Source: http://joegibbsracing.com/2012/05/07/talladega-recap/
Brian Gubby Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Kazuyoshi Hoshino Andre Guelfi
05/28/2012
Talladega Recap
05/27/2012
Smith Returns to Road Racing After Three-Year Absence
DENVER, Colo. (June 16, 2010) -- In a few days, Regan Smith will do something he hasn't done in nearly three years. He will get to make right-hand turns in a NASCAR race.
Sunday's event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. will be Smith's third career Sprint Cup road race and his first since August 2007 when he competed at NASCAR's other road racing venue -- Watkins Glen International in upstate New York. Outside of that Watkins Glen race, his only other Cup road race was at Infineon in June 2007.
Smith says he has some mixed feelings about taking his driving talents to Infineon Raceway's tight and complex 10-turn, 1.99 mile road circuit, which has seven right-hand and three left-hand turns.
"The little amount of road racing that I have been able to do has been both fun and frustrating," offered a candid Smith. "I remember when regular Cup drivers would not have many kind words to say about the two road races each year. But the more they raced on the road circuits, the better they liked it, and the better they drove. Right now, I am some place in the middle. I like the challenge of the road races -- I grew up karting. But in reality I do lack seat time at the Cup level."
In Smith's last Cup road race (Watkins Glen 2007) -- he posted an impressive qualifying lap by recording the 10th fastest speed. He finished the race 37th with a damaged race car. In his debut Cup road race -- June 2007 at Infineon -- he qualified 26th and finished 30th.
To reacquaint himself with the demanding twist and turns of Infineon Raceway, Smith spent a day at the track back in April testing a late model stock car and getting road course driving tips from veteran instructor Chris Cook.
"That was a productive session I had with Chris Cook," stated Smith. "I needed to refresh my memory about Infineon because there are so many nuances to the different corners. I really don't know what to expect this weekend. We've had some good runs lately and I am confident that we'll have a dialed-in driver and a dialed-in Furniture Row Chevrolet."
Before last week's race in Michigan, Smith scored three top 20s in the previous four races. He was on his way to another top-20 finish in Michigan but an early accident curtailed his performance for the remainder of the race. He finished 23rd.
"Not too long ago our goal was a top 20," noted Smith. "Right now that goal has changed to top 15s."
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-388.htm
Elmer George Jean Pierre Jarier Ingo Hoffmann Bruce Johnstone
Brake Issue Stops Smith From Posting Strong Finish in Martinsville
Brake Issue Stops Smith From Posting Strong Finish in Martinsville
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 3, 2011) -- It appeared that Regan Smith was heading to a top-10 or better finish with 35 laps remaining in Sunday's 500-lap Sprint Cup race at the historic Martinsville Speedway short track.
But the bad luck that has plagued Smith this season struck again when the right-front brake rotor broke on his No. 78 Chevrolet. The incident at the .526-mile oval sent Smith's Furniture Row Chevrolet into the Turn 2 concrete wall. Though the car suffered major damage, Smith was able to drive the injured Chevrolet to the finish with a frustrating 31st-place result.
At the time of the incident, Smith was running in 14th place and did not need to pit for the remainder of the race, which meant he would have jumped a number of spots in track position once cars ahead of him came down pit road for the final stop of the race.
"Unfortunately that scenario didn't play out for us," said Smith, who qualified 10th. "This one hurt, because we had a strong finish in sight. We've had more than our share of bad luck and we've only run six of 36 point races."
Smith continued, "Our Furniture Row Chevrolet was getting better as the race went on and it sure felt good. We deserve a good result, but can't seem to finish a race unscathed so far this season. All we can do is continue to be mentally tough and come back next week with an even better performance."
The Goody's Fast Relief 500 race winner was Kevin Harvick, his second straight win. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon.
The next Cup race is Saturday night (April 9) at Texas Motor Speedway.
###
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 3, 2011) -- It appeared that Regan Smith was heading to a top-10 or better finish with 35 laps remaining in Sunday's 500-lap Sprint Cup race at the historic Martinsville Speedway short track.
But the bad luck that has plagued Smith this season struck again when the right-front brake rotor broke on his No. 78 Chevrolet. The incident at the .526-mile oval sent Smith's Furniture Row Chevrolet into the Turn 2 concrete wall. Though the car suffered major damage, Smith was able to drive the injured Chevrolet to the finish with a frustrating 31st-place result.
At the time of the incident, Smith was running in 14th place and did not need to pit for the remainder of the race, which meant he would have jumped a number of spots in track position once cars ahead of him came down pit road for the final stop of the race.
"Unfortunately that scenario didn't play out for us," said Smith, who qualified 10th. "This one hurt, because we had a strong finish in sight. We've had more than our share of bad luck and we've only run six of 36 point races."
Smith continued, "Our Furniture Row Chevrolet was getting better as the race went on and it sure felt good. We deserve a good result, but can't seem to finish a race unscathed so far this season. All we can do is continue to be mentally tough and come back next week with an even better performance."
The Goody's Fast Relief 500 race winner was Kevin Harvick, his second straight win. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon.
The next Cup race is Saturday night (April 9) at Texas Motor Speedway.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-486.htm
Graham Hill François Hesnault Lewis Hamilton Juan Pablo Montoya
Smith Runs Strong, Finishes 18th in Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. (June 6, 2010) -- Regan Smith finished 18th in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway, his third top-20 finish in the last four races. He finished 19th last week in Charlotte and 17th four weeks ago in Darlington S.C.
Though the 18th-place result was a respectable result, there was some disappointment in the Furniture Row camp due to a late hit that took Smith's No. 78 Chevrolet out of top-10 contention in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500.
Smith, who started 24th, was running in the top-10 late in the 204-lap overtime race, thanks to a well-calculated pit and fuel strategy. But when the race was restarted with fewer than 20 laps remaining, Smith got hit from behind, causing suspension damage to his car.
"We had a good run going but that late hit slowed us down," stated Smith. "We just didn't have the same kind of power with our Furniture Row Chevy. We all did a good job today, but saw a good opportunity slip away due to a typical late-race aggressive restart. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But looking at the big picture we are making some really positive gains. It's been fun."
Smith gained three spots in the driver point standings and currently sits in 28th-place.
"If we keep running like we have been those top 10s will come and our position in the standings will continue to improve," said Smith. "Improving each week is what it's all about."
The race winner was Denny Hamlin. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson.
The next Sprint Cup race is Sunday (June 13) at Michigan International Speedway.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-384.htm
Gus Hutchison Alan Dennis Kulwicki Howden Ganley Mike Harris
McLaren drivers write to injured fan
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have written get well messages to a McLaren fan who was badly injured in a fall from a grandstand ahead of opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. The duo acted after hearing that Lawrence Relph, a 49-year-old from Margate in Kent, broke his back and left leg when he fell following the collapse of the grandstand at Tabac.
Kurt Busch cussed his #%@$ing mouth out on Saturday night
This is lovely: Kurt Busch's radio from Saturday night's race in Darlington. Really, I have nothing to add. This is a [expletive]ing masterpiece. Much more on Kurt this week, trust us. This story ain't getting old any time soon.
