Since the checkered flag waved at Homestead-Miami and Brad Keselowski was crowned 2012 Champion, fans have been anxiously awaiting the start of the 2013 season. The cold winter months have left NASCAR die-hards chomping at the bit for the sun and fun of Daytona and the beginning of the new season.
A lot happened in the off-season, especially for new Dad, Denny Hamlin. There is a new focus to his life as of late and for good reason. His beautiful daughter, Taylor James, was born on January 20th. Her full head of dark hair, full lips and precious smile have melted Daddy's heart and caused him to fall head-over-heels in love with his tiny angel. But this latest, tiny edition to the Hamlin family hasn't dampened the fire in the #11 Toyota's belly to win races and get that Championship. He is still a racer at heart, who just so happens to have added the title of Dad to his impressive resume.
The first race at Daytona was the Sprint Unlimited. The new format for the season-opener that awards 2012 pole sitters and previous Unlimited winners with a non-points event, was unique and Hamlin started 5th. Things didn't go as planned for the #11 FedEx Toyota, as Hamlin was involved in a crash and finished 15th. Not exactly the way the team wanted to start the season, but lesson learned.
Or was it? Denny went out to qualify for the Great American Race 24th and logged the 7th fastest time, behind pole-sitter Danica Patrick. His time gave him a 4th place starting spot for the first Budweiser Duel. And the inevitable happened when yet again he was caught up in someone else's mess and finished 20th in his Duel. Not exactly where the Virginia native wanted to finish. It put the FedEx Toyota 33rd in the lineup for the Daytona 500. This race fan was hopeful that the old adage "it doesn't matter where you start, it only matters where you finish" would hold true.
There was plenty of sheet metal getting tangled up during the Daytona 500 but luckily Denny avoided the catastrophes. His teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, as well as fellow Toyota driver, Martin Truex Jr, suffered engine failures, leaving doubts in the minds of the Joe Gibbs Racing crewmembers about the powerhouse under the hood of Hamlin's ride.
It was an impressive race for Denny, leading 33 laps and finishing 14th with all the fenders on his machine. He lead the second-most laps and is 13th after the first race is complete. Given the difficulties of his fellow Toyota teammates and a field that was unable to make a move seemingly throughout the entire race, it's a pretty good start to the season.
The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 team heads to Phoenix for race #2 of the season with plenty to be proud of. Any time you finish at Daytona on the lead lap without cosmetic damage it's a good day.
Wheels up....Phoenix, AZ here we come!
Showing posts with label NASCAR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASCAR. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, Benefiting Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Returns to RIR, April 25
Late Model Event to Benefit the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab
For the third year in a row, the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown is set to open the Spring race weekend at Richmond International Raceway. The race, which typically features a dozen NASCAR drivers and celebrities battling on the ¾-mile track with some of the best local Late Model Stock Car drivers, will serve as a fundraiser for the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
In 2012, the Denny Hamlin Foundation committed to a 3-year grant totaling $150,000 for the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR). Funds from the grant, which are raised through events like this year’s Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway, will help accelerate the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab's ability to bring new therapies to cystic fibrosis patients. In addition, the newly established Denny Hamlin Foundation Summer Scholars program will help train the next generation of CF research scientists.
"Every dollar we give to cystic fibrosis makes a difference,” explained Hamlin, Virginian and driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “You never know. This could be the year that we find a cure."
The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway has brought some of the best late model racing action to Hamlin’s hometown track for the past two years and is sure to provide another great show for fans who come out to support cystic fibrosis research.
“We are excited to once again host the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway,” said RIR President Dennis Bickmeier. “RIR is proud to partner with Denny to raise awareness and money that will assist one of the best research teams as they work to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.”
The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown and BLUE OX 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races will run on Thursday, April 25, as part of an action-packed opening day of the Spring NASCAR weekend at Richmond International Raceway.
"The Showdown has had some of the best late model racing in the past,” added Hamlin. “This year will be no different. We've invited the region’s finest drivers to compete against some of my Sprint Cup Series friends. I can't wait to get back to Richmond. It's going to be wild!"
Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. CF causes chronic infections in the lungs and inadequate digestion of nutrients. There is no cure for CF, but medical advances have doubled the life expectancy of children in the last 30 years and increased the overall median age of survival to 38.
Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) has a large research staff focused on finding a cure for CF. This research group has been critical in developing new therapies for CF. They recently discovered a promising CF lung disease treatment that is in development and undergoing pre-clinical testing at CHoR. As the only accredited CF center in the region, CF patients cared for at CHoR have access to the latest therapies and can participate in groundbreaking clinical studies.
Click here or call 866-455-7223 to purchase tickets for the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. All tickets are general admission and $25. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Thursday’s ticket also includes the BLUE OX 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.
Tickets are on sale now for the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Advance tickets, including seats in Turns 1 and 4, start at $45, and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling 866-455-7223. Tickets for the ToyotaCare 250 start at $30 in advance and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling 866-455-7223. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday.
Courtesy Richmond International Raceway
SPEED Ready for Start of 2013 Season
SPEED is prepared to broadcast 11 days of programming, nearly 100 hours of coverage, live from Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for the 55th running of the Daytona 500.
It all kicks off February 14th at 6 PM with a special 2 hour edition of NASCAR Race Hub from Media Day.
The fan voted-upon format for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (formerly the Budweiser Shootout) will be revealed on Feb. 14th on Hub.
A total of 25 SPEED on-air personalities present 2 weeks of on-track action to viewers beginning when Cup Series cars fire up Feb. 15 for the first The Sprint Ultimate practice session, carried live on SPEED at 5PM/et.
NASCAR Race Hub returns to deliver all the days' happenings Feb. 18-20 at 6 PM/et, with Danielle Trotta hosting from the SPEED studios and Steve Byrnes and Ray Dunlap on-site at Daytona.
SPEED is live from the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Thursday Feb. 21 at 2PM/et as drivers battle for the final spots on the Daytona 500 starting grid.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season under the lights Feb. 22 at 7 PM/et with NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda setting the stage for the green flag at 7:30 PM/et.
Rick Allen hosts with Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons providing analysis and Ray Dunlap, Hermie Sadler, and Bob Dillner reporting from the pits.
NASCAR Race Day Fueled by Sunoco returns for 3 pre-race editions from Daytona with John Roberts hosting. Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, Larry McReynolds and Matt Clark provide analysis and Wendy Venturini and Rutledge Wood will be reporting from the garage.
NASCAR Race Day offers pre-race coverage of the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel at Daytona and an expanded 3 hour show Feb 24 (9am- Noon/et) leading into FOX Sports live coverage of the 55th running of the Daytona 500.
TRACKSIDE, the network's longest running NASCAR program returns Feb 22 at 5:30 PM/et for a live 30 minute edition hosted by Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood and Kaitlyn Vincie. The gang hangs around the next day for another 1 hour edition at 4:30 PM/et.
Live coverage of Cup and Truck series practice and qualifying sessions, as well as up-to-the-minute updates from NASCAR Live! round out the schedule.
Wind Tunnel has Dave Despain hopping back in his chair for an 11th season Feb 24 at 8 PM/et live.
NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED's Cup Series post-race show, rolls into the famed Victory Lane at Daytona Feb 21 and Feb 24 at 5:30 PM/et live with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace and garage reporting by Bob Dillner.
It all kicks off February 14th at 6 PM with a special 2 hour edition of NASCAR Race Hub from Media Day.
The fan voted-upon format for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (formerly the Budweiser Shootout) will be revealed on Feb. 14th on Hub.
A total of 25 SPEED on-air personalities present 2 weeks of on-track action to viewers beginning when Cup Series cars fire up Feb. 15 for the first The Sprint Ultimate practice session, carried live on SPEED at 5PM/et.
NASCAR Race Hub returns to deliver all the days' happenings Feb. 18-20 at 6 PM/et, with Danielle Trotta hosting from the SPEED studios and Steve Byrnes and Ray Dunlap on-site at Daytona.
SPEED is live from the Budweiser Duel at Daytona on Thursday Feb. 21 at 2PM/et as drivers battle for the final spots on the Daytona 500 starting grid.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season under the lights Feb. 22 at 7 PM/et with NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda setting the stage for the green flag at 7:30 PM/et.
Rick Allen hosts with Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons providing analysis and Ray Dunlap, Hermie Sadler, and Bob Dillner reporting from the pits.
NASCAR Race Day Fueled by Sunoco returns for 3 pre-race editions from Daytona with John Roberts hosting. Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, Larry McReynolds and Matt Clark provide analysis and Wendy Venturini and Rutledge Wood will be reporting from the garage.
NASCAR Race Day offers pre-race coverage of the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel at Daytona and an expanded 3 hour show Feb 24 (9am- Noon/et) leading into FOX Sports live coverage of the 55th running of the Daytona 500.
TRACKSIDE, the network's longest running NASCAR program returns Feb 22 at 5:30 PM/et for a live 30 minute edition hosted by Krista Voda, Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood and Kaitlyn Vincie. The gang hangs around the next day for another 1 hour edition at 4:30 PM/et.
Live coverage of Cup and Truck series practice and qualifying sessions, as well as up-to-the-minute updates from NASCAR Live! round out the schedule.
Wind Tunnel has Dave Despain hopping back in his chair for an 11th season Feb 24 at 8 PM/et live.
NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED's Cup Series post-race show, rolls into the famed Victory Lane at Daytona Feb 21 and Feb 24 at 5:30 PM/et live with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace and garage reporting by Bob Dillner.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Budweiser Shootout and Budweiser Shootout Selection Show
The ever-evolving rules that determine the potential lineup for the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway have opened the door for the top rookie drivers of the past decade. The revised qualifications are much simpler than its previous incarnations and include only two provisions:
· The highest ranked 25 competitors in 2011 NSCS driver points
· Previous winners at Daytona, including the Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, and Shootout events
Thirty drivers will be eligible for the Feb. 18 race. The Shootout, a non-points event, opens the NASCAR portion of Daytona SpeedWeeks. It will be the first NASCAR race on Daytona’s recently repaved surface.
