Posted on 06/17/2014 8:56:29 PM PDT by ican'tbelieveit
Top of turn 9. I’ll wave.
Why does Cup run on one of the sh!ttyest road courses in the country and Busch run’s on one of the best?
Sonoma is owned by Bruton Smith.
Bruton and the France family have a mutual love/hate pact.
And yes it would be awesome to see Cup cars race at Elkhart Lake and Road Atlanta.
That explains it. I’m not sure about Road Atlanta, but I’d love to see Cup and Indycar run Elkhart Lake.
A lot of Nas teams test there.
Keselowski got hurt testing in 2011, it was a "big one"
Volunteering again? What time are you going to get there?
Early. My ticket lets me in the drivers meeting at 10a.
it'll be sitting on white hair…..
LOL!
OK, I’m done with kids truck from hell.
Back to the real world FR NASCAR Land!!!!
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First NASCAR race...65 years ago today:
Thursday, June 19, marks the 65th anniversary of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' first race, held in 1949. In what was then called the Strictly Stock division, the race was held at Charlotte Speedway, a .75-mile dirt track, and won by #34-Jim Roper. It featured a 33-car field that included NASCAR Hall of Famers Tim Flock(5th), Buck Baker(11th), Lee Petty(17th) and Herb Thomas(29th).(NASCAR), see race results at racing-reference.info. Eventual 1949 Champion, Red Byron, finished 3rd in a Raymond Parks owned car.(6-19-2014)
OOOOHHHH!!! Nifty New Race Info Site ALERT!!
Rumors persist that Carl Edwards' sponsor at Joe Gibbs Racing will be none other than the M&Ms/Mars brand. While even the Edwards to JGR piece of the puzzle has yet to be confirmed, the most recent speculation has the current Roush Fenway Racing driver with America's most popular confection as his livery for 2015. Over the last few weeks, representatives from Gibbs have been actively recruiting throughout the garage for a fourth team but both Edwards and Gibbs remain mum on the driver's status. Where would that leave Kyle Busch? Sources say Monster, a long-time supporter of Busch, would step up to the primary sponsorship level. Still, it's hard to fathom an athlete as health-conscious as Edwards could embrace a brand with so little nutritional value. When Motorsport.com asked the driver two weeks ago about representing a company that he would not personally support off the track, the response was similar to Edwards' previous "no comment" replies regarding next year.(Motorsport)(6-19-2014)
MediaCAST, an open and interoperable digital content management and video streaming solution that provides tools to create, manage and deliver live and on-demand multimedia anytime and anywhere for the corporate, education and healthcare sectors, will sponsor Alex Kennedy and the Circle Sport entry this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Kennedy, the only New Mexico native competing in one of NASCAR's major touring series, will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start of the season this weekend behind of the wheel of the #33 MediaCAST Chevrolet SS in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350, marking the first NASCAR sponsorship for the Denver-based technology company.
In addition to his season debut at Pocono Raceway earlier this month, Kennedy also completed a two-day test at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) with Hillman Racing in preparation for his two starts on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road courses. The 22-year-old Kennedy has two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts and one Sprint Cup Series start at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in Sonoma, Calif., and will look to better his Sprint Cup Series-best 29th-place finish in his fifth career Cup Series start on Sunday. "We've taken a strategic approach to racing this year. It started with a test at VIR in late May and continued with the race at Pocono two weeks ago in an effort to be well prepared for the road-course event at Sonoma," said Kennedy, who made his first start at Sonoma Raceway in a Legends car at age 12 and captured the Legends Pro Series event in 2007 at age 15. "We've put an emphasis on the two road-course events and I'm looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the #33 MediaCAST Chevrolet this weekend and using my experience at Sonoma to race against the best in the sport and put together a solid performance."(Circle Sport)(6-19-2014)
Aric Almirola and the #43 Nathan's Famous team head west this week to Race Sonoma. Despite not being a road course specialist, Race Sonoma is a track Almirola enjoys. He and the team dialed in the #43 Nathan's Famous Ford recently at Carolina MotorSports Park with a day test at the road course. Almirola has three starts at Race Sonoma and six total road course starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Last season, he posted his best Race Sonoma finish of 20th gaining eight spots from the following years. He and the #43 Nathan's Famous team look to best the 20th-place finish this weekend. Nathan's Famous will again hold a hot dog eating qualifier for the World Championship on July 4. Seven-time champion Joey Chestnut will be on hand at the qualifier and spend some time with the #43 race team and seven-time NASCAR Champion Richard Petty.(RPM), see an image of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2014)
Tomy Drissi To Drive #66 at Sonoma:
Tomy Drissi announced he will be teaming up with Jay Robinson Racing and the #66 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Team to drive The Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Drissi will drive a Hercules liveried scheme. “The only thing more fun than driving a Cup car is driving a Cup car at Sonoma,” said Tomy. “These guys are so good... it’s such a good show and really great racing. And, the fans are unbelievable. They’re going to love the the Hercules car. We’ve gone all out on the graphics package, and I’m confident that the Jay Robison Racing crew will have a fast car right off the trailer.” Excited to be partnering with the team, this will be Tomy’s 2nd year in row with JRR at Sonoma. “This is a very important race for our team,” Jay Robinson said. “We are in a very tight [owners] points battle. I am very confident in Tomy’s ability to bring home a good finish.” Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson, opens in theaters July 25th. Both man and myth, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) leads a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Drissi owns an advertising firm that produces upcoming film displays for cinemas. Drissi’s first racing experience in motorsports was street racing on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.(tomydrissi.com), see an image of the scheme on the #66 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2014)
Different K-LOVE scheme for the #95 at Sonoma:
Michael McDowell will debut a brand new paint scheme for Leavine Family Racing’s #95 Ford this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The #95 Ford Fusion team will sport blue, yellow and black colors with K-LOVE adorning the hood and quarter panels and K-LOVE’s “music city” added to the background. K-LOVE Radio, part of EMF Broadcasting, is headquartered in Rocklin, Calif., a growing community in northern California about 30 miles east of Sacramento. Although this weekend marks McDowell’s first Sonoma Raceway appearance with Leavine Family Racing; the Glendale, Ariz., driver has made two other NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.99-mile road course. He earned a career-best 28th-place finish at the track in June 2008. McDowell also has one GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series start at the track, where he finished 10th in 2006. In seven previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road course races, McDowell has an average starting position of 27.1, and an average finishing position of 33.4. In 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts on a road course, McDowell has posted three top-five and five top-10 finishes including two pole awards.(Leavine Family Racing), see an image of the scheme on the #95 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2014)
#40 Carsforsale.com Chevy to Race at Sonoma:
Carsforsale.com, one of the Internet’s largest online automotive inventory websites, announced the #40 Carsforsale.com Chevy will make an appearance with Landon Cassill and Hillman Racing at the NASCAR Toyota/Save Mart 350 this Sunday, June 22. “Every opportunity we receive to work with Landon and the Hillman Racing team is another chance to say thank you to our dealer family by drawing more consumers to their inventory on Carsforsale.com,” stated Carsforsale.com CEO Sean Coffman. “We hope to see a great finish for the #40 Carsforsale.com Chevy SS this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.” As a portal for consumers to search find the perfect vehicle from nearly 17,000 dealers across the country, Carsforsale.com is happy to increase their visibility and brand awareness with involvement with NASCAR, the #40 Carsforsale.com Chevrolet SS, Landon Cassill and the Hillman Racing team. Carsforsale.com also offers dealership solutions to car, truck, and specialty dealers across the United States.(Mike Hillman Racing), see an image of the car on the #40 team paint schemes page.(6-19-2014)
Ragan to Promote Long John Silver’s ‘Free Fish & Fries’ at Sonoma:
David Ragan’s #34 Ford will carry a special message to fans throughout the Sonoma Raceway race weekend: Mark your calendars for June 28 for Free Fish & Fries from Long John Silver’s. The world’s largest quick service seafood brand will give away its crispy, golden Fish & Fries, completely free of charge, to every guest who visits a Long John Silver’s at participating locations for dine-in or carryout on June 28 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. “Long John Silver’s wants to celebrate our loyal customers who have made us America’s favorite seafood brand for the past 45 years, and that certainly includes a lot of NASCAR fans,” said Mike Kern, Chief Executive Officer for Long John Silver’s. “There is no better way to say ‘Thank you’ to America than by offering everyone the delicious, classic fish and fries that first made us famous.” A special paint scheme on Ragan’s #34 Ford will promote the Free Fish & Fries offer throughout the Toyota Save Mart 350 race weekend at the twisting and sloping road course in Sonoma, CA.(FRM), see an image of the scheme on the #34 Team Schemes page.(6-18-2014)
Germain Racing is delighted to celebrate the 40th Vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon with Caymus Vineyards this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Caymus is in its second season as an associate sponsor on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series #13 GEICO Chevrolet SS driven by Californian Casey Mears. In Sunday's race, a special 40th Cabernet logo will appear on the rear quarter panels of the race car.(Germain Racing) AND Similar to how a crew chief involves a race car driver in making decisions about the race car, Oil Can Henry's involves their customers in the repair and maintenance decisions about their vehicles. Germain Racing is proud to announce that Oil Can Henry's will return as an associate sponsor for the #13 GEICO Chevrolet SS, driven by Casey Mears at Sonoma Raceway. Oil Can Henry's has a unique approach to servicing vehicles. Oil Can Henry's earns its customers' trust with a service that involves them in the process and educates them about their vehicle meanwhile providing premium quality Castrol Lubricants for their cars' engines. There are no waiting rooms at Oil Can Henry's.(Germain Racing)(6-19-2014)
Budweiser “Good Sport Program” Featured at Sonoma:
Sonoma Raceway and Budweiser will team up to help race fans make it home safely during the 2014 race season, as the Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver Booth will be featured at all major event weekends. Good Sport is designed to help facility operators and concessionaires encourage fan responsibility at sporting events. The program is activated in partnership with 95 teams in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer. Good Sport programs have also been integrated into high-profile brand and sporting events throughout the year, including the MLB All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game, NHL Winter Classic, and select NASCAR races, among many others. At Sonoma Raceway, the California Highway Patrol and Budweiser will work together to promote safe alcohol consumption and designated driving during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing and Verizon IndyCar Series event weekends. Fans who visit the Good Sport Designated Driver Booth and pledge to be the designated driver for their group will receive a free non-alcoholic beverage in exchange for refraining from drinking and helping to make sure their group has a safe ride home.(Sonoma Raceway)(6-19-2014)
NASCAR president Mike Helton sat down with NASCAR Race Hub co-host Danielle Trotta for an exclusive, two-part interview airing at 5:00pm/et on Wednesday, June 18, and Thursday, June 19, on FOX Sports 1. The NASCAR president talks topics ranging from limiting Sprint Cup Series drivers in lower series; the possibility of adding a road course to the Chase; the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format; the "Dale Earnhardt Jr. effect"; race attendance; the move toward a more technologically-policed pit road in 2015; and a horsepower reduction next season.(FOX)(6-18-2014)
UPDATE - Helton interview part 1 transcript in part: NASCAR President Mike Helton sat down with NASCAR RACE HUB co-host Danielle Trotta for an exclusive, two-part "state of the sport" interview whose first installment aired Wednesday, June 18 on FOX Sports 1.
Part 2 continues on NASCAR RACE HUB on Thursday, June 19 at 5:00pm/et. On Wednesday's show, Helton discussed a variety of topics that have made headlines in the 2014 NASCAR season, including the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup format; the "Dale Earnhardt Jr. effect;" race attendance; the youth movement in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series; and the possibility of limiting NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers in the lower series.
The transcript in part, from the interview:
ON WHETHER HE HAS BEEN PLEASED WITH THE CHANGES IMPLEMENTED IN 2014, INCLUDING THE NEW CHASE FORMAT AND KNOCKOUT QUALIFYING:
Helton: "I think we have. Yes. Obviously the qualifying format has grown a lot of interest at the race track, on TV and the 'water cooler talk,' as old folks would call it. Now it's social media, I guess. And it's fun. It's fun to watch, which a sport should be fun. The Chase format was an element to put emphasis on winning. I think that's happened early in the season. The new format is yet to come but leading up to it has been very exciting. So we're pleased so far."
ON WHETHER RACE ATTENDANCE IS A CONCERN, DESPITE THE ON-TRACK PRODUCT:
Helton: "Obviously the product is a priority, and I say 'product' for everybody. But the viewership and the live attendance is something that the whole industry uses to judge successes, and that's something that we've all collectively been working on ever since the swing through the economy. We think we see signs of that. We're encouraged by the uptick. We're encouraged by the enthusiasm that seems to exist among the community now."
ON WHETHER NASCAR IS CONSIDERING LIMITING THE NUMBER OF STARTS THAT CUP SERIES DRIVERS CAN MAKE IN THE NATIONWIDE OR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES:
Helton: "It's a conversation point that doesn't so far go very far because NASCAR is open-minded. It's open-field, too. We don't believe it's correct to tell someone they cannot compete somewhere. We have NASCAR drivers who go compete in IndyCar or ARCA or a weekly track or a weekly show or open-wheel racing in different programs, and that's the culture of NASCAR to be open-minded about who participates. No one is excluded from participating. You can earn your way in. We have, however, changed some of the rules and regulations around in hopes to encourage and get attention to the ones who are competing on a fulltime level in the Nationwide. It happened a couple of years ago. We had the drivers to select what series they would gather points in ... We saw some signs of being successful there. We're just not of the mindset to exclude somebody from participating. We'd rather encourage everyone who wants to participate to participate. So, if we said, 'You can't play over here,' it's kind of contrary to our culture.'"
On Thursday's show, Helton shares his thoughts on subjects that could impact the 2015 season and future of NASCAR, including the likelihood of adding a road course race to the Chase; the move toward a more technologically-policed pit road in 2015; and a horsepower reduction next season.(see interview at FoxSports)(6-18-2014)
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