Fellows Returns to JR Motorsports for 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Road Races

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

A road racing ace who has stepped on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, Canada's Ron Fellows has also been effective in showing his road racing mastery in NASCAR competition. Winning six times in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series, one of Fellows' greatest triumphs was in the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. A race track named after an inspiring figure for Fellows, the patriotic feat was achieved with a JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Less than a week ahead of 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series debut of the three-race road racing campaign, the dynamic duel of JR Motorsports and Ron Fellows will be back together.

Officially announced Monday, Ron Fellows will pilot the #5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports for the three road course races starting with the June 23rd race at Road America. August races at Watkins Glen and the Montreal Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track will also be part of Ron Fellows' 2012 competitive outing. AER branding and colours will be worn on #5 Chevrolet at Road America this weekend only. Major retail chain Canadian Tire will be the primary sponsor for Fellows through the Watkins Glen and Montreal rounds later in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Canadian driver Ron Fellows enters the JR Motorsports three-car effort where he will be fielded alongside teammates Cole Whitt and Danica Patrick.

Happy to be part of the JR Motorsports in NASCAR Nationwide competition for a 5th year, Ron Fellows enters into the 2012 season confident in what he has grown accustomed of finding in the team. "They have an amazing group of people, and we've been competitive at almost all of the races." said Fellows who added, "That's what brings me back and keeps me young. My relationship with Dale Jr. began more than 10 years ago, and I'm proud to have driven for both him and his father.”

While the 2008 win at Montreal has been the only victory by the pairing, Fellows and the JR Motorsports team has scored 6 top-10 finishes in 9 races together including a close second at Road America last year. Maintaining a role largely behind the scenes in motorsports in general that includes becoming an member of the Mosport Park (now Canadian Tire Motorsports Park) new ownership, these NASCAR road races are some of the only occasions for fans to see one of Canada's most successful road racers.

McMurray and JR Motorsports Prevail at Atlanta Nationwide Series Event

Photo Credit: John Harrelson

By Reid Spencer


Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(September 4, 2010)

HAMPTON, Ga.—Jamie McMurray held off Kyle Busch and stopped Busch one spot short of a historic win Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Driving JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet, McMurray asserted his superiority over the final 40 of 195 laps to win the Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 at the 1.54-mile racetrack. The victory, the eighth of McMurray’s Nationwide career, was his first since November 2004 at Darlington.

Busch is tied with Sam Ard for the series’ single-season wins record with 10.

Carl Edwards ran third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. Joey Logano, Jason Leffler, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. completed the top 10. Series points leader Brad Keselowski finished 12th and saw his advantage over second-place Edwards trimmed to 332 points.

“We unloaded today and had pretty much the fastest car off the truck,” McMurray said. “It was just pretty loose, and we just did a really good job of adjusting on it.”

The good adjustments continued late into the race, McMurray said.

“At the end, Pops (crew chief Tony Eury Sr.) adjusted on it, and it was pretty fast, even on the short runs.”

McMurray led 43 of the final 47 laps, including the last 23.

“It’s the same thing every week,” McMurray said. “The car out front—the clean air’s huge.”

McMurray’s short-run speed proved decisive in a race that took a series of intriguing turns, including one sequence where only one car was scored on the lead lap.

Harvick took four tires under caution on Lap 62, while Busch and most other contenders chose to restart on old rubber when the field came to green on Lap 65. After restarting 12th, Harvick passed McMurray for the lead on Lap 70.

By Lap 112, he had the rest of the field at least one lap down, after Busch and other drivers on old tires came to the pits under green. Harvick gave up the lead to Busch when he made a green-flag stop for tires and fuel on Lap 120.

Harvick left the pits eight seconds behind Busch but cut that margin in half before Ryan Newman spun Trevor Bayne on the backstretch to cause the third caution of the race and bunch the field. McMurray was first out of the pits under caution and led the field to a restart on Lap 153.

McMurray stayed out front until contact from Stenhouse sent Reed Sorenson’s Toyota hard into the outside wall on Lap 168. Keselowski and 11th-place finisher Josh Wise stayed on the track under the caution, but they quickly surrendered the top two spots when the field restarted.

McMurray surged to the front with Busch in pursuit, but Busch was unable to make up significant ground in the closing laps and finished .286 seconds back.
“We just didn’t quite have enough there on short runs to keep up with them,” Busch said. “Once we got about 25 or 30 laps on (the tires), we could really start reeling them in and pass them. Typically, it’s always a long-run car that wins here—Harvick beat me last year with a long-run car—but that wasn’t the case tonight.”

JR Motorsports Fellows and Fitzpatrick Goes to Ottawa

Photo Credit: Max d'Orsonnens

With the two Canadian IndyCar visits for 2010 now in the history books, the NASCAR Nationwide visit to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in late August is one of several major auto racing visits left up north. For the August 28-29th event, J.R. Fitzpatrick will be competing in the #7 Chevy wearing Schick Hydro colours while Fellows will be driving the #88 Canadian Tire Chevrolet Impala SS.

Making a special stop in the Canadian nation's capital, the JR Motorsports teammates for the upcoming Canadian round Ron Fellows and JR Fitzpatrick made a special pitch. Promoting the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, the event will take place on August 28-29 down the road to Montreal, Quebec just about a two and a half hour drive from Ottawa. Posing on Parliament Hall (Void of many politians as the government gatherings are on summer break), Fellows and Fitzpatrick also made stops at local media outlet including sports/talk radio station The Team 1200.

On a personal note, I have recently had the privilege of meeting both drivers at the recent Honda Indy of Toronto event. While I've written profiles of each driver which resulted in two separate articles (Fitzpatrick's profile graced the inner pages of Canadian motorsport publication PRN Magazine and Fellow's interview can be found on this website.) it was my first face-to-face experience with two of Canada's more talented racers. You can count on XSL Speed Reporter's attention on the upcoming work of these as well as other Canadian drivers.

JR Motorsports Unleash All-Canadian Driver Duo for Road America Nationwide Race

Photo Credit: James H. Heine/Editorial Solutions

While the Canadian Olympic hockey team gold metal performance demonstrated in Vancouver this past winter what we can do together as a country, the motorsport world has shown similar instances where a united front of Canada's best athletes. For this weekend's inaugural NASCAR Nationwide series round on the 4-mile Road America road course, the high-profile race team of JR Motorsports has entered two well-versed Canadian stock car drivers into their multi-car team. Taking part in the Bucyrus 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday is Cambridge's J.R. Fitzpatrick and Mississauga's Ron Fellows.

Though sharing their Canadian nationality, Ron Fellows and J.R. Fitzpatrick share little else other than JR Motorsports-prepped Chevrolets. At age 50, Ron Fellows comes from strong footing in sports car racing to effectively spoil the show against NASCAR regulars. Successfully scoring victory in 6 total races in major NASCAR competition (4 Nationwide Series and 2 Camping World Truck races) Fellows is a designated road ringer at almost every NASCAR road race held for more than a decade. Joining JR Motorsports for the 3rd consecutive season, Fellows will be driving the #88 Chevrolet Impala sponsored by AER Manufacturing, a long-time affiliate of Fellow's racing career. Confident on the recent working relationship Fellows has with JR Motorsports, the more veteran Canadian said "I’m very optimistic on our chances for a solid run at Road America. With the powerful Hendrick horsepower we have under the hood and solid preparation the No. 88 AER team offers, we have as good a shot as anyone in the field to go to victory lane."



NASCAR Public Relations


J.R. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, is a 22 year-old aspiring stock car great looking to break into the full-time ranks of one of NASCAR's top touring series. Thanks the Canada's wide variety of road courses on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, Fitzpatrick has more than average experience turning left and right in stock car competition. Remarking first that he spent a week in a simulator and a long Thursday practice getting accustomed to the 4-mile Road America Circuit, Fitzpatrick continued “This is a great opportunity for me, and I’m excited to drive the No. 7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet. As a driver, surrounding yourself with good people and good equipment is all you can really ask for, and we’ve got that with JRM. Schick Hydro has been a wonderful sponsor of mine for some time, and I’m thankful to them for making this possible." Fitzpatrick will be taking the #7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet around Road America Saturday in hopes to once again add some luster to his NASCAR career south of the 49th parallel. His best finish so far is a 4th place finish in 2009 at the Camping World Truck Series in Daytona.



Photo Credit: Matthew Murnaghan/NASCAR

Perhaps the first time a major NASCAR series multi-car team has enlisted two Canadian drivers to run a race weekend, other avenues of auto racing have seen great triumphs result through the partnering of Canadian drivers. Among the most high-profile occurred during the days of the Players-sponsored Forsythe Racing days. First showing future Canadian talent Jacques Villeneuve accompanied by fellow French-Canadian Claude Bourbonnais. In 1998, when Forsythe Racing's CART World Series effort expanded to a second team, Patrick Carpentier was added alongside Greg Moore. With Carpentier remaining with Forsythe Racing for 7 seasons, he would also be paired with current IZOD IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani and 2003 Champ Car crown holder Paul Tracy. 22 CART/Champ Car victories were gained through the 7 seasons of Forsythe's year of two Canadian drivers. In one major triumph, the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP675 class victory was obtained by the Canadian-owned Multimatic Motorsport team contending with country-bred drivers John Graham, Scott Maxwell and Greg Wilkins.

Apart from Road America, JR Motorsports has also involved themselves with another young Canadian stock car driver Steve Arpin who has driven a handful of oval events so far in 2010. The ARCA regular Arpin will be present at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track this weekend. Their will also be an additional Canadian in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide event as former F1 drivers champion Jacques Villeneuve suits up for the #32 Dollar General Toyota of Braun Racing (the same team Villeneuve logged a 4th place finish at Montreal last season.

JR Fitzpatrick to Drive NASCAR Nationwide Series Road Courses with JR Motorsports

Photo Credit: NASCAR


Announced today, 21 year-old Canadian stock car driver J.R. Fitzpatick will be returning South for some NASCAR action in 2010. Cambridge, Ontario native Fitzpatrick has been named to the #7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for the 3 upcoming road course events. Wearing Schick sponsorship, J.R. Fitzpatrick will roll-off in the #7 car starting with the inaugural Nationwide Series race on the Road America 200 at Elkhart Lake on June 19th followed by the Zippo 200 at Waltkins Glen and completed with the August 29th's NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal. “J.R. is a talented young driver, and we look forward to giving him the chance to drive some upcoming races for JR Motorsports,” JR Motorsports general manager Kelly Earnhardt said in the news release.

“This is a great opportunity for me, and I’m excited to drive the No. 7 Schick Canada Chevrolet,” Fitzpatrick commented. Looking forward to the ride with his second high-profile effort in the major realm of NASCAR, J.R. Fitzpatrick remains mindful and gracious for this opportunity. “As a driver, surrounding yourself with good people and good equipment is all you can really ask for, and we’ve got that with JRM. Schick Canada has been a wonderful sponsor of mine for some time, and I’m thankful to them for making this possible.”


Last season, Fitzpatrick racing situated heavily in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Starting off with TRG Motorsports' short-lived truck team, fortunes picked up for the skillful Canadian driver as he received the invitation to drive selected races for Kevin Harvick Incorporated championship truck team. Despite some respectable runs on tracks he's never even visited, J.R. Fitzpatrick was unceremoniously released from the truck ride as KHI the team was more interested in fielding Sprint Cup Series regulars than developing young stock car talent.

Though Fitzpatrick's abilities on ovals is present with his high-profile 4th place finish in the 2009 Daytona truck race, J.R. Fitzpatrick ability on the road courses has been well-documented on the road courses of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series where he's captured his past two event victories at Mosport in 2008 and last season's NAPA 100 in Montreal.

In the past two seasons, JR Motorsports has made an incredible contribution to fostering Canadian stock car racing talent. Heading into Darlington, Steve Arpin will be driving his 3rd start in the #7 Chevrolet for 2010. JR Motorsports has also acquired the services of the most accomplished Canadian road racers with Ron Fellows for the past two seasons. This partnership included a memorable victory in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It was unclear whether there will be a Canadian pairing within the JR Motorsports team.

Canadian Steve Arpin Driving for JR Motorsports at Talladega

Photo Credit: ARCA


Announced on Wednesday, JR Motorsports has named Canadian stock car standout Steve Arpin as driver of the team's #7 Chevrolet for this weekend's NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.

A real capital opportunity for the Fort Francis,Ontario native, Steve Arpin has been catching eyes driving the Venturini Motorsport #55 Toyota in the ARCA Racing Series. Currently leading that series' points standings after four races, Arpin is riding a hot streak of two straight victories claiming. Steve Arpin claimed his first ARCA stock car win at the high-banked short track at Salem Speedway before following it up with a 1st place at the 1.5 mile Texas Motor Speedway. Driving a Toyota wearing Mike's Hard Lemonade sponsorship, Arpin will also be attempting to drive for 3 straight victories for Friday's ARCA Racing Series event at Talladega.

“It's been a busy week leading up to this race at Talladega. I’ve been trying to keep my mind focused and centered on what I do best, which is driving a racecar. The biggest thing is how thankful I am to Dale Jr., Kelley, and the Eurys for putting this opportunity in front of me. It’s really cool they would be willing to take a chance on me, and I hope we can get some solid results out of it.” Arpin reacts as he prepares for his debut with the JR Motorsports team. For the Aaron's 312 race, Steve Arpin is humble on his expectations for the upcoming race. "Anytime you go into a race weekend, you want to do well. But I also want to be realistic for myself and for his No.7 Chevy team. For it to be a good weekend, we have to finish all of the laps." Arpin said without discounting a chance to claim a top-15 place as a quality effort. Jamie McMurray, Aprin's teammate driving the #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, looks forwards to the young Canadian's entry into the team saying "I'm excited for Steve (Arpin). I'm looking forward to working with him as JRM teammates this weekend".

Naming Arpin to the #7 ride for this weekend, JR Motorsports is fighting through the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series to balance developing young prospects with sponsor-pleasing performance on track. Kelly Bires was released from the team two weeks ago quite unexpectedly after just 5 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in the #88 Chevrolet. Steve Arpin's addition to the JR Motorsports roster for Talladega has possibly shown that their is still some interest in development drivers.

Since 2007, the red maple leaf flag has flown with the names of many drivers at Talladega. In the last couple NASCAR racing season's, Jacques Villeneuve, JR Fitzpatrick, Patrick Carpentier, and Mario Gosselin have been Canadian drivers who have taken a spin around the high-speed, high-banked Alabama oval in one of NASCAR's top-three divisions.

Depending on the possible performance at Talladega, Steve Arpin could also be auditioning for an additional ride in the #7 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Nationwide race at Richmond International Raceway next week.

NASCAR Nationwide: Last Lap Move Allows Kyle Busch to Win Stater Bros 300

Photo Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

After a carnage-filled NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona last week, race teams take comfort in the 2nd race on the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule being less hazardous on the race equipment. Unlike the Daytona International Speedway which saw accidents claim vehicles, the 300 miler at Auto Club Speedway is historically more prone to inflecting mechanical problems on the race machines due to the 2 mile's oval wide, long corners breeding long sustained RPMs.

Starting on the pole for the Stater Bros 300, Joey Logano was a staple at the front of the race leading 130 of the 150 scheduled laps. Surrendering the lead early to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota, Busch held on for only 3 laps before Logano charged back to the top spot.

A much calmer event compared to the rough and tumble 300 mile race at Daytona, the first two cautions on lap 34 and lap 88 came out for debris on the racetrack. Second caution strategy allowed the #27 Ford driven by Greg Biffle an 11 circuit stint in the front spot, the longest of any non-Joe Gibbs Racing car. As Joey Logano retook the lead on lap 100 and led all but one lap up to lap 150. Mike Wallace in the #01 Chevy held the lead for 1 lap during the 3rd race caution between lap 120 to 124 resulting when Rick Stenhouse Jr and John Wes Towney wrecked on the backstretch.

As the race reached its final laps, Joey Logano was comfortably leading the Stater Bros 300. Within four laps to go, Logano lost his advantage after a yellow flag flew for Brendan Gaughan lost control of his #62 Toyota on turn 4. Logano was leading on race's scheduled lap 150 distance but since the field was under caution, the situation created a green-white-checkered scenario which pitting the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Busch and Logano on the front row to take the green flag.

On the restart, Logano's #20 Toyota held the lead but found himself under attack by the #18 Toyota on the outside line and the #27 Ford on the inside. Playing defense against both cars out of turn 1, Logano dived low to block Biffle but soon found his car skating high through the turn 2 corner. Greg Biffle on the inside took the lead out of turn 2 as Logano lost momentum to backside to 4th. Biffle led to field to the white flag, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and a resurgent Joey Logano were within prime pouncing position. With brief 3-wide racing into turn 3, the turn 4 exit saw Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle side-by-side heading to the checkered flag. Running down the frontstretch, Busch found just enough extra speed to lead his #18 Toyota to the start/finish line ahead of Greg Biffle's Ford by 2/3s of a car length. Kyle Busch's 31 win in his short NASCAR Nationwide Series career, he ties Jack 'Ironman' Ingram for wins in the touring series. Busch is still 17 wins away from Mark Martin who holds the record in the series with 48 victories.

In 3rd and 4th spot, Joey Logano was leading Brad Keselowski out of turn 4 until Keselowski's Dodge made contact with the #20 Toyota spinning Logano through the frontstretch's grass. Joey Logano would finish 4th but had a lot of sore feelings about the outcome of the Stater Bros 300. After the race, Joey Logano expressed considerable displeasure on the way Greg Biffle raced him on the restart. There exists some continuity issues between Biffle and Logano for the reason why the last lap spin occurred. Joey Logano laid fault on rough-driving from the #27 Ford of Biffle for causing his #20 car to shoot up the track on the 2nd to last lap. In countering the 19 year old's charge, Biffle suggested that the incident was "a rookie mistake".


Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR

Starting in her 2nd NASCAR Nationwide Series race, Danica Patrick was deeply challenged by the Auto Club Speedway track inside the #7 Godaddy.com Chevrolet. Unable to find her way forward, Patrick race was haunted further by 2 pit road speed violations; the second which required a driver-thru penalty down pit lane under green dropping the #7 Chevy off the lead lap. A more humbling experience finishing 3 laps behind in 31st place, Danica Patrick gained a full-race of knowledge to apply to other events which includes the Sam's Club 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week.

With much of the focus of JR Motorsports directed towards Danica Patrick #7 Chevrolet, the debut of Kelly Bires in the team's #88 Chevy started rather quietly. Missing Daytona due to Dale Earnhardt Jr racing the #88 in the event, Kelly Bires welcome to the team was further silenced thanks in part to a 32nd place spot from qualifying. However, as Bires takes over the car driven last year by Brad Keselowski, the 25-year old instantly began improving his position on the track breaking into the top 10 in the last one-third of the race. Bires would bring the JR Motorsports #88 Chevrolet across the finish line in 8th place, an impressive 24 spot improvement in 152 laps.

Worth noting also in this Nationwide race at Auto Club Speedway is Brian Scott. Having a strong going through the beginning of the event, Scott rode closely behind the #20 of Logano. However, his #11 AccuDoc Toyota began to backside finishing 10th place on the day.


2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Stater Bros 300 Auto Club Speedway

Pos |Car # |Driver |Sponsor/Car Make

1) 18 Kyle Busch Z-Line Designs Toyota 
2) 27 Greg Biffle Red Man Moist Snuff Ford
3) 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge
4) 60 Carl Edwards Copart Ford 
5) 20 Joey Logano GameStop/Mario Kart Toyota
6) 66 Steve Wallace 5 hour Energy Toyota
7) 88 Kelly Bires HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
8) 32 Brian Vickers Dollar General Stores Toyota
9) 12 Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge
10) 11 Brian Scott  AccuDoc Toyota
11) 99 Trevor Bayne Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 
12) 01 Mike Wallace Monster Diesel Chevrolet
13)      1 James Buescher Phoenix Racing Chevrolet
14) 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota
15) 43 Scott Lagasse Jr. Dr. Gadget/everybodygets1.com Ford
16) 09      Scott Riggs RAB Racing Ford
17) 15 Michael Annett Pilot Travel Centers Toyota 
18) 16 Colin Braun Roush-Fenway Ford
19) 98 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Ford
20) 35 Jason Keller TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet
21) 81 Michael McDowell Crusader Staffing Associates Dodge
22) 42 Parker Kligerman Smith Ironworks Dodge
23) 87 Joe Nemechek FrontRowJoe.com Chevrolet
24) 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel and Casino Toyota
25) 34 Tony Raines Long John Silver's Chevrolet
26) 10 David Reutimann Beringer Toyota
27) 40 Mike Bliss Key Motorsports Chevrolet
28) 05 Willie Allen 31W Insulation/CertainTeed Chevrolet
29) 28 Kenny Wallace Blue Ox/Zimmzang Chevrolet
30) 21 John Wes Townley Zaxby's Chevrolet
31) 7 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
32) 70 Mark Green ML Motorsports Chevrolet 
33) 23 Robert Richardson Jr. 3R Motorsports Chevrolet
34) 26 Brian Keselowski Double Tree Suites Dodge
35) 24 Eric McClure Hefty Ford
36) 73 Derrike Cope Asset Protect Dodge
37) 38 61 Josh Wise Stratosphere Ford
38) 33 Kevin Harvick Rheem Tankless Chevrolet
39) 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # CitiFinancial Ford
40) 56 Kevin Lepage Start Energy Drink Toyota
41) 07 Danny Efland Shred 360/M&W Towing Chevrolet
42) 96 Dennis Setzer Stratosphere Dodge
43) 83 John Borneman III Twisted X Boots/Red Line Oil Ford

Danica Patrick to drive Daytona Nationwide Series race

Just two days after a highly-respectable first effort in the 200-mile ARCA series race, the driver who stole Speedweeks so far Danica Patrick has been tabbed for the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Drive4COPD 300 for Saturday. Last week, JR Motorsports had penciled in the Daytona Nationwide series race when they released her selected 2010 schedule. Originally, California's Auto Club Speedway would be her NASCAR stock car debut but these plans have now been altered. Once concerned about debuting Patrick in the ultra-competitive NASCAR farm series, the decision to solidify the Nationwide series race came when her Godaddy.com #7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was brought home in 6th place on late Saturday afternoon's ARCA event.

While the #7 team is new for 2010, the Godaddy.com Chevrolet will be guaranteed a starting spot after acquiring 2009 car owner points which belonged to the inactive #11 CJM Racing car.

Just Released: Danica Patrick's 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Schedule

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Danica Patrick's first stock car racing exposure will consist of at least 11 events in 2010 for the Godaddy.com sponsored #7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. All of these races come timed on weekends that will not contend with Patrick's full-time duties driving for her Andretti Autosport #7 car in the IZod IndyCar Series. Between the February 27th race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Patrick will not return to the JR Motorsports team until New Hampshire of end June.

The most shocking race to be on Patrick's NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule in 2010 is the addition of the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. This race is included on the grounds that Patrick will receive favourable clearance by NASCAR after her run in the ARCA event on January 6th. Initially, JR Motorsports had stated that the team would not enter her in the high-profile, 300-mile restrictor plate race.


Danica Patrick's 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

1: Feb 13- Daytona International Speedway (
2: Feb 20- Auto Club Speedway
3: Feb 27- Las Vegas Motor Speedway
4: Jun 26- New Hampshire Motor Speedway
5: Jul 9- Chicagoland Speedway
6: Aug 14- Michigan International Speedway
7: Sep 25 Dover International Speedway
8: Oct 9- Auto Club Speedway
9: Oct 23- Gateway International Raceway
10: Nov 6- Texas Motor Speedway
11: Nov 13- Phoenix International Speedway
12: Nov 20- Homestead-Miami Speedway

Danica Patrick to Make NASCAR Debut at Fontana

Left to Right: Kelly Earnhardt, Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kelly Bires
Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

As promised, the press conference at JR Motorsports' Mooresville, North Carolina race shop delivered itself as an early Christmas present to fans of NASCAR. With many of JR Motorsports key people at the conference Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kelly Earnhardt, Danica Patrick, and the team's full-time Nationwide Kelly Bires were the key soundbites through the event.

With Danica Patrick dominating press and fan interests, some minor details were finally provided on the most anticipated debut in the NASCAR Nationwide series. Patrick's first race in the #7 Godaddy.com Chevrolet Impala will be at Auto Club Speedway on February 20th. She will then complete the following week at Las Vegas Speedway before rejoining her IZod IndyCar series team in Brazil for the season opening round. With plans to compete in 13 races in 2010, not including the Daytona International Speedway's season opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race on her limited schedule is a definitely apparent



Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images


Patrick's debut at the Auto Club Speedway has been dealt as somewhat of a curve ball considering the fact her planned stock car entrance will occur in the Daytona ARCA race. Indicating the reason for not running the NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 mile race at Daytona, Patrick responded "The race is basically a Cup race, some 30 odd drivers in Cup run in it. So, is that the right time for me to start or not? You only get one grand opening, so I've heard. We want it to be the right opportunity". It's still a odd decision to take Danica Patrick out of the heat of NASCAR Nationwide's most competitive race. It's conceivable this move might have been more to the pleasure of her sponsorship than her competitive initiation to NASCAR. The Daytona Nationwide Series race, a precursor to the Daytona 500, is also noted for its bulky qualifying lineup which can be pushed up to 50 cars for 43 spots. The Auto Club Speedway race usually features a more streamlined car count. Point being that her chances of running the actual would not be as hindered due to qualifying mishaps or weather which better serves her as well as godaddy.com brass who has brokered a lot on the most popular female racer.

Another distant possibly might circle on Danica Patrick's experience in a stock car. While the ARCA series may welcome her based on 5 years of open-wheel experience, NASCAR may not be completely comfortable putting Patrick into aggressive bump drafting with only one stock car race. However, Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Montoya possessed the same limited experience finding restrictor plate racing quickly with little incident.


Team founder Dale Earnhardt Jr was highly visible at the press event. Planning to drive the #5 JR Motorsports in some Nationwide Series races for 2010, Earnhardt Jr's ownership part in the team, while still valued, involves many of his family enjoying a voice on the operations of the race team. Whether putting JR Motorsports in the hands of his trusted family will improve his performance in the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet remains to be seen. However, Earnhardt Jr's presence regularly brings out a loyal and devoted following of JR Nation; a group guaranteed to be back for the entire 2010 season.


Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images


Lost behind the fanfare of Danica Patrick is the JR Motorsports technical #1 driver Kelly Bires. 25 years old, Bires takes over full season campaign inside the #88 Chevrolet. Succeeding Brad Keselowski, Kelly Bires performance is, in reality, more critical than Danica Patrick's. Much like the driver that preceded him, Bires has considerable stock car racing experience but his yet to taste splendors of victory in a major NASCAR touring series.

Danica Patrick/JR Motorsports Gifts NASCAR Media with Press Conference

Photo Credit: Godaddy.com

After a little more than a week since Danica Patrick's official announcement to joining JR Motorsports for a part-time Nationwide schedule, it is fair to say that Christmas definitely came early for the NASCAR media. Traditionally, the entire month of December would have usually been the dullest time in stock car racing allowing journalists to write holiday gift guides or year in review stories (XSL Speed Reporter has some of those stories prepared to post in the coming days). Thanks to an intense infatuation with Danica Patrick much of the motorsport media shares, December of 2009 will be one of the most active off-season breaks in NASCAR history.

On Thursday, 45 minute press conference has been scheduled at the JR Motorsports shop in Mooresville, North Carolina. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kelly Earnhardt, Tony Eury Sr and Jr as well as the driver of the #7 Godaddy Chevrolet in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series tour are slated to entertain the press before Patrick sets out on her first open test piloting an ARCA stock car in Daytona. Attendance at the event will include esteemed members of the press plus 20 JR Nation Fan Club members who can ask the panel questions (Danica Patrick's NASCAR Nationwide schedule for 2010 would probably be a leading question). A simple question and answer period without a significant announcement, live access will be unprecedented. Apart from a regular webstream which will be required on www.GoDaddy.com/Danica, cable television channel Speed and XM/Sirius satellite radio channels 128 are broadcasting the outreach event. On satellite radio, the press conference will be followed by up to 3 hours of analysis (yikes!).

With such attention drawn onto Danica Patrick, it is mildly disturbing that the appetite for the driver has preceded her stock car racing efforts at the track. As Danica Patrick attends the 3-day test at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the ARCA stock car series' debut, she may be learning more about the NASCAR media than racing a stock car. Of course Patrick has experienced five seasons under the brightest spotlight in IndyCar racing.

With all due respect to the ARCA Remax Series, the Daytona 200 mile event has historically been grounds for major NASCAR teams to run a one-off effort to showcase their latest drivers. Through testing and the race in early February, JR Motorsports will most certainly make use of Hendrick Motorsports cars and expertise putting Patrick several steps ahead even before hitting the track. When Danica Patrick finally gets a chance to leave the motorsport press behind, the first true display of the famous racing female's driving abilities in a full-bodied stock car should provide an intriguing 2010 Nationwide Series season.

Danica Patrick to run part time NASCAR for JR Motorsports

On Tuesday, Danica Patrick has announced her intentions of playing with the NASCAR boys in 2010. JR Motorsports has signed the IndyCar series' most popular driver to campaign a part time effort in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. After long speculation by NASCAR insiders, Patrick's official statement was hardly a surprise (in fact, one website had accidentally posted a picture with her wearing the JR Motorsports Godaddy.com driving suit).

Starting in 2010, Patrick will be wheeling a #7 Chevrolet Impala sponsored by Godaddy.com (a company long associated with Patrick and JR Motorsports). Playing it smart, the young race car driver has slated to run selected races which will not interfere with her continued full season involvement in the Izod IndyCar series with Andretti Autosport. With that said, no announcements on Danica Patrick's specific NASCAR Nationwide schedule has been brought to the media as yet. However, Patrick is planning to run the 200-mile ARCA at Daytona International Speedway as her first chance to evaluate the heavier stock car race vehicle in competition.

The first woman IndyCar race winner's top-notch sponsorship and race winning JR Motorsports equipment will provide the first ever real exhibition of how a qualified female racer matches against the best male competitors of the sport of NASCAR. Guaranteed the receive a bulk of the media attention in the first race she enters, she will not be the first open wheel racer to be baked by the media spotlights. Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve were photographed nonstop through their first outings. Of course, the case of Jacques Villeneuve brings up another critical factor that must be kept in mind as Danica Patrick competes in her first races. Patrick, preparing to make her 6th season in Izod IndyCar racing series for 2010, is starting from a clean slate as a rookie in stock car racing. Although JR Motorsports cars will ease the learning curve, expect to see Danica Patrick grow as a racer this year.

Danica Patrick's position as a race car driver will not be the only strong woman presence within the JR Motorsports team. Kelly Earnhardt (sister of Dale Earnhardt Jr and a respectable former stock car racer in her own right) has since taken an equity stake in JR Motorsports placing her along with Dale Jr, Tony Eury Sr, and Rick Hendrick as team owner.

With a loyal fan base always surrounding Danica Patrick with the IndyCar events, NASCAR and Patrick herself are counting for her trademark racing aggression to translate into the closed-fendered stock cars.

Q & A With Canadian Sports Car Racing Ace Ron Fellows

2008 provided one of the most thrilling races in Canadian auto racing which . Perhaps just short in significance to the inaugural Canadian Grand Prix where Canada's Formula 1 great Gilles Villeneuve brought his Ferrari, last year's NASCAR Nationwide race another great Canadian auto racing moment. Competing against the best of NASCAR stock car racing, the technical street course, and powerful weather elements, through this monsoon-like downpour rose three-time 24 hour of Le Mans champion Ron Fellows taking victory of the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Having won 5 times in NASCAR competition just across the border in Watkins Glen, New York, an excited Ron Fellows celebrated around his #5 Godaddy.com Chevrolet that the stout team of JR Motorsports provided for the weekend.

In a special honour for this auto racing reporter, defending NAPA Auto Parts 200 winner Ron Fellows kindly agreed to answer some questions about his career. I welcome you to read what I hope are viewed as insightful questions:



1. Having raced in the rain last year at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, if the rain package were fitted for Sprint Cup cars at Watkins Glen this year do you think it would have provided an entertaining race?

Definitely outfitting the Sprint Cup cars for a rain race isn’t any different than the Nationwide Series cars. It would certainly be entertaining as the Sprint Cup cars have 150 more horsepower than an NNS car! NASCAR has yet to decide whether to run the “big show” in the rain on a road course, and I don’t know the reasoning behind it.



2. What does it mean to drive for for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide road races again in 2009? Did the win at Montreal last year make up for that Busch race at Watkins Glen that Dale Earnhardt Jr stole in 1999?

To drive for Dale Jr. and Rick Hendrick is a great honour. And having won in Montreal with the JRM team last year, was a great thrill. I said then that if I didn’t drive another race, I would be satisfied with what I have accomplished in my career. Their team is great fun to be around. I feel like a kid at Christmas. The team is just so well organized, and with some great personnel. And it definitely makes up for the win that got away in 1999! I think...



3. Winning all 6 of your NASCAR wins on road courses, would you like to have more stock car racing opportunities on ovals?

The media continuously talks about the road course ringers – good bad and indifferent. But I’m proud to be the only one that has managed to win any NASCAR races. The reality is, that a team committing to a driver who’s in his 5th decade – with little oval experience – is likely not going to happen for me. Would I like to do more? Absolutely. And I now have the time!



4. Your racing career was obviously built on determination as much as on talent. From the time you raced Formula cars to the international success of winning the 24-hour of Le Mans and your NASCAR victories, could you explain one or several things keys to motivation as you climbed to the highest apex of auto racing?

Thanks. It’s a number of factors. Obviously believing in your ability and proving it on the race track is one. The other factor is convincing corporate supporters that you are worthy of their investment. I have been very fortunate that some of the people that have helped provide career advancement opportunities for me, have become great friends. Bob and Helen McGraw of AER Manufacturing and Jim O’Donnell, former President of Mackenzie Financial, helped get me to a position where I was eventually hired by Herb Fishel at General Motors. From the time I began racing cars at 18 or 19 years old, to the point where I became a decently paid sports car driver, was more than 15 years! I’m not sure I could do it again!!



5. On the same weekend as the Nationwide series race in Montreal, the your past colleagues of Corvette Racing are running at Mosport with the American Le Mans series. Firstly, do you believe this was a poor circumstance for Canadian race fans to choose between two top racing series on home soil? Secondly, what are your feelings about the new GT2 Chevrolet Corvette?

Having two major league car racing events on the same weekend, just hours apart on the highway, is a scheduling screw-up for sure. It’s an absolute shame that race fans have to choose one over the other. But it is what it is, and maybe in 2010 things will be different.

The GT2 class Corvette C6.R, is a work of art. The Pratt & Miller team have done an incredible job with this new entry and it’s absolutely the right move for Corvette. We want to race against the best production based sports cars – like Porsche, Ferrari and BMW. Although about 5 or 6 seconds per lap slower than GT1, it’s still racing, and it’s a much bigger field.



Ron Fellows returns this weekend in the #5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. I pass my thanks to Ron Fellows as well as a special thanks to Lynda Fellows for making this article possible.

Brad Keselowski finds the winning rhythm at Nashville for Nationwide first win

Almost two years ago, Brad Keselowski was without a full-time ride in any major NASCAR series, last running a full schedule in 2005 for his family-owned owned Craftsman truck team. While his future looked uncertain through acquiring a few limited rides, one of those rides was made available at Memphis Motorsports Park when Ted Musgrave drew a one-race suspension from NASCAR in the previous race. For that race, Brad Keselowski became attracted a choir of praise, having qualified on the pole and for staying in contention to win until an unfortunate late-race accident. Keselowski's effort did net him a victory, in the form of JR Motorsports signing him to the #88 Navy Chevrolet in the than-Busch Series. Last night (June 7th) at Nashville superspeedway at the Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General, Brad Keselowski career is now reached a high note, winning the event after several close encounters with victory lane.

The Saturday night affair known as the Federated Auto Parts 300 was led to green by rookie phenom Joey Logano. He solidly dominated the field for the first 64 laps until a early pit stop problem dropped Logano's Toyota down to 10th leaving pit road. Brad Keselowski took the lead by defying his crew chief Tony Eury Sr. orders. In hindsight, Keselowski's strategy not only gave him first spot, but allowed him to stay in front of some chaotic racing.

One incident claimed Joey Logano as contact from Greg Biffle ruined chances at a top finish in his second outing. Finishing 31th, it's likely that sixth-place finish last week at Dover might be worth celebrating, even though Joey Logano didn't feel very festive following that first race. Included in the Nashville altercation was Kyle Busch who ended his race 3 laps down in 20th place on the same day he wrecked his Sprint Cup series Toyota in Pocono. Kyle Busch's racing marathon weekend has the young lion looking for a strong third leg in the Pocono 500.

The #25 Ford Fusion driven by Bobby Hamilton Jr. was another car that had a rough outing. After brushing contact between him and JR Motorsports rookie Landon Cassill, the collision caused Hamilton Jr.'s right side tire to puncture leading his car into the wall. Following the incident, reacting on both the contact with Cassill and JR Motorsports radio chatter, an angry Hamilton confronted Cassill's crew chief briefly.

In the final stages of the Federated Auto Parts 300, a restart with 8 laps remaining had leader David Reutimann attacked by both Keselowski and Clint Bowyer, resulting in Bowyer taking the lead, winkling some sheet metal in the process. A hard-charging Brad Keselowski choosing an inside move on a Bowyer's slightly damaged #2 BB&T Chevrolet with 5 laps remaining. Brad Keselowski, aided with Hendrick engine power in his #88 Navy Chevrolet, didn't look back as he want to victory lane claiming the special Nashville trophy, a custom Gibson guitar.

Leaving Nashville, two major trends were broken for this stand alone Nationwide event. As Cup series regulars long asserted themselves as a dominating force in any Nationwide race, Nashville's results featured 6 of the top 10 car driven by drivers not running full-time in the top series, including race winner Keselowski. As well, the triumph of JR Motorsport's Chevrolet put an end to the Toyota Camry's 8-race winning streak which started following the first Nashville race.