RACING FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE - SPEEDTV

SPEEDTV.COM MOTORSPORTS RACING NEWS

Racing News From The Worlds Leading Motor Sports Channel including Indycars, Grand-Am, Grand-Am GT and Champ Car.

EXPERIENCES

HOME
EVENTS 2007
EVENTS 2008
EVENTS 2009
EVENTS 2010
IMAGES 2007
IMAGES 2008
IMAGES 2009
IMAGES 2010
ARCHIVES INDEX

NEWS

LATEST NEWS
NEWS BLOG
NEWS RSS
INDUSTRY NEWS
RACE SCHEDULES
CALENDAR
WEATHER RADAR

TRACKS

MOSPORT
C. M. SPEEDWAY

SPORTS CAR

24 HOUR LE MANS
ALMS
ASIAN LMS
BMW M1 PROCAR
CCTCC
DTM
GT CHALLENGE
LE MANS SERIES
ONT GT SPRINTS
SCCA WC
SPEED WC-TC
TRANS-AM

OPEN WHEEL

A1GP
ATLANTIC
BMW AMERICAS
FORMULA 1
FORMULA 1200
FORMULA 2
FORMULA 2000
FORMULA LIBRE
INDYCAR
INDY LIGHTS
OFFC

STOCK CAR

6 OR LESS
CAN VINTAGE MOD
CUP LITES
LATE MODEL
MODIFIED
NCATS
ONT LEGENDS
OSS
PRO CHALLENGE
SPORTSMAN

RALLY

CANADIAN RALLY
DAKAR RALLY
TARGA NL
WRC

MEDIA

AUTOSPORTBLOG
BLEACHER
GREEN AUTO
CLASSIC
CLASSIC EVENTS
CLASSIC PICTURES
INSIDE TRACK
JALOPNIK
MOTORSPORT
SCCA/PRO
SPEED

SERVICES

LINKS

Template

SPEED - Latest Headlines: AUTO-RACING

ALMS: Catching Up With Alex Job
AJR team owner discusses rules and the future of both GTC and his Florida-based organization

INDYCAR: Kentucky Preview
Last year it was the Ed Carpenter show. Will we see a repeat this Saturday?

INDYCAR: 2012 Aero Kit Q&A
What will it cost to produce a 2012 aero kit? How about to break even? And how should the rules be written? Marshall Pruett does some digging…

SCCA: Record-Breaking Contingency Fund For Runoffs
Racers participating in the 2010 SCCA Runoffs® at Road America will vie for their share of contingency awards worth $1.6 million.

PHOTOS: This Week's Grid Girls
Check out these Grid Girls posing at racetracks around the world.

ARCA: DuQuoin Mile Dirt, A Schrader Racing Tradition
Ken Schrader has three races to compete in before he gets to the 58th Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin, Illinois...

WoO: Lasoski Finally Wins!
Danny Lasoski wins at Cottage Grove Speedway to snap a 77-race winless streak.

This page was created using RSS courtesy of FeedForAll

Template

Checkered Flag

Checkpoints are steaming. Engines are screaming. The lure is so strong, there’s no way I can spoil the craving of a racing throng…

Jeff with a Handful of Races

Burton began his driving career with a handful of races in the Busch Series in the year 1988 in race car number 69 owned by his well respected father John Burton. Burton competed in the full season for Busch Series Rookie of the Year in 1989 in the Burton Autosports Pontiac #12. In the year 1990, Burton drove the #12 Armour Meats Buick for the legendary driver Sam Ard. He then moved to J&J Racing's #99 Armour/Food Lion Chevrolet in the year 1991 for one year before advancing to Filmar Racing owned by Filbert Martocci where Burton would drive an Oldsmobile sponsored by TIC Financial Systems in 1992, and a Ford sponsored by Baby Ruth in 1993. Burton would later make his first Winston Cup debut start in 1993 in car #0 owned by Martocci.

Burton then shared the #29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet with Scott Wimmer. In the year 2007, Burton won five races (Las Vegas Motor Speedway--March, Atlanta Motor Speedway--March, California Speedway--September, Lowes Motor Speedway--October, and Homestead-Miami Speedway--November). In addition to the five outstanding victories Burton also won the 2007 Busch Series Owners Championship for Richard Childress.

Jeff Burton was resurgent last 2006 in his second full season driving for Richard Childress racing. In 2005 RCR was still trying to find its competitive legs, and Burton’s Chevrolet was an afterthought at many NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. But last 2006 season the “31” Burton piloted won the race, the Dover 400, finished in the top five seven more times and held the top spot in the championship point standings during the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup for four consecutive weeks.

Even though Burton is now an elder statesman in a series that features many young and fearless up-and-comers, this driver has to be considered one of the top contenders for wins and the championship trophy at the end of the season. Team owner Richard Childress and the other drivers in the racing stable have been on this organization’s return to prominence. The organization even added a new associate sponsor to the fold as LENOX Industrial Tools joins the team for 2007.

On 2007 Burton and his RCR race team returned with many of the same faces in place, which will be strength. Crew chief Scott Miller returns, as does main sponsor Cingular Wireless along with teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. That type of stability can only help, as the Virginia native tries to take the next step and claim what is practically the only honor remaining in his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series career: a championship. And with just be the year he accomplishes that goal.

Born: June 29, 1967 (1967-06-29) (age 40)
Birthplace: South Boston, Virginia
Achievements: —
Awards: 1994 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team 31 - Richard Childress Racing
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 8th
Best Cup Position: 3rd - 2000 (Winston Cup)
First Race: 1993 Slick 50 300 (New Hampshire)
First Win: 1997 Interstate Batteries 500 (Texas)
Last Win: 2008 Food City 500 (Bristol)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
20 --- 200 --- 6

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

2007 NNS Position: 28th
Best NNS Position: 9th - 1992
First Race: 1988 Miller Classic (Martinsville)
First Win: 1990 Zerex 150 (Martinsville)
Last Win: 2007 Ford 300 (Homestead)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
27 --- 139 --- 11

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Statistics

First Race: 1996 Lund Look 275K (Heartland Park Topeka)
Last Race: 1996 Hanes 250 (Lowe's)
First Win: None

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
0 --- 3 --- 1

Statistics current as of April 13th, 2008

Get it from the Champ!

Jimmie Johnson started his racing career on 50cc motorcycles at an early age of five years old. Johnson was already becoming a successful motorcycle driver at an early age making him a prospect for the watchful eyes of different teams both in motorcycle racing and kart racing. By the time he reached the age of eight, Johnson won the 60cc class championship in spite of injuring his knee with quite a few races left in the season. From motorcycle racing, Jimmie Johnson made a big move onto four wheels and competed in several off-road leagues including SODA, SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group. Johnson accumulated over 25 wins, 100 top-three finishes, six championships, and received Rookie of the Year honors in all three leagues. Johnson then raced with Herzog Motorsports in the 1996 and 1997 SODA series. Johnson was then fancy himself as field reporter for ESPN in the SODA series.

The 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion must be considered the high-priced, not to mention high risk, favorite to claim the title once more in 2007. After Johnson won the crown last 2006 thanks to five wins and 13 top-five finishes, all the signs point in the direction of another strong campaign for the California native hero.

Johnson then returns for 2007 with his crew chief, Chad Knaus – who is no doubt considered one of the best in the racing business – and the rest of his Hendrick race team largely unbroken. Knaus, by the way, recently re-upped to lead the racing effort in the shop and behind the wall until 2010.

Primary sponsor Lowe’s is also signed up for the long term, so stability is not an issue here. In his full-time seasons in the series, Johnson has never finished lower than fifth in the final standings. His 23 career victories in 183 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events averages out to one win for every 8 starts.

Although Johnson claimed the championship by just 56 points over runner-up Matt Kenseth, his performance was actually quite dominant. In all, Johnson held the top spot in the standings after 25 of the 36 events, and before the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup began, he led the rest of the field by as many as 124 points. In all of 2006 he had only three finishes of 30th or worse. Johnson is in the enviable position of having set the bar for which everyone must aim in 2007. There is a little doubt that this driven competitor and his entire race team will continue to push to be even more dominant as they defend their crown.

Born: September 17, 1975 (1975-09-17) (age 32)
Birthplace: El Cajon, California
Achievements: 2006 / 2007 Sprint Cup Series Champion
Sprint All-Star Race XIX, and XXII Winner
2006 Daytona 500 Winner
2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Winner

Awards: 1998 ASA Rookie of the Year
Off-road championships in SODA, SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team 48 - Hendrick Motorsports
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 1st
Best Cup Position: 1st - 2006, 2007
First Race: 2001 UAW-GM Quality 500 (Charlotte)
First Win: 2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 (Fontana)
Last Win: 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 (Phoenix)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
34 --- 139 --- 20

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

Car #, Team 5 - JR Motorsports
First Race: 1998 Kroger 200 (Indianapolis Raceway Park)
First Win: 2001 Sam's Club Presents Hill Bros. Coffee 300
Last Win: 2001 Sam's Club Presents Hill Bros. Coffee 300

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
1 --- 22 --- 2

Statistics as of June 1, 2008.

Becoming a Race Car Star

To those people who want to be a race car driver its never too late… I have tips for you in becoming a race car driver… I hope this one help you.

The first thing you need to do is to decide what kind of car racing you want to do. Well, there are several types of racing like NASCAR racing, open wheel racing, drag racing or another type of car racing. Choose the one which is easy for you. Then learn about the type of race you want to do. Its not easy to go on something without any idea about it. You have a lot of resources available like reading books, magazines, search the Internet and watch races on television and in person. You can also visit racetracks. You can talk to anyone involved in the sport like drivers, crew members, mechanics, track officials and owners all have lots of information to share. This can also allow you to make new friends and connections in the racing world.

Work at a racetrack or with a racing team. You can do selling tickets, cleaning the track, cleaning cars or car parts, running errands or even become a crew member. With you involving in such activities, can help you learn even more about racing from different perspectives. Aside from that, you have to attend one of many racing schools around the country that teaches the type of racing you want to do. Race schools teach you the mechanics, basics and advanced methods of race car driving. Choosing expensive race school does not guarantee that you’ll be a great driver…. Choose the one that will help you learn racing without spending much.

Start racing through a school series, which is cheaper than professional racing circuits. You also need a sponsor if you don’t have enough money to sustain the race expense. The most important thing you have to do in becoming a race car driver, drive a race car any chance you get Every time you get behind the wheel equals more experience and training for you.

Bleeding the Clutch Line in a Race Car

The clutch line of a race car is one of the most important elements responsible in the performance of the car itself. Proper maintenance will extend the life of the clutch. This process will allow you to make sure that there is no air in the clutch line resulting to the optimum performance of the race car. The bleeding of the clutch line is simple when you follow a few concrete steps.

Things needed in bleeding the clutch line: Hydraulic jack , clutch line lubricant, Oil drop pan, race shop and open face wrench

Open the clutch master cylinder reservoir.
Fill the reservoir with your clutch oil. Just be sure that the reservoir is totally clean and free of debris while filling the reservoir with fluid. (to minimize contamination in the fluid) WARNING: Do not overfill the clutch master cylinder. Fill it to 7/8ths of capacity.
Lift the car off the race shop floor. This will allow access to the clutch and the bleeder valve.
Retrieve an oil and fluid drop pan and place this under the bleeder valve. The pan will capture any excess clutch lubricant.
Bleed the clutch line. (this step should be carefully done) Using a 1-inch open face wrench, turn the bleeder valve 3 turns in a counterclockwise direction. The bleeding of the clutch line will take approximately 20 minutes. The clutch line will drip slowly into the oil drop pan. TIP: Do not rush the bleeding of the line. Patience is the key to this process.
Inspect bleeder valve. See for misalignment in the clutch line assembly and other unusual things like dripping. The process is complete when no more dripping is occurring. WARNING: Do not strip or over tighten the bleeder valve. This will cause the bleeding process to stop
Tighten the bleeder valve using the 1-inch open face wrench to make it tight and snug.
Depress clutch. If there is tension in the clutch, you performed the process effectively and efficiently.

[source: eHow]

Aerodynamics in Car Racing

Aerodynamics is very important in car racing. That is why several features of a race car have been customized to enhance aerodynamics thus reducing drags that hinder its speed. New technologies have been developed to conquer aerodynamics for race cars to speed up to limitless speed without acquiring damage in its exterior. According to NAS, the challenge for each Indy Car Team is the same every year that is to design and develop race car that can run at high speeds while safety and durability is not compromised.. Furthermore, cars that every car team designed should meet the demands of four different types of racing circuits.

Different racing circuits:

Street: A narrow, temporary course ranging from 1.6 to 2.1 miles in length, with tight turns and a long straightaway. The Long Beach circuit (lap record 108.198 mph), tests the durability of the gearbox, braking system and low speed acceleration.
Road: Laguna Seca Raceway (lap record 112.296 mph), is an example of a road course with hills. A road course is a wide open track that ranges in length from 1.9 to 4 miles. It has both slow and high speed corners and wide enough for passing. The suspension system, downhill braking and power are stressed on this type of course.
Short Oval: Phoenix International Raceway (lap record 172.804 mph), is a one mile, long oval track. Short straightaways and banked turns are characteristics of this type of track. The short oval tests the suspension and aerodynamic setup of the car.
Speedway: The speedway is an oval track with banked turns and long straightaways. The one lap record at the Michigan International Speedway (2 mile oval), is 234.275 mph. At Indianapolis (2.5 mile oval), the record is 232.618 mph. High, sustained speed requires aerodynamic efficiency.

A car having a good aerodynamics has an efficient down force. This force is necessary for maintaining speed through the corners. Also, unwanted drag which accompanies down force will slow the car, thus engineers made an efficient design of a chassis which is base on the down force/drag compromise.

Drag and down force is also considered in the different race circuits. That is why engineers designed a race car that generates the necessary down force in three specific areas of the car. The ongoing challenge for team engineers is to fine tune the airflow around these areas.

Parts of the race car mostly customized to improve down force and drag:

Front wing assembly - The front wing assembly is constructed of carbon fiber and is the first part of the car to meet the air mass. The flow field here is better than at other parts of the car because the air here has been disturbed the least. In setting up the front wing assembly, engineers must consider what happens to the airflow as it travels toward the back of the car. In an effort to clean up the disturbed airflow, small adjustments are made to the front of the car.
Chassis - The car chassis is designed to produce maximum down force, while at the same time minimizing drag. Downforce produced by the front and rear wings and the under body which allows maximum speeds through the corners. To accomplish this the top of the car is designed to slice through the air, while the underbody is shaped to create an area of low pressure between the underbody and the track. The shape of the tunnels under the car resemble an inverted wing.
Rear wing assembly - The rear wing is made of carbon fiber and is attached to the transmission housing.

Surely, engineers have gone through a lot of trial and errors in making speedy cars to endure the racing environment in different race circuits. No wonder in the near future engineers will finally create the fastest car in the racing history. So let’s watch out!

Source: NAS

Kurt Busch, the Other Half of the Match Made in Horsepower Heaven

For Kurt Busch, it wasn’t the kind of season he had envisioned when he first entered the racing business. When it was proclaimed that Busch would replace retiring NASCAR hot shot Rusty Wallace in Penske Racing South’s No. 2 Dodge in 2006, the general consensus was that it would definitely be a match made in horse power heaven: an unstoppable organization that had won 57 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events and a driver who had already racked up 14 victories and the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship. This means a lot of trouble to other teams if they put it to a whole new level of point of view. But things became a little bit complicated when the new driver came to town.

But to say the least, Busch’s first year in Miller Lite car was anything but spectacular. It was, in fact, his worst season since 2001. A triumph in Bristol was his only mark in the win column, and he ended up disappointing 16^th in the point standings with only 12 top- 10 finishes. Though thought to be another domination on NASCAR history, Busch failed to impress neither of the teams and fans when he had a bad start for the season of 2001. But still, Busch took it slow and steady perfecting his mistakes and tried to do much better in the next run, a characteristic which open the eyes of many and started to believe in him.

There were flashes of the team’s true potential- five straight top-five efforts early in the year had started to lift spirits up and brought hope to Busch fans. And in qualifying round, Busch was like a rocket tying Kasey Kahne, one of the most promising drivers in NASCAR 2001, for most Budweiser Poles with six. But, sadly it was too much for Busch and sends him nine finishes of 30^th or worse created a deficit Busch could overcome.

Things however became different in 2007 for Busch. He and his crew chief Roy McCauley are intent on making No.2 number one! They worked night and day vigorously trying to perfect everything during off-sea-son to return the team to its rightful status as a bona fide championship contender. This pushed morals up on Busch team and eventually became the key to their success in of owning NASCAR race tracks.

Much to his credit, Busch eluded the controversy that seemed to follow him through out most of his career. Chalk it up to maturity, or perhaps a newfound contentment since joining the Penske stable. In either case, the end result will only benefit the career of one of NASCAR’s greatest talents.

(Here are some details of his race track career as of October 29, 2007)

Born: August 4, 1978 (1978-08-04) (age 29)

Birthplace: Las Vegas, Nevada

Achievements: —

Awards: 2000 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year

2003 IROC champion

2004 Sprint Cup Champion

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team #2 - Penske Racing

2007 Sprint Cup Position: 7th

Best Cup Position: 1st - 2004 (Sprint Cup)

First Race: 2000 MBNA.com 400 (Dover)

First Win: 2002 Food City 500 (Bristol)

Last Win: 2007 3M Performance 400 (Michigan)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles

17---106---10

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

First Race: 2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas)

First Win: 2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas)

Last Win: 2006 Zippo 200 (Watkins Glen)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles

2---9---2

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Statistics

First Race: 2000 Daytona 250 (Daytona)

Last Race: 2001 GNC Live Well 200 (Milwaukee)

First Win: 2000 Sears DieHard 200 (Milwaukee)

Last Win: 2000 Motorola 200 (California)

Wins---Top Ten---Poles

4---17---4

Fueling a Race Car

I’m fond of racing (really! I am!). I have learned a lot of stuff trough the years of being indulges in the world of car race. Now that I’m little bit older, let me share to some of the things I have learned when I’m always on the field going along with friends as they assemble truly amazing race cars. One of the things I have learned personally is fueling a race car (it’s not an easy task even for overweight guys like me though).

