NASCAR Sponsors In the Light!

I was perusing an article about some corporations that aren't "green" and noticed a few sponsors from our favored sport on the list!!  dOh!

It's noted that a majority of America's largest companies have become part of the "green" movement in the way they approach business these days.  Yet some despite their spin of green, from installing solar panels, using eco-friendly supplies or materials, they still have their issues with their products and pollution.

AOL Money did a snippet on the 10 most polluting companies and there are a few familiar names out there!

On the sad side of things, one of our major sport sponsors, Jeff Gordon's sponsor, DuPont, is No. 4 on the list of most pollutive (I think I just made up a word!) in the country!   They even had to fork out  in December of 2005 a settlement with the EPA of $16.5 million.  Ouch, that's about a year of hood sponsorship!!

No 6 on the list is Waste Management!
No 8, BP
GM was No. 10.

Ouch.  But then again, I'm thinking that solar car races just aren't that exhilarating to watch... never mind the cloudy days!!!

Camping World Is Going Where?

Not sure how or what, but on Sirius Satellite this morning he was asking if anyone had heard that NASCAR was looking for a replacement series sponsor in the Truck series.

He had no concrete information, and was just inquiring with his co-host if he had heard anything, because Nate had heard some unverified whisperings.

That would be nuts if that were the case, but not a total surprise.

If anyone's heard anything (I did a quick search about and found nothing), leave a note here at NASCAR Bits and Pieces.  (NBaP)

NNS Top 30 After Texas

NBaP used to cover the top 35 each week in Cup... did we set a trend or are we just oblivious to the rest of the world in our tizzy to chase news? OK, don't answer that.

A lot will be determined at Texas in regards to who will have to qualify on time or be locked into the NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 at Nashville the following week.

But don't look now, but a top-10 finish at Texas doesn't automatically guarantee a starting position at Nashville.

The O'Reilly 300 will be the last race in which teams finishing in the top 30 in the 2008 owner point standings will be guaranteed a starting spot. After Texas, the top 30 in the 2009 owner points will be guaranteed starters.

Currently, teams occupying positions 25-30 are separated by only 24 points, and 32-37 are separated by 44 points. That's 12 positions separated by 64 points.

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Positions 25-37

Rk. Owner No. Pts
25. Johnny Davis 23 352
26. Bob Germain 15 348
27. Cindy Shepherd 89 337
28. Pat MacDonald 81 331
29. Lori Morgan 01 331
30. Charlie Shoffner 61 328
32. Chip Ganassi 42 325
34. Dusty Whitney 26 292
35. Jimmy Means 52 271
36. Wayne Day 05 268
37. Jay Robinson 09 261

When the top drivers like Carl Edwards gets his 1,000 point lead, this just might be the tight points event of the series! NBaP can't wait!

Tony Stewart On Where He And His Team Are At

Earlier this week, Tony Stewart sat down with some media members via teleconference and fielded some questions. The following are excerpts from that interview with Tony Stewart

On his new team: He's pretty happy with how things are going. Especially with the great day they had at Martinsville, both teams finishing in the top 10.

Not knowing when the organization was going to hit its stride, but they did right off the bat was a great thing. Obviously he's overlooking the bad luck Ryan's had, and focused on the fact that he's had a 7th- and a 6th-place run consecutively.

He feels they clicked sooner than anticipated.

NBaP Warning: It's a long read folks but I didn't want to leave too much out. Get some coffee and kick it a few!

On thinking more as an owner than a driver when racing:
TONY STEWART: I haven't. I catch myself worrying sometimes about where Ryan is, you know, with some of the bad luck he had early in the year and that's probably the only difference between what I normally would do and what we're doing now.

For the most part, I stay strictly in that driver mode and concentrating on what I've got to do to get to the front.

On feeling any pressure to not get involved in the controversies that come along during race weekends?
TONY STEWART: If anything, it's made me feel like I could get involved in them if I chose to.

It's been easy to kind of stay out of the controversy. We've got enough stuff to keep us busy that I think it's a little better to put it all in perspective and realize that some of those controversies aren't worth the time and effort.

