Daily NASCAR

As we approach the final stretch run of the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule, expect there to be more driver shuffling within Roush Fenway Racing’s NNS program.  We’re hearing that both Matt Kenseth and Erik Darnell will get starts in the team’s #16 Fords in the upcoming races.  Kenseth ran two NNS races for this team early in the season, and Darnell hasn’t made any starts in 2010.

We’ve talked quite a bit about the RFR Nationwide teams this season (here and here), because of the team’s commitment to developing drivers and because of the team’s turmoil.  What were supposed to be full seasons for both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Colin Braun, have since turned into partial seasons.  A rash of bad luck, torn up equipment, and opportunities to run other drivers were the reasons why.  We’ve seen no less then five drivers make starts in the #6 and #16 (Stenhouse, Braun, Kenseth, Brian Ickler, and Billy Johnson), and Darnell will make it six.

If you’ll remember, Erik Darnell has been with the Roush organization since the 2004 season.  He was the winner of Roush’s famous “Gong Show” in 2005, which was televised that year and put on the Discovery Channel as “Driver X.”  Darnell then ran full seasons in the Truck Series for Roush from 2006 to 2008.  For the 2009 season he moved up to the Nationwide Series and split the #6 ride with driver David Ragan.  In 16 starts he earned two top five and five top ten finishes and had one pole.  He was also given the opportunity to run seven Cup Series races for Yates/Hall of Fame Racing in the #96 in place of Bobby Labonte, getting a best finish of 29th at Kansas.  A lack of sponsorship dollars has forced him to sit out much of the 2010 season.

Going forward, many questions still plague the RFR Nationwide program for the 2011 season.  We’ve heard that as of right now, the team may only run two cars next season, with Carl Edwards comitting to another full schedule.  The team will suffer with the loss of Paul Menard and his money to RCR/KHI for next season, and the struggles for both Braun and Stenhouse will probably mean the second car may be driven by a round robin of Cup and development drivers.

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Go to the original story

by Holly Cain

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

LOUDON, N.H. — Asked if he needed to be looking over his shoulder this weekend after an uncharacteristic string of run-ins during a high-action afternoon at the Sonoma, Ca., road course last Sunday, Jeff Gordon smiled and nodded.

“I think you’re going to have to get in line,” Gordon said, laughing about all the drivers who may seek payback in Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“We left the race track with quite a few guys upset at us for good reason. It was intense racing and some mistakes on my part and hey, when you make those kinds of decisions and those things happen, then you’ve got to deal them.

“I’m going to deal with whatever comes my way,” Gordon said, adding with a smile, “I’ve been dealing with it with (Matt) Kenseth a long time.”

While the four-time NASCAR champ was able to laugh about it following Friday’s opening practice at New Hampshire, aggressive driving is a legitimate issue and a concern among many of the front-running drivers this week.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Go to the original story

by Holly Cain

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

LOUDON, N.H. — Asked if he needed to be looking over his shoulder this weekend after an uncharacteristic string of run-ins during a high-action afternoon at the Sonoma, Ca., road course last Sunday, Jeff Gordon smiled and nodded.

“I think you’re going to have to get in line,” Gordon said, laughing about all the drivers who may seek payback in Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“We left the race track with quite a few guys upset at us for good reason. It was intense racing and some mistakes on my part and hey, when you make those kinds of decisions and those things happen, then you’ve got to deal them.

“I’m going to deal with whatever comes my way,” Gordon said, adding with a smile, “I’ve been dealing with it with (Matt) Kenseth a long time.”

While the four-time NASCAR champ was able to laugh about it following Friday’s opening practice at New Hampshire, aggressive driving is a legitimate issue and a concern among many of the front-running drivers this week.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Go to the original story

by Holly Cain

Filed under: Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

With his drivers looking on, Jack Roush took the microphone and addressed the NASCAR press corps in January, issuing a difficult and direct mea culpa.

Wearing his trademark hat and maintaining his trademark no-nonsense demeanor, Roush blamed himself for the Roush-Fenway team’s weak 2009 effort. He conceded that under his direction they spent too much time searching for the next great innovation instead of fine-tuning the cars they had.

The result was only three wins and a best finish of seventh in the standings — well below the former championship team’s standards.

“Ford has stepped up their commitment for this season to make up for my ineptitude,” Roush told the audience, explaining that a larger engineering staff for 2010 will be second only to his resolve to dethrone the four-time defending champs at Hendrick Motorsports.

Six races into the season, things are looking up.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Go to the original story

Hmm, and Jimmie Johnson’s Chevy is carrying what paint scheme, exactly? Kobalt Tools 500.

Where it’s a tad chilly, but, thank goodness, the skies are clear: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

Big guns: Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne.

Long shots: Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Elliott Sadler, David Reutimann, Jamie McMurray, Scott Speed, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger.

The hunch here: Kyle Busch.

Just the facts, please

- Though this track was reshaped and reversed (the front straight) in 1997, its distance changed only slightly: from 1.522 to 1.54 miles. Originally named Atlanta International Raceway, the name was changed to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.

- The track opened in 1960. Fireball Roberts both won and started on the pole in the first race.

- The all-time leading winner is Dale Earnhardt, who won here nine times. Cale Yarborough won seven. Richard Petty and Bobby Labonte are tied with six career victories.

-The most recent driver to win here after starting on the pole was Kasey Kahne in 2006.

- Though Geoff Bodine’s track record still stands (197.478 mph, Nov. 15, 1997), Earnhardt Jr.’s pole speed (192.761) was significantly higher than last year’s (Mark Martin, 187.045). It was the fastest qualifying speed at any track since the generic car was implemented.

- Bill Elliott has won more Cup races (44) than any other driver from Georgia. Five of the wins were here.

Snappy quotes

"This has been a really, really slick race track for a long time." - Jeff Burton.

"Forty is the new 30, anyway. That’s what I’m going with." - David Reutimann, who turned 40 on March 2.

"If I thought we’re softening up the competition in some way, shape, or form, it would be foolish on our part." - Jimmie Johnson.

"We might be in the top 10, but we’re not running as well as we need to be running." - Carl Edwards.

Go to the original story