Headlines from Daytona 500; Hamlin Wins, Elliott Crashes

NASCAR kicked off the 2016 season with the 58th annual Great American Race in Daytona, as with any race there are multiple storylines that emerge from a race. Coming into the race fans wondered things like “How will Chase Elliott do?”, “How will the Charter system effect the race?”, “Will Dale Jr continue his restrictor plate dominance?”, “How will Brian Vickers perform filling in for Tony Stewart?” and a host of others.

As we all now know, the charter system cut the field from 43 to 40, securing 36 drivers’ spots in the field with four “open” slots for teams not granted a charter. The four teams to make the field at Daytona were the #21 Wood Brothers Ford driven by Ryan Blaney, #93 BK Racing Toyota of Matt DiBenedetto, #59 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet of Michael McDowell and the #40 BK Racing Toyota of Robert Richardson Jr.

Out of the four of these, Ryan Blaney is the only one planning to race a full-time season in his car. McDowell will regularly be in the #95 for Circle Sport-Leavine, DiBenedetto will be in his usual #83 for the rest of the season unless Michael Waltrip chooses to run the restrictor plate tracks. Robert Richardson Jr is driving the #26 for BK on a one race deal.

Blaney finished 19th after looking strong throughout the day

Dibenedetto came home in 40th after a hard crash with Chris Buescher.

Michael McDowell was running well until he missed his pit stall while coming in under caution on lap 165, McDowell came back to finish 15th

Richardson Jr went behind the wall on lap 139, ending his Daytona 500, Richardson Jr finished 38th.

Now onto the youngest pole sitter in Daytona 500 history, Chase Elliott taking over Jeff Gordon’s iconic  #24. Chase led three laps but spun into the infield, tearing up the front end of his car when his spoiler dug into the grass. Elliott returned to the race later on and ended up finishing 37th, 40 laps down in his Daytona 500 debut.

Dale Jr, the consensus favorite to win any restrictor plate race, let alone this one, got loose in the short chute and spun his #88 Chevrolet on lap 170, ending his bid for a third Harley J Earl trophy. Jr, running the car nicknamed “Amelia” was a favorite to win after winning his Can-Am dual race on Thursday night. Don’t worry Jr fans, he will rebound at the next plate race, an Earnhardt never stays down long at restrictor plate tracks. Dale Jr wound up finishing a very disappointing 36th.

Brian Vickers, taking over the #14 Chevrolet after Tony Stewart after Stewart’s recent ATV accident ran an admirable race but did encounter some problems early on, spinning his Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet but keeping it off the wall and continuing on to finish 26th

Defending Xfinity Series champ Chris Buescher, taking over the Front Row Motorsports #34 this season, was involved in an incident with Matt DiBenedetto, ending his day with him finishing 39th.

Danica Patrick and Greg Biffle got together with only 17 laps to go. Danica came down low and got turned by Greg Biffle when her rear quarter panel hit the nose of Biffle’s #16. Danica ended up 35th and Biffle was 34th.

 

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the race as some expected with Matt Kenseth leading as the white flag flew but teammate Denny Hamlin got a run down the backstretch that continued in turns three and four, Kenseth went high to block but Hamlin went to the middle line, Kenseth followed and was tapped in the rear quarter panel by Hamlin coming to the line, giving Denny Hamlin his first Daytona 500 win over Martin Truex Jr in the closest finish in Daytona 500 history, just .001 seconds was the margin of victory.

Denny Hamlin wins Daytona 500 by 0.01 seconds over Martin Truex Jr

 

 

 

 

 

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Martin Truex Jr
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Carl Edwards
6. Joey Logano
7. Kyle Larson
8. Regan Smith
9. Austin Dillon
10. Kurt Busch
11. Ryan Newman
12. Aric Almirola
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Matt Kenseth
15. Michael McDowell
16. Jimmie Johnson
17. Jamie McMurray
18. Paul Menard
19. Ryan Blaney
20. Brad Keselowski
21. AJ Allmendinger
22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
23. Landon Cassill
24. Brian Scott
25. Ty Dillon
26. Brian Vickers
27. Michael Annett
28. Trevor Bayne
29. David Ragan
30. Michael Waltrip
31. Bobby Labonte
32. Casey Mears
33. Clint Bowyer
34. Greg Biffle
35. Danica Patrick
36. Dale Earnhardt Jr
37. Chase Elliott
38. Robert Richardson Jr
39. Chris Buescher
40. Matt DiBenedetto

Lap Leaders:

Denny Hamlin 95

Matt Kenseth 40

Kyle Busch 19

Martin Truex Jr 2

Jimmie Johnson 18

Dale Earnhardt Jr 15

Chase Elliott 3

Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Brian Scott, Michael Annett, David Ragan, Michael Waltrip and Bobby Labonte 1

This was a clean race, no “big one” which makes the performances of drivers like Regan Smith for Tommy Baldwin Racing and Michael McDowell racing for Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing even more impressive. Not to say that they are not good drivers but their teams are not the traditional powerhouses like Gibbs, Penske, Stewart-Haas or Hendrick but they are talented drivers and it shows at restrictor plate tracks and it showed today at Daytona.
The series heads to Atlanta (really Hampton ,GA but who is keeping score) next Sunday for the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 where Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner.

The Day NASCAR Stood Still: The Death of Dale Sr

Adam Petty, Clifford Allison, Joe Weatherly, Kenny Irwin Jr and Tiny Lund.

