Auto Racing Capsules: Martin shut out again for elusive 1st Cup title
Mark Martin has won a lot of races over his long career, made plenty of friends, earned tons of respect.
There's still one title he can't put in front of his name. Champion.
The 51-year-old Martin came into this season as the sentimental favorite to claim that elusive first NASCAR Sprint Cup title, especially after his return to full-time racing in 2009 resulted in a runner-up finish to Jimmie Johnson.
It wasn't even close this time. Martin goes into the final race of NASCAR's so-called regular season — a short-track shootout at Richmond on Saturday — knowing he won't be part of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Only a dozen drivers will be moving on to the playoffs, and there's no realistic way he's passing three drivers in the standings in one night.
"We've gotten ourselves too far behind to expect to jump in there," said Martin, who's a daunting 147 points behind in 15th place.
So, another year will go by without Martin holding up the sport's grandest prize, a striking void in a career that has been full of accomplishment.
"I'm no champion," he said with typical bluntness. "I haven't earned the right to be in that category or to stand beside those guys. But at the same time, I'm proud that I made them work for it and I saw them finish behind me many a time. And that I can be proud of."
No one could have envisioned Martin ending up outside the Chase when he claimed the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500, his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy giving every indication it would again be one of the strongest cars on the track.
Martin finished 12th in that race — failing to win the 500 is about the only other void in his career — but five top-six finishes over the next eight races had him feeling good about his chances.
Then, inexplicably, he suddenly became just a middle-of-the-pack racer. There were crashes at Pocono and in the summer return to Daytona. Even when he made it to the finish, he just didn't seem to have enough under the hood to challenge drivers such as his teammate Johnson or five-time winner Denny Hamlin or points leader Kevin Harvick.
Martin has finished higher than 11th only twice in the last 16 races. He's coming off what has become a typical performance: 21st at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he spent the entire night running far behind, barely even noticed.
He's at a loss to explain how a driver such as Harvick, who struggled mightily in 2009, is running up front this year. Or how the No. 5 suddenly lost its edge.
"I didn't really see this coming for the 5 car," Martin said. "I just know that it happens, that things change and ... the target is a moving target. It always has been and always will be. And we were hitting the bull's-eye last year. And we haven't found the bull's-eye this year. We'll continue to work until we do. But we just haven't found it."
Of course, he knows that time is running short. He'll return for another full-time season with Hendrick in 2011, but his status beyond that is unknown. Kasey Kahne has already signed with Hendrick for 2012, and the team isn't about to kick Johnson or four-time champion Jeff Gordon to the curb. The team's fourth driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has been a major disappointment but is a lot younger and remains popular with fans and sponsors.
Martin isn't looking that far ahead. But it sure is hard not to look back, to all those close calls when he could've — maybe even should've — been a Cup champion over the course of a career that includes 40 wins, five of them just last year.
He's been a runner-up for the Cup a staggering five times (not to mention eight other times in the top five), the Buffalo Bills of the superspeedway. The most galling of those close calls was undoubtedly 1990, when Dale Earnhardt won the title by a mere 26 points after Martin was assessed a 46-point penalty at Richmond for using an illegal carburetor part that didn't have anything to do with making his car go faster.
At the time, youth helped Martin cope with the disappointment. He was only 31, was only in his third season of what would become a nearly two-decade-long relationship with car owner Jack Roush.
"You know what, it didn't bother me," Martin recalled. "I knew, and anybody would know based on the experience that I had had, that I would win one."
Yet here we are, 20 years later, and still no title.
All Martin can do now is take a philosophical approach.
"When I look back on it now, it wouldn't have changed my life had I won it in 1990," he said. "It wouldn't have changed my life any. I don't think I'd be a different person. I don't think I'd have a different ride. I don't think I'd have more sponsors or anything else."
These days, Martin keeps insisting that he's able to cope with any setbacks that racing throws his way, even if all those wrinkles on his weathered face would seem to indicate that it's bothered him plenty over the course of a Cup career that began way back in 1981.
"I'm better equipped to handle this than ever before, based on the experiences I've had," he said. "I'm not fully matured yet. But I have matured some, from 15 years ago, and certainly would have handled things differently if this was 15 years ago. I would have let it impact the way I interacted with the people that I worked with, and my family as well."
Martin will race these last 11 events with nothing to lose, which might be kind of fun, while looking to get a head start on 2011.
He doesn't want to go through this again.
"It's something that none of us expected or saw coming," he said. "Expectations are really tough to deal with when you don't meet them. And that's why I've tried so hard to limit and keep my expectations in check. But still, even as much as I do that, I couldn't have ever been prepared for having as tough a year as what we've had."
Then he says it again, for emphasis.
"I'm no champion."
IndyCar
Carpenter back on track at Panther
SPARTA, Ky. (AP) — Ed Carpenter spent most of his summer packing up boxes at Vision Racing's headquarters in Indianapolis, the only home the veteran driver has known during his IndyCar career.
It wasn't fun watching the No. 20 car sit idle on a hauler while he worked the phones to find funding for the only ride he'd had since joining the operation run by stepfather and Indy Racing League founder Tony George in 2005.
Carpenter had little doubt his car was fast. He just needed a break. He found one at Panther Racing.
Thanks to a collaboration between Panther and Vision Racing — and a financial assist from professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller — Carpenter is back where he feels he belongs. And now he's driving like a guy who has no plans on leaving anytime soon.
The 29-year-old captured the first pole of his career last week in Kentucky, then backed it up by tying a career-best with a second-place finish behind Helio Castroneves.
Not bad for a driver who found himself out of a job when Vision shuttered its racing operation following the 2009 season. The down time, however, only made him more determined.
"When you have something like that taken away from you, when you get it back and get the chance to get back in a car, you know, I think you're going to lay it all down every time you get in the car," Carpenter said.
Carpenter got his chance when Zoeller, a fellow Indiana native, offered to pick up the tab to help Carpenter get in the Indy 500. Vision Racing provided the equipment, Panther Racing provided everything else.
It was supposed to be a one-shot deal. That changed when Carpenter qualified a respectable eighth and finished 17th at his hometown track, a performance that could have been better if not for pit road issues.
That was enough to pique Zoeller's interest in making a bigger investment, and Panther was more than willing to step up and restart Carpenter's career.
"We didn't do this thing for a whim," said Panther Racing owner John Barnes, a longtime family friend. "He drove a car for me when he was about 14 or 15 years old. I saw the talent in him."
And Zoeller saw potential, offering to sponsor Carpenter for three of the season's final four races. Carpenter rolled off the truck in Chicago two weeks ago and had little trouble running in the pack before late mechanical problems sent him to 20th.
Things were better at Kentucky, where Carpenter had nearly picked up the first victory of his career a year ago. Ryan Briscoe edged him by 0.0162 seconds in one of the closest finishes in series history.
Carpenter hoped that showing would be the start of something big. Instead, it was the last hurrah for Vision Racing. Funding dried up and George shuttered the team in January.
Could things have been different if Carpenter had found a way to keep his nose in front of Briscoe's at Kentucky? Maybe. But Carpenter isn't one to dwell.
"I try not to think about it like that," he said. "We ran a great race."
Saturday's result wasn't quite as dramatic, with Castroneves winning by stretching his fuel mileage over the last 53 laps to pick up his second victory of the season. Yet there was little doubt who was driving the fastest car at the end, a rarity for Carpenter during his days at Vision.
Even better for Panther, Dan Wheldon was nearly as quick. Wheldon finished right behind his new teammate in third, and it's no coincidence that Wheldon's three best finishes this season — Indy, Chicago and Kentucky — were in races where he's had Carpenter alongside.
Wheldon said Carpenter's presence has given the entire organization a lift.
"I think the teams really have jelled very well, and I think that their game has been raised because of that," Wheldon said. "If you've got two (drivers), there's of information coming in. It makes a huge difference, particularly with the limited testing."
Carpenter has fit seamlessly into Panther's program, and there's already talk of finding a full-time ride for the No. 20 next year. Wheldon has no problem with sharing the spotlight in a series where one-car teams struggle to stay competitive against powers like Team Penske and Target-Chip Ganassi Racing.
"He's obviously very good, he has a really good feel for the car," Wheldon said of Carpenter. "We can bounce ideas off one another confidently."
And it goes both ways.
When Carpenter's car had a part fail before practice in Chicago he bent Wheldon's ear on how to handle qualifying. He ended up starting 11th in just his second start of the season.
That's just teammates being teammates, Wheldon said. They've both been around long enough to know it doesn't work if egos get involved.
"I think we're obviously not threatened by one another in terms of where we're at in our careers," Wheldon said.
Certainly not Carpenter. Though he jokes that there are days when he feels old when he sees tiny flecks of gray on the periphery of his blonde hair, he knows he's not.
"I'm obviously not ready for my career to be over," he said.
Neither is his new team. Though Carpenter admits in a "perfect world" Vision would find enough funding to unpack the boxes and reopen the shop, he's happy and appreciative of his new gig.
So is Panther.
"I think he's a top-six guy right now, I really do," Barnes said. "He isn't underappreciated by Panther, I can tell you that."
-- Will Graves
AP Source: Homestead off 2011 IRL schedule
MIAMI (AP) — Homestead-Miami Speedway is off the 2011 Indy Racing League schedule, a decision that some of the series' top drivers are not thrilled about.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard confirmed Wednesday that Homestead is not among the venues selected to host a race next year. Homestead was IRL's traditional opening site for much of the past decade, hosted the series championship-deciding finale in 2009 and will be where the final race of this year takes place on Oct. 2.
The IndyCar finale is expected to move to Las Vegas for 2011.
"We want to partner with tracks that are willing to promote and market IndyCar as we grow our sport," Bernard said. "While Homestead has been a good track, currently our objectives are not aligned. IndyCar must do what is in the best of interest of IndyCar going forward, and we are confident the partners and promoters we have will work very hard to help advance the series."
Bernard did not divulge any other schedule details, other than saying "We have chosen to move away from Homestead." IndyCar will release the full 2011 schedule on Friday.
Homestead-Miami officials said they planned to respond after Friday's schedule release.
"I don't know the logistics of what happened so it's hard to criticize one part or another," driver Tony Kanaan told The AP. "To me, it's a shame. It's like losing my home race. It's the race all my friends get to see. It's the only race a lot of people here can afford to go see. It's the only opportunity I have to invite people to watch."
Drivers had heard rumblings for some time that Homestead's spot was in danger, but some were optimistic a deal could be struck. Kanaan, one of 10 IRL drivers with homes in South Florida, said he was aware of the decision before Wednesday.
"It's a shame," Kanaan said. "That's my personal view. It's a shame. ... I go go-karting there twice a week sometimes. Homestead's my home track."
Other drivers, including reigning IRL champion Dario Franchitti and longtime Homestead visitor Scott Dixon, said earlier this week they were hopeful South Florida would remain on the series schedule.
"I'll be sad if we don't come back here," Franchitti said Monday during a visit to Homestead.
Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matt Becherer told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce at a Wednesday luncheon that the track generates $331 million annually for the South Florida economy, saying $250 million of that came directly from NASCAR's annual championship weekend.
Operated by International Speedway Corporation, Homestead hosts the finales for all three of NASCAR's series, and Becherer said there was a "very real" threat made earlier this year by rival track owner Bruton Smith to lure the Sprint Cup championship to his facility in Las Vegas.
"He wants our race badly. Very badly," Becherer told the Miami chamber. "There's going to come a time where we're going to have to respond to these threats. What's at stake is simply too high."
Becherer did not mention anything about the IRL's plans for 2011 and beyond at Homestead in his 12-minute address Wednesday.
Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., said last weekend that Homestead, about a 30-minute drive south of downtown Miami, isn't a worthy site for championship events. He referred to the track's location as "North Cuba" and indicated that he expected the IRL finale to be in Las Vegas for at least 2011.
"I've worked really hard to promote the Homestead race," Kanaan said. "I've seen the growth of the public there. We announced the unification of the series there in 2008. It's part of the new history of the new league and it's a track that I heart a lot. We're not filling the place like the Cup guys do, but it's increasing."
Kanaan is hopeful for a return to Homestead in 2012.
"I will do whatever it takes," Kanaan said. "I work for my team and I work for the league, but if there's something that can be done, I'll be the first one to do it."
-- IndyCar
Formula One
Ferrari escapes with no more F1 sanctions
PARIS (AP) — Formula One's governing body decided Wednesday not to impose more sanctions on Ferrari for breaking rules on team orders at the German Grand Prix.
The FIA said in a statement after a day-long meeting that its World Motor Sport Council upheld the $100,000 fine that was imposed on July 25 at Hockenheim when Ferrari driver Felipe Massa let teammate Fernando Alonso overtake him to win the race.
The council could have stripped Alonso of the victory or docked the team points or imposed another fine. However, the FIA said that "after an in-depth analysis of all reports, statements and documents submitted, the judging body has decided to confirm the stewards' decision of a $100,000 fine."
The FIA also said it would review the ban on team orders, which was introduced following the 2002 season after Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello to hand victory to Michael Schumacher in the Austrian Grand Prix.
In July, Massa led 49 of 67 laps in Germany before allowing Alonso to pass him following Ferrari radio messages. Had Alonso been stripped of the race victory, he would have fallen 66 points behind current leader Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings.
With six races left in the season, including Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Alonso remains 41 points behind Hamilton — who leads with 182.
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali and team lawyers attended the hearing in Paris.
Domenicali has maintained that Ferrari didn't give explicit orders to Massa at the German race, although the Brazilian driver received a message from race engineer Rob Smedley saying Alonso was faster than him.
The radio message was seen as a clear order to let his teammate pass him, but Massa said after the race it was his decision to slow down.
"In my opinion this was not a case of team orders. My engineer kept me constantly informed on what was going on behind me, especially when I was struggling a bit on the hard tires," Massa said. "So I decided to do the best thing for the team."
-- Samuel Petrequin
Italian GP likely to narrow field of F1 contenders
MADRID (AP) — The trio of drivers chasing Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber in the Formula One standings will need to make up some ground at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend to keep the title race from becoming a two-man affair during the final event in Europe this season.
Although five drivers are still in the hunt with six races left, Hamilton of McLaren and Webber of Red Bull have opened up some room atop the standings after finishing 1-2 at the Belgian GP.
Hamilton has 182 points to lead Webber by three, while Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull fell behind after another lapse of judgment in Belgium. Vettel crashed into defending F1 champion Jenson Button at Spa, knocking the McLaren driver out of the race and leaving Vettel out of the points.
Vettel has 151 points, Button 147 and Fernando Alonso remained on 141 Wednesday after F1's governing body decided to not sanction Ferrari or its drivers beyond a $100,000 fine already levied. Ferrari was accused of breaking F1 rules by ordering Felipe Massa to let Alonso overtake him for the win at the German Grand Prix in July, but a FIA disciplinary hearing decided the team's 1-2 finish will stand.
McLaren has an edge, however, as Hamilton and Button were running 1-2 until Vettel's erratic passing maneuver. That momentum is expected to carry over to the track outside of Milan, which is the circuit's fastest and is well-suited to the British team.
Things are looking better for McLaren, however, as Hamilton and Button were running 1-2 until Vettel's erratic overtaking maneuver. That momentum is expected to carry over to the track outside of Milan, which is the circuit's fastest and is well-suited to the British team.
"Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging," Button said, "so I'm optimistic that we'll be able to maintain that form in Italy."
Red Bull has consistently been the fastest team in qualifying, taking the pole position in 12 of 13 races, but has only managed to convert that into six victories, with Webber taking four of them. The Italian race could provide an extra challenge as Red Bull's straight-line speed isn't its strongest point.
"I think we can still do well at Monza," Webber said. "We might have a bit more in the way of opposition. Besides Ferrari, McLaren and Renault, Force India could also be in the mix for the top places."
Robert Kubica of Renault was third in Spa, when the French team ran its F-duct system for the first time. Renault is unsure whether it will go with the aerodynamic upgrade in Italy.
"This circuit can sometimes throw up some surprises," Kubica said. "If the car feels as good as it did in Spa, then there's no reason why we won't be competitive in Monza."
Vettel returns to the site of his first F1 victory looking to ease criticism following his crash into Button, which came after a similar run-in between him and Webber prevented a Red Bull 1-2 at Turkish GP.
"Here was one of those races where it just did not go his way," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. "He needs to stay calm and focused and eventually it will come his way."
While Ferrari has problems off the track, Alonso said the team was encouraged by straight-line testing after the Spa race, where he crashed out close to the end while Massa was fourth.
"I am therefore confident about our chances of getting back to fighting for a place on the podium," said Alonso, who won in Monza with McLaren three years ago.
Seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher also returns to race in front of the Tifosi for the first time since coming out of retirement to join Mercedes. The German driver won five of his championships with Ferrari.
-- Paul Logothetis
Auto Racing Glance
(All Times EDT)
NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
Air Guard 400
Site: Richmond, Va.
Schedule: Friday, practice (ESPN2, noon-3:30 p.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 5:30-7 p.m.); Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (ABC, 7-11:30 p.m.).
Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles).
Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps.
Last year: Denny Hamlin won for the first time on his home track, beating Kurt Busch in the regular-season finale. Hamlin is from Chesterfield.
Last week: Tony Stewart raced to his first victory of the year, pulling away from Carl Edwards off the final restart at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stewart snapped a 31-race winless streak, the second-longest drought in his 12-year career.
Fast facts: The event ends the 26-race regular season. The top 10 in the season standings — leader Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Stewart, Edwards, Jeff Burton, four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Hamlin — have clinched spots in the 10-race, 12-driver Chase. Greg Biffle (3,110 points) is 11th, followed by Clint Bowyer (3,066), Ryan Newman (2,949), Jamie McMurray (2,938) and Mark Martin (2,919). ... Johnson and Hamlin lead the series with five victories, with each worth 10 bonus points when the points are reset for the Chase. Harvick has three victories. ... Kyle Busch won the May race at the track.
Next race: Sylvania 300, Sept. 19, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NATIONWIDE
Virginia 529 College Savings 250
Site: Richmond, Va.
Schedule: Thursday, practice; Friday, practice, qualifying, race, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 7-10 p.m.).
Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles).
Race distance: 187.5 miles, 250 laps.
Last year: Carl Edwards took the lead from Kevin Harvick on pit road with 24 laps to go, then held off Harvick for the fourth of his five 2009 victories. Racing with a broken right foot, Edwards had to start at the back of the field after his team made adjustments to his Ford after the cars were impounded.
Last week: Jamie McMurray won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, holding off Kyle Busch for his first series victory since 2004. Edwards was third.
Fast facts: Busch has a record-tying 10 victories in 21 Nationwide starts this year. He also won 10 times in 2008 to match the record set by Sam Ard in 1983. Busch, not running for the season championship this year after winning the 2009 title, is second on the Nationwide victory list with 40 — eight behind Mark Martin. ... Brad Keselowski, the May winner at the track, leads the standings — 332 points ahead of second-place Edwards with nine races left. Keselowski has four victories this season. ... The race is the third of four this season for the series' new car model.
Next race: Dover 20, Sept. 25, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS
Next race: TheRaceDayRaffleSeries.com 175, Sept. 18, New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, N.H.
Last week: Series leader Todd Bodine raced to his fourth victory of the season, holding off Johnny Sauter at Kentucky Speedway. Kyle Busch was seventh, ending his three-series winning streak at four races.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Italian Grand Prix
Site: Monza, Italy.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.), Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (Speed, 7:30-10 a.m., 1-3:30 p.m.).
Track: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (road course, 3.6 miles).
Race distance: 190.8 miles, 53 laps.
Last year: Rubens Barrichello raced to the second of his two 2009 victories, beating Brawn GP teammate Jenson Button.
Last race: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix on Aug. 29 to take the lead in the season standings. Red Bull's Mark Webber was second.
Fast facts: Hamilton, a three-time winner this year, has 182 points — three more than Webber with six races left. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is third with 151, followed by defending series champion Button (147). ... Button is racing for McLaren this season, and Barrichello is driving for Williams.
Next race: Singapore Grand Prix, Sept. 26, Marina Bay, Singapore.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Next race: Indy Japan 300, Sept. 18, Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan.
Last week: Helio Castroneves raced to his second victory of the season, running the final 53 laps at Kentucky Speedway on one tank of fuel. Dario Franchitti finished fifth to cut season leader Will Power's lead to 17 points with two races remaining.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA FULL THROTTLE
Next event: O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Sept. 16-19, zMax Dragway, Concord, N.C.
Last week: Larry Dixon raced to his 10th Top Fuel victory of the season, winning the playoff-opening U.S. Nationals in Clermont, Ind. Dixon became the first driver in NHRA history to win 10 finals in a season without a loss. Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Louis Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
OTHER RACES
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES: Northwest Ohio Ford Dealers 200, Sunday, Toledo Speedway, Toledo, Ohio. Online: http://www.arcaracing.com
GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES: Utah 250, Saturday (Speed, 2-5 p.m.), Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah. Online: http://www.grand-am.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car, Gold Cup Race of Champions, Thursday-Saturday, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, Calif. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Sprint Car, Friday, Lincoln Park Speedway, Putnamville, Ind.; Saturday, Terre Haute Action Track, Terre Haute, Ind. Online: http://www.usacracing.com
