Motorsports FanHouse

Impacting No One, NASCAR Keeps Limits On Testing for 2010

Holly Cain — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST

NASCAR announced Wednesday that for the 2010 season, it will again prohibit teams in its three national series from testing on any race track that hosts a national event.

In a slight modification to this season's rules, however, teams can hold test sessions on NASCAR-sanctioned facilities that host regional touring series.

Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, Lime Rock (Conn.) Park, Colorado National Speedway (above) and Portland (Ore.) International Raceway are among a list of 14 tracks now able to host NASCAR teams.

How will this policy affect the Sprint Cup Series competition in 2010? It won't.

It's essentially the same situation that teams have faced this year in the first season of testing restrictions. Hendrick Motorsports topped the standings when teams could test at will. And Hendrick Motorsports is topping the standings when they can't.

Just as many predicted during the preseason, teams that fared well during the wide-open testing situation in past years are the same teams that are lead the way now after NASCAR instituted tighter restrictions. There has been no drastic fallout from the regulations.

It's doubtful additional test sessions out in Utah at Miller Motorsports Park, for example, are going to help a struggling team suddenly compete with Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs.

That proved to be true this year with the Chase for the Championship field mostly looking like it always has, in terms of teams represented.

Team mergers -- Richard Petty Motorsports joining forces with Yates Racing for 2010 -- and the trend toward satellite operations -- Stewart-Haas Racing uses Hendrick equipment -- will have more impact on the competition levels than the number of times and where a team can test.

The limit on testing would mostly affect rookies and someone like IndyCar driver Danica Patrick, who may try a limited stock car schedule next year. They will get plenty of seat time, but not on the tracks where they will actually race.

Even under the current restrictive testing situation, rookie Joey Logano won a race (rain-shortened, but a win is a win). Take that victory out of the equation, however, and Logano has struggled much like other mere mortal rookies.

The testing restrictions also hurt teams trying to take the next step to the elite level. But history shows those teams probably wouldn't have fared much better with wide-open testing anyway.

And let's be real. Teams are still testing, they're just using "test drivers" and rookies who need laps.

At one point, Roger Penske even considered building his own test track.

In the meantime, this testing moratorium has helped create a cottage industry benefiting "development" drivers and rural tracks that can make big money hosting a Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck series team for a three-day mid-week test.

NASCAR's intent was to save teams money and level the playing field a bit more.

It has saved teams money. But that's it.

Impacting No One, NASCAR Keeps Limits On Testing for 2010 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did the Brickyard Win People Back?

Holly Cain — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:53:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, NASCAR Tracks

INDIANAPOLIS -- For all the talk of problematic tires and empty seats, the rubber held up and an estimated crowd of 180,000 showed up Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for NASCAR's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Although a dominating performance by Juan Pablo Montoya made the race look like it might be a runaway, the former Indy 500 champ made a pit road mistake that allowed the dependable Hendrick Motorsports team to pounce with what turned into an exciting late-laps battle between 50-year-old pole-sitter Mark Martin and gracious but gritty Jimmie Johnson.

There will be those that criticize "the racing" even after watching the most underrated three-time champ masterfully hold off the series' winningest driver in Martin, a huge sentimental favorite.

But a good race doesn't always have to be filled with door-banging, crash-filled, side-by-side racing (although that's always a good thing). It's about a compelling storyline and a close finish.

The Brickyard had both of those.

Although I haven't missed an Indianapolis 500 since 1991, it's been almost 10 years since I last covered NASCAR's visit to the world's most famous track. The massive press room was noticeably empty -- no staffers from the Los Angeles Times, either Detroit paper, or even nearby Chicago or Cleveland.

My colleagues assured me that there was a noticeable drop in attendance from last year and there were the obvious signs -- lots of empty seats in the prime front-stretch grandstands and more tellingly, no traffic Sunday morning.

Everyone was prepared for this in the days leading up to the race. The troubled economy shared the blame with the uncertainty of tire performance, even as the competitors themselves assured, promised and swore the tires wouldn't be the same problem as they were last summer when teams had to pit every 10-15 laps for fresh tires.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway's outgoing President Joie Chitwood said the single greatest day of ticket sales didn't come until a few weeks ago when when four-time cup champion, and four-time Brickyard winner, Jeff Gordon declared during a June tire test that Goodyear had solved the tire problem and guaranteed fans the tires would not be an issue in the race.

This event is not the Indianapolis 500 -- nor has it ever aspired to be -- and the stock cars aren't exactly suited for the tight, flat track.

There have been whispers that maybe NASCAR shouldn't be at The Speedway anymore; that its welcome has worn off, its luster gone.

Now the debate becomes who needs who more. Does NASCAR still need to be at this historic facility? Or does Indianapolis Motor Speedway need to be a part of the country's most popular motor sports series? The answers are yes and yes.

NASCAR's 1994 arrival in Indianapolis came at a time when the stock car series was beginning a massive expansion into untapped markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City. It was the beginning of the popularity peak that took NASCAR into the national consciousness, to a billion-dollar television deal and beyond the perception it was merely a regional obsession.

The Speedway also needed NASCAR. Having just one race -- even if it was the Indianapolis 500 -- didn't make economic sense. And in the mid 1990s when the Indy 500 suffered through the open-wheel split, NASCAR's contribution to IMS became more significant.

"I think it's developed into a very nice balance,'' said Indianapolis Motor Speedway Vice President of Communications, Fred Nation. "The Allstate 400 has developed into one of the favorite races for drivers and teams, acknowledging the track possesses unusual challenges. But they like the tradition and prestige of winning here.

