Notes & Quotes-Darlington
November 14, 2004
Sunday’s notes & quotes following the 55th Southern 500:
Kurt Busch, point leader and sixth-place finisher: “We can smile about this finish but our race car wasn’t all that sporty. The Smirnoff Ice car was good on specific run, but after that we couldn’t find the right setup. It was a great job by the crew today to bring me back up and to give us those awesome pit stops at the end to get us track position. To come home in this position gives us good incentive to go to Miami and do the deal.”
Johnson Wins Final Southern 500
November 14, 2004
Jimmie Johnson led 124 of the 367 laps in Sunday’s 55th and last-ever Southern 500 before taking the checkered flag at NASCAR’s first superspeedway. Jeff Gordon led 155 laps in finishing third. Point leader Kurt Busch held onto his lead by 18 marks: 6346 to Johnson’s 6328. Gordon is third, three points back of Johnson. A late-race miscue in the pits may have cost Gordon the race win as an air hose got trapped under the right-rear tire on a pit stop, delaying the team. Dale Earnhardt Jr had an extended pit stop late also for the team to replace a flat battery.
Hines Clinches 2004 NHRA POWERade World Championship in Pro Stock Bike
November 13, 2004
POMONA, Calif. — Andrew Hines, 21, became the youngest NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series world champion in history Saturday by qualifying for the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the 2004 season finale.
Anderson, Kalitta, Force and Ellis Earn No. 1 Qualifying Awards in Pomona
November 13, 2004
POMONA, Calif. — Greg Anderson paced the Pro Stock field Saturday at the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.
Doug Kalitta, John Force and Chip Ellis will also lead their respective categories into Sunday’s 11 a.m. (PT) eliminations at the $1.8 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Saturday Notes & Quotes - Darlington
November 13, 2004
Among several others, Kasey Kahne crashed his primary car in “Happy Hour” practice and will revert to a backup car for the final Southern 500. KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) NOTE: Kahne wrecked coming out of the fourth turn in Happy Hour Saturday and will have to go to a backup Dodge for Sunday’s race. “I just got loose. It was really, really loose and we tightened it up and it was still loose. I just stayed out a little bit too long and ended up crashing. The car was really good, but it was just too loose. Hopefully the backup car will be a little better. The team did a good job getting the backup ready in time to get out on the track to see where we were at with it. We’ve got to work on some of the things inside of it, but it felt pretty good. We’ll change the motor and put a better engine in it. We’ll be all right. We’ll change the seat insert, seat belts, mirror, steering and motor. It’ll be all right starting in the back. I don’t mind that. I just wish I hadn’t torn up that racecar.”
Kalitta, Worsham, Anderson & Ellis Lead Friday Qualifying at Auto Club NHRA Finals
November 12, 2004
POMONA, Calif. - Doug Kalitta raced to the qualifying lead in Top Fuel Friday at the 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.
Del Worsham, Greg Anderson and Chip Ellis also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the final of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Southern 500 Qualifying Notes & Quotes
November 12, 2004
Collected notes and quotes from the rained-out qualifying for Sunday’s Southern 500. With Mother Nature ruling the day, NASCAR set the starting grid according to driver points. This gave Kurt Busch the pole, followed by Jeff Gordon. “It’s still the fact that this place is Darlington and there’s no other place like it,” said Busch. “You don’t want to get caught up in anything extra, which is looking at where the others are on the track. With the way our day has gone thus far is that we were a top-15 team. We can qualify up front if we need to and it’s just a matter of making the right steps for all of our adjustments and what we need to do. We’re not worried about where the other three or four competitors are.”
Mother Nature Wins Darlington Qualifying
November 12, 2004
Rain put an early end to qualifying for Saturday’s Busch Grand National Bi-Lo200 and prevented qualifying by NASCAR’s NEXTEL Cup cars. This gave starting positions out in order of point standings. Kurt Busch will start on pole with Jeff Gordon next to him. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin will round out the top five starters in Sunday’s last-ever Southern 500.
Cheever, Barron & Carpentier Interviewed
November 12, 2004
After announcing the official driver lineup for next season, Red Bull Racing owner Eddie Cheever, driver Alex Barron, and new team driver Patrick Carpentier sat down for an interview to discuss their plans to take on the IRL in 2005.
Gordon The One
November 11, 2004
It’s nice to know someone else out there is willing to put into print what I feel. Jeff Gordon is the one to beat for the championship.