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Earnhardt laments loss of National Guard, calls partnership ‘a huge honor’

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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday that he expects second-generation phenom Chase Elliott to compete full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2016. As for the teenager, Elliott says he’s just enjoying the progress as it unfolds.

The questions over the direction of one of stock-car racing’s brightest young talents continued to be a burning topic in the garage, even though his career is just 29 NASCAR national series starts old. The fire was stoked earlier in the week when powerhouse team owner Rick Hendrick told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he expected Elliott to enter a handful of Sprint Cup events next season.

Earnhardt did nothing to throw water on the possibilities at Watkins Glen International, saying that Elliott will soon be ripe for a spot in NASCAR’s premier series.

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"I think it makes great sense," Earnhardt said outside his Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 hauler. "You know, two Nationwide seasons, run a little Cup in that second season and go right on into Cup, I think that’s the plan. He’s running well enough that that seems to make a lot of sense. I wouldn’t have expected anything else, to be honest with you."

Elliott, moments before final NASCAR Nationwide Series practice, said that his schedule and any potential move up for next season and beyond was far from confirmed.

"I think the best word I can come up with is it’s ‘a thought.’ That’s going to be my answer for the weekend is it’s a thought," Elliott said. "Beyond that, I really don’t know. It’s kind of out of my hands. I think it’s something that Mr. Hendrick has thought about and I know he mentioned it on the radio the other day. So he knows a lot more about it than I do, and I don’t ask questions. I just take it a week at a time and beyond that, I’m not sure."

Elliott — the son of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Bill Elliott — has produced captivating results in his rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, vaulting to the lead in the points standings with three victories through the first 20 of 33 races this season. He’s done so under the watch of Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports organization, racing with the No. 9 that his father campaigned for most of his career.

Though he’s tested Sprint Cup cars from the Hendrick shops in the offseason, Elliott said he isn’t rushing his timetable for joining NASCAR’s big leagues.

"I think you take it as it comes," Elliott said. "Until you go and try, it’s hard to say. There’s times where I think, ‘yeah, maybe we could keep up,’ and other days, maybe not. Really until you give it a fair chance it’s hard to say at what point you are in your career. So I try to take it a week at a time, I don’t ask questions and just try to hope for the best."

Greg Ives, who has helped mentor the 18-year-old Elliott as his crew chief at JRM, will move to Earnhardt’s No. 88 team at the start of 2015, replacing Steve Letarte.

While Hendrick’s stable is full at the NASCAR-mandated maximum of four full-time Sprint Cup teams, a fifth part-time car for a prospective rookie would be allowed within the rules. Wednesday night, Hendrick lauded Elliott’s poise while saying he hoped to see his career progress to the Sprint Cup level next season.

"I said before he ever ran a race, I would put him in a 600-mile race at Charlotte and think he’d finish in the top 15, top 10, because he’s so smart," Hendrick told SiriusXM. "He just understands the car and takes care of it. I think he’s going to do a super job whenever the time comes. I think we’ll surely, probably the second half of next year, we’ll probably see him in some races."

Count Jeff Gordon, Hendrick’s longtime franchise driver, among the believers.
 
"I mean this kid is phenomenal. He is just a sponge," Gordon said Friday at Watkins Glen. "You just introduce him to new things and he just excels at it. When it comes to young talent like Chase, I think the sooner that you can. Not necessarily the sooner, but you don’t want to keep them in a Nationwide car too long. You want to get them in that Cup car and I think that is a perfect plan is to put him in there for some races next year to give him an idea, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him in there full time the following year."

Earnhardt, in his brief remarks before opening practice, also lamented the loss of National Guard as a primary sponsor at the end of the season. The branch of the U.S. military announced Wednesday that it would cease its backing of all forms of motorsports in 2015.

While Earnhardt described having the organization’s logo on his cars has been "a huge honor," he acknowledged that the military’s allocation of marketing funds has been a source of scrutiny in the nation’s capital.

"There’s been the debate in Washington for several years," Earnhardt said. "Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue to represent them. Really have enjoyed it and it’s been a great, great seven years. It’s been a great partnership. I think it’s been very, very effective. Hopefully we can continue to do that."

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Posted on by Fraser Nye

New York native improves on road courses in championship quest

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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Regan Smith grew up 90 minutes northeast of Watkins Glen International in Cato, New York and remembers coming to a lot of races at the facility.

The 30-year-old still acts like a kid when he comes back to the Glen, especially after finishing fourth last year, a career best on a road course.

"When you get ready to practice here, I get a little more giddy becaust it’s just a fun race track to go out and drive as a driver," Smith said. "In terms of road courses, I’m not the best road racer in America by any means so they’re all challenging to me, but this one, I feel a little more at home at and have more confidence coming into it."

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Smith trails JR Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott by two points after 20 races this season. He trailed eventual champion Austin Dillon by 14 at the same point last year, and he says he learned from the mistakes he made last year to challenge for the title down the stretch.

"If you look at that points, we’re in a very similar position to where we were at the Glen last year from a points standpoint so the thing I’ve got to do a better job of as a driver is not getting too desperate too early and not changing what you do in the car and just letting things come to you."

After a 16th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway last month, the No. 7 team has turned the corner, in Smith’s eyes, and is putting forth a championship effort.

"Chicago was really bad for us, and it was tough on the guys," Smith said. "It was tough on me, and we left there and changed a few things, did a few things a little different the past two races. Although it’s only been 10th (Indianapolis) and sixth-place (Iowa) finishes, they’ve been big steps forward for us.

"We can leave those last two races and say, ‘If we had done this different, we would have finished better or we would have gone faster.’ And that’s a good thing because there’s a couple of them before that that we were left scratching our head like ‘What do we do?’ The experience will definitely help us down the stretch."

One road Smith would rather not travel is next Saturday’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio, but he knows he has to improve to stay in the championship chase.

"I hate that place," Smith said of the Lexington, Ohio facility. "I’ll just point-blank tell you I’m going to have to work hard next week.

"The road courses definitely last year were place we could have gained more points and helped ourselves out in the championship."

Starting sixth in 2013, Smith finished 15th at Mid-Ohio after turning in the fourth-place finish a week prior at the Glen. Smith improved from a 32nd-place finish at Road America to 13th in June. A similar improvement at the Glen could land him in Victory Lane.

A winner in the season-opening race at Daytona, Smith compares a Watkins Glen win with his World Center of Racing triumph.

"I think we should be able to go out better than fourth place and get up in the top three and challenge for the win if things go our way. That’s just how I feel.

"This place would be almost as big as Daytona to win at. It would be cool. With this many friends and family in the area that still live up here and everybody that’s in Cato. It would be a big deal for me."

If equating a road-course win to a win at Daytona sounds familiar, Smith’s boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr., tweeted the same sentiment heading to Sonoma in June. The No. 7 driver seems to be inspired by Dale Jr. and has adopted a similar attitude.

"I think he’s driving as good as anybody in the series right now on the Cup side," Smith said. "Maybe I’m partial because he is my boss, and I’m around him a lot more and he’s my friend.

"But I’d put him up against anybody at this moment. Hell, he went to Sears Point (Sonoma) and got a third place, and this is a guy that admits that he doesn’t like road courses so it’s been good to see."

It would be good for the No. 7 team to see Smith follow his owner’s lead and earn a couple of top-five finishes, if not a win, and keep the pressure on their No. 9 neighbors in the shop in pursuit of JR Motorsports’ first Nationwide title.

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Posted on by Fraser Nye

Allmendinger re-ups with sponsor, Ambrose undecided on 2015

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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — AJ Allmendinger got some good news for his future on Friday that could give him some momentum while Marcos Ambrose did not address 2015 and beyond. But both drivers plan to take advantage of their road-course prowess at Watkins Glen International on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 

The driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet announced that Kimberly-Clark Corporation extended its sponsorship with him and JTG Daugherty Racing through 2017 with the company’s Scott, Viva, Kleenex, Cottonelle and Huggies brands. In June at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series other road course, Sonoma Raceway, Allmendinger and the team announced that it had extended its relationship with the Oakland-based Clorox Company.

With sponsors in hand for the next three seasons, Allmendinger’s focus turns to winning the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, one of five races left before the Chase and the driver’s best chance to make it into NASCAR’s playoffs.

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"Hopefully with the good news, we get some good vibes and momentum when we come here this weekend," Allmendinger said.

His 13th-place average start and 9.2 average finish at the Glen are his best at any Sprint Cup track. He looks forward to making a charge into the Chase with a win on the New York road course where he has a top five and three top-10 finishes in five starts. But the new Chase format means anyone can win and anyone can knock the leader out of the way in the quest for victory.

"We all drive like idiots out there most of the time, honestly, and it’s funny with this format now," Allmendinger said. "Whether you’re Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. or Jeff (Gordon) or Jimmie (Johnson), the guys that are locked in, they’ve got nothing to worry about so they can take all the risks they want. And the guys that are on the edge or the people like myself or Marcos (Ambrose), we know we need a win to get in. We’re all going to drive aggressive.

"We all know the format. Whether you’re 25th in points right now or like Kasey (Kahne) or Austin (Dillon) or somebody that’s right on the edge. It is what it is." 

Allmendinger’s best chances to make the Chase occur on the road courses, but he doesn’t want the No. 47 team’s strong season to be defined by only two weekends a year. He learned that lesson the hard way in June when he led the most laps at Sonoma before finishing two laps down in 37th.

"Waking up this morning, (I’m) thinking about possibility of winning, but you’ve got to go through the whole process," Allmendinger said. "I went to Sonoma. I woke up Sunday morning thinking we’ve really got a shot at this thing if everything works out right. There’s a lot that has to work out right though. I don’t want it to define our race weekend. If we go there and win the pole, lead all the laps and finish third, I don’t want it to be disappointing. That’s still a great weekend for our team."

Meanwhile, Ambrose has an option to leave Richard Petty Motorsports and speculation has centered on a return to V8 Supercar racing in his native Australia. But he’s focused on getting his third Sprint Cup win in four years at the New York road course.

"I absolutely haven’t even thought about (2015)," Ambrose said. "We have a big week this week trying to make the Chase for the (No.) 9 team, and that is all I am focused on."

Ambrose actually has a second focus this weekend as he returns to the Nationwide Series at the Glen for the first time since 2010. He won the Zippo 200 from 2008 through 2010 and hopes to tie Terry Labonte for the most victories in the series at the track.

While going for the weekend sweep with wins in NASCAR’s top two series, Ambrose doesn’t want to discount the possibility of making the Chase on points.

"We have to be careful because we are 17th in points," Ambrose said. "If we get away with a top-five and we get closer — I think you need to be about 13th in points to feel like you have a shot to make the Chase — then we could say it has been a solid day but really we have come here to try to win. 

"At the same time, winning is very difficult in this series so you have to be proud of putting effort in. For me, if I have a good day and drive the very best I can and get out of here with a top-five I will take it as a decent day, but we have come here to win."

With Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Aric Almirola’s win at Daytona, Ambrose hopes to give Petty a second team in the 16-driver Chase. Although his Richard Petty Motorsports team is on the verge of becoming the organization’s second team in the Chase Grid, Ambrose said the two-car operation still has work to do.

"It is a big step for us to make the Chase with Aric," Ambrose said, also indicating the organization has one more test left this season. "That was a great day and a great opportunity but we need more than that. We need to fix our intermediate program and downforce program and find out where we are lacking. That will make it easier. That is the lion’s share of the tracks we go to. It is never easy, none of them are."

A two-time V8 Supercar champion, Ambrose knows how to win titles. While his best points standings finish is 18th in five previous full-time Sprint Cup seasons, he also seems to enjoy his current struggle at RPM, making his decision for 2015 that much harder. 

"Even when you are winning championships you think you are struggling, that is just how racing works. I am driving for The King and driving for Ford, and it is great to be a part of the series. Just because it is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t great."

Four-time Watkins Glen champ Jeff Gordon sees Allmendinger and Ambrose as ones to watch this weekend, and he agreed with Allmendinger’s assessment that he’ll be going for broke now that he’s locked into the Chase.

"Marcos Ambrose and AJ Allmendinger they are always going for it here anyway," Gordon said. "You look for those guys to be super-aggressive because of the format this year, it is so important to win. I look for those guys to be charging really hard. We don’t have a lot to lose either so we are going to be pushing pretty hard ourselves."

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Follow as drivers, teams and reporters chat from the track

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Can’t be at Watkins Glen International this weekend for Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series events? See what’s going on as if you were there with at-track updates from teams, drivers and NASCAR.com reporters.

