LAT PHOTOGRAPHICTony Stewart set a fast lap around New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Stewart starts Sunday's Sprint Cup race from the No. 2 position.
By AL PEARCE on 7/16/2011
No. 2 starter Tony Stewart and No. 28 starter Jimmie Johnson were fastest in Saturday's two Sprint Cup practice sessions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Stewart, at 129.156 mph, led the first session ahead of Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Paul Menard, Johnson, and Kevin Harvick. The slowest five in the first session were Mike Skinner, Scott Wimmer, Mike Bliss, Joe Nemechek and Erik Darnell.
Johnson's 129.591-mph lap led the second session ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, pole winner Ryan Newman, Burton, Keselowski, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Truex, Hamlin, and Kurt Bush. The slowest five were Bliss, Darnell, Andy Lally, Wimmer and David Stremme.
Bodine lands a ride
Two-time and reigning Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine has landed a ride for Saturday night's Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway. There was some uncertainty after last weekend's race in Kentucky that the financially-strapped No. 30 Germain Racing team might have to skip Iowa.
But fellow Toyota team co-owners Randy Moss and David Dollar offered their No. 5 Tundra to Bodine and his crew for the 200-lap race. It's unclear whether Bodine and crew chief Mike Hillman will stay with Moss/Dollar for the rest of the season or return to their Germain-owned team. Until he was replaced at the last moment, former series champion Travis Kvapil was scheduled to drive the No. 5 for Moss/Dollar in Iowa.
Whitney switches to Ford
When J. J. Yeley was almost a second too slow in Coke Zero 400 qualifying in Daytona Beach two weeks ago, team owner Dusty Whitney had seen enough. Soon after that July 2 disappointment, he decided to switch from Chevrolet to Ford and work with Roush Fenway Racing and engine-builder Doug Yates. The addition of the No. 46 will bring to 12 the number of Ford-based Cup teams.
“We wanted to get aligned with a bigger engine supplier and get some support from Roush Fenway on the car side,” Whitney said. “I'm trying to build this team, make it bigger and stronger and grow it into something good for next year. Ford has the best [engine-car] package of the three other manufacturers, and they seemed to want to help. They've been real supportive. We'll be one of their customers, like the Wood brothers and some other teams.
“Missing the show by about a second at Daytona Beach was the end of the rope for us. We know we have really good cars and good people working on them. But to be sent to the track with that kind of [Chevy] motor and not being aware of it was the last straw for us.”
Erik Darnell qualified the team's Chevrolet 40th for Sunday afternoon's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. When asked who'll drive the No. 46 Ford at Indy in two weeks, Whitney wasn't ready to say. “Let's see how Erik does this weekend,” he said with a wry grin.
New Hampshire notes
Max Gresham won Friday afternoon's K&N East Pro Series 125 at NHMS ahead of Brett Moffitt, Corey LaJoie, Brandon Gdovic and Benny Gordon.
-- On Saturday afternoon, Sprint Cup pole winner Ryan Newman beat Todd Szegedy, Ron Silk, Matt Hirschman and Doug Coby in the Whelen Modified 100. Newman started from the pole and led 61 of the 100 laps, including the final 17, for his third consecutive NHMS Modified win from the pole.
-- Team owner Kevin Buckler has named Harry McMullen as general manager of his No. 71 Sprint Cup team. McMullen spent 30 years with Roush Fenway Racing and was general manager of its Sprint Cup operation until moving to TRG.
-- Roush Fenway Racing star Carl Edwards is the second-quarter winner of the annual Driver of the Year Award. He led the Sprint Cup standings, won the Sprint All-Star Race and won three Nationwide Series races during the quarter, which ended on June 30.
-- Michael Waltrip Racing has sued Mike Coughlan for breach of contract and the Williams Formula One team for interference with a contract. Before he abruptly left for Williams, Coughlan was responsible for design, production, engineering and quality control at Waltrip's team.
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