Danica Patrick wrecks herself crashing Landon Cassill

21 Oct
2012

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Danica Patrick was frustrated with Landon Cassill. However, as she drove into turn one on Cassill's rear bumper on lap 155 of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, she got the worse end of the accident.

Patrick entered the corner with her front fender on Cassill's rear bumper, and maintained the contact through the turn while moving him up the track. Her message was delivered, as Cassill's car went into a spin. But Patrick's did too, and when she went to straighten her car out in turn 2, she ended up sliding back up the track and slamming into the wall.

"I have just been really frustrated with the No. 83," Patrick said after getting out of her car. "He slammed into me on the front straight for no other reason than his radio communication 'She was in the way.' I've always played fair. If it's one time, I can imagine frustration. But it's been pretty consistent with him getting in to me. So at some point in time, I have to stand up for myself, or everybody's going to do it. So, the bummer is that this is my Texas car. We were having a good run, we were making the car better. And, I'm out of the race and he's not."

Her crew chief, Stewart-Haas Racing competition director Greg Zipadelli was not amused with Patrick's attempt at retaliation, telling her, according to the ESPN broadcast that "You know better than to do that."

Before crashing Cassill, Patrick was inside the top 20 and on the lead lap in her eighth Sprint Cup Series start of the season before she moves full time to the series in 2013. But because of the damange, she finished 32nd. Cassill was able to keep going. He finished 18th.

"My situation with [Cassill] is really a product of frustration," Patrick said. "He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in the way. That's really no good reason to hit me. If it's one time, I can imagine it's frustration, but it's been quite a few times with him. At some point I have to stand up for myself so this doesn't happen with other people. I chose today. The bummer about it is that my car is out, and he's still out there going, so I've got to work on how to do that."

Tags: bummer, , Cassill, , Kan., landon cassill, Landon Cassill KANSAS CITY, , , Sprint Cup Series, , ,
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Danica Patrick disappointed with 2012 results

19 Oct
2012

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- With four races to go in the 2012 Nationwide Series season, Danica Patrick is 10th in the points standings, two points ahead of Joe Nemechek, who has run one fewer race. She has two top 10s, and the most memorable moments of her season aren't celebrations, but rather disappointments.

"I feel like we've been overall much faster than what our results have showed and performed better in the race than what our results have showed," Patrick said. We definitely had a pretty long stretch of bad luck through the summer and I feel like that was maybe where we had the most speed. Everything from Elkhart to Daytona to Iowa, there a bunch of races that things happened that were not completely out of my control but definitely not always in my control fully.

"I feel like with that in mind, it's been an okay season. We recognize as a team that we need to find speed and that's why you've seen the changes happen in the team that have happened. We all want to get faster. We all want to be more competitive and I feel like we've been inching a little bit closer here at the end of the year. I don't know if we'll get all the way by the end of this season but making progress is key."

At Road America, Patrick was hit by Jacques Villeneuve on the final lap while running fourth. She crashed in both Daytona races, and in the first Iowa race, lost a tire and finished 30th. Oh, and we can't forget the shoe. While leading at Montreal, Patrick ran over a shoe that had been thrown onto the track by a fan. And then, in a problem later determined to be unrelated to the shoe, something broke on the car and she finished 27th. 13 points-eligible drivers have competed in every Nationwide race this season, and among them, only Mike Wallace, Jason Bowles and Jeremy Clements are lower in the standings.

Next year, Patrick moves full-time to the Sprint Cup Series for Stewart Haas Racing. Tony Gibson, the current crew chief for Ryan Newman, will be her crew chief next year, and will also be atop her box for her final two Sprint Cup Series races in 2012. Matt Borland, SHR's vice president of competition, will become Newman's crew chief starting at Martinsville. Newman and Borland worked together at Penske Racing.

"For me, ultimately because I'm moving on, it's about learning and understanding cars understanding changes and just getting a better grasp of all of the elements for the weekend," Patrick said. "Ultimately I am disappointed with the results. I wish they were better. I wish there were better things on the record books. I would imagine a lot of drivers can say that at the end of the year."

Oh, and about Patrick's relationship with sponsor GoDaddy.com? SHR co-owner Tony Stewart doesn't seem too worried.

"As far as what came out yesterday it hasn't even been to our department yet and our side," Stewart said. "We don't really have anything to do with that at this point.  I think whatever happens it will be interesting to see when it comes Super Bowl Sunday for sure.  As far as what she is doing with the race team and the commitment there it is all the same. For us we read everything yesterday and laughed about it and going on."

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Tags: , , , Joe Nemechek, Kan., , , Nationwide Series season, Ryan Newman, SHR, , Sprint Cup Series, , yesterday
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Video: Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks about decision to part ways with Eurys

21 Sep
2012

On Friday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke publicly for the first time since the decision earlier in the week to replace Tony Eury Jr. as Danica Patrick's crew chief at JR Motorsports. A week earlier, the team parted ways with Tony Eury Sr.

Junior said that the decision to part ways with Eury Jr. — an original partner in JR Motorsports — was a mutual one. He also said that his plan for JRM for 2013 would be two full-time cars running for the title and then himself in a car for 3-5 races. To hear Junior's comments directly from the source, give the play button a push.

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Just over a week after Tony Eury Sr. and JR Motorsports parted ways comes more surprising-but-not-really news: His son, Tony Eury Jr., has also left the company. Eury Jr. was both Danica Patrick's crew chief and a part-owner of the company.

"Unfortunately Tony Jr. is no longer with the company," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a statement. "I had hoped he would be here for a long time, but as we've discussed the direction of JR Motorsports moving forward, it was clear our differences in ideas were too vast to overcome.  I love him like a brother, and you'll never hear me say a bad thing about him.  I know he'll have much success in anything he does going forward."

That's got to be tough for Earnhardt, but as the weeks wore on this season, it became clear that something was very off at JR Motorsports. The question, of course, is what. Let's speculate a bit: JR Motorsports revolves around Danica Patrick, and Patrick has, to put it charitably, not exactly lit the track on fire this season. (That's what's called a "softball" for you commenters.)

Could a difference of opinion on Ms. Patrick's value and potential be the cause of the rift between the Earnhardts and the Eurys? It's certainly possible. Tony Eury Sr. said at the time of his departure that the team needs more proven Cup-level drivers, and whatever millions Patrick may generate, she's not yet a proven Cup-level driver.

Regardless, it's a tough day for fans of Earnhardt. Watching the team from this point on without the assistance and advice of the Eurys will be interesting indeed.

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Happy Hour: Tony Stewart is a throwback to old-school NASCAR

29 Aug
2012

Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.

Admit it. You spent Sunday afternoon slinging heavy things around and weighing whether you could get away with throwing them at a passing car. It wasn't just me, was it? Anyway, let's get to your letters ...

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Tony Stewart is perhaps the last of a dying breed. He's old-school NASCAR, back when drivers like Earnhardt, the Allisons, Cale Yarborough and others weren't worried about being "politically correct." I guess that is also why I have a problem supporting people like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and the others who are more worried about what people might think, than being completely honest and open. It does not, however, mean that I condone behavior which puts the safety of others at risk (as some do). It just means a little spunk now and then is good and Smoke knows how to do it. When he retires I will be truly sad because an era will have ended.

— Joyce Keith

Agreed. That helmet toss was one of the most old-school moments we've had in a long time in NASCAR, and I'm glad that most (not all, but most) people are taking it that way. I do think you're being a little hard on the Hendrick boys; at this level in NASCAR, you have to be somewhat concerned with what people think, or you're not going to be at this level for long. Mouthiness is fine, but you'd better have the horsepower to back it up, and few in NASCAR do. Stewart does, and that allows him to get away with a lot that would get others suspended.

I will say that most people, Stewart included, who proudly declare their "political incorrectness" are "looking for a way to rationalize acting like a jackass," but hey, you can't deny it makes for more interesting racing.

Guess what's next! More Smoke!


________________

After Saturday's race at Bristol I was amazed at the number of people getting on Tony's back for the helmet throw. He's not the first to do it, and I found it rather entertaining. But people say he went too far. They need to realize he has more on the line than most drivers out there because he is half team owner, meaning he has to pay half to replace or repair the crashed cars. And with 3 of them getting wrecked on Saturday his bill will be big this week. If I were Kenseth I'd have extra mirrors put in my car.

— Haywood
Clinton, Iowa

I think Stewart has too much respect for the integrity of the sport to go take out Kenseth early in the Chase. But if both of them fall out of contention? Yeah, he'll send Kenseth off to Joe Gibbs Racing (allegedly) with a nice little spin.

And in re. the number of people getting on Stewart: this is NASCAR. Everybody hates something, and lots of people hate everything. Of course a helmet-toss is going to bring out the gripers, just as it would if Stewart a. did nothing b. flicked Kenseth the bird c. mooned the 17 and d. bought Kenseth flowers and a little stuffed teddy bear.

____________________

If it weren't for Danica Patrick and Smoke, there would have been no drama at Bristol. Everyone is blogging about the wagged finger or thrown helmet. Love her or hate her, Danica brings new eyes to NASCAR. And it doesn't matter whether you tune in to root for her or watch her crash, you are tuning in. Bottom line is she is good for the sport. Now if she can just loosen up and start throwing helmets...

— Dean
Centerton, AR

Like you, I was SO hoping Danica was going to launch her helmet at Smith. But — and I honestly don't know if this is being sexist here, but it probably is, so, sorry in advance, ladies — what if she threw it like a girl? You know, overexaggerated, too high of a release point, no wrist snap, all that. Wouldn't that have been worse? And given Danica's luck, it probably would have rebounded and knocked her in the forehead. Or ended up detonating Jeff Gordon's car, one of the two.

________________

It seems that whenever you cross the thin line that separates a good retaliation with a bad one, NASCAR steps in, no matter what. Kyle Busch last year needed to sit for his wreck of Ron Hornaday at Texas. NASCAR did nothing to Jeff Burton or Jeff Gordon when they fought (shoved) each other at Texas as well. NASCAR needs to let drivers retaliate as long as safety doesn't get pushed out of bounds. Carl Edwards wrecking Brad Keselowski at Atlanta and Gateway was stupid retaliation, but when you spin someone out but don't wreck them, that's OK in my book.

— Matt P.
Wynne

I'm with you, retaliation within bounds should be acceptable. Gordon and Burton weren't hurting anybody, least of all each other, with their punches. Edwards did cross a line with Keselowski, and the fact he wasn't punished more severely raised a few eyebrows. As is always the case with NASCAR, the only consistency is inconsistency.

Still, there's merit to settling scores right there on the asphalt. Shoot, I wouldn't mind tapping the rear quarter panel (not a euphemism) of that weaving nimrod in traffic in front of me, but the cops kind of frown on you putting minivans into the guardrail EVEN IF THEY TOTALLY DESERVE IT.

________________

Trivial question. Upon leaving the pit box, have spent lug nuts been thrown, causing damage to humans and/or other cars?

— Fish
Puckerbrush, Virginia

Puckerbrush. Lovely town. Just south of Muddleburp. Anyway, here's a tip for those of you who might be lucky enough to get close to a NASCAR track after a race is done: go over to pit road and grab a lug nut or two. They're all over the place, and they're a killer souvenir. They're also a potentially harmful little projectile, and yes, they do get launched in the air by a car peeling out of a pit stall (usually a car cutting through another stall, as the lug nuts off your own car tend to fly away from the car itself). It's why crews wear safety goggles and the like.

Also, "The Flying Lug Nuts" would be an awesome name for an impromptu NASCAR band. Y'all let me know if you need a guitarist.

And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at . You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!

Tags: , , Happy, Jeff Gordon, Kenseth, , , , Tony Stewart
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Yep, Danica Patrick wrecks again: Regan Smith puts her into the Bristol wall

25 Aug
2012

You can love Danica Patrick or you can hate her, but you can't argue that she hasn't had some really rough luck this season. After a miserable practice session in which she consistently brought up the rear of the pack, timing-wise, Patrick ran decently at Bristol largely by keeping her head while everyone around her lost theirs. She was on the verge of a top-20 finish — not the stuff of which legends are made, but not what we'd have expected from that practice session, either — when contact with Regan Smith on lap 435 sent her into the wall and into a fury.

"This is Bristol, and this is why people love this track is because you see a lot of that and you see tempers flare," she said afterward. "The team did a great job and everything was running really smoothly. So it's a shame that we lost that. But you know, Bristol is a place where you find out who's playing fair and who's not."

[Related: Tony Stewart flings helmet at Matt Kenseth]

Her team was far less diplomatic, cursing over the radio and vowing revenge on Smith.

Smith, for his part, was contrite: "I just pushed up into her," he told SB Nation. "Trust me when I say this: No one wants to be the guy who wrecked Danica."

Patrick punctuated her anger by angrily wagging her finger at Smith. That was unfortunate; she should have joined her boss Tony Stewart in flinging a helmet. If she'd connected, she'd instantly gain legions of new fans.

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Tags: , , luck, Matt Kenseth, , pack, Patrick, rear, Regan Smith, , Tony Stewart, verge, Yep
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Denny Hamlin takes Bristol for his third win of the season

25 Aug
2012

Denny Hamlin, Chase points leader?

If you were to think of Denny Hamlin's 2012, it wouldn't be crazy if the first thing that came to mind was Hamlin's fiery escapades at Michigan at Watkins Glen, summer issues that resulted in 34th place finishes.

But that would be overlooking Hamlin's wins at Phoenix, the second race of the season and at Kansas, the eighth. And Saturday night at Bristol, the 24th race of the season, Hamlin grabbed win number three, meaning that as of now, he's set to start the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series tied atop the standings.

Recently, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson have been the two most heavily mentioned as favorites for the 10 race dash for the championship, and last week at Michigan, Greg Biffle made it a point to include his team in the championship discussion. Now? Hamlin should be included in the discussion too.

[Related: Tony Stewart flings helmet at Matt Kenseth]

In the 16 races since that Kansas win, Hamlin has three second place finishes, but also has six finishes outside the top 20 thanks to a myriad of problems and circumstances -- a primary reason he hasn't been in the "serious contender" championship discussion. And early in Saturday's race, an incident on pit road made seven in 17 outside the top 20 look like a strong possibility.

While leaving his pit stall, Hamlin's made contact with Landon Cassill as Cassill was entering his. Cassill's left front bumper smashed directly into Hamlin's right front tire. The impact, while at low speeds, was a direct hit. Soon after, Hamlin radioed to his crew that he was afraid that the toe had been bent.

But on the ensuing restart, Hamlin held his ground, and over the next few hundred laps, slowly crept up through the top 10. If the toe had been bent, it certainly wasn't affecting the performance of his car. On lap 461, thanks to a two tire stop, Hamlin passed Carl Edwards (who was trying to stretch his fuel mileage after deciding to not pit with the lead with 85 laps to go) for the lead and quickly pulled away.

[Related: Danica Patrick wrecked again at Bristol]

Yeah, it was a fairly anticlimactic final 40 laps of a race that started with a Ken Schrader gesture and featured a Tony Stewart helmet toss and a Danica Patrick finger wag, but that was a-OK for Hamlin, who called the win the biggest of his career. Plus, it overshadowed his dancing performance of "The Wobble" in the pre-race driver introductions, which led Hamlin to say after the race that "if you're going to dance like a dumbass you have to drive like a badass." (Bristol is the only track on the Sprint Cup circuit where the drivers pick their own entrance music and have a chance to say something to the crowd.)

And that, he did. Given the parity throughout the Chase field, Hamlin may want to consider dancing during driver intros before every race.

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Tags: , , , discussion, helmet, landon cassill, , , Related, , Tony Stewart,
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Video: Danica’s Bristol challenge, Harvick’s crew chief dance, Hornish’s chances at the 22

23 Aug
2012

We're back at Bristol, and that's one of Danica Patrick's Sprint Cup races for the year. Can she finish in the top 30? Can she finish the race? We shall see. Also on the docket: questions about Kevin Harvick's return to old crew chief Gil Martin and Sam Hornish Jr.'s prospects for staying in the No. 22 next season. Enjoy!

Tags: , , crew chief dance, , , Enjoy, Gil Martin, Hornish, kevin harvick, , , , Sam Hornish Jr.
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Jeff Gordon was really unhappy with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Michigan

19 Aug
2012

Everything was going so well for Jeff Gordon. He'd been charging forward for the last few months, working his way up the standings from joke to afterthought to respectable competitor to wild-card holder. Then came last week and a spin at oily Watkins Glen, and then Sunday at Michigan, when absolutely nothing went right.

As you can hear in the video above, Gordon was furious at Dale Earnhardt Jr. for hard racing ... much to Earnhardt's surprise. The issue, apparently, was how Earnhardt was handling restarts:

[Related: Danica Patrick hits a shoe while leading Montreal Nationwide race]

"He took me four-wide [on the restart] and that wasn't that big of a deal, but then he slid up in front of me off of Turn 2, and I had to check up or I would have wrecked all of us," Gordon said afterward. "So, I just didn't think that it was the smartest thing to do, especially as teammates. But, he chose to do it and that's fine. It all worked out. I don't care who I'm racing out there; I'm going to show my displeasure if I'm not happy about something. But that one was pretty close; but no big deal. I'm glad to see he's running good. Those guys have really got their car dialed-in here at Michigan this year."

Quality response by Gordon, especially considering he was off the track soon afterward for unrelated engine issues, and a smart one for the long term. Chances are this "feud" is already over and done with, but still ... makes for some good radio, yes?

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Tags: , , Earnhardt, , holder, , Jeff Gordon, , , Related, Watkins Glen, ,
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Watch Justin Allgaier win at Montreal amidst all the craziness

18 Aug
2012

Yes, Danica Patrick's run-in with a shoe may go down as the most memorable event of Saturday's Nationwide race at Montreal, but the rest of the race was pretty wild as well.

Justin Allgaier passed Jacques Villeneuve for the race lead on the final lap after getting into Villeneuve's back bumper. It initially looked that Villeneuve was out of gas -- the race had been extended six laps thanks to a second attempt at a green white-checker attempt and Villeneuve was trying to make it over 40 laps on a tank of fuel.

For many, it felt like just desserts for Villeneuve, who has been become known for his, shall we say, aggressive driving style in the Nationwide Series. Heck, earlier in the race, he dumped fellow Canadian Alex Tagliani. And that contact was juuuuuuust a tad more prolonged than the contact with Allgaier. (A few laps earlier, Tagliani hit Villeneuve's back bumper when he went for the lead in turns one and two.)

So, yeah, Montreal didn't disappoint again. Wouldn't you like to see the Cup Series race here?

Tags: Alex Tagliani, , contact, , , gas, Jacques Villeneuve, Justin Allgaier, , Montreal, , , Villeneuve
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