Motorsports FanHouse

Dodge CEO: Petty Switch to Ford 'a Business Decision'

Holly Cain — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Dodge, Ford, Sprint Cup

RICHMOND, Va. -- Tthere was mixed reaction in the Richmond International Raceway garage Friday morning to the news that Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) and Yates Racing plans to merge for the 2010 NASCAR season and will field a four-car Ford team under the RPM name.

RPM currently fields Dodges and the move to Ford would leave Dodge only the three-car Penske Racing stable in the Sprint Cup Series.

Dodge Motorsports President and CEO Mike Accavitti issued a statement saying, "Richard (Petty) has made a business decision to merge with Yates Racing. We wish Richard and RPM luck the rest of the season and in the future.''

"Dodge's plan -- to be a championship contender in 2010 with Penske Racing and a solid lineup of drivers -- has not changed."

RPM also announced its 2010 driver lineup of Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Menard. And even some of these drivers, say they were just as surprised by the announcement as everyone else.

There is plenty of irony to go around. Sadler left Yates Racing late in the 2006 season to drive for Evernham Motorsports, which is now RPM. Kahne, the team's lead driver, was involved in a lawsuit with Ford in 2004 after he signed with Evernham to drive Dodges.

The twist in fate wasn't lost on Kahne

"This wasn't really about me, it was about building Richard Petty Motorsports," said Kahne who only found out about the merger Wednesday night -- the day before the formal announcement. "When I left Ford and went through that suit and I wasn't a big fan and they weren't a big fan of me, but time heals and a lot of those people that were involved in that aren't there now. They have new people there and I'm really excited.

"I feel good they're trying to make us better as a company. The Dodge deal was up.

"This change is to make us stronger and give us a better chance when it comes to racing against these four and basically eight-car teams. "

Reed Sorenson, who drives the No. 43 Dodge for RPM this season is one of the drivers -- along with former champion Bobby Labonte and up-and-comer Erik Darnell -- left out of the announced merger plans.

Sorenson told Sirius Satellite Radio Thursday, "I didn't know when this was going to happen or what they were working on it but obviously it came along this week.

"There have been some conversations in the past few weeks just discussing next year and I've kind of known for a few weeks now that I'm looking for a job next year."

Sorenson said he doesn't have a real good lead right now, adding, "I just think it's the circumstances of the economy and what everybody's having to do to get through it."

Driver Ryan Newman said he thought this merger -- and a trend of teams merging in the last two seasons -- was a bad sign for the state of NASCAR.

"It's crazy to see how this sport has changed,'' said Newman, who drives the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. "To see some of these mergers to me is a weakness in the sport. We don't want to see mergers of organizations; we want to see organizations have multiple teams. I want to see six to eight cars go home every week, that's the way it should be in my eyes.

"I don't think that having these mergers is a good thing for the sport. You know the Dodge thing here, that doesn't really matter, it's just more the merger of the teams that I see as the bigger kicker."

It also creates an interesting situation for Kahne who is the only RPM or Yates driver in position to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. He's a two-race winner this season and currently sixth in the standings, needing only to finish 21st in Saturday night's race at Richmond to make the 12-driver playoff.

Kahne is the only driver with either the Petty or Yates team to win a race since 2005.

"I'm not real worried about that (next year) right now," Kahne said. "I'm worried about driving my Dodges and winning races in them."

Dodge CEO: Petty Switch to Ford 'a Business Decision' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kasey Kahne Ready to Make His Move

Holly Cain — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Dodge, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Holding off Tony Stewart on multiple late-race, double-file restarts on a road course may turn out to be the easier proposition for Sunday's race winner Kasey Kahne.

Capitalizing on the momentum from the victory and avoiding drama in the final days that set the Chase for the Championship 12-driver field ... that's another story.

Kahne said Tuesday he's up for the challenge.

"That might be one of the reasons I like racing ... all the pressure and the excitement,'' Kahne said. "I don't mind it, I enjoy trying to perform under pressure.''

Good thing.

With 10 races left to qualify for NASCAR's version of the playoffs, Kahne is ranked 13th -- a mere three points behind the 12th-place cutoff. For most drivers that's just inviting stress. For Kahne, it's about all he's known since NASCAR went to this format in 2004.

Kahne has teetered on the brink of a making a title run two of the last three years when entering the final "regular season" race at Richmond, Va. -- standing a few points from cracking the top 12 or a few points from falling out of it.

In 2006 he made the cut and went on to finish a career-best eighth in the final standings. Last year he missed it and finished 14th in the championship.

"It always seems a little different from year to year, but for some reason it always seems like we're in that 10th to 14th place position,'' Kahne said.

"I've learned anything can happen at any time, especially when it's winding down. We've been through them all (scenarios). We just need to be strong here the next five races especially.''

Kahne is a "verge" driver in another sense as well.

He's on the verge of making the Chase -- which given his talent, he should -- and he's on he verge of needing a fresh start, which may serve him just as well.

When Stewart indicated last week that he'd be open to adding a third car to the Stewart-Haas Racing stable, Kahne's name was logically among the first to come up. (That is, assuming the Danica Patrick-Tony Stewart volatility potential overrides the hype factor of that matchup.)

Stewart and Kahne have been friends for a long time and share a similar racing background. They help each others' charitable foundations and have a friendly rivalry as World of Outlaws and USAC team owners.

Best of all for this situation, they have a healthy respect for each others' talents.

Kahne's career -- which includes the 2004 Rookie of the Year honors and a 10-win resume -- could use a jump-start. His marketability is an easy sell to potential sponsors even in a zipped up economy and he currently has the Budweiser brand.

Beyond all that -- Kahne wins. And that's what really matters most to he and Stewart, who was among the first to stop by Victory Lane Sunday afternoon in Sonoma, Calif., to congratulate Kahne on his first road course win.

"It's pretty neat when you have someone like him come in and do that,'' Kahne said, adding with a laugh. "It was awesome to race with Tony and be able to beat him once in a while.''

