Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Sprint Hangs Up on Sponsoring NASCAR's Top Series Beyond 2016

Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images


At the start of the 2017 NASCAR season, the green flag for the Daytona 500 will drop inaugurating a new path for their biggest stakes tour. First and foremost, NASCAR's top series will no longer be known as the Sprint Cup Series. In a brief statement issued by NASCAR on Tuesday afternoon, it was announced cellular phone service provider Sprint would not renew their title sponsor role in the premier stock car racing series.

Citing the need to concentrate on their core business, Sprint has decided not to renew their title sponsorship commitment to NASCAR. Steve Gaffney, Sprint's vice president of marketing commented, “We are proud of our association with NASCAR’s top series but have made the decision not to extend our sponsorship beyond the next two years,”. Gaffney also stated, “We genuinely appreciate the fans, teams, drivers, tracks and media who have been so supportive and welcoming to us during these many race seasons,” adding how Sprint looks forward to fulfilling the final years of their current deal.

The series had been known as NASCAR Sprint Cup since 2008 but the original contract began in 2004 through the company Nextel. Called the Nextel Cup Series for a single season, Sprint and Nextel merged in 2005. The original ten-year naming right deal for the NASCAR series was extended at the end of the term to three additional seasons. The Nextel-Sprint arrangement replaced a long-running sponsorship deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company resulting in the existence of the Winston Cup Series for 33 seasons. Besides the series title sponsorship, Sprint has also been providing their brand name to the invitational event at Daytona International Speedway and the all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Sprint Cup Series isn't going to be the first major touring division of NASCAR to undergo a rebranding. Starting next year, Comcast's Xfinity brand will be the new title sponsor in the NASCAR division previously known as the Nationwide Series.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Tequila Patron ESM Track Tests New HPD ARX-04b Prototype Sports Car



The Tequila Patron ESM (Extreme Speed Motorsports) team opened one of their Christmas gifts early this week. Waiting for their newest speed machine since May, the drivers for Tequila Patron ESM turned their first laps in an all-new Honda prototype race car in preparation for the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Received by the race team operated by Scott Sharp (a long-time American sports car racing driver as well as a co-champion for the 1996 Indy Racing League drivers’ title), the first of two all-new Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-04b prototype coupes was acquainted with an unidentified race track. Team Principal and Tequila Patron ESM squad’s co-driver Sharp was first to take the new vehicle out on track. “This HPS Coupe is very exciting for us, there has been so much anticipation building up to our first laps”, said Scott Sharp as he ran some initial shakedown laps. An early test of the ARX-04b, HPD prototype project leader Allen Miller slated, " Our goal today was simply to check all the systems to ensure the ARX-04b is where it needs to be, as we start our pre-season test program."

A vehicle fully compliant with ACO LMP2 rules, HPD’s new ARX-04b is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of a production-based V-6 engine. The drive-by-wire powerplant is similar to the one used on the Honda Accord as well as Acura products such as the MDX and the new TLX. The new Honda Performance Development vehicle is quickly identified for its closed cockpit setup. All the previous versions of the ARX line were open cockpit vehicles. In the 1990s, an Acura NSX-engined prototype race car ran in the GTP Lights category with an enclosed-cockpit setup. Under the Comptech Racing banner, the Honda powered prototype used a Spice chassis.





Running full-time as part of the FIA WEC tour in 2015 in the LMP2 category, the first active field-test of the HPD ARX-04b in competition will take place in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Additionally, Tequila Patron ESM was pledged to battle for the 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship’s Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup. The four-race competition for the North American Endurance Cup is shaped by the 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen and the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

Tequila Patron ESM have been rapidly acquainting themselves to the FIA WEC after years involved in the American Le Mans Series Participating in three races in the LMP2 category this past season, the team posted a runner-up spot running the Shanghai FIA WEC round. The 2015 season will be Tequila Patron ESM’s sixth year of sports car racing competition.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

600-Horsepower Cadillac ATS-V Coupe to Go Sports Car Racing in 2015



For much of its 111-year history, American luxury car brand Cadillac has been focused on the road-going character of the premium brand. While other automakers like Bentley, BMW, Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz used motorsports to highlight their latest engineering know-how documented with storied wins at tracks like Le Mans and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Cadillac's past has seen the General Motors' brand more accustomed to cruising boulevards or parked at country clubs. Several seasons of Pirelli World Challenge has resulted in four drivers' championships over a decade-long timeframe including Cadillac pilot Johnny O'Connell's 2014 title. With the completion of the recent season, Cadillac also locked up its three-straight manufacturers' title thanks to its V-8 powered, race-prepped CTS-V Coupes. Fending off exotic vehicle like the Bentley Continental GT3, Lamborghini GT3, McLaren 12C GT3 and the Audi R8 Ultra through 2014, Cadillac will attempt to continue its reign in sports car competition with an brand-new car in 2015.

Designated at the Cadillac ATS-V.R, the future track terror is delivering a number of advances over the previous championship winner. The first notable change is the adaptation of the ATS-V Coupe rather than the CTS model. Originally fielding the CTS sedan in 2004, Team Cadillac has been fielding a CTS-V Coupe from 2012 up to this season. Set to be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the yet-to-be shown stock 2016 ATS-V Coupe will be the brand's first compact performance model.





Another aspect affecting the look of the appearance of the 2015 ATS-V.R is that the race car conforms for FIA GT3 rules. The FIA GT3 specifications were approved for the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge season and is widely-applied in global motorsports. An aggressive aero kit consisting of a carbon fiber front splitter and a full undertray give the Cadillac ATS-V.R a firm sports car look. Fenders have also been shaped to allow FIA-mandated tire sizes that will be mounted to the Cadillac race car's 18-inch BBS racing wheels. Brembo brakes and three-way Penske adjustable shocks are fitted to ATS-V.R in order to handle fast, tight cornering.

Moving the brand-new Cadillac is handled by a dramatically different type of engine. The ATS-V.R will be the first recent competition Cadillac to be powered by a V-6 engine. Modified for racing, the 3.6-liter Twin Turbo V-6 powerplant is based on a production Cadillac engine like the one found under the hood of the CTS Vsport. This engine should also be similar to the one equipped on the stock ATS-V. Larger BorgWarner turbochargers and high-capacity intercoolers as well as a side-exiting racing exhaust system will allow an available output of 600 horsepower to flow through a rear-mounted Xtrac sequential six-speed transmission to the drive wheels.




Cadillac's racing history may not be as rich as other premium car companies but it does contain some notable accomplishments. During an 1909 event in Portland, Oregon for what was the first race to be sanctioned by the AAA (the United States automotive club held many major auto races prior to the formation of the USAC series), A Cadillac won a three-lap event on a 14.6-mile road course. After World War Two, competitive sports car builder Briggs Cunningham competed with Cadillac products. At the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, he ran a largely stock Cadillac Series 62 as well as a custom-bodied Cadillac chassis called "Le Monstre". In the same year, a Cadillac-engine Allard race car won 99-mile race in Watkins Glen. Aside from sports car racing in the 1950s, Cadillac's ran in the NASCAR Grand National Series (now called the Sprint Cup Series) though never won a race. Cadillac's arrival to the Pirelli World Challenge Series in 2004 came after a three-year prototype sports car run that yielded limited success.   

Along with its expected run as part of the Pirelli World Challenge in 2015, the Cadillac ATS-V.R's compliance to FIA GT3 regulations could allow the luxury brand to spread its sport car racing profile in the future.


Information and photo source: General Motors

Monday, November 3, 2014

An Account of Greg Moore's Enduring Racing Spirit 15 Years After His Death





Through the week leading up to the unpleasant anniversary, it has been my intention to create a tribute to Greg Moore. That lap 10 crash on October 31st of 1999 at the track now known as Auto Club Speedway remains as perhaps the most vicious accidents I have ever witnessed in motorsports. From what I saw to a racer I had so greatly admired, reacquainting me with the life of the Canadian presents a drastically greater feeling. I’ve retrieved my November 1st 1999 copies of the Toronto Sun, Toronto Star and the sports section of the Toronto Star newspapers I saved for 15 years to refresh myself to the great sense of loss no only to the motorsport community as well as to the nation of Canada. Crash images on the papers of those 15-year-old periodicals send me back. Reaction from teammate Patrick Carpentier, figures of the sport including CART president Andrew Craig and even insinuation whether he must have driven in the event following a Saturday scooter accident that injured his right hand was a sample of the content in text.

Following the time I spent reinforcing my memory, what I would write needed to relay a sense of sadness but also admiration. Too many of my recent articles have been a documentation of facts and the reference of statistics. Those who have followed Moore are quite famous with five great wins in the CART World Series and a domination of the 1995 Indy Lights series that built his legacy. In tribute to this great Canadian driver, I cannot liken Greg Moore to what could be found in a record book or on a digital webpage like Wikipedia.

For me, it is easier to identify with those more factual encounters than principles used in more emotional writing styles. I was born with Autism and though I can now operate at a fully functional level, it still hard for me to clearly and fully express my more emotionally guided words. That was one of many personality aspects I liked about Greg Moore. For a person who left the planet so prematurely, he conveyed happiness, humour and sometimes even displeasure so vividly to even distant observers. In his passing, his character in the paddock was well documented as a practical joker who was still an overall likeable competitor. Even 15 years later, many drivers who have raced against Moore remember him fondly.

To the best of my recollection, there was an interview with Greg Moore I watched on CBC during the 1995 Vancouver Indy where he was being questioned on assuming the Player's-sponsored ride with Forsythe Racing. Effectively taking over the spot left vacant by the Formula 1-bound Jacques Villeneuve, he was clearly thrilled but I also sense a slight bit of rookie discomfort. After-all, a Player's Racing race car found in victory lane in Indianapolis 500 and eventually running well enough to capture the 1995 CART championship would obviously felt like a one-ton weight for a 21-year-old Canadian expecting to face some of the world‘s best open wheel drivers. However, in the 1996 season, the steering wheel of the #99 car was handled by driver full of talent and near fearlessness. The opening lap multiple-car wreck at the 1996 U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway dodged by Moore demonstrated the reflexes of a winner. Through the infield grass, the #99 Reynard-Mercedes escaped a moving wall of open wheel race cars. Running on dirt and grass on slick tires and returning to the oval’s paved surface unscathed, that driver from Maple Ridge, British Columbia forged his place in open wheel racing.  





Winless in 1996 and falling short to locking-up rookie of the year honours in the series to a flamboyant Italian named Alex Zanardi, Moore pulled off two wins in 1997. The first coming at Milwaukee, I remembered the popular #6 machine piloted by Michael Andretti hounding the Canadian prepared to capitalize on even a minor slip. The veteran Newman/Haas Racing driver was never offered this window of opportunity. Becoming the youngest driver in CART series racing to win an event, Moore found victory lane again at Detroit. One of my two favourite Greg Moore wins, PacWest Racing team drivers Mark Blundell and Mauricio Gugelmin were gambling on fuel mileage in the closing laps of the race. Moore was positioned in third and immediately entered into full attack mode as the fuel cells of both PacWest drivers ran dry. The 1998 U.S. 500 final-lap battle between him and the Target Chip Ganassi Racing juggernaut where the Player's Racing #99 prevailed was a remarkable sight. Earlier that year, Moore stole victory away from Ganassi’s driver Alex Zanardi with five laps to go at the Rio 400 in Brazil.

The way he fought for each and every first-place trophy in CART has presented five memorable viewing experiences for which my eyes had the privilege to behold. Present at the Molson Indy Toronto event for 1998 and 1999, I was watched the #99 car in action on the long-running street course. Unfortunately, I never had the thrill to see him outside of a race car in person. Unlike the configuration used in the present Honda Indy events in Toronto where a stretch provides a reasonable chance for many spectators to see the major personalities of IndyCar racing, sight of drivers were more restricted in the late 1990s. Current IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has had fond memories of Greg Moore and it has been an enjoyment hearing his interaction with the Maple Ridge native. He talked about Moore in an interview I conducted back in 2010 in cooperation with his Indy Lights ride of the time Team Moore Racing. Earlier that year, I did have an experience with one of his race cars at the Canadian International AutoShow as part of a special display. Present for media day, I observed the Player's #99 Reynard-Mercedes was among several vehicles that included a Wolf Racing Formula 1 car and a Paul Tracy driven Can-Am car displayed by the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame.





Greg Moore’s passing affected everyone who knew him. Family and personal friends have probably been the most hurt following the tragedy in California. To a lesser degree, his discontinued physical presence on this planet resulted in him being unable to join Team Penske in 2000. Thanks to a wonderfully compiled book titled “Greg Moore- A Legacy of Spirit“, there was a wonderful account alleviating some of the sadness for the unfulfilled opportunity. While he never drove a Team Penske vehicle in competition, Moore tested Al Unser Jr.’s ride in 1994 at Nazareth Speedway one-mile track. Driving the envied Mercedes-Benz powered PC-23 chassis, he was only the second person to drive Penske machine not under contract with the “Captain“; the other driver was Formula 1 great Ayrton Senna (an idolized athlete of Moore‘s). For any Canadian auto racing fan, I have to recommend Greg Moore- A Legacy of Spirit as a deserving read for a full understanding of a driver and human being.

The most fundamental fact one person could admire about Greg Moore was his pursue to live his dream. Between his two dreams, Greg chose auto racing over his other dream of hockey. Two vocations with a slight chance for ultimate success, Greg Moore, supported by his father Ric, pressed into motorsports. Despite reaching the glorious realm of professional auto racing and flourishing, the construction of something like his dreams was not without its adversity. In the case of Moore’s family, mortgages on property paid for the younger Greg’s first season competing in Indy Lights. Despite limited finances, determination, skill and perhaps a good deal of luck resulted in Moore’s blue and white #99 car being an icon to Canada’s auto racing heritage as much as the #99 worn by Wayne Gretzky (a hero of Greg Moore) was to hockey.

With 15 years passing since the loss, we are all left wanting more time for Greg Moore on this Earth to evolve greater as a driver and person. Understanding he cannot truly achieve this wish, the young Canadian must be racing somewhere whether in the afterlife or in the spirits of those among the living.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Braver Camry Face Expresses Stern Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Car for 2015

Photo Credit: Michael L. Levitt, LAT Photo USA for Toyota Racing

With the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season almost over, the Toyota teams in the series have been enduring a less than spectacular outing.  A season that looked promising during the first part of Daytona Speedweeks, the 2014 Sprint Cup effort for Toyota has been one of the least fruitful since the conclusion of the manufacturer's winless debut season in 2007. After 31 races, the collection effort of the Toyota organizations has amounted to only two wins in point-paying races. Both coming with Joe Gibbs Racing owned vehicles, the Toyota Camry found victory at Auto Club Speedway driven by Kyle Busch and at May's Talladega race when Denny Hamlin wheeled the #11 machine. While qualifying has been kinder to the 2014 Toyota Camry with seven starts at the front this season, the cars have not seen victory lane in the 21 races since Talladega.

Looking ahead to greater fortunes in next season's NASCAR Sprint Cup series, the Japanese-derived auto company has created an all-new body style intent on seeing it claim more winner trophies than 2014. Based on the production car version of the new Toyota Camry (just recently released for sale to the public), the new stock car receives a more pronounced front end. Reflecting the bolder stance of the production car, the 2015 race car also features reshaping of the quarter panels and rear portion for greater personality.  Responding to the design expertise invested in the 2015 Toyota Camry NASCAR stock car, TRD (Toyota Racing Development) president and general manager David Wilson said, “It was a challenging process balancing performance and design, but working closely with Calty Design, NASCAR and our race team partners, we were able to develop a race car that looks similar to its production counterpart -- and provide a performance upgrade on the race track.”




The 2015 Toyota Camry NASCAR Sprint Cup car will debut next season at Daytona Speedweeks receiving its first ultimate field test in the Daytona 500. With the change for 2015, Toyota becomes the first manufacturer to update a NASCAR Sprint Cup vehicle based on the so-called "Gen 6" architecture balancing brand parity with unique identity. The car will also conform to a refreshed 2015 Sprint Cup series rule package designed to lessen aerodynamic downforce and drag along with reducing engine momentum. This new Camry race car will also be the shape of Toyota's 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series (the soon-to-be new name of the Nationwide Series).

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

In Wake of Glory, Chrysler Pulling Support From IMSA Viper Program



On Saturday night, the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper team were on top of the world. After three seasons where the sports car organization fought in the GT ranks in American Le Mans Series competition as well as this year's IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. At the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the SRT Motorsports group celebrated a double accomplishment after the full 2014 GTLM class season with their V-10 engine powered Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R. On Monday, Chrysler Group muted the any remaining victory cheers with a declaration made for 2015.

Deciding to refocus the Dodge brand, Chrysler announced the SRT Motorsports sports car racing factory-backed effort has been dropped. The conclusion of a three-year effort started at the 2012 Mid-Ohio Sports Car round of the American Le Mans Series is shocking and even unexpected news. Coming as a surprise, Chrysler plan to discontinue factory funding of the Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R did not come without a hint appearing clearer in hindsight. Earlier this year, the SRT Motorsports team elected not to participate in the sports car racing crown-jewel event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At that time, Chrysler reported the decision for not returning to Le Mans was to focus on the United SportsCar Championship.

Another possible indication consisted of the change in brand structure for Chrysler Group. After a three-year attempt of operating the SRT name as a separate brand, Chrysler decided to integrate the performance group into Dodge. The Viper, SRT's sole vehicle offering was also reunited into Dodge resulting in the return of the Dodge Viper.

This is the second time Chrysler is removing support from their Viper supercar's sports car racing activities. From 1996 to 2001, Chrysler and French race firm Oreca successfully campaigned the Dodge Viper GTS-R on the world stage. Earning victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Dodge Viper evolved from just an insanely powerful sports car to a race-proven nameplate with a pedigree.

Viper's return to factory-backed competition started at the 2012 American Le Mans Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course finishing the 2-hour, 45-minute event's time distance. Supported by the SRT Motorsports banner, first won in 2013 in the American Le Mans Series race at Road America. Drivers Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens wheeled the #91 car to GT class victory. In 2014, the SRT Motorsports Vipers competed for the full season in the United SportsCar Series' GTLM category. The Viper SRT GTS-R found victory in class twice at the road course of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Circuit of the Americas. Both times the winning driver team paring Canadian Kuno Wittmer and American Jonathan Bomarito piloted the top entry.

So what does the future hold for the snake's presence in competition? The decision does not prevent privateer efforts from entering next year's United SportsCar Championship. After Chrysler's first official withdraw from factory support of the Dodge Viper, the car continued to enjoy some success in regional sports car championship. The car won the overall race victory at Belgium's 12 Hours of Spa and Germany's 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2002. Also at the German sports car endurance race, the Viper GTS-R won its class three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007. However, the cut-off of factory involvement will largely limit the Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R's development against rivals like the Chevrolet Corvette C7R and the Porsche 911.


Information and photo source: Chrysler Group

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

James Hinchcliffe Suiting Up for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for 2015 IndyCar Season

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy
 

If you live in the Canadian province of Ontario, October of 2014 revolves around the campaigns by individuals to lead cities and towns. The 27-year-old Oakville, Ontario race car driver known as the mayor of Hinchtown has chosen to this month announce a substantial change to his devoted populus.

After three seasons piloting a #27 machine for Andretti Autosport as part of the IndyCar Series, James Hinchcliffe has declared he will hop over to the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports organization for what will be a multi-year deal starting 2015. A popular driver not only in Canada but on the whole IndyCar scene, Hinchcliffe's move is definitely a major wave to be sent through the series. "To see what they have accomplished in the last few seasons has been incredible. Winning races, being competitive at all tracks and finishing in the top five in the championship against more experienced teams at this level is impressive. Because they are young, there is still room for them to grow and improve, and that's an exciting thought for me." said Hinchcliffe on the incentive for signing with the team co-owned by Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson.


77 Car Rear Wing


In four seasons of IndyCar competition, James Hinchcliffe has driven for Newman/Haas Racing in 2011 and Andretti Autosport. Crowning achievement for the young Canadian time in IndyCar has consisted of the 2011 Rookie of the Year award and being named IndyCar's most popular driver in 2012. His 2013 season with Andretti Autosport driving the GoDaddy-sponsored Chevrolet-powered car is viewed as his more successful in the series so-far. All three career victories were scored in Hinchcliffe's 2013 IndyCar season. The 2014 season for James Hinchcliffe was a disappointment finishing 12th in the overall drivers standings. His top finish in competition last season was third at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Starting in 2015, Hinchcliffe will be piloting the #77 car recently vacated by Simon Pagenaud (Pagenaud weeks ago signed a deal to drive for Team Penske for the upcoming IndyCar season). In 2014, the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team found victory lane twice and driver Pagenaud to fifth in the overall points. Leaving Andretti Autosport, the career path for Hinchcliffe heading into 2015 is acquainting him with something new as well as something familiar. In 2009, James Hinchcliffe drove for Sam Schmidt's Indy Lights team finishing in the top-five in points that season. Speaking about the acquisition of the driving services of Hinchcliffe, Sam Schmidt recalled attempting to recruit him in 2011. Schmidt responded, "In fact, he would already be with us driving the No. 77 if he would have been available three years ago. We went after him in 2011, but it didn't work out then."




Monday, September 29, 2014

40 Years Ago: The Day Earl Ross Propelled Canada into NASCAR Victory Lane

Image taken from STP Promotional Postcard



For the past several months, I had been counting down to a major milestone in Canadian motorsports that happened 40 years ago on this exact date. On September 29th 1974, a stock car driver from the modest community of Ailsa Craig, Ontario pulled off a feat no competitor outside of the United States had accomplished. Taking place at the 0.526-miles short track oval of Martinsville Speedway, a 33-year old Earl Ross crossed the finish line first at a NASCAR Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) event. Driving a #52 Carling-sponsored Chevrolet owned by Junior Johnson, Ross won the Old Dominion 500 with a full lap lead over second-place Buddy Baker. Entering victory lane, the prominent Canadian maple leaf flag was carried onboard Ross's #52 car allowing his country to share in part of the celebration four decades ago.

Mentioning the 500-lap Martinsville Speedway race as a triumphant moment for Canada on the world stage, the memory of this moment is now also a memorial. On this past Thursday, September 18th, sadness was shared among the Canadian stock car racing community as Earl Ross had passed away at the age of 73. Having heard news of his passing, I thought it would be more fitting to give tribute to him on this 40th anniversary the legendary Canada's win against the titans of NASCAR.

A humble athlete, Earl Ross became a standout in Canadian short track racing prior to his high profile venture south of the border. Outside of London, Ontario was the place where his name grew into a something heard with enthusiasm by race fans but also trembled with fear in the eardrums of on-track competitors. Delaware Speedway was the scene where Ross demonstrated speed and consistency. The 1968 Late Model champion when the oval was ¼-mile, Earl Ross captured the Diamond and Late Model crown at a half-mile Delaware track in 1970. At this time and through the latter part of his career, the popular Canadian short track of Delaware Speedway presided as a special place for the driver.

In 1973, Ross first began burning pavement in major American stock car racing competition with major funding coming from Carling’s Red Cap Ale. A far cry from the half-mile Canadian track he cut his teeth, Earl Ross was first fielded by an ARCA race driving a #52 Chevrolet on the grand 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Starting 11th, Ross finished the race 13th in his maiden event on the superspeedway. A week later, the Canadian stock car wheelman received a baptism by fire in the NASCAR Winston Cup series racing in the Daytona 500. Ross qualified 30th in the so-called Great American Race piloting a Bobby Allison Racing car owned by Allan Brooke. His first NASCAR race lasted only 34 laps when a valve problem ended his first run against stock car greats like Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and A.J. Foyt. Ross made two more NASCAR Cup Series starts in 1973 at Talladega and Michigan but was met with mechanical problems on both occasions. In those early races, the Brooke-fielded car also featured Canadian crew chief Ken McKichan and several other Canadian crew members.


Photo Credit RacingOne/Getty Images



Getting his feet wet in the waters of the United States stock car competition in 1973, 1974 would be an all-out campaign for the Canadian. The year started once-again at Daytona in an ARCA race. In the 30-car, 200-mile race, Earl Ross qualified third and finished third. Following the second-runner-up finish, Ross’ 1974 NASCAR season started with his first completed race in Winston Cup resulting in an 11th place run. After the Daytona race, the driver of the #52 car showed the circuit just what kind of talent could be bred on a Canadian short track. Ross took fifth in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and finished runner-up to Richard Petty at the June race on the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. After Michigan, famous former driver and renowned team owner Junior Johnson took responsibility for the #52 Chevrolet.

During the month of September in 1974, Earl Ross was red hot. Qualifying on the front row at Richmond, he amassed back-to-back top-5 finishes at Dover and North Wilkesboro Speedway. It was at the end of that month where Ross pulled off his best ever result in NASCAR. Starting 11th in the 500-mile event, Earl Ross won the Martinsville Speedway race after leading 79 laps in his 1972 Chevrolet race car. It was the first victory in the NASCAR’s top series by a non-American driver (the only until Juan-Pablo Montoya‘s win at Sonoma in 2007). In addition to winning at Martinsville, Ross grabbed the 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award and finished eighth in the overall points.

Despite 1974’s accolades, 1975 would not prove as fulfilling for Earl Ross. Due to Carling cut funding of his NASCAR efforts, Ross’ career in the south was effectively parked. He would make a pair of one-off appearances driving for Julie Donlavey in 1975 and L.G. DeWitt in 1976 with limited success. One of his last efforts in the Cup series came in 1978 attempting but failing to make that year’s Daytona 500.







Following his unceremonious end in NASCAR Winston Cup competition after a victorious but short 26-race career, Ross would make the odd appearance in ARCA, ASA, NASCAR Modified and even an SCCA Trans Am event at Mosport in the late 1970s into the 1980s. Returning to Canada and his old stomping ground of Delaware Speedway, Earl Ross entered the first McKerlie Millen 200 race in 1982. While it seemed that the former NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year had hung up his helmet, he remerged as a participant in the CASCAR Super Series during the mid-1990s driving a Ford co-owned by series champion Dave Whitlock. Competing for several seasons, the now-senior Ross could still pull off some impressive runs including a third at Capital City Speedway in 1997. Shortly following his retirement from CASCAR, his entire career was immortalized by inception to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Spending the better part of his 73 years on Earth wheeling a stock car on some of North America’s most challenging tracks, the legacy of Earl Ross has been a modest one. Despite the Canadian’s NASCAR Winston Cup series success, the time and even difficulty of some sports fans to truly accept driving a race car as an athletic competition has kept the achievement farther from the minds of the mainstream. For Earl Ross and his fans, there has been no request for vanity on what was a monumental moment in time 40 years ago at Martinsville. What Earl Ross proved in his life was how glorious, incredible feats sometimes arrive from an unassuming persona.


Thank you to www.canadianracer.com and www.ultimateracinghistory.com for aiding in the compilation of this article.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Chasing Numbers: Beyond the NASCAR Chase Drivers' Finishes at New Hampshire

 Photo Credit: 301763 Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images


The second race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase provided the expected varying range of outcomes on the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Winning the Sylvania 300, Chase challenger Joey Logano locked his #22 Ford Fusion into the Contender round (securing both Penske Racing cars into the next progression in the 2014 Chase. On the other hand, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin each experienced a dismal outing at New Hampshire. The #41 Chevrolet SS of Kurt Busch was recorded in 36th place while the #11 Toyota of Hamlin finished 37th. Due to the results, both drivers are on the outside of the 12-driver cut-off entering as the third and final race of the Challenger round wraps at Dover International Speedway. However, there is currently only 10 points separating 16th place from 11th place in the bottom end of the 2014 NASCAR Chase heading into Dover meaning the race is largely wide-open prior to Sunday's AAA 400.

Below is a chart mapping out how the 16 Chase eligible drivers performed compared to their 2013 results and career average. Joey Logano showed the biggest improvement but surprises also came from Aric Almirola and AJ Allmendinger who both stepped up their previous performances at New Hampshire.



New Hampshire 2013CareerFinish2014 vs 20132014 vs Career
Jeff Gordon
15 11 26 -11 -15
Jimmie Johnson
4 10.5 5 -1 5.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6 15.5 9 -3 6.5
Brad Keselowski
11 11.4 7 4 4.4
Kasey Kahne
37 16.7 23 14 -6.3
Joey Logano
14 19.3 1 13 18.3
Carl Edwards
9 13.8 17 -8 -3.2
AJ Allmendinger

24.2 13 11.2
Ryan Newman
16 13.6 18 -2 -4.4
Kevin Harvick
20 14.3 3 17 11.3
Kyle Busch
2 14.4 8 -6 6.4
Denny Hamlin
12 8.9 37 -25 -28.1
Aric Almirola
21 21.3 6 15 15.3
Matt Kenseth
1 13 21 -20 -8
Greg Biffle
3 15.7 16 -13 -0.3
Kurt Busch
13 15.4 36 -23 -20.6

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

NASCAR Sprint Cup Car to Lose Horsepower, Gains On-board Track Bar Adjuster for 2015

Photo Credit: 301763 Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images


Right now, the immediate focus related to the NASCAR Sprint Cup series surrounds the 2014 Chase. However, with eight races remaining in the 2014 season, NASCAR announced a series of rules changes affecting the way the 2015 race cars will be prepared for competition.

For the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota race cars will most notably feature less rear downforce as well as less engine power. Trimming the rear spoiler on this year's car by two inches, the 2015 height for the aerodynamic accessory will be a maximum of six inches. Power for the V-8 engines propelling Sprint Cup cars is being reduced for the upcoming year with the use of a so-called tapered spacer (the same device used on NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series vehicles). Adding the tapered spacer, performance output available from the powerplants of 2015 cars is predicted to circulate around 725 horsepower. Other technical revisions for 2015 includes brake calipers, an altered radiator pan width and the reduction of the overall weight of the NASCAR Sprint Cup to 3,250 pounds without the driver (down by 50 pounds more than 2014 rules).

Another major addition for 2015 places more handling control in the hands of the driver. For the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, drivers and teams can choose to install optional onboard adjustment tool for the track bar. Teams have long exploited the track bar for dialing in the on-track performance of the stock cars on the tour but it had existed only an adjustment that could be made during pit stops. The driver-controlled track bar adjustment tool will be available as an active tool that could take work off the hands of pit crew members and provide competitors with quicker tailoring of the vehicle's track performance. At this time, one of the only other adjustments available to a driver inside the race car is brake bias.

Changes for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series will not be limited to the cars for 2015 There will also be a number of changes made to the sporting and operations of Sprint Cup series. Destined to affect teams the most is the ban of all private track testing. This measure is seen as a measure to reduce costs and to prevent advantages gained by the higher-funded organizations on the Sprint Cup tour. Teams will be invited to take part in NASCAR-sanctioned tests or Goodyear tire tests only. NASCAR also noted that there will be no test at Daytona International Speedway ahead of the 2015 Daytona 500.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series will also introduce the group qualifying format that debuted this season at all tracks for 2015 including its implementation at the Daytona 500. At the road course of Sonoma and Watkins Glen, series tire supplier Goodyear is providing fans the chance to watch a race even in wet conditions. The Akron, Ohio tire company has pledged to create rain tires for Sprint Cup road races. Used more often in the NASCAR Nationwide series in past seasons (including the last race at Road America), Goodyear's rain tires have never been used in a Sprint Cup main event. Additionally, NASCAR Sprint Cup cars will be required to run windshield wipers, window defogger system and a red rear marker light in preparation for wet weather racing.

These changes are the highlight of a total of 60 enhancements made to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup car rules for 2015.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

NASCAR Chase Numbers to Watch for at New Hampshire

Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images



One race down, nine to go. The 10-race 2014 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup is entering its second event this weekend with Brad Keselowski claiming a crucial victory. Securing himself a spot from the Challenger to the Contender round in the 2014 Chase, Keselowski's win is quite an impressive score for the Penske Racing driver. For the three years that Chicagoland has played host to the opening round of the NASCAR Chase, the winner has gone on to win the championship twice. Of course, with a new Chase system in place, it's hard to determine how much of an advantage an early Chase victory would be for winding up in contention for the trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

One more important note leftover from the Chicagoland race is that the average finish for championship winners at the track was 2.33. For Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon, the historical calculations could bode well to their championship chances for 2014.

Here is a review of last week's race at Chicagoland comparing the 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase contenders run to historical data. Despite the all-new ladder Chase system, I still believe maintaining the highest possible result throughout the 10 races is key. For many driver's, improving on their 2013 and career average finish was paramount at the MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. After the 2014 race Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr as well as Joey Logano rose to the Chase occasion by bettering both their 2013 result and average finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the track. Aric Almirola's mechanical misfortunes at Chicagoland resulted in the driver of the #43 Ford Fusion furthest negative decline based on historic criteria.



Driver
Chicagoland 2013CareerFinish2014 vs 20132014 vs Career
Jeff Gordon
6 11.6 2 4 9.6
Jimmie Johnson
5 8.9 12 -7 -3.1
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
35 15.8 11 24 4.8
Brad Keselowski
7 12.6 1 6 11.6
Kasey Kahne
12 18.3 13 -1 5.3
Joey Logano
37 19.4 4 33 15.4
Carl Edwards
11 16 20 -9 -4
AJ Allmendinger
21 17.6 22 -1 -4.4
Ryan Newman
10 14.5 15 -5 -0.5
Kevin Harvick
3 9.9 5 -2 4.9
Kyle Busch
2 12.4 7 -5 5.4
Denny Hamlin
33 20.5 6 27 14.5
Aric Almirola
13 15 41 -28 -26
Matt Kenseth
1 11.8 10 -9 1.8
Greg Biffle
16 18 23 -7 -5
Kurt Busch
4 17.2 8 -4 9.2




For the second race 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase event, the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been part of the 10-race play-off style championship since its inception in 2004. This year's championship contender Matt Kenseth is seeking to defend his 2013 win. Comparing Career average finishes at New Hampshire, Kenseth's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin holds the advantage. The driver of the #11 Toyota race car has placed in an average spot of 8.9 since joining the Sprint Cup series in 2006. Hamlin will start fourth on Sunday for the Sylvania 300.

The average finish for past championship winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been ninth place. The worst finish at the track for a driver during a successful title run occurred in 2006 when Jimmie Johnson crossed the line in 39th place. In fact, two of Johnson's championships resulted in New Hampshire being his worst track in the Chase. The race in New England was also won twice by the year's champion with Kurt Busch in 2004 and Tony Stewart in 2011.

The 16 Chase contender along with 27 additional cars will race for 300 miles around the 1.058-mile oval track. As the final important number to state, start time for Sunday's event is 2:15 PM Eastern time.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Predicting the 2014 NASCAR Chase Future Through Past Finishes





For ten years, NASCAR has been operating the Chase in the Sprint Cup series as a playoff for major league stock car racing. For 2014 though, the Chase has received a substantial makeover. Up to 16 drivers in contention, three rounds involving drivers getting knocked out and Homestead-Miami Speedway becoming a guaranteed showdown for four finalists is new traits found in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chasse. The only lingering leftover from the last chase format is the 10 races used to decide the championship’s outcome.

Attempting to predict the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, I have considered the prospect computing race results of the 16 drivers participating in this year’s hunt. Using the historical finishes or average finishes, I came up with three interesting outcomes. Keep note that I am not taking into consideration the bonus points for victory in calculations. Using the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator rounds, I compiled the average finishes of each driver. With this information, I have extracted some entertaining accounts of where the 16 Chase drivers could end up in the 2014 championship fight. While I tried to make this a decent math lesson for myself, please do not put money on this information (I most certainly would not put my money on the line).

The following scenarios is work compiled as merely an entertaining exercise to see if the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase champion could be arrived to even before the first race at Chicagoland Speedway has received a green flag:



Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #1: Based on 2013 Finishes


Let’s say if for some miraculous reason drivers somehow finish races in identical or similar positions as 2013, the conclusion will be highly favourable for three of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars heading into homestead. In this study, in addition to average finishes, I have taken into account 2013 wins by some drivers as automatic entry into the next Chase round. This allowed Brad Keselowski to advance through the Contender round and given Jeff Gordon a chance to compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in this possible Chase.

Since AJ Allmendinger did not run in all 10 races in 2013, I substituted 2014 results at the tracks where he did not run last fall.


Finalists Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jimmie Johnson

Kevin Harvick

Jeff Gordon
Eliminated in Eliminator Round Brad Keselowski
Carl Edwards

Matt Kenseth

Kurt Busch
Eliminated in Contender Round Joey Logano
Ryan Newman

Kyle Busch

Greg Biffle
Eliminated in Challenger Round Kasey Kahne
AJ Allmendinger

Denny Hamlin

Aric Almirola



 

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #2: Last Race Run by Driver at Track


In this one, I used data from the last time drivers completed at a specific track on the Chase schedule. Eight of those race tracks have already held 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. In the case of Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, I used the 2013 races for both ovals.



Finalists Kevin Harvick

Jeff Gordon

Jimmie Johnson

Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Eliminator Round Greg Biffle
Carl Edwards

Kyle Busch

Brad Keselowski
Eliminated in Contender Round Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Joey Logano

Ryan Newman

Denny Hamlin
Eliminated in Challenger Round Kasey Kahne
Kurt Busch

AJ Allmendinger

Aric Almirola



 

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #3: Average Career Finishes Mixed with Last Race Finishes


Since I thought that average career finishes might not have been entirely accurate, I decided to weigh their recent results on a driver’s average. In the case of Denny Hamlin, the result was no change. For Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Aric Almirola, the computation of measuring career finishes against recent finishes showed a around five-position overall improvement for the final 10 Chase race tracks. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch have shown the largest negative change with their recent finishes measuring poorly to their career averages.


Finalists Carl Edwards

Jeff Gordon

Jimmie Johnson

Kyle Busch
Eliminated in Eliminator Round Kevin Harvick
Kasey Kahne

Denny Hamlin

Aric Almirola
Eliminated in Contender Round Brad Keselowski
Ryan Newman

Kurt Busch

Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Challenger Round Dale Earnhardt Jr.
AJ Allmendinger

Greg Biffle

Joey Logano




 

These three possible NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase outcomes are largely based on what has happened. One thing to know about the future is that it doesn’t always take advice from the past. There are so many variables beyond previous finishes to consider. The 2014 Chase has three drivers competing with their first full season with a different organization than in previous years. Also, Carl Edwards and long-time team Roush Fenway Racing are parting company at the end of this season potentially influencing the #99 Ford in a strongly positive or negative way. Tracks like Talladega Superspeedway and even Martinsville Speedway have to potential to radically shift the points balance.

With Chicagoland Speedway readying to host the first race of the 2014 Chase, all 16 drivers will be trying to register the right numbers to compete for the Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami.


Information and photo source: NASCAR, Richmond International Raceway