Jonesin' for Speed

The difference a series can make

2009-07-13T12:06:00.007-04:00

Around a year ago, Dario Franchitti was beat up and washed out of NASCAR. Cup owner Chip Ganassi brought the former Indy star over to stock cars in 2008 in an attempt to race the woebegone No. 40 car and boost exposure to his team. But that experiment failed - miserably - and the Scotsman literally limped back to Indy Cars after a tough crash at Talladega.

But now Franchitti is tearing up the IRL after winning his third race of the season Sunday at Toronto. Of course, it helps to have the backing of Ganassi, who is one of the most successful IndyCar owners in history. If anything, Franchitti's success is just another example of how the crossover from Indy to Cup is a foolish move. Just look at how Sam Hornish Jr. has fallen off the map since changing rides in 2008. If Roger Penske was smart (which he clearly is) then he would follow Ganassi's lead and transfer Hornish back to the open-wheel cars. Besides Juan Montoya, the Cup crossover just isn't working for the Indy crowd… Are you listening, Danica?

Mark's the man

2009-07-11T23:25:00.006-04:00

Who would've thought at the start of the season that Mark Martin would be the class of Hendrick Motorsports, let alone all of NASCAR? The old man has won four times this year, as he crushed the field and his three all-star teammates Saturday night at Chicagoland. The 50-year-old fought off Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne before taking the checkers late in the Illinois night

A betting man at the beginning of the year would NOT have put his money on Martin, who has to compete with Gordon, Johnson and everybody's homeboy, Dale Earnhardt Jr., for the best of Hendrick's equipment. But here comes Martin, who has to be a clear favorite for the championship going into the Chase. This guy deserves a championship more than anyone else, so cheers to you, Mark, and good luck as you march towards Homestead, Fla. Every NASCAR fan has to be cheering for you in the Chase. You definitely have a fan here.

We're baaaaaack!

2009-07-11T21:46:00.012-04:00

We might be out of work, but the O-R has released the blog's licensing rights, so I'm ready to post at will on NASCAR and other racing happenings. Unfortunately, since I no longer have my work e-mail, I will not be able to post the racing results from the local short tracks. But if you get a chance, please find a way to send them to my e-mail at wvhones@hotmail.com. I will definitely post them again if I get the results. Anyway, we're back and ready to rock, so spread the word! Join me for another fun season of bloggin' and racin'.

-Mike Jones

Motorsports Monday

2009-06-15T10:16:00.001-04:00

Apparently there was another show in town besides the Penguins. Both local speedways were in action over the weekend, including Motordrome Speedway’s 100-lap feature race.

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. – June 12

Super Late Models – 100-lap feature
1. Shawn Pilla
2. Will Thomas
3. Mark Cottone
4. Rick Miller
5. Gary Wiltrout

Chargers
1. Tracy Keller
2. Matthew Gardner
3. Vic Keller
4. Kristen Etling
5. Steve Settle

Super Compacts
1. Matt Sever
2. Gene Zerfoss
3. Larry Dunmyer
4. Bill Schwartz
5. Troy Knight

Street Stocks
1. Dink Colarusso
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Mike Bakalon
4. Adam Kostelnik
5. Thomas Knight Sr.

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. – June 13

Super Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Steve Baker
2. Jared Miley
3. Jim Stephans
4. Lynn Geisler
5. Ben Miley

Pro Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Colton Flinner
2. Rocky Kugel
3. Beau Glemba
4. Josh Holtgraver
5. Jason Rider

Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1. Jake Simmons
2. Bill Robertson
3. Bob Schwartzmiller
4. Pat Weldon
5. Nick Kocuba

Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Kari Gasser
2. Chuck Kennedy
3. Daryl Charlier
4. J.J. Bametzrieder
5. J.E. Stalder

Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Curt Bish
2. Brian Huchko
3. Robby Torrens
4. Gary Koteles
5. Garrett O'Patchen

Young Guns Sport Compacts – 8-lap feature
1. Ricky Steigerwald
2. Daniel White
3. Justin Pons
4. Nico Dabecco
5. Tyler Carson

The end is nigh

2009-06-12T14:59:00.005-04:00

Where is the guy with the sandwich board predicting the end of days? Because, that time is near for NASCAR fans. General Motors announced today it is cutting back its Chevrolet factory support for several lower-level NASCAR teams, which could eventually trickle up to the Sprint Cup Series. The Nationwide teams owned by Kevin and DeLana Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. already got the boot, although Chevy has not announced any changes to Cup… yet. This is all part of GM’s bankruptcy reorganization plans, and I can’t fault the manufacturer for doing this. Tough decisions will have to be made, and unfortunately for NASCAR, it’s sitting directly in the bankruptcy bull’s eye.

My biggest question is which car manufacturer Earnhardt will choose for his Nationwide team? The man and his father have been associated with Chevy most of their careers. In fact, one of the reported reasons why Earnhardt went to Hendrick was because of the Chevy brand. He spurned Gibbs’ offer because that team planned to change over to Toyota. Now, this isn’t the most important development in the world, but NASCAR Nation might vomit in its mouth a little bit if an Earnhardt ever steps foot in a Toyota.

Motocross invades Greene County

2009-06-11T08:58:00.003-04:00

By Joe Tuscano
Staff writer
jtuscano@observer-reporter.com

For one glorious weekend, the sleepy little town of Mt. Morris will be engulfed in a solid wall of sound, cameras, microphones and finish line celebrations.

Oh, and expectations are that an intimate gathering of about 20,000 will show up to drink in the atmosphere, along with a few cold ones when the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship circuit arrives at High Point Raceway this weekend.

This tournament is the first in the sport's Triple Crown. The other two will be held at Buchanan, Mich., July 4 and Mechanicsville, Md., Aug. 22.

Motocross has penciled in an event at the Mt. Morris raceway for decades, but this event will be special because it will mark the first live broadcast by a national television station, in this case NBC.

"This is the first time it's ever happened and we are excited about it," said Brandon Short, media manager of the event. "We've had NBC here before but it's always been on a tape-delayed basis. We expect the event to be viewed by 400,000 world-wide."

NBC begins its coverage at 4:30 p.m., Saturday but some of the smaller events begin today.

The network will air three races and three others are scheduled for the Speed network. For those who follow motocross, plenty of storylines punctuate this event.

Click here to continue...

America's meth addiction

2009-06-10T19:08:00.006-04:00

For a while now, I’ve reserved judgment on this Jeremy Mayfield controversy because NASCAR refused to release many details about his positive drug test. But the recent revelation that Mayfield allegedly took meth is an undisputed game-changer. Methamphetamine is a dangerous and highly addictive drug, as I learned in my police reporting days at the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail. The drug has spread across the country and usually settles in rural areas, so it shouldn’t be surprising it eventually snagged a NASCAR driver.

It is considered the poor man’s cocaine because most addicts able cook meth inside their homes using household cleaners and chemicals to alter over-the-counter drugs, sometimes with their children nearby. The effects on a person's face and physique are unmistakable, so others should have been able to see some signs of Mayfield's alleged use.

This will be a long fight for Mayfield because these allegations are a helluva lot different than a bad cocktail of prescription and over-the-counter drugs he claims caused the positive tests. It will be interesting to see how NASCAR handles the ensuing courtroom battle as it tries to bar it’s biggest violator from every stepping into a race car again.

UFo and other results

2009-06-09T14:35:00.002-04:00

John Flinner took the checkered flag in Saturday night’s United Force series race at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Flinner, of Zelienople, Pa., won the Penn National 33 race – the second UFo event of the season – by beating a field of 17 other cars. PPMS and Motordrome Speedway also held their normally scheduled races over the weekend. Motordrome Speedway will hold a 100-lap event for its super late model cars this Friday night.

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. – June 6

UFO Super Late Models – 33-lap feature
1. John Flinner
2. Alex Ferree
3. Al Atallah
4. Brandon Burgoon
5. John Mollick

Sprints – 20-lap feature
1. Kevin Schaeffer
2. Rod George
3. Jack Sodeman Jr.
4. Danny Holtgraver
5. Andy McKisson

Pro Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Mark Moats Jr.
2. Rocky Kugel
3. Michael Reft
4. Justin Lamb
5. Josh Holtgraver

Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1. Chris Schneider
2. Jake Simmons
3. Pat Weldon
4. Bob Schwartzmiller
5. Craig Koteles

Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Daryl Charlier
2. Chuck Kennedy
3. J E Stalder,
4. Tom Martineck
5. Kari Gasser

Stocks – 12-lap feature
1. Rich Mason
2. Brian Huchko
3.Gary Koteles
4. Curt Bish
5. Garrett O'Patchen

Young Guns Sport Compacts – 8-lap feature
1. Justin Pons
2. Daniel White
3. Tyler Carson
4. Alec Broniszewski
5. Ricky Steigerwald,

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. – June 5

Late Models – 50-lap feature
1. Neil Brown
2. Mark Poole
3. Bobby Henry
4. Mark Cottone
5. Gary Wiltrout

Modifieds – 30-lap feature
1. Bobby Shipp
2. Adam Kostelnik
3. Bryan Shipp
4. Lonnie Hoffman
5. George Nicola

Street Stocks – 25-lap feature
1. Mike Bakalon
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Johnathan Hileman
4. Dink Colarusso
5. Andrew Kostelnik

Chargers – 15-lap feature
1. Zane Ferrell
2. Tracy Keller
3. Matthew Garedner
4. Ed McConnell
5. Ed Neidhardt

Super Compacts – 15-lap feature
1. Larry Dunmyer
2. Gene Zerfoss
3. Matt Sever
4. Ed Dineen
5. Troy Knight

Penske's Saturn rocket

2009-06-05T09:57:00.004-04:00

Could Kurt Busch and Helio Castroneves be tooling around on the track in a Saturn Aura soon? Well, probably not. But apparently their team owner, Roger Penske, will be doing exactly that. The Associated Press is reporting that Penske is poised to purchase the Saturn brand and dealer network from the troubled auto manufacturer General Motors GM would continue to make the Saturn cars into the near future, but Penske eventually would turn that task over to other automakers.

Now, I don’t expect Penske to start putting Saturns on the highbanks of Daytona, but I would not be surprised if he introduces the company’s name to the IRL. At one time, GM built engines for Indy cars and slapped the Chevrolet and Oldsmobile logos on the side of the cars. It shouldn’t be surprising if a car tycoon like Penske does the same exact thing.

Motorsports Monday

2009-06-01T13:27:00.003-04:00

What a gorgeous weekend for grilling, watching Stanley Cup hockey and racing. The grilled chicken on my back porch turned out better than the Penguins in the first two games of the Finals. And the two local speedways went racing. Here are the results from the weekend.

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. - May 29

Super Late Models
1. Neil Brown
2. Bobby Henry
3. Mark Cottone
4. Dave Marrow
5. Barry Awtey

Modifieds
1. Bryan Shipp
2. Adam Kostelnik
3. George Nicola
4. Lonnie Hoffman
5. Jim Nicola

Street Stocks
1. Dink Colarusso
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Jonathan Hileman
4. Mike Bakalon
5. Jason Holder

Chargers
1. Tracy Keller
2. Roger Bryan
3. Kristen Etling
4. A.J. Poljak
5. Denny Keller

Super Compacts
1. Paull Koffler, Jr.
2. Matt Sever
3. Eugene Zerfoss
4. Larry Dunmyer
5. Makr Seiler

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. - May 30

Super Late Models
1. Brandon Burgoon
2. Daryl Charlier
3. Tommy Beck
4. Kyle Lukon
5. Al Atallah

ProLate Models
1. Kyle Lukon,
2. Mark Moats Jr.
3. Rocky Kugel
4. Jason Rider
5. Justin Lamb

Modifieds
1. Vince Laboon
2. Kevin Miller
3. J.J. Bametzrider
4. Shawn Domhoff
5. Clayton Kennedy

Sportsman
1. Pat Weldon
2. Vince Kamicker
3. Bob Schwartzmiller
4. Jake Simmons
5. Bill Robertson

Stocks
1. Craig Koteles
2. Brian Huchko
3. Curt Bish
4. Adam Chytil
5. Rich Mason

Young Guns
1. Ricky Steigerwald
2. Danny White
3. Alec Broniszewski Jr.
4. Tyler Atkinson
5. Tyler Carson

Hail Helio!

2009-05-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

The racing this weekend at Indy was anything spectacular, but the result surely stirred some emotions. The loveable Helio Castroneves came back from the brink to win his third Indy 500. Castroneves, probably known more for his dancing skills than driving, faced a federal tax evasion trial earlier this year before being acquitted in April. Watching his emotions pour out in Victory Lane was amazing, and it is what makes sports so special. Kudos to pit reporter Jack Arute for allowing Castroneves to enjoy the moment and not getting in the way of the unfiltered drama. Sometimes the best interviews are the ones where journalist doesn’t ask any questions.

Wet, wild and whacky

2009-05-27T10:58:00.003-04:00

Have we witnessed a more bizarre weekend of NASCAR racing (or lack thereof) in recent memory? The rain fell more often than the Sprint Cup cars went racing at Charlotte over the weekend and the start of the race had to be delayed until Monday. Not a big problem, it seemed, because of the holiday. But the rain kept falling and the cars kept sitting on pit road waiting to roll, which must’ve made for a ratings nightmare for FOX. I don't know if "King of the Hill" and "The Simpsons" have the same drawing power as a race.

Not at all NASCAR’s fault, but the atypical holiday weekend led to an unusual winner. David Reutimann won his first Sprint Cup race in 75 starts, although I don't understand why all the sportscasters called him a journeyman. He’s anything but and has established himself with Michael Waltrip Racing. Still, congratulations to him (and his father) in a much-deserved victory. I will not take anything away from him, but I just wonder if it’s somewhat less fulfilling for a first-time winner. Regardless, "Beak" and his No. 00 team gambled by not pitting right when the final rainstorm moved over the speedway.

The biggest question is: Why didn’t all the other teams do the same? They all have radar and probably should’ve seen the giant, green blob rolling through the Carolinas. It was a whacky weekend with a disappointing finish. But the outcome crowned a worthy winner.

Motorsports Tuesday

2009-05-26T10:22:00.004-04:00

Periodic showers did not dampen the holiday weekend of racing at the two local tracks. Motordrome Speedway hosted the Enduro 100 with 29 cars starting the race. The speedway also was the site of normal racing events Fridady night. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway held its normal weekend events in without a hitch. Thirty-two cars started in the 30-lap Modified Mania race at PPMS.

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. – May 24
Enduro 100
1. Patrick Parlock
2. Mark Seiler
3. Charles Hallett
4. Steve Settle
5. Eugene Zerfoss
6. Darrell Posey
7. Steve Long
8. David Barnhart
9. Troy Knight
10. Dan Zimmerman

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. – May 23
Modified Mania – 30-lap feature
1. Kevin Bolland*
2. Dave Murdick
3. Rex King Sr.*
4. Del Rougeux
5. Tom Winkle

Super Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. John Flinner
2. Alex Ferree
3, Lynn Geisler
4. Mike Johnson
5. Ben Miley

Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Kyle Lukon
2. Steve Beatty*
3. Colton Flinner
4. Dave Wade*
5. Beau Glemba

UMP Modified – 20-lap feature
1. Andre Layfield*
2. Brent Rhebergen*
3. Joe Gabrielson
4. Chuck Kennedy
5. Randy Hall

UMP Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1. Jake Simmons
2. Pat Weldon
3. Bill Robertson
4. Pat Hanley
5. Robbie Haught

Stocks – 1st feature
1. Gary Koteles
2. Rich Mason
3. Adam Chytil
4. Tony White
5. Brian Reddcliff

Stocks – 2nd Feature
1. Adam Chytil
2. Rich Mason
3. Curt Bish
4. Gary Koteles
5. Brian Reddcliff

Sport Compacts – 1st Feature
1. Daniel White
2. Justin Pons
3. Nico Dabecco
4. Ricky Steigerwald
5. Hannah Ramsey

Sport Compacts – 2nd Feature
1. Justin Pons
2. Daniel White
3. Ricky Steigerwald
4. Tyler Atkinson
5. Nico Dabecco

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. – May 22
Super Late Models – 50-lap feature
1. Mark Poole
2. Mark Cottone
3. Will Thomas*
4. Todd Price
5. Barry Awtey

Modifieds – 30-lap feature
1. Adam Kostelnik
2. Bobby Shipp*
3. Bryan Shipp
4. Marion Reno
5. Mike Lemley

Street Stocks – 25-lap feature
1. Shawn Phillips
2. Mike Bakalon*
3. Todd Knight
4. Johnathan Hileman
5. Jason Holder

Charger – 15-lap feature
1. Matthew Gardner*
2. Zane Ferrell
3. Denny Keller
4. Steve Settle
5. Ed Shelpman

Super Compacts – 15-lap feature
1. Matt Sever*
2. Larry Dunmyer
3. Gene Zerfoss*
4. Andres Suarez
5. Bill Schwartz

They Live to Drag

2009-05-18T13:45:00.005-04:00

Kevin Romeo, left, and Bob Jones stand beside their dragster at Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, Pa. Romeo, a student at Cal U, and Jones, of Eighty Four, Pa., were featured May 17 in the Observer-Reporter of Washington.

THEY LIVE TO DRAG

By Michael Jones
Staff writer
mjones@observer-reporter.com

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pa. – Kevin Romeo smashes the gas when the light flashes green and his car roars down the quarter-mile drag strip in less than eight seconds.

After the first run of the year in his dragster, Romeo turns the vehicle back to the pits and pulls up to an enclosed mobile trailer overlooking the track as cars whiz by just a few feet away.

Inside the trailer, Bob Jones hunches over a couple of laptop computers and crunches numbers ranging from engine performance to air temperature. The data streams in from wires connected directly to the dragster while a weather instrument whirls around on the roof of the trailer.

But this isn't a high-tech professional racing team looking to make big bucks on a national circuit.

Romeo and Jones are just two of the many racing enthusiasts who come to Pittsburgh Raceway Park in this Westmoreland County community for a weekend of fun, even relaxation.

Jones, of Eighty Four, has been racing for 50 years, and has been coming to the tracks for even longer than that. He marvels at the technology that professional teams gradually passed down to the local racers.

"It's unreal," Jones said of the technology. "If you have an issue, you'd know right away rather than chasing your tail."

As a car owner and mechanic, he is able to make minor adjustments and prevent costly equipment failures during a high-speed run. The improved technology has increased the cost to race nowadays, Jones said, and he needs three sponsors on the car just to break even.

"We made everything (back then)," Jones said. "We'd tear apart an engine to find the problem. I still don't know it all. That's why I got a young driver. I'm not swift with that stuff, but Kevin understands that stuff."

That's when Romeo, his 21-year-old driver, walks from the car and into the trailer to take a peek at the computers. Jones quit racing a couple years ago and handed the keys to Romeo.

"After that many years, I get more of a kick out of making it work," Jones said.

Romeo, a New Alexandria resident and student at California University of Pennsylvania, comes from a family of racers. He drove his own car for the past five years until Jones brought him over for this season.

Romeo is well aware of the technology changes.

"It's amazing to see the equipment they had in the '70s compared to now," Romeo said. "Bob's been doing this for 50 years. I've been doing it for five."

The sport isn't new to D.J. Johnson, who has watched racing since the late 1960s when he was a boy. Since then, the Cecil Township resident has labored under the hood, driven briefly and worked as the media relations coordinator at this track.

He remembers the days when a band of friends rolled their street cars onto an open trailer and hauled it to the local strip. They didn't have to worry about spare parts because they just borrowed them from other teams.

"Technology and safety is really what changed and they trickled down from the (professional) ranks," Johnson said. "It's not like you're taking your street car to the drag strip. Those days are over for us. Everything is so tied into computers, barometric pressure, track elevation, everything."

And that information is exactly what Jones is checking before putting the car back on the track for its second practice run.

In the staging area near the starting line, Romeo and his fiancée, Justine Illar, chat with other drivers and mechanics while Jones checks the tire pressure.

When it's time to race, Romeo lowers himself into the tight cockpit and buckles up. Illar hands him his helmet and he squeezes it over his head, pulls on the gloves and fist bumps another driver.

The car will reach nearly 180 mph at the end of the track, but that's not what stirs Romeo.

"I get more of a rush out of the competition than the speed," he said. "I'm more nervous because I want to win."

Romeo pulls the dragster up to the starting line and floors the gas for a burnout to warm the tires. The driver and car owner communicate through a two-way radio to properly line up the car.

When the Christmas tree – the yellow, green and red light fixture that acts like a traffic light – begins to flash, Romeo reacts and an onboard computer automatically launches the car when the light turns green.

Then it's time for the ride.

"I let go of the bottom (lever) and then the car is in control," Romeo said. "I just hold the accelerator and the wheel and guide it down the track."

The run is over in 7.46 seconds with a top speed of 179.82 mph. The time is a fraction slower than expected, but this was just a practice session before the real racing begins later in the day.

Romeo pulls his car back to the trailer and Jones begins refueling the car with Octane 116 racing gasoline before connecting the computer circuits to download information.

Romeo, Jones and Illar are back at the computers and poring over the streaming numbers. A few moments later, they're already discussing how to make the car go even faster next time.

Motorsports Monday

2009-05-18T13:39:00.002-04:00

In a reversal from last weekend, rain washed away racing at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway near Imperial, Pa. But weather did not get in the way of the asphalt racing at Motordrome in Westmoreland County. Here are the track's weekend results and the asterisk denotes the heat winners.

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. - May 15

Super Late Models – 50-lap feature
1. Neil Brown*
2. Mark Cottone
3. Kyle Martel
4. Will Thomas
5. Rick Miller*

Modified – 30-lap feature
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. Bobby Shipp*
3. Lonnie Hoffman
4. Bryan Shipp
5. Chris Brink

Street Stocks – 25-lap feature
1. Dink Colarusso
2. Jason Holder
3. Johnathan Hileman*
4. Andrew Kostelnik
5. Todd Knight

Charger - 15-lap feature
1. Ed Neiderhardt
2. Denny Keller
3. Tracy Keller*
4. Vic Keller
5. Matthew Gardner*

Super Compacts – 15-lap feature
1. Ed Dineen*
2. Matt Sever*
3. Gene Zerfoss
4. Larry Dunmeyer
5. Troy Knight

NASCAR All-Star race LiveBLOG!

2009-05-16T20:04:00.052-04:00

11:06 p.m. - Tony Stewart gets a nose on Kenseth and takes the lead. What a victory this would be for Stewart and his new race team. Stewart takes the checkered flag and wins the All-Star Challenge. I must say, I really liked that final 10-lap segment. A lot more racing, and crashing. Overall, boring race, but the last 10 laps definitely made up for it. Well, this concludes the LiveBLOG. Thanks for reading.

11:01 p.m. - Kenseth takes the lead from Busch as the No. 18 fades to the back. Kenseth has been hanging around the front all night, but finally makes a serious challenge for the win with just a few laps left.

10:44 p.m. - Green flag drops (again) and Busch goes three-wide (again) to take the lead. But Gordon is fighting back to the line. Now Ryan Newman joins the fray and bump drafts Busch into Jeff Gordon. Wow! Newman is leading and Gordon is into the wall.

10:39 p.m. - It's go time for $1 million! Kyle Busch goes three-wide on the outside and Jimmie Johnson spins in the middle of the pack! No cars hit Johnson, though, and he's able to continue. Matt Kenseth isn't very happy with Busch and bumps him coming to the yellow flag. Since cautions flags don't count, they'll restart with 10 laps to go.

10:27 p.m. - Everyone pits for four tires and has plenty of time to make adjustments on their cars during the 10-minute intermission. A quick flip to FSN Pittsburgh shows the Pirates are beating the Colorado Rockies 6-4 in the 6th inning. Let's Go Bucs!

10:19 p.m. - Gordon blows by Busch with 18 to go for the first green flag lead change of the night. Riveting... The No. 24 checks out and wins the third segment. We're moving onto the 10-lap elimination spectacular.

10:11 p.m. - Hornish loses control at the start of the third segment and wipes out Greg Biffle. The Biff is finished and the only car out of the race. On the restart, Mark Martin bobbles and nearly takes out the field, but he collects it just in time and continues. Kyle Busch leads Gordon and Kenseth. DW makes a comment that you don't want to do anything dumb until the last lap, but I argue that this IS THE TIME to go for it in order to be in position for the final segment.

10:01 p.m. - Matt Kenseth is pushing Kyle Busch for the lead as the second segment winds down, but the No. 18 is too strong. More pit stops to come, and will Busch and Kenseth do two tires again? Rut roh... they do neither and forgo pit stops while Johnson fades way back in the back after taking four tires again.

9:52 p.m. - With yellow flag pit stops complete, Kyle Busch leads after taking two tires. Johnson was punted to fifth for the second segment, but I don't expect him to hang out there long. But as the run continues, Kyle Busch is checking out. I guess clean air is more important than tires. Tony Stewart takes Joey Logano to school by dipping to the grass and passing the No. 20.

9:46 p.m. - We're halfway and reached the 50-lap intermission. Let's hope the final three segments are more competitive than the first. Johnson checked out as Gordon and Kurt Busch waged the best battle on the track. For some reason, Johnson slowed down so he wouldn't pass a struggling Ryan Newman. Nearly cost him as Busch made a run for the lead, but couldn't pass. Maybe they need to invert the field and force Johnson to weave through the entire field. He definitely has the car to do it.

9:33 p.m. - The mandatory green flag pit stops are underway, and that's about the most exciting thing we've seen all night. It's feeding time at the zoo and Johnson lights up the brakes before hitting pit road. Kurt Busch nearly rear-ends Johnson as they race out with Jeff Gordon. The top-3 are back on the track in just about the same position as before the stops. Kyle Busch blew through his pit box and it cost him serious time.

9:19p.m. - We're going racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the 25th All-Star race. The field is strung out single-file by Lap 5, while Kyle Busch is on the move. DW is commenting that Dale Jr. has lost the handling on his No. 88. What does that say about this struggling team when his car is junk 8 laps in? Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson is pulling away, as expected.

9:01 p.m. - Team owner Joe Gibbs says a nice grace at the dinner table before Jessie James, a proud Sprint phone customer, performs the national anthem. I'm also a proud Sprint customer, so I wonder if I can sing it next year.

8:51 p.m. - It seems that Greg Biffle's crew just pissed off everyone in the crowd by hosing them down with CokeZero. And the Blue Deuce boys follow that up by spraying beers all over the place. I'm sure the 8-year-olds will love smelling like beer for the rest of the race. Slick move, fellas. And the fan vote goes to... (drum roll, please) ...Ric Flair? Actually, rookie Joey Logano and the No. 20 team get the charity vote and will be racing in the All-Star event.

8:36 p.m. - Pre-race festivities finally begin. It's pretty cool they introduce the driver along with the team members. Not many opportunities to showcase the guys behind the scenes. Can't wait to see what crazy stunts some of these guys pull this year. Wow, that cover band is really rocking out. It looks like the drummer is about to lose his mind.

8:17 p.m. - Hornish pulls out the victory and McMurray finishes a distant second. But it's good enough for both drivers to advance to the All-Star race. Special congrats to Hornish's crew chief, Travis Geisler, who is a Western Pennsylvania native. Now we wait to see which driver the fans vote in to the big race.

8:04 p.m. - It's the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Challenge tonight and we'll be live bloggin' here at "Jonesin' for Speed" blog. Right now, David Stremme and Sam Hornish Jr. - the Penske red-headed step children - are battling for the win in the Showdown qualifying race. Does Martin Truex or Jamie McMurray have anything for them?

Life of a dragster

2009-05-14T15:15:00.006-04:00

The Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter will feature a local drag racer in this Sunday's newspaper on page B1 and the O-R's Web site. The story follows driver Kevin Romeo, a student at Cal U, and car owner Bob Jones of Eighty Four. Photographer Jim McNutt and I spent a day last month at Pittsburgh Raceway Park along Route 22 near New Alexandria, Pa., and got a taste of the sport. Here's a preview of my story...

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pa. - When it’s time to race, Kevin Romeo lowers himself into the tight cockpit and buckles up. His fiancée, Justine Illar hands him his helmet and he squeezes it over his head, pulls on the gloves and fist bumps another driver.

The car will reach nearly 180 miles per hour at the end of the track, but that’s not what stirs Romeo.

“I get more of a rush out of the competition than the speed,” he said. “I’m more nervous because I want to win.”

Romeo pulls the dragster up to the starting line and floors the gas for a burnout to warm the tires. The driver and car owner communicate through a two-way radio to properly line up the car.

When the Christmas tree – the yellow, green and red light fixture that acts like a traffic light – begins to flash, Romeo reacts and an onboard computer automatically launches the car when the light turns green.

Then it’s time for the ride.

“I let go of the bottom (lever) and then the car is in control,” Romeo said. “I just hold the accelerator and the wheel and guide it down the track.”

The run is over in 7.46 seconds with a top speed of 179.82 mph. The time is a fraction slower than expected, but this was just a practice session before the real racing begins later in the day.
Romeo pulls his car back to the trailer and team owner Bob Jones begins refueling the car with Octane 116 racing gasoline before connecting the computer circuits to download information.

Romeo, Jones and Illar are back at the computers and poring over the streaming numbers. A few moments later, they’re already discussing how to make the car go even faster next time.

Motorsports Monday

2009-05-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

Rain postponed the Friday night races at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa., but it didn't wash away racing at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa. The asterisk denotes the heat winners.

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. – May 9

Super Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. John Flinner
2. Ben Miley*
3. Steve Baker
4. Lynn Geisler
5. Jim Stephans

Pro Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Kyle Lukon
2. Dave Wade*
3. Josh Holtgraver
4. Bryant Hank
5. Tommy Schirnhofer

Modified – 12-lap feature
1. Daryl Charlier*
2. Vince Laboon
3. Clayton Kennedy
4. J.E. Stalder*
5. Chris Basich

Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1.Jake Simmons
2. Nick Kocuba
3. Craig Koteles
4. Bob Schwartzmiller*
5. Bill Robertson

Stocks – 12-lap feature
1. Curt Bish
2. Tony White
3. Rich Mason
4. Drew Koteles
5. Jason Herniak

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1. Nico DiBacco
2. Tyler Atkinson
3. Justin Pons
4. Alec Broniszewski
5. Tyler Carson

Driving to the midnight hour

2009-05-10T15:49:00.002-04:00

Is the Southern 500 over yet? I love Darlington, as most fans do, but NASCAR needs to start these night races sooner. The race didn’t get over until 11:30 p.m., meaning Mark Martin’s victory lane celebration was seen only by diehard fans and insomniacs. Sure, there were countless spins and crashes, bringing out nearly 20 caution flags, but that should be expected at Darlington. If NASCAR wants to run 500-mile races, then let’s start ‘em at a reasonable time. How about noon?

---
The fallout continues from Jeremy Mayfield’s positive drug test last weekend at Richmond, Va. He’s claiming a bad mixture of prescription and over-the-counter drugs caused the bad test and he plans to appeal the results. Isn’t that always the excuse for drug cheats? Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez claimed he failed his test because of a drug he was taking to enhance sexual arousal. If a 36-year-old man needs that, then he’s got bigger issues than a 50-game suspension from baseball. We’ll see if Mayfield’s explanation holds more weight with NASCAR, but it’s more than likely his mildly successful career is finished.

---
Hendrick Motorsports had four cars in the Top-10 at Darlington, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t one of them. If rookie Brad Keselowski can wiggle his way into a seventh place finish at such a difficult track, then so should Lil’ E. Sadly, it’s looking more like Dale Jr. should be handing the keys over to Keselowski. Both have the same number of Cup wins over the past three years.

Mayfield fails the test

2009-05-09T17:22:00.014-04:00

The bomb dropped on NASCAR today, but the ramifications aren't quite as severe with scrub driver Jeremy Mayfield failing a drug test. The Associated Press is reporting that Mayfield failed the drug test last week at Richmond and will be suspended indefinitely. Two crewmen from separate teams failed, as well, and face similar punishment.

This could have been devastating for the sport if a superstar was implicated, but the loss of Mayfield, who has been off the radar ever since his release from Evernham Racing in 2006, will not be a serious blow. He started his own team this year and made a handful of races, including the Daytona 500. Mayfield is the first Sprint Cup driver to fail the drug test since NASCAR implemented the testing policy, so this should be an eye-opener for any other drug abusers in the sport.

The irony is that Mayfield's failed test last week came at the same track where he had arguably his greatest triumph. Mayfield won the August 2004 race at Richmond, catapulting him into the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Now, his career appears to be over. He started his own team because no major owners wanted him, but it seems doubtful Mayfield will ever find a sponsor to support his professional habit.

On the pole

2009-05-09T15:45:00.004-04:00

It’s Pole Day at Indianapolis! But, wait a second. When did the Indy Car Series start? I thought the unification of CART and IRL was supposed to bring more publicity to the sport, but apparently those hopes were dashed once ESPN/ABC dropped the series schedule. Unfortunately for Indy Car, the series was forced to go to the network where all good sports go to die: Versus.

Fifteen years ago, this day actually meant something. But since the open-wheel split in 1996, it really hasn’t held any importance besides a little symbolic nostalgia. Remember when Al Unser Jr., the 1994 Indy 500 champion, missed out the following years race because his Penske car didn’t have the speed? Still, I love the unique qualifying process with four-lap averages and car owners standing on pit lane with green and yellow flags waiting to wave-off a slow run. Let’s hope Pole Day and the subsequent qualifying and bump days rev up the excitement on this Indy Car season.

I won’t hold my breath, but I’ll definitely be watching the Indy 500 in two weeks.

UPDATE: 4:22 p.m. - Working in the office this evening and have the qualifying broadcast running in the background. Hearing the cars roar around the track - along with the humming of the police scanner - is soothing while I punch out a few police items. As I speak, Helio Castroneves just took the pole with an average of 224.864 mph. Only 12 cars have qualified, but it's a long way from the federal tax evasion trial he faced earlier this year. Good for Helio.

Motorsports Monday

2009-05-04T13:54:00.003-04:00

Two local race tracks escaped the rain and ran most of their weekend races as scheduled. The asterisk denotes the heat winners.

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. - May 2

Super Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Jared Miley
2. Ben Miley
3. Steve Baker
4. Lynn Geisler
5. Brandon Burgoon*

Pro Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Rocky Kugel
2. Kyle Lukon*
3. Dave Wade*
4. Jason Rider
5. Justin Lamb

Modified – 12-lap feature
1. Kevin Miller*
2. Tom Martineck
3. Bob Damron
4. Daryl Charlier
5. Jared Domhoff

Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1. Bob Schwartzmiller
2. Jake Simmons
3. Nick Kocuba
4. Bill Robertson
5. Pat Weldon

Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Brian Huchko
2. Gary Koteles
3. Garrett O'Patchen
4. Jason Herniak
5. Tony White

Young Guns Sport Compacts - 7-lap feature
1. Ricky Steigerwald
2. Tyler Atkinson
3. Justin Pons
4. Tyler Carson
5. Alec Broniszewski

Motordrome Speedway
Smithton, Pa. – May 1

Super Late Models – 50-lap feature
1.Mark Cottone
2. Bobby Henry
3. Will Thomas*
4. Barry Awtey
5. Kyle Martel*

Modified – 30-lape feature
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. George Nicola
3. Bobby Shipp
4. Chris Brink
5. Gary Scott

Street Stocks – 25-lap feature
1. Andrew Kostelnik
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Jason Holder
4. Ted Gibala
5. Dink Colarusso*

Chargers – 15-lap feature
1. Tracy Keller
2. Denny Keller
3. Ed Neidhardt
4. William Oldham
5. Roger Bryan

The Super Compacts division was postponed due to rain after two laps. Matt Sever and Larry Dunmyer won the division’s two heat races.

2009 UFo Series Schedule

2009-04-29T19:29:00.004-04:00

The Unified Force championship series, which travels to five tracks in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, released its 2009 schedule. The series and its nine weekend race events attract drivers from across the Tri-state area. Alex Ferree, of Saxonburg, Pa., won the inaugural UFo championship last year.

June 6 - PENNational 33 - PPMS – Imperial, Pa.
July 11 - Mach 41 - Roaring Knob – Markleysburg, Pa.
July 18 - Red Miley 53 - PPMS – Imperial, Pa.
July 25 - Area 51 - Tyler County Speedway – Middlebourne, W.Va.
Aug. 7 - Lunarville 33 - Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, Pa.
Aug. 8 - F-2 Shockwave Twin 31s - PPMS – Imperial, Pa.
Sept. 12 - Area 51 - Roaring Knob – Markleysburg, Pa.
Sept. 17, 18, 19 - The Pittsburgher 100 - PPMS – Imperial, Pa.
Oct. 8, 9, 10 - The Ultimate 91 - Challenger Speedway – Clarksburg, Pa.

Gold star goes to 'the fence'

2009-04-27T11:36:00.004-04:00

As rookie Brad Keselowski ducked below Carl Edwards and nudged him out of the way for the win at Talladega, I thought, “It’s about damn time someone holds their line.” Then Edwards’ car went airborne and ricocheted up in the catchfence and my thoughts immediately changed: “Uh, oh. This is gonna hurt!”

Well, now that all the drivers walked away (or ran in Edwards’ case) and the seven fans survived with mostly minor injuries, it’s time to discuss the yellow line. I thought this was a great idea when NASCAR implemented it in 2001, but the sanctioning body has not done a good job enforcing it. Instead of scolding drivers that block cars below the apron, it only penalized drivers who attempt to make a pass after making an evasive move to avoid a massive crash. A perfect example was last year when Ragan Smith went below the yellow line because Stewart gave him no room. Here’s what I suggested last October…

“If NASCAR punishes most drivers in those situations – Smith finished 18th rather than 2nd – then it’s about time they learn to hold their groove above the yellow line and the consequences be damned.”

Apparently Brad Keselowski was listening. He said that he had no intention of moving his car out of the way because he knew what happened to Smith. And that’s exactly what he should’ve done in the situation. But the next question most fans are asking is whether NASCAR should abolish the yellow line. Quite honestly, I think Keselowski and Edwards fixed the problem. The difference now is that a rookie had the cojones to stick his nose in there at 190 mph and refuse to move. How many other drivers are going to try and block to the yellow line in the future? Seems like the problem has been solved.

The bigger concern for NASCAR is finding a way to keep the cars on the ground. They resolved that issue in 1994 with the advent of the roof-flaps, but there seems to be a growing issue with the new COTs. This is the biggest issue facing the sport, because we all saw what an out-of-control car can do at Talladega.

Motorsports Monday

2009-04-27T09:46:00.004-04:00

After a two-week hiatus, it's time to return to the blog. Several area tracks have restarted their racing seasons, so let's return with Motorsports Monday. The asterisk denotes the heat winners.

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway
Imperial, Pa. - April 25

Super Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Jared Miley
2. John Flinner
3. Ben Miley
4. Tommy Beck
5. Brandon Burgoon*

Pro Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Dave Wade
2. Justin Lamb
3. Jason Rider
4. Bryant Hank
5. Beau Glemba*

Modified – 12-lap feature
1. Daryl Charlier
2. J.E. Stalder*
3. Kevin Miller*
4. Chris Basich
5. Clayton Kennedy

Sportsman – 15-lap feature
1.Craig Koteles
2. Bob Schwartzmiller*
3. Pat Weldon
4, Bill Robertson*
5. Pat Hanley

Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Curt Bish
2. Brian Huchko*
3. Brian Reddcliff
4. Gary Koteles*
5. Jason Herniak

Young Guns Sport Compacts – 8-lap feature
1. Justin Pons
2. Daniel White
3. Tyler Carson
4. Hannah Ramsey
5. Alec Broniszewski

Motordrome Speedway
Smithon, Pa. - April 24

Super Late Models – 50-lap feature
1.Gary Wiltrout
2. Mark Cottone
3. Barry Awtey
4. Will Thomas
5. Bobby Henry

Modifieds – 30-lap feature
1. Lonnie Hoffman
2. Adam Kostelnik
3. George Nicola
4. Bobby Shipp
5. Bryan Shipp

Street Stocks – 25-lap feature
1. Shawn Phillips
2. Dink Colarusso
3. Johnathan Hileman
4. Jason Holder
5. Aaron Minjock

Chargers – 15-lap feature
1. A.J. Poljak
2. Matt Gardner
3. Tracy Keller
4. Denny Keller
5. Ed Neidhardt

Super Compacts – 15-lap feature
1. Larry Dunmyer
2. Matt Sever
3. Gene Zerfoss
4. Scott Ahlborn
5. Bill Schwartz

This ain't your mama's dubba-wide

2009-04-08T07:55:00.001-04:00

By Scott Beveridge
O-R Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH – An unpeeled banana dusted with paprika and melted cheddar isn’t on the menu at Double Wide Grill, a restaurant in an old filling station in Pittsburgh.

But that’s what a server delivered as a joke to the bartender at the kooky 2-year-old restaurant on East Carson Street in the city’s trendy South Side district.

“That’s why I love working here,” said the bartender named Carly, who bears a mild resemblance to Jennifer Aniston as a dark brunette. “Your foods up,” she said while passing the silly tapas to me and flashing an infections smile.

Of course no one else takes her up on this side dish, but there is plenty of real he-man food being passed around this joint on a sunny Sunday spring afternoon.

The business at Carson and 24th streets also comes with a sense of humor. An old green pickup truck strung with Christmas lights is suspended above the bar while recycled chrome step bumpers double as its foot rests.

Gas pump nozzles pull double duty as coat racks and mirrors framed in car tires can be found in the rest rooms. Meanwhile, hubcaps line the ceiling and empty metal gallon-sized oil cans hang over tables as chandeliers.

The menu is similarly as quirky. The “On Tråys” are heavy with beef, pork and chicken dishes and some can be mixed and matched on build-your-own TV dinners plopped on metal trays. The hubcap potato discs with garlic and herbs would complete that meal.

There also are vegetarian selections, including that nothing food called tofu and lighter dishes in the form of a house trailer salad with sweet corn and avocadoes.

This restaurant in a bland four-bay concrete-block garage is another gift to the city by Scott Kramer and Steve Zumoff, owners of the coffeehouse down the street where young bohemians with robins egg blue hair mingle with middle-aged nerds over organic tea.

It’s noisy and especially so on nice days when the garage doors are up and a fleet of Harley-Davidson motorcycles pulls away from the neighboring biker bar.

The place with all of its hillbilly charm is a NASCAR fan’s fantasy. The only things missing are shots of moonshine and the smell of high-octane engine fuel at the racetrack.

(Above photo of the Double Wide Grill restaurant by Scott Beveridge)

An afternoon on the strip

2009-04-06T15:52:00.005-04:00

NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pa. - Engines revved and tires squealed this weekend at Pittsburgh Raceway Park for the opening test session at the drag strip in Westmoreland County.

A photographer and I went to the quarter-mile track Sunday afternoon for a profile on what makes these drivers and mechanics tick. There is a clear distinction between those who take this sport seriously and the amateurs who come with their factory-built cars for a joyride down the quarter-mile. Either way, it looks like a lot of fun.

The stands attract a small crowd, but the majority of the audience is in the garage paddock on a hill overlooking the track. It’s these crewmen and drivers that eagerly watch to see who can run the fastest and most consistent times. They line up against the chain-link fence and peer over the track.

It’s a certain breed that makes the weekly trip to these tracks and invests money into an expensive hobby. The story is scheduled to run in the Observer-Reporter on May 17.

(Photo by O-R photographer Jim McNutt)

The King's new conquest

2009-04-03T16:53:00.002-04:00

It’s the perfect blend between NASCAR’s greatest name with open-wheel’s biggest event.

The Associated Press is reporting that Richard Petty will field a car for John Andretti at next month’s Indianapolis 500. While Andretti has raced at Indianapolis before, this will be Petty’s first splash into Indy cars as an owner or driver.

This is great news for IRL, which has struggled in recent years to draw more than 33 cars for qualifying, and the recent economic problems certainly foreshadow more problems at the historic track. That’s what makes this announcement so surprising. Petty’s finances have been so putrid, he partnered with Gillett Motorsports in the offseason just to remain viable. But don’t let that partnership fool you: It’s Gillett’s money with Petty’s name.

But this is a great opportunity for more cross-breeding between the two sports. Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart often have competed in both the Indy 500 and Cok 600 in the same day, making for an exciting and tiring feat. While this won’t have the same sizzle of a Indy-NASCAR doubleheader, it would be nice to see the King in Indy’s victory lane.

Johnsonville brat

2009-03-30T13:04:00.002-04:00

There isn’t much to say about Jimmie Johnson, other than he continues to amaze. By all indications, Denny Hamlin or Jeff Gordon should have won the Martinsville race. But there was Johnson, in the thick of it only late in the afternoon, taking the checkered flag. Sure, it took a devilish move to get by Hamlin, but he did nothing out of the ordinary for Martinsville bumping and banging. The man is unstoppable, and that should worry every other team in the garage.

---
For whatever reason, FOX feels the need to interview Rick Hendrick seemingly after every victory. Once again, there was Dick Bergren shoving his microphone in Hendrick’s face to get the same, boring sound bite. I realize it isn’t unusual for the winning car owner to offer a few words, but we’ve heard the same thing from Hendrick about 200 times. Maybe they should start interviewing Chad Knaus, who is well on his way to surpassing Ray Evernham as the greatest crew chief of the modern era.

---
How many times is Robby Gordon going to crash before NASCAR finally revokes his license? He sparked at least three yellow flags at Martinsville and seemed to be in everyone’s way, which isn’t unusual for one of the sport’s last owner/drivers. With that gigantic black arrow on his yellow hood, you’d think it would’ve helped guide him in the right direction. I guess not.

Coming to a speedway near you

2009-03-25T16:35:00.005-04:00

I’m an American, damn it, and it’s my God-given right to eat a 4,800-calorie burger while watching sports. That’s the newest promotion for a minor-league baseball team in Michigan, which is offering five greasy beef patties, five slices of cheese and a cup of chili sauce jammed between two buns. According to the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, those who finish the artery-clogging burger at a West Michigan Whitecaps game will receive a "special T-shirt." Oh, and you’re likely to also get a complementary heart attack before leaving the ballpark.

So when is NASCAR going to get on board and offer the eating and beer-drinking redneck machines a chance at the 5k-calorie combo? For $20 a pop, what NASCAR-loving fool could resist? It’s about the same price as the 16-ounce beer I bought at Daytona last year. And with the choice between getting a watered down alcoholic beverage of choice and an all-American hamburger, which one do you think us hungry/moderately obese fans are going to pick? The only thing missing from NASCAR nowadays (besides fans in the seats and sponsors on the cars) is that monstrosity of beef, cheese and chili.

Now, please excuse me while I vomit.

"Danica" Busch wins again

2009-03-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

What a difference a day makes for Kyle Busch. On Saturday, the new villain of NASCAR did his best Danica Patrick impression when he left his Nationwide Series car to rot on the track because mistakes by his pit crew cost him a win. About 24 hours later, he celebrated with that same crew (pictured above) in the Bristol Motor Speedway victory lane. He praised them in his post-race interviews with a few backhanded compliments.

"I told the ladies to 'Man up, get the job done on the last stop,' which they did," Busch told The Associated Press. "I'm proud of them for doing that. When the time mattered most, they got the job done."

Then he offered some advice he should probably follow.

"Those guys should hang their head for (Saturday), but then wake up the next morning rejuvenated and ready to go,” he said.

This is the same Kyle Busch who abandoned his No. 5 team at Texas in 2007 after a crash that battered his car. That’s the race where Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a little test session in his future ride after the No. 5 team couldn't find its own driver to turn a few extra laps for points. Busch was never the same after that escapade and team owner Rick Hendrick promptly fired him halfway through the season.

It seems to me that Busch is a whole lot of fun to be around when things are going well. But throw in a little bit of adversity, and he’ll fly off the handle... kinda like Danica. That’s why – despite his 2008 dream season - he didn’t win the Sprint Cup. And it’s the reason why I’m still skeptical if he’ll ever win a championship in NASCAR's top series.

---
The famed 28 of Yates Racing is once again shutting its garage doors. As of today, the team has failed to find a sponsor for the remainder of the season, which shouldn’t be surprising because Travis Kvapil has sputtered to 39th in the standings after making only four races.

The best finish for the team this year is 18th place at Bristol and California. The team missed the Las Vegas race because it transferred the 2008 points to Bobby Labonte and the No. 96. In hindsight, that seems like a questionable decision because Labonte likely had championship provisionals to use if all else failed (which has been happening a lot lately at Yates).

---
What makes the decision to ditch the No. 28 so interesting is that teammate Paul Menard is just one slot ahead of Kvapil in the standings. But there’s no way he’ll lose his ride because he brings his daddy’s sponsorship with him. Has any driver with so little talent thrived as much as Menard, and literally on the family name? It should be interesting to see what happens when the No. 98 starts missing races.

Riding dirty

2009-03-13T16:00:00.004-04:00

I want a ride with some more pizazz because my reliable and fuel efficient Chevy Cobalt just ain’t cutting it in our modern greedy world. In this age of reckless spending and Ponzi schemes generating fake wealth, I want to tool around in something that screams, “I’m rich! (well kinda, not really).” And what better way to show my manufactured/Ponzi scheme/toxic mortgage wealth than to drive a neon-green, soon-to-be-bankrupt Pontiac limousine that proudly announces that I just might be chauffeuring around Kyle Busch... or taking the kids to supper at Burger King.

I recently stumbled upon one of these elongated beauties about to be sold on eBay to the highest bidder (you’d have to be high to plunk down $14,000 on this POS). But alas, the bidding ended with some sucker throwing down $13,750 to be able to ride the highbanks of Daytona – or more likely the mean streets of Warrenton, Mo. – while sipping a Chardonnay.

Of course, with my 401k in the tank and mortgage payments on the ropes, maybe it’s better to consider a cheaper option. Now where’s that black and white spray paint?

Snow angels for Kurt

2009-03-10T13:01:00.003-04:00

While traveling down Interstate 79 to work this morning, I saw a strange figure walking across the highway about 100 yards in front of my speeding car. Was that Jimmy Watts, the wayward gasman who nearly trotted onto the Atlanta Motor Speedway frontstretch in search of an errant tire? No, instead, this foolish soul on I-79 near the Canonsburg exit was a lonely PennDOT surveyor trying to set up equipment on the other side of the road. Maybe the state should suspend that worker, just like Watts got the boot after his foolish stunt.

What was Watts thinking going that close to the track with cars racing by about 75 feet away? He should have known that the rolling tire from Marcos Ambrose’s car already would cost the No. 47 team regardless because equipment left the pit box. By Watts leaving his pit stall and running to the track, the tire also cost the team its gasman.

The little stunt and subsequent caution flag stunned most drivers and crew chiefs. It certainly made for an interesting development since most of the cars had pitted, leaving a few of the leaders on the track. But it happened early enough in the race that it shouldn’t have made a major impact on the finish. No one was stopping Kurt Busch, nor his bizarre victory lap.

By the way, was that lap supposed to honor Alan Kulwicki and his Polish victory lap he patented in the early 1990s? If so, it failed miserably. Sure, Busch now has a creative gimmick that fans can look forward to if he ever wins again. But what’s the point of driving backwards around a track with no fans sitting in the corners or backstretch? Maybe Busch should consider something a little simpler, just like his evil brother’s now famous bow to the crowd. Maybe Ku. Busch can bring back his “snow angel” celebration at Bristol in 2006. It certainly would have been fitting Sunday at Atlanta, because Jimmy Watts damn near became a pancake angel.

Yaaaaaaaawn...

2009-03-06T12:46:00.005-05:00

If you’ve followed this blog recently, then you probably noticed a lack of posts lately. I kinda wondered if I’m slacking or if there’s more to the non-story story. I figure it can't be me since being part of the Internet blogging community means we feast on newspaper articles to formulate our own “stories” and “opinions” without scrounging for our own ideas or sources. But, the other half of me - an investigative journalist for the Observer-Reporter in Washington, Pa. - decided to get to the bottom of the issue.

That led me to ESPN.com and the supposed Mecca of motorsports coverage (except from 2001 to 2006 when NASCAR didn’t exist for the Disney network). Check out some of the headlines on the eve of race weekend in Atlanta and you might be surprised….

The No. 1 story Friday afternoon – and I’m not joking – is that truck series owner Billy Ballew was arrested for drunken driving at the speedway Wednesday night. First, who the hell is Billy Ballew, and, second, who the hell cares? Sure, Ballew owns the No. 51 truck driven by Kyle Busch, but no one really cares about the trucks series anymore, do they?

The second and third stories, respectively, are a gear change at Las Vegas and a contract renewal to keep the Nationwide Series in Montreal for the next three years. Yaaaaaaawn! Those are the top stories in NASCAR? Wow, something must be seriously wrong with either the sport or ESPN.

Sadly, the next story is about Busch’s win at Vegas. So, that’s it. ESPN.com and its paid Internet reporters generated three stories during the week. And not a single one with any relevance to Atlanta or timely NASCAR news. Is this a reflection of the Web site or the sport? Regardless, this is shaping up to be a loooooooong year. Where’s a steroids controversy when you need one?

Party like it's 1999

2009-03-02T13:20:00.003-05:00

It felt like the late 1990s again while watching the Shelby 427, and not just because the stock market is crashing to levels not seen since then. Late in the race Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton and Bobby Labonte battled for the lead just like they did a decade before when both were powerhouses in the sport. Labonte, turning in a remarkable run in the No. 96 Ask.com car (The only question I want to ask is why his sponsor continues to air those lame commercials) had an unfortunate pit road mishap with Jimmie Johnson late in the race that dropped him far from the lead. But before that caution, Labonte and Burton raced back and forth at the front, casting a nostalgic spell on any veteran NASCAR.

But it was all for naught as Kyle Busch, driving Labonte’s former No. 18 car, took the lead with a few laps remaining and sprinted ahead. What made it all the more amazing is that he won the pole, but had to start at the rear of the pack because of motor problems after qualifying. But it’s too early to predict another fabulous season for Busch after his downfall in last year’s Chase.

---
The racing at Las Vegas was somewhat mundane, which seems to be more typical nowadays. Rather than watching from start to finish, I patched together a 1000-piece puzzle in front of the television, while glancing up a few times to see the running order. Didn’t really miss anything and I had the puzzle finished by Lap 208.

---
Wasn’t it just last year when some in media called for NASCAR to shorten the races because they needlessly dragged on for hours? Pocono and California were just too long, they said, and they were right. So why did they lengthen the Las Vegas race? Sure, they had a clever name by using Shelby and 427 to pay homage to the Mustang Cobra. But did they really need to throw another 18 laps in there? Regardless, is seems that Busch is relishing that decision – with Burton and Clint Bowyer regretting it - since the winning pass was made with only a handful of remaining.

Two-fer for Kenseth

2009-02-23T17:00:00.007-05:00

The putrid racing at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana (or whatever the southern California speedway is called nowadays) had me seriously contemplating switching to the Academy Awards late Sunday night. And this is coming from a guy who, not too long ago, thought “Slumdog Millionaires” was a film about landlords and the dilapidated apartments they rent to poor tenants.

Would it kill someone to initiate a green flag pass for the lead more than just a couple times over 500 miles? When is NASCAR going to wake up to the fact that this 2-mile flat oval just is not designed for stock cars? IndyCars, maybe. But please, Brian France, get rid of the two races at Fontana.

The racing didn't deter winner Matt Kenseth, who is already proving he’s a contender after his second victory in as many weeks. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle offered the only other legitimate runs against Kenseth, who drove away from all of them at the end. Gordon mounted a decent challenge with a few laps remaining, but his tires were shot at the end.

Regardless of the mild Kenseth/Gordon duel in the closing laps, the racing was weak. It’s time for NASCAR to re-evaluate the California Speedway experiment. It’s just not a good follow-up act to Daytona Speedweeks.

---
I’d like to applaud Dick Bergren for that wonderful Victory Lane question he asked the race winner. I think a four-tire pit stop lasts longer than that poor excuse for an interview. When are these race “reporters” going to learn we’d rather hear a lengthy Q&A with the winner, than what the 10th place finisher was thinking on Lap 154. Just spend some extra time with the winner!

These television networks owe it to the drivers, teams and sponsors. Give them some credit and air time. Kenseth won the race, so he deserves to have the maximum exposure. One question isn’t going to cut it. Next time, Dick, try thinking of a follow-up.

---
What the hell is FOX doing with this stupid Digger Cam? Sure, it was mildly humorous the first 1,000 times ole Digger popped out of his hole, wearing a scarf and goggles, before ducking back in with the cars roaring by. Then Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip decided to kill the cartoon critter by saying each time, “You better run back into that hole, buddy!”

Now FOX has gone too far with the Digger Family. The computer-animated foursome of furry characters practically blocks the entire camera view. There are quite a few profane words tossed at the television each time they appear before scurrying back into the dirt. If FOX does not immediately cease and desist, I might be forced to contact an infamous gopher exterminator...Digger, meet my good friend Mr. Murray.

Jennerstown closes for 2009

2009-02-17T11:29:00.006-05:00

The national economic downturn may have claimed a local victim this week. The owner of Jennerstown Speedway announced he will not open the Somerset County race track this seaso nbecause he doesn’t have the time to run the operation. Dave Wheeler told The Associated Press he no longer has enough time to serve as president and CEO of Wheeler Bros. in Somerset. He’s unsure if he will reopen the track near year, although he might sell it. He told the AP that interest in local racing seems to be dwindling.

That sounds to me like a man who doesn’t have the time to lose any more money. I doubt many local drivers or teams can afford to travel to the track and race each weekend this summer. Racing is such an expensive hobby that it's probably the first thing to go when times are tough.

The announcement is somewhat sad for me after having been to Jennerstown for a Hooters Cup race in 2005. That was the race where Joey Logano made his debut in the series and promptly crashed Jimmy Spencer Jr. It’s a great facility located near the quaint borough of 714 residents and just a few miles from the Flight 93 Memorial and Quecreek Mine rescue site. The track debuted in the late 1920s, the AP reported, and Wheeler bought it about six years ago.

This seems like a tangible example of what we’re all feeling from this economy. But it’s unfortunate that one of the bigger tracks in Western Pennsylvania is closing. In times like these, it’s nice to escape reality and go to the local track for an evening of fun. Here's hoping other local tracks don't face a similar dilemma.

Daytona 380 musings

2009-02-16T14:15:00.002-05:00

Overall, the Daytona 380 was pretty boring and nowhere near as riveting as last year's season-opening race. Rain all but killed any chance of an exciting finish, but seeing Matt Kenseth choke back tears more than made up for the lack of late-race drama.

When was the last time a driver openly sobbed on network television following a win? Probably have to go back to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in 1994 when a young Jeff Gordon captured his first victory. But there was the normally reserved Kenseth, sitting in his car Sunday night at Daytona and holding back a few tears. He couldn’t contain his emotions any longer when NASCAR called the race and declared him the winner.

Nowadays, it seems like Gatorade or champagne showers are all-too staged for Victory Lane, but this was a potent reminder of how much Daytona means to the drivers. There was nothing staged about Kenseth’s emotions. For someone who seems robotic in and out of the race car, it is nice to see a new side to the 2003 Cup champ. Who knows if he will be able to carry the momentum from this win throughout the season, but frankly, I don’t think it really matters to him. The No. 17 and Kenseth are back in victory lane, where they belong.

---
Quite simply, Elliot Sadler defeated himself. Leading the Daytona 500 with rain approaching the speedway, Sadler took a pessimistic attitude about what would develop on the track.

“Welcome to Elliott Sadler's world,” he said. “It's probably raining all around the racetrack. When I need it, in the lap where I get passed, it starts raining in turn three. It's the way it is.”

Who can blame the man for feeling that way? This is the same driver who had to threaten a lawsuit against his team to ensure he remained in the No. 19 car for 2009. What an awkward Victory Lane that would’ve been. It was the perfect opportunity to shove it in their face, but he knew he couldn’t win … shouldn’t win.

“I needed this after the off season that I've had,” Sadler said. “Really would have been cool. Didn't work out, but happy for my guys. Great mentality all night long.”

Except for the man behind the wheel.

---
What the hell happened to Dale Earnhardt Jr.? He made two crucial mistakes on pit road and then triggered The Big One near the end of the race. Something just didn’t seem right during his post-race interview, either.

He claimed that he missed his pit because all the signboards are pink, but later said all of them are yellow. Um, Junior, they looked orange to me. But, regardless of what color they are, it can’t be too hard to spot the giant 88 hanging from the sky over your stall. It’s not like you’re a rookie pitting for the first time.

During a later pit stop, a NASCAR official ruled he was parked outside his stall. Now, I’m no rules aficionado, but I thought you only needed three wheels in the box. Looked to me like he had three inside with the fourth resting on the white line. Did he really deserve a one-lap penalty for that atrocity?

But the biggest rumbling of the day came when Earnhardt and Brian Vickers tangled on the backstretch. Each blamed the other for the crash. I think they’re both at fault. Earnhardt had a run on Vickers and should’ve been able to make the move without being forced out of bounds. Meanwhle, Earnhardt should’ve given Vickers a bit more room when the re-entered the track. If both gave each other a little room, Kyle Busch would be the 2009 Daytona 500 champ.

Fighting for last place

2009-02-13T10:29:00.003-05:00

The best races in the G-Duels are not at the front, but mired deep in the pack of scavengers hungry to make the Daytona 500. Sure, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin put on a great in the second heat race, but look back about seven or eight cars and you’ll find the most interesting battles and story lines.

The transfer spots are a hot commodity and make for riveting racing. Congratulations to Jeremy Mayfield, Scott Riggs, Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger for making the big show. And no, you didn’t read that list wrong. Four guys who didn’t even have a ride a few months ago will be taking parade laps around Daytona International Speedway. Of course, I’m not predicting an impressive run by any of them, but it’s good to see hard work and perseverance by no-name teams (yes, Richard Petty Motorsports is now field-filler) can result in the fulfillment of a dream. Maybe it can even launch them into a full-season ride.

Of course, there are also the losers of Speedweeks. So long, Boris Said and Joe Nemechek. Maybe we'll see you next year. Until then, enjoy your yearlong sabbatical.

Top-5 questions of '09

2009-02-11T10:36:00.003-05:00

What a difference a year makes. The Top-5 questions before Sunday's Daytona 500 are vastly different than what we thought would be the big stories last year. And as the famous political slogan goes, “It’s the economy, stupid!” No other sport relies on dollar bills more than NASCAR, and with corporations shedding workers at a feverous pace over the past six months, it’s hard to justify plunging evaporating capital reserves into sponsorships for race cars. And can any fans still afford to attend a race?

5: Will Kyle get Busch-whacked ... again?
Kyle Busch lost his Hendrick ride and promptly shoved it to his ex-employer by winning eight races with Joe Gibbs Racing. Unfortunately, that early season domination evaporated by the Chase. Busch and the No. 18 team had a great year, but hopefully they learned how to run an entire season together and peak in October and November this time around. They have the talent and the equipment, so it will be interesting to see if they can win when it counts.

4: Who can stop the Hendrick dream team?
Rick Hendrick continues to amaze me. Not only did he pluck Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson from relative obscurity years ago, but he also wooed Dale Earnhardt Jr. from his daddy’s company and brought Mark Martin out of retirement. Is there anything this guy can’t do with a race team? But the question remains whether all four cars can be dominant. We know what the No. 48 did last year, but Gordon did not win a race for the first time since his rookie year and Lil’ E scored the only other Hendrick win. Martin should help the organization as he keeps the seat warm for future star Brad Keselowski.

3: What team or driver will fold before Homestead?
Four organizations merged in the past few months due to sponsorship or cash problems and countless other no-name teams came to Daytona praying for some media exposure. But we’re not talking just about the no-names not making the distance. One has to wonder if any formerly major operations will shut down in the coming weeks. And look at the former champions relegated to second-hand equipment. Bobby Labonte is driving the Ask.com, Bill Elliott is toiling with the Wood Brothers and Terry Labonte is piloting the Window World car. Are you kidding me?! Get a clue guys, and go to the broadcast booth.

2: Four-peat for the 48?
Can Jimmie Johnson win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cup title? Johnson has been the best driver in the series since his rookie season in 2002. But bad luck stopped him from winning championships his first four seasons. Well, since then, he’s been perfect when it has mattered most. Johnson and the No. 48 team had a horrendous start to last season, but they improved throughout the first 26 races and were in peak-form by the Chase. At that point, no one could stop him, not even Carl Edwards. If Johnson can win another championship this season, he will go down in history as one of the greatest.

1: Can NASCAR survive?
From the outside, it looks like NASCAR the company will be able to weather the economic storm this year. But what about the race teams and fans? One look at Daytona International Speedway last Saturday for the Shootout showed a sorry situation where no more than half of the seats were filled (and that’s being generous) for a prime-time event. The attendance at Thursdsay’s G-Duel’s and especially the 500 will make it clear whether fans have the money to come to the races. The situation might be worse for the race teams. A healthy contingent of 55 cars rolled into Daytona hoping to qualify. That’s a great number, but how many will return at California or Vegas? Cars without sponsors might be able to survive a few races, but they, too, will have to close shop within a few weeks. Let’s hope each race attracts 43 cars that show up and can actually compete. But maybe that’s asking for too much.

Return of the blog

2009-02-09T15:13:00.005-05:00

Welcome back to 'Jonesin' for Speed' for another season (I hope) of racing commentary and news from the local tracks. It’s been a difficult off-season for all of us, and NASCAR has not been immune from the economic smack down we’re enduring. Nothing is more evident of that than qualifying Sunday afternoon for the Daytona 500. How many cars either had bunk sponsors on their hoods or no decals at all? Window World and BluFrog are now replacing the likes of Kodak and Alltel. Even Roger Penske's No. 12 car doesn't have a sponsor, which probably should be a hint to the Captain that David Stremme shouldn't have a ride. These second-tier sponsors might work for this Sunday’s 500, but NASCAR will be lucky for 43 cars to even show up at California the following week.

Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout offered an in-depth, if not bizarre, look at what will happen in the Daytona 500. It seemed ridiculous to have 28 cars in a supposed All-Star event, but maybe NASCAR was throwing a bone to the struggling car manufacturers. Regardless, I was dumbfounded to see drivers like A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed racing. Where was 2008 Daytona 500 champ Ryan Newman? But if we learned one thing, it’s that these cars will be hopping all over the track. Jeff Gordon said in an interview that he wondered whether the viewers could see the cars bouncing around and nearly into each other. Note to Jeff: We could see them moving around all the way from the blimp camera. Here’s hoping the 500 field doesn’t get whittled down to 10 cars by Lap 175 … if the economic meltdown doesn’t do it before then.

During this week, we'll take a look at the top stories of 2009 and react to the Gatorade Duel races on Thursday. Speedweek is here, and not a moment too soon.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2008-12-01T15:05:00.005-05:00

The 2008 Sprint Cup season ends with a familiar face leading the way while the economy and NASCAR itself stare down the barrel of a potentially disastrous 2009. But before we as a country and beer-drinking racing fans embark down that treacherous path, it’s time to look at the 2008 season that can be summed up by five words: Busch, blown tires and Jimmie. In one of my first blog entries, I predicted the most important stories of the year would center around Sprint’s new sponsorship of NASCAR, Joe Gibbs changing to Toyota, the COT’s first year, Cup drivers dominating Nationwide and, of course, Dale Jr. Well, three-outta-five ain’t bad, right?

The first half of the season was all about Joe Gibbs Racing and, more importantly, Kyle Busch’s rise to the NASCAR elite. No one could touch the No. 18 as kid racked up eight victories during the regular season. Then, the bottom inexplicably fell out as Busch barely made it in the Top-10 of the points standings by the end of the Chase. Regardless, Busch, Gibbs and Toyota have proven they will be players for many years.

The Car of Today would proved to be a worth successor, although it tore up Goodyear tires like Cole Trickle. Atlanta proved to be a brutal testing ground in March when the tire compound was too hard, causing the cars to become ridiculously loose in the corners. But the war between the heavier COT and Goodyear rubber finally came to a head at Indianapolis when NASCAR threw caution flags every 10 to 14 laps to make sure the teams didn’t stretch the tire’s performance limit. It was a pathetic display, and one that never seemed fully corrected. NASCAR, Goodyear and the teams must figure out what’s causing the problems and find a happy medium to combine good racing with safety.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a somewhat successful inaugural season at Hendrick by capturing a win in June. But his inability to turn strong runs into quality finishes cost him a shot at the championship. Still, teammate Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, flourished beginning at the midpoint of the season to capture their third-straight Cup. It’s an amazing accomplishment by a team that shows no signs of slowing down. Carl Edwards was gracious in losing, but he had an equally stellar season. He might be the 2008 champion if not for a boneheaded move at Talladega where he triggered a multi-car crash that Johnson miraculously avoided.

But the most important story of 2008 may have lasting ramifications for NASCAR. The economic downturn is hitting all facets of American life, but motorsports will especially be affected because teams deeply rely on sponsorship dollars. NASCAR already took the extraordinary step of banning testing at all Sprint Cup tracks and DEI and Ganassi agreed to merge. Expect more to follow that lead as 43-car fields become a thing of the past. Regan Smith won rookie of the year and was promptly handed his walking papers. On top of all that, imagine what will happen if General Motors, Ford or Chrysler go under. The landscape of NASCAR is changing faster than any one could have predicted just a year ago. It will be interesting to see what the sport looks like when the cars take the green flag at Daytona on Feb. 15.

From PPMS to Daytona's white sandy beaches, thanks for reading this year. I will periodically post here before starting up again full-time in February. Good luck and see y'all in 2009 ... hopefully.

"Moose Hunt" for Mike

2008-11-20T15:41:00.009-05:00

Track operators at Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania will hold a "Moose Hunt" charity dinner this weekend for the track official injured by an out-of-control race car at a sister speedway in Indiana County.

Mike “Moose” Polena, 42, of Sarver, Pa., suffered multiple injuries on Oct. 10 when an enraged driver purposely crashed into another racer at Challenger Speedway, causing the car to careen into Polena as he prepared to line up cars on the track. He was taken to a Pittsburgh-area hospital following the crash. One of Polena’s coworkers said Thursday that he has not yet returned to work and is continuing “intense physical therapy” to rehab his severely damaged knee.

To help Polena, speedway officials will host a “Moose Hunt” spaghetti dinner and Chinese auction on Sunday at the Saxonburg Fire Department ballroom in Butler County. The event is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and costs $7 for adults and $5 for children. Call 724-352-5957 or go to the speedway’s Web site for more info.

(Thanks to track photographer Cory Stivason for the picture)

Flip-flopped

2008-11-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

Being a gracious loser can be difficult, but Carl Edwards climbed from his winning car, performed his traditional victory backflip and the walked towards Jimmie Johnson. Understanding it was Johnson’s day and not his, he shook the No. 48 driver’s hand, patted his helmet and then walked away. In victory lane, Edwards appeared almost distraught at how close he had come – just 69 points - to winning his first championship. But looking at the numbers, he did win the championship, at least in my mind.

Using the non-Chase points system, Edwards would have topped Johnson by just 16 points. Of course, Johnson probably would have raced harder at Homestead had the points race been narrower and nothing should be taken away from him or his team. I have no doubt he could have, and would have, won this championship if the points deficit was substantially less. He is a great champion and leader of NASCAR.

But this should once and for all finish the theory that the Chase creates excitement. If this year showed anything, the drivers are plenty capable of doing that at the track. It’s time for Brian France to reverse course on the Chase and go back to the original points format, albeit with a greater emphasis on winning. Now is the time to show that in NASCAR, unlike others sports, the driver and team that win must be the best during the entire year. If that were the case this year, we would’ve been in for one hell of a race at Homestead.

2008 Non-Chase Points
1. Carl Edwards – 5236
2. Jimmie Johnson (–16)
3. Kyle Busch (-252)
4. Greg Biffle (-489)
5. Jeff Burton (-527)
6. Dale Earnhardt (-541)
7. Kevin Harvick (-608)
8. Jeff Gordon (-699)
9. Tony Stewart (-749)
10. Clint Bowyer (-749)
11. Denny Hamlin (-797)
12. Matt Kenseth (-929)
13. David Ragan (-945)

The rest of the points standings shook out relatively similar to the Chase standings. It’s amazing to see that Kyle Busch will barely squeak into the banquet table with a 10th place finish in the Chase. The eight-time winner in 2008 finished just two points ahead of Matt Kenseth, who had no victories. Has a driver with such a dominate first-half of the season ever fallen so fast? I doubt it.

Also, Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer would have tied in the non-Chase format. But Stewart would have been placed ahead of Bowyer because Stewart had three more top-5 finishes. Look for more follow-up on the season this week before I shut down the blog for the winter. Thanks for reading.

What would Bob Saget do?

2008-11-11T12:55:00.007-05:00

How far has NASCAR fallen? Apparently, interest has dropped so much that the nation would rather watch a monkey scratching its butt than Jimmie Johnson coasting to victory lane and a third-straight championship. That decision has been the talk of the town this week after ABC-TV cut away from the Phoenix race Sunday night in order to broadcast “America’s Funniest Home Videos” - a legendary show that continues to succeed as long as stupid people own camcorders. The network switched the race over to ESPN2 with 34 laps remaining, which shouldn’t have been much of a problem, unless you’re one of the 3 percent of American households that still uses rabbit ear antennas. (Don't forget to order your digital transformer box from the federal government by February 2009!)

At the track, each team has a satellite feed to their pit box, so it seems they could have switched to either broadcast. With the No. 48 on cruise control, Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, apparently settled on the silly little monkey, as an unnamed crewman pointed out in victory lane.

“I knew we were in trouble when I looked at the monitor and saw a monkey scratching its butt," he said.

A friend of mine – better known around the blogosphere as Death Beer – watched AFHV and was deflated over the important decision. Oh no, he wasn’t upset that ABC booted the race, but rather that the wrong video purportedly won the $25,000 prize at the end.

“I thought the cat sliding off the slippery table beat the kid hitting his dad with a wiffle ball this week,” Mr. Beer said.

What was ABC thinking when they made this decision? Well, obviously, they were thinking about ratings. It's no surprise that the National Football League rules the ratings war against NASCAR, but it’s kinda sickening that AFHV is also apparently banking a heckuva lot more viewers than Sprint Cup racing. I realize there's a new host on the show, but maybe ABC’s best option is to get Bob Saget in a stock car at Homestead. A right-hand turn into the wall and a few barrel rolls could be as funny as his video narration. We could even mail in that home video for a shot at the $25,000 ... or maybe not.

The party's over

2008-11-10T16:29:00.002-05:00

Game over. Jimmie Johnson will win his third championship, putting him in the elite company of Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win the thrice in a row. It seems impossible for Carl Edwards to overcome a 141-point deficit to beat Johnson. It’s just not going to happen. Johnson usually runs poor at Homestead, but he would have to finish nearly dead last to blow this lead. He is the champion and deserves to be regardless of the championship format. Had NASCAR kept the original points standings format, however, Johnson would be leading by only 56. Still a strong lead, but not insurmountable.

A closer look at the non-Chase standings will show an airtight battle from eight to 11th. Jeff Gordon is just 57 points ahead of Denny Hamlin in 11th. That would be quite an interesting showdown between four drivers to see who could finish the season in the top-10. With this weekend’s race in Homestead will be a snoozer. Still, it’s nice to see a tight battle in Truck and Nationwide.

Standings after Phoenix
1. Jimmie Johnson – 5097
2. Carl Edwards – 5041 (-56)
3. Kyle Busch – 4878 (-219)
4. Jeff Burton – 4666 (-431)
5. Dale Earnhardt – 4655 (-432)
6. Greg Biffle – 4638 (-459)
7. Kevin Harvick – 4453 (-644)
8. Jeff Gordon – 4372 (-725)
9. Tony Stewart – 4344 (-753)
10. Clint Bowyer – 4332 (-765)
11. Denny Hamlin – 4315 (-782)
12. Matt Kenseth – 4214 (-883)
13. David Ragan – 4208 (-889)

Chase race tightens

2008-11-03T10:18:00.004-05:00

Don’t tell Carl Edwards this championship is over. Despite a nearly insurmountable deficit behind points leader Jimmie Johnson, Edwards continues to run hard, win and chip away. He received some especially good luck when the No. 48 team hiccupped with the car’s set up that effectively stalled their sprint to the championship. Johnson went down a lap early and was never able to adjust the car to get back into contention. The result? Edwards made up 77 points on Johnson, giving him a legitimate, albeit outside, chance at the championship. Had NASCAR not messed up the championship points standing with Chase, the standings would be even closer. Could you imagine the excitement generated in Phoenix and Homestead with just 21 points seperating the best two drivers? It has shades of 1992, but it won’t happen because of the Chase. And NASCAR wonders why its rating are sinking and the stands are empty.

Standings after Texas
1. Jimmie Johnson – 4902
2. Carl Edwards – 4881 (-21)
3. Kyle Busch – 4736 (-166)
4. Jeff Burton – 4528 (-374)
5. Greg Biffle – 4503 (-399)
6. Dale Earnhardt – 4415 (-487)
7. Jeff Gordon – 4332 (-570)
8. Kevin Harvick – 4307 (-595)
9. Tony Stewart – 4247 (-655)
10. Clint Bowyer – 4205 (-697)
11. Denny Hamlin – 4160 (-742)
12. Matt Kenseth – 4096 (-806)
13. David Ragan – 4074 (-828)

Lugnuts and spare tires:
When is Jeff Gordon going to win a race? He finished second to Edwards, but it is still not enough to extend his 14-year winning streak that began in 1994 when he won the Coke 600 and Brickyard 400 In his second season. That streak is just behind Dale Earnhardt, who won at least once in 15 straight years, and Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace, both of whom had 16-year win streaks. Gordon still has two races left, and his best shot appears to be this week at Phoenix, where he is a perennial contender.

If weekly scrub David Gilliland’s career isn’t over, then it should be. The driver of the No. 38 Yates car has been a failure in two seasons in Cup, but he should be bagging groceries after his stunt Sunday night. He and Juan Montoya were scrapping it up when Gilliland made a hard left turn into the No. 42’s rear panel. It sent Montoya hard into the wall. Gilliland said he misjudged the move while trying to pull behind Montoya. What a bunch of B.S. He clearly tried to dump the No. 42 in what could’ve been a deadly move. And even if it was an honest miscalculation, that shows an utter lack of talent. Regardless, Paul Menard is taking his ride next year. If Yates was smart, he would make sure it happened immediately

NASCAR's golden era

2008-10-30T20:25:00.003-04:00

There was a time in the 1990s when the No. 4 Kodak Film Chevy was a major player in NASCAR. No more. If there is any example about how much NASCAR has changed in the past decade, merely look at that orangish-yellow Morgan-McClure car. Ernie Irvan won several races, including the 1991 Daytona 500 and Sterling Marlin succeeded him by winning back-to-back 500s a few years later. It’s fitting I found the above photo of Irvan in the black car chasing Marlin to the 1994 Daytona 500 checkers.

But two stories caught my eye as they scrolled across the ESPN.com wire. First, Kodak is leaving Penske Racing, thus halting it’s 22-year relationship with NASCAR. Additionally, Larry McClure, one of the founders of the No. 4, has been indicted on federal tax violations. Those two stories, side-by-side on the NEWS bar, slapped me square in the face. Not because these are earth-shattering developments – neither have been important pieces in recent years - but because it represents the end of an era.

Gone are most of the sponsors that helped NASCAR roar through the 1990s. Gone are single-car teams that defied the odds to win races against superteams such as Hendrick or Roush. Gone are the individual characteristics between each car manufacturer with the new cookie-cutter COT.

NASCAR shouldn’t live in the past (as I have a tendency to do) but this is a real gut check for hardcore racing fans. And maybe it’s an indication that it’s to suck it up and move past the 1990s. The 2009 season is just around the corner.

Atlanta rewind

2008-10-27T17:37:00.002-04:00

Not much else to say about Atlanta except that the No. 48 team is on a mission. Not only did they come back from a lap down early in the race, but Chad Knaus decided to pit for tires with less than 10 laps to go. It allowed Jimmie Johnson to rip through the field and finish behind winner Carl Edwards. That negated the huge points gain Edwards hoped for and all but cemented Johnson as a three-time champion baring a major blunder at Texas, Phoenix and Miami. Here are how the standings would look in the pre-2004 points format, and the top spots don't look much different than the Chase order.

Standings after Atlanta
1. Jimmie Johnson – 4784
2. Carl Edwards – 4686 (-98)
3. Kyle Busch – 4581 (-203)
4. Jeff Burton – 4404 (-380)
5. Greg Biffle – 4343 (-441)
6. Dale Earnhardt – 4307 (-477)
7. Kevin Harvick – 4224 (-560)
8. Jeff Gordon – 4157 (-627)
9. Tony Stewart – 4132 (-652)
10. Denny Hamlin – 4048 (-736)
11. Clint Bowyer – 4040 (-744)
12. Matt Kenseth – 3958 (-826)
13. David Ragan – 3944 (-840)

Road rage racer arrested

2008-10-20T16:09:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania State Police in Indiana County have arrested the racecar driver accused of crashing his car into another racer and seriously injuring a track official. Samuel M. McAdams, 27, of Blacklick, Pa., was charged Monday morning with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

Police said McAdams was racing at Challenger Speedway in Indiana County on Oct. 10 when another driver, Dale Zufall of Latrobe, spun him out in Turn 1. With the yellow flag out, McAdams drove backwards on the track and into Zufall’s car, causing it to spin out near the start-finish line where a track official was lining up other cars, police said. The official, Michael Polena, 42, of Sarver, Pa., suffered a bruised lung, dislocated kneecap and torn ligaments. He was taken to a Pittsburgh-area hospital where a co-worker named “Yvonne” reported in a previous post on this blog that Polena is “doing all right and in good spirits. … Hopefully, lessons will be learned from this experience.”

McAdams was arraigned Monday morning and released on an unsecured bond. Police said he is cooperating with their investigation.

Martinsville Monday

2008-10-20T15:18:00.003-04:00

While calling the presidential race for Barack Obama might be a tad bit early, the same cannot be said for Jimmie Johnson in his pursuit for a third-consecutive Sprint Cup title. Johnson had another flawless performance at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, easily holding off late charges by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Team Lowes is a machine that simply doesn’t make mistakes under the leadership of crew chief Chad Knaus. Therefore, the only thing that’s left for them is to steer clear of the crashes. And considering their luck over the past six races, that shouldn’t be hard to do with their seemingly insurmountable points lead.

The rest of the race was pretty mediocre for the top-Chasers. Carl Edwards finished third, but Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and The Biff did very little. The championship race would be slightly tighter, although still be a runaway, if NASCAR was using the pre-Chase points format. Regardless, the No. 48 is running as well, if not better, than Jeff Gordon and the Rainbow Warriors did a decade ago. The number, driver and paint scheme all are different, but Hendrick is back at it again with another winning combination.

Here’s a look at the standings as they would appear before the Chase. Notice that David Ragan would have bypassed Matt Kenseth for 12th place in the standings.

Standings after Martinsville
1. Jimmie Johnson – 4609 (Leader)
2. Carl Edwards – 4496 (-113)
3. Kyle Busch – 4426 (-183)
4. Jeff Burton – 4295 (-314)
5. Greg Biffle – 4204 (-405)
6. Dale Earnhardt – 4172 (-437)
7. Kevin Harvick – 4100 (-509)
8. Tony Stewart – 4020 (-589)
9. Jeff Gordon – 4019 (-590)
10. Clint Bowyer – 3937 (-672)
11. Denny Hamlin – 3878 (-731)
12. David Ragan - 3802 (-807)
13. Matt Kenseth – 3788 (-821)

Road rage

2008-10-14T13:52:00.004-04:00

Found a bizarre story on the wire about a race car driver with a severe case of road rage. According to The Associated Press, a driver at Challenger Raceway in Indiana County, Pa., became angry after a fellow racer spun him out near the end of one of the feature events Saturday night. Rather than getting out of his car and having a few words with the other driver, he drove in the wrong direction on the track and crashed into the other car. That sent the two cars careening into a 42-year-old track official. The official, Michael Polena, was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital with a dislocated left knee, torn ligaments and a bruised lung. Now state police are preparing to file charges against the driver, who investigators declined to identify.

This is one of the most bizarre racing stories I've ever read, although it reminds me of my younger video gaming days when I'd play NASCAR Racing 2 on my home computer. Sure, I'd spin my car around and drive more than 200 mph the wrong way at Talladega. It'd create quite a spectacular crash - mostly aimed at Jeff Gordon - but at least no one got hurt. However, this short-tracking idiot from Indiana County must never be allowed to set foot inside a race track again. Racing is dangerous enough without this joker on the track. The consequences are too severe for this type of stupidity.

Burton seizes the night

2008-10-13T10:08:00.002-04:00

A smile curled upon my lips as NASCAR’s good guy, Jeff Burton, pulled away from Jimmie Johnson and left Kasey Kahne in the dust. In today’s Sprint Cup, angry exchanges or flashy celebrations are the norm. That’s a lot of fun, but it was even better to watch Burton tote that checkered flag while driving the Polish victory lap made famous by Alan Kulwicki, the long-forgotten 1992 Winton Cup Champion. Moments later I received a text message from a friend offering the same sentiment: “Seeing J Burton win makes me smile.”

Regardless of the sappy sentiments, Burton’s win is significant in that it brings him within striking of the points leader Johnson. He’s now only 69 points back and appears to one of three drivers with a shot at the title. What was most striking about the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s on Saturday night was how many Chase drivers had problems. Carl Edwards came in leading, but had a myriad of problems and dropped to fourth. And the championship hopes for Dale Earnhardt conclusively faded after another poor finish.

So barring a miracle, the championship will come down to Johnson, Burton and Greg Biffle. Edwards and Clint Bowyer each have an outside chance, but they better turn things around now. And for Burton, that’s a better shot than he would’ve had in the previous points format. Here’s what the standings would look like under the pre-2004 format.

Standings after Charlotte
Jimmie Johnson – 4414 (Leader)
Kyle Busch – 4350 (-64)
Carl Edwards – 4331 (-83)
Jeff Burton - 4183 (-231)
Greg Biffle – 4072 (-342)
Dale Earnhardt – 4002 (-412)
Kevin Harvick – 3954 (-460)
Tony Stewart – 3935 (-479)
Jeff Gordon – 3854 (-560)
Clint Bowyer – 3799 (-615)
Denny Hamlin – 3723 (-691)
Matt Kenseth – 3641 (-773)

Goodyear's tired act

2008-10-06T14:27:00.003-04:00

Talladega certainly was a wild card – as were those unpredictable Goodyear tires – that shook up the Chase for the Cup. But if the old points format was in place today, the championship standings would be an interesting three-driver fight between Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Here’s a look a the anti-Chase simulation under the pre-2004 system.

Standings after Talladega
1. Carl Edwards – 4267
2. Jimmie Johnson (–13)
3. Kyle Busch (-82)
4. Jeff Burton (-274)
5. Dale Earnhardt (-320)
6. Greg Biffle (-346)
7. Kevin Harvick (-437)
8. Tony Stewart (-467)
9. Jeff Gordon (-560)
10. Clint Bowyer (-595)
11. Denny Hamlin (-659)
12. Matt Kenseth (-671)

A few thoughts crossed my mind as the checkered flag dropped on Regan Smith. First, of course, was who should have won? While Smith did break the rules by going below the yellow line, Stewart pushed him there, which I believe also is illegal. Smith said if he didn’t go low, he would have hit Stewart’s car and started a pileup. Well, why didn’t he? Isn’t that how Kyle Busch won at Talladega in the spring? If NASCAR punishes most drivers in those situations – Smith finished 18th rather than 2nd – then it’s about time they learn to hold their groove above the yellow line and the consequences be damned.

Also, when is Goodyear going to get its act together? ESPN interviewed a Goodyear official in a pathetic attempt to explain why the tires were being blown out worse than the Chicago Cubs. He blamed it on drivers running over debris. I’ve been watching restrictor plate racing for a long time and never have I seen that many tire failures. It’s time NASCAR investigates the problem itself and forces Goodyear to act … or else.

If you like big wrecks, then Talladega was the race to watch, but I prefer to see a great finish. In the end, we got an interesting race to the checkers, albeit, somewhat unsatisfying.

Tour de Diesel

2008-10-03T14:47:00.003-04:00

More than 180 drivers will rotate in two-dozen silver Audi’s as they make a 4,800-mile trip from New York City to Los Angeles to promote the use of diesel-fueled cars. The 14-day trip, which begins Monday, will swing through Jennerstown, Somerset County, as the tour stops Tuesday afternoon for a bite to eat at Green Gables Restaurant on Somerset Pike. The parade of diesel Audi’s then will jump on the Pennsylvania Turnpike towards Cleveland and Chicago.

“The purpose is to show that diesel is not what it used to be,” said Jane Yuan, a publicist for Audi. “People think it’s dirty and expensive or not as efficient and convenient. We want to try and educate the American consumer that diesel is better and has more (mileage) longevity.”

So why would such a high-profile fleet drive straight into rural Jennerstown? Yuan said it's to showcase the diesel-fueled cars on all types of roads: Highways, secondary streets and country roads. While diesel does get better fuel mileage, it typically costs about a dollar more a gallon than unleaded. It will be interesting to see if Americans make the switch while keeping a close eye on their gas gauge.

Godspeed, A.J.

2008-10-01T10:51:00.003-04:00

At least A.J. Allmendinger went out with a bang. The now former Team Red Bull driver finished his undistinguished two seasons in the No. 84 with a ninth-place finish at Kansas and received a swift kick out the door. The former open-wheel star, who is being replaced by Mike Skinner and Scott Speed, is now looking for a new ride and has garnered some interest.

But two questions come to my mind. Why doesn’t Allmendinger make a return to Indy cars and why is Red Bull hiring another former open-wheel driver in Speed? Haven’t they already learned from their mistake of hiring a rookie not ready for the heavier and less agile stock cars? It amazed me to hear they were replacing a NASCAR novice open-wheeler with, well, another NASCAR novice open-wheeler.

Speed, a former Formula One driver, has raced in 10 Truck races this year and won at Dover. Good, albeit preliminary, results. But the decision to place him in the car should still raise a few red flags. Maybe the rationale was explained by Allmendinger last week when he said decision was made by executives in Red Bull’s corporate headquarters in Austria. Red Bull may give you wings, but it won’t necessarily give you stock car talent.

Up in smoke

2008-09-29T10:49:00.010-04:00

It would be a monumental understatement to say that Kyle Busch blew his shot at the Sprint Cup title. The driver and team that could do nothing wrong in the first 26 races have done nothing right over the past three weeks. And it couldn’t have happened at a worst time. Busch had what appeared to be an insurmountable 207-point lead before the Chase began, but because of the recalibrated standings, that was whittled down to merely 30 going into New Hampshire.

Standings after Richmond
1. Kyle Busch – 3878
2. Carl Edwards (–207)
3. Jimmie Johnson (–302)
4. Dale Earnhardt (–390)
5. Jeff Burton (–494)
6. Tony Stewart (–593)
7. Kevin Harvick (–595)
8. Greg Biffle (–598)
9. Denny Hamlin (–643)
10. Jeff Gordon (–657)
11. Matt Kenseth (–746)
12. Clint Bowyer (–762)
13. Kasey Kahne (–831)
14. David Ragan (–839)

So what would the standings look like now had his large lead not been wiped out and would he still be on the verge of blowing the championship if not for the Chase? The answer is yes. Busch’s season has tanked so badly since Richmond that he would’ve lost the points lead even under the pre-2004 points standings configuration. That’s what makes this meltdown that much more incredible as Busch's chances went up in smoke with another poor finish Sunday. It's an unheard of 331-point swing over the last three races. Here’s what the standings would look like without the Chase.

Standings after Kansas
1. Carl Edwards – 4186
2. Jimmie Johnson (–75)
3. Kyle Busch (-124)
4. Dale Earnhardt (-323)
5. Jeff Burton (-358)
6. Greg Biffle (-361)
7. Kevin Harvick (-464)
8. Jeff Gordon (-533)
9. Tony Stewart (-581)
10. Denny Hamlin (-629)
11. Clint Bowyer (-669)
12. Matt Kenseth (-680)
13. David Ragan (-817)
14. Kasey Kahne (-824)

It's not a secret that I hate the Chase. So each week I'd like to revisit these standings to see who the "real" champion would be had NASCAR not blown up a perfectly good points system.

Pittsburger 100

2008-09-23T16:47:00.001-04:00

Steve Baker led from start to finish Saturday night to win the 20th annual Pittsburgher 100 at Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Baker of Fairmont, W.Va., held off a late-race challenge by Davey Johnson and beat 30 other drivers to earn $12,000 for the victory. The best finisher from Washington County was McDonald resident Brandon Burgoon, who finished 11th. Forty-eight drivers attempted to qualify for the lucrative race and 16 were sent home. The event was part of the Unified Force Championship Tour that sends late model drivers to tracks in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

Pittsburgher 100 results
1. Steve Baker - Fairmont, W.Va.
2. Davey Johnson - Latrobe
3. Doug Dodd - Cambridge, Ohio
4. Alex Ferree - Saxonburg
5. Josh Richards - Shinston, W.Va.
6. Jeremy Miller – Gettysburg
7. Matt Lux – Franklin
8. Lynn Geisler – Cranberry
9. Al Atallah – Bridgeville
10. Dave Hess, Jr. – Waterford

Crate Late/Semi-late models – 25-lap feature
1. Kyle Lukon - Burgettstown
2. Bryant Hank
3. Daryl Charlier
4. Mike Pegher Jr.
5. Rocky Kugel

E-Modifieds/UEMS – 25-lap feature
1. Keith Berner – Millersburg, Ohio
2. Randy Hall
3. Dave Groves
4. Jacob Hawkins
5. Daryl Charlier

Pure Stocks/B-Cadets – 25-lap feature
1. Pat Weldon - Monongahela
2. Tim Folmer
3. Bill Robertson
4. Bobby Heim
5. Pat Hanley

Amateur Stocks – 12-lap feature
1. Eric Goldberg – Pittsburgh
2. Gary Smith
3. Jeff Broniszewski
4. Brian Huchko
5. Joey Koteles

Three-car chase

2008-09-22T09:22:00.002-04:00

What a race. The last 20 laps were astounding as three Roush-Fenway teammates bumped and battled for the checkers in the second Chase event at Dover. The ESPN commentators were saying this was one of the best races at Dover they’ve ever seen. And they were right. Thankfully, the Steelers/Eagles were at halftime, giving me and other Pittsburghers plenty of time to watch the mad dash to the finish.

This wasn’t a typical race with a few cars shifting around each other for an important win. The fact these were teammates, all of whom raced each other clean, is what made this race so special. Matt Kenseth first battled Carl Edwards with about 20 to go and eventually got past him. Then he had to hold off a furious challenge from Greg Biffle, who eventually took the lead on lap 9 and never looked back. All of this, meanwhile, happened around a pack of lap cars.

Most watching had to think Edwards was out of it because he took only two tires on the final pit stop. But several lap cars slowed Kenseth and Biffle, allowing him to catch up and even get a nose under the first place car. It just makes you wonder what team owner Jack Roush was thinking during those frantic 20 laps. Sure, he had a great shot of one of his cars winning, but it seems as if the chances of a three-car disaster were even more likely. Could you imagine the headlines today if those three crashed each other with a few laps to go? But they didn’t, and it appears Roush is well positioned for his third Cup title in six years.

This is what NASCAR should be about. Regardless of how the Chase unfolds in the next eight weeks, this was one of the best Sprint Cup races I’ve seen in quite a while.

Bowyer's banana split

2008-09-18T16:29:00.004-04:00

It was obvious NASCAR made it to the big time when Jeff Gordon on several occasions co-hosted the popular morning show, Live with Regis and Kelly, earlier this century. But what does it say about the sport when the drivers are seen on that same show having an ice cream battle? Before heading for my late-shift on Wednesday, I turned on the tube and saw the top six drivers sitting on stools and being interviewed by Reg and Kelly. These weren’t your typical racing questions, of course, but the hosts wanted to know why Dale Earnhardt Jr. is so popular. Kyle Busch quickly quipped, “The ladies love him.”

If seeing NASCAR’s six best drivers squirming in suits while sitting on high stools wasn’t bizarre enough, they turned the segment into a game show. After the commercial break, workers covered the set with a tarp, set up large ice cream buckets and fitted the host and their guests scoopers and cones. One driver tossed a ball of ice cream to his teammate, who was supposed to catch it in the cone while several feet away. Pretty stupid and pretty boring. Busch seemed to have the best touch, though, and caught three.

But the most entertaining part came a few seconds after the buzzer rang and the competition ended. The drivers gave a few fake chuckles as they looked over to the official timer. That’s when a large ball of Vanilla came whipping by and narrowly missed Clint Bowyer’s crotch. Carl Edwards, known for his workout routines and chiseled physique, had some serious power behind that flying frozen dairy. Sure, it was a clever prank, but a few inches to the left and Edwards may have turned Bowyer into a true banana split.

Chasing the Top-10

2008-09-16T09:28:00.002-04:00

One of my NASCAR buddies brought up an interesting point over the weekend while watching the first Chase race at New Hampshire. Maybe it was obvious to him because his favorite driver is out of the playoffs, but he found it odd that ABC-TV paid little or no attention to the 31 cars outside the Chase. I didn’t find it that unusual, however, considering those 12 Chasers are the most prominent cars going for the championship. But more importantly, could it also be that the best cars are naturally running up front? It would be questionable for ABC to show the field-filler cars running in 30th position. So I looked into the statistics from last year’s Chase and found some interesting results.

Chasers won nine of the 10 races last year with only non-playoff contender Greg Biffle notching a victory last season at Kansas. The percentage for Chase driver finishing in the Top-10 also was surprisingly high. The 12 Chasers combined to finish in Top-10 positions 63 percent of the time. That means on average, about six Chase drivers finished in the Top-10 each race. And eight Chasers finished in the Top-10 in each of the final three races last year at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead.

So is ABC knowingly showing only Chase drivers, or does it just happen that way because most of them are running up front. The best way to find out this weekend is to watch that scrolling results ticker at the top of the screen. If the first 10 positions are stuffed mostly with those yellow-filled names, then I guess we have our answer.

Weekend events

2008-09-12T15:44:00.003-04:00

Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, Pa., is hosting its Nostalgia Day this Saturday. The event begins at 11 a.m. and will feature a car show, car cruise and an eighth-mile drag races using cars manufactured before 1980. Don “Big Daddy” Garlits will be at the track to sign autographs and showcase his “Swamp Rat” 12-B car built in 1968. The Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit will begin making runs down the drag strip at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets to watch the drag racing is $15 for adults. For more information, go to PRP’s Web site.

Southern disaster

2008-09-10T11:24:00.001-04:00

You probably already know that Chip Ganassi Racing is in shambles. The racing titan from Western Pennsylvania earlier this year disbanded the No. 40 NASCAR team and lost promising driver Reed Sorensen to Gillett-Evernham. Oddly, the same cannot be said for Ganassi’s open-wheel teams as they continue to flourish in IndyCar. His driver, Scott Dixon, this weekend won his second championship since 2003. Ganassi also has tapped Dario Franchitti, who struggled mightily in NASCAR, to replace outgoing Dan Wheldon. Franchitti, the 2007 Indy 500 winner and series champion, should be able to make a seamless transition. Why he ever attempted to switch to NASCAR is still questionable, but it did get him out of his contract with Andretti-Green Racing after last year.

But what is going on with Gannasi’s Cup program? Currently, he is running two mediocre cars and only has Juan Montoya under contract for 2009. That is a far cry from when Sterling Marlin was challenging for the Cup in 2002 before sitting out the last few races with an injury. Gannasi bought a piece of Sabco Motorsports in 2000 and thought he could turn the struggling team around. His reasons were well-founded because he was coming off four CART championships from 1996-99 and an Indy 500 victory in 2000. And to some extent, Ganassi proved he could succeed in NASCAR. However, it was short-lived.

Now the question should be asked whether he is tarnishing his racing legacy by running a second-rate NASCAR program that distracts attention from his IndyCar triumphs. Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Joe Gibbs don’t flirt with other racing series. And recent history has rewarded them with great seasons. Maybe that’s the problem with Ganassi; although he is very dedicated to the Cup program, he has too much on his plate and isn’t able to keep up with the other teams. He clearly puts a lot of time into the IndyCars as this year’s championship shows, but at what cost to his Cup drivers? He has one foot out of NASCAR and that’s not the way to run a successful program. If this trend continues, it won’t be long before Montoya also walks out that door. If that happens, it’s only a matter of time before Ganassi closes the garage doors in North Carolina and takes up permanent residence in Indianapolis. His luster is starting to wear thin.

Handicapping the Chase

2008-09-08T14:11:00.001-04:00

Now that the meaningless first 26 races are in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look at the top 12 drivers and assess each of their chances to win the inaugural Sprint Cup. The three drivers to beat are obviously Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and now Jimmie Johnson with his hot streak. Here’s how the points shake out as we move to New Hampshire.

Kyle Busch – Leader
Carl Edwards – 30
Jimmie Johnson – 40
Clint Bowyer – 70
Jeff Burton – 70
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 70
Denny Hamlin – 70
Greg Biffle – 80
Jeff Gordon – 80
Kevin Harvick - 80
Matt Kenseth – 80
Tony Stewart – 80

Biffle, Gordon, Harvick, Kenseth and Stewart have not won this year, although the No. 20 car has been strong at times. But Stewart and his team can’t be considered contenders with the distraction of his impending departure weighing on their minds. Consider those five drivers out of the running barring a miracle turnaround to their largely forgettable seasons. Bowyer, Burton Earnhardt and Hamlin all have won once this year, but only Earnhardt has been consistent enough to be considered a contender. He certainly has the chance to pour it on at the end of the season, but he must start winning races rather than finishing just in the top 10.

But the true battle remains with the top three. Pay no attention to the slight points advantage going into New Hampshire this weekend. Instead, look at the body of their work. Busch has been unstoppable most of the year and if he continues that early-season pace, he will undoubtedly win the championship and promptly flip the bird to Rick Hendrick and company. But he has been underperforming in recent weeks heading into the Chase, raising the questions of whether his No. 18 is running out of steam.

Edwards has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the year, although he struggled somewhat after losing crew chief Bob Osbourne following his victory at California. Still, the No. 99 is running great at the intermediate tracks that dominate the Chase. But the driver everyone has their eyes on is obviously Jimmie Johnson. Hendrick Motorsports was left for dead this year until Johnson salvaged the season with four victories, including the last two races. He is the two-time defending champion and should be considered the favorite. It appears he and his team are peaking at the right time, so this should make quite an interesting three-horse race to finish.

Belated Motorsports Monday

2008-09-02T11:58:00.002-04:00

Back from the three-day weekend, here are the Labor Day results from Motordrome and Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The * denotes heat winners.

Motordrome – Aug. 29
NASCAR Super Late Models
1. Garry Wiltrout*
2. Mark Poole
3. Steve Black
4. Richard Mitchell*
5. Bobby Henry
6. Todd Price
7. John Komarinski
8. Cody Quarack
9. Michael Zombar
10. Greg Kelley

Modifieds
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. Bobby Shipp*
3. Gary Scott
4. George Nicola
5.Harry Opfer

Street Stocks
1. Johnathan Hileman
2. Jon Greenawalt
3. Ted Gibala
4. Joe Nicola
5. Shawn Phillips*

Charger
1. Mike Lemley
2. Tracy Keller
3. Chris Spadacene
4. Denny Keller*
5. Robert Garchak Jr.

American Flyers
1. Ed Dineen*
2. Garrett O’Patchen
3. Paul Rosa
4. Ronald Eiford
5. Edward Shelpman

PPMS – Aug. 30
Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Jared Miley
2. Lou Bradich
3. Al Atallah
4. Brandon Burgoon*
5. John Flinner*
6. Lynn Geisler
7. Mike Johnson
8. Ben Miley
9. Brandon Wearing
10. Rich Apolito

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Mike Pegher, Jr.
2. Jason Rider
3. Daryl Charlier
4. Rocky Kugel*
5. Bryant Hank

E-Modifieds – 15-lap feature
1. Daryl Charlier
2. Wayne Tessean
3. Chuck Kennedy*
4. Tom Martineck
5. Kevin Miller

Pure Stocks – 12-lap feature
1. Pat Weldon
2. Vince Kamicker*
3. Jake Simmons
4. Bob Schwartzmiller*
5. Bill Robertson

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Gary Koteles*
2. Eric Goldberg
3. Jason Herniak
4. Rich Mason
5. J.J. O'Patchen

Reading while driving

2008-09-02T09:48:00.002-04:00

By Amanda Gillooly
O-R Staff Writer
agillooly@observer-reporter.com

I’m hardly one to preach about highway safety issues. I’m car insurance poor, and my Dodge POS has the dings and scratches to prove it. I’ve gotten speeding tickets, a citation for running a red light (I kept telling the nice officer it was merely yellow…) and I’ve gotten hit broadside by a huge utility van. I’ve rear-ended a parked car, and I’ve locked my keys in my car several times – but luckily, the engine was only running during one of those experiences.

But I’ve never driven impaired. I don’t want to downplay the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but motorists can be just as dangerous when they’re under the influence of stupidity. I experience these “DUIS” motorists everyday as I cruise the 30-some miles from my palace on Neville Island to my pod on North Main in WashPa. While I understand that we live in a society where multitasking is a given, there are some activities that just need to wait.

I guess I’m not an innocent. I’ve applied lip gloss and swept my eyelashes with black mascara while behind the wheel. But I was at a red light. Promise. But reading the newspaper? No good.

When I reached the Washington County line this morning, I encountered a beige sedan cruising at…wait for it…49 mph. “OK,” I thought. “You can’t fault a man for being cautious.” About 10 seconds after processing that thought, the dude’s car began slowly weaving between the white lines. Not wanting to add any more incidents to my driving resume, I clicked on my left turn signal and slipped into the passing lane.

Out of morbid curiosity, I glanced over at the driver and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The guy had the newspaper spread across his steering wheel. That would explain the weaving, I thought. But my question remains: Aren’t there more comfortable places to read the headlines? My podmate and friend, Barb Miller, had a better question...

“Were they at least reading the Observer-Reporter?” she asked.

That, I guess, would be the silver lining.

Fightin' mad

2008-08-27T15:52:00.003-04:00

I didn’t see Saturday night’s race at Bristol, which is a bad thing. But I sure as heck saw the replays on ESPN over and over and over again, which is a good thing … for NASCAR. For the first time in recent memory, we have a rivalry between two drivers that is worthy of the Sprint Cup Series hype. If you missed it (like I did) Carl Edwards booted Kyle Busch out of the way with about 30 laps to go and went on to win the Sharpie 500. It was classic Bristol and brought back memories of when Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte tangled in 1996 and 99. Sure, we’ve had fights between drivers before. After all, it was a tussle between Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison that launched NASCAR into the mainstream following that infamous 1979 Daytona 500 (shown above). But when has there been such hatred between the two best drivers in the sport?

The bump allowed Edwards to win easily, but the fireworks didn’t stop there. Busch - clearly bitter and clinging to his guns and religion - rammed into the side of Edwards’ car twice after the race and sped off. Edwards paid back the points leader by spinning him out, bringing a roar from the Tennessee crowd. In their post-race interviews, Busch called Edwards “Mr. Ed” in reference to the toothy-grinned, talking horse. Edwards responded by saying if he had to do it over again, he’d bump Busch even harder. Awesome.

And what did these two get for their Saturday night indiscretion? A slap on the wrist. NASCAR responded to the post-race shenanigans by putting both drivers on probation for the next six weeks. The sanctioning body is sending a clear message that it LOVES this kind of entertainment and badly needs it to pull up the sagging ratings. Busch and Edwards have been battling each other all season, and we can only beg for more. The Chase will bunch up the 12 contending drivers, but there are only two drivers I’ll be watching during the final 10 races. Keep it up boys.

Motorsports Monday

2008-08-25T13:41:00.003-04:00

Weekend results from Motordrome Speedway, Pittsburgh Raceway Park and Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. PRP had a double feature and all results are listed by their dates.

Motordrome Results - Aug. 22
NASCAR Super Late Models
1. Richard Mitchell
2. Tommy Beck*
3. Mark Poole
4. Garry Wiltrout*
5. Bobby Henry
6. Neil Brown
7. Todd Price
8. Mark Cottone
9. Beau Glemba
10. Greg Kelley

Modifieds
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. Bobby Shipp
3. Harry Opfer
4. Lonnie Hoffman
5. Gary Scott

Street Stocks
1. Ted Gibala
2. Shawn Phillips*
3. Jonathon Hileman*
4. Joe Nicola
5. Thomas Knight Sr.

Charger
1. Chris Spadacene
2. Denny Keller
3. Tracy Keller
4. Mike Lemley
5. William Oldham

American Flyers
1. Stanley Nodina
2. Ed Dinneen
3. Paul Rosa*
4. Ronald Eiford
5. Edward Shelpman

PRP Results – Aug. 23
Modified: David Dominick of Pittsburgh (10.41 sec/120 mph) DEFEATED Mark Romeo of New Alexandria (11.43 sec/114 mph)

Top Dragster: Anthony Kronek of Reedsville, W.Va. (7.95 sec/165 mph) DEFEATED Ron Boyce of Blairsville (10.02 sec/131 mph)

Street: Richard Penn of Tarentum (12.05 sec/104 mph) DEFEATED Joey Pinskey of Greensburg (12.13 sec/111 mph)

Trophy: Mark Noel of Greensburg (14.76 sec/92 mph) DEFEATED Matthew Vitous of Elizabeth (16.51 sec/82 mph)

Motorcycle: Brandon Gilbert of Hollsopple (10.28 sec/130 mph) DEFEATED Calvin Collins of Pittsburgh (9.53 sec/146 mph)

PPMS Results – Aug. 23

Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Jared Miley*
2. Brandon Burgoon
3. John Flinner*
4. Lynn Geisler
5. Steve Baker
6. Tommy Beck
7. Ben Miley
8. Keith Rodriguez
9. Jim Lepro
10. Kyle Lukon

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Daniel Angelicchio*
2. Daryl Charlier
3. Justin Lamb
4. Tommy Schirnhofer
5. Josh Holtgraver

E-Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Daryl Charlier
2. Wayne Tessean
3. J.E. Stalder*
4. Chuck Kennedy*
5. Kevin Miller

Pure Stocks – 20-lap feature
1. Jake Simmons*
2. Pat Weldon*
3. Bill Robertson
4. Nick Kocuba
5. Bob Schwartzmiller

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Jeff Broniszewski
2. Craig Koteles
3. Eric Goldberg
4. J.J. O'Patchen
5. Jason Herniak

PRP Results – Aug. 24
Modified: Allison Benish of Irwin (12.66 sec) DEFEATED Don McGuire of Export (9.61 sec)

Top Dragster: Dave Trapletti of Greensburg (7.49 sec/172 mph) DEFEATED Keith Bronson Sr. of Latrobe (8.66 sec/159 mph)

Street: Jeff Stewart of Fairmont, W.Va. (12.00 sec/104 mph) DEFEATED Joseph Devola of Greensburg (13.11 sec/99 mph)

Trophy: Joan Engelhardt of Latrobe (14.64 sec/91 mph) DEFEATED Robert Meyers, of Greensburg (17.76 sec/76 mph)

Motorcycle: Ron Lutz of Trafford (9.23 sec/134 mph) DEFEATED Andre Roche of Pittsburgh (9.90 sec/136 mph)

Travis Geisler promoted

2008-08-20T13:18:00.010-04:00

Just received news that Travis Geisler, the 27-year-old Cranberry, Pa. native working on Penske Racing's No. 12 team, has been promoted to crew chief for Sam Hornish Jr.'s No. 77 car. Geisler replaces Chris Carrier as crew chief and will start his new job atop the pit box this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Geisler, featured last week on 'Jonesin' for Speed', won the Daytona 500 earlier this year as team engineer for driver Ryan Newman. Click on the link for the full story in the Observer-Reporter.

Chase changes

2008-08-19T13:50:00.004-04:00

Wasn't it just a couple weeks ago we were suggesting a new Chase schedule? Well, apparently NASCAR regularly reads 'Jonesin' for Speed' and responded to the request. According to The Associated Press, Atlanta is out and California is in. Also, Talladega will now be the seventh race in the 2009 Chase and California takes 'Dega's old spot in fourth. So what does this mean? Basically, they added a boring race with California and gave more importance to Talladega with the "big one" crash. And it surely will have drivers pulling their hair out. But at least it adds a little variety and spice.

2009 Chase Schedule
New Hampshire
Dover
Kansas
California
Charlotte
Martinsville
Talladega
Texas
Phoenix
Miami

Motorsports Monday

2008-08-18T15:37:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but I just got back to the office after a vacation in Myrtle Beach. S.C. Here's the weekend results from Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Motordrome Speedway and Pittsburgh Raceway Park. And as always, the (*) denotes the heat winners.

PRP Results – Aug. 16
Modified
Mark Romeo of New Alexandria (11.41 sec/113 mph) DEFEATED Kirk Eger of Cecil (9.40 sec/144 mph)

Top Dragster
Jacob Meinert of Jeanette (8.33 sec/156 mph) DEFEATED Tim Vislosky of Indiana, Pa. (8.79 sec/151 mph)

Street
Joel Pinskey of Greensburg (12.04 sec/112 mph) DEFEATED A.J. Casper of Greensburg (11.98 sec/109.78 mph)

Trophy
Shawn Booher of Freeport DEFEATED Mark Schreiber of Stow, Ohio (Fouled)

Motorcycle
Rick Sheppick of Van Voorhis (9.79 sec/137 mph) DEFEATED Jesse Boone of Jeanette (9.69 sec/138 mph)

PPMS Results - Aug. 16
Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Steve Baker of Fairmont, W.Va.
2. John Flinner
3. Jared Miley
4. Lynn Geisler*
5. Brandon Burgoon*
6. Kyle Lukon
7. Kari Gasser
8. Davey Johnson
9. Al Atallah
10. Ed Ferree

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Mike Pegher Jr. of Wexford
2. Tommy Schirnhofer
3. Daryl Charlier
4. Russ Kolesar*
5. Jason Rider
6. Mark Moats
7. Rocky Kugel
8. Justin Lamb
9. Ken Chernik*
10. Laura Lukon

E-Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Kevin Miller of Toronto, Ohio
2. Tom Martineck
3. Wayne Tessean*
4. Bruce Dreistadt
5. Kyle Lukon
6. Chuck Kennedy
7. Daryl Charlier
8. Joel Johns
9. Clayton Kennedy
10. Frank Magill

Pure Stocks – 15-lap feature
1. Jake Simmons of McKees Rocks
2. Bill Robertson
3. Pat Weldon
4. Bob Schwartzmiller
5. Bobby Heim
6. Charlie DiLoreto
7. Russell Volponi
8. Dave McManus
9. Mitch Wattlelet
10. Don Bauerle Jr.

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Eric Goldberg of Pittsburgh
2. Gary Koteles*
3. Rich Mason
4. J.J. O'Patchen
5. Jason Herniak
6. Tom McQuillan
7. Dan Duseheid
8. Brian Huchko
9. Tony White

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1. Daniel White of Carnegie
2. Todd Janus
3. Sean Graham
4. Brian Beyerbach
5. Justin Pons
6. Hannah Ramsey
7. Alec Broniszewski
8. Courtney Atkinson
9. Tyler Carson

Motordrome Results – Aug. 15
NASCAR Super Late Models
1. Greg Kelley
2. Bobby Henry*
3. Garry Wiltrout
4. Mark Poole
5. Neil Brown*
6. Tommy Beck
7. Todd Price
8. Mark Cottone
9. Steve Black
10. Richard Mitchell

Modifieds
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. Lonnie Hoffman
3. Harry Opfer
4. Tom Frank
5. Chris Brink
6. Bobby Shipp*
7. Jim Nicola
8. Mike Opalinski
9. George Nicola
10. Bill Hribar

Street Stocks
1. Jonathan Hileman*
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Joe Nicola
4. Chris Bailey*
5. Ted Gibala
6. Jason Holder
7. Tom Knight Sr.
8. Tony Manganella
9. Aaron Minjock
10. Jimmy Stokes

Charger
1. Tracey Keller
2. William Oldham
3. Ed Neidhardt
4. Mike Lemley*
5. Matthew Gardner
6. Roger Bryan
7. A.J. Poljak*
8. Wayne Nashe
9. Robert Garchak Jr.
10. Denny Keller

American Flyers
1. Ed Dineen
2. Ronald Eiford
3. Paul Rosa*
4. Garrett O’Patchen
5. Edward Shelpman
6. William Schwartz
7. Kevin Ludwick
8. Mary Catherine Shimko

NASCAR Crewman - Part 3

2008-08-13T07:00:00.005-04:00

Travis Geisler, center, talks to NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and crew chief Roy McCauley before the Brickyard 400 at Indy last month.

CHALLENGING CAREER
By Mike Jones
Staff writer
mjones@observer-reporter.com

As Travis Geisler grapples with the changes at Penske, he gladly doles out advice to newcomers who want to pursue a career in NASCAR: “Pound the pavement and work your butt off.”

Tweaking setups on cars at the local tracks is a good way to get a start in the sport, but crew members must understand the differences between a weekend hobby and the responsibilities involved with the demanding full-time job. He suggested packing up and going down to North Carolina to hook up with a low-level Nationwide or Truck team. The experience with a smaller team is invaluable. And don’t underestimate the value of hard work from a sport that most fans enjoy with more than a few beers

“He’s working his ass off. If that’s living the dream, I guess he is,” said his father Lynn Geisler. “It’s far different than what people think it is. It’s definitely work, and if you’re going to be serious about it, it’s going to be even more work.”

The track testing is extreme. Travis Geisler digests a tremendous amount of data during those tests at the track or in the wind tunnel. But by the time they get to race weekend, it’s more about listening to the driver than the computers.

Geisler spent 182 days on road last year. By early July, he already had been away from his family for 105 days. Being on the road is somewhat difficult because it’s less time he can spend with his wife, Carrie, and their newborn son, Noah.

“It’s hard to explain what working in this environment is like,” he said. “It’s not like a normal job. Things don’t operate under a normal pretense. It’s a crazy job and that’s what makes it fun and alluring as a career.”

It’s not a regular job at the office, but more rewarding for Geisler. He compares it to typical engineering work that may take months or years to produce results. In NASCAR, a hard week at the shop can mean the difference between packing for home early or spending the afternoon in Victory Lane.

“I can’t think of another job where I would get this type of satisfaction out of my work, especially for a competitive race team,” he said. “But the glory of this deal goes away after about the sixth or seventh week.”

In a “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” sport such as NASCAR, Geisler already has accomplished a lot.

-30-

NASCAR Crewman - Part 2

2008-08-12T07:00:00.008-04:00

Travis Geisler stands with the Daytona 500 trophy after the No. 12 car won the Great American Race in February.

GREAT AMERICAN VICTORY
By Mike Jones
Staff writer
mjones@observer-reporter.com

Travis Geisler spent years at local short tracks and in the Busch Series before becoming a full-time crewman in 2006. He reached a dream job, but had never won with Yates or Penske. So the undisputed high point of his NASCAR career came in Feb. 15 when Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500 with a last-lap push from teammate Kurt Busch. Geisler watched countless 500s from the grandstands. Now he was standing in Victory Lane with his father, Lynn, on NASCAR’s grandest stage

“To be able to unload, go through two weeks at Daytona and watch the car to come across the start-finish first, it’s very difficult to explain,” said the 27-year-old. “Everybody there puts so much into that.”

Since the Cup series doesn’t race close to Pittsburgh, many of his family members traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the race. But he especially enjoys the fact he helped to deliver the first Daytona 500 victory to team owner Roger Penske, a man who has succeeded in just about everything in racing.

“We got our rings (in early July),” he said. “You put it on just to let you know what a special accomplishment and something you’ll have for the rest of your life.”

But the season has been difficult ever since that 500 triumph. Newman and Busch have struggled this season and both are outside the top-12 in the points standings for NASCAR’s playoffs. And now there are questions surrounding Penske ever since Newman and the team announced they are parting ways after seven seasons together. Newman is expected to drive the No. 4 car for Tony Stewart’s upstart team in 2009. In addition, the No. 12 car may be losing the Alltel sponsorship next year because the communications giant is merging with Verizon. New cellular telephone companies are forbidden from joining the sport due to Sprint’s exclusive agreement with NASCAR.

“The one thing about working in this sport is you become very comfortable with change,” Geisler said. “Very few teams stay the same. When it comes down to it, all our jobs are the same. I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little bit concerned, but I’m more interested and curious than concerned. I’m excited about a new challenge and working with someone new.”

He is disappointed that Newman is leaving because of the close relationship they’ve built over the past two years. But Geisler is confident Penske’s outstanding ability to hire some of the sport’s best drivers will continue. Now his focus in on improving the car’s performance to secure a new sponsor while sending Newman off with another victory.

“We have 17 races with Ryan and that’s 17 great opportunities to win,” Geisler said last month. “He started his career here and doesn’t want to finish it running in the back. Our effort level won’t change.”

(Click here for Part 3)

NASCAR Crewman - Part 1

2008-08-11T07:00:00.010-04:00

Cranberry, Pa. native Travis Geisler, second from left, speaks to other Penske crewmen while at the NASCAR race in Phoenix earlier this year.

RACING TRADITION
By Mike Jones
Staff writer
mjones@observer-reporter.com

You could say Travis Geisler’s life began at the race track. While in the womb, his father raced at local short tracks with his mother watching from the pits. As an accomplished driver from Butler County, it was only natural for his father, Lynn, to pass his interest onto sons Travis and Ben. They worked on the cars and made friends in the pits at tracks such as Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa. Weekend racing builds a strong bond that is hard for outsiders to understand.

“It’s competitive and it becomes pretty satisfying,” said Lynn Geisler, who has won twice at PPMS this season. “Then it becomes your circle of friends. It becomes a part of your life.”

Going to those races each weekend triggered something in Travis Geisler, who grew up in Cranberry, Pa. and now lives in North Carolina. It became a lifestyle for him that one day would turn into a career. While attending high school at Sewickley Academy in Pittsburgh, he dabbled in go-carts and later ran a limited schedule at area dirt tracks. He graduated high school and went to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., to study mechanical engineering. If he was going to make a career in racing, Geisler wanted to know what made the car go.

“I had always been really involved in the setup stuff and wanted to have a better understanding of what I was doing,” Geisler said. “I really wanted to have knowledge about the physics of the sport.”

Even while in college, Geisler returned home some weekends to race in a NASCAR weekly series at Motordrome and Jennerstown speedways. He graduated from college in 2003, but more importantly, moved on to compete in tougher racing circuits by running in NASCAR All-Pro, ARCA and ASA – the minor leagues of racing. But he got experience by racing at major speedways at Nashville, Kentucky, Pikes Peak and Gateway. Geisler got a break in 2004 when he ran 13 Busch Series races, but with mixed results. By then he decided to move from the driver’s seat to working on the car.

The following year he worked as an engineering consultant for a Busch team. It was that job that catapulted him to a major team in 2006 when Yates Racing hired him to work on the No. 88 Sprint Cup car driven at the time by Dale Jarrett. With a full year in NASCAR’s top series, Geisler transferred to Penske Racing South in 2007. It was a perfect fit with a team that is on the cutting edge of racing technology. It also didn’t hurt that Geisler’s new driver, Ryan Newman, graduated from college with an engineering degree.

“People became aware of him from his driving efforts,” Lynn Geisler said of his son. “He was also active on the car. Having an engineering degree, work ethic and experience around motorsports, it became a no-brainer.”

And racing has been a “no-brainer” for both Geisler boys. The other son, Ben, went to University of Pennsylvania and earned an engineering degree. He’s now third in command of Dirt Motorsports, which runs the World of Outlaws sprint car series.

“It’s a real accomplishment for both of my kids,” Lynn Geisler said. “It’s kind of a deal where you watch them growing up and motorsports was so consuming that you wonder how they would turn out.”

(Click here for Part 2)

Life of a NASCAR crewman

2008-08-08T09:44:00.007-04:00

Many NASCAR gearheads have aspirations of working on a Sprint Cup car during the week and making adjustments at the track while on top of the pit box. Those dreams are a reality for Cranberry, Pa. native Travis Geisler. The 27-year-old now living in North Carolina is the team engineer for the No. 12 Penske car driven by Ryan Newman. Geisler became interested in motorsports by helping his father, Lynn, in the pits at local dirt tracks such as PPMS in Imperial, Pa.

A few years later after graduating college with an engineering degree, he drove a part-time schedule in the Busch Series before becoming a crewman in the Sprint Cup series. It’s been a difficult and satisfying road that has taken him from dirt tracks in Western Pennsylvania to Victory Lane at Daytona. A three-part story featuring Geisler will begin Monday on “Jonesin’ for Speed”… Photos taken by Steven Rose with permission to publish from Penske Racing South.

Road course to the Cup

2008-08-08T09:04:00.002-04:00

When is Watkins Glen or Sonoma going to be included in the Chase? These orphaned races are plopped in the middle of the dog days of summer and little is thought of them. Sure, they’re not the most exciting races of the year, but they are an important part in NASCAR history and should be given greater importance in deciding the champion. The playoffs are already too bland right now with three 1.5-mile cookie cutter tracks. Here’s the current Chase tracks.

New Hampshire
Dover
Kansas
Talladega
Charlotte
Martinsville
Atlanta
Texas
Phoenix
Miami

It’s time to throw some spice in there and really get the full spectrum of tracks. Isn’t that what the Chase is all about anyway? The first task would be to toss out either Charlotte, Texas or Atlanta because they’re basically the same track. True, each has its own quirks, but they all require the same driving style. Axe one of those and insert the old school version of Sonoma: You know, the one with the hairpin corner before Bruton Smith reconfigured it to make it easier for the non-road racers.

And while we’re at it, why not toss in Michigan or Darlington? Could you imagine the diversity if NASCAR shook things up a bit? If I had my way – and we’ve known for a while I don’t – here’s what my Chase for the Cup would look like. Each would be challenging in its own way. And, more importantly, each would be different.

Darlington
Sonoma
New Hampshire
Talladega
Kansas
Martinsville
Michigan
Charlotte
Phoenix
Miami

500 mile fantasy

2008-08-06T12:59:00.002-04:00

I have some questions about the logic an ESPN.com column about shortening NASCAR races. It’s fitting that columnist Ryan McGee wrote it before the Pocono race, which every fan knows is way too long. And I agree NASCAR should chop off 100 miles off that marathon just like it did at Dover a few years ago. But what about the rest of the schedule?

Under McGee’s plan, the races at Atlanta, Bristol, California, Martinsville, Pocono, Talladega and Texas all would be drastically reduced. Sure, some of these events are a little long, but that’s what makes NASCAR so challenging. It tests the endurance of both the car and the driver. It gives plenty of opportunities for the complexion of the race to change each lap.

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte runs for more than five hours, but it’s so unique. And would fans want to see 100 fewer laps at Bristol? If I had my way, I’d add another 100 laps to Thunder Valley. I’m still disgruntled they only run 400 miles at Darlington nowadays.

McGee makes the point that our fascination with “500” has led us down this path that is based more in tradition than logic. But we as Americans have always been attached to traditions. To put his suggestion into context, imagine Major League Baseball shortening the games to seven innings. It’s true there have been complaints in recent years that the games need to move faster, but the only ones who would lose are the fans. Not to mention, when would they sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”? Shorten Pocono, please, but leave the rest of the NASCAR races alone.

Motorsports Monday

2008-08-04T14:31:00.006-04:00

Weekend results from Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial and Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria. PRP had a dual weekend of races at the drag strip. Full results and points standing can be found at each track's respective Web site. The (*) indicates the heat winners.

Motordrome Speedway – Aug. 1
NASCAR Super Late Models 40-lap feature
1. Mark Poole*
2. Bobby Henry*
3. Garry Wiltrout
4. Richard Mitchell
5. Mark Cottone*
6. Tommy Beck
7. Beau Glemba
8. Todd Price
9. Steve Black
10. Sean Pilla

Subway Street Stocks – 30-lap feature
1. Tony Manganello*
2. Shawn Phillips
3. Ted Gibala
4. Jason Holder
5. Joe Nicola
6. Bill Henry
7. Jonathan Hileman
8. Andrew Kostelnik
9. Scott Bowman
10. Jeff Zillweger

Modifieds – 20-lap feature
1. Adam Kostelnik*
2. Harry Opfer
3. Bobby Shipp*
4. Lonnie Hoffman
5. Tom Frank
6. George Nicola
7. Marion Reno
8. Chris Brink
9. Matt Panaia
10. Bryan Shipp

Charger – 15-lap feature
1. Mike Lemley
2. Denny Keller
3. Tracy Keller*
4. William Oldham
5. Robert Garchak Jr.
6. Roger Bryan
7. Dave McManns
8. Jimmy Stokes
9. Ed Neidhardt
10. Matthew Gardner

American Flyers - 8-lap feature
1. Paul Rosa*
2. Ed Dineen
3. Jeff Halfhill
4. Garrett Opathuen
5. Ronald Eiford
6. William Schwartz
7. Edward Shelpman
8. Kevin Ludwick

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway – Aug. 2
Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Steve Baker* of Fairmont, W.Va.
2. John Flinner
3. Jared Miley*
4. Al Atallah
5. Brandon Burgoon*
6. Lynn Geisler
7. Tommy Beck
8. Mike Johnson
9. Ben Miley
10. Jim Stephans

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Josh Holtgraver of Pittsburgh
2. Tommy Schirnhofer
3. Mike Pegher Jr.
4. Daniel Angelicchio*
5. Daryl Charlier
6. Justin Lamb
7. Mark Moats Jr.
8. Rocky Kugel
9. Bryant Hank*
10. Beau Glemba

E-Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Kevin Miller of Toronto, Ohio
2. Daryl Charlier
3. Chuck Kennedy*
4. Tom Martineck
5. Wayne Tessean
6. Bruce Dreistadt
7. J.J. Bametzrieder*
8. Shawn Scheerbaum
9. Clayton Kennedy
10. Kyle Lukon

Pure Stocks – 15-lap feature
1. Bob Schwartzmiller* of Upper St. Clair
2. Wayne Carbo*
3. Jake Simmons
4. Bill Robertson
5. Nick Kocuba
6. Craig Kamicker
7. Vincent Kamicker
8. A. J. Poljak
9. Davey Lee
10. Mike Mohn

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Ron O'Patchen of Pittsburgh
2. Brian Huchko*
3. J.J. O'Patchen
4. Jason Herniak
5. Rich Mason
6. Tom McQuillan
7. Tony White
8. Dan Duseheid

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1. Justin Pons of Pittsburgh
2. Todd Janus
3. Tyler Fox
4. Sean Graham
5. Alec Broniszewski
6. Brian Beyerbach
7. Daniel White
8. Tyler Atkinson
9. Hannah Ramsey
10. Tyler Carson

Pittsburgh Raceway Park – Aug. 2
Modified
Russ Benish of North Huntingdon (11.158 sec./ 120.64 mph) DEFEATED Ronald Boyce of Blairsville (10.007 sec./ 133.06 mph)

Top Dragster
Steve Butler of North Huntingdon (9.053 sec./ 146.29 mph) DEFEATED Russ Benish of North Huntingdon (11.133 sec./ 119.33mph)

Street
Richard Penn of Tarentum (12.187 sec./ 113.12 mph DEFEATED Arthur Armstrong of Pittsburgh (14.556 sec./ 94.72 mph)

Trophy
Jason Barbiaux of Pittsburgh (15.702 sec./ 79.45 mph) DEFEATED Joan Engelhardt of Latrobe (14.563 sec./ 95.68 mph)

Motorcycle
Ron Lutz of Trafford (9.19 sec./ 127.59 mph) DEFEATED Kevin Patterson of Natrona Heights (11.422 sec./ 117.92 mph)

Pittsburgh Raceway Park – Aug. 3
Modified
Michael Balaska of Belle Vernon (11.38 sec./ 109.65 mph) DEFEATED Ron Hamill of Ruffsdale (10.09 sec./130.21 mph)

Top Dragster
Josh Rietscha of Nicktown (7.69 sec./ 172.48 mph) DEFEATED Scotty Campbell of Avonmore (8.17 sec/ 159.63 mph)

Street
Don McGuire of Saltsburg (12.00 sec./ 107.07 mph.) DEFEATED Amy Romeo of New Alexandria (12.54 sec./ 106.1 3mph)

Trophy
Shawn Booher of Freeport (12.05 sec./ 105.68 mph) DEFEATED Joan Engelhardt of Latrobe (14.57 sec./ 95.14 mph)

Motorcycle
Jesse Bone of Jeanette (9.77 sec./ 141.33 mph) DEFEATED Marty Dougherty of Westmoreland City (8.01 sec./ 162.28 mph)

Motorsports Monday

2008-07-28T22:30:00.001-04:00

Weekend results from PPMS in Imperial and Motordrome in Smithton. The (*) denotes the heat winners.

PPMS – July 26
Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. John Flinner
2. Lynn Geisler
3. Jared Miley
4. Steve Baker*
5. Brandon Burgoon
6. Ben Miley
7. Lou Bradich
8. Tommy Beck
9. D.J. Miller
10. Brandon Wearing

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Mark Moats
2. Tommy Schirnhofer*
3. Bryant Hank
4. Ken Chernik
5. Mike Pegher Jr.
6. Scott Schempp
7. Laura Lukon
8. Josh Holtgraver
9. Tyler Dietz
10. Bryan Hoffman

E-Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Wayne Tessean
2. Jonathan Taylor
3. J.E. Stalder
4. Kyle Lukon
5. J.J. Bametzrieder
6. Evan Taylor
7. Chuck Kennedy
8. Jared Domhoff
9. Damron

Pure Stocks – 12-lap feature
1. Craig Kamicker*
2. Jake Simmons*
3. Vince Kamicker
4. Bill Robertson
5. Nick Kocuba
6. Bob Schwartzmiller,
7. Pat Weldon
8. Robert Betz
9. Mike Mohn
10. Dave Slade

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1. Tony White*
2. Brian Huchko
3. Eric Goldberg
4. Rich Mason
5. J.J. O'Patchen
6. Dan Duseheid
7. Jason Herniak
8. Edward Wiser
9. Tom McQuillan

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1. Sean Graham
2. Justin Pons
3. Michael Reft
4. Daniel White
5. Alec Broniszewski
6. Todd Janus
7. Tyler Atkinson
8. Brian Beyerbach
9. Hannah Ramsey

Motordrome – July 25
Super Late Models – 40-lap feature
1. Rick Miller*
2. Bobby Henry*
3. Greg Kelley
4. Gary Wiltrout
5. Neil Brown*
6. Mark Cottone
7. Richard Mitchell
8. Mark Poole
9. Tommy Beck
10. Todd Price

Modifieds - Feature
1. Adam Kostelnik
2. George Nicola
3. Bobby Shipp*
4. Pete Rech
5. Harry Opfer
6. Bryan Shipp
7. Tom Frank
8. Marion Reno
9. Lonnie Hoffman
10. Chris Brink

Street Stocks – 20-lap feature
1. Shawn Phillips
2. Jason Holder
3. Ted Gibala
4. Thomas Knight Sr.*
5. Andrew Kostelnik
6. Johnathan Hileman
7. Bill Henry
8. Tony Manganello
9. Jeff Zillweger
10. Joe Nicola*

Charger – 15-lap feature
1. Jimmy Stokes*
2. AJ Poljak
3. Tracy Keller
4. Mike Lemley
5. Ed Neidhardt
6. Robert Garchak Jr.
7. Matthew Gardner
8. William Oldham
9. Aaron Minjock
10. Roger Bryan

American Flyers – 8-lap feature
1. Paul Rosa
2. Ed Dineen*
3. Jeff Halfhill
4. Stanley Nodina
5. Edward Shelpman
6. Terry Schwartz
7. Kevin Ludwick
8. Mary Catherine Shimko
9. Ronald Eiford

Competition cautionary tale

2008-07-28T10:15:00.005-04:00

What a disgrace.

There’s not much more that needs to be said about Sunday’s debacle at the Brickyard. From start to competition caution to finish, NASCAR and Goodyear screwed up by giving fans and ESPN one of the worst races in recent memory. How else do you describe the racing that was never permitted to go longer than 12 laps? NASCAR made the right decision by throwing the yellow flag every 10 laps, but the Brickyard 400 had more the appearance of an exhibition event rather than a critical race just before the Chase for the Cup. Could you imagine this happening during NASCAR's playoffs?

The real questions is: How could this happen? We’ve seen significant problems develop in the past at other tracks. The first that comes to mind happened at Texas when a poor design in Turn 1 led to opening lap crashes in 1997 and 98. Back then, several drivers predicted problems there during preseason testing.

But why wasn’t there extensive testing done at Indy with the new car? Three drivers apparently did minor testing there in April, which showed excessive tire wear, but NASCAR made no changes. The COT’s different weight distribution appeared to rip the right rear tire apart, which now begs the question if Goodyear will be forced to test at all the remaining Chase tracks. Goodyear should know better by now after Tony Stewart scolded the tire company in March.

Tire issues are nothing new to Indy. The U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race in 2005 also turned into a joke when most of the competitors deemed the tires to be unsafe and only six of the 20 drivers started the race. That, too, was a disgrace and it effectively killed F1 racing in America.

There’s some drivers grumbling that Sprint Cup cars don’t belong on Indy’s unique layout. It should have us all wondering if NASCAR on the bricks will also be halted. That would be a shame, too, because even though the racing isn’t spectacular, NASCAR belongs at the most hallowed speedway. Unfortunately, it might be time to move on if NASCAR and Goodyear can’t figure out what went wrong. Otherwise, if I want to watch a dozen 10-lap heat races I’ll go to my local short track.

Fire on the strip

2008-07-25T13:45:00.006-04:00

It’s not uncommon to see a semi-truck screaming by you in the fast lane on the interstate. But it would be really unusual for that truck to have two jet engines stuffed in the rear of its bed and fire blowing out of its exhaust pipes. Fans will be treated to that showing this Saturday night when a jet semi-truck, two jet dragsters and two jet funny cars each make several runs down the Pittsburgh Raceway Park drag strip in New Alexandria for the annual Night of Fire.

These Night of Fire events are typical at strips across the country after IHRA national drag racing competitions. PRP spokesman DJ Johnson said it brings a large audience because the jet cars, also called “portable space heaters,” are an impressive display of fire rumbling down the quarter-mile.

“Seeing the jets in the daytime doesn’t have the impact,” Johnson said. “When you see them at night, it lights up the joint and it’s a whole different ballgame.”

The jet cars reach speeds from 275 to 300 mph on the quarter-mile drag strip. Johnson said one year they unofficially clocked a car at 304 mph, meaning it’s an especially difficult task to slow them down at PRP where the runoff area is shorter than national tracks.

“They have to do a whole lot of stopping … at our place,” Johnson said. And how do they accomplish that? “Big parachutes.”

The shows follow the normal drag racing schedule and will run at 7 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Adult tickets cost $20, kids ages 11-15 will cost $10 and children under 11 are free. A fireworks display follows the final jet car races.

Sure bet at the Brickyard

2008-07-24T17:23:00.011-04:00

This weekend’s Brickyard 400 may not be the most exciting race on the circuit, but it certainly will go a long way in predicting who will win this year’s championship. Since 1998, six of the 10 race winners have gone on to win the championship. Toss in Jeff Gordon’s 2004 victory there as another indicator because only NASCAR’s convoluted Chase stood in the way of another championship for Wonder Boy.

Brickyard 400 Winners
2007 – Tony Stewart
2006 – Jimmie Johnson*
2005 – Tony Stewart*
2004 – Jeff Gordon^
2003 – Kevin Harvick
2002 – Bill Elliot
2001 – Jeff Gordon*
2000 – Bobby Labonte*
1999 – Dale Jarrett*
1998 – Jeff Gordon*
1997 – Ricky Rudd
1996 – Dale Jarrett
1995 – Dale Earnhardt
1994 – Jeff Gordon
*Won season title
^Scored most points

Why does this seem to keep happening when NASCAR is built on parity? Simply put, the season’s best driver with the best handling race car will always rise to the top at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And if this trend continues, Kyle Busch surely will win Sunday by at least 3 laps. He has outclassed the competition with his talent and Toyota’s upgraded engines. That extra horsepower will help down the long straightaways and Busch’s wild and crazy driving style will get him through those flat corners with "wreckless" abandon. If Busch doesn’t win, I’ll bet that a few of those old cats on the list above will have a say in the matter.

Cruising for speed on I-79

2008-07-22T16:38:00.005-04:00

By Amanda Gillooly
O-R Staff Writer
agillooly@observer-reporter.com

In 2002, I was on a first-name basis with the state troopers that nabbed speeders on Interstate 79. Because I worked at an afternoon newspaper in Monessen, Pa., my shift generally began at 6 a.m., meaning I had to leave my humble abode in Neville Township at 5 a.m. Naturally, I slept until the last possible minute and then gunned it on the highway, averaging about 75 mph. And I kid you not: I think I got pulled over every week that year.

Lucky for me I was 22 and almost 50 pounds lighter back then, and by the grace of God, I was often wearing skirts and low-cut shirts on those occasions. With that and a dirty joke, I think I only got five or six tickets. But I am still paying the price for disobeying the traffic laws. Let’s just say I pay more for car insurance than an acquaintance who has two DUIs.

I’m not proud of my lead foot, but I am proud to say that $4-a-gallon gas prices have finally tamed it. I’ve had my Dodge POS – better known as a Neon – for three years, but I just recently learned how to operate my cruise control. And in a matter of weeks, I have gone from an aggressive, tailgating speed demon to someone who merely shakes their fist in rage at people who mess up my pace. Resetting the damn thing is just annoying.

I forced myself to make the change in order to improve my gas mileage, but I learned that the advantages of going to speed limit is a more relaxed 35-minute ride to and from work. I love not having to slam on my brakes when I see a cruiser sitting on the side of the road, and I don’t miss that knot in my stomach that clenches in anticipation of lights flashing in my rearview mirror.

Most of all, I must admit that I’m much calmer when I get to work these days, even though my pod mates can attest I’m still a basket case. But hell, cruise control can’t cure all my ills.

Motorsports Monday

2008-07-21T14:10:00.007-04:00

Every Monday this summer I’ll post results from the major race tracks from around the area. The weekend wrap-up from PPMS in Imperial and Pittsburgh Raceway Park drag strip in New Alexandria are up today and I expect to add Motordrome Speedway’s results in the near future. Thanks to Matt Miley of PPMS and DJ Johnson of PRP.

PPMS – July 19, 2008
(* denotes heat winners)
Late models – 25-lap feature
1.Steve Baker
2. John Flinner
3. Keith Barbara
4. Lynn Geisler
5. Jared Miley*
6. Mike Johnson
7. Brandon Burgoon*
8. Michael Davis
9. Lou Bradich
10. Jim Stephans

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1.Tommy Schirnhofer
2. Mike Pegher
3. Bryant Hank
4. Scott Schempp
5. Neal Isiminger
6. Mark Moats*
7. Justin Lamb
8. Ken Chernik
9. Tim Gould
10. Bryan Hoffman

E-Modifieds – 15-lap feature
1.Wayne Tessean*
2. Vince Laboon
3. J.J. Bametzrieder
4. Joel Johns
5. Kevin Miller
6. Clayton Kennedy
7. Chuck Kennedy
8. Denny Nakutis
9. Brad Westover
10. Tom Martineck

Pure Stocks – 15-lap feature
1.Pat Weldon
2. Craig Kamicker*
3. Nick Kocuba
4. Jake Simmons
5. Bill Robertson*
6. Mike Mohn
7. Robert Betz
8. Dave McManus
9. Dave Slade
10. Joe Hackimer

Amateur Stocks – 10-lap feature
1.Brian Huchko
2. Rich Mason*
3. Tony White
4. Jason Herniak
5. J.J. O'Patchen
6. Dan Duseheid
7. Tom McQuillan
8. Curt Bish Sr.
9. Eric Goldberg*
10. Darren Ferguson

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1.Michael Reft
2. Daniel White
3. Brian Beyerbach
4. Hannah Ramsey
5. Alec Broniszewski
6. Sean Graham
7. Tyler Atkinson
8. Justin Pons

PRP - July 19, 2008
Modified
Greg Miller of Avonmore (10.38 sec/126.98 mph) – DEFEATED - Michael Balaska of Belle Vernon (11.45sec/112.44 mph)

Top Dragster
Anthony Kronek of Reedsville, W.Va. (9.15 sec/100.29 mph) – DEFEATED - Jacob Meinert of Jeanette (23.64 sec/84.33 mph)

Street
Barry Barnett of Ford City (12.99 sec/103.71 mph) – DEFEATED - Don McGuire of Saltsburg (12.11 sec/110.21 mph)

Trophy
Nick Bowman of Export (18.36 sec/72.03 mph) – DEFEATED - Art Armstrong of Pittsburgh (14.78 sec/93.07 mph)

Motorcycle
Ray Safreed II of Weirton, W.Va. (8.68 sec/135.01 mph) – DEFEATED - Dick Gumbert of Irwin (10.09 sec/138.55 mph)

Junior Dragsters
8-to-9 years old - Trevor Walker of New Waterford, Ohio (12.80 sec/49.57mph – DEFEATED - Shawn Walker of Gibsonia (13.32 sec/45.56 mph)

10-to-12 years old - Matt Miller of East Palestine, Ohio (8.80 sec/73.81 mph) – DEFEATED - Andrew Valentino of Elwood City (8.56 sec/72.15 mph)

13-to-17 years old - Michael Barnyk of Level Green (7.89 sec/81.07 mph) – DEFEATED - Ashley Deuschle of McDonald (8.89 sec/75.08 mph)

TCR
Mike Quinlan of McKeesport (10.86 sec/64.14 mph) – DEFEATED - John Moore Jr. of Latrobe (10.86 sec/64.29 mph)

Box
Josh Rietscha of Nicktown (7.72 sec/168.73 mph) – DEFEATED – A.J. Casper of Greensburg (12.17 sec/106.91 mph)

WoO announcer gets up to SPEED

2008-07-18T08:00:00.012-04:00

Johnny Gibson, who has worked for the World of Outlaws sprint car series since July 1995, will be featured Friday night on SPEED-TV after participating in 1,100 consecutive WoO events earlier this month at Huset’s Speedway in Souix Fall, S.D. The 39-year-old Marianna native began selling souvenir programs at the tracks and went behind the microphone in 1997 as track and radio announcer. The voice of WoO will be featured in “For the Love of Racing” at 7:30 p.m. Friday on SPEED.

The network's television cameras were at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio, two weeks ago to film Gibson in action for the Brad Doty Classic. Viewers will be able to see what a day at the track is like for Gibson, who puts together race programs before the gates open and later announces the action on the dirt track.

“It’s taken some luck,” Gibson said Thursday afternoon. “To me it’s not that big of a deal because I do what a love. I’m very fortunate ... to see the greatest sprint car drivers in the world. I’m looking forward to the next 1,100 (races).”

Gibson now lives in Indianapolis, but his parents still live in Marianna. He graduated from Beth-Center High School and California University of Pennsylvania. Freelance racing reporter DJ Johnson has known Gibson for many years and was in Lima to profile him after the landmark achievement.

“He is so into his work. He truly loves it,” Johnson said. “His signature announcement of four abreast is something everyone loves to hear and stands up the hair on the back of your neck. He’s very recognizable. They may not know the face, but they know the voice.”

Read more about Gibson in the Observer-Reporter.

Obama flirts with NASCAR

2008-07-14T10:40:00.007-04:00

The Blogosphere erupted last week when several media outlets reported that Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president, planned to sponsor a Sprint Cup car for the Pocono race in August. Interesting way to reach a demographic that is usually turned off by the Democratic Party's platform, but smart move by the Obama camp to pull the plug.

It might have been a good idea had the campaign been able to connect with a powerhouse team such as Hendrick, Childress or Roush. But the reports said they planned to sponsor the No. 49 BAM car driven by Ken Schrader. If Obama really wanted to get his message out, he shouldn't have pondered picking a second-rate team and driver that probably won't even make the race (Schrader has raced only five times this year). Oh, how the pundits would slobber all over that juicy story. And the dirty little secret that surely would have doomed Obama’s flirt with NASCAR is that BAM Racing uses Toyotas. There’s no better way to alienate potential good ole boy supporters than putting a candidate’s mug on the hood of a Japanese car.

Meanwhile, Cindy McCain, the wife of Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, had her own excursion with racing this weekend. She rode in the pace car before the Indy Car Series race at Nashville Speedway on Sunday. But what’s the attraction to Indy cars? Most of the drivers are foreign and there aren’t any American engines entered in the field anymore. It’s probably a bad idea to remind us of the dwindling influence this country has in the world.

Candidates will do most anything to reach a different audience, but as a word of advice: Please keep the politics out of racing. Unless, of course, the next President picks Dale Earnhardt Jr. as his Secretary of State. Then you've got my vote.

Race Photos

2008-07-11T09:40:00.013-04:00

I promised photos of the weekend at Daytona, so here they are. We went to the Nationwide race Friday night and followed that up with the Sprint Cup Saturday night. It was a lot of fun and hope to go back next year.

It's amazing the number of people in the track infield for driver introduction. My stepbrother, Tony, griped that it takes too long to get them off the track before the race, but I think it's kinda cool. Would the Pittsburgh Steelers let you hang out at the 50-yard line before kickoff? I doubt it.

Kasey Kahne turns a hot lap in his No. 9 Nationwide car. He finished 6th, but never was a factor in the end. Denny Hamlin won and was followed by Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The grandstands are an impressive sight as fans walk to their seats. The crowd was a little sparse for the Nationwide race, but we were should-to-shoulder for the Cup event. You could hardly move on the sidewalk while trying to get to the gates.

The Mountain Dew Crew prepares for the Cup race. We tailgated outside our motel room before the race. I'm sporting the old school No. 8 shirt with the Dew hat. My father, left, and stepbrother came better prepared. We didn't wear our Joe Nemechek shirts, which was probably a good thing.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads Paul Menard during the first round of pit stops. Earnhardt led the most laps and probably could have won, but was shuffled back near the end. Menard was strong early, but faded and never made another charge to the front.

An inside look at the the frontstretch. Hard to believe cars blow by at 190 mph with only a chain link fence to keep the debris back.

Tony Stewart at 190 mph. This was before he yaked up his lunch from the Ocean Deck and had to be pulled from the car for J.J. Yeley.

Here's a look at coming out of Turn 4. And no, the ambulance did not get a penalty for driving below the yellow line.

Following the trailers as they drive north on Interstate 95. The Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon trailers pulled out of the speedway right in front of us and we followed them all the way until Jacksonville. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you next year.

Daytona - The Aftermath

2008-07-06T14:20:00.006-04:00

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The weekend is over and it's time to relax after two great races, the beach and a few adult beverages. Walking back to the motel room last night made me realize what is the best part about racing: The fans. The racing and atmosphere is awesome, but it's the random strangers you meet around the track that makes it special. And what amazed me this weekend was all the people from Pittsburgh. As we headed to our seats Saturday, a crowd next to us started yelling the "We Are ... Penn State" chant. I asked one of the guys if they were from Happy Valley. Nope, he said... Peters Township in Washington County. Turns out he and his wife subscribe to the Observer-Reporter newspaper. Wow...

Now onto the reason I traveled to Florida. The racing was great with quite a few passes for the lead. But the most exciting moves were made by Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he hung the high line to take the lead several times. The crowd went nuts every time, too. He finished eighth after getting shuffled back with a few laps to go.

Even though I can't stand Kyle Busch, I have to give him credit for that save on the backstretch. There's no doubt he should have crashed or at least bent the front splitter by scraping the high bank. But he didn't crash... and he won. Too bad they didn't throw the caution flag a few seconds when Carl Edwards was leading. The funniest moment was when Busch was doing a Polish victory lap with the checkered flag out the window. Someone chucked a beer over the catch fence and it smashed on his windshield. I guess they learned that move from the Talladega fans. That was classy.

Finally, Joe Nemechek sucked it up just as he has for the past 16 years. He qualified fourth, but dropped to 30th by the Lap 5. His car setup wasn't built for drafting and he had to make tons of changes during the first caution. That dropped him to 40th place for most of the race until the massive crash on the last lap. That catapulted him to a solid top-20 finish. Still, my father was unimpressed. "He's field-filler at its finest," my dad said halfway through the race. "He's the stuff they cram into hot dogs. Filler."

Alright, thanks for joining me on this trip. I'll post the photos from this trip in a couple of days. Feel free to e-mail me and send me your NASCAR stories from the track.

Live from Daytona - Day 3

2008-07-05T11:05:00.012-04:00

- Updated at 12:10 a.m. -

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - This place is buzzing with excitement as the fans pour in from every direction. Music is blasting, the sidewalks are packed with people and there's a massive traffic jam on U.S. 92 right next to the track.

Continuing to see more people wearing Pittsburgh gear. I yelled "Let's Go Bucs!" to some guy wearing a Pirates jersey, but he gave me a puzzled look. I asked him if he was from Pittsburgh and he said no. What would possess anyone outside of Western Pennsylvania to root for the Pirates?

Hit the beach again this afternoon and now we're walking to the swag trailers right across the street. I'm thinking about dropping 25 bones on a Dale Jr. National Guard hat. Or maybe I'll get a $3 bumper sticker, instead. My dad and I agree we're gonna hunt down Joe Nemechek and get him to acknowledge the old Steve's Auto Parts store in Lakeland. Who knows if he's even around? He's probably grilling out with his mother, Martha, before the race.

Back from Swag City and I can say I'm pretty disappointed. There wasn't a No. 78 Furniture Row trailer nor a Joe sighting. But my dad's homemade Nemechek shirt was a hit with other fans and we got our photo taken with Joe's redneck mug (see above). Couldn't find the National Guard camo hat, but I saved face by walking across the street from the track and buying a sweet Mountain Dew hat in the mall. Go figure: I went to the mall to buy NASCAR merchandise when a 2.5-mile superspeedway is 200 yards from my motel room door.

Anyway, we've ordered a pizza and anxiously awaiting a gigantic super cell thunderstorm that's about to rock Daytona around 6:30. Hopefully it'll blow over quick and they can dry the track by race time at 8 p.m.

***Here are the race winner predictions***
Mike Jones: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
My dad, Hobie: Joe Nemechek
My stepbrother, T-Bone: Denny Hamlin
Dad's frat bro, Mutley: Kyle Busch

That was probably the best racing I've ever seen at Daytona, but freaking Kyle Busch won. One guy in the row in front of us was giving him the one-finger salute during the last 10 laps... I felt the same way. What a great atmosphere for the race, though. I've got great stories to share, which I'll write about Sunday in the Daytona Race Recap section. Alright, it's time to get some sleep after a GREAT weekend.

Live from Daytona - Day 2

2008-07-04T10:03:00.014-04:00

- Updated at 10:36p.m. -

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Happy Independence Day, everyone. Woke up around 8:30 a.m. and walked over to Friendly's for breakfast. Needed a few cups of Joe to shake off the Daytona Beach morning grog, but we're feeling a lot better now and getting ready to go to the beach. It's 88 degrees and there's not a cloud in the sky. Still haven't made our way over to the "swag trailers" yet, but I expect us to be over there before the Nationwide race. Check back for more updates.

Alright, back in the room with a great tan after four hours on the beach. Started out a little rough with my pasty white Western Pennsylvania skin, but I lathered up the sun screen and soldiered through. Daytona is great because you can drive your car on the sand and park just a few feet from the waves. Took some shelter in the car when the sun got a little too hot. Saw a married couple two spots over with yellow Terrible Towel beach towels. Turns out they're from Monroeville, Pa. That makes two yinzers I've met while down here. Small world, eh?

Looking out the porch, two guys are walking down the road with some race tires. I guess they bought them at the swag trailers just across U.S. 92 ... only in Daytona. Anyway, time to shower off the salt/sand and watch the Nationwide race. I'm ashamed that I've been in Daytona for 24 hours and still haven't seen a single freaking race car. I'm starting to wonder if this blog is about NASCAR or the ocean. Maybe we'll start calling it Jonesin' for Beaches.

Joe Nemechek just qualified fourth for tomorrow's race, meaning he'll start right next to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Does it get any better than that? Thank God we'll have someone to root for!

The Nationwide race was AWESOME! Congrats to Denny Hamlin, and thank God he beat that jerk Kyle Busch. We had lots of passing for the lead and sat just three rows from the catch fence. We usually sit high in the grandstands, so we don't get the sensation of being a few feet from the cars as they blow by at 190 mph. It's crazy. Unleaded Octane 110 fills your nostrils, dirt blows in your eyes and the wind nearly knocks you out of your seat. Try experiencing that on your couch while watching ESPN!

We also met some cool people who were NASCAR rookies. Kenny, Judy and their kids, Tom and Jerry, were at their first NASCAR race, but the crazy part is they came here all the way from Kansas. Oh, and they're HUGE Dale Jr. fans. Very nice people. And when we're walking back from the track, we met a Steelers fan from my hometown of Lakeland who lived in the neighborhood (Imperial Lakes) where I was born. He was sporting Steelers sunglasses and chanting "Here We Go Steelers" with me as we walked home. Alright, time to head to bed and get ready for the big race tomorrow.

Live from Daytona - Day 1

2008-07-03T13:03:00.015-04:00

- Updated at 10:37 p.m. -

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Stepped off the airplane in sunny Jacksonville, Fla., where my dad lives, grabbed the bags and headed straight to Daytona. We drove south on I-95, took exit 261A onto International Speedway Boulevard (U.S. Route 92) and made the satisfying drive past the towering grand stands and triangular Daytona sign. The Cup cars are turning laps now and we can hear them from the motel room balcony. Now that we're here at Daytona Beach, I'm gonna float around in the motel pool a little and relax. My dad, Hobie, just pulled out a homemade T-shirt with Joe Nemechek's redneck mug on the front. Under the bottom of the shirt it says "Front Row Joe - Polk County, Fla." and pays homage to my parents' old store in Lakeland, Steve's Auto Parts.

After getting settled in our motel room, we unfurled an American flag over the porch railing and the T-shirt Joe's ugly mug, and prepared to hit the Ocean Deck restaurant for dinner. Anyone going to Daytona has to grab a bite at the Ocean Deck, which is situated along Route A1A right off the beach. They have some killer seafood (obviously) and an even better atmosphere. People stroll up from the beach in their bathing suits while you’re sitting there eating. Meanwhile, a decent Jimmy Buffett cover band is usually rocking tunes in the corner. This is the best pre-game for race weekend. What made it even better is that some dude named Rob from Bridgeville was chillin' with a Pens No. 18 Hossa jersey on the beach deck. We talked a bit and hung out. How cool is it to see a guy from Pittsburgh while hanging out in Florida? What are the chances?

Alright, we're heading home and gonna grab our bathing suits and get a quick evening dip in the pool before cashing it in for the night. We’ve got a HUGE day tomorrow. We still have to pull the $24.99 Wal-Mart grill out of the box, erect a mini-tent over a small slab of cement in the parking lot and start cooking bacon and eggs. And that's all by 9 a.m.! See y’all tomorrow.

No place like Daytona - Part 2

2008-07-02T08:00:00.010-04:00

Originally published July 4, 2006 in the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail
SMIRK AND A NOD
By Mike Jones

Most fans at the 2006 Firecracker 400 wore shirts emblazoned with Budweiser, Home Depot and Dodge, but some lesser-known drivers' gear was speckled in the crowd. My father, known by most of his friends as Hobie, wore a Joe Nemechek T-shirt and U.S. Army visor to support his favorite driver. Nemechek appeared to be poised for a good showing after qualifying fifth and my father was excited.

Nemechek, a native of Lakeland, had bought auto parts from my father's store in the little central Florida town during the late 1980s while he was racing dirt bikes and stock cars at local tracks. He and his brother, John, who died in a crash at Homestead Speedway in Miami in 1996, often chatted about racing, prompting my father to root for Joe over the past 15 years.

It was a admirable position to pull for the underdog. But besides winning the 1992 Busch Series championship and a handful of Cup races, Nemechek hadn't done much in his career. Dad pulled for him anyway.

But this was to be the final time after years of disappointment took their toll. We had made a deal a few weeks earlier that he would re-evaluate that allegiance if Joe couldn't finish 17th or better in the Pepsi 400. The prized Nemechek shirt, it was agreed, would be torched in our $29.97 charcoal grill if he couldn't muster even a mediocre finish.

Just hours before the race, a good omen occurred as I met Nemechek in his "swag trailer" just outside the track. He signed a few autographs, and with a smirk and a nod, sent me on my way.

But not long after the green flag flew and Stewart jumped out to the lead, Joe began his usual descent to the back. We prepared ourselves for the impending barbeque as the laps ran down. With 14 laps left, however, Jimmie Johnson bobbled, sending his car into Bobby Labonte, who had an uncharacteristically strong run until the crash. A few laps later, a bigger pile-up collected more front-runners, catapulting Joe closer to the cutoff point.

The late crashes weren’t enough for poor Joe. It wasn’t to be. We watched as Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers sealed the shirt's fate while Nemechek stumbled to a 19th place finish.

As Stewart climbed the fence and mingled with thousands of fans who met him at the bottom of the flagman's stand, we trudged back to the hotel room in search of a lighter and a few bricks of charcoal. Before the race, my step-brother had vowed to save the shirt regardless of Nemechek's finish. Now, he was discussing pulling for Kurt Busch in honor of his favorite adult beverage.

We toasted the memories with the shirt aflame and my father, a closet Junior fan, closed the lid, and, more importantly, a chapter. But when we reopened the grill, the name "NEMECHEK" still was legible on the charred remnants of the cloth. At that point, I doubted my father ever could give up on the driver he had cheered for more than two decades.

When we return to Daytona, I expect my father will be just as dedicated to Joe Nemechek. He's truly a rare breed.

The End
- Click here to read Part 1 -

No place like Daytona - Part 1

2008-07-01T08:00:00.009-04:00

Originally published July 4, 2006 in the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail
A RARE BREED
By Mike Jones

NASCAR fans are a rare breed. Anyone who has ever attended a race knows that. The fans pay thousands of dollars for tickets, hotel rooms, parking and, most importantly, beer.

Bewildered outsiders don't even begin to understand. They ask why someone would shell out that kind of cash to watch cars drive in circles. What they don't realize is NASCAR is an experience that can't be explained on television. It must be felt in person.

I will never forget the first time I heard 43 cars roaring by at nearly 200 mph at Daytona International Speedway or the echoing thunder as they flew down the backstretch. The Fourth of July event at Daytona Beach, Fla., has changed somewhat since I attended my first Firecracker 400 in 1993. Track officials added lights to the high-banked oval in 1998, altering the race for both competitors and fans.

Previously, drivers weren't the only ones who sweated buckets when the green flag dropped at 11 a.m. in the 90-degree heat. Fans perspired beer faster than they could consume their cans of Miller Lite and Budweiser that are stowed in coolers under their seats.

With an 8 p.m. start now, visitors take trips to the beach or barbeque in parking lots in the morning and afternoon. Others wade in the hotel swimming pool for most of the weekend and the beer cans that line the edge of the pool document their progress.

In the 2005 edition of the Pepsi 400, rain began falling an hour before race time, prompting my father, stepbrother and me to march back to the hotel for a late-night swim. Other fans, many of whom weren't fortunate enough to have a hotel room next to Turn 4, waited out the three-hour rain delay in their seats and soldiered through the race that didn't end until nearly 2 a.m. Sunday. Exhausted fans that partied for nearly 19 hours simply crumpled in their seats and passed out moments after Tony Stewart took the checkered flag.

That wasn't the case in 2006 when the race passed rather quickly and we were able to get to bed before midnight. There were the usual drunks at the event. A Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan stumbled out of his hotel room on his way to the track and mumbled incoherently to others.

But instead of a rain soaked holiday, fans were treated that year to a cool summer breeze passing from the Atlantic Ocean as the race started as scheduled. The distinctive smell of Octane 110 firing from the exhaust pipes filled the air just moments after the command was given for drivers to start their engines. One man, spitting chew while lounging in his seat, waved the fumes toward his nose in a circular motion with a cupped handed.

Now this, I thought, is what racing is all about.

- Click here to read Part 2 -

Daytona vacation

2008-06-30T09:41:00.007-04:00

Ahhh, what a beautiful sight! I’ll be making the annual pilgrimage this week to Daytona Beach to attend the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night, which has become a typical summer vacation spot for me, my father and stepbrother since 1993. Beginning Thursday, I plan to blog daily about the intense racing and drunken debacle that is the Daytona experience. Over the next couple of days, I’ll post a story about my visit there in 2006. Anyone else excited about sun splashed beaches, beer-lined swimming pools and restrictor plate racing?

Martin's math: 6 - 01 = 5

2008-06-26T14:32:00.002-04:00

It is increasingly likely that Mark Martin will return to racing full-time next year in a final attempt to win the Sprint Cup. ESPN.com is reporting Martin will replace the perpetually disappointing Casey Mears in Hendrick Racing’s No. 5 car. I’m glad that Martin is returning to racing, but I wonder why he’s doing it now.

Just last year, Martin started the season in the No. 01 and damn well nearly won the Daytona 500. Kevin Harvick ruined the fun when he passed Martin with about 100 yards to go in the race. Athough immensely disappointing, Martin used the momentum from that finish to lead the points standings for four weeks, before handing the keys over to rookie Regan Smith for the Bristol race. He still remained in the top-10 even after missing that race.

Martin was off to a good start that season and, at that point, should have decided to compete in the Crapshoot for the Cup later in the year. Who knows what will happen next year if he goes to Hendrick, but I’m wishing him the best of luck. It’d be great to see him win the Daytona 500 … or more importantly, that elusive championship.

Street illegal

2008-06-24T16:05:00.003-04:00

By Amanda Gillooly
O-R Staff Writer
agillooly@observer-reporter.com

I’m a writer, but I know I’ll never be a Shakespeare or a Hemmingway. And while I enjoy throwing the football around, I know I’ll never make it to the pros. That doesn’t diminish my skills. It’s just reality.

That word – reality – must not be that popular among some racing fans, who must honestly think they are Dale Earnhardt Jr. or some other such popular driver. I see them all the time and it always makes me laugh. While driving home from work on Interstate 79 last Friday, I encountered a white minivan. My first clues that it was trouble were the various stickers on the bumper – numbers that I recognize as representing NASCAR, but have no intimate knowledge of.

Cruising at 70 mph, I quickly signaled my intent to turn, where I got a better look at the ridiculousness. There just had to be more. And there was – a bright fire decal running down the sides. But I’ve seen sillier. There always seems to be the guy driving a 1989 Toyota Camry, weaving in-and-out of traffic, more rust than metal showing. While it is clear that he believes the car makes him able to perform NASCAR-worthy stunts, I’m betting the whole frame starts to shake when he goes more than 62 mph.

Even though that was clear to me, he obviously doesn’t get it. The spinner wheels, racing stripe and pimped-out exhaust don’t make the rusty road warrior anything more than it is: A 1989 Toyota Camry. Even Dale Jr. would tell him that.

PPMS Results - June 21

2008-06-23T15:10:00.002-04:00

Late Models – 25-lap feature
1. Lynn Geisler (68th career late model win at PPMS)
2. Jared Miley
3. Jim Stephans
4. Mike Johnson
5. Steve Baker
6. Ben Miley
7. Dave Wade
8. D J Miller
9. Kyle Lukon*
10. Keith Rodriguez*

Crate Late Models – 20-lap feature
1. Mike Pegher Jr.
2. Mark Moats Jr.*
3. Tommy Schirnhofer*
4. Steve Beatty
5. Bryant Hank
6. Josh Holtgraver
7. Daryl Charlier
8. Justin Lamb
9. Laura Lukon
10. Ken Chernik

E-Modifieds – 12-lap feature
1. Wayne Tessean (70th career E-Mod victory is most in PPMS history)
2. Clayton Kennedy
3. Chuck Kennedy
4. Vince Laboon
5. Joel Johns
6. Mike McKee
7. Bruce Dreistadt
8. Denny Nakutis
9. Willy Briggs
10. Tom Martineck

Young Guns – 8-lap feature
1. Justin Pons
2. Tyler Atkinson
3. Sean Graham
4. Michael Reft
5. Todd Janus
6. Tyler Fox
7. Daniel White
8. Brian Beyerbach
9. Hannah Ramsey

The Pure Stocks and Amateur Stocks divisions both were cancelled due to rain. Nick Kocuba and Jake Simmons won the Pure Stocks heat races and Brian Huchko won the Amateur Stocks heat race.

(* denotes heat winners)

Part 3 - Disappointing day

2008-06-20T08:00:00.004-04:00

With the short tracks in full swing, here’s a three-part story examining the triumphs and struggles of local weekend racers. The story originally ran Aug. 12, 2007 in the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter. Thanks to O-R photographer Celeste Van Kirk for the pictures.

DISAPPOINTING DAY
By Mike Jones

Back at Pennsylvania Motor Speedway near Imperial, Allegheny County, the No. 29 team and Keith Rodriguez gather on the roof of their trailer to watch the other races. Rodriguez usually carries a smile beneath his thick, salt-and-pepper mustache. On his right arm is a tattoo of his car number and a checkered flag around it. On the other arm is a bald eagle with a checkered flag lodged in its mouth.

Moments before the main event, Rodriguez, sipping a can of Diet Pepsi, discusses final adjustments with his crew chief. Then he climbs down the trailer and slips into his car. Even after years on the circuit, Rodriguez admitted he "sometimes gets a sick feeling in my stomach" before a race, but once in the car he is focused.

Of course, there is an element of danger. Two years ago Rodriguez crashed and flipped onto his roof, but he escaped without a scratch. "Sometimes when you're driving these things you don't realize what's going on behind you or beside you," Rodriguez said. “Your field of vision is so limited that it's tough sometimes."

Soon it's time for Rodriguez's race. A sparkling red pace car leads the cars around the muddy track. The green flag drops and Rodriguez roars from his 10th place starting position, but in just a few laps he begins to lose positions and is noticeably slower than some of the other cars.

After just five laps, his car drifts high in turn two while he searches for a faster groove, but the car smacks the wall. Coming down the front stretch, sparks and smoke billow out of the back as the right rear tire shreds. His nephew, Jason Fasone, slams a water bottle to the ground. The rest of the crew members standing on top of the trailer are stunned and scurry over to look at the damage.

The race is over for them. They repair the car just enough so it can roll into the trailer. With heavy sheet metal and suspension damage it's going to be a long week at the garage. Rodriguez, clearly dejected by the short night, indicates this setback won't stop them from competing again next week. "We'll be back," he says, still flashing his trademark smile.

So go the highs and lows of short-track racing.

- The End -

Part 2 - Passion for speed

2008-06-19T08:00:00.004-04:00

With the short tracks in full swing, here’s a three-part story examining the triumphs and struggles of local weekend racers. The story originally ran Aug. 12, 2007 in the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter. Thanks to O-R photographer Celeste Van Kirk for the pictures.

PASSION FOR SPEED
By Mike Jones

The scene is similar at Motordrome Speedway near Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County about 10 miles east of the Washington County line. With a paved surface, it's not as dirty while drivers race door-to-door at the half-mile track. The most prestigious cars race each Friday at Motordrome in the Whelen All-American Series, a weekly division that is a minor-league affiliate of NASCAR.

The Whelen Series cars are much sleeker and built closer to the ground than their dirt-track cousins. None of the race cars has a speedometer because, surprisingly, the speed is insignificant to the driver during the race. But several crews estimated that the cars run well over 100 mph on the straightaways. The cars cost about $40,000 each, which doesn't include the $20,000 it costs for a team to compete in the season's 20 races. Several sponsors and car dealerships are needed to support the teams because the prize money usually is not enough.

One of the top drivers in the series is Garry Wiltrout, who pilots the No. 95 Ford. When not at the track, Wiltrout, 42, of Bakersville, Somerset County, makes a living by selling ambulances in Westmoreland County. After work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Wiltrout and the crew head to the garage in Scottdale to prepare the car for the upcoming race. Thursdays are reserved for a round of golf – unless a crash tears up the car. "It's not bad," Wiltrout said, "as long as you don't wreck it."

Bad finishes are unusual for Wiltrout, who is a former track champion and currently second in the point standings with three victories so far this year. However, on this particular July night, the car is not only having clutch problems but also must start last because Wiltrout won the previous race. Several crewmen lie underneath the car and feverishly work to fix the problem before the 35-lap feature race.

Racing against less-experienced drivers at the rear of the field can prove to be costly. One of the track's tow truck drivers, Mike Hampton, knows crashes and hot tempers sometimes lead to fistfights. "Once in a while somebody will get a little hot, but they chill out," Hampton said. "I take care of that."

Despite the challenges, Wiltrout overcomes the clutch problems and avoids the wrecks to finish second behind teammate Bobby Henry. "We've been having a good time right now," Wiltrout said.

- This series continues Friday -

Part 1 - Right on track

2008-06-18T08:00:00.014-04:00

With the short tracks in full swing, here’s a three-part story examining the triumphs and struggles of local weekend racers. The story originally ran Aug. 12, 2007 in the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter. Thanks to O-R photographer Celeste Van Kirk for the pictures.

RIGHT ON TRACK
By Mike Jones

Kicking up mud and rocks embedded in the dirt surface, Keith Rodriguez jerks the steering wheel violently while sliding his super late model car around the half-mile track.

This isn't a furious race to the checkered flag at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, but rather just a few breathtaking hot laps in preparation for the main event later in the evening. Rodriguez, a 48-year-old US Airways pilot from Crescent Township, Allegheny County, soon pulls his car off the track and onto the pit road for service.

Rodriguez's nephew, Jason Fasone, helps direct the car into the team's stall, and the six-member homegrown crew – made up of family members and friends – immediately jumps into action. Fasone grabs a jack to lift the car, then whips out an air wrench, fires off the wheel's lug nuts and pulls off the tires. Crew chief Luke Ciarallo is already underneath the car and begins tinkering with the rear suspension while pondering what other adjustments are needed. Meanwhile, other crew members, including Cheryl Arbes, Rodriguez's sister, gather around and perform tasks that range from refueling the car to repairing battered sheet metal.

This routine is not unique to Rodriguez and his crew. For drivers and their teams across Western Pennsylvania and nearby states, the weekends are dedicated to chasing race cars – and their dreams – at high speeds. Finding money to race for the 23 events each year is tight, with a driver earning just $1,200 for a victory. But more important than the money is the time Rodriguez spends with his family and friends.

"These guys make it happen," Rodriguez says as he pulls himself out of the cockpit of the No. 29 car. "There's not a person down here that doesn't love this. We just come out and have a good time."

- This series continues Thursday -