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Elliott to roll off second for qualifying (9:40 a.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN2)

Entry No. Driver Sponsor
1 75 * Kenny Habul Sun Energy 1 Toyota
2 9 Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
3 99 James Buescher Toyota Care Toyota
4 12 * Joey Logano(i) Snap-on Ford
5 40 Matt DiBenedetto Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
6 42 Kyle Larson(i) Cartwheel by Target Chevrolet
7 19 Mike Bliss Tweaker Energy Shot Toyota
8 20 Matt Kenseth(i) Reser’s Toyota
9 22 Brad Keselowski(i) Hertz Ford
10 23 Kevin O’Connell 50 Camp Fires Chevrolet
11 4 Jeffrey Earnhardt The Great Outdoors RV Superstore Chevrolet
12 70 * Derrike Cope youtheory Chevrolet
13 60 Chris Buescher # Cheez-It Ford
14 46 * Josh Wise(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
15 44 Carlos Contreras 38 Special/Ingersoll Rand/Voli Toyota
16 11 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Toyota
17 16 Ryan Reed # ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Ford
18 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet
19 43 Dakoda Armstrong # Charter Ford
20 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet
21 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet
22 39 Ryan Sieg # RSS Racing Chevrolet
23 74 * Roger Reuse WCIPARTS.COM Chevrolet
24 52 Joey Gase Donate Life Chevrolet
25 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com/AllSouthElectric.com Chevrolet
26 33 * Paul Menard(i) Turtle Wax/Menards Chevrolet
27 09 * Marcos Ambrose(i) Stanley Ford
28 87 Stanton Barrett BarcodeMedia.net Ford
29 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota
30 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford
31 28 JJ Yeley Texas 28 Spirits Stage Dodge
32 14 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap/Hefty Ultimate Toyota
33 3 Ty Dillon # Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet
34 10 * Blake Koch SupportMilitary.org Toyota
35 55 Brennan Newberry(i) Qore 24 Chevrolet
36 17 * Tanner Berryhill # NationalCashLenders.com Dodge
37 7 Regan Smith AmericasPower.org Chevrolet
38 31 Dylan Kwasniewski # AccuDoc Solutions/Rockstar Chevrolet
39 93 Tomy Drissi(i) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dodge
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Ambrose has won two of the last three races at the seven-turn track

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No NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has been more dominant than Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen since the Australian road course maven debuted there in 2008.

He has won two of the last three races at the seven-turn track nestled in Central New York’s Finger Lakes region and has only missed the top three once – after a tire went down last year.

"Obviously I’m very comfortable at a road course, and I just love Watkins Glen," Ambrose said. "I love the area, the track and going to Victory Lane there."

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Ambrose enters the race as one of the prohibitive favorites, but more is at stake than a win for the driver who has never claimed victory at a Sprint Cup event outside the Glen. Under the current championship format, he can all but assure himself of a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first time with a victory. 

"The pressure, it’s really not any heavier, it’s just part of the business, said Ambrose on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s "The Morning Drive." "You go to certain tracks where you know you have a chance more than others and it’s just one of those weekends where you just want to make the most of it." 

Some may point to Ambrose’s 31st-place finish at Watkins Glen last year to dampen his victory hopes, but the finish doesn’t tell the whole story.  Ambrose led 51 of the first 61 laps, until an inopportune caution forced him back to 12th on a restart. He wrecked with five laps remaining. 

The former V8 Supercar champion’s success at The Glen extends past the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Ambrose captured the checkered flag in three consecutive Nationwide races from 2008-10. In fact, he will participate in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at The Glen to prepare for Sunday’s start. 

"I am really thankful to STANLEY for allowing me the opportunity to race in the Nationwide Series and giving me another opportunity to win there," Ambrose said. "We have had a good record in this race and at this track. I’d love to win again. It will also give me and my pit crew more time on the track as we hope to sweep the weekend."

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NASCAR.com writers debate the hot topics of the week

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1. Pocono continued a summer swoon for Jimmie Johnson, who suffered two more tire issues and finished out of the top 10 for the fourth consecutive race. Should the No. 48 team be concerned?

Alan Cavanna: Here’s what I always say about Jimmie Johnson and the 48: That team has set, and earned, its own high standards. Six championships and 60-plus wins will do that. So by those standards, yes the 48 team should be concerned. But by "normal" team standards, I think the 48 is just fine. Every team struggles for a bit during a long season. Much better now than in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

David Caraviello: As for the results, I don’t know if "concerned" is quite the right word. This is a team with three wins already and a guaranteed high seed in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, so they can afford to try things, and you have to think they are. Jimmie’s no stranger to these kinds of stretches right before the playoff, and in the past he’s rebounded by spanking the field in the Chase.

