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5dollarpromo_160x600 Simcraft

February 2012

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M T W T F S S
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iRacing TV

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The Team

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  • David Phillips
    Editor and Chief
    David Phillips is a long-time contributor to print and electronic publications in the U.S. and abroad, including Racer, Autosport, AutoWeek, Motor Sport and SPEEDtv.com, oversees the daily updating of news stories and assigns, edits and contributes feature material for inRacingNews.com.
  • Chris Hall
    iRacing.com Series Writer
    Chris Hall has been writing since the nineties and moved into motorsports reporting in 2005, covering series such as ALMS, British GT, FIA GT, Le Mans and 2CV racing for Full Throttle magazine, Motorsport.com, The-Paddock.net, GTGateway.com, L' Endurance and, of course, inRacingNews. During 2008 and 2009, he worked with the RSS Performance Porsche Carrera Cup Team (and former British GT(C) champions) as a data engineer for a variety of drivers and models of 997s.
  • Jameson Spies
    Contributing Writer
    19 years old, Jameson Spies lives in Quartz Hill, California. He grew-up surrounded by racing. His mother raced late models throughout Southern California while his father built and setup the car. Not surprisingly, Jameson began racing go-karts at the age of 13, and is now racing Spec Trucks at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He has a passion about all forms of racing and hopes to make a career out of it.
  • Jason Lofing
    iRacing.com Series Writer
    Jason is 21 years old and was born and raised in Elk Grove. California. A big time NASCAR fan, he hasn’t missed a race on Sunday in years. Lofing is also a huge San Fransisco Giants fan and tries to take in at least a couple games a year. Other than sim racing, his biggest (and far more expensive!) hobby is photography. Although he is rather new to sim racing, Lofing has already accomplished some pretty impressive results, qualifying for the 2011 iRacing Oval Pro Series in Season 1, 2011, winning the inaugural Landon Cassill Qualifying Challenge and finishing runner-up in the second one.
  • Ray Bryden
    Technical contributor
    Ray grew up in Nova Scotia, which means he’s a hockey nut, but in Nova Scotia’s two non-winter months he had to find other diversions, which meant watching F1 racing on weekends with his dad and brothers. Without the resources to get started in racing, he gravitated to computer versions of racing – first Atari games like Pole Position, followed by PC racing games like Indianapolis 500: The Simulation. Dozens of others came and went, until Grand Prix Legends came along and he decided sim-racing was his official hobby. Years were spent enjoying this both offline and online until a few years of fatherhood took priority. When free-time reappeared he heard about iRacing and signed up in 2008 and became so involved in the service that he wrote one of the first books on the subject of sim-racing, iRacing Paddock. When not writing for inRacingNews.com, his main occupation is as a research associate with Saint-Gobain working on advanced ceramic materials.
  • Patrick Atherton
    Contributing Writer
    Patrick Atherton, originally from Adelaide in the state of South Australia, currently resides just outside of Melbourne, Victoria with wife of 17 years and 3 kids. A business manager by profession, but also dabbles with blogging, cartooning and fine art, having been published both as a writer in a short-lived South Australian motorsport yearbook and later as a cartoonist in a niche trade magazine. At the age of 19 he competed in club circuit events in an Austin Healey Sprite, later indulging in sprint karts between 1994 and 2000. Following the move to the State of Victoria he raced Road Race Karts (“Superkarts” as they are known in Australia) in the popular Rotax class, competing at Phillip Island, Oran Park, Mallala, Wakefield Park, Eastern Creek, Calder Park, Sandown and Winton. It was during this time he met former Australian F2 champion and inventor of Australia’s first, and most prolific race simulator rig, Jon Crooke. This culminated in an introduction to Papyrus’ legendary NR2003 simulation, and the subsequent sim racing addiction which brought him to iRacing.
  • Tim Terry
    Contributing Writer
    Tim Terry, aka the voice of Maritime stock car racing, fell in love with sim racing in 2004 after he joined the Sim Racing Network crew as a pit reporter. From October 2004 to SRNtv’s closure in June 2007, he’s covered prestigious races and leagues such as the Online 500, FLM Fall 400, Real Racing Online and the DMP Racing League – each as the lead broadcaster for the company. At the same time the wheels started to turn in another direction as he began announcing stock car racing locally. Terry became the assistant announcer at Scotia Speedworld in May 2007 and took over full duties in May 2009 when long-time voice Mike Kaplan retired from the track. Terry also became the series voice of the Parts For Trucks Pro Stock Tour in ’09 and continues to hold down both posts in 2011. He has also announced races for the Pro All Stars Series, Atlantic Open Wheel and Maritime League of Legends tours and has called races at six different Atlantic Canadian tracks. Terry can be heard online at WebRacingNetwork.com, RLMtv.com and OLRtv.com covering sim races. He also makes occasional appearances on PSRtv.com. In addition to inRacingNews, his articles and columns can be read on ScotiaSpeedworld.ca, MaritimeProStockTour.com and his own website at timterryonline.com.
  • David Allen
    Contributing Writer
    North Carolina born and raised with over 15 years of computer/IT experience, I combine two of my biggest hobbies -- racing and technology -- here at inRacingNews. In my spare time I run a Nascar fan site and cure my own need for speed riding atvs. If it involves technology or racing I'll be there, but combine the two and I'll be looking a front row seat. Stop by and say hello anytime!
  • Allen Krier
    Contributing Writer
    Allen was born in West Palm Beach, Florida but grew up in Atlanta and attended Georgia College and State University where he received a BS in Information Systems. Currently a resident of Albany, GA, he started sim racing in 2008 while in college when iRacing was first released to the public. Since then, Krier has been a two time iRacing Pro Series driver (2009 and 2010), picking up one Pro Series win at Daytona in ‘09. Besides sim racing, Allen’s other hobbies include RC Car racing as well as “attending and watching any sporting event that I can including going to the local dirt track.

Davis, Speed, van Gisbergen Shine in iPRoC

by David Phillips on December 15th, 2011

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Davis and Speed lead the iPRoC field to the start at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Scott Speed and Shane van Gisbergen won the battles, but Brandon Davis won the war in the inaugural iRacing.com Pro Race of Champions (iPRoC).  The first online event featuring an all star cast of 27 real world professional drivers from most of the world’s top race series, the iPRoC saw former F1 and NASCAR driver Speed take the victory in the opener, a 25 lap race for virtual Chevrolet Silverados at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Australian V8 Supercar standout Van Gisbergen responded with an equally impressive run in the finale, leading all ten laps at Watkins Glen International in his digital Mazda MX5. But it was NASCAR K&N Pro Series’ Davis, who finished .345s behind Speed at Charlotte and .167s behind van Gisbergen at the Glen who picked-up the overall win [...]

Speed secures 15-race Cup deal

December 15th, 2011

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Speed secures 15-race Cup deal

Scott Speed has signed a deal to enter 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup races next year with new team Leavine Family Racing. The ex-grand prix driver, who made 13 Cup starts for Whitney Motorsports this year, hopes to help the team gain competitiveness as it expands for its second season of racing. “I am excited to team up with Bob Leavine and his guys at Leavine Family Racing,” Speed said.

Ottinger Steals Victory at New Hampshire

by Jason Lofing on December 14th, 2011

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Ottinger (05) seizes the moment, diving under King (28) as Lindsey (50) struggles to stay off the wall.

Nick Ottinger pulled-off what likely will be the wildest finish of the 2011 NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series (NiPS) season on Tuesday night at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Ottinger stunned everyone by going from fifth to first in just one lap to steal the win from Kevin King, who had been the dominant sim racer for most of latter part of the event. Ottinger started the online race from the pole, and looked to have a very fast car but King got by him on a restart and used his track position to maximum advantage. That is, until the final restart. King led the field down to the line with only three laps remaining, holding the lead over teammates Marcus Lindsey, Richie Davidowitz, and Daniel Pope II. King took-off clean on [...]

Salvatore’s Stafford Story

by Tim Terry on December 13th, 2011

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Connecticut's hills were alive with the sound of the NASCAR iRacing.com Tour Modified Series.

The chances of Brandon Salvatore repeating as the NASCAR iRacing.com Tour Modified Series (NiTMS) champion are very much alive after his performance during Week Five of the series at Stafford Motor Speedway. The reigning champion was once again atop the sim racing Tour Modified world after his big win vaulted him back to the head of the weekly standings and will surely make him a factor for the title when drop weeks are factored-in. Salvatore captured the glory during Thursday’s 3524 Strength of Field (SoF) race in which he led all but one of the event’s 100 laps. Runner-up Derrick Cormier2 finished four tenths of a second behind, followed by former champ Herb Engelhart, Jerold John and Ray Farlow. The race featured just the one lead change between Salvatore and [...]

Buchberger Back in Victory Lane in Chicagoland

December 12th, 2011

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Although 1,300+ drivers took to the Chicagoland Speedway, the NiCCS is evolving into a duel between two Illlini Buchberger and Warren.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Class C Series (NiCCS) championship chase has turned into a battle between two of Illinois’ best sim racers. Alex Warren and Brandon Buchberger have been trading the top spot in recent weeks and with the series visiting their home state during Week Five, you knew they weren’t going to let up on their pursuit for the overall crown. When the checkered flag fell on seven days of intense tailgating action, it was a two point margin of victory for Buchberger over his Class C and NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series (NiPS) rival Warren. Over 1,300 drivers took to the track during Week Five but it was Buchberger’s 3748 Strength of Field (SoF) victory on Monday that tipped the scales in the favor of the Sugar Grove native. Buchberger [...]

Grubb becomes Hamlin’s crew chief

December 9th, 2011

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Grubb becomes Hamlin’s crew chief

Joe Gibbs Racing has signed champion crew chief Darian Grubb to work alongside Denny Hamlin in 2012. Grubb lands at JGR after winning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title with Tony Stewart, having worked at Stewart Haas Racing for the past three seasons and with Hendrick Motorsports for six years before that

Door-to-Door at Atlanta

by Jameson Spies on December 8th, 2011

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Lightning-fast Atlanta Motor Speedway set the stage for fierce battles in Week Five of the NASCAR iRacing.com Class A Series.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Class A Series made a trip southeast for a visit to the always interesting Atlanta Motor Speedway. The aging surface at Atlanta not only provides the drivers with an utter handful of a racecar to wrestle for 110 laps, it also provides spectators with a whole lot of door-to-door, high speed racing action. For the second week in a row, Class A drivers flocked to the front of the leader board, with many NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series (NiPS) competitors taking the week off. Brandon Schmidt did not mind one bit that most of the NiPS drivers stayed at the shop, as he took top honors on the week with 203 championship points. Schmidt dominated his one and only race, starting from the outside of the front row [...]

Ragan chasing Penske seat

December 8th, 2011

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Ragan chasing Penske seat

David Ragan has admitted that he has contacted Penske about joining the team’s NASCAR Sprint Cup line-up following the departure of Kurt Busch . Busch and Penske parted ways by mutual consent earlier this week, following a turbulent end to this season which had culminated in Busch being fined by NASCAR for verbally abusing a TV reporter while waiting to do an interview at Homestead. Ragan was in the middle of a contract with Roush Fenway Racing

Ottinger Class of the Field in Charlotte

by Jason Lofing on December 7th, 2011

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Ottinger (05), King (29), Lindsey (50) and Pope (18) battle midway through last night's race.

Week Six of the NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series (NiPS) featured the second straight night race of the season, this time with Charlotte Motor Speedway taking center stage. Nick Ottinger, fresh-off a disappointing twentieth place finish last week at Richmond, came to Charlotte with one goal in mind: dominate the race. He did just that, winning the pole and the race, leading 131 of the 175 laps. The two halves of the online race could almost be considered entirely different events. The first half was littered with wrecked cars, with seven caution flags flying in the first 75 laps of racing action. It was another case of cautions breeding cautions as the field was unable to get into a rhythm. The field did not even take the green flag before the [...]

Salvatore Takes Iowa

by Tim Terry on December 5th, 2011

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Nearly 300 sim racers challenged Iowa Speedway in their Tour Modifieds.

Brandon Salvatore continued his march to the 2011 Season Four NASCAR iRacing.com Tour Modified Series (NiTMS) title during Round Four of the series as he edged-out the weekly win at the Iowa Speedway. Salvatore’s win was good for just one more point than the race which was taken down by Jamie Collier when it came to looking at the strength of fields (sof), which locked-down the win for the Georgia sim racer. Salvatore’s win came on  Thursday’s 3246 sof online race. The 100-lap race was slowed by four cautions and Salvatore led the most laps (71) of any of the three leaders. Herb Engelhart finished in Salvatore’s tire-tracks in second, followed by Jerold John, Kevin Walker and Derrick Cormier2. The win garnered Salvatore 202 points, which was tops on the [...]

Penske parts company with Kurt Busch

December 5th, 2011

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Penske parts company with Kurt Busch

Penske has confirmed that it has ended its relationship with Kurt Busch, effective immediately. A team statement said it had reached a “mutual agreement” with the 33-year-old, whose position had been under pressure since he was caught on camera making an obscene gesture in his car at the NASCAR season finale at Homestead, and then later being filmed by a fan while verbally abusing a member of the media.

Penske set to review Kurt Busch

December 5th, 2011

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Penske set to review Kurt Busch

Penske Racing is expected to make a decision regarding Kurt Busch’s future with the team within the next few hours, with reports in the US suggesting that an announcement will be made this afternoon. The 33-year-old’s position was thrown into doubt after he was filmed making an obscene gesture in his cockpit while returning to his garage for repairs early in the race at Homestead.

Stewart: No regrets over Grubb switch

December 1st, 2011

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Stewart: No regrets over Grubb switch

Sprint Cup series champion Tony Stewart expects to have a better empathy with new crew chief Steve Addington than that he had with Darian Grubb for the past three years. Earlier this week Stewart Haas Racing announced the hiring of former Penske crew chief Steve Addington to replace Grubb, who went on to win the title this year despite having already been told during the Chase that he wouldn’t return in the position with Stewart next year. While admitting his team was faced with an awkward situation while trying to contend for the title during the play-off, Stewart now expects the transition with Addington to go smoothly as defending champions in 2012

Showing-up Big at Bristol

by Jameson Spies on December 1st, 2011

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Rough 'n tumble Bristol isn't everyone's cup of tea, but those who made the trip to Thunder Valley staged some great racing.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Class A Series sim racers made their way to the always tough Bristol Motor Speedway for Week Four of their season. Bristol is the first track on the schedule that has not matched the NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series schedule, which translates to a bye week for many top competitors. With that being said, one of the top drivers on the iRacing.com service showed-up . . . and showed-up big. That would be inaugural NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series champion Josh Parker, who decided he wanted to take part in the rough racing Bristol has to offer. This was bad news for anyone looking to steal top honors of the week with many of the top ranked drivers taking the week off. Parker started two races, winning one of [...]

Warren’s Richmond Surprise

by Jason Lofing on November 30th, 2011

152
It doesn't get any better than 43 Class A Impalas under the lights at RIR.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Pro Series went under the lights at Richmond International Raceway for Week Five and fireworks flew from start to finish with Alex Warren playing his strategy just right to come away with his first series win. The caution waved early and often with 15 yellows slowing the action for 75 of the 200 laps and, in the absence of long green flag runs, pit strategy and track position proved more important than ever. Joshua Laughton put down an impressive qualifying lap, taking his first pole position of the 2011 season with a run of 20.551s to best Michael Conti (20.608s). Some tough competition lined-up behind the front row-sitters including Nick Ottinger, who started third, and teammates Marcus Lindsey and Kevin King, who started fourth and fifth respectively. [...]

Burton gets new crew chief

November 28th, 2011

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Burton gets new crew chief

Former Roush Fenway Racing crew chief Drew Blickensderfer will work alongside Jeff Burton in 2012, Richard Childress Racing has announced. Following nearly a decade at Roush, Blickensderfer, who won on his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut as a crew chief with Matt Kenseth in the 2009 Daytona 500, will jump ship to RCR to lead the #31 team of former Chase contender Jeff Burton. Blickensderfer spent the 2011 season working beside David Ragan, a first time winner in Cup last summer at Daytona

Stewart hires Addington as crew chief

November 28th, 2011

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Stewart hires Addington as crew chief

Steve Addington has been named as the new crew chief for NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. Just a week after clinching his third Cup title alongside crew chief Darian Grubb, Stewart has now appointed Addington to the role within his Stewart Haas Racing organisation.

Salvatore’s Reminder

by Tim Terry on November 28th, 2011

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Nathan McGee (8) leads Salvatore, Engelhart (1) and Cormier2 (2) in the early going at Lanier.

Brandon Salvatore reminded the NASCAR iRacing.com Tour Modified Series (NiTMS) drivers why he is the defending champion of the series by taking the win on Week Three at the Lanier National Speedway. Salvatore topped 126 other sim racers in the short track series to take the overall win at the Georgia track. Salvatore’s 190 points came during Thursday’s 3101 Strength of Field (sof) race in which he led 67 of the 120 laps and defeated Derrick Cormier2 by one second for the win.  NiTM point leader Herb Engelhart was third in this event, which featured three cautions. Paul Wisniewski and Ray Farlow completed the top five in the 12 car field. Salvatore credited the win to a two tire change which got him out ahead of the rest of the [...]

Harvick gets new crew chief

November 24th, 2011

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Harvick gets new crew chief

Kevin Harvick will have Shane Wilson as his crew chief for the 2012 Sprint Cup Season, Richard Childress Racing announced. Harvick finished third in the driver standings this year after being one the leading Chase contenders early into the playoff, having won four races during the regular season.

Grubb uncertain on return with Stewart

November 23rd, 2011

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Grubb uncertain on return with Stewart

Darian Grubb is uncertain about returning as Tony Stewart’s crew chief this year and didn’t rule out leaving Stewart Haas altogether. Grubb has been the man on top of the #14 team since the squad was established, making the move from Hendrick Motorsports, where he had already won races as crew chief when sporadically taking on the role. On Sunday, following the season finale when his team clinched the title after Stewart won the race, Grubb revealed that a few weeks ago he had been told he wouldn’t remain in his position beyond this year