What do these five men have in common? They all died doing what they love, driving race cars and on February 18, 2001, NASCAR added another one, possibly the biggest one so far to the list when the man known as “The Intimidator” Dale Earnhardt Sr was tragically killed on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

It was a bright day in Daytona and a bright new beginning to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Dale Earnhardt Inc has just hired veteran driver Michael Waltrip to drive the #15 Napa Chevrolet alongside Earnhardt’s son, Dale Jr who was entering his second year in Winston Cup. Daytona was buzzing with anticipation as a new era was beginning on tv as well with the launch of NASCAR on Fox featuring Michael’s brother and 1989  Daytona 500 champion Darrell Waltrip.

Bobby Labonte was the reigning champion of the series but Earnhardt Sr had won the last time the series raced at a restrictor plate track back in October at Talladega, this win was #76 for The Intimidator in a career that also featured seven championship reigns which tied him for the most all-time with Richard Petty.

Earnhardt’s career began in 1975 when he raced in the World 600 at Charlotte, finishing 22nd that night and starting eight more races for Richard Childress in the #8 until 1979. In 1979, Earnhardt joined Rod Osterlund Racing, joining a rookie class that included Harry Gant and Terry Labonte. Dale Sr picked up his first career victory that season at Bristol and winning Rookie Of The Year honors. The following season, Dale picked up his first Winston Cup Series championship becoming the third driver to win both Rookie Of The Year and the series championship. The following season, Osterlund sold his team to J.D Stacy and Earnhardt left for Richard Childress racing. After that season, he went racing with Bud Moore but returned to Childress in 1984 and as they say, the rest after that was history, winning titles in 1986,1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994.

Earnhardt, along with Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip battled with each other for the win over the course of the last handful of laps. Dale Sr had tried 20 times to win the Daytona 500, finally winning in 1998 and now with a chance to help his son and his good friend have a chance to win their first and a victory that would mark the first in Michael Waltrip’s career. On the final lap, the field, led by Jr and Waltrip headed into turns three and four while Waltrip’s brother Michael cheered on in the stands calling his first race for Fox. Dale Jr was pushing Michael in turns three and four while Dale Sr fought with Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader and a host of others behind them. As the field entered turn four, Sr got loose and the famous black #3 turned up the track head first into the wall which at that time had not been equipped with the SAFER barriers, as the #3 headed towards the wall, Ken Schrader’s #36 caught it and t-boned it as they both went into the wall then back down onto the grass.

Dale Jr kept pushing Waltrip who continued on to win his first race in the biggest event in NASCAR, the Daytona 500 but soon after Waltrip took the checkered flag, attention turned to turn four where Earnhardt Sr still had not gotten out of the car. Michael’s brother Darrell was up in the tv booth cheering his little brother on when he remarked while crying in joy “I sure hope Dale is ok” while Schrader headed over to Dale Sr’s car to check on him. In a moment that should be full of joy, Dale Jr began running to the infield care center while Dale Sr was taken to Halifax Medical Center just a short distance down the road from the 500 and the now-subdued celebration in pit road.

I will never forget hearing those words that night, Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were hosting SportsCenter that night and brought the news to the world that had not been tuned into the race. The ones at the track heard it first from Mike Helton in the Daytona media center, the four words NASCAR fans will never forget “we’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”

Icons in any other sport come and go, they play their careers out and retire. Race car drivers, at least, a percentage of them no matter how safe the sanctioning bodies make the cars, they die doing what they love. There had been deaths in motorsport before this one and there will be deaths in motorsports for as long as people race but this one, this one cut deep. Dale Earnhardt Sr was not just some redneck with a helmet and a lead foot, Dale Sr was THE face of NASCAR, he was the reason a large percentage tuned in, he was more than just a person or a number, Dale was a symbol, he would do anything to win and that included wrecking other drivers. He died on the track but his legacy did not die there, we remember Dale all the time, I remember him when I see the #3 or whenever I look at Kevin Harvick, the driver who drove the remainder of the season in the renumbered #3 car, now the #29.

Dale Jr went on that summer to win the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, just a few short months after his father died on that same track. As fans we think of Dale Sr every time we see Daytona, he still lives on in the hearts of fans, he always will live on in the hearts of fans. I was eight years old when this happened, I didn’t go to school the next day, NASCAR had already become my passion, I still have the newspaper from the day after, I still have a black, Dale Sr #3 diecast and my love and appreciation for what this man did for the fans and for the sports I love grows as I get older, I just wish I had appreciated him more when he raced. Death does that, it makes you appreciate things more and you could sense it the rest of the season and the people that loved Dale loved him when he was alive and love him as much if not more now. You still see #3 flags at tracks all over the Sprint Cup Series schedule, parents who grew up watching Dale tell their children stories about him much as parents before them did about Babe Ruth or Larry Bird.

This was possibly the worst day in the history of the sport I love but it also brought in a new beginning, track safety has enhanced over the years with each track having SAFER barriers and all drivers now being required to wear a head and neck restraint, something Dale Sr did not wear because it was, to quote him “a damn noose.”
Dale Earnhardt Sr is, in my opinion, the best driver to ever drive a stock car, I will never forget him, you will never forget him and although our children may never know him, they cannot forget him, we cannot let them forget Dale Sr.

Link to the fatal crash, watch with caution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXGKys62TXw

Cody Carlton Comes Back to Win TNT 200

Winter took its hold on Richmond, Virginia Saturday night with temperatures in the high teen’s, but inside the Richmond Coliseum the Arena Racing League action was just as hot as ever as defending series champion Cody Carlton returned from his one-race suspension stemming from an altercation at the Scouts 200 back in January. Carlton is now fifth in points trails points leader Camden Testerman by 36 points.

Carlton was forced to the b-main after failing tech before the third practice session, the session that determines whether a driver will be in the a or b main. Officials found that Carlton’s car sat too low which was grounds to send him to the back of the b-main.

 

Out of the cars that did turn a qualifying time during final practice the top five lined up like this:

1. Garrett Manes 7.831 seconds
2. Conner Medeiros 7.887 seconds
3. Robbie Allison 7.945 seconds
4. Howie DiSavino 7.950 seconds
5. Larry Murphy 7.965 seconds

 

The a-main field was set; Garrett Manes in the #1 and Howie DiSavino in the #55 drew starting spots one and two with the rest of the field behind them; #28 Robbie Allison, #11 Conner Medeiros, #17t Camden Testerman, #04 Larry Murphy, #71 Savannah Nickens and #18 Branden Sanders.

Howie DiSavino led the first lap but cautions came early as Savannah Nickens and Branden Sanders tangled up, in turn, two on lap two, causing Sanders to spin and Nickens to lose a piece of her front bumper.

On the restart, DiSavino chose to lineup outside of Garrett Manes but they only turned a lap under green before Nickens and Sanders spun out once again with DiSavino spinning also and going to the rear from third place.

When the race resumed, Manes led Medeiros, Allison, Testerman and Murphy with Medeiros choosing to line up on the outside of Manes. The field finally got a few clean laps and as of lap 10, the top five was identical to the top five on the restart with Manes and Medeiros racing together for first and a .830 second gap back to Robbie Allison. Howie DiSavino ended his a-main when he brought his #55 to the infield on lap 15. From here on out, the race was uneventful and dominated by young Garrett Manes who picked up his first Pro Series victory in Arena Racing in only his 4th Pro Series race after winning multiple Youth Series titles.

The final top five of the a-main was:

1. #1-Garrett Manes
2. #17t-Camden Testerman
3. #11-Conner Medeiros
4. #28-Robbie Allison
5. #04-Larry Murphy

Garrett Manes wins a-main. Photo c/o Nicholas Mastro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up was the b-main with the obvious storyline of Cody Carlton trying to weave his way through the field into the top six to advance to the Top Dog race. The b-main, comprised of the 8 slower cars in final practice was made up of #91- John Alford, #27-Cullen Roberts, #74-Jim Grady Jr, #21-Johnny Shonk, #54-Matt Sanders, #07-Shane Zupo, #94-Cody Carlton and #17-John Nickens

Cullen Roberts led the first lap but by lap four, Carlton had already moved up to third. By the time the field worked lap five, Roberts had opened up a .841 second lead over John Alford. Cody Carlton continued weaving his way through the field and took the lead from Roberts on lap 14, only three laps before John Alford and John Nickens spun, in turn, two to bring out the first caution of the b-main.

The field restarted with Carlton leading Roberts, Jim Grady Jr, John Alford and Johnny Shonk who lined up outside of Carlton in the #94. At the halfway point, Carlton had opened up a 2.343-second gap over Roberts and began to lap cars just one lap, later on, lap 26. The field was green until lap 32 when Nickens and Matt Sanders got together, causing Sanders to flip on the backstretch. During this caution, Alford took his car into the infield, ending his night after making contact with the wall a few laps earlier.

The field restarted with Carlton once again leading Roberts, followed by Jim Grady Jr, Johnny Shonk and John Nickens with both Roberts and Shonk electing to line up on the outside. The field stayed green for 10 laps until a caution for debris on lap 40 led to the third caution and negating Carlton’s 2 second lead over Roberts.

The field lined up for the restart, led by Cody Carlton with Cullen Robert, Jim Grady Jr, Johnny Shonk and John Nickens with Roberts, Shonk, and Nickens lining up on the outside. Just four laps later, the fourth and final caution occurred when Shonk and Zupo collided, in turn, three, with Shonk being forced to retire from the race due to his car stalling, in turn, three.

For the final restart, Carlton led Roberts, Grady Jr, Nickens and Sanders with Roberts and Nickens once again opting to line up on the outside. Cody Carlton amassed a 1.706 second lead over Roberts and cruised to another win with 3.825 second separating the entire top five, with all six remaining cars moving on to the Top Dog race

1. Cody Carlton
2. Cullen Roberts
3. John Nickens
4. Jim Grady Jr
5. Matt Sanders
6. Shane Zupo

Cody Carlton wins b-main. Photo c/o Nicholas Mastro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#27-Cullen Roberts and #11-Conner Medeiros lined up first and second for the Top Dog race, followed by #18-Branden Sanders, #28-Robbie Allison, #54-Matt Sanders, #1-Garrett Manes, #74-Jim Grady Jr, #07-Shane Zupo, #17-John Nickens, #71-Savannah Nickens, #94-Cody Carlton, #04-Larry Murphy, #17t-Camden Testerman, rounded out by the #55-Howie DiSavino.

Cautions came early and quick with the first one being on lap two for debris on the backstretch. The field bunched back up and leader Conner Medeiros took the outside, followed by Cullen Roberts, Robbie Allison, Jason Manes and Branden Sanders. Almost as soon as the field went back racing they were stopped when Jim Grady Jr lost the ability to turn his car, hitting the safety barrier and ending his night.

When they restarted, Cody Carlton had already advanced to sixth behind Conner Medeiros, Cullen Roberts, Garrett Manes, Robbie Allison and Branden Sanders. Once again, the green flag wasn’t out for long when, on lap seven, Robbie Allison bounced off of Cullen Roberts on the backstretch, sending Allison into Branden Sanders and causing Sanders to flip forcing Allison and Sanders but not Roberts to go to the back of the field. Arena Racing rules state that if you are involved in a caution you restart in the rear but the officials ruled that Cullen Roberts was not involved so he kept his position. Robbie Allison was running third at the crash and Branden Sanders was fifth. Camden Testerman was also sent to the rear from sixth.

