February 2011

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2011) – NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the No. 15 team that competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as a result of rule infractions found during post-race inspection Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

The No. 15 truck driven by Michael Waltrip was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR Officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20B-3.1.2E (rear spoiler did not meet specifications in post-race inspection) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Doug Howe has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Owner Billy Ballew has been penalized with the loss of 25 championship owner points.

Note: Now 25 points really means something.

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SHOW #146 – Guest Host Farrah Kaye joins us from rubbingsracing.com to discuss The Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne, headlines, and our Phoenix Preview. Hosted by Kerry Murphey

LISTEN HERE (About 51 mins)

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CREDITS:
Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
Production: Kerry Murphey
Music: Radium Sound
Voice Over: Thomas Moog

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New Qualifying Rules Begin This Weekend
Starting this weekend in Phoenix, if bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book. Also, the qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds.

Marquee Names Looking To Brush Off Rough Opener
There were some unusual names at the top of the Daytona 500 race results – Trevor Bayne, David Gilliland and Regan Smith, for instance.

Just as odd were the names at the bottom, notably championship contenders Kevin Harvick (42nd), Jeff Burton (36th), Greg Biffle (35th), Matt Kenseth (34th), Jeff Gordon (28th) and Jimmie Johnson (27th).

Are we worried about Jimmie Johnson already?
Nope, it’s way too early for any of those big guns to get worried. Take five-time reigning champion Johnson, for instance. His last four finishes in the season-opener: 35th, 31st, 27th and 29th.

Of all the above names, Johnson likely has the best shot at a quick bounce back. He has won four of the last seven Phoenix races. Look for Harvick to have a good run, as well. He scored a perfect Driver Rating at Phoenix in his win in November win of 2006.

Last Race On Old Surface
This weekend’s race will be the last on a surface that has hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since the inaugural race there in 1988. After Sunday’s event, workers will lay down new asphalt, and the blueprint calls for a few design wrinkles that will promote side-by-side racing.

Some of the principles:
–       Widen the front stretch from 52 to 62 feet
–       Reconfigure pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls
–       Push the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet
–       Tighten the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet
–       Implement variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4