Latest NASCAR Images

SONOMA, CA - JUNE 20: David Reutimann, driver of the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, drives during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Infineon Raceway on June 20, 2009 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Reutimann

Getty Images

FILE - In this May 23, 2009 file photo, Kasey Kahne, left, talks with Richard Petty, right, during practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Kahne took Petty to Victory Lane on Sunday June 21, 2009, for the first time in 364 races by winning on the road course at Infineon Raceway. It was a breakthrough victory for Richard Petty Motorsports, the team born in January from the merger between Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises. (AP Photo/Rick Havner, File)

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne holds off Tony Stewart and Marcos Ambrose to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Stewart finished second and Ambrose in third. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, left, and Kasey Kahne, right, wave to the audience during the driver introductions ceremony before the start of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kahne went on to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Stewart finished second (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

Drivers go two-wide as they head into turn one after a restart during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kasey Kahne went on to win the race, with Tony Stewart finishing second (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon drives during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kasey Kahne won the race. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch (2) loses control at turn 8 and crashes into a tire wall during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kasey Kahne won the race. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne heads into turn 4A during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kahne won the race. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya goes up on three wheels after making turn 3A during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kasey Kahne won the race. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne goes up on three wheels after hitting the rumble strips on turn 4 during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Sunday, June 21, 2009. Kahne went on to win the race. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

MCT

Of course the other person in Victory Lane with him was the namesake of Kahne's Richard Petty Motorsports team. And that made a big impact on Kahne, too.

Since Kahne's Gillett Evernham Motorsports team merged with the Petty's team and took on the new RPM moniker this season, Kahne has often spoken of his strong desire to help Petty get back to Victory Lane.

Kahne's win Sunday was "The King's" first visit there since 1999.

"To see the fans' reaction to Richard Petty was eye-opening,'' said Kahne.

Imagine the fans' reaction to seeing Petty there more frequently. Having the sport's legend in the championship mix might just be the antidote to a season when NASCAR's current superstar, Dale Earnhardt Jr., isn't performing up to expectations.

A few days removed from his first win of the season, Kahne couldn't be more hopeful.

The new Dodge R6 engine has made a noticeable difference in Kahne's performance in the two races he's had it. He's scheduled to run it again Sunday in New Hampshire and shot down internet rumors that he would be driving a Toyota by season's end.

The new engine, along with better-constructed cars and improved communication between he and his Kenny Francis-led team have put him in the best position to contend on a consistent basis all year.

"The timing is perfect,'' Kahne said. "with the new cars, latest engines ... with all new stuff, it feels like February almost.''

Kasey Kahne Ready to Make His Move originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kasey Kahne Deserves More

Holly Cain — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dodge, Sprint Cup, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports

Fans have just voted Kasey Kahne's win in last year's Sprint All-Star Race the greatest moment in Lowe's Motor Speedway's storied history. After failing to qualify for the race, Kahne lined up on the starting grid thanks to the fans' popular vote, then promptly went out and snapped a 19-month winless streak.

Kahne's amazing effort that night, followed by a win a week later in the Coca-Cola 600, marked one of the best weeks of his Sprint Cup Series career.

The highlight reel has been considerably shorter for him since.

As the All-Star race win demonstrates, Kahne, 29, is incredibly popular and massively talented. Unfortunately he's driving for a newly merged, newly named, old-school team, Richard Petty Motorsports, that appears to be going nowhere fast.

Literally.

After a promising start, Kahne has slowly and painfully slipped out of Top 12 Chase contention. He's had only two top-10 finishes through 11 races -- although he did lead laps at Darlington last Saturday and ranks 17th in the championship. He hasn't won since last June and his fellow RPM drivers are faring even worse.

This is not what Kahne signed up for when he was tabbed by then team owner Ray Evernham to succeed champion Bill Elliott behind the wheel of the No. 9 Dodge in 2004. Kahne, a USAC star, was widely considered one of the best young talents NASCAR had lured away from open-wheel.

And Evernham, a three-time Cup champion crew chief for Jeff Gordon, was Dodge's NASCAR Alpha Dog, its flagship operation. The potential of the highly motivated combination of Evernham, Kahne and Dodge made for one of the freshest success stories in Cup racing.

Kahne delivered the 2004 Rookie of the Year title, won four pole positions and finished a respectful 13th in points.

Latest NASCAR Images

** AUTO RACING PACKAGE FOR MAY 13 OR THEREAFTER ** In this photograph taken on Saturday, May 9, 2009, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose gets out into a car for driver introductions before the start of the Southern 500 auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. The 32-year-old Australian has been steadily rising in his first full Sprint Cup season. He's had five top-15 finishes in his past seven races and is 20th in the points standings. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

** AUTO RACING PACKAGE FOR MAY 13 OR THEREAFTER ** In this photograph taken on Friday, May 8, 2009, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose smiles as he walks in the garage area to practice for the Southern 500 auto race at Darlington Racewayin Darlington, S.C. The 32-year-old Australian has been steadily rising in his first full Sprint Cup season. He's had five top-15 finishes in his past seven races and is 20th in the points standings. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

** AUTO RACING PACKAGE FOR MAY 13 OR THEREAFTER ** In this photograph taken on Saturday, May 9, 2009, pit crew members for Marcos Ambrose service the car of during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. The 32-year-old Australian has been steadily rising in his first full Sprint Cup season. He's had five top-15 finishes in his past seven races and is 20th in the points standings. (AP Photo/CJ Driggers)

** AUTO RACING PACKAGE FOR MAY 13 OR THEREAFTER ** In this photograph taken on Friday, May 8, 2009, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose takes his car out duing practice for the Southern 500 auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C The 32-year-old Australian has been steadily rising in his first full Sprint Cup season. He's had five top-15 finishes in his past seven races and is 20th in the points standings. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

In this screen image released by EA Sports, a scene is shown from "NASCAR Kart Racing." (AP Photo/EA Sports) ** NO SALES **

Michael Waltrip (55) catches fire as his engine blows in turn three during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., Saturday, May 9, 2009.

