Runnin’ On Fumes: Bristol Insight

Man, you’ve gotta love those short tracks, especially next week’s race venue: Bristol Motor Speedway. Noisy as heck, drafting aplenty and as has been the case this season, NASCAR feuds.

You’ve probably heard about the running feud (although NASCAR says it is over) between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski. This bears watching as the Bristol layout is one that is conducive to plenty of bumping, hence the Hamlin-Keselowski reference.

There’s the Carl Edwards factor that factors into this, as well. He did his hired gun thing by flipping Keselowski during last weekend’s race at Atlanta and was assessed a three-race probation, as a result. I venture to say that if Edwards or anyone else, for that matter, have designs on commencing some wreckage at Bristol or any other track from this moment forward, look for NASCAR to lay the hammer down more severely – perhaps actually suspending a driver for a race or more.

As narrow as the Bristol track is in some corners, the SAFER barriers will make them even narrower, which should provide for some squirrely moments on certain turns. Fortunately, the SAFER barriers have been painted, so the drivers cannot plead ignorance on this issue whatsoever.

My prediction for this race at Bristol? I like Tony Stewart’s chances this time around. The sexy pick has been the Busch brothers; while both have done well at Thunder Valley, you cannot ignore Stewart’s past results at Bristol. Keep in mind that as a driver of different types of cars, this would qualify as an unfair advantage for Tony. This isn’t a track for the weak-hearted, especially if your name is Boris Said (not that he would qualify for this race).

If anything else, expect lots of caution flags and some cars hitting their respective garages early. After all, it is the Bristol way.

Nuts And Bolts

A brief news flash from the world of NASCAR:

6 — Active Sprint Cup Series tracks where Jimmie Johnson has yet to win. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of those; he’s winless in 16 starts. But Johnson may be close to a breakthrough. He led a combined 195 laps in the two Bristol races in 2009.

The other five tracks: Chicago (0-for-8), Homestead (0-for-9), Michigan (0-for-16), Sonoma (0-for-8) and Watkins Glen (0-for-8).

Johnson also was winless in five starts at Rockingham, which played host to its final series race in 2004.

Racetrack Eye Candy

Since there isn’t any NASCAR racing this weekend (although to be fair, there are other racing series going on this weekend), that doesn’t mean that we fellas can’t have something nice to look at, right?

Keeping in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, here is this weekend’s Racetrack Eye Candy:

Vettel Grabs Pole For Bahrain GP

Sebastian Vettel has started the 2010 season out in fine fashion winning the pole for the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Vettel stole the top spot on his final lap during qualifying Saturday relegating Felipe Massa in a Ferrari to second.

Massa and teammate Fernando Alonso had swapped the top two spots for most of Q3, but Vettel saved his best for last.

Lewis Hamilton recovered from a problem during the first practice earlier in the day to grab fourth. He will be followed by Nico Rosberg who has had the fastest car for the Mercedes team all weekend. Mark Webber will start sixth in the second Red Bull car ahead of Michael Schumacher who will roll off seventh in his first Grand Prix since 2006.

Defending world champion Jenson Button will start eighth, Robert Kubica will make his Renault F1 debut in ninth and Force India’s Adrian Sutil rounds out the top 10.

In Q2 Alonso set the fastest time, a 1:54.612, followed by Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Sutil, Mark Webber, and Massa in fifth

Lewis Hamilton was sixth with Nico Rosberg seventh.

Jenson Button was able squeak into Q3 knocking Rubens Barrichello out of the tenth spot on his final laps. Michael Schumacher was ninth.

Behind Barrichello, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Nico Hulkenberg, Pedro de la Rosa, Sebastian Buemi, Kamui Kobayashi and Vitaly Petrov were eliminated.

At the end of Q1, there weren’t any surprises as all six cars from the three new teams failed to advance. They were joined by Toro Rosso driver Jamie Alguersuari who was knocked out by Kobayashi in the final moments.

The best news of the weekend for the HRT F1 team came during Q1 when Karun Chandhok was finally able to take his new car on the track for the first time all weekend. After some questions as to whether he would even be able to race this weekend, Chandhok will start dead last.

Below are the qualifying times for the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix:

Guaranteed Starting Spots Becoming Endangered Species

As in all professional sports, everyone starts with a clean slate, except in NASCAR where the previous season’s owners points carry plenty of clout.

For those of you not familiar with the NASCAR rule book, during the first five races of the year, the 35 guaranteed starting spots are awarded based on the final 2009 car owners points standings; however, after the fifth race, the locked-in starting positions will go to the top 35 in 2010 car owner spots.

That factoid makes next Sunday’s (March 21) race at Bristol Motor Speedway (the Food City 500) very important for a lot of the full-time teams who are holding up the rear at the back of the grid. Why, you’re wondering? Because beginning at Martinsville, anyone outside of the top 35 will have to qualify strictly on speed.

As of Saturday, here’s how the top 35 looks:

• 31. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Penske Racing Dodge, + 49 points over 35th place.

• 32. David Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing Ford, +42.

• 33. Brad Keselowski, No. 12 Penske Dodge, + 19.

• 34. Travis Kvapil, No. 34 Front Row Ford, + 10.

• 35. Mike Bliss, No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet, 0.

• 36. Kevin Conway, No. 37 Front Row Ford, 0.

• 37. Boris Said, No. 26 Latitude 43 Motor Sports Ford, – 24.

• 38. Robby Gordon, No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota, -27.

• 39. Max Papis, No. 13 Germain Racing Toyota, – 29.

It is imperative that the above drivers and their owners step it up a bit if they want things to be easier on race weekends. Qualifying on speed alone is a tough proposition, especially if you’re not in the top 35, as drivers such as Robby Gordon will attest to.

The wheat and the chaff will begin to separate, beginning next weekend. And it is possible that some drivers’ career will be on the line as like any other professional sport, NASCAR is a results-driven enterprise.

So if you’re in the cellar of the driver’s standings, you better look in the mirror and check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Source: SPEED TV

Nuts And Bolts 2

Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

Todt Not Stepping Into To Solve McLaren Wing Saga: Jean Todt on Friday ruled out stepping in to end F1’s new ‘knee-gate’ controversy. The FIA’s Charlie Whiting this week declared legal an innovation on the 2010 McLaren that gives Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button a straight-line advantage. It is believed the drivers use their left knees to shut off airflow in order to ’stall’ the rear wing of the car. Some teams – including Red Bull, Ferrari, Renault and Williams – believe the design contravenes the rules about moveable aerodynamic devices, even though the only moving part is the driver’s body. ‘Spirit of the regulations’ or not, the situation means teams will now deploy resources to also exploit the loophole. “Everyone is going to go and do it, no one will have an advantage, we will go and spend loads of money — and for what?” new team Lotus’ technical boss Mike Gascoyne told PA. But at the Sakhir circuit, FIA president Todt said he had confidence in Whiting’s ruling. “I think they did a very good job. I totally trust the people that have to judge it,” added the Frenchman. Todt also told reporters that he is “very in favor” of reinstating a 107 per cent qualifying rule in formula one, but admitted that it might have to wait until 2011.

Ecclestone, Todt, Want Bridgestone To Stay In F1: Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to try to convince Bridgestone to remain in Formula One beyond 2010. The Japanese marquee has already decided to cease being the official tire supplier. “We could certainly find a replacement,” F1 chief executive Ecclestone told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, “but I hope that they will rethink their decision “We are working on it,” the Briton added. FIA president Jean Todt admitted in an interview with the New York Times that Bridgestone’s decision to join the carmaker exodus was “a shock”. But the Frenchman said Bridgestone decided to quit because F1 is not seen to regard “sustainability, environment and climate change” as important. “So, will they change their mind in light of what we are trying to implement? I don’t know,” added Todt.

Ecclestone Says Rome Will Not Replace Monza: Bernie Ecclestone has given his personal assurance that Rome is not set to replace historic Monza on the Formula One calendar. “Don’t worry: the Grand Prix of Italy is staying at Monza,” Enrico Gelpi, president of the Italian sanctioning body ACI, is quoted as saying by Il Messaggero. Gelpi sought out Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, at the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Bahrain on Thursday. His informal meeting followed news that Ecclestone, 79, is set to add a Rome street race to the calendar in 2013, with the Italian capital rumored to be willing to pay significantly more than Monza for the hosting rights. “Ecclestone’s assurance, as we have repeatedly confirmed, is that there has never existed the possibility to separate Monza from the Italian Grand Prix,” said Gelpi. Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said: “Ecclestone’s clarification confirms what we have said for some time. There is no competition between the two races (Monza and Rome).”

Ron Dennis In Bahrain Pits: A casually-clothed Ron Dennis was spotted in the McLaren garage in Bahrain Thursday. The Woking based team’s former team boss, who handed over the role to Martin Whitmarsh last year, said recently he plans to attend “quite a few races” in 2010. The 62-year-old has since been concentrating on the company’s chairmanship and the establishment of its new road car group. Following a controversy surrounding its rear wing design, McLaren’s 2010 car passed inspection on Thursday, with the FIA’s Charlie Whiting telling the BBC that he has seen the MP4-25 “and I’m entirely happy with it”. Also happy is Williams’ German rookie Nico Hulkenberg, who hinted that a fifth team could be set to join Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes near the top of the pecking order. “At (the) Barcelona (test) I think we were either equal to or slightly ahead of Mercedes,” the 22-year-old told reporters at Sakhir. And the logos of the technology company HP will be added to Renault’s single seater both this year and next, following the announcement of a “major” sponsorship deal.

Alain Prost To Be Bahrain GP Steward: Yet another world champion has stepped into the mix for this weekend’s 2010 season opener in Bahrain. Active drivers’ title winners Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso posed for photographers in the FIA press conference. Shortly afterwards, it emerged that quadruple world champion Alain Prost will act as a steward throughout the race weekend. The governing FIA said late last year that permanent stewards will in 2010 “sit with experienced former F1 drivers” to “reach decisions very efficiently”. 55-year-old Frenchman Prost, the arch-nemesis of 2010 rookie Bruno Senna’s late uncle Ayrton, won four titles and 51 wins in the 80s and 90s, and headed his eponymous team until 2001.

De La Rosa Plays Down Tire Performance Reports: Pedro de la Rosa has backed his boss in playing down reports the 2010 Sauber car could be set to be a dark horse in 2010. Although often impressive in the February tests, it was previously not thought the Ferrari-powered C29 would be good enough to trouble the top four teams this year. But a Bridgestone official said earlier this week that the Sauber has proved better than all its rivals in terms of looking after its tires on long runs, which given the refueling ban could prove a significant strategic advantage. Speaking with reporters at the Sakhir circuit on Thursday, the team’s Spanish driver de la Rosa agreed. “I don’t think that the tire information is that relevant because we come from winter testing where the track temperatures were very low and now we come to reality. “The way the teams use the tires will change dramatically from how it was in Barcelona,” the 39-year-old added. More strident in Bahrain was Nico Rosberg, who is reported to have an even better grasp of Mercedes’ new W01 than his seven time world champion teammate Michael Schumacher. “I feel very, very comfortable in the car, very confident,” the 24-year-old German said in a morning press briefing in the island Kingdom.

Rome Vows To Find GP ‘Agreement’ With Monza: Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno has played down reports the Italian capital is set to take historic Monza’s place on the 2013 Formula One calendar. Bernie Ecclestone said earlier this week that a Rome street race will be on the 20-race schedule in 2013. Milan mayor Letizia Moratti responded to the news by saying she was worried Monza is set to lose its race at the famous Autodromo Nazionale. Monza mayor Marco Mariani told La Stampa: “It’s the ultimate act of arrogance by a capital that for 2000 years has lived by removing the oxygen of others.” Said Rome’s Alemanno: “We will organize a Grand Prix in Rome, but we will make an agreement with Monza. The grand prix of Rome will be a Grand Prix of Europe. “It will not replace the Italian Grand Prix,” he added. Alemanno added in Italy’s Tuttosport: “It is clear. I spoke yesterday with (Rome GP organizer Maurizio) Flammini that before we start this we will find an agreement with Monza.”

NASCAR To Test At Talladega Tuesday

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will assemble on Tuesday, March 16 for an important early-season test at Talladega Superspeedway.

Approximately 24 teams are expected to participate in the one-day session, which will target a number of mechanical options in advance of the Aaron’s 499 on Sunday, April 25 at Talladega.

NASCAR Sprint Cup officials will analyze the data gleaned – along with teams’ input – and later make several key decisions for the Aaron’s 499. Teams also will test spoilers, which will replace the current wings on the backs of cars.

No timetable has been set for the wing-to-spoiler move.

“It’s a confirmation test for restrictor plates and gearing, and an opportunity for teams to work on their handling packages as we transition to the spoiler,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition.

Rule changes, announced on Jan. 21, are the impetus behind the test. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams used larger carburetor restrictor-plate openings in the 2010 Daytona 500 and larger plate openings are expected for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega.

At 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR mandated openings of 63/64-inch – the largest since the one-inch mandate in 1988, the first year the horsepower-reducing plates were used in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition at Daytona. Each plate contains four openings, which restrict air flow to the engine, thus slowing stock cars. Larger openings mean more air, and more horsepower.

The switch from wing to spoiler also was a rule change.

The wing replaced the traditional stock-car spoiler on NASCAR’s new car, now in its third fulltime season. Returning to the spoiler means on-track testing, and another series test – Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – will be devoted solely to spoiler work.

Both the Charlotte and Talladega tests are exceptions to the current testing policy. For the second consecutive season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams may not test at facilities that host national-series events. This year, teams may test at tracks that host regional touring series events, but not national series events.

Next Tuesday’s Talladega session begins at 9 a.m. CT and runs until 5 p.m. CT with a noon-1 p.m. lunch break.

Fans are welcome to attend, with free admission. The track’s Gadsden and Lincoln grandstands only will be open, with parking lots behind those grandstands opening at 8:30 a.m. Grandstand gates open at 8:45 a.m.

Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch will participate in a fan Q&A during the lunch break (schedule and weather permitting).

Grandstands close at 5:15 p.m. For more fan information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Briatore Rules Out Return To Formula 1

Flavio Briatore has ruled out returning to Formula One, according to SPEED TV.

The 59-year-old Italian said the FIA is pushing ahead with appealing a French court’s overturning of his lifetime motor racing ban, in the wake of the ‘crashgate’ scandal.

But when asked about possibly returning to F1 as a manager or a team owner, the former Renault team boss told La Gazzetta dello Sport Friday:

“I exclude it 100 per cent.

“I still have affection for F1 even if it would have been better to have left at the end of 2006 when Alonso won his second title.”

Earlier this week, Briatore said he missed some aspects of his former involvement in the sport, but not F1 itself.

He also confirmed that he stepped down as chairman of the London football club Queens Park Rangers in order to spare the Football Association the “embarrassment” of being linked to the Singapore race-fixing story

Quiet On The NASCAR Front

Imagine that – an off-week in NASCAR. No races, no punditry by the trio over at Fox Sports, Speed Channel or any of the other channels that offer NASCAR coverage and/or commentary. Which means that the withdrawal symptoms begin, right?

Not so fast. Your Track Pass has you covered! While it’s true that there’s no actual racing coming from any of the three NASCAR series, there will be more than enough racing news and commentary to tide you over until qualifications begin next Friday – and beyond.

Bet you’re wonderng why there is this weekend of  absolutely no NASCAR racing, right? Well, according to NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter:

“We wanted a break in the season, and it just worked out that this weekend was it.”

He further added that there was no grand design to work out the schedule so that all three series are idle.

Speaking of off-weekends, there are only four of them (including this weekend); after Sunday, the Cup schedule has weekends off on April 4, July 17 and August 29. But the Nationwide Series will race on April 3 in Nashville, July 17 in Madison, IL and August 29 in Montreal, Canada while the Camping World Truck Series will race on April 2 in Nashville, July 16 in Madison, IL and the August 29 weekend in Chicago.

So enjoy this weekend of peace and quiet, and also stay tuned to Your Track Pass for all of your up-to-date racing news and commentary.

Nuts And Bolts

Some news tidbits from the world of NASCAR:

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will guest star in the primetime special “Handy Manny Big Race,” which premieres at 7 p.m. ET March 20 on Disney.

      Manny (star Wilmer Valderrama) and the tools hit the speedway as a pit crew for the highly anticipated Wood Valley 500. Earnhardt voices the role of famous race car driver “Chase Davis.” N’SYNC’s Lance Bass also guest stars.

• 8 — Cup Series wins at Bristol Motor Speedway by drivers not named Busch since 2003. Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth have two wins each, and Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have the others.

      8 — Cup Series wins at Bristol by drivers named Busch since 2003. Kurt has five wins and his brother, Kyle, has three. Kyle won both races last year. The Sprint Cup Series resumes next week at Bristol.

• Tony Stewart will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22 as the defending champion of the All-Star Race, and thanks to the new “Smoke Double Down” ticket package, his legion of fans can have a May to remember. Fans can purchase the ticket package while supplies last and receive two frontstretch tickets for the All-Star Race; two passes to a fan forum lunch with Stewart at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 3; and two Stewart souvenirs. Plus, $20 per ticket package will be donated to the Tony Stewart Foundation.

      The “Smoke Double Down” package is $149 and available by calling the CMS ticket office at (800) 455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

• Dallas Cowboys standout Jason Witten has been named the honorary starter for the Sprint Cup Series race on March 21 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Witten, a six-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end, is from nearby Elizabethton, Tenn.

      Witten was a standout at Elizabethton High School and was the USA TODAY Player of the Year in Tennessee in 2000 before signing with the University of Tennessee where he starred for three years. In 2001, Witten was drafted in the third round by the Cowboys. One of the premier tight ends in the NFL, Witten finished the 2009 season with 94 catches and 1,030 yards.