Motorsports FanHouse

New Car Is Safe, Now It's Time to Make it Race Better

Holly Cain — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Car of Tomorrow

It was a familiar, slightly sick feeling watching the frightening collision in Monday's race at Watkins Glen, N.Y. when Sam Hornish Jr.'s Dodge crashed into a wall, spun violently back on course, hit Jeff Gordon's Chevy sending it head-on into a steel barrier with four other cars bouncing off in a frightening melee.

The difference between it happening this week and it happening five or 10 year ago, however, was that all the drivers climbed out of their cars on their own Monday. Other than bumps, bruises and being very sore, they were okay.

The safety innovations of NASCAR's current car, the COT, make it one of the most significant evolutions in the sport's history. Now Dale Earnhardt Jr. is urging NASCAR to raise the car's performance level to match its improved safety standards.

"I feel like in a way we are holding ourselves back," Earnhardt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday. "We're short-changing ourselves."

"We have the technology and the people to build a car that will make for exciting racing, dramatic, side-by-side racing, that will sell tickets, excite fans and thrill people, but we have yet to pursue and try to obtain that."

Earnhardt continued to strongly voice his opinion Friday from Michigan International Speedway, telling reporters, "I think we need to open our eyes a little bit. Everyone."

Then he added, "I'm not trying to start a crusade against nobody or cause nobody any problems.

"I think the drivers, myself included, we would all work together with NASCAR to do this. I'm just trying to remind everyone the optimal goal and prize for us is to have better racing.

"When things are good, we shouldn't rest on any success we may be having. We're not really where we want to be, I don't think, as a sport.

"We need to do things to excite corporate America and excite the fans. We need to be proactive immediately to make that happen.''

Earnhardt agreed the double file re-starts instituted by NASCAR this summer have certainly spiced up the action. Prior to their implementation he said, "It was frustrating because 95 percent of the race wasn't worth the price of the ticket.''

As for tweaking the design of the car to better the racing: there are as many suggestions as their are drivers and crew chiefs.

"It's going to take time to develop it,'' Gordon said Friday. "There's no just one thing that's going to fix the issues that everybody's talking about. So, it's really comes down to whether NASCAR and the team owners really commit to wanting to make a change and what those changes would be."

NASCAR rules do not allow teams to alter the bodies. But most in the NASCAR garage agree that if put to task, engineers could come up with slight, easy modifications that would increase side-by-side racing and generate more passes on track instead of in the pits.

"I feel like, I just remember how the other cars drove," said Earnhardt, who is ranked 25th in the standings.

"I liked how they drove and I like how this car is safe but I want to be able to race it like we raced the other cars."

That's the heart of NASCAR's predicament with bringing out a new car design. It needs to be safe and sporty. And frankly, it got the priority right.

Racing cars at close-quarters at high speeds will be innately dangerous and, let's face it, that's part of the allure for spectator and competitor.

Since NASCAR introduced the COT to full-time Sprint Cup competition there have been no serious injuries to drivers despite head-on collisions and spectacular wrecks at places like Talladega, Ala. and Watkins Glen that have tested the limits of the COT's safety features.

The "soft wall" technology has been a key complementing element of this safer new era. But Monday at Watkins Glen, N.Y. it was all COT. There aren't any soft walls or SAFER barriers installed on this road course and many have asked, "why not?'' after the Hornish-Gordon wreck and a similar one the day before.

That we can expect drivers to survive frightening crashes is a new and welcome reality.

Even those of us who have had to interview family members, friends and fellow racers in the hours after a fatality or serious injury can especially appreciate this.

I still remember vividly rushing into the office at my former newspaper the evening of Aug. 20, 1994 sadly preparing to write an obituary for Ernie Irvan after he suffered life-threatening injuries at the two-mile Michigan Speedway. Irvan was given only a 10 percent chance to survive massive head injuries, but he did.

And in a sad irony, he triumphantly returned to racing only to be seriously injured again in a Busch Series practice at Michigan in 1999. He retired two weeks after that crash.

And we know the tragedies thereafter, including the fatal accident in the 2001 Daytona 500 that claimed Earnhardt's father, Dale Sr., a seven-time Cup champion.

Thankfully, after a renewed focus and years of development, the new car has drastically lessened the chances of serious injury.

Not only was Carl Edwards not seriously hurt after his car launched into the air and flipped into the retaining fence on the last lap at Talladega in April, he had the state of mind to climb from what was left of his mangled Ford and run across the finish line in a nod to the racing satire movie, Talladega Nights.

NASCAR has gotten the safety part of the equation right.

Now for the other half.

"NASCAR could probably be a little more urgent in improving our product, where the ultimate result is great, exciting racing that the fans will enjoy, that the drivers enjoy, so everyone is happy," Earnhardt said.

New Car Is Safe, Now It's Time to Make it Race Better originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bruton Smith Rips NASCAR Again

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 23 May 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR Testing, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has a "town hall meeting" scheduled with its drivers next week.

The sport's longtime rival, Bruton Smith, held one of his own Saturday.

