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New On Pit Row

We’re pretty excited about some new additions to OnPitRow.com and I haven’t done a very good job of getting the word out. So pay attention. My job depends on it.

We have added some stats for fantasy racing players. These NASCAR fantasy racing stats are almost to the point of overkill and won’t be for everyone. But if you want to dig deep into past performance of specific drivers and particular race track stats for fantasy racing, check out our - still developing - drivers pages. You can view - and download - a complete set of NASCAR Loop data stats for any driver in our One and Done fantasy NASCAR pool. More content will be added to those pages soon. Watch this space, as they say. Here is David Ragan’s page for example.

And we have track stats for NASCAR fantasy gamers too. Check out the Phoenix International Raceway page for 40 pages of NASCAR Loop stats on PIR alone. The Talladega Superspeedway page is available too. As with the drivers stat pages, we will be adding more fantasy racing stats and information soon.

On the video front, check out our Bench Racing TV page when you have a chance. We’re posting Mindy Monday’s latest Monday Morning Crew Chief video there each week along with any other cool stuff we find. The folks at Shell Gasolines sent us an early copy of Kevin Harvick’s Old west Showdown spoof, which is now all over the place. But when we get them, we’ll post them for you.

Finally, if you haven’t noticed yet, the ON PIT ROW radio show is now available On Demand. We are finally hosting our own archived shows right here at OnPitRow.com on the Listen Live page. For a long time, ON PIT ROW’s web home was at RaceTalkRadio and we will always value that relationship. But we’ve wanted to host our own from the time we first started OnPitRow.com.

Stay tuned ’cause there’s more to come but if there’s anything that you want to see or hear, let us know. Thanks for joining us On Pit Row.

If you are thinking of doing any actual NASCAR betting you may be better served by finding actual NASCAR odds at a service that is involved in online wagering or something. We, most assuredly, are not.

Photo credit: Ring - or Round Girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler - OnPitRow.com

On Pit Row Fantasy Racing Leagues are for You

Are you or you organization looking for a fully customizable NASCAR fantasy racing game?

Tired of fantasy racing that only lets you use NASCAR Sprint Cup scoring rules?  Want to use a driver pool of Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series drivers or score points in Sprint and Nationwide races? We have all that and more for you in our commissioner service including in-race scoring, driver notes and original content.

You get the whole season from February to November, all 10 months, all NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races for only $49.95.

Get a free trial until March 15th, 2009. That’s right, play for free and pay only if you like it!
Sign up here for your free trial here!

League Features

Realtime In-Race Scoring League News and Polls Message Board and Chat Home Page Customization Live Draft

Set up your league today. Sign up here. It’s the fantasy racing commissioner service from OnPitRow.com.

If you are thinking of doing any actual NASCAR betting you may be better served by finding actual NASCAR odds at a service that is involved in online wagering or something. We, most assuredly, are not.

Time to Hand Out Our OPeR Awards

As has been our tradition ON PIT ROW; the end of the year is time to pass out our own, sometimes offbeat, NASCAR awards.

Most people who cover NASCAR on at least a semi regular basis tend to give their opinions as to who deserves the accolades for their participation in the past season.  While Charlie and I do the usual Best Driver, Best Crew Chief type awards we like to venture a little further into the stories of 2008.

The offbeat tends to become normal in a thirty-six week points season in NASCAR world.  From totally undrivable tires at Indianapolis to Carl Edwards’ video game wall move at Kansas, there is plenty to remember in this season gone by.

Please give us your award winners for the following catagories and we may use your answers on this Tuesdays show.

Best and Worst Driver

Best and Worst Crew Chief

Best and Worst Owner

Best and Worst Team

Best and Worst Post Race Interview

Worst attempt at “Adjusting the Rules”

Best and Worst Junior High School-like Drama

Best and Worst Radio/TV Personality

Best and Worst NASCAR Network

Best Guest to Appear ON PIT ROW

Don’t be afraid to go a little “off center” with your answers.  Leave us a comment and we may use it on this weeks show or give us a call with your winners on Tuesday from 5-7pm ET, toll free at 877-502-8255.

photo credit:  Icon Sports Media

Mad Max Papis Podcast: Part Two

I got a chance to moderate a teleconference for Geico Racing with their new Cup Series driver Max Papis the week before the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale to the 2008 Sprint Cup Series.

As things worked out, Max wasn’t able to get the Geico Camry qualified for Germain Racing this time. They’ll have to wait for the 2009 Daytona 500 now.

I actually had three different opportunities to talk to Papis over a couple week period between his and Germain Racing’s first attempt to at a Cup Race at Texas Motor Speedway and the latest interview you can hear right here. Part one of this interview featured questions from Luke of the Thunder Lounge. This time, Matt Mercer of the Catfish Show and Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie gets in the act. Listen up.

geicopod2_part2

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

The Differnce Between Sure Things and WAGs

I was actually going to take this space to recap my picks during the recent 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The idea came from a sense of obligation - a need to fess up and face my results. But to rehash those predictions after the fact would be…boring. I did get a few right - Greg Biffle at Dover, Jimmy Johnson at Kansas and Carl Edwards at Homestead.

But I missed on seven. As I’ve said before, follow the advice you find here at your own risk. If you are thinking of doing any actual NASCAR betting you may be better served by finding actual NASCAR odds at a service that is involved in online wagering or something. We, most assuredly, are not.

The sure things at OnPitRow.com are the terrific writing by a staff of dedicated NASCAR observers and some of the easiest contests to win anywhere. In the last month, we’ve given out thirty some Kevin Harvick bobbleheads, courtesy of Shell gasolines, dozens of hats and diecasts and, as of Friday, five copies of A & E Home Video’s new  DALE EARNHARDT 10 GREATEST WINS .

My fantasy picks are more than wild guesses. I spend way too much time trying to make the right choices. But if you’re looking for a “lead-pipe cinch”, bet that OnPitRow.com and  ON PIT ROW - “the fastest two hours on radio” will have a bunch of new features and more cool stuff to give away as we get closer to Speedweeks.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - OnPitRow.com

Roush Fenway Fords Enjoy November Sun in Homestead

While only winning the championship in 2004, the Roush Fenway Fords are dominant at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Greg Biffle won this race three years running and Matt Kenseth capped off the season one year ago with a win. To add to the fun for the Cat in the Hat, Carl Edwards has a very good record here and David Ragan has a top 10 in his first start here last year. For Roush, those are good odds.

The championship is obviously the big story at Homestead, but every year the margin of victory is getting larger. From the incredible drama of Kurt Busch’s 2004 season to Tony Stewart’s and Jimmie Johnson’s solid if unspectacular runs in the years following, the championship chase is still must-watch television and the redesigned Homestead track deserves a lot of the credit. This year almost certainly promises to see Johnson do what only Cale Yarborough has done in NASCAR’s top series unless something freakish happens to the normally unflappable #48 team.

Paging David Gilliland, remember where your engines come from… anyway, lets get a look at the numbers.

The winners:
2007 – Matt Kenseth
2006 – Greg Biffle
2005 – Greg Biffle
2004 – Greg Biffle

Champs finish:
2007 – Jimmie Johnson – 7th
2006 – Jimmie Johnson – 9th
2005 – Tony Stewart – 15th
2004 – Kurt Busch – 5th

Let’s see, let me find a Roush Fenway driver that has had the best season this and won on similar 1.5 mile tracks… oh yeah, if you’re not anticipating Carl Edwards leading nearly every lap and winning this thing Sunday night, I’ll take whatever odds there are for the race. Aside from Edwards, Biffle does have a track record of winning here and could easily do it again.

The two sleepers I’ve pegged for this race are Ragan and Jamie McMurray. Both drivers have performed admirably in the final stretch of the year. The season finale always produces surprises, it should be interesting to see what happens this year. Among the one-off entrants are Brad Keselowski and Mark Martin, and the end of A.J. Allmendinger’s run in the #10.

Finally, it’s been a pleasure to write this weekly column for On Pit Row. I want to thank Steve and Charlie for all of their hard work and I look forward to continuing my contributions to the Bench Racing blog. Journey provides the season finale with the classic karaoke song Don’t Stop Believin’. YouTube is your friend. This won’t be like the Sopranos finale when the music just stops before the

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

The Kez Invades Toledo Speedway

On Tuesday, at the Toledo Speedway, while Steve, Charlie and I were preparing for the On Pit Row radio show, I could hear the sounds of a car outside on the track.  It was ‘rumored’ that  Brad Kesolowski was testing.  I decided to go check it out and possibly capture a picture or two of the guys on the track. 

The track is right outside of building where the show is broadcast.  So I stepped out the door, into the track facility, and I looked over towards the pit area and sure enough, there was a Hendrick Motorsports hauler.  As it turns out, the rumor was true.  Brad and teammate Landon Cassill were both testing cars.

The #5 was running most of the laps while I was there.  Brad’s #88 was being busily adjusted in the back of the track.  He did eventually, get his car out for some laps right before dark.  

I found a nice spot in the front stretch where there was a hole in the fence just wide enough to fit my lens through and waited.  It wasn’t long before Cassill’s car came around turn 4.  I felt the ground rumble, then the whoosh of the wind as the car went flying by within 4 feet of where I was standing.  It was a little scary and I had to fight the urge to jump back when the car got that close; even though there was a wall and a chain link fence protecting me.  It was also electrifying and an incredible rush.  

A man came up to me and told me Brad and Landon had been there since 7:30am.  We chatted a bit about how Kesolowski specifically wanted to come to Toledo for testing because it was a track he was familiar with and he needed to work on his short track program.

Mostly though, he wanted to warn me about the dangers of standing so close to the wall.  I thought about the dangers involved with racing…even testing.  I was done anyway, but I thought, I’d rather go out doing something I loved than wasting away alone in a nursing home.  It was a good afternoon.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

ARCA Angels is Driven to Help

Sometimes things just feel right.  Today, ARCA and  our company, Bench Racing Productions are announcing the launch of a cause marketing effort to be known as ARCA Angels. 

The program will run for eight weeks in conjunction with ON PIT ROW and INSIDE ARCA sponsored by Team Glock Racing, the two radio programs that are co hosted by Steve Wronkowicz and Charlie Turner from the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grill each week. 

“We are just trying to help,” said Mark Gundrum, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for ARCA. “There are people who are associated with ARCA and the sport of auto racing who need help, and we have formed a small group of people who are willing to help if they
can.”

You can read the entire ARCA press release here. 

We’re proud to be a part of the ARCA Angels effort and we hope to help continue the good work far beyond the initial eight week promotion.  We presently have plans for several different fund raising activities, many of which will center around the live broadcasts of the radio shows.  But we want to include the internet community in the program too.  If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

We have wanted to get ON PIT ROW and OnPitRow.com involved in some kind of charitable program for some time now.  As NASCAR observers, there is a tendency to immediately think of Victory Junction Gang Camp or one of the many driver foundations.  They all support great causes.  ARCA Angels is a start-up.  Something to help build from the beginning.  We are directing the help towards three specific situations.  It will be great to see, from close up, how the efforts benefit those who need it.  As I said, this just felt right, right from the beginning.

Live from Cayuga Motor Speedway!

There’s a real Buzz around the ON PIT ROW garage this week.  The ARCA RE/MAX Series has announced their plan to provide live streaming audio coverage of the Cayuga ARCA RE/MAX 250 to begin at 1:00 PM EDT this Sunday June 29th. 

It’s all part of a plan to webcast the seven 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series races that will not be carried on live TV, beginning with the 250 lap event from Cayuga Motor Speedway.  

My partner Steve Wronkowicz will call the race and I will be there, along with ARCA’s Don Radebaugh to provide color commentary and reports from the infield.  We’re pretty pumped!

Make sure you tune in the live webcast, starting at 1:00 pm Sunday.  Go to arcaracing.com where Team Glock Racing will present the call of the race and live timing and scoring as well.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Heading for the (Irish) Hills

As Steve, Charlie and I prepare for our quest to MIS tommorrow and I was planning my picture taking agenda, I recalled some unforseeable events from last year that made the experience exceptional. My photo op with Richard Petty comes to mind (he wanted to be shot in profile), turning around to almost be run down by Mark Martin heading… somewhere…and who can forget Steve’s ‘Little Tiff’ with Jeff Gordon (I know he never will). Can’t wait to see what tommorrow will bring.

Photo: Beth Anne Heisler On Pit Row

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