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New technology could dry Daytona in 30 minutes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Daytona International Speedway, dried in 30 minutes?

That’s the goal with the new track-drying system NASCAR plans to debut next month at Speedweeks, a year after the Daytona 500 was postponed for the first time in the event’s history due to rain. Instead of blowing hot air across the track surface as jet dryers do now, the new system will use compressed air to dry asphalt in a fraction of the time.

Imagine a drying time of 30 minutes for 2.5-mile Daytona. According to NASCAR Chairman Brian France, that will be possible with the new dryers, considerably shortening a routine that typically takes several hours. NASCAR’s goal is to make drying half-mile Martinsville in 15 minutes a reality.

The first generation of that system will debut at Speedweeks, and it will more eco-friendly as well more efficient than its predecessor. 

“We also are going to do it in a much more green, carbon-emission friendly way,” France said.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s senior vice president for race operations, said 24 of the new NASCAR-developed dryers will be on site at Daytona next month. Robin Pemberton, the circuit’s vice president for competition, added that the new technology was tested at Daytona and Charlotte and is ready for use next month.

The new dryers vary from the traditional jet dryers “quite a bit, visually and operationally,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said. “It uses compressed air as opposed to a jet engine. It’s designed to expedite, obviously, the removal of water using compressed air and heat, where the jet dryers were simply designed around blowing and depended more on hot air. The new system depends more on compressed air.”

NASCAR executives found it difficult to explain the look of the new system, which Helton called “a gain of pipes behind a pickup truck that the air is being pushed through, as opposed to a jet dryer.” Regardless, it’s another step forward in what has formerly been a painfully slow process.

“There’s a few faces out here that will remember when we used to dry tracks off with just a fleet of vehicles going around the race track, or dragging tires behind pickup trucks,” Helton said. “And then someone came along with the jet dryer that expedited it quite a bit and served its purpose for a long period of time, but in today’s world with the expectations of getting the show done and getting it on, there was a high priority placed by Brian and the rest of us to come up with a way that we could expedite that. And Robin and the folks at the R&D Center responded to that and came up with ideas, and this one seems to have quite a bit of validity to it."

Posted on by Holly Cain

Renovation proposal poised to launch speedway’s new era

Calling the project a vision for the “next 50 years” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood announced plans for a major renovation to NASCAR’s crown jewel facility Tuesday during the Sprint Media Tour in Charlotte.

Chitwood cautioned that his team is in the very earliest of stages with the proposed project and will still need final approval, but he was clearly excited about the possibilities to improve the fan experience at one of sport’s great venues and unveiled artistic renderings of what the massive facelift might look like.

“From the standpoint of what we have at our facility. … you’ve got an experience that is rich on history and heritage but isn’t quite there when it comes to what fans expect in terms of amenities, points of sale, all those elements,’’ Chitwood said.

“The Daytona 500 will always be the biggest event on the NASCAR schedule. It is our Super Bowl. We have to make sure as we talk about the vision of the ‘World Center of Racing’ that all of those elements that the fans enjoy live up to that. And this is our attempt to do that."

“You have to start someplace and we felt like these images really show everybody we’re thinking big.’’

Chitwood and Speedway officials have spent much of the last year getting the necessary local government clearances — Volusia County and city of Daytona Beach zoning approvals. The proposal still needs approval from the higher-ups in International Speedway Corporation, which owns the track.

And the speedway has hired an architecture firm with experience in sports venues — including work on Ford Field, home to the NFL’s Detroit Lions and New York’s famed Flushing Meadows tennis center.

“Part of the process I have to go through is creating this vision for what Daytona could be for the next 50 years,’’ Chitwood said. “So what you’re seeing (in the artwork) is some of that creative rendering of what it might be. “The second part to this is the continued business case I have to generate and produce so that my senior management here can consider its viability, hopefully later in 2013.

“But we worked so hard to get to this point, it just felt appropriate we start to give people an idea of what Daytona might look like.’’

The artist’s rendering shows a modern look to the outside of the venerable track and a real stadium-like feel inside.

Chitwood isn’t ready to discuss specifics yet, but hopes to be able to share more details about the project next month in the days leading up to the Feb. 24 Daytona 500.

“As it relates to how many seats are there, how many restrooms are there, when it gets to that point, we’ll have another session when we can get into detail,’’ Chitwood said. “This is the start, the big vision. If we’re going to host the Daytona 500 every year, it’s our biggest event, we have to make sure we’re living up to that expectation.’’

Unlike other sports whose teams pack up and move to another town or who build completely new arenas, the idea here, according to Chitwood, is to modernize without losing character or tradition.

“The beauty of our facility is that the start-finish line, the angle of that banking there, the angle of banking in the turns, those turns themselves; are the same track, the same location, the same dimensions that Lee Petty ran the first race and won,’’ Chitwood said. “That Dale Earnhardt won on, that Dale Earnhardt Jr. won on.

“We might have changed the asphalt but that’s no different than changing the sod on a football field. In our sport, we don’t tear down and rebuild in a new location and so we can work on the amenities that our fans enjoy.

“But that start-finish line is the same start-finish line that the original winner of the Daytona 500 crossed. That gives us a unique ability to continue the heritage of Daytona while we work on the amenities around it.’’

Posted on by Staff Report

Reutimann to drive full-time in Spint Cup with crew chief Pat Tryson

On top of becoming comfortable with the new Generation-6 race car, BK Racing team members are also adapting to staffing changes throughout the organization this season.

David Reutimann, who drove in two races for BK Racing last year and did not qualify for a third, will drive full-time in the team’s No. 83 Toyota. In his last full Sprint Cup season, Reutimann had three top-10 finishes with Michael Waltrip Racing. He also has two Sprint Cup wins, both with Rodney Childers as crew chief. Under the BK Racing team, Reutimann’s crew chief will be Pat Tryson, who has eight trips to Victory Lane.

Travis Kvapil will return to race in the No. 93 Burger King Toyota Camry this year. Kvapil finished the 2012 season with one one top-10 finish in the Sprint Cup Series, placing eighth at Talladega. While Todd Anderson will return as his crew chief for a second year, the team will still see some changes in the garage with additional oversight.

"I feel good about the additions we’ve made to this team in the off-season."

— Ron Devine, owner of BK Racing

Already announced is the transition of Mike Ford to director of competition. The veteran crew chief, who worked with Denny Hamlin for six seasons, will oversee the shop and race-prep activities of BK Racing’s two Sprint Cup entries.

Harry McMullen will remain in his role as the team’s general manager, a position he’s held since the team started in January 2012. This year, he’ll see additional support on day-to-day operations from new hire Rick Carpenter, who will be the assistant general manager. Carpenter comes most recently from Tri Star Motorsports, and formerly Rusty Wallace Racing, holding the position of general manager at both teams.

"The hiring of Mike Ford as our Director of Competition to work with a veteran like Harry McMullen really strengthens what BK Racing needs to move forward in this sport," Ron Devine, owner of BK Racing, said.

Doug Richert, who most recently worked with Landon Cassill, will move into a leadership role on the team as supervisor to the crew chiefs, overseeing their efforts at the shop and during race days.

“I feel good about the additions we’ve made to this team in the offseason,” Devine said. “We’ve brought winning and experienced management on board to guide us in the right direction."

According to Devine, there may be more changes coming for the team.

“We still have a few other things to announce in the near future," he said. "But the good part is we are building a team to go racing and be successful in all aspects of our team."

Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR to look at lead changes, driver feedback

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France says he believes the Generation-6 car will create more competition and closer racing on the track. But at the end of the day, he said, a number of factors will eventually tell the story.

Speaking to members of the media attending the annual Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, France said officials would measure the success of the new car by considering lead changes, how the car races on the various tracks and driver feedback.

"… Not everybody will always love every rules package or thing that we do, that’s for sure, but we’ll look at it very simply,” he said. “Everything is designed to have closer competition, and we’ll see — and I’m quite confident that I know we’re going to make improvements.”

“Obviously we had to go away from the complete common template that really would have defined the old car, so that goes with the territory a little bit," France said. "But having said that, we’re also working closer with them than we ever have… they’re really excited about that, and that’s good for us and good for them.”
 
France touched on a number of other subjects during the afternoon gathering at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, including television contracts, race lengths and the evolution of the Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup.
 
“It’s a good time for premium sports properties like ourselves,” France said, referring to the FOX TV renewal signed last year. “So we’re quite confident that we’re going to get the right packages, the right partners. We have great partners now (in ESPN and TNT). My hope is that we’ll be able to extend those relationships. But those negotiations are alive and well, going fine.”
 
