News for April 2010
Mario Andretti Honored at Legends of Motorsports Charity Event
The Inaugural Legends of Motorsports Gala featuring racing icon Mario Andretti highlights several automotive lifestyle events slated for the very first Legends of Motorsports, A Bobby Rahal Signature Event weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. The Gala, which takes place on May 21 at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to interact with one of racings most recognizable and legendary personalities.As the Galas honored guest, the international motorsports star Andretti will mingle and visit with attendees and be the subject of a live Q&A session with the audience.Its wonderful to have a true legend like Mario Andretti join us for the very first Legends of Motorsports event, said Legends of Motorsports co-founder Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indy 500 winner and three-time CART Champion. Mario proved to the world what American drivers were made of. Hes won in Indy cars, NASCAR, Formula 1 and everything in between. His attendance at our Gala makes it a cant-miss occasion.Adding further star power to the event, SPEED TV personality Bob Varsha will serve as the emcee for the nights activities.The Gala will also feature an auction with several Andretti-autographed items, including new, original artwork by Johnathan Frank, bottles of wine from Andrettis private vineyard and racing memorabilia. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the host venue, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, as well as the Paul Newman Winning Through Giving Award.The Museum will be a fitting backdrop for the Inaugural Legends of Motorsports Gala as it is home to the one of the worlds largest collections of Lotus race cars, including two that were driven in competition by Andretti. Lotus has been named the featured marque during the Legends of Motorsports weekend at Barber, which will culminate in a Lotus-only invitational race on Sunday. Andretti will serve as the Grand Marshall for Sundays activities.Tickets to the gala are now available to the public for $250 per person and can be purchased on the Legends of Motorsports website (www.legendsofmotorsports.com) or by contacting Mandi Kern mkern@hmpseries.com. Tickets to the inaugural Legends of Motorsports event at Barber Motorsports Park can also be purchased via the Legends of Motorsports website or by calling 800-240-2300.Other 2010 Legends of Motorsports events include New Yorks Watkins Glen International, June 11-13, Canadas Circuit Mont Tremblant on July 9-11 and Sebring International Raceway on December 3-5.
Edited: April 30th, 2010
Harvick gets first win at Talladega
Kevin Harvick snapped a 115-race winless streak on Sunday as he passed Jamie McMurray just before crossing the finish line to win the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Harvick said good timing helped him get past McMurray at the end. (more…)
Edited: April 29th, 2010
Myth Busters of Staying at an Alabama Bed and Breakfast
For those who have never stayed in an Alabama Bed and Breakfast there are some myths that need busting concerning this unique and personal lodging facility. Here are serveral of them:
B&B decor is limited to lace doilies, paisley wallpaper, antiques, and patchwork quilts
The decor of some inns recall earlier eras, but increasingly, more inns are trending toward clean, sophisticated decor with modern furnishings and amenities. Even many Victorians feature individually decorated rooms to appeal to a variety of tastes.
You have to share a bathroom with other guests
The majority of inns offer private bathrooms. For those that don’t, most have policies of only renting rooms with shared bathrooms to families and couples traveling together to ensure the safety and comfort of guests.
You have to eat breakfast with total strangers and eat whatever the innkeeper prepares that morning
Many inns offers guests a variety of choices for breakfast and pride themselves on accommodating guests with special diets or food allergies. Some offer brunch featuring lots of items.
You have to abide by a curfew set by the innkeeper
Curfews are one of the most common myths. Guests usually are given keys to the main house and guest room doors, providing them with the flexibility to come and go as they please.
B&Bs are only for couples and strictly prohibit children and pets
Many inns offer family units with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, and a number of inns offer pet-friendly rooms as well. These pet-friendly inns are also a good reasource for pet-friednly restaurants and activities.
Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast located on Logan Martin Lake near Birmingham is a romantic get away that offers a stay that will be a merorible experience for years to come.
Edited: April 28th, 2010
Harvick nips McMurray at Talladega
Kevin Harvick executed the pass exactly how his team drew it up in the playbook.
With a last-second slingshot past Jamie McMurray, Harvick snapped a 115-race winless drought with an overdue victory Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. It was the payoff for perfect strategy devised in conversations over the weekend with crew chief Gil Martin and their Richard Childress Racing team.
Harvick lurked behind in traffic, trying to move his way into second place as the race hit the closing laps. His plan was to set himself up for one attempt at the lead, which he made roughly 500 yards from the finish line by sliding inside of McMurray then drag-racing him to the checkered flag.
Edited: April 26th, 2010
NASCAR doubleheader at Talladega
NASCAR canceled all Saturday track activity at Talladega Superspeedway because of threats of extended periods of severe weather.
Track officials said the decision was made on advice from the Talladega County Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service, which said Talladega County was one of the areas in Alabama facing a high risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on Saturday.
“Fans are strongly encouraged to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety, especially those guests camping on speedway property,” track officials said.
The Nationwide Series race scheduled for Saturday will now be held Sunday following the Sprint Cup Series race. It’s the second consecutive weekend that NASCAR will attempt a doubleheader.
Rain last weekend in Texas washed out both Cup and Nationwide events, and they were run back-to-back on Monday. Drivers who competed in both series totaled 801 miles of racing.
There are 10 drivers scheduled to run both of Sunday’s races, which are scheduled to total 811.30 miles barring any additional “overtime” laps.
Qualifying for Talladega’s Cup race was canceled, and the field for Sunday’s race will be set by owner points. Four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson will lead Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle to the green flag.
With the new schedule set, officials turned their attention to safety.
Fans camping on the sprawling speedway grounds were encouraged to dismantle their tents and seek more stable shelter. Most drivers and crew chiefs are also on property in their private motorhomes located just aside the garage. Security was going motorhome-to-motorhome to advise competitors of areas inside the track where they could seek shelter.
At least one driver, Denny Hamlin, left the property. Hamlin posted on his Twitter page he was headed back to Charlotte, N.C., to catch Game 3 in the NBA playoff series between the Bobcats and Orlando Magic.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., still on the clock as he and Jamie McMurray helped Daytona International Speedway announce a repaving project set to begin in July, said he didn’t know what he’d do during the storms — particularly if there’s a tornado.
“I was gonna ask for advice about the best plan,” Earnhardt said. “I ain’t got my plan together yet. I’ll look up in the sky a lot, I reckon.”
All tickets for either race will be honored Sunday, with seat priority given to those with tickets to the Cup race. Fans with tickets to the Nationwide event will be directed to the nearest open seat.
The Sprint Cup race will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern, as scheduled, and the Nationwide Series race will follow.
Edited: April 24th, 2010
The Race today is “Off” and Talledaga
NASCAR has canceled all track activity at Talladega Superspeedway because of threats of severe weather. The Nationwide Series race scheduled for Saturday will now be held Sunday following the Sprint Cup Series race. It’s the second consecutive weekend that NASCAR will attempt a doubleheader.
Rain last weekend in Texas washed out both Cup and Nationwide events, and they were run back-to-back on Monday. It totaled 801 miles of racing for the drivers who compete in both series.
Qualifying for Talladega’s Cup race was canceled, and the field for Sunday’s race will be set by owner points.
Edited: April 24th, 2010
Earnhardt Plans Strong finish at Talladega
There was once a time when every move Dale Earnhardt Jr. made in a restrictor-plate race was the right one. He could slice his way through the field, drive to the front whenever he wanted, and was always the guy to beat at Daytona and Talladega.
That four-year stretch netted Earnhardt seven victories at NASCAR’s two fastest tracks, and gave him a confidence and air of invincibility.
It’s been over five years, though, since Earnhardt last won a plate race. And though he’s still considered a contender every time he climbs into his car, he’s rarely called the favorite anymore.
Then came the season-opening Daytona 500, when for at least two laps, the old Earnhardt was back. He steamrolled his way from 10th to second with a series of jaw-dropping moves, falling just short of running down winner Jamie McMurray.
“At the end of that race, I just made enough of the right decisions,” Earnhardt said Friday. “If I’d made a couple more — maybe I made a few wrong decisions that cost me the win — and maybe if I had done things just a little differently, we’d be holding the trophy at the end of that race.”
Earnhardt understands why his Daytona drive received so much attention because just like his ardent fan base, he too saw a flash of how things used to be for NASCAR’s most popular driver.
“I did,” he nodded, “I did.”
So he’s not surprised at the growing anticipation from a victory-starved Junior Nation that is desperately hoping Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway is going to be another display of, to borrow from Earnhardt’s personal vocabulary, “awesomeness.”
Earnhardt, fresh off an eighth-place finish in Monday’s rain-rescheduled race at Texas, is tempering the expectations. Performance is as much about skill as it is the quality of race car, and Earnhardt said the current rules package leaves him at the mercy of his No. 88 Chevrolet.
“It’s no disrespect to the cars that I’ve drove in the past, but even people close to me have said I need to be more aggressive,” Earnhardt said of the mantra born out of the Daytona 500 finish.
“You can’t be aggressive when you’re going backward. You can’t be aggressive when you’re trying to sitting there trying to hang on. When the car’s good, I can do that, and I’m willing to do that. I get fired up and see opportunities and see the win standing there in front of me, and I can get aggressive. Every driver is that way when they smell that opportunity.”
But when the car is only mediocre?
“Beating on everybody ain’t going to do nothing but make you a bunch of enemies. So you’ve just go to ride it out,” he said. “When you’re playing offense all day long? It’s easy to look cool and drive on the edge and get everybody up on their feet. But when you’re just hanging on and trying not to wreck and stay out of everybody’s way, it’s difficult to be aggressive and wild and flashy or whatever.”
Of course, he’d prefer to run 500 miles at full speed with his eye only on the checkered flag. He can’t do that, though, during what’s considered to be one of the most critical season’s of his career.
Earnhardt must rebound from last year’s embarrassing campaign, when he finished 25th in the final standings at the same time his Hendrick Motorsports teammates swept the top three spots. He was winless, had just five top-10s and went into the offseason as the top priority for team owner Rick Hendrick.
Now eight races into this year, he’s already grabbed three top-10 finishes and is seventh in the standings.
Still, his winless streak has stretched to 65 races, dating back to Michigan in June 2008. He badly needs a win, but isn’t circling Sunday at Talladega, where he’s a five-time Cup winner, as a must-win race.
“I am anxious to win wherever we can win,” he said. “I don’t really put more emphasis over Daytona or Talladega or any other track. Wherever we can pick up a win, it will be just as celebrated and appreciated as any other race.”
But winning isn’t going to be the primary goal this Sunday or any other race. The big picture right now is making the Chase, and Earnhardt is focused on what he’s got to do to be one of the 12 drivers eligible to race for the Sprint Cup title at the end of the season.
“I’ve just really been trying to race every lap and every track with the mindset of trying to gain as many points each week as we can to add to the total and give ourselves that chance to finish in the Chase,” he said. “The race itself is going to be a real hard one to win, but I feel like we can be up there in the mix and if we don’t win, we can at least get a finish that helps us in the points.”
Edited: April 24th, 2010
Talladega Hopes To Run Saturday
Although the National Weather Service has predicted the strong possibility of severe storms across central Alabama Saturday, Talladega Superspeedway officials said Friday they hope to run Saturday’s track schedule as planned.
Track and NASCAR officials considered the possibility of announcing a postponement of Saturday’s activities Friday because of the severe weather forecast. Officials held one morning and two afternoon meetings with National Weather Service representatives to discuss the situation.
Saturday’s forecast includes an 80 percent chance of precipitation along with strong storms and wind. There is the potential, according to the NWS, of “a major tornado outbreak across Central Alabama.”
Saturday’s track schedule includes qualifying for Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 Sprint Cup race and the Aaron’s 312 Nationwide Series race. A crowd of more than 40,000 is expected at the track for Saturday’s race, but many more are camping in the speedway vicinity with plans to attend Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. More than 100,000 people could be impacted by potential weather problems.
“We’ll be closely monitoring everything tomorrow,” said Grant Lynch, Talladega Superspeedway chairman. “We’ll be on high alert watching the weather as it moves up from the south. It’s going to be a hit-and-miss situation.” (more…)
Edited: April 24th, 2010
Rain, Rain go away from Talladega and Alabama bed and breakfast
Talladega Superspeedway officials were wrestling Friday morning with a troublesome Saturday weather forecast that calls for strong storms, high winds and possible tornadoes in the speedway area.
Track officials were meeting with National Weather Service personnel Friday morning to analyze the forecast. The weather service has issued a “special weather statement” for central Alabama, predicting severe thunderstorms Saturday and Saturday night in central Alabama. There is an 80 percent possibility of precipitation Saturday.
The likelihood of extreme weather is of particular note in the speedway vicinity because thousands of fans are gathering in the area’s campgrounds for the NASCAR weekend. Many plan to camp out in tents and similar structures which obviously could be impacted by strong storm conditions. (more…)
Edited: April 24th, 2010
NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Rule
The Aaron’s 312 and Aaron’s 499 will mark the first Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at NASCAR’s most treacherous track since a rule mandating three tries at a green-white checkered was instituted this season.
The maximum number of attempts hasn’t been reached yet in either circuit, but the mammoth 2.66-mile oval might represent the best opportunity for testing its limits.
Though Carl Edwards’ airborne crash on the last lap has become the track’s signature highlight, Talladega normally delivers mayhem in much larger packages. Because restrictor plates are placed on the carburetors (choking down airflow to the engine and thus reducing horsepower) here, underpowered cars often races inches apart in large packs at Talladega, whose glass-smooth surface makes handling a breeze.
One bobble can cause a chain-reaction pileup of two dozen cars. With double-file restarts and an edict nullifying passes on the apron (Edwards’ Ford went skyward because he tried to block the race-winning move of Brad Keselowski, who held his ground and bumped the leader rather than dip below the (more…)
Edited: April 23rd, 2010