Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Ryan Newman Calls Talladega Crash 'Worst Hit I've Ever Had'http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/ryan-newman-calls-talladega-accident-worst-hit-ive-ever-had/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/ryan-newman-calls-talladega-accident-worst-hit-ive-ever-had/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/ryan-newman-calls-talladega-accident-worst-hit-ive-ever-had/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For two mornings this week, Ryan Newman struggled just to lift his head off the pillow to get out of bed, his neck muscles still sore from a frightening airborne smash-and-roll wreck at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last Sunday.

Even as he suited up Friday to practice for Race 8 of NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Championship at Texas Motor Speedway, he was still aching from the crash, and bristling that it even happened.

Newman had been outspoken about NASCAR's immediate need to keep the race cars from launching into the air during accidents -- only to take that scary ride himself Sunday afternoon.

So instead of accepting the many interview requests to talk about the accident, a still sluggish Newman met with NASCAR officials at the Research and Development Center Wednesday in Charlotte.

"I was a little surprised at all the people wanting to do interviews, but I don't want to be interviewed because of my crashes, I want to be interviewed for winning,'' Newman said.

"I'm not in this for that kind of publicity. I'd rather meet with NASCAR and figure out a way to make the situation better."

"We talked about two different things, the extrication of myself from the accident scene and secondly, the reason why we're in that position in the first place, which is, to me, more important,'' Newman said.

Footage of the accident has been replayed daily -- even by the network morning shows and outlets that don't normally cover the sport. And it has sparked a lively debate on how to make the restrictor plate races at Talladega simultaneously exciting and safe.

Newman doesn't need to watch video of his accident. He has full sensory recall -- including watching and feeling the sparks shooting by his face because his helmet visor popped open before his car slid upside down along the asphalt track.

"I remember having to pull my visor back down in the middle of everything -- I felt like I flipped 10 times, but it was only three,'' Newman told FanHouse Friday as part of our weekly Inside the Chase Series with the Stewart-Haas Racing driver.

"I was all good until the roll cage came down and hit me. I wasn't ready for that one. It's the worst hit I've ever had.''

As his pit crew watched nervously on television monitors, it took track rescue workers nearly 15 minutes to get Newman out of the car after establishing he was conscious. Newman said one responder held his hand while the others worked to flip the car over and cut the roof off to free him from the mangled No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet.

He lost radio communication when the car came to rest upside down, disabling the antennae. But after the car was righted, he was able to radio his crew -- including his father, who spots for him -- and his wife Krissie to assure them he was all right.

"The first guy that got there talked to me and knew I was okay, but you can't properly assess the definition of okay until I'm out of the car,'' said Newman.

"I know (rescue process has) been an evolution, but the evolution is behind. I'm not mad at them, but I want it to be known from a driver's standpoint what can be done to make it better.''

Improving the show for the fans and the safety for the drivers remained a hot topic even as the series moved to the relatively calmer 1.5-mile track outside Dallas for Sunday's race.

Newman, a 2003 winner at Texas Motor Speedway, said he's inclined to agree with championship leader Jimmie Johnson, who suggested this week that altering the track's 33-degree banking is the most realistic option at Talladega.

"That's the easiest thing to do because we need to make it so the drivers have to drive the race car,'' Newman said. "We need it so it's not wide open, at some point we need to lift (off the accelerator) and that will make it better.

"We have crashes all year at every track, but only at Talladega do the cars leave the ground.''

Newman said NASCAR officials assured him Wednesday that they have already begun testing some things to help keep the cars from getting airborne.

"But I don't know that they have tested everything, I don't know if you can test everything,'' said Newman, who holds a degree in engineering from Purdue University.

"The faster you go, the more likely you are to take lift. An airplane takes off at 160 miles an hour. We're going 40 miles an hour above that at times. There's plenty of potential for a car to take lift, whether it's going forwards, backwards or sideways.''

"I talked to them a little about the the extrication of me, about the cars and the process of making all this better,'' Newman said.

"It's too little too late for me, but maybe on time for someone else.''

Ryan Newman Calls Talladega Crash 'Worst Hit I've Ever Had' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>NASCARRyan NewmanRyanNewmanTalladega SuperspeedwayTalladegaSuperspeedwayHolly CainFri, 06 Nov 2009 16:46:00 EST Jimmie Johnson on Bulldozing Talladega, Luck and Enjoying the Ridehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/jimmie-johnson-on-bulldozing-talladega-luck-and-enjoying-the-ri/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/jimmie-johnson-on-bulldozing-talladega-luck-and-enjoying-the-ri/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/jimmie-johnson-on-bulldozing-talladega-luck-and-enjoying-the-ri/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jimmie JohnsonTo hear Jimmie Johnson describe it, the most challenging part of wrapping up a historic fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship is not getting wrapped up in winning it. No matter how hard everyone else tries to convince him the trophy's been engraved.

He holds a 184-point advantage -- nearly a full race lead -- on second place Mark Martin and only needs to finish 10th place or better in the remaining three Chase for the Championship races to secure the trophy. That's even if Martin wins all three races and leads the most laps in each.

But Johnson insists his approach in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy will be the same as if he was trailing by 184 points and promised he wasn't about to start being conservative.

"We're showing up to win races,'' Johnson said. "Finishing 10th isn't as easy as it sounds. It is a tough field of cars out there and we need to be on our game. With three to go, we need to race these next two as if we're behind in the points and get every point we can.''

In an interview this week with the national press, Johnson also shared his thoughts on a controversial Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway race Sunday, how good luck has affected his unprecedented title run and if he ever takes a moment to enjoy the journey.

Johnson made candid remarks after a sixth-place finish at Talladega on Sunday, when multi-car crashes took out his closest championship rivals -- Hendrick Motorsports teammates Martin and Jeff Gordon. And a frightening collision sent Chase driver Ryan Newman's Chevy airborne resulting in a red flag.

Two days later, Johnson didn't back down from his opinion that the only way NASCAR was going to tame the dangerous multi-car melees at the 2.66-mile speedway was to take a bulldozer to the track's 33-degree banked turns.

"At the end of the day, I hope people realize we have messed with enough in the garage area with cars, with threatening drivers, regulating -- some people think they've over-regulated, other people think we're under-regulated -- but the bottom line is we're going to have these issues until we're required to let off the gas going into the turns,'' Johnson said.

"I think overwhelmingly, the public is understanding and starting to recognize that you can't change the cars anymore. You can't scold the drivers anymore. ... the only way we can get the racing to change is by changing the track. It's the only thing left. We've messed with every other area and nothing has worked.''

He also said he's heard the outcry from fans upset with the single file, play-it-safe strategy drivers used for the first two-thirds of the race. Johnson said he understands it may not be a good "show" but it's the new reality for a racer who wants to be around at the end to challenge for the checkered flag.

"The bottom line, somebody is going to be unhappy,'' Johnson said. "The fans that want to see the big wrecks and want to see the four and five-wide are going to be upset right now ... because we were responsible as drivers and tried not to wreck earlier in the race.

"Right now, because we're trying to be responsible, we have more people upset than we've ever had before.''


Johnson was one of those who successfully employed the strategy of patience. His top-10 finish Sunday was essentially an escape from what many considered the last true wild-card race. Had he succumbed to the Talladega odds and gotten caught up in one of the big wrecks, the points race would have tightened and the championship wouldn't be a runaway.

Instead, Johnson extended his lead -- but refused to write it off as "good luck."

The last big accident occurred literally just behind him, but even so, a late-race decision by his team to pit for fuel played a crucial role in his finishing when others did not.

"Some people may say Talladega was a lucky race for us, but I see how we earned this thing and made good decisions,'' Johnson said. "[Crew chief] Chad [Knaus] made a decision to pit for fuel and that decision put us in position for a good finish. ... it wasn't a lucky call. I feel from that race, the luckiest thing I had was not being back one more row and collected when that wreck started.

"It's hard for me to think too much about it [luck]. I guess I'm maybe trying to ignore it in some respects and focus on the things I can control and what the team does.''

And how do you argue with that. Clearly Johnson knows a thing or two -- or three, or four -- about winning championships in the most competitive era in NASCAR history.

And as a true sports fan, Johnson is genuinely humbled by the opportunity. As he will remind you, he only started driving stock cars about 10 years ago. He's only been in the Cup ranks for eight seasons and is on pace to claim championships in half of them.

Truly a remarkable statistic by any measure.

"No way I thought it was possible, let alone with my situation,'' Johnson said. "I'm not sure what I would compare it to, but I didn't think it was possible. I looked at what Jeff [Gordon] had accomplished, race wins and four championships and that was probably the last we'd see something like that with how competitive the sport is.

"I'm blown away and honored and enjoying every minute of what we're doing here. ... I've worked very, very hard to get to this point ans so has this team and we're enjoying every minute of it. What got us in this position was racing hard and going for every point and until it's mathematically locked up, we're going to keep the mindset and try to get every point that we can.''
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Jimmie Johnson on Bulldozing Talladega, Luck and Enjoying the Ride originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jimmie JohnsonNASCARHolly CainWed, 04 Nov 2009 06:26:00 EST Johnson's Fourth Title in Full Viewhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/jimmie-johnsons-fourth-title-in-full-view/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/jimmie-johnsons-fourth-title-in-full-view/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/jimmie-johnsons-fourth-title-in-full-view/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jimmie Johnson Talladega 2009 Sprint Cup Chase Hendrick MotorsportsA car length here, a lane change there and one incredible pit call.

No matter what it was, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team seemed to do it right on a mild then wild Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway -- even when it looked like holding par in the point standings wasn't going to happen as the laps clicked off and the drama kept rising around the 2.66-mile wildcard.

But when the cars stopped flipping and the smoke stopped rising, Johnson -- to the chagrin of plenty -- stood alone in his pursuit of the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup with what amounts to be an insurmountable lead with an unstoppable team.

All week -- actually, make that every race of the Chase so far -- other drivers, fans and us media types have looked at Sunday's race at Talladega from the mindset that it would be Johnson's calling card to come closer to the rest of the field. It would be his kryptonite because, come on, no one can really dominate as much the No. 48 without issue, right?

Well, we were right -- but just not enough.

Johnson's finishing average prior to Talladega in the six races that had previously comprised the Chase was a measly average of third. After his sixth-place Talladega effort? Johnson's average finishing position rocketed to 3.43.

Kidding aside, once again everything seemed to work out for Johnson.

Riding in the back of the lead pack with just five laps to go, Johnson stayed high to avoid Ryan Newman's flipping car from just five spots ahead of him and then avoided Tony Stewart's slowing race car on the outside. More important, though, was the pit call that crew chief Chad Knaus made as soon as the caution came out.

Follow FanHouse RacingJohnson ducked to pit road when it first opened, grabbed fuel, and returned to the race track. The red flag was displayed almost immediately thereafter, and the several of the drivers who didn't pit then but needed to ran out fuel when the caution resumed.

It was an unusual circumstance as NASCAR typically will put out the red flag before it opens pit lane, and Knaus jumped on the chance to take on fuel while the others, like teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, didn't. Johnson was initially skeptical of the call until cars ahead of him started dropping like flies to get fuel. By the restart, he was in the Top-10.

Johnson, though, wasn't out of the woods quite yet when Kurt Busch got turned sideways off of turn four as the field approached the white flag when racing had started again. Busch spun sideways and clipped Scott Speed -- the car drafting off Johnson's rear decklid to set off a 13-car pileup that ended the race a lap from the end.

Johnson and Knaus had then accomplished exactly what they had hoped to do by driving to a sixth-place finish and not giving up any ground in the Chase to his teammate Martin. Martin, thanks to a finish that saw him flip over, instead lost pivotal ground to Johnson.

The No. 48 now has a lead in the point standings of some 184 points over Martin in second. The number is large enough that should Johnson finish 10th or better in the remaining three races, there's not a soul who can catch him.

For a guy that's averaged that finish of 3.43 so far in the Chase, the odds seem to be pretty well in the favor of Johnson becoming the first four-peat champion in NASCAR's history -- leaving the competition with one question.

When's Daytona?

Johnson's Fourth Title in Full View originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jimmie johnsontalladega superspeedwayGeoffrey MillerSun, 01 Nov 2009 19:36:00 EST McMurray Snaps 86-Race Winless Streakhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/mcmurray-snaps-86-race-winless-streak/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jamie McMurrayTALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -- Jamie McMurray was the unlikely winner of an uncharacteristically dull race at Talladega Superspeedway, where a ban on bump-drafting forced most drivers to coast until the end Sunday.

It almost cost three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson dearly. He puttered around at the back of the pack most of the afternoon and almost ran out of time to charge back through the field.

But when Ryan Newman's harrowing accident with five laps remaining caused a red-flag delay of nearly 13 minutes while Newman was cut out of his car, drivers ahead of Johnson began to run out of gas. He was credited with an eighth-place finish -- enough to likely seal his NASCAR-record fourth consecutive championship.
More Coverage: Amp Energy 500 Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Newman's accident set up a two-lap sprint to the finish, but the race still ended under caution because of another spectacular crash that sent Mark Martin flipping across the race track.

McMurray, stuck in an 86-race winless streak dating to Daytona in July 2007, coasted across the finish line for the third victory of his career.

Kasey Kahne was second, followed by rookie Joey Logano.

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.

McMurray Snaps 86-Race Winless Streak originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSun, 01 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST FanHouse Warmup: AMP Energy 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/fanhouse-warmup-amp-energy-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/fanhouse-warmup-amp-energy-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/fanhouse-warmup-amp-energy-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Essentials
Race: AMP Energy 500
Where: Talladega Superspeedway
Time: Sunday 1:00 p.m. EST
TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Sunny, High 60s
Distance: 188 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2008 Winner: Tony Stewart
The Storylines

Consider this as NASCAR's version of laying down the law, but with one problem -- will they actually enforce it?

NASCAR made big noise Sunday morning at Talladega when they told drivers in the pre-race meeting that bump drafting in today's race while racing through the corners would not be permitted. And to back up the rule, they promised to even swipe a victory away if a driver was found to be in violation.

It's a tough rhetoric that we've heard before from NASCAR, but this time it seems like they mean business.


NASCAR is trying to avoid, ultimately, what happened at Talladega back in April when Carl Edwards' No. 99 turned into a 3,200-pound pinball on the final lap. Some catchfencing along the frontstretch was the only thing that kept Edwards from sailing into the packed grandstands -- though parts and pieces did injure fans.

NASCAR wants to eliminate the phenomenon that has creeped up with the Car of Tomorrow platform that allows two drivers to pair up -- one pushing the other -- and fly hundreds of yards ahead of the competition. That's what happened with Edwards' situation after Edwards was pushed to the lead and then Brad Keselowski tried to pass him.

I do get what NASCAR is trying to do, but come on -- do they think such rules will prevent a wreck? I don't see it making much of a difference in the probability of a nasty crash today at the 2.66-mile behemoth of a race track but I do foresee one problem: the potential for a huge controversy at the end of the day thanks to NASCAR's judgment call.

We'll see how it works.

We know exactly what you're rooting for in the 2009 championship if you're not so much of a Jimmie Johnson fan, and Talladega might just provide the necessary ingredients to make the 2009's recipe a little better for you.

Jimmie knows it, his competitors know it, you know it and I know it: Talladega is the biggest of wildcards in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and more than likely the last best shot for anyone to come within striking distance of three-time.

Of course, Jimmie Johnson fans hate the talk of people wanting him to fall back to the competition and that's certainly something you can't blame them for. They want their boy to win. The good news for the No. 48 supporters? Just walk on nails for three or so hours Sunday and if Johnson makes it to the end in respectable position -- pull out those credit cards for some championship gear.

The Talladega weather already showed some love to Johnson after qualifying on Saturday morning was rained out.

Johnson, by nature of leading the points, will get to start from the pole on Sunday and had the number one choice of a pit stall. He took pit stall number one -- the last one on pit road towards turn one.

Teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon (No.'s 2 & 3 in points) both opted for a garage opening in front of their stall for an easy exit from a stop and an easy place to pull in and fix a damaged race car.

Enjoy the race.

FanHouse Warmup: AMP Energy 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Talladega+SuperspeedwayGeoffrey MillerSun, 01 Nov 2009 11:36:00 EST Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Tums 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-tums-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-tums-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-tums-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Notes, quotes & commentary after 501 laps around a Virginian paperclip.

I get what NASCAR is trying do, I really do.

They want these races to be dramatic, to make good television and perhaps provide a sense of danger to fans like ESPN's Ed Hinton believes they crave. It's no different than any other sport, movie or story -- dramatic moments bring eyeballs.

But at some point, NASCAR needs to get a whole lot better at not allowing a stalled race car to sit in peril at the start/finish line in the name of a dramatic finish.

That's what happened Sunday when John Andretti spun and couldn't get his No. 34 re-fired along the frontstretch at Martinsville Speedway on the final lap. It's also what happened just over a month ago with A.J. Allmendinger at New Hampshire.

Neither incident resulted in the hapless drivers being hit by the oncoming race cars, but the law of averages doesn't seem to bode well for their safety if these incidents turn into a regular thing. It's just easy to see how a driver back in the pack may misjudge a move, not hear a spotter or get turned while slowing down into the stopped race car.

NASCAR's right to allow a finish to play out as much as possible, but I just think they are taking "as much as possible" a little too far.

Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte tried an 'experiment' early in Sunday's race that I'm still undecided about.

Gordon came to the pits on lap 46 under caution while leading and took on just two tires. He emerged from pit road still leading, but soon fell back in the leaderboard after the advantage of four fresh tires was immediately apparent and didn't start to make ground again until a lap 90 caution brought the field back to pit road.

Letarte, we can assume, was looking to find out if a two-tire pit stop would be a good tool to use later in the race for track position if necessary and found that its benefits would last all of about two laps if cars directly behind had four fresh Goodyears. After the call, Gordon led just eight more laps on the day and never led again except for a lap under green flag pit stops.

Should Letarte have made the move? In hindsight -- which we know is always 20/20 -- it's easy to say no because Gordon never really competed for the lead again.

