Bryan Herta Autosport posted a pair of top 10s in its first races in the Firestone Indy Lights series. His team was fifth in Sunday's race at St. Petersburg, Fla., and was seventh in the race on Saturday.
After the race on Saturday, Herta said he expected a little better result, but was happy with how his team performed in its first race.
“With two races in one weekend, it also gives us a chance to make some changes, hopefully improve our cars and improve our finishing positions (Sunday)," said Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High of Newhall graduate. "That’s what we’ll try to do.”
Herta's team did improve, making up two spots and cracking the top five. Junior Strous won both of the Indy Lights races. Daniel Herrington, Herta's driver, is fourth in the Indy Lights standings after two races.
“I think we did pretty much what we set out to do," Herrington said after his race on Saturday. "We wanted to run a nice, consistent race for our first time here and our first race towards the championship and we kind of got hurt a bit by the qualifying procedure. So we ended up running kind of where we were speed-wise from practice and qualifying, which was good, but we still left some time out there to try and figure out to get back overnight. We are still lacking just a little bit here and there to get to that next level and to get in the top-three."
For photos and video highlights from the race, click here.
For more on the race from IndyCar.com, click here.
Auto racing news from the West Coast
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Joanides, Dodd winners at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
It was a twin 25 night for the NASCAR Super Late Models at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday. The drivers in the Super Late Model division at the track had two 25-lap races.
Scott Dodd of Riverside won the first race. He was followed by Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, the reigning Super Late Model champion at the track. Dodd snapped the two-race winning streak of Joanides, who won the Super Late Model opener two weeks ago and followed with a win in the Late Model season opener at the track last Saturday night.
For Dodd, it was his second win in the Super Late Models at Irwindale. For his comments on the race he won, click here.
Travis Thirkettle of Newhall, the runner-up in the Super Late Model standings last year, was third. Rip Michels , the 2007 Super Late Model champion at Irwindale, was fourth, followed by Bear Rzesnowiecky of Las Vegas, the top-finishing rookie, in fifth.
Joanides won the second race comfortably, making him a winner in three of four races to start the season at Irwindale. Michels was second, followed by Rzesnowiecky, Thirkettle and Luis Martinez Jr.
Joanides said he will be in the Late Model race next weekend, but more importantly, is starting off the Super Late Model season strong and looking for another championship.
For his comments, click here.
Mason Britton of Sacramento won the NASCAR Super Trucks race in one of the more competitive races of the year at the track. He held off a surging RJ Johnson, who finished second. Johnson, a driver from Canyon Country, rebounded after a disappointing showing on opening night two weeks ago. Johnson had ignition problems on opening night and went from battling for the lead to limping to the pits.
Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill, the reigning Super Trucks champion at the track and the opening night winner, was third. Ron Peterson of Riverside was fourth, followed by Jeff Peterson of Riverside in fifth.
The drivers in the Legends division paid tribute to Bob Landreth, who died during the off-season. Landreth was a regular in the Legends division since the first year the track opened in 1999. His son, Tom, drove his dad’s No. 3 car and led the field to the starting line at the beginning of the race.
Chad Schug of Oak Hills won the Legends race. He was followed by Donny St. Ours of Upland and Brandon Toy of Bakersfield.
Dalton Kuhn won the newly named South West Tour Trucks race. The series was previously known as the West Coast Pro Trucks. Neil Conrad was second, followed by Jim Satterfield.
Ryan Canssale won the Bandeleros race. He was followed by Blake Dunkleberger in second and Chancellor Tisareno was third.
Al Simpson was disqualified for having an illegal carburetor. The part was discovered in post-race inspection. Simpson was the winner of the Bandeleros race until he was disqualified.
Scott Dodd of Riverside won the first race. He was followed by Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, the reigning Super Late Model champion at the track. Dodd snapped the two-race winning streak of Joanides, who won the Super Late Model opener two weeks ago and followed with a win in the Late Model season opener at the track last Saturday night.
For Dodd, it was his second win in the Super Late Models at Irwindale. For his comments on the race he won, click here.
Travis Thirkettle of Newhall, the runner-up in the Super Late Model standings last year, was third. Rip Michels , the 2007 Super Late Model champion at Irwindale, was fourth, followed by Bear Rzesnowiecky of Las Vegas, the top-finishing rookie, in fifth.
Joanides won the second race comfortably, making him a winner in three of four races to start the season at Irwindale. Michels was second, followed by Rzesnowiecky, Thirkettle and Luis Martinez Jr.
Joanides said he will be in the Late Model race next weekend, but more importantly, is starting off the Super Late Model season strong and looking for another championship.
For his comments, click here.
Mason Britton of Sacramento won the NASCAR Super Trucks race in one of the more competitive races of the year at the track. He held off a surging RJ Johnson, who finished second. Johnson, a driver from Canyon Country, rebounded after a disappointing showing on opening night two weeks ago. Johnson had ignition problems on opening night and went from battling for the lead to limping to the pits.
Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill, the reigning Super Trucks champion at the track and the opening night winner, was third. Ron Peterson of Riverside was fourth, followed by Jeff Peterson of Riverside in fifth.
The drivers in the Legends division paid tribute to Bob Landreth, who died during the off-season. Landreth was a regular in the Legends division since the first year the track opened in 1999. His son, Tom, drove his dad’s No. 3 car and led the field to the starting line at the beginning of the race.
Chad Schug of Oak Hills won the Legends race. He was followed by Donny St. Ours of Upland and Brandon Toy of Bakersfield.
Dalton Kuhn won the newly named South West Tour Trucks race. The series was previously known as the West Coast Pro Trucks. Neil Conrad was second, followed by Jim Satterfield.
Ryan Canssale won the Bandeleros race. He was followed by Blake Dunkleberger in second and Chancellor Tisareno was third.
Al Simpson was disqualified for having an illegal carburetor. The part was discovered in post-race inspection. Simpson was the winner of the Bandeleros race until he was disqualified.
Chevys to carry extra weight at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
Rip Michels is one of the few drivers in the NASCAR Super Late Model division who drives a Ford at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The Chevrolet drivers will have to add 40 pounds to their cars for the next Super Late Model race.The drivers who race Chevrolets in the NASCAR Super Late Model division at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale will have to add 40 pounds to their cars the next time they race at the track.
The decision was made Saturday night at the track and at least one Chevrolet driver was not happy with it.
Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, the reigning Super Late Models champion at the track, said the Fords and Chevrolets that race at the track are as equal as they can be. Of the top six cars that qualified for the races at Irwindale, three were Fords, three were Chevys. The six cars were separated by .05 seconds.
Joanides said there is no doubt the Fords have more horsepower, which is why the Chevys were given a weight handicap for the past three races. The Chevys have been 40 pounds lighter than the Fords at the track for the season opening Super Late Model race, the Showdown race in January and the race Saturday night.
Now that the Chevys will carry extra weight, it will give a definite advantage to the Fords, Joanides said. Two of the top Ford drivers in the Super Late Models are Rip Michels of San Fernando and Dan Moore of Burbank.
Michels has won more races than any driver in Irwindale history and the Super Late Model championship in 2007.
For a video interview with Joanides on the decision, click here.
For comments from Michels, click here.
Bryan Herta Autosports seventh in first Indy Lights race
Bryan Herta Autosport completed its first Firestone Indy Lights race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Bryan Herta is an IndyCar Series veteran, former Indy Lights champion, lives in Valencia and graduated from Hart High School.
Daniel Herrington, the driver for Bryan Herta Autosport, finished seventh in his first race with the team. The Indy Lights drivers will race again tomorrow in St. Petersburg.
Here is a link to some video of one of Herrington's laps around the course on Saturday.
In following Herta on Twitter, he said, "stayed smooth and consistent. We just need to find some more speed tomorrow"
Follow Bryan Herta Autosport here.
Bryan Herta is an IndyCar Series veteran, former Indy Lights champion, lives in Valencia and graduated from Hart High School.
Daniel Herrington, the driver for Bryan Herta Autosport, finished seventh in his first race with the team. The Indy Lights drivers will race again tomorrow in St. Petersburg.
Here is a link to some video of one of Herrington's laps around the course on Saturday.
In following Herta on Twitter, he said, "stayed smooth and consistent. We just need to find some more speed tomorrow"
Follow Bryan Herta Autosport here.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
NHRA Funny Cars in Las Vegas
All eyes will be on Ashley Force Hood at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.
She is coming off her second career NHRA Funny Car win, last weekend at Houston Raceway Park, and will be a favorite in Vegas.
No doubt she is on a hot streak, and the Las Vegas drag strip has been kind to her in the past. It is the track where she made the first finals appearance of her NHRA pro career and has yielded favorable finishes in her short career as a Funny Car driver.
After winning in Houston, she is third in the Funny Car standings, behind leader Ron Capps and Del Worsham.
“All of our family, friends and co-workers (at John Force Racing) attend this race (because) it’s only a four-hour drive from home and we’d love to celebrate with them in the winners’ circle Sunday night,” Force Hood said.
One of her stiffest challenges might come from Jack Beckman. The Funny Car driver from North Hills is coming off his first finals appearance. He lost to Force Hood in the final at Houston.
“It’s exciting to carry the momentum,” said Beckman, a driver from Don Schumacher Racing. “It's awesome when you have a good weekend to get right back in the car the next week.
Beckman climbed up to sixth place in the Funny Car standings with his run in Houston. He said the Houston races did wonders for the confidence of his crew chiefs, Johnny West and John Collins.
“I think Johnny is going to seriously tune this thing up for Vegas,” Beckman said. “We have a chance to go out there in a few days and start running again, and I think we’ve got our consistency back, and once the Valvoline/MTS Dodge got consistent, remember what happened last year."
For those who don’t know, Beckman won two of the final six races of the year in 2008 and finished third in the Funny Car standings.
She is coming off her second career NHRA Funny Car win, last weekend at Houston Raceway Park, and will be a favorite in Vegas.
No doubt she is on a hot streak, and the Las Vegas drag strip has been kind to her in the past. It is the track where she made the first finals appearance of her NHRA pro career and has yielded favorable finishes in her short career as a Funny Car driver.
“Our team is really looking forward to this weekend,” said Force Hood, a driver for her dad’s John Force Racng. “We have high hopes for a great finish. Have done really well at Vegas in the past. Haven’t gotten a win yet, (but) we’re hoping to do it this weekend.”
After winning in Houston, she is third in the Funny Car standings, behind leader Ron Capps and Del Worsham.
“All of our family, friends and co-workers (at John Force Racing) attend this race (because) it’s only a four-hour drive from home and we’d love to celebrate with them in the winners’ circle Sunday night,” Force Hood said.
One of her stiffest challenges might come from Jack Beckman. The Funny Car driver from North Hills is coming off his first finals appearance. He lost to Force Hood in the final at Houston.
“It’s exciting to carry the momentum,” said Beckman, a driver from Don Schumacher Racing. “It's awesome when you have a good weekend to get right back in the car the next week.
Beckman climbed up to sixth place in the Funny Car standings with his run in Houston. He said the Houston races did wonders for the confidence of his crew chiefs, Johnny West and John Collins.
“I think Johnny is going to seriously tune this thing up for Vegas,” Beckman said. “We have a chance to go out there in a few days and start running again, and I think we’ve got our consistency back, and once the Valvoline/MTS Dodge got consistent, remember what happened last year."
For those who don’t know, Beckman won two of the final six races of the year in 2008 and finished third in the Funny Car standings.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
More on the S2 stock car
The new S2 stock car that will begin racing at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in July received favorable reviews from drivers at the track on Saturday night.
One criticism, however, was why did it take so long to introduce it.
For Rich DeLong III, a driver from Santa Clarita in the NASCAR Super Trucks and Super Stocks divisions, said if he knew about the new division sooner, he might have considered racing in it.
The cost of the new S2 cars, described as an economy sportsman class, will run about $25,000 to start and around $12,000 to maintain for a full season, according to Jeff Schrader, the president of Race Car Factory which will be preparing and distributing the cars. By comparison, the cars in the Super Stocks division can cost as much as $40,000 and can run a team around $20,000 to maintain and service through the season.
Logan Henson, a driver from Valencia in the NASCAR Late Model division at the track, said the introduction of the new S2 series is about five years too late.
“All in all I think it’s a good idea,” Henson said. “It’s got the look of tomorrow. It’s definitely better than the Late Models. It’s a good idea going all spec like the trucks.”
Like the Super Trucks division at the track, the S2 series will be a spec division, meaning the engines and parts will be uniform. Theoretically, the cars, from the tires to the carburetors to the bodies, will be identical. Of course teams can make slight adjustments to the engines and set ups on the cars, but they will all be as identical as possible when they are built.
Schrader is anticipating anywhere from 10 to 20 cars to compete in the S2 series. There will be at least four, all from Tim Huddleston’s High Point Racing team, based in Simi Valley. Schrader said he has at least 10 other drivers and teams interested in the new car.
Other tracks have expressed interest in the new car as well. All-American Speedway in Roseville and the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are two nearby tracks that are keeping tabs on how successful the new series is at Irwindale, according to Schrader.
The goal for the new series is to compete on a national level. Schrader compared it to the Legends class, which started at local tracks in North Carolina and is now a national series. Tracks across the country have a Legends division, mainly geared toward younger drivers under the age of 16.
It is where Kurt and Kyle Busch, drivers from Las Vegas in the Sprint Cup Series, turned some of their first laps in their racing careers.
The S2 division will make its debut at Irwindale on July 4 with an exhibition race. The first official race will be the following Saturday night, July 11, and kick off a seven-race schedule.
One criticism, however, was why did it take so long to introduce it.
For Rich DeLong III, a driver from Santa Clarita in the NASCAR Super Trucks and Super Stocks divisions, said if he knew about the new division sooner, he might have considered racing in it.
The cost of the new S2 cars, described as an economy sportsman class, will run about $25,000 to start and around $12,000 to maintain for a full season, according to Jeff Schrader, the president of Race Car Factory which will be preparing and distributing the cars. By comparison, the cars in the Super Stocks division can cost as much as $40,000 and can run a team around $20,000 to maintain and service through the season.
Logan Henson, a driver from Valencia in the NASCAR Late Model division at the track, said the introduction of the new S2 series is about five years too late.
“All in all I think it’s a good idea,” Henson said. “It’s got the look of tomorrow. It’s definitely better than the Late Models. It’s a good idea going all spec like the trucks.”
Like the Super Trucks division at the track, the S2 series will be a spec division, meaning the engines and parts will be uniform. Theoretically, the cars, from the tires to the carburetors to the bodies, will be identical. Of course teams can make slight adjustments to the engines and set ups on the cars, but they will all be as identical as possible when they are built.
Schrader is anticipating anywhere from 10 to 20 cars to compete in the S2 series. There will be at least four, all from Tim Huddleston’s High Point Racing team, based in Simi Valley. Schrader said he has at least 10 other drivers and teams interested in the new car.
Other tracks have expressed interest in the new car as well. All-American Speedway in Roseville and the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are two nearby tracks that are keeping tabs on how successful the new series is at Irwindale, according to Schrader.
The goal for the new series is to compete on a national level. Schrader compared it to the Legends class, which started at local tracks in North Carolina and is now a national series. Tracks across the country have a Legends division, mainly geared toward younger drivers under the age of 16.
It is where Kurt and Kyle Busch, drivers from Las Vegas in the Sprint Cup Series, turned some of their first laps in their racing careers.
The S2 division will make its debut at Irwindale on July 4 with an exhibition race. The first official race will be the following Saturday night, July 11, and kick off a seven-race schedule.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Good day for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Martinsville
It was a good day for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Kevin Harvick won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville on Monday. Ron Hornaday Jr., driver of the No. 33 Chevy Silverado for Kevin Harvick Inc., was second, his best finish at the track in 14 Truck Series starts.
The race was postponed because of weather. It was scheduled for Saturday night, but the race was rained out.
Harvick, who races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and has teams in the Truck and Nationwide Series, won the fourth Truck Series race of his career.
Hornaday, a three-time Truck Series champion who used to race at Saugus Speedway, moved into third place in the Truck Series standings after four races. His previous best finish at Martinsville was third.
“Like I said, I knew that the boss wasn’t going to do nothing to mix up the start,” Hornaday said. “When I looked in mirror to see where (Mike) Skinner was laying back I tried to lay back another second and the boss already took off. I didn’t let him have that one, I kind of ran in on him in the corner. One more lap I might have had to move him for the win.”
Ricky Carmicheal, another driver for Kevin Harvick Inc. making his first Truck Series start at Martinsville, finished 29th.
“Everything was really good until that first spin (on lap 91),” Carmichael said. “I learned a lot today – especially that it’s so tough to come back from a mistake. I was able to get to the finish to gain the experience. My teammates Harv (Kevin Harvick) and Hornaday have run more pace laps here than I’ve had total laps so I needed to learn a lot in a hurry when the green flag fell. We were able to hang on to the lead lap after the first crash, but then the second one (on lap 186) really jacked us up. After that, it was just hanging on by a thread and trying to stay out of the way of the other guys.”
The race was postponed because of weather. It was scheduled for Saturday night, but the race was rained out.
Harvick, who races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and has teams in the Truck and Nationwide Series, won the fourth Truck Series race of his career.
“That was a lot of fun and our truck was really good,” said Harvick, a driver from Bakersfield. “I just want to thank everyone in the grandstands today. To come out here on Monday to watch a truck race. A brand new Triad chassis here and they built this truck in 10 days to come here and try a lot of new things out. It all worked out. The truck was pretty tight but in the end it was good enough to win.”
Hornaday, a three-time Truck Series champion who used to race at Saugus Speedway, moved into third place in the Truck Series standings after four races. His previous best finish at Martinsville was third.
“Like I said, I knew that the boss wasn’t going to do nothing to mix up the start,” Hornaday said. “When I looked in mirror to see where (Mike) Skinner was laying back I tried to lay back another second and the boss already took off. I didn’t let him have that one, I kind of ran in on him in the corner. One more lap I might have had to move him for the win.”
Ricky Carmicheal, another driver for Kevin Harvick Inc. making his first Truck Series start at Martinsville, finished 29th.
“Everything was really good until that first spin (on lap 91),” Carmichael said. “I learned a lot today – especially that it’s so tough to come back from a mistake. I was able to get to the finish to gain the experience. My teammates Harv (Kevin Harvick) and Hornaday have run more pace laps here than I’ve had total laps so I needed to learn a lot in a hurry when the green flag fell. We were able to hang on to the lead lap after the first crash, but then the second one (on lap 186) really jacked us up. After that, it was just hanging on by a thread and trying to stay out of the way of the other guys.”
Some quick notes from the NHRA and NASCAR Camping World Series West
Ashley Force Hood won her second NHRA Funny Car event of her career on Sunday.
It looks like the student became the master in the NHRA Funny Car division at Houston Raceway Park over the weekend.
Ashley Force Hood beat Jack Beckman in the finals of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park on Sunday.
She used to be one of Beckman’s students when he was an instructor at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
“It was great,” Force Hood said, “especially since it came against Jack. He taught me when I first learned to drive and it’s amazing that 10 years later, we’re both driving nitro Funny Cars.”
Force Hood won the second NHRA Funny Car race of her career. For Beckman, it was the best finish he has had so far this year.
“This is just what Denver was for us last year,” said Beckman, a driver from North Hills. “We got back into a final round and we were a tear from that point on. We’ve got a hot rod back underneath us.”
The runner-up finish moved Beckman into sixth place in the Funny Car standings. He entered the Houston races in 11th place and out of the Countdown playoff hunt.
“Ashley and her crew did an awesome job, but we’re right back in this deal again, and we’re going to win, and we’re going to do it next week," Beckman said with a smile.
Force Hood moved up to third place in the Funny Car standings. Ron Capps, Beckman’s teammate at Don Schumchacer Racing, leads the Funny Car standings.
“Today was just my day,” said Force Hood, the 2007 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year and driver for John Force Racing. “Everything just fell into place for us. I was nervous about the lane because you saw what other cars had done in it. We knew the left (lane) might be a little bit better. I just wanted to go A to B and not make any mistakes.”
The NASCAR Camping World Series West will be in Roseville, Calif., on Saturday night for the second race of its season.
Greg Pursley, who won a NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national championship while racing at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, won the season opener at Thunderhill Raceway in Texas. Pursley, a Canyon High graduate, was making his first start in the West Series in nearly seven years. He has not raced a full NASCAR season since 2005. He won the Weekly Racing Series national championship in 2004.
There have been seven different winners in seven West Series races at Roseville. The West Series races at All-American Speedway now, but only since 2008. There was a 26-year gap between races in Roseville. Eric Holmes and Jason Bowles, a driver from Ontario, won the two races at All-American Speedway last year.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Nick Joanides 2-for-2 at Irwindale
Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills won the NASCAR Late Model race at Irwindale. It was his second win at the track this season. He won the NASCAR Super Late Model race at the track last weekend on opening night.
Joanides is the reigning Super Late Model champion at the track. He was the runner-up in the Late Model standings at Irwindale last year.
Tim Huddleston, a driver from Agoura Hills, finished second in the Late Model race, followed by Andrew Myers of Carlsbad. Huddleston won the Late Model championship at Irwindale the past two seasons. Myers said he is only racing a partial schedule in the Late Model division at Irwindale. He also races on the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
For a video interview of Joanides after the race, click here.
S2 car unveiled at Irwindale
The new S2 race car was unveiled at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night. The will be built by Race Car Factory and will make its debut at the track in July.
High Point Racing has a four-driver team that will compete in the new division. Included in those drivers is Lee Ladd, an Irwindale veteran who will be 69 years old when he starts his first race in the new division.
The track released a seven-race schedule for the S2 division, basically a spec sportsman class. The first race will be an exhibition on July 4, the same night at the NASCAR Camping World Series West race. The first official race will be July 11.
The series is being introduced as an economy class. The cost of a new car is expected to be $25,000. All the cars are being prepared and distributed by Race Car Factory in Irwindale. The spec bodies are being prepared by Five Star Racecar Bodies of Twin Lakes, Wis.
Tim Huddleston of Agoura Hills, the owner of High Point Racing, said he is looking forward to the debut of the new series and his new drivers. For a video interview of Huddleston, click here.
Other drivers at the track said the new series will generate interest and attract new teams to the track.
For a video interview of Rich DeLong III, a driver in the Super Stocks division at the track, and Tommy Mason, a driver in the Classic Stocks division, click here.
High Point Racing has a four-driver team that will compete in the new division. Included in those drivers is Lee Ladd, an Irwindale veteran who will be 69 years old when he starts his first race in the new division.
The track released a seven-race schedule for the S2 division, basically a spec sportsman class. The first race will be an exhibition on July 4, the same night at the NASCAR Camping World Series West race. The first official race will be July 11.
The series is being introduced as an economy class. The cost of a new car is expected to be $25,000. All the cars are being prepared and distributed by Race Car Factory in Irwindale. The spec bodies are being prepared by Five Star Racecar Bodies of Twin Lakes, Wis.
Tim Huddleston of Agoura Hills, the owner of High Point Racing, said he is looking forward to the debut of the new series and his new drivers. For a video interview of Huddleston, click here.
Other drivers at the track said the new series will generate interest and attract new teams to the track.
For a video interview of Rich DeLong III, a driver in the Super Stocks division at the track, and Tommy Mason, a driver in the Classic Stocks division, click here.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Bryan Herta feeling Le Bleu
The newly formed Bryan Herta Autosport has landed a primary sponsor for its Firestone Indy Lights team.
Le Bleu water has signed as to fund the team, owned by Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, as it prepares for its debut on April 4 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We at Bryan Herta Autosport are very proud to have Le Bleu join us as primary sponsor for Daniel Herrington and the No. 28 car for the full 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season,” Herta said. “The car looks fantastic in Le Bleu’s corporate colors, and we can’t wait to make our public debut at St. Pete in two weeks. We will be hosting almost 70 guests from Le Bleu at the race and look forward to kicking off this partnership in style with some great results on the track and off.”
Herrington, a driver from Winston-Salem, N.C., is the driver for Bryan Herta Autosport. The Indy Lights will be racing in the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, their only visit to Southern California.
Le Bleu water has signed as to fund the team, owned by Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, as it prepares for its debut on April 4 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We at Bryan Herta Autosport are very proud to have Le Bleu join us as primary sponsor for Daniel Herrington and the No. 28 car for the full 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season,” Herta said. “The car looks fantastic in Le Bleu’s corporate colors, and we can’t wait to make our public debut at St. Pete in two weeks. We will be hosting almost 70 guests from Le Bleu at the race and look forward to kicking off this partnership in style with some great results on the track and off.”
Herrington, a driver from Winston-Salem, N.C., is the driver for Bryan Herta Autosport. The Indy Lights will be racing in the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, their only visit to Southern California.
Rich DeLong III tackles two divisions at Irwindale
Rich DeLong III of Santa Clarita is going to be a busy driver at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale this year.
His plan is to race in the NASCAR Super Stocks and the Super Trucks divisions, plus, budget-willing, mix in a couple Late Model races too.
He started his stock car racing campaign on Saturday night at the track in Irwindale in the Super Trucks season opener. He finished 14th, but said he felt like his team is making progress and was happy with the result.
“It was a big improvement from last year where we were with the truck,” DeLong said. “Last year we were a second off the pace. Now we’re two-tenths, three-tenths off where we should be. We’re not in the way anymore. We’re getting where we can be competitive.”
The Super Stocks season opens Saturday night. Last year, DeLong finished second in the Super Stocks standings at the track. He wants to run for a championship this year and he has a car to do it. DeLong is driving the same car that Jimmy Sloan won the Super Stocks championship with in 2005.
“It’s a good car,” DeLong said. “We’re getting it figured out pretty good. Last year, we came up a little short.”
His plan is to race in the NASCAR Super Stocks and the Super Trucks divisions, plus, budget-willing, mix in a couple Late Model races too.
He started his stock car racing campaign on Saturday night at the track in Irwindale in the Super Trucks season opener. He finished 14th, but said he felt like his team is making progress and was happy with the result.
“It was a big improvement from last year where we were with the truck,” DeLong said. “Last year we were a second off the pace. Now we’re two-tenths, three-tenths off where we should be. We’re not in the way anymore. We’re getting where we can be competitive.”
The Super Stocks season opens Saturday night. Last year, DeLong finished second in the Super Stocks standings at the track. He wants to run for a championship this year and he has a car to do it. DeLong is driving the same car that Jimmy Sloan won the Super Stocks championship with in 2005.
“It’s a good car,” DeLong said. “We’re getting it figured out pretty good. Last year, we came up a little short.”
DeLong, Herta and Hornaday
Rich DeLong III of Santa Clarita has big plans for racing at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. Valencia's Bryan Herta lands a sponsor for his newly formed Indy Lights team. Ron Hornaday Jr., the winningest driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history, is 0-for-13 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, site of Saturday's race.
Read more in The Signal.
Read more in The Signal.
Jimmie Johnson, Martinsville and grandfather clocks
Jimmie Johnson has five wins at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, site of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Coming off a strong run at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, Johnson looks like he’s back on track after a slow start. The three-time Cup Series champion almost always has a good race at Martinsville. In addition to his five wins, he has 10 top fives in 14 career Cup starts at the track.
“We’ve had fast cars and it was nice last weekend to not only talk about having a fast car, but to deliver and show what we have,” Johnson said. “I’m fired up about this weekend and looking forward to everything that this track has to offer. Hopefully we can qualify. I’m excited to be here.”
Qualifying could be rained out today at Martinsville. Not that it seems to matter for Johnson, who has won more than a third of his Cup races at the track. The winners at Martinsville get a grandfather clock as a trophy. Johnson obviously has five of them.
“I have one in my office. And then I have kind of a warehouse I put together and I have the other four displayed there. They’re just awesome,” Johnson said. “I think the size of the trophy really gets our attention. It could be a $4 plastic trophy, but if it were eight feet tall we’d all love it. Just the size and taking a big trophy home is really cool. But it is a beautiful trophy that they’ve done a great job with. I’ve built a special spot for them and have lights shining on them and they look really good.”
Coming off a strong run at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, Johnson looks like he’s back on track after a slow start. The three-time Cup Series champion almost always has a good race at Martinsville. In addition to his five wins, he has 10 top fives in 14 career Cup starts at the track.
“We’ve had fast cars and it was nice last weekend to not only talk about having a fast car, but to deliver and show what we have,” Johnson said. “I’m fired up about this weekend and looking forward to everything that this track has to offer. Hopefully we can qualify. I’m excited to be here.”
Qualifying could be rained out today at Martinsville. Not that it seems to matter for Johnson, who has won more than a third of his Cup races at the track. The winners at Martinsville get a grandfather clock as a trophy. Johnson obviously has five of them.
“I have one in my office. And then I have kind of a warehouse I put together and I have the other four displayed there. They’re just awesome,” Johnson said. “I think the size of the trophy really gets our attention. It could be a $4 plastic trophy, but if it were eight feet tall we’d all love it. Just the size and taking a big trophy home is really cool. But it is a beautiful trophy that they’ve done a great job with. I’ve built a special spot for them and have lights shining on them and they look really good.”
Grading Ricky Carmichael
NASCAR driver and owner Kevin Harvick was asked about Ricky Carmichael’s progress before the races at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Carmichael is driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and will be entered in the race at Martinsville this weekend.
Harvick owns teams in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series in addition to driving at the Sprint Cup Series level for Richard Childress Racing.
The team started with Carmichael racing a limited schedule. But he has performed so well on the track that the team has added some races to his schedule. The Martinsville race was a late addition.
“He got up to speed right off the bat,” Harvick said. “He’s kind of sent us into a tailspin just because he’s been so good at all of the racetracks we’ve taken him to and he’s run in the top 10. Obviously, he’s been run over a couple of times and been in the wrong spot, but for the most part he’s gotten up to speed fast and performed well. We’re trying to fill holes now to try to finish the season. We started with 14 races and added a couple along the way and we’ll continue to do that as long as the sponsorship is found.”
Harvick owns teams in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series in addition to driving at the Sprint Cup Series level for Richard Childress Racing.
“When we started Ricky’s program, we took him to a couple of tests and kind of wanted to evaluate where he was from a drivers standpoint before we even started going down the Truck road,” Harvick said. “He got it; he gets it. He’s a racer and he understands what he’s doing and he’s very well motivated to do the things he needs to do. The good part about Ricky is you don’t have to teach him anything that comes with money, surroundings, life in general. He’s already got that figured out from his career and he has a great foundation for life in general, so the main thing we have to teach Ricky is to get him experience on the racetrack and teach him the things that come with driving the truck.”
The team started with Carmichael racing a limited schedule. But he has performed so well on the track that the team has added some races to his schedule. The Martinsville race was a late addition.
“He got up to speed right off the bat,” Harvick said. “He’s kind of sent us into a tailspin just because he’s been so good at all of the racetracks we’ve taken him to and he’s run in the top 10. Obviously, he’s been run over a couple of times and been in the wrong spot, but for the most part he’s gotten up to speed fast and performed well. We’re trying to fill holes now to try to finish the season. We started with 14 races and added a couple along the way and we’ll continue to do that as long as the sponsorship is found.”
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Nick Joanides comments on Rip Michels and Travis Thirkettle
It wasn't that surprising to see Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills win the NASCAR Super Late Model season opener at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
The drivers who finished second and third were a little unexpected. Luis Martinez Jr. and Matt Hicks, a couple of youngsters in the Super Late Model division, overshadowed a couple Irwindale veterans on opening night.
They finished ahead of Rip Michels, a driver from San Fernando and the winningest driver in Irwindale history, and Travis Thirkettle, a driver from Newhall and the runner-up in the Super Late Model standings at the track last year.
Michels finished seventh and Thirkettle was 12th.
To hear what Joanides had to say about their race, click here.
Rich DeLong III from Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
Rich DeLong III of Santa Clarita said before the NASCAR Super Trucks race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale that thought he had a top-10 truck. Turns out he had a 14th-place truck.
All things considered, it was not a bad opening night for DeLong, a rookie in the Super Trucks division.
He will be racing in the Super Stocks division at the track this year and might even enter a few Late Model races. The Super Stocks season opens Saturday night at Irwindale. He was second in the Super Stocks standings last year.
For video of DeLong talking about opening night at Irwindale and racing in the Super Trucks division, click here.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Jack Beckman gets nostalgiac for drag racing
Jack Beckman, NHRA Funny Car driver for Don Schumacher Racing, will test his foot at the 28th annual Funny Car Fever at Sacramento Raceway Park on April 24-25. Beckman will drive one of Lee Jennings' nostalgia Camaros, pictured above, in the drag races in Sacramento.
"Ever since I was 7 years old I have always dreamed of driving a nitro Funny Car," said Beckman, a driver from North Hills and the 2003 NHRA Super Comp champion. "Next month I get to drive two of the best in the country: Don Schumacher's Vavoline/MTS Dodge Charger and Lee Jennings Sr.'s 'American Revolution' Chevy Camaro.
"Being a sportsman competitor for over 22 years, I have raced at Sacramento Raceway dozens of times. It will be awesome to come back and perform in front of some of the best drag-racing fans there. I’m crossing the days off until April 24."
Some quick notes…
Kevin Harvick, winner of last weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motorspeedway in Tennessee, will be driving his own truck in the Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville on Saturday night. He will be in the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for Kevin Harvick Inc.
His Nationwide Series win at Bristol was the fifth of his career, the most of any NASCAR driver at the track.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure that I’ve put on myself, probably more pressure than any of the guys wants to see at the shop over the last year, but it’s been well worth the reward,” said Harvick, a driver from Bakersfield and driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. “And I guess it’s kind of fitting that it came on what’s been my most successful track in the Nationwide Series (Bristol), and I'm just glad it all finally happened.”
NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman is off to a slow start. Not a horrible start, but in comparison to his Don Schumacher Racing teammates, he is struggling.
He is 11th in the Funny Car standings and has only two quarterfinal appearances so far this season. His teammate, Ron Capps, has won two Funny Car events so far this year. His other teammate, Matt Hagan, made the semifinals at Gainesville, Fla., a couple weeks ago.
The NHRA is at Houston Raceway Park in Texas this weekend. Beckman is looking for better results.
“We’ve run OK this year, but we haven’t necessarily benefited from any racing luck,” said Beckman, a driver from North Hills. “It’s very early in the season and we have plenty of time to get back on our game, but you don't want to let too many races pass you by. And I’ve said before that there isn’t any reason that by the time we leave Vegas (the race immediately following Houston) we shouldn’t have a trophy in our hands. Hopefully, it will happen in Houston.”
Three high school students from San Bernardino received grants from Auto Club Speedway and the NASCAR Foundation.
Joseph Escobar, a senior at Chaffey High School, was presented a $1,000 check for a presentation on the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates and mock election with over 600 students participating. With the grant money, he plans to create a program that would encourage students to visit the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance.
AB Miller High School seniors Denise Magana and Melanie Martinez were also presented a $1,000 check which they will use to create a book filled with personal stories written by students at the high school. A copy of the book will be placed into the collections at the Lewis Library and Technology Center in Fontana.
His Nationwide Series win at Bristol was the fifth of his career, the most of any NASCAR driver at the track.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure that I’ve put on myself, probably more pressure than any of the guys wants to see at the shop over the last year, but it’s been well worth the reward,” said Harvick, a driver from Bakersfield and driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. “And I guess it’s kind of fitting that it came on what’s been my most successful track in the Nationwide Series (Bristol), and I'm just glad it all finally happened.”
NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman is off to a slow start. Not a horrible start, but in comparison to his Don Schumacher Racing teammates, he is struggling.
He is 11th in the Funny Car standings and has only two quarterfinal appearances so far this season. His teammate, Ron Capps, has won two Funny Car events so far this year. His other teammate, Matt Hagan, made the semifinals at Gainesville, Fla., a couple weeks ago.
The NHRA is at Houston Raceway Park in Texas this weekend. Beckman is looking for better results.
“We’ve run OK this year, but we haven’t necessarily benefited from any racing luck,” said Beckman, a driver from North Hills. “It’s very early in the season and we have plenty of time to get back on our game, but you don't want to let too many races pass you by. And I’ve said before that there isn’t any reason that by the time we leave Vegas (the race immediately following Houston) we shouldn’t have a trophy in our hands. Hopefully, it will happen in Houston.”
Three high school students from San Bernardino received grants from Auto Club Speedway and the NASCAR Foundation.
Joseph Escobar, a senior at Chaffey High School, was presented a $1,000 check for a presentation on the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates and mock election with over 600 students participating. With the grant money, he plans to create a program that would encourage students to visit the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance.
AB Miller High School seniors Denise Magana and Melanie Martinez were also presented a $1,000 check which they will use to create a book filled with personal stories written by students at the high school. A copy of the book will be placed into the collections at the Lewis Library and Technology Center in Fontana.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Luis Martinez makes impressive run at Irwindale
Luis Martinez Jr., a driver from Long Beach, opened some eyes at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night.
Martinez finished second in the NASCAR Super Late Model season opener, rallying through the field and challenging race winner Nick Joanides in the closing laps.
No one's eyes were bigger than Joanides' when he saw Martinez in his rear view mirror on the last lap of the race.
If the race went a few more laps than the scheduled 100, Martinez had a chance to run down Joanides.
Click here for a video of how Martinez described the last laps of the Super Late Model race at Irwindale.
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