Kyle Busch’s Car Confiscated
Kyle Busch battled his way from the back of the pack after a pit-road violation to win a thrilling NASCAR Busch Yellow Transportation 300 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, holding off Matt Kenseth’s Ford by just .085 seconds.
But it was a penalty Saturday night that may have far-reaching implications for his crew chief and Busch’s chances in the Nextel Cup “Chase for the Championship.”
Hours after the race had ended, NASCAR officials announced they had confiscated the intake manifold on Busch’s Chevrolet because it “did not meet NASCAR specifications.”
Further penalties will be announced next week but it could adversely affect Busch’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, who is also the crew chief for Busch’s Nextel Cup Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports.
This is a biggie. Messing with the intake manifold. Tsk tsk tsk. There ain’t no doubt they were cheating. Now we get to wait until Tuesday to see how “consistent” NASCAR is with the penalty.
Things Are Looking Up At MWR
One thing for sure, it’s good to see all three drivers at Michael Waltrip Racing making the races. They had a rocky start, but it looks like things are finally coming together.
For the second consecutive event, all three Michael Waltrip Racing teams qualified for a Nextel Cup Series event Friday at Kansas Speedway.
And in that upbeat atmosphere, both MWR general manager Ty Norris and rookie driver David Reutimann expressed optimism that Reutimann’s multi-year contract extension, which was given to the driver on his way to Dover last weekend, would be acceptable.
“We feel real good about where it is, we just have a few details to work out,” Norris said. “There was one detail that was clarified this week as it relates to the Busch car — everything else seems to be easily worked out. David and I talked Wednesday and I feel like we’re in a great place with him.”
Norris said Reutimann also wanted to run for a championship next season in what is now the Busch Series, where he currently sits second in the standings.
[Source: NASCAR]
Drag Racing Pioneer Wally Parks Dies
Wally Parks, an automobile enthusiast who founded the National Hot Rod Association and helped turn drag racing into a legitimate sport, has died. He was 94.
Parks died Friday at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center of complications from pneumonia, said Michael Hollander, a spokesman with the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona.
As a test driver for General Motors, Parks started organizing car races in Southern California’s dry lake beds in the 1940s.
“He effectively created drag racing,” Hollander said. “These kids were racing jalopies and he wanted to get them off the streets and start them racing in an organized manner. He set up a system of timing and scoring and turned it into a legitimate sport.”
…
His wife Barbara died in 2005, Hollander said. He is survived by two sons, Richard and David.o
Denny Hamlin Gets It
He still hasn’t apologized, but I think Denny Hamlin finally gets it.
Denny Hamlin had five days to think about his garage-area confrontation with Kyle Petty, which ended with Petty swiping at his helmet and Hamlin vowing to continue the fight.
But Hamlin was contrite Friday when he arrived at Kansas Speedway, and vowed to put the incident behind him.
“No matter what you do, Kyle is going to be right and a lot of what he did was right,” Hamlin said. “You never want to be involved in an incident, especially with Kyle because he’s respected a lot … so, really, I’ve just got to learn to grow up as far as that’s concerned.”
Then again, no matter how respected Kyle Petty is, he shouldn’t walk up to people while they are still in their car and smack their helmets… That’s just not cool.
Now I Know Why Kyle Petty Was So Pissed
Yahoo! Sports has an article up about the racers trying to get into, or stay, in the top 35 owners points. When Kyle Petty went of fon Denny Hamlin last week, I didn’t realize why he was so angry. I guess I know now.
When Kyle Petty blew his top Sunday at Dover, berating Denny Hamlin and reaching into his car to slap down the youngster’s helmet shield, some wondered why the veteran was so angry.
It’s true Hamlin hit Petty from behind and knocked him into the wall, but what does Petty have riding on in these late-season races that brought on a case of road rage?
He isn’t part of NASCAR’s Chase for the Nextel Cup championship, and he hasn’t been close to a victory since the last of his eight career wins in 1995 at Dover.
Even so, the longtime stock car competitor has a lot riding on every lap the rest of the way, just like Hamlin, one of the 12 drivers in the Chase.
Head on over to Yahoo! Sports to read the rest. It’s a good piece.
Nextel Cup Becomes Sprint Cup In 2008
Weee. Does anyone really care? It’s still the same company… Right? Kind of like Cingular and AT &T.
NASCAR unveiled its 2008 Sprint Cup Series schedule on Wednesday.
Sprint is replacing Nextel as title sponsor of NASCAR’s premier racing series next season which will also marks NASCAR’s 60th year as stock car racing’s longest operating sanctioning body.
The 36-race slate, which will run the Car of Tomorrow exclusively, kicks off with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 17 at Daytona International Speedway.
[Source: Yahoo! Sports]
Carl Edwards Drops To Seventh Due To Penalty
This is one of the stupidest fines and points penalties that NASCAR hands down.
Carl Edwards was docked 25 points Tuesday because his race-winning car failed inspection at Dover International Raceway.
The penalty drops Edwards from third in the Chase for the championship standings to sixth. He’s now 28 points behind series leader Jeff Gordon.
Team owner Jack Roush, who celebrated his 100th win Sunday with Edwards’ victory, also was docked 25 owner points and crew chief Bob Osborne was fined $25,000.
Edwards’ No. 99 Ford was deemed to be too low following post-race inspection. Although NASCAR determined the height infraction was not intentional, the team still was penalized in accordance with NASCAR’s strict inspection policy.
So, even though the car was lower because of events that occurred during the race, and no one did anything intentionally wrong, Carl Edwards was still fined because of NASCAR’s “strict” inspection policy.
Carl Edwards Car Fails Post Race Inspection
I still don’t see why, if there is no evidence of intentional tampering and if the fender could have been knocked down by taps from the car behind, there would be a points penalty and a fine.
His car parked on the track because of a late-race red flag, Carl Edwards had time to catch replays on the big screen of the crash that wiped out other Chase drivers.
Edwards could only think about how lucky he was that he would get away from Dover unscathed.
“This place has great potential for disaster,” he said.
Edwards avoided trouble on the track Sunday to win at Dover International Speedway, but he found it in the garage. The No. 99 Ford failed the postrace inspection because the right rear fender was too low, and NASCAR this week will likely hit Edwards with a fine and dock him crucial points.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Potson said there was no evidence of intentional tampering.
I guess this is just one of the many NASCAR “rules” I just don’t get and never will.
Denny Hamlin Wins Busch Race At Dover
Dizzy Spells, chills, and intravenous fluids. I am amazed he was able to sit behind the wheel and control the car the way he did.
The checkered flag was the perfect tonic for the ailing Denny Hamlin.
Feeling weak and needing intravenous fluids before the race, Hamlin nearly threw in the towel. Good thing he held on, or else he would have missed out on bringing home a trophy.
Hamlin shook off an illness and found the energy to dominate and win the caution-filled Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, his third win of the season.
Junior Getting A Jumpstart At Hendrick
I think this is an excellent idea. The more time Tony Eury Jr. has to work with the Hendrick team to prepare the better the whole transition will be for him and Dale Jr.
Junior is getting a head start at Hendrick Motorsports.
No, not Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is finishing his final nine races before leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. for the Hendrick racing team powerhouse. Rather, Earnhardt crew chief Tony Eury Jr., Junior’s cousin, who will leave DEI early and start his new job at Hendrick next month.
No matter what they all say publicly, I’m sure things are not too cordial around the DEI shop for either of them at this point anyway.