[Via Jeff Gluck]
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr David Carl Allison Jo Gartner Bob Gerard
All Systems Go Following Monday's Accident
All Systems Go For Furniture Row Racing
Following Major Accident Involving Team Transporter, Motor Coach
DENVER (Nov. 16, 2010) -- One day after the transporter and motor coach for Furniture Row Racing were heavily damaged in a major accident on northbound Interstate 25 in Colorado, team general manager Joe Garone said that all systems are in place for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale in Homestead, Fla.
The accident, which involved 34 vehicles on the icy highway, occurred Monday at approximately 8:40 a.m. near Larkspur, Colo., 40 miles south of the team's race shop in Denver. The Furniture Row vehicles were returning from Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Phoenix.
The two Furniture Row race cars for this weekend's Cup event will be transported from the race shop to south Florida in the team's test transporter. Once the test transporter arrives at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richard Childress Racing will provide the No. 78 Furniture Row team with a fully-loaded racing transporter.
"Words cannot describe how grateful we are to Richard Childress Racing for immediately stepping up and offering its support," said Garone. "Furniture Row Racing also wants to extend a sincere thank you to the NASCAR community for the outpouring of support we have received since the accident. It has been overwhelming and truly shows the spirit of brotherhood that embodies our sport."
The team's transportation drivers -- John Slingerland, Dennis LaCroix and Gary Miller -- escaped serious injuries and all have returned to the Denver area. The damaged motor coach and transporter, which housed the two Phoenix race cars and racing equipment, have been towed to an impound lot.
Garone added that he was extremely proud of the team's transportation drivers for how they navigated their vehicles to avoid serious incidents under adverse weather and road conditions.
"Our tractor/trailer averted head-on collisions and our motor coach driver -- Gary Miller -- put his life on the line when he made a split-second decision to ram into the back end of the team's trailer instead of running over cars," explained Garone. "It was a brave move that most likely avoided serious injuries to others. If you saw the aftermath of the motor coach, you would know what I mean."
###
Following Major Accident Involving Team Transporter, Motor Coach
DENVER (Nov. 16, 2010) -- One day after the transporter and motor coach for Furniture Row Racing were heavily damaged in a major accident on northbound Interstate 25 in Colorado, team general manager Joe Garone said that all systems are in place for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale in Homestead, Fla.
The accident, which involved 34 vehicles on the icy highway, occurred Monday at approximately 8:40 a.m. near Larkspur, Colo., 40 miles south of the team's race shop in Denver. The Furniture Row vehicles were returning from Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Phoenix.
The two Furniture Row race cars for this weekend's Cup event will be transported from the race shop to south Florida in the team's test transporter. Once the test transporter arrives at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richard Childress Racing will provide the No. 78 Furniture Row team with a fully-loaded racing transporter.
"Words cannot describe how grateful we are to Richard Childress Racing for immediately stepping up and offering its support," said Garone. "Furniture Row Racing also wants to extend a sincere thank you to the NASCAR community for the outpouring of support we have received since the accident. It has been overwhelming and truly shows the spirit of brotherhood that embodies our sport."
The team's transportation drivers -- John Slingerland, Dennis LaCroix and Gary Miller -- escaped serious injuries and all have returned to the Denver area. The damaged motor coach and transporter, which housed the two Phoenix race cars and racing equipment, have been towed to an impound lot.
Garone added that he was extremely proud of the team's transportation drivers for how they navigated their vehicles to avoid serious incidents under adverse weather and road conditions.
"Our tractor/trailer averted head-on collisions and our motor coach driver -- Gary Miller -- put his life on the line when he made a split-second decision to ram into the back end of the team's trailer instead of running over cars," explained Garone. "It was a brave move that most likely avoided serious injuries to others. If you saw the aftermath of the motor coach, you would know what I mean."
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-456.htm
Smith Tours CSX Locomotive
Smith's No. 78 Chevrolet:
Faster than a locomotive, but not more powerful
NASCAR driver tours locomotive as part of unique CSX Transportation
sponsorship to promote "Play it Safe" campaign around railroad tracks
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2012) -- It wasn't the "little engine that could" that NASCAR driver Regan Smith toured. Instead, it was a big, powerful machine with a weight of approximately 125 times more than his 3,400-pound No. 78 Chevrolet stock car.
Smith, who is currently residing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for Sunday's Daytona 500 Sprint Cup season opener, took a side trip last week (Friday) to Jacksonville, Fla. to pay a visit to the CSX Transportation headquarters. The visit also included a trip to a railroad yard where Smith got up-close-and-personal to a 434,000-pound CSX locomotive.
CSX Transportation, which is the largest railroad in the East with more than 21,000-mile freight network serving 23 states and portions of Canada, joined Smith's Furniture Row Racing team as an associate sponsor for the 2012 season.
CSX is building upon several years of its innovative safety communications campaign and will utilize the Furniture Row Racing sponsorship as part of the "Play it Safe" campaign to urge pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution around railroad tracks.
â??It was both a thrill and an incredible learning experience to tour a CSX locomotive," stated Smith. "Weâ??re honored to get the opportunity to spread such an important message. "Unlike our Furniture Row/CSX Play it Safe Chevrolet, trains canâ??t stop on a dime. In fact, they can take up to a mile to stop. So, even if they see you on the tracks, itâ??s usually impossible for them to avoid you."
Smith's Daytona 500 car will carry a bumper sticker reading, "I brake for trains."
"One incident is too many," said Cliff Stayton, Director-Community Affairs and Safety for CSX Transportation. "We hope that by getting our message out in one of the greatest sporting events in the world with a great driver, we can prevent a tragedy. Weâ??re thrilled to be working with Regan and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team."
###
Faster than a locomotive, but not more powerful
NASCAR driver tours locomotive as part of unique CSX Transportation
sponsorship to promote "Play it Safe" campaign around railroad tracks
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2012) -- It wasn't the "little engine that could" that NASCAR driver Regan Smith toured. Instead, it was a big, powerful machine with a weight of approximately 125 times more than his 3,400-pound No. 78 Chevrolet stock car.
Smith, who is currently residing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for Sunday's Daytona 500 Sprint Cup season opener, took a side trip last week (Friday) to Jacksonville, Fla. to pay a visit to the CSX Transportation headquarters. The visit also included a trip to a railroad yard where Smith got up-close-and-personal to a 434,000-pound CSX locomotive.
CSX Transportation, which is the largest railroad in the East with more than 21,000-mile freight network serving 23 states and portions of Canada, joined Smith's Furniture Row Racing team as an associate sponsor for the 2012 season.
CSX is building upon several years of its innovative safety communications campaign and will utilize the Furniture Row Racing sponsorship as part of the "Play it Safe" campaign to urge pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution around railroad tracks.
â??It was both a thrill and an incredible learning experience to tour a CSX locomotive," stated Smith. "Weâ??re honored to get the opportunity to spread such an important message. "Unlike our Furniture Row/CSX Play it Safe Chevrolet, trains canâ??t stop on a dime. In fact, they can take up to a mile to stop. So, even if they see you on the tracks, itâ??s usually impossible for them to avoid you."
Smith's Daytona 500 car will carry a bumper sticker reading, "I brake for trains."
"One incident is too many," said Cliff Stayton, Director-Community Affairs and Safety for CSX Transportation. "We hope that by getting our message out in one of the greatest sporting events in the world with a great driver, we can prevent a tragedy. Weâ??re thrilled to be working with Regan and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team."
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-594.htm
Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Georges Grignard Masten Gregory Patrick Gaillard
05/26/2012
Member of Ryan Newman?s crew confronts Kurt Busch on pit road after Darlington race
Ryan Newman's gas man Andy Rueger confronted Kurt Busch and his team on pit road after Saturday night's Southern 500. The incident came after members of Newman's team were angry with Busch's actions following a wreck that involved both Busch and Newman with six laps to go in the race.
Busch initially brought out the caution when he spun as a tire was going down, and Newman, who was immediately behind Busch, got turned off the bumper of Aric Almirola as he slowed down to avoid Busch's spinning car.
The teams were pitted next to each other and after limping around to pit road and getting new tires put on the car, Busch did a burnout through Newman's pit box as members from Newman's crew were nearby.
The crewmen were infuriated by Busch coming so close to them with his burnout, and several began yelling at Busch's crew to convey their outrage.
"When you come ripping through somebody's pit box like that, he could have took out five or six guys plus the officials pretty easy," Newman's crew chief Tony Gibson said. "I don't know how somebody didn't get run over, to be honest with you. It was a miracle nobody got hit."
It didn't end there. After the race, Busch made contact with Newman's car on pit road. According to Newman, Busch said it was an accident. Newman wasn't buying it and got in a dig at Busch's temper.
"I'm not sure what happened," Newman said. "It's easy to see and it's easy to say that Kurt blew a fuse again. I'm not sure why he did it and tried to run over our guys and NASCAR officials. And nobody is. I think the chemical imbalance speaks for itself. Kurt drilled me in pit lane and said that he was taking his helmet off and he didn't see where he was going, which I'm pretty sure there were 42 other guys that are taking their helmets off and doing whatever for the last 10 years and that's the first time that's happened to me. Circumstances I think are that he lied and was so frustrated that he doesn't know how to deal with his anger."
Temper issues led to Busch parting ways with Penske Racing at the end of 2011, after he had a verbal outburst at an ESPN reporter, ripped another reporter's transcript in half and had several outbursts over the team radio throughout the season. Busch, who is driving for team owner James Finch on a handshake deal this season, was not happy at all over the radio in the final laps of this race.
NASCAR is looking into the incidents. A NASCAR official appeared to take a tumble over the hood of Busch's car, but NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said that the sanctioning body didn't feel that there was anything aggressive towards the official.
"We're looking at film, we're still getting all the facts straight," Pemberton said after the race. "We haven't talked to Kurt, we talked to Ryan a little bit. He talked to Kurt afterwards and he told him he didn't mean to hit him, he was taking his helmet off and looked up and he'd run into the back of him. So right now that's really all the facts that we have."
We'll keep you posted about any penalties or further developments.
Last year at Darlington, it was Kyle Busch who was involved in a post-race fracas on pit road when he was confronted by Kevin Harvick. And before last year's Darlington race, Newman was involved in an incident in the NASCAR hauler with Juan Pablo Montoya, where NASCAR officials said that the meeting didn't go as well as they had hoped.
Webber fears pole out of reach for RBR
Mark Webber fears Red Bull does not have the pace to be in the Monaco Grand Prix pole fight after the champion team struggled in Thursday practice in Monte Carlo. The Australian was only 13th in the fully dry morning session, then seventh in the brief period of dry afternoon running before the showers. Webber's team-mate Sebastian Vettel was ninth and 10th in the two sessions
Smith Collected in 19-Car Melee at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2010) -- Regan Smith's superspeedway woes continue.
The Furniture Row Racing driver was forced to retire from Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway after being collected in a 19-car wreck with 12 laps remaining. He was credited with a 33rd-place finish in the Coke Zero 400, which started nearly two hours late due to rain and ended well past midnight.
Smith was not injured in the accident, but his car suffered major damage. "It's a mess, one big mess," said crew chief Pete Rondeau about the condition of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet.
When the "Big One" occurred in Turn 3 at the 2.5-mile oval Smith was running in 20th-place and felt he was in good position to move forward in the closing laps. But for the fourth straight time at a superspeedway event (Daytona and Talladega), Smith was not able to finish the race. He was involved in an early accident in February's Daytona 500 and suffered an engine failure at the last two Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway races (November 2009 and April 2010).
"We'll finish one of these superspeedway races eventually," said Smith, who did post a 12th-place result a year ago in Daytona. "Things happened pretty quickly out there. Somebody in front of the pack had a problem and then it was nothing but smoking cars by the time most of us got there. It was just a typical Daytona/Talladega wreck. You hope you miss it, and if you don't, you go on to the next one. It all comes down to racing luck at these two superspeedway tracks. And we're definitely due for a change of luck."
The race winner was Kevin Harvick. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton.
The next Sprint Cup race is Saturday night (July 10) at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
### .
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-395.htm
Video: Will Dale Earnhardt Jr.?s drought end at Talladega?
It's Talladega, and that means it's time for our weekly speculation on whether THIS is the race that Dale Earnhardt Jr. can win. Is this the week that his four-year winless streak comes to a close? We'll offer reasons why it could happen, and why it might not. Enjoy.
Yves Giraud Cabantous Mika Hakkinen Christian Goethals Leslie Johnson
Panther Forms Official Sim Racing Team, Prepares for iRacing Indy 500
Panther Online Becomes Official iRacing Simulation Team of Two-Time IndyCar Champs Two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing announced today it has partnered with iRacing.com and formed Panther Online, an official iRacing Sim team, which will debut in tomorrow?s iRacing Indy 500 ? the full-length simulation of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Through the partnership, iRacing.com will supply all National Guard Soldiers attending IndyCar Series races with a free trial subscription to the online simulation. Panther Online drivers will race with old paint schemes of historic Panther Racing cars, starting with JR Hildebrand?s current National Guard scheme and dating back to the No. 4 Pennzoil Chevrolet that Sam Hornish Jr. drove to league championships in 2001 and 2002. There were nearly 400 competitors that made qualification attempts for the top 33 [...]
Speeding Penalty Stifles Charge for Smith at Kansas
Speeding Penalty Stifles Charge for Smith at Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 9, 2011) -- A pit-road speeding penalty in Sunday's Hollywood 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway was a momentum stopper for Regan Smith, who took the checkered flag in 24th-place.
The final result snapped a four-race streak of top-20 finishes for Smith and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team, which along with its financial partner -- Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers -- was supporting the Farm American program at the Kansas race.
NASCAR officials cited Smith for speeding following a green-flag, four-tire/fuel stop on Lap 170 of 272. He was ordered to return to pit road for a pass-through penalty, costing him valuable track position on the 1.5-mile oval.
"That knocked the wind out of our sails," said Smith. "I was very surprised when I was informed that I was being penalized for speeding. By no means did I feel that I went over the limit. But the call was made and we did the best we could from that point on."
Smith, who started the race from the 16th position, struggled with the car's handling for a good portion of the 400-mile event.
"We just couldn't seem to find the right balance with our Furniture Row Chevrolet," noted Smith. "Don't get me wrong, I had some good runs in the car today, but never had the rhythm for the entire race. But no matter what, the speeding penalty definitely cost us at least a top-20 finish."