When the field resumed, Conner Medeiros led Cullen Roberts, and Garrett Manes on lap six when the trio attempted to go three wide in turns three and four. When Garrett pulled back up onto the track, the field behind him piled up and Howie DiSavino, after being hit from behind by Robbie Allison who also flipped when Cody Carlton hit ran under him, ended both DiSavino and Allison’s nights. Manes did pull back up onto the track from the pavement, but the fault does not 100% lie with Garrett as there was simply no room behind him for when he did move back up. 90% of people knew he would have to or possibly be black flagged.

The restart following this caution would not be the final one of the night. By time lap 24 came around there was another caution, this time for a spin involving Camden Testerman and Savannah Nickens. Nickens had been holding off Testerman and doing a good job of it but she hit Testerman and spun him, in turn, two causing the final caution of the night.

When the field restarted, Garrett Manes appeared to jump the gun but was pushed from behind causing him to get ahead of leader Conner Medeiros. The officials judged that Manes did jump the gun, causing him to go the rear and killing his chances at his first Pro Series Top Dog win.

In the end, Cody Carlton once again reigned supreme and was the Top Dog for the fourth time this season

1. Cody Carlton
2. Conner Medeiros
3. Camden Testerman
4. Cullen Roberts
5. Larry Murphy
6. Branden Sanders
7. Garrett Manes
8. John Nickens
9. Savannah Nickens
10. Matt Sanders
11. Robbie Allison
12. Howie DiSavino
13. Shane Zupo
14. Jim Grady Jr

After the race, I caught up with Cody and asked him how he won from the back of the pack twice in one night. Carlton responded, “I wasn’t really sure what to make of it, being in the b-main but I just made the best of it and worked my way up to the front without hitting anybody and got a pretty easy win there.” When asked about the Top Dog, Cody said, “I drew like I’ve been drawing all year for the Top Dog. I just kinda went into the Top Dog with the same mindset as I did for the b-main and it worked out pretty well and got the win and that’s what I wanted to do and hopefully we will keep it going.” Cody credits patience with how he was able to come from the back of the pack a plethora of times in the same night. “I don’t try to force anything, I know there’s going be wrecks, I know there’s going to be people getting sent to the rear so I just kinda be patient and once I get up to the top three I really start pushing the issue and if I have to force a move then I’ll force it.”

Cody Carlton Wins Top Dog. Photo c/o Nicholas Mastro

40 Predictions for the upcoming NASCAR season

Ah yes, the NFL has waved the checkered flag and the Super Bowl is over, now NASCAR is getting ready to wave the green flag on another season that promises to be just as exciting as ever. In honor of the 40 cars that make up the Sprint Cup Series field, here are 40 predictions for the upcoming season with five bold predictions. Vote on which bold prediction you think is most likely to come true.

 

1. Erik Jones will win at least three races between Xfinity and CWTS
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr will have at least five top 10s in Sprint Cup (three in 2015) 
3. Kyle Larson will get his first win in Sprint Cup
4. Chase Elliott will NOT make the Chase For The Sprint Cup final four but will win a Sprint Cup race
5. Chris Buescher will finish in the top 25 in the final Sprint Cup Series points
6. We will have a first time Daytona 500 winner
7. Darrell Wallace Jr will win three Xfinity races again in 2016
8. Once Tony Stewart returns, he will win one last race
9. Denny Hamlin will make the Chase For The Sprint Cup final four
10. Ryan Blaney will have at least three top 10s in Sprint Cup
11. Matt Crafton will return to the top of the CWTS
12. Rico Abreu will finish in the top 10 at least twice in the CWTS
13. All three drivers of Penske’s #22 Xfinity team will win a Xfinity race in the #22
14. Dakoda Armstrong will finish in the top 10 in Xfinity points (finished 13th in 2015)
15. Brandon Jones will win a Xfinity race 
16. Dale Jr will win at least five Sprint Cup Series races (won three in 2015)
17. Austin Dillon will finish in the top 5 more this year than in his Sprint Cup Series career so far (two times in two full seasons)
18. Each JR Motorsports Xfinity car will win at least twice (#88 and #5 with a plethora of drivers)
19. There will be a first-time Sprint Cup Series champion
20. A non-American born driver will win a Xfinity race (Daniel Suarez, Anthony Kumpen, Derek White, Jacque Villeneuve, Kenny Habul all scheduled to race in Xfinity Series)
21. Joey Gase will finish in the top 15 in Xfinity points (21st in 2015)
22. William Byron will win a CWTS race  
23. Cole Custer will finish in the top 15 in CWTS points (22nd in 2015, only ran 10 races)
24. Daniel Hemric will win a CWTS race (highest finish in 2015 was 4th)
25. Rico Abreu will make the Eldora truck race quite a spectacle
26. Austin Wayne Self will make a splash in the CWTS
27. Only one driver from last year’s Sprint Cup Series final four will make it back
28. Erik Jones will make his Sprint Cup Series debut, not filling in for an injured driver
29. Penske will only have one driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup
30. Tony Stewart will not be the only retirement after this season
31. The Mid-Ohio Xfinity Race will be the best Xfinity race of the season
32. Kyle Busch will win at least half of his 16 Xfinity starts this season (six wins in 15 starts in 2015)
33. Joe Gibbs Racing will win at least eight races again in Sprint Cup this season (14 in 2015)
34. Fans will grow tired of the throwback at Darlington, having it so often makes fans appreciate it less
35. A Penske driver will win the All-Star race
36. Danica will score her first top five finish in Sprint Cup this season
37. Kasey Kahne will once again have a winless Sprint Cup season
38. Trevor Bayne will not be back to Roush-Fenway Racing after this season
39. Chip Ganassi Racing will have two drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup
40. Christopher Bell will win a CWTS race

 

If you wish to contact the author of this article please email reesenobles1@gmail.com

Meet Cassie Gannis

Cassie Gannis is a young, upcoming driver from Arizona with experience in various types of cars, various tracks and a plethora of different racing series and has been successful is each. Apart from racing, Cassie wears many hats; she is a proponent of safe driving and works as a vet techinican to fund her racing dreams. Recently, Cassie and I discussed her on track career and a select few off-track subjects.

