Posted on by Staff Report

Legendary South Florida businessman responsible for building the facility that hosts NASCAR championship races

Longtime South Florida businessman and Homestead-Miami Speedway founder Rafael “Ralph” Sánchez died Monday morning. Sánchez (1948-2013) had been in declining health for much of the past year.  He is survived by wife Lourdes, daughter Patricia and son Ralph Jr. 

Sánchez, who founded and managed the Grand Prix of Miami starting in 1983, led efforts to bring the motorsports facility to Homestead.  He worked with City of Homestead and Miami-Dade County officials to make the track a reality. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the track took place on Aug. 24, 1993 — exactly one year after Hurricane Andrew wiped out much of Homestead.  The track is credited with being a major catalyst for redevelopment following the Category Five hurricane that leveled large portions of Miami-Dade County.

“I am saddened to learn of Ralph’s passing and offer my condolences to Lourdes, Patricia and Ralph Jr.,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer. “Whether it’s the championship races that receive worldwide attention, the economic impact, or the countless memories made by fans that attend track events, it’s directly attributable to Ralph and his foresight.  The team at Homestead-Miami Speedway and racing fans in this region are indebted to Ralph.  South Florida has lost a true visionary.”

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• View all articles
• View all videos
• View all photos

Businessman H. Wayne Huizenga joined Sánchez as a track partner before the facility opened two years after construction began with a NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series race in November 1995. In 1997, Penske Motorsports (PMI) and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) became partners with Sánchez and Huizenga.  Less than one year later, PMI and ISC purchased Sánchez’s remaining interest in Homestead-Miami Speedway.  ISC became the sole operator in 1999.  The facility will host season-ending championship races in NASCAR’s top three touring series for the 12th consecutive year in November (15-17).

Al Garcia, the vice president for operations at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the longest tenured track employee, worked for Sánchez starting in 1984.  Garcia remembers him fondly: “He was charismatic, yet tough as nails.  Above all, Ralph was very loyal.  You have to give him credit for pursuing his dreams in racing and foregoing what had been to that point been a lucrative career as a developer.  I am very proud to have known Ralph and to have worked alongside him.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Staff Report

Daytona 500 pole winner stays active in Easter Egg Roll event

NASCAR star Danica Patrick took in the sights and sounds of the 135th White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, meeting President Obama and his family before participating with other athletes and celebrities in kid-friendly activities on the South Lawn.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• View all articles
• View all videos
• View all photos

After also meeting Bo, the Obamas’ family pet, the Daytona 500 pole winner fittingly read to schoolchildren from "Go, Dog, Go," the 1961 P.D. Eastman classic illustrated book featuring a group of car-driving canines.

"To have the opportunity to come to the White House and then be able to meet the President, First Lady and their family, including the dog, it’s a great honor for me to do that for them," Patrick said. "GoDaddy is so close obviously with me, and they play such a big role in the world, really, so I know that things like this are very important to them. It’s an honor. That’s all I can say. It’s a neat opportunity."

Besides honor and opportunity, Patrick had some time to speak casually with the President, who expressed a desire to drive her boss’ race car during Tony Stewart‘s 2012 Champion’s Tour of the White House.

"He was asking me about NASCAR and some of the on-track, off-track things that have been going on lately with drivers," Patrick said. "So I was explaining why that happens, how that happens and if there’s some truth behind it."

Patrick also took part in a yoga session on the White House grounds in conjunction with the event’s theme: "Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!" The egg roll motto is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s "Let’s Move!" initiative to promote a healthier lifestyle among America’s youth.

"Starting from a young age and having an active lifestyle is something that I feel like is important for kids to learn," Patrick said. "… It’s just a good core value in your lifestyle."

Roush Fenway Racing‘s No. 99 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 car was on site as well. The car is driven by Carl Edwards.

The next stop for Edwards and Patrick will be her first career appearance at Martinsville Speedway, site of Sunday’s STP Gas Booster 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX) for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"I’m just excited for the race," Patrick said. "I’m trying to see if it’s one of those that I just catch on to quickly or if it could be a complete disaster. It has that likelihood. It’s a challenging track, but I think it’s fun to go anywhere that’s a legendary, famous track, and Martinsville’s that."

See more photos below:

Danica Patrick reads "Go, Dog, Go" to a group of kids at the White House.

Patrick takes part in Yoga exercises on the White House lawn.

Patrick poses with a group in front of the White House after doing yoga exercises.

Posted on by Staff Report

Fans have until April 8 to pick the name for June race at Pocono

There’s one week to go before polls close for fans to name the June 9 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. 

That means there are more chances to think about whether the event should be called “Race More. Live Better 400,” “Pocono for the People 400” or “Party in the Poconos 400.” But hurry up and let your voice be heard.

Walmart and Pocono Raceway have teamed up to give fans options like naming the race, and they can do so by visiting walmarturl.com/FanDriven400 on Facebook. Go there and find out which name is leading the pack, and share the vote with friends to ensure your choice gets noticed.

On April 8 the polls will close for voting for the race’s name, but voting or other fan-driven choices for the event continues. From April 8-May 6 fans get to vote on a concession item that will be available during the race, choosing from three different recipies for pierogies. Then, from May 6-May 27 fans can vote on the design for the race’s pace car. 

It all culminates on June 9, when fans will get to enjoy an event that they had a say in developing. And Walmart is offering affordable options for the race, offering 16,000 Concourse Grandstand tickets at $25 apiece. Fans can purchase those tickets by visiting Walmart.com/NASCAR or poconoraceway.com.

In addition, Walmart has plenty of races, including the August race at Pocono, left on the schedule for the Walmart Family Track Pack. For $99 fans can get four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas at select races. 

Those races include:
— Bojangles Southern 500, Darlington, May 11
— NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Charlotte, May 18
— Coca–Cola 600, Charlotte, May 26
— Dover 400, Dover, June 2
— Quicken Loans 400, Michigan, June 16
— Coke Zero 400, Daytona, July 6
— Lenox Industrial Tools 301, New Hampshire, July 14
— GOBOWLING.COM 400, Pocono, Aug. 4
— Cheez-it 355, Watkins Glen, Aug. 11
— Pure Michigan 400, Michigan, Aug. 18
— AdvoCare 500, Atlanta, Sept. 1
— Sylvania 300, New Hampshire, Sept. 22
— AAA 400, Dover, Sept. 29
— Bank of America 500, Charlotte, Oct. 12
— Ford 400, Homestead, Nov. 17

Read more: Complete schedule

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Nascar

Driver feels at home at short track

Daytona was all about survival, Jeb Burton said. The NASCAR Camping World Series driver will have a much more personal attachment to the series’ next stop, the Kroger 250 scheduled for April 6 at Martinsville Speedway.

“I was going to be happy just to survive Daytona, so coming out of there with a top-five was great,” Burton, son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ward Burton, said during a recent test at the 0.526-mile Martinsville track. “When we come here we have big expectations; (it’s my) hometown track, a bunch of family and friends will be here and short track racing is what I was brought up on.

“I would rather come to a short track every week than go to a mile-and-a-half because that’s what I know. But that’s not the way it is. But I feel pretty comfortable out there.”

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

• View all articles
• View all videos
• View all photos

The Turner Scott Motorsports driver will make just his seventh career start in the series; however, the Martinsville layout is one of the few on the 2013 schedule that is familiar.

“I raced here a couple of times in late model and did pretty well,” Burton said. “Ran the truck race here last year and did pretty good.”

There will be pressure because of his name, and because of the location of the track, he said, “but it’s just another race track, and the best drivers, those I look up to, they’ve got that pressure and they block it out.”

Burton finished 13th in this race a year ago, one of three top-15 finishes in 2012 for the 20-year-old Burton. He was fifth in his debut with TSM earlier this year at Daytona.

With a lengthy break between races –- a span of 43 days –- Burton said he has tried to stay busy, testing when possible and occasionally jumping back into the seat of his late model entry to knock the rust off.

He also said he visits the team shop, located in Mooresville, N.C., “about four times a week.”

His father made 22 starts at Martinsville in the Cup Series, with two top-five finishes. In the Nationwide Series, Ward Burton earned one win (1993) in eight career starts on the tiny, flat track.

The elder Burton, who retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2007 season, has offered advice, although the son said, “sometimes it’s a battle between us.

“But he wants the best for me,” he said.

Burton said a Martinsville win would have special meaning, but admitted “we need to get out of here with another top-five, I think, and keep that momentum building.

“We’ve set some goals this year to win some races, win rookie of the year, finish top 10 in points. I think we can do that; we just have to remember what our goals are and take (small) steps.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Staff Report

Take a look back at the five best moments of 2013 so far as we head into the first off weekend.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway with 38 trucks entered

Here’s the entry list for the Kroger 250, 2 p.m. ET Saturday at Martinsville Speedway:

Entry Veh. # Driver Veh. Mfr. Sponsor
1 1 Jonathan Davenport 13 Chevrolet Advanced Electronic Services
2 3 Ty Dillon 13 Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops-Tracker Boats
3 4 Jeb Burton# 13 Chevrolet Arrowhead
4 5 Tim George Jr. 13 Ford Applebee’s
5 6 Devin Jones 13 Chevrolet VeriStor
6 07 Grant Galloway 13 Toyota Digger Specialties/Teen Challenge
7 7 John Wes Townley 13 Toyota Zaxby’s
8 8 Max Gresham 12 Chevrolet Made in USA Brand
9 9 Ron Hornaday Jr. 13 Chevrolet No Fear Energy
10 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb 10 RAM Driven2Honor.org
11 13 Todd Bodine 13 Toyota SealMaster
12 14 Brennan Newberry# 13 Chevrolet Fight For Life
13 17 Timothy Peters 13 Toyota Parts Plus
14 18 Joey Coulter 13 Toyota Darrel Gwynn Foundation
15 19 Ross Chastain 13 Ford Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation
16 24 Kevin Harvick(i) 13 Chevrolet Tide
17 27 Jeff Agnew 13 Chevrolet TBA
18 29 Ryan Blaney(#) 13 Ford Cooper Standard Performance
19 30 Nelson Piquet Jr. 13 Chevrolet Wolfpack
20 31 James Buescher 13 Chevrolet Rheem
21 32 Miguel Paludo 13 Chevrolet Sem Products, Inc.
23 39 Ryan Sieg 13 Chevrolet RSS Racing
24 51 Erik Jones 13 Toyota Toyota
25 54 Darrell Wallace Jr.(#) 13 Toyota Toyota Care
26 57 Norm Benning 13 Chevrolet Stone Mountain Guns & Gold
27 60 Dakoda Armstrong 13 Chevrolet Winfield
28 62 Brendan Gaughan 13 Chevrolet South Point
29 168 Clay Greenfield 13 RAM 1-800-Pavement
30 175 Caleb Holman 12 Chevrolet Morning Fresh Farms/Lopez Wealth Management/Food Country USA
31 77 German Guiroga(#) 13 Toyota Net 10 Wireless
32 81 David Starr 11 Toyota Steely Lumber/Gregs Core Supply
33 84 Robert Bruce 09 Toyota Virginia Dent Services-Mid Atlantic Towing
34 88 Matt Crafton 13 Toyota Rip It Energy Fuel/Menards
35 92 Scott Riggs(i) 12 Chevrolet FleetHQ.COM / BTS TIRE & WHEEL / QMI
36 93 Kenny Habul(i) 13 Chevrolet Sun Energy-Schneider Electric-Shoals
37 94 Chase Elliott 13 Chevrolet Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com
38 98 Johnny Sauter 13 Toyota Carolina Nut Co – Curb Records
39 99 Bryan Silas 13 Ford Rockingham Speedway

(i)= ineligible for points, #=rookie

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway with 44 cars entered

Here’s the entry list for the STP Gas Booster 500, 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Martinsville Speedway:

 

Entry Veh. # Driver Veh. Mfr. Sponsor
1 1 Jamie McMurray 13 Chevrolet Novo Nordisk
2 2 Brad Keselowski 13 Ford Miller Lite
3 5 Kasey Kahne 13 Chevrolet Farmers Insurance
4 7 Dave Blaney 13 Chevrolet Sany
5 9 Marcos Ambrose 13 Ford Stanley
6 10 Danica Patrick# 13 Chevrolet GoDaddy.com
7 11 Mark Martin 13 Toyota FedEx Freight
8 13 Casey Mears 13 Ford No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion
9 14 Tony Stewart 13 Chevrolet Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1
10 15 Clint Bowyer 12 Toyota RK Motors
11 16 Greg Biffle 13 Ford 3M
12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.# 13 Ford Fifth Third
13 18 Kyle Busch 13 Toyota M&M’s
14 19 Mike Bliss(i) 13 Toyota Plinker Tactical
15 20 Matt Kenseth 13 Toyota The Home Depot Husky Toyota
16 22 Joey Logano 13 Ford Shell Penzoil
17 24 Jeff Gordon 13 Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger
18 27 Paul Menard 13 Chevrolet Menards / Pittsburgh Paints
19 29 Kevin Harvick 13 Chevrolet Budweiser
20 30 David Stremme 13 Toyota Swan Racing
21 31 Jeff Burton 13 Chevrolet Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma
22 32 Ken Schrader 13 Ford FEDERATED AUTO PARTS
23 33 Landon Cassill 13 Chevrolet Little Joe’s Autos / Precon Marine
24 34 David Ragan 13 Ford TBD
25 35 Josh Wise(i) 12 Ford MDS Transport
26 36 J.J. Yeley 13 Chevrolet Tommy Baldwin Racing
27 38 David Gilliland 13 Ford LONG JOHN SILVER’S
28 39 Ryan Newman 13 Chevrolet Quicken Loans
29 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 13 Chevrolet Target
30 43 Aric Almirola 13 Ford Jani-King / STP
31 44 Scott Riggs 13 Ford TBD
32 47 Bobby Labonte 13 Toyota Bush’s Beans
33 48 Jimmie Johnson 13 Chevrolet Lowe’s
34 51 Regan Smith(i) 12 Chevrolet hendrickcars.com
35 55 Brian Vickers(i) 13 Toyota Jet Edge
36 56 Martin Truex Jr. 13 Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
37 78 Kurt Busch 12 Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing-Serta
38 83 David Reutimann 13 Toyota Burger King-Dr. Pepper
39 87 Joe Nemechek(i) 13 Toyota MaddiesPlaceRocks.com
40 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 13 Chevrolet DIET MOUNTAIN DEW
41 93 Travis Kvapil 13 Toyota Burger King-Dr. Pepper
42 95 Scott Speed 13 Ford Surrender The Sponsor
43 98 Michael McDowell 13 Ford Phil Parsons Racing
44 99 Carl Edwards 13 Ford Fastenal

(i)=ineligible for points, #=rookie

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by

The driver of the No. 11 has never missed the Chase

When it comes to drivers playing with pain, the recent standard unquestionably belongs to Denny Hamlin. It’s still difficult to believe what he did three years ago at Phoenix International Raceway, where 10 days after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery Hamlin gritted his teeth through an entire event on a bone-rattler of a 1-mile track. The car fell out of contention with electrical problems and a relief driver was on standby, but Hamlin never got out.

One week later at Texas, he won. He would go on to win eight times that season, seven of them coming after surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and nearly interrupt Jimmie Johnson’s run of consecutive championships. Viewed in its full context, it was a downright epic feat, even if he came up short of the title. It’s very easy to look back on that situation now as Hamlin begins the road back from another injury, this one, a fractured vertebra suffered in a crash last week.

Unfortunately, though, the two episodes aren’t exactly comparable. As he showed that night in Arizona, Hamlin is one tough hombre, and if this current issue were simply one of pain tolerance, he’d be back in the car next week at Martinsville.

Clearly, it’s not.

The compression fracture in his L1 vertebra will require at least six weeks to heal — which means Hamlin will miss five races — and greatly compromises his chances of contending for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this season.

Of course, all that is secondary to Hamlin’s heath. We won’t know for several weeks if he’ll actually be able to meet that hoped-for return date of May 11 at Darlington, and we won’t know until he slides back behind the wheel how any lingering effects of the injury will impact his ability to compete. Everyone is hoping for the best — that Hamlin comes back at Darlington and shows as fine a form as he exhibited at Auto Club Speedway before he hit the wall. But until he actually does it, we just won’t know, and a full recovery is first and foremost on his mind.

All that said, this is a championship-level driver for whom the goal is the same every year, and when Hamlin recovers, he’ll certainly have one eye on what it might take to continue his perfect record of never missing a Chase in seven full-time seasons. On Thursday, Joe Gibbs Racing team president J.D. Gibbs sounded optimistic. “Some of our guys have kind of looked at it,” he said, “and I think they’re encouraged that there’s still a possibility.” Thanks to the Wild Card system, there just may be.

"I think they’re encouraged that there’s still a possibility."

— Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs on the No. 11 team’s outlook on the rest of the season

By sitting out five races, Hamlin will forgo 215 points, a whopping amount that certainly precludes him from making the Chase based on the standings. To be eligible for one of two Wild Card entries, he’ll have to make the top 20, a more digestible but still arduous undertaking given the time he’ll miss in the car. Right now Hamlin stands 10th, 24 points ahead of 20th-place Ryan Newman. Assuming he can win races, that cutoff line is all that matters. All of his prospective gains and losses need to be viewed not relative to the top of the standings, but to the driver sittin in that 20th-place spot.

Over the past two years, we’ve seen drivers make charges from deep in the standings to secure a Wild Card berth — Jeff Gordon made up 12 positions over the final 15 regular-season events to claim a Chase spot last year and Brad Keselowski gained 15 in 16 weeks to do the same in 2011. Hamlin’s quest, though, shapes up as more difficult than that, and it’s tough to set a clear target right now, given we don’t know exactly how many spots he’ll have to make up in the 16 starts he could have between his return and the fall Richmond race, where the championship field is finalized.

History, however, does offer a clue. In the two years under the current simplified points system, the 20th-place drivers after the fall Richmond race have been in similar positions. Jamie McMurray had 640 total points at that time last year, Marcos Ambrose 673 the season before. Average those out, and it rounds up to 657 — as good a number as any for Hamlin to aim for if he hopes to keep his streak of consecutive Chase appearances alive.

At present, Hamlin has 145 points. That means, should he return at Darlington, he’ll need to make up in the neighborhood of 512 points over his final 16 regular-season starts. Averaging that out provides an idea of how many points Hamlin would need to make up per race, and the number is a sobering one — 32. In a system where one position gained on the track equals one point, he’s essentially going to need an unblemished streak of top-10 finishes to turn this miracle scenario into a reality.

That’s asking a lot, particularly of a driver who may still be banged up when he gets back in the car. But Hamlin has two advantages, the first being the teams he’ll be competing against for that 20th position are outfits that in no way compare to his No. 11 program. He won’t be racing Johnson and Keselowski, but perhaps Casey Mears, McMurray, Ambrose or Jeff Burton if those teams don’t turn things around. Assuming Hamlin is back to his old self, he should zoom through the field like Keselowski did after starting in the back at Fontana.

His second advantage lies in the truth that Hamlin is the most overlooked great driver in NASCAR, a top-five talent who doesn’t often get all the credit he deserves, perhaps because he’s never won a championship. To this point, only two drivers have made every Chase over the course of their full-time careers — one of them is a five-time champion — and the other currently has a fractured bone in his back. At his best, Hamlin is as explosive as any competitor in the sport. To give himself a chance, he’s going to need a stretch like the 10 straight finishes of 12th or better he amassed in 2010, and from a talent perspective, he’s certainly capable of it.

But everything has to go right. That means no engine blowups, no master switch failures, no cut tires, no big wrecks at Daytona. The margin here isn’t thin — it’s translucent. If it happens, it would be one of the greatest accomplishments in modern NASCAR history. It’s also exceedingly unlikely given the odds and how much is outside of Hamlin’s control.

Then again, this is a driver who competed a full race with a surgically-repaired knee, who clawed his way out of short-track obscurity, who nearly wound up welding trailer hitches for a living, whose big career break was a one-shot Nationwide race on the same Darlington track where he’ll try to return next month. Long odds are nothing Denny Hamlin hasn’t defied before.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by Nascar

Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle, Hornish Jr.’s hot start are big stories

For Sam Hornish Jr. and his No. 12 Penske Racing Ford team, the key to the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season was getting off to a good start.
 
