Driver hopes to catch on quickly with another team
Landon Cassill has parted ways with BK Racing, the organization for which he competed last season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
“We just couldn’t work it out,” Cassill said Wednesday. “There are a lot of balls in the air at BK, and it’s just unfortunate. It kind of breaks my heart that I have to move on this late in the year. I was looking forward to hopefully many years there, but it just didn’t work out. I don’t like to burn bridges, I’m not here to make anybody look bad. … I think it’s best for me to just move on professionally, gentlemanly, and start looking for a new job.”
"It kind of breaks my heart that I have to move on this late in the year."
— Landon Cassill
A 23-year-old Iowa native, Cassill drove the No. 83 car in all 36 points events last season. He recorded a top finish of 18th at three different tracks.
Cassill’s best result at NASCAR’s national level was third in the 2011 Nationwide Series opener at Daytona with Phoenix Racing. He recorded his best-ever Sprint Cup result, 12th at Michigan, that same season with the same team.
Originally signed by Hendrick Motorsports as a test driver, Cassill worked in that capacity for five years, receiving championship rings for his participation in four of Jimmie Johnson’s five title runs. Cassill also raced most of the 2008 season in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, recording five top 10s before the team switched drivers.
Cassill said he isn’t limiting his current job search to the Sprint Cup level, although he understands the timing may make it difficult to find a ride before Speedweeks.
“I’m making calls. I’m calling friends and crew members and car owners,” he said. “You hear things. As an industry insider, you kind of know who’s thinking about a second car or whose deal might be close to up. As bad as I might want to be in Daytona with a ride and a new deal, the likelihood of that is probably slim. But the opportunity for me to pick up a new car, or a new ride, or a second car, or a Truck deal or a Nationwide deal, that stuff can come together as the season unfolds.”
BK Racing officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The team, which bought the assets of the former Red Bull NASCAR organization, had two drivers at last week’s test at Daytona International Speedway: Travis Kvapil, who drove the team’s No. 93 car in all but one event last season, and David Reutimann, who piloted the same entry in the Daytona 500.
Lack of sponsorship shuts down No. 2 team
Richard Childress Racing will not field the part-time entry of driver Tim George Jr. in the Camping World Truck Series in 2013, the team has confirmed.
The No. 2 truck was slated to compete in 13 races this season with George behind the wheel. According to the driver’s representative, a sponsorship package to back the vehicle could not be put together in time for this season.
George suffered a fractured ankle while skiing in Colorado over the holidays and is currently in a cast scheduled to be removed at the end of the month. The driver’s representative said George would undergo rehabilitation and be able to race in the season-opener at Daytona if a ride were available, adding that the skiing accident and the closure of the No. 2 team were unrelated.
RCR was working to reassign employees on the shut-down No. 2 team to other positions within the organization or at a start-up program outside the company. RCR is slated to field two full-time Truck Series entries in 2013, for drivers Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan.
George, 32, competed in 12 events last season in the Truck Series, all but one of them for RCR. The New York City native recorded a best finish of eighth at Talladega, and won a pole at Kansas.
Move from Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing could impact season
Though his first 15 years in NASCAR’s premier series were with the same organization, Matt Kenseth has seen his share of change. He’s weathered new teammates, new sponsors, new body styles and new crew chiefs — sometimes a few in the same season. But he’s never been though anything quite like this.
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Matt Kenseth2012 rankTeamCrew chiefBiggest change for 2013 is…Watch out for…Will win the title if…2012 was… |
The 2003 champion has changed teams for the first time in his career, jumping from Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, where his experience adds a veteran savvy to a program previously known for its youth. In the process, though, everything Kenseth has ever known is different. It’s quite a transition for a driver who was a fixture in the No. 17 car for over a decade.
VIDEO: Watch Matt Kenseth sink a half-court shot on Wednesday at practice with the Atlanta Hawks
“It’s a completely different team, crew, crew chief, organization, manufacturer, car body style, teammates — I mean, everything is brand new,” he said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little nervous about it. But I’m also really excited and really looking forward to it.”
The change is big — but so is the potential. In replacing Joey Logano, Kenseth adds heft to a lineup that returns Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Although Gibbs hasn’t won a title since Tony Stewart left, and mechanical failures have dogged this team in the past, the pieces have long seemed in place. Kenseth, a hands-on driver who ran his No. 17 team with a certain degree of autonomy, could lend a steadying presence that helps his new organization get past its shortcomings and take the next step.
“When you look at Roush, and when they’ve had their peaks and valleys, (Kenseth’s) always at the top of the organization,” Hamlin said. “So he knows how to gets the most out of what he’s got. So I’m willing to relinquish whatever role I have to make sure we have the best race cars on the track. If it’s him directing our guys to that, then that’s good with me.”
