Jessica Zemken won her first American Sprint Car Series feature on Saturday at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
Zemken started from the pole after winning the dash, but didn't take the lead until only 7 laps remained in the 25 lap feature.
Zemken performed a wing dance in victory lane to celebrate her win. Zemken selects her races carefully, and in the past has attempted to compete at the Knoxville Nationals.
Maybe there'll eventually be a 4th woman in IRL? Or maybe Nascar needs to take notice?
Originally Posted on foxsports.com on June 5, 2007.
Danica Patrick was Miffed. She fumed. She stomped up to give Dan Wheldon a piece of her mind. She raised her voice and her eyebrows, dramatically making her point. Danica went so far as to push Wheldon to make sure he got it. Wheldon's reaction?
He ignored her. Like the leftovers you don't want to eat after you get home, and then fester in your refridgerator.
Danica was upset that Dan and Dario Franchitti hadn't let her pass them on the track. Wheldon went so far as to bump her car. She managed to keep it off the wall, and finished the race. But she was upset.
Unfortunately, she hadn't mastered the Jeff Gordon Bristol shove. Back to the drawing board, Danica! You did much better slapping Jacque Lazier.
Meanwhile, at the rain delayed Nascar race, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch had another round of "Oh, yeah, well, take that!" which usually ends with both cars wrecked and ruining a good finish.
However, this version amped up the typical slugfest when Busch bumped into Stewart. On pit road. While Jason Lee, a crewmember, was on the right fender.
Lee had to jump onto the hood to avoid being crushed by Busch's car. Never fear, it appears Lee gave Busch an earful after it happened, and he wasn't hurt.
Both sides are claiming the other is at fault.
The IRL announced neither Danica or Dan would be penalized.
Nascar parked Busch at the time of the offense, but penalties could be handed down tomorrow. Busch's problem is that a crew member on pit road nearly got hurt and it was clearly intentional behavior.
The on-track incident is likely to be considered "just racing" even if you could see the outcome watching the two race without giving.
I think Busch could be up for a signficant penalty. Maybe even a suspension.
After all, if Junior loses 100 points and his crew chief for 6 races for tinkering with the COT, which didn't almost injure someone, shouldn't intentional behavior which comes within inches of harming a teammember be worth more?
Originally Posted on June 3, 2007 on foxsports.com
I can't avoid rain delays this weekend. First, my Friday night racing was cancelled by rain. Saturday was questionable, and threatened the entire time by ominous clouds. Today's Nascar race was ultimately postponed until tomorrow because of rain.
I can't decide if it is more frustrating to get there and have it cancelled, or to stay home assuming it will be cancelled and it isn't.
This is at least the third Cup race this season that has been postponed due to rain. Nascar's policy is to have the race the next day, usually starting early. I've never attended a Cup race that was postponed, but I have gambled on flight times and hotel rooms that I wouldn't have to stay. I've heard fans complain bitterly about the next day start, as though there were other weekends the event could be rescheduled.
The local tracks occasionally reschedule, but typically do not. The loss of racing dates effects the employees, who potentially lose income; competitors, who lose potential winnings and points toward championships; and fans, who may lose the one opportunity they have to go to the race track.
I should be glad that I saved money and had a nice night at home, but I would've rather been at the track...
Originally posted on foxsports.com on May 30, 2007
Many news outlets trumpeted that Joe Gibbs Racing was not willing to take in Budweiser as a primary sponsor if Junior comes on board at the organization. Gibbs apparently feels that given his faith, the Bud sponsorship would send an inappropriate message. Some commentators and fans think this means the Gibbs-Junior deal is a non-starter and that Junior will land somewhere else.
But is the Junior-Budweiser marriage a permanent deal? Will Junior take Bud with him when he leaves DEI or is there a possibility that Bud will stay at DEI or even go elsewhere? Should Junior try to take Bud with him when he leaves or is he better off without them?
If Junior requires Budweiser as his sponsor, won't that really limit his options? Penske has fielded the Miller Lite team for years. What are the odds that Miller will agree to let its biggest competitor sponsor another car at Penske?
At Richard Childress Racing, Jack Daniels is a primary sponsor of the #07. While this isn't a beer sponsor, it is another alcohol company. Roush has Crown Royal as an associate sponsor (assuming Biffle leaves and Jack dumps someone else). Chip Ganassi has the Coors beer sponsorship. Hendrick doesn't have a primary sponsor associated with beer, but has previously fielded the Budweiser entry.
If you look at Junior's associate sponsors, he is the face of both Menards and Wrangler. With Paul Menard at DEI, it is unlikely his family owned sponsor will bolt with Junior, although they may stay on as an associate, if possible (think Lowe's or Home Depot will let him carry Menards into "their" organizations?)
Junior's options may be limited by the number of cars an owner could field, and whether the team is competitive. And Budweiser is one of (if not the) best sponsor in motorsports, providing money to sponsorships, race promotion and contingency opportunities. However, he shouldn't assume that taking Budweiser with him is the best option for his future.
Originally Posted on May 27, 2007 on foxsports.com
I love Memorial Day weekend. And Not just because it is the first work holiday since MLK Day. No, I love it because of the numerous racing events that go on.
First, there is the International Grand-daddy of them all - the Monaco Grand Prix. I love watching this street race with its views of Monte Carlo and the harbor, the hairpin turns around the casinos and hotels and the tunnel that curves underneath it all. I feel in love with its vistas the first time I saw this race, and the movie "Grand Prix" only added to my feelings.
Next there is the American Grand-daddy - the Indianapolis 500. It takes a month of ginning-up the publicity mill to put this one on. And Tony Stewart isn't the only one who'd give his eye-teeth to win. Just watch the interview of the second place finisher to see how much this hurts to lose.
Additionally, there are sprint car and midget shows around Indy to commemorate the big race. Someday, I want to spend the whole week prior to the 500 in Indy catching the Night before the 500, the Little 500 and whatever else they happen to be racing that week. Congratuations to Eric Gordon for winning his 8th Little 500! Rumor has it he lapped EVERY car on the track, most more than 1 lap.
Finally, there is the Coca-Cola 600. I've actually attended this race, and it is an endurance test - for both the fan and competitors. I
This year, as I haven't traveled to Monaco or Indy, I'm taking advantage of the local tracks' special shows. So far, I 've attended one night of racing, watched parts of two races on TV, attended one day of baby showers (and you thought I spent all my time at the tracks), and visited with several friends. Hopefully before the end of tomorrow night, I'll have added two other racing events and two more tracks.
Hmm, now I have to figure out when to fit in the Barbequing...
Originally Posted on May 22, 2007 on foxsports.com
Kevin Harvick blasted the other All-Stars Saturday night, collecting the $1 million prize, then flew to Iowa to race in the Nascar East-West Series at Iowa Speedway. Harvick's career originated in the West Series before his talent earned him a spot on the bigger Nascar stage.
Harvick quickly showed he was in Iowa to win, rocketing to the pole position. Joey Logano, a Joe Gibbs development driver, took the outside pole. Logano, a 16 year old who just got his street license, raced for the East series.
Harvick took the early lead, and it was quickly apparent that Harvick and Logano had the cars to beat. The two dueled side by side for much of the race, eventually swapping the lead over 15 times. Most laps were too close to call, with the cars in a virtual dead heat at the line. The largest crowd to attend a race at the less than one year old facility was delighted by the action.
The rest of the field contained other notable drivers: Jeffrey Earnhardt raced for DEI, while Tim McCreadie, World of Outlaws Late Model champ, raced for Childress; joining Logano for Gibbs was Marc Davis, as Chase Austin failed to qualify after a crash during qualifications. Sean Caisse and Peyton Sellers, who have both been tagged as development drivers by Nascar teams, raced.
Logano ultimately prevailed, winning the race by several car lengths. Harvick remarked that he enjoyed his road trip to Iowa, but then again, he'd won $1 million less than 24 hours before.
Originally Posted on May 20, 2007 on foxsports.com
I spent the last two nights at local dirt tracks, and had a great time. Although the weather was picture perfect, and both had nice- sized crowds (likely around 500), I wondered why there weren't more people there. It baffles me because the more local tracks I go to, the more I enjoy that experience over attending a Nascar Nextel Cup race.
1. The shows run like clockwork. Some communities have noise ordinances, so the show is done at 10 or 10:15 or else. Thus, the minute a heat race is done, the next one is pulling out on the track. Several times at Cup races, I've shown up with an official schedule that says the race will start at 1:00, only to be waiting around until 1:48 to see the cars actually start. On occasion, they start earlierthan the posted time due to weather. I find this frustrating, I know things can happen that affect a start time, but it is a regular problem at Cup races. If you watch on TV, there is the same problem. The heat races and the feature races are much shorter than a Cup race. The weekly show feature is typically from 10 to 25 green flag laps, depending on type of car. Don't be deceived by that number, because with cautions, that little 15 green flag lap feature can take a long time to run. I know of one feature that had so many yellow flag laps they ordered a red flag caution to allow the cars to fill up on fuel!
2. Variety of cars. At a Cup race, you'll see Cup cars. Nothing else. At the dirt track, there are usually at least two different classes, and sometimes several more than that. Both tracks I was at this weekend had five classes of cars - dwarf, sport modified, modified, hobby stock, and stock cars.
3. Beauty of Weekly series. Like Nascar, the dirt tracks offer weekly series. That means if you attend regularly, you will see the same guys battling it out for "Track Champion" status. The rivalries produced are amazing. It doesn't take long to figure out who the last year's champion is, and who the young upstart challenger is. The tracks also pull in traveling series. For example, one track I went to is going to show late models, and another has sprint cars coming over Memorial Day Weekend. And that's in addition to the regular show.
4. Your local neighbor are the drivers. Drivers at most local tracks live locally. Now, this may mean less than 100 miles from the track, but usually there are at least a couple guys who live within 5 miles of the track. So, the guy who stocks the meat counter at the grocery store also races at the track each weekend. Or it could be your elderly neighbor's grandson who beats and bangs on other cars each week. Plus, there is no telling who the next generation of Nascar drivers are. She could be racing right now at your local track.
5. The crowd. Local tracks feature smaller crowds, which are chock full of your friends and neighbors. Since local boys and girls are racing, their family and friends are there to offer support. This also means you need to be careful about rooting against a particular car, as his mother may be seated next to you! The smaller crowd means that parking is close to the track, and there isn't a big traffic jam to get out.
6. The price. The total ticket price for both nights was under $20. Neither night was over $9. Try doing that at a Cup Race! Unless you have tickets given to you, generally, it will cost you over $50 per ticket. And most races are over $75. In fact. both tickets were comparable to movie ticket prices, and offered a longer length of entertainment (2 hours versus 4).
7. The pits. The cost of a pit ticket is a little more than a seat in the grandstand. But, it is fun to watch the mechanics (and usually driver) work on the cars between hot laps, heat races and the feature. I'd caution you to watch were you are at all times - there is a lot of equipment moving around, and you don't want to get run or backed over. After the race, dirt tracks will allow you into the pits to visit with the drivers/owners/mechanics. You can learn a lot, and if a particular driver caught your eye, you can buy his T-shirt for next week.
8. Thrilling races. Think the Preakness finish was close yesterday? It had nothing on one last night. The announcer commented that he wasn't going to call it, he'd wait to see what the official outcome was. At least two other races I saw this weekend were less than one car length. The All-Star race last night was close, but it looked like a runaway compared to these finishes.
With gas prices climbing, I'd invite you to try out your local track. I'm spoiled here in Iowa, as we have one of the highest per capita track ratios in the nation, but I'm sure if you look around, there is a local track near you.
