FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s top drivers expose the Martinsville paperclip

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motorsports topics compiled and condensed by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. Quotes provided by NASCAR and Sprint Cup team media.

The top five Chase drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week–Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch–talk about the 5.26-mile oval with 12 degree banking at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. The track is often called a paperclip because of its tight corners and long straight-aways, not typical of a half mile track.

The Tums Fast Relief 500, race 6 in the 10-race Chase to the Sprint Cup, commences this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN.

This fast series includes comments by two of NASCAR’s most popular drivers—Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup is at the halfway point and six of the 12 contenders are more than 200 points back from the leader Jimmie Johnson. It could be argued that only Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are within reasonable striking distance. The importance of the next two races can be detected in their words going into this race.

This week it seems some of the best action on the track will be a direct result of Chase contenders trying to catch up. The big prize is getting closer.

By comparing top driver’s thoughts about Martinsville and the Chase, a fan might be a lap or two ahead of the action. Johnson talks about who he wouldn’t want next to him. Hamlin talks about Johnson. Harvick sums up strategy.

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motorsports topics compiled, condensed and often written by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. Quotes provided by NASCAR and Sprint Cup team media.

Jimmie Johnson (No.48 Chevrolet)

“You have more control over your car at Martinsville than at any of the other tracks on a double-file restart,” Johnson said. “We’ll see. Who I wouldn’t want next to me? Man, I guess whoever would be second in points. We’re going to be gouging for every single point at that part of the race and the way the points are stacked up, the top-five are all guys that are really good at Martinsville. It could be exciting.

“The track, especially when the rubber is laid down, reminds me of some of my off-road stuff where we would have barrels or tractor tires stacked up as the turn-marker, but it was that tight of a radius. And when the rubber lays down, especially the right-side rubber on corner exit at Martinsville, you have to change your line to not run through the rubber at the wrong spot.”

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota)

“I really have been catching a lot of flack on how conservative or whatever you want to call it that I’ve been the Chase, but it just works for me,” Hamlin said.

“I feel like I am within striking distance. Talladega is such a wildcard in the sense that it can go 100 points one way or another. But unless we go out there and lead the most laps and Jimmie has a struggle in Martinsville, that’s probably not going to happen.
So we just hope to close the gap once we leave Martinsville, then I’m going to keep him right in front of me for the entire Talladega race. If I’m going to get in a wreck, I’m going to make sure he’s in it as well. We’ve got to just make sure that we keep him in our sights.”

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

“When it comes to thinking about being or not being aggressive because it is in the Chase, in my mind, nine times out of 10, the aggressor comes out up top,” Harvick said. “So, I’ll take that 10 percent chance of making a mistake and having things happen. But, if you don’t protect yourself in trying to go forward, you are going to get run over. Usually, by trying to stay out of trouble, you usually find more trouble than you will just going and racing like you normally do.

“Here is my motto through the whole thing. You don’t have to win it in one week, but, you sure can lose it in one. So you just have to go out and protect yourself the best you can and race as hard as you can and get the best finish that you can.”

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Chevrolet)

“I always love going to Martinsville,” Gordon said. The cars handle well there. I like the track.

“I would like to see more short tracks (on the schedule). We only have two half-mile tracks. Richmond is a nice short track but it’s even a little bit big. It acts a little bit more like a Charlotte. Aerodynamics plays a pretty big role there. It would be pretty cool to have something sort of in between a Martinsville and a Bristol; a little bit more banking and a little bit more sweeping corners. That would be very cool. I’m a big fan of that.”

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Toyota)

“Jeff (Gordon) is so good there, and Jimmie (Johnson), and Denny (Hamlin) are all so good there,” Busch said. “They are probably the three most difficult guys to pass there because they know the place. They know how to get off the corner and how to roll the middle of the corner there. Everything is timing, and their stuff just works, whatever it is.”

“You want to drive into the corner one foot deeper than that other guy. You want to step on the gas one foot sooner than that other guy, and you want to roll a half-mile-an-hour better than that other guy. That’s why it’s so finicky and so hard there because everybody runs so tight that, any little thing you can find, it can help a lot.”

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Chevrolet)

“During the race, the track changes quite a bit, but you know when you kind of have that rhythm,” Stewart said. “You just know what that feel is in the car that you’re looking for, not necessarily to be good in Happy Hour as much as to be good for the race.

When you’ve had a good weekend, the next time you go back it’s just easier to try to go back and mimic that feel. That’s why when guys hit on something they’re normally good for a while until the package changes quite a bit, and then once that changes, you have to learn a different feel. Normally for a while you can have that, and different guys, if you look over the history, have kind of had runs at it.

Kasey Kahne (No.9 Ford)

“It’s a tough track and I think that some people pick this track up quicker than others, but I also think that you need a car with a good set up to win a race at Martinsville,” Kahne said.

“It’s more about handling and getting the car to turn and trying to get as much forward drive off the corner as you can. That’s the good thing about Martinsville, there’s no real aero tight there. If you’re tight, you’re tight – your car just isn’t turning that day.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Chevrolet)

“I love going to Martinsville,” Earnhardt said. “There is just a lot of good history there. It is an old racetrack, and it is a short track. Martinsville is so unique being a paperclip and flat. You have to really get your car working pretty good through the corners and be able to be competitive in the race; it is really, really imperative that your car handles well, because there is not much adjustment to the line in the corner that you can make to try to make up for something that your car isn’t doing correctly.”

The opinions expressed in this articles are solely those of the author and not this website.
Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Kasey Kahne’s year-plus stay in a Red Bull Toyota starts early and he’ll begin driving the No. 83 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Red Bull Racing Team announced Thursday.

Kahne was released from Richard Petty Motorsports on Wednesday night, paving the way for the 30-year-old to drive the No. 83 in the final five races beginning with Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Kahne will drive a Red Bull Toyota full-time in 2011 before moving to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. “With our agreement only being for one year, there is a great sense of urgency to get started on 2011,” said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team’s vice president and general manager. “With Kasey coming earlier than planned, we are excited to have a five-race head start.”

For Kahne, the Martinsville weekend allows him to get acclimated with Red Bull Racing Team cars and personnel. He, crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the No. 83 crew open the weekend with practice Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

KASEY KAHNE RELEASED FROM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS
Aric Almirola to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion at Martinsville Speedway

Concord, N.C. (October 20, 2010) – Kasey Kahne has been released from his driving duties with Richard Petty Motorsports effective immediately. Aric Almirola will pilot the No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event this weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Driver line-up beyond Martinsville is to be determined.

FULL DETAILS: SCENE DAILY

SHOW #132 – We recap the Charlotte weekend for the Nationwide and Cup Series. Discuss the blown call by NASCAR in the NNS, News of the week, and a preview of Martinsville the 6th race in the Chase. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

LISTEN HERE (About 47 mins)

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Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
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Sunoco Green E15 Will Create Jobs, Foster Energy Independence
And Advance The Greening Of America’s No. 1 Motorsport

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 16, 2010) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced it will race with E15 fuel in its three national touring series in 2011. Sunoco Green E15 is a 15 percent ethanol blend using American-made ethanol from corn grown by American farmers.

“NASCAR is committed to being an environmental leader, and the sport has taken significant steps over the years toward conservation by introducing measurable, best-in-class initiatives in recycling, alternative energy, and carbon mitigation,” said Brian France, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASCAR.

“The transition to Sunoco Green E15 takes our long-term sustainability strategy to the next level. Sunoco Green E15 is good for racing, good for the environment and good for America. While fueling the same close, door-to-door racing that thrills our fans, American ethanol creates jobs in the United States, helps foster energy independence, and continues the greening of our sport.”

“Since 2004, Sunoco has produced and delivered to NASCAR the world’s best racing fuel flawlessly in a challenging, high-stakes environment,” said Bob Owens, Senior Vice President, Sunoco. “We’re proud to be part of NASCAR’s dedication to conservation with Sunoco Green E15 – the ultimate high-test ethanol fuel blend. In our six years as official fuel partner, Sunoco has changed with the times by helping NASCAR transition to unleaded fuel, and now we are eager to produce for the sport a high-performance ethanol blend.”

Sunoco Green E15 will be blended at Sunoco’s fuel facility in Marcus Hook, Pa., which provides high-performance race fuel to NASCAR teams at no cost to them. The American-grown and American-made corn ethanol will come in part from Sunoco’s new ethanol plant in Fulton, N.Y. The new fuel will be pumped directly from tankers at the track, rather than from on-site underground storage tanks.

NASCAR team engine builders have been testing the Sunoco Green E15 for several months, and reports have been very positive. In fact, many have reported achieving more horsepower with Sunoco Green E15.
“With Sunoco Green E15, we are leading by example, showing that this renewable fuel – which reduces greenhouse gas emissions

– works in the most demanding racing environment in the world,” said Dr. Mike Lynch, Managing Director for Green Innovation for NASCAR. “NASCAR and Sunoco look forward to highlighting the efforts of the whole racing community to transition to Sunoco Green E15 in time for the Daytona 500 – from its manufacture all the way to the race track.”

“We know first-hand what it takes to produce high-performance, ethanol-blended fuels – almost every drop of Sunoco gasoline sold today contains ethanol,” said Cynthia Archer, Vice President, Marketing and Development, Sunoco. “And, like the ethanol produced at our new manufacturing plant in upstate New York, the ethanol we use in Sunoco Green E15 will come from corn grown by American farmers. As the sport continues to go green and evolves to renewable fuels, we will now make and deliver a new cleaner-burning fuel.”

Sunoco Green E15 is the latest in a series of NASCAR conservation initiatives. With the input of environmental experts and motorsports industry constituents, NASCAR is implementing programs to protect the environment while providing a proving ground for new green technologies. Drivers, teams, and track operators are working diligently on the issue of recycling, land conservation, and adopting alternative energy sources. Sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Coors Light, Goodyear, Office Depot, Safety-Kleen, Sprint and UPS are setting benchmarks for their dedication to keeping NASCAR green.
Major NASCAR industry green highlights include:

NASCAR Green Clean Air: A unique program that plants ten trees for each green flag that drops during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, capturing 100 percent of the carbon produced by the on-track racing at the events.

Largest recycling program in sports: All tires, oils, fluids and batteries used in NASCAR racing are recaptured and recycled. Additionally, NASCAR’s leading event recycling program has expanded in 2010, with Coors Light, Office Depot and UPS joining NASCAR and Coca-Cola Recycling. It is anticipated approximately 100 tons of material (including over three million containers) from NASCAR race tracks will be diverted from landfills and recycled next year.

World’s largest solar powered sports facility: The NASCAR industry is taking a leadership position in alternative energy, represented in the Pocono Raceway solar farm, which at three megawatts is the world’s biggest solar-powered sports facility, providing all the energy for the track, in addition to approximately 1,000 area homes.

“Green” Buildings: Two new office buildings, the 20-story NASCAR Plaza in Charlotte led by NASCAR which opened in June 2009, and the new headquarters building for ISC and NASCAR in Daytona Beach are LEED certified, an important distinction making them “green buildings.”