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Re: NASCAR (in English)
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Re: NASCAR (in English)
Crew Chiefs Listing - о скромных крю-чифах замолвите слово?
http://racing-reference.info/crewchiefs.htm Вкратце: Дэйл Инман выиграл кубок 8 раз! как крю-чиф за 21 год (64-84). http://a2.espncdn.com/photo/2012/012..._inman_300.jpg Chef chief Dale Inman (8 Cups) & Richard Petty (7 Cups) Dale Inman - Crew chief stats. 21 years - Cup Crew Chief Statistics 1964-1987. http://racing-reference.info/crewchiefs/Dale_Inman 719 races - 168 wins - 437 Top5 - 515 Top10 - Average Finish 8,5 - Miles 198 494. Champion's Crew Chief 8 years: 1964, 1967, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1979, 1984. Walter "Bud" Moore http://www.legendsofnascar.com/JackS...r_BudMoore.jpg Bud Moore, Buck Baker, Jack Smith - 1960 Firecracker 250. Bud Moore - Crew chief stats Cup Crew Chief Statistics 1957-1986 http://racing-reference.info/crewchiefs/Bud_Moore - 1986 http://racing-reference.info/wc.htm - 1957-1963 Champion's Crew Chief 3 years: 1957, 1962, 1963. http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images...op_340x234.jpg Kirk Shelmerdine - ex crew chief of #3 Dale Earnhardt (Chevy Childress) Kirk Shelmerdine - Crew chief stats 11 years - Cup Crew Chief Statistics 1982-1992 http://racing-reference.info/crewchi...rk_Shelmerdine 321 races - 47 wins - 140 Top5 - 208 Top10 - Average Finish 11,1 - Miles 113608 Champion's Crew Chief 4 years: 1986-87, 1990-91. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/fea...ham_all-01.jpg Crew chief Ray Evernham, right, and racer Jeff Gordon (left) Ray Evernham - Crew chief stats 8 years - Cup Crew Chief Statistics 1992-1999. http://racing-reference.info/crewchiefs/Ray_Evernham 216 races - 47 wins - 116 Top5 - 140 Top10 - Average Finish 11,5 - Miles 78242 Champion's Crew Chief 3 years: 1995, 1997-98. http://static.foxsports.com/content/...28_660_320.JPG Crew chief Chad Knaus (left) and Jimmie Johnson Chad Knaus - Crew chief stats 13 years - Cup Crew Chief Statistics 2000-2012... http://racing-reference.info/crewchiefs/Chad_Knaus 388 races - 53 wins - 145 Top5 - 221 Top10 - Averagre Finish 13,0 - Miles 148476 Champion's Crew Chief 5 years: 2006-2010. |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
Listing of NASCAR Series Owners
http://www.racing-reference.info/owner.htm http://images.thecarconnection.com/s...00348963_s.jpg Rick Hendrick - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/owner/Rick_Hendrick 29 years - 1984-2012... Champion's Car Owner: 10 years 2987 races - 199 wins - 809 Top5 - 1335 Top10 - Earning$ 267,416,335 $ - Aver.Finish 15,7 - Miles 1106665 http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images...op_450x500.jpg Joe Gibbs - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/owner/Joe_Gibbs 21 years - 1992-2012... Champion's Car Owner: 3 years 1418 races - 94 wins - 391 Top5 - 641 Top10 Earning$ 171,685,821 $ - Aver.Finish 15,4 - Miles 534842 http://ta4ka.taba.ru/id71690/file/5048 Jack Roush - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/owner/Jack_Roush 25 years - 1988-2012... Champion's Car Owner: 2 years 2913 races - 126 wins - 683 Top5 - 1202 Top10 Earning$ 285,611,887 $ - Aver.Finish 16,2 - Miles 1085245 http://a57.foxnews.com/static/manage...img_large1.jpg Richard Childress - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/own...hard_Childress 39 years - 1976-2012... Champion's Car Owner: 6 years 2175 races - 100 wins - 429 Top5 - 888 Top10 Earning$ 187,429,492 $ - Aver.Finish 15,7 - Miles 807777 http://a2.espncdn.com/photo/2010/021...ohnson_300.jpg Robert Glenn "Junior" Johnson Junior Johnson - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/owner/Junior_Johnson 30 years - 1965-1995 Champion's Car Owner: 6 years 1049 races - 132 wins - 436 Top5 - 577 Top10 Earning$ 17,009,360 $ - Aver.Finish 12,8 - Miles 353671 http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007..._petty_580.jpg Lee Petty - aka "Yuriy Gagarin" Petty Enterprises - Ownership stats http://www.racing-reference.info/own...ty_Enterprises 60 years - 1949-2008 Champion's Car Owner: 10 years 2817 races - 268 wins - 888 Top5 - 1258 Top10 Earning$ 73,961,522 $ - Aver.Finish 15,5 - Miles 752913 |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
Manufacturers' Championship
http://www.racing-reference.info/wc.htm Chevrolet - last 10 years in a row! 2003-2012 Ford - 2002 last time Last 30 years only Chevy & Ford won! Buick - 1982 last time Oldsmobile - 1978 last time Dodge - 1975 last time Mercury - 1973 last time Plymouth - 1970 last time Pontiac - 1962 last time Chrysler - 1956 last time Hudson - 1954 last time |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
О добром "хот-доге" замолвили слово.
Ссылка временная - через неделю там будет другой текст. http://www.nascar.com/news/features/...ngs/index.html Поэтому тут дано без перевода - слова все лёгкие. In honor of the "Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog," 13 bun facts about the wiener, frankly speaking: The speedway will serve up more than 50,000 hot dogs on a typical race weekend. In 1957, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce officially designated July as National Hot Dog Month. Close to 150 million hot dogs are consumed on July 4, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs and beer to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England at a picnic during a White House visit in 1939. New York is No. 1 when it comes to hot dog consumption. In 2004, New Yorkers consumed $112.7 million worth of hot dogs, according to Information Resources Inc. No. 2 was Los Angeles, followed by Washington, D.C. However, the biggest hot dog seller in the country is Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Travelers passing through purchase more than 2 million hot dogs a year. On July 15, 2011, the world's largest hot dog was constructed and eaten to celebrate the 2011 Expo in Paraguay. It measured 222 yards long and weighed nearly 600 pounds. Every second of every day, 450 hot dogs are eaten in the United States. That's about 70 hot dogs per person, per year. The most popular hot dog topping among adults is mustard (87.6 percent). Among children, it is ketchup. Among race fans at Martinsville, it is chili. Before Jayne Mansfield hit it big on the silver screen, she won acclaim by winning the Miss Hot Dog Month beauty contest in 1950. A regular meat hot dog with mustard, ketchup, onions and relish checks in at 191 calories -- and 835 milligrams of sodium. The Texas Rangers will sell a one-pound, two-foot long hot dog at Arlington Stadium this season. The Champion Dog, topped with onions, cheese, jalapenos and chili, will cost $26. My favorite "South of the Border" billboard: "You never sausage a place!" The additive that gives Jesse Jones hot dogs their distinctive shocking pink color is called Red 40, which has petroleum as its original base. However, most synthetic chemicals are so highly refined that you won't find any residual petroleum in the product. |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
http://www.nascar.com/news/120417/ts...sit/index.html
http://www.nascar.com/video/preview/...ama/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg Obama welcomes 2011 Chasers to White House WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Obama gave Sprint Cup champ Tony Stewart plenty of light-hearted ribbing during his remarks at the champion's tour of the White House on Tuesday. But he did seem pretty serious about one thing. He really wants to drive the car. "It's good to see No. 14 back on the South Lawn," Obama said. "Every year, I try to take a lap. Nobody lets me do it. But I am still holding out hope that at some point, I'm going to be able to get behind the wheel." Despite the president's high hopes, the commander in chief did not climb into one of Stewart-Haas Racing's 800-horsepower Chevrolets. But it didn't stop Obama from offering high praise for Stewart's accomplishments in closing out his third title in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. "This was Tony's year," Obama said, "and Smoke gave us one of the most dramatic finishes that we've ever seen." Stewart said he was humbled by the president's remarks, but for his part, he wasn't quite willing to play the accomplice in getting Obama behind the wheel of one of his cars. Stewart was joined at the White House by the other 11 drivers in last year's Chase field. In his remarks, Obama singled out the unprecedented five-year reign of former champion Jimmie Johnson and gave credit to 2011 runner-up Carl Edwards, a member of his Presidential Fitness Council. Obama also took time out to make mention of the NASCAR Unites - America Salutes initiative for patriotism and military support. "One thing especially I want to thank NASCAR for is the support that you guys have provided to our men and women in uniform," Obama said. "You give active-duty soldiers, wounded warriors, veterans all a VIP experience at races." That mention wasn't lost on Dale Earnhardt Jr., who currently sports sponsorship for the National Guard and whose car was on The Ellipse near the National Mall with a special red, white and blue paint scheme for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll last week. http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/...bG7bB/617x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/...X8gHP/617x.jpg ХА-ХА = Из 12 пилотов лишь 3 в черных очках = №2, №29, №18. Все трое - "ред-неки" = Кезеловски, Харвик, Кайл Буш =) |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
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http://www.nascar.com/news/features/power_rankings/ TALLADEGA - Week 10 of 36 - By: Mark Aumann Who's Up Biggest Gain this week: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 6th to 1st New This Week : Kasey Kahne Who's Down Biggest Drop this week: Martin Truex Jr.: 2nd to 7th Dropped Out : Ryan Newman Dale Earnhardt Jr. If Junior were to win Sunday, I guarantee there will be fans still nursing hangovers when the parking lots open again for the race in October. Denny Hamlin Denny on Saturday night's finish: "Everyone was just going to go for everything they had knowing that they weren't going to pay a price for tires." And if you've recently shopped for tires, that's a pretty steep price. Jimmie Johnson "What goes up, must come down Spinning wheel got to go round Talk about your troubles, it's a cryin' sin Ride the painted pony, let the spinning wheel spin." Greg Biffle Greg said his car ran "like Jack the bear" at times Saturday night. Which is apparently better than jack squat, which would have resulted in needing the jack stands. Matt Kenseth To say Matt and Talladega don't seem to get along well might be an understatement. His last top-10 finish was a fourth ... in 2006. Tony Stewart Broken-down karma: Somewhere in Indiana, one retired school bus driver who put up with Tony singing "99 Bottles (Of Beer On The Wall)" on every single field trip just got his payback. Martin Truex Jr. After a disappointing night at Richmond, Talladega would seem the perfect place for Martin to bounce back. He's finished no worse than 13th there in the past four trips. Carl Edwards Imagine if Willy Wonka was officiating Saturday night's race: "Wrong! It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You jumped the restart, so you get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!" Kevin Harvick DeLana tweeted that if Kevin didn't agree to get a haircut soon, she might have to take a Flowbee to it. Flowbees are scientific proof that yes, it is possible to cut hair in a vacuum. Kyle Busch Want a perfect illustration of the inherent randomness of a Talladega finish? Mike Bliss has as many top-10 finishes (one) as Kyle in the past six races there. Clint Bowyer Want another one? Of the 12 drivers with five or more lead-lap finishes at Talladega since 2009, Clint's the only one to have won -- and he's done it twice. Brad Keselowski Fun with numbers -- Brad's best five finishes in 2012 have been all odd: first, fifth, ninth, ninth and 11th. His worst four? All even: 18th, 32nd, 32nd and 36th. Kasey Kahne Kasey's put together three consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time since he ended 2011 with a third, a first and a seventh. |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
UPS - Universal Points System - after 11 of 36 Cup races 2012
Points for a driver = His Distance /devided/ His Average Finish After 11 races the leader is Ford #16 G.Biffle (Roush team) Main good surprise: 5th is Toyota #56 M.Truex-jr (Waltrip) Main disappointment: 25th is Chevy #24 J.Gordon (Hendrick) 1st Ford #16 G.Biffle: 4232 miles / 7,5 AvFn = 564 Pts - Roush 2nd Ford #17 M.Kenseth: 536 Pts - Roush 3rd Chevy #88 D.Earnhardt-jr: 504 Pts - Hendrick 4th Toyota #11 D.Hamlin: 445 Pts - Gibbs 5th Toyota #56 M.Truex-jr: 389 Pts - Waltrip - team not in Top-4 best! 6th Chevy #14 T.Stewart: 364 Pts - Stewart 7th Chevy #29 K.Harvick: 359 Pts - Childress 8th Toyota #18 Kyle Busch: 317 Pts - Gibbs 9th Chevy #48 J.Johnson: 294 Pts - Hendrick 10th Toyota #15 C.Bowyer: 293 Pts - Waltrip 11th Ford #99 C.Edwards: 291 Pts - Roush 12th Dodge #2 B.Keselowski: 269 Pts - Penske 16th Toyota #55 M.Martin: 224 Pts - Waltrip - 8 of 11 races. 18th Ford #9 M.Ambrose: 216 Pts - Petty - best AUS-man! 19th Chevy #5 K.Kahne: 214 Pts - Hendrick 20th Chevy #42 JP.Montoya: 204 Pts - Ganassi - best Latin-Am-man! 21th Dodge #22 AJ.Allmendinger: 192 Pts - Penske 22th Chevy #51 Kurt Busch: 176 Pts - Phoenix 23th Toyota #47 B.Labonte: 170 Pts - JTD 24th Chevy #78 R.Smith: 166 Pts - Colorado! 25th Chevy #24 J.Gordon: 162 Pts - Hendrick - worst career season for 4-time? |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
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http://www.nascar.com/news/features/power_rankings/ CHARLOTTE - Week 12 of 36 - By: Mark Aumann Biggest Gain this week: Jimmie Johnson: 8th to 2nd Biggest Drop this week: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 3rd to 7th Matt Kenseth Matt offered to take Jack Roush on a victory lap but decided against it when Jack told him he'd have to parachute from one of Jack's planes in return. Jimmie Johnson Remember when Jimmie was unbeatable at Charlotte? In the past six races there, Jimmie's average finish of 19.3 is worse than Brian Vickers (19.2). Greg Biffle Fact of the week: Jack Roush's last win in the Coke 600 came with Mark Martin in 2002, one year before Greg landed the full-time No. 16 ride. Denny Hamlin As a Charlotte Bobcats season ticketholder, Denny was disappointed with a 7-59 season. On the other hand, he didn't have to worry about the NBA playoffs conflicting with his racing schedule. Kyle Busch Don't look now but Kyle has scored the most points over the past five races. Tony Stewart After a disappointing All-Star Race, Tony was asked if he learned anything. "Yeah, don't bring back what we just ran tonight." Dale Earnhardt Jr. After the way he finished last year's Coke 600, Junior's going to have a spare gas can installed under the driver's seat. Martin Truex Jr. Martin has three finishes of 23rd in his past six trips to Charlotte. Gives new meaning to the ancient phrase "23 skidoo." Brad Keselowski Brad finished second in the All-Star Race after starting deep in the pack. With another 300 or so laps Sunday, he figures he'll come up with a way to pass the leader. Carl Edwards How was Carl's All-Star Race like the national anthem? His engine gave up like a bomb bursting in air, followed by a rocket's red glare. Kasey Kahne Kasey knows one of the best things about winning the Coke 600 is not having to pay shipping charges to get the trophy back home. Kevin Harvick Who knew Kevin had so much in common with the late, great Donna Summer? Her album, Love to Love You Baby, came out in November of 1975. Kevin came out one month later. Clint Bowyer In memory of Robin Gibb, Clint will crank up the soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever on the in-car radio: "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man, no time to talk ..." |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t1.jpg
Next: Cup Series practice Marcos Ambrose starts on the front row for the Coca-Cola 600, and he has two practices to dial in the car. They hit the track at 10 a.m. ET for the first one. Follow with Live Leaderboard. http://i.cdn.turner.com/ttn/ttn_adsp...00x250_ROS.jpg http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nascar/.ele...l_image.09.jpg Which multiple Charlotte winner has the best chance to win the Coca-Cola 600? Jeff Gordon #24 Chevy Kasey Kahne #5 Chevy Matt Kenseth #17 Ford Jimmie Johnson #48 Chevy http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/nasca...tte_970x66.jpg http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg Nationwide Live Chat Replay: Dale Jr. and Danica http://www.nascar.com/video/preview/...lay/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg TNT's Countdown to Green: Coca-Cola 600 preview http://www.nascar.com/video/tnt/none...een/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg Keselowski proud to carry on Wallace's No. 2 tradition http://www.nascar.com/news/120525/bk...ion/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg The grass is greener for Patrick in NASCAR http://www.nascar.com/news/120525/dp...end/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg All Access: Allgaier hits the dirt track for some fun http://www.nascar.com/video/none/all...ier/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t2.jpg Preview: Gordon, Kahne eager to carry banner http://www.nascar.com/news/120525/jg...tte/index.html http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t3.jpg Back talk - Is Jimmie Johnson back, or did he never really leave? The Smacketeers debate that and other topics in this week's Track Smack. Menzer: Johnson had race, boss under control Saturday at CMS http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t3.jpg Special occasion - Ryan Newman says in his blog that he's always excited to represent the U.S. Army. But this weekend it is especially meaningful for him to bear the colors. Fantasy Preview: Newman an underdog for Coca-Cola 600 http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...omepage-t3.jpg Who will make the Chase? Will your favorite driver make the Chase? Will your favorite driver win this week's race? Predictions are updated throughout the week. So check back often. NASCAR Fantasy Live | Streak to Finish | Face-Off Who makes up your fantasy roster this week? http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/nasca...ketingBoxB.jpg |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
http://www.nascar.com/news/features/power_rankings/
POCONO - Week 14 of 36 - By: Mark Aumann Who's Up - Biggest Gain this week: Kevin Harvick: 12th to 7th Who's Down - Biggest Drop this week: Kyle Busch: 4th to 10th Jimmie Johnson With that crazy wig on, Jimmie either looked like the guy who used to hold up the "John 3:16" sign at sporting events or a refugee from the American Basketball Association. Matt Kenseth With a nod to Robert Hutchins, whenever Matt gets the urge to do something crazy or off the wall, he just lies down until the feeling passes. Greg Biffle Greg complained that his car was plowing through the corners on Sunday. That's great, if he ever wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior's not really too excited about being in Pocono for two additional days of testing. I guess he found out he got the room without the heart-shaped tub, again. Denny Hamlin Denny's not happy about losing the advantage he may have had on the old Pocono pavement. But what has him most angry this weekend? His favorite mini-golf place shut down. Martin Truex Jr. Stat of the week: In his 12 Pocono starts, Martin has finished on the lead lap 11 times -- and was one lap down in his debut. Kevin Harvick Signs, signs, everywhere a sign Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind Pit here, don't pit here Can't you read the sign? Brad Keselowski Brad's obsession with the numeral two is almost unhealthy. At Pocono, he orders the $2.22 breakfast special every morning at Van Gilder's Jubilee Restaurant. Kasey Kahne Kasey loves one go-kart track at Pocono in particular. It's got a challenging course and fast karts. Plus they think he's under 18, so he gets the teen discount. Kyle Busch In the continuing sibling rivalry to see which Busch brother can be the baddest, Kyle once again finds himself one suspension behind. Clint Bowyer If Clint thinks he's been a little snake-bitten at Pocono, imagine how teammate Mark Martin must feel. In 50 starts there, Mark's finished second six times but has never won. Tony Stewart Have it your way: Perhaps Tony saw that big Burger King logo and decided he'd like to try another Whopper for old time's sake. Carl Edwards Just to clarify: He got the nickname "Concrete Carl" because he races well on it, not because he crashes into it. |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
http://www.nascar.com/news/120613/in...ion/index.html
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...-story-top.jpg Driven to win - Гоняются ради побед - Как пилоты стали крю-чифами! Some crew chiefs started behind the wheel but have found success on pit road Paul Wolfe went from Nationwide driver to championship-winning crew chief. While successful, it hasn't always been easy. (Getty Images) At some point, you just have to realize, it's like music or anything else. You've got to realize that you're only going to go so far. - Ray Evernham http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg He never intended to quit. He was good behind the wheel, and he knew it, but he wasn't the type to run around the country chasing money. So he drove on a shoestring, and eventually it got tiresome, and he moved to North Carolina to make some contacts and find a job with a little more stability. Before he knew it, he had sold his late model car to buy his first house. He landed a job with Butch Mock, which turned into a job with Robert Yates, which turned into a job with Ray Evernham. Suddenly, Kenny Francis wasn't a driver anymore. He was a crew chief. "I really didn't quit on purpose," said the crew chief on Kasey Kahne's team at Hendrick Motorsports. "It just sort of happened." And it's happened to more than just him. NASCAR's national divisions are dotted by signal-callers who began their careers with a drive to succeed that was quite literal, one that included a view from behind the windshield rather than on top of the pit box. They all started with the same dream -- to make it as a professional driver, and reach the highest levels of the sport. Many of them won races, some of them championships. But somewhere along the way, the money ran out. Or sponsorship couldn't be found. Or a new opportunity presented itself. Or there were serious internal discussions about whether they had enough ability to do it for a living. Eventually they made the switch, trading a helmet for a headset, though the process was usually more gradual than that. Francis had always loved the preparation side of racing more than the event itself. Rodney Childers faced the question of whether he was winning because of talent, or because he was setting up cars that were better than those of anyone else. Paul Wolfe ran out of funding, had a background as a mechanic to fall back on, and needed to make a living. Shane Huffman lost a Nationwide Series ride and received an unexpected call to work on race cars. Even the godfather of the modern crew chief, three-time Cup champion Evernham, made the transition -- he was injured in a modified crash, spent some time outside the car, and realized he was better at building vehicles than driving them. "Could I have gone on and raced professionally? Probably, because I would have stayed on it, and stayed on it, and stayed on it," Evernham said. "But my problem is, if I can't go with the ability to be championship level, then there's no sense in going. And at that point I realized, I'm the weak link on my team. I'm building cars that are better than I am. Because as soon as I stopped driving and started to build cars for other people, my cars were winning. And I was like, man, I must have really sucked as a driver. If I can build a car that good, I must have really sucked." Are there regrets? Perhaps, but not always. For those who were more accomplished drivers, there might be a little itch back there somewhere, making them wonder what they might have achieved had the right breaks and the right rides and the right funding all aligned at the same time. But from the very beginning some of these crew chiefs were as fascinated with the cars as they were with the races, making them feel as at home under the vehicle as inside it. And their current jobs are so all-encompassing, and winning at NASCAR's highest levels is so difficult, that there's not much room left for pining over what might have been. "I guess for a while I thought about that," said Wolfe, who made it to the Nationwide Series as a driver, and is now crew chief on Brad Keselowski's No. 2 car. "But I think once I started to have success at this level in the Nationwide Series as a crew chief, and now in the Cup Series, it really doesn't cross my mind anymore. I feel like things happen for a reason, and that just wasn't meant to be." http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg Kenny Francis was paired with Kasey Kahne at Evernham Motorsports, and the two have been together ever since. (Getty Images) World coming to an end Rodney Childers could flat-out wheel it. Now crew chief of Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 55 car driven primarily by Mark Martin, he was a terror back in his go-kart days. Childers won five consecutive national championships in the World Karting Association, and once claimed a victory on the limestone track at Daytona Beach's Municipal Stadium in a class that attracted more than 300 entries. It all began to feel routine -- he'd go to a national karting event and sweep all six classes. No big deal. "That was normal for us," he said. "That was a normal weekend." http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg I don't know that I can say I enjoy this more, but I never had the success as a driver that I'm having now as a crew chief. - Paaul Wolfe For some of these crew chiefs who started out behind the wheel, talent wasn't necessarily the factor that kept them from reaching the top as drivers. They won, and they won a lot, and their dreams of making it to NASCAR's top levels were far from fantasy. Childers parlayed his go-kart success into late model rides, and eventually NASCAR's old All-Pro circuit. Francis made his mark on short tracks throughout the Southeast. Wolfe climbed all the way into the Nationwide ranks. Huffman, who worked briefly as a crew chief at Rusty Wallace Racing and is now a car chief on the Camping World Truck circuit, was a champion on the old Pro Cup tour who landed a Nationwide ride at JR Motorsports. They were far from weekend warriors. Although Francis loves his current job and has zero regrets about his career change, he also believes he'd be successful if he were on the other side. "I think I could compete," he said. "I don't have any question in my mind that I could compete with most any of them out there. I think if you asked a lot of the guys I competed with, they'd probably tell you the same thing." Dale Earnhardt Jr., who occasionally raced against Francis in late model events at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina and whose father once offered Francis a job, certainly knows. So does Childers, whose career path closely mirrors that of his good friend. "He was good. He was really good," said Childers, who still races against his buddy in go-karts. "We go riding all the time, and he's a little bit lighter than I am, and I say, 'If we want to make this a real competition, you need to put a little weight on your car.' He's really good. It doesn't matter what he gets in. We were at some dirt track one night, some guy had a dirt late model, and he hopped in it, and ran the same speed as the guy who had gotten out of it." http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg I feel like for sure that I have more left to accomplish, and that if the proper time and situation was right, you'd probably never have heard of Brad Keselowski, in all honesty. I really feel that way. - Shane Huffman As good as he was, though, Francis made little progress climbing the career ladder. Since he had an engineering degree and had always worked on his own cars, he had something to fall back on -- which he put to use in 1997, when he went to work for a part-time Nationwide operation doing a little bit of everything. Becoming equally as frustrated in his driving pursuits was Childers, who despite his success in the go-kart ranks eventually found himself stalling out. He moved into late models, where he drove as well as worked as crew chief on a friend's car. He advanced to the All-Pro Series, which includes David Reutimann as a notable graduate. But he eventually began to realize he might be better suited in another role. "I started to realize I was good at the other side of it," Childers said. "I started to question, do I outrun these guys because I'm better at the car side of it, or am I a good driver?" People were paying him to help with their lade models, and Childers eventually began preparing ready-made race cars for people to rent. He continued to make a push as a driver, angling hard for a ride in the then-Busch Series in 1999, but nothing worked out. "You feel like your whole world is coming to an end," he said. He went back to work as a late model crew chief, eventually landing a mechanic job with Jasper Racing that set his career on its current path. But even making it to NASCAR's national divisions offered no guarantee of success. Wolfe broke into the Nationwide tour with Tommy Baldwin, moved into rides with Armando Fitz and Evernham, and scored a top-10 finish at Nashville in 2005. But funding was always an issue, and performance suffered. "The money ran out," said Wolfe, who had worked as a mechanic for Joe Gibbs Racing while driving a late model on the side. "I honestly got to a point where I had to live and eat every day, and there were no opportunities for me out there to drive. I did a good enough job and knew enough people that I wasn't concerned that I could make it as a mechanic in the sport, and that's what I went back to do." Huffman seemed ticketed for stardom during a dominant Pro Cup run that included 28 race victories and the 2003 series championship, and netted him a ride in Earnhardt's No. 88 car in the Nationwide Series. He made 28 starts in the vehicle before being replaced by Keselowski. His career in limbo, he received an invitation from Rusty Wallace to become a test driver for Steve Wallace's program. Needing stable work, Huffman accepted the job, which evolved into a car chief position, and eventually crew chief for eight races on the Nationwide tour. "It wasn't the direction I had intended on going. It was just kind of something that I did," said Huffman, now car chief for James Buescher at Turner Motorsports. He has a wife and two young children, so he likes the Truck Series schedule, as well as the stability the job gives him. He's had a few offers to pilot start-and-park cars in the years since he traded his firesuit for a mechanic's jersey, but turned them all down. The yearning to drive is clearly still there, as is the faith in his abilities. But he's also a realist. "Obviously, that fire and desire is still there to drive," he said. "You see some guys get opportunities who are question marks. But it is what it is. The sport is going to be built on sponsorship dollars and people with fortunate situations like that for a while. It's a sign of things to come. You've just got to find a happy medium for a guy like myself. The way I look at it is, there's just as high of a ladder to climb on this side as there was on the driving side. I feel like for sure that I have more left to accomplish, and that if the proper time and situation was right, you'd probably never have heard of Brad Keselowski, in all honesty. I really feel that way." http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg The emotions are different when you're a driver than they are as a crew chief, as Rodney Childers has learned in his transition. (Getty Images) A driver at heart One of the greatest crew chiefs ever to sit atop a pit box can probably relate. Evernham started as a driver, piloting a modified car during the heyday of Richie Evans, and for all his race wins and championships as crew chief with Jeff Gordon, he remains a driver at heart. These days he wheels a spec sprint car about a dozen times a year, winning every now and then. Last week he competed in Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream charity race, once again scratching that itch that's always been there. "Heck, I raced Knoxville in a sprint car. I was 54 years old," Evernham said, referring to Knoxville, Iowa, a capital of sprint-car racing. "It's things crossed off of my bucket list." http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg I liked racing, but I liked getting ready to race better than the actual race. - Kenny Francis And it hearkens back to his past. Famously intense and detail-oriented as a competitor, Evernham never did anything halfway -- which is why he became so frustrated when his driving career didn't progress as he had hoped. There were mitigating factors, most notably a hard crash at Flemington, N.J., in 1991 that left Evernham with a brain stem injury and doctors warning him against getting back in the car. "I was asking for trouble," he said, "because I was just not recovering." Regardless, he had hit a ceiling. He began to realize his limitations when he started building cars for other drivers, who started winning in them. "It just was frustration," he said. "I get really frustrated if I don't feel like I can be the best at something. I find something else to do. I just was frustrated, because I was hurt, I was broke, and I just didn't see a future. I was 34 years old. And when I got with Jeff Gordon, his personality and the relationship we had never made me feel intimidated by his ability. I was so impressed with his ability that it was OK for me not to drive." Every driver who traded his helmet for a wrench had to get to that point, and it's not always easy. "Oh, it was real hard," said Wolfe, who was calling the shots for Fitz's Nationwide team not long after his driving days ended. "Because at the time, I believed I was as good as a lot of those guys who were getting the opportunities. It was real tough. But at the same time, I had to work really hard to get where I was at that point, and I knew what reality was. I just went back to work." Francis started out with Butch Mock as an engineer and shock specialist, and a chance meeting with Brad Parrott at a Charlotte go-kart track years earlier eventually netted him a place at Robert Yates Racing. A few years later, Mike Ford hired him to work for Evernham's team, where he first teamed up with Kahne -- who he's been with ever since. For a driver who had worked on his own cars since he was 8, the transition was a natural one. "I liked racing, but I liked getting ready to race better than the actual race," Francis said. "Even when I was a kid, I liked getting the car tuned in, working on the setup, that kind of thing. That was my thing." Childers' progression was similar, though more rapid. He got his job with Jasper after interviewing with Robert "Bootie" Barker, still a crew chief in NASCAR's top series. He started working on car interiors, then was moved when the mechanic handling the underside of the vehicle was injured. Within 10 months of taking the job, he was car chief. "It was a little overwhelming," Childers said. But he proved a quick study, which helped him when the inevitable call to become a crew chief came. He was car chief on Scott Riggs' program at MB2 Motorsports when co-owner Jay Frye told him he'd be calling the shots for the next race. "I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'" Childers remembered. "They threw me to the wolves." But that didn't make him as nervous as Riggs moving to Evernham's shop, and Childers coming along -- but not before passing muster with a certain three-time championship crew chief first. "I can't tell you how intimidated I was to meet with Ray the first time," he remembered. "When I raced go-karts, watching Ray and Jeff win all those races, that was the deal. That's what I wanted to do. To go talk to him for the first time, I was completely spun out. But he gave me a chance." And though Childers may not have known it at the time, his future boss could directly relate to his experience. Even one of the best crew chiefs of all time started out wanting to do something else, only to have reality intervene. "When I stepped away from racing, when I decided in 1991 that I was going to go do something else, I regretted not having the talent that I needed," Evernham said. "But at some point, you just have to realize, it's like music or anything else. You've got to realize that you're only going to go so far." A different ballgame As a driver, Huffman experienced victory again and again. The greatest moments of his driving career include winning the first Pro Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the first event ever held at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta. Earlier this year, he got to experience victory for the first time from his current perspective, when Buescher won the Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway. And the feeling was -- different, to say the least. http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/dam/a...story-body.jpg Now, it may not be that way for someone who's won 50 Cup races, but I know how I felt at Chicago. It was like, holy s---. It's a whole different ballgame. - Rodney Childers "I can tell you that the win at Kansas was sweet. And it was the first win I had on this side of it," the car chief said. "But it was not nearly as emotional as driving and winning. It was not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. I was wondering what it was going to feel like, I really was. And it was a happy feeling and a great feeling, but totally different. It's hard to explain -- they're opposite ends of the spectrum. I feel like my role is important and I feel like I made a difference, but that driver gets the credit and gets the glory, and I was always used to that side of it. I was just as happy to do it, but it was a totally different feeling." Therein lies perhaps the most difficult part of the transition -- watching all the accolades associated with victory go to somebody else. That driver part of the DNA is always there, to some degree, whether it's manifested in Childers and Francis racing against one another in go-karts or Wolfe and Huffman having the occasional wistful look back. The itch is never completely scratched. "I don't know that I can say I enjoy this more," Wolfe said of his current role, "but I never had the success as a driver that I'm having now as a crew chief." What it takes to achieve that kind of success helps tilt the equation. Childers thinks back to his driving days, and how he'd swagger into a national go-kart event and win everything he signed up for, and how it all seemed so easy that the sense of accomplishment was muted. Then he thinks of a Sprint Cup win, like the one with his old All-Pro buddy Reutimann at Chicagoland Speedway in 2010, and what it took out of him. "You win one of these deals, it's freaking hard. I mean, it's really hard," he said. "The competition is so tough, and everybody's cars are so close together. When you win a race as a driver, you're all pumped up in the car and your adrenaline is flowing. When you cross the finish line, you're just busting with excitement. When you're sitting there on the box as a crew chief, and there's 15 to go and you're leading the race by a front straightaway, you start thinking about who bought your first go-kart, who bought your first late model, who did this, who did this for you. How you got there. By the time you get to five to go, you're about emotionally wrecked. Now, it may not be that way for someone who's won 50 Cup races, but I know how I felt at Chicago. It was like, holy s---. It's a whole different ballgame." Making the transition Crew chiefs and their records on the box Crew Chief - Races - Wins - Top-fives - Top-10s - Laps Led Rodney Childers - 240 - 2 - 19 - 45 - 67,056 - 611 Ray Evernham - 216 - 47 - 116 - 140 - 62,513 - 10,164 Kenny Francis - 304 - 13 - 52 - 112 - 84,909 - 2901 Shane Huffman - 8 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 1481 - 6 Paul Wolfe - 199 - 11 - 53 - 78 - 41,431 - 1896 http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/.elem..._checkered.gif http://i.cdn.turner.com/nascar/.e/im...l/logo_car.gif |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
http://www.nascar.com/news/features/power_rankings/
SONOMA - Week 16 of 36 - By: Mark Aumann Who's Up - Biggest Gain this week: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 4th to 1st New This Week : - Jeff Gordon - Marcos Ambrose Who's Down - Biggest Drop this week: Denny Hamlin: 3rd to 9th Dropped Out : - Joey Logano - Kyle Busch Dale Earnhardt Jr. @ Father-s DAY How did you spend the holiday? I sent off my Junior's Day cards, sang Junior's Day carols, walked in the Junior's Day parade and enjoyed a spectacular Junior's Day fireworks show. Jimmie Johnson Jimmie's annual charity golf tournament is in San Diego this week. It's the one time when "pushing badly to the right" doesn't result in sheet metal damage. Matt Kenseth Matt loves the trip to Northern California each June, because it gives him a chance to have a little wine with his cheese. Greg Biffle A 204 mph lap at Michigan would have put you on the pole. Try that at Sonoma and you'll probably wind up stuck doorhandle-deep in the tidal marsh somewhere near Mare Island. Tony Stewart Brian Vickers is entered this weekend at Sonoma? Tire barriers everywhere are nervous. Clint Bowyer If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, Clint recommends going to visit the sea lions at Pier 39. In fact, he gives it his seal of approval. Kevin Harvick Here's a philosophical question: Can a guy named Happy like sourdough bread? Martin Truex Jr. In the ever-contentious debate over whether the Sonoma Valley or Napa Valley produces the best wines, Martin always prefers to go with the one named after his sponsor. Denny Hamlin Denny's impromptu tribute to the late Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" was a stroke of genius. Brad Keselowski What do Brad and Junipero Serra have in common? They're both on a mission. Carl Edwards The last time he was out west, Carl had to explain to a tourist that "Fisherman's Wharf" was not a movie about the Klingon from Star Trek working on a tuna boat. Jeff Gordon Jimmie was sponsored by a movie and won. Junior was sponsored by a movie and won. Somebody get Hollywood on the phone! Marcos Ambrose Vegemite? Men At Work? Koalas and kangaroos? Yeah, I think we can dispense with the "he ain't from around here" jibes now. He's from way farther south than any of us. |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
Кто-нибудь будет играть в NASCAR Fantasy?
Собрал себе команду вот http://s017.radikal.ru/i425/1302/56/6dc3c60a79eb.png |
Re: NASCAR (in English)
Ну что же, NASCAR Fantasy мне очень понравилась, обязательно буду играть и дальше. Интереснее смотреть гонки + любопытная система подсчета и многое другое.
Вопреки ожиданиями, моя команда полу-калек (Дэника, неконкурентоспособный Монтойя, как поначалу думалось) довольно успешно выступила, удалось даже одержать три победы (Дарлингтон, Глен и вчерашняя Атланта) и попасть в Чейс. И это при том, что у большинства были команды из Джимми Джонсонов и прочих грандов. Великолепный Курт и Кайл тащили меня, а под конец и внезапно очнувшийся ХПМ. Эдвардс всегда показывал стабильные результаты. По большому счету, только Дэника ничего мне не приносила и болталась бесполезным грузом. Всем рекомендую поиграть на следующий сезон! http://i43.tinypic.com/140m8ow.jpg |
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