On the idea of building a Cup team from scratch, like Michael Waltrip Racing, and on the improvement from MWR:
TONY STEWART: Definitely seen a great improvement. With Reutimann and Marcos, they have had two great weekends in a row.

I can't honestly imagine building an organization from scratch. I don't think I would have tried to take that on.

On where the 20 car is now in points, feeling bad for them? Has Joey called for comfort?
TONY STEWART: He hasn't. But I feel bad for those guys because I know they deserve better than that. It's just a matter of time before Joey hits his stride and gets used to being in a Cup car full-time.

He's more than capable of doing it. He's going to hit his stride soon. You can see his confidence building every week.

On the rush or feeling of satisfaction out of having a business success (wins):
TONY STEWART: I am proud of our guys. I've left Martinsville after a third-place finish and left mad 'cause I knew we had a shot at winning the race or a shot at at least a better finish than a third. This weekend a third was like a win to us. A year from now it won't necessarily be like that. I think we'll constantly adjust the yardstick as far as where we expect to be.

But six races in, to have a top-three run like that, then to find out Ryan had a 6th-place run, I felt that was an awesome accomplishment for a young team to be able to do that in just six races.

On comparing winning a race yourself as a driver vs being an owner.
TONY STEWART: A win is more of an individual feeling, whereas a team owner you're happy for the whole organization.

Being a car owner has helped put it in perspective, that it's not just a personal accomplishment.

On feeling if he and Darian have broken each other in yet?
TONY STEWART: I think so. Every week we have spent more time with each other. The one thing that's happened from day one is we felt very comfortable around each other. So from that side, it's been really easy.

At the racetrack, obviously it's taken me a little bit of time to get used to his package, the cars that we're bringing to the racetrack. But every week that we go out and have a good run, I gain that much more confidence in him, in that relationship that we have, with the communication just getting stronger and stronger each week.

NBaP: I told ya it was a long read!

On the government involvement with GM and if he thinks it's going to impact the sport:
TONY STEWART: I don't know honestly. I know that talking to the people at Chevrolet they're very committed to the racing program. They realize the value of it with not only the rest of corporate America but what it does to our nation. It still goes back to 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday.' This is a sport that's been good for the auto industry and vice versa.

I know it's a tough time for them, but they're very committed to not only the racing product, but also the products that they build for the Americans out there in tough times. I'm very confident that the racing side is going to be fine.

On how he looks at the new loop data and their performance potential at Texas:
TONY STEWART: We're pretty comfortable with it right now in all honesty. I mean, we've been to California, which was two-mile. We've been to Vegas, a mile-and-a-half. I feel like our superspeedway program is really good. Our mile-and-a-half package is really good, even though we've really ran one of 'em.

I've got a lot of confidence going into this weekend. Texas is a track that I really enjoy. It's a lot of fun. I feel like we're gonna have a good run this weekend. I have that gut feeling.

On whether they've set goals with the team and if so, where are they with those goals right now:
TONY STEWART: Honestly, we didn't. We go to the racetrack with the attitude that we're going to try to get a hundred percent out of whatever we've got that weekend. I think when we sat down early in the year, you look at everything on paper, and it's supposed to be successful. All the pieces are in place. I feel like all the right people are there, all the right tools are there. So on paper it's supposed to work. It's just a matter of how soon are all the personalities going to click with each other. You start building momentum.

On the recent success being a morale booster back at the shop:
TONY STEWART: It is. You know, perfect example was yesterday. (Monday) We have our competition meetings on Monday. Ryan and I are both there, both the crew chiefs. Bobby Hutchins, our competition director is there. The atmosphere at the shop was unbelievable. Since I've joined that organization, I've not seen everybody in such a good mood and the morale so high. It's a good feeling.

On whether it's too early or just about time to size up where everybody is?
TONY STEWART: I think it's starting to shape up, at least who has the opportunity to be in the Chase. I'm not sure it's an accurate assessment of who's a championship contender or not. I think by now we're all starting to get an idea of who the contenders to be in the Chase are.

