Even though it's the off-season, there's still plenty going on in the world of NASCAR...
The latest news comes just this morning of the Christmas evening death of Donald "D. J." Richardson from complications of the H1N1 virus. Richardson was the rear-tire changer for Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet. Richardson's flu turned to pnemonia and he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster, Massachusetts, in early December in acute respiratory distress. He was 37. Here's the announcement/statement from RCR.
NASCAR has changed the eligibility requirements for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The old rules, which were just put in place in 2009, called for the top six drivers in owner's points for each manufacturer to be included in the race. That was a problem since Dodge is now down to just three Cup drivers, those at Penske Racing. The new rules allow past Bud Shootout and Daytona Cup race winners (Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 winners) to make the entry list. Former Cup champions and the current Raybestos Rookie of the Year (Joey Lagano) are also eligible.
The Bud Shootout is a non-points exhibition race that opens the NASCAR season the week before the Daytona 500. Previously, when Budweiser was the sponsor of the Pole Award, the entry list for the Shootout focused on pole winners from the previous season. That changed for the 2009 race when the Pole Award sponsorship went to rival brewery Coors. (Updated Meanwhile... Bud Shootout post)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Bill Elliott, and Bobby and Terry Labonte are among those who now make the 2010 race under the new rules. David Reutimann, A. J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski are among those who would have qualified under the old rules, but are now out of the 2010 race.
On December 18, the operators of the Milwaukee Mile suddenly announced that they would not be holding their scheduled 2010 NASCAR races -- Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races on the weekend of June 18-19. The operators of the track, the Wisconsin State Fair Park Board, was unable to find a promoter for the 2010 season. At the time, NASCAR issued a statement saying that they "were aware of this possibility" and that they were working on "alternative opportunities." The Nationwide alternative opportunity was up the road at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, at Road America. The 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course will take the Milwaukee Mile's slot on the 2010 Nationwide schedule. Truck Series alternative opportunities haven't been announced yet.
(Danica's debut, a major award for Jimmie Johnson, and more after the jump)
Showing posts with label NASCAR -- results/standings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASCAR -- results/standings. Show all posts
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
NASCAR: Dover Preview
NASCAR has three races in two days on this weekend's schedule. Two races and all the attention are at the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway. It's Week Two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the AAA 400, Sunday at 1 p.m. (ABC).
They call it the Monster Mile for a reason. DIS is exactly one mile long with high banking (24° in the turns and 9° on the 1076-feet straightaways), which leads to higher speeds. The cars get good grip on the concrete surface, which leads drivers to push the issue, but the surface is bumpy, which can lead to trouble, especially with the new double-file restarts. The confines are tight -- a single-car spin can quickly turn into a multi-car accident that can cause problems with twelve drivers racing for a championship.
In Friday qualifying, Jimmie Johnson captured the pole with a lap of 22.878 seconds (157.356 mph). It was his second pole of the season. Juan Montoya will be beside Johnson on the front row after a lap of 156.699 mph. Chase drivers took six of the first seven starting spots. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle start on Row Two. Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon start in sixth and seventh respectively. Carl Edwards has the best average finish among active drivers at Dover, but he has his work cut out for him Sunday. He qualified 30th, worst among the Chasers. (Race lineup)
Mark Martin comes into Dover with a 35-point lead over Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Nine drivers are separated by less than 100 points. Jeff Gordon is in tenth, 102 points back. Kasey Kahne trails the Chase field, he's 161 points behind Martin after just one Chase race.
They call it the Monster Mile for a reason. DIS is exactly one mile long with high banking (24° in the turns and 9° on the 1076-feet straightaways), which leads to higher speeds. The cars get good grip on the concrete surface, which leads drivers to push the issue, but the surface is bumpy, which can lead to trouble, especially with the new double-file restarts. The confines are tight -- a single-car spin can quickly turn into a multi-car accident that can cause problems with twelve drivers racing for a championship.
In Friday qualifying, Jimmie Johnson captured the pole with a lap of 22.878 seconds (157.356 mph). It was his second pole of the season. Juan Montoya will be beside Johnson on the front row after a lap of 156.699 mph. Chase drivers took six of the first seven starting spots. Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle start on Row Two. Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon start in sixth and seventh respectively. Carl Edwards has the best average finish among active drivers at Dover, but he has his work cut out for him Sunday. He qualified 30th, worst among the Chasers. (Race lineup)
Mark Martin comes into Dover with a 35-point lead over Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Nine drivers are separated by less than 100 points. Jeff Gordon is in tenth, 102 points back. Kasey Kahne trails the Chase field, he's 161 points behind Martin after just one Chase race.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
NASCAR: Loudon Preview
NASCAR travels to New Hampshire for a two-race weekend. The big race is Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It's the first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, twelve drivers vying for the championship separated by just forty points.
I'm not a big fan of the Chase. I like the old system where a driver had to be consistent over the entire season to win the championship. Now, a driver just has to be consistent enough over the regular season, the first 26 races, to be in the Top 12 and make the Chase. The Chase is a playoff format; the points of the 12 Chase drivers are reset and they begin the playoffs on an almost equal footing. The winner of the Sprint Cup champion is the best of the 12 over the final ten races of the season. Big leads are almost always erased. Last season, Jimmie Johnson took home the championship that should have belonged to Jeff Gordon. Now, I'm not a Jeff Gordon fan so that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I am a Tony Stewart fan and this year eleven other drivers are vying to take home his championship. He had a 197-point lead after Richmond, but starts this Chase ten points behind Mark Martin. NASCAR got tired of drivers running away with championships, clinching them with races left on the schedule, and came up with this playoff format.
I also don't like the scoring system for the Chase. It's the same as any other time of the season, but twelve drivers are competing for the championship alongside 31 other drivers who have their own reasons for being there. Shouldn't the Chase drivers be scored separately from the other drivers?
I'm not a big fan of the Chase. I like the old system where a driver had to be consistent over the entire season to win the championship. Now, a driver just has to be consistent enough over the regular season, the first 26 races, to be in the Top 12 and make the Chase. The Chase is a playoff format; the points of the 12 Chase drivers are reset and they begin the playoffs on an almost equal footing. The winner of the Sprint Cup champion is the best of the 12 over the final ten races of the season. Big leads are almost always erased. Last season, Jimmie Johnson took home the championship that should have belonged to Jeff Gordon. Now, I'm not a Jeff Gordon fan so that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I am a Tony Stewart fan and this year eleven other drivers are vying to take home his championship. He had a 197-point lead after Richmond, but starts this Chase ten points behind Mark Martin. NASCAR got tired of drivers running away with championships, clinching them with races left on the schedule, and came up with this playoff format.
I also don't like the scoring system for the Chase. It's the same as any other time of the season, but twelve drivers are competing for the championship alongside 31 other drivers who have their own reasons for being there. Shouldn't the Chase drivers be scored separately from the other drivers?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sports Stories
A few sports stories that caught my eye while I was trying to decide if Atlanta really has a pro basketball team...
The only people who seem to be doing great in this dismal economy are Wall Street executives, lottery winners and baseball players. Among the latter, Rafael Furcal might be returning to the Atlanta Braves. The shortstop is mulling over a $30 million, three-year deal. Then again, he may go to the Athletics or stay with the Dodgers. Who knows at this point?
Charles Barkley ripped his alma mater, Auburn, for hiring Gene Chizik to be their head football coach. He would have preferred Turner Gill, head coach of the University of Buffalo, and says the only reason they didn't hire Gill is that he is black. Gill has since signed a contract extention at Buffalo.
Contrary to what Tim Tebow said after the Heisman presentation, Florida coach Urban Meyer says that offensive coordinator Dan Mullen will stay on at Florida long enough to call the plays for Gators in the BCS national championship game. Mullen has been hired to fill the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi State.
Accidents and spins were at their lowest levels in five years in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. There were 211 incidents that resulted in a caution flag in 2008, down 12% from the previous year.
And Michael Vick's attorney told a federal bankruptcy judge that Vick could be out of jail and in a Virginia halfway house by late January.
The only people who seem to be doing great in this dismal economy are Wall Street executives, lottery winners and baseball players. Among the latter, Rafael Furcal might be returning to the Atlanta Braves. The shortstop is mulling over a $30 million, three-year deal. Then again, he may go to the Athletics or stay with the Dodgers. Who knows at this point?
Charles Barkley ripped his alma mater, Auburn, for hiring Gene Chizik to be their head football coach. He would have preferred Turner Gill, head coach of the University of Buffalo, and says the only reason they didn't hire Gill is that he is black. Gill has since signed a contract extention at Buffalo.
Contrary to what Tim Tebow said after the Heisman presentation, Florida coach Urban Meyer says that offensive coordinator Dan Mullen will stay on at Florida long enough to call the plays for Gators in the BCS national championship game. Mullen has been hired to fill the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi State.
Accidents and spins were at their lowest levels in five years in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. There were 211 incidents that resulted in a caution flag in 2008, down 12% from the previous year.
And Michael Vick's attorney told a federal bankruptcy judge that Vick could be out of jail and in a Virginia halfway house by late January.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
NASCAR: Martinsville Results
Carl Edwards said it best in a prerace interview...
Newman, who is not in the Chase, finished second. Chasers Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth round out the top 5. (Results)
It was a typical Martinsville race. Bumping and grinding and banging. A lot of twisted sheet metal. There were a track-record twenty cautions. The twentieth, on lap 496, set up a green-white-checkered finish, a two-lap shootout for the win. Johnson and Newman were racing hard for the finish and almost plowed into David Ragan, who had spun out in the middle of a turn. NASCAR threw the yellow flag, ending the race there under caution.
In other news, Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., and owner of numerous NASCAR tracks, is contemplating shutting down his marquee track, Lowe's Motor Speedway, in a rift with local lawmakers. Smith wanted to add a state-of-the-art drag strip to the facility, but was blocked by local officials. After bringing millions of dollars into the local economy, Smith was feeling decidedly unappreciated and threatened to close down the facility and build another close by. At first, he was thought to just be posturing to get his way, but he now says, "I'm 90 percent we will move." Lowe's is due for renovations that are estimated at $150 million. For about twice that amount, Smith can build his dream track. City and county officials, even the governor, are now bending over backwards to try to keep LMS right where it is. (The latest)
I know it probably won't happen, but it would be nice if Jimmie and Jeff quit sharing notes, started to hate each other and wrecked each other on the racetrack. It would really help the rest of us out.The Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship is now the Jeff & Jimmie Show. Jimmie Johnson passed Jeff Gordon with 44 laps to go, then held off Gordon and Ryan Newman through numerous cautions and restarts to claim victory in the Subway 500. Johnson's victory is his third in a row at Martinsville, and snaps Gordon's two-race Nextel Cup winning streak. Johnson gained on Gordon with the win, but the other Chase drivers moved even further back in the standings. (Standings)
Newman, who is not in the Chase, finished second. Chasers Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth round out the top 5. (Results)
It was a typical Martinsville race. Bumping and grinding and banging. A lot of twisted sheet metal. There were a track-record twenty cautions. The twentieth, on lap 496, set up a green-white-checkered finish, a two-lap shootout for the win. Johnson and Newman were racing hard for the finish and almost plowed into David Ragan, who had spun out in the middle of a turn. NASCAR threw the yellow flag, ending the race there under caution.
In other news, Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., and owner of numerous NASCAR tracks, is contemplating shutting down his marquee track, Lowe's Motor Speedway, in a rift with local lawmakers. Smith wanted to add a state-of-the-art drag strip to the facility, but was blocked by local officials. After bringing millions of dollars into the local economy, Smith was feeling decidedly unappreciated and threatened to close down the facility and build another close by. At first, he was thought to just be posturing to get his way, but he now says, "I'm 90 percent we will move." Lowe's is due for renovations that are estimated at $150 million. For about twice that amount, Smith can build his dream track. City and county officials, even the governor, are now bending over backwards to try to keep LMS right where it is. (The latest)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)