Smith, the outspoken, multimillionaire chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., ripped NASCAR for choosing not to disclose the banned substance involved in driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, for dropping record penalties on underfunded driver Carl Long and for the kind of racing created with the Car of Tomorrow.

Smith also criticized two former Kentucky Speedway owners who refuse to drop an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. Their decision has delayed the track from getting a Sprint Cup race.

"I have tried everything to get that done," Smith said in a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview session at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I've tried to actually shame them into it because they have a moral responsibility because the state of Kentucky spent $96 million there and assisted on building that speedway. So there's 96 million reasons right there why they ought to drop that lawsuit. But it's still there."

Smith, whose company owns eight NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, was on hand to talk about the 50-year anniversary of the Coca-Cola 600. But he wasted little time taking the sanctioning body, the same one that helped build his fortune, to task on several hot topics.

He questioned the way NASCAR handled Mayfield's situation. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely over a positive random test that remains clouded in secrecy. He was the first driver to be suspended under NASCAR's new random testing policy, toughened up for this season after former driver Aaron Fike admitted using heroin - even on days he raced.

"I think we need some clarity on this," Smith said. "NASCAR, in my opinion, should come forth and say what the substance is. Why do we want all this secrecy behind it? I don't think you progress by being that secretive about something."

The 81-year-old Smith was even more critical of Long's suspension. Long was suspended 12 races and docked 200 points for having a slightly oversized engine at Lowe's last weekend. His crew chief also was fined $200,000. But if a crew chief can't pay a fine in NASCAR, it defaults to the team owner, which is Long and his wife. The record penalties could mean the end of Long's low-budget team.

"Why would you fine this man $200,000 for an engine that's a little bit over?" Smith said. "We've seen that so many times. What is it proving? I don't know who made that decision. ... In my opinion, they're dead wrong. Some of the things that NASCAR can do can disrupt and ruin a person's reputation, ruin their career. Two hundred thousand dollars? I've seen in the past where your engine may be a little bit over and maybe they take the engine."

Long said there's no chance he can pay the fine, and the suspension would prevent him from working his full-time job with another Cup team. Long appealed the penalties, allowing him to work until his June 2 hearing.

"I don't know Carl Long, but there's an injustice done there," Smith said. "I hope he wins his appeal. He can't race for 12 weeks? That's so cruel to try to ruin this man. That would absolutely financially ruin him, and it's just not right. I think you can prove your point a better way than that."

Smith didn't stop there, either.

He complained about NASCAR's bulkier car that has been blamed for less-than-stellar racing the last two years. He also suggested this year's testing ban has handcuffed teams and prevented them from finding solutions to the car's handling woes.

"Sometimes we forget these fans," Smith said. "When NASCAR does something that is so far out ... NASCAR loses a lot of fans when that happens. That's something you wouldn't think would happen in this country. It's too dictatorial and it's not good. We don't need to be making enemies. We need to make friends. We need to be fan-friendly."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Bruton Smith Rips NASCAR Again originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 May 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Track Position is Sprint Cup's Trump Card

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:22:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports, Lowes Motor Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

So how does a "Top-5" car run in the middle of the pack for nearly an entire race?

Just ask Jeff Gordon.

Following last Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Gordon found himself with a fourth-place finish in NASCAR's longest event after stretching his fuel mileage late in the race. That finish, though, wasn't an accurate picture of Gordon's night at LMS.

According to NASCAR's loop data, Gordon had an average running position throughout the race of 19th. Winner Kasey Kahne however averaged a 5th-place effort.

In years past, statistics like that and Gordon pulling out a fourth-place finish would be indicative of a car that just wasn't performing throughout the event, but that simply wasn't true. Instead, what kept Gordon -- and plenty of other drivers -- from moving through the field was his track position.

"...When we got up front there and got our lap back, I thought hey, you know, we've got a pretty decent car. We just need track position," said Gordon after the race. "Once we got our lap back, we were back in the back again and there were cars all over the place."

"You just can't go anywhere and you can't pass anybody."

As a race fan, I'm not particularly fond of a driver saying "you can't pass anybody".

The moment Gordon is talking about came in the middle portion of the race when he had gone a lap down and ended up being the first car one lap down on a restart. While Gordon couldn't pass the leader, he settled in as the "Lucky Dog" car and maintained position as the fourth or fifth car in the line of leaders.

In other words, Gordon had a car capable of running with the leaders in the Top-5.

A subsequent caution 50 laps later -- with Gordon still in the same position -- gave the No. 24 a trip back to the lead lap but in 18th-place as the last car on the lead lap. That meant that the rest of the field was in front of him either on the lead lap or a lap down for the restart.

A caution then came out on lap 307 and then lap 331, and in that time Gordon had driven all the way to 15th-place, with a car that had easily stayed with the Top-5 cars just laps earlier.

So what gives? What is it about NASCAR's new vehicle that's keeping people from advancing their position in green flag runs?

To Greg Biffle, it's the equality that the car brings.

"We're all going a similar speed, and our car is identical. That makes it more difficult because you have to be a fair amount faster than the guy in front of you in order to pass him, in order to get beside him and pass him.

