Friday, March 24, 2006 Q & A with formula D Drift star Samuel Hubinette
by Darren Jacobs, Mopar Racing
CENTER LINE, Mich. -- Samuel Hubinette, known as the “Crazy Swede” for his aggressive driving style and wild antics on the track, has established himself as one of the elite drivers on the Need For Speed Formula D Drift Series. A native of Sweden and a U.S. citizen, he captured the inaugural Formula D title in 2004 for Team Mopar, and posted a runner-up finish in 2005. In the first two years of the series, Hubinette has won 50 percent (five of ten) of all Formula D events.
2006 has already been good to Hubinette, as he posted a fourth-place finish in a D1 Grand Prix drift event at California’s Irwindale Speedway, which featured the best drifters in the world. Hubinette placed highest of all U.S. based drivers at Irwindale. The event also marked his first race with new BFGoodrich g-Force KDW tires, which were an overwhelming, tire-smoking success.
The new season will present another major change to the “Crazy Swede” and the NuFormz Racing team, led by owner Shaun Carlson. Upon the completion of a long and complex buildup, Hubinette will switch from his Mopar SRT10 Dodge Viper to a Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8. When the new drift car is ready, Hubinette will be prepared—he recently purchased his own Dodge Charger SRT8 as an everyday driver!
A stunt driver for television commercials and feature films in his spare time, Hubinette took a moment during a break from a recent commercial shoot to discuss the upcoming season.
Samuel Hubinette Q & A
Q. YOU POSTED A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE 2005 FORMULA D DRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP, AFTER WINNING THE INAUGURAL FORMULA D CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2004. ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR YOUR SECOND TITLE?
A. Yeah, I had a great 2005, with wins at Road Atlanta and Chicago, but you always want that championship. I didn’t lose the hunger last year after my championship in ’04. I’ve never been one to settle for second. Winning is definitely my goal.
Q. WHAT WERE YOU UP TO IN THE OFF-SEASON? DID YOU DO ANY STUNT DRIVING?
A. Actually, I’m on break right now, on location at a commercial in which I’m doing stunt driving. And I was one of the stunt drivers in “The Fast and The Furious 3” Tokyo Drift movie. So much fun! I went back home to Sweden for the holidays, attended the SEMA show in Las Vegas, and took part in the Mopar press conference, and have been involved in the ongoing buildup of the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8.
Q. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN REMAIN AMONG THE ELITE DRIFTERS IN FORMULA D COMPETITION WHEN YOU MAKE THE SWITCH FROM THE MOPAR SRT10 VIPER TO THE MOPAR DODGE CHARGER SRT8 IN 2006?
A. Mopar and Dodge wouldn’t have made the switch to the Charger unless they felt confident it would be as competitive, if not more so, than the Viper. But there will definitely be some challenges to get it dialed in for drifting, as always. I’m really looking forward to getting out there and drifting the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8.
Q. SOME SKEPTICS SAY THE CHARGER IS TOO LONG AND TOO HEAVY TO CHALLENGE FOR THE FORMULA D CHAMPIONSHIP. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?
A. The Viper wasn’t exactly small, and we won the championship in 2004 and finished runner-up in 2005. I only see positives in our switch to the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8. We have been able to get the weight down in the buildup process quite a bit, by doing things like removing the interior and replacing the body panels with carbon fiber panels.
Q. YOU RECENTLY PURCHASED YOUR OWN DODGE CHARGER SRT8. DO YOU THINK HAVING THE CAR AS AN EVERYDAY DRIVER WILL HELP YOU WHEN YOU COMPETE?
A. I think it already has, because I’m starting to feel comfortable behind the wheel. It’s definitely good to have the same car for your everyday use. I bought my Dodge Charger SRT8 from Woodhouse Dodge in Nebraska, and drove it all the way back to California. I broke it in real good! (Laughs).
Q. YOU RECENTLY PLACED FOURTH IN THE MARCH D1 GRAND PRIX EVENT AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY, AND YOU WERE THE HIGHEST FINISHING U.S. BASED DRIVER. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT PERFORMANCE TO YOU?
A. It meant a lot. I proved I could compete with the best drifters in the world, against the best competitors from Japan. It’s something that I can build on, heading into the Formula D season. You always want to maintain your ranking among the elite. I think D1 at Irwindale helped do that.
Q. YOU COMPETED FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH YOUR NEW BFGOODRICH G-FORCE T/A KDW TIRES AT THAT D1 EVENT. HOW DID THEY IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE?
A. I’m so impressed by the BFGoodrich g-Force KDW tires. They kept their grip really well going sideways into the corner and created a lot of smoke, which is a good thing in drifting. It’s great, heading into the Formula D season, knowing the tires have what it takes to win a championship.
Q. HOW MUCH INPUT HAVE YOU HAD WITH SRT [DAIMLERCHRYSLER’S STREET AND RACING TECHNOLOGY DIVISION] AND YOUR TEAM, NUFORMZ RACING, DURING THE BUILDUP OF THE MOPAR DODGE CHARGER SRT8?
A. I’ve had a lot of interaction and communication with them during this process. We have e-mailed back and forth each day. I had a say in things like how I want the car to react on the track. We put in a lot of effort to make the car as light as possible and nimble. The roll cage was designed to accommodate tricks that I perform, like hanging out the door while drifting.
Q. YOU’VE HAD A RELATIONSHIP FOR A WHILE NOW, WITH NUFORMZ RACING OWNER SHAUN CARLSON. DOES IT HELP TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTINUITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE BREAKING IN A NEW CAR?
A. Definitely. Shaun and I have worked well together. It’s great having a race car driver for an owner [Carlson drives an NHRA Pro Stock car for Team Mopar], because it helps when you need to communicate concerns about the car. Shaun can understand where I’m coming from, and that’s been a bonus during our relationship.
Q. YOU’RE ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL DRIVERS IN THE TEAM MOPAR STABLE, AND A REGULAR AT MOPAR PRESS CONFERENCES AT THE SEMA SHOW. DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MOPAR.
A. I’ve really felt like I’m part of something special in my association with Mopar. The fans are so supportive and dedicated. I appreciate all that Mopar has done for me. I feel like I’m part of the Mopar family. I think I’ve done my part to make them proud, so far!
Q. WHAT DO YOU FEEL WILL MAKE FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR YOU AND THE MOPAR DODGE CHARGER SRT8?
A. I just want to show everyone that once the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8 is completed, it’s got what it takes to be competitive and successful in Formula D competition. I’m confident we’ll have a great year. Now I just want to go out and start testing it.
Round 1 of the Formula D Drift championship kicks off next weekend at the Streets of Long Beach, Calif. The main event is set for Sunday, April 2; gates open to the public at 10 a.m. For more info on Mopar, Hubinette or the Need For Speed Formula Drift Series, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.mopar.com, www.samuelhubinette.com or www.formulad.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
[Snippet] And how about those Dodges? Word has come down from the “Corporate Offices” stating that the 2004 Intrepid body style will not be raced after Texas in April and the Dodge Boys seem to have differing opinions on both that and the idea of appealing to NASCAR for relief from what is being billed as the “evil” nose on the Charger.
Ray Evernham seems quite content with things just as they are. That could be because Kasey Kahne won on Sunday at Atlanta and is sitting second in the points right now, only 50 points out of the lead. A second Evernham driver, Scott Riggs, finished 11th, while Kyle Petty (Petty Enterprises) finished 8th and Reed Sorenson (Ganassi Racing) finished 10th…all driving Chargers.
A bit disconcerted about losing access to the Intrepid are voices coming from Penske Racing South, where drivers Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch have been swapping back and forth between the two Dodge body styles for all of the young season. Penske South has also been at the forefront in wanting all of the Dodge teams to appeal to NASCAR for some adjustments to the pug-nosed Charger.
Penske cars didn’t fare well at Atlanta, but their problems had more to do with wrinkled fenders (Not of their own making) than they did with the nose of either car. In the long run, it seems that won’t matter, as Daimler-Chrysler has declared what will be the end if the Intrepid in Nextel Cup. They’re the ones making the car and doing the advertising, so it’s their ball and their game.
Ray Evernham summed it up this way. "I do not know why we can't seem to agree,'' he said of the Dodge teams. “ We believe in going one way. Some teams believe in going another way. Right now, I don't think we're going to go to NASCAR and ask for anything. We're trying to get the cars better ourselves.'' In seeming agreement, Kyle Petty offered this statement, "For all the Dodge Dealers out there, maybe this will put that dreaded Intrepid thing to rest. All the Dodge teams have worked hard to get better, so maybe the Charger is the way we need to go.'' I have to confess; I don’t know how or in what way all that affects Bill Davis Racing. BDR fields Dodges, but without any factory backing. That might be interesting to watch over the next few weeks.
Article - http://insiderracingnews.com/PK/032406.html
Mercedes DTM Presentation At Düsseldorf's Shopping Mile
Mercedes DTM Presentation At Düsseldorf's Shopping MilePosted on March 27, 2006 at 4:00 PM CST
This weekend heralded the launch of the 2006 DTM pre-season in Düsseldorf, Germany. To kick off the opening festivities, over 40 DTM teams entered the city on Saturday, where they were greeted by close to 140,000 spectators. Fans of the DTM series were able to meet their favorite drivers, get autographs and take pictures with the teams.
On Sunday the festivities continued, with the DTM drivers completing a few demonstration laps, some starting demos and a pit-stop competition on a specially-installed 800 meter track along the Königsallee.
According to Düsseldorf's Lord Mayor Joachim Erwin: "It is a special highlight for us to have the best international touring car series as our guests in Düsseldorf. Cars, life style, fashion and top sport mix well with Düsseldorf. We really enjoyed that the DTM held their pre season presentation here."
For more info on the DTM pre-season opener as well as driver interviews, you can read more in the press release below.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
DTM Presentation: “Flat out” at Düsseldorf’s Shopping Mile
Düsseldorf, Mar 26, 2006
After Berlin in 2000 and Hamburg in 2004 and 2005, Düsseldorf was Germany’s third main city to host the DTM presentation. The sport enthusiastic audience were able to experience DTM, their drivers and race cars very closely and literally accessible. The programme started already on Saturday morning when more than 40 team trucks entered the city. At noon, the drivers wrote autographs at the upmarket shopping centre Stilwerk.
On Sunday, the DTM cars with Bernd Schneider’s Voda-fone AMG-Mercedes and Jean Alesi’s stern AMG-Mercedes among them, completed a couple of demon-stration laps at an 800-metre temporary race track at the Königsallee. In front of packed grandstands and standing ovations they also showed spectacular start demonstra-tions. In addition, all 20 drivers presented the starting grid; there were pit stop competitions, co-driving oppor-tunities in DTM cars, demonstration laps with historic cars and live music.”
„It is a special highlight for us to have the best interna-tional touring car series as our guests in Düsseldorf. Cars, life style, fashion and top sport mix well with Düsseldorf. We really enjoyed that the DTM held their pre season presentation here,” said Lord Mayor Joachim Erwin.
At a press conference at the head quarters of DTM series and Mercedes-Benz sponsor Vodafone, the new AMG-Mercedes C-Class was presented to more than 300 me-dia representatives.
Comments of the ten Mercedes-Benz drivers on the pres-entation:
Jean Alesi (41 years/stern AMG-Mercedes/Team Pers-son): “The DTM presentation is always a very special event, but never before have I experienced anything like this here in Düsseldorf.“
Jamie Green (23/Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes/Team HWA): “It was great fun. There are certainly many spectators who saw us for the first time and now want to see more.“
Mika Häkkinen (37/AMG-Mercedes/Team HWA): “My hand hurts; not from driving but from writing – it was fan-tastic.”
Daniel La Rosa (20/Trekstor AMG-Mercedes/Mücke Motorsport): “It’s great that the DTM can entertain so many people."
Mathias Lauda (25(AMG-Mercedes/Team Persson): “I have never seen such an atmosphere in motor racing before.”
Alexandros Margaritis (21/AMG-Mercedes/Team Persson): “A perfect start to the new season.“
Stefan Mücke (24/TV Spielfilm AMG-Mercedes/Mücke Motorsport): “The fans were even more enthusiastic than at a race.“
Bernd Schneider (41/Vodafone AMG-Mercedes/Team HWA): “A great home game and a home win for my sponsor Vodafone.”
Bruno Spengler (22/DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes/Team HWA): “Of course we were not able to show everything at this temporary circuit, but I believe it was enough.“
Susie Stoddart (23/AMG-Mercedes/Mücke Mo-torsport): “My first public appearance in the DTM. The fans and atmosphere were amazing – top class.“
Mercedes-Benz Motorsportchef Norbert Haug: “The DTM’s concept to hold the presentation in the cities works. After Berlin and twice in Hamburg, Düsseldorf set a new benchmark with “Flat out at the Kö”. Drivers and spectators obviously enjoyed it and there was more pub-lic demand for our drivers than at any race. After their long autograph sessions I can hardly believe that there are many visitors without a drivers’ signature.”
Milford, Michigan. In its second appearance of the 2006 season, the VIPsports.com Dodge Stratus Top Alcohol Funny Car took on two of the best contenders in class and came out on top. The March 26 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, at Florida's Bradenton Motorsports Park, hosted several teams from the previous weekend's NHRA Gatornationals.
The Mopar Hemi-powered Dodge Stratus qualified in the number two spot, with a 5.695 elapsed time at 253.87 mph -- both significant improvements over the weekend before. The number one qualifier was Jay Payne, the Southeast Division TAFC Champion. Bob Newberry, the defending TAFC National Champion, filled the third spot. VIPsports.com's driver, Danny Townsend, holder of several Division Championships, was looking forward to eliminations. "We've won and lost races with both Payne and Newberry," he said. "We know we have the capability to win against them, we just have to figure out the track."
Although the track proved difficult, all weekend, Frank Parker's VIPsports.com crew figured it out enough to knock off William Fulford's Corvette in the first round. Townsend's 5.844, at 248.61, overwhelmed Fulford's 6.602, 248.61 run. Racing luck then graced VIPsports.com, as the team drew a second round single pass, while Newberry had to contend with Payne. The track was still a factor, as Frank and Dan Parker, crew chiefs for the VIPsports.com car, both reported reading the VIP logo -- on the side of the car -- as it danced from guard wall to centerline and back during its 248.18 mph solo at a 5.79 with a 9.
The final round matched the VIPsports.com car against Bob Newberry, who advanced when Payne fouled out in the semis. The Parkers and Newberry had to make tough decisions on how much clutch and fuel to put in the cars for the final run. Townsend had a slight advantage, at the light, but Newberry pushed hard to catch up. Then, just when the defending champ's Monte Carlo started to threaten the Dodge, tire shake forced Newberry to pedal the throttle for a moment. That shifted the advantage back to Townsend and he made full use of it for the win light. Newberry's 256.04 topped Townsend's 252.52, but Townsend's 5.692 trumped the champ's 5.825.
The VIPsports.com crew was ecstatic to be in the Winner's Circle again. Frank Parker, team owner, was shy about being photographed. "I just make decisions," he said. "My crew does all the work. They're good enough that I don't have to watch over them -- they deserve to be with Danny in the photos." With praise like that, and one in the win column, brothers Brad and Jeff Eldred, Dan Parker, Tom Krebaum and Tom McVey were all smiles as they loaded the car and headed out.
Racing series USAC-SDate 2006-03-27[size=2]3-TIME BRANSON/LARSON CHAMP DRAKE & USAC CHAMP JONES HEADLINE SATURDAY'S ELDORA SPRINT OPENER
Jay Drake of Brownsburg, Ind. hopes to become the first driver in history to win three consecutive "Don Branson/Jud Larson Classics" when the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Series debuts this Saturday night at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. To do so he must face the challenge of defending USAC National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones, who will pilot the Tony Stewart Racing Mopar/Bass Pro Shops Maxim/Mopar vacated by Drake at the end of the 2005 season.
Drake won the 2000 race as well as the past two runnings and has switched rides this year. He will pilot a Hannig Construction/First Financial Bank F-5/Foxco for Terre Haute, Ind. car owner Bill Biddle in Saturday night's event. A victory would also make Drake the event's only four-time winner.
The race honors the memory of the drivers who finished 1-2 in the 1964 National Sprint Car standings. Between them, they amassed 44 total USAC victories, including five at Eldora.
Defending USAC Sprint Car Champion Jones of Olney, Ill. won last year's "4-Crown Nationals" Sprint feature at the 1/2-mile dirt oval. Defending USAC National Midget Champion Josh Wise will compete as a teammate to Jones.
Defending USAC Silver Crown Champion Dave Steele and Bud Kaeding, who competed in Saturday's USAC Silver Crown opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, are also entered at Eldora, along with USAC Triple Crown Champion Dave Darland.
Jones holds the 1-lap Eldora track qualifying record of 14.750 seconds (122.034 mph) established last September.
Hubinette begins hunt for second Formula D championship at Long Beach
Monday, March 27, 2006 Hubinette begins hunt for second Formula D championship at Long Beach
by Darren Jacobs
CENTER LINE, Mich. -- Team Mopar’s Samuel Hubinette, the inaugural 2004 Need For Speed Formula D Drift champion, will kick off his quest for a second title when the 2006 season opens this weekend at Long Beach, Calif.
Hubinette, known as the “Crazy Swede,” posted a runner-up finish in 2005, piloting his Mopar SRT10 Dodge Viper. He notched two wins: one at Road Atlanta one and at Soldier Field. He’ll take the wheel of the Viper again for Round 1 at Long Beach this weekend, while the buildup of his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8 is completed in time for Round 2 at Road Atlanta.
“I can’t wait to get the season started,” said Hubinette. “I’ve had a lot of experience with the Mopar SRT10 Dodge Viper, which I think will help me in the first event. NuFormz Racing and my team owner, Shaun Carlson, can focus on preparing the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8 for Road Atlanta. I haven’t had a lot of practice time prior to the last two season openers, and it has been a challenge. I think it will help to have some practice time in the Charger before we compete with it.”
“We’re glad that Samuel will be leading Mopar’s drifting efforts in 2006,” said Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Mopar Brand, Performance and Motorsports. “With his 2004 championship and runner-up finish last season, he is recognized as one the best drifters in the world. He has proven he can win with the Mopar SRT10 Dodge Viper, and we’re confident once the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8 is battle-ready, he’ll be successful in that car as well.”
Round 1 of the Need For Speed Formula D Drift Series will take place at the Streets of Long Beach, with practice and pre-qualifying scheduled for April 1. Final eliminations are set for April 2, with gates opening to the public at 10 a.m. For more info on Mopar, Hubinette or the Need For Speed Formula D Drift Series, log on to www.mopar.com, www.moparspeed.com, www.samuelhubinette.com or www.formulad.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
John Frattura Named Crew Chief Of Joel Kauffman’s #12 Dodge
MAR. 28, 2006
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — John Frattura has replaced Butch Hylton as the crew chief on the No. 12 Dodge Charger for FitzBradshaw Racing. Frattura was the car chief on the No. 14 Dodge Charger last year for David Stremme and held the same position for the first six races of the 2006 season. In the 2005 season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Frattura was the interim crew chief for the No. 12 Supercuts Dodge for driver Joel Kauffman.
[size=-1]"We decided that a change was in order to improve our performance after the race at Bristol. In order to enhance our program, we decided to replace Butch Hylton as crew chief of the Supercuts car," said FitzBradshaw co-owner Armando Fitz. "I am confident that John Frattura will be able to help this team turn things around. He did a great job with Joel and the No. 12 car in Homestead-Miami last year and I think that he's the right person to get this team back on track."
During the Ford 300 last year in Homestead-Miami, Kauffman secured a 13th-place qualifying spot, his third top-15 start in seven races during the 2005 season. Frattura guided Kauffman to a 22nd-place finish, a career-best for Kauffman in the NASCAR Busch Series.
"This is a great opportunity for me. I'm excited to be the crew chief on the No. 12 Dodge Charger and I plan on making this team strong enough to contend for top 10s," said Frattura, "The team works so hard each week and they haven't had the results that they deserve, but we're going to work hard and get this team some good finishes."
"I think it's going to be good working with John," Kauffman said. "He's done a lot of good work on the No. 14 car and I hope that he can help me get the kind of finishes that Tracy (Hines) and Carlos (Contreras) have been able to accomplish this year."
March 27 2006 - Dodge has filed its responses to Bill Davis Racing's motions that ask a federal judge to reconsider a $6.5 million jury verdict levied in February against the race team.
