Fast Take Compiled by Dwight Drum
Web work by Larsen & Drum Images by Drum
NASCAR driver PR story tellers
A large group of press agents bring a load of talent to NASCAR and all of motorsports, and they are very good at creating, assembling and sending out their work. Most are dedicated and busy, but some stand out with their team reports because they bring special color and prose to their polished efforts.
Each week we select the press releases that are told like stories because we believe many fans out there would like a section reserved for driver PR story tellers. Growing up many of us probably learned to write while asking -- tell me a story.
We thank these select writers for their ability to keep on telling.
Press stories that often read like a book: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch Kyle Busch and Regan Smith. [NASCAR columist Cathy Elliott's work is included in every edition]
First: The Big News This Week
Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose, Aric Almirola
Kevin Harvick Nabs Budweiser
BUDWEISER HANDS THE KEYS TO NASCAR DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK
King of Beers to be Primary Sponsor of No. 29 Chevrolet in 2011
Budweiser has a rich NASCAR tradition, sponsoring some of the sport's most celebrated drivers, including Bobby Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne. Today, Budweiser announced Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick will become the next star to take the wheel of the iconic Budweiser car when the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season begins in February.
"Budweiser's involvement in NASCAR dates back more than three decades, and we're excited to have as successful a driver as Kevin Harvick to usher in a new era for Budweiser," said Mark Wright, vice president of media, sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. "Kevin also benefits from having the support of a highly respected owner in Richard Childress and the great people of Richard Childress Racing, who will help put the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet in a position to challenge for Sprint Cup championships."
Under the terms of the deal, Budweiser will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 29 Chevrolet for 20 points races, two non-points races during Speedweeks and co-primary sponsor of the Sprint All-Star Race. Budweiser will remain an associate sponsor for the remaining races on the schedule.
"Budweiser is one of the most respected sponsors in our sport," said Harvick. "They do a lot to market their teams and the sport in television broadcasts and away from the track. I'm looking forward to driving the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, taking it to Victory Lane and winning championships."
The 2011 season will mark Harvick's tenth full year in NASCAR's top series. In 2001, he earned two victories en route to a ninth-place finish and Rookie of the Year honors. Harvick has 14 Sprint Cup Series wins, 72 top-five and 145 top-10 finishes, with major points victories coming in the 2003 Brickyard 400 and 2007 Daytona 500. Since the introduction of the season-ending "Chase for the Sprint Cup" format in 2004, Harvick has made the Chase three times and on two occasions finished a career-high fourth in the final point standings. He is also the two-time and defending champion of the Budweiser Shootout (2009-2010).
Harvick currently sits atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with three wins, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, and became the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup - his fourth appearance in five years - following his win at the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
"Throughout his career, Kevin has shown he can win at any level in NASCAR," said Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing. "Combining his talent with Budweiser's NASCAR lineage and proven track record of innovative sponsorship activations makes this an exciting pairing for fans everywhere. RCR prides itself on its heritage and authenticity, so working with a brand like Budweiser, which has built their reputation on those same values, is a very special opportunity."
Harvick has also made a name for himself in both the Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series and Camping World (formerly Craftsman) Truck Series. Since his breakout Busch Series season in 2000, when he earned three wins and Rookie of the Year honors, Harvick has won two overall titles (2001, 2006) and, in 2003, the owner's-only championship with co-driver Johnny Sauter. During that same period in the Truck Series, he has nine victories, 35 top-five and 48 top-10 finishes in just 105 races.
The King of Beers first sponsored a team on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit in 1983 and its legacy in racing has been solidified by popular drivers like Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.
Marcos Ambrose Moves
MARCOS AMBROSE SIGNS WITH RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS
Stanley to sponsor Ambrose in the No. 9 Ford Fusion
In preparation for the 2011 season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that driver Marcos Ambrose has signed a multiyear agreement with the organization to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Long-time RPM sponsor Stanley Black & Decker will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team.
"I'm very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports," said Ambrose. "It's an incredible honor to be able to race for a legend like The King and be a part of this organization. I'm also happy to be back with Ford Racing. The No. 9 team has been a very successful team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the support of Ford and everyone at RPM, I believe we can continue that tradition of success. I'm also excited to join forces with Stanley."
"We are very happy to have Marcos Ambrose join our team," said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty. "He's a very talented and passionate driver and will be a great addition to our team."
"We knew once Marcos became available that we wanted him to be a part of the RPM family," said Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "He's a fan favorite and he's proven to be a tough competitor on track. We're thrilled to have Stanley continue their partnership with our team and believe that Marcos is a great fit for the Stanley Racing program."
"Stanley is pleased to partner with Marcos," said Scott Bannell, Vice President Brand Management and Licensing, Stanley Black & Decker. "We look forward to carrying the winning tradition of the No. 9 car into the 2011 season."
The Tasmanian-born driver cut his racing teeth in V8 Supercar competition before making the shift to NASCAR in 2006. Through a partnership with Ford Racing, Ambrose made his American racing debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. In 2007, the driver made the jump to the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he competed for two seasons before his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2009.
"All of us at Ford are very happy to have Marcos 'back home,'" said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. "We helped Marcos come to America and become a NASCAR driver because we believed in his talent, and loved the way he connected with Ford fans here and in Australia. Already a Ford champion in Supercars, we believe his move to RPM will give him the car and equipment to win races and contend for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup going forward."
Ambrose, 33, is in his second season in NASCAR's premier racing series. He collected a third straight win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in July.
Aric Almirola Signs
Almirola Signs Multi-Year Deal to Drive JR Motorsports' No. 88
Florida native to steer JRM's flagship team in Nationwide Series starting in 2011
JR Motorsports cemented an integral part of its future Wednesday by signing Aric Almirola to a multi-year driving contract for the company's flagship No. 88 NASCAR Nationwide Series team starting in 2011, general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today.
A 26-year-old native of Tampa, Fla., Almirola has 32 career Nationwide Series starts, including one for JR Motorsports in which he finished third at O'Reilly Raceway Park in July. Almirola's full-time duties as the No. 88 driver will officially begin in 2011, but he could potentially fill the seat in select races this season while he continues to run for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
"The chance to drive full time in the Nationwide Series with a top caliber team is something I am extremely excited about," Almirola said. "I was at the shop yesterday, and Kelley gathered all the employees around to announce our deal. The energy and excitement was addicting. We raced at ORP together a month ago and had a really good run. There is no reason why we cannot compete like that every race, and there is no reason why we shouldn't be running for a championship. I would expect nothing less."
Almirola comes to JR Motorsports with proven credentials. In 2006-07, he competed in the Nationwide Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, earning three poles and six top-10s. He is credited with one victory - the June 23, 2007, race at Milwaukee Mile - in which he and Denny Hamlin shared seat time in the victorious No. 20 car. That performance was part of a successful 2007 campaign, which opened doors to a lifelong dream of racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Dale Earnhardt Inc. signed Almirola to a part-time driving deal in 2008 with the unique task of splitting seat time with one of NASCAR's all-time greats, Mark Martin. Nineteen of Almirola's 30 Sprint Cup starts came with DEI (later to become Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing). In his very first race of the 2008 season, Almirola scored a career-best Sprint Cup finish of eighth at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Almirola continued racing in sporadic Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races in 2009 and 2010, but the opportunity to compete full-time this year with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series was too good to pass up. In 15 races so far this season, Almirola has two wins (Dover on May 14 and Michigan on June 12) and has finished in the top-10 in all but four events. He currently sits second in the championship point standings.
"If there is a quintessential JR Motorsports driver, we feel it's Aric Almirola," Kelley Earnhardt said. "The way he drives, the ambition he carries, the way he represents himself on and off the track, it all fits within our company's dynamics, our core objectives, and the values of our sponsorship partners. We look forward to putting him in our No. 88 car so he can continue his success."
Almirola's one stint for JRM took place on July 24 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. He started the Kroger 200 in sixth position, led one lap, ran among the top-five all night, and finished third in his debut in the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet. Almirola is one of 10 drivers who has or will have raced the No. 88 Chevrolet at least once in 2010. Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Realtree Outdoors Chevrolet at Bristol this Friday night in the Food City 250.
"This has been a far different year than anything we have ever experienced before, but we feel like our decision to take our time and not be rushed into naming a full-schedule driver for the No. 88 paid off with the signing of Aric," Kelley Earnhardt said. "He brings a lot to the table for us, as well as our sponsors. He is someone they can build their brands around, and he has the talent to take them to the Winner's Circle."