Richard Shiro, AP

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2009 file photo, Joey Logano is shown before the first of two NASCAR Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Logano, who turns 19 on May 24, led 19 laps of the Southern 500 on Saturday, May 9, 2009, nearly four times as many he had this season, and was out front with fewer than 100 miles left. He ended ninth, matching his best-ever NASCAR finish at a track known for sending rookies into the wall and then laughing in their faces. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, sits next to his car on the grid prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 on May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

Getty Images

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 on May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

Getty Images

Kahne scored his maiden Cup win in 2005 and answered with a series high six wins the next season and a career-best eighth place ranking in the championship.

By then, the handsome, personable Kahne had also made a name for himself as one of NASCAR's most marketable drivers. He was chosen as one of People Magazine's "Hottest" Bachelors. He starred in popular and entertaining television commercials and his souvenirs were selling off shelves.

Men loved the way he raced. Women loved the way he raced. And everything else about him.

Kahne was one of NASCAR's rock stars. And that is fine. But what he has always been more interested in winning races and that seems to be a losing proposition with his current situation.

Today's Richard Petty Motorsports hardly resembles the original Evernham Motorsports -- most obviously because Evernham has sold his majority interest to Canadian George Gillett and remains with the team only as a "consultant."

In the off season, Gillett-Evernham merged with Petty Enterprises, which, frankly hasn't fielded a championship contender since Richard Petty drove for the team in the 1970s.

Far from being a mega-merger, the result is a mega-mediocre four-car team. And it shouldn't be that way. The lineup, including veteran Elliott Sadler, journeyman Reed Sorenson and newcomer A.J. Allmendinger is capable of winning races.

And it's not Dodge, which unveiled an improved engine this year that RPM inexplicably STILL isn't using.

Kurt Busch, who drives a Dodge for Penske Racing, has won a race and led the championship this season under the new power.

How much difference could the new engine package make? Three words: Sam Hornish Junior.

It makes you wonder if racing is merely a business proposition to RPM owners. It is certainly more than that for Kahne. It's about winning, which is something Kahne has done since he was teenager racing sprint cars in the Northwest.

And why should he lower the expectations?

"What gets to me,'' Kahne said, "is when you start getting happy running 12th or 14th. That's not where I want to be. At times right now, I leave the track after I finish 13th and I'm a little upset but that's better than it could have been. I don't really like that attitude but that's kind of what it's been the last couple of years.

"I like to win, I know that much. I want to have the opportunity to win each week.''

Give Kahne credit. He has taken the high road and remained loyal to RPM, but even he has a certain threshold of what he can tolerate.

In remarks to reporters last week at Darlington, S.C., Kahne indicated he was hopeful the team would turn things around but was clearly frustrated.

"They're starting to listen, but my concerns have been the same for a while,'' Kahne told The Charlotte Observer. "Sometimes, early in the year and the end of last year, I'd tell them my concerns and they'd look at you. It would go in one ear and out the other and they'd go about their day.

"In the last three weeks they have really started to think about it and said, 'Our cars are really heavy and our engines don't run' and they're starting to work on it.

"It's not like all this just happened.''

With the right equipment and support there is absolutely no reason why Kahne shouldn't be in the Chase for the Championship this year and every year.

If RPM can't give him the commitment to make that happen, the team should let Kahne out of the final year of his contract, 2010, so he can drive for a team that is as interested in winning as he is.

Imagine what it must be like for Kahne to watch those (who shall remain nameless) in superior equipment squander opportunity.

The driving talent is still there. The support is not. And it's time for Kahne to move on.

Kasey Kahne Deserves More originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 13 May 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Penske Discusses Economy, Danica and a NASCAR Title

Holly Cain — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:37:00 EST

Filed under: Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, Penske Racing, Sprint Cup, IRL

Roger Penske is the most successful team owner in Indy car history with driver Ryan Briscoe earning Penske's 139th victory two weeks ago in the IndyCar Series opener at St. Petersburg. Penske has won the Indy 500 a staggering 14 times. His NASCAR team has 63 victories, including the 2008 Daytona 500. His sports car team won the historic 12 Hours of Sebring last year.

Penske sat down in his motor coach for a wide-ranging interview on topics as diverse as what keeps him motivated to Danica Patrick's flirt with NASCAR to the future of his NASCAR driver Sam Hornish Jr.

Excerpts from my interview with Penske after the jump.

On what continues to motivate him after 50 years in the sport:

Roger Penske: "I love to go racing. The juices that flow on a weekend when you're racing and the competitive spirit. ... And what I like is the strategy. You're getting your quarterly earnings every weekend. You either make the right calls or you don't. This isn't a case where you can wait until next month to solve the problem. I'd say competitive juices are paramount but it ties right into the business benefits."

On the situation with the "Big Three" auto manufacturers:

Penske: "Number one, it would be really tough on teams if we lost the 'Big Three' support in NASCAR. (It would be) tough from a team perspective, a track perspective. I don't know what's going to happen.

"I do think once the government and companies come to an agreement on to how they'll go forward and what mode, I think they'll look at exactly what does racing mean to their customer base. And I'd have to say, in most cases, racing will get a vote of confidence because of the notoriety racing has with the drivers, the teams, the markets. You might see some things cut out of the promotional and marketing budget.

"But I will say this, we're with Dodge and they have supported us right to the letter of the contract. I've spoken with Rick Hendrick and other people and we've seen no indication of backing down on support so that's positive.''

On Danica Patrick's impending "free agency" potential and whether he thinks NASCAR is a good fit for her:

Penske: "I don't know what the economics are (for her). She's done a terrific job and I think people underestimate her driving capability. I mean, it's so close here. She gets frustrated because she's not up there where she wants to be. But I think Andretti Green have a real asset with her.

