Posted on by Jason Lofing

Brown (left) survived a frantic battle with Hauck (right) and Hudson for the win at Atlanta.

After a long, tumultuous NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship season, Joey Brown was not about to let another win slip away. Two weeks after dominating at Michigan only to lose due to fuel strategy, Brown found himself out front once again, this time at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  And this time he made sure he came out on top in a spectacular last lap battle with Brandon Hauck and Tyler Hudson.

Brown dominated the race, never being challenged for the lead until the last round of pit stops were in the book. Hauck, who had been matching Brown’s pace but was trailing by a couple seconds, decided to short pit and took the lead. Brown pitted nine laps later and caught Hauck with 22 laps to go, but by then his fresher tires did not have enough of an advantage to complete the pass quickly. Instead he found himself locked in a side-by-side battle with Hauck, with Hudson in third slowly reeling-in the two leaders.

“Craziest race ever . . . don’t really know what to say.” – Joey Brown

Hauck and Brown stayed door-to-door for seven laps before Brown tried to look for another way by. Two laps later, he got a good run to the inside of Hauck and completed the pass. Hauck looked inside a lap later, but could not make it stick and it looked as if Brown had the race won. Despite his inexperience in the NiSWC however, Hauck would not go quietly. With three laps remaining, he made one last try at the lead, diving low on Brown entering Turn Three. The two ran side-by-side once again, with Hauck ahead by a nose as the two took the white flag.

“Craziest race ever . . . don’t really know what to say.” – Joey Brown

Then things got interesting.

Entering Turn One the final time, Hauck took a higher line than Brown expected and the two made contact. The hit shot Brown into the outside wall and slowed Hauck enough for Hudson to get a run at him. Hudson looked low and Hauck tried to shut the door . . . too late.  They made contact, sending Hauck into the outside wall and out of the race with a twenty-third place finish.  The contact also cost Hudson, who slowed enough that Brown roared around him on the outside exiting Turn Two. Hudson, still seeking his first NiSWC victory, tried one last desperate move in Turn Three. He got to Brown’s back bumper and gave it a shove, but Brown held on for his second win of the season.

“Craziest race ever,” said Brown. “Had a fast car but overall I think Hauck was a tad quicker. Really good race overall; don’t really know what to say. I would have been content finishing third.”

“Phenomenal car, big thanks to everyone on One Up.” said Hudson who settled for second. “I wanted that really bad, and did all I could do. There are so many things that could have gone differently and I would be in victory lane.”

Jared Crawford finished third, more than four seconds behind Brown, with Kevin King taking fourth ahead of Ray Alfalla.

“I wanted that really bad, and did all I could do.” – Tyler Hudson

The race had major implications on the NiSWC championship fight. Alfalla, whose win two weeks ago at Michigan already put him in control, pulled even further ahead after Brian Schoenburg finished a distant P11 and terrible nights effectively ended the championship hopes of both Nick Ottinger and Marcus Lindsey. Lindsey went too aggressive with his grille tape and blew his motor in the opening laps. He finished forty-first. Ottinger had connection issues all race and ended up 38 laps behind in thirty-sixth place.

Alfalla now leads Schoenburg by 38 points with Hudson slotting into third, 55 points out of the lead. A twelfth place finish moved Michael Conti into the top five, 74 points behind Alfalla. He sits five points in front of Lindsey with Ottinger an additional 16 markers back.

With only four weeks remaining in the season Alfalla looks to be on his way to a third straight title. The only driver within one race of him in the points is Schoenburg, but he has shown no sign of being able to gain 38 points in the remaining four races. Everyone else has to hope Alfalla makes a mistake or has terrible luck; otherwise the battle is for second.

Chicagoland Speedway is next on the schedule and starts the season’s stretch drive. The first of three online races held one week apart instead of the customary two weeks, it will challenge drivers to use their testing time wisely, especially those who are still in the running for a top five position in the points. Alfalla won both races at Chicagoland in 2012, but with Brown riding his current hot streak, everyone – the championship leader included — will have to be on the top of their game to keep pace. Catch all the action on iRacing Live and MRN.com!

            Average Lap Time Laps Completed Cautions Caution Laps Lead Changes         
            31.120 163 1 4 15         
Fin Pos Driver Start Pos Car # Status Interval Laps Led Average Lap Time Fastest Lap Time Fast Lap# Laps Comp Pts
1 Joey Brown 1 12 Running 0 144 31.12 28.254 2 163 48
2 Tyler D Hudson 21 1 Running -0.25 1 31.106 28.421 2 163 43
3 Jared Crawford 4 83 Running -4.284 3 31.144 28.263 27 163 42
4 Kevin King 12 29 Running -6.44 0 31.152 28.293 27 163 40
5 Ray Alfalla 7 2 Running -6.856 1 31.157 28.231 27 163 40
6 Joshua Langton 16 40 Running -8.41 2 31.161 28.536 27 163 39
7 Byron Daley 22 93 Running -9.09 0 31.161 28.474 64 163 37
8 Ashley Miller 10 7 Running -9.191 0 31.17 28.532 137 163 36
9 Thomas Lewandowski 8 16 Running -14.068 0 31.202 28.416 2 163 35
10 Carson McClelland 23 24 Running -16.573 0 31.205 28.382 70 163 34
11 Brian Schoenburg 3 55 Running -16.77 0 31.221 28.317 115 163 33
12 Michael Conti 6 5 Running -17.84 0 31.227 28.288 60 163 32
13 Nicholas Morse 19 9 Running -18.307 0 31.219 28.413 67 163 31
14 Brian Day 9 4 Running -18.591 0 31.226 28.439 83 163 30
15 Jake Stergios 31 41 Running -19.507 1 31.215 28.555 84 163 30
16 Brandon Kettelle 26 80 Running -20.545 0 31.228 28.477 83 163 28
17 Benjamin Burmeister 18 25 Running -20.883 0 31.236 28.434 82 163 27
18 Landon Harrison 36 89 Running -20.937 0 31.221 28.48 78 163 26
19 Tom Moustakas 39 10 Running -22.858 0 31.228 28.542 27 163 25
20 Danny Hansen 14 20 Running -22.96 0 31.253 28.332 63 163 24
21 Michael J Johnson 11 39 Running -23.41 0 31.255 28.508 74 163 23
22 Bryan Blackford 32 33 Running -25.909 0 31.255 28.378 70 163 22
23 Brandon Hauck 13 53 Running -1 L 8 31.117 28.495 127 162 22
24 Rob Ackley 20 22 Running -1 L 0 31.303 28.52 81 162 20
25 Brad Davies 5 11 Running -1 L 0 31.263 28.459 2 162 19
26 Brandon Buie 30 54 Running -1 L 0 31.335 28.427 114 162 18
27 Andrew Fayash III 34 157 Running -1 L 0 31.332 28.577 140 162 17
28 Dylan Duval 24 42 Running -1 L 0 31.419 28.41 63 162 16
29 Tyler Laughlin 28 51 Running -1 L 0 31.47 28.648 28 162 15
30 Jon Adams 33 84 Running -2 L 0 31.309 28.44 2 161 14
31 Charlie Foster 41 13 Running -2 L 3 31.46 28.614 84 161 14
32 Paul Kusheba 29 32 Running -2 L 0 31.538 28.384 78 161 12
33 Chad Coleman 35 28 Running -4 L 0 31.988 28.616 2 159 11
34 Kevin Burris 37 45 Running -5 L 0 32.146 28.466 27 158 10
35 Patrick Baldwin 38 52 Disconnected -27 L 0 31.343 28.436 83 136 9
36 Nick Ottinger 2 5 Running -38 L 0 32.781 28.18 124 125 8
37 Josh Berry 40 91 Disconnected -68 L 0 32.14 28.408 84 95 7
38 Peter Bennett 27 69 Running -86 L 0 32.645 28.384 71 77 6
39 Adam Gilliland 17 81 Disconnected -94 L 0 33.145 28.362 63 69 5
40 Alex Warren 25 82 Disconnected -129 L 0 38.606 28.547 24 34 4
41 Marcus Lindsey 15 1 Disconnected -144 L 0 29.138 28.583 2 19 3
42 Carson Downs 42 97 Disconnected -163 L 0 0       0 2
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Hart named director, IMSA Communications; Siebens promoted to senior manager

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced Wednesday the hiring of David Hart as its Director, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Communications and the promotion of Nate Siebens to Senior Manager, IMSA Communications.
 
Hart, a seasoned motorsports communications professional, will lead all communications efforts for IMSA following the conclusion of this year’s GRAND-AM Road Racing season, as he completes his current responsibilities with GRAND-AM team 8Star Motorsports. He will begin his new role with NASCAR and IMSA on Sept. 30, and join the IMSA Communications team for the final two 2013 American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron events. Hart’s focus will then shift to planning around the inaugural United SportsCar Racing season set to launch in 2014. He will be based out of IMSA’s Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters.
 
“David’s deep roots in motorsports and particular passion for sports car racing provide us with a leader to usher in an exciting new era for the sport,” said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer. “He’s a team player who earned his stripes in the motorsports garages and extended his impact into marketing and corporate communications.

“Additionally, Nate joined our team in January and has proven himself to be invaluable in our efforts to enhance our efforts in sports car communications. Having new leadership in place before the 2013 sports car season concludes gives us sufficient time to ramp up our communications activities months before the inaugural United SportsCar Racing season.”
 
Prior to serving this season as director of marketing and communications for 8Star Motorsports, Hart spent 15 years at Richard Childress Racing (RCR). From 1999-2009, he led competition communications for the team before taking the role of director, corporate communications, overseeing strategic communications for all of Richard Childress’ business ventures, including RCR and Childress Vineyards. Hart held that position from 2009 through April of 2013.
 
Hart previously held positions with Sonoma Raceway, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and the Cotter Group, managing communications for sponsors involved in both NASCAR and NHRA.
 
“The opportunity to contribute to IMSA and the United SportsCar Racing in its inaugural season and beyond is the culmination of my 25 years in motorsports communications,” Hart said. “I’ve been a sports car racing fan since I stood on the driver’s seat and held onto the steering wheel of the Bugeye Sprite my dad and uncles raced in California in the mid-1960s. I look forward to working with the media, teams, manufacturers, marketing partners and everyone at IMSA to build a strong foundation for the future of sports car racing in North America.”

Siebens joined the NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications team fulltime in January of 2013, continuing a communications career in motorsports with roots in NASCAR, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), GRAND-AM, IndyCar, CART/Champ Car and motorcycle racing. Prior to rejoining NASCAR in a new role this year, Siebens had been operating his own motorsports PR company since 2007.

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Larson, Piquet Jr. teams also get fined, docked points

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Penalties have been issued to teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series following last weekend’s events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, respectively.

In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the No. 30 and No. 32 teams have been penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (Any determination by NASCAR Officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to the NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the NASCAR rule book, or has been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20A-12.8.1(B) (Car failed to meet the minimum front car heights). These infractions were all discovered during post-race inspection Aug. 31.

As a result of these violations, crew chiefs Pat Tryson (No. 30 car) and Trent Owens (No. 32 car) have each been fined $10,000. In addition, drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. (No. 30) and Kyle Larson (No. 32) have been docked with the loss of six championship series driver points. Owner Harry Scott Jr. has been docked with the loss of six championship owner points for each of the two cars (No. 30 & No.32).

In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Bryan Berry, crew chief of the No. 6 team, has been fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-1 and 9-4A (Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members) following Sunday’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Kelly Heaphy, who was with the No. 6 team at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, has been fined $2,500 and denied access to all NASCAR events indefinitely for her involvement in an altercation with a competitor following Sunday’s race.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kahne now fully funded for 2014

Time Warner Cable will increase its sponsorship with Hendrick Motorsports, picking up extra races for Kasey Kahne in the future, the team announced Wednesday.

