COMMENTARY: Newly Announced "Race Team Alliance" Raises Hopes... And Concerns

Nine of NASCAR’s most successful teams announced today that they have joined forces to form the Race Team Alliance (RTA); a collaborative business association intended “to create an open forum for the teams to explore areas of common interest and to work collaboratively on initiatives to help preserve, promote, and grow the sport of stock car racing.”

Currently, the RTA is composed of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske. Membership opportunities will reportedly be extended to all full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams in the near future.

Today’s RTA media release said the organization will “engage with stakeholders on creative ways to market and experience the power of the sport’s teams and drivers... (and) explore innovative ways to harness the combined purchasing power and scale of the teams’ operations to drive efficiencies in costs.” RTA chairman Rob Kauffman – co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing - - said the organization “simply formalizes what was an informal group. By working together and speaking with a single voice, it should be a simpler and smoother process to work with current and potential groups involved with the sport. Whether it be looking for industry-wide travel partners or collaborating on technical issues – the idea is to work together to increase revenue, spend more efficiently, and deliver more value to our partners.”

Sources say one of the RTA’s first orders of business will be to negotiate with NASCAR for a larger share of the new, $8-billion television contract that begins in 2015 and continues through the 2025 season. Currently, teams receive 25% of all TV revenue, with 65% going to race tracks and 10% to NASCAR.

Not surprisingly, team owners want a larger piece of that new television pie, and believe they must present a unified front to obtain it.

NASCAR chairman Brian France spoke about the possible re-allocation of TV revenue in his "State of the Sport" address Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, saying NASCAR is "rethinking (the percentages) little bit. That'll be something that we will consider and look at to make sure that the appropriate values are where they need to be."

NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes said the sanctioning body was aware of the RTA prior to today’s announcement, but currently has “very few specifics on its structure or purpose. NASCAR's mission, as it has always been, is to create a fair playing field where anyone can come and compete,” said Jewkes. “Our job is to support and strengthen all of the teams, large and small, across all of our series and we'll continue to do that. NASCAR is a unique community with hundreds of stakeholders. They all have a voice and always will."

If they’re smart, the RTA will continue to use terms like “collaborative business association,” avoiding any talk of a possible owners or drivers’ union, which NASCAR has resisted ferociously in the past.

In 1961, driver Curtis Turner was banned for life by NASCAR founder Bill France, Jr., after working with the Teamsters Union in an attempt to unionize the sport. Turner was reinstated four years later, but the union’s foothold in NASCAR was lost. In 1969, a number of top stars including Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough formed the Professional Driver’s Association in an attempt to secure larger race purses and improve safety. The PDA boycotted the first-ever race at Talladega Superspeedway, citing concerns with tire wear, but France competed without his established stars, paying drivers from other sanctioning bodies to take part.

There have been no further attempts to organize or unionize NASCAR.

The newly announced Race Team Alliance has the potential to be a positive force in NASCAR, harnessing the combined purchasing power of its teams and utilizing economies of scale to reduce operating expenses across the board. Hopefully, the organization will open its doors to all NASCAR team owners and immediately begin working with the sanctioning body toward common goals, while resisting the urge to repeat the mistakes of the past. 

COMMENTARY: Pocono's IndyCar Woes Felt Throughout Professional Sports

Pocono's Brandon Igdalski

The Verizon IndyCar Series returned to Pocono Raceway last season for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, with Scott Dixon winning the Pocono INDYCAR 400 in front of a disappointing crowd of 30-35,000 fans.

This week, Pocono CEO Brandon Igdalski told Associated Press sportswriter Dan Gelston that ticket sales for Sunday’s return engagement are down substantially from 2013, adding that he will speak to IndyCar CEO Mark Miles this weekend about pulling out of the final year of their three-year contract. Igdalsky said ticket sales for this year’s race were “kind of scary" when compared to last year, and would not guarantee a return of the IndyCar series to Pocono in 2015. Igdalsky said that if IndyCar does not return, “it's because the fans did not come out and support the event."

In some corners, IndyCar’s Pocono struggles are seen as an indictment of the series and its popularity. In truth, however, the Open Wheel Series is suffering the same attendance maladies as virtually every other professional sport, including NASCAR.

Packed houses at Bristol, a thing of the past?

