By Joe Dunn
There has been a lot of speculation since NASCAR took the No. 66 car of Dave Blaney at Auto Club Speedway for inspection. NASCAR called it just a normal random pick, and car owner Phil Parsons echoed the same rational. But was it really random?
To the best of my recollection this situation has never occurred before. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has had a handful of these teams over the past several years, but last year that situation began to change when small under funded teams like Tommy Baldwin, and Jeremy Mayfield began the season by attempting every race with the intention of finishing the race. That appeared to be a wake up call to NASCAR that if they could attract a few more owners like that, the S & P era could be ending.
In the NASCAR Nationwide and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ the ‘Start & Park’ has been a common occurrence for as far back as I can remember. It has never been a surprise to see a half dozen or more teams loading up their tools and equipment as the green flag was waving. I watched a NNS team at one of the races in 2009 that started the race with a single crew member in the pit stall with a hammer and a wedge wrench, nothing more. That car ran till the first caution and headed for the garage. One NSCS team last year had the car ordered to the garage by NASCAR on the first lap as their pit box was completely empty.
So, was the impounding of the 66 car at ACS the first signal of NASCAR taking action to address the Start & Park teams? A lot of folks believe that it is, but the truth is that NASCAR began to address this before the season began. Something new has been added to the Official NASCAR entry form for it’s races in the NNS. For 2010, there is a statement on the bottom of the entry form that states that IF the car fails to complete 50% of the advertised laps, NASCAR MAY refuse to pay the posted purse for that car. The form does make exceptions for cars that sustain damage in a wreck that make the car unfit to safely return to the track, provided that damage can not be repaired in a reasonable time to return racing. It also allows for engine failure, which NASCAR may take for verification. I limited this to the NNS because that is the only one I have been able to verify, but chances are pretty good that it is included in all three major series.
Sunday, the 09 car of Aric Almirola was the first car to head for the garage after only 23 laps. But instead of heading straight for the hauler, NASCAR officials were there to direct the car to the garage for a teardown inspection. Shortly after, the 55 of Michael McDowell headed for the garage with another engine failure, but strangely returned to the track a few minutes later to complete another 16 laps before retireing from the race. NASCAR said Sunday, that it has instituted a new policy in the Cup Series, whereby the first go out of the race, not due to a wreck will be subject to a full teardown and inspection.
So, now you know the truth about NASCAR’s stance on the ‘Start & Park’ teams. But like anything else NASCAR does, this is all subject to their discretion. One thing that I found particular interesting is that with all the talk on the NASCAR TV shows, all the questions and all the suggestions, why have they not told the fans about this new ’clause’ on the entry form.
UPDATED MARCH 07, 2010
I have confirmed with Mike Forde Manager of Statistical Writing for NASCAR, that this clause is only on the Nationwide Series Entry form and NOT the NASCAR Sprint Cup or the Camping World Truck series. It only applies to the 'Plan Money' which is limited to the top 25 in owner's points. To clarify, there is no option, if they don't complete 50% of the laps for any reason other than a wreck, they will not be paid the plan money.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
PRESS RELEASE : M L Motorsports
NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 70 Foretravel MotorCoach Chevrolet
LAS VEGAS PREVIEW
ML Motorsports and driver, Shelby Howard, are looking forward to getting back on the track again after qualifying was rained out at Daytona.
“We’ve got a really good car for Las Vegas that we took to Orlando to test last month. That car showed a lot of speed and handled really well” states Howard. “I’m looking forward to running at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and especially excited to have the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino logo on the car”.
ML Motorsports has partnered with the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States, with the #70 Chevrolet will carrying their logo on the quarter panel in the Sam’s Town 300.
In addition, Howard will be signing autographs at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino on Friday, February 26th at 9:00 pm in the hotels casino.
The Stratosphere Hotel & Casino is a landmark tower, hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The property’s signature attraction is the 1,149 foot Stratosphere Tower, the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States. The tower features two observation decks, a fine dining restaurant known as The Top of The World and three thrill rides: Big Shot, Insanity and X-Scream. The hotel is a separate building with 24 stories, 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot casino. For more information please visit www.StratosphereHotel.com
LAS VEGAS PREVIEW
ML Motorsports and driver, Shelby Howard, are looking forward to getting back on the track again after qualifying was rained out at Daytona.
“We’ve got a really good car for Las Vegas that we took to Orlando to test last month. That car showed a lot of speed and handled really well” states Howard. “I’m looking forward to running at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and especially excited to have the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino logo on the car”.
ML Motorsports has partnered with the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States, with the #70 Chevrolet will carrying their logo on the quarter panel in the Sam’s Town 300.
In addition, Howard will be signing autographs at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino on Friday, February 26th at 9:00 pm in the hotels casino.
The Stratosphere Hotel & Casino is a landmark tower, hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The property’s signature attraction is the 1,149 foot Stratosphere Tower, the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States. The tower features two observation decks, a fine dining restaurant known as The Top of The World and three thrill rides: Big Shot, Insanity and X-Scream. The hotel is a separate building with 24 stories, 2,444 rooms and an 80,000 square foot casino. For more information please visit www.StratosphereHotel.com
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Danica mania chapter three?
By Joe Dunn
Leading up to the first NASCAR race weekend of 2010, the two week media frenzy was not on 4 time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, but rather on IRL driver and Go Daddy girl Danica Patrick as she made her stock car debut.
As everyone can recall, her ARCA race at Daytona showed that she could run along with the ‘kids’ learning the trade and working for a shot to go NASCSAR racing. Her 6th place finish was touted as a great job and immediately the calls to put her in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Drive4COPD 300 were made. Sure enough she was placed in the No. 7 Go Daddy JRM/HMS Chevrolet, with predictions of her showing her talent in the NASCAR second tier series. Being in one of the best cars, with a winning team, at a track where the team has been known to dominate, with an average finish of 4.3 over the previous 3 years, the expectations were high.
Daytona is a track that most drivers agree that you need, a really fast car, able to work the draft smart and avoid the wrecks. She had one of the fastest cars on the track, but she showed early on that she was either clueless or afraid to work the draft. From the start of the race she steadily slid backwards. When the first wreck occurred in front of her, she had no idea how she missed the wrecked cars that had slid down the track before her. But when the next big happened in front of her, and her spotter repeated that the wreckers were staying high, she held a straight line, straight into the wreck, and then bounced off hitting the outside wall head-on. There was plenty of room for her to go low and miss the wrecks, which she didn’t do. Later she commented, “ I thought they would just get out of the way like the last time.” That ended her day finishing 35th in the field.
After a not so good finish at Daytona, and Jamie McMurray’s amazing win of the Daytona 500, surely the media attention would be devoted to Jamie for the following week. Jamie did get the attention that he deserved as he traveled the circuit across the country with major TV appearances and a Champions tour in California. But the 35th place finisher in the second tier series actually did more TV appearances and got at least as much, if not more, media attention as McMurray. The big call was now that Danica had that Daytona race under her belt, she was going to be a front finisher at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.
So when she qualified a disappointing 36th and poor showings in the two earlier practices, the questions began to swirl. The fans of course were all assured that she was concentrating on getting a feel for the car, and qualifying wasn’t a big deal, as the team, with the financial backing of Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com, had bought the points of the CJM team to guarantee a starting spot for the first 5 races of 2010. When the green flag dropped, she made a steady move to the back of the field. In the first half of the race, the only spots she gained in the running order was when the start and park cars headed for the garage. She remained in the back of the field for nearly the entire race, and it was painfully obvious that she was in way over her head. Here she was, in a car that was capable of winning and she lagged in the rear all day, finishing 31st, three laps down. Four of the five ‘Rookies’ finished ahead of her, as did many of the small underfunded teams with clearly inferior equipment. The post race chatter was that she did good because she was ‘learning’. For hundreds of young drivers out there, the NNS is not the learning series. That is what the ASA, USAR Pro Cup and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West are all for.
This weekend, the NNS heads to LasVegas where Danica is entered in the Sam’s Town 300. With two races of dismal performances and finishes of 35th and 31st, it will be interesting to see if the Danica whirlwind media tour continues for a fourth week. Will anyone heading to LasVegas be able to remember that Jamie McMurray is the 2010 Daytona 500 Champion? Will anyone remember that four time NSCS Champion Jimmie Johnson won the Auto Club 500 on Sunday? Will they be reminded that Tony Stewart won the Drive4COPD300 or that Kyle Bush won the Stater Bros. 300?
Leading up to the first NASCAR race weekend of 2010, the two week media frenzy was not on 4 time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, but rather on IRL driver and Go Daddy girl Danica Patrick as she made her stock car debut.
As everyone can recall, her ARCA race at Daytona showed that she could run along with the ‘kids’ learning the trade and working for a shot to go NASCSAR racing. Her 6th place finish was touted as a great job and immediately the calls to put her in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Drive4COPD 300 were made. Sure enough she was placed in the No. 7 Go Daddy JRM/HMS Chevrolet, with predictions of her showing her talent in the NASCAR second tier series. Being in one of the best cars, with a winning team, at a track where the team has been known to dominate, with an average finish of 4.3 over the previous 3 years, the expectations were high.
Daytona is a track that most drivers agree that you need, a really fast car, able to work the draft smart and avoid the wrecks. She had one of the fastest cars on the track, but she showed early on that she was either clueless or afraid to work the draft. From the start of the race she steadily slid backwards. When the first wreck occurred in front of her, she had no idea how she missed the wrecked cars that had slid down the track before her. But when the next big happened in front of her, and her spotter repeated that the wreckers were staying high, she held a straight line, straight into the wreck, and then bounced off hitting the outside wall head-on. There was plenty of room for her to go low and miss the wrecks, which she didn’t do. Later she commented, “ I thought they would just get out of the way like the last time.” That ended her day finishing 35th in the field.
After a not so good finish at Daytona, and Jamie McMurray’s amazing win of the Daytona 500, surely the media attention would be devoted to Jamie for the following week. Jamie did get the attention that he deserved as he traveled the circuit across the country with major TV appearances and a Champions tour in California. But the 35th place finisher in the second tier series actually did more TV appearances and got at least as much, if not more, media attention as McMurray. The big call was now that Danica had that Daytona race under her belt, she was going to be a front finisher at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.
So when she qualified a disappointing 36th and poor showings in the two earlier practices, the questions began to swirl. The fans of course were all assured that she was concentrating on getting a feel for the car, and qualifying wasn’t a big deal, as the team, with the financial backing of Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com, had bought the points of the CJM team to guarantee a starting spot for the first 5 races of 2010. When the green flag dropped, she made a steady move to the back of the field. In the first half of the race, the only spots she gained in the running order was when the start and park cars headed for the garage. She remained in the back of the field for nearly the entire race, and it was painfully obvious that she was in way over her head. Here she was, in a car that was capable of winning and she lagged in the rear all day, finishing 31st, three laps down. Four of the five ‘Rookies’ finished ahead of her, as did many of the small underfunded teams with clearly inferior equipment. The post race chatter was that she did good because she was ‘learning’. For hundreds of young drivers out there, the NNS is not the learning series. That is what the ASA, USAR Pro Cup and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West are all for.
This weekend, the NNS heads to LasVegas where Danica is entered in the Sam’s Town 300. With two races of dismal performances and finishes of 35th and 31st, it will be interesting to see if the Danica whirlwind media tour continues for a fourth week. Will anyone heading to LasVegas be able to remember that Jamie McMurray is the 2010 Daytona 500 Champion? Will anyone remember that four time NSCS Champion Jimmie Johnson won the Auto Club 500 on Sunday? Will they be reminded that Tony Stewart won the Drive4COPD300 or that Kyle Bush won the Stater Bros. 300?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2010 the year for McMurray and Dale Jr.?
By Joe Dunn
The checkered flag flew at the Daytona 500 and Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. flew by to start the 2010 season one and two in the points. The win for McMurray was huge as he debuted for his new team at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, and Dale Jr.’s close second was a long awaited resurgence for NASCAR’s most popular driver.
So, does the finish of the first race of the year, that also happens to be NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, secure a great season for both of these young men? It doesn’t secure anything if you look at history. Look at 4 time Series champion Jimmie Johnson, over the past three seasons he started the year at Daytona with a best finish of 27th, yet he came back late in late season charges to capture the title. But look at the winners of the Daytona 500, last year Matt Kenseth grabbed the big win, with Kevin Harvick in tow and the big surprise A J Almendinger in third. The season ended with Kenseth 14th, Harvick 19th and Almendinger 24th in the points. The one-two for 2008 was Ryan Newman and Kurt Bush, they finished the season 17th and 18th. So finishing first and second does not carry a lot of weight for a great season.
This is not to diminish the accomplishments of these two very talented drivers, but a look at reality. McMurray began his cup career with Ganassi back in 2002, filling in for an injured Sterling Marlin for 6 races, winning his second start. The next three years, he finished the season 13th, 11th and 12th, and then moved to Roush racing to replace Kurt Bush. His success at RFR never materialized as his best efforts resulted in a best 16th place points finish in 2008. It appeared through the years that McMurray had lost that magic after moving top RFR and his future with an organization that was being forced to reduce by a team. Halfway through the 2009 season, McMurray had no sure ride in place for 2010, so when Martin Truex Jr. announced that he was leaving the No. 1 car at EGR, opportunity came a knockin‘. It is looking so far that that was a very good move for McMurray, but it is no guarantee of making the Chase.
As for Dale Earnhardt Jr., he has always been good at Daytona, in 20 races, his average finish is 11th, with 2 wins, 6 top 5’s and 11 top 10’s. Even in his bad years he had had good finishes at Daytona and Talladega, yet Sunday he appeared to be more focused and disciplined in his run to the front. Unlike his Hendrick Motor Sports teammates he stayed out of trouble, kept his equipment in tact to be the only HMS car in the top 10. Dale Jr. has had some pretty rough seasons of late, and the instant success at HMS that many of his fans had predicted failed to materialize in his first year and his efforts were even more dismal last year. So when Rick Hendrick started calling the changes mid-season last year and ended the year with a commitment to concentrate efforts on a turn around, all eyes were on Daytona. A solid qualifying effort, guaranteed a front row start and overshadowed an 11th place finish in the Bud Shootout. The second place finish spelled success for the off season efforts, and gives the No. 88 AMP Chevrolet team reason to be upbeat. One race does not spell a winning season, but that race did give Junior Nation a new sense of optimism, and hopefully that energy will be the driving force for Junior and his team this year.
The haulers are already enroute to Fontana for the Auto Club 500 Sunday and many of the drivers have headed that way too. But even this weekend will not determine the true success of these two teams, as the real answer will come only after the next 25 races, to see who makes it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. But that fact won’t dim the hopes of Dale Jr. and Jamie’s fans, so let the cheering begin.
The checkered flag flew at the Daytona 500 and Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. flew by to start the 2010 season one and two in the points. The win for McMurray was huge as he debuted for his new team at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, and Dale Jr.’s close second was a long awaited resurgence for NASCAR’s most popular driver.
So, does the finish of the first race of the year, that also happens to be NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, secure a great season for both of these young men? It doesn’t secure anything if you look at history. Look at 4 time Series champion Jimmie Johnson, over the past three seasons he started the year at Daytona with a best finish of 27th, yet he came back late in late season charges to capture the title. But look at the winners of the Daytona 500, last year Matt Kenseth grabbed the big win, with Kevin Harvick in tow and the big surprise A J Almendinger in third. The season ended with Kenseth 14th, Harvick 19th and Almendinger 24th in the points. The one-two for 2008 was Ryan Newman and Kurt Bush, they finished the season 17th and 18th. So finishing first and second does not carry a lot of weight for a great season.
This is not to diminish the accomplishments of these two very talented drivers, but a look at reality. McMurray began his cup career with Ganassi back in 2002, filling in for an injured Sterling Marlin for 6 races, winning his second start. The next three years, he finished the season 13th, 11th and 12th, and then moved to Roush racing to replace Kurt Bush. His success at RFR never materialized as his best efforts resulted in a best 16th place points finish in 2008. It appeared through the years that McMurray had lost that magic after moving top RFR and his future with an organization that was being forced to reduce by a team. Halfway through the 2009 season, McMurray had no sure ride in place for 2010, so when Martin Truex Jr. announced that he was leaving the No. 1 car at EGR, opportunity came a knockin‘. It is looking so far that that was a very good move for McMurray, but it is no guarantee of making the Chase.
As for Dale Earnhardt Jr., he has always been good at Daytona, in 20 races, his average finish is 11th, with 2 wins, 6 top 5’s and 11 top 10’s. Even in his bad years he had had good finishes at Daytona and Talladega, yet Sunday he appeared to be more focused and disciplined in his run to the front. Unlike his Hendrick Motor Sports teammates he stayed out of trouble, kept his equipment in tact to be the only HMS car in the top 10. Dale Jr. has had some pretty rough seasons of late, and the instant success at HMS that many of his fans had predicted failed to materialize in his first year and his efforts were even more dismal last year. So when Rick Hendrick started calling the changes mid-season last year and ended the year with a commitment to concentrate efforts on a turn around, all eyes were on Daytona. A solid qualifying effort, guaranteed a front row start and overshadowed an 11th place finish in the Bud Shootout. The second place finish spelled success for the off season efforts, and gives the No. 88 AMP Chevrolet team reason to be upbeat. One race does not spell a winning season, but that race did give Junior Nation a new sense of optimism, and hopefully that energy will be the driving force for Junior and his team this year.
The haulers are already enroute to Fontana for the Auto Club 500 Sunday and many of the drivers have headed that way too. But even this weekend will not determine the true success of these two teams, as the real answer will come only after the next 25 races, to see who makes it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. But that fact won’t dim the hopes of Dale Jr. and Jamie’s fans, so let the cheering begin.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Forget the pothole, this was one exciting race
By Joe Dunn
It seemed for a while that Sunday’s Daytona 500 would never end after two red flags to fix a pothole in turn two, but in the end it was well worth the wait. After a week that was dominated by Danica Patrick’s first NASCAR race on Saturday in the NNS Drive4COPD 250, Sunday was the day for the attention to move to the Cup regulars. At the end of the day, it was Jamie McMurray who crossed the finish line first and became the new Daytona 500 Champion for 2010.
