plus 3, Snowmobilers will race at The Rock - Eagle-Tribune

Snowmobilers will race at The Rock - Eagle-Tribune
Auto Racing Glance: Johnson begins quest for 5th straight championship - Brownsville Herald
New Sponsor For Hepburn - Scoop
2010 NHRA Preview - Associated Content

Snowmobilers will race at The Rock - Eagle-Tribune

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 09:42 PM PST

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SALEM — Riders at Rockingham Park usually are pulled by horses. This weekend, they'll be pulled by horsepower.

Rockingham Park will host the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series for three days, starting Friday. The event will bring together more than 100 of the premier competitive snowmobilers in North America.

To transform the track from harness racing to snocross, park employees used snow-making machines and trucked in snow from nearby parking lots over the last two weeks to build jumps and a raceway for the machines.

"Mother Nature wasn't as cooperative as we hoped, so snow did have to be made," said Lynne Snierson, spokeswoman for Rockingham Park. "We are expecting snow in the next couple of days though, so the course will be absolutely perfect."

Rockingham Park is mostly known as a venue for horse racing, but the track has been used for many other purposes over the years. In the 1920s, motorcycles and stock cars raced around the track. The track hosted a marathon in the 1930s. More recently, it has hosted several other snocross events in the past few years, Snierson said. From 2004 to 2006, the track hosted regional snocross events, but this is its first national event.

This weekend's HK Powersports Eastern Nationals will be the sixth of nine circuit stops for the national snocross series, series spokeswoman Vivian Clark said. They also have made stops in Milwaukee, Utah and Minnesota. The series finishes at Lake Geneva in Wisconsin in March.

In snocross, snowmobilers race around a track with man-made jumps, reaching speeds of about 50 to 60 mph. The sport regularly has been a part of the ESPN Winter X Games, a sort of extreme sports version of the Winter Olympics.

This weekend's competition will include two 2010 X Games medalists — Levi LaVallee and Ryan Simons, Clark said.

"Our athletes are very approachable," Clark said. "They love their fans."

They hope to attract upward of 10,000 people for the races, she said.

Riders started pulling into the park yesterday. Racing will start with qualifying tomorrow afternoon. Racing starts up again at 9 a.m. Saturday and will conclude Sunday.

Tickets cost $25 Friday and Saturday, $10 on Sunday.

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Auto Racing Glance: Johnson begins quest for 5th straight championship - Brownsville Herald

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 09:13 PM PST

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Of all the theories circulating through the garage about what it would take to unseat four-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, fellow driver Greg Biffle may have offered the most plausible one.

"A dark alley," he said.

It might be worth a shot. After all, nothing else has worked the last four years.

Johnson has dominated Sprint Cup competition since 2006, winning 29 races, posting 94 top-10 finishes and setting the bar at a height the sport has never seen.

Will it continue? No one would be surprised if it does. Johnson has one of the elite crew chiefs (Chad Knaus), races for the team with the most resources (Hendrick Motorsports) and spends as much time as anyone staying in shape and focusing on the little details that make a big difference.

"I feel similar to a lot of other competitors out there, that you're frustrated and you're like, 'I'm tired of seeing those guys win and be up there on the stage,"' teammate Jeff Gordon said.

Competitors are holding out hope that things could change in 2010. Maybe Johnson's impending fatherhood will have an effect. Maybe complacency will set in. Maybe all the extra attention — Johnson was named Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press and has cameras following his every move for a four-part series on HBO — will take its toll.

Then again, Johnson could continue steamrolling the field.

"I don't even know how I've been doing it, so I don't know how to beat it," Johnson said. "I boil it down to a commitment from myself and from my teammates. The commitment that we have made to this race team has made the difference over the last four years. As long as that commitment's there, I will be proud of whatever the results are. That's the bottom line.

"I know at some point we're going to get beat. It's going to happen. I'm more aware of that than anyone else. I don't want it to be anytime soon."

When Johnson hoisted the championship trophy in Homestead in November, he joined Richard Petty (seven), Dale Earnhardt (seven) and teammate Jeff Gordon (four) as the only drivers to win more than three titles in NASCAR's top series. He also became the first to win four in a row.

He begins his quest for a fifth in the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The season opener, however, might not offer much insight into his chances of a five-peat. Although Johnson started his record run with a victory at Daytona International Speedway in February 2006, he has finished 39th (2007), 27th (2008) and 31st (2009) in the three years since.

His colleagues know that and realize Johnson's real dominance comes when the 10-race Chase for the championship begins each fall. Since the Chase format started in 2004, Johnson has won 18 of the 60 races that determine the series champion.

While others have endured equipment failure, faltered on pit road, wrecked cars or wilted under pressure, Johnson just seemed to pull away.

"It's mentally tough on the entire competition to stay as cool as him because we don't feel like we're racing with the same stuff," driver Denny Hamlin said. "It seems like he always has a leg up in one sense or another. You watch in practice on a weekly basis and they run as fast as they have to.

"That's tough, and I think that takes its toll on other drivers and forces them to make mistakes. I don't think Jimmie has ever really been in a position where he's had to give it all he had to win a championship. He just lets things come to him and watches other guys just crumble around him."

Indeed, Johnson has essentially clinched each of his titles without having to do much in the final race. His latest title came amid more attention than any of the others, and he drew comparisons to such athletes as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan.

"Everybody deserves their time in the sun, their time in the spotlight," Johnson said. "At the end of last year, that spotlight was bright and I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm not worried. When it comes back the end of the year, I want to be in that spotlight for another championship."

For a change, Johnson is the preseason pick to repeat. According to a media poll, Johnson is the favorite to win the 2010 championship.

The last time Johnson was the preseason favorite, in 2005, he finished fifth in points.

"I'm thinking it might be a curse," he said. "We'll see how it turns out. It is cool. It's a great honor. I'm excited to see it. Last year, I wasn't sure why I wasn't picked. It's great until you hit the track, then you have to prove that you are the guy. It could be us. It could be a Roush car. It could be a Childress car. You just don't know."

No one really knows.

But unless one of his competitors takes Johnson into a dark alley, the four-time champion probably will be in the mix once again this season.

"The difference between Jimmie and everybody else is all the other teams might do it one year out of four or five, but they're able to do it year after year after year," Carl Edwards said. "It's insane."

Notebook: Another Daytona wreck collects champ Johnson

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson's quest for a fifth straight NASCAR championship will begin in a backup car.

Johnson was involved in the latest wreck at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, doing enough damage that crew chief Chad Knaus decided to scrap the primary car for Sunday's season-opening race.

"I was just riding along and thought everything was fine, and the next thing you know, I was in the middle of it," Johnson said.

Joey Logano also got caught up in the accident during the second practice at Daytona. Mike Bliss triggered it when he lost control of his car coming out of a turn. Bliss turned sideways, seemingly got tapped by Derrike Cope, then shot across the track and rammed into Logano.

Logano also was forced into a backup car. Kyle Busch weaved through the wreckage and avoided any damage.

The two practice sessions had several other harrowing moments.

Clint Bowyer started a three-car accident in the first session when his tire went flat, hit the wall and collected David Reutimann and the 1990 Daytona 500 champion Cope. Bowyer and Reutimann went to backup cars.

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. narrowly avoided wrecks in the second session. Waltrip spun and drove through the infield grass, but managed to not hit anything. Earnhardt got a little sideways after getting bumped from behind by Denny Hamlin, but Junior got the car straightened out at 190 mph.

Earnhardt said over his radio that Hamlin "doesn't know how to bump draft."

"I think he made an aggressive move with (Jamie McMurray) and I followed him," Hamlin said. "I think I was pushing him and he was steering all over the racetrack and it just may have lifted his car up at that point. But a relatively good save."

A few minutes later, when asked about his bump-drafting technique, Hamlin joked that, "Dale Jr. said I (stink) at it."

UNDER REVIEW

NASCAR officials are considering a change to their policy on making only one attempt at a so-called "green-white-checkered" finish to races that would otherwise finish under caution.

Under the current policy, officials will add two green-flag laps to the end of the race to avoid a finish under yellow in the event of a late-race accident — but they'll only try it once.

But after Saturday night's Bud Shootout ended under caution because of an accident during NASCAR's version of overtime, officials could change the policy to make multiple attempts at a finish under green.

The idea is getting a mixed reception from drivers, many of whom didn't like the concept of adding any laps to the end of the race because it could lead to even more accidents and affect teams' fuel mileage calculations.

"I just think that you've got fuel mileage issues," Jeff Gordon said. "We're all cutting it real close anyway. And all you're going to do is set yourself up for another wreck. You give us two laps out there under green and we're going to find a way to wreck."

Hamlin liked the idea.

"As a fan, I would've thought that the finish was kind of not that great on Saturday night, but once again they can't change the rule right in the middle of the race," Hamlin said. "Once again, they're doing everything they can to make everyone happy and make sure we have good finishes."

DAILY DANICA

Danica Patrick took the next step in her stock car racing education Wednesday, staying out of trouble and learning as much as she could in her first NASCAR Nationwide series practice at Daytona International Speedway.

"She just soaks it up, man," crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said. "She just asks question after question, and we just try to give her the answers."

Patrick finished 26th on the speed chart Wednesday. Eury said practice speeds aren't particularly important at Daytona because they don't indicate how fast the car will be in the race.

"We kept the car in one piece, I ran out there with some big guys, so that was good," Patrick said in a television interview. "I played it pretty safe."

After finishing sixth in the Daytona ARCA race on Saturday, Patrick is preparing to make her Nationwide race debut Saturday.

"I think it's a little too soon, personally," Gordon said. "But I probably would have made the same decision if I was in her position. And you've got to get that experience."

A few drivers took to Twitter to poke fun at the media and fan attention Patrick is receiving.

Scott Speed posted a note on his feed saying that the media seems to consider Patrick the best driver since Dale Earnhardt Sr. and is "also related to Jesus."

Regan Smith said on his Twitter feed, "Maybe ESPN could cover Danica on ESPN2 and the other 50 plus cars on ESPN Classic."

-- Mark Long

Local kid takes childhood hero to Daytona 500 pole

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Alan Gustafson grew up five miles from Daytona International Speedway, close enough to hear the roar of race cars as he played in his backyard.

When he finally got inside the gates, he was instantly captivated by the speed and the men who poured everything they had into making cars go faster.

He was a Mark Martin fan. Maybe because as a kid growing up in Ormond Beach, it was easy to cheer on the driver who had made his home in Daytona.

But it was more than just rooting for the local guy for Gustafson, who was drawn to so many of Martin's qualities — humble and professional, respected by everyone around him, did things with very little flash. Just like Gustafson.

Still, it was a bit of a stretch for Gustafson to imagine he'd graduate from go-karts and late models to someday partner with Martin at the best team in NASCAR. He had no reason to believe he'd have the chance to help Martin snap a three-year winless streak and guide him into the thick of a championship race.

And winning the pole for the Daytona 500? With Mark Martin? Forget it. Nothing more than a little boy's fanciful dream.

Only, all of it has happened in the year since Hendrick Motorsports paired Gustafson with his childhood idol. The two teamed to win five races and challenge teammate Jimmie Johnson for the title last season, and there's been little sign of dropoff so far at the season-opening Speedweeks.

Gustafson had the fastest car in the garage last week, when he gave Martin the equipment to win the first Daytona 500 pole in 26 tries.

It's an accomplishment Gustafson will forever treasure.

"It's a huge deal. Being a crew chief, this is a situation where you can really shine," he said. "You've got an opportunity to put a well-engineered, fast car out there, run faster than anybody else for the biggest race of the year. If that wasn't enough, I grew up about five miles, and I could hear these cars in my backyard when I was 6 years old. So I came here for years and years, this place, the speed, the cars, watched the great crew chiefs do it. And now, I've been fortunate enough to accomplish that feat.

"Then, when my hero is driving the car, it makes it that much sweeter. It's really cool for me," he added.

It's really cool for everyone who knows Gustafson.

He's often overshadowed by Hendrick crew chiefs Chad Knaus, who has built a larger-than-life image while leading Johnson to four consecutive championships, and Steve Letarte, who has a high-profile job with Jeff Gordon. But his colleagues aren't joking when they point to Gustafson as the best crew chief in the garage.

And with all due respect to the long list of crew chiefs Martin has worked with since 1981, he ranks Gustafson the best.

"He's got the engineering savvy, the background, the education, and he's still able to wrap that around and get dirty hands at the race track to be physical and practical," Martin said. "You usually don't get both. You get the nerd, or you get the guy that's really good at this but just ain't that bright.

"You can't usually get them both in one, but that's what I see with Alan," Martins said. "He's just got it all. He's freaking good, man. I mean it, he is good."

