Motorsports FanHouse

Montoya Opens Chase by Winning Pole

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Juan Pablo Montoya will have a hard time playing the role of darkhorse if he keeps driving like this.

The former Formula One star will make his debut in NASCAR's Chase for the championship from the pole after setting a track record at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday.

Montoya turned a lap at 133.431 mph on the 1.058-mile oval, breaking the mark of 133.357 set by Ryan Newman in 2003. It's a good way to start the 10-race Chase, but Montoya cautioned it's just a start.

"If it was a 10-lap shootout, I'd say 'Hey, we're pretty good,'" Montoya said.

The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver will have plenty of company from his fellow Chase drivers on Sunday. Tony Stewart, who won the regular season title, will start second. Kurt Busch, who started his run to the 2004 title with a win at New Hampshire in the inaugural Chase race, is third. Denny Hamlin qualified fourth, with Carl Edwards fifth.

Busch is only too happy to be surrounded by fellow Chase competitors when the green flag drops for Sunday's 300-lap race. His bid for a repeat title in 2005 ended three laps into the fall event here when a non-Chase driver knocked him out.

"Your Chase can get ruined pretty early," Busch said.

The Chase is already off to a sluggish start for Brian Vickers, who edged Kyle Busch for the final spot last week at Richmond. Vickers qualified 26th, last among the 12 Chase drivers.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon will start 10th, with Kasey Kahne 11th. Three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson qualified 16th, just behind Mark Martin (14th) and slightly ahead of Newman (18th). Greg Biffle qualified 22nd.

Despite grabbing the second pole of his Cup career, Montoya hardly considers himself the favorite. He pointed to Martin as the driver with the circuit's fastest car, but added there's a certain freedom that comes with the start of the Chase.

After sweating out the last few races in hopes of making the 12-driver cutoff, Montoya can get back to focusing on winning races. He's one of four drivers in the Chase who have yet to reach Victory Lane this year.

Montoya said he's not going to take any unnecessary chances Sunday. There are nine races to go and one major mistake would leave him playing out the string. He's worked too hard since making the move to NASCAR two years ago to risk the whole season on just one race.

"You've got to be very smart," he said. "Most of cars in the Chase are going to be there. To gain points is going to be really hard, but to lose points to them is very easy."

Stewart dominated the regular season but was bumped to the second seed when the Chase field was reset. He's in no big hurry to get back to the top.

Not yet anyway.

"If you have a bad week now, you can pretty much ensure that you're going to be out of it," Stewart said. "It's crucial to have 10 good weeks and it starts this weekend."

Dexter Bean and Derrike Cope failed to qualify for the race.

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.

Montoya Opens Chase by Winning Pole originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Docks Truex Jr. 25 Points

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:21:00 EST

Filed under: Martin Truex Jr., Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Aside from his announcement last week that he'd have a new home for Sprint Cup competition in 2010, it's been a season loaded down with disappointment for Martin Truex Jr.

Tuesday afternoon, it took another step in the wrong direction.

Truex and his No. 1 Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team were docked 25 points, fined $25,000 and had crew chief Kevin "Bono" Manion placed on probation through the end of the year after the car was found to be too high after Saturday night's race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Truex was one of the random selections by NASCAR to go through the post-race inspection procedure, and the sanctioning body determined that the left-rear quarter panel sat above the maximum height restriction. NASCAR then confiscated the car to do more testing on it at their research and development center in Concord, N.C., before releasing word on the penalty.

Having a car that rides higher in the rear-end than the rulebook allows could conceivably alter the car's downforce and handling in a positive manner, though it didn't seem to make much of a difference in the Lifelock.com 400. The No. 1 finished 16th.

The penalty didn't affect Truex's position in the point standings, as he remains 24th with just three Top-10s and a pole in 2009.

Prior to Chicagoland, Truex announced that he'd be leaving the only team he's raced for in Sprint Cup competition -- Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, formerly Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- in favor of driving full-time in the No. 56 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010.

NASCAR Docks Truex Jr. 25 Points originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya to Danica: NASCAR Is 'Going to Take Time'

Holly Cain — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Rumors, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, IRL

With the Danica Patrick sweepstakes beginning to gain momentum, at least one potential teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya has some words of advice and caution for the IndyCar driver should she make the move to NASCAR.

