News for March 8th 2010
Lodging near Barber Motorsports
Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast
There are many places to stay near Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. For those just wanting to find a utilitarian and generic lodging to lay there head after a day at the Park, there are hotels and motels aplenty. However, for those who desire a unique lodging experience with a personal touch, there are a number of Bed and Breakfast inns located even closer to the Park than most of the motels. Only twenty minutes away is Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast located on the shore of the Coosa river on Logan Martin Lake. The inn offers a variety of rooms from $100 for $175 for their top of the line, Anniversary Suite. This room has a huge glassed marble shower with multiple shower heads that give a “car wash” shower effect. There is also a whirlpool heated tub in the room with his and her sinks. The room over looks the main channel of the lake with a private entrance. Of course, a delicious full breakfast is served each morning overlooking the lake. Staying here with your significant other and attending the Barber Motorsports events doesn’t get much better. For a truly memorable weekend of racing events and relaxing lodging experience, you will find that combination at Barber Motorsports Park and Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast. For more complete information, all their facilities can be found at http://www.treasureislandbedandbreakfast.com
Edited: March 8th, 2010
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas Take DP Victory on Rolex Series Grand Prix of Miami
The No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley piloted by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas placed first in the DP class at the recently concluded Grand Prix of Miami, the second event for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The pair led the last 48 laps of the race, crossing the finish line just 0.255 seconds ahead of the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley driven by David Donohue and Darren Law.
Darren Law and David Donohue were leading the race’s first 80 laps, but when the No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8 caught on fire at the 81st lap and the No. 59 made a pit stop, Scott Pruett was able to take the lead from then on. David Donohue said that there were many advantages towards the end of the race, but Scott Pruett was simply too wily and too fast on the straights and he could get off the curves better. Many times he thought he could take over, but in the end the gap between the two cars won’t close and Brumos Racing settled with second.
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas averaged 107.196 mph over 129 laps, with Davod Donohue and Darren Law averaging 107.194 mph. Finishing third is the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley driven by Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney, with an average of 107.069 mph. Rolex 24 at Daytona
winner Ryan Dalziel who was driving the No. 08 Starworks Motorsports BMW Riley with Mike Forest finished fifth. Action Express teammates Joao Barbosa and Terry Borcheller placed 15th on their No. 09 Porsche Riley.
The GT victory was taken by the No. 69 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 driven by Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal. Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 57 Camaro GT.R with Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell took second place, and Dempsey Racing’s No. 41 Mazda RX-8 with James Gue and Leh Keen took third.
The third leg in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will be Porsche 250, which will take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, April 8th to 10th.
Edited: March 8th, 2010
Kurt Busch notches Atlanta win in overtime; Edwards parked
Kurt Busch (FSY) won again at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, pulling away on a second restart after a couple of wild wrecks to capture the Kobalt Tools 500. Busch won the spring race at the 1.54-mile trioval for the second year in a row, beating Matt Kenseth (FSY) to the line by nearly half a second Sunday.
RESULTS: Kobalt Tools 500
Juan Pablo Montoya (FSY) was third, followed by Kasey Kahne (FSY) and Paul Menard (FSY), who logged his first top-five finish in NASCAR’s top series.
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The race went 16 laps past its scheduled 325 because of two big crashes. The first came when Carl Edwards (FSY), running 156 laps behind, clipped Brad Keselowski (FSY) and sent him flying toward the grandstands upside down. Keselowski was OK, but NASCAR ordered Edwards to park his car and summoned him to its trailer for a tongue-lashing.
On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, another crash took out seven cars coming through turns three and four. Finally, they got in two clean laps, and it was Busch all the way for his third career win in Atlanta, his first of the season and the 21st of his Sprint Cup career.
“Even with all the restarts, I thought we had the strongest car,” said Busch, who led 130 of the 341 laps and snapped Jimmie Johnson’s (FSY) two-race winning streak.
Keselowski clipped Edwards early in the race, which sent him smashing into Joey Logano (FSY). Edwards spent much of the day in the garage, but returned to take out his frustration in what appeared to be an intentional tap on Keselowski coming across the start-finish line.
Keselowski’s car spun and flipped upside down, striking the barrier in front of the grandstand with a hard smash to the roof. After Edwards was ordered off the track, he drove defiantly around the quarter-mile track in front of the stands and went backward down the pit lane.
“To come back and just intentionally wreck someone, that’s not cool,” Keselowski said. “He could have killed someone in the grandstands.”
Edwards hardly issued a denial afterward. (more…)
Edited: March 8th, 2010
Keselowski flips as Edwards delivers payback
It was an almost an exact replica of the April 2009 crash at Talladega between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards. On lap 323, as Edwards was 159 laps down and Keselowski was working on what would have been a season-best sixth place finish, the caution came out for an accident on the front stretch. A crash that saw Keselowski flip into the air and land on his roof.
However, it was no accident. It was payback for an earlier wreck in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 when Keselowski tapped the rear end of Edwards No. 99 Scotts Turf Ford, sending him into Joey Logano and the turn two wall.
During his television interview with Fox after the incident, Edwards said that he didn’t feel it was Keselowski’s fault, even though he felt he should have been given a little more room that early in the race. (more…)
Edited: March 8th, 2010
Earnhardt does the impossible: Win pole and never lead
Considering its circuit has been plagued by empty seats, declining television ratings and a suspicion that Jimmy Johnson might racing with an engine that has the word, “Cessna” on it, NASCAR actually had a pretty good day Sunday.
? Somebody other than Johnson — the sport’s four-time defending champion and winner of two of this season’s first three races — won the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Alas, some semblance of competition lives for one week. (more…)
Edited: March 8th, 2010