By Cindy Pischel
Neil Bonnett was one of the members of the famous "Alabama Gang" which included Red Farmer and the Allison family. In fact he started his career in racing under the instruction of the great Bobby Allison.
Bonnett was born in Hueytown, Alabama and his career spanned over an 18-yr period. He is ranked 35th in all time NASCAR Cup wins. He was someone who always gave 100% to everything he did. As well as being a great racecar driver, he also made his mark on the broadcasting scene as an analyst and commentator for races and hosted his own show on TNN.
Bonnett began driving in NASCAR events in 1974 and also competed in IROC racing for three seasons. He placed second in the series two times. In 1984 Bonnett joined up with the powerhouse Junior Johnson racing team, making him a teammate to Darrell Waltrip. 1985 was one of the best seasons for Bonnett-he finished fourth in the points series behind his teammate's win for the Championship.
In 1990, Bonnett suffered a life-threatening crash that left him with some amnesia and dizziness and his driving career was put on hold for a couple of years. That's when he got into broadcasting, but he still had a desire to be behind the wheel of a racecar. He was good friends with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress and when the opportunity came to do some test driving for them, he jumped at the chance.
Bonnett was cleared to race again in 1993 and Childress gave him a ride for the DieHard 500 at Talladega. His comeback was interrupted though, by a crash that took him out of the race. Uninjured and undaunted, he headed for the broadcast booth and called the rest of the race.
In 1994, Bonnett was ready for the season to begin and he had secured a sponsor for at least six races with owner James Finch. The season opener was the Daytona 500 but the practice session turned out to be a tragic one. During his practice run, Bonnett's car lost a right front tire, causing him a hard hit to the outside wall. He was taken to the nearby Medical Center, but he had died in the impact. Neil Bonnett was someone who took pride in his driving and in being known as a "hard charger" but he also enjoyed the love and respect he felt from everyone in the garage and pit areas. His talents behind the wheel and in the booth will long be remembered.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Neil-Bonnett&id=1475811
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
NASCAR Race Legend - Mark Martin
By Cindy Pischel
Mark Martin has often been called Mr. Consistency due to his frequent top-ten finishes. Hailing from the state of Arkansas, he spent his early years driving on short dirt tracks. From there he moved to the AMA and won the Rookie of the Year title in 1977. He then won three consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980 and then another in 1986.
But Mark Martin was made for bigger and better things and headed for NASCAR racing in 1981. By 1982 he was running a full schedule with a family owned team. After running only 22 events from '83 to '87, he took on a full schedule in the Nationwide (then Busch) Series for owner Bruce Lawmaster. Martin won at Dover, becoming the first Ford driver to win there. That win caught the eye of another owner who was setting up his Cup team for 1988-Jack Roush. That was the start of a 19-year relationship between the two of them. During this time he's been runner-up to the championship four times but hasn't been able to grasp it.
In 1990 he lost the title to Dale Earnhardt by only 26 points and in 2002 by just 38 points to Tony Stewart. Martin parted ways with Roush racing after the organization announced that they could no longer field a team for him in 2007 for all 20 races that he wanted to run. After the '06 campaign, Martin joined Ginn Racing to run a part time schedule in 2007. Martin is the leader for wins in the Nationwide Series with 47 even though he doesn't run a full schedule. He also made 14 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. That single year brought an astonishing record of 6 wins, 11 top-5s, 12 top-10s, and 3 pole positions.
In July of 2007 DEI acquired Ginn Racing, so Mark Martin joined Dale Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard. After Dale Jr. left DEI, Martin shared the #8 car with Aric Almirola sponsored by U.S. Army. The 2008 Auto Club 500 was Martin's 700th career start. Still going strong in 2008, there has been talk that Martin will leave DEI to join Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season. 2009 is to be his official final season after almost three decades of racing.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Legend---Mark-Martin&id=1475752
Mark Martin has often been called Mr. Consistency due to his frequent top-ten finishes. Hailing from the state of Arkansas, he spent his early years driving on short dirt tracks. From there he moved to the AMA and won the Rookie of the Year title in 1977. He then won three consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980 and then another in 1986.
But Mark Martin was made for bigger and better things and headed for NASCAR racing in 1981. By 1982 he was running a full schedule with a family owned team. After running only 22 events from '83 to '87, he took on a full schedule in the Nationwide (then Busch) Series for owner Bruce Lawmaster. Martin won at Dover, becoming the first Ford driver to win there. That win caught the eye of another owner who was setting up his Cup team for 1988-Jack Roush. That was the start of a 19-year relationship between the two of them. During this time he's been runner-up to the championship four times but hasn't been able to grasp it.
In 1990 he lost the title to Dale Earnhardt by only 26 points and in 2002 by just 38 points to Tony Stewart. Martin parted ways with Roush racing after the organization announced that they could no longer field a team for him in 2007 for all 20 races that he wanted to run. After the '06 campaign, Martin joined Ginn Racing to run a part time schedule in 2007. Martin is the leader for wins in the Nationwide Series with 47 even though he doesn't run a full schedule. He also made 14 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. That single year brought an astonishing record of 6 wins, 11 top-5s, 12 top-10s, and 3 pole positions.
In July of 2007 DEI acquired Ginn Racing, so Mark Martin joined Dale Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard. After Dale Jr. left DEI, Martin shared the #8 car with Aric Almirola sponsored by U.S. Army. The 2008 Auto Club 500 was Martin's 700th career start. Still going strong in 2008, there has been talk that Martin will leave DEI to join Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season. 2009 is to be his official final season after almost three decades of racing.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Legend---Mark-Martin&id=1475752
NASCAR Legend - Ernie Irvin
By Cindy Pischel
Like so many other great racecar drivers, Virgil Earnest Irvan, better known as Ernie Irvin, began driving karts when he was just a kid. He won the California Championship at the age of 15. By the time he was 16 he had already moved up to stock cars and won his very first race on asphalt at Stockton 99 Speedway in California. That was just the start for Irvin; he made it a point to race every weekend at Madera and Stockton and was no stranger to victory lane. He even missed his own high school graduation to race at Riverside.
In 1982, Irvin headed for the heart of race country-North Carolina. He left California with just $700 in his pocket but made a pit stop in Las Vegas and ended up with $200 more. Arriving in Charlotte, he supported himself by doing odd jobs, most of which centered around the racetrack. He did some welding of the grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built racecars, and unloaded Ken Schrader's moving van.
Irvin's debut in Winston Cup racing was in 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway driving the #56 Chevy Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. He was up for Rookie of the Year in 1988 but lost to Ken Bouchard by three points in the closest battle in Cup history. In 1991, Irvin won the sport's most prestigious race-the Daytona 500. Just four years earlier he had watched the race on a little black and white TV while working at a car wash to support his family and his early struggling career.
Irvin began to develop a very aggressive driving style and earned the nickname "Swerving Irvan" by his fellow drivers. Some of his controversial maneuvers led to a televised apology at one of the driver's meetings before a race. Irvin had been driving for Morgan McClure Motorsports when his friend Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter crash in 1993. To honor his friend, he wanted to take over Davey's car at Robert Yates Racing but MMM didn't want to release him and a nasty lawsuit was soon to follow. He did end up taking over the #28 Texaco/Havoline Ford after being fired by MMM and went to the winner's circle in just his 4th start with RYR. He dedicated the victory to Davey Allison.
In 1994, Ernie Irvin suffered a near fatal crash when a tire deflated and sent him into the wall at over 170mph. He sustained critical brain and lung injuries that left him with only a 10% chance of survival. With medical intervention and therapy, he bounced back and was able to walk on stage and receive the True Value Hard Charger Award just 2 months after the accident. Irvin's focus was on a complete recovery and regaining his strength and after months of rehab and strength training, NASCAR cleared him to return to the racetrack.
Exactly five years after his near fatal crash, Irvin again went into the wall in a practice session and was air lifted to the hospital with brain and lung injuries. Less than two weeks after the crash, his wife and two children at his side, he tearfully announced his retirement. As of 2007, Irvin was still involved in racing, serving as crew chief for his son Jared's quarter midget team. Today he promotes Race2safety, a foundation that he started which advocates awareness and prevention of head injuries, especially in children.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Ernie-Irvin&id=1475763
Like so many other great racecar drivers, Virgil Earnest Irvan, better known as Ernie Irvin, began driving karts when he was just a kid. He won the California Championship at the age of 15. By the time he was 16 he had already moved up to stock cars and won his very first race on asphalt at Stockton 99 Speedway in California. That was just the start for Irvin; he made it a point to race every weekend at Madera and Stockton and was no stranger to victory lane. He even missed his own high school graduation to race at Riverside.
In 1982, Irvin headed for the heart of race country-North Carolina. He left California with just $700 in his pocket but made a pit stop in Las Vegas and ended up with $200 more. Arriving in Charlotte, he supported himself by doing odd jobs, most of which centered around the racetrack. He did some welding of the grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built racecars, and unloaded Ken Schrader's moving van.
Irvin's debut in Winston Cup racing was in 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway driving the #56 Chevy Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. He was up for Rookie of the Year in 1988 but lost to Ken Bouchard by three points in the closest battle in Cup history. In 1991, Irvin won the sport's most prestigious race-the Daytona 500. Just four years earlier he had watched the race on a little black and white TV while working at a car wash to support his family and his early struggling career.
Irvin began to develop a very aggressive driving style and earned the nickname "Swerving Irvan" by his fellow drivers. Some of his controversial maneuvers led to a televised apology at one of the driver's meetings before a race. Irvin had been driving for Morgan McClure Motorsports when his friend Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter crash in 1993. To honor his friend, he wanted to take over Davey's car at Robert Yates Racing but MMM didn't want to release him and a nasty lawsuit was soon to follow. He did end up taking over the #28 Texaco/Havoline Ford after being fired by MMM and went to the winner's circle in just his 4th start with RYR. He dedicated the victory to Davey Allison.
In 1994, Ernie Irvin suffered a near fatal crash when a tire deflated and sent him into the wall at over 170mph. He sustained critical brain and lung injuries that left him with only a 10% chance of survival. With medical intervention and therapy, he bounced back and was able to walk on stage and receive the True Value Hard Charger Award just 2 months after the accident. Irvin's focus was on a complete recovery and regaining his strength and after months of rehab and strength training, NASCAR cleared him to return to the racetrack.
Exactly five years after his near fatal crash, Irvin again went into the wall in a practice session and was air lifted to the hospital with brain and lung injuries. Less than two weeks after the crash, his wife and two children at his side, he tearfully announced his retirement. As of 2007, Irvin was still involved in racing, serving as crew chief for his son Jared's quarter midget team. Today he promotes Race2safety, a foundation that he started which advocates awareness and prevention of head injuries, especially in children.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Ernie-Irvin&id=1475763
NASCAR Legend - Geoff Bodine
By Cindy Pischel
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is best known for his success in NASCAR. During his 51-year career, he was involved in many forms of racing, starting with micro-midgets at the age of 5 and working his way up to Cup racing. He was famous in the Northwest for wining more modified races than any other driver and is named in the Guinness Book of World Records with "Most wins in one season".
Geoff is the oldest of three brothers who have all been racecar drivers. He was born into a family with a passion for racing. His dad and grandfather built Chemung Speedrome in New York soon after Geoff was born and it didn't take long for him to develop his racing skills at this track.
About the age of 30, he made his first start in the then Sprint Cup series. His first full season was in 1982 when he was named Rookie of the Year. During the mid 80's, Geoff's hunger for victory began to rise and he became an aggressive and skilled driver, dominating many of NASCAR's events. He began to develop a burning rivalry with Dale Earnhardt and there was tension on and off the track. It is said that once when Earnhardt caught his son Dale, Jr. playing with a #5 Geoff Bodine toy car, he took it from the boy and destroyed it.
This rivalry led to a conference with NASCAR officials. Geoff has driven for some of the best known car owners in NASCAR such as Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick as well as driving his own cars. Daytona International Speedway has been a very eventful track for Geoff. He gained his biggest victory there in 1986 at the Daytona 500. It's also the site of one of the most horrific and terrifying wrecks in NASCAR history. Geoff was driving in the Craftsman series when his truck along with 13 others, was involved in a vicious crash. Geoff's truck was thrown into the barrier fence and exploded into a massive fireball. Nine fans were injured and Geoff suffered several broken bones. He missed over ½ of the 2000 season. However, two years later he once again returned to Daytona for the Daytona 500 and proudly finished third.
Not only was Geoff a success on the track, but he also was the innovation behind several racing products. He helped introduce power steering and full face helmets into Cup racing. He also designed a special spring-loaded seat that's now used in several racing series and a line of detailing products.
In addition to auto racing products, Geoff was involved in building a more competitive bobsled for the U.S. Olympic team. With his engineering background and the technology and experience he gained from racing, he created Bo-Dyn Bobsleds which made the U.S. team more competitive. Today, Geoff Bodine is very involved in his community serving as a volunteer fireman and a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he's still involved in the BoDyn program and the Olympic Bobsled team.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Geoff-Bodine&id=1475777
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is best known for his success in NASCAR. During his 51-year career, he was involved in many forms of racing, starting with micro-midgets at the age of 5 and working his way up to Cup racing. He was famous in the Northwest for wining more modified races than any other driver and is named in the Guinness Book of World Records with "Most wins in one season".
Geoff is the oldest of three brothers who have all been racecar drivers. He was born into a family with a passion for racing. His dad and grandfather built Chemung Speedrome in New York soon after Geoff was born and it didn't take long for him to develop his racing skills at this track.
About the age of 30, he made his first start in the then Sprint Cup series. His first full season was in 1982 when he was named Rookie of the Year. During the mid 80's, Geoff's hunger for victory began to rise and he became an aggressive and skilled driver, dominating many of NASCAR's events. He began to develop a burning rivalry with Dale Earnhardt and there was tension on and off the track. It is said that once when Earnhardt caught his son Dale, Jr. playing with a #5 Geoff Bodine toy car, he took it from the boy and destroyed it.
This rivalry led to a conference with NASCAR officials. Geoff has driven for some of the best known car owners in NASCAR such as Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, and Rick Hendrick as well as driving his own cars. Daytona International Speedway has been a very eventful track for Geoff. He gained his biggest victory there in 1986 at the Daytona 500. It's also the site of one of the most horrific and terrifying wrecks in NASCAR history. Geoff was driving in the Craftsman series when his truck along with 13 others, was involved in a vicious crash. Geoff's truck was thrown into the barrier fence and exploded into a massive fireball. Nine fans were injured and Geoff suffered several broken bones. He missed over ½ of the 2000 season. However, two years later he once again returned to Daytona for the Daytona 500 and proudly finished third.
Not only was Geoff a success on the track, but he also was the innovation behind several racing products. He helped introduce power steering and full face helmets into Cup racing. He also designed a special spring-loaded seat that's now used in several racing series and a line of detailing products.
In addition to auto racing products, Geoff was involved in building a more competitive bobsled for the U.S. Olympic team. With his engineering background and the technology and experience he gained from racing, he created Bo-Dyn Bobsleds which made the U.S. team more competitive. Today, Geoff Bodine is very involved in his community serving as a volunteer fireman and a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he's still involved in the BoDyn program and the Olympic Bobsled team.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Geoff-Bodine&id=1475777
NASCAR Legend - Benny Parsons
By Cindy Pischel
Benny Parsons was one of the most consistent drivers in the history of NASCAR. He finished between 3rd and 5th in the final points standings from 1974 to 1980. Don Naman, Executive Director of The International Sports Hall of Fame said, "Out of 526 NASCAR events, Benny finished in the Top 10 283 times and in the Top 5 199 times, making him one of the most consistent drivers in recent history."
Parsons was a down-to-earth man from the hills of North Carolina; a happy man who loved people and made them feel special just talking with them. As a young man, he spent some time working at a gas station where he met a couple of customers towing a racecar. They invited him to a local track to watch and when the driver never showed up, Benny was elected to drive in his first race ever. That event launched a phenomenal career for him in racing.
His NASCAR career began with only one race during the '64 season. He joined the circuit full-time in 1970 and finished in the top-ten 23 times out of 45 races. He finished eighth in points. In 1973 Parsons was in contention for the NASCAR Cup Championship when he was in an early crash at Rockingham that sent him to the pits. His hopes for the Championship were fading due to the heavy damage to his racecar and he was hoping for at least a top-five finish in the standings. The guys in the garage were pulling for the "underdog" and rallied together to help Parsons' crew piece the car back together. 136 laps later, Parsons was back on the track and ended up with a 25th place finish, which was enough to take the Championship.
In 1982, Parsons became a record-holder by qualifying for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 200.175mph. That accomplishment made him the first NASCAR driver to qualify a stock car with a speed over 200mph. In the mid-80's, Parsons decided to dabble in broadcasting along with his part-time racing schedule. This "dabbling" turned out to be quite a career and he began to do announcing and pit reporting for ESPN and TBS. The 1984 Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta was Parsons' last victory. He did however return to the track to be a substitute driver for Tim Richmond who was stricken with AIDS. Parsons retired from racing after the 1988 season and cranked up his broadcasting career with ESPN, TNT, and NBC. He is famous for his radio shows "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" and "The CNN Radio Racing Report with Benny Parsons".
In the summer of 2006, Parsons noticed that he was having some difficulty breathing. He had stopped smoking back in the '70s but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of complications from the treatment in early 2007. He is laid to rest in Purlear, NC at the site of his vineyard. His dream was to share the beauty of the NC mountains with his friends and fans. Today there is a racing museum and wine tasting room on the bottom floor of the home that he built at Rendezvous Mountain.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Benny-Parsons&id=1475915
Benny Parsons was one of the most consistent drivers in the history of NASCAR. He finished between 3rd and 5th in the final points standings from 1974 to 1980. Don Naman, Executive Director of The International Sports Hall of Fame said, "Out of 526 NASCAR events, Benny finished in the Top 10 283 times and in the Top 5 199 times, making him one of the most consistent drivers in recent history."
Parsons was a down-to-earth man from the hills of North Carolina; a happy man who loved people and made them feel special just talking with them. As a young man, he spent some time working at a gas station where he met a couple of customers towing a racecar. They invited him to a local track to watch and when the driver never showed up, Benny was elected to drive in his first race ever. That event launched a phenomenal career for him in racing.
His NASCAR career began with only one race during the '64 season. He joined the circuit full-time in 1970 and finished in the top-ten 23 times out of 45 races. He finished eighth in points. In 1973 Parsons was in contention for the NASCAR Cup Championship when he was in an early crash at Rockingham that sent him to the pits. His hopes for the Championship were fading due to the heavy damage to his racecar and he was hoping for at least a top-five finish in the standings. The guys in the garage were pulling for the "underdog" and rallied together to help Parsons' crew piece the car back together. 136 laps later, Parsons was back on the track and ended up with a 25th place finish, which was enough to take the Championship.
In 1982, Parsons became a record-holder by qualifying for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 200.175mph. That accomplishment made him the first NASCAR driver to qualify a stock car with a speed over 200mph. In the mid-80's, Parsons decided to dabble in broadcasting along with his part-time racing schedule. This "dabbling" turned out to be quite a career and he began to do announcing and pit reporting for ESPN and TBS. The 1984 Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta was Parsons' last victory. He did however return to the track to be a substitute driver for Tim Richmond who was stricken with AIDS. Parsons retired from racing after the 1988 season and cranked up his broadcasting career with ESPN, TNT, and NBC. He is famous for his radio shows "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" and "The CNN Radio Racing Report with Benny Parsons".
In the summer of 2006, Parsons noticed that he was having some difficulty breathing. He had stopped smoking back in the '70s but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of complications from the treatment in early 2007. He is laid to rest in Purlear, NC at the site of his vineyard. His dream was to share the beauty of the NC mountains with his friends and fans. Today there is a racing museum and wine tasting room on the bottom floor of the home that he built at Rendezvous Mountain.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Benny-Parsons&id=1475915
Monday, September 22, 2008
NASCAR Legend - Dale Jarrett
By Cindy Pischel
Dale Jarrett is one of the most well known and liked drivers in NASCAR. He is famous for driving the #44 UPS Toyota Camry and was a part of Toyota's inaugural season into NASCAR. He has driven for some of the most prestigious car owners like Cale Yarborough, Wood Brothers, Joe Gibbs, Robert Yates, and Michael Waltrip.
A true champion, he has won the Daytona 500 three times. Dale comes from a family that's been very involved in racing and he is the son of two-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett. Dale's younger brother Glenn also drove and was a pit commentator for NASCAR and Jason Jarrett is Dale's son who has driven in the Busch Series.
As well as being a talented racecar driver, Dale is very good at golf. After he graduated from high school in 1975 he was offered a full golf scholarship from USC, but he had other plans. He turned it down and headed to the racetrack. His driving career started in 1977 at Hickory Motor Speedway, a track owned by his dad. In his first race, he started in last place and was able to move up and finish in ninth. His driving talent was beginning to show itself. He spent a few years honing his driving skills at Hickory before moving to the Busch Series in 1982. His best finish that first year was third and he finished sixth in the points standings. It didn't take Dale long to be ready to face the big dogs in the Cup Series and he debuted at Martinsville in 1984. He qualified 24th and finished fourteenth.
In 1987 he was in contention for Rookie of the Year honors, but came in second to Davey Allison. Dale was hungry for that first cup win and finally got it at Michigan International Speedway in 1991. He finished a career best 17th that season in the points standings. The 1993 Daytona 500 was a memorable one for many NASCAR fans. That race has been referred to as "The Dale and Dale Show" because Jarrett was able to pass Earnhardt for the win with only one lap remaining. Dale Jarrett's dad cheered from the booth where he had called the race.
Dale is the one who started the tradition of "kissing the bricks" at Indianapolis after his win of the Brickyard 400 in 1996 when he and his entire crew bent down to give the bricks a smooch. Ever since then, every winning NASCAR team has been kissing the bricks. In 2003 the Indy teams caught on and now hold the same tradition. In 1998, Dale began to suffer gallbladder problems and ended up having surgery in the offseason. Undaunted, he returned in 1999 and won his first Cup title by 201 points. This same year he retired from driving in the Busch series and paired up with Brett Farve to become part owner. They fielded the #11 Rayovac Ford, one of it's drivers being Dale's son Jason.
In 2000 Dale hooked up with UPS and they began the "Big Brown Truck" campaign which continued to the end of his career. The 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol was Dale's last race and he passed the torch to David Reutimann who now drives the #44 Toyota. In a driver's meeting before that last race, he spoke to his fellow drivers: "Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It's a great sport, and you guys make it what it is." After his retirement, Dale joined the ESPN broadcasting team as their lead racing analyst.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Dale-Jarrett&id=1475931
Dale Jarrett is one of the most well known and liked drivers in NASCAR. He is famous for driving the #44 UPS Toyota Camry and was a part of Toyota's inaugural season into NASCAR. He has driven for some of the most prestigious car owners like Cale Yarborough, Wood Brothers, Joe Gibbs, Robert Yates, and Michael Waltrip.
A true champion, he has won the Daytona 500 three times. Dale comes from a family that's been very involved in racing and he is the son of two-time Grand National Champion Ned Jarrett. Dale's younger brother Glenn also drove and was a pit commentator for NASCAR and Jason Jarrett is Dale's son who has driven in the Busch Series.
As well as being a talented racecar driver, Dale is very good at golf. After he graduated from high school in 1975 he was offered a full golf scholarship from USC, but he had other plans. He turned it down and headed to the racetrack. His driving career started in 1977 at Hickory Motor Speedway, a track owned by his dad. In his first race, he started in last place and was able to move up and finish in ninth. His driving talent was beginning to show itself. He spent a few years honing his driving skills at Hickory before moving to the Busch Series in 1982. His best finish that first year was third and he finished sixth in the points standings. It didn't take Dale long to be ready to face the big dogs in the Cup Series and he debuted at Martinsville in 1984. He qualified 24th and finished fourteenth.
In 1987 he was in contention for Rookie of the Year honors, but came in second to Davey Allison. Dale was hungry for that first cup win and finally got it at Michigan International Speedway in 1991. He finished a career best 17th that season in the points standings. The 1993 Daytona 500 was a memorable one for many NASCAR fans. That race has been referred to as "The Dale and Dale Show" because Jarrett was able to pass Earnhardt for the win with only one lap remaining. Dale Jarrett's dad cheered from the booth where he had called the race.
Dale is the one who started the tradition of "kissing the bricks" at Indianapolis after his win of the Brickyard 400 in 1996 when he and his entire crew bent down to give the bricks a smooch. Ever since then, every winning NASCAR team has been kissing the bricks. In 2003 the Indy teams caught on and now hold the same tradition. In 1998, Dale began to suffer gallbladder problems and ended up having surgery in the offseason. Undaunted, he returned in 1999 and won his first Cup title by 201 points. This same year he retired from driving in the Busch series and paired up with Brett Farve to become part owner. They fielded the #11 Rayovac Ford, one of it's drivers being Dale's son Jason.
In 2000 Dale hooked up with UPS and they began the "Big Brown Truck" campaign which continued to the end of his career. The 2008 Food City 500 at Bristol was Dale's last race and he passed the torch to David Reutimann who now drives the #44 Toyota. In a driver's meeting before that last race, he spoke to his fellow drivers: "Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It's a great sport, and you guys make it what it is." After his retirement, Dale joined the ESPN broadcasting team as their lead racing analyst.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Pischel
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Legend---Dale-Jarrett&id=1475931
NASCAR Race Schedule
By Robert Grazian
NASCAR is the National Association for Sock Car Auto Racing. As the governing body for stock car racing in America, NASCAR sanctions an enormous number of races during the course of the year. It will cover over 1,500 races all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. As you can imagine, the NASCAR race schedule is quite a complex listing.
There are three main series that NASCAR cover. They the Craftsman Truck Series, the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series. These series are prone to name changes on occasion, depending on the current sponsors. Each of these three series has a full NASCAR race schedule which will include a race in each pretty much every week of the year from February through to November. There will also be some races which are not included in these three main series.
There are many websites where you can find information regarding the NASCAR race schedule. If you are interested in attending some of the races then you are probably best to consult NASCAR themselves. They have a very good website at nascar.com which will give you details of each and every race meeting across the country. If you wish to buy tickets online, you will be able to click onto the appropriate meeting and you will then be transferred to an online ticket company who specialises in race tickets.
On the NASCAR website, not only will you get detailed information regarding the location of the races in each of the series, but you will also be able to get details regarding the location of the venues. In fact, you will find pretty much all the information that you could need regarding the circuit where each race will be held. You will have information regarding the length of the track and the banking and turns etc. Everything you need to know. The NASCAR race schedule on their website really has got it all covered.
Another useful aspect of the site is the information that is given regarding the NASCAR race schedule of broadcasting. For each race, they give you details regarding the television scheduling, including the channel and start time and also the station and the time of broadcast on radio. This means that even if you are unable to be there in person to see you favourite races of the series, at least you can either watch or listen. It would seem that NASCAR have thought of everything and the schedule that they produce on their website will keep you well informed of all their events across all the series. If you are unable to access the internet, you will soon be able to find the schedule of races by visiting your local store or newsstand. Here you will be able to find many magazines which will give you the full schedule for all the series. Most magazines will print a schedule at the start of the year listing all races. If you have a listing such as this it is wise to check the information as some may have changed since being printed.
Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about NASCAR visit
NASCAR Schedule Online for
current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Grazian
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Schedule&id=1489394
NASCAR is the National Association for Sock Car Auto Racing. As the governing body for stock car racing in America, NASCAR sanctions an enormous number of races during the course of the year. It will cover over 1,500 races all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. As you can imagine, the NASCAR race schedule is quite a complex listing.
There are three main series that NASCAR cover. They the Craftsman Truck Series, the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series. These series are prone to name changes on occasion, depending on the current sponsors. Each of these three series has a full NASCAR race schedule which will include a race in each pretty much every week of the year from February through to November. There will also be some races which are not included in these three main series.
There are many websites where you can find information regarding the NASCAR race schedule. If you are interested in attending some of the races then you are probably best to consult NASCAR themselves. They have a very good website at nascar.com which will give you details of each and every race meeting across the country. If you wish to buy tickets online, you will be able to click onto the appropriate meeting and you will then be transferred to an online ticket company who specialises in race tickets.
On the NASCAR website, not only will you get detailed information regarding the location of the races in each of the series, but you will also be able to get details regarding the location of the venues. In fact, you will find pretty much all the information that you could need regarding the circuit where each race will be held. You will have information regarding the length of the track and the banking and turns etc. Everything you need to know. The NASCAR race schedule on their website really has got it all covered.
Another useful aspect of the site is the information that is given regarding the NASCAR race schedule of broadcasting. For each race, they give you details regarding the television scheduling, including the channel and start time and also the station and the time of broadcast on radio. This means that even if you are unable to be there in person to see you favourite races of the series, at least you can either watch or listen. It would seem that NASCAR have thought of everything and the schedule that they produce on their website will keep you well informed of all their events across all the series. If you are unable to access the internet, you will soon be able to find the schedule of races by visiting your local store or newsstand. Here you will be able to find many magazines which will give you the full schedule for all the series. Most magazines will print a schedule at the start of the year listing all races. If you have a listing such as this it is wise to check the information as some may have changed since being printed.
Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about NASCAR visit
NASCAR Schedule Online for
current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Grazian
http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Race-Schedule&id=1489394
What is Drifting?
By Chip Szalewski
When I tell someone that I race and drift or that I'm a drifter, I usually get a confused look. People ask me, what is drifting? So let me start by explaining the sport of drifting!
Drifting as a sport originally started in the hills of Japan. Kids would race up and down the mountain roads or touges. Soon they would start to slide the car sideways around the corners to show off and to keep their engines rpms up. This technique of controlling the cars over-steer (over-steer is a handling issue that results when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle) soon started to catch on and it's popularity grew. The artistry displayed by these early drifter and those to follow helped coin the term "Corner Artists" for the amazing way they could attack a corner and turn movement and tire smoke into an art form.
As a result of the excitement and growing fan base of this new sport D1 Gran Prix was formed in Japan as an organized form of racing that's sole purpose was to challenge the drivers to one on one heats on a technical section of a track. The driver are scored on speed of entry into the corners, angle of attack, racing line, distance between your opponent, and style.
The success of D1GP has lead to several other circuits starting around the world such as NOPI Drift, Formula Drift, and several other country specific circuits.
Drifting as a sport truly is a fan based sport. In no other motor sport can the winner be determined by the crowd. This aspect of the sport really drew me to this form of racing. Drifting can almost be compared to gladiatorial games in a sense that the crowd has such an impact on the outcome.
During a drift competition only two cars will compete during a run or race. The race is set up like this: two cars will line up side to side to each other on a section of the track known as the scoring section. One car will be the leader and the other will be the follower and they will compete against each other in the the five points categories, speed of entry, angle of attack, racing line, distance between opponent, and style. After the two cars have made their drift run through the scoring section they will repeat this same thing, only the leader and follower will switch roles.
Now if the two drivers were so closely matched in their skills of slide the crowd can call for a "One more time". Which is a sort of sudden death round in which if either driver makes a mistake they will automatically loose (more on how a competition is ran in my upcoming post "Drift Competitions, How They Work").
So to sum up drifting as a motorsport: it's tire smoke and cars on the razor's edge of control, mixed with a nonstop adrenalin rush and a crowd on the edges of their seats, garnished with some of the most skilled corner artist in the world. http://Drift-Diaries.com is a chronicle where I show you my rise in the drifting community. I will teach you how you can compete, get exposure and eventually make it big as a drifter.
Hi My name is Chip, or Speed as a lot of people know me and I am a soon to be professional drifter, interested in helping you learn to drift and build your skills.
See you at the track!
http://Drift-Diaries.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Szalewski
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Drifting?&id=1486491
When I tell someone that I race and drift or that I'm a drifter, I usually get a confused look. People ask me, what is drifting? So let me start by explaining the sport of drifting!
Drifting as a sport originally started in the hills of Japan. Kids would race up and down the mountain roads or touges. Soon they would start to slide the car sideways around the corners to show off and to keep their engines rpms up. This technique of controlling the cars over-steer (over-steer is a handling issue that results when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle) soon started to catch on and it's popularity grew. The artistry displayed by these early drifter and those to follow helped coin the term "Corner Artists" for the amazing way they could attack a corner and turn movement and tire smoke into an art form.
As a result of the excitement and growing fan base of this new sport D1 Gran Prix was formed in Japan as an organized form of racing that's sole purpose was to challenge the drivers to one on one heats on a technical section of a track. The driver are scored on speed of entry into the corners, angle of attack, racing line, distance between your opponent, and style.
The success of D1GP has lead to several other circuits starting around the world such as NOPI Drift, Formula Drift, and several other country specific circuits.
Drifting as a sport truly is a fan based sport. In no other motor sport can the winner be determined by the crowd. This aspect of the sport really drew me to this form of racing. Drifting can almost be compared to gladiatorial games in a sense that the crowd has such an impact on the outcome.
During a drift competition only two cars will compete during a run or race. The race is set up like this: two cars will line up side to side to each other on a section of the track known as the scoring section. One car will be the leader and the other will be the follower and they will compete against each other in the the five points categories, speed of entry, angle of attack, racing line, distance between opponent, and style. After the two cars have made their drift run through the scoring section they will repeat this same thing, only the leader and follower will switch roles.
Now if the two drivers were so closely matched in their skills of slide the crowd can call for a "One more time". Which is a sort of sudden death round in which if either driver makes a mistake they will automatically loose (more on how a competition is ran in my upcoming post "Drift Competitions, How They Work").
So to sum up drifting as a motorsport: it's tire smoke and cars on the razor's edge of control, mixed with a nonstop adrenalin rush and a crowd on the edges of their seats, garnished with some of the most skilled corner artist in the world. http://Drift-Diaries.com is a chronicle where I show you my rise in the drifting community. I will teach you how you can compete, get exposure and eventually make it big as a drifter.
Hi My name is Chip, or Speed as a lot of people know me and I am a soon to be professional drifter, interested in helping you learn to drift and build your skills.
See you at the track!
http://Drift-Diaries.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Szalewski
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Drifting?&id=1486491
Motor Sports Helmet Cameras For in Car Racing
By Nicole Douglas
If you're a hard core motor sports racer, and feel the need for speed, you probably want to own a video recorder system to record your time at the track. If you're looking to make professional DVD quality video or simple short clips for the web from your race at the track , this article can help point you in the right direction and set you up with a quality in car camera system to suit your requirements. You can easily record what has up to now been unavailable to you. Many in car video camera systems offer a quick viewing feature. The Suv Cams are equipped with a 2.2 inch TFT high resolution LCD screen display. Suv Cams have the options of many lengths of the camera cable, so you can extend your recording space accordingly. Using helmet cameras that use secured digital high capacity card will ensure you will record the highest quality resolution and receive extended recording. The higher quality Suv Cams produce continuous recording so you can loop your time at the track and never miss a moment.
A compact video camera system can be used on on board vehicles of any kind, mounted anywhere, and even on the outside of a race car. These systems are so compact, they are comparable to the size of a cellular phone. With the LCD screen you will be able to select a file to play and press a button to play the recorded file. With frame by frame playback, you never miss the exact moment in the video you want to see.
The SD card recording media protects your data from loss in body worn or highly actively uses. The recorded data can be played on Windows Media Player or other software without the need for dedicated software. These systems will use up to 4 GB SD cards, and have with the 4 GB card a recording time up to two hours with low resolution. To get the best DVD quality footage, you will want to use a DVR or camcorder based helmet camera, which are high resolution. You can Record at any moment with a touch of a button using a DVR helmet cam system. DVR style helmet camera systems offer DVD quality recording and features such as, remote control recording.
Useful links: Helmet Cam Videos on www.video.google.com
Author Nicole Douglas
Nicole is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys recording all the great times she has with her helmet cameras. Save your time and energy searching the internet looking for bullet cameras and take a look at my recommendations.
https://www.actionvideocams.com/ELMO_SUV-Cam_II.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Douglas
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motor-Sports-Helmet-Cameras-For-in-Car-Racing&id=1486554
If you're a hard core motor sports racer, and feel the need for speed, you probably want to own a video recorder system to record your time at the track. If you're looking to make professional DVD quality video or simple short clips for the web from your race at the track , this article can help point you in the right direction and set you up with a quality in car camera system to suit your requirements. You can easily record what has up to now been unavailable to you. Many in car video camera systems offer a quick viewing feature. The Suv Cams are equipped with a 2.2 inch TFT high resolution LCD screen display. Suv Cams have the options of many lengths of the camera cable, so you can extend your recording space accordingly. Using helmet cameras that use secured digital high capacity card will ensure you will record the highest quality resolution and receive extended recording. The higher quality Suv Cams produce continuous recording so you can loop your time at the track and never miss a moment.
A compact video camera system can be used on on board vehicles of any kind, mounted anywhere, and even on the outside of a race car. These systems are so compact, they are comparable to the size of a cellular phone. With the LCD screen you will be able to select a file to play and press a button to play the recorded file. With frame by frame playback, you never miss the exact moment in the video you want to see.
The SD card recording media protects your data from loss in body worn or highly actively uses. The recorded data can be played on Windows Media Player or other software without the need for dedicated software. These systems will use up to 4 GB SD cards, and have with the 4 GB card a recording time up to two hours with low resolution. To get the best DVD quality footage, you will want to use a DVR or camcorder based helmet camera, which are high resolution. You can Record at any moment with a touch of a button using a DVR helmet cam system. DVR style helmet camera systems offer DVD quality recording and features such as, remote control recording.
Useful links: Helmet Cam Videos on www.video.google.com
Author Nicole Douglas
Nicole is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys recording all the great times she has with her helmet cameras. Save your time and energy searching the internet looking for bullet cameras and take a look at my recommendations.
https://www.actionvideocams.com/ELMO_SUV-Cam_II.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Douglas
http://EzineArticles.com/?Motor-Sports-Helmet-Cameras-For-in-Car-Racing&id=1486554
The Indianapolis 500
By Brenda Williams
One of the largest single-day sporting event in history is the Indy 500. The running of the Indy 500 has been going on since 1911. The 93rd running of the race will take place in May of 2009, making it the 64th consecutive year without interruption. Other names of the race throughout history have been the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (twice), the International 300-Mile Sweepstakes and the Liberty Sweepstakes. The race has been carried on television and radio. It debuted on radio in 1952 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. The firs time the race was televised from start to finish was in 1986 by ABC.
The race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was built in 1909. Its first track was a gravel and tar track which was then changed to all brick and then pavement. The first Indy 500 took place on May 30, 1911. The venue currently holds approximately 400,000 people. The first race was seen by just over 80,000 people who paid $1 for admission. The first race included Ray Harroun, the inventor of the rear view mirror. The race was originally an open event which meant that anyone could race in the event if they wished to do so. Now the race is by invitation only. Drivers must qualify for participating in the event.
By Brenda Williams
When the race was an open event the qualifying procedure entailed the admission fee and maintained a certain speed was allowed to join the field. The order of start was determined at random, by determining who handed in their signup forms first. Now the qualifying, since it is by invitation only, is a little tougher. The current speed-based qualifying was started in 1915 and the field was limited to 33 entries, which is still the case for today's race. The qualifying process today consists of a four-lap distance and it was introduced in the year 1933.
With each race comes traditions at the Indy 500 from year to year. The most popular tradition, and most popular words in sports aside from "Play Ball," is "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Other traditions include the detonation of an explosive to signal the opening of the arena's gates at 6am on the day of the race, "Taps" is played to symbolize the remembrance of Memorial Day along with a flyover, "God Bless America" is performed by Florence Henderson and "The Star-Spangled Banner" is performed by a different popular artist each year.
There have been a multitude of accidents during the running of the Indy 500 and a handful of deaths involving drivers, crew, spectators and driving mechanics (which haven't been used since the early years of the race). The last death during the Indy 500 was in 1973 when Swede Savage died on July 2nd in a hospital from injuries suffered in the race. Some believe that Savage might have died do to contaminated blood from a transfusion. Savage was the 14th driver to die either at the race or after the race to due injuries from an accident or from heat exhaustion.
Car Shipping Made Easy
First Time Car Shipping
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Indianapolis-500&id=1502083
One of the largest single-day sporting event in history is the Indy 500. The running of the Indy 500 has been going on since 1911. The 93rd running of the race will take place in May of 2009, making it the 64th consecutive year without interruption. Other names of the race throughout history have been the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (twice), the International 300-Mile Sweepstakes and the Liberty Sweepstakes. The race has been carried on television and radio. It debuted on radio in 1952 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. The firs time the race was televised from start to finish was in 1986 by ABC.
The race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was built in 1909. Its first track was a gravel and tar track which was then changed to all brick and then pavement. The first Indy 500 took place on May 30, 1911. The venue currently holds approximately 400,000 people. The first race was seen by just over 80,000 people who paid $1 for admission. The first race included Ray Harroun, the inventor of the rear view mirror. The race was originally an open event which meant that anyone could race in the event if they wished to do so. Now the race is by invitation only. Drivers must qualify for participating in the event.
By Brenda Williams
When the race was an open event the qualifying procedure entailed the admission fee and maintained a certain speed was allowed to join the field. The order of start was determined at random, by determining who handed in their signup forms first. Now the qualifying, since it is by invitation only, is a little tougher. The current speed-based qualifying was started in 1915 and the field was limited to 33 entries, which is still the case for today's race. The qualifying process today consists of a four-lap distance and it was introduced in the year 1933.
With each race comes traditions at the Indy 500 from year to year. The most popular tradition, and most popular words in sports aside from "Play Ball," is "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Other traditions include the detonation of an explosive to signal the opening of the arena's gates at 6am on the day of the race, "Taps" is played to symbolize the remembrance of Memorial Day along with a flyover, "God Bless America" is performed by Florence Henderson and "The Star-Spangled Banner" is performed by a different popular artist each year.
There have been a multitude of accidents during the running of the Indy 500 and a handful of deaths involving drivers, crew, spectators and driving mechanics (which haven't been used since the early years of the race). The last death during the Indy 500 was in 1973 when Swede Savage died on July 2nd in a hospital from injuries suffered in the race. Some believe that Savage might have died do to contaminated blood from a transfusion. Savage was the 14th driver to die either at the race or after the race to due injuries from an accident or from heat exhaustion.
Car Shipping Made Easy
First Time Car Shipping
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Indianapolis-500&id=1502083
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)