SA TIMES-TRIBUNE / FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 NASCAR

SPRINT CUP NATIONWIDE SERIES CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS Race: Race: Royal Purple 300 Race: Kroger 250 Where:. (Fontana) Where: Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) Where.: NEiT Wh.en: Sunday, 2:30 p.rn, (El) When: Saturday, 5:00 p.m. (El) When:. March 31', 1:00 p ..m ..(El) TV: FOX lV:.ESPN lV:SPEED UP•.. 2011 Winner: (right) 2011 Winner: 2011 Winner:

NOTEBOOK Second win at Bristol no 'fluke'

When Brad Keselewski Wall the Irwin Tools Night Race last fall at , some said it was because he figured out how to beat the system that measured speeds on pit road, a system that has now been changed .. On Bunday, after he led four times for 232 laps in winning the Food City 500, there wasn't much to be said other than that he put an old-fash- ioned whipping on his peers. 'The fall race was a B radKesel·owski great win, but when (NASCARpholo) you win one and peo- pie tell you it was a fluke, you. just want to drive that much harder to win the second," Keselowski said. He said his No.2 was a fast one, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 , races , driver of the No. 17 Ford, during the Food CrtjI 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday (NASCAR Photo) his crew made all the right calls .. ''I told somebody before the race, 'This is the best race car I've ever had in Cup.' And it showed. off [Sunday]," Keselowski said. "Hopefully, we have more cars like this, and we'll win more races and continue to move the needle forward. 'Tve said in pre-season this year that the goal here at Fenske Racing is to win a Sprint Cup championship, and that's where we're all push- mg. One win certainly doesn't achieve that, but Drivers foresee downside to making inner workings public it's a great step and we need more of these steps." ale Earnhardt Jr. says folks just can't JoImson said. "It's a complicated thing that I'm "needs to be more intimate," keep a secret in the NASCARgarage certainly not going to share for the world to He said he only recently learned that for Golden State rematch Sunday D. these days.. It's not his fellow drivers see. But I've got a clear direction ofwhe:re to some time drivers meetings have been who are being the blabbermouths, so to speak, work." streamed online, and he doesn't like that This week's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club it's NASCAR officials and their new policies- Earnhardt and others also say that there either. Speedway in California offers tbe opportunity and proposed ones - for sharing information are better ways f01"drivers to connect with ''Ijust feel like, that is what that meeting is for a rematch between home-state drivers among race teams and fans, too. fans than opening the drivers meeting to the for, we need an opportunity to sit there and Kevin Harvick, from. Bakersfield, and Jimmie Earnhardt, and a lot of his peers, say public, as was the case at Las Vegas Motor have open communication weekly," he said. Johnson, from EI Cajon. NASCAR's proposal to share the data from the Speedway two races back. 'With all the eyes, it limits that ability, I Last year; Harvick used a last-lap pass to electronic fuel injection mechanisms of the top He and many of his peers would rather go believe." beat Johnson, a five-time Auto Club winner, The race finishers is putting the sport all a "slip- back to the old-styledrivers meetings, which year before, Harvick hit the wall late, allowing pery slope." And he and others say the trend usually were held in a hot, cramped room at Johnson to win even though Harvick appeared. toward making the drivers meeting a public each race track. Only recently were media and Patrick to run in charity race to have the faster car. event takes away the opportunity for drivers other guests 'invited, and it's been some time "Ths last two years, the race has Jll·etty much and crew chiefs to have open and honest com- since there was real discussion at those meet- come down to us and the 48 [JoImsonJ," Harvick The dirt racing world is about to get a munication with each other, and with ings about issues on the track. said. "The year before, I ran into tbe wall, and taste of Danica Mania ..The female NASCAR NASCAR officials, about how races are run. "It hasn't been, for a long time, a truedriv- last year we won. That was good to come back driver is set to run in the Prelude to the Erurihardt said that ifNASCAR shares one ers meeting' in the true sense of the word," and rebound from the mistake from 2010. Being Dream charity race on June 6 at Eldora team's EFI data with the entire, garage, a Mati Kenseth said, "Nobody is going to raise able to race with Jimmie was a lot offun, espe- Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. team that had somehow managed to get an their hand and ask a question in that environ- cially at the California. race track," It will be the second start on dirt for the advantage over the competition won't get to ment. not anybody these days, anyway." For Johnson there are few places more spe- former IndyCar driver. keep it for long. Kenseth said that if a driver has an issue cial than the Fontana track, It was there, back "I raced all. dirt once before ill a go-kart. 'Td rather not have that," he said of the pro- today, he tries to resolve it in a private meet- in 2002, that he got Iris first Cup win, in. when I was young, but that's about it," his posed sharing of information, "It would be a ing with NASCAR officials. 13th career start, and he won again there in Patrick said in a track release. ~t's going to benefit to be able to see that. But, I think it is "It is different, but it has been like that for a '02, making him the first rookie to sweep Cup be a cballsngs for a slippery slope. long time,' he said. "They have been letting races at a track. sure, but I know'lbny 'With the fuel injection, it brings in the abil- more and more people in. I remember when He said that first Cup win was as big as it [Stewart] has offered ity this year to be able to see data that we've we used to do it my first couple years in the seemed at the time. to help in any way never been able to see before. I think we series, we did it in the scoring stand at 'That was everything to me and my career," possible, I'm excited should ease into how we use that data, aud Charlotte, aud you could barely get the drivers he said. ''I knew driving ['s] equip- about it, but rm also how NASCAR allows us to use that data, kind and crew chiefs in there. ment, that if I didn't win - he came off a nervous." after of slowly Dot to upset the culture of the sport, "That is all it was. It was uevera media championship season and basically handed me Stewart,. who owns or how things have worked in the past. event or fan event ..It was a drivers meeting ros cars - that I was going to be in trouble. Eldora and is Patrick's ''I think if we take this new door that has where there was a forum with discuesions and "So to win in my 13th start,. lOth r<1.ceof that car owner in Cup, said been opened to us and abuse it, it might not be stuff like that. We haven't had that in a long season, that is my most memorable win, period." good for the sport. I think it's better for compe- time."· he's proud to have tition for everybody to have a few secrets." Earnhardt Jr. agreed. with Kenseth, saying Danica Pabick Patrick participate in Daytona. to repave fire damage Already, teams are able to look at data from he had difficulty following the basic instruo- (NASCAR photo) his charity event, 'Tm excited," he other cars in their multi-car organizations and tions given in the meeting last week at Las The damage caused by a fire touclled off at data from affiliated teams. Jimmie JoImson Vegas. said. ~ told her: 'Don't feel like you have to corne do this! when slammed. into a jet seemed pretty pleased to see Tony ,stewart's "I couldn't see dlOse video screen.s," he said. dryer du:ringthe Da.ytona 500 will result in a EFI data from Las Vegas, where Stewart ~ really couldn't pay attention to what was "She said: 'No, I really want to do this! 'Tm excited for her. I don't think it's some- repaving of a portion of Turn Three at Daytona. motored away from Johnson on several late- going OIl. ,so,. the meeting to me didn't serve its thing that she has had a cllanoe to do very International Speedway. race restarts. purpose." Lane COnstruction, the compa:oythat ''I did look at Tony's data,. and definitely Jimmie JoImson agreed with Earnhardt much. It will be fun to get her in an environ- ment that is definitely new to her, for sure." repaved the track in 2010, has been hired. to do have a direction and know what's going on,~ and Kenseth, saying the drivers meeting the work.

VIckers: DrIving No. 55 more than second chance SPRINT CUP PDlNTS HUIMERICAllY Unable to secure a full-time ride after his Red Bull team 11• ceased operations at the end oflast year, SPEAKINiB signed on for a six·race ride in the No ..55 'lbyota at 157; Leader Racing, and began. his gig with a fi:ftb- - place fi:nish in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor 2. Kevin Harvick Drivers in the top 10 of Speedway. He led Uu-ee times for 125 laps in the car hel1 148; behind -9 5 the Nationwide standings sbare with. . He said it's not exactly a second chance, career-wise; it's with no top-five finish this year 3. Matt Kenseth mOTe. (Sam Hamish Jr., Michael ~t's really my third or more,H he said,. adding that he's 145; behind -12 thankful fOJ.""all the experienoesthat have happened in my Annett, TaylerMalsam, Justin life - racing with a couple of good teams, to Red Bull, wm- 4. Martin Truex Jr. Allgaier and ) uing and being in the Chase and being in the hospital the next year and not knowing if I was ever going to race 139; behind -18 again. Then getting a second chance ride [at Red Bull], Drivers in the top 12 of and now getting, really, a third chance. Verygrat.eful for all 5. · those cbances and opportunities." 137; behind -20 2 the Cup standings with He said he believes the sluggish economy, not his run-ins no top-1fivefinish this year (Joey with Chase contender Matt Kenseth last fall at 6. Dale Earnhardt. Jr. Martinsville and Phoenix,. or the sensational article about Lagano and ) him in Maxim magazine in which he was portrayed as a 137; behind -20 liquor-drinking party guy, is the main reason he doesn't have a full-tinie ride. 7. ....9. Laps led .by Jimmie ''There have been a lot of oppo:rt:nnities where rve 130; behind -27 14 Johnson In the past worked with owners and we've been reall.y close to putting something together; and there's been a lot of interest and 8. 13 Cup races at Fontana, top they've been very excited, but the sponsorship hasIit come among drivers through," he said. '"!'haes probablybeeo the biggest factor;" 126; behind -31: He also disputes the content of the Maxim article, say- ing: '"That was completely a lie." 9. Vickers said his main goal now; in the six races he'll be .0. Drivers in the Sprint in in the No. 55, is to have a good time. 126; behind -31 2 Cup standings who "For me, it's just go out tbe.re and bave fun, and just trail Mark Martin, despite run- enjoy the expm-ience," he said. "I've been through this a 10. Paul Menard Brian Vlllkers du ring pracl:ice tor Sunday's Food Cfty 500 at couple times now, where I don't know if rm going to race , 23; behind -34 ning four races to his three B.ristol Motor Speedway. (NASCAR photo) again ... so I'm just gra.teful for this opportunity." ___••• •• ••_ • •• •• •• •• •• •• •••• •• •• •• •• •• •••• •• •• •1.•• • •• For Selection Service and Most of all Savings ...•

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