NASCAR Talk

Racing season is gearing up with the annual running of the Rolex 24 race at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. The 24 hour long team racing event has always been popular with NASCAR drivers, and this year is no exception. Several of your favorite NASCAR drivers will be sharing duties with their various teams behind the wheel over several hours throughout the race. The NASCAR drivers expected to race are Jimmie Johnson, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Kurt Busch, Boris Said, Michael McDowell, Scott Pruett, Bill Lester, John Andretti, A.J. Foyt IV, Tony George, Brent Sherman, David Donohue, Buddy Rice, JC France, Colin Braun, Marc Goossens, Andy Pilgrim, Anthony Lazzaro, Jack Baldwin, Andy Lally, Max Papis, David Murry, Chris Bingham, and Joe Varde.

Parts of the event will be broadcast on both Fox and SPEED channel throughout the day. Check your local listings for times in your area.

NASCAR, Rolex 24, Rolex 24 at Daytona, NASCAR Drivers in Rolex 24

(Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO gave his annual “State of the Sport Address” Live today from the NASCAR Research and Development Center. It has become a tradition for the France family to give a look back at the past year and to look ahead at what’s to come for the following racing season. According to Brian France, 2008 looks to be a strong year for the sport.

He highlighted major construction and events that will happen throughout the year, as well as mentioned some interesting news stories from 2007 to see how they will shake out (most notably, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports from Dale Earnhardt, Inc.). France made it seem like it will be an exciting year for everyone involved.

To read a transcript of Brian France’s “State of the Sport Address”, keep reading after the jump.

NASCAR, State of NASCAR Address, Brian France, Brian France Press Conference

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Looks like there will be some changes in the pits, and I don’t mean the tires (okay, I know, I’m not funny, but I couldn’t resist). Safety for the pit crews and drivers is the number one concern cited by the NASCAR officials as to the new rules, and they do honestly make sense, for once. Sometimes NASCAR comes up with some sketchy rules, but these I think I understand.

“Cars may not be pushed past the flag person at the end of the pit road. Unless otherwise authorized, once the race is underway, cars may be started by hand pushing in the pit area only, but under no circumstances is any car to be hand pushed more than three pit boxes away from their assigned pit box or into the acceleration zone or onto the race track from the pit area. Cars may not receive any assistance after the white flag has been displayed, except those cars making pit stops.”

Now, in my race viewing experience, this doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I can’t help but feel sorry for those pit crew guys. You watch them push the car and driver down the entire length of pit road and still can’t get it started. Then they have to push the car all the way back to try it all over again. This new rule will definitely keep the crew members safer in this instance.

“A team member must be in contact with the outside tire(s) until the outside tire(s) reach the inside half of the pit box before the car leaves its assigned pit box. Any tires let in the outside half of the assigned pit box, or beyond, will result in a time or other penalty.”

Once again, good call by NASCAR. Tires seem to always be rolling away as they are pushed around in the box with no one to guide them. They fly off and hit other cars or other crew members and can cause accidents when the drivers swerve to miss them and instead hit a competitor, or worse, a crew member. Let’s not forget Michael Waltrip’s gas man who was sent to the hospital because of a runaway tire hitting him in the head at Dover this past season. I’m sure he’s happy about the new rules.

So these are a couple of changes I can live with. How about you? Good or bad ideas? Let me know in the comments.

NASCAR, NASCAR pit road rule changes

As I mentioned in a previous post, today I am going to countdown what I think were the top ten NASCAR moments, news stories, and happenings of 2007. I imagine you won’t agree and that’s great. Leave me some comments and debate on what you would have had on your list.

10. The Car of Tomorrow Debuts

Last year when the announcement was made that the Car of Tomorrow would be run starting in the 2007 season, you’d have thought NASCAR would have just up and ended with all of the hullabaloo made over the car. In the end it worked out fine, even if there are some teams that have the new car design figured out better than the others. It will be interesting to see the 2008 season with the Car of Tomorrow at every race.

9. Toyota Makes its Nextel Cup Debut

Once again, there was some big opposition to letting a foreign car manufacturer compete in an American sport, but Toyota pushed ahead and fielded several teams in the 2007 season. However, their success in the truck series just didn’t spill over into the Cup series and their teams struggled to even make the field week after week. If they want to be competitive, they’re going to have to up their game (bringing over Gibbs Racing is a great start).

8. The Open Wheel Driver Invasion Begins

With all of the money and accolades going into the NASCAR series, it’s no wonder that open wheel drivers want to feel the love and get their share of the green by jumping over to the stock car leagues. Juan Pablo Montoya ended up being the Raybestos Rookie of the Year, clearing the way for many other open wheel superstars to make the jump at the end of 2007 and into 2008.

7. Carl Edwards Shoves Matt Kenseth

What in the world is happening over at Roush Fenway Racing? Just a couple of years ago, they were on the top of the heap with all five drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. In 2007 they struggled and tempers boiled over as Carl Edwards confronted Matt Kenseth after a race on pit road. Carl shoved his teammate Matt and it became the talk of the garage.

6. Jimmie Johnson Dominates the Chase Races to Win Back to Back Championships

As I said over and over again this past season during the Chase, I was sick of talking about Jimmie Johnson, but I really had no choice because the #48 Lowe’s Chevy team just dominated the other people in the Chase. Jimmie ended up winning his second consecutive Nextel Cup Championship because of their dominance.

To see the rest of the list, keep reading after the jump.

NASCAR, NASCAR 2007 Review

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Change has been brewing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief ranks since the season ended at Homestead (and some even before that). It seems as though there is a new announcement almost every day about another crew chief changing teams. The off season is always a crazy time for teams to reorganize and try to become better before testing at Daytona begins next month.

Several changes have already been announced, with more to come, I’m sure. If you want to see who is going to be sitting on top of the pit box for the 2008 Sprint Cup Season for those teams who have already announced their crew chief changes, keep reading after the jump.

NASCAR, NASCAR crew chiefs, new NASCAR crew chiefs 2008

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USAToday has compiled the statistics and they have come to the conclusion that there were more accidents this year in the 10 races at the end of the season known as the “Chase for the Championship” at the Nextel Cup level of racing. Their calculations showed there were 89 recorded incidents in the last ten races, including a record number of cautions in the Atlanta race (with 14 yellow flags) and at Martinsville (a total of 21 cautions). However, the number of crashes throughout the entire season only totaled 240, which was actually 13 less recorded accidents than the 2005 season.

So what is to blame for this increase in problems during the Chase? Of course the first thing that pops into mind is the Car of Tomorrow. It was designed to create closer races and there were undoubtedly some handling issues the first year of implementation. But can it really be blamed for the increase? Is the increase even really that significant? It was only during the last 10 races that an increase was seen over the 2005 racing season, so that would mean the remainder 26 races of the 2007 season actually saw fewer problems than 2005. The Car of Tomorrow was used in races pre-chase, so that should show it isn’t really the cause, right?

What do you think? Is this increase a result of harder racing in those last 10 races, or is it just a coincidence this year? Perhaps there were just some inexperienced or overzealous drivers causing the most problems? I would even venture to say that most teams not in the Chase use that time to test many things including engine set ups and changes in chassis for the following year that could contribute to that statistic (I mean, really, how many times did Dale Earnhardt Jr. blow up this year?). Let me know your reasons in the comments below.

NASCAR, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Championship, Nextel Cup accidents 2007, Car of Tomorrow

Who would have thought that the cutie pie of NASCAR could be such a bad ass? Apparently those skeptical of Kahne’s clean cut image and his ability to sell Budweiser need not worry any longer. Kasey Kahne is being sued for beating up a security guard. Okay, so he didn’t really beat the guy up. He just kind of pushed the 62 year old man down and made his blood pressure rise.

Just before the Craftsman Truck Series race in Homestead in November, Kasey was bringing his brother Kale to the infield area where the drivers’ coaches were parked. Unfortunately, Kale did not have the correct credentials with him to enter the area and this made Kasey mad. His response was not to go get Kale the right credentials, but rather to push the security guard down and get angry. The guard then radioed for an ambulance because his blood pressure had risen and he felt as if he were having a heart attack. He was later treated for bruises and abrasions and released. However, he has not been able to return to work because of the injuries and is suffering mental distress. He feels as if he’s “getting killed on” NASCAR message boards and forums. Kahne was arrested by local law enforcement officials at the scene and released after signing an agreement to appear in court on the charges.

Now the security guard, Archibald Hutchison, is suing Kahne for battery. His inability to work because of the damages and mental distress caused by the incident are listed as reasons for the lawsuit. NASCAR refuses to comment while an investigation is ongoing, and there is a press conference planned for tomorrow, Tuesday December 18th, for Hutchison to speak to the media about the matter.

So what do you think? Clearly, Kasey shouldn’t be pushing down 62 year old men who are just doing their jobs, but he seriously isn’t able to return to work a month later from some minor scrapes and bruises? As for “getting killed” by NASCAR fans on forums and blogs, just don’t read them! There is no mention of in person threats or altercations, so if it’s just message boards, ignore them, Mr. Hutchison. It will do wonders for your mental health! Leave your comments below.

NASCAR, Kasey Kahne, Kasey Kahne lawsuit

What is going on with NASCAR and its rotating door of title sponsors? Nextel sponsored the Cup series for just a little bit of time in the grand scheme of things, and now it is changing to the Sprint Cup. Then, Anheuser Busch ended it’s partnership in sponsoring the Grand National series after more than 25 years. The former Busch Series will become the Nationwide Series beginning in Daytona in 2008.

Now rumor has it that Sears Craftsman Tools brand is looking to forgo extending their contract to be the title sponsor of the NASCAR Truck series. No official announcement has been made as of yet, but inside sources are claiming a press conference will be held sometime in the near future, and possibly even this week yet. Of course, there is no replacement sponsor as of yet, but bids will be taken starting right after the official announcement is made.

Craftsman’s contract will run through the entire 2008 season with the name change coming with the 2009 season. The question is, why are all of these long term partners suddenly up and leaving NASCAR? Sure, the ratings have been down somewhat over the last season, but they are far from struggling. With such brand loyal fans in this sport, the sponsors have to be benefiting from the partnership, don’t you think? Is it the sheer cost of sponsorship that is making the companies opt to have their contracts expire? Besides a bit of advertising, and perhaps some bonus money for winners, what cost is there for a title sponsor?

If anyone has some answers or thoughts about this subject, leave your ideas in the comments section below.

NASCAR, Craftsman Truck Series, Craftsman Truck series losing sponsor

Now that the 2007 NASCAR season is in the history books, everyone is looking ahead to the 2008 season. Right now is a prime time for teams to showcase what they can do for sponsors and try to ink deals for their cars. Some new sponsor deals have already been announced during the 2007 season, like Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new deal with Amp Energy Drink and the National Guard, Kasey Kahne and Budweiser, and Elliott Sadler’s new primary sponsor Best Buy.

Now, a few more sponsors have been found for some teams and are being announced everyday. Here is a quick run down of what companies will be sponsoring which cars next season:

Fastenal has signed on with Chip Gnassi racing’s #40 car in the Nationwide Series driven by Dario Franchitti and Reed Sorenson

The #49 BAM Racing Sprint Cup car will welcome aboard VOISYS, an automotive loan by phone company.

Wrigley and Texaco will share primary sponsorship duties on the #42 Chip Gnassi Racing Sprint Cup car driven by Juan Pablo Montoya.

Jim Beam has renewed its deal with Robby Gordon to sponsor the #7 and Little Debbie will return to Wood Racing’s #21.

What do you think about the new sponsorship deals? Will these companies be a good fit for the drivers that will be representing them? With the cost of fielding a Sprint Cup team rising what seems to be almost daily, it has become almost a necessity to have more than one primary sponsor per car. For instance, when Ray Evernham was on Trackside on SPEED the day his company announced Best Buy would be coming on board to sponsor Elliott Sadler in 16 races for the 2008 season, he mentioned that one of the reasons his teams were struggling this year was because Dodge was the primary sponsor on two of his cars and didn’t have enough money left to put into the development of engines and chassis packages. Now with Budweiser on Kasey Kahne’s car and Best Buy sponsoring Sadler’s, Dodge will be able to use the money normally spent on primary sponsorships to improve the manufacturer’s side of racing.

So, what happens as inflation increases? Will it ever be too much? Let me know in the comments section below.

NASCAR, NASCAR sponsors 2008, NASCAR sponsors news 2008

Let’s take a look at the latest news from around the world of NASCAR including a new logo, addressing some rumors that have been floating around the internet and NASCAR broadcasts, and the latest personnel changes throughout the circuit on all levels.

Nationwide Series Logo Revealed

In a special news conference, NASCAR and new Grand National Series partner Nationwide Insurance Company showed off the logo for the newly named series. Sticking with the traditional blue color for the series, the new logo incorporates both the NASCAR design as well as the Nationwide Insurance logo. The current sponsor of the series, Anheuser-Busch, will end its 26 year partnership with the Grand National series at the end of the 2007 season. Nationwide takes over as the title sponsor beginning in 2008.

To get even more NASCAR news, keep reading after the jump.

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This is just a quick post to update a few things that happened this past weekend in Dover so we can move on to Kansas:

Carl Edwards and Crew Chief Fined

As expected, Carl Edwards and his crew chief were both fined after failing post-race inspection after “The King of Concrete” Carl won the Nextel Cup race at Dover. He was fined 25 driver points, dropping him to 6th in the point standings (but still only 28 points behind leader Jeff Gordon) and his crew chief Bob Osbourne was fined $25,000 and put on probation until December 31st. Rousch Fenway Racing was also fined 25 owner points for the right rear of the car being too low. The organization will appeal the penalty with the argument that a 25 point penalty is too harsh during the Chase for an infraction that actually impairs the performance of the car.

Michael Waltrip’s Gas Man is OK

During a pit stop in the Nextel Cup race on Sunday, a tire from the #44 car hit the #55 gas man and sent him to the hospital. The tire, being changed by Dale Jarrett’s crew during the fourth caution, rolled away from the pit and was hit by David Ragan in the #6 car. It flew across pit road and knocked out gas man Art Harris. Harris was awake and alert at the track, but transported to a nearby hospital immediately. He was released quickly and was able to fly home with the rest of the team. His status for the Kansas race is still unknown at this time.

Kyle Petty vs. Denny Hamlin

And we thought the biggest mess of this matchup was on the track! After Denny Hamlin and Kyle Petty got together on the track during lap 204 of the Nextel Cup race in Dover, the war of words began. Kyle went to visit Denny at his car in the garage as he was sitting in it waiting for it to be repaired. At that point, Kyle slapped Denny across the helmet, which prompted Denny to take off his gloves and climb out of the car. No other physical confrontations occurred, but there are plenty of quotes and big talk from the incident. No penalties were assessed by NASCAR on either party.

NASCAR, NASCAR Dover, Nextel Cup News, Michael Waltrip Racing, Michael Waltrip Gas Man Update, Carl Edwards, Bob Osbourne, Carl Edwards Fined, Rousch Fenway Racing, Rousch Fenway Racing Fined, Denny Hamilin, Kyle Petty, Denny Hamlin Kyle Petty fight

While watching “Trackside” this weekend on the Speed Channel, I happened to hear Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt Jr. talking about a new venture they were participating in. Apparently, Elliott had the brilliant idea to start up an online poker site where fans could play poker against some of their favorite drivers. Thus, the Victory Lane Player’s Club (VLP Club) was born. In addition to Sadler and Earnhardt, you could play a hand with Kasey Kahne, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, or Jamie McMurray.

I quickly perused the site to see what is offered for the small monthly fee ($20 for a full pass) in comparison to the “rookie” membership which is free. Each full pass member receives a special prize pack which includes a hat, t-shirt, and a hero card. Full members are also the ones who are eligible to qualify to play a driver in a special tournament. Both paid and free memberships come with the opportunity to win special prizes including autographed items and VIP access at various races. After signing up, players are required to download a special program to make the online games work.

Poker TV is partnering with the drivers to broadcast special driver tournaments, including online tournaments played with fans. Even fans who have lost in the online tournament are able to watch the conclusion of the game on Poker TV. Do you think you can call the drivers’ bluffs? Head on over to VLPclub.net to find out more and sign up today.

NASCAR, NASCAR Poker, NASCAR driver online poker, NASCAR Online poker, Victory Lane Player’s Club, VLP Club Poker