Budweiser Following Kevin Harvick To SHR

I'm sure you are aware, but just in case you missed the news or forgot...

Budweiser has signed on with Stewart-Haas Racing to continue to sponsor Kevin Harvick while under the SHR roof.

Budweiser will be the primary hood sticker for twenty races for the No. 4 Chevy that Harvick will be driving.  Outside of those twenty races, they'll then serve as an associate sponsor.

Harvick has left RCR and will spend his 14th year in Sprint Cup racing with SHR.

(Wow, the last time I saw the 4 on the track full time, it was a yellow paint scheme with Kodak on the hood. Wasn't it?)
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Is Haas the NASCAR Outlaw, or Will Someone Else Take That Mantle in 2014?

USA Today say the new outlaw of NASCAR is Gene Haas for the trick he pulled with hiring Kurt Busch.

The story goes as follows:

Ryan Newman is being let go from Stewart-Haas Racing because Kevin Harvick is coming into the mix and the team can not support four race teams at this time.

That was last July.

But now, Kurt Busch is going to drive for SHR in a fourth team.

WTF?

Gene Haas will be dropping his sponsorship dime on Kurt in the new team.  So it wasn't about money, but Ryan's end-performance under the SHR roof.

Many folks see this as a crap of a truth fail, as far as Ryan being told he can't stay because of money, when suddenly money is coming out of the woodwork for the biggest bad-mouth driver, Kurt Busch.

Hopefully, Kurt won't be spending too many weeks at home in 2014 for one of his verbal (or otherwise) escapades that got him fired from his cherry ride at Penske.

Tony Stewart already had his detractors and with this new development, it doesn't help.  But the real issue came from the other half of the team ownership duo.

Not to mention, I believe Haas pissed of Stewart in the process.  (More meds Tony... stay calm!)

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But wait... even though Haas is bucking for the new outlaw title, per USA Today, I think there might be another personality entering the 2014 Sprint Cup fray,and that's the rumored hiring of Kyle Larson by the EGR for the No. 42 car.

As you know, Juan Pablo Montoya is out of the EGR No. 42 when this season is up, and from how he tends to drive on-track, there's speculation he won't be finding a ride for 2014 in NASCAR.

Either way, it seems that from what I've seen of Larson, if he continues driving like I've seen, we'll have a new, talented driver that will give Kyle Busch a run for his attitude and penalty bucks!

[ USA Today ]

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Kurt Busch Leaving FRR for a Ride Under the SHR Roof

It would seem, per word on the street, that Kurt Busch is landing a ride in another quality team next year, leaving Furniture Row Racing to run under the Stewart-Haas Racing banner in 2014.

Official press releases and conferences will be coming soon, but be it as it may, with Ryan Newman getting squeezed out of the equation.

For now, it looks like SHR will have Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick under their banner, with Patrick paying all the bills and the boys paying out at the finish line! 

(OK, every driver has their own sponsor scenario, but seriously, Danica Patrick is in the most perfect situation and needs to start the mystery improvement slope with her on-track performance.  Then again, as long as GoDaddy and everyone under the sun wanting to get their name associated with her, how can she not be a keeper, no matter what?  But if she were any other driver, you have to wonder how fast she would have been dropped.)

For now, that's the deal though no word on what Furniture Row Racing will be doing for a driver.

FRR has had the worse luck keeping drivers and they obviously have one of the better "border-line" operations.  Word was that FRR offered Kurt an extension, but he's moving on.

I wonder (or maybe hope) that Ryan Newman gets that ride.  The team has potential. Kurt has shown that.  Newman, if he gets that seat, will have to drive like it with the enthusiasm and gusto of a young man.  Balls out and to the wall if he's going to make that ride work.  (This, on assumption they might offer Ryan the seat, and Ryan takes it.  But then again, the No. 42 team will be looking for a driver for 2014 also.)

We'll see how things go from here.

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Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick: News and Perspectives

Mark Martin is looking to help the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing machine to perform to the best of their ability... and he has no plans or confirming any plans for anything in 2014.  At least for now.

In 2013 he'll be behind the wheel in 24 races.

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Kurt Busch had a quiet off-season.  We didn't hear about him cussing out any press or getting arrested for anything.

So that means he can focus on his newish ride with Furniture Row Racing.  I almost forgot he started with the team in the last 6 races last year with the team.

There's also a good chance that Kurt can be looking at a long-term contract with FRR.  ANd I presume, that's contingent on his not blowing up any time soon at anyone or anything.

And team general manager Joe Garone said they want Kurt to focus more on the car than anything else, and to relax about any image issues.

And that may very well be the key to helping him mellow out, to not keep him focused on the very thing that has riled him up.

He should make a good showing this year with FRR.  We'll see.

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I almost forgot that amongst all the news of the upcoming season, that Kevin Harvick is leaving RCR for Stewart-Haas Racing.  And Richard Childress himself confirmed where Harvick is going.

Harvick and SHR have not confirmed or deny the move.  Contractual obligations are just plucky annoying.

It will be a good year for Harvick to show just what he can do.  He's been subtle and quiet in a consistent fashion.  Nothing that stood out with winning lots of races, but he's always been in the hunt.

There's just one magical piece of "go" that's been missing and if they hit that mark, he could be a force to contend with.

And once he leaves RCR, no news is floating around as to whether Budweiser will be going with Harvick or staying with RCR.

If (really?  If?) Austin Dillon steps into the car in 2014, one has to wonder if Budweiser will take a chance with this young, proven performer.

--Bruce

Ryan Newman Contract News: Contract With Stewart-Haas Extended

The news today is that Ryan Newman has extended his deal to drive the No. 39 Chevy for Stewart-Haas Racing for another year.

No news on what sponsor will be painting the hood of his car yet, but SHR is expected to make an official announcement this weekend.

That's one more year for Newman in the car and that, I'm sure, makes fans happy.

But after next year, then what?  Sponsors are getting more scarce than Bigfoot sightings these days.  Drivers are cinched up to teams and there's no real room for anyone to go anywhere.  The two cars that had openings, the No. 22 and 20 cars, have filled their seats.

We'll see, because face it, the year isn't over yet and someone might still do something stupid and get ejected from another team.

[espn]

Will The New NASCAR Points System Pay Out Again in 2012?

The 2011 Sprint Cup Series season had an incredible points finish.  But in all the hoopla, did anyone notice the other 10 or 11 top-10 spots in the points in all the different NASCAR National race series?

= = =

Last year had some of the best racing in NASCAR that I've seen in a long time.  The race-starts were fun, the many restarts, though begrudged by many, were also fun.  And there were quite a few exciting finishes last year.  The only dark mark on the television viewing experience is what TV fans call the snoozer middle section of most races, yet overall it was a fun 2011 season.

One of the fun factors for the season was that NASCAR went to a new points system last year.  And I presume, the new system did the job it was intended to do and that's give fans a very exciting season ending fight, with what appeared to be tighter appearing point spreads.

And yes, the Sprint Cup Series season ended needing a tie-breaker.  Admittedly, the sleeping giant called Stewart-Haas Racing woke up and pile-drove to the front of the charts and that's what made it incredibly exciting.  They were the true star of this action-adventure points race.

But aside from that awesome media frenzy of fun, there was something that nagged at the back of my mind to the point of worry.

In the Nationwide Series, there was a 45-point difference between 1st and 2nd.  Then 117 point spread between the points leader and third place.

In the Camping World Truck Series, there was a 6-point difference between 1st and 2nd...  and 29 points between 1st and third.  (OK, that wasn't so bad.)

Kyle Busch Motorsports Retains Flexco

For the Kyle Busch fan out there, I'm sure you'll be interested to know that his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) has retained Flexco as an associate sponsor on their No. 18 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team.

For fans, it's good to see that folks are seeing past last year's debacle with Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday Jr..

But then again, KBM has Jason Leffler being the primary driver for the truck in 2012.  Leffler is a spitfire in his own way, so we'll see how the team fares!

Check out the press release below:

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 8, 2012) - Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announces today that Flexco, the worldwide leader in the manufacturing of belt conveyer products, will return as a corporate partner for the 2012 season. The Illinois-based company will continue as a season-long associate sponsor on KBM's No. 18 Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which will be driven primarily by veteran wheelman Jason Leffler.

Since becoming a KBM corporate partner in 2010, Flexco has achieved stronger customer partnerships by teaming with one of the most successful teams in all of NASCAR. In addition to logo placement on the No. 18 Tundra, the company's sales representatives have strengthened relationships with customers by providing behind-the-scenes access to Truck Series races. The global company also invited KBM team owner-driver Kyle Busch to personally meet with customers at one of the largest mining shows in North America, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011.

Ryan Permberton Lands At Tommy Baldwin Racing

Good news for one more ex-Red Bull Racing crew member:  Ryan Pemberton has joined Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) and will be serving as crew chief for Dave Blaney for the Sprint Cup 2012 season.

His first task will be trying to get Dave Blaney into the Daytona 500 through the rigorous, multi-layered qualifying process, as they do not have a guaranteed spot in the Great American Race.

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Ryan has two wins, 21 top-5', 92 top-10s and 15 poles in his career so far.  It's good to see him landing on his feet after Red Bull closed shop!

NB&P

[Scene Daily: Pemberton Lands at TBR]

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EFI Will Be a Game Changer in NASCAR; At Least In The Early Weeks

As all fans know, NASCAR has converted the Sprint Cup Series cars to an electronic fuel injection (EFI) system for the 2012 season.  The concerns are many, the subjects are varied.  (I'm am going out on a limb and assuming you all know this.  Right?  Bueller?  Bueller?)  And this EFI change, for now, is only in the Cup Series.

The big questions fans seem to have that I'm hearing are what will this do to the fuel mileage races?  The word on the street is that chancing fuel mileage will have a more severe penalty for any team that runs out of gas, seeing as how you won't be able to spray a starter fluid down a carburetor throat any more.

But with EFI, for the short term, I've heard tell that the fuel mileage in the cars will go up.  That is until the crew chiefs figure out how to get more HP out of this system that is more fuel efficient.

Some fans are worried about what happens to teams when or if the EFI system breaks on cars.  But from what I've been told, these systems are used in other racing circuits (Formula One and IndyCar), and if I heard right, they don't break. 

(I'll believe that when I see it.  To be honest, and not dissing the system, everything breaks at one time or another!)

But what's interesting about the inclusion of the EFI system, which some single-car teams have said has cost them upwards to $3 million to switch over to, is that the electronics involved and all the new information.

To help everyone across the board, NASCAR will be taking the EFI telemetry and sharing it with all teams after each event.  This is an effort to help all involved get up to speed faster.  (And I hope that won't be a constant!)

NASCAR Charity Poker Tournament (Win A Contest to Get In!)

On February 22,  there's going to be a charity poker tournament called the "High Speed Hold'em on the Halifax" that will take place at the luxury hotel, the MG on the Halifax, which is located dear Daytona International Speedway.

It will be hosted by the NASCAR Foundation is will raise money for Speediatrics, which is the pediatric unit at the Halifax Health Medical Center.

In attendance will be NASCAR drivers, celebs, poker pros and NASCAR fans.  Rusty Wallace will be co-hosting the event alongside Betty Jane France.

There are going to be 22 tables and each table is slated to have one celebrity, and either one NASCAR driver or professional poker player.

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I did mention a contest to get into the event for free, instead of ponying up the $500 per table fee, right?

"One player will be able to get into the tournament for free through a special drawing being held by the MG on the Halifax. By going online and registering at www.eventsatmgonthehalifax.com, one person and a guest will attend the tournament and the winner of the drawing will be able to play in the event."

[Poker News Daily:  Annie Duke & the NASCAR Foundation Charity Poker Tourn  ]

NB&P!

Ryan Newman Gets WIX Sponsor For Four Races

In this era, when sponsors can be hard to nab, some NASCAR teams are doing OK.  In this case, Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevy will have WIX Filters as a primary sponsor for four races in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

We'll see them debut on Ryan's hood in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, then at Phoenix, Darlington and Michigan.

WIX has been with Stewart-Haas Racing since it became an entity in 2009.  Hence, they're coming back and supporing the team again, in 2012.

Landon Cassill Exits Front Row Motorsports

Just a few weeks before the Daytona 500, and you expect news like points swaps and what not.  That's the norm, but you don't usually see driver leaving their NASCAR Sprint Cup Team, willingly.

But that's exactly what happened the other day.

Landon Cassill resigned from Front Row Motorsports, with the reason cited as being offered a full-time ride with another team.

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Speculation on the street says that Cassill is headed to the entity that bought up the Red Bull Racing assets recently.  (Wasn't Michael Waltrip pondering those assets recently???)

Front Row Motorsports will be naming a replacement soon, and it's been said there are no hard feelings between FRM and Cassill.  They recognize that they didn't want to get in the way of Landon having a chance that presented a better opportunity to him.

Fox Sports: Cassill Exits FRM

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Sad News: Matt Kenseth Mom Passed Away

In a piece of sad news, Matt Kenseth's mother, Nicola Sue Kenseth, passed away last Tuesday at the age of 63.  She passed after a long battle with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established in Nicki's name to the Alzheimer's Association, Agrace Hospice, and Willerup Methodist Church.

Matt, it probably goes without saying, that all our thoughts are with you.

Nicki Kenseth Memorial Donations may be made to:
Alzheimer's Association
Agrace HospiceCare
Willerup Methodist Church


[http://www.mattkenseth.com/]

Top-35 Owners Points Explained, And Why Owner Points Are Important

With the Danica Patrick tizzy regarding the owners points shell game and her getting into the 2012 Daytona 500, fans are once again refocusing some of their attention on the owners points system instigated by NASCAR and how the top-35 in owners points are guaranteed starting spots in the next race, with the exception of the first five races of each year.  I think there will be some credibility lost in the fans' minds with this special deal, but in the end, the bad is usually forgotten by enough people that some business decisions are worth the risk.  (Anyone know/remember what Calvin Ball is?  Remember Calvin and Hobbs... check out rule # 1.2 if you follow the link at the bottom of this piece.)

So what Is This Top-35 In Owner Points?

In NASCAR, there are several tiers of points within the sport.  When you watch a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on TV, there are several things happening behind the scenes that aren't immediately apparent, if you're the casual TV fan.  One of those items is the points structure.

When a car and driver cross the finish line, the driver gets driver points and the car owner also get points.  The most commonly referred to points standings are the driver points.  When a driver wins a race, he gets the coveted 43+bonus points awarded.  The car owner also gets points and for the most part, in the top half of the field, car points and driver points look like they work the same.  But there is a slight difference.

For instance, last year Robby Gordon finished the year 34th in driver points, with 268 points.  But his car owner (In this case, his own car), was 38th in owner points, with 334 points.  See the different in points?

That's because owner's points are distributed to ALL cars who attempt to qualify for a race, and that becomes important to the teams near the top-30 in points.  Here's how it's put by NASCAR:

"The 43 owners who make the race earn points equal to the driver points. Those who do not qualify for the race are awarded points, starting with the fastest car that failed to qualify, down to the slowest car that attempted to qualify. These points establish priority in gaining provisionals for future races."

So what this equates to is that Robby Gordon ran/qualified for 25 of the 36 races in 2011.  He had 268 driver points.  But as an owner, he/his car had 334 points, because he attempted to qualify for 33 races, only making 25 of them.  This rule even makes qualifying attempts valuable to some teams!  Like those who don't make the race, but they can still muster some spare points or so.

So...

Danica Patrick's Top-35 Points Gift Has Fans Wondering

Check out this shell game of owners points so that Danica Patrick can race in the Daytona 500 (D500):

A month ago, we were introduced to Danica Patrick driving the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevy and the announcement included that this NASCAR Sprint Cup effort would be a Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) endeavor.

Then, we heard that Danica Patrick will be using Owners Points from another team to be able to race in the Daytona 500.

We then learned that that Dave Blaney gave up his points with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) so Danica Patrick can race in the D500.

And finally, we heard that in a collaborative effort, Danica Patrick won't be driving an SHR car, but rather, her 10 Sprint Cup races will be driving under the auspices of TBR.

There...  how hard was that?  Right?

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Wait... she is driving what with who how?

The bottom line is that in some of the best media hub-bub to come along since Kurt Busch disrespected ESPN's Jerry Punch on camera and got himself fired, I mean, off to "have fun" racing, a situation has been made possible so that Danica Patrick's very first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be the Daytona 500.

Are You Ready For A No. 3 Chevy On The Track Again?

Austin Dillon drove the black No. 3 Chevy truck in the Camping World Truck Series.  He also won the championship in that black No. 3.  Which is a fine way to represent that number, whose history touches many a heart.

And in 2012, Richard Childriss is putting Austin Dillon on the track in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  And yes, it will be in the mostly black No. 3 Chevy Impala.

To be honest, being a die-hard Dale Earnhardt sr. fan, this progression for a No. 3 creeping ever so slowly towards the Cup series, seems to be coming at just the right time and at just the right pace.

Plus Austin Dillon has a lot of adjustments to tackle.  He's not seen some of the tracks he'll be seeing now in the Nationwide Series.  He hasn't dealt with road courses.

No More Secret NASCAR Fines, No More Inside Thoughts

In case you had not heard the news, NASCAR has abolished the "secret fine" practice.

In reality, it was never working anyway.  When ever someone was fined, we always seem to hear about it.  Or as far as we know.  But this secret fine business was in contrast to the family friendly and openness they professed was part of the sport.

But that's OK.

And it seems the drivers like it too.  Kevin Harvick says that this new policy will help make things clearer.

In the past, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin have found themselves on the receiving end of some of these unspoken fines from things they've said about different aspects of the racing.

In one way, it's a bit disappointing that the drivers can't speak their minds.  It gives the fans a fascinating insight to the real, dirty inside of the sport.

Update on Danica Patrick's Daytona 500 Ride & How She Got Those Owner Points

As was previously mentioned, Danica Patrick is locked into the Daytona 500 on Sprint Cup Series Owners points... but it turns out that it's not with Stewart-Haas Racing, but rather, with Tommy Baldwin Racing.  Wha???

What's up with that is that TBR will be fielding the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevy for all of Patrick's Sprint Cup races in 2012 and is made possible with a collaborative partnership between SHR and TBR.

The points are from the No. 36 car that Dave Blaney drove last year, and the No. 36 car will become the No. 10 GoDaddy car through this agreement.

Patrick will be driving the No. 10 Sprint Cup Series car for 10 races, and when she's not behind the wheel of that Chevy, David Reutimann will be fielding the car.

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And yes, Dave Blaney will have to drive his butt off to get into the Daytona 500 and other events.

PS:  Just because I've typed this, does not, in any way, mean I actually get it.  All I know is that NASCAR, and an alliance between Stewart-Haas Racing & Tommy Baldwin Racing have come to some agreement that will let one of the biggest media points of the sport, Danica Patrick, to participate in the 2012 Daytona 500.

So contrary to what I thought was going to happen, and Patrick drive for Stewart, she's technically going to drive for Baldwin when she's competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

I hope you get it, because I'm sure I sort of get it!

[Autoweek: How Danica Patrick Got Owners Points]

Emily Maynard Back for More Fame on TV's Bachelorette

Did you know that Emily Maynard is coming back to ABC's dating adventure game show, The Bachelorette?

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(Yes, this is way off topic, but it's in regards to one of our own from within the NASCAR family, so to speak.)

When Emily Maynard was on The Bachelor, it confused me.  Almost every woman that goes on that show as a game-show contestant is usually very desperate or ego-centric and looking for fame.  Regardless of their real inner aspirations, they almost always become a collection of emotional misfits crying at every turn of the road.

But when Emily Maynard came on The Bachelor, her apparent southern charm was in complete contrast to what one would expect and it took me by surprise.  Not to mention her sad story related to Ricky Hendrick.  (R.I.P. good sir.)

Then again, we all think that Ben Flajnik is a pretty decent guy too, right?  (Well, except for that pesky, NSFW video he made and the trend of who he seems to be gravitating to in this most recent season of The Bachelor that is.  I'm referring to the puffy upper-lipped Courtney, who seems to be getting more screen time than any other person in the show.)

Any hoo, back to Emily Maynard:

Danica Patrick Is Locked Into the Daytona 500

I know you might find this "surprising" but Danica Patrick, NASCAR's newest golden child of media attention, has locked herself into the Daytona 500...

No, it does not seem that NASCAR made any special "one time only" deal for the potential new driving star of the sport.  I don't think.

Check this out:

Stewart-Haas Racing "obtained" the points from Tommy Baldwin Racing, whose No. 36 car was inside the top-35 in Owners Points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

This means that Patrick will not have to race her way into the 500 through the 150-miler duel qualifers.

But...

Now that TBR transferred their points to SHR, Dave Blaney, whose points they were, will have to race his way into the 500 and I'm guessing, in each subsequent event for the first few races of the season.

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Is it me, or did transferring points used to be a big deal between teams?  I have a vague recollection of many hoops some folk had to go through when they bought teams, to be able to use those team's points.

But with Patrick, it seemed to be a no-brainer.  It's not a complaint, but still...  something to ponder.

[NASCAR: Patrick has Owner Points]