"It's a double-edged sword. We've made them all equal or made them more equal, but at the same time that makes it a little bit more difficult to pass the guy in front of you when everybody is the same."

In other words, NASCAR has almost overly leveled the playing field with a car that either handles, or it doesn't. And when it does handle, every other driver on track has the same feel and runs the same speed.

Combine that with two other factors -- Goodyear bringing racing tires that don't lose hardly any grip any more and the aerodynamic problems presented with a car's ability to grip the track when trailing another one -- and you've got a pretty good recipe for why the drivers, and fans, are frustrated with the current style of racing.

Track position truly has become the trump card of Sprint Cup Series racing, as a majority of the biggest swings in a race's lineup isn't happening under green flag conditions. Instead, its become about the race off pit road, any spots a driver can grab on a restart, and fuel economy.

I had been quite worried about the show we were going to be treated to last week at LMS, but my worst fears weren't realized. The leaders did mix it up quite a bit, but those passes generally came when the first lead car reached a lap down car, and his machine changed handling due to the dirty air he was racing in.

While the Coca-Cola 600 brought out the unexpected -- as should be expected with that 600-miler -- it also showcased how drivers are more at the mercy of their race car now than ever before.

Track Position is Sprint Cup's Trump Card originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 30 May 2008 09:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

If Passing Is a Problem For All-Stars...

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, Sprint Cup

...then this blogger is worried about Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

Face it, NASCAR fans. The introduction of the Car of Tomorrow into full-time use for 2008 has produced some less than desirable racing at the 1.5-mile tracks that are near cookie-cutters of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Tony Stewart first blamed it on the tires at Atlanta in March, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a subtle criticism a week ago at Darlington when he said after the race that passing other cars was as bad as its been in a long, long time at the Lady in Black.

My favorite comment, though, about how the new car is behaving on-track in race mode came from Matt Kenseth after Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race XXIV when he referred to clean air as "magic" for the handling of the car.

Clean air -- undisturbed air that allows full downforce on a race car -- started to become a quick antidote for bad handling race cars with the previous version of the Sprint Cup car. The addition of a wing and splitter on the next-generation race cars used full time this year was supposed to decrease the effect of that variable.

Instead, it seems to have made it much, much worse.

I'd say that after Kasey Kahne shocked everyone and himself after winning the all-star event, that had Kahne restarted any further back than third, his No. 9 Dodge wouldn't have driven away from the field. In other words, Kahne likely won because a pit call put him up front in that clean air while Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards got mired up in the "dirty" air and didn't have near the handling afterwards.

And as the tape shows, Kahne drove away from the world en route to the win during the final segment.

Now, NASCAR fans will get NASCAR's longest night of 600 miles to see just how well this new car can perform in race conditions. From everything we've seen in 2008 like Kahne pulling away to an improbable win or Jeff Gordon falling flat on his face at Texas, the new car walks a razor-thin line of handling.

Throw the thing in a pack of cars compared to driving in the lead and drivers essentially have the tale of two race cars during the same race.

On Sunday night, there may be several leaders, but there won't be several battles for the lead. Just like the all-star race, the battle for the lead after a restart will last 5 laps, one driver will fly out to a big lead and thats how it will remain until a caution comes out.

I'm hoping to be surprised, but frankly, NASCAR fans might find the majority of the Coca-Cola 600 to be a great nap time after a long Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully though, NASCAR will see that with the economy the way it is, a sterilized racing product that drivers can't race with won't be good for the bottom line.

And once that bottom line is impacted, there will likely be change in the Sprint Cup rulebook. Vicious cycle, huh?

If Passing Is a Problem For All-Stars... originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NASCAR Cracks Down on Crab Walking

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 19 May 2008 22:18:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, Sprint Cup

I first noticed the phenomenon last week at Darlington, and boy, was it ever noticeable in Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race XXIV at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

That phenomenon? NASCAR Sprint Cup cars driving down the straightaway sideways.

Yes, the "Car of Tomorrow" was designed to reduce the amount of tweaks that a team could do to the body and frame settings of the car as it traveled down the track. NASCAR wanted to rope in the gray areas of the rulebook that permitted teams to essentially build a race car that resembled a wave more than an arrow.

Teams trying to find the newest edge with the new car design have seemingly stumbled across a way to make a car faster by jogging the rear end out to the right side of the car, causing a "crab walk" effect as it drives down the straightaway. Literally speaking, if one was to stand in front of the car, you could plainly see the right rear tire.

NASCAR -- outfoxed on the rules for its new car -- has decided to take a stance and force the teams to take out the awkward rear ends to a certain degree.

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said Saturday that teams will get a memo, likely this week, telling them to "clean up" the way they're turning their wheels to help the cars handle better.

"They need some of that, but there are some of them that have pushed it," Darby said.

Good for NASCAR on this one, I say. Frankly, the dirt track-type look on the straightaway isn't very visually appealing.

But I do think NASCAR is probably just getting to the tip of the ice berg in terms of the new car.
The new car was designed to be more racy (it isn't), safer (job well done), and help smaller teams race on an even playing field. The final goal is likely going to be the one thats missed the most because NASCAR didn't seem to take into account that teams with tighter rules create looser engineering budgets.

Will it get to the level of a Formula One Series? It's not there yet, but its well on its way. Teams will not stop at any cost -- as long as the sponsorship dollars are rolling in -- to win. And that cost?

From the engineers, where the crab walking cars came from.

NASCAR Cracks Down on Crab Walking originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 19 May 2008 22:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Car Shows Clear Advantages in Shootout

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 04:42:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, Sprint Cup

Check out all of the NASCAR Fanhouse Daytona Speedweeks coverage.

Say what you will, but it's been a long time since some of the top finishers in a race at Daytona for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have raced cars that were as adaptable to other tracks as the ones that raced Saturday night.

The Budweiser Shootout, won by Hendrick Motorsports newcomer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his first race with the team, had a majority of its news made the night before when a big wreck in practice forced many top contenders to backup cars for the money-only event.

Hendrick's Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Penske Racing's Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch all needed new cars for the event after separate Friday evening practice incidents. Because of the enormity of next Sunday's Daytona 500 and the amount of track time cars get leading up to it, none of those teams wanted to use the backup cars available for that race.

So instead, a "911 call" as Jimmie Johnson put it, went out to the teams nearly before the drivers had stopped colliding with the wall and each other Friday night to the race shops in suburban Charlotte, N.C. to summon in every able-bodied worker available.

It worked, and by Saturday morning, each team had a new car from the shop prepped, shined, and ready to race in that night's Shootout. And don't forget the fact that those cars were trucked from Charlotte to Daytona in that time, as well.

For Jeff Gordon, his car came from the garage floor, just months removed from winning at Darlington Raceway. Johnson's car? It was the winning car at the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway last spring.

They finished 4th and 3rd, respectively at the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway.

The Penske cars were in nearly the same boat, one that last year with the old model of car would have been simply unheard of. Teams formerly would massage and adjust a car in a wind tunnel and on-track to mold a car specifically for Superspeedway racing, and build completely separate cars for short tracks, road courses, and 1.5-milers. The Hendrick teams used to be so conscious about all drag that for Daytona, they would paint on sponsors instead of applying decals.

Yes, if you were wondering, that is crazy.

While they still may do that for that teeny, tiny bit of leverage, they are no longer building utterly different race cars for minutely different tracks -- precisely one of NASCAR's main goals with the next-generation car project.

After Saturday night, the sanctioning body that took so much heat for the new car has to be smiling quite broadly. The first real test about the uniformity of the race cars proved true, and will undoubtedly allow smaller teams to compete with big ones simply because cars have become more adaptable as to where they can race.

That being said, the sport of NASCAR is only going to get better as time moves on because teams will be able to focus on more than one race car at a time, and the financial costs should dramatically drop.

And if Saturday night was any indication, the level of intensity on the race track will be the only thing increasing.

New Car Shows Clear Advantages in Shootout originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 04:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nationwide Series Car Will Be "Different" from Sprint Cup Configuration, NASCAR Says

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: Busch Series, Car of Tomorrow, Nationwide Series

I read a good line the other day by David Poole of The Charlotte Observer. In one his postseason columns, he made the point that NASCAR needs to be looking out the other window. Instead of looking out of the back of the tower at the business side Poole says, they need to take a glimpse at the track out front.

Doing that, he says, will naturally and positively affect the business side of the sport.

To me, NASCAR looks to be taking a step in that direction, as numerous articles over the past few days have indicated that the NASCAR Nationwide Series -- formerly known as ~~Prince~~ the NASCAR Busch Series -- is going to sport a much different race car in 2009, despite moving to the "NASCAR" (next-generation Car of Tomorrow) body style.

That same body style will be in full-time use for the Sprint Cup series in 2008.

Many complained, including myself, that NASCAR was simply going too far in keeping the two series the same, and not allowing any real definition.

Joe Balash, the director of the Nationwide Series, said that was not the intended plan, and talked about the two cars needing to drive different. The key? Suspension differences.

"We want the car to drive different.We've gone down the path of having two very similar cars and very easily taking the technology that makes the car turn both aerodynamically and with suspension interchange between the garages.

"As we go forward, we want more difference there. We want to have our cars use a more conventional spring setup. We're not going to use the bump-stops on the cars."

That's a nice step -- and there's more.
In addition the suspension differences, Balash also noted that the hood will sit higher and the rear deck lid will be shorter -- mainly because the series will become based on models not used in the Sprint Cup Series.

Manufacturers are still deciding what model to use, though it appears likely Ford will run a Mustang, Chevrolet a Camaro and Dodge a Challenger. Toyota likely will stick to the Camry, sources said.

Sweet.

There's even more, and it was to do with the part of the Sprint Cup car NASCAR fans love/hate the most.

The wing.

From David Poole's blog:

The Nationwide car will be built on the same chassis as the Cup Series car of tomorrow, but the bodies will be different. And, at least right now, the Nationwide cars will have spoilers and not wings

fThat's plenty of changes, and they'll definitely make the cars drive differently But will that keep the Sprint Cup stars from "Nation-whacking" on Saturday's?

Doubt it.

