Richardson Jr. Talks ORP, Iowa and Elvis

With a little more than half the season behind him, Robert Richardson, Jr. is finally riding high.

The driver of the No. 23 Chevrolet is fresh off a career best finish at O'Reilly Raceway Park. And he's hoping the momentum his team gained there will turn the tide on what's sometimes been a frustrating 2010.

"To be able to come away with a top 15 finish and my best finish of my career is definitely a booster," Richardson said when we caught up with him today.

"It makes everybody in the shop work a lot harder, it gets their spirits up and makes them more eager to get back to the race track to see if we can incorporate what we learned from last week’s race and put that into this weekend’s race coming up at Iowa."

In truth, Richardson and his R3 Motorsports crew have had their challenges. Prior to ORP, his best finish this season has been 20th. 

And, like other teams in the Nationwide Series, they've struggled to find consistent backing. Even the car they ran so well last week wasn't sponsored.

Not to mention, the NASCAR-imposed testing ban hasn't made it easy for this relatively young team to nail setups week in and week out.

"Any racer wants to get that advantage over the other guy, and not being able to test, you really don’t know what you’re bringing to the race track other than the traditional setups like what you’ve had in the past," Richardson explained.

So what can a driver like Richardson do to run well at Iowa, a track where he's never raced - nor tested- before?

"I’ll try to get with as many veteran drivers as I can and other guys that have been there and tested there and things of that nature to try to get up to speed as quickly as possible," he said.

In fact, he'll likely pick the brains of Steven and Rusty Wallace, Brendan Gaughan, Michael McDowell and a few other folks in the garage.

"They'll tell me what their car is doing and we'll compare it to what my car is doing and what kind of setup they have on their car versus what we have, and kinda just bat the ball back and forth," he said.

Even with the ups and downs 2010 has presented so far, Richardson gives his team high marks overall.

"They’ve been working their tails off all season long, thrashing to get these cars put together and ready to go to the race track," he said. "We don’t have the hundreds of employees like the major Cup teams do that may have seven or eight guys that do just setup plate and fabricators."

"Everybody’s got their own little niche in the Cup shops whereas at R3 Motorsports, each guy is well-rounded in every bit of racing. Our fabricator may be an over-the-wall guy and also help with the setup plate work. They're just well-rounded mechanics."

Perhaps Richardson can take some encouragement from his favorite entertainer - another guy who started out as small potatoes, but ended up with a super-sized career - Elvis Presley.

An Elvis fan since childhood, Richardson has been to Graceland several times. And he has also paid a visit to The King's childhood home in Tupelo, Miss.

"It’s neat to see how someone can come from having nothing at all to having everything in such a short time," Richardson said.

So true. 

And maybe, just maybe, some of that Elvis Presley magic will rub off on Richardson Jr.

Wallace Talks Math, Broadcasting and More

Daytona International Speedway hosted more than 100 local middle school students last Friday. And some of them might just grow up to be future faces in the NASCAR garage.

The kids were on hand to participate in the "Bank of America Students at the Speedway" program which was part of the NASCAR Day celebration. And none other than NASCAR champ and ESPN broadcaster Rusty Wallace was on hand to lead the students in a racing-themed math game and talk to them about the importance of certain subjects.

"My message to these kids was to let them know that science, technology, engineering and math is very very important to NASCAR," Wallace said. "If you don’t understand math in the new NASCAR, you’re probably not going to be successful."

The sport's current focus on mathematics and engineering is a stark contrast to the way things were when Wallace was wheeling a car in the 1980s and 90s.

"Nowadays, you know the simulations that we do, all the calculations, everything is about numbers and when I was driving, it was more seat of the pants," Wallace explained. "I would drive the car, I would tell them what it’s doing and how to fix it."

Simple as that.

But all things change with time. And NASCAR is no different.  In fact, the cars themselves are in a constant state of evolution.  And Wallace took some time to discuss the latest thing to hit the NASCAR garage - the Nationwide COT. He also answered a few of our questions about topics ranging from his broadcast duties on ESPN to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and his championship picks for 2010:

What do you think the NASCAR Hall of Fame means and will mean to the sport? 

"This Hall of Fame is monumental. It’s gorgeous. It’s huge. It’s something that really matches how big and beautiful our sport is. And it covers every aspect of the sport from the beginning of NASCAR to where it is currently. When you walk in the brand new Hall of Fame you see everything about the whole entire sport in front of you. In fact, people tell me it’s one of the most beauitful buildings they’ve ever seen in their life that the Hall of Fame is in. It’s first class."

Is it tough to balance your broadcast duties with owning a NASCAR team? And how do you stay "fair and balanced" in the booth when reporting on your own race team and your son Steven's performance on the track?

"It’s really easy to stay fair and balanced. I know going in that my main duty is to talk about what’s going on at the race track and to call what I see. If something’s going wrong, I gotta talk about what I see. If Steven (his son and Nationwide driver Steven Wallace) or any of my team guys is up there really running great, hey they get mentioned. But generally I’m not the one up there tooting my own kid’s horn saying, 'Hey look at my son,' or 'Look at my other car.' That’s usually Andy Petree or else Marty Reid or else Alan Bestwick or else Brad Daugherty - all the people that I work with. Now I chime in, and I talk, but I understand how I have to be balanced. I gotta be, I have to call what I see. I don’t have to hide anything and I don’t hide anything, but I also have to be conscious that people are waiting to see if I patronize any of my guys in a special way. And everybody I’ve talked to says, 'No, you do a good job, you’re fair, you’re balanced.' The day somebody says I’m not, then I’ll listen to ‘em and if I gotta re-adjust I will. But right now I haven’t had any complaints about that. And it is tough sometimes watching your own son out there drive and if he does really good you’re wanting the guys to say something good and if he does something wrong you gotta say 'Well, he made a mistake,' and you gotta call him out and that’s just the way it is. But I feel comfortable about that."

What do you think of the new Nationwide COT? Any predictions on how the new car will handle at Daytona in July?

"We did a test in Daytona last week, the very first offical test for the new Nationwide car. All in all, they ran pretty fast around the race track. The drivers will all tell you they were all slippin’ and slidin’ They were looser than they thought they would be, but by the time the second day started, they got the cars handling a lot better. The first day was tough. It was a two-day test. The second day everything got much, much better and I think now that the test sessions are over, they’re gonna go back and be much better prepared for the July race in Daytona and I think the car will handle better. I don’t think it will handle as good as the old car, but I don’t think it’s meant to. It’s gonna slip and slide a little bit, but I think it’s gonna make for a good race. One of the things we really did notice though, they really fly up in the draft. If you get behind another car, your car will just accelerate up to the back of that other car much quicker than the old car because these cars are much bigger. They make a bigger hole through the air. They call it making the air dirtier. It moves the air all over the place and it makes the cars draft better."

Who's your pick to win the Cup championship this year? Any sleepers fans should have their eyes on?

"I really think that one of the guys that’s got a great shot to win his very first championship ever, and is probably gonna be my pick to win it, has gotta be Denny Hamlin. The guy's been real strong. He’s won races this year. He's probably as strong if not stronger than most. But believe it or not, if I’ve got to pick a sleeper, I’m gonna pick two guys. It’s gonna be either Kurt Busch - he’s been fast in that Miller Lite car. He won the all-star race in Charlotte just this past weekend and he looked really good. And also Jeff Gordon. He’s been knocking out the top fives. He looks good. Lot of people are saying 'What about Jimmie Johnson?' " Well Johnson’s just been slow getting going, so we gotta kinda watch more from him. When these cars took the rear wing off the back and put the rear spoiler on, it seemed like Jimmie’s been struggling with that a little bit so we'll see what’s gonna happen there."

Photo info: Rusty Wallace interacts with middle school students during the "Bank of America Students at the Speedway Program" last Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

Sounds Like a Recession-Friendly Deal To Me ...

Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCAR, is providing fans an opportunity to kick off the 2010 NASCAR season by attending the most prestigious race of the year – the Daytona 500-- for free.

NASCAR fans, like all Americans, have been impacted by the bad economy, travel costs, and lower personal spending funds so Bank of America is providing the opportunity for fans to attend the race free when they show their passion for NASCAR and sign up for NASCAR Banking products with Bank of America. When fans open a NASCAR Checking account and apply for a NASCAR Banking credit card, they can acquire two tickets to the Daytona 500.



The offer is available now on the Bank of America website and will last until Feb. 5th. Right now, you can choose from credit cards featuring these drivers - Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Rusty Wallace. Even more drivers will be added later this year.

Sunday Morning Nationwide Rundown

Mike Bliss is having one heckuva weekend. He starts 7th in tonight's Cup race, but last night he took the checkered flag in the washed out Carquest Auto Parts 300. Though it looked like Kyle Busch would run away with the win early on, Bliss was in the right place at the right caution and ended up stealing the show. It's the driver's first Nationwide win since 2004 and a long way from his wreck-studded Vegas performance earlier in the season. Just a side note: Perhaps it wasn't entirely politically appropriate for the ESPN reporter to say that Bliss' crew was "doing a rain dance"--after all, his team is sponsored by the Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort.

In a car that had only run two laps prior to the green flag, Brad Keselowski managed to pull of an impressive eighth place finish. In what could be described as "not one of his better days," Keselowski wrecked two cars in practice, due to tire malfunctions. But in the end, he managed to save his Dover car last night (after starting in 40th spot) and take home a top 10 finish to boot. Not a bad points night for The Kez.

Kevin Harvick gets my vote for best use of a patriotic paint scheme. Not only did his red, white and blue KHI Chevy look darn good, Harvick also did a fine job of talking up the VFW's Buddy Poppy program and the importance of remembering the sacrifices of our troops on Memorial Day Weekend.

The ever-chatty Brendan Gaughan scored a second-place finish last night--and was even competing for the lead--just before NASCAR called it a night. His good run earned Gaughan the Raybestos Rookie of the Race. Team owner Rusty Wallace, who was spotted roaming pit road, sure looked pleased.

Photo Credit: Motorsports.com

L.D. Ottinger -- Mr. Saturday Night Special

Saturday night sure was special. Watching the legends of NASCAR take to the track after the Nationwide race made for some out-and-out fun.

From Jimmy Spencer accidentally wrecking Junior Johnson during practice to Harry Gant's hood peeling off while he was fighting for position, there was plenty of on-track action to keep things entertaining.

But the man who proved he's still got what it takes to get racy at Bristol was retired Busch Series driver L.D. Ottinger. Before the green flag waved, the seventy-year-old Ottinger said he hadn't been in a race car in more than 10 years. But you'd never know it.

Ottinger started in next-to-last place, but he managed to maneuver his car to a third place finish. And if the race had been 10 or so laps longer, he probably could have given Rusty Wallace and the dominant Sterling Marlin a run for their money.

"This is the second time I've been in a car in 15 years," Ottinger said. "I'd like to see this again. This was great."

I don't know who had more fun, the drivers or the fans. And this fan agrees with Ottinger -- I hope the folks at Bristol do this again in 2010.

Rookie Gaughan Holds Off Busch for the Pole

Brendan Gaughan held off Kyle Busch to snag his first pole since 2003 and his first Nationwide pole ever. In his first time out at the Bristol Motor Speedway, the rookie put together two impressive laps to gain the coveted starting spot.

At the end of his run, Gaughan seemed to know he had the time to beat, even though some tough competitors were still to come. He punctuated his qualifying run with a "Woo Hoo!" and a big fist pump before getting out of his Chevy Impala.

Driving for Rusty Wallace Racing, Gaughan is currently fourth in Nationwide Series points. He'll be leading Carl Edwards, Jason Keller, Kyle Busch and Kelly Bires to the green flag at 2:30 this afternoon.

The group that failed to make today's race include Stanton Barrett, Kertus Davis, Brian Keselowski, Mark Green, Mike Harmon, Dennis Setzer and Brad Teague.

Way to go Brendan!

NASCAR -- Not Just for Southerners Anymore

During a week in which the stars of NASCAR head to a quintessential Southern race track, allow me a geographical observation. There must be something in the water beyond the Mississippi, River, because NASCAR talent sure does seem to be headed west.

And it's not just me. The numbers bear it out. Compared to just 10 years ago, fewer and fewer top drivers hail from the home of the Confederacy.

At the end of the 1998 season, eight of the top 12 Winston Cup drivers were from states below the Mason-Dixon. Guys like Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte were at the top of the heap. And NASCAR talent was still predominantly Southern. Of course there were a few interlopers -- like Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine -- but by and large, the top drivers were Southern-born and Southern-bred.

Ten years later, the geographical terrain of NASCAR talent has seen a seismic shift. Instead of Southern drivers ruling the points standings, the guys from California, Missouri and Washington state are snagging the top spots. In 2008, only three of the top 12 drivers were from the South. And, so far in 2009, only two of those in the top 12 are Southerners by birth.

And the talent isn't just diverse on the track. More and more folks in the garage are hailing from non-rebel states as well--seven of the current top 12 crew chiefs hail from up North or out West.

It's ironic that a sport viewed by many Americans as simply catering to its good ol' boy fan base is actually pretty diverse when it comes down to who's succeeding at the highest level. And that's good for NASCAR. The more diversity the sport can get within its ranks, the more new fans will be drawn to the races.

Now if we can just get a chick in the driver's seat ...

Old Coots vs. Young Guns -- An All-Star Race We'd Love To See

We all know the economy is in the tank and track owners from Daytona to Martinsville are trying anything and everything to get people out to the races.

Thus, it is in the interest of economic stimulus for the sport we all know and love, that I offer a race weekend promotion that's guaranteed to generate the interest of fans across the nation: an Old School versus New School Shootout.

Who wouldn't want to see Richard Petty go head to head with Kyle Busch? What could be more fun than watching Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace race to the finish with the likes of Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin? Of course the logistics could be a nightmare, and then there's the little matter of cars and equipment. However, I for one, would like to see how the current Sprint Cup hotshots measure up. Today's newbies come to the sport with tons of hype reflecting off their designer sunglasses. But when it gets down to brass tacks, do they really have what it takes to hang with the legends of motorsports?

Of course we'd have to find a spot for Dale Junior or it wouldn't be an automatic sellout. And Kyle Petty would probably pout to the media if he weren't included in some way. But these are just minor obstacles. The possibilities of such an event are endless. Who knows, Cale Yarborough might even be persuaded to show up and throw a punch or two!