Track Smack » Denny Hamlin

JR Motorsports signs Aric Almirola to Multi-Year Contract

Angie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:08:14 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

PRESS RELEASE

08.18.10

JR Motorsports cemented an integral part of its future Wednesday by signing Aric Almirola to a multi-year driving contract for the company’s flagship No. 88 NASCAR Nationwide Series team starting in 2011, general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today.

A 26-year-old native of Tampa, Fla., Almirola has 32 career Nationwide Series starts, including one for JR Motorsports in which he finished third at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July. Almirola’s full-time duties as the No. 88 driver will officially begin in 2011, but he could potentially fill the seat in select races this season while he continues to run for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

“The chance to drive full time in the Nationwide Series with a top caliber team is something I am extremely excited about,” Almirola said. “I was at the shop yesterday, and Kelley gathered all the employees around to announce our deal. The energy and excitement was addicting. We raced at ORP together a month ago and had a really good run. There is no reason why we cannot compete like that every race, and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be running for a championship. I would expect nothing less.”

Almirola comes to JR Motorsports with proven credentials. In 2006-07, he competed in the Nationwide Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, earning three poles and six top-10s. He is credited with one victory – the June 23, 2007, race at Milwaukee Mile – in which he and Denny Hamlin shared seat time in the victorious No. 20 car. That performance was part of a successful 2007 campaign, which opened doors to a lifelong dream of racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Dale Earnhardt Inc. signed Almirola to a part-time driving deal in 2008 with the unique task of splitting seat time with one of NASCAR’s all-time greats, Mark Martin. Nineteen of Almirola’s 30 Sprint Cup starts came with DEI (later to become Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing). In his very first race of the 2008 season, Almirola scored a career-best Sprint Cup finish of eighth at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Almirola continued racing in sporadic Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races in 2009 and 2010, but the opportunity to compete full-time this year with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series was too good to pass up. In 15 races so far this season, Almirola has two wins (Dover on May 14 and Michigan on June 12) and has finished in the top-10 in all but four events. He currently sits second in the championship point standings.

“If there is a quintessential JR Motorsports driver, we feel it’s Aric Almirola,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “The way he drives, the ambition he carries, the way he represents himself on and off the track, it all fits within our company’s dynamics, our core objectives, and the values of our sponsorship partners. We look forward to putting him in our No. 88 car so he can continue his success.”

Almirola’s one stint for JRM took place on July 24 at O’Reilly Raceway Park. He started the Kroger 200 in sixth position, led one lap, ran among the top-five all night, and finished third in his debut in the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet. Almirola is one of 10 drivers who has or will have raced the No. 88 Chevrolet at least once in 2010. Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 Realtree Outdoors Chevrolet at Bristol this Friday night in the Food City 250.

“This has been a far different year than anything we have ever experienced before, but we feel like our decision to take our time and not be rushed into naming a full-schedule driver for the No. 88 paid off with the signing of Aric,” Kelley Earnhardt said. “He brings a lot to the table for us, as well as our sponsors. He is someone they can build their brands around, and he has the talent to take them to the Winner’s Circle.”

About JR Motorsports:

JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s seven-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2008 JRM enjoyed a breakout season with four Nationwide Series victories between its two teams. The company followed suit with four more wins in 2009. The JR Motorsports facilities are based out of Mooresville, N.C., and include the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment, and DEJ Realty. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

The Cool Down Lap – Sonoma

Angie — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:23:32 +0000

Image by BiggerPictureImages.com via Flickr

Jimmie Johnson grabbed his fourth win of the season at Sonoma today with a little help from Marcos Ambrose. It was his fourth win this season and his 51^st career win.

While Johnson was celebrating his victory, the rest of the NASCAR world was still in shock at the heartbreaking mistake that handed him the win.

On the final caution of the race, Ambrose failed to keep up with the pace car and maintain his position during the caution laps. This unfortunate error gave the lead to Johnson who easily cruised into victory lane.

Marcos talked to the media after the race.

“Just cut the motor off, trying to save a bit of fuel there,” Ambrose said. “It’s NASCAR’s house, you play by their rules. I don’t agree with it. I don’t like it, but that’s the way it is.

Movers and Shakers:

The biggest gain in the points standings was made by Jimmie Johnson who moved up four spots to second place. He is now only 140 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Johnson also made some history today. His 51^st career win puts him 10^th on the all-time winners list. Hendrick Motor Sports broke another record with its 15^th victory on a road course, the most for one organization.

Jeff Gordon moved up two spots to fifth place in the standings but seems to have lost the respect of some drivers in the process. His controversial run in today’s race puts him firmly in the role of villain, so more about him later.

I’d also like to give a quick nod to Dale Earnhardt Jr who finished today in 11^th place. This is no small feat for a driver who joked last week that he’d like to blow up the racetrack with a stick of dynamite.

Earnhardt moved up one position to 13^th in the points standings. It’s a small gain but gives hope to Junior Nation that he may still make the Chase.

Snoozers and Losers:

Marcos Ambrose is without a doubt the biggest loser in today’s race. His error in judgment has to be the biggest disappointment of his NASCAR career.

He obviously had the best car all day but had to settle for sixth place. This was his best finish of the season but was certainly cold comfort to Ambrose who saw a win slip through his grasp.

What makes it even more confusing is why he was told that he needed to save fuel.

Let’s hope that this blunder from down under doesn’t define the remainder of Ambrose’s season.

Joe Gibbs Racing also took a hit today.

Joey Logano was involved in a wreck with Juan Pablo Montoya on lap 85 and ended up with a 33^rd place finish.

Denny Hamlin got caught up in the first crash of the race along with teammate Kyle Busch. The accident sent Busch to the garage and he eventually finished in 39^th place.

Hamlin’s hood was damaged in the accident and would eventually pop up, blinding him during the race. His crew had to cut off the hood from his car and he ended up with a 34^th place finish.

His comment on twitter after the race says it all.

“We hit everything but the lottery,” Hamlin tweeted.

Heroes and Villains:

Johnson once again proved that you should never count him out. With his win today, he sits in familiar territory near the top of the points standings.

There’s no question that he was about the only one smiling after a race fueled by heated exchanges between numerous drivers.

Jeff Gordon made it to the top of NASCAR’s most wanted today. The normally mild-mannered Martin Truex Jr was livid after a run-in with Gordon ruined his day.

Truex had been running in the top ten when he got spun out by Gordon. Just a few laps later, he got caught up in a multi-car crash, effectively ending his day.

After the incident, Truex’s anger was focused solely on Gordon and he indicated on his radio that he would get his revenge.

“I guess Jeff figured if he couldn’t catch us on the racetrack he was going to spin us out on the restart,” Truex said. “How many times have I spun Jeff Gordon out? How many times have I spun anybody out? I lifted for them guys on those restarts; they get all stupid and crazy and wild, and I lift and wait and they just run into you. It’s stupid.”

Gordon was apologetic saying, “”There are some things that I’m not proud of that I did today; certainly with Martin. I mean, I completely messed that up and I will try to patch that up. Other things that happened out there were just really hard racing incidents.”

Despite Gordon’s apologies, I’m guessing that this is just the first installment of what looks to be a serious rivalry.

Truex wasn’t the only one who expressed their criticism of Gordon after the race.

“It’s always kinda been about him,” Sadler told ESPN columnist Marty Smith. “I’ve always raced him clean. No more.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Gordon also managed to earn the wrath of Kurt Busch, David Ragan and Clint Bowyer.

So paint a target on Gordon’s back as we wait to see who will take the first shot at him in upcoming races.

Gordon was not the only one that had people talking after the race.

Tony Stewart ended his day by running into Boris Said after the race as payback for an earlier incident.

Frank Stoddard, Said’s crew chief, confronted Stewart in the middle of the garage and a screaming match ensued.

Boris Said was disappointed in Stewart’s behavior. “At the end of the race, Tony Stewart just ran in and took the side of my car out after the checker,” he said. “He’s one of my heroes, so that kind of upset me a little bit.”

Stay tuned as things continue to heat up in the Chase for the Championship next week at Loudon.

J.J. reaps rewarding finish that ‘disappointed’ Ambrose loses (cbssports.com)

Trevor Bayne – Working Smarter for Success

Angie — Sun, 16 May 2010 23:41:01 +0000

I had a chance to interview Trevor Bayne at Darlington Raceway on May 7^th to talk to him about his first season as a fulltime Nationwide Series regular.

As soon as we began talking, I was immediately impressed with the maturity and focus that this 19-year old possesses.

He had just finished qualifying and seemed pleased with his effort. Although Bayne felt he could have pushed a little harder, he explained his strategy.

“It’s our first time here so it’s better to have a car in one piece and still have a potentially qualifying top ten than it is going for a top three.”

His plan seemed to work and he earned a ninth place starting position for the Royal Purple 200 race later that evening. He finished the race in 16^th place and advanced to the 11^th position in the Nationwide Series points standings.

I asked Bayne to grade his season to date and although he was reluctant to do so, he sounded encouraged by what they have been able to accomplish thus far.

“I think we’re on the right track,” he said. “We’re definitely going in the right direction.”

Bayne went on to describe this season as a learning process.

“Diamond Waltrip Racing has always given us the cars we need. We’ve finally figured out how to use that equipment the right way.”

“On top of that, the chemistry is getting better,” he said. “It just takes time to figure out how I need to relay information.”

From the outside looking in, there have been some inconsistent performances. But Bayne is quick to point out that for the most parts, their cars have been good.

“We’ve been fast almost every weekend.”

He points to two incidents at Daytona and Bristol when he was wrecked after contact with other competitors. Both accidents resulted in poor finishes for the 99 team.

Bayne has two goals for his season. The first one is to get the most out of what he calls a “top five team.” His second goal is to use the season as preparation for his future.

“We’d love to win but what this series is doing is preparing us for the Cup Series later on.”

Bayne is not alone in his belief that the 99 team is one to watch this year. Hershey Milk and Milkshakes joined him at Dover International Speedway as a new associate sponsor. They also donated $99 to the Autism Speaks Foundation for every lap Bayne completed in the race.

Bayne had jumped from 17^th to 11th in the Nationwide Series points standings in the last four weeks. He hoped to capitalize on that momentum going into Dover.

“At Darlington, we decided to go back to the basics,” Bayne explained.

“I focused on driving the race car and Jerry (Crew Chief Jerry Baxter) concentrated on making the adjustments. Our car was really strong during the race and we made adjustments to keep up with the track. We didn’t get the finish we deserved but we gained a lot of momentum and confidence for this weekend at Dover.”

Bayne had an outstanding run in Saturday’s Heluva Good 200 at Dover International Speedway. He started the race in the 23rd position but had worked his way into the top 10 with just under 100 laps to go. Bayne continued to move forward and got as high as fifth place with 50 laps remaining in the race.

Unfortunately, with just two laps to go, he got caught up in a nine car accident that began when Denny Hamlin got into the back of Clint Bowyer on a restart. The incident ended Bayne’s day and he finished the event in 29^th position. He is now 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings.

After the end of the race Bayne was sent to a local hospital for X-rays on a bruised left foot. The results were negative. He is expected to resume his schedule and will be in Daytona on Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in the new car testing.

Even though he didn’t get the result he was hoping for, Bayne will continue to work towards his goal. He’s confident that God has a plan for him and is committed to doing his part to make it happen.

His strategy is simple.

“I think we can get there. All we have to do is work smarter, not harder.”

Angie’s Excellent Adventure at Darlington Raceway

Angie — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:11:34 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to cover the NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway as a member of the media. Below is a summary of my experience, slightly skewed for entertainment purposes.

My journey began with a trip to Darlington to pick up my media credentials to cover the upcoming Nationwide and Cup Series races. While I was there, I just had to stop by the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum.

As I stepped out of my car and looked at the faces adorning the front of the museum, I knew that I was in for a treat.

