Motorsports FanHouse

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pep Boys Auto 500

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:22:00 EST

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, David Gilliland, David Reutimann, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup

After a slip-sliding affair in the Peach State on Sunday night, here's some Notes & Quotes from NASCAR's newest Labor Day tradition.

You've got to hand it to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sunday night's race looked and felt like a breath of fresh air into the venue that has long seen attendance woes -- even while the racing has generally been well above par. Estimates from media and drivers alike put the crowd much larger than the track has seen in years.

The on-track action -- thanks mostly to a tire that wore down and slowed the cars during a run -- was second to none with some 31 lead changes. You've got to bet track president Ed Clark has a big smile on his face this week because Labor Day weekend really clicked with the 1.54-mile track.

David Reutimann finished a strong 4th driving an ultra-cool camouflage-painted No. 00, but it wasn't an easy process.

"We just had one set of tires on the car that the car didn't like very much," said Reutimann, echoing the sentiment of many drivers. "We just kept coming in and working on it. The guys did a great job. I'm really proud. We have run so bad here in the past. It really feels almost like a win."

Reutimann, of course, got his first win at the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 in May and has picked up 5 top-5s and 8 top-10s in 2009 -- both career highs.

Strangely, three big favorites heading into Sunday night's race finished all in consecutive positions -- but at the back.

Jimmie Johnson and his three AMS wins finished 36th thanks to a broken axle and lock nut that forced repairs, Carl Edwards finished a lap further back than Johnson in 37th due to debris causing damage to the oil lines and Kurt Busch smacked the turn four wall after getting loose to finish 38th. Busch dominated and won the spring AMS event.

Bobby Labonte was dropped for seven races from Yates Racing due to sponsorship issues just before Atlanta, but the track came through yet again for the Texan after he picked up a last-minute ride from TRG Motorsports.

Labonte drove the No. 71 to an 18th-place finish -- his personal best since a 12th-place at Charlotte in May -- and topped Erik Darnell by 12 positions. Darnell's sponsorship put him in Labonte's normal No. 96 car for Atlanta.

David Gilliland has driven that No. 71 regularly in 2009, but the shuffle with Labonte ended up with Gilliland subbing for a somewhat-injured Bill Elliott in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Elliott had a dirtbike accident last week that injured his ribs.

Gilliland finished just behind Labonte in 19th, but was elated after the race about his experience with crew chief David Hyder.

"He's a racer and he believes what you're telling him in the race car, which is helpful, and that's awesome," said Gilliland. "Everybody was awesome to work with. We made great adjustments and everytime I told him what it was doing we came in and the tire-pressure builds said exactly the same thing as I was saying, so we were on the same page all night."

Gilliland is looking for a full-time ride in 2010.

Jeff Gordon may have summed the night up best after his 8th-place run that saw him both lead and struggle to stay in contention at different points during the 500-miler.

"It was really crazy. There were a lot of things going on. I can't even keep up with all the different things that happened," said Gordon. "There were times I thought we had the car to beat then I thought we were going to go a lap down. We were trying to keep up with the changing conditions whether it was track, tires or whatever it was. Man, we were all over the place and never could seem to find any consistency."

Kyle Busch skirted a chance to talk with the media in post-race, but crew chief Steve Addington left the No. 18 team's goal simple for next weekend at Richmond where they'll face a 37-point deficit to make the Chase.

"We got to go there and win and let the chips fall where they may," said Addington after Busch's 13th-place finish. "We've been working hard -- nothing we can do now. We can't control what everybody else does we can only control what we do. We need to go to Richmond and win the race."

The last time he said that was at Michigan after a dismal day for Busch. Busch won the very next race at Bristol, just two weeks ago.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Pep Boys Auto 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday Practice Wild at Infineon

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:12:00 EST

Filed under: David Gilliland, Jimmie Johnson, Sprint Cup

Perhaps, you could say, Saturday's practice sessions had more twists and turns than the 10-turn road course they happened on.

An favorite, an underdog and a three-time champion were all involved in incidents that should have a good bit of effect on Sunday's 110-lapper at Infineon Raceway, and a rookie even got punted in the support race to accentuate a wild day.

All in a day's work, one would suppose.

Marcos Ambrose lost a motor, David Gilliland will head to a backup car, Jimmie Johnson got booted twice in the rear end by Ambrose and Joey Logano lost the Camping World Series West race after getting turned on the final lap while leading.

Ambrose, who was scheduled to start 3rd in his No. 47 Toyota after nearly winning the race as a part-time driver a year ago [he's full-time with JTG Daughtery Racing in 2009], first lost a motor during the first practice session of the day. Per NASCAR rules, he'll head to the back of the pack for the start of Sunday's race.

The problem was fitting for what Ambrose said in his post-qualifying interview on Friday at Infineon.

"It's very easy to get too anxious because your expectations are high, so for me, I expect the worse and when anything goes better than that it's marvelous," said Ambrose.

He'll certainly need a lot to go right on Sunday, and he should probably avoid running too close to Jimmie Johnson.

During the final practice after the team had replaced the engine, Ambrose was trying to get in some more laps on the car when he entered the final hairpin corner behind Jimmie Johnson. Johnson hit the brakes quicker than Ambrose, and Ambrose hit the rear of Johnson after the No. 48 slid his tires. Johnson then let off the gas, which was unexpected to Ambrose, and Ambrose plowed in the back in the No. 48 even harder.

Both cars suffered some damage, but neither appeared to need a backup car come Sunday. Ambrose apologized several times afterwards, while Johnson opted not to talk to the media.

Two other cars -- John Andretti and David Gilliland -- made heavy contact in an incident that you'll hardly ever see. Andretti was ahead of Gilliland coming off of pit road and slowed to a near stop to allow several cars at full speed on track to pass. Gilliland, meanwhile, was looking down at his switches to turn on tire blowers and brake fans in the road course car his TRG Motorsports team had just recently purchased.

The result was a wreck incredibly similar to something you'd see involving a distracted driver in rush hour traffic as Gilliland hammered the rear of Andretti's car. Gilliland had qualified 32nd, but the biggest problem was that he had crashed the team's only road course car to an unrepairable mess.

Later in the day, the team worked out a deal with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing to lease Martin Truex Jr.'s backup car for the race. The crashed car was also purchased from EGR, and the new backup will undoubtedly be better than the one the low budget team had brought -- a short track car.

"Our race car was really good, the best I have ever had for this race. That car was purchased from Earnhardt Ganassi so the one we will race should be relatively the same," said Gilliland. "The guys are working really hard to get the car ready and I will work just as hard on the track tomorrow to work my up through the field from back. I am ready to turn this into a positive."

To cap off the wild festivities during Sonoma's final practice day, Joey Logano also had a dose of bad luck during the Camping World West Series race at the track. While leading the last lap, Logano was punted from the lead and ended up 17th. The driver who wrecked him? Penalized.

Saturday Practice Wild at Infineon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, David Gilliland, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Scott Riggs, NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) --The "Big One" hit early at Talladega Superspeedway.

A massive 13-car accident just seven laps into Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway took out race favorites and left it open for an unlikely winner to emerge from the field.

The accident started just seven laps into the race near the front of the field when Matt Kenseth appeared to make contact with series points leader Jeff Gordon.

The bump made Gordon's car slide toward the top of the track, and the drivers running around them couldn't avoid the wreck.

"It was a little bit of aggressive driving, but everybody's jockeying for position here in the early laps," Gordon said. "I got squeezed and didn't have anywhere else to go. I saw an opening, went for it, and it closed up in a hurry."

Six of the drivers caught up in the wreck are Chase for the championship contenders. They are Gordon, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin, winner of last week's race at Phoenix.

"It's Talladega. You expect it," Gordon said. "You just hope to survive it."

Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger, David Gilliland, and Brian Vickers were also involved.

"How could it not happen," Martin said. "It's not guys losing control of their cars. It's so many in such a wad that you can't help but move up or down on each other and it starts a wreck."

