Grand-Am: Rojas Captures Pole for Crown Royal 200

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Series championship standings co-leader Memo Rojas ran a lap of 1:05.470 (134.718 mph) Friday on the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International short circuit to capture the pole for Saturday's Crown Royal 200.

Rojas will join Scott Pruett in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW/Riley at the front of the grid for Round 10 of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The race takes the green flag at 6 p.m. Saturday (SPEED, live).

"It's great to win the pole," said Rojas, who shares a 19-point lead with Pruett over Ryan Dalziel in the Daytona Prototype class standings (267-248). "It's been a great season so far. We focus on doing the best we can, and I'm really overwhelmed by the number of wins we have so far this year. Now this pole position is in a good way to start the weekend."

Mark Wilkins was second with a lap of 1:05.642 (134.645 mph) in the session that was black-flagged nine minutes early due to an incident when Mark Patterson spun in the Inner Loop and was collected by Buddy Rice. Both cars are expected to be repaired for the race.

"It was a tough session because of the incident, and it would have been interesting to see how it would have worked when everyone got their tires up to speed," Rojas said. "I think we were on the right page. I think we might have run a 1:04.6, but that's just quick thoughts."

Rojas and Pruett are seeking their seventh victory of the season, which would tie the single-season record set in 2007 by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty. The Ganassi duo won the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen in June, their third consecutive victory in the event on the Watkins Glen International 3.4-mile long circuit. It was the third pole position of the season for Rojas, breaking a tie with Ricky Taylor in that category.

Pruett did double-duty on Friday. In addition to practicing the DP car, he took a few laps in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice. Pruett is on standby in case regular driver Jeff Gordon's wife goes into labor this weekend.

Taylor qualified third with a lap of 1:105.788 (134.067 mph). He will be joined on the second row by Jon Fogarty, who qualified with a lap of 1:06.020 (133.795 mph) in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley he drove to victory with Alex Gurney in the series' previous race, at New Jersey Motorsports Park. 

Sylvain Tremblay ran a lap of 1:11.762 (122.906 mph) to capture the GT class pole in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, erasing Cort Wagner's mark set in 2003 in a Ferrari 360GT.

"The car was good from the first session, and we just kept tweaking and tweaking it," said Tremblay, who is eight points (262-254) behind SpeedSource teammates Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato. "The team is firing on all rotors - not cylinders - right now. After the history we had at New Jersey (SpeedSource swept the GT podium), we're proving that wasn't a fluke. We're here for real, and we're out to chase this championship." 

Andrew Davis qualified second with a lap of 1:11.785 (122.866 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro, followed by motorcycle legend Scott Russell, who ran 1:11.852 (122.752 mph).

Muscle Milk Team CytoSport forced to sit out Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge

- Greg Pickett unscathed in massive crash at Mid-Ohio -

Lexington, OH (August 5, 2010) - After enjoying the highs of victory less than two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park, Muscle Milk Team CytoSport endured contrasting emotions today following a massive testing crash at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that has forced the team to withdraw from this weekend's race.

Everything was running smoothly in the test session for the Muscle Milk squad as they were sitting atop the speed charts. But then with less than 10 minutes to go, Greg Pickett was involved in a huge accident.

Pickett found himself a passenger aboard the Porsche RS Spyder due to a mechanical issue with the car and ended up going straight into the tire barrier at Turn 4.

After hitting nose first, the #6 Muscle Milk car flipped upside down and came to a rest atop the tire barrier.

As a testament to the safety of the Porsche RS Spyder, which absorbed most of the impact, Pickett came out of the shunt unscathed with only a few aches and pains.

Due to the severity of the crash, with damage to the tub of the car, Muscle Milk Team CytoSport had no choice but to sit out this weekend's Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge as they await the arrival of a new tub.

The team will now be heading back to it's Indianapolis base at the Mark One Composite facilities and start preparing for the upcoming race at Road America in two weeks.


What they had to say:
  Geoffrey Carter, Team Manager #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder
"Unfortunately the Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder was damaged beyond repair after it was involved in accident during today's test session and we're really disappointed to have to withdraw from this weekend's event.
"It's a shame because the car just went through an extensive rebuild after our win at Lime Rock Park last week and the crew and the guys were bringing a lot of momentum and looking forward to this event. In the past the crew has been able to overcome adversity like this and excel and I expect them to rise to this occasion as well.
"In an accident of this severity, we're just happy that Greg came out of it uninjured, in the end that's the most important thing."

Greg Pickett, Owner / Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder
"I've done this a long time and this is a huge compliment to the car's inherent safety and its structural integrity. It was the biggest shunt I've ever had in 35 years and all I have is a sore back because of the impact. I speared those tires at about 120 mph and then got up in the air and came back down. I'm very happy that I got out of this accident with only very little aches and pains, just a few typical ones like you would expect from this kind of shunt.
"We're going to need to put a new tub on it, so unfortunately we won't be able to be on track this weekend. But we'll be back. We love this. It's why we do it. We're just very thankful that we got through it as good as we did."

AMS to host one race weekend in 2011

HAMPTON, Ga -- Atlanta Motor Speedway officials on Thursday announced that the facility's 2011 event schedule will include one NASCAR racing weekend -- Sept. 2-4.

One of the sport's original superspeedways, the track has played host to two event weekends for 50 years, including the upcoming Emory Healthcare 500 slated for Sept. 5.

"Atlanta Motor Speedway has provided top-quality racing entertainment to spectators from across the nation and around the world for 50 years," speedway president Ed Clark said. "While our schedule will change, our commitment to the racing fans who have been the heart and soul of Atlanta Motor Speedway through these years will be stronger than ever. Our entire staff will be even more driven to produce the top annual sporting event in Georgia for many years to come."

AMS played host to its inaugural Labor Day racing weekend in 2009 when the events were moved forward on the schedule from the speedway's traditional October date.

"We were thrilled with the acquisition of the Labor Day date two years ago and are proud to host such a prestigious, historical date on the NASCAR schedule," Clark said. "This track produces some of the greatest racing the circuit sees, it remains one of the drivers' favorite tracks and we will continue to build a platform that sets this one date apart from the rest."

An announcement is set for Tuesday in Sparta, Ky., at which time it is expected that Kentucky Speedway officials will announce the track will receive a Cup Series date for 2011. The 1.5-mile tri-oval halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati will host NASCAR's top series in early July.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the speedway from the original ownership group in 2008. SMI owner Bruton Smith said his main goal was to bring the track a long-coveted Cup date.

The original owners filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., contending they tried to exclude the track from the Cup Series.

SMI owns eight tracks on the NASCAR schedule: Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Infineon, Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Texas.

NASCAR: In the Name of the Father

“He is very, very introverted,” a publicist says. “He lives alone. He plays video games by himself eight hours at a clip. He’s a multimillionaire, yet he lived alone for months in a 20-by-20 garage loft.” The publicist makes him out to be the Howard Hughes of Nascar.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is 35, has been the most famous driver in Nascar, and most beloved by fans, over the past eight years, and yet he has almost vanished from sight in Nascar winner circles. He has not won at Nascar’s top level since 2008. Last year, his worst ever, he finished 25th out of 72 Nascar drivers in the final standings... more

NASCAR: Allmendinger signs extension with RPM

By Sporting News Wire Service: August 4, 2010: 10:28 AM EDT

Free-agent Cup Series driver A.J. Allmendinger will stay put after signing a contract extension with Richard Petty Motorsports, Sporting News has learned.

The contract, signed Tuesday, is a multiyear deal, according to sources close to the situation. The team is optimistic about the prospect of re-signing Allmendinger's sponsor, Best Buy, though sponsorship was not settled before Tuesday's contract signing.

A formal announcement will take place Friday at Watkins Glen International.

Allmendinger has three top-10s in 21 starts this season, with a best finish of sixth at Atlanta in March.

The driver of the No. 43 Ford is 22nd in the series standings. Now that Allmendinger has decided to remain in the organization's flagship car, RPM will work toward filling the remaining slots on the team.

Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler have announced plans to depart at the end of the season. Marcos Ambrose, who will leave the No. 47 JTG/Daugherty Toyota team at season's end, is a leading candidate to fill the seat of one of the RPM Fords.

Paul Menard, who drives the No. 98 Ford for RPM, has not announced plans for next year but has talked to other teams, including Richard Childress Racing, according to multiple sources.

NASCAR: Kentucky to host July race

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kentucky Speedway will get a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2011, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The 1.5-mile tri-oval halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati will host NASCAR's top series in early July. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced. A news conference is scheduled at the track Aug. 10.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the speedway from the original ownership group in 2008. SMI owner Bruton Smith said his main goal was to bring the track a long-coveted Cup date.

The original owners filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. in 2005, contending they tried to exclude the track from the Cup Series.

Smith called the court case a major stumbling block and was relieved when it eventually ended this year. Smith had no immediate comment, but said before last week's race at Indianapolis that he'd like to have a Cup race at "all" of SMI's NASCAR sanctioned tracks.

