(Photo by Alan Marler for Chevrolet)
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Bell Helicopters Chevrolet SS) used a fresh set of tires and an advantageous yellow flag to win Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 in a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick (above) with teamate Jeff Burton (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Airgas/Bulwark Chevrolet SS) close behind, charged to the front at the end of the race when it counted. Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Depend Chevrolet SS) had a chance to break his 94-race winless streak but was pleased with his top-five finish after struggling for decent finishes for more than a year. Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Serta Chevrolet SS) and Tony Stewart (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS), repeatedly bashed each other with their Chevrolets on the cool-down lap. Stewart was fifth on the final restart but dropped to 18th at the finish after Busch shoved him out of the racing groove during the last two chaotic laps, but they were far from the only ones as the frammin' and bammin' was prevalent throughout the field. “My car launched, and I was able to drive it in the first corner and hope for the best down there,” Harvick said. “I figured four, eight, 12 ... (however) many tires that were on the outside of me would be better than none. It all worked out, and here we are."
(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
The decision to come to pit road for tires under the final caution was a no-brainer, agreed Harvick and crew chief Gil Martin. “When the tires fall off almost two seconds, you've got to come in and get tires,” he said. “There's not very many guys that stayed out. It all worked out tonight. We've been on the other side of it this year, so to be in Victory Lane is great." Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Care Toyota Camry) led 113 laps but didn’t have a car that could stay with Harvick at the end, finishing second. “We had a good car -- we just didn’t have a great car,” Bowyer said. “It seemed like we were just too tight on the throttle. … It really got wild there at the end. I was just lucky enough to be on the bottom (for the final restart). “They started making holes up there in front of me, and the seas parted, and I just followed suit behind Harvick. It was a good run.” Joey Logano (No. 22 Roger Penske Racing Shell-Penzoil Ford Fusion) was third.
(Photo by Harold Hinson for Chevrolet)
The Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda quotient was high for Montoya and Kurt Busch but in the end Harvick beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by .343 seconds on the .75-mile short track to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season, his third at Richmond and the 20th of his career. This is his last year with Richard Childress Racing. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) finished twelfth in a tough night, but he now leads second-place Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Geek Squad Ford Fusion, sixth Saturday) by 43 points and Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Quaker State Chevrolet SS) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports National Guard Chevrolet SS, 10th at Richmond) by 46 points. Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Roger Penske Racing Redd's Apple Ale Ford Fusion) finished 33rd after battling hard all night, only only to drop a cylinder in the late going. Watch the Richmond video highlights here.
(Photos courtesy of the McLaren Group)
As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, McLaren will showcase a selection of legendary models from the company’s heritage collection at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alongside some of the most famous race- and championship-winning models from the brand’s illustrious past will be the latest model from McLaren GT - the McLaren 12C GT Can-Am Edition - which will be showcased in the run up the Goodwood Hill. The legendary McLaren name was forged in the glorious years of Can-Am racing throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with McLaren Racing claiming five back-to-back championships between 1969 and 1974, making it the most successful team in the history of the championship. The original McLaren Can-Am racers were campaigned by great names from motorsport history including Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme (as well as Dan Gurney and Peter Revson), and are the inspiration for the 12C GT Can-Am Edition. This latest project from McLaren GT is the rawest, most track-focused model built by McLaren Group’s race car manufacturing arm, to-date. Like the cars with which it shares the famous motorsport badge, the 12C GT Can-Am Edition features a powerful V8 engine, with the new model fitted with an unrestricted version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo power plant from the 12C GT3. Further modifications over the race-winning 12C GT3 include an optimized aerodynamics package and a passenger seat, to allow the blistering performance of this latest track car to be shared. The track-only 12C GT Can-Am Edition will be produced in strictly limited numbers, with no more than 30 being built globally. This exclusivity is fitting for the most powerful 12C produced to-date and a worthy tribute to the first McLaren model to wear the Can-Am name since 1972, according to McLaren PR. A short, high-definition video showing the M8D Can-Am racer in detail and the 12C GT Can-Am Edition on track can be viewed here.
And speaking of McLaren, the new P1 is undergoing final development testing at harsh weather sites around the world, including the frozen landscapes of the Arctic Circle, in northern Sweden. Watch a video here.
Road America, Yamaha. Yamaha has become the Official Motorcycle of Road America as part of a multi-year agreement. Additionally, Yamaha will also play an integral role at the track as part of Road America's successful motorcycle school programs to educate two-wheel enthusiasts. Endorsed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), Road America's Basic Rider Courses are taught by award-winning rider coaches who have completed extensive training through the MSF and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Successful completion of the school's basic rider course enables participants to obtain a Class M endorsement on their driver's license from the WisDOT. As part of being an official partner of Road America, Yamaha will have a presence through multiple areas of the venue and fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the GEICO Motorcycle AMA ProRacing Subway SuperBike Doubleheader, May 31-June 2, at local dealerships. As part of the Road America Motorcycle Schools, Yamaha motorcycles will be used exclusively to train beginner and advanced students how to ride safe. Registration is now open and all courses are offered from April through November. A current schedule of courses is available online at www.roadamerica.com or by calling Road America, 800-365-7223.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Just for grins watch as Mark Gene, Scuderia Ferrari's official test-driver, sets an (unofficial) lap record - a 1:05.78 - at Laguna Seca last May in a Ferrari F1 car during the Ferrari Racing Days special track event. - PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Robin Miller hits one out of the park commenting on the latest stupidity to come out of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Read it here. - PMD