INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Sept. 23, 2011

INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES - Sept. 23, 2011

Today's IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines:
1.      Chevrolet to power Andretti Autosport in 2012
2.      Bell to contest final two races of 2011
3.      National Guard Panther Racing changes No. 4 livery to honor servicewomen
4.      Belardi adds Wilson, third entry for final two races
1. Chevrolet to power Andretti Autosport in 2012: Chevrolet will provide Andretti Autosport entries with its new IndyCar V-6 racing engine for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.
The Andretti and Chevrolet brands were synonymous for many years in Indy car racing with Michael and Mario collectively scoring the most wins (20) for Chevrolet from 1987 to 1991. Michael recorded the most Chevrolet wins in a season when he scored eight victories on the way to winning the 1991 CART/PPG IndyCar World Series championship. Mario earned Chevrolet's first Indy car victory at Long Beach in 1987.
"I am so excited to work with Chevy once again," said Andretti, the third-winningest driver in Indy car history. "We won 15 races and a championship with Chevy in just three years. The 1991 season was magical. Now, Andretti Autosport and our sponsors have the opportunity to win again with Chevrolet. This will prove to be a tremendous association. Chevrolet is committed to motorsports and they are proven winners."
Andretti Autosport has recorded 39 victories, including two Indianapolis 500 wins, and three driver championships since entering the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2003. Chevrolet has totaled 104 Indy car wins, including six series crowns and seven Indy 500 championships.
The 2012 Chevrolet IndyCar 2.2 liter, V-6 will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, direct injection and twin-turbochargers.
"We are very proud to announce that Andretti Autosport is now part of the Chevrolet family and that they will compete with Chevy's new twin-turbo V-6 beginning in 2012," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet's vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "Michael and his family have won many races for Chevrolet and we intend to continue winning with our new partnership.
"We are anxious to have Andretti Autosport begin testing the 2012 engine in the near future."
Engine manufacturers will commence on-track testing in earnest in early October. Teams are scheduled to take delivery of their first chassis in mid-December, and team testing will begin after the first of the year.
2. Bell to contest final two races of 2011: Townsend Bell patiently waited for a rain cloud to drift south of Kentucky Speedway so he and 11 other IZOD IndyCar Series drivers could get in some testing Sept. 23 on the 1.5-mile oval.
It wasn't a bother, really; patience is synonymous with his professional racing career.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced earlier in the day that Bell will drive the No. 22 Valspar entry in the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2 and the No. 22 Dad's Root Beer car in the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"Especially after a promising run not fully realized at Indy it's hard to sit and not have a chance to come back out and keep improving, so this is really exciting to be back with Dreyer & Reinbold," said Bell, who competed in seven races with the team in 2008. "This is a great group of guys and I've been impressed with how hard they've work in what is the final era of this car and to make big investments in resources to continually improve right up to the end in Vegas."
Bell started fourth in the No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing car in the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 in May and finished 26th after contact on Lap 157. He has a best finish of fourth in 2009 in five starts in the '500.' He has nine top-10 finishes in 22 IZOD IndyCar Series races.
"I wouldn't be out here if I didn't want to do this more often," said Bell, who takes over the wheel for the injured Justin Wilson (back). "Next year with the new car and engines coming in it would be a lot more difficult to just show up at Indianapolis and do well. It's really never been my primary desire to do just one race, but it's what made the most sense the last few years.
"If there's any way to get an early start on doing more races in the future, that's what we're here to do and mostly to put in solid results for this race team and help them finish on a high note as well. I'm hopeful that Justin continues to have a speedy recovery and I appreciate him letting me borrow his rocket ship for a couple of weekends."
The California native worked his way up to the Barber Dodge Pro Series and then onto the Indy Lights championship, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 and the Indy Lights championship in 2001. He went on to compete in CART for nine races and the in FIA Formula 3000 in 2003, earning tests with the BAR-Honda and Jaguar Formula One teams.
"We've both grown significantly since we worked together in 2008 and we feel Townsend will represent DRR and our partners very well to close out the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season," team co-owner Dennis Reinbold said.
3. National Guard Panther Racing changes No. 4 Livery to honor servicewomen: Panther Racing and driver JR Hildebrand are turning pink for the month of October to honor female Soldiers in the National Guard during the last two IZOD IndyCar Series races of the season.
The team will change the livery of the team's No. 4 National Guard entry to pink ACU camouflage, and Hildebrand and his Panther teammates will also wear pink crewshirts and firesuits at the season's final two races at Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in an effort to recognize female personnel in our Nation's military.
"I don't think a majority of the general public understand how large of a role females play in the military," Panther Racing Managing Partner and CEO John Barnes said. "The National Guard is an unbelievably diverse group, and we can't highlight the sacrifices everybody associated with the military makes for our freedoms enough. It's our responsibility to honor everybody in the National Guard, but we wanted to take the last two races of this season to give special thanks to the women of our Armed Services."
Women currently make up roughly 20 percent of the American military, and since the September 11th terrorist attacks, females are the largest growing demographic in the National Guard.
Female Soldiers are now reaching increasingly higher rankings in today's military and are an integral component of the country's fighting force. During this weekend's event at Kentucky Speedway,
Panther will honor a female "Hometown Hero" who will sit next to Hildebrand during the IndyCar Series autograph session, and be honored in front of the crowd on the pre-race stage prior to the event. The team has also purchased a 30-second commercial that airs on the VERSUS broadcast to highlight its Hometown Hero.
"I've said it all year, but I'm in awe of the sacrifices that Soldiers in the National Guard make for our freedoms," Hildebrand said. "And like John said, I don't think a lot people realize how many female Soldiers are out there fighting for us as well. I'm not sure how good I'll look in pink, but with this being Breast Cancer Awareness month and if this is our way of saying thanks and recognizing all the female Soldiers out there - then I'm stoked to be a part of it."
4. Belardi adds Wilson, third entry for final two races: Short-track racerJacob Wilson will join Belardi Auto Racing for the final two events of the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season following successful completion of his rookie test at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 22.
"I feel that my rookie test went extremely well," The 21-year-old Wilson said.  "Being relatively quick on track by ourselves and not having any problems when we were working with traffic really gave me a confidence boost.  Passing the rookie test was crucial for me to join Belardi Auto Racing in the final two races of the year.  It'll be a great opportunity to learn the ropes of Indy Lights and hopefully come away with some impressive results."
Wilson, a native of Crawfordsville, Ind., has been racing for more than 15 years.  He started with go-karts and midgets and has most recently raced in the USAC Silver Crown series, National Pavement Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series.
Wilson ran 225 miles in the #19 machine at the track in Sparta, Kentucky, and was officially granted his rookie license, enabling him to drive in his first Lights race next week.
"After yesterday's test at Kentucky Speedway, we are all very excited to have Jacob on board for the last two races because he proved he could do well in a Lights car," said Brian Belardi, owner of Belardi Auto Racing.  "He will be a great addition to the team, and I can't wait to see what he, Anders and Jorge do in these last few races.  It'll be interesting having three cars in the field."

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series event is the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2 at Kentucky Speedway. The race will be televised live at 2 p.m. (ET) by VERSUS and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is Kentucky 100 on Oct. 2 at the Kentucky Speedway. The race will be televised by VERSUS at Noon (ET).
Media Contact
Amy Konrath, INDYCAR, 317-492-6453, akonrath@indycar.com

ARCA Racing Series to Debut at Mobile International Speedway in 2012

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 ARCA Racing Series to Debut at Mobile International Speedway in 2012 (MOBILE, Ala.) - The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will make its inaugural appearance at Mobile International Speedway in 2012, officials from ARCA and the track announced today. The ARCA Mobile 200 will see the national championship stock car tour contest a 200-lap race on the half-mile, semi-banked paved oval on Saturday, March 10. Since the series' inception in 1953, the series has raced at over 200 different tracks but this will be the first at Mobile International Speedway. "The 2012 season is ARCA's 60th, and Mobile will be the first short track on the schedule following the season opener at Daytona in February," said ARCA president Ron Drager. "ARCA Racing Series short track racing has proven to be highly competitive and entertaining regardless of the venue, and we look forward to bringing our superspeedway-style full-size stock car racing with live pit stops to Mobile in a long distance event." Although the event marks ARCA's first appearance at Mobile, ARCA Racing Series history in Alabama reaches back to 1961 when, on November 5, Ernie Derr won a 250-lap race at Birmingham. ARCA race events at the Fairgrounds in Montgomery in 1962, at Huntsville Speedway in 1963 and 1965, and a long tenure at Talladega Superspeedway (1969-present) have kept ARCA's presence in Alabama alive over the decades. "Having the ARCA Racing Series come to Mobile International Speedway is a real honor for me and our track," said Rick Crawford, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran and the speedway's manager and promoter. "In the Truck Series we spent many weekends around the country sharing track facilities with the ARCA Racing Series and these guys put on a heck of a show. I can't wait to see them on my home track. The effort to bring the ARCA Racing Series to Mobile is a team effort, and wouldn't be possible without the Mobile Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mobile Sports Authority, and our elected officials." Opened in 1964, Mobile International Speedway is Alabama's fastest half mile and is currently host to the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship Series and Miller Lite Late Model Series, along with a regular schedule of Saturday night racing. Lee and Ida Fields purchased the track in 1972 and for almost 40 years the duo produced "The Fastest Fun Around." In 2011, the track embarked on a new era of track management when Mobile native, multi-time track champion, and all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts leader Rick Crawford returned to Mobile to become the track's manager and promoter. Mobile International Speedway has a long history with numerous racing legends, having attracted Alabama Gang racers Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, and Red Farmer. Notably, Farmer won his 500th feature race at the track. More recently, ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR contenders like Grant Enfinger and Cale Gale have cut their teeth on the half-mile oval in various forms of racing. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course. Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events. CONTACT: Griffin Hickman, ARCA (419) 574-2685 (mobile) ghickman@arcaracing.com Don Radebaugh, ARCA (419) 450-0611 (mobile) dradebaugh@arcaracing.com Tommy Praytor, Rick Crawford Performance (251) 423-2213 tpraytor@aol.com

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Size of restrictor plate to increase for 'Dega race

Talladega plate change may limit two-car drafts

NASCAR National Series News And Notes

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Fast Facts
NSCS

Next Race: Sylvania 300

The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The Date: Sunday, Sept. 25

The Time: 2 p.m. (ET)

TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. (ET)

Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90

Distance: 317.4 miles (300 laps)

 

NNS

The Race: OneMain Financial 200

The Place: Dover International Speedway

The Date: Saturday, Oct. 1

The Time: 3:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90

Distance: 200 miles (200 laps)

 

NCWTS

The Race: F.W. Webb 175

The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Date: Saturday, Sept. 24

The Time: 3 p.m. (ET)

TV: SPEED, 3 p.m. (ET)

Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90

Distance: 185.15 miles (175 laps)

 

Smoke, Junior Go From Cellar Dwellers To Top Dogs

 

This doesn’t make much sense, but: Two of NASCAR’s most talked about and most thought about drivers – Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. – entered the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with little discussion, and mostly as afterthoughts.

They were the only two Chase drivers without a win – as such, they were seeded ninth and 10th in the 12-driver Chase (per rule, 11th and 12th seeds went to the two Wild Cards, regardless of win total).

Despite a top 10 regular season finish, there were stretches where both Stewart (a two-time series champion) and Earnhardt (eight-time Most Popular Driver) looked like they would vanish from Chase consideration.

But they didn’t. And now, after the Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway, both seem like legitimate championship threats. A run down for both…

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s last top-five finish came in early June, over three months ago. Entering the Chase, seven of his previous nine finishes were outside the top 20.

As they ran in Richmond, there were laps where Earnhardt held just a three point advantage over 11th. The possibility of missing the Chase altogether was very real.

So his third-place finish at Chicagoland surprised many. It was his best finish in a Chase race since a runner-up at Martinsville in 2008. As far as Chase openers go, it was his best finish since 2004, when he also started with a third-place finish. He finished the season fifth in points.

Earnhardt now sits fifth in points – up from 10th – just 13 points off the lead.

Count on continued immediate success for Earnhardt. He ranks fifth in pre-race Driver Rating at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (97.1) and has two top 10s in the last three races there. He finished 15th in July’s stop at NHMS.

 

Tony Stewart

Stewart had never won the opening Chase race, but successful starts are the norm for Smoke. In four of the previous seven Chases, Stewart finished in the top 10. In three, he finished in the top three – including two runner-ups (one in 2005, his second championship season).

His Monday win at Chicagoland (his third at the track) drummed up a number of notable bullets…

-           It catapulted him from ninth to second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. He’s now just seven points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

-           He now has at least one victory in 13 consecutive seasons. Richard Petty owns the record for most consecutive seasons with a win, at 18.

-           He is the 16th different winner this season, most through 27 races since 2003, and three short of the all-time record of 19.

Like Earnhardt, Stewart likely won’t slow his roll. He owns a series-best pre-race Driver Rating of 114.0 at NHMS, has two wins, and runner-up finishes in two of the last three NHMS races. He came within a couple of miles of winning last year’s New Hampshire race, only to run out of the gas with two laps remaining – while in the lead.

 

For Some, The Chase Starts Now

 

A strong Chase start means little. Or everything. Really, it depends on the driver. Only one eventual champion won the first Chase race: Kurt Busch in 2004. Then you have Jimmie Johnson, who finished 39th in the Chase opener of 2006 and 25th to start the Chase last year. He won both year’s championships.

But here’s how competitive this Chase is. On the far side of the post-race points standings sheet, is a column labeled G/L, signifying the number of points positions gained or lost from the prior week. On the Chicagoland sheet, one driver (Denny Hamlin) gained zero positions. Four lost positions: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon.

Four of those drivers were the rare few Chasers who finished outside the top 10. Johnson finished 10th, and still lost spots. In other words, it’s top 10 – and maybe even top five – or bust.

Here’s good news for the aforementioned drivers who had so-so Chicagoland races: Race No. 2 in the Chase might be more indicative of things to come. In four of the seven Chase’s, the eventual champion finished in the top five in race No. 2 – and Johnson won each of the last two.

An outlook for each of the possible Comeback Kids…

Jimmie Johnson: With three victories and top-10 finishes in eight of the last nine New Hampshire races, Johnson will likely move upward in the points standings once again.

Kyle Busch: Busch was a hard-luck 22nd-place finisher at Chicagoland (he ran out of gas, and had to pit). He has one New Hampshire win, and top 10s in four of the last six races there.

Matt Kenseth: Likewise, an empty gas tank and an illegal push from JJ Yeley dropped Kenseth to 21st at Chicagoland. His NHMS statistics are a tad worrisome. His average finish over the last seven (all finishes outside the top 10): 23.3.

Jeff Gordon: A three-time winner at New Hampshire, Gordon has top-10 finishes in two of the last three races. He also has led more laps at NHMS than any other driver: 1,226.

Denny Hamlin: Now 41 points behind leader Kevin Harvick after a 31st-place finish at Chicagoland, Hamlin has finished third and second in his last two New Hampshire races.

 

Spoil Sports: New Hampshire A Spot For Surprises

 

Of the 71 races in the history of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, only 13 have been won by drivers who were not Chase-eligible. The last to do so was Jamie McMurray at Charlotte Motor Speedway last year. Actually he played spoiler the last two times it has happened (also in 2009 at Talladega).

This year’s Chase field is stout though, and a victory by a non-Chaser seems improbable. After all, the top six and eight of the top-10 finishers at Chicago were Chase drivers.

But, if there were a Chase track (not named Talladega) that could host a surprise victor, it’s New Hampshire. The last four winners of the New Hampshire Chase race all missed the Chase this season: Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Bowyer again.

Five of the top-10 finishers in July’s New Hampshire race did not make the Chase, including Joey Logano, who finished fourth.

Plus, there’s the decreasing list of 2010 winners who remain winless in 2011 from which to pull. After Tony Stewart’s win at Chicagoland, that list is now five drivers long: McMurray, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Juan Pablo Montoya.

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Etc.

 

Since he broke his ankle prior to the August Pocono race, Brad Keselowski has scored more points than any other NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, 289 to Jeff Gordon's 262. … Tommy Baldwin Racing will team with the NASCAR Hall of Fame at New Hampshire to celebrate Richie Evans’ upcoming induction into the NHOF. In Sunday’s race, Dave Blaney will pilot the No. 36 Golden Corral/HOF/Richie Evans Chevrolet, donning an orange paint scheme reminiscent of Evans’ distinctive Modified machine. … The first two of NASCAR's championships will be decided this week. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series concludes Saturday at Kawartha Speedway, where 2008 champion Scott Steckly carries a 94-point lead over defending champ D.J. Kennington. On Wednesday, the final NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings will be announced and Ruckersville, Va., late model driver Philip Morris will be officially crowned with his fourth NASCAR national title. … Milestone Watch: Casey Mears will make his 300th start on Sunday; Kyle Busch will make series start No. 250. … In July’s New Hampshire race, Stewart Haas Racing teammates Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart started and finished 1-2, the first time a team had done that since the Daytona 500 in 1989 (Hendrick Motorsports’ teammates Darrell Waltrip and Ken Schrader). But what SHR did was arguably tougher. Newman won from the pole; Stewart started and finished second. The last time the same team started 1-2 then finished 1-2, with the same drivers in the same order was on April 7, 1957 by DePaolo Engineering at North Wilkesboro. Fireball Roberts won from the pole. Paul Goldsmith started second and finished second.

 

Brian Scott Heads Into Off Week On Cloud Nine

 

Being a teammate with Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – all while trying to make a name for yourself – can leave little room in the limelight. When Brian Scott signed with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2011 season, the deal brought a great opportunity for Scott to prove himself, but it also brought on a very high level of expectations.

A rocky start welcomed Scott to JGR. His season began with a 34th-place finish at Daytona due to engine failure, followed by three more Did Not Finish (DNF) results throughout the first parts of the season. 

But every so often amongst these hard times, Scott would show flashes of what it takes to have success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. This past weekend, from start to finish, Scott’s perseverance morphed into success. After posting his first series career Coors Light pole at Chicagoland, he went on to match his series-best finish of third. 

Despite the early-season hard luck, Scott has been able to crack the series’ top 10 driver standings for the second time in his career, and has been ranked among that class since the March race at Bristol (he’s currently ninth).

Scott has the seventh best season-to-date Driver Rating amongst championship contenders (83.6) and his Average Running Position is 14.254 for the season. 

Though Dover was the sight of one of his four DNFs this season, it is one of his best tracks on the schedule. He won his first national series race there in 2009 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and has one of his 10 career NASCAR Nationwide Series top-10 finishes there.

 

Close Points Battle Simmers During Open Week As Stenhouse Still On Top

 

As the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads into a late season open week, the closest points battle in five years continues to simmer.

For the eighth consecutive week, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been atop the series standings, but though he notched another top-10 finish at Chicago, his points lead shrank by two points. He now holds a 14-point advantage over second-place Elliott Sadler. Stenhouse is riding the longest stretch of time this season that a points leader has held the coveted top spot. This season Stenhouse has posted two wins (an Iowa sweep), 12 top fives, 20 top 10s and three Coors Light poles. 

Stenhouse’s late-season dominance is backed up by his season-to-date Loop Data stats. He leads all championship contenders in five major Loop categories: Driver Rating (107.1), Average Running Position (8.296), Laps in the Top 15 (4,790 laps), Fastest Lap Run (526) and Laps Led (424 laps). 

With Sadler sitting 14 points out of the lead, and third-place Reed Sorenson, 47 points behind Stenhouse, the tandem only have a six-pack of races left to catch Stenhouse. Next on the docket is Dover, which may prove to be where the two drivers can make their run. Sadler has made seven series starts at Dover posting three top 10s and has a pre-race Driver Rating of 83.3. He finished sixth there in May. In 10 series races at Dover, Sorenson’s average finish is 7.2. He has never finished below seventh in a Dover fall race and was fourth in this event last year. He finished third in May and he also leads the top three contenders in pre-race Driver Rating at Dover with a 100.9.

Stenhouse has three starts at Dover posting his best start (second) and finish (fourth) earlier this season at the one-mile speedway. Stenhouse pre-race Driver Rating is 91.4.

 

Keselowski Another Example Of Ladder System Success

 

NASCAR’s many developmental series have been referred to as a ‘ladder system’ for aspiring drivers to climb throughout their careers in motorsports. Brad Keselowski is the latest product of such a system. The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion is coming off one of his most dominating performances in the series. He led 158 of the 200 scheduled laps on his way to the victory at Chicagoland Speedway and posted his third career perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.

Keselowski is a prime example of how hard work through the different national series can lead to a successful career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for young, up-and-coming drivers. For example, Roush Fenway Racing drivers, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne, both of their success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series have led to starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Another driver using the ladder system to his advantage is NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Dillon, who plans to make his jump to the NASCAR Nationwide Series after finding success in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The past two series champions – Keselowski and Kyle Busch – have “given back” to the system. Both have started to feed the ladder system by starting teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and given opportunities to young drivers. Keselowski has fielded a truck for Parker Kligerman and Busch has fielded a truck for Josh Richards this season.

 

NASCAR Nationwide Series Etc.

 

Timmy Hill (180 points) and Blake Koch (178) continue to battle for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title. Hill will look to hold on to the lead as the series gets back into gear at Dover on Oct. 1 where he finished 22nd compared to Koch’s 43rd-place finish earlier this season. … The series owner standings are still led by Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 team, but the No. 60 team of Roush Fenway Racing closed the gap to 30 points with six races to go.

 

Odds Good Hornaday’s Milestone 50th Victory Could Come at Loudon

 

Could Ron Hornaday Jr. capture his milestone 50th victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

Short answer: yes.

Hornaday owns the best record of any NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver at the Magic Mile. He won the track’s first event in 1996, broke its string of 11 consecutive different winners in 2007 and became NHMS’s first back-to-back winner the following year.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of 30 different tracks on which the 53-year-old California competitor has won. A New Hampshire victory was part of Hornaday’s championship resume in two seasons – 1996 and 2007. Four series champions – Hornaday, Johnny Benson, Travis Kvapil and Jack Sprague have won at the track.

“You've really got to have the whole package at this race track to come through the field. Track position is critical, so hopefully we will have a fast Chevrolet in qualifying and be able to start up front," said Hornaday of the Loudon track – one of two tracks where he owns three victories.

Hornaday’s one of two drivers with multiple victories in Saturday’s F.W. Webb 175. Kyle Busch is the other – and Busch is going for his third consecutive victory.

There will be a 13th different New Hampshire winner if neither Hornaday nor Busch wins Saturday’s race. None of the other 10 previous winners are among currently entered drivers. Kevin Harvick Inc., which will field entries for Hornaday and Kevin Harvick, is the only active owner with more than one victory at NHMS.

 

Buescher’s Off Night Tightens Points Standings Again

 

James Buescher has become the third driver to lead series championship standings after back-to-back races but his hold on the No. 1 spot is tenuous at best.

Buescher had an “off” night at Chicagoland Speedway finishing 11th with an ill-handling truck. The performance snapped a season-best streak of 13 consecutive top-10 finishes and allowed previous leaders Austin Dillon and Johnny Sauter to close within three and six points of the lead respectively.

Dillon scored his second win of the season – and the first of his career with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Harvick and Busch in the field.

“This is the biggest win of my career, I think,” said the 21-year-old Dillon following his fourth career win. He entered the season’s 18th race third and bypassed Sauter, who finished sixth. “I ran up there racing with Kyle and Harvick.”

Timothy Peters, like Buescher, had a tough night at Chicagoland finishing 17th. He remains fourth in the points standings but 20 off the lead. Hornaday completes the current top five, 47 points behind Buescher.

 

Fortunes For Several Intertwined In New Hampshire

 

Call the F.W. Webb 175, “All in the (Racing) Family.” NASCAR remains a close-knit group as evidenced by the following:

•           Dillon’s spotter, Andy Houston, won the race in 1998.

•           Sauter’s brother, Jay, won the 1997 event driving for Richard Childress Racing which fields Chevrolets for rival Dillon.

•           Peters’ Red Horse Racing competition director Terry Cook won the race in 2002.

•           Cook drove for K Automotive, a Keselowski family operation. Bob and Kay Keselowski’s son Brad owns the Dodges seating Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Parker Kligerman.

 

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Etc.

 

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that two-time defending NASCAR Mexico Series Champion German Quiroga will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the F.W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday, Sept. 24. Quiroga has signed a one-race deal to pilot KBM's No. 51 Toyota Tundra with sponsorship from Telcel. … Steve Arpin won his first series Keystone Light Pole Award at Chicagoland Speedway. Arpin, making just his fifth appearance, is the 14th different pole winner of the season and second Turner Motorsports driver to snag the No. 1 starting spot. Teammate Ricky Carmichael sat on the pole in Atlanta. … Blake Feese returns to Turner’s No. 32 Chevrolet at New Hampshire. He finished fourth in the truck Sept. 2 in Atlanta. … Rookies Nelson Piquet Jr. and Kligerman finished third and fourth in Chicago. The two account for a combined seven top-five finishes in 2011 with each accounting for second-place performances. The Sunoco rookie battle remains tight with Cole Whitt leading Joey Coulter by eight points. … Jimmy Villeneuve, truck chief of Piquet’s No. 8 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet, will be heading home this week to race in front of family and friends during the F.W. Webb 175. Originally from Auburn, N.H., Villeneuve got his start in racing working on Super Late Models at a local short track, Lee USA Speedway.