Posted on by Holly Cain

MWR co-owners discuss decision to restructure to two full-time cars for 2014 season

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Confident that stepping back means moving forward, Michael Waltrip Racing co-owners Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman told NASCAR.com on Monday that their team’s reorganization should translate into a more competitive operation in the long run.


But they concede it’s been tough going in the short term.


"We’d rather be talking about collecting another trophy," Kauffman acknowledged.

The team announced Monday it will field only two full-time Sprint Cup Series cars in 2014 — the No. 15 5-hour ENERGY/PEAK Toyota for driver Clint Bowyer and the No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota for Brian Vickers — as part of a massive restructuring within the company. A third car, the No. 56 Toyota — currently driven by Martin Truex Jr. — will be fielded in a yet-to-be-determined number of races and also serve as a test car in a renewed research and development effort for the team.


Kauffman and Waltrip delivered the downsizing news to the team Monday afternoon and confirmed they previously told this year’s Sonoma, Calif., race winner Truex Jr. he was free to explore other options for 2014. The current sponsor on Truex’s No. 56 Toyota — NAPA Auto Parts — told the team it would not continue to fund the car beyond this season in reaction to massive NASCAR penalties and punishments to the team after NASCAR ruled it tried to "manipulate the race outcome" at the regular-season finale Sept. 7 at Richmond International Raceway.

"The best way to think about it is we put everything on the white board and evaluated all kinds of options but I think we needed to be realistic given the timeline of where we were in the season, where we were from a production standpoint getting ready for 2014 both the metal (car) stuff and the people," Kauffman said of the reorganization. "We had to make a decision relatively shortly after things that have happened so we took the time to come up with a plan that we think works for us and gives us some good flexibility and I think that’s what we went with.


"It was important to reorganize in such a way not merely to survive but to try to come out of this stronger, to focus our resources in two full-time cars.


"We have roughly a third of our revenue going away but we are only cutting our staff by 15 percent so it shows, I think, a big continued investment in improving and I think getting that last one percent of performance to push us over the line toward the championship.


"That’s really how we thought about it."

Kauffman said no other company has expressed interest in funding a third MWR car full-time and he told reporters at Dover two weeks ago that he would not take that on himself. He is hopeful that an opportunity will arise for 2015, however.


"In my experience, large companies that are capable of that kind of budget don’t make those kind of decisions that quickly, they take a lot of time to analyze the alternatives," Kauffman said. "It’s not a 30-day process."

And Waltrip summarily dismissed the notion that he might be getting out of the sport despite the challenges his team has faced in the last month.


"I know my heart and I know where Rob’s heart is and so we’re going to make the best of these challenges and our goal is to make the team stronger in 2014," Waltrip said. "The last two years, a two-car team won the (Sprint Cup Series) championship and we feel like we’re going to be in position in 2014 to do just that.


"We love NASCAR and we’re committed to it. We look forward to racing on and winning races."

Listening to Kauffman and Waltrip speak, it’s very clear that they take these challenges personally and are leaning on one another during this transitional time.


Even as they were preparing to meet with their extended team, word came that Vickers would not be able to drive the No. 55 for the remainder of the year after doctors discovered a blood clot in his right leg.

Vickers missed most of the 2010 season because of blood clots in his leg and lungs. He returned to his full-time ride at Red Bull Racing in 2011, but following that season, Red Bull Racing shut down its Cup Series operation. His hiring for the No. 55 car at MWR is set to be his first full-time Cup ride since then.


Waltrip said the news was unexpected and that Vickers had gone to the doctor purely as a precaution after continuing to experience pain on his leg after slightly injuring his ankle Aug. 24 at Bristol, Tenn.


"His spirit is amazing," Waltrip said of Vickers.


"He must have said it 10 times, ‘My goal is to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and that’s why I fought through this once before and I will not stop until I accomplish that.’

"As a race car driver in the prime of his career having this happen to him is very challenging and it could be devastating, but he’s as mentally tough as I could ever hope to have my driver be. He just says he’s getting through it, he’s going to win the championship and this is a temporary setback in that process."


The same could be said for Waltrip’s team.


As opposite as Kauffman — a former international investment banker — and Waltrip– a two-time Daytona 500 winner — may be, overcoming the team’s recent troubles has brought them closer and they believe, may strengthen the team.


The hard part has been parting ways with team members and downsizing after years of continued and noteworthy growth that resulted in Bowyer finishing runner-up in the 2012 Cup championship.


"The last couple years have been an amazing run for our organization,’" Waltrip said.


