Race Team

LONG POND, Pa. -- If this were a football team, former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs would have called it a rebuilding year. But this is Winston Cup stock car racing, and while running a race team is similar to running a football team, a turnaround can occur much faster. It certainly has for Gibbs, who says the members of his team have performed like veterans.They have melded a new garage, four new cars, a new car design and a new driver into a winning combination in six months.At the moment, the team with Bobby Labonte behind the steering wheel is on a roll, and Gibbs seems to have regained his magic touch.

LONG POND, Pa. -- It's supposed to be a sport that has its heart centered in mechanical expertise -- the engine power, the aerodynamics of the car design that set the driver up for a great performance.But yesterday, here at Pocono International Raceway, there was a little demonstration about the emotions of the game.In the morning, crew chief Larry McReynolds announced an end to his efforts to start his own race team. And he said he has signed on for another three years with car owner Richard Childress and driver Mike Skinner.

Junior Johnson, the legendary Winston Cup driver, told me more than once through the years, "If anyone is going to put together a race team, there is no reason why they can't be good from the beginning. Either you have it or you don't." He was, of course, talking about stock car teams. But Timonium's Scott Gowland proved this year that it is a philosophy that can work in motorcycle racing, too. Gowland also proved he has "it." An avid golfer, Gowland decided he wanted to ride a motorcycle 18 months ago after he broke up with his fiancee.

DOVER, Del. -- Bill Elliott cured two droughts in one race yesterday, and it took a record run to do it.Elliott beat Mark Martin by 1.38 seconds to win the Peak 500, ending his 23-race NASCAR winless streak. He became the first driver in 14 years to win from the pole at Dover Downs International Speedway."There's been a little joke going around the fans, that I got caught breaking into a Chevrolet dealership because I wanted to see what the front end of a Lumina looks like," Elliott, who drives a Ford, said.

Doug Devilbiss of Westminster knows what racing is all about.TheDevilbiss name is well-known on the area's oval tracks. Doug's olderbrothers, Slim and Butch, were household names in the 1960s and '70s.Slim won track titles at Lincoln Speedway in Hanover, Pa., in 1967 and 1971. It was only natural for the younger brother to follow in those footsteps.But Doug didn't rush into racing. At first, he was satisfied working on his brother's cars. He says he still would be working on cars if it wasn't for friend, Butch Lewellyn.

Mike Hull, team manager for Chip Ganassi Racing's new two-car Indy Racing League program, was talking the other day about the team's readiness given that next season will have two 22-year-old drivers, when he got side-tracked. He was remarking during a conference call about the talents of drivers Scott Dixon and Thomas Scheckter, talking about their youth. He was saying how their enthusiasm and basic driving skills would help the team achieve success when he started thinking about the Pennzoil Panther team of two-time defending IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr., now 23. Part of what the Ganassi team - and nearly every other these days - has going for it is two cars.

With the second Baltimore Grand Prix less than five months away, organizers of the race have yet to sign key agreements, land sponsorship deals, launch a marketing campaign or start selling tickets. Downforce Racing LLC has not fulfilled three of five benchmarks that its contract with the city required to be done three weeks ago. The contract, drawn up following the financial debacle of last year's race, was designed to prevent the new racing group from falling into the same problems as the previous organizers.

Before glossy race cars careen around downtown streets over Labor Day weekend, another high-speed race must be run. The team promoting Baltimore's Grand Prix - a group announced by city officials this week after the collapse of two other race organizers - has less than four months to hawk sponsorships, market the event, sell tickets and set up the racecourse and grandstands. Sports marketing experts say Race On, the new organizers that include racing champion Michael Andretti, must make those tasks their top priorities and also reassure racing fans that the event is on despite months of setbacks.

After a bit of negotiating, Kasey Kahne will join the Red Bull Racing team in 2011. He will spend one season there before moving to Hendrick Motorsports. "This opportunity places me with an established, competitive team that has proven they can win races and make the Chase," Kahne told reporters on Tuesday. "The opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing Team in 2011 is a great fit for me, both personally and professionally. "It feels good to be able to finally put this to rest and focus my energy on finishing the season strong for the 9 team and our sponsors.

David Wisner of Millers and Steve Rill of Westminster make up one of the more interesting teams in stock car racing. They started racing at the end of the 1994 season in the street stock class at Trail-Way Speedway.They share everything from the driving to the expenses.Wisner and Rill always have enjoyed watching races at local speedways. They also attend the Winston Cup races at Dover Downs International Speedway every year. They often thought about what it would be like to get behind the wheel.