 

Reese Nobles: Cassie, coming from out west in Arizona, how did you first get involved in motorsports and when did you know that this is what you want to do with your life?

Cassie Gannis: I learned about racing at a very young age! My dad was racing a Modified as a hobby and my mom took me to the track to see him race. I just thought it was the coolest thing! I was very young-maybe 3 or 4. After that, it was all I wanted to do! I wanted to watch it on TV and wanted to go to the track. I made pretend NASCAR races in the street with the other kids in the neighborhood using our bikes. My mom will tell you all I wanted to do was watch cars go around in circles!

 

Nobles: You are part of a young group of female drivers providing role models to little girls around America, who were some of your role models both inside and outside of motorsports?

Gannis: One of my biggest role models is my sister! She works hard and is able to overcome obstacles with a positive attitude. We are very close.

In racing, I look up to Sarah Fisher because when I raced quarter midgets she took the time to stop and talk to me about my car. It was a pretty big deal. Sarah has worked her way up through the ranks to being a team owner in the Indy Series through hard work.

Other female drivers who have been mentors to me are Jennifer Jo Cobb and Leilani Münter. They have been very available to answer questions and give guidance.

 

Nobles: So far You have raced ARCA, K&N, Whelen All-American, INEX Legends, INEX Bandoleros, Trucks and Quarter Midgets. What do you take from each of these steps in your career and which if a single one was your favorite?

Gannis: Each series has brought me to where I am today. Each series was a chance to develop as a driver. I look back and love my time in the Legends. They are just so much fun to race!

 

Nobles: You were part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity for three years, attending the combine in 2009, 2010 and 2011, what did you learn in the combine and how do you feel it helped you grow both on and off the track?

Gannis: The great thing about the combine is seeing all the other up and coming drivers preforming their best in one place. the honor to be included is overwhelming! I was one of the youngest to be invited so it was really exciting to be in a field with such talent. You can takeaway a lot from an experience like that!

 

Nobles: A lot of younger drivers have regular jobs away from the track, you are a vet technician when you are not behind the wheel, what exactly is that like and why did you choose to do this away from the track?

Gannis: I love racing! But I also love animals!!!! As a teen, I always volunteered at a local zoo and pet sat. So when I wanted to make racing a career I thought I better have a plan B just in case. Working allows me to have the best of both worlds! Yes, I have to work very long hours and take side jobs to pet or ranch sit but it is worth it. ! I have a saying, “will work for car parts.” I am an advocate for rescue animals. All my personal pets are rescued. I have also fostered many cuties and gotten them placed in loving homes! Because I race and work it really doesn’t leave much time for a social life. But I don’t mind.

 

Nobles: The safe driving program you are involved with is great, what does the program do and what is your role in it?

Gannis: The main goal is to just “save lives! it is important to educate people about NOT TEXTING and DRIVING! My program has grown to include distracted driving. Senseless accidents happen all the time, killing innocent bystanders and changing lives forever! It just needs to stop. And it really is such an easy answer! PUT THE PHONE DOWN!

 

Nobles: In 2012, you won “Most Popular Driver” in the K&N West Series, what do you think set you apart from the rest of the field in the eyes of the fans and what about you endeared yourself to the fans?

Gannis: The award meant so very much to me! I am very grateful to be allowed to race. And my fans are a huge part of that! Without their support I couldn’t do what I love to do! I enjoy reaching out to my fans. I try my best to engage with them on the track, off the track and on forms of social media. I am one of those people that enjoy talking to people. It is great to talk to fans about general subjects, racing, avoiding distracted driving and saving rescue animals. Another thing I really love to do is visit military bases, attend charity causes and community events. I never feel like it is a chore because you get back so much more that you actually give. In our family we were raised to give back just because and I think my fans think that is endearing.

One of the things I hear a lot about myself from people is that they love my smile and my approachability. Those would be some things I am known for on and off the track.

 

Nobles: In K&N you raced both Ford and Chevrolet, of course often times fans of these two manufacturers are split. If you had to personally pick either Ford or Chevy which one are you going with?

Gannis: Oh geez that is a really hard question!!!! Each one has its advantage and disadvantages. I don’t think I could pick one.

 

Nobles: In 2013, you were one of nine drivers invited to attend the PEAK Stock Car Dream 3-day battle instructed by Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr and Brian Vickers, what exactly was involved in this and what do you think you learned via this experience?

Gannis: That was such a fun event. 10 top up and coming drivers were invited to attend a 3 day battle. We raced karts, competed in a reaction time course, and raced a road course. Having the caliber of coaches there was so valuable! Being able to pick their brains was awesome. I got the most feedback from Clint Bowyer and I really learned a lot.

 

Nobles: Finally, What does the 2016 season hold for Cassie Gannis?

Gannis: Well I am very excited to be racing in the ARCA Series. A press release will be available soon.

 

If you wish to help fund Cassie’s racing dreams a GoFundMe account is up https://www.gofundme.com/cassiegannisracing

Follow Cassie on Twitter @CassieGannis

Check out her official website www.cassiegannisracing.com

 

If you wish to contact Reese Nobles, the writer of this article please email reesenobles1@gmail.com

Jordan Wood Wins ARC3 Gases 200

After three weeks off, the Arena Racing League returned to the 1/10 mile oval inside the Richmond Coliseum for “reunion night,” a night with Bobby Allison as a special guest and also a  night to pay tribute to the great Lennie Pond. Pond, unfortunately, was not able to be in attendance due to health problems but that was not the only noticeable absence from the race as defending Arena Racing League champion Cody Carlton would not be racing either, serving a one-race suspension for the altercation at the previous race. Replacing Carlton is former champion Jordan Wood, using the same body originally used in Wood’s championship season.

After the random draw for starting spots the a-main lined up with  #27-Cullen Roberts on the pole followed by, #11-Conner Medeiros, #94-Jordan Wood, #04-Larry Murphy, #1-Garrett Manes, #28-Robbie Allison, #18-Branden Sanders, #17t-Camden Testerman and #55-Howie DiSavino rounding out the nine car a-main to kick off the evening.

As soon as the green flag was dropped, Conner Medeiros took his #11 to the front and he and Cullen Roberts in the #27 began to pull away from the field, the duo stayed out in front until lap five when Camden Testerman flipped his #17t on the front stretch, bringing out the first caution of the night, soon to become a red flag while the officials cleaned up oil that was leaking out of the #17t.

Once everything was cleaned up from the wreck, the field restarted with Conner Medeiros leading Cullen Roberts and Larry Murphy. Garrett Manes opted to restart on the outside of Medeiros, a move that is allowed and is an option given to drivers that were not involved in the wreck to bring out the original caution. Within only four laps, Medeiros had opened up a .785 second lead over Manes but the caution came out again on lap 12 as Manes spun, in turn, two, then being hit by Testerman who could not avoid it. This caution negated a 1.001-second lead that Medeiros held over the field.

On the restart, Jordan Wood lined his #94 up on the outside of Medeiros but the field wouldn’t stay green for long as Manes clipped the #55 of Howie DiSavino, in turn, two, spinning DiSavino and bringing out the third caution after only 12 laps.Once the field restarted yet again, Medeiros jumped out and within five laps of the restart, held a 1.605 second lead over the field. The race stayed green until lap 36 when Manes spun, in turn, two, negating Medeiros’ then 1.218 second lead over Jordan Wood in the #94.

Once the field restarted the a-main they did not stop and Conner Medeiros picked up the win just .231 seconds ahead of Jordan Wood with the full running order as follows.

1. Conner Medeiros
2. Jordan Wood
3. Cullen Roberts
4. Camden Testerman
5. Larry Murphy
6. Branden Sanders
7. Garrett Manes
8. Howie DiSavino
9. Robbie Allison

Conner Medeiros “dabbing” in Victory Lane after winning a-main
c/o Medeiros Motorsports

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The field the b-main was #54-Matt Sanders, #17-John Nickens,#21-Johnny Shonk, #07-Shane Zupo, #74-Jim Grady Jr, #91-John Alford, #4-Brad Davis and #71-Savannah Nickens

Once the green flag dropped, John Nickens took his #17 to the front with Matt Sanders following, the two opened up a 2.003 second lead over the field in only three laps with the gap from Nickens to Sanders being 1.096 seconds. While the older Nickens was up front cruising, the younger Nickens in the #71 had a near flip on lap 10 but the car leaned on the 21 and came back down to the ground, still running and just one lap later, John Nickens began lapping the field as he was setting a blistering pace, a pace that was slowed by a lap 14 caution when Brad Davis spun his #4 along with Savannah Nickens in the #71, Jim Grady Jr the #74 cut a tire, ending his night and causing him to spin. This caution negated a 2.235-second lead John Nickens held over Matt Sanders in the #54.

After the field restarted, Nickens pulled out to a 2.298 second lead over Shane Zupo in the #07 after only six green flag laps. The field stayed green and as they worked lap 30, John Nickens held a remarkable 4.744 second lead over Shane Zupo and was looking cooler than the other side of the pillow but the caution came out on lap 31 when something in the #91 of John Alford broke, causing Nickens to lose a massive 5.054 second lead over Zupo.

Once the field resumed action with both Brad Davis and Johnny Shonk lining up outside of the leader, John Nickens pulled away again but only temporarily as the younger Nickens, Savannah spun her #71, in turn, two on lap 36, only five laps after the previous caution, John Nickens had built a 1.349 second lead over Brad Davis.

The field restarted again with four cars remaining but five cars on track as the #54 of Matt Sanders was running but was not being scored due to disobeying the black flag posted on lap 21. The field was caution free again until the #21 had a break inside of the car with three laps to go, setting up a Green-White-Checkered finish.

As the field took the G-W-C John Nickens continued to dominate, like he had throughout the b-main and the final results were

1. John Nickens
2. Brad Davis
3. Savannah Nickens
4. Johnny Shonk
5. Matt Sanders
6. Shane Zupo
7. John Alford
8. Jim Grady Jr

John Nickens celebrates with daughter Savannah after winning b-main

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 14 car Top Dog race rounded out the night with #11-Conner Medeiros, #07-Shane Zupo, #94-Jordan Wood, #21-Johnny Shonk, #55-Howie DiSavino, #17-John Nickens, #54-Matt Sanders, #71-Savannah Nickens, #1-Garrett Manes, #4-Brad Davis, #18-Branden Sanders, #17t- Camden Testerman, #04-Larry Murphy and #27-Cullen Roberts. John Nickens, Shane Zupo, and Johnny Shonk did not start the race, making it an 11 car Top Dog race.

