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Angie
I woke up early in anticipation of my visit to the Hall of Fame. After a stop to meet up with a pal, we were on our way and finally arrived around 11:30am.
The first stop was a visit to The High Octane Theater to see a short film about the evolution of NASCAR. It was just enough to get the adrenalin pumping and we walked out eager to explore.
The first thing that caught my eye was Dale Jr’s bright yellow and blue No. 3 Wrangler car. As I approached to get a closer look, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. His emotional win in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona just a few weeks earlier will probably always be one of my favorite NASCAR memories.
I was especially pleased to see that the car had been brought from the track perfectly preserved, down to the mud splattered hood and windshield. Continue reading →
Angie
 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 51st 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 51st career win puts him 10th on the all-time winners list. Hendrick Motor Sports broke another record with its 15th 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. Continue reading →
Angie
 Image via Wikipedia
The Samsung Mobile 500 finally got underway on Monday and pole sitter Tony Stewart led the field to green. Stewart was strong all day but the competition was fierce.
Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were up front much of the day and raced each other aggressively, making contact at one point.
Dale Earnhardt Jr led 46 laps but lost the handle of his car and wasn’t a factor at the end.
But the most excitement came suddenly on lap 318 when Carl Edwards and Stewart made contact coming off Turn 4. Stewart then hit Gordon and after the dust cleared, a total of nine cars were involved.
Jeff Gordon saw another win slip away and Denny Hamlin saw his chance.
The race was re-started and Denny Hamlin pulled ahead for the lead. With two laps to go, Jimmie Johnson was in second place trying to close in on Hamlin, but he ran out of time.
This is Hamlin’s second win this season and his 10th Sprint Cup victory.
More importantly, this win brings him one step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a championship contender.
Rounding out the top five finishers were Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne. Continue reading →
Angie
 Image via Wikipedia
PRESS RELEASE
CONCORD, N.C. (April 14, 2010) – Beginning with the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Kasey Kahne will drive the No. 5 Chevrolets of Hendrick Motorsports after signing a long-term contract with the organization.
Mark Martin, 51, the current driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 team, will complete the 2010 and 2011 seasons. When Kahne takes over in 2012, he will join teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Hendrick’s four-car stable.
“In Kasey, we saw an opportunity to cement a big piece of our future,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He possesses incredible talent and a tremendous dedication to his craft, and we know he’ll be a great fit within our company.
“Kasey has earned the respect of his future teammates by the way he’s handled himself on and off the racetrack, and we know he’ll be a contributor to the success of Hendrick Motorsports for many years to come. To have someone of his caliber join our team is an unbelievable opportunity for us.” Continue reading →
Angie
The Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway was a little different this year. It began a little earlier and 63 laps were added to the race.
I’m not sure of the reasoning behind the changes but the result was an extremely long and often boring race. But as most NASCAR fans will tell you, the ending is usually worth the wait.
Most of the race was led by Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, both leading 113 laps. Montoya also had a dominant car and led for 105 laps.
But in the end, it all came down to strategy. On the last caution, the leaders pitted and decisions were made. Would it be two tires or four?
As it turned out, the two tire call was the right one. Jeff Gordon came out first with Ryan Newman in second position.
The green-white-checker race to the finish was on. Gordon spun his tires on the restart, Newman saw his chance and took the lead. Continue reading →
Angie
I always look forward to short track racing and the disappointment of Sunday’s rain delay at Martinsville Speedway only heightened my anticipation. Monday we finally got the race underway and my patience was finally rewarded.
It was everything I had hoped for and more.
After making his way to the lead on lap 230 of the race, Denny Hamlin battled back and forth for the lead with Jeff Burton.
Things really got interesting on lap 492 when Jeff Burton had a flat tire and hit the wall, bringing out the caution. To everyone’s surprise, leader Denny Hamlin headed to pit road for a set of new tires. Only second place driver Kyle Busch followed.
Everyone assumed that Hamlin had just handed over the win to Jeff Gordon.
Everyone was wrong. Continue reading →
Angie
 Jimmie Johnson demonstrated why he is a four-time Sprint Cup Champion with another exciting finish at the Food City 500 on Sunday. Sprinting through the field from sixth position to first in only three laps, he finally got his first win at the historic Bristol Motor Speedway.
Johnson also raced his way into the record books with his 50th career win. He is now tied with Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 10th on the all-time Cup win list.
A critical decision on the last pit stop to take four tires gave Johnson the edge he needed and he took full advantage.
“We have worked so hard for this,” Johnson said in victory lane. “I thought we were in trouble. But the four tires were everything.”
Rick Hendrick summed up Johnson’s accomplishment by stating what should now be obvious to everyone.
“He’s one of the best that’s ever done this.” Continue reading →
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