From the Marbles
Escaped inmate nabbed after trading gun for NASCAR tickets
Sometimes, life is like a country song. Or a William Faulkner novel, whichever.
There’s so much southern gothic in this story that we’re not even sure where to begin, but let’s start here: Michael Lynn Sherer was nabbed in Hampton, Georgia near Atlanta Motor Speedway after trading a gun for tickets to Sunday’s Emory Healthcare 500 NASCAR race.
Oh, but it doesn’t end there. Turns out Sherer is an escaped fugitive, on the run from a murder charge. And when he was nabbed by Hampton police, he used the murder victim’s name as his own alias. That, friends, is cold-blooded.
The story, in more detail: Sherer had apparently escaped from the Winston County (Ala.) jail, where he’d been held on charges of killing Thomas Lynn Smith of Jasper, Ala. in Smith’s home following a break-in.
Sherer apparently made it from Winston County to Hampton, a distance of more than 250 miles, in a van he’d allegedly stolen prior to the murder. At the Atlanta Motor Speedway, he drew attention from vendors setting up for this weekend’s race as he tried to pawn off a .22 caliber pistol — one which allegedly belonged to the victim.
When police approached him, he initially used his victim’s name, but difficulty answering questions like "when were you born?" led police to take a little more interest. Not long afterward, he gave up his real name, and that was that. He’s currently awaiting extradition to Alabama.
About all this story needs now is a Johnny Cash-esque ballad to be written about it. It’s all right there for the taking.
(Photo via WSB-TV 2 and Henry County Sheriff’s Office.)
Escaped inmate nabbed after trading gun for NASCAR tickets
Erin Andrews takes a spin around Atlanta Motor Speedway
You want attention for your event/TV show/website? There’s only one person to call: Erin Andrews!
The ESPN reporter is guaranteed to draw eyeballs no matter what she’s doing, and on Thursday, for the first time, she got rocketed around a NASCAR track — Atlanta Motor Speedway — courtesy of fellow ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett.
"I’ve
been to probably the biggest events in all of sports – the Super Bowl,
both college championships and the World Series – but I have never been
to a NASCAR race," she said. (The horror!) And, like everyone who visits a track for the first time, she came away impressed.
Jarrett, who has a win at Atlanta on his resume, took a newly-firesuited Andrews out on the track for a few laps. ("How fast did we go?" Andrews asked. "170 mph," Jarrett responded. "We went 185," Andrews insisted.) And afterward, Andrews had seen the proverbial light:
"I
was telling Dale as soon as he could hear me, this gave me such a
different perspective and so much respect for these guys do," she said. "I was just
on a track by myself [with Dale] and I was [laughing] like a little kid.
I can’t imagine all the other cars being on the track and trying to
worry about passing them, maintaining position and winning the thing and
don’t hit them or the wall. This was one heck of an experience. I can’t
imagine doing it with other drivers on the track and it really opened
my eyes. I have always had respect for these people, but now it’s
different and this was amazing."
Here’s video of America’s Sideline Princess doing some high-speed cruising:
All right, AMS: your next challenge is getting Justin Bieber in a car. That’ll bring a whole new wave of interest!
Erin Andrews takes a spin around Atlanta Motor Speedway
They make it ’cause we buy it: NASCAR toy building sets
No sport offers up a more bewildering array of souvenir crap memorabilia than NASCAR, and They Make It digs deep into the corners of the Internet to bring all that strangeness to light. Today: toys!
The item: The Tony Stewart/Office Depot car construction set, $12.99 from K’Nex.
The deal: Now, there are tons of NASCAR toys and such out there, but you know what makes this one for me? It’s the stubble on the face of the little Tony figure there. Nothin’ like letting the kids model themselves after NASCAR’s ultimate what-the-hell-did-I-do-last-night driver, huh?
K’Nex also has cars for Jeff Gordon’s pit crew and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s garage, a curious choice considering the fact that both of those organizations could, in fact, be accused of being toy departments. Zing!
The hat tip: Reader Andrea B. found this one for us. Got some bizarre NASCARiana for us to check out? Email me at jay.busbee@yahoo.com with the details. Get to it!
They make it ’cause we buy it: NASCAR toy building sets
The NASCAR World Cup: A stacked Final Four
No flukes here, folks. Our final four drivers in the NASCAR World Cup are four of the best in the Sprint Cup Series. And as a reflection of the current microtrend in the Cup Series, none of those four are Hendrick drivers, though Tony Stewart is in Hendrick equipment.
We’ve got two Chevrolets in Stewart and Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch’s Toyota and Carl Edwards‘ Ford. Plus, all four drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, home of this week’s semifinals, so this could be one of the most even rounds yet.
The Matchups: Kyle Busch vs. Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart vs. Kevin Harvick
Jay’s Picks:
Edwards — On overall talent, Kyle gets the nod, but in terms of consistency–and strength at Atlanta–I’m giving the nod to Carl. Wish these two knew what was at stake here; I’d love to see ‘em turn each other going for the WC finals!
Harvick — In most years, I’d say Stewart in a landslide, but this year, Harvick is the more consistent driver. This one’s going to be a tight battle–both in the top 10, at worst–but in the end, I’m thinking Harvick has the edge, setting up a fine Harvick v. Edwards brawl to settle it all!
Nick’s Picks:
Busch — No, I’m not being contrarian for the sake of it, but I can’t pick against Busch right now. How crazy would it be to see him win both races this weekend? Book it. Busch wins the Nationwide race Saturday night and the Cup race on Sunday.
Stewart — We anointed Group B as our Group of Death before the contest started, and it’s only fitting that two of the four drivers are in the semifinals and I think that they’ll meet each other at Richmond for the title. If Stewart’s leading late in the race, he and crew chief Darian Grubb are going to make the decision to come get tires this time and beat Harvick by a few positions.
The NASCAR World Cup: A stacked Final Four
Remembering the 1992 Atlanta race, perhaps the best ever
As NASCAR rolls into Atlanta for this weekend’s Labor Day race, it’s worth taking a look back at one of the finest races in the sport’s history: the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta.
The scenarios at the season’s final race were too rich to even be believed. It was Richard Petty’s final race and Jeff Gordon’s first. Three drivers — Davey Allison, Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki — had a chance at winning the season’s Cup championship.
So let’s pick it up right at the start, with the introduction of the race. Check out how far we’ve come … and yet, how familiar it all is:
And the race continued …
With Allison now out of the hunt, it was down to Elliott and Kulwicki, the legend and the one-man show. And with just a few laps remaining, awareness dawned on everyone watching that maybe, just maybe, we were about to see something spectacular:
This race represented the end of an era in so many ways. Petty was done. Within a few months, Kulwicki would be gone. A few years later, Atlanta reconfigured its track from oval to quad-oval. And Gordon ushered in a new tide of driver, media-savvy, with reach and influence far beyond NASCAR’s traditional Southern roots. It’s poetic, in a way, how much came together that one afternoon … and how much would later fall apart.
There’s plenty to complain about in NASCAR. And it’s always easy to bathe the past in nostalgia, to make yesterday look so much better than today. But this isn’t one of those times. The 1992 Atlanta race showed us, without a doubt, why this is one hell of a fine sport.
Remembering the 1992 Atlanta race, perhaps the best ever
Steamroller takes the high line at Daytona repave
The repaving project is well underway at Daytona International Speedway. A few weeks ago, we brought you photos of the initial grinding, and now, we can see some actual asphalt. Those of you familiar with Daytona and its surroundings will recognize that as Turn 3 and 4, with the Volusia Mall in the background.
The project is now in its ninth week. Jeff Burton is scheduled to visit the track next week to bury a time capsule at the start-finish line. Gotta tell you, if I were one of the steamroller drivers pressing the asphalt on that 31-degree bank, this would be the greatest job ever … until I put a co-worker into the wall, that is.
Steamroller takes the high line at Daytona repave
Georgia’s governor personally lobbied to keep Atlanta race
For an up-close look at how the sausage gets made in NASCAR — specifically, how races get snatched from one track and dispensed to another — you need go no further than this week’s NASCAR.com interview with Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner, on how he made the decision to pull a race from Atlanta and give it to Kentucky.
Apparently, literally hours before Smith made his call, he received a visit from Georgia’s governor, Sonny Perdue, as well as the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House. What followed was classic political doublespeak and ultimately failed attempts at horse-trading, retold in vintage Smith fashion.
So why did Smith make the switch? Here’s his reply, in its entirety:
"Weather, weather, weather. And I’ve talked with the
governor down there [in Georgia] repeatedly. I’ve been down there on two
occasions and we asked for some little things, and we really thought we
were going to get them. But we didn’t."The governor and the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
[in Georgia], they all flew up to Charlotte and we had a meeting for
two hours and 15 minutes. It was a great love fest. I really enjoyed it —
plus the governor brought me a necktie. I thought that was great."
Aw, that’s precious. A necktie! The hundreds of thousands of people who are going to lose out on the estimated $50 million in income generated by the spring race are oh so very happy you got a new necktie, Bruton. I wouldn’t let any of them tie it for you, though. You might find they pull it a little tight. (Full disclosure: I live in Atlanta.)
Anyway, according to Smith, Perdue insisted that the state of Georgia didn’t have the funds to carry out on those "little things" — which Smith refused to identify — that would have kept the race in Atlanta. When asked whether Smith or the governor called one another’s bluff, Smith replied,
"I wouldn’t say it like that. That sounds like a poker game. I don’t
think anybody called anybody’s bluff. We had a two hour and 15-minute
love fest and he told me how much he loved me. The lieutenant governor
and speaker all said how much they loved me and loved the speedway. … I
was very clear that I had not made my decision before that meeting. That
meeting did not end until 6:15 — and I didn’t make my decision until
6:20."
Five minutes. Five [expletive deleted] minutes. Yes, it sounds very much like Smith deeply and soberly considered what Perdue et. al. had to say … for five minutes.
Look, Smith’s a businessman, and businesses pick up and move from states all the time. Smith has a right to go where he can find the best audience for his product, and Atlanta fans did themselves no favors by watching too many races from the comfort of their own homes. That’s all out there, all in Smith’s favor.
But to toy around with the process — to talk of "love fests" and "little things" and characterize this as just something that, gosh darn it, didn’t quite work out, no hard feelin’s, y’all — that’s just flat-out disrespectful to the Atlanta fans who have supported racing and Smith for all these years. As he himself noted, Atlanta regularly sold out all 180,000 seats during the decade-plus it hosted the final race of the season.
So this should be a screaming warning to the fans at any other Speedway Motorsports track — heads up, you could be next. And clearly, a necktie alone isn’t enough to sway Smith’s mind.
Georgia’s governor personally lobbied to keep Atlanta race
Driver hopes to combine environmentalism, NASCAR
Racing and environmentalism go together about as well as mashed potatoes and chocolate, or so the conventional wisdom holds. The NASCAR infield and the Green movement have, shall we say, divergent constituencies. But one driver, at least, is doing her best to bring the two sides together.
ARCA driver Leilani Munter, pictured above left with the Atlanta Falcons‘ Ovie Mughelli and former NFL’er Mike Alstott at the Gulf Coast, is hard at work trying to bring attention to environmentalism. It’s a tough road — NASCAR, with its vehicles driving hundreds of miles in a circle, is the lazy thinker’s whipping boy for anti-environmentalism — but Munter is doing her part to open a few eyes, as with a current CNN profile of her efforts.
Still, sponsorship has been difficult to come by. "It used to be that a woman with everything going on that Leilani has
going on could get a bunch of sponsors," said ARCA team owner Mark Gibson, who wants to run Munter in several races next season. "But right now, there’s a lot of
uncertainty with the economy."
Another problem: Munter is, at present, a race-car driver in only the most generous sense of the term. She ran a few laps at Daytona this year before getting caught up in a wreck, and that’s been that so far.
Munter’s goal is to raise awareness by putting a message on her hood. But she got a taste of what it will be like when her Daytona sponsor, Native Energy, dealt with consumer criticism for its choice to sponsor a NASCAR ride. Thomas H. Rawls met criticism head-on, writing on the company’s blog, "Ultimately … I asked myself: How does Native Energy reach people who are not already converts on the issue of climate change? Anyone who is engaged in any broad effort to speak to the public faces this question: Do I talk only to friendly audiences, or do I face the doubters and the hostiles?" To his credit, Rawls — and, of course, Munter — doesn’t simply preach to the choir.
Munter is taking several proactive steps — she gives 10 to 15 speeches a year at environmental conferences, and purchases an acre of rainforest for each race she runs. She hopes to return to the track in late September in Kansas, but before then, she’s got plenty of environmental preaching to do.
Good for her for bucking the tide; regardless of political affiliation, NASCAR fans have to at least admire someone who doesn’t go along to get along. And if nothing else, this ought to show that NASCAR isn’t a monolithic conservative bloc. That makes for easy stereotyping, but it’s got little relevance to the truth.
Driver hopes to combine environmentalism, NASCAR
NASCAR reality series "Changing Lanes" starts on BET
Yeah, let’s all admit it, NASCAR and the television network BET don’t seem like they fit together, much like Jeff Gordon and Wal-Mart.
BET is an untapped audience for NASCAR, so you can’t fault the sport’s attempt to go get new fans with "Changing Lanes," a reality show competition for 10 drivers in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity started Wednesday at 8PM ET on BET. (If you missed Wednesday’s episode, you can set your DVRs for 9AM ET Saturday, September 4 and 1:30AM ET Sunday, September 5.)
That competition will play out this fall in Changing Lanes, a
documentary series produced by the NASCAR Media Group that will be
televised on BET beginning Wednesday. BET has purchased 10 episodes of
the one-hour show, which debuts this week.It’s a cross between MTV’s Real World and NBC’s The Apprentice.
Changing Lanes examines the challenges of making it as a driver, with one of them being eliminated each week until there’s a lone survivor.
So if you’re looking for a mid-week NASCAR fix, flip on over to BET to see what this is all about. It’s got to be better than "Jersey Shore," right?
Believe it or not, episodes of "Jersey Shore" may be newer than "Changing Lanes." The winner of "Changing Lanes" got a ride with Revolution Racing — the NASCAR funded team run by Max Siegel for Drive for Diversity — for January’s Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway.
Yes, that’s January 2010, so if you’re so inclined, you can go see who earned the seat by simply looking in the box score of a race that’s eight months old.
One of the key themes — true or not — of the last few years in NASCAR has been the perception that the sport has left its "core fans" in the dust, and quite frankly, this is a blatant grab for new viewers while hoping that those "core fans" will watch a show that was filmed when last year’s Halloween candy was still being eaten. (Plus, the show got the 8PM ET timeslot, which is far less prestigious than being an hour or two later on BET’s schedule.)
The Drive for Diversity is an admirable program, but for some reason it has always felt like a token attempt to diversify the sport. Maybe that has to do with the relative lack of success (so far) of the program’s participants, but don’t the 10 participants deserve better than a show that airs nine months after the result is easily available to anyone with a television or an internet connection?
NASCAR reality series "Changing Lanes" starts on BET
Juan Pablo Montoya gets an appropriate sponsor and other notes
Juan Pablo Montoya will be sponsored by Huggies this weekend at Atlanta, and quite honestly, this may be the most appropriate new sponsor entry into the Sprint Cup Series in a long time. JPM and his wife Connie just welcomed their third child amidst the continuing Sprint Cup baby boom. No word if expectant father Jamie McMurray will get free diapers for being Montoya’s teammate.
– After the separation of John Wes Townley from Richard Childress’ Nationwide team, veteran Morgan Shepherd has been driving the No. 21 in the remaining unsponsored races and Childress and Shepherd struck a deal Tuesday that keeps Shepherd in the car for more races this season. It also allows Shepherd to potentially have the owner’s points — a valuable commodity given that the car would be locked into the first five races of 2011 — next year.
– In that same link, it’s noted that Paul Tracy will be making his return to ovals in the Izod IndyCar Series. Tracy has run some road courses this season and failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He’ll be in the No. 24, subbing for the injured Mike Conway who was hurt in that brutal crash in the final moments of the 500.
– Elliott Sadler told Sirius’ Dave Moody that he’d have an announcement on his future plans in two to three weeks. Sadler also said that he was talking to an existing Cup team that was looking to expand. That would be a mighty quick expansion.
– And in the news that everyone has been waiting for, Kevin Conway is back in the Sprint Cup Series for the rest of the season. Conway, who has locked up the Raybestos Rookie of the Year by virtue of being the only rookie on the circuit, will drive the No. 7 for Robby Gordon Motorsports. And yes, ExtenZe will continue to be his sponsor.
Juan Pablo Montoya gets an appropriate sponsor and other notes
Nine drivers could clinch Chase spots at Atlanta
This year’s race to the Chase has been a relative snoozer, but given that the Chase itself looks to be incredibly wide-open, isn’t that more than a fair trade-off?
Points leader Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon have already clinched their spots in the Chase, so if they were so inclined, they could skip Atlanta and Richmond and show up at New Hampshire refreshed and ready to go. And if all goes well for the nine drivers behind them in the standings, they could join Harvick and Gordon relaxing on Lake Norman for the Richmond race, no matter what the rest of the field does.*
Here are the scenarios for those nine drivers, and it’s safe to say that Kyle Busch will clinch by lap 40.
Kyle Busch: Busch needs to finish 40th or better if he doesn’t lead a lap, 42nd if he leads one lap, or 43rd if he leads the most laps. Easy.
Carl Edwards: Here’s where it gets close. Edwards needs to finish 21st if he leads the most laps, 23rd if he leads one and 25th if he leads the most. Very doable given his Atlanta history.
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin needs to finish 20th with no laps led, 22nd with one lap led, or 23rd with the most of the laps led.
Tony Stewart: A 19th place finish with no laps led clinches it for Smoke, while 21st with one lap led or 23rd with the most laps led gets the job done too.
Jeff Burton: Burton needs to finish 17th if he doesn’t get to the front, 19th if he leads a single lap, or 21st if he leads the most.
Matt Kenseth: Kenseth needs a top 15 if he doesn’t lead a lap, 17th if he leads one, or 19th if he leads the most.
Jimmie Johnson: Vader’s got to get a top 10 without a lap led if he wants to clinch at Atlanta, 11th with a lap led, or 13th with the most laps led.
Kurt Busch: Busch’s scenario is nice and orderly. 9th if he doesn’t lead a lap, 10th with a lap led, and 11th with the most laps led.
Greg Biffle: Biffle’s is the most farfetched of any of the possible clinchers, but given the way that he’s been running on the bigger tracks lately, it’s feasible. Biffle needs to finish 4th with no laps led, 5th with a lap led and 7th with the most laps led.
There’s no scenario for Clint Bowyer to clinch by himself at Atlanta, but it’s also possible that Bowyer could lock into the field. Bowyer leads 13th place Jamie McMurray by 100 points, and if Bowyer can gain 96 points on McMurray and 95 points on Mark Martin, he’s in the 2010 Chase without having to worry at Richmond.
*No, no one will be even thinking of skipping the Richmond race.
Nine drivers could clinch Chase spots at Atlanta
Join us for the latest Marbles Chat, Wednesday at 1pm ET
Time again for another Marbles chat, and now we’re into the stretch run — a dozen races left, 14 drivers still with title hopes. How’s it going to shake out? We shall see … join us on Wednesday at 1 p.m., won’t you?
Join us for the latest Marbles Chat, Wednesday at 1pm ET
Does Montreal deserve a Sprint Cup race?
Sunday’s Nationwide race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was one of the best of the season, road-course grace combined with some good old-fashioned all-out racing.
And chances are, most NASCAR fans missed it. Which is a shame, because in addition to being a fine race, the Montreal track is a fine locale. And that, at least according to Racin’ Today’s Jim Pedley, is why Montreal needs a Sprint Cup-level race.
Hey, I’m for it. Why not, eh?
Anyway, here’s what it would mean: a third road course, a top-line NASCAR presence in Canada, and — not inconsequentially — the removal of one current race from the Sprint Cup slate. That there is the stumbling block: Since the track isn’t owned by either of the monolithic track organizations, that means somebody’s gotta lose a race with no tit-for-tat recompense.
So for the sake of argument, let’s kick this around. Who’s got two races and could realistically lose one? Phoenix and Michigan, but they’re International Speedway Corp. tracks, which means they’re inviolate. Loudon, but no way Speedway Motorsports is giving up one date without a tradeoff. (Maybe moving the season-ender from ISC’s Homestead to SMI’s Vegas?) Pocono is an easy candidate, but what’s the incentive for the Mattioli family to give up one of their two dates? I love the idea, but at the moment, given the intransigence of NASCAR track politics, I can’t find a way to make this work.
And so I turn it over to you. Put a Sprint Cup race in Montreal in 2012, folks. Figure a way.
Does Montreal deserve a Sprint Cup race?
If you’re not watching the Nationwide races, you’re missing out
You can be forgiven for focusing the entirety of your NASCAR love on the Sprint Cup series. After all, that’s where the big dogs like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and (with rare exception) Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. run. It’s the marquee series, the one that dominates your Sunday afternoon viewing and week-long headlines. The Nationwide? Yeah, that’s nice and all, but — minor leagues, right?
Maybe so, but damn, there’s some fine racing going on there. Many of the season’s best races — and most dramatic — have taken place during those so-called "minor league" races. Like, for instance, Sunday’s heart-stopping showdown in Montreal, won by — Boris Said? Wait a second, that can’t be right …
So why are the Nationwide races so good? Let us consider the ways …
• They’re shorter. Sunday’s four-hour monster excepted, most Nationwide races are hundreds of miles/laps shorter than their big brothers. That means less time to settle in and ride around the track waiting for the final 30 laps.
• There’s not as much at stake for the big guys. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and the other Sprint-level drivers who run in the Nationwide series are racing for exposure, sponsor coin and the love of racing. What they’re not racing for is the crown jewel — the Sprint Cup. That allows them to take more chances and race more loose than they otherwise would in a series where one wreck could torpedo your season.
• The cars look different! This doesn’t have much to do with the races themselves, but the new-look Nationwide cars are important to a segment of fans out there. So there you go.
• The rookies add that extra level of drama. The barrier to entry is far lower in Nationwide than Sprint, which means you’ve got a contingent of drivers who — let’s be gentle here — may not necessarily be in the class of talent as a Kyle or a Carl. And when they’re all on the track together, you’re only one tire-slip from anarchy!
• Danica! Why no, this point has absolutely no connection to the one above. Why would you think that?
All right, I turn it over to you. Do you watch the Nationwide races? Why or why not? Have at it, friends.
If you’re not watching the Nationwide races, you’re missing out
Teen motorcyclist dies; how young is too young to race?
Terrible news out of Indy this weekend, as a 13-year-old motorcyclist died in a tragic racing accident.
During a motorcycle race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Peter Lenz fell off his bike during a warmup lap Sunday, and was run over by a trailing motorcycle. A few hours later, Lenz was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital; the cause of death, according to the Marion County coroner’s office, was blunt force trauma.
Though he was an inch short of five feet tall and 81 pounds, Lenz was already a highly accomplished racer. He earned "expert" designation from the American Federation of Motorcyclists by the time he was 11, and this year, competing in the U.S. Grand Prix Racers Union, he had already amassed four wins and five podium finishes.
His father’s message on Peter’s Facebook page was heartbreaking. "He
passed doing what he loved and had his go fast face on as he pulled
onto the track," the posting said. "The world lost one of its brightest
lights today. God Bless Peter and the other rider involved. 45 [Peter's number] is on
another road we can only hope to reach. Miss you kiddo." Lenz is the youngest driver/rider fatality ever at the 101-year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Without blaming the victim in any way, the tragedy nonetheless raises the specter of age, and whether teens and pre-teens possess the necessary dexterity and presence of mind to pilot vehicles that can go more than 120 mph. Lenz was 13, and the racer whose bike ran over Lenz is only 12.
Those affiliated with the sport note that other youth sports, such as football and gymnastics, have a similar possibility for youth injury. United States Grand Prix Racers Union officials say that this was the first fatality in the series in nine years.
NASCAR, for one, has a proud tradition of young drivers. Kyle Busch go-karted as a youth. began driving Legends cars at age 13. Joey Logano started racing when he was 6. And, most impressively, Jeff Gordon was driving at age 5, and had won 60-plus events by the time he was 6.
This is the second racing tragedy this month that could have drastic effects on the sport. Just two weeks ago, eight spectators were killed at an off-road race in California when a truck lost control coming off a jump and plowed into a crowd. The regulations that could come down from both of these incidents could severely impact future racing — which, ironically, is exactly what racers and fans would not want to happen.
Our condolences to the Lenz family and Peter’s fans.
Teen motorcyclist dies; how young is too young to race?
Kyle Petty’s a Hall of Famer! It’s for Little League, but still!
A few months back, Richard Petty was named to the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Not to be outdone, his boy Kyle is now a Hall of Famer too!
Okay, well, not exactly "Hall of Fame" — it’s a "Hall of Excellence." And not exactly NASCAR — it’s Little League baseball. But hey, you take the honors you’re given, right?
Anyway, Kyle was honored by Little League on Sunday before the Little League World Series title game between Japan and Hawaii. He wasn’t exactly a worldbeater; as he put it, his specialty at the plate was getting hit by the ball. "The reason I was the catcher was because I was the biggest kid," he said. "They knew I could stop the ball."
Kyle played on weekends growing up in North Carolina, and if you remember your NASCAR history, you’ll remember that his pops wasn’t around to see too many of lil’ Kyle’s games, being out racing and all. Kyle recalled that he learned of his father’s infamous Darlington wreck while playing a baseball game on a Saturday afternoon.
In his induction speech, Kyle noted that he learned the techniques of teamwork that would help him in his later driving career. He advised Little League parents to help their children learn to accept losing — insert cheap joke here — in order to be a better winner.
No word on whether the ponytail had its origins during those days, but I’m guessing no.
Kyle Petty’s a Hall of Famer! It’s for Little League, but still!
Recapping Marcos Ambrose’s teasing Montreal history
What has Marcos done to make the gods at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve mad?
Ambrose had the fastest car in the early stages of Sunday’s Nationwide race, but was ultimately felled by alternator problems. It was just another bad result for Ambrose, who’s quickly becoming to the track in the middle of the St. Lawrence River what Dale Earnhardt was to Daytona before breaking through in 1999.
In 2007, Ambrose got into Robby Gordon as the two battled for the lead and Gordon returned the favor while ignoring NASCAR’s orders to move back in the field as Ambrose was leading, potentially costing Ambrose the win.
In the rain-soaked 2008 race, Ambrose was running well until he got caught for speeding on pit road, ruining his chances for the win.
And in 2009, Ambrose had the lead going into that final chicane on the last lap but curb hopped the car on the first corner, allowing Carl Edwards to slip by and grab the win.
There’s always next year, Marcos.
Recapping Marcos Ambrose’s teasing Montreal history
Recapping Marcos Ambrose’s teasing history at Montreal
What has Marcos done to make the gods at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve mad?
Ambrose had the fastest car in the early stages of Sunday’s Nationwide race, but was ultimately felled by alternator problems. It was just another bad result for Ambrose, who’s quickly becoming to the track in the middle of the St. Lawrence River what Dale Earnhardt was to Daytona before breaking through in 2009.
In 2007, Ambrose got into Robby Gordon as the two battled for the lead and Gordon returned the favor while ignoring NASCAR’s orders to move back in the field as Ambrose was leading, potentially costing Ambrose the win.
In the rain-soaked 2008 race, Ambrose was running well until he got caught for speeding on pit road, ruining his chances for the win.
And in 2009, Ambrose had the lead going into that final chicane on the last lap but curb hopped the car on the first corner, allowing Carl Edwards to slip by and grab the win.
There’s always next year, Marcos.
Recapping Marcos Ambrose’s teasing history at Montreal
Boris Said beats Max Papis in drag race to finish at Montreal
That was worth the four-hour race time, that’s for sure.
Boris Said used a crossover move in the final chicane at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal to win Sunday’s Nationwide race by a fender over Max Papis.
Papis drove the car in incredibly deep after the long straightaway, passing Said as the two entered the chicane. But since Said’s entry wasn’t nearly as deep, he was able to get off the second corner better and beat Papis to the stripe to get his first NASCAR victory.
"It was just unbelievable," Said told ESPN in victory lane. "I didn’t know I won because I didn’t have a radio at the end."
Papis, who was racing the No. 33 for Kevin Harvick Inc., said that if he couldn’t win, he was glad that Said did.
"First, congrats to Boris. If I couldn’t win, he deserved the win," Papis said.
"I gave everything I had. I believed until the last corner. I really outbraked him really hard and it came down to the last corner. I did all I could, I went through the gears, barely hit the chip in second gear … This is what I can do in a good car and I’m really proud."
Jacques Villeneuve, driving on the track named for his father, finished third for Braun Racing.
Neither Said nor Papis were leading on that final restart, however. Robby Gordon, who still claims he won the 2007 race at Montreal, was leading, but since he pitted before everyone else, ran out of fuel with two laps to go.
Boris Said beats Max Papis in drag race to finish at Montreal
O, Canada! Your Montreal Nationwide open comment thread
No Sprint Cup-level race this weekend, but that doesn’t mean there’s no racing going on. Many of NASCAR’s best and brightest have headed north of the border to race in Montreal in the Nationwide series. Look for big names like Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano and Robby Gordon. How will they do? Will Gordon once again turn Ambrose, or will the wily Aussie get his revenge? Tune in at 2pm and find out. Plus, get all those Canadian jokes about Moosehead and maple syrup and mounties and Rush out of your system, eh? Enjoy the race, everybody!
O, Canada! Your Montreal Nationwide open comment thread
Dario Franchitti wins action-packed IndyCar race at Chicagoland
Maybe the Izod IndyCar Series would have been better served to have an upset of some sorts Saturday night. Say, Marco Andretti or Dan Wheldon. Both drivers haven’t been to Victory Lane in ags and were near the front the entire evening. Or maybe Ed Carpenter, who was in his first race since the Indianapolis 500.
Instead, it was the same old story at Chicagoland, as Dario Franchitti won thanks to a no-tire pit stop during the final caution period, allowing him to vault from ninth to first.
Car owner Chip Ganassi said that Franchitti had a fifth or sixth place car at the time and that it was the only way for the team to go after the win. A Ganassi car running in the middle of the pack at an oval? Believe it or not, that was the case until the final pit stop.
While Franchitti was virtually unchallenged over the last segment thanks to his car’s downforce combination and the clean air, the race behind him kept the Sprint Cup at Talladega theme.
There was a track record 11 different leaders and double file racing was the norm. It wasn’t uncommon to see three-wide moves down the backstretch and at one point late in the race, there was a four-wide battle for sixth going into turn one. It was, simply, the best example of how great the IndyCar Series can be.
Dario Franchitti wins action-packed IndyCar race at Chicagoland
Kyle Busch wins fourth NASCAR race in a row at Chicagoland
I’m sure that many of you are sick of reading about Kyle Busch, but face it, the man is on a roll in NASCAR-sanctioned events right now. (Other events, notsomuch)
After taking four tires in the pits, Busch charged from sixth to first on a restart with 22 laps to go and pulled away from Todd Bodine on a green-white-checker restart to win the Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland.
Bodine had a shot at Busch with seven laps to go as he got alongside of Busch in turn three. However, Busch had the outside line and Bodine had to get off the gas.
And Bodine’s second place finish allowed him to further extend his points lead in the Truck Series. It’s not Brad Keselowski-esque (313 points over second place Carl Edwards), but Bodine is doing his best to make the 2010 race for the title a snoozer. He leaves Chicago 236 points ahead of second place Aric Almirola with eight races to go.
Kyle Busch wins fourth NASCAR race in a row at Chicagoland
Randy Lajoie’s NASCAR suspension is now over
Good news for former driver/current analyst Randy LaJoie: His suspension is over. Back in June, NASCAR suspended LaJoie for a failed drug test, and ESPN in turn suspended LaJoie as well.
LaJoie admitted at the time to smoking marijuana in May, and subsequently completed a treatment program. He was appropriately contrite in a statement via AP:
"I am thankful to NASCAR for reinstating me for competition, and grateful to my friends and family who supported me through this time," he said. "This has been a tremendous learning and growing process for me, and I have come through it a stronger, better person. I am looking forward to returning to work, and continuing to prove to NASCAR, my colleagues, my family and my friends that this was an isolated incident that I have put behind me."
So, good news for LaJoie, who ran in 44 races over the course of 12 years. He won 15 races in the Nationwide series, and that’s where he got snagged, as he was applying for a license to serve as a spotter for a Joe Gibbs Racing Team. Here’s hoping that this gets put behind him quickly and he gets back to the track in a hurry, and for a long time to come.
Randy Lajoie’s NASCAR suspension is now over
Create-a-caption: ‘Behold my awesome — hey, where’s everybody?’
Kyle Busch, basking in his own awesomeness. Surely you have some commentary for this scene. Come on, you’ve had a week to build up your Kyle bile. Have at it!
After the jump, Carl Edwards‘ little girl makes her NASCAR debut.
Vaffanculo:
Edwards celebrates his win at the first Cabbage Patch 350.
Janine R:
Carl: "Don’t worry Kate, nobody is going to punch a man holding a baby."
tx_jjk:
Annie: Mommy, I just spit up all over Brad Keselowski
Mom: High five!!
Carl: I’m so proud of my girl.
Create-a-caption: ‘Behold my awesome — hey, where’s everybody?’
Alan Kulwicki named to Motorsports Hall of Fame
Alan Kulwicki, one of NASCAR’s great stories and great tragedies, has been inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame America. Kulwicki, as all devoted NASCAR fans know, was the last of the independent champions, the 1992 Cup winner who died in a plane crash only a few months after winning the title.
Kulwicki was one of seven in the 22nd class of honorees at the Hall of Fame. His fellow inductees include Dale Armstrong (drag racing category), Joie Chitwood (historic), Jeremy McGrath (motorcycles), Ken Squier (at large), Jerry Titus (sports cars) and Rich Vogler (open wheel).
Kulwicki, the 1986 rookie of the year, was the first owner/driver to win since Richard Petty in 1979. He won five races in 207 career starts, and he had his own tradition — the "Polish Victory Lap," in which he ran the track in reverse after wins.
After the jump, a video from the 1993 Winston Cup awards banquet honoring Kulwicki. Guaranteed to get you a little misty if you remember the man in his heyday.
Alan Kulwicki named to Motorsports Hall of Fame
![General Nascar Nascar Banner [Flags]](http://www.a1techbooks.com/upc/2/FLG00186C42B.jpg)