With the series in the midst of a two-week hiatus, it appears Hornish and his group have accomplished just that.
 
“We started off the year just the way we wanted to, and have made sure we took care of the car throughout the first five races as well as we could,” Hornish, 33, said following his runner-up finish at Auto Club Speedway. “We wanted to get out of the box good, and I preached that to the team in the offseason.”
 
Thanks to a win at Las Vegas, and top-10 or better finishes elsewhere, Hornish leads the series’ points standings. He will carry a 28-point advantage into Texas Motor Speedway when teams kick back into gear April 12 with the running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300.
 
But Hornish knows there is a lot of company well within sight of the top spot. A mix of newcomers and veterans, new teams and established stars are just as eager to resume chasing the checkered flag. Regan Smith, who made the move to JR Motorsports during the offseason, trails Hornish in second, while Brian Scott (Richard Childress Racing), Justin Allgaier (Turner Scott Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (RCR) round out the top five.
 
“We’ve been working on stuff, trying to find that package that works for us and almost essentially testing at the same time that we’re racing and trying to gain points,” Smith, who finished thirdat Auto Club, said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in this race team and a lot of confidence in the guys on the pit box calling the shots.

"We wanted to get out of the box good, and I preached that to the team in the offseason."

— Sam Hornish Jr.

“Once we get a few things scienced out, then hopefully, we’re the car up there battling with the 54 (Kyle Busch) and the 12 (Hornish) and really make it interesting.”
 
Trevor Bayne (Roush Fenway Racing), Kyle Larson (TSM), Parker Kligerman (Kyle Busch Motorsports), Elliott Sadler (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Alex Bowman (RAB Racing) complete the top 10.
 
Larson and Bowman are currently 1-2 in the battle for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
 
Busch, a regular in Sprint Cup, is the Nationwide series’ most recent winner, capturing back-to-back races at Bristol and ACS. He won earlier this year at Phoenix as well, and five of his 54 career wins have come at Texas. Kligerman said being paired with such a talented teammate has been a boost to his own 2013 efforts.
 
“Kyle is such a great mentor as an owner and as a driver,” Kligerman said. “I like to tell the story (of) when we were at Phoenix and in 10 minutes, I learned more with him than I have with about most drivers I’ve met.
 
“He has a great feel for these (cars); he has a great feel for these race tracks. He’s obviously very talented and also very open about how to help you out and what you should do to get better.”
 
Wayne Auton, who took over as Nationwide Series director after overseeing the Camping World Truck Series since its inception, said he’s been impressed with the caliber of competition through the first five races. While Hornish has enjoyed the strongest start, others have kept pace and several surprises have already emerged.
 
“You can’t say enough about the competition level that’s there,” he said. “What we’ve seen with Kyle Larson, a young … up and comer; all the rookies that are in the field this year, how well they have participated. …
 
“I guess what I have been sort of proud of is the way that I’ve learned how these guys and gals and owners and drivers and crew members handle themselves in the garage area, and how good the cars really, really are … how competitive they are once they get on the race track.”
 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

Posted on by

With time off, NASCAR community keeps itself occupied

The rare off weekend between Auto Club and Martinsville allows members of the NASCAR family to take time to travel, relax and recover from the early part of the season. Ranging from testing to traveling to the beach, drivers and crew members elected to spend the weekend in different ways.

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

One of the perks of the time off is it’s a great time for special occasions, like weddings, births (if well-planned) and engagements. Brian Scott, driver of the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet, was two days into his vacation in Cabo San Lucas when he announced he proposed to longtime girlfriend, Whitney. He tweeted, “The Woman of my dreams and my future wife said YES! I am engaged and sooo happy!”

His teammate Austin Dillon was having a different off weekend, hunting with his grandfather and team owner Richard Childress in Argentina. Joining him was Truck Series driver and younger brother, Ty Dillon. Austin Dillon marveled at the "awesome" weather during the group’s first excursion — bird hunting.

On the Sprint Cup side of the organization, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick started out their off weekend with some fishing, although not together. Burton listed off every fish he caught (Sailfish, Kingfish, Mahi-mahi) and Burton’s trainer was around to cook for dinner.

