IWANNA 2012 NASCAR Preview - Asheville, NC by IWANNA

NEW CUP CHAMPION TONY SSTEWART WART

NNASCAR CA

2012 PREVIEW BEHIND THE WHEEL THE INS & OUTS OF A NASCAR STOCK CAR

UP & COMING DRIVERS

DANICA READY TO TAKE

DAYTONA SCHEDULES, STANDINGS, & PREDICTIONS

A Publication of IWANNA, USA LLC

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

2 | IWANNA® February 2012

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2011 TOP PERFORMANCES ARTICLE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Tony Stewart — Some may argue Stewart was NOT the top driver of 2011 — at least not all of it. He failed to win a single race in the 26-race regular season, thereby starting the Chase as the ninth seed. But on the big stage, Stewart shined — and that’s why he gets the nod. Over the final 10 races, Stewart won a Chaserecord five races — including the historic “walk-off win” at Homestead-Miami Speedway that won him a championship. With the victory, Stewart became A.) the ninth driver with three or more championships, B.) the first champion to win the finale since 1998, and C.) the first driver-owner to win the title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. Even after the winless regular season, Stewart’s five victories in 2011 were a serieshigh. Now, one hole remains in Stewart’s career: a Daytona 500 victory. He’ll get his chance to fill it soon enough — on February 26 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90). Carl Edwards (Honorable Mention) — Edwards captured just one victory in 2011

— and that was the reason he lost a tie-breaker that cost him the championship to Stewart. Still, 2011 was an impressive and productive season for Edwards. He held the points lead after 21 of 36 points races, by far the longest stretch of any driver this season. By comparison, Kyle Busch was second, leading the points for seven weeks in 2011. Edwards adds two other accolades to his impressive season. He won his first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (famously tearing up the front of his Ford while celebrating), and set a Chase record of his own. Edwards’ average finish in the 10-race Chase was 4.9, the lowest ever in the Chase’s eight-year history. The previous best was Jimmie Johnson’s 5.0 in 2007.

COMEBACK DRIVER OF THE YEAR Dale Earnhardt Jr. — Welcome back to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and championship contention. NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for the ninth consecutive season, Earnhardt enjoyed a rebirth of sorts under new crew chief Steve Letarte. With a fresh slate in 2011, Earnhardt piled up four top fives and 12 top 10s, his highest figures since his first season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. He also returned to the Chase for the first time in three years, finishing the season seventh in points. That points finish was his best since 2006, when he finished fifth. Despite a winless drought which stretched to 129 starts, Earnhardt flirted with Victory Lane a couple times in 2011. At Martinsville Speedway, he held the lead with four laps remaining, but lost it to a charging Kevin Harvick. At the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he led on the final lap only to run out of gas — and was passed by Harvick yet again.

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

TOP DRIVER

Carl Edwards

win playoff run in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was just one of the many outstanding performances that took place during the recently completed 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The following is a look

Kasey Kahne (Honorable Mention) — Despite missing t h e C h a s e fo r the second consecutive season, Kasey Kahne lit up the back end of the schedule, finishing in the top 10 in seven of the final eight races. His 368 points scored in the Chase trailed only Stewart

back at some of those standout performers and memorable races, as selected from discussions with the national series directors, competition department, and NASCAR IMC managers.

TOP TEAM

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Edwards, and his victory at Phoenix in the penultimate race of the season snapped an 81-race winless drought. Kahne’s late-season surge provided booming optimism fo r n e x t s e a s o n , w h e n h e and crew chief Kenny Francis join powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.

Stewart-Haas Racing — That didn’t take long. Stewart-Haas Racing needed just three years to win their first championship, as Stewart became the first driver-owner to win the title since 1992. SHR racked up six wins in 2011, tied for most on the season. Five of those belonged to Stewart. Ryan Newman nabbed the other in the most dominant effort by a team this season. At New Hampshire in July, Newman and Stewart started 1-2, and finished 1-2 — the first time since 1957 that a team started and finished 1-2 with the same drivers starting and finishing in the same order. Richard Childress Racing (Honorable Mention) — This was a tough one, as Roush Fenway Racing made a big play for inclusion into this category. But again, RFR lost the tiebreak to victories. Richard Childress Racing nabbed six victories in 2011. Roush Fenway had five. But the win total alone isn’t everything. RCR captured glory in one of NASCAR’s “crown jewels,” with Paul Menard claiming his first career win in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the Chase, Clint Bowyer — who moves to Michael Waltrip R acing in 2012 — collected R C R ’s m i l e s t o n e 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, i n t h e Ta l l a d e g a Superspeedway Chase race. Kevin Harvick, RCR’s wins leader with four, finished third in the points for the second consecutive season. continued on page 4 Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Tony Stewart

Bayne’s storybook win signaled a season of change and surprise, none more remarkable than this… Johnson’s five-year reign as king ended. Somebody didn’t miss. That somebody was Tony Stewart. Stewart’s record-breaking five-

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

From the 2007 season — Jimmie Johnson’s first as a defending champion — through 2010, exactly 100 drivers started at least one race. All took aim at

Johnson’s throne. All missed. A shocking victor claimed NASCAR’s most famous race to open the 2011 season, as Trevor Bayne, 20, became the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500.

Kasey Kahne Kasey Kahne celebrates winning the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500 on Nov. 13, 2011, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which breaks an 81-race winless streak. (Photo courtesy of Nascar Media)

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 3

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

Brad Keselowski — Don’t be surprised if more drivers attempt Keselowski’s patented “broken ankle-tovictory” strategy. During a test session at Road Atlanta in early August, Keselowski broke his left ankle, leaving his availability for the upcoming event at Pocono Raceway in question. He did race. And won. He did the same a few weeks later at Bristol. His three victories after race No. 26 were enough to land him the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the Chase. After a solid Chase that included four top-five finishes, he finished the season fifth in points.

Brad Keselowski

TOP RACE

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

TOP BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER

Regan Smith (Honorable Mention) — Coming into 2011, here were Regan Smith’s career statistics: zero wins, zero top fives, and zero top 10s. Any type of success whatsoever would land him a “Breakthrough Performer” nod. Instead, he built a career-year that included a victor y in one of NASCAR’s most historic races — the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. To that feat, he added a third-place finish on another grand stage — the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In all, Smith had one win, two top fives, and five top 10s.

Regan Smith Photo cour tesy of Na scar Media

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

continued from page 2

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Ford 400, Homestead-Miami Speedway — If this race were smack in the middle of the season, it still would get consideration for “Top Race” — thanks to recordbreaking numbers in leaders (15) and lead changes (26). But the implications of this race — and the clutch performances of those with everything to win and lose — made Tony Stewart (far right) and Carl Edwards (second in line, far left) go fourthis an instant classic. wide on the frontstretch in a frantic battle for position in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 20. Championship clinch scenarios going in were simple: If Carl Edwards wins, he’s the champion. If Tony Stewart wins, he’s the champion. Edwards shrugged off any pressure as a first championship neared, leading a race-high 119 laps. But this was Stewart’s show. With some early pit road magic to repair a grapefruit-sized hole in his grill, Stewart worked his way back to the front with daring four-wide passes. NASCAR’s Loop Data counted a total of 118 green flag passes for Stewart, who led the final 36 laps en route to the “walk-off win” and his third career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Stewart and Edwards finished 1-2 at Homestead, leaving the 2011 season in a points tie. Stewart won the tiebreaker with five wins to Edwards’ one.

Photo cour tesy of Na scar Media

4 | IWANNA® February 2012

Aaron’s 499, Talladega Superspeedway (Honorable Mention) — Talladega’s April spring race matched two major NASCAR records — that of lead changes and margin of victory. There were 88 lead changes, which Jimmie Johnson celebrates winning the Aaron’s 499 with a burnout at matched the record Talladega Superspeedway in April 17, 2011. previously set in 2010, also in Talladega’s spring race. With a margin of victory of .002 seconds, the race tied the closest MOV since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993. The record was previously set at Darlingon Raceway in 2003, when Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line. In this one, Jimmie Johnson — with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind him — barely beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line. It was Johnson’s first victory of the season. His next wouldn’t come until October at Kansas.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

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Classifieds ■ 1976 Maverick. 6 cylinder engine, factory A/C, factory power steering, $1500. 828-776-7354

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 5

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See our Sport Collectibles and Strip & Street section in the IWANNA for more winning deals!

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

6 | IWANNA® February 2012

NASCAR’S TOP MOMENTS OF 2011

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ARTICLE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

— Trevor Bayne’s Daytona 500 Win

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

Winning The Great American Race is a career achievement no matter how many races are won elsewhere. Example: Seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt needed 20 starts to win his Daytona 500 at age 46. All of which made Bayne’s victory both surprising and historic. Bayne, at age 20 years and one day, was making just his second NASCAR Sprint Cup start, although his team — the legendary Wood Brothers — had won the Daytona 500 on four previous occasions. Bayne, who started 32nd and led only the final six laps as a record 74 lead changes were recorded became the youngest Day tona 500 winner and just the seventh to make the race his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory. The win was Ford’s 600th and 98th for the Wood Brothers. Trevor Bayne climbs out of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford in victory lane after winning the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 2011, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

— Regan Smith’s Southern 500 Win

What Trevor Bayne began in February, Regan Smith continued in May. Smith entered Darlington Raceway’s SHOWTIME Southern 500 with a lean resume to say the least: no wins, top fives, or top 10s in 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts. Smith, then 27, became the upset winner of NASCAR’s oldest “crown jewel.” He led just the final 11 laps and held off Carl Edwards by 0.196 seconds to give Fu r n i t u r e R o w Racing — a team headquar tered in Colorado — its f irst series victory.

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Playing hurt is the measure of athletic success, as Brad Keselowski won August’s Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway just days after breaking his left ankle in a road course testing accident. Few might have projected a healthy Keselowski as a Pocono favorite. He’d won at Kansas Speedway earlier in the summer, but came to Pennsylvania ranked 21st in points. The race turned out to be a coming-out party for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, who followed the per formance with three more top-three finishes capped by a Bristol victory, a Chase wild card berth, and a fifth place finish in final NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

Regan Smith earns his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win after crossing the line first in the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 7, 2011.

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 7 in Long Pond, Pa.

— Jeff Gordon’s 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup Win

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon fell short in his title bid, but the 2011 season was his first with multiple victories since 2007. He broke a 66-race winless streak at Phoenix International Raceway in February, added another win at Pocono Raceway in June and scored a historic 85th career victory in a weather-delayed AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. Atlanta’s victory gave Gordon sole possession of third among all NASCAR Sprint Cup winners, breaking a tie with NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison and soon-to-beinducted Darrell Waltrip. NASCAR President Mike Helton, left, presents a plaque to Jeff Gordon commemorating his 85th win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, 2011, in Hampton, Ga.

— Jimmie Johnson’s Aaron’s 499 Win at Talladega

At the time, Jimmie Johnson’s final-lap victory — with an assist by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. — appeared to be an early harbinger of a sixth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Johnson’s second Talladega Superspeedway win — and 54th overall — boosted him from fourth to second in the point standings. The race matched records for lead changes (88) and margin of victory under electronic scoring (0.002 seconds).

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

— Brad Keselowski’s Wreckers-to-Checkers Win at Pocono

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

Stewar t trailed Carl Edwards by three points entering the 10th and final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. Both drivers had predicted the championship wouldn’t be decided until the final lap, and they were Tony Stewart shows off the Sprint Cup trophy right. Edwards, in Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway who started on after securing his third crown in NASCAR’s the pole, led premier series on Sunday, Nov. 20. the most laps while Stewart yo-yoed through the field after fixing damage to the front of his Chevrolet. Amazingly, Stewart took the lead with 36 laps remaining. Edwards, in second place, stayed in full-out pursuit mode until the checkered flag waved, but finished 1.306 seconds behind Stewart. Both drivers scored 2,403 points with the tiebreaker — five wins to one — falling in Stewart’s favor.

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

— Tony Stewart’s HomesteadMiami Clincher

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

n a special season in which magic moments were many, Tony Stewart’s championship-clinching victory at HomesteadMiami Speedway has been voted the Top Moment of 2011. Members of NASCARMedia.com voted in the week-long poll, casting ballots for the top-10 moments from the 2011 season.

Fans watch Jimmie Johnson cross the finish line .002 seconds ahead of Clint Boywer at Talladega Superspeedway on April 17, 2011. Johnson’s win ties the record for closest finish in NASCAR history.

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—Paul Menard Holds Off Jeff Gordon to Win Brickyard 400

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Surprise winners in 2011, take three. For much of its 19 years, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard 400 had been won by the greatest names in NASCAR: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, bill Elliott — champions all. No first-time winners in the bunch — until this July. Midwesterner Paul Menard wound up kissing the start-finish line bricks after prevailing in a torrid battle with four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon. Menard joined Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne and SHOWTIME Southern 500 winner Regan Smith to score a first victory on the schedule’s largest stages.

IWANNA® February 2012 | 7

— Danica Patrick Posts Best Finish in NASCAR by a Female Driver

All agreed that Danica Patrick’s part-time NASCAR career was on the upswing in its second season. Patrick proved that with an exclamation point on March 5 with a solid, fourthplace finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The performance was record-setting: Patrick became not only the highestfinishing female driver in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race but also in any NASCAR national series event. Patrick’s feat broke a record from NASCAR’s earliest years — Sara Christian’s fifth-place finish in a NASCAR Sprint Cup (then Strictly Stock) race on October 2, 1949 at Heidelberg, Pa.

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

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Danica Patrick became the highest-finishing woman in a NASCAR national series race with a fourth-place result in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas on March 3, 2011.

— Austin Dillon Becomes Youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Champion

Though a number of young drivers have used their experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as a springboard to NASCAR Sprint Cup success — think Carl Edwards, among others — veteran drivers, for the most part, have had a stranglehold on its championships. Only Travis Kvapil (age 27 in 2003) was younger than 30 in the series’ first 16 seasons. All that changed in 2011 as third-generation driver Austin Dillon, 21, became the youngest to win an NCWTS title. Dillon, a two-time winner, finished six points ahead of NASCAR national series veteran Johnny Sauter. Dillon, Richard Childress’ grandson, returned a title to RCR that Mike Skinner won in the series’ 1995 inaugural season. Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Photo courtesy of Nascar Media

Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 NIBCO/Menards Chevrolet, celebrates on the bricks after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2011, in Indianapolis, Ind.

Austin Dillon celebrates his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with his Richard Childress Racing team at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18, 2011.

Two NASCAR national series champions gave media and fans yet another reason to keep an eye on the newcomers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whose uneven performance nearly cost him his job with Roush Fenway Racing in 2010, recovered to claim NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Roush’s faith was rewarded as Stenhouse won twice en route to the 2011 championship. Austin Dillon’s rookie of the year run in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wasn’t quite so dramatic but like Stenhouse, he “graduated” to the champion’s chair. The season marked the first time that both Nationwide and truck rookies became champions in their sophomore years.

Photo courtesy of Nas car Media

— 2010 Sunoco Rookies-of-the-Year Win Championship

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hoists a championship flag after clinching the NASCAR Nationwide Series crown at the Ford 300 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19, 2011.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

8 | IWANNA速 February 2012

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NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES STANDINGS RANK +/-

DRIVER

POINTS

BEHIND

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

POLES

EARNINGS

Tony Stewart

2403

Leader

$6,529870

-1

Carl Edwards

2403

Leader

$8,485,990

Kevin Harvick

2345

-58

$6,197,140

Matt Kenseth

2330

-73

$6,183,580

-1

Brad Keselowski

2319

-84

$5,087,740

-1

Jimmie Johnson

2304

-99

$6,296,360

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2290

-113

$4,163,690

Jeff Gordon

2287

-116

$5,912,830

Denny Hamlin

2284

-119

$5,401,190

-1

Ryan Newman

2284

-119

$5,303,020

-3

Kurt Busch

2262

-141

$5,936,470

Kyle Busch

2246

-157

$6,161, 020

Chase for the Sprint Cup 13

Clint Bowyer

1047

-1356

$5,633,950

Kasey Kahne

1041

-1362

$4,775,160

AJ Allmendinger

1013

-1390

$4,825,560

RANK +/-

DRIVER

2 3

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES STANDINGS POINTS

BEHIND

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

POLES

EARNINGS

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

1222

Leader

$1,106,000

Elliott Sadler

1177

-45

$944,442

Justin Allgaier

1105

-117

$915,012

Aric Almirola

1095

-127

$838,707

Reed Sorenson

1062

-160

$847,447

Jason Leffler

1028

-194

$823,162

Kenny Wallace

963

-259

$790,142

Brian Scott

947

-275

$806,857

-1

Michael Annett

944

-278

$760,707

Steve Wallace

921

-301

$761,947

Trevor Bayne

893

-329

$797,352

Mike Bliss

827

-395

$744,529

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES STANDINGS RANK +/-

DRIVER

POINTS

BEHIND

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

POLES

EARNINGS

Austin Dillon

888

Leader

$464,840

Johnny Sauter

882

-6

$451,480

James Buescher

859

-29

$407,640

Ron Hornaday

838

-50

$515,840

Timothy Peters

832

-56

$383,940

Todd Bodine

803

-85

$357,310

Joey Coulter

796

-92

$307,235

-1

Matt Crafton

785

-103

$349,765

Cole Whitt

764

-124

$318,210

Nelson Piquet Jr.

752

-136

$336,615

Parker Kligerman

728

-160

$341,340

Brendan Gaughan

713

-175

$290,960

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 9

DANICA PATRICK

>>> READY TO TAKE DAYTONA, SPRINT SERIES BY STORM WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

ach year since she arrived on the auto racing scene back in 2005, Danica Patrick seems to have a new challenge. And 2012 will be no different.

For the first time, Patrick will compete in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012, with the first stop the Daytona 500 on February 26. Incredibly, this will be Patrick’s first ride in the “Great American Race.” Patrick will drive the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. She’s ready for the challenge of being only the third female driver to ever compete in the Daytona 500. “It’s not been too long of an off-season, that’s for sure,” Patrick said. “But I made the most of the weeks that I had, so it’s good to be back, and the car seems pretty good so far, pretty fast. Not too different yet as we’re just running out there by ourselves at this point in time. But it’s going to be really exciting.” Patrick understands the importance of the Daytona 500. Not only the history of the race, but the fact that it’s the seasonopener. “Obviously it’s the biggest race of the year. I’d really like to run well, and I don’t just want to be here, I want to run well. I think at a place like Daytona there’s that opportunity. I think I’ll probably have slightly more realistic expectations for some of the other ones, but for this one at Daytona I think there’s a real opportunity.” Patrick will be working with a legendary crew chief in Greg Zipadelli, who returned to the Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2012 after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart-Haas Racing said Zipadelli will be focused on helping Patrick prepare for the Daytona 500 and her 2012 race schedule. Patrick will be racing

a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule in 2012 with the goal of going full time in 2013. Zipadelli won two Sprint titles with Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005 when he was Stewart’s crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing. Patrick is excited about the opportunity to work with Zipadelli. “His accent is not as thick as Tony Jr.; I understand every word he says,” Patrick said, laughing. “We get along great. I feel really comfortable with him so far. I feel respected, and I feel like he’s been very patient. “Even the little things, getting here this morning and just kind of adjusting a belt a little bit and adjusting a throttle a little bit, he doesn’t look at me like I’m inexperienced. He investigates and says no problem, let’s get it right, and makes me comfortable with that kind of stuff.” Being the new driver on the block, Patrick will pick her spots when to speak up, and when to keep quiet. “Obviously we haven’t worked together with the whole ‘how the car feels’ and how we’re going to change it and that kind of stuff, and especially here at Daytona, we’re probably not going to get a lot of that,” Patrick said. “It’s not that kind of a track. But I can say so far I feel very comfortable and I feel very fortunate to have him to work with, to have that experience.” Ta k i n g o n a n o t h e r n e w challenge is nothing new for Patrick, and she enjoys working with the top crew chiefs and competing against the best drivers in the world. As soon as she arrived at Daytona for prerace preparations, she felt at ease. “It is a little like first day. I think that with racing you do have an opportunity to meet some of the people just at the track in general, and then of course making a seat and getting comfortable and fitting everything, you get

Danica Patrick a chance to meet everybody,” on the big stage, but she’s ready to Patrick said. “I can’t say I remember start winning some bigger races to everybody’s name yet. Somebody really leave her mark on racing. said hello to me last night, and “I’m really excited and I’m really they’re like, ‘Hey, don’t just walk happy. And that’s it. I mean, yeah, by.’ There’s so many people, I don’t there’s nerves. There’s a lot of things know who everyone is yet. I’ve got that are unknown, especially with a lot of people to learn. running the full-time Nationwide “But I do — just like going to championship, wanting to do the first day really well o f s c h o o l, in that, and For the first time, you want to wanting to make a good make a good Patrick will compete in impression, impression the Sprint Cup Series in you want to in the Cup 2012, with the first stop the do a good r a ce s t h a t job. And I’m doing,” Daytona 500 on February probably Patrick said. 26. Incredibly, this will be missing pit A n d Patrick’s first ride in the in on pit road having a and having racing star “Great American Race.” to back up is l i k e To n y probably not Stewar t as what you want to do at school. I her boss — well, that adds to the didn’t want to trip like that. But pressure on Patrick. But Stewart is it’s probably not that big of a confident in her ability. deal. It’s finding your way around, “I think we’re still trying to finding my locker literally. There’s figure that equation out, but the no combination for it, of course, good thing is looking on the sheet but it is a locker that I needed to today, the car seems find, getting in sync with that.” to have good speed Patrick has always been a natural right off the bat,” Tony

Stewart said. “I’ve got the utmost confidence that even in the worst case scenario, we’ve got the right driver that can get this car in the race, no problem. But we’re working through that, trying to get that finalized, and trying to figure out our options to make sure we give her the best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500 and get her all the experience that we can get her.” In her last two seasons in the Nationwide Series, Patrick has raced in 25 races with three Top-10 finishes and one Top-3 finish. She had nearly $700,000 in race earnings. She’s hoping for some better finishes in the Sprint Series this year. “O ve ra l l, I’m fe e l i n g comfortable, as comfortable as I could imagine myself in this situation, and just really excited and really happy and glad to be where I’m at,” she said.

10 | IWANNA速 February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 15

2012 SPRINT CUP SCHEDULE 2

2012 SPRINT CUP PREVIEW SCHEDULE 2 DATE

02/26/12 03/04/12 03/11/12 03/18/12 03/25/12 04/01/12 04/14/12 04/22/12 04/28/12 05/06/12 05/12/12 05/27/12 06/03/12 06/10/12 06/17/12 06/24/12 06/30/12 07/07/12

RACE

Daytona 500 Subway Fresh Fit 500 Kobalt Tools 400 Food City 500 Auto Club 400 Goody's Fast Relief 500 Samsung Mobile 500 STP 400 Richmond 400 Aaron's 499 Southern 500 Coca-Cola 600 Dover 400 Pocono 400 Michigan 400 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Quaker State 400 Coke Zero 400

VENUE

Daytona International Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Auto Club Speedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Kansas Speedway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Darlington Raceway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Infineon Raceway Kentucky Speedway Daytona International Speedway

TV/START

FOX / 12:00 PM FOX / 2:30 PM FOX / 3:30 PM FOX / 1:30 PM FOX / 3:30 PM FOX / 1:30 PM FOX / 8:00 PM FOX / 1:30 PM FOX / 8:00 PM FOX / 8:00 PM FOX / 7:30 PM FOX / 6:30 PM FOX / 1:30 PM TNT / 8:00 PM TNT / 8:00 PM TNT / 3:00 PM TNT / 7:30 PM TNT / 7:30 PM

2012 SPRINT CUP SCHEDULE 2

2012 SPRINT CUP PREVIEW SCHEDULE 2 DATE

02/26/12 03/04/12 03/11/12 03/18/12 03/25/12 04/01/12 04/14/12 04/22/12 04/28/12 05/06/12 05/12/12 05/27/12 06/03/12 06/10/12 06/17/12 06/24/12 06/30/12 07/07/12

RACE

VENUE

TV/START

RACE Drive4COPD 300 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 Sam's Town 300 Bristol 250 Royal Purple 300 O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 Richmond 250 Aaron's 312 Darlington 200 Iowa 250 History Channel 300 5-Hour Energy 200 Alliance Truck Parts 250 Road America 200 Feed The Children 300 Subway Jalapeno 250

VENUE Daytona International Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Auto Club Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Darlington Raceway Iowa Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Michigan International Speedway Road America Kentucky Speedway Daytona International Speedway

START

DATE

RACE

VENUE

TV/START

ESPN / 1:15 PM ESPN2 / 4:30 PM ESPN2 / 5:00 PM ESPN / 2:00 PM ESPN / 5:30 PM ESPN2 / 8:30 PM ESPN2 / 7:30 PM ABC / 3:15 PM ESPN2 / 7:15 PM ESPN / 2:00 PM ABC / 2:45 PM ESPN / 2:00 PM ABC / 3:45 PM ESPN / 3:30 PM ESPN2 / 7:30 PM ESPN / 7:30 PM

02/24/12

NextEra Energy Resources 250

Daytona International Speedway

SPEED / 7:30 PM

03/31/12

Kroger 250

Martinsville Speedway

SPEED / 1:30 PM

04/15/12

Good Sam Roadside Assist. Carolina 200 Rockingham Speedway

SPEED / 1:00 PM

04/21/12

SPF 250

Kansas Speedway

SPEED / 2:00 PM

05/18/12

NC Education Lottery 200

Charlotte Motor Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

06/01/12

Lucas Oil 200

Dover International Speedway

SPEED / 4:50 PM

06/08/12

WinStar World Casino 400

Texas Motor Speedway

SPEED / 9:00 PM

06/28/12

UNOH 225

Kentucky Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

07/14/12

Iowa 200

Iowa Speedway

SPEED / 8:30 PM

07/21/12

Chicagoland 225

Chicagoland Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

08/04/12

Pennsylvania Mountains 125

Pocono Raceway

SPEED / 1:00 PM

08/18/12

Michigan 200

Michigan International Speedway

SPEED / 12:30 PM

08/22/12

Bristol 200

Bristol Motor Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

2012 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SCHEDULE

2012 NATIONWIDE SCHEDULE

DATE 02/25/12 03/03/12 03/10/12 03/17/12 03/24/12 04/13/12 04/27/12 05/05/12 05/11/12 05/20/12 05/26/12 06/02/12 06/16/12 06/23/12 06/29/12 07/06/12

START

DATE

RACE

VENUE

TV/START

02/24/12

NextEra Energy Resources 250

Daytona International Speedway

SPEED / 7:30 PM

03/31/12

Kroger 250

Martinsville Speedway

SPEED / 1:30 PM

04/15/12

Good Sam Roadside Assist. Carolina 200 Rockingham Speedway

SPEED / 1:00 PM

04/21/12

SPF 250

Kansas Speedway

SPEED / 2:00 PM

05/18/12

NC Education Lottery 200

Charlotte Motor Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

06/01/12

Lucas Oil 200

Dover International Speedway

SPEED / 4:50 PM

06/08/12

WinStar World Casino 400

Texas Motor Speedway

SPEED / 9:00 PM

06/28/12

UNOH 225

Kentucky Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

07/14/12

Iowa 200

Iowa Speedway

SPEED / 8:30 PM

07/21/12

Chicagoland 225

Chicagoland Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

08/04/12

Pennsylvania Mountains 125

Pocono Raceway

SPEED / 1:00 PM

08/18/12

Michigan 200

Michigan International Speedway

SPEED / 12:30 PM

08/22/12

Bristol 200

Bristol Motor Speedway

SPEED / 8:00 PM

2012 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SCHEDULE

2012 NATIONWIDE SCHEDULE

DATE 02/25/12 03/03/12 03/10/12 03/17/12 03/24/12 04/13/12 04/27/12 05/05/12 05/11/12 05/20/12 05/26/12 06/02/12 06/16/12 06/23/12 06/29/12 07/06/12

16 | IWANNA® February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

BAYNE OUT TO SHOW 2011 DAYTONA WIN WAS NO FLUKE

hat can Trevor Bayne do for an encore in 2012? Maybe win the Daytona 500 for the second straight year, and in his second attempt, no less? Might be a stretch, but when you look at what Bayne accomplished in 2011, anything is possible.

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WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

American Race” in his first attempt since Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500 in 1959. Bayne was also the youngest driver, at 20, to win the Daytona 500. One year later, he’s back to defend his title. And it’s hard for him to get used to people referring to him as the defending champion. “Yeah, that sounds crazy to me because I never would have expected coming into this last year that we would be the winner,” Bayne said. “It’s really humbling. I’m kind of the same mindset that I was last year. Last year I came in thinking there’s no way we can win this, and now I’m coming back saying there’s no way we can win two in a row, but then the Wood Brothers

keep showing up with great race cars and they keep showing up with the guys that can do it and that can win, and I think that’s what’s so important. “These guys put a lot of work into their speedway cars. The Wood Brothers have given me such great cars all year long. Last year at the speedways I think we qualified in the top 10 every week, which shows the raw speed; then they raced well.” Bayne will be the driver of the No. 21 Ford Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford in the Daytona 500. He appreciates the In only his second career start opportunity for a repeat win. in the Sprint Series in 2011, Bayne “So coming back here now, it’s a stunned the racing world with a crazy feeling because I would never narrow victory over Carl Edwards to expect to have one of these trophies win the 2011 Daytona 500. Bayne sitting in my room, much less to be was the first driver to win the “Great going for two of them, and I have that opportunity again with the Wood Brothers,” Bayne said. What shocked Bayne even more after his victory was a phone call from Edwards a few weeks later. Edwards was beating himself up over the loss, and wondered what he could have done differently to beat Bayne. “I was actually eating dinner and he called me. I was like, man, ‘Carl Edwards is calling me.’ This is cool, because at that point I had talked to him a Trevor Bayne lifts the Harley J. Earl trophy with the No. 21 crew in victory lane after couple times. I go outside and winning the 53rd Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.

answer the phone and he’s like, man, congratulations. What do you think I could have done different? I’ve been thinking about it this whole time. Should I have went high, should I have went low? I keep beating myself up. Do you think I made the right move? I’m like, I don’t know, man. I’ve got no idea. I didn’t see it from your perspective. But that was really cool when he did that.” Bayne was impressed Edwards took the time to call him after such a tough defeat. “And it did catch me off guard at that time because I didn’t know that much about Carl and for him to call me and just be wondering that much, but that just goes to show what kind of person he is,” Bayne said. “He wants to figure out every little thing that he can do better, and that’s what we should all probably do.” Bayne’s last year as Daytona 500 champion has been a wild ride. After the victory, Bayne competed in 16 more Sprint races, but his best finish was a 15th at Talladega. But working for the Wood Brothers team gives Bayne confidence that he can win in any given week. “That’s what’s so cool about them,” Bayne said. “They’re not here for anything different than that, and I said that out at the fan forum. I watched that special (on the Wood family). I just saw the depth of that family and how long their history has been. “It’s an honor to drive for the oldest team in NASCAR that’s still standing,

and it’s no wonder that they’re still winning races and I think we can do it again this year, we’re just going to have to work really hard at it.” Bayne recently was back in his hometown of Knoxville, TN, and had a moment in his old house that sparked some memories. “My (Daytona) trophy is in Knoxville, sitting on the dresser that I had growing up. I was home for the last two weeks in Knoxville, and I was looking around, and I found a big trunk in that dresser and it had all my old schoolwork in it,” Bayne said. “I found this thing that I wrote in kindergarten, and it’s kind of embarrassing. But I was looking through it and it was from Thanksgiving, and it’s like, I’m thankful for my family and churches and my sponsors and my go-karts and Jeff Gordon. I’m like, what is this? So I was already thanking my sponsors and Jeff Gordon in kindergarten so, that I thought was kind of funny.” After some uncertainty about his race schedule, Bayne is confident 2012 can be a strong season in the Sprint Series. “(When) finally it all came back together that we could be together again, and there’s no better team for me to be driving for I don’t think,” Bayne said. “I think the Wood Brothers are great racers that have done it for a long time, and they just want to race.”

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 17

DAVE MARCIS, LOCAL LEGEND Dave Marcis began his career racing on the short tracks in Wisconsin. A farm boy with a strong work ethic and big dreams, he headed south. In 1968 he competed in his first Daytona 500. This was the first of 32 record setting consecutive 500 starts. He still holds the record at 33 total. Through his storied career, Dave overcame a lot adversity. He watched many, with large bank rolls, come and go. He won events at Martinsville, Talladega, Atlanta, Daytona, and Richmond. He was the lead test driver for the storied IROC series every year, save one. Dave is a two-time member of the Darlington record club, and was inducted into the Oceanside Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. He raced through five decades. In good times and bad he was there doing what he loved. The last of the old time independents hung up his famous wing tip racing shoes after the 2002 Daytona 500, or that is what he thought.

What does a NASCAR legend do after 35 years of competition? Would they take it easy and go fishing? Not Dave Marcis. After years competing at stock car’s top level, Dave focused on several areas: a restaurant in Wisconsin, designing and building street rods. He also remained IROC’s lead test driver until its demise and competed in several charity events around the country. Racing started to be a dream fading away. That is, until the opportunity to compete in land speed racing came about. It did not take much encouragement to get Dave ready to race again. At 70 years old, most may look for a quiet place to enjoy the retirement years. Nothing gets a racer going like a roaring engine and high speed in a finely tuned car. A long time friend and colleague Dewey Livengood was given developmental motor by GM and RCR on his retirement from RCR. It took one phone call from Dewey, and Dave was off

to the races. He had one car left in the stable, his last one. It is an aerodynamic marvel from the final restrictor plate race, the Daytona 500. Perfect for the land speed racing circuit. Land speed races are held at several venues around the country. The one closest to Dave was in Maxton, NC. About 20 miles from Rockingham, this sleepy corner of Carolina roared to life several times a year at the old airport. Originally built in the ’40s for glider development during WWII, its two mile straight is perfect for speed. The event was sanctioned by the East Coast Timing Association. A standing mile that the total speed has to be achieved within that mile. The first event Dave attended was in September 2011. It was a new experience with new faces, names, and yes, rules to learn. One surprise was despite his extensive resume, Dave was the new kid and considered a rookie. With good humor and humility he fulfilled all

Dave Marcis with Dale Earnhardt

of his rookie obligations. The class he competed in was GCT. That is Gas circle track. His first weekend a speed of 205.3 was achieved, just shy of a 12 year record of 205.5. Now the fire was lit! The next and final event at Maxton was to be held at the end of October. The record was the first goal and the limit of the equipment was the second. Because this was to be the last event at the track, there were a lot of entries. Dave was only able to make two pass on Saturday and two on Sunday. His first run was 209 mph, the second 212. This shattered the previous

record, but there was more left in the car. Sunday brought new excitement and changes. The first pass was 214 mph and the final was 216 with no signs of slowing down. Sadly the Maxton event is no more, but the ECTA has secured a new strip in Ohio so the racing will continue in the future. Dave will continue his life and speed on into the future. With no signs of slowing down, the only place you can catch him these days is on the world wide web. Check him out at streetrodsbydavemarcis. com.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

18 | IWANNA® February 2012

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RICK’S PICKS WRITTEN BY RICK JENKINS

ell, here we are on the dawn of yet another Daytona 500. In years past, the Daytona 500 was about the only race I looked forward to. NASCAR, I think, in recent years has given us fans nothing to cheer about. It seemed as if it was the announcers trying to drum something up to get the NASCAR fans excited, NOT the drivers. I will have to say, though, that the last 10 races of the 2011 season would have kept a dead man glued to the TV. Tony Stewart showed that when it comes to crunch time he can get the job done. Will he do it again this year? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.

THE CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

In my opinion, the best form of racing today. This is a series for the younger drivers to prove their “salt” and get the Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams to give ’em a look as future prospects, and let the older dogs get in a few more good years before being put out to pasture. Let’s hit some of the high spots of the series: Mike Skinner, a former Truck Series Champ, will run a one race deal at Daytona in a Chevrolet. Skinner, a former driver for Toyota, needs sponsorship to finish out the year. Rick Crawford, a former Daytona winner in a Ford truck, is going to try to win the big one, one more time in a one race deal in a Chevy Silverado. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he has always been an asset to the sport. I wish him well.

Former Truck Series Champ Todd Bodine, “Ole Onion Head” will run a one race deal for Red Horse Racing at Daytona. He will be strapped to a Tundra and trying to get a win for the team. Bodine has had a lot of sucess in the past, but without sponsorship his season will end as quickly as it starts. Todd says he is confident that a sponsor will sign on and he can run a full season for the Red Horse Team. All I got to say is “don’t hold your breath.” In case you haven’t noticed, the economy sucks and race teams are particularly feeling the brunt of the blow. Red Horse Racing has put their effort in securing sponsorship for their other two Truck Teams and you, my “Cue Headed Fool,” have got the short end of the stick. Enjoy this season....it will be short lived. Ward Burton will be returning to Daytona. That’s right, the South Boston Native who can brag about winning a Daytona 500 will sit in a Silverado and run the Daytona truck race for his 19 year old son who at this time in his racing career is not qualified to run the Super Speedways. The younger Burton will start his NASCAR Career in a Chevy at Martinsville. Finally...Kyle Busch has named Jason Leffler as his driver for the #18 Toyota Tundra for the 2012 season. As you all recall Kyle, in a fit of rage, risked his life, as well as the life of Ron Hornaday, by using his Tundra as a battering ram on a caution lap to get his point across that he was not happy with Ron. This took Ron Hornaday and the Harvick Racing Chevrolet out of championship contention. Jason Leffler...really?

THE NATIONWIDE SERIES

First I would like to congratulate the Wallace brothers Rusty, Mike, and Kenny. This year they will go in the record book for 1,000 combined Nationwide Series starts. No other NASCAR family has ever achieved such a goal. All three men have been an asset to the sport and are passing on the legacy to their children. Love ’em or hate ’em, you’ve got to respect ’em. Congratulations needs to go out to Morgan Shepherd. The 70 year old driver from Hickory, NC is being featured on a jumbotron in New York City’s Time Square. This country boy is now the key spokesperson for the Masters Athlete Program. The parenting company, Hyland’s, commented that Morgan has inspired millions to chase their dream. I’m sure you will see his Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge come Daytona. Richard Petty Motorsports will field a Nationwide team for the 2012 season. I know, it’s hard for me to believe too! I’ve been waiting for RPM to fold up and go to the house for many seasons now. Somehow they find new life, get a breath of fresh air, and live one more season. The #43 Ford will be piloted by Michael Annett. He comes from Rusty Wallace Inc. and has 13 Nationwide top 10’s in 105 starts. They have Pilot Flying J as their full season sponsor. Long Live the King! Trevor Bayne, last year’s Daytona 500 winner and the all around boy next door has the big smile, the big ring, but he don’t have a sponsor. The Jack Roush driver has confirmed that he does not

have the funding for a full season in the Nationwide Series. Tony Stewart, 2011’s Sprint Cup Champion will put on the racing gear and run yet another race at Daytona in a Nationwide car. Tony is seeking his seventh win at the superspeedway. May the wind be at your back! Finally, American Ethanol will sponsor several cars in the 2012 season including Kenny Wallace for the Daytona 500. American Ethanol is trying to raise the awareness of alternative fuel for the American people. Really? Do you think Texaco, Sunoco, BP, or Citgo give a “Hoot in Hell” about alternative fuel for the American people? The only thing American Ethanol has done is raised corn prices so the American citizen could pay more at the grocery store as well as the gas pump!

THE SPRINT CUP SERIES

Now, let’s talk about where the big boys play! I just got two words for ya....”Go Daddy”! That’s right, Danica Patrick will run a full season for NASCAR and kiss her lucrative at best Indy Car career goodbye. She will take the plunge and try to run with the big dogs of motorsports for one full season. Can she do it? I’m sure she can. Will she be successful? I’m sure she won’t. If you thought Kurt Busch was an angry young man last year, just wait. I’m afraid it will get worse. The tounge lashing Dr. Jerry Punch took at Homestead at the end of the season from Kurt will be a Sunday morning sermon compared to his

Rick Jenkins (far right) with his hunting buddies Justin and Desi and their Plott Hounds.

wrath someone will feel this year. As we all know Kurt has been relieved from his duties at the well funded, fully orchestrated, Team Penske and found a home at the less funded, hit and miss, Spartanburg one car team of Phoenix Racing. Their sponsorship is not much, therefore I will go out on a limb and say the winning ability is less than adequate, and therefore I can say that Kurt Busch’s fuse will be shorter than ever. To supplement Kurt’s income, he will be running a full season for his brother Kyle in the Nationwide Series. When Kurt “popped his mouth off” to Dr. Jerry Punch at Homestead in the final race of the 2011 season, he also said goodbye to the millions of dollars he made every year with team Penske. He may be poor but he’s proud! Tony Stewart, NASCAR’s newest Sprint Cup Champion. Three times he has lifted the trophy high. Can he do it again? I don’t see it in the cards. He did drive his butt off and won five of the last 10 races to claim the title, but I don’t think he can drive with that intensity for two years in a row. He’s just a man, flesh and blood. Carl Edwards...is he the man? Could be. He has been so close to claiming the title I don’t think he will stop ’til he gets to the top. The Sprint Cup driver, actor, Subway Spokesperson knows what it means to be flat broke, and raking it in for the old “Car in the Hat” Jack Roush. I believe he prefers the latter. Look for good things from the #99. Kasey Kahne...what can you say about him? He now has a silver spoon in his mouth. He won for Ray Evernham, he won for Richard Petty, he was very competitive in a Toyota even though Red Bull had pulled its sponsorship, and now he’s in a Hendrick rocket guided by a winning veteran crew chief Kenny Francis. I’m telling you, it don’t get no better than this! He truly is in the best position of ANY driver in NASCAR. He’s got the looks, he’s got the money, and he’s got the car! This is going to be a breakout season for the young veteran in the #5 Chevrolet Impala, and with a little luck he’ll be the one raising the trophy over his head and drinking the champagne when it’s all said and done at Homestead at the end of the season. Call your bookie and place your bets, Kasey Kahne is the man for 2012. I know you all are saying, “But what about Jr.?” OK here goes...Keep placing your votes for him as the most popular driver. This is the only award he’ll win in 2012. Winning, evidently is not his forté. And that’s all I got to say about that!

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 19

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

20 | IWANNA® February 2012

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NASCAR ON THE HIGHWAY

WRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

echnology has become extremely advanced in today’s automobiles. What you may not know is the new car you are driving was influenced by the very vehicle you wish you were driving. A NASCAR stock car. Today’s production cars have borrowed several innovations from both NASCAR and Indy-style racing. Here are five examples of the most useful technologies that have made it to the production line.

KEYLESS IGNITION

Several luxury passenger cars are now offering a push-button feature to start the engine, eliminating the

need to stick a key in the ignition. This is going to become more of a standard feature in non-luxury cars in upcoming years. To prevent a car from being stolen though, you’ll still need a key fob or a key to actually get into the car. But if you’re in your own garage, you won’t have to fumble for the keys every morning when you’re rushing off to work.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS During a Formula 1 race, the driver shifts gears with the flick of a lever located right behind the steering wheel. A mix between automatic and manual transmission, these direct shift gearboxes allow sequential shifting without depressing a clutch pedal or moving a shift lever through the traditional “H” pattern. With a flick away from the driver, the transmis-

A glimpse into a stock car’s interior

sion moves up gear by gear, with downshifting controlled by flicks toward the driver. So for those who want the convenience of an automatic transmission but want the excitement of a manual shift, this option is a great compromise.