He's also fiercely loyal to team owner Rick Hendrick and his organization.

Gustafson has never forgotten the road he took to get into NASCAR. He worked on go-karts in Daytona, then legend cars and late models around Florida. He tried juggling racing with his pursuit of a mechanical engineering degree at nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, but with his reputation growing, he left school for a chance to move through the racing ranks in North Carolina.

It took just three years in North Carolina for Gustafson to get his foot in the door at HMS, where he was hired in 1999 to work in the chassis shop. He was lead engineer on the No. 5 car by 2002, and promoted to crew chief three seasons later when Kyle Busch replaced Terry Labonte.

Although Busch won four races and twice made the Chase for the championship, their three years together weren't very smooth. Gustafson knew he had a raw talent on his hands, but molding the youngest driver in the Cup Series was a full-time job.

Busch was fired midway through the 2007 season, and Gustafson didn't even consider moving on with the driver. Just days after Busch's firing, Gustafson famously declared "I'd rather sweep floors for Rick Hendrick than be a crew chief somewhere else."

That loyalty is not lost on Hendrick.

"If there's ever a soldier that you have to take into battle with you, it's Alan Gustafson," Hendrick said. "You heard him when he said he'd rather sweep floors. He is so appreciative of everything, and it almost gets me teary-eyed to hear him talking about how he feels about this company. You can't buy that."

So Gustafson stayed after Busch's departure, and was paired with Casey Mears for the 2008 season. Although the driver was much easier to work with, the results dropped off tremendously from Busch's performance level and the No. 5 team had just six top-10 finishes all season.

Hendrick then replaced Mears with Martin, finally giving Gustafson the complete package driver he'd been waiting for.

"He's a good dude, and he took a whipping. Kyle whipped his (butt) hard," Martin said. "And then the beating he took with Casey, and he just never gave up. Never surrendered. They all told me he's the best at Hendrick Motorsports, and I believed every one of them and I am just so proud that I got to be a part and I didn't drag him along, too.

"But it's easy when you are driving his stuff," Martin said. "I didn't know it could be as easy as it is."

-- Jenna Fryer

Waltrip not approaching Daytona 500 as last race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As Michael Waltrip prepared for what could be the final Daytona 500 of his career, he took exception when someone described him as "a pretty good driver."

Pretty good drivers don't last 25 years at NASCAR's top level. Pretty good drivers don't get two different opportunities to drive for Dale Earnhardt. Pretty good drivers don't win two Daytona 500s.

"I haven't been able to let that go in my brain because I think I am at least a good driver," Waltrip said Wednesday. "I'm better than pretty good. I think what says a lot about my character and attitude is that when I lined up to run the 2001 Daytona 500 I was 0 for 462, that's what the record said.

"But I was convinced that I was going to win that race. I believed in my heart that I had the tools, and I knew I had the ability to win that race. And I don't know of very many people in this sport who could have lost 462 races and lined up in a car and driven to a win in their 463rd race."

The record book shows that Waltrip is 4 for 759, and it's not totally clear just how many races will be added to that total. Faced with a decision to prolong his driving career or focus on the continued growth of Michael Waltrip Racing, he had to think of the betterment of his race team.

It meant turning his car over to free agent Martin Truex Jr., and scaling back into a much more limited schedule. Only sponsorship didn't develop the way Waltrip had hoped, and he headed into the season with only the season-opening Daytona 500 secure on his schedule.

He's since put together a deal that will likely allow him to race at Talladega Superspeedway in April, but Waltrip feels confident this is likely his final 500.

And his participation in Sunday's season-opener isn't even guaranteed.

Waltrip must earn his way into the starting lineup via one of Thursday's qualifying races. He can win a spot in the 43-car field by either claiming one of the two "transfer" spots in his race, or, if Bill Elliott, Scott Speed or Bobby Labonte should claim a transfer spot, Waltrip would make the race based on his speed from qualifying.

He's not worried, even though he joked about the three spins he's had down the back straightaway this Speedweeks.

"I've gone down it three times backward, and it's the only straight part of the entire track, so I can't figure that out," he said. "But I'm actually really encouraged, and I don't think making the race is going to be a problem."

Even if it was, Waltrip would likely find a way to overcome it.

He's made a career out of making the most out of every situation, and the end result is a reputation as an endearing corporate spokesman. The groundwork he laid there is probably what continued his NASCAR career after a disastrous 2007 debut as a car owner.

Flush with three race cars, millions in sponsorship money, a glistening new race shop — and a ton of debt to show for all of it — Waltrip's first season exploded before it even began. He was caught in a cheating scandal that rocked the Daytona 500 and almost caused him to pull out of the race, and it quickly became apparent that his cars were not competitive.

The three MWR drivers missed races, Waltrip suffered through his own personal and family issues, and money quickly began to run out. His sponsors never stopped trusting that Waltrip could get it figured out.

"I bit off a whole lot and sacrificed a whole lot, my driving career, things at home, financially, and that's probably because I am an all-in type of guy with my personality," Waltrip said. "And I was lucky that my sponsors gave me the benefit of the doubt at the start, that they didn't say to me "This isn't going like how you promised it would.' "

In the two seasons since, MWR has improved by leaps and bounds. Waltrip found the savior to his race team in Robert Kauffman, a founder and managing partner in the Fortress Investment Group that invested in MWR late in the 2007 season. The partnership gave MWR financial stability, and the progress has gone steadily up since.

The MWR drivers all finished 2008 inside the critical top-35 mark, and David Reutimann last season gave the team its first victory with a Coca-Cola 600 win. He also flirted with making the Chase for the championship.

And they were able to sign Truex, who was one of the most coveted free agents last season.

"I'm proud and impressed that he got through the ramp-up, the issues that happened, he continued to press on and made a successful program out of it," NASCAR president Mike Helton said of Waltrip. "Whatever he does next, he will continue to draw attention because he's charismatic and fans like him. The further away he gets from racing, the more that character will be followed."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he hoped his former teammates legacy will be what he offered off the track.

"You can't be around the sport as long as he was and not influence someone. He was a good friend to a lot of people, and for me, he always made it easier to be around here," Earnhardt said. "He was one of the personalities that would help you understand not to take (stuff) so seriously. He was great friends with my dad, I got to know him pretty good, and I appreciated him for being a good person.

"And I think he's going to be an even better car owner, so he still has quite a lot to accomplish."

Waltrip doesn't want his driving record to define his career, nor does he want to be judged by his colorful personality. His true mark in NASCAR may not come for several decades, after MWR has a chance to build its own record.

"I think the main thing that I hope to get out of this is just respect that I know what I am doing, there's a method to the way I do things," he said. "I don't mind making fun of myself, I don't mind people thinking I am crazy or goofy, but I do have a plan. When I showed up in 1985, I didn't have a plan, I just wanted to race a car.

"But now I have a plan to make MWR a destination — for drivers, crew members and sponsors, because they appreciate the way we conduct business and that we are thankful for the opportunity to be here."

-- Jenna Fryer

Daytona sees opening between Super Bowl, Olympics

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As NASCAR's biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500 isn't used to being the attention-starved kid turning back flips in the corner and yelling, "Look at me!"

This year, they might want to have Carl Edwards on call.

With mainstream sports fans still talking about the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl win and the Winter Olympics kicking off on Friday, there's a chance Sunday's race could be overlooked by the casual fans NASCAR typically hopes to draw to its big event.

But Fox Sports chairman David Hill isn't concerned, predicting that changes NASCAR has made to spice up the show this year will bring in a big rating for Sunday's race.

"I think it's fantastic, what they've done," Hill said. "Again, it gets back to them listening to the fans. And the fans said this is what we want to see."

NASCAR officials are confident that their big event can break through the clutter.

"I think we'll be in good shape," NASCAR chief marketing officer Steve Phelps said. "It's the Daytona 500. It's one of the most iconic sporting events of the year. I think we'll do pretty well. The Super Bowl's kind of its own thing, and the Olympics are a big deal as well. I think people will tune into the Daytona 500 and get us started on the right foot."

NASCAR already was concerned with a recent decline in at-track attendance and sagging television ratings, and took steps to add excitement this season.

They've authorized a bigger restrictor plate to add horsepower at Daytona and done away with regulations on aggressive, bumper-banging "bump drafting."

And when it comes to governing drivers' behavior, NASCAR officials claim they have a new attitude: Have at it, boys.

"I think we got to the point where we got too conservative and too corporate-minded," driver Tony Stewart said. "And even corporate America has kind of said ... 'It's all right to go ahead and loosen the reins a little bit.' I think NASCAR is really smart and conscious of that."

Oh, and don't forget about Danicamania.

The arrival of Danica Patrick, the IndyCar star whose combination of racing success and good looks has allowed her to transcend her sport and become a household name, is trying her hand at NASCAR on a part-time basis this season.

After a well-received sixth-place finish in a relatively low-profile ARCA race at Daytona last Saturday, Patrick decided to give it a shot in this Saturday's Nationwide series race — an appetizer for the Daytona 500 that will feature several of the Cup series' top drivers.

When it comes to attracting mainstream attention, another week of Danica hype certainly can't hurt NASCAR.

"I would say in general, her coming here is going to be beneficial, because she'll bring folks who have never seen our style of racing," Phelps said. "And they'll watch her race here, and we know they'll fall in love with the racing because it's the best racing in the world. That will be helpful for us, and we're excited about it."

Beyond that, NASCAR is enthusiastic about the big-picture steps officials have taken to make the sport more exciting this year. And they've done it with direct fan input.

Stung by criticism that they've ignored the concerns of their hard-core fans in an attempt to cater more to casual fans, NASCAR has created an online fan council consisting of 12,000 of its most avid fans to use as a sounding board.

One resounding message they've heard from surveys: NASCAR should take a more hands-off approach to driver behavior.

"We regulate the sport for safety and make sure the rules are followed," Phelps said. "But listen — have at it boys, God bless you. Go out and race. And we'll do that within reason. You're not going to be able to run over a guy. But it's exciting, and you can feel that enthusiasm from the fans. And you saw it, candidly, in ticket sales (at Daytona). It's great. They'll have a full house here."

While NASCAR certainly faces stiff competition for attention this week, former driver Kyle Petty says having Daytona wedged between the Super Bowl and the Olympics could be a positive.

"I think you need to promote yourself as, these are the three big events," Petty said. "The three biggest events in sports in the United States in 2010 were the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and the Olympics. You have to put yourself up on the plateau with them."

-- Chris Jenkins

Formula One

Red Bull unveils 2010 F1 car

JEREZ, Spain — Red Bull unveiled its new Formula One car on Wednesday, calling it an "evolution" from last year's design that challenged for the world championship.

Mark Webber drove the Austrian team's RB6 car at the second session of preseason testing at Jerez Circuit.

"To be honest we finished last season with a first and a second, so we didn't want to go to great lengths to design another car on the back of that or go too crazy," Webber said. "I think there are a lot of subtle, small things that will hopefully make this car more successful than last year's."

The car's front wing was reworked to incorporate a new rear diffuser, which the car didn't have last season. A shark fin engine cover was added, in line with most of this year's designs. The car is also longer to accommodate a larger fuel tank since refueling during a race is banned this season.

Chief technical officer Adrian Newey called it a "sensible evolution" of the 2009 car with the double diffuser the big difference.

"We tried to refine and evolve it rather than go to new concepts," Newey said. "The two main challenges were the larger fuel tank and the smaller front tire."

Sebastian Vettel, who finished runner-up last year, says the team's decision to skip last week's opening session at Valencia would not be "a disadvantage" as long as it maximizes its use of the remaining sessions.

"Most important now is that the car is running and that we improve the reliability and speed. First you need to make your car work, then you see where you are and according to that you set your expectations," said Vettel, who was impressed with Ferrari and McLaren's early form.

"For sure there is only one target, to be just one step better than last year. I want to win the world championship. If we are the favorites, that's fine. If not, that's fine too," Vettel said.

Although reliability was an issue, Red Bull still won six races last season — only two fewer than championship winner Brawn GP — with Vettel and Webber sweeping the last three.

"Red Bull Racing's still a relatively young team and so the lessons that we learned last year will serve us well going into 2010," team principal Christian Horner said. "We've had stability over the winter and continuity in all areas, so I think we're in good shape."

Auto Racing Glance

SPRINT CUP

Daytona 500

Site: Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule: Thursday, Gatorade Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races (Speed, Noon-5:30 p.m., replay 8 p.m.- 11:30 p.m.); Friday, practice (Speed, Noon-2:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 9:30 a.m.- 11 a.m.); Sunday, race, Noon(FOX, 11-4 p.m.).

Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Matt Kenseth won the rain-shortened race to give team owner Jack Roush his first Daytona 500 victory. The race was called after 152 of 200 laps.

Last week: Kevin Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout for the second straight year, passing Greg Biffle with two laps left in the race that ended under caution.

Fast facts: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the top two starting positions in qualifying Saturday. At 51, Martin became the oldest 500 pole winner. Fifteen drivers — including two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip — are fighting for the final four spots in the 43-car field. Martin Truex has replaced Waltrip — running a partial schedule this year — in Michael Waltrip Racing's NAPA-sponsored Toyota. ... Jimmie Johnson won his record fourth straight series championship last year for Hendrick. The 2006 Daytona 500 winner has consecutive seven-victory seasons and 47 wins overall. In December, he became the first driver to be selected AP Male Athlete of the Year. ... Tony Stewart won the Coke Zero 400 in July at Daytona. ... Earnhardt was a career-worst 25th in points last year.

Next race: Auto Club 500, Feb. 21, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

NATIONWIDE SERIES

Drive4COPD 300

Site: Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule: Thursday, practice (ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.- Noon); Friday, qualifying (ESPN2, 3- 5 p.m.); Saturday, race, 12:15 p.m.(ESPN2, 12- 3 p.m.).

Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance: 300 miles, 120 laps.

Last year: Tony Stewart won the season-opening race for the second straight year and fourth time in five seasons. Carl Edwards was second.

Fast facts: Danica Patrick is making her NASCAR debut, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. In her stock car debut Saturday, the IndyCar star was sixth in the Daytona ARCA race. She's set to run 13 Nationwide races this year. ... Kyle Busch won the series championship last year for Joe Gibbs Racing, unifying the driver and owner titles for the first time since 2006. Busch won nine times and had 11 second-place finishes last season. He has 30 wins in 173 Nationwide starts. ... Chrissy Wallace is attempting to join father Mike, uncle Kenny and cousin Steve in the field. If she qualifies, it will mark the first time that a father and daughter have raced together in the series. They broke that barrier in the Trucks series last year at Talladega. It also would be the first time four members of the Wallace family have competed in a NASCAR national series event. ... Clint Bowyer won the July race at Daytona.

Next race: Stater Bros. 300, Feb. 20, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

NextEra Energy Resources 250

Site: Daytona Beach. Fla.

Schedule: Wednesday, practice (Speed, 5-6:30 p.m.); Thursday, practice (Speed, 8-10 a.m.), qualifying (Speed, 5:30-8 p.m.); Friday, race, 7 p.m.( 6:30-9:30 p.m.).

Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance: 250 miles, 100 laps.

Last year: Todd Bodine won the season-opening race for the second straight year, holding off Sprint Cup star Kyle Busch.

Fast facts: The series has adopted shootout-style, double-file restarts and lifted its year-old ban on changing tires and adding fuel on the same pit stop. ... Ron Hornaday, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., won his series-record fourth title last season. The 51-year-old Hornaday, also the champion in 1996, 1998 and 2007, won six times last year to push his series record to 45. ... Busch is making his first start as an owner-driver in the No. 18 Toyota. A seven-time winner in 15 starts last year for Billy Ballew, Busch also is fielding Tayler Malsam's No. 56 Toyota. ... Rick Ren stepped down as Hornaday's crew chief to join Busch's operation. Dave Fuge replaced Ren at KHI. ... Johnny Benson is driving the No. 95 Ford for Danny Gill. After winning the 2008 series title, Benson lost his ride last season when Red Horse Racing failed to find sponsorship, then was injured in June in a Supermodified event in Michigan. ... Bodine also has two series wins at Talladega.

Next race: Atlanta 200, March 6, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

NHRA FULL THROTTLE

Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals

Site: Pomona, Calif.

Schedule: Thursday, qualifying; Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 10 p.m.- Midnight); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 8- 10 p.m.).

Track: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Last year: Ron Capps (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) raced to victories in the season-opening event.

Fast facts: Tony Schumacher won his sixth straight and seventh overall Top Fuel championship Nov. 15 at Pomona, beating Larry Dixon by two points in the closest title race in NHRA history. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won championships.

Next race: NHRA Arizona Nationals, Feb. 19-21, Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.

On the Net: http://www.nhra.com

OTHER RACES

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: DIRTcar Nationals, Wednesday-Saturday, Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla. On the Net: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com

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New Sponsor For Hepburn - Scoop

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 08:30 PM PST

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New Sponsor For Hepburn

Timaru driver John Hepburn's Holden Commodore will carry the name of a new major sponsor when it rolls onto the track for Round 5 of the 2009/2010 BNT V8s Championship at Manfeild Park in Feilding this weekend.

Classic Hits Timaru have joined forces with John Hepburn Racing for the remainder of their 2009/2010 motor racing campaign. Hepburn's Commodore will now be known as the Classic Hits Timaru Commodore.

The announcement of the new partnership is great news for Hepburn and his small Timaru based team. The former motorcycle and truck champion has done a great job without a major sponsor since he became a championship regular last season. Faced with a huge learning curve in the country's premier motor racing championship he has turned in several top ten results, his best coming at the most recent round at his home circuit. There he ran competitively at the front of the field, securing a sixth placing and a fifth place finish proving he can foot it with the established teams.

Hepburn is rapt to welcome Classic Hits on board and says, "I hope that it becomes a long term relationship. It's cool that Classic Hits are nationwide as well as being locally based in Timaru."

Mary Strachan, Retail Sales Manager at the Radio Network says, "the Radio Network nationally has a good relationship with V8 racing and we are absolutely rapt to be involved with a local icon. He's such a hell of a nice guy and it is nice to be able to offer him support. We believe he will do great things. He has already proven himself in motorcycling and truck racing. He is a man on the move and as a local radio station it is great to back a local star."

The Classic Hits Timaru Commodore will make its first appearance during testing at Manfeild on Saturday. Hepburn will then contest the three part qualifying format at the 3 kilometre circuit starting at 3.40pm that day. The following day John will face the starter for three races. The first over 12 laps commences at 9.55am on Sunday morning. The second race, also over 12 laps is timed to start at 12.55pm while the finale, a 22 lap reverse grid race, will commence at 4pm.

John Hepburn's campaign in the BNT V8s Championship is supported by Classic Hits Timaru, Timaru Metal Recyclers, Timaru Signs & Graphix, Paul Smith Earthmoving, Petrie Mayman Clark, Robinsons Auto Dismantlers, Blastcraft, Auto Gas, Scarlett Hydraulics, Pit Stop Otahuhu, Barchetta Pleasurecraft, Ashley Electronics, The Front Store, Pope Print, Shaun Breen Plumbing and Power Farming.

ENDS

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2010 NHRA Preview - Associated Content

Posted: 10 Feb 2010 06:43 PM PST

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While many parts of the country are digging out from multiple feet of snow, the sunny parts are getting ready for auto racing. Not only is the NASCAR season opening on Sunday, February 14th, but the National Hot Rod Association - NHRA Drag Racing - will be hosting its first final rounds of the year as well.

The NRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series gets underway with two west coast stops - February 11th through 14th in Pomona, California, and February 19th through 21st in Phoenix, Arizona. Race number four on the schedule is a first-time event - and what an event it will be. The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will take place March 25th through 28th at the "Bellagio of dragstrips," zMax Raceway just outside Charlotte, North Carolina. The brainchild of Bruton Smith, head man at Charlotte Motor Speedway and chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, the first use of the four-lane dragstrip was last September in exhibition match races in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Fans, drivers, and officials were blown away by the races, and this drag race with a twist was added to the schedule.

The first race in the series' "Countdown to One" - the NHRA equivalent to NASCAR's "Chase for the Sprint Cup" - takes place Labor Day weekend, September 1st through 6th at Indianapolis. The MAC Tools Nationals, one of the most prestigious races on the circuit, starts the six-race Countdown, which also goes through Charlotte (September 16th through 19th), Dallas (September 23rd through 26th), Reading, Pennsylvania (October 7th through 10th), and Las Vegas (October 28th through 31st), before the season ends back where it started, in Pomona, California (November 11th through 14th).

2009 champs looking to defend their titles are Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel, Robert Hight in Funny Car, Mike Edwards in Pro Stock, and Hector Arana in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Expect strong runs in Top Fuel from Larry Dixon and Antron Brown, who finished second and third in 2009 points, respectively; Hight's teammates Ashley-Force-Hood and the legendary John Force in Funny Car; Greg Anderson in Pro Stock; and Andrew Hines and Karen Stoffer in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

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