Post by elp525 on Jun 17, 2009 6:57:34 GMT -5
Piece of good news on weekend GM cuts factory support
By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM
June 15, 2009
10:42 AM EDT
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- When Mark Martin coasted home on fumes Sunday afternoon, it didn't just give the 50-year-old driver a surprising third victory on the season. It also provided beleaguered car manufacturer Chevrolet with a rare win at Michigan International Speedway, something that once seemed as unlikely in the Great Lake State as the Wolverines suffering a losing football season or assembly lines being idled in Detroit.
With Martin's victory Sunday, Chevrolet now has two wins in the last three Cup Series events on the big 2-mile speedway, a degree of consistency the manufacturer hasn't enjoyed at Michigan since Bobby Labonte swept both races for the bowtie brigade with Joe Gibbs Racing in 1995. In between, Chevys have visited Michigan's Victory Lane only three times -- wins by Jeff Gordon in 1998 and 2001, and Dale Earnhardt's skid-snapping victory last spring.
Victories at Michigan have always been held in high esteem by the American auto manufacturers whose headquarters and production facilities are located in nearby Detroit. Martin's win comes during an uneasy time for Chevrolet's parent company, General Motors, which is restructuring after filing for bankruptcy. GM is pulling its funding for teams on NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck tours, prompting fears that similar cuts on the Cup level are forthcoming.
"Chevrolet gave me my first chance," Rick Hendrick, Sunday's winning car owner said. "I was the youngest Chevrolet dealer, I was the youngest one to get a franchise in the little town of Bennettsville, S.C., and they've supported me ever since. Everybody in the world, in the economy, has had to tighten their belt. Everybody. I don't care what kind of business you're in, NASCAR, the teams. We've cut out testing. We've done everything we can do to cut expenses.
"I think they're going to be in racing. It might not be what we've had. It won't be what we've had. Everybody's going to have to make an adjustment. But that's no different than everything else I've been involved in."
Even so, a Chevy victory has been a rarity at Michigan, where Ford team owner Jack Roush has won 10 times, most recently last summer with Carl Edwards. Fords have traditionally been the strongest manufacturer at Michigan, winning eight times in the last 14 races prior to Sunday -- when the best chance of a Fusion reaching Victory Lane petered out when Greg Biffle's fuel cell ran dry on the backstretch on the final lap.
Edwards' fourth-place showing was the manufacturer's best. Like his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Biffle -- who wound up fifth -- Edwards was close on fuel at the end. "I shut it off so we could check, but I'm sure we were good," he said. "We usually have pretty good fuel mileage with these Fords, but our [car] was about an eighth-place car [Sunday], so to come home fourth is good. My heart just aches for Greg. He did a good job, and was just half a lap short."
Martin's fuel held out until just before he crossed the finish line, providing his manufacturer with a modest morale boost at a time when it dearly needs one. Gordon, his teammate, was right behind him in second. The upheaval at GM hasn't yet affected Chevrolet on the race track, given that Martin's victory was the manufacturer's third consecutive on the Cup Series tour.
"I think they're going to be a stronger company when they get through this. It's definitely going to be some tough times for a while, but I think they're going to be even better, and I think they're going to want to continue supporting racing," said Gordon, like his boss Hendrick also a Chevrolet dealer. "You're not going to hear me say one negative thing or question or doubt where Chevrolet lies with their support here. We know there are cutbacks. We know there are tough times and decisions that have to be made. We're going to support them, whatever those are."
By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM
June 15, 2009
10:42 AM EDT
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- When Mark Martin coasted home on fumes Sunday afternoon, it didn't just give the 50-year-old driver a surprising third victory on the season. It also provided beleaguered car manufacturer Chevrolet with a rare win at Michigan International Speedway, something that once seemed as unlikely in the Great Lake State as the Wolverines suffering a losing football season or assembly lines being idled in Detroit.
With Martin's victory Sunday, Chevrolet now has two wins in the last three Cup Series events on the big 2-mile speedway, a degree of consistency the manufacturer hasn't enjoyed at Michigan since Bobby Labonte swept both races for the bowtie brigade with Joe Gibbs Racing in 1995. In between, Chevys have visited Michigan's Victory Lane only three times -- wins by Jeff Gordon in 1998 and 2001, and Dale Earnhardt's skid-snapping victory last spring.
Victories at Michigan have always been held in high esteem by the American auto manufacturers whose headquarters and production facilities are located in nearby Detroit. Martin's win comes during an uneasy time for Chevrolet's parent company, General Motors, which is restructuring after filing for bankruptcy. GM is pulling its funding for teams on NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck tours, prompting fears that similar cuts on the Cup level are forthcoming.
"Chevrolet gave me my first chance," Rick Hendrick, Sunday's winning car owner said. "I was the youngest Chevrolet dealer, I was the youngest one to get a franchise in the little town of Bennettsville, S.C., and they've supported me ever since. Everybody in the world, in the economy, has had to tighten their belt. Everybody. I don't care what kind of business you're in, NASCAR, the teams. We've cut out testing. We've done everything we can do to cut expenses.
"I think they're going to be in racing. It might not be what we've had. It won't be what we've had. Everybody's going to have to make an adjustment. But that's no different than everything else I've been involved in."
Even so, a Chevy victory has been a rarity at Michigan, where Ford team owner Jack Roush has won 10 times, most recently last summer with Carl Edwards. Fords have traditionally been the strongest manufacturer at Michigan, winning eight times in the last 14 races prior to Sunday -- when the best chance of a Fusion reaching Victory Lane petered out when Greg Biffle's fuel cell ran dry on the backstretch on the final lap.
Edwards' fourth-place showing was the manufacturer's best. Like his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Biffle -- who wound up fifth -- Edwards was close on fuel at the end. "I shut it off so we could check, but I'm sure we were good," he said. "We usually have pretty good fuel mileage with these Fords, but our [car] was about an eighth-place car [Sunday], so to come home fourth is good. My heart just aches for Greg. He did a good job, and was just half a lap short."
Martin's fuel held out until just before he crossed the finish line, providing his manufacturer with a modest morale boost at a time when it dearly needs one. Gordon, his teammate, was right behind him in second. The upheaval at GM hasn't yet affected Chevrolet on the race track, given that Martin's victory was the manufacturer's third consecutive on the Cup Series tour.
"I think they're going to be a stronger company when they get through this. It's definitely going to be some tough times for a while, but I think they're going to be even better, and I think they're going to want to continue supporting racing," said Gordon, like his boss Hendrick also a Chevrolet dealer. "You're not going to hear me say one negative thing or question or doubt where Chevrolet lies with their support here. We know there are cutbacks. We know there are tough times and decisions that have to be made. We're going to support them, whatever those are."