"Danica, I think she's got the talent and everything, but I don't think she knows what she's getting into," said Montoya, a former Indy car champ and Formula One winner who now drives for Chip Ganassi in the Sprint Cup Series.

"They're [stock cars] so different to drive. It's not the same feeling. ... If she comes I'm sure she can do it, but it doesn't matter if you come to a winning team or anything, it's going to take time."

Montoya's Ganassi team has emerged as a front runner in signing Patrick, whose IndyCar Series contract with Andretti Green Racing is up at the end of the season.

Patrick has said she'll listen to all offers -- from remaining in the IndyCar Series to giving NASCAR a try. Her name has even been floated as a potential candidate for the American Formula One team that will debut next season.

Since Chip Ganassi fields cars in both the IndyCar Series and NASCAR he presents a unique and strong option for Patrick. She is currently ranked fifth in the IndyCar Series championship and has said she wants nothing more than to win the Indianapolis 500 -- where she finished a career best third this May.

What makes the Ganassi connection appealing is the chance to drive for a championship IndyCar team that also offers the potential for a foray into NASCAR. She could get her feet wet in stock cars without a full commitment -- with the possibility of making a more permanent move later.

A spokesman for the Target-Ganassi team conceded that his team and anyone else that can afford Patrick has probably spoken with her or her management team at this point. She said right now her agents are gathering information and she doesn't expect to announce her future plans until after the IndyCar Series season wraps up in October.

Obviously Patrick is using the potential of move to NASCAR as a bargaining chip, but she does seem sincere in welcoming a new challenge. More to the point, she'd like to be a part of America's most popular racing series.

It would be a career builder in theory. The reality, however, is a trickier proposition as Montoya alluded to Friday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Current Sprint Cup Series championship leader Tony Stewart is the only driver to win a championship in IndyCar and in NASCAR's marquee Cup Series. Former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. has struggled in two years of Cup racing but has shown improvement in the last few months.

Scott Speed, who like Montoya, came to stock cars directly from Formula One, has struggled in his rookie year, even failing to qualify for one of the Cup Series' two road course races last week at Sonoma, Calif.

Montoya is enjoying his best effort in three NASCAR seasons, cracking into the playoff top-12 this week with 10 races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins.

"When I came here, my expectations were not that high," said Montoya, who is ranked 12th entering Sunday's race.

"I knew it was going to take time. When I came to Ganassi the team was running OK but it wasn't a great team so we've done a lot of work over the last couple of years to get where we are.

"You've got to have time with the car and you've got to get used to the feeling that you've got to go fast when the car doesn't feel right. I've finally got to a point where I go every week and I'm not surprised, it doesn't feel weird. ... and that takes a long time."

And as for the tired, question-for-the-ages, Montoya doesn't think Patrick being a woman has anything to do with competition at all -- not even in NASCAR which hasn't had a woman racing full time in the Cup Series in years.

"I think out there on the track when you have a helmet on, it doesn't matter who you are,'' Montoya said. "It is what it is. I think she'll probably get very welcomed by everybody if she decides to come. She's going to have good weeks, bad weeks you know.

"It's her problem not mine."

Latest Danica Patrick Photos

Danica Patrick talks with Dario Franchitti, of Scotland, before the IndyCar Series' Iowa Corn Indy 250 auto race Sunday, June 21, 2009, at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Franchitti won the race, Patrick finished in ninth, and Helio Castroneves, left, of Brazil, finished in seventh. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

NEWTON, IA - JUNE 21: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #3 Team Penske Dallara Honda, leads Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Boost Mobile Motorola Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda, during the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 21, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves;Danica Patrick

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NEWTON, IA - JUNE 21: Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Boost Mobile Motorola Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda, during the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 21, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Danica Patrick

Getty Images

NEWTON, IA - JUNE 21: Helio Castroneves, driver of the #63 Team Penske Dallara Honda, leads Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Boost Mobile Motorola Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda, during the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 21, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Helio Castroneves;Danica Patrick

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Actress Ashley Judd, left, hugs Danica Patrick, right, before qualifying laps for the IndyCar Series' Iowa Corn Indy 250 auto race Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

NEWTON, IA - JUNE 20: Danica Patrick drives the #7 Boost Mobile Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda during practice for the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 20, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Danica Patrick

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NEWTON, IA - JUNE 20: Danica Patrick drives the #7 Boost Mobile Motorola Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda during practice for the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 20, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton,Iowa. (Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Danica Patrick

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Danica Patrick, of Roscoe, Ill., drives her car during practice for the IndyCar Series' Iowa Corn Indy 250 auto race Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

NEWTON, IA - JUNE 20: Danica Patrick climbs aboard the #7 Boost Mobile Motorola Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda during practice for the IRL Indycar Series Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 20, 2009 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton,Iowa. (Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Danica Patrick

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Montoya to Danica: NASCAR Is 'Going to Take Time' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Talking Big Picture at Infineon

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:31:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Juan Pablo Montoya made a scary analysis about the condition of his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing's team cars Friday at Infineon Raceway.

It was scary for the rest of the field, of course, because the Colombian is returning to the twisty road course in Northern California where he saw his first career Sprint Cup Series win two years ago with a race car that he thinks is better prepared.

"I think our cars have come a long way -- even when we won here, our cars are a little more competitive now," said Montoya on Friday afternoon prior to qualifying.

Montoya would later put the No. 42 Chevrolet in the field in a mediocre 17th starting spot, but that shouldn't matter come Sunday's race. In fact, when Montoya won at the the road course in 2007 he took the green flag from the 32nd starting spot, and in 2008 finished 5th after starting 21st.

Brian Vickers in the No. 83 Toyota scored the top starting spot for the second week in a row, but it not might take too long for Montoya to work up towards the front -- especially if an early caution or two waves. For the first time ever at a road course and just the third points race in its history, NASCAR will start the race and restart the race after a caution flag with the field going two-by-two under the flagstand.

The restart style will dramatically shorten the usual 43-car long snake and help those in the back of the pack have a shot at gaining more positions. That will ultimately lead to quite a bit more "chaos" -- as Vickers put it Friday after qualifying -- and scrambling for position, but it'll also help faster cars gain track position.

For Montoya, though, instead of looking at those restarts as an opportunity, he sees them as a big chance to have a solid day ruined in one missed corner.

"They're going to suck," said Montoya of the restarts. "There is always somebody that wants to prove a point. Hopefully that guy is not around you."

Montoya, though, isn't as much worried about that driver proving a point taking away his chance at sipping Northern California wine in victory lane, but rather because he's built a solid start to the 2009 campaign and doesn't want to see bad luck at one of his best tracks.

"Honestly its all about finishing better than where we are in points," said Montoya. "That's our goal every week and this week because it's a road course, it's not going to change. If we can have a great points day then we'll take a great points day. If we play a different strategy and it doesn't pan out and we finish 10th -- 10th is better than 14th."

And while he might not be quite as aggressive on Sunday as he was two years ago in the Nationwide Series race in Mexico City when he wrecked his teammate Scott Pruett for the win, don't doubt that Montoya won't be racing hard. Instead, he'll be racing smarter.

"I'm going to run hard. It's just avoiding stupid mistakes, avoiding stupid wrecks," said Montoya. "A lot of people try to out-brake in the last corner here, but there is always people taken out and I was a victim of that."

"It doesn't mean that you are not going to try to win, but the same goal is that we have to try to make the Chase and by trying to take the lead and spinning out and finishing 25th, at the end of the day we didn't win and we lost points," said Montoya. "If we stay in second and finish second, then we didn't win, but we had a good points day."

"I will 'Chase' race," said Montoya. "Surprising, isn't it?"

Oh, just slightly -- except for the fact that the No. 42 is currently registered 14th in the Sprint Cup standings, 43 points from the 12th-place Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifying spot. The past four races -- with the exception of a blown tire at Dover -- have seen Montoya hang around in and then finish in the top 10.

So is it surprising to hear Montoya talk about competing for the long-range prize in NASCAR instead of the quick victory? A little, but refreshing might be more of the word -- especially for an organization that could stand to be proud of some success.

Montoya Talking Big Picture at Infineon originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Wins Pole at Talladega

Holly Cain — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- He's won the Indy 500 and Formula One jewel, the Grand Prix of Monaco, but Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya figures winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway ranks right up there on a list of impressive racing feats.

Certainly, it is another shot of adrenalin for the newly merged Earnhardt-Ganassi operation, which also won the pole position for the season-opening Daytona 500. It's been a big week for owner Chip Ganassi, who's Grand-Am sportscar team won the pole in Virginia and whose IndyCar Series team is coming off a win at Long Beach on Sunday.

"Getting our first pole is big,'' said Montoya, who is driving the No. 42 TUMS-sponsored Chevrolet. "It takes the weight off of everybody's shoulders. It shows where the team is heading. This is pretty cool and hopefully, it is the first of many."

Montoya will start alongside Ford driver Greg Biffle in Sunday's Aaron's 499. His Earnhardt-Ganassi teammate Martin Truex, the Daytona polesitter, will start third. Another Indy 500 winner, Sam Hornish Jr., turned in the best qualifying effort of his brief NASCAR career and will start fourth. Clint Bowyer rounds out the Top 5.

Former Formula One driver Scott Speed was the top qualifying (eighth place) rookie. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 11th.

Montoya and Talladega seem like an unlikely fit -- NASCAR's only foreign-born driver succeeding at its most All-American of tracks; the series biggest (2.66-miles) and most unpredictable venue (116 lead changes in two races last year).

But Montoya finished third in his stock car debut here in a 2006 ARCA race and was runnner-up in this race last year. He was leading at Talladega's fall 500-miler before getting collected in a late race multi-car accident.

"I really get a kick out of it,'' Montoya said of the restrictor-plate racing at Talladega and Daytona. "It's not about the fastest car, it's about making the right decisions.''

Latest NASCAR Images

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart climbs out of hi race car after qualifying for Sunday's Aarons 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. on Saturday, April 25, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, talks with reporters after winning the pole for Sunday's Aarons 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Saturday, April 25, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, races during qualifying for Sunday's Aarons 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Montoya won the first pole of his NASCAR career on Saturday (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, left, poses for a snapshot with driver Tony Stewart during qualifying for Sunday's Aarons 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Saturday, April 25, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Greg Biffle

Getty Images for NASCAR

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: (L-R) Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, talks with Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DEWALT Ford, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Greg Biffle;Matt Kenseth

Getty Images for NASCAR

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Brad Keselowski

Getty Images for NASCAR

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Max Papis, driver of the #13 GEICO Toyota, smiles during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Max Papis

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, waits on pit road during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kasey Kahne

Getty Images for NASCAR

Typically drivers don't put a lot of emphasis on qualifying. Starting position at Talladega means very little in forecasting finishing positions because of drafting and the ability to run four- and five-wide.

For that reason, none of the usual favorites -- such as points leader Jeff Gordon, or his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, were overly concerned about an off-day in qualifying. Gordon will start 14th, Johnson, 36th, the first time he's started outside the top-10 this season. Defending race winner Tony Stewart qualified 29th. All four of the Richard Petty Motorsports cars will have to start from the back of the 43-car field because of engine changes.

"This place is always about being in the right place at the right time,'' said Stewart, who is trying to become the first owner-driver to win in the Cup Series in 11 years.

"You can run your guts out all day and still end up 25th. It doesn't matter," Stewart said. "This is one of those deals you just have to be there at the end. You have to put yourself in a position at the end to be up front. It doesn't matter what happens on lap 20, it doesn't matter what happens on lap 100.''

Montoya seems to have figured that out in his two years of Cup competition and is already considered a favorite in this race.

"We're working to get wins,'' Montoya said. "We're working to get poles, to get noticed, get in to the Chase and be a contender. We're doing that.

"What really helps is building momentum for the team, that goes a long way. Anyone involved with this team is celebrating right now.''

Montoya Wins Pole at Talladega originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aric Almirola Back on NASCAR Sidelines

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Just a year and change after NASCAR's most popular driver vacated the No. 8 seat, that team is suspending operations thanks to a lack of sponsorship.

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing will not be taking Aric Almirola and his Chevrolet team any further in the 2009 season after a dismal start has failed to yield more sponsorship dollars, though the team is still actively -- and probably hopelessly -- searching for more backers.

For Almirola, though, it's just a continuation of a string of bad lack in his climb to NASCAR's highest ranks.

I'd say the first time we really got to know who Almirola was and the talent he possessed was a 2007 Nationwide Series race at the Milwaukee Mile.