Kenny Bruce: They’ll say there’s no reason to worry, but the number of times they’ve had issues with camber/tire/front-end setup has continued to climb. They’re obviously looking to fine-tune something there, but it has proven costly. Can they "fall back" on what works? Sure. But if others are moving forward and not having issues, will the 48 be as dominant as everyone expects? I don’t know about that.

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Cavanna: The lack of speed has surprised me a bit. Jimmie was never a factor at Indianapolis, and even faded a bit toward the end. That’s something we never see. In Pocono, the 48 didn’t have speed in qualifying and ultimately had the multiple tire issues.

Bruce: Their best is on an entirely different level at times. And even when they aren’t performing as well, they’re still awfully strong. But I’d rather be finishing races heading into the Chase than sitting in the garage watching the crew make repairs. Johnson mentioned at Pocono that the Chase races are typically the team’s best, which alleviates some of the concern. But I don’t know if they can turn it off and on like they’ve been able to in the past. And they clearly haven’t been the dominant team in recent weeks. 

Caraviello: The tire thing has to be something of a worry, doesn’t it? I mean, the 48 guys have dealt with this kind of stuff a lot in the past, and it played a part in costing them a championship a few years ago. I have to think whatever is going on there needs to be addressed. But as far as this "slump," let’s remember that this team finished in the top 10 for seven straight races — and knocked out three wins in that span — before its current skid. If any program in NASCAR can flip the switch, it’s the 48 guys.

Bruce: Regarding the tire problems, I think you’re right, David. They’re obviously doing something in that area, and haven’t been able to make it work consistently. 

Cavanna: There’s always some finger-pointing when it comes to those tire issues, David. At some point I agree, though, the 48 team has to just figure it out internally. If it happens in the Chase opener at Chicagoland, then we’ll have something to talk about. But now, on a 1-to-10 scale, I’d put my worry at about a 4.8. See what I did there?

2. This weekend’s race at Watkins Glen presents something of a wild card as teams continue to scramble for those final berths in the Chase. Who has the best chance of crashing the party on the New York road course?

Caraviello: Does anyone remember who the defending champion of this event is, by the way? A guy by the name of Kyle Busch.

Bruce: Given all the attention paid to the race by the Richard Petty Motorsports organization, specifically the No. 9 of Marcos Ambrose, and his success there, you can’t ignore him.

Cavanna: If we’re talking non-winners in 2014, all signs clearly point to Marcos Ambrose. Previous winner there, great road racer, and the team has used one of its precious tests at the track.

Bruce: But putting all your eggs in one basket like that — I don’t know. It can be pretty dangerous. AJ Allmendinger comes to mind as well, although I’m still not convinced that team has what it takes to get into Victory Lane. Yet. 

Caraviello: More so than Sonoma, Watkins Glen has been the track where guys like Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya (we barely knew ye) were more apt to reach Victory Lane. And surely Ambrose and the 9 guys are throwing everything at this race, from a test to extra seat time in the Nationwide race.

Cavanna: But Ambrose was in almost the same situation in Sonoma, and it didn’t work. He seemed on-edge the entire weekend, whether it was nerves or simply frustration. It’s almost like the pressure has an adverse effect at track where Ambrose should clearly do well.

Caraviello: There are also some guys like Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer who have proven themselves on road courses in the past, and really need a win right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone got the big win they needed to punch a Chase ticket — and it was someone with a more traditional NASCAR background.

Cavanna: Add Tony Stewart to you list, David (but we’ll get to him in a second).

Caraviello: And here’s an oddity — Jeff Gordon is NASCAR’s all-time best road course racer, and he hasn’t won at the Glen in a staggering 13 years. And now he returns freewheeling, his Chase berth assured, and driving for one of the best teams in Sprint Cup. If it’s ever time to end that drought, it’s this weekend.

Cavanna: Gordon was my pick in the Preview Show. Fast cars, a lot of momentum — why not the 24?

Bruce: I think we can count on one thing at the Glen — guys that haven’t won this season aren’t going to play nice. And I think it’ll be obvious from the start of the race. 

