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Could Turner Be The Next Big Team?
Dec 20th, 2010 by T.C.

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There was a great piece done recently by Scene Daily’s Bob Pockrass about the Nationwide Series’ newest owner, Steve Turner.  (We’ve also written previously about Turner.)  Towards the end of 2010, Turner became the largest independent owner when he expanded his Truck Series operation to include four NNS teams that he acquired when he purchased Braun Racing.  The SD piece and Turner’s recent dealings have me wondering if Turner Motorsports could be on track to being the next major NASCAR team.

Think about what Turner now has in place with his organization.  He’s got several solid sponsorship deals (Great Clips, Dollar General, Monster Energy, ABF Freight, Brandt, and others), a stable of young and talented drivers (James Buescher, Brad Sweet, Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson), and plenty of good equipment.  With the base Turner has built (and bought), it’s not hard to see the team possibly making the jump to Cup competition in the near future.

Of the drivers he has now, two already have Cup experience (Leffler and Sorenson), and if Allgaier continues to improve, there is no doubt that he could be a solid driver to build a Cup program with.  Obviously funding would need to be secured, but remember that the new NNS COT isn’t much different then a Cup COT.  And with their new relationships with equipment suppliers, a Cup team wouldn’t be a big leap.

I also want to point out the difference between Turner and some of the other new owners we’ve seen come into NASCAR recently.  Remember that Turner has been doing this for a while.  He didn’t come in with big pockets and immediately buy into a Cup operation.  He started small and has owned teams in many lower racing series before moving into the NASCAR big leagues.  He has a better idea than most what it takes to survive.  And it appears he has the acumen and the resources to make it all work.

At this point, I’m sure Turner and his management team are focused on making the teams they have now successful.  It will certainly be a challenge meshing his CWTS operation with what was Braun’s NNS operation and making it work.  But if they are able, I don’t think it’s crazy to think that Turner could be on pace to be the next Joe Gibbs, Richard Childress, or Jack Roush.

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Danica Patrick Warns NASCAR Drivers She’s No Pushover
Oct 14th, 2010 by Holly Cain

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CONCORD, N.C. -- A week ago, Danica Patrick was wrecked while in the midst of what would have been her best NASCAR finish -- an unnecessary victim of bullying as far as she was concerned.

So this week, Patrick warned the guilty party, fellow rookie James Buescher, that he better not push the issue in Friday night's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"I think it's pretty safe to say I'm not going to make it my mission to take him out because I don't want to do anything to take away from my race,'' said Patrick, who will be making her ninth start in Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

"But if he, in any way, starts to act up out there, yeah, I'm going to do something about it.''

"I hope that he thinks about what he did last weekend. If he plays well with others then you know we'll be able to carry on. But if he doesn't, there's going to be a need for something to happen because you can't get pushed around out there. You can't.''

Patrick was referring to an accident with nine laps remaining in last Saturday's race in Fontana, Calif., when she was on pace for her first top-15 finish. While running 14th in a tight pack of cars she was hit from behind by Buescher, ending her day while he went on and finished 17th.

 

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Danica Patrick Crashes Late, Kyle Busch Wins Nationwide Series Race
Oct 10th, 2010 by A.J. Perez

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Kyle BuschFONTANA , Calif. -- Danica Patrick was kept from her best career finish in the Nationwide Series by what her crew chief described as a "blatant" retaliatory collision late in the CampingWorld.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday.

As Kyle Busch crossed the finish line for his record 12th victory of the season, Patrick's mangled No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet sat in the garage. Busch finished 1.034 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who extended his points lead to 384 points with the second-place finish. Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.

Patrick, who finished 30th, hinted her collision with James Buescher that collected two other cars with eight laps left may not have been by chance. She had raced as high as 10th and was in 13th at the time of the wreck, primed to finish on the lead lap for the first time and best her highest career finish through her first seven starts, 24th, in the Nationwide Series.

 

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Catch Cans, Turner Motorsports, & Marc Davis
Sep 14th, 2010 by T.C.

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Even though the NASCAR Silly Season has quieted down some, there are still plenty of rumors floating around.  Here are a few of the bits we’ve heard over the last week or so.

Catch Can Man
Back in April we told you that NASCAR was considering eliminating the catch can man for both the Nationwide and Cup Series just like they did for the Truck Series for the 2010 season.  For the CWTS, NASCAR implemented a new style gas can that self vented and didn’t require the use of a catch can.  We are hearing now that NASCAR has scrapped the idea for the Cup Series, but that they will implement this rule for the NNS for the 2011 season.  We are not yet clear on whether this means NASCAR will also allow less than seven crew members over the wall, because we have heard that may not change.  What it does do is scrap the catch can position and will probably slow down pit stop times.

More on the new Turner Motorsports
We reported a little over a week ago via Twitter that we’d heard the Braun Racing sale to Steve Turner was a done deal.  Journo even included that info in his recent post about Mr. Turner.  More details are emerging about the deal and what this new Turner Motorsports will most likely be.  First, we’ve heard that the team will still probably run 3-4 Nationwide cars next season, and that they may expand their Truck Series program to three teams.    We’ve also heard that the team will utilize Chevrolet equipment, and that the current fleet of Braun Toyotas will be switched over.  Look for James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson, and Brian Scott to all continue driving for the team, with the rest of the seats still up in the air.

Marc Davis returns at Dover
After a failed attempt to get back on track earlier in the season at Las Vegas, we are hearing that R3 Motorsports has reached a deal to run Marc Davis in their #23 Nationwide car at Dover.  It will be Davis’ first NASCAR start since Homestead at the end of 2009 and his first NNS start since June of ’09.  Davis will be the fifth different driver for R3 this season, with Robert Richardson Jr, Alex Kennedy, Coleman Pressley, and Johnny Sauter having shared the ride.  Expect an announcement from the team this week.

Like we always do here at TNI, we will keep you posted if we hear more as these stories develop.

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Mr. Turner Comes To NASCAR
Sep 7th, 2010 by Journo

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In all fairness to Steve Turner, he’s been here for a while. But as an owner he’s relatively new to the game – and it sounds like he could soon be one of the biggest independents in the sport.

FoxSports first reported on Saturday about the possible sale of Braun Racing to Turner. We are hearing, barring any last minute issues, it’s a done deal. It’s been common knowledge around the sport for some time that Todd Braun is/was willing to entertain offers.

So far this season Turner has been linked to at least two other teams – Phoenix Racing and Randy Moss Motorsports – in his quest to expand from his existing two truck operation.

What Turner would get in the acquisition of Braun is equipment, and perhaps most importantly, several lucrative sponsorship deals – add those to his existing deal with Ricky Carmichael and Monster Energy Drink.

Turner, if you’re not familiar, is the president and COO of Texas-based RedHawk Energy, an oilfield services company. He joined that organization after the sale of his own Xxtreme Group (another oilfield services company) to RedHawk late last year.

Throughout racing circles, Turner has been a familiar name for some time as the benefactor of young NASCAR driver James Buescher (Buescher dates Turner’s daughter Kris).

He formed Turner Motorsports last season, running select Truck Series races with Ricky Carmichael and Scott Wimmer. Carmichael has run the full truck schedule this year, and Buescher has been in all but a few races in a second truck. As an owner, Turner has already collected six top-fives and 11 top-10s.

Though many around NASCAR are once bitten, twice shy with new team owners (see Alex Meshkin and Bobby Ginn), I think Turner could prove formidable. While he may be moving a little fast (I’m personally a fan of the Kevin Harvick, KHI model) he appears to have some wealth and a solid business background, and he understands the cost of racing (only 1 of 2 Turner Motorsports Trucks is funded – Wolfpack Rentals is a RedHawk company) – something Meshkin and Ginn had absolutely no conception of.

We’ll see how everything turns out, but Steve Turner is definitely someone to keep an eye on. He’s shown over the past several months a strong desire to become a player in NASCAR – with the right resources and right moves he could be there very soon.

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Jason Leffler Latest to Test NASCAR’s “Have at it, Boys” Mandate
Apr 6th, 2010 by Geoffrey Miller

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As the latest driver to test NASCAR's much-publicized "Have at it, boys" policy, Nationwide driver Jason Leffler found out Tuesday what the sanctioning body's follow-up punishment is: a three-race probation period.

Staying consistent, NASCAR levied the same mild rebuke to Leffler for wrecking James Buescher in Saturday's Nationwide race at Nashville Superspeedway that it did to Carl Edwards for intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski in what turned out to be a far more serious incident at in the Sprint Cup race at Atlanta in March.

Assuming he doesn't get into more trouble, Leffler's probation will run until April 28 and will cover this weekend's race at Phoenix as well as the events at Texas and Talladega.

In the Nashville race, won by Kevin Harvick, Leffler came back out bent on revenge against Buescher after an earlier encounter between the two put him in the wall. In the first incident, on lap 43, Buescher's No. 1 slipped up the race track in turns one and two, making contact with Leffler's black No. 38. Leffler spun and backed hard into the outside wall, effectively ending his day. But the repairs made by his crew got him back in the race -- albeit many laps down.

 

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Payback For Accidental Contact Not Cool
Apr 5th, 2010 by Journo

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Two incidents, two very similar stories. Two drivers enter a turn, two wide. The one on the bottom slips up and wrecks the one on top. The one who was wrecked has his car repaired and returns to track. He goes out and wrecks the one who wrecked him. One incident ends with a car on its top, the other ends with a car in flames.

Less than two months into the season and driver payback is quickly becoming the story of the year. This weekend at Nashville, we got our second taste of on-track payback in an incident between Jason Leffler and James Buescher.

These incidents have got you guys talking. Following the race a reader sent us a question. He asked:

“Do you think the time will come when some of the drivers get the message that “It was just a racing incident” won’t work and if you get loose it is your fault?”

Is that a message that needs to be sent?

The fact is the impetus for the payback on both occasions occurred because of accidental contact. No one means for these things to happen, and more often than not drivers are more than willing to take responsibility. Unfortunately we seem to be coming to a point where this type of incident is grounds for payback.

In the case of Carl Edwards I’ll give him a bit more credit because of the history between he and Brad K. That said, the contact in that case and the most recent one is not excusable.

I don’t think payback is deserved or OK when the contact occurs accidentally (I think it should be used sparingly in any case). These things happen during the course of a race; there are 43 cars moving at high speeds on a tightly packed racetrack. It happens. Jason Leffler’s and Carl Edwards’ careers are not free of contact that was unintended. I can’t recall their cars being destroyed by an angry competitor though.

At the end of the day all of these guys are adults and they need to start acting like it. It sucks to get wrecked. It sucks when you’re the victim of an inexperienced or over-eager fellow competitor’s mistake. But as I’ve already said, this is racing, it happens. The sooner these guys grow-up the safer everyone will be.

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Can A Non Cup Driver Challenge for the Nationwide Title?
Mar 9th, 2010 by T.C.

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Now that Danica is taking a NASCAR hiatus for a few months, can we please get back to talking about the actual competition in the Nationwide Series?

Three races into the season, the top ten in NNS points could be mistaken for the top ten in the Cup Series.  Seven of the top ten are Cup drivers, with only Justin Allgaier, Steve Wallace, and Scott Riggs representing the NNS only crowd.

Of the three, Allgaier looks to be strongest challenger to unseat a likely Cup-driving champion.  In three starts this season, he has one top five and three top ten finishes.  At Las Vegas, Allgaier looked to be a contender for the win before fading late and finishing seventh.  He certainly has the backing and the team to get it done, and the knowledge and experience from a solid rookie campaign could push him over the top.

There are also several intriguing new-comers to the series who could surprise and break through for wins.  James Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, Colin Braun, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all could have a say before the season is over.  They all have the necessary talent and are all driving in equipment that has won in the recent past.  Three races in, Buescher, Bayne, and Scott are all inside the top 20 in points, while Braun and Stenhouse have struggled and will have to dig themselves out of a hole.

Of the three Nationwide only drivers in the top ten, I think the most interesting story is that of Scott Riggs.  He was tabbed to pilot the #09 Ford for RAB Racing only a few short weeks before Daytona.  Riggs filled the seat that was vacated when John Wes Townley left the team and took his family sponsor to Richard Childress Racing.  The RAB team is running without a major sponsor, yet has still found a way to be competitive against fully funded, Cup backed teams.  With a little help, this team could be a factor.

It seems unlikely that, with so many Cup drivers in every race, a young driver like Allgaier will be celebrating at Homestead.  Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, and Paul Menard are all planning on running the full slate of Nationwide Series races.  But like they say, that’s why we run the races.

Big TV Ratings Upcoming for ARCA Opener?
Feb 1st, 2010 by T.C.

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The 2010 racing season is officially upon us!  The Rolex 24 at Daytona kicked it off Saturday, and haulers carrying stock cars will roll into DIS this week.  Daytona 500 qualifying and the Budweiser Shootout headline a busy upcoming weekend.  Along with the NASCAR events, the ARCA Series will open it’s season with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday afternoon.  And with the names that are on the entry list for the ARCA race, SPEED may be in for record breaking ratings.

The most notable of those names on the entry list for the ARCA opener is of course, Danica Patrick.  She will be making her much anticipated stock car debut under the watchful eye of Tony Eury Jr. and her new JR Motorsports team.  A lot will be riding on her performance in the race, as a successful outing could lead to her being approved for the Nationwide Series race at Daytona in two weeks.  NASCAR won’t be the only one watching her on Saturday though, as I’d imagine many race fans will tune in to see if the hype is really justified.

Besides Patrick, this may be one of the more interesting entry lists we’ve ever seen for a Daytona ARCA race.  There are no less then six women drivers attempting the race including Patrick, Milka Duno, Alli Owens, Leilani Munter, Amber Cope, and Jennifer Jo Cobb.  There is also a former Formula One driver attempting his first stock car race in the person of Nelson Piquet Jr.

The race will also feature the usual bevy of young, up and coming development drivers like Dakoda Armstrong and James Buescher, along with a mix of series veterans including Frank Kimmel and Bill Baird.

In the past, the ARCA race at Daytona has proven to be wildly unpredictable because of the inexperience of many of those competing.  There are very few opportunities to run at tracks like Daytona, and many drivers log their first ever restrictor plate track time during this event. 

Besides the problems with inexperience, drivers in this race sometimes have a tendency to drive over their heads in the hopes they can run well and impress the NASCAR team brass that will be in attendance.  A solid performance here could lead to an opportunity to move up, or attract new sponsorship.

This combination of inexperience and over-driving has often led to dramatic wrecks, crazy finishes, and angry drivers.  Something tells me this edition will be no different.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona gets underway on Saturday afternoon at 4:30PM EST on SPEED.  My only question for you is, will you be watching?

A Possible Miccosukee Exit and Finally Some Racing at Daytona
Jan 29th, 2010 by Journo

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The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter reported earlier in the week about the potential exit of Miccosukee from NASCAR. The Florida Indian Tribe was set to sponsor a truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Nationwide and Cup Series teams for Phoenix Racing.

For Kyle Busch Motorsports, the potential move by the tribe would certainly cause headaches. In their first year of NASCAR competition having a sponsor pull out this close to the start of the season is nothing short of irritating. That said they can sustain and have said they will run the season regardless of what the tribe decides to do.

For the other team caught in what could be a bad situation, things are a little more dire.

Miccosukee entered NASCAR with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing and Geoff Bodine in 2002. In recent years the tribe’s sponsorship has been vital to Phoenix’s operation.

With that sponsorship and hard work they managed to have a good 2009. Through several drivers they performed pretty well in the Nationwide Series, including a win at Charlotte, and they scored their first and only Cup win and some solid finishes with Brad Keselowski.

In 2010 the team is planning to run the #09 Cup car with Aric Almirola and a full-time Nationwide schedule with James Buescher. Those plans though are now likely in flux.

For James Finch and Phoenix Racing, and for that matter Aric Almirola and James Buescher, this really is very unfortunate should it come to fruition. Sure Finch has done some starting and parking in the Cup Series, but when he’s been able to, the teams have run.

As with most things, money makes the world go round. That’s especially true in NASCAR. While there is a chance if funding falls through the teams will continue (I suspect Buescher may continue), this puts them at a severe disadvantage with little time to find a replacement.

Hopefully for the sake of Phoenix Racing and all of its employees and drivers everything works out.

Rolex 24 at Daytona

We’re still about a week away from NASCAR taking the track at Daytona, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see racing sooner. The 24 Hours at Daytona starts Saturday and I know I for one can’t wait.

The 24 hour sports car race features drivers from a wide spectrum of the North American racing community. Drivers like Dario Franchitti, AJ Allmendinger, Max Angelelli, and of course Jimmie Johnson among many others will compete head-to-head in the endurance race.

Despite a field that normally spreads out pretty far, last season the event had it’s closest ever finish with the #68 Brumos Porsche team just edging out the #01 Ganassi team. Not far behind on the same lap was the other Brumos Porsche team and the Suntrust Racing team. Not too bad after 24 hours.

This year will be interesting. The Suntrust Team of Angelelli / Lamy / Taylor / Taylor are on the pole with the Michael Shank and Ganassi teams in the next four positions. Ganassi will definitely be a wild card after switching to BMW in the off-season. Check out full qualifying results here.

The racing kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Speed and continues beginning at 7 a.m. on Speed Sunday. Check it out!

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