JIMMIE JOHNSON – Back to the Task at Hand

On By

48HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 28, 2011) – Jimmie Johnson certainly has the tools to make up ground after an unusual and disappointing end to the first and biggest race of the season. The El Cajon, Calif., native brings his No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet to the Phoenix International Raceway mile oval after a lap-two accident took him out of the running at the season-opening Daytona 500.

With no time to focus on the misfortune of Monday night’s rain-delayed race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Johnson turned his attention to the “Valley of the Sun” and the possibility of adding to his four previous wins at the newly configured track. “We’ll just go on to Phoenix and set our marks on winning that race,” Johnson said after his race ended prematurely on Monday evening.
Read Full Article →

RYAN NEWMAN – A New Beginning at an Old Favorite in the Arizona Desert

On By

39KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Feb. 28, 2012) – For Ryan Newman, Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway marks a fresh start for him and his No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

In fact, in his mind, there’s no better place for Newman and his team to get back on track after a disappointing 21st-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Read Full Article →

Mark Martin shares his music tastes

On By

MARK MARTIN ON MUSIC – “Music has always been important to me. I don’t know if that makes me any different than anyone else or not. I’ve always had all my vehicles with extra oomph to them. They have all had loud speakers and stereo in them. Growing up I listened to bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC and music like that. But, there was always another side of me that likes Neil Young and singers that weren’t quite as hard rock. There was always two sides to my musical tastes even when I was a kid coming up.”
Read Full Article →

KYLE BUSCH And Now, for the Rest of the Season

On By

18HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 29, 2012) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams spend more than two months during the offseason preparing for the season-opening and most prestigious race, the Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

But despite all of that preparation by more than 43 teams, followed by 12-plus days spent in Daytona by those that go the distance, only one driver-and-team combination emerges victorious from the big race on the 2.5-mile oval. It’s typically the driver and team that has found the perfect combination of help from others and a hefty dose of racing luck in the ultimate battle of restrictor-plate, big-pack racing. And that victorious driver and team is the only one that gets to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in racing’s most famous victory lane.
Read Full Article →

DAYTONA: Team Chevy Race Notes & Quotes

On By

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – Sidelined in multi-car crash on lap 2
LOOKED LIKE A HARD HIT. FIRST ARE YOU OK? WHAT HAPPENED?
“Yes, I’m ok. That side hit was hard. We were all just trying to make our lane work. A lot of energy in the lane. I was kind of pushing the No. 78 (Regan Smith) a little bit. I could feel some help from behind. Just turned me around. Sent me down to the inside lane and back up to the outside lane. When I was l sitting in the middle of the race track, I knew at some point someone was going to come along unfortunately. David Ragan had nowhere to go. I unfortunately got drilled by him pretty hard.

“I’m just really, really bummed to start the season this way. For all the hard work that has gone into getting this Lowe’s Chevrolet ready for tonight; we didn’t get to complete two-and-a-half miles of green flag racing. So, I’m pretty bummed.”

ARE YOU OK? “I’m ok. I’m just really bummed-out for this whole Lowe’s team. To work as hard as everyone did at Hendrick Motorsports to get this Lowe’s Chevrolet and to have it barely complete two-and-a-half miles of green flag racing is pretty sad. Disappointed, but nothing I can do about it now. We’ll just go on and go to Phoenix and set our marks on winning that race.”
Read Full Article →

MATT KENSETH – Daytona Winners Press Conference

On By

MATT KENSETH, No. 17 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Post Race Press Conference) – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WIN THE 2012 DAYTONA 500? “It feels great. We even went overtime a little bit since we didn’t quite go the whole distance the first time we won it. We had a really fast car all day and overcame a lot of adversity and problems with the car that we figured out. We had a great pit stop at the end that put us into position. It feels great. I wasn’t expecting to win when I woke up this morning so it feels good to be sitting here.”


Read Full Article →

DAYTONA: Juan Pablo Montoya Crash Video and Quotes

On By

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – Sidelined in crash with jet dryer truck on lap 160

YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LIMP, ARE YOU OK? –
“I’m ok. My foot hurt, but I’m ok. For as big of a hit that way; I’m pretty good to be honest.”

TELL US WHAT HAPPENED?
“Something fell in the rear of the car and the car just spun into the jet dryer. I felt a vibration and came in. They looked at everything and everything was ok and I still told them ‘I think there is something broke’ and I was coming back into the pits and the car just spun by itself.”
Read Full Article →

DAYTONA: Jimmie Johnson Post Hard Crash Video and Quotes

On By

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – Sidelined in multi-car crash on lap 2

LOOKED LIKE A HARD HIT. FIRST ARE YOU OK? WHAT HAPPENED?
“Yes, I’m ok. That side hit was hard. We were all just trying to make our lane work. A lot of energy in the lane. I was kind of pushing the No. 78 (Regan Smith) a little bit. I could feel some help from behind. Just turned me around. Sent me down to the inside lane and back up to the outside lane. When I was l sitting in the middle of the race track, I knew at some point someone was going to come along unfortunately. David Ragan had nowhere to go. I unfortunately got drilled by him pretty hard.
Read Full Article →