The starting grid for the 75-lap (two segments of 25 and 50 laps) race will be set with a blind draw Feb. 17.
“Race fans expect to see NASCAR’s best drivers compete in the Budweiser Shootout to kick off the 2011 racing season, and this star-studded lineup will not disappoint when they take the green flag for the first time on the new asphalt,” said DIS president Joie Chitwood. “The Budweiser Shootout has showcased some of the most thrilling racing over the years, and our fans are in for an exciting night on February 17.”
With that in mind, the drivers eligible for the 2012 Bud Shootout at Daytona include:
2011 Top 25 Driver Points:
Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Kevin Harvick
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Clint Bowyer
Kasey Kahne
AJ Allmendinger
Greg Biffle
Paul Menard
Martin Truex Jr.
Marcos Ambrose
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Mark Martin
David Ragan
Joey Logano
Brian Vickers
Others (criteria in parentheses)Bill Elliott (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Shootout)
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Shootout)
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)
Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)
Terry Labonte (Shootout)
Ken Schrader (Shootout)
The Budweiser Shootout Selection Show will air on SPEED Friday, February 17th @ 8:30 PM with a replay at 12:30 AM on Saturday, February 18th.
· The highest ranked 25 competitors in 2011 NSCS driver points
· Previous winners at Daytona, including the Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, and Shootout events
Thirty drivers will be eligible for the Feb. 18 race. The Shootout, a non-points event, opens the NASCAR portion of Daytona SpeedWeeks. It will be the first NASCAR race on Daytona’s recently repaved surface.
The starting grid for the 75-lap (two segments of 25 and 50 laps) race will be set with a blind draw Feb. 17.
“Race fans expect to see NASCAR’s best drivers compete in the Budweiser Shootout to kick off the 2011 racing season, and this star-studded lineup will not disappoint when they take the green flag for the first time on the new asphalt,” said DIS president Joie Chitwood. “The Budweiser Shootout has showcased some of the most thrilling racing over the years, and our fans are in for an exciting night on February 17.”
With that in mind, the drivers eligible for the 2012 Bud Shootout at Daytona include:
2011 Top 25 Driver Points:
Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Kevin Harvick
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Clint Bowyer
Kasey Kahne
AJ Allmendinger
Greg Biffle
Paul Menard
Martin Truex Jr.
Marcos Ambrose
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Mark Martin
David Ragan
Joey Logano
Brian Vickers
Others (criteria in parentheses)Bill Elliott (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Shootout)
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Shootout)
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)
Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)
Terry Labonte (Shootout)
Ken Schrader (Shootout)
The Budweiser Shootout Selection Show will air on SPEED Friday, February 17th @ 8:30 PM with a replay at 12:30 AM on Saturday, February 18th.
No More 'Secret' Fines
WARNING: NASCAR will continue to fine competitors who 'Challenge the Integrity of the Sport'.
Gone of the days of "secret fines" that are hinted at in the Media, yet refuted by NASCAR and the party involved. Here to stay is the effort to keep drivers from making comments that are irresponsible and unhelpful to the growing of the sport.
Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman have been previously fined for comments each had made, but the sanctioning body did not make the penalties public knowledge at the time they were issued. Such secrecy, some competitors said, made it unclear of what would or would not be construed as “damaging.”
“We're not talking about who's critical of NASCAR,” France said. “You can be critical of things you don't think we're doing well, in particular a race call. You can say ‘I don't think I was speeding; I disagree with that.’ We understand that. It's when you go after the integrity of the sport is where we will step in, and they will be public.”
Keselowski, who was fined for criticizing NASCAR new fuel injection system last year, said he didn’t believe the decision to make future penalties public came from his fine last year or from recent meetings between the teams and NASCAR officials.
“I don’t think I have that influence,” he told a group of reporters Thursday. “It’s probably more of a direct result of you guys [the media] than anything else.”
While questionable comments aren’t as black and white as technical issues, Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the same group of officials determine if and when a line has been crossed.
“If it’s a competition fine, it isn’t just Mike Fisher (Managing Director, NASCAR R&D) or (Sprint Cup Series Director) John Darby ... weighing in,” Pemberton said. “We run that stuff all the way up and all the way down. Brian [France] weighs in on all the penalties. A lot of people do.”
Pemberton acknowledged that the move to announce such fines was partly due to the media’s concern over the secrecy aspect of the fines and the question of how they were being levied.
Previously, he said, the determination to keep such fines private was to protect those who were involved, the competitors as well as the team’s sponsors.
“If you were private on [issuing] one, and it got out there, immediately everyone thought we had [issued] 100 fines,” he said. “And [in reality] you could count them on one hand.
“When we started out, private was about giving the benefit to a team, to not drag them through the mud. They’re embarrassed about what they said and it’s an embarrassment for their sponsor, and then for us to go through and drag everyone through the mud again ....
“Obviously we tried it one way and it didn’t work. It got put back on us because everybody thought we were trying to hide something and we’re not. So there they are.”
The effort to keep the sport honest, will they also let us in on the happenings inside the NASCAR hauler during private meetings? Will they be honest about whether blows were exchanged between waring drivers? Or is that still a line that will not be crossed? I for one wish their 'open door policy' and full disclosure concept didn't have limits. If it's leaked to the Media they should address the rumors, tell the truth and let us see what really goes on behind the scenes.
Gone of the days of "secret fines" that are hinted at in the Media, yet refuted by NASCAR and the party involved. Here to stay is the effort to keep drivers from making comments that are irresponsible and unhelpful to the growing of the sport.
Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman have been previously fined for comments each had made, but the sanctioning body did not make the penalties public knowledge at the time they were issued. Such secrecy, some competitors said, made it unclear of what would or would not be construed as “damaging.”
“We're not talking about who's critical of NASCAR,” France said. “You can be critical of things you don't think we're doing well, in particular a race call. You can say ‘I don't think I was speeding; I disagree with that.’ We understand that. It's when you go after the integrity of the sport is where we will step in, and they will be public.”
Keselowski, who was fined for criticizing NASCAR new fuel injection system last year, said he didn’t believe the decision to make future penalties public came from his fine last year or from recent meetings between the teams and NASCAR officials.
“I don’t think I have that influence,” he told a group of reporters Thursday. “It’s probably more of a direct result of you guys [the media] than anything else.”
While questionable comments aren’t as black and white as technical issues, Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the same group of officials determine if and when a line has been crossed.
“If it’s a competition fine, it isn’t just Mike Fisher (Managing Director, NASCAR R&D) or (Sprint Cup Series Director) John Darby ... weighing in,” Pemberton said. “We run that stuff all the way up and all the way down. Brian [France] weighs in on all the penalties. A lot of people do.”
Pemberton acknowledged that the move to announce such fines was partly due to the media’s concern over the secrecy aspect of the fines and the question of how they were being levied.
Previously, he said, the determination to keep such fines private was to protect those who were involved, the competitors as well as the team’s sponsors.
“If you were private on [issuing] one, and it got out there, immediately everyone thought we had [issued] 100 fines,” he said. “And [in reality] you could count them on one hand.
“When we started out, private was about giving the benefit to a team, to not drag them through the mud. They’re embarrassed about what they said and it’s an embarrassment for their sponsor, and then for us to go through and drag everyone through the mud again ....
“Obviously we tried it one way and it didn’t work. It got put back on us because everybody thought we were trying to hide something and we’re not. So there they are.”
The effort to keep the sport honest, will they also let us in on the happenings inside the NASCAR hauler during private meetings? Will they be honest about whether blows were exchanged between waring drivers? Or is that still a line that will not be crossed? I for one wish their 'open door policy' and full disclosure concept didn't have limits. If it's leaked to the Media they should address the rumors, tell the truth and let us see what really goes on behind the scenes.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
2012 NASCAR Media Week - Quotes Denny Hamlin
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing:
How different will your team look this year? “I think our team is going to look totally different even though there’s just a few changes here and there. It’s going to be a total different race team I feel like. I’ve got two different people speaking in my ear and you’ve got a lot of energy within the shop. I know you hear that a lot, but we’ve really gone through some big changes with our team and it’s obviously got a lot of people excited.”
How good of a hire was it for your race team to get Darian Grubb? “It was big for us because he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) had so many good options and he had an offer from every race team in the garage area. For him to pick me as his driver and continuing to want to be a crew chief, that’s a big deal. So, at least it gives you the faith that the guy has got a lot of faith in your talents and that you can bring him another championship.”
How much different will it be for you to have a new crew chief? “I think there’s a lot of things that are going to be different. I’ve got to be a little bit more aware of what’s going on with my feedback. I think at times I kind of took for granted that Mike (Ford) just always knew what I needed at certain times even though I might not say it. With him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) I’ve got to make sure I continue to voice those things and tell him the specifics because he’s not worked with me before. Working with other drivers, he’s got different ideas and stuff that he can bring up to me. I think it’s going to be key for me the first six months to really communicate a lot with him.”
How much information can you use from Darian Grubb? “You’ve got to listen to a guy that’s won five of 10 Chase races in one year. He’s (Darian Grubb, crew chief) obviously got that experience. He’s got a lot of Hendrick (Motorsports) information that’s coming over to (Joe) Gibbs (Racing). That part of it is always good. New blood sometimes is just what you need to kind of get your team fired up.”
What does it say about Darian Grubb to know he won five of 10 Chase races when he knew he was being let go? “It tells me in those situations that the guy is mentally tough. When he knows his job is on the line and might not know what he’s doing next year, he’s still got the focus to bring what he brought to the race track. For me, I think he’s one of the most well-respected guys within our garage and that’s going to be a key asset to have.”
How long did it take you to get reenergized after last season? “I just had to get away from Charlotte for a little while. That’s all it took. Get away from racing and you know when you have such a bad year like we had last year, you’re waiting for the season to be over with. You always kind of get that second breath of life where you’re like, ‘Okay, the Chase is starting so it’s a fresh start.’ And, then when we come out of the gates and had the issues that we had in the very first race, it’s like that year is just not meant to be for us. It doesn’t take long before you’re starting to count down how many weeks are left in the season to just get it over with. Let’s go through the motions, get to the track, do our job and get out of there. And, obviously it’s going to be hard to win races with that attitude. Now, we’ve got a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”
What have you done during the off-season to get your mind away from the race track? “I’ve been racing since I was eight years old — 23 straight years of living and breathing this sport every single day and every single week. Our schedule is not driver friendly with all of the obligations that we have on and off the race track, we’re doing so much during the week. We just don’t have that much time at home. For me, I had to get away from Charlotte, get away from the same people that I see all of the time, just to kind of relax and do my own grocery shopping, do my own laundry, cook my own food and just feel like I was on an island by myself. So, I feel like that has all been really good for me personally and it’s just gotten me super energized for a new season because I really do feel like I’ve had a break now.”
Why are you so confident going into this season? “I think we’re going to be going to the race track with completely different race cars. I can’t get a heck of a lot in depth with it, but just some of the things that we’re building in our race cars and things like that are just, gosh, things that I’ve wanted for a long time but it’s been hard to get past the departments here and there. We feel like we’re heading in a good direction, there’s no doubt about it. I feel like Toyota is getting stronger than what they were last year, all three teams are on the same engine program, we’ve got an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing – there’s a lot of things that are stronger this time around. And, on top of that my confidence is way higher right now than it was to start 2011.”
Can you use the adversity that you’ve faced during your career will help you to the next level? “I think the adversity that I’ve had in my career and the ups and the downs is going to make it sweeter when I finally do win that championship.”
Do you need to improve on speed in your race cars for the 2012 season? “It’s just things weren’t as easy as what they were in 2010. In 2011, for us, I was sweating like a dog in practice to be 20th fastest. It’s just having to work too hard to get the speed out of the car and that tells us that we’ve got to improve on a couple of different areas. I think we’ve shifted our focus this year to those areas and I think that there’s no doubt that when we get to the race track that we’re going to be much more competitive.”
Do you think having Darian Grubb as a crew chief is what you need to win a championship? “I just think that he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) brings so much good information over to our race team. Just the way that he was doing things over at Stewart-Haas and Hendrick and the way we were doing things at Gibbs, there’s a lot of good things that both teams were doing that we’re going to mesh together and make for hopefully a team that performs. Really, for me, it’s just hearing the different voice of reason. That gets you fired up sometimes and obviously when you know a guy has been as successful as him, it’s hard not to have confidence when you’re behind the wheel. All of this stuff has worked out it seems like perfectly for my career. There’s a lot of things that’s been put into place for me to be successful and I feel like this year is my best opportunity to do that.”
Will adding fuel injection to the race cars level all of the teams out? “No, I don’t think that will change much. I think that what’s driving the back tires is still that engine, it’s not the fuel injection. Us having Toyota on our side as far as that’s concerned on all three teams this year will be a big benefit because we’ve obviously got a lot of technology that they’re going to bring from their street program to our race program — whether it be fuel mapping or things like that to try to help us with fuel mileage. Look how many races have been fuel mileage races here lately. It’s just you’ve got to have every aspect of your race team as good as possible.”
Do you think NASCAR’s current points system is the right formula? “I do and I think that the emphasis on winning is more than it’s ever been. That’s the mentality that you have to have. If you’re going to have to wreck a few race cars in the process to do it, then so be it because if you’re winning, you’re going to be in the Chase and that gets you a shot at the championship. I’m probably going to take a little bit more risk here and there to try and get those wins because we see how valuable it was last year.”
What did you do when you heard Darian Grubb was available? “When we heard about Darian (Grubb, crew chief) becoming available of course we were one of many teams that were after him pretty heavy. We knew he was going to have a tough decision. He’d had a relationship with Hendrick (Motorsports) for many, many years and when he got offered that position we thought we could possibly lose him to that because we know he is a loyal guy. But, it’s through sitting there and talking to him and I asked him about his motivation to win another championship. He says he feels like he wanted to crew chief until he was 40 years old and his son got to a certain age. His job now, he says, is to win another championship and show everyone that he can win with multiple drivers.”
How much does it increase your confidence to have Darian Grubb as your crew chief? “A lot. Everyone knows that the driver and crew chief relationship is very, very important. It’s as important as anything as far as being successful so we know it’s going to work. It’s going to take some time for him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) to understand what I need in my car and for me to tell him what he needs to hear. That part is going to be a little bit of a transition, but I think right now we have enough motivation and confidence that should carry us until that point happens.”
Will you use last year as motivation for this season? “I can’t even remember more than about five races last year in the sense of that we were really competitive, had a shot to win and those are the races that get me motivated. The rest of them, I feel like I was just there. I was one of those cars in the middle of the pack and that’s not me. I’m too competitive for that, I won’t stand for it and I’m not going to have the rest of my career go that way. We’re going to go back to the front where we belong.”
How different will your team look this year? “I think our team is going to look totally different even though there’s just a few changes here and there. It’s going to be a total different race team I feel like. I’ve got two different people speaking in my ear and you’ve got a lot of energy within the shop. I know you hear that a lot, but we’ve really gone through some big changes with our team and it’s obviously got a lot of people excited.”
How good of a hire was it for your race team to get Darian Grubb? “It was big for us because he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) had so many good options and he had an offer from every race team in the garage area. For him to pick me as his driver and continuing to want to be a crew chief, that’s a big deal. So, at least it gives you the faith that the guy has got a lot of faith in your talents and that you can bring him another championship.”
How much different will it be for you to have a new crew chief? “I think there’s a lot of things that are going to be different. I’ve got to be a little bit more aware of what’s going on with my feedback. I think at times I kind of took for granted that Mike (Ford) just always knew what I needed at certain times even though I might not say it. With him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) I’ve got to make sure I continue to voice those things and tell him the specifics because he’s not worked with me before. Working with other drivers, he’s got different ideas and stuff that he can bring up to me. I think it’s going to be key for me the first six months to really communicate a lot with him.”
How much information can you use from Darian Grubb? “You’ve got to listen to a guy that’s won five of 10 Chase races in one year. He’s (Darian Grubb, crew chief) obviously got that experience. He’s got a lot of Hendrick (Motorsports) information that’s coming over to (Joe) Gibbs (Racing). That part of it is always good. New blood sometimes is just what you need to kind of get your team fired up.”
What does it say about Darian Grubb to know he won five of 10 Chase races when he knew he was being let go? “It tells me in those situations that the guy is mentally tough. When he knows his job is on the line and might not know what he’s doing next year, he’s still got the focus to bring what he brought to the race track. For me, I think he’s one of the most well-respected guys within our garage and that’s going to be a key asset to have.”
How long did it take you to get reenergized after last season? “I just had to get away from Charlotte for a little while. That’s all it took. Get away from racing and you know when you have such a bad year like we had last year, you’re waiting for the season to be over with. You always kind of get that second breath of life where you’re like, ‘Okay, the Chase is starting so it’s a fresh start.’ And, then when we come out of the gates and had the issues that we had in the very first race, it’s like that year is just not meant to be for us. It doesn’t take long before you’re starting to count down how many weeks are left in the season to just get it over with. Let’s go through the motions, get to the track, do our job and get out of there. And, obviously it’s going to be hard to win races with that attitude. Now, we’ve got a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”
What have you done during the off-season to get your mind away from the race track? “I’ve been racing since I was eight years old — 23 straight years of living and breathing this sport every single day and every single week. Our schedule is not driver friendly with all of the obligations that we have on and off the race track, we’re doing so much during the week. We just don’t have that much time at home. For me, I had to get away from Charlotte, get away from the same people that I see all of the time, just to kind of relax and do my own grocery shopping, do my own laundry, cook my own food and just feel like I was on an island by myself. So, I feel like that has all been really good for me personally and it’s just gotten me super energized for a new season because I really do feel like I’ve had a break now.”
Why are you so confident going into this season? “I think we’re going to be going to the race track with completely different race cars. I can’t get a heck of a lot in depth with it, but just some of the things that we’re building in our race cars and things like that are just, gosh, things that I’ve wanted for a long time but it’s been hard to get past the departments here and there. We feel like we’re heading in a good direction, there’s no doubt about it. I feel like Toyota is getting stronger than what they were last year, all three teams are on the same engine program, we’ve got an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing – there’s a lot of things that are stronger this time around. And, on top of that my confidence is way higher right now than it was to start 2011.”
Can you use the adversity that you’ve faced during your career will help you to the next level? “I think the adversity that I’ve had in my career and the ups and the downs is going to make it sweeter when I finally do win that championship.”
Do you need to improve on speed in your race cars for the 2012 season? “It’s just things weren’t as easy as what they were in 2010. In 2011, for us, I was sweating like a dog in practice to be 20th fastest. It’s just having to work too hard to get the speed out of the car and that tells us that we’ve got to improve on a couple of different areas. I think we’ve shifted our focus this year to those areas and I think that there’s no doubt that when we get to the race track that we’re going to be much more competitive.”
Do you think having Darian Grubb as a crew chief is what you need to win a championship? “I just think that he (Darian Grubb, crew chief) brings so much good information over to our race team. Just the way that he was doing things over at Stewart-Haas and Hendrick and the way we were doing things at Gibbs, there’s a lot of good things that both teams were doing that we’re going to mesh together and make for hopefully a team that performs. Really, for me, it’s just hearing the different voice of reason. That gets you fired up sometimes and obviously when you know a guy has been as successful as him, it’s hard not to have confidence when you’re behind the wheel. All of this stuff has worked out it seems like perfectly for my career. There’s a lot of things that’s been put into place for me to be successful and I feel like this year is my best opportunity to do that.”
Will adding fuel injection to the race cars level all of the teams out? “No, I don’t think that will change much. I think that what’s driving the back tires is still that engine, it’s not the fuel injection. Us having Toyota on our side as far as that’s concerned on all three teams this year will be a big benefit because we’ve obviously got a lot of technology that they’re going to bring from their street program to our race program — whether it be fuel mapping or things like that to try to help us with fuel mileage. Look how many races have been fuel mileage races here lately. It’s just you’ve got to have every aspect of your race team as good as possible.”
Do you think NASCAR’s current points system is the right formula? “I do and I think that the emphasis on winning is more than it’s ever been. That’s the mentality that you have to have. If you’re going to have to wreck a few race cars in the process to do it, then so be it because if you’re winning, you’re going to be in the Chase and that gets you a shot at the championship. I’m probably going to take a little bit more risk here and there to try and get those wins because we see how valuable it was last year.”
What did you do when you heard Darian Grubb was available? “When we heard about Darian (Grubb, crew chief) becoming available of course we were one of many teams that were after him pretty heavy. We knew he was going to have a tough decision. He’d had a relationship with Hendrick (Motorsports) for many, many years and when he got offered that position we thought we could possibly lose him to that because we know he is a loyal guy. But, it’s through sitting there and talking to him and I asked him about his motivation to win another championship. He says he feels like he wanted to crew chief until he was 40 years old and his son got to a certain age. His job now, he says, is to win another championship and show everyone that he can win with multiple drivers.”
How much does it increase your confidence to have Darian Grubb as your crew chief? “A lot. Everyone knows that the driver and crew chief relationship is very, very important. It’s as important as anything as far as being successful so we know it’s going to work. It’s going to take some time for him (Darian Grubb, crew chief) to understand what I need in my car and for me to tell him what he needs to hear. That part is going to be a little bit of a transition, but I think right now we have enough motivation and confidence that should carry us until that point happens.”
Will you use last year as motivation for this season? “I can’t even remember more than about five races last year in the sense of that we were really competitive, had a shot to win and those are the races that get me motivated. The rest of them, I feel like I was just there. I was one of those cars in the middle of the pack and that’s not me. I’m too competitive for that, I won’t stand for it and I’m not going to have the rest of my career go that way. We’re going to go back to the front where we belong.”
Hamlin Grubb Have A Lot To Improve Upon for 2012
by Ed Hinton ESPN.com
CONCORD, N.C. -- Here you have a driver who feels he got his "ass kicked" last season, and a crew chief who says "It's weird to me to this day" that he got booted after leading the most remarkable onslaught to a championship in NASCAR history.
Add a resurgence in spirit at Joe Gibbs Racing, and "There's no doubt we'll have a successful year," Hamlin said Monday during the NASCAR preseason media tour.
From what Grubb has seen since he arrived at JGR on the rebound, "With the technology they have, I'm sitting there thinking, 'How did we beat these guys?'" he said.
Good point. Grubb walloped 'em through the Chase, atop the pit box for Tony Stewart, who won five of the 10 playoff races last season.
But it was already in the plan at Stewart-Haas Racing that Grubb would not return in 2012. Stewart stuck by the plan.
At JGR, "I think you need a season of getting your ass kicked," Hamlin said, "for people to wake up and realize that you know what? We're not as good as we maybe thought we were.
"At JGR we got our tails kicked. Kyle [Busch] won four races in a period [of the regular season, and Hamlin won one], but when the Chase started, we were off from the start. We were all terrible."
Stewart's No. 14 operation was just the opposite, sputtering through the regular season and deciding to replace Grubb as crew chief in '12 before the juggernaut broke loose in the Chase.
"It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made," Grubb said. "It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship."
Stewart said he still doesn't question himself for bringing in Steve Addington to replace the crew chief who batted .500 in the fall.
"We made that decision before the Chase even started and I think it took a lot of the pressure off," Stewart said Monday. "I think that was part of what led to the success at the end of the season."
In fact, Hamlin said, it was Stewart himself, a former teammate of Hamlin's at JGR, who encouraged this new pairing.
Neither Stewart nor Hamlin is the type to jet away on tropical vacations, and so in the immediate aftermath of Stewart's fourth title, "I saw him quite a few times out and around Charlotte," Hamlin said.
"I told him I was interested in working with Darian -- what did he think?
"He said, 'I was going to get in contract with you because I feel like the guy is perfect for you.'
“It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made. It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship.”-- Darian Grubb on his release from Stewart-Haas Racing
"He said, 'Y'all have the same personality, and if there's anything I can do to make it happen' -- he would.
"Tony knows me pretty well and obviously Tony and Darian had a lot of success. So for Tony to say, 'I think this is something that's gonna be really good,' that's great motivation for me."
With Grubb as a free agent after he and Stewart staged a multiple-comeback victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, "There's no doubt we had a full-court press on him [recruiting]," Hamlin said. "With his loyalty to Mr. [Rick] Hendrick [owner of Hendrick Motorsports] and everything they'd built over there over Darian's entire career, we were kind of worried we were going to lose him to Mr. Hendrick."
Grubb had been an engineer at HMS and, pressed into crew chief duty while Chad Knaus was serving a suspension for rules infractions, directed Jimmie Johnson's Daytona 500 victory in 2006.
Hendrick wanted him back on the engineering staff there.
"But he said he wanted to be a crew chief, he wanted to win more championships, and that he felt like I was the guy who could do it for him," Hamlin said.
"I'm glad to see that he landed in the position that he wanted at Gibbs, and it's going to be hard to race against him for sure," Stewart said, "because we started this whole thing [SHR] together three years ago."
But now, "I think they'll be a good pair," Stewart said. "Denny's a very technical guy. I'm the opposite of that. I just get in the thing and drive it. Denny will analyze everything that's going on with the car, and Darian's very good at that, so I think they'll be a better pair than I was with Darian.
"I think we were good together, but I think there's a lot of potential in Darian and Denny for sure.
"I think they'll hit it off right away, and I think they'll run really well together."
CONCORD, N.C. -- Here you have a driver who feels he got his "ass kicked" last season, and a crew chief who says "It's weird to me to this day" that he got booted after leading the most remarkable onslaught to a championship in NASCAR history.
Add a resurgence in spirit at Joe Gibbs Racing, and "There's no doubt we'll have a successful year," Hamlin said Monday during the NASCAR preseason media tour.
From what Grubb has seen since he arrived at JGR on the rebound, "With the technology they have, I'm sitting there thinking, 'How did we beat these guys?'" he said.
Good point. Grubb walloped 'em through the Chase, atop the pit box for Tony Stewart, who won five of the 10 playoff races last season.
But it was already in the plan at Stewart-Haas Racing that Grubb would not return in 2012. Stewart stuck by the plan.
At JGR, "I think you need a season of getting your ass kicked," Hamlin said, "for people to wake up and realize that you know what? We're not as good as we maybe thought we were.
"At JGR we got our tails kicked. Kyle [Busch] won four races in a period [of the regular season, and Hamlin won one], but when the Chase started, we were off from the start. We were all terrible."
Stewart's No. 14 operation was just the opposite, sputtering through the regular season and deciding to replace Grubb as crew chief in '12 before the juggernaut broke loose in the Chase.
"It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made," Grubb said. "It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship."
Stewart said he still doesn't question himself for bringing in Steve Addington to replace the crew chief who batted .500 in the fall.
"We made that decision before the Chase even started and I think it took a lot of the pressure off," Stewart said Monday. "I think that was part of what led to the success at the end of the season."
In fact, Hamlin said, it was Stewart himself, a former teammate of Hamlin's at JGR, who encouraged this new pairing.
Neither Stewart nor Hamlin is the type to jet away on tropical vacations, and so in the immediate aftermath of Stewart's fourth title, "I saw him quite a few times out and around Charlotte," Hamlin said.
"I told him I was interested in working with Darian -- what did he think?
"He said, 'I was going to get in contract with you because I feel like the guy is perfect for you.'
“It's still weird to me to this day to not know exactly what was going on and why the decision was made. It wasn't any kind of mutual decision or anything like that. I was told I wasn't going to be back for the 2012 season, so at that point I just started going out there doing the best we could to try to move forward and win the championship.”-- Darian Grubb on his release from Stewart-Haas Racing
"He said, 'Y'all have the same personality, and if there's anything I can do to make it happen' -- he would.
"Tony knows me pretty well and obviously Tony and Darian had a lot of success. So for Tony to say, 'I think this is something that's gonna be really good,' that's great motivation for me."
With Grubb as a free agent after he and Stewart staged a multiple-comeback victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, "There's no doubt we had a full-court press on him [recruiting]," Hamlin said. "With his loyalty to Mr. [Rick] Hendrick [owner of Hendrick Motorsports] and everything they'd built over there over Darian's entire career, we were kind of worried we were going to lose him to Mr. Hendrick."
Grubb had been an engineer at HMS and, pressed into crew chief duty while Chad Knaus was serving a suspension for rules infractions, directed Jimmie Johnson's Daytona 500 victory in 2006.
Hendrick wanted him back on the engineering staff there.
"But he said he wanted to be a crew chief, he wanted to win more championships, and that he felt like I was the guy who could do it for him," Hamlin said.
"I'm glad to see that he landed in the position that he wanted at Gibbs, and it's going to be hard to race against him for sure," Stewart said, "because we started this whole thing [SHR] together three years ago."
But now, "I think they'll be a good pair," Stewart said. "Denny's a very technical guy. I'm the opposite of that. I just get in the thing and drive it. Denny will analyze everything that's going on with the car, and Darian's very good at that, so I think they'll be a better pair than I was with Darian.
"I think we were good together, but I think there's a lot of potential in Darian and Denny for sure.
"I think they'll hit it off right away, and I think they'll run really well together."
2012 NASCAR Media Week - Quotes # 11 Fed Ex Toyota
DARIAN GRUBB, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing:
How do you feel starting 2012 with a new team? “It feels really good to be a part of Joe Gibbs Racing. The professionalism that they have is pretty impressive. It’s good to be a part of that. Yeah, we had a lot of turmoil at the end of the year last year — still came out all positive. Won the championship and won five races. Came out of there with my head held high and then went on to my next endeavors. I’m really looking forward to getting a new chapter started at Joe Gibbs Racing.”
Do you look at this as a new challenge? “I definitely do. I feel like I’ve checked a lot of things off the bucket list and now it’s time to go out there and just race for fun and try to win races and win championships. It’s a whole new endeavor and a lot of new people and a lot of new faces to learn and learn how to deal with and how to talk to them. I’m really looking forward to that.”
How different are Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Hass Racing in their operations? “It’s very similar. The work that everybody does in the Cup Series is very even across the field. The competition level is so high. It’s hard for anybody to really be that far behind and these guys are definitely on top of their game when it comes to the technology side of things, the engineering, support they have from Toyota. I’m really looking forward to learning all those different people and the different aspects of the sport and try to make the 11 FedEx team stronger.”
How much confidence do you bring to the team coming off your 2011 championship? “It’s really exciting for me just because coming in talking to the guys in the shop you can tell there’s just the attitude there that they just felt like they were beat down because they had such a bad year in 2011 and now there’s just a breath of fresh air. They know that I was lucky enough to go out there and win that championship. They all want a piece of that. They know how close they were and everybody just realizes now it’s all about just having fun, working in one direction so we’re all going out there trying to win races and put ourselves in the Chase with a chance to go for that championship.”
What have you learned about Denny Hamlin? “He’s (Denny Hamlin) a really good character. He’s a fun guy. He likes to joke with the guys and carry on and that’s a big part of it. We want to have Denny included in the team and make sure he’s one of the guys that’s leading the team. He has to be a leader and make sure all those guys are following him. He’s the guy that everybody shows up to work for every morning and as long as he’s connected to us we’ll be working our hardest for him.”
Is your experience an advantage for you and your new team? “I definitely think so. Working with Chad Knaus (crew chief, No. 48) and the Hendrick Motorsports group was a great learning experience for me. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greats all the way through even back to my first days in Cup with Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises — just went into the Hall of Fame — so there’s guys like that that I have learned a lot of lessons from. I hope to take all those things and put them to my best use.”
What are your thoughts on moving from Chevrolet to a Toyota team? “It’s definitely different. It’s a different mentality about the way they approach the race cars and the race track, the data and what they do with it. But then again, everything this year is different because of the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) introduction for NASCAR. There’s a lot of new things. There’s a lot of new technology and we’re all kind of growing with that as well. I haven’t seen anything that’s a weak link. We’re looking forward to going out there and hitting the race track.”
How is the communication among your team and with Toyota? “They work together really well there at Joe Gibbs Racing with the Toyota development program and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engines and all those things. The communication level probably needs to be picked up a little bit because there was a lot of things new. I think most of that just comes from the fact that fuel injection (EFI) and all those things are being introduced this year and we’ve got a lot of new people, new faces that we’re trying to get introduced and make sure everybody is doing the right thing at the race track, so we’re looking forward to that and getting those relationships built.”
Is it an advantage to have one full-time Toyota team to work with in Michael Waltrip Racing? “I think it’s a little easier because now we have the one team that we can go out there and lean on as far as technology. We know as long as we’re both going in one direction with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) that support is going to follow.”
Offical Press Release - NASCAR Media
How do you feel starting 2012 with a new team? “It feels really good to be a part of Joe Gibbs Racing. The professionalism that they have is pretty impressive. It’s good to be a part of that. Yeah, we had a lot of turmoil at the end of the year last year — still came out all positive. Won the championship and won five races. Came out of there with my head held high and then went on to my next endeavors. I’m really looking forward to getting a new chapter started at Joe Gibbs Racing.”
Do you look at this as a new challenge? “I definitely do. I feel like I’ve checked a lot of things off the bucket list and now it’s time to go out there and just race for fun and try to win races and win championships. It’s a whole new endeavor and a lot of new people and a lot of new faces to learn and learn how to deal with and how to talk to them. I’m really looking forward to that.”
How different are Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Hass Racing in their operations? “It’s very similar. The work that everybody does in the Cup Series is very even across the field. The competition level is so high. It’s hard for anybody to really be that far behind and these guys are definitely on top of their game when it comes to the technology side of things, the engineering, support they have from Toyota. I’m really looking forward to learning all those different people and the different aspects of the sport and try to make the 11 FedEx team stronger.”
How much confidence do you bring to the team coming off your 2011 championship? “It’s really exciting for me just because coming in talking to the guys in the shop you can tell there’s just the attitude there that they just felt like they were beat down because they had such a bad year in 2011 and now there’s just a breath of fresh air. They know that I was lucky enough to go out there and win that championship. They all want a piece of that. They know how close they were and everybody just realizes now it’s all about just having fun, working in one direction so we’re all going out there trying to win races and put ourselves in the Chase with a chance to go for that championship.”
What have you learned about Denny Hamlin? “He’s (Denny Hamlin) a really good character. He’s a fun guy. He likes to joke with the guys and carry on and that’s a big part of it. We want to have Denny included in the team and make sure he’s one of the guys that’s leading the team. He has to be a leader and make sure all those guys are following him. He’s the guy that everybody shows up to work for every morning and as long as he’s connected to us we’ll be working our hardest for him.”
Is your experience an advantage for you and your new team? “I definitely think so. Working with Chad Knaus (crew chief, No. 48) and the Hendrick Motorsports group was a great learning experience for me. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greats all the way through even back to my first days in Cup with Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises — just went into the Hall of Fame — so there’s guys like that that I have learned a lot of lessons from. I hope to take all those things and put them to my best use.”
What are your thoughts on moving from Chevrolet to a Toyota team? “It’s definitely different. It’s a different mentality about the way they approach the race cars and the race track, the data and what they do with it. But then again, everything this year is different because of the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) introduction for NASCAR. There’s a lot of new things. There’s a lot of new technology and we’re all kind of growing with that as well. I haven’t seen anything that’s a weak link. We’re looking forward to going out there and hitting the race track.”
How is the communication among your team and with Toyota? “They work together really well there at Joe Gibbs Racing with the Toyota development program and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engines and all those things. The communication level probably needs to be picked up a little bit because there was a lot of things new. I think most of that just comes from the fact that fuel injection (EFI) and all those things are being introduced this year and we’ve got a lot of new people, new faces that we’re trying to get introduced and make sure everybody is doing the right thing at the race track, so we’re looking forward to that and getting those relationships built.”
Is it an advantage to have one full-time Toyota team to work with in Michael Waltrip Racing? “I think it’s a little easier because now we have the one team that we can go out there and lean on as far as technology. We know as long as we’re both going in one direction with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) that support is going to follow.”
Offical Press Release - NASCAR Media
Denny Hamlin Is Geared Up For Turnaround
By Thomas Pope / The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Why bother sugarcoating a sub-par performance? Denny Hamlin didn’t. Hamlin and Kyle Busch both qualified for NASCAR’s championship shootout, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano on the outside looking in.
But during the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs, "We all stunk," Hamlin said. "We were terrible."
The wake-up call was a tough one.
"I think you need a season of getting your (expletive) kicked for people to wake up and realize that maybe we’re not as good as what we thought we were," he said. "As a whole, we got our tails kicked."
That could have made for a long, miserable offseason, but internal changes and the addition of a top free agent has left Hamlin brimming with confidence a month from the start of the 2012 campaign.
Not one to hold his tongue, Hamlin lobbied long and hard inside the organization for upgrades to the team’s fleet and engine program. After meeting resistance for too long a period, he said, upper management had no choice but to admit that drastic changes had to be made.
And then there was a major move atop the pit box. The Gibbs team released Mike Ford as crew chief and snapped up Darian Grubb, who had been released despite leading Tony Stewart to the 2011 title. Now Hamlin’s frustration has evolved into anticipation, and he hopes his FedEx-sponsored team can resume its place among the title contenders.
That’s exactly where it was in 2010. Jimmie Johnson amassed 39 more points than Hamlin to win his fifth consecutive crown, but Hamlin snared more checkered flags. Hamlin swept a pair of races at both Martinsville and Fort Worth, and he reigned at Darlington, Pocono, Michigan and Richmond.
Last year, though, Hamlin contends that JGR fell behind the learning curve and had to fall on its face to get a reality check: Busch won four times, but none after mid-August; Hamlin went to Victory Lane just once -- at Michigan in June -- and wound up ninth overall; Logano had the worst season of his three-year Cup career (26th) with only four top-five showings.
The problems, Hamlin said, began with a tug-o-war inside JGR to institute change.
"I can’t get a heckuva of a lot in depth with it," he said, "but some of the things we’re building in our race cars are things that, gosh, man, I’ve been wondering about that for a long time, but it’s been hard to get past the departments here and there.
"But we feel like we’re heading in a good direction, there’s no doubt about it. Toyota’s getting stronger than what they were last year. All three of our teams are on the same engine program, and we’ve got an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing. A lot of things there are stronger this time around."
That includes the addition of Grubb to the payroll. An engineer by trade, Grubb stepped in as crew chief for Jimmie Johnson in 2006 when Chad Knaus was suspended for a rules violation, and Johnson won the Daytona 500.
When Stewart left Gibbs after the 2008 season to buy the majority share of an existing-but-winless team, he hired Grubb away from Hendrick Motorsports to become his crew chief. In three years together, Stewart and Grubb won the Sprint All-Star race, 11 points-paying events and the 2011 championship with five wins in 10 Chase contests.
But by late summer, a winless Stewart had decided to let Grubb go, and he stuck with that call despite the charge in the Chase. Grubb had plenty of job offers, both as an engineer and as a crew chief, and he picked Gibbs so he could make the day-to-day decisions for Hamlin.
"We had a huge full-court press on him, just like every other team in the garage," Hamlin said.
He added, "It’s going to take some time for him to understand what I need in my car and for me to tell him what he needs to hear, so that part’s going to be a little bit of a transition. But I think that right now, we have enough motivation and confidence to carry us until that happens."
And that’s already a change from 2011.
Why bother sugarcoating a sub-par performance? Denny Hamlin didn’t. Hamlin and Kyle Busch both qualified for NASCAR’s championship shootout, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano on the outside looking in.
But during the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs, "We all stunk," Hamlin said. "We were terrible."
The wake-up call was a tough one.
"I think you need a season of getting your (expletive) kicked for people to wake up and realize that maybe we’re not as good as what we thought we were," he said. "As a whole, we got our tails kicked."
That could have made for a long, miserable offseason, but internal changes and the addition of a top free agent has left Hamlin brimming with confidence a month from the start of the 2012 campaign.
Not one to hold his tongue, Hamlin lobbied long and hard inside the organization for upgrades to the team’s fleet and engine program. After meeting resistance for too long a period, he said, upper management had no choice but to admit that drastic changes had to be made.
And then there was a major move atop the pit box. The Gibbs team released Mike Ford as crew chief and snapped up Darian Grubb, who had been released despite leading Tony Stewart to the 2011 title. Now Hamlin’s frustration has evolved into anticipation, and he hopes his FedEx-sponsored team can resume its place among the title contenders.
That’s exactly where it was in 2010. Jimmie Johnson amassed 39 more points than Hamlin to win his fifth consecutive crown, but Hamlin snared more checkered flags. Hamlin swept a pair of races at both Martinsville and Fort Worth, and he reigned at Darlington, Pocono, Michigan and Richmond.
Last year, though, Hamlin contends that JGR fell behind the learning curve and had to fall on its face to get a reality check: Busch won four times, but none after mid-August; Hamlin went to Victory Lane just once -- at Michigan in June -- and wound up ninth overall; Logano had the worst season of his three-year Cup career (26th) with only four top-five showings.
The problems, Hamlin said, began with a tug-o-war inside JGR to institute change.
"I can’t get a heckuva of a lot in depth with it," he said, "but some of the things we’re building in our race cars are things that, gosh, man, I’ve been wondering about that for a long time, but it’s been hard to get past the departments here and there.
"But we feel like we’re heading in a good direction, there’s no doubt about it. Toyota’s getting stronger than what they were last year. All three of our teams are on the same engine program, and we’ve got an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing. A lot of things there are stronger this time around."
That includes the addition of Grubb to the payroll. An engineer by trade, Grubb stepped in as crew chief for Jimmie Johnson in 2006 when Chad Knaus was suspended for a rules violation, and Johnson won the Daytona 500.
When Stewart left Gibbs after the 2008 season to buy the majority share of an existing-but-winless team, he hired Grubb away from Hendrick Motorsports to become his crew chief. In three years together, Stewart and Grubb won the Sprint All-Star race, 11 points-paying events and the 2011 championship with five wins in 10 Chase contests.
But by late summer, a winless Stewart had decided to let Grubb go, and he stuck with that call despite the charge in the Chase. Grubb had plenty of job offers, both as an engineer and as a crew chief, and he picked Gibbs so he could make the day-to-day decisions for Hamlin.
"We had a huge full-court press on him, just like every other team in the garage," Hamlin said.
He added, "It’s going to take some time for him to understand what I need in my car and for me to tell him what he needs to hear, so that part’s going to be a little bit of a transition. But I think that right now, we have enough motivation and confidence to carry us until that happens."
And that’s already a change from 2011.
2012 NASCAR Media Week - Joe Gibbs Racing
 |
| Coach Joe Gibbs addresses the media while son, JD Gibbs, looks on |
 |
| Denny Hamlin takes questions from the media |
 |
| NASCAR Media Week at JGR |
 |
| New Crew Chief for the #11 Fed Ex Toyota and Denny Hamlin, Darian Grubb, takes questions from the Media |
 |
| 2012 NASCAR Media Week at JGR |
 |
| Denny Hamlin |
 |
| JGR's stable Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin |
 |
| JD Gibbs fields media questions while Dad, Joe Gibbs, looks on |
Monday, January 16, 2012
New Season New Faces New Outlook?
After what felt like an eternity away from the track, NASCAR has returned to Daytona for Pre-Season testing. There were lots of new faces in the JGR #11 Fed Ex garage. Gone are former Crew Chief Mike Ford and former Spotter Curis Markham, all in an effort to elevate Denny Hamlin to the next level of his career. A move that has been a long time in the making, and is one that I truly believe will make not only the driver, but the entire team better.
So who are the new faces of the Fed Ex team? Well the Crew Chief will definitely look familiar to you. He's none other than Darian Grubb, former Sprint Cup winning Crew Chief for 2011 NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. Stewart's loss is definitely our gain. He's a racing master mind and will be a fabulous asset to the team and to Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin's new spotter is Chris Lambert, former spotter for Brian Vickers. I'm not as familiar with Chris Lambert, but definitely feel the change in eyes and communication for Denny will be the most positive modification the team has made. The constant bickering and yelling on the radio had gotten old long ago and I'm ready for some good things for my driver.
Judging by the smiles on Denny's face during testing and Pre-Season Thunder fan meet and greet, things are definitely going in the right direction. I like Hamlin's positive outlook, his focus seems to be on racing and getting back to basics. I don't think moving to Scottsdale, AZ for a few months to clear his head and get away from the business of life has hurt him any. I for one really like the changes I'm seeing all over JGR and especially with Denny Hamlin. 2012 has so much potential. It has a clean slate with multiple possibilities. All that's waiting is for the Fed Ex team to write their history. And I can't wait to read the headlines.
So who are the new faces of the Fed Ex team? Well the Crew Chief will definitely look familiar to you. He's none other than Darian Grubb, former Sprint Cup winning Crew Chief for 2011 NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. Stewart's loss is definitely our gain. He's a racing master mind and will be a fabulous asset to the team and to Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin's new spotter is Chris Lambert, former spotter for Brian Vickers. I'm not as familiar with Chris Lambert, but definitely feel the change in eyes and communication for Denny will be the most positive modification the team has made. The constant bickering and yelling on the radio had gotten old long ago and I'm ready for some good things for my driver.
Judging by the smiles on Denny's face during testing and Pre-Season Thunder fan meet and greet, things are definitely going in the right direction. I like Hamlin's positive outlook, his focus seems to be on racing and getting back to basics. I don't think moving to Scottsdale, AZ for a few months to clear his head and get away from the business of life has hurt him any. I for one really like the changes I'm seeing all over JGR and especially with Denny Hamlin. 2012 has so much potential. It has a clean slate with multiple possibilities. All that's waiting is for the Fed Ex team to write their history. And I can't wait to read the headlines.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday Testing Results
Friday's afternoon test session is over after 240 scheduled minutes, the five fastest drivers :
#51-KuBusch 206.058
#78-Smith 206.053
#18-KyBusch 205.813
#24-Gordon 205.747
Testing Notes:
After the morning session, NASCAR met with the drivers to encourage them to draft in a large pack of cars at the start of the session to see how the cars react. All teams except the #48 participated.
#31-Burton made contact with the wall during the pack drafting when he cut down a tire. The team will repair the car.
28 drivers exceed 200mph.
Driver again tested in a large pack with an hour remaining in the session before returning to two car drafts.
Denny Hamlin's Testing Results:
AM Session:
24th fastest. Fastest Time: 43.903 Fastest Speed: 194.788
PM Session:
8th fastest. Fastest Time: 43.903 Fastest Speed: 204.997
#51-KuBusch 206.058
#78-Smith 206.053
#18-KyBusch 205.813
#24-Gordon 205.747
Testing Notes:
After the morning session, NASCAR met with the drivers to encourage them to draft in a large pack of cars at the start of the session to see how the cars react. All teams except the #48 participated.
#31-Burton made contact with the wall during the pack drafting when he cut down a tire. The team will repair the car.
28 drivers exceed 200mph.
Driver again tested in a large pack with an hour remaining in the session before returning to two car drafts.
Denny Hamlin's Testing Results:
AM Session:
24th fastest. Fastest Time: 43.903 Fastest Speed: 194.788
PM Session:
8th fastest. Fastest Time: 43.903 Fastest Speed: 204.997
More Changes In Store At Daytona Testing
Even though Kyle Busch topped the speed chart in Thursday afternoon's Preseason Thunder test session at Daytona International Speedway at 202.402 mph-in a tandem draft with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano-NASCAR will make the cars faster, less stable and more prone to overheating on Friday. The sanctioning body increased the diameter of restrictor-plate openings 1/32nd of an inch to 15/16ths inches, adding an estimated 26 horsepower to the engines. In addition, NASCAR has lowered the pressure relief valve settings from 30 pounds per square inch to 25 psi and narrowed the grille openings of the cars, thereby decreasing airflow to the engine. Both measures are designed to decrease the number of laps one car can push another without overheating.
NASCAR announced more changes for Sprint Cup Series teams after the second day of testing at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. Teams will receive a smaller restrictor plate with an opening of 29/32nd of an inch, down from 15/16ths, to decrease the amount of air intake to the engine. The radiator opening was shrunk from 3.5-by-18 inches to 2-by-20 inches, or from 63 square inches to 40. And the pressure relief valve is now 21 pounds per square inch from the 25psi they used Friday.
The top speed in Friday's test session was set 90 minutes into the afternoon by Kurt Busch. He ran a 206.058-mph average lap working in tandem with his regular drafting partner, Regan Smith. Busch hit 210.9 mph down the backstretch, the fastest portion of the track.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday testing has completed at Daytona. Denny's testing times are:
Morning Test Session: 16th fastest Best Time 47.122 Best Speed 190.994
Afternoon Test Session: 7th fastest Best Time 44.965 Best Speed 200.156
Thursday afternoon test session: The five fastest drivers:
#18-Busch 202.402
#20-Logano 202.388
#2-Keselowski 202.224
#22-Allmendinger 202.220
Testing Notes:
NASCAR permitted cars to draft together during the session, but only a handful of drivers did so.
#55-Martin got into the back of #15-Bowyer while drafting and spun Bowyer out. Bowyer was able to save the car and did not hit anything, but did suffer some sheetmetal damage when the car went down on the track apron.
Thursday morning test session: The five fastest drivers:
#24-Gordon 192.773
#27-Menard 192.369
#51-Kurt Busch 192.361
#6-Stenhouse, Jr. 191.959
#42-Montoya 191.853
Testing Notes:
#14-Stewart arrived at the track around 10:30am/et. He was returning from the Chili Bowl in Tulsa.
#39-Newman also arrived late. He has been battling the flu.
Chad Knaus is on vacation and not at the track. Steve Letarte is helping oversee the #48 team's test session.
Morning Test Session: 16th fastest Best Time 47.122 Best Speed 190.994
Afternoon Test Session: 7th fastest Best Time 44.965 Best Speed 200.156
Thursday afternoon test session: The five fastest drivers:
#18-Busch 202.402
#20-Logano 202.388
#2-Keselowski 202.224
#22-Allmendinger 202.220
Testing Notes:
NASCAR permitted cars to draft together during the session, but only a handful of drivers did so.
#55-Martin got into the back of #15-Bowyer while drafting and spun Bowyer out. Bowyer was able to save the car and did not hit anything, but did suffer some sheetmetal damage when the car went down on the track apron.
Thursday morning test session: The five fastest drivers:
#24-Gordon 192.773
#27-Menard 192.369
#51-Kurt Busch 192.361
#6-Stenhouse, Jr. 191.959
#42-Montoya 191.853
Testing Notes:
#14-Stewart arrived at the track around 10:30am/et. He was returning from the Chili Bowl in Tulsa.
#39-Newman also arrived late. He has been battling the flu.
Chad Knaus is on vacation and not at the track. Steve Letarte is helping oversee the #48 team's test session.
A look at Daytona Testing
NASCAR is back in full gear as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams hit the pavement at Daytona International Speedway this week for three days of preseason testing. The main focus of the test is for teams to work on their final preparations for 2012 Speedweeks – in particular, the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26. “This is an opportunity we are providing to the competitors to implement and test the new Daytona rules package for 2012,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. “It’s a chance for them to get comfortable with the cooling package, the smaller spoiler and to practice drafting for next month’s Daytona 500.” The new rules package is a result of information gathered during recent tests at Talladega last October and at Daytona last November. “While we have had other tests with these set-ups, this is the first opportunity for the entire field to test together and get more comfortable with this package as it relates to their cars,” Pemberton said.
The new rules package includes:- Smaller radiators
- Maximum of 2 gallon capacity
- Smaller overflow tank
- Maximum capacity of ½ gallon
- Radiator inlet is moved up closer into the front center bumper area
- Rate reduction in the springs – softer springs
- Smaller rear spoiler
- Base line restrictor plate of 29/32 inch (1/64 inch larger than plate size for the 2011 Daytona 500)
“This three-day test will allow the engine tuners for these teams to be able to work with their engine packages and see how they relate and react to the new cooling regulations,” Pemberton said. Next month’s Daytona 500 will be only the third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event ran on the repaved Daytona International Speedway. This year’s Preseason Thunder will continue to be an opportunity for teams and drivers to test their skills on a relatively fresh surface in addition to the new rules.
Complementing the testing portion of this weekend’s festivities, the track is also offering fans an opportunity to be part of a special two-day Fan Fest event. Fan Fest sessions are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 and include autograph sessions, driver question and answer sessions, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2012 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy. In addition, fans can ride the high banks under the lights by purchasing a Richard Petty Driving Experience ride along.
Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.
Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway’s social media channels following the end of testing Thursday and Friday evenings. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by using #daytonatesting, with answers, updates and testing information coming from Daytona International Speedway’s Twitter feed @DISUpdates. Fans can also submit questions on Facebook for LiveStream chats with drivers on ww.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway. NASCAR’s official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session.
The new rules package includes:- Smaller radiators
- Maximum of 2 gallon capacity
- Smaller overflow tank
- Maximum capacity of ½ gallon
- Radiator inlet is moved up closer into the front center bumper area
- Rate reduction in the springs – softer springs
- Smaller rear spoiler
- Base line restrictor plate of 29/32 inch (1/64 inch larger than plate size for the 2011 Daytona 500)
“This three-day test will allow the engine tuners for these teams to be able to work with their engine packages and see how they relate and react to the new cooling regulations,” Pemberton said. Next month’s Daytona 500 will be only the third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event ran on the repaved Daytona International Speedway. This year’s Preseason Thunder will continue to be an opportunity for teams and drivers to test their skills on a relatively fresh surface in addition to the new rules.
Complementing the testing portion of this weekend’s festivities, the track is also offering fans an opportunity to be part of a special two-day Fan Fest event. Fan Fest sessions are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 and include autograph sessions, driver question and answer sessions, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2012 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy. In addition, fans can ride the high banks under the lights by purchasing a Richard Petty Driving Experience ride along.
Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.
Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway’s social media channels following the end of testing Thursday and Friday evenings. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by using #daytonatesting, with answers, updates and testing information coming from Daytona International Speedway’s Twitter feed @DISUpdates. Fans can also submit questions on Facebook for LiveStream chats with drivers on ww.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway. NASCAR’s official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session.
Pre-Season Testing at Daytona
Here is the schedule for NASCAR Pre-Season Thunder Testing at Daytona International Speedway.
Thursday, January 12th7:30 AM Garage Opens
9:00 AM 12:00 PM Practice
1:00 PM 5:00 PM Practice - Drafting
6:00 PM Garage Closes
Friday, January 13th7:30 AM Garage Opens
9:00 AM 12:00 PM NSCS PPractice - Drafting
1:00 PM 5:00 PM NSCS Practice - Drafting
6:00 PM Garage Closes
Sunday, January 15th Optional - Rain Date
Participating Teams:
Thursday, January 12th7:30 AM Garage Opens
9:00 AM 12:00 PM Practice
1:00 PM 5:00 PM Practice - Drafting
6:00 PM Garage Closes
Friday, January 13th7:30 AM Garage Opens
9:00 AM 12:00 PM NSCS PPractice - Drafting
1:00 PM 5:00 PM NSCS Practice - Drafting
6:00 PM Garage Closes
Saturday, January 14th
7:30 AM Garage Opens9:00 AM 12:00 PM Practice - Drafting
1:00 PM 5:00 PM Practice - Drafting
6:00 PM Garage Closes
Sunday, January 15th Optional - Rain Date
Participating Teams:
- 1-Jamie McMurray
- 2-Brad Keselowski
- 5-Kasey Kahne
- 6-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
- 9-Marcos Ambrose
- 10-Danica Patrick
- 11-Denny Hamlin
- 13-Casey Mears
- 14-Tony Stewart
- 15-Clint Bowyer
- 16-Greg Biffle
- 17-Matt Kenseth
- 18-Kyle Busch
- 20-Joey Logano
- 21-Trevor Bayne
- 22-A.J. Allmendinger
- 24-Jeff Gordon
- 27-Paul Menard
- 29-Kevin Harvick
- 31-Jeff Burton
- 36-Dave Blaney
- 39-Ryan Newman
- 42-Juan Pablo Montoya
- 43-Aric Almirola
- 48-Jimmie Johnson
- 51-Kurt Busch
- 55-Mark Martin
- 56-Martin Truex, Jr.
- 78-Regan Smith
- 87-Joe Nemechek
- 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- 99-Carl Edwards
Monday, November 14, 2011
NASCAR Notebook: Hamlin welcomes Busch back
By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer Even though they’ve quarreled as teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin wants Kyle Busch on his race team and at the track.
Busch was suspended from all racing last week at Texas as punishment from NASCAR for wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr under caution in the Trucks Series race. His participation at Phoenix this weekend was in doubt until late Thursday because of sponsor wrangling, but Busch is present and will run Sunday in the Sprint Cup Series race.
Hamlin said Busch provides information that is “vital” to how Hamlin and third teammate Joey Logano run.
<“He’s vital to our race team and the feedback that he has is vital to the way I drive my car every single week. He’s one of the key elements that we need,” Hamlin said.
When Tony Stewart left JGR following the 2008 season, Hamlin joked he’s now the senior leader of the organization. With Busch now reeling because of another misstep, Hamlin has an opportunity to provide some guidance.
But Hamlin said he’ll leave it to team owner Joe Gibbs.
“I think he is going to have to rely a lot on Joe Gibbs, who has been in that situation with a lot of pro athletes that he’s been associated with during his career,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know that I’m that person. I feel like I haven’t been around that long and I’ve made enough mistakes myself.
“I just don’t know me being around for six years, it’s my place to really say what he should or shouldn’t do. I think that he should definitely rely on Joe Gibbs for that because we’ve got one of the best sports guys in the history of pro sports as our owner. He’s seen it all and been through it all.”
Monday, November 7, 2011
AAA Texas 500 - Texas RESULTS
- 14 Tony Stewart
- 99 Carl Edwards
- 4 Kasey Kahne
- 17 Matt Kenseth
- 16 Greg Biffle
- 24 Jeff Gordon
- 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
- 56 Martin Truex Jr
- 33 Clint Bowyer
- 43 A J Allmendinger
- 9 Marcos Ambrose
- 6 David Ragan
- 29 Kevin Harvick
- 48 Jimmie Johnson
- 27 Paul Menard
- 39 Ryan Newman
- 21 Trevor Bayne
- 42 Juan Montoya
- 5 Mark Martin
- 11 Denny Hamlin
- 83 Brian Vickers
- 00 David Reutimann
- 78 Regan Smith
- 2 Brad Keselowski
- 13 Casey Mears
- 51 Landon Cassill -2
- 31 Jeff Burton -2
- 47 Bobby Labonte -2
- 71 Andy Lally -2
- 22 Kurt Busch -3
- 38 Travis Kvapil -3
- 34 David Gilliland -3
- 18 Michael McDowell -3
- 32 Mike Bliss -3
- 35 Dave Blaney -18
- 1 Jamie McMurray -39
- 20 Joey Logano Engine
- 36 Geoffrey Bodine Vibration
- 46 Scott Speed Rear Gear
- 66 Josh Wise Rear Gear
- 37 Mike Skinner Brakes
- 87 Joe Nemechek Cluth
- 55 J J Yeley Fuel Pressure
- 83 Brian Vickers
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Drama and Disrespect
So you're driving along at 200 mph, in a car made of sheet metal mere inches off the bumper of 42 other cars. Someone decided making wise decision was out of their reach of copability and you get mad. They cut you off, didn't lift, bumped your fender, rode you to the wall, their spotter was caught sleeping at the wheel. And you are seeing red. Typical day at the races. Sometimes it's from the waving of the green flag, others it's a few more laps in and if you're into wishful thinking they save it for the last 10 laps or so. Not always the case however.
After about the third bump, you realize it's that guy that's been bumping you for the past 4 weeks, expecting you to just pull over when you see them in your rear view mirror and you have had it. The temperature in the car has hit a boiling point and it's because of your rising blood pressure. That's it! You've had enough. They are gonna get it. So what do you decide to do? You guessed it! RETALIATE!!! Best time to do it? UNDER CAUTION!!!!
WRONG! First of all the yellow flag has waved and the field has slowed because more often than not there are safety workers on the track to aid a driver who has crashedor collect debris and those safety workers are vulnerable to a race car and it's idiot driver. But you don't care, you're not thinking of anything but that guy in that car that's in your sights for pay backs and you're hell bent on taking them out. What were you thinking?
NASCAR said "Boys have at it" and I think it was a great idea. But NOT under caution. NEVER when others are at risk of being hurt. NOT on pit road, NOT when cars are on the track and NOT when an ambulance is waiting to take a possibly injured driver to the Infield Care Center for treatment.
So what did taking out Ron Hornaday under caution actually accomplish Kyle? Your truck was destroyed in the process, you were parked for not one, but three races. You face fines and points penalties and your sponsors are yet again disappointed in you and your behavior. If you really wanted to fix it why didn't you wait til you saw the guy in his yard trimming the hedges, jump out of your car and proceed to pound the crap out of him while screaming at him all his wrong doings??? Oh wait! That's how a MAN would handle it and you've proven you're a little boy in a man's world. You have no respect for yourself with your smug faces, your careless attitude and your blatant disregard for anyone and everyone else around you. You did the crime now do the time.
Does that mean Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick are blameless? Does that mean they have the right to gloat over someone else's punishment? NO! It means Harvick and Kyle Busch are EXACTLY alike which is why they butt heads so much. Ron Hornaday shouldn't have made threats, Harvick shouldn't have made threats and DeLana Harvick's nasty comments on Twitter were out of line. They took a situation where they could've risen above and come out smelling like a rose and blew it. They stooped to the same level as Kyle Busch and rolled around in the same crap he was playing in and came out looking worse than the guilty one.
To take to Twitter and call someone a P O S and threaten to kick their @$$, call names and harrass Kyle, his wife Samantha, Denny Hamlin, who wasn't even involved and has no responsibility for his teammate in the Cup series, or fans of JGR is classless. It shows the mentatlity of the people involved and does give some claim to Kyle's frustatrations but it's no excuse for his behavior.
Was it worth it? Is the time at home what you wanted out of the situation? Are you happy now? Is it all better? When you speak to your sponsors and assure them that it won't happen again, do you realize you've lost face with them and have proven you aren't a man of your word because you made that same promise the last time this happened with you. You went back on that word and did the one thing you assured the people who sign your paycheck you wouldn't do. On top of all that, your wallet is lighter, your Championship run is wasted, all the good things you did all season long have been marred by one foolish decision. If you don't respect your fellow competitors, could you atleast have respect for yourself?
Kyle issued this apology to the media:
“I've had a lot of time today to sit and reflect and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can.
“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday night's Truck Series race at Texas.
“I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.
“After talking with my team, it's great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams.
“I'd also like to apologize to Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone associated with the No. 33 team in the Truck Series.
“I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions.
“As a race-car driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself.
“Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like I've made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner. However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now.”
And his wife penned this to the fans via her website, www.samanthabusch.com:
To all the Fans
November 5, 2011
I wanted to write a quick note to all of you addressing the incident that happened during the truck race on Friday night. No, I was not going to comment on the situation Friday night in the midst of all the angry and harsh tweets, there was really no point. I understand that Kyle’s actions were wrong and NASCAR has dealt with the issue appropriately. I love my husband very much and will always be by his side through the good and the bad. Life is not always easy but you deal with each day as it comes and we will move on from this the best that we can.
I also want to thank all of the nice people out there, and let you all know that we really appreciate your support and love through this difficult time. I appreciate everything that you guys do as fans in this sport by coming out to the races, watching on TV and interacting with us via Facebook and Twitter. Along with our family and friends, it has been your kind words and support that make a difficult time better and I sincerely Thank You.
Samantha
Team owner Joe Gibbs has accepted full responsibility for Kyle and his actions and is showing the class act that he is. I have long admired Coach Joe, his son JD and the entire JGR organization. They have shown the racing world what true sportsmanship and class are. That doesn't mean their drivers aren't human and they don't make mistakes, it simply means they hold themselves to a higher standard, correct a problem as soon as it arises and don't make excuses for bad behavior. They admit their failures, apologize and do their best going forward to ensure it doesn't happen again. And if it does, then they go back to the drawing board for a different solution. That is why I will always be a fan of Joe Gibbs Racing.
I am a Denny Hamlin fan, plain and simple. I have taken a neutral stance about Kyle Busch because he's a teammate to my driver. He has some good points that I like about him and then there's this situation. This is the man who went out on a public road with his wife and drove a car at 120 mph without considering anyone but himself. His excuse was he's a professional driver and he had it under control. I'm sorry Kyle, but you can't control cars backing out of their driveway, kids riding bikes or farm equipment or tractors that may happen to enter the roadway. You don't have those obstacles on the racetrack. He didn't take responsibility for his actions then and it really ticked me off. He put his wife at risk and that goes against his vows to love, honor and cherish her.
He said in his apology that his future actions will speak louder than words. EXACTLY! I'm waiting and I'm watching. More of his attitude and facial expressions than anything. But regardless of what Kyle did or didn't do, fans have no right to attack him, his lovely wife Samantha, who is innocent and is far too sweet and kind to fans to deserve such disgusting behavior and especially to Denny Hamlin who wasn't involved in any way and by filling in for him on Saturday was simply following orders from his boss.
In a sport where the world is watching and following every move, word, action and deed...these men are held to a higher standard. The fans are merciless and if a driver gets a reputation for being wreckless, it's nearly impossible to overcome. I don't want Kyle to change his driving style, I just want him to consider the consequences for his actions before he does them. He's racing in all 3 series, two of which he isn't even points eligible for, and the things that happen in those races aren't important.
That brings up my argument for NASCAR not allowing drivers who have made it full time into the Cup series in the lesser series. Especially the trucks. If it's money they're after, then limit the number of NNS races. Those guys can't get a win and the series champion will be an also ran, winless, average 15th finish driver who is worth more than he's been able to show. But that's a whole different discussion.
I also want to thank all of the nice people out there, and let you all know that we really appreciate your support and love through this difficult time. I appreciate everything that you guys do as fans in this sport by coming out to the races, watching on TV and interacting with us via Facebook and Twitter. Along with our family and friends, it has been your kind words and support that make a difficult time better and I sincerely Thank You.
Samantha
Team owner Joe Gibbs has accepted full responsibility for Kyle and his actions and is showing the class act that he is. I have long admired Coach Joe, his son JD and the entire JGR organization. They have shown the racing world what true sportsmanship and class are. That doesn't mean their drivers aren't human and they don't make mistakes, it simply means they hold themselves to a higher standard, correct a problem as soon as it arises and don't make excuses for bad behavior. They admit their failures, apologize and do their best going forward to ensure it doesn't happen again. And if it does, then they go back to the drawing board for a different solution. That is why I will always be a fan of Joe Gibbs Racing.I am a Denny Hamlin fan, plain and simple. I have taken a neutral stance about Kyle Busch because he's a teammate to my driver. He has some good points that I like about him and then there's this situation. This is the man who went out on a public road with his wife and drove a car at 120 mph without considering anyone but himself. His excuse was he's a professional driver and he had it under control. I'm sorry Kyle, but you can't control cars backing out of their driveway, kids riding bikes or farm equipment or tractors that may happen to enter the roadway. You don't have those obstacles on the racetrack. He didn't take responsibility for his actions then and it really ticked me off. He put his wife at risk and that goes against his vows to love, honor and cherish her.
He said in his apology that his future actions will speak louder than words. EXACTLY! I'm waiting and I'm watching. More of his attitude and facial expressions than anything. But regardless of what Kyle did or didn't do, fans have no right to attack him, his lovely wife Samantha, who is innocent and is far too sweet and kind to fans to deserve such disgusting behavior and especially to Denny Hamlin who wasn't involved in any way and by filling in for him on Saturday was simply following orders from his boss.
In a sport where the world is watching and following every move, word, action and deed...these men are held to a higher standard. The fans are merciless and if a driver gets a reputation for being wreckless, it's nearly impossible to overcome. I don't want Kyle to change his driving style, I just want him to consider the consequences for his actions before he does them. He's racing in all 3 series, two of which he isn't even points eligible for, and the things that happen in those races aren't important.
That brings up my argument for NASCAR not allowing drivers who have made it full time into the Cup series in the lesser series. Especially the trucks. If it's money they're after, then limit the number of NNS races. Those guys can't get a win and the series champion will be an also ran, winless, average 15th finish driver who is worth more than he's been able to show. But that's a whole different discussion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)