Car Show Review: 2011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

NASCAR: Sprint Cup stars in Pennsylvania, Nationwide Series runs in Iowa

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
NASCAR's Sprint Cup series makes its second visit of the year to Pocono Raceway this weekend.

By: Al Pearce on 8/05/2011

NASCAR's three-race, two-venue weekend has a somewhat different face now that Carl Edwards has re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing and Brad Keselowski has been told to skip the weekend's Nationwide Series race in Iowa. And what's with those big-time Sprint Cup stars running the Camping World Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway?

Edwards is at Pocono all day Friday and part of Saturday to prepare for Sunday afternoon's Good Sam Emergency 500. For the first time in months, he'll be free of those nagging questions about whether he plans to stay at Roush Fenway or jump to Joe Gibbs Racing. He ended all the suspense and speculation when he announced on Thursday that he'll he stay with Ford and Roush Fenway.

After his Pocono obligations end with Cup qualifying on Saturday morning, Edwards will fly to Newton, Iowa. There, he'll prepare for and race in Saturday night U.S. Cellular Nationwide 250. It was a race Keselowski was scheduled to run but he withdrew after chipping an ankle bone in a Wednesday test-session crash at Road Atlanta. Team owner Roger Penske has tapped Sam Hornish Jr. to replace Keselowski, who'll be at Pocono resting up for Sunday afternoon's Sprint Cup race. Edwards and Michael McDowell will be the only Cup regulars in Iowa.

Saturday afternoon's support race at Pocono is the Good Sam Truck Series 125. Teams will practice on Friday, qualify on Saturday morning, then race on Saturday afternoon. The series regulars will have their hands full with Cup regulars Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin.

The full Pocono schedule:

-- Friday: 10-11:50 a.m., final Camping World practice; 12-1:30 p.m., Sprint Cup practice; 1:40-3 p.m., final ARCA practice; 4-5:30 p.m., final Cup practice; 5:40 p.m., ARCA qualifying

-- Saturday: 9:35 a.m., Truck Series qualifying; 10:40 a.m., Cup qualifying; 1 p.m., start of Good Sam Truck Series 125; 3 p.m., start of Pennsylvania ARCA 125

-- Sunday: 1:15 p.m., start of Pennsylvania Sprint Cup 500

The Iowa Speedway schedule:

-- Friday: 4:30-5:30 p.m., Nationwide Series practice; 6-7:30 p.m., final Nationwide practice

-- Saturday: 3:35 p.m., qualifying; 7:30 p.m., start of US Cellular Nationwide Series 250

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NASCAR: Carl Edwards explains decision to stay with Roush Fenway, sort of

ACTION SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Carl Edwards said money was not the key factor in negotiating a new contract with Roush Fenway Racing.

By: Al Pearce on 8/05/2011

Neither driver Carl Edwards nor owner Jack Roush would reveal details of their new “multi-year” contract that Roush Fenway Racing announced on Thursday. For much of this season the media, fans, and competitors had played the game of “where will Carl go?” In the end, amid great scrutiny, he stayed put with Roush Fenway after listening to an offer from Joe Gibbs Racing.

On Friday, between practice sessions at Pocono Raceway, driver and owner finally talked about their deal. Well, they talked about the deal, but not the deal itself.

“First off, I wish I’d never confirmed that our (contract) was up this year because it would have been a lot quieter (otherwise),” Edwards said. “I looked at a lot of things, but at the end of the day, our negotiations and our deals and the things that I look at competitively are private matters. We went through the process, worked really hard and this is the outcome, and I’m proud to be here.

“I can say, just like I said earlier, that I learned a ton. I learned about Roush Fenway Racing and about Jack as a person and about me and what’s important to me. I learned about my competitors and you guys (the media), and I’m really appreciative for all those folks who were patient. We’re in a position now where our cars are fast and we have chances to win almost every week. We have the opportunity to go out and win this championship, to continue my partnership with Jack, to continue with Ford and the sponsors. I’m really happy with the way this turned out.”

Even after reminding the media he’d said he wouldn’t talk about contract details, he kept getting those questions. Politely, as is his way, he refused to answer. But he did politely offer these insights.

“From the beginning I said, ‘What would I do if money weren’t a factor and if I didn’t care what (anybody else) thought about my decision?’ ’’ he said. “It’s a decision that’s important to me and my family for all the hard work I’ve put in. For the path I’ve taken, for me personally. I act as my own agent and make my own decisions. I understand my own deals, and the decision was made under those thoughts.

“So that’s what made this simpler and that’s how I came to the conclusion. Whenever I’d start feeling that pressure start creeping in I’d think, ‘OK, let’s get back to the basics. Where can I win the most championships? And what would I do if other people’s opinions weren’t a factor?’ That helped me a ton and my family and Jack’s patience and Jack’s support helped me do that. When I talked to Jack on the phone he said, ‘Look, Carl, you do whatever you think is best for you.’ He said those words and that meant the world. It meant I didn’t have that pressure to do something for any reason other than what I thought was best. That was huge.”

Edwards said that contrary to widespread reports he didn’t make his decision based on a last-minute deal sweetener from Ford Motor Co.

“There was no last-minute money,” he said. “The idea that some people have run with is … well … first of all, the money numbers that I read are not correct and that’s all I’ll say about that. And if anybody who wants to publish any more of those numbers would like to come ask me if they’re correct, I’ll tell you they’re not correct.

“And then second: there was no difference in the deal at the last minute or anything else (that had to do with Ford corporately). My deal with Ford is that I believe in the company. I believe in the products they make and just like everyone else at Ford and Roush Fenway Racing, if Ford benefits, I have the potential to benefit from that success too. But there was no last-minute influx of money or anything like that. That’s a false assumption.”

Roush jumped in to say it wasn’t a factor from his side of the table, either.

“I’d like to make one follow-up comment on that, on the money thing,” he said on Friday. “The one thing Carl and I did not have a discussion about at any point in the negotiation or consideration was money. It was not a factor from my side, from the Roush Fenway side, and from what I could see it was not a factor from Carl’s side. That did not weigh into the decision Carl made.”

Finally, the timing of the announcement. Why now? Why not last week or last month or a month from now? What happened this week to convince Edwards it was time to end the suspense and re-sign with Roush Fenway? And in the end, what factor tipped him one way and not the other?

“I think staying was for the reasons we talked about,” Edwards said. “I just decided this is the right place for me. If I’d made this decision three months ago I might have had more second thoughts, I might have felt not as sure about it. To me, the fact I had the time I had and the opportunities, and Jack being as open as he was and showing me things that were going on. With the way Ford treated me through the process and showed me things that were gonna happen in the future. All that was a risk on their part because they didn’t have to show me those things.

“It took time for me to come to that conclusion. There wasn’t one thing at the end that changed my mind or made my decision different. When I made up my mind, you folks heard about it.”

NASCAR notes: Newman, Kahne lead Cup practice

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Crew chief Chad Knaus talks with driver Jimmie Johnson at Pocono Raceway on Friday.

By: Al Pearce on 8/05/2011

Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne were fastest in Friday's two Sprint Cup practice sessions at Pocono Raceway. Teams will qualify Saturday morning at 10:40 (three of the 46 entries won't make the show) and start their 200-lap, 500-mile at 1:15 on Sunday afternoon.

In the first session, Newman (170.026 mph) easily beat Kurt Busch (168.621 mph), A. J. Allmendinger (168.517 mph), Carl Edwards (168.360 mph) and Mark Martin (168.300 mph) in the 90-minute session. Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10. The five slowest were Geoffrey Bodine, Jason White, Erik Darnell, Scott Speed, and T. J. Bell.

Kahne led the second 90-minute session at 167.520 mph. Mark Martin (166.834 mph), Kevin Harvick (166.756 mph), Clint Bowyer (166.667 mph), and Juan Pablo Montoya (166.599 mph) also were in the top five. Jeff Burton, Newman, Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith and Carl Edwards were in the top 10. The slowest five were White, Casey Mears, Bell, Mike Skinner and David Stremme.

Cup drivers rule truck practice

Sprint Cup stars Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin were first, third and fifth in Friday morning's Camping World Truck Series practice at Pocono Raceway. Teams practiced for almost two hours, will qualify Saturday morning at 9:35 and run their 50-lap, 125-mile race at 1 p.m.

Harvick's best lap of 161.493 mph beat the 160.964 mph of Todd Bodine. Busch ran 160.878 mph to show in third, Matt Crafton ran 160.829 mph for fourth, Martin ran 160.691 mph for fifth and Johnny Sauter ran 160.494 mph for sixth.

Nelson Piquet Jr., Miguel Paludo, Jason White and Joey Coulter rounded out the top 10. Only 30 teams showed up and practiced, four fewer than allowed on the entry form. The slowest of those 30 was Chris Lafferty at 119.600 mph.

Mattiolis step down

Doctors Rose and Joe Mattioli, both deep into their 80s, announced Friday afternoon their joint retirement from daily operations of the three-sided, 2.5-mile track at Long Pond, Pa. Their three eldest grandchildren will take over daily operations, effective immediately.

Brandon Igdalsky, 35, the track's president since 2007, has assumed addition duties as chief executive officer. His brother, 33-year-old Nicholas, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer. Their sister, 30-year-old Ashley, has been named secretary-treasurer of the family-owned corporation. They have four younger siblings, almost ensuring that the track Bruton Smith reportedly has wanted for years will stay in the family for generations.

The Mattiolis built Pocono Raceway in 1970 and hosted the first of their 67 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 1974. The track also has hosted 20 IndyCar, four Indy Light, 30 ARCA, one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and seven NASCAR Modified races.

Saturday's Pocono schedule

-- 9:35 a.m., Camping World Truck Series qualifying

-- 10:40 a.m., Sprint Cup qualifying

-- 1 p.m., start of Truck Series 125

-- 3 p.m., start of ARCA 125

Saturday, August 6, 2011

NASCAR: Paul Menard notches his breakthrough win in the Brickyard 400

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Paul Menard, his family and crew celebrate winning the Brickyard 400 on Sunday by kissing the yard of bricks at the start/finish line.

By: Al Pearce on 7/31/2011

Paul Menard on Sunday claimed his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win by hanging on as the onrushing Jeff Gordon fell just short in the final laps of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After making up a 12-second deficit in the final 13 laps, Gordon was several car-lengths behind Menard at the end of the 160-lap, 400-mile race.

The win was emotional for Menard whose father, John, is a longtime, well-known and well-respected supporter of racing in the Midwest. Paul Menard grew up spending much of every May at the Speedway, where Menard-sponsored cars fared well often but never won the Indianapolis 500. Father and son enjoyed an emotional embrace in vctory lane after the driver's first Cup Series win in 167 career starts, dating to 2003.

“I just can't believe this,” Paul Menard said, looking in wonder around Victory Lane. “There's a lot of emotion right now because as a kid, I always dreamed about winning here. The family's been coming here for 35 years, so this is big for them--for all of us, really because Indy is such a special place. I knew Jeff was coming, but being in front and having clean air was great. And, too, I was getting great fuel mileage.”

Menard led four times for 21 of the 160 laps, including the final four. He led lap 82 as pit stops cycled through, then led laps 96-104. Toward the end, he led laps 145-151 before letting Jamie McMurray by to lead laps 152-156. Once crew chief Slugger Labbe gave the fuel-conscious Menard the “go for it” call, he passed McMurray easily and drove away to the finish. Given another lap or two, Gordon would have had his fifth Brickyard 400 win, but it was not his day.

Menard crossed the line ahead of fellow top-10 finishers Gordon, Regan Smith, McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Points leader Carl Edwards was 14th and pole winner David Ragan 23rd.

It was another disappointing finish for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who led a few laps but finished 16th to slip to 10th in points.

Other than the final 15 laps--with suspense building regarding who had enough fuel to make it to the finish--the race was far from memorable. Menard restarted 14th after the final caution on lap 127 and inherited the lead on lap 145 when Stewart made his final stop. Most of the front-runners made green-flag stops in the final 20 laps to ensure that they could finish. Menard was close on fuel but saved enough to make it to the finish while many others made late-race stops.

Thirteen drivers swapped the lead 22 times but less than half of them--Kasey Kahne (48 laps), Gordon (36), Menard (21), Keselowski (17) and Matt Kenseth and Stewart (10 each)--reached double figures in laps led. Earnhardt, McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Ragan, Dave Blaney, Jimmie Johnson and Landon Cassill shared the other 18 lead laps.

RESULTS

1. Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 160 laps at 140.762 mph avg. speed; 2. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160; 3. Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 160; 4. Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 160; 5. Matt Kenseth, Ford, 160; 6. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160; 7. Greg Biffle Ford, 160; 8. Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 160; 9. Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 160; 10. Kyle Busch, Toyota, 160;

11. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 160; 12. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 160; 13. Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 160; 14. Carl Edwards, Ford, 160; 15. Brian Vickers, Toyota, 160; 16. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 160; 17. Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 160; 18. Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 160; 19. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160; 20. Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 160;

21. Kurt Busch, Dodge, 160; 22. A. J. Allmendinger, Ford, 160; 23. David Ragan, Ford, 160; 24. Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 160; 25. Joey Logano, Toyota, 160; 26. Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 160; 27. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 160; 28. Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 160; 29. Casey Mears, Toyota, 160; 30. Trevor Bayne, Ford, 160;

31. Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 160; 32. Mike Bliss, Ford, 159; 33. David Gilliland, Ford, 157; 34. Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 157; 35. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 152 (engine); 36. David Reutimann, Toyota, 49 (crash); 37. Michael McDowell, Toyota, 23 (electrical); 38. Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 19 (overheating); 39. Scott Speed, Ford, 19 (rear gear); 40. Mike Skinner, Toyota, 16 (electrical);

41. Terry Labonte, Ford, 15 (transmission); 42. T. J. Bell, Ford, 10 (brakes); 43. Robby Gordon, Dodge, 5 (engine)

TIME OF RACE: 2h 50m 30s

WINNER'S AVG. SPEED: 140.762 mph

MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.725s

FAST QUALIFIER: Ragan, 49.182s, (182.994 mph)

PROVISIONALS: T. Labonte

DID NOT QUALIFY: David Stremme, J.J. Yeley, Scott Winner, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell

STARTED AT REAR: Hamlin (engine change), Truex (transmission change)

LEAD CHANGES: 22 among 13 drivers

CAUTION PERIODS: Four for 21 laps

PURSE: $9,071,034; winner's share $373,575

POINTS LEADERS: 1. Edwards, 682; 2. Johnson, -11; 3. Harvick, -12; 4. (tie) Kyle Busch, Kenseth, -16; 6. Kurt Busch, -18; 7. J. Gordon, -52; 8. Newman, -64; 9. Stewart, -73; 10. Earnhardt, -76

CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILD-CARD CANDIDATES: Hamlin (11th in points, with one win), Menard (14th, with one win)

NEXT: Pocono, Pa., Aug. 7 (1 p.m. Eastern, ESPN)

Kimi Räikkönen won\'t commit to WRC or NASCAR for 2012

NASCAR: Son\'s win validates Menard\'s long history at Indy

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Richard Childress, Paul Menard and John Menard celebrate Paul's NASCAR win on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

By: Al Pearce on 8/01/2011

Longtime IndyCar supporter John Menard enjoys recalling those days when he slipped his underage son, Paul, into Gasoline Alley during Indy 500 preparations. Father would tell son--at the time, not yet a teenager--to sit quietly in a corner, don't attract attention and avoid the infamous yellow-shirt security guards.

Two decades later, on the last Sunday in July at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Menards could laugh about those days without worrying about the yellow shirts. Paul, almost 31, had just won the 18th-annual Brickyard 400, his first Sprint Cup win after 167 starts.

For both Menards, the career-defining moment couldn't have come at a better place.

"Our whole family has been at the Speedway for so long," said John Menard, who spent untold millions sponsoring IndyCar teams and helping develop Indy 500 engines with little success. "We've all tried very hard. Paul came down here [from Wisconsin] as a very little guy. I smuggled him into the garage because he was too young to be in there. He'd be sitting on the workbench, behaving himself. He had to be quiet or the yellow shirts would throw him out. He was there, always interested."

And, perhaps surprisingly, that interest led to a career in stock cars rather than Indy cars. Just 22 at the time, Paul began in 2003 with 16 combined ARCA, Camping World, Nationwide and Sprint Cup starts. He concentrated on Nationwide between 2004 and 2006, then ran the 2007 and 2008 Cup seasons for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He stayed in Cup with Robert Yates Racing in 2009 before doing the full 2010 Cup schedule for Richard Petty Motorsports and the full Nationwide Series schedule for Roush Fenway Racing. He joined Richard Childress Racing--taking along his father's sponsorship money--when the team expanded from three teams to four this year.

Until Sunday, his NASCAR résumé was modest: one pole, no wins, five top-fives and 13 top-10s in 166 Cup starts; three poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 63 top-10s in Nationwide, and one pole, no wins, no top-fives and no top-10s in six Camping World Truck Series starts.

But when the breakthrough Cup win is at Indy, all is forgiven.

"I'm so proud of that whole Menard team," said team owner Richard Childress, now a three-time Brickyard 400 winner. "I caught a lot of flack when we decided to go with four teams. I've been watching Paul ever since he won the Nationwide race [at Milwaukee in 2006]. He doesn't tear equipment up; he's consistent, he's really good. He's got a cool head in all situations. I knew we'd win if the right situation came along. To get [crew chief] Slugger Labbe to come over, to get John Menard to support us, and to get Slugger a couple of the engineers . . . that was a big jump going in on a fourth team."

And what are the odds of this? Each of RCR's three Brickyard 400 wins has come eight years apart.

"It was eight years from 1995 [Dale Earnhardt] to 2003 [Kevin Harvick]," said Childress. "And now eight more years between Kevin and Paul today. I remember coming here the first time [for a NASCAR test] in 1993 with Dale. The first time the cars ran down that front straightaway, I thought, 'Man, it would be cool to win at Indy.' But I hope it ain't eight years more before we win [again]. I'll be an old man by then."

Usually, NASCAR brings only the race winner, crew chief and perhaps the team owner into its postrace media session. On Sunday afternoon, John Menard was invited to sit with his son, Labbe and Childress. It was a thoroughly appropriate call as John Menard added some human emotion to the moment.

"You know, I'm just a proud father right now," he said. "I've kind of lapsed back, thinking of Paul as my little boy. But he's a full grown man now, one I'm very, very proud of. This is wonderful, [and] I thank you very, very much. This is a good win for the Speedway and for the town of Indianapolis. By God, I hope we're back here, sitting right here again next year."

NASCAR: Tentative 2012 Sprint Cup schedule similar to 2011 campaign

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season begins in Daytona Beach, Fla., in February.

By: Al Pearce And Brad Constant on 8/01/2011

NASCAR's 2012 Sprint Cup schedule looks much like this year's, according to the tentative schedule obtained by AutoWeek.

The schedule is not official until NASCAR confirms it. The only change as of now is the spring race at Kansas, which was the 13th race in 2011 but will be the 10th race in 2012.

Here is the tentative schedule:

-- Sunday, Feb. 26, Daytona Beach, Fla.

-- Sunday, March 4, Phoenix

-- Sunday, March 11, Las Vegas

-- Sunday, March 18, Bristol, Tenn.

-- Sunday, March 25, Fontana, Calif.

-- Sunday, April 1, Martinsville, Va.

-- Saturday, April 14, Fort Worth, Texas

-- Sunday, April 22, Talladega, Ala.

-- Saturday, April 28, Richmond, Va.

-- Sunday, May 6, Kansas City, Kan.

-- Saturday, May 12, Darlington, S.C.

-- Saturday, May 19, All-star race, Charlotte, N.C.

-- Sunday, May 27, Charlotte, N.C.

-- Sunday, June 3, Dover, Del.

-- Sunday, June 10, Pocono, N.Y.

-- Sunday, June 17, Brooklyn, Mich.

-- Sunday, June 24, Sonoma, Calif.

-- Saturday, June 30, Sparta, Ky.

-- Saturday, July 7, Daytona Beach, Fla.

-- Sunday, July 15, Loudon, N.H.

-- Sunday, July 29, Indianapolis

-- Sunday, Aug. 5, Pocono, N.Y.

-- Sunday, Aug. 12, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

-- Sunday, Aug. 19, Brooklyn, Mich.

-- Saturday, Aug. 25, Bristol, Tenn.

-- Sunday, Sept. 2, Atlanta

-- Saturday, Sept. 8, Richmond, Va.

-- Sunday, Sept. 16, Chicago

-- Sunday, Sept. 23, Loudon, N.H.

-- Sunday, Sept. 30, Dover, Del.

-- Sunday, Oct. 7, Kansas City, Kan.

-- Saturday, Oct. 13, Charlotte, N.C.

-- Sunday, Oct. 21, Talladega, Ala.

-- Sunday, Oct. 28, Martinsville, Va.

-- Sunday, Nov. 4, Fort Worth, Texas

-- Sunday, Nov. 11, Phoenix

-- Sunday, Nov. 18, Homestead, Fla.

NASCAR: Gordon aims to sweep Pocono

Exclusive interview: Danica Patrick talks to AutoWeek about her season so far

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Danica Patrick says not much development work is being done on the current IndyCar chassis, which is finished after this season.

Published on 8/03/2011

It has been a mixed season for Danica Patrick as she juggles a full-time Izod IndyCar Series ride with Andretti Autosport, a part-time ride in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports team, and as spokesperson for her multiple sponsors and the Drive4COPD.com cause.

So what will she do next year--IndyCar or full-time NASCAR, as is widely believed? Patrick still has not confirmed her plans, but all signs seem to point to NASCAR. And she had a little more to say about her 2011 season in a conversation with AutoWeek.

AutoWeek: You had a rough but character-building July, with the NASCAR Nationwide race at Daytona International Speedway, then the IndyCar race in Toronto. You were doing great at Daytona; you led some laps, until the end when wandering Mike Wallace decided to update his Twitter postings or something right before the checkered flag. And at Toronto, you got Takuma Sato-ed, when he just ran into you from the rear. Did you know there are people involved with his effort who call him Takuma Wallbanger?

Danica Patrick: My forté is to not crash and make it through to the end, but that didn't happen in Toronto with Takuma Wallbanger. I don't know what happened; maybe he blacked out for a minute. He does a lot of silly stuff, and it's unfortunate that I was part of it.

Daytona was better. You knew something was going to happen on the last lap or two--I don't know what Mike was trying to do, if he was trying to find a place to run, or trying to block people from passing him, but he wasn't holding his line on any level and made himself a bit of a roadblock. And nobody was going to lift on the last lap, and he turned into a pinball.

AW: IndyCar is going to a new car and a new engine for 2012. So it seems from our perspective that there isn't the effort and money being put into working on this current package, knowing it's a lame duck. True?