"The novelty has worn off in the sense that a generation of drivers now regard the race as another on the schedule, while the previous generation thought this was the Indianapolis 500 track and never thought they'd be able to run on it.''

As for Sunday's race, Nation thinks the event answered the doom and gloomers.

"I'm sure it maintained its place as the largest attended NASCAR race of the year,'' Nation said. "As badly as we felt after the race lat year, we feel equally better about the prospects for 2010 that this will be the turnaround. It exceeded out expectations.''

People may be talking as much about who didn't win Sunday as much as they are about who did.

At least they're talking about the race and not about tires.

Did the Brickyard Win People Back? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeremy Mayfield Drama Is Sad Subplot

Holly Cain — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

It started with The Look.

Two weeks ago, while covering the NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway I walked around the garage asking Sprint Cup Series drivers, team owners, crew members, former drivers if perhaps Jeremy Mayfield deserved any "benefit of the doubt."

One by one they shot me The Look: raised eyebrows, incredulous expression.

"What doubt?" they asked.

Only a couple days earlier, a U.S. court had reinstated Mayfield's NASCAR eligibility despite the fact he tested positive for methamphetamine, despite sworn statements from fellow competitors that they were concerned for their safety should Mayfield return to the track.

And now this week, the 39-year old driver has tested positive again for methamphetamine and again issued strong denials he has ever used the drug.

This is where my eternal optimism clashes with facts and science. Where my hope this sordid affair would resolve itself is at odds with the probability it is only going to get messier.

Allegations from Mayfield's estranged step-mother this week that she's seen him snort meth on numerous occasions and his expletive-filled denials are turning this into exactly the kind of Jerry Springer special that NASCAR has so successfully worked to veer its image away from.

And worst of all, it's taken away from one of the better seasons of NASCAR racing: a 50-year old owning the win column, a gritty owner-driver leading the championship, a three-time champion positioning himself for a historic fourth straight. Richard Petty in victory circle.

Beyond the inference and opinions, here's what we know:

Mayfield's positive test won't be explained away like a cocaine-kiss from a stranger in a dark nightclub (see tennis player Richard Gasquet).

According to court documents filed by NASCAR, the large levels of the drug in Mayfield's specimens have been consistent with a "chronic methamphetamine" user.

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: ***EXCLUSIVE*** NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and actress Olivia Wilde backstage during the 2009 ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for ESPY) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Olivia Wilde

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: ***EXCLUSIVE*** (L-R) Ingrid Vandebosch, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and host Samuel L. Jackson backstage during the 2009 ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for ESPY) *** Local Caption *** Ingrid Vandebosch;Jeff Gordon;Samuel L. Jackson

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NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and actress Olivia Wilde present an award onstage during the 17th annual ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. 17th Annual ESPY Awards - Show Nokia Theatre LA Live Los Angeles, California United States July 15, 2009 Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com To license this image (57910003), contact WireImage.com

Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon (L) and actress Olivia Wilde walk onstage during the 2009 ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Olivia Wilde

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon (L) and actress Olivia Wilde speak onstage during the 2009 ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Olivia Wilde

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NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and actress Olivia Wilde present the Best Moment award at the taping of the 2009 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles July 15, 2009. The awards show will be telecast on ESPN July 19. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES ENTERTAINMENT SPORT)

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: (L-R) NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and actress Olivia Wilde present swimmer Michael Phelps the Best Moment award for US Wins Olympic Swimming Relay onstage during the 2009 ESPY Awards held at Nokia Theatre LA Live on July 15, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The 17th annual ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 19 at 9PM ET on ESPN. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Olivia Wilde;Michael Phelps

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While Mayfield and his attorneys have statements from experts at the World Anti-Doping Agency and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency questioning aspects of NASCAR's newly-revamped Substance Abuse Policy, the procedures used by NASCAR's lab, Aegis Sciences Corporation, are consistent with those used by both of those agencies and the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball.

While the samples tested by NASCAR have come up positive now three times (his original A and B sample back in May plus one more this week) Mayfield told Sirius Radio late Wednesday night that he's voluntarily given another 15 samples in the past few weeks that have come up clean in independent testing - although no proof of that has been offered yet.

With no driver union to offer counsel, Mayfield is on his own to fight the NASCAR aristocracy. And his defense has raised legitimate questions.

However, NASCAR filed a motion this week asking the U.S. District Court to reinstate Mayfield's suspension, noting that part of the reason Mayfield asked for immediate reinstatement was that racing was his livelihood. Yet, he hasn't tried to compete at either of the two races since having the ban lifted.

This week, the lone remaining member of the race team he owned resigned.

It became clear as I spoke with my longtime contacts in the garage at Daytona - people that have worked closely with Mayfield in the past - that they seem less surprised by all of this than I have been. Mayfield has always been professional, friendly and engaging whenever I've dealt with him during the past 15 years - an unlikely pick for this fate.

But I keep going back again to something NASCAR Chairman Brian France told reporters in Daytona Beach.

What motive does NASCAR have to single out a driver and destroy his career? It doesn't help the sport's image to wildly accuse a driver in its premier series of using hard drugs.

Why would NASCAR want to ruin Jeremy Mayfield's life, as he feels it has done?

If the science holds up here, maybe it's not that NASCAR has ruined Mayfield's life, but instead saved it.

Jeremy Mayfield Drama Is Sad Subplot originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Gordon Guarantees Goodyear Got It Right at Indy

Holly Cain — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

OK, Brickyard fans, Jeff Gordon "guarantees" you a good race when NASCAR returns to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the AllState 400 on July 26.