Kenseth began visiting the Gibbs shop in December, to get fitted for seats, decide on a spotter, and confer with new crew chief Jason Ratcliff. He made his first laps in the No. 20 car in testing later that month, and was nervous enough that he over-revved the engine. He’s aware of the talk about what a driver with his reputation could bring to a team that’s historically misfired in the Chase. But he’d like to settle into his new program first.
“People have asked me all these questions about experience and leadership, and I’ll be honest with you — I feel the opposite,” said Kenseth, 40. “I feel like the new kid. I feel like I’m going to go in there with my eyes and ears open.”
Kenseth’s seventh-place Chase standing belied a strong 2012 campaign where he was among the top drivers in the regular season and won twice in the playoff. He left Roush on a high note and on good terms, even delivering bottles of champagne to his former mates as a Christmas present. Now comes the test of maintaining that level of performance and integrating with a new team at the same time.
“It will be a different challenge,” he said. “… I’m really curious, I’m really interested, I’m really looking forward to seeing what it brings.”
See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:
11. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Jeff Gordon
9. Tony Stewart
7. Matt Kenseth
6. Denny Hamlin
5. Greg Biffle
4. Kasey Kahne
2. Clint Bowyer
Harvick poised to leave Richard Childress Racing with a season to remember
With a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye, Kevin Harvick declared that he fully expects 2013 to be “the best year of my career.’’
With an impending, if not yet officially confirmed, move to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2014 season, Harvick coyly told reporters during NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas that he’s convinced his final year with Richard Childress Racing has all the makings of a proper farewell.
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Kevin Harvick2012 rankTeamCrew chiefBiggest change for 2013 is…Watch out for…Will win the title if…2012 was… |
“We will focus on 2013 and do what we need to do to make this race team as good as possible,’’ Harvick said, careful not to divulge any further details about his future plans. “A lot of effort has gone into the new car and for us, we’re racing as hard as we can and doing everything we can do to win races and championships.”
Harvick’s reunion with crew chief Gil Martin late in the 2012 season certainly points toward a resurgence after an inconsistent and often frustrating start to last year.
Harvick and Martin recorded consecutive third-place finishes in the 2010-11 Sprint Cup seasons, and had a shot at the championship in the final race of 2010. But they parted prior to 2012, when Harvick teamed with Shane Wilson, searching for what he hoped would be the difference-maker in a title run. It became clear to Harvick, in what he considers a hard-learned lesson, that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” he said.
Yet issues weren’t limited to the crew chief’s position. Harvick joked that he didn’t have enough time to explain all the improvements that needed to be made for 2013. One key element is a full season under the guidance of Dr. Eric Warren as RCR’s competition director. Harvick had stressed the importance of filling that position and was eager to see the difference it could make company-wide.
“Richard and those guys are working hard on putting back structure and pieces in places and trying to get everything where it needs to be,’’ Harvick said. “It’s a big machine.’’
There was an almost immediate improvement once Harvick was reunited with Martin prior to the Chase, which bodes well for the upcoming campaign. Harvick recorded five top-10 finishes in the last 12 races, including his only victory of the year at Phoenix. He led as many laps (126) in those 12 races as he had in the previous 24. With Martin leading the team, Harvick finished worse than 12th only four times, and closed out the year with three consecutive top-10s.
NASCAR’s introduction of the new Generation-6 car this year could even the playing field considerably. Or it could give one manufacturer an advantage, depending on who figures it out the fastest. Either way, both Harvick and Childress are committed to ending their 13-year relationship on a good note.
"I’m looking forward to finishing out this season on a strong note with RCR, and continuing to build our program going into the 2013 season with the ultimate goal of winning a championship," Harvick said.
See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:
11. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Jeff Gordon
9. Tony Stewart
7. Matt Kenseth
6. Denny Hamlin
5. Greg Biffle
4. Kasey Kahne
2. Clint Bowyer
Keselowski, Johnson among 60 drivers to participate in season kickoff
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and fellow titleholders Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte are among more than 60 drivers from three NASCAR national series set to participate in NASCAR Preview 2013 on Saturday, Feb. 9.
The NASCAR Acceleration Weekend fan event will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center and feature autographs from NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck drivers, on-stage Q&As, the opportunity to get a close-up look at the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Gen-6 race car and other special events.
Tickets, priced at $20, are available at www.nascaracceleration.com. A NASCAR Preview ticket includes same-day admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. For the full driver autograph schedule, please see the bottom of this release.
NASCAR Acceleration Weekend begins Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. with the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Former NASCAR premier series champions Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace, championship car owner Cotton Owens and innovative mechanic, crew chief and engine builder Leonard Wood will be the fourth class enshrined.
Tickets to Friday night’s Induction Ceremony start at $45 and can be purchased at www.nascaracceleration.com and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office.
Eight NASCAR Hall of Fame members will appear at the hall from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 8 and sign autographs for those with a NASCAR Hall of Fame ticket. They include Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bud Moore, Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip and Glen Wood.
NASCAR Acceleration Weekend wraps up Sunday, Feb. 10 with the unveiling of the five NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees’ granite markers. Wallace and Leonard Wood will sign autographs at 10 a.m. for hall ticket holders.
NASCAR Preview 2013 is expected to draw thousands of fans to the Convention Center to meet their favorite drivers. Last year’s event, the first of its kind in Charlotte, was the successful rebirth of what for many years officially signaled the beginning of a new NASCAR season. The 2013 season is exactly one month away and begins with The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway — the traditional lead-in to the 55th running of the Daytona 500 at 1 p.m. ET on Feb. 24. Both races will be broadcast live by FOX Sports, MRN and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Reigning series champions in all three NASCAR national series head the list of drivers confirming their participation in NASCAR Preview 2013. Keselowski will appear at 1:30 p.m. along with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher. NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is slotted at 9 a.m.
The Keselowski-Buescher group also includes Danica Patrick, who will seek NASCAR Sprint Cup Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 along with Stenhouse.
Driver Appearance Times
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (autographs begin at 9:30 a.m.)
Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier, Eric McClure, Brian Scott, Timothy Peters, Miguel Paludo, Elliott Sadler, Dylan Kwasniewski and Todd Peck.
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (autographs begin at 11 a.m.)
Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Aric Almirola, Paul Menard, Joey Logano, Hal Martin, Sam Hornish Jr., Jamie Dick, Sean Corr, Brennan Newberry, Ross Chastain and Ron Hornaday Jr.
Noon to 2 p.m. (autographs begin at 12:30 p.m.)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan, David Gilliland, Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Johanna Long, Austin Dillon, Michael Annett, Nelson Piquet Jr., Ty Dillon, Joey Coulter, Trevor Bayne and Todd Bodine.
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (autographs begin at 2 p.m.)
Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bobby Labonte, Justin Lofton, John Wes Townley, Regan Smith, Parker Kligerman, Max Gresham, Jeb Burton, Dakoda Armstrong, James Buescher, Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Casey Mears, Jeremy Clements, Ryan Blaney, Johnny Sauter and Alex Bowman.
On heels of 2012 K&N Pro Series West title, driver takes his talents to Turner Scott Motorsports
With a 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship trophy already sitting on his mantle, Dylan Kwasniewski will compete for another in the Pro Series East with Turner Scott Motorsports in 2013, the driver announced Wednesday.
"It is really exciting and an honor to join Turner Scott Motorsports, especially at this time when the organization has just announced their expansion," said Kwasniewski, according to the official release. "Everyone I’ve met at TSM so far is dedicated and committed to results and performance. Moving from the West Series to the East is a natural progression for me as I continue to develop as a driver.”
Backed by TSM, which also has NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, Kwasniewski begins his 2013 campaign at the UNOH Battle at the Beach in Daytona. He was awarded placement in the race with his 2012 NKNPSW title.
Kwasniewski has come a long way from competing in go-karts at the age of 5, moving up the ranks to become the youngest champion in track history in the Semi Pro Legend Car series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kwasniewski made his NASCAR debut in 2011, finishing an impressive fifth place in the NKNPSW final point standings despite not competing in the first race. Kwasniewski tallied two wins, two poles, eight top fives and nine top 10s.
Not to be outdone by his performance from the previous season, 2012 was one for the record books. Kwasniewski recorded three wins, six poles, 12 top fives and 15 top 10s en route to becoming the youngest champion in NKNPSW history.
“The chance to drive for Turner Scott Motorsports under the direction of Steve Turner, Harry Scott Jr. and veteran Mike Greci came up last fall,” he said. “I knew immediately it would be a perfect fit for me. TSM has consistently put the best equipment on the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series, and I know they will do the same in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, giving me the best opportunity to win races and make a run at the championship this year."
"Being able to add another young talent like Dylan to our portfolio of drivers for 2013 is great for this entire organization," said Steve Turner, co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports. "Not only is he (talented) on the track, but he is an amazing young man off the track. Everyone at Turner Scott Motorsports is looking forward to working with Dylan."
Details regarding Kwasniewski’s sponsor, crew and car number will be announced in the near future.