BRIDGEPORT, N.J. -- NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died after an accident Wednesday night at a dirt car event at Bridgeport Speedway.
The 37-year-old Leffler, a two-time winner on the Nationwide Series,
was pronounced dead shortly after 9 p.m., New Jersey State Police said.
Bridgeport Speedway is a 5/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval.
Leffler finished last Sunday at Pocono in his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the year.
It is being reported that New Jersey State Police are lauching an investigation into the death, which is routine.
Leffler, who was driving the Tom Buch No. 13, had something break
on his car coming out of Turn 4 during a heat race. According to
reports, the car veered towards the fence and hit the wall head on.
According
to witnesses, Leffler was unconscious at the scene. He was taken by
medevac to Cooper Trauma Center where he later died from his injuries
according to NBC10Philadelphia.
Although he never made it at the Sprint Cup Series level, Leffler ran
almost the entire 2001 season for Chip Ganassi Racing and ran 19 races
in 2005 for Joe Gibbs Racing in the car now driven by Denny Hamlin.
Major League Baseball is expected to
seek suspensions in the coming weeks against 20 players, among them
Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, for their connection to a Miami area clinic
at the center of the doping scandal.
Tony Bosch, the founder of the now-closed Biogenesis of America, agreed to cooperate with MLB's investigation, sources told ESPN's Outside the Line, giving the league the green light to move ahead with the suspensions.
If
the suspensions are upheld, the MLB doping scandal would be the largest
in American sports history, comparable only to the 1919 'Black Sox
fiasco,' in which eight players from the Chicago White Sox were banned
from baseball for life for intentionally losing games to allow the
Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series.
Careers in jeopardy: Yankees' Alex Rodriguez
(left) and Brewers' Ryan Braun (right) are among 20 MLB players who
could be looking at 100-game suspensions for their alleged ties to a
Miami clinic
Notorious: The now-closed Biogenesis of America
clinic in Miami is a the center of MLB's massive performance-enhancing
drug scandal
The commissioner's office might
seek as many as 100-game suspensions against Rodriguez, the Boston
Brewers' Ryan Braun and others for their suspected connection to the
clinic and their denial of the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
MLB
officials reportedly have clinic records listing the names of about 20
players that Bosch could confirm when he meets with them next week.
LIST OF 20 MLB PLAYERS FACING SUSPENSIONS:
Ryan Braun Brewers
Everth Cabrera Padres
Melky Cabrera Blue Jays
Francisco Cervelli Yankees
Bartolo Colon Athletics
Nelson Cruz Rangers
Fautino de los Santos Free agent
Gio Gonzalez Nationals
Yasmani Grandal Padres
Fernando Martinez Astros
Jesus Montero Mariners
Jordan Norberto Free agent
Jhonny Peralta Tigers
Cesar Puello Mets
Alex Rodriguez Yankees
In a recent interview with ESPN, Bosch
pleaded ignorance regarding PEDs and claimed that media accounts
accusing him of distributing illegal substances among players amounted
to 'character assassination.'
'I
have been accused, tried and convicted in the media. And so I think [I]
have been falsely accused throughout the media,' he told ESPN's Pedro
Gomez. 'I've done nothing wrong.'
According
to Outside the Line, Bosch's claims that he had nothing to do with PEDs
are at odds with accounts from numerous sourced who said he helped
provide banned substances to possible dozens of athletes.
In exchange for Bosch's cooperation, MLB has agreed to drop the lawsuit it filed against him in March.
However,
Bosch also could be facing a criminal investigation. He recently
received a cease-and-desist letter from the Florida State Department of
Health, which referred the case to law enforcement.
Bosch's
name first surfaced in 2009 after then-Los Angeles Dodgers player Manny
Ramirez tested positive for testosterone. MLB officials reviewed
Ramirez's medical file and discovered a prescription for human chorionic
gonadotropin, which was written out by Bosch's father, Dr Pedro Bosch.
Ramirez was suspended for 50 games and was sidelined a second time for 100 games in 2011 after he failed another doping test.
Bosch
appeared on MLB’s radar a second time last summer in connection to
Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal, who also tested
positive for testosterone and received 50-game suspensions during the
2012 season, the Chicago Tribune reported.
DOVER, Del. — Tony Stewart’s win in the FedEx 400 gave him an
opportunity to squelch rumors of crew chief Steve Addington possibly
being replaced.
Stewart called such reports inaccurate and said he was upset that it
was being reported by media outlets as a possibility amid Stewart’s
struggles this year.
Tony Stewart was ticked off by rumors of crew chief Steve Addington's release. (AP Photo)
“I was ticked,” he said after the race Sunday. “I don't need that
crap. I've got enough stuff to worry about, keeping three cars
competitive and trying to get them in that state and having to deal with
a bunch of bullcrap that's inaccurate and speculation.”
Entering the race Sunday, Stewart was 20th in the standings with
just two top-10 finishes. After capturing his first win of the season,
he moved up to 16th.
“You might want to talk to the guys that write the checks, the guys
that work there, and find out the facts before you guys go throwing
darts on the dartboard,” he told the media.
“I'll be honest, it pissed me off because it was a big distraction
to my team, my organization. It kept us from doing our job, because
people are hearing rumors and reading what you guys write, and it was
totally inaccurate and unprofessional in my opinion.”
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series driver (18) Kyle Busch drives under a portion of the
television CamCat overhead camera systems rope during the Coca Cola 600
at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 2013. A report provided
by the speedway stated that 10 fans were injured when a nylon rope fell
over the grandstands in Turn 4 on lap 121 of the race. Seven fans were
treated for minor cuts and scrapes at on-site care centers and released.
Three people were transported to an area hospital for further
evaluation. The rope was a guide for the network television CamCat
overhead camera system. Jeff Siner - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
A nylon rope used to suspend a Fox Sports overhead television
camera came loose during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola
600, injuring at least 10 fans.
Track officials announced early Monday that all 10 fans have now
been treated and released. Three of the fans were taken to area
hospitals and seven were treated at the racetrack. Fox Sports announced
late Sunday that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
The incident happened 121 laps into the 400-lap race at Charlotte
Motor Speedway. Long strands of the rope got tangled in some cars,
causing damage to then-race leader Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota and Marcos
Ambrose’s No. 9 Ford. The race was delayed about 26 minutes.
The nylon rope fell on the grandstand along Turn 4. The track
described the rope as a guide to the “CamCat,” overhead camera system,
which Fox uses for a variety of sports.
The all-star race on May 18 and the Coca-Cola 600 was the first time the system has been used at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It snapped down and then flew down everywhere,” said Alec
Schaffer, 22, of Richmond, Va., who was not injured. “Hats, popcorn,
concessions were flying. It flew back up and everyone started holding
the wire. Everyone was like, ‘what is going on?’ and then we realized it
was the cable.
“It was grabbing people’s hats, drinks, everything. Someone’s hat had to have gone 25 feet in the air.”
One of the injured fans, Todd Seymour of Lenoir, said that
despite some fans saying they heard the rope snap, he did not. Instead,
the rope hit the back of his head and came to rest on his right shoulder
and right arm.
“I picked it up and it took back off,” Seymour said. “When it took back off, it caused the burn.”
Seymour had his right forearm treated and wrapped in gauze 6 inches wide.
He said his injury was more of an abrasion than a cut, though he
did see one fan in front of him bleeding “really bad.” That fan left
through the stairway and onto the concourse between sections D and E.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- A NASCAR appeals panel sided with Joe Gibbs Racing on Wednesday and eased some of the penalties imposed for having an illegal part in Matt Kenseth's race-winning engine at Kansas last month.
NASCAR punished JGR after discovering during a post-race inspection
that one of eight connecting rods in the engine at the April 21 race did
not meet the minimum weight requirement. The part was too light by 3
grams, less than the weight of an envelope.
JGR did not dispute the part was illegal, but argued the penalties
were too severe because it leases its engines from Toyota Racing
Development and is not permitted to touch anything inside of them.
Toyota accepted responsibility and insisted one light rod did not give
Kenseth a performance advantage.
The three-member National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel agreed and dramatically reduced almost every penalty.
The points deducted from Kenseth were reduced from 50 to 12, which
moves him from 11th in the standings to fourth. The panel also
reinstated the three bonus points he earned for the victory for seeding
in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
The panel also reduced crew chief Jason Ratcliff's suspension from
six races to one race, and eliminated the six-race suspension for owner Joe Gibbs.
It let stand Ratcliff's $200,000 fine. The only action the panel took
was increasing Toyota's penalty from a five-point fine to seven points.
''Glad to have today behind us so we can get our focus back on
racing. I respect NASCAR and the appeals process, I feel like they got
it right,'' Kenseth posted on Twitter.
NASCAR star Kurt Busch has dealt with more than his share of
professional and personal splits over the past couple of years. He and
motorsports powerhouse Penske Racing parted ways following a tumultuous,
headline-grabbing 2011 season, leaving the 2004 Cup Series champion
with the much smaller and less-funded Phoenix Racing team for 2012. He
and his wife, Eva, also quietly separated in 2011, eventually divorcing.
Now it looks as if Busch is moving on from one of the couple's former
homes as well. His Virginia Beach, Va., condo just hit the market for $2.8 million -- and it's also up for rent for $5,000 a month.
The
three-bedroom, four-bath space is far from what race fans might expect
from the rough-and-tumble Busch. Built in 2007, the 3,371-square-foot
condo is full of modern
finishes, including granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and
a dark mosaic backsplash in the kitchen. Although darker woods and
finishes fill much of the space, floor-to-ceiling windows provide plenty
of natural light, and well-placed pendant lighting
adds beauty and function. According to property records, Busch
purchased the condo for just over $2.8 million in 2009, so he would
break even if he manages to get his full asking price.
The 2013 season also marks a fresh start professionally for the
34-year-old. Now driving for Furniture Row Racing, Busch is currently
No. 29 in Sprint Cup standings. And with 23 races left before the Chase
for the Sprint Cup, the 34-year-old has plenty of time to secure a spot
in NASCAR's version of the playoffs and a trip to Champion's Week
festivities in his native Las Vegas.READ MORE HERE>>>>>>>>>>>>
MARYSVILLE (AP) — A speeding race car careened off a track and into
pit row during warm-up laps at a California raceway Saturday night,
killing a 14-year-old boy and a 68-year-old man, officials said.
Six or seven cars were on the track when the car veered into pit row
and ran into the two victims, who happened to be standing side-by-side,
Yuba County Sheriff's Capt. Ron Johnson said. He said the two were
affiliated with one of the cars or drivers but did not yet know how.
Neither the 17-year-old driver nor anyone else was injured, he said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene at Marysville Raceway Park
some 40 miles north of Sacramento, and the boy was declared dead either
at the hospital or in an ambulance, the officer told The Associated
Press.
The raceway was hosting the California Sprint Car Civil War Series on the opening day of its season.
Steven Blakesley, the announcer calling the race from the stands,
said the sprint cars were doing so-called "hot laps" about an hour
before the race when a car driven by Chase Johnson, traveling at about
90 mph, couldn't make a turn.
"There must have been a mechanical problem," Blakesley said. "The car didn't slow down. "
Tia Norfleet says she plans to race in NASCAR but has not been licensed by the sanctioning body. (Facebook Photo)
Nearly two years ago, Tia Norfleet told Sporting News
that she was working toward becoming the first female African-American
driver in NASCAR and hoping to pave the way for other African-American
drivers to enter the sport.
Since then, she’s been promoting herself as an accomplished driver
working her way through the NASCAR ranks and claims that she plans to
race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this year.
But, according to a report in The New York Times, much of what Norfleet has been promoting is not true.
According to a March 6 story in The New York Times, Norfleet is not
licensed to compete in NASCAR and has drawn the ire of NASCAR officials
for the way she has been promoting herself.
“I am uncomfortable with Tia representing herself in the way that
she has,” Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR’s vice president for public affairs and
multicultural development, told The New York Times.
In May of 2011, Norfleet, the daughter of former NASCAR driver Bobby
Norfleet, told Sporting News that she planned to make her NASCAR debut
later that year and hoped pave the way for other African-American women
to race.
“That’s one of the things I want to change,” Norfleet said in an
interview with SN’s David Steele. “We want to bring a different light to
NASCAR. You ask the average person, black, what NASCAR is, and they
say, ‘You drive around in a circle, and that’s it—so what?’
“Well,” she continued, “they don’t see anyone there they recognize, or that they can identify with.”
The National
Rifle Association is taking its relationship with racing to a new level
as the title sponsor of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
The deal with Texas Motor Speedway
comes at a time when the NRA is involved in a renewed debate on gun
violence in the wake of the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Conn.
“It’s not about politics. It’s about
sports marketing,” TMS president Eddie Gossage said Monday after the
announcement of the one-year agreement with the NRA that includes a
renewal option.
The April 13 race at Texas, the first scheduled night race in the Cup Series this season, will be known as the NRA 500.
This is not the NRA’s first title
sponsorship in NASCAR. The group sponsored the second-tier Nationwide
race last September at Atlanta, which like Texas is owned by Speedway
Motorsports Inc.
For those who believe the idiots on TV saying one cannot foresee a "once in a lifetime event" and congratulates NASCAR as doing everything they can do, maybe they should watch this video- and remember, PEOPLE ARE STILL ALLOWED TO WALK ON THE FRONT WALWAY DURING A RACE! CRAZY!
This is Bobby Allison's crash that resulted in the horrfic restrictor plate rule that increased the risk of cars having huge crashes.
Daytona Beach, Fla. — NASCAR, which has spent the past decade making its cars safer, was facing questions Saturday about the security of its fans after a vicious Nationwide crash injured at least five people.
The
pits at Daytona International Speedway were cleared Saturday evening to
evacuate fans injured when parts of a car went through and over the
fence at the end of the race.
It was unclear immediately how many
people were injured or how seriously after several cars crashed and
disintegrated in front of a grandstand. Radio transmissions indicated
helicopters were being brought to the pits to transport the injured.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick reacted to winning the Daytona
500 pole, the first ever Cup pole for a female driver, like any racecar
driver would.
She was thrilled with the accomplishment but knew she played just a small role.
Danica
Patrick won the pole Sunday at Daytona 500 qualifying, becoming the
first woman to claim Sprint Cup's top starting spot. (AP Photo)
The 30-year-old Patrick had already set several historic benchmarks
for women in racing, including the only woman to win an IndyCar race,
the highest finish of any female in the Indianapolis 500 (third), the
highest finish of any female in a NASCAR national touring series race
(fourth) and the highest season-ending finish of any female in a NASCAR
national touring series (10th).
So
she knew the significance Sunday when she became the first woman ever
to win a pole for the Daytona 500 and in the 2,354-race history of
NASCAR’s premier series.
“I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl,” Patrick said.
“That was instilled in me from the very young, from the beginning. .
… I've been lucky enough to make history, be the first woman to do many
things. I really just hope that I don't stop doing that. We have a lot
more history to make.”
She made history while also knowing that winning a pole at Daytona,
even one for the Daytona 500, often tests the limits of the car and not
the driver’s expertise.
A driver keeps the gas pedal pressed to the floor the entire lap and
must concentrate on hitting their marks just right over the 2.5 miles
around Daytona International Speedway.
That’s why Patrick, a rookie who has run just 10 Sprint Cup races
and only one Daytona 500, deflected much of the credit to Stewart-Haas
Racing crew chief Tony Gibson.
“I appreciate the recognition, but it really falls 90 percent on
Tony and his guys, everybody that gives me the car to go out there and
be fast,” Patrick said, “and maybe 10 percent on me.”
Patrick, fastest in practice Saturday, turned a lap of 196.434 mph
to win the pole Sunday by 0.142 mph (0.033 seconds) over four-time Cup
champion Jeff Gordon.
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon in August 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Cropped from original (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jeff Gordon was fed up with Clint Bowyer and
decided the final laps of Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Phoenix
International Raceway was a good time to take out a season’s worth of
frustration.
Gordon intentionally wrecked Bowyer’s No. 15 Toyota
late in the AdvoCare 500, a move that ruined both cars and led to a
melee between the teams in the garage and Bowyer to say that Gordon’s
action “makes us look like a bunch of (idiots).” Read the story here>>>>>>>>
Longtime sponsor sticks with NASCAR as Axalta Coating Systems
One of NASCAR's longest-running
sponsors will have a new name in 2013, meaning a new look for the
sport's winningest active driver.
Jeff Gordon will be backed in 14
Sprint Cup series races by Axalta Coating Systems, formerly known as
DuPont, which had graced the four-time champion's No. 24 Chevrolets
since his debut in NASCAR's big leagues more than 21 years ago. The
change was announced Monday after the Carlyle Group completed its
acquisition of the performance paint business for $4.9 billion.
Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement later Monday that the sale
would not affect the company's continued support of its NASCAR efforts.
"We may have a new name on the No. 24 Chevrolet SS in 2013, but it's
the same core group that I've enjoyed working with for more than 20
years," said Gordon, who has long been associated with DuPont's splashy
paint schemes. "We've had success together on and off the track. We plan
to carry that success into our third decade."
The newly rechristened Axalta Coating Systems
is positioning itself as "a global supplier of coatings to the
transportation and industrial sectors," according to its new owner, an
asset management group that serves the aerospace, defense,
transportation, energy and infrastructure sectors.
"The new name reflects the company's complete focus on the coatings
sector and our commitment to performance excellence," Axalta said on its
website, which is still under development. "While our name has changed,
the fundamentals of our business have not."
End of an Era
DuPont announced the sale last August,
capping months of sale rumors that the company never denied. The DPC
unit lagged DuPont's fast-growing science- and biotech-oriented
businesses. News of layoffs and a disappointing third quarter followed in October. Though not unexpected, the decision spelled the end of an era.
Lucas Oil produces and markets 350 oil and lubrication products in 26
countries. It has headquarters in California and a plant in Corydon,
Ind.
As for racing, Lucas Oil sponsors more than 700 race teams, drivers and events. It owns television network MAVTV.
The company started humbly, founded in 1989 by Lucas, who grew up in Southern Indiana and was a long-haul trucker at the time.
He started alone, selling items out of the back of one of those trucks.
Today,
he has more than 400 employees. While the private company doesn't
reveal its sales or profit, it has been reported Lucas Oil revenues are
$150 million annually.
The company uses its involvement in motor
racing to research, market and develop its products while generating
sales through major retail automotive chains, truck stops and independent speed shops throughout the country.
Lucas
hosted a luncheon Friday to let more than 300 visitors to the
international motorsports show know he is committed to the industry.
NASCAR drivers continue to give feedback from testing of the 2013
models, and Ford Racing released a video on Wednesday featuring driver
and technician reaction from the October test session at Talladega as
teams grind toward the season-opening race at Daytona.
TALLADEGA, Ala. – If you or I had been involved in a wreck like the one that claimed the cars of Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
and more than two dozen other NASCAR drivers on Sunday afternoon, we'd
curl up in a fetal position at the thought of going near a car ever
again. This was the kind of high-speed, full-throttle, nowhere-to-hide
carnage that allows real life to edge its way into your sporting Sunday,
forcing you to think, just for a second, that something really bad
might just have happened more>>>>
Tony Stewart has this pre-race ritual in which he walks up to someone and grabs their butt. It is supposedly for good luck. DeLana
Harvick, wife of driver and Stewart buddy Kevin Harvick, is often the
victim. She has jokingly discussed on the Sirius Speedway radio show how
she needs to avoid Stewart to make sure she doesn't give him any luck.
Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick’s temper-tantrum outbursts at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night were just what NASCAR needed.
Drama.
There is nothing like some helmet-hurling or good old fashioned finger-pointing to make a sport more exciting to watch.
Tony
Stewart set the tone with an aggressive two-handed sidearm throw of his
helmet at the front of Matt Kenseth’s car during the caution with
precision. The public hissy fit was almost as amazing as his comments to
David Caraviello from NASCAR.com after the race. Via nascar.com:
"I
checked up twice to not run over him, and I learned my lesson there.
I'm going to run over him every chance I've got from now 'til the end of
the year. Every chance I've got."
A lightning strike in the parking lot at Pocono Raceway after a rain-shortened NASCAR race Sunday killed one person and injured nine others, racetrack officials said.
It wasn't immediately clear if all 10 people were actually struck by lightning in the parking lot behind the grandstand, nor was it known whether one or multiple strikes occurred during the thunderstorm.
Two people were taken to hospitals in critical condition after the strike, racetrack officials said.
Dangerous weather: A lightning strike in the parking lot at Pocono Raceway killed one person and injured nine
Taking cover: The storm happened at the Pocono racetrack in Long Pond, Pennsylvania on Sunday
Racetrack president Brandon Igdalsky said one of them later died at Pocono Medical Center, but he provided no further details.
'Unfortunately, a member of our raceway family here, a fan, has passed away,' he said.
The race was called because of storms, with 98 of the 160 scheduled laps completed.
The track posted warnings on its Twitter page near the end of the race encouraging fans to 'seek shelter as severe lightning and heavy winds are in our area.'
Jeff Gordon, who won the race, said he could hear a huge crack as he walked down the pit road during the storm.
Cut short: The race cars were covered in wake of the sudden storm
Concerned: Winner Jeff Gordon, seen celebrating with his wife and kids, Tweeted his fear about fans' safety
'You could tell it was very close,' he said. 'I mean, that's the thing that's going to take away from the victory, is the fact that somebody was affected by that.'
One person remained hospitalized in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, said Bob Pleban, a track spokesman.
The other five people were taken to various hospitals with minor to moderate injuries, he said.
'Certainly our thoughts are with them,' Mr Gordon said.
The
three-bedroom, four-bath space is far from what race fans might expect
from the rough-and-tumble Busch. Built in 2007, the 3,371-square-foot
condo is full of 
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