Events have been shortened in the past, he said (Pocono Raceway’s two Cup races have been trimmed from 500 to 400 miles, for example), but France said the length of a race can’t be based on the television audience.
 
“We will continually look at the format in terms of mostly how long or short an event can be,” he said. “And that’s obviously balanced against what the track operator believes his customer base wants to see.”
 
The 2013 season will mark the 10th running of the Chase, and while it hasn’t always produced the final race drama that many had hoped, it has been a success, France said.
 
“What it really has done for me, though, as a fan … is it shows that the drivers and teams, when it’s all on the line, can really elevate their talents, and you saw that with Tony (Stewart) and that incredible run two years ago; you certainly saw it with Brad (Keselowski) getting on a roll and competing (in 2012),” he said.

“You never had those moments to judge a driver in the old system, and I like that. I like what that does to the teams, and we certainly like the wild card… So we really like the emphasis on winning, winning your way in and so on. I think that’s exactly what we want.”

Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR’s most popular driver joins the King in sponsorship deal

CONCORD, N.C. — Two of the most recognizable faces from the world of NASCAR have teamed up to support one of the most recognizable brands in the Sprint Cup Series for 2013.

Seven-time series champion Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver, will combine efforts to promote Goody’s headache powders, one of the longest running sponsors in NASCAR.

“I’ve been doing this for (Goody’s) for like 37 years,” Petty said Monday night of his association with the company. “And I guess they figured they needed a new face on Goody’s. … For them to get to the next generation, I think that’s what they’re thinking — most of the older generation takes Goody’s anyway; to get the next generation and some new blood into it, I think that’s why they decided to go with Junior.”

The company will use radio, television and digital platforms that will feature Petty and Earnhardt Jr.

Goody’s has been a longtime sponsor of Cup events at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and has previously served as race sponsor for the popular night race at Bristol Motor Speedway as well as the Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

But it has been the association with Petty, the sport’s most recognizable figure, which helped put its stamp on the sport.

Earnhardt Jr. said he was “kind of shocked, actually” when he was approached with the opportunity to work with two such well-known entities, “because (Petty) had managed the Goody’s brand for so long.

“When you think about Goody’s, you think about Richard Petty,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When you think about Richard Petty, you think about Goody’s. They just go hand in hand.

“I was shocked and really humbled because Richard has done such a good job and part of his efforts have helped maintain their relevance, not only in this sport but as a brand goes.

“This is an exciting time for me. I get to spend some time with a legend.”

The company’s longevity, Earnhardt Jr. said, is more than just admirable.

“It’s something that’s been here a while, it will be here long beyond me and I wanted to be just a chapter in the story,” he said.

Goody’s officials indicated that the involvement with Petty and Earnhardt Jr. could go extend beyond serving as spokespersons for the company. Any such announcements, they said, would be made at a later date.

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The Great American Speedway makes it more economical heading into 2013 season.

•Individual Ticket Pricing Restructured With Lowest-Priced Frontstretch Ticket Since 1998
•One Of Motorsports’ Most Comprehensive Children’s Ticket Programs Debuts
•Unique Race-Related Experience Giveaways For Season Ticketholders

FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced today a dozen impactful changes to further enhance the motorsports fan experience in 2013, ranging from a new, wide-ranging children’s ticket pricing program and restructured individual adult ticket pricing to unique race-related perks for season ticketholders.


The sweeping changes – known as the Fan-Fueled Evolution – come as a result of recommendations from the Texas Motor Speedway Fan Council and extensive fan surveys of former season and individual ticketholders. The speedway executive team, led by Gossage, examined and evaluated all of the recommendations and survey results to construct an all-encompassing package to further enrich the fan experience while making it even more economical to visit the largest sports facility in Texas during its three major race weeks.

"These fan-fueled changes are 12 things we’re doing to change the sport," Gossage said. "Sports teams, both locally and nationally, have been announcing ticket price increases, but we have come up with a dozen dynamic changes for our fans. From price cuts to children’s ticket pricing to a new rainout policy to race friendly hotel listings on our website and more will make attending our races easier and more fun. We are committed to over delivering to our fans once again."


Gossage was joined by Texas Motor Speedway Fan Council members Brenda Baxter and Robert Rich for the announcement. The two council members are part of a 22-member group that meets with speedway officials during race weekends and the offseason to address a variety of aspects related to the speedway and its racing activities.

