• On Pit Row
• The Show
• The Crew
• Bench Racing
• Fast Lap
• Contact Us
• Advertise With Us

Subscribe

• NASCAR
• Sprint Cup
• Drivers
• Nationwide Series
• ARCA Remax Series
• NASCAR Headlines

Latest Headlines

• Coke Zero Taste of Victory Video
• Bench Racing TV’s First Monday Morning Crew Chief
• Beatin’ and bangin’ at New Hampshire
• Will the Big Domino Fall this Week?
• Flash! Spy info from NASCAR R & D!
• Gettin’ Loose in Loudon’s Turn Three Could Hurt
• Silly Season is in High Gear Earlier than Ever
• Kyle Busch is a Five Tool Driver
• Mark Martin Setting Himself Up For More Heartbreak
• Richard Childress Racing Usurps Another Sponsor

Comments

• okla21fan on Beatin’ and bangin’ at New Hampshire
• Clance' McClannahan on Beatin’ and bangin’ at New Hampshire
• trevor shannon on Four Wide and Loose in Turn 3
• Ryan Newman Fan on Will the Big Domino Fall this Week?
• Steve Wronkowicz on Beatin’ and bangin’ at New Hampshire

Sections

• ARCA Remax Series
• Bench Racing Contests
• Bench Racing TV
• Bobby Labonte
• Boris Said
• Brad Kesolowski
• Brian France
• Brian Vickers
• Bruton Smith
• Busch Series
• Car of Tomorrow
• Carl Edwards
• Casey Mears
• Chase for the Cup
• Chip Ganassi Racing
• Chrissy Wallace
• Clint Boyer
• Craftsman Truck Series
• Dale Earnhardt
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
• Dale Jarrett
• danica patrick
• Darlington Speedway
• Dave Blaney
• David Ragan
• David Reutimann
• Daytona 500
• Daytona International Speedway
• Denny Hamlin
• Diversity and NASCAR
• Eddie Sharp Racing
• Eldora Speedway
• Elliott Sadler
• Evernham Motorsports
• Formula One
• Frank Kimmel
• Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
• Gillette Evernham Motorsports
• Greg Biffle
• Haas CNC Racing
• Hendrick Motorsports
• Indy Cars
• Inside ARCA
• Iowa Speedway
• IRNMBSIL
• It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught
• J J Yeley
• Jacques Villeneuve
• Jamie McMurray
• Jeff Burton
• Jeff Gordon
• Jeff Hammond
• Jeremy Mayfield
• Jimmy Johnson
• Joe Gibbs Racing
• Joe Nemechek
• Joey Logano
• JR Motorsports
• Juan Pablo Montoya
• Kasey Kahne
• Kenny Shrader
• Kenny Wallace
• Kevin Harvick
• Kurt Busch
• Kyle Busch
• Live blogs
• Lowes Motor Speedway
• Marcos Ambrose
• Mark Martin
• Martin Truex Jr.
• Matt Kenseth
• Michigan International Speedway
• Monday Morning Crew Chief
• Nascaholics
• NASCAR
• NASCAR & the Media
• NASCAR Bidness
• NASCAR Fantasy Gaming
• Nascar Legends
• NASCAR officials
• NASCAR Rumors
• NASCAR Tech
• NASCAR video
• Nationwide Series
• Nextel Cup Series
• On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio
• Phil Parsons
• Pocono Raceway
• Prelude to the Dream
• Red Bull Racing
• Reed Sorenson
• Richard Childress Racing
• Robby Gordon
• Robert Yates Racing
• Roush Racing
• Rusty Wallace
• Ryan Newman
• Sam Hornish Jr
• Scott Speed
• Shut Up and Drive
• Sprint Cup Series
• Testing news
• The Busch Bros
• The Daily Bugle
• The Fast Lap
• The France Famliy
• The King
• The Pettys
• the Rock
• The Waltrips
• The Wood Brothers
• Toledo Speedway
• Tony Stewart
• Top 35 Rule
• Toyota
• Turn 3 posts
• Warren Wallace

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

It was a swift turn around of fortunes for the #49 team over the Easter break.

From not making races in Gillett Evernham Motorsports engined Dodges to qualifying on the fourth row at Martinsville in a Bill Davis Racing engined Toyota, Ken Schrader must believe his Sprint Cup fortunes may have made a turn for the better. Schrader must be considered the oddity in the top ten at the paper clip known as Martinsville. He joins pole sitter Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne in the top seven. Gordon is no kid at 36, but not really considered a gray beard either.

Dismissing Gordon; at 52 years of age Schrader is over twice as old as the rest of the top 8, who’s average ages are just over 25. Kyle Busch rounds out the top eight qualifiers and must make Schrader feel like a chaperone on a third grade field trip to the zoo.

“The car was good all day and we were good here last year too. I’m just excited about the Toyota deal and working with Bill Davis some. I’ve always been a big fan of Bill Davis and Dave Blaney. New name on the car with Microsoft Small Business and a new manufacturer — we’re still one of those hooligans who doesn’t have their truck in here (infield), but we’ll pull it in tonight.”

Bill Davis Racing has to be happy to have a second car in the field as well. It’s well documented that the car they counted on to be thatr second car; to be driven by Jacques Villenuve, never materialized. This working agreement (don’t call it a merger–yet) with BAM could be just what the doctor ordered for two struggling teams. Rarely does the coming together of two down and out entities make for a full and rapid recovery to dominance. Just look to the corporate world and the merger of Kmart Corp and Sears. Putting those two together has not really set the world afire. The other good news is that there is finally sponsorship dollars to go into the Toyotas. BAM has signed Microsoft Small Business to foot the bill for the remainder of 2008.

In this instance though, at least for one week, BAM and Kenny Schrader can hold their heads high as they have cracked the kiddy corp and will start the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 up front with the fast guys. Where he will finish is another story. Many times these feel good stories have very short chapters. They’re easy to read, but end quickly.

I hope not. Kenny is one of the greatest guys in the sport.

photo credit: from Microsoft SMB Community Blog

Hey Villeneuve fans. Maybe Jacques had a reason for crashing out of the second Gatorade Dual 150 back on February 14. Here’s a pic of that ol’ stock car driver, Jacques and the Peugeot Lemans Prototype Team in Paris on the 15th.

Rumors that this was actually a photo of the new Nationwide Series CoT test mule have proven unverifiable.

Photo credit - Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Jacques Villeneuve has apparently decided that NASCAR Sprint Cup racing ain’t his glass of wine.

Villeneuve will take his prodigious talent to the sports car ranks, leaving Bill Davis not only without a once rumored partner-buyer but short a full-time driver for the second BDR Toyota Camry. Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson will share the driving duties for now in the #27 car.

I never felt confident in Villeneuve’s commitment to Sprint Cup racing. Almost as soon as he started testing for Davis in 2007, rumors started floating that Jacques and his business partner Craig Pollack were interetsed in partnering with, or outright purchasing a Cup team. Davis was the most rumored target.

Once the merger/purchase talk subsided and Pollack headed back to Europe my doubts increased. Next, when no sponsorship surfaced for the #27 during all of Speedweeks and there were reports that Villeneuve would back the car out of his own pocket if necessary well, my BS meter went berserk.

Jacques crashed out of the second Gatorade Dual at Daytona Thursday. His car hit the wall hard and it seems his short career in Sprint Cup racing did as well.

One race and one former open-wheeler down. That didn’t take too long did it?

Boris Said is an ON PIT ROW favorite. He said yesterday that he’s either going to get his 7 Eleven - Spurpie - No Fear Racing Fusion into the Daytona 500 or it’s going home in a basket. Boris will be racing with six other go-or-go homers for two spots in NASCAR’s Super Bowl.

Warren Wallace’s other second cousin, Kenny Wallace,  Red Bull twins  Brian Vickers andA J Allmendinger, Awesome Bill Elliott, Daytona winner Sterling Marlin and Carl Long are the competition for Boris in race number one of the Gatorade Dual 150′s.

The wild card in that race is Kurt Busch.  Busch’s owner’s points were transferred to teammate Sam Hornish Jr meaning Kurt has to either qualify on time or use his champion’s provisional to race a Sunday.  In typical, stupid, Top 35 Rulefashion; if Busch is slow, he and two other drivers will transfer from this race.  If he’s quick enough, it will leave just one other spot for someone else.  I think Boris will edge the Toyotas and put another Ford in the big race.

Race two also has two starting spots up for grabs. Patrick Carpentier was the fastest of the bubble boys and he looked good in pole qualifying Sunday, using a driving line different from most everyone else. He’s up against fellow Canadian open wheel refugee Jacques Villenueve, veterans Dale Jarrett, Ken Shrader and John Andretti, Eric McClure and Stanton Barrett Jr.

Michael Waltrip said Sunday that Jarrett was getting all the best stuff from the MWR garage. If they had one car that was better or an engine that ran stronger, DJ was going to get it.  Then Wednesday, they found that DJ had one of the engines that needed to be replaced. He’ll start at the back of the field and that won’t help. Shrader’s telling anybody who’ll listen how slow his Dodge has been. Andretti, McClure and Barrett are big underdogs. This one looks like it’s all Mapleleafs to me but Jarrett is next in line to use the champion’s provisional should Kurt Busch race his way to a starting spot.

To quote Warren - or is it Lauren - Wallace “the schooling starts right now.”

Even after an admittedly short, semi-off-season without NASCAR’s Chargers and Impalas, it’s tough to guard against putting too much stock in the daily results of the Preseason Thunder testing going on this week in Florida.

The NASCAR news for the last couple days has been full of reports of how Kyle the Younger Busch has been faster than anyone in Daytona.  Kyle’s switch from his Hendrick ride to a Gibbs Toyota would have been the big story most years in the France Republic. But 2007 saw his story barely make the top five, behind the loss of the late Bill France, a couple of Earnhardt related sagas and the Gibbs to Toyota switch.

One of our Fast Lap questions ON PIT ROW this week asked who has the most to prove at testing this month.  It might be Kyle, and if it is, he is showing some pretty good stuff so far.

Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing team and even his manufacturer of choice, Toyota, have plenty to prove to sizable numbers of NASCAR watchers too.  Staunch Tony Stewart/Chevrolet followers are going to take plenty of convincing that Smoke’s kidnapping by them evil fereners was, in the long run, a good thing.  Tony being fast out of the 2008 box would help with that.

I’m sure that Earnhardt Jr feels some pressure to start well and he probably will.   How about Michael Waltrip, who may be feeling heat from sponsors and his manufacturer?  Do you think that J J Yeley might have a little extra motivation to put that Hall of Fame Racing Camry in front of a Gibbs car or two?

Yates Racing is looking for sponsorship.  Gillette-Everham Motorsports sucked last year and has all new sponsors - and partners - to please.  On and on and on, throughout the garage the pressure -  if it ever let up at all during the shortest winter in sports - is back on in full.  Thank you NASCAR.

Picture credit: Sam Greenwood - Getty Images for NASCAR

Pinch me.  Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier and Sam Hornish Jr are in for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix on Sunday.

Yep Sam is in.  Maybe the fact that he finally announced that he was making the move from pointy cars to the Car of Tomorrow - the all the way move - was all it took.  That and the talent that has made him one of the best Indy Car racers in history.  He will run the Busch Series race on Saturday and jump in the #77 CoT on Sunday.  Good luck Sam.

Other surprises in the desert were Johnny Benson and Sterling Marlin qualifying on speed while Daytona 500 winners Dale Jarrett, Ward Burton and Michael Waltrip all failed to make the race.

Carl Edwards is on pole with Truex Jr along side.  It’s no shock that Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon are starting in the top six.  But those two share the 2nd and 3rd rows with the surprise pair of J J Yeley and Johnny Sauter.

Surprising results for sure.  Sunday ought to be fun to watch.

Picture credit: Beth Anne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Gradually, the face of NASCAR is being changed in a big way this 2007 season.

Dale Jarrett announced last week that he’s going to move to the broadcast booth on a permanent basis after five races in 2008.  Ricky Rudd says he’s not coming back next year.  Sterling Marlin’s prospects for the Cup series don’t sound very promising.  Those are three faces and personalities that are very recognizable to NASCAR fans.  Everybody  walking the garage area or hanging on the fences around the infield knew who these guys were.  You knew the Coors Light uniform, or before that the Kodak yellow was Sterling.  Ricky Rudd was the Tide #10.  D J and UPS have been synonymous.  That’s all gone or soon to be.

The #10 will be driven by Patrick Carpentier.  Coors Light is going too, but that’s OK because  Dario Franchitti’s in that car now.  And Jacques Villeneuve will drive a Toyota.  I have no problem with any of this really.  It’s just that the atmosphere at the track is bound to change.  Those three veterans had loyal fans - and they were traditional NASCAR fans.

I read somewhere today, that there are only four active, Nextel Cup drivers born in North Carolina, the home of the sport. One of them is Kyle Petty. Change is inevitable, I know.  I wonder how much longer Kyle will drive?

NASCAR’s version of the prelims are now over.

It started with talk.  Talk about the controversies of the Kansas race and squawk about Jacques Villenueve’s debut.  Who’s still in the Chase and which drivers have taken the count. 

The ARCA RE/Max race Friday was entertaining as they always are and gave a preview of coming Cup attractions, Dario Franchitti and Scott Speed.  There were other future cupsters in that race as well - we just don’t here much about drivers coming up through the stock car ranks much anymore.

Nextel Cup practice didn’t tell me much - other than these CoTs are going to wear out some bumpers and splitters during 500 miles of "aggressive driving".

Qualifying was an upside down affair with the Go-or-Go Homers finally hitting on the right set-up - for qualifying anyway - and filling the front rows for a change.

But the battle is for real today.  A four wide restrictor plate race.  Car of Tomorrow’s first time out on one of the big tracks.  Desperate Chasers trying to claw their way back into contention. Championship front-runners attempting to avoid the big wrecks . The spectacle of Talladega.

When it’s over, the talk will start again.  Until then, I’m going to enjoy this one.

Stunning.  What else do you call the surprising qualifying results for the Toyota teams at Talladega Superspeedway today?

Michael Waltrip is on pole.  Dave Blaney shares the front row and five of the top six are Toyotas - including Jacques (gasp!) Villenueve at sixth freakin’ fastest!   Dale Jarrett starts 43rd, despite his 8th fastest time.

Start the inquiries!  Where’s the jet fuel?  Why is Joe Gibbs smiling?  How soon is Daytona?

Picture credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

I paid more attention to NASCAR Nextel Cup practice this week than I ever have before. This is facsinating stuff at Talladega this year. 

Everyone wants to know how the Car of Tomorrow will perform in it’s first superspeedway debut.  I’m not sure if you can figure anything out by watching practice but it’s fun to think that you can. 

Cars ran around in packs - one time a point was made that the five Rousch Racing and two Yates Racing Fords were running in a pack separate from everyone else.  Commentators Jeff Hammond and Larry MacReynolds speculated that the Ford teams were trying to learn something specific about the handling of the Fusion.   Then in the next sentence they talked themselves out of that, saying that other than the headlight and grill decals, the Fusions were no different  from the Chevys, Toyotas and Dodges than from each other.

Jacques Villenueve negotiated practice without incident and seems to be surviving the weekend with his self-esteem intact.  Everytime I tuned in to the television coverage, someone had a microphone in the grill of a driver who thinks that Jacques’ Talladega start is bad news.

The best argument came from Boris  Said.  Boris thinks that Villenueve should have run the ARCA REMax Series race here, like Dario Franchitti and Scott Speed did today.  Said made the point that the ARCA cars are fast and competitve, run two and sometimes three-wide and provide a good intro to the drafting and traffic.  The Cup cars will be three, and sometimes four-wide all day and are a whole different ball game.

At least Villeneuve didn’t get benched for rough driving.  Denny Hamlin was singled out for overly aggressive driving - read bump drafting - and forced to sit out the end of morning practice.   I wonder what the NASCAR police are going to do during the race when everyone but the leader will be bumping?

I’m really looking forward to this race.

Picture credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Advertisement

Blogroll

• Amy’s Bad Groove
• Answer This
• Bruce’s NASCAR Bits & Pieces
• Car a Day
• Catfish Show
• Church of the Great Oval
• Do You NASCAR?
• Fast and Fabulous
• Fast Machines
• From the Marbles
• Full Throttle
• In the Pits
• Kathy’s Pit Stop
• Laidback Racing
• Life in the Turn Lane
• Lug Nuts
• Motorsports Soapbox
• NASCAR Bloggers Full Throttle
• NASCAR Chase
• NASCAR Eclectic
• NASCAR Ranting and Raving
• NASCAR This Week
• On Pit Row
• One Bad Wheel
• One Lugnut Short
• Restrictor Plate This
• Rev’ Jim’s Rants
• Robby News
• Ryan Newman Fan
• The Backstretch
• The Chick’s View
• The Daly Planet
• The View from Here
• Thunder Lounge
• Trixie’s Trailer Park
• Trouble in Turn 2
• TSR Fan
• Unrestricted
• Vroom
• ZuDfunck the “Dude”

Racing Websites

• ARCA and Toledo Speedway
• ASA Late Model Series
• Asian Motorports
• Backstretch Motorsports
• Cup Scene
• Inside the Pit Box
• Jayski’s
• Lori’s War Wagon
• Nascapper
• NASCAR Fanhouse
• No Fenders
• Race Space
• Race Talk Radio
• Sports Mates
• Stock Car Pit Pass
• Stock Car Science
• The Backstretch Boys
• USAC

Copyright © 2008 Bench Racing Productions, LLC. · All rights reserved.
Content may not be duplicated, or redistributed without express written permission.

OnPitRow.com | Bench Racing | Fast Lap | About Us | Contact Us
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertise with us!