Thursday, October 13, 2011

Ashbourne Country Club

It would difficult to be a golfer in this area and not have seen one of the many advertisements or pamphlets in golf shops welcoming daily-fee play at Ashbourne Country Club.

Depending on your game, you may find Ashbourne short (only 6,037 yards from the blue tees), or too tight (towering trees line or pinch virtually every fairway), or too hard (blind shots and side-hill lies abound). But under no circumstances will you find it boring. This golf course has personality.
From the quirky little par-3 fifth, which drops about 100 feet from tee to green, to the twisty, side-hill, par-4 12th, to the long, uphill par-5 17th, Ashbourne is a course that presents golfers with all manner of problems and confounding challenges.
Take the fifth hole - 127 yards from the whites, 142 from the blues. From the tee, the green looks as if it's at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Ashbourne regulars no doubt know what to hit, but the first-time player can scratch his head for five minutes before deciding what to hit - and then be shocked at how wrong he was.
Or how about the 309-yard 12th, where the entire fairway slopes like a banked turn at Charlotte Motor Speedway, defying the first-timer to figure out where to aim a tee shot. The green, by the way, is absolutely nowhere in sight.
Decisions like that abound at Ashbourne, which is carved out of hills and towering oaks in Cheltenham, just 25 minutes north of Center City. And chances are you will make your share of bad decisions the first time you play there.
It is, no question, a course that requires local knowledge. Crush a magnificent tee shot over the crest on the par-5 11th and you may rudely discover that the severely sloping fairway has kicked your ball down behind the trees on the right. But the second time you play Ashbourne, you'll know to keep it left there.
And then there's the 183-yard, par-3 13th, which looks like something out of Pine Valley - all carry-over sand and weeds into a green that is protected by traps on all sides. The best way to play 13 is to rent a helicopter, hover over the green, then drop your ball.
``It's definitely a position course, a shotmaker's course,'' said Jack Ehresman, Ashbourne's director of golf. ``You've got to be straight off the tee. You won't be hitting your driver all day.''
No kidding. Unless you are deadly accurate off the tee, a good piece of advice is to leave your driver in your bag - better yet, in your trunk. Then lock it.
The extra distance won't be worth the added aggravation - unless, of course, one of the strengths of your game is punching out from under a low-hanging limb, up over a trap, then stopping your ball on a small, flat green with an abyss off the back.
For Ehresman's money, Ashbourne's signature hole is probably the 169-yard, par-3 16th, which is pictured on the club's scorecard. And 16 is a beauty - over the Tookany Creek, into a green protected by bunkers on both sides and front left.
But the two preceding holes - the sloping, 354-yard 14th and the 449-yard 15th, a dogleg over Tookany Creek - are also favorites among Ashbourne regulars.

Ashbourne Country Club

It would difficult to be a golfer in this area and not have seen one of the many advertisements or pamphlets in golf shops welcoming daily-fee play at Ashbourne Country Club.

Ashbourne Country Club

It would difficult to be a golfer in this area and not have seen one of the many advertisements or pamphlets in golf shops welcoming daily-fee play at Ashbourne Country Club.

Long Beach State Hall

In the fourth of an ongoing series honoring the 2011 Long Beach State Hall of Fame nominees, we take a look at men's volleyball star Alan Knipe.

Knipe was a three-year letterwinner with the 49ers from 1990-1992, earning first-team All-American honors in 1992 following a second-team All-America selection in 1991, when Knipe helped lead the 49ers to the team's first and only National Championship, earning All-Final Four honors for his effort in that championship run after making 16 kills and eight blocks on .636 hitting in the NCAA Championship.

Knipe hit .433 with 127 blocks that season as Long Beach State's middle blocker, making 384 total kills, part of his 946 total over three seasons. He had 426 as a senior on the way to his first-team All-America honors in 1992.

For his efforts as a player, Knipe was honored as an inaugural member of the Wall of Honor for Long Beach State men's volleyball in 2006, and has earned consideration for the Long Beach State Hall of Fame for his time as a student-athlete.

