Andretti Falls Short at Milwaukee

What looked to be a successful weekend for Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport turned sour mid-race at the Milwaukee Mile. Andretti held the pole position for the Saturday afternoon race and was one of the fastest during IndyCar practice. After leading many laps in the beginning of the race, problems in the pits pushed the team back. The gas hose got stuck in Andretti's car causing them to lose precious track position. Later on, after the pit incident, Marco slowed on track with no power in the car. Most likely an electrical issue. Andretti's car was pushed behind the wall to the garage as a disappointed Marco climbed to the top of the pitbox. After about 40 laps, the Andretti Autosport team was able to get Marco back out on the track to gain a few extra points and avoid a DNF. Marco is now running in 23rd, 47 laps down with 75 laps left in the race. 

Bayne Wins at Iowa

Trevor Bayne captured the win at Iowa Speedway this afternoon despite a short rain delay. The newlywed, who was married on Tuesday, fought to the front just before the checkered flag waved. The race was suppose to run Saturday night, but was postponed due to rain.

Austin Dillon, driver and grandson of Richard Childress, won the pole and led the majority of the race on Sunday afternoon. On lap 164, after a huge collision between Travis Pastrana, Alex Bowman and Max Papis, the rain came once again and completely washed out the track, forcing the field into a red flag. After an hour long rain delay, the cars were fired and returned to the track.

Bayne had an extremely fast car and was in the top 5 for most of the race. Roush Fenway Racing has won multiple times at Iowa, most of them with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. last year. With some beating and banging, Trevor Bayne was able to catch and pass Austin Dillon with 10 laps to go. This is the first win of 2013 and second career Nationwide Series win for Bayne, the first coming at Texas in 2012. This also marks Ford Racing's 200th win in the Nationwide Series.

Elliott Sadler, Sam Hornish Jr., and Kyle Larson rounded up the Top 5 in the first Nationwide race without a Sprint Cup driver this year.

The 12-Year Wait

The greatest spectacle in racing set in the heart of Indiana ran it's 97th race today. For generations this is the race that young boys and girls dream of racing. You could say it is the icon of motorsports. And each year only one driver comes out the winner and this year it was Brazil native Tony Kanaan. A man who has waited 12 long, hard years to cross the yard of bricks first.

Tony Kanaan was a factor in today's Indianapolis 500 from the very start. Well into the

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race he had made no adjustments to the car and was continuing to be one of the fastest.

 It was obvious that the ending of this race was going to be a mystery. With a record number of 68 lead changes between 14 drivers, it left the audience in awe. Any of the top 10 cars could have ended the day in victory lane. It was, in my opinion, the greatest Indy 500 I have ever watched. Between the diversity of leaders and the passion flowing from the track, you could tell it was going to end with a fight. This race means everything to all of the drivers who get the opportunity to race it and today it was Tony Kanaan's turn.

The final 10 laps were balancing between Tony Kanaan and Ryan Hunter-Reay. No one knew who it was going to be in the end. During a late restart with about 5 laps to go, Tony Kanaan made the move of the race by sweeping down the track to pass Ryan Hunter-Reay for the lead. Shortly after Kanaan took the lead another caution came out involving 4-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti. This would automatically give Tony Kanaan the win since IndyCar allows races to finish under a yellow flag (unlike NASCAR) and there were only 3 laps until the checkered. Kanaan cruised the final 3 laps behind the pace car knowing he was now an Indy 500 Champion. He said it was the longest lap in his entire life and he just wanted to pace car to speed up.

Rookie Carlos Muntoz finished an impressive 2nd in his first ever IndyCar race and last year's champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay finished 3rd. AJ Allmendinger, former CART driver and NASCAR driver (after being suspended last year) finished 7th in his first Indy 500 driving one of Roger Penske's Chevrolets.

The wreath of flowers and legendary bottle of milk was waiting for Tony Kanaan in victory lane. You could see the emotion in the eyes of him and his team. This is the race every IndyCar driver dreams of winning, just as every NASCAR driver dreams of winning the Daytona 500. With such a legacy as this race it truly is an honor to add your name and picture to the trophy of champions. As Kanaan put it himself, "This is it, man. I made it. Finally they're going to put my ugly face on this trophy."

UPDATED: Names of Crewmen Revealed

Police have released the two names of the crewmen from last night's arrest.

Statement from Henrico Police:

"As a result of their investigation, Henrico Police Officers made the following arrests;

Michael A. Scearce, 50 years old, of Mount Ulla, North Carolina, was charged with two counts of assault (misdemeanor charges).

Thomas F. Costello, 35 years old, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, was charged with one count of assault (a misdemeanor charge).

Mr. Scearce and Mr. Costello were charged and released during the early morning hours of Saturday, April 27, 2013.

A court date for both will be determined at a later time.''


Scearce is a mechanic and Costello is an interior specialist. Both are from Brian Scott's Nationwide race team. An earlier incident after the race resulted in Brian Scott and Nelson Piquet Jr. pushing, shoving and kicking on pit road. NASCAR had met with both drivers immediately after the race.


Henrico Police also said,


"Henrico Police are investigating a verbal argument that started in the infield area of RIR that escalated into a physical altercation near the Driver/Owner Lot. The assault occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. Two adult males are in custody as a result of the ongoing investigation. One of the two adult male victims has a shoulder injury.''

BREAKING: Two Crewmen Arrested at Richmond International Speedway

Following Friday night's Nationwide race at Richmond International Raceway, two crewmen were reportedly arrested by Henrico Police at approx. 11:15 p.m in the driver motorhome parking lot. Moments before the arrest, there was a physical post-race incident between NASCAR driver's Nelson Piquet Jr. and Brian Scott. Reports are saying the two arrested crewmen were from Richard Childress Racing, the team of Brian Scott. Sources are saying there was an alleged assault.

Two adult males were taken into custody due to an ongoing investigation, Lt. Linda. N. Toney said in a statement. She said that one of two victims has a shoulder injury. There is speculation that Nelson Piquet Jr. was the target of this alleged assault. SPEED's Bob Dillner confirmed a Turner Scott Racing official told him Piquet Jr, had "just (a) scratch." We can assume from that statement that Piquet was involved in some way.

RCR's Director of Communications Tim Packman said, "We are aware an incident took place outside of the track's infield following Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway involving members of our team and others from another team. We are cooperating with the local authorities in this matter."

The identities of the RCR crew members were not released and there has been no statement from Piquet's representatives at this point.

Richmond International Raceway did not comment due to the ongoing investigation.

Kenseth Penalized After Kansas Win

Ouch. Huge penalties arose on Wednesday for Matt Kenseth's #20 Joe Gibbs team. After Kenseth's Sprint Cup win last weekend at Kansas, NASCAR found something not too appealing. NASCAR officials found an engine part that was too light according to the rulebook. Joe Gibbs Racing does not directly build their engines though. Toyota Racing Department provides engines (and all of its parts) for the team. TRD claimed in a statement that the part did not increase the performance of the engine and that it was just a "simple oversight."

The penalties include a 50 point deduction for Kenseth (more than what he won last weekend) and a loss of crew chief Jason Radcliff for six races. Radcliff will also have to pay a $200,000 fine for the team's mishap. On top of all that, the team will not be able to earn owner points for six races.

Also, Kenseth loses his spot in next year's Sprint Unlimited because of his pole win last week (Sprint Unlimited qualifications are based on pole wins). Just when you think this can't get any worse, Kenseth's win and bonus points are not allowed to go towards qualifying for the Chase or towards earning a Wild Card spot.

Joe Gibbs Racing now has a possibility of only 1 driver making this year's Chase (Kyle Busch). Earlier in the year, Denny Hamlin injured his back in a wreck at Fontana forcing him to sit out of the car for six races. No update yet on when he will return. Kenseth's penalty now threatens losing another JGR car in the Chase.

TRD and JGR said they will appeal the penalties, but in light of Penske's penalties at Texas, NASCAR will most likely hold a grudge. Kenseth did have an illegal engine, even TRD acknowledged this, and hopes of winning the appeal are not looking good for JGR. NASCAR doesn't fool around. It looks like the "playing in the gray area" days are officially over.

Essay Excerpt: The History of American Stock Car Racing

              Colorful Crowds and Carburetors: The History of American Stock Car Racing

 By: Sydney Stultz

Fumes of all kinds swarm the amphitheater. Burnt rubber, gasoline, the occasional whiff of fried food. The roar of engines that quiets a colorful crowd. Deafening. The sound pierces the air. Crews scramble and cars roll forward. People from all over the country, even the world, come to see these treacherous monsters. Hoping to hear the crunching of metal or the squeal of a spin. Maybe even the ping-ping of a tire change. The thrill and suspense as each 3,000-pound car makes each turn. Some crave it. Stock car racing has captured the hearts of millions. People have flocked to the nearest track for decades. Many do not realize the thick roots of its history started with whiskey. Bootleggers running in modified cars down the highway, hoping they won’t get caught. This was no choice. For some, it was a source of income. The following essay will explain the history of stock car racing, also known as NASCAR, and how the nationwide sport evolved from daredevil men trying to make a living to the sport phenomenon it is today.

    

Origin & First Idea

   In the 1930s, bootleggers, or people delivering illegal whiskey, were found anywhere between Virginia and Georgia. In the dead of night, these men packed their moonshine in the trunk of their cars and hoped for the best. Many were poor, so they turned to this risky business. The decision was not a matter of choice, but desperation. Despite the sticky situations they were in, bootleggers never passed down an opportunity for fun. They started to race their fellow bootlegging buddies down backroads and even highways. Literally, it was stock car racing. They were racing cars any average person could buy during the 1930s. Driving these moonshine cars was far more dangerous than any of the race cars on the track (Anderson, “Racin’ Like,” 82). These men loved the thrill of racing their cars so much that they decided to make their own tracks. Anywhere they could find a spot. Pastures or fields, it didn’t matter, as long as they could go fast (Houston).
    NASCAR’s history doesn’t stop at bootlegging. How else would it have gotten where it is today? One man had an idea that would essentially change the concept of stock car racing forever. William H. G. France, also known as “Big Bill.” He wanted to create a national auto racing organization that included your everyday car. Where on the weekends men could race a car identical to the car they drove to work on Monday (Benjamin 64). He would call it NASCAR, standing for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
    Bill France grew up in Washington, D.C. Drooling over the stock cars at local racetracks. He would sometimes take the family car for a few laps. In his later years, Bill was a World War II submarine builder. After the war, France decided to open his own filling station business. He moved his wife and kids to Florida. Many stock car drivers hung around at Bill’s filling station. Bill France was asked to promote a few events. He eventually got into the business side of stock car racing (“William). France decided to gather up people to create a organization dedicated to stock cars. He wanted to give the sport more respect (“William”).
     The bootleggers running from the law. The guys turning wrenches at the mechanic shop. The businessmen. They all came together to create this organization. It started with 4 men in the late 1940s. Eddie Bank stood beside President Bill France as vice-president. France also hired, Bill Tuthill as secretary and Marshall Teague as treasurer. Teague was also a driver and was the first person to lead a NASCAR lap (Latford 8).
    Later on, NASCAR was finalized in the Streamline Hotel on Daytona Beach in 1947 (“William”). NASCAR would be divided into 3 different divisions. First, the Modified division that raced pre-war street cars that had been tweaked and tinkered to sustain high speeds. The second division was the Roadsters division, slower and more lagging cars. Finally, the 3rd and most respected division was the Strictly Stock. These were the newly built, post-war cars that were saved for the most prestigious of drivers. Any of the 1930s bootleggers were usually the fastest on the track. France and his team had decided to inaugurate the new found sport on the beaches of Daytona, where the sport’s inception was held. Part of the track would stretch on the highway’s pavement. The other half on the wet sand of Daytona Beach. This area had recently been revamped with hotels and homes after the post-war construction boom, so it was essentially the perfect location (Latford 8).
    By the time NASCAR was beginning to spread, World War II had just ended and returning soldiers were desperate for something to fulfill the suspense of being on the battlefield. Many turned to auto racing as a replacement (Clarke 20). These men did not have the money to race custom made race cars, so street cars were the only cars they could get their hands on. Instead of ruining a brand new automobile, they found old junk cars to beat and bang at the track (Bailey). If you won the race, all your winnings went into next week’s car or repairs. There wasn’t any room for leftover spending (John; Bentley; Mark; Beech 12).
    The iconic fire suit that drivers wear today was never around at the start. Safety was not the first priority for these daredevils, so their apparel was very low-key. Drivers would strap into the race car wearing a T-shirt and shorts (John 18). Sometimes drivers would add fire resistant solutions to their clothes to somewhat prevent fiery accidents. The first helmet was called a Cromwell and it resembled a hardhat. These helmets were open faced and covered the ears. There was also a chin strap to help secure it. Not until the death of Dale Earnhardt would NASCAR make necessary safety changes to the sport (Aumann).