The four-time race winner Gordon promises the tire issues that ruined last year's Sprint Cup Series race -- and a lot of fan goodwill - will not be a problem this summer.

"I'm 100 percent confident, it's a dead issue," Gordon said Tuesday during a break in Goodyear's final tire test at Indy before the race. "The race might come down to a lot of different factors ... but it's not going to come down to a 10-lap shootout to see whose tires will last. I can promise all the fans out there, if they want to come to the Brickyard, they'll see a great race and be confident the tires are not going to be an issue.

"Trust me. And I hope that's going to go be enough for the fans."

And just in case Gordon vouching for the new tire isn't good enough, plenty of other drivers, as well as Goodyear executives, report they are confident with the final product -- a result of seven tire tests and more than 13,000 laps at the track, not to mention countless engineering hours put in at Goodyear's Akron, Ohio headquarters.

Last year, NASCAR had to throw a competition caution flag about every 10-12 laps during the Allstate 400 at Indy. Cars couldn't even run half a tank of fuel before needing to pit for new tires. The situation infuriated drivers, fans and track officials alike.

Ticket sales are the slowest in the 15 years since NASCAR started racing at Indy, and with already-sagging television ratings, NASCAR could stand a dose of redemption and good racing at the world's most famous speedway.

Goodyear has certainly done its part with relentless energy toward the cause. NASCAR's sole tire supplier even went so far as to duplicate IMS' surface on portions of its Akron test track. Even so, teams were still skeptical, and drivers critical of the product up until a test two weeks ago.

"It's been a deliberate process,'' Goodyear's Director of Race Tire Sales Greg Stucker said Tuesday from Indianapolis. "That first test after the (Indy) 500 two weeks ago, we knew that would be the true measurement.

"We left here knowing we were able to put a lot of rubber down and make full fuel runs. That last test was the one we walked away from and said, 'We've got it.' This week was just a confirmation of that.''

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FILE - In this March 16, 2008 file photo, Tony Stewart leads Jeff Gordon through a turn during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn. Five years after allowing Toyota into the third-tier Truck Series race, NASCAR says it is willing to consider other foreign automakers. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)

Firemen work in the car in which Mexican Nascar driver Carlos Pardo had an accident on June 14, 2009 in Amozoc, Puebla state, Mexico. Pardo died in an accident during a Nascar race. AFP PHOTO/ Jose Castaï¿½ares (Photo credit should read Jose Castaï¿½ares/AFP/Getty Images)

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Mexican Nascar driver Carlos Pardo's wife (C) cries in the racetrack next to an ambulance after knowing of his death next on June 14, 2009 in Amozoc, Puebla state, Mexico. Pardo died in an accident during a Nascar race. AFP PHOTO/ Jose Castaï¿½ares (Photo credit should read Jose Castaï¿½ares/AFP/Getty Images)

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Mark Martin celebrates winning the NASCAR LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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Mark Martin celebrates winning the NASCAR LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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Mark Martin rounds during the NASCAR LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, Sunday, June 14, 2009. (Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 14: Grand Marshal Kid Rock walks on the grid prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2009 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kid Rock

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BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 14: Jimmie Johnson, driving the #48 Low'es Chevrolet, pulls out of the fourth turn during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2009 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 14: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2009 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

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Gordon not only expressed supreme confidence in the final product Tuesday, but was outspoken in his praise of how Goodyear handled being the fall guy in the whole ordeal last year.

"None of us wanted to see what happened last year," Gordon said. "I really hate that Goodyear took so much of the blame, because this track is extremely abrasive, these new cars wear tires more. A lot of things contributed to what happened.

"Unfortunately, Goodyear took the brunt of it. And because none of the other things (cars or track surface) are changing, they had to really work to come up with this tire."

To its credit, Goodyear hasn't shirked its responsibility -- despite a backlash of criticism from fans and NASCAR. Stucker even indicated the company may still consider some sort of compensation for fans this year, similar to Michelin, which bought tickets for some fans after a similar tire debacle in the Formula One race at Indy in 2005.

"No one walked out of here that wasn't disappointed," Stucker said. "And there hasn't been a day go by since that we haven't talked about the race. It's been our number-one priority for the last 11 months.

"And I think we got it right."

Jeff Gordon Guarantees Goodyear Got It Right at Indy originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goodyear Gets Passing Grade at Indy

Holly Cain — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

NASCAR driver Jeff Burton said he felt a little like the great speed pioneer Chuck Yeager when he showed up at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week for a tire test.

The 2.5-mile track's surface has confounded Goodyear Tire Company engineers and the result has frustrated the Speedway, fans and NASCAR drivers after an embarrassing debacle in last year's Sprint Cup race at Indy, when drivers had to pit about every 12-15 laps for new tires and the ensuing competition caution periods ruined the show.

Subsequent tire tests at Indianapolis to avert a repeat of the situation had shown little improvement. Until now.

"From the first lap on the track, I really liked the way the tire felt,'' said Burton, who drives the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "We literally never saw one issue with the tires. To my knowledge, there was not a blister, not a cord, there was nothing.''

If the tire holds up as advertised that's good news all around.

Not only has it been worrisome for the drivers who are putting their lives and livelihoods on the line, Indianapolis Motor Speedway has had major trouble selling tickets to the Brickyard 400 race. Some estimates a month ago, had ticket sales down close to 50 percent.

Sales typically pick up in the summer in anticipation of the July 26 race. That trend combined with reports Goodyear has finally figured out the tire situation could be a big boost. Certainly another flawed show at the legendary Brickyard is not the kind of publicity NASCAR wants to endure right now.