I think the next three or four weeks will be an indication of who those people are really going to be that are really solid to be in the Chase this year.

On being a satellite teams and what they might be doing different or better than other teams:
TONY STEWART: I don't know honestly (laughter). It's the first time I've done this. You know, I feel like the biggest key to making all this work is having the right key people in the right places and having the right tools in place.

I feel like Haas Automation, Haas CNC Racing did a great job of building a foundation long before I got there. I can't take credit for all of it. I think what we were able to do, what I brought to the table, was helping to attract some other people that they weren't able to attract in the past that helped make the difference and take it from a team that, you know, kind of was so-so to now a team that can run in the top 10 I feel like consistently.

Megan Fox, trying to figure out if the Ford Transformer is a Toyota or a Chevy!
Just because you've lasted this long reading the article!

On any discernible difference driving a Toyota to a Chevy?
TONY STEWART: It is feeling-wise. It's not so much physically as much as it is in your mind. I'm proud to be back in an American car. That being said, I mean, the physical part of it is it's a motor difference really and decal package. You know, there's that feeling and pride of knowing that you're in an American car, that we're out there racing with some of the best manufacturers in the world. So that sense of pride is the biggest difference.

On the differences between Atlanta and Texas, since they both look the same:
TONY STEWART: They're night and day, in all honesty. I'm not sure that everybody realizes, even though if you looked at the top of the tracks, there's shaped almost identical. But Texas is built quite a bit different than Atlanta is and Charlotte. What most people don't realize is the bottom of the racetrack, the apron, is paved all the way to the inside wall. That's different to what you see at Atlanta, Charlotte, some of these other places. The reason, that's what the IndyCar track was supposed to be. IndyCars were intended to run on the apron. That was going to be their racetrack. The transitions going into the corners and coming off the corners are a little more abrupt and later. The banking comes in a lot later, then it falls off a lot earlier than we have at the other tracks. That's to accommodate what was going to be the IndyCar track. That poses its own unique challenges.

But obviously the grip level at Atlanta is a lot less than what we have at Texas, too. But that's what makes Atlanta so much fun. But, you know, Texas every year that we go through, it's getting better and more worn in to where the groove moves around the racetrack and cars are running from the bottom to the top. At least from a drivers standpoint, we enjoy that part of it. We enjoy not having to be line committed. Helps us out on the aero side. We can help ourselves out as drivers versus just being stuck behind somebody.

On if running Nationwide races are beneficial anymore?
TONY STEWART: I don't think you learn a ton. I mean, you might learn some stuff air pressure-wise. Aside from that, as far as the actual setup of the chassis, they're night and day different now between the two series. I don't think you learn as much as you used to.

On any doubts going into Cup team Ownership:
TONY STEWART: I was eager. I mean, I don't think if I didn't have the background of ownership with the USAC side, the World of Outlaw teams, I don't think I would have been as comfortable making the adjustment to the Cup side. But it's having a great owner like Joe Gibbs that I learned from for 12 years, being in his organization, having that experience at a smaller level.

On the (premature) idea of expanding to 4 teams:
TONY STEWART: I'm not sure we've got that far yet. Obviously when we had our first meetings with Joe Custer, he filled us in on their intentions to be a four-car team eventually.

My opinion on it right now is I don't want us to try to expand until we get two cars really successful. I don't want to expand till we know that they both have an opportunity to win a championship. Once we get to that point, then I feel comfortable expanding the operation.

Question: This was a long read. Should NBaP have broken this up into more than one article? Thanks for coming by.

Upcoming Nationwide Texas Race

NBaP see's that Texas Motor Speedway hosts the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the first of two events at the 1.5-mile track located in Ft. Worth.

ESPN2 will carry the O'Reilly 300 live on April 4 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with the NASCAR Countdown pre-race show. Race coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.

Kyle Busch swept both races at Texas last year but he'll have to fend off the challenge of Kevin Harvick, who will not only have come off his first win of the season in the previous race at Bristol, but is the all-time winner in series races at Texas (four).

In fact, prior to his Bristol win last week, Harvick's last series victory was at Texas in the fall race in 2007.

