NERacer.Com - North East NE Racing news blog » NASCAR

Ryan Newman wins at Martinsville Speedway

Jay Hall — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:57:03 +0000

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — In the wake of a controversial late-race caution, Ryan Newman spoiled an afternoon of Hendrick hegemony with an opportunistic victory in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup photos

After Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominated the action for 497 laps, an untimely caution flag flew on Lap 497 and sent the race to overtime, after David Reutimann stalled on the frontstretch.

Gordon and Johnson stayed out on old tires as the lead-lap cars behind them came to the pits for tires and fuel. On the restart on lap 504, Clint Bowyer took Johnson and Gordon three-wide into the first corner, and all three cars spun, ruining a potential 200th victory party for Hendrick Motorsports.

Full Story – Opportunistic move gets Ryan Newman a win at Martinsville Speedway

RACE RESULTS

1. (5) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 515, $198,808.
2. (27) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 515, $150,610.
3. (14) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 515, $116,985.
4. (21) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 515, $152,821.
5. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 515, $117,949.
6. (3) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 515, $128,101.
7. (15) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 515, $133,410.
8. (19) Aric Almirola, Ford, 515, $121,196.
9. (7) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 515, $117,455.
10. (4) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 515, $111,999.
11. (28) Carl Edwards, Ford, 515, $124,451.
12. (22) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 515, $124,071.
13. (26) Greg Biffle, Ford, 514, $89,385.
14. (9) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 514, $129,846.
15. (12) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 513, $109,668.
16. (17) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 513, $106,343.
17. (16) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 513, $104,368.
18. (6) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 513, $79,035.
19. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 513, $125,971.
20. (20) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 513, $110,718.
21. (32) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 512, $108,176.
22. (18) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 512, $116,435.
23. (10) Joey Logano, Toyota, 511, $85,660.
24. (24) David Ragan, Ford, 511, $91,518.
25. (25) Casey Mears, Ford, 511, $89,218.
26. (11) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 510, $84,685.
27. (34) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 510, $93,907.
28. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, 509, $76,060.
29. (31) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 507, $102,230.
30. (39) David Stremme, Toyota, 506, $76,760.
31. (41) Hermie Sadler, Chevrolet, 505, $80,610.
32. (36) Ken Schrader, Ford, 503, $80,460.
33. (40) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 497, $80,235.
34. (42) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Brakes, 439, $72,110.
35. (29) David Reutimann, Chevrolet, Engine, 436, $72,060.
36. (8) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 435, $119,218.
37. (43) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Brakes, 359, $71,930.
38. (1) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Engine, 256, $86,253.
39. (37) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Brakes, 74, $69,100.
40. (23) Michael McDowell, Ford, Brakes, 60, $69,025.
41. (30) Josh Wise, Ford, Brakes, 49, $68,975.
42. (33) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Brakes, 30, $68,895.
43. (35) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Brakes, 25, $68,418.

Full Story – Opportunistic move gets Ryan Newman a win at Martinsville Speedway

Tony Stewart wins rain-shortened Cup race at Fontana

Jay Hall — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:05:49 +0000

Race Photos

FONTANA, Calif. — Tony Stewart made all the right moves Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, and the last one proved decisive in taking the three-time champion to Victory Lane in the rain-shortened Auto Club 400.

After raindrops slowed the race on Lap 124, Stewart, the race leader, faked a move toward pit road but stayed on the track and matched the pace car’s speed of 65 mph, a far cry from the lightning-fast laps he ran under the green flag.

But that move — staying out and running slow caution laps before NASCAR stopped the race on Lap 129 — proved decisive for the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, who claimed his second victory of the season, his second at Fontana and the 46th of his career, tying him with Buck Baker for 14th on the career victory list.

For Full Story Visit – http://checkupracing.com/2012/03/25/tony-stewart-wins-rain-shortened-cup-race-at-fontana-full-results/

RACE RESULTS

1. (9) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 129, $323,450.
2. (2) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 129, $259,698.
3. (14) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 129, $170,165.
4. (7) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 129, $181,551.
5. (12) Carl Edwards, Ford, 129, $161,056.
6. (4) Greg Biffle, Ford, 129, $119,590.
7. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 129, $146,448.
8. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 129, $131,504.
9. (23) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 129, $138,898.
10. (10) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 129, $142,201.
11. (1) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 129, $149,771.
12. (3) Mark Martin, Toyota, 129, $96,355.
13. (11) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 129, $122,469.
14. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 129, $102,105.
15. (25) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 129, $134,330.
16. (15) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 129, $138,866.
17. (24) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 128, $122,096.
18. (17) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 128, $125,250.
19. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 128, $98,705.
20. (22) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 128, $114,163.
21. (29) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 128, $118,388.
22. (19) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 128, $127,180.
23. (33) Casey Mears, Ford, 128, $102,163.
24. (8) Joey Logano, Toyota, 128, $95,280.
25. (28) Aric Almirola, Ford, 128, $124,016.
26. (21) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 128, $130,566.
27. (18) David Reutimann, Chevrolet, 127, $85,230.
28. (26) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 127, $104,188.
29. (40) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 127, $101,777.
30. (41) David Gilliland, Ford, 127, $85,480.
31. (38) David Ragan, Ford, 127, $83,280.
32. (16) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 126, $111,613.
33. (34) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 126, $80,355.
34. (42) Ken Schrader, Ford, 125, $88,155.
35. (36) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 125, $79,930.
36. (31) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 124, $106,125.
37. (30) Josh Wise, Ford, Vibration, 51, $79,555.
38. (32) Michael McDowell, Ford, Vibration, 40, $79,307.
39. (20) David Stremme, Toyota, Rear Gear, 36, $75,855.
40. (39) Mike Bliss, Toyota, Transmission, 18, $75,675.
41. (35) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Vibration, 17, $75,505.
42. (43) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Vibration, 6, $75,415.
43. (37) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, Engine, 1, $83,769.

Brad Keselowski scores repeat Bristol win

Jay Hall — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:33:17 +0000

More Bristol Spint Cup Racing Photos

Full Race Story

RACE RESULTS

1. (5) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 500, $186,770.
2. (21) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 500, $179,821.
3. (15) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 500, $147,149.
4. (16) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 500, $135,124.
5. (25) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 500, $98,535.
6. (33) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 500, $139,810.
7. (17) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 500, $127,793.
8. (30) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 500, $124,351.
9. (22) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 500, $136,596.
10. (11) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 500, $102,060.
11. (14) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 500, $139,546.
12. (3) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 500, $132,818.
13. (1) Greg Biffle, Ford, 500, $111,085.
14. (23) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 500, $140,810.
15. (18) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 500, $100,035.
16. (9) Joey Logano, Toyota, 498, $99,935.
17. (2) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 498, $132,635.
18. (27) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 498, $116,893.
19. (7) Aric Almirola, Ford, 498, $127,446.
20. (20) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 498, $132,901.
21. (19) David Reutimann, Chevrolet, 497, $90,010.
22. (32) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 496, $97,735.
23. (31) David Ragan, Ford, 496, $105,618.
24. (6) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 496, $111,343.
25. (24) Casey Mears, Ford, 496, $101,068.
26. (26) David Gilliland, Ford, 496, $98,207.
27. (34) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 496, $96,510.
28. (36) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 495, $95,860.
29. (29) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 495, $111,605.
30. (40) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 493, $86,410.
31. (39) Michael McDowell, Ford, 492, $84,110.
32. (13) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 423, $131,243.
33. (42) Ken Schrader, Ford, 420, $91,985.
34. (35) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 417, $83,935.
35. (4) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 395, $131,921.
36. (12) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 389, $111,743.
37. (10) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 366, $91,780.
38. (28) David Stremme, Toyota, Accident, 334, $83,703.
39. (8) Carl Edwards, Ford, 245, $127,191.
40. (41) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Brakes, 57, $80,875.
41. (43) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Vibration, 26, $80,800.
42. (38) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Vibration, 17, $80,720.
43. (37) Josh Wise, Ford, Spindle, 16, $80,289.

Brett Moffitt to Drive 2nd Car for Hattori Racing Enterprises in K&N East Series

Jay Hall — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:32:09 +0000

Mooresville, NC – Brett Moffitt has been named driver of the #11 Toyota Camry for Hattori Racing Enterprises for the 2012 NASCAR K & N Pro Series East.

Moffitt, a 20-year old Grimes, Iowa native will enter his 4th season on the K & N Pro Series East in 2012. He drove for Michael Waltrip Racing last season , and for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2010. In his rookie season, Moffitt drove for Andy Santerre Motorsports. His stats are impressive, in 34 starts, Moffitt has earned an seven wins, four pole positions, 20 top-5 and 25 top-10 finishes. Even more impressive is he has never finished worse than 3rd in the Championship points standings.