"I’ve been regularly going to races at TMS for three years, and not once have I ever felt like they were resting on their laurels and not thinking about how to improve," Rich said. "The Fan Council is an extension of that mindset. This isn’t a marketing ploy or a half-cocked plan, they’re serious. Eddie Gossage was at every in-person meeting and on the phone, asking pointed questions, begging for criticism, and giving honest insight into the thought process behind everything he does. Nothing was off-limits for discussion. I truly felt like I could say anything and it would be not only heard, but acted upon.

"I think these changes could put us back in the days of complete sellouts at the track, and that’s great for motorsports. TMS is the premier race facility in the South, and the Fan Council allowed me and the rest of the group to truly have our voices heard and ensure that the facility doesn’t just look great, but functions great as well in every aspect."


The majority of the changes will go into effect immediately while others will be in place when Texas Motor Speedway opens its 2013 season with the Texas 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend on April 11-13. The changes and enhancements that will go into effect consist of:

•New Children’s Ticket Program That Will Be Among The Most Comprehensive In Motorsports And Other Major Sports. While many sports entities limit reduced pricing on children’s tickets to specific, lesser expensive sections, Texas Motor Speedway will have the pricing available in all sections and available to both individual and season ticket holders. Children’s pricing (12 and under) will begin as low as $10 on the backstretch and $25 on the frontstretch in designated sections for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, but a reduced pricing structure also will be in effect for all sections and all series competing at the speedway. Children’s pricing in designated sections also will start as low as $10 on the frontstretch for the IZOD IndyCar Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races. Those who already have purchased tickets at full price for children will have the option on a refund for the difference or credit for future purchases. To take advantage of this new program, please contact the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.


•Adult Individual Ticket Restructuring. The ticket pricing model for the frontstretch has been restructured to provide more price points for fans, including sections that will be lower than previous years. An individual ticket for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in April (Texas 500) and November (AAA Texas 500) will start as low as $49 on the frontstretch. This will be the lowest-priced individual frontstretch ticket (outside of special promotions) ever offered for a Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway since 1998. Individual tickets will start as low as $35 for the IZOD IndyCar Series and $25 for the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races. Those who already have purchased tickets at a previous, higher price will have the option of a refund for the difference or credit for future purchases by contacting the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office.


•Unique Race-Related Perks For Season Ticketholders. Beginning in February, Texas Motor Speedway will roll out a 38-week program in which current season ticketholders will be randomly chosen to receive a unique enhancement to their race week experience. The perks include riding in the aircraft that will perform the pre-race flyover for the Sprint Cup Series race in April; riding with NASCAR and INDYCAR drivers during pre-race parade laps; free use of a Lone Star Tower condominium for the Firestone 550 IZOD IndyCar Series weekend; special passes to the Sprint Cup Series drivers’ meeting; and many more.


•Revamped Rainout Policy. If a season or individual ticketholder is unable to attend a rained-out race (all series) on its rescheduled date, they will have the ability to redeem that ticket for a future event at equal or lesser value for up to one calendar year. Tickets under the previous policy were only valid for the rescheduled date.


•Non-Smoking Grandstands. Texas Motor Speedway will no longer permit smoking in the grandstands resulting from the overriding sentiment in the surveys and Fan Council meetings. This move follows in step with all the local major sports venues and the majority throughout the country. While this move will serve as a benefit to many, Texas Motor Speedway also will be responsive to its fans that smoke and set up designated smoking areas throughout the lower concourse area.


•Upgraded Fan Tram Service, Golf Cart Assistance And Parking Experience. Texas Motor Speedway is compiling a detailed plan for its fan tram service and golf cart assistance program, including designated pick-up and drop-off areas, to ensure optimum service throughout race days. Regarding parking, the speedway will offer fans additional free paved parking near the gates and better educate its parking attendants in the interest of the fans.


•Upgraded Backstretch Seating Experience. Ticketholders will now have the benefit of a 17×27-foot Jumbotron screen in the center of the backstretch as well as an upgraded sound system to enjoy the NASCAR race weekends (Note: The backstretch is closed for the INDYCAR race weekend).


•Flexible Season, Individual Ticket Payment Plans. Texas Motor Speedway’s ticket office will work with both season and individual ticket purchasers on a layaway plan that works best for their budget.


