Spoiler Alert: Hamlin Wins Fifth Race of 2010 June 14, 2010
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Denny Hamlin's won five of the last 10 races since NASCAR reverted to the spoiler earlier this season. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
Denny Hamlin must like NASCAR’s new spoiler.
When NASCAR made the switch from the rear wing back to the spoiler for the Sprint Cup Series in March, Hamlin won the first race at Martinsville, and so far, has four more wins, including the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway Sunday. That’s five wins in the past 10 races – the most Hamlin’s ever won in his Sprint Cup career, now in its fifth full-time year.
Like last week at his win at Pocono, Hamlin dominated throughout the race, this time leading 123 of 200 laps at the two-mile track.
“All we do is win, baby – two in a row,” Hamlin said over the radio to his crew, a mantra that’s been the theme to the No. 11 team’s 2010 campaign. (more…)
Logano vs. Harvick Spices Up Hamlin’s 4th Career Pocono Win June 7, 2010
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Joey Logano tries to save his Home Depot Toyota from spinning out after making contact with Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
A funny thing happened on Denny Hamlin’s way to cruising to his fourth victory at Pocono Raceway. His teammate Joey Logano finished 13th, but picked up a bunch of new fans.
The fireworks at the end of Pocono Sunday between Logano and Harvick are some of the best NASCAR’s seen in a while. The post-race antics are the latest byproduct of NASCAR’s new “Have at it boys” mentality that’s led to more driver confrontation and has spiced things up in this year’s Sprint Cup season.
Rain at the start of the race led to an hours-long delay. But once the green flag finally waved, Hamlin led 88 of 204 laps, continuing his trend of schooling the field at NASCAR’s only triangle-shaped track. But with four laps to go, the front of Harvick’s car hit the rear of Logano’s coming out of turn three, sending Logano spinning. He almost saved his car from spinning out, a testament to the talent of the second-year driver and his future in the sport. (more…)
Briscoe Dominates at Texas, Wins Another for the Captain June 5, 2010
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Ryan Briscoe takes the checkered flag of the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Ryan Briscoe started from the pole, but took the lead back from Danica Patrick and last week’s Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti to win his first IZOD IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
After the field made a round of late-race green-flag pit stops, Briscoe used a push to pass boost his speed exiting turn four to overtake Patrick and sailed away with the lead, capping off a total of 102 laps led in the 228-lap event.
“I’m surprised I didn’t have anything thrown at me,” Briscoe joked after the race. Patrick “gave us a good run for our money tonight. It was fun racing side-by-side with her.” (more…)
IRL Engine Announcement Leaves Many Unanswered Questions June 5, 2010
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Members of the IRL's ICONIC Advisory Committee, from left: Retired Air Force general Bill Looney, TMS president and general manager Eddie Gossage, former IRL vice president of competition Tony Cotman, IRL president of operations and competition Brian Barnhart, former driver and current team owner Gil de Ferran and IRL CEO Randy Bernard.
Members from the Indy Racing League’s “Innovative, Open-Wheel, New, Industry-Relevant, Cost-Effective” (ICONIC) Advisory Committee addressed the league’s new engine initiative at Texas Motor Speedway, but the briefing left more questions than answers.
Few technical specifics were addressed in the 30-minute press conference, which was cut short before reporters had the opportunity to ask about which, if any, engine manufacturers had expressed interest in joining Honda in the Izod IndyCar Series.
As previously announced after the Indianapolis 500, the league will implement new race engines in the IndyCar Series, beginning in 2012. League rules will dictate engines of no more than six cylinders, a displacement of up to 2.4 liters. The engines will be fueled with ethanol and will be equipped with turbo chargers. The current Honda engine is a naturally aspired 3.5 liter, V8.
(more…)
Bodine Wins Sixth Truck Series Race at Texas June 4, 2010
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Todd Bodine celebrates his sixth NASCAR Truck Series win at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
Todd Bodine ended a 24-race-long winless streak at Texas Motor Speedway Friday, a track where he’s now won six races, the most of any driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the track.
Bodine led 106 of 169 laps, a career high at TMS, while he held off Ron Hornaday during a green-white-checker overtime restart at the Fort Worth track. It’s the seventh Truck Series race at TMS to end under NASCAR’s overtime rule and it gave Bodine his sixth win at the track. That’s more wins than any driver in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup and the IRL Izod IndyCar Series and is tied with Kyle Busch’s record of six wins at TMS, five in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and one in the trucks. (more…)
IndyCar Final Practice Before Truck Race Great Move by TMS June 4, 2010
Posted by admin in : Uncategorized , add a commentIt’s about an hour before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, and the Izod IndyCar Series is out on the track for final practice.
Qualifying was earlier today and Ryan Briscoe took the pole. About this time tomorrow is when the green flag will drop, so I doubt there’s too much teams can glean from this session, other than basic setup and handling concerns.
Regardless, it’s a brilliant move. Fans are slowly but surely filing into the grandstands for the NASCAR race, and they’re getting a sneak peak at what’s in store for tomorrow. While most fans at TMS that come to the Truck Series race will inevitably be at Saturday’s IndyCar Series race, anybody that wasn’t planning on it will sure be enticed to make the trip back out to Fort Worth.
This may be an unintended consequence of the schedule, but it’s a great strategy.
Briscoe Wins Pole, Franchitti Starts Second at Texas June 4, 2010
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TMS track president Eddie Gossage presents Ryan Briscoe with a helmet trophy after the Penske driver won the pole for the Firestone 550. Photo courtesy IRL.
Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe will start Saturday’s Firestone 550 from the pole position, giving the team its sixth consecutive pole in the seven Izod IndyCar Series races of 2010.
While qualifying was conducted in the heat of the day Friday afternoon, the race will begin as the sun is setting and finish under the lights in Fort Worth.
Last week’s Indianapolis 500 winner, Dario Franchitti will start on the outside pole, putting two drivers who sometimes get overlooked in the mainstream consciousness by their famous wives – Briscoe recently married his wife, ESPN reporter Nicole (Manske) Briscoe and Franchitti is married to actress Ashley Judd – in the spotlight for the Izod IndyCar Series’ second longest race of the year. (more…)
Team Penske Food for Thought June 4, 2010
Posted by admin in : Uncategorized , add a commentThe many teams in the IndyCar Series garage are great about providing members of the media with information on drivers, teams and pertinent track information. This is from data provided by Team Penske, who will field cars for Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power:
- Car will have a balanced downforce level that maximizes speed on straights and the ability to run in traffic. If downforce is too low, car is fast on straights, but light in corners.
- All four turns full throttle.
- Between Turns 1 & 2 and Turns 3 & 4 – the maximum G-force is 4 G’s.
Team Penske has five wins in the Izod IndyCar Series at Texas Motor Speedway and in the last six races, has led 664 of 1284 laps of competition, or 51.7 percent.
Armchair Crew Chief Live from Texas Motor Speedway June 4, 2010
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The Armchair Crew Chief will be covering all the action at Texas Motor Speedway’s double header weekend. Friday, the Izod IndyCar Series will qualify, followed by the Winstar World Casino 400. Then Saturday, the IndyCar Series field takes to the track for the Izod IndyCar Series Firestone 550.
Make sure to check in with Armchaircrewchief.com and follow me on Twitter @armchaircrchief
Penske’s Busch Holds Off Ganassi’s McMurray For Coke 600 Win May 31, 2010
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Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Dodge leads Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Photo Courtesy NASCAR
Kurt Busch ran 300 fewer laps and took home more than $600,000 less, but his win at the Coke 600 was no less sweet for the driver of the No. 2 car and team owner Roger Penske than Busch’s win last week at the All-Star race at the same track.
Penske’s main rival in the Izod IndyCar Series, Chip Ganassi, put two cars in the top five, including winner Dario Franchitti. Penske’s drivers finished 8th, 9th, and 24th.
But at Charlotte, for NASCAR’s longest race of the season, Penske’s driver Busch started the final restart from fourth, drove past three cars that didn’t pit for tires, and held off Ganassi’s Jamie McMurray in a 19-lap shootout to close out the 400-lap event. (more…)