“I’m really looking forward to getting the 2012 season under way,” said Brett Moffitt. “I’m very excited to be teamed up with Hattori Racing and crew chief Dave McCarty. Everyone has been working extremely hard to get the cars ready for Sergio and I to get ready for the season and we are all looking forward to hitting the track at Bristol.”

Moffitt will join teammate Sergio Pena at Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2012. HRE is preparing for its first year of full-time competition. Owner, Shigeaki Hattori, is a Championship-winning former racer. He earned the Formula Toyota title in 1994 and competed in the Indy Racing League’s Indy Lights and IndyCar Series . He also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series. Born in Okayama, Japan, Hattori currently resides in Cornelius, NC and knows what it takes to win. “People in an organization are the key to the organization’s success . If you hire the right people with knowledge and experience, success will follow,” explains Hattori. I am excited about the addition of both of these young and talented drivers to our team. There are no limits to what we can accomplish this season.”

Setting the foundation for Hattori Racing Enterprises is four-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series Champion Andy Santerre, who will manage the race team and who was Moffitt’s former crew chief in 2009.

“I am excited to have Brett at HRE.” Hattori Racing General Manager, Andy Santerre stated. “He is an incredible driving talent and has matured behind the wheel in the last two years. He is more than capable of winning the championship. He and Dave (McCarty) should work well together and make a good team.”

Crew Chief, Dave McCarty has over 20 years experience in all types of racing – NASCAR Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, ASA and K&N Pro Series East.

“One of the reasons I wanted to join HRE was the group of people that Shigeaki and Andy have assembled. Adding Brett to join with Sergio creates an awesome team of drivers.” McCarty explained. “Brett has shown he has the ability to win and compete for a championship. I’m excited to have the opportunity to further him in his racing career and look forward to on-track success for him and the entire HRE team.”

HRE will field Toyota Camry’s with manufacturer backing from Toyota Racing Development for both Brett Moffitt in the #11 and Sergio Pena in the #1. “We are thrilled to have Toyota on board,” stated Hattori, who has had a long-standing relationship with the brand. “Toyota cars won every race in the series last year and I don’t expect this season to be any different.” Several other companies will be involved as well. AISIN, a world-wide supplier of automotive parts and systems; AISIN AW, who has a large facility in Durham, NC and who manufactures automatic transmissions and car navigation systems; and ADVICS, who helps advance cars with innovative brake systems.

HRE is located in a state-of-the-art building owned by Germain Racing in Mooresville, NC and was designed by Hattori so he could continue to enjoy American stock car racing while developing young, talented drivers.

Kenseth holds off Earnhardt Jr. and survives to win bizarre Daytona 500

Jay Hall — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:33:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Finally, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

In a Daytona 500 that featured the first postponement in its history, a ball of fire from a racecar vs. jet dryer collision under caution and a surfeit of wild action in the closing laps, Matt Kenseth won his second Daytona 500 when the tandem of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle couldn’t catch the race winner in a green-white-checkered-flag finish.

Earnhardt made a slingshot move around Greg Biffle to run second in the 54th running of the Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway. Biffle came home third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton, as a late caution necessitated two extra laps beyond the scheduled 200.

Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick, pole-sitter Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and Mark Martin completed the top 10.

Earnhardt hooked up with Biffle and pushed the No. 16 Ford after a restart on Lap 201, but the pair could not make headway against Kenseth who moved to the front of the field and stayed there.

Earnhardt expected Biffle to pull out and make a move, but the move never came.

“I was waiting and waiting,” Earnhardt said. “It looked like he might have been trying to make a move on the back straightaway, but nothing materialized there. Then we came off (Turn) 4, and I kind of waited till the last minute for him to have his opportunity to try to pass Matt, and nothing was happening, so I just pulled out and went around him.”

Kenseth had plenty of power at the finish, despite problems with the cooling system that plagued him early in the race.

“We had a lot of problems — it was spewing water,” said Kenseth, who notched the 22nd NASCAR Sprint Cup victory of his career. “I have to give a lot of credit to (engine builder) Doug Yates and the guys at the engine shop. We had great horsepower.

“I could get a pretty good start on the bottom and either Denny or Dale Jr. could push me for a while and then they just couldn’t stay attached and I would get away from them just in time to get in front of Greg, and the two of us together could make some unbelievable speed. I have to thank Greg. We worked together really good all day long. He had a really fast car all day as well.”

A multicar wreck on Lap 188 thinned the herd considerably, taking out a handful of competitive cars. Jamie McMurray spun wildly near the entrance to Turn 1, and the chain-reaction collision wiped out the cars of Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola and damaged the machines of Edwards and Tony Stewart.

Another melee on Lap 196 set up the overtime. After contact from Joey Logano’s Toyota, the Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. caromed into Stewart’s Chevrolet, turning the defending Cup champion sideways and igniting a pinball-style wreck that also involved Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.

A strange weekend that saw the first weather postponement in the history of the Daytona 500 got downright bizarre during a round of pit stops under caution late in the race.

Juan Pablo Montoya brought his No. 42 Chevrolet to pit road under caution on Lap 160, complaining of transmission issues. His car fell victim to a strong vibration when he returned to the track, and Montoya slid out of control at the entrance to Turn 3 and slammed into a jet dryer, which was against the outside wall, blowing the track.

The collision ignited the jet fuel in the dryer and set both vehicles ablaze. Montoya and the driver of the service vehicle both escaped the wreckage, but the latter — Duane Barnes, from Michigan International Speedway — was taken to nearby Halifax Medical Center for further evaluation.

“Something failed in the rear of the car, and the car just spun into the jet dryer,” Montoya said after a visit to the care center. “I left the pits and felt a really weird vibration, and I came back in and checked the rear end and (they) said it was OK, and I got into the backstraight and we were going in fourth gear but wasn’t going that fast.

“Every time I got on the gas, I could feel the rear squeezing. When I was telling the spotter to have a look how the rear was moving, the car just turned right.”

NASCAR red-flagged the race as safety vehicles arrived on the scene and track workers attempted to put out the fire.

“There’s going to be a big speed bump heading into Turn 3,” crew chief Steve Letarte told Dale Earnhardt Jr., fearful that the blaze would melt the asphalt. “I will be shocked — shocked — if we can get this race restarted.”

Letarte was wrong.

Safety workers cleared the scene by hoisting the remains of the jet dryer on a tow truck with a boom to prevent further damage to the asphalt. After a stoppage of two hours, five minutes and 29 seconds, the event resumed just before midnight ET.

The race was barely one lap old when contact from the front bumper of Elliott Sadler’s Chevrolet turned the No. 48 Chevy of five-time champion Jimmie Johnson hard into the outside wall near the exit from the tri-oval.

Unable to avoid the wreck, David Ragan plowed into the side of Johnson’s car. Neither Johnson nor Ragan was able to continue; they retired from the race in the 42nd and 43rd positions, respectively.

The cars of defending race winner Trevor Bayne, Danica Patrick and Kurt Busch were severely damaged in the melee and all three headed to the garage for extensive repairs and later returned to the track.

“The steering’s off,” Patrick said, as she brought the No. 10 Chevy to pit road. Her crew repaired the rear suspension, but Patrick was 62 laps down when she reappeared on Lap 66. She wound up 38th in her Sprint Cup debut.

Notes: Martin Truex Jr. won the $200,000 bonus for leading the race at the halfway point . . . The top four drivers when Juan Montoya hit the jet dryer were Dave Blaney, Landon Cassill, Tony Raines and David Gilliland, none of whom had come to pit road with the rest of the lead-lap cars. Irreparable damage to the track or an ill-timed rain cell could have made a winner of Blaney. . . . Edwards and Kyle Busch had to restart from the rear when the race resumed for removing tear-offs from their windshields under the red flag.