The Daytona 500 is the biggest and most prestigious race of the year for America’s most popular auto racing series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During the off season NASCAR said they were going to respond to the complaints and suggestions of not only the teams and drivers, but also the fans. To that end, in January the announcements began, first with word that the ‘wing’ would be replaced mid season by a spoiler. Following that was word of relaxing the ‘Bump Draft’ rules, and consideration of doing away with the “Yellow line’ rule at the restrictor plate tracks. After much protest by drivers, the ‘yellow line’ stays, but the ‘Bump draft’ goes, and later came the announcement of the multiple chances at a Green-White-Checker finish. Those two changes made for a very good and exciting race Sunday.
Despite the delays, this was one of the most exciting races in recent years at Daytona, and earned the distinction of setting a new record with 21 different leaders. The expected leaders such as Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kyle Bush and Clint Bowyer and the unexpected leaders of Travis Kvapil, Boris Said, Scott Speed and A J Almendinger, who led a race high 32 laps. One big surprise was Reigning Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who failed to lead a single lap, and would finish a disappointing 35th.
Sunday’s race kept the fans on the edge of their seats as they were left constantly wondering who was going to lead next and who was really going to be the dominant car. The most dominant of course was Kevin Harvick who lead a high of 41 laps and spent 202 of the 208 laps in the top 15. His teammate Clint Bowyer was a constant threat throughout the day as were Greg Biffle, Juan Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr, who spent the better part of the day outside the lead draft was a real crowd pleaser as he rallied back in the final two laps to challenge McMurray for the win, settling for a 2nd place finish. That position would make him the top finishing Hendrick car, a distinction he failed to met during the entire 2009 season.
After a long day, the excitement of the last two laps brought the fans to their feet as Jamie McMurray, in his first race with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing came away the big winner. What an accomplishment for the kid from Missouri who at the end of last season found himself without a ride, due to the NASCAR team limit rule that forced Roush Fenway Racing to eliminate one of it’s teams. Getting ready for the new season without a ride, he was fortunate to land the No. 1 Chevrolet ride for EGR, a feat some may have been very surprised by. It was the Chip Ganassi organization that McMurray had left in 2006 to replace Kurt Bush at Roush Racing. Unlike some drivers who change teams looking for better deals or equipment, Jamie left Ganassi on fairly good terms, which made the transition easy. Jamie talked, after the race, about his hopes for a fresh start in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shop Chevrolet, and that he prayed Sunday morning for a top 10 finish. In his words, a win was never a serious thought, his prayers were answered for sure.
In Victory Lane, Ganassi congratulated McMurray on his second first win for the team. Back in 2002, Jamie was running the NNS when Sterling Marlin was injured. Ganassi hired McMurray to drive the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge, and in only his second start he won the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This was also the first Daytona 500 win for Ganassi, so Jamie’s future with EGR looks pretty secure now.
For Junior fans, it was like the awakening of the sleeping giant, finally Dale Earnhardt Jr was to finish up front and come away from Daytona second in the 2010 points. After finishing the 2009 season twenty fifth in the points, while his fellow Hendrick teammates finished 1, 2 and 3, it gave a lot of happy fans confidence to see him 2nds, while his teammates leave Daytona 12, 26 and 35. It’s early, and after only one race, the points mean little, but for a team that struggled all last year and was desperate for a good start this year, Sunday was a great accomplishment, that give not only Junior and his team, but also his fans, hopes that the big turn around has finally arrived.
It seemed for a while that Sunday’s Daytona 500 would never end after two red flags to fix a pothole in turn two, but in the end it was well worth the wait. After a week that was dominated by Danica Patrick’s first NASCAR race on Saturday in the NNS Drive4COPD 250, Sunday was the day for the attention to move to the Cup regulars. At the end of the day, it was Jamie McMurray who crossed the finish line first and became the new Daytona 500 Champion for 2010.
The Daytona 500 is the biggest and most prestigious race of the year for America’s most popular auto racing series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During the off season NASCAR said they were going to respond to the complaints and suggestions of not only the teams and drivers, but also the fans. To that end, in January the announcements began, first with word that the ‘wing’ would be replaced mid season by a spoiler. Following that was word of relaxing the ‘Bump Draft’ rules, and consideration of doing away with the “Yellow line’ rule at the restrictor plate tracks. After much protest by drivers, the ‘yellow line’ stays, but the ‘Bump draft’ goes, and later came the announcement of the multiple chances at a Green-White-Checker finish. Those two changes made for a very good and exciting race Sunday.
Despite the delays, this was one of the most exciting races in recent years at Daytona, and earned the distinction of setting a new record with 21 different leaders. The expected leaders such as Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kyle Bush and Clint Bowyer and the unexpected leaders of Travis Kvapil, Boris Said, Scott Speed and A J Almendinger, who led a race high 32 laps. One big surprise was Reigning Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who failed to lead a single lap, and would finish a disappointing 35th.
Sunday’s race kept the fans on the edge of their seats as they were left constantly wondering who was going to lead next and who was really going to be the dominant car. The most dominant of course was Kevin Harvick who lead a high of 41 laps and spent 202 of the 208 laps in the top 15. His teammate Clint Bowyer was a constant threat throughout the day as were Greg Biffle, Juan Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr, who spent the better part of the day outside the lead draft was a real crowd pleaser as he rallied back in the final two laps to challenge McMurray for the win, settling for a 2nd place finish. That position would make him the top finishing Hendrick car, a distinction he failed to met during the entire 2009 season.