Smith was looking to gain track position during the green-white-checkered restart, but he got trapped in the two-lap overtime dash and stayed where he started -- in 24th place.
"We took four fresh tires for the green-white-checkered restart, but couldn't move forward," said Smith. "It just wasn't our day."
The race winner was Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
The next Cup race is Saturday night -- the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
###
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 9, 2011) -- A pit-road speeding penalty in Sunday's Hollywood 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway was a momentum stopper for Regan Smith, who took the checkered flag in 24th-place.
The final result snapped a four-race streak of top-20 finishes for Smith and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team, which along with its financial partner -- Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers -- was supporting the Farm American program at the Kansas race.
NASCAR officials cited Smith for speeding following a green-flag, four-tire/fuel stop on Lap 170 of 272. He was ordered to return to pit road for a pass-through penalty, costing him valuable track position on the 1.5-mile oval.
"That knocked the wind out of our sails," said Smith. "I was very surprised when I was informed that I was being penalized for speeding. By no means did I feel that I went over the limit. But the call was made and we did the best we could from that point on."
Smith, who started the race from the 16th position, struggled with the car's handling for a good portion of the 400-mile event.
"We just couldn't seem to find the right balance with our Furniture Row Chevrolet," noted Smith. "Don't get me wrong, I had some good runs in the car today, but never had the rhythm for the entire race. But no matter what, the speeding penalty definitely cost us at least a top-20 finish."
Smith was looking to gain track position during the green-white-checkered restart, but he got trapped in the two-lap overtime dash and stayed where he started -- in 24th place.
"We took four fresh tires for the green-white-checkered restart, but couldn't move forward," said Smith. "It just wasn't our day."
The race winner was Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
The next Cup race is Saturday night -- the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-563.htm
Offseason Surprise Leads to Entry in Budweiser Shootout for Regan Smith
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2011) -- The best piece of news that Furniture Row Racing driver Regan Smith received during the offseason was that he qualified to participate in NASCAR's traditional opener - the Budweiser Shootout, scheduled for Saturday night (FOX), 8 p.m. ET.
When NASCAR released the new qualification criteria in mid January for the non-points, 75-lap, 187.5-mile race at Daytona International Speedway, Smith was on the list of eligible drivers based on his status as a former NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie of the year (2008). It will mark the first time in Smith's Cup career that he will compete in the Budweiser Shootout.
"I was both surprised and ecstatic when I heard the news," said the 27-year-old Smith. "The Budweiser Shootout is not only a prestigious event, but also an excellent opportunity to get our Furniture Row Chevrolet dialed in for the main show -- the Daytona 500 (Feb. 20). Actually, it's a morale boost for the entire team to be involved in the race instead of watching it on television or on top of our hauler."
The thought of starting a new season for Smith and the No. 78 Denver, Colo.-based team brings on optimism, optimism and more optimism.
"The slate is clean and I am sure all of the teams head into the new campaign with high hopes," stated Smith. "Our higher-than-normal excitement level is based on how we progressed throughout the 2010 season, especially during the final 10 races. We also understand that racing can be a cruel sport and knock you down just when you think you have all the pieces of the puzzle in place. Right now all of our attitudes are nothing but positive."
The 2010 season started off slow for Smith, which was expected since he only competed on a part-time basis for Furniture Row Racing the previous year. But with a new competition staff, led by crew chief Pete Rondeau and competition director Mark McArdle, the team steadily improved and turned heads during the stretch run, which saw Smith post three top-13 finishes in the final seven races. He also qualified in the top 10 in the last three races.
"We had a good offseason and are raring to go," said Rondeau, who took over the crew chief role in May of last year. "I have a good feeling -- the potential is there to be more successful than last year. I'm an even keel type of person, and what we need to do is to continue to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves."
The Budweiser Shootout will be conducted in two segments of 25 and 50 laps with a 10-minute break between segments.
###
When NASCAR released the new qualification criteria in mid January for the non-points, 75-lap, 187.5-mile race at Daytona International Speedway, Smith was on the list of eligible drivers based on his status as a former NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie of the year (2008). It will mark the first time in Smith's Cup career that he will compete in the Budweiser Shootout.
"I was both surprised and ecstatic when I heard the news," said the 27-year-old Smith. "The Budweiser Shootout is not only a prestigious event, but also an excellent opportunity to get our Furniture Row Chevrolet dialed in for the main show -- the Daytona 500 (Feb. 20). Actually, it's a morale boost for the entire team to be involved in the race instead of watching it on television or on top of our hauler."
The thought of starting a new season for Smith and the No. 78 Denver, Colo.-based team brings on optimism, optimism and more optimism.
"The slate is clean and I am sure all of the teams head into the new campaign with high hopes," stated Smith. "Our higher-than-normal excitement level is based on how we progressed throughout the 2010 season, especially during the final 10 races. We also understand that racing can be a cruel sport and knock you down just when you think you have all the pieces of the puzzle in place. Right now all of our attitudes are nothing but positive."
The 2010 season started off slow for Smith, which was expected since he only competed on a part-time basis for Furniture Row Racing the previous year. But with a new competition staff, led by crew chief Pete Rondeau and competition director Mark McArdle, the team steadily improved and turned heads during the stretch run, which saw Smith post three top-13 finishes in the final seven races. He also qualified in the top 10 in the last three races.
"We had a good offseason and are raring to go," said Rondeau, who took over the crew chief role in May of last year. "I have a good feeling -- the potential is there to be more successful than last year. I'm an even keel type of person, and what we need to do is to continue to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves."
The Budweiser Shootout will be conducted in two segments of 25 and 50 laps with a 10-minute break between segments.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-462.htm
05/25/2012
?The Big One? collects Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. and more
Sunday's inevitable Talladega "Big One" collected 10 cars, including Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards.
As is typical with "The Big One," it started when a car (Dave Blaney) hooked another car (Aric Almirola). However, the circumstances that led to the hooking were some of the most bizarre ones we've seen this Sprint Cup Series season.
Towards the end of a fuel run, many drivers, including Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, had cars that started acting like they were out of fuel, despite seemingly being comfortably inside their fuel windows, perhaps due to some vapor lock type occurrence, perhaps brought on by the current restrictor plate rules package and the warmer than Daytona in February temperatures.
The same thing happened to Almirola, who had Blaney on his bumper as he slowed on the backstretch. Chaos ensued.
As you can see from the video above, Gordon was ohsoclose to getting through the crash. Alas, this is Jeff Gordon's 2012. He was of course, caught up in the crash.
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Smith Looking to Capitalize on Milwaukee Test in Richmond
DENVER, Colo. (Sept. 8, 2010) -- In preparation for Saturday night's short track race at Richmond International Raceway, Regan Smith and the Furniture Row Racing team spent part of last week testing at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis.
"We've been showing improvement in many areas this season," said Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet. "But if there's one area that we feel needs extra attention it is our short track performances. As a driver I am happy that we had the opportunity to test at the Milwaukee Mile and it's one more indication of the commitment to the future that our Furniture Row Racing team is making."
Smith added, "We came away from the Milwaukee test feeling that what we learned will have a positive impact, especially at the next two races in Richmond and New Hampshire."
Smith, who is coming off a respectable 17th-place performance in Sunday night's event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, feels the team has reached a new level since the beginning of the 2010 campaign and is close to reaching another level.
"The progress we've made has been a lot of fun," said Smith. "Mark (McArdle, competition director), Pete (Rondeau, crew chief), the engineering staff and all of the guys have been 100 percent committed to make Furniture Row Racing a better team each and every week. Our goal is to return to Richmond at this time next year and be a contender for a Chase position."
Saturday night's Air Guard 400 will be Smith's fifth career Cup start at the .75-mile Richmond track. In this year's spring race at Richmond he finished 30th.
"Though I haven't had the results I would have liked at Richmond, I enjoy racing there -- it's the kind of track we all cut our teeth on," said the 26-year-old Smith and NASCAR's 2008 Sprint Cup rookie of the year.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-426.htm
Bill Holland Jackie Holmes Oscar Gonzalez Jeremy Allan Mayfield
Snapping Another Jinx is Smith's Indy Goal
Snapping Another Jinx is Smith's Indy Goal
DENVER, Colo. (July 27, 2011) -- It's been a year of snapping jinxes for Regan Smith, who is looking to erase more bad memories while competing in this weekend's Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Furniture Row Racing driver is looking to reverse the misfortunes that he encountered at the last two Brickyard races.
"Taking in all factors about Sunday's race, I truly feel that our Furniture Row Chevy has the potential to do something special at Indy," said Smith. "We had a pretty good run going there last year until a mechanical issue spoiled our day, which was also the case the year before."
Smith was running inside the top-15 at last year's Brickyard 400, but at the mid-point of the race (Lap 101 of 200) smoke started to fill his cockpit due to a burned rear-end gear. After a number of unscheduled pit stops and a trip to the garage, Smith ended the day with a 33rd-place result.
"I was bummed after last year's race because this is Indy, one of our biggest races, and to see a strong performance go south that quickly was very discouraging," recalled Smith.
The good news for Smith: he does realize that jinxes don't last forever. He seemed to be jinxed at the Daytona 500, but he snapped that problem this year by finishing seventh in February's season-opening race.
A few months later Smith snapped his win jinx. After seeing victory snatched away from him at the 2008 Talladega fall race due to a final-lap passing penalty, Smith rode his Furniture Row machine to a win in May at the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C.
"It's been a pretty good year, but still could be better," stated Smith, who has three-top-10 finishes to go along with his victory. "Yes, we've had some things go our way, but there have also been races that we let a strong performance slip away due to unforced errors. But Indy is a track that we know we can do well on."
Smith will be driving a new Furniture Row Chevrolet at the Brickyard and his crew chief, Pete Rondeau, feels things are in place for a successful weekend.
"I don't like to predict because there are too many variables in this sport," said Rondeau. "What I do know is that we'll be prepared for this weekend, and minus an unforeseen issue, the Furniture Row Chevrolet should have a good day on Sunday. We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves."
Though the mechanical issues the past two years at Indianapolis were scarring for Smith, it doesn't dampen his enthusiasm about racing at the historic 2.5-mile oval.
"Going through the tunnel and then seeing the enormity of Indianapolis Motor Speedway gives you a few chills," said Smith, who started racing as a 4-year-old in central New York. "This is an incredible venue and I am truly honored to have the opportunity to race at this historic track."
###
DENVER, Colo. (July 27, 2011) -- It's been a year of snapping jinxes for Regan Smith, who is looking to erase more bad memories while competing in this weekend's Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Furniture Row Racing driver is looking to reverse the misfortunes that he encountered at the last two Brickyard races.
"Taking in all factors about Sunday's race, I truly feel that our Furniture Row Chevy has the potential to do something special at Indy," said Smith. "We had a pretty good run going there last year until a mechanical issue spoiled our day, which was also the case the year before."
Smith was running inside the top-15 at last year's Brickyard 400, but at the mid-point of the race (Lap 101 of 200) smoke started to fill his cockpit due to a burned rear-end gear. After a number of unscheduled pit stops and a trip to the garage, Smith ended the day with a 33rd-place result.
"I was bummed after last year's race because this is Indy, one of our biggest races, and to see a strong performance go south that quickly was very discouraging," recalled Smith.
The good news for Smith: he does realize that jinxes don't last forever. He seemed to be jinxed at the Daytona 500, but he snapped that problem this year by finishing seventh in February's season-opening race.
A few months later Smith snapped his win jinx. After seeing victory snatched away from him at the 2008 Talladega fall race due to a final-lap passing penalty, Smith rode his Furniture Row machine to a win in May at the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C.
"It's been a pretty good year, but still could be better," stated Smith, who has three-top-10 finishes to go along with his victory. "Yes, we've had some things go our way, but there have also been races that we let a strong performance slip away due to unforced errors. But Indy is a track that we know we can do well on."
Smith will be driving a new Furniture Row Chevrolet at the Brickyard and his crew chief, Pete Rondeau, feels things are in place for a successful weekend.
"I don't like to predict because there are too many variables in this sport," said Rondeau. "What I do know is that we'll be prepared for this weekend, and minus an unforeseen issue, the Furniture Row Chevrolet should have a good day on Sunday. We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves."
Though the mechanical issues the past two years at Indianapolis were scarring for Smith, it doesn't dampen his enthusiasm about racing at the historic 2.5-mile oval.
"Going through the tunnel and then seeing the enormity of Indianapolis Motor Speedway gives you a few chills," said Smith, who started racing as a 4-year-old in central New York. "This is an incredible venue and I am truly honored to have the opportunity to race at this historic track."
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-530.htm
Parker Kligerman Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Kyle Eugene Petty
HRT to use Qing Hua in Silverstone test
Chinese Ma Qing Hua will run with the HRT team during the young driver test at Silverstone, the Spanish squad has announced. Qing Hua, 24, joined HRT's new driver development programme last month. The team said the testing programme for the Shanghai-born racer, including the days he drives on, will be specified and confirmed further ahead.
Eddie Johnson Jim Hurtubise Mark Anthony Martin Peter de Klerk
Smith Finishes 22nd in Texas
FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 7, 2010) -- Regan Smith posted a 22nd-place result in Sunday's AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race.
Smith was in position to pull off another top-15 finish as he did in three of the past four races, but a lack of grip pushed him backwards -- from 14th to 22nd -- in the final three-lap restart at Texas Motor Speedway.
"We took two tires on the final pit stop which was the right call, but we had a grip issue during those last three laps," said Smith. "We fought handling problems for most of the race, but when it got dark and cooler air the Furniture Row Chevrolet did pick up the pace. As we said before the race anything less than a top-15 finish would not meet our objective. We aim to get back to top-15s in the final two races of the season at Phoenix and Homestead."
Though the finish didn't meet the team's top-15 finishing goal, crew chief Pete Rondeau felt there were positives that took place during the weekend for the Denver, Colo-based team.
"We had a top-15 in sight at the end, but we had too many issues to deal with and fell off the pace by a little," explained Rondeau. "But the weekend overall wasn't that bad for our Furniture Row Racing team. We had solid practices on Friday and Saturday and posted our best qualifying effort (eighth) of the season. We have a good idea of the things that didn't work out in the race and we'll correct those issues and move on."
The race winner was Denny Hamlin, who took over the Chase lead -- 33 points in front of second-place Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top-five finishers in order were: Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Joey Logano and Greg Biffle.
The next Sprint Cup race is Sunday Nov. 14 at Phoenix International Raceway. The final race is the following Sunday (Nov. 21) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-452.htm
Stefan Johansson Gregory Jack Biffle Kurt Thomas Busch Tony Gaze
Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby Dies at the Age of 89
Carroll Shelby, automotive legend and Mustang car builder, has passed away. According to reports, Shelby, who was 89 years old, passed away yesterday at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. The cause of death was not disclosed.
"We are all deeply saddened, and feel a tremendous sense of loss for Carroll's family, ourselves and the entire automotive industry," said Joe Conway, president of Carroll Shelby International, Inc. and board member. "There has been no one like Carroll Shelby and never will be. However, we promised Carroll we would carry on, and he put the team, the products and the vision in place to do just that."
As fate would have it, I was on a plane traveling hundreds of miles an hour at 30,000 feet when I received the news. Just like a jet airplane, Shelby was fast, and his cars were fast. He was, and always will be, an inspiration to this Ford Mustang enthusiast from Texas. No doubt, he will be greatly missed by me, and many others around the world.
Shelby is survived by his three children Patrick, Michael and Sharon, his sister Anne Shelby Ellison of Fort Worth and his wife Cleo. Funeral plans are not currently available. Donations to the Carroll Shelby Foundation are encouraged in lieu of flowers. Information about the Carroll Shelby Foundation is available at www.carrollshelbyfoundation.org.
Related
Carroll Shelby Profile - A Profile of Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby
Photo by Jonathan P. Lamas
Source: http://mustangs.about.com/b/2012/05/11/automotive-legend-carroll-shelby-dies-at-the-age-of-89.htm
Joe Kelly Ignazio Giunti Charles Robert Hamilton V Gary Hocking
Ford Mustang Facebook Page Breaks 4 Million Fans Mark
This week Ford Motor Company announced that its Ford Mustang Facebook page has surpassed the 4 million fans mark. That makes it the number one Facebook fanbase for vehicle nameplates on the world's largest social network. Ford reports that a mix of awareness advertising through first-in-industry Facebook paid media advertising video units, coupled with strong content and affinity for an iconic brand all contribute to reaching approximately 1.6 million people per week.
Ford Digital Marketing Manager Thomais Zaremba said, "Facebook is a social network that exceeds 750 million users. We know there are more Mustang fans out there, and we look forward to inviting them to our Facebook community." She added, "We'll see everyone at 5 million."
Meanwhile, a look at the rival Camaro's official Facebook page revealed around 2.8 million fans. Go Mustang!
Source: Ford Motor Company
Source: http://mustangs.about.com/b/2012/05/23/ford-mustang-facebook-page-breaks-4-million-fans-mark.htm
Patrick Gaillard Ruby Tuesday Dodge Olivier Grouillard Danny Kladis
05/24/2012
Formula One Canadian Grand Prix 2012
The Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada covers a total distance of 305.270 km, made up of 70 laps of 4.361 km. Rubens Barrichello set the lap record of 1:13.622 in 2004.
Related posts:
Source: http://www.autoracing.com/blog/formula-one-canadian-grand-prix/
Kasey Kenneth Kahne Paul Goldsmith David Hampshire Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Boost levels unchanged for Indy 500
IndyCar has confirmed that it will not change the boost levels for this weekend's Indy 500 for what it describes as "competition and safety" reasons. The series mandates a boost level of 130 kilopascals for Superspeedway events, although it added an additional 10 kPa for Fast Friday and both days of qualifying last week, resulting in an estimated 40-50 extra horsepower and speeds of more than 226mph
Eddie Keizan Karl Kling Joseph Francis Nemechek III Walt Hansgen
Danica Patrick crashes Sam Hornish Jr. after checkered flag at Talladega
Follow Nick Bromberg on Twitter.
Danica Patrick retaliated against Sam Hornish Jr., sending him into the wall in Turn 1 after the two drivers had taken the checkered flag in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Talladega.
The two drivers were racing for position through the tri-oval of the 2.66-mile superspeedway on the final lap with Patrick outside of Hornish. As it looked like Patrick got close to Hornish and Elliott Sadler in an attempt to side draft off the two cars, Hornish moved up to protect his position and, in the process, both cars hit the wall. Patrick took exception to the move and as the cars slowed entering Turn 1 on the cool-down lap, she rammed into his back bumper and turned him into the fence.
Hornish said after the race that he had a flat tire from contact with Joe Nemechek the lap before.
The two are very familiar with each other. Before Hornish ? and subsequently Patrick ? moved to NASCAR, the two raced against each other in the Izod IndyCar Series. And the two raced against each other even before that as kids, where Patrick and Hornish once crashed battling each other for the lead on the last lap.
Both Patrick and Hornish spent time, albeit briefly, at the front during Saturday's race, and both saw their chances at a win end in late race incidents. Patrick was collected in "The Big One" on the first Green-White-Checker finish attempt while Hornish and Nemechek had their get-together.
Joey Logano won the race, nipping Kyle Busch.
Patrick will make her second Sprint Cup Series start of the season next week at Darlington Raceway.
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HWR Double Down Again
HayWire Motorsports plan to field two cars at Evergreen Speedway this coming weekend as both Tommy Rasmussen and "Terrible" Tim McDougald return to action in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model class.
The #92 Mo-Dane Trucking / RPM Sales & Service / Vital Signs Chevrolet Impala and driver Tommy Rasmussen return after a solid run in the season opener that left Rasmussen counting the days until he could get back to the track and back in the action. Building off his early season momentum, Rasmussen looks to build on that finish and make a run at the podium this time out.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RaceScene/~3/mFQcifAF8Bw/28614-hwr-double-down-again.html
Olivier Grouillard Danny Kladis Bill Homeier Kerry Dale Earnhardt
Smith to Conduct Autograph Session
Regan Smith to Conduct Autograph Session at
Charlotte's New Furniture Row Shopping Center
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 28, 2011) -- As a continuation of its grand-opening celebration, the new Furniture Row Shopping Center in Charlotte announced that Regan Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will conduct a public autograph signing Wednesday, March 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. ET.
The autograph session will take place in Oak Express at the four-store Furniture Row Shopping Center, located at 8215 Ikea Blvd (exit 43, City Blvd. off of I-85). Along with Oak Express the shopping center stores include Sofa Mart, Bedroom Expressions and Denver Mattress.
Smith, who was a contender in the recent Daytona 500 before a late-race accident pushed him back to a seventh-place finish, will sign Furniture Row Racing autograph cards during the 90-minute session.
Furniture Row Racing apparel and die-cast cars will be available for sale at the signing.
The Charlotte Furniture Row Shopping Center received rave reviews following a breakfast for national motorsports media in January during Charlotte Motor Speedway's Media Tour.
Operating more than 330 stores in 31 states, the Furniture Row Companies make up one of the largest family owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. Furniture Row is dedicated to donating to charitable organizations such as World Vision, The Salvation Army and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. For more information, please visit http://www.FurnitureRow.com.
For information about Regan Smith and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team visit: http://www.FurnitureRowRacing.com.
###
Charlotte's New Furniture Row Shopping Center
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 28, 2011) -- As a continuation of its grand-opening celebration, the new Furniture Row Shopping Center in Charlotte announced that Regan Smith, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will conduct a public autograph signing Wednesday, March 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. ET.
The autograph session will take place in Oak Express at the four-store Furniture Row Shopping Center, located at 8215 Ikea Blvd (exit 43, City Blvd. off of I-85). Along with Oak Express the shopping center stores include Sofa Mart, Bedroom Expressions and Denver Mattress.
Smith, who was a contender in the recent Daytona 500 before a late-race accident pushed him back to a seventh-place finish, will sign Furniture Row Racing autograph cards during the 90-minute session.
Furniture Row Racing apparel and die-cast cars will be available for sale at the signing.
The Charlotte Furniture Row Shopping Center received rave reviews following a breakfast for national motorsports media in January during Charlotte Motor Speedway's Media Tour.
Operating more than 330 stores in 31 states, the Furniture Row Companies make up one of the largest family owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. Furniture Row is dedicated to donating to charitable organizations such as World Vision, The Salvation Army and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. For more information, please visit http://www.FurnitureRow.com.
For information about Regan Smith and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team visit: http://www.FurnitureRowRacing.com.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-473.htm
Jean Marc Gounon Naoki Hattori Stefan Johansson Gregory Jack Biffle
Taking Farm American to the Heartland
Taking Farm American to the Heartland,
Smith Aiming for More Consistency, Better Results
DENVER, Colo. (Oct. 5, 2011) -- Regan Smith's goal for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway is not only to better a string of successful finishes, but also to promote the Farm American program, which will once again be showcased on his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet.
It will be the third of a recent three-race Farm American schedule for Furniture Row Racing and its financial partner Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers of St. Johns, Mich.
The race in America's Heartland is a fitting place for Furniture Row Racing and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers to support Farm American, which is an effort to bring awareness to the importance of keeping America's food supply produced in the United States.
Smith, who has four consecutive top-20 finishes, including a 10th at New Hampshire two weeks ago, said the recent performances are close to what the single-car team wants to accomplish in the closing races of the 2011 season.
"While the 12 Chase drivers are concentrating on winning a championship, our focus is to get a jump on the 2012 season," said Smith. "We've been making steady improvement, but one thing that we need to improve upon is consistency. So far, we're making progress in that area and we need to know that we can be consistent heading into 2012."
Smith's finishes in the past four races were: 18th (Richmond), 17th (Chicago), 10th (New Hampshire) and 17th (Dover).
Though he's been consistent, Smith would like to see better results in his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet .
"We really would like to have more top 10s before the season comes to a close," said Smith, whose 2011 record includes one win, two top-fives and five top-10s. "Kansas is a mile-and-a-half track and we like the intermediate venues, but need to have better results on them.
"Kansas would be a great place to step it up, especially with having Farm American on the car. Furniture Row Racing and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers have been utilizing our race team to connect agriculture messaging to NASCAR fans. We want our agriculture jobs and food supply to remain here in the U.S."
In his most recent trip to Kansas Speedway for the June Cup race, Smith qualified 11th and was running in the top-15 before a pit-road miscue sent him to the back of the field and a 24th-place finish.
"We proved we can qualify strong and run well at Kansas," explained Smith. "We just need to avoid mistakes and mechanical issues."
###
Smith Aiming for More Consistency, Better Results
DENVER, Colo. (Oct. 5, 2011) -- Regan Smith's goal for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway is not only to better a string of successful finishes, but also to promote the Farm American program, which will once again be showcased on his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet.
It will be the third of a recent three-race Farm American schedule for Furniture Row Racing and its financial partner Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers of St. Johns, Mich.
The race in America's Heartland is a fitting place for Furniture Row Racing and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers to support Farm American, which is an effort to bring awareness to the importance of keeping America's food supply produced in the United States.
Smith, who has four consecutive top-20 finishes, including a 10th at New Hampshire two weeks ago, said the recent performances are close to what the single-car team wants to accomplish in the closing races of the 2011 season.
"While the 12 Chase drivers are concentrating on winning a championship, our focus is to get a jump on the 2012 season," said Smith. "We've been making steady improvement, but one thing that we need to improve upon is consistency. So far, we're making progress in that area and we need to know that we can be consistent heading into 2012."
Smith's finishes in the past four races were: 18th (Richmond), 17th (Chicago), 10th (New Hampshire) and 17th (Dover).
Though he's been consistent, Smith would like to see better results in his No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet .
"We really would like to have more top 10s before the season comes to a close," said Smith, whose 2011 record includes one win, two top-fives and five top-10s. "Kansas is a mile-and-a-half track and we like the intermediate venues, but need to have better results on them.
"Kansas would be a great place to step it up, especially with having Farm American on the car. Furniture Row Racing and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers have been utilizing our race team to connect agriculture messaging to NASCAR fans. We want our agriculture jobs and food supply to remain here in the U.S."
In his most recent trip to Kansas Speedway for the June Cup race, Smith qualified 11th and was running in the top-15 before a pit-road miscue sent him to the back of the field and a 24th-place finish.
"We proved we can qualify strong and run well at Kansas," explained Smith. "We just need to avoid mistakes and mechanical issues."
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-561.htm
Smith Qualifies 24th in Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. (June 4, 2010) -- Regan Smith will start 24th in Sunday's Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.
In Friday's time trials at the three-turn, 2.5-mile track, Smith's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet recorded a lap time and speed of 53.739 seconds at 167.476 miles per hour.
"We had a good practice in race trim earlier in the day and I am feeling upbeat about Sunday's race," stated Smith, who finished 19th in Charlotte last week. "We continue to make progress as a team and I see no reason why we can't keep up the positive trend."
The pole winner was Kyle Busch (169.485 mph). Rounding out the top-five in order were: Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Sunday's race will be televised on TNT, beginning with a 60-minute prerace show at 10 a.m. MT.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-383.htm
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr David Carl Allison Jo Gartner Bob Gerard
05/23/2012
Rossi hoping for wet French GP
Valentino Rossi reckons the wet weather which is forecast for tomorrow's French Grand Prix could favour Ducati. Having qualified a year-best seventh at Le Mans, Rossi said he was happy with both his showing and the competitiveness of the Ducati - but said he could potentially fare even better if Sunday's race runs, as expected, in the wet. "Today was a bit more positive: we put together yesterday's settings with a few modifications and I improved," Rossi explained
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/rossi-hoping-for-wet-french-gp
Virgil Ernest Irvan III Jesus Iglesias Mike Hawthorn Brian Gubby
Smith Qualifies 13th in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 1, 2010) -- Regan Smith will start 13th in Sunday's Price Chopper 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. It was the fourth straight top-20 qualifying effort for Smith.
In Friday's time trials, Smith's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet toured the 1.5-mile in 31.102 seconds at 173.622 miles per hour.
"My hat's off to this race team for the changes they made after practice, just an awesome job by our crew, led by crew chief Pete Rondeau," said Smith, who was 33rd fastest in practice. "The Furniture Row Chevy was smooth and we got ourselves a decent starting position for Sunday's race. We're off to a solid start and we'll have a couple of practice sessions tomorrow to fine-tune the setup."
The pole winner was Kasey Kahne (174.644 mph). Rounding out the top-five were: Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano and Greg Biffle.
Sunday's race will be televised on ESPN, beginning with a 60-minute prerace show at 10 a.m. MT.
###
Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-437.htm
Carl Edwards miffed about restart penalty that ends chances for win
Carl Edwards thought he was the leader as the field came to a restart on lap 318 of Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR said he wasn't.
You can imagine who won that battle.
Edwards was on the outside of the front row, next to Tony Stewart, who was the actual race leader. After the pace car pulled off the track, Edwards accelerated. Stewart spun his tires.
So instead of the drivers being side-by-side as they crossed the start-finish line, Edwards, who ended up 10th, darted away. However, he wasn't scored as the leader, even though he thought he was and the scoring pylon in the middle of the track said he was, and he was penalized for jumping the restart.
"I am trying not to be too frustrated and stay something stupid. Right before that start, my spotter Jason Hedlesky, was told by the NASCAR officials that 'the 99's the leader. The 99's the leader.' Jason told me, I had a split second to decide what I was going to do. I thought 'OK, NASCAR made a mistake, they lined us up wrong.' I was at a disadvantage to be on the outside so I'm getting the best start I can get right now. I got the best start I can get and it looks like Tony waited or spun his tires, so they black flagged me," Edwards said after the race before visiting with NASCAR officials.
"I still don't understand why they black flagged me. They said we were the leader. I restarted the best I could given the disadvantaged position I was in. So the problem is I don't know if NASCAR is going to take the stance that we shouldn't have started the race first or that I jumped the start, but if they're saying that I jumped the start, that'd be real frustrating because I started the same way I've started all night."
The confusion stemmed from the caution flag falling during the middle of green flag pit stops. Stewart was on pit road when the caution flag flew. Edwards, who led a race-high 206 laps, hadn't made it on to pit road yet, so he was the leader. Because of the green flag stop cycle, only three cars -- Edwards, Stewart and Jimmie Johnson -- were on the lead lap.
Therefore when Edwards stopped, he gave up the lead to Stewart. He started on the front row when Johnson was forced to start at the tail end of the field after being penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation on his stop as the yellow came out. So when Edwards accelerated before Stewart -- and even though it appeared that Stewart spun his tires -- he was penalized for beating the leader to the start/finish line. And according to NASCAR, to top it all off, he had hit the gas before the designated restart zone.
Got all that?
After meeting with NASCAR, according to the AP's Jenna Fryer, Edwards said that he and NASCAR had to agree to disagree.
"We had to just agree to disagree and that's the way it is. They run the sport and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race care and do the very best job I can."
The timing and scoring confusion, according to NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton, came when Edwards' car crossed the start/finish line ahead of Stewart's when there was one lap to go back to the green flag.
Edwards' ensuing pass through penalty put him on the tail-end of the lead lap and eventually a lap down to Stewart. (He got his lap back on the final debris caution with 15 laps to go.) And while it may seem like just desserts to Edwards and crew that Stewart, who finished third, didn't take the checkered flag, they're more likely to rue what could have been for themselves as a promising night disappeared on a single restart.
Smith Qualifies 26th at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Smith Qualifies 26th at Atlanta Motor Speedway
HAMPTON, Ga. (Sept. 3, 2011) -- Regan Smith will start 26th for Sunday night's AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In Saturday afternoon's time trials, Smith's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet toured the 1.54-mile oval in 30.270 seconds at 183.152 miles per hour.
"We improved from practice but paid the penalty by going out early in the qualifying session," said Smith. "The sun was beating down on the track when I went out, and as the session went on the conditions did get better. But I feel pretty good because we improved today in our race-trim setup. We have some ground to make up by starting 26th, but this is a high-speed track where you can pass."
The pole winner was Kasey Kahne (186.196 mph), Rounding out the top-five in order were: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon.
Sunday's 325-lap race will be televised on ESPN, beginning with a 30-minute prerace show at 7 p.m. ET.
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HAMPTON, Ga. (Sept. 3, 2011) -- Regan Smith will start 26th for Sunday night's AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In Saturday afternoon's time trials, Smith's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet toured the 1.54-mile oval in 30.270 seconds at 183.152 miles per hour.
"We improved from practice but paid the penalty by going out early in the qualifying session," said Smith. "The sun was beating down on the track when I went out, and as the session went on the conditions did get better. But I feel pretty good because we improved today in our race-trim setup. We have some ground to make up by starting 26th, but this is a high-speed track where you can pass."
The pole winner was Kasey Kahne (186.196 mph), Rounding out the top-five in order were: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon.
Sunday's 325-lap race will be televised on ESPN, beginning with a 30-minute prerace show at 7 p.m. ET.
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Source: http://www.furniturerowracing.com/headlines_hdetails-547.htm
Ryan Joseph Newman Bruno Giacomelli Christian Klien Jimmie Kenneth Johnson
Kurt Busch tells his side of the story, but is anyone buying it?
On Friday afternoon, Kurt Busch told his side of the Darlington story ? you know, the one where he burned out through the pit stall of Ryan Newman, nearly pancaking his crew, and later ran into Newman's car on pit road. And he offered several perspectives that, on paper (or onscreen, whatever), sound reasonable enough:
? Regarding the idea that Busch tried to run over members of Newman's crew, whether intentionally or not: "Newman left his pit stall a good 10 seconds before I did, and I didn't think there was any reason to think crew guys were in danger," Busch said. "One guy has a problem with it, and it escalated from there." Busch noted that he was trying to beat the pace car to avoid going a lap down, which is a perfectly logical reason for speeding out of a pit box.
? Busch noted that both he and Newman would be battling for the same potential jobs as free agents in a few months, but declined to comment on the idea that Newman might be trying to paint him black in front of future owners.
? While Busch did not apologize to Newman's crew, he gave a curious apology to NASCAR itself: "I apologize to NASCAR for them to have to make a decision on penalizing me."
? The best line: Busch took issue with Newman calling him a liar and "chemically imbalanced," and noted that Newman "needs to check his trophy case on that Daytona 500 trophy that I helped him get years ago."
Sure, it all sounds very reasonable. Could in fact be the straight truth, or at least the truth as Busch himself sees it. But if you're going to believe a story different from your own, you need to give at least some credence to the other side, and Busch has pretty much used up all his goodwill with drivers, officials, sponsors, many fans and the media.
The idea that he wasn't pursuing any kind of aggressive agenda just minutes after the most unhinged on-air rant since Mel Gibson strains credibility, to put it mildly. Busch himself admitted as much when he acknowledged that his "strike zone" is larger than that of other drivers. And for that, he can point the finger in an awful lot of directions, but it always needs to come back to him.
Busch ended the interview after just eight minutes, referencing the pro wrestling/entertainment side of NASCAR on several occasions. It's a dangerous game of speak-your-mind, damn-the-consequences he's playing here, one that could determine his future career prospects.
Busch set his personality-rehab cause back months at Darlington; he's now got work to do once again to convince future owners he's worth a shot. Can he do it? Sure, but as before, it's all on his shoulders. Nobody else's. And it's likely few will be going out of their way to make life easier for him, either.
Bill Holland Jackie Holmes Oscar Gonzalez Jeremy Allan Mayfield
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