2011-03-28

STEWART PR: Office Depot/Mobil 1 Racing: Tony Stewart Fontana Race Report

Frustrating Finish for Stewart at Fontana

Office Depot/Mobil 1 Driver Fades from Third to 13th in Final Nine Laps

 

Date:               March 27, 2011

Event:             Auto Club 400 (Round 5 of 36)

Series:             NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location:        Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. (2-mile oval)

Start/Finish:    5th/13th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Winner:           Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

 

Tony Stewart ran among the top-five for nearly all of Sunday’s 200-lap Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. It was the final nine laps around the 2-mile oval that posed a problem.

 

After the race’s final restart on lap 192 where Stewart was second behind race-leader Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson, Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala faded. The driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) quickly found himself outside the top-10, and when the checkered flag dropped, he was an agonizing 13th.

 

It was a bitter pill to swallow, as Stewart led four times for 11 laps and spent much of the race behind Busch, who led five times for a race-high 151 laps.

 

But before Stewart got to the lead, he and crew chief Darian Grubb had to fine tune their Office Depot/Mobil 1 ride.

 

After starting fifth, Stewart immediately found his car much too loose for his liking, and he fell to 10th before a green flag pit stop on lap 33. Four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment were made by the SHR crew under the guidance of Grubb, and the changes began working almost immediately.

 

Stewart began a charge toward the front of the field and was back to fifth by lap 52. He took over the top spot for the first time on lap 68 as the race went caution free for the first 75 circuits. He would swap the point with Busch and run shotgun to him for much of the race.

 

But with 25 laps remaining, things began to get difficult for Stewart and Co. On lap 175, the race restarted after the third caution of the day, with Busch leading, Stewart in second and Johnson holding down the third spot.

 

Johnson was able to get past Stewart on lap 180, while Busch continued to build his lead as the laps wound down.

 

The fourth and final caution on lap 187 gave hope to the No. 14 team that they would be able to make one final charge for their first victory of the season. None of the lead cars opted to go to pit road, and it appeared as though a fantastic trophy dash to the finish was set to take place, with Stewart right in the thick of it.

 

However, when the race restarted on lap 192, Stewart’s car couldn’t hang with the leaders, and he fell outside the top-10 after just one lap. He did all he could to gain ground in the final laps, but the 13th-place result was all that could be attained.

 

“We’re not really sure what happened,” Grubb said. “Obviously, we’re pleased with the way the car ran for the majority of the race, but it’s pretty disappointing that we ended up where we did. For whatever reason, we couldn’t get going in the laps after the final restart and it cost us a ton of positions.”

 

Stewart’s SHR teammate, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Partners for Youth Success (PaYS) Chevrolet Impala, led once for eight laps en route to a fifth-place finish. It was his third top-five finish of the season and his fourth top-five in 17 career Sprint Cup starts at Fontana.

 

Kevin Harvick passed Johnson on the final lap to win the Auto Club 400 and score his 15th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first at Fontana. Johnson finished .144 of a second behind Harvick in the runner-up spot, while Busch, Matt Kenseth and Newman rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne and pole-sitter Juan Pablo Montoya comprised the remainder of the top-10.

 

There were four caution periods for 16 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish.

 

With round five of 36 complete, Newman moved up one spot to second in the Sprint Cup championship point standings and sits just nine markers back of new leader Edwards. Stewart fell three spots to sixth in the standings and is 17 points back of Edwards.

 

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the April 3 Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.

 

- TSC –

 

                       

 

 


Pour lire le reste / Read more...

BUSCH PR: Interstate Batteries Racing: Kyle Busch Auto Club 400 Race Report

Busch Dominates, but Settles for Solid Third-Place Finish at Fontana

Interstate Batteries Team Leads Race-High 151 Laps, Gains Two Spots in the Standings

 

Date:               March 27, 2011

Event:             Auto Club 400 (Round 5 of 36)

Series:             NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location:        Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. (2-mile oval)

Start/Finish:    8th/3rd (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Winner:           Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

 

Kyle Busch dominated Sunday’s Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., leading five times for a race-high 151 laps. But despite the strong effort, the driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) couldn’t hold off the hard charges of Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick in a nine-lap shootout to the finish, and he wound up third.

 

“We had such a great Interstate Batteries Camry today,” said Busch, who now has nine top-10 finishes in 14 career Sprint Cup starts at Fontana. “We seemed to lose the handle a little bit two runs from the end and, especially with that last set of tires, we just didn’t quite have what it took in order to keep the front end under the car and then the back end under the car on the exits of the corner. I just couldn’t get the right speed that I needed. 

 

“The guys did a great job this weekend. The Interstate Batteries Camry was good from when we unloaded the second one on Friday after I wrecked the primary car in practice. I can’t say enough about the guys on pit road and the guys back at the shop. They did a great job for us and got us in position and, unfortunately, I couldn’t get the job done today. I didn’t have what it took there at the end. It’s kind of disappointing to end up third after such a strong day.”

 

Busch won Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the 2-mile oval and came into Sunday’s Sprint Cup race looking for his second consecutive weekend sweep, as he took both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

 

After starting eighth in the 43-car field, Busch appeared to have what it took for another weekend sweep as he quickly grabbed the lead from teammate Denny Hamlin on lap 22. From there, Busch set the pace for much of the 400-mile race. Even though he had a strong car, crew chief Dave Rogers made small adjustments on each stop to help the handling of Busch’s Interstate Batteries Toyota, using air pressure and track bar adjustments to help an ever so slight tight-handling condition in the center of the track’s corners.


During a race that saw several long, green flag runs, the Interstate Batteries over-the-wall crew helped lengthen Busch’s lead as they outpaced the competition on pit road time and time again.

 

But as the laps wound down and with Busch ahead by a healthy margin, a caution on lap 172 of the 200-lap race erased his comfortable lead. On the ensuing restart, Busch jumped ahead of the second and third-place Chevrolets of Johnson and Tony Stewart, respectively, and continued to hold the lead as another caution appeared on lap 187.

 

The fourth and final caution of the day setup a nine-lap shootout as Busch, Johnson, Stewart and Harvick battled it out for the win. Busch did his best to stay ahead of the pack behind him, holding off Johnson for the first six laps. But with just three laps remaining, Busch couldn’t hold the five-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion behind him any longer. He lost the lead to Johnson, and soon afterward, Harvick was also able to make his way past Busch before slipping by Johnson for the win on the final lap.

 

“I could see them growing bigger in the mirror, so I knew they (Johnson and Harvick) were coming,” said Busch of the final nine-lap shootout. “I knew that the top was my best friend all day – all weekend. But when I got up there, it was just real tight and it just wouldn’t turn and I’d get in the fence almost. I just had to slow the car down in the center of the corner so I wouldn’t get in the wall and then when I’d try to leave the corner, I’d be too loose. Those guys were just better at the end.”

 

Busch’s JGR teammates – Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry – finished 25th and 39th respectively. Hamlin experienced engine problems and completed only 105 laps.

 

Harvick’s victory in the Auto Club 400 was the 15th of his Sprint Cup career, his first of the season and his first at Fontana. Johnson finished .144 of a second behind him in the runner-up spot, while Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne and pole-sitter Juan Pablo Montoya comprised the remainder of the top-10.

 

There were four caution periods for 16 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish.

 

With round five of 36 complete, Busch now leads the JGR trio in the championship standings. He moved up two spots to fourth with 176 points, 11 markers back of new series leader Edwards.

 

Hamlin dropped to 21st in the standings with 112 points, 75 markers out of the top spot. Logano gained one spot and now sits 29th with 93 points, 94 markers behind Edwards. 

 

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the April  3 Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.

 

-TSC-

 

 

 

 


Pour lire le reste / Read more...

NEWGARDEN PR: Sam Schmidt Motorsports: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Indy Lights Race Report

Sam Schmidt Motorsports 1-2 in Indy Lights Opener

Newgarden, Daly Lead the Way at St. Petersburg; Polesitter Guerrieri Ends Up Sixth

 

Date:                  March 27, 2011

Event:                Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Round 1 of 13)

Series:                Firestone Indy Lights Series

Location:           Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (1.8-mile, 14-turn road course)

Winner:              Josef Newgarden of Sam Schmidt Motorsports

SSM Team:        Josef Newgarden (Started 3rd, Finished 1st / Running, completed 45 of 45 laps)

                           Conor Daly          (Started 2nd, Finished 2nd / Running, completed 45 of 45 laps)

                           Esteban Guerrieri (Started 1st, Finished 6th / Running, completed 45 of 45 laps)

                           Victor Carbone     (Started 12th, Finished 9th / Running, completed 45 of 45 laps)

 

It can be said that Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) was flexing its muscles Sunday in the Firestone Indy Lights Series race that was part of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

 

After capturing the first three positions in Saturday qualifying, the four-car SSM team of all Indy Lights Series rookies backed up that performance Sunday when Josef Newgarden in the No. 11 Robo-Pong/SSM entry, and Conor Daly in the No. 77 Mazda Road to Indy/SSM entry, finished first and second, respectively, in the 45-lap race.

 

Perhaps more impressive was the fact the SSM trio of Newgarden, polesitter Esteban Guerrieri in the No. 7 Lucas Oil/SSM car, and Daly were running 1-2-3 for more than 20 laps. While Newgarden and Daly went on to finish 1-2, a late-race restart saw Guerrieri get shuffled back to sixth after an unsuccessful bid to pass Newgarden for the lead on lap 43.

 

The fourth SSM driver, Brazilian Victor Carbone in the No. 3 Nevoni/SSM Indy Lights car, was able to battle back for only a ninth-place finish after qualifying 12th on Saturday.

 

The 20-year-old Newgarden drove a flawless race after taking the lead from Peter Dempsey on lap 12. He went on to give team owner Sam Schmidt his 38th Indy Lights race win – more than any other car owner.  

 

“The Lights team really did a good job over there,” said Schmidt, whose Indy Lights teams have won four series titles, including last season with driver J.K. Vernay. “If not for that crazy last restart, we would have had our 1-2-3 with an eighth, so that cost us a little bit. Certainly, though, 1-2-6 and 9 is not a bad way to start that season.”

 

There were two lead changes in the 45-lap race. Fifth-place qualifier Peter Dempsey took advantage of a great start to jump into the lead. He stayed there until Newgarden’s pass on lap 12. Newgarden led a total of 34 laps, and there was just one caution period that lasted five laps.

 

The next Firestone Indy Lights Series race is part of the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday, April 10. The race will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at noon EDT.

 

Josef Newgarden (Finished 1st), Driver of the No. 11 Robo-Pong/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:

 

“I don’t know what to say, I am so happy for everyone else. This is way beyond me. It takes the efforts of the entire team that worked so hard over the winter to make this win happen. I am so happy for Sam Schmidt and proud to be driving for him and give him a victory. Sam is a remarkable man, and what kid wouldn’t want to do this. I feel so blessed and happy to be here with the team and have these remarkable partners. I hope we can continue this all year because this is what we are here to do. I think the best plan is not to have a plan. I thought about it a lot last night and you just have to go with what you are feeling at the right moment because anything can really happen. I was so thrilled that we got a good start, and Esteban gave me plenty of room and fought me really clean.  It was a nice, easy pass and Peter (Dempsey) actually got by me, as well. I just thought it was a long race and, if you stay cool and pressure him, he will make a mistake and I could capitalize on it. That is exactly what happened and it is unbelievable. This is a dream come true, and it is so great.”

 

Conor Daly (Finished 2nd), Driver of the No. 77 Mazda Road to Indy/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:

 

“It is great to race here again and a good day for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. We had really fast racecars and were running 1-2-3 until that restart. Unfortunately, on that initial start, I was just in the wrong gear. It was my mistake and, next time, I will be able to learn from it. It was unfortunate for us there, but it is also good to know that we can make passes happen in this car. It was a valuable experience for me if I ever have to get into a dogfight situation again. The last restart was epic, and Esteban went straight down the inside and he saw I was coming and he was trying to make a move on Josef, as well. I could tell that it was basically an ice rink on the inside of the track as there was dust flying everywhere. Me and Josef haven’t raced together since 2008, and we always seem to end up together on the podium as 1-2, one way or another. It was a great day for the entire Mazda Road to Indy Team.”

 

Esteban Guerrieri (Finished 6th), Driver of the No.7 Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:

 

“It was a really good race until the last two laps. We were lapping great, really consistent. I didn’t want to make any mistakes. I was trying to push on the restart, and we got to the first corner very close with other cars. I missed my braking point a little bit. That was my mistake. I went wide and got picked off. But, in the end, it’s an official race and we go for the next one.”

 

Victor Carbone (Finished 9th), Driver of the No. 3 Nevoni/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Entry:

 

“It was a shame in qualifying that I couldn’t qualify better because I was faster than some of the cars in front of me. The race was going well until the last restart. I was unable to get a good restart. That messed up the rest of my race. I have to thank my guys for the work they did in the winter and I look forward to the next race. 

 

 

-TSC-

 

 

                                                                       

 

 


Pour lire le reste / Read more...

TAGLIANI PR - Sam Schmidt Motorsports: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg IndyCar Series Race Report

Tagliani Survives ‘Blistering’ St. Pete Race

Canadian Finishes Sixth for New Owner Schmidt in IndyCar Opener

 

 

Date:                  March 27, 2011

Event:                Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Round 1 of 17)

Series:                IZOD IndyCar Series

Location:           Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (1.8-mile, 14-turn road course)

Start/Finish:       10th/6th  (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)

Winner:              Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing

 

In a race that took its toll on equipment and nerves, Alex Tagliani survived the 100-lap IZOD IndyCar Series Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg by driving a damaged No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins Dallara/Honda/Firestone Indy car to an impressive top-10 finish on Sunday.

 

Tagliani climbed from the cockpit after the race to show that his Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) car wasn’t the only thing damaged after the race. He immediately removed his left glove to find two deep gouges, along with swelling on the top of his hand, while his palm and fingers displayed several large, raw blisters. He attributed the damage to the car and his hand to contact he made in turn one on the third of four attempts to restart the race during the opening 12 laps.

