Posted on by Zack Albert

Patrick says everything is settled after their back-and-forth last weekend at Kansas

RICHMOND, Va. — Danica Patrick said Friday that her radio outburst at David Gilliland last weekend had deep roots, but the two discussed their issue before practice began at Richmond International Raceway and seem to be on the same page.

Patrick blasted Gilliland’s driving last weekend at Kansas Speedway, saying that the journeyman driver failed to cut her any slack and issuing a warning if it continued. Gilliland’s post-race response through a team spokesman was a curt "shut up and race."

"I talked to her a little bit this morning and we’re all good."

—David Gilliland

Patrick — who wound up 25th, two spots behind Gilliland at Kansas — was still simmering over the perceived slight early Friday in the Richmond media center.

"I was mad. I’ve felt like he drives very aggressively against me from Darlington last year on," Patrick said. "There was just a lot more of it last weekend, and I was frustrated. But, I think in general it was a frustrating race, and that was just one of the elements."

Reached after first practice Friday, Gilliland said the two had spoken at the track and considered the matter closed.

"I talked to her a little bit this morning and we’re all good," Gilliland said. "Everything’s good. The problem is, racing in that 25th- to 30th-place spot is really the hardest race on the race track. The top-10 guys, they can let people go and they’re not going to risk going a lap down. I feel like it’s maybe just a respect thing between the two of us, and we talked about it and feel like we’re on track to race each other the way we need to."

— News of another closed matter for Patrick came to light this week — her divorce from Paul Hospenthal was made final April 17. Asked for her thoughts on the marriage’s conclusion, Patrick said, "No, it’s just the end."

— Patrick’s Wednesday appearance on "The Colbert Report" carried over to the race track Friday. She plans to carry decals of the comedian/anchorman’s smiling face on her car’s C-pillars throughout the weekend. "I didn’t make the joke on TV, but I would have said I will try and keep his face off the wall. We’ll have to see."

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    • Posted on by Zack Albert

    NASCAR Vice President of Competition details sanctioning body’s response

    RICHMOND, Va. — Robin Pemberton playfully sighed and slumped when a reporter pointed out the backdrop for his news conference Friday morning at Richmond International Raceway. The wall had been decorated with the logo of Saturday night’s race sponsor, Toyota.

    The automaker has been in an ever-brightening spotlight since NASCAR handed down hefty penalties to the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry team, driven by Matt Kenseth. But Pemberton’s remarks Friday served to remind everyone that however intense the spotlight, the issue should be viewed only in terms of black and white.

    "Some of our most severe penalties over time have surrounded engine infractions."

    — Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition

    Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, spoke out Friday to outline the sanctioning body’s approach to one of the most severe penalties in its history, illustrating what care was taken with the case of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series‘ most recent winning car and what areas of the rule book are strict no-nos.

    Kenseth led the team’s outcry at the track Thursday, a day after NASCAR docked him 50 points in the season-long driver standings, dished out a $200,000 fine and six-week suspension to crew chief Jason Ratcliff and suspended car owner Joe Gibbs’ license for six weeks after finding an unapproved engine part in his race-winning car from the previous weekend at Kansas Speedway.

    Kenseth’s points of contention had less to do with the infraction — the connecting rod in question was measured at 2.7 grams under the minimum weight allowed — but more to do with the severity of the penalty based on the team’s intent and the lack of a gain in performance.

    Pemberton’s message Friday? NASCAR doesn’t judge intent, motive or performance advantages.

    "It’s not hard, but what you have to understand is there’s reasons that there are rules," Pemberton said. "There are reasons that there are defined numbers, okay? They’re not there ‑‑ we didn’t just dream numbers up. We work with the teams, we work with manufacturers, and we work with outside experts to get these parameters. They know. When you look at the rule book, you say, ‘Oh, I can’t be here. I have to be there, right.’ …

    "I don’t want to be so cold about it, but that’s just the way it is. That’s why you have these parameters put into play. They know ahead of time where they’re supposed to be."

