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
Fort Worth, Texas – Austin Dillon stamped his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Texas Motor Speedway as memorable, qualifying on-pole for Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 400k in Fort Worth.
Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Remington/Tracker Boats Chevrolet Silverado, toured the 1.5-mile TMS quadoval [...]
By John Sturbin/Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Fort Worth, Texas – Tomas Scheckter, a former IZOD IndyCar Series pole and race-winner at Texas Motor Speedway, will replace Mike Conway in Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 24 Roll Coater entry during Saturday night’s Firestone 550k.
Conway is recovering from multiple leg and back injuries suffered during a spectacular last-lap crash involving [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Fort Worth, Texas – His second Indianapolis 500 victory has qualified Dario Franchitti for “Legend of the Brickyard” status.
Then again, maybe not so fast. Franchitti became only the eighth driver in the 94-year history of the race to record at least two wins in the Memorial Weekend classic, a list [...]
Randy Bernard’s blueprint for growing the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2011 and beyond began taking shape Wednesday, with the announcement that the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix will be contested next summer on a 2.4-mile temporary street circuit incorporating the scenic Inner Harbor area of downtown.
Baltimore Racing Development (BRD) has been granted an Aug. 5-7 date [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Fort Worth, Texas – Davey Hamilton’s drive in the 94th Indianapolis 500 was over before he could say “The Biggest Spectacle in Greatness.”
A spinout and crash on the first of 200 laps relegated Hamilton to a 33rd and last-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. And on Monday, the [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Fort Worth, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage says he would not consider the announced addition of Austin to the 2012 Formula One schedule as “an invasion” of Speedway Motorsports Inc.’s Lone Star State turf.
“I hope they have success because that’s what makes more race fans,” said Gossage, [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
In his bid to win a record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, pole-sitter Helio Castroneves will rely upon spotter Rick Mears to help him avoid another Come-to-Jesus moment.
Like the one, for instance, Castroneves said he experienced Saturday during Pole Day qualifications for the 94th edition of the race under the [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Roger Penske has developed a strict set of criteria when scouting drivers for his IndyCar and NASCAR teams. A signature victory schtick isn’t necessarily one of them. But the drivers who generated headline news for Team Penske on Saturday – Helio Castroneves and Kurt Busch – have created two of [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves looks at the Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a race-within-a-race-within-a-race. And greedily, Helio wants to win them all.
“Every team that comes here wants to be the fastest and get the Triple Crown of the pole, the pit stop competition and [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Kyle Busch took another bow on the eve of his birthday Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, where the then soon-to-be 21-year-old snapped a 21-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winless streak with a victory in the Heath Calhoun 400.
Busch moved around Jeff Gordon on a restart with five laps to [...]