KYLE BUSCH Hoping for Another Vegas Celebration

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Feb. 29, 2016) – Aside from NASCAR’s biggest events like the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway or the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a win at the hometown racetrack is high on the priority list for many in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

 

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch crossed off an all-important hometown win in just his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Kobalt 400.

The driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and 2002 honors graduate of Las Vegas’ Durango High School would like to double his number of Sprint Cup wins at the 1.5-mile oval after he brought home that emotional first win there in 2009.

 

Driving the yellow M&M’S Toyota that day, Busch qualified on the pole but was forced to start at the rear of the field because the team needed to change engines during Friday practice. Unfazed, Busch remained patient on race day as he and the M&M’S team worked their way to the front of the field by the 54th lap. Busch went on to lead three times for 51 laps en route to claiming what he called at the time the biggest win of his young career.

 

While that win was special, Busch already was no stranger to winning on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property. From 1999 to 2001, he earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the facility’s “Bullring,” which existed for several years before the 1.5-mile oval was built. Busch eventually moved up to Late Model Stock cars and his winning ways continued as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001.

 

In addition to celebrations at the Bullring and the aforementioned 2009 Sprint Cup win in his hometown, Busch is also returning to the site of the official celebration of his 2015 Sprint Cup championship, which took place in Las Vegas last December. With the M&M’S brand also celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2016, there’s no reason why the party shouldn’t continue in LVMS’s victory lane this weekend.

And not to be outdone, Mars brand Ethel M Chocolate, which has a factory and store located in nearby Henderson, Nevada, will also get into the act this weekend. Not only will Ethel M have its logo adorn the rear decklid of the M&M’S Toyota, it will also debut the Kyle Busch Chocolate Collection in honor of Busch’s return to his hometown.

 

The Kyle Busch Chocolate Collection is a limited, 16-piece chocolate assortment featuring Busch’s favorite Ethel M specialties. Wrapped in custom NASCAR-branded packaging, the collection is available for fans to purchase online at www.ethelm.com, and at Ethel M locations, including its factory store in Henderson, McCarran Airport Boutique, and at M&M’S World® on Las Vegas Boulevard.   

 

So as Busch returns to Las Vegas this weekend, the only thing that will be sweeter than winning his first Sprint Cup race there would be winning a second so he and his sponsor can keep the Las Vegas celebrations going even longer. 

 

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M'S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

With two third-place finishes to start the season, what are your thoughts heading back to Las Vegas this weekend? “It’s much different than Atlanta last weekend, even though both tracks are the same size. Vegas is really grippy with the tire being a little harder compound and you’ve got really good speed, but then in the race it gets sunny and can get loose and slick. Once you get your car handling good, you still have a lot of speed and don’t fall off at places like Atlanta and Texas. I was fortunate enough to win there in 2009, but we haven’t run to my liking there overall, so I’m hoping we can have a strong run there this weekend with our M&M’S Camry and keep the M&M’S 75th anniversary year rolling. It’s also a big race for Ethel M Chocolate from the area, too, so I’m hoping we can give everyone something to cheer for this weekend, especially since I wasn’t able to race there last year because of my injury.” Is there more pressure racing at your hometown track? “Yeah, Vegas always means a little bit more pressure – more pressure on myself – just because it’s the hometown and you want to win there. Thankfully, I have won there and I’ve knocked that one off the list, but certainly you want to win there every year. It seems like either Carl (Edwards) or Jimmie (Johnson) are better than most there, but I love Vegas, the atmosphere and everything going on around that place. It’s always been a big race for us and the M&M’S team.”   What was it like to bring home a Sprint Cup win in your hometown in 2009? “It was cool. To go out there and to run a smooth race and to have a shot at winning at the end of the race, that’s what it’s all about. I watched Vegas being built from the ground up, and I remember when it wasn’t anything but a gleam in the eye of Richie Clyne (founder of Las Vegas Motor Speedway) – all those guys who made that place happen.”   Having grown up in Las Vegas, do you still have a lot of friends in the area? Do you get a lot of ticket requests from friends and family? “I get a lot of ticket requests for California, Vegas and Phoenix – all the West Coast stops that we run. It’s kind of hard to fulfill all of them, but we try when we can. We get to go to M&M’S World on the (Las Vegas) Strip to sign some autographs on Thursday, so I’m looking forward to seeing some of the hometown fans there, as well.”   Are you able to enjoy trips to your hometown? “It’s fine going back there. There’s really not much family out there. It’s just family friends. There are a lot of friends you get to see and catch up with that you text back-and-forth or talk back-and-forth with during the year, but you never get to see them, so that’s always cool to go out there to the race. Besides that, there are the different appearances we do for M&M’S. You get to go to some of the restaurants that you liked there growing up, so that’s always cool. It’s just another weekend, but I particularly know my way around this city better than I do any other place.” What is your fondest racing memory of growing up in Las Vegas? “My fondest racing memory is probably my first Late Model race. I started about eighth or 10th and ended up winning it. My first-ever start, I won. So that is definitely a great memory to have.” M&M'S Racing Round 3 of 36 – Kobalt 400 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway Car No.: 18 – M&M’S Toyota Camry   Teammates:  Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry; Carl Edwards – No. 19 ARRIS Toyota Camry; Matt Kenseth – No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry.     At-Track PR Contact: Bill Janitz, True Speed Communication (704-875-3388 ext. 803 or Bill.Janitz@TrueSpeedCommunication.com).    Primary Team Members:   Driver: Kyle Busch Hometown: Las Vegas   Crew Chief: Adam Stevens Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio   Car Chief: Nate Bellows Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont   Team Engineer: Ben Beshore Hometown: Hometown York, Pennsylvania   Engine Specialist: Mike Johnson Hometown: Bozeman, Montana   Spotter: Tony Hirschman Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania Over-The-Wall Crew Members:   Gas Man: Tom Lampe Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska   Front Tire Changer: Josh Leslie Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan   Jackman: TJ Ford Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina   Front Tire Carrier: Brad Donaghy Hometown: Orange County, Virginia   Rear Tire Carrier: Kenny Barber Hometown: Hoosick Falls, New York   Rear Tire Changer: Jake Seminara Hometown: Steubenville, Ohio   Pit Support: Marcus Bonicelli Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado   Pit Support: Jeff Koons Hometown: Greenfield, Indiana Road Crew Members:   Truck Drivers: Brendan Greene and Jamie Price Hometowns: Midland, North Carolina, and Choteau, Montana, respectively   Tire Specialist: Gregory Katzke Hometown: Wausau, Wisconsin   Interior Mechanic: Wesley Lape Hometown: Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania   Team Engineer: Gene Watchtel Hometown: Clearwater, Florida   Ride and Handling Engineer: Chris Chase Hometown: Nichols, New York   Rear End Mechanic: Chris Jones Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia   Mechanic: Todd Foster Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama   Front End Mechanic: Brandon Griffeth Hometown: Pittsfield, Illinois Notes of Interest: The Kobalt 400 will mark Kyle Busch’s 393rd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 12th Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch has career totals of 34 wins, 17 poles, 132 top-fives, 196 top-10s and 10,998 laps led in 392 career Sprint Cup races. His most recent Sprint Cup win came three races ago in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, clinching his first Sprint Cup championship. Busch notched his most recent pole position 18 races ago at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Busch has one win, four top-five finishes and five top-10s and has led a total of 192 laps in 11 career Sprint Cup starts at Las Vegas. Busch’s average Las Vegas finish is 14.4.    M&M’S 75th: Along with its stature as a primary sponsor of defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch, the M&M’S brand is celebrating the 75th anniversary of M&M’S with a special paint scheme to recognize the milestone during the 2016 season. Part of the celebration includes the return of the iconic yellow No. 18 M&M’S Toyota. What’s your sign? Busch will sign autographs for fans from 5 to 7 p.m. PST Thursday at the M&M’S World location on Las Vegas Boulevard as the brand continues its 75th anniversary celebration. The record books show Busch won the 2009 Shelby 427, his first win at his hometown track, from the pole. But, because of an engine change during the Friday practice session, Busch had to do it by starting at the rear of the field and storming to the front. It was an emotional win in the city where he grew up. Home Sweet Home: From 1999 to 2001, Busch earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway “Bullring” before moving up to Late Model Stock cars. Winning seemed to come naturally no matter what Busch drove as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001. In 2002, Busch graduated with honors from Durango High School in Las Vegas – one year ahead of schedule. Driver Training: In 2001, at age 16, Busch made his debut at Las Vegas with a solid ninth in the Orleans 350 Camping World Truck Series race.  34 Career Sprint Cup Wins: With his Sprint Cup win at Homestead last season, the 34th of his career, Busch sits 21st on the all-time Sprint Cup win list. 155 and Counting: Busch enters Las Vegas with 155 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Sprint Cup (34), Xfinity (77) and Truck (44) – after winning the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. Source Bill Janitz True Speed Communication  Press Release to the Race Chatter

Jimmie Johnson ties Dale Earnhardt Sr. with 76th Career Victory

Posted by Wayne G. Barber


Johnson wins at Atlanta: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his 1st win of the season, 5th win in at Atlanta and 76th career win. He ties Dale Earnhardt, Sr. for 7th on the all-time career wins list and has one at least 1 race in each of the last 15 years. Johnson led 52 of the 330 laps.
#88-Earnhardt, Jr. finished 2nd, followed by #18-Busch, #41-Busch, #19-Edwards, #4-Harvick, #78-Truex, Jr., #24-Elliott, #2-Keselowski, and #17-Stenhouse.
The 8th place finish is a career best for #24-Elliott.
The race went caution-free for the first 209 laps, the longest green flag run to start a race in Atlanta history.
A spin by #31-Newman with 2 laps remaining sent the race into "NASCAR Overtime". A wreck on the backstretch after the leaders had already passed the overtime line, forced the race to end under caution.
There were 28 lead changes among 8 drivers and 3 cautions for 13 yellow flag laps.
The average speed was 155.863mph.

Race Fast Facts - Atlanta: Jimmie Johnson won the 57th Annual Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, his 76th victory in 509 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
With the victory, Johnson ties Dale Earnhardt for seventh on the all-time series wins list.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2016.
This is his fifth victory and 16th top-10 finish in 25 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr (second) posted his 14th top-10 finish in 29 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his first top-10 finish in 2016.
Kyle Busch (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 18 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Chase Elliott (eighth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Kyle Busch leads the point standings by 3 points over Martin Truex Jr.

Next Race will be at Las Vegas March 6th, 2016

(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(2-28-2016)

2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Chase Standings:
[after Atlanta, race 2 of 36]
1) #18-Busch, 78
2) #78-Truex, Jr., 75, -3
3) #4-Harvick, 74, -4
4) #19-Edwards, 73, -5
5) #11-Hamlin [1 win], 70, -8
6) #48-Johnson [1 win], 70, -8
7) #41-Kurt Busch, 69, -9
8) #22-Logano, 64, -14
9) #3-Dillon, 63, -15
10) #43-Almirola, 55, -23
11) #2-Keselowski, 54, -24
12) #20-Kenseth, 51, -27
13) #17-Stenhouse, Jr., 50, -28
14) #42-Larson, 49, -29
15) #31-Newman, 48, -30
16) #5-Kahne, 46, -32

(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(2-28-2016)

John Hunter Nemechek wins Truck Series Race at Atlanta:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 Non-Sponsored #8 John Hunter Nemechek wins and spanks power house Toyota to complete back to back wins for Chevrolet trucks in 2016
He is now all but guaranteed to qualify for the Camping World Truck Series Chase this year along with #21 Johnny Sauter who almost missed the race with a no-start at beginning on pit road which put him at the rear to start the race.
 I have been preaching my opinion of the trucks being the best division of the top three NASCAR divisions for years on the Race Chatter and today proved my theory again. This one was very emotional for me knowing their close knit family and their financial sponsor less dilemma.
   Cameron Hayley finished second, followed by #17-Timothy Peters, #19-Daniel Hemric, #33-Grant Enfinger, #41-Ben Rhodes, #05-John Wes Townley, #92-Parker Kligerman, #75-Caleb Holman, and #23-Spencer Gallagher.
There were 5 cautions for 25 laps and the caution clock was used twice [for the first and third cautions]. There were 7 lead changes among 4 leaders.
The average speed was 121.150mph.
 This was two time division champion #88 Matt Craftons race to win to repeat last years dominant performance and on the green white checker was taken out by #51 Daniel Suarez who was turned by #4  Eric Bell who on that re-start while walking away with a sure victory blew a right front tire and then proceeded to destroyed his truck on a very hard hit.

#8-John Hunter Nemechek won the Georgia 200 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday. It is his 2nd career win, his 1st of 2016, and his first at Atlanta.

Atlanta Race Fast Facts: John Hunter Nemechek won the 8th Running Great Clips 200, his second victory in 32 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in 2016.
This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in one races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
At 18 years, 8 months and 16 days, Nemechek becomes the youngest NASCAR national series winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Cameron Hayley (second) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his first top-10 finish in 2016.
Timothy Peters (third) posted his third top-10 finish in eight races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Grant Enfinger (fifth) was the highest finishing rookie.
Parker Kligerman leads the point standings by 1 points over Daniel Hemric.
(NASCAR Statistics)(2-27-2016)

Born June 11, 1997, Nemechek is a native of Mooresville, North Carolina; he was named after his uncle, John Nemechek, who had been killed in a racing accident earlier that year in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway^]He is a student at the Davidson Day School in Davidson, North Carolina.

Nemechek was the subject of a children's book on racing, Racin' Buddies, written by his father in 2001.

Kyle Busch wins XFINITY race at Atlanta:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 #18-Kyle Busch won the Heads Up Georgia 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his 77th XFINITY Series win and 1st of the year. He started from the pole and lead 119 of the 163 laps. #42-Kyle Larson finished second, followed by #20-Erik Jones, #2-Paul Menard, #3-Ty Dillon, #22-Brad Keselowski, #19-Daniel Suarez, #7-Justin Allgaier, #1-Elliott Sadler, and #43-Jeb Burton.
There were 5 cautions for 21 laps and 5 lead changes among 4 leaders.
The average speed was 137.065mph.
 No race team went home and everyone made the green flag.

Local Connecticut Modified Driver, #01 Ryan Preece in his Kubota Chevrolet completed 159 of the 163 lap race in his second Xfinity race started 22nd and finished 21st.

 After two races sits at 21st with 20 points which is 50 behind the division leader Jr. Motorsports driver Elliot Sadler.

Next Race Las Vegas Saturday March 5, 2016

Atlanta XFINITY Race Fast Facts: Kyle Busch won the 25th Annual Heads Up Georgia 250, his series-leading 77th victory in 312 NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
This is his first victory and ninth top-10 finish in 12 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His previous best finish at Atlanta was second, five times.
Kyle Larson (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in four races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his first top-10 finish in 2016.
Erik Jones (third) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 3 points over Daniel Suarez.
(NASCAR Integrated Marketing)(2-27-2016)

XFINITY Driver standings following Atlanta:
1) #1-Elliott Sadler, 70
2) #19-Daniel Suarez, 67, -3
3) #3-Ty Dillon, 65, -5
4) #33-Brandan Jones, 64, -6
5) #7-Justin Allgaier, 63, -7
6) #62-Brendan Gaughan, 60, -10
7) #6-Darrell Wallace, Jr., 58, -12
8) #11-Blake Koch, 53, -17
9) #16-Ryan Reed, 51, -19
10) #51-Jeremy Clements, 50, -20

Frank W. Earnhardt reinstated by NASCAR

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Crew member reinstated: NASCAR has reinstated Frank W. Earnhardt, a former crew member in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, upon his successful completion of NASCAR's Road to Recovery Program. On May 14, 2013, Earnhardt was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy) of the NASCAR Rule Book.(NASCAR)(2-23-2016)

 

Kurt Busch wins Atlanta pole:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 #41-Kurt Busch won the Coors Light pole for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with speed of 191.582mph for his 1st pole of 2016, 1st at Atlanta and 20th of his career. Busch has won 1 race from the pole out of 19 previous poles.

 #1-McMurray is on the outside pole followed by #6-Bayne, #31-Newman, #17-Stenhouse, Jr., #4-Harvick, #19-Edwards, #3-Dillon, #78-Truex, Jr., #44-Scott #5-Kahne and #11-Hamlin.

 #18-Kyle Busch had the fastest speed in the final round but his qualifying time was disallowed because the rear toe of the car was off by 0.15 degrees. He will start 39th.
#18-Busch was fastest in the first round with a speed of 193.299mph. #1-McMurray topped the second round at 191.834mph.

 Only 39 cars were entered so everyone made the race.

Atlanta Pole Notes & Facts: · Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Atlanta in 1960 with a speed of 133.870 mph.
· 49 drivers have Coors Light poles at Atlanta, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman with seven each.
· Winning consecutive Coors Light poles has happened eight times at Atlanta, among six drivers.
· Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; spring of 2003 through 2005.
· One active driver has posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (9/01/2013).
· 14 of the 108 (12.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kasey Kahne in 2006.
· The fifth starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2011.
· 26 of the 108 (24.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and 12 from second-place.
· 60 of the 108 (55.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-five starting position.
· 85 of the 108 (78.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Eight of the 108 (7.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta is 39th, by Bobby Labonte in the fall of 2001.
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway five times; most recently the fall of 2010.
(NASCAR)

Lutz, Swanson to Step Up on Whelen Tour

Posted by Wayne G. Barber



Matt Swanson made five starts as a 15-year-old true rookie in 2015. Getty Images for NASCAR

                          Will Take on Full Schedule, Run for Sunoco Rookie of the Year

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After testing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour waters as part-time participants year ago, drivers Craig Lutz and Matt Swanson are ready to step up to full-time competition and contend for the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
Lutz, of Miller Place, New York, made his first Whelen Modified Tour appearance in 2014 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl where he has competed in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified division in recent seasons. Last year the 21-year-old, who works as a carpenter on Long Island, made four Whelen Modified Tour starts.
CRAIG LUTZ BIO  |  MATT SWANSON BIO  |  NWMT ROSTER
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Lutz said. “I’m excited for the experience of going to tracks I haven’t been to and getting some seat time there. Hopefully we’ll be able to make a competitive run for Sunoco Rookie of the Year.”
Swanson hails from Acton, Massachusetts. The 16-year-old student debuted on the Whelen Modified Tour in 2015 with five appearances, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in the NAPA Fall Final 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway. His debut at Stafford in August made him the youngest race starter in Whelen Modified Tour history at 15 years, five months and 22 days old. Swanson earned the modified division track championship at Star Speedway in 2014 at age 14 before moving to touring competition last year.
“This year we’re coming into it really prepared,” Swanson said. “We only had one car last year and we used last year as a learning experience. This year we know what to expect and we’re coming back with two open motors from Billy the Kid and two Spafco chassis to see what we can do.”
Swanson, like Lutz, is looking forward to an opportunity to vie for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
“The driver that earns that award gets some pretty good publicity,” Swanson said. “To earn something like that on the Whelen Modified Tour would really be something to look back on years later. It’s really cool to be able to contend for that.”
The 17-race NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season will commence with the Icebreaker 150 on Sunday, April 10 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. For 42nd Annual Icebreaker .

Source: NASCAR Home Tracks Intergrated Press Release Marketing Jason Cunningham,

2016 Daytona 500 winnings released:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Although NASCAR has stated that it does not plan to list winnings after races, it listed the winnings from Sunday's Daytona 500 in a media packet. The winnings that go to Joe Gibbs Racing for #11-Denny Hamlin's victory is $1,507,592. That's less than what Team Penske received last year for Joey Logano's Daytona 500 victory. Those winnings were $1,581,453. #78-Martin Truex Jr. finished second Sunday and the winnings that went to Furniture Row Racing was $1,201,998. That's more than what went to Stewart-Haas Racing last year when #4-Kevin Harvick finished second and collected $1,157,470. The smallest paycheck went to BK Racing for Matt DiBenedetto's 40th-place finish. Those earnings were $297,128. The smallest paycheck in last year's race went to Hillman Racing for Landon Cassill's last-place finish. Those earnings were $262,390. Source: NBC/ Fox NASCAR Sports.


P.S.  This week the Sprint Cup
group travels to Atlanta, one of my favorite tracks and everyone gets in. Only 39 race teams have entered for the 40 car field. Very interesting season is developing.
 Someone should put Johanna Long in one of their back-up race cars to make it 40 cars and I know she would do a great job and bring it home in one piece.

Atlanta Track Notes & History: · Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.
· The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
· It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
· The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.

Stewart-Haas Racing Switches to Ford in 2017

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Team Will Field Ford Fusions in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Feb. 24, 2016) – Stewart-Haas Racing, winners of two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships and 30 point-paying races, will campaign Ford Fusions beginning in 2017. The four-car team will compete with Ford engines prepared by Roush Yates Engines.