But on the same note, the information turned out to be extremely valuable in determining if a two-tire pit stop could be a valuable asset for track position. It wasn't.

Live and learn, I suppose.

Surprisingly, Kyle Busch's fourth-place finish on Sunday was his best appearance at Martinsville since 2007.

Since that point, Busch has had three finishes at the short track of 24th or worse -- an anomaly for Busch considering his two best tracks over his career in terms of finishing position are the other short tracks on NASCAR's schedule, Bristol and Richmond.

The finish likely had no bearing, however, on crew chief Steve Addington's future with Joe Gibbs Racing in a role other than crew chief.

Did you catch Denny Hamlin's Twitter shout-out in the post-race interview?

Hamlin mentioned the fans of his Twitter account -- look him under http://www.twitter.com/DennyHamlin -- in his victory celebration and later tweeted "That's what I'm talking about!!! Whooo!! I told ya we would win another!"

Hamlin rolled out his official Twitter page a few weeks ago and has already surged to over 5,000 fans. Now if only the FanHouseRacing Twitter could get as much love...

Because I've yet to include a quote in this edition -- unless quotes from Twitter count -- of "N's & Q's", I'll leave you with my favorite driver saying of the Martinsville weekend, courtesy of Mr. Matt Kenseth.

"I thought I did a bad job and thought I ran into about everything," said Kenseth. "I had some issues on a couple of restarts and we struggled on our last pit stop, so all of those things considered, to finish 14th is really good."

Hey Matt: talk to Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Kasey Kahne -- I'll bet they feel the same way. A walk in the park 500 laps at Martinsville is not.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Tums 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Martinsville+SpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:00 EST Steve Addington Out as Kyle Busch's Crew Chiefhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/addington-out-as-kyle-buschs-crew-chief/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/addington-out-as-kyle-buschs-crew-chief/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/addington-out-as-kyle-buschs-crew-chief/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Kyle Busch and Steve AddingtonDespite turning in a four-win 2009 season and leading Kyle Busch to a series best eight victories last year, Steve Addington (far right, with Busch) is being replaced by Dave Rogers as crew chief of Busch's No. 18 Toyota beginning with the Nov. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Addington, 45, who has served as crew chief of the No. 18 car for five years, will be reassigned within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization, according to a news release from the team on Tuesday.

"We evaluate all of our teams on an ongoing basis and believe this is a change that will make the 18 team stronger as we prepare for next season,'' said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "We think highly of Steve and the job he has done and we look forward to him remaining a part of the JGR family."

With Addington calling the shots last year, Busch qualified for the Chase for the Championship, but he just missed making the 12-driver field -- by eight points -- this year. In the six Chase races to date, Busch has only two top-five finishes and has dropped to 14th in the championship -- his worst points finish since a 20th place position during his 2005 rookie year.

Rogers, a crew member on Tony Stewart's 2002 championship team at JGR, is in his fourth season as crew chief on the team's No. 20 Nationwide Series car. He led JGR to its first Nationwide Series owner's championship in 2008 with nine wins using four different drivers. The car has five wins this year.

"Dave has proven himself a talented crew chief and we think he will work well with Kyle,'' Gibbs said. "We hope that by making the move following this weekend's race at Talladega (Ala.) they can use the final three weeks of the season to begin working on communication and setups for the 2010 season.''

Busch has not issued a comment yet.

Steve Addington Out as Kyle Busch's Crew Chief originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>dave rogersKyle BuschSteve AddingtonHolly CainTue, 27 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST What's the Knock on Johnson? Nonehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/whats-the-knock-on-johnson-none/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/whats-the-knock-on-johnson-none/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/whats-the-knock-on-johnson-none/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jimmie JohnsonIs there another sport that turns on its winners so?

And cheering against the New York Yankees doesn't count.

Another superb run in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship has put Jimmie Johnson in position for a historic fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title. He's on the verge of accomplishing something Richard Petty, the late Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon never did.

And for all his hard work and performance under pressure here's the thanks he gets: people are accusing him of stinking up the show.
More Coverage: Hamlin Triumphs | Tums 500 Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Do we say that when Tiger Woods has 10 shots on the field in the final round of The Masters? No, we tune in and soak it up.

Through the first six races of the 10-race playoff, Johnson has three wins and scored a runner-up Sunday at Martinsville, Va., which extended his advantage over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and second-place driver Mark Martin by 118 points.

It's Johnson's championship to lose and his pursuit is something that should be celebrated and embraced. In this ultra-competitive era of NASCAR there will never be another driver in position to win four straight again.

With the odds stacked against such an accomplishment, Johnson wasn't even considered the championship favorite by most of the voting media in a preseason NASCAR poll.

We hear so much about how "hungry" the 50-year-old, four-time championship runner-up Martin is to finally earn his first title. Imagine Johnson's motivation. His quest isn't just personal. It's historic.

For goodness sakes, what's it take to give the guy his due?

He now leads his other teammate, four-time champ Jeff Gordon by 150 points. Regular season points leader and two-time champ Tony Stewart is now 192 points back in fourth place.

Johnson's best competition is turning in top-five and top-10 runs every week and they can't catch him.

It's becoming less about what they can do. The hard fact is it's looking more like Johnson's going to have to endure some tough luck or the engraving may as well begin.

"That is what everybody in the whole series is thinking right now,'' said Darien Grubb, crew chief on Stewart's No. 14 Chevy and a former Hendrick Motorsports engineer. "He [Johnson] has got that dominant performance going and he is out there pulling away from everybody. You have a good strong run and you still lose points. That is a hard day to swallow.''


Other winners and losers this weekend at Martinsville, Va. ....

o. Juan Pablo Montoya returned to form with a third-place run, moving him into fifth place in the points. He had been one of the best stories of the year before his title bid was derailed last week with a 35th-place run in Charlotte. He said then, no one will have 10 clean races and that's about all the hope he and the rest of Johnson's pursuers are clutching to as the series heads to the most unpredictable venue on the circuit, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

To Montoya's credit, he's taken the high road regarding an uncalled-for remark made at his expense by ESPN's Bob Griese during a college football telecast Saturday night. A graphic promoting the race showed only the top-five drivers and Griese commented that sixth place, Colombian-born Montoya must have been "out getting a taco.'' Griese apologized for the comment.

Although he didn't directly address his reaction to Griese's comment, Montoya told reporters following Sunday's race that, "I could say I spent the last three hours eating tacos, but I was actually driving the car.''

o. Mark Martin isn't exactly flashy, but he's at least keeping Johnson honest. The veteran would have us think he's just trying to win races with a great team and that all this championship talk is purely bonus. But he sure isn't driving that way. Every time you think he's "just glad to be here" he turns in another top-10 run.

o. Denny Hamlin the hard luck kid finally finished one out. His win in his home state Virginia on Sunday stopped a two-race DNF skid and restored his confidence. Give the 28-year old credit, he's qualified for every Chase since he joined the Cup ranks full-time in 2006.

o. Ryan Newman improved one position in the standings to seventh place, and in winning his second pole position of the year, is holding up his end of the bargain in the Stewart-Haas Racing storybook season. Now for a win. He and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the only drivers in Hendrick equipment that haven't reached victory circle yet. The big difference being Newman is a Chase driver and on track for his best season since 2005.

o. Kyle Busch's fourth-place finish Sunday was his first top-five in over a month and looked a whole lot more like the four-time winner he is than the hard-luck driver he became the latter half of the regular season.

o. On the other end of the scale is Earnhardt Jr. His down-and-out demeanor in Charlotte last weekend was troublesome. He claimed to be "near the end of my rope" suffering through one of the toughest seasons in his career. And that was before a mechanical failure relegated him to 38th place at Charlotte and tire problems contributed to a 29th-place finish Sunday at Martinsville. He fell two more spots in the standings and is now 24th and on pace for his career-worst finish in the championship.

o. Carl Edwards' crash with a lap to go Sunday kind of summed his season, at least the frustrating Chase portion. He kept his No. 99 Ford rolling to secure a 20th place spot, but has had only two top-10 runs since August and yet somehow managed to be 10th in points.

o. Suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield didn't say anything he hasn't already said in a one-on-one interview on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" program Sunday. He insists he's innocent, that he is NASCAR's designated example and that his career is over. The latter, we know at least, is true.
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What's the Knock on Johnson? None originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jimmie JohnsonJimmieJohnsonNASCARHolly CainSun, 25 Oct 2009 20:28:00 EST FanHouse Warmup: Tums 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-warmup-tums-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-warmup-tums-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/fanhouse-warmup-tums-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Essentials
Race: Tums 500
Where: Martinsville Speedway
Time: Sunday 1:30 p.m. EST
TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mostly sunny, High 60s
Distance: 500 laps (263 miles)
Pole Winner: Ryan Newman
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
The Storyline

Jeff Gordon's last, best hope to stay in Jimmie Johnson's zip code for the 2009 championship might just be Sunday at Martinsville Speedway for two reasons -- the perks from his second-place qualifying run and Jimmie Johnson's mediocre starting spot.

And for their teammate Mark Martin splitting the point difference between Johnson and Gordon in the standings, a fourth-place starting effort might also be critical to bridging the 90-point gap between the No. 48 and No. 5.


Johnson, by his standards, had a rough day at Martinsville on Friday. The team never found speed in the car despite otherwise good handling and he wound up 15th in qualifying -- edging out a particular advantage for Gordon and Martin at the small, half-mile paperclip that is Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsviille's pit road ends off of turn two and oftentimes the shape leads to an advantage for pit stalls with an opening behind or in front of it. Otherwise, drivers can get blocked in and just a few lost seconds can translate into bunches of lost spots on pit road.

Ryan Newman, the polesitter, took the last and best stall on pit road while Gordon opted to move back to pit stall No. 11 due to the front edge of the pit stall bordered by the garage access lane. Martin, qualified fourth, chose pit stall No. 8 without any openings around it while Johnson took a stall before the start/finish line.

Most accounts would put Johnson's pit selection as a bad one, but the car in front of him is a card-carrying member of the start-and-park club in NASCAR -- meaning there's a good possibility that Johnson won't be dealing with any traffic in front of his pit stall on Martinsville's tight pit lane. His biggest problems, though, will come when he's trying to exit pit road and evade cars swinging out in front of him.

Another problem Johnson might find on Sunday -- above I'm just assuming he'll move up from 15th and be in contention for the win at some point (a risky proposition, I know) -- is the rain Martinsville had on Saturday. Not once did the No. 48 -- or any other Sprint Cup team -- get on the track for any practice on Saturday, meaning there might be some concern in Johnson's camp based on the qualifying run and him being stumped about why the car didn't run faster.

Unfortunately for the rest of the field, Chad Knaus is stll Johnson's crew chief. He's in good hands.

Johnson's lead in the points at the moment is steep -- the 90 ahead of Martin, 135 ahead of Gordon and 155 to Tony Stewart (he starts 13th) -- and there is a lot of risk for Johnson at Martinsville thanks to silly, mundane things like flat tires or brake failures. But such risk has been successfully avoided by Johnson on the way this three-straight titles.

Take, for instance, that Sunday's starting spot is Johnson's worst since April 2007 when he started 20th. That day? Johnson first sniffed the lead on lap 405 of 500 before grabbing it for good with 60 to go to take one of his many wins at Martinsville.

Need you know more?

Enjoy the race.

FanHouse Warmup: Tums 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jeff GordonJimmie JohnsonMark MartinMartinsville SpeedwayGeoffrey MillerSun, 25 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST Inside 'The Chase' With Ryan Newman: Helping the Animalshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/inside-the-chase-with-ryan-newman-helping-the-animals/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/inside-the-chase-with-ryan-newman-helping-the-animals/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/inside-the-chase-with-ryan-newman-helping-the-animals/#commentsFiled under: ,

FanHouse has partnered with Ryan Newman for a behind-the-scenes look at NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Sunday's Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway is the sixth of 10 races that will decide the Sprint Cup Series championship.

Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army-sponsored Chevrolet, is ranked ninth of the 12 Chase drivers vying for the season title, 288 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, but only 111 points behind fifth-place Kurt Busch. Newman is coming off an 11th-place finish Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- his third finish of 11th or better in the five Chase races so far.

In this week's installment of Inside the Chase with Ryan Newman, FanHouse gets the back-story of the Ryan Newman Foundation, which raises money for animal shelters and pet adoption education.

In only a five-year existence, the Ryan Newman Foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, helped thousands of animals and benefited hundreds of animal shelters around the world.

And it all started with a single chance meeting between Newman's wife Krissie and a teenage fan outside Martinsville Speedway, the site of this weekend's race. It turned out to be a life-changing moment, an experience Krissie Newman vividly remembers.

After dropping off lunch for Ryan, Krissie was leaving the pit area in the infield headed toward the couple's
motor home when a young woman flagged her down and gave her a handwritten letter. Getting a note from a fan wasn't unusual. Getting this particular note turned out to be, however.

"She said, 'Please read this letter,' " Krissie Newman recalled of the fan's pleas. "I thought that was a little strange so when I got to the coach, I did, and it brought me to tears.''

The note essentially told the story of how the teenager's family had been adopting strays in their hometown because the local animal shelter didn't have the resources to properly care for the animals and too often resorted to euthanizing them.

The family had 15 dogs and were themselves in dire straits, but committed to saving the animals. The note wasn't asking for any handouts for the family, but just letting the Newmans -- well-known in their love for animal causes -- know about a bad situation in this community.

"I went back out and found that fan. ... She was wearing a Tony Stewart t-shirt and said she was a Dale Jr. fan,'' Krissie Newman said, recalling the details with a laugh.

"She was shaking and crying and could hardly remember her own phone number or directions to her house because she couldn't believe we'd come back.''

The next morning Krissie Newman and a friend went to the local Wal-Mart, spent almost a $1,000 on dog food and dog toys, packed it into the Newman's own SUV and delivered it to the family's house.

A few months later the Ryan Newman Foundation was born. And the inspiration has continued.

"In that case, we wanted to take care of the immediate problem, and that was take care of them,'' Krissie Newman said. "But it sparked my mind. This isn't just going on in Martinsville, Va., it's going on in our own backyard, it's going on nationally.

"The biggest thing we can do is educate people so we can all make things better for animals in all our communities. Until we change the situation, it won't change.''

While Krissie's reaction to one fan in Martinsville might seem extreme, it wasn't one bit surprising to her husband. Both of them have been lifelong pet-lovers and currently have a half-dozen dogs and a pair of bulls they're raising on their North Carolina farm, where they will host a fundraising gala in December.

The Newmans make it a point to visit pet shelters on every vacation no matter how remote the locale, and typically leave a large donation to make a difference in that community too.

"That's my wife with her big heart,'' Ryan Newman said, adding with a laugh. "She's a sucker for an animal story.

"I knew Krissie was doing it for all the right reasons; they couldn't help themselves,'' Newman said. "You don't not do that.''

"I can remember being on our way to the airport in California one time and we saw a chihuahua on the side of the road. She wanted us to turn around and get it.

"The foundation is our efforts and also our sponsors and our fans just trying to make a difference. Krissie brought (it) up to me that we have to find a cause.

"So many of the drivers are already doing things for kids and to help out with cancer and those important causes. We're trying to do our part for the animals that love unconditionally, too.''

For more information or to make a donation to the Ryan Newman Foundation, visit RyanNewmanFoundation.org.

Inside 'The Chase' With Ryan Newman: Helping the Animals originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chase for the Championship Ryan NewmanRyanNewmanHolly CainFri, 23 Oct 2009 11:24:00 EST Richard Childress Racing Continues to Search for Answershttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/richard-childress-racing-rising-to-the-challenge/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/richard-childress-racing-rising-to-the-challenge/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/richard-childress-racing-rising-to-the-challenge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Richard Childress and Kevin HarvickRichard Childress wore the expression of someone who's learned to operate "in the big picture" as he calmly, thoughtfully answered the tough questions about how his mighty racing organization has endured the struggles and frustration of a winless 2009 season.

Lost in all the Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin championship storylines, and the Dale Jr. non-championship hysteria, is the quiet dismay at RCR, which had three cars in the Chase for the Championship a year ago and not a single one of its now four-car stable qualify this fall.

Lead driver Kevin Harvick has publicly declared his intention to leave the team as soon as his contract expires in 2010, though veteran Jeff Burton has analyzed and rationalized and professed his optimism about next year. Clint Bowyer, who came closest to making the Chase, is still kicking tires in frustration.

And there's this real sign of the times: Childress said last week in Charlotte that he doesn't have full funding for his fourth car, the No. 07 Chevy driven by Casey Mears, and that he even considered -- but ultimately decided against -- making it a start-and-park operation. It may still end up a part-time entry without full-time sponsorship.

When times are tough at the six-time champion RCR operation, times are tough.

"All of a sudden, we fell off the wagon,'' Childress said. "We will get back on it though, I promise you.''

You want to believe Childress -- and you have to believe him.

The latest in a series of major organizational changes comes this week, as RCR announced it's swapping Burton's and Mears' crew chiefs and giving Scott Miller the position of RCR's Director of Competition -- removing the interim tag from Miller's title. Todd Berrier will start calling the shots for Burton's No. 31 Chevy and Doug Randolph will handle the job for Mears.

"I said previously that RCR would continue to adjust our team lineups in order to have the right personnel in place, and this is the next step in that process,'' Childress said.

NASCAR also needs RCR to collect itself or the Sprint Cup Series essentially becomes a Hendrick Motorsports in-house show -- something many argue already exists -- which is a worst-case scenario for a sport where legitimate competition elevates it from other forms of racing.

Richard Childress Racing was Hendrick Motorsports before Hendrick Motorsports was Hendrick Motorsports.

And Childress only needed one driver to be class of the field -- the late Dale Earnhardt, who drove RCR's black No. 3 to six of his seven Cup titles, dominating the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, when the shift to multi-car teams started changing the game.

Earnhardt won 37 races, four championships and finished runner-up in the championship between 1986-1991. And when he had a down season -- by his standards -- in 1992 (one win and 12th in championship) everyone started doubting driver and owner.