After a long day, the excitement of the last two laps brought the fans to their feet as Jamie McMurray, in his first race with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing came away the big winner. What an accomplishment for the kid from Missouri who at the end of last season found himself without a ride, due to the NASCAR team limit rule that forced Roush Fenway Racing to eliminate one of it’s teams. Getting ready for the new season without a ride, he was fortunate to land the No. 1 Chevrolet ride for EGR, a feat some may have been very surprised by. It was the Chip Ganassi organization that McMurray had left in 2006 to replace Kurt Bush at Roush Racing. Unlike some drivers who change teams looking for better deals or equipment, Jamie left Ganassi on fairly good terms, which made the transition easy. Jamie talked, after the race, about his hopes for a fresh start in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shop Chevrolet, and that he prayed Sunday morning for a top 10 finish. In his words, a win was never a serious thought, his prayers were answered for sure.
In Victory Lane, Ganassi congratulated McMurray on his second first win for the team. Back in 2002, Jamie was running the NNS when Sterling Marlin was injured. Ganassi hired McMurray to drive the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge, and in only his second start he won the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This was also the first Daytona 500 win for Ganassi, so Jamie’s future with EGR looks pretty secure now.
For Junior fans, it was like the awakening of the sleeping giant, finally Dale Earnhardt Jr was to finish up front and come away from Daytona second in the 2010 points. After finishing the 2009 season twenty fifth in the points, while his fellow Hendrick teammates finished 1, 2 and 3, it gave a lot of happy fans confidence to see him 2nds, while his teammates leave Daytona 12, 26 and 35. It’s early, and after only one race, the points mean little, but for a team that struggled all last year and was desperate for a good start this year, Sunday was a great accomplishment, that give not only Junior and his team, but also his fans, hopes that the big turn around has finally arrived.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Danica Mania does not = Success!
By Joe Dunn
All the media hype leading up to the Drive4COPD NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener failed to hand Danica Patrick the success that Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com was buying. After a good showing last week in the ARCA race at Daytona, the moves were fast and furious to get Patrick in the NNS race. But, putting her in one of the best cars in the field, with a proven winning team still required her to perform to the standards that some of the media was setting for her.
Not satisfied with one of the best winning combinations of car and team for her, they even went to the extreme of buying the points from last years No. 11 car to guarantee her a starting spot. Her performance in the practices was respectable, but practice is not a race, and NASCAR is surely not the same level as ARCA. When the green flag dropped Saturday afternoon, Danica went backwards and continued to do so for the first half of the race. It became obvious that she was not comfortable with drafting, as she failed to ever tuck in behind and draft anyone. Even after falling to the back of the field, she was unable to run with the traditional ‘also ran’ cars.
The race call from the TV booth was just as bad, when earlier wrecks slid away from her, the accolades from the booth were laughable. When she finally got caught up in the wreck, as other drives headed low to miss it, she drove straight into it. The call from the booth, ’She did a great job, she couldn’t avoid it’, were these guys watching the same race as the rest of us? Rusty Wallace, who has never been afraid to call drivers out for mistakes, was the top Danica cheerleader, ignoring her obvious mistake. Danica was relatively quite on the radio, giving almost no feedback to her crew during the race, but the priceless transmission came after the wreck, “ I kept it straight hoping they’d get out of the way, and they didn’t”. What, did she miss her spotter yelling repeatedly that the wreck was up high? Following the wreck, her radio transmission was loaded with the F bombs, wonder if NASCAR will address that like they have other teams and drivers in the past.
The good news for the day was that after Danica wrecked and the car was loaded into the hauler, and her garage interviews subsided, the coverage of the actual race began. Well, it looks like NASCAR fans will be subjected to another week of hype leading up to the California race, will this be DanicaMania II?
All the media hype leading up to the Drive4COPD NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener failed to hand Danica Patrick the success that Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com was buying. After a good showing last week in the ARCA race at Daytona, the moves were fast and furious to get Patrick in the NNS race. But, putting her in one of the best cars in the field, with a proven winning team still required her to perform to the standards that some of the media was setting for her.
Not satisfied with one of the best winning combinations of car and team for her, they even went to the extreme of buying the points from last years No. 11 car to guarantee her a starting spot. Her performance in the practices was respectable, but practice is not a race, and NASCAR is surely not the same level as ARCA. When the green flag dropped Saturday afternoon, Danica went backwards and continued to do so for the first half of the race. It became obvious that she was not comfortable with drafting, as she failed to ever tuck in behind and draft anyone. Even after falling to the back of the field, she was unable to run with the traditional ‘also ran’ cars.
The race call from the TV booth was just as bad, when earlier wrecks slid away from her, the accolades from the booth were laughable. When she finally got caught up in the wreck, as other drives headed low to miss it, she drove straight into it. The call from the booth, ’She did a great job, she couldn’t avoid it’, were these guys watching the same race as the rest of us? Rusty Wallace, who has never been afraid to call drivers out for mistakes, was the top Danica cheerleader, ignoring her obvious mistake. Danica was relatively quite on the radio, giving almost no feedback to her crew during the race, but the priceless transmission came after the wreck, “ I kept it straight hoping they’d get out of the way, and they didn’t”. What, did she miss her spotter yelling repeatedly that the wreck was up high? Following the wreck, her radio transmission was loaded with the F bombs, wonder if NASCAR will address that like they have other teams and drivers in the past.
The good news for the day was that after Danica wrecked and the car was loaded into the hauler, and her garage interviews subsided, the coverage of the actual race began. Well, it looks like NASCAR fans will be subjected to another week of hype leading up to the California race, will this be DanicaMania II?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Jason White get’s the last laugh in qualifying
By Joe Dunn
When Jason White showed up in Daytona earlier this week with SS Green Light Racing’s new Ford Truck for the season opener, NextEra Energy Resources 260 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he knew he had a fast truck. In the second practice session he turned the fastest lap of 48.596 at 185.200mph. When he got back to the garage he knew that he had a lightening fast truck, but he thought that even before practice.
