By winning at Michigan Denny Hamlin became the 10th different winner of the season. His hard fought victory over Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and his own teammate, Kyle Busch, added to what’s been a thrilling season marked by a diverse cast of characters.
Adding to that cast Sunday were Paul Menard and Landon Cassill.
In his fifth full Cup Series season and first at Richard Childress Racing, Menard has been an aberration. Through 15 races he’s scored three top-fives, four top-10s and he sits 16th in the points. Compare that to two top-fives and seven top-tens in the four full seasons prior. The cherry on top, so far this season, is a fourth place finish on Sunday- a solid weekend bookend to his fourth place finish in the Nationwide race on Saturday.
Menard, who struggled through the end at DEI and went through the turmoil of Yates and RPM last season, is in the first truly stable ride of his career and so far it looks like he’s making the most of it.
For Cassill, who has yet to have a full season ride somewhere, Sunday was a bright spot. In the last couple of years he has fought to just have a seat – often times that’s meant starting and parking for some of the sport’s bottom of the barrel teams.
This season, James Finch has let Cassill actually finish races and while there hasn’t been a ton to write home about, it hasn’t been all bad. Sunday, for instance, Cassill out drove teams much better funded than his for an impressive 12th place finish.
For Cassill, these opportunities provide him a stage to showcase his talent and hopefully get noticed by a better funded organization.
With good finishes from Menard and Cassill, our 10th different winner of the season and possible penalties on the horizon for Joe Gibbs Racing, feel free to use this as your Michigan sound off post.
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In the current climate of funded drivers and retreating sponsorship dollars, it’s very uncommon for a young driver without his own money to get a second chance. What we are seeing with Aric Almirola though, goes against all of that. JR Motorsports announced on Wednesday that Almirola had signed a multi-year agreement to drive the team’s #88 car in the Nationwide Series.
After getting high profile gigs at Joe Gibbs Racing, Ginn Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and finally Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, it appeared Almirola had washed out. Once at EGR, his #8 team was shut down only seven races into the 2009 season due to lack of funding. Through those seven races however, Almirola hadn’t exactly set the world on fire. His average finish was 32.8 and his best finish was a 21st at Atlanta. Before that, Almirola was best known for his Nationwide Series “win” at Milwaukee in which he started the race, but was pulled part way through and replaced by Denny Hamlin who went on to score the victory.
After leaving EGR in 2009, Almirola spent the rest of the season making sporadic starts for Phoenix Racing, Key Motorsports, Smith Ganassi Racing, and Billy Ballew Motorsports across all three major NASCAR series. He was one of a small group of drivers who turned to some of the lower seriesto advance his career and get more experience. And as it turned out, the 16 starts Almirola made for Billy Ballew in which he led 98 laps and had six top five finishes, would turn into a full time Truck Series ride for the 2010 season.
Fast forward to this season, Almirola has two Truck Series wins and sits second in the Truck Series points. His strong CWTS runs led to him being the backup driver for both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon while they were on baby watch, plus he was given the chance to run JRM’s #88 at ORP. Almirola didn’t disappoint there either, finishing third behind Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. All of this led up to JRM signing Almirola for the 2011 season and beyond.
Before this deal came about, we’d heard (along with others) that Almirola was a candidate for some Cup organizations, including Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola even admitted to ESPN that he’d been offered Cup deals (see the link above). With that said, I think it’s interesting that he decided to take the Nationwide deal with JRM. It would seem that in a situation like Almirola’s, especially with his stock being high, that he would have wanted to capitalize fully and take a Cup deal. Instead, he will continue to have to prove himself and his ability in the NNS with JRM.
If Almirola continues to progress, and has continued success in the future, this should help serve as a lesson to owners about driver development. Instead of rushing these kids along, and giving them a season or two to prove themselves, why not keep them in lower series longer? Let them develop their skills, then bring them along slowly. Almirola is extremely lucky that he’s been given the chances to show that he can improve, and hopefully he will parlay those chances into more success on the track.
It will be a weekend full of left AND right turns as both the Cup and Nationwide Series will both take to road courses. The Cup cars are at Infineon Raceway in California and the NNS boys are at Road America in Wisconsin. While we wait for the racing to get here, we’ve got more questions and answers. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Tony:
Guys – I know the S&P questions probably get as annoying as the practice itself, but here’s another. Earlier in the year, NASCAR implemented a rule that the first car out of the race for non-accident reason would have their engine taken and torn down. The portrayal I saw in the media was that this would be very expensive for these teams. Do you know how much this costs the team and if NASCAR is still doing this? If yes, what are your thoughts on the impact to S&Ps?
I believe the cost to rebuild an engine is in the $25,000 range. NASCAR has continued to tear down the first start-and-parker out of the race, but it doesn’t appear to have changed anything. The same teams that have been doing it all season continue to do it. Remember too, that only the first car out has to tear down, so it’s not like the teams have an extra $25,000 expense each week. These teams have found a loophole in NASCAR’s system, and I’m not sure there is really a lot NASCAR can do to stop them. – T.C.
2. From Joe:
I know i’m a week late, but during the Pocono race Kurt Busch got penalized for a missing valve stem cap. I’ve never heard this before. Is this a safety concern?
I know it’s a rule that each tire must have a valve stem cap, but I couldn’t really tell you what the rationale is. I don’t believe it is a safety issue, and would be more apt to say that it has to do with cheating and setup issues. – T.C.
3. From Andrew:
There’s a saying that racing improves the breed. I can definitely see that from F1 and maybe even Indy cars, but how does NASCAR racing improve the breed of the street cars we all drive?
I don’t know that it does. And to be honest, I haven’t ever heard a manufacturer rep try to sell their involvement like it did. The fact is, NASCAR’s use of technology is limited, so there isn’t a whole lot the manufacturers can learn – that is unless they’re planning on dumping fuel injection. I think we could see it benefit them with the introduction of fuel injection in NASCAR, but until that point, the days where racing improved the breed, at least in NASCAR, are behind us. – Journo
4. From Rebecca:
Hey guys. I watched the AMP chat this week, which featured Kip Wolfmeiyer, rear-tire changer for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 crew. Wolfmeiyer said he works with No. 5 crew during the week and race weekend, but works only with the 88 crew to pit the car on race day. This got me curious. I know the 5 and 88 team share a garage, but is it standard practice among race teams to have some crew members work with one team during the week and then another team on race day? Thanks for considering my question.
This crew sharing doesn’t happen a ton, but it does happen. There are a few guys here and there that work on one car during the week and weekend, and then switch and go pit another team car. It all comes down to where there are opportunities and holes that need to be filled. – T.C.
5. From Robert:
Do crewchiefs take into consideration time lost during deceleration/acceleration when chosing pits? I see some better qualifiers choosing mid road spots which use more time.
What it comes down to when picking pit stalls is getting an opening, either in or out. Once those stalls with openings are gone, then it’s about the timing lines. Each pit road has a specified number of timing lines that NASCAR uses to determine pit road speed. By knowing where those lines are, teams can pick a stall that will give them an advantage getting into their stall. What they will do is find a stall that is in between those lines. That allows the driver to speed up once they cross that line as they enter their stall; the idea being that going over the limit in that segment won’t hurt them because of the pit stop. – T.C.
6. From NASCAR fan:
I read this week that NASCAR held a meeting with drivers and owners to talk about possible improvements for the chase format. I think this is a positive, and would love to see increased bonus points for wins, say 25 instead of 10. But how about bonus points for where a driver finishes the regular season in the standings? Say 120 points for first place, 110 for second place, etc. Your thoughts? Do you really think NASCAR is looking to improve the chase format or just paying lip-service?
I think with all the changes NASCAR has made over the last couple of seasons (at the behest of the teams and the fans) I don’t think it’s just lip service. I don’t know if NASCAR believes there is anything wrong with the Chase, but I believe if they perceive it to be a problem with the teams (the drivers, the owners), and with the fans, they will do whatever they can to make it better. They are working hard right now to make sure people are happy, and getting the best product possible. If they hear enough bad feedback on the format, there could definitely be changes. What those changes might be, and what they’re thinking is, is anybody’s guess. – Journo
7. From Garry:
Watching the 24 hours of Le Mans and seeing the pit guys doing thier importaant job, it made me wonder if you guys ever have (or ever considered) swapping places for a weekend or two with other types of racing, maybe just to see how the other guys do it, and maybe learn a trick or two, which could cut 1/10 or 1/2 second here or there.
The pit stops and equipment used during stops is different among all the series, so I’m not sure we could really learn anything from those guys. In sports car racing, for example, most of the cars have wheels that only have one lugnut and the cars have built in air jacks. The duties of the crews are all different. In the IRL, there is one changer per wheel and fueling is done through a hose. While it would be fun to trade places for a week, I’m not sure it would really benefit either crew. – T.C.
8. From Michael:
In reference to the “gentlemen start your engines” at Michigan, who can I strangle for that? Is that really what NASCAR has become??????
Was it really that bad? They’re both comedians and they were trying to be funny. I personally like to see people get into giving the command. Would you have rather seen a no-name executive vice-president of HP Food (the owner of the Heluva Good! brand) do it? It’s supposed to be fun and entertaining. I think they did a good job at that. A matter of perspective I suppose. – Journo
9. From Kyle:
Last week Landon Cassill was in the 09, and this week it is sponsored by hendrickcars.com(entry list). Is it possible the deal may have been made for Kahne next year?
It’s certainly possible. All we’ve heard is what’s out in the press right now, but remember denials aren’t always denials. I think it’s a little suspicious that James Finch has sponsorship from HendrickCars.com this weekend. Finch and Hendrick though do have a past relationship. The fact is there aren’t a lot of good options for Hendrick. Phoenix is certainly a possibility (despite the denials), as are the other teams that we’ve heard about. – Journo
10. From Kyle:
There are 43 cars on this weeks Nationwide entry list. 21 of those cars do not have a sponsor (01,04,09,10,15,26,27,28,31,35,40,43,56,61,70,87,89,90,92,99) . 5 more are seriously underfunded(05,23,24,59,81). That leaves only 17 sponsored teams Of those many are self funded, Menard, Gaughan, 34 FRM car, 21 car (meant for Townley). Ive also heard the 10/11 Braun cars are “funded” drivers. Is the long term health of the Nationwide series in question?(especially with the COT looming in a few weeks)
When NASCAR first announced the Nationwide COT a couple of seasons ago, a lot of teams screamed that it would put them out of business. I don’t necessarily think that’s going to be the case, but I think what you point out speaks to the sport as a whole. Money is tight, very tight, across all three series. I think the series will be fine, but until the economy improves, or teams can figure out a way to make sponsorship more cost effective, this is the reality. – Journo
11. From Marcus:
I have a couple of #95 and #96 Caterpillar Chevrolet Monte Carlo die-cast cars (1/18 and 1/24 scale). I recieved these when I was youger (probably 1-3 years old) being my uncle works at Caterpillar. However, I cannot find what series they raced in. The decals on the side where the series logo would be are not there. And my uncle does not know either. I was just wondering if you could help me out. I know David Green drove them and that is about it. Thank you very much for any info you have.
The #95 is a Nationwide (Busch Series) car driven during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, and the #96 is a Cup car driven during the the 1997 and 1998 seasons. David Green drove most of the races in both cars, but Ward Burton, Robby Gordon, and a slew of other drivers had starts in them. Both of the cars were owned by Buz McCall. Happy to help! – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
With all the discussion surrounding Kasey Kahne, and the 2011 Hendrick plan for him, I’ve begun to wonder whether this was Kasey’s best move. I say this not because Hendrick isn’t a great team – they most certainly are. And not because Kasey can’t succeed at Hendrick – I think he most certainly can. I say this because of the time he will inevitably lose as he makes the transition to the team’s #5 car.
Speculation has been rampant about where Kasey would end up next season since he and the team announced their partnership earlier this season. Hendrick Motorsports is currently at NASCAR’s four-car limit. The list of unsubstantiated candidates now includes Phoenix Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart-Haas, for it’s part, says it currently has no plans to expand to three cars for the 2011 season.
Whatever happens it can be assured that Kasey will have a ride next season – top-tier team or not.
Where does this leave Kasey though? He’s in the final year of his deal with Richard Petty Motorsports, and has already announced his intention to leave. I know it’s a little premature, but this year can probably be considered a loss for Kahne (see Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr.). Then what about next year?
Let’s say for example purposes Kahne ends up at Phoenix Racing (I’m not saying he will). He’ll of course have all of his equipment built at Hendrick, full sponsorship and all the backing of Rick Hendrick. What will his crew look like? Who knows who they’re looking at, or want for a crew chief, but it’s Hendrick so for all intents and purposes let’s say they promote from within. From there, the crew will likely be composed of Phoenix Racing guys.
So Kasey does this for 2011 (with Phoenix or someone else). At the end of the season what do they do with this team? Does Alan Gustafson become Kasey’s crew chief for 2012? Do they keep the one he’s got? Whatever they do, Kasey is likely going to have to make yet another transition into the 2012 season.
So in addition to this year, Kahne stands to lose the next two seasons trying to adapt to separate teams.
I know Rick Hendrick and team Hendrick Motorsports have nothing but the best of intentions for Kasey moving forward. And I would imagine they’re working very hard to make sure these transitions the driver is about to face are as painless as possible. The issue at hand though could be very bumpy.
I know it’s really easy to play Monday morning quarterback on this (and on anything), but do you think Kasey should have waited to see if he could put a deal together at Gibbs (team Gibbs was interested, but was unable to commit), or somewhere else that he could have immediately transitioned him into a permanent ride?
In a sport where chemistry and consistency are key, I’m kind of thinking he should have waited. For me, the end payoff (that is getting the #5 car) may not be worth the cost of the next couple of seasons. All that said, Hendrick of course hasn’t done anything and gets the benefit of the doubt here.
So what do you think of Kasey’s move? Was Hendrick the right place for him to go? Would you have liked to see him go somewhere else? Where do you think he’ll end up next season? Discuss away!
Race week in Charlotte is in full effect. Fans will descend on the QC this week to watch the Coca Cola 600 and to check out all there is to see in the center of the NASCAR universe. In case you are coming to town and are looking for stuff to do, we’ve put together a nice list to get you started (see it here). If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Bill:
With Bruton Smith offering up $20M to run in and win both the Indy 500 and Coke World 600, I got to thinking… It obviously wouldn’t be possible to run the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo, the Indy 500, and the Coke World 600. But, could someone run in Monte Carlo and Charlotte in the same day?
Well the Monaco Grand Prix took place this year on May 16 (Red Bull’s Mark Webber won). Last year it was the day before the 600. If they fell on the same date would it be possible? The race starts at 8 a.m. eastern standard time (Monte Carlo is six hours ahead). If the race lasts, say two hours (and you figure another hour to get to the airport and take-off – flying private of course), and the flight is about 9 hours (so the Internet tells me) that would put you back in Charlotte at 8 p.m. – too late to make it in time for the start of the 600 (which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.). – Journo
2. From Sue:
Does it really make a difference for team morale when a driver shows up at the shop daily or weekly vs those who rarely do?
I certainly don’t think a driver coming into the shop regularly is a bad thing. Guys know the drivers are busy and some, like Montoya, don’t even live in Charlotte, so shop visits aren’t always realistic. But the occasional visit is good for everyone, I think. – T.C.
3. From Gabi:
The cameras at the track record in 720p format or in 1080i? Thanks.
I believe the cameras Fox and ESPN use shoot in 720p, but don’t quote me. Maybe someone else knows for sure? – Journo
4. From Bristol_B:
First of all, thanks for sharing your insight, and perspective. Your website is a must read for any race fan! Now, I’m confused about the All-Star Race eligibility. Is it the car or the driver? Brad Kesekowski won last year in James Finch’s #09, but that car is not entered. Keselowski is entered in the #12 Penske car. Red Bull has entered the #83 with Casey Mears as the driver in place of recovering Brian Vickers. So if it’s the car why isn’t the #09 entered, does Finch need special dispensation due to a driver change? Thank you in advance for clarification!
All Star race eligibility is based on the driver’s accomplishments, not the team or car’s. With the situation surrounding Brian Vickers, NASCAR made a special exception to allow Casey Mears to pilot Red Bull’s #83 in the race. That is why Keselowski is in the race, and the #09 Finch car is not. – T.C.
5. From Christopher:
Cup teams generally bring two cars to a race, correct? What if they outright total both of them during practice? I know this is a stretch, but I could see it happening at Talledega, where you do have to practice dangerous drafting moves. Secondly- has this ever happened?
If I remember correctly, this happened a couple of years ago when Casey Mears was driving for Hendrick. He wrecked both his backup and primary at a race. I believe he ended up using one of his teammate’s backup cars in the race. This also happened to Ryan Newman at Daytona last year. He wrecked his primary in the 150 qualifier and his backup in final practice. I believe a third car was brought from Charlotte for Newman to race with. So if they are close enough, a car could be brought from the shop, if not, a teammate’s backup would work. - T.C.
6. From Steve:
Your thoughts on Vickers/Red Bull/Mears? Given the investment Red Bull has in both Vickers and Speed, would you agree that Red Bull needs Mears to do badly, at least worse than Speed does and worse than Vickers was doing? Any better, and it raises the question of why they wouldn’t keep Mears next season. And yet while Red Bull doesn’t want Mears doing too well, Mears knows this is a great shot at impressing people to earn a ride next year – a bit of a conflict, perhaps?
I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Casey Mears has seven full Cup seasons under his belt (all together 255 series starts) and one full Nationwide season (with a total of 93 starts). Scott Speed on the other hand has 52 Cup starts, 13 Nationwide starts, and 16 Truck starts. I would hope Casey performs better than Scott. Speed is very much a driver in development (not at all the case for Casey), so I think it’s like comparing apples and oranges. Speed still has the potential for growth – with Casey I think what you’ve seen is what you get. It is true however that this is Casey’s fourth opportunity with one of the sports top teams (recall Ganassi, Hendrick and Childress) to show he can be competitive (I’m not holding my breath). – Journo
7. From Melissa:
Between the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 weekend do the haulers return to their shops or do the crews replenish what they need and switch out cars using other transports?
Being so close to home, and seeing as how there is no track activity all week, the haulers go back to the shops. The Cup haulers will return to the track on Thursday to park for the weekend. – T.C.
8. From Emanuel:
When we’re watching the race at home, they allow us to “ride along” with the car, with the roof mounted cameras. Sometimes junk ends up on the lens, and you can see the lens rotate, and tada!, no more junk. Does the lens constantly spin, or does it “sense” when it get junked up, and then rotate itself to get the junk off the lens?
There is a little tape mechanism inside the cameras (it’s clear and in front of the lens) that allows the production crews to ensure the view from the camera is always clear. Check out this great NASCAR.com article for everything you wanted to know about onboard cameras. – Journo
When a driver becomes a Cup Series champion a certain amount of gravitas is permanently attached to him. Being a champion puts a driver in the league with the sports all-time greats and marks him permanently in the annals of history in the sport. He’ll forever be introduced as a Cup Series champion. I digress.
There had been rumblings for a while that TRG would begin starting-and-parking. Given their limited sponsorship and their history with the practice it seemed incredibly likely that it would happen again this season. The one caveat I heard though was Bobby Labonte would not participate in the practice.
Unfortunately on Sunday Bobby did just that. After 65 laps, the TRG car pulled into the garage and ended its day early citing “electrical” issues. I think we all know what that means.
After 19 seasons, 594 starts, 21 wins, and one championship Bobby Labonte deserves better. He owes it to himself and to his legacy to not ever start-and-park again.
Now a lot of drivers have had less than spectacular years toward the end of their careers. Think Dale Jarrett, Darrell Waltrip and others. Still they went out with their dignity intact, knowing that they left nothing on the table. It’s just not realistic, especially in this day and age, to leave the sport (or any sport) on the very top, Ned Jarrett-style. What Bobby Labonte did though was far below not making races or running in the back.
At age 46 Bobby Labonte isn’t going to have a Mark Martin or Jeff Burton-esque rebirth or renewal. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I feel comfortable in saying Bobby Labonte’s best years are behind him. That said, I don’t have a problem with the guy continuing to race if that’s what he wants to do. He deserves better than a start-and-park ride with a mediocre team though.
As good a guy as he is, I’d much rather see him retire or look for opportunities in lower series, than to see this continue. Here’s hoping Bobby Labonte, the man and the Cup Series champion, realizes he and his legacy deserve better.
Casey Mears Is In the All-Star Race? What!?
If I was James Finch at this moment I would be furious. I would be on the phone wearing out Mike Helton, John Darby and anyone else who would take my phone calls. Why you ask? Because NASCAR allowed Casey Mears to sub for Brian Vickers in the All-Star race – something Casey neither earned nor deserved.
This puts James Finch in exactly the same situation as Red Bull – both had teams that won a race, but don’t have the winning driver in the car. Red Bull is allowed to sub a driver, Finch and Phoenix are not.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the seriousness and unexpected nature of the situation at Red Bull. It stinks for the #83 team that Brian Vickers is unable to compete because of his health. Certainly this was beyond Team Red Bull’s and Vickers control.
Still, NASCAR has a duty out of fairness to every competitor to uphold their rules (note these are THEIR RULES). If something unexpected happens the sanctioning body should not change set rules or guidelines to accommodate a particular organization or driver.
This is a admittedly a bit of a stretch, but NASCAR didn’t give Denny Hamlin his position back this past weekend after he was wrecked under caution by Clint Bowyer. Hamlin couldn’t control what Bowyer did – it certainly was unexpected. But there is no precedent for giving a driver his position back and it would have been unfair – NASCAR didn’t do it. This situation should not, in my opinion, be any different.
My point here is, it is ridiculously unfair to change the rules in the middle of the game and not make concessions for others in a similar position. Incidents like this do absolutely nothing to help the credibility of NASCAR as a sanctioning body – let’s be honest it makes them look wishy-washy. It says they’ll change the rules depending on who you are and whatever unfortunate extenuating circumstances you may be facing. Bad move NASCAR.
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!
Last week Aric Almirola filed paperwork with the North Carolina Superior Court indicating he may have a breach of contract dispute with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
According to SceneDaily, which reported on the filing, Almirola indicated a breach of contract and unfair and deceptive trade practices. The filing gives Almirola until November 5 to file a complaint.
Almirola, who had been signed with DEI prior to the merger, drove the #8 car for seven races this season before the team was shut down due to a lack of funding. EGR has been working all season to get the car and Almirola back on track, and at one point we heard they had a sponsor signed, but they never received the money.
For his part, Almiorla has been running sporadic races with Billy Ballew, Key Motorsports and Phoenix Racing.
From where I stand this looks like a situation where Almirola has been told he won’t get the #1 ride. I’m guessing Bass Pro Shops is not the least bit interested in him. I know Chip Ganassi isn’t interested in giving another untested driver another shot in one of his cars (he’s been bit one too many times). Almirola really never had a chance.
Reminiscent of Elliott Sadler’s strong arming in the off-season, I’m guessing Almirola is looking to see where he stands. I’m not sure if he’s been offered a buyout and I have no idea if he has a leg to stand on here, but I think whatever the case, this is a bad move.
People don’t forget when you do stuff like this, especially around here. I think Sadler’s situation is a little more forgivable because he was presumably being forced out of his ride. He was desperate and in a very bad situation because of timing. Not the case here.
Almirola lost his ride because there was no money (that was seven months ago). He knew the situation going into it (no, he wasn’t forced out). On top of that he had a very lackluster seven races. He had an average finish of 32.8. His best finish was a 21st at Atlanta (for some reference during the same period Martin Truex had an average finish of 22.8 and Juan Montoya, 15.8). It’s not too easy to sell sponsorship when your driver is consistently running in the back.
Almirola won’t be driving the #1 car next year. He may get some cash from EGR, but you tell me if that’s worth forever being ‘that guy’. Let’s hope this gets settled before a suit is brought.