•Premium Seat Options Available Through Texas Motor Speedway And Ticketmaster. Fans will no longer have to deal with inflated ticket prices of online ticket brokers to secure premium seating for major races at Texas Motor Speedway. For the first time in Texas Motor Speedway’s history, the speedway ticket office will make individual chair back seats available to accommodate fans seeking premium seating while supplies last.


•"Code Of Conduct" Text Response System. Texas Motor Speedway will incorporate a texting system where fans can alert speedway officials of conduct unbecoming during a race week and allow them to address the issue immediately.


•Fan Friendly Hotel Listing. In addition to its preferred hotels, Texas Motor Speedway will produce a list of hotels on its website that does not require a minimum stay and a maximum price hike of 10 percent or less during race weeks. The list will have pertinent hotel information and links to their websites.


•New Reactive Website, Mobile Lite Site. Texas Motor Speedway will unveil a new, dynamic and more fan friendly website on Feb. 18 as well as new mobile lite site. The reactive design will allow the site to read what platform one is using to access the web and adjusts content delivery accordingly. The mobile lite site possesses a different wireframe and requires very low bandwidth, which is extremely beneficial during race weeks.

The 2013 racing season begins April 11-13 with the Texas 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend. The opener is followed by the Firestone 550 INDYCAR/NASCAR Camping World Series doubleheader June 6-8 and AAA Texas 500 NASCAR tripleheader weekend on Oct. 31-Nov. 3.


Tickets, including season ticket packages beginning as low as $270, are available by calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

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Harvick set to drive one more year for Richard Childress Racing

WELCOME, N.C. — Kevin Harvick’s entire career in the Sprint Cup Series has been at Richard Childress Racing, and he’s been a cornerstone of the organization since Dale Earnhardt’s passing. Those close ties between driver and owner are most evident now, as they prepare for one more season before splitting apart.

“You have a lot of respect for Richard and the organization, and you don’t want to leave a black mark as you leave,” Harvick said Monday. “You want to do it with as much class, and everything that goes with being classy about it, as you can. We’re going to race. We’re all racers, whether we’re driving for whoever or driving here or there. In a go-kart race or whatever it may be, you want to go out and you want to win, and nobody’s going to do anything less than work as hard as they can to achieve those goals.”

That was the message during the RCR portion of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harvick has competed for RCR at NASCAR’s top level since the second race of the 2001 season, when he was promoted to fill the chasm left by Earnhardt’s death in the Daytona 500. After this year he’s moving on, reportedly to Stewart-Haas Racing, even though neither Harvick nor his future destination have confirmed his eventual landing place.

But one thing is certain — his days at RCR are coming to an end. Through peaks and valleys, triumphs and tragedies, a Daytona 500 victory and a competitive lull that almost split them apart, Harvick has been as much a part of RCR as its off-the-beaten-path location. If anything, those experiences seem to leave driver and car owner in a place where they’re better able to say goodbye.

“I think Kevin and I have talked about it. We’re going to handle it professional,” Childress said. “We’re going to do our best to win that championship. Kevin has played a big role at RCR. (We) wish him well in is next venture. But we’re going to keep RCR going.”

Childress said his team plans to field three Sprint Cup programs in 2014, and it’s easy to envision his grandson Austin Dillon — currently a championship contender on the Nationwide Series — in one of those. But for the moment there is unfinished business for Harvick, who even on the brink of departure remains RCR’s best shot for its first premier-series title since 1994. Harvick snapped a long winless skid last year with a victory at Phoenix, was the only RCR driver to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup and performed much better after being reunited with crew chief Gil Martin late in the year.

“We’ve got a lot to build off of, and I’ve been around most of these guys for a number of years, and they could care less about what’s going to happen next year,” Harvick said. “And that’s where I am, too. It doesn’t really matter.”

But it is happening. Toward that end, Harvick said he’s spoken with Matt Kenseth, who drove last season for Roush Fenway knowing he was departing for Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year. Kenseth told him to be prepared to be asked about the situation again and again by reporters — which was certainly the case Monday night — and to not take it personally when his organization makes plans to move forward without him.

“You’re going to have to suck it up in a few different situations,” Harvick said, “to do the right thing for everybody, and make sure that everything is going as good as it can to keep the performance on the track.”

Toward that end, Martin doesn’t believe Harvick will have any trouble. In fact, the crew chief sees the situation as a positive, given his driver’s history of thriving under adverse conditions.

