2008 OPeR Award: Best Guest ON PIT ROW

January 3, 2009

I’m going to boast a little, if that’s OK with you.

Steve does a great job of lining up guests for our weekly radio show. It almost makes it worth having to listen to him brag about the names that he has saved in his cell phone.

This OPeR isn’t meant to slight any of our semi-regulars, like Jeff Hammond, Lee Spencer, Dave Despain or Booty Barker. I don’t have room to list all our guests and there isn’t one that hasn’t been a blast for us.

But when NASCAR opens the new Hall of Fame, Bobby Allison may very well be in the first class inducted. And we talked to him last while he was watching a young family member’s Little League game. It was the best.

Written by Charlie Turner · Filed Under 2008 OPer Awards, NASCAR, NASCAR podcasts, On Pit Row, Show News | Leave a Comment

The Chase Returns Home to Lowe’s Motor Speedway

October 5, 2008

Lowe’s Motor Speedway was the first of NASCAR’s venues to sell naming rights and change its name from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The one and half mile long quad-oval track seats 167,000 people, with room for 50,000 more race fans in the infield. Completed in 1959, it was the first speedway to host nighttime superspeedway racing beginning in 1992, and to offer year-round residences with 52 condominiums available over turn one. Owned by Speedway Motorsports; which has its corporate headquarters on the same property, the speedway is considered to be the home track for the far majority of NASCAR teams who are based within fifty miles.

Along with the main oval, the speedway also has a 2.25 mile road course in the infield, a 0 .6 mile kart track in the infield, a quarter-mile oval using part of the front stretch and pit road, and an 0.2 mile oval outside turn three. Also, across the street from the speedway, is a 0.4 mile dirt track that opened in May 2000.

Amazingly most of the records held at Lowe’s are held by many of the past heros of the sport. Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip shore the lead with six wins each. Allison also shares the most top fives with Richard Petty; while The King also has the most top tens, with thirty-one and most starts with sixty-four. Allison has led the most laps, while David Pearson holds the record for most poles with fourteen.

In 2005, the surface of the circuit had started to wear from its last paving in mid-1994, resulting in the track’s treatment in a diamond-grinding process to smooth out bumps. This process of levigation, caused major tire problems during both Sprint Cup Series events with a record 22 cautions at the Coca-Cola 600. It was the first Sprint Cup Series race to go more than five hours in 25 years. Speed increases, as a result of the levigation caused the tire problems that resulted in the speedway being repaved in 2006.

In the past seventeen races dating back through 2000, Jimmy Johnson is the biggest winner among Chase drivers with five. The only other multiple winner over that time period is non-chaser, Kasey Kahne. The remaining wins have been spread among nine different drivers including Chase participants Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart.

This could be the race where non-chase drivers have the best chance at a win. Kasey Kahne especially has proven he can win on the prototype for the cookie cutter tracks. Kahne proved his mettle as recently as the All-Star event this year. Once again though Jimmy Johnson would be the best bet of the Chase contenders to bring home a win.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Written by Steve Wronkowicz · Filed Under Hendrick Motorsports, Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR, Nascar Chase 2008 | Leave a Comment

Bobby Allison ON PIT ROW today!

April 22, 2008

NASCAR legend Bobby Allison will head another stellar cast of contributors to our weekly night of racin’ chat, broadcast live from the Toledo Speedway.

ON PIT ROW will start the night with Fox Sports senior writer Lee Spencer and her insight into everything NASCAR. Lee is one of our favorite people and she always has the good stuff on what’s happening at the track and in the garages.

Bobby Allison will return for his third time ON PIT ROW. Who could be better than one of the original Alabama Boys to talk about Talladega and NASCAR.

Steve’s working on another surprise or two as well, so tune in to the live stream at 5 PM EDT right here at OnPitRow.com

The On Pit Radio night continues from the Speedway with INSIDE ARCA. Listen live to The ARCA RE/MAX Power Hour featuring Iowa winner Matt Hawkins.

We’ll check in with our ARCA Insider Phil Parsons and get the scoop on the Iowa weekend and what to look for at Kansas. Crew chief Patrick Donahue will be back with more on the nuts and bolts of running an ARCA operation.

The ARCA Short Track Report will feature short track veteran Ron Allen who is closing in on his 100th ARCA victory.

You can listen to all of this right here as well as at ArcaRacing.com for the ARCA programming.

Update! Steve-O came through again! Special guest at 6:05 PM EDT - Boris Said!

Written by Charlie Turner · Filed Under Inside the ARCA Remax Series, On Pit Row, Show News | 4 Comments