Life in the King’s Shadow/ The Big “O”/ Weldon is Not Going to Cup/ No Rest, Time to Test/ NASCAR Not Winning Key TV Markets
Life in the King’s Shadow
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be Kraig Kinser? Growing up in a racing family? Son of one of the greatest sprint car drivers of all time? This weekend, Kraig Kinser will revisit the site of his first stock car race, Michigan. Kinser started on the front row (2nd) of his first ARCA Re/Max Series race and finished 8th. He won his second ARCA start later that season at Talladega. This weekend he returns to drive in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Michigan. Naturally, the Bloomington, Indiana native gives credit to his father for getting him interested in racing.
“My dad definitely has played a big part in my racing career,” said Kinser. “He started my passion for racing without even knowing it, really or trying to. He let me decide what I was going to do myself. He never pushed racing but he gave me a good foot in the door. He is probably the single most important person involved in my career. I listen to everything he says and he gives me advice all the time about racing. When I decided I wanted to race, he gave me a car to start running in mini sprints. My career pretty much took off from there. The entire way he has been the one that has given me good equipment to run and keep going. I just have to thank him, because I wouldn't be here in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series without him.”
But it wasn’t just Steve Kinser who influenced this young Open Wheeler, the rest of the Kinser clan also worked to nurture Kraig.
”My Grandpa (Bob Kinser) has really enjoyed all of this,” said Kraig Kinser. “He had just quit racing about two years before I started. His retirement was probably the biggest plus to the start of my career because I actually had somebody to go with me everywhere. Every one else in my family was busy racing on weekends so no one really had enough time to get my career started. My Grandpa was the person that took me to the track every weekend for the first couple years of my racing and got me going. It was just me, Grandpa and one other guy that helped us out. We got going pretty good and then the whole family kind of pitched in from there. My Uncle Randy quit racing and he took over from my Grandpa when it got too much for him and too big. We just slowly but surely blossomed from there.”
Kraig Kinser went on to win the 2005 Knoxville Nationals last season. Kinser is scheduled to start in the Truck race Saturday at 3pm on SPEED.
Crocker in ARCA
Erin Crocker is scheduled to drive in the ARCA Re/Max Series race Friday at 5pm on SPEED. Qualifying at Michigan is set for Thursday.
PRA at Illiana
Our friends at www.tjslideways.com are at Illiana Speedway for tonight’s PRA Big Car Series action. Check www.tjslideways.com for the latest from Schererville, Indiana and the South Shore 100.
The Big “O”
The Big “E,” Eldora Speedway has been a Open Wheel fan favorite for years. Now fans will soon have a Big “O” to add to their list of favorite tracks. According to Steve Ballard in today’s edition of the Indianapolis Star www.indystar.com, Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) will become O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. (ORP) effective Wednesday. O'Reilly Auto Parts has bought the naming rights to the facility that hosts numerous USAC and PRA events.
Edwards Hopes to go Back to Back in Busch
Open Wheeler and Silver Crown car owner, Carl Edwards is the hottest driver in the NASCAR Busch Series right now. He has won two of his last three races (with a second-place at Dover sandwiched in between). Edwards has chipped Kevin Harvick’s points lead down to 297 points.
“We had a great race [at Kentucky] last year leading most laps and winning,” Edwards said. “We are taking the car that we won at Charlotte with us, so I feel real confident going there. The team is on a roll [and] we have been gaining points on Harvick.”
Busch Series Entries for Kentucky
9 Boris Said
10 John Andretti
11 Paul Menard
18 J.J. Yeley
33 Aaron Fike
24 Mike Bliss
38 Jason Leffler
60 Carl Edwards
77 Burney Lamar
Fike to bring Value
USAC standout, now new employee of Kevin Harvick Inc., Aaron Fike will have a new sponsor on the No. 33 this weekend at Kentucky. This weekend’s Busch race marks the first time in the history of Value City Department Stores that the company will be a primary sponsor in Busch.
NASCAR Catching Up with IRL and NHRA
For years the IRL and NHRA have provides television stations and networks with satellite VNRs (Video News Releases) on the news of the day regarding their sport. According to FordRacing.com, (via Jayski) NASCAR will soon do the same.
Redneck to Call ABC, ESPN Races
FordRacing.com (via Jayski) is also reporting that Marty Smith has been selected as one of the talking heads in the broadcast booth for ABC/ESPN’s NASCAR coverage in the fall of 2007. Smith was an analyst for the now dead Nascar Nation on SPEED. He also co-hosted a short lived NASCAR program on SPEED where he debated with Shannon Spake. That also died a quick death. He is also know for yelling “Hemi Pie!” in the NASCAR.com commercials. Oh yea, he also writes for NASCAR.com. I have never met Marty and I am sure he is a nice guy. I just can’t see him in the broadcast booth. He looks GQ but is as redneck as a Tennessee Vols fan on moonshine after a win by their women’s softball team. I just don’t see him meshing with Rusty “hot rod” Wallace.
Weldon is Not Going to Cup
Monday, ESPN's Mike Massaro reported that Dan Wheldon may go to NASCAR to fill the hole in Ganassi's Cup lineup. Not so fast my friend. I don’t see Weldon moving to Cup. As another famous Brit once said, “that’s not my bag baby.”
Dan Weldon was quite upset following the race at Texas. He really wants to win the IndyCar title again. If he goes anywhere it might be F1 but I think we will see Dapper Dan in an Indy Car for years to come.
No Rest, Time to Test
Just when you though IRL teams had some time off in their schedule.. The IRL IndyCar Series was on the road this week, their off week, testing at Kansas Tuesday. Scott Dixon had the fastest time of the day, 25.3309 seconds, 216.021 mph. Teammate Dan Wheldon was second quick with a lap of 25.4855, 214.710 mph. You may notice that Danica Patrick and her Rahal Letterman Racing teammates are at the bottom of the timing sheet. The team spend the day at Kansas getting comfortable with their new Dallara chassis that they will use at the remaining oval events this season.
Helio Castroneves cut short his testing to hit the media center to catch the second half of Brazil’s World Cup win 1-0 over Croatia.
Kansas Testing Times
1 Scott Dixon (9) 25.3309
2 Dan Wheldon (10) 25.4855
3 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 25.5225
4 Helio Castroneves (3) 25.5708
5 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 25.5853
6 Vitor Meira (4) 25.6717
7 Eddie Cheever Jr (51) 25.7243
8 Marco Andretti (26) 25.7289
9 Tomas Scheckter (2) 25.768
10 Tony Kanaan (11) 25.7694
11 Ed Carpenter (20) 25.7775
12 Bryan Herta (7) 25.7868
13 Dario Franchitti (27) 25.8072
14 Buddy Lazier (5) 25.8482
15 Buddy Rice (15) 25.9869
16 Jeff Simmons (17) 26.0664
17 Danica Patrick (16) 26.2117
TV News
Most Searched for over the Weekend
Wendy Venturini is certainly popular these days. We received several hits over the weekend looking for the SPEED pit reporter.
A little bit on Ms. Venturini. She grew up in a racing family. Her brother Billy, was involved in a nasty wreck in ARCA at Dayton but is back behind the wheel again. She is now pit reporter for NASCAR Raceday and ARCA on SPEED. She will also return to her roots and join her family as the pit reporter in the ARCA series.
She also loves boating and riding her motorcycle.
Pocono Numbers
The numbers were good for the Pocono race this weekend on FOX but better than last year according to the Sports Business Journal. Sunday’s race turned in a 4.6 overnight rating down from the 5.1 from 2005.
NASCAR Not Winning Key TV Markets
The Sports Business Journal this week was filled with great information regarding who won the Indy 500/ Coke 600 battle. The SBJ www.sportsbusinessjournal.com reported Monday that NASCAR edged out the IRL in the final national numbers 5.61 million households to 5.54 million households respectively. Both races had a drop in viewership from 2005. More interesting to me was research commissioned by the SBJ and researched by Katherine Johnson-Reid (no relation to me). Of the top ten largest television markets in the US, the Indianapolis 500 on ABC beat the Coke 600 on FOX 7-3. The Indy 500 swept the top four television markets New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia by almost double NASCAR’s numbers.
The Coke 600 did win in the markets of Boston (5), Washington DC (8) and Atlanta (9). As far as individual markets with the highest numbers, more people in Greensboro, NC 17.2 tuned in to watch the Coke 600 than any other TV market in the US.
Naturally, more people tuned in to watch the tape delay of the Indy 500 in Indianapolis 14.7, than any other market in the US.
Who would have thought Dayton, Ohio and Knoxville (not Iowa), Tennessee were great TV race markets?
Dayton ranked 2nd for the Indy 500 and 5th for the Coke 600 in largest TV ratings nationwide.
Knoxville came in tied 7th with Orlando, Florida for Indy 500 viewers and 4th for Coke 600 viewers nationwide. The Sports Business Journal has the complete numbers posted on their website www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. You must be a subscriber to view the stats and the story.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of R.E. Technologies, ABC, IMS Productions, FOX and NASCAR Digital Images.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be Kraig Kinser? Growing up in a racing family? Son of one of the greatest sprint car drivers of all time? This weekend, Kraig Kinser will revisit the site of his first stock car race, Michigan. Kinser started on the front row (2nd) of his first ARCA Re/Max Series race and finished 8th. He won his second ARCA start later that season at Talladega. This weekend he returns to drive in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Michigan. Naturally, the Bloomington, Indiana native gives credit to his father for getting him interested in racing.
“My dad definitely has played a big part in my racing career,” said Kinser. “He started my passion for racing without even knowing it, really or trying to. He let me decide what I was going to do myself. He never pushed racing but he gave me a good foot in the door. He is probably the single most important person involved in my career. I listen to everything he says and he gives me advice all the time about racing. When I decided I wanted to race, he gave me a car to start running in mini sprints. My career pretty much took off from there. The entire way he has been the one that has given me good equipment to run and keep going. I just have to thank him, because I wouldn't be here in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series without him.”
But it wasn’t just Steve Kinser who influenced this young Open Wheeler, the rest of the Kinser clan also worked to nurture Kraig.
”My Grandpa (Bob Kinser) has really enjoyed all of this,” said Kraig Kinser. “He had just quit racing about two years before I started. His retirement was probably the biggest plus to the start of my career because I actually had somebody to go with me everywhere. Every one else in my family was busy racing on weekends so no one really had enough time to get my career started. My Grandpa was the person that took me to the track every weekend for the first couple years of my racing and got me going. It was just me, Grandpa and one other guy that helped us out. We got going pretty good and then the whole family kind of pitched in from there. My Uncle Randy quit racing and he took over from my Grandpa when it got too much for him and too big. We just slowly but surely blossomed from there.”
Kraig Kinser went on to win the 2005 Knoxville Nationals last season. Kinser is scheduled to start in the Truck race Saturday at 3pm on SPEED.
Crocker in ARCA
Erin Crocker is scheduled to drive in the ARCA Re/Max Series race Friday at 5pm on SPEED. Qualifying at Michigan is set for Thursday.
PRA at Illiana
Our friends at www.tjslideways.com are at Illiana Speedway for tonight’s PRA Big Car Series action. Check www.tjslideways.com for the latest from Schererville, Indiana and the South Shore 100.
The Big “O”
The Big “E,” Eldora Speedway has been a Open Wheel fan favorite for years. Now fans will soon have a Big “O” to add to their list of favorite tracks. According to Steve Ballard in today’s edition of the Indianapolis Star www.indystar.com, Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) will become O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. (ORP) effective Wednesday. O'Reilly Auto Parts has bought the naming rights to the facility that hosts numerous USAC and PRA events.
Edwards Hopes to go Back to Back in Busch
Open Wheeler and Silver Crown car owner, Carl Edwards is the hottest driver in the NASCAR Busch Series right now. He has won two of his last three races (with a second-place at Dover sandwiched in between). Edwards has chipped Kevin Harvick’s points lead down to 297 points.
“We had a great race [at Kentucky] last year leading most laps and winning,” Edwards said. “We are taking the car that we won at Charlotte with us, so I feel real confident going there. The team is on a roll [and] we have been gaining points on Harvick.”
Busch Series Entries for Kentucky
9 Boris Said
10 John Andretti
11 Paul Menard
18 J.J. Yeley
33 Aaron Fike
24 Mike Bliss
38 Jason Leffler
60 Carl Edwards
77 Burney Lamar
Fike to bring Value
USAC standout, now new employee of Kevin Harvick Inc., Aaron Fike will have a new sponsor on the No. 33 this weekend at Kentucky. This weekend’s Busch race marks the first time in the history of Value City Department Stores that the company will be a primary sponsor in Busch.
NASCAR Catching Up with IRL and NHRA
For years the IRL and NHRA have provides television stations and networks with satellite VNRs (Video News Releases) on the news of the day regarding their sport. According to FordRacing.com, (via Jayski) NASCAR will soon do the same.
Redneck to Call ABC, ESPN Races
FordRacing.com (via Jayski) is also reporting that Marty Smith has been selected as one of the talking heads in the broadcast booth for ABC/ESPN’s NASCAR coverage in the fall of 2007. Smith was an analyst for the now dead Nascar Nation on SPEED. He also co-hosted a short lived NASCAR program on SPEED where he debated with Shannon Spake. That also died a quick death. He is also know for yelling “Hemi Pie!” in the NASCAR.com commercials. Oh yea, he also writes for NASCAR.com. I have never met Marty and I am sure he is a nice guy. I just can’t see him in the broadcast booth. He looks GQ but is as redneck as a Tennessee Vols fan on moonshine after a win by their women’s softball team. I just don’t see him meshing with Rusty “hot rod” Wallace.
Weldon is Not Going to Cup
Monday, ESPN's Mike Massaro reported that Dan Wheldon may go to NASCAR to fill the hole in Ganassi's Cup lineup. Not so fast my friend. I don’t see Weldon moving to Cup. As another famous Brit once said, “that’s not my bag baby.”
Dan Weldon was quite upset following the race at Texas. He really wants to win the IndyCar title again. If he goes anywhere it might be F1 but I think we will see Dapper Dan in an Indy Car for years to come.
No Rest, Time to Test
Just when you though IRL teams had some time off in their schedule.. The IRL IndyCar Series was on the road this week, their off week, testing at Kansas Tuesday. Scott Dixon had the fastest time of the day, 25.3309 seconds, 216.021 mph. Teammate Dan Wheldon was second quick with a lap of 25.4855, 214.710 mph. You may notice that Danica Patrick and her Rahal Letterman Racing teammates are at the bottom of the timing sheet. The team spend the day at Kansas getting comfortable with their new Dallara chassis that they will use at the remaining oval events this season.
Helio Castroneves cut short his testing to hit the media center to catch the second half of Brazil’s World Cup win 1-0 over Croatia.
Kansas Testing Times
1 Scott Dixon (9) 25.3309
2 Dan Wheldon (10) 25.4855
3 Sam Hornish Jr (6) 25.5225
4 Helio Castroneves (3) 25.5708
5 Kosuke Matsuura (55) 25.5853
6 Vitor Meira (4) 25.6717
7 Eddie Cheever Jr (51) 25.7243
8 Marco Andretti (26) 25.7289
9 Tomas Scheckter (2) 25.768
10 Tony Kanaan (11) 25.7694
11 Ed Carpenter (20) 25.7775
12 Bryan Herta (7) 25.7868
13 Dario Franchitti (27) 25.8072
14 Buddy Lazier (5) 25.8482
15 Buddy Rice (15) 25.9869
16 Jeff Simmons (17) 26.0664
17 Danica Patrick (16) 26.2117
TV News
Most Searched for over the Weekend
Wendy Venturini is certainly popular these days. We received several hits over the weekend looking for the SPEED pit reporter.
A little bit on Ms. Venturini. She grew up in a racing family. Her brother Billy, was involved in a nasty wreck in ARCA at Dayton but is back behind the wheel again. She is now pit reporter for NASCAR Raceday and ARCA on SPEED. She will also return to her roots and join her family as the pit reporter in the ARCA series.
She also loves boating and riding her motorcycle.
Pocono Numbers
The numbers were good for the Pocono race this weekend on FOX but better than last year according to the Sports Business Journal. Sunday’s race turned in a 4.6 overnight rating down from the 5.1 from 2005.
NASCAR Not Winning Key TV Markets
The Sports Business Journal this week was filled with great information regarding who won the Indy 500/ Coke 600 battle. The SBJ www.sportsbusinessjournal.com reported Monday that NASCAR edged out the IRL in the final national numbers 5.61 million households to 5.54 million households respectively. Both races had a drop in viewership from 2005. More interesting to me was research commissioned by the SBJ and researched by Katherine Johnson-Reid (no relation to me). Of the top ten largest television markets in the US, the Indianapolis 500 on ABC beat the Coke 600 on FOX 7-3. The Indy 500 swept the top four television markets New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia by almost double NASCAR’s numbers.
The Coke 600 did win in the markets of Boston (5), Washington DC (8) and Atlanta (9). As far as individual markets with the highest numbers, more people in Greensboro, NC 17.2 tuned in to watch the Coke 600 than any other TV market in the US.
Naturally, more people tuned in to watch the tape delay of the Indy 500 in Indianapolis 14.7, than any other market in the US.
Who would have thought Dayton, Ohio and Knoxville (not Iowa), Tennessee were great TV race markets?
Dayton ranked 2nd for the Indy 500 and 5th for the Coke 600 in largest TV ratings nationwide.
Knoxville came in tied 7th with Orlando, Florida for Indy 500 viewers and 4th for Coke 600 viewers nationwide. The Sports Business Journal has the complete numbers posted on their website www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. You must be a subscriber to view the stats and the story.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of R.E. Technologies, ABC, IMS Productions, FOX and NASCAR Digital Images.
posted by Blake Johnson at 8:45 PM
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