Nascar News

Robby Gordon returns to Dodge

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Robby-Gordon-switches-to-Dodge-for-2011-NASCAR-season

Robby Gordon will return to NASCAR Sprint Cup competition in a Dodge this season.

Gordon said the direction Dodge was moving in “with two young guys (CEO of Dodge Ralph Gilles and Head of Dodge Motorsports Bryan Viger) running the program,” made it an attractive proposition, particularly for an owner/driver.

“They have good ideas. Their cars are stylish. It was the first time, even though I was with Dodge before that I had factory help," Gordon said.

“Toyota didn’t have any help to offer. I’m impressed with (Dodge) cars. And anyone who hasn‘t been to Dodge, it‘s a beautiful facility.”

Gordon, 42, will have Penske engines this season. He acknowledges that the most success he’s had since the inception of the new car was with Dodge power under the hood. He was last behind the wheel of a Dodge in 2008.

“Eighty-five percent of your lap is full throttle,” Gordon said. “You have to be able handle down the straightaways.”

Gordon has operated his own team in NASCAR since 2006. He has driven cars from all manufacturers throughout that period.

Gordon last visited Victory Lane in the Cup series in 2003, when he swept both road-course races while driving for Richard Childress. In 2010, he spent time between off-road trucks and stock cars and finished 34th in the NASCAR points standings.

maybe a seat opening up here,


Texting accident was driver's second

A NASCAR driver charged with DWI, texting while driving and resisting police was involved in a crash seven months ago and used a similar excuse, according to North Carolina DMV records obtained by a Charlotte television station.

Michael Annett, who competes in the Nationwide Series for Rusty Wallace Racing, was cited about 1:30 a.m. ET Sunday in Mooresville, NC, after he ran into another car in Mooresville early Sunday, according to police records obtained by WCNC. There were no injuries reported.

According to Mooresville Police Capt. Phil Blocker, the 24-year-old driver said he wrecked because he was texting while driving. "He said when he looked up, he wasn't able to stop in time," Blocker said.

Annett gave the same reasons in July, according to records obtained by WCNC. Annett is quoted in a DMV crash report as saying "on the cell phone" and "could not stop in time" were the reasons he was cited for an incident in Charlotte in which he rear-ended a car that subsequently rear-ended the car in front of it.

Mooresville Police Officer J.J. Sasso, who witnessed Annett's accident Sunday, said he immediately checked on the occupants of both cars and, according to his report, saw Annett "shoving breath mints into his mouth as I approached the car."

Police said Sasso asked another officer to give Annett a breath alcohol test, and, according to the report, the driver had an alcohol level of .32, which is four times the state's legal limit of .08.

A 21-year-old female was a passenger in Annett's 2011 Toyota, according to the police report; the car he hit, a 2004 Chevrolet, contained four people.

Annett, released from Iredell County jail after posting a $3,000 bond, is scheduled to appear in Iredell County district court on March 18.

According to a statement released by his team, Annett said:

"I am deeply remorseful for my actions and my extreme lack of judgment. I let down my team, my sponsors, my fans and my family; I sincerely apologize to everyone that I hurt.

"This was truly a life-changing moment for me. Despite all of the negativity that will undoubtedly arise from it, I'm going to strive to use this incident as the impetus to make a lot of positive changes in my life."

NASCAR would say only that it is gathering information.

-----

Michael Annett used to drive for Bill Davis, I think.

McLaren heads for NASCAR
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/mclaren-heads-for-nascar/

February 11, 2011 by joesaward

NASCAR is expected to announce today that its Sprint Cup teams will start using fuel injection systems. It is also expected that McLaren Electronic Systems will provide the electronic control units, in partnership with Freescale Semiconductor of Austin, Texas. McLaren’s Ron Dennis popped up in NASCAR last year at Indianapolis and it seems that the NASCAR folk were happy to listen as they want to have a little more technology on the cars, because the carburettors that are currently employed are from another age. At the same time they wanted to control costs and with standard ECUs this was obviously possible.

It is believed that McLaren beat bids from eight other companies.

Ouch!

NASCAR: J.R. Fitzpatrick ready for NASCAR Nationwide Series' race in Daytona
By Auto123.com,
Monday, February 14, 2011
http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/nascar/nascar-jr-fitzpatrick-ready-for-nascar-nationwide-series-race-in-daytona?artid=127918

J.R. Fitzpatrick’s will be the sole Canadian competing in Saturday’s ‘DRIVE4COPD 300’ NASCAR nationwide series’ race.

Indeed, Fitzpatrick’s 2011 race season kicks off this week with his participation in Saturday’s opening round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway.

The 22-year-old Ontario resident, the only Canadian entered for Saturday’s 300-mile event, will race the No. 27 Baker Curb Racing Ford Mustang with primary support from long-time partner Schick Canada, promoting the Schick Hydro brand, as well as associate support for the first time from Energizer Canada Inc.

Fitzpatrick, with two top-ten NASCAR Nationwide Series finishes to his credit from a partial 2010 schedule with JR Motorsports last year, is looking forward to joining some of NASCAR’s biggest names this Saturday.

“I can’t think of a better race to start the new season with,” Fitzpatrick enthused.

“Daytona boasts an atmosphere like no other and to be in a race with the opportunity to compete against guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tony Stewart is fantastic. I’ve raced at Daytona before, a couple of years ago in the Truck Series, and ran well leading the most laps in that event before taking fourth.”

“I’m sure that experience and knowledge will help combined with my time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last season. This is definitely where I want to be competing on a regular basis so I’m looking to make a strong start to the year on Saturday,” said the Ontario resident.

Thank you very much Cassee.

"... will race the No. 27 Baker Curb Racing Ford Mustang with primary support from long-time partner Schick Canada, promoting the Schick Hydro brand, as well as associate support for the first time from Energizer Canada Inc."

The underlined portions are still missing for JV... If I would be Goman, I would really want to know what are the specific reasons they have preferred Fitzpatrick to JV...

My further actions would be redefined by these specific aspects...

zigzag wrote:Jacques

Je travaille sur le plan Nascar comme depuis 4 ans, les portes commencent à s’ouvrir tranquillement. Puis, peut-être quelques courses en Australie. J’ai fait une course cette année (en V8 Supercars, ndlr), c’était très sympa. Tant que je n’aurais pas de championnat entier et fixe, je vais plutôt vouloir faire des courses où il y a un bon niveau de compétition. Ce qui est bien avec le Trophée Andros, c’est que ça tombe en général en décembre/janvier, pendant l’inter-saison, c’est parfait.

Il prévoit donc retourner en Australie cette saison.

Right now, we have no races to look forward to.

At least now, he can concentrate solely on Nascar. Looks like there may be some V8 races also.

ARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!

God d*** it!

Double OUCH!


Scott Speed to drive 2 races for KHI
By David Newton
ESPN.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Scott Speed, who lost his Sprint Cup ride at Red Bull Racing after the 2010 season, has reached an agreement to drive in two Nationwide Series races for Kevin Harvick Inc.

Speed will drive KHI's No. 33 in the Aug. 6 race at Iowa Speedway and Aug. 20 road course race in Montreal.

Speed was replaced at Red Bull Racing this season by Kasey Kahne, who will drive the No. 4 for one season before moving into the No. 5 at Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Speed finished 30th in the Cup standings last season and 35th in 2009, his only full schedules in NASCAR's premier series. He drove in 13 Nationwide races in 2009, collecting eight top-10s and 10 finishes in the top 13.

Speed's lone win in NASCAR's top three series came in a 2008 Truck Series race at Dover.

Cheer up partners. I am not worried with the one race JR Fitzpatrick is getting and with those 2 Speed just landed. We knew the season opening would be a struggler, but with a bit of luck, Jacques should give us at lease a half dozen NASCAR races this year.

Normally, Road America, Watkins Glen, Montreal and Sonoma are gimme's. That's already 4. If we don;t get at least these ones, please find me a bridge to jump off from.

Sonoma!!!! What's the date!!! I will be on vacation in august in California. Los Angeles and San Francisco...

Darn! It will be in Pocono at those dates.

Sonoma is in end of June (thanx to JCJ for the schedules).

Pocono is one of my favorits.

And today is Daytona Day !
Have fun buddys.

Montreal pushing for Sprint Cup race
By DEAN McNULTY, QMI Agency

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Motorsports/2011/02/20/17348731.html

""Next on Dumontier’s to-do list is getting the three top active Quebec drivers — Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier and Andrew Ranger — to sign on for the August show.

So far no good news on that front, although Carpentier is in some talks for a one-off ride.""

$5 million bonus for win in Indy Car finale by outsider:

http://jayski.com/cupnews.htm#20110223d

The Izod IndyCar Series confirmed its 2011 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an enticing twist: A $5 million reward to any driver from another series who can win the race. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard says a selection committee would be created to select a group of five entrants from outside IndyCar, likely determined by mid-summer. A test session also will be held at Las Vegas, and Bernard singled out the series' top teams -- Penske Racing, Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport -- as prime candidates for offering rides to the interlopers. Bernard wouldn't speculate on who might be interested in the proposition, but the race date was designed with NASCAR in mind. IndyCar will make its return to Las Vegas' for the Oct. 16 race, which will be held at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Sprint Cup Series will race the night before at Charlotte, with the Bank of America 500 ending sometime between 11-11:30 p.m. in Concord, N.C. The Charlotte race is the fifth of 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup, which might dissuade many big names in Cup from participating because of focus on the title hunt. The obvious candidates would be former IndyCar drivers Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Sam Hornish Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya. But Montoya has indicated no interest in racing Indy cars again, and Stewart has said he doesn't want to do a one-off. Gordon and Hornish, however, might be interested in returning, and other veterans (such as Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne) have admitted intrigue in the prospect.(USA Today)(2-23-2010)

I know JV's been there done that but I do have trouble accepting his reluctance to returning to Indy Car. Everyone else seems to shun him for reasons beyond my comprehension but Indy Car unless my assumptions and all my gathered reading material is leading me down a garden path seems to want and respect him being in their series. Going where you are wanted is a lot better than what he's experienced elsewhere.
Its affordable, its still a major contributor to the open wheeled racing world, and gets fairly decent TV coverage . Indy Car is kind of in neutral but it has the potential to move upward in the ranks with the right promotion.
Jacques presence would only add to more positive ingredients to an upward swing. It would also offer something for him to get his teeth into.
The Villeneuve tenacity is nothing to take lightly.
Don't get me wrong NASCAR would be a greater feat in many peoples eyes, but it seems like a rough road to travel and the support in that series leaves lots of question marks IMO.
Anyway thats my two cents for now.

P.S. I just want to see him up and racing now.

sessions

I felt like you a while back, had some positive vibes about the indy alternative. Then I asked a journalist close to Jacques and he said that they quite hated they idea, as of last years anyways. It seems that the series is really not popular in some inner circles... for what reasons, I don't know.

Personally I did enjoy it a whole lot back in 94 and 95, did not miss a race.

Anyways, welcome to the board session, make yourself at home.

Cassee

Maybe for the same dumb unknown reasons Jacques doesn't seem to be popular in the inner circles. All I wish for is to not see him quasi sidelined for yet another season. He needs a car, a team, familiarity and racing in a series, (any series) Even if its not approved in the stuffy so called "inner circles."

S C R E W them, he's bent over backward to appease them for over two years now. It's time he gets racing and allows the results of his driving talent to do A S S kissing, not continual lip service to these guys who seem to gloat in refusals towards him year after year.

Sorry, I just see so many inferior drivers managing seats while he gets jerked around.

sessions

sessions wrote:Cassee

Maybe for the same dumb unknown reasons Jacques doesn't seem to be popular in the inner circles. All I wish for is to not see him quasi sidelined for yet another season. He needs a car, a team, familiarity and racing in a series, (any series) Even if its not approved in the stuffy so called "inner circles."

S C R E W them, he's bent over backward to appease them for over two years now. It's time he gets racing and allows the results of his driving talent to do A S S kissing, not continual lip service to these guys who seem to gloat in refusals towards him year after year.

Sorry, I just see so many inferior drivers managing seats while he gets jerked around.

sessions

I think JV not having a seat is more to do with him being Canadian. Webber (an Aussie) would not have a good seat if it weren't for the trickery and backhhanded ways of Briatore his agent.

It's fortunate that JV is Quebecois because at least he has support from France (Peugeot and Trophee Andros)

I hope when Trophee Andros is over that JV will make some progress with his Nascar ride.

ERROR (duplication)

Canadian my B U T T, JPM, Ambrose and maybe some others are outsiders. Besides JV's name is well known in North America. Wining the INDY 500 flag ship and CART doesn't put him in the out of United States unknown category. Plus his talents are re-enforced in practically every NASCAR showing. As you know he even humbly gave up his Taladega ? position and started from the back in an attempt to scratch the backs of the "Good ole Boys." He should have started from the front where he belonged. Which again brings up the same issue, he belongs at the front in any series, not being bounced from pillar to post in search of a ride. He is one of the most wining drivers on the planet, not some unproven kid from a corn field or a tobacco field in NC.( Which sadly would automatically insure a NASCAR seat)
Both F1 and Nascar don't honour the respect he has earned.
As you can read, this doesn't rest well with me.
Sorry for the ranting but as a fan the whole "ring around the rosy" has me totally let down with the motor racing world.

sessions

Nascar season is well underway and no word on where JV could wind up. You have to believe that, at the very least, all the road races in Cup and Nwide are on the table. The question is...with which teams is he negotiating? Now that Todd Braun is no longer in the picture at Turner Motorsports, will Trent Owens make a push to have JV in the car? Would Dollar General do the same?

He nearly had a ride with Petty for the Glen a couple years back before Sorenson stuck his nose in.

Will he make his first appearance at Sonoma in 2011?

just transfer the question to ab,he is with J.V today

Just noticed today that the #32 is now a Chevrolet... JV was always associated to Toyota jn Nascar... food for brains I guess.

Danica 4th today in Nationwide Series... Makes me wonder, but congrats to the young lady!!!






















111

Dominic Fugère told me yesterday in the Stade de France during the Andros Trophy, that JV expected to run 12 races in 2011, as Jacques told me 3 weeks ago.

You are right kineticKid : as I could understand from Dominic, everybody wants Jacques for the road races. But Jacques wants (need ?) more.

So in fact, perhaps his season could started at Sonoma with 12 races to do (the 4 road races Cup and NNS + 8 oval ? In Cup and NNS ?
I have no idea guys.