In South Carolina, Harvick was also fishing before heading home to spend some time with his family.

ROUSH FENWAY RACING

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tweeted pictures of his new signature Tony Lama brand boots and New Balance shoes, referring to the new additions as “Christmas in March.”

Stenhouse’s teammates in the Nationwide Series, Trevor Bayne and Travis Pastrana, also used Twitter to share their pictures.

Bayne plugged sponsor Cargill when he posted this picture, saying he was “grillin and chillin” to start the weekend. Pastrana, meanwhile, headed home to Maryland, where his tricked-out backyard was covered in snow.

JOE GIBBS RACING / KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS

One of the biggest stories as the off weekend began was Denny Hamlin’s injured back and the fact he would be out for up to five races. He tweeted to his fans “If me getting back in a car was based on pain tolerance then I would be in the car next week. There’s just more to it that I can’t control.” While resting at home, he began his recovery by spending time with his daughter, Taylor.

Hamlin’s teammate, Kyle Busch, began his time off following a win at Auto Club Speedway and extended his stay in Los Angeles to hang out in Hollywood. In a succession of tweets, Busch posted pictures of his time on the set of FX’s “Anger Management” starring Charlie Sheen. Busch and his wife, Samantha, took off to parts unknown, using the hashtag #paradise to describe where they were hiding out. 

Nationwide Series driver Brian Vickers began his off weekend with a trip to Dollar General in Nashville for Dollar General Employee Day. Elliott Sadler posted a video about his plans to go to the beach through his sponsor, One Main Financial. 

Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Parker Kligerman announced on Twitter he was given the keys to a Lexus IS F for a month and was thinking of taking it on a road trip — and did exactly that. Kligerman, a native of Westport, Conn., drove the 11 hours from Charlotte to the streets of New York City on his way home, saying the streets of New York are like Bristol and the avenues are like Talladega.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, known for running in triathlons in his down time, was back to training for his next event, posting a picture of his bike with the hashtag #BackYardTrails. His teammate and four-time champion Jeff Gordon took to the snow, saying he had plans to go skiing with his family.

Kasey Kahne headed to Ohio for his off weekend to race in one of his Kasey Kahne Racing machines. He said he was looking forward to racing in the dirt again because he hadn’t raced since last year. Before leaving, he shot a commercial for Time Warner Cable with golfer Ian Poulter and football player Victor Cruz.

Points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he didn’t want to have the off weekend “as well as (they’ve) been running.” With a friend getting married on the other off weekend of the season, Earnhardt said he plans to spend time with family and friends but would rather be at the track. His crew chief, Steve Letarte, decided to take a break from Twitter to spend time with his family and said he would be using his “Letarte Koozie” during the weekend.

PENSKE RACING

Brad Keselowski started his off weekend by announcing a brand new website, including a fan-interactive “Crew Challenge,” which will allow fans to create content for his website and win prizes. Other than answering questions about the site on Twitter, Keselowski said he plans things “one day at a time” and can’t plan out far ahead.

Teammate Joey Logano, who had been silent on social media sites since the race ended at Fontana, started his time off with a golf tournament for his sponsor, Shell. Joined by his crew chief Todd Gordon, the two played in the Shell Houston Open, where Gordon brought home a trophy.

OTHER DRIVERS:

Casey Mears (Germain Racing) went to Little Rock to do some testing while Michael McDowell (Phil Parsons Racing) went hunting. Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports) had a chore list from his wife, Janice, to complete while Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s Juan Pablo Montoya was spending time at the Sony Open tennis tournament with his wife (and riding his bike during down time at the event).

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman had a visit from Junior Johnson at his farm and then traveled to Utah with his family while No. 55 crew chief Rodney Childers headed to camp at the beach with his family (but still stayed connected to answer questions about Mark Martin filling in for Denny Hamlin).

In one of the more fun events to start an off weekend, Turner Scott Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier and Kyle Larson headed to Pahrump, Nev., to drive exotic cars at the Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club. Allgaier tweeted his view while Larson did the same.

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway on April 7 for the STP Gas Booster 500 while the Nationwide Series will return at Texas for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on April 12. Making its second appearance of the season, the Camping World Truck series returns to Martinsville for the Kroger 250 on April 6.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned