~Thatsracin.com

Take this rule and shove it, Kyle Busch says at short track, I ain't racin' here no more
 By JIM UTTER - The Charlotte Observer


AVONDALE, Ariz. - Nextel Cup driver Kyle Busch took an unexpected early exit from a planned Super Late Model feature race late Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Busch, who had to start from the rear of the field, had moved into a battle for second place with driver Shelby Thompson on Lap 96 of 150 when Thompson wrecked Busch.

Track spokesman Jeff Motley said track rules require all cars involved in a caution to restart at the rear of the field, but both drivers refused. Track officials halted the race and issued an ultimatum to both drivers - they could move to the rear of the field or leave the track.

Thompson elected to move to the rear of the field, while Busch drove to the pits and quit the race. Busch soon took a helicopter ride to the Las Vegas airport and returned to Phoenix for Sunday's Cup race.

Busch ended up credited with a 19th-place finish, while Taylor Barton won the race and Thompson finished 17th. The 22-year-old Las Vegas native has already won Craftsman Truck and Busch series races at Phoenix this weekend.

~Race2Win

This Week in Ford NBS Racing: Marcos Ambrose
 
 
November 13, 2007 - Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 59 Kingsford Ford Fusion, will enter Ford Championship Weekend eighth in the Busch Series driver points. Ambrose talks about what he has learned throughout the season and the importance of finishing the season on a strong performance.

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 59 Kingsford Ford Fusion – TALK ABOUT RACING AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY FOR THE FINAL RACE OF THE YEAR. “It’s a great race to finish the season. It’s important to us as a team and to Ford to do really well there. We really want to finish the year on a high note. If we’re able to finish good there, that gives us confidence going into 2008. It will make us work really hard in the off-season. We really want to do well. It’s a wonderful race track, it’s has great gradient banking. We hope to run well.”

 
YOU CAME HERE TO RACE THE BANKED OVALS. “I like all the race tracks, I really do. We ran Homestead once last year in the truck series, so I look forward to running there a second time. It’s kind of a unique place to race because along the back straightaway, there are palm trees and a different color on the side of the wall there. It just feels like the last race of the year, kind of a party atmosphere. It’s a great race track. They’ve done a lot to it over the years to make it better. I think now with the gradient banking and the track having time to cure off, it’s a pretty racy place. It’s a lot of fun. It feels like the last race. Everyone is talking about what they are doing in the off-season. It just feels like you’re going to school for the last day. Going into Miami, I kind of have that feeling.”

IS THIS THE TYPE OF TRACK YOU PREFER? “We worked on improving all of our programs this year. We’re always looking to improve and I think our best results this year have been on the short tracks. Since we’ve learned so much this year, I think we can run good on any track now. We hope to use everything this year and apply it to a successful season next year.”

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR SEASON? “If I were to grade my season, I’d say a ‘B’ or ‘B minus.’ We’ve done a lot of good things. We’ve left a lot out there on occasions and we’ve had a year of progression. We could have done a little better from time to time and we’ve had bad luck along the way, too. All in all, it’s been balanced year and I think I feel more comfortable here in the Busch series. I feel like I belong in the sport, now more so than I did at the start of the season. It’s been a real strong year for me personally, and our team. We’re moving forward and we’re more competitive now than we were at the start of the season. We’ve got some great things coming for 2008. We’re going to have a really good shot at competing for the championship next year.”

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU’VE LEARNED THIS YEAR? “I think the most important thing that I learned is to be patient. It’s a long year. This year I’ve fatigued a little bit towards the end of the season. I’m just pacing myself. I want to be consistent week-in and week-out. I’ve had to get my head around the length of the schedule. I’ve learned the lows and highs. It’s been a year of racing fulltime. Every race you feel like it’s a life or death situation out there to get it resolved, but the reality is that you’ve got be consistent and be balanced as a driver and as a person throughout the year to run well.”

~Race2Win

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Matt Kenseth Notes

Matt Kenseth
1.5-Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Fla.

Race Schedule
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Ford 400
Sunday, November 18
3:00 PM Eastern - ABC/MRN

NASCAR Busch Series: Ford 300
Saturday, November 17
4:00 PM Eastern - ESPN2/MRN

FAST FACTS

Matt Kenseth’s third-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway last Sunday marked his fourth straight top-five finish. The last time that happened was in the spring of 2006 from a third-place at Darlington in May, followed by a fifth at Charlotte, a win at Dover, and a fifth-place at Pocono in June.
Saying goodbye to the “old-style car” – The final race before NASCAR switches completely to the COT in 2008, and fittingly running that final race at Homestead this Sunday is the No. 17 team’s favorite chassis, RK-323. Built in late 2005, RK-323 has recorded two wins (Fontana, Feb. ’06; Michigan, Aug. ’06), eight top fives and 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts; the first coming at Fontana in February of 2006.
Kenseth’s average finish during the Chase at Homestead is 9.3; ranking third among all Chase tracks.
For the fourth and final time in 2007, Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford Fusion will be painted black with the DEWALT NANO Technology paint scheme.
Kenseth’s average finish of 22.7 at Homestead-Miami Speedway ranks 22nd out of 23 tracks (including Rockingham) that he’s raced on during his Cup career and last among all ovals tracks, thanks largely to two consecutive mechanical failures in 2002 and 2003.
Kenseth will be racing the No. 17 Dish Network Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Busch Series on Saturday. Kenseth has recorded a win and six top-10 finishes in nine starts in the Busch Series at HMS, and is the defending winner of the Ford 300.

Matt Kenseth – NNCS ADVANCE
Team: No. 17 DEWALT NANO Technology Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: RK-323 Last outing: Atlanta, Oct. ’07 – finished fourth
Also: Won Michigan, Aug. ’06; Won Fontana, Feb. ‘06
Finished sixth at Homestead one year ago
RK-340 Last outing: Pocono, August ’07 – finished 14th
Also: Served as backup in 11 races in 2007

Kenseth on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:
“The racing a Homestead, ever since they reconfigured the track has been great. It has multiple grooves and you can really search around for the best line that suits the way your car is handling. It’s a very smooth racetrack and we’ve had some decent cars there the past couple of years.

“It’s the last race of the season and overall, I’d say ours has been pretty good. Of course, we would like to have won more races, but here lately we’ve been running really well. I’ve said this a lot but I believe the more times you can put yourself in position to win then eventually some things will start falling your way and you’ll win one. We’ve done that the past three weeks. We’ve been in position to where we were able to compete for the win, so hopefully we can do the same this weekend and end the year on a really good hot streak.

“Last year everything went right for us in the Chase and we just ran terrible; ours just couldn’t compete. This year we’ve run competitive, not as good as the 48, but pretty darn competitive where we could be in the hunt, but we had a lot of problems along the way. All in all, I’m proud of this team and looking forward to this weekend and trying to close the year out with a win.”

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:“This is the last race with the old car and we’re taking our best one down to Homestead. This chassis has been our work horse for the past two seasons and has been a really good car for us. It’s won a couple of races and come very close to winning a few more.

“We’ve been really close for the past three weeks now to getting a win. It seems like something happens at the end of each race to where we can’t quite get over the hump. We take four tires at Atlanta and then never run another green-flag lap. We take two tires at Texas and four tires came along and got us right there at the end. Then at Phoenix, we had a big lead and we get a debris caution, got caught in traffic and it just didn’t work out for us at the end.

“But, these guys have done one heck of a job the past four weeks, really throughout the whole Chase. Our performance has been the best it’s been all year during the Chase, we were just unfortunate to have some things go bad for us early on in the Chase, or else we’d be pretty close to contending for the championship. I’m proud of how this team stayed the course when so much went wrong, and we’ve been able to bounce back nicely because of their hard work and great attitude.”

~Race2Win

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Bill Elliott Notes
21 TEAM HEADS INTO THE ‘HOME’ STRETCH AT HOMESTEAD

On the heels of a 34th place effort at Phoenix International Raceway, the No. 21 Wood Brothers/JTG team heads into the final event of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bill Elliott will once again be behind the wheel for the Ford 400 race, set for Sunday afternoon.

The team intends to bring Chassis 213, which they previously used last month at Kansas Speedway. This chassis only has two starts in the 2007 season. Motorcraft returns as the primary sponsor of the No. 21 car for the final event this year, marking the ninth time that the familiar red and black paint scheme will adorn the car. It’s a fitting tribute to Ford’s “Championship Weekend” festivities.

Despite only six starts at the reconfigured race track, Elliott owns an impressive record at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He has one win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He’s also led 248 laps of competition and managed to capture the Bud Pole Award the year the same year he won the race, in the 2001 season.

The team is now 136 points out of the top-35 in owner points, but their ‘never say die’ attitude remains as they look to Miami to end a tough 2007 season on as positive a note as possible.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO SAY:
Bill Elliott, Driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:
“I’ve certainly enjoyed my role as a fill-in driver for the Wood Brothers. You just can’t find them any nicer than Eddie or Len Wood and that’s made this whole process worthwhile, despite our struggles. I’ve always liked racing here at Homestead and my track record is pretty good. I just want to be able to send all these guys out on a good note, if I can.”

Gene Nead, Crew Chief of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:“We’ve learned a lot of patience over the last few weeks—especially the last two. We’ve had a lot of success in dialing in the car during a race, but we’d rather have it dialed in to begin with. I think we’ve got a great primary car under us this week—it did pretty well at Kansas for us. We’ll be looking to do our very best and see if we can’t make this last event a bright spot heading into the off-season.”

FAST & FUN FACTS:
-Bill Elliott will drive the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford in the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
-In 6 starts at Phoenix, Elliott has one win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He’s led 248 laps of competition and owns one Bud Pole Award.

NEXT RACE INFORMATION:
What – Ford 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Event
When – Sunday, November 18th, 2007; 3:30 p.m. EDT
Where – Homestead-Miami Speedway; 267 laps; 400 miles
Network – ABC Television Network; MRN Radio Network

Briscoe Joins Penske
 
~RacingOne Report
 Posted Monday, November 12, 2007
 
   
Briscoe takes over the Penske No. 6.
 
 

Penske Racing announced that Ryan Briscoe has been signed to drive for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series beginning in 2008.

The 26 year-old will be piloting the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda sponsored by Philip Morris USA, during the 16-event season. Briscoe will replace three-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. who announced he will drive the Penske Racing Mobil 1 Dodge in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“I am very excited to race for Team Penske, it’s a dream come true,” said Briscoe. “I really want to thank Roger and Tim for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Racing for Penske’s ALMS program in 2007 has been a highlight in my career, but open-wheel racing is where my heart lies, and I can't wait to race full time in the IndyCar Series for one of the best teams in open-wheel history.”

2008 will mark Briscoe’s second full-season of IndyCar Series competition. The 26 year-old has made 20 career IndyCar starts highlighted by a pole position at Infineon Raceway. This past May, Briscoe drove the #12 Symantec Luczo Dragon Racing entry, with equipment that was leased from Penske Racing, in the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race where he earned a fifth place finish after starting seventh.

 
In 2007, Briscoe shared driving responsibilities with teammate Sascha Maassen for the No. 6 DHL Porsche RS Spyder in the American LeMans Series for Penske Racing. Together they earned three victories (St. Petersburg, Salt Lake City and Lime Rock); two poles (Belle Isle and Laguna Seca) and finished second in the Championship. Their teammates, Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard, earned the Championship for Penske Racing behind the wheel of the No. 7 DHL Porsche RS Spyder.

“Ryan has been a great addition to our organization. He did a terrific job at Indianapolis this year, and delivered for us in our ALMS program,” said Penske. “Obviously he has big shoes to fill with Sam moving over to our NASCAR team, but he has shown us that he has the talent to win in the IndyCar Series.”

Briscoe will team with two-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Helio Castroneves for the 2008 season as they set their sights on earning a record 13th National Championship and 15th Indianapolis 500 victory for Team Penske.

Penske Racing is the most successful Indy car racing team in history with 134 race wins, highlighted by a record 14 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race victories, 12 season championships and 171 pole positions. 
 

^ Thought I was a guy!!

Darnell or Clanton

Ward out, Bodine in #4 at Homestead:

Tim Morgan, President of Morgan-McClure Motorsports, Inc. (MMM), and Larry McClure, Team Manager announced that Todd Bodine will drive the #4 State Water Heaters/Lucas Oil Chevy for Morgan McClure Motorsports in the final race of the season this weekend at Miami-Homestead Speedway. Morgan stated, "Ward has worked hard for us this year, he is a good driver and a friend. Todd has been helpful to us in the past and has agreed to step in and help us benchmark our efforts as we get ready for the 2008 season." Both Ward Burton and the MMM team have agreed that his change is the best way to fully evaluate the performance of the team. Morgan continued, "We are proud to have State Water Heaters back as a sponsor for our team next year. We are currently in the process of negotiating additional sponsorship and selecting a driver for the upcoming 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season."(Morgan McClure Motorsports PR/site)(11-13-2007)

Johnny Sauter to Nationwide Series; Mike Wallace to New Team:

The Miccosukee Tribe will back Finch's Nationwide team for the third consecutive season. "The Indians are going to sponsor our #1 car [in the 2008 Nationwide Series] and at this point, Johnny Sauter is going to drive one of our [Nationwide] cars full time. If we've got enough sponsorship, Sterling [Marlin] and Johnny will drive full time; and if not, Sterling's gonna drive part-time in our second car." [Crew Chief Mark] Reno said the second Nationwide Series car would use the #4 branding that Finch had previously used with Jeff Purvis, as the team opted to let Mike Wallace take the #7 he used this season in a Finch car with GEICO sponsorship to another team, while Phoenix would keep the owner points the car accrued.(NASCAR.com)(11-12-2007)

NASCAR fans, start your engines: Ford RaceFest—the official kick-off event to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway and South Florida’s largest NASCAR-themed festival—takes to the Las Olas Riverfront Thursday, Nov. 15. Free to the public, this all-things-NASCAR extravaganza runs from noon to 10 p.m. and features autograph, photograph and question-and-answer sessions with drivers; photo ops with the NEXTEL Cup Series championship trophy; show cars; interactive displays; a “Kids Zone”; live music; and food, beverage, souvenirs and merchandise galore available. Tickets for Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway also will be on sale. mong those scheduled to appear: NEXTEL Cup drivers Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, David Gilliland, David Ragan and three-time Ford 400 winner Greg Biffle; Busch Series drivers Marcos Ambrose, Kelly Bires and Richard Johns; Craftsman Truck Series drivers Travis Kvapil, Rick Crawford, David Starr, Joey Clanton, Erik Darnell and TJ Bell; and Chip Foose, designer of the Foose Ford F-150 pace truck. This marks the sixth consecutive year Ford RaceFest will help launch Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16-18)—the culmination of NASCAR’s Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, as well as the season finales for the Busch and Truck series. (HMS PR) (11-12-07)