Baguette shines at Race of Champions

Baguette shines at Race of Champions: IZOD IndyCar Series driver Bertrand Baguette wasn’t the biggest name in the galaxy of racing stars competing at the Race of Champion but the Belgian driver showed he was deserving of being voted Belgium’s official driver.

Baguette and Dutch driver Jeroen Bleekemolen earned the top seed in their pool with four wins in the preliminary phase –including Baguette’s win over Team Germany’s Michael Schumacher. However Baguette couldn’t repeat his success in the semifinals, losing to Schumacher as Germany won the nation’s cup.

 ”I had a lot of fun and for me racing against Michael Schumacher, Sébastien Loeb and Alain Prost is a dream,” said Baguette, who was eliminated by Andy Priaux in the quarterfinals after advancing from his group in the individual competition. “It went quite well but unfortunately we didn’t make it to the final. I have to say I am happy for the people who voted for me to be here as part of Team Benelux. I am really proud to be here and very happy I could be here thanks to them.”

***

INDYCAR Fisher turns wheel over to Carpenter

Fisher turns wheel over to Carpenter: When the IZOD IndyCar Series raced at Kansas Speedway earlier this year, someone asked Sarah Fisher about her car.  

Fisher, whose Sarah Fisher Racing team was fielding two cars for the first time, responded with a  detailed report on the No. 66 car, which had been damaged in a practice crash and not her own No. 67 car.

And as the year went on, Fisher found it more and more difficult to separate her jobs as owner and driver for Sarah Fisher Racing.

So she made the decision to step out of the seat of the No. 67 Dollar General car and focus on her role as team owner. On Nov. 29, she announced her retirement and that she’d hired Ed Carpenter to drive the car for at least nine events in 2011.

“Being both an owner and a driver is both time consuming on both sides,” said Fisher, who recently turned 30. “I really want to see this team move forward and to have one driver who does all the races – ovals and road courses. It’s just very hard to do both. “

Fisher’s 25-year driving career includes 11 years as a competitor in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Walker Racing, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Kelley Racing and Sarah Fisher Racing, which she started Sarah Fisher Racing in 2008. Fisher, who was voted the IZOD IndyCar Series’ most popular driver three times, has driven a part-time schedule the past three seasons. She had seven starts this year, increasing her career total to 74 since her debut in 1999 at Texas Motor Speedway.

A former competitor in USAC and World of Outlaws sprint cars, she won one pole, in 2002 at Kentucky Speedway, and was runner-up in the 2001 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In hiring Carpenter, she found a driver who fits the image she built her team around.

“I really like Ed,” she said.  ”He’s all-American and we have the same background. We’re very much similar on all fronts, so it seemed like a natural fit to move forward with him as the driver. I think in the big picture for the team, we didn’t want to introduce a new driver with a new team right before the new car came out. It gives us a year to figure things out and when the new car comes out, we’ll be even more prepared.”

Carpenter will compete in the domestic oval events except for Milwaukee and the road/street events at St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio and Baltimore. Fisher hopes to find additional sponsorship for the car which will allow it to compete in the full season.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we nail that down,” Fisher said. “We’re not there yet. We have nine events and I think we can go after the oval championship and we need to lock down the international races. I think we’re headed in the right direction to make that happen. (Finding a sponsor to run the full season) is a huge focus for us. It’s really hard to accomplish that and drive the car. I didn’t get a lot of time to spend with our partners this year and I think that’s a lot of the reason why we are where we are.”

Carpenter, 29, was limited to part-time duty in 2010, running four races through a joint venture between Vision Racing and Panther Racing. The Indianapolis native won his first career pole in September at Kentucky Speedway, where he finished second for the second-straight season.

“It really came together quickly over the last three weeks,” Carpenter said. “I’d been working on some things with Panther and trying to carry over some of the momentum from what we did in 2010 but wasn’t sure where that was going, so I called Sarah about her plans.

“In a lot of ways, I feel like we had a deal done after that first phone call. I was blessed that I called at the right time. Working with Sarah and Andy  (O’Gara) up to this point has been great. I’m excited to work with Dollar General. Seeing the work they’ve done with Sarah, I’m excited to be a part of it.”

