Nascar Race News!» jeff gordon

A Window On The Reality Of NASCAR

Journo — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:00:16 +0000

Superspeedway racing tends to bring out the worst in everyone and this weekend in Talladega was no different. We had accusations of team orders, then subsequent denials, crew chiefs telling drivers to wreck on purpose, blatant cheating and complaints from everyone on track about the driving. There has been shock and outrage from the NASCAR [...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Draft With Who Brought You

Journo — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:00:08 +0000

Ford and Jack Roush made waves this weekend after word seeped out of the camp that the teams were directed to draft exclusively with their manufacturing counterparts. With two Roush Fords in serious contention for the championship it wasn’t a surprising edict – especially not from Jack Roush. At the end of the race we [...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Assessing The Hendrick Crew Chief Swap (So Far)

Journo — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:33:24 +0000

[...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Welcome to Victory Lane Jeff Gordon

Vinny — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 01:46:30 +0000

After a weekend that was totally dominated by Kyle Busch it was Jeff Gordon that was the winner of Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Phoenix. The #24 “Drive to End Hunger” Chevrolet ran very good all day and it was no surprise when he came to the front at the end. This win breaks Jeff’s [...]

Welcome to Victory Lane Jeff Gordon is a post from: Awesome Race Fans

Jeff Gordon Breaks 66-Race Winless Streak at Phoenix

Bob Zeller — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Jeff Gordon fought back from a late slip to pass Kyle Busch with eight laps to go to win the Subway 500 at Phoenix International Raceway and end a victory lane drought that lasted almost two years.

Gordon dominated the last half of the race and led 138 of the 312 laps-- the most of anyone -- but a slow exit on the final pit stop cost him the lead to Busch. But Gordon had the faster car, and he relentlessly tracked down Busch, taking the lead coming out of the fourth turn and down the frontstretch with just a few miles to go.

It was Gordon's first victory in 66 races -- almost two years -- and it breaks the longest streak of futility in a storied career that features four Sprint Cup championships. . And it came in only his second race with a new crew chief, Alan Gustafson, after team owner Rick Hendrick decided to shake up the driver-crew chief combinations during the off-season.

With a yelp of delight we haven't heard in months, Gordon gave a ya-hoo and shouted, "You guys are awesome!" as he took the checkered flag.

"Welcome back, welcome back," said Gustafson. "Awesome job."

Moments later, Hendrick got on the radio with his own congratulations.

"Thanks so much, boss," Gordon replied. "Thank you sooo much for this opportunity. I'm loving these guys."

The race was slowed by eight yellow flags, especially toward the beginning of the race, including one for a multi-car crash that took out pole winner Carl Edwards and a number of other good cars.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Daytona 500 Winner Trevor Bayne Living a Dream at 20

Holly Cain — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Flashing his dimples, and looking even younger than his 20 years, Trevor Bayne grinned broadly, laughed and fidgeted as he conducted his first news conference as the youngest Daytona 500 winner in history.

One day after celebrating his 20th birthday Bayne drove the legendary No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to victory Sunday in NASCAR's biggest race -- sharing the honor with the team's previous Daytona 500 winning drivers, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Tiny Lund and David Pearson. Bayne wasn't even born when Pearson claimed the Wood Brothers' last Daytona 500 trophy in 1976.

Explaining how grateful he was for the opportunity, thankful for his good fortune and appreciative of his team's efforts, the good-looking, well-spoken Bayne sounded as mature and poised behind the microphone as he was behind the steering wheel in holding off three series champions and a handful of other veterans on the last two laps of Sunday's race.

The Knoxville, Tenn., native's biggest smile, however, seemed to come when he found out that his Twitter account expanded from 6,000 followers to 16,000 by the end of the race. And, he modestly conceded, he was going to need a friend to drive his Ford truck home. Seems that while most of Bayne's competitors flew in private jets to the race, he drove his Ford F150 pickup truck from Tennessee to Florida.

More Coverage: Late Wreck Ends Earnhardt Jr.'s Run | View Race Photos

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

3-D Photo Gallery From Daytona International Speedway

FanHouse Staff — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:02:00 +0000

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Reed Sorenson, Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Fans, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Here's a 3-D photo gallery from Speedweeks here at Daytona International Speedway, as well as several photos from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour in January.

To see these photos in 3-D, use common red-cyan 3-D glasses. Remember, left eye red.

Except as noted, all 3-D photos were taken by FanHouse motorsports editor Bob Zeller using a Fuji W3 3-D camera.

Jeff Gordon answers questions from fans in a live chat with FanHouse senior motorsports writer Holly Cain from the media center at Daytona on Friday afternoon.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Pole Position for Daytona 500

Holly Cain — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The roar from the Daytona International Speedway crowd confirmed it. On a brisk but sunny afternoon, all seemed right with NASCAR nation. Let the 2011 season begin.

The sport's favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start his No. 88 AMP Energy Chevrolet from the pole position for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500 after posting the fastest lap of qualifying (186.089 mph) Sunday on the newly-paved 2.5-mile track. It is Earnhardt's first superspeedway pole and comes 10 years after his father, the legendary seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500 -- a fact not lost on a largely sentimental crowd cheering him on Sunday.

Earnhardt's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon completes the other half of one of the most popular starting front rows in recent 500 memory. Rookie Trevor Bayne was a surprise third-place qualifier for the iconic Woods Brothers Racing team. Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five fastest speeds.

Only the front row is set for the race. The remaining portion of the 43-car field will be filled out according to the finishing order in Thursday's Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races. Each of the Duels starting lineups will be assigned according to the qualifying results.

The last driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole was Dale Jarrett in 2000.

"We're fired up,'' said Earnhardt, who started second and finished second in last year's 500. "I had a great car today. I didn't have a whole lot to do about it (winning the pole), just held on. The power and the body does all the work.

"It obviously gives you the idea you've got a great car. But anybody can win the race. The main thing for me is it takes the pressure off the (Gatorade Duel) qualifier, I don't have to worry about where I finish and I can just go out there and have fun.''

As for the timing of his first pole at the track coming on the 10-mark of his father's tragic death, Earnhardt deferred the irony.

"I'm here to race,'' Earnhardt said. "I understand the situation and I look forward to seeing how people remember and honor my father. But I don't really get into the hypothetical, fairy-tale ending stuff. I just need to focus on my job and what gets me closer to victory lane on Sunday.''

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

New Book Tackles NASCAR’s Greatest Debates

Jerry Bonkowski — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Petty Enterprises, Sprint Cup, FanHouse Exclusive, NASCAR

EDITORS NOTE: When you start talking about Richard Petty's rightful place in NASCAR history vs. Dale Earnhardt vs. Jeff Gordon, you're going to get in an argument.

In his first book, Trading Paint: 101 Great NASCAR Debates, recently published by John Wiley & Sons Inc., motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski tackles these questions and provides his unique viewpoint. Prior to joining FanHouse over a year ago as an editor, Jerry Bonkowski was National NASCAR Columnist for Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.com and wrote for USA Today.

Here are several excerpts from Bonkowski's book, which is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other book stores, as well as online at Amazon.com.

WHO'S THE GREATEST NASCAR DRIVER EVER?

This debate always gets passionate fans going, with typically mild-mannered individuals turning into raving, obsessed fanatics if someone dares to challenge the superiority of the guy they so proudly call "their" driver. Think of a 140-pound, Woody Allen-looking dweeb who lives and breathes Kasey Kahne suddenly getting a surge of testosterone, puffing out his chest while forgetting common sense, and stupidly trying to take on a hulking, 300-pound redneck who takes great offense if you say anything bad about Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Then watch the punched-out Woody Allen-esque fan suddenly wind up doing a frightening, almost cartoonlike barrel roll through the air like the great Rusty Wallace did more than a few times during his career at places like Talladega Superspeedway.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jeff Burton Ready to Move on Following Shoving Match with Jeff Gordon

Holly Cain — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Filed under: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR Fights, NASCAR

Yes. Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon have spoken since their well-documented and much-replayed shoving match in the middle of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

And according to Burton, who participated in a national NASCAR teleconference Tuesday, "We ended up laughing a little bit about some of the things that were said and some of the things that were done. Jeff and I are moving forward.''

It's not an unexpected outcome or public face for two of NASCAR's most-respected, more typically mild-mannered competitors. What was stunning to see the four-time champ Gordon climb out of his wrecked car, walk across the track and make a determined beeline for Burton. Gordon pushed Burton hard in the chest and the two engaged in a G-rated version of the famous Allison brothers vs. Cale Yarborough Daytona brawl before NASCAR officials could separate them.

"I didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but I knew he wasn't coming over there to shake my hand,'' Burton said. "He was mad and and he meant for me to know about it.. ... I knew something was coming.''

Something that likely won't be forthcoming are further penalties from NASCAR, according to the veteran.

"What you saw on TV was the only time that NASCAR officials have ever had to be involved in anything,'' Burton said."I thought the officials that were out there, they handled it really well. They're big guys. They could have controlled us two that's for sure.''

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments