History Of NASCAR


NASCAR is an acronym and it stands for the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR was founded in 1948 by William France and Ed Otto. These two men realized that people enjoyed watching car races and that there was need to standardize the racing industry. Their idea was to attract more racers and to make the races equal for all the drivers. The thought was an excellent one because more racers meant an increase in the number of fans who would be willing to pay to watch their favorite drivers.

In the initial years cars racing at NASCAR were stock cars. Stock cars are those cars that are exactly as the manufacturers release them. These cars have had no modifications or changes. However, when accidents started happening, it was agreed to allow modifications to ensure safety and before long there were modifications to increase speed, handling and many others.

Many people who were interested in this type of racing starting creating cars that were exclusively for NASCAR racing. These cars had all the modifications that were allowed by NASCAR. These cars resembled the stocks cars in body only.

Many companies realized the advertising opportunity NASCAR racing gave them. This started the trend of full time drivers, promoters and pit crew. The earliest companies to use the advertising advantage were mostly car manufacturers but the 1970s saw other companies entering the fray to sponsor racers.

NASCAR has several car racing circuits and some of the large events are televised. The number of fans that follow the sport is huge and has accorded star status to many NASCAR drivers. These drivers invariably make a living through racing and endorsing products and companies.

Once William France retired, his two sons, Bill Jr and Jim, assumed control of NASCAR. Bill Jr set the standard by which all motor sports are measured today.

Why I Love NASCAR


Do you want to know why I love NASCAR? At the end of the 2007 Daytona 500 Clint Bowyer crossed the finish line on his hood (in the Jack Daniel’s car-of course). As his car came to a halt, and caught on fire, Bowyer unstrapped and calmly hopped out. Business as usual. That’s just racing, I guess.

It was entertaining to see two villains end the day for each other on Sunday. Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart are championship drivers-no one can dispute that. But they also can let their emotions get the best of them. Every driver lets emotion effect their driving from time to time-but these two take the cake. It was a bit ironic to see them crash into each other and prematurely finish the Daytona 500 together.

Most fans would admit to pulling for Mark Martin during the final laps. I know I was. He was so close, and he may never get that close again. He’s the kind of driver everyone likes. He doesn’t complain, doesn’t get in scuffles with other drivers. He even drove the Viagra car for awhile. I can’t think of a time in recent history where Mark Martin was involved in a “payback” situation with another driver. He is probably one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR today. It’s a shame Martin never won a championship, but he will be remembered as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Mark still has the talent to drive, and it would be great to see him race a full schedule for at least a couple more years, or at least one more year. Same goes for Brett Favre in the NFL. I know there’s great bodily risk in what these guys do, but the selfish side in me doesn’t what to see them stop playing, because they’re fun to watch.

For 2007 I would like to see a little more of a rivalry develop between Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. It would be great to see the two of them battling each other for a lead in the closing laps of a race once in awhile. In recent years it seems like only one of the two and very often neither of the two has been in contention during the final laps. It’s great to see new stars emerge but a healthy rivalry between Gordon and Dale Jr. would only be good for NASCAR.

That’s why I love NASCAR. Guys jumping out of flaming cars like it’s no big deal, villains taking each other out of a race, respected veterans flirting with victory, and watching the world’s most talented drivers compete against each other 36 weekends a year.

Matt Kenseth Sweeps California - SCI February 26th Issue


Next stop on the Nextel Cup Schedule is Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Next week NASCAR heads to sin city to try their luck at the newly revamped Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Since the last race at Vegas, Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, took a gamble on overhauling the turns at the 1 1/2 mile track. The track prior to this season had 12 degree banking, low for a speedway. The revamped track will boost turns of 20 degrees rivaling other speedway tracks like Atlanta and Lowe's Motor Speedway.

What Mr. Smith is banking on with his renovations is that Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the premiere venue for all of NASCAR. As it stands now, Vegas is the premiere venue for reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Of the current drivers, Jimmie has had the most success at LVMS. In 5 starts, Johnson has an average finish of 7th.

Other drivers to note:

Matt Kenseth - Average finish of 8th
Casey Mears - Average finish of 9th
Denny Hamlin - Average finish of 10th
Jeff Burton - Average finish of 11th

Next Week's Schedule:

Nextel Cup: @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway (all times EST)
03/09/07 - 06:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Qualifying
03/10/07 - 01:20pm NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Practice
03/11/07 - 04:30pm NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

Busch Series: @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway
03/09/07 - 01:20pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sam's Town 300 Practice
03/09/07 - 08:05pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sam's Town 300 Qualifying
03/10/07 - 03:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sam's Town 300

Craftsman Truck Series: @ Texas Motor Speedway
11/02/06 - 02:30pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350k Practice
11/02/06 - 07:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350k Qualifying
11/03/06 - 08:00pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350k

Matt Kenseth Picks Up First Win for Roush-Fenway Racing!

Looking to make up ground after being taken out in the last lap chaos in the Daytona 500, Matt Kenseth came to California on a mission. Kenseth started his assignment by winning the Stater Bros. 300 Saturday night, and finished it by holding off a charging Jeff Gordon to win the Auto Club 500 on Sunday.

The wins mark a new beginning for the newly partnered Roush-Fenway race team, and appear to be the first of many. Don't let the name change fool you, the quality of cars, team members, and drivers racing for Jack Roush and his new partner John Henry are the same. And don't be surprised if a Roush-Fenway team isn't gunning for the championship come November.

If you recall from last week's Daytona 500, Matt Kenseth was in third before Kyle Busch's aggressive driving sent Kenseth into the wall. Had it not been for the Busch inspired chaos, Matt Kenseth would be sitting in the series lead.

None-the-less, what's done is done. And considering that Matt and the rest of the Roush-Fenway drivers excel at the speedway-style tracks that make up the bulk of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Schedule, I predict that Matt or another Roush driver will be sitting atop the standings for much of the 2007 NASCAR season!

Kevin Harvick Suffers Major Setback at California

It's nothing new to a seasoned NASCAR fan. Your favorite driver is gunning for the lead only to have the race gods frown on him at the end. What was making for an exciting finish to the Auto Club 500 in California yesterday with Kevin Harvick taking huge strides to catch leader Matt Kenseth, turned sour quickly on the last restart of the race. Just before going green, the #29 car of Harvick had a left front go flat. As a result, Kevin had to pit at the end, and ended the race in 17th place.

The setback dropped Kevin to 4th in the points. However, Harvick fans do not be dismayed. The resurgence of Richard Childress Racing that we saw last year seems to have carried through to this season. Currently, all 3 drivers for RCR sit in the top 6 in points. And as typical in NASCAR, successful teams are a breeding ground for even more success.

Look for Kevin to rebound next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Historically, Harvick hasn't faired well at the speedway type tracks. However, history doesn't take into account the recent dominance of Richard Childress Racing.

Auto Club 500 at California Speedway Recap

The California sun wasn't shining so bright on DEI drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr and Martin Truex Jr in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. Both suffered early race engine failures and finished 40th and 43rd respectively. Is the DEI drama too much for Jr who currently sits 41st in points?

One person not suffering any setbacks as a result from the dramatic finish at Daytona is Mark Martin. The partially retired Viagra man is still getting it on and finished yesterday in 5th place. Only in NASCAR does 5 + 2 = 1st place in the point standings.

Other top drivers faired as follows:

Jeff Gordon is having a strong start to his 2007 campaign. With a 12th place finish at Daytona, and a 2nd place finish in California, the 4 time champion is making his case for a 5th. Jeff currently sits 3rd in the points.

Jimmie Johnson rebounded from his wretched 39th place finish at Daytona with a 3rd place finish in California. The reigning champion currently sits 15th in points.

Tony Stewart also made up ground after finishing 43rd at the Daytona. Stewart finished in 8th position and currently sits 21st in points.

Kasey Kahne started the 2007 season with a step in the right direction at Daytona. But the driver with the most wins in 2006 took a major step back at California with a 38th place finish. Kahne currently sits in 32nd place.

Carl Edwards can't seem to find any luck in 2007. Edwards currently sits in 26th position after a 29th place finish at California and a 23rd place finish at Daytona.

Juan Pablo Montoya is still in grade school in terms of his NASCAR education. The Columbian born star currently sits in 20th position after a 19th place finish at Daytona, and a 26th place finish in California.

The Strategic Elements Of NASCAR


Watching a NASCAR race can be one of the most entertaining and exciting ways to spend a Sunday afternoon (or in some cases a Saturday night). Every race on the Nextel Cup schedule has its share of drama and strategy that provide the fans with an enjoyable, dramatic experience.

What makes NASCAR worth watching? How about the strategy and planning that each race team employs in their attempts at victory.

When a caution flag is waved during a race, the crew chief must decide whether or not to bring his driver in for a pit stop. If you decide to come into the pits and other teams follow, well great. If you decide to pit and others stay out on the track, then you can fall behind very quickly. You better hope that the fresh tires on your car allow you to catch up with the guys that didn’t come in for fresh tires of their own.

A crew chief must evaluate how race tires have been performing throughout each race. As a race nears completion, a race team may decide to put only two fresh tires on their car. They may even elect to add fuel only and not change tires at all. This strategy saves valuable time, and gets a driver back out on the track quickly. The gain in track position can send a driver to victory, or send a driver to the back of the pack, surpassed by cars with fresh tires.

During pit stops as a race nears completion, crew chiefs must constantly decide whether or not to change two or four tires, or add fuel only, and whether or not to pit at all. One of the most dramatic events within a NASCAR race occurs when a crew chief decides to gamble and not bring his car in to the pits near the end of the race-thinking the car has enough gas to finish. This strategy often results in victories and probably equally as often results in cars running out of gas-unable to finish.

Additional important strategic elements in NASCAR racing are the adjustments made to the car throughout the race. Depending on how a car is handling, a crew chief may decide to add or reduce air pressure in the car's tires, based on the feedback the driver is giving him. Make the right adjustments and your car improves and you’re a contender for a victory. Make the wrong adjustments, and you have a miserable day. It has to be very frustrating to drive four or five hundred miles knowing you have no chance to win.

To pit or not to pit? Gas or no gas? Two tires or four tires, or how about no tires? These are just a few examples of the many decisions each race team has to deal with. The strategy involved makes watching a NASCAR race a fun and entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Pro Racing Has A New Darling


Time passes, people change and we get older. Every New Year brings hopes and dreams, but reality sometimes takes the wind out of our sails. We just need to keep a positive outlook on ourselves and our community and reap the benefits of our hard work.

The recent movie Talladega Nights was a bit of a surprise to me. The lead character(Will Farrell) has a nemesis...a French gay race car driver. The stereotype is there (he is a queen), but the reality is not. I know it is a comedy (and it is pretty funny), but the point is that people relate fiction to our community. I am trying to change the public perception of what a “gay” person is. I want to show the public that there really is no “gay” issue, just diverse types of people.

There is also a real problem with suicide among gays and gay teens. Many of us have had an upbringing where we were told that we were NOT gay, those people made bad decisions, etc. It is a very difficult time in anyone’s life (the realization that you are different), and to have the pressures of parents and communities telling you that something is wrong with you can be difficult. The pressure from parents, community, churches and television can sometimes become too much, and lives are lost.

The image of a person’s doing something in a straight-oriented market like pro sports should show that we are all really just the same. If one person can be saved from killing themselves, we did well by being ourselves and proud of who we are. As time moves along we will gain more and more acceptance and our quality of life will continue to improve. I want to go into the pro arena as a person that is not afraid of who I am. Most pro athletes come out of the closet after retirement as the pressures of being out in a team environment would be too difficult and have a detrimental effect on their career.

I have researched many companies and am targeting GLBT businesses with the opportunity of televised advertising. I have sent off a lot of information to many celebrities in hopes of garnering support for our community and my racing. I am looking for public and private support. The racing schedule this year is pretty hectic, and I would like to start working on my racing...not fundraising!

Evan Darling evan@edarlingenterprises.com

Cadillac XLR - New Supercar


Clearly influenced by the styling the Mercedes-Benz SLK, the new Cadillac XLR shares the squared off look of other recent Cadillacs. It doesn’t look bad at all, although the headlamps look as if they have been squeezed to fit alongside the wide grille. The performance puts it up in the supercar class.

Top speed is limited to 155 mph, and it can get to 60 mph in about 5.7 seconds – that's slightly quicker than the Jaguar XK, thanks to the larger engine. Other competitors include the Mercedes-Benz SL and Porsche 911.

Looks can be deceiving. The car is wide and low, and looks big. In fact, it is quite compact, just 177.5 inches long and 72.2 inches wide. The car looks pretty good, particularly from the side. And you get a very practical SLK-lookalike opening roof. I guess most convertibles will be ‘metal’ convertibles soon, and the rag tops will disappear – maybe not on all supercars. To save weight, the roof of the XLR is aluminum and magnesium.

Good power output

Also, the XLR has quite a lot of power: 326 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 312 lb ft (423 Nm)at 4,400 rpm from GM’s Northstar 4.6 liter V-8, which could work a bit harder – 350-360 bhp, which would not be difficult to get from this engine, would make things more interesting.

As it is, it is enough to give the car quite a shove, and as the Northstar has an aluminum block and head with dohc and four valves per cylinder, it revs well. Variable valve timing improves the spread of power, too.

The engine is coupled to a rear mounted five-speed automatic transmission – 5 speeds put it at a disadvantage against the European supercars which mostly have six-speed automatics, but it is designed to give sporty shifts. Because the box is rear-mounted and the engine is fairly well back, front/rear weight distribution is 50/50.

New frame concept

Based on GM’s new platform for sporty cars shared with the Corvette, the XLR has a fairly light frame of hydro-formed steel tubes. Hydroforming changes the shape quite dramatically, putting in bends, changing the section to a rectangle and so on, making a lightweight frame. The passenger compartment is aluminum, and the body panels are composite plastics. This is a structure that can compete with many a supercar.

This is a fairly light structure, and despite the high level of equipment, the car weighs a healthy 3,643 lb (1,654 kg) which is just 130 lb more than the new lightweight Jaguar XK, and of course quite a bit more than the Corvette which has a lower spec but bigger engine.

Double wishbone suspension

Suspension is the familiar Corvette design of double wishbones front and rear with transverse leaf springs. The result is a simple, lightweight system that gives more roll stiffness - resistance to roll - than coil springs. Also, the spring rate is progressive, so it irons out big bumps in the road almost as easily as little ones. There is also a front anti-roll bar.

To save weight, the double wishbones front and rear are aluminum; of course, the composite leaf springs are light, too. Leaf springs of this type - just one leaf - are actually quite advanced technology as they don't locate the wheels, and involve some clever manufacturing techniques.

The dampers are the new continuously variable electro-magnetic type, and the steering is speed sensitive, so you get more assistance at low speed.

As this is a Cadillac, it comes with a high specification. For Europe, navigation, and heated/cooled seats are standard as are adaptive speed control and a head-up display. The interior, with its wood, leather and aluminum trim is quite pleasant

On the road

Built in the same plant and to the same concept as the Corvette, the Cadillac XLR is best thought of a softened up Corvette intended for those who want a better ride.

Visibility is good thanks to slim pillars in the opening roof, and the almost flat hood. Like the Corvette both the instruments and driving position are good. There is also a head-up display which shows only the speed and which gear you're in, and you don't seem able to switch off. Pity. I did not find it useful.

The steering is not bad at all, and the XLR turns in well, as you'd expect with that weight distribution, but once you start pressing, you start to feel a little understeer coming in, which is not a bad thing for the market this is aimed at – more the luxury sports car that the hard charging supercar driver. But the car does not corner as fast as you could with more neutral steering.

The automatic is good. In D, the performance is not bad at all, and the kick-down is quite aggressive. There's also a manual mode. Push the lever across to the left, and then nudge it forward for up, and back for down. This works extremely well, and actually is a manual. I mean, some of these actually shift up when you hit peak revs. Not this one; it just lets you stay there till you're ready.

Overall, the Cadillac XLR is a good addition to the ranks of sporty two-seater luxury cars, but not up to the standard of the Jaguar XK nor the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Others to consider include the more powerful and sportier Corvette and Viper SRT-10. Too new to rate is the Audi R8