RACE RESULTS

1. (4) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 202.
2. (5) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 202.
3. (2) Greg Biffle, Ford, 202.
4. (31) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 202.
5. (9) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 202.
6. (37) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 202.
7. (13) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 202.
8. (1) Carl Edwards, Ford, 202.
9. (12) Joey Logano, Toyota, 202.
10. (22) Mark Martin, Toyota, 202.
11. (30) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 202.
12. (26) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 202.
13. (7) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 202.
14. (32) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 202.
15. (24) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 202.
16. (3) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 202.
17. (14) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 202.
18. (43) Terry Labonte, Ford, 202.
19. (41) Tony Raines, Ford, 202.
20. (21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 202.
21. (18) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 202.
22. (39) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 202.
23. (33) David Gilliland, Ford, 201.
24. (6) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 200.
25. (36) Casey Mears, Ford, 199.
26. (38) David Reutimann, Toyota, Accident, 196.
27. (10) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 196.
28. (34) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 194.
29. (20) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 189.
30. (11) Michael McDowell, Ford, 189.
31. (19) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Accident, 188.
32. (23) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, Accident, 187.
33. (27) Aric Almirola, Ford, Accident, 187.
34. (15) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 177.
35. (40) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 164.
36. (35) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, Accident, 159.
37. (42) David Stremme, Toyota, Engine, 156.
38. (29) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 138.
39. (28) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 113.
40. (16) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Engine, 81.
41. (17) Robby Gordon, Dodge, Engine, 25.
42. (8) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Accident, 1.
43. (25) David Ragan, Ford, Accident, 1.

Race Statistics

Average Speed: 140.256 mph.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 36 Mins, 2 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.210 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 10 for 42 laps.
Lead Changes: 25 among 13 drivers.
Lap Leaders: G. Biffle 1-9; R. Smith 10-11; G. Biffle 12-14; P. Menard 15-16; D. Hamlin 17-40; J. Burton 41-57; J. Gordon 58; T. Stewart 59-60; J. Burton 61-67; G. Biffle 68-76; M. Truex Jr. 77-81; G. Biffle 82; T. Labonte 83-85; G. Biffle 86-99; M. Truex Jr. 100-101; D. Hamlin 102-129; G. Biffle 130; M. Martin 131-132; G. Biffle 133-138; D. Hamlin 139-143; J. Logano 144-145; M. Kenseth 146-157; G. Biffle 158; D. Blaney 159-164; M. Kenseth 165-202.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): D. Hamlin 3 times for 57 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 50 laps; G. Biffle 8 times for 44 laps; J. Burton 2 times for 24 laps; M. Truex Jr. 2 times for 7 laps; D. Blaney 1 time for 6 laps; T. Labonte 1 time for 3 laps; P. Menard 1 time for 2 laps; J. Logano 1 time for 2 laps; T. Stewart 1 time for 2 laps; M. Martin 1 time for 2 laps; R. Smith 1 time for 2 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 12 in Points: M. Kenseth – 47; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 42; G. Biffle – 42; D. Hamlin – 42; J. Burton – 40; P. Menard – 39; K. Harvick – 37; C. Edwards – 36; J. Logano – 36; M. Martin – 35; C. Bowyer – 33; M. Truex Jr. – 33.

NNS Saturday at Daytona International Speedway

Jay Hall — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 02:10:21 +0000

More Photos – http://checkupracing.com/2012/02/25/nns-saturday-at-daytona-international-speedway/

Photos: Trucks and NNS Pole Friday at Daytona

Jay Hall — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 13:00:49 +0000

See More Photos – http://checkupracing.com/2012/02/25/photos-trucks-and-nns-pole-friday-at-daytona/

Stewart, Kenseth Capture Gatorade Duel 150-Mile Qualifying Races

Jay Hall — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 01:30:05 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth claimed their positions on the second row for Sunday’s 54th annual Daytona 500 with wins in their respective Gatorade Duel at Daytona qualifying races at historic Daytona International Speedway.

Stewart’s win in the first Gatorade Duel was his third in the Daytona 500 qualifying races and 17th overall on the 2.5-mile tri-oval moving him ahead of racing legend Bobby Allison to take sole possession of second place on DIS’s all-time victory list. The late Dale Earnhardt Sr. holds the top spot with 34 wins.

“We have a great race car,” said Stewart, who is still seeking his first Daytona 500 win. “We’ve had a great race car since we got here. (This win is) good momentum, but it’s no guarantee. It’s nice to come here and have two really good, strong and solid races back to back; it’s an awesome start for us.

“There’s just something magical about Daytona. When it’s the most important race of your season, all the drivers and all the teams and all the crews put more pressure on themselves for that one race than they do anywhere else the rest of the year.”

