(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Ryan Newman fought past Jeff Gordon on a green/white/checkered restart to win Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 600 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway.  Gordon said he spun his tires on the final restart.

It was Newman’s first victory since he won the Daytona 500 in 2008. It gave . . . → Read More: Saturday Night Is Alright For Fighting!]]>

(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Ryan Newman fought past Jeff Gordon on a green/white/checkered restart to win Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 600 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway.  Gordon said he spun his tires on the final restart.

It was Newman’s first victory since he won the Daytona 500 in 2008. It gave him his 14th Cup victory but  first as a driver for Stewart-Haas Racing.

“It’s the most emotional victory I’ve had in my career just because took so long,” Newman said.

Kyle Busch, who led 113 laps and appeared to be headed to his second victory in two nights at PIR as he had a big lead when a caution came out with four laps to go, finished eighth. His undoing appeared to be a decision to take four tires during the final pit stop while most others took just two.

“It was a tough call,” Dave Rogers, Busch’s crew chief said. “Everyone watched the Nationwide race yesterday and we decided before the race that if we’re going to hit pit road late like that, then you should take four (tires). Two tires, the cars are just out of control and the drivers are doing all they can to hang onto them. You saw that out there, but unfortunately, enough took two that somebody benefited from it. It was a tough call.”

On Friday night in the Nationwide race, Kyle Busch dropped into the pits and took four tires in a late yellow flag restart and emerged as the victor.  However that pit strategy didn’t repeat itself Saturday in the Sprint Cup race.  Busch finished in 8th place after dominating the race in the late stages.

Saturday night Ryan Newman ended a long 77 race victory drought!  It was his first for his new race team, Stewart-Haas Racing.

So gang, Elton John had it right years ago!

Saturday night is alright for fighting!

(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When there has been some talk on NASCAR’s part to shorten some of the races, the exact opposite has occurred at Phoenix this weekend.  The Subway Fresh Fit 500 has been increased 100 kilometers to The Subway Fresh Fit 600.  Phoenix likes to measure their races in . . . → Read More: Phoenix Increases Distance Of Race]]>

(photo courtesy Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When there has been some talk on NASCAR’s part to shorten some of the races, the exact opposite has occurred at Phoenix this weekend.  The Subway Fresh Fit 500 has been increased 100 kilometers to The Subway Fresh Fit 600.  Phoenix likes to measure their races in kilometers!  It makes is sound like a longer race, when 600 kilometers is really only 375 laps/miles.  That is an increase of 64 laps for the race.

That means that the race will take about 30 -45 minutes longer to run than the previous races.  Since NASCAR standardized all the race times, that new policy moved the Phoenix race time one hour earlier than in previous years.  In keeping with the notion that this is the first night race of the season, the Phoenix promoters asked NASCAR for permission to lengthen the race to 600 kilometers so that it would, in fact, end under the lights.

Will the adjusted start time and/or the increased distance make a significant difference?  That all depends on who you talk to in the garage area.  The opinions  are equally divided among crew chiefs and drivers alike.

The one thing that is for sure, the racing will be fast, furious, and aggressive.  Guaranteed there are going to be some hurt feelings, tempers lost, blown fuses, and a some of “HELMET FIRES” with a driver or two!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Here are the changes that the Phoenix race fans will see this weekend.

First, the race distance has increased since last year’s race, up 63 laps from 312 (502.1 kilometers) to 375 (603.5 kilometers).

Secondly, the starting time is approximately an hour earlier per NASCAR orders to . . . → Read More: Some Changes At Phoenix]]>

(photo courtesy Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Here are the changes that the Phoenix race fans will see this weekend.

First, the race distance has increased since last year’s race, up 63 laps from 312 (502.1 kilometers) to 375 (603.5 kilometers).

Secondly, the starting time is approximately an hour earlier per NASCAR orders to incorporate earlier start times this season – from about 5:30 p.m. Arizona time (7:30 p.m. eastern time) to about 4:30 p.m.

Third, say adios to the dreaded rear wing and hola to the return of the spoiler.

Add in the differences in turns 1 and 2  to the bigger sweeping faster turns of 3 and 4, and oh yeah, there is that little dog-leg thing on the back stretch!  It all adds up to very different oval race track.

The talk in the garage is that spoiler isn’t going to make a big difference in how the race handles, however the true tests will come when the car hit Texas Motor Speedway and, of course, Talladega Superspeedway.  Those two tracks are next after this trip to “The Valley of The Sun” at Phoenix.  Nevertheless, PIR will pose its own unique tests for the cars and drivers as they negotiate the different turns and the dog-leg this Saturday night.

According to Greg Biffle, Phoenix stands out as a very unique facility.

“That’s what makes the track so fun,” Biffle said. “It’s very challenging. It’s so different. The only racetrack I can think of that’s  an oval – you’ve got to throw Pocono out because it’s an animal of its own – Phoenix stands out as being one of the most different from one end to the other.

“You almost drive it like a road course. In Turn 1 you brake real late and turn in. (Turn) 3 and 4 is a long sweeping corner where you’re on and off the gas a couple times trying to get the car to turn around the corner. Dogleg backstretch. So it’s a unique place.”

“It’s always a balance. That’s what makes it so much fun,” Biffle concluded.

So Saturday night could be a very exciting race.

For those teams outside the top 12, it is time to pull those belts down tight, pull those gloves up over your elbows, get on top of the wheel, and let’s go racing boys!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

The difference for NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and fans Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway will be like day and night.  Among the differences for the Subway Fresh Fit 600: an earlier start time, increased race distance, rules, officiating philosophy and even the average width of the grandstand seats- . . . → Read More: Night Moves]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

The difference for NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and fans Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway will be like day and night.  Among the differences for the Subway Fresh Fit 600: an earlier start time, increased race distance, rules, officiating philosophy and even the average width of the grandstand seats- up to 22 inches, reducing total seating capacity from 67,000 to 55,000.

The green flag is scheduled to fall at 4:30 PDT, one hour earlier than in the previous years.  Because sunset occurs at approximately 7pm PDT, and keeping with the promotion of being the season’s first evening event, PIR President Bryan Sperber got NASCAR to add 63 laps- for a total of 375 laps.

Phoenix measures its races in kilometers.  The new distance is actually 603 kilometers, up from 500 kilometers.  This will be the longest NASCAR race held at the Glendale facility since NASCAR started hosting races at that facility in 1988.

The Subway 600 will be only the second race with the new/old spoiler back on the rear deck lid.  It will be interesting to see how the car will handle with higher speeds than were observed at Martinsville two weeks ago.  Also since NASCAR last visited PIR there will be a news Green-White-Checkered philosophy of 3 attempts at finishing the race under green flag conditions.

All in all, it should be a very exciting race at the Glendale facility this weekend.  PIR always provides the tight door-to-door, rubbing, beating, and banging that the traditional NASCAR fan enjoys!

See ya at the races.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first . . . → Read More: It’s Time To Go!]]>

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first 6 races!

Among those not doing so well in the early part of this season is Juan Pablo Montoya, who made the Chase last year and fully expects to do the same in 2010.  Thanks to some ill fortune, Montoya sits in 25th place in the 2010 standings.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to move up, and Montoya can always look at what Mark Martin, one of his racing idols, did last season. Martin was 27th after the first six races, but went on a run, including four victories, that carried him to the Chase.  Martin began his comeback with a win at Phoenix, which just happens to be the next race on this year’s Cup schedule as well.

But Montoya’s record on the one-mile Phoenix oval doesn’t foster great optimism about a quick turnaround. The former Indy car and Formula One star hadn’t finished better than 16th at Phoenix until he came in eighth last fall, his sixth race at the Arizona track.

And this season hasn’t done much for his spirits, either.

JPM is not alone in his struggles this season.  Of the 12 drivers that made the Chase in 2009, 6  of those drivers are outside the top 12 now!  So for those outside the top 12, they need to “grab a gear” and “get up on the wheel”!  This week it is the first evening event of the year, The Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway.

SO IT’S TIME TO GO!

TIL THE NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!