“Dialed In” with Claire B Lang

NASCAR’s Four Car Team Limit Rule: Kasey Kahne in 2011 While at Red Bull September 2, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: NASCAR, claire b lang, Hendrick Motorsports, Sirius NASCAR Radio, www.claireblang.com, Kasey Kahne, nascar rules
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: Image via Wikipedia

I asked Kasey Kahne on the NASCAR teleconference this week if he is able to have unlimited contact next season with the Hendrick Motorsports group while racing for Red Bull in 2011. I wondered if there are any regulations or rules related to the four car team ownership rule that would restrict him from testing or limits as to what he can do with Hendrick Motorsports next season while he’s at Red Bull, since it is already arranged that he will move to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Kahne answered, “Actually I was kind of wondering some of that same stuff. To this point I haven’t really asked a whole lot about it because I have been more worried about what I was going to do next year and what I was going to be doing the following year.”

Understandable. In the past – limitations have been managed by the teams themselves. If a driver is moving to a new team the next season – the team he is on and the one he is moving to (and the contract the driver signs) usually settle what, if any, limitations there are regarding team meetings, testing, information sharing and the like.

But this arrangement is a bit different. Since Kahne is only going to be at Red Bull only until the way can be cleared for a seat at Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 are there limitations related to the four car team limit? Well – technically Kahne is not Rick Hendrick’s driver until 2012. It’s drawn up simply as if he’s racing for another team in 2011.

I took a look into the four car team limit rule in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book to see if anything applied. The outcome – I don’t think any rule covers this situation and it does not appear that there is any limitation outlined by NASCAR.

Here’s the rule:

3-7 Minimum Car Owner License Requirements

A. To secure and maintain a NASCAR Competitor License as a car owner, a NASCAR Member at a minimum must :

1) Be at least 18 years of age, unless the applicant is a business entity

2) Own a racing car

B. NASCAR will issue the license in the name of the car owner as named on the license application. If the car is owned by a partnership, corporation or other business entity, the license will be issued in the name of the partnership , corporation or business entity, and the license will further indicate the name of the individual principally responsible for the ownership and operation of the business entity. That person will be the party responsible for all communications and contact with NASCAR regarding all business (as opposed to racing competition) matters in connection with the car.

C. NASCAR will indicate on the license the car number assigned to the licensee by NASCAR, subject to sub-section 3-7D. The licensee may use the assigned car number on the car or cars owned by the licensee as follows. During an Event, the licensee may use an assigned number to identify a particular car. A number may not be transferred by the licensee to another car during the Event except as provided by sub-section 9-6F. At a subsequent Event, the licensee may use the number to identify a different car owned by the licensee,so long as the number is not transferred again during the Event except as provided in sub section 9-6F. Points and other prizes for car owners will be awarded to the licensee, depending upon the performance of the car identified by the number assigned to the licensee. If NASCAR changes a car owner’s number during the season, NASCAR, at its option, may transfer to the new number championship points accumulated using the previous number.

D. NASCAR reserves the right to revoke, reassign, or transfer car numbers to another licensee at any time. Car numbers are non- assignable and non transferrable, except by NASCAR.

E. A car owner Competitor License is non assignable and non-transferable. The licensee shall inform NASCAR Headquarters in writing promptly if the partnership is altered in any material manner or the corporation’s stock or assets are sold (other than routine daily stock sales) or become the subject of a merger or the business entity’s ownership interest materially changes. When NASCAR is informed of such a change by the licensee or otherwise, NASCAR, in its sole discretion, may revoke the license as of the date of the change or otherwise. If NASCAR revokes the License, the new partnership, corporation or business entity must submit a new license application. NASCAR may assign the old number or numbers to the new licensee, or it may assign a new car number or numbers. NASCAR in its sole discretion may assign to the new licensee championship points earned by the former licensee if doing so is in the interest of competition and stock car racing. NASCAR may make such other determinations regarding scoring, point funds and the distribution of the purse or prize monies, as it determines to be in the interest of competition and stock car racing.

F. (1) During a single racing season, unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, NASCAR will not assign more than four (4) car numbers to Teams participating in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series that are owned and controlled by the same Car Owner or by a “Affiliate Group.” Two (2) or more Car Owners will be deemed an “Affiliate Group” if:

a. one (1) or more of the Car Owners is entitled to receive (or actually receives), directly or indirectly, from the other Car Owner(s) any financial consideration or other form of value based upon the participation, performance or degree of success of the car(s) entered by the other Car Owner(s); or

b. the Car Owners are subject to any direct or indirect form or amount of common, joint, or shared control, ownership, financing, management or revenue-sharing.

By way of example only, an Affiliate Group may include two (2) or more Car Owners that have formed a cooperative relationship for any race-related purpose , or that are controlled or indirectly by an automobile manufacturer and/or its intermediaries, or that supply or share at or below cost engines, chassis, parts, competitive engineering data, personnel, services, and/or any combination of the foregoing which creates a potential threat to racing competition.

2) The determination(s) whether Teams are owned or controlled by the same Car Owner or by an Affiliate Group or whether two(2) or more Car Owners constitute an Affiliate Group will be made soley by NASCAR and shall be final, non- appealable and non-litigable. In making such determination, NASCAR may consider all facts and circumstances with respect to the relationship between or among the Car Owners, including without limitation the following:

a. any ownership interest in the Car Owner, whether tat ownership interest is held directly or indirectly by or through another person or business entity and whether it is held as a limited or general partner, shareholder, trustee or other form of ownership: and/or

b. any financial interest in or of the Car Owner, including but not limited to the financial investment, underwriting, below market capital funding, below market private or public loans or other similar interest and/or

c. the scope and extent of management or other control exercized by, over or through the Car Owner, whether through the ownership of voting securities by contract, de facto, or otherwise: and/or:

d. any receipt or consideration of services, property and/or other form of value, or of the proceeds from the sale or barter of any services, materials, and/or competitive data on other than a free market basis basis.

3. If, after NASCAR has assigned car numbers to the Teams of one (1) or more Car Owners, those Car Owners enter into or otherwise become an “Affiliate Group,” NASCAR in its sole discretion may take any action deemed appropriate by NASCAR with respect to such Car Owners including but not limited to revoking its assignment of the car numbers, ceasing to award championship points, refusing to accept an entry, and/or prohibiting a Car Owner from competing in any Event. If NASCAR elects to revoke its assignment of car numbers to one (1) or more Car Owners in the Affiliate Group in order to limit the assignment of car numbers to the Affiliate Group to a maximum of four (4), NASCAR will consult with the Members as to which car number assignment(s) will be revoked but NASCAR’s decision in that regard will be final, non-appealable and non-litigable.

4. NASCAR may make reasonable requests for information from a Member, including without limitation a Car Owner or Car Owner Competitor License applicant as it deems necessary for purposes of making a determination regarding the existence and make up of an Affiliate Group. Each Member or Member applicant shall cooperate fully with NASCAR’s reasonable requests, under an appropriate confidentiality agreement. NASCAR may refuse to approve an application for a Car Owner Competitor License if the applicant fails to cooperate with such requests fully and on a timely basis. NASCAR may suspend or terminate a Car Owner Competitor License if the Member fails to cooperate with such requests fully and on a timely basis.

5) Not withstanding any other provision of this sub-section 3-7, a Car Owner may submit a fifth car number for competition in a maximum of seven (7) starts during the 2010 racing season for the purpose of enabling a rookie driver, as determined and approved by NASCAR under sub-section 9-4-D, to become familiar with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Competition.

The regulation as outlined above does leave itemsup to NASCAR’s discretion. It doesn’t appear that Red Bull is an “affilate group” of the Hendrick Motorsports Operation in any way. It would appear that there will be no limitations. But I am not an attorney – and, again, there is just enough open area in the above rule outline to make it subject to NASCAR interpretation and oversight.

Again, outside of what Red Bull feels is fair during the year Kahne races for themand that Red Bull has drawn up in the contract Kasey will race within, I’m not sure that there need to be limitations on testing or contact. One would think Red Bull would manage that and mandate in the agreement what is comfortable for them without the need for NASCAR to limit any contact or relationship that Kahne shares with is future employer, Hendrick Motorsports.

Your thoughts?

Fans name the Johnson baby! July 9, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2008 Season.
2 comments

Chandra and Jimmie Johnson welcomed a baby girl Wednesday, July 7 at 1:44 p.m. ET in Charlotte, NC. She weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz. and measured 19.5″ long. Dad offered that she is absolutely beautiful and affectionately referred to her as “Baby J” as the proud parents have yet to decide on a name. While commenting that sleep was at a minimum last night, he is extremely happy about getting to spend time with his girls before leaving for the race weekend in Chicago.

Name The Johnson Baby!

Race fans had a field day – taking on the challenge of naming the new Johnson baby. Currently “Baby J” until they decide on a name – I got tons of suggestions for the happy Johnson couple as to what to name little Miss Johnson. Below are some of the emailed suggestions. Think you have a better one? Email insidercbl@aol.com. The race fans came up with some doozies.

Here (below) are some of the emails I have received:

I’m in the Safety Clean trailer at Chicagoland Speedway, by the way, where I’ll be broadcasting from this weekend and I’m reading all the emails laughing.

You all crack me up!

Claire B

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Claire,

I have the perfect name for the baby: Fontana!

Jamie Tucker
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Jennifer Jade Johnson is a cute name. Has a nice ring to it. Jade is a rare gem as is a beautiful baby Girl.
*Chris from MT.

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Dale, Darrel Waltrip, Richard Petty, Rusty, Awesome Bill, Irvan, Gordon, Earnhardt Smith…..Johnson…..Jr.

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My choice. Loni-Caye Johnson. Did I win. Did I win
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Impala Bowtie Johnson? From Aaron in Maine
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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Listening to your show. I think the Johnsons should name their baby Chayse.

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Clare, my last name is Johnson as well, when my daughter was born I thought it would be great to name her “Imma Johnson ” maybe they will too lol. My wife didn’t agree so I didn’t win lol.

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Patience Summer johnson

Kai
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Chadra J Johnson

Barry Einhellig
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hey CBL,

l like the name Riley Johnson.

….John, California
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Jaycee for the first name Spells there initials

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How about sierra
Or. Deshanka June

Deshanka means child of GOD

You can send my prize to me now.
Kevin
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Angel Johnson
Mackenzie Johnson
Melanie Phoenix johnson
Kimberly Meredith johnson

Kaiimi

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Hi Claire,

If it was a boy Chevy Chase would be a great name. But since it is a girl and she was born on Wednesday. Wednesday would be a great name, remember Wednesday on the Adam’s family? And later on in life, when the boys begin calling, Jimmie can tell them,
“you will have to call her Wednesday.” At least it will work 6 days a week.
I am going to be at the races in Chicago this weekend, maybe see you there.
Greg in Wisconsin
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I think that I heard you say that Jimmy’s wife’s name is Shandra…or Chandra. I think that they should to name their baby

Chammy…or Shammy

Thanks

Eddie

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HI Claire B:

My Suggestion for Jimmie and Chandra’s new baby is Lowes, pronounced “Lois”.

- Tricia in CA

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How about Fate for a name? It’s a contraction of forty-eight.
I’m sure that no matter what name is chosen, she will be a lovely baby.

Heidi

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Rikki Bobbi Johnson

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Milynn Johnson

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Boogidy boogidy Johnson from Kevin peoria il

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I think since there are thrr people in “that relationship” that the
thid person deserves some credit. C h a d r a

Have a great race weekend CBL!

Jillian
SF

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I am not sure how shandra, or chantra spels her name, but how about

Shimmie Johnson just athough, I do believe shanny had the hard part?

Brad Hansen
Utah
Jennifer Julienne Johnson cause a daughter should be a triple J

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Maggie Ann Johnson

Sent from Rodney’s iPhone

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Golden horseshoe Johnson

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Charlotte Bristol Johnson

Elizabeth Bynog

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How about Cheyenne? One of my favorites! Mary Lou from Wisconsin

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Jenna Johnson or Christal Johnson
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Percilla Johnson or champane Johnson

Sent from Rodney’s iPhone

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Precious Johnson
Kimmy Johnson

Kaiimi

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How about Anybody But Johnson?
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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How about chase Dayton johnson.it’s about the chase for jimmy and daytona.
Jack in Arizona
Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone

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Tonya Stewart Johnson?…GO 14!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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Bristol for Jimmie’s 50th win at a track he really wanted to win at.

Michelle, IL

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Miss Claire,
So sweet for the Johnson Family. Sweeeeeet. Is Wednesday Adams Johnson ok? Sincerely, Vaughn

Jimmie is my favorite driver, but I think they should name their little girl Parker.

Melissa from Maine

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I think they should name her Charlotte. Billy in TN

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Speedena Johnson or claire B Johnson

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HEY CLAIRE,

IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE I EMAILED YOU!!!
I THING THAT THEY SHOULD NAME HER “CHARITTE NICOLE JOHNSON” U KNOW U
GOT TO ADD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ONE OF THE NASCAR TRACK!!!!! and I
THINK THAT IS A PERFECT NAME!!!!!!

Take CARE!!!!

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It’s cambydon with the suggestion “Chevonne”

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Trophy Johnson

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Hey Claire, how about “Victoria Lane” for Jimmy’s baby girl? How appropriate for a guy who’s been in victory lane so much! Stan from Louisiana

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Treasure Johnson

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Name her Chad, lol! have a great show, Mac in PA

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Lowette
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Claire B

Jimmy and Shanny should name their baby girl Victoria Layne. It’s my story and you are stuck with it.

Too Many Denny from Missouri

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CBL:

Baby J???? That’s a hell of a name. These people have had 9 months to
come up with a name. What?? They couldn’t find Chad for his approval???

Ann from Indiana

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Well – there you have it. Let me know if you can come up with something better…and congratulations to the Johnsons on their new baby.

Claire B

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Hey Clair, listen to you all the time, been a long time 24/48 fan.

My new name for jimmy girl is LOWE-LA KABOLA Johnson, Lowela , is for Lowes sponsor, Kabola is for Kobalt tools , who is on

Jimmy’s car from time to time. Said like LOLA KABOLA Johnson , sounds great doesn’t it. My wife said NO WAY

Hard-Earned Post Win Vacation For Kevin and DeLana! Body Shop for Most of the Field! July 6, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: 4th of July, Dale Jr, Daytona International Speedway, Kasey Kahne, kevin harvick, NASCAR, Sirius NASCAR Radio, Sprint Cup Series, www.claireblang.com
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Greenhouse Down!

“Greenhouse Down” is a race shop term that means you leave the the roof and the A, B and C pillars on the race car but replace the rest. That’s what will happen to the cars that made it through the carnage at the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. Kenny Francis, the crew chief for Kasey Kahne (finished second) says their car will get the greenhouse down treatment.

For many of the teams more will be required, as much of the field ended up being towed off the track after multi car accidents.

Meanwhile, the perfunctory, “What happened?” that reporters normally ask drivers at the care center after a big wreck- resulted in a number of unclear answers simply because of the close racing and the melee on the track.

Jeff Burton: “No, I can’t (tell you what happened) I know the two car had a really big run coming and I was just coming down and I don’t know we just hit one of those bad wrecks that happens at Talladega and Daytona but I don’t really know what happened to be quite honest.”

Kyle Busch “I don’t know ……..the 42 was on my quarter panel and the air on both of our cars just started steering me right, right across the nose of his car. I mean I didn’t turn right to wreck myself why would I do that?”

You’ll have that….when racing at Daytona at high speeds.

The list of “I don’t know” answers just kept on coming because, frankly, the cars were nose to tail and the average speed was 130.814 miles per hour. There were 9 cautions for 37 laps, 47 lead changes among 18 drivers, ad the margin of victory was .092 seconds.

Happy Birthday DeLana

Meanwhile, Kevin and DeLana Harvick, who celebrated in Victory Lane, are enjoying a long-awaited vacation this week. “We are actually going on our vacation, a vacation we have not been on together in several years. So, (a win) is the best way to kick off a vacation. We are going straight to Chicago, not even going home,” DeLana told me in Victory Lane. “My birthday is Wednesday so if (Kevin’s) trying to get out of getting me a birthday present, it’s not going to work,” She added smiling.

The Club House in Victory Lane!

Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway is, as Dale Earnhardt Junior said Saturday night, a special place to be. “Victory Lane is like when you are a little kid and you got a tree house or you and your buddy has got a club house in the woods or whatever,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “That is what Victory Lane is to me and I like going there.”

I’m lucky enough to be LIVE in Victory Lane each week on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio after the race is over. There’s always a lot going on, and it is, as Dale Junior explained, not only something extremely special but for a brief few minutes one of the happiest places on earth.

Even the son of Crew Chief Gil Martin got in on the victory lane action – as Kevin Harvick dumped a bottle of champagne on the head of Martin’s son Ford. “That’s the first time I’ve been to victory lane in my life…14 years, and the first time I’ve ever been to victory lane,” young Martin told me.

Ford and his family went off to Universal Studios to celebrate after Saturday’s win. The young Ford said he was “praying like crazy” as the race was drawing to a conclusion.

You just won the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola, what are you going to do now?

Going to Universal Studios!

Mail Bag:

Below are some of the emails that I got over the past few days. Write me at insidercbl@aol.com:

The Golden Horseshoe

Claire, I guess we still know that Harvick has that Golden horseshoe I sent him at the beginning of the year.

Jeff in California

(Note: Jeff, sent Kevin Harvick a gold horseshoe after hearing the comment about the strategically placed horseshoe of Jimmie Johnsons.)

Letter to Brian France from a Fan:

Dear Mr. France,

If you are looking to update or tweak the Chase format… I have the BEST way to do it.

You want to reward drivers for winning races, but if a driver doesn’t make the chase then those 10 bonus points don’t mean a thing. So first adjust the weekly race scoring. Make it so the winner of the race score a least 25-30 more points than second. That is incentive to go for the win. Make it so first place receives 210 points and second gets 180, then as usual from there. And still add on the bonus points for most laps and laps led. Then the driver receives an immediate reward for winning. And that winning helps him get into the playoffs.

Then for the chase, take the points they’ve earned and cut them to 10%. So if the driver in first leads second by 210 points, he starts the chase leading by 21. and if third place is 279 points behind, he starts 28 points back. In this fashion, a driver who is 570 points behind doesn’t start ahead of other drivers just because he won a couple more races. The drivers are rewarded for their performance for the ENTIRE regular season, not just a few races. It makes no sense for drivers to get a better position in the playoffs when they performed at a lower level during the season.

I’ve been a fan for years, and I appreciate you consistently trying to improve the sport. Some fans say “leave it as it is”, but they probably don’t like the forward pass in football either. If you don’t always look to improve, look to make things better, you will never get new fans and casual fans will lose interest, and eventually you will die.

Thank You
Stephen W Barnes

From a Jeff Gordon Fan:

CBL:

Talk about some hard racin’! Jeff survived by driving like he was on
a dirt track. It was awesome. He was sooooo close once again. He
just didn’t have all his teammates up there supporting him, like the
RCR guys. Several times tonight Jeff tried to get the 48 to help him
and JJ would either jump to the other lane or cut him off. The last
time JJ cut Jeff off, Jeff got shuffled and then the big one
happened. Where Jeff had been, there was JJ. And, therefore, the 48
got in the big one and not Jeff. Bravo to the 48 crew for pulling
Mark Martin out of his burning car! Hey! Jeff is second in points!!
Woohoo!!! I know it’ll get him a glass of yesterday’s ice water once
the Chase starts, but it’s still great. He seemed genuinely surprised
when someone told him at the press conference.

Ann from Indiana

List of thoughts

One listener sent me this – a list of things that he was thinking

This is bigger than Jr:

1. What a shot in jr’s arm he can win if he or his fans thought different.

2. Should he re think running both races the drivers that do win more often ? U might have the % done for the radio.

4. Will a lot say it was the # and not the driver.

5. If I was jr I would drive out were dad died and got out and walk away from the car. What u think.?

6. If he wins tomorrow what are they going to say then? (sent after Junior’s win but before he finished 4th in Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Race)

7. Was the noise louder than most wins ? It could have been the mike but it sounded like other fans were jr’s fans at end of race.

Thank you Ron

NOTE: Ron, the noise for Dale Junior is always loud at Daytona so it seemed very loud. But probably no more than it always is. I don’t see Junior getting out of the car and paying special note to his dad – I think he prefers to hold that close to the chest and mark it in his own private way. I think that is how he usually carries himself. Thanks for the note.

Email from Jennifer

Claire,

You do not know how happy I am to wake up….turn on my Sirius Radio…and hear you this morning! I am so happy to hear you on here! Too often, I have to work in the evening and I miss your evening edition on Dialed In Wednesday – Friday so I am really enjoying this opportunity this morning! Thank you so much for agreeing to do your show this morning!

In regards to Dale Jr and the 88 team….Dale Jr is doing the very best that he can out there and he is driving his ass off every week…but I am so fed up with Lance McGrew and his attitude during, and in some cases, after the race. The comment that Dale Jr made after the Cup race about the setup that was under his and Mark’s car…that really caught my attention. He knew what setup was under his car and he knew it was different than what the 24 and the 48 had and even he wondered why that was.

After all, he said they ran the same setup in February and they did not run well then either, several timely cautions just allowed Jr to move up through the field and finish 2nd in the 500. Why put that same setup in the car again?…especially under such different conditions because the weather was very different. Use the setup that the 24 and 48 were using…it couldn’t have hurt. It really makes you wonder if the 2 shops are truly sharing because if they were then they would all be working off the same setup.

Instead, Lance just seems to throw something up into the air, hoping that it works for them. It seems to me that his attitude is…if it works that’s great…if it does not work…oh well! Lance does not seem to care at all because he acts as if the way Jr ran at Daytona Saturday night is no big deal. Well, I want to let him know that Dale Jr running well at Daytona and Talladega…leading laps…contending for the win most of the time…is a very big deal. It is a very big deal to Jr and it is a very big to us as his fans! It’s time Lance figure that out and if he has not figured that out then somebody needs to tell him!

I know Jr cannot win them all at Daytona and Talladega. I realize things are going to happen to keep him from always winning or always running well so I am not asking for perfection….I just think the effort is not always there on the crew chief’s part to make him the best he can be at those tracks. I do not believe that Lance believes in Dale Jr like he should…that is a shame!

I know that Friday night’s Nationwide Race was perfect…Dale Jr won and it was perfect!…and I know that will not happen every time. However, I was…and still am…so impressed with the overall effort from Tony Jr and that entire team on the Nationwide side. I am not only just impressed with their performance Friday night…I am extremely impressed with the effort that Tony Jr and the team put forth leading up to the race as well. They were well-prepared….they were truly a very cohesive team and they all seemed to gel so well. I am just so proud of the effort and all of the hard work that Tony Jr put into the race. They worked hard and it shows in the finish. Tony Jr was truly so happy after that race was over with and it showed in his emotions!

I just wish Dale Jr had that advantage on the Cup side…unfortunately I do not see it out of Lance McGrew. Every week on that 88 Cup car something else goes wrong…there is another excuse for a bad practice…a poor qualifying effort…or a poor race or finish. Something broke….somebody made the wrong adjustment….something was put on the car wrong….somebody messed up a pit stop. It seems to me a lot of crap goes on over on the 88 Cup car and it seems to me that Lance puts up with it and shrugs it off. Something tells me that if it was happening to the 24 or 48…it would not be “put up with”….heads would roll over there! I just wonder what HMS has to say about the fact that the 88 team is lagging behind every other HMS team, and the crew chief does not seem to care??? It is just a shame to have a driver so upset about how he ran but yet nobody else sees a problem with it. A crew chief who truly cared, would see a problem with it.

You know, Friday and Saturday night there were a lot of similarities with the 2 races Jr was in. The driver, of course, was the same…Dale Jr drove in both races. The pit crew was the same. According to the drivers, the new Nationwide COT drove a lot like the Cup COT does. There was one difference between the two races….the crew chief! Tony Jr Friday night and Lance McGrew Saturday. Friday night Jr seemed to do very well with Tony Jr…an crew chief it was obvious was giving his all to winning that race….obviously so because he won!

Saturday night it all falls apart under the so called “leadership” of Lance McGrew. To me, that speaks volumes and it tells me that Tony Jr should still be leading Jr’s Cup team. It may not ever do any good put I will always be a Tony Jr supporter and a big supporter of him being Jr’s crew chief. From where I stand, Jr was in a much better position when Tony Jr was leading his team because Lance McGrew seems to be grasping at straws out there! I just wonder when Rick Hendrick is going to come around to seeing this and actually do something about Lance McGrew because it is not working!

Thanks Claire….I have so enjoyed listening to you this morning!

Jennifer in SC

July 5th “floating holiday”

(much discussion on air over whether July 5th is a real holiday and who was working on this day versus whom is taking the day off).

Claire,
Your schedule is insane. After that crazy Saturday/Sunday, now you are driving to Chicago tomorrow?
I know that is why we get all the news but you are only human. Really you need some rest this afternoon.
By the way, I am off today. I am a software engineer for an aerospace company and it was a legal holiday for us.
Paula

Points Discussion – One Word – “Golf”

Claire,

With all the hubbub about the points, I’ll throw my 2 cents in–1 word–GOLF scoring format..Take away all the bonus points and give the driver and owner the points of their finish..1 point for 1st –
2 for second and so on…..At the end of the year..THE LOWEST SCORE WINS!!!! The chance of a tie is almost impossible but if it happens use a no points race to break the tie…Its just an idea but I guess its as good as any…

I drive a truck coast to coast hauling meat and listen to your show all the time–Keep up the good work and Love your show.

I root for the Busch brothers—-go 2 and 18.

Steve Neece

CBL On the Road Again:

I’m on the road again, and heading to the Midwest tomorrow. I’m traveling on the road to Chicago today (Tuesday) and then staying in the Midwest between Chicago and Indianapolis for the running of the brickyard.

I can’t wait to be in my home stomping grounds again for a while, see some family and cover the racing at the same time.

You can catch me on “Dialed In’ on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio or email me at insidercbl@aol.com.

Enjoy the day! Thanks for listening and for emailing.

Claire B

Repercussions of the NASCAR “Nudge” June 29, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: NASCAR, claire b lang, claireblang.com, Sprint Cup Series, Sirius NASCAR Radio
1 comment so far

NASCAR’s Drivers Reevaluate How They Race Each Other

Imagine the choices that Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch had to make in the final moments of the Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire. There were milliseconds to decide what to do and anger involved as the two were fighting for the lead, for the money, for the points, for the pride, for the win.

Kurt Busch saw that he had a “last chance” opportunity to pass Johnson. He got in the corner deeper than Jimmie. He didn’t flat out wreck him, he didn’t drive over him. It was, as Busch called it, a “nice nudge.”

Meanwhile, the pilot of the 48 was red faced and, as he described it, was “livid” inside of his race car. That road rage, in which Johnson had “great visions” of causing a “spectacular crash,” almost had Johnson loose any opportunity to later pull off the win.

What is also at stake is that Jimmie does not want Kurt to think that he is soft, or that his peers can “Knock the 48 out of the way,” If Busch, “slipped and accidentally got into him,” Johnson says that’s one thing. But, if it was Bush’s intention, then that’s the first time in nine years of racing with Busch that Johnson has experienced that from Busch and then, Johnson says, it would have “definitely changed the way I race with him.”

Hmmm….

In the end, Busch did not wreck Johnson, so Johnson reconsidered. He filtered all sides in his brain, which holds a very specific racers’ Rolodex. Did Busch intend the move ? Heck yes. He “nudged” Johnson. Did he slip? No. But did he wreck him? No. So Johnson chose to “nudge” him back, pulled it off cleanly and won the race. No foul.

Now what? Does his view of Kurt change? Does he race him differently? Does he know next time that Kurt will “nudge” him and, if so, how does that change how they race together. How would this race end up if it was re-run with the two in the very same position in the fall during the chase?

Does Johnson now race everyone differently because of the nudge he got from Kurt? Everyone’s more aggressive now.

Was it a test Kurt applied to Jimmie and now that he knows how Jimmie will respond, coming back at him with a “nudge” does he still deliver the move. Or, knowing what he knows now, does Busch deliver the “nudge” differently or maybe not at all.

How to Race Each Other?

What happened with Jimmie Johnson was at the end of the race and was for the win. But drivers are racing each other differently early in the races as well. These drivers now have a choice to make.

After Pocono, Tony Stewart said that the “restarts were idiotic,” and chastised his fellow drivers. “For anybody who is looking for drama for the next couple of races start looking -cause I can promise I’m going to start making the highlight reel the next couple of weeks,” Stewart told us.

Stewart’s Crew Chief, Darian Grubb, says, of Tony’s comment, ” I’m pretty excited. That means that he’s just going to step up his game that much more every lap. He’s realizing now,” Grubb told me, “that you have to race that hard every lap. The other guys are going to do it and they are going to be idiots and wreck each other and stuff on lap one. Sooner or later, you are gong to do that too or you are going to be behind them before its over with.”

Grubb says he doesn’t want his driver to tear up equipment doing it but added, “Everybody’s starting to loose a lot of respect for each other as drivers and be in it early in the race because they realize how much track position depends on that. You have to decide how you’re going to run for the day, so they are starting to be idiots right on lap one. So, he’s just basically saying he’s going to be one of the idiots as well,” Grubb said.

Bobby Hutchins, Competition Director at Stewart Haas Racing told me, “We talked about it (after Pocono). I think the drivers will (change their style). If you’re going to be here to win races and stay up front – then you are going to try to change the thought process.”

As to the highlight reel comments – Hutchins says, “I’m hoping he will be a more little aggressive because if we give up anything it’s been on restarts this year. and we’ve been in a position a couple times in the top five, six or seven and we’ve lost six to seven spots on a restart and by the time you get it sorted back out you pass those six or seven cars back and then it’s time for a pit stop and you have a caution then you are in the same spot you were in or worse, so it’s a big part of racing and, hopefully, he figured that out.”

Stewart has begun to apply his new theory.

In the end

In the end – things have changed in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing. The new rules and related intensity have been forcing drivers to decide how much they will change and to reevaluate their style and the way they race each other.

Was Jimmie Johnson saying that after racing Kurt Busch for nine years, this is the first time Busch has raced him this hard, with a “nudge”. Or was he thinking the “nudge” was more than a “nudge.” Since Kurt pulled it off – Kurt does not get put into the fence. But – if he had messed up what would have happened? Would Johnson have destroyed his race car, being tested for the New Hampshire chase race to show that he can’t be pushed around. Likely not. Idle threat?

Are drivers just frustrated seeing Jimmie win all the time. So, if Johnson wins the title this year will it be the hardest won title he’s earned? No one will leave Johnson have a position on the track much less a win – they are not above nudging him out of the way. What about when others try it -and don’t pull it off like Busch did? Then what.

What about when we get to the end of the chase….when typically the drivers don’t take a guy in the chase out or drive “like idiots,” to coin a Stewart phrase, on the restarts early? What about when they now do drive ” like idiots” during the chase and everyone is doing it?

Drivers now don’t care about being so cautious and neither does NASCAR. The drivers have been unleashed. Things have changed.

It’s going to get interesting.

Krissie Newman Co-Hosting “Dialed In” with Claire B. Lang from Michigan June 10, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season, Fun Stuff, Live Show.
Tags: NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Michigan International Speedway, Ryan Newman, Sirius NASCAR Radio, www.claireblang.com
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Pit Road Pets – Show Thursday Night 7-10 EST SIRIUS NASCAR Radio

Krissie Newman has agreed to co-host “Dialed In with Claire B. on Thursday night from Michigan International Speedway. Stay tuned for some wide-open, kick back and have fun for a good cause radio time! From the minute Krissie came on the circuit and married Ryan Newman she’s been one of the most well-liked wives out on pit road. The team guys love her cause she’s fun, she’s honest, she’s smart and she’s using all of those talents to help make a difference for animals. She’s also helping Tony Stewart build his new house, so even the boss man likes her! The racing community has rallied around the cause that she and Ryan selected to lend their time to and the second edition of the book “Pit Road Pets” featuring the stars and fans of NASCAR will be featured in a special autograph session at the track this weekend.

The Photo Shoot!

Photographer Karen Will Rogers took her camera equipment on the NASCAR road and behind the scenes to capture the love of the NASCAR community for their pets. In some cases she went to the homes of NASCAR personalities, and in other cases she captured them behind the scenes with their animals at the track. Fans were included in the camera shoot and featured in the book as well. What resulted is a close up look at NASCAR, through the eyes of the pets that they love.

The Radio Show! “Dialed In” Thursday, June 10th.

Krissie will be in studio at the track to co-host the show Thursday night (June 10th) which will feature a guest list of NASCAR drivers, crew chiefs and media people who appear in the book, telling stories about their pets and the shoot. The show will be packed with guests and good times in support of the book and the autograph signing on Friday evening.

The Autograph Session:

An A-list group of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, crew chiefs and their family members will participate in an autograph session at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, June 11 from 6-8 p.m. in the speedway’s Budweiser Acceleration Club.

The autograph session is open to fans that purchase the “Pit Road Pets:The Second Lap NASCAR Stars and Their Pets” . Fans can buy the book at the Ryan Newman Foundation’s display tent located near the Kids Zone in the New Holland Fan Plaza. Fans that have already purchased the first or second editions of the book may also bring their copy and participate in the autograph session.
The session is limited to 400 fans and passes will be handed out Friday beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ryan Newman Foundation display tent following their purchase of the book. The Newman’s and others will sign copies of the Pit Road Pets book and one other additional item per person.
Scheduled autograph participants are as follows and subject to change:
Ryan and Krissie Newman
• Kasey Kahne
• Clint Bowyer
• Marcos Ambrose
• Martin Truex Jr.
• Max Papis
• Kyle Petty
• Regan Smith
• Casey Mears
• DeLana Harvick
• A.J. and Lynne Allmendinger with dog Misty
• Aric Almirola with fiance Janice Goss
• Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief)
• Steve Letarte (Jeff Gordon’s crew chief)
• Tony Gibson (Ryan Newman’s crew chief)
• Darian Grubb (Tony Stewart’s crew chief)

The Book:
The newest edition of the book will be on sale from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, June 11 for $24.95 each. Books can also be purchased at Newman’s trackside merchandise trailer, the MIS gift shop located in the track’s administration building or online at www.ryannewman.org. Proceeds from book sales during the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend will benefit the Michigan Humane Society.

Check out some of the behind the scenes shots with SIRIUS NASCAR Radio host Claire B. Lang and dog Dakota Rose that did not make it into the book…..

Photo Credit: Karen Will Rogers
Pit Road Pets The Second Lap – NASCAR Stars and their Pets

PHOTO CREDIT: PHOTOS BY Karen Will Rogers
RYAN NEWMAN

Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Night May 19, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season, Crew Chiefs, Crew Members, Fun Stuff, Pit Crew Challenge.
Tags: NASCAR, claire b lang, Lowe's Motor Speedway, claireblang.com, Sprint Cup Series, Sirius NASCAR Radio, Sprint Cup All Star PIt Crew Challenge, charlotte, pit crew challenge
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The Boys Are Back In Town!!

It’s a highlight, back-home, bragging rights night in Charlotte, North Carolina tonight for the pit crews of NASCAR who are back in town for the All-Star Race activities and who will compete in the Sprint All Star Pit Crew Challenge. Opening ceremonies are at 6:45 p.m. EST at Time Warner Cable Arena.

There are 24 eligible teams who will each be able to bring five sets of tires and their own lug nuts to the event as well as air guns and jacks. Teams can bring four support members in addition to the seven competitors. The teams supply their own “push” car with tech requirements stipulated by NASCAR in the NSPCC Technical Bulletin. This stuff is serious!

All drivers, car owners, crew members and team members must have a valid NASCAR license that has not been suspended or revoked. Participating crew members have to be licensed to the team they are competing for and must be active on the current roster of “over the wall” crew members.

Seeding is done through the 2010 Sprint Cup Series Car owner point standings through Dover, and the top eight teams in points will receive a bye into the second round of competition. In addition to the fastest team in the event receiving the honors of champion, the fastest crew member at each station will be crowned as the individual champion and each of the winning individual crew members will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

The key to the event is the 40-yard push – where after completing their duties as jack man, tire carrier, tire changer, gas man, etc., the team must push their 3,200 pound race car (steered by their driver) across the finish line.

Speeds Coverage of the event begins at 9:00 p.m. (tape delayed) “Dialed In” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio will begin LIVE coverage as the event begins at 7:00 p.m. EST

Last year, the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet pit crew outpaced the No. 43 US Air Force Dodge team to capture the team title. While doing so, the team set a new event record with a time of 22.115 seconds and earned a $70,675 payout, which equates to $10,096 per crew member or $3,195 earnings per second.

Individual winners in 2009 were:

Dennis Terry, Front Tire Changer No.1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy 14.855
Shannon Keys, Front Tire Carrier No.1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy 14.855
Jake Seminara Front Tire Changer No. 18 M&M’s Toyota 14.900
Kenny Barber Rear Tire Carrier No. 18 M&M’s Toyota 14.900
Preston Cordell Gas Man No.1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy 10.072
Eric Hoyle Catch Can No.1 Bas Pro Shops Chevy 10.072
Jeff Kerr Jack Man No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy 5.666

Take a look at the bios of the team guys on the roster for tonight’s event and you’ll see many of them are racers or who knew people who were in racing. These guys first jobs range from commercial fisherman, to golf course manager, log cutter, steel tower construction, air craft refueler, commercial driver and firefighter, to name just a few of the interesting occupations these guys held before their current team role in NASCAR. Trevor Lysne the Front Tire Changer for the No. 42 Target Chevy worked in a treatment center for troubled children before racing. Kenneth Purcell the jack man for the No. 48 Chevy used to work at his dad’s animal hospital before joining the team.

The team guys have nicknames within their teams, like Jeff Patterson the two-time individual champion gas man from the No. 14 Office Depot Chevy whose nickname is “Gooch” and Mike Morneau the rear tire changer for the No. 14 who the guys call “Shrek.”

And their teams have nicknames too. The over-the-wall teams nickname for the No.333 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy is the “Helping Hands pit crew.” Each crew member has the Hamburger helper hand on their firesuit doing their respective position. The jackman has the Hand holding the jack, the fueler has a gas can, etc.

Some, come from a long line of crew member or racing families. Take, for example Jeremy West from the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet. He and his father worked on David Gilliland’s car in the Winston West series. They won the championship in 1996. Jeremy changed and his dad, John, carried.

These guys have played football and rugby, wrestling, baseball and soccer in college and several have been semi-professional athletes. Shaun Peet the jack man for the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota is a former professional hockey player. Some of them have been carrying or changing tires for a race team for over years. Their pit crew coaches train them hard with everything from weights to yoga, aquatic and heat training.

These guys have seen their share of close calls on pit road and some have been hit in the line of duty. Eric Maycroft the rear tire changer for the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota said, “Yes, (I’ve been hit) by AJ Allmendinger, the wing caught me and flipped me into the next pit stall head over heels.”

The pit road warriors who have their time in the spot light tonight at the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge are an integral part of winning in NASCAR Sprint Cup series that most of their drivers will attend tonight’s event to show support and these guys are scouted, under contract, and in the pressure-cooker that making up time on pit road presents must be at the top of their game physically and mentally to have made it to the level of pit crew member for NASCAR’s elite division teams.

Tonight, is their night. These guys are the best of the best and their families and their team members and their drivers and their fans will be there to cheer them on.

It’s a great event. For more information check www.pitcrewchallenge.com.

Media Pit Crew Event!

On Tuesday national and local media members competed in the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner arena. The event, just for fun, pitted media members from various national and local broadcast and television entities against each other in the media pit crew competition. For the second year in a row as the driver of the car for the winning team, after surviving two heat races and the final face off against a team from the Carolina Panthers (pushing the car like it was Super Bowl Sunday) I felt just a slight sensation of what these guys will feel like tonight. Just as the final heat race was about to begin while filing a report, it was a rush to get into the race car in the nick of time, secure the steering wheel and be pushed to the line. The key to driving the car in this event (a role a number of driver’s wives will handle tonight) is to not brake while you are pushed towards a brick wall, and then just in the nick of time slam on the break. Ah, sweet victory!

See the photo of the winning crew, including my team mates Ray Dunlap, Phil Parsons and Jeff Hammond from Speed and Fox.

Hope you can make the event or catch it on Speed or SIRIUS NASCAR Radio tonight. It’s well worth it and one of the fun events of All-Star week in the heart of racing in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Claire B Lang

Victory Lane at Darlington May 10, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season, Trackside, Transcripts, claire blang.
Tags: NASCAR, tony stewart, jeff gordon, claire b lang, Dale Jr, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Sirius NASCAR Radio, www.claireblang.com, AJ Almendinger, Darlington Raceway
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What a wild Saturday night – Sunday morning at Darlington. Victory Lane is the size of a living room at Darlington Raceway, fitting for the kind of down home atmosphere that makes that track special. Everyone is packed in for a really fun, tight-knit celebration. After interviewing Denny Hamlin’s Mother, his crew chief, his team president and team owner – I took a golf cart ride to the media center (hitched a kind ride with the folks rushing crew chief Mike Ford to the media center) and appreciate the lift greatly. We’re all squeezed on the golf cart and there was a Victory Lane Champagne bottle on board which became the topic of discussion during the ride. It was totally empty but going on the shelf at Mike Ford’s house and Ford talked about perhaps having to build a new shelf for more hardware and souvenirs of wins.

Finally, Denny Hamlin, stepped out of the media center and well into the early morning hours of Sunday I interviewed him live. I noticed something that I had not noticed before about him. For some reason Denny reminded me of Jeff Gordon. After all that had transpired, Hamlin was calm and focused during the interview as if he was devoting that several minutes entirely and with complete attention to what I was asking, even after a long day and on a night into early morning where all kinds of things were now being thrown at him. It struck me that this characteristic is something I have always noticed in Gordon. When you have those few minutes with Jeff either behind his hauler or after qualifying or racing – he pays complete attention to the moment and is not distracted. He is remarkably able to isolate each of the moments he dedicates entirely to what he is doing at that moment and he doesn’t give standard answers but truly answers what you are asking giving completely of himself to the moment. I have always notice this in Jeff Gordon and it struck me that this is why I like interviewing Hamlin, because from the interviews of him after his first pole to his firt win to now, he is the same way and it is a characteristic I see in the champion drivers.

Honestly, I am not sure if it is coincidence or the mark of great talent, but I have to believe that inner calm and stress free focus into the moment, allows a driver to enjoy what he’s doing more and excel in focus on the track. Interesting.

In interviewing the team after the race for the “teardown” to be broadcast on “Dialed In” this week – it was easy to pick up on the teams support of Hamlin, even in the tough times, certainly after a win. In the media center Hamlin said he has to believe his faith in his team demonstrated by staying in the car when he injured his knee has paid off with the team. “We have those good pit stops at the end. Is it coincidence?,” He asked. Talking with the team, their confidence and admiration of him was through the roof. This is a team that will not gloat but they feel they are championship level – without a doubt in their being.

Struggles – Dancing with the Lady in Black:

Interaction between driver and crew chief who appear on the same page – even after a frustrating run. it was a long night.

DALE EARNHARDT JR., AND CREW CHIEF LANCE MCGREW, NO. 88 AMP ENERGY /NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – Finished 18th:
SO YOU’RE NOT FRUSTRATED?
JUNIOR: “We ran really good at the beginning. Lance will go home and work on what he can.”
MCGREW: “I think the best thing is that now we have a notebook. We didn’t have that. And now we can go back and we can look and we see.”
JUNIOR: “We ran better this time than we did last time here. I think this has been one of the worst races I had last year.”
MCGREW: “Yeah, it was horrible.”
JUNIOR: “We see that we can do it. We’ve just got to be able to finish.”
MCGREW: “We overcame a cut right rear tire and that was good. You have nights like this.”
JUNIOR: “I enjoy working with Lance every week.”

Tony Stewart finished 23rd – on a frustrating evening for the #14.

From the start of the 367-lap race, Stewart had a racecar that was loose back to the gas each time he came off the track’s corners. Track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments were used throughout the race to alleviate the car’s ill-handling ways, but adding to the team’s headaches was a slew of problems that only compounded their original difficulty in navigating the track’s tight confines. There was a chain-reaction crash that saw Stewart get into the back of Paul Menard’s Ford on lap 63, when traffic stacked up in between turns one and two. While Menard spun to the apron, Stewart received some cosmetic damage to the nose of his Old Spice/Office Depot machine. Then, on what was supposed to be the team’s third pit stop on lap 85, Stewart missed his stall when traffic clogged pit road and prevented him from angling into his box. The non-stop did have one benefit as it put Stewart into the lead when the race restarted on lap 89 – Stewart and team kept fighting. On lap 336, Stewart lost a lap to eventual race-winner Denny Hamlin, and it was a deficit he could not overcome. When the checkered flag mercifully dropped, Stewart was 23rd.

Note: I got a kick out of the writing of Stewart’s PR guy Mike Arning who gets full credit for noting that the checkered flag “mercifully dropped,” for Stewart. Touche Mike.

Bad night for AJ (and Jimmie Johnson)

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet – At the infield care center after being caught up in AJ’s Brake rotor mess (see below) Johnson wasn’t sure what happened. He was wacked out of nowhere and calm as could be. I was surprised how a guy could be so laid back after being what he called “drilled” with no notice. When I asked him about it he said that they were running good times, and called it an “adventurous” night. He told me he felt like they were “doing their best,” and was positive that they were fast before being taken out. Not a good night for the 48 – but situation out of their control. He’s a master of not wasting time worrying about what is out of control and moving on.

So what did happen?

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Insignia/Best Buy Ford Fusion (Finished 37th) – “The brake rotor exploded. The last 40 or 50 laps we were struggling with brake problems and just no brakes. We took all the brake cooling off and thought maybe we were gonna fix it, and when that yellow came out I went to hit the brakes to slow down and the brake rotors exploded. I’m not sure which one, but I was just trying to aim for the bottom and try to miss everybody. I’m sorry to Jimmie. It wasn’t his fault, but I had no brakes and couldn’t do anything about it.”

Looking ahead to Dover:

Hang on to your clothes -

Grammy-nominated country music artist Joe Nichols will sing the national anthem prior to the start of the “Autism Speaks 400 presented by HERSHEY’S Milk & Milkshakes” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on May 16, 2010 at Dover International Speedway. Nichols’ hit song “Gimmie That Girl” currently sits at No. 1 on the Billboard country music chart. The singer of country hits “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” ooh boy did you catch that race fans –it should be a wild weekend. LOL.

Jeff Gordon – #24 Dupont Chevrolet -“It’s high speed, really high banked — Dover is just one of those white knuckle experiences that you really feel the sensation of the speeds that our cars are capable of probably more there than any other track that we go to. It’s one of my favorite tracks. I love Dover because it’s got those big, fast high banked corners, but it’s great racing as well. The groove has really widened out. You can run high, you can run the middle and you can run low. We’ve seen a lot of different lanes there to race on. It’s challenging. Every lap, you’re on the edge.”

DOVER 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – (SIRIUS NASCAR Radio) 5:00 p.m. EST Friday

Interesting Note: Elliott Sadler returns to Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) to pilot the No. 2 Best Buy/Insignia Silverado for the second time this season. Despite the fact that Sadler has been competing in NASCAR’s top-3 series for over 15 years, he has NEVER made a Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway. Sadler has, however, made a total of 27 combined starts in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series at the one-mile concrete track. Sadler has led a combined total of 189 laps at the track, and has earned a best finish of sixth in both series (Fall of 2005 in Cup, Fall of 1997 in Nationwide). Is there any added pressure in returning to the truck that currently sits first in the owner’s points? “No pressure at all. I know it’s a great truck and I’m really looking forward to being behind the wheel of the Best Buy/Insignia truck at Dover. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

Did you know?

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics, over the past four Truck Series races at Dover International Speedway – Ron Hornaday has gained more points than any other Truck Series driver. Hornaday has picked up a total of 771 points at the Monster Mile over the last four race events. Hornaday also holds the title of driver fastest early in a run at Dover.

Catch the Heluva Good! 200 NASCAR NASCAR Nationwide Series -(SIRIUS NASCAR Radio) 2:00 p.m. Saturday

Thanks for your Crown Royal #17 Pit Crew Name Suggestions!!- The #17 team is looking for a name for their pit crew, a creative challenge that is fun – especially with the new sponsor. I opened up the phone lines and email and got a ton of suggestions including, Royal Knights, Kings of the Road, Gold Diggers, Crown Over-The-Wall Bangers, The Barneys, The Royal Wrenches, The Purple Reign, Purple Predators, Purple People Eaters and more. Some of them were a bit royal and snobby in nature for a down and dirty pit crew, one that is not included to step out on pit road acting like they are more regal than everyone else. There lies the challenge of naming the crew with a name that matches a “Crown Royal” type hook. Hmmm. Send an email at insidercbl@aol.com if you have a suggestion. I interviewed Robbie Reiser, the GM of Roush Racing who reminded the listeners that the “Killer Bees” earned their nickname – and that the #17 pit crew earned that initial name they didn’t create it. Reiser is tough. I like that.

Newly Posted Photo: The Stewart Haas team guys with the ARMY Team at Fort Benning, with driver Ryan Newman. The trip to Fort Benning last week was beyond worthwhile – and we all had great pride over the pit stop that the team busted off before being thrown into the training course with the US ARMY Rangers. The Stewart Haas guys held up their end of the deal, they may have been pushed to the limit by the Rangers but they didn’t buckle. To the Army guys – thanks for all you do! Meeting some of America’s finest and chatting with them at Fort Benning – filled all of us with pride in what America represents.
Claire B.

Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway: Tears, Emotion, Celebration, First Win! April 14, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: NASCAR, claire b lang, claireblang.com, Sprint Cup Series, Texas Motor Speedway, Sirius NASCAR Radio
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Tony Gibson sat down on the stage for my LIVE interview at PIR after the Subway Fresh Fit 600 – emotionally spent after his first Sprint Cup Series win. Sitting next to him – Krissie Newman, the wife of winning driver Ryan Newman.

Drivers sometimes sit down during the interview, after a race-hardly ever crew chiefs. But it wasn’t from lack of being in shape, nor from being tired, it was sheerly from the emotion of the moment. What was especially exciting, other than seeing the smiles from Ryan who, more than he lets on externally was bothered by the lack of wins since Daytona, 2008, it was the excitement from members of the race team. Many of the guys on this team came from DEI and many of them had not had a Sprint Cup Series win until this moment. After Victory lane I went to the teardown to talk to the team members – many of whom said that this day was a culmination of a dream that started for them when they were 8 or 9 years old. Later, as I went into the garage, Ryan Newman was back at the teardown getting a pat on the back from Series Director John Darby, who, like those who enjoy seeing history made in the sport, noted that we were seeing a historical moment as the #39 car got its first win in the series.

Ryan Newman is not an emotional guy, he’s a great, great guy. He doesn’t drink, at all, never smoked, makes himself wide on the race track, speaks his mind, is funny as all get out and extremely loyal to team and friends. I saw some emotion in him in Victory Lane that I rarely see – and it was sweet to see him showing that emotion in the winner’s circle – visited by the likes of Jimmie Johnson who along with Jeff Gordon stopped to congratulate him. He doesn’t throw his helmet or pitch a fit when he doesn’t win – but like many drivers who have been groomed to win since childhood – not winning is hard on the psyche.

There’s a moment that I wish the fans could see – it’s when the series director in the garage or NASCAR President Mike Helton in Victory Lane – walk to the victor and say “great race” and shake the hand of the winner. John Darby did just that to Ryan long after the race was over as Ryan visited his team tearing down the car in the garage. For the driver, no matter how seasoned, or not, no matter how few or how many wins, or how vocal the wheel man is – it always means a great deal to the driver to get the mark of respect and achievement from these guys.

One other note – It’s not often said how many team members have young children at home watching the race. Their kids call before bed on Sunday evening and say “daddy, how did you do?,” or watch the race on TV and think their dad at the track is a super hero and ask when he will win. Time after time in the garage at the teardown team members will tell me after winning how much it means to them to tell their kids that daddy was a winner that night – and many of them tear up while telling me that. Standing there looking at these guys busting their hump to tear the car down, full of sweat and grease and far from home, I am moved by the look in the eyes of the team member as he tells me about calling his kid to tell them that they won! It’s a special moment in the dark of the garage after the TV cameras have been turned off – that I will always treasure.

Texas Take – Spoiler Talk!
Spoiler questions will dominate at Texas

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the new spoiler. There were jokes at Martinsville from drivers who were making up funny statements on the supposed impact of the spoiler over the wing there to the, “It won’t make a difference until we get to Texas,” comment we are all familiar with. The spoiler, well and Denny Hamlin’s knee, has been the major conversation topic the past few weeks.

Well, we’re headed to Texas this weekend. So, get ready to hear endless questions leading into the race weekend on the new spoiler. To save some time, here’s the take of a host of drivers as to just how much of a difference the spoiler will make this weekend at Texas:

WON’T MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE:

Jeff Gordon, who will drive a specially-painted No. 24 DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet at TMS: “The true test is going to be at the 1.5-mile tracks – Texas being the first one.But I don’t think it’s going to change who’s going to be fast and who’s going to run well.

David Gilliland – Drivr No. 37 Taco Bell Ford : “I don’t think the spoiler will be a really big deal this weekend. Most people have an understanding how it has changed the cars. It’s not a huge difference. There are some small things that make the car handle differently, but we’re not reinventing the wheel with this change.

Matt Kennseth – Driver #17 Crown Royal Black Ford: “Texas to me is a track that’s more about real racing and making sure that you have a car that handles better than the rest of the guys, so that you can make sure you’re the fastest car around the track every lap. I’m a little unsure about how the spoiler change may effect the racing action this weekend heading into Texas. I don’t foresee any big changes, but we won’t know until we get all the cars on track for practice. Texas is a track that I really enjoy a lot and we’ve been very successful here, so I always look forward to racing at Texas Motor Speedway.”

ITS GOING TO BE INTERESTING:

Kurt Busch – Driver #2 Miller Lite Dodge - “I think teams will just really tip-toe up to speed there this weekend. It’s hard to know just how hard to push the car with it being the first time out. Then, we’ll make adustments from there. You may try to change some things and explore the aero situation. It’s not like we didn’t try some of the things when we did the tire and spoiler testing at Charlotte, but this will be the first real test..the first time that all the cars and teams will be there at the Texas track together.”

Martin Truex Junior – Driver of the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota: I think Texas will be the ultimate test for the new spoiler since it is one of the fastest tracks we go to. It will also come into play with all of the side-by-side racing we do. We’ll definitely see how this new change effects all of us and obviously, the teams that can figure it out should do well and I hope that is us.

Kevin Conway – Driver No. 37 ExtenZe Racing : “Texas is going to be a big test for everyone. We have to study what the car needs. It’ll definitely be the first test for us at a racetrack of that speed with the rear spoiler. Martinsville and Phoenix gave us some information, but nothing like Texas. It’s going to be interesting to see which teams can hit on something or not.”

NOT SURE – BUT NOT SO MUCH

Kasey Kahne – Driver #9 Budweiser Ford Fusion “Some of the cars have already tested there and didn’t say there was a huge difference. We (tested) at Charlotte and it didn’t seem like there was a huge difference. Once we get racing together and have a lot of cars on the track, whether it’s Sunday during the race or Saturday’s final practice, I think we’re going to all learn more than what we know right now. I’m kind of looking forward to that to really see what it changes, because it has to change something when you’re around 42 other cars.”

Jimmie Johnson – Driver #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet “From my standpoint, I feel that the cars drove very similar to the way that I have in the past. I didn’t even think about wing or spoiler on the back of the car throughout the (Phoenix) race. It seemed the same. The final test will be in Texas. And even to Talladega. There’s some things with this spoiler that should help the car stay on the ground and change the draft a bit at Talladega. So we have a nice progression in tracks to really evaluate what’s going on. But so far I think it’s going well and it’s driving a lot like it did before.”

Kyle Busch – Driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry: “Not a whole lot of difference, but definitely some change. Whether it’s change for the good or the bad yet, we won’t know until we get into a pack at a race. My initial thoughts after the Charlotte test would be that it adds a lot of grip to the car, makes the cars comfortable to drive but, to me, it might make it harder in traffic. I’m very curious to see how it changes the handling during a race, since this weekend will really be the first big test for the spoiler on an aero track.”

————————–
We may have to wait , yes, even until race day to tell how much of an impact the spoiler will have.

Kudos to Denny Hamlin for driving his race car, not complaining on the radio despite the car not running up front. I’m sure between the spoiler and Denny Hamlin’s knee, oh and how everything is bigger in Texas we’ll have a lot to talk about this weekend.

Texas is always big, fast and exciting. Stay tuned.

Claire B

Ty Pennington Joins Claire B. Lang on “Dialed In” Tonight! April 8, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: NASCAR, jeff gordon, claire b lang, pir, claireblang.com, Sprint Cup Series, phoenix international raceway, Sirius NASCAR Radio
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Jeff Gordon’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Visit

Extreme makeover Home Edition’s Ty Pennington will join me tonight (Thursday, April 8th – 7:15 EST [time edited] p.m. EST ) LIVE on “Dialed In”. I’m mostly a news junkie and don’t watch much television since I’m always on the road or at a race track. I have a weakness for this show- mostly because it takes seemingly impossible situations that average folks find themselves in and it rewards them with help that they so desperately need. Most of the time the people who are chosen for the program look at life with a glass that is half full instead of half empty and despite being faced with major adversity find a way to help others and see life through a positive light. The fact that Jeff Gordon will be featured on this weekends’ installment of the ABC program (Episode will air SUNDAY, APRIL 11 -8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) brings it even closer to home. I want to find out about Jeff Gordon on the set, and although I get to interview a lot of celebrities in my job I have asked to interview Ty Pennington for quite some time, ever since I heard Gordon was going to do a segment. I’m looking forward to the interview tonight. Wonder if Ty Pennington is a race fan?

The challenge: On January 11, 2010, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to Loris, South Carolina – with race car driver Jeff Gordon as the celebrity volunteer — to meet Amanda and Derrick Suggs, a young couple who had just started their own family when they adopted Amanda’s younger siblings to keep them from being separated in foster care. When Derrick and Amanda got married, they moved into the home Derrick inherited from his grandfather, who built it in 1953. The home came with a long list of needed repairs: a leaking roof, outdated and exposed electrical wiring, rotting foundation and cracked asbestos siding. Did Jeff Gordon grab a hammer? Stay tuned.

Phoenix International Raceway Challenges
Longer race, day to night, spoiler, green-white-checkered, have at it!

The challenges of this race track are many. It’s the first Saturday night Sprint Cup race of the year. This weekend’s Sprint Cup Race here will be an additional 63 laps and miles up from 312. The new distance will be 375 laps/miles.

Some Notes:
-Sam Hornish had a career best PIR finish (9th) in last year’s spring event.
-It’s Brad Keselowski’s second acareer start at Phoenix here and he improved six positions in NSCS driver standings in the last two races. Crew chief Jay Guy says “The new car we are bringing to Phoenix is one of the lightest cars that we’ve produced to date and we’re excited to see how it races.”
-Phoenix was Ryan Newman’s first ever NASCAR start.
-It’s not a self-cleaning track, expect a lot of excitement when an accident happens
-This weekend kicks off a long stretch in the season where we don’t see a break until July. Teams need to stay prepared because if you get behind in this stretch it’s hard to make up.
-You need to be up on the wheel and really drive this track.
-It’s Carl Edwards 200th Career Sprint Cup Series Start. They’ve had very fast cars in the past at Phoenix but Carl has yet to win a Cup race here.
-Qualifying is key – it can be hard to pass at PIR
-This track combines the speed of some of the bigger tracks and some characteristics of short tracks. Some have said it’s a small superspeedway with long straightaways and really aggressive restarts.
-As soon as the sun goes behind the suites in turns one and two, the temperature really drops and the track gains quite a bit of grip. The sun and the track temperature will be an issue. Jeff Gordon says the sun entering turn one during qualifying will be an issue. “We only get two looks at it while trying to set a very quick time,” he says of qualifying here.
-Three of the 27 Sprint Cup races here at PIR have been won from the pole.
-In 15 Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix, Dale Earnhardt Junior has scored two wins, four top-five finishes and seven top 10′s. He has led 460 laps. The 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No 88-586. This is a brand new chassis that has never been tested or raced.
-Engineering Challenges: Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering says, “With the new longer distance and a new earlier starting time, teams will face two new engineering challenges at this year’s Subway Fresh Fit 600. The change from 500 K to 600K will mean new fuel strategies and concerns of brake attrition. The earlier the start time for this race creates a daytime to evening race environment that is always unique when you come to the desert and race.”

Everybody but Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson!
I’ve got the field…except Kurt, Kyle and Jimmie, oh my!

Jimmie Johnson’s average finish at Phoenix is 5.1, Mark Martin’s average finish here is 8.8, Jeff Gordon’s average finish here is 10.8, Kurt Busch’s is 12.0, Kyle Busch’s is 14.5.

I had Tom Busch on the air last night, the father of Kurt and Kyle. He talked about bringing young 13-year-old Kurt Busch to Phoenix on November 3 of 1991 to watch his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at this race track. “We got to go down into the pits before the race and I thought that was so cool,” said Kurt. “When they fired up the engines for the race it was something like I had never heard or seen before.” Hard to believe that just over 18 years later Kurt is one of the favorites to take him on here at Phoenix International Raceway. Busch is second to Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR’s “loop data” statistics for the four most recent seasons. For example, Johnson’s leading average running position here of 5.066 to Busch’s second place 8.063 and Johnson’s leading driver rating of 123.0 to Busch’s runner up 104.6 rating. Even with one fewer race (Kurt did not compete in the Nov 2005 race) Busch is still second in laps led leading 411 (14.6 percent) of the laps.

Somehow I convinced Tom Busch, just for fun of course, to take Kyle and Kurt to win here at Phoenix this weekend in the Sprint Cup Series race. I mean I wasn’t going to pry the man’s boys from his arms for a mere sporting bet. We threw out Jimmie Johnson (neither of us could pick him) but I have the rest of the field. How did I pull that one off? I had FOX analyst Jeff Hammond on the air as a guest last night and his choice to win, he said, would be someone unexpected – like a Marcos Ambrose or a David Reutimann. It should be an interesting weekend.

Is Running the Nationwide race a greater advantage here?
Paul Menard thinks so! ” I think that running the Nationwide race will be an even bigger advantage than usual this weekend,” Menard says. “The schedule for Friday is pretty tight and the Cup Series doesn’t get any practice during the part of the day we race. So, I’m sure (crew chief) Slugger Labbe will stick around for the Nationwide so both of us are able to get a good feel at to show the track will change during the course of the evening.” “The good thing for us is that Paul is running the Nationwide race, so he’ll be able to tell us how the track changed and we can be ready for it Saturday night,” says Labbe.

–

I’ll be on the air tonight (Thursday) 7-10 EST LIVE from Phoenix International Raceway on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio. Catch you then.

Claire B

Martinsville Victory Lane! March 30, 2010

Posted by claireblang in 2010 Season.
Tags: NASCAR, jeff gordon, claire b lang, Carl Edwards, Sprint Cup Series, Denny Hamlin, Add new tag, Martinsville Speedway, Sirius NASCAR Radio, matt kenseth
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Rear View Mirror: The Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500!

After going LIVE from Victory Lane I stepped into the broadcast studio in the Media Center, put the headset on, flipped on the microphone and the phone lines lit up after the running of the Good’s Fast Pain Relief 500. Callers from Arizona to Oklahoma and from Canada to Texas wanted to talk about the short track racing that we saw at Martinsville Speedway. The fans had a lot to talk about, from caution calling to fender bumping, but the one common element was how refreshing short track racing is, jam packed with action. Martinsville, after a brief pause for rain, delivered.

Jeff Gordon Almost Wins Again!
Feels he got a cheap shot – wanted to see the replay.

Jeff Gordon ( Finished 3rd -#24 DuPont Chevrolet) fans were upset that, once again, he was close but didn’t get the trophy. Here’s a portion of one of the many listener emails that I got after the race:

” My observation: how convenient of Kyle to cause a caution just when Jeff comes to take the white so his teammate can win. Besides, it’s the sympathy win, since poor Denny has to have surgery.”

As always, you’ll have conspiracy theorists – heck it’s part of the DNA of NASCAR racing to argue about conspiracies. It’s every man for himself at the end of this race though – and that’s what we saw. Of course. those who were not Gordon fans said he should not have complained about being hit when everyone was hit by someone at Martinsville.

Jeff Gordon was a little upset himself but didn’t erupt in anger, just said he was disappointed, not totally unhappy with a third place finish, and wanted to wait until he saw the replay. It’s amazing to me the restraint Jeff shows when he’s upset – never walks away from a media question, and even tried to say initially that “someone” hit him from the back – even though he knew it was Matt Kenseth and eventually did use his name, but even after that, one more time said he wanted to see the replay.

“I got an okay restart. Spun the tires a little bit, got going. I looked at my mirror, 17 was pretty far behind me. Made sure I didn’t drive in too deep. Next thing I know, I got nailed. I don’t know who got into me. I thought it was the 17. If it wasn’t, I apologize to him. I made sure he didn’t win the race down the straightaway,” Gordon said. Interesting, he didn’t want to name him before seeing the replay but he “made sure he didn’t win the race down the straightaway.” Yep Gordon Knew it was him, I just don’t think he wanted to call him out.

“The way he raced me today I didn’t think was the way I would have raced him. But we’ve had our ups and our downs. But I feel like we’ve been past that. I certainly didn’t feel like we had any issues. If somebody hits me, I’m going to hit them. If he hit me, I’m glad I did what I did on the back straightaway,” Gordon said. ” If a guy gives you a cheap shot like that, he doesn’t deserve to win the race, in my opinion. If that didn’t happen, and I have not seen the video, then, again, I’ll be the first one to call him this week and apologize.”

In the media center, after the race, it was interesting what Jeff Gordon said about whether he and his crew chief Steve Letart were able to improve his car during the race. This is a topic that I get a lot of calls about on air. Jeff said, “I did feel like we got off a little bit there towards the middle part of the race and made gains to get back up there. Yeah, I felt like we made gains. Today was all about where you restarted. If you restarted on the outside lane, you were done. I lost like five or six spots one time just being on the outside lane. I made two of them up. Caution came out. Went back to the outside lane, lost two or three more. To me, I almost wanted to like let off and let a car pass me on pit road or something just so I could come out odd to start on the inside lane. When I started on the inside lane, we drove right up there,” Gordon said. ” When we lost those positions, we lost track position and the car wasn’t the same. When we were out front, our car was just so awesome. We never really got a chance to see what it was like towards the front there at the end. So that was a little disappointing. I felt like we made gains to get up to third or fourth before the second to the last caution.”

Matt Kenseth’s Take:
I got into Jeff a little bit – really not that hard!

Matt Kenseth (Finished 18th -#17 Crown Royal Ford) was disappointed himself that Gordon that Gordon retaliated so strongly when he thought that the hit he gave him was not all that hard. “I guess it looked like it was my fault,” Matt said. ” I did go in there and I did get into Jeff a little bit, really not that hard, and I got under him and everything was fine and he just took a left as hard as he could take one and ran me down all the way into the marbles. I’ve got all the marbles on my rear tires and I slowed up to try to get in the corner real slow and I kind of got hit from behind and I got hit in the side and started wheel-hopping. I couldn’t hang onto it when I got to three. It’s nothing Jeff wouldn’t have done or hasn’t done to me, expect he’s wrecked me all the way out, so it was just an aggressive race for the end. We were gonna be side-by-side going into three and four, and the outside lane has actually been an advantage anyway, so it wasn’t gonna be that big of a deal, but, instead, he decided to run me down as low as he could because he knew I’d wreck when I got to the corner. That’s the way it turned out. It was a dumb move on my part. I should have just finished third and collected some points and got one of our best finishes at Martinsville, but I figured I’d go for the win, which, I guess in hindsight, was probably a mistake.”

Matt is a veteran of short track racing, and he knows how the game is played. He’s not one to complain he’ll usually say what he has to say behind the wheel and on the race track.

Jeff Gordon thought that the past short-track frustration history between he and Kenseth was over. Now he’s wondering. That’s what makes short track racing so much fun for the fans.

Carl and Clint Post Race Talk:
Edwards was the meat in the sandwich!

Did you see Clint Bowyer (Finished 7th, BB&T Chevy) and Carl Edwards (Finished 8th -Aflac Ford) talking after the race? So what were they talking about? “I had a guy pushing me and I was pushing him and almost got both of us,” Carl said. ” I just wanted him to know that I was the meat in the sandwich there. It’s good though and he was cool with it. We had a good laugh about the whole thing.”

Victory Lane!
Denny Hamlin remembers the race fans!

I’m LIVE in Victory Lane when the race is over, so I’m in the happiest place on earth every weekend. This weekend though, I watched a demonstration by the race winner as to how to celebrate a race WITH the race fans. As I’m standing in Victory Lane, with (#11 FedEx) crew chief Mike Ford, I look over to the #11 car. He totally blew the tires off that car with the burnout and the team was trying to lift the car (which was banged up like a demolition derby entry at the state fair) and get it up so they could get tires on it and get it off of the front stretch. After some red-faced lift attempts by the entire team, a NASCAR official jacked the car and the guys got it rolling and back to the garage.

Mike Ford told me that when he told Denny about taking four tires, Denny said “10-4″ indicating they were in it together on the decision. Ford told me that some drivers will give a vague answer so that the crew chief is the hero or the zero on a call like this -but in this case Denny gave his crew chief his total support, something that Ford appreciated.

After doing the hat dance, Denny bolted across the track to the race fans to spray champagne on them and the fans loved every single, champagne soaking moment. To do that Denny had to leave Victory Lane and cross the track go through the fence, up some stairs and to where the fans were pushing up against the fence in excitement.

I’m standing by ready to interview Denny LIVE on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio after he returned to Victory Lane for more photos, when Denny indicated I should come with him, and since I was just going LIVE and introducing him on air, I followed him as he returned across the track, back up the stairs, and to the fence where the fans were. He took a whole stack of Victory Lane caps and was signing them and handing them out to the race fans.

This is a Denny Hamlin that fans will get to know better over the years and a guy who knows how important these fans are. He’s good about giving tickets away during the week to race fans – but to remember them in the charged-up, everyone-wanting-something, crazy and frenetic excitement of Victory Lane is really something special.

I salute Denny Hamlin for what he did during his moments of celebration. I was standing there LIVE with him at the fence across the track as the fans screamed and shouted his name and, no matter which driver they follow, I’m sure they will never forget the moment. That was way cool of Denny, and we wish him good luck on Wednesday’s knee surgery.

Did Denny Hamlin bully his way to a win?
Come on people – it’s short track racing!

Some of the callers who were fans of other drivers asked about how fiercely Denny Hamlin battled it from his pit stop for fresh tires to win the race. Leaving the media center, I heard one reporter say, ” NASCAR the fans love ‘have at it’ unless someone is having at their driver – then it’s not so much fun.” That makes sense, it’s understandable. It’s called being a loyal fan. But short track racing has always been gouging your way to a win.

When a reporter noted to Jeff Gordon that Hamlin “bullied his way up there,” and asked how he defined a “cheap shot” as it related to his reference to the encounter with the #17, Gordon replied, “Denny had four tires. That’s different. He had a car that would stick and turn around, go underneath guys. He could out brake guys. Hey, he won the race. So it doesn’t matter. That’s the bottom line. You know, a cheap shot to me is when you don’t really have a shot at it, you just go and rub into the back of a guy. That’s what I think is a cheap shot.”

You’ll have that in short track racing!

Finally —–The Caution
A strike ball call by NASCAR

So let’s talk about the caution at the end of the race that took the Good’s Fast Pain Relief 500 into a green white checkered situation. Gordon cruised under green and Hamlin drove three-wide into Turn 1, battling his way to fourth on fresh tires. Then, another caution was thrown, this time it was for Kyle Busch’s spin in Turn 3 with just over a lap remaining.

Jeff Gordon’s fans and some who favored teams whose result was affected negatively by the caution were frustrated. “It was pretty obvious to me NASCAR wanted to do a green-white-checkered finish,” Gordon said. He was within reach of the finish line at the time. “There were cars blowing tires, hitting the wall [and] they weren’t throwing the caution. One spins out, and they threw the caution in the blink of an eye. I think it was pretty obvious what they wanted.”

NASCAR makes no bones about the fact that they want the race to finish under green and multiple green white checkered flags will be used to ensure that.

Ok, so at the end of the race cautions might not be called as quickly when NASCAR thinks the race will still end under green – and we can debate that all day long. As the race is nearer to conclusion – it does seem that the cautions are called more quickly if there’s a chance the race will end under yellow without the caution. The object is to end under yellow. Sometimes the late race caution will bite your team, sometimes it will favor your team.

While I won’t begin to argue constency when it comes to cautions, since it’s a judgement call, it’s about the finish under green in my mind, and not which driver might win, or not win the race as a result.

If Kyle Busch had not had wrecked Jeff Gordon probably would have won the race and without double file restarts Denny would not have had a chance anyway-as he came from fourth place to win in two laps. That’s to say nothing of the #11 team choice to pit for four tires, and the chance that Denny could have lost the race because of that call.

I love short track racing!

It’s a beautiful day in Charlotte, North Carolina – enjoy the day!

I’ll be in touch.

Happy Easter!

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NASCAR’s Four Car Team Limit Rule: Kasey Kahne in 2011 While at Red Bull September 2, 2010

Fans name the Johnson baby! July 9, 2010

Hard-Earned Post Win Vacation For Kevin and DeLana! Body Shop for Most of the Field! July 6, 2010

Repercussions of the NASCAR “Nudge” June 29, 2010

Krissie Newman Co-Hosting “Dialed In” with Claire B. Lang from Michigan June 10, 2010

Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Night May 19, 2010

Victory Lane at Darlington May 10, 2010

Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway: Tears, Emotion, Celebration, First Win! April 14, 2010

Ty Pennington Joins Claire B. Lang on “Dialed In” Tonight! April 8, 2010

Martinsville Victory Lane! March 30, 2010

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NASCAR’s Four Car Team Limit Rule: Kasey Kahne in 2011 While at Red Bull September 2, 2010

Fans name the Johnson baby! July 9, 2010

Hard-Earned Post Win Vacation For Kevin and DeLana! Body Shop for Most of the Field! July 6, 2010

Repercussions of the NASCAR “Nudge” June 29, 2010

Krissie Newman Co-Hosting “Dialed In” with Claire B. Lang from Michigan June 10, 2010

Sprint Pit Crew Challenge Night May 19, 2010

Victory Lane at Darlington May 10, 2010

Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway: Tears, Emotion, Celebration, First Win! April 14, 2010

Ty Pennington Joins Claire B. Lang on “Dialed In” Tonight! April 8, 2010

Martinsville Victory Lane! March 30, 2010

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