“The team has a lot to prove, the organization does, and as far as that goes, I think Kevin does,” Martin said. “I think Kevin thrives on this environment, just a little bit of controversy. He’s one of the few people in his sport, he performs better when stuff like this is going on. So the more people ask him, the more he’s going to try to prove a point, and I’m looking forward to it. I’m hardened enough now to know it’s not going to bother me, and I know it’s not going to bother him. So I’m looking forward to it.”

As far as his crewmen on the No. 29 team go, Harvick doesn’t expect any dissention over his looming departure.

“I’ve been around my team a lot over the past several weeks, and feel good about where everybody’s mindset is,” he said. “Those guys don’t care about what anybody thinks upstairs, they just want to win races, and that’s where I’m at. You just approach it, and we go out and do our jobs. I mean, the bottom line is, we’re all getting paid to do a job, and represent these companies behind me to do the best job we can.”

Childress agreed. He and Harvick have been through too much together for something to drive a wedge between them now.

“Families get upset with one another, but you always end up sitting down and working it out,” the car owner said. “I think we’ll get through it OK.”

Besides, at RCR, perspective is never very far away. As difficult as this situation may seem — and this is not a small change, a team’s best driver moving to another organization — nothing compares to those dark days of early 2001, when for a while Earnhardt’s crash placed the very survival of the company on unstable ground.

“Richard has been through a lot of situations with me,” Harvick said. “You look back, and still, this isn’t even close to what we approached in ’01. This isn’t really that hard. When you can keep your company floating and keeping winning races and keep people in jobs, when we look back at a lot of the behind-closed-doors stuff that was going on, and all the scenarios you go through in that particular instance, and the emotions — this is a cakewalk.”

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First full Sprint Cup season could get off to fast start

CONCORD, N.C. — Danica Patrick may not be at the front of the field very often during her first full campaign in the Sprint Cup Series. But given the results of recent testing at Daytona International Speedway, it’s not outlandish to think that the rookie could start there.
 
A strong showing at Preseason Thunder has members of the No. 10 team thinking they might be capable of opening the 2013 season with a very big bang — placing Patrick on the pole for the Daytona 500. It certainly seems possible, given that Patrick only got faster as the three-day session went on, and that her Stewart-Haas Racing entry will have to be speedy given that it doesn’t have a guaranteed berth in the Great American Race.
 
Patrick was fastest on the speed chart for much of the final morning of Daytona testing, which consisted solely of single-car runs that mimic qualifying. Her No. 10 team was so pleased with her testing car that it could emerge as her Speedweeks primary if it produces the right numbers in the wind tunnel. There’s been no shortage of preparation, including a December trip to the General Motors Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., to perform aerodynamic straight-line testing at the facility’s 1.4-mile strip.

It’s all being done out of necessity, given that Patrick has no points from 2012 to carry over, and no safety net for her high-profile team to fall back on. She needs to place in the top six in front-row qualifying to secure a Daytona 500 berth without having to race her way in through the Duels, which is the primary goal. But given how fast the car has been, the No. 10 team can’t help but think it has a chance to win the pole for NASCAR’s biggest race.
 
“I think so,” crew chief Tony Gibson said Monday, the opening day of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I say that, but that’s our plan. We have to make it on speed. At least the top six are locked in — the pole-sitter, outside and four others. Hendrick does a great job with our engines. We’re always a threat with the speedway stuff. So I really, truly think we have a shot. I’m sure everybody going down there thinks they have a shot at the pole. But with our guys hanging the bodies, and the detail our aero department has put in, all the work, I think we have a shot to sit on the pole.”
 
In her NASCAR career to this point, Patrick has often been at her best at big, fast tracks, with her top Nationwide Series finishes coming at 1.5-mile intermediates like Las Vegas and Texas. That has yet to translate to the Sprint Cup level, where she made 10 starts last season. But she did win the pole for last year’s Nationwide event at Daytona, proving that she’s capable of generating speed on the 2.5-mile high banks.
 
“I think Tony Gibson and the guys and myself, we all think we have a chance at the pole, maybe,” she said. “I think we’re all thinking very positively about top six. Hopefully, that happens. But last year I went to preseason testing and it was really good. Not as good as what we tested this year, but it was still pretty good, and we went back for the race and just didn’t have the speed. Anything can happen, and anything can change. Perhaps we don’t find as much speed when we go back for the race, and other people do. Maybe we find more, and we’ll just have to evaluate then. But this point in time, we’re all thinking pretty positive. I’m thinking top six seems realistic. And a pole would be if everything went right and we found a couple more speed items and put a good lap in.”
 
It would certainly be a big boost to begin her Sprint Cup career, which comes on the heels of a promising finish to her most recent Nationwide campaign. Car owner Tony Stewart, with a championship provisional available to him, had the option of switching points with Patrick to ensure her a berth in the Daytona 500. He didn’t, in large part because he feels his new driver has a fast car and the ability to get in on her own.
 
“That’s the confidence I have in her,” he said. That confidence extends beyond Daytona, and into a 36-race season that will present some tracks and challenges that Patrick has not faced before. Like other open-wheel converts before her, Stewart believes the day will come when Patrick puts it all together.
 
“We saw it with Ricky Stenhouse, we saw it with Juan (Montoya),” he said. “When drivers first come to this series, it takes a minute. And all of the sudden there’s just a day that you can tell that the light switch kicked on that day and they finally get that feel that you’re looking for. I wish I could explain it better than that, but it’s just literally one day happens, and something happens, and things start clicking. … Danica’s done a lot in a very short amount of time in this series, and her feedback from the first day we’ve worked with her has been incredible. A lot better than mine was — I was driving a car and didn’t know what was going on. Her feedback, she understands what the car’s doing, what she’s feeling, and I think that shows comfort. That’s a sign that she’s going to do really well, that she’s that comfortable that quick.”
 
Patrick is still waiting on that moment.

“It does just kind of click. I’m not there in a  Cup car yet,” she said. “When I finally start to be faster in practice from the get-go, that will be a sign things are finally starting to click for me. But it’s an effort right now. It’s an effort right now to get faster and more comfortable. But I’m excited for the day it finally it clicks.”
 
Toward that end, Gibson has set small, attainable goals — turn top 20s into top 15s, be in the left-hand column of the scoring monitor after practice, find positives each weekend. “She wants to do it so bad,” he said. Given how fast her car has been, Daytona seems a good opportunity forPatrick to build some confidence and momentum that she can carry into the early part of the year.
 
And if Speedweeks doesn’t go well? Well, she’s been there before, wrecking three cars last year and letting the frustration fester well after she left Daytona. This time, whether she starts the Daytona 500 from the pole or ends it in the garage area, Patrick seems more prepared.
 
“It’s just Daytona,” she said. “All I learned last year is that I can’t let it get to me. And it did last year. And I went into Phoenix and didn’t have a great weekend and my attitude got the best of me, and I had to regroup from there on out. … You can let it get the best of you, and that next weekend is just a spiral down. I learned very quickly at the beginning last year what a bad weekend at Daytona can teach you, and I’m better for it."

Posted on by

2012 Sprint Cup Series champion is looking for a repeat

It finally hit Brad Keselowski on the night of the Sprint Cup awards ceremony, when he looked up at the walls of the banquet hall and saw banners commemorating each of NASCAR’s premier series champions — himself included.

Brad Keselowski

No. 2 Miller Lite Ford

2012 rank

1st

Team

Penske Racing

Crew chief

Paul Wolfe

Biggest change for 2013 is…

Switching manufacturers from Dodge to Ford. Also a new teammate in Joey Logano, who takes over the No. 22 car.

Watch out for…

The natural growing pains that can accompany a change in manufacturer, particularly at a time when the series is breaking in new cars. Also, keep an eye out for the letdown that can follow a team winning a championship for the first time.

Will win the title if…

Keselowski’s new Fords are as fast and reliable as his Dodges were last year; the communication between driver, crew chief and owner continues to flow effortlessly; and the aggressive team’s hallmark strategy gambles keep paying off.

2012 was…

Watch the video below for Brad Keselowski’s 2012 season in review.

That was the moment; the peak of a thrill ride that also encompassed celebrating with a big beer glass after the clincher at Homestead, hoisting that sterling silver trophy, and giving an extemporaneous speech that showed humility and leadership at the same time.

“Every step of the way has made me feel like I want to win again,” the new champion said that night in Las Vegas, “so I can experience this again.”

Now the task turns to just that: defending a first championship that took Roger Penske over 20 years to win. Keselowski once again has savvy crew chief Paul Wolfe still by his side and has the ear of his car owner now more than ever. But over the last two decades, just three drivers have repeated as champion: Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. In 2013, Keselowski is aiming to place himself in a circle even more exclusive than the one reflected in those banners on the banquet hall walls.

