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Sunday, June 21, 2009

JGR considering a 4th Cup team? Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs is still open to the idea of four Sprint Cup teams if the sponsorship can be found for 2010 by the end of the summer. “We can still plug in a fourth team,” Gibbs said Sunday at Infineon Raceway. “The problem is from an economy standpoint. You can probably get a few [sponsors] to mix and match, but we don’t have a full fourth ready to go from a sponsor standpoint. We’re in no hurry. If we have to wait a year, that’s fine. You have got to have the right driver, the right core group and the right sponsor. But if that happened, we could do it pretty quick. I wouldn’t cross it off for next year but at the same time we’re not going to force it.” When asked if that fourth car could be Indy Racing League star Danica Patrick, Gibbs laughed. JGR uses IMG to help it find sponsors and Danica is represented by IMG. “I don’t know what she wants to do,” Gibbs said. “Does she want to still run what she’s running and dip her toe in the water, does she want to do the whole thing? … I think it would be great for the sport wherever she goes. I don’t think she would want to be part of a [new] fourth team [here].” In addition to a fourth team, JGR also could become a vendor for other teams. JGR did not have a successful affiliate/vendor program with Hall of Fame Racing from 2006-2008, and Gibbs said if JGR did it in the future, it would be a closer relationship. Gibbs said the team management would have to decide whether such an arrangement would be simply for profit or help the organization run better. He also thinks that adding a fourth team would be more of a priority.(SceneDaily)

Wood Brothers' No. 21 Crew to pit for Said: Road-racing ace Boris Said qualified John Carter’s unsponsored No. 08 Ford ninth for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Wood Brothers Racing [#21 Ford], which did not enter this race, will serve as the pit crew for Said on Sunday, servicing his car when it stops for gas and tires. “For a part-time guy it’s hard because, one, I haven’t driven one of these cars since February in the Twin 150’s (Daytona qualifying races),” noted Said. “These guys are the best in the world at what they do and they’re in these cars week-in and week-out, and we throw some guys together and show up every three or four months, so it’s just tough. That’s a bigger uphill battle. We’ve been really close a lot of times and I’m not giving up. That’s my goal is to someday win one of these things.” For the Wood Brothers, helping out another team is hardly something new. In fact, way back in 1965, the Woods served as the pit crew for Scotsman Jimmy Clark when he won the Indianapolis 500. Team co-owner Eddie Wood said the squad was happy to jump in to help out Said. “We spoke a few weeks ago and Boris mentioned he was going to run Sonoma and didn’t have a pit crew, so since that race wasn’t on our schedule and we had no intentions of going, we offered up our guys,” said Wood. “Boris Said helped us out at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago and has done a lot to help our road racing program overall. He’s just a friend.” The partnership could be extended in August at the Watkins Glen International road course. “We’re trying to find some money to take Boris to Watkins Glen in one of our cars,” said Wood. “We haven’t been successful so far, but we’re trying because there aren’t many better on a road course than him. Really, it’s just a case of friends take care of friends. He needs something and I’m glad we’re the ones who can be able to help him out. I’m sure he would do the same for us.”(SPEEDtv.com)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Andretti on Patrick: A move to NASCAR means no life: A move to NASCAR could bear fruit for Danica Patrick, but the punishing stock car schedule may not appeal to motor sport's best known woman driver, according to Indy car team owner Michael Andretti. "Physically those cars are easier to drive than our cars," the Andretti Green Racing (AGR) co-owner told Reuters on Thursday, while in Toronto to promote next month's Honda Indy which he owns. "From that standpoint that won't be a problem. "I think the bigger thing for her is, does she really want to commit to 36 races a year and basically not have a life. "I think it would be really difficult for her." (Reuters)

Richard Childress statement regarding General Motors: The following is a statement from Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, regarding cutbacks by General Motors: “Richard Childress Racing is proud to be associated with General Motors and Chevrolet. I’ve been driving Chevys since I ran a Camaro in Talladega’s first Cup race in 1969 and I look forward to continuing that relationship. I’ve been fortunate to see some of the great new products General Motors has to offer, vehicles with great fuel mileage and styling. I’ve recently purchased a new Corvette and a Camaro and they’re two of the finest cars I’ve ever driven. RCR is honored to help showcase GM products to help sell them in the dealerships. These difficult economic times have forced all of us to evaluate our budgets closer than ever but I can assure you that this will not affect our competition on the track.”(RCR PR)

Stewart considering a third team? Tony Stewart says that his organization could expand to three cars for next year. If so, that might give Brad Keselowski a home in Cup. Keselowski, who is affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports while driving in the Nationwide series for JR Motorsports is looking for a Cup ride. There's no room at Hendrick with its four-car lineup filled with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yet, Stewart-Haas Racing receives chassis, engines and technical support from Hendrick. Stewart-Haas could be a good place for Hendrick to place Keselowski if he so chooses. Asked about a third car, Stewart said: "It's a possibility, I guess,'' Stewart said. (Virginian-Pilot)

Scott Speed to replace Nemechek in the No. 87: Jay Frye worked a deal with Joe Nemechek, who qualified 31st, to put Speed in his car for Sunday's race. Nemechek races in old Red Bull cars, and qualified in one of their Toyotas from last season. Red Bull, which also borrowed his car for Speed at Darlington last month, will cut Nemechek a later deal as payment for the Sonoma favor. "I came here to race, but I told them 'Hey, whatever you need me to do,' " Nemechek said of turning over his ride. Speed, a former Formula One driver with a tremendous amount of road course experience, was having a strong run that would have solidly put him in the field when he overdrove his car and went off course. Although he saved it from a wreck, it sunk his qualifying chances. "We needed a layup," Frye said, "and he went for the slam-dunk." (AP/ESPN.com)

An insight into much GM pays Sprint Cup teams: While no one is saying how much General Motors is cutting its financial support from teams, at least one court document puts a price tag on it. Try $2,538,750. And that's to one Cup team. A court document shows that GM was to have paid RCR Enterprises, LLC (i.e. Richard Childress Racing) that amount on June 15. Childress spoke Friday at Infineon Raceway about the GM situation. Asked if he received his June 15 payment from GM, Childress said: "That's kind of personal. I didn't ask you if you got your paycheck this week.'' If nothing else, that gives you a sense of some of the money that's out there and involved in this sport. Childress would not reveal what kind of cutbacks GM is making with his team. Asked if he would have to lay anyone off, Childress said: "I don't know really what all is going to happen. We're going to have to make cuts like everybody in the sport or in business. We don't want to cut performance. For sure, we're not going to cut performance. We'll cut a lot of other things before that.'' (Virginian-Pilot)

Friday, June 19, 2009

Danica Patrick in a Roush Racing car? Danica Patrick will be in a Jack Roush NASCAR Ford next season, bank on it. Well, don't bet the ranch, but there is a growing sense that that is the momentum on the issue, if the sexy Indy-car star does make the leap into stock car racing, as she has hinted. And in the NASCAR garage here at Infineon Raceway Roush himself pondered the Danica option Friday. Patrick herself has been talking around the NASCAR possibility for several weeks now but insists she won't be making any announcement of where she'll be racing next season until this fall [after the IRL's finale in Oct]. Last weekend Geoff Smith, head of Roush Fenway Racing, talked about the Danica Patrick option. What does Roush himself think about her as NASCAR stocker? "I don't know enough about her to know how much time she'd have to spend in the Nationwide series or Truck series," Roush said. "I'd say, as a minimum, two years in the Nationwide series would be required…and at the same time she could run six or seven Cup races, to maintain her rookie status. It just depends on how badly she wants it," Roush says of any Patrick move into NASCAR. Patrick has some big advantages, Roush points out: "I don't know of any problems with Danica Patrick. If a female is going to make it in NASCAR in the foreseeable future, it will be Danica Patrick.(mikemulhern.net)

NASCAR Hall of Fame opening date announced: The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced May 11, 2010 as the official grand opening date for the state-of-the-art facility under construction in Charlotte, N.C. “This is a very exciting time in the development of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “We’re less than a year away from opening the doors that will give visitors an unparalleled experience of the energy, excitement, technology and incredible history of NASCAR – a sport that is so closely tied to our city, our region and our rich heritage in racing.” As part of the announcement, the NASCAR Hall of Fame unveiled three new artifacts that will be featured in the facility when it opens next year. Included among a host of interactive displays, exhibits and artifacts will be the blazer that Ned Jarrett wore while he commentated the 1993 Daytona 500 in which his son, Dale, staved off Dale Earnhardt to claim his first Daytona 500 win. The artifact represents the close family ties within NASCAR, a sport in which fathers, sons, brothers and cousins race with each other, for each other and against each other. To date, the NASCAR Hall of Fame has announced two major artifacts for display in the Hall – the Plymouth Belvedere that Richard Petty drove to 27 wins in 1967, and an epic collection of NASCAR awards and memorabilia donated by Raymond Parks, including the first NASCAR trophy ever awarded a team. Exhibits that will showcase artifacts such as these at the NASCAR Hall of Fame are currently under development. The NASCAR Hall of Fame will launch a comprehensive sales campaign this fall, including ticket and membership sales, and will feature the marketing tagline “Where the race lives on.” The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground in Charlotte on January 25, 2007 and will open May 11, 2010. The facility will honor the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of NASCAR. The Hall of Fame will comprise 150,000 square feet, including exhibit space, state-of-the-art theater, a Hall of Honor that will house the commemorations of Hall of Fame inductees, numerous interactive entertainment experiences, a themed restaurant, retail outlet, and a modern media center for the industry. The Hall will be owned by the City of Charlotte and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.(NASCARHall.com)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Roush: Any new auto makers in NASCAR will have to produce cars in USA: Jack Roush asked his houghts on maybe Honda, BMW, Volkswagen, Hyundai and others becoming involved in NASCAR? "You remember the anxiety I had with Toyota based on what they had done in CART and Formula One -- coming in and throwing money at the series. I had some concerns that they would upset the business model. But I spoke with NASCAR president Mike Helton today, and he cautioned that any automaker coming into the series would have to have plants here and build their cars here. Brian (France) is the CEO of NASCAR. He has the blessing of the stockholders. He's got a certain amount of leeway to say what he wants." (Detroit Free Press)

Sponsors are finding other sponsors as customers: It was the second year of the Aflac 200 Nascar Corporate Kart Challenge, and competitors flooring it on the straightaways were members of Nascar's Fuel for Business Council, a group of about 40 companies that are Nascar's largest supporters, each spending as much as $25 million to sponsor drivers and races. While Nascar often trumpets the high visibility enjoyed by its sponsors, whose logos festoon cars, as well as fans' fidelity to brands that bankroll drivers, one of the highest returns for companies' investments actually comes not from consumers but from other companies. The biggest fish some advertisers are reeling in, it turns out, are other advertisers. (NY Times)

Kyle Busch: People are obbessed with me: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been named NASCAR's most popular driver for six consecutive seasons in fan voting, and Kyle Busch doesn't contest the award's results. He does quibble with its relevance. "They should change it to, 'most loved driver,' " Busch says. "Everyone loves Junior, so he's going to get it. But I'm the most popular with the media and the fans talking all the time, whether they say good or bad things. "People are obsessed with everything I do. I enjoy it. I'm not here to be vanilla. What's the ice cream flavor all green and purple? That's me! Colorful." (USA Today)

Several Cup teams looking for sponsors: We've been hearing for months that sponsors, including those at top teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, won't fully commit past this season. Team owner Rick Hendrick made that clearer on Sunday when he indicated that Kellogg's and Carquest may not return in their full capacity in 2010. "Our sponsors are coming back," Hendrick said after Martin won at Michigan. "We don't know to what extent. That's the question. As you go along with this economy companies are taking longer to get their budgets in line. They're not a year out, or not even eight months like they have been in the past. We're in good shape. We have a lot of sponsors inside our company that we're talking about, you know, splitting up the car. So look for the guys that are on it to be back, but there will probably be someone new along there with them." That not only goes for the No. 5, but the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon and No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. also could have more partners next season. Jimmie Johnson and Lowe's appear solid on the No. 48. The same sort of restructuring is going on at other organizations such as Roush, which is trying to find multiple partners to lessen the load of DeWalt.(ESPN Insider)

Jeff Burton: NASCAR needs Kyle Busch's personality: Veteran Jeff Burton says NASCAR needs polarizing personalities such as Kyle Busch's. "You don't sit on the fence with Kyle," Burton says. "It's the same way you feel about the Red Sox or Yankees. It's as fun to pull against someone as for them. "It's funny when he bows (after wins) because I know three-quarters of (fans) want to throw something at him, and the other quarter want to throw something at the people who threw something at him. That fan passion is what makes our deal work." (USA Today)

Dale Jr is NASCAR's highest paid driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($34 million) was chosen as Nascar's most popular driver for a sixth straight year in 2008 despite winning only one race during the past two seasons. His merchandise sales were twice the total of any other driver. Earnhardt's biggest personal sponsorship deals are with Adidas, Chevrolet, Polaris, Wrangler and Nationwide Insurance, which he added this year. (Forbes)

Long's penalty reduced; fine stands: Sprint Cup driver Carl Long had his 12-race suspension reduced to eight, but his record $200,000 fine remained after a final appeal to NASCAR Stock Car Racing commissioner Charles Strang. Strang heard Long's appeal, which was denied two weeks ago by the stock car commission, on Monday in Chicago. "The simple part of it means NASCAR don't care who you are or what your circumstances are," Long told ESPN.com. Long said he doesn't know how he will pay the fine. "I suppose I will stand in front of the racetrack with my helmet and beg for change," he said. More than $16,000 has been donated to Long's cause on his site. "That's still a long way from $200,000," Long said.(ESPN.com)

Infineon Raceway sees corporate money dry up: While the Bay Area may not have been hit as hard as some parts of the country, the economic downturn has had an impact on this year's NASCAR race at Infineon. Track president Steve Page said that while only a two percent decrease in attendance is anticipated, the corporate side is reporting a 10 percent decrease in hospitality tents, normally filled with company clients, around the track. Page said a large part of the weekend's crowd and sponsorships come from the Central Valley, a area hit harder by the slumping economy and one of the leaders in home foreclosures. (Press Democrat)

Martin's Crew Chief dreams of championship: While Mark Martin refuses to talk about it, crew chief Alan Gustafson isn't afraid to dream of claiming a championship along with his forever-young driver. "If we were fortunate enough, God willing, to win a championship with Mark, I said it at Darlington, I'll say it again, to me there's nothing more professionally I could accomplish than that," Gustafson said. "That's probably the biggest thing that I could do." (Independent-Mail)

GM cutting Sprint Cup support: General Motors will reduce its financial support in the Sprint Cup series, officials from several Chevrolet teams confirmed on Wednesday. Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart Haas Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Richard Childress Racing officials said they have been asked to participate in cutbacks by the U.S. auto manufacturer that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Officials did not say how large the cuts would be. "We had very productive conversations this week with the folks at General Motors, and it's clear they are committed to racing and committed to our organization," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports in a statement. "They've asked us for some help, and we're going to give it to them. We're proud to be a Chevy team, and we will do our part to support the new GM both on and off the racetrack." Tony Stewart, the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing and Sprint Cup point leader, echoed Hendrick's sentiments. "We have been, and will continue to be, strong supporters of GM and its Chevrolet brand," he said. "These are tough times for our auto industry, and in light of what's happening to them and how it affects all the people who make a living building and selling cars and trucks, the sacrifices we'll have to make as a race team are pretty weak in comparison. We believe in the products GM has now and in the products they're building for the future. We're proud to carry the Chevy bowtie on the hoods of our racecars, and we support GM in this time of uncertainty because we know they'll be an even stronger company in the years to come." Stewart said the cutbacks will force teams to review their budgets, but "it will not impact our preparation for the track or the return on investment we provide for our partners." The cutbacks come a week after GM cut all support from its Nationwide Series and Truck Series teams.(ESPN.com)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Danica Patrick looking at other open-wheelers success: Danica Patrick, whose contract with Andretti Green Racing ends this season, says that as an IndyCar driver, she must take notice of the struggles of the drivers who have migrated from that series to NASCAR, but that wouldn't necessarily deter her from taking that path. Patrick has seen Dario Franchitti go to NASCAR and come back to IndyCar. Three-time series champion Sam Hornish Jr. is in his second full season as a Sprint Cup driver and has taken a while to show promise. So as she ponders her future, their struggles give her something to think about. "It's something to take notice of," Patrick said Tuesday during an Indy Racing League teleconference. "I think what it shows is it is difficult. You do need as much help as possible. But as credit to them, they haven't been driving for the best teams in NASCAR either. So how can you really hold them accountable for not doing extremely well in the very beginning when they just don't have the resources? "Now they're getting the hang of it. And Sam's doing much better, and Juan [Pablo Montoya's] doing better." (SceneDaily.com)

Johnson says Mexico speedway isn't safe: Carlos Pardo was killed in a NASCAR Mexico race during the weekend. Pardo was leading when he went to block a competitor on the inside. They hit, turning Pardo, who slid passenger-side into a concrete barrier on the inside of the track. The contact sent sheet metal flying, leaving a mangled chassis. Jimmie Johnson said he saw a video of the accident. "There were so many things wrong in that situation; I wouldn't even drive a race car on that track," Johnson said. "Those moveable concrete walls that were there, if you just hit it in a straight line, one of those sections is going to move and now you're going to hit the blunt end of another section.... Yes, we still need to look at these angles and how a car can get into situations." (Virginian-Pilot)

Ambrose excited about Sonoma race: Australian Marcos Ambrose is bullish about his chances ahead of next weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma, where he expects to be fighting for victory. The former Australian V8 Supercar champion is in his first full season at NASCAR's top level but has already had two outings in road course races. Last year, he ran among the top five at Sonoma before a gearbox failure halted his race and he later finished third at Watkins Glen, which is his best result in the Sprint Cup. Ambrose, who drives for JTG Daugherty Racing with technical support from Michael Waltrip Racing, has high expectations for next weekend's event. "It is a race that we've been looking forward to for some time," said Ambrose. "We've put a lot of effort into this weekend's race. We've got a brand new car designed to go road racing. It's as wide as we can make it. "We've got a good package going to Sonoma, but the expectation is a long, hard Sunday. The track is tough, competition is fierce and there is no guarantee of success. But I feel like we've done everything we can to be ready and prepared for the race." (AutoSport.com)

NASCAR on TNT topped 5 million viewers: While the NBA won't return to TNT until this fall -- the network enjoyed a five-week winning streak thanks to its coverage of playoff coverage -- NASCAR remains a major sports draw. Last Sunday, TNT's coverage of the Sprint Cup series delivered 5.12 million viewers between 2-6 p.m., and the postrace show averaged 5.53 million viewers. (Hollywood Reporter)

Biffle's No. 16 crew wins Tissot Pit Road Precision Award: For the third time this season, Greg Biffle's No. 16 crew took top honors in the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award by winning the weekly competition in Sunday's LifeLock 400 Sprint Cup race at Michigan. The win not only paid Biffle's crew $5,000, but it also lifted the No. 16 team to a tie for first in the Tissot standings. Jeff Gordon's #24 crew also has three wins. The crew with the most Tissot wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.(Tissot PR)

Mayfield Motorsports Inc. sued by supplier: Jeremy Mayfield's Mayfield Motorsports Inc. has been sued for $86,304.55 for parts, pieces and chassis work. Triad Racing Technologies and BDR Acquisition are suing Mayfield in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. The suit was filed last Wednesday. Both companies share the same address, and their registered agent with the state of North Carolina is TRT co-owner Mike Held, who was one of the people who bought the assets of Bill Davis Racing and his chassis/engine shop Triad Racing Development. The suit claims that on Jan. 22, Mayfield requested parts from BDR Acquisition for his new Sprint Cup team but later requested to return the parts rather than pay for them and then returned only a portion of the parts. Mayfield also asked for some paint work to be done. He owes $79,763.95 for those services, according to the lawsuit. Triad Racing Technologies did chassis work for Mayfield, and TRT claims that Mayfield owes $6,540.60.(SceneDaily.com)

Dale Jr to run "Serving America" scheme at Daytona: Next month at Daytona International Speedway, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will run the No. 88 National Guard "Serving America"/AMP Energy Chevy. It is a special paint scheme to honor National Guard soldiers who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation, state and local communities. Since first muster in 1636, National Guard soldiers have brought glory and honor upon themselves and the Guard through quiet and selfless service.(HMS)

Kentucky Gov. urges action to help get Cup date at Ky Speedway: Citing "the devastating impact of a global economic crisis," Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear also implored lawmakers to revamp the state's economic development programs. "The proverbial toolbox we use to attract and retain businesses needs serious attention," he said. "Our current economic tools are rusty. They're dull. They're missing parts. And some of them are outdated. We're using hand tools in a power-tool world." His plan, which died in the final days of the regular legislative session earlier this year, also includes legislation to help secure an advanced battery manufacturing plant in Hardin County and subsidize an expansion of the Kentucky Speedway in hopes of attracting a NASCAR Sprint Cup race to Kentucky. "These opportunities are worth hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars," Beshear said. "They would bring thousands of critically needed jobs. They would solidify Kentucky's reputation as a vibrant place to work, to live and to play." (Lexington Herald-Leader)