Everywhere I looked, I saw a different piece of stock car racing history.

Some things were immediately familiar like the number 43, trademark blue, 1967 Plymouth of Richard Petty.

And then there were the surprises.

Over to one side was a 1956 Ford convertible. This particular car won 22 races in a single year racing in the convertible series.

One of my favorite parts of the museum was a glass case with an array of confiscated items taken off the competitors cars.

I just had to laugh at the ingenuity of these drivers who used every advantage they could find to win…at least until they got caught. It seems like some things never change.

I also got to see the Dodge Hemi engine that powered Buck Baker’s car when he won the 1964 Southern 500. This same engine was outlawed for the 1965 season.

The museum also houses Darrell Waltrip‘s 1991 Chevy Lumina, which rolled eight times in the 1991 Pepsi 400. It’s still considered one of the worst crashes in stock car history.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It may not be the biggest or fanciest racing museum out there, but it is well worth the $5.00 price of admission.

Besides, bigger is not always better. This wonderful slice of NASCAR is a perfect complement to the Darlington Raceway.

Now that I’d had a little preview of Darlington, I could hardly wait for the racing to begin.

On Friday morning I was at the racetrack by 9:00 am and Nationwide Series practice had already begun. I found my seat at the media center and settled in for what would prove to be a wild ride.

Press conferences were set to begin about 10:15 am so I took a little walk outside to take a look at the action out on the track while I waited.

As I stood there watching, I realized that I had a big grin on my face. I just couldn’t help myself. The pungent smell of exhaust fumes was like the sweet aroma of roses and the roar of the engines was music to my ears.

Or maybe the gas fumes were making me delirious. All I know is that I couldn’t stop smiling.

The driver interviews soon began and I had to keep reminding myself that I was there as part of the media. I had to conduct myself with professionalism at all times. Today I was not a fan; I was a journalist.

Although I’d seen these drivers interviewed countless times, it gave me an entirely new perspective to see them in person. Their charisma and personalities came through so much more clearly.

Everything was going smoothly until Jimmie Johnson’s press conference. He was patiently explaining how the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization was working to perfect their programs.

Perhaps he should have put more thought into the phrasing of his explanation as he summed it all up by saying, “So we are all kind of massaging our packages.”

At this point, I’m biting my tongue to keep from laughing and berating myself for being childish. But then, I look around the room and see the same pained expressions on everyone’s faces as we’re all trying not to laugh out loud.

I’m not ashamed to admit that it was my favorite quote of the weekend.

Another highlight of the day was watching the qualifying runs. The media center was situated right in front of pit road and I was able to stand within a few feet of the cars as they waited their turn to qualify.

Earlier in the week I had arranged to interview Trevor Bayne after he finished qualifying. I decided I’d walk over to pit road to watch him and was almost side swiped by someone driving a golf cart.

Imagine my surprise when Kyle Busch jumped off the cart and ran over to climb into his race car.

It was time for my interview so I headed to Bayne’s hauler. I’d talked to him a couple of times over the phone but this would be my first time in person.

We walked into his hauler and there were about six other guys in there, including a couple who were lying on the floor. They all continued to talk and go about their business as if I wasn’t there. Not the best setting for an interview, but interesting, to say the least.

I’m guessing they weren’t too impressed by this journalist.

Bayne was completely focused and gave me his full attention as I asked my questions.

I headed back to the media center just in time for the next press conference and then it was time for Cup qualifying.

And did I forget to mention, there’s a race tonight?

I won’t go into every detail. Just think of yourself as an insignificant piece of debris in the eye of a hurricane. You’re standing still while there’s a whirlwind of activity around you. You just have to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

After a great Nationwide Series race, I submitted my race review, finally headed home and climbed into bed about 2:00 am.

Saturday got off to a little slower start and I arrived at the media center around 1:00 pm. I took a few notes in preparation for the Cup race and caught up on what I’d missed. I was amazed to learn that while I’d been sleeping, painters had been working all night re-painting the walls of the track.

I’d like to take a moment and say thanks to the folks at the media center. They kept us constantly updated with transcripts of all the press conferences, race results, points standings and more. If you had a question, chances are you already had the answer at your fingertips.

By this time I was almost giddy with excitement. Thanks to a colleague from SpeedwayMedia.com, I was going to take a ride in the pace car.

With Brett Bodine at the wheel, we took off in a Camaro for a couple of laps around the track. We only got up to about 122 mph on the straightaway, but what a thrill.

This was probably the highlight of my weekend and I was ready for more.

My shouts of, “Do it again, do it again,” however, fell on deaf ears.

Still full of adrenalin, I decided to take a walk and do some more exploring before it was time for another press conference.

It was another day full of everything NASCAR and I loved every minute of it.

It was getting close to race time and I decided to head for the Press Box located in the Sprint Tower. Overlooking the track above turn three, we had a panoramic view of the entire facility.

After watching another exciting win by Denny Hamlin, it was time to file my last story. I caught a ride back to the media center where my car was parked and headed home.

I was exhausted.

“The Lady in Black” had welcomed me with open arms and it was an experience that I will never forget.

In closing, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my “sponsors,” SpeedwayMedia.com, NASCAR, the staff of Darlington Raceway, Showtime and the city of Darlington.

Hamlin Wins Showtime Southern 500 in Darlington Sweep

Angie — Sun, 09 May 2010 08:31:55 +0000

: Image by sidehike via Flickr

The “Lady in Black” welcomed back fans on Saturday for round two at Darlington Raceway. In preparation for the Showtime Southern 500, a team had been up throughout the night re-painting the historic red and white walls.

A busy day of practice and qualifying on Friday had left its mark on the track walls and sent six Sprint Cup teams to backup cars.

Dale Earnhardt Jr was the first casualty, hitting the wall on just his second lap of practice. He was followed by Clint Bowyer, Scott Speed, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch.

Jamie McMurray stayed out of the wall and made his way into the record books. He set a track qualifying record with a 180.370 mph lap.

In what has fast become a tradition on Mother’s Day weekend at Darlington, the Sprint Cup mothers in attendance gave the command, “Gentleman, start your engines.”

McMurrray led the field to green but Jeff Gordon took the lead away before even one lap had been completed.

Gordon and McMurray battled back and forth for the first half of the race, swapping the lead, but Gordon seemed to have the upper hand.

Denny Hamlin eventually got into the mix, leading 29 laps by the halfway point.

Track position was pivotal and it was difficult to pass. Whoever was in the lead could pull away from the field and easily maintain their lead.

There were five dominant cars throughout the race including Jeff Gordon who led 110 laps. Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch were all in position to win at various points during the race.

But Denny Hamlin was determined to make it two for two and no one could catch him. He swept the Darlington weekend and won his third Sprint Cup victory of the season.

The last driver to win both the Nationwide and Cup race at Darlington was Mark Martin in 1993.

Jamie McMurray had to settle for second place, marking his fourth top ten finish this season.

“At the end, I didn’t have anything for the No. 11. All in all, it was a great night, a great weekend for us.”

Kurt Busch had a strong run and came home with third place.

Bush said he was “very proud of this run,” but “didn’t have much for Hamlin and McMurray.”

Jeff Gordon finished in fourth place after leading the most laps in the race. He blamed himself for a costly mix-up getting onto pit road.

“That is what happens when you make a mistake,” said Gordon.

“You have to make it up to your guys who worked so hard all weekend long to give you a race car like that. They gave me an awesome car.”

Juan Pablo Montoya finished in fifth place, his second top five of the season.

After the race, Hamlin was ecstatic saying “It was just an unbelievable day for us. The pit crew did a phenomenal job getting me off pit road first and that was the key to this win.”

He also expressed his optimism going into the Chase for the championship.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am about us winning right now because I know what our team is capable of by the time we hit Chase time.”

Hamlin Completes a Rare Darlington Sweep (nytimes.com)
Denny Hamlin completes sweep of the races at Darlington track | Auto racing (seattletimes.nwsource.com)