Dodge asks the judge not to change the verdict or grant BDR a new trial in the case, where the jury found the team guilty of giving confidential Dodge information to Toyota while building Toyota products for the Craftsman Truck Series. In May 2003, Dodge terminated its six-year, $18.425-million contract with BDR signed in 2000 and filed suit against the race team. Dodge also indicates that it will ask BDR for attorneys' fees for the trial, which could raise the total amount due to the manufacturer. BDR contends the verdict should be overturned for what it terms improper jury instructions and issues dealing with the way Dodge compiled its amount of damages. Dodge says the jury instructions were valid and that it compiled the amount of damages fairly. "BDR's issues in its motion for new trial are frivolous, improper and in bad faith," the Dodge brief states. Judge George Caram Steeh has not indicated when he would rule on the motions. If BDR loses, the team has said it would take the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals.(Scene Daily)
Kurt Busch’s won the Food City 500 took the lead from Kenseth by bumping him enough to upset his car and passed through the inside while Kenseth battled for control just five laps from the finish.
"We had to muscle past Matt Kenseth," Busch shrugged. "He’s a good friend of mine, but he’ll be OK with it."
"He knocked me out of the way," Kenseth said. "I thought if he had a run on me, had me beat, that would have been OK. But he drove extra hard and knocked me out of the way. I thought it was a cheap shot."
Kenseth was leading, but had slowed because he couldn’t get past Dale Jarrett, who was fighting to stay on the lead lap. Tired of being held up, Busch rammed Kenseth’s back bumper to send him into a slide. That allowed Busch to scoot on by for his fifth victory in the past nine Bristol races.
"I bumped into him a little bit and that was my window to get the lead," Busch said. "If I was still a teammate of his, maybe I would have let him live. But I was hungry."
"This is unreal," Busch said. "I’m just so happy to be able to have this car and have Roger’s privilege to do so. (...) It was very emotional to drive his car," Busch said. "I mentioned to him I am going to name the car, and you could almost see that he had a tear in his eye."
Kevin Harvick was second and seemed disappointed with his best finish of the season. "Good day for us, but I hate to see Kurt Busch win," Harvick said. "He’s a big whiner. But what do I know?"
Kenseth wound up third, but had to fight for it. He faded after Busch’s pass, worked his way back up but drew the tire of Jeff Gordon along the way. The two made contact in the closing laps that sent Gordon spinning all the way back to a 21st-place finish.
Still wearing his helmet and HANS device, Gordon stalked Kenseth on pit road. When Kenseth approached in what looked to be an apologetic way, Gordon gave him a hard shove that knocked him back several feet. The two were quickly separated by NASCAR officials.
"I’m sure he didn’t mean to do it and all that stuff, but I wasn’t happy about it," Gordon fumed. "I showed it to him after the race. I like racing with Matt ... that stuff rarely happens with him. But I’m going to give it back what he gives to me."
Kenseth took full responsibility for the on-track altercation. "That was my fault, it was an accident and I didn’t mean to do it," Kenseth said. "I would be hot, too. He raced hard all day long for his third-place finish and it got taken away from him. I probably should have known better than to go over him."
Carl Edwards was fourth and Bobby Labonte was fifth, the best finish in quite some time for the famous No. 43 Petty-owned Dodge formerly driven by NASCAR’s all-time winner Richard Petty.
Mark Martin and Greg Biffle were sixth and seventh to put four of Roush Racing’s five drivers in the top seven.
Kyle Busch, who won Saturday’s Busch race, was eighth. Ryan Newman was ninth and Kasey Kahne, last week’s winner, rounded out the top 10.
Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 245 laps, faded at the end and wound up 12th. "I am really disappointed," Stewart said. "We had an awesome car, I felt like I ran the most patient race I have ever run at Bristol. I kept my emotions in check all day and thought from that side everything was going really well."
Jimmie Johnson, the points leader coming into Sunday’s race, was an early victim of Bristol’s crowded straightaways, getting nudged into the wall. He was in for repairs for a long time and wound up 30th, 13 laps behind the winner Busch. The finish dropped Johnson to third place in the points behind leader Kenseth and Kahne.
David Stremme to Drive No. 04 Dodge Truck in Martinsville
CONCORD, N.C. (March 28, 2006) --- Chip Ganassi Racing with FelixSabates announced today NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rookie David Stremmewill drive the No. 04 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge in the NASCARCraftsman Truck Series event on Saturday, April 1 at MartinsvilleSpeedway.
Racing series NHRA-SM Date 2006-03-28Tricky track sidelines Harker in semifinals
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Aussie NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Steve Harker ran into tricky track conditions en route to a semifinal finish during this past weekend's Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Memphis Motorsports Park. After qualifying No. 2, Harker lost to eventual runner-up Jackie Stidham.
Harker, originally from Brisbane, Aus., qualified his family prepared Dodge Avenger No. 2 with a 5.663 second elapsed time at 252.14 mph. In the first round, Harker got the win when his opponent, former U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-Winning cyclist Marty Nothstein fouled out. Harker shutoff after launching into severe tireshake. The aborted run cost him lane choice and put him in the tricky left lane. Harker launched to the same fate in the semifinals against Stidham, and aborted the run.
"We got held up quite a bit in the first round," said Harker. "They held us at the line for several minutes while they were trying to clear a car off the top end of the track, while our car was running. It got it pretty hot, and nearly run out of fuel. Luckily for us, Marty redlighted, I saw the redlight, and shut it off when it started shaking. That caused us to lose lane choice in the next round. The track just didn't hold what we threw at it. We were trying to run another 5.66. I could tell when I was backing up from the burnout the track just wasn't there."
From Memphis, the team will head straight to Houston Raceway Park for this weekend's O'Reilly Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
"The air was pretty crazy in Memphis," commented Harker. "But we still learned quite a bit. Hopefully we'll be able to go to Houston and get the car into the low .60's."
Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two sessions followed by one final session Saturday morning. Eliminations begin Saturday afternoon with round one, and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.
SCELZI BUOYED BY POST-GAINESVILLE TESTING EN ROUTE TO HOUSTON
BAYTOWN, Texas (March 28, 2006) - Reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi has had a tough start to the 2006 season in defense of his title, with three early-round losses in as many events.
The driver of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T, however, is no worse off than he was at the beginning of his outstanding championship season in 2006, when he had two first-round losses and a runner-up finish in the first three races. The team then hit its stride and ended the season earning three-time Top Fuel champion Scelzi his first Funny Car crown.
In 2005, after three events, the Fresno, Calif., native was eighth in points; this year heading into the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway this weekend he's ninth in the standings.
The team, led by tuner Mike Neff, didn't give up then and is not giving up now, as a productive test session on Monday after the last race in Gainesville, Fla., has buoyed the driver's and team's spirits.
"We had a great test on Monday in Gainesville and I think we learned a tremendous amount," says Scelzi, Top Fuel winner here at Houston Raceway in 1997 and 1998. "It went really well. We were just going the wrong way in eliminations on Sunday. We got a little scared because it smoked the tires in the first qualifying run, but mainly it was just because it was a green track. We just kept going the wrong way, the wrong way, and even though we ran quicker than (Del) Worsham in the first round of eliminations (Scelzi lost on a holeshot with a 4.842-second ET) we expected to run a 4.77 or a .78. And it just didn't do it.
"So, on Monday we made the changes that we felt were right after we could see clearly, and the car ran two 4.77s in a row, a half-pass that would have run a .77, two more runs that were .77s, and then we tried to find the limit and found it, and had one tire smoker.
"Basically, we made three runs with no tire smoke and just one at the end when we were trying something completely different. We felt that we're on a good course with the (new) tire. The track temperature was over 100 degrees on Monday, so I feel really good about Houston."
There is still a long season ahead and collecting valuable points remains the goal. "I do care (about points)," says Scelzi, "but there's nothing I can do about changing the results of the first three races. The way you fix it is by winning and by going rounds. Our goal right now is to go as many rounds as we can, if not win the race."
Houston Raceway's track surface brings its own set of challenges. "The right lane has a pretty big bump in it," Scelzi says. "Historically, it's been a one-lane race track, normally the left lane. So, I don't know if they've made any improvements or not. I haven't heard anything, but I guess we'll find out. Lane choice is critical here."
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Q & A with formula D Drift star Samuel Hubinette
.JPG)
Linear Mode