 

Despite his struggle with a damaged racecar, Tagliani was upbeat after the race.

 

“It was the first race back for Sam (Schmidt) as a team owner (in the IndyCar Series) and I know he’s pleased,” Tagliani said while leaning on the pit wall just minutes after taking the checkered flag. “He’s a pretty excitable guy, and all weekend he showed a little nerves and stress by being back in the league as an owner in the IndyCar Series. To bring him his first sixth-place finish in the IndyCar series and to finish 1-2 in Indy Lights, I think, ‘mission accomplished’ for the whole team.” 

 

Tagliani was referencing the dominating performance of SSM in the Firestone Indy Lights Series race run just prior to the IndyCar Series race on Sunday. SSM cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly finished first and second, respectively.

 

Still, Tagliani could not hide his emotions on what could have been a better finish if the first-turn contact hadn’t happened on lap 13.

 

“I think we’re just a couple of tenths off before we get the car being more consistent and fast,” he said. “But, what really hurt us today was the hit on the (third) restart when we went from fourth to seventh. Simona (de Silvestro) did a bonsai move and it stuck for her, but she landed on everybody else. In the contact, I hit my hand in the cockpit and the wheel burned my hands as I tried to keep it under me.”

 

Last year’s IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti won the race by leading 94 of the 100 laps. Rounding out the top-five were Will Power, Tony Kanaan, de Silvestro and Takuma Sato. Tagliani, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira, Oriol Servia and Justin Wilson comprised the remainder of the top-10. Power, who started on the pole, was the only other leader of the race.

 

Franchitti’s margin of victory was 7.l612 seconds over Power, who was last year’s Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner. There were five caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

 

The IZOD IndyCar Series races next at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., at the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 10. The race will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.

 

-TSC-

 

 

 

                          

 


Pour lire le reste / Read more...

PR REVSTAR - DASH FOR CASH

 

REVSTAR ABF,  Dash for Cash

 

La série Revstar ABF

1 000 $
au gagnant !

Le printemps arrive enfin et on sent beaucoup de fébrilité chez nos pilotes de REVSTAR, la saison des courses va débuter dans quelques semaines.

 

Il est encore temps de vous joindre à nous et vous procurer un tout nouveau Speed STR pour débuter la saison 2011.

Une promotion du concepteur des Speed STR
Rich Tobias vous offre l'opportunité de gagner une bourse de 1000 $ dans le cadre d'une compétition mettant aux prises tous les nouveaux propriétaires d'un bolide de REVSTAR neuf 2010 ainsi que tous les nouveaux acheteurs, qui vont se procurer un Speed STR avant le 14 mai prochain. Ces pilotes seront invités à une confrontation appeler "Dash for Cash".

Format de la course
Le nombre de tours prévu pour la course va dépendre du nombre de propriétaires. Actuellement, il y a eu 5 Speed STR neufs vendus l'an dernier, donc la course sera de 5 tours, mais pour chaque bolide vendu, on ajoute un tour. L'ordre de départ sera déterminé par tirage au sort. La course se tiendra à l'Autodrome Drummond le 14 mai prochain.

Voici les pilotes admissibles pour ce défi !

  • #10 Gabriel Richer
  • #28 Yannick Poirier
  • #35 Andre Manny
  • #53 Jean-Nicolas Gareau
  • #54 Daniel Nadeau

Vous pouvez vous joindre à ce groupe en vous procurant un STR neuf. D'ailleurs c'est en plein le temps avec la partié du dollar canadien avec celui des États-Unis. Pour aussi peu que 18 200 $ (US) vous pourriez être l'heureux propriétaire d'une voiture de course et être prêt pour débuter la saison 2011.

Voitures usagées à vendre

Il y a des bonnes opportunités avec des modèles usagers. REVSTAR en met 2 en vente et un propriétaire de deux REVSTAR a décidé de vendre un STR et rouler avec une seule voiture cette année.

Voici les détails :

 

Modèle

Description

SpeedSTR #66 / 2009

jaune frame rouge

  • moteur rafraichie à neuf seulement 2 courses.
  • en excellente condition! prête à courserprix:
  • 14850$  info Carl 819-470-0828

SpeedSTR #48 2011

rouge frame rouge

  • neuf seulement 5 courses sur glace
  • voiture neuve de janvier 2011
  • prix: 15995$  info Carl 819-470-0828

SpeedSTR #55 2010

noir frame noir

  • a roulé seulement la saison 2010
  • en excellente condition! prête à courser
  • prix:14850$   info demander Patrick 819-697-5555

 

Faites vite, et ajoutez du plaisir à votre passion !


REVSTAR ABF
http://www.revstar.ca

 


Pour lire le reste / Read more...