    Kenseth called the harshness of the penalties "grossly unfair" and "borderline shameful" in his Thursday remarks. But Pemberton said the severity was based on the violations falling under the heading of one of three strictly off-limits areas — engines, tires and fuel.

    "That’s a common thread that’s been understood, and it’s stood the test of time for the last 65 years," Pemberton said. "Don’t mess with those areas, and the penalties are severe. But when you look in the case of an engine, the only time we really get a chance to look internally at an engine is post‑race. Some of our most severe penalties over time have surrounded engine infractions."

    In Gibbs’ case, the engines for all three of the team’s Sprint Cup cars — including Kenseth’s — are provided by Toyota Racing Development (TRD). So why wasn’t the engine builder punished to the same degree? Pemberton said that the responsibility ultimately falls on the team for the product it brings to the track.

    The penalties assessed to Gibbs himself drew the loudest complaints from Kenseth and Ratcliff. By being stripped of 50 owner points and unable to accrue more for a six-week span, the No. 20 JGR team will likely tumble down the owners standings, effectively dropping it from title contention in that category.

    Gibbs said later Friday that the team would appeal the severity of the penalty, reiterating that the intent was not to gain a performance advantage. Gibbs also said that it will make the case that 10 TRD engines — eight of which were from JGR cars — have been inspected at the NASCAR Research & Development Center this year, and all have been found legal.

    According to Pemberton, the limits and parameters of the rule book are not up for interpretation.

    "As it relates to a car owner being suspended when you look at engine penalties, they’re severe for a reason," Pemberton said. "We don’t take lightly somebody being out of bounds when it comes to an engine or an engine situation. That’s why the penalties sit where they do."

     

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    Posted on by Zack Albert

    Veteran has five career poles at track; Toyotas finish 3-4-5

    Related: Full practice results | Complete Richmond coverage

    RICHMOND, Va. — Mark Martin led the way in opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway, putting his No. 55 car atop the speed charts in the two-hour session.

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    Martin, a five-time pole winner at the .75-mile track, turned a lap at 126.755 mph in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. The veteran, running a part-time schedule this season, last won at Richmond in February 1990.

    Defending series champion Brad Keselowski was second fastest at 126.535 mph, turning the most laps (93) of any driver in the opening practice in his Penske Racing Ford. Kyle Busch, who has won the spring race at Richmond four years running, was third fastest at 126.458 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Matt Kenseth    , heavily penalized Wednesday for engine infractions at Kansas Speedway, was fourth fastest. Brian Vickers, substituting for the injured Denny Hamlin, was fifth fastest as Gibbs Toyotas swept the 3-4-5 spots in the top five.

    Points leader Jimmie Johnson was 34th-fastest in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in preparation for Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400.

     

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    Busch takes first of three races this weekend at Richmond

    RICHMOND, Va. — Whether it’s the Daytona 500 or an event for charity, to Kyle Busch they’re all a race. And in any race, the goal is always the same — to win.

    Busch certainly did that Thursday night, dominating a field of NASCAR standouts and regional late model drivers to claim the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway. It was Busch’s third victory in the event, which benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation. His first two wins were at Southside Speedway, a local short track where Hamlin got his start.

    “I enjoy going out there and winning races,” said Busch, who also has two victories in the Sprint Cup Series this season. “You always get the commentary that us Cup guys, we should win this race. Or when we don’t win this race, either we aren’t very good, or other guys beat us, or oh, they’re the next up-and-coming, or what have you. Whichever way you look at it, you’re going to get beat up. So you might as well win and be on the high side of it getting beat up.”

    "You might as well win and be on the high side of it getting beat up."

    — Kyle Busch

    Sprint Cup regular David Ragan finished second, followed by Ben Rhodes, who competes in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and K&N Pro Series events. Short-track drivers Ronnie Bassett Jr. and Garrett Campbell rounded out the top five.

    But they were all chasing Busch, who started fourth and quickly asserted himself as the driver to beat in the 75-lap event. Busch’s Kyle Busch Motorsports team built his No. 51 car for the race, which was founded to raise funds and awareness for the needs of children with cystic fibrosis.

    “I never (don’t) live up to giving my total effort on something,” Busch said. “The last couple of years we were unsuccessful, unfortunately, at being able to win here. So I went out and said you know, if Denny’s going to do this race, I’m going to build my own car. I don’t care what it takes. We’ve got to be able to control our own destiny. When you rent or borrow peoples’ cars, it isn’t the best stuff for you, or it isn’t what you’re capable of putting together. So this made it easier, almost.”

    Winning at Richmond is nothing new for Busch, who has claimed four straight spring Sprint Cup races here, and also has four Nationwide victories on the .75-mile track. Thursday night, Ragan was no match at the end, and was left hoping for a late caution he didn’t get.

    “You want to have fun at these charity races, you want to put on a good show for the fans. … But you want to win the things, too,” Ragan said. “We just missed it by a little. I think Kyle’s car was little bit better than ours. We might have had something for him on a green-white-checkered, but he was just a little bit better tonight.”

    Although many national-series NASCAR drivers were in the event, only Busch and Ragan were in contention at the end. Michael Waltrip and Tony Stewart went out early after accidents, and Trevor Bayne was sidelined with mechanical trouble. Regan Smith crashed in practice and didn’t start the race. Matt Kenseth, filling in for Hamlin — out with a fractured vertebra suffered in a crash March 24 — spun and was never a factor.

    Kyle Larson finished 10th, and steered clear of any contact with C.E. Falk — the Virginia short-track driver who was spun by Larson in February on the final lap of the All-American Series event in the Battle of the Beach at Daytona International Speedway. Hamlin made Larson a special invitee after that incident, but he and Falk were never really in proximity on Thursday night.

    Busch had them all in his rearview mirror, in a car built specifically for the event. How much did it cost?  “Too much,” he joked. “Actually, there’s more money in man hours than there is in materials.”

    And with only pride at stake, the payoff was an appearance in Victory Lane. Given that Busch is also entered in Friday’s Nationwide Series event and Saturday’s Sprint Cup race, the win had the Joe Gibbs Racing driver hoping for a three-race sweep on one of his best tracks.

    “Kyle’s pretty good here,” said Ragan, whose car was built by Jamie Yelton and Fat Head Racing. “His record is pretty amazing. Maybe next year we can come back and make our car a little bit better and have a chance to duke it out.”

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    Drive for Diversity program member claims first victory in K&N Pro Series East at Richmond

    Related: Gifford Press Pass

    RICHMOND, Va. — Sitting in his race car under a red flag, with so few laps remaining and all that time to think about potentially winning the race, there would have been a time where the doubts would have crept into Ryan Gifford’s head. But not Thursday night.

    “In the past it would have,” Gifford admitted. “I really try to calm myself down and keep my head on straight at the end of these races. It finally worked out. I knew we had a good car, and I was confident we could win. Just went out there and did what I had to do. It was awesome.”

    A 24-year-old member of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, Gifford claimed Thursday’s 100-lap K&N Pro Series East event at Richmond International Raceway, his first victory in 44 career starts on the circuit. The native of Winchester, Tenn., became the fourth different driver to win for the Rev Racing organization, which fields entries for D4D competitors.

    But Thursday, the significance was on a much more personal level.

    "This is something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life."

    — Ryan Gifford

    “This is something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Gifford said. “Four years in the series, coming up short so many times, so doing this is just awesome. … I feel like there’s been a thousand pounds lifted off my shoulders. Now hopefully we can go out there and click them off.”

    Brandon Gdovic finished second, with Cole Custer third. Custer was second behind Gifford on a restart with four laps remaining, which followed a red flag to clean up debris from a multi-car wreck. Gifford let an opportunity to win at Richmond get away last year, when he spun his tires on a late restart. This time, he spurted ahead of the pack at the green flag and ran away.

    “I should have saved my tires a little more,” said Custer, who earned his first top-five finish in just his third career start. “That’s probably why Ryan beat us. But he drove a great race, and he deserved it.”

    The car to beat in the event seemed to belong to 15-year-old Gray Gaulding, who earlier Thursday became the youngest pole winner in the history of the series. Gaulding dominated the first half of the race, leading the opening 53 laps. But he and second-place driver Corey LaJoie drifted into one another in Turn 2 following a restart, and both cars were knocked out of contention with damage.

    Gdovic believed the field would have run down Gaulding eventually.

    “I think yes, only due to the fact that he was running too quick of a pace at the beginning there,” he said. “He was driving pretty hard. That was a fast pace to run too early, I think, constantly. It seemed like on the first run the cars were already starting to fall back to me a little bit. … I was just saving my stuff. He definitely had a fast car for sure, but I feel like here he would have burned it up a little too much.”

    It all set the stage for Gifford, who led the event’s final 23 laps, and notched the 11th race victory for his Rev Racing team. But it was a career first for a driver who went back to his dirt racing roots to rebuild the confidence that paid off Thursday night.

    “Last year I got in my dirt car a bunch, and won a few races. I was like, ‘I’m still a fairly decent race car driver. I can still go out here and win,’” he said. “Just that gave me the confidence to go out and win again. I know this is a lot bigger level and a lot harder, but having that just little bit of confidence just builds, and you can build on it. … I’ve really learned a lot, just that that little bit of confidence I got last year has done huge things for me.”

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    Driver from one of NASCAR’s most-famous families finally starting to see hard work pay off

    Related: Jeffrey Earnhardt Press Pass | Entry list | Keselowski tops practice

    You’d never know he had a famous last name. Jeffrey Earnhardt has spent the past few seasons hustling for sponsorship, and last year went months in between races. He squeezes what he can out of cars that are at a decided financial disadvantage. He brings his own racing seat with him, and drives to some events in a motorhome that’s more like a camper van.

    More than any family connection, it was all that effort that impressed his uncle, Dale Earnhardt Jr. So when JR Motorsports had an open seat in its No. 5 car for Friday night’s Nationwide Series event at Richmond International Raceway, the call ultimately went to Jeffrey — who was working on a boat and getting ready to go out fishing when the phone rang.

    “I was pretty shocked,” said the 23-year old son of Kerry Earnhardt. “It wasn’t really the phone call I thought I was getting. I didn’t expect him to call me up and offer me that. But it was pretty exciting. And I think he’s pretty exited about it, too. He told me he just wants to go have some fun. I think I’ve thanked him about 100 times. But he just keeps saying, ‘Let’s go have fun.’ And hopefully this will lead to more opportunities for me as a driver, and help me throughout my career.”

    "I think I’ve thanked him about 100 times. But he just keeps saying, ‘Let’s go have fun.’"

    — Jeffrey Earnhardt

    It’s a big step in some of the best equipment Jeffrey Earnhardt has ever been in, and a jolt to a national-series career that’s endured its share of fits and starts. Over the past three seasons Earnhardt has competed in a handful of events in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck circuits, and even made a foray into sports-car racing. This year, he’s been in a more regular ride with Go Green Racing’s No. 79 car, but that vehicle still doesn’t compete every week. It hasn’t been easy, not even for a driver from one of NASCAR’s most famous families.

    “If you want something bad enough, you work to make it happen. That’s the way I look at it,” he said. “We’ve been busting ass pretty hard to try and get sponsors, and it’s not easy, especially with the economy these days. It’s hard to find that sponsor that’s going to give you that $6 million to go race.”

    The effort, though, didn’t go unnoticed. JRM’s No. 5 car is typically driven by Brad Sweet or Kasey Kahne, who split a 27-race Great Clips sponsorship. With the Richmond race open, JRM looked to fill the gap with someone else. Josh Berry, who drives a late model for the organization, didn’t have NASCAR approval for Richmond. The team couldn’t put something together with Cole Whitt, who drove full-time for JRM last season. It was Earnhardt Jr. who asked his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller — what about Jeffrey?

    “Dale looks at this, and he’s seen Jeffrey really working hard over the last two and half, three years,” said Miller, general manager at JRM. “What Jeffrey has put into his career so far is a lot of hard work and grit. And that means a lot to Dale Jr., to see him personally going after it so hard. So that’s just built respect on both sides, for Jeffrey and Dale, and made it to where Dale is eager to help where he can.”

    The result is Jeffrey Earnhardt’s first start for his uncle’s race team, which is also co-owned by Miller and Rick Hendrick. The vehicle is backed by existing JRM sponsor Keen Automotive, which put the logo of its online Corvette parts store on the car. Jeffrey Earnhardt has never raced at Richmond, although he and regular JRM driver Regan Smith took late models up there several weeks ago to help him get a feel for the .75-mile track.

    “That was a huge advantage for me, because I had never been there before and really couldn’t have told you what the track was like,” he said. “To be able to go up there and run the late model and then go over all the notes with Regan that he has from previous races there, it’s a big help for me going into that race. … The equipment is every bit capable of being a top-five car. Me as a driver, I’m not 100 percent sure where exactly I stand. But I do know I have a lot to learn, and there are going to be a lot of good Cup guys in this race. So I’d say realistically a top-10 is what we’d want to shoot for.”

    Earnhardt’s best finish at NASCAR’s national level is seventh, in a Rick Ware Racing truck at Daytona on the opening weekend of 2011. But he hasn’t been in equipment as strong as JRM’s No. 5 car since he was a teenager, and competing in the K&N Pro Series East for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his grandfather.

    “We just told him to go out, and if he just makes the laps and is consistent, it will be real simple for him to have a top-15 finish,” Miller said. “And then people are writing about the fact that he did a good job and finished the race. He doesn’t have to be overly aggressive. He just has to use his head and not be stupid, because he’s going to have a good race car under him. He’s not going to know how good it is until he gets in it this weekend. He’ll also have a full seven- or eight-person team behind him. He’s probably going to feel a little bit like royalty because he’s not going to have to do everything by himself.”

    Although it’s just a one-race deal, Jeffrey Earnhardt — whose No. 79 car wasn’t scheduled to race at Richmond — still relishes the chance. “It’s a huge opportunity. It’s obviously a step toward that direction I want to go,” he said. “… Even though it’s just for one race, it’s kind of cool to step in a car you know is going to be prepared to its best.”

    In that kind of gratitude, Miller and Earnhardt Jr. see humility from a driver who perhaps didn’t show it as often earlier in his career. Everything changed when DEI shut down its motorsports branch, forcing their nephew to face a stark reality.

    “The thing for Jeffery is, I think there was a period of time in is life when he was running for Dale Earnhardt Inc., and as a young kid, you look at that, and it’s really easy to take it for granted,” Miller said. “At that time of his life, he was on cloud nine and having that opportunity to run those races for DEI. Then when that fell apart, it kind of brought him to a place to where he realized just how hard it was to get that opportunity. He’s worked really hard since then to get in race cars. So I think the past several years have humbled him and made him see this is such hard work, and it takes so many pieces to come together.”

    No question, he’s working at it. And these days he gets some help from his famous uncle, a regular source of advice at the race track. How did Earnhardt Jr. deal with the frustration of a disappointing run at Martinsville a few weeks ago? He spent some time with his nephew.

    “He’s a busy man, and it’s hard for him to get time away from sponsor deals and all that,” Jeffrey Earnhardt said. “But this year he’s been talking to me a lot and helping me by giving me feedback on what their cars are doing in the few Nationwide races that he’s run. And even the Cup races, talking about how much the car changes through practice. I know at Vegas, I was asking him quite a few questions because we were struggling, and I didn’t get a whole lot of practice there. So I tried to feed off him as much I could, and he helped a lot. Being able to have this relationship now … it’s been pretty good. Dale Jr. has definitely come around more, and definitely given me a lot more advice for racing, and helped be a coach on the side as much as he can.”

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    Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

    Weekend preview: Kahne gaining momentum with season in full swing

    Kasey Kahne has long been admired by many fans for more than his racing talents, but this season his talents on track are racing to the forefront — giving his legions of fans more reason to pull for him.

    He’s putting together a season that could have him hoisting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship trophy in Homestead and being the toast of Las Vegas seven months from now, but first he has to get past Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

    Kahne and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team roll into Richmond fresh off a runner-up performance in Kansas. It was his third top-two finish of the season, and it boosted him to second in the points standings, 37 points behind five-time champion and teammate Jimmie Johnson.

    Since the third race of the season Kahne has been on somewhat of a tear, finishing no worse than 11th and posting four top-five and five top-10 finishes in the last six races.

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    Although, historically, Richmond has not been one of his best tracks — he has one win, four top-fives and seven top10s in 18 starts — his performances at short tracks so far this year have been near perfect. In the first short-track race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kahne led 109 laps and left the "World’s Fastest Half Mile" with a victory in hand. Two races later, he finished a respectable fourth at Martinsville Speedway.

    His success isn’t mere coincidence. Kahne is driving for a championship-contending team and surrounded by personnel and partners who only make his life easier.

    "My team is doing an awesome job," said Kahne. "It has been a lot of fun driving the cars and thanks to Farmers and Hendrick Motorsports for the great cars and the preparation each week."

    Kahne’s only win at the 0.75-mile track came in the spring of 2005 where he led 242 of 400 laps to beat Tony Stewart to the checkered flag by more than 1.5 seconds. It was Kahne’s first win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and his sole victory that season.

    The victory came in only his third start at the short track. His previous two visits resulted in 24th- and 28th-place finishes.

    In last spring’s Richmond race, Kahne placed fifth behind race winner Kyle Busch. It was Kahne’s sixth of seven consecutive top-10 finishes in 2012 — Texas to Charlotte.

    If Kahne wants to remain in the title hunt, he needs his performance Saturday night to be more indicative of his 2013 season versus his overall success at Richmond, where he has an average finishing position of 18.0 and a driver rating of 87.8 — 12th highest among active drivers.

    His biggest competition at Richmond might be his very own teammates in the Hendrick Motorsports garage: Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Between the three drivers they have eight wins, 30 top fives, 44 top 10s and eight poles at the track.

    Kahne, however, isn’t the least bit worried.

    "I feel like we have a great team and we’re in a really good spot right now," he said shortly after his second-place performance at Kansas.

    Fantasy Focus: Kyle Busch should top the list of drivers you should add to your fantasy team in time for this weekend’s race. In 16 races, he has four wins and an amazing 13 top-10 finishes (81%). His four wins have all come in the past four spring Richmond races. Additionally, he has the highest average driver rating among drivers suiting up this weekend (113.9). Kevin Harvick, who has two wins at Richmond, has spent more laps running in the top 15 at Richmond over the past eight races than any other driver. The driver with the second most laps running in the top 15 is more than 300 laps behind. Harvick’s driver rating isn’t too shabby either (111.1).

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    Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

    Veteran automotive executive Stefanyshyn brings global experience in engineering strategy, product development and finance

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2013) – NASCAR announced today that Eugene (Gene) Stefanyshyn has been named Vice President, Innovation and Racing Development to drive continual improvements in racing performance. He will be based at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

    "It has been a stated goal to raise the level of science and technology utilized throughout NASCAR to an entirely new level, and I’m confident that we have found the right leader in Gene to build on our very strong foundation. NASCAR’s aim is to be a recognized leader when it comes to putting the best, most engaging product forward and this is another strong step in that direction."

    —NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France

    In this role, Stefanyshyn will lead and shape NASCAR’s future approach to Competition by utilizing and developing innovations that advance the racing product and fan experience. Additionally, he will work in close collaboration with other NASCAR departments and industry stakeholders to develop a leading edge culture for NASCAR surrounding engineering and technology.

    Stefanyshyn, a native of Ontario, Canada, will join NASCAR on May 13, 2013. His hiring concludes a thorough four-month search that was led by Courland International. He will report directly to NASCAR President Mike Helton and will work closely with Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell and Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton.

    Stefanyshyn has been a leader at General Motors working in various capacities for more than 30 years, most recently serving as the company’s Executive Director, Global Product Development Quality, where he managed upwards of 250 employees across four global regions. Through his three-decade tenure at GM, Stefanyshyn has held increasingly senior roles spanning all facets of vehicle design and development, global project management, engineering strategy, finance, manufacturing and quality control. During his career he has lived in Detroit, Michigan, Canada, Australia, Sweden and Germany, and has played key roles on projects for GM in several other global regions including China.

    Overall, Stefanyshyn led teams that put 14 cars and 20 body styles on the road. Several  accomplishments under his oversight include the development and launch of the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro in 2010, the introduction of remote start technology in new vehicles beginning with the Chevrolet Malibu, and bringing acclaimed safety standards and innovation developed by Saab to other product lines. He has built extensive experience in operational management, cross-continent collaboration, managing investment in innovation and technology as well as cost containment in design and production.

    “We are very pleased to have a globally proven leader the caliber of Gene Stefanyshyn join our management team and take the reins of innovation and racing development at NASCAR,” said NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France. “It has been a stated goal to raise the level of science and technology utilized throughout NASCAR to an entirely new level, and I’m confident that we have found the right leader in Gene to build on our very strong foundation. NASCAR’s aim is to be a recognized leader when it comes to putting the best, most engaging product forward and this is another strong step in that direction.”

    NASCAR recently has rolled out successful product innovations including the new Generation 6 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car, the Air Titan track drying system, numerous driver safety innovations and seamless transitions to electronic fuel injection and Sunoco E15 racing fuel. Stefanyshyn will assume leadership of the teams that drove those initiatives and build on them in the areas of racing performance, innovation and event experience, as well as safety engineering.

    “I have a strong passion for cars and respect the proud history of this great sport, so I’m thrilled at the opportunity of helping shape the future of NASCAR racing,” said Stefanyshyn. “I look forward to working with the team at NASCAR, each of the OEM partners, the race teams and drivers to raise performance levels across the board and to drive the sport to an even stronger leadership position in the future.”

    Stefanyshyn (rhymes with “definition”) holds a B.S., Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife, Angela, are the parents of two children, Ivanna (21) and Mark (17).

    Positions Held at GM:

    ·         2011-2012 – Executive Director, Global Product Development Quality (Detroit)

    ·         2010-2011 – Executive Director, Global Program Management (Detroit)

    ·         2006-2010 – Global Vehicle Line Executive, Global RWD Vehicles (Holden / Australia)

    ·         2005-2006 – Global Vehicle Line Executive, Global RWD Vehicles (Detroit)

    ·         1996-2005 – Vehicle Line Executive, Midsized Vehicles (Detroit)

    ·         1993-1996 – Director, GMIO Engineering Strategy and Integration (Germany)

    ·         1990-1993 – CFO, SAAB Technical Center (Sweden)

    ·         1988-1990 – Finance Manager, Product Programs (Detroit)

    ·         1986-1988 – Manager, Business Planning and Competitive Analysis (Canada)

    ·         1985-1986 – General Supervisor (Canada)

    ·         1984-1985 – Financial Analyst (Canada)

    ·         1981-1984 – Financial Analyst (Canada)

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    Posted on by Holly Cain

    NASCAR, Pocono Raceway take part in tree planting at Flight 93 site

    The way Pocono Raceway President Brandon Igdalsky sees it, his facility’s three-year-old trailblazing Green campaign was part necessity, part opportunity and a whole lot of just doing what’s right.

    While the entire NASCAR industry has spent the past month showcasing and stepping up its commitment to the sport’s Race to Green initiative, Pocono Raceway has been a factor for years — an example of what’s possible not only for other NASCAR facilities, but also for any sports franchise or facility.

    From a one-of-a-kind, on-site solar farm to a goal of 100 percent sustainability to an E-waste recycling event, compost program and even a flock of sheep herding on property, Pocono Raceway has been first among sports facilities to NASCAR Green’s checkered flag.

    "We’re showing the world it can be done, and it works."

    –Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway President

    This past weekend Pocono Raceway and NASCAR participated in an emotional tree planting — donating 8,000 seedlings — on the grounds of the Flight 93 National Memorial — a national park in Southwestern Pennsylvania established to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.

    “There were a lot of neighbors and people in our county alone who were either killed in the events of 9/11 or had family members killed,’’ Igdalsky said of Pocono Raceway’s three-year involvement with the memorial. “There’s a large New York population here, tens of thousands of people that commute to New York City every day for work, and a lot of them worked in the Trade Towers.

    “It hit this area as hard as it hit New York just because how many people from this area work in New York or are from New York or still have family in New York.

    “For us to be able to give back to those families and to the nation, from that horrific day, aside from the Green elements, it’s just the right thing to do and a feel-good event. For me, a little selfishly, it makes me feel like I’m doing something for a much greater cause — you could say, planting the future.”

    It’s this mindset that has driven Igdalsky to embark on one of the most ambitious environmentally minded initiatives in sports.

    As of this week, Pocono Raceway’s 25-acre solar farm had produced 10.2 million kilowatt hours, a number that is literally changing by the second. The power generated is enough for 58,000 60-watt light bulbs being used eight hours a day for one year.

    The 2010 Fall Pocono race became the first sporting event completely powered by renewable energy, and the solar grid still provides enough energy to power an additional 1,000 homes. The carbon offsets created from the system is equivalent to the emissions of 106,000 propane barbecue grills. And, according to Igdalsky, the current system of panels is projected to last another 25-30 years before needing to be replaced.

    All in all, not bad for an idea generated in part because of a pressing need to find an alternative energy source. The state of Pennsylvania was deregulating power in various regions in 2009 and Igdalsky wanted to not only avoid a massive increase in energy costs, but also to use the situation as an opportunity to be creative and most importantly, green.

    After many consultations and presentations, solar energy looked like the perfect fit.

    And … Pocono Raceway just happened to have an unused 25-acre parking lot across the street from the track available for the endeavor.

    “We didn’t set out to do a project as big as we ended up doing,’’ Igdalsky said. “But when we went to my grandfather with the original plan, he looked at us and said, ‘What can you do if you use the parking lots across the street?’

    “We all sat back and said, ‘whoa, we can go pretty big.’ And that’s what we did. We went as big as it could get legally here in Pennsylvania.

    “It’s been a great project to be a part of and exciting to be a leader not only in racing, but in sports in general when it comes to renewable energy and it’s been a fun.’’

    While Igdalsky is certainly very proud of the facility and always thinking of new ways to invigorate and innovate, he hopes it will be a shining example for others. His young children, for example, are growing up among a generation that sees recycling, renewable fuel and alternative energy as proven concepts, not abstract potential.

    “Facilities from around the world have contacted me about sustainability in sports and renewable energy, specifically,’’ Igdalsky said. “We’re showing the world it can be done, and it works."

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    Posted on by Staff Report

    Rookie Alex Bowman puts up strong fight but can’t take top spot

    Practice results

    RICHMOND, Va. — Brad Keselowski posted the fastest lap in opening practice Thursday morning for the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

    Keselowksi, in the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, turned a lap at 123.672
    mph on the .75-mile oval ahead of Friday night’s 250-lap race, the
    series’ second event of the season on a short track.

    Rookie Alex Bowman,
    who will make just his 11th series start on Friday, was second-fastest
    at 123.581 mph in a Toyota, followed by Sprint Cup regular Kyle Busch (123.276), a four-time winner in Nationwide competition at Richmond.

    Regan Smith was fourth-fastest with series points leader Sam Hornish fifth on the practice chart. Kevin Harvick, the series’ winningest driver at Richmond with six victories, was sixth-fastest in the two-hour, 50-minute session.

    READ MORE:

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    READ: Electronic
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