NASCAR stopped providing attendance figures for its Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks Series’ prior to the 2013 season. But even without those official tallies, it is clear that in-person attendance has dropped substantially in the last decade. A number of tracks, including Talladega, Michigan, Martinsville, have either removed or stopped selling large sections of seats in recent seasons.

The days of 160,000 fans at Bristol, 150,000 at Texas or 140,000 at Talladega are long gone and unlikely to return, at least in the foreseeable future. Blame a faltering economy, unsettling employment news, gas prices that hover near $3.70 per gallon and health insurance premiums that have doubled (or even tripled) for many consumers in the last 120-18 months. Blame an instant-gratification society that has 1,000 entertainment options at its fingertips at all times and is unwilling to spend four hours or more in the grandstands at a professional sporting event. Blame breakthroughs in television, radio and internet technology that have made it easier (and cheaper) to watch the game from the comfort of home, rather than travel to the stadium or race track.

It’s a situation that has professional sports franchises crying the blues. And it’s not just NASCAR and IndyCar.

In-person attendance figures for Formula One racing are not readily available, but that circuit’s television viewership is down dramatically this season. F1’s global audience fell from 515 million in 2011 to 500 million in 2012 and 450 million last season, with staggering losses in many of the sport’s most critical markets. Viewership is down 50% in In Latin America over last season, 13% in Germany and 20% in Italy, and while France’s recent move to Pay-Per-View F1 broadcasts makes a direct comparison difficult, the loss of viewership is seen as nothing less than catastrophic by the sport’s organizers.

Major League Baseball is down...

Tickets sales for Major League Baseball are also down substantially this season. The San Francisco Giants are currently the top-drawing club in Major League Baseball, filling 85.7 percent of their available seats, home and away. The New York Yankees – baseball’s top draw for decades – are close behind at 85.3%, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. The lowly Cleveland Indians have filled only 53.3% of their available seats through 83 games this season, worst in the majors.

In the National Basketball Association, attendance was been flat or slightly down in recent years. Many teams are now battling sagging attendance by running promotions that deeply discount tickets and offer other incentives for attendance. In mid-December, the Phoenix Suns offered a money-back guarantee for their game against the Dallas Mavericks, promising full refunds if fans were unhappy with the team’s performance. On secondary ticket markets like StubHub, many franchises now have tickets available for as little as a buck. That was not the case even a few short years ago.

Last season, only the Miami Heat were able to fill 100% of their seats. The Detroit Pistons brought up the rear at just 78.3% of capacity; selling approximately 13,000 seats per game in the 21,000-seat Palace. Piston games regularly featured yawning voids in the stands that television viewers could not help but notice.

...as is the NBA. 

Once the weak sister of major league American sports, the National Hockey League actually averaged more sellouts last season than the NBA, despite modest declines in overall attendance from the previous season. A strict, apples-to-apples comparison is difficult, due to a lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign that reduced the overall number of games played. But comparing the first half of each campaign shows only four teams increasing ticket sales in 2013-14. Six clubs were unchanged and 20 franchises suffered a drop in attendance. Overall, NHL ticket sales were down 3.2% last season.

In terms of attendance, the National Football League remains the 600-pound gorilla of professional sports. Last season, six different franchises – the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears – boasted tickets sales of greater than 100%. The Packers top the list at 104.2% of capacity, meaning that every seat is sold (both home and away) along with a number of standing-room-only tickets. Even with television blackouts imposed in local markets where the home team fails to sell out, most teams now sell between 85 and 90% of their available tickets.

It’s complex problem, and concrete solutions will be difficult to come by. Ticket prices have already begun to fall; a direct result of the inexorable link between supply and demand. Arenas and speedways now provide more “value added” per dollar spent, discounting parking, food and drinks and providing behind-the-scenes VIP Tours and other amenities that were traditionally not available to the average fan.

In the short term, however, men like Brandon Igdalski will continue to face difficult decisions concerning the future of their venues.

Busch, KBM Sanctioned By NASCAR

The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team has been penalized by NASCAR for a rules infraction discovered in post-race inspection June 26 at Kentucky Speedway. 

The infraction is a P2 level penalty and violates Section 20B-12.8.1 (truck failed to meet post-race height requirements) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book. As a result, crew chief Eric Phillips has been fined $5,000 and owner Kyle Busch has been penalized with the loss of six championship truck owner points.

MRN Headed To The Knoxville Nationals

Motor Racing Network is headed back to the prestigious Knoxville Nationals for the third straight year next month, to air four special editions of “Winged Nation.”

Co-hosts Kendra Jacobs and Steve Post will be on location at Knoxville Raceway in Central Iowa from Aug. 6-9 to spotlight the 54^th running of the FVP Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s General Stores.  The annual World of Outlaws Sprint Car showcase is known simply as the “Grand Daddy of Them All.”

“For NASCAR enthusiasts, their ‘Super Bowl’ is the Daytona 500 and open-wheel fans see the Indianapolis 500 the same way,” said Motor Racing Network President and Executive Producer David Hyatt.  “The Knoxville Nationals is the premier sprint car race on the calendar and MRN is proud to be associated with this great event once again in 2014.”

“Winged Nation,” a weekly look at the world of sprint car racing, is now in its fourth season – streamed each Tuesday from 12 to 1 p.m. (EDT) exclusively at www.MRN.com.  The four special one-hour broadcasts from Knoxville will stream each evening at 5 p.m. (local time), originating in front of a live audience behind the main grandstand at Knoxville Raceway.

In addition to the live audio stream, the shows will be available through the TuneIn app for mobile devices, and on demand through iTunes and in the Media Center at MRN.com.  That week’s regularly-scheduled airing of “Winged Nation” will be available at its usual time on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

The 54^th Knoxville Nationals encompasses a four-day format unmatched in all of dirt-track racing.  Qualifying will begin Wednesday, Aug. 6, with additional qualifying and heat races leading up to the champion being crowned on Saturday night, Aug. 9.

Martinsville President Clay Campbell Is All Wet!

Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell has come up with a novel but beneficial way to stay cool at Celebration 2014: he’s going to sit in a dunking booth for three hours to help raise money for the Fuel for Families Food Drive. 

Thursday night’s Celebration 2014 at Martinsville Speedway is the annual free Independence Day affair that includes music, carnival rides and fireworks. For the sixth straight year, it also includes the Fuel for the Families Food Drive. With inventory at local food banks at alarmingly low levels, Campbell wanted to help. 

“We know there are so many local families that struggle to put food on the table … something that most of us take for granted,” said Campbell. “I figured there were a few people out there that would probably want to dunk me and a lot of folks that would want to help the cause.” 

Campbell will be perched in a dunking booth near the carnival rides from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. The cost for a chance to dunk him: three throws for $5. All proceeds will go toward purchasing canned goods for the Fuel for the Families Food Drive. 

“We are so grateful that Clay is willing to take a seat in the dunking booth to support the Fuel for Families Food Drive. It is evident that his generosity has no limit when it comes to supporting our community,” said Tiffani Underwood, executive director of the United Way of Henry County and Martinsville, which coordinates the food drive. “I hope everyone will come out and not only bring a canned food item, but also take a turn to dunk Clay and support hungry families right here in Martinsville and Henry County.” 

There will be several collection areas at entrance gates and in the carnival area for the Fuel for Families Food Drive. Any monetary donations will be used to buy additional items. 

A free-to-the-public family event, Celebration 2014 will begin at 3 p.m. when the carnival rides open. There will be 14 rides this year, the most ever, with three major rides added. The carnival rides are free. 

The entertainment portion of Celebration will also begin earlier in the day this year, starting at 4 p.m. when Superhold, a 1980s cover band takes the stage. Domino, a horn band from Roanoke, will play at 6 p.m. 

The headlining act, The Cadillac Three, will take the spotlight at 8 p.m., followed by a fireworks display.

Torrey Galida Promoted To President At Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing has announced the promotion of Torrey Galida from Chief Operating Officer to President.

Galida, who has been the COO since 2011, becomes the first person other than team owner Richard Childress to carry the title of president for the corporation. Childress will retain his title of Chief Executive Officer and add that of Chairman to his role.

"Since coming on board with us in July 2011, Torrey Galida has been a great asset to RCR," Childress said. "He has helped guide us through many changes for the better and I feel he is the perfect person to continue doing that for our team.

"This does not mean I am slowing down in any capacity at RCR. This just means I am freeing myself up to be involved in other, more strategic aspects of the company to benefit our overall operation and performance."

Galida is a 20-year veteran of the automotive and motorsports industries. Before joining RCR, he served as General Manager for TRG Motorsports. He also spent time as President of Millsport Motorsports and CMO at Roush Fenway Racing.

Prior to moving to North Carolina in 2004, Torrey spent 12 years with Ford Motor Company. He served in a number of senior-level marketing and strategy positions, including Vice President of Marketing for Ford of Canada, and Global Motorsports Marketing Manager for Ford Racing Technology.

"I have an immense amount of respect for Richard Childress and the incredible racing organization he has built," Galida said. "I am honored to have the opportunity to play a key role in the continued success of RCR."

In his new role, Galida will also become a member of the Board of Directors for RCR, in addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations and assist with key decisions and strategy of the organization.

Galida's new role becomes effective immediately.

Truex Primed For Daytona Redemption

When Martin Truex Jr. went to bed the night before February’s Daytona 500 feeling like it was the best chance ever to win NASCAR’s biggest race.

“We had a fast superspeedway car,” said Truex, who qualified for the “Great American Race” on the outside of the front row. But that optimism turned into a nightmare for the Furniture Row Racing driver, in his first Sprint Cup Series point-counting race with the Colorado-based team.

On lap 30 of 200, a broken oil pump belt caused the engine to expire in Truex’s No. 78 Chevrolet. The early exit relegated him to a last place finish.

“No question, that really hurt,” recalled Truex. “Going from the potential of winning the 500 to last place was a very humbling experience. But we’re coming back to Daytona with the same enthusiasm and optimism that we had going into the 500.”

Truex’s second chance of the season at the famed 2.5-mile tri-oval comes Saturday night in the Coke Zero 400. The New Jersey native, who recently turned 34, will drive the same car he drove in the 500.

“Daytona is a place where I think we can get that first win,” said Truex. “It’s a cerebral race, with mostly two-wide racing. You have to be totally aware of openings and drafting partners the entire race, especially in the closing laps when it gets pretty hairy. The night race at Daytona is always exciting and I am sure it will be the same on Saturday night.”

Truex’s performance record at Daytona shows a lack of good fortune at the World Center of Racing. In 18 races at Daytona, he has managed just one Top-10. His best finish in the July race was a 13th in 2007. 

“Those statistics don’t mean much to me right now,” noted Truex. “We’re capable of maneuvering our car up front and being in contention for the win. You’re going to need a break or two, and if you do get those breaks and still flying near the end of the race, you’ll have a good shot at taking home the big prize.”

Drive Your Car At Talladega!

Have you ever imagined seeing the view Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and the other top stars in NASCAR have when driving around Talladega Superspeedway?

Well, fans will have that special opportunity to tour the 2.66-mile venue – complete with 33-degrees of banking in the turns – in their own personal car during “Fan Track Drive,” a fundraising event for the American Red Cross on Saturday, July 26.  

The “Fan Track Drive” event will run from 9 am until 2 pm and will allow guests to drive their passenger vehicle two laps around the Talladega Superspeedway for a $50 contribution. Each vehicle will closely follow one of Talladega Superspeedway’s Emergency Services vehicles, which will lead the field at highway speed. Currently, there are no other fan “drive” events planned for the remainder of 2014 at Talladega. 

“We are proud to host the American Red Cross at Talladega Superspeedway for the upcoming ‘Fan Track Drive’ event,” said track Chairman Grant Lynch. “The American Red Cross does wonderful things in our area that save peoples’ lives each and every day.  We are more than happy to contribute as much time and effort as we can to help them do their job.” 

In addition to the “drive,” guests can take a high-speed ride around NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track in one of the speedway’s official pace cars – the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro – at a cost of $100. All money for rides will be directly donated to the American Red Cross Talladega-St Clair Chapter. Photo opportunities will be offered in Gatorade Victory Lane to capture guests’ memorable time at the historic track, which turns 45 years old with the running of the GEICO 500 and Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, Oct. 17-19. 

Upon arrival at the main entrance to the property off Speedway Boulevard, fans will be greeted by track staff to will take payments, have participants sign a waiver to drive, and give directions to go inside the track.  

The “Fan Track Drive” will be limited to passenger vehicles only. No motorcycles, recreational vehicles, tractor trailers, etc. will be allowed on the track. Passing on the track is not allowed. Drivers must be at least 18 years of age and provide a valid driver’s license. All participants must abide by TSS rules or be removed from track property. Some restrictions include: dropping back or lagging behind and exceeding the paced highway speed, and driving in the top groove/lane of the track. 

Also on the horizon for the American Red Cross at Talladega Superspeedway is the annual “Laps for Life” blood drive, slated for September 11. Details will be available in the near future. The American Red Cross recently recognized the speedway for its outstanding contributions and support of the organization. 

The American Red Cross, Blood Services, Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region, which supplies blood to approximately 100 hospitals, needs 600 blood donors each day in order to meet the needs of patients in the region. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds. Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets. 

COMMENTARY: "Good Points Day" Coming Back Into Play

Matt Kenseth is in good shape...

With just nine races remaining until the start of the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the lay of the land is beginning to change.
  

With no new winners in the last six events, it appears certain that NASCAR will not reach the magical “16 winners” plateau by the time the regular season ends on Sept. 6 at Richmond International Raceway. If the regular season ended today, no less than six winless drivers would qualify for the Chase based on championship points; Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Kyle Larson, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer. 
  

Until now, the Sprint Cup Series garage has been completely and totally focused on winning. With a Chase berth guaranteed by a single victory, the term “good points day” had become a thing of the past, as teams risk all in pursuit of the almighty `W.’ 

Now, at least for a while, the “good points day” is back in play. 

...as is Ryan Newman.

For a select handful of drivers, a trip to Victory Lane is no longer a necessity before the end of the regular season. Solidly ensconced in the Top-10 in points, Kenseth and Newman can now make the Chase with nothing more than consistent showings in the next nine races. While both will continue racing for the win – and the three-point per victory winner’s bonus at the start of the Chase -- there is no longer a realistic rationale for them to take wild gambles; either on the track or on pit road. 

Further down the points table, however, things are less cut and dried.  

The gap between current Chase qualifier Bowyer and first-man-out Kasey Kahne is presently just eight points, and five other drivers lurk within 22 points of Kahne. With a maximum of 48 points available each week, the gap between “in” and “out” of the Chase field is razor-thin and getting thinner. 

Over the next nine weeks, non-Chase qualified teams will be forced to serve two masters at the same time; racing for points while also racing for the win. Their level of aggression will depend in large part on where they stand on the championship leader board from week to week, or even lap to lap. Uncertainty will be the order of the day, as drivers, crew chiefs and fans all trying to toe the line between “too much” and “not enough.” 

Then we’ll set the Chase field at Richmond, and the real pressure will begin.

Caterpillar Extends With RCR, Newman

Add caption

Caterpillar Inc. has announced the renewal of its sponsorship of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet and driver Ryan Newman.

Caterpillar began its NASCAR involvement as a team sponsor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 1995 to 1996, before moving to what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1997. Its relationship with RCR began in 2009, with Newman assuming the driving duties of the Caterpillar Chevy SS this season. 

Latest Verse, Same As The First: Harvick Unhappy Again

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Kevin Harvick left Sonoma Raceway Sunday unhappy with his team’s inability to turn a lightning-fast race car into a winning race car.

Harvick led 23 laps in Sunday’s race, but he and his Budweiser Chevrolet team waited until late in a fuel run before making a critical pit stop, then gave away positions on pit road waiting an extra 2-3 seconds for the fuel cell to fill. He restarted 11^th -- venting his spleen over the in-car radio about lengthy pit stops that are “getting old” -- then promptly got swept-up in a crash triggered when Clint Bowyer spun off the front bumper of pole sitter Jamie McMurray.

“Today was just another day with the fastest car,” grumbled Harvick after a 20^th-place finish. “We had a chance to win the race and kind of flubbed it up again. (We) just got ourselves bad track position and crashed.”

Harvick’s unhappiness is understandable. With a minor twist of fate – or increased expeditiousness on pit road – he could easily have four or five victories this season, instead of just two. While happy with the performance of their race car, he and crew chief Rodney Childers have to wonder how many opportunities they can squander before costing themselves what should be a golden opportunity to race for the championship.

There’s another problem, as well.

If Harvick continues to lambast his over-the-wall crew on a weekly basis, it’s only a matter of time until someone takes offense. Justified or not, nobody enjoys being dressed down on national television. Crew members seldom (if ever) have an opportunity to turn the tables, grabbing the nearest microphone and bad-mouthing their driver for a lousy final restart, or sticking it in the SAFER barrier while leading.

Criticism – or at least the kind of criticism that takes place outside the weekly competition meeting – is decidedly divisive, no matter how many times you mouth the cliché about “winning as a team and losing as a team.”

Finger pointing never works over the long haul, especially when the same fingers get pointed, week after week. Harvick expects a high level of performance from his team, and he is entitled to do so. His concerns have almost certainly been voiced behind closed doors at Stewart Haas racing this season, apparently to no avail. At this point, publicly poking the open wound is the only way for Harvick to draw attention to the issue and spur a change.

Until that happens, expect additional verses of the same race day refrain.

Report: ESPN Drops "NASCAR Now"

Five months before leaving the ranks of NASCAR television partners, ESPN has cancelled "NASCAR Now."  

The daily NASCAR news show debuted in 2007, but network spokesperson Andy Hall told Motorsports.com today that the network “just decided to make a change in the programming schedule.”  

ESPN ends its run as an official NASCAR broadcast partner at the end of this season – giving way to FOX and NBC – but Hall called the move “totally unrelated to our telecast of NASCAR races.” In his words, “We will continue to aggressively cover NASCAR across our news platforms, including SportsCenter, ESPN.com and others.” 

 

"NASCAR Now" has been pre-empted in the last two weeks for coverage of the FIFA World Cup, and prior to that, frequently aired in the early morning hours.

Gambler Gaughan Scores At Road America

Brendan Gaughan knows a thing or two about gambling.

His late grandfather, Jackie Gaughan, was a pioneer in the Las Vegas casino industry and once owned more than 25 percent of the available real estate in downtown Las Vegas. His father, Michael Gaughan, currently owns the South Point Hotel and Casino and was enshrined in the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2009.

Saturday at Wisconsin’s Road America road course, the latest chapter in the “Gambler Gaughan” saga was written, as Gaughan rolled the dice and came up a winner in the Gardner Denver 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. It was Gaughan’s first Nationwide win in 98 career starts, and like a five-card blackjack win, it did not come easily.

Delayed nearly two hours by rain showers that dampened the course too much for NASCAR’s traditional racing slicks, but not enough to allow the use of wet-weather tires, Saturday’s race played out in three distinct parts. The first 25 laps were run under overcast-but-dry skies, with pole sitter Alex Tagliani, Sam Hornish, Jr. and Gaughan all spending time at the front of the pack. Rain began to fall in earnest on Lap 25, however, forcing NASCAR to call the field to pit road and bolt-on the treaded, wet-weather tires. After a lengthy period of slipping and sliding, the rain abated and the sun actually broke through, forcing drivers to tiptoe through the final laps on rapidly deteriorating tires.

It was a situation tailor-made for a born gambler like Gaughan.   

“I love racing in the rain,” said Gaughan, who was outside the Top-20 when the rain came, due to an early pit stop and a minor off-road excursion. “When it started to rain, I smelled blood in the water.”

He immediately began knifing his way through the field, despite a malfunctioning windshield wiper assembly that severely impacted his vision.

"Even without the wiper blade problem, I said, ‘I’m coming to the front,’” he recalled. “That’s something I’ve been lacking lately; that killer attitude. But I’ve done a lot of racing in the rain, and while a lot of guys were struggling today, I was right in my element.”

Gaughan made a spellbinding charge through the field, passing cars at will while throwing huge rooster tails of spray out the back of his black-and-gold South Point Camaro. With a lap to go, however, he was still a distant second to Tagliani. The racing equivalent of drawing to an inside straight, he seemed destined for the latest in a maddening series of “close but no cigar” NASCAR moments.

Then, like a riverboat gambler in a white linen suit, Gaughan drew the one card he needed most. Justin Marks ran out of fuel, bringing out a caution flag that punched the field and put Gaughan a bumper away from the lead. Tagliani’s fuel cell then ran dry while awaiting the decisive green-white-checkered flag finish, handing the lead to Gaughan.

He kept the field at bay over the final two laps, pushing his deteriorating wet-weather tires to the limit with repeated banzai charges on the now-dry race track. Despite plumes of smoke billowing from his right-front tire, he led a resurgent Tagliani to the stripe by .820 seconds to claim his first-ever Nationwide Series win and his first NASCAR score of any kind since 2003.

“I can't thank these Richard Childress Racing guys enough,” said a teary eyed Gaughan in Victory Lane. “(Crew chief) Shane Wilson never quit on me, even when I got off course a couple of times and tried to screw up his strategy. They’ve been with me through thick and thin, and this win is for them.”

Saturday’s race had it all; speed, drama, twists of fate and a finish straight out of the Sci-Fi Channel. And in the end, Gaughan stood beaming in Victory Lane, soaking up the accolades for a win that was absolutely too long in coming.

“I don’t know how much more drama (people could ask for),” he said. “I don’t know what it looked like on TV, but from the driver’s seat, it looked pretty cool to me.”

Pretty cool, indeed.

 

Grandpa Jackie would have been proud.

Logano: Expect Hurt Feelings At Sonoma Sunday

Joey Logano makes no bones about the fact that he expects some beating and banging in Sunday’s road course event at Sonoma Raceway in California.

Speaking with reporters Friday afternoon, the Team Penske driver said the payout of the track demands a certain degree of aggression. “Speeds are low and you’re trying to pass people into braking zones,” he said. “You’ve got to get right up on them on (corner) exit and then you’ve got to out-brake them. You’re both braking with everything you’ve got (and) you’re trying to go a little further to get him.

“It’s not really there,” he admitted. “It’s not possible. Your tires are wearing and your brakes are getting hot. Everything gets worse throughout the race, so at the end of the race when the intensity level is up and everyone’s car is not handling as well, we run into each other.”

The Shell/Pennzoil Ford driver said that in marked contrast to the Golden Rule, drivers generally want to do unto others at Sonoma before someone does unto them.

“You want to be the guy that’s being aggressive,” he said, “and not the one that’s getting pushed around. That’s important. That’s why you want to make sure you have a fast race car and you’re good in the right areas (of the track). That’s why practice is so important here; to make sure we’re good in the areas that are danger zones on this race track.

“I think everyone has gotten spun out at this race track at some point,” said Logano. “That just happens. When you’re trying to slow down these cars… think about the way you get into (the turn), how fast you’re going (and) how slow you’ve got to get this thing whoa-ed up. There’s a lot of wheel-hopping and you get a lot of issues.”

With so many variables at work, Logano said contract between cars at Sonoma is inevitable. Repeated contact, however, often leads to overheated tempers and rumpled race cars.

“The first (hit) is always an accident,” he laughed. “After that, I don’t know how much is an accident. I think it depends on what’s going on. Usually, we all try to start the race calm, cool and collected. Everyone is just running their deal, then one person gets hit and knocked out of the way. (Now) he’s mad and he hits someone else. Now the next guy is mad, and that just triggers it.

“Everyone starts with the right attitude, (but) at the end, all manners are out the window and it’s about getting those positions. There are four or five people that are pretty calm (and) might not have a mark on their race car, (but) everyone else is going to get beat around. And when you get beat around, you get ticked off. It happens.”

The Connecticut native added that this year’s revised Chase system has added additional fuel to the fire.

“Look at the guys that are good at these road courses and look at the guys that haven’t won yet this season,” he said. “They’re starting to get desperate, I’m sure. They’re starting to get into panic mode at this point in the season, and if this is one of the race tracks you feel you can capitalize on, (you’re) going to be desperate and do some crazy things out there. 

“That’s why it’s so important to be on the aggressive side. I want to be the guy pushing. I don’t want to be the guy getting pushed around. If you’re running up front and you look at the top three, four or five cars, they will be the ones that don’t have many marks on them.

“You’ve got to be patient,” he stressed. “You can’t get too fired up, but you’ve got to be the aggressive one. And I think the guys that haven’t had a win are going to get desperate.

“It’s going to be either checkers or wreckers for them. Hopefully, I’m far enough ahead that it’s not a problem.”

Source: M&Ms Will Remain With Busch In 2015

As always, there are at least two sides to every story.

Just 24 hours ago, reports surfaced that Carl Edwards will leave Roush Fenway Racing to drive an M&Ms-sponsored Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing beginning in 2015, with Kyle Busch driving a JGR Camry backed by Monster Energy Drink.

Now, however, reliable sources say the M&Ms sponsorship will absolutely remain with Busch next season, and beyond.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a JGR insider said there is no truth to yesterday's rumor that M&Ms will back Edwards next season, rather than Busch.

 

“Kyle is M&Ms guy,” said the source, “and it is going to stay that way.”

Edwards’ remains characteristically tight-lipped about his ongoing contract negotiations, and no one at either Joe Gibbs Racing or Roush Fenway Racing have commented on reports of his impending move. If he does jump to JGR, however, it appears that it will not be with the support of M&Ms.

COMMENTARY: Edwards To Gibbs Makes Perfect Sense

Is Edwards the new Candy Man?

Published reports from Motorsport.com's Lee Spencer are making public today what’s been discussed around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage for months now. Carl Edwards will leave Roush Fenway Racing to drive a fourth Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing next season, with sponsorship from M&Ms.

The deal makes perfect sense, for a number of reasons.

At age 34, Edwards is hardly long in the tooth as NASCAR drivers go. However, statistics show that racers tend to peak in their early 30s, meaning that the Missouri native’s best years could already be behind him.

Roush Fenway Racing is in the midst of a severe competitive spiral, their second such downturn in the last six years. Last time around, RFR and Ford Motor Company calmed Edwards’ contractual nerves with promises of improved performance and a generous weekly paycheck. After failing to follow through on those competitive promises last time around, Jack Roush is unlikely to get the benefit of the doubt from Edwards again.

Unleash The Beast!

From this vantage point, it is impossible to assess how long RFR may need to regain its competitive form. Those inside the walls, however, seem pessimistic about the team’s ability to become a title contender again, any time soon. Matt Kenseth bolted the RFR stable two years ago for a spot at Joe Gibbs Racing, promptly enjoying one of the best seasons of his NASCAR career. This year, both Edwards and teammate Greg Biffle have seriously investigated leaving the Roush fold, as well.

When the rats start jumping overboard, it’s generally a sign that the ship is taking on water, and nobody knows more about the state of affairs at Roush Fenway Racing than people like Kenseth, Edwards and Biffle, who enjoy an insider’s view. And while it appears that Biffle will re-sign with RFR after all, that decision is less an affirmation of Roush Fenway’s future than an admission that no better offers were available. Edwards has earned just three checkered flags in the last three seasons, and with no immediate improvement in sight, it is difficult to imagine him signing-on for more of the same.

When Edwards bolts the RFR camp – and he will -- there is only one logical destination; Joe Gibbs Racing. No other Ford team will poison its own well by poaching Edwards away, and a move to Richard Petty Motorsports or Michael Waltrip Racing would be lateral, at best.

JGR has said repeatedly in recent years that they will field a fourth when (and only when) the sponsorship becomes available. And with the possible addition of Monster Energy Drink to JGR’s Sprint Cup sponsor lineup, the backing in question could finally be at hand.

But why would Mars, Inc. – parent company of M&Ms – hitch their chocolate candy brand to the wagon of a well-known health nut like Edwards?

In a word, marketability.

Edwards has amassed 22 victories in 352 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, and ranks as one of the sport’s most visible, popular and successful drivers. He has four Top-5 finishes in the championship points -- including a pair of runner-up showings in 2008 and 2011 – and in `11, actually tied for the series championship, losing the title to Tony Stewart in a tiebreaker.  

Busch has won 25 Sprint Cup races under the M&Ms banner, and is also one of the circuit’s most prolific winners. He is notorious, however, for wilting under the pressure of the postseason title chase; never finishing better than fourth in the championship standings and recording only two Top-5 point finishes in his 11-year career.

Perhaps more important, the Las Vegas native has a knack for generating negative publicity for both himself and his sponsors. In 2011, NASCAR took the unprecedented step of barring Busch from a Sunday Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, after the mercurial driver crashed former champion Ron Hornaday, Jr. under caution during that weekend’s Camping World Truck Series event. The crash ended Hornaday’s championship hopes, and prompted Mars to pull their sponsorship from Busch’s No. 18 Toyota for the final two races of the season.

Most sponsors shy away from that kind of unpleasantness. In Monster Energy Drink, however, Busch has found a backer that actually embraces his occasional bouts of “on the edge” behavior. Monster Energy’s prime demographic is the younger, flat-billed baseball gap crowd. Their current advertising slogan urges consumers to “Unleash The Beast,” and they not only understand the urge to buck authority from time to time, they identify with it. Rumors have circulated for months that Monster might be ready to upgrade its NASCAR program to the Sprint Cup level, but only with Busch as their driver.

Now, with a popular wheelman like Edwards available to carry the M&Ms colors, Joe Gibbs Racing may finally experience the perfect sponsorship storm.