Keselowski often speaks of providing Penske with lists of ways he thinks the team can be made better. At the top of his list for this coming season? Keeping everyone motivated after winning a title.

“It’s really tough for any championship team to be able to keep all of the people motivated because you’ve achieved a goal,” Keselowski said. “I think everybody starts out their career wanting to be a champion and wanting to be the best and that keeps you motivated, but once you get that, it’s easy to lose your motivation and we have to find ways to motivate ourselves. The best employees we have at Penske Racing are always going to be self-motivated, but, also, we have to find ways to make sure that there is no temptation to lose that motivation, and I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges we have.”

There are a few changes at Penske that may help in that regard. Joey Logano takes over a No. 22 car that’s had three different drivers in the previous two years. The team also switches manufacturers from Dodge to Ford, a move Keselowski believes “gives us something to prove all over again.” As the lone Dodge entry, Keselowski won five times and claimed the title. Now, Penske is part of a Ford camp that includes three other teams, all of those under the Roush Fenway umbrella. Early on, the driver likes what he sees.

“I think the level of engagement from the Ford camp is very, very high, which is extremely encouraging, and that’s from the top on down,” Keselowski said. “That makes me feel more confident than anything else, because at the end of the day this is a people sport. … As it stands right now, I’m very happy with that desire and passion we share as a team, and from the manufacturer perspective as well. That commitment is across the board, and it feels really good, and makes me feel like the potential is there to be just as good, if not better than ever.”

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

Renewal accompanied by development of automotive technology platform on NASCAR.com — Click Here

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and ExxonMobil today announced a multiyear partnership extension, making Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil the ‘Official Motor Oil of NASCAR’ through 2017. The 2013 NASCAR season will mark the 11th consecutive season in which the Mobil 1 brand is an official partner of NASCAR, the premier motorsports series in the United States. 

As part of the renewed relationship, Mobil 1 will continue to be a contingency partner across all NASCAR national and touring series, the presenting sponsor of the Mobil 1 Driver of the Race Award and the presenting sponsor of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Mobil 1 motor oil is used by more than half of teams competing in NASCAR’s three national series. The durability and high performance of Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil have been continuously proven by enduring rigorous racing conditions on a weekly basis.

"… The ‘NASCAR Automotive Technology Center Engineered by Mobil 1’ demonstrates our commitment to cutting-edge technology…"

— Rebecca K. Aldred, Mobil 1 Global Brand Manager

“We are pleased to welcome back Mobil 1 to our family of Official NASCAR Partners," said Jim O’Connell, chief sales officer of NASCAR. "Mobil 1 utilizes its official motor oil status as a critical and powerful part of the brand’s marketing mix and we believe that the Official Motor Oil Status will continue to help move product off the shelf.”

According to Mobil 1 research, NASCAR fans are nearly twice as likely to prefer, try and recommend the brand because it is the ‘Official Motor Oil of NASCAR.’ The NASCAR fan base is more heavily concentrated with consumers likely to make decisions regarding motor oil. According to Experian (Simmons National Consumer Survey, Fall Full Year 2011), NASCAR fans are approximately 10 percent more likely than non-fans to buy or change motor oil, and among consumers who do, NASCAR fans are approximately 40 percent more likely than non-fans to add or change the motor oil themselves or have another household member do so.

“As the lubricant technology of champion drivers and race teams, the renewed association between Mobil 1 and NASCAR allows us to better engage motorsports fans by leveraging the excitement of racing,” said Rebecca K. Aldred, Global Brand Manager, Mobil 1. “Additionally, the launch of the ’NASCAR Automotive Technology Center Engineered by Mobil 1’ demonstrates our commitment to cutting-edge technology, both on and off the track. Today, Mobil 1 is the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand in no small part due to the commitment to supporting NASCAR’s three national racing series.” 

Expanding the partnership into the digital space, ExxonMobil and NASCAR will launch a new branded content environment that explores NASCAR’s world-class automotive technology via the ”NASCAR Automotive Technology Center Engineered by Mobil 1” online experience housed on the newly launched NASCAR.com. The comprehensive platform will deliver automotive technology-driven content through original feature stories, imagery, rich video content, fan polls and a glossary of specialized automotive and racing terms. The new platform will be unveiled at NASCAR.com in the coming weeks.

This partnership renewal complements ExxonMobil’s unique lubricant technology relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing and Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.