RIR, The Big Little Track

Measuring 0.75-mile in distance, a lap at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is said to be a nice combination of short-track and speedway racing. Most drivers say that they love RIR, for exactly that combination of racing feel. The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) will compete this weekend at RIR, on Friday and Saturday night, respectively. I love night racin'!

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America)

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I attended 5 races at RIR, and I absolutely loved it. No matter where you are seated, you can see at least 90 per cent of the track. And, then there is the feel of the race, especially if you stand close to the track. You feel the building thunder of 800 horsepower (x43) as the cars draw nearer. Then, as the cars go by, you experience a ground-shaking quake; you are buffeted by a rush of wind and the flying specks of rubber tap your arms and face; and you smell the hot rubber and engine exhaust. The wave of sensations ebb as the pack races to the other side of the track. Seconds later, a few other cars, off the pace, vrrrrrroom... vrrroom... vroom by. Here's a link to show you a quick example... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41v_k3y-lLs. Repeat the lap cycle 400 times (300 miles), and you have witnessed nearly non-stop action. I love that the track workers will let you walk along the fence, as long as you keep moving. A walk around the RIR circuit, during the race, is an absolute must. RIR has the feel of a local short track, but the power of big-time auto racing.

DAVID POOLE TRIBUTE

Some NSCS teams will carry logos honoring the late David Poole, this weekend, at RIR. Each of the Hendrick Motosports cars will sport a "DCP" logo (David Carl Poole), which is in Carolina blue. DP's alma mater is the University of North Carolina. Stewart-Haas Racing cars will are also honor DP, with a decal reading “In Memory of David Poole 1959-2009”, which includes images of a fountain pen and a microphone. Roush Fenway Racing, Penske Racing and Richard Childress Racing are among other race teams carrying tribute decals.

TELEVISION COVERAGE SCHEDULE
NNS Qualifying: 4:10pm, on SPEED
NSCS Qualifying: 5:40pm, on SPEED
NNS Lipton Tea 250: 7:00pm on ESPN2
NSCS Crown Royal presents the Russ Freidman 400: 7:00pm on FOX

2009 CROWN ROYAL 400 SPECIAL PAINT SCHEMES
A. J. Allmendinger - No. 44 Kings Cup Karting for a Cause/PVA Dodge
Clint Bowyer - No. 33 BB&T Chevy
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - No. 88 National Guard-Drive the Guard Chevy
David Ragan - No. 6 UPS Freight Ford
David Stremme - No. 12 Star Trek Ford
Jeff Burton - No. 31 Prilosec OTC Chevy
Kyle Busch - No. 18 Combos Toyota
Marcos Ambrose - No. 47 Bush's Best Baked Beans Toyota
Mark Martin - No. 5 Cheez-It Chevy
Michael Waltrip - No. 55 NAPA Adaptive One Brake Pads Toyota
Reed Sorenson - No. 43 McDonald's McCafe Dodge

Robby Gordon - No. 7 Energizer Toyota

RIR RACE STATS
*May 2008 Race Winner - Clint Bowyer (Avg. Speed 95.786mph, started 31st)
*May 2008 Pole Setter - Denny Hamlin (126.198mph, finished 24th)

*The furthest back in the field that a race winner started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer May 2008
*11 of the past 12 races have been won from the top 10
*60 of 105 races at Richmond have been won from the top five starting positions, including 21 from the pole
*The first race under permanent lights was held Sept. 7, 1991

*45 Cars Entered, 2 will not race
*There is 30% chance of a thunderstorm at qualifying time. If qualifying is rained out, Tony Raines and Trevor Boys will not race. Those outside the top-35 that would make the race include: Brad Keselowski, Scott Speed, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Scott Riggs, Jeremy Mayfield and Todd Bodine.

David Poole - The Mourning Drive

David Poole was the ultimate NASCAR reporter. He passed on, yesterday afternoon, too soon for any who knew well of him, at the young age of 50. To those of us who were familiar with the man, he was known as a devoted husband/father/grandfather, a very respected and thorough reporter, and a man who was determined to tell the harsh truth as he saw it. He had been the lead NASCAR reporter for the Charlotte Observer, for nearly 13 years, and for four years, had been the co-host of Sirius Radio's "Morning Drive", along with Mike Bagley. Among countless numbers of other awards, David was a four-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association's Writer of the Year (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

Since the news of his call to Heaven, endless numbers of friends and fans have blogged, called the Sirius radio shows, Facebooked, etc., to express their sympathy and to tell a personal aside relating to David (aka DPizzle or DP). The scale of the response seems equal to that when Dale Earnhardt, Sr. passed away.

I did get to speak with him, one day while on my way to work, and listening to the Morning Drive. Fortunately, DP and I agreed on my view that Kyle Busch has always been the type of driver and personality that he is, and that race fans need to just get over it and get used to it. Countless other callers weren't so lucky. If DPizzle disagreed, he bluntly told you that you were wrong, and then succinctly told you why you were wrong. Many callers hung up understanding that they had been corrected. Other callers hung up mad, insulted, or a combination of these feelings. Like him or not, I suspect that all of the rebuked callers recognized that they had been successfully debated by the top dog. Those same callers likely will now hold there personal experience with high regard ("Ya know, I talked to David Poole, once..."), and as a badge of honor.

I'll miss DP, and I am so deeply saddened by the hurt and loss felt by his wife Katy, sons Matthew and David, daughter Emily, and cherished grandson Eli. May God's comfort and blessings be with them in the sorrowful days ahead.

The family has requested, in place of flowers and gifts, that donations be made to the Pennies for Wessa fund (http://www.penniesforwessa.org/) and/or The Victory Junction Gang Camps (http://www.victoryjunction.org/).

Talladega Days - Draft Racing is Dangerous!!

Holy guacamole, Carl. I betcha Carl Edwards will, by now, hate restrictor plate racing... completely! Last year, at 'Dega, Carl bump-drafted up behind Greg Biffle (his teammate), in the turn, which spun Biffle. Biffle then swerved down track, came back up track and collected Matt Kenseth (another of Carl's teammates), and a dozen or so other cars, including Carl.

The recently completed spring race at Talladega looked to be redemption for "Cousin Carl", as he held the race lead, with a few hundred yards to go on the final lap.


With young, but tough-as-nails, Brad Keselowski making his move, Carl went up up the track to block Brad (which is exactly what Brad wanted him to do). Brad then dove down , and just b-a-r-e-l-y under Carl. Carl reacted by trying to block Brad, but was too late to shut the door, and began to slide across the front of Brad's nose.


Thus, began Carl's first ever flip, whilst still inside a race car. The car lifted, beagn flying nearly backwards, started to come back down, but bounced off the hood of Ryan Newman,


regained air and struck the safety fence. A number of spectators suffered minor (cuts) and serious (broken jaw) injuries, as pieces of the fence and car flew into the stands.


After the car landed, Carl ran the remaining distance to the finish line. Fortunately, no one was critically injured.


Kyle Busch was absolutely insane with blocking, at one point in yesterdays action. He eventually spun himself out, and very luckily only caused one other car to get caught up in it.

The call-in radio shows will be inundated with a weeks worth of opinions, complaints and versions of what happened. But my take is that this is what plate racing entails. Bumper-to-bumper drafting, blocking, desperation in gaining places when horsepower of one car alone will not prevail, will result in wrecks. Few will result in cars striking the safety fence. Until yesterday, no Sprint Cup car has hit the fence so violently, since Bobby Allisons frightening wreck in 1987, also at Talladega. But, these restrictor plate races will continue to have multiple "Big Ones", as long as they are run. Let us pray that blocking will be strictly regulated in plate racing, and that bump-drafting is effectively policed, as well. That stuff is dangerous!!