Jeff Gordon [No. 24 Chevrolet] [NSCS]
Chase Spot Availiable to Gordon at Bristol
Pretty simple, really. Win and he is in the "Chase."
Entering Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon is second in the point standings. He holds a 387-point advantage over 13th place and, to secure a coveted spot in the 12-driver "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup" field, only needs to widen that gap by a minimum of four points following the short track event. A win would ensure that occurs.
And winning is something Gordon is familiar with at the 0.533-mile track. In 35 starts, the driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet has five wins, five poles, 14 top-fives and 20 top-10's. Gordon's last win here came in the 2002 night race - a victory that snapped a 31-race winless streak.
While Gordon has two top-five finishes in the last four events held at the Tennessee track, it just has not clicked for Team DuPont since track changes occurred after the spring event of 2007.
"We've struggled here ever since they changed the track," said Gordon. "I just feel like I had a knack for the old configuration - a groove and a feel and a setup that really worked well for us.
"Ever since the change, none of that has seemed to work. It's about reinventing myself as a driver - trying to find a different groove that works and giving good feedback to the team to get the car to work the way we need it to.
"We feel like we get a little bit better each time we race here."
While a win would secure a spot in the "Chase" - and the 10 additional bonus points awarded for each victory entering the 10-race playoff, there is some wiggle room for Gordon entering the 24th event of the 2010 season. If the 82-time winner exits Bristol with a 323-point advantage over 13th - a loss of 64 points to that position, Gordon only needs to start events 25 and 26 to be a "Chase" participant.
But gaining points and not losing them - or your temper - is on Gordon's mind heading into the high-banked short track event.
"With 15 and 16-second laps and with the banking you have at Bristol, and then with 43 big, heavy stock cars out there on a track that is a half-mile in length, you're going to run out of real estate," said Gordon. "Even though they've made changes and made the track have wider grooves, it's still not enough.
"You are going to run out of patience, and that causes a lot of tempers to flare."
And while Gordon hopes to avoid fireworks on the track Saturday night, he would not mind watching the post-race fireworks display with the No. 24 DuPont crew from Victory Lane.
Tony Stewart [No. 14 Chevrolet] [NSCS]
Getting to the Point at Bristol
While not quite locked into the Chase for the Championship, Tony Stewart appears poised to join the elite Chase field for the sixth time since the 10-race Chase became reality in 2004.
The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing is fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings with a 300-point buffer over 13th-place Mark Martin, the first driver on the outside looking in at the 12-driver Chase, which will be decided in the next three races. With a maximum of 161 points that could be lost in a single race, it would take a catastrophe for Stewart to topple out of the top-12 when the Chase field is set following the conclusion of the Sept. 11 race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
But that sort of thinking doesn't even enter the mind of Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup champion who is the only driver to win a title under the old, season-long championship format (2002) and the current-era Chase (2005). To boot, Stewart is the last Sprint Cup driver not named Jimmie Johnson to win the series championship, for Johnson has taken the crown the last four years.
Instead, Stewart's thinking is this - win and the points take care of themselves. It's a mantra that has obviously worked in his 11 previous Sprint Cup seasons, for Stewart has never finished lower than 11th in points, and his average point finish is fifth. That number - buoyed by his two championship efforts - are due in large part to his 37 career victories, but also to his 150 career top-fives and 243 career top-10s. And we shouldn't forget that his 10,806 career laps led total has allowed him to acquire an astounding 1,250 bonus points.
While we're on the subject of points, if Stewart leaves Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway - site of Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race - with a 391-point advantage over the 13th-place driver in the standings, he will clinch his spot in the Chase. Considering that Stewart has scored 1,500 points in the last 10 races - only two shy of championship point leader Kevin Harvick, who leads the series in this category - it would surprise no one if Stewart picked up the necessary points and locked himself into the Chase. After all, he's rallied from 13th in points to fourth in that span.
And it would surprise no one if Stewart earned that berth by winning at Bristol. The Columbus, Ind.-native has been on a tear leading into the .533-mile bullring, notching 10 top-10 finishes in the last 12 races - two of which were runner-up results. Yet, 23 races into the 2010 Sprint Cup season, Stewart is winless, despite leading 155 laps.
But Bristol is the site of a second-place result in March, and it's also where he already has a win - the 2001 Night Race. And in his 23 previous visits to the East Tennessee oval, Stewart has logged 1,353 laps led - fourth most among active Sprint Cup drivers, and the most with fewer than 600 starts.