Back in my early age I have nothing to read on how this stuff is being done that is why I’m fond of going along with friends and leaning stuff in actual, some of them are in the racing business so its not hard for me to take a sneak peak on how stuff works and try some of the job on the racing field. Good thing nowadays, there’s a lot of things you can learn through the internet. You don’t have to go to an actually race (which by the way is hard to get some tickets) and personally see all those things running and working. There are a lot of websites in the internet that can provide proper ways to handle race cars. Like the article in the ehow.com about fueling a race car.
In fueling a race car there are three things you need: approved racing fuel canister, proper safety equipment and racing fuel (your can add a clean towel if you want, cause this can seriously mess up your shirt!)

Here are the steps on how to fuel a race car. Remember in doing this, you have to be fast because in racing time really matters.

Determine the size of the fuel cell in the race car. Remember that most pavement and dirt race cars possess a 22-gallon fuel cell. However, this may vary depending on the type of race car and size of the race track on which you are driving.
Inspect for defects in the fuel cell of the race car you are fueling like paint chips or any other abnormalities that will affect the flow of fuel once it is in use.
Be sure to inspect the fuel entry point to ensure that fuel will flow properly from fuel cell to the racing motor.
Inspecting the fuel can should be done. By doing so, you will be assured that it will hold the right amount of fuel to completely fill the tank. Also this will ensure that fuel cell is completely full each time the car goes onto the track for racing competition.
Insert the fuel can nozzle into the fuel cell at a 60-degree angle for proper flow of fuel to the fuel cell. When you hold the right angle, this will allow a downhill flow from the fuel can nozzle to the fuel cell without having any overflow.
To avoid spilling of racing fuel on the racing surface, cap the fuel cell with the safety-approved device.
After you have done the steps, carefully inspect the fuel can and nozzle after each use. By doing so, you will ensure proper safety procedures done, and most importantly, the next time it is used, it will work effectively.

Fueling a race car should be done cautiously; there are also a two important things that you need to consider before you go on with the process. They are for safety reasons to avoid a serous problem. First and foremost, make sure that you are using a safety-approved fuel canister and all the attachments are safety-approved as well to avoid accidents and problems. And second, you have to ensure that you have the ability to carry and maneuver the fuel cell. It is so damn heavy so you may need to be in good physical condition (lay off the beer and fast food if you want to try this!) to complete the function for the race team.

What's Behind The Popular Name Ward Burton?

The ever popular Ward Burton, born on October 25, 1961 from South Boston, Va. has returned to racing after 18 months of absence in 2006. The soft-spoken, hard-driving Virginian drove the no.4 Chevrolet fielded by Morgan McClure Motorsports in 2007.

Burton, who is married to wife Tabitha and kids Sarah, Jeb, Everett and Ashton, also has his piece of tough times on his driving career. He has been without a ride since parting company with Haas CNC Racing in late 2004. He ran three races for Morgan-McClure last season, laying ground work for a full time deal. (Talk about bad luck!)

Both driver (Burton) and team will be looking to return to their winning ways on 2007. While Burton has five wins in NASCAR NEXTEL CUP competition, including 2002 Daytona 500, it has been nearly five years since his last triumph. He had some problems both on track and off track causing some distractions regarding his career and his personal business. But Burton never gave up and still drove off to pursue what he is born to do, and that’s to race!

Morgan-McClure’s victory drought has become even longer and longer, stretching all the way back to 1998. Their quest for a suitable driver for their team leads them to disappointing results. That’s a bitter pill for an outfit that owns Daytona 500 wins. The team has gone through 15 drivers in six years. (A sign of luck running out for team McClure) And when Burton, an avid outdoorsman, comes to the scene the trailblazer team owner Larry McClure knew right away that Burton was the driver he had been looking for in the past decade of trial and error. From that moment on, McClure team has been changing their stars and fought their way to make it through their tough times.

The first major obstacle will be qualifying. Morgan-McClure was once known for brutally fast race cars. But lately, the team has sometimes struggled just to make the field. There were seven DNQs and few made it starts last season in 2007, which left the “4” car 39th in owner points. Hence, Burton will have to make the show by speed through at least the first five of race 2007. On November 12, 2007, Burton was unrestricted from Morgan-McClure Motorsports so that the team could evaluate their performance. He was however, been replaced by Todd Bodine for Homestead-Miami. Morgan-McClure closed up shop shortly afterwards. Rumor has it that Burton will not return to Sprint Cup racing which definitely upset some of NASCAR fans.

Burton however, is probably the most amazing driver McClure has ever had. He brought more “running up front” experience to the table than any driver Morgan-McClure has employed in the past decade. Plus, driver and team share a common motivation: they can pull themselves out of their competitive slump.

John Edward Burton III
(source: wikipedia)

Born: October 25, 1961 (1961-10-25) (age 46)
Birthplace: South Boston, Virginia
Awards: 2002 Daytona 500 Winner

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Car #, Team Not Currently Employed

2007 Sprint Cup Position: 47th
Best Cup Position: 9th - 1999
First Race: 1994 Pontiac Excitement 400 (Richmond)
Last Race: 2007 Subway 500 (Martinsville)
First Win: 1995 AC Delco 400 (Rockingham)
Last Win: 2002 New England 300 (Loudon)

Wins Top Tens Poles
5 8 2 7

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics
Car #, Team Not Currently Employed

2007 NNS Position: 40th
Best NNS Position: 6th - 1993
First Race: 1990 Pontiac 200 (Richmond)
Last Race: 2007 Carfax 250 (Michigan)
First Win: 1992 Goodwrench 200 (Rockingham)
Last Win: 1993 Slick 50 300 (Atlanta)

Wins Top Tens Poles
4 50 7

Scott Speed: To Master the Art of Stock-Car Racing

Among the professional drivers that you know, who dress loud? I mean louder than anybody else.

You bet. It’s Scott Speed.

With a bunch of Louis Vuitton man bag, a dozen of pretty pricey fashion selections, and a beauty regimen that includes regular facials, there’s no denying it, you can mistake him for being gay. If car racing include vanity as a criterion, Scott will surely make it to the top.

In an interview, Scott quipped: "Tom Ford (an American fashion designer) is the essence of what is sexy for a man; he's my role model. Honestly, I definitely think a population in the garage thinks I'm gay. It's hilarious; it makes me want to dress louder."

But Scott does not intend to pursue a modeling career to flaunt his outrageous wears nor venture in showbizness. He plans to master the art of stock-car racing!

The 25-year-old American race car driver, who was formerly employed by F1’s Scuderia Toro Rosso team, made his F1 debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix. But he has turned his back against F1 and tried NASCAR stock car racing. At present, he is driving the #2 Red Bull Toyota Camry in the ARCA RE/MAX Series for Eddie Sharp Racing.

For Scott, it's all about learning and keeping a positive attitude. He said he admires the passion and emotion the drivers display. "The Truck Series is a cool experience. Everyone drives so hard, like pit bulls off the leash attacking everybody," he said in an interview. “That's the difference between F1 and NASCAR where in open-wheel machines it's important to go fast and endure the G-forces; however, in stock cars you're racing side-by-side the entire time and understanding the feeling of the car and what it is doing is more important.”

On the lighter side, Scott said he certainly won't compromise his personal style in the process. He won't conform to the NASCAR's sponsor-friendly dress code and won't support any product lines he doesn't believe in or value.

Welcome to NASCulture, Scott!

Tickets are Now on Sale!

How many of you are itching to witness the inaugural Darlington Historic Racing Festival?

Good news, the tickets are now on sale! Yeah, no more waiting. They are up for grabs. Tickets are now on-sale for the racing festival set on Labor Day weekend, August 30-31. The ticket is priced at $15 per day or $25 for the entire weekend. If you have kids who are race nuts like you, bring them along. Why? Kids age 12 and under will be admitted free. They will surely love the treat.

What are the things to look forward to at the inaugural?

According to reports, the event will feature iconic cars and legendary drivers from a variety of racing series including but not limited to NASCAR and Indy Car. The showcase will cover star cars and racers from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. So if you are dying to see your favorite racers way back then, this is your chance to do so. Pamper the auto racing hedonistic side of you. Indulge.

The Darlington Historic Racing Festival will offer fans 2 days of fun featuring Q&A sessions with the race stars, exhibition laps, autograph sessions, a large display and vendor area, car carousels, and a variety of other activities, divulged the Auto Channel.

Who will come?

Racing personalities include the legendary Junior Johnson, Daytona 500 winner Buddy Baker, three-time NASCAR Cup champion Darrell Waltrip, ten-time Darlington Raceway winner David Pearson, championship car owner Bud Moore, and former driver Cotton Owens.

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring more than 100 vintage race cars to Darlington Raceway on Labor Day weekend,” said Chris Browning, Darlington Raceway President. “Auto racing fans are incredibly proud of the sport’s history, and we feel there is no better venue than Darlington Raceway to bring the sports legendary drivers and cars back together for a weekend of celebration and fun.”

To purchase tickets, call Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or visit www.racetickets.com.

Time is Running Out for Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick was watched in the Indianapolis' pit wall as the first day of qualifying ended. With his fans screaming and cheering her name, Patrick forced her self and results of winning the Indy 500 pole.

In just 34 minutes, Patrick reached the top of the IndyCar world with highly qualifying average of 225.197 mph. She was over confident with his record then she was shocked in just a second it was gone. She dropped his top spot for the May 25 race and she never had her chance to earn it back.

Patrick said that she think that it was apparent through the speeds that Penske and Ganasi found something that worked but they didn’t. Patrick will compete fifth in the May 25 race. She said that starting in fifth place is not a bad start for her..

Today, Patrick holds the title of the first woman to top in the Indy 500, the top female qualifier in Indy history where he was fourth in 2005 and the first woman to win an IndyCar race, overconfidently accepted her starting point in the middle of the second three-car row while he was starting short of the pole.

After Patrick car accidentally crashed to Dale Coyne Racing crewman Charles Buckman, she was 1.169 mph close on making her history again by earning the first woman to earn Indy's prestigious pole. Buckman was out of superior care, but he was still in the hospital.
But still her team Andretti Green Racing team expected more for her performance.

In their practice during Tuesday, Friday and Saturday morning, the four Andretti Green drivers, with Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and beginner Hideki Mutoh, unexpectedly found themselves near the top of the speed charts.

When their first four qualifying days started, most people expected the three of the AGR drivers Patrick, the former series champion Kanaan and twenty one year old Andretti to compete for the pole.Michael Andretti their team owner said that its part of the deal. Marco's father a former driving star said that its so frustrating that they didn’t get the win and they were a little shocked because they just slipped it. Things started well.

Andretti earned a 224.162 on his first run, and Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon followed his score with a 225.178. Later, Patrick had the crowd on rage with her own shocking and impressive run that result her to the provisional pole.

She said that she thinks there’s some more left. As the crowd roaring, “The balance is pretty good!" Time is running out but Patrick's didn’t hold the top spot.

Just as Patrick was interviewed in a news conference to discuss her qualifying run, former Indy champion Ganassi driver Dan Wheldon defeated Patricks speed with a 225.840.The race was three more Saturday Patrick had a difficult time earning her one spot each to Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves, Patrick and her teammates worked feverishly throughout the afternoon to figure out the strategies and secrets to have more chances to win the pole. But when Michael Andretti gave Marco another shot, it moved Patrick one spot up. From eighth to seventh, Patrick's fate was all but sealed. Patrick said that she just didn’t feel they had a speed and they didn’t want to risk something bad that might happen.The elder Andretti said that he could have gotten closer but he didn’t know if he could have taken the Pole. Patrick respect andretti’s opinion. And said that he can really hurt himself because he is just a little off, he will go straight backward and it was not a bad day for the AGR team though. Even it was frustrating Saturday was for his team, Andretti was impressed with what he saw from Patrick’s race that started and finished eighth. Andretti said that her car was not real great but she hung on and she was very respectable, a very impressive racer.

To Produce The Best ‘Vette Yet

The post race victory lane interview usually begins with in a sport where the driver usually gets all the accolades. The C5-R Corvette Race Team was a team effort that allowed me to win the latest factory racing effort from GM Motorsports, which wholeheartedly embraces the "team concept" where knowledge and expertise are being shared by specialists with other members of the team to produce a winning effort. At next year’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, 12 Hours at Sebring and Petit Le Mans endurance races with a two-car team, they will get a chance to prove this concept.

The C5-R Corvette Race Team manager Doug Fehan said that the Corvette C5-R Racing Project is the fulfillment of a Zora Duntov dream that speaks of the famed GM engineer who was the driving force behind the Corvette’s emergence into a world-class sports car in the early ‘50s. The next logical phase in the evolution is racing the Corvette. To prove its performance, continue to the next paragraph.

The talents of GM Motorsports, Chevrolet Race Shop, and Corvette production vehicle engineers were combined by the C5-R Corvette Race Team to provide racing specs to develop "the best ‘vette yet." To provide years of practical road-racing experience to the project, Fehan brought the road-racing experts Pratt & Miller, Detroit, and Riley & Scott, Indianapolis to the team.

Pratt & Miller was selected to do most of the design, fabrication and development work on the racing Corvettes due to their close proximity to GM's headquarters. However, Fehan approached Riley & Scott to see if they'd be interested in fielding a second car for the team because they could only field one car on race day with the personnel and resources they had available.

Fehan reflected that they had two suppliers, Pratt & Miller in Michigan and Riley & Scott in Indiana, who were right for them and right for each other. Since they had worked together in another lifetime, they had achieved their personal goals. Their personalities interconnect, they run synergistic programs, and they both expressed the desire to make this program succeed.

An organization that has done various R & D projects for General Motors was led by Gary Pratt and over the years, their engineering and design work has proven its mettle on the racetrack. They fielded a championship Trans-Am entry for Scott Pruett in 1994, and built the championship car in GTS competition in 1995. In 1996, Pratt & Miller designed, built and raced an Aurora GTS car to the championship, and most recently it won in the Supertruck Division in this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb in an S-10.

Riley & Scott is known for their superior race-car design and engineering like Pratt & Miller. Bill Riley, the Chief Design Engineer has helped prove that Riley & Scott can race cars as well as design them. The coveted 24 Hours at Daytona and 12 Hours at Sebring endurance races in 1996 was captured by their first-ever factory World SportsCar team and it was qualified for Le Mans. By capturing the ‘96 World SportsCar Driver’s and Manufacturer’s Championships, their dream season ended.

Pratt & Miller’s first assignment was to develop a 40% scale model of the Corvette using 3D CAD data from the production car as a starting point in working closely with GM Motorsports engineers. Brian Miller, GM aerodynamicist, then took the model to the wind tunnel and tweaked it until the car was stable at speeds approaching 200 MPH. When the tweaked model came back to Pratt & Miller, it became the body CAD template for the racing Corvette test mule.

For the meantime, progress of the racing Corvette's chassis was ongoing. The one who worked with Gary Pratt to develop the racing Corvette's suspension components and chassis layout was Ken Brown, who also worked on the progress of the actual production of the chassis and suspension of Corvette' prior to his assignment to GM Motorsports.

Across town under the watchful eyes of Joe Negri, GM Motorsports Engine Director, Engine development was being handled. Joe and his engine specialists have so far been able to nearly double the output of the production engine with their racing versions using the stock LS1 block as a starting point. Pratt & Miller receives the newly built engines to be installed on the rolling chassis for some actual track testing. About 4,000 miles of on-track testing has been completed to this point. For November and December, several tests are planned leading up to the 24 Hours at Daytona in January 1999.

Fehan said that they want to race the car to show America and the world that they can modify a $40,000 production car to compete internationally with cars 2-4 times the price and to garner additional global recognition for the quality and integrity of American design and construction.

A Closer Look At Kahne’s Victory

NASCAR racer Kasey Kahne started a very wonderful day. After winning a popularity contest, he bet one million dollars, his satisfaction guaranteed. Though he failed to partake in the All-Star race, he did seize the long awaited position in the racing field, thanks to his supporting fans who voted him in the Saturday night’s event, Lowe Motor Speedway. Though only gambling on house money, he risked on his pit stop to grab the $1 million prize. Holding his competitor, Greg Biffle, made him the third driver in the event racing history to proceed from a preliminary race event to a show then, finally, winning the event.

Kahne was thankful to his fans for supporting him, saying that it was a feeling of euphoria knowing that he had so many fans. He finished fifth place, so he was grateful that his fans were there to support him, making him the third spot transferee. His fans voting assistance provided him an opportunity to drive in the 100-lap field, previously raced in by Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. But in risking his chance for a pit stop, he could as if see the race track in his mirrors, thus awarded a place in racing history as the driver winning through fan voting. He did not feel like a warrior stripped of his honour, saying his fans were the ones who voted him in.

But his luck in risking this race did not just end in the hands of his fans. In risking this, he took the second racing position in the final leg of the exhausting 25-lap. His competitor, Biffle, first led the race in the last 11 laps, taking two of his GoodYear™ rubbers, and in doing so, jammed him in the race track. He never was able to catch up with Kahne, triumphantly speeding in to pass the race leader Jimmie Johnson, changing racing positions. Biffle was stupefied when his tire change tactic made him finish in 2nd place. He was further amazed at the strategy Kahne picked on his race. He followed the book to every word, while Kahne tweaked it a bit. His other racing “enemies” finished at the least expected spot. Like Matt Kenseth finishing at the third spot. Johnson along with Tony Stewart was somewhere in the top five places. Ryan Newman, a well known racer 6 years back for finishing at last place now finishes at an unexpected spot, sixth. Following him was his racing companion Sam Hornish Jr. very shocking to his fans because of his finish at the Sprint Showdown to qualify for the race. Earhardt slowly disappeared to the eighth spot, first leading the race by 14 laps. Mark Martin was not far behind him, along with Carl Edwards. They were hand picked by the racing track president Humpy Wheeler as the ones with the potentials to win the race.

Busch felt confidence in this race, leading 12 laps and winning the first 25-lap segment. But as he was leading by 2 seconds, his car started acting up, something this racer doesn’t want to hear, the sound of an engine about to die. He called in his crew to tell them the bad news, and they as afraid as him. During this unexpected turn of things, Edwards fleeted like a ghost, passing Busch for that all important lead spot. Busch racing team was conducting a very risky procedure, changing his engine with something untested, raising the chances of him losing the race. Other racers who participated in this race finished in a position they least expect. So many high hopes all washed away.

Kasey Kahne Won $1M!

Kasey Kahne won $1 million dollars because of his fans vote.

Kasey Kahne won a $1 million dollars for his win in a popular race. After failing to qualify for the All-Star race, Kahne earned a spot in the field when his fans voted him for the Saturday night’s event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This was an advantage to Kahne who is said to be overconfident to win this race. Holding off Greg Biffle in the final segment, Kahne reached his final pit to win the $1 million prize. He was the third driver in All-Star race history to move forward to the preliminary race into the show and then win the main event.

"We got voted in by the fans which was really, really special and it feels good to know that we have that many fans following our team,” said Kahne. Kahne was in the fifth place in the Sprint Showdown and he needed the fan vote to claim the third transfer spot in the 24-driver field. He could have raced his way in by finishing first or second. The fan vote gave Kahne a chance to run in the 100-lap shootout, which was dominated by Kyle Busch, Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. But Kahne used his gamble on the final pit stop.

Kahne become the first driver ever voted in by the fans to win. He proved to his fans that he can win the race. He had no shame in winning because it was his fans that made him race. Kahne said that he wanted to race his own way and he don’t even want to be in the Open and became the first Dodge winner in the event. He also said that he want to be in because they won races last year or the beginning of this year. But the situation is that it’s really cool they give the fans an opportunity to vote. They put them in and for some reason and they ended up being the best car tonight and that’s just part of the rules.

“That’s just the way it is, what this race is about, and we took advantage of it and we won the race,” said Kahne.

The gamble on the final pit strategy was Kahne’s advantage and he advanced his position and began in second on the final 25-lap segment. Biffle, who had finished the final 11 laps of the third race, took two tires and was delayed back in traffic on the restart. Biffle never got a chance to pass Kahne, who slid past leader Jimmie Johnson to lead the final 17 laps and claim the victory and credit crew chief Kenny Francis with the winning pit strategy.

Kahne said that it was what they had to do and it was their only shot to win the race. “We took our time, got in the right place and Kenny made the right call of no tires at the end. I didn’t think we needed them. The car was at its best performance. I was just making sure I didn’t make any false mistakes and lose the race.”

Biffle finished the race in second place and was surprised his two tire stop lost him the race. Biffle said that they put two tires on. He said he didn’t change anything. Well have to see if he (Kahne) got a little mouse in the bag. “In the end, I thought it was going to be just easy, a Saturday night drive. That’s kind of crazy to think if I had just stayed out. I would be the winner in the race. But I thought two tires was the chance of winning.” said Biffle.

Ryan Newman, who in 2002 was the last driver to advance from the preliminary race to win the main event, finished at sixth. Sam Hornish Jr. was on Biffle’s tail that finished second in the Sprint Showdown.

The David Gilliland History

David Gilliland history on racing went form virtual unknown to one of NASCAR’s hottest properties in the span of about 300 miles. Unheralded and driving for a part time team in the track, Gilliland scored one of the biggest and the most outstanding upsets in NASCAR Busch Series history when he impressively won at Kentucky Speedway last June of 2006. From that point on, Gilliland’s phone didn’t stop ringing for weeks. And after entertaining a plethora of offers, he landed a contract and a ride in the Robert Yates racing Ford vacated by Elliot Sandler. The best offer is what matters for our beloved driver and he had it! This made this a bit easier for Gilliland to reach his dreams in his racing career. Or at least he thought it would be (hehe)

In preparation for his season beginning, Gilliland drove the last 13 races of NASCAR 2006. His graduation to stock car racing’s elite series has greatly proven to be baptism of fire and fame. But after a few problems and rough spots early on in his so called “perfect career”, the new combination began to click with three top starts- including a pole at Talladega and two top finishes in the last events in NASCAR history. Before anyone knew it, Gilliland was ripping up the tracks, leaving flames of glory on his trail. Gilliland showed a lot of potential on races and practice that sure made competitors be aware of his presence the time they meet him in a true race.

Gilliland is an exponent of the tough NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series where his father, Butch, is a former champion. He grew up working on race cars and knows the importance of taking care of his equipment. Having Todd Parott (one of the few crew chiefs’ who can almost totally turn a team around) is his corner will knock light years off the time it takes to establish Gilliland as a solid threat to win. No wonder why Gilliland is a promising driver! He had legends in racing backing him up on every turn of his career! But I have to say! With or with out great backers, David Gilliland is really a good driver and has a good personality to go along with it.

After a long year of trials, the team elected to forgo his freshman status for 2007 and give him a bit more seat time, so Gilliland won’t be competing for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. He’ll be more focused on winning races. RYR failed to post a victory last year for the first time since 1989, and Gilliland plans to revive that winning tradition from 2007 onwards.

Here are some of his statistics as of March 17, 2008

Born: April 1, 1976 (age 32)

Birthplace: Torrance, California

Achievements: —

Awards: 1999 Perris Speedway Track Champion
2004 NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series Rookie of the Year

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team #38 - Yates Racing

2006 Sprint Cup Position: 28th

Best Cup Position: 28th (2007)

First Race: 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 (Infineon)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles

0---3---2

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

2006 NNS Position: 56th

Best NNS Position: 56th - 2006 (Busch Series)

First Race: 2005 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix)

Last Race: 2008 Camping World 300 (Daytona)

First Win: 2006 Meijer 300 (Kentucky)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles

1---2---0

Year---Races---Wins---Poles---Top 5---Top 10---DNF---Finish---Start---Winnings---Season Rank

2006---15-------0------1-------0-------0-------1------28.3---22.1--$1,521,447-----42

2007---36-------0------1-------1-------2-------5------27.4---27.7--$4,330,838-----28

2008---7-------- 0------0-------0-------1-------0------21.1---31.9--$823,475-------22

Totals--58------0------2------1-------3--------6------25.6---27.2--$6,675,760

Data as of Apr 6, 2008

Different Races, Same Nemechek

Joe Nemechek began his racing career at the age of thirteen in motocross, and won a remarkably “six hundred” career races (that’s six with two zero’s) over the next six years. After winning different awards in different short track series around the country, Nemechek made his Busch Series debut at North Carolina Speedway in 1989, where he started 40th and finishing 33rd after suffering engine failure in his #88 Buick.

With lots of races Joe Nemechek has gone through, he hopes ‘13” will be his lucky number when 2007 came to his racing days. With Ginn Racing’s expansion to a three-car operation, Nemechek will move from the team’s No. 13 entry. This will be his fourth season with the organization that was known as MB2 Motorsports before businessman Bobby Ginn purchased majority interest in the operation last year. This gave Joe’s team a little problem to some point. This can change everything even on his racing car.

But still, Nemechek is one of the sports top performers in qualifying. That’s one of the reasons he was shifted to the newest Ginn Team. They saw in Joe what they are looking for in a driver and instantly made him one of the new guys in the new team. With no owner points rely upon, the number 13 will have to earn a starting berth in the first five races of the season based on speed alone. Putting the team’s best qualifier in the new car was a no-brainer.

After enjoying two solid seasons in a row, Nemechek had a disappointing 2006. His cars were fast (he qualified among the top 10 nine times) but the breaks never went his way. He had some strong runs, only to have them neutralized by accidents and mechanical failures. Nemechek managed only two top-10 efforts, resulting in fall to 27th in points – 11 in positions lower than his 2005 finish. It was, in fact, his lowest finish since 2002, when he entered only 33 of 36 races.

A four time winner at stock racing’s highest level, Nemechek has a reason to view the coming season with optimism. Peter Sospenzo, who worked with Nemechek in 2002- 2003 when he drove the No. 25 for Hendrick Motorsports, has come aboard as crew chief on the “13.” And with Ginn Racing running Hendrick engines, there should be plenty of muscle under the hood.

Here are some of his achievements and statistics in racing in NASCAR.

Born: September 26, 1963 (1963-09-26) (age 44)
Birthplace: Lakeland, Florida
Achievements: —
Awards: 1987 Lakeland Interstate Speedway Rookie of the Year

1988 United Speed Alliance Racing Rookie of the Year

1989 All-Pro Late Model Series Champion & Rookie of the Year

1990 NBS Rookie of the Year

1992 Busch Series Champion

1992 & 1993 Most Popular Driver

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team #78 - Furniture Row Racing
2006 Sprint Cup Position: 27th
Best Cup Position: 15th - 2000 (Winston Cup)
First Race: 1993 Slick 50 300 (Loudon)
First Win: 1999 Dura Lube/Kmart 300 (Loudon)
Last Win: 2004 Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods (Kansas)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
4---60---10

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

2006 NNS Position: 104th
Best NNS Position: 1st - 1992 (Busch Series)
First Race: 1989 AC-Delco 500 (Rockingham
First Win: 1992 Kroger 200 (IRP)
Last Win: 2004 Mr. Goodcents 300 (Kansas)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
16---121---17

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Statistics

2006 NCTS Position: 53rd
Best NCTS Position: 53rd - 2006 (Craftsman Truck Series)
First Race: 1996 Parts America 150 (Watkins Glen)
Last Race: 2006 Ford 200 (Homestead)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
0---4---1

Statistics as of February 18, 2007.

Kenseth: Like No One Has Ever Seen Before

Matthew Roy Keneseth was born on March 10, 1972 in Cambridge, Wisconsin when he became a popular stock car driver no one has ever seen before. He is now driving the #17 DeWalt Ford in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing. His strategy in driving has earned him one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR history.

His NASCAR Racing achievement so far includes the 2000 Winston Cup Rookie of the year, 2003 Winston Cup Champion, and 2004 IROC champion. Matthew certainly got the respect he always wanted in racing. He now stands along with NASCAR hot shots and considered one of the most successful drivers in racing history.

Matt Kenseth missed his second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship by only 56 points last 2006, but despite finishing second to Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, 2006, he was still one of the Kenseth’s most productive and promising seasons. In his seventh year driving Roush Racing’s No. 17 Ford, the 34-year old posted four remarkable wins and tied Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart for the most top-five finishes with 15. Kenseth won the second race of the year at California, and then rattled off top-10 finishes in wholesale fashion while posting additional triumphs at Dover, Michigan and Bristol.

The 2003 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion was in the thick of last year’s title fray from start to finish. He led the standings heading into the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, lost the lead for five races, and went back in front for two, then settled back into second place for the duration. Kenseth placed among the top five only twice during the final 10 events, and seven finishes of 10th or worse did him in.

The model of consistency, Kenseth is a thinking man’s racer who will no doubt challenge for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title again in 2007. He and longtime crew chief Robbie Reiser have built one of the best teams in the business. They’ve made major improvements to their cars and, stop-for-stop, “17” crew is arguably the fastest on pit road.

Kenseth is probably the most laid-back driver in the series. If you’re looking for flamboyance and white-knuckle excitement, he may not be your guy. But if you’re looking for a steady driver who gets results, he’s the real deal.

Born: March 10, 1972 (1972-03-10) (age 36)
Birthplace: Cambridge, Wisconsin
Achievements: —
Awards: 2000 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year
2003 Winston Cup Champion
2004 IROC champion

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team 17 Roush Fenway Racing
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 4th
Best Cup Position: 1st - 2003 (Winston Cup)
First Race: 1998 MBNA Gold 400 (Dover)
First Win: 2000 Coca-Cola 600 (Lowe's)
Last Win: 2007 Ford 400 (Homestead)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
16 --- 142 --- 3

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

Car #, Team 17 - Roush Fenway Racing
2007 NNS Position: 10th
Best NNS Position: 2nd - 1998
First Race: 1996 Red Dog 300 (Charlotte)
First Win: 1998 GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200 (Rockingham)
Last Win: 2008 Nicorette 300 (Atlanta)

Wins --- Top--- Tens --- Poles
23 --- 152 --- 14

Statistics as of February 17, 2008.
Career NASCAR Statistics

Year Races Wins Poles Top 5 Top 10 DNF Finish Start Winnings Season Rank

98 1 0 0 0 1 0 6.0 16.0 $42,340 57th
99 5 0 0 1 1 3 26.0 22.6 $143,561 49th
00 34 1 0 4 11 3 18.9 25.2 $2,131,897 14th
01 36 0 0 4 9 5 18.6 27.8 $2,234,839 13th
02 36 5 1 11 19 3 15.6 18.1 $3,888,847 8th
03 36 1 2 11 25 2 10.2 21.3 $4,038,124 1st
04 36 2 0 8 16 6 15.7 21.7 $6,223,892 8th
05 36 1 2 12 17 4 15.4 17.0 $5,790,774 7th
06 36 4 1 15 21 1 9.8 14.6 $6,608,919 2nd
07 36 2 0 13 22 4 13.0 19.9 $6,485,629 4th
08 7 0 0 1 4 0 16.9 17.6 $999,559 15th

Totals 299 16 6 80 146 31 15.1 20.2 $38,588,381

...Straight from a Full Pledged Racer

Becoming a full pledged race car driver is hard to attain. However, there is one person who did that. Born on November 26, 1956 in Newton, North Carolina is Dale Arnold Jarrett. He is a son of a two time Grand National Champion of NASCAR, named Ned Jarrett, a brother to a ex-NASCAR driver, named Glenn Jarrett and a father to a former Busch Series raced, named Jason Jarrett.

Dale Jarrett started racing on his father’s owned track, the Hickory Motor Speedway, in the year 1977. During its first race, he was placed on the last position but finished as a ninth place. Before moving up to the NASCAR Busch Series, Dale competed first in the Limited Sportsman Division at the Hickory Motor Speedway.

After 12 years of competing as a car racer, Dale Jarrett decided to move on by leaving Robert Yates Racing and Ford to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing, which also takes sponsor UPS along with him, as Toyota get on its first season of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition.

With the 32 victories he had that also includes three wins in the Daytona 500 and another two from the Brickyard 400, Dale Jarrett don’t need to prove himself to everybody. He can even spend the last year of his career riding around the track at a comfortable pace and no one would think the lesser of him. But that isn’t Dale Jarrett. He is considered a consummate racer. He always sees each day as a new challenge and he run up front every week.

Dale Jarett, who is a 50 year old veteran when it comes to racing, finished the year 2006 season 23rd in points, his fourth consecutive year finishing 15th or lower in the final standings. A fourth at Kansas was the highlight of a season that produced only four top-10 showings and saw him place outside the top 20 in 14 consecutive events. That is the fewest number of the top 10s he has posted in a single year since he started joining the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series as a full timer in the year 1988.

The one that will serve as Dale Jarrett’s crew chief on the Number 44 Camry is Matt Borland. Borland comes to Michael Waltrip’s organization from the No. 12 team at Penske Racing South, where he guided Ryan Newman to 12 triumphs over the past five seasons. With the progressive philosophies of Matt Borland and the prowess behind the wheel of Dale Jarett, they will be regarded as one of the toughest. So if you are wondering which combination is the most likely to score for Toyota’s first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory, then you don’t need to look further.

With this kind of combination of Dale Jarrett and Matt Borland, they can be the team to beat. They can be tough to beat also. In addition to Dale Jarrett’s ability and experience in car racing, it is not anymore a shocking one if he will win the race. Dale Jarrett is someone to be reckoned with when it comes to experienced racing. Don’t waste your time looking for some other race car drivers, because he is the one who can give you satisfaction while watching car racing. Whether on TV or on the race track, watching Dale Jarrett drive his car can be a dream come true already. If in case you have the chance of watching Dale race, keep your eye on his car because you might not be able to believe what your eyes might see. Dale Jarrett, is Dale Jarrett – he don’t need to impersonate someone nor does he need someone to play his own role, for he for sure can impress anyone with his ability of racing and driving in one package.

A Trip To Hamlin's Memory Lane

Hamlin had begun his racing career in the year 1988, at the age of 7 years old; Hamlin was ripping the tracks on racing go-karts. By 1997, at the age of 16, he was already got his hands on racing stock cars. Hamlin’s first stock car race at Langley Speedway won him the pole position, and he also won the race. Denny advanced to the Grand Stock division in 1998, and later on moved to Late Model Stock Cars in 2000. In 2002, he still got his luck with him, winning ten Late Model races, and surpassed that in 2003 with 25 wins, and 30 poles, out of 36 races. In 2004, while competing on his full time racing career in Late Model Stock Cars for Dean Motorsports, Hamlin caught the eye of Joe Gibbs Racing, who immediately signed him to a driver development program. This gave Hamlin a huge turn in his NASCAR career and later made him one of the most promising drivers in NASCAR.

Not since Tony Stewart came on the scene in 1999 has a rookie had his much success in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. And to top it off, Denny Hamlin was not exactly what you would call a highly heralded rookie. He was one of the guys in racing and still at the background of the racing icons in NASCAR.

But that mattered little to Hamlin, he was already a terror in the Late Model ranks, but had only competed in a few dozen NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events before being tapped to drive the no.11 car by Joe Gibbs in 2005. He had already so much in his background that gave him a lot of idea about what NASCAR is all about. Last 2006 Hamlin showed he is natural at this level with two wins (both at Ponoco Raceway) eight top fives and 20 top 10s. That consistency made him the rookie ever to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, and his third-place overall finish was the best for a rookie since 1966, when James Hylton finished second behind David Pearson.

Hamlin hopes for more of the same and then some in year 2007. In the second half of the season when Hamlin was returning to the tracks he had already seen, his average finish jumped almost six positions from 15.7 to 10. If his performance improves only a fraction of that in 2007 Hamlin could be dominant in so many ways in NASCAR life. The FedEx driver also appears to be gifted at avoiding accidents and bringing home consistent finishes. In the final 20 races of 2006 he finished outside of the top 10 only twice.

With three championship trophies displayed in his shop, we already realize team owner Joe Gibbs knows how to bring home the title, and Denny Hamlin may just be the third different driver to do it for him.

Born: November 18, 1980 (1980-11-18) (age 27)
Birthplace: Chesterfield, Virginia
Achievements:
Awards: 2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team #11 - Joe Gibbs Racing
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 12th
Best Cup Position: 3rd - 2006 (Nextel Cup)
First Race: 2005 Banquet 400 (Kansas)
First Win: 2006 Pocono 500 (Pocono)
Last Win: 2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 (Martinsville)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
4---48---6

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

Car #, Team #18/#20 - Joe Gibbs Racing
2007 NNS Position: 13th
Best NNS Position: 4th - 2006
First Race: 2004 Bi-Lo 200 (Darlington)
First Win: 2006 Telcel-Motorola 200 (Mexico City)
Last Win: 2008 Heluva Good! 200 (Dover)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
7---56---11

Danica Patrick...She's Really Sorry

Danica Patrick, the first female driver who won the close-course at Twin Ring Motegi Japan was involved in an incident on pit lane last Friday’s practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Patrick, who gained fame when this IndyCar driver drove to victory at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan on April 19, came into the pits and unintentionally hit Charles Buckman, the chief mechanic for the Brazilian driver Mario Moraes at Dale Coyne Racing.

According to the director of Medical Affairs for the Indy Racing League, Dr. Mike Ollinger, Charles Buckman suffered a concussion along with scalp and facial lacerations. He was then transported to Methodist Hospital for treatment and where he will stay overnight for recovery. Buckman never really knew what happened during the accident. He told the press that all he remembered was talking with someone on Marco Andretti’s team and from that point on everything was blank. Thankfully, Buckman got his spirit up and told the press that he will be OK and hopefully back to work in a day or two.

Some sources in Gasoline Alley point out that Patrick and some of her crew members were troubled after the incident, which threw the crew member over her car before he went face down to the ground.

Patrick said that what happened that day was really unfortunate and her thoughts and prayers are with Buckman and his family. Patrick really hopes Buckman can get back to the track soon and do what he loves.

After her statement, Patrick would not accept any more questions. Even on Andretti Green Racing team, members said they would not take any further questions on the incident even in the days to come.

Friday’s practice was soon been called out because of the rain at 3:53 p.m. It was then scheduled to resume until 6 p.m. It was the very first practice held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the last two days were wasted and were complete washouts.

This misfortune on the track caused it to go green at noon where there was a major amount of traffic all trying to put some speed before Saturday’s Pole Day for the 92nd Indianapolis 500. This also caused the pit lane and pedestrian get stuck behind the pits resulting for a more crowded situation.

Dale Coyne Racing chief mechanic Mitch Davis saw what happened and says that Buckman was actually walking down pit lane, running an errand, down by the Andretti Green pits. The Green guys said Buckman was walking along, looked back at Marco Andretti and stepped to the right and when he did Buckman was right in front of Patrick. Buckman was going back to the garage to get something.

The managing director of Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, Mike Hull, was at the Methodist Hospital to check the status of rookie driver Alex Lloyd, who sadly crashed in the first turn early in practice. He was then taken to the hospital after complaining a neck pain

According to Mike Hull, Buckman had a big old grapefruit knot on the side of his head but he’s awake and alert. Davis then said that Buckman is in a lot of pain but they’re OK with the pain as long as Buckman’s s alive.

For Dale Coyne Racing it was just a case of being on the wrong place at the wrong time. Dale told the press that Buckman was just walking down pit road to go back to the garage to get some stuff. As Dale talked to the Green guys, they suddenly were motioning people to stop. There was some confusion on that point on who was stopping and who wasn’t. They got everybody stopped except for Buckman, he took one more step when suddenly Patrick turned in and clipped him.

A Whole New Nightmare at Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS – For “old-school” f1 race car drivers, there’s only one way of winning the Indianapolis 500. And that’s to hold the gas pedal down and drive as fast as you can! But thanks to the qualifying format announced a couple of years ago, this Saturday's opening of time trials for the May 25 race could definitely be a one hell of a strategic nightmare.

Even Scott Dixon, the fastest driver qualifier in this week's practice on the 2.5-mile Indy oval said that this year will be such a mess. Dixon finished with a lap of 226.968 mph which is faster than the four-lap average of 225.817 that won the pole for Helio Castroneves last May. Surprisingly, all the five quickest drivers on this year "Fast Friday," were faster than last year's pole

The four-day Indy qualifying format only limits 11 qualifiers on each of the first three days, and then applies the final day to knock the slowest drivers by now in the 33-car lineup.

To make things even more tormenting, each car is allowed only up to three chances per day, with the teams permitted to withdraw an already-qualified car and then try to go faster.

With the current alliance of the two American open-wheel series, there’s more complex breed of car-driver combinations waiting for the first weekend of time trials than in any year in the past. Thirty-three race cars finally made it onto the track during Friday's frenzied session, having the total of 1,033 laps.

As for Dixon, he expects that lot of these drivers, particularly the ones transitioning from the Champ Car World Series, will be chasing position No. 11 just as hard as the favorites fight their way for the No. 1 spot this much awaited Saturday.

Dixon also says that twenty or twenty-two or maybe even more cars will be fighting for the top spot. He also speculates that this will eventually going clog up the (technical inspection) lines and could bring a tough day for everybody.

For the rookies, they got two full days to practice at Sunday and Monday, while the veterans had only one day on Tuesday before Friday's session. Dixon has moved to the top of the speed chart leaving Marco Andretti's 226.710, Tony Kanaan's 226.688, Ryan Briscoe's 226.143 and rookie Hideki Mutoh's 225.990 below him.

Andretti, a third-generation IndyCar driver who finished second in the 500 two years ago as a 19-year-old rookie, believes that he and his teammate Andretti Green Racing teammate Kanaan are definitely the pole contenders. Andretti, which seems to be more ready than ever says that the rain will hopefully separate them from their opposition. He also sees that the car is showing definite signs of consistency right from the very start and is definitely a positive sign. Andretti is now working on what surely the majority of the field is also working on — and that’s taking off downforce and to keep the balance in the car.

Castroneves, on the other hand got only 31 laps before the rain came leaving him in the 11th place on Friday's speed list. Castroneves regrets that they couldn't run more that day. The two-time Indy winner and two-time pole winner said that he would have liked to have done a few more things out there at the track. But still, Castroneves thinks that they are still in good shape for Saturday’s race. He was not concerned with the other drivers speed result that day because majority of the drivers were getting tows from other cars.

Meanwhile, Oriol Servia (one of the transitional drivers) was 16th last Friday and seems to be very happy with his progress. It was hard for him to guess anything because everyone on the track that day gets towed, even them. But still, he’s happy because of how his car feels which by the way a very important thing in regards of the drivers’ relationship with his car.

An Unexpected Win by Bowyer at Richmond!

An unexpected winner at Richmond International Raceway, Bowyer stole the win that thought to be destined for Denny Hamlin and then Dale Earnhardt Jr. But both never made it to Victory Lane, though. It’s because of a wild turn of events that saw three drivers denied the trip and made Bowyer rush to the Victory Lane. Childress said that Bowyer was prepared that tonight, and the opportunity was there for him grab it.

Hamlin had owned the race and led a record 381 of the 400 laps trying hard to get his first Cup victory at Richmond. Nobody come that close of challenging him until an unfortunate leak in his right front tire which allowed Earnhardt and Kyle Busch to catch up with him.

The two drivers immediately saw the opportunity, splitting Hamlin and moving pass him aggressively. As Earnhardt finally got the lead with 18 laps to go, Hamlin's tire finally gave up with only eight laps to finish leaving him sore down the ranks in the race. NASCAR then had accused Hamlin of deliberately handing out the caution that gave Busch a chance to race Earnhardt for the win.

After Hamlin’s misfortune, the two vigorously battled their way for the lead when the race resumed, but a sudden bump between the two race cars in turn three sent Earnhardt crashing into the wall.

For Busch, everybody around the race track scared to death of Dale Earnhardt’s crash and so was he. But he said that what happened was just a product of good hard racing and he apologizes for any inconvenience he may have cause. Further more, he said that if he wanted to do it deliberately he could have just waited until the last lap where he probably still could have won the race.

Without even seeing a video race replay, Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew all along that it wasn't deliberate. But since he has a winless streak that reached 72 races on the two-year anniversary of his last victory, Earnhardt wondered worriedly if Busch needs security helping him exit the track will all the angry Earnhardt fans waiting anxiously to get a piece of Busch’s butt.

Earnhardt said that he wasn't good on the bottom, so he moved up to the top to run as good as he could. Busch had been running the bottom, Earnhardt figured they’ll both race it out, and Busch got a great run around one and two and nearly got by Earnhardt. After a while Earnhardt saw an opening on the outside off of two, so he (Earnhardt) wouldn't say it was intentional going into three, because if Busch wanted to, he could have run Earnhardt down in the fence off two. Earnhardt thought he was going to end the winless streak that night and celebrate.

That time, Bowyer grabbed the opportunity and slide past both Earnhardt and Busch and into the lead for the first time all night. Bowyer then battled Busch on a final restart to get his first Cup victory of the season.

After the race, Bowyer said that Earnhardt and Busch was putting on a good show for a while and both of the two racers (Earnhardt and Busch) were racing hard and that's what racing at Richmond is all about, but sadly it just didn't work out for them. Bowyer also suggested that the cops who were escorting him should better escort Kyle Busch out instead.

Busch that time finished second and then he was confronted on pit road by a former crew member from Hendrick Motorsports.

Mark Martin finished third, followed by Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards. While Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top 10. Earnhardt though, finishes the race in 15th place while Hamlin was in 24th place.

Robby's Delight

There’s definitely a Ford in Robby Gordon’s racing future. The veteran owner-driver jumped from Chevrolet to the Ford camp in 2007 with the hopes that the Blue Oval can return him once again to the Winner’s Circle, a locale area that he hasn’t visited since 2003. With his long history of racing (not to mention all kinds of racing like off-road to open wheel) it’s not surprising that Robby Gordon knows every turn in the life of racing. He even had the chance to move car make back and forth like it was no deal for other teams.

Gordon has bounced back and fourth between Chevrolet and Ford several times in his 10-plus year NASCAR career, but his reason behind the 2007 switch was quite simple: he felt that his team would be higher up the totem pole at Ford than among the GM contingent. A sign that Gordon is not only just playing for him self but also thinking of what is best for his team, definitely a characteristic of a good leader and team player. With this he earned a lot of respect but also a lot of adversaries. At best, Robby Gordon Motorsports was no.5 on the Chevrolet food chain. He’ll be no worse that third at Ford, behind Rousch racing and Robert Yates racing. And with the Ford deal come Yates/Rousch engines- a lethal addition to any racer’s arsenal that will guarantee success and domination within the race tracks.

The 2006 season was basically a ho-hum year for Gordon. A fourth on the road course at Watkins Glen was the best of only three top-10 finishes he registered on his way to 30th in the final point standings.

The 38-year old Gordon has expansion in his mind. As evidenced by the construction of a new 125,000 square foot race shop- he hopes to add a second team in the not-so-distant future. He is one of the sports most versatile competitors, equally adept at wheeling stock cars, manhandling off-road trucks, or finessing Indy cars. He is especially tough on the road courses, where he has posted two of his three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series triumphs.

In these days of delegating responsibilities, being an owner-driver is tougher than ever. The gritty Gordon is just stubborn enough to pull it off. With his years being involved in the racing life, Gordon became a solid oak tree…hard to cut down no matter how sharp your saw is.

Born: January 2, 1969 (1969-01-02) (age 39)
Birthplace: Orange, California
Achievements: —
Awards: —

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team: 7 - Robby Gordon Motorsports
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 26th
Best Cup Position: 16th - 2003 (Winston Cup)
First Race: 1991 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
First Win: 2001 New Hampshire 300 (New Hampshire)
Last Win: 2003 Sirius at The Glen (Watkins Glen)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
3---35---1

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

Car #, Team: 55 - Robby Gordon Motorsports
2007 NNS Position: 63th
Best NNS Position: 21st (2004 - Busch)
First Race: 2001 GNC Live Well 200 (Milwaukee)
First Win: 2004 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond)
Last Win: 2004 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond)

Wins---Top Tens---Poles
1---18---0

CART Championship Car

Years active: 1992-1999
Teams: Chip Ganassi Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Walker Racing
Hogan Racing
Arciero-Wells Racing
Gordon Motorsports
Starts 106
Wins 2
Poles 4
Best finish: 5th in 1994 & 1995

Indy 500 results

Year ------ Chassis ------ Engine ------ Start ------ Finish

1993 -------- Lola --- Ford-Cosworth --- 25th ------- 27th
1994 -------- Lola --- Ford-Cosworth --- 19th --------5th
1995 --------- Lola --- Ford-Cosworth --- 7th --------- 5th
1997 --------- G-Force --- Oldsmobile --- 12th ------ 29th
1999 -------- Dallara ---- Oldsmobile ---- 4th --------- 4th
2000 -------- Dallara ---- Oldsmobile ---- 4th --------- 6th
2001 --------- Dallara ---- Oldsmobile ---- 3rd ------- 21st
2002 --------- Dallara ---- Chevrolet ------ 11th ------- 8th
2003 -------- Dallara ---- Honda ---------- 3rd ------- 22nd
2004 --------- Dallara ---- Chevrolet ------ 18th ------ 29th

Montoya And His F1 to NASCAR Move

Juan Pablo Montoya was born in Bogotá where, from an early age, was taught the techniques of karting by his father Pablo, an architect and Motorsports enthusiast. Not an usual history in racing if you asked me, but things became quite sweet from that point of for Montoya and his father.

Montoya then moved to the Copa Formula Renault Series in 1992. Within the same year, Montoya also participated in the U.S. In the year 1993 saw Montoya switching to the Swift GTI Championship, a series that he impressively dominated by winning seven out of eight races. That following year, 1994, was a hectic year for the 19-year-old Colombian star, as Montoya race in three separate series: the Sudam 125 Karting, USA Barber Saab, and Formula N in Mexico (which he ‘again” won the title). As Montoya’s success continues to grow year after year, Montoya became well known for his unsurpassed ability to win both pole positions and races. In some cases Montoya may take 80% of a season's poles. For the proceeding three years, Montoya fearlessly raced in different divisions, continually progressing upward

Juan Pablo Montoya’s arrival as a full time driver in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series may mark the beginning of change in NASCAR’s emergence as an international sport. With his successful history in Formula 1 racing backing him up, Montoya is certainly an internationally renowned figure, and he has the potential to easily draw multitudes of new fans from many different countries to this traditionally American sport.

When Chip Genassi racing with Felix Sabates announced in July 2006 that it had signed Montoya to a three year contract to drive one of the teams Dodges, it was widely considered a coup. Even though Montoya had virtually no experience in a stock car, his skills as a driver are without a question. In 137 total starts spread across Formula 1, CART and IndyCar races, the native of Columbia, South America, has tailed 18 wins, 60 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes. Montoya also has a history of sorts with Genassi racing: in 2000 he was in a Genassi-owned car when he won the Indianapolis 500.

Because of contract entanglements, Montoya was able to compete in only one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in year 2006 in preparation for 2007 season. In that event, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Montoya started 29th and completed 251 of the scheduled 268 laps before getting wrapped up in an accident and finished 34th.

It is unrealistic (and unfair) to expect Montoya to be able to make such drastic leap from open-wheel cars to stock cars and immediately either win races or contend for the championship. Although he is a hugely talented driver, 2007 must be considered an initiation in preparation for the big year in 2008.

Born: September 20, 1975 (1975-09-20)
Age: 32
Birthplace: Bogotá, Colombia
Awards: 1998 Formula 3000 Winner
1999 CART Champion & Rookie of the Year
2007-2008 24 Hours of Daytona overall winner
2000 Indy 500 Winner & Rookie of the Year
2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Car #, Team 42 - Chip Ganassi Racing
2007 Sprint Cup Position: 20th
Best Cup Position: 20th (2007)
First Race: 2006 Ford 400 (Homestead-Miami)
First Win: 2007 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
1 --- 7 --- 0

NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics

Car #, Team 42 - Chip Ganassi Racing
2007 NNS Position: 36th
Best NNS Position: 36th (2007)
First Race: 2006 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis)
Last Win: 2007 Telcel-Motorola 200 (Mexico City, MX)

Wins --- Top Tens --- Poles
1 --- 3 --- 0

Statistics as of November 19, 2007.

Formula One World Championship career

Active years: 2001 - 2006
Teams: Williams F1, McLaren
Races: 95 (94 starts)
Championships: 0
Wins: 7
Podium finishes: 30
Career points: 307
Pole positions: 13
Fastest laps: 12
First race 2001 Australian Grand Prix
First win 2001 Italian Grand Prix
Last win 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last race 2006 United States Grand Prix

Extra Prices!? Weeeee!!

Ok, we all know that every race can only have one goal right? WRONG! For every NASCAR NEXTEL cup Series race drivers don’t just compete for the prize money (yah right!) but also special awards provided by many series sponsors. Here’s a quick recap of some special awards.

BUDWEISER POLE AWARD: The Budweiser Pole Award is presented to the fastest eligible qualifier in each NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. The Budweiser Pole winner of each race will receive $5,400.

CHECKER’S/RALLY’S DOUBLE DRIVE-THRU CHALLENGE AWARD: The Checker’s/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge award goes to the highest finishing eligible driver who finishes on the lead lap of the race and spends the lowest cumulative time in the pit road. The winning driver is awarded $11,000 at each NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. The driver who wins most of this award the most number of times during the season receives an $111,150 year-bonus.

CLEVITE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE YEAR AWARD: At the conclusion of the season, the top three engine builders who have accumulated the greatest number of “Clevite Points” will be awarded the following: 1st place- $70,000, 2nd place- $20,000 and 3rd place- $$10,000. Points will be awarded for qualifying and finishing position, along with bonus points for lap leaders. Qualifying points will be awarded for each of the 23 designated events based on the qualifying position. The points are as follows: 1st- 5 points, 2nd- 3 points, 3rd- 2 points. If an eligible team (one that does not run decal) finishes among the top three, such team will NOT receive the qualifying points, and the qualifying points will not “roll over” to any other eligible team. Finishing points will be awarded for each 23 designated events based on finishing positions. Engine builders for each top 15 finishing positions as follows: 1st- 15 points, 2nd- 14 points, 3rd- 13 points, etch…down to 15th place which receives one point. In the event an engine builder prepares engines for more than one team, the points will be accrued by the team and may not be combined. In the event an engine builder prepares engines for such team will NOT receive the finishing points, and those finishing points will NOT “roll over” to any eligible team. At the conclusion of the season, in the event there is a tie for first, second or third place, the engine builder whose team has won the greatest number of the 2 designated events will be the recipient of the award.

COMMIT LOZENGES COMMIT TO WIN AWARD: A $6,100 award will be presented to the eligible driver who leads the first green-flag lap of the race. An $111,000 bonus will be presented to the driver at the end of the season who wins the most Commit Lozenges Commit to Win Awards.

DOW AUTOMOTIVE STRATEGIC CALL OF THE RACE AWARD: The Dow Automotive Strategic Call of the Race Awards is presented to the team that makes the best strategic call over the course of each race. A $5,800 bonus is awarded in each race and the team receiving the most numbers of these awards over the entire season will collect a $100,000 year-end award.

GOODYEAR GATORBACK FASTEST LAP AWARD: A $5,400 award will be presented to the eligible driver who turns the fastest lap while leading the race. A $75,000 bonus will be presented to the driver at the end of the season who wins the most Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap Awards.

MECHANIX WEAR MOST VALUABLE PIT CREW AWARD: The season will be split into four quarters. At the end of each quarter, the winning crew will be determined by a vote from each team’s crew chief. The four quarterly winners will then be eligible for the “Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award” and a check for $75,000. This award will once again be determined by a vote from each team’s crew chief and be awarded at the season’s final race at Homestead.