But another possibility of this configuration is that NASCAR will have some new answers if big changes are needed to the Sprint Cup car in the near future.

Nationwide Series Car Will Be "Different" from Sprint Cup Configuration, NASCAR Says originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

2007 NASCAR Season: My Top 35 Memories

tallglassofmilk — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:54:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Fans, The Word, Car of Tomorrow

The 2007 NASCAR seasons is in the book and oh ... the memories and monotony. I will remember it most as the year Dale Earnhardt Jr. left the company his father started, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus dominated and the season droned on in the car of tomorrow.

Here are the Top 35 things I will remember most about the 2007 NASCAR Season, in (mostly) chronological order:

1. AOL Sports welcomed NASCAR into the Fanhouse

2. Mark Martin didn't win the Daytona 500

3. Michael Waltrip Racing's Intake Gate

4. Washington State dissed NASCAR fans

5. Juan Pablo Montoya won in Mexico

6. Car of Tomorrow debuted at Bristol

7. Team Red Bull mechanic Jimmy Sprinkle murdered

8. The Virginia Tech Tragedy

9. Kevin James' Engine Command

10. NASCAR sued AT&T

11. Michael Waltrip fell asleep at the wheel

12. Tony Stewart's beef with NASCAR

13, Kasey Kahne called David Stremme fat

14. Announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s departure from DEI

15. #8 Budweiser team assessed first COT penalty

16. Busch brothers took each other out in the All-Star race

17. Kurt Busch endangered a crew member without stiff penalty

18. Miss Ella Sofia Gordon arrived on the scene

19. NASCAR on ESPN on ABC debuted and sucked

20. Aaron Fike's Arrest

21. Ray Evernham and Erin Crocker came out

22. Robby Gordon got parked for a Nextel cup event for his actions in a Busch race

23. The Blaniac Challenge (VJGC is going to collect $45 from TGOM)

24. Labor Day at California Speedway was HOT

25. Mears yielded a position to Busch (honorable mention: Mears gets first career win)

26. It rained in Kansas

27. The government dissed NASCAR fans

28. Tony Stewart's beef with ESPN

29. Tony Stewart's beef with Paul Menard

30. Carl Edwards beef with Matt Kenseth

31. Paris Hilton discovered NASCAR drivers

32. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s struggles

33. Jimmie Johnson's dominance

34. We lost Bill France Jr., Benny Parsons and Bobby Hamilton

35. 'Twas the season of breakups and the Biffle wedding

Thanks for the NASCAR memories, 2007. Don't go anywhere, readers. The Fanhouse will be blogging throughout the off-season and will be back with more commentary on many of the aforementioned items. Tomorrow we begin the 92-day countdown to the 2008 Daytona 500.

2007 NASCAR Season: My Top 35 Memories originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like It

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, NASCAR Gossip, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR Chairman Brian France really loves the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

And because of that, don't expect any major amends to the format, or a complete reversal back to the standard point system -- regardless if many fans and at least one top driver questions how it affects the sport's future integrity.

France cited the increased point amounts for winning a race as a major reason why the Chase is working so well.

Example 1-A? Jimmie Johnson last week at Texas Motor Speedway.

"I actually called Jimmie Johnson on the phone and told him that [afterward]," France said. "By going after that win, he risked a lot -- because he knew how close it was and he knew that those bonus points were maybe going to be necessary to win it all. I think in the old days, a couple years ago, somebody might have settled for second."

Sure, you can't argue with the fact that adding 10 points to the winner's prize for a race was a good move. In fact, that number should be 20 to 30 points higher.

But are winning championships in the 10-race Chase playoff comparable to the "old" point system? Jeff Gordon doesn't see it that way.

"The points are whatever NASCAR decides when it comes to racing for a championship. The one issue that I've got is that there is no way you can write history or compare history if they are constantly changing it," said Gordon.

You could say Gordon is bitter knowing that he would be celebrating his sixth championship right now had the point system not been changed. But he isn't, as he acknowledges that racing under the system is laid out at the beginning of the year and everyone knows the goal.

"I don't think anything is unfair because you know going into it what it is," Gordon said. "You knew that they were going to get bonus points for winning races in the regular season, and those guys earned those points. We know what we've got to do."

So what's right? What's wrong? It's hard to say.

But I've got to agree wth Gordon that the Chase does change the overall makeup of a Cup champion, and that they aren't comparable. But is the lack of comparison woth giving twelve drivers a shot at a title with ten races left?

What say you?

France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like It originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Saturday Huge for Gordon's Chase Success

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Last week at Texas Motor Speedway, we heard plenty about how Jeff Gordon didn't have a good-handling car in the Saturday practice sessions leading up to the Dickie's 500.

And if Jeff Gordon wants any chance at re-capturing that Nextel Cup point lead and his fifth series championship, the No. 24 team is indeed going to have to make amends on how well they get the car dialed in.

"We're doing a great job on Friday qualifying and we need to do that again here today and next week in Homestead. But Saturday getting prepared for the race, we got to do a little bit better job," said Gordon Friday before qualifying at Phoenix.

Starting positions haven't been a problem for Gordon in the past few weeks. Gordon started second at Texas last week and at Atlanta two weeks back, he rolled off eighth. He starts third Sunday at Phoenix.

In each race, Gordon has finished seventh after battling a race car that often wanted to find contact with the SAFER barrier instead of with victory lane. Unfortunately for Gordon fans, the strong effort to salvage a decent finish has been significantly trumped by two-straight wins by teammate and Chase contender Jimmie Johnson.

It's definitely not lost on Gordon that the Saturday program needs to improve immediately at Phoenix and next week at Homestead if the No. 24 team wants any shot at Jimmie Johnson.

"We've got to step it up. There's no hiding that and I hope we can pull that off right here in Phoenix," said Gordon.

Saturday Huge for Gordon's Chase Success originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Phoenix Chase-ing: The Jeff and Jimmie Show

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

(This will be the first part of a two-part series airing here on the Fanhouse. It will break down the final two races of the season for the two drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who still have a manageable shot of winning the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup. Watch for the next one just before Homestead next week.)

Heading to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend for the 9th of 10 events in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Jimmie Johnson leads teammate Jeff Gordon by 30 points. Here's a breakdown of their past success at Phoenix and what type of possibilities exist with the point standings.

PIR Stats: Jeff Gordon comes to PIR knowing that he was the last winner in April at the track, and that he is the only driver to win there in the next-generation NASCAR race car. Johnson, though, holds the average finish margin by one full position - 7.2 to Gordon's 8.2.

Gordon has 17 career Cup starts at PIR to Johnson's 8. In that time, Gordon has racked up 8 top-5s and 14 top-10s to Johnson's 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s.

Chase Stats: After gaining the 30 point Chase lead last week at Texas, things are looking brighter for Johnson. However, that could change very quickly, as well. If Gordon wins and leads the most laps, he will tie Johnson if the No. 48 finishes 3rd without a led lap or fourth with one. A 43rd-place finish for Johnson at that point would give Gordon a 131-point lead heading to Homestead.

Likewise, if Johnson found victory lane and led the most laps, he could clinch the championship if Gordon finishes 34th or worse by simply starting at Homestead.

Naturally, Johnson can control his own destiny by winning the last two events, but Gordon can as well. If he wins at PIR and Homestead leads the most laps in both events, Gordon would take the title. If he doesn't lead the most laps and Johnson finishes 2nd in each event and leads a lap, the season would end in a tie, with the title going Johnson based on wins.

It shall be interesting, wouldn't you say?

Phoenix Chase-ing: The Jeff and Jimmie Show originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nationwide Series Gets New Car in 2009

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:18:00 EST

Filed under: Crew Chiefs, Busch Series, Car of Tomorrow

That didn't take long.

NASCAR confirmed Sunday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway that they will switch to the new generation race car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The new car (I'm tired of calling it the Car of Tomorrow when its here today) will be raced full-time in the top NASCAR series next season.

"We're working on an '09 [Nationwide] car," Bodine said. "[Having it ready for] '09 is tentative. It's not set in stone but we're working on it. We've informed some of the Busch owners and we've got a prototype at the R&D center."

"There will be a different body style and different aerodynamic package," Bodine said. "We're working on all that stuff. We're just not there yet, still working through all that process.

Sporting several new safety features, a rear wing, and a front splitter, the next generation chassis and body style brought hope that NASCAR would finally apply some clarity and definition between the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series.

Instead, NASCAR will revert back to the old thinking of running two series that are hardly different, which will continue to lead to insane amounts of Cup regulars parading the Nationwide Series (formerly Busch).

The safety additions are without a doubt a good idea, but let's hope Bodine is right in that they will use a different body style and aerodynamics.

What happened to this fun idea?

Nationwide Series Gets New Car in 2009 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Talladega Was Talladega, But...

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Talladega Superspeedway, Car of Tomorrow

Jeff Gordon's pass for the win? Exciting.

Two and Three-wide racing? We saw it.

Drivers facing trepidation and twittling thumbs for about 180 of the 188 laps ran during Sunday's UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway? That just wasn't cool.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup series put on a decent show Sunday, but decent doesn't fill seats. The Car of Tomorrow big track debut wasn't horrendous, but it wasn't magical either.

For much too long Sunday, it was obvious drivers were scared to be aggressive or dice for the lead. Single-file packs and drivers purposely staying at the back of the pack to avoid trouble just doesn't cut it at this level.

Jeff Gordon managed to pull off the race win by sailing through the draft after a restart with eight laps to go but for a large majority of Sunday's race, Gordon rode around at times five to seven seconds behind the leader with teammate Jimmie Johnson and other Chase contenders.

That's not racing. That's riding.

Gordon didn't much enjoy it either.

"It was terrible," Gordon said. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in a race car. I like to think that I've got pretty good patience, but that's beyond patience. There's just nothing fun about that, but I knew it was a smart thing.

"I've never yawned in a race car in my life and I yawned back there."

Think the Car of Tomorrow needs some work before Daytona? You better believe it.

Thankfully, though, NASCAR has time and plenty of information now under their belt to figure out to make the new body styles draft better together and handle with more driver input.