Stewart's hunger for a victory, and the 10 bonus points that will be added to his Chase tally if he ends Saturday night's 500-lap contest first, are the driving forces behind his 3,400-pound Chevy Impala. Yes, his Hendrick-built V-8 puts out over 850 horsepower, but on a track that's been likened to piloting a jet inside a gymnasium, hunger and moxie often times win out at Bristol, and those are two tools Stewart has in his arsenal when the green flag drops on the Irwin Tools Night Race.
Ryan Newman [No. 39 Chevrolet] [NSCS]
Hoping To 'Filter' Out All the Bad that Can Happen at Bristol
For Ryan Newman and his No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing team, there couldn't be a better time than this weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for WIX Filters to jump on board as the No. 39 Chevrolet's primary sponsor.
After all, the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is infamous for its treacherous demeanor. Don't blink, because anything can happen at any time. It's all part of the inherent challenges of short-track racing at Bristol - having someone wreck in front of you, having nowhere to go, thus being wrecked.
With that in mind, Newman & Company will surely welcome the help from WIX Filters, the number one filter in NASCAR and an exclusive NASCAR Performance product, as they try to "filter" out all the bad that can happen at the .533-mile bullring nestled in the mountains of East Tennessee.
Heading into the "World's Fastest Half-Mile," Newman sits 14th in the championship standings, 103 points away from the 12th-place cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship with three races to go. Although a spot in the Chase isn't lost for Newman, it's going to be a tall order, and now is the time for him to make his move starting at the concrete short track.
Now Bristol, and the "you-never-know-what-you're-going-to-get-because-it's-all-a-crapshoot" mentality that the track is known for, wouldn't appear to be the most logical place for Newman and his team to believe they will make big gains. But it's difficult to argue with their short-track performance.
Since joining forces in 2009, Newman, crew chief Tony Gibson and the No. 39 WIX Filters team have posted solid performances on tracks under a mile in length. In nine combined starts at Bristol, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Newman has finished outside of the top-10 just once - and that was a 16th-place effort at Bristol last March.
In 17 career starts at Bristol, Newman has two poles, one top-five finish and nine top-10s. The South Bend, Ind., native also holds the qualifying record at the track - which he earned by turning a blistering fast lap clocking in at 128.709 mph (14.908 seconds) in 2003.
Prior to his 16th-place effort at Bristol this past March, Newman had posted two consecutive top-10 finishes at the .533-mile oval - a seventh- and a sixth-place finish, respectively.
In fact, it was at Bristol in March 2009 where Newman and his team made huge gains to turn around a season in which they were seemingly teetering on the edge. The team was 32nd in owner points and in danger of falling out of the top-35. Despite the bad luck that Bristol can instigate, Newman and his team marched into the short track with no fear.
They qualified on the outside pole, led 25 laps and finished seventh. It was the first top-10 finish of the 2009 season, and it marked the beginning of a run for the No. 39 team that saw Newman record seven top-10 finishes in the next 10 races and move from 27th to fourth in the championship.
To kick off the next three races, Newman and his No. 39 WIX Filters team hope and believe a solid performance at Bristol Saturday night can once again serve as a springboard that helps catapult them into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. And the key to that solid, momentum-building finish is simple in Newman's eyes - to be able to "filter" out all the bad luck.
Kurt Busch [No. 2 Dodge] [NSCS]
KURT BUSCH WANTS TO MAKE UP FOR "ONE THAT GOT AWAY" AT BRISTOL
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Longs To Be As Dominant As He Was In March At Bristol Motor Speedway-
In his last visit to Bristol Motor Speedway, Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch started on the outside pole and dominated the March 21 Food City 500, but was forced to settle with a third-place finish. The 2004 Sprint Cup Champ and five-time Bristol winner is returning for this weekend's Irwin Tools 500 looking to make amends for coming up short in the spring race.
"It's definitely the proverbial one that got away as for the races our Miller Lite Dodge Team should have won this season," offered Busch, who sits 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings and is 215 points ahead of 13th with three races remaining to determine the 12 Chase players this season. "Having cars as strong as ours was in the March race at Bristol is something you dream about. Then, not being able to capitalize on it and make it to Victory Lane was a real bitter pill to swallow. "We're hoping to get back to Bristol and have just as strong of Miller Lite Dodge Charger as we had there in the spring," said Busch, who has a 19.1 average start and a 13.2 average finish at B.M.S. after 19 career races there. "We want to be that dominant again, only this time around we certainly don't want to let the win slip through our fingers like it did there in March." When Busch pulled down on pit road after finishing third in the spring race, he climbed from his Miller Lite Dodge to confront a waiting throng of media members. The 2004 series champ did not hold back the emotion of the moment. "I'd rather lose to any of the other (42) cars out there than the 48 car," said Busch, tipping his hat toward race-winner Jimmie Johnson after he thought he was going to beat the Chad Knaus-led Hendrick Motorsports team in impressive fashion. Does he have any regrets today for his comments after the March Bristol race? "Absolutely not," said Busch. "I know there was a lot of emotion coming through there on pit road right after the race when I said that. But even though that was going on five months ago, I still feel the exact same way. The way things have played out since then, that feeling is probably stronger than ever. I'd rather lose to any other team out there than to the 48. "You can take that as a compliment or interpret it any way you want, but it's the truth," Busch continued. "The record book shows that they've won the last four championships in a row. I guess it's true when they say that if you want to be the man, you've got to beat the man. I poured my heart and soul into trying to beat the 48 and win the race at Bristol in the spring. I just hope I can have that big of opportunity to get the job done this time around." Busch started from the outside pole in the March Bristol race and showed his Miller Lite Dodge's strength from the drop of the green flag. He was able to motor by pole-winner Joey Logano to lead the first lap of the race and went on to lead 10 times for the race-high 278 laps. Busch led stretches as long as 58 and 65 laps during the mid-section of the race, which was completed in its entirety but slowed by cautions three times for rain. Great pit work all race long by the "Blue Deuce" crew saw Busch continuously enter the pits first and exit in that same position until late-race strategy came into play. Busch, crew chief Steve Addington and crew had taken the lead from Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski on Lap 414 when the race returned to green after the ninth caution period of the day. Busch had separated himself from second-place Johnson and appeared to be headed toward his sixth career win on the high-banked half-mile before the 10th caution flag of the race was displayed on Lap 484 for debris. The immediate call on the "2 team's" radio was for four fresh Goodyear Tires, with Addington also calling for a two-pound increase in air pressure for the right-side tires. All the front-runners headed to pit road, and Busch and Johnson both took four tires on the final stop. Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart all took two tires, giving them the first four positions on the restart. Busch emerged from the pits in fifth, Johnson was sixth and the race resumed with 10 laps to go. Busch had to line up in the low lane while Johnson had the preferred high lane for the restart. Busch hoped that he could maneuver Edwards, who lined up just in front of him, to slow the upper line of cars, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, Kenseth's difficulty getting up to speed stacked up traffic behind him, including Busch, who lost his opportunity to leapfrog his way to the front. Not Johnson, though. He weaved through the mess up to second, Stewart moved into the lead, and Johnson needed just one lap to pick him off, too. Busch finally cleared Biffle for the third spot with five laps remaining, but couldn't make up any additional ground during the final laps. At the checkered flag, it was Johnson taking the win by 0.894 seconds over Stewart. Busch finished third, with Biffle fourth and Kenseth fifth. "We just got bottled up behind the 99 (Edwards) on the inside lane (on the last restart)," Busch recalled. "The guys on the inside lane were on two tires. The outside (lane) seemed to prevail all day long. That's where the 48 was able to restart. We beat him off pit road, but he still got the preferred lane. When luck shines your way, it shines your way. It was just a case of us having a great effort that day, but we just came up short and finished third."Kyle Busch [No. 18 Toyota] [NSCS]
'Double' the Fun at Bristol
It's no coincidence that the first word that comes to mind when Kyle Busch is asked about Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway is the word fun.
For Busch, winning is his ultimate fun, and the driver of the No. 18 Doublemint® Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) enters Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol looking for his third Sprint Cup win in his last four starts at the .533-mile bullring. The talented 25-year-old owns 18 career Sprint Cup victories, and Bristol is the lone racetrack where Busch has been victorious three times. In addition to sweeping both Sprint Cup events in 2009, Busch captured his first Bristol win in March 2007 and has notched an impressive eight top-10 finishes in 11 starts there. There is a lot at stake for Busch beginning with Saturday night's event and continuing over the course of the next three races - his hopes of clinching a spot in the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Las Vegas native is determined to have strong runs at Bristol, Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and the final race of NASCAR's "regular season" at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The outlook is certainly a positive one as Busch has a combined six Sprint cup wins at all three racetracks. With Doublemint, the iconic chewing gum brand, adorning Busch's No. 18 Toyota at Bristol this weekend, he'll look to add to his fun and to double his pleasure in hopes of yet another win at a track where he is quite familiar with the location of victory lane.Regan Smith[No. 78 Chevy] [NSCS]
As Support Grows For Furniture Row's Farm American Program
Smith's No. 78 Chevy at Bristol Will Again Pay Tribute to U.S. Agriculture
The paint scheme on Regan Smith's No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet at this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Bristol, Tenn. will once again pay tribute to the American farmer and rancher.
The No. 78 Farm American Chevrolet during Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is designed to promote the importance of U.S. agriculture, which is responsible for employing more than 22 million people in the American workforce.
The launch of Furniture Row Racing's Farm American program (www.farmamerican.com) in last month's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is being applauded by members of the American agriculture industry.
“Agriculture is the heart and soul; it is the ethics, moral and social values of this nation," said Dr. Alan Foutz, president, Colorado Farm Bureau. "People are four and five generations removed from the farm, and food for them is in the supermarket. Therefore they've lost connection with this important part of their daily life and where the food and fiber they depend on really comes from. That's why I think it is particularly important the Farm American program exists. There is no doubt in my mind, after being part of the Farm American launch last month at Indianapolis, this program will succeed at reconnecting millions with America's farm families.”
Paul Kindinger, executive director of the North American Equipment Dealer's Association, is equally passionate about Furniture Row Racing's Farm American program.
"The North American Equipment Dealers Association is proud to be partnered with Furniture Row Racing on the Farm American program," said Kindinger. "We see the potential to reach and engage millions of American consumers every week, and believe Farm American has what it takes to begin building a bridge with America's consumers. NAEDA's members and their employees are convinced Farm American will deliver a positive, well-deserved message about the real heroes of American agriculture.”
Furniture Row Racing's objective for providing its support to the U.S. agriculture industry has been clearly stated by Barney Visser, team owner and executive officer of Furniture Row Companies.
“The number of job losses in the American furniture industry due to unfair competitive practices by international governments has been devastating,” said Visser in last month's news release announcing the Farm American program. “To see the same trends occurring in our food supply, leaving us subjected to possible interruptions and unequal standards is something we see as worth fighting for.
“I don’t want America to fall asleep on this issue – this is where America needs to come together. I believe in the free market system, but we’re not free when we ask our farmers and ranchers to compete against foreign governments and potentially harmful standards that put us and our families at risk.”
Smith, whose parents grew up on a farm in central New York, said the Farm American paint scheme is inspiring to him and his family.
"Farmers, ranchers and the entire agriculture community have been a major part of our family for many years so it's a truly special honor to drive the Farm American Chevrolet," said Smith. "We had a good run going in the Farm American car at Indy until a breakage occurred. I want to turn that around and come away with a solid outing at Bristol that our farmers and ranchers deserve."
Tissot Pit Road Awards [NSCS]
Stewart’s Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Award at Michigan
No. 14 crew is 15th different Tissot winner in 2010
Tony Stewart’s pit crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.
It was the first Tissot win of the season for Stewart’s No. 14 crew and the 15th different winner of the weekly pit-road competition.
Stewart’s Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road – 205.605 seconds -- during the 200-lap, 400-mile race. The speedy pit stops helped Stewart post a sixth-place finish.
Placing second was Kevin Harvick’s Pennzoil/Shell Chevrolet – 208.766 seconds and third was Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota – 214.896.
“I’m really proud of Darian Grubb (crew chief) and the pit crew on this Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy,” said Stewart. “They’ve been doing an awesome job on pit road all year and our run at Michigan was another example of that.”
The No. 14 over-the-wall crew consists of: Kelly Kellis (front-tire changer), Todd Drakulich (front-tire carrier), Daniel Smith (rear-tire changer), Mike “Shrek” Morneau (rear-tire carrier), Mike Casto (jackman), Jeff “Gooch” Patterson (gasman), Rick Pigeon (catch can). The team’s pit crew coach is Joe Piette and the crew chief is Darian Grubb.
The weekly-winning crew receives $5,000 from Tissot plus a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.
After 23 races Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 crew leads the Tissot competition with four wins while Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 crew is second at three wins.
Tissot has been the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR since 2006. The company is also the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the Cycling World Championship.
Cathy Elliott [NASCAR Columnist] August 2010
Changing drivers, challenging accents
If stock car racing had its own version of the old Ed Sullivan variety show, NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief Trent Owens would be the plate spinner.
Remember the plate spinner? He was the guy who set numerous plates, bowls and other flat objects simultaneously twirling on poles without falling off. It was a feat requiring a combination of timing, balance, reflexes and a good understanding of the laws of physics.
One plate, one pole and one guy can be tricky to maintain. Multiple plates and poles present an entirely different challenge.
This is a principle Owens understands extremely well; he's living it. This year, he has served as crew chief for Reed Sorensen, and Jacques Villeneuve, and, before health concerns sidelined him for the remainder of the 2010 season, Brian Vickers.
Teams change crew chiefs fairly frequently. The difference in Owens' case is that this parade of drivers has been sharing seat time in a single car, Braun Racing's No. 32 Dollar General Toyota. Considering the comprehensive job description of a crew chief, that's a lot of plates. You might even say it's a full set of dishes.
This racing salad bar presents some challenges for the guy who has to make all the ingredients work together. It runs against the grain of the standard stock car recipe of one driver, one crew chief, and one car. Substitutions do occur on this menu, as teams will sometimes bring in "specialist" drivers, particularly for road course races, but for Owens, the revolving driver door is all just part of the normal work routine.
Engines are built for the tracks on which they will race, but there are some modifications that have to be made according to the individual driver, obvious things like the seats and other interior stuff. The unknowns, according to Owens, are the things on the set-up side of the racetrack.
"Every driver is different. Every driver's personality is different. Every driver has a different way of telling you what the car is doing. Mentally I have to be open-minded as to what the driver is going to need, because he is our best source of information," he says.
"I just have to listen."
'Just listening' sounds pretty easy, as long as everyone involved is speaking the same language. One quirky little twist to this tale has come via Villeneuve, who is French Canadian, and has the accent to prove it.
Owens is a native of Darlington, S.C., where the French Canadian accent is rarely -- OK, never - heard … and yes, he has the accent to prove it. He laughs and admits, "With my Southern drawl, I'm probably not the easiest guy to understand on the radio, but it went pretty well at The Brickyard."
The No. 32 Dollar General Toyota maintained a high profile in Indianapolis this season. Sorensen finished fifth in the Kroger 200 Nationwide Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park; he currently sits 11th in the NNS driver standings.
Then, in a stock car racing reversal of the double-secret probation famously featured in the movie "Animal House," Owens did some double-public NASCAR duty. Villeneuve successfully qualified the No. 32 for The Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, and finished inside the top 30, joining Juan Pablo Montoya as the only two drivers in history to compete in all three of the speedway's premier races -- the Indianapolis 500, the U.S. Grand Prix, and The Brickyard 400. Villeneuve won the Indy 500 in 1995.
"As a crew chief or a driver or whatever, you want to be part of the biggest shows," he says. "Obviously the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with all the history there, it's something you work a long time just to be a part of. I got to work with a driver who is world known, he's a world champion, and all those cool things that some people never get to do. It was pretty special."
It can take a crew chief many years to make it to the Cup Series, working with different teams and drivers along the way. Owens has basically embarked on a crash course, honing his skills with various levels of personnel and equipment in a short period of time. While some might balk at what could be perceived as a job in a continual state of flux, he has embraced it.
"It's been a faster learning curve than you can get anywhere else. I'm not going to say it's been easy, because it hasn't. It would be a lot easier if I had just one driver," he says. "But I was open to it because I wanted to learn quicker and try to move up through the ranks a lot quicker. If you were a closed-minded guy, it probably wouldn't work out too well, but I think all that combination has made it work out great so far."
For Owens, directing a Cup Series effort -- at The Brickyard, of all places -- was a major step toward achieving his ultimate goal.
"I'm definitely working in the Nationwide Series to progress and get to the Cup level. That's where I want to be in a full-time role," he says. "This is the road I need to take to at least have a chance at it."
As you follow Trent Owens' path down that ambitious road, if you happen to spot a number of plates spinning on the shoulder along the way, don't panic.
He hasn't dropped one yet.
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