Browse > Home / Archive by category 'Penske Racing'

The Kez Wins One for the Captain

User Avatar

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

November 6, 2010 7:32 pm CDT No Comments

Brad Keselowski showed maturity - yep he did - in closing out his first NASCAR series championship at Texas Motor Speedway.

In doing so, The Kez brought one of auto racings’ most accomplished team owners his first NASCAR championship too.

Keselowski followed his two closest Nationwide Series championship contenders - Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch - to the finish line at TMS. He locked up the NNWS for Roger Penske, and himself, by doing so.

Penske has more racing championships than Keselowski has enemies, but this was The Captain’s first in NASCAR.

Rusty Wallace couldn’t bring one home. Nor did Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch or IRL Champ Sam Hornish Jr.

Congratulations Brad. You done the Captain proud.

Photo credit: Glenn Bure - OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, Nascar Legends, Nationwide Series, Penske Racing, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Sam Hornish Jr 

Tagged with: ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

IndyCar Race Preview: Firestone 550k

User Avatar

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

June 5, 2010 3:06 pm CDT No Comments

Ryan Briscoe and Dario Franchitti will make up the front row for tonight’s Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway, and both drivers are looking to continue trends that would bring them to the winner’s circle.

Since joining Team Penske, Briscoe started and finished third in the 2008 race, and started and finished second in 2009. His pole suggests that he might be able to continue that trend this year. Franchitti, meanwhile, will look to be the third Indianapolis 500 winner in a row to also triumph at Texas.

Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing-owned cars will, unsurprisingly, make up the top five starters, with Will Power (Penske), Scott Dixon (Ganassi), and Helio Castroneves (Penske) starting 3-4-5. Shocking, however, will be Alex Lloyd’s sixth-place start for Dale Coyne Racing; it comes on the heels of his fourth-place start at Indy, and Milka Duno’s shocking sixth-place run in Texas practice. (She’ll start back in 17th, though.)

Lloyd is the highest qualifying rookie, with Takuma Sato next best in 11th. None of the other four rookies qualified inside the top 20 of the 26-car field.

Tomas Scheckter, replacing the injured Mike Conway in Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 24 Dallara-Honda, qualified 18th. Scheckter led laps in last weekend’s 500, as did two of the other three DRR drivers, only to fall to 15th and a lap down when the checkers waved. Scheckter hasn’t been guaranteed the ride beyond this weekend, but a strong showing may keep him in the car; on three occasions he’s led more than half of the Texas race, meaning he could be a threat for victory. In fact, Scheckter’s most recent IndyCar win came at Texas in 2005, when he drove for Panther Racing.

With two oval races completed, the Ganassi cars of Franchitti and Dixon lead the oval points, followed by Castroneves, Dan Wheldon of Panther Racing, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport, Power, Alex Tagliani of FAZZT Race Team, Briscoe, and Danica Patrick. Wheldon and Patrick are separated by only eight points, but from there the gap widens; Castroneves is 10 ahead of Wheldon with 69, Dixon is 22 ahead of Castroneves with 91, and Franchitti is 13 ahead of Dixon with 104, bolstered by a 64-point Indy 500.

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Indy Cars, Penske Racing, Texas Motor Speedway 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Penske Racing Assembling NASCAR’s Best Stable of Young Talent

User Avatar

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

March 23, 2010 1:03 pm CDT 1 Comment

Did you see the post race interview with Brad Keselowski after the Penske Racing one-two finish at Bristol?

The Kez wasn’t happy. He had just been passed at the end of a dominant performance in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. He said all the right things. But he did seem to be choking something back. I got the feeling that his inner Brad was saying something like - “If that had been Edwards or Hamlin, instead of Allgaier, and if the whole world weren’t watching me this week, there’s no flippin’ way…..”

It was Justin Allgaier though, who finally made good on the promise he has shown since signing with the Penske organization, off his 2008 ARCA Racing Series championship. It was the first of a bunch more NASCAR wins to come. And they won’t all be in the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule either. Allgaier is coming to Sprint Cup, right behind Keselowski. And it won’t be long.

ESPN the Magazine’s Ryan McGee was a guest On Pit Row before the Bristol Motor Speedway weekend. The talk started to be about Keselowski. Shortly, it turned to Penske Racing in general. The great 2010 start of Kurt Busch. Keselowski’s speed. The tenuous hold that Sam Hornish may have on a ride that Allgaier covets. And then there is 19 year old Parker Kliggerman, 2009 ARCA Racing Series near-champ and Rookie of the Year.

There is a theory being floated that because they are the only Dodge team, Penske has an advantage of being the sole focus of Dodge’s more limited resources. Larry McReynolds and Rusty Wallace both suggested as much Sunday. If it’s true, Roger Penske probably anticipated that. He’s a smart guy, Roger. And he has always been a great driver-talent evaluator.

The future looks bright at Penske.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - On Pit Row

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Penske Racing, Sam Hornish Jr 

Tagged with: ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Pat Tryson May Get Kicked Out of the Crew Chief Union

User Avatar

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

November 14, 2009 10:09 am CST No Comments

Well that’s what Mindy thinks anyway. I mean how can a guy show up one day a week and out think 42 full-timers on the pit boxes of NASCAR?

Mindy has a business proposition for JR Motorsports too. It’s all here in the latest Monday Morning Crew Chief video with our Mindy Monday. Watch it now.

Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player.

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Chase for the Cup, Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR, NASCAR video, Penske Racing, Texas Motor Speedway, jimmie johnson 

Tagged with: , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Nationwide Series at Bristol: Developing Development Series Finally?

User Avatar

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

August 21, 2009 9:49 pm CDT No Comments

Watching tonight’s Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Maybe this old Grand National Series is returning to what a whole bunch of NASCAR fans seem to at least think that they remember. A driver development series.

We spoke with NNWS Director Joe Balash On Pit Row a few weeks back and Joe indicated that was a goal of his.

And even though Carl Edwards is battling David Ragan with a green, white checkered finish about to happen, the days of fields full of Bushwackers seem past.

The GWC finish got short circuited when several cars got together back in the pack, giving Ragan his second Nationwide win. Edwards came second and Brad Keselowski got by Kevin Harvick for third.

That still sounds like the Buschwackin’ days, but the race didn’t seem so.

For one thing, Ragan and Keselowski ARE still developing drivers. Early on, the Kez got into Penske young gun, Justin Allgaier, cutting the no. 12’s tire and ruining what might have been Justin’s first win. He had the car. He has the talent too.

There are still plenty of Cup drivers competing in the junior series. But talented Michael Annett was top ten, and fast. Michael McDowell was 10th. Matt Carter, son of long time NASCAR team owner Travis Carter, finished 12th, on the lead lap, in a one-off start that I hope leads to more. Matt was ARCA RE/Max Rookie of the Year in 2008 and needs a break.

The presence of the Sprint Cup guys make it a tough place to win. But developing talent should rise to the top. That’s what happened with Keselowski. His talent earned him a big break with J R Motorsports in 2008, which led to more opportunities with Hendrick Motorsports. Today he signed a contract with Penske Racing to drive full time in Cup.

But he honed his chops in the Nationwide Series the last two years, competing with the big boys.

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Bristol Motor Speedway, David Ragan, Justin Allgaier, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Penske Racing 

Tagged with: , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Kurt Busch Out Runs the Competition with Help from a Gasman

User Avatar

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

March 10, 2009 7:04 am CDT 3 Comments

The complexion of the race in Atlanta on Sunday changed faster than a teenager with a Hershey bar.

Jimmy Watts, gasman for Marcos Ambrose, took off after an errant tire that was headed for the racing surface.  NASCAR saw Watts sprinting after the Goodyear and threw a caution flag during the round of green flag pit stops.  The caution threw a monkey wrench into many teams strategies as some very good race cars went a lap down to the leaders.

Only nine cars remained on the lead lap after the Watts inspired caution.  Thanks to the “lucky dog rule” those nine swelled back to fourteen later in the race, but Kurt Busch help off late race challenges from Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards to gain the win.  Busch dominated the activities on Sunday leading on six different occasions for more laps than anyone.

Busch’s crew chief Pat Tryson had Kurt still on the race track when the Watts caution was thrown by NASCAR–good luck.  Luck plays a part in all of racing.  Just ask Bill Elliott who was caught up in an accident that was not of his doing–bad luck.  But, that is part of racing and how teams deal with adversity is what will separate winners from also rans.

Did luck need to play into this race however; as we look at this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Did NASCAR over react with its yellow flag for the loose tire chased down by Marcos Ambrose’s gasman Jimmy Watts?

Let us know what you think and we could use your thoughts on this weeks ON PIT ROW.  Listen live from 5-7pm ET every Tuesday at www.onpitrow.com.

photo credit:  Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR officials, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Penske Racing 

Tagged with: , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

« Previous Articles

March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

Blogroll

Fantasy Sports Partners

Racing Websites

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement