Turner Scott To Run Rhodes In Five NCWTS Races

Turner Scott Motorsports has announced that Ben Rhodes will run five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races during the 2014 season in the No. 32 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet Silverado, beginning at Martinsville Speedway. The 17-year-old is currently competing full time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for TSM and has received three pole awards and one win in four starts this season.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Rhodes made his TSM debut last year when he ran a partial NKNPSE schedule and received two Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes in seven starts. He was also selected as a member of the 2013 NASCAR Next class, a select group chosen by the sanctioning body that spotlights NASCAR’s rising stars with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series potential. Most recently, Rhodes claimed his first NKNPSE victory at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

“I’m really thankful for this opportunity,” said Rhodes. “I can’t thank Harry Scott and Steve Turner enough for giving me this chance to gain valuable experience behind the wheel of one of the best trucks in the Truck Series. I also appreciate the ongoing support from Alpha Energy Solutions this season and hope I can make everyone proud. I’m really excited to start off at Martinsville, since I’ve got short-track racing experience and plan to carry momentum from my K&N win over to the No. 32 truck. Turner Scott Motorsports is a top-notch organization and I hope to learn a lot this year from both my Truck Series team as well as my K&N team.”

Rhodes will be under the direction of three-time NCWTS championship-winning crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. throughout the five races. In 2013, Hillman directed the No. 4 truck driven by NCWTS Rookie of the Year contender Jeb Burton and claimed one victory, seven pole awards and finished the season in fifth place in the NCWTS standings. Hillman and Rhodes will team up for the following races:

3/29 -- Martinsville Speedway

5/30 -- Dover International Raceway

8/20 -- Bristol Motor Speedway

10/25 -- Martinsville Speedway 

11/7 -- Phoenix International Raceway

“Ben is a very talented and deserving driver,” said TSM co-owner Harry Scott, Jr. “I’ve enjoyed watching him grow as a racer, as well as a young ambassador of the sport. Ben has proven to be a pleasure to work with and I look forward to his continued success within our organization.” 

29th Army Band To Perform Martinsville Anthem

The Virginia Army National Guard’s 29^th Army Band, one of the oldest and most decorated military bands in the nation, will perform the National Anthem prior to the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday.

“We believe our National Anthem should be played with great respect and pride, and having heard the 29^th Army Band perform the anthem, we know we will get a that type of performance,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “We are truly honored to have such a patriotic and historic band perform here. I’m looking forward to hearing their version Sunday.”

The 29^th Army Band has been in existence since 1922 and has served the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation with distinction. It was pressed into active duty during World War II and joined in the assault on Omaha Beach, duty for which its members received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. The band saw action in four European campaigns during World War II: Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland and Central Europe.

Present-day duties take the 29^th Army Band all over the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. They perform in concert, marching band and small ensembles for military and civilian functions with a repertoire that ranges from the classics to pop to Broadway to motion picture hits.

The Band’s most recent foreign assignments were in Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Stabilization Force 10 in 2002 and the 60^th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France in 2004.

Tickets to the STP 500 on March 30, the Kroger 250 on March 29 and Alpha Energy Solutions Pole Day on March 28 can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Gresham Signs With GMS Racing

GMS Racing -- formerly known as Gallagher Motorsports -- has signed 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion Max Gresham to drive the No. 23 AmWINS Chevrolet Silverado in five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season. Gresham is coming off his first full NCWTS season, where the 20-year-old captured one Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes.

In 2011, Gresham recorded four poles, two wins, nine Top-5 and 11 Top-10 finishes in 12 events, en route to the K&N Pro Series East championship. The Milner, Georgia native has also competed in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, notching three poles, one win, and eight top-10 finishes.

 “I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success up to this point of my career,” said Gresham. “However, my first Truck Series win hasn’t come yet and I really believe I have a great shot at getting to Victory Lane with GMS Racing. With support from Chevrolet and Richard Childress Racing, the team has everything needed to succeed. Charlotte can’t come fast enough so I can get behind the wheel of the No. 23 AmWINS Chevrolet.”

Gresham’s first Truck Series race of 2014 will come at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, followed by Kentucky Speedway in June, Bristol Motor Speedway in August, Martinsville Speedway in October and Texas Motor Speedway in November.

"Everyone at GMS Racing is excited to welcome Max Gresham to our talented driver pool,” said Nic Moncher, team manager. “Max has showcased his talent at every level he has competed in and we look forward to helping him earn his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory."

When not behind the wheel, Gresham will attend ARCA Racing Series and NCWTS events, spotting and assisting fellow GMS Racing drivers Joey Coulter and Spencer Gallagher. 

Johnson Not Concerned With Winless Start

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is winless in the first four races of the 2014 season. And while he admitted today that being winless is not necessarily the recipe for success under NASCAR’s new Chase qualification system, Johnson said there is no need to panic. 

“It’s not even close to time,” he said. “When you look at the stats… six different winners in a year (is) a pretty rare occurrence. I still think that points are every bit as important as they have been, until you get to Homestead. Even when you get into the Chase, the top guy in points will advance in pretty much every scenario, even to race (for the championship) at Homestead. Points are still the focus. 

Despite added incentives for visiting Victory Lane in 2014, Johnson said he and crew chief Chad Knaus are not about to jettison their tried-and-true approach to winning championships.

“We have been able to win multiple races a year with a certain mindset,” he said. “I am not going to chase home runs. I’m looking at a smooth and consistent 26 races and when we get a (chance) at a home run, we are going to swing for it. But we are not stepping up to the plate every time trying to hit it out.”

Asked about his chances to “go long” this weekend, Johnson said Auto Club Speedway has traditionally been a strong point for him and his team.

“I think our team has done well on kind of low grip level race tracks,” said Johnson, who has five wins and 12 Top-5 finishes in 19 career starts at Auto Club Speedway. “This track is in that category and… has usually been good for us. Hopefully, we’ve got that magic once again. 

“The character in the track continues to change. Last year especially, the bumps were as big as I’ve ever seen them. The paving seams are very sensitive to run your right-side tires on. I think those challenging elements are good for the No. 48.”

“It would be great to get a win and get ourselves locked in to the Chase,” said Johnson, “but I think we are in a good spot. We’ve been very competitive. We have had a shot to win a couple of races. All in all, things are going well and we will hopefully get a win before long.” 

Quiroga To Join FOX Deportes Broadcast Team

Germán Quiroga, driver of Red Horse Racing's No. 77 Net10 Wireless/OttterBox Toyota Tundra, will appear as a special guest commentator for the FOX Deportes broadcasts of this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events at Auto Club Speedway. The three-time NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series champion will join Tony Rivera and Diego Mejia in the booth at the Fontana, California-based track on March 22 and 23. 

Quiroga is the only driver in Mexico Toyota Series' history to capture three consecutive championship titles (2009, 2010 and 2011). In 2012 the Mexico City native made the move to the United States, and is on track to make his mark as a Hispanic in the top levels of NASCAR. Quiroga kicked off his second full season of competition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and with Red Horse Racing in February with a Top-10 finish in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. In his 2013 rookie season, he claimed two Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes, as well as a pole award at Iowa Speedway, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to earn the honor on an oval race track in NASCAR's three premier series. 

The Camping World Series driver recently spent time in the broadcast booth with Deportes Telemundo at Phoenix International Raceway, where he contributed to the telecast of the Mexico Toyota Series season opening Toyota 120.

The Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and will be broadcast on FOX and FOX Deportes. The Nationwide Series race starts Saturday, March 22 at 5 p.m. EDT and can be seen on ESPN and FOX Deportes.

Menard Will Race, But Not Qualify, At Fontana

Richard Childress Racing announced today that after witnessing the birth of his daughter Remi on Tuesday night, Paul Menard will not travel to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Cal., this weekend until Saturday morning. 

Matt Crafton will replace Menard in the No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet SS for both practice and qualifying on Friday. Menard will be in the car for a pair of Saturday practices and Sunday’s. Because of the driver change post-qualifying, Menard will have to start in the rear of the field for Sunday’s race. 

NASCAR Director of Communications Kristi King said Menard's failure to attempt qualifying will not imppact his eligibility for the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. "The minimum requirement to qualify for the Chase is a legitimate attempt to qualify for the event," said King. "He will exceed that by participating in final practice and competing in the race on Sunday.

Annett, Gaulding Beat The Weather In Martinsville Test

Michael Annett

Two drivers who had never turned a lap at Martinsville Speedway felt a lot better when they left the tough half-mile oval late Wednesday afternoon.

“Zero. Absolutely zero,” is how rookie driver Grey Gaulding described his Martinsville experience before a half-day test session. The 16-year-old Gaulding will be making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut during STP 500 weekend. He was joined Wednesday by several other truck series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Michael Annett and A.J. Allmendinger. 

Even though Annett has competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for a couple of years, the STP 500 on March 30 will mark his first Martinsville start. And when he rolled onto the track Wednesday, it was the first Martinsville laps for the Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year candidate. 

“It’s definitely a tough track, a very, very technical track,” said Annett, who drives one of two Sprint Cup entries for Tommy Baldwin Racing. “It’s so small, but there are lots of opportunities to make mistakes and one little mistake kills your whole lap. Actually it can kill more than one lap because it’s a momentum place and you try to get in the groove.” 

Gray Gaulding

When Gaulding takes the track for the Kroger 250 on March 29, he will be the youngest driver to make a start in the series. But he has a seasoned veteran, Jeff Hensley, as crew chief, and that is a great equalizer the young driver said after testing. 

“From the first run to the last run, I learned a ton,” said Gaulding. “I think we were the quickest out of the few trucks that were here today and that’s pretty cool. But it’s just good to learn and get laps in. Laps are so important. Jeff Hensley has a lot of laps here and he’s been able to teach me a lot today.” 

Hensley, who lives about five miles from Martinsville Speedway, has three Martinsville Speedway wins as a crew chief. Two were in the truck series with Mike Skinner behind the wheel and the third came in the Nationwide Series with driver Chuck Bown. 

Both drivers felt much better about coming back to Martinsville in 10 days after Wednesday’s experience. 

“I definitely feel more comfortable,” said Annett. “As technical and difficult as this track is, and when you only have an hour and a half before qualifying today is a real plus.” 

Gaulding was a bit more exuberant, saying, “Man, I just can’t wait to come back. I’m stoked.” 

Gaulding will be back at Martinsville Speedway Thursday for another day of testing, along with several other truck series drivers including series’ point leader Timothy Peters, German Quiroga, Chase Pistone, John Wes Townley and Brian Silas. 

Tickets to the STP 500 weekend on March 28-30 can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Eco-Power Joins Roush Fenway Racing

Fresh off its one-two finish at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, Roush Fenway Racing has announced a multi-year team-wide partnership with Safety-Kleen and its premium re-refined motor oil brand, EcoPower. 

EcoPower will serve as the official oil partner of the team, as well as the primary sponsor of the No. 17 Sprint Cup Ford and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in multiple races. The No. 17 EcoPower Ford Fusion will make its debut at Michigan International Speedway in June.

“We are pleased to have EcoPower on board as our official oil partner,” said team owner Jack Roush.  “The partnership reflects Roush Fenway’s commitment to both sustainability and using highest quality products. EcoPower protects engines and protects the environment.

“We have had great success in our race cars with re-refined oil and we look forward to continuing that success with EcoPower, while promoting environmental responsibility throughout this season and into the future.”

“The environmental benefits of re-refined oils have been rigorously evaluated and proven,” said Curt Knapp, Safety-Kleen executive vice president, marketing and oil re-refining sales.  “Fleet operators and consumers want to be absolutely confident that the oil will protect their valuable investment.  We can’t think of a stronger, more authentic endorsement for EcoPower than Jack Roush using it in his race cars to achieve peak protection and performance.”  

EcoPower says its re-refined oil helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. And it requires up to 85% less energy to produce than oil made from virgin crude, because it has already been refined. It also helps reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.  

Safety-Kleen is a founding partner of NASCAR Green; an initiative focused on making NASCAR the greenest sport. Safety-Kleen collects all used fluids from the tracks during race weekends - and from most team facilities year round - and then recycles or responsibly disposes of those fluids.  The used motor oil collected from all of these sources, including RFR’s race cars, will find its way back into EcoPower.  This “closed-loop” philosophy is heralded as a more environmentally responsible approach to handling used oil.

Pia Toscano To Perform National Anthem At Fontana

Critically-acclaimed recording artist Pia Toscano will sing the National Anthem prior to the start of the Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

  

Toscano will also perform ‘God Bless America’ during Auto Club Speedway’s “Tribute to Unions and the American Worker” during pre-race festivities. Toscano has made a name for herself as a vocalist with a rich, emotionally transparent voice, clearly influenced by the likes of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Etta James and Luther Vandross.  

Performing since the age of four, Toscano was widely considered one of American Idol’s Season 10 frontrunners thanks to her powerhouse vocal ability and dark-haired beauty.  She has performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Ellen, The White House, Dancing With The Stars,  So You Think You can Dance The Disney Channel, and is currently known as the “Voice of the LA KINGS” singing the National Anthem at their home games at the Staples Center. 

Pia recently had her film debut opposite AJ Michalka and Kevin Pollak in Lionsgate’s “Grace Unplugged.” 

For tickets to the Auto Club 400, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com. 

RAB Racing Docked For Bristol Violation

The No. 99 RAB Racing team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been penalized as a result of a rules violation committed during the event at Bristol Motor Speedway.  

During the race on March 15, the No. 99 car committed a P3 level penalty by violating Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20A-2.3A (added car weight; improperly attached weight; loss of weight during the event) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book. As a result, crew chief Chris Rice has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. In addition, car chief John Guerra has also been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. 

Larson On Rookie Season: "Hard Racing The Whole Time"

Kyle Larson’s rookie season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing is off to an encouraging start. The Sacramento, California native has collected three Top-20 and one Top-10 finishes in his first four starts, and said today that he has actually run better than he has finished.

“We've had really fast cars all year long,” said Larson. “We just haven't caught the right breaks to get those Top-10s. At Daytona, I got in the wall (and) got in a wreck late. At Phoenix, we got caught under green‑flag stops and went a lap down. We kept barely missing the Lucky Dog (and) like I said, thought we had an eighth‑ to 12th‑place car there. At Vegas, I sped on pit road and we had lots of green‑flag runs and could never get a Lucky Dog.

“Finally, at Bristol, we had a race where nothing went wrong for us. Bristol was the first week of the season that was mistake‑free and drama‑free. We didn't have anything happen to us, and hopefully, we'll have more and more of those.”

As most rookies do, Larson said he is learning what it takes to compete at the highest level of NASCAR.

“After the first three weeks, I realized that to get a Top-15, you have to be almost perfect. It's tough to come back from mistakes in this series. I learned that really quick. This series is really competitive and hard to do well in.”

He also said that while drivers are sometimes accused of saving their equipment in the early and mid-stages of Sprint Cup races, the pace is far more taxing than it appears.

“The whole field is really aggressive in the Cup Series,” he said. “The pace throughout the field is a lot quicker and more aggressive. In Nationwide, you get up to the top three or four, that's when the pace quickens. But in Cup, everybody is so even that it's tough to get an edge on somebody. At Bristol, I got to be up front, but when you get in the back, it's tough to pass because everybody is going so hard. It makes it interesting and makes us try harder.

“As a fan, before I ever came over here (to NASCAR), I thought, `Oh, they're long races. They just ride around until the last 100 laps,’ or whatever. But at my first Cup race at Charlotte last year, I realized there's not as much give‑and‑take as I thought. It's all racing -- really hard racing -- the whole time.

“I feel like the Top-25 guys are racing really hard,” said Larson. “Even though it could be a 500‑mile race, you're still racing as hard as you can to position yourself near the front at the end.”

Larson said the level of competition in NASCAR far exceeds what he experienced in Sprint Cars and Midgets.

“I’ve grown up racing winged Sprint Cars and I used to think the best drivers in the world were in the World of Outlaws Series. I still think they are very good, but the depth of really good drivers in the Cup Series is amazing. That's what makes it tough, there are 25 to 30 drivers out there each week that are extremely good and fast. You go to the World of Outlaws race, there might be seven or eight guys you have to beat.

“That's what makes it really tough.”

Reutimann Back With Front Row Motorsports in Fontana

David Reutimann narrowly missed making the qualifying cut for last weekend’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, but will try again this week in the No. 35 MDS Transport Ford for Front Row Motorsports at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Cal.

"We were more than just a little disappointed with not making the race in Bristol,” said Reutimann. “So we're going to regroup and not let that happen again. I couldn't have felt worse with how close we were (.001 seconds). But it was better to know we were really close than not even in the ballpark. At the end of the day, we should've been in.

"Fontana is a pretty tricky place. It's gotten rougher and slicker as the years have gone on. The track has seams that they put sealer on, and it makes the track slick. It's a tough track. We just have to unload as good as we can and get it in the show this time."

Sunday's race would be Reutimann's first Sprint Cup start in 2014. He has 11 career Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, with a best finish at the track of ninth in 2008.

COMMENTARY: Four Going On 16? Don’t Bet On It

With four different winners in the first four races of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, it has become fashionable to fantasize about the possibility of 16 winners (or more) in the 26-race regular season.

Under NASCAR’s newly revised 2014 championship system, a victory in the first 26 races all-but guarantees a berth in the Chase. Emphasis on the “all but.”

Following Race 26 at Richmond International Raceway, the top 15 drivers with wins in the regular season earn automatic spots in the NASCAR Chase Grid, provided they have finished in the Top-30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race. The 16th Chase position is reserved for a winless point leader – if necessary – but if there are 16 or more different regular season winners, only that point leader will earn a berth in the Chase with out winning.

The prospect of 16 winners... or 18, or 20… is obviously appealing to NASCAR fans. Unfortunately, it is not likely to happen.

In each of the last three seasons, four different faces have visited Victory Lane in the opening four weeks. Despite that, in the decade since the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was instituted, there has never been more than 15 regular-season winners. Ina fast start seldom – if ever – lasts.

"There's been a lot of talk about it," said Bristol winner Carl Edwards Sunday. "I've been listening to the radio guys a lot, and everybody is assuming that `You win and you're in.’ That's definitely not the case. 

"We need to go get another win"

We have 12 more races (in the regular season), and the first step is you have to win. You're going to have to have a win, I believe, to be in the Chase. So now that we've checked that box, we need to go get another win.

Then we will be guaranteed to be in it."

Edwards’ “go get another one” attitude is good news for NASCAR fans. If the first four races of the 2014 season have shown us anything, it’s that a driver in need of a win will do just about anything (within the law) to get one. We have also learned that a driver with a victory already in hand will kick his momma in the backside to get another one.

"I've been a little bit jealous of guys that have wins this early," said Edwards in Victory Lane. "I was thinking today, `I can't imagine what that must feel like to be able to come to a race track and have all that pressure off of you.’”

Now, Edwards knows how it feels. And that knowledge will make him a better, more aggressive driver in the days and weeks to come.

“Now we'll be able to go have some fun,” smiled Edwards Sunday. “I'm really excited about the next 22 races. That will be a blast."

Greed is a powerful motivator, and desperation produces great racing. Hungry race car drivers sell tickets and boost television ratings.

As the number of 2014 winners increases, the number of drivers with nothing to lose – and every reason to take chances and roll the dice – also increases. At some point in this regular season, eight or 10 of NASCAR’s top wheelmen will find themselves solidly in the win column; ready, willing and able to gamble on every turn of the cards in an effort to win again and again.

That could result in additional wins for the risk-takers, or backfire in their faces and send even more first-time winners to Victory Lane.

That’s the fun part about gambling. You never really know how it’s going to turn out.

Gary Bettenhausen Dead At Age 72

Indianapolis 500 veteran Gary Bettenhausen died Sunday at the age of 72.

Gary Bettenhausen made 21 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1968 and 1993, with a best result of third in 1980. He nearly won the race 1972, leading 138 laps before suffering a late-race mechanical failure. His final start as a driver came in the 1996 U.S. 500, driving for his brother, Tony.

He was renowned as one of the top dirt racers of his day, winning multiple Sprint Car and Midget championships in the midwest. He was one of Roger Penske's first Indy Car drivers, until a crash on the dirt mile in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1974 left him with a severely injured arm. Penske, who disapproved of Bettenhausen’s dirt racing, replaced him at the wheel of his Indy Car team.

He made eight career starts in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with a best finish of fourth at Michigan in 1974, also driving for Penske. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993, and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Bettenhausen was a member of one of Open Wheel racing’s most legendary – and star-crossed -- families. He was the son of son of 14-time Indianapolis competitor Tony Bettenhausen, who was killed in a 1961 practice crash at the speedway. His brother, Tony Bettenhausen Jr., made 11 Indianapolis 500 starts as a driver and team owner before dying in a 2000 airplane crash while returning from a race. Another brother, Merle Bettenhausen, lost an arm in his Champ Car debut in July of 1972 at Michigan International Speedway.

Former Indy 500 competitor and Rockingham Speedway President Andy Hillenburg called Bettenhausen, “one of my childhood heroes, a mentor and a great friend,” remembering him as “one of the best ever to sit behind a wheel.”

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles said, “Gary Bettenhausen was the perfect definition of a race car driver of his time. He raced successfully in many types of cars, on every type of track, and he possessed a work ethic that earned him rides based on his ability and his competitive nature. Gary will best be remembered by Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans for the manner in which he carried the Bettenhausen family’s passion for the Indianapolis 500 and how he drove every lap at the limit when he was competing at IMS. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary’s wife, his family, and his friends.”

Smoke Rises With Solid Bristol Performance

The questions had clearly begun to grate on Tony Stewart.

Fiesty with the media even in the best of times, the Stewart Haas Racing co-owner and former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion had grown tired of discussing his still-mending right leg; so savagely broken in an early August Sprint Car crash in Oskaloosa, Iowa. After being sidelined from the final 15 races of the 2013 season, Stewart returned with a whimper, not a roar, struggling mightily in the opening weeks of the season en route to 35^th, 16^th and 34^th-place finishes at Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas Motor Speedways.

“What’s wrong with Smoke,” wondered the garage-area railbirds. “What’s wrong with Stewart Haas Racing?”

Sunday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, Stewart took an important first step on the road to answering those questions. On a track that has afforded him precious little success over the years – just one win in 30 career starts and an average finish of 17th -- Stewart’s weekend once again began poorly. An abysmal qualifying effort left him with a provisional, 37th-place starting spot, and Sunday morning, there were very few optimists dressed in Stewart’s black and orange livery.

"It feels like a win..."

Once the green flag flew, however, Stewart began a steady climb toward the top of the standings. His Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet improved throughout Sunday’s 500-lap event, and despite a pair of lengthy rain delays, Stewart eventually finished fourth behind winner Carl Edwards and youngsters Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Aric Almirola.

“It’s not a win, I know that,” said a relieved Stewart afterward. “But it feels like a win. I think we will take that. To come to Bristol, run 500 laps and have a Top-5 (finish), that’s just what the doctor ordered.”

Stewart was asked how the marathon grind had affected his surgically repaired leg, and for once, the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion actually seemed pleased to reply.

“I feel great,” he said. “Let’s do it again!”

Stewart’s fourth-place finish will not silence the doubters forever. It improved his standing only marginally -- to 23^rd in the championship standings – and did little to calm fears that SHR has adapted poorly to NASCAR’s newest off-season rule modifications. He and teammates Kevin Harvick (39th at Bristol), Kurt Busch (35^th) and Danica Patrick (18^th) are still a half-step behind the competition in terms of early-season speed, and that is a problem unlikely to be solved without weeks of testing and hard work.

But for now, at least, Stewart’s strong run will keep the wolf from the door.

“To start 37th and end up fourth, I’m pretty excited about that,” said Stewart after Sunday’s race. “We had a long way to go from Friday, when we weren’t very good. Every day, we just got better and better. So, I’m really proud of this team.

“It’s a step in the right direction, for sure,” he smiled. “This is a big one. If you come out of this place with a Top-5, you’ve had a good day.”

Newman Says Chassis, Tires Change The Game At BMS

No matter how many times you race on a particular race track, there are always new challenges to deal with. Just ask Ryan Newman.

The Richard Childress Racing driver said today that a new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rules formula for 2014 has made the line between peak handling and “in the wall” much finer than in the past.

“It seems like the cars are really, really sensitive to changes,” said Newman, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. “The cars are so stiff now (that) once you lose it, you really lose it. It’s more aerodynamically-related at other race tracks, but here (it’s) more mechanical-related.

“There’s a lot of grip,” said Newman. “(But) once you lose that grip, it’s kind of gone. (You’re in) a full slide. And you have to run it right there on the edge to feel it.”

Newman also revealed that Goodyear has brought a significantly different tire to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, and that the softer tire compound “does seem like it’s going to give up more. It definitely is marbling-up way more than we’ve seen any Goodyear tire marble-up in the last few years.

“From what I understand, it is the Loudon left-side tire, which is not anything at all like a concrete tire that we’ve run here in the past,” said Newman. “It’s definitely different. I don’t know what it’s going to do for the racing, but it definitely is marbling-up.”

He said the presence of marbles – small pieces of sloughed-off rubber on the racing surface – is challenging for drivers.

“Marbling-up is not a good thing as far as… giving us the ability to use all of the race track,” he said. “When you get up into the marbles, it takes two or three laps to get back going again. That’s sometimes 20 or 30 positions. You want to have the confidence in the race track and your race car to be able to put it anywhere, so you can pass at any time.

“The track is pretty narrow, so giving us the ability to move around is a good thing.”

Newman said those marbles may force drivers to search for new lines around the race track, particularly late in a run. 

“If they blow the race track off and we go straight to the top like we have done here in the past, it won’t be an issue,” he said. “But as of right now, it’s laying a lot of marbles and we’re running the bottom to the middle. The top third of the race track really is marbled-up.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be an issue, but it has more potential now than last year.”

Johnson In Survival Mode At Bristol

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has a number of tracks on the circuit at which he truly looks forward to racing.

Bristol Motor Speedway is not one of them.

Despite a win there in 2010, the Lowe’s Chevrolet driver said he returns to Thunder Valley this weekend in survival mode, just hoping to emerge from this weekend's Food City 500 with his race car still in one piece.

“I just want to survive this place,” admitted Johnson, who has an average finish of just 15.2 in his 24 career Bristol starts. “We did get a win in 2010, we have been able to run consistently in the Top-5 five (and) that is truthfully our goal. This track really is difficult on me and Chad and the team through practice and qualifying. Then, in the race, we seem to find our way. 

“A lot of that falls on my shoulders,” said Johnson. “I feel like this track takes a repetition of laps to find a rhythm and find the half a tenth or so that I need to really be in the game.  We will try to keep aggravation and frustration to a minimum (and) I know that we will be able to get out there and run well.”

Johnson stands third in the 2014 championship chase, 16 points behind teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and said he is not concerned with being winless so far in 2014. 

"I just want to survive this race"

“I haven’t put much thought into it,” he said. “The main reason is that 16 (drivers) transfer, and it’s pretty rare that we have 16 different winners in the course of a season. So points still have a pretty big impact on where you are at. I’m happy that we are third in points. 

“I feel like we had a shot to win in Vegas. Midway through the race, the balance of the car changed. We found something wrong with the car that was pretty rare and unique for us. So we know where our speed went. I feel like we had a shot to win the (Daytona) 500, so we have had two chances to win and a bunch of Top-6 finishes. 

“There is nothing to be concerned about yet. The year is early and I feel like at least one or two positions will go in via points.”

Johnson said he expects the fast lane will once again be on the top of the race track, raising the likelihood of contact between cars. 

“There definitely is a bump-and-run factor (at Bristol)” he said. “If someone is a lap down car or not racing (you) for position, a little tap on the straightaway usually wakes up whoever is in front of you. They will cut you some slack. If it’s for position, I wouldn’t anticipate anybody to pull down and get out of the way. You are just going to have to go to work the hard way and try to get by.”

Johnson said he is uncomfortable with that more aggressive style, and admitted that he sometimes finds himself at a disadvantage on tracks like Bristol as a result.

“Some drivers have grown up in stock cars and in environments where you use the bumper to move someone,” Johnson said. “It’s second nature. It’s not the environment that I came out of and I think the same for Kasey (Kahne). If you go through his background and the types of cars he raced, you don’t bump. You don’t touch.

“I have found personally that it takes me longer to set up a bump and run. It’s a delicate touch to get in there and move somebody in the right way. I waste more time doing that than it (would take) to get inside to try to pass them. There are some guys that are comfortable and used to it.  If I have to (bump someone), I will.

“But I am probably going to be saying, `I’m sorry’ after.”

AT LAST! A Grand Marshal For The Ages!

Already a daredevil in his own right, the Great Gonzo will spend Sunday, March 23 among his peers in NASCAR, just two days after his new movie, “Muppets Most Wanted,” hits the big screen. 

  

The poultry-loving daredevil and plumbing aficionado will give the command “Drivers, Start Your Engines” to NASCAR’s own field of 43 daredevils as Grand Marshal for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.  The race will be televised live on FOX at Noon (PT). 

“Going around in circles as fast as possible is how I got my start,” said Gonzo, who counts NASCAR racing among his favorite sports. “So it’s a real honor to be named Grand Marshal of this year’s Auto Club 400! For me, it’s right up there with sword-juggling, bog-snorkeling and competitive dentistry.” 

Gonzo stars in the upcoming Disney movie “Muppets Most Wanted," which takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon and Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard. 

Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” is directed by James Bobin and produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Bobin wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Stoller, who is also executive producer with John G. Scotti. Featuring music from Academy Award-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, “Muppets Most Wanted” hits the big screen March 21, 2014.

  

To experience a once-in-a-lifetime Muppet experience, call 800-944-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for more information. For more information about the movie, visit Disney.com/Muppets, like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/Muppets, and follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/TheMuppets.