John Sturbin, Senior Writer
John Sturbin joined the staff of RacinToday.com after a 35-year career in the daily newspaper business, the last 12 as nationally recognized motorsports beat writer at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was point-man for the paper’s expanded and award-winning motorsports coverage beginning in the mid-1990s, centered around NASCAR and IndyCar series events at Texas Motor Speedway. Sturbin covered his first Indianapolis 500 in 1980, and has staffed “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” every year since. He regularly has covered the National Hot Rod Association’s annual event at Texas Motorplex in Ennis since the mid-1980s. A native of Rome, N.Y., Sturbin first followed the careers of NASCAR Modified champions Richie Evans and Jerry Cook at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, N.Y., as a fan before eventually covering both drivers as sports writer at The Daily Sentinel. While at The Sentinel, Sturbin began staffing Formula One’s annual autumn visit to Watkins Glen International during the mid-1970s. Since moving to Fort Worth in October 1978, he has covered Formula One events on street circuits in Dallas and Phoenix and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sturbin’s international travels while covering professional boxing led to a freelance assignment staffing the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans for The Associated Press. He also has authored freelance articles for numerous clients, including Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. John has served as a voting member of the Driver of the Year media panel since 1996, as well as various industry-related hall of fame selection committees. Sturbin received the prestigious Bloys Britt Award in motorsports, as judged by The Associated Press, for a feature on IndyCar icon A.J. Foyt Jr.’s rehabilitation from devastating foot and leg injuries. He also is a past recipient of the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award. During his tenure at the Star-Telegram, Sturbin received numerous in-house awards for motorsports coverage, including Editorial Employee of the Month and Spot News Story of the Year for his report on the death of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt in February 2001. In addition to his motorsports resume, Sturbin logged two stints covering the Dallas Cowboys as backup beat writer. He also has covered the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, NCAA football and basketball, World Gymnastics Championships and various high school and semi-pro sports. A graduate of Utica (N.Y.) College, Sturbin is a classic car and motorcycle enthusiast. He resides in Southwest Fort Worth.
Articles by John Sturbin
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Reigning Funny Car world champion Robert Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock served notice Friday night they are aiming for the fences during the NHRA’s annual Western Swing.
Hight drove to the provisional No. 1 position after the opening two rounds of qualifying for the 23rd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals. Hight, [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Greg Anderson is a three-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion _ and the eternal pessimist.
Nobody in the National Hot Rod Association’s ultra-competitive “Factory Hot Rod” class beats up on Anderson more than himself. But buoyed by his recent sweep of the Pro Stock events at Norwalk, Ohio – and uplifting [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Only seven professional drivers have swept the National Hot Rod Association’s famed Western Swing during its 21-year history, and Tim Wilkerson is not one of them.
It’s a situation that Wilkerson, unofficial “Hot Track Master” of the Funny Car ranks, plans to remedy beginning with the NHRA Northwest Nationals Friday through Sunday [...]
The high-banked racing surface at “The World Center of Racing” is undergoing its first major facelift in over three decades.
Construction crews at Daytona International Speedway began the process Monday by removing light poles, the track’s SAFER Barrier system and safety fencing. The safety fence and 57 light poles at both ends of the famed 2.5-mile [...]
Team Penske ended a near 30-year, open-wheel dry spell at Watkins Glen International Sunday when Will Power paced a 1-2 finish in the sixth annual Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen.
Power passed teammate Ryan Briscoe for the lead with 17 laps remaining in the IZOD IndyCar Series race en route to his third victory [...]
No NASCAR Sprint Cup driver competing at Daytona International Speedway tonight is going to upstage the events surrounding Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s emotional Nationwide Series victory in a No. 3 car honoring his daddy.
Junior brought down the house, and plenty of tears, Friday night when he drove a yellow-and-blue No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet – the livery [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Details regarding the “future car strategy” of the IZOD IndyCar Series will be unveiled on July 14 in Indianapolis. And one of open-wheel racing’s icons is genuinely concerned about the engine/chassis package scheduled to debut in 2012.
“There’s not very manufacturers that can afford to go racing right now,” said IndyCar [...]
Acknowledging that his working relationship with former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte had “run its course,” team-owner Kevin Buckler has recruited road-racing ally Andy Lally to drive for The Racer’s Group at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.
Lally aims to make his Sprint Cup Series oval debut in the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Physically, the re-assignment of Ed “Ace” McCulloch at Don Schumacher Racing will relocate the veteran crew chief/tuner from the front to the rear of Ron Capps’ Funny Car.
Just how that will play out emotionally for Capps, McCulloch and newly appointed crew chief John Medlen will begin to unfold Friday during the [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Former Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte apparently will spend the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR season as a hired gun.
Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, announced he was leaving TRG Motorsports in a news release Wednesday morning. And before the close of business, he had picked up a three-race gig [...]