"I read about her going Formula One, but I think she's in the right place. She's an American. She's a woman. There's sponsor interest and the fans love her. A lot of folks want to see her succeed. As long as she runs competitively I think she'll be fine. I have no idea what she can attract from sponsorship, but I can tell you if I was Andretti Green I wouldn't let her go."

On open-wheel drivers' recent struggles in NASCAR:

Penske: "I think anyone -- and we're going through same situation with Sam (Hornish) and (Dario) Franchitti did -- these guys are good race car drivers, but when (Jeff) Gordon and (Tony) Stewart and (Ryan) Newman came up they all could go and practice. Now, there's no testing. You walk in there cold. You're in a car twice the weight of the car you've been running, there's so many nuances to drafting. ... It's experience. The question is jumping right from here to there. I think you have to go through the Nationwide (Series).

"Even (Joey) Logano, he jumped right in (to Sprint Cup Series) and saw what it's like. Experience is just so important there and the new cars are tougher. I think it would be a big step. For me, if I had to do it again, I'd say do a full year in Nationwide and then move up."

On not winning a NASCAR championship:

Penske: "When you talk about winning a NASCAR championship, we've been close two or three times, a number of years ago with Rusty (Wallace). One year we won 10 races and didn't win the championship. It's something that's out there we really wanted to do. We wanted to win the Daytona 500 and we did that. We wanted to win Sebring and we did that. Those are all goals that are out there. The key thing is, the consistency of winning in these markets is important to us. At the end of the year, if you add it all up, the championship is just the crown on top. We're involved in multiple sports activities. Some people have said if you were in NASCAR by itself, would you have more wins. I say no, but some might say yes."

On former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr., who has struggled in NASCAR:

Penske: "Look, this is his final year that he's got to make it. We're in the top-35 in points, he's raced well. He's got to make it. He's got a lot of pressure on him. When you're one in 42 people it's a lot different than when you're one in 20. We want to see him be successful where he is. He's a charged-up guy, but he doesn't show the emotions like Kurt does.''

"This is a year -- and Sam knows it too -- we've got to see some good progress here and he's got to see it. He's run better than where he's finished."

On economy and its effect on racing season:

Penske: "The tracks feel more of the pain because of the general economy and people not being able to travel. One thing I see of being a real negative in this meltdown is the perception that if anyone sponsors something, 'that's bad.' ... They're getting pressure to take their names off things. That's going to have a tough effect.

"Hopefully there will be some rational thinking going on here ... What we have to do now is get the auto industry squared away. We've got to get banks lending money to companies and we've got to get the consumer fired up.

"Hopefully there will be some better times."

Roger Penske Discusses Economy, Danica and a NASCAR Title originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Fans, April Fools Don't Mix

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:44:00 EST

Filed under: Chevrolet, Dodge, NASCAR Media Watch, Sprint Cup

NASCAR fans, the point has been taken: April Fool's Day jokes just don't fly.

A day after many fans thought the NASCAR world as a whole was crumbling to the ground, we've learned that NASCAR fans just don't take kindly to false news reports in an attempt to be irreverent and humorous. The violator of the NASCAR people's trust was automobile magazine Car and Driver, and everywhere you looked on April 1, there was a reminder of their egregious error.

And when I say 'everywhere you looked', I mean everywhere -- including places like a major search engine site with a headline reading 'April Fools' hoax has NASCAR fans in a frenzy'. Yeah, it was that bad.

Car and Driver posted what's now an infamous article to their website (to the best of my searching abilities, it no longer exists) claiming that U.S. President Barack Obama was forcing both Dodge and General Motors to exit NASCAR by the end of 2009 as part of their last-minute lifelines for survival announced this week.

According to the faux story, the automakers were going to save $250 million by dropping support of America's top racing league.

Well, that story quickly circulated as many people were utterly and completely oblivious that they were being roped in to one of the best-played hoaxes of the annual day of jokesters. As the day wore on, several NASCAR websites began putting updates on their site proclaiming that C&D's article was indeed a prank and that NASCAR's downfall was not imminent due to a lack of manufacturers.

Over at Jayski, a warning was posted to readers, calling it a "sad tradition" of April Fool's Day gags from the magazine. The Charlotte Observer's David Poole recalled pulling a prank on his college paper at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, saying he "knows better now" that not everyone finds it funny.

Now, if you make a search for Car and Driver, numerous articles pop up talking about how fan after fan e-mailed comments around to various outlets trying to find out if the article was true. Without a doubt, I'd say Car and Driver's stunt topped just about everything else on April 1 in the amount of volume it received -- think the advertising team is happy today or what? -- but in terms of comedic value it fell flat on its face.

This wasn't similar to Expedia's offer of a $99 trip to Mars or a London newspaper declaring it was switching to Twitter because "studies have shown that all news can be told in 140 characters or less", but rather, it had a strange tone that said "Hey, this might be true."

For the record, C&D removed the post later in the day.

Of course, with the way the pair of major American auto companies are failing to make any sort of profit, the near future could very well see a dramatic reduction, if not complete pull out, of NASCAR support given by GM or Dodge. The optimistic race fan hopes that the return on the investment to NASCAR is good enough thanks to the large crowds and overall sponsorship pride race fans have, and that any remaining auto companies will stay in the sport.

I'll grant NASCAR fans a pardon on this one because of how sensitive the subject was -- heck, I even wrote something similar a year ago -- and how close to the truth it could have been. Surely, C&D could have found a less sensitive topic with more humor.

In the same breath, however, I'm worried that NASCAR media sources looking to just brighten up someone's day with a well-placed joke will have to tread so lightly that we don't get a laugh. I mean, come on, don't tell me that reading a faux-quote from Jimmie Johnson saying that he "plans to grow that beard until it's "so thick it doesn't fit in my helmet" (props to Busbee at the Marbles) isn't something that makes you laugh.