DOOR CUSHIONING

In a stock car, seat belts and head/ neck restraints protect the drivers against front and rear collisions, but there’s more danger in a side collision as there is barely a crumple zone. NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow was tested in recent years in an effort to reduce deaths and serious injuries and developed the idea of cushioning foam being inserted into the doors to absorb as much impact as possible. A polystyrene foam material called Impaxx from Dow Automotive was chosen. Its millions of tiny air bubbles each absorb some of the impact, lessening the energy transferred to the driver. Impaxx is now used in more than 2 million passenger automobiles

on the road today.

LIGHTWEIGHT BODY MATERIALS

Materials used on race cars from different circuits have been applied to modern day car design. On today’s cars, some sheet metal body panels have been replaced with plastics or carbon fiber. This reduces the weight of the car and increases aerodynamics which leads to better fuel efficiency. The technology behind these materials makes them as strong as steel but not as heavy.

SOFT WALLS

Finally, the technology with the greatest potential to keep drivers safe is not even a part of the car. When Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, there was a dire need to develop a more energy absorbing wall that surrounds the racetrack. Earnhardt crashed head-on into a concrete wall at 180 mph. Developed at the Univer-

sity of Nebraska, with funding and support by the Indy Racing League, the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier was developed to dissipate the energy of a crash away from the car and driver. It is a system of structural steel tubes backed by Owens Corning Formula 150 foam with similar properties as Impaxx foam. The system is placed in front of the existing concrete walls. Since the first SAFER wall was installed in 2002, there has not been a serious injury to a driver, despite many soft wall crashes. Several state highway departments are now evaluating the technology for use along dangerous stretches of freeways. So if you think that NASCAR is nothing more than a bunch of guys racing at 200 mph in a circle, think again. Think about the safety of your vehicle and the ones you care about and remember that NASCAR has contributed much more to your daily commute than you realize!

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

22 | IWANNA® February 2012

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JOHNSON HAS PLENTY OF MOTIVATION FOR 2012

WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

he question was an obvious one that Jimmie Johnson would hear in 2012. Now 36, his run of five straight Sprint Cup titles snapped, does Johnson still have the same fire to win as he did during the five-year streak? And all this because in 2011 his run of five consecutive Sprint Cup titles ended when Johnson lost the title to Tony Stewart and finished in sixth place, his worst finish since he placed fifth in 2005. The answer is obvious. Of course

he still has the fire to win, and he’ll be out to regain his title when the season starts February 26 with the Daytona 500, a race Johnson won in 2006. That year, Johnson went on to win his first Sprint Cup title. Johnson will be driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “The thing that motivates me is the fire hasn’t gone out in me to compete, and as long as that fire is burning, who I am as a person, I’m going to give 100 percent,” Johnson said. “I know when I do a good job, what my responsibilities are. That’s the thing that keeps motivating me and that’s what I’m reflecting on from last year is at times we did a good job, and when we put up 100 percent we got the results that we wanted. “But some other times things just

didn’t work out as they should and weren’t handled correctly from my side and the way I went about things. So that’s my motivation for this coming season — to not make those mistakes and to do the best job that I can and be the best member of this 48 team that I can be.” Johnson’s so-called off-season in 2011 would be a great season for most anyone else. He finished sixth overall, had two wins, and 14 Top-5 finishes with $6.3 million in earnings. His career numbers are even more astounding: 55 victories and more than $108 million in earnings. And 10 straight years in the Top 6, with the five straight titles from 2006-10. Johnson and his team want to get off to a fast start in 2012, and Daytona is the perfect place, he said. “Yeah, the start of the season with

the 500 as our first event, we walk into a pressure cooker right away,” Johnson said. “Leaving there with the limited testing that we have, you go to the first couple fast racetracks, downforce tracks, wondering if everything you worked on in the shop is going to pay off or not. So there is a lot of pressure for the first, I don’t know, four or five races just to find out where you’re at. “And then from there you can address some problems and try to correct any issues that you have or sit there on top of the pile and be real happy with the work that took place over the off-season. Coming out of the gate, there is a lot of pressure for the first few weeks.” Johnson looks back at 2011 with some good memories, but also at

JIMMIE JOHNSON some lost opportunities. “It’s been a very good off-season for me to internalize some things and to really evaluate what goes on from my standpoint and my involvement with the team and how good of a teammate and team member I can be for the 48 car, and I’m making changes,” Johnson said. “I feel like even though I tried to over the five-year run not stall out and tried to continue to evolve and challenge myself and recreate myself, it’s hard to do it. You have a roadmap that’s working and it’s hard to get too far from it. “This winter has been really good for me to really dive down and understand the areas where I feel like I can do a better job and be a better member of the 48 team. So I know I’m stronger and better today than I was leaving Homestead, so I’m looking forward to 2012. Last year was the sixth year and we didn’t get the results we wanted. But I really felt like we were competitive in a lot of areas.” Johnson will also be welcoming a new teammate at Hendrick Motorsports in Kasey Kahne. Johnson is impressed with Kahne so far. “I’ve been real fortunate that Kasey and I have been friends really since we met, since he came into the series and was a part of the Cup Series,” Johnson said. “He and I have always had a great relationship and friendship. It’s really been the same since he’s come on board and even through when the announcement was made until now, we’re great friends.” As for himself, Johnson is focused on one race right now: Daytona. “I’m not sure of the mix but I know what I want the results to be. I want the 48 car in victory lane,” Johnson said. “There’s a fine balance as a competitor with the tandem racing does give the driver some control to race. But at the same point, the fans aren’t into that style of racing. That’s what we need to pay attention to. “I think we’re all learning. These three days are going to be very useful for teams, for NASCAR to find the right package and right balance. So I’m just not getting attached to anything yet and just waiting to get through these three days and see where we are then.”

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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24 | IWANNA速 February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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NASCAR

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

2012 PREVIEW >>> IN THIS SECTION:

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2013 FORD FUSION NASCAR SPRINT CUP UNVEILED

WRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

he 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car was unveiled as part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour in January. This new redesign takes exact styling cues from the new production model due out in 2013. The 2013 Fusion Sprint Cup car has been completely redesigned from front fascia to the rear bumper and sports a sleek new silhouette â&#x20AC;&#x201D; promising to be the face of a new stock car racing era. The new NASCAR Fusion entries will be tested throughout the 2012 campaign in preparation for their racing debut at the 2013 Daytona 500 in February.

The development was much different than with some of the previous models when race teams built and designed the car themselves. The design team for this project faced many challenges which involved NASCAR rules and areas that all of the manufacturer vehicles will share, but overcoming obvious ones presented challenges as well. For example, the production model is front wheel drive and the race car is rear wheel drive and has a much lower stance. The challenge was to design the racer with the look and feel of the production model. That led to 40 percent size clay models that helped assess the overall look of the car and how it would react aerodynamically in the wind tunnel. Finally, a full size clay model was constructed and reviewed in the

IWANNAÂŽ February 2012 | 25

Side view of the 2013 Ford Fusion Sprint Cup car

design center, similar to the way that production models are assessed. Though the Fusion has to prove itself in performance and other rigorous NASCAR testing, it is predicted that not only will fans like it but brand

identity will make its way back into the sport as many fans have complained that all the cars look the same. In 2013, when NASCARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season begins, all of that will change when the Fusion races around the track.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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WWE® STAR JOHN CENA: HONORARY STARTER AT 54TH ANNUAL DAYTONA 500 PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

WWE® superstar John Cena sits down with Carl Edwards during an episode of Monday Night Raw.

WE ® S upe rs tar John Cena is all set to wave the green flag as Honorary Starter of the 54th annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, February 26 at historic Daytona International Speedway (FOX, 1 p.m.).

Cena was invited to participate in this year’s biggest race by Carl Edwards, 2011’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series runner-up, during an episode of WWE’s Monday Night Raw®. If you didn’t happen to see the episode, Edwards got out of his No. 99 Fastenal Ford and told Cena, “NASCAR asked me to come to Monday Night Raw and personally invite you to drop the green flag and officially start the Daytona 500 on February 26.” And how did John Cena respond? How would anyone respond to that kind of honor?! With an enthusiastic “Yes!” According to Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III, “John Cena is the greatest Superstar in WWE today. We look forward to seeing him on the flag stand waving the green flag to start ‘The Great American Race’ and kick off the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.” Cena, a World Champion 10 times over, started his WWE debut 10 years ago in 2002. You can see him in all his buffness on the series, Monday Night Raw on USA Network. You won’t want to miss him headlining WrestleMania against The Rock® on Sunday, April 1, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. Oh yeah, and he’s a serious NASCAR fan. Past Honorary Starters for the Daytona 500 include NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, actor Ashton Kutcher, comedian Whoopi Goldberg, and singer Mariah Carey. Tickets for Speedweek’s 2012 events, including the 54th annual Daytona 500, are available on-line at daytonainternationalspeedway. com or by calling 1.800.PITSHOP. If you are unable to attend in person, be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 on FOX on Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m. Stay connected throughout all the Daytona craze by logging onto Twitter (twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (facebook.com/ DaytonaInternationalSpeedway). Feel free to follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #DAYTONA500.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

KAHNE EXCITED ABOUT NEW OPPORTUNITY IN 2012 WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

alk about some pressure. Kasey Kahne, a consistent performer for the last eight years in the NASCAR Sprint Series, will not only be driving in the Daytona 500 on February 26 in the season-opener, he’ll also be driving for a new team, one of the best in NASCAR. Kahne, 31, will be driving the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, one of the dominant racing teams in the business. Kahne has won 12 career races in the Sprint Series, but has not finished in the Top 10 in the overall standings since he placed 8th back in 2006. That year, Kahne won 6 races with 12 Top 5 finishes. But that year, he won more races (six) than he has in the last five years combined (5). Still, his numbers are solid. Kahne finished in the Top 20 overall each of the last five seasons. He’s about $1.5 million short of $50 million in career earnings in the Sprint Series. Kahne welcomes the opportunity for a fresh start with Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 after driving for Richard Petty Motorsports for most

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Kasey Kahne during the 2011 season

of 2010, then switching to Red Bull Racing in 2011. “It’s really just exciting to get started, to start working with the five guys and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports,” Kahne said at a recent press conference at Daytona. “It’s really an incredible place. I was able to spend some time there over the off-season and just try to be as prepared as possible when we get here for testing and then when we get started during Speed Weeks. “It’s neat, though. It’s awesome to be able to talk with (everyone) about racing and driving and things like

that, and then just all the people that they have there. I don’t know, it’s just been kind of a different feeling more than anything than what I’ve had before at other race teams. It’s a great opportunity, and I want to take full advantage of it.” Making his first start for Hendrick Motorsports in the Daytona 500 adds to the pressure, and the excitement. “Today we had a really good day just trying to get our car figured out. They do things differently, and we’re trying to kind of feel it out and see how things felt...So I thought we had a good day. It was a nice first day

at Daytona,” Kahne said. Another newcomer to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 will be crew chief Kenny Francis. Francis will team up with Kahne. Francis has partnered with Kahne during the last six Sprint Cup seasons, and together, the duo has earned 11 wins and 16 pole positions and qualified twice for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kahne and Francis will bring some new ideas into Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, although they know they’re working for an outfit that does things right already. “Yeah, I think the way they look at things and the way they’ve been doing things for a long time is a great way, and it’s really worked for them,” Kahne said. “I think Kenny looks at some of the things that way, and then others a different way. There’s so many ways to go about this car and about getting around each corner and around the racetrack. “So it’s something we’re always learning, they’re always learning and just putting in time to figure it out. But I think they’ve worked really well together so far. It’s been pretty awesome on my side to see how Kenny has fit right into that group, how they’ve wanted Kenny, how he’s wanted to be part of it.” Francis first worked with Kahne in 2006, during his breakout season, when he won six races. It was also Francis’ best season. Being the new driver has been exciting for Kahne, and having Francis to work with will make things easier. “I had a question earlier today, ‘Was this something you demanded — that Kenny Francis be your crew chief?’ and it really wasn’t,” Kahne said. “It was something where I went in, and when I was talking to Mr. Hendrick when we were getting the deal done, I told him,

man, Kenny is really good, he should be part of this place, and it would be great if he was my crew chief. And they’re like, yeah, we’re going to look at it, we’re going to figure it out. And from there it was all them wanting Kenny Francis. “So it’s been good. It’s been a really good fit for everyone, and I think together we should all be able to grow more than where we’ve been in the past for sure.” Kahne’s 2011 also ended with some controversy. The driver made some critical comments on his Twitter account about seeing a woman breast feeding her child in public. The comment created a firestorm, leading Kahne to issue an apology. Kahne learned a lesson that quick comments on the Internet can lead to trouble, even if he felt he was just kidding around. Now, he wants talk about him to focus on racing. “I took a little time off Twitter, and I just got going again now,” Kahne said. “I’m glad we’re racing again. I just talk about racing like I’ve always done on Twitter. That’s kind of where that stands.” After working with several outfits in his career, Kahne is excited to land his four-year contract with such a top outfit. “Well, I think the biggest thing is the stability and knowing that I have four years here — I just need to make the best out of it,” Kahne said. “I need to put all the effort that I have into it. It could be my best four years ever. So I just want to do all that. “And to be at a team where it’s so stable, there’s so many people working at the same goal, and to have an owner, a boss like Mr. Hendrick is something that is just a great opportunity to be there and be part of that organization.”

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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DRIVER MATCH-UP

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 29

BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

How well do you know the drivers of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series?

Test your knowledge by matching the drivers with their sponsor. Draw a line to the correct information.

DRIVERS

SPONSORS

More Driver Match-Ups on page 46!!

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Brad Keselowski

Jamie McMurray

ANSWER KEY

Greg Biffle: 3M Novec Dale Earnhardt, Jr. : National Gaurd Brad Keselowski: Miller Lite Jamie McMurray: Bass Pro Shops Joey Logano: Home Depot

Greg Biffle

Joey Logano

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

30 | IWANNA® February 2012

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KYLE BUSCH MAKES ENEMY OF RON HORNADAY...AND NASCAR

WRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

t the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, November 4, Kyle Busch was successful in creating yet another enemy by retaliating against Ron Hornaday — wrecking him into the wall.

During the Camping World Truck Series Race, Kyle Busch turned on Hornaday and knocked the Kevin Harvick Inc. driver into the wall. The incident started in Lap 14 when Busch and Hornaday were racing pretty intensly side by side. That’s when Busch knocked Hornaday into the wall at Turn 4 and as a result, knocked him straight out of the series championship battle. “This is just stupid,” Hornaday fumed after the wreck. “He knew what I was going for. He knew I was there. He had to lift, too. If I’d have lifted, I would have hit the back of that slower truck and it would have caused a big wreck. “He just drove me in the fence and ruined a pretty good racecar.” As punishment, NASCAR parked Kyle Busch for the rest of the race — at the request of many drivers actually. Busch was then suspended

by NASCAR for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races for the rest of the weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch issued a letter of apology Saturday night to fans, his team, his sponsors, even Hornaday. Here’s what he wrote: “I’ve had a lot of time today to sit and reflect and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can. “I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday night’s Truck Series race at Texas. “I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports. “After talking with my team, it’s great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Traxxas Toyota, and Ron Hornaday Jr., driver of the #33 OneMain Financial for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry Chevrolet, hit the wall after an incident in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas. for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs “As a race-car driver, the hardest can to represent everyone involved in have expressed our concerns directly Racing’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup thing to do is to sit on the sidelines a positive manner. However, I know to Joe Gibbs Racing.” Series teams. Ky l e B u s c h b e t te r n i p h i s listening to cars on the track when my long-term actions will have more “I’d also like to apologize to you know you should be out there of a bearing than anything I say right aggression in the bud if he still Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone wants that hefty paycheck from JGR competing. For this, I have no one to now.” associated with the No. 33 team in (This copy of Busch’s letter is courtesy and M&M’s. The thing is, even though blame but myself. the Truck Series. he’s stirring up bad press, it’s still “Through a lot of support from of Scenedaily.com.) “I understand why I was taken out press, after all. the people around me, I feel like I’ve of the car for the rest of the weekend. But as for the 2012 season, it Busch not only ticked off drivers made a lot of strides this year, but this NASCAR officials had to act, and I was certainly a step backward. Moving and teams, but his sponsors and Joe doesn’t appear that many other accept their punishment and take full forward, I will do everything I possibly Gibbs Racing as well. Obviously, it drivers are very sympathetic with responsibility for my actions. wasn’t just Busch taking the heat. Kyle Busch after Texas’ race. And Officials from M&M’s, Busch’s primary this doesn’t bode well for him in sponsor at JGR, released the following the upcoming year. According to NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick — statement after the suspension: “The recent actions by Kyle Busch who’s been rubbing elbows with are not consistent with the values of Kyle Busch for a while now — “He’s M&M’S and we’re very disappointed. going to grow up, or he’s going to Like you, we hold those who represent have some swollen eyes.” our brand to a higher standard and we

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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32 | IWANNA® February 2012

ost athletes look forward to some down time after a busy and successful season. Not Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Although he enjoyed a little rest, Earnhardt has been chomping at the bit the last two months preparing to start the 2012 season at the Daytona 500 on February 26. Earnhardt is coming off a solid 2011 season in the Sprint Series, although he didn’t win any races. He placed in the Top 5 five times and placed in the Top 10 12 times, with more than $4 million in earnings. He finished 7th in the Sprint Series overall standings. His 2011 campaign was an improvement over 2009 and 2010,

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

EARNHARDT READY TO ROLL IN 2012 SEASON

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WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

when he finished out of the Top 20 both years. “The off-season has been good. I’ve been able to relax a lot, and I’ve been looking forward to getting in the car,” Earnhardt said. “I really wasn’t ready to get out of the car, and I’ve been asking when we were going to test, when we’re going to go to the racetrack just to be doing something instead of sitting around at home. “We plan to test a little bit more than we did last year before the season starts, which I think will be good for our team. It’s been good, though. I’ve been just enjoying the time off and really getting charged up and ready for the year to start.” Earnhardt will be the driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew National Guard Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

Earnhardt’s team had some minor changes in personnel behind the scenes, but he expects a smooth season in 2012. “A couple positions can really affect a team. Everybody’s personalities have to mesh and everybody has to get along good,” Earnhardt said. “You get one guy in there that everybody doesn’t like, then you’ve got a big problem, kind of a bruise over the entire season and that can really bring a team down from the inside out. “But I feel pretty good about the changes we’ve made. I believe in what (crew chief) Steve [Letarte] chooses when it comes to personnel, to put the team around him that he thinks he needs. So I’m excited about some of those changes that we’ve made. But other than that, we have nothing really huge that’s been done. I think they did hire a fellow to come in and manage the fabrication department or something like that, which is a pretty big deal, but the effects of that won’t be felt for another month or so.” Earnhardt knows what it’s like to win the Daytona 500, capturing the title in 2004. No race sees the drivers prepare more than at Daytona. Not only is it one of the most prestigious races on the circuit, but also the season-opener. “Winning the 500 is the biggest race of the year. It’s the greatest feeling,” Earnhardt said. “When it comes to winning single events, you can’t beat it. A lot of effort goes into this race. Just like down here testing for three days, we don’t really do it anywhere else. Same amount of work that you’re seeing down here for three days, that’s what’s happening back at the shop with the engines for this race,

Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the whole Speed Weeks. “The effort is quadruple when it comes to how much goes into the engines just for that race and the bodies on the cars just for that race. A lot goes into it for whatever reason, more than any other event. So it’s a pretty big deal when you win.” On the new rules limiting communications between drivers during races, Earnhardt doesn’t expect it to be a big deal. “ Yo u k n o w, p r e t t y m u c h ever ybody is working with teammates anyways. I don’t think they’re going to limit that. I don’t think it’ll be any big deal,” Earnhardt said. “When we first started tandem drafting, you might end up working with somebody outside of your company, but then everybody sort of got a little strict on who they were going to work with and how they were going to do it, and they stuck with that plan the entire races.” An average season for Earnhardt in 2012 will see him likely surpassing $70 million in career earnings in the Sprint Series. Heading into Daytona, he has more than $67.5 million in career earnings.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

FANS IN DRIVER’S SEAT AT NASCAR SPEEDPARKS

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WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR SPEEDPARK

ASCAR fans in the Carolinas don’t have to attend a live racing event to experience some NASCAR excitement.

NASCAR SpeedParks in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Concord, NC, feature various types of racing activities to entertain visitors of all ages. There is also a SpeedPark in nearby Smoky Mountains, TN. The Myrtle Beach park includes eight tracks to keep you racing all day. The tracks include The Competitor, The Intimidator, Family 500, The Champions, The Qualifier, The Slidewayz, Thunder Road, and the Kiddie Speedway. All tracks are geared to specific ages and driver abilities. And for those not into racing, the park also has miniature golf, an arcade, a rock climbing wall, batting cages, Sky Wheels ride, and Slick Spin teacups. When you’re finished, you can visit the official NASCAR store for memorabilia from the park and NASCAR. The Myrtle Beach park also features its newest ride, the Skycoaster. Opened in 2011, this attraction is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Flyers are pulled to a height of 109 feet and then released to freefall toward the ground like a giant swing. Single riders, double riders, or tandems are allowed. The Myrtle Beach location opens for the season on Saturday, March 3. The park is open seven days a week through the end of October, and on weekends in November and December. The park has more than 26 acres of entertainment options. The park also expects to add new features during the season. Ticket prices vary by visitor interest. The parks also have special pricing for group outings. Visit nascarspeedpark.com for pricing options and more details. The South Carolina location is just minutes from Myrtle Beach’s beaches, conveniently located on Highway 17 bypass at 1820 21st Avenue North, across from Broadway at the Beach. The Concord, NC, location is at 8461-G1 Concord Mills Boulevard. Concord Mills is located approximately 10 miles north of downtown Charlotte off I-85, at exit 49, at Concord Mills Boulevard. NASCAR SpeedPark is located at the mall’s Entry 7. The Concord location is open year-round and also features great NASCAR-style rides, as well as a Laser Tag Arena. The top tracks include The Family 500, Slidewayz, The Champions, The Qualifier, and The Rookie.

The Tennessee park is located at 1545 Parkway in the Smoky Mountains of Sevierville, TN, just minutes from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The park is next to Tanger Five Oaks Outlet Center. This park also features great NASCAR rides as well as other options for all visitors. The park opens seven days a week starting March 2, and is open on weekends and selected days prior to March 2.

NASCAR SpeedParks are owned and operated by PARC Management. The company also has a fourth SpeedPark in St. Louis, MO, and also owns the Myrtle Waves Water Park in Myrtle Beach, SC. The tracks are the official family fun parks of NASCAR. For more information on any of the parks, visit nascarspeedpark.com.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

EDWARDS PUTS TOUGH DEFEATS BEHIND HIM

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WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Carl Edwards with Crew Chief, Bob Osborne

alk about a wild ride in 2011. For Carl Edwards, the 2011 Sprint Cup Series was both a great success and, in some ways, a failure. Edwards had two heart-breaking defeats on the track in 2011, losing the Daytona 500 by less than 2

seconds to Trevor Bayne, then losing the Sprint Series overall championship via tie-breaker to Tony Stewart back in November in the final week of the season. Stewart won the tie-breaker based on individual victories — five for Stewart and one for Edwards. In 2012, Edwards will be driving the No. 99 Fastenal Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing. His season opens February 26, when he takes another shot at the

Daytona 500. Edwards isn’t one to dwell on tough defeats. But he doesn’t forget them either, and looks back on 2011 for ways to improve. Starting the year with a victory at Daytona is the obvious goal. “Well, it would be huge,” Edwards said of winning the Daytona 500. “That would be an understatement. Last year we were so close following Trevor across the start-finish line. I learned a lot. I feel like our restrictor plate program is better. I feel that (teammate) Greg (Biffle) and I have grown together to be able to do well at these races. I mean, it’s the Daytona 500, and I’m very, very excited about it.” Edwards has been very busy to start 2012, with commitments in New York and Charlotte, NC, to prepare for the season. “You know, the past month or so we’ve been running all over, doing all sorts of different things, and it’s been fun. There’s been one common thing that I’ve found — that everywhere we go people are pumped about this season,” Edwards said. “We were in New York the other day, filming stuff at a bunch of different places, and people were genuinely excited about the season. It’s really, really neat to be a part of this right now.”

gambled more than we did and won. That’s racing. You know, I truly wish I would have won it, but I mean, I understand what happened and how it happened, and I’m just glad that I’ve got chances. I’m glad I get to race this year and next year and go fight for it again.” One thing Edwards won’t do is change his strategy. He’s confident in his team and his ability to win at Daytona, and in the overall Sprint Series. “I mean, in my mind, whether it’s right or wrong, I think that if we performed the way we did each year, I think we’d win about eight or nine out of 10 championships,” Edwards said. “So the mission for us is to perform that way, to not run around like idiots and say what did we do wrong, we need to change everything. We need to go out and perform that way.” One recent trend in the Sprint Series has been the runner-up the prior year struggles a bit the following year — Edwards included. In 2005, he finished third, then dropped to 12th in 2006. In 2008, he finished second, then dropped to 11th in 2009. “Yeah, I think I’m one of the ones that kind of started that deal,” Edwards said. “We’ve lived that. It’s really painful. I hope that that kind Edwards, 32, had an incredible of takes us out of that — keeps us season in 2011, with the only down from repeating that statistic. I hope side being he only posted one victory. that the experience we had before He had 19 Top 5 finishes and 26 times in 2009 will keep us from doing it he was in the Top 10 in 36 starts. He had again. purse earnings of nearly $8.5 million. “But this sport is tough. Your Edwards has been one of the most success last year does not guarantee consistent drivers in the Sprint Series you anything right now. That’s just since he started back in 2004. Not the way this sport is. We’ve made counting 2004 when he only made 13 the mistake of resting on our laurels starts, Edwards’ numbers are amazing. and saying we’re good, let’s focus In seven years, his lowest overall finish on a couple little things. But you was 12th. He’s placed in the Top 10 can’t do that, you’ve got to keep overall five times, and finished second looking at every little thing.” twice. His career earnings in the Sprint Edwards also realizes he has Series are more than $53 million. more duties than just racing. He Still, it’s hard not to think about his understands how important it is to near miss in 2012 in the last race at talk with fans and be accessible. Homestead-Miami on November 21, “Well, I think it makes all of us when he finished second. Edwards realize that we’ve got to just do the also finished second in the two races best we can all the time, not just on before Miami. the racetrack but we’ve got to be “When I go back in my mind and the best we can with our sponsors think of specifically those last few and our teams and the fans and races, I’m personally proud of the way do everything we can to make all of us performed,” Edwards said. “You the business of this sport work,” know, the pit crew at Homestead, they Edwards said. were on their game. They were the “I’m very fortunate to be in the best pit crew on pit road that day. If we position I’m in. I need to do the best would have had another caution I feel I can for not just my 99 team but our like we would have beat everybody Roush-Fenway team, for Ford, for off of pit road. the sport in general to try to have “I mean, any — we put ourselves these opportunities, for me and for in a position to win — and Tony the next guy that’s coming along.” and those guys just did a better job,

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

38 | IWANNA® February 2012

ANDERSON SPEEDWAY OFFERS EXCITING 2012 SEASON

nderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, SC will kick off its 49th season at the 3/8-mile asphalt oval on Friday, March 16. The opener will feature the return of the highly competitive Late Model Stock division for an all-out dash in the Chiller Thriller worth $1,500. Following the Thriller will be the first appearance of the CARS Pro Cup Series, formerly the Hooters Pro Cup Series, on Saturday, March

24, for 250 laps complete with green flag pit stops. Three weeks into the season, on Friday, March 30, will be the Southeast Super Truck Series Premiere featuring truck drivers from across the Carolinas and Tennessee. Anderson Motor Speedway will once again host weekly racing on Friday evenings in 2012 featuring competition in the Late Model Stock division on a rotating (twice per month) basis. In addition, weekly competition in the Mini Stocks, Renegades, Super Renegades, BM Modifieds,

and Front Wheel Drive classes will be held. The speedway will also have exciting racing throughout the spring and summer months. Action starts each racing night at 8 p.m. The goal of management at Anderson Motor Speedway is to promote a fun, family-friendly environment for those who love short track racing. The AMS Junior Fan Club (JFC) offers our youngest race fans (those 12 and under) the opportunity to take place in many fun, racing related activities. Area merchants, competitors, and sponsors have teamed up

to help AMS staffers make these events rewarding for JFC members. Throughout the 2012 season, AMS will offer special events for members, including free facepainting, activity of the week, monthly birthday celebrations, and many special events including bicycle races, candy avalanches, and visits by area mascots/ restaurant characters. The grandstand admission for AMS weekly events is $10 for adults; free for those 12 and under. AMS offers tiered trackside parking — 40 spots nestled in turn one where you can see the entire

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track and tailgate with friends. The cost of trackside parking for the 2012 season is $10 per car (or truck) and $10 per person (12 and under are admitted free). Anderson Motor Speedway is located at 313 Irby Road in Williamston, SC. For more information, visit andersonmotorspeedway.com. The track’s information hot line is 864.226.5481.

PRESS RELEASE COURTESY OF ANDERSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY

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Y OF WAY

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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NASCAR

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNAÂŽ February 2012 | 41

2012 PREVIEW >>> IN THIS SECTION:

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PREDICTING THE FUTURE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

QUESTIONS TO PONDER FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON

very year around this time, the NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications department asks NASCARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledgeable press corps

ARTICLE AND PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

to test its prognosticating chops, and predict the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-12 drivers for the upcoming season. And most every year, the top

choice was an easy one â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jimmie Johnson. Well, Tony Stewart changed all that. Now some heavy analysis needs to be employed. Statistics â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Driver Ratingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good start â&#x20AC;&#x201D; need to be ingested en masse. This year, thought reigns supreme. Chew on these questions, and the

task becomes even more difficultâ&#x20AC;Ś t 8JUI B OFX DSFX DIJFG 4UFWF Addington) and a similar confidence MFWFM IJHI DBO 5POZ 4UFXBSU SFQFBU Since 1980, here are the names of drivers who have won back-to-back titles: Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt,

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42 | IWANNAÂŽ February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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5IFSF T NPSF /"4$"3 /BUJPOwide Series and NASCAR Camping 8PSME 5SVDL 4FSJFT IBWF RVJUF B few compelling storylines to keep JO NJOE UIJT TFBTPO .BSJOBUF PO these for a bit: t $BO 3JDLZ 4UFOIPVTF +S CFcome the first repeat NASCAR /BUJPOXJEF DIBNQJPO TJODF .BSUJO 5SVFY +S JO t %BOJDB 1BUSJDL KPJOT /"4$"3 full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. With seemingly every passing race, she improves. Where will she land in the final series standings? t 1BUSJDL JT UIF UPQ OBNF BU +3 .Ptorsports, but young talent Cole Whitt UBLFT PWFS UIF /P $IFWSPMFU )F T B Sunoco Rookie of the Year favorite as well as a solid title contender. t 4BN )PSOJTI +S OBCCFE IJT GJSTU NASCAR win last season, and heads into 2012 with a full time NASCAR Nationwide ride and booming optimism. t &MMJPUU 4BEMFS GFMM KVTU TIPSU PG UIF championship last season. Can he exact revenge this time around, and overcome young gun Stenhouse? t "VTUJO %JMMPO DMJNCT UIF MBEEFS "GUFS becoming the youngest champion in /"4$"3 $BNQJOH 8PSME 5SVDL 4FSJFT history, the rookie now takes up a full Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shows the way during the late stages of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19. Series. t 4QFBLJOH PG %JMMPOTy5Z %JMMPO continued from page 41 KPJOT UIF /"4$"3 $BNQJOH 8PSME QJPO +FGG (PSEPO XIP JT HPJOH BGUFS IJT move to Shane Wilson equate to an son hotter than any driver not named have come closer to a title, literally. elusive title? Stewart or Edwards. Will his move to fifth series title â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will 2012 result in 5SVDL 4FSJFT BUUFNQUJOH UP NBLF brother Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record a short-lived Wins â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or lack thereof â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cost him. t %BMF &BSOIBSEU +S T SFTVSHFOU )FOESJDL .PUPSTQPSUT TJHOBM IJT GJSTU another championship for him? one. t "OE IPX BCPVU ,ZMF #VTDI BOE If only he could have turned those season landed him in the Chase for championship? t +PIOOZ 4BVUFS DBNF TJY QPJOUT #SBE ,FTFMPXTLJ $PVME FJUIFS PG UIPTF seven runner-up finishes into wins, the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first t $BO TFSJFT DIBNQJPO ,VSU short of nabbing the truck title last weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be talking about an Edwards time since 2008. Can Earnhardt, who Busch make the Chase with single-car talents wear the 2012 crown? t %PO U TFMM UIF 3PVTI 'FOXBZ EVP TFBTPO )F FOUFST BT B DIBNrepeat. Will the heartbreak have a has never made consecutive Chase outfit Phoenix Racing? pionship favorite. PG .BUU ,FOTFUI BOE (SFH #JGGMF TIPSU hangover effect? t 8JMM %BSJBO (SVCC T DIBNQJPOappearances, build upon last season t 7FUFSBOT .BUU $SBGUPO BOE 3PO t ,FWJO )BSWJDL GJOJTIFE UIJSE GPS and end a wins drought that has TIJQ QFEJHSFF MFBE UP B UJUMF GPS %FOOZ FJUIFS ,FOTFUI JT B GPSNFS TFSJFT DIBNpion who tallied three wins in 2011, )PSOBEBZ +S BSF BMXBZT JO UIF DIBNthe second-consecutive season, and reached 129 races? )BNMJO he has switched crew chiefs. Will the t 5IFO UIFSF T UIF FTUBCMJTIFE DIBN- while Biffle is hungry to get back into pionship hunt. Consistent Crafton t ,BTFZ ,BIOF FOEFE UIF TFBthe Chase after an uncharacteristic SFUVSOT UP 5IPS4QPSU 3BDJOH JO )PSOBEBZ TUBSUT IJT GJSTU TFBTPO XJUI 16th-place finish a year ago. t )PX XJMM .BSL .BSUJO $MJOU #PX- +PF %FOFUUF .PUPSTQPSUT t +BNFT i 5PQ w #VFTDIFS TIPVME ZFS BOE "+ "MMNFOEJOHFS QFSGPSN XJUI OPU CF GPSHPUUFO 5IF ZFBS PME new teams in 2012? t 'JOBMMZ LFFQ BO FZF PO +FGG #VS- ripped off 13 consecutive top-10 ton, who is determined to become a finishes last season en route to a Chase driver again after missing out series-leading 19 top 10s. last season.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

UP AND COMING NASCAR DRIVERS

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>>> THE FUTURE IS NOW ARTICLE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

f it seems top performers in NASCAR are getting younger and younger â&#x20AC;&#x201D; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re right.

21-year old Austin Dillon with his World Truck Series award (Photo courtesy of Nascar Media)

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DILLON, RICKY STENHOUSE JR. CHANGE ROOKIE STATUS IN A HURRY %JMMPO XBT B TFBTPO SFNPWFE GSPN XJOOJOH UIF 4VOPDP 3PPLJF PG UIF :FBS "XBSE BT XBT 3JDLZ 4UFOIPVTF +S BT DIBNQJPO PG UIF /"4$"3 /BUJPOXJEF 4FSJFT 5IF iEPVCMF QMBZw CZ %JMMPO BOE 4UFOIPVTF XBT B GJSTU #PUI XPO UXJDF JO UIFJS SFTQFDUJWF TFSJFT 6OEFS DVSSFOU BHF SVMFT B /"4$"3 /BUJPOXJEF 4FSJFT 4VOPDP 3PPLJF PG UIF :FBS XJMM IBWF B EJGGJDVMU time getting any younger than 5JNNZ )JMM XIP UVSOFE B OBUJPOBM TFSJFT FMJHJCMF ZFBST PG BHF PO UIF EBZ QSBDUJDF CFHBO GPS UIF

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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season’s second race at Phoenix International Raceway.

GRESHAM, KWASNIEWSKI, DARRELL WALLACE JR. APPEAR READY FOR PRIME TIME Georgian Max Gresham won twice en route to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title and will pursue Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2012. Wallace, the first AfricanAmerican to win a NASCAR Touring event a year ago was second to Gresham in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points with three victories. Like Gresham, Wallace is 18. Kwasniewski

became the first 15-year-old to win a NASCAR Touring Series race, added a second victory, and finished fifth in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings.

TONY STEWART TOOK UP SPACE — IN VICTORY LANE Frustrated by a lack of victories during the 2011 season’s first 26 races, Stewart proclaimed he was just taking up space in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. That might have been hyperbole, but Stewart suddenly was the driver to beat with victories at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By the time the checkered flag fell on Stewart’s winning No. 14

Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion had five victories in pocket, most during the Chase in its eight-year tenure. Stewart, by the way, has at least one victory in 13 consecutive seasons (1999-2011) — the series’ longest continuing streak.

IWANNA® February 2012 | 45

21st to a “wild card” entry into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™, and finished the season fifth in the championship.

MULTIPLE MILESTONES REACHED AMONG THREE NASCAR NATIONAL SERIES Kyle Busch erased Mark Martin’s

BRAD KESELOWSKI long-standing NASCAR Nationwide BECAME GENUINE STAR Series victory mark (49) at Bristol Motor Speedway in August, IN 2011 Keselowski, the 27-year-old N A S C A R N at i o nw i d e S e r i e s champion from 2010, proved he must be included among the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ brightest stars. He won three times — twice racing with leg injuries suffered in a testing accident — went from

ultimately raising his career win total to 51. Busch earlier became the third competitor to win 100 NASCAR national series races with his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Kentucky Speedway in July and reached 104 wins by season’s end.

Jeff Gordon won his 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September to rank third all-time behind Richard Petty and David Pearson. Mark Martin became the eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor to win 50 or more Coors Light Poles in July at Daytona International Speedway. Martin added No. 51 at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Ron Hornaday Jr. extended his all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory record to 51. His milestone 50th win came in October at Kentucky Speedway. 16 of those wins have come after the 53-year-old Californian’s 50th birthday.

Ron Hornaday Jr.’s milestone 50th win in October at Kentucky Speedway.

NASCAR DRIVER... WANT TO BE ONE??

f you have a need for speed, love stock cars, love the thrill of competition, having sponsors, winning races, and if you have motor oil coarsing through your veins, then a career as a stock car driver in the NASCAR circuit is definitely for you.

WRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA

But how do you become a rookie and race with the legends? It’s not as easy as just driving fast. There’s a lot more to this career track than you might think. Here’s how to get started. Being physically fit is a must. You need a high amount of energy and endurance to be able to race stock cars at super high speeds around a track. Stress, muscle cramps, and fatigue are all part of the profession, so you have to prepare yourself to avoid them. Exercise, diet, and the proper amount of rest can all contribute to

the required physical and mental wellness needed to become a successful NASCAR driver. If you think you’re a great driver because you street race, think again. You need to enroll in a racing school. Driving on a racetrack is different from street racing. You need to be able to know how to shift gears and where the best turning points are on the track. Look for the best local racing school you can find, and enroll yourself in a course. It’s much better to have professional training instead of learning by yourself. Professionals can teach you

things you never even considered. Practice makes perfect. Do that on proper racetracks. A good NASCAR driver knows each racetrack by heart. He’s memorized the shape, turns, and length. You can do the same by practicing on racetracks. By going through these tracks regularly, you will learn how to execute turns well, where to speed up, and when to slow down during the races. The next step is to get a NASCAR license and find a team. You cannot race without this license so you can apply for a NASCAR license in their of-

ficial headquarters or in any NASCAR licensed track. Once you have obtained it, you have to look for an auto racing team. Now is the time to dig into your wallet, because the average cost for a car, a team, your crew, and other expenses can set you back more than $100,000! After you’ve got all of this going for you, you can turn an afternoon daydream into a reality — complete with a fast car and a checkered flag.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

46 | IWANNA速 February 2012

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DRIVER MATCH-UP BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

How well do you know the drivers of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series?

DRIVERS

SPONSORS

Test your knowledge by matching the drivers with their crew chief and sponsor. Draw a line to the correct information.

PEMBERTON

DARIAN

GRUBB

Brian Vickers

Kevin Harvick

Tony Stewart

GIL

BOB

GREG

MARTIN

OSBORNE

AJ. Allmedinger: Greg Erwin, Best Buy Carl Edwards: Bob Osborne, Aflac Brian Vickers: Ryan Pemberton, Red Bull Kevin Harvick: Gil Martin, Budweiser Tony Stewart: Darian Grubb, Office Depot

CREW CHIEF

RYAN

Carl Edwards

ERWIN

ANSWER KEY

A.J. Allmendinger

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 47

NUMBER SEQUENCE

>>> BRUSH UP ON YOUR NASCAR TRIVIA

7 1980

1948

355

The number of

cubic inches that are allowed for an average NASCAR engine. 355 cubic inches equals 5.8 L.

.002

BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA

The year the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded. It was founded by Ed Otto and William France Sr. for the purpose of promoting the sport of stock car racing. It is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States.

Since this year, there have been four drivers to win back-to-back titles. Those drivers are: Darrell Waltrip Dale Earnhardt Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson

188

The record average speed in mph at the fastest race track — Talladega Superspeedway.

The number of members in a NASCAR pit crew — the front tire changer, the front tire carrier, the rear tire changer, the rear tire carrier, the jack man, the gas man, and the gas catch can man.

$6,529,871 The total number in winnings that Tony Stewart accumulated in the 2011 season.

The seconds that marked the closest finish in NASCAR history. It took place at the Darlington Raceway on March 16, 2003, when Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch by a mere .002 seconds. The two drivers actually finished the last stretch of the race with their cars touching!

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

WHAT A PAIR:

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STEVE ADDINGTON NOW TONY STEWART’S CREW CHIEF

ddington is only the third crew chief in Stewart’s 13-year Sprint Cup Career.

Tony Stewart’s new crew chief, Steve Addington

Steve Addington, winner of 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a crew chief, has been named to the same position for threetime Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team of StewartHaas Racing (SHR), effective immediately. The Spartanburg, SC, native is only the third crew chief Stewart has had during his 13-year Sprint Cup career, and it came just a week after Stewart captured the 2011

ARTICLE AND PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Sprint Cup title. “I know Steve well and I know how he goes about setting up a racecar,” said Stewart, who worked with Addington from 2005 through 2008 during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. “My comfort level with him is already strong. He balances the technical part of our sport with the real-world experiences we get at the track, and that will allow for a smooth transition as we prepare to defend our title in 2012.” Addington has served as crew chief for Bobby Labonte (2005), J.J. Yeley (2006-2007), Kyle Busch (2008-race No. 33 of 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010-2011) during his ongoing Sprint Cup career.

Twelve wins were scored with Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing and four wins were notched with older brother Kurt during his most recent tenure at Penske Racing. Prior to rising to the elite Sprint Cup ranks, Addington spent 15 seasons as a crew chief in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, 11 of which came with driver Jason Keller where the duo won 10 races, 11 poles, and scored 69 top-five and 122 top10 finishes. “Tony and I are a lot alike and we’re able to push each other,” Addington said. “I saw how he worked when we were at Gibbs together and I’m not surprised at all at the success he’s created at Stewart-Haas Racing. He expects a lot and he knows a lot. His talent behind the wheel is obvious, but his ability to motivate and get everyone to believe that whatever goal they set is attainable is something every crew chief wants, and I plan to make the most of it.” Addington has proven he can win with all kinds of drivers at all kinds of tracks. From the quiet and low-key drivers of Keller and Mike Bliss, whom Addington worked with in the Nationwide Series, to the competitive personalities of Kyle and Kurt Busch, Addington has steered his pilots to victory, and he’s done so at every conceivable type of racetrack — superspeedways, road courses, intermediates, and short tracks. “Steve has proven himself everywhere he’s been,” Stewart added.“Our expectation when we unload each weekend is to win, and that’s Steve’s expectation, too. Getting there is never easy, but we’ve both been around long enough to know what it takes to be successful.” Addington replaces Darian Grubb, who served as Stewart’s crew chief since the inception of SHR in 2009. “Darian was a very important part of the success we’ve had at Stewart-Haas Racing,” Stewart said.“I’m very proud of everything he helped accomplish, especially this year when we all rallied to win the championship. He’s a great person and I know he’ll continue to be successful in this sport.”

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

IWANNA® February 2012 | 49

REGAN SMITH DRIVES RACE CAR IN EXTREME CONDITIONS PHOTO AND ARTICLE COURTESY OF FURNITURE ROW RACING PR

ithin one week, Regan Smith went from driving the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway to the high ski slopes in Telluride, CO.

And that begs the question: Why was the 28-year-old Smith, dressed in his Furniture Row firesuit, driving the race car at 9,000 feet above sea level on icy and snow-packed roads where tandem drafting would never

Regan Smith and world tour freeskiing champion Jess McMillan take a break from mountain driving in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet near the ski slopes in Telluride, CO. Smith and McMillan were shooting scenes for an upcoming ski movie produced by Warren Miller Entertainment.

work no matter how many rule packages were introduced? While Daytona test session was all about preparation for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasonopening Daytona 500, Telluride was all about shooting scenes earlier in the week for the annual Warren Miller Entertainment ski movie. For more than 60 years, Warren Miller Entertainment has been the gold standard for the production of ski movies. The Telluride shoot was one of multiple worldwide locations that will be utilized for the 2012 ski classic, which

is scheduled for an October premiere. Riding along with Smith in the race car, which was equipped with a ski rack and studded snow tires for the road less traveled, was national and world tour freeskiing champion Jess McMillan. “It’s an interesting storyline why I was driving Jess McMillan up the mountain,” said Smith. “I can’t say more about it until the movie is released. The conditions were tricky and the car was a handful to drive at times, but it was a blast.

However, I did have my moments and let’s just say that the car didn’t leave Telluride dent free. “Due to the popularity of the ski movie, I feel this was a winwin experience for Furniture Row Racing, NASCAR, Warren Miller Entertainment, Spyder, and Regan Smith. The perks keep on coming as a result of having Furniture Row Racing based in Denver.” McMillan, who has had her share of excitement during her freeskiing career, experienced a new thrill as a passenger in the

Furniture Row Chevrolet. “There is nothing like riding in a race car,” stated McMillan. “When Regan started his engine, my heart rate skyrocketed. I had a blast working with Regan and the Furniture Row team. It was an experience I will never forget. Car 78 looked so cool with a ski rack on its roof driving through snowcovered mountain passes. I can’t wait to go to my first race.”

50 | IWANNA® February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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DON’T COUNT BRAD KESELOWSKI OUT THIS SEASON

WRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

rad Keselowski is young, but these days, it doesn’t matter how old you are to be a contender for the coveted Sprint Cup.

Brad Keselowski in the garage

He and crew chief Paul Wolfe definitely click — there’s no doubt about that. The team’s cars have speed and Keselowski can drive them on the ragged edge with the best of them. They did so well last year that he is anxious to get this year started — to make an even bigger impact in his third full season. “We’ve got to work hard, work smart,” Keselowski said. “This sport is a constant moving target. The only way that you’re going to continue to hit it is to fire a lot of bullets at the target and keep reloading. “We’ve got a lot to do over the next few months as a company and as a team. We’ve got to make it happen, got to get stuff done. If we can do that, we can come back and not only repeat this

It took just 89 starts for this 28 year old to go from an ambitious starter to a real-time superstar. This transformation came to fruition this past year. To give you an idea of this change, Keselowski went from finishing 25th in points in 2010 to 5th last year. And his Penske Racing team recognizes the contagious team spirit and talent Keselowski brings. Penske signed him to a multiyear contract extension during the offseason although the driver’s old contract wasn’t set to expire until the end of 2012.

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year, but have a shot at the title.” Even though they did so well last season, Keselowski knows that with each new year brings new and unexpected challenges. So he is preparing for every possible instance in order to be successful and get winning performances. “The most important part of this sport is and will always be execution. You still have to have speed to go with execution, and speed helps you execute, but even if you have the best speed in the world, if you can’t execute, you won’t get good finishes.” His crew chief Paul Wolfe agrees. He knows that any positive momentum can fall at the drop of a hat. “It’s easier said than done,” Wolfe said. “But if you look at our team as a whole, it’s a pretty new team — including myself in the Cup Series, Brad doesn’t have a whole lot of experience on the Cup side. There’s a lot of room to grow.” Keselowski had some good races, yes, but he also had some “just okay” ones too. “Keselowski will want to prove that he’s the number one driver at Penske,” according to Jeff Hammond at FOX. “His biggest obstacle is the limited amount of Dodges in Sprint Cup. With the move to fuel injection, the team won’t have other teams to draw information from.” Keselowski has been told he has a commanding presence and a real knack for leading the pack — in this case, his team. “Leadership in racing is tied directly to success. It’s my goal to be a co-leader of this team with [new teammate A.J. Allmendinger] or whoever my teammates are. It’s very important for us to both be leading and steering the ship. “It takes more than talent to win a championship,” Keselowski said. “This is a big, big ship at Penske Racing. There’s over 300 employees. The words of three or four people set the path for 300 some-odd employees. As a driver, you’re one of those three or four people. “That path is so important because it’s a team sport. You can be the most talented quarterback in the league and not make the right calls at the line or not have the belief of his players. I think there’s a lot of power behind that. At the NASCAR level, it’s not good enough to be the most talented driver. You have to be a motivator. You have to be a team player.” Making the Chase along with three victories, 10 top-fives, and 14 top-10s was something very few people saw coming. But now that Keselowski has pulled it off, can he do it again? We’ll just have to see.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 51

DOG WHISPERER ON NAT GEO WILD SHOOTS AT DAYTONA IN FEBRUARY

n a sport where drivers are constantly striving to be leaders of the pack, a few NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars — and one lucky NASCAR fan — are taking a back seat to learn a thing or two about how to control their pets. “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” airing on Nat Geo WILD, went all-NASCAR when they brought the show to Daytona Beach, FL this February to shoot an upcoming episode.

This episode, which was filmed around Daytona 500 events on February 17-18, featured NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick for two of the first three segments. For the final segment, Millan worked with a NASCAR fan. Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana were featured with their Chihuahua,

ARTICLE COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NAT GEO WILD

Little One (LO), and Greg Biffle selected animals in need through his charity, the Greg Biffle Foundation. His foundation strives to create awareness and serve as an advocate to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motorsports industry. “DeLana and I have always been a fan of Cesar’s work,” said Harvick. “We’re fascinated by the way he communicates with dogs and gets such a positive response from them. We knew he was the only one that could work with LO, our 4 1/2 lb. Chihuahua. LO travels with DeLana and I most of the time, and she’s exposed to a lot of different people and situations. Unfortunately she’s not always receptive and her feisty

attitude can be a problem.” “My wife Nicole and I founded the Greg Biffle Foundation to advance the well-being of animals by creating awareness in the NASCAR community,” said Biffle. “Cesar Millan does amazing work to help animals with their fears which can be common with adoptable pets. By working with him and his show ‘Dog Whisperer,’ we hope that we are not only able to find homes for the pets that will be featured but for

other animals across the country in need of a home.” “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” looks for a wide variety of dog problems, including unusual phobias, obsessions, fearful behavior, and aggression. They are also interested in dogs that are spoiled rotten, overweight or bored. For more information on this all-NASCAR show, visit animals. nationalgeographic.com. Be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 to watch

the start of the 2012 NASCAR season on Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 53

52 | IWANNA速 February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

54 | IWANNA® February 2012

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SIMPLIFIED POINTS SYSTEM TO BE INSTITUTED IN NASCAR REGIONAL TOURING SERIES ARTICLE AND PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Jimmie Johnson, with help from Dale Earnhardt Jr., makes his pass for the lead on the final lap of the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 17, 2011.

ASCAR announced that the points system all NASCAR national series began using last year will be instituted in the regional touring level for 2012. The points system was simplified to make it easier for fans, competitors, and the industry to understand.

Beginning in 2012, the system will be integrated into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and NASCAR Mexico Series. The new structure awards points in one-point increments. As an example, race winners earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bring-

ing the race-winning total to a possible maximum of 48 points. All other drivers in a finishing order are separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher earns 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. “Implementing the simplified points system at the regional touring level will make the points structure consistent with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,”

said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “The change at the national level was welcomed in the industry this year and has provided a points system that is much easier for everyone to understand.” This year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ demonstrated that use of the new points structure is viable with a shorter schedule, such as with each touring series. “Considering the tight competition in NASCAR’s touring series, we anticipate that with the new points system in place we will see close championship battles similar to the ones this year in all NASCAR national series,” Silbermann said. The move to bring the simplified points system from NASCAR’s national series to the regional touring level is

part of an effort to integrate uniform race formats and procedures throughout the NASCAR ranks. Earlier this year, two race procedures were changed to bring the touring series in line with the national series. One of those procedures stipulated that if a greenwhite-checkered finish is necessary, a maximum of three attempts will be made. The other change directed that on all restarts, passing will not be permitted until the car reached the start-finish line. In some cases, race procedures developed at the touring level have been adopted at the national level. In 2009, the double-file restarts that had come about in the regional series, became a part of the national series race procedures.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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IWANNA® February 2012 | 55

WITH LITTLE REST, STEWART BACK TO DEFEND TITLE WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

n most sports, after winning a championship, athletes usually get at least four or five months to relax before they have to start up again. Not so for Tony Stewart, the threetime NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Stewart won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in dramatic fashion with a walkoff victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20. Stewart edged Carl Edwards via tie-breaker to win his third title. Stewart won five races to Edwards’ one to win the tie-breaker. A little less than three months later, in February 2012, Stewart will be back racing again in the Daytona 500. Not much time to savor his championship. “(Like) two days,” Stewart said, laughing, at a recent press conference at Daytona. “Well, obviously the end of the year last year was — still almost like a fairy-tale for us, a storybook ending obviously,” Stewart said. “But this is our biggest race of the year. It starts today. Well, it started the day

after Homestead actually for the crew guys, and today is the first day that we get an idea of the rewards for their hard work and see these cars on the racetrack and see what kind of speed they have. “It’s an exciting time for the crew chiefs, the car chiefs, all the engineers, all the people that build these cars. Today is a really big day for all of them and what they’ve done during the offseason to get ready for the 500.” This will be Stewart’s 14th attempt at the Daytona 500, with his best finish being 2nd in 2004. Having the Daytona 500 as the first race puts even more pressure on the drivers to do well, Stewart said. “Our sport is unique obviously having our biggest race the first race of the year,” Stewart said. “But it’s very fitting at the same time because this race, we have more time during the off-season to prepare for this race than we do the others. You bring cars here that you have the extra time to just make them that little bit nicer than you normally have time to do. “It’s exciting to be back, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been fun to get back in the car today and get running around. Normally I’m hiding from the racetrack in testing, but it was fun to come back this morning and get back in the car and get rolling around again.”

Tony Stewart during the 2011 Champion Awards Week

Stewart’s 2011 season was simply awesome. In 36 starts, he had five wins, nine Top-5, and 19 Top-10 finishes, with nearly $6.4 million in earnings. It was also his first championship since 2005. He also won it in 2002. He’s also placed in the Top 10 in the final standings for five consecutive years. And even more amazing, in the Top 10 in 12 of his 13 seasons in the Sprint Series. Stewart also will likely hit another milestone in 2012. He needs less than $6 million in earnings to surpass $100 million for his career in the Sprint Series. And if he can win six races, it would give him 50 for a career that started in 1999 in the Sprint Series. Now that he owns part of the Stewart-Haas Racing Team, Stewart also was busy in the off-season, helping lure Danica Patrick to his team and getting former crew chief Greg Zipadelli back on his team. “You know, I think for us it was a scenario where we were trying to get Zippy hired as a competition director, but it really was a perfect opportunity for us because it’s hard to get a really good crew chief hired to only run 10 races a year in the first year,” Stewart said. Zipadelli will be working with Patrick in her Sprint Cup races in 2012. “You know, it’s nice having Zippy back. I got to work with him for 10

years, so seeing him at the track here today was the first big reminder of kind of going back to what it was like to start with him in ’99. I know we’re excited to have him back — we’re not working in the same capacity together that we did for 10 years — but he’s right there next door, and it feels like home again. So I’m pretty excited about it.” Stewart is perfectly happy competing in the Sprint Series, and doesn’t expect any career changes in the near future. When asked back in November if he’d ever consider driving again at the Indy 500, he didn’t hesitate. “I don’t believe so,” Stewart said on a NASCAR teleconference. “Not because of lack of desire or anything else, but honestly, it’s the logistics of having the time to prepare for the race

and getting the seat time and run races before the 500. I don’t think that after being out of those cars for 11 years now, I’m not sure that I can just go sit in one in the month of May and feel like I was up to speed with the technology and everything that’s going on with those cars to compete against the best in the sport there. “So I would think that we’d have to do a lot of testing, and I think we’d have to run some races before Indy to really feel like we were even remotely up to speed and up to pace with those guys.” For now, Stewart is focused on one big race: The Daytona 500.

56 | IWANNA® February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

KURT BUSCH

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RELEASED BY PENSKE RACING WRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Pouty-faced McGee, Kurt Busch

or many, news that Kurt Busch was released by Penske Racing was a shock. But for others who knew the inside details of the drivers’ reputation for obscene, belligerent behavior, it was no surprise at all. It’s evident that Busch’s race team, team owner, and sponsors had finally had enough humiliation and embarrasment from one driver — even though that driver is a 2004 Cup champion with 24 career Cup victories. The final straw for Penske came about because of Busch’s behavior during the season finale at Homestead. NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 for his actions during the November 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR determined that Kurt

Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing — inappropriate hand gesture; abusive language) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book. In issuing the penalty, NASCAR cited Kurt Busch’s “poor judgment in making an inappropriate hand gesture” when he drove his car into the garage early in the race after it experienced t r a n s m i s s i o n p ro b l e m s. I n addition, NASCAR said Kurt Busch showed “disrespect towards a media member,” an incident that followed similar inappropriate media confrontations earlier in the season. But this isn’t anything new when it comes to Kurt’s personality. He had two incidents while at Roush that granted him some pretty bad media — getting punched in the nose by Jimmy Spencer during a long-running battle, and being detained by police for being belligerent to police officers after being cited for reckless driving in 2005. As far as this year goes, Busch has clearly been on edge — adding fuel to the fire by wrecking Jimmie Johnson at Richmond September 10, then arguing with reporters about it after the race. Then, after falling out of the Chase with transmission problems, Busch gave an obscene gesture as he drove his car through the garage, and later cursed at ESPN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch as Punch tried to do an interview with Busch. Kurt Busch’s outbursts against his crew, NASCAR officials, the media, and even Penske, were ugly and as bad as they were willing for it to get. Roger Penske, the Penske Racing team, as well as sponsor Shell/Pennzoil had had enough. His former sponsor, Shell, indicated their support of the change: “Shell and Pennzoil utilize our motorsports program to gain technical knowledge for our products and brands and to promote them to consumers in a positive way,” the statement said. “As such, we support the mutual agreement by Penske Racing and Kurt Busch to end their driver/race team relationship, effective immediately.” Even his crew chief Steve Addington had enough and decided to leave Penske following the season, in large part due to Kurt Busch’s unreasonable

treatment. Despite helping Busch in winning four races in the past two years and leading Busch’s brother Kyle to 12 wins in 2008-09, Kurt has been vulgar and crude with his blatant attacks on Steve and the rest of the crew team. Addington was Busch’s fourth crew chief in six years with Penske. He will now be Tony Stewart’s new crew chief. Just the fact that Penske is willing to give up a talented driver like Busch says a lot about Busch’s actions and unsightly behavior. Ultimately, this sends a clear message to other NASCAR drivers that team owners and sponsors aren’t going to just stand by and watch unprofessional behavior such as this — no matter how talented and successful a driver might be. According to Roger Penske, in a statement, “I appreciate the victories that Kurt has brought Penske Racing and our sponsors over the past six years. While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors.” There are several drivers who could be possible replacements, including three Cup drivers without rides for 2012: David Ragan, Brian Vickers, and David Reutimann. Af ter 2011’s drama, Busch admitted to the media that he was going to try and handle his erratic emotions better. “I need to harness what happens in the race car and keep it there,” Busch said. “And then I need to step out of the car and do a better job and understand that if we didn’t reach our goal for that day or that moment, that it’s going to be all right...You have that fiery desire to win and when that clouds the effort of what has to happen in daily life, that’s when it is egging on you and wearing on you.” He said he was consulting sports psychologists to help him deal with his anger issues in a calmer manner. That’s all well and good, however it’s a little too late.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

58 | IWANNA® February 2012

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NASCAR’S

RETIRED TIRES WRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Kevin Harvick at a pit stop in Martinsville last April 2011

n a competition where about 30 stock cars drive hundreds of miles at high speeds every week, NASCAR is not one of the greenest entities out there. Whether it comes from tire pollution, high fuel consumption for low mileage racing engines, or all the litter produced

from their frequent events, the environment really takes a beating.

Over the past few years though, NASCAR has made a commitment to making the sport of auto racing as green as possible. In order to offset their carbon emissions, NASCAR has planted hundreds of trees. They have also recycled tons of trash left behind after a race ends for the day. In a huge step, they are also researching alternative fuels.

But, each race can produce about 600 tires that can never be reused. Each tire weighs about 20 pounds. That adds up to over 12,000 lbs. of tire waste per race. The main problem with that is that it cannot be recycled, which means they are going to sit in a landfill for hundreds of years to come. Luckily there are some creative things that can be done with these tires. Some fans can purchase the tires used in a race to display in their garages. NASCAR tire coolers have come on the scene for fans to cool

their drinks. That’s a good thing, but that will only take care of a very small percentage of these tires. Goodyear, which sponsors NASCAR and provides all the tires for the races ranks 19th in the United States for corporate air pollution, as well as ground pollution from the solid wastes they produce. However, Goodyear does take the used tires from NASCAR events and shreds them into material that can be used for a variety of purposes. So, even though they can’t exactly get rid of all the pollution and tire trash, they are significantly reducing the number of tires that wind up in landfills. With all of these commendable steps that NASCAR and Goodyear have taken to be greener, we can hope that they will continue to do so in the years to come. With a global fan base, sponsorships, and media coverage,

NASCAR will be around as long as people have a need for speed. With that being said, with increased need, there is increased responsibility to clean up after all the fun is done. How do these retired tires get recycled? Tires can be used in a number of interesting and creative ways. Here are just a few examples: rubber lumber products (e.g., picnic tables, benches, borders for gardens), landscape mulch, floor mats, truck bed liners, re-treads, ground rubber (popular in school and park playgrounds), and much more. Support this recycling cause by buying products that have been made out of recycled tires.

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA® February 2012 | 59

‘HEART OF NASCAR’ MOVING TO BIRTHPLACE OF STOCK CAR RACING ARTICLE AND PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Daytona International Speedway

he NASCAR Foundation, “The Heart of NASCAR,” is moving to the birthplace of the stock car sanctioning body.

NASCAR President Mike Helton announced today that NASCAR’s charitable arm will relocate to Daytona Beach, Florida in the later part of the 2012 race season. The NASCAR Foundation’s new location will be the International M o t o r s p o r t s C e n t e r, t h e corporate headquar ters for NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation, and GRAND-AM Road Racing. Th e m ove w i l l i n c l u d e the relocation of some of the foundation’s current employees based in Charlotte, NC, as well as a nationwide search for a new executive director. Sandy Marshall, the foundation’s current executive director, will remain with the organization until a new

leader is secured. The foundation will continue to maintain a strong presence in Charlotte to serve teams, drivers, and industry members in their charitable endeavors. “This move will enable The NASCAR Foundation to be fully integrated with our corporate headquar ters in Daytona Beach,” said Betty Jane France, the foundation’s chairwoman and founder. “In a relatively shor t period of time, The NASCAR Foundation has built a remarkable legacy of helping communities and children, but we’ve only just begun. We have a bright future and big plans. This move will help us reach our goals.” The NASCAR Foundation, organized in 2006, embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The NASCAR Foundation seeks to raise funds and increase

volunteerism to support nonprofit charities and charitable causes throughout the nation with an emphasis placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn, and play. Since 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has donated more than $13 million to charitable organizations and helped provide medical treatment for more than 24,000 children annually at Speediatrics children’s care units at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Homestead (Florida) Hospital. In addition, the foundation has fulfilled more than 600 “NASCAR Dreams,” sent more than 1,100 kids to Victory Junction Gang Camp, recruited 12,000 fans to become part of a Volunteer Network, and created educational opportunities for school-aged students that help to engage them in science and engineering programs.

60 | IWANNA® February 2012

n the night of October 31, 2011, at around 7:40 p.m., Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and his wife Linda were involved in a plane crash upon landing at the Key West Airport in Florida. Rick suffered four broken ribs and a broken collarbone due to his seat coming loose during the crash.

According the the National Transportation Safety Board, the private Gulfstream G150 had brake prob-

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

RICK HENDRICK — PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR!

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WRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

lems, and as a result crossed a 600foot overrun, impacted the far side of a ditch, crossed a dirt road, cleared another ditch, and came to a stop 820 feet from the departure end of the runway. The private plane, which is coowned by Hendrick Motorsports and five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson (through his company, Jimmie Johnson Racing II, Inc.), was manufactured back in 2007 by Israel Aircraft Industries. The plane had “substantial damage” after it lost its brakes and the nose landing gear collapsed. “My belt was on, and something came loose in the seat itself,” Hendrick said. “I hit the bulkhead and my wife. My chest and head went into the seat in front of me, and that’s where I (broke) my ribs and I had a concussion.”

Hendrick and his wife Linda, along with the plane’s two pilots were taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center and were released that Tuesday morning. Upon first inspection, Hendrick suffered from one broken rib and a broken collarbone, however after admitting to some discomfort, Hendrick’s personal physician discoverd Hendrick actually had four broken ribs along with his collarbone injury. He was hospitalized for a week in North Carolina after the injuries. Linda only suffered from some minor cuts and bruises. The two pilots did not suffer any injuries. “Linda and I have been overwhelmed by all the words of encouragement and genuine concern we’ve received,” Hendrick said. “We are blessed to have such a wonderful support system, and our family is extremely grateful for the thoughts and prayers. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone. “We were very fortunate. We’re glad that it wasn’t any worse than it was. We’re healing up.” It’s amazing how calm Rick was after the crash, but according to him, he isn’t scared to fly — even after the fatal plane crash that affected his family back in 2004. In that accident, another Hendrick plane crashed on their way to a Martinsville race. The crash killed all 10 people aboard the plane — including Hendrick’s son, brother, and twin nieces. “I’m so proud of how our pilots han-

dled the situation, and we’re extremely appreciative of the folks in Key West who went above and beyond to help us. It’s good to be back in Charlotte as we regroup and focus on our family.” NASCAR driver Carl Edwards often flies his own plane to and from races and called the two pilots “heroes.” He fills us in on some of his own experiences and fears with piloting: “I don’t know if you ever have thought you were going to run off the end of a runway, but I have,” Rick Hendrick Edwards said Tuesday. “It’s not cool. body’s going to respond in that It’s a scary feeling. And so you think, situation. I don’t know that I would ‘OK, I’m going to run off the end of the do the right thing. I’ve never been runway and how can I fix this?’ And the put to that test.” No. 1 thing you can do is stand on the Because of the crash, Hendrick throttle and take back off. unfortunately ended up missing the “So to know, ‘Hey, we’re going to final three races of the season, and run off the end of the runway’ and wasn’t on hand when Tony Stewart to just let it happen and realize that’s officially ended Johnson’s five-year the best worst case, I think those guys reign. are heroes. “You just never know how some-

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eremy Mayfield’s court date was January 24th at the US Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA. Mayfield went up against a three-judge panel. The goal of this hearing was to see if Mayfield had enough evidence for the case to continue. I t was in 2009 when this whole fiasco started — May of 2009 to be exact. After a drug test, Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamine, which he stated was from a combination of prescription medication for adult-defecit hyperactivity disorder and over-the -counter allergy medication. A year later, U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen dismissed Mayfield’s claims, declaring that Mayfield couldn’t sue NASCAR because of waivers and agreements he signed in order to compete in the Cup championship. There was also considerable questioning of Mayfield’s evidence and overall clout. Mayfield, a Sprint Cup winner with 433 career Cup starts and five victories, wanted the case reinstated so he could continue towards a trial. Suing for breach of contract, defamation, and unfair trade practices, it is still unclear how much Mayfield is suing for. According to its substance abuse policy, NASCAR is required to use its lab, Aegis Sciences Corp., to test drivers. It seems that NASCAR has quite the arsenal in this case — they’ve gotten David Boies to represent them. Boies, a nationally known litigator, has represented NBA players, the NFL, Al Gore, among other large cases. It’s evident that NASCAR is ready to put all this behind them — the January 24th hearing came on the second day of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour. This tour is a very press-heavy series of publicity events that put NASCAR in the direct view of the media and fans. The pre-season interviews take place in Charlotte, NC — and include everyone you can think of: individual drivers, race teams, track executives, and NASCAR officials. I’m gonna guess that Mayfield wasn’t in Charlotte that weekend. He’s not only going up against this legal battle with NASCAR, he was also arrested on November 1, 2011 for 1.5 grams of methamphetamine on his property, according to police

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

JEREMY MAYFIELD JUST CAN’T CATCH A BREAK

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WRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

officers. With that discovery came search warrants of his 388-acre property. And with those search warrants, officials found 69 guns and $100,000 worth of goods that were apparently reported stolen. Mayfield is now under further investigation. A c c o r d i n g t o M a y f i e l d ’s

attorney, he was never aware of any methamphetamines or stolen items in his home. That case is still pending in North Carolina Superior Court. Court records state that Mayfield has more than $2 million in judgments that have been issued against him. Those include $1.35 million for missing

payments on a loan, $65,932 in North Carolina state taxes, and the rest in surveying fees, credit card fees, legal fees, and race equipment. To add to that long list, he also has not paid more than $100,000 on property taxes, according to on-line tax records. After the hearing on January 24,

Mayfield said that he’s glad he was able to get his time in court on this issue, that he’s working his way through his North Carolina case, and is looking forward to “seeing what happens.” Let’s hope 2012 is a better year for Mayfield.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

62 | IWANNA® February 2012

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GREENVILLE PICKENS SPEEDWAY

OPENS ON MARCH 17 TEXT AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF GREENVILLE PICKENS SPEEDWAY

he Greenville Pickens Speedway will open its 2012 season on Saturday, March 17 with the NASCAR Whelen All American Series.

The adult price for general admission is $10, with kids under 12 admitted free with a paying adult. Backstretch opens for parking at 10 a.m. on race days. General admission gates open at 3 p.m. Racing starts at 8 p.m. For more information, visit greenvillepickens.com or call 864.269.0852.

Here is the 2012 racing schedule at the Speedway, located at 3800 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Greenville, South Carolina: Saturday, March 17 Opening night NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, March 24 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, March 31 K & N Pro Series East 150 Laps Saturday, April 7 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Friday, April 13 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, April 21 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Friday, April 27 NASCAR Whelen All American Series

Saturday, May 5 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Friday, May 11 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, May 19 No racing Saturday, May 26 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, June 2 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, June 9 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, June 16 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Charger MEET & GREET Saturday, June 23 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, June 30 & July 7 No racing Saturday, July 14 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, July 21 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Renegade/Street Stock MEET & GREET Saturday, July 28 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, August 4 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Truck Division MEET & GREET Saturday, August 11 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday, August 18 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Friday, August 24 NASCAR Whelen All American Series UPPER SC STATE FAIR (August 30- September 9) Friday, August 31 Upper SC State Fair- Annual Enduro Race

Monday, September 3 LABOR DAY RACE K & N Pro Series East, 140 Lap Event Friday, September 7 Upper SC State Fair-Demolition Derby

Saturday, September 15 Championship Night 2012 GPS Wall Ceremony All Division “Season Farewell” MEET & GREET Late Model Twin 50’s

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2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

IWANNA速 February 2012 | 63

64 | IWANNA速 February 2012

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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