Sunday, November 19, 2006

Kinser Tells Despain Management Makes the Difference/ Johnson Champion, Kahne and Edwards in the Top 10/ Open Wheelers Take Three of the Top 5

Kinser Tells Despain New Management Makes the Difference
Following up on a story we first brought you early Saturday, Steve Kinser, a co-owner in the National Sprint Tour, is leaving that series to return to the World of Outlaws in 2007.

Kinser appeared in a taped phone interview on Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED Sunday night. He told Despain that he is returning to the WoO because of a change in management from a year ago. Kinser said in the interview that he knows that by leaving, he is loosing his money that he invested in the almost one year old series but he added that he has no regrets. He also talked with Dave Despain about some of the topics we first brought you in our story Saturday. http://openwheeler.blogspot.com/2006/11/breaking-down-kinser-and-lasoski.html The new information from the Wind Tunnel interview was that Steve Kinser Racing is returning to the World of Outlaws because DIRT Motorsports has hired “guys that understand racing and have a love for the sport.”

Just another note on tonight’s Wind Tunnel... The program was a wrap up of the 2006 racing season and included some great and funny highlights.

Oh yea, Robin Miller made his case for Open Wheel racing on it. You can see it when it reairs at 12am and 10am eastern Monday morning. On that same note Racing Incorporated reairs from 3-5pm eastern also on Monday.

Johnson Champion, Kahne and Edwards in the Top 10
Jimmy Johnson didn’t win but he finished good enough Sunday night at Homestead Speedway to win the Nextel Cup. Kasey Kahne started on the pole and had a solid run that saw him finish 4th. Carl Edwards also had a good run finishing 8th. The story wasn’t so pretty for other Open Wheelers.

Robby Gordon got loose and hit the wall in turn 4 on lap 190.

Ryan Newman got together with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Several laps later Newman got back at Montoya sending the NASCAR newcomer for a spin and fiery wreck.

Montoya walked away unhurt and Newman was called to the NASCAR trailer following the race.

JJ Yeley skipped a pit stop to take the lead but ran out of gas with just a few laps to go.

Greg Biffle won the race but Kasey Kahne led the most laps. Jimmy Johnson won the championship while his co-owner Jeff Gordon finished 6th, Kasey Kahne 8th and Tony Stewart beat Carl Edwards by 299 points for 11th place and the million dollar bonus.

Open Wheeler Homestead NASCAR Cup Results
1. (16 Greg Biffle)
4. 9 Kasey Kahne
8. 99 Carl Edwards
15. 20 Tony Stewart
17. 15 Paul Menard
23. 12 Ryan Newman
24. 24 Jeff Gordon
26. 22 Dave Blaney
29. 21 Ken Schrader
30. 18 JJ Yeley
32. 42 Casey Mears
34. 30 Juan Pablo Montoya
39. 49 Mike Bliss
40. 7 Robby Gordon

Open Wheelers Take Three of the Top 5 Positions at Homestead
They didn’t win the race but Carl Edwards, Paul Menard and JJ Yeley all recorded top five finishes in the Busch Series season finale at Homestead. Points leader Kevin Harvick sat on the pole in a race that featured many newcomer Open Wheelers.

Sam Hornish Jr. hit the wall in turn one early in the race.

Jason Leffler was involved in a four car scrum 54 laps into the event. Kevin Harvick officially beat Carl Edwards by 824 points for the championship. JJ Yeley was 5th in season ending points. Paul Menard was 6th. John Andretti won NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year honors.

Open Wheeler Homestead NASCAR Busch Results
1. 17 Matt Kenseth
2. 60 Carl Edwards
3. 11 Paul Menard
5. 18 JJ Yeley
8. 9 Kasey Kahne
12. 99 David Reutiman
14. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
16. 10 John Andretti
19. 38 Jason Leffler
28. 43 Erin Crocker
43. 39 Sam Hornish Jr.

Images courtesy of SPEED, TNT, NBC and NASCAR Images.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Breaking Down the Kinser and Lasoski Announcements/ Where to Now?/ Homestead Update

Kiss and Make Up

Typically the news cycle on a Friday afternoon is pretty much dead. That was not the case yesterday as a load of news releases came down the pipe from both Steve Kinser Racing and the World of Outlaws. The main news? The 20 time WoO champ, Steve Kinser and the 2006 National Sprint Tour Champion Danny Lasoski would be returning to the World of Outlaws Sprint Series in 2007. In a year where we lost NST founder Fred Brownfield and WoO founder Ted Johnson, the news was earth shattering.

