Last May, Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday in style by winning the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway, making a late surge in the Crown Royal 400 and coming away with his third win of the 2009 Sprint Cup season. Busch battled to the wire with Tony Stewart at last year’s Crown Royal 400 and ultimately brought home the victory, but can he do it again this year?
Busch has had a relatively quiet 2010 so far, finishing in the middle of the pack for most of this year’s Cup Series races. The Joe Gibbs Racing extraordinaire has had only a lukewarm year so far in his No. 18 stock car, placing 14th at Daytona, 6th at Fontana, 15th at Las Vegas, 25th at Atlanta, 9th at Bristol and 22nd at Martinsville. His slow start to the ’10 season has perhaps been discouraging for the explosive driver, but he’ll be out to reclaim the throne on May 1, when this year’s Crown Royal 400 comes plowing through Richmond.
So far this year, nationwide NASCAR news has focused on one specific driver more than any others: Jimmie Johnson. The reigning Sprint Cup Series champion is out to seek his fifth consecutive series championship, and he’s already ahead on the standings chart after dominating the month of March with early wins at Fontana, Las Vegas and Bristol (as of March 29).
While Johnson is currently in first place in Cup Series standings, he’s still in a close race with the other Top 12 drivers, which include (in descending order) Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Paul Menard and Brian Vickers. Kyle Busch is currently sitting down the stretch at No. 16, but perhaps all Busch needs is someone or something to light a fire underneath him to gain back footing on the Sprint Cup circuit.
For now, Kyle Busch will continue to keep his focus locked in on the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond on May 1, and the young driver will attempt a comeback to jet into the front of the pack after a tumultuous start to the 2010 season. Busch has been a main seller of Crown Royal 400 tickets since 2005, when he began racing Sprint Cup courses on a regular basis, and he’ll continue to draw NASCAR fans to the racetrack in Richmond this May when he starts his engine at the upcoming Crown Royal 400.
As the reigning champion of the 2009 Crown Royal 400, Kyle Busch has to step up his game if he wants to make an impact on this year’s Richmond race. No. 18 has yet to place in the Top Five at any race this season, but with the Crown Royal 400 coming into focus, this could all change and momentum could swing in Busch’s favor for the next part of the NASCAR schedule, which will see races in Phoenix, Texas and Talladega before cruising into Richmond.
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Posted on September 3rd, 2010 by Nascar News
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What started out as a way for airmen in the 1950s to pass the time has turned into a popular worldwide sport for many. Go carts have quickly become a phenomenon all over the globe. With most historians giving Art Ingels the credit for inventing the go cart, he built his very first one back in 1956. But that first go cart was nothing compared to the models we have today. Newer more modern go carts can now travel 160 mph or faster. Now that’s amazing.This miniature Formula One racing machine is referred to by a lot of names including go carts, go karts, go-carts, shifter carts, gocarts, gokarts, enduro carts, and a number of other ways. But one thing is for sure, getting behind the wheel of one of them is exciting. Go carts are related to open-wheel Formula One or Indy Car racing. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to race a Formula 1 or Indy Car, while still being as safe as possible, go carts would be your best bet. And that’s probably what Michael Schumacher, Sarah Fisher, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart and Kyle Petty all thought when they were kids. They all started their racing careers in go carts. With speeds as high as 160 mph these little machines can travel as fast as the professional race car drivers do on many of their tracks. There are many different options available today for people that want an exciting vehicle to drive. There are ATVs, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds, go peds, mini bikes and motorcycles. But go carts are the closest thing you will find to the thrill of Formula 1, NASCAR or Indy Car racing. They are small open-wheeled vehicles with 4 wheels and no suspension. Instead of a suspension they rely on chassis flex. They are basically a smaller version of the professional open wheel race cars.Many hopefuls who dream of one day racing at the pro level will get their start in go carting. Go carts can be a stepping stone to professional Formula One or Indy Car racing. The reason is that there are many different classes in go carting. No matter what level of experience you have there is a class for you. And as you improve you can move up to increasingly higher classes with greater competition. If you can get to the top in a go cart you may have what it takes for Formula 1 or Indy.Professional racing is a very expensive sport. But with go carts drivers can get involved on a shoestring budget. It’s a cheaper way to get involved with racing. Find out if you have what it takes without breaking the bank to do it.But go carting is not only for the professionally-minded drivers. Go carts are usually driven by non-professionals, people just like you or me, out for a good time and a lot of excitement. Because anyone can drive one, regardless of their experience level, go carts have become extremely popular all over the world. They can be found in just about every large city either in family fun centers or other venues. A go cart is made up of a chassis, motor, transmission, seat and 4 tires and a few other odds and ends. As mentioned earlier they have no suspension. The chassis must provide the stiffness and also enough flexibility to allow the cart to grip the road well on the straightaways as well as in the turns. The chassis can be either open or caged. The caged chassis allows protection for the driver in the event of a rollover while the open chassis does not. The cage performs a similar function as does a roll bar.Engines used in carting are typically either 2-stroke or 4-stroke. They are made by manufacturers such as Honda or Briggs and Stratton among others. You would think that the 4-stroke engines would be more powerful than the 2-stroke engines, but that’s not usually the case.If you have ever wondered how fast go carts can travel you will be amazed at the top speeds. Sprint carts can usually get up to about 60 mph while the more powerful enduro carts can reach a top speed of about 90 mph. And if that’s not fast enough for you how about the shifter karts that reach top speeds of 160 mph or more. You heard right, that is not a misprint and these are certainly not toys. Transmissions differ from cart to cart, but the shifter carts use a manual transmission with a clutch that allows the driver to get the most out of the motor. It seems as though every part of the go cart has become a separate entity, a specialized piece of equipment with different options available to the purchaser. And with regard to the tires they are certainly no exception. In dry weather slicks are used. They are smooth tires that grip the road well. And as they heat up while driving they get even better traction. During wet weather tires with treads are needed. These are called rain tires. And of course, how could any respectable driver racing on ice do without specialized spiked tires? That’s correct, there are even go cart races on ice in some parts of the world. With the many different levels available for drivers today anyone can race at a comfortable level. And the sky is the limit to a talented driver. With a lot of practice, a bunch of talent and a little luck you might find yourself racing alongside Tony Stewart someday. It’s certainly possible.
Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by Nascar News
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As the stars of NASCAR are revving their engines for the 2006 racing season, Chevy Racing will be celebrating it’s success on the track with a new advertising campaign set to kick off during the televised Daytona 500 race. Boasting about their 25 wins in the last 33 Manufacturer’s Cup Championships, Chevy racing plans to focus on the fact that they have won more than any other automobile manufacturer while dominating one of the most popular sports in America.The new Chevy Racing campaign unveils “Team Chevy,” which is an exclusive club consisting of some of NASCAR’s brightest stars and their participation using the Chevy Monte Carlo SS racing machine. While retaining it’s “American Revolution” tag line, Chevy also plans to incorporate a touch of humor with it’s new campaign.During the first commercial ad spot, fans will see “Toast.” This promo features Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart as they enjoy celebrating recent Team Chevy victories. As these superstars relive their wins, they incorporate NASCAR’s victory celebration into the crowd. As they spray champagne into the crowd of cheering fans, they also pour their champagne over the heads. The latter is customary for the victor in a NASCAR race, but Chevy decided to add a twist by spraying the fans, as well.During the second televised spot, titled “Office,” Team Chevy once again showcases their racing dominance as Chevy’s Racing Director, Terry, searches for space to display the latest awards for current NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart. As he searches all around, he finds that every inch of space is already occupied with trophies. But, perhaps there is room somewherel . . . .”Chevy Racing is all about a passion for racing and winning and that excitement extends to our vehicle lineup, which is now America’s No. 1-selling automotive brand,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager. “Deutsch found a simple, clear way to deliver that message with a couple of great humorous twists.” Chevy and NASCAR fans will get their first glance at the new advertising campaign during the NBC televised Daytona 500 event on February 19, 2006. Ads will appear nationally on both NBC and Fox. Printed ads, in conjunction with those being televised, will appear in USA today and in various racing program guides.Chevrolet is the bestselling automotive brand in the United States. With the largest dealer network in America, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and in the sale of vehicles priced at $35,000 and above. In addition, Chevy offers expressive design, valued pricing and spirited performance with features found only in the more expensive automobiles.
Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by Nascar News
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NASCAR betting on Sunday will feature one of its two road course races of the season from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA with Save Mart 350 odds. Jeff Gordon +700, Juan Pablo Montoya +850 and Tony Stewart +500 opened as favorites at online sportsbooks while Kyle Busch is at +1800. Jeff Gordon is currently 7th in the Sprint Cup standings race and is one of the best road course drivers on the circuit. Gordon has 9 career road course wins including 5 at Infineon Raceway. He has a total of 10 top 5 finishes in NASCAR betting and has been in the top 10 in his last 4 runs in this race with a win in 2006 and a 9th place finish in 2009.
Stewart is also renowned for his ability on road courses and will draw lots of NASCAR betting action at online sportsbooks. Stewart has 7 career road course wins including 2 at Infineon Raceway. Last year he finished 2nd at Infineon and has been in the top 10 in 4 out of the last 5 years. Stewart ranks 11th in the Sprint Cup race so far. Montoya was well hyped when he came to NASCAR from the Formula One circuit. His experience at Formula One makes him a threat to win at Infineon, Montoya has already 1 win there and an average finish of 4th. Bet Jeff Gordon +700 as the NASCAR betting favorite in Save Mart 350 odds for Sunday’s race on TNT with up to a 20% deposit bonus
Montoya has finished 6th in his last two races at Infineon. He is 20th in the Sprint Cup standings. Kyle Busch is 2nd in the Sprint Cup standings so far and has 1 career win at Infineon, where he has struggled with an average finish of 16th. Marcos Ambrose comes in next at online sportsbooks at +350 in NASCAR betting odds. He finished 3rd at Infineon last year and is a road course specialist. Sportsbooks have Sprint Cup leader Kevin Harvick at +1300 and Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson at +500. Bet Juan Pablo Montoya +850 as a NASCAR betting favorite in Save Mart 350 odds for Sunday’s race at Infineon with up to a 260% in total bonuses.
Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by Nascar News
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