Travis Pastrana Puts X on Roush Fenway Racing Deal for 2013

Photo credit: Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images

A 10-time X Games Gold medalist, AMA motocross champion, and a four-time drivers title winner of the Rally America, 29-year old Travis Pastrana thirst for adrenaline has been aided by a proven talent. When Pastrana announced his next thrill would come in NASCAR, there was little doubt he expected to depend heavily on his experience for winning. Last year, an effort campaigning a heavily modified Dodge Dart in the Global RallyCross Series netted a victory at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway event.

Through the course of a running select NASCAR Nationwide races in 2012, it appears the Travis Pastrana has realized the need to align himself with a top-flight racing organization in order to net the best opportunity for victory. For 2013, the multi-talented athlete is now officially signed with the team that powered 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Starting in his first NASCAR Nationwide Series in the April 2012 event at Richmond International Raceway, Travis Pastrana started the 2012 season with RAB Racing that ran with the co-operation of Michael Waltrip Racing. Pastrana drove the team’s #99 Toyota for the eight races finishing a season-best effort of 13^th place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When the NASCAR Nationwide Series returned to Richmond International Raceway for their second race in September, the experienced team of Roush-Fenway Racing approached Travis Pastrana to drive. Finishing 17^th in a #60 Ford Mustang, Pastrana clearly recognized the NASCAR organization was the best fit for him as he arms himself for a full-time assault in the 2013 Nationwide Series season.

Indications since November have been confirmed on Thursday as Travis Pastrana and Roush-Fenway Racing announced their association formally for 2013. “I am very serious about making this move, running competitively and ultimately winning races in NASCAR,” said Pastrana in a team release excited to be part of a team he attests is “..the maximum opportunity to develop my skills”. The winningest team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with 131 visits to victory lane since 1988, Roush Fenway Racing’s previous two seasons resulted in their driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr winning the drivers championship.

Driving the #60 Ford Mustang that is said to sport different sponsors throughout 2013, Pastrana will compete alongside teammate and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne for the full 33-race season.

Crazy 2012 Daytona 500 Claimed by Matt Kenseth

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

After 53 years of Sunday Daytona 500, NASCAR drivers, teams and fans could be forgiven for expecting the 500-mile event at the Daytona International Speedway would be resolved by the time many go back to work on Monday. Unfortunate for the 2012 running of the “Great American Race”, ended a long motorsport streak by postponing the classic stock car event on the 2.5-mile superspeedway oval for the first time ever.

 

Originally postponed to Monday afternoon, continuing rain showers gave the officials overseeing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series reason to again reschedule the start of the Daytona 500 to 7pm Eastern time. To the delight of everyone, the precipitation left the track in time for engines of 43 cars to ignite. Already an unusual event based on the Monday evening start, the 54^th Daytona 500 reception of the green flag kicked-off one of the most bizarre, memorable races in the race’s history.

 

Carl Edwards took the green flag for the 2012 debut of the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars but the #99 Fastenal Ford was quickly unseated once the lead drivers came up to speed. Regan Smith in the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet flew to the front by lap one just as the race’s first big wreck transpired. Just as most of the field completed the first lap of the Daytona 500, a multi-car tangle occurred when the #48 Lowes Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson was tapped in the middle of the drafting pack. As Johnson was sent into the outer Daytona wall, David Ragan in the #38 car, the #51 Chevy of Kurt Busch and the #10 driven by high-profile Sprint Cup Series rookie Danica Patrick were damaged. Patrick and Busch were able to return to the event after extended stays behind the wall as crews repaired their racing machines but 2006 Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Hendrick Motorsports car was out of the event in just the second lap. The retirement of Johnson marked what would be a difficult Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsport that would be followed before halfway by a blown engine on Jeff Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet.

 

 

Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

After another yellow flag thrown on lap 14 for a spinning Ryan Newman (now major damage was sustained to his #39 Chevy), the race began to demonstrate advantages and perils of pack racing in the draft. After Lap 17, Denny Hamlin (who started 31^st position in the Daytona 500 following a disastrous finish in his Duel 150 event) led continuously for 24 laps. Unseating the #11 Toyota of Hamlin from the lead was the #31 Chevrolet belonging to Richard Childress Racing driver Jeff Burton. Green flag pit stops would cause the front position to be swapped with Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart until they pitted to return lead to Burton. A caution for debris would end 49 laps of green flag racing at Daytona International Speedway (a caution-free streak that would become the longest in the 2012 Daytona 500).

 

Martin Truex Jr in the #56 NAPA Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing led the NASCAR Sprint Cup pack across the line for the halfway-point in the 2012 Daytona 500 thereby making the race official. With concerns for rain around past the 100 lap-mark of the event, drivers were getting more aggressive than ever. After a short-lived fight, it was the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin that once again found the preferential lead position on lap 103. Holding up to first for another 28 laps, Greg Biffle took the lead of the Daytona 500 just ahead of a caution for the #15 Toyota of Clint Bowyer that ran out of fuel. Following the yellow flag, the Roush Fenway Racing group showing the near dominating pace identical to that displayed in the second Gatorade Duel 150 race. At lap 133, Biffle’s #17 Ford held the lead for 6 laps until the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth would flourish to the led on lap 146 after a stint where two Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas were present at the found.

 

After the rain-out that delayed the race for over 30 hours, a caution initially called for a one-car spin involving the #30 Chevy of David Stremme after the vehicle blew an engine on-track. Crew members work to clean up the oil left by the #30 car incident (a safety crew that included a high-powered track jet dryer) under caution on lap 160 until a scary and surreal on-track moment.

 

The #42 Target Chevrolet piloted by Juan-Pablo Montoya, rushing to catch the back of the race, suddenly veered right on the backstretch hammering the jet dryer truck. A heavy hit, a fireball thrown up by the intense jet dryer heat. The front end of the #42 Chevy was briefly ignited but was extinguished quickly thanks partially to the damaged car spinning into the infield. However, as Juan-Pablo Montoya climbed out of his wrecked race vehicle, fuel from the jet dryer began running down the Daytona International Speedway’s 31-degree banking. A large fire burned as safety crew reinforcements with a fire truck raced to the scene. After several minutes of flames cooking overtop of the turn 3 asphalt, the fire was suppressed. Despite the inferno that erupted from the jet dryer fuel cascading down the track, neither Montoya nor the safety crew member Duane Barnes was seriously hurt in the accident (however both men were checked out by medical personnel for precaution).

 

 

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

Cleaning up the Daytona International Speedway after one of the harshest fires ever transpiring on the race surface, NASCAR threw a red flag stopping the Daytona 500. Attempting to steal to the race by staying on-track while other cars pitted, the #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing car driven by Dave Blaney was in the lead and looked poised to win the 2012 Daytona 500. The uncertainty of the jet dryer fire’s affect on the track’s surface and a chance of more rain showers threatened the continuation of the event. However, with no major rainfalls, the track crews just over two hours to extract the burnt jet dryer and truck, clean off the jet fuel residue as well as repair the track surface with a fast-drying compound.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

After an extended stay on the backstretch under red flag conditions, drivers were ordered back to their NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. Almost midnight, the field were again circulating around the 2.5-mile oval. Some questioned whether the resumption of the Daytona 500 was wise based on the considerable repairs conducted on the Daytona International Speedway. Concern for the track surface quickly dissipated when the field completed their first green flag laps over the restored turn 3 patch.

 

With 35 laps to go in the Daytona 500, the fight was on for the race’s Harley Earl Trophy. Matt Kenseth commanded the drafting pack waiting for the laps to count down. In three multi-car accidents in the final 21 laps consumed several frontrunners of the Daytona 500. Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger were removed from contention either in the garage area or marching wounded on the race track. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne was also caught in a lap 189 crash. With three out of four Rick Hendrick cars out of front-running position, the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr was the organization’s only chance at victory. On the final restart during a green-white-checkered period, Earnhardt Jr made a substantial fight to push the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle past the leading #17 car. Despite a hit pressing bump draft through the final two laps of the event, there was not enough pace to pass Matt Kenseth.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Imags

 

After 202 laps (a race distance extended 2 laps due to the final green-white-checkered finish), the #17 Best Buy Ford of Matt Kenseth stormed across the start/finish line winning the 2012 Daytona 500. The 22^nd win for Kenseth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and second Daytona 500 victory, the #17 car win is also Roush Fenway Racing’s 300^th win within the top-3 NASCAR series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series).

 

Unable to push Greg Biffle to the lead, Dale Earnhardt Jr successfully passed the #16 car for second place. The 2012 race becomes Earnhardt Jr’s third runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 (His father finished second five times in the “Great American Race“). Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-5 for the 2012 Daytona 500. Racing to a sixth place finish, Paul Menard scaled from a 37^th place starting position to insert himself between Richard Childress Racing teammates Burton and Kevin Harvick. Michael Waltrip Racing also earns honourable mention with Mark Martin placing tenth behind the wheel of the #55 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Clint Bowyer finishing 11th after in-race troubles. Both veteran drivers were making first point-paying race drives for Michael Waltrip‘s race team.

 

In 2009, Matt Kenseth won the rain-shortened Daytona 500 event after completing 152 of the scheduled 200 laps. One of only four times a Daytona 500 race was cut due to weather, that instance had NASCAR declaring the event as over in a relatively short time span. Kenseth's 2012 Daytona win in what was a marathon NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener would definitely make-up for that premature Daytona 500 running in 2009.

 

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona 500
Race Results

 

1. 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
2. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet
3. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
4. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
5. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
6. 27 Paul Menard Menards/Peak Chevrolet
7. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
8. 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford
9. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
10. 55 Mark Martin Aaron's Toyota
11. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
12. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
14. 47 Bobby Labonte Kroger Toyota
15. 36 Dave Blaney Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet
16. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
17. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Brown Toyota
18. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
19. 26 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Ford
20. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford EcoBoost Ford
21. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY/Quicken Loans Chevrolet
22. 83 Landon Cassill Burger King Toyota
23. 38 David Gilliland MHP/Power Pak Pudding Ford
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row/CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet
25. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
26. 93 David Reutimann Burger King Toyota
27. 33 Elliott Sadler General Mills/Kroger Chevrolet
28. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
29. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
30. 98 Michael McDowell No.98 KLOVE/Curb Records Ford Ford
31. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
32. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
33. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford
34. 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
35. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
36. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
37. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota
38. 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
39. 51 Kurt Busch Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet
40. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
41. 7 Robby Gordon MAPEI/Menards/SPEED Energy Dodge
42. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
43. 34 David Ragan Scorpion Truck Bedliners Ford

Wizard of the Chase Johnson Wins Kansas Cup Race

Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Kansas Speedway is the second of four 1.5 mile tri-oval track locales in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. At the first so-called "cookie-cutter track", Tony Stewart become an early championship favourite when he won the Chicagoland Speedway event on fuel mileage. With 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers entered for the Hollywood Casino 400, the 12 Chase drivers continue to be under a microscope as some contenders are attempting to assert themselves in this fourth event in the 10-race championship fight.

 

Non-Chase driver Greg Biffle in the #16 Ford took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole Friday outrunning his Roush Fenway Racing teammate and Chase points leader Carl Edwards. One of the 29 other cars and teams caught in the delicate spot of racing for wins without performing any costly moves against Chase contenders, Biffle was undaunted from racing to win. However, the #16 driver himself would realize having raced within the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format in previous years.

 

Starting in 19th place, the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was led to the front quickly by the skillful Jimmie Johnson. Up to 9th place after only the first 15 laps, Johnson took the lead for the first time in the Hollywood Casino 400 at lap 24. Competitors and race fans would soon realize as the Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup event endured the force of the #48 team was in full force. After a rather dormant existence in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson resided at the front for 197 laps over the 267-lap race distance. At one point in the race, Johnson pulled out a 12-second lead on the second-place running vehicle.

 

Other than Jimmie Johnson, the Roush Fenway Ford Fusions of Matt Kenseth and Kansas race pole winner Greg Biffle recorded the only significant collection of laps at the end of the Hollywood Casino 400. With Biffle leading most of his 23 total laps early in the #16 Ford, Matt Kenseth led for 26 laps in the #17 Crown Royal Ford. Between lap 64 and lap 66, Kenseth and Biffle battled to stay at front prior to pit stops. Important for the 2011 NASCAR Chase standings, Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon would lead laps during the Kansas Speedway event netting a single championship point a piece.

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick Autostock USA

 

While Johnson enjoyed a glorious time at the front of the Kansas Speedway event, the rest of the Hendrick Motorsport team participated in a relatively quiet scheduled 400.5-mile event. Previous Kansas track winner Mark Martin came home 10th in the #5 Chevrolet while Dale Earnhardt Jr soldiered through a rather uneventful race in the #88 car. Concluding without a tire issue, the 14th place finish was improved over the previous two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

 

The final Hendrick Motorsport car, the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, had a dramatic end to his day. Chancing older tires against the force of new tires, Gordon and the #24 Dupont stayed on track improving his track position. Restarting on lap 211, Gordon and the #14 Chevy of Tony Stewart made slight contact causing the #24 car to lose pace, falling out of the top-10 quickly. As the end of the car neared, Jeff Gordon's day turned worse when mechanical problems caused the Hendrick Motorsports engine to break spectacularly with only on lap 265. Dropping to 34th place at the end, the timing of this caution inadvertently threatened what was an almost guaranteed sprint to victory by teammate Jimmie Johnson. 

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

 

In the late stage of the Hollywood Casino 400, the #4 Red Bull Toyota piloted by Kasey Kahne. Starting 5th and demonstrating strong race pace with the Toyota Camry stock car, Kahne lost considerable ground early at Kansas Speedway on a pit stop under the race's first caution on lap 21. Combined with a broken jack, Kahne's entrance out of pit road was blocked by the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson.

 

Bypassing the #2 Dodge of Brad Keselowski in late laps at Kansas, Kasey Kahne was the closest contender showing any ability of defeating the Lowes-sponsored Chevy. On a green-white-checker restart resulting from the blown engine of the #24 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson obtained a major jump that allowed a safe distance ahead of Kahne through the final 2 laps of the race. Winning his 55th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the Kansas victory was Johnson's first since the Talladega spring 2011 race.

 

Behind second place Kasey Kahne in the finishing order of the Hollywood Casino 400 was Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Besides non-Chase driver Kahne, four other drivers outside of the 12-driver end of season points fight for 2011 were in the Kansas race's top-10. From 7th to 10th were the cars of Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin.

 

The Hollywood Casino 400 top-4 consisted of a Chevrolet ahead of a Toyota with a Dodge and a Ford resulting in some close manufacturer parity. However, Chevrolet clinches the Sprint Cup Series manufacturer's championship thanks to the #48 Impala's Kansas win.

 

Elevated in the points with the win, Jimmie Johnson is in 3rd place in the Chase points standing. Driver of the #99 Ford Carl Edwards obtains a one-point gap over Kevin Harvick who came home in 6th place. Edwards and Harvick entered the Kansas race tied with the difference of a single position breaking the draw.

 

A 500-mile night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is next for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte event in 2010 over Kyle Busch.

  

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Race Results


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

1. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
2. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
3. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
4. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
5. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 16 Greg Biffle Sherwin-Williams Ford
9. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
10. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
11. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
12. 27 Paul Menard Schrock / Menards Chevrolet
13. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
14. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
15. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
17. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefits / Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
18. 39 Ryan Newman HAAS Automation Chevrolet
19. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
22. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / Farm American Chevrolet
25. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
26. 98 Austin Dillon President Ronald Reagan Centennial Chevrolet
27. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
28. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
29. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
30. 47 Bobby Labonte Bush's Beans / Kingsford Toyota
31. 36 Dave Blaney Big Red Chevrolet
32. 34 David Gilliland A&W All American Food Ford
33. 46 Scott Speed ordergreenstuff.com Ford
34. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
35. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
36. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
37. 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 66 Michael McDowell Victory Junction Toyota
40. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
42. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
43. 55 J J Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford

Road America Charts Different Course for 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series on Friday

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

For the second year in a row, the 4.048-mile Road America awakes with the sound of 700-plus horsepower stock cars of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Situated in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the scenic but renowned race track of Road America has been most recognized as a site for open wheel and sports car battles. The site of a fantastic road race last season, stock car regular Carl Edwards won the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series event by outperforming some of the best road racing ringers such as Jacques Villeneuve and Ron Fellows.

Due to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series holding a road course race in Sonoma, California, the high-profile stock car regulars (many of whom competed in the last event at Michigan International Speedway last Saturday) have elected not to pull the weekend double-duty. Due to the distance between the weekend's NASCAR races and top placement in NASCAR Sprint Cup points, even the reigning 2010 race winner Carl Edwards is foregoing the event (ending a continuous NASCAR Nationwide starting streak dating back to a June 2005 race at Kentucky). For Road America, Edwards' #60 Ford Mustang for Roush-Fenway Racing will be wheeled by development driver Billy Johnson.

Making the most of a four-time winning car in 2011, Billy Johnson posted a fastest time lapping the 4-mile race track in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' first practice session. Posting a time of 2 minutes, 14.871 seconds around the 14-turn road course, the 24-year old Johnson was immediately quicker than Jacques Villeneuve and Michael McDowell. Confident on the #60 Fastenal Ford's performance, Billy Johnson and the #60 team did not participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' final practice. Roush-Fenway Racing teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr also sat out the second prep session for Saturday's Bucyrus 200 race. Stenhouse Jr posted a 7th fastest time in his #6 Ford Mustang during the earlier practice at Road America.

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

A weekend without the typically strong Sprint Cup competitors, a less known but no less talented crowd of drivers are given a chance to claim the spotlight. For this event, Michael McDowell his been granted the ride that Kyle Busch often wheels in selected NASCAR Nationwide Series events. Driving the #18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, McDowell draws upon his Star Mazda and Grand Am road racing series experience to preside in the top-3 for both practice sessions at Road America. NASCAR Nationwide Series title contenders like Reed Sorenson, Elliott Sadler and Trevor Bayne showed competitive pace as they take a break from left-only turns. Sadler posted a top-10 time in both sessions driving the Kevin Harvick Incorporated #2 Chevrolet eager to gather important driver championship points in Saturday's Bucyrus 200 race. Elliott Sadler is only 2 points behind current championship leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Practice for the Bucyrus 200 at Road America also saw a set of notable but part-time competitors lapping the 4.048 mile track. Drivers often chosen by teams only for the three road courses on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series calendar (so-called 'Road Ringers'), talents joining the stock car tour at Road America includes a number of successful stars of sports car, Indy-style car and even Formula 1. Second-fastest in the first practice and third highest on the second session's time sheet, 1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve returns to NASCAR this season in the Penske Racing #22 Dodge Challenger. Last season in this event, Villeneuve fought hard for Braun Racing until a late-race mechanical problem concluded a chance at a top-5 finish.

While Jacques Villeneuve will be driving a car commonly competed by Brad Keselowski, the #33 Chevrolet owned by Kevin Harvick Incorporated is also calling on decorated road racer Max Papis. An expatriate of sports car and open wheel driving, Papis last time competing a NASCAR stock car on a road course almost ended with victory. Battling to win the Napa Auto Parts 200 at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Vileneuve in 2010, the Italian native Papis was narrowly beaten by Boris Said on the last lap. On Friday, Max Papis and the #33 Chevrolet topped the second practice chart. Other Road Ringer talents present at Road America includes Ron Fellows, Andrew Ranger and Alex Kennedy.

With qualifying and the race set for Saturday, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards will take place as a 50-lap affair starting at 4:30 pm.

2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series
Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards
Entry List

1. 01 Mike Wallace Cowboys & Aliens Chevrolet
2. 2 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Chevrolet
3. 03 TBA R3 Motorsports Dodge
4. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. RickyvsTrevor.com Ford
5. 7 Ron Fellows AER Chevrolet
6. 09 Kenny Wallace Toyota Toyota
7. 11 Brian Scott Shore Lodge
8. 13 Jennifer Jo Cobb DriverBoutique.com Ford
9. 14 Eric McClure Hefty BlackOut/Reynolds Chevrolet
10. 15 Timmy Hill New Orleans Voodoo Ford
11. 16 Trevor Bayne RickyvsTrevor.com Ford
12. 18 Michael McDowell Pizza Ranch Toyota
13. 19 Mike Bliss SheboyganAuto.com Chevrolet
14. 22 Jacques Villeneuve Discount Tire Dodge
15. 23 Alex Kennedy St. Baldrick's Dodge
16. 28 Derrike Cope MAXelence.com Chevrolet
17. 30 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet
18. 31 Justin Allgaier Florida Gulf Safe Chevrolet
19. 32 Reed Sorenson Dollar General Chevrolet
20. 33 Max Papis Rheem/Menards Chevrolet
21. 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Chevrolet
22. 39 Josh Wise Cajun Industries Ford
23. 40 Charles Lewandoski # Key Motorsports Chevrolet
24. 41 Doug Harrington New Orleans Voodoo Ford
25. 42 Tim Andrews Key Motorsports Chevrolet
26. 44 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet
27. 46 Chase Miller Key Motorsports Chevrolet
28. 51 Jeremy Clements racedaysponsor.com Chevrolet
29. 52 Tim Schendel TRX Software Development, Inc. Chevrolet
30. 53 Andrew Ranger WM Recycling Dodge
31. 55 Brett Rowe Imperial Bedding Chevrolet
32. 60 Billy Johnson Fastenal Ford
33. 62 Michael Annett Pilot/Flying J Toyota
34. 64 Jason Bowles Fuel Doctor Toyota
35. 66 Steve Wallace 5-Hour Energy Toyota
36. 67 J R Fitzpatrick Go Canada Racing Ford
37. 70 Dennis Setzer ML Motorsports Dodge
38. 75 Carl Long Lilly Trucking of VA Ford
39. 81 Blake Koch DAYSTAR.com Dodge
40. 87 Kevin Conway AM/FM Energy/Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
41. 88 Aric Almirola TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
42. 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Chevrolet

Biffle Breaks Through at Pocono, Dedicates Win to Roush

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR


On Tuesday, NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Jack Roush was involved in a private jet crash as he was attending an air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While Roush had always confirmed with suffering injuries, it was initially played down as non-serious. Over the next few days, the reports of several facial surgeries has understandably sparked widespread concerns in the NASCAR community for the multi-car team owner. Arriving at Pocono Raceway, the four-car Roush-Fenway operation joined the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup field for the Sunoco Red Cross 500 with their leader.

Apart from Jack Roush's injuries, the team has been battling an on-track losing streak stemming back to the fall 2009 race at Talladega by than team driver Jamie McMurray (McMurray has since won twice in 2010 with new team Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing). In qualifying, Greg Biffle #16 Ford was the highest-placed Roush-Fenway Racing runner in 12th place on the starting grid. Outpaced by pole sitter Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya in Chevrolet's, the race showed no signs of altering the fortunes of the Roush-Fenway Racing team.

Delayed briefly by a rain shower, the start of the Sunoco Red Cross 500 allowed Tony Stewart to lead the first 2 laps around the 2.5 mile before the Hendrick Motorsport customer team would be overhauled by the full-fledged Hendrick Motorsport cars. Taking the lead first for the team is the #24 Chevy of Jeff Gordon held the position until a competition caution was thrown on lap 17. When the green flag returned, the #48 Lowes Chevy of Jimmie Johnson had taken the 1st place spot through a fast pit stop. Out front, the #48 car put on a show of dominance. Aided by a long green flag which ran more than 255 miles, Johnson led 96 laps maintaining a more than 3 second interval on his teammate Jeff Gordon running in 2nd place.

Through the long green run at Pocono Raceway divided the racers from each other, the high, sustained speeds eventually claimed several cars including the #47 of Marcos Ambrose who found his Toyota engine give up after only 46 laps. By the time a debris caution flew on lap 122, 9 NASCAR Sprint Cup series cars were reported as retired.

Providing a breather to the competition (including Dale Earnhardt Jr. who was the free pass recipient following Johnson's torrent pace), the Pocono race was broken wide open as multiple pit strategies. June's Pocono race winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Denny Hamlin found his way back to the front in the #11 FedEx Toyota but would experience a much shorter thrill of leading this race spending just 19 laps out front. A second debris caution on lap 146 sent drivers and teams back to pit road with Juan Pablo Montoya grabbing the lead in the #42 Chevy. After a brief bout on the restart, Jeff Gordon reclaimed the lead and was feeling quite keen as rain showers once again approach the Pocono Raceway. With rain sprinkles reported on isolated corners of the race track, the yellow flag would fly when Dale Earnhardt Jr's #88 Chevy went for a spin in turn 1.

Earnhardt Jr. continued but a more serious incident on lap 165 resulted when Jimmie Johnson's attempt in bump drafting the #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch ended with Busch spinning. The #33 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer and Elliott Sadler's #19 Ford also collected damage in the only multi-car wreck. In fact, there was concern for Sadler as he left his destroyed Air Force Ford.

Taking some daring moves, the field was mixed up again by several different types of pit stops. By lap 171, Sam Hornish Jr. landed in the 1st place position in the #77 Dodge staying on track. At one point, rain fell in the latter stage of the event making it appear possible the 4th season driver Hornish Jr. was going to pull off an upset victory. As rain-shortened wins are already unpopular, Sam Hornish's presence in NASCAR Sprint Cup victory lane could have non-supporters fuming. While two red flags temporarily stopped the caution lap pace for a total of 45 minutes, the race restarted with the #77 quickly passed by a Roush-Fenway Ford in the hands of Greg Biffle. While Biffle was able to flirt with the lead for a few laps throughout the 500 mile distance, his #16 Ford launched into the lead with 20 laps to go and never looked back. Winning by nearly 3.6 seconds over Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and the entire #16 Roush-Fenway Racing team trekked to victory lane to celebrate the glorious result in Sunoco Red Cross 500.

In 3rd place, Carl Edwards added some strength to the Roush-Fenway Racing success at Pocono. NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick's 4th place run allowed the Richard Childress Racing driver to pad a differential over 2nd place Jeff Gordon. Harvick stands 189 ahead of Gordon who minimized harm by finishing 6th in the event.

In a race that took almost five hours to complete, the Ponoco Raceway has been the subject of debate for where is stands in the future of NASCAR. While many concur there will be a stop at the 2.5 mile triangular race track, considerations for shortening races down to 400 miles or perhaps even removing one of the dates are still speculated for 2011 but nothing is firm.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Sunoco Red Cross 500
Pocono Raceway
Race Results

Pos # Car # Driver Sponsor/Car make

1 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
2 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
3 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
4 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
6 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
7 5 Mark Martin Hendrickcars.com / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
8 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
9 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet


Other Notable

11 77 Sam Hornish Jr. PPG / Olympic Dodge
16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
18 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
22 1 Jamie McMurray AXE Twist Chevrolet
23 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
27 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
33 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite / Vortex Dodge
39 47 Marcos Ambrose Clorox / Kleenex Toyota

NASCAR Law and Order: Edwards Vs Keselowski in Atlanta

Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR


To the delight of fans, NASCAR stock car racing is a motorized contact sport. With some NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers able to conquer their 800-plus horsepower stock cars, the are so many chances to see one or more competitors sent out of control for various reasons. Due to the resilience of stock cars, these drivers wounded in competition are often presented with an opportunity to reunite on the racetrack. With single car incidents leaving the driver with no other competitor to blame, multi-car wrecks breeds the twisting of personalities where the rule of allowing bygones being bygones is thrown out the between the window netting.

In the twilight of NASCAR Sprint Cup's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the payback which drivers threaten and some NASCAR fans crave materialized as Carl Edwards refused to dismiss an early race altercation. Reacting to a lap 41 incident where Brad Keselowski's #12 Dodge made contact with the #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards, Edwards waited until only 3 laps to go at Atlanta to deliver what is probably one of the most dramatic moves in auto racing vigilantism. Turning into the #12 Dodge of Keselowski through the frontstretch, Edwards delivered a message of dissatisfaction. From the local short-tracks to the big league of stock car racing, payback incidents are a cornerstone for racing justice.

Between Edwards and Keselowki, this collision at Atlanta was the third such accident in less than a year involving the two drivers. Up until Keselowski always delivering the shots. Starting with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Aarons 499 at Talladega when Edwards' #99 Ford was sent flying along the frontstretch, a Nationwide series race at Memphis Motorsports Park also involved a run-in between Edwards and Keselowski. Brad Keselowski went on to win both races. As Carl Edwards came out on the losing end of this contact, Keselowski went on to victory on both of these occasions.

In the immediate aftermath of the frightening Keselowski crash, NASCAR Sprint Cup officials parked the #99 Ford through the two green-white-checkered periods that ended the race. Running in 39th place at the time he was reprimanded, Edwards' black flag cost him 3 additional points from the idled car Joe Nemechek.

As the race ended, NASCAR fans wasted no time in conversing about the event. Following the incident, social networks lit up with pretty of Carl Edwards fans rallying behind in embattled driver through his Facebook page. Fans of Edwards', particularly those who followed the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series, need little persuading to believe the driver of the #12 Dodge got his just desserts. On the other side of the electronic social board, Brad Keselowski fans provided their support as the Edwards' move was viewed as a cheap shot after a racing incident.

While NASCAR fans deliberated on the Edwards/Keselowski wreck, NASCAR president Mike Helton passed out an ultimate judgment on Tuesday (March 9th) placing Edwards on a 3-race probation period. Perhaps a tame penalty for those wanting NASCAR to send a more poignant message, Edwards' probation will be served on the three high-intensity short tracks of Bristol, Martinsville, and Phoenix. Having to maintain a better than good behaviour on race day, the effects this will have on the #99 Roush-Fenway Racing team is an additional variable.

After receiving his additional reprimand from NASCAR, Carl Edwards commented on his Facebook account saying "I respect NASCAR's penalty and look forwards to our meeting in Bristol. I'm ready to put this behind us and get on with some racing". The driver on the receiving end of this late race contact also offered a reaction to the penalty drawn on Edwards. Brad Keselowski commented on his Facebook account "I support NASCAR in the decision they communicated today." Performing as a team player along the Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup squad, Keselowski message expressed some disappointment on how the incident "overshadowed" the victory of his teammate Kurt Busch.

NASCAR Wire: Jamie McMurray Grabs The Win At Talladega Superspeedway

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR


TALLADEGA, ALA. -- Jamie McMurray added his name to the victory list Sunday in a surprising finish to a typical race at Talladega Superspeedway.

McMurray, odd-man out in Jack Roush's compliance move to fielding a maximum of four teams in 2010, crept home the winner in a green-white-checker finish that only made it three-quarters-of-a-lap before a wild crash brought out a caution flag making McMurray the winner.

NASCAR rules allow only one attempt at a green-white-checkered finish and McMurray was in the right position at the right time.

Kasey Kahne was second, followed by Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Burton.

Probably the story of the day was sixth-place finisher and still leader in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus decided to spend a majority of the race running at half throttle or so in the back of the pack to hopefully stay out of harm's way and protect a lead in the standings that could eventually make Johnson NASCAR's first driver to win four championships in a row.

The strategy nearly backfired when Johnson began a move to advance his position about 25 laps from the finish. He moved up to 22nd by narrowly avoiding a spectacular, multi-car crash that put Ryan

Newman on his roof and ended the day for other contenders Kevin Harvick and Marcos Ambrose. Both Harvick and Ambrose were among 25 drivers who led the race at one time or another.

NASCAR officials red-flagged the race after Newman's accident just five laps from the finish while safety workers righted his car and extracted the uninjured driver from the pancaked remains.

With the green-white-checker looming, the race took on that typical style of Talladega nail-biting.
It was nose-to-tail, three and four wide racing when another huge accident broke out as the cars came towards the tri-oval and headed towards the finish line. Cars went everywhere.

Championship contender Mark Martin was hit and flipped upside down on the front straightaway as cars scattered and spun through the grass and through the smoke on the track. The wreck relegated both Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya to finishes they didn't deserve. Both drivers were strong contenders during the afternoon and among the leaders. Martin wound up 28th and Montoya 19th.
It was a great win for McMurray, his first since the July 2007 race at Daytona, who led on several occasions.

It was also a win for points leader Johnson, with his sixth place finish. He never led a lap in this one but he dodged a million bullets.

This place is known for a lot of things…but mostly for its edge-of-the-seat, white-knuckle, heart-racing action over its 2.66-mile, high-banked tri-oval track that reeks speed and excitement.

Johnson, starting from the pole, led only three quarters of the first lap. At Talladega, drivers don't lead for long because the competition is so intense and the cars run so close together. The lead often changes half-a-dozen-times on a single lap.
For instance, in the first 20 laps, there were numerous leaders, David Reutimann and Casey Mears among them and those are drivers who aren't normally expected to lead races at Talladega.

You do expect the unexpected at this massive superspeedway and points leader Johnson, Tony Stewart, and several other Chase contenders unexpectedly chose to ride in the back of the pack to potentially avoid any of the troubles normally associated with running wide open at the front of the pack, a strategy obviously ignored by many of the others.

A two-car accident on lap five brought out the first caution of the sunny afternoon. Paul Menard cut a tire and gathered Joe Nemechek on the backstretch.

Cars started pitting under green flag conditions at 45 laps.

Elliot Sadler was the leader when the race was slowed again by caution when Kurt Busch spun wildly through the tri-oval.

On the restart, Sadler led with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his bumper. At 60 laps, Jeff Gordon was fourth and Harvick fifth. Harvick took the lead a few laps later. Earnhardt was still running second.

At the halfway mark at Lap 90, Harvick led with Earnhardt, Montoya, Martin and Ambrose in tow, flat-out, foot-to-the-floorboard.

Kyle Busch was next with Denny Hamlin seventh. Greg Biffle was running in the top 10 when the field made green flag stops near Lap 95 but a tire infraction during his stop forced him to make another pass through the pits which relegated him to 36th spot. He rebounded to finish fourth.