Cavanna: I agree, Kenny. It’ll be an interesting mix of those with nothing to lose, and those with everything to gain. Great recipe for race fans.

Caraviello: This is such an interesting track, with all those corners combined with superspeedway straights. You wouldn’t think it would be as physical as Sonoma, but recent history surely indicates otherwise. Every other year it seems there are guys wrecked in the kitty litter shoving each other around. That’s why the place is so great.

Cavanna: And Boris Said will be there!

Caraviello: Which means the guys wearing Boris wigs will be there!

Bruce: Can you imagine the backlash if a non-regular such as Boris won, taking away a Chase opportunity? 

Cavanna: I don’t even want to think about it, Kenny. If a driver needs a victory that bad, he/she should go out and win the damn thing.

Caraviello: If Boris can win in the No. 32 car — more power to him. And all the regular NASCAR drivers should be forced to wear Said Head wigs next week at Michigan. Almost makes you want to see it happen!

3. It’s been over a year now since the sprint car accident that cost Tony Stewart most of his 2013 season. Currently winless and 19th in points, can Smoke make a late charge to qualify for the Chase?

Cavanna: Why not start at Watkins Glen?

Caraviello: OK, first of all, let’s say this — the fact that Stewart has started every race this season, and at least publicly appears to be showing no ill effects from his injury in the race car, is a huge victory in and of itself. NASCAR is better when Tony Stewart is competitive and cranky, even if that can make life difficult for media members who don’t ask original questions.

Bruce: You want it to happen, because you know what Tony is capable of accomplishing. But based on this year’s results, I’m not sure that he’ll be in the field. 

Cavanna: Smoke’s season has been a mystery to me. He’s surrounded by cars and a team that can win races. Having a new crew chief can be a challenge, I suppose. And the injury can’t help things. But I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is that’s hampering his season.

Caraviello: When it comes to the state of the No. 14 car — let’s face it, Tony wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire last year before he got hurt. He had a race win and was in Chase position, but losing all that seat time, not being able to test over the winter with new crew chief Chad Johnston — that had to set him back from a competitive standpoint, or at least make it tough for him to gain ground. Even so — two top-fives and 102 laps led in 21 races is not exactly Smoke-like.

Bruce: If he had come out of the box in February and ran competitively every week, would we be surprised? Maybe a bit. But everyone knew it would take time. I think it’s just a case of it’s taken longer than most expected. And while he may be fine from a health standpoint, the team still has a lot of room for improvement.

Caraviello: Yeah Kenny, no driver wants to write off an entire season, but you have to think whatever they do this year is a bonus. He just wasn’t able to prepare and get up to speed like other drivers, and that had to put him behind from the start. I’d expect 2015 to be improved given the offseason work he’ll be able to do.

Cavanna: It begs the question — is this weekend his best remaining shot of getting a win? He had a top-five at Bristol earlier this year. But at Michigan and Richmond he finished outside the top 10. Remember when Smoke used to own the summer? He has two top-10s and no top-fives since Memorial Day. That will not put him in the Chase.

Bruce: Good point Alan. If you were asked where the team is strongest, from a track standpoint, I don’t know that there’s an obvious answer.

Caraviello: That said, given what we saw in the 2011 Chase, I’d never rule the guy out completely. He’s great at Watkins Glen and fantastic at Atlanta, so some of the tracks coming up would seem — on paper, at least — to offer a chance.

Bruce: It’s the Paper Chase! A good TV show, but a bad pun.

Caraviello: Kenny, I’m not sure John Houseman as crew chief is what the No. 14 team needs right now. Though the elocution over the radio would indeed be spectacular. And Tony would get his race wins the old fashioned way –he’d earn them.

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Series will be at road course back-to-back weekends

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Right or left?
 
NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers get to make both turns this Saturday in the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International (2:15 p.m. on ABC) in their second road course race of the year, and the first in a back-to-back stretch that also includes Mid-Ohio next Saturday (2:45 p.m. on ESPN).

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Watkins Glen’s layout makes it an especially unique track. The course combines high-speed straightaways with quick turns.
 
"Watkins Glen has so many fast corners," said Brendan Gaughan, the winner of this season’s first Nationwide road course event at Road America. "The bus stop, basically a corner built into chaos. You have to let the car roll as hard as humanly possible. It is a place on that course where you can’t gain that much position, but you can lose a ton. Many other road courses are much more speedway fast, motor-wise, while the Glen is faster with corner speeds."
 
Gaughan and the other Nationwide regulars will face stiff competition at the Glen from Sprint Cup contenders, including three-time Watkins Glen winner, Marcos Ambrose, last year’s victor Brad Keselowski and the all-time winningest driver in the series, Kyle Busch. If Ambrose takes the checkered flag on Saturday, he will match Terry Labonte‘s record of four Nationwide victories at the course.
 
"As a driver, it’s fun to get away from the oval tracks every once in a while and really challenge your true driving skills," said Elliott Sadler, who currently ranks third in the Nationwide Series point standings. "Road course racing can definitely be physically and mentally exhausting, but if you have a fast car, it can quickly bring back the memories of flying around a track in a go-kart."

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Posted on by Staff Report

Gordon wins at Iowa, but event was more than on-track results

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Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson all raced in Wednesday’s Weld Racing Go-Kart Spectacular in Knoxville, Iowa, an event that pitted those drivers against fans who donated money for charity.

Gordon emerged as the winner from a full field in front of a full crowd, dedicating the victory to Kick-It, a national program that raises money for children’s cancer research.

Among the other notables, according to the Des Moines Register, was Stewart saying he wanted to make the A-main of the Knoxville Nationals sprint car event next year, and Kyle Larson getting put into the fence … by his mom.

Larson said he didn’t know he was racing against his mother until he arrived at the track, he told Motor Racing Network. "Jeff (Gordon) was like, ‘You know you’re racing your mom?’ … She’s not a good driver, so that was funny," Larson told MRN.

The event raised more than $40,000.

Check out images below, courtesy of Jeff Gordon’s Twitter feed:

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Posted on by Nascar

Crew chief Darian Grubb expected back for Chase opener at Chicagoland

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Joe Gibbs Racing officials will not appeal the penalties dealt to the No. 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team and driver Denny Hamlin.
 
"After sitting down to review everything it was determined that we should not proceed with an appeal," said Chris Helein, vice president of communications for JGR.

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NASCAR officials confiscated block-off plates from Hamlin’s car following the Crown Royal Presents, The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two days later, Hamlin and his team were stripped of 75 driver and owner points while crew chief Darian Grubb and car chief Wesley Sherrill were suspended for six races. Grubb was also fined $125,000.

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations for JGR, Jimmy Makar said the team "made a mistake."

"It wasn’t (intentional), obviously but there was no reason to (appeal)," he said.
 
JGR officials initially said they planned to appeal the penalties, although Grubb and Sherrill began serving their suspensions in order to be able to return in time for the start of this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Makar, a championship-winning crew chief with driver Bobby Labonte in 2000, also told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that "the silver lining in the dark cloud" was that Grubb and Sherrill would be able to "spend more time preparing for the Chase and getting cars ready and things in order to be a little bit more well prepared for when the Chase does start.

"We are going to try and make the very best of the situation. We’ve got some real capable, competent people to step up and take care of things at the race track for them while their serving the penalties. Maybe, just maybe, we can turn this into a positive."
 
Team engineer Mike Wheeler took over as interim crew chief at Pocono, where Hamlin finished ninth in the GoBowling.com 400. Former car chief Chris Gillin is acting car chief in Sherrill’s absence.
 
The Chase is slated to begin Sept. 14 at Chicagoland Speedway, with both Grubb and Sherrill expected to return at that time.
 
Block-off plates are used to seal areas inside of the car at certain race tracks and keep air from traveling outside the interior. Altering or failing to install the pieces properly is a safety violation and can also alter the downforce of the car.
 
The infraction was deemed a P5-level penalty, which carries a 50-point loss and fines of $75,000 to $125,000 as well as a six-week suspension for the acting crew chief and any other team members determined by NASCAR. The additional 25 points lost and $50,000 in fines was the result of the severity (P5) of the infraction and because it was discovered during post-race inspection.
 
The points loss dropped Hamlin from 11th to 21st in the points standings, his current position as the series heads to Watkins Glen for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen.
 
JGR officials had until the close of business Friday (Aug. 8) to submit an appeal.
 
Teams are not required to notify NASCAR if the decision is made not to appeal a penalty.

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