Fan Fest this week at Penske Racing

   For the first time since 2009, Penske Racing will host a Fan Fest at its headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., with most of its IndyCar Series and NASCAR drivers on hand for autographs and a question-and-answer session with fans.

   The Fan Fest is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. to noon on Friday at Penske Racing,200 Penske Way, Mooresville, N.C. 28115.

   Highlights of Penske Racing Fan fest will include:
   ·   7:30 am – Wristbands for the Penske Racing driver autograph session distributed to the first 300 people in line at the Penske Racing store
   · 8-8:30 am - Pit stop demonstration. IndyCar teams and NASCAR teams
   ·   8:30 - 9 am – Question and Answer session with Penske Racing drivers
   ·   9 -11 am – All Penske Racing drivers will sign autographs for the 300 selected wristband holders
    · 11 -11:30 am – Silent Auction bidding ends and winners are announced

    Exclusive, autographed items from Penske Racing drivers will be up for bid during the Silent Auction. Both cash and checks will be accepted with all proceeds going to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
   In addition, driver- and team-themed baskets will be raffled off in the Gift Shop for $1 each with all proceeds going to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.  Food and beverages may be purchased on site
   All 2012 NASCAR and IndyCar vehicles will be on display along with trophies from this year’s Penske Racing victories.

Whisky River to take up residence at Charlotte Motor Speedway

   Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s club in uptown Charlotte, "Whisky River," is going to take up temporary residence at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend.

 

   Race fans are invited to Whisky River at Charlotte Motor Speedway, opening next Friday, during the Bank of America 500 race weekend. Whisky River is bringing all that it is known for, including a DJ spinning of classic rock n’ roll along with Top 40 hits, an appearance by the notorious mechanical bull and their food menu.

 

   Whisky River-CMS version will be located in the Ford Grandstand near Turn 1. All grandstand ticket holders are welcome from 1 p.m. until 50 laps from the checkered flag for both the Dollar General 300 on Oct. 12 and the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 13. Hit radio station WSOC 103.7 will be on site broadcasting live all weekend long.

 

   “This is a great opportunity for Whisky River to partner with Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Whisky River General Manager Eric Flanigan. “We are excited to bring the Whisky experience to the fans.”

 

   Whisky River - the original uptown Charlotte version - is located at EpiCentre, 210 E Trade Street in the heart of uptown Charlotte.

 

Kyle Busch apologizes to TRD

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch has apologized for a profanity-laced tirade he made toward Toyota Racing Development during last week’s race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

“I made some remarks out of frustration on my radio at the end of last weekend’s race in Dovert hat were very misguided,” Busch said in a statement released Thursday. “I owe my friends at Toyota and TRD an apology.”

Busch led most of the AAA 400 at Dover on before he was forced to make a late pit stop under green flag conditions in order to make it to the end of the race. He ended up finishing seventh.

As he crossed the finish line, Busch lashed out at TRD over his team radio, claiming the in-house tuning shop for all Toyota cars had cost him and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team "another one."

“We have a great partnership with TRD and they built me a motor that helped me lead over 300 laps and nearly lap the field,” said Busch in Thursday’s statement. “It's just frustrating that the caution fell where it did and suddenly it became a fuel mileage race and we were set up for maximum horsepower. Obviously, that worked well for most of the day and you can't control when the cautions will fall.

“I think we have a great partnership with TRD and we will continue to communicate with them on what our team is looking for. I’m looking forward to getting down to Talladega this weekend and focusing on the race.”

Lee White, president and general manager of TRD, responded Thursday to Busch’s apology:
“We understand Kyle’s passion for racing -- and winning. At TRD and Toyota, we have that same zeal for racing --and winning. We were disappointed with Kyle’s post-race comments from Dover -- a race that he dominated. Kyle’s had a frustrating year with several car and engine mechanical failures which were not his responsibility, and we’re working extremely hard on our end to improve our products and processes. We will continue to address these issues, but we’re ready to put this behind us and move forward with the remainder of the season, including the Toyota drivers battling for the championship.”

Other quotes
Joe Gibbs, Team Owner, Joe Gibbs Racing
“We have a great relationship with Toyota and obviously they are a major part of everything we do at Joe Gibbs Racing. Toyota is first class in every aspect of their company and they share our passion for winning. It has been a frustrating season for Kyle in many ways when you think about some of the issues we’ve had with that 18 team this year and obviously some of those frustrations carried over to his finish last week in Dover. We were able to lead over 300 laps, but unfortunately the cautions didn’t fall our way and certainly you can understand the frustration of having to give up the lead late in the race. However, Kyle recognizes that his comments and the tone of his comments were misguided. We’ve been able to work through this issue and I think everyone is ready to get back to the focus being on racing and Talladega.”


Ed Laukes, Vice President of Marketing Communications & Motorsports, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

“We’ve had a fabulous relationship with Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing over the last five years. Kyle is a talented driver who wins races and can compete for championships, and he is a very important part of the Toyota brand. We look forward to a long-term relationship with Kyle and Joe Gibbs Racing for years to come.” -- David Scott

Drivers react to Talladega test

Talladega Superspeedway was the site Wednesday for a test of the new body styles for NASCAR race cars in 2013.

Here's how a few drivers reacted after the test:

Ford's Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: “It seemed pretty racy out there when we got in the seven-car packs. The two-car tandem could catch the group, then kind of stall out, and a single car could run right there with them.”

Chevy's Kasey Kahne: "We had five or six cars out there, and it was actually pretty dicey and pretty exciting. I think the cars are unique because they look different. They have a fresh look , and it resembles the manufacturer’s car, which is great for the fans, who ought to be able to go out and buy a similar car.”

Toyota takes issue with Kyle Busch's comments at Dover

   After leading - by far - the most laps in Sunday's AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, Kyle Busch was forced to make a late pit stop under green flag conditions in order to make it to the end of the race.

   The stop cost him the win and he finished seventh, one lap down. Only six cars, including winner Brad Keselowski, finished on the lead lap. And only two cars stretched their fuel the entire 89-lap distance that Busch was trying to do - Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.

   As he crossed the finish line, Busch let loose a short, vulgarity-laced tirade over his team radio directed at Toyota Racing Development, claiming the in-house tuning shop for all Toyota cars had cost him and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team "another one."

   On Wednesday, Lee White, TRD president, took issue with Busch's comments.

   "We're as frustrated as he was that he didn't win that race considering how many laps he led, considering he and Denny (Hamlin) both literally dominated the race. We're as disappointed as he was. However, we've got used to saying 'That's just Kyle, you know' But this is a bit of a special case," White said.

   "We're extremely disappointed in his negative comments and the tone of the comments after the event. It is under discussion as we move forward. We certainly are very disappointed, having said that, Kyle is an amazing talent in a race car and he takes it very personally when something goes wrong and he loses a race he thinks he should have won.

   "Every one of our teams ran full power, full rich (fuel mixture) and kicked their ass. All six of them and some other teams did, too. It wasn't just TRD power that had this issue. The race didn't fall their way and we've seen it happen more lately.

   "I'm not going to aplogize for TRD. We went there and qualified three out of the top five. We led a gazillion freaking laps. We should have won the race but circumstances didn't work out that way and I'm sorry. We don't have anything to apologize for. The thing I am most disappointed in is TRD is not some separate entity - we are Toyota. We are a global company. Every person globally shares in our passion for winning and competing - and that's hundreds of thousands of people. All those people and their families basically had their feelings hurt by those comments last week.

   "I look forward to take it up with coach (Joe) Gibbs and see if we can't do something to sort it out so that we have a better working relationship in the future. I am confident that we will."

  

Go 'On the Road' with Jimmie Johnson at Hart Witzen Gallery

   The Hart Witzen Gallery in Charlotte will host a photography exhibit of prints from "On the Road," the recently-released self-published book by five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra.

   "On the Road" is a photo documentary, shot by lifestyle photographer Missy McLamb, chronicling the 2011 Chase for the Cup championship from the Johnsons' perspective.

   The exhibit is open Oct. 13-20 at Hart Witzen Gallery, 136 E. 36th St., Charlotte. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and noon to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

   A limited number of select prints will be available for purchase at the gallery.

Who Kyle Petty thinks would make the best NASCAR champion

   Many NASCAR fans - obviously those not fans of his - would prefer someone other than Jimmie Johnson win this year's championship. Mostly, that's because he's already won five in the past six seasons.

   And then the legions of Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans would certainly prefer to see their favorite driver win his first Sprint Cup Series championship.

   But public-relations wise, who would be the best guy to win the championship? Who does NASCAR need to be champion? Earnhardt? Johnson? Brad Keselowski?

   Here is former driver and Speed TV analyst Kyle Petty's take from his appearance Sunday night on "Wind Tunnel."

   "Clint Bowyer would be the best champion. I’ll just go and throw that out there. He’s the guy with some personality who would have a good time and have some fun. I think you flip a coin between these guys – I don’t care. This is such a sterile sport now. ," Petty said.

   "Nobody has a lot of personality. Brad (Keselowski) has as much personality as anybody else. Jimmie was the champion for five years. Did the sport grow in that five years? I don’t think so. Tony Stewart was the champion last year. Did the sport grow? I think they’re great champions and they represent the sport well but they’re not Miss America. They don’t have to go out to civic organizations and preach the gospel of the sport, so I don’t think any driver is going to do that.

   "Just that blue-collar guy to bring the sport back to the Earnhardt era, the Richard Petty era, to that older deal when fans really are interested in the drivers? My money would be on Clint Bowyer."