Cold Shower: George Dampens Speculation
February 24, 2006
Tony George says he and Kevin Kalkhoven are not close to striking a deal to merge the two open-wheel series, as both sides have business commitments to honor.
First Comes Trust, Then Unity
February 22, 2006
My tired old eyes could not believe the latest American open wheel unification stories I’ve just read and as contained herein. Are they real? Could it possibly happen? Sometime soon?
Chad Knaus Speaks to the Media
February 22, 2006
The Tuesday Hendrick Motorsports Teleconference was with Chad Knaus. Knaus discussed the situation at Daytona, his relationship with driver Jimmie Johnson and the team. “Drivers don’t know what going in these race cars, ever. Those guys are nuts. They are great guys,” Knaus said. “I love Jimmie to death and Jeff (Gordon) and every driver out there. I respect them for what they do, but to be quite honest for those guys to hop in those cars and go at the speed that they do have no idea what is in them, I think they are all insane. They have to go out there and react and do whatever. It doesn’t matter whether you are at Martinsville or Daytona. Jimmie isn’t really into or know about what is going on with the race cars. He shows up drives, gives his feedback to the team and goes home.” The rest of the transcript is here.
Knaus Out Through Atlanta, Labonte Loses Points
February 21, 2006
NASCAR’s uneven apparent rules enforcement struck again Tuesday when Chad Knaus, crew chief on the No. 48 Chevy driven by Jimmie Johnson to a Daytona 500 win was suspended through the next three races on the calendar, fined $25,000 and put on probation through the end of the year. Johnson received no penalties in the incident. In contrast to the penalty not handed Johnson, Terry Labonte lost 25 driver points for an infraction uncovered and corrected before qualifying even occurred.
Eddie’s In for the 500
February 21, 2006
1998 Indianapolis 500-mile race winner Eddie Cheever announced February 21st that he will drive in the 90th edition of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing on May 28 in the No. 51 Cheever Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone.
NASCAR Revises Finish, Mears Second Over Newman
February 20, 2006
NASCAR took the time to review the timing loop information and videotapes of the last lap in Sunday’s Daytona 500 before deciding that the original scoring order was wrong. In doing this, they bumped Casey Mears to second, over fellow Dodge driver Ryan Newman. This is a step NASCAR has long admitted might occur and is not a surprise to many, though it might well be a disappointment to Newman.
No Hanging Chads in Florida, Jimmie Johnson Wins Daytona
February 19, 2006
Jimmie Johnson, rebounding from losing his qualifying time and crew chief following post-qualifying tech inspection, won the Daytona 500. The win is Hendrick Motorsports’ second in a row, following Jeff Gordon’s victory in the 2005 edition. Chad Knaus, his crew chief, was ejected from the track after inspection revealed an illegal modification to the trackbar adjustment tube. The changes allowed the rear window to bow upward, sending air over the rear spoiler instead of across it, increasing the car’s top speed.
“Welcome To NASCAR, Paul…”
February 19, 2006
I can imagine John Andretti saying those very words as he spun out Paul Tracy in his first ever NASCAR race, the Busch Hershey’s Kissables 300 from Daytona.
2006 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup
February 16, 2006
Qualifying is over, the “Duel’s” have been run, and here, at long last is the starting lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon Take Gatorade Duel Wins, 500 Field Set
February 16, 2006
NASCAR’s 2006 season got off to a soggy start with the Gatorade Duels delayed by rain when the start of the first race got held up by rain then the race halted briefly after 34 laps for another rain shower. Elliott Sadler led the entire first segment of the race and the first two laps of the restart. When the race resumed, Tony Stewart grabbed the lead for fifteen laps then Jeff Burton took over and led the final thirteen laps until the green/white/checker finish following a crash on the trioval between Sterling Marlin and Dale Jarrett after Chad Chaffin suffered a cut tire on the front straight. The pack slowed for the debris from Chaffin’s car and Marlin ran into the No. 88 Ford. Marlin later admitted he was turning off cooling fans and not paying enough attention to traffic, taking full responsibility for the crash. The win was Sadler’s second in one of the qualifying races.