April 26, 2008
- Robby Gordon and Team Dakar USA Closes out the Central Europe Rally: The final stage of the Central Europe Rally concluded today with Robby Gordon experiencing more bad luck. Gordon lost a handful of minutes on the stage when his rear wheel came off but still managed an eight place finish. The result was good enough for Gordon to move the Monster Energy Hummer up into the 10th position. BJ Baldwin had another solid day, scoring a fifth place finish on the stage which allowed him to maintain his seventh place in the overall classification. After seven days of racing in Hungary and Romania, Team Dakar USA heads back to the United States with a strong sense of accomplishment. “We did not meet our overall objective but this team was strong,” remarked Gordon “I think the international off-road community know we were here. These are the best race teams in the world and to go door to door with them says a lot about our program. BJ did such a fantastic job of representing Team Dakar USA and Ronn Bailey’s Vanguard. I think he really made a name for himself.” The team will now load up and make the drive back to Paris to organize the vehicles and equipment for shipping back to the United States. For Robby Gordon there is one more stage – he will fly overnight to Alabama for the NASCAR race in Talladega. In 2009 Team Dakar USA will race the first ever Dakar Rally in South America.(Robby Gordon PR) For additional rally coverage please visit robbygordon.com and robbysuprising.com where Team Dakar USA will have daily updates, the twitter micro blog feed, and videos.(4-26-2008)
- Red Bull’s Speed gets ARCA win: ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Scott Speed, with an assist from the Aaron’s Lucky Dog, won the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Speed, in the #2 Red Bull Toyota, battled back from a lap down, blew by rookie Jesse Smith on a late-race restart with six laps remaining, and then kept Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. at bay to claim his career-first victory in his fifth career series start.(ARCA Racing)(4-26-2008)
- Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway Pit Stall Selections
- Nemechek wins pole at Talladega: #78-“Front Row” Joe Nemechek lived up to his nickname, winning the Coors Light Pole for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway with a late run of 187.386mph, for his first pole of 2008, first since 2005 and 10th of his career. It is the slowest pole speed at Talladega since April 2003 when Jeremy Mayfield won the pole with a speed of 186.489mph. The pole was the first ever for the Furniture Row Racing team. #20-Stewart will start 2nd, followed by #70-Schrader, #84-Allmendinger, #18-Busch, #6-Ragan, #11-Hamlin, #83-Vickers, #88-Earnhardt Jr. and #48-Johnson. Points leader, #31-Burton will start 38th. The go-or-go homers to make the race were: #78-Nemechek, #70-Schrader, #84-Allmendinger, #21-Wood, #45-Petty, #09-Marlin, #10-Carpentier and #40-Franchitti [who will start 43rd, as 8th fastest gets the spot unless a past champ needs it]. Missing the race were: #22-Blaney, #96-Yeley [the first time Hall of Fame Racing has missed a race] and #34-Andretti.
See qualifying results, pole progression and starting lineup on my Qualifying Results/Order Page.(4-26-2008) - Kyle Busch looks to tie NNS record: Kyle Busch will attempt to accomplish something that has happened only once in the 27-season history of the Nationwide Series, when the Aaron’s 312 takes place Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch has won the past three Nationwide races, at Texas, Phoenix and Mexico City. The series record for consecutive victories is four, set by Sam Ard in 1983 during the circuit’s second season. Making it four in a row could prove to be a challenge for Busch. He has never won a race at Talladega and has failed to finish in the top-10 in any of his past six NASCAR starts at the track (including the Cup and Truck Series). In 12 career Talladega starts, Busch has finished outside the top-30 seven times.(TSS)(4-26-2008)
- Newman talks contract: #12-Ryan Newman….WHAT IS YOUR STATUS AS A ‘FREE AGENT’? “I haven’t signed my contact yet. We haven’t really even talked about it yet. There are some options out there. Obviously, team wise – people who have gone public about wanting to start a fourth teams and other teams that are changing things – changing driver’s and crew chiefs and things like that. It seems to be starting earlier than it ever has – at least in the last couple years. I’m sitting happy in my seat right now, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be happy some place else. Whatever happens with Tony (Stewart), he’s a friend of mine, and I haven’t talked to him about it. I read it on Jayski. I haven’t event gotten a phone call. Being the top of the free agent list hasn’t gotten me anywhere yet.” HAVE YOU TALKED TO OTHER TEAMS YET? “I know that there are other options out there besides my retaining my position at Penske Racing.” DO YOU HAVE AN AGENT? “I’m my agent. I went to college for four years; it’s got to pay for something.”(Dodge Motorsports)(4-26-2008)
- Kevin Harvick Inc. implementing drug testing: Kevin Harvick Inc. has implemented a different type of testing the past couple of weeks. The racing team has started a random drug testing program since recent revelations that former Nationwide and Craftsman Trucks driver Aaron Fike had used heroin on some race days. “The whole company will be tested within the next week,” Harvick said. “We’ve got most of them done. We haven’t had any failures yet, so that’s a good thing.” An outside company was hired to administer the tests, and he said all the drivers and crew chiefs volunteered to go to the drug-testing facility. Harvick is hoping NASCAR will adopt a similar policy to help keep the sport clean. He initially approached officials pushing that idea last season. NASCAR’s substance abuse policy is based on “reasonable suspicion” and allows drug tests anytime.(Associated Press)(4-26-2008)
- Edwards talks contract: #99-Carl Edwards ON CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS. “For me, personally, just out of respect to everyone and sponsors, and the teams and the way we do business, for me it’s always my mission to get that stuff out of the way and get it done as early as I can. That’s how I’ve always tried to do it.” WHERE DO YOU STAND ON YOUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS? “I don’t want to say anything.” MORE ON CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS. “I’m working really hard to get my stuff, just because I think it’s fair to get it done early, and once I get it done I’ll let everyone know what I’ve done. But, we’re working on it.”(Ford Racing)(4-26-2008)
- Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills: Some of the nation’s best young automotive technicians, as identified during the 59th annual Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition, will spend a week with Roush Fenway Racing, learning about the team at the shop and at the track. David Ragan, driver of the #6 AAA Ford Fusion, and Jack Roush, Roush Fenway Racing team owner, were among those participating in a press conference about the program at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday. The competition is the largest competition for high school automotive technology students in the country. The 2008 National Finals will be held at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., on June 24. The grand prize is going to be to a two-person team. The prize will include an opportunity to job shadow David Ragan’s pit crew in Concord, North Carolina, and then to fly with the team to the Joliet Sprint Cup race on the weekend on July 12th.(Ford Racing)(4-26-2008)
- Biffle talks contract/ownership: #16-Greg Biffle ON ALL THE TALK THIS WEEKEND OF TONY STEWART AND HIS CONTRACT SITUATION. “Obviously, he’s let the world know that he was unhappy about something at Gibbs. I think we’ve all been in that situation before. There’s certain ways to go about it, I guess, and he’s made it known that he wants to get out of his current contract at the end of the season, I guess, or whatever. We all go through that, we all go through contract periods and wanting to get out of contract early to go do something else is part of the sport, I guess.”
IS ANYTHING THAT HE’S DOING HAVE ANY EFFECT ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING REGARDING YOUR NEGOTIATIONS? “I don’t think so. It may open up a ride at the 20 car, I guess, at Gibbs Racing. It may be another option, but I don’t know. I don’t think it affects what I’m doing. I’m negotiating with Roush Fenway for an extension on my current contract, so I don’t think what he’s trying to do or going to do makes a difference.”
WHERE ARE YOU WITH YOUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS? “Sort of in a holding pattern. We’re not in a big hurry to get it done, I think. We’re in that negotiation period, and like I said, I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be able to get to common ground on what I want and what they want.”
IF SOMEBODY THREW OWNERSHIP AT YOU, EVEN A PARTIAL OWNERSHIP, WOULD THAT SUDDENLY CHANGE THE WAY YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THINGS? “They have. I have had offers of ownership of more than one team in the garage, and it’s definitely an intriguing offer. There’s a lot of things to consider when you’re an athlete in you’re in the position that we are in. Both Tony and I are, let’s say, we’re at the 60-percent point in our career. We’re not Kyle Busch, you know, 21 or 22 years olds. So, at some point we need to start thinking about how long we want to be involved in this sport and what we want to do in the future. So, those ideas to stay involved in the sport are very intriguing to us. And I’m sure that’s part of Tony’s thinking is, when I’m done driving the 20 car, or whatever car, what am I going to do in the future? And he’s probably watching out for himself, thinking ahead, and somebody’s made an offer or whatnot, and he’s considering it.”(Ford Racing)(4-26-2008) - Talladega Qualifying Fast Facts:
.. Joe Nemechek won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Aaron’s 499 with a lap of 51.103 seconds, 187.386 mph.
.. This is his 10th pole in 465 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his first top-10 start in 2008.
.. This is Nemechek’s fourth pole and 11th top-10 start in 27 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
.. Tony Stewart (second) posted his fifth top-10 start in 2008 and his eighth top-10 start in 19 Talladega races. He tied his career-best start here set in May 2006.
.. Ken Schrader (third) posted his 14th top-10 start in 45 races at Talladega, but his first since September 2003. He also was the 2nd fastest of the drivers required to make the field on time.
.. Kyle Busch (third) posted his sixth top-10 start in 2008 and his second in seven Talladega races.
.. Jon Wood (12th) qualified for his second Sprint Cup race. He started 41st and finished 29th at Las Vegas in 2007
.. Sterling Marlin (16th) qualified for his first race since Homestead in 2007.
.. Patrick Carpentier (17th) was the fastest qualifying rookie and all five rookie candidates made the field.(NASCAR Statistics)(4-26-2008) - Old School Racing Postpones Inaugural Season: Old School Racing announced today a new plan for the series. Under the new plan The Old School Racing (OSR) Series will launch its inaugural season in the spring of 2009 and not in the spring of 2008 as originally planned. The postponement of the inaugural season of the OSR will allow a partnership to form that will make the OSR bigger and better for the drivers, crews and fans. The new partnership between OSR and the soon to be named partner has not been completed, but plans have already begun to move forward for the 2009 debut of the redesigned OSR program. The Old School Racing Series is based in Mooresville, NC and is scheduled to field cars for such drivers as David Pearson, Harry Gant, James Hylton, Geoff Bodine and more.(OSR)(4-26-2008)
- Road Racer looking for Cup Options: In the midst of a hectic stretch of sports car races in both the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Series, Atlanta-area race car driver David Murry is also beginning to cast his NASCAR line out in an effort to land a Sprint Cup ride for the road course races at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen. “The timing is right to look at those teams that might be able to use my help,” said Murry. “Specifically, those teams that aren’t in the Top 35 in points and who don’t have an experienced road course driver might just need to look elsewhere to get them in the show. I’m hoping they look my way. I’m ready, willing and able.” Murry is no stranger to Sprint Cup road course events. He’s recorded numerous qualifying attempts at both venues and even made a start at Watkins Glen with the defunct Phoenix Air Racing Team.(PR)(4-26-2008)
- Franchitti / Gunselman Taken to Hospital After Wreck: UPDATE: #40-Dario Franchitti injured his ankle in a hard crash Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway that sent Franchitti and another racer to a hospital for observation. Team owner Chip Ganassi said Franchitti was awaiting X-rays on his ankle. Franchitti wrecked when his car apparently lost its right rear tire on the 10th lap of the Nationwide Series race. His Dodge bounced into the wall and spun down the track, finally drifting down to the apron. It was there that the real damage was done — a car driven by #91-Larry Gunselman slammed into his driver side door. Franchitti had to be helped from his car and toward an ambulance. About 90 minutes after the accident, Gunselman also was taken to the hospital for observation.(Associated Press/ESPN)(4-26-2008)
UPDATE: #40-Dario Franchitti has fractured his left ankle in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega on Saturday and will not be able to race in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. David Stremme, former driver for Ganassi Racing, has been asked to sub for Franchitti and got permission from Roger Penske [he is their test driver] and Rusty Wallace [who Stremme drives for in the Nationwide Series] to start and run the race Sunday.(PRN’s Garage Pass)(4-26/27-2008) - Randy Moss starting truck teamt: During the prerace report on Speed/TV at Kansas Speedway, Rick Allen reported that New England Patriot wide-receiver Randy Moss is starting a new truck team with plans to race toward the end of the year. A formal announcement is expected some time next week.(4-26-2008)
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