Following his playing career with Long Beach State, Knipe played for the USA National team during 1992-1993, and then returned to his alma mater in as a coach, eventually taking over as the 49ers head coach in 2001. After leading Long Beach State to a pair of NCAA Final Four appearances in 2004 and 2008, Knipe took a leave of absence prior to the 2010 season as he was selected as the head coach the USA Men's National team, and will lead the squad as the Americans get ready to participate in the 2012 London Olympics.

Long Beach State Hall

IOC Athletes' Forum Embraces Wild West

ATR With line dance lessons and a real live rodeo, almost nothing about the Fifth International Athletes' Forum resembled a typical IOC gathering.

The rodeo's grand finale came when "one-armed bandit" John Payne chased a pair of buffalo around the arena and then herded them atop a tractor trailer. (ATR)

Scenes from Colorado Springs inside this Olympic Photodesk.

IOC Athletes' Forum Embraces Wild West

TNA Impact Wrestling Tapings

TNA Impact Wrestling spoilers from last night’s tapings in Knoxville, Tennessee. These will air on October 13th, the Thursday before Bound For Glory: * The show opened with Daniels, Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles and Rob Van Dam brawling leading to a tag match with the four. Great high flying match with AJ and RVD getting the win. * Kurt Angle came out and called out Bobby Roode. Angle gave props to Roode for beating all his Fortune partners but then put himself over and questioned if Roode can get the job done without James Storm to help him out. Roode acknowledged that Angle is the best but said he has more heart and will be the World Champion. Roode says no Immortal and no Fortune at Bound For Glory, just them two going for the World Title. Kurt agreed but announced Roode vs. Jeff Jarrett and Gunner for tonight. * Matt Morgan beat Samoa Joe. Joe went crazy after the loss and attacked Morgan until Crimson came out with a chair.

TNA Impact Wrestling Tapings

Menu For Drivers

The NASCAR season is starting to resemble an old-time movie serial that entertained our grandparents. To see the complete picture, they had to keep returning to the theater every week as the 15 minute shorts developed their continuous storyline over the course of several months. These serials often had wildly exaggerated plots and cliffhangers designed to make the moviegoer return.

You may recall last week that the three favorite drivers were Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Carl Edwards. Two of these drivers had dominant races and two of them finished in the top five, but they each had very different but dramatic experiences during the afternoon. Johnson qualified poorly -- which is his tendency at Kansas -- but as soon as he charged to the front of the pack, he established his car as the one to beat. Gordon was just as strong until a late-race restart and then a blown engine all but shattered his hope to win the 2011 championship. Meanwhile, Edwards spent much of the day trying to simply stay on the same lap as the leaders, and through a remarkable set of circumstances climbed into the top five at the end of the event. The race could not have been scripted more perfectly to keep fans tuned in at home or glued to their seats at the track until the checkered flag waved over the Hollywood Casino 400.

Edwards brought Kevin Harvick with him through the field and those drivers who started the day tied for the points lead finished nose-to-tail. Johnson's victory closed the gap among the top three drivers to four points.

Menu For Drivers

Crew chiefs play a crucial role in NASCAR

We hear a lot about stress and pressure on drivers. It's also a demanding stretch for crew chiefs. These guys prepare the Chase teams, then make decisions during the races that often determine who wins.

Bob Osborne has been through six Chases with Carl Edwards, who leads Kevin Harvick by just one point after four playoff races. Edwards' best Chase finish was second, in 2008 when he won a series-leading nine races.

Speaking Tuesday from Roush Fenway headquarters in Concord, N.C., Osborne acknowledged Chase crew chiefs experience the same stress as drivers.

"It's no tougher on me than any of the other guys in the Chase," the Penn State graduate said. "There's a lot on the line. It's a part of the sport we deal with every year.

"We focus on minimizing mistakes, having fast race cars, the best races and the best pit stops. It's doing everything we did to get here."

When Osborne added, "We're trying to alleviate the unnecessary pressure on ourselves by talking about it," I chuckled and replied, "You mean what we're doing now, right?"

Edwards led the standings for 15 of the first 26 races (he was tied for first with Kyle Busch another week). When the Chase began, the Missouri native was seeded fifth.

That Edwards is the Chase leader after four races is remarkable when you remember he overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to finish third at Dover 2 weeks ago. Then, Sunday at Kansas, he finished fifth in the No. 99 Ford after not running in the top 10 until late in the race. ESPN analyst Andy Petree, a former championship crew chief, was astonished at Edwards' finish.

"Our 99 team worked hard, and Carl drove the wheels off the car," Osborne said.

Like most top racers, Edwards is aware of how much crew chiefs have on their minds.

"The question has always been, what's more important, the driver or the car," Edwards said. "Now I think you can make that a three-part [answer]: the driver, car or crew chief. I think all three of them are important. I think without all three of those things, you're not going to win a substantial number of these races.

"A two-tire call or a no-tire call could be the call that wins the race. Those calls are very, very difficult. I sit in the race car and I can't decide what we should do. Now, more than ever, a crew chief who can make those decisions is extremely valuable. I wouldn't choose any other crew chief in the garage over Bob Osborne and his ability to win these races."

With 20 points separating the top eight drivers in the Chase and six races remaining, no one can predict how it will turn out. After winning at Kansas, five-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is lurking third, only four points behind Edwards. Johnson has 20 career Chase race wins, far ahead of runners-up Edwards and Tony Stewart, with eight Chase wins each.

"You can't really give anything up, because the competition is so great," Osborne said. "There's a fine balance between having the performance necessary and minimizing any mistakes."

Aware that Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet team are ready to pounce, Osborne said: "You can never count the 48 out. They're extremely good at what they do."

Johnson has led 354 laps the last two races. He finished second at Dover.

While the Chase presents the ultimate pressure in stock-car racing, there are lighthearted moments. During one race last summer, Edwards lured Osborne into singing briefly.

"We're having a good time," Osborne reluctantly said when he was reminded of that. "At the end of the day, we are racing. There are a lot of things that are important, but we're doing this because we enjoy it."

Crew chiefs play a crucial role in NASCAR

We hear a lot about stress and pressure on drivers. It's also a demanding stretch for crew chiefs. These guys prepare the Chase teams, then make decisions during the races that often determine who wins.

Bob Osborne has been through six Chases with Carl Edwards, who leads Kevin Harvick by just one point after four playoff races. Edwards' best Chase finish was second, in 2008 when he won a series-leading nine races.

Speaking Tuesday from Roush Fenway headquarters in Concord, N.C., Osborne acknowledged Chase crew chiefs experience the same stress as drivers.

"It's no tougher on me than any of the other guys in the Chase," the Penn State graduate said. "There's a lot on the line. It's a part of the sport we deal with every year.

"We focus on minimizing mistakes, having fast race cars, the best races and the best pit stops. It's doing everything we did to get here."

When Osborne added, "We're trying to alleviate the unnecessary pressure on ourselves by talking about it," I chuckled and replied, "You mean what we're doing now, right?"

Edwards led the standings for 15 of the first 26 races (he was tied for first with Kyle Busch another week). When the Chase began, the Missouri native was seeded fifth.

That Edwards is the Chase leader after four races is remarkable when you remember he overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to finish third at Dover 2 weeks ago. Then, Sunday at Kansas, he finished fifth in the No. 99 Ford after not running in the top 10 until late in the race. ESPN analyst Andy Petree, a former championship crew chief, was astonished at Edwards' finish.

"Our 99 team worked hard, and Carl drove the wheels off the car," Osborne said.

Like most top racers, Edwards is aware of how much crew chiefs have on their minds.

"The question has always been, what's more important, the driver or the car," Edwards said. "Now I think you can make that a three-part [answer]: the driver, car or crew chief. I think all three of them are important. I think without all three of those things, you're not going to win a substantial number of these races.

"A two-tire call or a no-tire call could be the call that wins the race. Those calls are very, very difficult. I sit in the race car and I can't decide what we should do. Now, more than ever, a crew chief who can make those decisions is extremely valuable. I wouldn't choose any other crew chief in the garage over Bob Osborne and his ability to win these races."

With 20 points separating the top eight drivers in the Chase and six races remaining, no one can predict how it will turn out. After winning at Kansas, five-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is lurking third, only four points behind Edwards. Johnson has 20 career Chase race wins, far ahead of runners-up Edwards and Tony Stewart, with eight Chase wins each.

"You can't really give anything up, because the competition is so great," Osborne said. "There's a fine balance between having the performance necessary and minimizing any mistakes."

Aware that Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet team are ready to pounce, Osborne said: "You can never count the 48 out. They're extremely good at what they do."

Johnson has led 354 laps the last two races. He finished second at Dover.

While the Chase presents the ultimate pressure in stock-car racing, there are lighthearted moments. During one race last summer, Edwards lured Osborne into singing briefly.

"We're having a good time," Osborne reluctantly said when he was reminded of that. "At the end of the day, we are racing. There are a lot of things that are important, but we're doing this because we enjoy it."

Crew chiefs play a crucial role in NASCAR

We hear a lot about stress and pressure on drivers. It's also a demanding stretch for crew chiefs. These guys prepare the Chase teams, then make decisions during the races that often determine who wins.

Bob Osborne has been through six Chases with Carl Edwards, who leads Kevin Harvick by just one point after four playoff races. Edwards' best Chase finish was second, in 2008 when he won a series-leading nine races.

Speaking Tuesday from Roush Fenway headquarters in Concord, N.C., Osborne acknowledged Chase crew chiefs experience the same stress as drivers.

"It's no tougher on me than any of the other guys in the Chase," the Penn State graduate said. "There's a lot on the line. It's a part of the sport we deal with every year.

"We focus on minimizing mistakes, having fast race cars, the best races and the best pit stops. It's doing everything we did to get here."

When Osborne added, "We're trying to alleviate the unnecessary pressure on ourselves by talking about it," I chuckled and replied, "You mean what we're doing now, right?"

Edwards led the standings for 15 of the first 26 races (he was tied for first with Kyle Busch another week). When the Chase began, the Missouri native was seeded fifth.

That Edwards is the Chase leader after four races is remarkable when you remember he overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to finish third at Dover 2 weeks ago. Then, Sunday at Kansas, he finished fifth in the No. 99 Ford after not running in the top 10 until late in the race. ESPN analyst Andy Petree, a former championship crew chief, was astonished at Edwards' finish.

"Our 99 team worked hard, and Carl drove the wheels off the car," Osborne said.

Like most top racers, Edwards is aware of how much crew chiefs have on their minds.

"The question has always been, what's more important, the driver or the car," Edwards said. "Now I think you can make that a three-part [answer]: the driver, car or crew chief. I think all three of them are important. I think without all three of those things, you're not going to win a substantial number of these races.

"A two-tire call or a no-tire call could be the call that wins the race. Those calls are very, very difficult. I sit in the race car and I can't decide what we should do. Now, more than ever, a crew chief who can make those decisions is extremely valuable. I wouldn't choose any other crew chief in the garage over Bob Osborne and his ability to win these races."

With 20 points separating the top eight drivers in the Chase and six races remaining, no one can predict how it will turn out. After winning at Kansas, five-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson is lurking third, only four points behind Edwards. Johnson has 20 career Chase race wins, far ahead of runners-up Edwards and Tony Stewart, with eight Chase wins each.

"You can't really give anything up, because the competition is so great," Osborne said. "There's a fine balance between having the performance necessary and minimizing any mistakes."

Aware that Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet team are ready to pounce, Osborne said: "You can never count the 48 out. They're extremely good at what they do."

Johnson has led 354 laps the last two races. He finished second at Dover.

While the Chase presents the ultimate pressure in stock-car racing, there are lighthearted moments. During one race last summer, Edwards lured Osborne into singing briefly.

"We're having a good time," Osborne reluctantly said when he was reminded of that. "At the end of the day, we are racing. There are a lot of things that are important, but we're doing this because we enjoy it."

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader

Carl Edwards spent six-plus months under scrutiny for scouring the job market and looking for the best possible deal.

His free agency dominated the NASCAR rumor mill all summer, and Edwards couldn’t escape the scrutiny despite numerous pleas to be allowed to handle his business affairs in private. Then a funny thing happened: Edwards signed a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing and nobody paid any attention to him at all.

His days of peace and tranquility are officially over.

Edwards gutted out a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s race at Kansas to claim sole possession of first in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings. With six races remaining, he holds a one-point lead over Kevin Harvick with five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson sitting four points back.

It’s the first time in eight weeks that Edwards has been the points leader, a position he held for 16 of the 26 “regular season” races. But his time on the top was plagued by speculation about both his future and the havoc a prolonged free agency could wreak on his title chances.

Everybody wondered just how the points leader could even be considering leaving Roush, the team that gave him his break in NASCAR and now had him in championship contention. Then came the musings of four-time champion Jeff Gordon, who maybe was publicly tweaking Edwards when he surmised in late July that dragging out the job hunt would only hurt Edwards’ title chances.

And if Edwards decided to leave? Well, Gordon said he could kiss the Sprint Cup goodbye.

A mere six days later, months of waffling between Roush and Joe Gibbs Racing abruptly ended with Edwards signing an extension to stay with Roush. The intrigue over, he quietly faded from the headlines as attention turned to just about everybody else.

It didn’t help that, three races after announcing his new contract, an engine issue led to a 36th-place finish at Michigan and dropped him to third in the standings. Just like that, he was an afterthought to Kyle Busch, Gordon, Johnson, Kevin Harvick and the suddenly streaking Brad Keselowski.

But a closer examination shows that Edwards should have always been on the radar, and any team that dared to overlook him is paying for it now.

Edwards has yet to finish outside the top-10 in the seven races since Michigan, and five of those events ended with top-five finishes. He’s the only one of the 12 Chase drivers to notch a top-10 in each of the first four Chase races, and he’s shown an ability to overcome every obstacle thrown his way.

Two weeks ago at Dover, his first speeding penalty of the season dropped him to 28th in the field and Edwards recovered to finish third. At Kansas, the wrong setup put him in trouble early – something Edwards recognized in the opening laps of the race.

Crew chief Bob Osborne set out to make the needed changes, work that required a lengthy stop on pit road and dropped Edwards as far back as 25th. He was two laps down at one point, in danger of a horrific day at his home track, until late cautions put him in position to pull out a miracle.

Edwards seemed as surprised as anyone when he crossed the finish line in fifth.

“I cannot believe we finished fifth, it feels like a win,” Edwards said. “That is the most we have done with a car that wasn’t capable of winning, ever.”

Next up for Edwards is Saturday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he won the $1 million All-Star race back in May. It was his only Cup victory at Charlotte, as he’s winless in 13 previous points-paying races. In fact, the track has not been all that good to Edwards, who has one finish above 12th in his last six Cup races.

So there was no time to celebrate Sunday’s achievement. The moment Osborne saw Edwards after the race, they immediately began their strategy for Charlotte.

“That is the first thing Bob and I talked about when he got over to the car, making sure we don’t make the same mistake at Charlotte,” Edwards said. “That place has been a little difficult for us. We have been very hit and miss there.”

He probably can’t afford anything but a hit on Saturday night.

Johnson has hit his stride, winning his first Chase race of the season Sunday to give him momentum as he heads into Charlotte, where he’s a six-time winner. And Harvick, winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte the week after Edwards’ victory in the All-Star race, has a strong track record at the remaining race tracks.

But Edwards is no slouch, either, and staying within striking distance could be all that he needs to do to win his first Cup title. He fell too far behind Johnson in 2008, his nine-win season, and victories in three of the final four races of the year still left him 69 points shy of the championship.

That was his last legitimate title run, and the struggles that followed in 2009 (no wins, 11th in points) and 2010 (two wins, fourth in points) played a large role this summer in Edwards investigating if Roush Fenway was truly the best place for his long-term future.

However he got to his final decision to stay with Roush doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that he held his team together during the free agency process when everyone else seemed to believe they’d falter.

Now, after making it through the first month of the Chase unscathed, there’s no reason to believe he’s not going to be a contender all the way down to the wire.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader

Carl Edwards spent six-plus months under scrutiny for scouring the job market and looking for the best possible deal.

His days of peace and tranquility are officially over.

But a closer examination shows that Edwards should have always been on the radar, and any team that dared to overlook him is paying for it now.

Edwards seemed as surprised as anyone when he crossed the finish line in fifth.

“I cannot believe we finished fifth, it feels like a win,” Edwards said. “That is the most we have done with a car that wasn’t capable of winning, ever.”

So there was no time to celebrate Sunday’s achievement. The moment Osborne saw Edwards after the race, they immediately began their strategy for Charlotte.

He probably can’t afford anything but a hit on Saturday night.

Now, after making it through the first month of the Chase unscathed, there’s no reason to believe he’s not going to be a contender all the way down to the wire.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader

Carl Edwards spent six-plus months under scrutiny for scouring the job market and looking for the best possible deal.

His days of peace and tranquility are officially over.

But a closer examination shows that Edwards should have always been on the radar, and any team that dared to overlook him is paying for it now.

Edwards seemed as surprised as anyone when he crossed the finish line in fifth.

“I cannot believe we finished fifth, it feels like a win,” Edwards said. “That is the most we have done with a car that wasn’t capable of winning, ever.”

So there was no time to celebrate Sunday’s achievement. The moment Osborne saw Edwards after the race, they immediately began their strategy for Charlotte.

He probably can’t afford anything but a hit on Saturday night.

Now, after making it through the first month of the Chase unscathed, there’s no reason to believe he’s not going to be a contender all the way down to the wire.

Busch wins Cup race at Dover

Kurt Busch pulled off the win at Dover in the Chase for the Nextel Cup and that, among other things, helped to shake up the standings. After Dover, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards are at the top while Tony Stewart, even though he had a bad day at his nemesis track, is still third along with Kurt Busch, both -9 points out of first place. The top nine are all within only 19 points of each other. That’s sure to mean there will be some pretty tight suspense in the offing!

In the under classes, Carl Edwards took the Nationwide go at the same track while Ron Hornaday won his 50th CWS race at Kentucky. Early in the Dover weekend, Darrell Wallace took the laurels in the K & N Pro Series East race while Max Gresham took the series championship. Elsewhere, Ed Carpenter posted his first IZOD Indy Car win at Kentucky. Montigny, Sarrazin and Wurz combined for the ALMS win at Road Atlanta.

Now for some bad news. Both Scene Daily and StockCarGazette report that Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) is on the hook for some 950k after they bought NHMS in Loudon, NH, and couldn’t agree on a termination fee with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) affiliated with International Speedway Corp. and NASCAR. SMI has their own radio network Performance Racing Network (PRN). With two races into NASCAR’s Chase, there’s hope the postseason audience could bring a bit of recovery after a dismal 2010. New Hampshire’s ratings were up somewhat from a 2.3 to a 2.7 U.S. Rating for a year-to-year increase of 17 percent. Viewership increased by over half-a-million to 4,235,000 and the race finished in the top 10 in Cable TV programming for the week.

A much-needed boost to the postseason happened after Chicagoland’s rain-delayed event earned a paltry 1.8 to start. Even more encouraging were audience numbers within the key, males ages 18-34, causing a dramatic 28 percent increase in the Nielsen’s. These viewership numbers would have ranked fifth overall in the 2010 Chase behind Homestead, Charlotte, Talladega, and Texas.

However, looking at the landscape overall, stock car’s audience still has plenty of room for improvement. New Hampshire’s 2011 numbers are still well off the pace of 2009, when 5.04 million watched the Chase race debut there and far behind the NFL’s 13.2 rating for, say, Sunday Night Football. Even MTV’s Jersey Shore outperformed New Hampshire that Sunday, scoring 6.2 million viewers for its latest episode and a rating of 4.2. Overall this season, ESPN’s NASCAR ratings are up 2 percent over 2010. This came from StockCarGazette.com.

NASCAR on FOX’s pre-race shows will have a little more “Waltrip” in them than usual beginning next season. Starting in 2012, Michael Waltrip will be joining his brother Darrell and FOX analyst Chris Myers in the “Hollywood Hotel” during the network’s 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Two-time Daytona 500 winner, Waltrip currently works in the broadcast booth during SPEED’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series broadcasts as well as Showtime’s program “Inside NASCAR.”

“Michael is simply one of NASCAR’s most gregarious, genuine personalities, and we loved the dynamic between him and Darrell when we paired them up on occasion last season,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports Media Group President, Co-COO and Executive Producer. “Michael has also been featured in numerous television commercials over the last decade, which makes him familiar to a much broader audience. I expect a lot of ‘gotta see’ TV coming out of an all-Waltrip Hollywood Hotel next season.”

In addition to these changes, championship-winning crew chief Jeff Hammond will expand his role on the network to pit road and the garage area to chase down stories and interviews. Hammond has worked with the network for the last 10 seasons in some capacity, working with Myers in the Hollywood Hotel in addition to his work with SPEED’s NASCAR coverage.

FOX’s coverage will begin Saturday, February 18, 2012, for the Budweiser Shootout, the unofficial start to the NASCAR season. The network will air the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on February 26th.

The International Motorsports Hall of Fame announced that two NHRA greats, Kenny Bernstein and John Force, will be inducted into the Hall fo Fame along with NASCAR’s Richard Childress. “Congratulations to the Class of 2012. Kenny and John have shown a competitive fire in their sport that earned them this international honor,’ said IMHOF Executirve Director Grant Lynch.

The 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Banquet will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2011, at The Radisson Suites Hotel Covina, in Covina, CA. The event will kick off with a cocktail reception at 12:30 p.m. followed by an end-of-the-season celebration at 1:30 p.m.

Busch wins Cup race at Dover

NASCAR : Features Schedule

Features Schedule

NASCAR : Features Schedule

Features Schedule

Monday

Movers and Chasers: Kansas Green-White-Checkered Finish: Kansas Weekend Top Five: Kansas

Tuesday

Sights and Sounds: Hollywood Casino 400 SPEED Best of Race Hub

Wednesday

Fantasy Showdown: Charlotte Hometown Heroes: Team Members Nationwide Spotlight: Morgan Shepherd SPEED Best of Race Hub

Thursday

Friday

Zero to 60 30 Minutes You'll Never Get Back from Charlotte Nationwide Preview Show Nationwide Series Highlights Nationwide Series Final Laps Nationwide Series Victory Lane SPEED Trackside

Saturday

Sunday

Race Rewind SPEED Victory Lane SPEED Victory Lane Fan Finish

NASCAR : Features Schedule

Features Schedule

Monday

Movers and Chasers: Kansas Green-White-Checkered Finish: Kansas Weekend Top Five: Kansas

Tuesday

Sights and Sounds: Hollywood Casino 400 SPEED Best of Race Hub

Wednesday

Fantasy Showdown: Charlotte Hometown Heroes: Team Members Nationwide Spotlight: Morgan Shepherd SPEED Best of Race Hub

Thursday

Friday

Zero to 60 30 Minutes You'll Never Get Back from Charlotte Nationwide Preview Show Nationwide Series Highlights Nationwide Series Final Laps Nationwide Series Victory Lane SPEED Trackside

Saturday

Sunday

Race Rewind SPEED Victory Lane SPEED Victory Lane Fan Finish

Johnson not worried : SI

Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR's five-time defending Cup Series champion, chuckled Tuesday at the suggestion that a jinx may accompany his face's latest trip to the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

"I was made aware of this jinx during a function [Tuesday] at the [NASCAR] Hall of Fame," Johnson said. "To tell you something about how up I am on other sports, I thought it had something to do with being on the cover of the Madden football video game.

"I guess it's out there for some other sports teams -- but in my heart of hearts, there is no way the photo on a cover of a magazine is going to change the luck of a race team. If we lose a championship, it's because of what happened on the race track -- not because of a photo that was on a magazine."

* See all of Sports Illustrated's NASCAR covers

Johnson is pursuing an unprecedented sixth consecutive Cup championship. After winning last Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway to move into third in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings behind Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick, Johnson was the choice for the cover of the SI edition that will be made available on newsstands across America on Wednesday.

This is the second time Johnson has graced the cover of SI. He also was on the cover of the Nov. 24, 2008, edition just after he sewed up that year's Cup championship and before he went on to capture the next two.
"It's usually considered an honor to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine," Johnson said. "I was fortunate enough to be on the cover of it back in '08, and things turned out pretty well for us that year. So I don't have any fear about being on this cover. None at all."

Johnson not worried : SI

NASCAR : 'goes pink' for Breast Cancer Awareness

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NASCAR is "going pink" with concentrated efforts during this weekend's activities at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway to build awareness and raise funds for breast cancer-aimed charitable organizations.

NASCAR will add pink accents to its Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series vehicles during the upcoming race weekend -- which includes Charlotte's Bank of America 500 and Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage, and Las Vegas' Smith's 350.

Included among the many race weekend initiatives are:
* Race cars and trucks will carry a NASCAR Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon logo on A-posts.
* NASCAR officials will wear pink lanyards and gloves in the garage area throughout the weekend.
* NASCAR officials' fire suits will carry NASCAR Breast Cancer Awareness patches.
* NASCAR partner Mechanix Wear will provide pink gloves that will later be signed by drivers to be auctioned on the NASCAR Unites website (NASCAR).

Coinciding with the at-track elements, the NASCAR Unites will feature a number of opportunities for NASCAR fans to unite in support of kids who have been affected in some way by breast cancer through initiatives like the Susan G. Komen for the Cure College Scholarship program. Each year, Susan G. Komen provides scholarships for up to $100,000 a year for four years to college-bound students who have lost a loved one to breast cancer or have been diagnosed themselves under the age of 25.
In 2008, the NASCAR Foundation funded a Komen college scholarship awarded to Neal Simon, who lost his mother -- a single parent -- when he was 11. Neal attended the University of Texas where his numerous community service achievements led to him being nominated by Komen for the inaugural Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

"Breast Cancer Awareness month is one of those unique opportunities in which the NASCAR industry and NASCAR fans rally together for such a special and important cause," said Sandy Marshall, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation. "Each year the program gets bigger, which means that awareness is growing across the board."

Industry efforts take center-stage during Friday night's Nationwide Series race, which has a pink theme. Fans attending the race are encouraged to participate in a "pink out" -- wearing pink to show their support of breast cancer awareness.

Dollar General 300 event tickets, the frontstretch grass, the start/finish line, and the official Toyota Camry pace car will all incorporate the pink motif for Friday's race. To celebrate survival in the fight against breast cancer, dignitaries for the race will be Dollar General employees affected by the disease and serving as honorary race director is 101-year-old Nanny Sue Neal, of Waxhaw, N.C., the oldest living survivor in North Carolina. In addition, a group of 300 survivors will be recognized in a special "ring of survivors" as part of pre-race ceremonies.

Ticket packages also are on sale by Charlotte Motor Speedway that include a frontstretch ticket, a pink event T-shirt and a donation to Komen and Speedway Children's Charities.

A number of Nationwide Series race teams will sport pink paint schemes and accents on cars, including the Turner Motorsports' No. 32 Chevrolet driven by Brian Vickers, the Kevin Harvick Inc. No. 2 Chevrolet driven by Elliott Sadler, and the MacDonald Motorsports No. 81 Dodge driven by Blake Koch. Both Sadler's and Koch's mothers are survivors of breast cancer.
Several Cup Series teams also are planning to run special pink paint schemes or accents during Saturday night's race, including the Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 00 Toyota driven by David Reutimann, which will feature a full pink color scheme.

Support for Breast Cancer Awareness has been a month-long initiative across the industry. Among those raising awareness was the Richard Childress Racing's No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick, which featured a special pink "Chasing the Cure" paint scheme at the Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 2. Chevrolet also has featured several pink pace cars leading up to the month of October to drive awareness and fundraising in advance.