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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s top drivers talk long and fast Fontana

The top five Chase drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week; Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon talk the 2-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degree banking at Auto club Speedway in Fontana, California.

The Pepsi Max 400, race 4 in the 10-race Chase to the Sprint Cup, commences this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN.

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

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.

Driver’s thoughts about Fontana and the Chase:

Jimmie Johnson (No.48 Chevrolet)

“I really enjoy the race track,” Johnson said. “I enjoy the weather, the atmosphere, In N Out Burger, Mexican restaurants I am fond of in the area. It is always good to go home. There is a certain feeling about it. I won my first race there. My 48th race there and there are a lot of cool things about that race track for me. Oh yea, fish tacos, lots of lime. Post race add a Corona to the mix and we are in good shape.”

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota)

“Any big track is good for us at this point, Hamlin said. “I feel like we’re definitely heading into some tracks that are definitely in our favor.

“California is a multi-groove race track, but it’s just a track where you have to setup your car on one specific line because when you run the top your car changes a whole lot different than what it is on the bottom. It’s very line sensitive track and the restarts are obviously interesting there because of the draft.”

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

“We’re looking forward to going back, Harvick said. “It’s been a good race track for us over the last few years. We have been consistent and had solid top-five finishes all year. So, we just have to keep doing those things, keep our cars in contention running up front, lead some laps and grab those bonus points when we can, and we’ll see where we are when we get to Homestead.”

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Ford)

“The strength of the Roush Fenway organization is as good as it’s ever been,” Edwards said. “We’re going to California which is a track we’ve had a lot of success at, and we’ve run very well as a team there. This is a track on the Chase schedule that I feel very confident at and feel like we have a great shot at a win there.”

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Chevrolet)

“You have to have good power (at Auto Club Speedway), have to have good balance in the car,” Gordon said. “Right now there’s a lot of stuff going around the garage with teams that are trying to run soft in the back versus stiff in the back and at a track like that. You can really experiment with because the straight-aways are so long and it’s a big, fast race track to try to get the spoiler out of the air a little bit. Just trying to work that balance out.”

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Chevrolet)

“We’re not out until we’re mathematically out,” Stewart said. “Who would have dreamed we would have two weeks in a row like we had the first two weeks. So it’s proof it can happen. Talladega is still on the schedule (laughs) so that can jumble everything up too. So, we’ve just got to go out and do what we did at Kansas and that’s just go out and try to win the race and take what it gives us.”

Kasey Kahne (No.9 Ford)

“I like California,” Kahne said. “California doesn’t have a lot of banking but it is a pretty fast track. I think, like every track, getting the car to handle in the corners is the biggest thing. It’s a two-mile track and the front and back stretches are pretty long.

“There’s a lot of time at this track where you can relax going down the straightaway a little bit. The corners are so long that you can have a loose car and work through the corners a lot which can wear you out and get your heart rate up. I wouldn’t say that it’s one of the more physically demanding tracks.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Chevrolet)

“We have had some decent runs at California, but just haven’t had the luck and they are a good reference,” Earnhardt said. “The thing about California is that you can hunt around as the groove changes. You’ve got to have that adjustability in your setup. My teammates have been good there.”

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

ABOUT DWIGHT
Dwight Drum, a member of the National Motorsports Press Association, began in motorsports as a photojournalist and writer with Stripbike.com in 1998 and as editor created Zoomster.com (1999) and Racetake.com (2007). He has interviewed almost every big name in NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar. He also has experience covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has two stories in the 2010 book “Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR.”

The opinions expressed in this articles are solely those of the author and not this website.

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SHOW #130 – We recap race #3 in The Chase from Kansas, talk about Kyle Busch vs. David Reutimann, we hear from race winners Greg Biffle and Joey Logano, and preview California.  Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

LISTEN HERE (About 29 mins)

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/finallap/tfl_chat_show130_10.mp3%5D

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SUBSCRIBE FROM iTUNES: Take us with you! Subscribe to our audio shows from iTunes, and they will automatically show up on your computer as soon as we post fresh shows..it’s easy, FREE, and we take no information. It’s like a DVR for audio so you can take us with you anywhere and listen on your schedule!

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NOTE: Also HEARD on Stitcher Radio

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

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Top-10 Things Rumored to be Found at Bottom of the Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sinkhole

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 6, 2010) – The infamous sinkhole that has
developed in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s infield has uncovered many unusual
and even historical items, from a common step ladder to the July 16, 1977,
edition of “The Charlotte News,” which ironically contained a story about
then Speedway Public Relations Director, Joe Whitlock.

While crews rush to repair the sinkhole in time for next weekend’s
Bank of America 500, reports are beginning to run wild about the items they
continue to find in what has become the unlikeliest of time capsules.

Below is a list of the Top-10 things rumored to have been discovered
at the bottom of the sinkhole.
1. Clint Bowyer’s 150 driver points.

2. A toupee worn by Burt Reynolds in his 1983 movie “Stroker Ace,”
filmed at the track.

3. The golden horseshoe that Kevin Harvick said Jimmie Johnson and
the No. 48 team used when they won the Feb., 2010, race in Fontana, Calif.,
just in time for this weekend’s race!

4. Parts to Darrell Waltrip’s engine that mysteriously failed and
ultimately avoided inspection after he drove to victory in the first NASCAR
Sprint All-Star Race in 1985.

5. A strong, number-two wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers. No,
scratch that, that hasn’t been found yet.

6. Media center lasagna that’s as edible as it was 30-plus years
ago.

7. Naysayers who believed condominiums would never work at a race
track.

8. Blueprints from the infamous T-Rex race car that Jeff Gordon
drove to a dominating victory in the 1997 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

9. An I.O.U. from David Reutimann to Michael Waltrip for
intentionally wrecking one of his cars in Kansas last weekend.

10. A peanut butter and banana sandwich left behind by “The King”
Elvis Presley during his 1968 filming of “Speedway” at the track.

One thing you won’t find is the world’s largest HD video screen –
that’s even too big to fit in this gigantic sinkhole!

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NATIONAL STOCK CAR RACING APPEALS PANEL STATEMENT:

(October 5, 2010) – Following an appeal hearing earlier today in Concord, N.C., the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer has upheld the penalty for the No. 33 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with the following revisions:

Crew chief Shane Wilson’s fine has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000 and Wilson and car chief
Chad Haney’s race suspensions have been lowered from six to four. Both are suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and are on probation until Dec. 31.

The loss of 150 championship owner and driver points remains intact.

The No. 33 car was penalized by NASCAR on Sept. 22 as a result of rule infractions discovered during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following the Sept. 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Specifically, the car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” said John Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer who presided over the hearing. “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”

– John Middlebrook, National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate

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Richard Childress Racing Statement
Regarding Final Ruling of NASCAR Penalty Appeal

WELCOME, N.C. (October 5, 2010) — The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing, regarding the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer’s final ruling on the penalty of the No. 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team following the September 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

“I’m disappointed that the results are not what we wanted, but I feel we received a fair hearing today. The final step in the appeals process is very good, and I can assure you we would not have taken our case to the chief appellate officer if the first step in the process had been as fair as today’s. I want to thank all of the fans for their support. I’m proud to be a part of this sport and proud to represent RCR’s partners. We all need to put this behind us and get back to racing. There are seven races remaining in the Chase, and Richard Childress Racing will continue our focus on winning the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”