NASCAR Newscast: Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

Race Recap: Fellows Wins In The Rain At Montreal

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

MONTREAL, Canada -- "Rain man" Ron Fellows took advantage of pit strategy and an early end to Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 to score the fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of his career -- and his first at a track other than Watkins Glen International.

In the first NASCAR points race on rain tires -- tires constructed in 1999, no less -- Fellows, a road course specialist and a two-time class winner in the rain at Le Mans, held the lead when NASCAR called the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 25 laps short of its scheduled distance of 74 laps.

Fellows, 48, had pitted early on Lap 22 and gradually worked his way to the front, taking the lead when Jacques Villeneuve pitted on Lap 42.

"That was difficult," Fellows said as he climbed from the No. 5 Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports. "We’ve had a little bit of that over in France with the Corvette at Le Mans.

"But this was good fun. Now I’ve got to make Dale Jr. let me run next week (when the NASCAR Nationwide Series goes to Watkins Glen)."

Earnhardt is scheduled to race in the No. 5 Chevy in the NASCAR Nationwide Series next week. Fellows will drive the No. 01 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Sprint Cup race.

Patrick Carpentier, a native of Quebec, finished second for the second straight year at the 2.709-mile road course. Carpentier gained ground after NASCAR red-flagged the race on Lap 8 because of rain and required all cars to change from slicks to rain tires that featured a tread pattern designed to push water away.

"The rain tire -- everybody had questions about it, but it worked," Carpentier said. "I don’t know if I would have wanted to be out there on dry tires that were nine years old, but the (rain) tires held up very well."

Third-place finisher Marcos Ambrose led a race-high 27 laps, but a penalty for speeding on pit road deprived him of the chance to win.

"I feel a little jinxed," Ambrose said. "I felt like I dominated the race. I feel really disappointed. I felt like it was our race today."

Ron Hornaday Jr. ran fourth, followed by Boris Said, Carl Edwards, Jason Leffler, Greg Biffle, series points leader Clint Bowyer and Scott Wimmer.

With the skies getting darker and visibility becoming a major problem, NASCAR called a halt to the proceedings after cars started wrecking under caution. Villeneuve was running sixth when he sustained severe damage to the front end of his Toyota, and minutes later, Joey Logano lost a fourth-place finish when he ran into the lapped car of Alex Garcia.

Notes: Legendary Hollywood stunt man Stan Barrett, who hadn’t competed in a NASCAR race since 1990, qualified 42nd and finished 39th, 14 positions behind his son, Stanton Barrett. That marked the first time since June 30, 2002 -- when Tim Sauter and sons Jay, Johnny and Tim raced together at the Milwaukee Mile -- that a father and son competed in the same NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Barrett, 65, was the first person to exceed the speed of sound in a land vehicle (739.666 mph in 1979). ... Under the third caution of the race, Edwards drove with one hand, and with the other, used a Swiffer to wipe the rain off his windshield. The No. 60 Ford team opted not to mount a windshield wiper when the crew changed to rain tires under the first caution.

CLOSEST FINISH in Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (with video)

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve,Montreal

Close finishes continue to be a common occurrence in the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series as Friday's Montreal 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve produced the narrowest margin yet in series history.

Canadian Mark Wilkins, a native of Toronto, passed another Toronto-born driver, Darren Law, and Spaniard Antonio Garcia on the last of 69 laps when Law ran out of fuel on the main straightaway. It was a first career victory for Wilkins and co-driver Brian Frisselle, as the former beat Garcia to the line by just 0.064secs.

Frisselle had started the AIM machine and jumped from third to first on the opening lap, but contact between him and points leader Scott Pruett sent the #61 Ford Riley spinning to the rear of the field. Undeterred however, Frisselle marched the car quickly back into the top ten, before handing off to Wilkins on lap 23.

“It started off a little bit rough," Frisselle said later, "Scott got into the back of me at the start and spun me around, which pretty much put me dead-last. We came from the back of the pack though and the car was great. I think we had the fastest lap of the race during my stint, and I think I passed all the way to seventh.”

Pruett, meanwhile, kept the #01 Ganassi car out front until his driver change, but Law took the lead from the American's co-driver Memo Rojas on lap 57 and held off Joey Hand – who led a strong charge before retiring after running out of fuel on the final lap – then Garcia and Wilkins. Later on the lap, however, the #58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley slowed as it approached the chequered flag.

Garcia, co-driving for the first time this season with Christian Fittipaldi, tried to go left and then right when he saw Law slow, but Wilkins was already making the pass. Wilkins shot past both drivers, taking the flag first - the only lap the AIM Autosport team led all race. The victory was the first for a Ford engine in the Daytona Prototype class since Barber Motorsports Park in July 2006, and preserved the series' jinx on pole winners, who also have not won a race since late last season.

