Losing track of the time

Year went by quickly at NHMS for Gappens

By Michael Vega, Globe Staff  |  November 1, 2008

A year ago, Bob Bahre, chairman of New Hampshire International Speedway, sold the Loudon track and its two coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup dates to O. Bruton Smith in a deal worth $340 million. Not long after, Smith appointed Jerry Gappens executive vice president and general manager of the renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"The year's gone extremely quick," Gappens said Thursday from his office in Loudon. "It went quicker than I had thought. But the yearlong transition went seamlessly. Bob Bahre is still on board as a consultant and comes to the office all the time, and he helped make that transition go seamlessly. I tell people if you asked me to back up the clock and to make the same decision, I'd absolutely make the same decision. We had a super good year."

But it was not without its challenges.

"From Day 1, I had to dispel the rumors and speculation that one of our [Sprint Cup] dates was leaving to go to Las Vegas or wherever," Gappens said. "It took time to work on that message point. The second challenge was more of an internal one and that was to help minimize the apprehension the people on our staff had about the change of going from a business that was family-owned to one that was publicly traded."

Although there was a small turnover in personnel, Gappens took particular pride in pointing out "that everyone who was employed here a year ago is still employed here. There are good people here doing good things."

When the economic downturn threatened to impact the turnout for the Sprint Cup events at NHMS, Gappens and his staff introduced the Fan Appreciation Economic Stimulus Program, distributing more than $30,000 in rewards to 31 ticket-holders at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 June 29. The track gave out 20 Sunoco gas cards worth $500 each along with 10 pairs of suite passes to the Sylvania 300 Sept. 14, but fan Joe Solloway of Manchester, N.H., won the promotion's grand prize: six months' worth of mortgage payments on his home.

"There comes certain times where you have to walk the walk; you can't just talk the talk," said Gappens, who came to NHMS from Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., where he served as senior vice president of events and marketing. "You can't come in and demand respect and trust from your employees and race fans. I feel good about where we are. I love my job and I love what we're doing here."

A native of Windfall, Ind., Gappens brought along a keen appreciation for open-wheel racing, which went over well with fans of the Whelen Modified Tour, who were concerned about losing the circuit's premier venue. If there was one regret in Gappens's first year in Loudon, it had to be when Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc., unsuccessfully lobbied the Indy Racing League to get NHMS on the 2009 IndyCar Series schedule. But, Gappens said, "Looking back, I don't think there were any missteps."

As for what is in store for NHMS in Year 2 under SMI ownership, Gappens said there was a plan to continue the improvements to the infrastructure but there was not likely to be much in the way of changes to the track itself.

"After watching both races, Bruton was very comfortable with the configuration of the track," Gappens said.

Given the economic climate, Gappens was asked if Smith's decision to stand pat on any track changes was a signal that he might consider liquidating the most recent acquisition to his racing empire, which includes tracks in Bristol, Tenn., Concord, N.C., Las Vegas, Atlanta, Sonoma, Calif., and Fort Worth, where race No. 8 of NASCAR's Chase for the Championship will be staged tomorrow.

"It's not for sale," Gappens responded. "He's not known for selling things or cutting back. He's more about acquisition and growth than about downsizing. He made a sizable investment here and the plan is to continue those improvements for the fans and I still hold true to what I said 10 months ago: I think that New Hampshire Motor Speedway can become the Bristol of the Northeast.

"Obviously, there are challenges in this economic climate, but I feel good about everything we've accomplished here this year," Gappens added, "I think we've established a good baseline."

Not so fast

With his victory in last Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards stood in Victory Lane firm in the belief he had cut into Jimmie Johnson's 149-point lead in the Chase.

But the Roush Fenway Racing driver was crestfallen to learn Johnson, who had been penalized earlier in the race for speeding on pit road, had finished second. Johnson charged his way from 11th with seven laps to go in the 325-lap race after crew chief Chad Knaus made the bold move for a late pit stop to put fresh rubber on Johnson's car.

"We got done with the race, and I thought, 'Man, this is great. We won this race.' That's what we all go for is that feeling of the win," Edwards said.

When Edwards rolled toward Victory Lane, he was greeted by Knaus, a couple of the No. 48's crew members, and even car owner Rick Hendrick, all of whom extended their well wishes.

"Rick said something, I couldn't really hear what he said," Edwards recalled. "I went on and then, you know, I thought that Jimmie had finished seventh or eighth. So I was thinking this was not just a win, but this was a great day."

Edwards thought he had vaulted into the lead or at least a tie for the points lead with Johnson.

"When [ABC pit reporter] Dave Burns said, 'What do you think about Jimmie finishing second?' I thought, 'That's kind of a silly joke, Dave. Why would you even say that?' And I looked up at the scoreboard and thought, 'Man, how did he do that?' "

By finishing second, and stretching his lead to 183 points with three races remaining, Johnson seemed to steal some thunder from Edwards, who went from fourth to second in the points.

"Yeah, [it] didn't really take away from the day, but it's all right," said Edwards, who will head to Texas looking to make it a sweep of the Lone Star State after winning April's race at Texas Motor Speedway. "We have to win these races to beat him. It just kind of solidifies that. At that moment, in my mind, I thought, 'Man, all I want to do right now is go to Texas and win that thing and hope he doesn't finish second there.' "

Gordon running low

Despite protestations to the contrary by his crew chief, Steve Letarte, who said of his driver's chances of winning the championship, "Until it's mathematically over, it's never over," it looks as if Jeff Gordon's bid for a fifth NASCAR championship is definitely over after he dropped to 312 points astern of Johnson. All that is left now, it would seem, is for Gordon to earn his first win of the season. If he does not win at Texas, Phoenix, or Homestead, it would be the first time in 14 years Gordon had gone winless on the Cup circuit since his rookie season in 1993 . . . Lewis Hamilton, the 23-year-old British pilot for Team McLaren, will attempt to become the youngest and first black driver to win a Formula One championship when he takes a 7-point lead over Felipe Massa into the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix tomorrow. Hamilton took a similar lead into the final race last season and lost the championship to Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen . . . Last Sunday, Penske Racing driver Ryan Briscoe became the first native Australian to win the Nikon 300 Indy at Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast. Briscoe, who started third, recorded the third triumph of his IndyCar Series season, holding off Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon of New Zealand.

Michael Vega can be reached at vega@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, race teams, sponsors, sanctioning bodies, and track publicity departments was used in this report.