New Challenge Awaits Motivated Kurt Busch

Recently 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch revealed big news on the TV show “Fox and Friends”. He announced that he would be attempting “The Double”, competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in full, on the same day.

That is 1,100 miles in a 10 hour period between two different race tracks (Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway) separated by more than 400 miles. In addition Busch will be racing in two cars that couldn’t be more different: an open wheel IndyCar and a NASCAR stock-car. This is the ultimate challenge of strength and versatility for a driver.

While it has been attempted five times by three different drivers (John Andretti, 1994; Tony Stewart 1999, 2001; and Robby Gordon 2002, 2003), only Tony Stewart (2001) has completed every lap. Because of the demanding conditions the three-time NASCAR champion was on IV fluids while on the plane ride to Charlotte.

“There is going to be a full-on workout regimen that I am going to be full tilt the next three months with”, Busch said. …To do 1,100 miles in the same day, it’s not just the physical side, it’s the mental side as well.”

“Core strength is probably the most important key… just having the ability to stay in the seat and be able to stay hydrated, stay focused. The mental side is big but the physical strength of the upper body and what drivers have to go through to challenge themselves to stay on top of their game.”

As Busch talked about the lofty undertaking, he looked relaxed… smiling… almost like he was happy to be there. Is this Kurt Busch? What happened? Where is the guy who was constantly in scuffles with other drivers and strongly despised the media? That Kurt Busch is well on his way out the door as the new and improved one is stepping in.

What could have helped the 35 year-old go from nearly losing a spot in NASCAR completely, to joining one of the top teams in the sport (Stewart-Haas Racing) and attempting to achieve one of the most strenuous feats in motorsports? The source seems to be his girlfriend and President of the Armed Forces Foundation Patricia Driscoll. In the few years they have been together, Busch has made a change for the better, both in his personal and professional life.

The two have a deep passion for one thing: Helping injured military veterans receive the help they need as they return to their civilian lives. It is an exceptionally worthy cause and exactly why Busch is doing “The Double”.

“It’s Memorial Day weekend, I mean this isn’t just a PR stunt. I have been working with the Armed Forces Foundation the last three years and to build attention towards our troops and their PTST (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) struggles, traumatic brain injury. I’m doing this for the troops.”

The Las Vegas native has become a spokesmen for the foundation, holding an annual tournament called “Busch Whacked”. It is a mud run, with a military style flare that has raised more than $250,000 in its two years done.

With his newest endeavor to raise awareness of the cause, he encourages Americans to support and give to the Armed Forces Foundation which is as easy as texting 50555 to “AFF”.

On May 25^th American motorsports fans will be keeping an eye on Kurt Busch, the fourth driver to attempt “The Double”. With a new outlook and a great cause motivating him, he may just become the second to achieve it.

Kenseth's Career Rejuvinated

After finishing 2nd in the last race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Matt Kenseth finished second in the championship standings, 19 points behind now reigning six time champion, Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth gave it his best shot, but in the end could not clinch his second championship despite his stellar year. After 36 races, he finished with seven wins, 12 top fives and 20 top tens. In addition, his overall average finish this season was 12.1, which is his fourth best in a full time season.

Statistically, he has been stronger this year than in his championship-winning season in 2003 where he won with only one victory, 11 top tens and 25 top tens. Kenseth only led 345 laps that season compared to 1,639 laps in 2013.

Kenseth did not have a great start to the 2013 season as he finished 37th in the season opening Daytona 500 after his engine blew with 51 laps to go. Fortunately he quickly rebounded and visited victory lane three times in a span of nine races. Kenseth continued posting wins and good finishes all throughout the regular season.

As the Chase approached, the veteran driver was turning heads. Many felt he was a legitimate threat to compete and possibly beat Johnson in the Chase - the five time champion’s forte.

Kenseth didn’t disappoint as the Chase began, winning the first two races at Chicogoland Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The battle between Johnson and Kenseth stayed close throughout the Chase. At one point, the drivers were tied at the top of the championship point standings heading into the eighth Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway.

It looked to be a battle down to the last lap at Homestead but at Phoenix International Raceway, the complexion of the contender’s competition changed completely. Kenseth’s car was unruly during the whole race and stayed behind 20^th position for the last half of the race.

Kenseth was 19 points behind Johnson in the standings going into Homestead. The No. 20 team’s only chance of claiming the championship this year was if Johnson had major adversity in the race. The adversity never came, making Johnson a six time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Despite not being the one with his name engraved on the trophy, Kenseth was still very pleased with the season.

“It was just an unbelievable year for us really” Kenseth said after the race at Homestead, “Obviously, we wanted to finish off and win the championship as good as we ran all year, but couldn’t be more proud of the whole Dollar General/Home Depot Toyota team. They did a spectacular job all season…”

The 40 year old seems to be defying the odds as he is experiencing his most successful season later in his career. With his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing, it seems like his career has been rejuvenated. Could the driver of the No.20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota continue his success for a few more years? It is certainly possible. Kenseth’s new home at JGR seems to be a great fit with his crew chief Jason Ratcliff and No.20 team.

“…I think that's part of the key, is our relationship.” Kenseth said of Ratcliff a few months ago, “I guess we hit it off right away from first time we met, kind of talked about things from the first time we went to the racetrack together.”

“Definitely it's a team effort. The whole organization there, everybody that works on those cars, engines, gets them to the racetrack, pits them, it's the whole thing. It's been a good combination.”

As the 2014 season quickly approaches, look for Kenseth to be a top contender once again. His success this year may mark the beginning of what we will see from him in the next few years.

Johnson Continues to Make History

As the 2013 season comes to a close, I couldn’t help but write something concerning the championship contenders. The article below is about Jimmie Johnson, but in a few days I will post one about Matt Kenseth as well. During the off-season (and winter break), I will be posting more articles here on NASCAR by Design, as well as continuing to write for popularspeed.com. The 2013 NASCAR season has been great, filled with many twists and turns. I hope to review some of the exciting stories it produced and begin writing about the upcoming 2014 season as well.

See ya soon,
Stephanie Adair

------------------------------------------------------------------

Jimmie Johnson leads the points standing by 28 points over Matt Kenseth after the eventful race at Phoenix International Speedway earlier this week. The driver of the No. 48 Lowes/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet will have to only finish 23^rd at Homestead Miami Speedway to clinch his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

However, the battle between Johnson and Kenseth will not be over until the last lap next Sunday. Last year, the No. 48 suffered mechanical problems, something no one can predict or easily prevent. Even if Johnson does not win his sixth NSCS title, he still has made history this year.

The 38 year old NASCAR veteran has set multiple records all throughout this season. The stat-breaking began in May when Johnson beat NASCAR legends Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. for most All-Star race wins. That day, he also became the second driver to win back All-Star races after Davey Allison accomplished it in 1991.

About one month later, he completed a sweep of both the 2013 Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400. Johnson became the fifth driver ever to do such a feat, alongside the names of “Fireball” Roberts, Cale Yarbrough, LeeRoy Yarborough, and Bobby Allison. It did not end there, as he also claimed the most wins all time at Dover International Speedway.

It has been quite impressive how Johnson has continued to engrave his name further in the NASCAR history book. If his success remains steady, Johnson will be one of the few drivers to defy the odds as his career reaches its latter years by continuing to break records.

There are many legitimately in his reach. He is only one victory away from achieving the most wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Kansas Speedway. On the all-time wins list, the five-time NSCS champion sits eighth with 66 wins, only ten victories away from Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Whether you like him or not Johnson is a talented driver and future NASCAR Hall of Famer. Even if Jimmie Johnson does not win his sixth championship, he has already made history this season and will likely continue to for some years to come.

On Sunday, expect him to drive hard, vying for another stat in the NASCAR history book. He is exactly in the position he wants to be in as he enters the final race of the season: Defense.

“We're heading into Homestead in the position we want to be in.” Johnson said after the race at Phoenix, “I'll have to go down there and run 400 miles. It's far from over. You've got to finish that race. Although we have a nice cushion, we still have to go down there and take care of business.”

NASCAR by Design - Farewell, for Now

School started this morning, which means it is the end of summer. The three months I thought would be filled with boredom quickly disappeared when I started this blog. I knew that I would enjoy writing about my passion, but once I started, I found an endless supply of ideas.  I said at the end of my opening blog post that I thought this would be a great summer.  It has, even more than I had ever expected.

Writing "NASCAR by Design" made this summer a good one, but what happened last month made it one to remember. I was given the opportunity by NASCAR veteran Mike Calinoff to become a Development Journalist for his new website popularspeed.com! This completely surprised me! I never thought at the beginning of summer, I would be looking back on all of this! I feel so blessed. I have only published a few articles so far, but it has already been an amazing experience. I look forward to what is yet to come. If you want to check out the articles I have written, the links are at the bottom.

Now, this new opportunity and the end of summer doesn’t mean this is the end of "NASCAR by Design". I will be still be posting articles here occasionally that are my personal thoughts on NASCAR topics, so please check back here every once in a while!

See you soon,
Stephanie Adair

:)

http://popularspeed.com/will-tv-deal-help-nascar-branding/

http://popularspeed.com/were-more-than-just-a-sport/

http://popularspeed.com/tales-of-the-trickiest-track/

http://popularspeed.com/has-tony-flipped-out-of-sprint-car-racing/

http://popularspeed.com/michigan-advantage-to-hornish/

Top Contenders for Pocono

Don’t know who to pick for your NASCAR Fantasy team? Well, here are some drivers I think could be top contenders, with the stats to back them up.

Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon would have to be the top pick for Sunday’s race, especially since he won the fall race last year. Jeff holds the record for most win at Pocono at six. In his 41 starts, he has 28 top 10’s and 18 top 5’s. He does have 5 DNF’s but the last on was in 2010. Jeff will start 22nd on Sunday, so he will have to work his way up from the back during the first part of the race.

Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson has already presented a strong showing by claiming the pole position this week. His stats aren’t that bad either. In Jimmie’s 23 starts, he has 16 top 10’s, which is almost 70% of the time. He also has ten top 5’s, three wins, and the best average finish at 9.0. What is even more stunning is Jimmie has no DNF’s at this track! Coming off an almost win at Indy, it’s hard to go against the 5-time champ.

Denny Hamlin
Another one to watch would be Denny Hamlin. This place is special for Denny since it is where he claimed his first Cup Series victory. Since then, he has scored three more. With 15 starts he has ten top 10’s, eight of them being top 5’s. His average finish is pretty good too, with a 10.5. Denny only has one DNF at this track, which came last year. On Sunday, he will be starting 9th, so keep an eye on him.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
You might not realize it, but Dale Jr. might be a good pick for Sunday too. In 27 starts, he has ten top 10’s and six top 5’s. He only has one DNF, but an average finish of 16.7. What is interesting though is that four of Dale’s top 10’s came in the last five races. Something has apparently changed in the way he drives the track. He’ll be starting 25th, but look for Dale to be a dark horse this week at Pocono.

Tony Stewart
You might not think of Tony when you think about Pocono, but he actually has some really good stats there. In his 29 starts at Pocono, he has 21 top 10’s. That’s 72.4% of the time! He also has 12 top 5’s, two wins, and an average finish of 11.0. Tony will start 20th on Sunday, but I would expect him to be in the top 10, maybe even top 5 as the laps wind down.