It won’t be in Dover, but you can bet that Kyle and Pattie Petty will be celebrating during the May 30 – June 1, 2008 race weekend.
Montgomery Lee Petty, named after great‐grandfather and racing legend Lee Petty, will be getting married on Saturday, May 31, 2008. Montgomery Lee is Kyle and Pattie’s only daughter.
Nuptials aren’t the only thing taking Petty away from the track this season. He announced this season that he will be missing six Cup races in order to serve as an analyst on TNT’s race broadcasts. In 2007, he started 29 out of 36 races as well.
Petty won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 1986 and has gone on to win seven more Cup races since then. His last win came at the Monster Mile, on June 4, 1995, in the Miller Genuine Draft 500. The memorable win, which ended with an ailing Petty in Victory Lane needing oxygen, saw him come from the 27th starting position to take the checkered flag.
For tickets for the May 30 ‐ June 1, 2008 NASCAR tripleheader weekend, call 800‐441‐RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Race Recap: Kahne gets a big break, wins Coca-Cola 600
CONCORD, N.C. -- For Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle, the finish of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 was a replay of the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Kahne took the checkered flag with Biffle chasing him for the final three laps, but what happened in the first 397 laps of the 400-lap marathon featured more subplots than an Agatha Christie novel.
Seizing the moment when Tony Stewart blew a tire while leading on Lap 397, Kahne streaked to the finish 10.203 seconds ahead of Biffle, who recovered from a loose wheel and a lost lap early in the race to claim the runner-up spot.
Kyle Busch ran third, despite a litany of problems that included a failing battery -- which the No. 18 team changed under caution on Lap 298 -- and a lost lap for an unscheduled pit stop when Busch thought he had a tire losing air. Busch extended his series points lead to 94 over sixth-place finisher Jeff Burton.
Gambling on fuel mileage after spending most of the race mired in traffic, Jeff Gordon ran fourth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who survived a blown tire and getting hit from behind on Lap 297. Nursing his battered No. 88 Chevrolet to the finish, Earnhardt solidified his third-place standing in the points, 139 behind Busch.
Thanks to quick work in the pits on a gas-and-go stop on Lap 388, Stewart held a lead of more than five seconds over Kahne, but on Lap 397 Stewart blew a right front tire in Turn 1, surrendering the lead to Kahne less than a half-lap later.
“I was thinking second, and then I saw Tony slow up,” said Kahne, who won for the eighth time in his career and for the first time since October 2006 at Lowe’s. “I thought he was out of gas, and I couldn’t believe it.
“He went into Turn 1 and he was high (in the corner), and when I came off Turn 2 he was low and slow.”
Kahne is the sixth driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 and the all-star race in the same year and the first to do so since Jimmie Johnson in 2003.
Disappointed two weeks in a row, Biffle would have preferred a closer race at the end of the 600, but he took his second straight defeat to Kahne philosophically.
“Overall, I was probably more frustrated last week not getting the win, because I felt like I had the fastest car,” said Biffle, who is 11th in the Cup standings. “Tonight, I didn’t feel like I had the fastest car. I had a really good, solid car and just kept passing and got the track position where we were at the end.
“But I would have liked a chance to race Kasey. We got pretty fast there the last 50 laps of the race.”
The race changed dramatically on Lap 297, with Earnhardt in the lead and cruising, three seconds ahead of Stewart, his closest pursuer. As he rolled through Turn 3, however, the right rear tire on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet blew, bouncing him off the Turn 4 wall. As Earnhardt slowed, J.J. Yeley plowed into the back of his car.
Earnhardt managed to stay on the lead lap, thanks to the work of his pit crew and a generous call from NASCAR, which opted to hold Earnhardt a lap for endangering a safety crew, then rescinded the penalty after a review of videotape.
“We got lucky at the end,” Earnhardt said. “Got gas and made it last. I don't know what happened getting in to (Turn) 3. I think we blew a right rear tire. I hate it for my guys. We were running really strong -- I sure want to get me a win here.”
Notes: Stewart finished 18th, the first car one lap down, and held on to the eighth spot in the Cup standings. ... Jimmie Johnson tumbled three spots to ninth in the points standings when his engine failed late in the race. He finished 39th with his first DNF of the season. ... Brian Vickers led four times for 61 laps, but a broken left rear wheel sent him hard into the Turn 2 wall on Lap 185. The tire bounced off the wall and into the infield, slightly damaging a camper. No one was hurt. ... David Ragan’s stay in the top 12 lasted one race. He finished 12th and dropped to 13th in the standings. Kahne moved back into the top 12 in 12th, 56 points ahead of Ragan.
Kahne took the checkered flag with Biffle chasing him for the final three laps, but what happened in the first 397 laps of the 400-lap marathon featured more subplots than an Agatha Christie novel.
Seizing the moment when Tony Stewart blew a tire while leading on Lap 397, Kahne streaked to the finish 10.203 seconds ahead of Biffle, who recovered from a loose wheel and a lost lap early in the race to claim the runner-up spot.
Kyle Busch ran third, despite a litany of problems that included a failing battery -- which the No. 18 team changed under caution on Lap 298 -- and a lost lap for an unscheduled pit stop when Busch thought he had a tire losing air. Busch extended his series points lead to 94 over sixth-place finisher Jeff Burton.
Gambling on fuel mileage after spending most of the race mired in traffic, Jeff Gordon ran fourth, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who survived a blown tire and getting hit from behind on Lap 297. Nursing his battered No. 88 Chevrolet to the finish, Earnhardt solidified his third-place standing in the points, 139 behind Busch.
Thanks to quick work in the pits on a gas-and-go stop on Lap 388, Stewart held a lead of more than five seconds over Kahne, but on Lap 397 Stewart blew a right front tire in Turn 1, surrendering the lead to Kahne less than a half-lap later.
“I was thinking second, and then I saw Tony slow up,” said Kahne, who won for the eighth time in his career and for the first time since October 2006 at Lowe’s. “I thought he was out of gas, and I couldn’t believe it.
“He went into Turn 1 and he was high (in the corner), and when I came off Turn 2 he was low and slow.”
Kahne is the sixth driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 and the all-star race in the same year and the first to do so since Jimmie Johnson in 2003.
Disappointed two weeks in a row, Biffle would have preferred a closer race at the end of the 600, but he took his second straight defeat to Kahne philosophically.
“Overall, I was probably more frustrated last week not getting the win, because I felt like I had the fastest car,” said Biffle, who is 11th in the Cup standings. “Tonight, I didn’t feel like I had the fastest car. I had a really good, solid car and just kept passing and got the track position where we were at the end.
“But I would have liked a chance to race Kasey. We got pretty fast there the last 50 laps of the race.”
The race changed dramatically on Lap 297, with Earnhardt in the lead and cruising, three seconds ahead of Stewart, his closest pursuer. As he rolled through Turn 3, however, the right rear tire on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet blew, bouncing him off the Turn 4 wall. As Earnhardt slowed, J.J. Yeley plowed into the back of his car.
Earnhardt managed to stay on the lead lap, thanks to the work of his pit crew and a generous call from NASCAR, which opted to hold Earnhardt a lap for endangering a safety crew, then rescinded the penalty after a review of videotape.
“We got lucky at the end,” Earnhardt said. “Got gas and made it last. I don't know what happened getting in to (Turn) 3. I think we blew a right rear tire. I hate it for my guys. We were running really strong -- I sure want to get me a win here.”
Notes: Stewart finished 18th, the first car one lap down, and held on to the eighth spot in the Cup standings. ... Jimmie Johnson tumbled three spots to ninth in the points standings when his engine failed late in the race. He finished 39th with his first DNF of the season. ... Brian Vickers led four times for 61 laps, but a broken left rear wheel sent him hard into the Turn 2 wall on Lap 185. The tire bounced off the wall and into the infield, slightly damaging a camper. No one was hurt. ... David Ragan’s stay in the top 12 lasted one race. He finished 12th and dropped to 13th in the standings. Kahne moved back into the top 12 in 12th, 56 points ahead of Ragan.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Lowe's Motor Speedway chief Humpy Wheeler retiring
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Humpy Wheeler announced his retirement as president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway on Wednesday, ending a 33-year career as one of NASCAR's top promoters.
Wheeler will step down after Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at the track near Charlotte. No replacement was selected for the 69-year-old Wheeler, who plans to write a book and host a television show.
Wheeler said he first considered retirement about a year ago, although he sidestepped a question on whether the decision to leave was completely his. Wheeler's boss is Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith, who hired Wheeler in 1975 and made him track president a year later. Smith was not present at Wednesday's news conference.
"Some of it is on my own terms. I won't say it all is," Wheeler said. "Some of it is and I'll let it rest at that."
Reached at his office Wednesday afternoon, Smith denied he forced Wheeler out.
"Six months ago we had a meeting and he told me then that he had discussed retiring," Smith said. "He was laying the groundwork quite some time ago. It was not unexpected."
Wheeler joked that his retirement announcement wasn't simply a gimmick to sell tickets for this weekend's race, before adding, "but if it does, that's OK."
Wheeler has done almost everything to get fans to his track. He employed magicians, used back-flipping dogs, re-enacted war scenes in elaborate pre-race shows and emphasized driver rivalries to sell the sport and make his track one of the premier locations in NASCAR.
"We did a lot of things to try to make it better for the fans, and he did a lot of that," Smith said.
Wheeler was also behind several of the sport's innovations. To prevent NASCAR from moving the All-Star race to Richmond, Va., Wheeler vowed to make his track the first superspeedway to erect lights. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star race has made LMS its permanent home, and is now run on Saturday nights.
LMS, formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway, was also the first major track to reach a naming rights deal. Under his management, the track expanded its seating capacity to 167,000, and was the first track to offer extensive VIP suites, condominiums and extravagant pre-race entertainment.
"People that don't even know his name became NASCAR fans solely due to Humpy's creative promotions," said Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, who tutored under Wheeler. "I know that I am a far better promoter as a result of being a graduate of 'Humpy University.'"
A tireless worker and cutthroat negotiator, Wheeler spent countless hours at the track and befriended numerous drivers. He was known as a stickler for details and was a calm influence during tragedy.
Wheeler's lowest point came in 1999, when three spectators were killed and eight others injured from flying debris after a wreck during an Indy Racing League event. Wheeler immediately canceled the rest of the race and the IRL has yet to return to the track.
"As long as I was running the place there would not have been another one here," Wheeler said.
Wheeler also helped develop other forms of racing. He was instrumental in the creation of the Legends Car and said he hopes to develop another low-cost car that will help make sure talented drivers don't miss out on the sport because of the cost.
"The biggest thing that worries me about racing in the future is we don't get the great race drivers," Wheeler said. "That we leave out the next Kyle Busch or the next Dale Earnhardt Sr. because a guy can't afford to race and gets stuck in the cornfields of Iowa."
He'll have no consulting role with the track after Sunday's finale. Wheeler will become the chairman of the Charlotte Regional Partnership in 2009 and could be considered for a post at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to open in 2010 in downtown Charlotte.
"It's just one of those things. It's time to go," Wheeler said. "It's not something I'm really looking forward to. But there just comes a time and place when you've got to move on."
Wheeler will step down after Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at the track near Charlotte. No replacement was selected for the 69-year-old Wheeler, who plans to write a book and host a television show.
Wheeler said he first considered retirement about a year ago, although he sidestepped a question on whether the decision to leave was completely his. Wheeler's boss is Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith, who hired Wheeler in 1975 and made him track president a year later. Smith was not present at Wednesday's news conference.
"Some of it is on my own terms. I won't say it all is," Wheeler said. "Some of it is and I'll let it rest at that."
Reached at his office Wednesday afternoon, Smith denied he forced Wheeler out.
"Six months ago we had a meeting and he told me then that he had discussed retiring," Smith said. "He was laying the groundwork quite some time ago. It was not unexpected."
Wheeler joked that his retirement announcement wasn't simply a gimmick to sell tickets for this weekend's race, before adding, "but if it does, that's OK."
Wheeler has done almost everything to get fans to his track. He employed magicians, used back-flipping dogs, re-enacted war scenes in elaborate pre-race shows and emphasized driver rivalries to sell the sport and make his track one of the premier locations in NASCAR.
"We did a lot of things to try to make it better for the fans, and he did a lot of that," Smith said.
Wheeler was also behind several of the sport's innovations. To prevent NASCAR from moving the All-Star race to Richmond, Va., Wheeler vowed to make his track the first superspeedway to erect lights. The NASCAR Sprint All-Star race has made LMS its permanent home, and is now run on Saturday nights.
LMS, formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway, was also the first major track to reach a naming rights deal. Under his management, the track expanded its seating capacity to 167,000, and was the first track to offer extensive VIP suites, condominiums and extravagant pre-race entertainment.
"People that don't even know his name became NASCAR fans solely due to Humpy's creative promotions," said Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway, who tutored under Wheeler. "I know that I am a far better promoter as a result of being a graduate of 'Humpy University.'"
A tireless worker and cutthroat negotiator, Wheeler spent countless hours at the track and befriended numerous drivers. He was known as a stickler for details and was a calm influence during tragedy.
Wheeler's lowest point came in 1999, when three spectators were killed and eight others injured from flying debris after a wreck during an Indy Racing League event. Wheeler immediately canceled the rest of the race and the IRL has yet to return to the track.
"As long as I was running the place there would not have been another one here," Wheeler said.
Wheeler also helped develop other forms of racing. He was instrumental in the creation of the Legends Car and said he hopes to develop another low-cost car that will help make sure talented drivers don't miss out on the sport because of the cost.
"The biggest thing that worries me about racing in the future is we don't get the great race drivers," Wheeler said. "That we leave out the next Kyle Busch or the next Dale Earnhardt Sr. because a guy can't afford to race and gets stuck in the cornfields of Iowa."
He'll have no consulting role with the track after Sunday's finale. Wheeler will become the chairman of the Charlotte Regional Partnership in 2009 and could be considered for a post at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is scheduled to open in 2010 in downtown Charlotte.
"It's just one of those things. It's time to go," Wheeler said. "It's not something I'm really looking forward to. But there just comes a time and place when you've got to move on."
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Ickler Wins U.S. Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway!
(Newton, IA) - (Newton, Iowa) - Brian Ickler of San Diego, Calif., drove the Ickler Motorsports Chevrolet to victory Sunday afternoon in the NASCAR Camping World U.S. Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway before an announced estimated paid attendance of 24,042.
Ickler, who started seventh, took the lead from Marc Davis of Mitchelville, Md., with about 15 laps to go, then held off Davis and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, Wash.) for the victory. Trevor Bayne of Knoxville, Tenn., and Jeffrey Earnhardt of Mooresville, N.C., rounded out the top five.
"The biggest thing today was battling the tight conditions of the car," said Ickler. "The longer we ran, the tighter the car got, but everyone had the same situation. We just had to keep heat in the tires during cautions."
David led often during the second half of the race, but said he couldn't hold off Ickler.
"I knew he was coming," David said of his battle with Ickler for several laps late in the race when the eventual winner was able to get by. "About lap 160, my car just kept getting tighter and tighter every lap and 15 (Ickler) was good & he had to work to get around me and I'm happy with second place".
Kahne, who won the NASCAR All-Star Race Saturday night at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, a win that netted the former sprint car driver a million dollar payday, started fourth. Under Camping World Series rules, drivers are allowed only gas or tires during a pit stop, but not both.
"That was different," Kahne said. "Maybe we took tires too early, but we passed a lot of cars today. We did all we could, but we had a good third-place car. Early in the race, the car worked pretty good everywhere we ran, but later it pushed real bad and the key was to find the best line to get off the corners."
"This track is real racy. To me, it drives a lot like Richmond and it's very fan-friendly for the good competition. This has longer straights than Richmond and is faster, but the turns, to me at least, are very similar."
Austin Dillon, grandson of former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and current owner of RCR Racing Richard Childress, set fast time with a lap of :23.576 (133.610 miles per hour), just off the record set last year by Kevin Harvick. Dillon finished seventh. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Steve Park was eighth, while sixth went to Jesus Hernandez of Fresno, Calif.
2008 NCWS Iowa 5/18/08 Unofficial Results
Pos No. Name Laps Total Tm Diff
1 15 Brian Ickler 200 03:13.8 -
2 18 Marc Davis 200 03:15.1 1.254
3 9 Kasey Kahne 200 03:15.2 1.391
4 1 Trevor Bayne * 200 03:16.9 3.109
5 8 Jeffery Earnhardt 200 03:21.4 7.587
6 11 Jesus Hernandez 200 03:21.7 7.826
7 3 Austin Dillon * 200 03:24.3 10.432
8 35 Steve Park 200 03:24.5 10.723
9 40 Matt Kobyluck 200 03:25.9 12.1
10 1 Jim Inglebright 200 03:31.6 17.744
11 3 Rogelio Lopez 200 03:32.5 18.69
12 81 Mark McFarland 200 03:32.7 18.863
13 46 Jeff Barkshire * 200 03:34.7 20.859
14 44 Peyton Sellers 200 03:35.2 21.365
15 14 Austin Cameron 200 03:35.2 21.368
16 2 Mike David 200 03:35.4 21.568
17 17 Jason Patison * 200 03:35.5 21.669
18 16 Moses Smith 200 03:37.6 23.773
19 22 Jason Bowles 200 03:38.1 24.245
20 99 Bryon Chew 199 03:15.7 1 Lap
21 31 James Buescher 199 03:16.0 1 Lap
22 4 Ricky Carmichael * 199 03:18.5 1 Lap
23 77 Andrew Myers 199 03:19.6 1 Lap
24 34 Mike Gallegos 199 03:19.6 1 Lap
25 42 Jeff Jefferson 199 03:21.2 1 Lap
26 91 Ben Stancill * 199 03:21.9 1 Lap
27 70 Greg Pursley 199 03:37.7 1 Lap
28 20 Eric Holmes 198 03:25.6 2 Laps
29 8 Johnny Borneman 197 03:24.6 3 Laps
30 65 Stan Silva Jr. 197 03:25.2 3 Laps
31 30 Jeff Anton 195 03:33.4 5 Laps
32 10 James Warn * 189 03:28.4 11 Laps
33 52 Jamie Hayes 188 03:15.6 12 Laps
34 2 Craig Goess * 180 03:35.9 20 Laps
35 71 Daryl Harr 161 03:27.4 39 Laps
36 88 Jamie Dick * 161 03:29.0 39 Laps
37 12 Jonathan Smith 150 49:33.3 50 Laps
38 75 Eddie MacDonald 149 03:14.3 51 Laps
39 5 Eric Hardin 130 22:40.3 70 Laps
40 19 Terry Henry 96 02:47.6 104 Laps
41 61 Brett Thompson 92 59:18.4 108 Laps
42 51 Alex Haase 55 32:39.0 145 Laps
43 21 David Mayhew 9 08:11.0 191 Laps
44 41 Ryan Foster 2 01:04.2 198 Laps
Ickler, who started seventh, took the lead from Marc Davis of Mitchelville, Md., with about 15 laps to go, then held off Davis and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, Wash.) for the victory. Trevor Bayne of Knoxville, Tenn., and Jeffrey Earnhardt of Mooresville, N.C., rounded out the top five.
"The biggest thing today was battling the tight conditions of the car," said Ickler. "The longer we ran, the tighter the car got, but everyone had the same situation. We just had to keep heat in the tires during cautions."
David led often during the second half of the race, but said he couldn't hold off Ickler.
"I knew he was coming," David said of his battle with Ickler for several laps late in the race when the eventual winner was able to get by. "About lap 160, my car just kept getting tighter and tighter every lap and 15 (Ickler) was good & he had to work to get around me and I'm happy with second place".
Kahne, who won the NASCAR All-Star Race Saturday night at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, a win that netted the former sprint car driver a million dollar payday, started fourth. Under Camping World Series rules, drivers are allowed only gas or tires during a pit stop, but not both.
"That was different," Kahne said. "Maybe we took tires too early, but we passed a lot of cars today. We did all we could, but we had a good third-place car. Early in the race, the car worked pretty good everywhere we ran, but later it pushed real bad and the key was to find the best line to get off the corners."
"This track is real racy. To me, it drives a lot like Richmond and it's very fan-friendly for the good competition. This has longer straights than Richmond and is faster, but the turns, to me at least, are very similar."
Austin Dillon, grandson of former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and current owner of RCR Racing Richard Childress, set fast time with a lap of :23.576 (133.610 miles per hour), just off the record set last year by Kevin Harvick. Dillon finished seventh. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Steve Park was eighth, while sixth went to Jesus Hernandez of Fresno, Calif.
2008 NCWS Iowa 5/18/08 Unofficial Results
Pos No. Name Laps Total Tm Diff
1 15 Brian Ickler 200 03:13.8 -
2 18 Marc Davis 200 03:15.1 1.254
3 9 Kasey Kahne 200 03:15.2 1.391
4 1 Trevor Bayne * 200 03:16.9 3.109
5 8 Jeffery Earnhardt 200 03:21.4 7.587
6 11 Jesus Hernandez 200 03:21.7 7.826
7 3 Austin Dillon * 200 03:24.3 10.432
8 35 Steve Park 200 03:24.5 10.723
9 40 Matt Kobyluck 200 03:25.9 12.1
10 1 Jim Inglebright 200 03:31.6 17.744
11 3 Rogelio Lopez 200 03:32.5 18.69
12 81 Mark McFarland 200 03:32.7 18.863
13 46 Jeff Barkshire * 200 03:34.7 20.859
14 44 Peyton Sellers 200 03:35.2 21.365
15 14 Austin Cameron 200 03:35.2 21.368
16 2 Mike David 200 03:35.4 21.568
17 17 Jason Patison * 200 03:35.5 21.669
18 16 Moses Smith 200 03:37.6 23.773
19 22 Jason Bowles 200 03:38.1 24.245
20 99 Bryon Chew 199 03:15.7 1 Lap
21 31 James Buescher 199 03:16.0 1 Lap
22 4 Ricky Carmichael * 199 03:18.5 1 Lap
23 77 Andrew Myers 199 03:19.6 1 Lap
24 34 Mike Gallegos 199 03:19.6 1 Lap
25 42 Jeff Jefferson 199 03:21.2 1 Lap
26 91 Ben Stancill * 199 03:21.9 1 Lap
27 70 Greg Pursley 199 03:37.7 1 Lap
28 20 Eric Holmes 198 03:25.6 2 Laps
29 8 Johnny Borneman 197 03:24.6 3 Laps
30 65 Stan Silva Jr. 197 03:25.2 3 Laps
31 30 Jeff Anton 195 03:33.4 5 Laps
32 10 James Warn * 189 03:28.4 11 Laps
33 52 Jamie Hayes 188 03:15.6 12 Laps
34 2 Craig Goess * 180 03:35.9 20 Laps
35 71 Daryl Harr 161 03:27.4 39 Laps
36 88 Jamie Dick * 161 03:29.0 39 Laps
37 12 Jonathan Smith 150 49:33.3 50 Laps
38 75 Eddie MacDonald 149 03:14.3 51 Laps
39 5 Eric Hardin 130 22:40.3 70 Laps
40 19 Terry Henry 96 02:47.6 104 Laps
41 61 Brett Thompson 92 59:18.4 108 Laps
42 51 Alex Haase 55 32:39.0 145 Laps
43 21 David Mayhew 9 08:11.0 191 Laps
44 41 Ryan Foster 2 01:04.2 198 Laps
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Iowa Speedway Results
| Murphy Wins ASA Late Model Challenge ‘Pride of Iowa 150’ | 5/18/2008 |
(Newton, IA) - (Newton, Iowa) Sean Murphy of Mooresville, N.C., won the ASA Late Model Challenge “Pride of Iowa 150” Saturday night at Iowa Speedway.
Murphy raced with the leaders for much of the race, but didn’t take the lead until the 145th lap of the 150-lap event that was run in three 50-lap segments with an announced estimated crowd of 10,670 watching.
Murphy’s race to the front spoiled the run by Jacob Goede of New Germany, Minn., who established a new ASA speed record in qualifying (:23.178, 135.905 mph) and was seeking his second straight ASA victory at Iowa Speedway. Goede took the lead on the 16th lap and stayed out front until lap 113 when Peter Cozzolino of Indianapolis, Ind., took over.
“This is just an awesome place to race,” Murphy said. “And, this is a beautiful part of the country, too. I’m from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) originally and we never see cornfields and combines – I love it up here.
“We were good on long runs and I was hoping for a green flag last segment, but we didn’t get it. It took me awhile to come from the back.”
Murphy started the race third, but was involved in a 13th lap crash, suffering some body damage to the right side. He restarted at the back of the pack before racing to the win.
Chris Sevey of Waterloo, Iowa, finished third with Goede fourth and Kyle Sirizzotti of Helotes, Texas, rounding out the top five.
Thirteen-year-old Logan Ruffin of Nashville, Tenn., finished 12th and 15-year-old Joey Gase of Cedar Rapids was 13th. Two other 15-year-old Iowa drivers dropped out earlier in the event. Brett Moffitt of Grimes was involved in a mid-race crash and finished 23rd, while Thor Anderson of Bondurant dropped out with mechanical problems, finishing 25th.
Results: 1. Sean Murphy, Mooresville, N.C.; 2. Peter Cozzolino, Indianapolis, Ind.; 3. Chris Sevey, Waterloo, Iowa; 4. Jacob Goede, New Germany, Minn.; 5. Kyle Sirizzotti, Helotes, Texas; 6. Jack Smith, Medina, Ohio; 7. Joey King, Silvis, Ill.; 8. Darren Robertson, Commerce City, Colo.; 9. Griffin McGrath, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; 10. Eddie Hoffman, Wheaton, Ill.; 11. Brent Downey, Avon, Ind.; 12. Logan Ruffin, Nashville, Tenn.; 13. Joey Gase, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; 14. Travis Dassow, West Bend, Wis.; 15. Brian Green, Pierce City, Mo.
Wood wins USST Twin 25s
John Wood of Sun Prairie, Wis., won the United States Super Trucks twin 25-lap feature segment of Saturday night’s program at Iowa Speedway.
Wood, who set fast time with a lap of :23.395 (124.040 miles per hour), started ninth in the field, but took the lead before the first 25-lap segment of the event was completed. He won over Ronnie Hartford of Raytown, Mo.
Results: 1. John Wood, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 2. Ronnie Hartford, Raytown, Mo.; 3. Bret Widdis, Manistique, Mich.; 4. Steve Miller, Manitowoc, Wis.; 5. Tonny Kossakowski, Elgin, Ill.; 6. Randy Price, Independence, Mo.; 7. Jeff Babb, Elgin, Ill.; 8. Ralph Cottone, Onalaska, Wis.; 9. Lucas Korish, LaCrosse, Wis.; 10. Nate Anderson, Scandia. Minn.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
GO DADDY "TRUCKS" INTO NEW NASCAR SPONSORSHIP !
GoDaddy.com No. 46 Chevrolet Truck Ready to Race with Driver Landon Cassill
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (May 15, 2008) - GoDaddy.com is enriching its motorsports commitment with a brand new sponsorship in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. The domain name titan is now sponsoring rookie Landon Cassill to drive the GoDaddy.com No. 46 Chevrolet truck.
Cassill debuts behind the wheel of the GoDaddy.com sponsored truck for Team Morgan Dollar Friday at the track known as "The Beast of the Southeast," or Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte, in North Carolina.
The 18-year-old Cassill is in elite company, considering Go Daddy's list of sponsored drivers in its fold, which includes IndyCar's most popular driver, Danica Patrick and NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as well as fellow NASCAR drivers Mark Martin and Ron Fellows.
"This is very cool," said Cassill shortly after the GoDaddy.com deal was signed. "I love what Go Daddy has done with Dale and Danica. I think Go Daddy has really made a big impact in the racing world with their sponsorships. It will be awesome to work with them!"
"We see big things for this young rookie," said GoDaddy.com CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. "The way he raced go-karts just like Danica is fun, but the fact he and his family have been GoDaddy.com customers since they started using the Web is just the icing on the cake."
Cassill's Web site, www.LandonCassill.com, was registered with GoDaddy.com before he was of legal driving age. Cassill raced his first go-kart when he was eight and has a special place in his heart for a certain GoDaddy.com commercial.
"I love all the racy GoDaddy.com commercials, but my favorite ad has to be the KART commercial with Danica. It tells the story of how everyone can chase their dreams," Cassill said. The new Go Daddy Girl ad debuted weeks before Danica's historic win in Japan this season. In the commercial, a young girl works to beat the boys in a go-kart race. Patrick is featured as the girl's role model and delivers the checkered flag to her at the end.
Cassill will be vying for his first checkered flag in a NASCAR race Friday at the helm of the GoDaddy.com No. 46 Chevrolet.
GoDaddy.com finishes first when it comes to helping people and businesses get online. It ranks first in the world when it comes to registering Web site addresses, or domain names. GoDaddy.com is also one of the industry's top Web hosting providers and is renowned for its industry-best customer support.
To find out how you can get online quickly without spending a lot of money, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
To read Landon Cassill's Web blog, visit www.LandonCassill.com.
To watch Cassill drive the GoDaddy.com No. 46 Chevrolet in the North Carolina Lottery Education 200, tune into cable television's Speed Channel at 8 pm ET
Delwin "D.J." Smith Dead at 83
Delwin "D.J." Smith, father of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pioneer Jimmy Smith, died May 12 in Temecula, Calif. where he resided for the past 15 years. Smith was 83.
D.J. was born on January 6, 1925 in Crookston, Neb. He served in the Navy, was stationed in San Francisco and later settled in Southern California. He married and had three children: Joan, Jimmy and Wendell Smith.
D.J. became involved with auto racing in the late 1950s promoting all types of racing and later became a car owner. After retiring, he began his second career with his sons at Ultra Wheel Company and devoted 100 percent of his time to Ultra Motorsports which fielded cars in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the then NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
D.J. developed relationships with many of the NASCAR greats such as Tiny Lund, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Parnelli Jones and Junior Johnson, to name a few.
His son, Jimmy, was one of four off-road racing owners who came to NASCAR in 1994 with the concept of racing pickup trucks on paved ovals and road courses. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debuted the following year and currently is in its 14th season. In 2005, Smith’s team won both owner and driver championships fielding Dodges driven by Ted Musgrave.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 19 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress CA 90630, telephone 800-204-3131.
Donations can be made to Victory Junction in memory of D.J. Smith, 4500 Adams Way, Randleman, NC 27317. Please request Victory Junction to send donation cards to: The Smith Family, 75 Linda Isle, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Best Of The NASCAR Camping World Series Head To The Heartland
The entry list reads like a ‘who’s who’ of NASCAR short-track drivers, from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series development teams to seasoned veterans with championship resumes.
The US Cellular 200 marks the only time the NASCAR Camping World Series East and NASCAR Camping World Series West will meet in the same race with points on the line. And the event has produced an all-star roster of cars.
Mike David (No. 2 Bennett Lane Winery Toyota) and Eric Holmes (No. 20 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota) will resume their championship battle in the NASCAR Camping World Series West. A trio of drivers, including Holmes’ Bill McAnally Racing teammates Austin Cameron and Moses Smith, are lurking right behind the leaders.
“It’s exciting to go back and see what we’ve got,” said David. “When the East Coast guys and the West Coast guys get together, you have the best Camping World Series cars all across the nation. That’s what we do it for: the competition. It should be a lot of fun.”
Austin Dillon (No. 3 Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet) leads a contingent of NASCAR Camping World Series East drivers that includes Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Marc Davis (No. 18 Slim Jim Toyota) and a bumper crop of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders. Five of the top 10 finishes in the season opener at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina were rookies.
The roster also features NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge) and 18-year-old Alex Haase (No. 51 Kyle Busch Foundation/Electric Sunglasses Chevrolet) in a car fielded by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Kyle Busch. Three former NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champions — Greg Pursley (2003), Mark McFarland (2004) and Peyton Sellers (2005) — will attempt to qualify for Sunday’s race.The Race: US Cellular 200
The Place: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
The Date: Sunday, May 18
The Time: 4:15 p.m. CT
TV Schedule: HDNet (Live)
SPEED (enhanced replay)
Track Layout: .875-mile paved
Race Purse: $199,970
2007 Winner: Joey Logano
2007 Pole: Kevin Harvick
Schedule:
Saturday: Practice 4:30-6 p.m.
Sunday: Practice 9-10 a.m., Time Trials 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Track Contact: Mike Beecher (641) 791-8000
News & Notes
The race … The US Cellular 200 is the fourth event on the 2008 schedule for the NASCAR Camping World Series West and the second event for the NASCAR Camping World Series East. It is the only combination points race this season for the NASCAR Camping World Series.
The procedure … The starting field is 44 cars, including provisionals. The first 38 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining six spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps (175 miles).
The track … Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval with compound banking of 12-14 degrees in the corners, 10 degrees in the front stretch and four degrees in the back stretch. The facility, which was designed by former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and opened for operation in 2006, is located east of Des Moines in Newton.
The points … Drivers must designate with series they are running with and will receive championship points based on their finish against drivers in their respective series.
The records … Qualifying: Kevin Harvick, May 20, 2007, 133.775 mph. 23.547 seconds. Race: Joey Logano, May 20, 2007, 80.686 mph, 2 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds.
The Showdown … The overall winner of the US Cellular 200 will earn a protected spot in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown (Jan. 23-24, 2009). Mike David, Eric Holmes and Austin Dillon have already earned spots with their victories this season.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Charity Waffle Breakfast...... Great race related auction items!
MARION-EAST C.R.
ROTARY CLUB
All You Can Eat Dad’s Belgian Waffles
AND SILENT AUCTION
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Games and Prizes for the Kids
At
SERVING FROM
ADULTS $6.50
Children age 5 and younger eat free
Proceeds go to support the Rotary Club projects, including Shoes for Kids
www.marionrotary.org
Racing related items that may be of interest to Race Fans that will be part of the Silent Auction.
-4 Tickets to the Indy Pro Race at
-4 Tickets to the NASCAR Nationwide (Busch Series) race at Lowes Motor Speedway Oct. 11th.
-A Camping World package including; 2 tickets to the Brickyard, VIP Camping Spot, and Spot for your car, as well as welcome dinner. All you need to provide is your camper and get there.
-An 8 X 10 Autographed color picture of Michael Waltrip.
-Autographed Hat and Poster of the Chip Ganassi Indy and NACAR drivers with an authentic polo-style Target Racing shirt.
-2 authentic Chip Ganassi NASCAR crew shirts.
-An opportunity to drive the Big House Motorsports Ford Focus Hornet Racecar in an Arrive and Drive at Hawkeye Downs Speedway
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST;
-A GRILL TOOL STE FROM J AND P CYCLES IN A METAL TOOL BOX.
-OIL CAHANGES FROM ANDERSEN AUTOMOTIVE
-VARIOUS TREE, SHRUBS AND ITEMS FOR YOUR YARD.
-GOLF PUTTER, GOLF BALLS, GOLFING AT HUNTERS RIDGE, GOLF TOWEL, ALL TYPES OF GOLFIN RELATED ITEMS.
-GREAT DEALS ON GIFT CERTIFICATES FROM HY-VEE, SIEBKE AND HOYT JEWELERS, TARGET, AND MANY OTHERS.
-BOWLING AT CEDAR RAPIDS BOWL.
Back To Reality!
Well we made it back home late Thursday night and after traveling all day we spent Friday just lounging around the house.
I did get moving just in time to take in the races at Hawkeye Downs Speedway Friday night and I must say I was impressed with the show! The car count was up and the racing was good. Not sure the fan count was as good as it could have been but it wasn't all bad.
After sleeping in on Saturday we did our laundry form vacation and Saturday night we had a birthday party for my wife Ann at the Chrome Horse.
Sunday we had the family over for Mothers Day and I skipped racing at Vinton Sunday night due to the cold weather, I must say that after the weather we enjoyed all last week in Mexico, it seems a lot colder here now.
Thanks for hanging in there while I was away, I will try to keep up on posting.
I did get moving just in time to take in the races at Hawkeye Downs Speedway Friday night and I must say I was impressed with the show! The car count was up and the racing was good. Not sure the fan count was as good as it could have been but it wasn't all bad.
After sleeping in on Saturday we did our laundry form vacation and Saturday night we had a birthday party for my wife Ann at the Chrome Horse.
Sunday we had the family over for Mothers Day and I skipped racing at Vinton Sunday night due to the cold weather, I must say that after the weather we enjoyed all last week in Mexico, it seems a lot colder here now.
Thanks for hanging in there while I was away, I will try to keep up on posting.
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