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Race Day NASCAR Pictures: Pure Michigan 400 at MIS

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by BethAnne, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 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."

September 4, 2011 9:59 pm UTC 1 Comment

Exclusive NASCAR photos from Sunday at Michigan Speedway

Michigan is always hot on race weekend at MIS. Sunday was no different. Hot weather and hot action on the track too.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dave Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Shrader, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, Red Bull Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Racing, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, The Busch Bros, The Wood Brothers, Tony Stewart, Toyota 

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Fast Laps: Infineon

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

I'm the former blogger of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog and a contributor to On Pit Row. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

June 17, 2009 11:49 pm UTC 3 Comments

Back in black,
I hit the sack,
I’ve been too long I’m glad to be back…

Fast Laps is back, with a new writer hoping to continue what Charlie and The Idiot have started here. I’m Matt Mercer, a contributor to Bench Racing and I’ve got the green light for some Fast Laps on the way to wine country. The road course “ringers” have become less of a factor than in the past. Only cars concerned with the top 35 are turning to them now. One that will enter the race, Ron Fellows in the #09, could be a sleeper if it’s one of the Hendrick Chevys and not a Finch Dodgepodge. Patrick Carpentier will try and put the Napa Toyota near the front, which is ironic since in his open-wheel days he was considered an oval specialist. Go figure.

Let’s get to the questions and comments, but be warned I’m going to have some different rules. Instead of 100 words or less per question, I’m limiting your responses to 100 words to answer all 4 questions. Got it? 100 words or less or I’ll beat you with Steve’s microphone.

Also, don’t forget to answer the new Checkered Flag question: there’s no word limit at the checkers, so get creative and follow up on your answers. All of us at On Pit Row enjoy debate so bring it on.

1. Is this the year that Mark Martin wins that elusive championship?

2. Brian France talked about more foreign manufacturers entering NASCAR, provided they have production facilities in the United States. Those companies are Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW, and Mercedes. Which of these companies would dedicate the efforts necessary to compete in NASCAR?

3. Will the Camping World Truck Series survive? Could the series “merge” with the Nationwide Series or disband altogether?

4. Can a US-based Formula One team achieve any real success?

Checkered Flag: What is Marc Davis’ future? Will he solidify a competitive ride or will his career follow Bill Lester’s trajectory?

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Brian France, Chevrolet, Diversity and NASCAR, Fast Lap Posts, Mark Martin, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, road course ringers, Toyota 

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David Reutimann Nails it: On Pole for the Samsung 500

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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

April 3, 2009 11:45 pm UTC 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 

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Would Chopping Teams to 10 Cars Make Sense?

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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 20, 2008 11:53 pm UTC 6 Comments

NASCAR has banned testing on the Sprint Cup car that most drivers have called evil or worse and leaves their crew chiefs scratching heads or screaming into radios – “I already tried that!”. The ban will save money, the suits in Daytona claim. Most owners and their managers seem to agree. But is this move really more of a gesture than a real solution?

According to Mike Mulhern’s article on the subject of cost cutting in NASCAR, Toyota’s Lee White proposed something more radical – actually  limiting each team to as few as five cars.

“White says that during mid-season discussions the issue of limiting teams to just five cars was raised: “NASCAR is already putting holograms on the frame-rails of every car, so just tell the teams ‘You only get five cars. And when you start testing, design a car that can be adjustable to running speedways, intermediate tracks, short-tracks and road courses,’” White says.

OK, using the list above, one car each for plate tracks, intermediates, shorties and road courses leaves a team with one extra. That car would have to do multiple duty – hell all of these cars would. Damage your Bristol car in practice and what – break out the plate car? Remember when  - who was it Junior? Stewart?  - used his Bristol car at Daytona last year? And what about back to back to back cookie-cutter weekends like the Chase produces?

Then there is the travel complication. If you wreck your intermediate car at Fontana in February do you send it back to North Carolina to fix it before Atlanta and make do at Vegas with something makeshift? I could see mega-budget teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Roush-Fenway Racing  flying cars around – just as Formula One teams do –  to save time, using some of the dollars that NASCAR sees as savings. The small guys probably couldn’t do that.

Limiting the number of cars in a team seems like a legit way to cut investment and expenses. But five cars isn’t enough. With twenty unique cars being the norm right now, cutting to ten seems doable though. It’s the best idea that I’ve seen so far.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Tech, Sprint Cup Series, Testing news, Toyota 

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Greg Biffle Backs Up New Hampshire with a Win at Dover

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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.

September 22, 2008 10:24 pm UTC 2 Comments

Roush-Fenway drivers take the top three spots at The Monster Mile.

Greg Biffle won back to back races to start The Chase for the Sprint Cup.  Biffle out dueled his teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.  The biggest loser again was Kyle Busch who had an engine problem that relegated him to a last place finish.

Edwards retains the points lead by Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas10 points over teammate Biffle and Jimmy johnson.  Johnson finished fifth in his Lowe’s Chevrolet.

Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin finished eleventh and 38th respectively.  With Stewart sitting seventh in points and Hamlin and Busch no better than eleventh, the early domination of the Toyotas in general and Rowdy Busch in particular has to be questioned.

And that leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Hey Jack Roush; are the Toyotas unbeatable now?

Let us know what you think about this and we could use your reply on this week’s ON PIT ROW.  OPR is heard live from 5-7pm ET.  Tune in to INSIDE ARCA at arcaracing.com from 7-8:30pm.  Give the show a call and your phone call could win you a Kevin Harvick bobble head if we choose your call as the “Shell gunk free call of the day.”

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Bench Racing Contests, Chase for the Cup, Dover International Speedway, Greg Biffle, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Roush Racing, Toyota 

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Kyle Busch: Tight in Turn Two and Loose Everywhere Else

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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

September 19, 2008 9:20 am UTC 1 Comment

Did a broken two dollar bolt really cancel out a season of NASCAR dominance like we’ve never seen before? 

Maybe and maybe not.  Kyle Busch’s run and pout act after the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Chase kick-off didn’t help.  The guy seems to handle success just fine.  It’s the little bumps in life’s road that challenge him.  That doesn’t make him unusual.  But it may not make him a champion either.

Dodge’s NASCAR status is seeing some of those bumps as well.   Dodge  announced they were dumping the Craftsman Truck Series last week.  And now they may be going from dumper to dumpee, as the team that brought them into the Sprint Cup Series, may be jumping ship. 

Bruce, of NASCAR Bits and Pieces  goes Tight in Turn Two with me on the whole deal.

If the rumors turn out to be true, and Gillette-Evernham Motorsports buys Bill Davis Racing and becomes a Toyota team, is it a good thing for NASCAR and the sport?

Charlie: Well, it would weaken the Dodge presense in a serious way.  On the other hand, it would probably strengthen GEM and save Bill Davis Racing’s No. 22 team – which has been pretty good for the most part.  With Dodge pulling out of the Truck Series, the future of their involvement in NASCAR’s other series is cloudy.  Dodge needs to show that they are in this thing to compete for the long haul, on a level with the other three manufacturers.  Not sure they have everyone convinced of that right now.  You can’t blame GEM or BDR for making a move like this.  I say, what’s good for the teams – and competition on the track – is good for the sport.

Bruce: Though technically, GEM switching to Toyota would weaken what Dodge presence there is, would it really?  The Dodge teams are all struggling, per se, with the highest spot they hold in the standings right now at 13th, (Kahne) then Newman in 17th.  GEM has to lookout for itself and that’s that. More fans could balk at more Toyota’s in the field, but it would seem that Toyota has proven itself sufficiently.  Dodge needs to show they are in it for the long haul, but even a little thing like pulling out of the Truck Series can’t help that endeavor.  The economy just isn’t there for them any more.  Maybe they should have already put more into NASCAR… too little, too late?

That’s what we think.  What do you think?  Let us know your opinions on this topic and Bruce’s own query…

If NASCAR  insists on limiting the year end competition to top performing drivers, are 12 drivers too many?

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Craftsman Truck Series, Dave Blaney, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, Sprint Cup Series, Toyota, Turn 2 posts 

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