A 1941 Willys Coppercino, what a sight to see.

(Photo by me - Brian Vermette)

Welcome to a dose of photography v2.0 on RaceDriven.com. This past January (2009), I took in the 2009 World of Wheels in Boston, Massachusetts and this Willy's was sitting just beyond the line to meet Chip Foose, even though the pictures doesn't give this ride, a 1941 Willy's Coppercino justice, it still is an amazing ride.

The success, surprises and the struggles 19 races into the 2009 Cup Series Season.

In watching the now NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for over 17 years now and blogging on among others subject NASCAR for over four years, you tend not to be too surprised with some things that go down in the season, however when it comes to the 2009 season, I would call it a season of “surprises”.

Last season (2008) was a year “survival”, drivers, teams and owners had to just survive races in order to finish anywhere in the top 10, let alone the top 5 or even god for bit win a race, but 2009 is a year surprises, and just to keep things in the same area of surprises, I originally thought that I would pick 3 drivers out for each category and talk about them, however that was so last year, for this round, I am going to highlight a few teams that has caught my eye in general.

In the success stories, it’s hard to ignore the success of Hendrick Motorsports, one of the best teams in NASCAR that has had their highs and lows so far in 2009 all across the board. Jimmie Johnson despite a few bad runs this season is my pick to capture his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championships in 2009, he is 3rd in the points and has two victories so far including one coming at Martinsville and the second coming at Dover after an amazing duel between him and Tony Stewart in the late stages of the race.

Not to be outdone, Jeff Gordon is in the top 5 in points and one victory with several good runs including a second place at Chicagoland, but don’t forget about Mark “the kid” Martin, despite a bad start, Martin has not only rebounded, but done a complete 180 and now is 11th in points and has four great victories one the season so far including Phoenix, Darlington, Michigan and most recently at Chicagoland Speedway.

However when it comes to Dale Earnhardt Jr., even after a crew chief change, while he continues to improve, he still runs mid-pack, somewhere around top 15 in each race. My advice is simple, Dale Jr. needs to get away from NASCAR for a weekend, if he had a weekend off and just go race in some late-model race and enjoy it, I went and watched a good modified series race last (2008) Father’s Day and it was a blast, no weird calls, just racing and that’s what it is all about.

Joe Gibbs Racing, the rookie Joey Logano is coming along and even though he has a lot of learning to do, he is doing great so far including having one victory in the rain-shortened Lenox Tools 301 at New Hampshire, but even without the victory, he is doing better than so veterans in the field. Denny Hamlin, the leader at JGR is contending weekly and fifth in points, of course then you have NASCAR’s bad boy Kyle Busch who has had a up and down 19 races with three victories on the season, but not where he was one year ago.

The surprise story has to do more with one of the best teams in NASCAR and one of the newest teams in NASCAR, yes Stewart-Haas Racing. Ironically enough Stewart-Haas Racing is a huge surprise on the season as well, it was only one year ago at this very weekend that Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing where Tony Stewart not only announced that was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing after 10 years and two NASCAR Cup Series Championships, but that he was developing Stewart-Haas Racing, but even I didn’t think he was going to have this type of success so early.

Tony Stewart is one of my favorite drivers, he is very outspoken, but the difference between him and several others drivers that are outspoken is, he can back it up on the racetrack and for 2009 Jimmie Johnson better watch out, there a new contender for the Cup Championship this year, Stewart is first in the points, have three wins in 2009, one coming in the NASCAR All-Star race at Charlotte in amazing fashion, his first career victory as an owner/driver at Pocono after going to a backup car and a victory two weeks ago in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, of course that was after an incident on the last lap with Kyle Busch, which Stewart did nothing wrong in, not to mention a lot of top 5 finishes as well.

Not to be out down, the other half of Stewart-Haas Racing Ryan Newman started out with troubles, but has rebounded nicely where he finds himself 7th in points with several good runs and a contender week in and week out for victories.

Unfortunately you have the teams that is some ways are struggles and point blank has to be Richard Childress Racing and most of that has to be due to just plain bad luck. It would be better if they had no luck at all then this. Jeff Burton runs well in most races, but several times this season has just gotten caught up in someone else’s mess and has ended up with a wrecked racecar. And despite a crew swap, both Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears continue to experience trouble. However not all is lost on RCR, they not only continue to improve, but Clint Bowyer has been there in several races this season and sits just outside the top 12 in points and still has time to get into the chase.

Roush-Fenway Racing, this is not where I expected them to be at all for this five team operation. One year ago, Carl Edwards had three victories on the season so far and higher in points. Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle both find themselves as well not where they were last season, but Kenseth does have two victories so far in 2009, the Daytona 500 and the California race the next weekend, but all three drivers are in the top 12 right now. However Jamie McMurray and David Ragan both are struggling, half the time I don’t even see them on television, unless it’s a through the field rundown.

For a raceteam that needs to loss a team at the end of the season, it will be either Ragan or McMurray, partly due contracts ending.

Finally Red Bull Racing, poles are great to have, starting position means a lot, but you have to back it up on the racetrack and for Brian Vickers, you have to back it up with results and there is none. The same can be said for Scott Speed, he has failed to qualify a few times, of course he has driven Joe Nemechek in a few of those races, but just struggles during some races, but improves at the same time.

What a list, but I have to highlight a few surprises after 19 races that didn’t show up above, first David Reutimann and his teammate Marcos Ambrose. Both drivers continue to impress on the track, Reutimann picked up his first victory in a rain-shortened Monday running of the Coca-Cola 600 and is 14th in points. Ambrose is right there every week, especially with a third place finish at Sonoma, 7-top 11 finish in 2009, that’s improving in only his first full-time season in the Cup Series.

When I look at the first 19 races of 2009, I see a lot of contenders and surprises. Double file restarts are amazing to watch, the racing is good at most tracks, drivers are driving their guts out every time they strap in, however there is one misconception, I have to say that while victories are the thing that everyone wants, we should be not only noticing, but measuring driver success by not only top 5, and top 10 finishes but also those drivers who each week races and finishing in the top 20.

A top 20 finish in the Cup Series is hard to get and drivers should be recognized for it.

Formula 1 needs to drop the budget cap in favor of other cost cuts and improving the racing.

(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

I consider myself not only as a NASCAR fan, but as a Motorsports fan, I watch several different series throughout the course of a year from most NASCAR series and the IRL IndyCar Series to Road Racing, Off-Road racing and Formula 1, however when it comes to Formula 1, there is a series that has a lot of history, but needs a lot of work done to it to improve the racing greatly, let alone the leadership and rules.

One concept floating around the FIA and Formula 1 is a budget cap. Now I really don’t know too much about it, but as a Formula 1 fan (somewhat), as much as I would like to see Bernie (another guy who thinks he knows best) not running Formula 1 anymore and a new series is born, I would hate to see a series with so much history and known for some of the best racers in the world go straight down the tubes. F1 needs to have its big teams like Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, Brawn GP and big drivers including Lewis Hamilton in the sport, however the same can be said for Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes and Brawn GP and the drivers, they need F1 too, basically they need each other, so both parties need to work together or else.

The or else part, well for example, open wheel racing in the United States is almost died in my eyes and that is partly due to Tony George, he create a giant split years ago from CART when he didn’t get his way and created the Indy Racing League, fast forward to 2009, first there is no more CART, partly due to a so-called merger, it was a buyout plain and simple, but second, the IRL IndyCar Series is only a few years from dying off completely, the series needs a lot of work to attract more fans and sponsors. Fans and sponsors is what drive’s the sport, just like in NASCAR and without them, there will be no sport.

Now I should mention that Tony George is only one element of it, I’m sure someone else would have come up with the same idea, but the point is, he created the split and now open wheel racing is in doubt and at the same time, there is no CART anymore neither and no history. I had read an article on an interview with Tony George back in December that said (From the article): When pressed about the possibility of being profitable by 2013, George responded, “It has to be, or or there won’t be a 2013. We expect a return on that investment.”

Personally even if the article is false, if a series doesn’t post any profit, it’s not going to stay in business for very long and I don’t see it, but more importantly, if the IndyCar Series goes away, that’s it for the most part for open wheel racing in the United States, of course you will still have some smaller series that still exist. The IndyCar Series right now needs a lot of work and it’s not CART.

The same concept could apply to Formula 1 and the new FOTA break away series, I feel this is the time to stop and work together and not just leave completely, however it’s really simple, the FIA needs to drop to budget cap in favor of working on better racing and more so on other cost cutting ideas for 2010. The FIA also needs to drop the concept of having the World Champion be determined solely on number of victories as well, both ideas, concepts if you will, will not work in this day and age.

The budget cap, there is really no way to police the sport on what each team spends, reviewing books, come on, try again. Teams are going to spend what they want to spend, that’s unavoidable, but cutting costs in other ways will enable more teams to not only complete in Formula 1, but win in Formula 1 and that is the goal here. The manufacturers will have to make cost cutting to their budgets too, they can’t continue to spend this type of money, especially if they don’t see anything, otherwise they will sellout and leave, i.e. Honda, I’m Toyota next, but that’s my opinion.

A few concepts would be:

1. Limit the number of crew members that service the car. Every time I watch a Formula 1 pit stop during a race, I see a mass of crew members all over the car from changing tires to refueling, adjusting wings, and whatever, no, you don’t need it. Limit it to 10 people total. The same for the number of people that each team brings to the track on a race weekend, limit that too by using credentials (if F1 doesn’t already do that).

2. Limit the testing to a few dates during the off-season, F1 has the track open for a 3 day block for every team to attend, of course it’s optional to attend, but they will. No testing during the race season. Now I should mention that in F1, they do have limits on testing, but while you have to allow testing, more restrictions can be applied, but within reason of course.

3. Remove a few bits of technology from these Formula 1 cars, what is a diffuser on the back of the car?

What is KERS? The acronym KERS stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. The device recovers the kinetic energy that is present in the waste heat created by the car’s braking process. It stores that energy and converts it into power that can be called upon to boost acceleration. – From Formula 1 website

The KERS is an interesting device, but everybody has to use it, otherwise cut costs. I understand that Formula 1 is about technology, but some things have to go.

4. Tires. I liked the softer tires vs. the hard tires, just no rules on them, let the teams use both types during the race, each team has a few sets of each tire, but limit the number of tires per race weekend.

5. Make these rules easier to follow during the race too, it will make it better for the fans watching not only at the racetrack, but at home. Start with the points standings, you’ve got me there.

6. Create a town hall meeting, talk and work with teams, there has to be a compromise, its everyone’s sport, everyone has a say.

These are just a few ideas, just look at NASCAR and other racing series, you would be surprised what type of racing you will have with a lot of the cost cutting in place. Other things that can be done in the series is give the manufacturers something more for their money, which should include better racing, I’m talking about more side-by-side racing, more passing, passing is racing ladies and gentlemen and without passing, you have a parade.

Another way is to race again in North America, preferably in the United States and Canada. Manufacturers sell their products in the US, there for they want F1 here too. In the United States, it doesn’t have to be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we have several different size venues, just work with a race track or build a street circuit, just don’t ask the government to pitch in money, we don’t do that here in the US, it’s not their job, that is what sponsors are for (and no, I don’t blame Tony George for losing F1, if a track can’t make any money off a race, it’s not going to happen).

The point is, the FIA and Formula 1 can help cut costs in several different ways in the series without enabling a budget cap, especially with a few ideas above which I am sure the FIA has already looked at before, but also the point here is, the world doesn’t need another Formula 1 series, it already has one, so I do hope that cooler heads do prevail and the FIA and FOTA can work out several cost cutting measures without a budget cap and not end up having two separate series.

If there are two separate series, it will only be a matter of time before Formula 1 will not exist anymore and formula racing (or open wheel racing) will be no more.

Was the finish to the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona just racing or did Kyle Busch get dumped?

Coke Zero 400 at Daytona was an encore presentation of Aaron’s 499 at Talladega.


(Photo Credit: NASCAR.com)
As another Saturday night NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at this time Chicagoland Speedway is on the horizon, I’m still thinking more about last Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.

Now let me state the obvious, when it comes to restrictor plate racing, most of the time, you get an exciting, heart pumping, yet heart stopping, hard to watch at times race and basically every plate race is an encore presentation of either the previous tracks race or in this case, the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in my eyes was an encore presentation of the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega a few months ago.

So let’s get right into it, on the last lap coming to the checkered flag, was the incident coming into the tri-oval between #14-Tony Stewart (who was running in second at the time) and #18-Kyle Busch (who was leading on the last lap) just racing or did Kyle Busch get dumped?

First I thought that the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona was just another restrictor plate race, Daytona is handling race track so you have to have more than just speed to win here, with the exception of the finish of the race nothing really surprised me at all. Mark Martin getting tagged up off turn 2 was just simply a product of getting tight up off and another driver was there, Matt Kenseth did nothing wrong and it was a racing deal.

“The big one” as most people call it reared its ugly head again as it normally does during most restrictor plate races and the back straightaway was the hot spot, unfortunately several drivers just got caught up in one person’s mess, which set off a chain reaction.

However, what about Tony Stewart vs. Kyle Busch? I have watched the reply so many times from so many angles, it makes my head hurt, but I see the same thing each time that I saw on the first shot in real time, Kyle Busch came off turn 4 with the lead, Tony Stewart was right there on Kyle’s back bumper, Kyle went to block, Stewart went high, now this is where Kyle Busch should have stayed low, the yellow line didn’t play a factor in the incident, if Kyle would have stayed low, then he might of won the race.

But the first reaction of most drivers is block and Stewart was already to Kyle Busch’s outside, Kyle Busch came up to block, hit Stewart’s left side, which sent Kyle Busch into the outside wall just before the tri-oval and Tony Stewart won the race. I was glad to see that all of the drivers were ok after that both the Big One and the last lap wreck on the front straightaway, from Kasey Kahne having no were to go and slamming right into a basically stopped Kyle Busch to even more a few more drivers slamming into Busch after the tri-oval including his teammate #20-Joey Logano, there was really no place for most drivers to go.

Fast forward to earlier today (Thursday at Chicagoland), Kyle Busch was interviewed in the media center and said "NASCAR should look at it when a second place driver dumps the leader, then black flag his (left out word) and he doesn’t get the win, if he is on him from behind and moves him out of the way, but there is no wreck, then he wins the race, but if you along side of him and you dump him, then they should give the win to the third place guy." (took from the SPEED Live of the video from the NASCAR Media Center at Chicagoland Speedway). Kyle Busch was also asked if last week’s incident, would that be considered a dump in your mind? He siad "It would be considered a dump yes."

Kasey Kahne said that that incident was a long ways from a dump in his mind, they were both battling for the win (there was more in the audio after that). Tony Stewart said he talked to Busch on Tuesday and everything was fine, so he will go off of that conversation and leave it at that.

Personally I am trying to stay objective and my opinion and say what you will, but Kyle Busch has nothing to complain about, Stewart didn’t dump him, if anything Kyle Busch came up on him and wrecked himself, however I see it as, it’s just racing (a racing deal or incident), welcome to restrictor plate racing, I am giving Kyle Busch the benefit of the doubt and the first thing most drivers do in that case was block, so it’s a racing incident.

As for Kyle Busch’s comment that NASCAR should look into this when a second place driver dumps the leader, the win should go to the third place driver, NASCAR already does that, case in point, in January at the Toyota All-Star race at Irwindale Speedway, on the last lap, Joey Logano made a mistake and put Peyton Sellers into the turn 4 wall with a video game move and even though Logano crossed the finish line first and originally I thought he won, Logano was penalized to last place and third place Matt Kobyluck won the All-Star race.

Daytona was Daytona, just like Talladega is Talladega, welcome to restrictor plate racing, did you enjoy the race?

Five wide: Goodwood Festival of Speed, MWR, Gas Tax helping GM and Carrie Underwood question.

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, today I’m talking five wide, a regular column of mine that details five articles, stories or posts throughout the internet that I’ve read within the past few days. The way I look at it, I just re-tweeted five articles that I liked, just in one article and more than 140 characters, anyway, let’s get right into it:

1. Michael Waltrip Racing’s announcement: Earlier today, Michael Waltrip Racing and sponsor NAPA announced that Michael Waltrip would step down as a full-time driver and drive a part-time schedule which includes The Daytona 500 in the #55 NAPA Toyota. This was not a big surprise, personally I think Michael should drive full-time in the Nationwide Series too.

However one of the biggest names (at least in the Nationwide Series) to come along in recent years, Martin Truex Jr. announced that he will drive the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota full-time in 2010 and beyond. It was interesting to see the #56 on his car, that number 56 was the number he drove throughout his early career before coming to NASCAR in what is now the Nationwide Series and teh number was his father's too.

2. Over in England at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed, NASCAR was well represented with several NASCAR drivers and former champions cars making laps around the track and while seeing former Truck Series champion Mike Skinner driving the #83 Red Bull Toyota, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace in his #2 Miller Lite Dodge and Hendrick Motorsports driver Landon Cassill driving the #24 T-Rex Chevrolet, it was great seeing photos of Dale Earnhardt’s famous #3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet that Dale drove to his last win at Talladega in 2000 drive under the bridge by his daughter Taylor Earnhardt.


(Photo Credit: All three photos from the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England were taken by Peter Fox/Getty Images for NASCAR)

But if you’re not a NASCAR fan, have no fear, other forms of Motorsports including Formula 1 were well represented at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed and Autoblog has the gallery and what a gallery it is.

3. Let me say right from the start, I am currently working on a Coke Zero 400 article, however I just couldn’t resist highlighting what the Daly Planet had to say about the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona that was live on TNT. It looks like it has taken many NASCAR fans a while to come around to NASCAR on TNT, but for the Daly Planet they seemed to have loved the broadcast from start to finish and I have to say, I completely agree.

I hope NASCAR watched last Saturday’s night’s race on TNT, because I want that Wide-Open coverage on all networks (FOX, TNT and ESPN/ABC), it was exactly what the broadcast needed and so was Ralph Sheheen in the booth, welcome to NASCAR Ralph, good job in the booth, now hopefully TNT will give him the job full time in booth next season too.

4. WSJ Column: Higher gas taxes better strategy than CAFE to save GM: Over at Autoblog Green, they highlight a WSJ column on higher gas taxes could help GM, however I was more surprised to see the gas tax on diesel fuel was so high compared to gasoline and no taxes on ethanol. It seems to me that the only way to fix the United State’s dependent on foreign oil may just start with diesel fuel considering its 30% better mileage, the gas tax should be straight even across the board, of course that would require diesel fuel gas tax to drop, gasoline tax to stay the same and ethanol to get the same tax as gasoline and diesel.

What about ethanol, it’s the answer for our dependents on foreign oil alright, but NOT for the auto industry, no ethanol is for motorsports like the IRL IndyCar Series, ALMS, and NASCAR should look at it too. BTW: Don’t touch the gas tax Massachusetts or Federal government that would be a dangerous move in any economy, especially this tough economy we have right now, give automakers and consumers the chance to use diesel fuel and if diesel fuel prices go down, so does transportation prices on our goods.

5. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood duet? I came across an article here that highlights the talk on Carrie Underwood’s forum here that Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood could possibly do a duet together in the future. Since I don’t care much for rumors nor rarely report on them, you might be wondering why I would even mention it? Well specking as both a country music fan and a especially as a Carrie Underwood fan, just about any duet she does or song she sings sounds good to me, what an amazing voice she has and cute too.