NASCAR Newscast: Pocono Preview

Lakeland Speedway to Close

USA International Speedway in Lakeland, FL will host the second leg of the Florida Triple Crown late model race this Saturday night, then the track will close its doors.

Track officals have confirmed that the 3/4 mile track will close all operations and be razed to make room for an imdustrial park.

“As far as I know, the owner decided to sell it out,” said an emotional Barry Williams, the track’s operations manager. “All I can say is to come out and watch the race.”

USA Internatial opened in 1995 with camping amenities, aluminum grandstands and lighting comparable to many NASCAR tracks. It hosted races for the Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA), American Speed Association and the season opener and finale for the Hooters Pro Cup Series.

According to the Polk County Property Appraiser’s Web site, the speedway was bought in May 2007 by USA International Speedway Holdings, LLC, which is based out of Clearwater, for $6.2 million.

Corporate agent, Thomas C. Little and track owner Anthony Amoco, both of Clearwater, could not be reached for comment.

USA International Speedway President Billy Martino told the The Ledger in Lakeland that the track had been sold but that specifics regarding the sale, including the purchasing party and amount, would not be disclosed until the official statement is made Monday.

He said it would be torn down and that warehouses would be built on the site.

“It kind of happened fast. It wasn’t planned,” Martino said. “The current owners had a chance to get out, and, with no potential sponsors, it was probably a good business decision.”

Martino said that after the death of Robert Brooks, founder of the Hooters of America restaurant chain and the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Hooters decided to take their marketing in a direction that lessened its focus on racing.

As a result, the speedway lost its primary Hooters sponsorship and the number of USAR Pro Cup races scheduled at USA Speedway was cut.

“We had about a year to prolong this and make it work,” Martino said. “The highest use for this track is just not racing.”

In the end, the economic reality forced USA Speedway’s owners to sell.

Martino added that there won’t be any extra festivities during this weekend’s race to celebrate the track. He said they plan to go out silently with the final race.

“It’s emotional for me,” Martino said. “I’ve been here for 25 years. I’ve tried hard to keep it alive. … It’s the end of an era. It’s the last checkered flag at USA International Speedway.”

There are still three events on the schedule at USA Speedway after this weekend’s race, including a FASCAR race scheduled for September and a USAR Pro Cup race in October. Martino said both will be rescheduled and moved to other sites.

An auction will be held at the speedway Aug. 9.

Fans will be invited to bid on pieces of Polk County racing history. Martino said that everything, down to the pens on his desk, would be for sale. The only possible exception to that might be the concrete slab that is dedicated to the Nemechek family. Martino said the slab would be given to the Nemechek family if they wanted it.

“That’s pretty cool that they even thought about that,” said NASCAR Sprint Cup

driver and Lakeland native Joe Nemechek. He said he wasn’t sure how moving something like that would even be possible.

News of the track’s closing reached Ocala Speedway owner Mike Peters early Wednesday. He said that the buyers in 2007 had plans for the property that did not involve racing.

“It happens in this business,” he said. “It’s a difficult business to be in.”

Race Recap: Kyle Busch Wins Record 15th Race Of Year With VIctory At ORP

By Amanda Brahler
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

CLERMONT, Ind. (July 26, 2008) -- Kyle Busch led 197 of 200 laps in winning the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday night and captured his his series-leading sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the season.

Busch now has 15 wins across NASCAR's top three series, surpassing the record set by two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Kevin Harvick in 2006. It was the 14th NASCAR Nationwide Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing this season, also a new NASCAR Nationwide Series mark, and the 15th win overall for Toyota. Richard Childress Racing had 13 wins last season.

"I was kind of disappointed because I feel like that 15 horsepower cost me the pole," Busch said. "I really got to thank my competitors for doing the complaining they did, because we were able to have good traction control all night long. I feel like that was important, to get off the corners a little bit better than everybody," Busch said from victory lane.

Had Busch not been around, Roush Fenway Racing's up-and-comer, polesitter Colin Braun, 19, may have walked away with his first piece of NASCAR hardware but instead settled for second. Mike Bliss, despite spinning in Turn 2 on Lap 22, came back to finish third, while Scott Wimmer and Josh Wise finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Wise's finish was the best of his series career.

Rookie Cale Gale was sixth, also scoring his best finish to date, besting an eighth-place run earlier this season in Nashville. Fellow rookie Landon Cassill, working with a new crew chief this week in Cam Strader, finished seventh. Busch's JGR teammate Joey Logano, David Ragan and Steve Wallace rounded out the top 10.

There were seven caution flags through the event, four of them coming within the last 100 laps. On Lap 119, Indiana native Bryan Clauson was involved in a wreck after contact from Brad Keselowski. Nearly simultaneously, Kelly Bires smacked the wall after cutting a tire in Turn 3.

The remainder of the caution flags were single-car incidents.

Clint Bowyer continues to lead Keselowski in the season standings with a 173-point lead. Neither driver was a factor during the 200-mile race, with Bowyer finishing 18th and Keselowski 19th.

Race Recap: Benson Holds Off Hornaday For Second Straight Win

By Amanda Brahler
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

CLERMONT, Ind. (July 25, 2008) -- Johnny Benson claimed his second straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on Friday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, holding off the challenge of Ron Hornaday, Jr. during a final two-lap run to the checkered flag in the Power Stroke Diesel 200.

Benson has claimed three wins this season in the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota, all falling over the last four races. He was also the 10th different winner in the last 10 truck races at ORP.

Benson started the race eighth, the farthest back any truck series driver has started and won. Previously, nobody had won the event starting outside the top five.

Though falling short at the finish, Hornaday dominated the event, taking the lead from polesitter Bobby East on Lap 5. He led a race-high 153 laps before Benson swooped in for the lead by using the high lane in Turn 2 on Lap 162.

"There was no doubt we were the best two trucks," Benson said of himself and Hornaday from victory lane. "I started running his groove, it wasn't too bad. We made that pass on the outside of Ron. I didn't think it was going to stick."

Erik Darnell and Matt Crafton finished third and fourth, while Crafton's ThorSport Racing teammate Shelby Howard, who will make his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the season Saturday -- the first for NCTS staple ThorSport -- was a career-best fifth. The race also marked the first time that both ThorSport teams finished in the top five.

There were 11 caution flags through the event, with Kyle Busch again stirring up some controversy after he sent Chad McCumbee into the wall on Lap 136.

With 13 laps remaining, on Lap 187, Crafton got into Todd Bodine between Turns 1 and 2. Bodine hit the wall, also collecting Jack Sprague. The caution set up a restart on Lap 192, lining the field up for a single-file restart.

Hornaday was given one more chance to reclaim the lead as the 11th caution flag of the night dropped on Lap 195 when Benson's Bill Davis Racing teammate, Michael Annett, spun while pressuring Rick Crawford for the third position.

The final restart fell on Lap 198 of the 200-lap race. Hornaday gathered a final charge at Benson but his Chevrolet slipped high, allowing Benson to pull away.

Benson now leads Hornaday by 15 points in the season standings.

Brendan Gaughan, T.J.Bell, Busch, Mansfield winner Donny Lia and Mike Skinner closed out the top 10.

Was Newman Fired?

Former Penske driver, Rusty Wallace, is saying that the reports that Ryan Newman asked to part ways with Penske Racing is untrue, Wallace is saying that in fact Ryan Newman was fired. On July 14, 2008 Ryan Newman announced that Roger Penske and him had ""mutually agreed" that Newman would leave the #12 Alltel Dodge after the 2008 season.

Rusty Wallace said this:


"He didn't leave, I've read many, many stories that said that. Roger Penske called Ryan Newman up to his office and said I don't need your services next year. Ryan Newman didn't come to him and say I'm leaving. You all need to write about that. That's exactly how it went down. I love Roger Penske, so I'm going to help clear up the story for him."

More From Wallace,

"I read the official press release from Penske when it came out,'' Wallace said. "Roger doesn't like anybody telling him that his equipment is junk. Obviously, Ryan and I never got along. That's for sure. You guys all know that. This guy (Penske) will give anybody anything they want. Engineers, whatever. Ryan knows that. We hyped up forever and ever that he is the engineer. For years and years. And they can't get that car figured out. I talked to Roger. He didn't like it. He didn't like all the negative stuff. I knew that they needed to move on quick. That's the key. He needed to move on and find a driver rather than Ryan saying I don't know if I want to come back, I might or I might not. Roger is not like that. He's not going to be held hostage by somebody else. You're in or you're out. There's no waffling, and Ryan was waffling. Roger says I'm not waiting, I'm moving."

Ryan Newman has been rumored to join Tony Stewart and the newly formed Stewart/Hass Racing team in 2009. When asked about the comments from Rusty Wallace this is what Newman had to say,

"I don't know what Rusty's grounds are, what he's trying to prove by saying that," Newman said. "That wasn't the case. Point blank. Roger and I decided mutually to not continue. It was more my decision than it was his. I had said our goals didn't align and for that reason and that reason alone, we decided not to continue after 2008."

NASCAR Newscast: Indianapolis Preview

Stremme to Penske?

Sources close to Stock Car News, are saying that driver David Stremme will be announced as the new driver of the #12 Penske Dodge in 2009. Current driver Ryan Newman is leaving Penske after the 2008 season to reported go to the newly formed Stewart/Hass Racing.

Stremme, who drove for Chip Ganassi Racing, before being released at the end of last season, has been a test driver for Penske this year.

Stremme is also currently running in the Rusty Wallace Racing #64 in the Nationwide series