Bleacher Report - Articles by Marc Boland

Chrissy Wallace to Make Second Truck Series Start

Marc Boland — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:32:16 -0400

After a strong NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway, 20 year-old Chrissy Wallace will be back in the Germain Racing #03 Tundra Friday night in The Milwaukee Mile’s Camping World RV Sales 200. Wallace, who’s never seen the track other than in video games, will rely heavily on her father’s advice and her Tundra crew to help her adapt to the one-mile circuit.

"Really everything I know about The Milwaukee Mile has come from my dad. He’s talked about how the track is and what you gotta do to get a good lap there. Dad says the track is a lot like Martinsville, only bigger, and the strategy is the same – I have to run competitively but not knock the nose off the Germain Toyota Tundra because I’ll need to have it there for racing at the end," said Wallace.

Chrissy Wallace’s father, Mike, a winner at TMM, will race Saturday night in the GEICO Camry at Milwaukee. The competition level is high between father and daughter for this weekend’s NASCAR racing action.

"Dad has won at Milwaukee, and he just finished third at Kentucky last weekend. He told me he’s going to get a better finish on Saturday night than what I get on Friday night in the Germain Toyota Tundra. I told him to bring his A-game – I told him I will out-run him. He says he’ll out-do me. It would be pretty cool if we both get good results this weekend," said Wallace.

While Mike Wallace will spend Friday atop the spotter’s stand, coaching his daughter, crew chief Mike Abner will call the shots for Chrissy Wallace and the Germain Toyota Tundra from the pits.

"Mike Abner is very easy to talk to. He’s worked with a lot of different drivers over the years and he knows how to win. You can give him all your feedback and he’ll work with it and get the truck right for you," said Wallace of working with Abner.

Wallace, who made her NCTS debut at Martinsville Speedway (starting 35th and finishing 18th on the lead lap) with Germain Racing this past March, is scheduled to run several more races with Germain this season. The team would like to see her race for rookie of the year in 2009.

"Ideally, we'd like to see Chrissy Wallace in a fully-sponsored campaign for Raybestos Rookie of the Year in a Tundra for Germain Racing in 2009. We're very excited about working with Chrissy, we know she has a lot to offer to the NASCAR racing scene and to potential sponsors," said Germain Racing general manager Mike Hillman Sr.

Germain Racing has won two or more races each year for a total of 14 wins, 5 pole awards, nearly 60 top-five and over 85 top-ten finishes and 1400 laps led in the Truck Series since September of 2004.

Continuing race coverage is available at Full Throttle (named as the tenth most influential NASCAR blog in the country) Asian Motor Sports (Motorsports with a touch of soy) and Formula One coverage at F1 Rage!

Technorati Tags: Mike Wallace, Milwaukee Mile, Chrissy Wallace, Germain Racing, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, Kyle Busch, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NCTS, Full Throttle

NASCAR: Good Old Days Of Michigan Stock Car Racing

Marc Boland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:57:05 -0400

(NOTE: This is another in a series of posts on the “Good Old Days” of NASCAR, this week’s entry centers on the State of Michigan site of this weeks Sprint Cup event at Michigan International Speedway.)

Cale Yarborough won the first NASCAR race at MIS on June 15, 1969, in a thrilling duel with LeeRoy Yarbrough as the two drivers battled door-to-door for most of the final 150 laps. But that historic event, at what was Lawrence H. LoPatin's dream turned sour, was only a continuation of a long history of NASCAR in the Great Lakes State.

The Grand Rapids Speedrome located in Comstock Park, a suburb of Grand Rapids, operated from 1903 until its was sold to the State in 1966.

While early Modifieds, Midgets and Sprint cars dominated action at the one-mile dirt oval, with famous names such as Louis Chevrolet, Ralph DePalma and Barney Oldfield gracing its winners circle, NASCAR in its earliest form made its presence felt also.

Marshall Teague, driving one of the Famous Hudson Hornets, won a 200-lap NASCAR event on the then-reconfigured half-mile of the "Drome," as it was called by the locals, in July 1951. Dick Rathmann, Fonty and Tim Flock and Lloyd Moore completed the top five.

Three years later, Lee Petty beat Buck Baker, Dick Rathmann, Ray Duhigg and Jim Reed across the line in the final NASCAR event held as the Drome.

As a sidenote to the 1954 season, flame-proof coveralls were made available to NASCAR drivers for $9.25 each by Treesdale Laboratories. It was the third NASCAR-specific product offered that season. The $35 GenTex 70 helmet and special racing tires priced at $37.90 each from Pure Oil Co. had already been offered.

Moving to the eastern side of the state, Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit (1899-1966) held two events in 1951-52. Tommy Thompson won the first Motor City 250 in a self-owned 1951 Chrysler. Joe Eubanks, Johnny Mantz, Red Byron and Red Byron finished out the top five.

Others competing that day were Curtis Turner (9th), Lee Petty (13th), Les Snow (21st) and the legendary Iggy Katona (22nd). Tim Flock won the second event at the Fairgrounds with Buddy Shuman, Herb Thomas, Bill Blair and Pat Kirkwood in trail.

Monroe Speedway (1949-1954) was located in Monroe very close to present-day Flat Rock Speedway. Tim Flock completed the 200 laps of the half-mile dirt oval in the lead followed by Herb Thomas, Lee Petty, Fonty Flock and Ray Duhigg. Katona competed in this event as well, finishing in eighth place in a '51 Oldsmobile.

NOTE: The image included with this post is Johnny Benson Sr., father of current NCTS star Johnny Benson Jr. Benson Sr. ran the Modified pictured at the Grand Rapids Speedrome and later when Berlin Raceway opened in Marne Michigan.

Benson's 25-year Berlin Raceway career (1966-1980) took a turn when he switched to late models in 1969. Benson dominated the 1970's at Berlin, winning seven track championships ('71, '72, '73, '74, '76, '77, '78). He won more than 191 features in his career at tracks all over the Midwest, mostly at Berlin.

He was inducted into the tracks Hall of Fame in 2006.

Read more NASCAR commentary and news at Full Throttle, Asian Motor Sports or Formula One news at F1 Rage!

NASCAR History: The Good Old Days, Pennsylvania Style

Marc Boland — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:42:54 -0400

(NOTE: This is another in a series of posts on the “Good Old Days” of NASCAR, this week's entry centers on the state of Pennsylvania, site of this week's Sprint Cup event at Pocono International Raceway.)

While Pennsylvania has been featured in NASCAR's recent and modern history with events held at Pocono International Raceway since 1974, the state's NASCAR roots go back to the sanctioning body's earliest days.

Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh has the honor of holding the first NASCAR event: a Strictly Stock race in October 1949. Lee Petty recorded his first NASCAR Strictly Stock victory in the 100-mile, 200-lap race. Sara Christian finished fifth, the best finish ever for a female driver in NASCAR's premier stock car racing division.

Christian, an Atlanta housewife, was also among the 33 starters in the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock race at Charlotte held earlier that year. Heidelberg held additional events in 1951, 1959 and 1960. Herb Thomas, Jim Reed and Lee Petty respectively, won those events.

The dirt half-mile also held a single Convertible Series event in 1956 that was won by Joe Weatherly.

Langhorne Speedway (Langhorne, Pa.) is perhaps the most famous with arguably the most colorful history of the old NASCAR tracks in the state having run sanctioned events continuously, starting with the Strictly Stock division, then Grand National from 1949 until 1957 with two Convertible events in '56-'57.

The track's unique circular layout earned Langhorne the name "The Big Left Turn" and features a virtual who's who of NASCAR's greatest drivers having won on the 1-mile dirt.

Dick Rathmann led all the way to win the International 200 at Langhorne Speedway in June 1953. It was the first NASCAR event open to both domestic and foreign cars. Lloyd Shaw won the pole in a Jaguar but faded to a 23rd place finish.

The top foreign made entry was a '53 Jaguar driven by Dick Allwine in sixth place with a pair of Porsches finishing eighth and ninth. The most unusual entry was wheeled home by Dick Hagey to 19th after starting his Volkswagen in 32nd.

Another oddity at Langhorne was a win by Tom Cherry in June 1952. Cherry won a 100-mile NASCAR Speedway Division race at Langhorne, the final event staged for the then new open-wheel class. A paralyzing nationwide steel strike and a blisteringly hot summer are factors in the early demise of the once-promising NASCAR series.

The first event of the Speedway Division the preceding month at Darlington was won by Buck Baker in a Cadillac-powered open-wheel car in the 200-mile event.

Dick Rathmann prevailed in the accompanying 100-mile NASCAR Grand National race, which was added to the program to boost attendance. Baker eventually ended the '52 season as the Speedway Division champion.

Lincoln Speedway (New Oxford, Pa.) still operates today with a program that features one classes of Sprint Cars and a 358 Late Model class. Lincoln's NASCAR history dates to June 1955 in a 100-mile event won by Junior Johnson.

The win was his second career win after capturing his first NASCAR Grand National victory at Hickory Speedway in North Carolina the preceding month.

Other Grand National winners at Lincoln were Buck Baker (twice, in 1956-57), Marvin Panch, Lee Petty, David Pearson and Dick Hutcherson who won the last GN event held at the track in 1965.

Hutcherson won nine events that year as a rookie, a record that may never be broken. A single Convertible Series event was held at Lincoln in 1956 and won by Curtis Turner.

Reading Fairgrounds (Reading, PA) held two NASCAR events in 1958 and '59 both won by Junior Johnson and both in 1957 Fords. The '58 win was the third of three consecutive following wins at Bradford (Pa.) and Columbia (S.C.).

The '59 event was his second of the year and followed a win at Wilson Speedway in North Carolina. Less than an hour before the Wilson race, the wooden grandstand caught on fire and burned to the ground. No one was injured, but the 8,000 spectators had to watch the race while standing along the catch fence.

Williams Grove Speedway (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), also still in operation today, held a single NASCAR event in June 1954 won by Herb Thomas at the wheel of a 1954 Hudson Hornet, closely followed by Dick Rathmann in a second Hudson.

Several other Pennsylvania tracks held single events during the Fifties, including Sharon Speedway (Sharon, Pa.). Lee Petty in a Petty Enterprises '54 Chrysler took a 1954 win touring the 200 laps on a .500 mile dirt track ahead of Buck Baker and Dick Rathmann.

Petty claimed seven races and finished in the top 10 in 32 of his 34 starts in 1954. In another interesting side note to the season, then NASCAR president Bill France was escorted out of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage area in May. AAA chief steward Harry McQuinn said at the time, "We have a long-standing disagreement with NASCAR on what constitutes good racing."

At Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Herb Thomas won the only event held at the Bloomsburg, PA dirt half mile. The Oct. 3, 1953 event saw Thomas take the checkers ahead of Dick Rathmann and Buck Baker. Lee Petty (sixth), Fonty Flock (15th) and Jim Paschal (16th) also were in the starting field that day.

New Bradford Speedway (Bradford, Pa.) held a single Grand National event in June, 1958 that was won by Junior Johnson over Lee Petty, Bob Duel and Jack Smith.

Pine Grove Speedway (Shippenville, Pa.) was also a one-hit wonder, for lack of a better term, with a one time only Grand National event held in October 1951. Two-time NASCAR Grand National Champion (1952, 1955) Tim Flock won the event in his famous Black Phantom '51 Oldsmobile owned by Ted Chester.

As seen NASCAR's historical record goes far beyond what some claim to be a "Southeastern" sport. Far from it, the sanctioning body's first days featured events held in the northeast, the far western United States, Canada and Mexico (story here [http://tinyurl.com/6e4gvy]).

In fact, the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto was the site of King Richard's first start. He finished 17th.

Further NASCAR commentary can be read at Full Throttle (rated as one of the ten most influential NASCAR Blogs by Sports Media Group), F1 Commentary at F1 Rage! and Asian Motorsports news at Asian Motor Sports.

Auto Racing: New Racing Formula To Visit Circuit Zolder

Marc Boland — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:37:42 -0400

Race fans at Zolder will get their first chance to see a Superleague Formula machine this weekend when the former home of the Belgian Grand Prix celebrates its 45th anniversary.

The Circuit Zolder hosted the Belgian Grand Prix on 10 occasions in the 1970s and 80s and is set to become a popular location for football fans for round three of the inaugural Superleague Formula championship on Oct. 4-5.

Three Superleague Formula clubs are located within 200 km of the circuit: RSC Anderlecht in Brussels, PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund.

Despite the fact that RSC Anderlecht and Zolder are both Belgian, Netherlands neighbours PSV Eindhoven is actually the nearest club, located only 60 km from the circuit.

The PSV showcar will be on site at Zolder this weekend at the 45th Anniversary event.

"We’re very happy to have Superleague Formula with us in October. In our 45th year of existence, it is great to have this brand new championship on our track," Zolder Marketing Manger Walter Goosens said.

"The new approach of racing and football is quite teasing, and promises a thrilling event. Since Anderlecht will be our ‘home club,’ we’re looking forward to seeing their team perform, but we’re close to Eindhoven as well, so their fans are more than welcome.

"We can even expect Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Galatasaray fans in October. Dortmund is only two hours drive, and there are huge Italian and Turkish communities living in our province."

About Superleague Formula:

Superleague Formula will feature 20 cars, with each one carrying the colours and livery of major football clubs from Europe and around the world.

The Car:
With its excellent facilities, specialist manufacturing experience and delivery record, Élan Motorsport Technologies from Atlanta, Georgia, USA will be responsible for the development of the Superleague Formula car design and chassis.

As a multi-car manufacturer in the single-seater and sports car world, Élan currently manufactures cars for Indianapolis, Indy Racing League and Champcar, as well as other domestic and international championships.

Primarily designed to provide real spectacle, the Superleague Formula high-performance chassis is built on a two-metre wide track, with under-body aerodynamics to create increased overtaking opportunities.

The Engine:
The 750bhp engine is brand new and unique to Superleague Formula and comes in a V12 configuration with a 4.2 litre capacity. Based in Oxfordshire, England, Menard Competition Technologies is responsible for the manufacture and supply of engines.

Superleague Formula Schedule:
Superleague Formula’s inaugural race season will visit the following six major circuits across Europe, from August to November:

Race 1: Donington, United Kingdom – Aug. 30/31
Race 2: Nürburgring, Germany – Sept. 20/21
Race 3: Zolder, Belgium – Oct. 4/5
Race 4: Estoril, Portugal – Oct. 18/19
Race 5: Vallelunga, Italy – Nov. 1/2
Race 6: Jerez, Spain – Nov. 22/23

A series of YouTube videos covering the new racing formula are available here.

NASCUP Racing Cars Come via Australia

Marc Boland — Mon, 26 May 2008 18:49:57 -0400

The extent of NASCAR's influence never ceases to amaze me.

The latest wonderment comes via Australia and the brand new, never seen before, never raced before, NASCUP racing car.

Behold: NASCUP racing cars.

Following in the tradition of Aussie Racing Cars (ARC) which is now recognized along with the Aussie V8 Series as Australia’s two most successful motor racing categories, comes a new class of car that will offer similar excitement and driving thrills to a whole range of people who wish to get in to motorsport.

The ARC features U.S. Legends and Australian Falcon and Commodore body styles. (race reports)

The cars are half-sized replicas of the famous NASCAR Sprint Cup cars that race every weekend on America’s traditional oval layouts. They employ a strong typically American NASCAR type space frame chassis powered by a 1.3-litre Yamaha engine with water cooling.

The safe and robust chassis is draped in a fiberglass shell that replicates the famous body styles that are so well known on the famous tracks across the US including Daytona, Talladega and Indianapolis. (see images on page 8)

In Australia, there is a growing following of NASCAR with all the events being shown here on live pay TV. The interest here has never been higher, with home grown heroes like Marcos Ambrose joining the fray to continue his racing career in the category.

As I said, the power of the NASCAR publicity machine is amazing. Coupled with the actual product on the track, the series' influence keeps spreading. If it wasn't for Bernie Ecclestone's toy the Speedcar Series in Asia, I would expect to see Brian France act like that DiCaprio fella and scream "I'm king of the world!"

Speaking of ruling the world, there's a hot rumor making the rounds on a similar topic. According to the [in]famous unnamed sources, the Rolex Sports Car Series will be swallowed up whole and bought out by the NASCAR/ISC conglomerate.

The two series have been joined at the hip anyway, and a buyout would only make it official.

Cross posted at Asian Motor Sports and Full Throttle.

Max Mosley, Ever Hear of the First Law of Holes?

Marc Boland — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:26:10 -0400

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“First law on holes - when you’re in one, stop digging.”

Max Mosley isn’t using a shovel at the bottom of the hole he’s dug for himself, the fool has a 400 horsepower backhoe in the hole with him.

Not that I care, if I were able I’d lend a hand. In fact I should think dynamite might be his best bet as long as he’s soooo into this hole digging thing, but I digress.

The Littlest Perv has consented to his first interview since the lid came off the scandal. As expected he still maintains what has happened in his private life should be just that, private, but does admit his wife Jean was “not best pleased” and his sons were “embarrassed” at the revelations.

Yeah, I bet.

“Most people say if somebody likes doing that, if it’s not harming anybody, if it’s in private and it’s completely secret and personal, it’s nothing to do with me.”

Right, as long as it’s private, far from the reality at the moment, or anytime in the future.

He added: “My inclination is to stand and fight.”

Yeah, to our great consternation, we’ve noticed!

(Standby, it gets deep, REAL DEEP now) The Littlest Perv accepted that “a few ex-drivers” had criticized him, but said none of Formula One’s real “opinion formers” had said anything.

Jesus H.Christ on a merry-go-round Max! That statement tells me one of two things.

1. Max has been holed up with his ass-spanking honeys in London all his time and is completely unaware of the furor and long… loooog list of motorsport big wigs calling for his head on a platter, Silver, or otherwise.

2. Or Mad Max is, to use the British vernacular, “up the pole!” More commonly known as nuts, crazy, loony, mcgoofty, loco en la cabeza (in honor of the upcoming Spanish GP), and finally, a fried chicken short of a church picnic!

And that’s all I have to say! (for now, ’cause I’m sure this lunatic isn’t done spewing nonsense.)

Technorati Tags: F1, F1 Rage, FIA, Full Throttle, Max Mosley, Motorsports, Mosley Scandal

Twin Ring Motegi: IndyCar Drivers “All Shook Up!”

Marc Boland — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:10:26 -0400

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck northern Japan early Thursday morning (Wednesday evening est) and it was felt near Twin Ring Motegi.

Several drivers said they slept through the quake, but it did awake several drivers and Indy Racing League officials, including Danica Patrick and IRL founder and CEO Tony George.

Darren Manning driver of the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing Dallara said, “It felt like a washing machine went off in my room. It was like I was on a gentle spin cycle. “

Meanwhile drivers had to contend with rain during the first official practice session.

Three drivers, representing the past four race winners at Twin Ring Motegi, were stashed in the top five of the speed chart as preparations began for the Indy Japan 300.

With a forecast of rain that could wash out final practice and qualifications for the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award on April 18, the focus during two sessions of practice was on race setup.

Reigning champion Tony Kanaan grabbed the top spot with a quick lap of 27.2453 seconds (200.842 mph) in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car for Andretti Green Racing. Dixon had a quick lap of 200.390 mph (27.3067) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, while two-time Motegi winner Dan Wheldon (200.250; 27.3259) was third.

Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, the pole sitter last year and points leader coming into the 200-lap race, was fourth (200.032; 27.3556) and Vision Racing’s Ed Carpenter (199.737; 27.3960) was fifth.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Twin Ring Motegi, IRL, IndyCar, Tony Kanaan

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Good Old Days of NASCAR in an Arizona Oasis

Marc Boland — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:59:44 -0400

(NOTE, this is part of the Good Old Days series of posts. When applicable, they will highlight various points of interest from that weeks Sprint Cup venue or geographic area.)

Arizona isn’t at the top of a list of places where NASCAR’s pioneers plied their trade and helped make the sport what it is today. But history teaches Arizona, and Phoenix site of this weeks Sprint Cup event, was on the schedule in the very earliest days of the sport.

The Arizona State Fairgrounds (ASF) are still in operation today. The facility features all the things one comes to expect of that type of operation: carnival rides, a “Midway,” agricultural displays and competitions by the Future Farmers of America.

In January 1951, Bill France announced the NASCAR Grand National division would venture into the Far West for the first time. Johnny Mantz, winner of the 500-mile race at Darlington, was named as the Regional Director of NASCAR events in California.

The same year, the Arizona State Fairgrounds joined NASCAR’s move to the West by staging races on a 1-mile dirt track. Between 1951 and 1960, four sanctioned NASCAR events were held.

Marshall Teague won the first 150-miler at the wheel of a 1951 (Fabulous) Hudson and took home $1,275 for the day's efforts. Thirty cars started that day, but in a war of attrition only six crossed the finish line. Other winners at ASF were Tim Flock (1955), Buck Baker (1956) and John Rostek (1960).

In 1955, NASCAR made a single appearance at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds in an event won by little-known Danny Letner. It was the second of only two NASCAR wins in a career that spanned seven years and 26 starts.

That brings us to the present day and the Phoenix International Raceway. PIR opened in February 16, 1964, with a sports car race won by Davey MacDonald on the infield road course.

It wasn’t until January 1968 that the first stock car event was held. USAC legend Don White won that event on the road course. (White is the all-time USAC stock car champion, winning in 1954, 1955 and 1958.)

In 1978, Richard Petty takes the first of his three NASCAR Winston West Series wins at PIR.

NASCAR’s first Cup event at PIR was held in 1988. The late great Alan Kulwicki won his first career Cup win in his fifth year driving in the top-tier series. The win was witnessed by a then-record crowd of 60,000 and Kulwicki performed the first “Polish Victory Lap,” in honor of his heritage and first Cup win.

Ironically as the “new kid,” Kulwicki arrived on the scene with a then unheard of college degree in mechanical engineering. He ushered in a new era of NASCAR and at the end of the season, Cup champions Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Benny Parsons, and Bobby Allison retired.

In 1990, Dale Earnhardt led all but the first 50 laps as he dominated the Checker 500. Dale Sr. gained the points lead as leading contender Mark Martin struggled to finish 10th.

This was the year Martin was penalized 46 points for using an illegal (but non-performance enhancing) carburetor spacer at Richmond. The deduction caused him to lose to Dale Earnhardt by 26 points in the final standings.

In 1991, Davey Allison led the final 60 laps and wins the Pyroil 500. Rusty, Mike, and Kenny Wallace all competed in the race, the first triple brother act in NASCAR Cup racing since 1961.

I believe, but have not confirmed, the brothers were the Fabulous Flock Brothers, Bob, Tim and Fonty. Tim was infamous for racing nine events with a rhesus monkey, Jocko Flocko, as his co-driver.

Allison also won in 1992, taking over the points lead from Alan Kulwicki by 30 points. The race was a precursor to the following epic struggle at Atlanta, with Elliott scoring a narrow victory. Points leader Davey Allison was knocked out of the title hunt by an early crash. Elliott won the race but failed to pick up points on Kulwicki, who clung to a narrow 10-point margin in the final standings.

In 1995, Ricky Rudd scored his first win of the season in the Dura Lube 500 at PIR. Rudd started 29th. It was the first time in NASCAR Winston Cup history that a driver came from 29th place to win a race.

In 1996, Bobby Hamilton drove the Petty Enterprises Pontiac to victory in the Dura Lube 500. It was the first NASCAR Cup victory for Petty Enterprises since Richard’s Charlotte win in 1983.

In 2005, defending champion Kurt Busch won the Subway Fresh 500, the first night race at PIR. It was also the first spring date for Phoenix, in addition to its usual late-season race. Busch also won that event to complete the season sweep at the track.

The next year saw another season sweep in Phoenix, this time by RCR’s Kevin Harvick.

PIR featured a sweep of a different sort in 2007. Hendrick Motor Sports swept both events behind the talents of Jeff Gordon in April and Jimmie Johnson in November.

PIR has a history of favoring the Blue Oval. Ford leads in all-time wins in the desert with 12, followed by Chevy with 9 total. The only other marquee to score a win is Pontiac, Bobby Hamilton for Petty Enterprises in 1996 and Tony Stewart in 1999.

So what are you waiting for? Gas up the RV and stock up on plenty of cold brews and “Jeff Gordon Sucks” signs and head over to PIR for the weekend. Even if the race sucks, and every race does to some people, the night start provides plenty of time for tailgating and the Arizona State coeds provide all the eye candy you need.

Technorati Tags: Phoenix International Raceway, NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Alan Kulwicki, Full Throttle, Motorsports

NASCAR: Carl Edwards Wins, Jeff Gordon Has “Test Session”

Marc Boland — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:50:33 -0400

There was no denying it, Carl Edwards was the best on a sunny Sunday in Texas.

His dominating performance (psst, he has a secret - ed) was his series leading third win of the year and vaulted his Roush-Fenway Ford four spots to tenth in the standings.

At the other end of the finishing order was Jeff Gordon. His efforts on the day can be best described as going from the sublime, starting the day 12th in points, to the ridiculous. The #24 started as a piece of junk from the green flag, backpedaled from 18th to 34th and finally doing a spin-a-rama on lap 109 creating the second caution of the day.

It led Gordon to remark to crew chief Steve Letarte, “We need to change everything and turn this into a test session.” Gordon has a long history of getting Texas snake-bit, Sunday was no different.

The two big movers of the day went in opposite directions, Mark Martin gained 6 spots with an eighth place finish and Greg Biffle lost six spots although he remains within the top twelve in the nine hole.

Others of note, both Yates Racing machines had good days. David Gilliland finished 15th and Travis Kvapil just behind in 18th. Both performances might help the team’s ad campaign in search of sponsorship.

IN LATE NEWS, the #12 Dodge of Ryan Newman, who finished fourth, failed postrace inspection because the right rear was too high. NASCAR officials said any penalties would be forthcoming this week.

Have a Happy Fine Tuesday™ Ryan!

P.S. “Shut up and Drive! Yes, that means you Baby Busch and J.J.

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Max “The Littlest Perv” Mosley: Joke of the Day

Marc Boland — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:18:51 -0400

At this point is it any surprise the joke of the day is concocted by non other than the “The Littlest Perv” himself?

In another effort to justify what isn’t Mosley in responding to German motoring federation ADAC’s president Peter Meyer’s criticism fired off another letter. In it he claims he would have resigned immediately had he been caught speeding or drink-driving. But he insists that his romp with five prostitutes was “harmless and completely legal”.

“I believe that twenty first century adults do not worry about private sexual matters as long as they are legal and harmless.”

And that my friends is the Mosley Joke of the Day, he still doesn’t get it.

Meanwhile, Sir Jackie Stewart has entered the fray.

“If he had a government position in Britain, the USA, Germany etc, or was chairman of a public company or head of the International Olympic Committee, he would have already gone.
He would not have waited, he would not need to be told, he would know it was the correct thing to do. I am surprised he is still there. It is wrong, and it is wrong that he is convening a special meeting bringing so many people to Paris for an FIA gathering. That’s like asking your family if you should go.”

Here’s my bet:

Max never thought so many of the world’s automotive governing bodies would come out in opposition, and as they have he was first forced into calling the emergency meeting knowing full well at the earliest it wouldn’t be held until sometime in May. By then in his warped mind everything would blow over.

What was that Max called Sir Jackie last year?

“Certified halfwit?” Look in the mirror Max, preferably one in a room without hookers.

BTW, “The Littlest Perv” is still claiming the tabloid made up the nazi connotation from whole cloth and that “twenty FIA clubs, and another 50 clubs, want him to stay in office.”

How you seen any FIA or non-FIA clubs come out in support? In anyway?

Me neither.

F1, Formula One, Sports, Max Mosley, FIA, Motorsports, Full Throttle

NASCAR’s Good Old Days in the Lone Star State

Marc Boland — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:46:32 -0400

(NOTE: This is another installment in a series examining what some call “Good Old Days” of NASCAR. The series outlines that weeks track or former NASCAR tracks in the geographic area.)

This weeks edition starts with Terry Labonte's early career in Texas.

His career started at Corpus Christi Speedway. Despite winning the tracks Hobby Stock championship, and a legendary feud with Rick Rapp that included the two drivers carrying mace and a knife during races, Terry didn’t stay long at Corpus Christi and moved to the now defunct Meyer Speedway near Houston and also tracks in San Antonio and Shreveport, La.

It’s at Meyer Speedway the sanctioning body enters the picture.

Reportedly speedway owner Ed Hamilton paid a handsome sum to Big Bill France to hold a sanctioned event at his half mile paved bull ring, whether that’s a matter of fact or urban legend is debatable, what isn’t is on June 23, 1971 the Space City 300 was held at Meyer Speedway.

Only 14 cars took the starter’s flag with Bobby Allison beating the field in his #12 1970 Dodge. Second place James Hilton came in second 2 laps down, Walter Ballard, Elmo Langley and Frank Warren completed the top five. Richard Petty, although having led 38 laps, finished in seventh 21 laps behind Allison.

The only other Texas track, aside from present day TMS, to hold a Cup event was the ill-fated Texas World Speedway (TWS). Although still in operation (but reportedly for sale) the track fell into disrepair and a combination of small crowds - just 18,000 were in attendance for the final race - both NASCAR and the IndyCar Series chose to drop it from the schedule. The track would also be called Texas International Speedway.

The first Cup event at TWS was Bobby Issac’s first career superspeedway victory in the Texas 500. Cale Yarborough is seriously injured when his Mercury clobbered the wall.

TWS was always been known as one of the safest race tracks in the country. In 1979, the Cup event went 396 out of 400 miles before a yellow caution flag came out for two laps. The following year the race went all 400 miles without a yellow “caution” flag.

Over the course of the tracks 12 years hosting NASCAR 8 events were held. Ironicly the most noteworthy may be the the final one in June 1981.

Terry Labonte and Bobby Allison shared the front row and they and 7 other drivers swapped the lead numerous times in the first half of the race. Labonte crashed before halfway leaving Dale Sr. and Benny Parsons in a fight to the finish. In the last ten laps they swapped the lead three times with Parsons finally grabbing it last and holding off Allison by a half a second.

Finally, we come to NASCAR’s present Texas venue. Texas Motor Speedway is lorded over by Eddie Gossage, perhaps the only legitimate contender to Humpy Wheeler as NASCAR’s version of P.T Barnum.

The tracked opened in 1997 with the inaugural Interstate Batteries 500. Jeff Burton came on strong in the final 100 miles and racked up his first career NASCAR Cup victory. The race is punctuated by several crashes, which contribute to 10 caution flags for a total of 73 laps run under the yellow flag.

The following year a 13-car crash on the opening lap ends the day for John Andretti, Rick Mast and Ernie Irvan. Mark Martin won the event.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr joined Burton as first time Cup winners at Texas in 2000.

2005 was the first year TMS hosted two events. Greg Biffle led 219 of 334 laps in the Spring event in a back-up car, Biffle crashed his primary car in practice and had to start from the back of the field. Roush Racing completed a sweep in Texas after Carl Edwards won the fall event.

The fall event in 2006 saw Tony Stewart extend his incredible late season streak winning the the Dickies 500 at Texas, it was Stewart’s third win in the last six races.

The 2007 spring event started with a fourth turn, first lap multi -car crash (video) The race featured a ten lap shootout between Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton (video) with Burton finally taking the win and becoming the first repeat winner at Texas.

Also noteworthy, Kyle Busch wreaked his HMS car and left the track thinking he was done for the day. After thrashing for a number of laps the crew had the car ready but had no driver. In a move that presaged what was to come later in the year Dale Earnhardt Jr. jumped into the then rival HMS #5 and finished the race.

Teams Weigh in on Max Mosley Sexcapade

Marc Boland — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:25:38 -0400

A spokesman for Max “Long Dong” Mosley told the German news agency DPA that he wouldn’t be attending this weekends Bahrain GP for “personal reasons.”

That’s academic at this point, as Peter so ably point out Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, has disinvited “The Littlest Perv.”

After yesterday’s non-denial denial the F1 teams have started to weigh in on the matter.

Toyota Motorsport “does not approve of any behavior which could be seen to damage Formula 1’s image, in particular any behavior which could be understood to be racist or anti-Semitic. Senior figures within any sport or business, including motorsport, must adhere to high standards of behavior. When all the facts are known, it will be for the FIA to decide whether Mr Mosley has met the moral obligations which come with the position of FIA President.”

Honda mirrored Toyota’s sentiments and added, “It is necessary that senior figures in sport and business maintain the highest standards of conduct in order to fulfill their duties with integrity and respect.”

The Honda Racing F1 Team is extremely disappointed by recent events surrounding Mr Mosley and we are concerned that the reputation of Formula One and all its participants is being damaged. “We request that the FIA gives this matter careful consideration and reaches an immediate decision in the best interests of F1 and Motorsport.”

In a joint statement German car manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and BMW slamed the alleged recent lurid behavior of FIA president as “disgraceful”. “This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as President of the FIA, the global umbrella organization for motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies.”

To which Mosley responded: “Unfortunately, they did not contact me before putting out their statement to ask whether the content was in fact true,” he said. “No doubt, the FIA will respond to them in due course, as I am about to respond to the newspaper in question.”

Psst, they heard all they needed to hear when reading Mosley’s so-called apology. And note he’s still in the denial mode: “Given the history of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, particularly before and during the Second World War, I fully understand why they would wish to strongly distance themselves from what they rightly describe as the disgraceful content of these publications,” Mosley said.

Yeah, that’s the ticket shoot the messenger and blame some octogenarian Bletchley Park resident and holdover from the British Secret Intelligence Service attempting payback for The London Blitz.

Mosley’s support base seems to be dwindling as the hours pass. It’s interesting, so far I haven’t seen any published comments from the bottom tier of the F1 grid. Williams, Force One India, Super Aguri, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have all been silent to my knowledge.

It’s hardly surprising Ron Dennis is among those keeping their heads down, I imagine he’s too busy laughing his ass off and maybe catching up on a little reading material while listening to a little R.E.M.

But I could be wrong, I often am.

Mad Max Mosley Speaks, Finally

Marc Boland — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:49:30 -0400

It took a while, after many consultations with shysters on fat retainers I’m guessing, but Mad Max is finally speaking about the current FIA[asco] bruhaha and his sexual pecadilles that have become the F1 story de jour this week.

To hear him tell it, Max “Gotta Get My Groove On” Mosley isn’t going anywhere and blames the allegations about his sexual conduct on a ‘covert’ operation to discredit him.

(As if you need to go all James Bond and covert to do that - ed)

“From information provided to me by an impeccable high-level source close to the UK police and security services, I understand that over the last two weeks or so, a covert investigation of my private life and background has been undertaken by a group specialising in such things, for reasons and clients as yet unknown. I have had similar but less well-sourced information from France.
“Regrettably you are now familiar with the results of this covert investigation and I am very sorry if this has embarrassed you or the club. Not content with publicising highly personal and private activities, which are, to say the least, embarrassing, a British tabloid newspaper published the story with the claim that there was some sort of Nazi connotation to the matter. This is entirely false.

“It is against the law in most countries to publish details of a person’s private life without good reason. The publications by The News of the World are a wholly unwarranted invasion of my privacy and I intend to issue legal proceedings against the Newspaper in the UK and other jurisdictions.”

Forgive my ignorance, and keeping in mind I haven’t viewed the subject video, but there sure have been one helluva lot of news sources that gave that connotation, they all can’t be wrong. The video can’t be on par with Springtime for Hitler but it must be close. (wonder which hooker played the part of Eva?)

Noteworthy in Mosley’s statement is the ever popular (by those that perpetrate it) and crafty stratagem of issuing a non-denial denial. No where in his statement does he deny cavorting with five ladies of the evening (Damen des Abends?) only that some evil Brit tabloid outed him and he’s siccing a pack of legal beagles on them.

Interesting no?

But at least Mad Max is speaking - or coming out of the closet if you prefer. Regardless of his non-denial denial that adds more fuel to the flames, even a tabloid gets it right on occasion. Sooner or later some lady in East Timbuktu will give birth to an Alien Baby.

And someday someone will drive a stake through Mad Max’s heart.

In the meantime Max, enjoy, it’s Springtime for Hitler.

UPDATE: In one of the most intelligent statements issued by Bernie Ecclestone in at least two decades he’s warned off Max “Gotta Get My Groove On” Mosley from attending this weekends Bahrain Grand Prix: “He shouldn’t go, should he?,” Ecclestone told Tuesday’s edition of The Times. “The problem is he would take all the ink away from the race and put it on something which, honestly and truly, is nobody else’s business anyway.”

UPDATE II: Dusting off my feeble memory I recall something from the not too distant past, and sure enough, I found what I was looking for.

F1’s Hobbit-in-Charge Bernie Ecclestone once had this to say: “Everything has changed, hasn’t it? Racing has become one of the last well-behaved sports. There are not enough sex scandals.”

Guess Bernie wasn’t careful of what he wished for?

As a side note, can anyone testify as to the whereabouts of Ron Dennis during the filming of this Mad Max epic flic?

A.J. Foyt: Take That, Xenophobes...and Tony Stewart, Too

Marc Boland — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:32:58 -0400

Leave it to A. J. Foyt to put things into sharp perspective.

When asked about Tony Stewart’s recent rant on Goodyear tires he let loose with the following before Saturday night’s Gainsco Indy 300:

“Firestone’s just as bad,” he said. “We’ve got junk for tires. They’ve got one heat cycle, and they screwed us up the other day for qualifying; they fall off two or three tenths.”

“I have no love for Firestone, they have no love for me,” Foyt said, adding that the tires made by Bridgestone Firestone in Japan are “a lot better” than those built domestically.

Jacques Villeneuve: Where in the World?

Marc Boland — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:11:49 -0400

When last seen Jacques “International Man of Mystery” Villeneuve was getting summarily booted out of the Bill Davis Racing Toyota Camry for lack of greenbacks. Greenbacks, it should be added, the organization was promised would flow like water down a flushing toilet. (metaphorically speaking of course. I think. -ed)

The cash never materialized and neither did Villeneuve’s performance after crashing out of Daytona 500 qualifying and failing to secure a spot on the grid for The Great American Race.

The man is nothing if not undaunted by his tin-top efforts in America and has risen like the proverbial mythical bird Phoenix, resurfacing in Asia’s Sprint Cup clone the Speedcar Series.

Villeneuve will race with Speedcar in the last two rounds of the Series’ inaugural season. He will take to the grid for the upcoming race at the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 4-6 followed by the final round in Dubai a week later on April 11-12.

“Speedcar Series looks like a great event and I have heard that it is a lot of fun,” Villeneuve said. “It’s a series still in its infancy and will build up but I think it’s a great idea. On a personal level, Speedcar will give me more road racing experience with this kind of cars which will be useful in future NASCAR road courses events, and it’s also a great excuse to meet race fans.”

Well, ok Jacques, but next time don’t show up with empty promises of bulging wallets.

Villeneuve won’t be the only Johnny-come-lately F1 driver on the Bahrain Grid, Heinz Harald Frentzen will also be on hand anmd at the wheel of the Legends Car.

Alternative Capital Invest (ACI) introduced the Legends Car into the Speedcar Series mix, featuring a different celebrity driver behind the wheel at each race weekend. The ACI sponsored car is part of the German Phoenix Racing Team.

Cross posted @ Asian Motor Sports

Left Coast Racing News

Marc Boland — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:36:25 -0400

A track I once called the Turkey in Tulare looks to be on track for completion with gates opening Spring of 2009.

According to Circle Track Racing News Tulare Motor Sports Park is working its way through California’s strict development requirements and the final plan and environmental impact report, EIR, could be presented to the Tulare City Council by early summer.

The one-mile D shaped track will have 24-degree banked turns and paved with polymer asphalt.

Just a bit inland from the extreme Left Coast, “The Track Your Mother Warned You About,” Death Valley Raceway (warning, site is oh so… 1985! - ed), opened its gates for the first time this past weekend.

The brand new one third-mile clay oval is located in Nevada’s Amargosa Valley approximately four miles east of the California and Nevada state lines.

And finally, in an update to a post from last week, 15-year-old Jessica Brunelli scored the USAC California Ford Focus Pavement Series pole at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale and finished sixth in the 30-lap feature.

The next event in the pavement series is April 12 in Blythe, CA at Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway.

R.I.P. Jim Bickerstaff

Marc Boland — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:45:42 -0400

Jim Bickerstaff, Auto Mobile Racing Club of America' (ARCA) late model race winner and Ohio short track sensation, died Friday, March 21, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center near his hometown of Mineral Ridge, Ohio.

Memories of Jim Bickerstaff go back to my earliest days of following the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC), later to Auto Mobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), and entire weekends shuffled between series home tracks of Flat Rock Speedway and Toledo Speedway.

As the 1962 MARC Late Model champion at Canfield Speedway Jim was the “enemy,” the interloper from Ohio that came into Michigan to steal glory from the local stars of the day.

He was also a track champion at Cloverleaf Speedway in Cleveland and won two consecutive Pittsburgh Racing Association (PRA) championships at Heidelberg Speedway, and scored additional feature wins at Midvale and Sharon Speedways in Ohio. Bickerstaff was successful at both dirt and pavement venues, and drove at tracks from Florida to Maryland and Virginia.

Toledo Speedway was the site of his greatest Michigan triumph as he won the prestigious Glass City 200 in 1975. In many respects that years event was considered by many as a classic that saw two of Michigan’s all-time greats - Joy Fair and Bob Senneker - capture 100 lap wins.

Bickerstaff, by virtue of his second and third place finishes became the first and only Ohio driver to win the Glass City 200, claiming $1,400 for his efforts. ARCA and Mid-West short track legend Joy “Mr ARCA" Fair finished second.

With great sadness and respect the Half-Vast Staff™ of Full Throttle notes the passing Jim Bickerstaff one of the Mid-West’s most decorated and celebrated short track veterans.

He is survived by two children, James “Jim” (Lonnie) Bickerstaff of Mineral Ridge, and Jill (Gary) White, with whom he made his home, and two grandchildren.

R.I.P. Jim Bickerstaff.

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under ARCA REMAX

Fernando Alonzo’s Felis Silvestris Catus is Loose

Marc Boland — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:31:27 -0400

Lets cut the speculation, Fernando Alonzo has. F1’s two-time world champion has let the Felis silvestris catus (more commonly known as a house cat) out of the bag about his future intentions at Renault:

“I’m at Renault because we won in 2005 and 2006 and I want to get back to that, if not this year then next year. But as I have a clause that allows me to leave, I will try to be in the best car possible, and it’s clear that Ferrari is one of the best.”

“It’s early to talk about moves and rumours, but Massa has had two bad races with mistakes and that has sparked speculation - it’s logical, but like I said, it’s too early.”

Nothing like kicking off the F1 silly season with a bang Fernando. Not to mention fueling the current “Massa can’t drive without traction control” meme making the rounds.

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Formula One.

Auto Racing: Who is America's Youngest Race Car Diva?

Marc Boland — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:36:43 -0400

In answer to the question posed, I haven't a clue, but it's a sure bet 15-year-old Jessica Brunelli is close.

Very close.

Saturday evening she competed in the USAC California Ford Focus Pavement Midget Car Series event at the Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Qualifying fourth, she was eligible for the Trophy Dash where she placed third. In the nights 30-lap Feature, won by 18-year-old Ian Miille, Brunelli finished eighth in the season opening event for the 20 race pavement series.

The young lady seems to be no flash in the pan. In December of 2007, she tested in a USAC Focus Midget at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, CA.

This was her first time on the Dirt.

Jessica tested with Midget and Sprint Car National and World Champion Cory Kruseman in preparation for the 2008 season. She will be driving on Corys Team racing the Jr. Focus Midget at Ventura.

Jessica also tested in a USAC Sprint car.

2007 was a banner year for Brunelli. Jessica competed at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows CA. Finishing first, second, and third in the three races she competed in earning her "Rookie of the Year" for the 2007 Skip Barber Race Series.

In mid-year she tested a Formula BMW machine at Michigan and, in September, Jessica tested a NASCAR Grand American Modified at Altamont Motorsports Park in Livermore, CA.

The test was followed the next month with her first 600hp Open Modified race at Altamont Motorsports Park. She qualified seventh and finished fifth against an experienced field of 12 modifieds in the 50-lap Grand American Modified event.

Does this impressive résumé label Ms. Brunelli as America's youngest racing "Diva"?

Is she headed the way of Tony Stewart and J.J. Yeley as USAC Triple Crown winners?

Obviously that remains to be seen, and like all drivers she needs sponsors to get that far.

It's also plain to see she has an excellent start towards that goal.

DTM Veteran Uwe Alzen Captures Second Speedcar Victory

Marc Boland — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:02:20 -0400

Uwe Alzen scored his second Speedcar victory in the Sunday morning race at Sepang International Circuit, having already won the second 'reverse grid' event at Sentul, Indonesia. The German touring car veteran chased early leader David Terrien, and eventually found his way past.

The grid saw the top eight line up in reverse order, with Saturday's eighth-placed finisher Terrien on pole ahead of Nicolas Navarro, Stefan Johansson, Ananda Mikola, Alzen, Mathias Lauda, Johnny Herbert and Saturday winner Jean Alesi.

There was drama even before the start as Ukyo Katayama pitted for attention to an apparent suspension problem, while when the grid moved away behind the safety car Navarro failed to get going, and was pushed to the pits. Both men subsequently joined the race from the end of the pitlane.

When the field was released Terrien charged into the lead, chased initially by Johansson and Mikola. The man on the move on the first lap was Alesi, who rose from seventh to fourth by the end of it, having passed Alzen, Lauda and Herbert. Further back there was action as Christian Danner nudged JJ Lehto into a spin at Turn 2, having done the same to Alex Yoong in the same spot during Saturday's event.

Terrien opened up a small advantage on Johansson, while Alzen soon began pressuring the former McLaren and Ferrari star. Alzen eventually forced his way by at the last corner at the end of the fifth lap, and the two men traded paintwork as they came out onto the pit straight.

As Alzen set his sights on leader Terrien all eyes were on the battle behind. Alesi began to ease closer to Johansson, and soon the three former Grand Prix drivers were nose to tail and enjoying a fabulous dice that kept those watching in the F1 garages thoroughly entertained.

Herbert passed Alesi for fourth on the eighth lap, but the Frenchman regained the position almost immediately. However, when Alesi got into a slide Herbert nipped back through.

The Briton then started to hassle Johansson, and when Stefan appeared to go a little wide, Johnny needed no second invitation and dived down the inside. However Johansson closed the door and the pair touched, sending Stefan into a spin on what was an unlucky lap 13. Herbert lost momentum briefly and a delighted Alesi jumped past both of them. From ninth on the grid Gianni Morbidelli was also close enough to gain a place before Johansson could recover.

"It was very competitive," said Alesi. "We had Stefan holding us up a little bit, and he was not easy to pass. Always when I made a mistake, Johnny went ahead of me! It was a shame for Stefan because he was doing a good race, but at the end of the day we are all competitors, and we do our best."

Meanwhile out front Alzen caught Terrien, passing him for the lead in the hairpin in a clean move and staying clear for the remainder of the race. He was just under two seconds clear at the flag.

"It was an unbelievably hard race," said Alzen. "The start was not bad, better than yesterday. I made a mistake on the first lap and lost two places, and then I started to push. It was so hard, and I had to push over the whole distance. I think it was 70 degrees Celsius in the car, quite unbelievable! I passed Terrien in the hairpin, where I overtook Lauda yesterday. It's good because now I am a little bit closer to Alesi in the championship."

Alesi, Herbert, Morbidelli and Johansson completed the top six, while Navarro recovered to seventh after his pitlane start. Hasher al Maktoum, Alex Yoong (after surviving an off) and Lehto rounded out the top 10, while Katayama and Danner were the only other finishers. Saturday's third placed man Mathias Lauda retired after twice suffering punctures, while Mikola, Marchy Lee and Fabien Giroix also failed to finish.

Benoit Lamonerie, General Manager of Speedcar Series was pleased with the first F1 participation race saying, "I'm delighted at the clean and entertaining show that we put up and it is an honor to have done so at the Malaysian Grand Prix. It was also good to see that the podium was shared by young talent as well as motorsport veterans which is the spirit of Speedcar."

The series resumes in two weeks' time with another pair of races supporting the Bahrain GP, where the hot weather will again provide a challenge.

Classification Race 2:

Pos Driver Laps Time/Gap
1 Uwe Alzen 18 40:05.212
2 David Terrien 18 1.936
3 Jean Alesi 18 9.334
4 Johnny Herbert 18 11.381
5 Gianni Morbidelli 18 15.059
6 Stefan Johansson 18 20.630
7 Nicolas Navarro 18 22.467
8 Hasher Al Maktoum 18 32.445
9 Alex Yoong 18 33.029
10 JJ Lehto 18 42.795
11 Ukyo Katayama 18 46.739
12 Christian Danner 18 1:38.515

Not classified:
Mathias Lauda 12 DNF
Ananda Mikola 8 DNF
Marchy Lee 4 DNF
Fabien Giroix 0 DNS

Fastest lap:
Johnny Herbert, 2:12.535 on lap 7

Speedcar Series points after race four:

Pos Driver R1 R2 R3 R4 TOT
1 Jean Alesi 10 8 10 6 34
2 Uwe Alzen 4 10 5 10 29
3 Johnny Herbert 6 2 8 5 21
4 David Terrien 5 5 1 8 19
5 Mathias Lauda 8 4 6 - 18
6 Ananda Mikola 1 6 4 - 11
7 Nicolas Navarro 3 - 2 2 7
8 Stefan Johansson - - 3 3 6
9 Klaus Ludwig 2 3 - - 5
10 Gianni Morbidelli - - - 4 4
11 Ukyo Katayama - 1 - - 1
11 Hasher Al Maktoum - - - 1 1

DTM Veteran Uwe Alzen Captures Secned Speedcar Victory

Marc Boland — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 07:59:07 -0400

Uwe Alzen scored his second Sepang International Circuit, having already won the second 'reverse grid' event at Indonesia. The German touring car veteran chased early leader David Terrien, and eventually found his way past.

The grid saw the top eight line up in reverse order, with Saturday's eighth-placed finisher Terrien on pole ahead of Nicolas Navarro, Stefan Johansson, Ananda Mikola, Alzen, Mathias Lauda, Johnny Herbert and Saturday winner Jean Alesi.

There was drama even before the start as Ukyo Katayama pitted for attention to an apparent suspension problem, while when the grid moved away behind the safety car Navarro failed to get going, and was pushed to the pits. Both men subsequently joined the race from the end of the pitlane.

When the field was released Terrien charged into the lead, chased initially by Johansson and Mikola. The man on the move on the first lap was Alesi, who rose from seventh to fourth by the end of it, having passed Alzen, Lauda and Herbert. Further back there was action as Christian Danner nudged JJ Lehto into a spin at Turn 2, having done the same to Alex Yoong in the same spot during Saturday's event.

Terrien opened up a small advantage on Johansson, while Alzen soon began pressuring the former McLaren and Ferrari star. Alzen eventually forced his way by at the last corner at the end of lap 5, and the two men traded paintwork as they came out onto the pit straight.

As Alzen set his sights on leader Terrien all eyes were on the battle behind. Alesi began to ease closer to Johansson, and soon the three former Grand Prix drivers were nose to tail and enjoying a fabulous dice that kept those watching in the F1 garages thoroughly entertained.

Herbert passed Alesi for fourth on the eighth lap, but the Frenchman regained the position almost immediately. However, when Alesi got into a slide Herbert nipped back through.

The Briton then started to hassle Johansson, and when Stefan appeared to go a little wide, Johnny needed no second invitation and dived down the inside. However Johansson closed the door and the pair touched, sending Stefan into a spin on what was an unlucky lap 13. Herbert lost momentum briefly and a delighted Alesi jumped past both of them. From ninth on the grid Gianni Morbidelli was also close enough to gain a place before Johansson could recover.

"It was very competitive," said Alesi. "We had Stefan holding us up a little bit, and he was not easy to pass. Always when I made a mistake, Johnny went ahead of me! It was a shame for Stefan because he was doing a good race, but at the end of the day we are all competitors, and we do our best."

Meanwhile out front Alzen caught Terrien, passing him for the lead in the hairpin in a clean move and staying clear for the remainder of the race. He was just under 2secs clear at the flag.

"It was an unbelievably hard race," said Alzen. "The start was not bad, better than yesterday. I made a mistake on the first lap and lost two places, and then I started to push. It was so hard, and I had to push over the whole distance. I think it was 70degC in the car, quite unbelievable! I passed Terrien in the hairpin, where I overtook Lauda yesterday. It's good because now I am a little bit closer to Alesi in the championship."

Alesi, Herbert, Morbidelli and Johansson completed the top six, while Navarro recovered to seventh after his pitlane start. Hasher al Maktoum, Alex Yoong (after surviving an off) and Lehto rounded out the top 10, while Katayama and Danner were the only other finishers. Saturday's third placed man Mathias Lauda retired after twice suffering punctures, while Mikola, Marchy Lee and Fabien Giroix also failed to finish.

Benoit Lamonerie, General Manager of <a href="http://www.speedcarseries.com/">Speedcar Series</a> was pleased with the first F1 participation race saying, "I'm delighted at the clean and entertaining show that we put up and it is an honor to have done so at the Malaysian Grand Prix. It was also good to see that the podium was shared by young talent as well as motorsport veterans which is the spirit of Speedcar."

The series resumes in two weeks' time with another pair of races supporting the <a href="http://www.bahraingp.com.bh/">Bahrain GP</a>, where the hot weather will again provide a challenge.

Classification Race 2: Pos Driver Laps Time/Gap

1 Uwe Alzen 18 40:05.212
2 David Terrien 18 1.936
3 Jean Alesi 18 9.334
4 Johnny Herbert 18 11.381
5 Gianni Morbidelli 18 15.059
6 Stefan Johansson 18 20.630
7 Nicolas Navarro 18 22.467
8 Hasher Al Maktoum 18 32.445
9 Alex Yoong 18 33.029
10 JJ Lehto 18 42.795
11 Ukyo Katayama 18 46.739
12 Christian Danner 18 1:38.515

Not classified
Mathias Lauda 12 DNF
Ananda Mikola 8 DNF
Marchy Lee 4 DNF
Fabien Giroix 0 DNS

Fastest lap
Johnny Herbert 2:12.535 on lap 7

Speedcar Series points after race 4

Pos Driver R1 R2 R3 R4 TOT
1 Jean Alesi 10 8 10 6 34
2 Uwe Alzen 4 10 5 10 29
3 Johnny Herbert 6 2 8 5 21
4 David Terrien 5 5 1 8 19
5 Mathias Lauda 8 4 6 - 18
6 Ananda Mikola 1 6 4 - 11
7 Nicolas Navarro 3 - 2 2 7
8 Stefan Johansson - - 3 3 6
9 Klaus Ludwig 2 3 - - 5
10 Gianni Morbidelli - - - 4 4
11 Ukyo Katayama - 1 - - 1
11 Hasher Al Maktoum - - - 1 1

Jersey Shore Racing No More

Marc Boland — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:10:18 -0400

The lone paved short track in New Jersey, Wall Stadium, is no more and has been closed ending over five decades of racing history.

Then owners Thomas and Jennie J. Nicol opened the gates of 1/3-mile asphalt Wall Stadium in May 1950. Since then some of Stock Car and Modifieds biggest stars have competed at the track.

Jennie J. Nicol was known as the First Lady of Short Track Racing and did nothing to disown rumors of $50 payouts to drivers to start fights on the track to get the crowd stirred up.

Legendary NASCAR Modified drivers Maynard Troyer, Charlie Jarzombek, and Ron Bouchard have all tested their courage against the asphalt of Wall Stadium and won more than averages said were possible.

Martin Truex Jr., a two-time Busch Series champion and current DEI Sprint Cup driver, cut his teeth on the high-banked track. However the Stadium’s most successful alumni is Ray Evernham, whose Evernham Motorsports, (now GEM) has become one of the premier organizations in lNASCAR.

Although having a preference for dirt track racing Evernham chose to race at Wall because they ran the economical Modern Stock division. He soon graduated to Sportsman cars and then to his first love, Modifieds. He was a terror on the track and in every division he ran at Wall, from Midgets, to Modifieds, to Sportsman cars, to the Modern Stocks.

“Wall Stadium is different,” says Evernham. “Maybe a mini Bristol. (30-degree banking in the corners and16-degree banking in the straights) It’s fast. It’s only a third. It was always pretty narrow on the straightaways, so you could haul ass coming off the corner.”

“You had to get into a rhythm to where you’d be sliding that Modified up off that corner with the tail hung out. You almost had to over correct it and let the tail slide back to the left by the starter’s stand, or you’d clip the fence. Then you’d swing it back out to the right. So it was kind of a strange line you had to run to be fast.”

The Jersey Shore still has its ocean and it’s beaches and the boardwalks of Belmar, Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights, but Wall Stadium like so may before it has been felled by poor attendance, car count in the pits and to a certain extent the 9,000 pound gorilla known as NASCAR under the lights on Saturday night.

R.I.P., Wall Stadium.

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Commentary, Nascar, Speedway Mortuary.

Kimi Raikkonen Back on Track with Malaysian Win

Marc Boland — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:28:18 -0400

Defending drivers’ world champion Kimi Raikkonen bounced back to form and back into the scrap for this year’s title when he won the Malaysian Grand Prix for Ferrari on Sunday.

Starting second on the grid, the Finn assumed control of the race following the first set of pit stops and eventually took the checkered flag some 20 seconds ahead of BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica.

But the Italian team’s hopes of a dream one-two finish just a week after their embarrassing failure at Melbourne, where both cars failed to complete the race, were wrecked by Brazilian Felipe Massa spinning off on lap 30 while running second.

The error by Massa gave Robert Kubica a perfect opportunity to finish second and he did so with a calm and solid performance to come ahead of steadily improving Finn Heikki Kovalainen for McLaren Mercedes-Benz.

It was Kubica’s career best result in Formula One.

Kovalainen’s McLaren teammate Briton Lewis Hamilton, who won in Australia, endured a troubled race which was compromised by a problematic opening pit stop, to finish fifth behind Jarno Trulli in a Toyota.

Raikkonen’s win was the 16th of his career and proved he is carrying no “negative baggage” after his dismal outing at Albert Park where he spun twice, but still managed to collect a point for being classified eighth.

It was also Raikkonen’s seventh win for Ferrari and his second win in Malaysia.

His win increased his total of points for the season to 11 after two races. This cut Hamilton’s lead at the top to just three points, the Englishman collecting four points.

German Nick Heidfeld finished sixth behind Hamilton in the second BMW after being caught up in a dramatic sequence of events at turn one on the opening lap.

Australian Mark Webber made up for his bad luck in his home race in Australia last Sunday by finishing seventh, ahead of double champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso who was eighth for Renault.

Cross Posted @ Asian Motor Sports

NASCAR Prices Got You Down Bucko?

Marc Boland — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:27:10 -0400

With talk of the U.S. economy headed for the Circular Porcelain Receptacle, NASCAR Nation visa holders are getting a bit nervous at reaching for their wallets.

The few seats that were empty at Bristol last week were attributed by some as an indication that gas prices held down the normal high rate of attendees doing the RV thing on race weekends. A few promoters have taken action to mitigate the cost increases with special promos for their events.

Unfortunately the Half-Vast Staff™ of Full Throttle's Magic Wand is on the fritz (we failed to follow the manufacturers maintenance recommendations) so wishing away the high costs is out of the question, but we can put things in perspective.

Next month's V8 Supercar schedule includes the Hamilton (New Zealand) 400 street race. Very much like Bristol, every motel and hotel in the city is fully booked for the event. As a result, the local entrepreneurs, to put a kind spin on it, are offering their own homes to those looking for accommodations for what arguably is New Zealand's largest motorsport event.

Of the more than 150,000 people expected over the three day weekend, the overflow is being asked to shell out from $6,000 to $10,000 (AUS) for the "privilege" of staying in someones private residence.

That converts to approx $9,000 in U.S. greenbacks, my friends. The "lower scale" is a cool $5,381.41 for a residence that is 400 meters from the track entrance and is described as having four-bedrooms and two-bathrooms where one of the bedrooms has a 42-inch plasma television and is close to a supermarket, fast-food outlets and a picturesque walking track along the banks of the Waikato River.

Such a deal for three days, huh? You get the point. Motorsports at the top levels has always been expensive, whether you're a fan or active participant, in addition to always being at the mercy of the local economy.

There are ways around it, but I do wonder if the local schools in the Bristol area would be agreeable to taking in a few borders, complete with breakfast.

Jean Alesi Scores Second Speedcar Win

Marc Boland — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:52:36 -0400

Jean Alesi won a spectacular Speedcar Series race at Sepang International Circuit on Saturday morning as the championship supported a Grand Prix for the first time. Many big names from the F1 world paid close attention to the action as Alesi won a race-long battle with his old friend and sometime Sauber team mate Johnny Hebert, finally getting the better of the Englishman on the last lap.

Winner of the first race in Sentul, Alesi took pole position ahead of Herbert, Mathias Lauda, David Terrien, Uwe Alzen and Ananda Mikola. Former F1 stars Ukyo Katayama, Gianni Morbidelli and Stefan Johansson were eighth to 10th, while at the back were series rookies Christian Danner, Alex Yoong and JJ Lehto, all of whom had very little time to get used to the car after joining the series this weekend.

Among those who came to visit the cars on the grid were three-time World Champion Niki Lauda, and Toro Rosso boss Gerhard Berger, who was keen to wish his old pal Alesi well.

There was drama even before the start as Katayama and Morbidelli clashed as the field came through the corner onto the pits. The Italian spun, while Katayama retired to the pits with front end damage.

At the front Alesi held on to his advantage ahead of Herbert and Lauda. There was more excitement behind when Alzen nudged Terrien into a high speed spin and claimed fourth, while further back Danner and Yoong tangled, and the local hero spun.

Alesi and Herbert soon pulled away from the rest, and circulated nose to tail as Herbert sized up possible passing opportunities. Meanwhile Alzen closed in on Lauda, and began pushing him for third place. Mikola, Johansson and Nicolas Navarro were next, while behind that group the recovering Terrien was hassling fellow Frenchman Fabien Giroix.

There was no change at the front until lap 11, when Herbert passed Alesi for the lead with a mighty effort at the penultimate corner of the lap. The Frenchman didn’t give up however, and was close enough to have a big go at the start of the final lap. He didn’t make it at that attempt, but snuck by later round the lap.

Herbert very nearly got him back straight away, but tucked in behind and readied himself for a last corner effort. However, Alesi kept the door closed and despite a nudge from Johnny that left dents in both cars Jean crossed the line just ahead, to cheers from watching F1 folk. Many of the BMW Sauber mechanics came along to the podium to cheer their former drivers.

“It was really down to racing, and I lost again!,” joked Herbert. “In the last couple of laps I started struggling with the back end, especially at the hairpin and coming out of the last corner. I was aware of it, and maybe Jean saw that and that’s what he went for. At the last corner we were level I knew I had to go a bit wider. I thought I had a run on him, but I nudged him and had to ease off, so I didn’t get the win that I truly deserved!”

Behind the two pacesetters Alzen relieved Lauda of third on the ninth lap, but the Austrian repaid the compliment with two laps to go, and thus claimed his fourth podium finish in five starts. His proud father watched as he took his trophy.

Alzen had to settle for fourth, ahead of Mikola, Johansson, Navarro and Terrien. Giroix retired from the fraught battle with a flat front tyre. Morbidelli, who won the two Dubai races, had recovered to ninth by the flag.

The top eight grid spots will be reversed for the second race on Sunday morning, so Terrien and Navarro will be on the front row, and Herbert and Alesi on the fourth.

Cross Posted @ Asian Motor Sports

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under FIA Speedcar Series.

NASCAR Prices Got You Down, Bucko?

Marc Boland — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:49:03 -0400

With talk of the U.S. economy headed for the Circular Porcelain Receptacle lNASCAR Nation visa holders are getting a bit nervous at reaching for their wallets.

The few seats that were empty at Bristol last week were attributed by some as an indication that gas prices held down the normal high rate of attendees doing the RV thing on race weekends. And a few promoters have taken action to mitigate the cost increases with special promos for their events.

Unfortunately the Half-Vast Staff™ of Full Throttle’s Magic Wand is on the fritz - we failed to follow the manufacturers maintenance recommendations - so wishing away the high costs is out of the question, but we can put things in perspective.

Next month’s V8 Supercar schedule includes the Hamilton (New Zealand) 400 street race. Very much like Bristol every motel and hotel in the city is fully booked for the event.

As a result the local entrepreneurs, to put a kind spin on it, are offering their own homes to those looking for accommodations for what arguably is New Zealand’s largest motorsport event.

Of the more than 150,000 people expected over the three day weekend the overflow is being asked to shell out from $10,000 to $6,000 (AUS) for the “privilege” of staying in someones private residence.

That converts to approx $9,000 in U.S. greenbacks my friends. The “lower scale” is a cool $5,381.41 for a residence that is 400 meters from the track entrance and is described as having four-bedrooms and two-bathrooms, one of the bedrooms has a 42-inch plasma television, and close to a supermarket, fast-food outlets and a picturesque walking track along the banks of the Waikato River.

Such a deal for three days huh? Well actually you could, but you get the point.

Motorsports at the top levels has always been expensive whether you’re a fan or active participant, in addition to always being at the mercy of the local economy.

There are ways around it, but I do wonder if the local schools in the Bristol area would be agreeable to taking in a few borders, complete with breakfast.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson’s Next Goal

Marc Boland — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:29:30 -0400

From the below selections which would you say were on Jimmie Johnson’s list of things to do? Which would be the top priority?

1. Be within the top 12 drivers after the fall Richmond event.
2. Three-pete the Sprint Cup Championship.
3. Avoid link)','caption', 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing' );">NASCAR Fine & PC Police.
4. Hit the Five Hole.
5. Receive a “Two and Ten” penalty for checking from behind (2 minutes) a former smart-alec teammate and a Misconduct Penalty (10 minutes) for “actions detrimental”… etc.

If you answered any combination of 1-3 you’d be correct looking at the long term.

However, if the time frame were compressed to say, last night and at the Deja Blue Arena in Frisco, Texas selecting #4 or #5 wins you a cupie doll. Or a Lone Star beer, or something to be named later. (Whatever, I’m not in charge of prize selection around here.)

Johnson laced up his skates for the first time since his boyhood in Southern California and faced off against Dallas Star’s superstar Center Mike Modano.

Wearing a personalized Stars #48 sweater, Johnson was able to stay on his feet during his 20 minutes on the ice despite some jitters because there were so many reporters watching and so many cameras recording his efforts.

He and Modano also participated in a staged faceoff, with link)','caption', 'Texas Motor Speedway' );">TMS president Eddie Gossage playing the role of referee right down to donning a striped shirt. (see Jimmie and Eddie here)

“I went around and didn’t hit the wall,” Johnson said. “I wish all the cameras weren’t here, that’s for sure. But it’s a blast. I like to see what goes on with other sports.” (well, other sports where you don’t come into contact with a golf cart right Jimmie? - ed)

Said Modano: “He wanted to stay upright the whole time.”

UPDATE: If you think this story is a might off the wall here’s Bruton Smith on IRL white wall tires and Red Legged Frogs.

link)','caption', 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing' );">NASCAR Sports, Sprint Cup, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle, Jimmie Johnson

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What’s Better Than Watching NASCAR?

Marc Boland — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:26:11 -0400

Driving a link)','caption', 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing' );">NASCAR of course.

The video is the second installment of Tiff Needell’s “Great link)','caption', 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing' );">NASCAR Adventure.” The first installment is a must see as he and a Brit compatriot attended the Daytona 500.

In this latest edition Tiff climbs behind the wheel of a Ford Taurus and takes on Orlando’s Disney World Speedwayl. Lest you think Tiff needed any instruction getting around the one mile oval he’s has a long career that includes Formula Ford, British F3, a short stint at the wheel of an Ensign and qualed for two Grands Prix. His sports car efforts include a third at Le Mans in a Porche 962 and taking a Lister Storm to 19th in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Enjoy, and pay attention to Montoya’s driving advice:

Tiff does link)','caption', 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing' );">NASCAR Pt. 2 from AxisOfOversteer.com on Vimeo.