Conner Medeiros took the lead from the word go and in only three laps opened up a 1.340 second lead over Jordan Wood and only four laps in both the #55 of Howie DiSavino and #04 of Larry Murphy took their cars onto the infield, ending their nights. The first caution came on lap six when Savannah Nickens and Branden Sanders spun with Brad Davis going into the inside wall as well and ending his night.

When the field restarted Conner Medeiros once again jumped out to the lead and just two laps later, Branden Sanders ended his night, shrinking the field down to only seven cars until lap 10 when Savannah Nickens brought her #71 to the infield and that made six cars left. The top three cars at this point were Medeiros, Testerman, and Wood, all only separated by .210 seconds. Jordan Wood took second from Testerman on lap 15 and the gap from Medeiros back to Wood was 1.096 seconds as of lap 18. Medeiros began to lap the field on lap 25 and he put Cullen Roberts a lap down. After 33 laps, the gap between first place Conner Medeiros and Jordan Wood was only .463 seconds but the field was bunched back up after a debris caution on lap 37.

For the restart, the six cars left lined up Medeiros, Wood, Testerman, Manes, Matt Sanders and Cullen Roberts. After the restart, it didn’t take long to see another caution as the third yellow of the race flew on lap 39 when Garrett Manes appeared to stall in turn two on lap 39, ending his night and leaving only five cars left.

For this restart, the field lined up with Medeiros leading Wood, Testerman, Matt Sanders and Cullen Roberts. Wood took the lead from Medeiros and Testerman followed, taking the lead from Wood but the cautions were not finished as Cullen Roberts cut a tire and spun, in turn, two with three laps left, leaving only four cars running, a new Arena Racing record for fewest cars running at the finish of a Top dog race.

Once the field went green again, Testerman couldn’t hold off Jordan Wood who won in place of defending champion Cody Carlton.

1. Jordan Wood
2. Camden Testerman
3. Cooner Medeiros
4. Matt Sanders
5. Cullen Roberts
6. Garrett Manes
7. Savannah Nickens
8. Branden Sanders
9. Brad Davis
10. Larry Murphy
11. Howie DiSavino
12. John Nickens
13. Shane Zupo
14. Johnny Shonk

After the race, Jordan talked about the win and how him driving the #94 today came together. “It was exciting, I wasn’t expecting to come out like that, the car was restarting bad. I think Camden gave me a little bit of a break there, he could have roughed me up. We beat and banged the whole race, the last couple of laps I really wanted it so I just had to go for it. I’m out here thankfully because Cody offered me the ride, definitely one of my more exciting wins.”

Jordan Wood celebrates Top Dog win

Tony Stewart to miss beginning of season

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will miss the start of the season due to, what his team, Stewart-Haas Racing says is a “burst fracture of the L1 vertebra,” an injury Stewart suffered in an ATV accident this past weekend in California while off roading with fellow Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, an incident we first reported on here. The injury, the second major injury for Stewart in the past four years, will cause him to miss that start of the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, a season set to be his final one in NASCAR as previously announced. While there is not a set timetable for Stewart’s return, it is clear that he will miss, at the very least, the upcoming Daytona 500.

Plans for an interim driver for Stewart’s #14 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet have not been made yet, as this is still a fluid situation. Among candidates to fill in for Stewart are former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Elliott Sadler who currently drives in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, Sadler has three career wins in the Sprint Cup Series but has not started a Sprint Cup Series race since the 2013 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead while driving in place of Brian Vickers in the #55 for the now defunct Michael Waltrip Racing.

Other candidates that could possibly fill in for Stewart during this sabbatical could include Alex Bowman, Bowman was recently let go from Tommy Baldwin Racing so that TBR could sign Regan Smith to drive their #7, Chevrolet. Bowman like Sadler also drives for JR Motorsports behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, the same manufacture as Stewart drives for with the team he co-owns, Stewart-Haas Racing.

In my opinion, the most logical answer is Elliott Sadler, Sadler has Sprint Cup Series experience, including the aforementioned three wins as well as 69 top five finishes. Sadler is a confident driver and if he gets behind the wheel of the #14, he could keep it in the top 35 at the very least. While I don’t believe that Sadler could contend for wins filling in for Smoke, I don’t necessarily think Stewart would do that either, the past two seasons haven’t proved to me that he can.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how Stewart handles this, at the dawn of his final season In the Sprint Cup Series, it appears that he will be yet another great driver without a Harley J Earl trophy.

America; Meet Ulysses Delsaux

Ulysses Delsaux. This is a name unknown to motorsports fans on this side of the pond as of yet but will be soon enough when Delsaux makes his K&N Series East debut when the season kicks off at New Smyrna Speedway on February 14.

Born in France in September of 1997, Delsaux will be 18 when he makes his K&N Series debut but is not new to stock cars, or to America.  He was here in August of 2014 at age 16 as part of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Driver Development program.  The program gave Ulysses the chance to drive at Bowman-Grey Stadium in three divisions over the course of the first weekend in August. Delsaux competed in the Street Stock, Sportsman and Stadium Stock divisions over the course of the first two weekends of August.

In Europe, Ulysses Delsaux has been a remarkable driver ever since 2012, when at age 14 he first tested a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. In 2013, Delsaux tested the Euro Series car at a variety of tracks such as the ⅓ mile Tours Speedway in France and the Magny-Cours International Circuit, also in France before his debut in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2014 when he finished 9th overall in the Elite 2 Division Championship, earning his first top-five finish in the Euro Series in this season.

In 2015, Delsaux put together another supremely impressive season behind the wheel of his Chevrolet, accumulating 10 Top10s and 3 Top5s en route to a 7th place in the Elite 2 Division Championship standings. The 2015 season included Delsaux’s first podium finish, coming at the aforementioned ⅓ mile Tours Speedway, running lap times among the best in all categories.

