RCR Post Race Report
NSCS SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
SYLVANIA 300
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
September 23, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 11th (Kevin Harvick), 12th (Paul Menard) and 15th (Jeff Burton).
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick was the sixth-Fastest Driver Late In a Run (126.160 mph) and averaged a Green-Flag Speed of 126.706 mph, positioning him sixth amongst all competitors.
RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard collectively turned nine of the Fastest Laps Run, ranking seventh and 15th, respectively.
Harvick spent 298 Laps in the Top 15, while Menard ran in the top 15 for 267 laps, ranking them fourth and ninth respectively in the Post-Race Loop Data category.
Menard ranked sixth in the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics category Green Flag Passes (55) with 35 of those while running in the top 15, which ranked him sixth in Quality Passes.
Burton ranked first in the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics category of Closers by gaining three positions over the final 10 percent (30 laps) of the race.
Burton made 46 Green Flag Passes during the 300-mile race
Denny Hamlin captured his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win of the 2012 season and was followed to the finish line by Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 30. The race is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Quarter-Final Finish Has Anderson Looking for Strong Showing in St. Louis
Quarter-Final Finish Has Anderson Looking for Strong Showing in St. Louis
Event: 27th annual AAA Texas Fall NHRA Nationals
Location: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas
Day/Date: Sunday, September 23, 2012
Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro driver Greg Anderson came into Sunday’s final eliminations of the AAA Fall NHRA Nationals in Ennis, Tx. cautiously optimistic about his chances. After all, Anderson had earned the fifth starting position with a 6.571-second elapsed time and a top speed of 211.06 mph, setting the stage for a first-round match-up against noted “leaver” Greg Stanfield.
Fortunately, Anderson proved up to the challenge, combining a .021 light and a 6.592-second, 210.37 mph run to eliminate Stanfield, who posted a .023 reaction time and 6.640-second elapsed time and 208.65 mph run in the losing effort.
However, the KB Racing team had little time to celebrate, as their second-round opponent would be one of the hottest drivers in the category, Vincent Nobile, whose team works in conjunction with current NHRA Championship points leader, Allen Johnson. Despite racing without the luxury of lane choice, Anderson was able to get a slight lead on his rival. Unfortunately, his 6.603-second, 210.41 mph pass was not enough to hold his opponent’s charge, who used a 6.590-second, 210.21 mph run to edge Anderson by four thousandths of a second.
“As I said in an earlier interview, we are in a position where we’re out of mulligans, and we have to win out from here,” said Anderson. “It’s up to us – if we can be perfect the rest of the way, then I think we’ll have a chance, but if not, someone else may be the champion. We’ll give it all we’ve got and see where we stand.
“The good news is that we’re capable of it. We’re getting very close on the performance of these new Summit Racing Camaros, but as we saw this weekend, we still have some things to work on, and we ended up on the wrong end of a very close drag race. One important thing is that these were not the conditions we normally thrive in and we were still competitive.
“Hopefully next week, we’ll get back to conditions that are better suited to our tune-up, allowing us to finally show the performance we are capable of.”
Chevrolet claims two wins in US
Chevrolet claims two wins in US
One win each for Muller and Huff, now tied in Drivers’ championship
SONOMA, 23 September 2012: Chevrolet won both races in the first visit ever WTCC event in the USA. Yvan Muller and Rob Huff won a race each, and are now tied in points in the Drivers’ championship.
Muller and Huff completed a one-two success in Race 1 after Alain Menu was forced out of the lead by technical problems, sustained after contact with Gabriele Tarquini at the start of the race. Huff won Race 2 after a drive-through penalty dashed Muller’s hopes of a double. Alain Menu, who started Race 2 from 10th, finished in 4th position.
Today’s results mean Chevrolet is now very close to mathematically securing its third WTCC Constructors’ title. The RML-run Cruzes fell 10 points short from conquering the crown today, and the team will have to wait until the next round in Japan before opening the champagne bottles.
The fight for the Drivers’ title is more open than ever, with Muller and Huff now tied with 315 points. The Frenchman remains on top of the standings as he has won more races. Menu is 49 points behind but still in contention despite his misfortune at Sonoma.
Race 1 saw a great start for the Cruzes, which quickly took the first three positions. Poleman Menu was ahead of teammates Muller and Huff, but the Swiss had to lift off as he developed a steering issue on lap 4. Menu was forced to the pits for repairs, losing four laps in the process.
Despite starting from the middle of the grid in Race 2, Muller and Huff quickly progressed to
3rd and 4th position respectively after a couple of laps. With race leader Mehdi Bennani in a BMW spinning on lap 4, the duo gained a position, but on lap 5 contact between Muller and Franz Engstler, also in a BMW, paved the way for the Frenchman to take the lead.
The stewards, however, penalized Muller with a drive-through, effectively ending any hopes of a points finish and paving the way for Huff, who controlled BMW’s Norbert Michelisz’s attacks in the closing laps.
The WTCC now crosses the Pacific for the Asian tour that traditionally closes the season and includes stops in Japan, China and Macau.
· QUOTES
Rob Huff (2nd / 1st): “It’s been a fantastic day here in Sonoma. I couldn’t have asked for more and the championship situation is now completely open again. There was little I could do against Yvan in Race 1. I was struggling to follow him, but 2nd was a good result.
“In Race 2, I was following Yvan again and then he was handed a drive through penalty, which was a lucky break for me. In the final laps, Michelisz was very close, I was very cautious not to damage my tires, even because I knew Norbert is a very fair driver and he wouldn’t do anything crazy. Interestingly, someone seems to have forgotten the chequered flag at the end of the race, so we all did an extra lap at race speed, I found that pretty entertaining.”
Yvan Muller (1st / 14th) : “Race 1 was tough, but I started well and then used every opportunity I had. When Alain had the problem with the steering, I took the lead and focused on controlling the race. It’s a very nice feeling to win in America, the home of Chevrolet.
“I had a very good start in Race 2, but then there was a very slight contact with Engstler which did not even leave a mark on my bumper. Despite this, I was still handed the drive through penalty. I do not want to comment on the stewards’ decision; what happened, happened. The result is that the championship is now completely open and everything will start from scratch in Japan.”
Alain Menu (17th / 4th): “I was very unlucky to have the steering problem in Race 1 when I was leading. Since the very start of the race, I noticed something was wrong with the steering wheel. It got harder and harder and was locking at times, so I decided to stop in the pits because the car was impossible to drive.
“It’s a pity because I lost a lot of important points. Race 2 was pretty uneventful, I didn’t start well, but managed to climb to 4th position.”
Eric Nève: “It’s wonderful to win both races in the US and to be so close to the third Constructors’ title. Both races were very exciting and rich in emotions. The fight in the Drivers’ championship is now completely open again and that promises a thrilling end of the season. I’m sorry for what happened to Alain in Race 1, but that is racing.”
Ron Hartvelt, RML Project Manager: “We had a challenging weekend but the results were superb. It was great to claim two wins on home soil in our first trip to the States. The Drivers’ championship is still wide open and we are looking forward to the final three WTCC rounds in Asia.”
RCR Post Race Report–Kentucky
RCR Post Race Report
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Kentucky 300
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Kentucky 300
Kentucky Speedway
September 22, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Austin Dillon), third (Brendan Gaughan) and fifth (Elliott Sadler).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings by four points over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., while Dillon ranks third in the standings, 15 markers behind his RCR teammate.
The No. 2 team ranks second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, trailing the No. 18 team by 13 points, with the No. 3 team fourth in the standings and the No. 33 team sixth.
Dillon leads the Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, the RCR drivers ranked second (Dillon), third (Sadler) and fourth (Gaughan) in the category for Fastest Drivers Early in a Run.
Combined, the RCR drivers posted the Fastest Laps Run for 81 circuits.
Dillon led the field in Average Running Position (2.005), Driver Rating (139.5), Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (169.924 mph), Fastest Laps Run (40), Fastest on Restarts (165.775) and Green Flag Speed (170.404 mph).
Gaughan posted his third top-10 finish in three races at Kentucky Speedway.
Sadler (3.055) and Gaughan (7.210) maintained the third and fourth-best Average Running Position, respectively, throughout the race.
Sadler had the second-best Driver Rating (131.4).
Dillon earned his second Nationwide Series victory of his career and the 2012 season by 1.059 seconds over Sam Hornish Jr., Gaughan, Drew Herring and Sadler.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the OneMain Financial 200 Dover International Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 29. The 27th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network beginning at 3:45 p.m.
Blaney Survives Weather, Attrition to Claim Commonwealth Clash
Blaney Survives Weather, Attrition to Claim Commonwealth Clash
Schatz garners runner-up honors to extend Outlaws championship lead to 114 points
SARVER, Pa. – Sept. 22, 2012 – Patience was key on a late, chilly and wet Saturday night at Lernerville Speedway.
Following a lengthy delay to the Commonwealth Clash, in which the program had to restart after weather postponed the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event during qualifying, a patient Dale Blaney was credited with his first Outlaws victory of the season as attrition took its toll on the frontrunners.
“I knew it was going to be tough for them to get it in,” he said. “We just put ourselves in good position and were fortunate enough to win one.”
Blaney inherited the lead with three laps remaining when polesitter Craig Dollansky, who led the first 32 laps, slowed dramatically down the frontstretch as his engine began to expire. Dollansky then putted around the 4/10-mile track to finish 11th.
He wasn’t the only driver to sustain a problem down the stretch. Fast qualifier Paul McMahan exited the track with five laps remaining with apparent engines woes while he was only a couple of car lengths behind Dollansky for the race lead.
Those two issues moved Blaney from third place to the lead to earn his second career World of Outlaws victory at Lernerville Speedway and the seventh of his career.
“We were fortunate,” he said. “No doubt about it. (If) those two guys don’t break, they probably run first and second, and we run third.”
Runner-up Donny Schatz overcame a shaky start and a late error to record his 11th consecutive top five.
Schatz nearly collided with Joey Saldana and Jason Sides in the opening laps, which dropped the World of Outlaws championship points leader to sixth. After working his way back to podium contention, Schatz nearly drove off the track in turn two in the final laps. However, he got on the brakes and didn’t lose a position.
“There was a lot of things going on,” said Schatz, who increased his championship advantage to 114 points over Dollansky. “We had a decent finish. It was a very demanding race track, a very unforgiving night for everyone and I’m glad the fans stuck it out.”
Sides also benefitted from the late attrition to finish third – his 17th top five of the season.
“It’s one of those nights where you’re happy that you do what you do,” he said. “Sometimes when it gets like this, when you have to wait out the rain, it makes for a long night, but still it’s better than a real job. We get to come out here and race in front of these fans and have a good night and put on a good show.”
Saldana finished fourth and Jac Haudenschild charged from 15th to fifth. Sammy Swindell was sixth and Cody Darrah earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 21st to seventh. Chris Bell drove from 18th to eighth, Kraig Kinser ended ninth and Kerry Madsen rounded out the top 10.
The event started off under bright sun only to be shadowed by severe weather. At approximately 7:25 p.m., a violent storm hit the track and halted qualifying while Sam Hafertepe Jr. – the 19th of 31 cars – was in his attempt.
While the strength of the storm ceased around 8:10 p.m., it rained off and on for more than an hour. The first car back on the track occurred at 10:28 p.m. with the first car out for qualifying at 11:30 p.m. The green flag for the feature was waved at 1:20 a.m.
Starting Third, Line Sets His Sights on a Long Day in Dallas
Starting Third, Line Sets His Sights on a Long Day in Dallas
Event: 27th annual AAA Texas Fall NHRA Nationals
Location: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas
Day/Date: Saturday, September 22, 2012
After having an up-and-down day on Friday, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team looked for a more consistent performance during the second and final day of qualifying for the AAA Fall NHRA Nationals in Ennis, Tx. In the early session, Line posted a 6.559-second elapsed time with a top speed of 210.64 mph, third-quickest for the round, earning him a valuable point, and eventually slotting the defending event champion in the third spot for Sunday’s final eliminations.
It was a similar situation in the final round, as Line covered the quarter-mile in the heat of the afternoon in 6.610-seconds with a top speed of 210.28 mph, claiming another bonus point and setting the stage for another solid day on Sunday, as he looks to successfully defend his win from a year ago.
“The numbers show that we made four decent runs, each one in the top half among all the cars attempting to qualify,” said Line. “But when we compare ourselves to the racers at the top of the chart, we see we still have work to do. We’re certainly making progress with these Summit Racing Camaros – now it is just a matter of finding the consistency we need to win.
“The good news is that we showed last week that we have the ability to win, even against one of the toughest fields we have had in a long time. We just need to make sure to do our jobs and avoid any mistakes. If we do that, I believe we certainly have a car capable of winning the race.”
Anderson Will Start Fifth In Dallas
Anderson Will Start Fifth In Dallas
Event: 27th annual AAA Texas Fall NHRA Nationals
Location: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas
Day/Date: Saturday, September 22, 2012
Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team continue to use their qualifying attempts at national events as a means to learn the performance envelope of their sleek Chevrolet Camaro. Such as the case during this weekend’s AAA Fall NHRA Nationals in Ennis, Tx. On Friday, Anderson posted the sixth quickest time of the day at 6.599 seconds while admitting there was still work to be done.
On Saturday, Anderson was one of many taking advantage of the slightly cooler temperatures, covering the quarter-mile in 6.571-seconds with a top speed of 211.04 mph to secure the fifth starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations at the Texas Motorplex, and a first-round encounter with Greg Stanfield.
“We’re still in the process of getting both Summit Racing Camaros ready for race day,” said Anderson. “We’ll have some work to do on the tune-up, but I’m confident we’ll be ready in the morning. The numbers show we’re definitely gaining on it, but we’re really not satisfied unless one of our names is at the top of board or close to it, and that’s exactly what we’re working on.
“Fortunately, we’re on opposite sides of the ladder, and I believe we both have a shot at going rounds tomorrow as long as we find the one thing that has us a little off. It’s supposed to be a little cooler, but it’s still going to be warm, so we’ll just have to deal with it. Tomorrow is a very big day and we need to make the most of it.”
Chevy Racing–Four Cruzes in top six at Sonoma
Four Cruzes in top six at Sonoma
Menu takes pole sensational, Muller and Huff in 3rd and 4th
SONOMA, 22 September 2012: The Chevrolet Cruzes did not miss their first important rendezvous on American soil, claiming pole position, and filling most of the top spots in today’s qualifying for the WTCC’s first visit ever to the US in Q2 after an intense battle with teammate Yvan Muller and SEAT’s Gabriele Tarquini.
Alain Menu took an incredible pole, his second this year, in the dying seconds of the session with a perfect lap on the hilly and technical California track, beating his rivals by almost three tenths of a second.
Tarquini took second spot while Muller qualified in third position ahead of teammate Rob Huff. Alex MacDowall, of the independently-run Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet Cruze, finished sixth fastest.
In a warm and sunny afternoon, the RML-run Cruzes proved competitive, raising a lot of expectations ahead of the two races tomorrow, which could see Chevrolet secure its third WTCC Constructors’ World Champion title with three rounds to go. To achieve this, the Cruzes will have to end the day with 42 points more than BMW and 37 more than SEAT.
The fight for the Drivers’ title, for which only the three Chevrolet drivers remain in contention, remains wide open.
· QUOTES
Alain Menu (1st): “It’s a great feeling to be on pole on such a driver circuit. I have to thank my engineer and all the boys because the car was simply perfect. We worked well on the set up and the balance of the Cruze and it paid off.
“The track conditions evolved between Q1 and Q2 but the car was fantastic throughout. I managed a clear lap with no mistakes and the right rhythm, which is so important here.”
Yvan Muller (3rd): “Alain did a great job today. Third is not bad and I am pleased with that, but I have some regrets because I didn’t drive that well, I made a couple of mistakes in the decisive laps, and I think I had the car to do better. The circuit is definitely not easy …”
Rob Huff (4th): “I’m happy with my performance as I could have improved my time by two tenths compared to the time set in Q1. My first fast lap was a bit messy; I made a couple of mistakes and struggled in turn 2, but the second time round was much better. I am pleased because that’s everything I had on my car today. We’ll work on the set up tonight and I am sure we can make some improvements.”
Anderson Opens Dallas Qualifying in Sixth, Looks for More
Anderson Opens Dallas Qualifying in Sixth, Looks for More
Event: 27th annual AAA Texas Fall NHRA Nationals
Location: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas
Day/Date: Friday, September 21, 2012
Conditions for the first day of the AAA Fall NHRA Nationals in Ennis, Tx. were completely unlike those racers encountered one week ago in North Carolina, with temperatures in the mid-90s, requiring a completely different set-up. After starting with the ninth-best time in the opening session at the Texas Motorplex, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team rebounded nicely, posting a 6.599-second, 210.37 mph pass on their second attempt to not only move up to the sixth position with two attempts remaining, but also have a direction in which to held with their race car’s tune-up.
“We were off a little on the first run, but came back nicely later in the afternoon,” said Anderson. “For the most part, we’re directionally correct with our Summit Racing Camaro, especially with the car tune-up, although we still have some work to do on the engine tune-up.
“Tomorrow morning’s session should be the best of the weekend, and we’ll try to take advantage of it to move up in the starting order. Other than that, we’ll be using both runs to make sure we have everything in order for race day.”
Second on Friday in Dallas, Line Believes Work Remains to Be Done
Second on Friday in Dallas, Line Believes Work Remains to Be Done
Event: 27th annual AAA Texas Fall NHRA Nationals
Location: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas
Day/Date: Friday, September 21, 2012
Coming off his tremendous victory in the first race of the Countdown to the Championship, Summit Racing’s Jason Line came into the first day of qualifying for the AAA Fall NHRA Nationals in Ennis, Tx. looking to continue his forward progress in this year’s title chase. After opening with the eighth-quickest time, the two-time champion returned to form in his second attempt, covering the quarter-mile in 6.586-seconds with a top speed of 210.54 mph good enough for second with two attempts remaining. Although pleased with his initial attempt, he admitted that both he and his team still had work to be done.
“Although our second run was certainly better than our first, we’re not where we need to be,” said Line. “But honestly, it could be a lot worse, we ended up second and scored a couple little points so all in all, it’s still good, and we have a solid baseline.
“Tomorrow morning’s session should be the best of the weekend, if so, we’d certainly like to take advantage and see if we can sneak in and score the pole. Still, we will spend the day doing what we can to make this Summit Racing Camaro even better. Even so, if we can make a bad run and still end up second, it’s not all bad. We know the areas we need to work on, and we’ll try to address then during one of our two remaining qualifying attempts. Still, it’s not a bad start.”
Chevy Racing–WTCC
SONOMA, 21 September 2012: The World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) cars had their first taste of a US circuit today as they took the track at Sonoma, California, for the first testing session which opened the inaugural series event in the United States.
Alex MacDowall, at the wheel of a Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet Cruze, posted the best lap time, making it the first time the British outfit is ahead of the field in an official session.
The three RML-run Cruzes had a good working session, with the three drivers using the half-hour testing session to discover the circuit and to work on the initial set-up simulations. Yvan Muller was 4th fastest, with Rob Huff and Alain Menu in 6th and 7th respectively.
Today’s session took place in excellent weather conditions and the team will continue work tonight to fine tune the cars’ set-up ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying.
Chevrolet leads the Manufacturers’ Championship and could mathematically secure the title on home soil this weekend.
QUOTES
Yvan Muller (4th): “It was a session devoted to learning the circuit. Unfortunately, we could not use the entire 30 minutes allocated as the session was red-flagged and did not resume until five minutes before the end. The surface was quite slippery today and we have quite a bit of work on set-up ahead of us.”
Rob Huff (6th): “I went off into the gravel in my first lap and that resulted in a slow puncture, which I realized only a couple of laps later. That cut my session short. Eventually, I only did one fast lap. We still have a lot of work on set-up. No doubt this is a very interesting track, with a lot of uphills and downhills and many corners, which means you basically never rest.”
Alain Menu (7th): “I went through the entire working program drafted with my engineer and did eight laps, which is basically half a race. It’s a beautiful track, but there are definitely two or three very delicate corners and a lot of blind spots.”
RCR Racing–Kentucky Speedway
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Anderson Determined to Make A Charge in Dallas
Anderson Determined to Make A Charge in Dallas
Mooresville, N.C., September 20, 2012 –Summit Racing Pro Stock standout Greg Anderson is a man with a plan heading into this weekend’s AAA Texas Fall Nationals in Ennis, Tx. After a freak mechanical failure resulted in an early exit at last weekend’s race in Charlotte, N.C., the four-time champion knows he will need a strong performance in the Lone Star State in order to remain among the contenders for this year’s Full Throttle crown. Despite this tough assignment, Anderson remains cautiously optimistic about his chances.
“I guess you could say it’s now or never for me,” said Anderson. “The main thing I need is a little racing luck, keeping me away from the freak breakage. If I can do that, then I believe I am ready to make a run. It’s not that we can pin it back to anything we did wrong, and we still have to figure out the why and how. Obviously Jason’s (teammate Line, who won the last race in Charlotte) has been fine, so it’s not an epidemic, maybe just a little bad luck on my part.
“But we’re not going to focus on that, we’re going to drive forward. We believe the performance is back in our Summit Racing Camaros, and we’re ready to make a run. It’s time for me to make some ground up this weekend, and I definitely think I can.”
Fortunately, if Anderson had to pick a venue at which to make a comeback, there are few on the circuit at which he has experienced more success that the Texas Motorplex, site of this weekend’s event. In his last nine races on the Ennis quarter-mile he has four wins in five final round appearances, placing him among Pro Stock legends Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson for the most by a Pro Stock competitor, a fact that is not lost Anderson as he heads into this crucial weekend.
“I certainly could be going to a worse racetrack,” said Anderson. “After all, over the last few years the Texas Motorplex has been very good to me and to the KB Racing team. We know it has its quirks, but we’ve been going there long enough to know how to handle them.
“For example, as an all-concrete racetrack, it will have a narrow groove. It’s not one of those racetracks you can slide all over – if you get out of the groove here you had better plan on lifting, so it’s up to the driver to concentrate for the entire length of the run, much like a Funny Car driver does on every run, keeping the car right in that groove even when it doesn’t want to.
“I feel great going into this race. I’m not worried at all. The weather forecast looks great and I am ready to race. Hopefully I’ve used up all my bad luck and it’s now time for me to make a run at this year’s championship. We’re going in with a great attitude, and I have everything I need – a fast Summit Racing Camaro, a great team and all the parts and pieces necessary to win – now it’s up to me to go out and do it.”
Line Keeping Things in Perspective in Dallas
Line Keeping Things in Perspective in Dallas
Mooresville, N.C., September 20, 2012 – No one could blame Jason Line for feeling a bit smug as he prepared for this weekend’s AAA NHRA Texas Fall Nationals in Ennis, Tx. After all, the Summit Racing driver is the reigning NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock champion, the most recent winner on tour following his impressive victory in Charlotte, and enters this event as the defending champion, having scored his first win at the Texas Motorplex. However, as anyone who knows the soft-spoken Minnesota native would tell you, it simply isn’t his style. In fact, as the world’s best quarter-milers make their annual visit to Ennis, he is the first to point out that a tremendous amount of work remains to be done.
“We’ve gotten off to a good start in the Countdown, and that’s the end of the statement,” said Line. “This is still a five-race season and a lot can happen. That’s not to say I don’t feel good going into this weekend, because I do, and I certainly wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone else.
“After all, everything is going pretty well at the moment, but this Summit Racing team has a lot of work to do to keep things that way. Now that we’re in the Countdown every round is a huge points swing, and you can’t afford to miss anything. You have to be perfect every time out in order to score points and keep yourself in contention, and we’re ready to do just that.”
The one area Line was extremely pleased with in Charlotte was the performance of his KB Racing team and the Summit Racing Camaro they gave him to drive. Not only did Line post the quickest elapsed time in two of the four qualifying sessions, but he backed it up by being the quickest in all four eliminations rounds, quite a feat considering the level of competition. In fact, the one area he is concerned about may come as a surprise, given his solid record.
“Last weekend, my crew guys gave me a Summit Racing Camaro that was bad to the bone,” said Line. “On top of that through some trying conditions and a very long day, they never missed a beat, and we ended up in the winner’s circle. I’m certainly not worried about them this weekend, because I know they will come through.
“To be honest, I’m more concerned with my performance because I see myself as the weak link. I have to make sure to go up there and be perfect or as close to it as I am capable of every time in order to give us a good a chance as anyone to win the race. There are certainly no guarantees, but I have to say I definitely like our chances.”
Swindell Commands NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown at Eagle
Swindell Commands NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown at Eagle
Schatz continues World of Outlaws championship lead with 10th straight top five
EAGLE, Neb. – Sept. 19, 2012 – Sammy Swindell leads the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in feature victories. He leads in heat race wins and in bonus points via qualifying.
Unfortunately for the three-time champion, he has faced a myriad of issues throughout the season and has come up against a hot streak by Donny Schatz as the campaign winds down.
On Wednesday, Swindell did everything he could to cut into the championship points deficit by earning qualifying points, winning his heat and leading all 40 laps to claim the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown in the Outlaws first event at Eagle Raceway since 2009.
“After Knoxville we just kinda put an effort into just going for it and that’s what we were doing,” he said. “We’ve had a few problems that we’ve had to work around with some stuff, some pieces. We’re back on track here now. Hopefully we can get through the rest of the year clean and we’ll just see where the points lay.”
It was Swindell’s 12th feature win of the season – his most since 1997, which is the last time he claimed the World of Outlaws championship.
Yet Schatz wasn’t far behind. While his streak of five consecutive top-two finishes was snapped, Schatz’s third-place result marked his 10th straight top five and 19th in the last 21 points races. He maintains a 94-point advantage over Craig Dollansky and a 117-point edge over Swindell with nine features remaining this season.
“I just could never get rolling right; Sammy rolled best,” Schatz said. “To start sixth and run third, no one is complaining here. You’re not going to win every night.”
Cody Darrah was the only driver who gave Swindell a challenge and that was short lived. Swindell, who started on the pole, rocketed to the early lead with Darrah maneuvering from fifth to second on the opening lap.
With Schatz advancing to third by lap six, Darrah began to reel in Swindell. The duo entered traffic on lap seven and Darrah closed to the rear bumper before the first caution came out for Joey Saldana, who stopped in turn two on lap 13.
Swindell chose the inside line on the double-file restart and edged Darrah until the second – and final – caution came out for Terry McCarl stopping on the backstretch on lap 17.
“That last restart I kinda got through (turns) one and two not as well as I did the last two starts and he got away from me,” Darrah said. “We got into lapped traffic and I couldn’t really move around as we could earlier in the race. Our car was pretty tight and as the track progressed it slicked off in spots, which didn’t allow me to overcome and throw my car like it was in the beginning of the race. Definitely hard fought for second place.”
Swindell capitalized and as the final 24 laps were caution-free, he picked his way through traffic to perfection en route to his third career win at Eagle Raceway. He won the first career World of Outlaws event in 1981 and also in 1992.
“It was a hard race; it was tough,” Swindell said. “We’ve got a new car and everything is going great here tonight. Hopefully we can keep going with this momentum here.”
Dollansky finished fourth and Kerry Madsen earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after driving from 11th to fifth. Kraig Kinser ended sixth, Danny Lasoski seventh, Mark Dobmeier eighth, Ian Madsen ninth and Steve Kinser rounded out the top 10.
Race Winners Week Ending 9.16.2012
Indycar- MavTV500- Ed Carpenter
Indycar season champion- Ryan Hunter Reay
Whelan- Riverhead 200- Ryan Preece
World of Outlaws- Craig Dollansky
ARCA- Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic- Tom Hessert
NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series- American Ethanol 200- Ryan Blaney
Nationwide Series- Dollar General 300- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Sprint Cup- GEICO 400- Brad Keselowski
NHRA
Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon
Funny Car — Ron Capps
Pro Stock — Jason Line
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Andrew Hines
Top Alcohol Dragster — Richard Bourke
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Frank Manzo
Super Stock — Larry Miller
Stock Eliminator — Dan Fletcher
Super Comp — Scot LaMar
Super Gas — Ray Sawyer
RCR Post Race Report NSCS GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway
RCR Post Race Report
NSCS GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
GEICO 400
Chicagoland Speedway
September 16, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 12th (Kevin Harvick), 15th (Paul Menard) and 24th (Jeff Burton).
According the NASCAR Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Harvick completed 100 Green Flag Passes during the 267-lap event, the most of any driver.
Harvick improved six positions during the last 10 percent (27 laps) of the race, positioning him first in the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics Closers category.
Menard gained four positions in the final 10 percent (27 laps) of the race, tying him for third in the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics category Closers.
Menard made 83 green-flag passes, 39 of those while running in the top 15 which ranked him sixth in Quality Passes.
Burton made 57 Green Flag Passes during the 400-mile race
Brad Keselowski claimed the victory at Chicagoland Speedway, followed to the line by Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 23. The 28th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Jason Line Starts Countdown with Big Win at zMAX Dragway
Jason Line Starts Countdown with Big Win at zMAX Dragway
Mooresville, N.C., September 16, 2012 – Summit Racing driver Jason Line started his Full Throttle championship defense in impressive fashion, capturing the Pro Stock title at Sunday’s NHRA Nationals in Concord, N.C., the start of which were delayed by over five hours due to morning rain. Starting from the second position, Line defeated Frank Gugliotta, Larry Morgan and Warren Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against current points leader Allen Johnson in the final.
Although Line was able to gain the upper hand at the start with a strong .013 reaction time, both drivers soon found themselves fighting to maintain control on the very tricky surface. Fortunately, Line was able to regain traction first, crossing the finish line in 7.518-seconds with a top speed of 200.20 mph to outdistance Johnson’s 11.800-second, 78.71 mph pass. It was Line’s second win of the season, 29th of his career, first in his new Chevrolet Camaro and first at zMAX Dragway.
“This was a big win for the Summit Racing team, and we couldn’t have started the Countdown in better fashion,” said Line. We haven’t had one for a while, so it feels pretty good. It’s tough when you get conditions like this and although the track had been pretty good for most of the day, you had to make sure to stay in the groove or else you could be in trouble. However, it was a completely different story in the final.
“We ran out of sequence because of the weather, and ended up following the fuel cars, which can be a tough situation and you have to deal with it the best you can. Obviously it’s easy for me to say since things worked out well for us, but we made the best of a not-so-great situation.
“I shouldn’t say this but Allen (Johnson) hardly ever pedals when he shakes, so all I knew was that I was getting back in it as long as I didn’t see him, and I never did. I may have destroyed the clutch in the process, but we won the race. Best of all, I was able to get my first win here at zMAX Dragway, which is huge.”
It should have come as no surprise that Line was one of dominant cars on race day, as he had been equally strong during qualifying, posting the quickest time in two of the four sessions on Friday and Saturday in securing the second starting position. He continued that trend on Sunday, posting the quickest elapsed time in every round, starting with a 6.576-second pass in his opening round victory over a red-lighting Frank Gugliotta. After defeating Larry Morgan in the second round, Line squared off against all-time Pro Stock wins leader Warren Johnson in the the semifinals, with the winner advancing to the money round.
Once again, it was a wire-to-wire victory for Line, who gained the advantage at the start and never looked back, posting the quickest elapsed time of the day at 6.554-seconds with a top speed of 211.39 mph to advance to the 62nd final round of his career, sixth of the season and second at zMAX Dragway.
“My Summit Racing crew gave me a Camaro that was bad to the bone today,” said Line. “It was simply phenomenal. We had struggled in the past few months, but we went down the race track on almost every run with no issues, and we were able to take advantage of it and come home with a huge win.”
Line also took time after the win to thank those whose support makes days like today possible.
“Naturally, we could not do this without the support of several great people and companies,” said Line. “Of course, it all starts with Ken and Judy Black, who were here with us this weekend to share in this victory. Also at the very top of the list is Summit Racing Equipment, and their many employees, who we are so proud to represent. In addition, we want to thank Chevrolet, Maxima Oils, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, CP Carillo, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs, Wiley-X and everyone else whose involvement with our race team makes days like today possible. We are glad to bring them this win.”
Finally, despite the big win, Line was quick to caution that the Countdown had just begun, and with numerous quality teams lurking in the standings, he assured all those in attendance that this fight was far from over, especially considering the tough schedule teams will faces over the next few weeks.
“This next month will be very tough on our Summit guys with three more races in as many weeks, especially considering the carnage we’ve created lately,” said Line. “Every one of them does a terrific job, and we have more bullets that we can use, so we’ll be okay. This is going to be a tough fight for the championship, so for us to start the way we did today was huge, because you have so many quality cars in the Countdown. The drivers have to drive well and the crew chiefs need to do a perfect job on every run, which is a lot to ask of anybody, but I think we’re up to the task. We’ll enjoy this win tonight and a little during the week, but tomorrow we’ll be back at work getting ready for Dallas.”
Honda Racing–Starworks Wins Again for HPD in Sao Paulo
Starworks Wins Again for HPD in Sao Paulo
The American Starworks team once again led the way for Honda Performance Development Saturday in FIA World Endurance Championship competition, taking the P2 class victory in its HPD ARX-03b at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo in Brazil, after a long mid-race battle with the Morgan Nissan of OAK Racing.
In P1, the contest between private teams once again featured the HPD ARX-03a of the British Strakka Racing organization against a pair of Lola Toyotas fielded by the Swiss Rebellion Racing team, while a second ARX-03a run by JRM Motorsports had its most promising run of the season.
The Starworks HPD started from the pole in the strong, 11-car P2 field after an outstanding performance on Friday by Stephane Sarrazin, but the #35 OAK Racing Morgan produced a formidable challenge, as the teams traded the lead throughout the first four hours. The Oreca Nissan of ADR-Delta Racing also figured during the contest’s opening hour, but then fell off the pace with mechanical issues that resulted in a long pit stop.
Two hours into the race, Ryan Dalziel in the HPD and Alex Brundle in the OAK Morgan put on a thrilling battle for the P2 lead, trading places several times and running side-by-side up the long Sao Paulo front straight for three consecutive laps before Dalziel finally established an advantage. Once in front, Dalziel and teammates Sarrazin and Enzo Potolicchio extended their lead over them remaining two hours to a three-lap margin at the finish, helped by a mechanical problem with the #35 OAK Morgan and a pair of pit-lane speeding penalties for the sister #24 car. It was the third P2 win of the season for Starworks, on the heels of previous triumphs at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and extended its class points lead after five of eight races.
In the “privateer” portion of the P1 contest, late-race contact between the Nick Leventis in the Strakka HPD and the #13 Rebellion Racing Lola of Harald Primat while fighting for second place sent both cars That set the stage for yet another come-from-behind charge from Strakka as, first Leventis, then Jonny Kane began to close the 40-second gap to the #13 Rebellion car. The margin was halved after the last round of pit stops, and Kane was relentless in his pursuit, finally catching and passing the Lola at the start of the final lap to finish second among the private P1 entries and fifth overall.
Fielding a second HPD ARX-03a, JRM produced its best effort of the season, qualifying strongly and featuring in the early race fight with Rebellion and Strakka, but an off-course excursion and extended pit stop at the two-hour mark dropped JRM to an unrepresentative seventh-place finish.
Having finished its 2012 European and American rounds, the World Endurance Championship now heads to the Bahrain International Circuit on the Arabian Peninsula on Saturday, September 29, for the 6 Hours of Bahrain.
Ryan Dalziel (#44 Starworks HPD ARX-03b) started 1st, finished 1st in P2, 3rd class win of 2012: “I
think the Starworks HPD was the car to have this weekend! It’s a great package, but we have great people, too. We turned up here and found that we were competitive straight away – we have an extremely fast and reliable car. Most places seem to come down to tire wear, and we’re extremely conservative on what we do to the car to make sure we can double-stint [the tires] consistently. A lot of other cars seem to be falling off in their second stints and I think we’ve been strong at that all year.
Today was definitely won by strategy, hard work, and a well-prepared car.” Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday’s WEC race in Brazil:
“Another fine effort from Starworks was rewarded with another P2 win, further cementing its reputation as one of the top teams in the series this season, with three wins in five races – including the ‘big two’ at LeMans and Sebring. We’re pleased to see the points lead extended, and of course, its pole position in qualifying. It was quite an accomplishment for an American team in this quality P2 field. In P1, it was encouraging to see JRM continuing to improve and start the race in such a strong fashion, and Strakka produced yet another thrilling finish. It seems to be becoming a habit for them! Now, it’s on to Bahrain
and the races in Japan and China. We’re looking forward to them.”
Honda Racing–HPD Teams Sweep VIR
HPD Teams Sweep VIR
Both Honda Performance Development teams in the American Le Mans Series closed in on their respective championships Saturday with victories at Virginia International Raceway. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing won the VIR 240 overall and LMP1 for its sixth victory of the season with drivers Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr; while the Level 5 Motorsports duo of Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker followed up its overall win two weeks ago on the streets of Baltimore with an LMP2 class win in Virginia.
It was a perfect race weekend for Muscle Milk Pickett, as the team set a new outright VIR lap record with its HPD ARX-03a in securing the pole on Friday, with Graf at the wheel around the challenging 17-turn, 3.27-mile road course located in the hill country of southern Virginia. Saturday’s race saw the Muscle Milk pair lead from start to finish, avoiding issues with slower traffic and including a new race lap record by Luhr, to pull away to a dominating three-lap victory over the Lola-Mazda of Dyson Racing. The team once again claimed the Michelin Green X Challenge, its fourth MGXC award of the year.
The victory also moved the Muscle Milk Pickett team one step closer to the LMP1 championship. Unofficially, the team needs only to complete at least 70 per cent of the race distance at next month’s Petit Le Mans season finale to secure the championship.
In LMP2, it was another exciting race-long battle between the pair of HPD ARX-03bs, against the fast Morgan-Nissan of Conquest Racing, with all three cars leading the race at different points – and all three involved in contact with other cars during the course of the four-hour contest.
At the end, Level 5’s superior pit strategy appeared to make the difference, as the #055 HPD of Christophe Bouchut exited the pits for the final time with a narrow margin over the Morgan of David Heinemeier-Hansson. That proved decisive, as Bouchut skillfully worked his way through the slower GT field to pull away to a 28-second victory and the fifth win of 2012 for Bouchut and team owner/driver Scott Tucker.
The team’s second HPD, driven by Tucker, Ricardo Gonzalez and Luis Diaz, finished third in LMP2 on track, but was later excluded from the results when it failed the post-race “stall test”, as the engine did not shut off when the air intake was sealed. With one race remaining in the 2012 season, HPD and its partner teams and drivers continue to lead their
respective driver, team and manufacturer championships in both LMP1 and LMP2. The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron concludes Saturday, October 20 with the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, near Gainesville, Georgia.
Klaus Graf (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03a) started 1st, finished 1st, the team’s sixth race win of 2012; also won the Michelin Green X Challenge for fast, clean and efficient performance for the 4th time this year: “It was a difficult race to manage from a traffic standpoint. There are certain places [here] where you just can’t get around another car without taking too much risk. So I pushed hard, but at the same time I was conservative with the moves I made in traffic. For us, we had a trouble-free race, which is what we really came here to do. It was a perfect race for Muscle Milk Racing. Now we go back to the shop and prepare [for Petit Le Mans], where [finishing 70 per cent of the race] is not the easiest thing to do. It will be a big team effort.”
Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday’s race at Virginia International Raceway: “Congratulations to everyone at both Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports for a near perfect weekend at Virginia International Raceway. It takes a great deal of hard work with long hours of preparation and planning to produce a ‘clean sweep’ weekend like this one, so this is a great reward for the efforts of everyone at HPD and our partner teams. In addition to their dominating weekend, Muscle Milk also won the Michelin Green X Challenge for the fourth time this year, and it is the sixth Green X award for an HPD team in 2012, an accomplishment of which all of us at HPD
can be proud. Now, the championships in LMP1 and LMP2 once again come down to the always challenging Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, where HPD certainly has had more than its share of ‘exciting moments’ over the years. But we all look forward to the challenge, and to successfully defending our string of prototype titles.”