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NASCAR’s Best Race Didn’t Measure Up

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

February 13, 2010 11:12 pm CST No Comments

I camped out for the first Camping World Truck Series race of 2010 at Daytona International Speedway. The truck race, postponed due to rain Friday night and the best RACE on most NASCAR weekends…sucked.

I called out the ARCA Racing Series presented by Re/Max and Menards last week for a bad show in their 2010 debut. But maybe Daytona International Speedway is more to blame for that ARCA wreck-fest than I first gave Frank Kimmel and company credit for.

NASCAR’s truckers didn’t do any better. And the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday afternoon broke a bunch of cars too, including those of Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The presence of those two “personalities” certainly brought viewers who didn’t know the difference between a Busch race and the real big time. Maybe that type of fan likes big wrecks. I don’t.

So I apologize to my friends at ARCA for what probably seemed an attack. It wasn’t. Observation is what it is. And so far, Daytona 2010, with the exception of the Gatorade Duels, hasn’t been very good from this watcher’s point of view.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Craftsman Truck Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR, Nationwide Series

Tagged with: Camping World Truck Series

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On Second Thought Maybe Jimmy Spencer was Right

by Charlie Turner

February 7, 2010 4:11 pm CST 3 Comments

The Budweiser Shootout was the first time NASCAR Sprint Cup cars took the track in anger for 2010. Good show and bodes well for the Gatorade Duels this Thursday and the Great American Race on Valentines Day.

The prelude to the Bud Shootout was the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, kick off race for the 2010 ARCA Racing Series Schedule.

Even if you’re not an ARCA fan, you surely had heard plenty leading up to this race. It was the first stock car race for Izod Indycar Series star Danica Patrick, and the hype has been incessant since mid December. No matter which side of the Danica fence you’re on, you had to be curious about how she’d do, right?

This was potentially the biggest showcase the ARCA Series has ever had. But on Saturday morning, I caught this tweet while scanning the Saturday racing buzz…

TheDalyPlanet “The ARCA race is a joke. We can kill drivers. They crash too much and don’t use common sense.” Jimmy Spencer on SPEED.

I responded… onpitrow “Really? Jimmy Spencer on crashing and common sense? Gimme a break

Spencer’s apparent slap at the ARCA Racing Series kind of ticked me off. But after watching another ARCA race on a restrictor plate track, I may be a convert to Mr Excitement’s line of thinking.

There are too many inexperienced drivers allowed to race in ARCA’s biggest events. The 2010 race was hard for me watch, even with the obligation to cover the Danica craze. And I am a big ARCA fan.

Congratulations to Bobby Gehrhardt on his sixth ARCA Daytona win. But the race just sucked. A wreck-fest, with too many cautions, too long in duration. The wrecks were bigger than they had to be - due mostly to inexperience, it seemed. There was no continuity to the race. I would say that there was too much testosterone and not enough brains, but I don’t want to insult the six female drivers in the field.

I know ARCA needs to race at the big tracks. That’s where their TV partners - and sponsors - want them to be. But this race couldn’t have been good for business.

Thankfully, Spencer was only partially right.

Photo credit: Round Girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler - OnPitRow.com

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Danica Patrick, Daytona International Speedway

Tagged with: Bobby Gerhardt, Jimmy Spencer, Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Round girl Jen, twitter

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Danica Patrick Daytona Pictures

by Charlie Turner

December 19, 2009 5:42 pm CST No Comments

There are never enough photos of Danica Patrick. Here are a few more from the ARCA Racing Series test session at Daytona. Click the thumbnail image for a larger view.

: Danica Patrick on the track in JR Motorsports no. 88 ARCA Chevy

: Danica Patrick at Daytona ARCA presser

: Danica Patrick at ARCA Daytona press conference

Photo credit: ARCA Media site

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Danica Patrick, NASCAR photos, Testing news

Tagged with: ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/Max and Menards

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Danica Does Daytona

by Charlie Turner

December 18, 2009 5:02 pm CST No Comments

Danica Patrick took her first laps in anger on Daytona Internaional Speedway today during practice with the ARCA Racing Series. Here’s a bit from ARCA’s PR department…

Patrick, one of 26 drivers who posted a time during the 35-minute single car run session, was 12th quickest on the charts with a time of 51.095 seconds (176.142 mph) around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. A trio of three cars fielded by long-time ARCA Racing Series team Venturini Motorsports comprised the top three positions in Friday’s test session, led by fulltime series competitor Mikey Kile (49.804 seconds/180.708 mph).

Patrick only had four laps at full speed Friday, due to rain delays. But she said she got a feel for stock cars…

“It’s still a car once you get in it, “Patrick said during a post test media center press conference on Friday. “I feel most comfortable once I’m at speed actually.

Everything from getting into the car to getting the car started–that part feels quite different to me. It’s not normal to me. The car gets pulled out to pit lane and you get in the car when its in its pit stall in an IndyCar and the getting strapped in part is something that I’ve been familiar with for a long time now so everything is a little bit different but once I get out there I feel good. I feel comfortable.

These cars can run more lanes on the track. You’re all the way to the wall and the car is good to go there. It’s easier to drive there and in an IndyCar you can’t use quite as many lanes usually. That’s just one of the first things I noticed. The gear shifter has more travel. You have to pull something and no more paddle anymore. The clutch is long. It’s just different stuff. But I wouldn’t say that there is any instinctual stuff that is different which is the best part, right? Because I just get to be a driver and I get to do what I’m used to. I feel comfortable once I get going. “

Photo credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Danica Patrick, Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports, NASCAR & the Media, Nationwide Series, Testing news

Tagged with: ARCA testing, GoDaddy.com

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ARCA Racing Series President Ron Drager Welcomes Danica Patrick to Stock Cars

by Charlie Turner

December 11, 2009 1:57 pm CST No Comments

Danica Patrick - NASCAR driver.

Not so fast bubba. First, Danica will do ARCA. As in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/Max and Menards.

Danica Patrick’s long waited for announcement that she will drive for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s J R Motorsports in selected 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series races was Tuesday.

But before she turns a NASCAR lap in anger, D-Pat will test and race at Daytona in the ARCA Racing series.

Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player.

ARCA president Ron Drager joined us On Pit Row Tuesday night for a far ranging interview. He talked about Patrick, and other high profile racers who have gotten their stock car chops honed in ARCA and the state of the ARCA Racing Series as it enters 2010. Here is part one of Ron Drager, On Pit Row.

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, Danica Patrick, Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Rumors, Nationwide Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio

Tagged with: ARCA 200, ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/Max and Menards, ARCA testing, Go Daddy Racing, Ron Drager

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Ricky Byers–Survivor–Racer–goes ARCA Racing in 2010

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

October 21, 2009 10:09 pm CDT No Comments

Racer Ricky Byers has won races in many different types of race cars; but his victory over Squamos Cell Carcinoma-twice is what sets him apart.

Ricky was a guest ON PIT ROW, the radio show, on October 13, 2009. We have had many guests on the show in the ten years we have been on the air; but this was the first time we have had a throat cancer survivor on the show. Ricky was nervous and worried about doing a radio interview with us. He wasn’t worried about saying the wrong thing or not mentioning his sponsor enough; he was worried whether his voice–a voice that he has had to rebuild–would be strong enough to get his story through on the radio.

Not only has Ricky had to rebuild that voice; not once, but twice after two bouts with the disease that has put his love of racing on hold for years. Now after those years have passed, Ricky is resurrecting his racing career. With the help of New Century Marketing Concepts to secure sponsorship and a wish to raise money for cancer research, Ricky is taking to the track in 2010 with the goal of running the entire ARCA schedule beginning at Daytona in February.

NASCAR teams this past week sported pink paint schemes in support of breast cancer awareness month. Ricky Byers will be spending the entire 2010 season bringing awareness to the fight against cancer. Check out his website and support Ricky as the only cancer survivor running the ARCA tour next year. You can listen to the entire interview with Ricky by listening to our archived shows.

Filed under: ARCA Remax Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Ricky Byers

Tagged with: Ricky Byers, Squamos Cell Carcinoma

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