John Jellinek

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Tag: John Jellinek Race Car Driver

May 19, 2015

Toyota Owners 400

Toyota_Owners_400_logoKurt Busch has taken home the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond, Virginia this past weekend in an emotional win that is sure to give him great confidence moving forward in the racing season. After sitting out three races earlier this year from legal troubles, Kurt has returned to the drivers seat with a chip on his shoulder. Despite his absence, Busch has done well enough to likely earn himself a place at the Chase Cup table, pending he can remain in the top 30 for the remainder of the year.

Since a new crew chief has taken to his right hand, Busch has been able to be a major player in every race he starts. Tony Gibson as his chief helped Kurt to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen with 26 wins in Cup Races.

Leading 294 laps of 400 is about as dominant a performance you can ask for from anyone taking the checkered flag. TAn emotional Busch was able to battle with troubles in his personal life, only to overcome them and find himself in the winners circle. Gibson places the credit solely on Kurt’s shoulders as the crew chief praised him for his attention to detail in car setup. Admitting that his car was “a fifth place car at best”, Gibson pointed out that Kurt has the eye of the tiger when it came to driving a sound, mistake free race.

Busch, ever humble, puts the win on his crack team of engineers Gibson who helped make overnight changes to the car in order to give him the best chances of winning. A total team effort is what it takes to win any Cup Race, and that is exactly what the Number 41 car had this past weekend.

Finishing the race in a one-two punch for Stewart-Haas Racing was Busch (1), Kevin Harvick (2), followed by Jimmie Johnson (3) and Jamie McMurray (4).

December 2, 2014

Sprint Cup Conclusion

Champions weeks begins this December in Las Vegas, Nevada which will include the ever famous NASCAR Sprint Cup banquet. What is up to bat for the banquet that willUnknown-1 highlight the insanity that came with this years season? After Kevin Harvick jostled in front of Ryan Newman to win the Sprint Cup there are some things to be expected.

We will most likely see Kevin and Delana Harvick, Rodney Childers, Tony Stewart, and Gene Haas sitting at the honored head table which is reserved for the winner and the winning team. e can expect to see speeches from the top ten driver finishers who will thank their loved ones and others for their opportunity to race and do so very well. Seven time Grammy winner, Lady Antebellum will perform to keep the audience enthused and excited. Lady Antebellum are the performers of Need You Now and Downtown. The banquet has done an excellent job over the years attracting great musical groups to the stage and drawing attention outside of the immediate NASCAR community to watch the event.

The banquet will hosted by Jay Mohr for the second consecutive year. Mohr formerly showed his talents on programs such as Saturday Night Live as well as being a part of the film Jerry Maguire.

The conclusion of the racing season was a climactic thrill ride filled with drama and excitement. The banquet hopes to provide fans with a chance to see the drivers outside of their cars and hold their racing appetites over until the onset of next season. The Wynn Las Vegas will be the site of the ceremony and it will be held this Friday, December 5th. Until next season myself, along with the rest of the NASCAR enthusiasts will need to review the highlight and track the offseason of our favorite drivers to keep our minds occupied!

To read the original article, click here.

November 3, 2014

The Sprint Cup Heats Up

The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship has heated up in early November, tensions were flying as those still in the Chase jockeyed for position in points. A spoiler emerged from the field of cars to take the checkered flag from these contenders on November 2, 2014. Jimmie Johnson, already out of the Chase for the Cup, led 191 laps of 334 at Texas Motor Speedway on his way to earning his 4th win of the year and 70th in his career.John Jellinek

Jimmie Johnson has won the Sprint cup six times but this year will not mark his seventh. Johnson lost his Chase eligibility in the second round, followed a 40th place finish at Kansas and a 17th place finish at Charlotte.  His elimination although, has not deterred his competitive nature. Johnson cites his yearning to win from his wanting to end the racing year on a high, fun note. Frustration with the results from this year could be felt prior to elimination, as neither Johnson or crew chief, Chad Knaus were satisfied with the way the races were playing out fueling the need for a win to lighten the bitter taste in the team’s mouth.

The current point standings in the Chase are as follows: Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin share the lead, tied, Ryan Newman is in third place while Jeff Gordon is in fourth. Pending a Cup contender does not win at Phoenix next weekend, the top four in points will advance to the Championship. The bottom four in contention is made up by Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, and Kevin Harvick. As it has been throughout the eliminations, if one of the remaining eight contenders wins this coming weekend they will automatically advance to the Championship.

To read the original article that John Jellinek cited from, click here.

October 9, 2013

IndyCar Crash Involves Racer and Spectators

John JellinekDario Franchitti, a three time Indianapolis 500 winner, was involved in a last lap crash that also impacted 13 spectators at the Grand Prix of Houston according to the New York Times. Franchitti suffered a broken back among other injuries while the other spectators were injured by flying debris from the wreck.

According to the article, “Franchitti’s car collided with Takuma Sato’s car and launched into a steel catch fence. Parts of his car, and the shredded catch fence, flew into a spectator area. Debris scattered on the track also hit E. J. Viso’s car, which careened into Sato’s. Several cars driving through the mess were also damaged.”

Franchitti’s was taken to a hospital in Houston where it has been stated that his injuries are not life threatening. He is being treated for a concussion, two spinal fractures and a right ankle fracture. The spectators who were hit by flying debris from the crash were not reported.

It is amazing that there aren’t more nascar crashes. Sometimes I am so surprised that some races don’t have any at all. These race car drivers push themselves and their vehicles to the limit. The speeds that they reach and the amount of maneuverability they have is remarkable. I’m glad to see Dario Franchitti will be ok after such a hard crash. I’m also glad no one spectating was seriously injured as well. Nascar is a dangerous sport and I give these guys a lot of credit for competing at such a high level.