NASCAR Losing Sprint as Title Sponsor in 2016

((ht: nascar.com))

We aren't sure what to make of this one. NASCAR, once the darling of all major sports due to it's meteoric growth in the 1990's and 2000's has lost it's main sponsor.

Sprint Wireless has announced they will no longer sponsor Stock Car racing's most prestigious level of racing after the end of the 2016 season.

They've been a part of NASCAR's "Sprint Cup Title" since 2004 through the "Nextel" brand which Sprint purchased the following year.

Read more from NASCAR their own selves RIGHT HERE

NASCAR has struggled to keep momentum the past few season, in part due to it's somewhat confusing "Chase for the Championship". They did garner some attention this year due to the dramatics of it's finish--for which reviews were generally good.

As for the TV ratings, they aren't what they were. Yes, the sport still draws pretty well in certain areas, such as the Southeast, but like other sports when football begins, the ratings drop. It will be interesting as racing transitions to new TV partners this year, to see where things go.

But again, the big question here is this: Where does this leaves NASCAR in their search for a title sponsor? It is an expensive proposition even for the largest of corporations. Sprint has struggled mightily to keep up with the Verizon's and AT&T's of the world which leads to the obvious question. ATT had tried to make inroads in NASCAR just a few years ago.

We're guessing the racing bigwigs would happily welcome them...and their money beginning in 2017.

Morning Wrap: Kurt Busch Investigated for Domestic Violence Accusation

((ht: foxsports.com))

We had a bit of trepidation about wading into this story yesterday, but it is at least worth a mention because police really are involved.

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch is being investigated by Dover Delaware police after his former girlfriend came to police and accused him of assault.

The incident is alleged to have happened after the race at Dover Speedway back in September. Busch's former girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, says after the race in his motorhome, a despondent Busch got angry and grabbed her head, banging it against a wall and hurting her.

The pair had broken up a week earlier.

We should add that Driscoll is the president of the Armed Forces Foundation which had ties to Busch's racing team. Those ties have since been severed.

Read a full explanation of the story from FOXSports RIGHT HERE

Police are looking into the allegations and thus far have not commented other than to say that.

As for Busch, his attorney Rusty Hardin (yes, the attorney to athletes everywhere) released a statement saying "The Dover Police department has been informed that Mr. Busch will fully cooperate with their investigation and he expects to be vindicated when the entire truth of the situation comes to light..."

Hardin added that the allegations come from a woman who refused to accept the end of a relationship among other things.

NASCAR is also monitoring the situation and has decided it would be inappropriate to comment or take action until they have more information.

Caterham Can Skip US Grand Prix To Find New Owners (UPDATE: Marussia Skips As Well)

((HT: FIA/Sky Sports))

Let's face it...

The situation at Caterham's F1 team is a mess-and-a-half...

The old owner says the new owners are responsible for paying the bills. The new owners are saying the old owner never turned over the keys to the kingdom. As a result, Formula One Major Domo Bernie Ecclestone has given permission for the team to miss the next two races while they get their finances straightened out.

it's so bad right now that administrator Finbarr O'Connell closed the team's doors and no one and nothing is allowed in or out to tinker with anything.

Chief Executive Graham McDonald discusses the current mood


Part of a statement from FIA read:

"In a telephone conversation today between Finbarr O'Connell and Bernie Ecclestone, Mr Ecclestone agreed to support the administrators in their wish to sell the Formula One team to a party with the financial strength to sustain it into the future.

"Mr Ecclestone also agreed to give dispensation to Caterham F1 such that it could, if necessary, miss the US and Brazilian Grands Prix, but hoped that a new owner would be in a position to race the team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix."

Ecclestone has said in the past that FIA would be okay with ten squads. But the new owners who thought they were the new owners and have gone back and forth with the Tony Fernandes ("old") group in a war of words saying one group is responsible to pay bills and not themselves.

The lack of a Caterham side opens the door for both Sauber and Marussia to make more owners points in-roads and put Caterham in a deeper financial hole for the beginning of the 20125 racing season.

Especially, if no new owners are found by Abu Dhabi...

UPDATE: Looks like the Marussia squad is done with the US and Brazil GP's as well. The crash involving Juiles Bianchi in Japan has ricked the team to its core. At the last race in Russia- a race the home-owned squad wanted to have a stellar showing- they only ran one car in deference to Bianchi. The group hasn't seemed to be emotionally in the game and their financial issues are leaning them to regrouping for 2015 as well.

FIA rules say that you can sit out three races without violating the racing charter- looks Marussia might do that by choice and Caterham not so much so...

Tony Stewart Speaks Publicly For 1st Time Since Ward Incident

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and team owner Tony Stewart spoke publicly Monday morning for the first time since the August incident that changed his life.

Stewart has been mostly a recluse since a dirt track car he was driving collided with driver Kevin Ward Jr. who got out of his car after a spin out at an upstate New York track.

There were tons of questions as to whether Stewart deliberately hit Ward or if it was just an accident. Ontario County, New York prosecutors investigated what happened and presented their evidence to a Grand Jury and that Jury came back just last week and said they could not move forward with charges.

A subdued Stewart sat alone at a podium and took questions from a large group of assembled media types:

--Stewart: "I know what happened and I know it was an accident"

--Stewart said he would like to talk to the Ward family, but does not think he needs to because he has closure in the matter. Though he added he would make himself available at any time if the family wants to talk.

--He described the awkward feeling of not doing anything other than going from the track to his track motorhome to his office and his home and nothing else. And that he ran the smaller tracks for fun, it helped keep him energized and he misses that.

--He's not done any fan appearances or corporate appearances since the incident, though he does feel like he will begin to do some in the near future.

--He also talked at length about realizing there is more to life than just racing and that he needs to round things out and do more of things he's put on hold because of his devotion to racing.

--Stewart said he avoided reading reports of what happened for a long time but has eventually started reading. He talked about the wrongness of "picking sides" at what happened. He said it's about an accident that cost a man his life adding "picking sides" takes away from Ward and himself.

--"There's been nothing normal about my life the past 7-weeks". Stewart describing what he's been doing and his interaction with his race team and others.

--Stewart was asked his thoughts on toxicology reports stating Ward was "under the influence"--"It didn't matter to me a young driver lost his life and that's all that mattered".

No huge revelations in the press conference and we did not expect any. A somber Stewart related what he's been going through and it's VERY clear this has made a huge impact on his life.

While he says what happened has not impacted the back half of his race season, the fact is it had to have some impact.

It's very clear, at least to us, Stewart has been struggling with this. He's also having to deal with Ward's family calling for more action and insisting that what happened was intentional.

Coming out and addressing the issue at hand at one time was perhaps the best thing he and his team could have done. We know he's been avoiding having to talk about it, and doing it with everyone in the building limits him having to be chased and asked about it in perpetuity.

It was very interesting to see...and hear.

No Charges for Tony Stewart in Death of Kevin Ward

An Ontario County, New York Grand Jury has declined to charge NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in the death of driver Kevin Ward in a dirt track accident at the Canandaigua Speedway on August 9th.

The incident occurred at the small track after Stewart and Ward got tangled up during a race. Ward spun out and after the incident, got out of his car and appeared on video to approach Stewart's car, still in motion at a fairly high rate of speed.

Ward died from the impact.

Stewart released a statement saying; "This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life and it will stay with me forever. While much of the attention has been on me, it's important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr's family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers."

County D.A Michael Tantillo had asked the Grand Jury to consider charges of second degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. They could not come to a unanimous decision on either.

Most agreed Tantillo would have had a difficult time proving criminal intent in the incident and issue further complicated when he said Ward had been under the influence of marijuana that night, "enough to impair judgement".

Stewart took a 3-week leave of absence from racing after the incident. He still could be Civilly charged in the incident, but that has yet to happen.

NASCAR released a statement:

"There are no winners in tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Kevin Ward Jr. family and Tony Stewart as they all cope with this tragic incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. This has been a difficult time for everyone involved and we have respected the local authorities responsible for reviewing this case."

As did Stewart:

“This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received and continue to receive. “I respect everything the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Office did to thoroughly investigate this tragic accident. While the process was long and emotionally difficult, it allowed for all the facts of the accident to be identified and known. “While much of the attention has been on me, it’s important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr.’s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers.”

Tony Stewart Incident Goes to Grand Jury

We knew last week that investigators had finished their work in upstate New York, trying to piece together exactly what they believe happened when Tony Stewart collided with Kevin Ward, killing Ward on a dirt track.

Ontario County DA Michael Truillo announced Tuesday afternoon that the case would get presented to the county's Grand Jury.

The incident, which happened at a track in Canandaigua, New York on August 9th, was a result of Ward spinning out during a race, which may or may not have been caused by Stewart. Tony's car came around the track the next lap, Ward got out of his car and at least according to video, moved towards Stewart's car.

That's when he was hit and eventually died from the crash.

Stewart spent three weeks on the sidelines and investigators have spent a month trying to collect videos and photos of the incident in an effort to piece together what may have happened and whether or not Stewart intentionally hit Ward.

What should be of concern here is that the D.A felt he had enough information to go to the Grand Jury about this. And while they may not feel there is enough compelling evidence to hand down an indictment, it appears...at least on the surface their may indeed be enough to charge Stewart with a crime.

Now we just wait and see.

No date has been set for presentation to the Grand Jury, but since they are usually rotated in most places on a fairly quick rotation, we'd expect it to happen soon.

Stay tuned.

Our pals at ESPN got legal guru Roger Cossack on the phone to discuss:

Aleshin Crash Overshadows IndyCar Finale

((HT: IndyCar Series/IMS Radio Network))

This is flat out scary from Friday night's practice at the Fontana Speedway in the concluding race of the 2014 IndyCar season involving Mikhail Aleshin and the low groove.


Aleshin was listed in serious but stable condition with a with a concussion, fractured ribs, a broken right clavicle and chest injuries. Qualifying had been frozen at the time of the wreck and Aleshin, actually, had the 8th fastest time on the grid for the season finale.

Sadly, Fontana has had a lot of wrecks in the track's IndyCar history including racers like Will Power, AJ Allmendinger, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Takuma Sato. Greg Moore passed during the 1999 race at Fontana from injuries he received in his crash.

NASCAR Fun: Hamlin Throws Car Part at Harvick After Crash

Oh those angry boys of NASCAR...

Saturday night at Bristol showed yet again why race car drivers need to learn somehow to control their tempers.

Racing under the lights with the lead, Denny Hamlin slowed slightly coming off a corner. Kevin Harvick, just behind Hamlin tries to get behind him, but misjudges Hamlin's move, hits the back of Hamlin's car and sends him spinning.

Hamlin's car tags Dale Earnhardt Jr, taking out his door and side panels and for a brief moment, chaos ensues.

Hamlin eventually gets out of the car and in a fit of anger, grabs the Hans device (neck restraint) and throws it at Harvick's car when it passes by again under caution.

It didn't do any damage, but the point being, why throw something at him? And then the post wreck interview?

Yeah, we get it, racing is intense and nobody wants to back down. But when you are driving that fast in a tight pack of cars, accidents happen.  They always will.

For what it's worth, Joey Logano would go on to take the checkered flag and get the win.

Video of the crash, Hamlin's interview and shot of him throwing stuff at Harvick are all on this clip from NASCAR.com:

Tony Stewart Won't Race This Weekend Either

((ht: nascar.com))

Suffice to say the past two weeks have not been kind to NASCAR team owner and driver Tony Stewart.

By now, most of you know about the incident at a central New York dirt track Saturday night that cost promising driver Kevin Ward Jr his life after getting tangled with Stewart's car.

After initially saying he wanted to race in the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen the next day, Stewart relented and handed over the #14 Stewart-Haas racing car to Reagan Smith.

Thursday afternoon, Stewart's race team released a statement saying Tony would not race in the upcoming race in Michigan. They did not elaborate other than to say that veteran driver Jeff Burton would drive his car on Sunday.

Stewart has drawn a lot of heat on social media and other places for what appears to be a limited response to a horrible accident/mistake. No charges have been filed and we'd be surprised if eventually they were.

But that should not absolve the millionaire multiple times over Stewart from trying to something to help. As far as anyone knows--and we hope we are wrong, Stewart has avoided the public at all costs and has thus far not reached out to the Ward family.

Stewart will eventually get back behind the wheel and investigators in Ontario County, New York will eventually finish their investigation. And no matter the outcome, we suspect someone is not going to be happy with the results.

Fox Sports gives us the video update:

This Will Stop A Race Cold

((HT: FoxSportsWorld/NASCAR))

The stock cars are at Watkins Glen going 355 miles before they're done...

But, this put a halt to the action on Lap 57


Thankfully, both Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell both got out of their cars after a little cleaning up, but the race and the track are still looking at over 30 laps to go when the red flag is pulled back from the tower...

As of 4:05 eastern, the drivers were called back to their cars...

OSG Formula One: Life On The Edge

((HT: NBCSN/F1))

For the remainder of the Formula One racing season, we're going to talk about very fast cars that travel the globe. There are a couple of different angles to pay attention to- the top...

Nico Rosberg won on home soil holding off Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton- who had to start 20th because of an brake failure in qualifying.

Here's the highlights...


Rosberg's points lead is now 14 heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix- the official half-way point of the season on the calendar.

And the bottom:

The other part of the dynamic is the team championship. Marussia, Sauber, and Caterham are fighting it out for 9th, 10th, and 11th. If Marussia holds their space, it could be worth $50-million extra dollars. There are three columns that are the breakdown for payouts in the sport. The percentage pile (last year, it was $350-million) meant that 10th was worth four-percent and 11th got nothing.

The previous year's performance column would help Marussia since they placed top 10 last year and could net them up to $35-million extra. That's what makes Sauber and Caterham's pace pick up just a bit.

Joe Saward's blog breaks it down as to how all the financing works.

So, Caterham had its two drivers finish 16th with Kamui Kobayashi:

"16th was about as much as we could have done today – we didn’t quite have the performance to catch Bianchi so now it’s on to Hungary next week for the last race before the August break.”

And 18th with Marcus Ericsson:

“I started from the pitlane so it was always going to be a struggle today. Obviously the safety car on lap one helped but I had to serve the ten second stop / go we’d incurred for breaking parc fermé rules last night after the issue with the power unit straight after the safety car came in, and from that point I was having to try and play catch up for the whole race."

Sauber had the chance to grab a point but Adrian Sutil had to retire and Esteban Gutierrez only finished 14th:

“The whole team did a good job over the weekend. From Friday on we developed the car as best we could. However, 14th position is not satisfying. I was fighting the entire race from the beginning to the end, trying to gain positions and keeping cars behind me. At the moment we are missing the pace to be able to fight with the others in front of us. There was not much that we could do. We need to keep working and focusing on our performance so we can be more competitive in the next races."

Ricciardo Wins First F1 Race In Montreal After Last-Lap Crash

((HT: NBCSN/F1))

The beginning was interesting as teammates tried to box each other out to get to the front (Rosberg and Hamilton), the loss of one of them to mechanical problems (Hamilton)- and the loss of a lot of drivers to mechanical problems, and what was almost a podium finish for a team that was looking for it...

Wasn't... and it was a first top podium finish for an Aussie...


The two Marussia drivers, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi, were supposed to be called in for review after the race to determine if there's any further punishment for them. But, looking at the crash, Chilton just looks to have lost the back end- nothing intentional done...

Next up... Austria...

And the new question is how Rosberg avoided a penalty for driving through a chicane- he received a "final warning" instead of any kind of penalty.

Here's the section of the rules in question:

Article 16.1 f) of the Sporting Regulations states that a driver may be penalised if he 'illegitimately prevented a legitimate overtaking manoeuvre by a driver', while the all-encompassing clause 20.2 declares: 'Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt the white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not. Should a car leave the track the driver may rejoin, however, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any advantage.'

ICYMI: Jim Nabors Does "Back Home Again in Indiana" for the Last Time

For those who've lost track of the Indianapolis 500, there's a lot of things that have changed since it's heyday in the 1970's and 80's.

Indy Car racing has become pretty much a niche' sport, relegated to the second tier after losing the marketing war to NASCAR.

The 500 itself, it still is a big deal to those in and from Indiana. For the rest of us, it's mostly a curiosity. But hardly the must watch event featuring the Unser's, Andretti's and others from a time long gone by.

But one thing has not changed. At least not since 1972. The constant: Jim Nabors (see Gomer Pyle) singing "Back Home Again in Indiana".

Nabors has performed it 37 times. Number 38 was Sunday May 25th.

There will be no Number 39.

Nabors, who is now 83-years old, is not from Indiana and there are conflicting stories as to how he ended up doing it.

But it is and has been a tradition, one that will never again be quite the same...

NASCAR at Richmond: Carl Edwards Wins But Conspiracy Theories Abound

((sports.yahoo.com))

For those of you not glued to College Football games Saturday night, there was a NASCAR Sprint Cup race that took place at the Richmond International Speedway.

And that race, the last before the Race for the Chase ends and the Top 12 drivers go after the Sprint Cup title, was won by Carl Edwards, but ended with what many believe could be a conspiracy.

That conspiracy appears to have been triggered by Clint Bowyer.

With 6 laps left, Ryan Newman was leading and appeared headed for the win. A victory would have gotten him into the Race for the Chase. The win would bump Bowyer's Michael Waltrip racing teammate Martin Truex Jr out of said Chase.

That's when things got crazy.

A radio conversation between Bowyer and his spotters was over-heard. The conversation apparently was apparently to let Bowyer know Newman was in the lead. He was then asked how his arm was feeling.

Shortly thereafter, Bowyer, unprompted, spun out causing a caution flag to be raised.

The ensuing pit stop was bumbled by Newman's pit crew, he didn't win and Truex held on to the final spot in the Chase.

Read the entire story by Yahoo Sports RIGHT HERE

If this is true, and it will be tough to prove, someone should be penalized. Heavily.

Sure, Bowyer may have been taking one for his team...which is great. But it's also really poor sportsmanship.

Yeah, you could argue Newman's pit crew cost him his chance at winning, and you may or may not have been wrong. But that situation would have been avoided if Bowyer and his team played honest and let the chips fall where they may.

We will see if NASCAR takes a closer look at this and actually finds anything (we be they will and won't find a thing)

Here's video of Bowyer's in car camera--with Radio Conversation and ESPN reporter Jamie Little cut straight to the question at hand:

Mark Martin Picks Up Tony Stewart's Ride

Injured car owner/driver Tony Stewart finally found someone to finish out his 2013 Sprint Cup season.

Monday afternoon, it was announced that veteran driver Mark Martin will bring the #14 Chevy home for the next 13 races. Newcomer Austin Dillon will driver the car for one race--at Talladega.

You'll recall Stewart broke his leg in 2 places in an August 5th short track race in Iowa. He was on the fringe of qualifying for the Sprint Cup Championship, which takes place during the last 12 races of the year. Those points stay with the car. And with the #14 car in 13th place, it's quite possible Martin could still get the car into the Chase.

Martin, who had been scheduled to drive the #55 for Michael Waltrip for 10 races, got a release from owner Michael Waltrip to move over and pick up Stewart. Brian Vickers, who will take over the #55 full-time next season, will finish those races.

Camera Guy at German Grand Prix Drilled by Tire

Oh, this isn't good. And since we spent a large part of our career lugging around a camera, it makes us wince to see this.

Check out this video of driver Mark Webber's pit stop during Sunday mornings German Grand Prix. Everything looks routine and Webber speeds away. Only problem--one of his tires was loose and it went flying down pit road.

The rogue tire bounces and then drills a camera guy working the race. The guy never saw it coming. According to several reports, he's okay, just shaken up.



1140 UPDATE:

The statement from Formula One:

"Paul Allen was hit on the lefthand side. Remaining conscious, he was treated at the circuit medical centre and then transported by helicopter to Koblenz Hospital," the governing FIA said in a statement, adding that the cameraman was from F1's commercial arm.
"The Briton was kept there, under observation."

BBC Radio reported that Allen had chest pains and a concussion...

And the version that aired on NBC

ICYMI: Max Papis Slaps Billy Johnson Upside The Head After Race

Hello!

Max Papis had himself a day while making a rare appearance on the Nationwide circuit.

Driving in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 Saturday evening at Road America, Papis, who has a reputation as a wild card, walked by driver Billy Johnson after the race, slapping him on the side of the helmet.

Papis and Johnson apparently got tangled up late in the race. For what it's worth, Papis finished 17th, Johnson 15th in the race that was won by AJ Allmendinger

Here's your video along with Papis trying to explain himself:

ICYMI: Driver Dies at 24 Hrs of LeMans

34-year old driver Allan Simonsen died early Saturday in a crash just 10 minutes after the start of the race.

Simonsen, driving in his 7th Tour, crashed into a barrier at the Tertre Rouge corner where speeds are typically over 100 mph.

The Danish driver was immediately rushed to the hospital where he passed away from his injuries.

The last fatal accident at the 24-Hours of LeMans happened in 1986. According to reports, 22 drivers have lost there lives at the track in its history.

Here is coverage of the race from FOX Sports/Speed. They do have video of the crash aftermath...

DEVELOPING: Mechanical Problem To Blame For Leffler Crash

((ht: njsp.org))

Not that it is a surprise, but the New Jersey State Police have released the preliminary findings in their investigation of a crash that killed former NASCAR driver Jason Leffler.

The crash that took Leffler's life happened on June 12th at the Bridgeport Speedway.

According to the report, a torsion stop on the left side of Leffler's car came off, allowing the torsion bar and arm to fall out of its housing. That in turn got caught on the underside of the car...and the rest shall we say, was not good.

Read the entire press release from the State Patrol RIGHT HERE

Leffler, who was often referred to as "Lefturn" was buried on June 19th, his funeral attended by a virtual who's who in the NASCAR community.

That funeral took place in Cornelius, North Carolina.

Smoke Wins Dover, Johnson Penalized On Restart

((HT: NASCAR on FOX))

Tony Stewart broke a 30-race winless streak by passing Juan Pablo Montoya with a handful laps to go and getting it to the checkered first at the Monster Mile.

But, the 48 car had its chance to set a record 8th win, until...
And the big word is "until..."


Johnson was assessed a drive-thru penalty for jumping. He disagreed...
A lot...

“I ran half-throttle for the first half a lap, waiting for him, and then at some point you’ve got to go, and you’ve got to race, and that’s when I got back in the gas and took off,” he explained. “I was hoping they would see that I was trying to give him the spot back.”

“That was an easy call -- a very easy call,” NASCAR VP Robin Pemberton said. “He beat the 42 even out of the (restart) box, from what we could see on the film. We give 'em an opportunity to give it back.”

In other news, Brad Keselowski's car failed a post-race "height-stick test"- meaning he was too low in the front...
Penalties are to be doled out this week...

And the other half of Stewart-Haas Racing wasn't so lucky... Ryan Newman got into it with David Gilliland and, by the looks of it, the 39 took out the 38 with a tap on the rear that sent Gilliand up the track and, eventually, took them both out.

The HQ is fairly certain we haven't heard the last of this one...