News for February 18th 2010

A Look Back at the Daytona 500

Plate racing is a lot about people helping you. When you get out there, you have a decision to make when you get behind somebody, of which one you want to help. I’ve been really fortunate that I’m pretty good friends with a lot of guys out there. You know, guys typically will help me when I get to plate races.

“You cannot win one of these races without help. It’s not just from one guy, it takes a lot of people. You got to have a fast car, and everything’s got to work out for you. I’ve been obviously really fortunate the last two plate tracks.”

— Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray on his success at Daytona and Talladega.

“Actually, I felt pretty good when I saw that 16 car [Greg Biffle] behind him because I know they’re friends. He didn’t smack him — he pulled up to him and pushed him gently. When he did that, I felt pretty good. I was hoping a big wreck would happen behind us. I didn’t care if it was the 42 car [teammate Juan Pablo Montoya] that wrecked behind us!

“No, I just wanted the race to end. And it ended. That’s all that counts.”

— Felix Sabates, co-owner of the Nos. 1 and 42 Chevrolets, on the last two laps of the Daytona 500.

“It was all a blur. 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.”

— Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his final-lap charge to second in the Daytona 500.

Misc. Notes
Jamie McMurray won his fourth career NASCAR Cup race with his victory in the 2010 Daytona 500. Three of his wins have come on restrictor plate tracks at Daytona (Feb. 2010, July 2007) and Talladega (Nov. 2009). McMurray’s first career Cup win came at Charlotte in his second career Cup start in October 2002.

McMurray joins Jeff Gordon (6), Bill Elliott (4), Tony Stewart (3), Michael Waltrip (3) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) as the only active drivers with multiple points-paying wins at Daytona.

McMurray became the first driver since Richard Petty in 1979 to win the Daytona 500 from the lucky 13th-place starting spot.

The win was Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s first as a company following its merger (Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing) prior to the 2009 season. It was the first 500 victory for Chip Ganassi, who adds the Harley Earle trophy in a case that already includes the Borg-Warner trophy (Indianapolis 500) and two 24 Hours of Le Mans trophies.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s runner-up showing was his first top-5 performance since a third at Michigan in August 2009. Greg Biffle finished third, his first top 5 at Daytona since a win in July 2003. Clint Bowyer (fourth) recorded his second consecutive fourth-place run in the Daytona 500. David Reutimann (fifth) notched his first top-5 run in 13 plate-track starts in the Cup Series.

Five cars were forced to the rear of the field prior to the start of the event. Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip went to the back for rolling out backup cars. AJ Allmendinger and Carl Edwards went to the back for engine changes.

Time of Race: Officially, 3 hours, 47 minutes, 16 seconds; however, with red flags lasting over 2 hours, the time invested went north of 7 hours.
Average Speed: 137.284 mph
Margin of Victory: .119 seconds
Caution Flags: 9 cautions for 40 laps.
Lap Leaders: 52 lead changes among 21 drivers: Martin 1-4, Kahne 5, Martin 6-12, Montoya 13, Earnhardt 14-17, Harvick 18-21, Sadler 22, Harvick 23-34, Ku. Busch 35-44, Allmendinger 45-47, Ku. Busch 48-49, Logano 50, R. Gordon 51, Ku. Busch 52-70, Allmendinger 71, Harvick 72, Allmendinger 73-79, Hamlin 80, Ku. Busch 81, Biffle 82-83, Ku. Busch 84, Biffle 85-94, Ky. Busch 95-97, J. Gordon 98-99, Bowyer 100-106, Biffle 107, Bowyer 108-109, Biffle 110, Bowyer 111-112, Ragan 113-114, Bowyer 115-118, Kvapil 119, Said 120, Bowyer 121-126, Kahne 127-129, Sadler 130, Bowyer 131, Sadler 132-135, Bowyer 136-137, Harvick 138-144, Sadler 145-147, Truex 148-150, Harvick 151-153, Montoya 154, Harvick 155-164, Speed 165-168, Biffle 169-175, Speed 176-183, Biffle 184-185, Bowyer 186-198, Biffle 199-202, Harvick 203-206, McMurray 207-208.

A Look Ahead to the Auto Club 500 from Auto Club Speedway

Still Seeing Full Fields
46 teams (the same number for this race last season) are officially entered for the Auto Club 500. Those that must race their way in (are not in the top 35 in owners points): 09-Aric Almirola, 13-Max Papis, 35-Johnny Sauter, 36-Mike Bliss, 46-Terry Cook, 55-Michael McDowell, 66-Dave Blaney, 71-Bobby Labonte, 82-Scott Speed, 87-Joe Nemechek, 90-Casey Mears

Crew Chief Change for Kenseth
In a surprise move on Wednesday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that NASCAR veteran Todd Parrott will assume crew chief responsibilities for Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford effective immediately.

Drew Blickensderfer, who led Kenseth to a 2009 Daytona 500 win as well as another victory the following week in Fontana, had just completed his first year as Kenseth’s head wrench. Blickensderfer will assume a role in RFR’s Research and Development department.

Parrott began his crew chief career in the Cup Series in 1995 with Robert Yates Racing’s No. 88 Ford with Dale Jarrett. The two won a then-Winston Cup championship in 1999. He most recently served as crew chief on the No. 96 Hall of Fame/Yates Racing Ford of Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell.

Auto Club Speedway Facts
Auto Club Speedway has hosted 19 Sprint Cup races since Jeff Gordon won the 1997 California 500. At the time, the track was known as California Speedway. The named was changed prior to the February 2008 event.

Jamie McMurray is looking to become the second consecutive driver to win back-to-back races to begin the season. Matt Kenseth did so last year, the first driver since Gordon in 1997 (Daytona, Rockingham) to do so.

Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with four career Cup wins at Auto Club Speedway. Gordon and Kenseth have three apiece. Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and Elliott Sadler each have one victory in Fontana.

Only four drivers — Jeff Burton, Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek —have participated in all 19 Cup races held at ACS.

Kenseth leads all drivers with 11 top-10 finishes at ACS. Edwards, Gordon and Johnson have 10 apiece, while Gordon also leads the circuit with 10 top 5s.

Kyle Busch holds the track qualifying record of 188.245 mph set in February 2005.

Gordon’s win in the inaugural event is also the fastest at ACS, averaging 155.012 mph. As stated earlier, Kenseth is the defending winner of this event (135.839 mph). Johnson won the October edition (143.908 mph), his third consecutive fall win in Fontana.

Track Specs: 2-mile, D-shaped oval; Banking/Turns: 14 degrees; Banking/Tri-oval: 11 degrees; Banking/Straightaway: 3 degrees
2009 Winner: Matt Kenseth
Cup Practice Times (all times Eastern): Friday, Feb. 19: 3:00-4:30 pm (SPEED-TV)
Saturday, Feb. 20: 2:30-3:15 pm (SPEED-TV); Happy Hour: 3:45-4:50 pm (SPEED-TV)
Cup Qualifying: Friday, Feb. 19: 6:40 pm (SPEED-TV)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500: Sunday, Feb. 21: 3:20 pm

Edited: February 18th, 2010

It’s Wrap at Daytona

Besides the fact that there was a major size pothole at Daytona International Speedway, there was also some great racing. The wing on the back of the cars, the same one that has taken some of the blame for the quality of racing since the inception of the “Car of Tomorrow”, has to be considered as part of the package that produced the exciting racing in the Daytona 500.

While the wing cannot be given complete credit for the quality of racing, it cannot be take all of the blame when the racing is deemed sup-par.

There is still plan to replace the wing with a spoiler, but there are rumblings that NASCAR may leave the wing alone for the three remaining restrictor plate races. Teams will be trying out the new rear spoilers at an open test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 23rd and 24th. The spring Talladega race is a month later on April 25th.

Brian Vickers commented about the change during testing at Texas Motor Speedway, “Theoretically, from what I’ve been told, the difference between the two (spoiler vs wing) is that the spoiler is better in traffic. Once you get in a lot of turbulence, the spoiler’s not going to lose a lot of efficiency while a wing really will.”

Many attributes including the car, the track, the rules and circumstance combine to produce either a good or bad race. Throw in the fact that race fans can be jaded in their view of a race if their driver doesn’t win and what is needed to make everyone happy after a race can be impossible to come up with.

Most fans would have to agree that besides pothole issues, Sunday’s race was one to remember. So, what went into making the Daytona 500 a great race? Mostly, it was rules.

Drivers were told that previous rules regarding bump-drafting were not in place anymore. “We will put it back in the hands of the hands of the drivers and we will say, ‘Boys, have at it and have a good time,’” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition. Confusion of where bump-drafting was allowed and the possibility of favouritism in enforcement of those rules were eliminated as drivers were told to police themselves. Without those worries, drivers were free to go out and race in the Daytona 500.

The holes in the restrictor plates were increased. With the size of the four openings at 63/64ths of an inch, more of the air and fuel mixture flows into the engine to increase horsepower and acceleration. The ability to let off the throttle and then get back on it allows the drivers more throttle control without the penalty of the engine starving for fuel when the racer wants to go.

Green-White-Checker rules were changed three days before the Daytona 500. NASCAR now allows up to three restart attempts prior to the white flag being displayed to try to not finish the race under caution. Only one restart attempt was allowed under the prior rules. Sunday’s Daytona 500 used two of the three restarts and eight extra laps. Clint Bowyer looked to be on his way to the win until the caution waved with five laps to go. Bowyer led the field back to the green but then Greg Biffle took away the lead and the yellow flag flew again. As the green flew again, so did Kevin Harvick, who took his turn back at the front. One more caution flag flew and on the second G/W/C attempt Jamie McMurray led the last two laps and held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the way to his first Daytona 500 victory. Four race leaders in the final moments of a race makes for an exciting event. Let’s not forget the double-file restarts, without those the lead changes probably would not have happened.

Does this mean that NASCAR racing is fixed and this will be the best racing ever. Let’s not go that far. Racing at restrictor plate tracks is completely different than the rest of the events on the schedule. What we do know is that NASCAR is making the effort to listen to fans and is working on improving their product. So far, so good.

Edited: February 18th, 2010

Porsche Sport Driving School: Barber Motosports

Porsche Driving Schools: The Porsche Sport Driving School is the ultimate adventure for driven Porsche enthusiasts. Sponsored by Porsche Cars North America, the purpose of the school is to teach drivers how to maximize both safety and performance while driving racy Porsches. The courses offered are not just for owners, as all cars used are owned by the PSDS. So, anyone with either a passion or an interest is invited to strap on a helmet, and participate in a one- or two-day course taught by savvy racecar drivers with impressive résumés. Generally, the students-to-instructor ratio is four to one, and there usually are 24 to 30 student drivers participating.

The Porsche Sport Driving School is located in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Barber Motorsports Park. The outdoor classroom is a 2.38-mile track that is 45 feet wide and has an 80-foot elevation change. The venue hosts major events such as the Grand Am series and the AMA Superbike series. It is situated on 740 acres in the middle of the woodsy, verdant outskirts of Birmingham.

Mid-engine Porsches available to students include a Boxster, a Boxster S, and a Cayman S. The fastest vehicles provided are the rear-engine 911 Carrera S and the 911 Carrera at 182 and 177 mph, respectively. The Cayenne S, which is Porsche’s all-terrain vehicle, is the turtle of the group with a top-track speed of 155 mph.

A one-day course costs approximately $1,795, and the cost of a two-day event is priced from $2,995 per driver. A guest is permitted to accompany a student at an additional cost of $125 per day. However, guests are permitted to drive only in vehicles driven by instructors. Additionally, there is a two-day advanced session that costs roughly $3,495 per participant. The fun starts at 8 a.m. and concludes at 4:45 p.m. The Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa is the recommended lodgings of the PSDS, as a special rate is extended to guests of Porsche.

To celebrate the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder, Porsche and JustLuxe have teamed up to bring you three exhilarating adventures. As part of the campaign, Porsche is offering a chance to win a one-day precision driving course, as well as accommodations at the luxurious Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.

Edited: February 18th, 2010