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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick Talk Phoenix

A newly configured and repaved Phoenix International Raceway track presents a huge question mark for drivers and teams as Carl Edwards totes a skinny three-point advantage over Tony Stewart with two races and 96 total points remaining for their championship runs.
The Kobalt Tools 500 in Phoenix, Ariz., will consume 312 stock car laps on a one-mile oval with 11-degree banking to a sold-out audience.
Fans not shoulder-to-shoulder in the stands can tune into ESPN at 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 13.

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

The media focus may shift from Kyle Busch’s dilemma should he return to the track—with probation limitations—to the tight fight between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart for the trophy.

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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson talk Charlotte

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) presents race 31 of 36, the Bank of America 500, at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Saturday night. The 334 lap event on the 1.5-mile 24 degree quad-oval in Concord, N.C, will be televised on ABC at 7:30 p.m.

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

The Charlotte area is home to most NASCAR teams, but not many will be looking for a home field advantage. Six-time CMS winner Jimmie Johnson shared his thoughts on that.

“If there is any advantage for being home, it’s probably the same for everybody,” Johnson said. “There’s something about sleeping in your own bed, seeing your family, being close to home, there’s just a comfort that comes with that, so I don’t see it really playing any way, shape or form there.”

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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s Top Chasers Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and more on Kansas

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

It’s a common motorsports consensus. Some seasoned drivers and their teams feel they do better on mile-and-a half tracks, even though each facility offers different characteristics. Six such tracks—Chicago, Kentucky, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Texas and Homestead—host Chase for the Sprint Cup races and the latter five are yet to be finalized in season 2011.

The next challenge is the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway presented by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) on the 1.5-miles tri-oval track with 15 degree banking in Kansas City, Kansas.

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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s top Chasers ready to catch a win at Loudon

The Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire presented by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the second of the 10-race playoffs—The Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Fans not in the stands can view the race on the 1.058-mile oval at 2.p.m. Sunday on ESPN.

When NASCAR reset the points this time for the Chase, the new point system which is stingy with numbers seemed to have a meager effect on the top 12 positions. Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick landed at the top each with four wins in the regular season. Jeff Gordon with two wins in third place was only three points out and the last place held by Denny Hamlin with one win was only 12 points back.

Ryan Newman summed up the numbers.

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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s truck teams shed jobs as Kevin Harvick shutters KHI

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Kevin Harvick nixed summer rumors when he announced the merger of KHI and RCR in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, a new two-car team, and shuttered his Camping World Truck Series team for 2012. Many suspected lurid causes, but Harvick was specific about his thoughts and reasons.

“The reactions have just been crazy as far as the way the rumors have spun out of control. DeLana and I have just kind of sat back and laughed at a lot of them. But I feel like as a couple, and as a group at KHI, we’ve made a lot of good business decisions over the course of the years. And it’s going to allow us time to explore other business opportunities as well.”

KHI is not the only team to notify crew members that they will be cutting back. Germain Racing minority owners Mike Hillman, Sr., and Mike Hillman, Jr., informed their NASCAR Camping World Truck Series employees of shutdowns. Team members, like many at KHI, are free to pursue options for the 2012 season.

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