So confident that his new truck was so good, he jokingly started taking bets among drivers and crew members that he would indeed sit on the pole for Friday’s race. Some members of the media even jokingly jumped on the band wagon, so when Jason went out first, in his GunBroker.com No. 23 Ford, and recorded a 50.697 at 177.525 mph, a lot of the snickering and laughing started to quite. As one truck after another took their laps, White waited on pins and needles, he knew he had a great lap, but there were some pretty big guns to go out after his GunBroker.com Ford. Elliott Sadler rolled out 4th in the Hunt Brothers Pizza No. 2 Chevrolet, and turned a fast lap at 177.002, The 10th truck out would be defending race winner Todd Bodine who was fastest in the first practice and second to White in the second practice. Justin got a sigh of relief when Bodine’s best lap, in the Germain Racing No. 30 Toyota, was only good for a speed of 175.510, and again when Mike Skinner, in the International Trucks/ Monaco RV No. 5 Toyota, went out 21st and managed a 174.476.
There he was, halfway through the field, and he was still sitting on the pole, but he knew better than counting out reigning Series Champion Ron Hornaday or the hottest driver in NASCAR Kyle Bush. Hornaday would go out 36th, being a go or go homer now that his points earned last year were transferred to the 4 truck of Elliott Sadler. Bush was to go out 40th as he too was a go or go homers as a new team owner with zero points. Hornaday, in the Longhorn Smokeless Tobacco No. 33 Chevrolet, turned a 176.291 that eventually was good for a 5th place start, but gave White a temporary relief, at least until Kyle Bush went out. When Kyle finally hit the track, his normal magic just was not with him, Kyle, in his HelluvaGood No. 18 Toyota, turned a disappointing lap at 175.380 relegating him to a 16th place starting position. Bush was visibly upset after qualifying and quickly but politely cut short interviews.
After the Bush run, Jason White knew that he finally had his first pole, and what better place to do that than at Daytona International Speedway, on the biggest week of racing of the year. He starts out front Friday night, but those other big names are not going to sit back and watch White, his biggest challenge for the week is ahead of him now.
Some other surprises from Thursdays NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying were Elliott Sadler, starting second and Austin Dillon, who in only his third Truck Series race will start 3rd, in the Bass Pro Shop No. 3 Chevrolet. Ricky Carmichael starts 4th in his Monster Energy No. 4 Chevrolet, while Bush’s teammate Tayler Malsam starts 6th in his unsponsored No. 56 Toyota.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , NextEra Energy Resources 250 will be broadcast on SPEEDTV Friday February 12th at 8pm est.
When Jason White showed up in Daytona earlier this week with SS Green Light Racing’s new Ford Truck for the season opener, NextEra Energy Resources 260 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he knew he had a fast truck. In the second practice session he turned the fastest lap of 48.596 at 185.200mph. When he got back to the garage he knew that he had a lightening fast truck, but he thought that even before practice.
So confident that his new truck was so good, he jokingly started taking bets among drivers and crew members that he would indeed sit on the pole for Friday’s race. Some members of the media even jokingly jumped on the band wagon, so when Jason went out first, in his GunBroker.com No. 23 Ford, and recorded a 50.697 at 177.525 mph, a lot of the snickering and laughing started to quite. As one truck after another took their laps, White waited on pins and needles, he knew he had a great lap, but there were some pretty big guns to go out after his GunBroker.com Ford. Elliott Sadler rolled out 4th in the Hunt Brothers Pizza No. 2 Chevrolet, and turned a fast lap at 177.002, The 10th truck out would be defending race winner Todd Bodine who was fastest in the first practice and second to White in the second practice. Justin got a sigh of relief when Bodine’s best lap, in the Germain Racing No. 30 Toyota, was only good for a speed of 175.510, and again when Mike Skinner, in the International Trucks/ Monaco RV No. 5 Toyota, went out 21st and managed a 174.476.
There he was, halfway through the field, and he was still sitting on the pole, but he knew better than counting out reigning Series Champion Ron Hornaday or the hottest driver in NASCAR Kyle Bush. Hornaday would go out 36th, being a go or go homer now that his points earned last year were transferred to the 4 truck of Elliott Sadler. Bush was to go out 40th as he too was a go or go homers as a new team owner with zero points. Hornaday, in the Longhorn Smokeless Tobacco No. 33 Chevrolet, turned a 176.291 that eventually was good for a 5th place start, but gave White a temporary relief, at least until Kyle Bush went out. When Kyle finally hit the track, his normal magic just was not with him, Kyle, in his HelluvaGood No. 18 Toyota, turned a disappointing lap at 175.380 relegating him to a 16th place starting position. Bush was visibly upset after qualifying and quickly but politely cut short interviews.
After the Bush run, Jason White knew that he finally had his first pole, and what better place to do that than at Daytona International Speedway, on the biggest week of racing of the year. He starts out front Friday night, but those other big names are not going to sit back and watch White, his biggest challenge for the week is ahead of him now.
Some other surprises from Thursdays NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying were Elliott Sadler, starting second and Austin Dillon, who in only his third Truck Series race will start 3rd, in the Bass Pro Shop No. 3 Chevrolet. Ricky Carmichael starts 4th in his Monster Energy No. 4 Chevrolet, while Bush’s teammate Tayler Malsam starts 6th in his unsponsored No. 56 Toyota.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series , NextEra Energy Resources 250 will be broadcast on SPEEDTV Friday February 12th at 8pm est.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Dillon advances to full time ride
By Joe Dunn
Austin Dillon, the third generation driver in the Childress family begins the next level of competition at Daytona International Speedway, on February 11th. That's the day he attempts to qualify the RCR, No. 3, Bass Pro Shops, Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World truck Series, NextEra Energy resources 250, to kick off the 2010 season.
After running a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NCWTS in 2009, as well as several Dirt Late Model races, it is time for A Dillon to begin his quest to move up the ranks of NASCAR's top three series. I spoke with Austin last year ( http://www.speedwaymedia.com/articles/Story.asp?S=4360729091010 ) when he was competing in the NNS race at O'Reilly Raceway Park, where he displayed optimism for his future. At that time the plan was for him to start college and to come back in 2010 in the NNS to compete in up to 22 races.
But sometime during the off season, that all changed as the decision was made for RCR to re-enter the NCWTS after a long absence with a full time team, bringing the black No. 3 back to life. In January Austin was introduced along with Justin Lofton as Raybestos Rookie Of The Year candidates for the Truck Series in 2010. He discussed his commitment to his education and the fact that High Point University had worked with him to accommodate a schedule to allow him to mix his racing with his studies. “ I made it through my first semester of college and that was a really good experience for me.” said an enthusiastic Dillon “January and February is going to be tough, balancing between college and racing, but I figured out a good schedule and I think it’s going to work. It has got to work because my education is a really important part of my life.”
In his limited schedule in 2008 and 2009 in the NNS, NCWTS, NCWES and ARCA Dillon raced at 8 tracks that are on the NCWTS schedule for 2010. That puts him in the scenario of racing at 14 tracks that will be new to him. I asked Austin how he was preparing for those tracks and how much of a challenge he anticipated it to be. “It’s tough not being able to go to the tracks like Atlanta and Texas. That’s why last year, we didn’t stick to any one series, so we could make it to a number of tracks. We have tested a couple of times at ‘Little Rock’ at Rockingham and that is similar to Martinsville. We have improved a lot there, so it is a confidence builder.”
Austin is anxious to get the season underway and expressing genuine gratitude for the support that he is getting not just from his father and his grandfather, but to his entire crew and the rest of the drivers at RCR, “I’ve got an awesome crew with a new crew chief, Danny Stockman, he was Hornady’s car chief last year, and we have bonded really well together. I am getting a lot of encouragement from the Cup guys at RCR and I know that they will really be pushing me this year.” an excited Dillon told me. “We’re hoping to win the Raybestos Rookie of The Year this year, and make a serious challenge for the Championship.”
Although the NNS schedule for Dillon was eliminated by the decision to run the Trucks, he does plan to run the four COT races in 2010. Austin explained that he will be part of an R&D program for that series, concentrating on the new car. How his Truck team performs in 2010 will have an impact on where he drives in 2011. Among the programs that Dillon has run in preparation for NASCAR has been a number of Dirt Late Model races in various series. He felt that the times he ran dirt races just before the NASCAR races, his results were improved.
Dillon headed into Daytona with plans to spend some time over at Volusia Speedway Park in nearby Barberville, FL for the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals. There he will join the ranks of other NASCAR drivers such as, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader. With 74 cars showing up in the UMP Open Wheel Modified class, Dillon was set to make his mark in the No. 3 car
On Sunday, the second day of the ‘Gator Championship’ qualifers, Austin qualified 13 and then moved on to win heat number 2, putting him on the front row for the A Main later that night. With a Star studded field that includes some of the biggest names in Dirt racing, such as Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace, Buzzie Reutimann (David’s dad), Kenny Schrader, and Denny Schwartz, Dillon jumped out to an early lead. He was able to keep that lead after multiple restarts, constantly holding off Schwartz who had been kept busy early in the race battling with Dillon’s younger brother Ty Dillon. On the final restart, Austin got a big jump on the field and had a 5 car lead by the time he hit turn one. That win Sunday locked him into the Gator Championship race for Monday night, where he finished third.
With that kind of success on the dirt, watch for Dillon to be a front runner come Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Austin Dillon, the third generation driver in the Childress family begins the next level of competition at Daytona International Speedway, on February 11th. That's the day he attempts to qualify the RCR, No. 3, Bass Pro Shops, Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World truck Series, NextEra Energy resources 250, to kick off the 2010 season.
After running a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NCWTS in 2009, as well as several Dirt Late Model races, it is time for A Dillon to begin his quest to move up the ranks of NASCAR's top three series. I spoke with Austin last year ( http://www.speedwaymedia.com/articles/Story.asp?S=4360729091010 ) when he was competing in the NNS race at O'Reilly Raceway Park, where he displayed optimism for his future. At that time the plan was for him to start college and to come back in 2010 in the NNS to compete in up to 22 races.
But sometime during the off season, that all changed as the decision was made for RCR to re-enter the NCWTS after a long absence with a full time team, bringing the black No. 3 back to life. In January Austin was introduced along with Justin Lofton as Raybestos Rookie Of The Year candidates for the Truck Series in 2010. He discussed his commitment to his education and the fact that High Point University had worked with him to accommodate a schedule to allow him to mix his racing with his studies. “ I made it through my first semester of college and that was a really good experience for me.” said an enthusiastic Dillon “January and February is going to be tough, balancing between college and racing, but I figured out a good schedule and I think it’s going to work. It has got to work because my education is a really important part of my life.”
In his limited schedule in 2008 and 2009 in the NNS, NCWTS, NCWES and ARCA Dillon raced at 8 tracks that are on the NCWTS schedule for 2010. That puts him in the scenario of racing at 14 tracks that will be new to him. I asked Austin how he was preparing for those tracks and how much of a challenge he anticipated it to be. “It’s tough not being able to go to the tracks like Atlanta and Texas. That’s why last year, we didn’t stick to any one series, so we could make it to a number of tracks. We have tested a couple of times at ‘Little Rock’ at Rockingham and that is similar to Martinsville. We have improved a lot there, so it is a confidence builder.”
Austin is anxious to get the season underway and expressing genuine gratitude for the support that he is getting not just from his father and his grandfather, but to his entire crew and the rest of the drivers at RCR, “I’ve got an awesome crew with a new crew chief, Danny Stockman, he was Hornady’s car chief last year, and we have bonded really well together. I am getting a lot of encouragement from the Cup guys at RCR and I know that they will really be pushing me this year.” an excited Dillon told me. “We’re hoping to win the Raybestos Rookie of The Year this year, and make a serious challenge for the Championship.”
Although the NNS schedule for Dillon was eliminated by the decision to run the Trucks, he does plan to run the four COT races in 2010. Austin explained that he will be part of an R&D program for that series, concentrating on the new car. How his Truck team performs in 2010 will have an impact on where he drives in 2011. Among the programs that Dillon has run in preparation for NASCAR has been a number of Dirt Late Model races in various series. He felt that the times he ran dirt races just before the NASCAR races, his results were improved.
Dillon headed into Daytona with plans to spend some time over at Volusia Speedway Park in nearby Barberville, FL for the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals. There he will join the ranks of other NASCAR drivers such as, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader. With 74 cars showing up in the UMP Open Wheel Modified class, Dillon was set to make his mark in the No. 3 car
On Sunday, the second day of the ‘Gator Championship’ qualifers, Austin qualified 13 and then moved on to win heat number 2, putting him on the front row for the A Main later that night. With a Star studded field that includes some of the biggest names in Dirt racing, such as Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace, Buzzie Reutimann (David’s dad), Kenny Schrader, and Denny Schwartz, Dillon jumped out to an early lead. He was able to keep that lead after multiple restarts, constantly holding off Schwartz who had been kept busy early in the race battling with Dillon’s younger brother Ty Dillon. On the final restart, Austin got a big jump on the field and had a 5 car lead by the time he hit turn one. That win Sunday locked him into the Gator Championship race for Monday night, where he finished third.
With that kind of success on the dirt, watch for Dillon to be a front runner come Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
Friday, February 5, 2010
NNS team ML Motorsports joins the Haiti relief efforts
Add ML Motorsports owner Mary Louise Miller to the list of NASCAR folks lending aid to the earthquake victims in Haiti. ML Motorsports runs the No. 70, Foretravel Motorcoach / BIOMET Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with driver Shelby Howard. Miller, who with her husband Dane founded BIOMET, a leading manufacturer of Orthopedic devices based in Warsaw, In. last month donated more than a half million dollars of equipment to the relief effort, stepped up to the plate once again this week.
BIOMET quietly made the donation a couple of weeks ago, learned of an effort by Sister Laureen Painter, Vice President of St. Joseph Hospital Foundation in nearby South Bend to gather local doctors to go to Haiti to lend aid. Working with Friendship Flights Inc, based at the Goshen, In airport, BIOMET, Tuesday donated the company's Citation Excel Jet to fly the medical volunteers to Haiti.
BIOMET quietly made the donation a couple of weeks ago, learned of an effort by Sister Laureen Painter, Vice President of St. Joseph Hospital Foundation in nearby South Bend to gather local doctors to go to Haiti to lend aid. Working with Friendship Flights Inc, based at the Goshen, In airport, BIOMET, Tuesday donated the company's Citation Excel Jet to fly the medical volunteers to Haiti.
Monday, February 1, 2010
ML Motorsports, a lesson in determination
By Joe Dunn
To answer that question, I took a trip recently to Warsaw, Indiana located in north central Indiana, home of ML Motorsports and the No. 70 Foretravel Motorcoach/Biomet Chevrolet. Warsaw is about a one hour drive from Notre Dame University in South Bend and is known as the ‘Orthopedic Capital of the World’ based on the fact that it is the home of four Orthopedic Device manufacturing facilities. One of those manufacturing companies BIOMET was formed by Dane and Mary Louis Miller, whose love of racing began with their very first date, at the races. After getting their company off the ground and it’s continued success it gave Mary Louis the ability to start her own ARCA team, 11 years ago with a race shop located on the outskirts of Warsaw.
After 7 years in ARCA, (2 of which were part time schedules) ML Motorsports finished in the top three in owners points in three of their five full time seasons, they moved up to a part time NASCAR Nationwide Series team in 2006. Over the previous four years the team had struggled with different drivers, different crew chiefs and a fleet of race cars with a wide variety of parts from several different manufacturers. 2009 was the year of changes, beginning with a new driver, Shelby Howard, some new cars from KHI and finally a new crew chief in Chris Rice.
Chris Rice has a solid racing background and came to ML Motorsports after serving as crew chief on the Jay Robinson No.28 car with driver Kenny Wallace. Chris had past experience working with Howard in the USAR Pro Cup and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where they were paired up at ThorSport Racing, so the driver/crew chief chemistry was already established. Rice is the lone Charlotte area link in this team as he travels back and forth between Warsaw and Charlotte.
Team manager Tony ‘Toad’ Barnes has been happy with the changes that began last year and has developed a seamless working relationship with Rice. Even when Rice is home in NC, they compare notes on a daily basis and together they have made huge strides in streamlining the Race Shop. The team has all but abandoned the collection of miss-matched cars and parts as they transition over to Kevin Harvick Incorporated cars. As of my visit to the shop, they have one car in service that is not a KHI car, that is their current back up Speedway car, which will be retired after the Talladega Race. Also new for 2010 is the change over to Earnhardt Childress Racing engines, bringing the teams in line with similar equipment being used by Kevin Harvick Racing.
When I spoke with Toad and Chris regarding the pro’s and con’s of the team being outside of Charlotte, the first thing they both agreed on is that the shop help is more secure. With all of the shop employees being local residents, the team does not worry so much about the temptation of employees to move around the sport. They all work as a solid team and they sure seem to be comfortable with that scenario. They also all get to keep that small town family atmosphere. With the standardizing of Chassis and engines it also limit’s the number of out of town vendors that they must deal with. The biggest problem with the location is time lost and extra shipping cost for parts. The small parts are not a real problem, but when it comes to the larger items, it generally means freight cost or sending a company truck to Charlotte. Those trips require careful scheduling and ordering so the truck is able to make all the pickups in one trip.
Driver Shelby Howard is another Indiana native, residing in Greenwood, near Indianapolis, about a 3 hour drive from Warsaw. One big advantage for Howard and the Warsaw based crew is a more central location to the tracks. Of the 16 tracks the team runs, 11 are less than 700 miles from Warsaw, which greatly reduces travel time.
So, aside from the logistics of the team’s location in Indiana, all involved are looking forward to the start of the 2010 season with new cars, new engines and even a new paint scheme. Gone will be the traditional Blue and Orange colors (with the exception of Daytona and Talladega and in comes the new White with red trim and hood paint scheme on the Foretravel Motorcoach / Biomet Chevrolet.
Howard and Rice have recently completed several test sessions working alongside Kevin Harvick at Orlando, FL and before that at the GM proving grounds in Yuma, Az. Howard has been gaining valuable seat time while Rice has been able to work side by side with the KHI crew, comparing set up notes. The team is also looking forward to participating in the four ‘COT’ races beginning with the July Daytona race, and are hopeful that a successful season will mean running the full schedule in 2011.
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