 

Ulysses Delsaux’s #46 Toyota Camry

This is what propelled Delsaux forward in the Nexteer Road to Daytona, a partnership between the Whelen Euro Series and Nexteer Automotive to help grant European drivers opportunities to race in America. Delsaux’s car will be fielded by Precision Performance Motorsports, a Whelen Euro Series partner, carrying Nexteer Automotive sponsorship on the #46 Toyota Camry. The K&N race, the Jet Tools 150 is a part of the annual arrival of NASCAR known as SpeedWeeks, culminating in The Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Delsaux’s K&N debut, however, will not be Ulysses’ maiden voyage to New Smyrna. Ulysses tested a Late Model at the ⅕ mile oval with Mike Skinner during a recent visit to the U.S this past August, with Delsaux testing very well.

When asked about the upcoming K&N race and what it means to him as well as what he hopes to accomplish, Ulysses said,  “For me, a race driver  European driver in the USA is an extraordinary opportunity more information on K&N for a young driver. It is the only opportunity to be spotted and progress in the family of NASCAR and hope breakthrough as a professional driver. The goal for the next race at New Smyrna is to give the best of oneself discovering the car, finish the race and a top 10 would be a good result.” After Delsaux’s K&N East Series debut, he will return to Europe where he will move up to the Elite 1 Division in the Whelen Euro Series, the top division in the series.

Off the track, Delsaux gets ready to race by training both his body and mind via simulators like iracing. Delsaux also watches multiple videos on the tracks in order to see different lines and to determine which line works best. Ulysses mentally visualizes the track so he can perfect his line, comparative to the way NFL quarterback Peyton Manning watches game film to analyze and break down every aspect.

Delsaux is living his dream right now, a dream he has been chasing since birth with one twist, Delsaux has a form of Autism. For those unfamiliar with Autism, it is defined as “a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.” The disorder can be either high functioning, which is often present in great thinkers, among the famous people to be diagnosed are Wolfgang Mozart and Tim Burton. 

However, Delasaux does not let this stop him. Although he is classified as high-functioning, he learned to talk later in life than normal and his family’s unique training method is unlike anything you have seen before. At age seven, Ulysses discovered karting as a way to come out of his shell and begin communicating with others as a way to build confidence. However, Delsaux was involved in an accident at a World Championship event and soon found karting to be too dangerous. Ulysses left school at only 14 years old, soon the aforementioned Euro Series tests began and Delsaux discovered a passion like no other as the tests slowly intensified. Ulysses’ dad describes the incremental changes in his son prior to the Euro Series test compared to where he is now by saying that Ulysses was  a boy alone, isolated, contained for now smiling boy, more pleasant and proud to talk about his passion.”

This is what it is all about for Ulysses, a boy changed by this sport we love, as we all once were when we found NASCAR. A boy from France, living out his dreams in NASCAR, beginning with the K&N East Series Jet Tools 150 where Ulysses Delsaux will introduce himself to NASCAR in the United States in the #46 Nexteer Automotive Toyota Camry for Precision Performance Motorsports.

 

To follow Ulysses check him out on Twitter: @UlyssesDelsaux10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ulyssedelsaux10

Tony Stewart Hospitalized Following Non-Racing Incident

Tony Stewart, on the verge of starting his final season as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, was involved All-Terrain Vehicle-related accident on Sunday afternoon while on the west coast according to a spokesman from the team. The team issued a statement today “Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, sustained a back injury in a non-racing accident Sunday afternoon. Stewart was transported to a local hospital following the accident and is currently being evaluated. Stewart is awake and alert, and able to move all extremities. An update will be provided Thursday afternoon when more information is known.”

 

This is the third incident to come to Stewart in the last 2 ½ years. In August of 2013, Stewart lost the remainder of the Sprint Cup Series season after suffering a double compound fracture in his right leg following a sprint car accident in Iowa. The following August, Stewart was involved in an incident when Kevin Ward Jr got out of his car and in front of the car Stewart was driving, the incident killed Ward and caused Stewart to miss three races.

 

The good news is that Stewart is awake and alert, according to the aforementioned statement via Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart is a three-time Sprint Cup champion and previously announced that this would be his last season in the Sprint Cup Series.  Stewart has been slumping recently, not recording a single top five finish all of last season and last winning a race in 2013 at Dover.

 

This article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

Press Release: Harrison Rhodes to Drive for Obaika Racing in Xfinity Series

Via Obaika Racing PR:

Obaika Racing Wheels into 2016

With the addition of the Chase format in the Xfinity Series this Season, Obaika Racing is geared up and ready to pull out all stops.

Obaika Racing fielded the #97 car successfully in its debut 2015 season, giving opportunities to various drivers and finishing top 30 in owner points. The Team is in the process of rolling out two teams in the 2016 Xfinity Series and is pleased to announce that Harrison Rhodes has been signed on as a team driver as a step in its duo-team efforts.

“Our hallmark is tenacity and that has set us apart,” said Victor Obaika, Team Owner. “We faced our challenges and persevered throughout the 2015 Season. We believe Harrison has also shown tenacity in his race opportunities and this is a trait that we have in common.”

Rhodes, 22, of NC, had a great season driving the #0 car in the 2015 Xfinity season with 10 top ‘25’s and finished 24th in driver points through 29 races. Rhodes is absolutely excited to be part of the Team and we are glad to have him via the instrumentality of VroomBrands, the primary sponsor for Obaika Racing.

 

Please like and follow Obaika Racing on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/obaikaracing/ and Twitter – https://twitter.com/ObaikaRacingr