Stock Car Gazette

The Stock Car Gazette e-zine for Tuesday, 8/4/09

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 38 reads
Mike Irwin

Denny Hamlin won the rain-delayed Pennsylvania 500 on Monday. Read full results and points from the Sprint Cup Series, plus a race recap courtesy of FrontStretch.Com right here in today’s Stock Car Gazette.

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E d i t o r ‘ s * N o t e s
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Stock Car Gazette Columnists Speak Out!
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Track Trash – Poke a nose…any nose
by: Racing Maniac

Amazingly, this turned out to be a great race. Sorry all you working stiffs missed the action, but this usually boring race turned out to be exciting. Read more at http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/3949

For more of this writer, visit http://motorsportsnews.net/archives/category/track-trash
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N A S C A R * S P R I N T * C U P * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of www.FrontStretch.Com

Hamlin Breaks 50-Race Victory Drought With Pocono Win
by Tom Bowles

Denny Hamlin spent most of his weekend with his heart somewhere else, mourning the loss of his grandmother just days before racing at Pocono.

But when all was said and done Monday, it was his No. 11 car sitting in Victory Lane — the perfect tribute to honor his biggest fan.

Hamlin charged forward during a frantic last 50 miles, passing Clint Bowyer for the lead on Lap 191 and then pulling away for his third career win at the triangular-shaped track. Leading late in several races this season only to fade at the end, the fourth-year driver reversed the trend, charging from sixth to second in just one turn when Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact during a double-file restart on lap 188. The only one of the leaders with four fresh tires, Hamlin then made quick work of Bowyer to finish where he seemed to belong all day: up front. The Fed Ex Toyota paced the field for a race-high 91 of 200 laps, giving him a total of 391 in just eight career starts at the track.

“I found myself over the last few months starting to think, ‘Man, I’m only racing for second when I show up,’” Hamlin admitted. “That’s no way to be. This just puts the confidence back in me that I can come from middle of the pack with 30 to go and win a race.”

After taking the checkered, Hamlin was overcome by emotion, crying openly in Victory Lane as the memory of the close bond with his grandmother, Thelma Clark, overwhelmed him.

“Definitely had some angels with us today,” he said, also making reference to a crew member whose mom had passed away over the last couple of weeks. “I just wanted to win so bad. It’s been a long time coming.”

Juan Pablo Montoya also passed Bowyer as the laps wound down, charging to second after he and Sam Hornish, Jr. benefited from a timely caution. Both drivers had just made their green flag stops when a yellow flag came out on Lap 167, putting both cars at the front of the field when the rest of the lead lap cars pitted under caution.

“We had a car that could win the race,” he said afterwards. “I think the biggest thing was where the 11 was going to be. I thought I had a car fast enough to hold [him off] … but I got hit in the last restart, and he passed me.”
Bowyer came home third, with Hornish fourth and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top 5. Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Tony Stewart made up the rest of the top 10.

The race itself was rather wild, with 10 cautions for 39 laps slowing the pace. Among the big wrecks of the day was contact between David Stremme and Robby Gordon after Gordon came after Stremme for some moves he wasn’t happy with earlier in the race. Stremme ended up spinning out Gordon on Lap 157, causing both drivers a five-lap penalty for rough driving.

Race To The Chase (Top 12)
by Tom Bowles
Tony Stewart had one of his worst weekends in recent memory at Pocono. Crashing his primary car in practice, Stewart wound up giving up his pole position and starting shotgun on the field for Monday’s race. In June, that wasn’t a problem as the point leader came from last to first to win his first race as driver/owner. This time … it wasn’t meant to be. Stewart had a tire problem early in the going, falling a lap down and needing the Lucky Dog to work his way back onto the lead lap. After that, the No. 14 was about a 20th place car until a fuel only stop on Lap 168 gave him the track position needed to contend late in the race. In the end, he came home with a 10th place finish, his worst since Charlotte on Memorial Day.

Yet despite the day-long struggle … Stewart actually extended his margin atop the standings to 197 points over Jimmie Johnson. Johnson had himself a miraculous day, using four Lucky Dog passes to come back from as many as three laps behind after suffering through some spark plug issues. Getting back on the lead lap with 21 to go, Johnson made a furious charge from 33rd, passing 20 cars to salvage a 13th-place finish on his day. That left him two points ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon, who finished eighth to close within 199 of Stewart.

Kurt Busch remained fourth in the standings with a ninth-place finish, while Hamlin’s win bumped him up to 5th, 251 above the Chase cutoff (13th place) with five races left to go. Carl Edwards, who finished runner-up at Pocono in June, dropped to a disappointing 18th-place finish on Monday that left him sixth in the standings, leading a pack of the final seven Chasers who are separated by just 102 points. Behind him, Kasey Kahne jumped up a spot to seventh, while Juan Pablo Montoya moved up two spots to eighth after both secured top 5 finishes at Pocono. Ryan Newman dropped two spots to ninth after struggling to 14th, while Mark Martin slid down to 10th despite running a solid seventh on Sunday.

11th and 12th are Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle, respectively, with the two swapping spots after Pocono. Just one point separates the two drivers, with Kyle Busch now 101 behind in 13th as the first man on the outside looking in. Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer, and David Reutimann remain the other three drivers within striking distance; Reutimann in 16th is 121 points out of 12th.

Tracking The Top 35
by Tom Bowles

Scott Speed had his best finish since Memorial Day, coming home 23rd on the lead lap with his No. 82 Team Red Bull Toyota. That allowed the team to make a serious dent in their quest for the top 35, gaining 21 points on the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 driven by John Andretti (they finished 30th). The gap between the two teams now stands at 171 with 15 races left in the season.

Further up the list, Robby Gordon was hurt by his tangle with Stremme; the problems left him 33rd, five laps back, and put his self-owned team just 290 ahead of Speed in 34th place. It seems like these three cars will settle the battle for the final two “locked in” spots moving forward; the No. 71 TRG Motorsports car, sitting 37th in owner points, started and parked at Pocono and no longer remains a serious threat to break in (they’re now 341 behind Andretti for 35th).

STAT OF THE WEEK: 57. That’s the number of races it took for open-wheel convert Sam Hornish, Jr. to get his first top 5 finish in Sprint Cup. How does that compare with some other notable converts? Juan Pablo Montoya scored one in just his fifth career start, while A.J. Allmendinger snagged one in his 45th. That leaves Hornish a little behind the curve … but at this point, I’m sure he’s just happy to get that monkey off his back. – Tom Bowles
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Your ad could be displayed here… very reasonable rates. E-mail Mike@MotorSportsNews.Net
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Courtesy of Insider Racing News

http://www.insiderracingnews.com

2009 Pennsylvania 500 Final Results
Race Date August 2, 2009
Pocono Raceway

Pos Start Car Driver Make Sponsor Points/Bonus/Laps Status

1 6 11 Denny Hamlin ** Toyota FedEx Express 195/10 200 Running
2 10 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 170/0 200 Running
3 16 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet The Hartford 170/5 200 Running
4 29 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge PPG 160/0 200 Running
5 8 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 160/5 200 Running
6 15 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 150/0 200 Running
7 9 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Cheez-It/Carquest 151/5 200 Running
8 3 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 142/0 200 Running
9 4 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 143/5 200 Running
10 1 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice Swagger 134/0 200 Running
11 12 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Dewalt 135/5 200 Running
12 23 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell/Pennzoil 127/0 200 Running
13 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 129/5 200 Running
14 7 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation 121/0 200 Running
15 11 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 118/0 200 Running
16 14 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M’s 115/0 200 Running
17 27 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Valvoline 112/0 200 Running
18 5 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 109/0 200 Running
19 24 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 106/0 200 Running
20 20 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 103/0 200 Running
21 17 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Caterpillar 100/0 200 Running
22 30 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 97/0 200 Running
23 37 82 Scott Speed * Toyota Red Bull 94/0 200 Running
24 25 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 91/0 200 Running
25 21 07 Casey Mears Chevrolet Jack Daniel’s 88/0 200 Running
26 33 98 Paul Menard Ford Moen/Menards 85/0 200 Running
27 19 20 Joey Logano * Toyota The Home Depot 82/0 200 Running
28 22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy/National Guard 79/0 200 Running
29 13 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine 81/5 200 Running
30 35 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Taco Bell 78/5 200 Running
31 31 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 70/0 198 Running
32 32 12 David Stremme Dodge Penske Racing 67/0 196 Running
33 34 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Robby Gordon Motorsports 64/0 195 Running
34 18 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota iRacing.com/Kingsford/Clorox 66/5 192 Running
35 26 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge U.S. Air Force 58/0 185 Running
36 28 96 Bobby Labonte Ford DLP 55/0 180 Accident
37 41 36 Patrick Carpentier Toyota Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich 52/0 38 Transmission
38 36 09 Sterling Marlin Dodge Miccosukee Resort & Gaming 49/0 36 Transmission
39 39 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota NEMCO Motorsports 46/0 30 Ignition
40 40 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 43/0 26 Overheating
41 38 171 David Gilliland Chevrolet Leiomyosarcom-a Foundation 45/5 24 Alternator
42 43 37 Tony Raines Dodge Long John Silver’s 37/0 17 Power Steering
43 42 64 Mike Wallace Toyota Air Combat USA/Fred’s 34/0 13 Parked

** Led Most Laps
* Rookies

All Results Unofficial

2009 Top-40 Sprint Cup Points After Pennsylvania 500
Race Date August 2, 2009
Pocono Raceway

POS +/- DRIVER POINTS/BEHIND STARTS/POLES WINS TOP 5/TOP 10

1 — Tony Stewart 3188 21 0 2 12 17
2 — Jimmie Johnson 2991 -197 21 0 3 9 14
3 — Jeff Gordon 2989 -199 21 0 1 10 15
4 — Kurt Busch 2751 -437 21 0 1 6 11
5 +1 Denny Hamlin 2713 -475 21 0 1 7 9
6 -1 Carl Edwards 2665 -523 21 0 0 5 9
7 +1 Kasey Kahne 2642 -546 21 0 1 4 9
8 +2 Juan Montoya 2631 -557 21 1 0 1 10
9 -2 Ryan Newman 2627 -561 21 1 0 5 9
10 -1 Mark Martin 2622 -566 21 4 4 6 11
11 +1 Matt Kenseth 2564 -624 21 1 2 4 8
12 -1 Greg Biffle 2563 -625 21 0 0 6 9

Top 12 Drivers In The Running For The Chase For The Championship

13 +1 Kyle Busch 2462 -726 21 1 3 4 6
14 +1 Brian Vickers 2459 -729 21 5 0 3 10
15 +1 Clint Bowyer 2448 -740 21 0 0 4 8
16 -3 David Reutimann 2442 -746 21 2 1 4 6
17 — Jeff Burton 2301 -887 21 0 0 2 6
18 — Marcos Ambrose 2241 -947 21 0 0 2 5
19 — Joey Logano* 2165 -1023 21 0 1 1 4
20 — Jamie McMurray 2163 -1025 21 0 0 0 3
21 — Casey Mears 2086 -1102 21 0 0 0 2
22 +1 Kevin Harvick 2066 -1122 21 0 0 2 3
23 -1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2062 -1126 21 0 0 1 3
24 — Martin Truex Jr. 2038 -1150 21 1 0 0 3
25 — Elliott Sadler 2015 -1173 21 0 0 1 3
26 +1 A.J. Allmendinger 1985 -1203 21 0 0 1 3
27 +2 Sam Hornish Jr. 1966 -1222 21 0 0 1 5
28 -2 Reed Sorenson 1941 -1247 21 0 0 0 1
29 -1 Bobby Labonte 1928 -1260 21 0 0 1 1
30 — David Ragan 1896 -1292 21 0 0 0 1
31 — David Stremme 1766 -1422 21 0 0 0 0
32 +1 Paul Menard 1723 -1465 21 0 0 0 0
33 -1 Michael Waltrip 1712 -1476 20 0 0 0 1
34 — Robby Gordon 1672 -1516 21 0 0 1 1
35 — Scott Speed* 1437 -1751 20 0 0 1 1
36 — John Andretti 1419 -1769 19 0 0 0 0
37 — David Gilliland 1187 -2001 20 0 0 0 0
38 — Regan Smith 989 -2199 11 0 0 0 0
39 +1 Joe Nemechek 798 -2390 17 0 0 0 0
40 -1 Brad Keselowski 787 -2401 7 0 1 1 3
* Rookies
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Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Hamlin wins at Pocono: #11-Denny Hamlin won the rain delayed/postponed Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway for his third win at Pocono Raceway, his first win in 2009 and first in 50 races, since Martinsville in March 2008 and Hamlin’s 5th career win. #42-Montoya finished 2nd for his first top-five of 2009, #33-Bowyer was third, followed by #77-Hornish Jr. [his career best finish and first ever top-five of his career], #9-Kahne, #83-Vickers, #5-Martin, #24-Gordon and #14-Stewart [was in a backup car the had to fall to the rear of the field before the start of the race]. #48-Johnson had engine problems was down as many as three laps, the crew fixed the problem (spark plugs) and Johnson was able to use FOUR Lucky Dog – lap back passes, to finish 13th. #88-Earnhardt Jr. has an ill-handling car and finished 28th. Stewart now leads Johnson on the points standing by 197 points. The spread between 12th (the final chase spot) and 13th is now 101 points with #16-Biffle in 12th and #18-Busch in 13th. There were 10 cautions for 39 caution laps and there were 17 lead changes among 12 drivers.

Race Fast Facts – Pocono Raceway:
#11-Denny Hamlin won the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, his fifth victory in 136 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and ninth top-10 finish in 2009.
This is his third victory and sixth top-10 finish in eight races at Pocono Raceway.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya (second) posted his second top-10 finish in six races at Pocono Raceway. It is his 10th top-10 finish in 2009.
#33-Clint Bowyer (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in eight races at Pocono Raceway.
#82-Scott Speed (23rd) was the highest finishing rookie.
#14-Tony Stewart leads the point standings by 197 points over #48Jimmie Johnson.(NASCAR Statistics)(8-3-2009)

Commercial breakdown for Pocono:
Total number of commercials: 189
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 83
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 29
Start time to record race/commercial periods on Sunday: 2:01 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods on Sunday: 4:17 PM
Start time to record race/commercial periods on Monday: 12:00 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods on Monday: 4:18
Total minutes: 394
Minutes of race broadcast: 311
Minutes of commercials: 83
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of mystery cautions (no debris shown): 1
Number of ‘Rain Delay Interviews’: 14 (Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Reutimann, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Martin Truex Jr., Scott Speed, Mark Martin, Casey Mears, Robby Gordon, Marcos Ambrose)
Number of caution lights losing a piece of itself: 1
Number of cars hit by said caution light piece: 1 #11
Number of commercial-free moments at the end of the race: 45
Total race brdcst time 198 Total comm. brdcst time 60

Why Pocono teamed up with the Red Cross and Sunoco: Back in the 1990s, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, the chairman of Pocono Raceway, decided he didn’t need title sponsors for the track’s two NASCAR races each year. Mattioli branded the June race the Pocono 500 and the summer race the Pennsylvania 500. Last year, the summer event became the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. Track president Brandon Igdalsky, Mattioli’s grandson, said yesterday he didn’t have to twist his grandfather’s arm to affiliate Sunoco and Red Cross with the Pennsylvania 500. “I knew he had a soft spot with the charitable stuff,” Igdalsky said. “His big thing has been to give back. This was an easy one. When we explained the concept, he said, ‘Heck, yeah.’ ” Sunoco and Red Cross are not the traditional title sponsors who pay about $2 million per race to tracks. Tom Foley, CEO of the Red Cross’ southeastern Pennsylvania chapter based in Philadelphia, said Sunoco makes a significant contribution to the Mattioli Foundation, which then donates the money to the Red Cross chapter. Sunoco, also Philadelphia based, is the official fuel of NASCAR. Igdalsky and Foley said they are hopeful that the Pocono/Red Cross/Sunoco relationship will continue after this year.(Philadelphia Daily News)(8-4-2009)

No speedometers planned for NASCAR: Some drivers would like a speedometer added to their cars, or have NASCAR’s electronic timing system that records the pit row speeds refined to cut down on possible error. “I have wondered why we don’t have speedometers,” veteran driver Mark Martin said Friday. “The tachs are not quite as accurate as a speedometer might be. But the system works. It’s just really devastating when you have one of the races of your life slip through your fingers.” Could NASCAR make the switch from RPM to mph on the dash? Not so fast. Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said the tachometer was the most reliable factor in determining pit row speeds. “They get multiple usages out of a tachometer as an engine meter as well, without having to bother with the expense and the troubles of adding another piece of equipment to the car,” Darby said at Pocono Raceway. “The tachometers today are so sophisticated that teams can actually program their pit road speed into the tachometer.” Most teams have even added a lighting system to the tachometer. A green light means a driver’s speed is in the clear, yellow signifies he is pushing the limit and red means the speed is over the limit. “In NASCAR’s defense, the system that they have, you can’t dispute it,” four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said. “I would dispute the person that feels like they’re in the wrong, because their system is very accurate.” There have been 75 speeding violations in 20 Cup races this season, Darby said. NASCAR does not warn teams when they’re on the edge of speeding or give them a chance to plead their case. Speed once coming in or out of the pits, and a penalty is instantly assessed. “The teams know exactly where they’re supposed to be,” Darby said. “They know where the threshold is.” Darby also said there are no plans to reveal pit road speeds to fans or the rest of the field during a race. “If you have put your combination together and you’re real confident in your driver and you’ve got him set to where you think he can run 3½ miles over all day long without getting caught, that’s their business,” he said. “We shouldn’t display that to the other 42 competitors to let them figure out how they did it.” NASCAR switched from a stopwatch system to electric timing in 2005 to provide a more legitimate way of assessing pit road speeders.(Associated Press)(8-4-2009)

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 19th: “Today’s previously scheduled event to honor NASCAR champion had to be rescheduled because the race yesterday was rained out. That event will now be August 19, here at the White House.”(Whitehouse.gov)(8-4-2009)

Tire testing at Dover: Goodyear is scheduled to test tires at Dover Internation Speedway on August 4-5, #48-Jimmie Johnson and #18-Kyle Busch are among the drivers scheduled to test.(ESPN’s NASCAR Now), also hearing #42-Juan Pablo Montoya will test.(8-1/4-2009)

Carpentier to Return to the Driver’s Seat of the #55: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that Patrick Carpentier will return to the driver’s seat of the #55 NAPA Auto PArts Toyota for driver Michael Waltrip at the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen International. Earlier this season, the Canadian driver produced an 11th-place finish for Waltrip at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. “Patrick is being rewarded for perserverence,” said Waltrip, who has 22 starts that equate to one top-five, four top-10 and 14 top-20 finishes at the 2.45-mile road course. “At Sonoma, he drove for me and started out with a car he wasn’t happy with. He worked with my crew chief Bootie (Barker) and my NAPA boys to get an 11th-place finish. We also had a little deal on the side. If he was able to finish solidly at Infineon Raceway and he deemed the experience of working with my team as fun and wanted to do again, then he and I would ask NAPA to allow him to drive again. We all agreed so Patrick will drive the #55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for NAPA and me at Watkins Glen.” The NAPA Auto Parts team prepared for the upcoming event by testing with Carpentier at Virginia International Raceway on July 22nd.(Michael Waltrip Racing)(8-3-2009)

The #43-Sorenson and #44-Allmendinger teams at Richard Petty Motorsports will change crew chiefs and crews following the race at Watkins Glen. According to team sources, drivers Reed Sorenson and AJ Allmendinger will remain with their respective car numbers and sponsors. However, Mike Shiplett will now oversee the #44 Dodge with Allmendinger and Sammy Johns will be the crew chief for Sorenson and the #43 squad. The cars and equipment will remain with the crew chiefs.(Foxsports)(8-3-2009)
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Courtesy of Racin’ Today

http://www.racintoday.com

Woody: Mayfield Stars In ‘As The Urinal Turns’ – http://www.racintoday.com/archives/8439

Hamlin Wins Rain-Delayed Pocono Cup Race – http://www.racintoday.com/archives/8415

NASCAR Newscast: Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 Recap – http://www.racintoday.com/archives/8435
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Your ad could be displayed here… very reasonable rates. E-mail Mike@MotorSportsNews.Net
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Courtesy of That’s Racin’

http://www.thatsracin.com

Denny Hamlin wins at Pocono – http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/14927.html

Johnson team finds spark after engine problems clear – http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/14961.html

Rewind | Commentary, key moments – http://www.thatsracin.com/140/story/14959.html
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P R E S S * R E L E A S E S
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Free Doorstop Give-away
MIFFLINTOWN, PA – August, 3rd, 2009 – doorstopnation.com will return as
an associate sponsor of the #34
Front Row Motorsports entry driven by John Andretti at Watkins Glen
international Speedway.
“I saw that Long John Silvers’ was giving away fish tacos a few weeks
ago. And I got the idea that I will send out free doorstops to anyone
in the USA or Canada who emails joe@doorstopnation.com, I know about
the current economic climate people are struggling to get doorstops.
This give-away will help those in need, this is between August 3rd and
August 10th” commented doorstopnation.com owner Joe Laracuente. “Front
Row Motorsports has greatly improved over the past year and I’m very
proud to be a sponsor of this team.”
doorstopnation.com was founded in 2005 and has been a sponsor of Front
Row Motorsports for over a year.
For More info visit http://doorstopnation.com
- doorstopnation.com PR
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N A S C A R * N A T I O N W I D E * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Bliss out at Phoenix? UPDATE 4: hearing that #1-Mike Bliss and Phoenix Racing have parted ways. Bliss is currently 7th in points and has a win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.(7-5-2009)
UPDATE: now told that James Finch has reconsidered and Bliss will stay in the car.(7-7-2009)
UPDATE 2: been told that Bliss was again released from the team on Sunday, following the race at Iowa.(8-2-2009)
UPDATE 3: A statement from Mike Bliss: “It’s hard to comprehend being fired when you are 6th in points after Iowa. I never expected that considering we finished 14th with the motor blowing up. Getting the call Sunday was a real shock. Right now I am trying to find a way to get in a car and at least finish in the top 10 in driver points, with next year in the back of my mind, too.” Bliss has posted the most top ten finishes for Phoenix racing of any of their past drivers including a win this year at Lowes Motor Speedway. He currently don’t not have a ride for Watkins Glen, but is hopeful to find something for Michigan.(8-3-2009)
UPDATE 4: team sources say that Ryan Newman will be in the #1 this weekend at Watkins Glen.(8-3-2009)

Key Motorsports welcomes driver Jeffrey Earnhardt to the team. The twenty-year-old will be making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Watkins Glen International behind the wheel of the #40. Jeffrey is scheduled to make two starts for Key Motorsports this season, the second of which will be at the series’ other road course circuit in Montreal.(Key Motorsports PR)(8-3-2009)

Murphy returns to #81: A week ago Sean Murphy wasn’t sure what he’d be racing. He received a last minute phone call last week to drive at Iowa Speedway and now he’ll race at least two scheduled events for #81-MacDonald Motorsports. With no time to spare, Murphy is already preparing for the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International Raceway this Saturday.(8-3-2009)

Logano To Sport Madcatz Colors At Watkins Glen: When #20-Joey Logano goes for his seventh straight top-5 finish in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition this weekend at Watkins Glen, he will do so in the colors of Madcatz Accessories. Madcatz, a global leader in providing innovative peripherals for the interactive entertainment industry, will adorn the #20 Toyota along with GameStop. Logano’s top-five streak began at Charlotte in May and includes two wins during that span.(MCG Sports PR), see an image of the car on the #20 Paint Schemes page.(8-3-2009) http://www.jayski.com/schemes/2009/nationwide/20nationwide.htm

Fitzpatrick making 2009 debut at Watkins Glen: This weekend Kevin Harvick Inc. newcomer J. R. Fitzpatrick will make his first Nationwide Series start of the 2009 season, his first at Watkins Glen International and his first in a KHI Chevy in the #4. The Cambridge, Ontario native will climb behind the wheel of the #33 KHI Chevy at the end of the month to run the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. (KHI PR)(8-3-2009)
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Courtesy of The Hot Lap

http://www.TheHotLap.com

Post-race interview with race winner, Brad Keselowski, who took home an extra $75,000 for winning the Dash for Cash award. “It means a lot to win this race, and the Nationwide Dash for Cash-to be the guy that wins that-it took three tries for someone to get it, and so that kind of stakes your claim; so, that’s kind of neat. It was a good race; everything about today- I couldn’t ask for anything more. I couldn’t ask for a better finish, I’d rather finish this way, than run away with it. On pit stops-I felt no matter what we did, Kyle would do the opposite, which I would do too. I kind of thought more guys would stay out, which they didn’t, so that was surprising. I knew I could clear Kyle in Turn 1, but it took me a few laps to pull away. It was a good show, and a lot of things people couldn’t see. There were things he and I were doing to slow each other down.” Q: You were a very popular driver when you won, what do you attribute that to? Keselowski-”Beating Kyle Busch,” (laughter). “I could literally see the fans jumping up and down as I passed Kyle.” Post-race quotes from winning crew chief-Tony Eury Sr. on the decision not to pit at the end,”It don’t matter whether you make a call to pit or not, you’ll always wonder if it’s the right one or not. We had six hours of practice Thursday, and we ran two sets of tires. We never saw anything with tires, so, we kind of knew that if we could stop and just take fuel, then we could stay out. That was in the back of our minds. When Kyle took two tires, that was a bit of a relief, four tires might have been a different story.” (media center-Iowa) (08-03-09)
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C A M P I N G * W O R L D * T R U C K * S E R I E S
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Courtesy of Jayski

http://www.jayski.com

Historic Mile LLC announced as potential Milwaukee Mile promoter: Principals representing Historic Mile LLC were revealed today as the potential group promoting auto racing events at The Milwaukee Mile speedway. Historic Mile LLC was chosen last Thursday evening by the Wisconsin State Fair Board during a special session. What is in place for the next 55-plus days is a Letter of Intent, which is not a promoter agreement, but does allow Historic Mile LLC to move forward exclusively to demonstrate it has sufficient financial resources available to fund operations at The Milwaukee Mile including sanction fees, license fees and overhead expenses. Key to the ongoing process for Historic Mile LLC is securing NASCAR and Indy Racing League events at The Milwaukee Mile.(Historic Mile PR)

Fitzpatrick making first 2009 NNS start at Watkins Glen: This weekend Kevin Harvick Inc. newcomer J. R. Fitzpatrick will make his first Nationwide Series start of the 2009 season, his first at Watkins Glen International and his first in a KHI Chevrolet Impala. Fitzpatrick has run road courses in both Canada and Mexico, mostly gaining his experience in his home country of Canada. In addition to running the #4 car at Watkins Glen, the Cambridge, Ontario native will climb behind the wheel of the #33 KHI Chevrolet at the end of the month to run the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(8-3-2009)
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Courtesy of TruckSeries.Com

http://www.truckseries.com

Hornaday Wins Fifth In A Row
08-01-2009 | TruckSeries.com Report
Ron Hornaday Jr. and Crew Chief Rick Ren with Nashville Trophy Ron Hornaday Jr. moved higher into the NASCAR record book alongside some famous company Saturday in the Toyota Tundra 200, becoming the third driver to win five straight races in a national series and the first in 38 years.

http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_09/articles/000009/000966.htm

OFFICIAL RESULTS: Toyota Tundra 200

http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_09/articles/000009/000978.htm

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A R C A (Automobile Racing Club of America)
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Courtesy of ARCA

http://www.arcaracing.com

Back-to-Back Wins for ESR’s Lofton
Eddie Sharp Racing’s Justin Lofton (No. 6 Lofton Cattle Toyota) earned his second consecutive win and third of 2009 on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. Lofton won the Pennsylvania 200 by a margin of 0.502 seconds over Matt Merrell (No. 32 ColinsHope.org-Red Line Oil Dodge), Craig Goess (No. 81 Greenville Toyota of NC Toyota), Steve Arpin (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota) and Frank Kimmel (No. 44 Ansell-Menards Ford). He now unofficially leads the ARCA RE/MAX Series Point Standings by a slim, five-point margin over rookie Parker Kligerman.

The ARCA RE/MAX Series has a brief break from racing activity before heading to Springfield, Illinois for the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on August 23. The race marks the first of two dirt track events for the diverse stock car series this season. Several of the top-10 point contenders head into the race with zero experience racing on dirt, including rookie Parker Kligerman, who has led the point standings following seven of the 13 races contested so far this season, Craig Goess, Joey Coulter and Robb Brent.

Qualifying Rained Out (Again)
The starting field for Saturday’s Pennsylvania 200 was set by current Car Owner Points after track officials cancelled on-track activity at Pocono Raceway as a result of heavy rain showers in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding area on Friday. Five Menards Pole Qualifying Sessions presented by Ansell (Kentucky, Toledo, Pocono, Michigan, Pocono) have been scratched due to uncooperative weather this season.

PA’s Kyle Martel CGS Imaging Hard Charger at Pocono
Kyle Martel finished a career-best 10th at Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon, racing his way up from a 37th-place starting position to earn CGS Imaging Hard Charger honors in the No. 43 Hanover Cold Storage-Finish Line Express Chevrolet. Although Martel is from nearby Lebanon, Pennsylvania, the 22-year-old driver admits that his early childhood experiences at Pocono Raceway were limited due to his busy schedule racing Late Models throughout the Midwest.

Other Pennsylvania drivers:
Bobby Gerhart (Lebanon) finished 9th
Kory Rabenold (Slatington) finished 16th
Steve Fox (Hazelton) finished 25th
Brian Kaltreider (Reading) finished 28th
Chase Mattioli (Long Pond) finished 32nd

Eddie Sharp Racing’s Goess Earns Career-Best Finish at Pocono
Rookie of the Year contender Craig Goess, who has spent the 2009 season transitioning from Eddie Sharp Racing’s NASCAR Camping World East Series Team to the ARCA RE/MAX Series, finished a career-best third this weekend at Pocono Raceway, besting a previous career-best finish of fourth achieved on July 18 at Kentucky Speedway. Goess has just one finish outside of the top-10 (12th at Iowa on July 11) since the Spring Pocono race on June 6.

Goess’ former teammate Steve Arpin, who made the transition from Eddie Sharp Racing to Venturini Motorsports beginning with this past weekend’s Pennsylvania 200, also posted a career-best finish. Arpin finished fourth in the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota despite making contact with Parker Kligerman while battling for third inside of five laps remaining.

“It’s a bad deal that we got together with Parker [Kligerman] there at the end,” said Arpin. “He races all of us clean each and every week and I feel horrible for getting into him, we just got a little tight and got his left rear. He had a shot at winning that race.”

Kligerman finished 21st in the final running order, a career-worst for the 18-year-old Penske Development Driver, who competes for Cunningham Motorsports in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

TOP TEN UNOFFICIAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS AFTER THE PENNSYLVANIA 200 AT POCONO RACEWAY ( RACE 13 of 21; 8-1-09);1) Justin Lofton, 3190; 2) Parker Kligerman, 3185; 3) Frank Kimmel, 2900; 4) Craig Goess, 2800; 5) Joey Coulter, 2765; 6) Bryan Silas, 2710; 7) Steve Arpin, 2675; 8) Patrick Sheltra, 2555; 9) Tom Hessert, 2520; 10) Robb Brent, 2335

Lofton Nationwide Ready
Current ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Point Contender Justin Lofton will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Michigan Int’l Speedway on August 15 for CJM Racing.

“I hope my past experiences at Michigan racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and winning in the Series will help get me respect,” said Lofton. “This first Nationwide Race at Michigan will tell a lot-whether I get to race them [the fulltime NASCAR Nationwide Series Drivers] or whether they move me out of the way. I’m running four Nationwide races this year-possibly more– and the goal is to earn respect and to get my name out there. If I can finish in the top-10 in those races it would be absolutely awesome.

In addition to Michigan, Lofton plans to race for CJM at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (October 16), Texas Motor Speedway (November 7) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (November 21).

Kimmel Six Laps Shy of Major Career Milestone
Nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion Frank Kimmel is just six laps shy of leading 10,000 laps in ARCA RE/MAX Series Competition. Although he has only led 36 laps so far this season, Kimmel heads into the next race on the schedule-the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds-as the defending race winner. Kimmel led 83 of 102 laps en route to victory at Springfield last year and set a new one-lap track record at the one-mile dirt track. He is a seven-time race winner at Springfield.

Kyle Busch, David Ragan to Support ARCA-Owned Properties this August
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and David Ragan will each make appearances at ARCA-owned properties this August. Busch will compete in a 100-lap CRA Late Model race on Friday night, August 14 at Toledo Speedway, which is owned by ARCA President Ron Drager and business man Roy Mott. Ragan will sign autographs for race fans at ARCA-owned Flat Rock Speedway on Saturday night, August 15.

Follow ARCA on Twitter
ARCA is now on Twitter. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ARCA_Racing.

In addition to twitter, keep up with all ARCA Racing properties at http://www.arcaracing.com and http://www.arcanation.com.

Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races
Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds; Sunday, August 23
Ansell Cut Protection 150 at Chicagoland Speedway; Friday, August 28
ARCA RE/MAX 200 presented by Belle Tire at Toledo Speedway; Friday, September 4
Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds; Monday, September 7
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C O L U M N S / C O M M E N T A R I E S
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Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/AM/080409.html

Ron Hornaday ~ Man On A Mission
by Allen Madding

Insider Racing News

http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/RF/080409.html

Emotional Hamlin Wins Third Pocono Race
by Ron Felix

The Nascar Insiders
I’ve Got A Theory About The Strange Situation at Red Bull
With all that has happened this year, one storyline that has seemingly been lost in the shuffle a bit is the situation at Team Red Bull.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/ePqGD9jO7WM/

Cheers and Jeers: Rainy Days and Mondays
By Carol Einarsson | 08/04/2009
CHEERS to letting Greg work on his car from time to time. Maybe if they’d let him work on it in the garage, he wouldn’t use the outside wall to adjust it on the track.

http://www.racejournalonline.com/index.php?page=read&article=470

Cheers and Jeers: Pocono Rain Fill
By Carol Einarsson | 08/04/2009
CHEERS to the irony of Rusty Wallace asking a driver how he sets his speed so he doesn’t get a ticket on pit road.

http://www.racejournalonline.com/index.php?page=read&article=469

ESPN’s NASCAR Agenda Still Under Discussion

http://dalyplanet.blogspot.com/2009/08/espns-nascar-agenda-still-under.html

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T V * L I S T I N G S
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Courtesy of Race Fan TV

http://www.racefantv.com/

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
5:00P-5:30 espn2 NASCAR Now, HD, L

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
11:30A-1:30P SPEED NASCAR Sprint Cup PRACTICE, Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen,Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
1:30P-3:00 SPEED NASCAR Nationwide Series PRACTICE, Zippo 200, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
3:00P-5:30 espn2/TSN NASCAR Sprint Cup QUALIFYING, Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
5:30P-6:30 espn2 NASCAR Nationwide Series FINAL PRACTICE, Zippo 200, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
6:30P-7:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, L
8:00P-10:00 SPEED Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Crown Royal 200, DP + GT, Watkins Glen International, HD, SDD, N

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
10:00A-12:00n espn2/TSN NASCAR Nationwide Series QUALIFYING, Zippo 200, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
12:00n-1:00P SPEED NASCAR Sprint Cup PRACTICE, Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
1:30P-2:30 espn2 NASCAR Sprint Cup FINAL PRACTICE, Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
2:30P-3:00 espn2/TSN NASCAR Nationwide Series COUNTDOWN, Zippo 200, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
3:00P-6:00 espn2/TSN NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L (expect green at 3:18P)
6:00P-7:00 VS IRL IndyCar Series QUALIFYING, Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH, HD, SDD

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
10:00A-11:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, pre-race, L
11:00A-1:00P SPEED NASCAR RaceDay. Preview of today’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen International, HD, L
12:00n-1:00P TSN NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Edmonton 100, Edmonton City Centre Airport, AB, July 25/09, HD, N
1:00P-4:00 VS/TSN2 IRL IndyCar Series Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH, HD, L
1:00P-2:00 ESPN/TSN NASCAR Sprint Cup COUNTDOWN, Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L
2:00P-5:30 ESPN/TSN NASCAR Sprint Cup Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, HD, L (expect green at 2:18P)
2:30P-4:30 NBC American Le Mans Series Acura Sports Car Challenge, Mid-Ohio, Lexington, OH, Aug 8/09, HD, N
5:00P-7:00 SPEED World of Outlaws, sprint cars, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH, July 18/09, HD, N
7:00P-8:00 SPEED The SPEED Report, HD, N
8:00P-9:00 SPEED NASCAR Victory Lane at Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, Watkins Glen International, HD, N
9:00P-10:00 SPEED Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, HD, L
10:00P-11:00 espn2 NASCAR Now, post-race, L

We do not list all the programming offered by SPEED; for complete listings go to their website, http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/

Always CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
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Copyright 2002-2009 by MotorSportsNews.Net
All Rights Reserved

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