DYST V3 test

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images

Brazil's Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Paraguay's Hernan Perez during their U-20 South American Championship football match in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on February 8, 2009.(Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images )

Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images

A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

Lucas Jackson, Reuters

Denver Nuggets forward Chris Anderson touches his head during a time out in the first half of their NBA basketball game with the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey February 7, 2009. (Ray Stubblebine, Reuters)

Ray Stubblebine, Reuters

Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

Don Wright, AP

Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

Al Bello, Getty Images

Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

Darryl Graham, AP

Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

Petr Josek, Reuters

NASCAR issued a stern warning before the race, telling the drivers to avoid aggressive driving, which is common at Talladega but policed heavily for safety precautions.

Race director David Hoots warned drivers at the prerace meeting to show caution on the track.

"If you're thinking you're getting ready to get too close to crossing over this line then draw back," he said.

Several teams were in the garage trying to repair the cars and get them back on the track and get in more laps in the 500-miles race. Others, like Martin, had already called it a day.

Harvick returned about 50 laps later. Gordon, the points leader, and Kahne also returned.

"Everyone's trying to position themselves," Harvick said. "I don't think it's anybody's fault."

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.

Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Can Afford to Tighten Belt More

Dave Despain — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: David Gilliland, SPEED TV

During the NASCAR offseason - November to February - as the U.S. and world economies headed deeper into the tank, we heard a lot of gloom and doom about the future of America's most popular motor sport. Corporate sponsorship, the lifeblood of racing, is currently hard to come by and the '09 season opened with an unhealthy number of cars lacking high-dollar logos on their hoods.

Though I am no economist, I have, through all the naysaying, remained bullish on stock car racing. Harvard MBAs, correct me if I'm wrong, I believe when there is less money to spend, a wise strategy is to spend less money. And at risk of curmudgeonry, I believe the stock car economy, bloated through more than two decades of runaway success, has plenty of room to tighten the old belt.

Start at the top. NASCAR made Daytona's France family billionaires, and deservedly so, but that leads me to believe the sanctioning body has some financial wiggle room in times of dire emergency.

Consider the teams, which somehow manage to spend $20 million per entry racing tube frame cars with carburetors and push rods. Trust me, if times get really tough, there are ways to roll out 43 decent cars on Sunday for a good bit less than that (more on that in a moment).

Star drivers already feel the pinch; Jeff Gordon recently parked the Gulfstream (or whatever) and flew commercial. Imagine a Sprint Cup hero removing his shoes at the same security checkpoint as the rest of us. Good for Gordo. Now ask yourself, would the NASCAR world stop turning if, even for a little while, everybody from the driver to the jack man flew on a major airline or - heaven forbid - drove to the races?

Don't get me wrong. I don't begrudge anyone in the NASCAR world the fruits of their success. But I also know that the lucre of contemporary stock car racing is an anomaly. Throughout most of the motorsports world, regardless of whether Fortune 500 stocks are up or down, financial hardship is a way of life. Away from the NASCAR gravy train, 99.9% of those who race never have enough money.

I know too that a significant number of those currently living large as a result of NASCAR's long-running boom came from more humble roots. If they didn't personally experience driving all night and sleeping four-to-a-room in order to afford to go racing, they can certainly remember dad telling them about it. These folks hail from rugged stock and can go back to roughing it if they have to.

Meantime, the money crunch has opened a window of opportunity for those not addicted to expensive habits. Last year NASCAR adopted new car specs, in part to enable team owners to reduce the size of their racing fleets and thus save money. But the owners, creatures of habit or perhaps bowing to the advice of spoiled crew chiefs who like having specific cars for all the different tracks, were slow to downsize.

Against the backdrop of big teams building dozens of cars for a 36-race season, consider the case of car owner Kevin Buckler, a successful sports car racer who has now turned his sights toward NASCAR. Buckler's driver, David Gilliland, tackled this year's first four races with - count them - two cars. Organized just 15 days before the season opener, Buckler's team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 but has since made five straight races, finishing 33rd, 14th, 24th, 36th and 36th. That was good enough to put them 34th in car owner points, earning one of the precious guaranteed starting spots reserved for the top 35, before falling to 36th following last weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway.

Buckler's approach - buying used cars from other owners and hiring crew members laid off as big teams cut back - probably won't trigger a paradigm shift in NASCAR economics but he has made clear that a smart guy surrounded with dedicated people can do more with less. That lesson will not be lost on his peers. I'll say it again; with a little Buckler-esque attention to how the money is being spent, the big wheels of NASCAR will continue to roll through the current economic storm.

Dave Despain, a veteran motorsports journalist, is the host of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED. A self-proclaimed failed motorcycle racer, Despain spent 10 years in American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) public relations and publishing and made his first television appearance on ABC Wide World of Sports as an analyst for the Daytona 200. He emerged on the NASCAR scene in the early 1970s when he joined Motor Racing Network (MRN) and was named host of Motorweek Illustrated on TBS in 1980. In addition to his on-air accomplishments, Despain served on the AMA Pro Racing Board in the 1990s and became a promoter in 1998 when he inaugurated the Dirt Track Hall of Fame Race in Springfield, Illinois, a race that paid a record $100,000 purse. He joined then-Speedvision in 2001 as the host of the weekly programs Bike Week and Motorcyclist. Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED was born in 2003 and has become one of the network's most popular programs. For more information on Despain or SPEED's NASCAR programming, please visit www.speedtv.com.

NASCAR Can Afford to Tighten Belt More originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Gilliland's Intentional Wreck of Montoya

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:32:00 EST

Filed under: David Gilliland, Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Crashes

Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway had a grand total of two cautions for actual on-track wrecks, and had David Gilliland not intentionally wrecked Juan Pablo Montoya, that number would have been cut in half.

First, the video:

I saw Montoya's crash live Sunday during our live blog here on the 'House, and immediately felt my stomach drop for how blatantly intentional Gilliiland's move was.

Who knew David Gilliland was that type of racer?

I certainly didn't, and couldn't believe that he'd make such an egregious move to take out Montoya in such a bad spot on the race track. To me, it's one thing to spin the a guy out coming off a corner and something entirely different to do what Gilliland did in turning left on the backstretch into Montoya's right rear, sending the No. 42 straight towards the outside wall.

For his part, Montoya did admit the two had tangled somewhat in the laps prior through the corners, but he was surprised his lead-lap run ended with Gilliland's desperate move.

NASCAR took corrective action nearly immediately after the wreck by bringing Gilliland to pit road originally for a five-lap penalty, before parking him for the rest of the event. He finished 42nd.

I am somewhat confused, though, about two things. First, Gilliland, who so obviously wrecked Montoya, tried to pass of his manuever as a complete accident.

My spotter said I was clear and I slid up in front of him and he ran in the back of me and then going down into turn one and two it was the same thing. Then I went up the track to let him go and just kind of misjudged my run coming down back across the track.

I wasn't in the driver's seat, but from my estimation, Gilliland is trying to pass off something that any jury would find him guilty for. If you wrecked him intentionally, fess up to it.

Second, I find it hard to believe NASCAR is considering the situation resolved after simply parking the No. 38 for the rest of the race. I get that he lost a good amount of points on the matter, but come on, a dangerous move like that deserves a slightly more hefty punishment.

Video: Gilliland's Intentional Wreck of Montoya originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lap 83 Brings Watkins Glen Demolition Derby

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:26:00 EST

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, David Gilliland, Ryan Newman, Sam Hornish Jr., NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

A huge wreck coming off of Turn 11 at Watkins Glen International Raceway put the Sprint Cup Series' Centurion Boats at the Glen under the red flag with just eight laps to go Sunday.

Nine cars were involved in the big crash that saw David Gililland and Bobby Labonte take some of the hardest hits the NASCAR world has seen at a road course in a long time. Labonte walked away from his car but will be transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The incident started after Michael McDowell got bumped by David Gilliland coming into the final corner of the course. McDowell responded by bumping Gilliland, sending the No. 38 into the tire wall at the exit of the corner.

Because of the nature of the wall, Gilliland's car dug in and then shot back sideways across the track into the path of Labonte who T-boned the Yates Ford. With the track blocked, the back part of the field had nowhere to go after coming off the blind corner, causing multiple cars to get heavily damaged and No. 38 to take a few more hits.

In the mess, Sam Hornish Jr. slid and impacted the end of the pit road wall, sending water-filled drums flying everywhere -- including a lid that nailed the pit road entrance light standard that caused it to sway wildly as the NASCAR official nearby dove for cover and photographers scattered.

Included in the wreck were Labonte, Gilliland, Hornish Jr., Dave Blaney, Max Papis, Reed Sorenson, Michael Waltrip, Ryan Newman, Joe Nemecheck.

As a result of the wreck, the red flag was for over 40 minutes as track workers collected the ruined race cars and cleaned the water up from the canisters at the entrance of pit lane. Gilliland and McDowell were asked to come to the NASCAR hauler at the conclusion of the event to discuss their actions -- though I didn't necessarily see any action from the two that was out of the ordinary for the last ten laps of the race.

Lap 83 Brings Watkins Glen Demolition Derby originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocono Not For Sale; Open for Testing

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:44:00 EST

Filed under: David Gilliland, Sprint Cup, NASCAR Testing

Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports Inc. won't be getting their hands on Pocono Raceway any time soon in his bid to make a race date available to his latest acquisition of Kentucky Speedway.

Rose Mattioli told The Associated Press on Tuesday there are no plans to sell Pocono, which currently has two Sprint Cup races, and there will be racing on the mountaintop for at least "as long as our grandkids live."

"It never was available; it never will be available," said Mattioli, who owns the track with her husband, Joseph. "My husband has stated that over and again. That's it."

The track is "entrusted" to the Mattioli's grandchildren, and because of that, the family isn't selling one of NASCAR's three remaining race tracks not owned by International Speedway Corp. or SMI.

However, the track did open on Tuesday for some scheduled Sprint Cup Series testing.

Teams, fresh off the 600 miles at Lowe's Motor Speedway Sunday night, headed to Pennslyvania for the test which runs through Wednesday evening at the three-turn wanna-be road course track

Tuesday, teams got in about 4 hours of practice until rain canceled activities for the day -- meaning many, many Sprint Cup drivers were likely bored out of their minds.

David Gilliland paced the session while Dario Franchitti made his first laps in a stock car after getting injured over a month ago at Talladega.

Pocono Not For Sale; Open for Testing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 May 2008 23:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Kenseth Won't Wreck You Discreetly

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Matt Kenseth, NASCAR Crashes, David Gilliland

Former NASCAR champion has made it a well-known fact that he doesn't get along with Martinsville Speedway.

Sunday, he made it very well known that he just isn't very good at wrecking people intentionally without getting caught. Catch the first replay at 0:10:

As you can see, Kenseth's yellow and black DeWalt Ford suddenly swiped up the track directly into the right rear corner of David Gilliland's No. 38. Naturally, the No. 38 quickly spun up against the turn 2 wall.

There was no wiggle, no bump, but rather Kenseth's ride taking a beeline straight towards Gilliland's car. Really, Matt, can't you at least make it look a little less obvious?

The move by Kenseth drew the driver a two-lap penalty in the pits to add to the plethora of issues the No. 17 had Sunday. He would finish 30th, four laps down.

Matt Kenseth Won't Wreck You Discreetly originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide Debut Sputters

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:43:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona Int'l Speedway, Michael Waltrip Racing, David Gilliland, David Reutimann, Nationwide Series

Check out all of the NASCAR Fanhouse Daytona Speedweeks Coverage.
On Sunday, stop by for the live blog of the 50th Daytona 500 at 3:00pm/ET.

In addition to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s well-publicized move to Hendrick Motorsports in the off-season, his personal team, JR Motorsports, merged operations with Hendrick for the Nationwide Series campaign.

That hasn't started off well at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet will start 19th Saturday afternoon in the Camping World 300 (1:15/ET ESPN2), but qualifying for the race has been about the only bright spot.

Prior to qualifying, Earnhardt Jr.'s No 5 was impounded Thursday night by NASCAR after they noticed illegal rear spoiler modifications. The crew had changed something about the decklid and spoiler after inspection on Thursday morning, and NASCAR wasn't happy.

Friday morning, the No. 5 was returned to the team minus a decklid and spoiler, forcing the team to unbolt the decklid and spoiler assembly from the team's backup car and transfer it to the primary.

Earnhardt Jr. wasn't too happy.

"Everybody tries to get a little bit on the cars and the rules and get in the gray area," Earnhardt said in a television interview. "Our guys were trying too hard on a car that didn't need it. The car's pretty good. We all learned a lesson and probably deal with penalties next week, which is pretty much standard. We'll be all right."

In other words, Earnhardt Jr. is ticked that his team is going to be fined and penalized for a race car that before the infraction could have won the race.

Other pre-race rules infractions included Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann having his carburetor confiscated and drivers Cale Gale, Johnny Sauter, David Gililland, David Stremme and Kertus David having post-qualifying issues with their oil tank lids.

Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide Debut Sputters originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rudd Still Hurt, Wallace Still In at RYR

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:49:00 EST

Filed under: David Gilliland, Ricky Rudd, Yates Racing

Ricky Rudd will miss his third consecutive race this weekend at Dover International Speedway. Rudd suffered a serious shoulder separation during a crash at California Speedway.

Kenny Wallace has filled in Rudd's No. 88 since that time and will continue this weekend with Dover's Dodge Dealers 400.

Wallace says that he is looking forward to running in the Dodge Dealers 400.

"I really have a love/hate relationship with Dover," he said. "I've had some good runs there, and those are the runs I always try to remember when we head there for a race. I really enjoy the track a lot, and I'm just waiting to love the track, but I really feel that I can do well up there in the car of tomorrow this weekend. For as much as I enjoy Dover, I haven't had the finishes that I should have so far, but I'm just going to keep on trying."

During his time in the RYR Ford, Wallace has posted unremarkable finishes of 28th and 34th respectively at Richmond and Loudon.

David Gililland, the other Yates driver, has only posted finishes of 22nd and 39th at the same events -- showing that the Yates machines aren't exactly up-to-par at the moment, however.

For Wallace's future, you've got to hope that Yates brings a better package to the Monster Mile this weekend.

It's not known when Ricky Rudd, who is retiring at the end of this season, will come back -- if at all -- from his injury.

Rudd Still Hurt, Wallace Still In at RYR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lucky in Kentucky: Yates' Leicht Takes the 'W'

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing, David Gilliland, Yates Racing, Busch Series

Last year, when David Gilliland won his first ever Busch race in an unsponsored car at the spring Kentucky event, by the fall he was piloting Robert Yates Racing No. 38.

Stephen Leicht took his first Busch win at the same track Saturday night, but he's already racing for RYR and has Citifinancial as a sponsor.

Does that mean he gets an automatic Cup ride, too?

Doubt it.

But hey, he's a winner, right? I'm sure the party will be nice tonight -- mainly because he doesn't have to be at Michigan for the Cup race Sunday.

One minor issue though. Leicht is only 20, and underage drinking is wrong. Especially in the Busch Series. Wrong.

At least now, however, Leicht has the first win slump past him. He was the first non-Cup driver to win a Busch race in 52 consecutive races.

Busch Series point leader -- or the guy that's suffocating NASCAR's idea to not add the Chase for the Busch Series -- Carl Edwards led a race-high 96 of 200 laps before being caught up in a wreck with less than 30 laps to go on a restart.

He'll probably leave Kentucky with a 30-bajillion point lead, instead of 39-bajillion one. Darn.

It was a big night otherwise for non-Cup Busch regulars.
19-year-old Brad Coleman finished 2nd with Scott Wimmer in a Richard Childress Racing car got third. Shane Huffman finished 5th, Aric Almirola 6th, and Kelly Bires (who?!) 7th in his second-career Busch start.

The evil Cuppers in the top-10 included David Stremme in 4th, and David Ragain, Mike Bliss (sometimes a Cupper), and Greg Biffle rounding out the top-10.

Hm, kinda sounds like an old Busch Series race -- and I like it.

(Begin rant ... here.) Who really cares if Carl Edwards wins a Busch Series title? Will the folks who believe that the Busch Series being consistently filled with the vast numbers of Cup drivers is good?

Will they buy a 2007 Carl Edwards Busch Championship tee or hat? Doubt it.