Earnhardt and RCR responded with the 1993 championship and a six-win year. He won four races in 1994 and that championship, too.

Dale Earnhardt and Ray Childress

The cycle would repeat itself, and Childress said last week, if nothing else, the experience has helped him be better prepared today.

"In 1988, we had a real bad year, then we came back won in '90 and 1991,'' Childress recounted. "Then 1992 was a tough year, really a tough year and we came back won a couple more (titles).

"That's your peaks and valleys and you have it in life as well. And we can see the crest up there.''

Unlike Earnhardt, who fostered a close relationship with Childress, RCR's current stable of drivers has been more candid about their frustration with the team, more willing to vent publicly -- particularly Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner who hasn't won a Cup race since.

Rumors have persisted this season that Harvick was trying to buy out of the last year of his contract. And just two weeks ago, he told ESPN that he's ready to close the book on his career at RCR. The team has maintained that Harvick will fulfill his 2010 obligation to RCR.

"No one is happy when you aren't running well,'' Childress said. "I'm not happy, no one is. We just try to control it as well as we can. Kevin's a driver that really wants to go out and run well and win. I don't blame him for being upset when we don't. We just try to work through it as good as we can.

"I can remember one of those years ... maybe 1985 or '86, we didn't have a very good year. Dale was telling me, 'It has just got to be me.'

"I kept telling him, 'Dale, it's not you, we don't have the equipment you need' -- And he worked through it. It is just different times, and people look at things different.''

Childress acknowledged last week that the company has struggled at times mastering the COT. Burton was encouraged by what he sees as more emphasis on the engineering and aerodynamic sides of the team. The organizational changes are creating a better accountability -- including on the part of the drivers -- according to Burton.

The four RCR drivers not only are winless this season, but their combined nine top-five finishes are less than five other drivers' individual tallies. Tony Stewart has a series-best 14.

Championship leader Jimmie Johnson has led nine times the number of laps (1,716 laps) that the four RCR drivers have combined (188 laps).

RCR has gone winless only two seasons since 1982.

"One of the hardest things to do when you're having success is to change,'' Burton said. "We were the only team in the sport to put all their cars in the Chase over the last three years. We followed that up with putting nobody in the Chase which shows that we didn't act quickly enough.

"We will catch up, but we are behind at the moment.''

Richard Childress Racing Continues to Search for Answers originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Kevin HarvickKevinHarvickrichard childress racingRichardChildressRacingHolly CainThu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:00 EST Chasing Jimmie: Contenders Fading Fasthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/chasing-jimmie-contenders-fading-fast/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/chasing-jimmie-contenders-fading-fast/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/chasing-jimmie-contenders-fading-fast/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Jimmie JohnsonCONCORD, N.C. -- For the past two days, one driver after another took the podium in the press room at Lowe's Motor Speedway and made his case that NASCAR's Chase for the Championship was far from over. Sure, Jimmie Johnson had taken the points lead last week and looked every bit the postseason form that won him the previous three Sprint Cup championships.

But the Chase wasn't even halfway over yet, we were reminded. And no way could anyone maintain a finishing average less than five in the most pressure-packed time of the year.

Turns out, it's all wishful thinking.
More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

With his victory late Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Johnson became the first to win three of the opening five races of the 10-race Chase playoff. His average finish is an unworldly third place and he's turned a 12-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin into 90-point runaway as the series heads to Martinsville, Va. next week.

We might as well rename this Chasing Jimmie Johnson for the Championship.

Johnson's incredible run to a historic fourth consecutive Cup title is hardly Saturday's most shocking outcome. He's done this before.

The biggest shakeup in the championship came from the biggest surprise in the championship, Juan Pablo Montoya, whose title run was derailed with a 35th-place finish courtesy of a chain-reaction fender bender on an early race restart.

Montoya entered the race in third place -- the only Chase driver with top-five finishes in the first four races -- and was running strong early in the night. On a restart about a fifth of the way into the race, Clint Bowyer's Chevy checked up, Montoya got into the back of it and of all things, the driver directly in front of him in the standings, Martin, hit Montoya's car in the rear.

The contact relegated Martin to a 17th-place finish -- his worse of the Chase. But Montoya's No. 42 Chevy got the worst end of it and he went two laps down at one point. Worse still, he dropped from third to sixth in the standings, 195 points out.

"There was not much we could do, we worked as hard as we could, we did all we thought was possible and here we go, the best we could do is 35th,'' said Montoya, who was philosophical and subdued after climbing out of car.

"We made the Chase, up to today we had four Top 5s in a row, what's bad about it. We actually surprised everyone, including everyone on our team we were doing such a great job.

"Even today we had a faster car than the 48. This happens. It's one of those racing things that happen and you've gotta just move on. If you're expecting to have 10 clean races, then you're dreaming.''

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In this photo provided by HHP Images Jimmie Johnson takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Series auto race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/HHP Photo, Gregg Ellman) ** NO SALES **
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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Transformers 2 Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Joey Logano

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Transformers 2 Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Joey Logano

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Transformers 2 Chevrolet, leads Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 Transformers 2 Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Ryan Newman

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his wife Chandra after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his wife Chandra after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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If so, Johnson hasn't woken up yet.

He topped every practice speed chart, won the pole position for Saturday's race and took the trophy. His crew chief Chad Knaus considered it a perfect weekend -- the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet was best of every session on track.

When race runner-up Matt Kenseth was asked about competing against that kind of dominant car this weekend, he joked, "I think you have to lead every lap to have a perfect weekend, so he's still got some work to do.

"Seriously though, ever since those two guys [Knaus and Johnson] got together they've been the team to beat.''

And the challenge they have now -- a good challenge to have -- is convincing others that this championship isn't over yet. They are emphatic, genuine and serious when they talk about the work still ahead.

"There's no need for anyone to get too excited yet,'' Johnson said. "We're optimistic and have a lot of good tracks coming up, but also some danger too.

"One flat tire, one mechanical. ... one Talladega. ... 90 points is gone. I'm not trying to downplay where we're at, but there's a lot of racing yet.

"You never know what's going to happen. I feel very good racing for the championship if we don't have any problems. But we don't want to get too emotionally wrapped up in this thing and let our guard down.''

Or as team owner Rick Hendrick put simply, "I don't think you can have enough points, it's just too early.''

The good news for Johnson and the bad news for the rest of the field is that the series moves to the .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next weekend. It's the lone short track in the 10-race Chase and for everyone else it's considered a wild card. For Johnson, who has won five of the last six races there, it's almost a gimme.

And so NASCAR's most underrated champion ever now must face a new criticism. There are ridiculous rumblings that his success somehow hurts the NASCAR product. That watching a master on top of his game is a bad thing.

Johnson can't win for winning.

"I'm just out there doing my thing,'' Johnson said.

"I don't think we've been stinking up the show. Everyone tunes in to watch Tiger [Woods] win, they watch [Roger] Federer do his thing on the tennis courts. I think a lot of people are watching and rooting us to win a fourth. The rest of them. ... I don't know.''

There's still plenty of time to win them over. And plenty of reason.
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Chasing Jimmie: Contenders Fading Fast originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chad KnausJimmie JohnsonJuan Pablo MontoyaHolly CainSun, 18 Oct 2009 01:45:00 EST Cruise Control: J.J. Extends Chase Leadhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/cruise-control-johnson-extends-chase-lead/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/cruise-control-johnson-extends-chase-lead/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/cruise-control-johnson-extends-chase-lead/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jimmie JohnsonCONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson completed the perfect weekend with a win at Lowe's Motor Speedway to take control of the championship standings.

The three-time defending series champion raced to his third victory in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Saturday night, extending his lead to 90 points over teammate Mark Martin.

More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Seeking a NASCAR-record fourth consecutive Cup championship, Johnson led every practice session and won the pole to complete yet another dominating run at Lowe's. He has been the driver to beat at the suburban Charlotte track since early in his career, and the victory was the Lowe's-sponsored driver's sixth on the 1.5-mile oval.

"Man, we pulled off a perfect weekend and we've always wanted to do that," Johnson said in his first Victory Lane visit at the track since 2005.

Matt Kenseth was second, followed by Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon, Johnson's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports.

Martin, who started the race 12 points behind his teammate in the standings, finished 17th in part because of front-end damage received when he ran into the back of Juan Pablo Montoya on an early restart.

It was that kind of night for several title contenders, as eight of the 12 finished outside the top 10 in a rare off night for the Chase drivers.

Montoya, who was third in the standings and just 58 points out of the lead at the start of the race, dropped to sixth and is now 195 points out. He damaged the front and back ends of his car on the restart problem with Martin and Clint Bowyer, and fell two laps down trying to get pit road for repairs.

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Jimmie Johnson does a burnout on the front stretch grass after winning the NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
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    Jimmie Johnson does a burnout on the front stretch grass after winning the NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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    Jimmie Johnson, left, stands with his wife Chandra, right, before the start of the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Jimmie Johnson drives out of turn four during the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Jimmie Johnson (48) and Mark Martin (5) lead the field at the start of the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

    AP

    Greg Biffle (16) spins in front of Ryan Newman and David Reutimann during the NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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    Greg Biffle (16) spins as Mike Bliss (71) drives past during the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

    AP

    Crew members perform a pit stop on driver Kasey Kahne's car during the NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Series auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

    AP

    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Crew members work on the #88 /AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (not pictured) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

    Getty Images for NASCAR

    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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    CONCORD, NC - OCTOBER 17: Crew members work on the #11 FedEx Office Toyota, driven by Denny Hamlin (not pictured) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 17, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards both blew motors, Greg Biffle was in a late spin and Tony Stewart never contended.

That left it up to Kahne and Gordon to chase down Johnson, and despite some thrilling late restarts, neither came close.

Gordon finished fourth, but lost ground to Johnson in the standings and is now 135 points out as only Martin is within shouting distance of the champion. Johnson will take the cushion into Martinsville, where he's won five of the last six races.

Johnson has six victories this year and 46 overall -- 17 in Chase races.

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

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.

Cruise Control: J.J. Extends Chase Lead originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jimmie johnsonFanHouse NewswireSat, 17 Oct 2009 23:40:00 EST FanHouse Warmup: Banking 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/fanhouse-warmup-nascar-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/fanhouse-warmup-nascar-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/fanhouse-warmup-nascar-banking-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Essentials
Race: NASCAR Banking 500
Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
Time: Saturday 7:30 p.m./EST
TV/Radio: ABC, PRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mostly cloudy, 40s, 20% rain
Distance: 334 laps (500.1 miles)
Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2008 Winner: Jeff Burton
The Storylines

Carl Edwards may blame last year's loss to Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on a crash at Talladega, but a finish in last year's fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway provided all the points Johnson needed to win his third consecutive title.

Or, rather, the necessary point.
More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Edwards suffered electrical issues early in the 2008 event at LMS that saw his No. 99 roll to a stop on the backstretch. The team got his car fixed in the garage, but he was only able to salvage a 33rd-place finish and earned 67 points in the process.

In his career, Edwards has now averaged a 10th-place finish at LMS. Pending that he would have finished at least 10th, Edwards would have earned 134 points, or 70 more than he did in this race a year ago. The final tally at the end of 2009 campaign between him and Johnson for the title?

69 points.

What, then, does this have to do with Saturday night's race? Despite the fact that -- cue former Arizona Cardinals head coach Denny Green -- the media has pretty much crowned Johnson the champ for 2009 (including yours truly) anything can happen. Silly, stupid things that are completely unexpected. Like electrical problems.

And who knows? A point Johnson misses tonight might be all another contender needs when the smoke settles in Homestead.

Jeff Burton, a.k.a the unofficial mayor of NASCAR, will reach a significant milestone in his long career in the sport when the green flag waves Saturday night.

Burton, the 43-year-old from South Boston, Va., will start his 850th race in the Sprint Cup Series during a season that has been quite a struggle for him and his Richard Childress Racing teammates. Burton is 18th in the standings with just six top-10 finishes in 2009, and tonight's race will mark the one year anniversary of his last Cup win.

As Burton reaches both anniversaries tonight, his hopes have improved after noting this week that he's seeing improvement within RCR.

"I think we've made a swing," said Burton. "I don't think we are where we need to be by any means but if you look at it individually, our teams are starting to run better."

Kurt Busch knows that his team has been decent during the Chase, and obviously he's looking to continue a pretty good run tonight at LMS.

"I feel like this is a great opportunity for us to continue our stretch where we've finished, on average the last few races, in 7.5," said Busch.

In years past, his level of "decent" would likely have been good enough to be in heavy, heavy contention for the title. But coming into tonight's race, he's trailing Jimmie Johnson by some 121 points.

"That's a good average finish, but we're getting beat by better numbers," Busch said. "In years past when Dale [Earnhardt] Sr. was winning championships, or Jeff Gordon, the magic number back then was seven as far as your average finish. With this new Chase format, seven will only get you sixth in points and 121 off the lead."

And he's right. At the moment, Jimmie Johnson is averaging a blistering 3.75 finish. That's tough to beat.

FanHouse Warmup: Banking 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Geoffrey MillerSat, 17 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST Banking 500 Chat Recaphttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/banking-500-live-chat-6-pm-et/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/banking-500-live-chat-6-pm-et/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/banking-500-live-chat-6-pm-et/#commentsFiled under: , ,

FanHouse readers joined Holly Cain at Lowe's Motor Speedway for a trackside chat before the green flag dropped for the Banking 500. The race marks the halfway point of NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Championship playoff.

Check out what topics the chat included, as readers asked questions about championship contenders and contributed their own opinion.

Banking 500 Chat Recap originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Holly CainSat, 17 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST Dale Jr. Near 'The End of My Rope'http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/dale-earnhardt-jr-reaches-end-of-rope/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/dale-earnhardt-jr-reaches-end-of-rope/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/dale-earnhardt-jr-reaches-end-of-rope/#commentsFiled under: , ,

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sounding at times deflated and exasperated, Dale Earnhardt Jr. told reporters Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway that he's just as perplexed by the disappointing performance of his team as the rising tide of critics and doubters.

Most frustrating, he said, is that he doesn't have the quick answers to turning things around.

Earnhardt used Thursday night's qualifying session as a microcosm of his 2009 season. After posting a top-15 speed during practice in his No. 88 Amp Energy-Chevrolet, he managed only the 39th fastest lap in qualifying.

"All the other cars qualified fine and backed their times up in practice and we didn't even get close,'' a mostly subdued Earnhardt said. "We looked ridiculous last night.

"It's like really encouraging one day and the next day it's equally discouraging and that gets really old. I'm about to the end of my rope on it.''

Earnhardt enters Saturday's Banking 500 ranked 22nd in the points standings. He has scored only two top-10 finishes since May while accumulating 12 finishes of 25th or worse -- half of those 35th place or worse.

As if the results weren't disappointing enough, to compound matters, Earnhardt is the only driver in Hendrick Motorsports equipment not among the 12-driver Chase for the Championship. His teammates Jimmie Johnson, 50-year-old Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon are ranked first, second and fifth, respectively, in the standings.

Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, who use Hendrick engines and chassis, are ranked fourth and ninth.

Even when Earnhardt has run well, it seems a late race gremlin creeps up, negating the kind of effort the team desperately needs to build momentum.

Earnhardt qualified on the outside pole and led 41 laps at Kansas City two weeks ago -- the first laps he led since April 26 at Talladega, Ala. -- only to have engine troubles relegate him to a 36th-place finish.
"I've been riding it out but there comes a point where you don't want to ride it out no more. You've just had enough. It's been a long year."
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"I've been riding it out but there comes a point where you don't want to ride it out no more,'' Earnhardt said. "You've just had enough. It's been a long year.

"I really don't want the year to be over with because I like going to the race track every week and racing, but the last several, well, all year, it's been so low.

"The highs have not been very high and the lows have been terribly low. That's hard to want to get back up and try again the next week when you take such a beating. I don't know what else to do."

The hope was that a change in crew chief early in the season would at least invigorate Earnhardt's team. Clearly what they had wasn't working.

Team owner Rick Hendrick replaced Earnhardt's crew chief -- and cousin -- Tony Eury Jr. with Lance McGrew following the Memorial Day weekend race here in Charlotte. But for all the good intentions, the new combination has only produced two top-10 runs (at Michigan and Bristol, Tenn.)

Earnhardt said he gets along well with McGrew but wasn't sure if they would be together next year based upon their tenure so far. But he said he hasn't discussed the situation with Hendrick yet and didn't feel qualified to make the call.

He suggested maybe he needed someone more like his uncle Tony Eury Sr., who heads up Earnhardt's successful Nationwide Series team saying, "I need more of a dictator.''

"I don't think I'm the guy to leave that decision up to because I wouldn't make the right one,'' Earnhardt said. "There's probably better people to make it, especially in the organization. There's a lot of smart people around there.

"I'm just waiting for somebody to make the call. Just tell me. Put the (dang) team together and say this is what you've got and this is what you're going to do next year. Just kind of waiting on that to happen.''

In the meantime, Earnhardt has such modest goals you'd think he was a young rookie, not a former Daytona 500 winner and championship contender. It's obvious he's done a lot of soul searching recently.

"Hopefully, you can finish one,'' Earnhardt said. "That should do a lot for us if we can finish one.

"We just need to run better. It's not happening. It's not happening fast enough.

"I don't know what the answer is. I've tried to think about what the answer is and I don't know what it is.

"Rick has put me in a great position but I haven't made the most of it, or for whatever reason we're just not getting it done.''
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Dale Jr. Near 'The End of My Rope' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dale Earnhardt Jr.DaleEarnhardtJr.Holly CainFri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST FanHouse Trackside at the Banking 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/fanhouse-trackside-at-the-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/fanhouse-trackside-at-the-banking-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/fanhouse-trackside-at-the-banking-500/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Banking 500CONCORD, N.C. -- Steady rain kept cars off the track for most of the day at Lowe's Motor Speedway but there was plenty going on in the garage area prior to a scheduled rain-delayed, late-night qualifying session Thursday.

FanHouse is trackside this weekend for the Banking 500, race 5 of the 10-week Chase for the Championship, and caught up with the Chase drivers as they waited out the weather.

Jeff Gordon talked about his back, Carl Edwards announced he's going to be a father and Greg Biffle updated us on his Logano family feud and what he thinks of Michael Vick's return to the NFL.

All the drivers had opinions on Wednesday's NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class announcement and to a man, thought it was a fair and representative first class. Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson will be inducted May 23, 2010.

"I think those five really stand out as making their mark in our sport getting it where it it is today,'' said four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon. "It's just so hard to narrow it down to five.''

Several of the drivers wondered if maybe the first class should have been larger with so many important positions to fill. It might surprise fans, who seem to want a more driver-centric list of inductees, that the current drivers felt strongly that NASCAR executives, engine builders, team owners, crew chiefs and key marketing people should also be included throughout the years.

And they all said Thursday that both Frances were rightly on the list.

"I would have liked to seen them induct a lot more than five the first year because we really needed this thing many, many years ago,'' said veteran Mark Martin. "The old-timers and the founders and all that, they need to be in there, but there are so many people that need to be in that hall of fame that I hope that some of my current buddies are still alive when they get inducted. I'm serious.''

As for what's newsy and noteworthy:

Jeff Gordon-- Gordon, who is currently fifth in the championship, reported his aching back isn't currently aching.

"I'm happy to report nothing - everything is good, I haven't had any issues," said Gordon, whose No. 24 Chevrolet is carrying the logo for the upcoming movie, "Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen."

Gordon said his current back treatment is primarily a weekly trip to the chiropractor.

"The last little scare was Watkins Glen and I didn't know how long that would take to recover from from that, and I feel like I'm fully recovered.

"It's still there, but I haven't had pain or anything that's been too uncomfortable or any distraction in the car, so I"m happy about that.''

-- Edwards, who got married in January, said his wife Kate is pregnant and that the couple will be having a little girl in mid-February.

"Perfect timing, right,'' Edwards joked. "We'll call her 'Daytona.' "

-- Biffle tried to defuse the situation about his run-in with Tom Logano, whose son Joey was involved in a race tangle with Biffle in last weekend's Nationwide Series race in California. Tom Logano confronted Biffle on pit road after the race and NASCAR confiscated Logano's all-access hard-card.

But Biffle said more was made out of the situation than needed to be and indicated it's not Tom Logano that needs to change his ways as much as Joey Logano.

Biffle said Tom Logano was running down pit road to congratulate his son in victory circle and simply took a brief detour to Biffle's car, "gave me the sign I was number one" and continued on.

"No, he (Tom) hasn't apologized,'' Biffle said. "And I have to say that it really got taken out of context. People blew it up and said there was a fight on pit road and the he was in my window. I don't know that it was that big of deal.''

As for the younger Logano, Biffle conceded he should have given him more racing room but pointed out at least three other incidents where Logano didn't race Biffle and others with the kind of give-and-take respect the sport demands -- certainly what's expected of a young, inexperienced driver.

"I told him, he needs to pay a little more respect to the veterans in the sport,'' said Biffle, who added that Logano still hasn't been receptive to friendly words of advice.

"That's pretty disappointing because I got talked to by Sterling Marlin and a few other guys when I started out and I learned a lot from it. We've all been there and all made mistakes and we all try and look to be better in the future.''

Biffle was also asked during his weekly press conference what he thought about Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick's reinstatement in the NFL. Biffle has a foundation that raises and donates money to animal shelters and animal causes.

"I guess people in this world get second chances, but I guess it's unfortunate that all those animals didn't get a second chance,'' Biffle said.

-- Jeff Burton essentially confirmed that his Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick would be leaving the team following the 2010 season. Harvick told ESPN last week that it was time to "close the book" on his Daytona 500-winning tenure at RCR. Burton said he didn't expect the impending departure to be a negative in the present, however.

"I think everyone has to be professional enough that it doesn't matter,'' Burton said. "It is a stressful situation for he and Richard to deal with and for he and the his team to deal with, no question about it.

"At the same time, I think the hard part is over. ... Sometimes you are just better off going to the dentist and getting it over with. Everybody is understanding that Kevin still has a year left on his contract and he's going to do everything in his power to do the best job for RCR. And RCR is going to do everything in their power to do the best job for Kevin Harvick.

"The reality of it is, if you lose a driver the caliber of Kevin Harvick, we have to have a seat available that a Kevin Harvick-caliber driver wants. The only way we're going to do that is to put a race out there that's highly competitive and shows the people that are looking for rides that you need to come here.''

-- Juan Pablo Montoya was asked about his often heated exchanges with crew chief Brian Pattie during the race.

"We have a very good relationship and it is very open,'' said Montoya, who's ranked third in the championship, just 58 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

"We understand each other and we all have good days and bad days. He tells me, 'sometimes you should shout and then press the button (to talk)' and I told him, 'then what's the point,' '' Montoya laughed.

-- Ryan Newman remained firm in his stance that NASCAR should be more proactive in safety innovations for the restrictor plate race at Talladega Superspeedway. He took some heat last weekend for publicly questioning NASCAR's delayed reaction to a scary, airborne crash on the last lap that sent Carl Edwards' car into the front stretch catchfence and left seven fans injured.

NASCAR will issue smaller restrictor plates for cars at the Nov. 1 Talladega race - reducing engine power by about 10-15 horsepower.

"I didn't get in any trouble (from NASCAR); I would tell you if I did,'' Newman said. "I don't mind being in trouble once in a while as long as it is for the right reason and that is talking about safety.''

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Jeff Burton waits in the garage area before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
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    Jeff Burton waits in the garage area before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Juan Pablo Montoya, top center, of Colombia, examines his car with crew members during practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Jimmie Johnson climbs into his car before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

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    Jeff Gordon climbs into his car before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Tony Stewart smiles in the garage area before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Mark Martin climbs into his car before practice for Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    UNC-Charlotte chancellor Philip Dubois, left, speaks during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The family of late NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki is donating $1.9 million to the motorsports engineering program at UNC-Charlotte. The trust fund, established by Kulwicki's stepmother, Thelma, was announced Thursday and is the largest gift ever made to the engineering school. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

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    Carl Edwards speaks during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Tony Stewart pauses during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race isscheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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    Kurt Busch pauses during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The NASCAR Banking 500 auto race is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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FanHouse Trackside at the Banking 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dale EarnhardtJeff GordonJoey LoganoHolly CainThu, 15 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pepsi 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/sprint-cup-ns-and-qs-pepsi-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tony Stewart Auto Club Speedway NASCAR Sprint CupTony Stewart may be working spots for Burger King at the moment, but at the end of Sunday's race, he was making chicken salad.

"It was making chicken salad out of chicken you know what," said Stewart after finishing 5th. "We were pretty fortunate to get a couple of breaks there when we needed them."

The 'breaks' Stewart was talking about including getting back on the lead lap after falling behind thanks to a miscue on pit road. You could also toss in the fact that he kept his Chase hopes alive by not taking a finish deep in the field.

Casey Mears has had a downright awful season in 2009, but it got a little bit better on Sunday.

Mears finished 11th in his Richard Childress Racing entry and could have had a little bit more before falling back during the late restarts. It was his best finish since a sixth at Michigan in August, and it left him just one spot away from recording his fourth top-10 of the season.

Chalk David Ragan up as a guy who finished a lot better than his season has gone so far. Ragan, in the Roush-Fenway Racing No. 6, finished seventh in the 500-miler -- just one spot behind teammate Carl Edwards.

"Certainly, that's not what we want as the 6 car," said Ragan. "We're not celebrating like it's a win, but a top-10 the way our season has been is certainly refreshing.

Unbelievably, the top-10 was just the second for Ragan in 2009 with the first coming after 6th-place run at the season-opener in Daytona. Last season, Ragan brought in six top-5's and 14 top-10's.

Joey Logano nabbed an unexpected win in Saturday's Nationwide Series race, but didn't have the same luck on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

"We made one pit stop and it went to crap," said a frank Logano. "I don't know what happened. We went junk and couldn't fix it. Eventually, we swung for the fence and it was too far, so we went to the other side of the fence and we started backing it back up from there. I don't know why we went good to complete junk like a light switch."

Logano's words echo the general description of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow chassis for much its lifespan in the Sprint Cup Series. Simply, the handling characteristics are incredibly similar to walking on razor blades. One misstep can spell disaster.

Logano finished 14th.

David Gilliland got a first time experience Sunday when he hopped into Kyle Busch's No. 18 after Busch exited the car on lap 62 due to overwhelming flu-like symptoms. It was the first time all weekend that Gilliland had driven car, meaning it would be a tall task to get a handle on the race car in the middle of the action.

It didn't go too terribly, but didn't go great, either. Gilliland earned Busch a 24th-place finish.

"It was a little bit different. It was an experience, for sure," said Gilliland. "Without practicing it and stuff, we just never could get it right."

Gilliland had previously inked a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive a fourth car in a few remaining races this season. The first of those races will come Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte and Gilliland is a little more optimistic about running well.

