Full Throttle

For the first 247 laps, Saturday’s Sharpie Professional 250 was anything but a typical Bristol Busch Series race.
Following a red flag for fluid on the track with 14 laps to go, Martin Truex Jr. led Kevin Harvick, Mike Bliss, Johnny Benson and David Stremme. When the race was over, Truex Jr. was in Victory Lane, Bliss was pleading his case to Busch Series officials and Benson and Stremme had wadded-up race cars.

“You knew there was going to be something big,” said Mike Wallace, who finished 10th. “You don’t red flag this thing with 14 to go and run it for four laps to get a single file restart, and then expect nothing to happen at Bristol. It’s Bristol racing and that’s why there are so many people in the grandstands.”

Benson was challenging Bliss for third but didn’t seem willing to use the front bumper of his No. 1 Dodge to bull his way past Bliss’ No. 20 Chevrolet. Stremme’s No. 32 Dodge was quickly closing on Benson.

With three laps to go, Stremme clipped the outside wall with the right side of his Dodge and headed straight for the Turn 1 wall. Unfortunately for Benson, Stremme clipped the left rear of Benson’s Dodge, sending him spinning out of control.

That caused a chain-reaction bunch up behind the original crash.

“Everybody was running into each other and I got into the back of the 27,” said Greg Biffle, who wound up fourth. “I feel bad about that, but I got jacked up from behind. It was pretty crazy, but I guess that’s why they sell out Bristol and that’s why all of these fans pay their money to see this race.”

Benson wound up 13th, Stremme 18th, both crews exchanged harsh words and everybody wound up in the Busch Series hauler at the end of the day.

While the field slowed down for the final laps under caution, in the ensuing confusion, Bliss headed for the pits on what turned out to be the white flag lap. Instead of finishing third, he was credited with a 17th-place finish, which left his team pleading with Busch Series officials to reverse the call.

“I’m just glad we weren’t involved in any of it and we didn’t get called to the trailer, so we’re in good shape,” Wallace said.

Source: NASCAR
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Veteran Butch Miller captured his 50th career win at the SK Hand Tool 200 after fending off a furious challenge from Travis Kittleson who was searching for his first series victory. By taking the checkered flag, Miller becomes the first ASA driver with more than one win on the 0.75-mile USA International Speedway.

Miller becomes the first person in ASA history to obtain both 50 race wins as well as 50 poles. “I couldn’t ask for a better car,” Miller said from the winner’s circle. “The car was prepped perfect. We just want to continue on and our goal is to win the championship. We want to win that really bad.”

Miller started his Timber Wolf Chevrolet from the 14th position and took the lead on lap 176, but had to overcome a late caution which bunched up the field on lap 195. On the final five circuits, Kittleson was all over Miller’s back bumper but raced him clean and wasn’t able to get inside for the pass. At the line, it was Miller by 0.16 seconds over Kittleson, the closest margin of victory in the six races held at this facility.

“Butch is one of the cleanest drivers out there,” Kittleson commented. “We’ve had our run-ins and I wanted to prove to him that I could run clean. Our car was best on short runs and his was best on long runs. It was one heck of a race and I had a great time out there.”

Source: RaceFan.com
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A British magazine is reporting Bahrain authorities tried to drop their April 4 Formula One Grand Prix because of fears the circuit would not be ready in time.Autosport magazine quoted circuit supervisor Philippe Gurdjian as saying last week that he had asked Bernie Ecclestone earlier this month to postpone the race for a year but the Formula One supremo refused.

“The race will go ahead but we will not be 100 per cent ready, although the track is finished,” Mr Gurdjian said.

“Two weeks ago we thought there was no way we could hold the race and we decided to cancel it but Bernie said no. So we just had to get more people in to get the job finished.”

The grand prix at the $A202 million Sakhir circuit will be the first in the Middle East and third race of the 18-round championship.

The circuit was officially opened last week, with a 2003 Williams the first modern Formula One car to lap it.

“The night before there were still people out laying kerbstones and painting,” Williams technical director Patrick Head said.

“They’ve done a remarkable job in the time but I should be careful where you put your hands in case the paint is still wet.”

Bahrain is one of two new circuits in the championship this year, the other being Shanghai which hosts China’s first grand prix in September.
ABC

? 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

It may be a long season for the rest of the F1 teams, as Ferrari again proves its superiority with a Malaysian win. Dispite the close Montoya finish (5 sec) Schumacher dominated the race start to finish, leaving Montoya crying about being blocked in the final 12 laps by Ferrari teammate Barrichello.

“At the end we backed off the revs, we backed off everything when Rubens got in the way. I went to pass him and he blocked me,” said Montoya, who finished just over five seconds behind race winner Schumacher. “If I hadn’t had Rubens in the last stint, I think we could have been quite a bit closer because at the end I was really cruising.”

So its off to Bahrain in two weeks, a new venue for the F1 Circus. I suspect Shumi will excel in the new surroundings not unlike a rain soaked circuit. And Bernie will revel in the fact that cigarette advertising is allowed. But what “Lord Bernie” giveth, “Lord Bernie” taketh away. There will be NO booze or broads in Bahrain! Here is a very good map of the new circuit in Bahrain.
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Pos Driver Car Make Laps Money Status

1 Tony Kanaan 11 D/H 200 $127,300, Running
2 Scott Dixon 1 G/T 200 $90,950, Running
3 Dan Wheldon 26 D/H 200 $85,400, Running
4 Alex Barron 51 D/C 200 $60,700, Running
5 Darren Manning 10 G/T 200 $55,300, Running
6 Helio Castroneves 3 D/T 200 $48,600, Running
7 Bryan Herta 7 D/H 200 $47,200, Running
8 Tora Takagi 12 D/T 199 $50,000, Running
9 Buddy Rice 15 G/H 198 $46,000, Running
10 Greg Ray 13 G/H 198 $44,600, Running
11 Kosuke Matsuura 55 G/H 198 $43,200, Running
12 Mark Taylor 2 D/C 198 $41,900, Running
13 Scott Sharp 8 D/T 197 $40,700, Running
14 A.J. Foyt IV 14 D/T 197 $39,100, Running
15 Sam Hornish Jr 6 D/T 195 $37,900, Running
16 Tomas Scheckter 4 D/C 180 $36,600, Accident
17 Dario Franchitti 27 D/H 180 $35,200, Accident
18 Robbie Buhl 24 D/C 177 $35,200, Accident
19 Ed Carpenter 52 D/C 132 $33,800, Accident
20 Adrian Fernandez 5 G/H 0 $32,600, Mechanical

The NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Darlington Raceway was decided by inches for the second straight year. This time, though, it was on pit road and not the racetrack. Jimmie Johnson barely beat Bobby Labonte out of the pits on his last stop Sunday, then held off a late challenge to win the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400.

“These guys got me the lead early in the race and they got me out front again when it really counted.”

It didn’t look like Johnson or anyone else had a chance to beat Labonte as the former Cup champion built a lead of more than half a straightaway over Kurt Busch with only 20 laps left in the 293-lap event. But, when Kyle Petty’s engine went up in a plume of white smoke, bringing out a caution flag on lap 275, Johnson found hope.

“I really wanted a caution to come because I thought with the pit stops we’d been having, we’d have a chance to win the race.”

All the leaders pitted for much-needed fresh tires and Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet crew put up its third consecutive 12.6-second stop, getting him out about 8 inches in front of Labonte’s No. 18 Chevy.

The green flag came out on lap 283, but another caution flag waved moments later when Tony Stewart bumped rookie Kasey Kahne from behind and sent him sliding through turns three and four. The ensuing caution was longer than expected and, when the green was displayed again with only four laps remaining, it looked like this race might turn out like last year’s when Ricky Craven nipped Busch by about 3 inches in a bumping, fender-banging finish.

Labonte, who won the Southern 500 here in 2000, gave it a good try. He got the nose of his car next to Johnson’s rear quarterpanel several times but couldn’t quite catch the leader, finishing 0.132 seconds — about two car-lengths — behind.

SEPANG, Malaysia, March 20 (Reuters) - Frank Williams has had words with Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya to reduce the risk of his drivers running each other off the track in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

“I think Frank has had a quiet and measured word with both drivers,” said technical director Patrick Head. “I hope we don’t see sparks tomorrow between our two guys,” he added.

Head said Williams, who famously had to deal with feuding team mates Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in the 1980s, had reminded both to focus their “competitive spirit on the enemy without rather than the enemy within”.

The team boss told a news conference on Friday that, while his drivers were allowed to race hard and bang wheels if necessary, pushing each other off would not be tolerated.

“Our policy has always been to have the two fastest drivers we can in the car,” Head said after qualifying on Saturday.

“When we have had a situation where one driver has been a lot quicker than the other, it’s always been that they have been remarkably pally and friendly,” added Head.

“Whenever they have been on the same 10th of a second there have usually been some hisses and claws coming out. I don’t think it’s particularly unusual.

“We don’t have anything in the contract that says, if you bump into your team mate, we will fine you X hundred thousand dollars or anything like that.

“Obviously they have things in their contracts that say they have to behave and drive to the credit of the team and themselves. But ultimately at this stage it’s just a quiet word.”

Source: Reuters

Ferrari champion Michael Schumacher secured pole position for tomorrow?s Malaysian Grand Prix here at the Sepang circuit, the German driver recording yet another new lap record in the process. His best time of 1:33.074 was over half a second faster than the second best man of the afternoon, Jaguar?s Mark Webber.

The Australian driver was the surprise of the afternoon, as were the Renault duo of Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso, who were strong in the opening session, were forced to settle for eighth and last, the latter losing control of his R24 on turn 14 and becoming beached in the gravel. Any hope of repeating last year?s pole position disappeared and he will now be forced to start from the back of the grid.

Jarno Trulli, 8th
?I am disappointed with my result. We had expected to do better, but I made a number of mistakes on my lap and that cost me several tenths. Nevertheless, I?m optimistic for the race: the car will be quick on the long runs, and I think we can get back tomorrow, what we lost today.?

Fernando Alonso, 20th
?I made a mistake under braking for Turn 14, lost the back end and the car spun. Of course it?s frustrating, particularly for the team who have worked hard this weekend, but I?m still confident. We know the car is quick and even starting last, I think we can fight for points. You can be sure it will be an aggressive, attacking race.?

Source: GP 2004
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Sometimes you find racing stories in the oddest places. Has NASCAR become so pervasive in America that even National Geographic feels compelled to produce and article praising its safety research?

NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, is a ten-million-dollar (U.S.) facility dedicated to making race cars safer?without sacrificing speed.
Gary Nelson, NASCAR managing director of research and development, supervises the center. His team uses a variety of means, including computer simulations and crash test dummies, in an endless quest to make a dangerous sport safer.

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News From Guinness

A standard 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup truck, driven by NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan (USA), reached a speed of 248.783 km/h (154.587 mph) at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, USA, on February 2, 2004.

Guinness World Records Researcher Hein le Roux was in Chelsea as an adjudicator: ?Pickup trucks aren?t normally renowned for their speed, with their designers favoring practicality over aerodynamics,? said Le Roux. ?In addition, there aren?t too many production cars out there capable of reaching 240 km/h (150 mph). So imagine being able to drive a pick-up truck straight off the dealer?s forecourt that can reach nearly 250 km/h (155 mph)!?
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