Texas Fast Facts

Next Race: O'Reilly 300
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, April 4
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Distance: 200 laps / 300 miles
TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: Sirius NASCAR Radio / PRN
2008 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2008 Polesitter: Kevin Harvick (via final 2008 owner points; qualifying was rained out)

Event Schedule (all times CT):
Thursday
Practice 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.;
Final Practice 1-2:00 p.m.;
Qualifying 6:05 p.m.

Is Jeff Gordon Headed To Victory Lane?

Jeff Gordon has come close to Victory Lane in 2009 and come close last year. Close doesn’t cut it.

Gordon’s winless drought reached 47 races after Martinsville, but it looks like he's headed there soon.

Through six races this season, Gordon leads the series in top fives (four), top 10s (five), has a Driver Rating (119.6), Average Running Position (5.4) and Fastest Laps Run (191).

Of course, as if that's not bad enough, Texas is one of only two tracks at which Gordon has yet to win (Homestead-Miami Speedway is the other).

In 16 starts at Texas Gordon has scored a top-10 finish in half of them. He has six top fives, including two runner-up finishes.

Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Gordon has an Average Running Position of 15.4, a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 57.3% and 97 Fastest Laps Run at Texas.

So? What do you think? He might be able to do it. I do think he's destined to a victory this year... it's just a matter of where.

Harvick Wins Truck Race

Kevin Harvick got by the indomitable Kyle Busch for the lead with 10 laps to go Monday and held on to win the Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Driving his own No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet, Harvick obtained his fourth career truck win in his 97th start in an event that had been postponed because of rain on Saturday.

"I was able to get to his bumper there and just kind of get him up about half a groove and got up under him." said Harvick, who ran the final 185 laps, including one extra lap because of a green-white-checkered-flag finish, on one tank of fuel.

Busch was subsequently penalized for a commitment line violation when he intentionally ran against the inside backstretch wall under caution in an attempt to straighten out a fender that was bashed in. Busch led a race-high 139 laps and finished 17th.

KHI's Ron Hornaday finished second, and Mike Skinner, Johnny Benson and polesitter Rick Crawford rounded out the top five.

The race had 13 cautions, the first on Lap 1.

After the fifth caution, Busch needed less than three laps to dispose of Jason White and take the lead on Lap 102. Busch held the spot until Harvick moved underneath him in the final laps.

Busch remained the series points leader over Todd Bodine, who finished 18th after being involved in two separate accidents, including one with two laps to go that forced the race to finish under caution.

Busch, who is running a partial schedule, won't compete in the series' next race, April 25 at Kansas Speedway.

Notes: Mike Bliss finished 15th in his 200th truck start. ... Ken Schrader finished 10th for his first top-10 since a fourth-place finish last year at Martinsville. ... James Buescher, who turned 19 last week, finished 11th, the highest finish among the six rookies in the race.

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

Upcoming Nationwide Races

April 4 at Texas will kick off a string of six consecutive race weekends for the Nationwide series, this will be the longest running race string of the season thus far.
And all upcoming races will be on different types of tracks.

Following Texas, the last of three consecutive events, are races at the 1.33-mile concrete Nashville Superspeedway (April 11), the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway (April 17), the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway (April 25), the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway (May 1) and the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway (May 8).

The series' next break will come during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race weekend.

Nice... NBaP likes the Natiowide events... it breaks up that long weekend wait until Cup Sunday (Or Saturday) and they're short and fun races!!

source: NASCAR

Digger Cam - We Finally See It!

Ever since its inception, I've been wondering what the "Digger" cam looked like.

Check it out over at my new location, in the article titled This Is Fox's Digger Cam.

It's Clear and 70 AT Martinsville

It's time for some Cup Racing.
The trucks have been postponed until Monday.

To my newsletter readers...  oops.  You don't get my posts until the next day.
So my newsletter that came out Sunday morning said it was raining.

My bad.
It was an emotional post and I should have indicated it was Saturday, and it was the Trucks.

Hope I didn't throw anyone off.

--
Bruce