NASCAR’s Unique and Forgotten Racing Divisions: Grand Touring/Grand American Division

Years of Competition: 1968-1972

Notable Drivers: Tiny Lund, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Childress, Bobby Allison

Through the 75 years of NASCAR, many automotive trends have come and gone (some even return years later). In the mid-1960s, Ford unleashed a cultural phenomenon inside the American motoring world introducing the Mustang. The Ford Mustang spawned the pony car segment  as its inexpensive performance and practicality proved tempting for younger drivers. The SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) was immediately positioned to take advantage of a newly-formed rivalry formed between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro by hosting the cars on track in the Trans-Am Series. 

Running shorter distance races to the NASCAR Grand National series, the Grand Touring Division was born in 1968 as a support event to the more prestigious tour; eventually reshaping the premier series with its talent and ideas. While the NASCAR Grand Touring served as a battleground between pony cars with the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, AMC Javelin and the before-mentioned Mercury Cougar mainstay models in the 1968 field. Smaller capacity engines of 305 cubic inches or less differentiated the competition from the Grand National cars and allowed for a more assorted variety of race machines. Other vehicles taking part in Grand Touring races included Dodge Darts, Porsche 911s and an Austin Cooper Larry Newton drove in the 1968 Darlington 250 event. A Fiat participated in the 1969 Paul Revere 250 held on the Daytona road course while a pair of Alfa Romeos was part of a possible entry list but didn’t compete.

The opening year of the NASCAR Grand Touring division featured a heavy-hitting charge from legend team owner Bud Moore. In 1967, Bud Moore Engineering had been campaigning Mercury Cougars in the SCCA Trans Am series but was had support cut off as Ford Motor Company at the end of the year fearing the team was cannibalizing the auto manufacturer’s efforts showcasing the Mustang. Moore’s race-ready Cougars quickly found a new home in the early years of the new NASCAR series.

Tiny Lund won the first Grand Touring Division title with Bud Moore’s Mercury and would settle into becoming a series superstar capturing the champion again in 1970 as well as 1971. Buck Baker, acclaimed road racer Peter Gregg, Donnie Allison and country singer Marty Robbins were notable competitors during the first season. For the 1969 season, 22-year-old Kentucky native Darrell Waltrip would make a handful of starts in Grand Touring. Though Waltrip would have limited success in the series, he would go on to become a stock car legend with three NASCAR Cup series championships. Hall of Fame car owner Richard Childress compiled some of his earliest NASCAR experience racing in the Grand Touring. Childress’ best result was a 3rd place finish in the 1970 Casey 200 at the 0.5-mile dirt track on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. 

Future NASCAR Cup Series Car Owner Richard Childress Inside Chevrolet Camaro for NASCAR Grand American Competition (ISC Archives/NASCAR) 

The Grand Touring Division would compete at the Daytona International Speedway since its inception, the series races were staged on the road course. The Paul Revere 250 took place on July 4th of 1968 with Lloyd Ruby taking the win. A second Daytona road race for the Grand Touring division would be added the following year during Speed Weeks festivities named the Citrus 250. 

In addition to featuring a handful of foreign vehicles, Grand Touring also welcomed drivers from outside of the United States. Japanese driver Seiichi Suzuki made three starts in the series at the Daytona International Speedway with a best finish of 4th place coming in 1969 in a Bud Moore prepped Mercury.

Although the Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval was off limits to the Grand Touring cars, they would be instrumental in NASCAR’s christening of the all-new 2.66-mile Alabama International Motor Speedway (known today as Talladega Superspeedway). The 151-lap NASCAR Grand Touring race called the ‘Bama 400 held on September 13th 1969 was won by Ken Rush staged one day before the planned inaugural Talladega 500 for the NASCAR Grand National series. However, prior to the running of the Talladega 500, concerns arose from drivers that the high speeds experienced by the more powerful Grand National cars would lead to tire failures and major accidents that made the race too dangerous. The Professional Drivers’ Association (effectively an attempted union by major NASCAR drivers helmed by Richard Petty who served as president) decided to withdraw from the event on the evening before race day. With 32 drivers leaving the Alabama International Motor Speedway, only a handful of Grand National entrants remained. Despite having already run a 400-mile competition on Saturday, NASCAR invited the Grand Touring division cars to participate in Sunday’s Talladega 500. With 36 cars starting the Grand National event won by Richard Brickhouse, 23 were Grand Touring machines. 

1972 Postcard for NASCAR Grand American Mainstay Tiny Lund with Pepsi-sponsored #55 Pontiac Firebird

For 1970, NASCAR changed its name from the Grand Touring to the Grand American series with focus for firmly devoted to American-produced pony cars. Although car counts remained relatively steady in NASCAR’s Grand National Division, competitors in the top tier Grand National series during the early 1970s began to diminish due to the reduction of factory financing from auto companies as well as an economic recession. In an effort to bolster the car count for select races in 1971, Grand American cars were permitted to compete alongside the heavier Grand National vehicles. Six NASCAR short track races would be run with the mixed division format with two races won by Tiny Lund driving a Chevrolet Camaro. A regular Grand National series competitor, Bobby Allison drove a Grand American Ford Mustang at the Myers Brothers 250 at Bowman Gray Stadium recognizing a potential performance advantage with the smaller, lighter vehicle. Those victories by Allison and Lund are not recognized as Grand National/Cup Series wins proving controversial among some NASCAR fans when reflecting on Bobby Allison’s career record officially standing at 84 Cup series wins.

The 1972 tour was final season for the NASCAR Grand American series with Wayne Andrews taking the championship title. 

In addition to providing a springboard for Hall of Fame drivers and owners, the Grand Touring/Grand American series would serve as a division where the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro would find NASCAR success decades before the vehicles’ adoption in the modern Cup series.

References:

NASCAR

Legends of stock car racing by John Albert Craft

NASCAR The Complete History (2003 Edition) by Greg Fielden

Ultimateracinghistory.com

Jeff Gordon Takes Cup Pole for Aaron's 499 at Talladega

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway took place late Saturday morning on the 2.66-mile high-speed oval.

Prevailing in qualifying with his first pole of 2012, Jeff Gordon and the #24 Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports clocked a 49.973-second time averaging 191.623 miles per hour. Just 0.034 seconds behind Gordon was the #22 Dodge of AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger starting 2nd, Marcos Ambrose placed third-fastest and Aric Almirola in 4th are all driver hunting for a first-career Sprint Cup victory. A wide-open race track known for first time victories since Richard Brickhouse won the inaugural 500-mile stock car event, Talladega Superspeedway last played host to Brad Keselowski's first-time win in the series in 2009. As well as searching for a first NASCAR Sprint Cup race win at Talladega Superspeedway, Allmendinger is one of two Dodge Charger stock cars attempting to place the brand in the Alabama victory lane for the first time since 1976. 

This is the second year in a row that Jeff Gordon will lead the field to green in the spring Talladega event and the third straight team a Hendrick Motorsports car starts at the front of this NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Hendrick Motorsports enters the 2012 spring race as the defending winner after Jimmie Johnson was pushed to victory by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still chasing the 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win for the organization, Hendrick Motorsports cars behind Gordon are scattered. Kasey Kahne's #5 Chevrolet starts 5th while #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr is positioned 18th ahead of the #48 of Jimmie Johnson in 19th.

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points leader entering the 10th race, Greg Biffle will start 6th in the Aaron's 499 with the #16 Ford Fusion. Biffle starts one position above Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards at Talladega. The 2012 Daytona 500 winning #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth starts 10th behind his teammates seeking to establish two-straight restrictor plate wins in 2012 if he can finish up front at the end of 187 laps. Roush Fenway Racing is chasing their first win at Talladega since Jamie McMurray took the team to a 2009 victory in the fall event.  



2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Aaron's 499
Starting Line-up

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/Car Make
1	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet
2	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil/AAA Dodge
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
4	43	Aric Almirola	VeriFone Sail Ford
5	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
6	16	Greg Biffle	3M/O'Reilly Auto Parts Ford
7	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
8	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
9	55	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Color Your Way Toyota
10	17	Matt Kenseth	Best Buy Ford
11	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
12	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target/Kraft Chevrolet
13	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
14	39	Ryan Newman	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
15	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
16	26	Josh Wise	Morristown Driver's Service Ford
17	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Turtle Wax Chevrolet
18	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
19	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
20	29	Kevin Harvick	Rheem Chevrolet
21	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota
22	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota
23	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
24	15	Clint Bowyer	Aaron's/Alabama National Champ Toyota
25	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford
26	38	David Gilliland	Taco Bell Ford
27	30	David Stremme	Stock Car Steel and Aluminum Toyota
28	32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy Ford
29	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
30	20	Joey Logano	Dollar General Toyota
31	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Chevrolet
32	34	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports Ford
33	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet
34	10	David Reutimann	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
35	98	Michael McDowell	Curb Records Ford
36	97	Bill Elliott	NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
37	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
38	36	Dave Blaney	Golden Corral Chevrolet
39	23	Robert Richardson Jr.	North TX Pipe Toyota
40	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota
41	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota
42	47	Bobby Labonte	Bush's Beans Toyota
43	33	Tony Raines	Little Joe's Autos Chevrolet

Bowyer Breaks Pass Burton for Talladega Win

Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for NASCAR

Considered the most unpredictable race in the 10-race 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, the top NASCAR drivers take on the 2.66-mile, high-speed Talladega Superspeedway. This final restrictor plate event on the overall NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule, the race is known to favour almost any driver and team in the right position at the end of the event. For the Good Sam Club 500 event, this benefit came to the Richard Childress Racing pair of Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. In a daring final lap move on the Talladega tri-oval section, Bowyer’s #33 Chevy broke the draft and performed a slingshot on his #31 car teammate Burton claiming the win by mere feet.

A race comprised of the interaction of the two-car tandem draft, this went contrary to the intent of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rule makers plans for the event. Entering the Talladega Superspeedway race, NASCAR dictated a series of new rules created to combat the increasing level of two-car bump-drafting practice. Despite eliminating teams from using lubricants to grease the bumpers and changes made in the area of the radiator, the two-car tandem re-established itself through the race weekend. Back and better than ever, the two-car tandem dominated the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Photo Credit: Undefined by NASCAR

Going through the first 8 laps with 5 distant drivers leading the Good Sam Club 500, the #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Matt Kenseth made a profound impact early. On course to lead 21 laps through the day working with the #6 Ford teammate of David Ragan, Kenseth’s run at the Talladega Superspeedway is capitalizing on the Charlotte victory.

With Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth and the #99 car pilot Carl Edwards well in the title hunt for this season, rumours through the weekend at Talladega Superspeedway has indicated the blue oval organization of Ford teams were engaged in a political move on the race track. Reports have circulated that Ford drivers were discouraged to draft with vehicles belonging to any other auto manufacturers. As the race transpired, the multi-car team dynamic obscured any obvious presence of manufacturer orders as corporate teammates of all organizations were paired. There was one incident in the final run of the event involving the #21 Ford of Trevor Bayne and the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon. As Bayne started to draft with the Hendrick Motorsports car of Gordon, the #21 Wood Brothers Ford suddenly abandoned the Chevy driver in favour of a Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Without a drafting partner, Jeff Gordon plummeted in the final running order to 27th place.

In a race consisting of 72 lead changes (falling well short of the Talladega Superspeedway’s promotional stunt where a prize would be rewarded if 100 lead changes occurred), the #14 Chevrolet piloted by owner/driver Tony Stewart would lead most often with 30 laps on the day. Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth were the only other drivers to lead more than 20 laps during the 188-lap event.

Slowed nine times by caution, five of the yellow flags on the day fell in reaction to multiple-car accidents. The first major accident crucial to the 2011 NASCAR Chase standings on lap 105 collected the cars of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch among the 6 vehicles. A crash started when the Richard Petty Motorsports cars of AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose made contact, Allmendinger’s spinning #43 Ford tagged Kyle Busch’s #18 Toyota before collecting others. Both championship contenders required crew service in the Talladega Superspeedway garage area, Harvick finished the race in 32nd place while Kyle Busch was listed 13 laps down in the final results crossing the start/finish line in 33rd place.

Another crash that could have had dire consequences for the Chase standing in the Good Sam Club 500 transpired on lap 164. Set off when the #32 Ford driven by Terry Labonte made incidental contact with the #71 Ford of Andy Lally sending him sideways. Right behind the sliding #71 car was the #48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson who just barely missed collection. Though contact between the #71 and #48 occurred, the damage was not serious enough to require immediate attention. Penske Racing’s Chase contender Kurt Busch would not be so lucky when he collided with a spinning car of Bobby Labonte 11 laps later. Losing oil pressure, Busch’s #22 Dodge also lost considerable ground for securing a chance at the 2011 title.

The final multi-car crash in the Good Sam Club 500 involved five cars out of turn two. Receiving the most serious hit head-on with the Talladega wall was the #78 Chevrolet of Regan Smith. Though sustaining severe front-end damage, Smith climbed out of the car uninjured.

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

One positive development of the two-tandem appears to be reducing the traditional multi-car “Big Wreck” crashes consisting of double-digit involvement. However, three of the caution during the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Sprint Cup race was attributed to mistakes during the two-car bump-drafting exercises. On lap 81, it was the Stewart/Haas Racing #14 and #39 stock cars spinning on the frontstretch. Also happening on the frontstretch was a tangling between the Red Bull Toyotas on lap 130. Both pairs recovered to continue running with the Red Bull cars even breaking into the top-10 in the race’s final results.

With the race ending with a dramatic last-lap battle between Bowyer and Burton, the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway delivered some definite surprises. When stock cars crossed the checkered flag on lap 188, nine of the top ten finishing race cars started from deep in the field. With Clint Bowyer the only drive to qualify within the top-12, Jeff Burton surged from 27th to a runner-up spot to almost win the Talladega event. Finishing third for the Tommy Baldwin Racing team, Dave Blaney brought the #36 Chevy from 41st to finish 3rd ahead of 2009 spring Talladega race winner Brad Keselowski. In 5th and 6th place, the Team Red Bull pair recovered from the mid-race trials. Brian Vickers led Kasey Kahne across the line in Toyotas.

One note was the ineffectiveness of the Hendrick Motorsports team in the race’s final run. After Jimmie Johnson won the spring race at Talladega, tandem pairing of Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr seemed as if it could be a strong combination. Leading only three laps combined through the Good Sam Club 500, their strategy of waiting in the back of the field for a late race charge backfired. While Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Chevrolet escaped danger through the Andy Lally lap 164 crash, the caution periods in the final laps left too little time for the Hendrick Motorsport pairing to make an impact for even a top-10 finish.

The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase standings see the Roush Fenway Racing group gain commandingly after issues brought complications to other contenders. Carl Edwards (who finished in a safe 11th place at Talladega) now holds a 14-point lead over teammate Matt Kenseth. Brad Keselowski is only 4 points behind Kenseth in third place and is a single point ahead of Tony Stewart. Kevin Harvick is now 26 points away from Carl Edwards with only four races remaining in the 2011 season.

Heading to the Martinsville Speedway short track, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaves the fastest track in the season for the slowest.

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Good Sam Club 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Race Results

1. 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 100 Years Chevrolet
2. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
3. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
4. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
5. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
6. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
7. 14 Tony Stewart El Monterey/Office Depot Chevrolet
8. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
9. 15 Michael Waltrip Aaron's/DarrellWaltripNASCARHallofFame Toyota
10. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
11. 99 Carl Edwards Subway Ford
12. 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet
13. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
14. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
15. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
16. 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction/Thank A Teacher Chevrolet
17. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
18. 17 Matt Kenseth Jeremiah Weed Ford
19. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
20. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
21. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
22. 34 David Gilliland World Hunger Relief/www.fromhungertohope.com Ford
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Energizer Chevrolet
24. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
25. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DietMountainDewPaintthe88/NationalGuard Chevrolet
26. 48 Jimmie Johnson mylowes Chevrolet
27. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
28. 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford
29. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
30. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
31. 43 AJ Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
32. 29 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's Chevrolet
33. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Halloween Toyota
34. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
35. 47 Bobby Labonte Scott Products Toyota
36. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
37. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy/MAPEI Dodge
38. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
39. 71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford
40. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
41. 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota
42. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
43. 97 Kevin Conway Extenze Toyota

Mike Wallace Wins Talladega Race With Assist From Hornaday

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(October 22, 2011)

 

 

TALLADEGA, Ala.—In his first Camping World Truck Series start since 2009, Mike Wallace won Saturday’s Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, as Kevin Harvick Inc. teammate Ron Hornaday Jr. pushed him across the finish line.

 

Hornaday ran second, followed by James Buescher, who made a dent in the series points lead of Austin Dillon. Dillon scrambled to a seventh-place finish after he was demoted to 18th for not maintaining pace under the final caution of the race. The recovery enabled Dillon to stay ahead of Buescher in the standings.

 

The victory was the fifth overall for Wallace, who was substituting for Elliott Sadler, whose wife, Amanda, is expecting the couple’s second child. Wallace won in the truck series for the first time since 2000. The victory was his first in any of NASCAR’s top three touring series since he won a Nationwide race at Daytona in July 2004.

 

Wallace had tears in his eyes when he climbed out of his truck in victory lane.

 

“I’m very emotional right now, because a lot of people doubt you,” Wallace said. “They doubt your ability. An opportunity like this just proves, ‘Hey, I can get it done. Give me something good to drive, and I can prove I can do it.’

 

“I’m numb. My son’s at home, my daughters … I wish they were all here. It is my wife (Carla) and my anniversary this weekend. It’s a cool anniversary.”

 

Wallace turned to his wife in victory lane.

 

“This is your exotic weekend, honey,” Wallace said.

 

Johnny Sauter’s championship aspirations suffered a major setback on Lap 35. He and ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton had dropped to the rear of the field to stay out of harm’s way early in the race, but the strategy backfired.

 

The two trucks crashed as they ran together in tandem, after Donnie Neuenberger’s Chevrolet blew a right-front tire in front of them. Sauter, who entered the race second in the standings and five points behind Dillon, lost two laps as his crew made repairs on pit road.

 

With a wave-around and a free pass, Sauter got back on the lead lap and finished 15th, lessening the damage to his title chances.

 

Notes: Buescher trails Dillon by three points with three races left in the season. Sauter is third in the standings, 14 points back of Dillon and two ahead of Hornaday in fourth. … The top two finishers are a combined 105 years old. Wallace is 52, Hornaday 53.

 

 

2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Coca-Cola 250 Powered by Fred's
Talladega Superspeedway
Race Results

  

1. 6 33 Mike Wallace Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevrolet
2. 5 2 Ron Hornaday Jr. Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet
3. 1 31 James Buescher Bad Boy Mowers Chevrolet
4. 4 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet
5. 19 23 Jason White Gunbroker.com Chevrolet
6. 25 5 Todd Bodine NTB/Service Central Toyota
7. 3 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
8. 29 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota
9. 17 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota
10. 23 9 Max Papis GEICO Toyota
11. 16 6 Justin Lofton CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet
12. 18 82 Grant Enfinger VisitGulf.com Ford
13. 22 51 Josh Richards Joy Mining Machinery Toyota
14. 10 60 Cole Whitt Fuel Doctor/Red Bull Chevrolet
15. 20 13 Johnny Sauter SafeAuto/Curb Records Chevrolet
16. 8 20 Johanna Long Panhandle Grading & Paving Toyota
17. 27 98 Dakoda Armstrong Ferrellgas/Agrisure Chevrolet
18. 24 7 Miguel Paludo Stop Diabetes Toyota
19. 11 32 Blake Feese AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet
20. 7 22 Joey Coulter Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet
21. 26 39 Ryan Sieg Pull-A-Part, LLC Chevrolet
22. 30 76 Ryan Hackett www.jandrsupply.com Ford
23. 15 17 Timothy Peters NTB/Service Central Toyota
24. 32 28 Wes Burton FDNY Racing Chevrolet
25. 14 84 Chris Fontaine Glenden Enterprises Toyota
26. 2 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. tagg/Qualcomm Chevrolet
27. 35 93 BJ McLeod Pull-A-Part, LLC Chevrolet
28. 9 29 Parker Kligerman Penske Truck Leasing Dodge
29. 36 2 Jamie Dick VivaAutoGroup.com Chevrolet
30. 13 81 David Starr BuildYourFuture.org/Zachry Toyota
31. 12 88 Matt Crafton Menards/Certain Teed Chevrolet
32. 31 16 Donnie Neuenberger Eagle Convenience Stores Chevrolet
33. 34 7 Butch Miller ASI Limited/BOBBER.info Chevrolet
34. 28 1 Jeffrey Earnhardt Poynt Chevrolet
35. 21 99 Patrick Sheltra Chase Mattioli Racing Ford
36. 33 66 JJ Yeley Turn One Racing Chevrolet

Martin Captures Talladega Sprint Cup Race Pole

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

A wide-open 2011 NASCAR Chase and a track known for unpredictable auto action, the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams revisit the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. While qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Good Sam Club 500 is not an incredibly important ingredient to victory at the restrictor plate race track, a top starting spot improves the options early for drivers and teams.

Drawing 42nd of the 47 cars qualifying, Mark Martin's and #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy swept past his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the top spot. Lapping the 2.66-mile superspeedway oval at 181.367 miles per hour, this pole at Talladega becomes Martin's 50th in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career and first since the 2010 Daytona 500. A track Martin himself called "The Lottery", the Talladega Superspeedway race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule his entire Hendrick Motorsports team is starting where the team left off following the spring event. With Martin and the #48 Chevy of Johnson on the front row, the remaining two cars of Hendrick Motorsports rests in the third row. Jeff Gordon starting 5th and Dale Earnhardt Jr in the field 6th, the four-car Chevrolet team is certified to be a race contender this fall event.

In the second row between Hendrick Motorsports cars, the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer along with the 2011 Daytona 500 winning combination of Trevor Bayne and the #21 Wood Brothers Ford collected mounted successful qualifying attempts for top starting positions. In 7th through 10th place starting the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be Paul Menard, David Ragan, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman.

As the halfway point for the 2011 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Carl Edwards leads by 5 points over Kevin Harvick and 7 points ahead of Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth. While Edwards starts in the top-10 in his #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, his teammate Matt Kenseth's #17 car rolls off 11th while the #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick starts 13th at Talladega. Fourth in points, Kyle Busch starts well in the back of the 43-car field for what was a lackluster qualifying for the entire Joe Gibbs Racing team. While Denny Hamlin will lead the Toyota squad from 31st place in the Good Sam Club 500, Kyle Busch starts 34th just ahead of Joey Logano. Expect these cars to work together on their way to the front at Talladega Superspeedway

Weeks before Talladega, NASCAR announced a series of rule changes designed to lessen the use of the "two-car tandem" where a pair of vehicles are engaged in aggressive drafting. A new restrictor plate increasing power by up to an estimated 10 horsepower, NASCAR also prevented teams from using anti-friction lubricants on the race car's bumper. Some teams, namely the Richard Childress Racing organization, concocted alternative methods of 'greasing' the bumpers by using slippery tape and adhesives.

The fifth race remaining in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to start Sunday at 2 PM Eastern time. Weather forecasts call for a warm and partly sunny day.

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Good Sam Club 500
Talladega Superspeedway
Starting Line-up

1. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
2. 48 Jimmie Johnson mylowes Chevrolet
3. 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 100 Years Chevrolet
4. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
5. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
6. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew Paint the 88/National Guard Chevrolet
7. 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet
8. 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford
9. 99 Carl Edwards Subway Ford
10. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
11. 17 Matt Kenseth Jeremiah Weed Ford
12. 14 Tony Stewart El Monterey/Office Depot Chevrolet
13. 29 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's Chevrolet
14. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
15. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Energizer Chevrolet
16. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
17. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
18. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
19. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
20. 97 Kevin Conway Extenze Toyota
21. 47 Bobby Labonte Scott Products Toyota
22. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
23. 15 Michael Waltrip Aaron's/Darrell Waltrip NASCAR Hall of Fame Toyota
24. 43 AJ Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
25. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
26. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
27. 87 Joe Nemechek AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota
28. 55 JJ Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford
29. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing, LLC Toyota
30. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
31. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
32. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
33. 71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford
34. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Halloween Toyota
35. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
36. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
37. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
38. 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction/Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
39. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy/MAPEI Dodge
40. 35 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Inc. Chevrolet
41. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
42. 34 David Gilliland World Hunger Relief/www.fromhungertohope.com Ford
43. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
44. 46 Scott Speed Red Line Ford
45. 77 TJ Bell TRG Motorsports Ford
46. 37 Josh Wise Bradley University Ford
47. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota

Race Weekend Weather Forecast: April 15th to 17th, 2011

Photo Credit: Nissan North America Inc.

Shanghai, China
Chinese Grand Prix
Formula 1(Times are Local)

Friday:
10:00 am- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 24 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:00 pm- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Saturday:
11:00 am- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:00 pm- Formula 1 Qualifying
Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

Sunday:
3:00 pm- Formula 1 Race
Temperature: 23 Degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%



Long Beach, California
Streets of Long Beach
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
IZOD INDYCAR Series/ Firestone Indy Lights/ American Le Mans Series

Friday:
7:15 am American Le Mans Series Practice
Temperature: 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


10:00 am- IZOD INDYCAR Practice
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

12:15 pm- Firestone Indy Lights Practice
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:25 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:55 pm- American Le Mans Series Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Saturday:
8:00 am- Firestone Indy Lights Series Practice
Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

10:25 am- IZOD INDYCAR Practice
Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

12:55 pm- Firestone Indy Lights Practice
Temperature: 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:30 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Qualifying
Temperature: 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

4:30 pm- American Le Mans Series Race
Temperature: 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Sunday:
8:00 am- Firestone Indy Lights Warm up
Temperature: 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

9:15 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Warm up
Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

11:05 am- Firestone Indy Lights Race
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

1:15 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Race
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Talladega, Alabama
Talladega Superspeedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series/ARCA Racing Series

Thursday:
10:00 am- ARCA Racing Series Practice
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

3:00 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

4:00 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/ Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

5:05 pm- ARCA Racing Series Qualifying
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Friday:
10:00 am- ARCA Racing Series Practice
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%

11:00 am- NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 40%

1:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of rain
Chance of Precipitation: 40%

2:30 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorms
Chance of Precipitation: 80%

4:00 pm- ARCA Racing Series Race
Temperature: 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Thunderstorms with chance of damaging winds
Chance of Precipitation: 100%


Saturday:
10:05 am- NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying
Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:00 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Race
Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Sunday:
12:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Race
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

By Inches, Busch Beats Almirola in Talladega Truck Race

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Fulfilling expectations as an exciting and climatic round for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the final laps of the Mountain Dew 250 furnished a three-way drag race coming to Talladega Superspeedway's start/finish line.

The second of two superspeedway races on the NASCAR touring series' 2010 calender, the truck race came down to the final 5 laps of a scheduled 94-lap distance. Driving his #18 Toyota Tundra, Sprint Cup series regular Kyle Busch propelled himself into the first place position on lap 89 passing the #84 Toyota of Chris Fontaine. Qualifying strong in 6th place, Fontaine enjoyed a storybook career run leading 15 laps at the front of the Mountain Dew 250 but fell would be plagued in the latter stage of the race with an ignition problem. Finishing in 19th place, Chris Fontaine's otherwise front-running performance ended well off the mark.

Having been a relatively tame event with only a handful of race win-contending trucks out of the event, a sizable field remained on track at Talladega Superspeedway through the final sprint to the checkered flag. Busch, Todd Bodine, Aric Almirola, Ron Hornaday Jr's and many other top drivers were in striking position for the Mountain Dew 250 victory.  Pole sitter Hornaday in the #33 Chevrolet led 47 laps in his most aggressive run at Talladega but the Toyotas of Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola would control the lead. Mirroring the battle of the 2009 event at Talladega, Aric Almirola flew to the lead for lap 90 as trucks began to jockey ever more contentiously for positions as the laps ticked away.

Coming down to 2 laps remaining, the #95 Ford F-150 of Grant Enfinger impacted the rear of Todd Bodine's #30 Toyota. Also collecting the #5 Toyota of  Mike Skinner, the #2 Chevy of Ken Schrader as well as the #60 Chevy driven by Narain Karthikeyan, the #33 Chevrolet of Ron Hornaday was most dramatically swept up in the late race big wreck. Turned sideways, the #33 truck was sent airbourne and upside down. Sliding from the Talladega start/finish lane, Hornaday's truck settled after a long travel to the apron of turn 1. Talladega track safety crew (as well as fellow competitor caught up in the crash Todd Bodine) ran over to Hornaday's truck to fortunately find the #33 Chevrolet truck driver unhurt despite the rough ride. Ron Hornaday ended the race in 21st spot ahead of Grant Enfinger. Mike Skinner, Ken Schrader and Todd Bodine were able to continue racing.

Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images

Requiring a 9 minute, 42 second red flag to clean up the wreckage left by the 6-truck crash, the race restarted with only a green-white-checkered situation meant to decide the Mountain Dew 250. Getting massive assistance from Kyle Busch, leader Aric Almirola was vaulted ahead of other competitors making it appear the 26-year old driver would get his first superspeedway victory. However, as the lead pack flew out of turn 4 on the final lap, Almirola's #51 Toyota skated up the track just enough to open the door for Busch's #18 Toyota setting up a drag race to the line.

As Almirola moved down to tighten the opening for Busch, minor side contact was made giving third place runner Johnny Sauter piloting the #13 Chevrolet an advantage in momentum. Coming to the line, Sauter charged up the outside of the Toyotas making the charge for the Talladega truck series win a three-wide situation. Though #18 Toyota lost some of his drafting 'sling-shot' speed in brushing with Almirola, Kyle Busch edged out the #51 Toyota to win the Mountain Dew 250.

Busch's testified in victory lane that he had intended on remaining on the rear bumper of Almirola but competitors should know better than to expect Kyle Busch to settle for 2nd place. The margin of victory was recorded at a mere 0.002 seconds. This fight for the Mountain Dew 250 win registered as the closest ever finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (in fact, the top-3 NASCAR touring series) since the introduction of electronic timing and scoring.

Finishing 18th place running wounded after suffering damage in the lap 93 accident, Camping World Truck Series leader Todd Bodine is still safely in the top spot but did lost some of his gap over 2nd place Aric Almirola.

2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Mountain Dew 250
Talladega Superspeedway
October 30, 2010
Race Results

Top-10:

1. 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Tundra/TRAXXAS Toyota
2. 51 Aric Almirola Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota
3. 13 Johnny Sauter FarmPaint.com Chevrolet
4. 88 Matt Crafton Australian Gold/Menards Chevrolet
5. 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet
6. 31 James Buescher Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet
7. 17 Timothy Peters Red Horse Racing Toyota 
8. 3 Austin Dillon # Bass Pro Shops/Remington/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
9. 23 Jason White GunBroker.com/Pursuit Channel Ford
10. 46 Craig Goess Jr. Greenville Toyota Toyota 

Montoya Targets Talladega Pole for AMP Energy 500

Jason Smith/ Getty images for NASCAR

Drawing an early run through afternoon time trials, Juan Pablo Montoya placed the #42 Target-sponsored Chevrolet on pole for Sunday's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Only the 6th car set to take the track, Montoya's Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR) Engine benefited with the earlier, cooler conditions to circulate around the 2.66 mile tri-oval in 51.863 seconds or 184.640 miles per hour. Undefeated in competition on NASCAR Sprint Cup restrictor plate races this season, the ECR engine program has yet another reason to celebrate as Montoya and Richard Childress Racing's #33 Chevrolet of Clint Bowyer occupy the front row.

Kurt Busch provided a strong run for the 3rd fastast run in qualifying with his Penske Racing #2 Dodge while Joe Nemecheck provides a minor surprise by rushing his #87 Toyota into 4th place. Saying it's a minor surprise, it is typical on restrictor plate tracks that smaller, underfunded teams like Nemechek's independent effort will take measures to add horsepower which is inadvisable but worthwhile in gaining a higher field presence in the race. Several other cars including the #36 Chevrolet of Tommy Baldwin Racing, the #13 Germain Racing Toyota, a second Nemechek #97 Toyota and the #46 Chevy owned by Dusty Whitney are shaped within the top-15 of the AMP Energy 500.

In relations to the ever-more important Chase for the Sprint Cup as only 3 races remain after Talladega, the top-two drivers in points have taken conservative runs through superspeedway qualifying. Denny Hamlin qualified 17th while Jimmie Johnson is 19th. For the #11 Toyota of Hamlin, his starting spot is the highest for the Joe Gibbs Racing team with Joey Logano placing 25th and Kyle Busch buried early in 32rd spot. In the Hendrick Motorsports stable, Jeff Gordon as well as Mark Martin will start just ahead of Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota in 30th and 31st positions. From the drop of the green flag, revered but embattled superspeedway driver Dale Earnhardt Jr #88 Chevy team leads the Hendrick drivers with a 6th place result after qualifying.



While speeds have been contained under the 185-mile per hour range for single-car qualifying, practice speeds in multiple-vehicle drafting conditions have seen NASCAR Sprint Cup cars flying more than 12 miles per hour faster.

Talladega Superspeedway, the 2.66 mile tri-oval is immediately going allow drivers to gain considerable ground within a span of a single lap. Conversely, the track also presents NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers an invitation to make a smallest mistake which will either cost positions or even their race car. The 'Big Wreck' is always a high probability at Talladega and been known to change everything. Drivers in tight points battles inside and outside of the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup will be on edge for 188 laps Sunday.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AMP Energy 500
Talladega Superspeedway
October 30, 2010

Starting Lineup:

1. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
2. 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet
3. 2 Kurt Busch Operation Home Front/Miller Lite Dodge
4. 87 Joe Nemechek Gator.com Toyota
5. 31 Jeff Burton Cat Financial Chevrolet
6. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. LgndofHllwdegaAMPEnrgyJuice/NtnlGrd Chev
7. 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
8. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
9. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota 
10. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
11. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
12. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops Tribute Chevrolet
13. 97 Jeff Fuller HeatRedefined.com Toyota 
14. 29 Kevin Harvick Realtree/Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
15. 46 Michael McDowell Whitney's Collision Centers Chevrolet 
16. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
17. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 
18. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
19. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
20. 55 Michael Waltrip Aaron's 55th Anniversary Toyota 
21. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
22. 71 Chad McCumbee TRG Motorsports/ModSpace Chevrolet 
23. 99 Carl Edwards Subway Ford
24. 09 Bobby Labonte Komatsu/TEC Chevrolet 
25. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
26. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
27. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
28. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
29. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
30. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
31. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet
32. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
33. 19 Elliott Sadler Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford
34. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
35. 47 Marcos Ambrose Kleenex/Clorox Toyota
36. 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford 
37.  9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
38. 98 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Ford
39. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
40. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
41. 34 Robert Richardson Jr. A&W All American Food Ford 
42.  7 Robby Gordon Speed Energy Toyota
43. 26 Bill Elliott Air Guard Ford

Hornaday Gives Chevrolet First Truck Pole at Talladega

Photo Credit:  Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

For the second straight week, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series joins stock car's headline Sprint Cup series for the Talladega Superspeedway race weekend. Friday qualifying for the Mountain Dew 250 set for 3 P.M. Eastern on Saturday afternoon saw Chevrolet performing a first-ever feat in the truck series at the 2.66 mile oval. Wearing the Bowtie logo, the #33 Kevin Harvick Incorporated truck piloted by Ron Hornaday Jr flew to pole at Talladega posting a top qualifying time of 52.839 seconds or the equivalent average speed of 181.230 miles per hour. Hornaday's Chevrolet Silverado outran the #23 Ford F-150 of Jason White through the time trial by more than just 1/10th of a second to give himself as well as his manufacturer a first time pole at the super fast Alabama race track.

Late into the Camping World Truck Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway, Richard Childress Racing rookie Austin Dillon drew a late qualifying run to potentially challenge Hornaday's mark with the #3 Chevrolet. Dillon came short but still produced a 3rd fastest time to start Saturday's Mountain Dew 250. With two of the top-three starting position occupied by Chevrolet Silverados, the Friday qualifying outing was quite a reason to celebrate through the top-10. The #2 KHI Chevy being driven by stock car veteran Ken Schrader secured a front-running 4th spot. 7th through 9th, Turner Motorsports trucks driven by Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher sandwich the another Chevy, the #13 Thorsport Racing truck of Johnny Sauter.

Bucking the usual trend for double-duty drivers during companion races at the same race track leading into the Sprint Cup race, there will only be as many as three drivers planning to run both the truck and cup race at Talladega. Among the most notable, driver and embattled first year truck team owner Kyle Busch will start 18th in his #18 Toyota Tundra. Driving the #9 Ford again for Richard Petty Motorsports after a more than respectable outing in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville, Aric Almirola runs his season-long campaign with Bill Ballew Motorsports' #51 Toyota. Almirola will start 5th for the Mountain Dew 250 Saturday behind Schrader and ahead of Chris Fontaine's enviable 6th fastest qualifying lap. 

Runaway points leader in the Camping World Truck Series Todd Bodine starts 10th with his #30 Germain Racing Toyota. Holding onto a 282-point lead above Aric Almirola, fortune at Talladega would go a long way to sealing the 2010 championship. After four truck races at Talladega, Bodine comes into the event with stellar history of two wins and a worst ever finish being 4th in 2006.

Though a big qualifying result for Ron Hornaday Jr, Kevin Harvick Incorporated and Chevrolet, qualifying positions will be of little importance once the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway commences. Guaranteed to be a rough and tumble outing as high-speeds, close quarters as well as drafting is certain to shuffle the field with likelihood of multiple vehicle wrecks looming for 36 competitors.


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Mountain Dew 250
Talladega Superspeedway
October 29th, 2010

Starting Lineup:

1. 1 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. E-Z-GO 2Five Chevrolet 52.839 SEC / 181.230
2. 23 Jason White GunBroker.com/Pursuit Channel Ford 52.932 SEC / 180.911
3. 3 Austin Dillon BassProShops/Rmngtn/TrckrBoats Chev 52.942 SEC / 180.877
4. 2 Ken Schrader Moore's Marinade Chevrolet 52.947 SEC / 180.860
5. 51 Aric Almirola Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota 53.104 SEC / 180.325
6. 84 Chris Fontaine Glenden Enterprises Toyota 53.153 SEC / 180.159
7. 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet 53.262 SEC / 179.790
8. 13 Johnny Sauter FarmPaint.com Chevrolet 53.348 SEC / 179.501
9. 31 James Buescher Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet 53.353 SEC / 179.484 
10. 30 Todd Bodine Valvoline Toyota 53.431 SEC / 179.222
11. 88 Matt Crafton Australian Gold/Menards Chevrolet 53.435 SEC / 179.208
12. 95 Grant Enfinger BeasleyAllen.com/Roush Yates Ford 53.475 SEC / 179.074
13. 81 David Starr Zachry Toyota 53.547 SEC / 178.834
14. 60 Narain Karthikeyan SafeAuto Insurance/Wyler.com Chevrolet 53.549 SEC / 178.827 
15. 17 Timothy Peters Red Horse Racing Toyota 53.562 SEC / 178.783
16. 5 Mike Skinner Exide Toyota 53.668 SEC / 178.430
17. 7 Justin Lofton visitpit.com Toyota 53.711 SEC / 178.288
18. 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Tundra/TRAXXAS Toyota 53.731 SEC / 178.221
19. 46 Craig Goess Jr. Greenville Toyota Toyota 53.960 SEC / 177.465
20. 9 Max Papis GEICO Toyota 54.030 SEC / 177.235
21. 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb DrivenMale.com Ford 54.048 SEC / 177.176
22. 12 Mario Gosselin Accell Cnstrctn/TireMnky/JamesCrtr Att Chev 54.050 SEC / 177.169
23. 47 Donnie Neuenberger Plan B Techologies Chevrolet 54.067 SEC / 177.114
24. 6 Jeffrey Earnhardt Firestop/FWI/FuelDoctor Dodge 54.117 SEC / 176.950 
25. 07 Tony Jackson Jr. ASI Limited/Akzo Nobel Chevrolet 54.124 SEC / 176.927
26. 39 Ryan Sieg S&W Towing Chevrolet 54.530 SEC / 175.610
27. 93 Mike Garvey S&W Towing Chevrolet 54.705 SEC / 175.048
28. 53 Justin Hobgood Alabama Cattlemen's Association Chevrolet 54.872 SEC / 174.515
29. 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 55.071 SEC / 173.885
30. 89 Mike Harmon Lafferty Performance/Blue Ox Ford 55.205 SEC / 173.463
31. 85 Brent Raymer Blast It All Ford/Ford Drive one Ford 55.327 SEC / 173.080
32. 28 Andy Lally FDNY Racing Chevrolet 55.474 SEC / 172.621
33. 72 John Jackson James Carter Att./SponsortheTruck.com Chev 55.515 SEC / 172.494
34. 48 Bryan Silas Pro Gold Chevrolet 55.930 SEC / 171.214
35. 00 Dominick Casola Koma Unwind Chevrolet 56.589 SEC / 169.220
36. 24 Jerick Johnson Lafferty Performance Chevrolet 57.978 SEC / 165.166

 

 

Harvick Noses Ahead of McMurray to Win Aaron's 499 at Talladega

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

The first restrictor plate race since the Daytona 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup cars entered the Aaron's 499 more seasoned than at Speedweeks this past February. Providing a NASCAR Sprint Cup record 88 lead changes between 29 different drivers, the 2010 race at Talladega Superspeedway was one of the most contentious battles of the still young stock car racing season.

Because of severe weather warnings in the Talladega county region, NASCAR's halting of race activities Saturday also erased Sprint Cup qualifying for the race. The Aaron's 499 field was set on car owner points following the event at Texas Motor Speedway last Monday. While the #48 Lowes Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson with Matt Kenseth's #17 Ford starting alongside, 8 lead changes transpired in the first 10 laps settting the tone for the event. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler and Joey Logano were some of the drivers taking 5 bonus points for leading the Talladega race through early hustling. Also grabbing the top spot in the Aaron's 499 race was the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Taking the lead first on lap 30, Earnhardt Jr would take the 1st place position 5 separate occasions for 8 laps total. Besides the time out front of the field, the #88 Hendrick Motorsports car appeared very comfortable for Dale Jr as he could move through the field with ease for much of the Aaron's 499 event.


Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR


A rather tame race through the first 75 lap distance, only the competition caution on lap 20 broke up the green flag dicing of Sprint Cup cars. The first caution for an on-track incident came when the Denny Hamlin's #11 FedEx Toyota slid off the frontstretch through the infield grass. Losing ground in this early race predicament, Hamlin recovered into the Aaron's 499 event to a top-5 finish for his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Five laps following the restart for the Hamlin spin-out, a multi-car frontstretch accident claimed the first collection of vehicles in the race. Initiated when the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch bumped the #36 Chevrolet of Johnny Sauter, the crash caught Matt Kenseth's Ford, Michael Waltrip driven #55 Toyota, Max Papis in the #13 Toyota and the #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch along with others. Out of the race due to the accident, Waltrip quipped in the garage to a Fox Pit Reporter that Kyle Busch fails to practice the race conduct he preaches.

Into the last 30 scheduled laps, the battles for the lead ceased as drivers were counting down to the final laps. Maintaining a single file pack, two driver would enjoy the longest lead runs in the Aaron's 499. Jeff Burton led 17 laps and Jamie McMurray 23 circuits towards the end. However, as the drivers braced for their final moves vying for the race victory, the Aaron's 499 would go into extra innings. Originally scheduled for 187 laps, the 3 periods of green-white-checker finishes extended the distance to 200 laps (over 31 miles further than anticipated).

The entire scenario started as Jeff Burton, Scott Speed, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon wrecked within the frontstretch tri-oval. While not contributing to the crash, the #24 Dupont Chevrolet was susceptible to damage due to a run-in with a friend turned apparent foe. The #48 of Jimmie Johnson squeezed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Gordon down below the yellow line on lap 183 placing the #24 Chevrolet in a very precarious position. Adding for fuel to an increasingly harsher fire between the Hendrick Motosports teammates, Gordon and Johnson have been making headlines as late after an on-track run-in at Texas on last Monday.

Entering into extra laps, the race restarted on lap 188 with Tony Stewart challenging McMurray only for the #1 Chevrolet to slip away until a second massive accident in turn 3 aborted the white flag call. Triggered when the Joey Logano's #20 Home Depot Toyota aggressively bump drafted the #39 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman sending Newman out of control exiting turn 3. Talking 9 out cars, the #47 Toyota of Marcos Ambrose, Brad Keselowski in the #12 Dodge, Bobby Labonte's #71 Chevrolet and the #83 Red Bull Toyota of Brian Vickers were among the cars collected. Also listed in receiving damage in the lap 189 crash, the #19 Ford of Elliott Sadler and the #77 Dodge of Sam Hornish Jr were also involved in the first major wreck at lap 84.

Because the extended distance, there were several cars and teams fretting about fuel economy into the final laps including both Earnhardt-Ganassi machines driven by Jamie McMurray and Juan Montoya. The second checkered flag attempt was thwarted when the #16 Roush Fenway Ford of Greg Biffle encountered fuel pick-up issues resulting in an incident where the #48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson misjudged the slowing Ford and collided on the backstretch.



Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR


With fuel economy a growing worry for the #1 Earnhardt-Genassi Racing team, the race restarted for the third and final time with Jamie McMurray receiving the launch he needed with help of the #29 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick. In a two-car draft, the pair of Chevrolets broke away into the white flag lap. Coming around for the final run down the front stretch tri-oval, Harvick searched for a way to pass McMurray's #1 Chevrolet. In a daring move, Kevin Harvick brushed the rear bumper of McMurray in such a way that made the #1 car just enough out of control to break his momentum. The yellow #29 Chevrolet ducked to the bottom of the track entering into a dead heat with the #1 car racing the last 50 meters to the start/finish line.

Though electronic timing made the declaration for victory anti-climatic, it wasn't until a photo finish until at the line where Kevin Harvick and the Richard Childress Racing fielded #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet were comfortably named winners of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway. With the #29 sponsor Shell/Pennzoil announcing a move for Penske Racing in 2011, Kevin Harvick, Richard Childress and the entire #29 RCR team celebrated knowing that the future is still yet to be determined.

Settling for second place, Jamie McMurray narrowly missed an opportunity to claim his 3 straight restrictor plate victory. Commenting on the pass in post race, McMurray provided some insight on the move from the #29 car. "I really thought that Kevin was going to go high. I felt like I was close enough to the yellow line that there was a lot more racetrack to the right, and it seemed like you could stall guys out more on the outside than you could the inside. And so I was really guarding against the outside, and when he went left, it did, it really loosens the car up. It's hard to explain to you guys that aren't in cars, but when there's someone directly behind you and they pull their car out of line really fast, it's like you pull a parachute in your car." Both Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Chevrolets made it on fuel as Juan Montoya finished in 3rd place.



Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

With Denny Hamlin finishing 4th after the before mentioned troubles, the top-5 was rounded out by the the #5 Chevrolet of Mark Martin. Emerging at just the right time, Martin overtook his Hendrick Motorsports teammates to become the highest finishing driver in the camp. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson encountering late race problems while Dale Earnhardt Jr faded to 13th place as the #88 was shut out of the draft.

Inside the top 10, David Ragan posted a strong 6th place finish in the #6 UPS Ford. His first top-10 run of the 2010 Sprint Cup season, Ragan is fighting to regain the 2008 form that almost sparked a birth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

In the final position within the top-10 finishers, the #09 Chevrolet of Phoenix Racing was driven up 27 spots by Mike Bliss. Falling short of the major victory at Talladega just one year before, Mike Bliss' quiet 10th place run comes as team owner James Finch placing a 'For Sale' sign on the doorstep of his entire racing operations Friday.

NASCAR Sprint Cup points following the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway has Jimmie Johnson retaining the lead by only 26 points over the new 2nd place runner Kevin Harvick. Two Hendrick Motorsports drivers showed the sharpest rise and fall in the points after Talladega. Mark Martin moved up 4 spots while Jeff Gordon lost 5 positions in the season standings.

Sprint Cup teams prepare to leave the restrictor plate race behind for a Saturday night affair at the Richmond International Raceway short track.


Aaron's 499
2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Finishing Order

1) 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
2) 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
3) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya TUMS Chevrolet 
4) 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
5) 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
6) 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
7) 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet
8) 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
9) 18 Kyle Busch Pedigree Toyota 
10) 09 Mike Bliss Phoenix Construction / Graceway Chevrolet
11) 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
12) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
14) 00 David Reutimann Alabama National Champions / Aaron's Toyota
15) 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 200
16) 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice Matterhorn Chevrolet
17) 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 
18) 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford 
19) 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia / Best Buy Ford
20) 7 Robby Gordon Monster Energy Toyota
21) 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford 
22) 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
23) 71 Bobby Labonte TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
24) 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Truck Rental / AAA Dodge
25) 98 Paul Menard Turtle Wax / Menards Ford
26) 37 Robert Richardson Jr. Mahindra Tractors USA Ford
27) 26 David Stremme Air National Guard Ford
28) 17 Matt Kenseth Valvoline Ford
29) 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 
30) 38 Kevin Conway  Extenze Ford
31) 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
32) 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet 
33) 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley / Bostitch Ford
34) 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge 
35) 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation / Office Depot Chevrolet
36) 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
37) 47 Marcos Ambrose Bush's Best Baked Beans / Kingsford Toyota
38) 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
39) 55 Michael Waltrip Aaron's 55th Anniversary Toyota
40) 13 Max Papis GEICO Toyota
41) 36 Johnny Sauter Baldwin Automotive Chevrolet
42) 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
43) 66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota

Severe Weather Cancels All NASCAR acitivity at Talladega for Saturday

For the second straight weekend, a major NASCAR event has seen its Saturday festivities completely interrupted by rain showers. Unlike the situation at Texas, the stock car racing sanctioning body was reacting to a much more dangerous weather system which has the likelihood of thunderstorms of even the chance of stirring up tornadoes. Heeding to threats of severe weather, acting under the advisement of National Weather Service as well as the Talladega County Emergency Management Agency, NASCAR has elected to cancel qualifying for the Sprint Cup series Aaron's 499 and postpone the Aaron's 312 Nationwide Series event.

Using points to settle the NASCAR Sprint Cup field for tomorrow's Aaron's 499, 43 entrants were effortlessly placed in the race while 2 race teams and drivers were forced to go home early. The #35 Chevrolet of Aric Almirola and the #46 Dodge driven by Terry Cook packed their haulers and rolled out of the Talladega Superspeedway infield area. While Saturday is a bust, clear weather on Friday allowed teams to receive ample practice time to work on their race day setup.

With weather necessitating another double-header for the major NASCAR touring series on Sunday. The Aaron's 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series event will run following the Aaron's 499 Sprint Cup event. Fortunately for drivers and teams, tomorrow's weather forecast in Talladega is suggested to be partly sunny.

Dakoda Armstrong Wins ARCA Race at Talladega

The first event for a triple-header of stock car action at the superfast Talladega Superspeedway, the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards races for supremacy for a 250 mile event on mid-afternoon Friday.

Some years ago, the ARCA Series stock car races on restrictor plate races were untamed affairs with no-fault novice drivers committing themselves to the tight, fast characteristics of 190 mile per hour racing.However, the quality of the ARCA Racing Series field has improved with major NASCAR race teams increasingly relying on the stock car sanctioning body as a farm team to developing new driving talent. Grant Enfinger and Tim George Jr are two of these development drivers eagerly auditioning for a bigger role in their auto racing future. Reflective of the increased talent in the ARCA Racing Series, winner of the last two event of this 2010 season, Steve Arpin, has been granted with his first ride in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend.

Claiming pole with an average speed of 186.499 miles per hour around the 2.66 mile oval, Penske Racing development driver Dakoda Armstrong in the #22 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge led the field through the first 32 of 94 laps with Venturini Motorsport cars of Mikey Kile and Canadian Steve Arpin riding behind. Impacted by two cautions for single-car wrecks through the event's early stage, the Talladega ARCA 250 would be shaken on lap 50 by an massive crash on the front stretch involving at least 9 cars.

With drivers James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael and the winner of ARCA's Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart ending up with vehicles damaged beyond repair, the #60 Dodge of Patrick Sheltra suffered substantial impact onto the left portion of the front end. Patched by the #60 team, Sheltra's car continued to race. Through the final race rundown, nine cars overall would reported out of the event due to accidents. A hefty toll, there were actually 10 other cars reported out due to mechanical problems from engine, overheating or transmission issues. As 250 miles continues to remain a test of maturing drivers running on limited resources, almost half of the field did not make it the checkered flag.

Since lap 52, Roush Fenway Racing development driver Grant Enfinger in the #09 Ford was leading with the Steve Aprin's #55 Toyota pushing. Into the final 10 laps, Enfinger held first spot but the #22 Dodge of Dakoda Armstrong headed a three-car draft freight train. Closing on the #09 Ford, Armstrong received a spirited push from the embattled #60 Dodge of Patrick Sheltra. In the last lap, Grant Enfinger was overwhelmed by Armstrong and Aprin down the Talladega backstretch. Armstrong, receiving a final nudge from Sheltra, was able to pass Enfinger into turn 3 to take the race lead once and for all. As a scramble occurred for the top-5, the #55 car of Steve Arpin inadvertently cut off the #16 of Joey Coulter.Spinning through turn 4, both cars avoided noticeable damage with Arpin finishing 15th and Coulter trailing in 16th place.

Gaining a first victory in his 12th ARCA Racing Series start in the Talladega ARCA 250, Dakoda Armstrong had the experience of championship caliber NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Paul Andrews wrenching the #22 Dodge.

Persevering through the lap 50 accident, Patrick Sheltra finished 2nd in an aerodynamically-challenged #60 Dodge. The #31 Chevrolet of Tim George Jr, the #81 Toyota of Craig Goess and Mikey Kile's #25 Toyota rounded out the top-5 finishing positions.