Stewart-Haas Racing Enters Second Year
The first function of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway was a luncheon hosted by Stewart-Haas Racing, one the surprise teams of the 2009 season.
Stewart-Haas put both its cars in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup in its first season with Tony Stewart as co-owner. Stewart won four races and finished sixth in the standings, while teammate Ryan Newman finished ninth.

“I can promise you one thing, it was a year ago this time none of us knew what to expect, and it was a big question mark as to what was going to happen,” said Stewart.
This year, Stewart said, was a lot more relaxing. At the same time, much more is expected of the team – and Stewart knows it.

“I’m expecting a great year,” said Stewart. “I feel like both of us being able to get in the Chase last year was something I expect both teams to do. I feel like the changes that we went through and the work we’ve done over the winter has prepared both of these teams to have a shot at running for a championship.”

Newman, an engineering graduate from Purdue University, used a mathematical formula to talk about the 2010 season vs. 2009.
“Two points define a slope,” said Newman.” We have our point from 2009. Our point from 2010 will determine our success for Stewart-Haas racing in years to go.Just going out there and having a lot better start to the season in Daytona is extremely important – and getting that definition and that second point so we can define our future at Stewart-Haas Racing is also important for us this year.”

Newman’s crew chief, Tony Gibson, said his main goal for 2010 is to get Newman and the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet to Victory Lane.

“For us, we want to come out and win races,” said Gibson. “We let a few get away last year. We want to win races and be a threat to win a championship. Making the Chase was awesome, but that’s not good enough.
We’ve got to step up our game.”

The entire team has done that, especially when compared to this time last year. Then, the team was frantically working on cars to get ready for the season. And there weren’t that many finished cars around.
“The main thing for me is now I can look out of my office and see cars actually sitting out on the floor,” said Bobby Hutchens, Stewart-Haas Racing director of competition said. “This time last year, it was a pretty empty shop. I kind of feel like we’re two months ahead of last year’s schedule, if you could call it that.”

Darian Grubb, crew chief of Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet team, agreed.
“Last year we were building,” Grubb said. “But now, it’s actually good to be able to say we’re strengthening. The areas we felt like we had some weaknesses, we know where those are and we were able to make a few changes here and there.”

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 19, 2010 – For the first time ever, American’s favorite muscle car will pace “The Great American Race.”

For the first time in 40 years, a Ford Motor Company car will be pacing the field for the NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500 when the 2011 Mustang GT, powered by the all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine, officially starts the race on Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway.

“Having the opportunity to pace America’s biggest auto race with a Ford icon like the 2011 Mustang GT is truly an honor,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “And to have the new 5.0-liter engine powering the car will be a great way to demonstrate its power and class-leading fuel economy.”

This latest version of Ford’s legendary muscle car will be a Race Red glass roof coupe with an all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine capable of producing 412 horsepower, while delivering a class-leading 25 mpg on the highway.

The one-of-a-kind model will feature a special Daytona 500 paint scheme, Ford Racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, unique painted wheels, and special interior treatment, including specially branded lit sill plates.

The 2011 Mustang GT Daytona 500 Pace Car model is one of only 50 special editions that will be built and sold to the public.

“Everybody loves Mustang,” Allison continued. “That was evident last year from the fan reaction when we announced it was going to be our new model in the NASCAR Nationwide Series starting later this year. This is just another way to showcase a true American icon in its most natural environment.”

The last time a Ford served as pace car for the Daytona 500 was 1970 when a Ford Torino GT convertible led the field to the green flag.

And while Mustang may be a rookie when it comes to pacing the Daytona 500, its 45-year history is firmly entrenched in racing and winning championships. Mustang captured championships last year in the Grand-Am KONI and SCCA SPEED World Challenge, in addition to leading Robert Hight to his first NHRA Funny Car championship.

Another element that makes this year’s pace car even more unique is that it will be auctioned off for charity before the actual race. Later this week (Jan. 23), the Mustang GT Daytona 500 Pace Car will be offered at the annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction, which is taking place in Scottsdale, Ariz. Seven-time Daytona 500 champion Richard Petty, the newest member of the Ford Racing family, will be on site to help hand over the car to the winning bidder.

All proceeds over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price from the pace car auction will go to help cure childhood diabetes through a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

ROBBY GORDON MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH BAM RACING
RGM Will Supply Technical Support, Cars and Personnel for Both Single-Car Operations

Charlotte, N.C. (January 18, 2010) – Officials from Robby Gordon Motorsports announced today that they have formed an alliance with BAM Racing, who will be fielding the No. 49 Warner Music Nashville Toyota during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Robby Gordon Motorsports will provide the team with technical support, race cars and personnel.

BAM Racing will make their debut at Daytona International Speedway with David Gilliland behind the wheel. Gilliland raced for Robby Gordon Motorsports in the Richmond Race last September, piloting the No. 7 to a 24th-place finish. He has been successful at superspeedways throughout his NSCS career capturing the top starting position twice on these unique track formations – the 2006 October Talladega race and the 2007 Daytona 500.

“I’m very excited for our new alliance with BAM Racing, especially heading into the Daytona 500 next month,” said Gordon. “Our team has worked with David [Gilliland] a few times in the past, and we seem to mesh very well. This alliance puts RGM in a great position to basically have a ‘teammate’ on the track that we can work with throughout the weekend to improve our car, as well as to help BAM Racing improve their car. Hopefully both teams will be able to capitalize on that and bring home strong finishes at Daytona.”

Wing vs. spoiler

NASCAR is set to begin testing an aluminum spoiler instead of a wing on its new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car this week at Texas Motor Speedway, and several competitors expressed an opinion on the spoiler.

NASCAR will also test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 23-24 with the spoiler.

POLE POSITION QUESTION: WHICH DO YOU PREFER, WING OR SPOILER? VOTE NOW ON THE RIGHT

“What NASCAR is going to spend a lot of time doing – whether it’s in the Charlotte test or a Goodyear tire test – is figure out what balance is good for our cars in clean air,” Ryan Newman said. “This car has been a challenge at times because of the frontal surface area and the fact that it’s got a taller roof and a little bit ‘squarer’ in reference to the whole that it punches in the air.
“It’s become a little more challenging running 15th than with the older-style car. It’s going to open up a new can of worms in respect to a spoiler on this type of race car.”

Newman was involved in a grinding crash at Talladega Superspeedway last year, flipping down the backstretch. He said then he hoped NASCAR would make changes to the car to help it stay on the ground in case of an accident.

“NASCAR has done a lot of testing, and I think that is a definite part of why they’re making some changes in respect to spoiler vs. wing,”
Newman said.

“The fans, ultimately, are what brought these changes along,” Kyle Busch said. “They should be appreciative to NASCAR for listening and to following some of their direction.”

Said Newman, “Is it a better looking car? I like the looks of a spoiler over a wing, for sure. I’ve always thought that a stock car or a full-fendered race car, as in dirt late models or late models or even a street stock at your local race tracks, they have spoilers. That’s just my preference.”

How will a spoiler affect the handling of the car? Time will tell.
“It’s going to have some different effects with the cars side-drafting,” Newman said. “In the end, I hope it keeps the aerodynamic balance the same front to rear because I think we have a good balance with respect to that. I don’t know what it’s going to do for the racing, what it’s going to be like with the aero push and the things we’ve talked about.”

Busch said he doesn’t think the cars will be any easier to drive.
“It certainly can, depending on how big they go on the spoiler,”
Busch said. “They’re talking of keeping the same downforce level in the car, which is only like an inch spoiler. It’s still going to make the cars hard to drive.”

Kyle Busch Contract Extension

Joe Gibbs Racing announced it has signed driver Kyle Busch to a “multi-year” contract that will keep the defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion with the team for the next several seasons.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for a while,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We probably could’ve announced this earlier.

We were just getting some of the details ironed out and finalized. Watching him grow off the track as well as on the track has been exciting for us. We look forward to many years together racing up front.” Busch said there “wasn’t much convincing needed” to come back to the team after the 2010 season, when his first contract was set to expire.
“We struggled a little bit through 2008 and unfortunately missed the Chase [in 2009]. But I see the organization is strong, I see the way Joey [Logano] really came along toward the end of the year and got a lot better.

I see the way Denny [Hamlin] ran. I mean, shoot, he had a shot to win the championship.
“Our stuff is there. It’s all about having the right people in the right place. Hopefully, [crew chief] Dave [Rogers] is that guy, and he and I can really develop a great relationship like Denny and [crew chief] Mike Ford have.”

The team wouldn’t say how many years the contract is, though Gibbs said they could announce that in the future.

“What does multi-year deal mean to me?” Busch said. “It means a secure future. Joe and J.D. were very receptive to my ideas, I was receptive to their ideas on how to further along our relationship and our commitment to each other, and to do that was to get the deal done, show our sponsors that we’re committed to each other and the people in the shop worried, ‘Well,is Kyle Busch going to be here or not?’ We put all that to rest.”

All of Joe Gibbs Racing’s drivers made an appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Nationwide Series garage, filling up eight of the track’s new frontstretch seats.

In addition to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Busch, Logano and Hamlin, NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Matt DiBenedetto and Brad Coleman were there, as were NASCAR Camping World East Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr., Brent Moffitt and Max Gresham.a