Kurt Busch is Peachy After Winning Sprint Cup Race in Atlanta

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Image

Referred to as Hot-lanta for the region's intense summer heat, NASCAR has always scheduled a race before spring on the 1.54 mile speedway has classically allowed Atlanta Motor Speedway to host an early race to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. On the first week of March, some past events would see the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway blanketed with snow. However, for the running of the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500, a 60 degree Fahrenheit day brightened the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars paint schemes with constant late winter sunlight.


Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/WHP -Pool/Getty Image for NASCAR

Taking a popular pole position after a Friday night qualifying session, Dale Earnhardt Jr led the 43-car NASCAR Sprint Cup series field to the green flag with the Amp Energy #88 Chevrolet. Earnhardt's prime starting position would not even net the Hendrick-owned Sprint Cup car a single recorded lap in the lead. Asserting some muscle on the outside front row, the #18 M&M Toyota piloted by Kyle Busch flew around Earnhardt for the race lead on lap 1 holding the top spot for 13 circuit. Kyle Busch's stint in the Atlanta lead would be broken by the fast #9 Ford of Kasey Kahne. Coming off a 9th place finish in Las Vegas after starting the 2010 year with two disastrous start, Kahne and the Richard Petty Motorsports team is eager to reverse their racing fortunes. Atlanta Motor Speedway would in fact result a memorable turning point for the 4-car Ford effort.


Photo Credit: Geoff Burke Getty Image for NASCAR

Busch recaptured the lead of the Kobalt Tools 500 just before a caution for debris forced the field to slow. With the field bunched on the restart, the jockeying for position figured heavily on the very brief green flag period which ended 2 laps later. Out of turn 1 of lap 43, an aggressive #12 Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski nosed into the rear of Carl Edwards driving a "retro-themed" #99 Ford (Edward's paint scheme and Scotts Lawn Care sponsor was a throwback to his maiden 2005 Cup victory. Five years being classified as retro is quite a stretch). As Edward's Ford swung up the track, he collide with the Toyota of Joey Logano damaging both machines as they grind the outer wall. While Logano and Edwards would require time-consuming repairs, Keselowski faired better even being a firm front-runner as the race endured.

After the lap 43 restart, a new contender for the day emerged in Atlanta as Penske Racing's lead driver Kurt Busch added some intensity to the Kobalt Tools 500. Starting 11th, Busch advanced his #2 Miller Lite Dodge skillfully, taking the race lead for the first time on lap 82 thanks to a well-executed pit stop as the majority of lead lap cars rushed for crew service. Between Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne, the two drivers dominance kept the front of the race familiar leading 273 laps on the day. Coupled with the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota and Juan Pablo Montoya driving the #42 Chevrolet, the top-5 was secured between the same five cars following the first 300 miles.

Another car many hoped would be a top-5 contender through the day was, of course, the pole-sitting driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Showing the ability to hold onto the top-10 in the Kobalt Tools 500's initial stage, the #88 fell to misfortune as Earnhardt began reporting a suspected loose rear wheel. Making it to the pits for unscheduled service, the #88 Chevrolet continued but was well down the race's running order. The problem compounded when a caution was thrown just a few laps later when Hendrick teammate Mark Martin spun when his #5 blew a tire. Interesting enough, almost every Hendrick-supported team (including the Stewart-Haas Racing cars) suffered some kind of tire problem. Mired around 31st position through the mid stages of the Atlanta race, Dale Earnhardt Jr and the #88 AMP Energy Chevrolet never returned to winning contention. However, he was able to use late race fitration to the competition as well as a wave-around opportunity to cycle back into the lead lap.

As closed on its final 2 laps, the effects of an earlier race incident weighed on Carl Edwards. At lap 323, the #12 car of Keselowski came into sight of the Roush-Fenway #99 Ford walking wounded with fresh memories of the lap 43 accident. As the two cars shot out of turn 4, Edwards might have viewed this as a window of opportunity open for paying back Brad Keselowski. Heading down the Atlanta Motor Speedway frontstretch, the #99 Ford purposefully swiped the left rear corner of the #12 Dodge as speeds reached over 170 miles per hour. As the #12 of Brad Keselowski was sent sideways towards the infield grass, air caught the underside lifting Keselowski's Dodge precariously airborne. Off the ground, the Dodge slammed into the outer retaining wall impacting the driver's side A-pillar section of the Dodge's roof. As the car rested upright, the fate of the driver was an immediate concern. Thankfully as the window nest dropped, it came as a relief (even to Carl Edwards) that Brad Keselowski was conscious as he hopped to the ambulance. Based on the evidence the Edwards intended to turn Keselowski, NASCAR ruled to park Carl Edwards for the remaining laps. There also exists the possibility that NASCAR may penalize Edwards farther as they are continuing to review the incident.

As the wreckage of the #12 Dodge had to be removed, the race was to be settled by a green-white-checker restart. With many of the leaders pitting, #33 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer and #98 Ford of Paul Menard elected to stay out gambling on track position. Restarting the 339th lap (5 laps passed the race's scheduled distance), the Menard and Bowyer were quickly passed by Kurt Busch. As the #2 Penske Racing Dodge prepared to roll to victory, a 7-car wreck in the middle of turn 3 and 4 was sparked when Jamie McMurray's #1 Chevrolet took a low entry into the 3rd corner sliding out of control. Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr were among the drivers collected in the late race crash.

Because of timing of the wreck, the race was thrown under caution just before Busch took the white flag. Disappointed but determined to win the Kobalt Tools 500, Kurt Busch's Dodge launched on the second attempt of a green-white-checker restart leading the final 2 laps to win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Peforming his celebration at driving in reverse, Busch, the #2 Penske Racing pit crew, and the car owner Roger Penske were present in victory lane shortly after Kurt Busch finished.
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In second place of the Kobalt Tools 500, Matt Kenseth provided Roush-Fenway Racing team with the strongest run of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Behind Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya ran an outstanding Atlanta race where the Colombian driver was even eyed for victory. Kasey Kahne finished fourth while strategy helped Paul Menard claim an admirable top-5 position. Not only did Kahne and Menard register their best finishes for the new season, these cars share Richard Petty Motorsport affiliation. Just behind the pair the Richard Petty Motorsport Ford team became a trio as AJ Allmendinger brought the #43 car home in 6th place.

Other cars claiming notable runs include Kevin Harvick who emerged from 35th to 9th, Scott Speed in 10th outcoming a 32rd place qualifying effort, Marcos Ambrose in 11th and Regan Smith who brought his #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in 14th place. Also worth mentioning is the effort of Dale Earnhardt Jr and #88 Hendrick Motorsport team. Through the race's latter stage, the AMP Energy car rose to 15th place recovering from two laps down.

Elevating himself up 9 spots in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup points after 4 races, Kurt Busch sits 10th overall 142 points behind Kevin Harvick who continues leading the standings for the 3rd week in a row. Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer currently follows Harvick, all within 86 points. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has an off-weekend this coming week but will return on the 21st of March to run the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kobalt Tools 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway

Pos # | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/Car Make

1) 2 Kurt Busch       Miller Lite Dodge
2) 17 Matt Kenseth     Valvoline Ford
3) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 
4) 9 Kasey Kahne       Budweiser Ford 
5) 98 Paul Menard      CertainTeed/Menards Ford
6) 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy/Insignia Ford 
7) 83 Brian Vickers    Red Bull Toyota 
8) 16 Greg Biffle      U.S. Census Ford 
9) 29 Kevin Harvick     Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet 
10) 82 Scott Speed      Red Bull Toyota 
11) 47 Marcos Ambrose    Lance/Tom's Toyota 
12) 48 Jimmie Johnson         Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
13) 14 Tony Stewart     Office Depot Chevrolet 
14) 78 Regan Smith      Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 
15) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet 
16) 21 Bill Elliott       Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 
17) 39 Ryan Newman      Tornados Chevrolet 
18) 24 Jeff Gordon       DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet
19) 19 Elliott Sadler         Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford 
20) 31 Jeff Burton      Caterpillar Chevrolet 
21) 11 Denny Hamlin     FedEx Office Toyota 
22) 71 Bobby Labonte    TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet Chevrolet
23) 33 Clint Bowyer     BB&T Chevrolet 
24) 36 Mike Bliss        Wave Energy Drink Chevrolet 
25) 18 Kyle Busch       M&M's Toyota 
26) 38 David Gilliland  Charter Air Transport/Taco Bell Ford 
27)     56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota 
28) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.   Mobil 1 Dodge 
29)     1 Jamie McMurray         Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet 
30) 34 Travis Kvapil     Long John Silver's Ford 
31) 37 Kevin Conway      Extenze Ford 
32) 26 Boris Said       Sacred Power/Southern Pride Trucking Ford 
33) 5 Mark Martin      Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 
34) 13 Max Papis        GEICO Toyota 
35) 20 Joey Logano      Home Depot Toyota 
36) 12 Brad Keselowski         Mopar/FLO TV Dodge Dodge 
37) 6 David Ragan      UPS Ford 
38) 87 Joe Nemechek      FrontRowJoe.com Toyota 
39) 99 Carl Edwards     Scotts Ford
40) 00 David Reutimann         Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 
41) 66 Dave Blaney      PRISM Motorsports Toyota 
42) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
43) 7 Robby Gordon     Warner Music Nashville/Blake Shelton Toyota

Chip Ganassi Racing wins Grand Am Grand Prix of Miami

Photo Credit: Grand Am Media

The first racing following the 2010 season opener for the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the Rolex 24-hour of Daytona, the seeds of the sports car series' 2010 season long tour has yet to be planted. The Rolex Sports Car Series took their race machines to the further south corner of the Florida state to run the Grand Prix of Miami sports car event on the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Competing in leisurely 2 hour and 45 minute sprint race, the 2.3 mile road course within the traditional oval started in the bright Miami sun and ended amidst the beam of headlamps.

The start of the Daytona Prototype (DP) cars was marred by a collision between the #6 and #01 machines in the first turn. The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing-backed BMW Riley driven by Memo Rojas attempted to make an out-braking pass on the Brian Frisselle piloting the #6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley. Losing considerable ground at the beginning of this sprint race, the Ford-powered Riley found itself buried in the lower part of the Daytona Prototype running order. Thanks to the caution-free melody of the Grand Prix of Miami, teams like the #6 Michael Shank Racing were trapped by their early struggles.


Photo Credit: Grand Am Media

Losing the lead after their pole start, the #59 performed a power move on the #99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing DP car using the immense Porsche V8 momentum on the front straightaway. The Grand Prix of Miami saw the DP class lead alternate between the #99 Riley Chevrolet, #59 Porsche Riley, and the Chip Ganassi-owned BMW Riley.

Along with the #6 entry, another DP class heartbreaker was the events for the Rolex 24-hour winning team of Action Express Racing. Experiencing the highest of highs after surviving the Daytona International Speedway road racing jewel, the #9 Porsche helmed by Terry Borcheller and Joao Barbosa suffered a water leak forcing their a mid-way retirement.

In the GT class, the #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 shared by Jonathan Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay rose to the challenge posed by the 2010 season's array of new cars at Daytona. At Homestead-Miami Speedway, The class' pole was snatched by the #07 Chevrolet Corvette which was one vehicle coming from the new guard of Rolex Sport Cars. Set back by high tire pressures in the first stint, the team fell prey to the more established RX-8.

Entered in their second race in the GT class, the Turner Motorsports BMW M6 provided a more positive result as the #94 spent some valuable time bonding with the V8-powered race machine. The end result for the Turner Motorsport effort concluded with a top 5 finish in the GT class.

With 22 minutes left in the Grand Prix of Miami, a breather was provided to the field as a full-course caution citing debris was drawn for the first time in the race. Allowing the David Donohue driven #59 Brumos Porsche Riley to gain about 10 seconds on the leading #01 BMW Riley piloted by Scott Pruett. With the restart coming with 14 minutes to go, the powered-engined car crept increasingly closer to the Chip Ganassi Racing-owned BMW. Stalking Scott Pruett through the final lap, David Donohue came up just short of snaking around the victorious #01 BMW Riley. One month after a disastrous weekend at Daytona, the #99 GAINSCO/Bob Stalling Racing car was piloted home 3rd in the Grand Prix of Miami in the Daytona Prototype class.


Photo Credit: Grand Am Media


The GT Class lead was diced through late race pitstops. Eventually, racing luck favoured the #69 SpeedSource Mazda under the driver pairing of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal claiming the GT win. Following a respectable debut run for the Chevrolet Camaro GT.R campaigned by Stevenson Motorsports, the #57 piloted by Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell came home second in class.

Kevin Harvick Wins Truck Series Race in Atlanta

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

While the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series rolled through their first 3 races in the passing 3 weeks for 2010, the E-Z-Go 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was only the second race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In hindsight, this three-week break for the NASCAR's Tailgaters gave the teams an adequate opportunity to mend after the crashfest at Daytona.

Taking pole, the #88 Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday led the field from an elected outside position. Into the first corner, Matt Crafton used a strong start to force a three-wide scenario between Busch and Hornaday. Through this brief battle, the tight run led Ron Hornaday's Chevrolet lowered to collide with Kyle Busch, running in the middle of the three-abreast racing. While both vehicles suffered fender damage (Hornaday's truck briefly smoked through the friction of the fenders and tire rubber), both trucks continued.

Attributed to a durable but racy Goodyear tire, drivers were unafraid to push their race trucks around the 1.52 mile oval of Atlanta Motor Speedway. Even in the initial circuits By lap 11, Ron Hornaday and Kyle Busch fully recovered from the lap 1 incident by sweeping by Crafton. Hornaday's truck team owner Kevin Harvick, running the #2 Chevrolet for the event, hung within striking distance of top 3 for a handful of early laps. After the dicing of Hornaday and Busch, Harvick decided to join in action taking the lead on lap 16.

As laps continued to tick away without incident, the #18 Toyota Tundra and #33 Chevrolet Silverado appeared to have no ill effects of the opening lap contact. However, on lap 23 the tire rub wore enough on Ron Hornaday's truck to cut the right front in the middle of turn 3 and 4. Snapping the KHI-owned truck sideways, Hornaday slammed hard into the turn 3 SAFER barrier. The #33 Chevrolet Silverado settled at the bottom of the track with massive deformation to the NASCAR truck.

Lap 61, The #88 of Matt Crafton wobbled just slightly in the lower part of turn 1 and made contact with Todd Bodine's #30 Toyota left rear. Bodine drifted through turn 2 but averted serious damage. With the track under caution, both trucks attended their pit crews for extended maintenance still running in the lead lap. However, just a few laps later, the #88 Chevrolet truck would blew a tire through the same corner of the initial incident committing the Thorsport Racing team to direct Crafton behind the wall. With Hornaday's truck wrecked, Crafton's trouble shown that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' 1st and 2nd place points finishers of 2009 will not experience business as usual for 2010.

NASCAR Nationwide driver but truck series newcomer Steven Wallace led a few laps in the Billy Ballew Racing #15 Toyota. Providing an impressive run in his truck debut, the younger Wallace brought his truck home fourth.

With 14 laps remaining, Harvick continued to lead under green aided by the #81 truck of David Starr struggling to get up to speed beside him. Starr's restart took pressure off of the #2 truck as Kevin Harvick rolled to victory at Atlanta. The Toyota trucks of Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola followed the Chevrolet across the finish line.


2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
E-Z-Go 200
Atlanta Motor Speedway

Top 10

Pos | Car # | Driver | Sponsor/ Truck Make

1) 2 Kevin Harvick    E-Z-GO Chevrolet
2) 18 Kyle Busch       Toyota Tundra Toyota
3) 51 Aric Almirola     Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota 
4) 15 Steve Wallace    Red Top Collector Car Auction Toyota
5) 30 Todd Bodine      The Night Train Toyota
6) 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet
7) 17 Timothy Peters    K&N Toyota
8) 13 Johnny Sauter    etc./Curb Records Chevrolet
9) 14 Rick Crawford    Circle Bar Ford
10) 3 Austin Dillon    Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet

Corvette Racing Legend Ron Fellows to Run Corvette in 2010 World Challenge

Photo Credit: GM Racing Photo/Richard Prince

One of the most decorated drivers in Canadian auto racing, Ron Fellows career accomplishments have span through the SCCA Trans-Am, American Le Mans and NASCAR. After three American Le Mans Series Championship, two 24-hour of Le Mans wins, and a Rolex 24-hour of Daytona victory in 6 glory years building with the Corvette Racing team, Fellows has operated in an advisory position with the Corvette Racing program for the past 3 years. While Ron Fellows continued to make appearances in NASCAR road races, including a grand hometown triumph in the 2008 NAPA 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series round at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where he became the only Canadian driver to win a modern era NASCAR major event on a Canadian race course. Settling into a semi-retired role in racing after more than 25 years in competition, 2010 will see a break in his sabbatical from sports car racing.

For 2010, Ron Fellows has committed himself to return to a Chevrolet Corvette race car in the SCCA-sanctioned World Challenge GT Championship for CRP Racing. Driving a #2 Chevrolet Corvette C6, the Carlisle Companies Inc will be worn as the team's primary sponsor through the 8 visit sports car racing tour. Entering his first full season with the series, Fellows is no stranger to the World Challenge GT Championship. Previously driving a GM-backed Cadillac CTS-V sedan in the World Challenge series between 2004 to 2007, Fellows has recorded 3 victories limited stints inside the series.

Within the 2010 SCCA World Challenge GT Championship, Canadian race fans can see Fellows live in action first in a doubleheader race weekend May 21-23 at Mosport International Raceway. Ron Fellows will later return with the tour when the World Challenge cars take to the streets of Toronto during the 2010 IRL/IZOD IndyCar event in mid-July.

Simona De Silvestro Driven with HVM Racing in IZOD IndyCar for 2010

Photo Credit: IndyCar Media


Thanks to HVM Racing, a stand-out driver from the now suspended Atlantic Championship will bolster the female driver contingent to four at the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series opening race on the Streets of Sao Paulo. Announced officially after the major Barber Motorsports Park test for the series, Swiss driver Simona De Silvestro joins the IZOD IndyCar tour for 2010.

De Silvestro is one of only two women to claim victory in the Atlantic Championship by winning the 2008 Atlantic Championship race on the street of Long Beach. Looking to improves from the previous year results, Simona De Silvestro switched from Newman Wachs Racing to Team Stargate Worlds where she was teamed with actor-turned professional race car driver Frankie Muniz. In 2009, De Silvestro not only won four races on the tour (making the than 20 year old the winningest female in a single major open wheel racing series in the United States) but served as a serious title threat for the Atlantic Championship. Late season race day misfortunes at Mosport International Raceway and Mazda Raceway of Laguna Seca derailed De Silvestro's best efforts. Finishing third overall to the season's victor John Edwards, Simona De Silvestro efforts destined the young driver for brighter skies beyond the darkening clouds that eventually collapsed the Atlantic Championship.

Besides Simona De Silvestro's presence on the race track, she has a part in the long-delayed but upcoming multi-player video game Stargate Worlds. While race drivers have been appearing in the multitude titles of sports-related games, De Silvestro role with Stargate Worlds become a rarity being a professional racer in a non-racing game.

Created through a partnership agreement with De Silvestro's 2009 Atlantic team Team Stargate Worlds, the Switzerland-born driver describes her opportunity ride with the #78 HVM Racing car as "a true honor".