NASCAR owner Gene Haas granted Formula One team license

   Team press release:

   Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been granted a Formula One license by the FIA.

   The following is his statement.

   “Obviously, we’re extremely pleased to have been granted a Formula One license by the FIA. It’s an exciting time for me, Haas Automation and anyone who wanted to see an American team return to Formula One.

    “Now, the really hard work begins. It’s a challenge we embrace as we work to put cars on the grid.

   “I want to thank the FIA for this opportunity and the diligence everyone put forth to see our license application come to fruition.”

   Founded in 1983 and based in Oxnard, Calif., Haas Automation is the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world. Stewart-Haas Racing won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2011.
 

New opportunities for NASCAR fans during Charlotte race weeks

   To commemorate its 30th anniversary, the 600 Festival Association, a nonprofit organization aimed at promoting and celebrating motor sports in the Charlotte region, is offering loyal fans the opportunity to customize their event experience with the "Stars, Cars & Guitars" campaign.

 

   The 600 Festival Association has made premium upgrades available for all four of its May events: "Movies on the Campus" May 9 in Kannapolis, N.C.; "Haulers on Union" May 15 in Concord, N.C.; the "Little 600" May 20 in Mooresville, N.C.; and "Coca-Cola Speed Street Presented by Chevrolet"  May 22-24 in Charlotte, N.C.

 

   While the 600 Festival Association continues to offer free entertainment to consumers throughout the local region, attendees have the opportunity to upgrade their experience with never-before offered perks such as backstage access, reserved concert seats, introducing artists onstage, serving as honorary starter and more.

 

   “We wanted to offer fans a new opportunity to enhance their experience at each of the 600 Festival Association events,” said Jay Howard, president of the 600 Festival Association. “Every one of our guests is a VIP and this is an opportunity for them take control and personalize their experience."

 

   Fans can log on here through April 30 to purchase these exclusive items. To learn more about the Festival, visit www.600festival.com.

 

 

Only 13 laps in and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s day is done at Texas

 

   Just 13 laps into Monday's rescheduled Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup Series points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. saw his race come to an abrupt end after he slid into the frontstretch grass and the slid up into the outside retaining wall. His No. 88 Chevrolet caught fire but Earnhardt was not injured.

   Earnhardt spoke briefly after the incident:

   Q: What happened?
   Earnhardt : "Just didn't see the grass. Didn't know the grass was down there. With the way the A-post is on these cars you can't really see that good to that angle. I just didn't have a good visual of where the apron and the grass was and got down in there pretty good. You can't run through there they way they have these cars on the ground like that. Just a mistake on my part. I just didn't know I was that close to the grass, and made a mistake."

   "I drove the car down there. I didn't know we were that close the grass and was following the No. 43 (Aric Almirola). I thought I was taking a decent line through the dogleg. We were going low around the No. 42 (Kyle Larson) so I was lower than normal and just misjudged it. It tears the car up pretty good when you run through the grass."

   Q: Was wet track a factor?
   Earnhardt: "It was no factor. I just made a mistake."

The start of Sunday's NASCAR race at Texas has been delayed by rain

 

 

   The start of Sunday's Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway has been delayed by persistent rain showers and thunderstorms across the Dallas-Forth Worth area.

   It's the sixth time in seven NASCAR race weekends this season bad weather has affected some part of the race weekend.

   NASCAR will make every effort to get the race in on Sunday and can go into the night with lights, if necessary. In a message posted to his Twitter account, NASCAR executive vice president of race operations, Steve O'Donnell, said track drying procedures would likely need to be underway by 7 p.m. ET for the race to be held Sunday night.

   If the race cannot be started on Sunday, it will likely be postponed until noon ET on Monday.

Goodyear statement on Kurt Busch tire issue in practice

   Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. issued the following statement regarding an incident in Friday's Sprint Cup Series practice involving Kurt Busch's No. 41 Chevrolet, which had a left-rear tire go down and hit the wall:

   "Late in the Sprint Cup practice the No. 41 car lost a left-rear tire after 19 laps of a run. We eventually got the tire back, and while it was heavily damaged, our initial assessment is air loss due to over-deflection in the sidewall area. We've spoken to the team and got some preliminary information, but we need to talk with them further to get more details to help make a final determination." - Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of race tire sales

A dozen Sprint Cup teams lose practice time on Friday at Texas

 

 

   A dozen Sprint Cup Series teams have been docked 15 minutes of practice time on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway for being late to the qualifying inspection line last weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

   The teams of Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Landon Cassill, Cole Whitt, Michael Annett, Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson, Clint Bowyer, Parker Kligerman and Kyle Larson are lost 15 minutes in Friday's lone practice session.

   Teams being penalized practice time for being late to inspection is nothing new, however the number of teams being late on the same weekend is unusual.

Three NASCAR Truck teams penalized

   NASCAR Press Release

 

   Daytona Beach, Fla. (April 1, 2014) — Three teams that compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series have been penalized for rules violations discovered during post-race inspection last Sunday (March 30) at Martinsville Speedway.

 

   All three teams – the No. 31, No. 54, and No. 98 – have been assessed a P3 level penalty for violating Section 20B-12.5 (D) (offset front hubs found in post-race inspection) of the 2014 NASCAR rule book.

 

   As a result, each team’s crew chief – Michael Shelton (No. 31); Jerry Baxter (No. 54); and Gene Wachtel (No. 98) – have been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.