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
As a hard-card carrying member of NASCAR’s Citizen Journalist corps, and as a motorsports fan, I admittedly watch an inordinate amount of programming on SPEED.
That’s not a blanket endorsement of the many hours of NASCAR happy-talk on the network, or even some of the original series that are not NASCAR-related. [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Mike Neff’s return to the cockpit of an NHRA Funny Car in 2011 promises to keep his mind working 24/7.
Neff – who helped tune team-owner John Force to his record 15th Funny Car world championship last season – has replaced mother-to-be Ashley Force Hood as driver of the Castrol GTX [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Fort Worth, Texas – Sidelined by the “rude awakening” that stalled his career in 2010, Spencer Massey plans to reintroduce himself to the NHRA Top Fuel ranks with a debut statement for Don Schumacher Racing.
“We’re excited to get the first race underway and go for that Wally,” said Massey, anticipating [...]
Fort Worth, Texas – Cheeseheads, Terrible Towels and seemingly every anchor/analyst drawing a paycheck from ESPN have descended upon Sundance Square in downtown Cowtown in anticipation of Super Bowl XLV.
Diehard fans of the NFC champion Green Bay Packers and AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers will be joined by a contingent of 10 motorsports stars Sunday at [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
A little over a month still remains before the one-and-only Open Test leading into the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener.
Hot laps scheduled for March 14-15 around the Barber Motorsports Park road-course in Birmingham, Ala., will begin to define the preseason favorites. But there’s little debate as to which organization won [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Ashley Force Hood altered the NHRA Funny Car landscape last week with the revelation that impending motherhood will sideline her for at least the 2011 drag racing season.
Instead of trying to overhaul father/team-owner John Force as reigning world champion – or battling the expanded four-car lineup at Don Schumacher Racing – [...]
Simona de Silvestro’s future in the IZOD IndyCar Series is set for the next three seasons, theoretically at a pace that promises to be nuclear.
Keith Wiggins’ HVM Racing and Entergy Nuclear have entered into a three-year partnership as primary sponsor for de Silvestro, the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.
“It’s a really special feeling, and [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
When Kurt Busch goes “double-dipping” this season, he won’t be concerned with NASCAR’s new single-series point rules.
Busch is going NHRA drag racing in a “Factory Hot Rod.”
NASCAR’s 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion, Busch announced Monday he plans to make his NHRA Full Throttle Series debut during the 41st annual Tire [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
NHRA officials will ramp-up their crackdown on oildowns during the 2011 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, including implementation of “strict penalties” for all classes competing at national events.
In an effort to improve the quality of show for fans, and its cable television partner, the sanctioning body has outlined a [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Double-file restarts on ovals will become part of the IZOD IndyCar Series rules package beginning with the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, one of several competition-related revisions unveiled by the rebranded sanctioning body.
INDYCAR officially has replaced Indy Racing League as name tag of the sanctioning body of the IZOD [...]