"We know there were some issues out of that race in Richmond that we’ve had to deal with and we’ve faced them as positively and as mentally strong as we possibly could.


"I can say one thing about Rob, we definitely have different perspectives on our sport and that’s healthy because we feel like we’ve both been able to add to the equation and it winds up being a better result because of that. That hasn’t changed (since Richmond).


"Certainly I’ve leaned on Rob a lot the last couple weeks and he’s kept me focused and positive. The cool thing is whether he’s on pit road at Charlotte like he was Saturday night or I’m out in Sacramento, California at one of the NASCAR Home Tracks racing, we get a ton of support from racing. Whether it’s fellow Cup car owners or officials in NASCAR on that level all the way down to the fans and racers in Sacramento, people pat you on the back and say, ‘I know it’s been tough but you guys will get through it.’ Or ‘Hang in there, we want you a part of the sport.’

"Those pats on the back and encouragement mean more than you’ll ever know and we appreciate every one of them."

And for now, they are circling the wagons and eyeing the prize.


"That is precisely what we’re trying to do," Kauffman said. "Let’s come up with a plan and now move forward with it and focus on it. We’ve got races to race, testing to do and a lot to organize for 2014. We’ve got plenty to do."

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Posted on by Holly Cain

Virginia Tech, Tennessee to play in track’s infield in 2016

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Complete with confetti cannons, fireworks, school mascots and video messages from the governors of Virginia and Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway formally announced Monday morning it will play host to an NCAA college football game in the iconic track’s infield on Sept. 10, 2016 between Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee.

With all the gusto you’d expect from one of NASCAR’s most famous venues, the athletic directors and head football coaches from both schools joined Speedway Motorsports Inc. President Marcus Smith and Bristol Motor Speedway President Jerry Caldwell to officially sign the contract between the schools and the track — an idea Smith said was 17 years in the making.

"I remember being in [former BMS President] Jeff Byrd’s office along with my dad (SMI Chairman Bruton Smith) when they first talked about this," Smith said. "At the time it was just a crazy idea but if you know anything about Bruton Smith, you know he has a habit of making dreams into reality."

With the speedway as a backdrop and two race cars — each painted with a one of the school’s colors and logos — the two athletic directors and coaches spoke about the enthusiasm they expected for the event, which is being billed as the "Battle at Bristol" and "College Football’s Biggest Ever Game."

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech’s longtime football head coach, was even jokingly introduced as the only person to have driven around the track in a car and then coach a college football game there.

"This is just big," Beamer said. "Two great programs, two great fan bases and now that it’s official, tickets are just going to take off. It’s out there and it’s special and VT is glad to be a part of it."

Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver summed it up, "As big as anything that’s ever happened in the world of football."

That’s certainly what both schools and Bristol Motor Speedway are hoping for and with a crowd capacity of 160,000 — a sell-out for this game would set a new college football attendance record.

"Nothing rises to the level of what we’re talking about today," Tennessee Athletic Director Dave Hart said. "With the capacity of Bristol Motor Speedway and the two universities about equal distance away … it’s the perfect match. … I feel very privileged to be a part of this coming to fruition."

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Veteran will drive No. 5 entry for Earnhardt-owned team

Kevin Harvick will continue to have a strong presence in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but he’ll drive for a new team in 2014. Harvick will compete in at least 12 Nationwide Series races next season with JR Motorsports, the team announced Monday in a release.

Harvick will pilot the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned team’s No. 5 Chevrolet, an entry that has been fielded by seven different drivers this year. Brad Sweet has 14 starts in that entry this season, and Kasey Kahne has 11.

The driver lineup beyond Harvick is yet to be determined, the team announced.

Hunt Brothers Pizza is coming on as a primary sponsor for four of Harvick’s races — both events at Texas Motor Speedway, and one race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. The company also announced it would join Stewart-Haas Racing as an associate sponsor in 2014. Harvick will join SHR next year and drive the No. 4 Chevrolet.

"This is pretty cool to have Kevin a part of our team," Earnhardt Jr. said in the team’s release. "I’ve known him for a long time. He’s an incredible racer. He will be a huge asset to JR Motorsports, our sponsors and our fans. I’m grateful that he wants to drive our cars, and I’m grateful that Hunt Brothers Pizza is committed to Kevin and our race program. We’re happy to have them."


Harvick has driven in at least 10 Nationwide Series races for the past 11 seasons. He was the series champion in 2001 and 2006, and ranks third on the all-time series win list with 40 victories, including nine in 2006. He also has 159 top-fives and 220 top-10s.