Hopefully they'll take the time to figure that out.

Talladega Was Talladega, But... originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Edwards Wins, Fans Fall Asleep

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:05:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing, Car of Tomorrow

A few years ago before the Daytona 500, Larry McReynolds reckoned that track employees should install cots because fans are going to fall asleep.

Bristol Motor Speedway workers might want to take note for 2008.

There was no controversy, no turmoil and Carl Edwards ran a smart race and kept Kasey Kahne behind him long enough to take Saturday night's ho-hum Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards led 182 laps to Kahne's 305 in a race that saw just nine cautions for 61 laps.

The real story, though, was the amount of excitement that Bristol didn't offer this time around.

Was it the newly-surfaced track? A harder Goodyear tire? The Car of Tomorrow?

It's tough to say exactly, but the truth is, Saturday night's race at Bristol wasn't worth calling home to momma about.

ESPN's coverage didn't help, either.
You've by now heard plenty about how Bristol has changed over the summer with a new concrete surface, added banking at the top of each corner, and a wider straightaway.

NASCAR and Goodyear had planned to do a tire test at the track with the CoT and the new surface, but rain prevented that test. Instead, they took information from the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series tests and decided on a hard tire that would stand up to the new surface.

During the Sharpie 500, we saw that the tire was indeed durable enough, but that it never dropped off. Carl Edwards made a great example of that over the last 125 laps on five different restarts. Not a single car was able to challenge Edwards on the restarts.

I don't think the problem lies in the race track itself. After all, the Busch series race was absolutely fantastic on Friday. The CoT performed well in the spring, but is still a work in progress.

What say you? Are you selling your Bristol tickets now?

I think I'll still be buying.

Edwards Wins, Fans Fall Asleep originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kahne, Montoya Start Out Front at Bristol

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Juan Montoya, Bristol Motor Speedway, Nextel Cup, Dave Blaney, Ward Burton, David Ragan, Gillette-Evernham Motorsports, Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR Tracks, Chase for the Sprint Cup

I don't think I could ever pick Kasey Kahne to win at Bristol after seeing him crash out of his first Nextel Cup race at the track during his rookie season. Needless to say, Kahne was so shook up from the experience that he was literally shaking on camera.

Friday night, though, he apparently found a good way to calm down.

Kahne won the pole for Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway with a lap of 16.016 seconds, or 119.805 mph.

Juan Pablo Montoya will line up on his outside with Jamie McMurray, David Ragan and Dave Blaney rounding out the top-5. Virginia-native Ward Burton dropped a nice lap and will start 14th.

Bristol just got a facelift over the summer with a brand-new concrete repaving job, and it really set back the lap times at the track. Jeff Gordon won the pole at BMS in April with a lap 125.453 mph in the first Car of Tomorrow race, obviously much quicker than Kahne's lap.

Slower speeds, though, could add up to better race Saturday night with more side-by-side racing because cars are more even.

As if Bristol really needs to get any better though.

Kahne, Montoya Start Out Front at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Junior Won't Drive the No. 8

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Inc., Crew Chiefs, NASCAR Fights, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Sponsors, The Word, Car of Tomorrow

Gather the kids, sound the alarms -- for Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself will not be piloting a car with a No. 8 emblazoned on the side in 2008.

Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday that Junior's new ride (yeah, we know it's a Chevrolet, and that's about it) won't be carrying the number that would seemingly never leave the driver.

"We've been working hard to secure the No. 8 for Dale Jr.'s car number next season," said Marshall Carlson, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. "Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options.

"We appreciate the efforts of Max Siegel and his team (at Dale Earnhardt Inc.), and are excited about unveiling our plans for 2008 in the near future."

I guess this means that the folks campaigning to "Free the 8" -- because it's obviously the most important thing that people in society need to join behind, right? -- have not succeeded in their soon-to-be efforts to raid and destroy Dale Earnhardt Inc.Maybe, just maybe, those Junior crazies could focus on better things in NASCAR -- like, say, the racing itself?

Who's really going to care if Junior isn't in the No. 8 anymore? Sure, it'll hurt some in the pocketbook for souvenirs come 2008, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. will continue to be Dale Earnhardt Jr.

What more does the Junior Nation need? An assortment of tissues and a DEI engine that lasts for a race?

That's what we call progress.

Junior Won't Drive the No. 8 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kyle Petty Got Mad, Now Out for Michigan

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Crew Chiefs, NASCAR Fights, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow

Kyle Petty got a little mad Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen. And as a result, he won't be racing Sunday at Michigan.

The heir-apparent to any new driving opportunity at Petty Enterprises, Chad McCumbee will instead take over.

Petty had surgery Tuesday on a broken right hand suffered after an incident on course at lap 69.

It sounds like self-contact was to blame for the injury:

Kyle Petty, driver of the No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge suffered a broken hand as a result of hitting the butt of his right hand on a door inside the hauler after a lap 69 incident in Sunday's Centurion Boats at the Glen at Watkins Glen International road course.

[...] He flew back to his home in North Carolina, where he was treated by a doctor who determined that the hand was broken.

Maybe it was just a ploy to get McCumbee in the car again? After all, the kid did a fantastic job at the first Pocono race and Petty has had nothing but praise for the driver on his rotational role with PRN's Fast Talk.

Or, most likely, Petty got mad and had a little bit of anger built up because his car didn't perform at all Sunday and because he had to fire a crew chief.

He's scheduled to be back for the breeze of a race that is Bristol. Right.

Kyle Petty Got Mad, Now Out for Michigan originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rubbin' Is Racin': NASCAR Lets 'Em Play

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:49:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Montoya, Dodge, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Fights, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

In case you missed the bajillion replays on SportsCenter and ESPN2's NASCAR Now, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick got into a little bit of a dust up in turn 1 at Watkins Glen on Sunday.

Here's the evidence, starting at about 0:54:

So, seeing that two drivers showed some emotion and that Kevin Harvick called Juan Pablo Montoya a slang term for a donkey, penalties are bound to come, right?

No -- and NASCAR did the right thing.And boy, did they make the right call.

The whole incident between Montoya and Harvick was just exciting -- and exciting because it was fresh. We've known all year that Juan Pablo wasn't going to back down to any driver and at Watkins Glen he completely backed that up on the race track.

Could he have let Truex go? Or not given Jimmie Johnson so much trouble? Sure.

But that's just not fun.

And for once, NASCAR allowed the two guys to actually settle some differences at the track, without the fans having to wait til mid-week rolls around and a release comes out detailing that two said drivers called each other and made up and might invite their new pal to dinner tonight.

Instead, we know that Kevin Harvick got mad, Juan Pablo Montoya got ticked that he was getting blamed by Happy, and that the two of them were postively pissed off at each other.

In other words, exactly what NASCAR needs more of right now.

I think now that a precedent has been reset by NASCAR concerning on-track altercations outside of the race cars, we're going to see a lot more emotion heading in to the Chase.

The most reassuring news? NASCAR officials even enjoyed the minor fracas.

"I don't think they were fighting," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "They were discussing things."

Said series director John Darby, "I thought it was cool as hell."

Both seemed to be fine with the issue for a few stern reasons. Neither car made contact with the other after the wreck, there were no punches, there was no dirty language on TV (yes, the word 'ass' is allowed on TV), and most importantly, nearly every news network showed the clip.

Any publicity is good publicity, right?

In this case, it's a loud and resounding yes.

Rubbin' Is Racin': NASCAR Lets 'Em Play originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Lowe's Testing Produces Good Call

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:42:00 EST

Filed under: Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Martin Truex Jr., Crew Chiefs, Lowes Motor Speedway, Nextel Cup, Pit Crews, David Ragan, Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR Tracks

NASCAR, Goodyear: It's about time.

Following testing earlier this week in toasty Carolina sun, Goodyear has said that a softer tire compound may make an appearance for the fall Nextel Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, and David Ragan were the four drivers allowed for the tire test in the heat of the day.

Truex found the air temperature over 100 degrees and the cockpit temperature at over 140 degrees to be pretty difficult.

When asked about the hottest he's ever been in a race car, Truex Jr. responded,

"Probably today. I guess it's because the car is not set up to race and doesn't have all the heat shields and the insulation in it. Fifteen laps feel like 800 miles to me."

Luckily, the fall race won't likely be in the same heat as the Charlotte-region can cool tremendously at nighttime in the fall.
Goodyear and NASCAR have taken quite a bit of flack in recent years for their choice of the tire to be used at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Some drivers love the durability, but others complain that the tire is very unforgiving and nearly like driving on ice when new.

Testing in the heat may be a godsend in that the tires will wear much faster on a hot, slippery race track than a cool evening in October.

Three lead changes in the Nextel All-Star Challenge proved that the compound wasn't exactly working.

Lowe's Testing Produces Good Call originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jeff Gordon is 'Just Stupid'

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 08:55:00 EST

Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR Crashes, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow

Despite his incredible point lead, Jeff Gordon doesn't have a bone in his body that is relaxing in his pursuit of his fifth championship.

That anxiety likely led to his spin with less than two laps to go, taking the No. 24 out of its tenth road course win and opening the door for a knocking Tony Stewart.

Gordon had less than a one second lead on lap 89 when he drove his Chevrolet Impala a little deep into Turn 1 and wheel-hopped the rear end. Seconds later, Gordon was back in the gas but sitting ninth.

"We gave up 20 [points] because I didn't get the 10 that would have kept him from getting the 10," Gordon said. "Had I won, I would have gained 10 points, so I would have been 20 points more ahead of him than I am now." [...] "Just stupid," Gordon said. "I knew I had to push. Tony was really good. I wanted that win really bad. ... I pushed and I pushed too far. What happened is the team deserved to win, and the driver didn't get it done."

For a guy who had just lost the race in a solo spin, the thoughts he offered the media afterwards were pretty darn classy.

If Gordon rallies back and picks up a win or two, his thoughts of mistake will deeply subside -- unless Tony takes the season title by 20 or less points.

That could hurt, for sure.

Jeff Gordon is 'Just Stupid' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 08:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments