Franchitti Finishes Third in Sonoma
Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti led the way for Honda in Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of
Sonoma, putting pressure on IZOD IndyCar Series leader Will Power and eventual race winner Ryan
Briscoe throughout the final laps of Sunday’s race as he finished third in his Target Chip Ganassi Racing
Honda Dallara.
Starting sixth, Franchitti avoided an opening lap incident that saw his teammate, Scott Dixon, spin out
after contact from Helio Castroneves. Starting the race on the harder “black compound” Firestone tires,
Franchitti was able to switch to the better gripping “reds” at his first scheduled pit stop, and he ran near
the front of the field for the remainder of the 85-lap contest. A pair of late-race caution periods allowed
him to challenge Power for second place, but the four-time series champion was never able to attempt a
pass.
Behind Franchitti, Graham Rahal had one of his strongest runs this season to finish fifth for Service
Central Chip Ganassi Racing, while seventh for Simon Pagenaud clinched IndyCar Rookie of the Year
honors for the Schmidt Hamilton Racing driver. Charlie Kimball also had a strong run, moving from 21st
on the starting grid to 11th place by Lap 66, the biggest gain of any driver. But a late race transmission
problem dropped him three laps off the pace, resulting in an unrepresentative 21st-place finish.
Honda’s popular Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes returned at Sonoma, with racing legend Mario
Chevy Racing–Manufacturer’s Championship!
Chevrolet Clinches 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ Championship
SONOMA, Calif. – August 26, 2012 – With Ryan Briscoe’s No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet win today in the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway, Chevrolet has clinched the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ Championship.
“Chevrolet is proud to race in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012, and honored to win the Manufacturers championship with the Chevrolet direct-injected, twin turbo IndyCar V6,” said Jim Campbell, US Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The key to developing the best combination of power, durability, fuel economy and driveability in the Chevrolet Indy V6 has been teamwork with the drivers, crew chiefs, team owners and our engineering partners. There is still more racing to go this season, and the team remains 100% focused on finishing strong.”
On the way to clinching the coveted crown in the first season of the Bowtie Brand’s return to IndyCar competition, Chevrolet IndyCar V6-powered drivers won nine of the 13 races to-date in the 15-race 2012 season starting with the season’s opening race at St. Petersburg.
“This IZOD IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ championship for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 engine is the culmination of a great team effort,” said Mark Kent. Director, Chevrolet Racing. “From concept to race track, Chevrolet Racing engineers, Ilmor, Hitachi, Borg Warner, our Chevy teams and others put a race and championship-winning product in place in just over a year. To reap the rewards of this dedicated effort in our first season back in IndyCar is gratifying. We are very proud of this achievement and thank everyone involved for their contributions.”
The Chevrolet IndyCar V6 team and driver roster that contributed to Chevrolet capturing the Series’ manufacturers’ title are: Team Penske – Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power; Andretti Autosport – Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay; KV Racing Technology – Rubens Barrichello, Tony Kanaan and EJ Viso; Panther Racing – JR Hildebrand; Ed Carpenter Racing – Ed Carpenter; Dragon Racing – Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge, and Panther Dreyer & Reinbold Racing – Oriol Servia.
“Congratulations to our Chevrolet teams and all of our technical partners on winning the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ Championship,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “The “one-team” approach we implemented in the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 program has clearly demonstrated the value of integrating the input of all the talented engineers on each of our teams with Chevrolet engineers and the expertise of our technical partners. I am very proud of the contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and celebrate this achievement as Team Chevy.”
Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V8 engines that powered Chevrolet to 105 race wins which included seven Indianapolis 500 victories, and six driver championships.
Bryan Fuller–Thundertaker
Bryan is always dreaming up something new. Thundertaker is a long term project that’s getting close to done. If you’re interested in more: http://fullerhotrods.com/?p=764
RCR Post Race Report — Sprint Cup– Bristol
RCR Post Race Report —
NSCS Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Irwin Tools Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
August 25, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 10th (Paul Menard), 15th (Kevin Harvick) and 33rd (Jeff Burton).
Harvick ranks ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing point leader Greg Biffle by 82 points with three races remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Menard ranks 17th, 72 markers outside of the final Chase position, while Burton ranks 20th, 169 points out.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Menard made 26 Green Flag Passes and ranked 11th in Quality Passes.
Menard spent 74.8 percent of the contested Laps in the Top 15 (374 of 500), ranking ninth in the respective NASCAR Loop Data Statistics category.
Harvick averaged a Green Flag Speed of 117.087 mph and spent 384 Laps in the Top 15, ranking him seventh in both categories.
Burton ran as high as second position and scored the fastest lap of the race seven times.
The RCR drivers collectively logged 16 of the Fastest Laps Run in the 500-lap race with Burton contributing seven circuits, Menard with six and Harvick with three.