 

“I am proud of our association with Chevrolet as they helped build our organization into the team it is today,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner, Stewart-Haas Racing. “This new partnership with Ford allows us to strengthen our position in the sport and ensure the long-term stability and success for everyone who is a part of Stewart-Haas Racing.”

 

“Motorsports is an extremely challenging environment where in order to maintain success you have to constantly innovate. It’s true in NASCAR and it’s true in business,” said Gene Haas, co-owner, Stewart-Haas Racing. “We’ve enjoyed great success with Chevrolet, but this opportunity with Ford allows us to evolve while continuing to compete at the highest levels of the sport.”

 

“From the very beginning of Stewart-Haas Racing we have fostered an environment of competitiveness, performance, teamwork and family,” said Brett Frood, team president. “This future partnership enables us to continue delivering across these silos and exceed our commitments to our fans, partners and employees.” 

Source:  Mike Arning

True Speed Communication

 
 
 
 

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Gears Up for the 42nd Annual Icebreaker in April

Posted by Wayne G. Barber Photos from Wayne G. Barber Collection

(THOMPSON, CT) - The 42nd Annual Icebreaker, one of the most highly anticipated racing events in New England, will take place on April 8-10, featuring the first championship race of the season for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT). The Icebreaker this year has been expanded to twelve divisions of racing, and will once again include the popular Fan Appreciation party on the track on Sunday morning before the second day of races begin.The Icebreaker will start off with a practice day on Friday, April 8. The pit area will open for haulers to start coming in at noon, and rotating practice sessions will begin at 1PM for all divisions except for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS). Tickets for Friday cost $15 per person for pit access. Haulers will be able to come in until 7PM on Friday to park for the weekend. Saturday’s on-track activity will begin at 9:45 AM with practice for PASS and NWMT competitors. The pits open at 8:00 AM and the grandstands open at 9:30 AM. Qualifying races will begin in the afternoon at 2:30 for all divisions, ending with time trials for the NWMT cars at 4:00 PM. Feature races will begin immediately after, starting with the Vintage Outlaws division who will be racing their first of three events at TSMP this season. Also returning to the Icebreaker will be the Lite Modified division, NEMA Lites, Lite Modifieds, and Trucks. Newcomers to the Icebreaker this year include the Pro All Stars Series (PASS), for their first return to the 5/8-mile oval since 2010, and the start-up stock car series, the North East Street Stock Tour (NESST). The NESST is open to any of TSMP’s Limited Sportsman cars, giving drivers the opportunity to compete twice on Icebreaker weekend. Sunday’s events will start off with the return of the Fan Appreciation party on track. Fans will once again be invited to the Icebreaker Fan Appreciation party on the track Sunday morning for the opportunity to meet the stars and cars and enjoy some live entertainment. The morning’s activities will include a Champion Banner Raising Ceremony at 10:30 AM followed by a live concert by American Idol contestant, Timmy Brown.

The racing action will begin on Sunday afternoon at 12:35 PM starting off with the TSMP’s premier NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) division, the Sunoco Modifieds. Also on tap will the TSMP’s other three NWAAS divisions - the Late Models, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stock. The Limited Sportsman and Mini Stock divisions will both be competing in their first race of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Triple Crown Championship, which earns competitors separate points in the three-race series in addition to TSMP points. PASS will be putting on an exciting 75-lap race, and the afternoon will finish up with the feature event, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 150-lap race at 3:30PM.

Tickets will go on sale for the 42nd Annual Icebreaker on Tuesday, February 23rd and camping reservations will go on sale on March 1st. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.thompsonspeedway.com/event-tickets or call our office at (860) 923-2280. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube for the most up to date information about events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

REPOST - NASCAR ends posting race winnings:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

$$$$$    Ending a practice of more than six decades, NASCAR has stopped disclosing winnings in Sprint Cup box scores because of its new charter system, whose financial details are emerging. NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar told NBC Sports the decision was made to stop disseminating total purse and individual winnings for each race because "it's not contemporary" under the new system announced Tuesday that guarantees revenue and race attendance for 36 teams with charters. Another four "open" cars - which don't have charters that guarantee making the race - could round out each field for a maximum of 40 cars. "It's a new foundation and a new era," Dewar said. "We've changed a lot of things from that old model to this model. That's one of the things that was from a different time and place." The move, which began with Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited, essentially ends career winnings as a calculable and comparable statistic. NASCAR has supplied race winnings virtually since its 1948 inception (Jim Roper is credited with earning $2,000 for winning the inaugural Strictly Stock race at Charlotte Speedway) and also listed each race's total purse on entry blanks and box scores. The 2016 Daytona 500 entry blank didn't contain a total purse or a breakdown of payouts by position. Those standard elements remain on the entry blanks for the truck and Xfinity series - both of which still have a race purse that includes money based on myriad contingency plans and finishing order.
Under the new system, NASCAR has set aside guaranteed revenues for chartered teams based on entering each race and on their performance over the past three seasons. They also will compete for a points fund with more cash. The fourth and final source of income for chartered teams is what traditionally has been called "the purse," but in this case, it's dependent solely on finishing position - carved out from the previous contingency plans that rewarded the most competitive teams. The chartered and open teams compete for the same pool of money in what is known as the "variable" purse that is based on results (in addition to the "fixed" purse that offers guaranteed money in much larger amounts for the charter teams). Dewar said it didn't make sense to provide winnings that are listed according to drivers, which was misleading because the money actually was awarded to teams. Dewar contrasted it to a PGA event, where the listed winnings actually go directly to the golfer. IndyCar takes a similar approach, publishing none of its winnings for races aside from the Indianapolis 500.

Denny Hamlin wins the Daytona 500:

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

 #11-Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway for his 1st win of the season, 1st win in the Daytona 500 and 27th career win. Hamlin led 95 of the 200 laps. This was the car#11 Denny Hamlin's 11th race at Daytona and makes the 11th time a race car #11 has won at Daytona. Last year Ford swept the three races and Chevrolet swept the first two in 2016. This is the first Daytona 500 win for Toyota after claiming their first points championship in 2015 with Hamlin's team mate Kyle Busch at Homestead ,Fla.
It is the 2nd Daytona 500 win for Joe Gibbs Racing and first since Dale Jarrett won in 1993. It is the first career win for crew chief Mike Wheeler.
#78-Martin Truex Jr. led coming to the start-finish line, but Hamlin caught him and won by .010 seconds in a photo finish.
#18-Kyle Busch 2015 Sprint Cup Champion finished 3rd, followed by former 2007 Daytona 500 winner#4-Kevin Harvick, #19-Carl Edwards, 2015 Daytona winner #22-Joey Logano, #42-Larson, #7-Smith (kids eat free at Golden Corral on Monday), #3-Dillon and #41-Busch.
  Two time Daytona 500 winner #20-Kesneth led on lap 199 and was quite a bit ahead of the 2nd line which Hamlin was in, Kenseth moved over to race Hamlin and ended up falling back and finished 14th.
#24-Chase Elliott, the pole sitter, and yesterdays NASCAR Xfinity race winner spun on lap 20 while in the middle of the pack and did a lot of damage to the front end. Elliott came back out down 40 laps and finished 37th. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., who led 15 laps, and was the race favorite, spun off turn 4 on lap 169 hitting the inside wall and ended his day, finishing 36th.
There no large wrecks, termed 'the big ones', during the race.
There were 20 lead changes among 15 drivers and 6 cautions for 31 yellow flag laps.
The average speed was 157.549mph.
#21-Ryan Blaney (19th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#11-Denny Hamlin leads the point standings by 5 points over #78 Martin Truex Jr.
The Margin of Victory in today's race is the closest in Daytona 500 history at 0.010 second.
Denny Hamlin becomes the sixth driver to win both the Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500 in the same season joining Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).Source: (NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(2-21-2016)

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Folds of Honor 500 on Sunday, Feb. 28, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX.

Preece Defends His New Smyrna Titles

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Wins Richie Evans Memorial 100 To Capture World Series Crown.

