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RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger) WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR? “I’m leaving Penske Racing. I don’t have a contract to drive any place else right now. There’s nothing on paper. I have offers and I’m choosing the best one.”
HAS RAY EVERNHAM TALKED TO YOU? “Ray has not contacted me. There have been multiple organizations that have contacted me. I will pursue what I feel is the right option.”
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO RUSTY WALLACE’S COMMENTS THAT YOUR WERE FIRED FROM PENSKE RACING? “I don’t know what Rusty’s grounds are or what he’s trying to prove by saying that, it wasn’t the case point blank. Roger (Penske) and I decided mutually not to continue and it was more of my decision then it was his (to leave). I said that our goals didn’t align and for that reason and that reason alone, we decided not to continue after 2008.”
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
HOW BIG OF A DISTRACTION IS YOUR FUTURE? “The future is somewhat of a distraction, but it’s something that I need to take time with and it’s mandatory that I focus on it. I feel bad for the guys on the Alltel Dodge because I don’t want to take away from them from a performance standpoint. I don’t feel that it is (a distraction) when that I’m in the racecar, but obviously outside the racecar, it takes some effort to manage the situation.”
HOW MUCH OF A CONCERN IS IT IF ONE OF THE CARS THAT YOUR ARE CONDERING ISN’T IN THE TOP-35 GOING INTO NEXT YEAR? “It’s an issue, but not a big issue. Obviously the people that are outside the top-35 know that and want to get in the top-35. We don’t even know what the rule is going to be next year as far as the top-35, or whatever it may be. The bottom line is that if it requires building a team and building an organization, so be it. I’ve been in that position before and I want to build something that is good for me and something for the organization that I’m a part of if that’s the case.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR UNDER ANY PRESSURE TO GET A DEAL DONE SOON? “I feel that there isn’t necessarily pressure, but time is of the essence, the sooner the better. For me, whomever I partner up with, the sooner we can get working, the sooner we’ll be more prepared for Daytona.”
DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANTED TO GET YOUR NEXT DEAL WRAPPED UP THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR HOME STATE? “Not necessarily. The location doesn’t matter so much as it does the right time and the right place. Not to say that (Indy) is the wrong place, I’d rather be more focused on the race itself and trying to win the Brickyard 400 in the Alltel Dodge then anything else.”
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
HOW MUCH DOES INDIANAPOLIS MOTORSPEEDWAY MEAN TO YOU? “This place means a lot – from a pure history of auto racing – that to me means the most. I’m walking in the same footprints and footsteps as A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti. Whether it’s Jim Clark or Jim Hurtubise or people like that, to know that I’m stepping in their footprint as I walk to the race car, that to me is what’s special. They’re my heroes just as much as anybody else right now.”
BEFORE YOU WON THE DAYTONA 500, WHERE WOULD A WIN HERE RANK WITH YOU? “To me, Indianapolis ranks second to the Daytona 500 and not by much. This race hasn’t been going on as long as the Daytona 500 has, but there is more history here at Indianapolis than there was at Daytona as far as the last 100 years. It holds a lot of weight. To me, it’s second – the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 are tied for third.”
HOW AGGRESSIVE WILL YOU BE HERE ON SUNDAY AT THE END OF THE RACE IF YOU’RE IN A POSITION TO WIN IT? “We’ll do what we have to do to win. Whether it’s strategy or laying a fender or using eight tires instead of four, you do what you have to do to win. This race is not different.”
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO RACE HERE? “The racetrack is really fun to drive. It’s one of the hardest tracks to race which is why some people love and some people hate it. It’s very similar to Darlington. It’s the same old thing for me, if you have a fast racecar, it will be fun. If you don’t, it will be a miserable day.”
DO YOU HAVE A MANUFACTURER PREFERENCE FOR NEXT YEAR? “No.”
DO YOU FEEL ANY LOAYALTY TO DODGE THAT WOULD KEEP YOU IN A DODGE OVER ANOTHER MANUFACTURER? “Well, based on the fact that I made my announcement and the people from Dodge haven’t contacted me…. no.”
DO RUSTY’S COMMENTS UPSET YOU? “Was he conscious when he said it?”
ARE HIS COMMENTS AN ONGOING RIFF THAT YOU’VE HAD SINCE YOU WERE TEAMMATES? “I guess it is because it’s not true. I guess you could say that.”
HOW DO HIS COMMENTS MAKE YOU FEEL? “It doesn’t matter to me. I know Rusty and his personalities …plural…and everybody is different.”
DO YOU THINK ROGER IS MAD BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE TO BE TOLD HIS EQUIPMENT IS BAD? “Nobody does. Nobody likes to be criticized as a driver and nobody likes to be criticized as an owner. Constructive criticism isn’t part of what I have to do as a driver. If I don’t feel like I have good equipment or as good equipment as the guy that’s ahead of me, then I speak up. That’s a racer. That’s just the way it is. You have to be able to stomach a percentage of that whether you’re a car owner, crew chief, or a guy changing the tires. That’s part of it. I’d expect the same the thing in return.”
DO YOU THINK SPEAKING OUT IN CHICAGO WAS POSSIBLY A REASON WHY YOU’RE NOT COMING BACK TO PENSKE RACING? “I don’t think that it helped anything. I don’t think that anything that I’ve ever said is anything but the truth.”
WHERE IS YOUR CENTER OF FRUSTRATION WITH THE TEAM? “I’ve said before – this weekend is going to be better based upon what I know – just pure performance. Whether it’s horsepower or getting the cars to handle, being competitive, being consistent, strategy calls, things like that we’ve been good – just not great. Good gets us close to the Chase, great gets us in it.”
SINCE YOU MADE YOUR DECISION TO LEAVE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE AN ODD MAN OUT? “I talked to Kurt (Busch) – I haven’t talked to Sam (Hornish Jr.) personally, obviously I have a better relationship with Kurt just based up the time we’ve spent together. But I called Kurt and told him, ‘Hey man, this is what I’m doing. I want you to know. I don’t want there to be any hard feelings. I’ll do whatever I can to be the best teammate after my announcement.’ That’s just part of it. I think Kurt understands it because he’s been through this, I haven’t. I’m just trying to cover my bases and do the best thing I can do as a teammate, as a person and as a driver.”
ARE THERE OPPORUNITIES READILY AVAILABLE TO YOU? “There are opportunities out there. I’ve had people call me and I’ve called people. I’m happy that I’ve had interest both ways.”
( July 25, 2008 ) O’Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN
Brendan Gaughan, driver of the No. 10 International MAXX Force Diesel by International Ford, has three top-10 finishes at the short track of O’Reilly Raceway Park. Gaughan talks about short track racing and the significance of winning in Indianapolis.
Brendan Gaughan – No. 10 International MAXX Force Diesel by International Ford F-150 – YOU HAD A FEW DAYS OFF, BUT YOU WENT RACING. HOW DID IT GO? “On Wednesday night, Kenny Schrader does his M&Ms Night of the Stars race at the track he owns in Pevely, Missouri. It’s an annual event, this year he had Tony Stewart show up, and Dave Blaney is always there and Kenny raced, well, he owns the track, so you expect him to race. This was third year that I got invited to do it. I really appreciate him bringing me out. I’ve actually had the chance to race with the same race car every year. Dennis Young owns the car. He drives there locally, it’s his dirt modified that he lets me run. We finished second. I led the most laps and had a straightaway on the field, but a late race caution, caused by [Ron] Hornaday. He brought out a caution and Dave Blaney just schooled me on the restart. It’s a dirt track. When I finish second to Blaney, I’m thinking that’s a win for me.” CAN YOU CLAIM BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR THE SECOND PLACE FINISH? “You bet. And I’m bragging because I only lost to Dave Blaney.”
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
ON RACING AT O’REILLY RACEWAY PARK. “I’ve actually had better finishes here than I’m given credit for, I think. I do like O’Reilly Raceway Park. Now with it being the Ford Power Stroke Diesel 200 and me being in the International MAXX Force Diesel truck – it’s our sponsor. Rick and I actually have spots [pit stalls] side-by-side. I do know that these three sections of grandstands right here [turn four] are all International folks. I think they said they have something like 3,000 people coming. This is definitely a race that you want to look good at when it’s your own sponsor. This team is ready to win. We have proved we can run up front. We just have to get out of everybody’s mess. I think this team is going to do some great things the second half of this season. We just got to play on the good things, know what we did wrong the first half, know what we didn’t do wrong that just cost us. We’re playing on the fact that we have great engines, we have good engineering help, we have good trucks and we can go win races and do it.”
THE CIRCLE BAR PIT STALLS ARE LOCATED AT PIT IN. HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR RACE? OR DOES IT? “It really doesn’t. This track is big enough that you don’t have to worry about losing a lap trying to change four tires. What’s nice is being back here, as you’re driving out, you’ve got to pay attention to make sure nobody comes out and pinches you in the wall. But Rick and I can get our service done and not have to battle people on the way in. We think it should work out well for us. With any luck, we’re just coming in on sequence and doing the standard adjustments, so you’re not wasting a lot of time and see if we’ll go win a race.”
WILL THE FANS SEE THE STANDARD SHORT TRACK FRIDAY NIGHT RACING? “Yeah, we’ll have typical Friday night short track racing as long as it doesn’t rain too long. They say it’s supposed to rain at some point today, but as long as we can get half the race in, that’s a full race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.”
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN HERE? “Just to get off the slide. We’ve had so many years now of struggles that have just kind of driven you mad. Me, Bryan Berry and all the guys at the No. 10 Circle Bar side, we’ve been great at race tracks but we just haven’t had the great finishes. We’ve run up front, but we haven’t finished there. We want to win a race really bad right now. And to be able to do when it’s your own sponsor. To be able to do it for Ford, I have never won in a Ford truck, I’d love to be able to do it. And say, ‘Hey, we’re here. We’re back,’ and start that charge towards the top five in points.”
DO YOU LIKE RACING HERE? “I do like it. I usually say I don’t like short tracks, but this is a high-grooved race track and that means it works for me. I like the high groove.”
THIS IS A BIG WEEKEND FOR THE RACE TEAM, YOUR SPONSORS AND RICK. “Yeah, Rick Crawford. I’m not going to say how old he is, I’ll let someone else say how old he’s turning this weekend. I believe Sunday is his birthday and I’m glad I’m around him. I’ve known him a long time and I’m honored to be his teammate. This is a very special birthday for him; it’s a big deal. I’m glad to be here with him and share it with him. For his team or for him, either one of us, I know it would be a big celebration if we could get a win this weekend.”
VERSUS
Editorial by: Jeff Kluss /SIT (July 24, 2008 )
Nothing like NASCAR making a mid-season rule change to get the controversy going again. It’s pretty apparent to the fan and insiders that NASCAR was inducing Toyota to jump into the game two seasons ago by letting motor specifications slide that Ford, Chevy, and Dodge had been subjected to in order to “level the playing field”.
The question that comes to mind is “How fair was this to the other manufacturers, non-Toyota teams, and even Toyota?”. An oversight or blind eye turned toward the engine heads as they relate to angles to the block, in-take, and valves gave Toyota anywhere from a 20 to 25 horsepower advantage, as well as saved them from re-engineering at substantial cost. Below is the rule change that has the motorsports world roaring:
“At all Events, unless otherwise specified, all engines with a cylinder bore spacing less than 4.470 inches must compete using a tapered spacer with four (4) 1.125-inch diameter holes. At all Events, unless otherwise specified, all engines with a cylinder bore spacing of 4.470 inches or more must compete using a tapered spacer with four (4) 1.100-inch diameter holes. Unless otherwise authorized, the carburetor restrictor will be issued by NASCAR.”
— Amendment to Section 20A — 5.10.4, Nationwide Series Rule Book
Seems as though NASCAR is able to have their cake and eat it to, so to say. They induce Toyota to participate in the Nationwide Series (still having a problem not calling it Busch Series) expeditiously by letting them slide at the expense of the other manufacturers and then in the middle of their second season hit them with a tapered spacer or as we commonly call it “restrictor plate” which reduces their horsepower ratings by 25 horses. Once again, NASCAR makes a rule change that really doesn’t provide anything other than aggravation by all which could have been avoided by subjecting Toyota to the same provisions from the “get-go”. Sure, Toyota would have been another season out in getting in the game and may not have made the major investments in taking advantage of NASCAR’s desire to get them involved as early as they did. But it would have been better to have them do it right from the start versus upsetting the fans, drivers, and non-Toyota teams………and now Toyota and their teams are paying the price. Nothing like leveling the playing field when it should never have been favored to Toyota’s advantage in the first place. Toyota has won 14 of 21 Nationwide races this season, with cars fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing accounting for 13 victories. The No. 20 JGR Camry has won nine times, with four different drivers behind the wheel!
In talking with my dear friend Jack “Iron Man” Ingram who received 5 Championship rings in this division, he told me that Chevrolet had made the same pitch to NASCAR years ago concerning head and intake configuration only to be turned down flat. Of course we all know that the Toyota engine design was purchased from GM since they didn’t have a successful 8 cylinder design to make them competitive. Well it appears that another band-aid approach to fixing another problem which never should have happened has been supplied by NASCAR. This isn’t the first, and I’m sure it will never be the last band-aid type of logic that NASCAR will create at the expense of the sport.
What has prompted this bit of editorializing was the press release that was received this morning which has been posted below:
Lee White President and General Manager TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) 07/24/2008
“We’re extremely disappointed in NASCAR’s decision. In our opinion, there is no technical justification to penalize the Toyota engine utilized in the Nationwide Series. Toyota always has, and will continue to, abide by all NASCAR-mandated engine specifications and the Nationwide engine was built strictly to NASCAR specifications.
“The success of the Toyota Camry this year in the Nationwide Series is the result of hard work and achievement by all of our race teams — Braun Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Germain Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing — working in conjunction with TRD U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development). All the tireless efforts by our teams, TRD and Triad during the off-season, at pre-season testing and during the first half of the year, combined with extremely talented drivers, have produced exceptional results. “Despite this setback, we will continue to work diligently to keep our Nationwide teams competitive. Our hope remains that a Toyota team or driver will be rewarded with a championship at the conclusion of this year.
“Unfortunately, the decision by NASCAR could be more far-reaching than simply mandating Toyota to adjust its Nationwide engine. The real impact will be felt by the Toyota teams as they adjust to the change, work to remain competitive for the remainder of this season and attempt to line up their sponsorships for next year.”
At first take it seems as though it was sour grapes on the part of Mr. White and Toyota. But thinking further, I can’t say as I blame them since the rules were made to give Toyota a variance above the other players to induce their heavy investment into a sport that was in dire need of a major infusion to boost ticket sales…..especially into the Craftsman Series as well. It was a package deal to lure them into the sport and NASCAR threw in the kitchen sink at the expense of others.
Don’t think that this is about anything other than MONEY. The great money-making machine known as NASCAR has made another foo-pah which was a ticking time-bomb in the making. Yes, we all love the sport of NASCAR racing. Yes, this will probably not affect our love of the game. But it sure is disappointing to think that another episode of favoritism shown for the sake of bucks has levied another blemish on something we all believe is the sport of champions, excellence, and just good clean Americanism. Wasn’t Enron an American company?
Photo by Jeff Kluss/SIT
Johnny Benson in the Winner’s Circle at Kentucky
(Sparta, Kentucky July 20, 2008 ) Johnny Benson finished first in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Kentucky Speedway this past weekend.
It was Benson’s second NCTS win this season (Milwaukee and Kentucky), and his 11th career NCTS victory. All 11 of his wins have come in the Bill Davis Racing No. 23 Tundra. Obviously Toyota is on a roll since they had 7 of the top 9 cars
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
Toyota drivers Michael Annett (second), David Starr (fifth), Mike Skinner (sixth), Kyle Busch (seventh), Terry Cook (eighth) and Marc Mitchell (ninth) also registered top-10 finishes. Matt Crafton (#88 Chevy) finished 2nd, Dennis Setzer (#18 Dodge) 4th, and Ron Hornaday (#33 Chevy) finished out the top ten. Congratulations to Toyota and thanks to Ford for the race sponsorship.
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT Michael Annett finished 2nd
Matt Crafton finished 3rd
Tundra drivers have now registered six NCTS wins in 2008. Benson (Kentucky and Milwaukee) and Busch (California and Atlanta) each have a pair of wins.
Kyle “Rowdy” Busch created a lot of excitment
JOHNNY BENSON, No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra, Bill Davis Racing Finished: 1st How does it feel to be in ‘Victory Lane’ tonight? “This is awesome, awesome. Trip Bruce (crew chief) is the man. He just really built a great truck. It was tough. Have to thank TRD and Toyota for the great bodies and the great horsepower. It ran good, but it wasn’t easy today. It may have looked easy, but it was just a little slick out there today. We had great pit stops. We played a little strategy because we had a loose right front tire — which I’m glad that caution came out. These guys continue to do a great job ”
How does it feel to be back in the lead in the point standings? “The race was great. We were in the points lead for those two races which was great. I made a mistake at Memphis and over- revved the engine. We were running second (at Memphis) and had a great run and I felt we would have continued to run well. Trip Bruce (crew chief) and the guys — time and time — have done a tremendous job on our Tundra. It’s just a pleasure to go out there and race with these guys and have an opportunity to win races. Our goal is to try and win the championship. Man, everybody that has got up there in the points has definitely had issues. If you would back up the last two seasons — with the amount of issues that we all have had — there’s no way that any of us should win the championship based off the last two years. It’s been amazing on that aspect. It’s great for Craftsman to have a points battle that’s just unbelievable. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of, I can tell you that.”
How did you make that pass in turn three to take the lead? “It was pretty cool on my end. There are a couple other guys that didn’t like it. We got such a great run off turn two. We started fourth and there were some lapped cars in there. They got tied up just a little bit and I had a tremendous run off turn two. I got alongside the 18 (Dennis Setzer) and I thought; “We’re in pretty good shape here.’ I figured I would hold him up a little bit and we both had a good run on the 22 (Michael Annett). I knew it was going to be — obviously, a 50-50 shot — whether he was going to get off the gas and push him a little bit or turn left. He turned left like I expected him to so I had to turn left. So, it was a mad dash down to the corner. It was just a mad dash down the corner. I went into the corner straight. I stayed as low as I could. Hopefully, I gave those gave those guys more than enough room. At that point in time I’ m sure I had the best spot. I’m glad the 22 (Michael Annett) was able to come out of there in second-place and have a one-two finish for Bill Davis Racing.”
Of course what would a Craftsman Truck race be without a little controversy? On lap 52 Jack Sprague took the aero off Crissy Wallace in the #03 car, and the red flag came out for approximately 25 minutes. Mike Wallace’s daughter let the press know of her upset, but as we say “that’s racin'”.
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
Crissy Wallace on pit road
Because of an ill-timed pit stop, Kyle Busch had been a lap down and Crissy’s ill fortune was Kyle’s Lucky Dog which gave him the opportunity to make a sixth place finish. All-in-all there were a total of 9 cautions in this 250 mile 150 lap race. Three for debris, two of which were from Crissy Wallace hitting the safety wall.
Photo by: Jeff Kluss
Kyle Busch takes a pit stop and before he comes out of the pit there is a caution
There were a total of 3 leaders with 5 leader changes. Johnny Benson led a total of 94 of the 150 laps after taking the lead in a 4 wide pass. Michael Annet finished in second a full second behind the #23.
Photo by: Jeff Kluss/SIT
John Woods #21 got into Todd Bodine #30 with only 23 laps to go in the race.
One last item. As usual Kentucky Motor Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky was exciting even though attendance was light. KMS always provides a great venue for all types of racing and should always be on the fan’s race calendar. SIT will be covering the IRL race there on August 9th, and we look forward to another great race weekend there.
JOLIET, Ill. (July 15, 2008 ) – The latest stop of the 2008 racing season at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. had the stars of the Sprint Cup Series experiencing heartburn. From fickle weather conditions that rained out qualifying to a late-race, game-changing caution, big-name drivers experienced more than a few TUMSâ moments in Joliet. Each weekend PRN lead anchor Doug Rice picks the Top 10 TUMS Moments from the weekend’s racing activities.
This week’s Top 10 TUMS honors go to:
10. David Gilliland’s Ford’s engine blew up with just six laps to go at Chicagoland causing him to finish second to last in the race.
9. Bobby Labonte had a decent run going late in the race, but spun out with the end in sight and finished near the back of the pack.
8. Denny Hamlin’s early engine problems and faulty ignition box put him four laps down, though his Gibbs teammates had much better nights.
7. Matt Kenseth appeared to be on his way to breaking a season-long winless streak until he was forced to pit road on lap 125 with a flat tire, ending his battle for the lead.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the front row at Chicagoland, but hit a low note as his Chevy struggled all night. He finished the race in 16th.
5. Heavy rain on Friday washed out qualifying forcing Tony Raines and Johnny Sauter out of the race, as they weren’t given the chance to qualify.
4. J.J. Yeley and Hall of Fame Racing got busted for having led filled water bottles in their car. Yeley starts the race at the back of pack and the team will be grabbing the TUMS when they get handed the penalties.
3. Carl Edwards took the lead away from Kyle Busch, but immediately gave it up as the front splitter on his Ford collapsed.
2. The infield mud at Chicagoland was the only thing that could slow down Kyle Busch as his racecar became stuck there after his victory burnout. His happy crew was more than willing to help give him a push.
1. Jimmie Johnson pulled away from the field late and looked headed for victory lane until a late-race caution allowed Kyle Busch to make a heroic pass on the second to last lap and secure his seventh win of the season.
Stay tuned each week for the Top 10 TUMS Moments to see which drivers and teams are most in need of TUMS fast relief.
“Quote of the Week”
“I have a really good understanding of what Richard Petty has meant to our sport because I come from a racing family myself. He is one of the guys that helped make the dream of growing up to become a racecar driver a reality for a lot of kids. I’m so proud to be a part of the 50tth anniversary this weekend and honored to carry the 50th Anniversary paint scheme on the hood of the #43. Everyone, especially NASCAR and the folks at Chicagoland Speedway have jumped on board to help us out this weekend with stuff to honor ‘The King’. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Bobby Labonte Driver – No. 43 Richard Petty’s 50th Anniversary Dodge
‘THE KING’ CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY
• Richard Petty made his first start on July 12, 1958 in
NASCAR’s convertible series. In his 35-year career as a
driver, he amassed remarkable numbers:
- 200 wins
- 1,185 starts
- 7 NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
- 7 Daytona 500 wins
- 27 wins in a season (1967)
- 10 consecutive wins (1967)
• This week, NASCAR celebrates the Golden Anniversary
of Richard “The King” Petty.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Ryan Newman, driver No. 12 Alltel Dodge, is the
youngest Sprint Cup winner at Chicagoland Speedway.
Newman was 26 years, 7 months, 5 days old when he
won the 2003 Tropicana 400.
• The first ever gasoline-powered motor car race was held
up-and-down the Chicago lakefront in 1895. The contest
required vehicles to have at least three wheels and be
able to carry at least two people, one of whom was to be
an umpire selected by the judges to ride with the driver
during the race. The race winner, J. Frank Duryea.
• No NSCS race at Chicagoland Speedway has been won
from the pole or from the same starting position.
• All four manufacturers have won at least three races this
season.
• All four manufacturers are represented in the top 12.
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY TRACK FACTS
• The height of the grandstands at Chicagoland is 15
stories tall, the same height as the Navy Piers Ferris
Wheel in downtown Chicago.
• Chicagoland Speedway sits on 930 acres of land, which
is large enough to accommodate 42 United Centers
(Home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks), making it
the largest sporting facility in Illinois.
• The D-shaped track has 18 degrees of banking in the
turns, 11 degrees in the tri-oval and five degrees on the
backstretch.
• Only Dodge and Chevrolet have posted wins at the Dshaped
track.
Chase Contenders
(after 18 of 36 Races)
Driver Points
Kyle Busch 2,686
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -182
Jeff Burton -202
Carl Edwards -249
Jimmie Johnson -367
Jeff Gordon -437
Denny Hamlin -446
Kasey Kahne -509
Matt Kenseth -520
Clint Bowyer -527
Greg Biffle -533
Tony Stewart -541
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2008 ) – The 18th stop of the 2008 season at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., had the stars of the Sprint Cup Series experiencing heartburn. From multiple on-track incidents to a green-white-checked finish, several top drivers had TUMSâ moments. Each weekend PRN lead anchor Doug Rice picks the Top 10 TUMS Moments from the weekend’s racing activities.
This week’s Top 10 TUMS honors go to:
1. Jeff Gordon spun out with two laps go and watched as his chance at victory disappeared; Gordon is still winless for the 2008 season.
2. Ryan Newman was involved in three separate incidents before the Altell Dodge finally called it a night after the third spin.
3. Jimmie Johnson, Reagan Smith, Paul Menard and JJ Yeley were involved in a race-changing crash with just four laps remaining.
4. Elliott Sadler was going strong until he lost a right front tire and his Dodge wound up in the wall.
5. One of the pre-race favorites Greg Biffle ran into trouble on lap 70, and finished 43rd.
6. Jeff Burton spins one time with no damage but the second spin on lap 140 ruined the night for the driver who entered the race second in points.
7. Tony Stewart had a fast car early but had to get out of the Home Depot Toyota before the half way mark due to illness. JJ Yeley took over driving duties of the No. 20 car the rest of the race.
8. David Gilliland hit the wall on lap 124. The Yates Ford desperately needed a good day, but it wouldn’t happen that way at Daytona.
9. Boris Said wrecked on lap 149 and set up the field for a single file restart with less than 10 laps to go.
10. Kasey Kahne was running in the top 10 all night until a tire rub forced him to back of the field with only 10 laps remaining.
Stay tuned each week for the Top 10 TUMS Moments to see which drivers and teams are most in need of TUMS fast relief.
SONOMA, Calif. (June 24, 2008 ) – The 16th stop of the 2008 season at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., had the stars of the Sprint Cup Series experiencing heartburn. From extreme heat to a late race red flag, several of big-name drivers had several TUMSâ moments. Each weekend PRN lead anchor Doug Rice picks the Top 10 TUMS Moments from the weekend’s racing activities.
This week’s Top 10 TUMS honors go to:
10. Robby Gordon struggled throughout the entire race and finished two laps down. It was a tough day for the road course expert.
9. The so-called “Road Course Ringers” come up empty. Ron Fellows finished 29th, Scott Pruett came home 41st and Boris Said had a disastrous day. Is it about time to end this experiment?
8. Juan Pablo Montoya looked strong early, but after getting into a tangle with Marcos Ambrose he never threatened for the win again. Despite the incident, Montoya recorded his second top ten of the year.
7. I hate to do this, but Jeff Gordon has to be on the list of drivers with heartburn after he finished third. He has won five times at Infineon and he never even came close to contending. Gordon is still winless on the 2008 season.
6. Jeff Gordon is not the only championship driver without a win this year – Tony Stewart took 10th after a late race spin. Could the behind the scenes stuff be a distraction for Smoke?
5. Kasey Kahne starts on the pole but after leading the first four laps the Budweiser Dodge is never among the leaders again. Consequently, Kahne dropped two spots in the points standing.
4. David Reutimann’s day came to a sudden end when he wound up in the tire barrier in turn 10. Fortunately Reutimann came out okay, but his Toyota didn’t fare as well.
3. Elliott Sadler was headed for at least a top five finish, but the Stanley Tools Dodge developed a flat tire and he lost 14 spots on the last two laps to finish 19th.
2. Every driver needed a TUMS QuikPak after Kyle Busch looked terrible in practice and qualifying, but then blew away the field in the race. Busch hasn’t won five races by accident.
1. This week’s number one TUMS moment has to go to Marcos Ambrose. He looked poised to pull off the upset win, but a series of problems sidelined his Ford and he recorded a 42nd-place finish. Other drivers could learn a lesson from his positive outlook in the face of big problems.
Stay tuned each week for the Top 10 TUMS Moments to see which drivers and teams are most in need of TUMS fast relief.
LONG POND, Pa. (June 11, 2008 ) – The 14th stop of the 2008 season at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., had the stars of the Sprint Cup Series experiencing heartburn. From extreme heat to a conclusion that lacked suspense, a fair share of big-name drivers had several TUMSâ moments. Each weekend PRN lead anchor Doug Rice picks the Top 10 TUMS Moments from the weekend’s racing activities.
This week’s Top 10 TUMS honors go to:
10. Sam Hornish Jr. had an adventurous day at Pocono after being directly involved in at least three cautions; not the best way to earn TV time.
9. Elliott Sadler had one of his best runs of the season, running consistently in the top ten only to have a late race flat tire spoil his day at Pocono.
8. It was a real TUMS moment for all the drivers when they were trapped in their race cars on a sultry day for an eight minute red flag. The drivers were all completely spent after 500 miles at Pocono.
7. After qualifying well, Dario Franchitti is involved in multiple spins at The Tricky Triangle; the transition to stock cars has proved to be a tough one for the veteran open-wheel star.
6. Carl Edwards was in position to challenge for a win when a flat tire on lap 181 moved him down to a ninth-place finish.
5. Clint Bowyer and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact on the front stretch which took out both cars; Montoya’s car burned like a 4th of July grill with too much lighter fluid.
4. Tony Stewart was going to finish in the top ten but got caught speeding on pit road and ends up in 35th, dropping to the bubble position in points.
3. Kyle Busch wrecked his primary car in practice on Friday and the team was forced to roll out a back-up Toyota which forced him to start in the back of the field.
2. Point leader Kyle Busch turned into Jamie McMurry on the front stretch and crashed. Kyle would finish last and see his point lead shrink of a miniscule 21 points over Jeff Burton.
1. Pocono Raceway continued to give drivers and crew chiefs heartburn throughout the weekend as they searched to find the right setup to handle the three unique corners at the 2.5 mile superspeedway, including the past master of Pocono – Jeff Gordon.
Stay tuned each week for the Top 10 TUMS Moments to see which drivers and teams are most in need of TUMS fast relief.
DOVER, Del. (June 3, 2008 ) – The 13th stop of the 2008 season at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., had the stars of the Sprint Cup Series experiencing heartburn. From an early multi-car wreck to a race ending that lacked suspense, a fair share of big-name drivers had several TUMSâ moments. Each weekend PRN lead anchor Doug Rice picks the Top 10 TUMS Moments from the weekend’s racing activities.
This week’s Top 10 TUMS honors go to:
10. Miles the Monster must have been taking a nap as there were only five cautions during the entire race. It was not your typical Dover wreck-fest.
9. Brian Vickers was on the receiving end of two NASCAR speeding penalties which cost him a sure shot at a top-10 finish.
8. The driver of the track’s jet dryer could have used some TUMS QuikPak after the jet dryer blew a huge hole in the asphalt on the track apron.
7. Kasey Kahne’s bid to continue his two race winning streak was snapped as he settled for a disappointing 31st-place finish.
6. Only six of 43 drivers somehow managed to finish on the lead lap – so much for parity.
5. Jeff Burton finishes eighth to remain second in points, but still loses ground to the point’s leader Kyle Busch.
4. Reed Sorenson’s frustrating season continued as he drove to a 26th-place finish. This season Sorenson has an average finish of 27th.
3. Elliott Sadler had his contract extended at Gillette Evernham early in the weekend before getting involved in a race-ending crash just barely after the green flag fell.
2. Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. get caught up in the “big one” and both ended up spending way too much time in the garage.
1. Denny Hamlin took a big hit by finishing dead last and completing just 18 laps.
Stay tuned each week for the Top 10 TUMS Moments to see which drivers and teams are most in need of TUMS fast relief.
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