Denny Hamlin earned his third Sprint Cup Series victory of the season and was followed to the finish line by Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers and Marcos Ambrose.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 2. The 25th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Swindell Captures Castrol Raceway’s Sixth annual Oil City Cup
Swindell Captures Castrol Raceway’s Sixth annual Oil City Cup
Hafertepe Jr. unhappy with late-race pass that nets Swindell his 10th Outlaws win
EDMONTON, Alberta – Aug. 25, 2012 – Sam Hafertepe Jr. won’t be inviting Sammy Swindell over for a barbecue any time soon.
The duo nearly touched racing for the lead with two laps remaining on a brisk Saturday evening at Castrol Raceway, where Swindell edged Hafertepe Jr. to claim Night 2 of the Sixth annual Oil City Cup and his 10th World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature win of the season.
“I definitely had the better car,” Hafertepe Jr said. “He had to pretty much drive through us to pass us. That’s part of it sometimes. We’ll do the same thing when the option comes around (to) my turn.”
Hafertepe Jr., who seized the lead from World of Outlaws championship points leader Craig Dollansky in thick traffic on lap six, had the dominant car until a caution with four laps remaining. It erased a half a straightaway lead and gave Swindell a renewed shot at the victory.
While Hafertepe Jr.’s car became tight running the cushion, Swindell powered around the bottom within striking distance for two laps after the restart. Then, opportunity arose as Hafertepe Jr. had a slight bobble in turn two.
Swindell rocketed off the bottom and slid across the nose of Hafertepe Jr., who said he had to nearly slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. The move was enough for Swindell, who held off Hafertepe Jr. during the final lap and a half to record his third World of Outlaws win in the last 11 points races.
“It looked like he kind of missed the top, got off and was out there kind of spinning his tires some,” he said. “Things just gotta go your way. We were in the right place at the right time to capitalize on the way the race played out and so we were able to get the win.”
The racing was just as close behind the lead change, where Steve Kinser got around Joey Saldana for the final spot on the podium during the last restart.
“We were pretty good and passed some good cars,” Kinser said after his 23rd top five of the season. “I can’t complain. We ran good.”
Cody Darrah finished fourth and Donny Schatz rounded out the top five. Dollansky placed sixth and while Saldana dropped to seventh in the closing laps, he earned enough points to snag the overall title at the Oil City Cup.
“All in all, it was a good, solid weekend and obviously (we) had enough points to win the cup,” Saldana said. “That’s a good thing to come up here and win the overall like we did.”
Kerry Madsen charged from 15th to eighth, Chad Kemenah ended ninth and Travis Rilat won the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 19 th to 10th.
Chevy Racing- Sonoma Qualifying Report
Will Power Wins the Pole at Sonoma; Team Chevy Drivers Claim Top-Four Spots in Firestone Fast Six Dixon, Franchitti Lead Honda Qualifying at Sonoma Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti led the Honda-powered field in IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying Saturday in Sonoma, California, and will start fifth and sixth, respectively, in Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. Three other Honda drivers made it to the semi-final round of IndyCar roadcourse “knockout” qualifying at Sonoma, led by Alex Tagliani, who will start eighth in his Barracuda/Bryan Herta Autosport Honda Dallara. Qualifying just behind Tagliani was Simon Pagenaud, who is en route to clinching series Rookie of the Year honors with Schmidt Hamilton Racing, and Dale Coyne Racing’s Justin Wilson, 10th. Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) qualified 5th: “It was definitely tough [qualifying] today. I nearly got knocked out of the first qualifying round, when I came up on traffic on my last lap and he went off in front of me! The car has good balance, but we’re missing a little bit somewhere, so we’ve got a bit of work to do tonight. The wind changed direction between the morning [practice] and qualifying [in the afternoon], and that seemed to affect us more than some of the others. In such a close field, it’s just the smallest things that can make a difference.” Dollansky Cruises to Oil City Cup Victory at Castrol Raceway “It was one of the best cars we’ve had in a while so it was a lot of fun to drive,” he said. “It’s fun to be up here with these Canadian fans, getting the win in front of them tonight.” Dollansky, who started the feature on the outside of the front row next to arguably the hottest driver in the country – Donny Schatz – powered to the lead on the opening lap. Kerry Madsen then got around Schatz, who had won four of the previous seven events, for second place at the flag stand on lap nine. The first 17 laps went cautionless before the second half of the race was slowed because of five cautions, including a red flag with three laps remaining. Marc Duperron brought out the first caution when he stopped in turn four on lap 18. Dollansky, who chose the outside lane on every double-file restart, rocketed to the lead with Madsen in tow and Schatz a close third. Cautions occurred when Bill Rose stopped in turn four on lap 22 and when Dennis MacEachern slowed in turns three and four with front end damage on lap 23. Kraig Kinser then came to a stop on the backstretch on the restart. “The race got a little bit long there with some of the yellow flags, but each restart I felt like we were getting a good restart,” Dollansky said. Dollansky entered traffic on lap 27 before Wheeler Boys flipped after catching the cushion in turn three on the ensuing lap to bring out the red flag. Joey Saldana and Sam Hafertepe Jr. capitalized on the late restart and both found grip on the bottom to propel them into podium finishes. Saldana, who entered the event with a series-leading three wins at Castrol Raceway, diced from fourth to the runner-up position in the final three laps. “I knew if I could get a good run around the bottom, get a run and get back to the cushion, I’d be all right,” Saldana said. “I actually wish we could have had a restart there at the end. Craig, I don’t think he even knew it was there. I think it would have been in my favor.” Hafertepe Jr. also maneuvered toward the front late in the race and was on Saldana’s heels during the closing laps. “The top was going away enough to where I felt like some guys were getting runs on me down low,” Hafertepe Jr. said. “I ran down there a few laps in a row and it felt really good. A lot of guys hadn’t caught on to it in front of the pack and we were able to get by a few guys.” Cody Darrah passed Madsen for fourth place at the flag stand as they took the checkered flag. Sammy Swindell finished sixth and Chad Kemenah was seventh. Schatz dropped from third to eighth on last restart with Travis Rilat ending ninth. Lucas Wolfe drove from 19th to round out the top 10 and earn the KSE Hard Charger Award. The Sixth annual Oil City Cup concludes today – Saturday – with the $12,000-to-win feature. The front gate is scheduled to open at 4 p.m. with hot laps around 6:45 p.m. Pagenaud Runs Third in Practice at Sonoma Simon Pagenaud led the Honda-powered field Friday in Sonoma, California, posting the third quickest time around the 2.31-mile road course in IZOD IndyCar Series practice in preparation for Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti closed to within a tenth of a second of Pagenaud in the final minutes of practice to end the day fourth fastest, with his Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal seventh and eighth, respectively. The raceway at Sonoma is using a slightly revised layout in 2012, featuring changes to Turns 7, 9 and 11 to enhance passing. The circuit modifications were utilized and approved by series officials and drivers at a pre-race test at the Northern California road course. The changes altered the track length, so this year’s race will run for 85 laps, a 10-lap increase from previous IZOD IndyCar Series events at Sonoma. Simon Pagenaud (#77 Schmidt Hamilton Racing Honda) third quickest in Friday practice: “It was a very good start for us. The car was better than at the test, and we learned a lot of good things today. The wind was very different today, it was a tail wind going into Turn 1 and that made our entry speed different and the line a bit different, too. I think we are very close now, there are just a few more things we need to do for qualifying.” Hoek Continues to Show Speed – Struggles Late Both Days @ Bark River The setback this weekend did little to deter the team’s enthusiasm as it heads to Crandon looking to capture another World Championship ring.The all natural terrain track is fast and is considered very technical as it combines its high speeds, with elevation changes, chicanes, rhythm sections and table top jumps. The layout hasn’t changed much over the years, but the race trucks get faster and faster which lead to new challenges at the 1.3 mile long track. “This has got to be the best win ever,” Veney said. “I never saw Mickey, and he said he never saw me, so we must have been side by side the whole way down the track.” Veney qualified fourth with a 5.74 at 251 mph and beat Marie Ferriolo in the first round, 5.67 to 5.69, and incoming points leader John Anderika in the semifinals, 5.67 to 6.04. The win over Anderika drew the Permatex/Follow A Dream team to within a single point of the top spot, and the final-round victory has the team 20 points in the lead. “It was a total team effort,” Blake said. “I told everybody before we left for Cecil County that if we won that race we were really going to go after this championship, and we are. Now, we’re going to Bowling Green.” The final event in the Midwest Region is this weekend in Bowling Green, Ky., and it’s expected to attract top talent from around the country. The Bowling Green track is just a few hours from Indianapolis, home of the biggest race in the world, the U.S. Nationals, which is the following weekend. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UP Off-Road 100 The Ups and Downs of Sonoma Raceway Next on the Schedule for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams and Drivers “After mostly positive reports from our Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers that tested on the new configuration at Sonoma Raceway, this weekend’s race should be competitive and exciting,’ said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “Of course, it won’t be without its challenges. In addition to the changes made to the track, the specifications for the push-to-pass have been changed from a 5 second delay to a 3.5 second delay, based on driver feedback and tailoring the feature to the Sonoma circuit layout. Also, the amount of time available has been reduced by 10 seconds to a total of 90 seconds.” Rolex Montreal 200 Rolex Montreal 200 RCR Post Race Report — NSCS Michigan International Speedway Schatz Magical in Front of Hometown Fans at Nodak Speedway “This is where it all started for me,” he said. “This is where I made my first laps in a car and my family is from. To be here a few times and come close to winning, tonight we get to taste that victory. It’s as special as the Knoxville Nationals. To hear the crowds’ reaction and to get that trophy in front of that grandstands means everything to me.” It continued a hot streak during the past seven points races when Schatz has amassed four wins, six podiums, seven top-five finishes and an average finish of 2.0 to close within 20 points of championship points leader Craig Dollansky. Dollansky has been just as consistent with 10 consecutive top 10s, including five podiums and nine finishes in the top five. The duo were the class of the field for the 35-lap feature, which they started on the front row. Dollansky, who began on the pole, led the first lap before Schatz slid him in turn two for the lead on the second lap. “We raced hard from the get-go,” Schatz said. “I was gonna either win it or wear it. Winning it sounds like it’s a lot better option.” They entered traffic on lap five before the first of three red flags thwarted the first half of the race. On lap seven, Bill Rose spun in turn one and Lou Kennedy slid into him, which tipped Kennedy onto his side. Schatz broke away with Dollansky in pursuit on the restart as traffic entered the picture on lap 11. Schatz maintained the lead, but Dollansky stayed within a couple of car lengths until Cody Darrah had a wild flip on the frontstretch on lap 18. The red flag was waved after Darrah, who was in a battle for a top 10 after starting 17th, collided with the wall near the flag stand. It sent him into the catch fence and a series of violent flips, which delayed the race for nearly a half hour as repairs had to be made to the fence. On the restart, Steve Kinser collided with Jason Sides as they battled for third place entering turn three. Kinser got into the left front tire of Sides, who flipped off the track to bring out the third-and-final red flag. Schatz continued to get clean restarts and while the second half of the race didn’t have a caution, traffic nearly played a role. Schatz held a sizeable lead until thick traffic, including cars racing side by side, slowed him on a couple of occasions in the final five laps. Dollansky cut into the lead and closed to within two car lengths in the final two laps, but Schatz was able to maneuver through the slower cars as he became the seventh different winner in as many World of Outlaws events at the track. “We were better in the longer runs,” said Dollansky, who won at Nodak Speedway in 2010. “The longer the race went, we were getting better as it was going. It was a good race. It was a fast track. We just came up one spot short.” Stevie Smith, who challenged Dollansky for second place with approximately 10 laps remaining, held off Kinser for the final spot on the podium. “At one point I kinda got with Dollansky and it just didn’t balance out in lapped traffic too well,” Smith said. “Just kinda circumstances there how I entered into lapped cars. Dollansky bottled up in front of me and got a little room going, so it was just a racing deal.” Sammy Swindell finished fifth. Jac Haudenschild earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after piloting from 13th to sixth, Kerry Madsen was seventh, Mark Dobmeier ended eighth, Kraig Kinser placed ninth and Joey Saldana rounded out the top 10.
SONOMA, Calif. (August 25, 2012) – For the fourth time this season, Will Power will lead the field for an IZOD IndyCar Series race to the green flag. Piloting his familiar No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Power set a new qualifying record with a lap of 1:17.2709 at 111.116 m.p.h. today at Sonoma Raceway for Sunday’s running of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. This is Power’s third consecutive pole at Sonoma.
Power, who came to Sonoma leading the Series’ driver’s standings, gained one valuable championship point for winning the pole.
Team Chevy drivers claimed the top-four positions in the final qualifying order of the Firestone Fast Six at the 2.385-mile, 12-turn road course. Second fastest was Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Sebastien Bourdais, No. 7 TrueCar/McAfee Dragon Racing Chevrolet was third fastest followed by Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet in fourth position.
A total of 15 Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers qualified for race 13 of the 15-race IndyCar season. Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Andretti Autosport Chevrolet was seventh fastest to give Team Chevy five of the top-10 fastest qualifiers.
Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti completed the top-six qualifiers.
The 85-lap GoPro Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.
The live radio coverage will air on the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at
Honda Racing–Sonoma Qualifying
RCR Post Race Report — NNS Bristol Motor Speedway
RCR Post Race Report — NNS Bristol Motor Speedway
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Food City 250
Bristol Motor Speedway
August 24, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fourth (Austin Dillon), fifth (Elliott Sadler) and 15th (Kevin Harvick).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings by 19 points over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Sam Hornish ranks third, with Dillon fourth in the standings, trailing his RCR teammate by 35 points.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 13 points shy of the No. 18 team’s lead, with the No. 3 team fifth in the standings and the No. 33 team seventh.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon led the Closers category, advancing five positions in the last 10 percent of the race.
Dillon and Sadler spent 100 percent of the 250-lap race running in the top 15.
Sadler led the category for Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (119.505 mph) and ranked third in Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (116.744).
Sadler and Harvick maintained the third and fourth-best Average Running Positions throughout the race, with Sadler maintaining an average running place of 3.602 and Harvick a 4.476.
Harvick led a race-leading 98 laps, while Sadler led 11 laps.
Harvick had the fastest Speed in Traffic (117.450 mph).
Combined, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap of the Race for 67 circuits with Sadler (28), Harvick (27) and Dillon (12).
Joey Logano earned his sixth Nationwide Series victory of the season and was followed to the finish line by Stenhouse, Kyle Busch, Dillon and Sadler.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the NRA American Warriors 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 1. The 24th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Dollansky Cruises to Oil City Cup Victory at Castrol Raceway
The points leader paces all 30 laps to claim his seventh Outlaws win of the season
EDMONTON, Alberta – Aug. 24, 2012 – It took Craig Dollansky a while to reach Victory Lane on a chilly Friday, but it didn’t take him long to start celebrating.
Dollansky released a loud roar as he climbed onto the back of his sprint car after leading all 30 laps on the opening night of the Sixth annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway. It was his seventh World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season and gives him a 35-point advantage in the championship standings.Honda Racing–Pagenaud Runs Third in Practice at Sonoma
Chevy Racing–GOPRO INDY GRAND PRIX AT SONOMA
IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
GOPRO INDY GRAND PRIX AT SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 25, 2012
PAGE 1
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT DRIVERS JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, NO. 27 TEAM GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET, AND RYAN HUNTER-REAY, NO. 28 TEAM DHL/SUN DROP CITRUS SODA CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Sonoma Raceway. Full transcript:
TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES MADE TO SONOMA RACEWAY: JAMES – “The track did have some changes; upgrades if you will. We had a chance to test here last week. Really, the biggest one is turn seven. They widened the turn out, which helps. But the profile isn’t a ton different for us. The big difference in (turn) 11, the geometry of the corner is the same; it is just a little further down. The big change is turn seven. That changes that corner quite a bit. I definitely think it has made turn seven a better passing opportunity, which is obviously the goal. This race has always been notorious for difficult overtaking. I just think the nature of these big brake zones, and tight corners – they are tough in our cars. Indy cars are not really designed for first-gear thirty mile-an-hour hairpin (corners). It makes it very easy to make a mistake. I think that is actually going to create as many passing opportunities as a big brake zone as guys may be getting in a little bit wrong to (turn) 11 and having a nice little drag race up into turn one here. I definitely think there will be more action in the race for sure.”
TALKING ABOUT SITTING SECOND IN THE STANDINGS AND THE DEPTH OF THE FIELD AND THE COMPETITION THIS SEASON: RYAN – “This is definitely one of the most IndyCar seasons I have seen in a long time. Either one that I have been a part of, or not. If you ask guys like Dario (Franchitti) and Tony (Kanaan) will say the same thing, and they have been around for awhile. I don’t mean to make them old. This year has been extremely, extremely competitive. The DW12 (chassis) has done an excellent job in really making for some dramatic races. I think this championship is going to come down to Fontana. It’s going to be fought between three or four guys at least. I think realistically the top-five have a shot at winning it. Every race is going to be pivotal. We came into Mid-Ohio, the last race, leading by 20 points, and now we are trailing by five. It can swing quickly. We had an engine issue there at Mid-Ohio which sidelined us. Hopefully we don’t have any more of those, and that is behind us and we can go on and we can win the championship for Andretti, DHL, Sun Drop and Chevrolet.”
YOU ARE RIGHT BEHIND WILL POWER IN THE STANDINGS, WHO HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL HERE. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR YOU TO SURPASS HIM IN THE POINTS HERE? RYAN – “This is definitely a Penske track. Last year it was one-two-three. For the past four or five years, this has been a notoriously difficult for the Andretti squad. It is tough. Right now we definitely have to close the gap. They are the team to beat. We aren’t stellar at the moment. My side-kick Hinchcliffe here has come up with some crazy set-up stuff for this afternoon’s practice. He’s going to go guinea pig it. Hopefully we will be able tag along. This is probably one of our most difficult races coming from Andretti Autosport standpoint.”
WILL THE NEW LAYOUT HELP YOU? RYAN – “We were hoping it was going to. You took one corner and just tightened it up a little bit. And you took another corner and lengthened it a little bit. It didn’t really change the layout that much. Yes, it might change some passing situations. Like James said, slowing the car down more, it’s a little bit more difficult now. The guys that were quick here, the teams that were quick here and quick here still. We still have that same gap to close. It is a gap of about sixth-tenths of a second, which is a lot. But, we desperately need to close that. We will be working hard today.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE TEST SESSION HERE LAST WEEK? JAMES – “We learned what not to do. Which is almost as good as learning what to do. Not quite as good, but almost as good. We showed up here, because as Ryan said, this isn’t statistically the strongest track for our team, with a couple of different concepts. Unfortunately, not one of them really took. I think the test was vital because we have now had a week to analyze all that data. I think we have actually come up with something, after yesterday sitting down with the engineers, that I’m a lot more confident than I was Saturday morning when I got out of bed thinking ‘Man, this is going to be a tough weekend’. Again, we’ve got a long session this afternoon to try and work it out. We’ve got three cars pounding away at things. We’ll see. I do have faith in the team. One of the big things we’ve seen out of this team is comebacks and bounce-backs. We’ve had some pretty bad Fridays that have turned into some really good Sundays. Hopefully we can make that happen this weekend.”
IS THE CAR SETUP A MAJOR CHANGE WITH THE LAYOUT CHANGES TO THE TRACK? JAMES – “it’s pretty close because fundamentally, like we said, it is the one corner where the profile really changed. The rest is just lengthening or shortening sort of things. 96% of the track remains unchanged. The setup philosophies are very similar which is why, as Ryan said, the teams that are traditionally quick here, are still quick here.”
HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR TWO-AND-A-HALF OFF TIME? RYAN – “My wife (Becky Gordon Hunter-Reay) ran the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. That was one of the most nerve-wracking things I have ever had to do. Sit at the bottom of the hill and watch the car leave…you are like ‘ok, now I just sit here in the trees and listen and make sure I don’t hear a big sound’. You lose radio communication. Becky did a great job getting up there. It was the only completely stock car in the race, and it was the only stock electric car. So we did that. Then went to New York and did some media and PR stuff. That was a busy day. Got a lot in. Then with this Isaac thing coming, I had to completely hurricane proof my house, even though I had no idea if it was coming. Which is awesome. Spent the whole day. And now its not coming to Florida, so good thing I did that. (Laughs). But now our lawn furniture is all inside, so its nice. Our whole house is filled with lawn furniture.”
JAMES – “You should entertain and have a party. There’s enough places to sit..”
RYAN – “That’s what I was thinking. I would just let people track the house.”
JAMES – “I’ll come by after the race, how’s that? We’ll have a little gathering at your place. I’ll call friends.”
RYAN – “Will you? Let’s do that.”
JAMES – “Yeah, it’s a date.”
RYAN – “Date.”
JAMES – “Which segways nicely into how I actually spent some of my time after Mid-Ohio. I spent a few days with Michael, Marco and Mario (Andretti) in Pennsylvania. A little bit of team bonding, which was a lot of fun. Ryan here, he big-timed us and didn’t show up. He was invited, but…” LAUGHS
RYAN – “I had to go support my wife, and look after my house.”
JAMES – “Details, details. You are focusing on all the wrong points, Ryan.”
AUDIENCE LAUGHS
JAMES – “It was toing and froing. I wish I had more actual down time that I did with toing and froing to Charlotte for various reasons.”
RYAN – “Toing and froing?” I’ve never heard it used.
JAMES – “Toing and froing. It means going to a place, and then returning from the same place. You should add into your vocabulary. You expand your horizons a little bit Ryan.”
MORE LAUGHTER
JAMES – “So, housekeeping. I paid a lot of bills, opened a lot of mail. It was very domestic. I did a lot of laundry. It was great. It sounds weird, b
ut it actually nice to have the time to do stuff like that. It is nice to have 48 hours at home to just literally clean my house, pay my bills and stuff.”
Hoek Continues to Show Speed – Struggles Late Both Days @ Bark River
Holland, MI (August 14, 2012) – Ross Hoek Motorsports continued to show its speed throughout both days of racing at Bark River, only to have a mechanical gremlin with a new component, late in both rounds, keeping the #21 Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Performance/Allstar Performance/Peak Motor Oil Ford from a Top 5 finish.
During Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions saw the #21PRO-Light Ford struggle with its suspension set-up which ultimately put Hoek back in the tenth starting position.
After some late night changes, the #21 Ford came alive the Saturday morning practice session putting a great deal of optimism into the team.
Round 9
The start saw the Ross Hoek Motorsports Ford Ranger charge its way into fifth place at the midpoint mandatory caution. When the field went back to green flag racing, Hoek carved his way into fourth place. Then with three laps to go, a fuel pickup issue slowed the pace of the race truck. At the finish Ross Hoek crossed the line in ninth place.
“We really had a great run going today, “noted Ross Hoek. “We have some work to do tonight, but I‘m confident we will be ready for tomorrow and have another strong run, this time for all eleven laps.”
Round 10
The starting grid had the Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Performance/Allstar Performance/ Peak Motor Oil Ford lined up in the twelfth position in the fourteen truck field. At the drop of the flag, Hoek began making his way through the field. At the halfway mandatory caution, the orange Ford was in seventh position with his sights set on charge for the podium during the final half of the race. With just three laps to go Hoek was in fifth place look to grab the next position, when the race truck began to slow. The #21 Ford Ranger had fuel pickup issues once again and caused Hoek to retire from the race one lap from the finish.
“We really had our race truck running great, but our new fuel cell did us in,” commented Ross Hoek. “The momentum from the Top 5 finish at Chicagoland seemed to be carrying over to Bark River when a freak issue slowed us down. Both days we were pushing for a podium finish late in the race. I have to thank Peak Motor Oil for coming on board this week, as well as our year long partners Ignite Racing Fuels, Venom Energy, and Allstar Performance. Their support really keeps our program running strong.”
The next day Ross Hoek Motorsports went to Crandon for the BFGoodrich Tire Test Day. The team isolated the fuel pickup issue and went out and ran twenty-five laps at the “Big House” preparing for the three rounds of racing scheduled for the Labor Day Weekend event.PERMATEX/FOLLOW A DREAM TEAM BACK IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Marstons Mills, MA –August 21, 2012-At Cecil County Dragway at the final Lucas Oil Series Eastern Regional of the season, Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream team got back on top, winning the race and shooting from fourth to first in the regional points standings. Driver Todd Veney beat Mickey Ferro in a photo-finish final for the Top Alcohol Funny Car title, 5.665 to 5.668.RCR Racing-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
UNOH 200
Bristol Motor Speedway
August 22, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fourth (Joey Coulter), fifth (Brendan Gaughan) and 21st (Ty Dillon).
Dillon is third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 25 points behind the leader, while Coulter ranks seventh in the standings.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is third in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 22 team seventh in the standings and the No. 2 team ranks eighth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings ahead of Cale Gale.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Coulter earned the third-highest Driver Rating (103.6) while Gaughan earned a rating of 99.5, ranking him fifth amongst the competitors.
Coulter was the series’ fifth-Fastest Driver Late in the Run.
Coulter earned the series’ fifth-best Average Running Position (6.485), while Gaughan and Dillon ranked ninth (9.382) and 10th (9.527), respectively.
Gaughan and Dillon were the seventh and eighth-Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, respectively.
Gaughan made 36 Green Flag Passes during the UNOH 200 ranking him sixth in the category, while Dillon made 35 Green Flag Passes ranking him eighth.
Coulter and Gaughan spent 100 percent of the UNOH 200 running in the top 15, while Dillon spent 97.5 percent of the race 204-lap race in the top 15.
Timothy Peters earned the win at Bristol Motor Speedway and was followed to the line by Parker Kligerman, Ross Chastain, Coulter and Gaughan.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is Atlanta 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, Aug. 31. The 14th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network beginning at 7:45 p.m.Hoek Continues to Show Speed – Struggles Late Both Days @ Bark River
Hoek Continues to Show Speed – Struggles Late Both Days @ Bark River
Holland, MI (August 14, 2012) – Ross Hoek Motorsports continued to show its speed throughout both days of racing at Bark River, only to have a mechanical gremlin with a new component, late in both rounds, keeping the #21 Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Performance/Allstar Performance/Peak Motor Oil Ford from a Top 5 finish. The setback this weekend did little to deter the team’s enthusiasm as it heads to Crandon looking to capture another World Championship ring.
The all natural terrain track is fast and is considered very technical as it combines its high speeds, with elevation changes, chicanes, rhythm sections and table top jumps. The layout hasn’t changed much over the years, but the race trucks get faster and faster which lead to new challenges at the 1.3 mile long track.
During Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions saw the #21PRO-Light Ford struggle with its suspension set-up which ultimately put Hoek back in the tenth starting position.
After some late night changes, the #21 Ford came alive the Saturday morning practice session putting a great deal of optimism into the team.
Round 9
The start saw the Ross Hoek Motorsports Ford Ranger charge its way into fifth place at the midpoint mandatory caution. When the field went back to green flag racing, Hoek carved his way into fourth place. Then with three laps to go, a fuel pickup issue slowed the pace of the race truck. At the finish Ross Hoek crossed the line in ninth place.
“We really had a great run going today, “noted Ross Hoek. “We have some work to do tonight, but I‘m confident we will be ready for tomorrow and have another strong run, this time for all eleven laps.”
Round 10
The starting grid had the Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Performance/Allstar Performance/ Peak Motor Oil Ford lined up in the twelfth position in the fourteen truck field. At the drop of the flag, Hoek began making his way through the field. At the halfway mandatory caution, the orange Ford was in seventh position with his sights set on charge for the podium during the final half of the race. With just three laps to go Hoek was in fifth place look to grab the next position, when the race truck began to slow. The #21 Ford Ranger had fuel pickup issues once again and caused Hoek to retire from the race one lap from the finish.
“We really had our race truck running great, but our new fuel cell did us in,” commented Ross Hoek. “The momentum from the Top 5 finish at Chicagoland seemed to be carrying over to Bark River when a freak issue slowed us down. Both days we were pushing for a podium finish late in the race. I have to thank Peak Motor Oil for coming on board this week, as well as our year long partners Ignite Racing Fuels, Venom Energy, and Allstar Performance. Their support really keeps our program running strong.”
The next day Ross Hoek Motorsports went to Crandon for the BFGoodrich Tire Test Day. The team isolated the fuel pickup issue and went out and ran twenty-five laps at the “Big House” preparing for the three rounds of racing scheduled for the Labor Day Weekend event.The Ups and Downs of Sonoma Raceway Next on the Schedule for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams and Drivers
DETROIT – August 22, 2012 – The inaugural season of Chevrolet’s re-entry into IZOD IndyCar Series competition is rapidly nearing the finish line. Sonoma Raceway is next up for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6-powered teams.
Situated in the scenic landscape in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco, California, Sonoma Raceway has long been a favorite track of drivers and fans. But for the running of GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday afternoon, the 2.31-mile, 12-turn permanent road course has undergone some changes to turns seven, nine and 11 designed to enhance passing opportunities.
In addition, IndyCar officials have made an adjustment to the push-to-pass assist for round 13 of the 15-race 2012 season. A total of 90 seconds will be afforded drivers, with a maximum of 15 seconds per activation.
With the ongoing heated battle for the Series’ Manufacturers’ Championship, as well as four Team Chevy drivers in the top-five of the Driver Championship Standings, the intensity heading to Sonoma is at an all-time high. Chevrolet heads to Sonoma leading the Manufacturer point standings with eight victories to-date.
Will Power sits atop the standings with three victories to his credit through 12 races. Ryan Hunter-Reay, also with three wins, is second in the points order, just five points down to Power. Two-time winner Helio Castroneves is third in points, and James Hinchcliffe rounds out the top-five in the standings.
“As the season is winding down, the battle for the Championship is tight,” Berube concluded. “Every position is valuable points to Team Chevy. Along with our technical partners, we are focused on providing all of our teams with the best possible tools to finish at the front for maximum points. We believe the continued focus on preparation, strategy and execution are the keys to success in the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.”
In previous IndyCar races at Sonoma, four current Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers have visited the Winner’s Circle. Power is the defending race champion, and also took the win in 2010. Castroneves took the trip to Victory Lane in 2008. Marco Andretti was the Sonoma race winner in 2006, and Tony Kanaan captured the win in 2005.
Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 105 races, that powered Chevrolet to six driver champions, and included seven Indianapolis 500 victories.
The 85-lap GoPro Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.Race Results Week Ending 8/19/12
GT: Robert Liddell/John Edwards
ALMS
Chris Dyson/Guy Smith
MotoGP Indianapolis GP
Dani Pedrosa
World of Outlaws Magic City Showdown
Donny Schatz
ARCA
Frank Kimmel
NASCAR
Sprint Cup- Pure Michigan 400- Greg BIffle
Nationwide Series- Napa Auto Parts 200- Justin Allgaier
Camping World Truck Series- VFW 200- Nelson Piquet Jr.
NHRARace Results Week Ending 8/19/12
GT: Robert Liddell/John Edwards
ALMS
Chris Dyson/Guy Smith
MotoGP Indianapolis GP
Dani Pedrosa
World of Outlaws Magic City Showdown
Donny Schatz
ARCA
Frank Kimmel
NASCAR
Sprint Cup- Pure Michigan 400- Greg BIffle
Nationwide Series- Napa Auto Parts 200- Justin Allgaier
Camping World Truck Series- VFW 200- Nelson Piquet Jr.
NHRARCR Post Race Report — NSCS Michigan International Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Pure Michigan 400
Michigan International Speedway
August 19, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished ninth (Paul Menard), 16th (Kevin Harvick) and 19th (Jeff Burton).
Menard maintained an Average Running Position of 9.587, the eighth-best of the 43-car field and spent 163 out of 201 laps (81.1 percent) running in the top 15, earning a 101.2 Driver Rating.
Menard ranked fifth in NASCAR’s Loop Data category Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (190.674 mph), eighth in Green Flag Speed (190.212 mph) and 10th in Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (189.927 mph).
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick maintained an Average Running Position of 16th and completed 84 Green Flag Passes during the Pure Michigan 400.
Harvick ranked second in the Loop Data Statistics category Closers, gaining seven positions in the last 10 percent (20 laps) of the race.
Burton made 106 green-flag passes over the course of the 400-mile event.
Greg Biffle captured his second victory of the 2012 season and was followed to the finish line by Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is IRWIN Tools Race Night at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 25. The 24th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM beginning at 6:30 p.m.Schatz Magical in Front of Hometown Fans at Nodak Speedway
The Minot native records his fourth win in the last seven Outlaws points events
MINOT, N.D. – Aug. 19, 2012 – After arguably the loudest cheer he has heard all season, Donny Schatz had a rare – and brief – emotional moment in Victory Lane on Sunday.
In front of a packed facility in the town where he grew up, Schatz picked up his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory in the Magic City Showdown Presented by Gerdau, Sleep Inn & Suites, Minot Visitors Bureau and Magic City Implement at Nodak Speedway.