The company also owns New Hampshire Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway.

The only one that lacks a Cup date right now is Kentucky, though Smith said he's optimistic there would be plenty of time to get the facility ready for a Cup race.

Kentucky already hosts NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series events, as well as an IndyCar race. Plans are already in place to expand seating from 65,000 to around 100,000.

NASCAR officials had no immediate comment, but CEO Brian France said before last week's race in Indianapolis that the series was mulling "impactful" changes to its 2011 schedule.

"There will be some changes as they look now," France said. "That could not quite materialize, but I sense it will and we'll have some pretty impactful changes to the schedule that I think will be good for NASCAR fans."

SMI will likely have to move a race from one of its other tracks to Kentucky. Smith has consistently played coy about his intentions, but during a Cup visit to New Hampshire in June, he didn't exactly endorse the prospect of continuing to have two Cup races a year in New England.

While the second race traditionally kicks off the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, the June race could easily be bumped off the schedule.

NASCAR is expected to announce its 2011 schedule by Labor Day.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

NASCAR: Elliott Sadler lucky to be alive after Pocono crash

Courtesy of ESNP.com:

Next time you want to criticize the Sprint Cup car, consider the fact that Elliott Sadler is alive today because of it, along with the head-and-neck restraints all drivers use.

And next time there's a NASCAR race at Pocono, hope and pray track officials follow through with planned safety improvements that should have happened long ago.

Sadler is a lucky man to escape serious injury in a terrifying crash in the Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. The front half of his No. 19 Ford was destroyed in a violent head-on crash into a barrier at the 2.5-mile triangular track.

Sadler slid through the grass at high speed and slammed into a guard rail in front of a dirt berm. It looked like a crash that might have happened 30 years ago -- because the archaic safety devices in place probably were there 30 years ago.

It was the second time this season that drivers luckily have left Pocono uninjured because of car safety, not track safety.

Kasey Kahne made head-on contact with the outside wall in the June race at Pocono. He got into the grass inside the backstretch, causing him to turn up into the wall in front of other cars.

Kahne hit at a spot where there isn't a SAFER barrier. He also hit where there isn't any catch fencing (only large bushes behind the wall), and his car almost went over the wall.

What few people remember about that accident was Marcos Ambrose slamming into the inside barrier at almost the same spot where Sadler hit Sunday. The front of Ambrose's car was destroyed, but he walked away unhurt.

"It's dangerous to have grass next to where you're running 200 miles an hour," Greg Biffle said after winning Sunday. "That's all there is to it. This is a great racetrack. It's so much fun to drive, but Talladega and Daytona had that same issue and they added pavement, like a skid pad or whatever you want to call it, so when the car does get out of control or gets going that direction, you still have some control.

"It feels like you pick up speed when you get in the wet grass. They'll have to look at it. I understand times are tough, but this is two races in a row somebody has been over there."

Drivers have been critical of Pocono's safety problems for years. A few were willing to talk about it Sunday.

"I think the incidents speak for themselves," Jeff Gordon said after the race. "I think there are times where we've got to step up the technology and safety at certain facilities. We've seen two incidents here this year. I think it is going to be a wake-up call for some improvements. It is a great track here at Pocono. We love coming here, but there are definitely some areas where it could be improved."

Pocono Raceway President Brandon Igdalsky had announced earlier that safety improvements are planned for the track before next season, including more catch fencing and additional spots for the SAFER barrier.

But NASCAR officials should have forced Pocono to make these changes years ago. The only reason tragic consequences didn't come out of the Pocono races this year is the car overcame the safety deficiencies of the track.

This car (formerly known as the Car of Tomorrow) is the safest race car ever built. NASCAR officials deserve credit for its bigger, boxier design (and larger driver compartment) that makes it safer.

Sadler's crash illustrates how the car is built to absorb the force of an accident instead of having the driver absorb it. Crush panels in the front of the car enable it to absorb energy and break apart easily.
Some people were shocked to see the engine come out of Sadler's car. That's a good thing, though. The engine staying in one place increases the force of the blow.

Most of the energy of the collision was dissipated in front of the driver compartment, but Sadler still took a huge push forward at impact. It knocked the wind out of him, but might have killed him without his HANS (head and neck support) restraint device.

The helmet is connected to the seat, keeping the neck from violently snapping forward in a head-on crash. The neck snap sometimes resulted in a basilar skull fracture (which caused Dale Earnhardt's death) before these safety advancements.

But Sadler walked away thanks to a car and safety devices inside it that made it possible to overcome a track that's woefully behind the times in safety issues.