Harvick To Give Driving Lessons To High School Kids.

Kevin Harvick has announced that he will be returning to his hometown of Bakersfield, Ca. to resurrect a local racing series that has been near to his heart for many years. The Kern County Youth Racing Series will have a special one night event at Bakersfield Speedway on Wednesday October 7. The incredibly popular racing series has been absent from local competition since the famous Mesa Marin Speedway closed in 2005.

The Kern County Youth Racing Series (formally know as the High School Racing Series) was the first of it's kind in the country that encouraged local high schools to build, race, and crew their own stock cars. Seniors working on the cars took turns at the wheel in the weekly racing series. At its peek in the early part of this century, more then a dozen schools were represented from around the central valley area with some traveling as far as 150 miles on race night. The talent of the young drivers, boys and girls, ranged from "scared out of their wits" to "future stars". There where rivalries developing between powerhouse teams from Mojave, Tehachapi and Kevin's alma mater, North High. I remember one Saturday night when my little brother-in-law got his chance behind the wheel of the beautiful blue Frazier Mtn. High School Chevy Nova. He decided to take the cautious approach and let the leaders battle it out. A couple of spins coming out of turn two hard on the gas left him smiling ear to ear and with a mid-pack finish. I must say I was very proud of him and very jealous at the same time.

While the series has it's roots in asphalt racing, the delay of the new Kern County Speedway has forced the high school kids off the track for far too long for Kevin's sake.

"We've been supporting the Kern County Youth Racing Series for a few years now and we want to give these kids the opportunity to race, so we're coming to the Speedway to help make that happen."

In conjunction with Bakersfield Speedway (the local 1/3 mile clay oval) and Kevin Harvick, a special one night race has been sanctioned to get the kids back to racing and show off what they can do. Along with giving the teens helpful advice, as a special incentive, these young racers will have the opportunity to whoop a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver's butt. Yes, Kevin himself will be racing a Hobby Stock class car along with the kids and hopefully not getting too embarrassed in the process. Can you imagine the ribbing he would get from Clint Bowyer and others if he was to get outrun by some snot-nosed high school brat?

This won't be the first time Kevin has taken to the clay oval at the track he grew up so close to. Last year, he made his Inaugural Run In The Dirt at the speedway in a modified race car that brought past champions and hot shots from around the western states. You can check out that story here if you missed it. It was a fun night for all, although I seem to remember a bit of a headache the next morning. I can thank the King Of Beers for that.

Kevin's duties at the speedway won't just be helping the kids get back on track. He will be kicking off the Prelude To The Nationals (where have we head that before) Hobby Stock race that is the start of the Budweiser Nationals for Late Models, Modifieds, Hobby and Street stocks. And curiously the track owner and promoter, Scott Schweitzer, has left a provisional spot open just in case. Will Kevin take to the track again against the best the junker class has to offer? That is, if there is anything left of his car after he concludes driver training with some of today's youth. I hope to bring all the details of the night's action to you following the event, providing I can elude the King Of Beers long enough to log the festivities.

Side note: It's a shame that Mesa Marin had to close because of housing developments that surrounded and engulfed the track. The new facility fell victim to the real estate collapse here in the Bakersfield area. Land sales that were to finance the project never reached close of escrow. The Collins family, who were such pioneers of the Craftsman Truck Series, the High School Racing Series, and the 911 Race For Youth where local firemen, law enforcement, DA's office and other public servants raced each other to help support the D.A.R.E. program and other local activities, are still hopeful that the new track, that is 90% complete, will be finished and the great tradition of Bakersfield racing will once again lead the country in innovative forms of racing.

Nascar's Stepchild Readies To Steal The Show

The start of the 2009 Nascar season is just around the corner and the anticipation for the drop of the green flag at the most prestigious race of them all, the Daytona 500, is beginning to swell. I must admit that I can hardly wait myself. The Shootout, Pole qualifying, the Duels, it's a grand spectacle indeed. 

But I'm looking forward to something else just as much. Something a little less flashy with a little less notoriety. Something where good ol' boys still are welcomed to race. Where young hotshots can learn what it's like to run with a salty veteran and leave with some earned respect. 

I'm waiting for the return of the Nascar Camping World Truck Series.

Yes, that little series that started on the same track where Kevin Harvick honed his driving skills, Mesa Marin Raceway, in Bakersfield California. The same production based trucks designed by track owners' son Gary Collins and off-road racers Roger Mears, Dick Landfield, Frank "Scoop" Vessels, Jim Venable, and Jimmy Smith.

The NCWTS (formally the Craftsman Truck Series) has taken the Nascar world by storm the last few years with their side-by-side racing, photo finishes, and culminating with the closest title chase in series history as Johnny Benson out runs Ron Hornaday Jr. with the championship being decided on the final lap of the last race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2008. 

Popularity of the series has grown to record viewership ratings last season and the increase some believe is the addition of the Daytona race back in 2000.

"When the Truck Series was a fledgling series, it was always the Tucsons, the Bakersfields, the short tracks, then we got to the bigger places," driver Brendan Gaughan said. " But you knew it had gained national legitimacy on the national touring scale when we were allowed to go to Daytona. That, in Nascar terms, tells you that you are the 'real deal'".

That first Truck Series race at Daytona not only jump started the popularity by running at a super speedway, but also because of two very unique and opposite events that happened that day. The first was Geoff Bodine disintegrating his truck in a ball of flame in the tri-oval and the second came about because of the resulting red flag period. It seems Mike Wallace and some other drivers, who had stopped on the back stretch and had gotten out of their trucks, became the first, and so far the only group of drivers, to initiate a middle of the race autograph session with the fans. That act endeared many to the hospitality of the truck racers. 

This year the Camping World Truck Series will hit network TV with two races scheduled for airing on Fox. The second race of the year at Auto Club Speedway will be seen at 3pm eastern and the first of two Martinsville Speedway races will air at 2pm eastern. The exposure on Fox, and the earlier start times, should provide a much greater percentage of the Nascar fan base the opportunity to enjoy what the Speed Channel viewers have been raving about. 

Johnny Benson will be defending his title in 2009 with a new team at Red Horse Racing, opting to leave Bill Davis Racing at the end of the '08 season with championship in tow. The economic woes of the nation took it's toll as Bill Davis Racing was later sold and one of the pioneers of the sport was no more. 2009 will also see the first full year for Randy Moss Motorsports with vetern Truck Series driver Mike Skinner coming on board. The addition of a 25 win caliber driver should put RMM in contention for some wins this season. Three time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. is back at Kevin Harvick Inc. to once again challenge for his fourth title and show the young'uns how it's done. 

All in all 2009 is shaping up to be another great year in the Camping World Truck Series. I'm looking forward to more "rubbing is racing" old school style fun on Friday nights (and a couple Saturday races as well). For those of you who haven't checked out this cowboy caddilac fun, shame on you, but you now have no more excuses with Fox bringing it right to your easy chair. So sit back, grab a frosty mug of your favorite beer and hang on tight, cause this is the best racing you'll see all weekend. Guaranteed! 

The Plight Of A Nascar Junkie

If your like me these past two and a half months have been tortuously long waiting for the start of the 2009 Nascar racing season to begin. The elimination of testing has ground the information super highway to a screeching halt. Teams that are normally scurrying from track to track trying to find that magical setup that will give them the slightest of edges come race day, are now stuck at their shops methodically checking and rechecking every nut, bolt and template for days on end. 

The normal trickle of video clips and photos of masked race cars circling vacant speedways have all but disappeared. In essence, Nascar has gone cold turkey on us. The complete lack of a 3500lb. "stock" car circling a track has me in the mitts of full blown Nascar withdrawals. 

I have turned into that trembling, shaking hulk of a human being normally reserved for nicotine junkies and crackheads. Well manicured fingers are now reduced to bloody scabbed nubs, and if the evils of time had not taken it's toll on this middle-aged body, I'm sure the toe nails would be next. The flowing mane of hair I was so blessed with at birth has now become but a tuft of straggly locks, trying to burn off the intake of Amp, Red Bull and Jeff Gordon energy drinks I have become accustomed to drinking on race days. 

Sleep has become impossible as I scan my cable guide looking for anything that remotely has some kind of motorized competition to it. Sports car races with engines that have barely more horsepower then my Hoover vacuum cleaner have taken on great importance in the wee hours of the morning. Renaming the various drivers Happy, Smoke and Jr. somehow make the racing more tolerable as that Nissan Sentra blazes past the Mazda 3 at a blistering 50 miles per hour. 

The endless parade of import car peep shows designed to titillate teen graduates do nothing to satisfy the insatiable need for American horsepower. Sideshow demolition derby's and trailer races only exacerbate the feelings of hopelessness. 

Through my haze of cold sweats I hear the sounds of familiar voices...Roberts, McReynolds, Hammond...is that Nascar Preseason Thunder? Can it be that teams and drivers are at Daytona? The 500. The Duels. That...that means the Shootout is THIS WEEKEND! I can hold onto my sanity for another few days, I can do it. The fix my mind has waited so long for is with-in reach...smoking tires, military flyovers, beer and hot dogs, and those four words that are salvation for a Nascar junkie...GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES!

Gibbs Teaches By Example

Joe Gibbs has always been a great motivator and mentor whether coaching the Washington Redskins or molding young racers for future stardom. His newest ball of clay is young phenom Joey Lagano, who will be taking over the Home Depot #20 Toyota. He has taken this teenager under his wing as he has done with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. 

Tony has praised Joe for teaching him the business savvy needed to run his dirt track and sprint car teams, and now the biggest undertaking of his career, Stewart Haas Racing. Tony is using JGR as the model to assure his team has the necessary pieces to be competitive right out of the box. 

So, we know Gibbs is a good teacher when it comes to the business end of racing, but what is he teaching these young minds of mush about the art of driving a 3500lb missile. 

Well last Thursday night the fans at the Hampton Coliseum got to witness the driving techniques of Joe Gibbs when he was pitted against Interstate Batteries chairman Norm Miller during the intermission of the indoor Arena Racing USA series. The 6 lap race saw Miller leading from the pole until the final turn when Gibbs dove to the inside for a patented slide job, only to come up a bit short and T-boning Miller, sending the #18 rolling over into the outside wall. 

Now if that 'less than sportsman like move' looks familiar it does. Two nights later at the Toyota All Star Race at Irwindale Speedway, the very impressionable Joey Lagano is performing that very same move on nationwide TV.  The newest member of the Gibbs day care center made a desperate attempt to win the 250 lap Camping World series main event but over shot the final turn spinning race leader Payton Sellers straight into the outside wall. 

It appears Gibbs philosophy of leading by example is leaving an impression with his young toddlers. I think we now know where Denny Hamlin learned to drive like this and it makes you wonder what is in those inspirational speeches to have cultivated thoughts like these  in new team leader Hamlin. 

Chip And Dale Are Running Out Of Nuts.

I know times are tough these days in the Nascar world with teams joining forces in an attempt to stave off extinction. We've even seen the near collapse of the Kingdom of Petty and their rebirth. 

The joint effort of Hall of Fame and Yates Racing. But the most mind boggling situation has to be the union of Chip Gannasi Racing w/ Felix Sabates and that of the iconic Dale Earnhardt Inc.. 

In a seemingly crazy move Tuesday Earnhardt Ganassi Racing swapped it's Target sponsorship from the unmanned #41 to Jaun Pablo Montoya's #42 Chevrolet that supposedly already had full time sponsorship according to Martin Truex.  

What makes this bizarre is the fact that the # 8 car driven by Aric Almirola is completely unsponsored except for the the first race at Daytony on February 15. 

Now I'm no rocket scientist but if you have one car with full time sponsorship and no driver and another car with a driver and no sponsorship, it would make more sense to me to marry those two programs together and end up with one solid entry for the remainder of the season. But what do I know. 

The fact that that wasn't done has to lead you to believe that Target had no confidence in the young Almirola or any of the free agent drivers on the market today. 

With the 2009 season almost upon us it is becoming more and more obvious just how bad a situation EGR is really in. I wonder if Teressa spends sleepless nights reminiscing what was and regretting what could have been. 

Harvick / Carmichael Go From Two To Four

Kevin Harvick Inc. announced Tuesday that their Camping World Truck Series second entry will be changing it's number from last years #2, that Harvick and Ryan Newman raced to wins at Phoenix and Atlanta, to the #4 for 2009. Along with the change comes former Supercross superstar Ricky Carmichael who will pilot the #4 Monster Energy Chevrolet in at least 14 races for Kevin and Delana Harvick. Ricky will also drive for KHI in the season opening ARCA race at Daytona.

"....this is an opportunity I’m really excited about. I think this is my best shot to learn and the best chance to become a successful NASCAR driver. I’m going to give 110 percent to make it worthwhile for myself and the entire team.” said Carmichael.

The 29 year old Florida native, who has used the #4 his entire career, is a six time AMA Supercross champion and considered the greatest rider of all time. He has numerous Outdoor National Motocross titles under his belt along with two X Games gold medals. 

In 2008 Ricky raced for Ken Schrader in the Camping World East Series for 13 races, finishing 6th. at years end. 

Kevin Harvick feels his championship experience will be a benifit to his team:

“I like the fact he has the determination and the drive to have won multiple motocross championships,” said Daytona 500 champion, Kevin Harvick.  “I believe he will put the same effort toward his stock car career.  He knows how to race and he takes care of his equipment.  Every time I’ve seen him race, he has shown great promise.”

I have watched Ricky race for his entire career and have been impressed with his smoothness and control of whatever machine he was chosen to race. He's not the kind of guy that will bounce his race car off the walls and other drivers. He instead uses finesse to weave his way through the pack, if he ever finds himself in that position, to get back to the front where he is so accustomed to be. 

This is shapping up to be another exciting season in the CWTS. I have one of my sports heroes in Ricky Carmichael, racing for my hometown boy Harvick, in the most exciting series in Nascar. What more could a guy want? 

Saturday Night Short Track Takes Center Stage

The Toyota All Star Showdown has been refered to as the "Daytona 500" of short track racing and is ready to fire up again this coming weekend. On January 23-24 the Speed Channel will be televising the action live starting at 7:00 PM Pacific Time on both nights. 

Three time Craftsman (now Camping World) Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday Jr. will be competing for the first time in the All Star Race but is no stranger to the 1/2 mile oval in Irwindale, Ca.. 

"I remember like it was the back of my hand, because it was racing just like Tucson where I kind of made a name for myself," he said. "It’s a triple-groove race track, where you can run the top, middle and bottom." 

Hornaday raced at the speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Series West, making 46 starts and narrowly missing the title in 1996. Ron expects the competition to be fierce this weekend in the 250 lap Nascar Toyota All Star Showdown with Camping World Series West Champion Eric Holmes and East Champion Matt Kobyluck in attendance, along with 2007 West Champion Mike David. 

Hornaday is from Southern California, having grown up in Palmdale, and is looking forward to meeting some of his old friends. 

"I’ve got a lot of friends that I grew up with and went to school with and some who have followed my career. It’ll be great to see them," he said.

 Joining Ron Hornaday at this event will be fellow Camping World Truck Series driver Matt Crafton who also hails from California. Crafton will be returning to Toyota Speedway for the first time in 8 years. His only race at the track was a mixture of highs and lows. Matt led 194 laps of the Nascar Camping World Series West season finale only to be beaten in a "Green, White, Checker" three wide finish by Bobby Dotter. The .024 second loss is still ranked as the most exiting finish of the series and garnered Crafton a Truck Series ride the following season. 

Also returning to this years event will be last years race winner and the new driver of the #20 Joe Gibbs Home Depot Chevrolet , 18 year old phenom, Joey Lagano. 

"I can’t wait to go back," said Lagano. "I’ve got the same car and that track is just a real cool race track. And we had a great time out in Southern California. I really enjoyed being out there."

Lagano's teammate Marc Davis will be in Satuday nights race along with past Camping World Series rookie of the year winners Jason Bowles, Payton Sellers, Jeff Barkshire, and Austin Dillon.

In addition to the Toyota All Star Race there will be a 150 lap Super Late Model event on Friday and a 75 lap Modified race Saturday. 

For more information contact Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.