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Kurt Busch in the Media Center
Started off with an announcement from NASCAR that Kurt will be at The Palms April 14th for a charity fundraiser at the Rain nightclub. I didn’t catch all the details but I will post it later. Kurt was talking about the racetrack at Las Vegas and how his brother Kyle has won there and he hasn’t yet. Jeff Wolf asked about Kurt’s charity fundraiser last night, Kurt says over $30,000 was raised for the Kurt Busch foundation. The highlight according to Kurt was Marty Smith’s wreck which Kurt compared to Michael McDowell’s wreck from last year. That must have hurt! Will have to go check on Twitter to see if Marty is ok.
Next question is about Danica mania, which is not a shocker. Someone asked Kurt earlier if he was racing on Saturday because Danica was and he responded that he didn’t know he had that pressure on him. That got a big chuckle from the room. He then said he loved the attention but said Danica isn’t running with the big boys yet.
Kurt did a little talking about the comparisons between him and his brother Kyle. He was quite fun of an interview.
Next up is Joey Logano
First question was what did he learn in practice, Joey said it was tight in race trim but its better now and he has a good car. Next question was about the bobsled events in the Olympics. Apparently Joey was working with them to get more speed during the off season. He said it was cool watching them on tv after knowing all the stuff they go through with the sled. Next question was about him coming back after a big crash. He talked about how he won a race after a big crash last year.
Next question was if he had talked to Greg Biffle yet since their run in last week. Joey said he hasn’t talked to Greg and it was just a racing deal that is over with now. Next question was from Jenna Fryer about if he has confidence or is he still a little nervous. He says he was all excited now that he is up to 9th in points and he is giving his crew chief better information. You can tell he is not a rookie anymore.
Next question was about the Nationwide series and the younger drivers coming up. He says the younger drivers are kind of use to the Nationwide car because it is similiar to the cars they drive on the lower circuits. It is a bigger learning curve going from Nationwide to Sprint Cup then it is from the smaller series to the Nationwide.
Danica Patrick up Next
I am wondering how long it will be before someone ask her about something other then NASCAR. I can just feel it in my bones. It is amazing to me how the media room is filling up with a lot more people. I know it’s a matter of time before someone asks. First question was about practice, she talked about how she and Tony Eury jr have been working well together. She said it is a learning process coming to a new track. She wants to finish in the top 25 this week, kind of a little goal. Next question was about driving an Indy car and a stock car this week as she is testing for the Indy car as well this week. She talked about a change in the way her steering wheel was changed this week and she moved it back.
Next question was about her not moving ahead so fast after moving up fast in her Indy car career. She spoke on the things being different between the two and it creates some false expectations. Next question was from Bob Pockrass from scenedaily.com and he asked if she went back and watched film from last weeks race. She said no because she was not that happy with the results. Between the testing for the Indy car she didn’t have the time anyway.
Next question was asked if her picturial a few years back helped her get into racing (there is the question we were waiting for). She said No and it was just her having fun. It seemed like she has answered that question quite a few times as she seemed a little annoyed with it. (I liked that she showed some emotion You Go Girl)
She went on talking about how she is being friendly to everyone she meets and likes interacting with the fans. Question was asked about the fans and Indy race fans and she said that NASCAR fans get to know there drivers a lot more because NASCAR is always on tv. Indy racing lacks that interaction. She likes the interaction that she has had with the fans so far.
Next question was about her plan for her Nationwide team since she won’t be driving for a while. She talked about how she is gonna miss the guys and looks forward to testing the car and driving again in New Hampshire. Next question was about her relationship with Dale Jr and she said she understands his deal with the media and they don’t talk much about her in the media, just about the race car stuff.
Kurt Busch Joey Logano and Danica Mania : AwesomeWreckage.com ~ Nascar Fan Forum
Following the 2008 season, Journo and myself wrote a series of posts that covered all the major teams in the Cup Series. We looked at where they had been in 2008 and where they were going in 2009. The posts contained some predictions for the 2009 season, with some being more specific then others. I thought, since 2009 is in the books, that it would be fun to go back over the posts and see how we fared with our predictions. Listed below you will find all the teams we covered, our predictions, and what actually happened. Enjoy!
Hendrick Motorsports Prediction: All four drivers will be contenders for the 2009 title. Actual:We were right, with one notable exception. Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the standings for HMS. But, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled all season and finished a disappointing 25th.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Prediction:Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya should win a few races each and both could make the Chase. The jury is still out though on Aric Almirola. Actual: He never won a race, but Montoya did make the Chase and was a factor until late; we missed on Truex though. The Bass Pro Shops team only had one top five finish all season and they finished way down in 23rd in the standings. Almirola did struggle, and ended up only running eight races before the sponsorship money dried up.
Team Red Bull Prediction:Expect Scott Speed to struggle in his rookie season, and a top 30 in points would be a victory. Brian Vickers will finish in the top 15 in points, but the Chase will still be out of reach for this team. Actual: Speed did indeed struggle, and did not qualify for three races. He ended up 35th in driver standings and 36th in owner standings. He will be on the outside looking in for 2010. Vickers did a little better then we expected, with one win and a Chase appearance.
Joe Gibbs Racing Prediction:Denny Hamlin will make the Chase, but isn’t good enough to really contend yet. Kyle Busch will continue being a force and will contend for the Cup. In his rookie season Joey Logano will finish top 25 in the points and show flashes of brilliance. Actual: We were right about Hamlin and Logano, but we missed the call on Busch’s season. Hamlin finished fifth in the final standings, but too many DNFs in the Chase killed his chances at the Cup. Logano won at Loudon and finished 20th in the standings. Busch won four races, but struggled for much of the season and missed the Chase.
Richard Childress Racing Prediction: Jeff Burton will win 1-3 races and make the Chase, but will not be a contender. Clint Bowyer will win 3-5 races and challenge for the Cup. Casey Mears will finish top 20 in points at best. Kevin Harvick will win a couple races, make the Chase, and have an outside shot at the Cup. Actual: RCR was probably our biggest missed prediction. Bowyer, Burton, Harvick and Mears finished 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st respectively. The whole organization struggled all season and didn’t win a single race.
Stewart-Haas Racing Prediction: Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will finish top 20 in points, we might see a couple wins between the two teams, but a Chase appearance and title contention are a few years away. Actual:SHR was definitely a pleasant surprise this season. Stewart won four races and finished sixth in the standings. He led the points going into the Chase, but lost his momentum and slipped down the stretch. Newman never found victory lane, but did make the Chase on his consistency and finished ninth.
Penske Racing Prediction: The whole organization will struggle with the exception of maybe Kurt Busch. Actual: Kurt Busch won two races and finished fourth in the Chase. Sam Hornish showed a little promise, but could only manage a 28th place points finish. David Stremme continued his history of lackluster performance and finished 32nd in the standings.
Gillett Evernham Motorsports/Richard Petty Motorsports Prediction: The team won’t improve much over 2008, Kahne and Allmendinger are their greatest hopes. Actual:Kahne won two races and did make the Chase, finishing 10th, but that was the bulk of their success. Allmendinger, Reed Sorenson, and Elliott Sadler all failed to finish inside the top 20 in points.
Roush Fenway Racing Prediction: Carl Edwards will be dominant and could be the leading contender for the championship. Matt Kenseth will win 1-2 races and make the Chase. Greg Biffle will also win a race or two and make the Chase, but will not be a serious contender for the title. David Ragan and Jamie McMurray should improve over 2008 but neither will contend or make the Chase. Actual: Edwards was a miss, as he failed to win a race and was never really a factor in the Chase. Kenseth did win two races, but just missed making the Chase. Biffle also went winless, but did make the Chase, finishing seventh. Ragan and McMurray had disappointing seasons, but McMurray did find victory lane at Talladega.
Yates Racing Prediction: Travis Kvapil and Paul Menard will continue to struggle. Bobby Labonte could surprise, but past history doesn’t bode well for him. Actual: Kvapil ended up only running the first five races before his team was shut down due to lack of funding. Menard didn’t earn a top five or top ten all season and finished 31st in the points. Labonte did manage one top five finish, but ended up 30th in the driver standings and was replaced in the #96 late in the season by Erik Darnell.
Michael Waltrip Racing Prediction: David Reutimann should continue to improve, but expect Michael Waltrip to hang up his driving gloves after 2009. Actual: Reutimann did indeed improve in 2009, and collected a win, five top five, and ten top ten finishes. His team nearly made the Chase, but they faded late in the season and finished 16th in the standings. Waltrip’s struggles continued and a 33rd place points finish will see him run only a part time schedule in 2010.
Robby Gordon Motorsports Prediction: Expect more of the same from Robby Gordon, a good finish here and there is the best he’ll do. Actual: Gordon struggled most of the season, and only mustered a 34th place points finish. He did finish third in the rain shortened Coke 600 though.
Filed under: Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup
FanHouse Trackside at the Banking 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Greg Biffle, Sprint Cup, Joey Logano
Logano Races to Heated Victory as Father's Credential Pulled originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
I’ve taken a little grief from the readers regarding my post from last week about Joey Logano needing a short memory after wrecking big at Dover. Some of you thought I was reading too much into his post wreck comments (to be honest, Journo thought I was too), and that you thought he would be fine. And now that Logano has raced, and won, I’ve had a few more folks call me out over the post.
I think it’s funny that I’m catching some flack over the post, because I never said Logano wasn’t going to get it done. I never even said I thought he was afraid, or that it was going to affect him. All I said was that it worried me that he admitted some fear, because fear will paralyze a driver. And I also said that he he was going to need a short memory and be able to move past it.
And guess what?
He did just that.
On Saturday in Kansas, Logano made a dramatic closing laps pass to get by his teammate Kyle Busch and score the Nationwide Series win. He didn’t fare as well on Sunday, finishing 28th in the Cup race, but he didn’t seem to show any ill effects from the tumble he took the week before. I even heard that he told reporters that the Dover crash made him more confident in the cars he is climbing into every week.
Moving forward, I think it’s big for Logano’s confidence that he was able to climb back into his car and prevail. He showed that he still has that fearless mindset that teams look for in young drivers, and the ability to bounce back from a little adversity. Chalk this one up as another learning experience for Logano in his rookie season.
Kudos to you Joey Logano.
…nothing other than they’re all in my weekend notes (lame I know).
Saturday was a good day to be 19. Well a good day to be 19 if you happened to drive in the Nationwide Series.
In his first career NASCAR appearance on Saturday, 19-year-old Parker Kligerman scored his first career pole. Then 19-year-old Joey Logano went on to win the race, battling his teammate Kyle Busch down to the wire.
Back to Kligerman though. The kid looked impressive. Starting next to veteran Kyle Busch, Kligerman was able to keep the lead for seven laps and even bested Busch on the start. The team battled some handling issues throughout the race, but Kligerman was able to finish a respectable 16th.
While I know Kligerman wasn’t happy with the finish, a pole and 16th place finish in his first ever major NASCAR event is not anything to sneeze at. Look for Kligerman back in the car at Homestead.
Oh and don’t forget Kligerman’s locked in a championship battle in the ARCA series with Justin Lofton. That wraps up this weekend at Rockingham.
Tony Stewart Back In Victory Lane
There were some that thought Jimmie Johnson would take his momentum from last week and begin his championship charge at Kansas. I thought there was a good chance.
In the interest of a compelling championship race though it was good to see Tony Stewart pull out the win.
There is now just more than 100 points separating first from seventh.
The Hendrick cars definitely look good as they have in years past but don’t count out the Penske, EGR or Gibbs cars. They’ve all been running very consistently and one win from any of them could change the tide.
I know a lot of you are critics of the Chase, but it makes the racing more exciting and the mistakes more devastating.
I’m looking very much forward to the coming weeks.
Nelson Piquet Jr.? In the Truck Series?
He wouldn’t be our first F1 convert; but he would be the first with a cloud over his head.
Soon after being released from his Renault team earlier this year, it came to light Piquet wrecked himself at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix so his teammate Fernando Alonso could win.
The scandal, better known as ‘crash-gate,’ has brought a ban and a suspension for two Renault F1 officials. Piquet won’t face any sanctions, but likely won’t be able to live down the stigma associated with the scandal.
I suppose he figures NASCAR fans haven’t caught wind of the firestorm. He may or may not be right.
Whatever the case SPEED is reporting Piquet will test in a Red Horse Racing truck on October 12th with “an eye towards a future in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series with in two years.”
It’ll be interesting to see how he performs.
Hendrick’s (Almost) Failed Inspection
Talk about a bad deal. Hendrick got busted for not breaking the rules?
While they passed post race inspection, the bodies on both the #5 and #48 were so close to being outside the tolerance they were warned by the sanctioning body not to cut it so close.
With the black helicopters circling above and the scent of the Carl Long affair still hanging in the air (remember this was a body not the motor), many loyal conspiracy theorists are coming out of the woodwork. Hendrick paid off NASCAR (I’m sure, I said sarcastically).
The fact is they didn’t break the rules, NASCAR sent it’s message and the crew chiefs were doing what they were supposed to. Working in those gray areas is what those guys get paid to do and if you’re not pushing it, you’re not doing your job.
Filed under: Nationwide Series
Logano Bests Busch for Fifth Career Nationwide Series Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
While doing my usual internet trolling tonight, I came across Tom Bowles’ weekly “Did You Notice” piece over at The Frontstretch. In it, he talks about Joey Logano’s reaction to his wild wreck this past weekend at Dover. If you haven’t seen Logano’s wreck, click here. Bowles quotes Logano as saying:
“It just really scared the heck out of me. I’m not sure I want to see a replay. It started rolling and I was in there like, ‘Damn, please make this thing stop.’ And it wouldn’t. It just kept going and going. It just startled me.”
The main point made by Bowles is that drivers are losing some of the killer instinct made famous by some of the NASCAR greats. I see his point, but what immediately jumps out at me is his admitted fear. It worries me that Logano said it, and I’m interested to see if Logano lets this affect him down the road.
I wrote a post about a year ago about drivers and fear (see it here), and Logano’s comments brought me right back to it. If they want to have any level of success in racing, a driver has to be absolutely fearless. And on top of that, they need to have a short memory. Remembering a previous wreck while taking to the track will only slow a driver down.
Don’t know what I mean by fearless? How about Rusty Wallace’s horrible crash at Daytona in 1993. He tumbled countless times down the backstretch and ended up coming to rest in a destroyed race car. He followed that up by winning the next race at Rockingham, and then added nine more victories before that season ended. And all this was well before the introduction of the modern, safer COT.
When Logano hits the track this weekend in Kansas, he needs to have forgotten that Dover ever happened. His young career will be over very quickly if he harbors this fear of wrecking and holds back. I don’t want to name any drivers here, but too many have let a bad wreck ruin what was a promising career.
NASCAR is a dangerous sport. If a driver cannot handle that, and be able to wreck and keep digging, then he needs to find something else to do. Here’s to hoping Logano pulls a reverse Jimmy Spencer and forgets everything.