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Driver Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, talks with an official at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., before qualifying for the NASCAR Pocono 500 auto race was called of due to rain, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Driver Jeff Gordon signs autographs at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., after qualifying for the NASCAR Pocono 500 auto race was rained out, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: A general view of the garage area after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)

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LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: A general view of pit road and the grandstands after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)

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LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: Crew members talk in the garage after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)

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A replacement front end for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car of driver Bobby Labonte sits in the garage area at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. after rain forced the cancellation of qualifying Friday, June 5, 2009. The Pocono 500 NASCAR auto race is Sunday. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: Crew members talk in the garage area after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)

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LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: The #83 Red Bull Toyota driven by Brian Vickers (L) and the #88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R) sit in the garage after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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LONG POND, PA - JUNE 05: The #6 UPS Ford driven by David Ragan sits in the garage after rain canceled practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pocono 500 at the Pocono Raceway on June 5, 2009 in Long Pond Pennsylvania. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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"It looks like the tire testing, which began last fall, is proving successful," said Speedway President Joie Chitwood, noting there will be another larger "confirmation" tire test -- involving 12 drivers -- on June 15-16.

Chitwood told FanHouse earlier this year he was very concerned about the tire situation. Initial tests this year and last fall did not show much progress. Drivers were still getting only about 18 laps on the tires - far short of a full fuel run of about 32 laps. This week, however, Burton said his team was able to run the car completely out of fuel on a single run with no tire problems whatsoever.

"This tire appears to rubber the track up itself, it appears to lay rubber down on the track rather than that powder,'' Burton said. " I think that will be a great thing., so I was really impressed with the tire."

Nine drivers representing all four manufacturers turned in more than 1,200 laps in the two days of testing.

"I look at Goodyear and think it has been tough, difficult for them to figure out,'' said Dodge driver Kasey Kahne. "I think that they finally found something that's going to work really well there and it's something that they can use to make our tires better at other tracks as well.

"Last year was terrible to have the Brickyard 400 the way that is was, but I think that we're going to gain something out of it. I think it's going to be a great tire to race on.''

Goodyear Gets Passing Grade at Indy originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruton Smith Rips NASCAR Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smith didn't stop there, either.

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

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

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

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

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Tests Reveal Goodyear Still Not Ready

Holly Cain — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

Less than impressed.

That was pretty much the consensus of drivers following Wednesday's Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- the sixth test since a tire debacle at the track during last year's NASCAR race resulted in no green flag runs more than 16 laps.

"The tires still are not ideal,'' said Ryan Newman, who represented the Chevrolet contingent in the four-car test. "I know Goodyear is still working on that. It is just a tough situation, man."

Wednesday's test was a make-up session from last week when rain interrupted a two-day test.

Kasey Kahne (Dodge), Brian Vickers (Toyota) and Matt Kenseth (Ford) joined Newman on Wednesday, but no one managed more than 18 laps on a set of tires -- and that wasn't even consecutive laps. The tires need to have in excess of 30 for a full fuel run. Newman said the tires -- as of now -- are essentially a half-fuel run.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood said last month that he remains very concerned about the situation and will be paying close attention to these tests so another tire disaster can be averted for this year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on July 26.

Goodyear has another, larger group of cars scheduled for June 15-16. The track will undoubtedly change after the May 24 Indianapolis 500 and Goodyear may add an additional test just after the IndyCar race.

"We were able to make significant progress laying rubber down on the track surface at Indy during our test with just four cars this week,'' said Greg Stucker, Goodyear's Director of Race Tire Sales.

"Having said that, we still have some work to do and some things we'd like to try to enhance overall performance and come up with the optimum tire set-up for the Brickyard 400.

"What we're assessing right now is the best way to increase the durability while maintaining an appropriate level of grip."

All the drivers who participated this week say they remain confident Goodyear will get this figured out. There is just simply too much on the line.

"The bottom line is, last year was an embarrassment for the Series and the fans and we need to redeem ourselves," Newman said Friday while preparing for Saturday's race at Richmond, Va. "Whatever we have to do that should be considered."

Tests Reveal Goodyear Still Not Ready originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 01 May 2009 17:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Offseason Test Ban Pays Early Dividends

Holly Cain — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Testing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Talk about your happy campers.

NASCAR should have canceled offseason testing years ago.
Sure, it's saving teams massive amounts of money in travel, track rental and equipment, but even better -- I can't remember when drivers and teams have been this enthusiastic about firing up their engines.

"I couldn't wait to practice on Friday,'' Owner-driver Michael Waltrip said.

To practice?

These guys are actually appreciating and savoring every lap, practice and qualifying session at Daytona International Speedway this week.

And judging by Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout exhibition, the test ban has had the unintended consequence of making the racing even better -- at least more unpredictable.

"I think it was not being at the racetrack for all that time. ... I think everybody really wanted to go out and see what they had and push as hard as they could because there wasn't anything on the line,'' said Shootout winner Kevin Harvick.

The statistics surely indicate as much. The 75-lap sprint had a record number of race leaders (14) and lead changes (23). And cautions (eight). Unlike past years marked by single-file, wait-and-see racing this show was exciting from green to checkered flags.

And most drivers expect the same kind of action for Thursday's two 150-mile qualifying races and Sunday's Daytona 500.

Latest NASCAR Photos

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: David Ragan, driver of the #6 UPS Ford, spins into a gravel pit during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** David Ragan

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: A view of cars racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, races Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.;Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #82 Red Bull Toyota, driven by Scott Speed, in the garage are during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #18 M&M's Toyota, driven by Kyle Busch, on pit road during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, driven by Kevin Harvick, on pit road during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, sits in his car on the grid prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota, sits in his car on the grid prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Denny Hamlin (R), driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, talks with his crew chief Mike Ford on the grid prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mike Ford;Denny Hamlin

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NASCAR driver David Ragan talks with reporters as he leaves the infield care center after he was involved in an accident during the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

"I don't know if it's just been a long winter or if that's really as wild as it seems, but that seemed like the wildest race I've been a part of,'' Carl Edwards said climbing out of his Ford Saturday night after the Shootout.

"Guys are up on the wheel, ducking and diving. ... going two-wide, three-wide, sometimes four-wide,'' said Dodge's lead drive Kasey Kahne. "It's fun to drive for sure.''

And for a sport struggling to keep fan interest, corporate bucks and television ratings, that's all good news.

With only a rare exception, the drivers say testing or lack-of has little effect on their performance -- at least in this week's restrictor-plate race at Daytona. Wind tunnel testing and in-shop simulators still give them confidence in preparation with the only real wild-card being tires -- and for that, teams will rotate on tire tests throughout the season.

Waltrip insists that testing during the winter months doesn't make a tangible difference in helping struggling teams chasing the sport's powerhouse organizations anyway.

"You can let those other teams test until they're purple in the face -- they're not going to catch them,'' Waltrip said. "It doesn't make a wider gap it actually closes it up in my opinion.

"I believe at the end of all this, we're going to determine all this on-track testing was a colossal waste of time and money.

Offseason Test Ban Pays Early Dividends originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No More Pit Stops? NASCAR Truck Series Still Looking to Cut Costs

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Testing, Camping World Truck Series

In what has to be one of the more unusual -- or, at least, unexpected -- way to save costs for NASCAR's third-tier Camping World Truck Series, one driver acknowledged competitive pit stops might be gone for 2009.

According to an article over at SceneDaily, NASCAR is expected to announce a few more initiatives this week in a bid to help Truck teams stay solvent among one of the toughest sponsorship climates the sport has ever seen.

Pit stops, three-time Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday Jr., says, might be one of the key elements on NASCAR's cost containment chopping block, though the sanctioning body has yet to acknowledge such a possibility.

For Hornaday -- one of the Truck Series' original drivers from its inaugural 1995 season -- axing pit stops not only could save teams a chunk of money, but it's a move that should have been done long ago.

"They should have done it a long time ago," Hornaday said. "You could have the best truck out there, and if you didn't pay that guy a little bit more money or get the best guy or steal him from somebody else, you're going to come out of the pits sixth or seventh and have a chance of not winning the race."

Hornaday's point is that as the NASCAR world has flourished in the past two decades, superior pit crew members have become essential to competetive teams thanks to the incredible difference that a tenth of a second -- much less two or three seconds -- can make in the outcome of a race. And thanks to NASCAR operating as a sport with independent contractors, a crew member has no obligation to remain at one team and instead can head to where the pay is the highest.

Obviously, it stops couldn't be deleted entirely from any race program due to race lengths, but I'd imagine such a process would include yellow flag stops that allow a driver to return to the race in the same spot granted they are under some sort of time limit. Green flag pit stops, though, seem a little tougher to negotiate.

Going without pit stops or some other modification to the basic NASCAR race dynamic isn't completely new for the Truck Series. From the Series' start in 1995 until 1998, the series had an intermission or half time break in its races and prohibited tire changes except when tire wear was a factor.

Of course, the trucks primarily raced on short tracks during that time and have since grown to include Daytona and a plethora of other 1.5-mile and 2-mile speedways.

Taking away pit stops would be quite a drastic change for the series and I'm not completely sure the idea -- while a good one for personnel cost-savings -- would be good for the overall entertainment. Additionally, such a move would lead to a lot of Truck Series crew members either with lower wages or without a job due to their lack of requirements for a team to win.

Perhaps, NASCAR should look into a more devoted short track schedule for the Truck Series because in doing so, teams would have less money dedicated to expensive aerodynamic and downforce work that the bigger tracks necessitate for a high level of competition.

It should, without a doubt, be interesting what NASCAR comes up with for the Trucks in the coming days.

No More Pit Stops? NASCAR Truck Series Still Looking to Cut Costs originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look Out Goodyear, Here Comes Trouble

Holly Cain — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It may not qualify as a tire war yet, but Goodyear should be looking over its shoulder. The flares are flying.

The week before Christmas sports car champion Scott Pruett conducted a double-dog dare-you, top-secret test of Firestone tires on an ARCA car at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And more tests are certain to follow.

What's surprising is that outspoken Goodyear critic Tony Stewart wasn't the guy behind the wheel.
Pruett said the call from Firestone came out of the blue, but it makes perfect sense considering the string of tire controversies NASCAR endured last year. The second most celebrated race on the NASCAR schedule, the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis, was reduced to a series of short sprints because of problems with Goodyear tires.

Although NASCAR officials couldn't be reached for comment Friday, Firestone executive Al Speyer told SPEEDtv.com's Robin Miller three weeks ago, "It was not a Firestone test and it was not a NASCAR test. It was a technical exercise to try to develop current stock car technology.'' Then Speyer conceded. ... well, OK ... yes, Firestone is interested in developing a stock car tire.

Goodyear has been the sole tire supplier for NASCAR since 2000 and has a contract through 2011. Firestone supplies tires to the IndyCar Series, Formula One and many sports car teams.

While Stewart's rants -- legitimate pleas as they may be -- might not be enough to convince NASCAR it needs to reconsider its supplier, a little competition -- or even the threat of -- may be just what Goodyear needs. It can't hurt.

Look Out Goodyear, Here Comes Trouble originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drag Racing Gets Testing Ban Right

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:45:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Testing, Other Racing Series

For once -- ahem, NASCAR -- a racing sanctioning body is setting parameters on a competition rule that leaves no room for guessing, wiggling or in-between-the-lin'ing.

Effective after the season's first race, the National Hot Rod Association (the premiere drag racing body in the United States) has banned all forms of testing -- with the exception of four, one day sessions -- in the 2009 season. And by all forms, the NHRA means that sanctioned and unsanctioned tracks, a local 2-lane highway and probably your grandmother's quarter-mile long driveway are all off-limits.

And the punishment for getting caught? Oh, just a forfeit of all points in the guilty party's next race via a decision that cannot be appealed.

In other words, the NHRA has set a precedent that NASCAR should have made back in November.

As we've discussed here on FanHouse -- or more recently, how our brand new writer extraordinaire Holly Cain explained -- NASCAR set a testing ban for all of its sanctioned race tracks for the 2009 season. In doing so, the sport left open the more than a few handfuls of tracks that don't currently see NASCAR action as places where teams could go spend the money that the testing ban was supposed to save them.

If you think I'm kidding about that, just check out how these teams have been cris-crossing the country for a little testing and how one report last week said that one unnamed team attempted to buy out 50 dates at Rockingham, N.C.'s 1-mile Rockingham Speedway until NASCAR frowned heavy enough on the move.

The NHRA, though, won't have any issues with that it seems for a couple of reasons. For one, they are giving teams unlimited test time until the season starts, and two, the four days will still give teams a shot to make a few runs throughout the course of the season.

And then, there's that penalty that can also include steeper punishments for "Flagrant or continued violation" of the no-testing rule.

I'd imagine by now NASCAR has realized its mistake in allowing unsanctioned testing to go on at other venues, but they still should take note in the fact that, yes, a racing series can make hard, fast and enforcable rules with some teeth -- and people will actually follow them.

Drag Racing Gets Testing Ban Right originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stories for '09: NASCAR Bans Testing

Holly Cain — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Testing

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.

Let's be real. The teams that were winning when NASCAR allowed formal testing will still be the teams winning now that it's not allowed. The new policy eliminating testing at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks this season will save teams money, but don't expect it to even the playing field.

For starters, the big-budget teams are still testing. And the teams that can least afford to test are the very ones who need it the most.

Three-time defending Cup champion Hendrick Motorsports went to Mesa, Arizona to utilize General Motors desert proving ground. Obscure Texas World Speedway and Saturday night-short tracks in places like tiny New Smyrna Beach are dusting off the straight-aways to welcome teams willing to exploit the testing loopholes.

Toyota Racing Development President Lee White said he heard of a team - which he declined to name - actually attempting to rent out 50 dates at Rockingham's (N.C.) two tracks hoping to "lock out" other teams from the facility.
"NASCAR got pretty upset with them about that,'' White said. "It was kind of flying in the face of the spirit of what (NASCAR) is trying to do, which is to save everybody some money and hopefully keep this thing rolling along at a subsistence level until the economy gets stronger.''

Hours after NASCAR issued the policy change last November, championship owner Jack Roush tried to get teams to take a Just-Say-No-To-Testing pledge -- promising no wheels on-track at all. If everyone followed the rule, he optimistically figured, then all would be fair.

But then again Roush also thought Santa Claus would put coal in Toyota's stocking and he's still hoping the Easter Bunny might be able to bail out the Big Three.

And by the way, Roush teams were testing at Texas World Speedway this week.

"Having no testing is only going to help the teams that are already good,'' said Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge. "They're good because of the people working on the teams, the engineering things like that.''

Ryan Newman insists the testing policy will have absolutely no bearing on competition.

"Testing doesn't make the racing better,'' Newman said.

Certainly, the upside is that drivers, who have had fewer obligations and enjoyed longer vacations will be better rested and in great moods. No doubt they'll be arriving at tracks with huge smiles on their faces, more eager to sign autographs, pose for photos and answer questions from reporters.

And at last, the mind-numbing television coverage of the newly-appreciated practice sessions will prove relevant and news-worthy.

Stories for '09: NASCAR Bans Testing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Teams Still Testing Despite Ban

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:44:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

NASCAR's testing ban doesn't seem to be working as well as officials might have hoped.

As expected, several teams have been cris-crossing the country over the past few weeks in attempt to shake down their race cars for the upcoming season. Instead, though, of testing at NASCAR sanctioned facilities, they've been testing at places such as General Motors' proving grounds in Mesa, Ariz., New Smyrna Speedway in Florida and Texas World Speedway.

The testing ban, instituted by NASCAR in November, forbid any NASCAR team from going to any NASCAR-sanctioned facility to help cut costs during the economic tailspin that has greatly affected many aspects of the racing industry.

And not so surprisingly, the effort to cut costs apparently hasn't been as gloriously successful -- although teams did avoid wasting their time in Daytona.

According to the SPEED TV's Bob Dillner, a host of teams have been testing at several places in an effort to check new braking compenents or aerodynamic packages. In his article, Dillner listed Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle testing out a rarely-used 2-mile Texas World Speedway while Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing are on the schedule at New Smryna's short track.

Dillner also said Roush Fenway Racing brought cars to Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina with the new Gillett-Evernham/Petty Enterprises team scheduled to be on-track next week.

Jayski.com reported earlier this week that fourteen GM teams including Hendrick, Richard Childress Racing and others made the trek to the car company's Mesa Proving Grounds in Arizona.

As I noted a week ago with the lack of Daytona testing, the ban truly could help save some teams some time and money -- mainly by not wasting time for at Daytona testing in qualifying mode -- but as always, NASCAR's ban has left some loopholes.

And as we know, loopholes for NASCAR teams don't stay small for very long.

Teams Still Testing Despite Ban originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Case You Forgot, NASCAR's Preseason Daytona Testing Should Have Started

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

Like clockwork, NASCAR teams have traditionally kicked off the season with three days of preseason Sprint Cup testing at the famed Daytona International Speedway on the first Monday after the first of January.

This year, today [Tuesday] would have been the second day of single-car runs in qualifying setup mode for the first group of teams -- half of 'em show up the first week, the rest in the next -- but thanks to NASCAR's testing moratorium on any and all sanctioned tracks for 2009, the tradition has halted.

Indeed, NASCAR fans won't get a glimpse of new drivers with new teams or a chance to read about how this driver paced one session and that driver paced another. It's a loss for NASCAR media types because of how dead -- save for team mergers and Elliott Sadler's surprising, litigious release -- the offseason really can be.

But, for the first time since teams felt it was important to focus ridiculous amounts of effort, money and time on a two-lap qualifying run for the season's first race that won't matter for hardly any driver, fans aren't subjected to mindless chatter about who's fast and who's not.

And drivers like Tony Stewart, who understands being at Daytona for three days to take part in mostly single-car runs is so pointless and so boring that he has paid out of his own pocket for a driver to test for him, won't have to deal with NASCAR's most pedestrian event of the year.

Hopefully, once Daytona rolls around -- it's just over a month away -- the entire sport will realize that missing Daytona testing this year wasn't all that bad for the sport, but rather a very advantageous venture.

Expenses will have been spared, preparations on other parts of a racing operation have had more resources and team members will have had more time at home -- all great things for this highly demanding sport.

Is there a loss of exposure for the coming season by not having cars on the track? I suppose it might be a minute difference, but a little creative thinking in a highly-accessible fan preview event with drivers signing autographs and a maybe even an indoor race of some sorts (all in the name of NASCAR's favorite charity, The Victory Junction Gang) could have a better impact on the start of the new eason.

I say good riddance to Daytona testing, and here's to hoping the entire sport agrees.

In Case You Forgot, NASCAR's Preseason Daytona Testing Should Have Started originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Announces 2009 Testing Ban

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Testing, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup

Check out FanHouse's Ford 400 live blog Sunday at 3:30pm/EST.

Cancel any trips you've got scheduled to attend NASCAR's preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway in January 2009. (Yeah, all four of you.)

NASCAR announced Friday morning at Homestead-Miami Speedway -- site of the season-finale events for the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and the Craftsman (soon to be Camping World) Truck Series -- that all testing on NASCAR-sanctioned tracks will be banned in 2009. From the Charlotte Observer:

The suspension of testing, primarily a cost-cutting measure, includes preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Teams still will be allowed to test at NASCAR weekly racing series tracks - such as Hickory Motor Speedway or Concord Motorsport Park in the Charlotte area where most operations are based - and at tracks not affiliated with NASCAR.

The decision, for example, could be a boost to Rockingham Speedway and its new owner, Andy Hillenburg. Hillenburg has built a short-track testing facility adjacent to the one-mile oval that used to host NASCAR events.

I've got to say that NASCAR is making an intelligent decision here to cut travel costs, but if you think for a minute that this move will save team's -- especially ones in the Sprint Cup Series -- extraordinary amounts of money, think again.

As soon as that announcement broke this morning, I'd bet that nearly every wind tunnel in the country was booked for the next six months nearly simulataneously. It will, however, allow some of the sport's smaller teams to close the performance gap -- which may be an alterior motive for NASCAR.

Regardless, the rule change is just another sign of how bad the economy really is and how it's affecting the NASCAR industry as a whole. Is it as big of a deal as the Earnhardt-Ganassi Merger from earlier this week? Probably not. But it's still a pretty big deal.

NASCAR Announces 2009 Testing Ban originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pemberton: No 2008 COT Rule Changes

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:48:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

NASCAR officials apparently took the night off Saturday night in Charlotte after judging the comments made the sport's vice president of competition.

Robin Pemberton told the NASCAR Scene Monday that NASCAR is "staying the course" with the current rules package on the now-full time Car of Tomorrow package:

"We're going to remain firm on our rules," Pemberton said. "There's no rule changes coming along."

Pemberton said NASCAR usually talks with teams about the following season's rules from mid-August to early September. Talks this year indicated teams wanted the rules to remain constant from year to year.

"We're pleased with the progress teams have made," Pemberton said. "As the teams have made their improvements, maybe early on they were looking for rule changes, but as they found things to get their drivers and teams competitive, they have come back and said, 'OK, let's stay the course on the rules and regulations, and we'll get another year under their belt.'"

I've gotta say, after watching Saturday night's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- a track that bears similarities to a good portion of the tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule -- this is a complete mistake, even if the teams were supposedly on board with it.

And I say supposedly because nearly every driver who led Saturday night's race and later found themselves in traffic complained bitterly about how horrible the cars drove when they didn't have the clean air advantage that the leader has.

That, apparently, is what NASCAR wants more of, and I frankly just don't get it.

Is there really no engineer out there who could come up with some minute changes that increase mechanical grip in the car? Does this sport really have to pander to the race leader?

If you look at the stats, this season is showing a high number of lead changes in most events. For example, Saturday night's race boasted 26 lead changes, though I'd be sure hard-fought to remember them all despite sitting in the grandstands.

Did those lead changes happen between two race leaders contending for the top spot during a green flag run? Not too often.

Instead, NASCAR had the benefit of at least two rounds of green flag pit stops that boost the number of leaders as cars hit pit road. And thanks to the smaller 18-gallon fuel cell in the Car of Tomorrow chassis, teams have to pit more -- leading to inflated stats versus when the series ran a 22-gallon tank.

I suppose NASCAR has a big, delicate plan about 2008 (say hello debris cautions!) or is anticipating teams will find that mechanical grip over the off-season in the mouse-sized box teams have to play around in, but I don't see how the racing will improve.

The new car is great for short tracks and superspeedways, but when it comes to being racy on the majority of tracks I give it quite a low grade, and NASCAR's insistence on leaving the rules alone with the expectation of teams finding better ways to race it isn't a good policy.

Pemberton: No 2008 COT Rule Changes originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Multiple Tire Suppliers Just Doesn't Work

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:49:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Sprint Cup

One of the big arguments made by several fans this week after last Sunday's now nearly officially named "Tire Fiasco de Brickyard" was that NASCAR needs to seriously look at having two or three official tire suppliers for the sport.

It seems simple enough, right? Put in the all-American thought that competition leads to improvement, and Voila!, you never have a single tire problem in NASCAR because teams will be able to select the best tire for their race car on any given weekend.

Unfortunately, this is nothing more than a classic example of what you see is not what you get.

NASCAR has been down this road before.

In the early 1990's, Hoosier Tire came into the sport as competition to Goodyear. Hoosier -- naturally an Indiana-based company -- was mildly successful in their five-year foray, winning the Daytona 500 and the pole for the 1994 Brickyard 400, in addition to a handful or so of races with Geoffrey Bodine in 1994.

The competition, though, was on the verge of getting more and more dangerous every race. The warring tire companies kept pushing the envelope of making their tires softer and softer.

Soft tires are much faster because they grip the track better, but they also wear faster and heat up quicker, leading to an increased possibility of a blown tire -- which isn't a good thing when cars are going faster and faster.

NASCAR ultimately got rid of Hoosier at the beginning of the 1995 season thanks to a policy that the sanctioning body had that required any tire supplier to have enough tires at the track to fully outfit the entire field at any given race. A requirement like that was simply not financially feasible for a smaller operation like Hoosier that was only outfitting ten or so cars per race.

As a result, Hoosier departed from the sport, unable to meet NASCAR's strict demand that some say could have been more a way for NASCAR to force Hoosier out without taking the fall for firing a tire supplier.

Today, though, the problem for major tire supplier like Firestone or even potentially an international company like Michelin coming into the sport wouldn't necessarily be matching the required tire supply, but rather the safety aspect of the tire battle.

Does NASCAR need a new tire supplier? Potentially, especially if Goodyear can't dedicate more resources to making this sport work, or if they can't be more proactive in forcing NASCAR's hand for more testing. But it certainly doesn't need competing tire suppliers.

Safety, after all, isn't something that should be compromised in the pursuit of better racing.

Multiple Tire Suppliers Just Doesn't Work originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocono Not For Sale; Open for Testing

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

Filed under: David Gilliland, Sprint Cup, NASCAR Testing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lowe's Testing Wraps; Dale Jr. Crashes

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, NASCAR Testing

The Sprint Cup Series wrapped its two-day test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway Tuesday night, and apparently Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended it with a bang.

Driver No. 88 hit the wall hard enough to prevent the damage from being repaired and further participation in the session for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. These was no word on whether Kyle Busch was involved. Grin.

Jamie McMurray paced Tuesday's finish session, but it was Dodge's Elliott Sadler taking fastest lap honors after running a lap of 186.245mph during the Monday night session.

In comparison, the pole speed for last year's Coca-Cola 600 was 185.312mph by Ryan Newman.

Teams were given a choice of six sessions -- three per day -- to test in with each team only allowed a maximum of four sessions. It appears that many teams opted not to test in the 9am-12pm session each day, as only 10 cars hit the track early on Monday and 13 on Tuesday.

I know I've said it before, but I've got to commend NASCAR on giving teams this extra test session. For the good of the sport, at least, teams are going to have a better idea on what they can throw at a race car.

Lowe's Testing Wraps; Dale Jr. Crashes originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Scores With Extra LMS Test

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:50:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, NASCAR Testing

It's not too often that NASCAR will change the course of its previously set direction, so Tuesday should be celebrated.

The sanctioning body announced today that it will indeed take up the opportunity Lowe's Motor Speedway has granted to test at the 1.5-mile track on May 5 & 6. Originally, Concord, N.C.-based LMS wasn't on the master plan for the Cup Series to have an official test at the track.

According to the presser, many drivers and teams campaigned heavily for the track time at the venue that is a virtually a hometown to every Sprint Cup team at Phoenix over the weekend:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR announced today the addition of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test session May 5-6 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. On May 5 practice times are set from 9 a.m. - 12 noon; 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.; and 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. On May 6 practice times are set from 9 a.m. - 12 noon and 1 p.m. - 5p.m. Teams may test a maximum of four of those five practice segments. NASCAR visited with the teams this past weekend at Phoenix about the possibility of adding a test to further prepare for the remaining 17 events the series has at intermediate tracks the rest of the season, including next month's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"We received input from the teams last weekend at Phoenix and a vast majority of them were receptive to adding a test next month at Lowe's," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition"

It's a step in the right direction, if nothing else, to help get teams and drivers better acquainted with the next-generation race car, and in turn, to make the racing better.

Kudos, NASCAR.

NASCAR Scores With Extra LMS Test originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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