Posted on by Nascar

‘Smoke’ suffered broken leg in sprint car crash Monday evening

Related: Full Stewart coverage | Drivers react | Helton, Jarrett make mention

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– NASCAR president Mike Helton and former NASCAR Cup champion Dale Jarrett made note of Tony Stewart’s injury during their opening remarks of the Motorsports 2.0 program Tuesday at the Ritz-Carlton.
 
Jarrett served as host for the “fireside chat” portion of the program, leading a question and answer session with Helton before an audience of local business leaders.

“Right now our thoughts are just on him getting all healed back up and back at it as soon as possible,” Helton said. “We’ll see how all the details unfold today on what exactly that means and how long it will take him to get back in the seat of the car.”
 
Stewart broke both the tibia and fibula in his right leg Monday night while competing at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The three-time Cup champion was leading the race when he made contact with a slower entry, contact that sent his car into a series of violent flips. He was transported to a local hospital where he underwent a preliminary procedure and will require a second surgery.

On Tuesday night in Mooresville, N.C. at a 10th anniversary celebration for NASCAR Technical Institute, Helton shared his thoughts when he heard the news.

“The first reaction was personal — that you want Tony to be OK and heal up now that we know more facts, and get back to racing pretty soon,” Helton said.

“Professionally, it’s still a dangerous sport. We have things like this occur. We’ll work through all the business elements of what Stewart-Haas does with the 14 car. They’ve already announced what they’re doing at Watkins Glen with Max Papis, but going down the road we’ll deal with all those things. The focus is going to be on everybody wanting Tony to get well and healthy and back at it.”

When asked whether he was worried about drivers racing on the side in series that don’t have same safety standards as NASCAR, Helton said, “Motorsports is motorsports, and we work hard on making NASCAR inclusive to every group. Not exclusive.”

“We get the fact that drivers and team owners have to make decisions on what they do beyond this racing with NASCAR,” Helton continued. “I think the whole motorsports industry has gotten better and safer. But it’s still a dangerous sport, and you have occurrences like we’ve been reminded of.”
 
“A lot of drivers spend their time in the gym … they’re all the time in the gym working out,” Jarrett told the assembled crowd. “But that is Tony Stewart’s workout, behind the wheel of a race car.”
 
Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, is 11th in the Sprint Cup Series points standings and with one Cup win, leads the battle for the first of two Wild Card spots in the Chase For The Sprint Cup.

The series travels to Watkins Glen International this weekend for the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen, a race Stewart has won five times.

Team officials announce Max Papis as Stewart’s replacement for the No. 14 Chevrolet.

NASCAR.com’s David Caraviello contributed to this article.

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NASCAR Mobile ’13 available across all carriers

CLICK HERE to download and install the NASCAR Mobile ’13 app on your Microsoft Windows 8 Phone device

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In an effort to bring more fans closer to all of the action, including the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint CupTM races, NASCAR Digital Media has launched the official NASCAR Mobile ’13TM app for Microsoft Windows Phone 8 devices. And the timing couldn’t be better, as anticipation builds with five races remaining before the world learns which 12 drivers will battle it out for the title of NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesTM champion.

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NASCAR Mobile ’13, which is also available on Windows 8 tablets and PC as well as for iOS and Android devices, offers a wide range of features and functionalities, such as race information, in-depth news, expert analysis, video and photos across the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

On the Windows Phone 8 platform, the app includes exclusive features such as the option to add the app to the home screen as a Live Tile or as live wallpaper, pinning favorite drivers to the Start screen, and the ability to initiate voice commands.

“Since February, fans have been able to download the official NASCAR Mobile ’13 app onto their iOS and Android devices, and now we are pleased to make the app available to Windows Phone 8 users as well,” said NASCAR Vice President of Digital Media, Marc Jenkins. “The app gives avid and casual fans alike the ideal platform to further immerse themselves in the NASCAR experience, particularly through premium features such as the advanced live leaderboard, in-car audio and alternate camera angles.”

Sprint customers utilizing a Windows Phone 8 device will have exclusive access to all the premium live race day features including the race radio broadcast, drivers’ in-car audio, advanced live leaderboard, alternate camera angles, and more for free with any Sprint Unlimited data plan. These features will be rolled out in phases throughout the remainder of the 2013 season. Beginning in 2014, the premium features will be available for a subscription fee to Windows Phone 8 mobile users across other carriers.

Currently, a monthly pass for premium content is available on iOS and Android devices for free to Sprint customers, and for just $2.99 per month on all other carriers. The app is available to download for free from the Microsoft Store on Windows 8 devices, the App Store on Apple devices and Google Play on Android devices.

Since launching in February, there have been more than 1.8 million total downloads worldwide of NASCAR Mobile ’13 and NASCAR RaceView Mobile ’13.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Ambrose, last year’s winner at Watkins Glen, is a driver to watch this year, too

Tony Stewart has the highest driver rating at Watkins Glen International among active drivers at 120.4, but with Stewart breaking his leg in a sprint-car race and not being able to participate this week, next on NASCAR Statistical Service’s driver-rating list is Marcos Ambrose at 120.1.

 

Posted on by Holly Cain

Newman notches second consecutive top-five finish

Related: Updated standings | Pocono results | Complete coverage

Ryan Newman answered his Indianapolis victory last week with a fourth-place effort in the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on Sunday, giving Newman his first back-to-back top-five showings of the season and furthering his case for a Wild Card berth in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup and, just as importantly, a good ride in 2014.

Newman has mounted an impressive summertime charge and with five races remaining in the Race for the Chase, he is a legitimate player in the Wild Card mix. Newman, who found out three weeks ago he won’t return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, has insisted nothing has changed in his commitment or motivation levels. And his on-track performance backs that up.

Newman moved up another position in the Sprint Cup Series standings Sunday to 15th by virtue of his fourth top-five on the season.

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WILD CARD STANDINGS

Pos Driver Wins Pts Pos Pts from 10th
1. Tony Stewart     1 11th      -5
2. Martin Truex Jr.     1 14th      -15
3. Ryan Newman     1 15th      -24
4. Brad Keselowski     0 12th      -7
5. Kurt Busch     0 13th      -11
6. Jamie McMurray     0 16th      -33
7. Joey Logano     0 17th      -38
8. Aric Almirola     0 18th      -45
9. Paul Menard     0 19th      -67
10. Jeff Burton     0 20th      -92
11. David Ragan     1 28th      -223

He, team owner Tony Stewart (11th) and Martin Truex Jr. (14th) are the only drivers ranked between 10th and 20th with a win, and Newman trails Truex by only nine points in a competitive battle for the two Wild Card slots. Newman is 24 points behind 10th-place Greg Biffle, who currently holds the final guaranteed Chase position.

The famed Watkins Glen, N.Y., road course is next up with Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen (ESPN, 1 p.m. ET) and road courses have proven to be a challenge for Newman. While he has 13 top-10 qualifying efforts on 23 combined starts on the Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen circuits, he has only eight total top-10 finishes.

He’s looking for his first top-10 finish at Watkins Glen since 2006 (eighth). His best finish was runner-up in his rookie year (2002). He’s only led 20 total laps in 11 previous starts there.

With five races left to set the Chase field, here’s what Newman has to say about his recent success, mindset and Chase chances:

On the immediate payoffs of the Indy win:

“The win helps, but it’s not a light switch. It doesn’t turn everything on bright.  It helps and gives you a vision, but there is more to it than that. … The $20 million sponsor just doesn’t jump right after you. I wish it did, but it doesn’t.”

On the morale boost of the past two weeks:

“It gives us more hope. I mean we had hope in the first place and I’ve said it every time I’ve talked to you guys. We still have a chance of making the Chase whether it’s mathematically or winning. And a win answered the mathematically and winning.

“Another win would be amazing just based on the history of what I’ve seen with the Wild Cards. Two is pretty much going to lock you into a Wild Card spot. And we still have a shot. There’s still a lot of racing to go.

“It hasn’t changed my mentality other than the fact that it changed I guess your hope. It doesn’t change my drive. My drive is to go out and do the exact same thing regardless.”

On Sunday’s top-five:

“It’s a good run not as good as it could have been. We struggled in the pits today, but overall a good effort. Racing a lot of the guys around us it’s where it’s important to get the victory.

“Jeff (Gordon) was really close there and he’s fighting for his Wild Card spot.  We have a win and we are fighting for a top 10 Wild Card spot, but nonetheless it was a good effort.  Just a horrible day in the pits for us.  We have to get that figured out.”

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Posted on by Staff Report

Veteran wrench previously worked with Sauter’s team

RELATED: Truck series standings

Joe Shear Jr. has joined Turn One Racing as crew chief of the No. 60 Chevrolet driven by Dakoda Armstrong in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The team and driver confirmed the move Monday, two days after Armstrong finished 18th in the Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway.

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Shear previously worked at ThorSport Racing as crew chief for Johnny Sauter, who won the season’s first two races and was fifth in the series standings before Shear’s departure, just ahead of the July 24 event at Eldora Speedway. Sauter, involved in crashes in the last two races with Ty Dillon, has since slipped to 10th place in the standings.

Armstrong, who said he had “an indirect working relationship” with Shear in the past, relished the opportunity. Their first race together will be the National Guard 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 17.

"He’s got a ton of experience and will definitely bring a lot to the table for this team," Armstrong said of Shear. "Michigan has been a pretty good track for me in the past, so I’m looking forward to starting this new partnership there in two weeks."

Shear is a veteran of 143 truck series races as a crew chief, 110 more than his new driver. Armstrong, 22, ranks 12th in the season standings, 104 points behind series leader Matt Crafton.

The Turn One team is owned by Stacy Compton, a former driver with 89 Sprint Cup starts and two career wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

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Posted on by Nascar

Extended weekend ends with sixth-place finish

Related: Updated standings | Pocono results | Complete coverage

LONG POND, Pa. — Brad Keselowski pulled his car into the garage, rolled it up to the lift gate of his team’s hauler and climbed out.

He walked around the red No. 2 Ford, taking stock of its appearance. Keselowski, the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, knew what was underneath the sheetmetal. How the outside fared after 400 miles around Pocono Raceway was another matter.

Seemingly satisfied, he made a second lap around the vehicle, patting various teammates on the back and shoulder, offering thanks for their efforts.

“I’m just ready to go home,” the Penske Racing driver said moments later.

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It was a long weekend for Keselowski, but not exactly a disappointing one. On Saturday, he had flown to Iowa to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, which he won.

On Sunday, he battled back from a loss of track position to finish sixth in the GoBowling.com 400.

Keselowski is winless this year after 21 Cup races, but only seven points outside the top 10 in the standings. After a run of seven top-10 finishes in the first eight races this year, the team is trying to rediscover the magic — six of its last eight races have resulted in finishes of 12th or worse. Mostly worse, until Sunday.

Fourth two weeks ago and now sixth at Pocono isn’t a sign of a turnaround, just a turn. But it’s a start. Teammate Joey Logano finished seventh Sunday for his second consecutive top-10 after back-to-back 40th-place finishes.

At Pocono, Keselowski worked his way from 11th to first, and led five times for 14 laps. Several of those came during a run of varying pit cycles among the leaders, but such was the case for many of those out front, depending on when they elected to hit pit road.

The key for Keselowski, however, came shortly after the day’s fifth caution for a single-car accident involving David Stremme. Second to eventual race winner Kasey Kahne at the time, Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe elected to stop for four tires and fuel. Others stayed out, or took only two tires.

When the race resumed with 61 laps remaining, Keselowski’s red machine was 15th, and a yellow four laps later “killed our strategy,” he said.

“We caught that one yellow at the worst possible time with probably 50 or 60 laps to go,” Keselowski said, “and we pitted for four tires; we were still going to be OK.

“But then we caught another yellow … it put us behind and we couldn’t recover. … Damn. We were just a little bit short.”

Penske Racing competition director Travis Geisler wasn’t second-guessing any decisions but admitted that “everybody else was a little more aggressive on (that stop) than we were and that’s the one that put both of our teams behind.

“You can look at all kinds of things throughout the day, but that stop certainly set our track position …  for the rest of the race,” he said. “There wasn’t enough strategy left to play to get that back.”

On the whole he said, it was a “blue-collar day” for the Penske teams.

“Decent finishes and nothing to be too concerned about speed-wise with most of the field.”

There are, he noted, a handful of cars “that are pretty hard to keep up with.”

Hendrick Motorsports drivers swept the top two spots (Kahne and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2, respectively), while teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fifth.

And it took a problem with the right-front tire to slow Jimmie Johnson, who led 43 laps before the failure.

“They’re doing a pretty good job,” Geisler acknowledged. “And those are the ones we’ve got to beat.”

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Posted on by Staff Report

Race entries for Mudsummer Classic, SPEED, 8 p.m. ET

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READ: Danica, Ricky
tangle at Loudon

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READ: Complete coverage
from New Hampshire, Iowa

 

Posted on by Staff Report

 

Click here to see the entry list for this weekend’s Zippo 200 at The Glen.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Take a quick glance at times, dates and TV coverage of events

All times ET

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9

ON TRACK
— 3:30-4:15 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, SPEED, (Get results)
— 4:20-5:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice, SPEED (Get results)
— 5:35-6:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, SPEED (Get results)

GARAGE CAM
WATCH LIVE
— Sprint Cup: 11:30 a.m. ET
— Nationwide, 1:10 p.m. ET

PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— Marcos Ambrose, 10 a.m. ET
— Max Papis, 10:45 a.m. ET
— Jimmie Johnson, 11 a.m. ET
— Dale Earnhardt Jr., 11:15 a.m. ET
— Regan Smith, 11:30 a.m. ET
— Danica Patrick, noon ET
— Jeff Gordon, 12:20 p.m. ET
— Martin Truex Jr., 12:45 p.m. ET

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

ON TRACK
— 9:35 a.m. ET, NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (NASCAR Road Race Qualifying), ESPN2 (Get results)
— 11:40 a.m. ET, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (NASCAR Road Race Qualifying), ESPN2 (Get results)
— 2:30 p.m. ET, Zippo 200 at The Glen (82 laps, 200.9 miles), ABC (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— Post-qualifying, 1:30 p.m. ET
— Post-NNS race, 4:30 p.m. ET

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11

ON TRACK
— 1 p.m. ET, Cheez-It 355 (90 laps, 220.5 miles), ESPN (Get results)

PRESS CONFERENCES
WATCH LIVE
— Post-NSCS race, 3:40 p.m. ET

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Note: Links will be added as information becomes available.

Sprint Cup: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Lineup | Pit stall assignments | Results
Nationwide: Season schedule | Standings | Entry list | Lineup | Pit stall assignments | Results

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