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Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009

Joe Gibbs Racing wins 75th Sprint Cup race: With the victory by Denny Hamlin on his hometrack of Richmond International Raceway, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has now totaled 75 victories in NASCAR's elite racing series. Joe Gibbs Racing, founded by Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs in 1992, claimed its first victory on NASCAR's biggest stage when Dale Jarrett captured the checkered flag at the 1993 Daytona 500. Since then JGR has gone on to win 74 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (previously Winston Cup Series). "We're proud to have earned our 75th victory today," said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "We have been blessed with dedicated and talented employees as well as outstanding partners and sponsors. When you look back at our 75 victories you realize how fortunate we have been to have such talented drivers and crew chiefs, but the reality is it takes a lot of people working together to be successful in this sport," added Gibbs. "A big part of the credit belongs to the guys in the shop working long hours preparing our cars for the track and our crews that travel each week to put it all together. JGR's 75 wins have also helped the multi-car race team capture three NASCAR Cup Series Championships (2000, 2002, and 2005). The team record for wins in a season is 10, which has been done twice, both in 2008 (Kyle Busch 8, Denny Hamlin 1, and Tony Stewart 1) and in 2000 (Stewart 6, Bobby Labonte 4). JGR has seven victories thus far in 2009. In addition to the Cup Series, JGR has now captured 37 NASCAR Nationwide Series victories earning its first Owner's Championship in that series in 2008.(JGR)

RPM fires team's director of competition Mark McArdie: The deal between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing already has cost one top official his job. Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said on Saturday that Mark McArdle, the vice president and managing director of competition at RPM, was fired on Friday after a heated confrontation with team co-owner George Gillett Jr. at Richmond International Raceway. Petty would not speculate on how many others in the engine and chassis department might lose jobs if RPM uses Roush-Yates engines and Roush Fenway chassis as planned. Petty said RPM is moving from Dodge to Ford because Dodge could not offer financial support for 2010 and beyond. Yates already has a financial commitment for two Ford teams, and Petty hopes that will increase once the economy is restored.(ESPN.com)

Allmendinger to the No.43? Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said no decision has been made on who will take over the famed No. 43 that he drove to seven championships, but added that he would like to see Allmendinger in the car if all sponsors agree.(ESPN.com)

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009

Gibbs hopes to re-new Kyle Busch's contract soon: Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said "there's no timetable" on re-signing Kyle Busch, but as far as he's concerned, "the sooner the better." Busch's contract expires after next year [2010]. Gibbs added the organization will not race four full-time cars in 2010. When it came to potential sponsorships, Gibbs said there was nothing JGR "felt was appropriate" to properly run a four-car operation. With the way driver contracts fall, 2011 will have a better pool of candidates, namely Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick. Gibbs admits that Kahne "is awesome" but indicated a package deal with Budweiser, given the family's religious convictions, "would be hard."(FOXSports.com)

McMurray to the No. 1? The merger between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing all but made it official that Jamie McMurray will move to the No. 1 at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing next season. McMurray has been in discussions with EGR for several months after being told he would not be re-signed by Roush Fenway Racing to drive the #26 next season. Roush had to shrink from five to four cars to reach NASCAR's four-car cap rule.(ESPN Insider)

Bobby Labonte to RCR? EGR? Bobby Labonte's popularity has picked up considerably in the last few weeks. Apparently, his name is being presented as a possible candidate for the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to sponsor Jack Daniels this week. Also hearing that he could be competition for Jamie McMurray in the No. 1 Chevy at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.(FOXSports.com)

Richard Petty Motorsports buysout Yates Racing? The deal that brought together Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing for next season is more of a buyout than a merger, minority owner Richard Petty said on Friday. "We're basically taking over their deal," the seven-time Sprint Cup champion said before qualifying at Richmond International Raceway. "As far as I know all of that whole operation will be Richard Petty Motorsports." Petty said George Gillett Jr., who declined to comment earlier Friday, would remain the controlling owner. He said Robbie Loomis, the executive director of race operations at RPM, will continue to run day to day operations. He was unsure what role Max Jones, who co-owned Yates Racing with Doug Yates, would take but speculated that he would stay on as the general manager. Jones declined to comment. Sources close to the situation said Yates would continue to run the Roush-Yates engine program that will supply engines to RPM's four teams -- Paul Menard from Yates and Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger from RPM. Petty said plans are to move from RPM's Statesville, N.C., shop to Yates' facility in Concord, N.C., to be closer to Roush Fenway Racing, which will continue to supply parts, pieces and technical support as it did with Yates. Because engines will come from Roush-Yates, RPM will have to shut down its engine department that employed more than 40 people. Petty said the potential of letting more people go during tough economic times was the tough part of the deal.(more at ESPN.com)

Friday, Sept. 11, 2009

Kansas Speedway partners with Penn National Gaming; Drops Cordish and Hard Rock brand: On Thursday, the two final competitors — Penn National Gaming Inc. and Kansas Speedway — announced they had joined forces behind a single proposal for a Hollywood-themed casino adjacent to the racetrack. Although one could blame the economy for the loss of casino competition, the news didn’t exactly dampen a banner week for economic development in Wyandotte County. Earlier this week, the Kansas City Wizards revealed Village West as the location for a proposed 18,500-seat stadium and office campus with 4,000 new jobs from Cerner Corp. If the casino and Wizards proposals come to fruition, fields of grass surrounding the speedway will slowly fill with the promise of more green at Village West. The $700 million project, if approved by state regulators, would overlook Turn 2 at the speedway and include a resort hotel in its second phase. Construction would begin in 2011. Penn replaces Cordish Co., which had initially partnered with the speedway to build a casino. Cordish, developer of the Kansas City Power & Light District, will now focus on “other gaming activities more strategic to us,” according to a statement from Cordish managing partner Joseph Weinberg. One big change with the new proposal is the casino theme, which under Cordish would have been a Hard Rock-brand resort. Now the casino will be a “Hollywood-themed destination facility,” according to Eric Schippers, senior vice president of public affairs for Penn National Gaming. (KC Star)

Buffalo Wild Wings, NASCAR Hall of Fame Announce Partnership: The NASCAR Hall of Fame and Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. announced today that Buffalo Wild Wings will be the exclusive restaurant partner for the new NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. Buffalo Wild Wings, a national sports-themed restaurant company best known for its award winning chicken wings spun in one of its 14 different sauces, will open the 8,400-square-foot restaurant in the Spring of 2010. The 10-year agreement has multiple renewal options. (PR)

Dodge pledges commitment to NASCAR in 2010: The head of Dodge Motorsports on Friday called Richard Petty's defection a "business decision" that won't affect the manufacturer's participation in NASCAR. Richard Petty Motorsports has signed a letter-of-intent to merge with Yates Racing and field a four-car Ford team next season. It leaves Dodge with just three Roger Penske-owned cars in its 2010 lineup. But president and CEO Mike Accavitti said that's enough for Dodge, which has had to continuously reinforce its commitment to NASCAR because of the cash problems that forced parent-company Chrysler into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization earlier this year. "Dodge's plan - to be a championship contender in 2010 with Penske Racing and a solid lineup of drivers - has not changed," Accavitti said. "We remain firmly focused on our objectives to be the leading manufacturer in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, win races and compete for the Sprint Cup at the right level."(Associated Press)

J. Gordon and Earnhardt visit Guard members: Before heading to Richmond, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stoped in Nashville, Tenn., to attend the 131st National Guard Association of the United States conference. Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. will meet with top leadership, including the National Guard's first four-star general, Gen. Craig R. McKinley.(HMS)

Sprint Cup drivers tape presidential PSA: President Obama delivered a national address directly to students on the importance of staying in school on Tuesday, Sept., 8 at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. As part of the initiative, a public service announcement was aired featuring Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. along with other NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase contenders. To view the PSA please visit, earnhardtganassi.com.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009

Richard Petty Motorsports to Ford: Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced today they have signed a letter of intent to merge operations in time for the 2010 season. The four-car team will race Fords under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner.
Richard Petty: "This is a pretty big deal for us. We're thrilled to partner with Ford. We've talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing. Right now this deal is real new. There are lots of details still left to be ironed out so we don't have a lot of answers for anyone right now. We'll be working on all that in the coming days, weeks and months, but we do intend to have everything in place before the start of next season. I've won races with Ford and plan to again."
Team Managing Partner Foster Gillett: "Richard and Kasey (Kahne) showed us Sunday night in Atlanta that they like winning quite a bit and Ford is going to provide the support that we need to go to victory lane more often. If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport you need a lot of support. We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We've won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate America." Yates Racing Co-owner Max Jones: "This is certainly a great opportunity for both Yates Racing as well as Ford Racing. I have had a long-term relationship with Ford and look forward to continuing that relationship at Richard Petty Motorsports. Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with Ford and Richard Petty to lay out the best plan for Paul Menard and all of the employees at Yates Racing. We will continue to field both the No. 98 and No. 96 Ford Fusions for the remainder of the season and look forward to continued success on the track with Paul, Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell." Yates Racing Co-owner Doug Yates: "This plan is clearly in the best interest of the Ford Racing community. On a personal level, I am excited about the opportunity to focus my full energy on building Ford horsepower. We look forward to working with Richard Petty Motorsports to produce power second to none. There are many details to be worked out with Richard Petty Motorsports and as we finalize those details we will keep everyone informed." Director of Ford North America Motorsports Brian Wolfe: "I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season. They had choices to consider other than Ford and it's gratifying to us that they have enough faith in the Ford Motor Company and what we're doing to make the switch. We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are. What's also really cool to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford. Combine that with the chance to work with the Gillett family, who we have great respect for, and add some great drivers to the Ford camp, well, it's hard not to be excited about this opportunity." (RPM PR)

Stewart wins Prelude to the Dream: Tony Stewart won the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt late model race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, marking the third time in four years Stewart has won the event. Stewart passed Kenny Wallace on lap 13 of the 30-lap event and led the final 18 laps en route to victory. “This was probably the best I’ve run in the Prelude,” said Stewart, who bought Eldora in 2004. Clint Bowyer finished 3.358 seconds behind Stewart in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Drag Racing standout Cruz Pedregon, David Reutimann, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson comprised the top-10. There were four caution periods during the event, although the laps conducted under caution did not count. The race, which drew more than 23,000 fans, was broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View with proceeds from the nationwide telecast supporting four military-themed charities – Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House (True Speed Communication)

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009

Prelude to the Dream tonight live on PPV: If you can't make the drive to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 9 to see the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream in person, don't worry. Beginning Monday, Sept. 7, race fans across the nation will have their first opportunity to order the charity all-star race on pay-per-view. Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in hot laps, qualifying, heat races and the 30-lap feature on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Headlining the driver lineup is the majority of the Gillette Young Guns: Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion and current point leader, and some of the world's biggest auto racing stars as they duke it out for bragging rights on the dirt in 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower. After the first four events collectively raised more than $2 million in charitable contributions, this year's Prelude will benefit four entities that cater to severely injured military personnel or fallen soldiers and their families  Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House. Each has a mission that outlines assistance to the courageous men and women who serve their country and need additional support both during and after their time of service. The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT), followed by an immediate replay. HBO Pay-Per-View's racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry.(True Speed Communication/HBO)

Robby Gordon to miss Richmond Cup race: Last week was a busy yet terrifying week for Robby Gordon. Early in the week, Gordon tested his Hummer H3 in the desert of Arizona. A violent crash sent Gordon to the hospital, calling into question whether he would be able to participate in the scheduled Labor Day racing events. After a thorough examination, the doctors released him stating that it was fortunate to walk away with just a few bruises and a black eye. Despite being hurt, Gordon rallied and prepared himself for the weekend's events. He spent much of the weekend traveling between Crandon, WI for the TORC race and Atlanta, GA for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. On Sunday morning, he made his TORC debut in the No. 007 Polaris PRO 2WD in Crandon, WI, as a part of THE Off Road Championship series. Gordon put on a great show for the large crowd, but he was unable to challenge Scott Taylor for the race win. Despite having an engine problem, Gordon was able to maintain fourth position until an incident just feet from the finish line caused him to spin and cross the finish line in reverse, resulting in a disappointing 6th-place finish for the team. Gordon then traveled over 1,000 miles to Atlanta, GA, where he raced the No. 7 Polaris Off-Road Vehicles Toyota to a 16th-place finish in the Pep Boys Auto 500. "We had a great run in the Cup car on Sunday," said Gordon following the race. "I'm excited for Eldora and Primm later this week, and I'm also happy to have David Gilliland driving the No. 7 Jim Beam Camry at Richmond this weekend. Hopefully, it will be a great week of racing for Robby Gordon Motorsports and Robby Gordon Off-Road." After racing in a double-header last weekend, Gordon will go on to compete in two other races during the week. On Wednesday, September 9, Gordon will travel to Rossburg, OH, to compete in the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Raceway. Gordon will then immediately travel to Primm, NV, where he will race in the SCORE Terrible's Primm 300, September 11-13. PRIMM will mark the fourth of five events in the 2009 SCORE International Off-Road Racing Trophy Truck Season. Robby Gordon enters the event leading the season-long championship standings.(RGM)

Ray Evernham and AJ Foyt to be inducted into North Carolina Auto Racing HoF: The North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame ("NCARHOF") in Mooresville, NC, announced that its thirteenth annual induction ceremony will be held on October 14, 2009 at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in downtown Mooresville, NC. A.J. Foyt, seven-time Indy car champion, winner of four Indy 500s, and winner of the 1972 Daytona 500 will be inducted into the NCARHOF. Ray Evernham, crew chief on three NASCAR Cup championship teams, will be honored with the prestigious Snap-on Golden Wrench Award. Known primarily for his stunning success in Indy car racing, A.J. Foyt is also a winning driver in NASCAR, the USAC, 24 Hours of Daytona, and the IROC series. In total, he has accumulated 14 major driving championships, earning him the "Driver of the Century" designation from the Associated Press. Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, is scheduled to induct A.J. Foyt into the NCARHOF. Ray Evernham may be best known for having served as crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon in the 1990s, leading the team to three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. His motorsports career has also taken him into the IROC series as a team manager and, later, into NASCAR team ownership. Having a keen interest in using technology to achieve performance, Ray Evernham is also widely recognized for his innovative work with pit crews and his thumb print remains on engineering systems now used throughout the racing industry. As an organization committed to celebrating the rich heritage of all forms of motorsports, The NCARHOF is proud to be recognizing these two outstanding individuals during its next induction ceremony..(NCARHOF)

Danica Patrick to run full IRL schedule and partial Truck, Nationwide and ARCA in 2010? If the rumors are true about Danica Patrick, then her choice to run a partial Nationwide, Truck, and ARCA schedule while still running the complete IRL schedule in 2010 is the safest thing she could do.  It leaves her an out if she cannot figure out how to be successful in a stock car, but still gives her plenty of opportunities to learn. The transition from open wheel to NASCAR has proven to not be an easy one, and Patrick has many obstacles in her path.  But, with Tony Stewart as a mentor and what will probably be a long line of companies lining up to sponsor her, she should be in the very best equipment with plenty of good people around her. (The NASCAR Insiders)

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

Mayfield sues stepmother: Jeremy Mayfield has filed a wrongful death suit against his stepmother over the death of his father. The suit against Lisa Mayfield was filed on Friday at 4 p.m. in North Carolina Superior Court in Catawba, N.C. Lisa Mayfield is a witness for NASCARs case against the suspended Sprint Cup driver. Terry Allen Mayfield died on Sept. 5, 2007 from a gunshot wound to the chest. Police investigators and medical examiners ruled the cause of death was suicide. (ESPN.com)

Vickers happy to be in Chase contention with smaller Cup team: Now Brian Vickers in contention for a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, a position that usually goes to drivers from one of the powerhouse teams like Hendrick, Roush Fenway Racing or Joe Gibbs Racing. His seventh-place finish at AMS on Sunday moved him to 13th in the standings, just 20 points out of the elite 12. It was his eighth straight finish of 12th or better. "To not be one of the bigger teams and still have a shot at the Chase is pretty cool," he said. "I'm so proud of the performance of the team and how far we've come, the poles, the wins, but we've still got a lot of work ahead of us. "We're up against some pretty challenging folks, but I know we're capable of it. "We just have to do the best job we can with the things we can control, and the rest is up to fate." (Racin' Today)

Bobby Labonte in the No. 71 in 2010? Bobby Labonte may have the inside line on the No. 71 ride in 2010. Said team owner Kevin Buckler: "It was a really good night. Bobby has taken right to our little team. We gave him a good car and he was able to move forward and run in the top 10 . . . We're moving forward and that's the name of the game right now." (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Up to eight weeks for Edwards' foot to heal? Carl Edwards said if all goes well, it will take eight weeks for his broken foot to heal. Edwards said the only time the foot hurts him in the car is when he pushes too hard on the pedal. (Virginian-Pilot)

Roush Fenway Racing still looking for sponsors in Cup and Nationwide series: Roush Fenway Racing is still looking for many sponsors for next season. What it is not looking for is sponsorship for Danica Patrick. Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith said time is running out to get sponsorship for the organization's No. 26 team in order to be able to move that group to Yates Racing. Roush Fenway must cut from five to four Cup teams after the 2009 season. It still needs to find half a season of sponsorship for Matt Kenseth on the Cup side as well as sponsors to help field the organization's three or four Nationwide teams. Smith said the problem in trying to do a multiple-sponsor deal with one team is that the organization can't guarantee it would run the entire season. Even if a company isn't interested in a full primary sponsor role, it wants to be with a team that is running the full schedule, Smith said.(SceneDaily.com)

Monday, Sept. 7, 2009

Tony Eury Jr to stay with Hendrick Motorsports:  Tony Eury Jr. said Saturday he plans to remain under the Hendrick Motorsports banner. Eury, who is currently in the second season of a five-year contract with HMS, certainly has plenty of options  even staying in the role he had Saturday night assisting with the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series. JRM will field two cars in the NNS  the Nos. 88 and 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Saturday that Kelly Bires is verbally committed to replace Brad Keselowski, while a variety of drivers (including Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and Michael McDowell) will pilot the No. 5. When asked if Eury had visited Richard Childress Racing recently to discuss a potential job, he just laughed. "Who said I wasn't up there just to tour the museum?" Eury replied. Eury has spent the last three months since he resigned from his role as crew chief of the No. 88 Cup car completing a long awaited "honey-do" list. Professionally, he's been working on the development of the new car for the Nationwide Series. He still enjoys the occasional taste of being a crew chief with the No. 25 Cup car, but adding a full-time deal would preclude him for doing many things that he loves. And what about Eury joining Keselowski at Penske Racing next year, a possibility reported Saturday by The Charlotte Oberserver? "I'm happy at Hendrick Motorsports," Eury said. "We wish Brad well. We hope he finishes fifth  behind the four Hendrick cars."(FOXSports.com)

Wood Brothers 2010 schedule to look a lot like 2009's: They still have four races this year Kansas City on Oct. 4, Charlotte on Oct. 17, Texas on Nov. 8 and Homestead on Nov. 22 but the Wood brothers already are considering their 2010 plans. "We'd love to maintain our relationship with Bill Elliott and our sponsors, and run about the same number of races we've run this year," team co-owner Eddie Wood said Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "We'd consider it, but it would take a ton of sponsorship money before we tried to run the full schedule again. We're really content with the way things have gone this year." Because of sponsorship issues, the long-time Ford loyalists trimmed their schedule from 36 to 13 races this year. Elliott ran the first eight and David Gilliland was in the No. 21 Fusion this weekend. Elliott took himself from the car after breaking three ribs in a Wednesday afternoon dirt-bike accident.(Ford Racing)

Jeremy Mayfield sued over Engine bill: Suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield is being sued by Arrington Manufacturing for $71,000 in unpaid engine bills for four events, according to a complaint filed last week in North Carolina Superior Court in Newton, N.C. Arrington provided engines for Mayfield Motorsports for the Sprint Cup races at Phoenix, Talladega, Richmond, Darlington, and Charlotte as well as the Sprint Showdown race that preceded the all-star event. Prior to each event, Mayfield and Arrington Manufacturing agreed on a price, according to the complaint. The price was based on how many miles were actually put on the motor. Mayfield paid the engine costs for Phoenix and Talladega  he did not qualify for Phoenix but ran nearly the entire Talladega race before an accident ended his day 11 laps short of the finish. He has not paid for the other four events, according to the complaint. He completed 371 laps at Richmond, failed to qualify at Darlington, and then J.J. Yeley completed all 40 laps of the Sprint Showdown and did not qualify for Charlotte. Arrington Manufacturing is asking for the $71,000 plus attorneys' fees. Mayfield and Mayfield Motorsports are listed as the defendants. Mayfield also is being sued by Triad Racing Technologies for unpaid bills of $86,304.(SceneDaily.com)

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009

Chevrolet boss pledges continued support for NASCAR: Chevrolet is in NASCAR to stay, according to Brent Dewar, the new head of General Motors' Chevrolet division, who was at AMS on Saturday to assure his teams and drivers that he was solidly behind them. Although spending cuts have been made because of the automaker's poor financial condition, Dewar said he hoped to maintain the current level of participation at least through 2010 and planned to keep his stable of teams and drivers at the current level. And he said he hoped to be able to spend more in 2011 and beyond when car sales and profits are expected to increase. "We've been in [racing] from the beginning, and we're in it for the long haul," Dewar said. He said that although dealer inventories are at all-time lows and potential buyers are dealing with credit challenges, he still believes in "race on Sunday, sell on Monday." He also said his company still gets a return on its NASCAR investment, and that the Cup series returns far more for the dollars than the Nationwide and truck series.(Racin' Today)

No. 08 team to donate part of winning to charity: The Georgia based Carter Simo Racing Sprint Cup No. 08 Toyota team, driven by Terry Labonte, will be donating 10% of the teams race winnings from the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 10% will be equally divided betweenEgleston Children's Hospital and Shriners Children's Hospital. Labonte starts 43rd at AMS.(Carter Simo Racing)