News for February 16th 2010
The “Banjo Mathews Prototype Ford Talladega” will be at the Talladega Reunion
The “Banjo Mathews Prototype Ford Talladega” will be at the Talladega Reunion in the Forge Muscle Car Show this coming October 1 and 2 in Kingsport, Tennessee. 
This is only one of the very rare Ford Talladegas that will be featured at this show. This car has been unseen for decades and is now undergoing a complete restoration by Jason Thompson. If you thought all Talladegas were alike you need to see this prototype. If you thought all Talladegas were built early in 1969 you need to see this car that was built in 1968! We have the first part of the story here on our site and we hope to bring you some restoration photos as it progresses up to show time at the Family Reunion! For more information on this car Click Here . Technorati Tags: ford talladega , forge muscle car show , talladega family reunion By Richard Related Blogs Related Blogs on Banjo Matthews Prototype Ford Talladega to appear at Forge Muscle Car Show – 169th Edition
Edited: February 16th, 2010
GRAND-AM: Orrr Joins Musser In CTSCC Camaro
Pencils hit paper before Momentum Race Group’s transporter had even returned from Daytona. Daniel Orr and Jordon Musser put together a contract that would see them in the AmSource Capital/Monster Graphix #06 Camaro GS.R for the entire 2010 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race schedule.
Musser (L) and Orr (R) will tackle the 2010 CTSCC GS class in their new Camaro. (MRG) » More Photos
Things came together rather quickly after a solid performance for the duo at the season opener which saw them finish in the top 10. Although not exactly where they wanted to finish, they were able to move up from a 35th starting spot and cross the finish line without a scratch on the car; the things that are critical to winning a championship.
“I’m excited to be teamed up with Daniel after his perfect execution at Daytona. We will be testing more between Daytona and Homestead, and have contracted the services of a great kinematics engineer to assist us with setup and chassis development. Our chassis dyno is finally here, so we will also be burning the midnight oil working on horsepower. The upcoming Homestead race (March 6th) will be another development opportunity. Another top 10 would be a great result for us and we certainly expect to be running at the front by Barber Motorsports Park”, said Musser.
“I was looking for a team that was professional, had the right equipment and
organization to win races and championships. Daytona was a sort of tryout for Momentum Race Group. After working with them over the weekend, it was obvious I had landed in the right place. The crew, engineers and team principles all worked harder and were more dedicated than most teams I have worked with. I am thrilled that Momentum Race Group welcomed my sponsor Monster Graphix and I back for the rest of the season, and I look forward to driving and winning with Jordon”, said Daniel Orr.
Momentum Race Group is campaigning two Riley built Camaros GS.Rs in the Grand AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series in the “GS” class.
Edited: February 16th, 2010
Competitive Daytona 500 Is Good News For ‘DEGA Fans
NASCAR’s recent rule changes at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway paid dividends during the Daytona 500. A combination of larger restrictor plates, less policing on bump-drafting and aerodynamic changes to car led to a 40% increase in green flag passes in the Great American Race. That’s a good sign for race fans when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls to Talladega Superspeedway for the April 23-25 Aaron’s Dream Weekend.
“No one was more excited about NASCAR’s competition changes than me and my staff at Talladega Superspeedway,” said President Rick Humphrey. “To see the changes make such a profound impact on the racing at Daytona makes me confident that the Aaron’s 499 will be one of the most spectacular races of the year. Talladega consistently produces the most competitive races of the year and all signs point to this being a potential record breaking race. Race fans need to be here for the Aaron’s Dream Weekend April 23-25.”
Comparatively speaking, the 2009 Aaron’s 499 featured 11,290 green flag passes, nearly 2,000 more than the Daytona 500’s recent 9,450. A similar 40% increase in competition at Talladega would boost the number of green flag passes close to the 16,000 mark. That equates to more than 85 passes a lap.
The Daytona 500 also set a race record with 21 different leaders. The 2009 Aaron’s 499 featured 25 different leaders, three shy of the NASCAR record of 28, set by Talladega in 2008. The race record of leaders for the Aaron’s 499 is 26 different leaders.
The April 23 -25 Aaron’s Dream Weekend begins a new era at Talladega Superspeedway with new rules, new seats and new lower ticket prices. For more information on tickets to Talladega Superspeedway, please visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. For our hearing impaired guests, please call TDD 1-866-ISC-TRAK (1-866-472-8725). Tickets also are available in person by visiting the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. CDT, Monday- Friday
Edited: February 16th, 2010
Junior Gives Crowd A Thrill
Dale Earnhardt Jr. discovered some of his old plate racing magic Sunday in the Daytona 500.
The crowd favorite charged from 10th to second place on the final lap of the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup race – it was probably the most important runner-up finish of his career.
Earnhardt, the son of a seven-time Cup champion and long considered one of the biggest stars in the stock car sport, has suffered through two miserable seasons since joining the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports team.
He won one race and made the Chase in 2008, but finished 12th in the points. Last year, while teammates Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the championship, Junior failed to win a race and wound up 25th in the points.
Team owner Rick Hendrick has said repeatedly since the end of last season that he and the team were going to do whatever it took to get Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet turned around this year.
It wasn’t the win he had hoped for, but Sunday’s performance was definitely a step in the right direction.
“I feel good about the finish,’’ Earnhardt said. “It’s just frustrating coming that close. … you’re mad because you just want to get a top 10. When you get a top 10, you’re pissed off because you can’t get in the top five. Then when you’re running second it gets you mad because you didn’t get a win. That’s how race car drivers are, I hope.
“We worked hard all week. I felt foolish about what happened to us in the 150 (qualifying race). We beat the fenders off the car and had to drop back and punt. I just didn’t like racing that way. We ran pretty hard today. We had a car that got ill handling and we faded a bit. We worked on it. We had all kinds of messes going on there.
“When it got cool,’’ he added, “everybody’s car gripped up. The outcome, I don’t know. We worked hard. I’m pretty happy for my team. They needed a good finish.’’
But plate racing at Daytona and Talladega is very different from the rest of the season and Earnhardt knows he and the 88 team still have a lot to prove.
“This is not a true gauge on what the changes are going to do to our team,’’ he said. “The next couple racetracks will definitely give us a better understanding of where we are. … If we can go to Fontana, Vegas, be competitive at any point during them races, it would be a little more validation.’’
Sunday was a very good day, similar to the plate races of a few years ago when Earnhardt was considered the master of the draft.
“It was all a blur,’’ said Earnhardt, whose finish was reminiscent of his father’s last victory at Talladega, when he sliced through traffic and drove from 18th to first in the last 10 laps. “I was just going wherever they weren’t.
“I really don’t enjoy being that aggressive. But if there was enough room for the radiator to fit, you just kind of held the gas down and prayed for the best.’’
It was the most fun he’s had on a plate track in a while.
“Yeah, I had a hell of a time tonight,’’ Earnhardt said. “When you got a good car, one that will make some moves and don’t wreck … I wrecked out of the last couple 500s. I figured, `What do I have to do to finish one of these things and finish it good?’ I might have been a little too careful (in the past), you know.
“Tonight, I just let it all hang out. If there was a hole in the middle, I went there, wherever it was.’’
That was good enough to give Earnhardt some much-needed momentum and his legion of fans some hope.
– Mike Harris can be reached at mharris@racintoday.com
Mike Harris was the long-time auto racing beat writer for the Associated Press and is now a frequent contributor to RacinToday.com
Edited: February 16th, 2010