May 8, 2011
- NASCAR says teams can use fuel injection at some tests: NASCAR told Sprint Cup teams Saturday that they can use fuel injection at NASCAR-sanctioned tests this season. The Cup series will switch from carburetors, used since the series’ inception in 1949, to fuel injection next year. NASCAR told teams that they’ll be allowed to test fuel injection at Kentucky in July – where teams will be given an extra day of practice since this will be the first Cup race there – at Goodyear tire tests, and at a test later this year on Phoenix’s repaved surface. John Darby, Sprint Cup series director, also said that he would like to have additional fuel injection tests for all teams at a restrictor-plate track and a 1.5-mile track. A possibility is for teams to test at Talladega the day after the Cup race there in October and to a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway, since most teams are located near that 1.5-mile track, sometime this fall. Another option would be for teams to test in Daytona in January. Two years ago, teams did not test at Daytona, as part of NASCAR’s testing ban. Last year, teams tested at Daytona because it had a new track surface. Fuel injection could allow Cup teams to test at Daytona in January for the second year in a row.(Virginian-Pilot)(5-8-2011)
- Drivers complete Brickyard tire test: UPDATE: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #22-Kurt Busch, #16-Greg Biffle, #27-Paul Menard and #56-Martin Truex Jr. got a head start on preparations for the 2011 Brickyard 400 by participating in a Goodyear tire test May 3-4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Menard said drivers and teams still gained plenty of important data and experience despite a high temperature of only 60, at least 20 degrees cooler than the probable Race Day temperature in July. “It was good,” Menard said. “Goodyear is trying a bunch of different things, and we hit on a couple things that will hopefully make a great race even better come July. It’s a nice, cool day, and we’ll come back in July and it’ll be really hot, so times will be a lot slower. You have to take that into account in what you do as a driver and kind of set up trends that we learn today and tomorrow that we’ll apply for July, for sure.”(IMS PR)(5-5-2011)
UPDATE: After two days of testing earlier this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Goodyear has decided to use the same tread compound at this year’s Brickyard 400 that drivers raced on in 2010, Stu Grant, Goodyear’s general manager of worldwide racing, told Sporting News. Grant said the tire maker was opting for a known quantity in the tread compound, one that produced a problem-free race won by Jamie McMurray last year. In keeping with what Goodyear has done at many tracks this season, there will be a slight construction change to the tires supplied at Indy. The right-side tires will be slightly smaller, with an eye toward improved handling. The left sides will feature a mold shape change to preserve the stagger (the relationship to the right-side tires).(Sporting News)(5-8-2011) - Miss Sprint Cup, Red Bull Racing’s Brian Vickers Help Promote Sprint Fan Vote: Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo recently found out firsthand the lengths to which a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver will go in order to be in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, scheduled for Saturday, May 21, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Palumbo was invited on a stock car ride-along with Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota. To see what happened next, click here: MissSprintCupVideos – YouTube. The Sprint Fan Vote is currently around 1.3 million votes.(5-8-2011)
- Miss Willie Brown to sing National Anthem at Dover: A&M/Octone Records’ new country music duo Miss Willie Brown will sing the National Anthem prior to the start of the “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, May 15 at Dover International Speedway. Miss Willie Brown released their first major label EP in March, produced by award-winning producer Keith Stegall (Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson and George Strait), and will wrap up the 30-city JAGERMEISTER COUNTRY TOUR with Dierks Bentley on May 13 in Norfolk, Va. In addition to performing the “Star Spangled Banner,” Miss Willie Brown is scheduled to entertain race fans with one of their original songs during pre-race activities.(Dover Raceway)(5-8-2011)
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