Why the Return?
So why are the three top teams (Steve Kinser Racing owns two cars) in the National Sprint Tour headed back to the World of Outlaws? Their owners and sponsors appeared to have had a say in the decision. Roth Racing owner Dennis Roth says it is what is best for the sport.

“The best thing for sprint car racing is that the top cars are back together where they belonged from the beginning.”

According to a news release from Steve Kinser Racing, it was Kinser’s sponsor, Quaker State that influenced the King’s decision.

“The World of Outlaws with their new leadership, expanded schedule and new ESPN and SPEED TV deals have really positioned sprint car racing for growth,” said David Lerch, Director of Motorsports for Q. “Steve Kinser, Q and the World of Outlaws belong together and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Steve as he competes for his 21st World of Outlaws title.”

The news releases say that Q renewed their sponsorship with Kinser but do not give details of the sponsorship. There is another reason for the King’s return to the WoO. In a World of Outlaws news release, Steve Kinser said that the late Ted Johnson told Kinser before he died that he would like to see one major 410-winged sprint car series again.

What Will Happen to the NST?

Following the passing of founder Fred Brownfield, the series was purchased by Don Lamberti, Lonnie Parsons, Guy Stockbridge and Steve Kinser. According to a WoO news release Kinser is now out.

“It’s been a hard situation for me to race with all the confusion that’s been going on the last year,” he said. “I just want to get back and relax and worry about my race team more than anything, worry about making my racecars fast and be in the right frame of mind when I hit the racetrack. It’s no fun for me going to the races when I’m worried about scheduling and trying to run a race organization. Now I’ll just have to worry about my two race teams.”

Steve Kinser was unavailable for comment when contacted Saturday. Danny Lasoski indirectly called for the demise of the NST in a WoO news release saying, “I feel we need to be back together as one group under one banner, stronger than ever. The World of Outlaws has done its homework, they got the proper television package with ESPN2 and SPEED and I'm excited to be coming back.”

What About the NST Drivers and the WoO Mean 15?

Already sixteen returning teams have committed to running the full WoO schedule in 2007. So will Roth and Kinser’s teams get tow money? What about the others that may break away from the NST and follow the King? I was unable to immediately reach a spokesperson with the World of Outlaws Saturday. An email requesting comment by the National Sprint Tour had not been returned at the time of the posting of this story. The National Sprint Tour’s website http://www.nationalsprinttour.com/ has not yet posted which drivers would be returning for 2007.

What About the Promoters and the Race Tracks?

The NST website has also not posted a schedule for the 2007 season. In previous seasons Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin has hosted the World of Outlaws on a Monday traditionally following the 4th of July weekend. In 2006 the track elected to bring in the National Sprint Tour in place of the WoO. Cedar Lake Speedway was not listed on the preliminary WoO 2007 schedule. www.dirtmotorsports.com/sprint/downloads/WOOSPRINT2007.pdf/ According to the CLS website, the track will host a 410 sprint car show on July 9th this season but the website does not name the sanctioning organization. The National Sprint Tour has not updated their website since Tuesday November 14th. The website still lists Kinser, Tim Kaeding and Lasoski as NST drivers. Series, teams and sponsors often make their announcements during the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando. PRI, which is just a few weeks away, should provide more insight. The now defunct National Sprint Car League http://www.nationalsprintcarleague.com/ had an empty booth at the 2006 show indicating that series was no more. Hopefully more positive announcements will be made at the 2007 show.

What is in it for the Fans?

So just what does Friday’s announcements mean for the fans? It means that the level of racing in the World of Outlaws just jumped up a few notches. If other drivers follow Kinser and Lasoski, it means the best drivers in 410 winged sprint car racing will again drive with the World of Outlaws. Having two series competing against each other was good in that it forced both series to become more competitive in all areas from on the track, to working with the promoters, dealing with the fans and in the avenues of media distribution. The National Sprint Tour has NOT announced that it is folding its tent. Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, the sport of sprint car racing is now better because of the NST.

The full news release from Steve Kinser Racing as well as the WoO releases can be viewed at the bottom of this update.

Two of the Top Three are Open Wheelers
Two of the top three starters for tonight’s NASCAR Busch Series finale are Open Wheelers. Series champion Kevin Harvick is on the pole but JJ Yeley and Carl Edwards will be right on his tale. Yeley qualified second quick while Edwards took third quick. Erin Crocker qualified 21st quick. Crocker’s 43 is wearing Evernham Betty Crocker colors but the car is owned by Mike Curb. Kraig Kinser did not make it in on time.

Open Wheeler Busch Qualifying Results Homestead
1. (21 Kevin Harvick)
2. 18 JJ Yeley
3. Carl Edwards
10. 99 David Reutiman
14. 11 Paul Menard
19. 9 Kasey Kahne
21. 43 Erin Crocker
23. 38 Jason Leffler
24. 39 Sam Hornish Jr.
31. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya
32. 10 John Andretti

Martin Wins Final Truck Race for Roush
Mark Martin won his final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race driving for Roush Racing last night at Homestead Speedway. Todd Bodine clinched the 2006 Truck Series Championship with his 21st place finish last night. David Reutiman led several laps and finished 8th. Reutiman finished 3rd in points. Terry Cook was 10th. He finished 8th n points. Erin Crocker was out of the race early with ignition problems. She finished the season 25th in points, the lowest points finish of any driver that started all 25 truck races.

Open Wheeler Truck Results Homestead
1. (6 Mark Martin)
8. 17 David Reutiman
10. 10 Terry Cook
16. 21 Bobby East
30. 16 Mike Bliss
34. 98 Erin Crocker

Kahne Will Lead the Field to the Green Sunday
Maybe it was too little too late but regardless Kasey Kahne is on the pole for Sunday’s final Cup race at Homestead. Kahne who is in the Chase but has been mathematically eliminated grabbed the top spot with a time of 178.259mph. JJ Yeley will start 8th. Jimmie Johnson will start 15th and Matt Kenseth 19th. Juan Pablo Montoya will make his first Cup start at 29th in the No. 30 car.

Open Wheeler Cup Qualifying Results Homestead
1. 9 Kasey Kahne
8. 18 J.J. Yeley
12. 24 Jeff Gordon
16. 12 Ryan Newman
17. 49 Mike Bliss
21. 20 Tony Stewart
25. 22 Dave Blaney
28. 15 Paul Menard
29. 30 Juan Pablo Montoya
31. 99 Carl Edwards
35. 7 Robby Gordon
37. 21 Ken Schrader
39. 42 Casey Mears

My Top 25
If you are looking for our My Top 25 feature, you can fin it ion it’s new website at http://www.mytoptwentyfive.blogspot.com/.

Newsreleases on the Kinser/ Lasoski Announcement

Steve Kinser Takes Aim At His 21st World of Outlaws Championship
Concord, NC — Nov. 17, 2006 — By Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations

There is little debate Steve Kinser is the greatest sprint car driver in history. In 2007, Kinser will be aiming to add to his legendary career as he returns to the World of Outlaws and competes for his 21st championship.

One of the original World of Outlaws competitors in 1978, Kinser has earned a series record 533 victories in a racing career that has spanned four decades with the Outlaws. In 2005, he was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

But Kinser isn’t resting on his laurels. Instead, 2007 will be a bit of a rebirth for him. Not only is he returning to World of Outlaws competition, he also has renewed a deal with long-time partner Quaker State, through its Q brand, to power his Steve Kinser Racing No. 11 Maxim. In addition, his Steve Kinser Racing No. 11k Maxim also will be chasing the World of Outlaws championship.

“I’ve had a good partnership with Quaker State since I started my own race team in 1995,” said Kinser, of Bloomington, Ind. “I hope to continue with them the rest of my racing career and maybe with Steve Kinser Racing after that.”

Ultimately, Kinser’s return to the World of Outlaws brings him back to the series he helped to build and where he experienced his most memorable moments, many of which he shared with series founder Ted Johnson, who passed away in October.

“Ted and I talked quite a bit,” Kinser said. “We talked probably every day, especially since the Knoxville Nationals. Ted’s wishes were to get back together with the World of Outlaws, something he founded and something that, to be honest with you, I was a big part of all my racing career. Me and Rick Ferkel and a lot of guys the first few years spent a lot time at television stations and radio stations trying to build this thing and get it off the ground. I had a good relationship with Ted over the years. We had a working partnership. Over 28 years, Ted and I had a lot of great times together and he was a great friend of mine.”

“We welcome Steve and his return to the World of Outlaws,” said DIRT MotorSports President and CEO Tom Deery. “Not only is he a proven champion, he’s also concerned about what’s best for the future of sprint car racing. We’re excited for our fans that he once again is part of the Greatest Show on Dirt.”

Kinser’s return to the World of Outlaws also has him eager to put his focus back on his two-car team.

“It’s been a hard situation for me to race with all the confusion that’s been going on the last year,” he said. “I just want to get back and relax and worry about my race team more than anything, worry about making my racecars fast and be in the right frame of mind when I hit the racetrack. It’s no fun for me going to the races when I’m worried about scheduling and trying to run a race organization. I will definitely look at the racing part of it a lot different from the way I did before because I’ve been on all ends of it — not that I haven’t been on those sides before, but not to the extent I was last year. Now I’ll just have to worry about my two race teams.”

There is little doubt that Steve Kinser Racing’s return to the World of Outlaws will add to the highly competitive series.

“It’s not going to be easy because there’s a lot of good race teams out there now with a lot of good drivers,” Kinser said. “It’ll be tougher than it’s ever been.”

With two national touring series in 2006, several young teams jumped at the opportunity to race with the World of Outlaws, giving them experience that will no doubt raise the level of competition next year. All of the teams that competed full-time with the series last season already have signed on to compete in 2007.

“That was probably the only good part about having two national organizations,” Kinser said. “It did give a few teams a chance to get out there and get a taste of what was going on out on the road and see what it was like. It can get pretty tough. There are a lot of good race teams on both sides of it and when you put it all back together, it strengthens them. I can remember back when they first started running the Gumout Series. They took some of those drivers and they started winning races. When they came back to the World of Outlaws, they came back with confidence. That means a lot for race teams, when they build that confidence. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to get them beat back down.”

Given the unparalleled competitiveness in the World of Outlaws, Kinser certainly will have his work cut out for him and looks forward to the challenge.


Steve Kinser and Quaker State Return to the World of Outlaws Seeking Record 21st Championship

Q Motor Oil to Help Power Kinser in 2007

Bloomington, Ind., November 17, 2006 — Steve Kinser and Quaker State, through its Q brand, is pleased to announce the relationship will continue in 2007 as Steve Kinser Racing returns to the World of Outlaws.

"The World of Outlaws with their new leadership, expanded schedule and new ESPN and SPEED TV deals have really positioned sprint car racing for growth," said David Lerch, Director of Motorsports for Q. "Steve Kinser, Q and the World of Outlaws belong together and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Steve as he competes for his 21st World of Outlaws title."

Kinser, among the original World of Outlaws drivers when the series began in 1978, owns a record 533 victories and 20 championships. He was enshrined in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2005. Kinser has been in partnership with Quaker State and Q since forming Steve Kinser Racing in 1995.

“Many things contribute to a winning team, and having Q to help keep our engines running at maximum power under the grueling conditions of sprint car racing will be a tremendous benefit,” said Steve Kinser. “The long-term backing of Quaker State and Maxim Chassis has been a great asset to our team, and we look forward to chasing another World of Outlaws title with them in 2007.”


About Q

Q’s highly-engineered motor oils are designed to provide today’s modern engines with maximum performance and power. Quaker State’s Q line of motor oils features a family of specialty motor oils that have been customized for specific engines and driving needs including: Q Advanced Engine Full Synthetic; Q TorquePower Full Synthetic and three specific Q Racing Oils. These premium-performing lubes cover just about every possible application for the automotive enthusiast.

The Q line of performance products also includes the Q Power System — a unique line of premium engineered coolants and fluids designed to work in combination to fight heat and power-robbing frition to help maximize horsepower. The Q Power System of products consists of Q Advanced Engine Full Synthetic motor oil, Q Quench™ Radiator Additive, Q Coolant/Antifreeze with Quench™, Q Gear & Differential Lubricant SAE 75W-90, and Q Transmission Fluid.

Roth Motorsports Brings Danny Lasoski Back to the World of Outlaws

Concord, NC — Nov. 17, 2006 — By Chris Dolack, VP Public Relations

Danny Lasoski is one of the most successful drivers in World of Outlaws history, and in 2007 he will return to the series as driver of the Roth Motorsports Eagle.

"It's good to be back," said car owner Dennis Roth, a long-time sprint car supporter from California that saw Lasoski compete on 94 nights in 2006 and capture the National Sprint Tour title. "The best thing for sprint car racing is that the top cars are back together where they belonged from the beginning. We had a great year in 2006. The competition in the NST was awfully tough like it is in the World of Outlaws. We were very happy to win the championship."

"Danny raced with us quite a bit last season and we’re pleased he and Dennis have decided to compete for another World of Outlaws championship," said World of Outlaws Sprint Series Director Carlton Reimers. "Dennis Roth is one of the classiest owners in the business and we look forward to seeing him more often in 2007."

The 2001 World of Outlaws champion, Lasoski will seek to add to his total of 74 World of Outlaws victories beginning Feb. 9 at Volusia Speedway Park as the series drops the green flag on its 30th season.

"The competition is going to be the fiercest it has ever been with the World of Outlaws," Roth said. "Two series in 2006 gave some of the new people out there a chance to gain some experience and make the programs and be in the running every night. Now, they're going to be that much better and that much more to contend with. Overall the whole racing program is going to be the best it has ever been."

Last season, Lasoski earned main-event World of Outlaws victories at Manzanita Speedway and Southern Oregon Speedway, as well as a preliminary feature win at Calistoga Speedway. He was excited to be the first driver to commit to the 2007 World of Outlaws championship run following the 16 teams that re-signed after the 2006 season concluded.

"The bottom line is to secure 410 sprint car racing," said Lasoski, of Dover, Mo. "I feel we need to be back together as one group under one banner, stronger than ever. The World of Outlaws has done its homework, they got the proper television package with ESPN2 and SPEED and I'm excited to be coming back. I think really great things are on the horizon and the biggest winner will be the fans."

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of, Open Wheeler, SPEED and NASCAR Images.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Wishful Thinking/ Racing Incorporated Part 2 as Good as Part 1/ SPEED Goes Miami Vice/ USAC Notes

Wishful Thinking

Don’t expect to find a letter to fans from the IRL and CCWS announcing their reunification under the Christmas tree. We might have taken a tiny step closer late Thursday when ESPN announced a deal with their family of networks and Champ Car World Series. The multiyear agreement will bring 11 Champ Car races to ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC in 2007 and all of the series races to the family of networks in 2008. The move now puts the IRL and CCWS under the same network umbrella which may help move reunification talks along. Maybe my thoughts on reunification are wishful thinking but it is something both series desperately need. CCWS co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven told ESPN.com’s John Oreovicz that the new deal will help the series get in front of the US race fan. Kalkhoven added that the association will be helpful in future moves towards reunification. The he threw SPEED under the transporter.

"If we can't have open-wheel unification, at least we can have a common broadcast partner,” Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven told ESPN.com's John Oreovicz. “Speed Channel has become so NASCAR-centric that we were just a speed bump in their day."

The first two races of the 2007 season, Las Vegas and Long Beach will most likely be a time buy on CBS or NBC. The first Champ Car race on the ESPN family of networks will be Houston. The Champ Car Atlantic Series will air on ESPN2. The broadcast schedule has not been announced. The 2007 CCWS event schedule is listed below.

April 8 Las Vegas, Nevada
April 15 Long Beach, California
April 22 Houston, Texas
May 20 Zahuhai, China
June 10 Portland, Oregon
June 24 Cleveland, Ohio
July 1 St. Jovite, Canada
July 8 Toronto, Canada
July 22 Edmonton, Canada
July 29 San Jose, California
August 12 Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
August 19 Denver, Colorado
October 21 Surfers Paradise, Australia
November 11 Mexico City, Mexico
December 2 Phoenix, Arizona

Racing Incorporated Part 2 as Good as Part 1

If you read the previous blog, you know that I gave Racing Incorporated Part 1 high marks. Part 2 was just as good as or better than part 1.

Part 2 talked about how Chip Ganassi Racing dealt with its rivals. In the IRL, Roger Penske’s teams are CGR’s rivals. The program talked about how both teams battled with each other for the championship.

It also talked about the rivalry between Riley Technologies (also a Silver Crown chassis producer) and CGR.

Ganassi picked Riley Technologies to build a chassis for them that never had been on the track before. In their first year CGR won the championship only to be bested the following year by Riley.

The program also with Target officials on why CGR is a good fit for them.

Target’s Information Technology folks (computer folks) helped CGR build their IT systems and then worked with Microsoft to develop ways for the engineers to use it for all of their race teams but the IRL teams use it the most.

Racing Incorporated focused on the workout programs for the over the wall guys as well as everyone on the team. Engineers do cardio so they won’t get tired in the heat.

CGR had an interesting approach to attracting over the wall guys for their Cup teams. CGR’s over the wall Cup guys were former stick and ball athletes that were recruited to race. They just do pits and a lot of them never knew anything else about racing until they were hired by CGR.

The program closed out with two quotes from Chip Ganassi about goals for his team and organizations.

“We have to win some races and we have to have a car in the chase next year.”

“When people think about racing in the United States I want them to think about our name and our brand and what is that about? It is about Performance, innovation, integrity and it’s about partnership.”

Racing Incorporated is scheduled for rebroadcast on SPEED on Monday November 20th at 3 and 4pm eastern.

SPEED Goes Miami Vice

Last night SPEED’s program The Chase Is On went throwback with a Miami Vice opening complete with boats,

airplanes,

babes and Miami’s skyline.

Carl Edwards co-hosted the program in makeshift shorts.

Final Truck Open Wheeler Practice Results
1. (22) Bill Lester
4. 17 David Reutiman
13. 98 Erin Crocker
19. 16 Mike Bliss
21. 10 Terry Cook
30. 21 Bobby East

Truck Qualifying 5pm Eastern. The race is live tonight on SPEED.

Wind Tunnel, The State of NASCAR

Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain will broadcast a special edition, The State of NASCAR Sunday at 10am eastern. The season finale of Wind Tunnel will air live Sunday night at 9pm eastern. The always loveable Robin Miller will be one of the hosts.

USAC Notes
USAC National Sprint and Midget Car Series driver Bryan Clauson has been nominated for the RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year award. Indianapolis 500 runner-up Marco Andretti (Indy Racing League), Colin Braun (Grand Am), Dan Clarke (Champ Car), Denny Hamlin (NASCAR) and Robert Kubica (Formula 1) are also up for the same award..

USAC will require all drivers to wear a head and neck restraint system in 2007. The new rule covers all regions and divisions. For more more on this story, please visit www.usacracing.com.

Football Coverage
If you are looking for our football features, they can now be found at http://www.mytoptwentyfive.blogspot.com/.

Images courtesy of SPEED, CBS, NBC, IMS Productions, NASCAR Images, Chet Burks Productions, Champ Car World Series, LLC, Riley Scott and USAC.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Open Wheelers Shine in Racing Incorporated

Open Wheelers Shine in Racing Incorporated

The one hour program Racing Incorporated lived up to it’s billing Wednesday night. The SPEED produced documentary took viewers behind to scenes to see how Chip Ganassi Racing works. Normally these programs are more reality shows than information. That is not the case with Racing Incorporated. The program gives insight to how Chip Ganassi Racing came about and Ganassi’s philosophies on winning.

The program focused on all four of CGR’s teams, IRL, NASCAR Busch, Cup and Grand Am. Racing Incorporated included a compelling interview with Dan Weldon on how not winning the 2006 Indy 500 broke him. At one point Weldon is almost moved to tears.

The program shows all of Ganassi’s wins and his quest for more.

It lays out both the NASCAR and IRL shops in detail explaining how and why they do what they do.

Unless you work in the business, the high flying aircraft in NASCAR and the IRL seems excessive but the program documents why it is a necessity to have a well functioning program.

Chip Ganassi in recent years has hired the best crewmembers and drivers. CGR is also developing drivers for it’s NASCAR programs. The documentary shows the viewers how the Montoya deal went down.

It also shows you how Ganassi is looking to USAC drivers for development of the next generation.

The program follows Bryan Clausen in his development process before his accident. Part 2 of Racing Incorporated will air tonight on SPEED at 8pm and 11pm eastern.

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SPEED.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Wise Officially with Waltrip

Wise Officially with Waltrip
Back on September 18th we reported that Josh Wise had signed a letter of intent with Michael Waltrip Racing.

The SPEED television program Seven Days featured Wise’s agent Jeff Dickerson. The program followed Dickerson and Wise as he visited with MWR. Monday the USAC standout and MWR made it official just hours after Wise was crowned USAC National Sprint Car Series champion Saturday night in Phoenix.

“Michael Waltrip Racing is proud to be associated with Josh Wise not only for his ability to win championships, but also because of his humble personality,” Waltrip said. “We have already tested Josh in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck a couple of times and have been impressed with his ability to get around the track and provide input to the team.”

Waltrip added that fans can expect to see Josh Wise behind the wheels of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA RE/MAX Series and additional entries at short track races.

”It's easy to see why Tony Stewart believes Josh is the next great driver to come through the USAC ranks. We're proud to have a two-time USAC champion in our camp,” said Ty Norris, General Manager for Michael Waltrip Racing.Wise gave honor to his USAC team owner for giving him an opportunity.

“Without Tony, I wouldn’t be where I’m at,” said Wise. “He took a shot in the dark on me. I was living on the West Coast with my parents and racing my family car. I got a call from him out of the blue one day to come out to the Midwest and drive for him. The experience I have gotten and the success that I have had with his team has been huge for me.” Wise will have plenty of experience surrounding him at MWR. In addition to Waltrip, the organization will field two other Cup cars, one for Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann.

“The two tests that I’ve done, David has been a huge help to me,” said Wise. “I can go to him and just ask. I can say to David, ‘I’m doing this and is this right or is this wrong?’ He can send me down the right path. Having each one of them to talk to will be a huge asset for me.”

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SPEED and NASCAR Images.

Monday, November 13, 2006

USAC Triple Header to Return to Iowa

USAC Triple Header to Return to Iowa
Iowa Speedway announced today that all three USAC national divisions would compete at the 7/8th mile oval next year on Saturday night May 5th.

That brings the number to four events that have been officially announced for the 2007 Silver Crown Season. Other previously announced USAC Silver Crown dates for 2007 include Richmond International Raceway on June 30th, O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis on July 26th and Phoenix International Raceway on November 8th.

A complete schedule should be announced sometime in the next month. Iowa Speedway’s full 2007 schedule is listed below:

April 21, Grand AM Cup KONI Challenge Road Course
May 5, USAC Midgets, Sprint cars, and Silver Crown Oval
May 19, ASA Late Model Challenge Oval
May 20, NASCAR Grand National East/West Oval
June 2, Prairie Meadows 250 ARCA RE/MAX Series Oval
June 22, IndyCar practice and IndyPro Series Qualifying Oval
June 23, IndyPro Series Main Event and IndyCar Qualifying Oval
June 24, Iowa Corn Indy 250 IndyCar Series Oval

July 13, MOTO ST Endurance Motorcycle Road race Road Course
July 14, Grand American Rolex Road Racing Series - featuring Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring sports cars Road Course
September 22, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Oval

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of Diamond Hope Productions.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Harvick Wins, Gordon and Edwards Duke it Out/ Who Will Win the Cup?/ Montoya at Homestead/ Tough Night for Open Wheelers/ Gordon on MNF

Harvick Wins, Gordon and Edwards Duke it Out
Kevin Harvick won again in the desert as the racing on the track was hoot for Open Wheelers.

Jeff Gordon started on the pole and held onto the lead before a hot Harvick took the lead 4 laps into the race.

Robby Gordon came down on Chad Chaffin bring out the 4th caution of the day. Mike Bliss brought out the 5th one 35 laps later when his engine expired. With 41 laps to go, this multicar accident in turn one occurred when Jamie McMurray appeared to be turned by Tony Stewart.

The resulting backup sent Ryan Newman spinning. Jamie McMurray’s response to being turned?

“Needless to say, I will by my Irwin Tools at Lowes,” McMurray told an NBC pit reporter.

Edwards got around Gordon for 3rd. Casey Mears spun in some else’s oil bringing out the 10th and final caution.

Gordon got back around Edwards on the restart with a little love tap.

Phoenix Cup Results
1. (29 Kevin Harvick)
4. 24 Jeff Gordon
5. 99 Carl Edwards
7. 9 Kasey Kahne
14. 20 Tony Stewart
15. 12 Ryan Newman
20. 18 JJ Yeley
23. 22 Dave Blaney
24. 21 Ken Schrader
26. 42 Casey Mears
33. 7 Robby Gordon
41. 49 Mike Bliss

Open Wheelers Will Not Win the Cup
Only five drivers have a chance to win the Nextel Cup going into Homestead. None of them are Open Wheelers. Jimmy Johnson leads the points following today’s race at Phoenix. Johnson can win the championship if he finishes 12th or better. Matt Kenseth trails Johnson by 63 points. If the two tie in points, Johnson would win the championship based on most second place finishes. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in fifth and has to have a lot of things go right to win. He is 115 points out.

Montoya to Make Cup Attempt at Homestead
Miami is his hometown. What better place to make your Cup start than in your hometown? According to an article by David Newton posted at NASCAR.com http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/11/12/jmontoya.cmears.homestead/index.html Montoya will do just that making his Nextel Cup debut next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Newton reports that Montoya could drive the No. 30 or maybe even the No. 42 that is normally driven by Casey Mears. Montoya tested at Homestead almost a month ago.

Ganassi on Racing Inc.
On another Ganassi related note, SPEED’s new television program “Racing Incorporated” debuts this Wednesday at 8pm eastern on SPEED. The program follows around Chip Ganassi Racing and shows you what makes the multicar and multiseries tick.

Tough Night for Open Wheelers Friday Night
Johnny Benson won Friday night at Phoenix on an evening that was not kind to Open Wheelers. The best OW finish was delivered by David Reutiman who had to come from the back of the field because of an engine change to finish 8th.

Terry Cook was the looser in a four way battle that saw him go for a spin on lap 105. Four laps later Kraig Kinser and Chad Chaffin got together in turn 2.

Cameron Dodson spun with some help in turn 4 on lap 116.

Open Wheeler Truck Results Phoenix
1. (23 Johnny Benson)
8. 17 David Reutiman
11. 16 Mike Bliss
14. 10 Terry Cook
16. 98 Erin Crocker
18. 21 Bobby East
24. 46 Kraig Kinser
30. 63 Cameron Dodson

Kenseth Wins, Edwards and Yeley 5th and 6th
Phoenix was a little more kind to the Open Wheelers Saturday than it was Friday night. Both Carl Edwards and hometown boy JJ Yeley scored top tens at PIR as Sam Hornish Jr. made his first NASCAR Busch Series start. Paul Menard’s day ended when he made contact with the wall on lap 171. Several laps later Willie Allen got into Stephen Leicht in three. Sam Hornish can’t avoid the mess and his car was done for the day. Juan Montoya tried to avoid the trouble and got into the wall. Montoya would spin again but the track would stay green. On the final restart Matt Kenseth got the jump on Kevin Harvick to get the win.

Busch Series Results Phoenix
1. (17 Matt Kenseth)
5. 60 Carl Edwards
6. 18 JJ Yeley
14. 38 Jason Leffler
20. 42 Juan Montoya
21. 43 PJ Jones
25. 10 John Andretti
30. 9 Erin Crocker
35. 39 Sam Hornish Jr.
37. 11 Paul Menard

Crocker to Double Again
Erin Crocker will again run the Busch race and the Truck race next weekend at Homestead.

Gordon on MNF
The EverSelf Promoting Network will have Jeff Gordon as a guest tomorrow on Monday Night Football in Charlotte. Joe Theismann and Suzy Kolber will go for a ride along. Look for ESPN to roll out a stock car that promotes NASCAR on ABC and ESPN.

ESPN.com Adds IRL
Ok, so the IRL already had a section on www.espn.com but in the past year, the website went from a racing icon on the main page to a NASCAR icon. IRL, CCWS, F1 and the NHRA could also be found under that icon. Now the most popular sports website on the net has added an IRL icon to the front page. All of racing not NASCAR related can now be found under the IRL icon. All of NASCAR’s series can be found under the NASCAR icon. The ESPN has a close relationship with ESPN Sports which broadcasts every race on all three of their networks; ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.

I Can’t Believe It
Sebastian Bourdais won again, this time at the season ending race in Mexico. I know you are shocked that the Frenchman won again but you will have to wait a day or two for a race summery.

All images courtesy of NBC, SPEED and NASCAR Images.
  • About OPEN WHEELER
  • In this blog, I will feature what is going on with Open Wheeler's. Race results and news that normaly you would have to search for, you should now be able to find it here. I will also comment from time to time on my two other loves, Hockey and Memphis Tiger Football. Thanks for stopping by. You stay classy racing world.
  • OpenWheeler.Blogspot.com is a non-incorporated news and opinion website. The material used is the creation of the webmaster, unless otherwise noted. Use of stillframes from broadcasts is part of fair use news arrangements. Any reproduction or other use of the accounts published here without the expressed written consent of Open Wheeler is strictly prohibited.
  • DISCLAIMER: All blogs are the sole opinion of Blake Johnson and do not necessarly reflect the views and opinions of his employer, any sanctioning body, family or friends. In fact, he may not agree with anyone.