Backstretch Motorsports

Racing veteran Randy Lajoie reportedly is responsible for handing Joey Lagano the title of ‘The Hottest Thing Since Sliced Bread’ and he has lived up to his moniker. In the era where the youngest of the Young Guns are starting to make noise, Lagano has been surrounded by the loudest shouts of being the ‘real deal’.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise as Lagano is already a multi-time champion in several different racing disciplines, starting with karting at age six.

[read more...]

DOVER, Del. — Same song, different verse.

Points leader Kyle Busch made mincemeat of the competition and Sunday’s Best Buy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway.

In a race that stayed green for the final 153 laps, Busch gained a total of five seconds over runner-up Carl Edwards on his final two pit stops, built a lead that topped eight seconds and cruised in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a 4.225-second win, his fourth of the season and the eighth of his career.

[read more...]

DOVER, Del. (May 30, 2008) Making the most of his sixth start in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series — and capitalizing on transmission troubles that temporarily sidelined Kyle Busch’s dominant Toyota — former Formula 1 driver Scott Speed ran away from the field after a late restart to win the AAA Insurance 200 on Friday at Dover International Speedway.

Speed, whose previous best finish was eighth at Kansas Speedway, is the third straight first-time winner in the series, following Matt Crafton (Lowe’s Motor Speedway) and Donny Lia (Mansfield, Ohio) to victory lane.

[read more...]

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 27, 2008) – At first glance, Joey Logano appears to be a typical 18-year-old. But while the happy-go-lucky teenager enjoys hanging out with friends and playing video games, there’s one big difference between Logano and his peers – the God-given talent to drive a race car.

That talent was discovered at just four years of age when his father, Tom, bought him his first go-kart. Tom watched his son in amazement as he whirled around the property of his Connecticut-based waste management company. That experience led Tom and his wife, Deborah, to enter Joey into quarter-midget competition just two years later. At the tender age of six, a racing career was born.

[read more...]

CONCORD, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing’s hold on the Nationwide Series finally has been snapped — by one of its drivers.

Driving the No. 32 Braun Racing Toyota, Busch ended the four-race winning streak of the No. 20 Toyota that belongs to his full-time owner, Joe Gibbs. Hamlin, who took a turn in the No. 20 on Saturday, finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and polesitter Brian Vickers.

Busch won the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway under caution when Mike Wallace’s wreck slowed the race after Busch had taken the white flag for a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the event two laps beyond its posted distance of 200.

[read more...]

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Ohio 250
Mansfield Motorsports Park
Qualifying Fast Facts

Bud Pole Winner: Johnny Benson
Age: 44
Team: No. 23
Owner: Bill Davis
Crew Chief: Trip Bruce

[read more...]

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Diamond Hill Plywood 200
Darlington Raceway
Fast Facts

Race Winner: Tony Stewart
Age: 36
Team: No. 20 Old Spice Toyota
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Crew Chief: Dave Rogers

[read more...]

Denny Hamlin won the Lipton Tea 250, his sixth victory in 97 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. Hamlin scorres his first victory at his ‘hometown’ track and fourth top-10 finish in seven races at Richmond International Raceway.

This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in six races in 2008. He became the third different driver to win for Joe Gibbs Racing this season – all three have won at least one race in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

[read more...]

Chesterfield, Virginia rests just a mere 15 minutes or so from Richmond International Raceway. Chesterfield is the hometown of Denny Hamlin. Hamin considers RIR his hometown track.

So with friends and family in the stands and in force cheering the hometown boy on, Hamlin put his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry from Joe Gibbs Racing on the pole for Saturday night’s Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 Sprint Cup race.

On his second lap in Friday’s time trials, Hamlin toured the .75-mile “D”-shaped short track in 21.395 seconds tearing off a lap at 126.198 mph to edge Mark Martin . Martin, who had gone out early in the session, had covered the distance in 21.423 seconds.

[read more...]

“I came off turn four, and something just didn’t feel right. I told the guys, ‘Man this thing is really tight and I’m going to run another lap.’ Then I got down in there and it started to pull right on me. I tried to gather it up and as soon as I turned back to the right the front tires hooked up and started rolling down from there. I didn’t lose consciousness — I felt every roll down the hill. For me to walk away from a wreck like that is unbelievable. I’m definitely going to count my blessings tonight. Thank God for this opportunity to walk away from that wreck.” — Michael McDowell