Kenseth’s victory added to an already prosperous Speedweeks 2012 for Roush Fenway Racing. It marked the first-ever Duel victory for the organization and only the third for Ford since the race went to the current 150-lap format. With Kenseth rolling off fourth on Sunday, and Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle securing the front row during Daytona 500 Qualifying, RFR will have three of the top-four cars leading the pack to kick off the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“It’s a big win for us,” remarked Kenseth. “We’ve never been able to win one of these races – Shootouts or 150s. We’ve been trying for a long time, so it feels good to have everything go right, have everything line up and be able to win that race. You feel a lot more confident.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top three of the first Gatorade Duel and Regan Smith and Jimmie Johnson followed behind Kenseth in the second Gatorade Duel.

Of the 49 cars battling in today’s Duels, 14 were not guaranteed a spot in NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race. Robby Gordon and Michael McDowell acquired the two transfer positions available in the first Gatorade Duel and Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek earned the two transfer spots in the second Gatorade Duel.

Defending Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne, Tony Raines and David Stremme made the race based on their qualifying speed and Terry Labonte will qualify with a past champion’s provisional.

The drivers that did not qualify for Sunday’s race are two-time Daytona 500 champions Michael Waltrip and Bill Elliott, Kenny and Mike Wallace, Robert Richardson Jr. and J.J. Yeley.

Tickets for the 54th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26 as well as other Speedweeks 2012 events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

If you are unable to attend in person, be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 on FOX on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.

TONY STEWART Looking for a Slam Dunk in Daytona

Jay Hall — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:50:52 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 22, 2012) – If there’s anyone who’s just a kid at heart, it’s Tony Stewart.

That’s why there’s no better driver to help Oreo kick off its 100th birthday celebration than the three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

While Stewart hopes to defend his Sprint Cup title in 2012, there’s one other title he hopes to retain as the season gets underway at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – the winner of the season-opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Celebrating a win right out of the box on the Nationwide Series’ biggest stage has become second nature to Stewart. He has six total wins in the DRIVE4COPD 300, including the last four in a row.

Should Stewart win Saturday, he will tie the late Dale Earnhardt for the most wins in the Nationwide Series at Daytona with seven.

Beginning in 2005, Stewart has won the opening round of the Nationwide Series at Daytona every year with the exception of 2007, when Kevin Harvick proved victorious. In that race, Stewart finished eighth. Every other year, it’s Stewart who’s been to victory lane, and he’s done it driving for three different car owners – Joe Gibbs in 2008, Rick Hendrick in 2009 and Harvick in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011.

This year, Stewart looks to earn his seventh victory in the first race of the season with his fourth different owner as he pilots the No. 33 OREO 100th Birthday Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing (RCR).

Stewart’s relationship with Kraft Foods’ Oreo and Ritz brands is a byproduct of the company’s partnership with Stewart and the Sprint Cup team he co-owns with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas – Stewart-Haas Racing. The Oreo cookie and Ritz cracker brands are Stewart-Haas Racing’s official cookie and cracker, with Stewart and his Sprint Cup teammate Ryan Newman carrying the brand’s colors on their respective uniforms and cars.

This year, Stewart makes a return to the No. 33 Chevrolet, which is the same car number he piloted when he earned his first Nationwide Series victory at Daytona in 2005. That win was also his first career Nationwide Series win. Stewart also won in the No. 33 in 2006.

And while Stewart will be with a new car owner in this year’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona, he will have some familiarity with the team. Several of the current team members at RCR worked on the cars he won with from Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI), which sold its Nationwide Series operation to RCR at the end of the 2011 season.

There would be no better way to kick off the monumental 100th birthday celebration for Oreo, the sponsor of the No. 33 Chevrolet, than by celebrating a Daytona victory. Oreo officially turns 100 years old on March 6.

It’s almost become a February tradition to see Stewart pull into victory lane on the Nationwide Series’ biggest stage – just like Oreos have become a snack-time tradition in households around the country. While Stewart has won the last four February Nationwide Series races at Daytona, none would be bigger, at least in his eyes, than if he were to earn a fifth consecutive win this Saturday.

Stewart has loved to snack on the iconic Oreo brand of cookies since his childhood, and to celebrate its birthday with a big win at Daytona would be just as refreshing as enjoying an Oreo cookie dipped in a tall glass of milk. Simply put, a win would be a slam dunk for Stewart and Oreo.

Video – Jeff Burton Facebook Fan Q&A

Jay Hall — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:41:06 +0000

In this video, Jeff answers questions from some of his Facebook fans. Check out Jeff’s