"Happy" Harvick is BACK!

Memorial Day weekend is like racing Christmas to a fan.  It starts across the pond with the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco, continues with the Indianapolis 500, and concludes with the Coca-Cola 600.

1261 laps of racing in one day.   Oh, thank you, racing Gods.

I had barely gotten my jaw up from the floor after that incredible finish of the centennial running of the Indianapolis 500 when it was time for the Coca-Cola 600.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure my heart could take another finish like that.  Little did I know that NASCAR refused to let IRL and F1 dominate the racing highlight reels this Memorial Day weekend.

» Continue reading “Coca-Cola 600 Post-Race: Bring on the Happy!”

Today, we simply say "thank-you" on behalf of race fans everywhere.

On this Memorial Day, Erin and I would like to take an opportunity to say “thank-you” to all of our service men and women who have fought and died to keep our country and freedoms safe. We appreciate your sacrifice and everything you do to allow Erin and I to do what we love every, single day. Your sacrifices are more appreciated than you’ll ever know. Today, we remember you and can’t simply say “thank-you” enough times.

» Continue reading “Memorial Day 2011: On behalf of all race fans, thank you.”

2011 100th Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon

I could be all official, formal and describe lap-for-lap what happened during Sunday’s 100^th running of the Indianapolis 500 but instead, I’m going to tell you how awesomely insane it was. And please understand and trust me when I say “you have no idea unless you were there” because Sunday it rang more true than ever before.

I’ll start off by saying I was the victim of a severe case of road rage at seven in the morning with a best friend who managed to navigate and park us within less than one mile of the speedway (which is a miracle in itself) in less than three hours. We are not sheep, we do not follow normal race traffic patterns so therefore we are road warriors. Where is our trophy for our epic win?

» Continue reading “If you’re not a race fan by now: 100th Indianapolis 500 recap”

The Indianapolis 500 is the ONLY reason to get up this early on a Sunday.

Who will drink the milk today in Victory Circle?  Will we have our first female winner?  Will Helio make the short list of 4-time Indy winners?   Talk about it here during the race!

Welcome to Charlotte Motor Speedway.  This track is home to the most grueling race in the NASCAR schedule: the Coca-Cola 600.  This race is the third and final crown jewel of NASCAR season, after the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500 of Darlington.  This race separates the men from the boys.

600 miles.  400 laps.  1600 left turns.  One checkered flag.

Carl Edwards has been quoted as saying, “This is the race that I train and work out for all year. This race is made for me; it’s a long, grueling marathon of a race.”

This is NASCAR’s Ironman.

» Continue reading “Coca-Cola 600: I Am Iron Man”

So word is there’s some kind of race going on in Indiana tomorrow they’ve been doing for the past hundred years, I guess. So I thought I’d get in my car (my best friend’s actually) and head down there to see what the big stink is about. Actually, I can’t be more excited to be heading down to Indianapolis for the Indy 500 tomorrow for the first time in about fifteen years.

Let’s take a look at what will make this day a special day to remember in racing not only because it’s the 100^th anniversary of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” but because it’s Indianapolis. What more is there on Memorial Day weekend?

» Continue reading “Centennial Sweetness: 100th Indianapolis 500 Preview”

So what happens when owners strike deals between each other behind closed doors? Bruno Junqueira loses his Indy 500 ride (not by choice), Ryan Hunter-Reay is handed a spot in the most coveted race in all of motorsports and he (understandably) and his boss (who initiated the deal) are both pissed.

Here’s what went down just TWO days ago on Monday – observe:

Bruno Junqueira qualified the car 19th on Bump Day Sunday for the Indianapolis 500 in the A.J. Foyt Racing #41 car. This is totally acceptable and legit. Yay, for Bruno.

On the other hand, Hunter-Reay was “bumped” from the field in the same day by teammate Marco Andretti which gave him no time or chance to fight back because Bump Day ran out of time. In a nutshell, Ryan ran out of luck and time all in one shot. Too bad, that’s life.

» Continue reading “Why the Indianapolis 500 really hates Michael Andretti…”

With this week being the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, I want to give a shout-out to 2011 pole sitter Alex Tagliani who may not be one of the best-known drivers in racing, but certainly deserves recognition as being one of the most resilient.

This week will mark one of the proudest moments in his career as he leads the field of 33 cars down the front stretch to the green flag to start the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Let’s take a few moments and get to know him a little bit better:

» Continue reading “Driver of the Week: IZOD IndyCar’s Alex Tagliani”

 

C’mon ladies. I know he’s young, but isn’t he nice to look at? Yep, I knew that’s how you felt. Some actual racing-related Trevor Bayne news to report though and here’s a shocker: he’s sitting out yet ANOTHER weekend (his fifth in a row) and missing all racing activites in Charlotte, the biggest racing weekend of the year.

Yes, still health-related issues. He’s recovering, just not yet 100% but he’s getting better each week. He’ll make his first official return to racing in the Nationwide race next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway for the STP 300 for Roush Fenway Racing.

» Continue reading “Seriously?!? Trevor Bayne to miss another weekend”

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr won his first NASCAR Nationwide race this past weekend in his 51^st start at Iowa Speedway.  As reported by Morgann Spicer, Ricky beat out Sprint Cup regulars Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski .

A first win is always one of the sweetest, but does anyone, even Ricky Stenhouse, Jr, realize that this win was so much more than that?

» Continue reading “NNS: Time to Kick the Majors Out of the Minors”