The veteran has driven the No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing since 2012, and previously drove for RCR from 1999-2007. He’s had sponsorship from Hunt Brothers for the past four years.

"As a long-time sponsor of Kevin, we’re excited to make the move with him to JR Motorsports," said Keith Solsvig, vice president of marketing at Hunt Brothers Pizza. "Our working relationship has only gotten better over the years, and we are looking forward to another great season together."

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Posted on by Staff Report

Truex Jr. free to negotiate with other teams; No. 56 to run limited schedule

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MORE: MWR co-owners confident about team’s outlook

Michael Waltrip Racing announced Monday that it will scale back its racing operation in 2014, dropping from three to two full-time entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

The reduction is the latest fallout from severe penalties the team received for manipulating the results of the regular-season finale Sept. 7 at Richmond International Raceway.

Two days after the race, NASCAR expelled Waltrip driver Martin Truex Jr. from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason. Officials also issued a $300,000 fine, docked all three MWR teams 50 championship points, placed all its crew chiefs on probation and suspended general manager Ty Norris indefinitely.

Longtime Waltrip supporter NAPA Auto Parts, saying that the company “believes in fair play,” announced Sept. 19 that it would depart at the end of the season, ending its contract as primary sponsor for the No. 56 Toyota driven by Truex two years early. NAPA had been a sponsor of Waltrip’s during both his driving and team owner career since 2001.

The team’s announcement indicated Truex was free to negotiate with other teams for 2014, and with relatively few vacancies in the Sprint Cup garage. The team still plans to field Toyotas for Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers next season.

The team said that its third entry will run a limited schedule in a research and development role. That partial schedule will include the 2014 Daytona 500 with team owner Michael Waltrip, a two-time winner of The Great American Race, behind the wheel.

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Posted on by Nascar

Despite fifth-place finish, Busch’s deficit to first place in standings grows

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CONCORD, N.C. – Top-five finishes are welcome additions to any driver’s resume, but particularly to those competing in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  

But a top five is somewhat less appealing when those one hopes to reel in are posting similar results. Ground isn’t gained so much as it’s held. Another week, and another opportunity passes without the movement necessary to climb back into a points race, or distance one’s self from those in pursuit.  

Such was the case of Kyle Busch, fifth in Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

"That’s about as good as we are – fifth-place," a dejected Busch said afterward. "Pretty frustrating. All in all a great night … we certainly got a top-five – which is good. We should be happy about that, but when it’s time for championship time that’s not what you need – we need wins and we can’t win."

Second in points after the first two Chase races, and third through the first three, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s fortunes took a nose dive last weekend with a 34th-place finish at Kansas Speedway. A workable 12-point deficit to teammate Matt Kenseth grew to 35. And Saturday night’s fifth-place run at CMS failed to put a dent in the damage when two of those ahead of him in points – Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson – finished third and fourth, respectively. Instead of closing the gap, he now trails by 37.
 
Busch, the winner on Friday night in the Nationwide Series event, is still searching for that first Chase win and that first Chase title. It’s been a difficult journey thus far.
 
"It’s good to finish in the top-five, but it certainly stinks," he said. "We’re not good enough. It’s frustrating, man.
 
"I’m beating myself up every week trying to figure out what I’ve got to do to be better, and I don’t know what it is. I work hard through practice; I work hard through the week. I study film. I do everything I need to do  – but it’s not paying off."
 
Without a late-race caution Saturday night, Busch said he would have likely finished third. Even if that had been the case, "we would have made up some points on some guys," he said.
 
"Instead we got beat by all the guys that we’re racing essentially, except for one. We need to win races and we’re not capable of doing that right now."

Busch, who led only four laps of the 334-lap race, lost a great deal of track position early when he had to pit twice under caution after a miscue on pit road sent him back on the track with loose lug nuts on a left-front tire.
 
Sixth before the stop, he restarted the race in 35th. He was able to work his way back into the top 10, but by Lap 270 he was reporting possible engine issues in the No. 18 Toyota. It was, he said later, a fuel pickup problem likely brought on by the team’s attempt to stretch its fuel mileage.
 
"Something stumbling," he said. "We had the same thing (happen) in the third Chase race back in 2008. So it doesn’t surprise me something’s back."
 
Third at Lap 300, he was one of several drivers to take four tires on the final round of pit stops at Lap 308. He restarted fifth, but could not gain ground in the closing laps.
 
"There at the end, I’m sure if Jimmie would have taken two (tires) he would have stormed off and kicked everybody’s butt," Busch said. "They took four, they gambled on the soft side and it bit them a little bit tonight. They lost a point to the 20 (Kenseth), but they were good enough to win. So they have something to hang their hat on – we don’t.
 
"They say you need top-fives to win a championship, but when you’re getting beat by the guys in front of you, then we’re just not good enough – flat-out. I don’t know what to do to be better. It’s frustrating, but you know, should be happy with a fifth, but we’re not. I’m not."

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Posted on by Nascar

The 2014 Ford Fusion grille will be pulled out to make it flush with front end

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CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Jack Roush said his organization did not seek a change to the grille area of the Ford Fusion for 2014, but neither was he against the request.

Ford teams will debut a slightly new look on the front next season, as the inset below the grille area will be pulled out to make it flush with the rest of the front end. The move, which has already been approved by NASCAR, is expected to lessen the problem of removing debris from the grille area.

There’s only so many free passes, so many considerations you can get," Roush, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing, said Thursday morning. "This is a consideration that I probably would not have asked for although it is harder to get the trash off the grille … it’s not something that’s given us a problem. We’ve not failed an engine, we’ve not had to pit for putting water in a car because of it even though we’ve run elevated temperatures somewhat more than we would like.

For my part, I would rather have waited for something that was going to be performance impacting rather than something that was just a potential nuisance item. But it was of primary interest of (Penske Racing’s) side to be able to want to have that flush screen. We certainly didn’t resist that but it’s not something that I initiated.

Ford officials briefed both Toyota and Chevrolet before making a formal request to NASCAR. The three brands are the only three fielding entries in NASCAR at this time. 

"Because our brake ducts are in that area as well as the inlet for the radiator, our car collects a lot more debris," Pat DiMarco, NASCAR program manager for Ford, said. "We knew it was a risk, we knew it was a concern going forward. It hasn’t bitten us … but just to make us feel better we’re just going to flush it out. 

DiMarco said the area in question was part of the original design for the rollout of the 2013 Generation-6 car. "I think we saw some advantage to it during the development, but it does stay true to the character of the car," DiMarco said. "But flushing it out doesn’t really take much away from the character of the car either. It’s not a big deal kind of thing." 

The change won’t affect the car’s aerodynamic numbers, he said, and that information was validated before approaching the other OEMS. 

Andy Graves, vice president of chassis engineering & Toyota NASCAR program manager, said he was asked earlier this year if Toyota officials would support Ford’s request. Both Toyota and Chevrolet officials requested that the alteration not be introduced before the start of the 2014 season. 

"That was our compromise," Graves said. "As long as they meet the criteria, and the performance targets, which they did … then it’s totally within the procedures that we’ve outlined for the whole (Gen 6) project in the first place.

"It’s not like Ford is trying to get away with anything. They’re trying to flush out their grille and not go back to the wind tunnel and re-test it. It’s all done completely above board." 

Graves said if Ford was having "a major issue" that impacted the car’s on-track performance, such a change would have likely been allowed to be made during the 2013 season. "But ultimately that’s NASCAR’s decision," he said. 

"At the end of the day we need that level of cooperation amongst the manufacturers to ensure that there is a level playing field and that all of us can put as much character in the car as we want without sacrificing performance."

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Drivers ready to tackle final restrictor-plate race of the year

Click here for the entry list for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ fred’s 250 powered by Coca-Cola.

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Sprint Cup Series heads back to Talladega, where David Ragan won in the spring

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Click here to see the complete entry list for the Sprint Cup Series’ Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Press conference to feature to-be-announced panel of college football representatives, hosting dignitaries and celebrities

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One lucky fan will win new Camaro SS, trip for two to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony



Chevrolet wants to send NASCAR fans to Las Vegas to celebrate the end of the 2013 season!

NASCAR fans have the chance for a once-in-a-lifetime trip when they team up with Chevrolet in the month of October. When fans visit winyourchevy.com or Team Chevy on Facebook, fans can enter to win the 2014 Camaro SS, and an all-expenses paid, 4-day, 3-night getaway for two VIP trip to the 2013 NASCAR Victory Lap in Las Vegas and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas. One (1) lucky fan will win this dream trip!

For the third year in a row, Chevrolet is supporting the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” in October. Chevrolet will proudly donate $200 per caution lap driven by the Pink Pace Car. Catch the Pink Pace Car at Talladega Superspeedway at the Camping World RV Sales 500 on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. ET and at Martinsville Speedway at the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Powered by Kroger.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years or the age of majority in their state of residence, whichever is older, as of date of entry. Ends 10/28/13. To enter for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions, visit https://winyourchevy.com Void where prohibited.