NHRA TOP 5 WINS

 

 

NHRA Top 5 Most Career Pro Stock Wins

 

Rank	Name	PS Wins
1	Warren Johnson	97
2	Bob Glidden  *	85
3	Greg Anderson	65
4	Jeg Coughlin	52
5	Kurt Johnson	39

* Retired or Inactive Driver

 FUNNYCars

Rank	Name	FC Wins
1	John Force	132
2	Tony Pedregon	43
3	Don Prudhomme  *	35
4	Kenny Bernstein  *	30
5	Ron Capps	29

* Retired or Inactive Driver

 

Rank	Name	TF Wins
1	Tony Schumacher	66
2	Larry Dixon	60
3	Joe Amato  *	52
4	Kenny Bernstein  *	39
5	Don Garlits  *	35

* Retired or Inactive Driver

NHRA Top 5 Most Career Funny Car Wins

NHRA Top 5 Most Career Top Fuel Wins

Indycar 2010 Auto Racing All-America Nominees

Drivers nominated for Auto Racing All-America team: The top six drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series standings and Firestone Indy Lights champion J.K. Vernay are among the nominees for the 2010 Auto Racing All-America team.

Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Tony Kanaan are all nominated in the open-wheel category, while Vernay is nominated in the at-large category.

More than 250 members of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters  vote to determine the top two drivers from each of eight categories the will be named to the first team. They will be honored at the 41st annual AARWBA banquet Jan. 9 in Indianapolis.

The winner of the Jerry Titus Award will also be announced at the banquet. The Titus Award honors the driver earning the most votes in the balloting regardless of category.

JEGS backing Landon Cassill during famed Snowball Derby

 

JEGS backing Landon Cassill during famed Snowball Derby

 

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Nov. 23) – After 50 years of standing behind some of the best grassroots drag racing in the country, JEGS Mail Order and Team JEGS will have major presence at one of stock car racing’s grassroots traditions, the Dec. 1-5 Snowball Derby at Five Flags Raceway.

 

JEGS is backing 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, Landon Cassill in both the Snowflake 100 and the 49th annual running of the Snowball Derby 300 Late Model races.

 

“JEGS is such a household name and a respected brand in motorsports,” Cassill said. “I know there will be plenty of eyes on our bright yellow and black cars in Pensacola.”

 

Cassill will be driving a car owned by John Coughlin, a member of the founding family of JEGS Mail Order, in the Snowflake 100. The car is normally piloted by Coughlin’s 14-year-old son, Cody.

 

“We’re excited about it,” Couglin said. “We just met Landon the other day when he came over to New Smyrna to help Cody out during a test session.

 

“We’ve worked with Kenny Wallace and Kevin Harvick in the past, but never on a one-to-one level the way Landon has been with Cody. Hopefully he’ll be free to help mentor Cody some more in 2011.”

 

Coughlin said the Cassill will be racing a different car in the Snowball Derby, but it will be carrying JEGS colors nonetheless.

 

“We’re excited to have him as part of our team,” Coughlin said. “Landon was very smooth and fun to watch during the test. He’s had a lot of success in other cars.”

 

Cassill said he knows what to expect at the prestigious winter race.

 

“I have been there a couple times,” he said. “The last time I was there I qualified on the pole for the ‘Flake and finished second. I really enjoy Five Flags Speedway and have always been fast there. I think we will have lots of fun.

 

“There is a lot of attention on the snowball derby in general. No matter who you are, a win there is big for anyone’s career.”

 

Coughlin said he hopes a strong performance in Pensacola will show the stock car world that JEGS is just as valuable to them as it is to drag racers.

 

“We’re proud to have JEGS represented at this race,” Coughlin said. “For years we’ve been predominately at the drag strip. With Cody racing at the circle tracks, we’re branching out a little bit. Maybe we’ll be able to sell to these guys someday and do even more with circle track racers.”

 

The racing gets under way on Dec. 1 at Five Flags Raceway. The Snowflake 100 will be run at 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 4 with the Snowball Derby 300 will run at 2 p.m. on Dec. 5.

 

Troy Coughlin Jr completes marathon Winter Series tour

 

Troy Coughlin Jr completes marathon Winter Series tour

 

DELAWARE, OH. (Nov. 22) –  Third-generation racer Troy (T.J.) Coughlin Jr. is looking forward to a relaxing off-season following a whirlwind tour of three Florida dragstrips during the annual Winter Series high stakes E.T. bracket races. Competing in 15 events in a span of 17 days, Coughlin put more than 80 runs on his JEGS.com dragster, only slightly fewer than he had in an entire year of Super Comp racing. Competing against the best bracket racers from across North America, Coughlin found the experience to be both educational and rewarding.

 

“That was one wild roller coaster ride,” said Coughlin. “One day you’d do well, the next day not so well. I feel like no matter how good you think you are driving, you never know when the guy in the other lane is going to make a perfect run and beat you. I’m drained right now, can’t even feel my body. I feel like I’ve lived an entire career in the last three weeks. I can say for sure that I learned more down here than I have at any time in my career. Racing every day will teach how to focus and avoid distractions. I used to let little things bother me, but now, nothing is going to get under my skin.”

 

Coughlin’s extensive road trip began at Immokalee Regional Raceway, an eighth-mile track located in the Southwest part of the state. There, Coughlin enjoyed his first taste of success as he defeated his friend and crew chief, Kenny Underwood in the final round of Friday evening’s High Roller Gambler’s Race.

 

“That was definitely the highlight of the trip,” said Coughlin. “I really had a great time at the Immokalee track. [Track operator] Ralph Hester makes it a lot of fun for everyone. I’m definitely looking forward to going back next year.”

 

From Immokalee, Coughlin ventured north to Bradenton Motorsports Park for an additional five days of racing. Unfortunately, he was unable to advance past the third round of competition in any of the events.

 

The final leg of the tour was the highly anticipated 5-Day E.T. championships at Palm Beach Int’l Raceway just outside Jupiter, Fla. The overall points championship at the Palm Beach 5-Day is considered one of the most prestigious in sportsman racing. Coughlin’s uncle, Jeg, claimed that title in 2003 and still considers it one of his greatest achievements. Racing in a combination of eighth-mile and quarter-mile events, T.J., posted several late-round finishes, including a semifinal in the last event of the weekend.

 

“If I had to give myself a grade, I would say a B plus,” Coughlin said. “I felt like I drove well but I also could have done a little better job in a couple of rounds. I had one race against Nick Folk where I had a .008 reaction time and ran right on my dial-in, but it still wasn’t enough. That’s just one example of how tough it is down here. You just have to have the breaks go your way. I also made a lot of runs and the only thing we had to do to the car was replace a torque converter. My JEGS.com dragster was very reliable.”

 

Coughlin, who finished the season as the eighth-ranked driver in the NHRA Super Comp class, is already making his plans for next season and not surprisingly, his schedule will include more big E.T. events like the Florida Winter Series races.

 

“I’m still going to race in Super Comp but these [E.T. races] are so competitive and so much fun that I don’t want to pass them up,” said Coughlin “Next year, I’m also really looking forward to racing with my uncle, Jeg, and his fiancée, Samantha. They are going to be doing a lot of sportsman racing and it’s a dream come true for me to race with them. I’d also like to give the Top Dragster class a try. This week, we took the throttle stop off my dragster and I was running the 7s and that was a lot of fun. I’m definitely looking forward to going faster.”

 

15X CHAMPION FORCE ENJOYS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

15X CHAMPION FORCE ENJOYS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND AT HOMESTEAD

HOMESTEAD, FL (November 21, 2010) —- Newly crowned NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion John Force enjoyed two days of NASCAR racing and great hospitality from Ford Motor Company during the Ford 400 weekend in Homestead, Florida. Force spent time with NASCAR fans, talked with motorsport media members from all over North America and also was presented with one of Ford Motor Company’s highest honors.

On Saturday Force was presented with the Spirit of Ford Award by Edsel Ford II in a surprise announcement. The loquacious Force was rendered speechless and he took a few minutes to compose himself before he thanked Ford and all its engineers and motorsports representatives for the honor.

“To be presented with this honor by Edsel Ford and to see the list of previous winners; this is a tremendous honor. Ford Motor Company has been a great partner and I will cherish this award. I want to thank Ford for giving me this honor and I am not going to say much more because I am getting emotional. Thank you very much,” said an obviously overwhelmed Force.

Force had just wrapped up a media session along with fellow Ford champions from a variety of racing disciplines. He was joined on stage by X Games champion Tanner Foust; Rally champion Ken Block and drifting champion Vaughn Gitten Jr.  All four drivers talked about the support of Ford Racing in their respective racing series and how being part of the Ford Racing family was a special feeling.

“When I am up here with these young guns it makes me feel pretty good. We have a lot in common and there is a lot of variety up here. You have guys racing everything from a Fiesta to a Mustang. I am proud to be associated with Ford Racing and with these other champions. That is what Ford Championship Weekend is all about. I’m going to try and get some tips from these young guys and see if I can help them too,” said Force.

Force spent time at the Ford Racing display answering questions from fans and signing autographs on Saturday and Sunday. Before Sunday’s Ford 400 Force received the loudest round of applause during the NASCAR drivers meeting. Afterwards he walked the starting grid and chatted up drivers including eventual race winner Carl Edwards and soon to be crowned five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. When he asked what he said to Johnson as the driver was strapping into his Lowe’s sponsored race car Force replied, “I just told him he has been here before. He knows the game and to just relax and go after it.”

Force was thrilled to see Carl Edwards collect the win on Sunday ending the season on a high note for Ford Racing

“At the end of the day seeing Carl dominate that race, that gets you excited to go into the off season. I won the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona and last year Mike Neff won the last race. You get that good feeling all off season. That really motivates you and I know it will motivate all of Ford Racing. We won the last two big races of the season this year one in NHRA and one in NASCAR. That is pretty good,” said Force.

Rising NASCAR star Landon Cassill mentors Team JEGS’ Cody Coughlin

Rising NASCAR star Landon Cassill mentors Team JEGS’ Cody Coughlin

  

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. (Nov. 21) – When a driver is just starting his racing career seat time is a precious commodity.

 

With a break in the fall schedule, Cody Coughlin took the opportunity to escape the chill in Ohio and slip down to New Smyra Speedway in Florida to test his late model stock car recently under the hand of 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, Landon Cassill.

 

“It was fun to go to a relaxed environment at the track and just make laps and have fun,” Cassill said. “There is so much pressure on the line at what I do, so I love to kick back and do it the way I did it 5-6 years ago.”

Coughlin, who is 14, said learning from the 21-year-old Cassill was easy.

 

“It’s a good sign when a young guy is a good teacher,” Coughlin said. “When we got there, I was pretty happy with my performance, considering I had never been there before. I was only .3 seconds off of Landon’s lap times the first time out.

 

“By the time we were finished I was only .1 seconds off his fastest laps.”

 

Cassill said Coughlin was a quick study.

 

“Cody did a great job, he made great improvements, and was actually very close to the same lap times that I ran,” Cassill said. “I focused on showing him how to break the corner down into sections and give proper feedback to his crew chief. I think he has a lot of potential.”

 

Coughlin said Cassill gave him a lot of good information that he knows will help him down the road.

“On the computer he showed me my throttle response and braking,” Coughlin said. “He showed me how not so move the wheel so much through the corners so I don’t scrub speed off.”

 

Cassill said the mentoring session took him back to the days when he first started racing.

 

“It was very fun, especially to work with a driver that was so young, very close to the same age as I was when I started Late Model racing,” Cassill said. “I feel like I even learn things when I’m mentoring somebody like Cody.”

 

Cassill will be joining Team JEGS next month when he dons the yellow and black during the annual Snowflake 100 and Snowball Derby 300 Late Model race from Dec. 1-5 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.

FORCE ADDRESSES COIL’S DEPARTURE

FORCE ADDRESSES COIL’S DEPARTURE; FIRED UP BY GARLITS LETTER

15-Time NHRA Funny Car Champ Excited to Be at Ford 400

  HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Drag racing icon John Force will deal with mixed emotions this weekend when he attends the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, final event in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a guest of Ford Motor Company.

  Coming off a scintillating victory last week in the Auto Cub NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif., that delivered his 15th Funny Car championship and his team’s 17^th in the last 21 seasons, Force is having to deal with the unexpected departure of friend and crew chief Austin Coil, who submitted his resignation on Tuesday.

  “There are highs and lows in life,” said the driver of the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.  “Winning my 15^th Funny Car championship was a high and I received a letter from Austin Coil two days later that was a low in my life.  It hurt me.  I tried to call him, but he didn’t want to talk.  I told him I would respect that.  We had 26 great seasons together and that is what I will remember.” 

  “I also got a letter of congratulations this week from Don Garlits that I am carrying with me,” Force said.  “It means a lot because it recognizes what my team, my sponsors and I accomplished this season.  Life goes on.  All I can do is thank Austin Coil for his contributions to JFR and get my team ready to chase another championship in 2011.”

NHRA Full Throttle champions crowned

NHRA Full Throttle champions crowned at awards ceremony

Monday, November 15, 2010

John Force

LE Tonglet

Larry Dixon

Greg Anderson

John Force, 61, and rookie LE Tonglet, 20, the oldest and youngest world champions, respectively, in NHRA’s 59-year history, headlined the four world-championship-winning drivers crowned Monday evening during the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in West Los Angeles.

Two other NHRA Full Throttle Series world champions – Larry Dixon and Greg Anderson – also were presented checks and trophies for their achievements during the 2010 Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship.

Among the evening’s highlights was a very special award presentation from NHRA President Tom Compton to Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner Bruton Smith for his “extraordinary contribution and positive impact on NHRA Drag Racing.” Smith’s son Marcus accepted the award.

Those in attendance also took time to remember two very important members of the NHRA family who passed away during the year: dedicated NHRA board member Dick Wells and Jeff Byrd, a longtime friend of NHRA who was a former R.J. Reynolds executive and president of Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway for the last 14 years.

Force won a record 15th world championship in Funny Car in dramatic fashion, erasing a 38-point deficit held by Matt Hagan on the final day of the season to win the championship at his home track in Pomona. It was an emotional comeback effort for Force, who suffered near-career-ending injuries three years ago in a horrific crash at Texas Motorplex near Dallas. Force received the $500,000 champion’s check from NHRA and Full Throttle but more importantly proved to his family and friends that he still has the championship swagger.

Louisiana native Tonglet mounted a surge in the playoffs that resulted in his first Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship, worth $75,000 from NHRA and Full Throttle. Tonglet became the third rookie driver to win a championship in NHRA history, joining Frank Hawley (Funny Car, 1982) and Gary Scelzi (Top Fuel, 1997). Tonglet rode his Nitro Fish Suzuki to four wins in five finals during the six-race Countdown playoffs to hold off three-time world champ Andrew Hines for the crown.

Dixon, who also won Top Fuel titles in 2002 and 2003, drove his Jason McCulloch-tuned Al-Anabi Racing dragster to a record 12 victories in 12 final rounds and ended Tony Schumacher’s streak of six straight world championships dating back to the 2004 season. The Indianapolis driver received a check for $500,000 from NHRA and Full Throttle.

Anderson claimed an emotional Pro Stock title after enduring a season in which he lost his North Carolina home to fire and nearly lost his Las Vegas-based team owner Ken Black to a stroke. Anderson overcame the setbacks and gained confidence after winning his home race in Charlotte during the playoffs. He added playoff wins in Dallas and Las Vegas to hold off defending world champ and season-long leader Mike Edwards and eventual second-place finisher Greg Stanfield for the title. Anderson was presented a check for $250,000 from NHRA and Full Throttle for his fourth world-championship trophy.

Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Tonglet also was named the winner of the $20,000 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, which recognizes the top NHRA rookie performer of the year. Many of the nation’s most prominent motorsports journalists selected Tonglet, who was nearly flawless during the Countdown playoffs. Each of the nominees for the prestigious award received multiple votes this year. The other candidates in the all-star rookie class were Auto Club NHRA Finals Pro Stock winner and fourth-place points finisher Shane Gray and Funny Car showman Jeff Diehl.

Winners of the Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award, which recognizes the hardest-working crews in each of the four NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories, were Dominick Lagana’s Big O Tires dragster crew in Top Fuel ($25,000) for advancing to the final round at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals; Ashley Force Hood’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang crew in Funny Car ($25,000) for winning the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for a second consecutive year; the entire Summit Racing crew in Pro Stock ($15,000) for putting both cars in the final at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals; and rookie Tonglet’s Nitro Fish Suzuki crew in Pro Stock Motorcycle ($5,000) for racing to victory at the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

Drivers in seven categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series also were recognized as 2010 world champions: Bill Reichert (Top Alcohol Dragster), Frank Manzo (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Al Ackerman (Comp), Ryan McClanahan (Super Stock), Brad Burton (Stock), Gary Stinnett (Super Comp), and David Tatum III (Super Gas).

The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series awards ceremony will be available in its entirety to fans worldwide on the Internet on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. ET on NHRA.com and the NHRA channel on YouTube.