Mark set during 2011 Coors Light Pole Qualifying session
On June 26, 2011, Joey Logano won the Coors Light Pole at Sonoma Raceway, becoming the youngest pole-sitter at the road course at 21 years, 1 month and 2 days.
Speedway illuminates pagoda with meaningful numbers
Related: Trust fund for Leffler’s son established | Kahne helps out
Jason Leffler, who competed in the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is being remembered Wednesday by the legendary track.
Leffler, 37, died June 12 from injuries sustained in a sprint-car crash while competing at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J. The funeral for the former NASCAR and open-wheel competitor is scheduled for Wednesday in Cornelius, N.C.
IMS officials have illuminated the scoreboard atop the track’s pagoda to feature the numbers 50, 1975 and 2013, signifying his car number when he competed in the 2000 Indianapolis 500, as well as the years of his birth and passing.
“Jason Leffler was one of the most versatile drivers in America,” J. Douglas Boles, CEO for the legendary track said in a statement released by IMS. “And he rose to the top ranks of racing by honing and mastering his skills in various forms of the sport at tracks all over the country.
"Fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were able to see him compete in both IndyCar and NASCAR, and lighting the pagoda with the years of his life and the car number he used in the Indianapolis 500 is our way to remember and honor his accomplishments as a race car driver.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his entire family, team and fans."
The numbers that adorn the scoreboard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday are 50 (Jason Leffler’s car number when he drove in the 2000 Indianapolis 500), 1975 (the year of Leffler’s birth) and 2013 (the year of Leffler’s death).
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Vital stats for the Toyota/Save Mart 350
Related: Full coverage, entry lists for Sonoma
Track: Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., 1.99 miles, road course, asphalt surface, 12 turns.
Time/TV: Toyota/Save Mart 350, 3 p.m. ET, Sunday, June 23. TV: TNT (coverage starts at 2 p.m. ET), Radio: PRN
Trailblazers: The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma was held June 11, 1989 — won by Ricky Rudd at a speed of 76.088 mph. Jeff Gordon leads the series with 12 top-five finishes at the track. Gordon also leads the series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 16.
0.197 seconds is the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway since the advent of electronic scoring. That came in the June 27, 1999, race when Jeff Gordon beat Mark Martin.
1.99 miles is the distance of the course. It was reconfigured to 2 miles in 2001, then remeasured in 2002.
2.52 miles was the distance of the road course when it opened in 1968.
3 is the number of consecutive Coors Light Pole awards for Ricky Rudd (from 1990-92), a series record.
5 of the 24 (20.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Sonoma have been won from the Coors Light Pole; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2004. Gordon is the only NSCS driver to win from the pole at Sonoma more than once.
6 different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Sonoma, led by Chevrolet with 10 victories, followed by Ford with six.
8.550 is Jeff Gordon’s average finishing position at Sonoma, the best among all active drivers. Clint Bowyer (9.714) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
12 is the number of turns throughout the course.
15 drivers have Coors Light Poles at Sonoma, led by Jeff Gordon with five.
16 different drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with five wins. Tony Stewart has the second most wins (two) among active drivers at Sonoma.
18 of the 24 (75.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a top-10 starting position.
21 is the numbers of starts at Sonoma for Mark Martin and Terry Labonte, the most in the Sprint Cup Series.
23 years, 1 month, 20 days is the age Kyle Busch was when he won at Sonoma in 2008. He’s the youngest winner at the track in Sprint Cup Series history.
24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have been held at Sonoma Raceway, with one per season since 1989.
32nd is the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Sonoma. Juan Pablo Montoya won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from this starting position in 2007.
43 years, 10 months, 11 days was the age of Rusty Wallace when he became the oldest Coors Light Pole winner for a race at Sonoma in 2000.
95.262 mph is the record speed for the Coors Light Pole, set last year by Marcos Ambrose.
107.8 is the driver rating for Kurt Busch since 2005 at the track, the best among active drivers.
184 drivers have competed in at least one Sprint Cup race at the track.
300 kilometers was the distance for the first nine Cup races. It switched to a 350k format in 1998.
427 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as California. Among the notable drivers returning to their home state for this race are Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick.
450 laps led by Jeff Gordon at Sonoma leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Check out some new looks hitting the track in Sprint Cup and Nationwide
Editor’s note: This story will be updated as additional paint schemes are revealed.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series return to action this weekend at Sonoma Raceway and Road America.
Below are some of the special paint schemes you’ll see on the road again in California and Wisconsin.
RELATED: Purchase die-casts of your favorite drivers | Classic die-casts | NASCAR: An American Salute merchandise
Tony Stewart will drive the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet.
SHOP: Tony Stewart die-casts
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will drive the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Ford.
SHOP: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. die-casts
Jeff Burton will drive the No. 31 Utility Trailers Chevrolet.
SHOP: Jeff Burton die-casts
Ron Fellows will drive the No. 33 Canadian Tire Chevrolet.
SHOP: Die-casts
Ryan Newman will drive the No. 39 Haas Automation 30th Anniversary Chevrolet.
SHOP: Ryan Newman die-casts
Jacques Villeneuve will drive the No. 51 TAG Heuer Eyewear Chevrolet.
SHOP: Die-casts
The following special paint schemes will take the track in the Nationwide Series’ Johnsonville Sausage 200 Presented by Menards:
Brian Scott will drive the No. 2 Charter Chevrolet.
SHOP: Die-casts
Johnny O’Connell will drive the No. 5 CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet.
SHOP: Die-casts
Trevor Bayne will drive the No. 6 Valvoline NextGen Ford.
SHOP: Trevor Bayne die-casts
Michael McDowell will drive the No. 18 K-Love Toyota.
SHOP: Michael McDowell die-casts
James Buescher will drive the No. 34 Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet.
SHOP: Die-casts
Kenny Habul will drive the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Toyota.
SHOP: Die-casts
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Son of Cup champion Bill Elliott gathering impressive stats in multiple series
Chase Elliott’s ARCA victory at Pocono Raceway earlier this month hasn’t altered the 17-year-old’s 2013 racing schedule.
Elliott, the son of 1988 NASCAR Cup champion Bill Elliott, became the youngest winner in ARCA history with the June 8 victory.
In seven career ARCA starts, Elliott has yet to finish outside the top 10. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he made his series debut this season, he has three starts and finishes of sixth, fifth and fourth.
"We don’t have many options with my age. We’re kind of maxed out on the things we can do."
— Chase Elliott
There’s talk of an impending NASCAR Nationwide Series ride with Hendrick Motorsports, which oversees his limited ARCA and truck efforts.
Because of his age, Elliott is prohibited from competing in Nationwide, which has a minimum age limit of 18. He will turn 18 in late November, well after the racing season has come to an end for the year.
“A lot of people have been talking about it,” Elliott said of a potential Nationwide ride. “But us? Not so much.
“I’m taking it a race at a time. I think if we can have a good rest of the year, if I can do my job and improve at all the tracks we go to, I think next year (will take care of itself).
“The thing is, we don’t have many options with my age. We’re kind of maxed out on the things we can do. So we’re doing a handful of ARCA and Truck races, and what little Late Model racing I can do at home.
“There’s really not a whole lot of races on our schedule this year, but the quality of the races is pretty big.”
Elliott will be back behind the wheel this weekend, competing in the Scott 160 ARCA event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. It is a companion event, run in conjunction with the Nationwide Series.
It will be only his second series start on a road course, but Elliott has already proven to be competitive outside the more familiar ovals. Last season, he finished second at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a 2.250-mile road course, losing the lead and the race on the final lap.
“I love them. Always have,” Elliott said. “Being able to do it last year in a stock car was different; it’s just a blast. I think a lot of guys will tell you that. It’s something we don’t get to do a lot.”
While he said he would like to get a chance to compete in Nationwide, Elliott said there currently is no plan in place to put him behind the wheel.
“I think that would be phenomenal," he said of potentially racing in the series. "Personally, that’s where I’d like to be.
“But there really is no plan, per se. Obviously lots of rumors (are) going around now as to what we’re going to do. A lot of it is up in the air. It’s up to what Mr. (Hendrick) wants to do. In the end, it’s really his decision, whatever he feels like is the right step for me and I’m going to be supportive of that no matter what.”
It is also worth noting, he said, that primary sponsor Aaron’s has a say in what takes place beyond this year. The company is already involved in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series as sponsor of the No. 55 Toyota team fielded by Michael Waltrip Racing with a deal that is up for renewal at year’s end.
“There are a lot of variables that will affect how things work out,” Elliott said. “But one thing that is not a variable is what we have planned this year, and we’re going to make the most of that.”
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Stewart, Logano go ‘Wild’ again in California
Related: Sprint Cup Series Standings
Anyone who thinks his Wild Card chances are going up in smoke can look to Smoke, Tony Stewart that is, for inspiration. Before Stewart went on his current run of four straight top-10 finishes, he was languishing at 21st in the Sprint Cup standings with only a top-10 finish in March at Phoenix to hang his hat on.
Now, after rolling out a fifth-place finish this weekend in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Stewart is in 10th place, two points ahead of Paul Menard, but with that all-important victory he grabbed at Dover in his back pocket. As Stewart indicated in a post-race interview in Michigan, it has been a battle to get back into contention.
“We weren’t very good all weekend,” Stewart said. “I made a mistake on Friday and crashed the primary car, so this team had to work hard and do a lot to get us where we are today."
For Stewart, the news could get even better after Michigan, because he has an opportunity to show off his versatility on the 1.99-mile road course at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, TNT). In 14 career starts at Sonoma, Stewart has nine top-10s and two victories, and he could make the Wild Card a moot point for himself by solidifying his position within the top 10.
That’s hard to believe, considering where he was a month ago. But in that short time, as we said, Stewart has jumped 11 spots in the standings. Maybe that’s something Kurt Busch, who fell five spots to 20th this week, can take solace in knowing. After all, there are just 23 points separating Busch from Kasey Kahne, who currently sits in the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup position, and Busch did win at Sonoma two years ago and finished third last year.
A lot can change in a month, but a month from now, there will only be about a half dozen races left before the Chase. Quickly, it is becoming crunch time for a lot of drivers, so in response to that we will chart all the twists and turns here every week, highlighting a couple of drivers whose stock is moving up or down.
Ready to pounce: Joey Logano, Penske Racing. If you count the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, perhaps the only driver hotter than Stewart right now is Logano, who has posted five straight top-10s since the rain-delayed classic in Charlotte four weeks ago. And since the Bojangles’ Southern 500, when Logano dropped into 19th in the standings, he has risen to 14th, just two points behind Kahne for the final Chase spot.
Logano has two top-10s and a pole in four career Sprint Cup Series races at Sonoma. It’s a small sample size, but when one mixes in four top-10s in nine races (including Nationwide) at Watkins Glen, there’s more evidence that he can get the job done on a road course. That gives him a shot to be in the Wild Card spot by the end of the weekend.
In danger of falling out: Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports. If ever Gordon needed to see his native Northern California, it’s now, coming off a weekend when an accident with Bobby Labonte knocked him down five slots to 16th in the standings. Gordon needs another classic performance at the road course to get him back in the thick of things.
His history at Sonoma is beyond impressive. In 20 races there, Gordon has 16 top-10s, five victories and five poles. That means he has finished in the top 10 in 80 percent of his races in Sonoma, slightly better (90 percent) in his past 10 races there. Let that sink in for a moment.
Gordon still doesn’t have an all-important win this season to help his Wild Card hopes, but he has come close with third-place finishes at Martinsville, Darlington and Dover. Maybe he’ll finally break through this week to try to narrow the nine-point gap between him and teammate Kahne.
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Groundbreaking set for July 5, 2013
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – June 18, 2013 – International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: ISCA; OTC Bulletin Board: ISCB) (“ISC”) today approved funding to redevelop the frontstretch of Daytona International Speedway, the Company’s 54-year-old flagship motorsports facility, to enhance the overall experience for its fans, marketing partners and the motorsports industry. This historic, multi-year project will break ground on July 5, 2013, and is targeted for completion in January 2016, in time for the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 58th DAYTONA 500.
“We are truly creating history with this unprecedented endeavor,” said ISC’s Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy. “I commend the board’s decision to move forward on our plan to redevelop the Company’s signature motorsports facility, thereby shaping the vision of Daytona for the next 50 years.
“The decision was made with strong consideration of the current macroeconomic condition and a clear view for our long-term growth,” Ms. France Kennedy continued. “This significant private investment is a strategic use of our capital that will ensure the long-term viability of the iconic speedway, and when completed, will contribute favorably to the Company’s revenues, as well as to our community and the sport as a whole.”
"We are truly creating history with this unprecedented endeavor. I commend the board’s decision to move forward on our plan to redevelop the Company’s signature motorsports facility, thereby shaping the vision of Daytona for the next 50 years."
—Lesa France Kennedy, ISC Chief Executive Officer
The redevelopment is expected to cost between $375 million to $400 million, excluding capitalized interest. Total expenditures incurred for the redevelopment through May 31, 2013 were approximately $15 million. The Company expects to fund the redevelopment from cash on hand, cash from its operations and may use borrowings on its credit facility for a limited period of time to even out cash flow.
The five-year capital expenditure plan (2013-2017) that ISC’s Board of Directors approved is not to exceed $600 million over that period. This is consistent with the Company’s previous guidance on its average annual capital expenditures range of between $100 million to $120 million for the next several years. The five-year capital expenditure plan encompasses all the capital expenditures for ISC’s 13 major motorsports facilities, including the Daytona International Speedway redevelopment, as well as any equity commitments to undertake a proposed mixed-use entertainment-oriented destination development across from Daytona International Speedway, which is still in the planning stage and subject to a number of approvals.
The vision for the redevelopment of the Daytona International Speedway frontstretch places an emphasis on enhancing the complete fan experience, beginning with five expanded and redesigned fan entrances, or injectors, along International Speedway Boulevard. Each injector would lead directly to a series of escalators and elevators that would transport fans to any of three different concourse levels, each featuring spacious and strategically-placed social "neighborhoods" along the nearly mile-long frontstretch.
A total of 11 neighborhoods, each measuring the size of a football field, will enable fans to meet and socialize during events without ever missing any on-track action, thanks to an open-sightline design throughout each concourse and dozens of added video screens in every neighborhood. The central neighborhood, dubbed the "World Center of Racing," would celebrate the history of Daytona International Speedway and its many unforgettable moments throughout more than 50 years of racing.
Every seat in the Speedway frontstretch will be replaced with wider and more comfortable seating, with more restrooms and concession stands throughout the facility. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will be comprised of approximately 101,000 permanent seats with the potential to increase permanent seating to 125,000.
There will be no capacity changes for the 2014 DAYTONA 500. The eventual decrease in capacity could occur in stages following the 2014 DAYTONA 500 and will include the complete removal of the backstretch grandstand by the start of the 2016 motorsports season. By moving all seating to the frontstretch, all attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a full race day experience including pre-race ceremonies, pit road action and the facility’s new amenities. “We will take great care of our loyal existing customers throughout this renovation,” said John Saunders, President of ISC. “They can expect to receive additional direct communication as we proceed with construction.”
The redevelopment will also provide an expansive platform for ISC’s corporate marketing partners. Hospitality is elevated with a completely revamped design that will exceed partners’ expectations for a more intimate, affordable and effective experience. The new frontstretch will include 53 suites that will offer superb views of the track.
Daytona International Speedway and ISC’s operations in Daytona Beach generate $1.6 billion in annual economic benefit to the state of Florida. Following an unsuccessful bid for a public / private partnership with the State of Florida during the most recent legislative session, the Company was forced to reduce the scale of its redevelopment plan. Among the features that were revised and no longer included in the redevelopment plan was a major overhaul of the midway area. “It is unfortunate we are forced to scale back some elements, but the project will be designed for additional enhancements should future economic incentives present themselves,” said Mr. Saunders. In 2014, the Company intends to pursue incentives including those currently available to all other major sports venues in Florida. ISC will reevaluate additional potential amenities based on the outcome of those efforts.
Construction for the redevelopment project will begin after the 2013 Coke Zero 400 NASCAR weekend. As a result, the redevelopment will impact certain ancillary events at the Speedway through 2014. However, major races such as those associated with Budweiser Speedweeks, the Daytona Supercross by Honda, the Daytona 200 and the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, will be held as scheduled. Additional information on events beyond 2014 will be provided upon completion of the full construction schedule.
“The redevelopment of Daytona International Speedway reaffirms its status as the ‘World Center of Racing’ for years to come,” said Ms. France Kennedy. “It is imperative that we build upon my grandfather’s vision to create a world-class facility with premium amenities to provide unparalleled experiences for our guests and partners. Doing so will ensure that the DAYTONA 500 and all our other events continue to drive our business while serving as a significant economic engine for the region.”
Daytona International Speedway is the home of "The Great American Race" – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of events on the globe, thus earning it the title of the "World Center of Racing." In addition to eight major weekends of racing activity, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo and film shoots, car club events, production vehicle testing and more.
To learn more about the redevelopment project, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/redevelopment or www.redevelopdaytona.com.
International Speedway Corporation is a leading promoter of motorsports activities, currently promoting more than 100 racing events annually as well as numerous other motorsports-related activities. The Company owns and/or operates 13 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities, including Daytona International Speedway® in Florida (home of the DAYTONA 500®); Talladega Superspeedway® in Alabama; Michigan International Speedway® located outside Detroit; Richmond International Raceway® in Virginia; Auto Club Speedway of Southern CaliforniaSM near Los Angeles; Kansas Speedway® in Kansas City, Kansas; Phoenix International Raceway® in Arizona; Chicagoland Speedway® and Route 66 RacewaySM near Chicago, Illinois; Homestead-Miami SpeedwaySM in Florida; Martinsville Speedway® in Virginia; Darlington Raceway® in South Carolina; and Watkins Glen International® in New York.
The Company also owns and operates Motor Racing NetworkSM, the nation’s largest independent sports radio network and Americrown Service CorporationSM, a subsidiary that provides catering services, food and beverage concessions, and produces and markets motorsports-related merchandise. In addition, the Company has a 50 percent interest in the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. For more information, visit the Company’s Web site at www.internationalspeedwaycorporation.com.
Former Indianapolis 500 winner has been known to drive aggressively in NASCAR competition
To witness the greatness that can be Jacques Villeneuve behind the wheel of a stock car, you need only to review video of his run three years ago in the inaugural Nationwide Series event at Road America. The former Formula One champion left television commentators dazzled with a three-wide pass of Carl Edwards in (appropriately) the Canada Corner, and later muscled past Brad Keselowski low in another turn to take the lead.
It was masterful stuff, a reminder of why during one period in the middle 1990s Villeneuve could have rightly laid claim to being the best race car driver on the planet. He was smooth, he was tactical, he was clean. Had an alternator wire not snapped and relegated him to a 25th-place finish that afternoon on the Wisconsin road course, he may well already have a NASCAR national-series victory added to his illustrious body of work.
As it is, his average finish over nine career Nationwide events is a sterling 10.6, and that takes into account a pair of results of 25th or worse. Villeneuve is 42 now, and he doesn’t have a full-time ride anymore, and he hasn’t won a race on a major circuit since his final F1 victory at Nurburgring 16 long years ago. But he’s still more than capable, as he showed in his most recent NASCAR start a season ago at Montreal, where he led 43 laps before finishing third in a Nationwide race won by Justin Allgaier.
Of course, Villeneuve in that event was perhaps better known for something very different — driving through leader Alex Tagliani with eight laps remaining, in the kind of move the Canadian star has lately become infamous for. His past five Nationwide starts have each included incidents in which Villeneuve was painted anywhere from aggressive to reckless, depending on the point of view. Wheel-hopping into eventual winner Boris Said. Overshooting the corner and T-boning Marcos Ambrose. Forcing it three-wide on a restart and taking out Max Papis and Brian Scott. Punting Tagliani.
"I’ll race him the way I feel I need to race him according to how he races me."
— Ryan Newman
And then, last year in Elkhart Lake, the capper — spinning Danica Patrick while battling for fourth place. “Oh, come on,” ESPN analyst Andy Petree scolded while watching it unfold. “Unbelievable,” added colleague Rusty Wallace, himself one of the best ever on a road course. “… He just took her out.” Afterward, words were exchanged on pit road between Villeneuve and Tony Eury Jr., Patrick’s crew chief at the time.
Villeneuve is among the last of the great ringers, a road-course ace who can get an opportunity in a good car and drive it to the front. Not battling for a season-long championship, his only goal is to win. If he gets a touch too aggressive with someone racing for position? Big deal, he’s only on the track against them two or three times a year. Those drivers who do have the longer view in mind can only grit their teeth and manage it the best they can — or bump him on pit road afterward, as Scott did at Road America following their tangle there in 2011.
Well, it all promises to be a much bigger deal Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, when Villeneuve makes his first Sprint Cup Series start on a road course, driving for Phoenix Racing. His usual Nationwide ride, the No. 22 of Penske Racing, is being driven at Road America by AJ Allmendinger. Villeneuve has three previous premier-series races to his credit, but all were on ovals, and he wasn’t a factor in any of them. That could very well change in Northern California wine country, given that the No. 51 car finished third there last season with Kurt Busch.
“We’re taking back the same car,” said Phoenix general manager Steve Barkdoll, although the vehicle will be outfitted with a 2013 body. “… We feel really good about our notes. On a road course, it’s not as different as it might be on a Michigan or wherever. So we feel good about our notes. (Crew chief) Nick Harrison and the guys are working really hard to give Jacques everything he needs. Things still have to fall your way. Just like last year, things have to fall your way. We’re just hoping for the best.”
It’s potentially a combustible combination, a headstrong freelancer like Villeneuve and an event that can feature all the gentility of a cage match. Rank and file NASCAR drivers have improved leaps and bounds in road racing, and with Wild Card berths to the Chase for the Sprint Cup potentially at stake, no one is backing off. That’s how you end up with accidents at Sonoma featuring as many cars as a Big One at Talladega, or vehicles marked up like they just took the checkered at Martinsville, or Tony Stewart’s machine dangling from a tire barrier. Don’t let the vino, the pretty hillsides, or the scant two cautions in last year’s race fool you — this is no place for the meek.
Given his recent history, Villeneuve seems to fit right in. He wasn’t on Phoenix Racing’s original list of driver options for Sonoma until Barkdoll realized Allmendinger was running the Penske car at Road America rather than Villeneuve. The team’s sponsor this weekend, Tag Heuer, once had an eyewear deal with Villeneuve, who had an off weekend from his side job analyzing F1 races for European television and agreed to take the ride. Now it’s a matter of seeing how he matches up against Sprint Cup regulars — in terms of both ability and aggression — on a layout more befitting his skills.
“I’ll race him the way I feel I need to race him according to how he races me. And if that doesn’t work out right, we’ll take it out behind the truck afterward and figure out who is right and who is wrong,” Ryan Newman said. “… I’m not oblivious to the fact that he’s been aggressive and made some questionable moves on the Nationwide side. Hopefully there’s none of that, and hopefully there’s no situation where there’s disrespect amongst either side, us towards him or him towards us, and it’s good, clean, hard racing. He’s shown he’s an aggressive driver, hard-racing driver, and he races for the win, and there’s nothing wrong with that — other than who it affects, how it affects them, and how they tolerate that.”
It’s not lost on Phoenix Racing that Villeneuve has been in his share of scrapes, and made his share of enemies, in recent years. Last week the former Indianapolis 500 winner visited the team’s shop in Spartanburg, S.C., where part of the conversation involved taking care of equipment and managing the longer race. But then again, Villeneuve has proven he knows how to get to the front, and that’s where Phoenix wants to be.
“He understands that he’s here in our series, and it’s a longer race than he’s used to in those Nationwide races,” Barkdoll said. “We have to be there at the end in order to have a chance to win. I think part of his aggression is just because he knows he belongs up front, and that’s one reason we’re putting him in the car. If we can put him there, hopefully he can stay there.”
Much of this hinges on whether the No. 51 car is once again strong enough to hang with the leaders, and even give Villeneuve the opportunity to replicate the near-miracle run Busch engineered last season. If so, it’s a matter of which Villeneuve emerges — the one who drives by people, or through them? If there’s a perfect scenario, it’s that the higher level of competition and a more technical layout bring out the best in one of the greatest drivers of his generation, and Sunday at Sonoma seems a little like 2010 at Road America all over again.
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Michigan winner stands by decision not to help teammate
If the same situation arose again, Greg Biffle would handle it the same way he did Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. In his view, there’s simply no other alternative.
“If this same situation arises again, and I’m a third of a straightaway out front, I’m not going to back up a third of a straightaway lead to help him get paper off his grille,” Biffle said of Carl Edwards on Tuesday during a teleconference with reporters. “If it’s six car lengths, or five? No problem. And we all understand that. But you can’t ask another competitor to give up a quarter, or a half, or a third of a straightaway lead. It’s just not practical, it’s not feasible.”
Biffle held a substantial lead over Roush Fenway Racing teammate Edwards with less than 50 laps remaining Sunday when the engine on the No. 99 car began running hot because of trash on the front grille. Concerned about overheating on a fast 2-mile track that places a lot of stress on engines, Edwards requested that the No. 16 car back up to help remove the debris — assistance that Biffle, trying to end a 27-race winless skid, didn’t believe he was in position to provide.
The decision didn’t sit well with Edwards. “He ain’t our teammate,” he said to crew chief Jimmy Fennig over the radio. Biffle — who won by nearly 3 seconds — said he and Edwards briefly discussed the matter on a Monday competition call that also included crew chiefs and engineers, but planned to talk about it further.
“We’re going to sit down and talk a little bit about it, and just the expectation, the understanding of, what can you do to help another competitor?” Biffle said. “Certainly I’ve backed up to Carl before to get stuff off his grille, he’s done the same thing for me. But at a big race track like Michigan, there’s a certain, probably, distance that a guy can back up, and at the same time, you have to ask yourself — is it advantageous for me?
“There’s a lot of things that play factors in there. Our crew chief also had a strategy that we needed to be so many seconds ahead of the second-place car so we could pit under green and come back out, and if the caution came out, we’d still be on the lead lap. And that’s exactly what happened. We pitted, we were on pit road when the caution came out. The very thing he was trying to put himself in position for happened, and we came out the leader in that sequence, and ultimately that’s probably what ended up winning us the race.”
Edwards’ engine held on until the caution, and the debris was removed during the subsequent pit stop. The pole winner for the event, he finished eighth. Car owner Jack Roush said after the event that he backed Biffle’s decision to maintain track position with such a large lead over the field.
“We want to work together at all costs,” Biffle said. “But we have to be reasonable about what we’re asking one another to do. When I got the message Carl had paper on his grille, I had paper on my grille, too. I was looking for somebody as well, a lapped car to get the paper off. He was a long, long ways behind us by the time the message got to us, and I didn’t feel like it was close enough that we could help him.”
As for Edwards’ cutting words over the radio about his teammate’s loyalty — Biffle said he understands drivers sometimes utter things in the heat of the moment that they might phrase differently once they’re out of the car.
“We all have different reactions when we’re in the car, or when we just get out of the car and our finish isn’t the result we wanted because of a certain situation. I’ve done the same thing. In fact, there was something I’ve been quoted saying as well which isn’t what I meant, but it’s what I said at the time,” he said.
“In the meeting on Monday, he was looking for every way we could work together as a team. He thought it was great for our organization that we sat on the pole and won the race, the 1,000th race for Ford. I haven’t read all the stuff. I did see the front page of something, I don’t remember what it is, that ‘He’s not a teammate of ours,’ or ‘We’re not teammates,’ or something like that, I’m not sure. But I understand. I’ve been there. And sometimes things get taken out of context as to what you actually meant and what you said. I understand that part of it.”
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Groundbreaking July 5 with state-of-the art frontstretch grandstands by 2016
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After months of excitedly showing off artist renderings and offering architectural explanations, Daytona International Speedway announced Tuesday it’s ready to break ground on the track’s historical redevelopment project.
Shovels hit the dirt in a public ceremony on Friday, July 5 with infrastructure preparation beginning at the facility on July 8 — the Monday after the Coke Zero 400. Completion of the new state-of-the art frontstretch grandstands is targeted for January 2016.
"Everything about the race fan’s experience from seating to concessions to merchandise to convenience will be reimagined to create the world’s first true motorsports entertainment complex."
—Joie Chitwood III, Daytona International Speedway president
“This is the key to our future,’’ Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III told reporters Tuesday, as the track unveiled the project’s new logo and philosophy: “DAYTONA Rising: Reimagining an American Icon.”
“Everything about the race fan’s experience from seating to concessions to merchandise to convenience will be reimagined to create the world’s first true motorsports entertainment complex,’’ Chitwood said, repeatedly promising the work would “harness the power of imagination.’’
“Today is day 1 of 927 days that will get us to January 1, 2016,’’ Chitwood said.
The estimated $400 million renovation focuses primarily on the massive frontstretch of the 2.5-mile superspeedway, enhancing the fan experience at the 54-year-old facility, considered the sport’s flagship property.
It will include bigger, wider seats, additional vertical transportation in the grandstands, five new massive entryways and perhaps the most innovative part of the project, 11 “neighborhoods” — each the size of a football field — where fans can gather and mingle without missing any of the race.
Eventually the back straightaway or “superstretch” grandstands will be removed, rearranging all seating to the front, where Chitwood says every fan will have the opportunity to enjoy all the amenities. And, he stressed, the track is committed to continuing to provide free parking lots, and allowing fans to bring in their own coolers.
“We understand the commitments to the fan and have to readjust our pricing so there are affordable priced seats on the frontstretch,’’ Chitwood said. “We’re not going to leverage our ticket prices. We know fans need some good entry-level pricing. We are committed to this in our redevelopment. ‘’
International Speedway Corporation, which owns Daytona and 12 other race tracks, will finance the majority of the project after the Florida state legislature failed to approve a public/private partnership in its most recent session.
Chitwood said the primary difference in the plan now versus what was proposed to the legislature is that the track won’t be significantly revamping the “midway” or outside area between the speedway and International Speedway Boulevard.
He did, however, promise to continue his efforts with the state, saying “I do believe we should be treated more fairly, like the other sports properties.’’
Fans won’t notice much difference to the facility next month for the annual Coke Zero 400 summer race as the initial work will be done largely underground and to infrastructure. The seating relocation to the frontstretch will happen in phases.
“For 2014, there will be no changes to any seats we have front or backstretch,’’ Chitwood said. “In 2015, there will be some seat relocation. As we get closer to 2015, we’ll communicate with fans. It will be significant.’’
The speedway has already undergone significant reinforcement of its crossover gates in wake of an accident during the Feb. 23 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener.
“It’s the iconic race track of NASCAR, and I think it will be good for our sport to showcase what Daytona is,’’ Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle said. “The race track is world-class I feel like — the surface, infield and the garage area — so it will be a great asset to the sport to see a renovation like that to the grandstand area.
“It certainly shows the health of our sport,’’ he noted. “The economy is starting to turn around, attendance is getting better, TV ratings have increased a bit, there’s a lot of interest in this sport and I see it every day.
“That renovation is going to be a good thing for us.’’
After spending the last year talking and planning and promising, it was obvious that Chitwood is now ready and excited to get to work.
“Make no mistake it will be a challenge,’’ Chitwood said “I don’t expect any of us to get any sleep the next two-and-a-half years, but it’s something we’re all looking forward to.
“I would hope our fans will be thoroughly impressed with the attention to detail.’’
(Left to right): Jim France, International Speedway Corporation chairman and vice chairman and executive vice president of NASCAR; Lesa France Kennedy, International Speedway Corporation CEO and vice chairperson of NASCAR; two-time K&N Pro Series East race winner Ben Kennedy prepare for the DAYTONA Rising announcement on Tuesday. (Daytona International Speedway)
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