Inside Motorsports: Dan Wilkerson

(Daniel Wilkerson prepares for the round that would change his life. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Dan Wilkerson, a Springfield, Ill. native and son of NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson, made headlines last year after he not only survived a horrific crash at Memphis Motorsports Park, but walked away from the wreckage unharmed. Check out Globe-Democrat.com Friday for this week's Inside Motorsports, which talks about that day, how he got started in the sport, and what he has planned next.

Gateway Kicks Off 2010 Season Saturday

Gateway International Raceway is kicking off its 2010 season this Saturday with their annual Icebreaker. GIR's regular racers will have the opportunity to shake the dust of their cars and race fans will be able to run their street cars down the NHRA-sanctioned track. For more information, click HERE.

Blast From the Past

(Photo by Charles Krall)

Here's me interviewing Brad Keselowski following the 2005 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona. It was his first-ever Truck Series top-ten driving for his father, former ARCA champion Bob Keselowski. The story, Brad's first piece of national coverage, ran in the Sporting News and was about him and Deborah Renshaw and the differences between a family-owned team (Keselowski) and a well-funded corporate team (Renshaw, Bobby Hamilton Racing/Dodge). I would say Brad's come a long way since then.

NASCAR Got It Right...Sorta

(Carl Edwards waves to the crowd during driver introductions at Nashville Superspeedway in 2009. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

"Have at it, boys."

That was NASCAR's directive to its racers prior to the season in response to fans and critics saying the racing had become boring and its drivers too "vanilla." Instead of NASCAR stepping in to constantly fine and punish the drivers for every on-track incident, the racers were asked to police themselves, harkening back to the old days when the drivers either took care of slights, real or imagined, either on the track or behind the garage.

One of the drivers responsible for this new way of thinking was involved in the first real example of NASCAR's new unofficial policy. Brad Keselowski is one of the more exciting drivers in the sport right now and is providing double the thrills, racing in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series fulltime. His rivalry with Denny Hamlin last season brought back the days of Richard Petty vs. Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt vs. Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip vs. well, everyone.

Last year at Phoenix International Raceway, Keselowski was involved with an on-track incident with Hamlin during the NNS race there. Following the race, Hamlin called his shot, saying he would get even the next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And he did. And NASCAR stood by and let it happen, much to the satisfaction of fans, media, and the other drivers.

This past weekend in the Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards felt he was taken out by Keselowski and near the end of the race, more than 150 laps down, "Cousin" Carl exacted his revenge. Keselowski was looking at a top-five; instead, he ended up looking at the track upside down as his No. 12 Dodge flipped as a result of Edwards tapping him.

Speculation was immediate that Edwards would be suspended for this weekend's race in Bristol. At the very least, he would be fined and docked points. None of those things happened. NASCAR put Edwards on a three-race probation. This was the right move for a couple reasons. The sanction would have a hard time telling them "have at it" and then the first time the drivers did what was suggested, levying a heavy fine. Fans and media still remember when NASCAR CEO Brian France said a few years ago that he wanted drivers to be more vocal. Within a few months, two-time champion Tony Stewart was called on the carpet for comparing NASCAR to WWE, suggesting some aspects of the races were scripted.

Another implied message may have been to Keselowski directly, basically saying when you make your bed, you have to lie in it. When a driver, regardless of how good he may be, continues to race aggressively and wreck other drivers, he pretty much has it coming if another driver decides he's had enough.

NASCAR has, however, put themselves in a unenviable position as many knew they would with this new attitude. Whoever got the first free pass, as Edwards seemingly has, would be the target of drivers, fans, and media. Twitter has become the voice of several drivers and teams and it was alive with support and condemnation of NASCAR's decision today. For example:

DeLana Harvick (Wife of Kevin Harvick and co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc.) "my head is spinning. i can't understand what a 3-race probation actually does. maybe @kevinharvick should aw shucks more"

Scott Speed: "Yo go #nascar!!! 3 race probation for Edwards! Awsome I love it!!! I bet Keslowski is scared now lol"

Michael Waltrip: "Good call #nascar. You can't ask the driver to take their gloves off one week and then tell em to put em back on the next."

Kasey Kahne (responding to ESPN's Marty Smith): "doesn't sound like favorites to me. Airborne is biggest and only issue. I like Helton's call."

At the end of the day, the thing to remember in all this is that the fans have been asking for NASCAR to be less strict for years. Much of the fan reaction (seemingly split down the middle) would be much different if the drivers in this drama were different. If it were Dale Earnhardt Jr. being flipped by Kyle Busch, the attitude would be markedly to the contrary by most of the fans. NASCAR did walk a fine line, however, because of Keselowski's car going airborne. Had Carl simply spun Brad, there would be much discussion, but since there were safety issues involved, there was more thought and investigation put into the situation and rightly so.

I don't think for a second Edwards meant for the 12 to take to the air and Carl's most hardcore detractors would have to admit the same. However, when looking into these types of situations, it's not always intent that needs to be looked at, but the result. Regardless of how popular a decision may or may not be, safety has to be the priority. In this instance, I think NASCAR made the right call, but it has set a precedent that may come back to haunt them later this season.

By the way, anyone need to be reminded that Bristol is the next venue? And that both Keselowski and Edwards are racing in both the Nationwide and Cup Series race there? I'm sure the folks at BMS are enjoying the boost in ticket sales right about now.

Gateway to Success: Sanzottera Ready for the Big Time

(Photo by Bret Kepner, BretKepnerPhotos.com)

Eric Sanzottera, the three-time reigning Quick Street Bike Series champion at Gateway International Raceway, is the focus of a piece I did at CompetitionPlus.com. Eric and his brother, Rudy, are two of the classiest racers in the game and deserve any and all success they acheive. You can read the story by clicking HERE. Be sure to check out the rest of the site; Bobby Bennett and his staff do an awesome job covering drag racing.

Is Kevin Harvick the Greatest Nationwide Driver Ever?

In 2000, when Mark Martin drove in what many thought would be his last races in what was then the NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series, his 45 wins, including five that year, were thought to be unbeatable. He started racing in the series again in 2004 and has racked up three more wins in the past five years, putting the number of victories in the NNS to 48.

On Saturday, Kevin Harvick won the Nationwide race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his 35th in 239 starts, putting his win percentage at 14.6. That number is well behind Martin's percentage of 20.7 percent (48 wins in 231 starts), but as far as wins and impact on the series, Harvick has to be looked at as the driver who will finish his career as the best Nationwide driver ever.

The 2000 series' rookie of the year followed that campaign with a 2001 that may never be repeated. Tabbed to fill the seat of the late Dale Earnhardt, Harvick not only finished the Cup Series season with a top ten in that series' points and two wins while missing the season-opening Daytona 500, but won his first of two NNS titles. In 2006, he became the first driver to win the Nationwide title while also driving fulltime in the Cup Series. Since then, every Nationwide Series title has gone to a Cup Series regular (2007-Carl Edwards, 2008-Clint Bowyer, 2009-Kyle Busch).

He won both titles driving for his Cup team owner, Richard Childress, but went on to form his own team, Kevin Harvick Inc., with his wife DeLana. The team fields entries in both the Nationwide Series as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he was won two title as an owner with Ron Hornaday behind the wheel.

The Bakersfield, Calif., native has not only dominated the series with wins, top-fives (120), top-tens (168), and average finish (8.9). While he has had an impressive career in the Cup Series with 11 wins, including a victory at the Brickyard and the 2007 Daytona 500 in addition to two Budweiser Shootout wins and a win in the Sprint All-Star Race, and is currently leading the Cup Series points standings, it is the Nationwide Series that could potentially launch "Happy" Harvick into the rarified air of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Inside Motorsports: Kenny Wallace

(Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Check out the latest Inside Motorsports column by clicking HERE. This week, we chat with Kenny Wallace, who talks about everything from sponsorship to Twitter to his thoughts on Mark McGwire.

GIR Jet Drier Provides Assistance to IDOT on Bridge Project

(GIR's jet drier, pulled by a Dodge Ram 1500 and operated by Gateway's Safety Coordinator Brian Eckmann and Maintenance Manager Tom Hefer, work on drying a section of the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge near the track. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

MADISON, Ill. – Under a gray, dreary sky amid temps in the 40-degree range, Gateway International Raceway’s jet drier was called into action Thursday. Not on GIR’s 1.25-mile oval or NHRA-sanctioned drag strip, but on the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge spanning the Mississippi River from St. Louis to East St. Louis, Ill.

The jet drier, pulled by a Dodge Ram 1500 provided by the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers, and operated by Gateway Safety Coordinator Brian Eckmann and Maintenance Manager Tom Hefer, was used to dry the bridge deck prior to the asphalt paving portion of the project.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has commissioned Keely and Sons Inc., to transform the structure from a four-lane bridge to a three-laned one, with two lanes travelling east and one west. The work is being done to widen the existing lanes and create a median wall, making traffic on the bridge safer.

Bob Germann (pronounced GUR-man), who coincidentally was involved in the paving of Gateway’s oval, is the project manager and said the drier was essential in getting the job done in a timely manner.

“We’re under a 12-day time period to get this job done,” he said, “so with the inclement weather we’ve had in the past few days, it was very essential to get the deck dry so we could get it primed and pave tomorrow.”

Germann said working with Gateway was the only avenue they pursued for assistance. “We didn’t really pursue (another option) once we found out (Gateway) could help us. (They) were our first choice. We just appreciate (their) cooperation.”

GIR’s Director of Operations Tim Giger said it was rewarding to know the facility could respond when called upon for such a project. “We were honored to be able to help Keeley and Sons and the Illinois Department of Transportation with this project. It makes us feel good to know that Gateway International Raceway can do positive things like this for our community.”

Gateway International Raceway will once again host the NHRA Full Throttle Series in 2010 (April 30-May 2) along with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/Nationwide Series doubleheader weekend (July 16-17). For ticket information, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com.

Race fans can follow all the action throughout the season at Gateway International Raceway on its official Twitter site at Twitter.com/GatewayRaceway and its official page on Facebook.

Camping World, Youth Movement Combine to Make Truck Series Fresh

(James Buescher waves to the crowd during driver intros at Memphis Motorsports Park last year after earning the pole position. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

James Buescher. Brian Scott. J.R. Fitzpatrick. Chase Austin.

Get to know them, because they're going to be the next big things.

The NASCAR Truck Series is creating another identity for itself under the Camping World banner, after being sponsored by Craftsman since its inception in 1995. The Truck Series has always been seen primarily as an equivelent to the PGA's Senior Tour. Drivers such as Mike Skinner, Ted Musgrave, Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, and so on have seen success here after years in the Cup Series. Other drivers such as Ron Hornaday and Jack Sprague started in the Truck Series, moved to Busch (now Nationwide) and Cup, and then returned while still others, such as David Starr, Terry Cook, and Rick Crawford, have been successful in NASCAR's third-tier series with no overt intentions of moving onward.

To a smaller degree, the series has also been a training ground for drivers to eventually drive in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Arguably, the most successful Truck Series alumnus has been Carl Edwards. Edwards started his NCWTS career with Mike Mittler and MB Motorsports (along with two-time Cup Series winner Jamie McMurray and 2008 Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year Regan Smith) and moved over to Roush Fenway racing, winning five Truck races during the 2004-2005 seasons.

Other drivers who paved their way to NASCAR success via the Truck Series include Kevin Harvick, who won the Truck Series title as an owner in 2007; Greg Biffle, a Truck Series and Nationwide Series champion; and Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champ.

After that, a number of young drivers came and went through the Truck Series, none of them matching the success of the aforementioned racers. While drivers such as David Reutimann stayed in the Truck Series a number of seasons before moving up, several have only made a small number of starts there or have avoided the series altogether. While the veterans have provided the foundation, it was the "young guns" who provided the flavor. That flavor was missing for a while.

But now it's back.

The NCWTS race in Daytona, while marred with crashes, showed that there are a number of drivers who have the ability and the talent to put the Truck Series back on the national map. J.R. Fitzpatrick, a 19-year-old Canadian driver, had never raced a track bigger than a half-mile prior to finishing fourth at Daytona. James Buescher made the most of his limited number of Nationwide Series starts in 2008, earning his first top-ten at Gateway and finishing the season at Memphis on the pole. Brian Scott had a runner-up finish last year in the series and is expected to win at least one race this year.

These young men are exactly what Camping World needs to help promote its series. These are going to be the next Carl Edwards and the next Kevin Harvicks and will entice fans to the tracks, especially ones like Gateway, Memphis, and Nashville that host stand-alone NCWTS events. The addition of Ricky Carmichael, considered by many to be the greatest AMA Supercross racer of alltime, adds some star power and much-needed media attention to the series as well.

Plus, Camping World has promised to increase the amount of promotion it does for the series, especially in the stand-alone markets. There is no reason not to believe that. Camping World, in a short period of time, has saturated the NASCAR world and has become one of the sports most visible sponsors, thanks to the hard work of folks like the organization's director of motorsports, Kurt Hunt. After the 2008 season, when Craftsman provided nearly no activiation or promotion to the series or its drivers due to its lame-duck status, anything Camping World does will be welcome by the sanction, the tracks, the drivers, and the fans.

At the end of the season, we will probably still see Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday fighting for the title, but the under-20 set will definitely let them now they're there.

Mother Nature Adding to NHRA's 2009 Woes

(Photo by Jim Compton)

On the heels of a great season in 2008, the NHRA Full Throttle Series' list of problems continues to mount.

The series' no. 1 problem is, obviously, its lack of drivers. Some of the biggest names in the sport are currently without a ride due to sponsorship issues. They include:

• "Hot" Rod Fuller


• Hillary Will


• Doug Herbert


• Bob Vandergriff


• JR Todd


• Tommy Johnson Jr.


• Melanie Troxell


• Dave Connolly


• Chip Ellis


• Craig Treble

All of those drivers are Nationals winners and most of them not only won events last year, but were in the title hunt in the six-race Countdown to One.

Making matters worse for the NHRA this week was the weather. The Winternationals in Pomona started Thursday, but the extra day of qualifying provided nothing as rain cancelled Thursday's and Friday's schedule and limited the teams to a single pass on Saturday. Because of the weather, two great storylines were obliterated: Can Tim Wilkerson match the career year he had in 2008, now driving a Ford as a teammate to Bob Tasca III, and can Larry Dixon put Alan Johnson's Al-Alanabi team in the Winner's Circle at its debut race?

Because of the weather, neither driver made the field. Two drivers with championship potential this season are already on the outside looking in because of a situation no one could control. I think the NHRA did the right thing because at the end of the day, the priority is racing on Sunday. It's a logistical nightmare for the teams, track, and fans to have to stay an extra day.

The series, again, due to no fault of its own, is struggling out of the gate. Hopefully, the stars (and economy) aligns to allow a season similar to last year's.