TWC will serve as the primary sponsor for Kahne for six races in 2013, and five races in both 2014 and 2015. That’s an increase every year from the previous commitment of four races from 2013-2015.

Kahne has won twice this year, something not lost on Time Warner Cable executives. With Wednesday’s announcement, Kahne’s car now has primary sponsorship for all of 2014.

“We’ve been extremely happy with the results from our NASCAR initiatives,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, Time Warner Cable’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Residential Services. “The on-track performance of Hendrick Motorsports is well documented, but they’ve also put significant resources into building a world-class marketing operation. It’s been a team effort, and we’re seeing terrific exposure and return.”

Time Warner Cable also serves as the primary sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet in five of the final 11 races of the season, starting this weekend at Richmond and continuing with four of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

TWC is also on board with Junior at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, Kansas and Charlotte.

“This is the second time in the last year that Time Warner Cable has expanded its commitment to Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “We’re now leveraging more of our assets, from both Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group, to drive even greater value into what’s been a very effective program. It’s a terrific partnership that works on multiple levels.”



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Vital stats for the Federated Auto Parts 400

Track:  Richmond International Raceway, in Richmond, Va., is 0.75 miles, paved surface, 14 degree banking in all turns. Banking in the frontstretch is 8 degrees and backstretch is 2 degrees. The frontstretch is 1,290 feet and the backstretch is 860 feet.

Time/TV:  Federated Auto Parts 400, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 7. TV: ABC (coverage starts  at 7 p.m. ET), Radio: MRN

Trailblazers:  The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond was won by Lee Petty on April 19, 1953.

0.51 seconds is the closest margin of victory at Richmond since the advent of electronic scoring, won by Jeff Burton in September 1998.

2 drivers have posted their first Coors Light Pole Awards at Richmond: Bobby Labonte (September 1993) and Brian Vickers (May 2004). Tony Stewart (September 1999) and Kasey Kahne (May 2005) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup wins at Richmond.

3 active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Richmond: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.

4 of the 114 races at Richmond International Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1962, spring of 1977, spring of 1982 and spring of 2003.

6.5 is the average finish position of Kyle Busch, who leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway.

7drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond. Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive poles at Richmond with five (1972-1974).

7.8 is the best average starting position among active Sprint Cup Series drivers at Richmond International Raceway, a number earned by Jeff Gordon.

8 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond International Raceway. Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive wins at Richmond after posting seven consecutive wins from the fall of 1970-1973. Terry Labonte (1994-1995) and Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep) are the only two active drivers with consecutive wins at Richmond.

9 is the record for runner-up finishes, a tie between Bobby Allison and Richard Petty. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

11 of the 114 Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

15 Cup Series wins at Richmond have been claimed by Petty Enterprises, the most wins at the track, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 10 and Joe Gibbs Racing with nine.

20 years, 6 months, 21 days is the age of the youngest Richmond pole winner: Brian Vickers on May 15, 2004. The oldest Richmond pole winner is Mark Martin, who won in April 2012 at 53 years, 3 months, 19 days.

22 of the 114 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from the Coors Light pole position. Only three active drivers have accomplished the feat: Kasey Kahne (2005), Jimmie Johnson (2007) and Kyle Busch (2010).

31 is the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Richmond International Raceway, by Clint Bowyer in the spring of 2008.

32 races after his Cup Series debut at Richmond, Terry Labonte made his first trip to Victory Lane there in 1994, the longest span of any of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners. Bobby Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Richmond without visiting Victory Lane at 41.

36 wins have come from Chevrolet, while Ford has 28.

44 is the record for top-10 finishes, held by Richard Petty. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 30; followed by Terry Labonte with 28.

51different drivers have won at Richmond International Raceway, led by Richard Petty with 13. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with four.

63 starts at Richmond is currently the series record, held by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 55 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 54.

90 of the 114 Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

114  Sprint Cup races have been held at Richmond International Raceway, one NSCS event from 1953-1958 and two races per year since 1959.
471 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond; 304 in more than one.

1,415 laps led in 40 starts gives Jeff Gordon the record at Richmond among all active drivers.

1953 was the year of the inaugural Coors Light Pole at Richmond, taken by Buck Baker with a speed of 48.465 mph.

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Get a sneak peek at the new looks for this weekend

SPRINT CUP SERIES PAINT SCHEMES

Greg Biffle will drive the No. 16 Scotchgard Ford.

SHOP: Greg Biffle die-casts

Kyle Busch will drive the No. 18 M&M’s American Heritage Chocolate Toyota.

SHOP: Kyle Busch die-casts

Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.

SHOP: Jeff Gordon die-casts

David Ragan will drive the No. 34 FARM RICH Ford.

SHOP: David Ragan die-casts

Josh Wise will drive the No. 35 THE PETE STORE Ford.

SHOP: Josh Wise die-casts

Brian Vickers will drive the No. 55 LG Partner of the Year/Aaron’s Toyota.

SHOP: Brian Vickers die-casts

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet.

SHOP: Dale Earnhardt Jr. die-casts

NATIONWIDE SERIES PAINT SCHEMES

Jamie McMurray will drive the No. 5 "The Thinning Hair Expert"- NIOXIN Chevrolet.

SHOP: Jamie McMurray die-casts

Trevor Bayne will drive the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

SHOP: Trevor Bayne die-casts

Regan Smith will drive the No. 7 Hellmann’s Centennial Chevrolet.

SHOP: Regan Smith die-casts

Kyle Larson will drive the No. 32 Snickers Chevrolet.

SHOP: NASCAR die-casts

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES PAINT SCHEMES

Ross Chastain will drive the No. 19 Brad Keselowski Checkered Flag Foundation Ford.

SHOP: NASCAR die-casts

James Buescher will drive the No. 31 Exide Chevrolet.

SHOP: NASCAR die-casts

Brandon Jones will drive the No. 33 Wolfpack Chevrolet.

SHOP: NASCAR die-casts

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Sorenson replaces Scott Speed at Leavine Family Racing

Reed Sorenson will take over as the driver of the Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Ford beginning with this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stop at Richmond International Raceway.
 
Sorenson replaces Scott Speed, who joined the one-car organization in 2012.

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According to officials, Sorenson will drive for the team for the remaining select events on its 2013 schedule. In addition to this week’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at RIR, the team is expected to compete at Chicago, Charlotte, Martinsville and Texas.
 
Sorenson, 27, has 183 career starts in Cup. He currently competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for TMG and is 15th in that series’ points standings.
 
Speed has competed at the Cup level since 2008 when he made five starts for Red Bull Racing. He ran full-time for the team in 2009-10 before departing and has run a partial schedule since that time.
 
LFR officials say they are currently in discussions with several drivers for the 2014 season.

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Driver accelerates planned departure from Richard Childress

Related: RCR plans for four-car team on hold

Jeff Burton will not return to Richard Childress Racing in 2014, a move announced by the veteran driver and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series organization Wednesday.
 
Burton, 46, is a 21-time winner at the Cup level. He joined RCR late in the 2004 season.
 
He is 22nd in the points standings heading into Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, with five top-10s. His best finish, a third-place result, came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.
 
Sponsorship concerns, as well as his decision to cut back on competing full time in 2015, led to the move to step aside, Burton said during a national teleconference.

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“Richard (Childress, team owner) and I have worked exceptionally hard to build a race team that could be competitive and honestly I’m real excited about what we’ve done this year,” the South Boston, Va., native said.
 
“But the harsh reality is, going into next year … there’s a lot of funding that wasn’t in place. I had gone to Richard and told him that at the end of 2014 I was going to step back and probably not run a full schedule anymore.
 
“We’re just accelerating it a year early … to give the team a chance to … continue to move forward.”
 
Burton said he has no plans for next season, although he has often been mentioned as a candidate for the broadcast booth. NBC and FOX will begin new extended television deals with NASCAR beginning in 2015.
 
“It’s a very difficult situation, no doubt about that,” Burton said. “Everybody knows that sponsorship is a tough game right now; we’ve had a tremendous amount of support from a lot of companies, mainly Caterpillar. … We didn’t have it all in place for next year so it just makes sense.
 
“It’s a tough time for me because I truly believe in what we’re doing. I’m a big, big fan of Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and our engineers …. Got really, really good people on that team and we’re starting to perform. Truly I’m walking away from it when I believe we’re about to blossom. “
 
RCR fields three Cup teams with drivers Burton, Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard. It has already been announced that Harvick will depart at season’s end to join Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.
 
Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams are also fielded out of the RCR shops, located in Welcome, N.C.

Austin Dillon, a former Truck series champion now competing in the Nationwide Series and grandson of the team owner, is expected to compete in Cup full-time for the organization next season.
 
Dillon’s likely ascension, and a replacement for the No. 29 of Harvick, would give RCR four Cup teams, something Childress would like to attain. But funding hasn’t been found, opening the door for Burton’s sooner-than-anticipated departure.
 
With a seat the No. 31 Chevrolet already in place, why choose to step aside now?
 
“The long-term health of Richard Childress Racing is very important,” Burton said. “And when an opportunity presents itself for Richard to have a good driver that he can move the company with … and potentially long-term funding is there, that’s all positives for RCR. To ask Richard to run a year underfunded, he can’t do that.
 
“The economic times … have been tough for everybody and have had a huge toll on what Richard’s had to do. The man can only do so much. He doesn’t have a money tree growing in the backyard. I believe in my heart … that Richard will have a driver in place that can be competitive and win races; (will) have full sponsorship in place and can move forward.
 
“It’s not necessarily the best thing for me in the world but I’ll figure it out. I’ve been in situations before where I didn’t know what was going to happen and that’s where I am now.”
 
Ryan Newman, currently competing in the No. 39 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas, is considered the leading candidate to replace Burton. Newman is scheduled to exit SHR at season’s end to make room for Harvick.
 
Representatives for Newman contacted on Wednesday said they had noting to report regarding 2014 plans for this year’s Brickyard 400 winner. And Furniture Row Racing, which is looking to find a replacement for the departing Kurt Busch, had no comment concerning its driver lineup going forward at this time.
 
Burton is scheduled to make his 1,000th career NASCAR start when the series moves to Phoenix International Raceway in November. In addition to 680 starts in Cup, he has 306 Nationwide series starts (with 27 wins) and four starts in the Truck series.
 
“I’ve been blessed, man, you know? We’ve done things we never thought we’d do,” he said.
 
“My career has been longer than I ever thought it would be. I’ve driven for great car owners, worked with great team members, had great teammates. It’s not always been fun; it’s not always been great, but it’s been an honor to do it.
 
“I want to continue to do it. If I never get a chance again, I’ll be sad about it, but I’m not going to look at it with contempt or look at it like somebody had malice to keep me out of it. I’m going to look at it and say how lucky I was. How many people would give their right arm to be able to do the things that I’ve been able to do? … But I do love to race and I don’t want to quit racing.”

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For the first time ever NASCAR and ESPN are working together to launch campaign

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2013) — For the first time ever, NASCAR and ESPN are working together to launch an integrated marketing campaign to elevate the 10th Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on ESPN. The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, where the sport’s top-12 drivers compete to become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

With the tagline "12 Drivers. 1 Champion." the multi-platform initiative debuted on ESPN on Sept. 2 with a series of brand spots. The first one, "Generations," is a 30-second ad that features five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and the likenesses of some of NASCAR’s greatest legends, including three-time champion Cale Yarborough, "The King" Richard Petty and seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt. The campaign highlights the elevated stakes and significance of the Chase and the opportunity drivers have to build a legacy through the 10-race postseason.  

"With this campaign, we want to create as much buzz and momentum going into the 10 races — if you’re a fan, you feel what it means to be a part of it," said Emeka Ofodile, senior director of marketing at ESPN.  "The Chase is big — it’s the playoffs — our goal is to make it feel that way."

Discussions between NASCAR and ESPN about a joint marketing effort began in 2012. In early 2013, ESPN, in collaboration with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy New York, and NASCAR, along with their creative agency Ogilvy and Mather, joined forces to identify a single Chase message: “12 Drivers, 1 Champion.” This is the first time NASCAR is aligning with a rights holder network to develop a marketing campaign.

The joint campaign will introduce four TV spots, two produced by ESPN and two by NASCAR, as well as print, radio and local market executions at each of the ten Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks. Additionally, the initiative will feature mobile and digital elements along with an extensive social media program called #Fandorsements.

“ESPN has played an integral role in our efforts to reach new fans,” said Kim Brink, vice president of marketing at NASCAR. “12 Drivers, 1 Champion.’ uses a pivotal time in the NASCAR season to articulate the intensity and complexity of the sport of stock car racing. We hope that the vivid imagery will convey to consumers the diligence and skill that it takes to rise to the top, demonstrating the unpredictable and dramatic nature of The Chase, the hardest championship in all of sports to win.”

#Fandorsements will be the social photo contest that allows fans to “endorse” their favorite Chase driver by submitting an original picture of their drivers’ number through Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #Fandorsements. Each week during the Chase, a new winner will be selected and will have his/her social media handle appear above their favorite Chase driver’s passenger window in that week’s race. For more information, visit www.nascar.com/fandorsements. 

Nine of the 10 races in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will air on ESPN and WatchESPN, with the Saturday night, Oct.12, race at Charlotte Motor Speedway airing on ABC.  

The final 12 drivers in the playoff will be determined during the final regular season race of the season at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

 

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Driver-owner discusses relationship with co-owner, Busch addition

Related: Stewart tries to stay busy | Stewart covers wide range of topics

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Tony Stewart’s right leg may be fractured, but the relationship between the two owners of Stewart-Haas Racing isn’t.

That was the message from the three-time champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, who is out for the remainder of this season with two broken bones in his right leg suffered in a sprint car crash Aug. 5. Stewart met the media Tuesday in his first public appearance since the accident, and said there’s no rupture between him and Gene Haas over his co-owner’s move to bring in Kurt Busch as the driver of a fourth car beginning next season.

“Gene had made the decision that he wanted to make a change. We’re partners in this, and Gene wanted to make a change, and I’ve got to go with that,” Stewart said. “His choice to add Kurt to the organization, I really and truly was 100 percent behind it. I was just concerned about the time frame. The rest of it, everybody’s perception that we’re fighting and arguing — there was never one argument between us. I just expressed my concern about the timing of it, and it was no more elevated than the conversation (we’re) having right here.”

During the race weekend at New Hampshire in mid-July, Stewart formally introduced Kevin Harvick as the driver of a third car at SHR for 2014. As part of that announcement, Stewart said Ryan Newman would not be returning because the organization was unable to accommodate a fourth car. Two weeks later at a dinner in Indianapolis, Haas spoke with Busch and learned the current driver for Furniture Row Racing did not have a deal in place for next season.

A week later, Stewart suffered compound fractures of his right tibia and fibula in a sprint car crash at Oskaloosa, Iowa. While Stewart was in the early stages of recovering from an injury that would require two surgeries, Haas moved forward with the effort to bring in Busch. By the time Stewart was in a position to voice an objection over the logistical hurdles involved in such a rapid expansion project, his partner had already extended an offer to the team’s newest addition.

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In the media conference a week ago to introduce Busch, Haas conceded that Stewart “was a little upset” over the move, particularly since it would require the hiring of more personnel and lead to crowded quarters in the existing SHR shop until an addition is completed sometime next summer.

“It wasn’t as dramatic as he made it sound,” Stewart said. “When Gene came to me about the fourth team, he told me on a Monday, and then on a Thursday I was told they already had a contract ready. It definitely moved a lot faster in that time frame, and there were a lot of meetings in those three days. The biggest thing was having Greg Zipadelli sit there and say, ‘We can do this, and we can get it done in that time frame.’ And that was my concern. It wasn’t that I was against what Gene had in mind.”

Zipadelli is SHR’s competition director, and a confidant of Stewart going back to his days as the driver’s crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, where the pair won two championships together. Stewart said Zipadelli’s belief that that the new team could be integrated properly before next season — creating a four-car organization also featuring Stewart, Harvick and Danica Patrick — was the deciding factor in his mind.

“Gene was so excited about doing this and about having his hand involved in it, and that’s great,” Stewart said. “For me as his partner, I love seeing him this engaged, and I’m really proud of him for being as active in this process as he was. I was just worried about the time frame, and that’s what he hired me for. My job is to protect this company and look out for it and make sure what we do, we do with the right timing. And Greg was the big factor in that we could do it in the right time frame and not hurt the effort that we’ve got with Ryan trying to make the Chase and running for a championship this year.”

Newman is in contention for a Wild Card berth to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the 12 drivers who qualify for the playoff will be decided Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Although some have alleged that Newman was deceived in this process, Stewart was adamant that a three-car organization for 2014 was indeed the plan when said in New Hampshire that Newman would not be returning for next year.

“When we had the press conference, where we were at is what we said, and that was 100 percent on the mark,” Stewart said. Adding Busch “literally came up while (Busch and Haas) were at Brickyard in Indy and were at a Chevy dinner. The conversation of doing a fourth team for next year, that’s when it started. You know, Gene’s not used to having partners. Gene’s a self-made success story in the CNC industry, and he’s pretty much been a one-man show doing it. This is the first time he’s really had a partner. Going through that process, he just didn’t think about talking to me about it until it got further along.”

When Haas eventually did broach the subject with Stewart, it came at “really the first opportunity he had,” the driver said. Stewart added he had no issues with the addition of Busch, whom he called “a huge asset” to the race team.

“He’s a guy that you know can go to every race track, and has the capability of going out and being fast, and can possibility win the race every week, at every discipline,” Stewart said of Busch. “… I knew that Gene wanted this to be a four-car team eventually. I had no dream that he had it in mind for 2014 until three Mondays ago.”

The team now known as SHR was founded by Haas as Haas CNC Racing in 2002, fielding a vehicle for Jack Sprague for three races. The organization eventually expanded to two cars, but it was only marginally competitive until Stewart was lured in with half ownership prior to the 2009 campaign. Two years later the team won its first Sprint Cup title with Stewart, who technically became the first driver/owner champion since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

But although Stewart’s name comes first in the team label, the street which the shop sits on remains Haas Way. And as the events of the past week have shown, Haas and his personal fortune clearly still control the organization’s purse strings. Asked if he would have been able to block Haas’ proposed expansion plan had he been in a position to, Stewart isn’t certain.

“He’s definitely the guy who writes the checks,” Stewart said, “and if he decides he wants to do something, I’m pretty sure with the fact that he holds the checkbook that he gets kind the final say of it. But I think he values our opinions now, and understands why I was asking questions and why I was cautious about the time frame. I think he respects that a lot more since last week.”

The past week seems to have been a learning process for Haas, who lives much of the year in California.

“I think he really understands this a lot more, and that there’s a lot more involved with it,” Stewart said. It’s also shown a different side of Stewart, who has essentially run SHR for the past five years, sealing the deal with sponsors and making the final calls on drivers and personnel. He may be a rambunctious racer at heart, but behind a desk he’s a cautious executive well aware of the risks involved in any decision.

“The part that scared me when Gene and I spoke about all this is that for a split second was, I was actually the adult in the conversation,” Stewart said. “That probably scared me more than anything through the process, that I was the one who used common sense and said, ‘Wait, let’s take a step back and think about this.’ Normally I’m the guy who’s throwing the dart at the board and saying, ‘If it hits yes, I’m full throttle and I’m out the door.’

“But I think that’s something that gained my respect with Gene a little bit. He’s wanting to spend a lot of money on this project, and it would be very easy for me to say heck yes, and give me the blank checks and let me go run with it. For five years we’ve run this like a business, and that’s what he hired me for. He hired me to go out and win races, but also to help this business along.”

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