DP: Definitely, I think that's the case, especially on the cars themselves. I was taking to Tony Eury Jr. [her NASCAR crew chief] about how much they go to the wind tunnel, and he said like every other week. And I remember hearing before the IndyCar season started that we hadn't been to the wind tunnel at all. I imagine it has been a year since we've been to the wind tunnel. So there has definitely been a halt on spending money on this car, because soon it'll be irrelevant. But that doesn't help right now.

AW: In February 2010, you debuted in stock cars in the ARCA race, and then the Nationwide race, at Daytona. You had some trouble with drafting, with closing up right to the bumper of the car in front of you. In the Nationwide race this past July, you sure didn't have that problem.

DP: Yeah, at Daytona, you've got to be on them, and I believe you get a little nervous getting into those situations for the first time. But when I came back to Daytona for the July race, my teammate Aric Almirola went out behind me, and I spent just one lap out there by myself with him right behind me, and then the next lap he started pushing me.

I was kind of nervous to start so quickly, but that's what you have to do. And I know that you always get nervous when you're doing something you haven't done before, but it's the only way to go fast at Daytona. The only way you're going to win the race is by bump drafting all day.

AW: Last year you ran the ARCA race at Daytona, and you ran the NASCAR K&N series race at Dover to get some experience. Why not do more of that? No time, or it just doesn't help?

DP: I ran ARCA before Daytona because I hadn't done a stock-car race at all, and it was easy to get there to do the race the week before, learn drafting and get some experience. And the K&N race was to get some experience at Dover, because it's a tricky little place. But sometimes driving multiple cars on a weekend, especially when you go from the bias-ply tires on the K&N cars [to] the radials in NASCAR, it was a very different feeling. So when I went out and qualified for the Nationwide race after doing the K&N race, I sucked in qualifying because I couldn't feel the entry.

I think for me, this early in the process, it's tough to jump around to different cars because I'm not really able to identify major differences. People ask me if I can tell the difference between the new Nationwide car and the old Nationwide car, [but]I couldn't tell you the difference. No idea. Keeping it simple for me is good at this point. But it is a good way to get some experience on tough tracks. So I'm sure if I went to, say, maybe a Darlington, I'd try to do an extra race. But we're going to a lot of the same tracks that I've raced on in IndyCar.

Danica Patrick got drafting help from Tony Stewart at the Nationwide race at Daytona.

AW: You've done your NASCAR racing with JR Motorsports, headed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. But Tony Stewart has said he'd like to have you drive for his NASCAR team, and there are rumors you could sign with both teams for 2012. Should we read anything into the fact that you and Stewart drafted together at Daytona in July for a long time?

DP: That was daunting. But it was a total coincidence. I was behind Trevor Bayne and worked with him for a while, but he peeled off to go work with Ricky Stenhouse, his teammate, and I was left alone. And my spotter T. J. [Majors], who spots for Dale Jr., said on the radio, "The 9 car's coming to you, coming to you, drag your brake and let him catch up, that's Tony Stewart, get going!" I think something happened to Clint Bowyer, Tony's drafting partner, and Tony was all alone, so it was a perfect scenario. But it was not planned.

AW: It was announced in July that GoDaddy, the Web site domain registry and your longtime main sponsor, was sold for $2.2 billion to a private investment firm. GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons was instrumental in bringing you aboard; he said he'd sponsor you if you raced on ice skates. Any concerns about GoDaddy continuing with you now that it has a new owner?

DP: Bob was good enough to call me--he always calls me and updates me on what's really going on with his company, and I really have a lot of respect for him for doing that. And he told me that he's still the majority owner, and they love the marketing, and they don't want to change what's working, and that everything is great and that this is a step forward for the business, especially with regard to being able to expand internationally. This is really more a boost for GoDaddy than a change, necessarily. There will be more technology available as well. I feel like for me, it's a great thing.

NASCAR: Nashville Superspeedway is latest track to dump NASCAR affiliation

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
This is the last year for NASCAR events at Nashville Superspeedway.

By: Al Pearce on 8/03/2011

Nashville Superspeedway is the latest racetrack to dump its NASCAR affiliation for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, Dover Motorsports--which owns the 1.333-mile track in Tennessee--said it will not host the Nationwide Series or Camping World Truck Series races next year. The two series had raced there every year since the track opened in 2001.

Cliff Hawks, the track's vice president and general manager, explained that not having a Sprint Cup Series date made it hard to continue with NASCAR in the challenging economic climate.

"Nashville is a tremendous market filled with passionate fans," he said. "We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination. But the reality is that, after 10 years, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue."

Hawks said the track's few remaining events this year will run as scheduled.

Denis McGlynn, president & CEO of Dover Motorsports, said, "We deeply appreciate all the hard work our employees have put into making Nashville Superspeedway such a remarkable facility, and Cliff will remain to assist us with transition issues. We have also had years of unrelenting support from state, county and local officials, and from the racing community--from racing fans and drivers to sponsors, team owners and various sanctioning bodies. We are, however, at a juncture where we must evaluate all of our options for this track, including its possible sale."

The concrete track has 25,000 permanent seats and lights and has hosted Nationwide, Camping World, ARCA and Izod IndyCar Series races. It is the second Dover Motorsports property to shut down, following Gateway International Raceway (a former venue for Nationwide, Camping World, ARCA and IndyCar), which closed after last season.

NASCAR several weeks ago announced that it will not send its Nationwide and Camping World teams back to Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis next year, thus ending a 30-year presence at the popular short track.

Friday, August 5, 2011

NASCAR: Keselowski out of Nationwide Series race after crash in testing, Hornish Jr. in

NASCAR: Carl Edwards signs multiyear contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing

NASCAR: Brad Keselowski will race at Pocono despite broken ankle

Monday, August 1, 2011

NASCAR: Nationwide and Truck Series in action this weekend

Sunday, July 31, 2011

NASCAR: Austin Dillon captures Truck Series win in Nashville

NASCAR truck series Nashville Austin Dillon.

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Austin Dillon started Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race on the pole and finished with a win.

By AL PEARCE on 7/22/2011

Pole-sitter Austin Dillon took the lead from Johnny Sauter with 23 laps remaining Friday night and drove away to easily win the Lucas Deep Clean Camping World Truck Series 200 at Nashville Speedway. It was Dillon’s third career Truck Series win (his first this year), all of them from the pole.

Dillon, grandson of six-time Sprint Cup championship owner Richard Childress, led the first 29 of the 150 laps around the 1.333-mile track. Timothy Peters came forward and dominated the middle portion of the race, leading twice for 67 of 73 laps at one point. But Sauter and Dillon restarted ahead of Peters after the next-to-last caution at lap 103, and both drove away from the rest of the field. Dillon led laps 104-106, Sauter led 107-127, then Dillon led the final 23.

Sauter finished a distant second, then Peters, ex-Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr., Parker Kligerman, Todd Bodine, James Buescher, David Starr, Elliott Sadler, and second-faster qualifier Joey Coulter. All told, Peters led twice for 67 laps, Dillon four times for 56, Sauter once for 21, Coulter once for four and Cole Whitt once for two laps.

TOP 10 FINISHERS

1. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

2. Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet

3. Timothy Peters, Toyota

4. Nelson Piquet Jr., Chevrolet

5. Parker Kligerman, Dodge

6. Todd Bodine, Toyota

7. James Buescher, Chevrolet

8. David Starr, Toyota

9. Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet

10. Joey Coulter, Chevrolet

POINTS LEADERS

1. Johnny Sauter, 431

2. Austin Dillon, -18

3. James Buescher, -42

4. Cole Whitt, -43

5. Timothy Peters, -47

6. Matt Crafton, -54

7. Parker Kligerman, -58

8. Joey Coulter, -65

9. Ron Hornaday Jr., -69

10. Todd Bodine, -81

Next event: July 29, Clermont, Ind.

NASCAR: Carl Edwards cruises to Nationwide win in Nashville

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Carl Edwards celebrates after sticking his landing Saturday night at the Nationwide race in Nashville.

By AL PEARCE on 7/23/2011

Carl Edwards got his fifth Nationwide Series win this year and the 34th of his career in easy fashion in the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night. Edwards led three times for 124 laps in a Mustang from Roush Fenway Racing.

Pole-winner Brad Keselowski led three times for 89 laps before his Dodge Challenger’s engine went soft, leaving him 12th. Only Elliott Sadler (once for three laps before a gear problem left him 30th) and third-place Austin Dillon (twice for nine laps) also led during the 225-lap race at the 1.333-mile track.

Roush Fenway driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second, with Dillon, Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola rounding out the top five. Sam Hornish Jr., Drew Herring, new points leader Reed Sorenson, Trevor Bayne and Kenny Wallace completed the top 10.

Keselowski led the first 58 laps and 31 of the next 58 before slowing and slipping back. Edwards, who had led laps 59-82, was virtually unchallenged the rest of the way, leading 121-178 and the final 42 laps, from 184 to 225. Sadler, who started as the points leader and finished third-ranked, led laps 84-86. Dillon, making only his 10th career Nationwide start and third this year, lead laps 117-120 and 179-183.

"I had an unreal car, a super fast car, a really great car," said Edwards, who overcame a pit road speeding penalty en route to winning. "I hate that the 22 (Keselowski) had problems because we were gonna have a heckuva race. They were awfully good until they had their problems. They would have been tough."

Edwards’ win was the 17th in 20 races this year by a full-time Sprint Cup driver. Sorenson, Stenhouse and Allgaier have each won once.

TOP 10 FINISHERS

1. Carl Edwards, Ford

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford

3. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

4. Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet

5. Aric Almirola, Chevrolet

6. Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge

7. Drew Herring, Toyota

8. Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet

9. Trevor Bayne, Ford

10. Kenny Wallace, Toyota

POINTS LEADERS

1. Reed Sorenson, 702

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., -5

3. Elliott Sadler, -14

4. Justin Allgaier, -30

5. Aric Almirola, -71

6. Jason Leffler, -94

7. Kenny Wallace, -97

8. Steven Wallace, -144

9. Michael Annett, -152

10. Brian Scott, -165

Next event: July 30, Clermont, Ind.

NASCAR: Richard Childress Racing latest team to make crew chief change

NASCAR: Scott Speed to return for three races with owner Brad Jenkins

Saturday, July 30, 2011

NASCAR: NFL agreement prevents Daytona 500, Super Bowl conflict

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
NASCAR moved the 2012 Daytona 500 back one week on the calendar just in case the NFL delayed the Super Bowl.

By AL PEARCE on 7/27/2011

There was a collective sigh of relief in Daytona Beach, Fla., early this week when the NFL and its players settled their well-documented labor dispute. Granted, nobody at NASCAR thought the NFL or its professional football stars would sacrifice the season and hand stock-car racing 12 weekends without any serious television competition. Rather, the real concern in Daytona Beach for months was the timing of the labor agreement.

Would the owners and players shake hands early enough for the 16-game regular season to begin as scheduled on Sept. 11? If not, would they opt for a delayed start, pushing training camps two weeks deeper into the summer, then still play four exhibition games? And the biggest question of all: If the season started late, when would the 2012 Super Bowl take place?

You might recall that NASCAR confirmed next year's Daytona 500 the day before this year's race. That date is Feb. 26, a week later than usual and off of Presidents' Day weekend for the first time in years. The change almost certainly meant that NASCAR expected a later-than-usual NFL start because of labor issues or an expanded 18-game regular season. Either of those, in turn, likely would have meant a later-than-usual Super Bowl. Next year's game remains scheduled for Feb. 5, three weeks before the Daytona 500.

At the time of the announcement, NASCAR senior vice president Steve O'Donnell said the football schedule was a factor.

"We're not going to deny that part of this is dealing with the NFL," he said in February. "Who knows where they'll go with a [proposed, now tabled] 18-game schedule, but we want to get ahead of that. Either way, we think it's the right thing for our season. The Super Bowl is a big event, but so is the Daytona 500. To give fans an opportunity to go to both is the right move. We think it's a win-win for everybody."

Moving the Daytona 500 to the last weekend in February gave NASCAR a safety net it no longer needs. But it gives the year's biggest NASCAR race yet another week away from the hype and hoopla surrounding one of the world's most-anticipated sports events. If the NFL had opened training camps even a few weeks later, its Super Bowl might have been pushed as late as Feb. 26.

If so, the suits in Daytona Beach almost certainly would have moved the 500 to Saturday night, Feb. 25. After all, they're smart enough to know not to put the Daytona 500 on Fox up against the Super Bowl on NBC.

NASCAR: Brickyard 400 loses some luster with fans, not with drivers

ACTION SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Jamie McMurray won NASCAR's Brickyard 400 race in 2010.

By AL PEARCE on 7/28/2011

It was not long ago that the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway stood unchallenged as NASCAR's second biggest race behind only the Daytona 500. The inaugural event in 1994 drew upward of 275,000 fans, leading Speedway officials to quip that they could have sold a million tickets if they'd had enough seats.

The annual midsummer race remained important--although nothing like in its early years--until three or four years ago. But the embarrassing Goodyear tire debacle of 2008 deeply hurt its prestige, and many will argue that the 400 still hasn't recovered.

With 2008 still painfully fresh, attendance and media interest dipped in 2009. Attendance went down again last year, and if race-week rumblings can be believed, it will be down again for Sunday afternoon's 18th-annual race. Some series watchers say officials will be thrilled if a strong walk-up sale on Sunday morning gets attendance into the 100,000 range.

Why the alarming decline in just a few years? Why has the Brickyard 400 become--if not just another stock-car race--something approaching that? Almost everyone who follows NASCAR has opinions, from the 2008 tire fiasco to the economy (travel/lodging/tickets) to the proximity of Kentucky (it hosted Sprint Cup a month ago) and Michigan (which hosts in three weeks) to poor sightlines (but haven't they always been poor?) to boring racing to uninspiring promotion efforts.

On the latter front, officials have urged drivers to step up, check their egos at the gate and help promote this weekend's race as never before.

But even a bad crowd at Indy beats a good crowd at most NASCAR venues. And even a boring Brickyard 400 win beats a thrilling win anywhere except Daytona Beach in February. Such is the prestige still attached to the world's most famous speedway, if not to its second biggest race.

"For us, it's where you bring your latest and greatest car," says Kevin Harvick, a Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 winner. "It's all about trying to win and putting it on the line. It's a prestigious race, and nobody goes there with any intention other than winning."

Says teammate Jeff Burton, "Being at the Brickyard with NASCAR is an unbelievable experience. The things that are in front of me [in my career] that really mean a lot are winning a championship, winning a Daytona 500 . . . and certainly the Brickyard 400 is on that list as well."

Six active drivers have won Brickyard 400s: Jeff Gordon (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), Tony Stewart (two) and Harvick, Bobby Labonte and defending champion Jamie McMurray (one each). Other winners include retired drivers Dale Jarrett (two), Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott, and the late Dale Earnhardt (one each).

On-track activities open on Friday with practice sessions from 1 to 2:15 p.m. and from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Teams will practice again on Saturday morning from 10 to 11:30 and qualify that afternoon at 2:10. Sunday afternoon's 160-lap, 400-mile race (on ESPN) is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

Nationwide, Truck series run nearby

The Brickyard 400 is part of NASCAR's annual three-series, three-race weekend in the Indianapolis area. The Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series have Friday and Saturday night races at Lucas Oil Raceway in nearby Clermont, Ind. Unlike recent years, only a few Cup drivers have entered either of the support races.

Nationwide championship contender Elliott Sadler is the only "outsider" entered in Friday night's AAA Insurance Truck Series 200. Team owner Kyle Busch is skipping it but Josh Richards will drive the No. 18 Toyota as Busch chases his second consecutive owners' championship. Teams will practice at 10 and 11:45 on Friday morning, qualify at 4:40 p.m., and then run their 200-lap, 137-lap race at 7:30 p.m.

X Games superstar and action-sports icon Travis Pastrana is scheduled for his Nationwide debut in Saturday night's Kroger 200. He's undaunted despite less-than-spectacular results in his K&N East Pro Series races, most recently a 22nd two weeks ago at Loudon, N.H. He's also finished sixth, 25th, 33rd and 22nd.

"For me, it's always about a new challenge and finding the most competition," Pastrana said after a recent Late Model test. "I've been talking with [driver coach] Matt Crafton, really working on figuring out how to adjust the car. You might be good at the beginning or end of practice, or good in qualifying or good in the race, but it's so difficult. You have to continue to work with the team to make your car better. It's been a lot of fun and humbling, for sure."

Pastrana will face a fairly manageable field--Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski are the only Cup stars expected--in the 200-lap, 137-mile race. Teams will practice Saturday morning at 10 and 11:45, qualify at 4:45 p.m., and then race at 7:15 p.m.

NASCAR: Travis Pastrana out of Nationwide Series race with broken foot and ankle

NASCAR: Kenseth and Biffle lead Brickyard 400 practice at Indianapolis

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Jeff Gordon rolls out of Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday for practice for Sunday's NASCAR race.

By AL PEARCE on 7/29/2011

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Fords of Roush Fenway Racing showed well in both of Friday afternoon’s Sprint Cup practice sessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth led the first 90-minute session and teammate Greg Biffle led the second as teams began preparations for Sunday afternoon’s 18th annual Brickyard 400.

Kenseth led the opening session at 181.203 mph. Toyota drivers Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin were second and third, Kahne at 181.178 mph and Hamlin at 181.050 mph. Roush Fenway teammates Carl Edwards (180.658 mph) and David Ragan (180.404 mph) rounded out the top five.

Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, defending race champion Jamie McMurray, four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton were sixth through 10th. The slowest five were Scott Wimmer, former series champion Terry Labonte, Mike Bliss, Robby Gordon and rookie Andy Lally.

Sunday’s 160-lap race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the first since Hendrick Motorsports announced that crew chief Kenny Francis would come along when Kahne moves to the No. 5 Chevrolet next year. Kahne and Francis work together at Team Red Bull this year and it’s been generally accepted that Francis will stay with Kahne when he replaces Mark Martin next year.

"I’ve always wanted to work for Hendrick Motorsports and I think anyone who gets into this deal has seen that," Francis said on Friday. "I'm 40 years old, so I remember when I was a kid [Geoffrey] Bodine was driving the No. 5 and [Tim] Richmond was driving it, and I used to watch on TV and think 'man that would be cool to be associated with that one day.' Then the company grew and became the preeminent company in this sport, so it's really an honor to be associated with it and I'm looking forward to it."

Biffle, who ran his car in race rather than qualifying trim, led the second session at 178.310 mph. Martin Truex Jr. in a Toyota was second at 178.172 mph, then Jimmie Johnson in a Chevrolet at 177.669 mph, Casey Mears in a Toyota at 177.289 mph and Kevin Harvick in a Chevy at 177.249.

Edwards, Joey Logano, David Reutimann, Jeff Burton and Brian Vickers completed the top 10 in the second session. Travis Kvapil, Wimmer, Dave Blaney, David Gilliland and David Stremme were the slowest five. Hamlin had an issue in the second session and will now start from the rear of the grid on Sunday because of an engine change.

Teams get a final 90-minute practice session Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. Eastern, then qualify at 2:10 p.m. Sunday’s race on ESPN is scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m.

NASCAR: Timothy Peters spins to win Truck Series race

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Timothy Peters leads the field during Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis.

By AL PEARCE on 7/29/2011

Toyota driver Timothy Peters used his own spin and resulting caution period to make a critical pit stop that helped him win Friday night’s AAA Insurance Camping World Truck Series 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Clermont, Ind. It was Peters’ first Truck Series win this year and third of his career, after Martinsville in 2009 and Daytona Beach in 2010.

When Peters spun at lap 91, crew chief Butch Hilton gave him four fresh tires and a full load of fuel. The race was green the last 106 laps--an unprecedented, perhaps record-setting stretch at the track--giving Peters just enough time to rally back toward the front. He passed leader James Buescher (who was in fuel-conservation mode) at lap 195 and easily led the rest of the way, winning by 2.645 seconds.

Buescher, who led twice for 97 laps, finished second, with David Starr, Miguel Paludo and four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. rounding out the top five. Matt Crafton, Joey Coulter, Cole Whitt, pole-winner Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain completed the top 10. Points leader (by only four) Johnny Sauter led once for 44 laps, but a flat right-front tire and subsequent suspension damage left him 23rd among the 34 starters.

Buescher (97 laps) led the most, then Sauter (44), Dillon (the first 36), Parker Kligerman (twice for 16) Peters (the last six) and Bodine (once for one) were the only lap leaders.

Dillon was on the verge of a top-five finish and perhaps the points lead when Bodine wrecked him on the last lap. Dillon called the former two-time champion "an idiot" and Bodine didn’t disagree, saying the accident was strictly his fault.

"He has a right to be mad," Bodine said after his lap-down 12th-place finish. "I just didn’t see him over there. It was my fault all the way."

The race may have been the last in the foreseeable future for the Truck Series at the popular. 0.686-mile bullring. NASCAR is moving its annual Brickyard 400 weekend Nationwide Series race to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year. Most series watchers expect NASCAR to also pull its trucks from Lucas Oil Raceway instead of going back for an 18th consecutive year.

TOP 10 FINISHERS

1. Timothy Peters, Toyota

2. James Buescher, Chevrolet

3. David Starr, Toyota

4. Miguel Paludo, Toyota

5. Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet

6. Matt Crafton, Chevrolet

7. Joey Coulter, Chevrolet

8. Cole Whitt, Chevrolet

9. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

10. Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

POINTS LEADERS

1. Johnny Sauter, 453

2. Austin Dillon, -4

3. James Buescher, -20

4. Timothy Peters, -22

5. Cole Whitt, -29

6. Matt Crafton, -38

7. Parker Kligerman, -46

8. Joey Coulter, -50

9. Ron Hornaday Jr., -52

10. Todd Bodine, -70

Next event: Aug, 6, Pocono, Pa.

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, an AutoWeek Flash Drive Car Review:

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8. Photo by A.J. Mueller Photography LLC.

By JONATHAN WONG on 7/14/2011

What is it?

Ralph Gilles, SRT brand president and CEO, calls the Dodge Charger SRT8 the extrovert of the 2012 SRT8 class--and with good reason. The aggressive SRT exterior treatment includes a gloss black grille, sculpted hood with black air exhauster, rear spoiler and dual four-inch exhaust tips make the car look menacing.

But with any SRT vehicles, it begins with the engine. A new 6.4-liter Hemi V8 powers the menacing sedan, replacing the previous 6.1-liter Hemi V8. With a total of 470-hp and 470 lb-ft of torque on tap, it provides and additional 45 hp and 50 lb-ft of torque over the old powerplant. Power is up, but fuel efficiency also improves with a new active valve exhaust system (as found all 2012 SRT8 models) to allow the Hemi to operate in four-cylinder mode over a wider rpm range. Bolted to the V8 is the tried and true five-speed automatic with manual shift function.

On the suspension front, 2012 marks the additional of a new adaptive damping suspension offering two modes: auto and sport. Auto monitors speed, steering angle, brake torque, throttle and acceleration and adjusts damping accordingly, while sport locks in a stiffer, track-ready setup.

SRT partner, Brembo, provides four-pot brakes at all corners, with the entire package riding on 20-inch, split five-spoke forged wheels with black painted pockets.

Touches in the cabin included the leather-wrapped, flat-bottom SRT steering wheel with paddle shifters, aluminum interior trim and heavily bolstered SRT front bucket seats. An updated Performance Pages readout can be seen on the standard 8.4-inch color touchscreen, which has been upgraded to include steering angle, horsepower and torque outputs and various gauges.

What is it like to drive?

While the Charger SRT8's suspension tuning isn't as aggressive as the Challenger's, it still helped the Charger blaze around California's Willow Springs Raceway with little trouble. In corners, the car stays natural and easily sticks to your desired line and is never a handful. As in the 300 SRT8, with sport mode engaged, the traction aids allow for a good amount of slip before cutting in to kill the party. There's very little roll to speak of in turns, and the Hemi V8 brings plenty of power. Upshifts from the five-speed autobox were quick while using the paddles, but again, the transmission suffers from harsh downshifts without rev matching capabilities. Steering weight is also on the light side. As expected, the Brembo brakes were up to task, easily slowed things down and were good throughout the hot day.

On the road, the Charger SRT8 is quiet and rolls down the ride comfortably. Even in sport mode, the suspension isn't overly harsh with only bigger road hazards able to jolt occupants. In auto, it's even more comfortable.

Do I want it?

If you like standout styling and horsepower (and who doesn't?) then yes, the Charger should be your SRT8 of choice. The variable damping suspension opens the SRT8 vehicles up to a broader audience, while keeping the hardcore enthusiast happy. The new Hemi V8 still sounds the part under wide-open throttle, but is quiet and docile when you're idling around town.

Now if SRT figures out a way to add rev matching to the transmission and tune in a little more weight into the steering, it would really have a winner on its hands.

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8

On Sale: Third quarter 2011

Base Price: $48,000 (est)

Drivetrain: 6.4-liter 470-hp, 470 lb-ft V8; five-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 4,365 lb

0-60 mph: 4.8 sec (est)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 16 mpg (est)

2011 Saab 9-5 Aero, an AutoWeek Drivers Log Car Review:

2011 Saab 9-5 Aero. Photo by David Arnouts.

By WES RAYNAL on 7/15/2011

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero is a nice car, but is Saab on anybody's radar anymore? It could indeed be a less expensive alternative to the Audi A6/BMW 5-series/Mercedes-Benz E-class cliché, though I wonder how many BMW, Audi and/or Mercedes owners even realize Saab is still in business. Or care.

We'll see how it plays out in the marketplace as Saab hangs on by its fingernails, but the car drives well and I guess it should since it's been roughly 14 years since the old 9-5 came out. The car is roomy and tight, the turbocharged six-cylinder has more than enough power and the ride is smooth. The gearbox is smooth, too, whether using the paddles or not. The seats are among the best in the business, in my opinion, and the dash has the historic Saabness to it.

The question is--under new ownership will Saab be able to get enough buyers into the showrooms for a test drive? If it can they might well be impressed with this car. I'm looking forward to trying the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder.

INTERACTIVE ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: This has a turbocharged V6!? I thought for sure it was a four-cylinder. The 300-hp unit doesn't seem to move the big sedan as quickly as one would think it should. When I was driving last night I was thinking that this four-cylinder is pretty good, but I can't believe it doesn't have a six, because the car is bigger. Surprise, surprise.

The exterior is pretty sharp. The futuristic front end looks good, as does the rear. The xenon headlights that move around curves are pretty cool, too. The only weird part about the outside is the cut of the window. It tapers from front to back giving the profile a strange look.

The interior of the Saab is well done and comfortable, with a little sport thrown in for good measure. The seats are covered with perforated leather. There is good lower back support, good bolsters and it has that extra piece that slides up under your knees. It all makes for a comfortable driving position.

The Harmon-Kardon stereo system booms and the iPod input worked great. It seems much of the interior bits are from the General Motors parts bin, but it's all laid out well.

The thing about Saab for me is that it might not be the best car in its class, but it has some character that most brands don't.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Victor Muller is pawning his gold fillings to keep Saab going on a daily basis, yet the company has the gall to ask near $50,000 for a sports sedan with just adequate performance, a monochrome driver information center, no navigation and no back-up camera? I was actually kind of indignant for the first few miles I spent with our 9-5, though that could be due in part to the fact that I'm a former Saab 9-5 owner, and the experience was, ahem, less than satisfying.

But as the drive continued, the car began to show me its various sides and I softened toward the new sedan. First, the interior: Saab seats are, hands down, the best in the business. And I discovered the lack of a multicolor, multifunction nav/XM/etc. display smack dab in the middle of the dash actually caused me to focus even more than usual on the road ahead and the feel of the wheel in my hands.

And the thick, flat-bottomed Aero wheel felt good. It's connected to a well-tuned steering system that brings the Saab around corners with nice progression; I found it neither too quick nor too slow, and the XWD system seemed to complement the steering feel on both sweepers and quick turns. In fact, I tried to overcook it a bit on one backroad left and the lack of drama almost disappointed me.

As for the engine, it felt like a Saab turbocharged six-cylinder. That's the only way I can describe it; not overly potent but if you watch the boost gauge (and thank you Saab for including one, an oversight on many manufacturer's new turbo cars) and drive with an eye toward on-boost engine load vs. rpm, the 9-5 is faster than it feels. All in all it reminds me a lot of the 9-X I drove a few years back. Saab aficionados will be at home here.

I also fell for the look of the car. It's got an almost French fuselage styling to it that reminds me of the Citroen SM. It's not pretty but it's uniquely stylish, and it updates Saab design cues just enough to keep it in the family without appearing dated.

Will it be enough to keep the company afloat? Not likely. But if this is the last new Saab I ever have the opportunity to drive, my memories of the marque will be sweeter than they had been.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Putting aside whether Saab is relevant in the marketplace, I find the 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero quite unique, handsomely styled, Swedish in drive character and just Saabish enough to win my kudos. The car is highly refined in ride and powertrain, with the XWD taking care of any torque steer problems of the past and laying the power down with quiet strength. I'm sure the XWD saps some of the power from the turbo V6, or at least makes it feel a little less powerful, but the car scoots to speed in a hurry once the engine overcomes the initial turbo lag.

The XWD also plays a part in keeping this chassis sharp through the corners--it feels precise and predictable and easy to drive hard. The steering seems overboosted but I think that's a deliberate Saab trait carried over from past cars. Not saying that's good or bad--but it does get the job done. The chassis seems well-isolated and therefore soft but it doesn't seem to suffer from any roll or dive.

I find the car's styling is attractive in a classic sense. I suspect it will still look good once the last payment is made. Inside, the car is functional and offers just the right Saab-style appointments and extras, such as the Saab-centric center-mounted ignition button and mandatory turbo boost gauge, the clean center stack, the huge sunroof covered by a linen sunshade, the well-bolstered leather seats, and flat-bottomed thick leather-wrapped steering wheel. I still miss the artistic Transformer like pop-out cupholders, but I can forgo that stuff for this overall better car.

The only annoyance in my notes is the creaking sound in the lower driver's seat on our test car, seemingly coming from where the seat plastic cladding meets the leather. That'd drive me batty in no time.

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: A $50,000 base price for this Saab appeals to me as much as self-penetrating my cranium with a pitchfork, as there are just too many other luxury cars, sports cars, performance cars--just too many cars, period--that you could drive home in for that transaction price.

But you know what? If it is possible--and sure, that's a big "if"--to put the price aside for a moment, I was happy to spend a couple days behind this flat-bottomed wheel (a nice touch, by the way).

I could compare this car to the finally retired former 9-5, but that Swede's extended life makes such an exercise irrelevant; in car terms, the old 9-5 was a centenarian. This model--perhaps remarkably, perhaps depressingly, depending on your stance regarding the world of Saab--manages to step into the present while retaining some quirky elements well-known to the marque's loyalists.

A confession I have no trouble making: I do not care for the 9-5's exterior lines, specifically from the C-pillar back. It somehow manages to simultaneously yell "Saab" and "Saturn," and perhaps even "'80s-era Jaguar XJS." There does appear to be some airplane influence, as usual, but the package comes together in a disjointed, inelegant fashion I wish its designers had discarded or at least reworked significantly prior to production.

Yet this is a nice car to drive. The engine is smooth; its performance does not overwhelm you, but unlike some of my colleagues I certainly never believed it was a four-cylinder. The entire powertrain is smooth and quiet, and the car responds nicely to driver inputs. "Flowing" is the best word I can summon to describe how the driving experience felt to me. The ride is comfortable, the handling not watered down to benign characteristics and quite surefooted, and I found the steering gave me enough feel and feedback to guide the Saab along smoothly and quickly with little effort. There's certainly a European personality evident, despite the General Motors-backed development history.

I liked the interior, which as other noted offers a nice, comfortable seating position. I did not miss the nav or backup camera screen one bit, and I smiled at some of the carryover quirks, such as the dashboard air vents and matte-finished center stack. If this was not a Saab, I'd have probably felt like the center stack was direct from an unfinished preproduction prototype, but it just looks and feels natural in this car. The remainder of the interior is attractive and provides a relaxing driving/riding environment. Enough so, in fact, that I repeatedly forgot all about the 9-5's outward appearance and simply just enjoyed the ride.

And then I remembered the price…

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: This is the best Saab I've driven. GM did a good job in developing this car for the new owners. The somewhat funky exterior design is rather toned down considering Saab designs of the past, and its looks actually grew on me. The interior was comfortable, extremely quiet and functional. I liked the thick, flat-bottom steering wheel and I really liked the functionality and layout of the center stack and the all the controls. The turbo six is fine in this application, although I was a bit surprised with the amount of lag present. Most turbo cars today have somehow managed to greatly reduce, or eliminate, turbo lag. And it was nice to feel no horrendous torque steer that Saabs of old were known for.

The question of Saab surviving is still in doubt, but in the 9-5 Aero, the company has a solid car on which to sell to hopefully keep the customers coming. Obviously one car, even a solid, $50,000 car, cannot sustain an entire company. It will need more solid, somewhat less expensive products to survive. But if Saab does fail, it won't be because its one main new product was a dog.

2011 Saab 9-5 Aero

Base Price: $50,390

As-Tested Price: $51,385

Drivetrain: 2.8-liter turbocharged V6; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 300 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,156 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 20/18.3 mpg

Options: Harmon-Kardon audio system including 11 speakers, 5.1 surround sound ($995)

Friday, July 29, 2011

2011 BMW 535i xDrive Sedan, an AutoWeek Drivers Log Car Review:

2011 BMW 535i xDrive sedan. Photo by David Arnouts.

Published on 7/18/2011

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The turbocharged straight-six is an absolute gem of an engine in this 2011 BMW 535i xDrive. The power is smooth and responsive, and 300 lb-ft of torque at just 1,200 rpm is a beautiful thing. This car launches quickly and breezes past slower-moving traffic on the expressway. It reminds me of Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who just throws 100 mph with an easy motion and seemingly without effort. That's how silky this six-banger is. Add in an eight-speed automatic, and this is a top-shelf powertrain.

The steering offers a connected feel, light at first, followed by more weight. For a two-ton car that's long and reasonably wide, this 5-series handles and maneuvers well. The body and chassis don't get unnerved, even when ripping into turns aggressively. The brakes are strong and return solid bite with little pedal travel.

Silver is perhaps the perfect color for this sleek sedan. It looks gorgeous in the parking lot, and the shape and silhouette present elegantly. Inside is a well-done cabin that's not overwrought. The materials, especially the wood-colored trim and leather, are impressive, and the easy-to read gauges are exactly what drivers with an enthusiast bent seek.

I've driven a lot of variations of the 5-series recently. Really, the 528i is more than adequate, even with its relatively low output compared with its siblings. The 550i--our long-termer--is a hoot, but this 535i is the best choice for family hauling.

ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: I was lucky enough to have two separate stints in this BMW 535i xDrive, and the more time I spend in this car, the more I appreciate it. The exterior is sharp and the interior is also great, with quality materials, clean design and good fit-and-finish throughout. Drive-wise, it's smooth and would be a perfect long-distance cruiser.

But what really sets this car apart are all of the little details that add to this Bimmer's luxury feel. For example, at night when you unlock the doors, there are lights that illuminate the door handles. Another cool feature was the top-view camera.

In the end, this car is the total package with good looks, luxurious interior accommodations and a great ride.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Four punches: 1) the start button, 2) sport on the chassis selector, 3) tranny into DS (S for sport), 4) accelerator to the floor. Do that, and you're rewarded with a cutting-edge precision driving machine at its hard-charging best--quickly winding up to max power, but with an inline refinement that belies the amount of rip built into this big German sedan. Yes, the big V8 550i or an M version might be the top of the mountain, but for most owners, this turbocharged six should be more than adequate.

Set in sport mode, the chassis feels just about right for most spirited driving--I'd save the sport-plus for track driving or for when you're out on wide-open roads where you can get a little sideways without upsetting anyone else's applecart. It's quick and responsive to inputs and seems to beg to be driven, not just pointed from A to B. As such, it makes even the dullest drive a little more enjoyable.

That all that is possible in a relatively large sedan is a tribute to BMW engineering.

I'd also echo the comments about the bird's-eye view backup camera: What a great system, making it possible to "see" all around the car. It's not great in lower-light conditions, such as in a parking garage, but in my driveway, it made backing out between some obstacles a cinch.

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I'm not feeling it. The 2011 BMW 535i xDrive is precise, capable, reasonably powerful, well-made and utterly soulless. The car doesn't seem to be enjoying the ride and comes across as vaguely contemptuous of having to ferry you about.

Inside is a broad swath of grey highlighted by grey, cold as the Alpine peaks, while outside, this BMW is classically attractive but nothing else.

As far as the powertrain, it was perfectly capable of moving the big sedan at a brisk pace, but for all the smoothness, it was utterly devoid of anything that would get my blood moving.

The good? Outstanding brakes, possibly the best I've ever felt on a large sedan--not just in terms of stopping ability, but also the feel of the pedal underfoot. Also, the heated seats are exceptional, providing even, comfortable warmth from the thighs to the upper back.

Otherwise, I had more fun in the 2012 Acura TL that I was in the night before, and the Honda Odyssey fits my family better--plus both were $20,000 less than this BMW.

2011 BMW 535i xDrive Sedan

Base Price: $53,275

As-Tested Price: $67,875

Drivetrain: 3.0-liter turbocharged I6; AWD, eight-speed automatic

Output: 300 hp @ 5,800-6,250 rpm, 300 lb-ft @ 1,200-5,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,233 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 23/23.7 mpg

Options: Premium package 2 including rearview camera, power rear sunshade, heated front seats, park distance control, iPod and USB adapter, navigation system, satellite radio with premium hi-fi system ($4,500); dynamic handling package including adaptive drive, dynamic damper control and active roll stabilization ($2,700); Sport package including 19-inch alloy V-spoke wheels, sports leather steering wheel, multicontour seats and shadowline exterior trim ($2,200); cold-weather package including heated steering wheel and heated rear seats ($1,050); comfort access keyless entry ($1,000); side- and top-view cameras ($800); titanium silver metallic exterior paint ($550)