I know the world isn't great at the moment and that we all get caught up in the grind, but let's make a promise for next year to be a little less miffed at getting 'taken' by an April Fool's joke and more open to laughing it off. After all, we all seemed to have dodged -- for the time being -- that nasty little Conficker character.

Isn't that something to be more Carl Edwards-y (backflips and smiles) about than Kyle Busch-y (100-yard tantrum dash to the motor home lot following bad race) about?

NASCAR Fans, April Fools Don't Mix originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Slipping Health of the Truck Series

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:47:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, NASCAR Sponsors, Craftsman Truck Series

Hidden beneath the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and even under the Nationwide Series, sits NASCAR's third-most prestigious national racing series -- the Craftsman Truck Series.

Though next season it's currently in position to take on simply the name of "NASCAR Truck Series" as the Craftsman, the corporate sponsor sits the series began in 1995, will depart. No new sponsor has been found.

Combine that with other factors influencing NASCAR's Double-A league, and the outlook is less than rosy.

Just last Saturday in Richmond, word spread through the garage area that Dodge would be dropping its factory support money of the entire series -- though it only affects one team, Bobby Hamilton Racing. As a result, the team suspended operations of its No. 4 truck and will focus solely on the No. 18 for the rest of 2008.

Dodge's support has been dwindling in recent years, but pulling out entirely truly signifies that the manufacturer feels it can't compete and that it is simply losing money on the attempt to sell more pick-up trucks via NASCAR truck racing.

Dodge, though, isn't the only manufacturer in the series (others are Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota) that have experienced problems selling the gas-guzzling pick-up truck class since fuel prices skyrocketed. And because of that, you can imagine that the rest of the manufacturers are going to look very hard at their spending in the series and if it even is worth it in terms of selling more trucks to the American economy.

Simply, the lack of series of sponsorship is probably very well tied in to the fact that the manufacturers are uneasy and wavering about the series, thanks mainly to lack of demand for brand-new pick-up trucks.

It doesn't look pretty, but here's to hoping that the Truck Series can maintain relevance to the manufactuers that support it because from a fan perspective, the quality of the product is often very high.

The Slipping Health of the Truck Series originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deserved Ride: Stremme in Penske No. 12

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:42:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Penske Racing, Sprint Cup

Penske Racing made a solid choice Wednesday by selecting, officially, David Stremme to drive the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge in 2009.

From the team's press release:

"We're pleased to have David join Penske Racing as the driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge," said Roger Penske. "His past accomplishments and current experience as our NASCAR test driver, as well as his character and desire for success, make him a good fit into our culture."

And I certainly couldn't agree more.

Penske could have easily gone with one of the two trends in the NASCAR garage of recent years by hiring in either 1) a young guy with limited experience or 2) an open-wheel driver. Of course, the latter seems to not be working out so well.

But by hiring Stremme, they are putting a driver behind the steering wheel that not only has NASCAR experience (he drove for Chip Ganassi Racing before getting canned after 2007), but also has plenty of experience behind the wheel of a Penske Racing car.

Stremme has served as the team's test driver for all of 2008, which will prove quite beneficial in 2009 because he won't be learning NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow like its something brand new.

Without a doubt, Stremme's wise decision to test for Penske kept him from other Sprint Cup opportunities, but I would imagine the one-year full-time Sprint Cup hiatus will be well worth it when he officially gets the keys to Ryan Newman's old ride at Daytona in February.

In the mean time, Stremme has been racing in the Nationwide Series for Rusty Wallace Inc. and is currently sitting 12th in that series' standings despite not racing in three events in 2008.

Deserved Ride: Stremme in Penske No. 12 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Time: Ambrose, Carpentier Qualify at IMS

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Ford, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is on-location at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's 15th Running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

It's a good day to be a driver from Australia or Canada in Indianapolis.

Both drivers representing their respective countries managed to qualify for their first Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the session's go-or-go-home finale.

Australian Marcus Ambrose, who announced just last week that he would be jumping from the Nationwide Series to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2009 with the creation of JTG Daughtery Racing, qualified for his first oval race. Needless to say, he was excited:

"I've never been so anxious and nervous and apprenhensive all my life. Two laps on the race track here at the Brickyard, which is so famous and so intimidating as well, I just had to suck all that up and let her rip," said Ambrose.

"We're racing against the big boys and we qualified ourselves in on merit. It means an awful lot to me. I feel like today I've made it. I feel like we're in the Brickyard."

Now isn't refreshing to hear a guy who is that excited to make the race? Ambrose's run is all that more impressive because his team had just two laps in practice on Friday thanks to NASCAR rules that allow Top-35 cars to go through technical inspection first.

Ambrose will start 24th.

Canadian Patrick Carpentier -- who does have one career start in 2005 Indianapolis 500 at IMS in which he finished 21st -- also made the 400-mile race in his first career attempt, despite not having a Top-35 owner points position to fall back on.

Carpentier's 15th-place starting spot continues a nice streak for the Gillette-Evernham Motorsports driver, as he has now put the No. 10 Dodge in 15th starting position or better in three of the last four races.

First Time: Ambrose, Carpentier Qualify at IMS originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Franchitti Transported to Hospital After Crash

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Crashes, Talladega Superspeedway, Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Dario Franchitti

UPDATE: Team owner Chip Ganassi said that Franchitti is currently undergoing X-rays on his ankle. Larry Gunselman was also later transported to the hospital.

Original: Sprint Cup Series driver and 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti was helped to a waiting ambulance after being involved in a drivers-side impact Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway during the Aaron's 312 Nationwide Race.

The impact occurred after Franchitti cut down a rear tire on his No. 40 Chip Ganassi Dodge entering turn 3 on lap 10. Franchitti's Dodge snapped sideways and brushed the nose into the side of Nationwide point leader Clint Bowyer.

The No. 40 then slid down the track -- nearly to a stop -- when Larry Gunselman plowed into his left side.

From video replays, I can't understand how Gunselman didn't slow down any more than he did. There was no tire smoke and no last second attempt to swerve out of the way.

Had Gunselman missed Franchitti, Dario's car likely could have continued in the race. Instead, he hobbled to the ambulance in obvious pain.

As Franchitti's car was being towed back to the garage, the drivers side of the car was deeply mangled and the roll cage had been pushed in significantly towards the cockpit. The image makes the announcement last week of the Nationwide Series adopting the Car of Tomorrow platform in mid-2009 seem like its too far away.

The new race car -- currently campaigned in the Sprint Cup Series -- has a number of safety features to help drivers in such impacts including the drivers seat moved more towards the middle of the car and a large foam block built in between the roll cage and the outside sheet metal.

Franchitti qualified 43rd for Sunday's Sprint Cup Aaron's 499.

Updates on Dario's condition will be posted when available.

Franchitti Transported to Hospital After Crash originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sponsor Goes to Bat for Robby Gordon

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Robby Gordon, Dodge, Sprint Cup

With qualifying and all on-track activities canceled at Auto Club Speedway on Friday, Robby Gordon got plenty of face time with the NASCAR media concerning his penalty stemming from Daytona.

In review, Gordon switched from Ford to Dodge a week before practice began, built the cars, went to Daytona, failed inspection because of parts that were sent to him from Dodge in error, and was fined $100,000, docked 100 owner and driver points, and his crew chief was suspended for six weeks.

Gordon, naturally is appealing.

One of his sponsors, Jim Beam, is taking a swing at the situation by trying to start a petition for Robby in his effort.

Representatives from Jim Beam, which sponsors Gordon's No. 7 car, will canvas the Auto Club Speedway grandstands on Saturday gathering signatures for a petition demanding NASCAR reverse its "unfair" decision to dock Gordon 100 points. Crew chief Frank Kerr also was fined $100,000, suspended for the next six Sprint Cup Series events until April 9 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

Along with the petition, "Rally for Robby" T-shirts are being made for Gordon fans to wear during this weekend's Cup events, said Sofia Lombardo, spokesperson for Jim Beam.

Also, Thomas Flocco, president and CEO of Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc., has sent a letter addressed to NASCAR president Mike Helton, as well as other top officials, voicing the company's frustrations.

It's good to see that Robby has some support in this issue, because you do feel bad for the guy. It wouldn't be right for Gordon to lose sponsorship or race opportunities because of a part sent to him in error.

That though, is my opinion, and not NASCAR's. His car was out of spec for a NASCAR race car, and he was penalized, says the sanctioning body.

I see both sides, but come on, it truly was an honest mistake. What say you?

Sponsor Goes to Bat for Robby Gordon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robby Gordon Appeals NASCAR Penalty

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:40:00 EST

Filed under: Robby Gordon, Dodge, Sprint Cup

NASCAR dropped the hammer Wednesday on Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Craftsman Truck Series teams who came down on the wrong side of the rule book during Daytona Speedweeks.

In all, crew chief suspensions totaled 40 weeks and over $220,000 was earmarked for the NASCAR Foundation by way of monetary penalties.

Hit the hardest of those was Robby Gordon, who's team made the mistake of installing the wrong noses on its Dodges prior to coming to Daytona.

Gordon's self-owned team switched to Dodge just one week before, and when his team was the sent the Dodge noses from the manufacturer, they were incorrect. Instead of having the current nose pieces, Gordon's team was sent a prototype that has yet to be approved for competition in NASCAR.

NASCAR officials caught it during inspection, and Gordon's team changed out the nose prior to qualifying practice, and also had to change out the noses on the rest of its fleet at the shop.

Robby was penalized 100 owner and driver points, $100,000, and his crew chief was suspended for six weeks.

A little bit harsh?

Robby certainly thought so, and plans to appeal:

This penalty is way out of proportion when you compare it what happened last year when a team was penalized 100 points for adding a substance to the fuel, or when a team deliberately changed the bodies of the COT. To penalize my team the same amount when we didn't even make the mistake, and the mistake was nothing more than inadvertent human error by someone else is just not fair. Other teams who have had similar issues to what happened with the nose on my car were only penalized 25 points.

I hope that NASCAR can reconsider when they have all the facts. In the meantime, we have no choice but to appeal this penalty.

That statement was located on Robby's website.

Most of the time, it's my belief that a lot of the problems that Robby has had during his racing career have been brought on by himself, but in this instance, you can't even blame his team.

One would think that the manufacturer would send the correct noses, and a team that has never installed them before wouldn't ever know the difference. Gordon never competed with the nose, and switched it out soon after the mistake was found.

I do hope Robby wins this appeal because it really doesn't seem fair to that team -- especially looking at Michael Waltrip's and Hendrick Motorsports violations that netted the same penalty a year ago.

However, NASCAR does run into an interesting problem when dealing with intent. Needless to say, its a gray area.

Robby Gordon Appeals NASCAR Penalty originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Kurt Busch, No. 2 Penske Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kurt Busch, Dodge, Penske Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 7th-place Kurt Busch.

Driver: Kurt Busch -- Las Vegas, Nevada
Team: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
Points: 7th (-492)
2006: 16th in Cup Standings
Key Stats: 2 wins, 1 pole, 6 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes

You could easily describe Kurt Busch's season as one of those kiddie roller coasters that just don't pack the gusto of the real thing.

Busch started the season decently, slowly built up, hit the peak in the late summer, then slowly rolled to a stop in Homestead.

Regardless, Busch's run in 2007 still had much greater success than his dismal 17th-place effort in 2006. In '07, Busch completed 97 percent of all the laps and scored two victories during the late summer stretch just ahead of the Chase at Michigan and Pocono. During those two events, Busch and the No. 2 Penske team looked like it could be untouchable in the Chase after such dominating performances.

Somehow, though, that wasn't meant to be, despite that late-summer run featuring nine straight races where Busch finished 11th or better -- including the two victories.

Like several others that we've reviewed so far, Busch's Chase would be respectable for any driver except for a few finishes and the Jeff and Jimmie show that was put on at the head of the pack. While Busch scored four Top-10s in the Chase, the four finishes that his Dodge saw in 25th or worse put the icing on the cake for a middle-of-the-pack Chase run.

It was questionable before Busch's mid-summer hot streak as to whether he'd even make the expanded 12-car Chase in '07.
Following Dover in June, Busch was in peril of being suspended for a race for inexplicably trying to hit Tony Stewart's car on pit road while crew members were servicing it after an on-track run-in.

Inexplicably, though, Busch wasn't suspended for his actions but rather fined and docked $100,000 and 100 driver points -- a deep hit.

I'd say Busch would have to be again another shoe-in contender for the Chase in 2008 with Penske, especially if he can avoid trying to run over crew members. But then again, Busch seems to feed off that "everybody hates me" attitude, so a little bit of challenge may be what Busch needs.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Kurt Busch, No. 2 Penske Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Ryan Newman, No. 12 Penske Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:01:00 EST

Filed under: Ryan Newman, Dodge, Penske Racing

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Ryan Newman, No. 12 Penske Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bobby Labonte, Dodge, Petty Enterprises

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top-25 Year-in-Review:
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Gillette-Evernham Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Dodge, Gillette-Evernham Motorsports

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 19th-place Kasey Kahne.

Driver: Kasey Kahne -- Enumclaw, Washington
Team: No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge
Points: 19th (-3234)
2006: Finished 8th in Season Standings (Qualified for Chase)
Key Stats: 2 poles, 1 Top-5, 8 Top-10s, 6 DNFs
Back in 2008?: Yes

Kasey Kahne joined the NASCAR scene in 2004 aboard a rocket ship that didn't want to ever stop. 13 Top-5s in his rookie season was mighty impressive, and most figured by 2007 he'd be on contention to win his first or maybe even second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series title.

Kahne slumped somewhat in his sophomore season with just 5 Top-5 finishes despite his first career win. 2006, though, saw the No. 9 return with some series muster. 6 wins, 6 poles, and 19 Top-10s put Kahne into the Chase.

There wasn't a repeat of that success in 2007 and nobody -- possibly even Kahne -- knows why. With just 1 Top-5 finish in 2007, frustration was the name of the game. At Phoenix in the fall, the frustration boiled over when he let it fly in a television interview after wrecking early in the race, informing his fans that it was "time for the day to be over" amid a slurry of unstated frustrations.
With the addition of investor George Gillette to Ray Evernham's operation, 2008 should hold to be a much less frustrating year for Kahne. However, "should" doesn't win championships or keep drivers with the raw talent of Kahne happy in the driver seat.

New sponsor Budweiser will not want to lose marketability on Kahne's ride, so look for the Washington native to pick up a pair of victories in 2008 -- but competing for the championship is too far from reach after such a horrendous performance in 2007.

NASCAR FanHouse Top-25 Year-in-Review:
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Gillette-Evernham Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 20th-place Juan Pablo Montoya.

Driver: Juan Pablo Montoya -- Bogota, Columbia
Team: No. 42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge
Points: 20th (-3236)
2006: Left Formula 1's McLaren-Mercedes in July '06, Rookie in Cup for 2007
Key Stats: 1 win, 3 Top-5s, 6 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes

For the first time, it seems, NASCAR finally has an international driver -- with Formula One experience nonetheless -- as a heady competitor in its premier Cup Series.

Juan Pablo definitely showed he had the talent in 2007 to race in NASCAR, and he also showed he had the gusto to make it in the business. Numerous times on track saw Montoya banging fenders with other drivers and ruffling their feathers, too.

Montoya picked up his first career NASCAR win in the most appropriate of settings in Mexico City with the Busch Series. Controversy was present in victory lane, though, after Montoya dumped Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Pruett with less than ten laps to go for the lead.

Montoya jumped into the Cup Series win column at the road course in Sonoma, California for his lone victory of the year. His season wasn't as much defined by his entrance into the group of NASCAR winners as much as his take-no-crap nature on track. NASCAR stars Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and others all got a little heated under the collar after run-ins with the Columbian at Watkins Glen and Texas, respectively.

For Montoya, 2008 could be an interesting season. Ganassi Racing gave the driver his first shot into NASCAR, but are they going to step up performance to a level of NASCAR's top teams? To keep a guy like Montoya -- with an often short temper and a demand to win -- satisfied behind the wheel, that performance increase will be a necessity.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Reed Sorenson, Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 22rd-place Reed Sorenson.

Driver: Reed Sorenson -- Peachtree City, Georgia
Team: No. 41 Target Dodge
Points: 22rd (-3448)
2006: Finished 24th in Season Standings
Key Stats: 1 pole, 3 Top-5s, 6 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes, same team

As good or bad as Reed Sorenson's 2007 season in your eyes, you've got to remember one thing. Sorenson turned 21 years of age back in February.

And yes, he's now completed two full NASCAR Nextel Cup Series seasons with a total of 74 starts. Not bad for a guy who just earned his way into a bar.

Sorenson's 2007 season was marked with typical Chip Ganassi Racing style -- flashes of brilliance, but no lasting light. Without a doubt, Sorenson's pole-winning run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Allstate 400 was a nice accomplishment for such a young driver. Indeed, that's a trophy that'll make its way to a prominent mantle. The 5th-place finish at Indy was a nice cap to the weekend.

Aside from Indy, two Top-5's -- one at Charlotte in May (4th) and one at Phoenix in April (3rd) -- were two other flashes from the No. 41 team, but again, sustainability wasn't there. As has been the story with Ganassi since Sterling Marlin's near miss at the championship in 2001, there just hasn't been consistency at the front for the team.
Unfortunately for Reed, as well as teammates David Stremme and Juan Pablo Montoya from 2007, it's tough to tell what kind of talent they really do have. Obviously, there was plenty of effort on behalf of Sorenson with seven DNF's over the season, but averaging a 24th-place finish to wind up the season shouldn't happen.

A lack of consistency, whether it be Ganassi's fault or Reed's, truly showed in 2007 for Sorenson, as he only one in the 36-race season compiled three straight finishes in the Top-25 or higher. Even then, that streak only saw finishes of 15th, 25th, and 21st.

For 2008, both Sorenson and Ganassi are going to have to find a way to get much, much more consistent in putting their Dodges in the Top-20 at the very least. Ganassi isn't a guy that loses much in other racing series', so it makes you wonder why that doesn't translate to Cup competition.

That has to change for Sorenson in '08 either by car performance or increased driver performance for 2009 to be a true reality for the partnership to continue, I'd say.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Today, we review the season of 24th-place David Stremme.

Driver: David Stremme -- South Bend, Indiana
Team: No. 40 Coors Light Chip Ganassi Dodge
Points: 24th (-3560)
2006: 33rd
Key Stats: 3 Top-10s, 7 DNF's
Back in 2008?: No, replaced by Dario Franchitti. Headed to Nationwide Series part-time.

Either David Stremme is a story of one those guys that just simply couldn't cut it in the top level of NASCAR, Chip Ganassi hired him too early, or Ganassi's program is just mediocre at best -- much like the performance of Stremme in 2007.

Regardless of any excuse, Stremme is out of a ride in 2008 in the Sprint Cup series after a season that started with a decent run of 7 Top-20 finishes in the first 9 races. He would complete the season, however, with seven races that he didn't finish. When Stremme did finish, Top-10s were few and far between as Stremme averaged a running position of 24th all season long.Stremme's best finish of '07 came in the fall at Charlotte (8th), but nonetheless after sponsor Coors Light had announced it would leave the team. That departure ultimately led to the demise of Stremme himself in a regular Sprint Cup ride in 2008. Ganassi, unable to find a sponsor for the Hoosier, instead opted to put 2007 Indianapolis 500 Dario Franchitti in the No. 40 (with new sponsorship) for 2008.

Franchitti will compete for Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year honors, just as fellow Ganassi driver Juan Pablo Montoya won in 2007.

Ganassi has said that he would love to get Stremme back in a race car but sponsorship is key to that. For now, David Stremme fans? Look for some appearances in the Nationwide Series with Rusty Wallace Inc. and maybe a few hit or miss Sprint Cup starts here and there.

I wouldn't be lining up for a David Stremme t-shirt anytime soon, unless they're free.

Previously on NASCAR FanHouse Driver Year-in-Review
25th - Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Dodge Dealers Dodge)

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Series Formerly Known As Busch to Pony Up

tallglassofmilk — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:54:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Chevrolet, NASCAR Sponsors, Busch Series

or Why NASCAR Is Better Than Other Racing Series ... They keep coming up with new ways to keep it fresh. We don't always like them, but they do keep it interesting.

Sources are telling Speed that the series that will cease to be known as Busch after this season is planning a major change as early as 2009--a switch to Pony cars:

If plans go according to schedule, the next-generation Busch Series cars will be Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Challengers, Ford Mustangs and an as-yet-to-be named Toyota model, sources said. Ford overhauled the Mustang as a 1960s-retro model in 2005, to positive critical and commercial results. Chevrolet and Dodge will release similarly retro-themed Camaros and Challengers, respectively, by the 2009 model year.The Mustang, Camaro and Challenger all are two-door coupes with rear-wheel drive and available V-8 engines, a hugely popular combination in the halcyon days of 1960s muscle cars.

I imagine the difficulty NASCAR has had in securing sponsorship for the series has inspired them to shake things up. Short of limiting/excluding ~~Nextel~~ Sprint Cup drivers' participation in the series--and what series should prohibit racers from racing?--NASCAR needs to do something to spice up the series. Firing up the manufacturers can't hurt.

'Course, they might want to do something about the runaway point lead phenomena, too.

Hard to say what not running a "Cup-lite" might do for Buschwhacking. Running another type of race car might inspire even more Cup drivers to compete or it might eliminate some benefit to Cup racing. Would either be a bad thing?

Whether this has been inspired by difficulty securing sponsorship or a desire to improve competition, I don't care. Personally, I think it's inspired by the 2009 retro Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challengers. I know I am, although I'm partial to the Camaros. The sneak peak sent me on a walk down memory lane to my 14-year-old lead foot and my first 160mph leisure drive on two-lane blacktop in Iowa. I don't remember his name any more, but I'll never forget the ride he was brave enough to let me get behind the wheel of--a '67 Camaro SS 396 in Hugger Orange.

Whatever the inspiration, the switch to muscle cars would be a great way to give the Busch--or whatever it will be called--Series its own identity. Even better if the cars have different body styles.

Bring it on!

h/t Full Throttle

Series Formerly Known As Busch to Pony Up originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Petty Got Mad, Now Out for Michigan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Motorsports FanHouse

Dodge CEO: Petty Switch to Ford 'a Business Decision'

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Kasey Kahne Deserves More

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The Slipping Health of the Truck Series

Deserved Ride: Stremme in Penske No. 12

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Sponsor Goes to Bat for Robby Gordon

Robby Gordon Appeals NASCAR Penalty

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: Kurt Busch, No. 2 Penske Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: Ryan Newman, No. 12 Penske Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-ReviewBobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top-25 Year-in-Review:Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Gillette-Evernham Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-ReviewReed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge

Series Formerly Known As Busch to Pony Up

Kyle Petty Got Mad, Now Out for Michigan

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Kurt Busch, No. 2 Penske Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Ryan Newman, No. 12 Penske Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top-25 Year-in-Review:
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Gillette-Evernham Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge