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Looks Like a Chevy vs Toyota Showdown at Talladega

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

October 30, 2010 7:57 pm UTC No Comments

Juan Pablo Montoya took his second career pole at Talladega Super Speedway and along with Clint Bowyer, gave Chevy the front row and six of the top eight spots on the grid.

Earlier, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch topped 201 MPH (lap average speed) in practice, while drafting together – which they just may do some on Sunday in the race.

The AMP Energy Juice 500 shapes up to be Fast and Fabulous, as are most races at the big track. Despite a nice qualifying showing by the Penske Racing Dodges of Kurt Busch (3rd) Sam Hornish Jr and Brad Keselowski (10th and 11th), the Racing for Glory this week shapes up to be between the Bow-tie camp and the Rice Burners.

With lots of three and four wide action, there will be plenty of the old Rubbing’s Racing talk during and after this one. And there is bound to be a big wreck or two. Maybe the Fords can shake their problems and the Dodges are for real. It is Halloween after all. Strange things do happen.

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Chase for the Cup, Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, NASCAR, Sam Hornish Jr, Sprint Cup Series, Talladega Superspeedway

Tagged with: Amp Energy Juice 500, Chevy racing, Dodge, Ford Racing, restrictor plates, Toyota Motorsports

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NASCAR History: Car Number 45 and Kyle Petty

by JamesJ, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Sundays of my youth consisted of NASCAR racing and cold bottles of Mountain Dew. Thirty years later not much has changed for me. However, nearly everything has changed in NASCAR.

December 31, 2009 11:49 am UTC No Comments

Over the next several weeks we’ll be featuring car numbers in NASCAR history. We started with #50 and are working our way down the line. With each car number we’ll take a brief look at a couple stats related to the featured car number, but we’ll primarily spotlight either a driver, sponsor, car owner, manufacturer or other significant subject closely tied to the car number of the day.

Kyle Petty's car number 45 as Daytona testing with Victory Junction Gang Camp Today’s spotlight is on car number 45 and a man who not only continued to run the number to honor his son, but also continued his son’s dream after a tragic accident took his son’s life. While the subject’s surname is synonymous with NASCAR, it is my opinion that the more important and admirable association has come to be one focused on charity for children.

Stats for cars running the #45:

Number of Races: 830
Number of Wins: 6
Number of Top 5s: 52
Number of Top 10s: 134
Number of Poles: 8

Check out current NASCAR race statistics here at On Pit Row!

Spotlight Subject: Driver Kyle Petty

The last couple of years have been a financial hardship for many of us as we struggle with the economy and unemployment. Most likely you know someone personally who has suffered a significant financial loss during this time. Perhaps you significantly altered or reduced your spending during this past holiday season.

Doing so is certainly understandable. Unfortunately, these sort of financial periods often result in reduced giving to very needy and worthy charities. One such charity would be that of Victory Junction Gang Camp (VJGC).

VJGC is a camp for chronically ill or serious medical conditions where the children can visit and experience camp and while there they also receive their necessary medical care at no cost. The “Association of Hole in the Wall Camps was created, serving as an umbrella for the world’s largest family of camps for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. While each individual camp has its own founder or founders, it is Paul Newman that started it all. Our founders, Kyle and Pattie Petty, Lynda and Richard Petty, the Bahre family, Leo Hindery, Jr. and the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, Inc. are all responsible for donating at least $1 million dollars and for helping to establish Victory Junction.“(1)

NASCAR Cup Driver Kyle Petty In 1999 Kyle’s son, Adam Petty, wanted to build a camp for medically challenged kids who otherwise would not be able to attend a regular camp. Adam was killed during a Busch series practice session in Loudon, NH in May of 2000. It was his tragic death that would inspire the Petty’s to carry out Adam’s dream by founding VJGC. Kyle also continued to honor his son on the track by running car number 45 in Sprint Cup races.

“To date, Victory Junction has changed the lives of more than 10,000 children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses and their families.“(2) Kyle Petty comes from what may be the most iconic name in NASCAR racing, but it is the work he’s done with VJGC that has truly touched not only thousands of children and their families, but mine as well.

While I personally have gone through a significant amount of personal loss and emotional pain in 2009, I’m thankful that my children are healthy. If I had to choose only one organization to support in these financially hard times, Victory Junction Gang Camp is one of them.

Please take the time to learn more about VJGC as well as the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America which raises funds for VJGC and other similar charities!

{(1)(2). Quotes taken from the Victory Junction Gang Camp website.}

Filed under: James Jones, Kyle Petty, NASCAR, NASCAR History

Tagged with: Adam Petty, Kyle Petty, Victory Junction Gang Camp

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Kyle Busch Late Model Racing at Toledo Speedway Photos

by BethAnne, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I am the field producer/photographer of the syndicated radio show/website ON PIT ROW. When Steve and Charlie ask me to 'jump', I say "Yeah right."

August 15, 2009 1:58 pm UTC No Comments

Kyle Busch came back to Toledo Speedway Friday night for a little short track racing. Here are a few pics of the night. Click on the thumbnails for a full-size image.

All photos by BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Kyle Petty, Toledo Speedway

Tagged with: CRA Late Models

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Ding Dong Digger’s Dead

by Charlie Turner

June 9, 2009 12:33 pm UTC 12 Comments

I noticed two things during last Sunday’s broadcast of the Pocono 500. Fox’s Digger was nowhere to be found, and Bill Weber wasn’t so bad after all.

I wonder if the two are connected?

The TNT race booth combo of Weber, Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty did a nice job, I think. Now I don’t profess to be a student of such things, Like Daly Planet’s John Daly or On Pit Row’s Steve Wronkowicz. For one thing, I tend to fall asleep too often.

But I found myself more tolerant of little things that used to bother me about these guys, because none of them was having a make-believe conversation with a cartoon beaver. If Kyle starts talking to RaceBuddy, I’m out.

And this week, I get my NASCAR live and up close at Michigan International Speedway. I’ll just have to stay away from the Fox Sports souvenir trailer.

Photo(shop) credit: BethAnne Heisler – On Pit Row

Filed under: Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Petty, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media

Tagged with: Bill Weber, Digger, Fox's Digger, Kyle Petty, MIS, Pocono 500, RaceBuddy, TNT, Wally Dallenbach

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Dancing With The Cars and Singin’ in the Rain at Lowes

by Charlie Turner

May 25, 2009 11:19 pm UTC 2 Comments

Rain shortened races are never perfect, unless you’re the winner. Or the winning owner. Or sponsor of the winning car.

That last rain delay for the 2009 Coca Cola 600 was so long, that David Reutimann’s main sponsor Aaron’s Rent got almost as much exposure as the race’s title sponsor Coke.

And leave it to car owner Michael Waltrip – once referred to as a “NAPA hatted Ho” in the funniest blog title ever by Darren Fauth of One Bad Wheel. Mikey was hangin’ around spreading the NAPA colors right along with Reuty.

Coca Cola got unlucky with the weather but they had plenty of marketing ammo on hand for the event. Bobby Allison was there as grand marshall in the ’69 Mercury Cyclone he drove to the ’71 Coke 600 win.

And Dancing with the Stars winner Shawn Johnson did some laps with Coca Cola Family driver Kyle Petty and taught Petty some moves. Check out the pics below. Click the thumbnail for a full size view.

: Shawn Johnson stuck this landing too

: I guess if Kyle wins again, he’ll have a victory move now

: Where’s Danica?

: Nice jack…person Kyle

: I have nothing to say

: Guys, you don’t have to tweet when you can actually talk to each other

: She never would have won with Kyle

: Kyle as Travolta?

: Is this a jig or what?

: Bobby Allison, Grand Marshal for the historic 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600

Photo credit: Worth Canoy

Filed under: David Reutimann, Kyle Petty, Lowes Motor Speedway, Michael Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media

Tagged with: Aarons, Bobby Allison, Coca Cola 600, Dancing with the Stars, NAPA, Shawn Johnson

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Coca Cola 600: Bump Linkin’ Saturday

by Charlie Turner

May 23, 2009 8:45 am UTC 1 Comment

The third leg of (my) Grand Slam of Sprint Cup racing is tomorrow. I’m layin’ in a supply of caffeine loaded consumables in an attempt to get through the afternoon warm-up race that was once the Greatest Spectacle in Racing (it’s now more likely a case study in anti-marketing) – and the A-Main feature, the Coca Cola 600. It’ll be a long day, because the one F1 that I still make it a point to watch (case study number 2 or, how to f-up the US market), the Grand Prix of Monaco will be breakfast.

At least Charlotte will be dry, unlike Daytona. If you haven’t already seen these pictures of the flooded Daytona International Speedway, take a look.

The Indianapolis 500 used to be a must listen to event for me. For the last several years, it’s been more of a case of checking it out when I remember. The fact is, before the break up of CART, I was a bigger fan of Indy Cars than I was of NASCARs. Now, I couldn’t intelligently pick a favorite for the 500. Not that I can for the 600, either, but that’s not the point.

So, if you want a solid pick for Indy, go to The Catfish Show. Matt has one, and a nice post about it too.

Marc at Full Throttle always has good Formula One stuff. This weekend is no different.

Our own James Jones stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest with his post about NASCAR fans letting Toyota off the hook. The comments are flying if you want to chime in. Just be nice, please.

I like Trixie’s Trailer Park. Seems she’ tired of the Mayfield saga too.

This is the Coca Cola 600 weekend and the Coke folk always have something going at Lowes. I have some pics below from the main at the track promo this year. These are Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte and Clint Bowyer serving free food to fans at the Coca-Cola Quarter-Mile Cookout.

And we have a couple pics of Brittany Osborne of J.V. Washam Elementary in Cornelius, N.C who got to take a spin with NASCAR driver and former Sprint Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte in recognition of her school’s selection for top honors in the Ask.com Safe Search Schools Program.