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Sillier and Sillier

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

If OnPitRow.com was a NASCAR team, I’d be the development driver of the bunch. In the same way that young hotshots like Joey Logano have been driving since they were in grade school, I’ve been following and writing about all forms of motorsports since I was barely old enough to talk.

July 15, 2009 6:22 pm CDT 1 Comment

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With no Sprint Cup race this weekend, some of us NASCAR fans are searching for something to talk about. The IndyCar Series is off, as well, leaving major-league racing fans only with Nationwide and Camping World Truck races at Gateway and Kentucky, respectively. It’s not a bad offering, but it’s certainly nothing compared to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard next weekend.

Because I’ve got nothing to predict this week for One and Done, I figure that now is as good a time as ever to catch folks up on this year’s Silly Season, one of the more interesting in recent memory. Martin Truex is the first big fish to move, having announced his move to Michael Waltrip Racing a couple of weeks ago, but there are plenty more drivers and sponsors on the market with strong records and sound checkbooks.

Kevin Harvick is the biggest name on the market at the moment, as multiple reports this past week have suggested that he wants out at Richard Childress Racing. Harvick’s contract is up after next year, but sponsor Shell/Pennzoil’s ends after this one.

Harvick doesn’t want to move up his own team to Sprint Cup, though, and run as an owner-driver as Tony Stewart has (with great success) this year; rather, he wants to join Stewart’s operation, this year’s biggest surprise, and take Shell with him. Sponsorship wise, the deal makes sense, as Stewart-Haas’ engine and chassis provider Hendrick Motorsports already has a deal with Shell motor oil brand Quaker State.

It’s also possible, however, that Bass Pro Shops follows Truex out of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to join Stewart-Haas, as the company is a longtime Stewart supporter. EGR believes that Bass Pro Shops will return to their No. 1 car, but with Aric Almirola the only driver candidate at the moment, they may look for more of a sure thing, such as Harvick or Ryan Newman.

Before the Harvick rumor broke, the most likely candidate for a third Stewart-Haas car was Brad Keselowski, due to his ties to Hendrick and Chevrolet. Now, however, it looks more and more like one of the following two scenarios will play out: either he’ll join Penske Racing and replace David Stremme in the No. 12 car, or he’ll join Team Red Bull (if it switches to Chevrolet), potentially in a third car for that team. (Current drivers Brian Vickers and Scott Speed appear set to return for 2010, with Vickers renewing his contract almost inevitable.)

As for other potential expansion teams, Joe Gibbs Racing may add a fourth car next year, sponsorship pending. They’re already running a fourth car in three late season races this year, potentially in preparation for a full-time gig in 2010. AJ Allmendinger has been rumored to join the team in the past, but the latest reports suggest that David Gilliland will get the ride for the three races this year and potentially next year.

One of the biggest questions remaining for 2010, however, lies not in expansion but contraction. One of Roush Fenway Racing’s current teams will be gone after this season as the team finally complies with NASCAR’s four-car limit. Drivers David Ragan and Jamie McMurray both finish up their contracts at the end of the year, and one will undoubtedly be the odd man out.

As Ragan and the No. 6 team have just started a major sponsorship deal with UPS, it looks like McMurray will leave the team. Roush’s plan, however, is to shift the odd man out and his team to Yates Racing, in order to try and strengthen that team. Current drivers Paul Menard and Bobby Labonte haven’t been running up to par with the performance of Gilliland and Travis Kvapil last year.

Yates will probably see its second overhaul in two years, combining the likely addition of a current Roush driver with the potential defection of Menard. He’s been rumored to be shopping around the family sponsorship. One intriguing option for Menard would be Robby Gordon Motorsports, which already has a long-standing deal with the Menards chain of hardware stores.

Another solid option for Menard would be to join his former EGR teammate Truex at Waltrip’s team, now running at only one level below the heavyweights. Current drivers David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose (through a JTG Daugherty Racing partnership) are solid 10th-20th place drivers every week, and are even improving as the season goes on. Both should be back next year.

If that was confusing, and a handful to decipher… it should’ve been. NASCAR’s silly season gets sillier and sillier every year, and 2009 is no exception. Expect much of the confusion to end in the coming months, however, as drivers, teams, and sponsors begin signing contracts to strengthen their positions in Sprint Cup for next year and beyond.

Filed under: Joe Gibbs Racing, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Camping World Truck Series, IndyCar Series, silly season

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He Blocked Left then He Blocked Right then He Got Smoked

by Mindy Monday, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

July 9, 2009 9:50 pm CDT 1 Comment

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Last week, Steve got the crow sandwich. This week, Charlie gets the rocking chair. Actually, Mindy Monday offers up Charlies chair to the shy (right) and retiring (true) Mikey Waltrip.

Mindy compares the Jeremy Mayfield saga to a Burt Levee novel and Phil Parson’s no. 66 ride to the previously mentioned rocker.

There’s more. There always is. Including Tony Stewart’s “ole’- el passo” of Kyle Busch. Watch the latest Monday Morning Crew Chief.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR, NASCAR video, Phil Parsons, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Mindy Monday

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Reutimann’s NASCAR Memorial Day Parade Rained On–YES

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.

May 26, 2009 9:54 am CDT 5 Comments

Some of the media were referring to the Coca-Cola 600 as the 24 Hours of Charlotte because the holiday weekend dodged rain storm after rain storm.

Mike Bliss won a rain shortened Nationwide Series race on Saturday night, but the 600 couldn’t roll off the starting line on Sunday because of persistent rain. By the time Memorial Day Monday rolled around, the teams, drivers and media had had enough of trying to kill time. But it didn’t take long for the first of several rain delays to stop the action at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

It looked early on as if the scheduled 400 laps would never be seen and a race to halfway was going to be the order of the day. Michael Waltrip Racing’s David Reutimann got the teams first Sprint Cup win by staying on the racetrack when the final rain delay hit the speedway.

I think we sat on pit road eight hours today is what it felt like. We just kept waiting. Rodney and I talked. I was like, I’ve been in situations like this before, obviously not in a Cup race, but different situations. This deal never goes my way, so I don’t see why it should now. We talked about what we were going to change on the car when we came down pit road. Rodney told me, I’m either going to get us a win or lose us 10 spots, one or the other. It’s a gamble. I said, I’ll stay out. That’s what he told me to do. That’s what I do. When I’m told to do something, I generally do something.

NASCAR waited about two and a half hours before finally calling the race over and done. By that time there weren’t many fans left in the grandstands to celebrate. MWR, had seen its share of adversity throughout its first two-plus years of competition. From the jet fuel incident it first year, to not making races times have been tough. Reutimann made all those heartaches and mis-steps seem long removed when he was able to paddle his #00 into the winners circle.

This week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW ponders:

How does Reutimann’s win stack up as far as first wins go?

Let us know what you think and we could us your comments to this weeks ON PIT ROW radio show. Listen live every Tuesday from 5-7pm ET at onpitrow.com. Call the show at 1-800-645-2946 and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead if your call is the Shell Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day.

Filed under: David Reutimann, Lowes Motor Speedway, Michael Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio

Tagged with: David Reutimann, Lowes Motor Speedway, Michael Waltrip, NASCAR

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

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

May 25, 2009 11:19 pm CDT 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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David Reutimann Nails it: On Pole for the Samsung 500

by Charlie Turner

April 3, 2009 11:45 pm CDT No Comments

I watched David Reutimann today as driver after driver tried to take away his top qualifying spot for Sunday’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. I think I was more nervous than Reut.

He sat calmly chatting with several people along the pit wall as the best of the best went after his time. Maybe he just knew that he’d run the perfect lap today.

According to Darrell Waltrip - talking on the Speed TV broadcast of qualifying - Reutimann calls himself “The Franchise” when trash-talking with his boss, Michael Waltrip. I don’t think that’s too much of a stretch.

Watch video of David here as he talks about his pole and what it means to his Michael Waltrip Racing team.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, David Reutimann, Michael Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR video, SPEED TV, Texas Motor Speedway, The Waltrips, Toyota

Tagged with: NASCAR video, pole qualifying, Samsung 500, SPEED TV

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Auto Club 500: Line ‘em Up as they Qualified…Almost

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.

February 22, 2009 8:29 am CST 1 Comment

NASCAR fans almost got what they have been asking for–no Top 35 rule–at Fontana.

Fans have been less than enthusiastic about the Top 35 rule since its inception. While many of those same fans will acknowledge that there should be some concession for top teams, many think the number should be smaller or non existent. Qualifying at Auto Club Speedway almost gave the fans who think, “They should line ‘em up by how they qualify–period” what they asked for.

When the field rolls off for the start of the Auto Club 500 the 42 fastest cars and Michael Waltrip will make up the field. Waltrip had valve train problems and couldn’t make a qualifying lap for the race. He will start forty-second on the field due to his owner points from 2008. If not for the Top 35 rule, Waltrip would be having a 2007 deja-vu moment. Instead Todd Bodine will pack up his unsponsored, Larry Gunselman owned Toyota and head east to Las Vegas.

Bodine joins Tony Raines, David Starr, Sterling Marlin and Mike Garvey as non-qualifiers.

AJ Almendinger again looked strong, pulling down an eighth place starting spot in his part time ride in the #44 of Richard Petty Motorsports. The lone past champion not in the Top 35, Tony Stewart, took his #14 to an eleventh quickest time ensuring that there was no need for that provisional to be used.

As harsh as it is for Bodine’s team not to make this race, it would be an even bigger injustice to send Waltrip packing. Waltrip has struggled making races; especially in 2007, and it is time for him to reap the benefits of his hard work, and NAPA’s money from 2008.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc

Filed under: A J Allmendinger, Auto Club Speedway, Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, Top 35 Rule

Tagged with: AJ Almendinger, larry Gunselman, Michael Waltrip, todd bodine, Tony Raines, Tony Stewart

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