NASCAR Notebook: Mike Ford hopes to recapture old magic with Aric Almirola
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service - TALLADEGA, Ala. — The most fun Mike Ford had as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief occurred during his first two years in that role. By the time Ford was replaced by Darian Grubb in his job at Joe Gibbs Racing, the fun was gone — long gone. In his move to Richard Petty Motorsports as crew chief for Aric Almirola, Ford sees a chance to rekindle the sort of excitement that buoyed … Read entire article »
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Will Dale Jr. plus Talladega be a winning equation?
Plenty of intangibles tilt in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s favor this weekend — his history of success at Talladega Superspeedway and his father’s legacy of dominating there among them. One X-factor Earnhardt doesn’t buy into — momentum. Earnhardt has reason for optimism heading into Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET), but it’s not based around his runner-up finish last weekend at Richmond International Raceway. Instead, NASCAR’s most popular driver suggests that season-to-date performance and confidence play more … Read entire article »
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SMI chairman Bruton Smith hopes track grinding will transform Bristol
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service – As promised, Bristol Motor Speedway is getting a facelift — or perhaps more accurately, a close shave — in hopes of persuading fans to return to the 160,000-seat, .533-mile Taj Mahal of short track racing. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., the parent company that owns Bristol and seven other Sprint Cup racetracks, announced Wednesday at the speedway that, by the time the Cup series returns for the Aug. 25 Irwin Tools Night Race, the variable banking incorporated during a 2007 resurfacing of the track will be gone. A half-empty grandstand greeted the Cup series for the fourth race of the season in March, prompting Smith announce immediately that he would make changes to the track based on feedback from fans. The 2007 project created … Read entire article »
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Bowyer, Edwards, McMurray eager for Kansas homecoming
While any NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory would qualify as “big,” a win in Kansas City would hold a special place in the heart of a trio of drivers. Clint Bowyer, a native of Emporia, Kan., and Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray — both from neighboring Missouri — hope to enjoy the home-track feel that Kansas Speedway offers in Sunday’s STP 400 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET). None of the three have won at Kansas, but Bowyer and … Read entire article »
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Kentucky Speedway GM confident that traffic problems are solved
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service If there’s a lasting image from last year’s inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, it doesn’t involve the streams of headlights inching toward the racetrack long after the event had started. It doesn’t involve the streams of red brake lights inching away from the track after the race’s midpoint, when the state police and speedway officials had no choice but to reverse the traffic pattern and turn away … Read entire article »
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2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominees Announced
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Determination and innovation, two qualities existing in abundance in the men and women who built NASCAR, characterize the 25 nominees for the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. NASCAR has announced those 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s fourth induction class, and included among the diverse group are five newcomers who make this list arguably the most intriguing in the hall’s history. Of the 25 nominees, 20 return from last year’s … Read entire article »
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Denny Hamlin experiences Augusta National inside the ropes
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Denny Hamlin made his reputation as a driver. Bubba Watson made his reputation with his driver. But Watson, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, left his driver in the bag during Wednesday’s traditional Par-3 Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, a day before competition in The Masters starts in earnest at the vaunted club in eastern Georgia. Hamlin carried Watson’s bag during the par-3 event played on Augusta National’s nine-hole … Read entire article »
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Cool-Down Lap: Leaving Fontana with a six-pack of unanswered questions
By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service FONTANA, Calif. – We know that Tony Stewart won Sunday’s Auto Club 400. We know that Greg Biffle kept the Sprint Cup points lead for the third straight week. But there’s still a lot we don’t know as we leave Fontana on the transcontinental trip to Martinsville. Here are six questions to contemplate as we move from a wide two-mile track to a tight half-mile: 1. What happened to Mr. October? No, … Read entire article »
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Jimmie Johnson Foundation Partners with Blue Bunny Ice Cream To Launch 2012 Helmet of Hope
FONTANA, Calif. – Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson kicked off the 2012 Helmet of Hope campaign today at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., by announcing Blue Bunny Ice Cream as the title sponsor of the program. Johnson unveiled this year’s helmet, custom designed by Jason Beam and complete with ice cream scoops. “We’re thrilled to have Blue Bunny Ice Cream as the title sponsor for this year’s Helmet of Hope,” Johnson said. … Read entire article »
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