Defending series champion Kevin Harvick, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, ’04 champ Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have officially clinched Chase berths.

Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards are 2015 race winners and are currently 16th or higher in the points standings.

Kyle Busch, riding a white-hot streak that has seen the Joe Gibbs Racing driver win three consecutive Sprint Cup events, and four of the last five, is on the doorstep of the top 30 in points (another Chase eligibility requirement).

Non-winners, but those somewhat safely inside the top 16 in points include Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon. On less stable ground are Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Kasey Kahne, currently 12th through 14th, respectively, in points. Unless he can advance his points position, Clint Bowyer, who sits 15th, would fall outside the Chase as soon as Kyle Busch cracks the top 30.

Stewart is trying to climb into contention. Those on the periphery are likewise trying to advance — or hold on — to what they’ve earned thus far.

A win in the coming weeks by anyone else, AJ Allmendinger (23rd) at Watkins Glen for example, would trump the points position of a non-winner inside the top 16.

It’s unlikely that someone such as Kahne, Menard or Bowyer is resting too comfortably these days. Kahne has made three consecutive appearances in the Chase, but isn’t taking anything for granted; Menard’s still chasing that first playoff opportunity; Bowyer, meanwhile, is attempting to return after missing the field a year ago.

Aric Almirola (17th) and Greg Biffle (18th) made last year’s Chase. Austin Dillon (19th) and Kyle Larson (20th) are still looking for that first career win and first Chase appearance. Would it be unwise to look past any of those drivers given the uncertain nature of racing? Rules package changes and a variety of tracks — large, small and a road course to boot — only serve to muddy the racing waters.

Stewart’s Chase absence has been well documented. A broken leg in 2013 sidelined the No. 14 driver for the season’s final 15 races. A year ago, he missed three races prior to the start of the Chase, and while he was given a NASCAR exemption, Stewart failed to produce the necessary win or points position to qualify.

Perhaps it would be just as unwise to look past Stewart, given what he has been able to accomplish in previous years.

But the road ahead won’t be an easy one for him or any of those looking to go from Chase hopeful to Chase qualifier.

The calendar is starting to take an ugly turn.

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Nascar

Companies will continue to compete against each other in 2015

Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner Rob Kauffman has agreed to purchase an interest in Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, according to statements from the two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organizations.

According to a statement from MWR, the "companies will continue to operate separately and compete against each other for the remainder of the 2015 season. They are also currently evaluating ways to field the most competitive race teams possible to provide an excellent platform for their partners and employees for the 2016 season and beyond."

How the move will impact the number of teams involved has yet to be determined, although it appears likely that the re-tooled CGR will be a three-team effort in 2016. What that means for co-owner Michael Waltrip and MWR going forward is also unknown at this time.

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Sponsorship agreements with Aaron’s and manufacturer support with Toyota are scheduled to conclude at the end of ’15.

"My focus is on 2015 and fulfilling the commitment we have made to our partners and Toyota, which is placing our teams in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup," Michael Waltrip said in a statement Thursday. "There are a lot of details yet to be sorted regarding 2016. I will work closely with Rob Kauffman and our sponsors to formulate the best way forward."

Ed Laukes, vice president marketing, performance and guest experience for Toyota Motor Sales, issued a statement Friday morning with a similar sentiment.

"We’ve spoken with Rob Kauffman and understand he has agreed to buy an interest in Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates," the statement read. "Rob has not disclosed the plans for Michael Waltrip Racing past the 2015 racing season. Toyota and TRD remain focused on winning races and championships with our team partners this year."

MWR, founded by Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner as a driver, fields two Sprint Cup teams for drivers Clint Bowyer and David Ragan. It has been affiliated with Toyota since the automaker made the move into Sprint Cup in 2007, the same year Kauffman came aboard to provide financial stability.

Recent years have seen the organization, located in Cornelius, North Carolina, struggle; it downsized from three teams to two following the 2013 season when penalties before the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup knocked one of its teams out of the Chase field.

That led to the decision by primary sponsor NAPA to part ways with the organization, and without funding, driver Martin Truex Jr. was left to seek employment elsewhere (Furniture Row Racing).

Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 Toyota, hasn’t been to Victory Lane since his debut season with the group in 2012. He is currently 15th in points and trying to earn one of this year’s 16 Chase berths.

Teammate David Ragan joined the organization this season, replacing Brian Vickers in the No. 55 ride when Vickers had to step aside for health reasons. Ragan is 24th in the points standings. On Wednesday, he told NASCAR.com that he would like to remain with the organization.

"I like everyone at MWR and the Aaron’s folks have been great to work with," he said. "We’ve got a good thing going so hopefully we can keep it going."

Aaron’s is the primary sponsor of the No. 55 team.

CGR, which is currently affiliated with Chevrolet, also fields two Sprint Cup teams, featuring drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson. The organization also has XFINITY Series interests as part of an alliance with HScott Motorsports.

A statement from CGR on Thursday confirmed the agreement between Kauffman and Ganassi.

Both McMurray and Larson are looking to make their first Chase appearance this season; McMurray is ninth in points and likely one of this year’s 16 participants. Larson is currently 20th in points and could qualify should he win one of the next six races.

Sabates, owner of the team from 1989 through 2000 before becoming a minority partner in ’01, issued a statement to SiriusXM NASCAR on Wednesday, saying that the move "is about making our team stronger; a three-car team is stronger than a two-car (team)."

Sabates also discounted reports that Kauffman’s involvement meant he was out as a partner.

"I’m not going anywhere," Sabates said. "… The rumors that Rob is buying me out are not true."

Ganassi became majority owner of the team in 2000; he partnered with Dale Earnhardt Inc. from 2009-13 and the organization was known as Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

Since ’14, the group has been known as Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

Posted on July 29, 2015 by NASCAR Official Release

Crew chief Scott Eggleston fined, suspended

The No. 98 team has been assessed a P3 level penalty for having an unattached weight leave the car during practice on July 24 (Sections 12:1; 12.5.3.3.1; 20.3.5). Crew chief Scott Eggleston has been fined $25,000; suspended from the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship points race; and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31.

Car chief Kevin Eagle has been suspended from the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship points race and placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31. Car owner Mike Curb will lose 15 championship car owner points.