My point exactly. (Rant over, thanks.)

Lucky in Kentucky: Yates' Leicht Takes the 'W' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yates Says Thanks But No Thanks, Sticks With Ford

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:53:00 EST

Filed under: Nextel Cup, David Gilliland, Ricky Rudd, Yates Racing

Say goodbye to any rumors that Robert Yates Racing will be running any other model than a Ford in the near future.

Yates told ESPN on Thursday that he had signed a new five-year deal with the manufacturer in a move that quieted some gossip but didn't clear up much.

"We have been talking to different people and they ask, 'What manufacturer are you with? How strong is that? How long term is it?' [This contract] puts a lot to bed. We have a good relationship with Ford, and we continue to," said Yates.

It's good to see one of NASCAR's traditional names still find a place in the growing sport. Yates knows he has some catching up to do to get Ricky Rudd and David Gilliland running like the Yates teams of the 90's, but this new contract helps solidify things for a few years.

The DEI-RYR partnership rumor is still alive and kicking, however, because DEI hasn't ruled out not campaigning with a different make in 2008. DEI has, however, inked a deal with Richard Childress Racing to build engines.

Confused yet? I am.
Yates isn't though, he's got a couple of a possible partnerships lined up now that he has manufacturer stability with Ford -- a group he holds near and dear to the heart.

"I sort of started my life with [Ford], and hopefully it will extend my life."

Uhh, like, so were Robert's parents at a drive-in in a Ford 9 months or so before his birth? And is Ford a new anti-aging brand?

Interesting analogy.

(Photo by Gavin Lawrence, Getty Images)

Yates Says Thanks But No Thanks, Sticks With Ford originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raceday Warmup: Talladega

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Talladega Superspeedway, David Gilliland, Michael Waltrip Racing

Just a quick shot of 110 octane to get you goin' for ~~500~~ 499 miles of NASCAR Nextel Cup Racing at Talladega. Today's coverage starts at 1:30pm/et on FOX with the green flag sometime after 2:15pm/et. The weather forecast today is remarkable -- Sunny and a high of 82.

Would the Real Tony Stewart Please Stand Up?
First, he wouldn't talk. Then, he blasted NASCAR for being the new professional wrestling. NASCAR then, for all intents and purposes, laid a verbal lashing on him. Yesterday? Defiant as ever, acting as if he was still right. Which are you, Tony? When will you pick a stand and quit waffling? I can't agree more with this column over on ThatsRacin. The first line really says it all -- Tony Stewart is no hero for what he said on the radio, rather, he is just talking to be heard because the method in which he displays his displeasure is utterly ineffective for change. The NASCAR Nation thanks you, Tony, for so damaging any credibility this sport has worked so hard to have. Today begins an attempt to bring that back.

Don't Let the 499 Fool You
Just in case you were wondering, today's race isn't technically any shorter than a 500 mile race at Talladega. Aaron's took over sponsorship a few years back and have used the race title to apparently rent more TV's and pay for Michael Waltrip to be in their commercials. There will be 188 laps run today -- 500.08 miles -- pending no race-extending cautions. The 499 mile marker technically is on the backstretch heading into turn 3, but it's not the important finishing line.

Surprising Starters
As if Saturday's qualifying for today's race wasn't weird enough with David Gililland and Jeff Gordon running the identical pole speed (Gordon takes the pole because he's higher in points), today's race will be the first without a Wood Brothers car since 2000 after Ken Schrader failed to make the field. Also, Kenny Wallace's qualified 6th for his best start since Martinsville in 2003. Michael Waltrip missed his 8th consecutive race by .009 seconds.

Darnell, Labonte Score Saturday Victories
In case you've been living under a rock, stuck at a baseball diamond with your kids, or had to work the Saturday shift, yesterday in NASCAR racing was a decent day. Bobby Labonte snuck around Tony Stewart to take a last lap win in a wild Busch Series race at Talladega that saw quite a few significant accidents. At Kansas, Roush Racing's Erik Darnell won his first ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, ending Mike Skinner's chance at scoring four wins in a row, which would have broken his own truck series record of three in a row.

Raceday Warmup: Talladega originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 08:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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