Fast Facts: Scott Speed



Photo Credit: LJ Cloud/Skirts & Scuffs

Scott Speed, driver of the No. 95 Ford Fusion for Leavine Family Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, recently added another first to his already-impressive driver’s resume: he won a gold medal in his first career RallyCross race in the 2013 X Games in Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. Check out the rest of Speed’s career in this week’s Fast Facts.

• Scott Andrew Speed was born January 24, 1983 in Manteca, California. He began his racing career in karting at age 10, and won three IKF regional titles along with  the SKUSA Super Pro title in 2000. His brother Alex still races karts, and has three Stars of Karting titles and three SKUSA Supernationals titles to his name.
• In 2001, Speed moved up to the US Formula Russell series, winning the title in his first season. He moved on to the US Barber Formula Dodge Series and US Star Mazda Series in 2002, then on to British Formula Three in 2003. He was forced to return to the States for treatment of ulcerative colitis during the 2003 season, but returned to the track in 2004, winning two championships in the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup and the German Formula Renault series.
• Speed’s results in 2004 led to a ride in the GP2 Series in 2005, as well as a spot as a test driver for Red Bull Racing’s Formula One program as the year progressed. Speed was the first American driver to participate in an F1 event since Michael Andretti in 1993. He competed in F1 for Red Bull Racing’s Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006 and part of 2007; he was released from his contract on July 31, 2007 and replaced by Sebastian Vettel.
• While his F1 ride was gone, Speed remained on good terms with Red Bull, and secured a US-based ride with the team later in 2007. He raced in selected ARCA Racing Series events in 2007 and the full season in 2008, when he contended for the championship. Speed also made his NASCAR debut in the Truck Series in 2007, and his Cup Series debut for Red Bull in October 2008.
• Speed attempted to qualify for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Dragon Racing, but was unable to get the car up to speed; he was later replaced by Patrick Carpentier, who went on to crash the car in practice.
• Speed and his wife Amanda welcomed daughter Juliet Leigh in October 2011. The family lives in North Carolina.
• Find out more about Speed at his website, www.scottspeed.com.  

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Kraig Kinser comes home on top at Orange County Fair Speedway

Photo Credit: Kraig Kinser Racing

Racing and Orange County (NY) go hand in hand. No speedway in the region or in the WORLD has as much history behind it as Orange County Fair Speedway! It is the oldest dirt track, which has been operating continuously, in the United States. This track has survived depression, wars, hurricanes, and calamities that would have sunk other enterprises. Last night, she played host to the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars. In the process she wrote another page of her history and an important page for second generation driver Kraig Kinser.

The Outlaws took to the hard clay track 23 cars strong with three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart in the field. He was driving his own Chevrolet Performance/Bass Pro Shop No. 14. The track record of 16.083 held by Joey Saldana was set in September 2008. The record would stand and quick time was set by Stewart with a lap of 17.027 or 132.143 mph. The remainder of the top five were Paul McMahan, Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz and Chad Kemenah. 

The short field called for three heat races with everyone transferring to the A Main and eliminating the need for a Last Chance Showdown. The first heat race was dominated by World of Outlaws point leader Daryn Pittman who crossed the line in front of Donny Schatz, Jessica Zemken, Tony Stewart and Steve Kinser. The race was a battle from fifth on back with Steve Kinser holding school on how to work the top of a slick, hard clay surface. Pittman, Schatz and Stewart would all transfer to the Dash. 

The second heat race would go to PA Posse member Ryan Smith with Cody Darrah coming hard at the line. Paul McMahan and Chad Kemenah would settle the battle for third at the line with McMahan coming in on top. Smith, Darrah, McMahan and Kemenah would all transfer to the Dash. 

The third heat was a battle between old school and new school heroes. Sammy Swindell would jump to the lead early and would cross the line 2.7 seconds in front of Joey Saldana, Justin Henderson and Kraig Kinser. Kraig Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Joey Saldana would transfer to the Dash. 

The Dash inversion was a six (6), which put Kraig Kinser on the pole. It was a hard fought six laps that was action packed from the drop of the green flag. Chad Kemenah would jump to an early lead over Kraig Kinser. Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart would battle all the way to the checkers for third place with Stewart coming home with the spot. 

With the top 5 rows of the A Main set, this event was next on the card. The 25 lap A Main was contended from second back. Kraig Kinser would jump to the lead and hold it for the entire 25 laps. The battle for second raged between Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart and Chad Kemenah. In the course of five laps, the third spot changed hands between Stewart and Schatz six times. After making a pass on the bottom of the track, which was the preferred line, Stewart moved to third and brought Paul McMahan with him relegating current champ Schatz to fifth.

Stewart would close on Kemenah attempting to make a high side pass on the final lap out of Turn 4; however, Kemenah would block to protect the spot, holding on to second. Stewart would come home third. Paul McMahan would cross the line in fourth with Schatz coming home a very close fifth. At the line, there was less than four car lengths between second and fifth. The KSE Hard Charger of the race was Steve Kinser who was the defending champion of the race. Kinser would advance four spots from 16th to 12th. Kraig Kinser would finish with a two second lead on the field.

“It’s been a rough start to the season. Hopefully we are getting rolling now,” said Kraig Kinser. “It feels really good to get a victory after the start we have had.”

Chad Kemenah said that he thought starting on the pole was a disadvantage last night. “We’d been better off starting second. We’ve been consistent lately so hopefully we can win one soon. The left rear tire was going away quick so I had to kind of coast a little bit at the end. I didn’t want to blow it out and end up with another disappointment like last year. “ 

Third place finisher Tony Stewart, who was celebrating his 42nd birthday racing with the Outlaws, said, “We would have had second if Chad hadn’t tried to run us in the wall there in four. But it’s part of it learning how these guys are going to race you. We will do the same thing to them tomorrow. But it feels good to finish third in our first time here. It’s a very momentum driven track. You have to stay very disciplined to do well here.” 

They say that history and time are fluid and that they run like a river. Last night, it ran like a fast moving stream of rapids with Kraig Kinser navigating it perfectly. The very quick and short night will leave a lasting memory on the young man from Bloomington, Indiana whose family history often over shadows his talent and ability. But last night it was the son not the father that showed the way and led the ship through the rough waters of the oldest dirt track in the country - Orange County Fair Speedway.

Qualifying: 1. 14-Tony Stewart, 17.027; 2. 51-Paul McMahan, 17.071; 3. 71M-Joey Saldana, 17.265; 4. 15-Donny Schatz, 17.276; 5. 63-Chad Kemenah, 17.301; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 17.324; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 17.325; 8. 4-Cody Darrah, 17.342; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell, 17.359; 10. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 17.366; 11. 69-Ryan Smith, 17.568; 12. O7-Justin Henderson, 17.593; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 17.609; 14. 7S-Jason Sides, 17.628; 15. 7-Craig Dollansky, 17.634; 16. 11-Steve Kinser, 17.799; 17. 6-David Gravel, 17.806; 18 29-Kerry Madsen, 17.839; 19 13-Jason Leffler, 17.853; 20 5-Justin Barger, 17.943; 21 28F-Davie Franek, 18.328; 22 6R-Bill Rose, 18.409; 23 1A-Jacob Allen, 18.527

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [1]; 4. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [6]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 7. 13-Jason Leffler [7]; 8. 6R-Bill Rose [8].

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 69-Ryan Smith [1]; 2. 4-Cody Darrah [2]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 63-Chad Kemenah [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 6. 5-Justin Barger [7]; 7. 6-David Gravel [6]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8].

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [2]; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 3. O7-Justin Henderson [1]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 5. 7-Craig Dollansky [5]; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen [6]; 7. 28F-Davie Franek [7].

Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature): 1. 63-Chad Kemenah [2]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 5. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 6. 51-Paul McMahan [5]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 8. 4-Cody Darrah [8]; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell [9]; 10. 69-Ryan Smith [10].

A-Main - (25 Laps): 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2] [$10,000]; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah [1] [$5,500]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [3] [$3,200]; 4. 51-Paul McMahan [6] [$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [4] [$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [7] [$2,300]; 7. 4-Cody Darrah [8] [$2,200]; 8. 71M-Joey Saldana [5] [$2,100]; 9. 69-Ryan Smith [10] [$2,050]; 10. 1-Sammy Swindell [9] [$2,000]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [14] [$1,500]; 12. 11-Steve Kinser [16] [$1,200]; 13. O7-Justin Henderson [12] [$1,100]; 14. 29-Kerry Madsen [18] [$1,050]; 15. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13] [$1,000]; 16. 5-Justin Barger [20] [$900]; 17. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [11] [$800]; 18. 7-Craig Dollansky [15] [$800]; 19. 6-David Gravel [17] [$800]; 20. 13-Jason Leffler [19] [$800]; 21. 6R-Bill Rose [22] [$800]; 22. 28F-Davie Franek [21] [$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [23] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Kraig Kinser 1-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 11-Steve Kinser [+4].

KSE Hard Charger - Steve Kinser, 16th to 12th 

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Caption this: Menard and Montoya

These two were hanging out on pit road at
Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend.
Caption this!

Leave your caption in the comment section below. One entry per person and please leave your name or twitter handle. Anonymous posts will not be eligible to win.

We'll take captions until Thursday evening, then the Skirts and Scuffs staff will vote to choose a winner. Check back this Saturday to read the winning caption.

And yes, there is a PRIZE! The "Caption this" winner will receive a copy of the book, Race Fans' Devotions to Go. The winner must follow instructions for sending us his or her contact info, as specified in the winning caption post.

Bring on your funnies. We look forward to reading them! :o)

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Why I Love NASCAR: Remembering... By: Chief 187™

Dick Trickle October 2006
Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

It was difficult to sit down and type this week’s article as a tragic end struck one of NASCAR’s finest.

Dick Trickle, for reasons only now becoming apparent, ended his life last Thursday.

NASCAR, a true family as well as an organization and sport, was shocked, reeling from the news, and deeply saddened.

News was scarce, emotions were high, and questions piled up.

Small tidbits – press releases – were published on every site covering NASCAR.

Some people were judgmental, angered and confused why any human being would choose this end. But that was a small minority.

Most people posted understanding, compassionate, and empathetic comments. Life is tough, navigating it even tougher.

NASCAR folk, on the whole, did what they do best in this time. They reached out, prayed, and reminisced.

The sum of Dick Trickle’s life was not in any way diminished by his actions on Thursday. The years raced, hundreds of races won, and countless fans delighted, define him.

Whether you followed Trickle’s career and can recount his numerous short-track wins, his smoking in the cockpit during caution laps, his approachable persona or simply knew his name - because let’s face it, it was a funny one - you probably had some knowledge of this driver.

Trickle wasn't a champion Cup driver, but he was a champion in other series. And, if you didn't know his name before 1990, you certainly became familiar with it after the movie Days of Thunder premiered. Tom Cruise’s lead character was named Cole Trickle, loosely based on Tim Richmond and incorporated real-life actions of other NASCAR personalities. Although the role wasn't based on Dick Trickle, the name made the masses curious about the real Trickle running in NASCAR.

Just the year before Days of Thunder premiered, in 1989, Trickle earned the NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award, an awesome accomplishment that was all the more special because Trickle was 48 years old.

Now-a-days a rookie that age would be unheard of, but back then drivers like Harry Gant and Trickle were testing the NASCAR Cup waters after a life spent racing on regional tracks.

Trickle raced all around his native Wisconsin, logging a reported one million laps of racing and an estimated 1200 victories out of 2200 contests entered. Known for short-track racing, Trickle was truly a driver with talent, prowess, and stamina.

No stranger to hard work, Trickle earned every dollar needed to race by tending to farms and working in the family blacksmith shop. It took years but he was able to collect enough money to buy a 1950 Ford, a car he morphed into a ‘stock car.’ The car lost the first unofficial drag race he entered against a classmate, so Trickle bought the winning car and put the motor in his Ford.

Once racing was in his blood, Trickle stopped doing it part time. He ran approximately 100 races per year for 15 years. He was a strong racer but had inferior engines.  As a “junkyard mechanic,” he always worked with the only materials available to him and his measly budget.

Trickle's 1989 Rookie of the Year car for Stavola Brothers
Credit: us44mt via Wiki Commons

Eventually Trickle got on the radar with those who notice talent. His equipment improved and his finishing position did, too. Trickle started collecting wins. Over the years he had to change manufacturers to continue to win regionally, but he adapted and kept racing.

Trickle had much success on the national level, too. From USAC and ASA to NASCAR, Trickle made his name known. Drivers such as NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Rusty Wallace have called Trickle a mentor.

I could list all of Trickle’s accomplishments, but you could look them up easily.

And I wish I could tell you I knew him, but sadly I never had the opportunity to meet him.

But I can tell you that I am most happy to have been a race fan when Trickle was competing in NASCAR.

I never met a race fan who didn’t have something nice to say about Trickle. His “racing man” persona, unapologetic personality, and actions on the track earned him great respect.

We’re left now with just memories, but that is legacy enough.

Tragedy strikes all families; NASCAR is no different. Like all who mourn the loss of a loved one, we must take our time, go through our emotions individually to come to terms with the news, and get to a place where we can think about the one we lost and smile.

Being surrounded by fans who remember the best of the drivers in our NASCAR family is yet another reason why I love NASCAR.


Chief 187™ is a writer, columnist, and blogger as well as creator of the widely popular Chief 187™Chatter. Her column “Why I Love NASCAR” and other articles are featured on Skirts and Scuffs. She can be reached via Twitter by following @Chief187s. To find out more please visit http://Chief187.com.

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Owner-driver Ed Carpenter steals Indy 500 pole from Andretti, Penske

Ed Carpenter crosses the yard of bricks. Photo by: Chris Owens

The lone owner-driver in the field stole the pole for the 97th Indianapolis 500. Ed Carpenter emerged from the "Fast Nine" ahead of the five Andretti Autosport and three Penske Racing entries.

Rain delayed Saturday's Pole Day qualifying and limited Fast Nine teams to just one attempt at the first starting spot for the historic race. One attempt was all Carpenter needed to win the Verizon P1 Award, scoring 15 IZOD IndyCar Series championship points and a bonus of $100,000.

Rookie Carlos Munoz and Marco Andretti fill out the front row, both driving for Andretti Autosport. E.J. Viso (Andretti), AJ Allmendinger (Penske) and Will Power (Penske) line up on the second row with Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti), Helio Castroneves (Penske) and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti) finishing out the top nine.

For Carpenter, starting ahead of the powerhouses of Andretti and Penske probably means more than the points and cash do. “This is the start of a dream come true. This is just the first part of what we want to do. To fight with the Penskes and Andrettis is an accomplishment in itself.”

The first owner-driver to win the pole since the legendary AJ Foyt did it in 1975, Carpenter is also the first American driver to do so since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.

Munoz became the youngest driver in race history to qualify on the front row, and the first rookie since fellow Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000. The young Andretti Autosport driver has been on the pole for all three Firestone Indy Lights Series races this season and won two of them.

Fourteen other drivers qualified for the 97th running of the 500. On Sunday, Old National Armed Forces Bump Day allows the remaining nine drivers to attempt to qualify for the 32-car field. Only one will go home.

The 2013 Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Schatz evens the score at Williams Grove

Photo Credit: World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars

Some of the biggest names in racing history have won at Williams Grove, names like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Jan Opperman, Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Jack Hewitt and Kenny Weld. Its history is hallowed and to many the red clay surface of The Grove is sacred ground. That is why her trophies are amongst the most coveted. It is also a fierce battle ground in the battle between the Posse and the Outlaws. Going into the night the Posse had the advantage with a hash mark in the win column. But when the checkers waved and the smoke settled it would be 1-all. 

Williams Grove is a tough track. She is unforgiving and she picks her champions with skill and sometimes heartlessness. She proved that again tonight when one of her own came within 100 yards of winning the first race of a double header inside her fences. But instead it was an Outlaw Champion who picked up his 17th win on her red banks that took home the trophy.

Qualifying of the 46 car field went quickly with Daryn Pittman, the former Posse member setting quick time with a lap of 16.534 seconds or 108.867 mph. the rest of the top five included Joey Saldana, Sammy Swindell, Donny Schatz, and Sam Hafertepe Jr. Last night’s winner Danny Dietrich would qualify a disappointing 32nd. 

The heat races were quick and definite. With 12 cars in each race the fields more resembled B main’s than they did heats. The first heat of the night was won by Criag Dollansky who set the bar early for the Outlaws. He was followed to the line by Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Sam Hafertepe and Pat Cannon. 

The Outlaws would again strike hard in the second heat when Kraig Kinser would take the checkers over Fast Freddie Rahmer, Brian Montieth, Stevie Smith and Joey Saldana. The Outlaws were building a hefty score card early in the night.

The third heat would start with drama. During the warm up laps Danny Lasoski and Jason Leffler would get together sending Leffler out of the track over the Turn 2 wall. Leffler was uninjured but his night was over. Lasoski would retire from the heat race with a badly damaged 1Z. When the green flag flew it was Yung Money Kyle Larson who lead the way - the entire way as a matter of fact. Larson would come home ahead of Brad Sweet, Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser and Tim Kaeding.

The final heat of the night would mark the first strike of the Posse when Brent Marks and Greg Hodnett took the checkers in front of Donny Schatz, Chad Layton and David Gravel.

In the C Main each side would add a name to the last chance showdown line up, the Posse with winner Don Kreitz and the Outlaws with runner up Jac Haudenschild. The other seven competitors were sent to the house for the night. 

The Dash was made of 5 Outlaws, 3 Posse and 2 Invaders. The battle was for the pole position in the A main. Brad Sweet would lead them to the green, but he wouldn’t hold the position long. Freddie Rahmer would capture the point for the Posse on the first lap. But on the second lap Paul McMahan would take the point and hoist the Outlaws flag on the hill to claim the pole position. Rahmer would come home second with Greg Hodnett third and Daryn Pittman fourth.

The Last Chance Showdown would decide the last 4 competitive entries to the A Main. The Outlaws would win the battle but the Posse would increase it’s numbers in the A. Chad Kemenah would come home the victor followed by Logan Schuchart, Gerald McIntrye and Ryan Smith. Taking provisionals to get into the A were Cody Darrah and Kerry Madsen for the Outlaws and last night’s winner Danny Dietrich and Davey Sammons. With the field set, it was time to do battle.

Paul McMahan would lead them to the green and would hold that spot for six laps before Greg Hodnett slid by McMahan on the low side in 1 and 2. Fred Rahmer would quickly take advantage of the open door and take the second spot from McMahan as well. Pittman would pull a daring slide job in 4 to take the third and second spots to challenge Hodnett. Pittman tried the top but couldn’t make the car stick. He tried the bottom but the car slid up in the middle of the turns. He tried the middle of the track but couldn’t get a run on Hodnett. All the while Donny Schatz was making his way from the 12th spot. Schatz cleared Rahmer and then Pittman and set his sights on Hodnett. Hodnett was able to hold off Schatz and it looked, at the white flag, like the Posse might notch win number two when in the final turn, just 50 yards from the finish line, Schatz pulled a daring high side slide to the bottom to take the lead and the race. It was his 17th victory at the Grove. 

The race was the best race of the season without a doubt. The door to door racing and three abreast served Williams Grove proud. Her track slicked off nicely and she widen out to allow three-groove racing. It also served as a reminder as to why Donny Schatz is the reigning champion. The final corner pass was a daring but well-planned move. There was no guessing and there was no room for error. But then again Schatz didn’t need any room. He had the car and the talent to get the job done. 

“It’s not very often I get excited. And I’m damn excited right now,” said the reigning Outlaws Champion from victory lane. “I bounced it off the cushion and got around him.” When asked if he ever thought that his race was done, Schatz replied, “Oh hell no as long as we aren’t a lap down we have a chance.” 

Runner up Greg Hodnett, who was injured earlier in the season was visibly disappointed, “I spent too much time in the corner and gave it away. Bad decision, but I had a great car.”

Third place Fred Rahmer gave Schatz his due, “Donny was awesome. We were a little off with the car and with these guys you can’t do that. You can’t be off.”

With the score 1-all, the Outlaws and the Posse will head into tomorrow’s Morgan Cup to settle the battle. Will it be the Outlaws taking home the cup for another year or will the Posse claim it for 2013? Only The Grove knows for sure and she isn’t talking.


Qualifying Results: 1) Daryn Pittman 15.534 108.867mph 2) Joey Saldana 3) Sammy Swindell 4) Donny Schatz 5) Sam Hafertepe 6) Brian Montieth 7) Tim Kaeding 8) Greg Hodnett 9) Paul McMahan 10) Fred Rahmer 11) Brad Sweet 12) Chad Layton 13) Craig Dollansky 14) Kraig Kinser 15) Kyle Larson 16) Brent Marks 17) Gerald McIntyre 18) Chad Kemenah 19) Alan Krimes 20) David Gravel 21) Ryan Smith. 22) Logan Schuchart 23) Davey Sammons 24) Mark Smith 25) Pat Cannon 26) Stevie Smith 27) Cory Haas 28) Jason Sides 29) Adam Wilt 30) Cody Darrah 31) Steve Kinser 32) Danny Dietrich 33) Kerry Madsen 34) Lance Dewease 35) Don Kreitz 36) Jim Siegel 37) Jac Haudenschild 38) Steve Buckwalter 39) Danny Lasoski 40) Bill Rose 41) Nicole Bower 42) Kyle Moody 43) Jason Leffler 44) Ryan Taylor 45) Jacob Allen 46) Troy Fraker

Heat 1 Results: 1) Craig Dollansky 2) Paul McMahan 3) Daryn Pittman 4) Sam Hafertepe 5) Pat Cannon 6) Gerald McIntyre 7) Ryan Smith 8) Kerry Madsen 9) Jac Haudenschild 10)Jacob Allen 11) Nicole Bower 12) Adam Wilt

Heat 2 Results: 1) Kraig Kinser 2) Fred Rahmer 3) Brian Montieth 4) Stevie Smith 5) Joey Saldana 6) Chad Kemenah 7) Lance Dewease 8) Steve Buckwalter 9) Logan Schuchart 10) Troy Fraker 11) Cody Darrah 12) Kyle Moody

Heat 3 Results: 1) Kyle Larson 2) Brad Sweet 3) Sammy Swindell 4) Steve Kinser 5) Tim Kaeding 6) Davey Sammons 7) Don Kreitz 8) Cory Haas 9) Alan Krimes 10) Jason Leffler 11) Danny Lasoski

Heat 4 Results: 1) Brent Marks 2) Greg Hodnett 3) Donny Schatz 4) Chad Layton 5) David Gravel 6) Mark Smith 7) Jason Sides 8) Danny Dietrich 9) Ryan Taylor 10) Jim Seigal 11) Bill Rose

C Main Results: 1) Don Krietz 2) Jac Haudenschild transfer to the B 3) Steve Buckwalter 4) Jim Siegal 5) Ryan Taylor 6) Troy Fraker 7) Nicole Bower 8) Bill Rose 9) Danny Lasoski 10) Jacob Allen

Dash Results: 1) Paul McMahan 2) Fred Rahmer 3) Greg Hodnett 4) Daryn Pittman 5) Brad Sweet 6) Joey Saldana 7) Kraig Kinser 8) Craig Dollansky 9) Kyle Larson 10) Brent Marks

Last Chance Showdown: 1) Chad Kemenah 2) Logan Schuchart 3) Gerald McIntyre 4) Ryan Smith 5) Cody Darrah 6) Mark Smith 7) Davey Sammons 8) Don Kreitz 9) Danny Dietrich 10) Adam Wilt 11) Cory Haas 12) Lance Dewease 13) Kerry Madsen 14) Jac Haudenschild 15) Jason Sides 16) Alan Krimes

A Main Results: 1) Donny Schatz and the KSE Hard Charger 2) Greg Hodnett 3) Fred Rahmer 4) Daryn Pittman 5) Paul McMahan 6) Brad Sweet 7) Kraig Kinser 8) Craig Dollansky 9) Brent Marks 10) Sammy Swindell 11) Kyle Larson 12) Joey Saldana 13) Steve Kinser 14) Sam Hafertepe Jr 15) Brian Montieth 16) Logan Schuchart 17) David Gravel 18) Cody Darrah 19) Chad Layton 20) Stevie Smith 21) Danny Dietrich 22) Pat Cannon 23) Ryan Smith 24) Tim Kaeding 25) Chad Kemenah 26) Gerald McIntrye 27) Davey Sammons 28) Kerry Madsen

Provisionals: World of Outlaws: Cody Darrah and Kerry Madsen Williams Grove Points: Davey Sammons and Danny Dietrich

KSE Hard Charger of the Race: Donny Schatz - 12th to first.

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"Caption this" winner: Jim Fitzgerald

"That better not be MY cheeseburger!"

Congratulations to Jim Fitzgerald who contributed the winning caption for this photo of Tony Stewart.

Please send your full name and mailing address to bbreinke@skirtsandscuffs.com to receive your prize, a copy of the devotional book Race Fans' Devotions to Go.

Thanks to everyone who played "Caption this!" Check back next Tuesday for a new photo and your next chance to submit a caption.

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NSCS All-Star Pole Report: Carl Edwards will lead the field to green

Credit Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs.

Carl Edwards is on the pole for Saturday's Sprint All-Star race. This qualifying was different as drivers had to make a four tire stop during the course of the qualifying run. Many drivers were faced with five-second penalties due to lugnut issues. Edwards had a speed of 145.556 mph and will start from the front alongside Kurt Busch. Both drivers are past winners of the event. Edwards is paying tribute to former driver Dick Trickle, who passed away on Thursday, by running his name above the window. 

Kevin Harvick's time was disallowed due to pitting outside the box during his qualifying run. Harvick will start from the back of the field.

Here’s the Sprint All-Star lineup:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kurt Busch
3. Greg Biffle
4. Kyle Busch
5. Joey Logano
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Mark Martin
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Ryan Newman
12. Brad Keselowski
13. Tony Stewart
14. David Ragan
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16. Matt Kenseth
17. Marcos Ambrose
18. Jimmie Johnson
19. Kevin Harvick
    
    

The first and second place finishers from the Sprint Showdown and the winner of the fan vote will also compete in the All-Star Race Saturday night.

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NSCS Sprint Showdown Pole Report: Martin Truex Jr. takes the pole

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

Those who didn't qualify for the Sprint All-Star Race still have a chance to race their way into the field by winning or finishing second in the Sprint Showdown, which is held just before the main event.

Twenty-three drivers are looking to race their way in, but will have to complete 40 laps before their fates are known. Martin Truex Jr. will lead the Showdown field to the green Saturday night. Truex Jr.'s speed of 193.424 edged out Jamie McMurray for the pole position.

The Sprint Showdown will be broadcast on SPEED at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Here’s your lineup for the Sprint Showdown:

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Jamie McMurray
3. Juan Pablo Montoya
4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
5. Casey Mears
6. Jeff Burton
7. Danica Patrick
8. Paul Menard
9. J.J. Yeley
10. Landon Cassill
11. Bobby Labonte
12. Aric Almirola
13. Scott Riggs
14. David Gilliland
15. Michael McDowell
16. David Reuitmann
17. Mike Bliss
18. Travis Kvapil
19. Dave Blaney
20. Timmy Hill
21. Joe Nemechek
22. David Stremme
23. Brian Keselowski

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NCWTS Pole Report: Jeb Burton gets third pole of 2013

Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Jeb Burton gets the pole for The Camping World Truck Series N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This marks the third pole for Burton in just five races this season. Burton's speed of 181.372 mph beat out Ty Dillon for the top position. Coverage begins tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Here is the lineup for the N.C. Education Lottery 200:

1. Jeb Burton
2. Ty Dillon
3. Timothy Peters
4. Kyle Busch
5. Miguel Paludo
6. Justin Lofton
7. Ross Chastain
8. Dakoda Armstrong
9. Ryan Blaney
10. German Quiroga Jr.
11. Tim George Jr.
12. James Buescher
13. Darrell Wallace Jr.
14. Matt Crafton
15. Brennan Newberry
16. Johnny Sauter
17. Joey Coulter
18. John Wes Townley
19. Brad Keselowski
20. Ryan Sieg
21. Max Gresham
22. Ron Hornaday Jr.
23. Brendan Gaughan
24. Scott Riggs
25. Jake Crum
26. Tyler Young
27. Caleb Holman
28. Jeff Agnew
29. Chris Jones
30. David Starr
31. Bryan Silas
32. Todd Bodine
33. Chris Cockrum
34. Danny Efland
35. Blake Koch
36. Mike Harmon

DNQ: Norman Benning and Jennifer Jo Cobb.

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Lionel Racing unveils first Miss Sprint Cup car

Photo courtesy of Lionel Racing

CONCORD, NC. (May 17, 2013) – They’re three of the most recognized faces on race weekend.  They wear fire suits. They sign autographs. They always make it to Victory Lane.

But until now, they’ve never had their own race car.

Today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Lionel Racing and Sprint unveiled the first-ever Miss Sprint Cup paint scheme!

Designed by Lionel Racing, The Official Die-Cast of NASCAR, the Miss Sprint Cup car is a first for the famous trio and the die-cast makes a fun NASCAR collectible for fans.

"The Miss Sprint Cup representatives are tremendous ambassadors for both Sprint and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Since the program began in 2007 they have amassed a large fan following on social media and at the racetrack,” said Kimberly Meesters, Sprint’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sponsorship Manager.

“Thanks to Lionel Racing, they now have a great-looking die-cast as the first piece of collectible merchandise ever produced featuring the Miss Sprint Cup team.”

Photo courtesy of Lionel Racing

Designed on a Generation 6 stock car, the Miss Sprint Cup die-cast is just like the die-cast of any NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver – from the Goodyear tires and window net to the “Miss Sprint Cup” name on the windshield.

Miss Sprint Cup Brooke Werner is already a big fan of the die-cast car. "The Miss Sprint Cup die-cast really is one of a kind,” said Werner. “And I think fans are going to get a kick out of the fun design Lionel came up with for our first-ever die-cast!  Kim (Coon), Jaclyn (Roney) and I are looking forward to this collectible."

Howard Hitchcock, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lionel Racing, anticipates the Miss Sprint Cup car will not only be a hit with die-cast collectors, but also more casual fans of the sport who may not have purchased die-cast before.

“We’re always looking for ways to reach the next generation of NASCAR fans and engage new fans in the hobby of die-cast collecting,” Hitchcock said. “Each member of the Miss Sprint Cup team is a star of the sport and fans of all ages love them – no matter who their favorite driver is. This may be the first die-cast that truly appeals to every fan at the track.”

The Miss Sprint Cup die-cast is available for pre-order through the NASCAR.com Superstore, LionelRacing.com and authorized dealers. The die-cast will be available to purchase at track in July. The car is produced under Lionel’s Action Racing Collectable brand and is available in 1:24 scale.

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Dietrich makes it Posse 1, Outlaws 0 at Lincoln Speedway

Photo courtesy of Barry Skelly and Allan Yeager Photography

The Gettysburg Clash was worth the wait. Originally it was suppose to be run on May 15th, but Mother Nature had other thoughts and it was postponed until the 16th. The initial clash of the year between the Outlaws and the PA Posse was a barn burner. But in the end, the results echoed last year’s with Danny Dietrich besting the Outlaws for the second year in a row. Dietrich, who has been struggling at his home track this year, held off a hard charging wide open Donny Schatz to claim the first win for the Posse on the weekend. 

The Outlaws and the PA Posse took to the historical banks of Lincoln Speedway 43 cars strong. All of the jabs and the crowing were done. It was time to race and it was time to show what you had. The track record for a 410 sprint car was set by Fred Rahmer on May 4, 2013 with a lap of 13.089 seconds. That record would stand. Sammy Swindell would set quick time on the night with a lap of 13.617 seconds. The rest of the top five in qualifying were Brian Montieth, Fred Rahmer, Chad Kemenah and Joey Saldana. The later the qualifying run was made in the order the slower the time was tonight. 

The first heat race went to an invader with Tim Kaeding coming across the line first followed by Brad Sweet, Craig Dollansky, Sammy Swindell and Joey Saldana; all would transfer to the A Main. Just missing the final transfer spot was 20 time Outlaw champion Steve Kinser.

The second heat would go to the Posse with Danny Dietrich setting the bar early. Also transferring to the A main were Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Brian Montieth and Lance Dewease. Kyle Larson would lose the final transfer spot on the final lap out of turn 4. 

The third heat would go to the Outlaws with reigning and five-time champion Donny Schatz coming across the line first closely pursued by Cody Darrah. Fred Rahmer, Stevie Smith, Justin Henderson and Logan Schuchart would also transfer to the A Main. 

The fourth heat would go to the Posse with Brent Marks setting an early pace and never looking back. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Kerry Madsen, Chad Kemenah and Chad Layton would advance to the A.

With 43 cars in the field, a C main was on tap. Having had engine issues in qualifying, Jac Haudenschild would start last in the C Main. The Wild Child would put on a show coming from eighth to second before clipping the Turn Two wall with the right rear and getting upside down. Haudenschild was uninjured but his night was over. Also finding his roof in the C was Jason Leffler. Leffler clipped the right rear in Turn One and like Haudenschild flipped the car. He climbed out and walked away without injury. The C would be won by Outlaws driver Jason Sides who came from the third spot to cross the line in front of Jim Siegal to transfer to the back of the B. 

The Dash was a battle royal between Danny Dietrich, Tim Kaeding and Donny Schatz. Dietrich would claim the pole for the A with the win. But he was swimming in shark infested waters. To his right would be the king of the invaders in Kaeding and on his back bumper the reigning Outlaws champion Donny Schatz. If Dietrich was worried he didn’t show it. 

The Last Chance Showdown was a fast 12-lap affair to seal the fates of the masses. David Gravel would easily take the win over Steve Kinser and Kyle Larson. The final transfer spot was contested highly throughout the B main. Gerald McIntrye would hold off Alan Krimes by just 25/1000ths of a second to take the last spot in the A. 

Taking a Lincoln Speedway points provisional to get into the A was Adam Wilt who started the race in 25th position. The A Main was 35 laps of action. Danny Dietrich jumped to the lead on the green flag. But Donny Schatz jumped as well and took second from Tim Kaeding on Lap 2. Schatz began working Dietrich from that point on. The 35 laps were slowed only three times and only three times did Dietrich have time to breath. Dietrich started side by side with Schatz three times always from the bottom groove. Sammy Swindell had worked his way up to third and was sitting just within striking distance if Schatz bobbled. In the end Dietrich would hold off the five-time champion by a car length to repeat as the winner of the Gettysburg Clash. 

In victory lane though, Sammy Swindell called Dietrich out for comments that he had made earlier in the day on Twitter. Dietrich had tweeted, “Callin out the "Circus", the @worldofoutlaws. Not only will the #Posse win. But, you won’t have a "clown" in the top 5 at @lincolnspeedway”. Swindell suggested that Dietrich might want to “become a weather man because there were two clowns right there behind him.” 

Dietrich said, “This is great to back it up to some extent. This is great we started off on the front row but to restart next to Donny, I saw his nose I don’t know how many times. To win against a five time champion is unbelievable. To beat the Outlaws you have to be almost picture perfect.”

Donny Schatz commented on the fierceness of the race, “I couldn’t get him rattled. I couldn’t get him out of the groove. He just beat us that's all. It was a pretty fun race. It was a great improvement for us from last year. I am glad to get a decent finish. We’ll just try harder tomorrow night.”

Sammy Swindell, who was quick time setter for the evening said, “It’s a little bit of a shame. We had a great car. The guys gave me an awesome car tonight. I won’t say that I’m happy to be third but I’m pleased to be third.” 

First Blood in the battle between the Outlaws and the Posse was drawn by the Posse. But the first wave of the war has only just begun. The next two nights are for the Morgan Cup in Williams Grove. The Cup has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past year in the offices of the World of Outlaws after it was won by The King of the Outlaws, Steve Kinser. Can he repeat? Will Donny Schatz continue on his streak of speed? Will Sammy Swindell lead the Outlaws in an uprising in the heart of Posse country or will one of the Pennsylvania boys come to the front and claim the Cup? Only time will tell. In the mean time are you Posse? Or are you an Outlaw? Pick your side. Pick your driver and we will see you at the Grove tomorrow night. 

Qualifying Results: 1) Sammy Swindell (13.617 seconds) 2) Brian Montieth 3) Fred Rahmer 4) Chad Kemenah 5) Joey Saldana 6) Paul McMahan 7) Justin Henderson 8) Greg Hodnett 9) Brad Sweet 10) David Gravel 11) Donny Schatz 12) Sam Hafertepe Jr 13) Tim Kaeding 14) Danny Dietrich 15) Cody Darrah 16) Brent Marks 17) Craig Dollansky 18) Daryn Pittman 19) Bill Stine 20) Gerald McIntyre 21) Steve Kinser 22) Kyle Larson 23) Logan Schuchart 24) Robby Kendall 25) Ryan Smith 26) Lance Dewease 27) Stevie Smith 28) Alan Krimes 29) Glendon Forsythe 30) Cory Haas 31) Kraig Kinser 32) Scott Geesey 33) Adam Wilt 34) Aaron Ott 35) Jim Siegel 36) Jason Leffler 37) Chad Layton 38) Jason Sides 39) Jacob Allen 40) Bill Rose 41) Kerry Madsen 42) Ryan Wilson 43) Jac Haudenschild (No Time)

First Heat Race: 1) Tim Kaeding 2) Brad Sweet 3) Craig Dollansky 4) Sammy Swindell 5) Joey Saldana 6) Steve Kinser 7) Cory Haas 8) Ryan Smith 9) Jason Sides 10) Aaron Ott 11) Ryan Wilson

Second Heat Race: 1) Danny Dietrich 2) Paul McMahan 3) Daryn Pittman 4) Brian Montieth 5) Lance Dewease 6) Kyle Larson 7) David Gravel 8) Kraig Kinser 9) Jim Siegel 10) Jacob Allen 11) Jac Haudenschild DNS

Third Heat Race: 1) Donny Schatz 2) Cody Darrah 3) Fred Rahmer, 4) Stevie Smith 4) Justin Henderson 5) Logan Schuchart 6) Bill Stein 7) Scott Geesey 8) Jason Leffler 9) Bill Rose

Fourth Heat Race: 1) Brent Marks 2) Sam Hafertepe Jr. 3) Kerry Madsen 4) Chad Kemenah 5) Chad Layton 6) Robby Kendall 7) Gerald McIntyre 8) Adam Wilt 9) Alan Krimes 10) Greg Hodnett (DNS)

C Main Results: 1) Jason Sides 2) Jim Siegel 3) Jacob Allen 4) Ryan Wilson 5) Bill Rose 6) Jac Haudenschild 7) Jason Leffler.

Dash Results: (Inversion was an 8) 1) Danny Dietrich 2) Tim Kaeding 3) Donny Schatz 4) Brad Sweet 5) Brian Montieth 6) Sammy Swindell 7) Sam Hafertepe 8) Brent Marks 9) Paul McMahan 10) Cody Darrah

Last Chance Showdown: 1) David Gravel 2) Steve Kinser 3) Kyle Larson 4) Gerald McIntyre (by 25/1000ths of a second over 5th) 5) Alan Krimes 6) Robby Kendall 7) Logan Schuchart 8) Adam Wilt 9) Robby Smith 10) Jim Siegal 11) Cory Haas 12) Kraig Kinser 13) Bill Stine 14) Scott Geesey 15) Jason Sides 16) Aaron Ott

A Main: 1) Danny Dietrich 2) Donny Schatz 3) Sammy Swindell 4) Tim Kaeding 5) Brad Sweet 6) Brent Marks 7) Daryn Pittman 8) Fred Rahmer 9) Sam Hafertepe Jr. 10) Brian Montieth 11) Paul McMahan 12) Cody Darrah 13) Chad Kemenah 14) Gerald McIntyre 15) Kyle Larson 16) Kerry Madsen 17) David Graavel 18) Stevie Smith 19) Steve Kinser 20) Justin Henderson 21) Chad Layton 22) Lance Dewease 23) Craig Dollansky 24) Adam Wilt 25) Joey Saldana

Lap Leaders – Danny Dietrich (1-35)

Lincoln Speedway Points Provisional: Adam Wilt

Hard Charger of the Race: Daryn Pittman 17th to 7th

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