Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family and friends during this holiday season!  Remember, the 2012 NASCAR season is just around the corner and will be here before we know it! 

Your fellow NASCAR fan,

Ashley Schindler/The NASCAR Corner

Kurt Busch Signs with Phoenix Racing

Phoenix Racing website 

Many know that Landon Cassill piloted the No. 51 during the 2011 season, but it’s now official, Kurt Busch has a ride for next year.  He will drive No. 51 for Phoenix Racing in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012 and will take part in the Daytona test next month.  

Since 1990, owner James Finch has been in the Sprint Cup Series, flying under the radar.  In those twenty-one years, he only has one win - with Brad Keselowski in April 2009 at Talladega Superspeedway.  

Today, December 22, it was announced that Kurt Busch, who based on a mutual agreement left Penske Racing, will be driving for James Finch and Phoenix Racing during the 2012 season with long-time Phoenix Racing crew chief, Nick Harrison.  Kurt will greatly benefit this because Phoenix Racing gets their cars and engines from Hendrick Motorsports, one of the top teams; after all, they did win five consecutive championships.  

Since Kurt Busch has won at least one race every season in the past ten seasons, there’s a very good chance that he will continue this and win a race for Phoenix Racing - which will virtually get them on the Sprint Cup Series map and radar.  

Why else was this a good deal for Busch?  James Finch said, “I told Kurt, ‘I won’t fire you, and you won’t quit. We’ll do whatever it takes — roll in the mud if we have to to win. I’ve worked construction all my life just so I could race and have a good time. I’ve worked with iron workers, I worked with construction workers, so working with a driver is not going to be a problem.”

Only time will tell if Phoenix Racing is a good match for Kurt Busch.  

NASCAR Fan of the Week!

“Fan of the Week” is a new series of blogs that I will be writing to help The NASCAR Corner become more interactive and fan-friendly.  Once a week, you can send an e-mail to thenascarcorner@yahoo.com or on Facebook (no entries via Twitter will be accepted) and submit your name, what makes you an extreme NASCAR fan, and explain why you should be spotlighted as the “Fan of the Week.”

I will read all entries (one per person) and will choose.  If you are not chosen, please don’t be discouraged.  You can resend the same e-mail once per week.  If you are chosen, you will be notified immediately and you will be asked to answer some NASCAR-related questions for a short interview that will be posted on the blog.  Everyone is eligible. Once you become a “Fan of the Week,” you will not be eligible again.

I hope you all enjoy this new idea! NASCAR Fans….start your e-mails!

Everyday I'm Shuffling...Well, the Crew Chiefs Are

"Every day, I'm shuffling."  Not only are they lyrics to a song, they also apply to this off-season; mainly in regard to the crew chief changes.  For me, it seems like last year there weren't many changes on top of the pit box, but this year, it would probably be easier to write an article on who didn't change teams.

Are you ready for a load of information?  Well, here it goes.

Steve Addington, former crew chief for the No. 22 of Kurt Busch, left Penske Racing before it was announced that Kurt Busch would too be leaving.  Shortly thereafter, it was posted that Addington would be moving over to Stewart-Haas Racing to be 2011 Sprint Cup Series Champion, Tony Stewart's crew chief.

Drew Blickensderfer, Ron Hornaday's son-in-law and David Ragan's former crew chief, is now headed over to Richard Childress Racing and will be Jeff Burton's new crew chief.  Blickensderfer helped Ragan win the Coca-Cola 400 this past year at Daytona.  As many of you may or may not remember, Jeff Burton got a new crew chief a little over half-way through the 2011 season and from that point on, his finishing spots became higher and higher.

Denny Hamlin and Mike Ford were a powerhouse in 2010, but didn't have an ideal 2011 year.  It was announced that Mike Ford would be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing and would be replaced by 2011 Sprint Cup Champion crew chief, Darian Grubb.

Greg Zipadelli, former crew to Joey Logano, is now leaving Joe Gibbs Racing and will head over to Stewart-Haas Racing to be their Competition Director and interim crew chief for Danica Patrick.  Zipadelli helped Logano win at New Hampshire in 2009.  Logano will have a new crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, who was Kyle Busch's crew chief in the Nationwide Series. 

Mike Beam will move over to Kyle Busch Motorsports as the Nationwide Series crew chief.  It was announced today that Kurt Busch will be piloting the car.  

Shane Wilson, Clint Bowyer's crew chief before he moved to Michael Waltrip Racing, is now Kevin Harvick's crew chief.  Gil Martin, Harvick's former crew chief and Richard Childress Racing employee since 2000, has been named the Director of Team Operations.

Clint Bowyer is settling into his new home at Michael Waltrip Racing and is getting used to new crew chief, Brian Pattie. Pattie, however, isn't a newbie to racing; he was Juan Pablo Montoya's crew chief.  

Finally, Chris Heroy, who formerly worked as the No. 5 team engineer with Mark Martin, has been named as crew chief for Juan Pablo Montoya.  As some of you may remember, like Jeff Burton, Montoya also received a new crew chief a little more than half-way through the 2011 season.

Only time will tell if all of these crew chief changes will have a positive or negative effect on the teams.

A.J. Allmendinger is Out of the No. 43?

Credit to Google

NASCAR news usually ends up breaking on Twitter; whether it's a crew chief change or a driver being taken out of a ride.  That's exactly what just happened.  About a half hour ago, it was reported that AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 43 with Richard Petty Motorsports has been released from the No. 43, which seems to be due to an issue with retaining Best Buy as a sponsor.  It's been stated that he's out of the No. 43 - but nothing has been said about leaving RPM.   

The rumor mill is swirling that Kurt Busch may be placed in the No. 43 next year and this has some NASCAR fans enraged.  No further information has been announced at this time, but when it is, I will most definitely update this article with all the details.  

Scott Speed Joins Leavine Family Racing

Credit to Scott Speed's Facebook

CONCORD, N.C. (December 13, 2011) – Scott Speed has joined Leavine Family Racing (LFR) for a limited 15-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for 2012 in the No. 95 Ford.

A veteran of all three of NASCAR’s premier national touring series, Speed joins Leavine Family Racing after making 13 Sprint Cup starts with Whitney Motorsports’ in the No. 46 Ford.

Speed will be competing in his fifth Sprint Cup Series season. The California native competed full-time with Red Bull Racing in 2010; earning two top-10 finishes and leading 21 laps.

“We are pleased to have Scott Speed join our team,” team owner Bob Leavine said. “We, as a team, want to give Scott the equipment and the resources he needs to win – and that is what I believe he will do for us in return.”

“Scott is a proven driver. He was the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti and has a lot to offer our program as a teammate and a competitor.”

Speed has made 18 starts in the Nationwide Series and 16 starts in the Camping World Truck Series over the past four years. He posted a truck series win at the Dover International Speedway in 2008. His best Nationwide Series finish came on the road course at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last year where he placed sixth. Speed earned career first pole in the series in 2009.

Speed began his racing career in Karting at the age of 10. Making his way through the open-wheel racing ranks throughout the West Coast, he made his Formula One debut in 2001. From there he has successfully competed in Formula One making 28 career starts before making the transition to stock-car racing in 2007 with the ARCA Racing Series.

The 28-year-old driver is thrilled to have the opportunity to compete with Leavine Family Racing.

“I am excited to team up with Bob Leavine and his guys at Leavine Family Racing,” Speed said. They have a solid group of guys working on the team and I think it will be a real fun deal. Our goal is to build this race team to become competitive. We know it will be baby steps, but we are all excited to get it rolling.”

About Us
Leavine Family Racing (LFR), currently a two-team operation in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and the ARCA Racing Series, is a Texas-based team – headquartered in Tyler, Texas. The racing team, which boasts an entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Scott Speed – the No. 95 car. The team is solely owned by Bob and Sharon Leavine and the Leavine family.

*Official Press Release from Leavine Family Racing*

College Complete will Help You Land a Job in NASCAR

Credit to College Complete

Saturday night, October 15, Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Cup championship still a very real possibility for fan favorite Jimmie Johnson, one small mistake sends the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet crashing into wall on Turn 2. The caution comes out and the fans hold their breath, unsure yet as to the fate of one of the sport's true heroes. As the smoke billowed from the mangled engine and various unidentifiable liquids poured down the asphalt, the stench of burning rubber permeating the air, everyone anxiously waits for the traditional signal that all is well - the thumbs up from the driver. Although the horrific accident did end this year's Chase for Jimmie Johnson, he walked away from the crash for the most part unscathed, and headed back to the medical center for the mandatory NASCAR evaluation.

Fifteen minutes later, the remains of Jimmie's car is gone, back in the garage to be loaded onto the hauler. The track is once again free of rubber, debris, oil, and gas, and the green flag waves in the air - we're racing! Jimmie, himself, has been evaluated, cleared, and released, eager to compete again in next week's competition. All of this a byproduct of the hard work and dedication of some of the most overlooked and underappreciated participants in our sport: the fire safety professionals, the medical teams, and, of course, the clean-up crews.

Rarely seen on camera yet ever-present on the track, these teams are as much a part of NASCAR as the drivers, themselves. Their jobs are difficult, their training is extensive, and the roles they play at each and every race ensuring the safety of the drivers and fans is crucial to the success of the sport. And crucial to the success of these teams, the source of their specialized training, is a myriad of college degrees, trade certifications, and hard work.

For those of you who love this sport as much as I do, nothing could be better than earning a living in NASCAR. Unfortunately, most of us are not Jimmie Johnsons, so the prospects of us driving a Cup car to a checkered flag finish are probably pretty slim.

And that's where NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sponsor College Complete can help!

If your goal is to find a career working in one of the hundreds of supporting roles in NASCAR, College Complete can help you figure out how to get started on the education and training required to make it happen. Their service is 100% free, and they can help you wade through the thousands of educational opportunities that are out there, narrowing down what schools and what programs are best suited to move you down your chosen path. 

To speak with one of their Education Advocates, call 877-543-2655 or go to http://www.collegecomplete.com/contact. A 15 minute conversation with College Complete could be the start of a long professional future within the sport you love!

This article is part of a series that highlights the many career opportunities available within NASCAR, for those of us who don't have the talent of No. 48!

Kurt Busch: Alone and Looking

Credit to Zimbio

No one said the NASCAR season ended with the last race at Homestead.  Over the past two weeks, there have been multiple crew chief changes, a Sprint contract extension, and today, Kurt Busch was let go from Penske Racing based on a mutual decision between both driver, owner, and sponsors.  

Roger Penske issued a statement today, "While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors."

After being with Penske Racing for six years, after his release from then, Roush Racing, Kurt has accumulated sixteen wins, one being the 2010 All-Star Race.  That’s not all he’s accumulated; he went through three crew chiefs, most recently, Steve Addington.  

Controlling his feelings was not a strong point for Kurt.  He got into verbal fights with crew chief Steve Addington, his No. 22 crew, and even Roger himself.  He also didn’t have a good relationship with the media, often getting into fights with them, or in one case, ripping up reporter, Jenna Fryer’s paper.  

Everyone knows about Kurt’s infamous outburst at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he verbally lashed out on ESPN reporter, Dr. Jerry Punch while waiting for an interview and gave a NASCAR official “the finger” while driving back to the garage after an early-race incident took him out of contention for the win.  These actions cost him fifty thousand dollars.  

With every good thing Kurt did over the past six years, there was a bad thing.  This not only concerned Roger Penske, but it also concerned the sponsors who pay to have their name associated with the driver.  I mean, who would want their name associated with something negative.  Very understandable.  

After seeking the help of a sports psychologist, and doing some thinking over the Thanksgiving weekend, Kurt decided it was time for a “fresh start.”  

I’m left with a question, if that video of Kurt’s outburst was never recorded and posted on YouTube, what would’ve happened?  Sure he would’ve been fined, but would he have been let go from Penske Racing?  Another question we’re all wondering is who will fill the seat of the No. 22?  Will it be David Ragan, David Reutimann, or Brian Vickers?

No matter what, I sincerely wish Kurt Busch the best of luck in getting his anger issues fixed, and hope that he finds a ride for next season and beyond.  

To see Kurt’s personal statement video that was issued, visit his website, http://kurtbusch.com/.