In that June event, Almirola was scheduled to practice and qualify the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 car for Denny Hamlin to race later in the night. Hamlin's other commitment was the Sprint Cup Series' road course race in Sonoma, Calif.

Well, Hamlin was late getting to the track and made it to the team's pit box roughly ten laps into the race after Almirola started it from the pole. Almirola continued to lead laps until on lap 59, the team brought him to pit road, removed him the car and put Hamlin in.

Hamlin -- who had earlier in the night said it would be 'disrespectful' to take Almirola from the car mid-race -- eventually drove from a lap down to take the win in front of the car's hometown sponsor. Per NASCAR rules, though, the win was officially given to Almirola because he started the race.

It was Almirola's first career Nationwide win, and he wasn't even in victory lane for the celebration. Talk about a low blow.

Almirola asked for his release and left JGR a month later to take a part-time role in the Bobby Ginn-Dale Earnhardt Inc. operation. There, he ran five races in 2007 before sharing the No. 8 with Mark Martin in 2008 on a part-time basis.

2009 hasn't been kind to the team with the exception of some good showings leading up the Daytona 500 -- a race in which he got spun twice and finished 30th. The team has since posted a best finish of 21st at Atlanta Motor Speedway en route to a 37th position in the point standings.

To me, it's unfortunate that Almirola hasn't been able to line up sponsorship dollars to go racing with. He's one of the first drivers to make it to Sprint Cup after going through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program (Almirola is of Cuban-American descent) and has showed talent when he's got the equipment to race with.

Such equipment, though, has been hard to come by at now-Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in the past few years.

Aric Almirola Back on NASCAR Sidelines originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Previewing the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Holly Cain — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Penske Racing, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Sure, NASCAR has the high-wattage personalities. Drag racing has the raw speed and IndyCar racing can't be beat for pure, wheel-to-wheel excitement.

But this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway represents the truest form of racing in America and is arguably the toughest 24-hour race in the world.

The starting grid is eclectic and richly-talented; the racing diverse and pure - right turns, left turns, high-speed high-banks and tricky chicanes; the conditions unique - daylight, moonlight, rain or shine.

Where else can you watch the Indy car champions and NASCAR stars test themselves against the world's best sports car drivers in exotic, ultra-fast prototypes maneuvering around a healthy dose of GT-class rich-guys-who-own-Porsches?

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is here on an off-weekend, as is reigning IndyCar Series champ Scott Dixon. Legendary Indy 500 owner Roger Penske is fielding a car and so is legendary NASCAR owner Richard Childress.

There are four Indy 500 winners and two Daytona 500 champs entered and an A-list of racing pedigrees from Petty to Donohue to Gurney to Mears. Racing's superstarlet Danica Patrick will compete and so will Patrick Dempsey, "Dr. McDreamy" from television's hit "Grey's Anatomy."

The cars are compelling to look at and even cooler to listen to - screaming down the straight aways and screeching into the braking zones around the 3.56-road course.

And for those purists who still need a sense of relevancy?

There's a good bet history will be made this weekend.

Chip Ganassi Racing is trying to win its fourth consecutive Rolex 24 title - perhaps one of the most impressive - if under-appreciated - feats in all of racing.

"To do it three years in a row is very, very impressive,'' said 2007 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, who will steer Ganassi's No. 02 Lexus Riley.

"Every race there are so many variables plus this race is so long it just magnifies things.''

And while it's impossible to control the variables of a 50-car field through two trips around the clock, the Ganassi team has proven itself a master of preparation and trackside support.

"We start getting the car ready two weeks after the last season ends,'' said Scott Pruett, driver of the No. 01 Ganassi Lexus and a two-time defending Rolex champion.

Race weekend, there may be 40 people in the two-car Ganassi pit stall and the crew and drivers are just the beginning. Each driver has a "handler" whose sole duty is to efficiently usher the driver from the pits to a good meal or to a warm bed after each driving stint.

There's even a masseuse just for the crew members - most who work the entire 24-hour race plus set-up and clean-up.

And yet for all the preparation and strategizing the race inevitably comes down to the final hour. The cars are so durable that drivers can run full-on from the get-go and that means door-to-door racing for hours, not just a for a green-white-checkered finish.

The first 10 cars on Saturday's grid are separated by less than a second, yet there was a difference of 22-seconds between the fastest prototype and slowest GT-class car.

The competitiveness within class coupled with the speed disparity between classes is just one more subplot- further proving this event to be racing's best competition of driver, team, stamina and resolve. You don't just win, you endure.

"It's going to be close,'' Chip Ganassi said. "You try to do everything right as much as possible, but at the end of the day, you've got to have a little bit of luck on your side.

"We've got our fingers crossed.''

Previewing the Rolex 24 at Daytona originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stories for '09: The Mega-Merger Era

Holly Cain — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Yates Racing, Petty Enterprises, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Here's what everyone will be talking about as the NASCAR haulers roll into Daytona International Speedway next month for the start of one the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.

Especially early on, one of the most intriguing storylines of the season will be the success of the mega-mergers.

Will we see Kumbaya moments or power-plays as some of the biggest names and egos in the sport join hands hoping there's strength in numbers?

Sure, it'll take some drivers half a season to figure out the guy he used run up into the marbles is now his teammate, but that just makes this more fun to watch.

The general consensus is that the power-mergers between teams like Ganassi and Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Gillett-Evernham and Petty Enterprises along with the "alliances" of Yates Racing and Hall of Fame racing teams may be a temporary fix to a pressing problem, not necessarily a permanent solution.

It's also a sort of sentimental survival for NASCAR, which is weathering enough "issues" without having its highest profile names go away. It's hard to imagine the sport without Richard Petty's or Dale Earnhardt's namesake team legacies.

It would be like the NFL without the Dallas Cowboys or Major League Baseball minus the New York Yankees.

The actual benefit on-track and in-competition may be harder to quantify. Other than keeping the car counts up, it'll be interesting to see if the newly-merged teams will be any better equipped to challenge the Hendrick, Roush or Gibbs juggernauts.

I doubt it. At least not initially.

"I do think it's really cool that DEI figured out how to stay and Richard Petty figured out how to stay,'' Michael Waltrip said. "I believe two is stronger than one and it will allow them to get through these times and eventually have more competitive cars on the track.

"I believe things are going to come out on the other end of this looking a lot different than they ever have.''

Stories for '09: The Mega-Merger Era originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former DEI Exec Max Siegel Picked to Lead NASCAR's Diversity Effort

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:08:00 EST

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

Over the course of the past 24 hours, word has come out that one of the newer faces to the NASCAR garage area will be changing gears in how he works with the sport.

Max Siegel, hired on as the company president at the then-Dale Earnhardt Inc. in Febuary of 2007, will now lead NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program in addition to returning to an Indianapolis law firm to specialize in sports and entertainment.

The move was predicated by DEI's merger with Chip Ganassi Racing in November that diminshed the need for Siegel's efforts at the newly-named Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Prior to the merger, Siegel was the highest-ranking African-American executive in the NASCAR garage.

Before the merger, Siegel had seen some rough days for the team that was founded by NASCAR's late 7-time champion Dale Earnhardt.

Just months after Siegel signed on with the team, its cornerstone driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended contract and part-ownership negotiations with the team and bolted for a new opportunity at Hendrick Motorsports. The move ultimately put the operation in a slow tailspin with driver Martin Truex Jr. earning the team's only win in June of 2007. Sponsorship woes, somewhat tied to performance and also tied to the economic downturn, forced the team into the merger with Ganassi.

During that time, the team was owned by the late-driver's widow, Teresa, who made it a habit of staying out of the public eye. Siegel made himself much more available and seemed to take on the executive face of the company.

The day-to-day role Siegel, and his sports marketing company, 909 Group, will take with the diversity effort will "increase its reach inside and outside the sport; create mainstream marketing programs for the initiative; and further involve the entire NASCAR industry, particularly top-tier teams and sponsors" according to a NASCAR press release.

Certainly, NASCAR's move to keep Siegel in the sport is a good one as he has shown a commitment to understanding the world of NASCAR. His background in sport marketing and law can't hurt, either.

Hopefully, the Drive for Diversity effort -- it's had some modest success, but no driver has made a swing in to the top levels of NASCAR quite yet -- will get a much needed shot in the arm with Siegel's involvement.

Former DEI Exec Max Siegel Picked to Lead NASCAR's Diversity Effort originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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