Lets Make A Deal

Nascar fans are always excited this time of year and not only for the chase, but for the new driver deals being made. Kenseth, Logano, Truex Jr, and Newman, were the four main names everyone was waiting to hear from and they did this past week. Just before last weekends race at Atlanta Martin Truex Jr. was happy to announce he is returning to Michael Waltrip Racing to drive the number 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota. A few days later the spotlight was shining on Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth as they made rumors become truth, as Logano stated he will be moving over to Penske, and Kenseth will take over the 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth wasn't the only driver sitting at the JGR table waiting to make announcements. Brian Vickers and Ryan Truex also made deals with JGR to run in the Nationwide Series. The biggest announcement came from Elliot Sadler, as he stated he will depart from Richard Childress Racing at the end of the year to join the JGR Nationwide team while running part time in the Sprint Cup Series for JGR as well. Ryan Newman finally made his decision known to the public after much speculation. Newman announced that he has resigned with Stewart-Haas racing to drive the 39 Chevrolet once again, no sponsor has been announced as of yet.
I would have to say the bigger winner this past week has to be Joe Gibbs Racing, as they have created a force of great talent in the Nationwide Series There line up will be Elliot Sadler, Brian Vickers, and Ryan Truex. I see a JGR top three Championship next season.

Partridge Looks To Double Up

The last time Ryan Partridge Racing and PPL. Motorsports made the trip to the Bullring in Las Vegas, there ace won the race. The southern California based team is back for the second time this summer to compete in the Hoosier Tire Late Models this Saturday and Sunday at the Bullring in Vegas. July 3rd was the first time the fresh pearly white Late Model had touched the surface of a race track in a long time; so the team played there hidden aces, Sunny Wahl and Ryan partridge. With Wahl wrenching on the car and Partridge driving they were the dead mans hand as they qualified fourth and from the drop of the green flag Partridge quickly lived up to his nick name and flew to the front to win the race. Well the team is back for rounds two and three this Saturday and Sunday at the Bullring, and with a victory there first time out I believe we all know who to place our bets on this weekend. Stay tuned for more to come out of Vegas.

Dodge Say Farewell Yet Again

                Just eleven years after Dodge made its return to Nascar in 2001, the manufacture says farewell yet again. Ralph Gilles President and CEO of Chrysler’s SRT Motorsports Brand, made the announcement earlier today during a Media Teleconference call, that the manufacture will not return after the conclusion of this season. Dodge has 215 overall Sprint Cup wins in Nascar, 55 of those wins came after their return in 2001. Penske Racing was the only current Sprint Cup team running the manufacture, but they announced earlier this year that they were returning to Ford for the 2013 season. With Penske moving to Ford in 2013 Dodge was essentially stranded without a large team to run with. Gilles stated that "A number of opportunities emerged, and our team worked diligently to put a structure together to fit our overall business and competitive objectives”, “…in the end, we simply couldn't develop the right structure". Despite falling short of their ultimate goal of a Sprint Cup championship, Dodge feels they have been successful since there return in 2001. Along with their 55 Sprint Cup wins, the manufacture has won Championships in Nascar’s Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series since 2001. Dodge simply made a business decision just as they did in 1977; hopefully we will see them back in competition soon.

Hendricks Leaves Indy On Top

In a weekend of first at the famed Indianapolis Motorspeedway, it was Jimmie Johnson who kissed the bricks for the fourth time in his career. Denny Hamlin led the field to the drop of the green flag, but when it came time for green flag pit stops on lap 28, it was Johnson who won the race off pit road to gain the lead. On the first restart of the Keselowski had a mirror full of Johnson’s black and white Lowes Chevrolet, who made quick work of Keselowski retaking the lead in turn one. Keselowski watched Johnson pass him up yet again after he got loose off turn two on lap 101. Greg Biffle found himself leading on lap 129 by about seven tenths of a second, but Johnson had something to say about Biffle's lead when he just about blew the sheet metal off Biffles #16 Ford as he retook the lead. Lap 132 saw the caution flag fall once again as Joey Logano spun off turn one collecting points leader Matt Kenseth and cutting his day short. Johnson dropped the hammer on the restart at lap 140 as Biffle and Kyle Busch battled for second but they were no match for Johnson as he took the checkered by over four seconds. Kyle Busch had nothing to complain about with his second place finish; he even stated that his M&M’s Toyota was “phenomenal”, but Busch put it best when he was asked about Johnson stating,  "Jimmie Johnson wasn't even in his own zip code; he was in his own country".

But at the end of the day Johnson was not the only Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a number one next to it. Dale Earnhardt Jr. stole Johnson’s spotlight when he took advantage of Kenseth troubles and captured the points by fourteen points with seven races left until the chase. . Junior is proving to his fans that he and his number 88 crew are working hard by capturing his ninth top-five of the year, and twenty first consecutive race finishing on the lead lap. Junior is proud to be point’s leader, but Junior knows exactly what he has to do if he wants to capture the

Championship, “We need to win more races” Junior said. Junior is hot and is on track but can he stay there.

Kenseth says Farewell

This morning Tuesday June 26, 2012 Roush Fenway Racing announced that long time driver Matt Kenseth will be leaving the team at the end of this season. Matt Kenseth has spent his entire 13 years Sprint Cup career racing for Roush in the number 17 car. He is also second next to Jeff Gordon in amount of time spent at one team. It has been noted this season that the number 17 team has not had the sponsorship they needed and Roush has footed the bill himself for a few races. Roush also stated that he will do whatever he has to do to keep Matt's excellent season going.  Kenseth is a unique driver in the fact that he acts as his own agent, when Kenseth was asked about his future at Roush Fenway this past weekend at Sonoma he declined to comment by saying, "you know I don't talk about my contract". It was announced that 2011 Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will become the young new face of Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse who was mentored by Kenseth as well as other Roush Fenway drivers, has shown a lot of progress over the past couple years. It seems that Old Jack Roush is sticking to his roots once you get old by his standards, your out. Matt Kenseth gave Jack Roush his first Sprint cup championship as well as two Daytona 500's, is also currently the points leader, and is he's being removed. To me that just does not add up but its typical Jack Roush fashion 

There are speculations of teams Kenseth may join which are Penske, as they move back to Ford, and Joe Gibbs Racing. However, as Penske President Bud Denker stated this weekend that they are content with A.J. Allmindinger who is in a contract year. Aside from Penske, the majority of signs are pointing at the possibility of joining JGR who would be replacing current driver Joey Logano who is already under contract. Unlike Allmindinger, Logano has not had much improvement over the past few years at JGR. Not much has been said if Logano will continue his contract at JGR.

Stay tuned for more information concerning Matt Kenseth.

The Junior Rose This Weekend

This past Sunday it finally happened Dale Junior rose to the top like the Dark Knight and won for the first time in 140 races. Ironically the win came at the site of his last win, Michigan International Speedway four years ago. Junior did not start off solid the car was just ok until the second pit stop when crew chief Steve Letart made the call to place a spring rubber in the left rear. Since Letart and Earnhardt have been paired together they have made nothing but strides forward. The duo has had a strong start to this season racking up the top  fives and tens. This could be the spark under Dale Junior that he needs to keep winning and he has officially put  his name in as a chase contender. Junior moved himself into second in points and is closing in on that number one position. It is safe to say that you should look out for Junior because he is rising to the top.  

Racings Greatest Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is the greatest weekend in racing, three different series running three of there biggest races of the season, Nascar have there longest race of the year the Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, IRL with the Holy Grail the Indy 500, and Formula 1 at Monaco. The Coke 600 is the longest race of the year and an engine builders nightmare, the 600 mile race starts in the day when the sun is setting adding a challenge for drivers but that is the least of their worries when drivers know how long the race is. Richard Petty Motorsports surprised every one as Aric Almirola won pole and Marcos Ambrose starts along side his teammate in second. Being on the front row is helpful in pit stall selection but it is about keeping that car together and running strong all day long. I am going to give Dale Earnhardt Jr. my vote to win, I think this weekend is his weekend.
The biggest race of the year in IRL and in racing is the Indianapolis 500. Qualifying day was uneventful for this years 500 as there were only 33 drivers qualifying for the 33 car field. But its still a big deal to win pole and it was Ryan Briscoe who received the 100,000 dollar check for winning the pole for the famed Indy 500, James Hinchliffe qualified second, and Ryan Hunter-Reay is third. Althoug after qualifying 11 teams were penalized for different issues involving aerodynamics. Besides that the new speedway aerodynamics package is working very well as speeds are around the 220 mph mark, it will be interesting to see how it races on Sunday.  The Indy 500 is every Indy Car drivers dream and I think any racers dream, and it is tough to pick a possible winner so I going to make three picks, my first is Marco Andretti, second Ryan Briscoe, and third James Hinchcliffe.
Lastly Formula 1 is at the famous Monaco, the track it known for its turn and very tight street circuit, and much like this unusual Formula 1 season there was a surprise pole winner former champion who is back in his second year out of retirement Michale Schumacher captured pole. Schumacher is also my pick to win, my reason being is because the track is very tight with limited passing in it and he is an multi time winner at Monaco and I feel he can do it again, also his teammate Nico Rosberg won earlier this year now its Michaels turn. Monaco is guaranteed to be a great race, this Formula 1 season has been very unusual but I say this in a great way, the 2012 Formula 1 season has put on a great show with five different winners in five races and teams are being revived, like Williams who won there first race in roughly 5 years, and that win was by new comer Pastor Maldonado. Formula 1 is final a series we all should be watching early in the morning.