Ryan Preece celebrates his win in Friday night's Richie Evans Memorial 100 Modified race at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. Jason Christley/NASCAR

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. - Ryan Preece had an easier week at this year’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing than he did last year.
The result was the same.
Preece dug himself into a hole the first night out last season and spent the week battling for the top spot. Fast forward to one year later, where the 25-year-old, Berlin, Connecticut, driver collected two wins and two runner-up finishes in the week's four races.
Preece captured the prestigious 30th Richie Evans Memorial 100 on Friday night at New Smyrna (Florida) Speedway. The win also netted him his second consecutive Tour Type Modified championship for the 50th running of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track's week-long World Series event.
"Winning a race with Richie Evans' name on it, it really means a lot to me," said Evans of the Modified legend and NASCAR Hall of Famer. "That's somebody, when you think Modifieds, you think Richie Evans. I'm a little young, so I wasn't fortunate enough to race in Richie's era. But you can type into YouTube and see some of the things he did. He really was an amazing driver. So to put my name on a trophy that has his name on it means a lot to me."
Evans, from Rome, New York, who won six World Series championships at the Florida half-mile high-banked oval.
Eric Goodale finished second, followed by JR Bertuccio. Preece wound up winning the title by nine points over Bertuccio.
Preece will make his debut at Daytona International Speedway Saturday in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Preece entered Friday's Modified race holding a six-point race on Justin Bonsignore in his quest to defend his Modified championship at New Smyrna. He didn’t show any signs of stress though, after qualifying fourth and starting fifth after an invert of the top eight spots. Preece quickly gaining the lead over pole sitter Jimmy Zacharias on Lap 6 in Turn 3.
The 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion continued to extend his lead over Zacharias and Wednesday's winner, Eric Goodale. A Tommy Catalano spun on Lap 60 to bring out the first caution flag of the night. That brought the field down pit lane for tire changes and adjustments.
Bonsignore briefly took the lead on the restart, only to have Preece rocket back into the lead a lap later and built up a four-car length bumper over his competitors.
"Just kind playing the tire strategy but at the same time keeping track position," Preece said. "When it came time to go on that restart, once we got tires, we had to take off."
Goodale tried to bring out some late race heroics on Lap 95, but Preece was too strong.
"The car felt like it had everything we needed it to have," said Goodale, who didn't make any adjustments on the pit stop. "Ryan just had a really good car today. I gave it everything I had those last 20 laps; just came up a little bit short. The last two or three years down here, Ryan has just had a really good short-race setup in that thing and the caution fell right into his lap there."
"I think if a caution came out, I would have been right up there with them," Bertuccio said. "I had great forward drive. The guys did a helluva job this week putting a fast race car underneath me."
Behind Bertuccio, Jimmy Zacharias and Bonsignore rounded out the top five. Ron Silk was sixth, followed by Chuck Hossfeld, Gary Putnam, Austin Pickens and Tommy Catalano.
Source: Brooke Franceschini, NASCAR Intergrated Marketing Hometracks

Ryan Preece then went over to the Daytona International Speedway and started 32nd in the NASCAR Xfinity race and completed 5 laps and was involved in a accident and ended up 40th and earned 1 point. Its off to Atlanta Speedway next Saturday in race number #2 of the 2016 33 race schedule.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Daytona Results

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Chase Elliott wins XFINITY race at Daytona: #88-Chase Elliott won the Power
There were 4 cautions for 17 laps and 19 lead changes among 9 leaders.
The average speed was 151.176mph. Elliot starts on the pole tomorrow in the Daytona 500 in the 24 replacing the retired Jeff Gordon who is now in the announcers booth.

Shares QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway. It is his 5th XFINITY Series win and 1st of the year. #22-Joey Logano finished second, followed by #5-Kasey Kahne, #1-Elliott Sadler, pole sitter #2-Austin Dillon, #6-Darrell Wallace, Jr., #33-Brandon Jones, #19-Daniel Suarez, #11-Blake Koch, and #62-Brendan Gaughan.

 Next week its off to Atlanta Speedway, one of my favorite race tracks and on my bucket list.

XFINITY Driver standings following Daytona:
1) #1-Elliott Sadler, 38
2) #6-Darrell Wallace Jr, 35 -3
3) #33-Brandon Jones, 34
4) #19-Daniel Suarez , 33 -5
5) #11-Blake Koch, 32 -6
6) #62-Brendan Gaughan, 32 -6
7) #7-Justin Allgaier, 29 -9
8) #3-Ty Dillon, 29 -9
9) #28-Dakoda Armstrong, 27 -11
10) #51-Jeremy Clements, 26 -12