"We'll be able to practice and do everything else and have a couple hours to tune the car to kind of what I need," said Gilliland. "I'm excited and looking forward to next week, especially."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but i think Kyle Busch was also the last driver to be a part of a relief driver scenario that saw another starter in the same race exit the race and later jump into another car.

Sunday in California, David Gilliland started in the No. 71 TRG Motorsports car which promptly exited the race on lap 13 as start-and-park. But back in 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway, Busch was involved in crash with his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team early in the event and figured the car was unrepairable. He left the track and headed home.

The team, though, fixed some damage on the car enough to get back on the track and needed a driver to earn some points. Dale Earnhardt Jr., also involved in the crash, was available and hopped in Busch's No. 5 car to make a few laps. As it turns out, it was somewhat of a foreshadow of what would happen in 2008.

Finally, I hope you missed Sunday's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner by Jesse McCartney.

McCartney, a 22-year-old pop singer formerly of the boy band Dream Street, missed an entire verse of the National Anthem during the pre-race ceremonies.

I understand getting nervous and all, but come on. If you've been hired to sing a song that everyone knows -- get it right.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pepsi 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Auto Club SpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 13 Oct 2009 13:25:00 EST Kasey Kahne Calls Out NASCARhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/kasey-kahne-calls-out-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/kasey-kahne-calls-out-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/kasey-kahne-calls-out-nascar/#commentsFiled under: ,

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- It was just a little over two years ago when two-time series champion Tony Stewart accused NASCAR officials of "playing God" by manipulating races through phantom debris cautions.

Upset because a series of caution flags contributed to him losing a race at Phoenix, Stewart likened the sport to professional wrestling in complaining that the bogus debris calls changed the outcome of races.

"I guess NASCAR thinks 'Hey, wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it's going to work in racing, too,"' he fumed. "I don't know that they've run a fair race all year."

The issue has come roaring back behind Kasey Kahne's accusation that NASCAR threw a bogus caution Sunday to bunch up the field and avoid a boring runaway win by Jimmie Johnson at Auto Club Speedway.

Kahne was likely headed to a top-10 finish when he was wrecked on a restart with 12 laps to go. Kurt Busch started the accident when he bounced off the wall and into Kahne. The contact sent Kahne into Greg Biffle, and both cars spun through the grass with enough damage to ruin their race.

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Denny Hamlin (11) and Juan Pablo Montoya, partially obscured, tangle on a restart during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Fontana, Calif. At front left is Jimmie Johnson, who won the race. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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    Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., right foreground, during NASCAR Truck testing at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. Rain prevented Piquet from testing a NASCAR truck. (AP Photo/Jim Bounds)

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    Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., left, and IRL driver Vitor Meira, also from Brazil, watch Red Horse Racing NASCAR truck testing at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008. Rain prevented Piquet from testing a NASCAR truck. (AP Photo/Jim Bounds)

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    Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., left, during NASCAR Truck testing at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. Rain prevented Piquet from testing a NASCAR truck. (AP Photo/Jim Bounds)

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    Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., right, talks with NASCAR truck driver Timothy Peters during testing at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. Rain prevented Piquet from testing a NASCAR truck. (AP Photo/Jim Bounds)

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But Kahne didn't blame Busch for the accident. His ire instead was directed at NASCAR, which had called a caution four laps earlier for debris on the track. At the time of the yellow flag, Johnson had an insurmountable lead over the rest of the field that could only be erased by a caution.

"We worked hard all day, got ourselves in a good position and I think it was going to be a good points day," Kahne said. "Then NASCAR threw a debris caution for no debris, which caused Kurt Busch to hit the wall, which caused me to go to the grass and Greg Biffle.

"It's disappointing that we had a bad race because of a caution to put a show on for the fans. That's a good part of the sport - we have to keep the fans excited - but sometimes it ruins people's days."

There's one small problem with Kahne's contention.

There was clearly debris on the track.

ESPN's cameras showed a decent sized black wad of something laying on the backstretch when the caution was displayed with 16 laps remaining. A safety vehicle was also shown pulling off the grass and onto the track to presumably recover the item.

Not that NASCAR was ever in doubt, though.
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"There was debris on the track, it was talked about on the (NASCAR) radio, it was identified as something being there and the caution was thrown," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Monday.

And if NASCAR had been wrong, and there was nothing on the track?

Oh well.

"NASCAR is always going to put the safety of the competitors first, and when it comes to identifying something on the track, we're always going to err on the side of caution," Poston said.

And that's what will forever keep this issue alive. Because sometimes there may not be debris on the track, competitors and fans will always form their own opinions on NASCAR's intent at the time of the caution.

In fact, there was a debris caution that went unproven shortly before Kahne's accusation. Johnson had his normal monstrous lead when the yellow came out with 65 laps left. This time, though, ESPN was in commercial. When the network came out of the break, the debris was not shown, the commentators did not reveal what was on the track surface and the issue was forgotten as soon as pit stops began.

So, for the sake of argument, let's just pretend we know it was a phantom caution call to "save the show."

It certainly added excitement to the event - Denny Hamlin wrecked as the leader on the restart to bring out another caution - and it prevented Johnson from winning by a half-lap or even more.

Plus, NASCAR used that opportunity to sweep the track, a cleanup that wouldn't have happened had there not been a caution.

So view it as a timeout, a break in the action that is the norm in every other sport and often comes at critical moments of an event. Same thing in NASCAR, when a debris caution can both help and harm a driver.

"It's frustrating when you're leading and pulling away and they say 'debris caution,"' third-place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya said after the race. "It could be simple, or it could be a screw. In Bristol, I had a flat tire from a
washer, you know, with 20 laps to go.

"What can you do? Nothing. It is what it is."

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

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.

Kasey Kahne Calls Out NASCAR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireMon, 12 Oct 2009 23:49:00 EST Let's Face It: Johnson Is Unstoppablehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/lets-face-it-johnson-is-unstoppable/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/lets-face-it-johnson-is-unstoppable/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/lets-face-it-johnson-is-unstoppable/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Jeff Gordon gave Jimmie Johnson a handshake in victory lane to congratulate his teammate on yet another win, but really, it just symbolized what most NASCAR fans have to be fearing -- it's time to throw in the towel yet again at the feet of King Jimmie.

Johnson led 126 of 250 laps in Sunday's Pepsi 500 in Fontana, Calif., and overcame a dramatic final 20 laps that saw him bounced from the lead by Gordon. No matter. Johnson shot back by just a few laps later and then ran away from the field for the win.

It wasn't a surprise, really, that Johnson won. But it's a surprise to realize that pending crazy circumstances, there's not a team in NASCAR that can top the No. 48.
More Coverage: Pepsi 500 Results | Sprint Cup Series Standings

Need proof? Just go through the list of guys who were chasing Johnson, and trying to stop his pursuit of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, during Sunday's race outside of Los Angeles.

Gordon, the second-place finisher, was quite straight to the point after the race.

"We finished second," Gordon said,"but I feel like we were in a second-class category. We're good, but we're not good enough."

His final question in his post-race conference, though, really left an idea of what Gordon will be gnawing on during his long flight back home on the East Coast. What exactly, a reporter asked, is the difference between the No. 24 and No. 48, knowing the fact that they are based out of the same garage?

Gordon shook his head, grimaced and paused.

"Ask the tech center," said Gordon in a low voice. "I don't know. I really have no idea."

Talk about sounding defeated.

Gordon, though, did gain two spots in the Chase standings and now sits 105 points behind Johnson in first.

Juan Pablo Montoya shared Gordon's frustration.

"It's incredible," said Montoya. "I have four top-5's in a row, and I'm losing ground to the leader."

Incredible, indeed.

Montoya's worst finish in the Chase is fourth -- something he's done three times including Sunday's race. Yet, he's 58 points behind Johnson in third.

It's almost unfair.

"It'd be nice if we could get a freakin' win soon," said Montoya.

It seems that Jimmie Johnson has other plans. He is, after all, batting .500 in the win column in this season's Chase.

Mark Martin finished fourth Sunday and fell from the Chase lead for the first time. He's now a mere 12 points behind Johnson -- though you get that feeling that its more like 1,200.

Tony Stewart finished fifth after a day that saw him a lap down and as low as 30th at one point. The finish certainly staved off his elimination, but he's fourth in points and 84 markers back of the No. 48. Not that the team owner is giving up.

"This team never quits," said Stewart after his comeback day. "Never has, never will."

Certainly, Stewart's attitude is nothing short of noble. There's still opportunities for Johnson to have troubles -- for reference, see Denny Hamlin's mistake Sunday at ACS that left him with a 37th-place finish -- in the final six races. But after watching this story unfold for three straight years, can we really expect anything different to happen?

I certainly don't think so, but more importantly, it seems like some of the drivers don't think so.

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Jimmie Johnson's crew celebrates after Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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    Jimmie Johnson's crew celebrates after Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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    Jimmie Johnson kisses his wife, Chandra, as they celebrate his victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pepsi 500 auto race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet, crosses the finsih line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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    FONTANA, CA - OCTOBER 11: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway on October 11, 2009 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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Let's Face It: Johnson Is Unstoppable originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Auto Club SpeedwayGeoffrey MillerSun, 11 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST