NASCAR Past News Dec. 4 - Dec. 10 2004

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December 10, 2004:

Stewart Wins Person of the Year: Tony Stewart was recognized for his philanthropy by being named NASCAR’s 2004 USG Person of the Year. The award, presented to Stewart Dec. 3 at the National Motorsports Press Association's Myers Brothers Breakfast in New York City, is designed to honor NASCAR drivers for their community service contributions and charitable efforts. The annual award carried a $100,000 payment, which was to be split between the winning driver and his charity of choice. However, Stewart once again showcased his charitable compassion by donating the entire amount to Kyle and Pattie Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp, a facility for chronically ill children located in Randleman, N.C. (WhoWon)

South Tunnel Entrance Reconstruction Underway At TMS: A $1.5 million construction project has begun on roadways around the south tunnel infield entrance at Texas Motor Speedway in an effort to improve traffic flow on speedway grounds and to expedite traffic on nearby public roads. The south tunnel is the first of several improvement projects planned for the speedway. "The south tunnel project is something we've wanted to do for several years," said speedway president Eddie Gossage. "Heavy vehicular traffic around the tunnel combined with heavy pedestrian traffic makes it a tough situation for everyone. The new design, which includes an elevated roadway and pedestrian walkway, will hopefully cut down on the majority of the traffic problems we experience in that area at race time. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Tony Stewart even helped give us some suggestions." All inbound traffic on Allison Avenue with credentials for the infield may drive directly into and out of the south tunnel as before. The biggest changes are with cross traffic traveling on the inner ring road, Lone Star Circle. Vehicles traveling either direction on Lone Star Circle past the south tunnel entrance will drive over Allison Avenue on an elevated roadway. Vehicles attempting to enter the infield off of Lone Star Circle will have new entrances into the south tunnel. Those driving from the east/Turn 2 side of the speedway will find a south tunnel entrance road prior to Allison Ave. Those driving from the west/Turn 1 side of the speedway will drive onto the elevated roadway over Allison and take an exit ramp down into the tunnel entrance. All pedestrian traffic crossing east and west will also be sent up and over Allison Avenue. Fans can enter the south tunnel utilizing a new pedestrian walkway located adjacent to The Speedway Club. Fans on foot will also find a new walkway just east of the interchange leading them to a new grandstand entrance located above the south tunnel. In addition to the south tunnel, the speedway plans to widen many pedestrian walkways including the sidewalks adjacent to backstretch parking as well as the walkway along the souvenir midway on the frontstretch. All projects are scheduled for completion prior to the April 14-17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week. - TMS PR

Daytona International Speedway free seats fail ethics standards : Elected officials, take heed: Taking free passes to a luxury suite at the Daytona International Speedway during the races is now considered a violation of state ethics rules. The Florida Commission on Ethics, after reviewing a practice that has existed for more than a dozen years, decided last week that passes to the suite are worth more than the $100 limit on gifts from lobbyists. That made it an ethics violation for five Daytona Beach officials who accepted the passes. In a separate case, the ethics commission found probable cause that former Deltona City Commissioner Diane Obremski had used her position to threaten a city employee. The commission also found probable cause that former Daytona Beach City Commission Mike Shallow had violated rules by accepting a ride in a NASCAR plane in May 2002 to meet with a city manager candidate. The ethics findings, discussed at a Dec. 2 meeting, were released Tuesday. (The Orlando Sentinel)

December 9, 2004:

NASCAR Postpones Meeting: Rep. Vito Fossella still hasn't seen International Speedway Corp.'s full-blown proposal to build a NASCAR stadium in Bloomfield, after company officials said a scheduling conflict forced them to postpone a presentation. Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) had originally planned to meet with ISC officials in Washington, D.C., yesterday for a multimedia presentation on the 80,000-seat, $500 million stadium proposal, which includes plans to handle traffic to and from races. But ISC representatives contacted Fossella's office on Monday to say they couldn't make the meeting, according to Craig Donner, the lawmaker's spokesman. (Staten Island Live)

Kvapil in Penske Ride: Penske-Jasper Racing, which fields the #77 Kodak EasyShare Dodge Charger in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, today announced that 2003 NASCAR Truck Series Champion Travis Kvapil will be the team's driver and will compete for Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2005. Travis succeeds Brendan Gaughan, who drove the Kodak car during the 2004 season. Kvapil participated in a development program during 2004 with Penske Racing and competed in three Nextel Cup Series races-Martinsville, Atlanta and Homestead. "Travis showed solid potential and demonstrated the skill and determination it takes to be a winner and we look forward to building on this foundation with our sponsor partners Kodak and Jasper." Roger Penske said.
"Kodak is committed to fielding a winning and successful team in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Racing, and looks forward to leveraging our continued sponsorship and partnership with NASCAR and Penske-Jasper Racing during 2005," said Bud Denker, Vice President, Brand and Market Development. "We are excited to welcome Travis as the driver of the Kodak EasyShare Dodge Charger and feel that his experience in racing and his driving talents will provide our team with the success that we are seeking."  "The opportunity to drive for Penske-Jasper Racing is more than a dream come true. I have been a fan of Roger Penske since I was a little kid watching Rick Mears. It's a once in a lifetime chance for a young driver and I'm excited to get that opportunity," Kvapil said. "I'm honored to represent Kodak. Their history in NASCAR racing is impressive and they are one of the longest running sponsors in the sport." A Wisconsin native, Kvapil resides in North Carolina with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children.(Penske Racing South PR)

NASCAR sues Porn Company: NASCAR has filed a lawsuit against an individual and three companies involved with a pornographic video called Racetrack Girls Go Nutz for trademark and service mark infringement. NASCAR filed the suit Monday after learning that Daystrike Marketing Inc. was distributing flyers and advertisements for the video with NASCAR logos. The flyers also were soliciting investors for Consolidated Sports Media Group Inc., based in Addison, which is involved in financing the video. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Brian France Wins Dick Schnaap Award: NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France has received the Dick Schaap Lifetime Achievement in Sports Award from the Greater New York Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. France was honored at the foundation's annual Michael S. Modell Awards Dinner. France announced a $100,000 donation to the foundation during last week’s dinner.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

December 8, 2004:

McDonalds out; Welcome Checkers: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants will take over next year as a fast-food sponsor for NASCAR, replacing longtime corporate partner McDonald's Corp., the Sports Business Daily reported Tuesday. The Tampa-based chain, which has more than 400 locations primarily in the Southeast, will join deli sandwich chain Subway in replacing McDonald's, which has been connected with NASCAR since 1993. Checkers is relatively small compared with the Golden Arches, yet its Southern roots match those of the stock-car racing league. The company's sister chain, Rally's (with another 389 restaurants, mostly in the Midwest), will likely also gain NASCAR rights. Checkers previously signed racing sponsorship deals making it the "official burger" of both the Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500. It also has sponsorships with professional and college sports teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, University of Florida and Florida State University. McDonald's will remain connected with NASCAR in a different capacity. It will continue to leverage the sport with a soon-to-be-assembled collection of teams, tracks and drivers. "We are definitely not leaving the sport," a McDonald's insider told the Sports Business Daily. "We'll just be using different assets." (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Season TV Ratings up: Final figures show the average rating for all Nextel Cup races this year rose 2% to 5.0, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Staff writer Andy Bernstein says most of the gain was attributable to a jump in the 10 races that made up the Chase For The Nextel Cup. Those races averaged a 4.6 household rating, up from 4.1 last year, although last year's figures were lowered because of a rain delay in one of the races. Bernstein reports that demographic breakdowns show that the ratings for men 18 to 34 fell from 2.9 to 2.8 this year, while the figures for men 18 to 49 remained at 4.1.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

Joe Gibbs Introduces Joe Gibbs Performance Brand Synthetic Racing Oil: Today at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Joe Gibbs Performance announced the introduction of Joe Gibbs Performance Brand Racing Oil, the same synthetic racing oil used by Joe Gibbs Racing and two time Champion engine builder Mark Cronquist. "Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil delivers un-compromised power, protection and performance for our race cars at every level of competition," said J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Over the past five years we have invested substantial resources in developing our own racing oil and now racers at every level can use the oil we use in all our race engines." Used in every Joe Gibbs Racing engine since 1999, Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil puts five years of R&D and championship proven performance in the hands of professional engine builders and local racers throughout the United States. - (Catchfence)

Born On is Back:  Racing One is reporting that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will run the Budweiser Born On Date paint scheme in Daytona in Feb. UPDATE: Jayski is reporting the scheme will no run at Daytona.

Evernham Motorsports Signs: Erin Crocker, the first female to win a World of Outlaws race, caught the attention of Ray Evernham and Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year Kasey Kahne for her performance in open wheel racing. Evernham Motorsports partnered with Kasey Kahne Motorsports and has signed Crocker to an agreement that involves her running the Silver Crown Series in a Kasey Kahne Motorsports car, along with three Busch races and three ARCA races in an Evernham Dodge. Sponsors for the program have not yet been announced. (Fox Sports)

ISC goes ahead with NYC Plan: International Speedway Corp. is going ahead with plans to buy 679 acres on New York's Staten Island, where it could build a three-quarter-mile track with seating for 80,000 people, this week's NASCAR Scene reports. ISC Vice President John Graham says the company hopes to close on the purchase of the land within the next three months after completing its studies on ways spectators could be transported to the facility. The traffic plans, which would bring in spectators from as far away as 40 miles, would include the use of 750 park-and-ride buses, 200 charter buses and 100 ferries. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

The Jeff Gordon Collection Of Wines: Jeff Gordon will market a series of upscale wines under a label bearing his own name, the championship race car driver announced today. Gordon, a celebrity who often appears as co-host on "Live With Regis and Kelly" as well as making frequent appearances on other network and cable television shows, said the first wine, a 2004 Carneros Chardonnay, will be available in October, 2005. Two red wines, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a Napa Valley Merlot, also of the 2004 vintage, will be released after proper aging, in January, 2007. From that point, Chardonnay will be released each October and the Cabernet and Merlot each January. The wines, labeled Jeff Gordon Collection, are being made by August "Joe" Briggs, owner of Briggs & Sons Winemaking Co., of Calistoga at the north end of the world-famous Napa Valley. - (Catchfence)

Dale Earnhardt TV Guide:  The accident that cause Dale Earnhardt's death was the #17 biggest moment is TV history according to TV guide.  (TV Guide)

Ford signs East: In a move designed to help advance his career long-term, 19-year-old USAC National Midget Car Series Champion Bobby East has signed a long-term contract with Ford Racing Technology. East, son of legendary USAC team owner and car builder Bob East, became the youngest USAC National champion in the organization's 49-year history when he captured seven feature victories and 21 top-10 finishes on the way to the 2004 National Midget crown. "We are thrilled to have signed Bobby to a long-term contract with Ford," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "He's a very impressive driver who has shown a tremendous amount of talent, ability and success at a very young age. We look forward to working together with Bobby to provide him opportunities to help him realize that same success long-term in NASCAR." Davis said East will continue to run at least one more season in the USAC National Midget Car Series and the USAC Silver Crown series, while Ford arranges for him to test a variety of NASCAR race vehicles, with an eye on moving eventually to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. (Ford Racing PR)

December 7, 2004:

Roush goes Full Time #99: #99 Ford team owner, Jack Roush, says he is committed to running the #99 Ford and Carl Edwards for the full Nextel Cup schedule in 2005. Roush doesn't have a full-time sponsor for the team and is still looking and has half of a season worth of sponorship signed up for the car and says he can afford to run the full season. (PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)

Sadler Sells Busch, Fields Cup: SCORE Motorsports, owned by Hermie Sadler and former NBA player Bryant Stith, has announced that it will sell its NASCAR Busch Series team. Sadler and Stith will continue to field a Nextel Cup Series team and a Late Model Stock Car team as part of the Drive For Diversity program in 2005. "We have been unable to find the type of funding we need to grow the Busch team," Sadler said. "We have looked at many options, including joining forces with another team and also participating in a driver development program. (NASCAR Online)

Beam Goes to Roush: Roush Racing announced Tuesday that Mike Beam and John Monsam have been named crew chiefs of the two Roush Racing NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries for 2005. Beam will head-up the No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150 with Ricky Craven and Monsam will oversee the No. 50 Roush Racing Ford F-150 with Todd Kluever. Beam and Craven have a long history together. They scored one Nextel Cup win at Martinsville in the spring of 2001, and three pole positions at Michigan, Rockingham and Darlington. (Thats Racin)

New Crew Chief for Bill Davis Racing: Bill Davis Racing has named Derrick Finley Crew Chief for the #22 Caterpillar Dodge driven by Scott Wimmer. Finley, who earned his mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico in 1995, has served as the team’s Race Engineer since August of 2003. Prior to joining Bill Davis Racing, Finley worked with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated for several years until he moved on to Travis Carter’s operation in 2000. “We’re very pleased to have Derrick step up to this role. He’s been a part of the team for quite some time now, so he is familiar with our operation as well as what Scott needs in a car”, said owner, Bill Davis. “Originally, we had planned on bringing a new Crew Chief on during the off-season but when we saw the chemistry that Derrick, Scott and the team enjoyed during the final races of the season we knew it would be shame to ignore that”. “We are all working really well together, Derrick has a great attitude. Everyone on the team is excited to move into our second year together. I’m looking forward to going back to tracks with some more experience under my belt and having Derrick’s engineering background is a real plus”, said driver Scott Wimmer. - (Bill Davis Racing PR)

NASCAR Dale Jr., Simulator at Martinsville for Toy Drive:  Martinsville Speedway's 11th Annual Toy Drive will be capped off with an appearance by a Dale Earnhardt Inc. race car, a chance to ride in a race-car simulator and an appearance by Santa Claus. The toy drive will make its second stop at Martinsville's Wal-Mart on Saturday, December 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a few unique race-fan opportunities while raising toys for needy youngsters in Martinsville and Henry County. The DEI-owned Kraft Chevrolet that John Andretti piloted to a 13th-place finish in last February's Daytona 500 will be on hand for fans to inspect. This is not a show car, but the actual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car Andretti drove at Daytona. Also, there will be a DEI representative on hand to answer questions about the car. Fans will also get a chance to ride in the Advance Auto Parts race car simulator, an experience that comes pretty close to duplicating a ride in a real race car. Martinsville Speedway's Victory Lane will be on display, giving fans a chance to have their pictures taken in the same spot where drivers like Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace have collected the winner's trophy. Also, Martinsville Speedway's 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo pace car will be on exhibit. Santa Claus will make an appearance in Victory Lane at 11 a.m. There is no charge for any of the activities, but the contribution of one new, unwrapped toy would be appreciated. Speedway staff and other volunteers will man the display. Anyone donating toys on Saturday or at the Martinsville Speedway office will be entered in a drawing for tickets for next spring's Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Martinsville Speedway. Other collection sites for the toy drive include all area Advance Auto Parts Stores, all area Kroger stores and Meadowgreen Market in Oak Level. All donated toys will go to local Toys For Tots, handled by the Edward W. Richardson Detachment of the United States Marine Corps League. All toys will stay in the immediate area.
(Martinsville Speedway PR)

December 6, 2004:

Appalachian State University Receives Petty Racing Collection: Lynda Petty, wife of stock car racing legend Richard Petty, has donated a large collection of materials documenting her husband’s career to the Appalachian State University Libraries Stock Car Racing Collection. The donation, which covers 1958–2003, includes newspaper and magazine articles, fan letters, scrapbooks, promotional and charitable materials, awards of recognition, photographs, books, and race programs. Ms. Petty said, “These memories of Richard’s career are important to the family and we are glad we can entrust them to the Collection for preservation.” During his long and successful driving career (1958-1992), Petty won seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships and holds the record for most victories, with 200. Known affectionately as “the King,” he won the Most Popular Driver award nine times. Since his retirement in 1992, Petty has remained involved in racing. He owns Petty Enterprises, which fields entrants in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup, Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. The Petty family has been in the racing business for four generations; Richard’s father Lee was a three time Winston Cup champion, and his son Kyle and grandson Adam followed in the family tradition. (Catchfence)

Bestwick Switch confirmed:  JAYSKI is confirming what he first reported a week ago.   Allen Bestwick will be switching announcing duties with Bill Weber.

December 5, 2004:

Homestead going may end under the lights? Homestead-Miami Speedway is studying the possibility of installing lights and moving the Nextel Cup season finale to Sunday evening, the track's general manager said Wednesday. Curtis Gray, in New York for tonight's championship banquet, said representatives from Musco Lighting were at the speedway Wednesday preparing a preliminary proposal. There are two significant obstacles, Gray said. First, the cost of erecting fixtures capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds raises the price tag from about $5.5 million to $8 million. Second, the speedway must get approval from nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base because of the effect a lighting system could have on flight patterns. (Tampa Tribune)

Another Johnson in Nextel?: Ken Smith today announced the signing of Jarit Johnson, the 25-year-old racer and younger brother of Nextel Cup star Jimmie Johnson. “Jarit is committed to racing and willing to do whatever it takes.” Smith said. “This is the perfect fit within our organization and we have a lot of work to do over the next few months sorting out the future.” SS Racing has an alliance with NEXTEL Cup powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports and hopes that Jarit will soon join Hendrick’s growing driver development program. "It is our goal to be racing fulltime in the ASA and part-time in the Craftsman Truck Series, however, if the ASA does not have clear direction during the month of December, we will be forced to move our attention 100% to Craftsman Truck Series” Smith said. “We made our entry into the CTS in 2004, and are making preparation to run a limited schedule in 2005 sharing driving duties with Butch and Jarit." ...When he's not racing, Jarit will work fulltime for SS Racing assisting in it’s growing Driver Development Program which includes Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Chase Austin, splitting time at the Indianapolis home base with Deneau and satellite Charlotte shop with Miller. "I want to thank Ken for this opportunity and belief in me.” Said Jarit. “Working with SSR allows me to mentor with one of the greatest short track racers, Butch Miller and learn about the car from a leading crew chief Deon Deneau. I'd love to move up through the ranks with Ken and get into a NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch Series car and, eventually, be in the Nextel Cup Series. But it's a long road." - (Catchfence)

Banquet Best and Worst Of: FoxSports.com highlights the best and worst of Championship weekend: From the USS Intrepid to Regis & Kelly and from the NYSE to the FDNY, Busch's five-day calendar made The Chase for the Nextel Cup seem like a leisurely Sunday drive to the grocery store. So now we head home. After 38 weekends of racing and one awards banquet that seemed at least that long. As I sit here in the US Airways terminal at LaGuardia waiting on my flight that was supposed to have taken off four hours ago, here's a quick list of the best and worst from the NASCAR week that was here in NYC.

Banquet Slowed down: The awards ceremony ended around 11 p.m., but it took nearly an hour and a half for hotel staff to clear the grand ballroom of tables and chairs and prepare for the post-ceremony party. Further hampering the situation were security personnel who refused to allow anyone to return upstairs, even if they left purses or family members. By the time the party got into high gear, hundreds of banquet attendees had given up hope and left, passing up the chance to imbibe free drinks and killer desserts. (Yahoo Sports)

Mears And Johnson Lose in Shootout: Casey Mears became the choice over Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne mostly because he had a passport and experience in this event last year (then in the Canary Islands). Johnson and Mears left Friday night after NASCAR's season-ending awards ceremony in New York, landing at 2 p.m. They changed clothes in the car and got five practice laps. Johnson struck a course barrier to draw a 10-second penalty in each of his two races; Mears split matches with Coulthard in the team events and lost to Alesi in the individual. Gordon's absence was felt more by the competitors than the fans. Schumacher said the opportunity to race the four-time NASCAR champion led him to race outside of F-1 for the first time in four years.(Indianapolis Star)

Dorton Honored: The late Randy Dorton, the chief engine builder for Hendrick Motorsports, who was killed in an October plane crash, was honored as Clevite Engine Builder of the Year. The award was accepted by his widow, Diane Dorton. (ESPN/AP)

Kasey Kahne signs Avon: Avon Products announced that it has signed Kasey Kahne, to a promotional agreement. Financial terms were not disclosed. Kahne, 24, drives the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge for Evernham Motorsports in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. He was the 2004 Raybestos Rookie of the Year and finished 13th in the season points standings. Under the agreement, Kasey Kahne will serve as the spokesperson for Avon’s Pro Sport Daily Performance product line. In the second quarter of 2005, Kasey Kahne will be featured on the front cover of M – The Men’s Catalog, and will also be featured in public relations and the Internet. M – The Men’s Catalog launched October 2004 and offered 16-pages of men’s grooming products and accessories. This new, highly stylized catalog will be distributed quarterly, and affiliated with a variety of universally accepted men’s brands. “Avon is a great brand – everyone knows them as a leader in the beauty products and grooming industry,” says Kasey Kahne. “I’m honored to have been selected as the spokesperson for the ProSport Daily Performance line and excited to be a part of the Avon family.” Avon product lines include such recognizable brand names as Avon Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Avon Solutions, Advance Techniques Hair Care, Avon Naturals, Mark, and Avon Wellness. Avon also markets an extensive line of fashion jewelry and apparel.(Evernham Motorsports site)

December 4, 2004:

Kansas Governor in NYC; Wants another date? Governor Kathleen Sebelius was in New York City on Friday night to attend NASCAR's annual awards banquet and to lobby for more racing in Kansas.  Sebelius said in an interview that she felt it was important for her to show Kansas' support for NASCAR. Wyandotte County is home to Kansas Speedway. The speedway had two major weekends of racing this year, in July and October.  Sebelius says the speedway represents a major tourism attraction for Kansas and that she wants to attract more race days to her state. She says events surrounding Friday's banquet gave her a chance to speak to NASCAR officials and track owners. (WIBW)

Waltrip Happy With Changes:  “We have been looking to make some changes at DEI in the last few months to further improve the direction we are going. Richie Gilmore and the management decided this would be a positive move for both team’s performance. “I am happy with this decision. I feel we have a strong NAPA Team right now that will serve well for Dale Jr. next season. Obviously Tony Eury Jr. and the guys from the Bud car are some of the very best in the garage and I can’t wait to work with them. Ultimately this switch is to strengthen our effort as an entire team by using the very best resources from both sides. I know this switch will be talked about a lot in the days to come. I am just looking forward to Daytona testing in January when we can start to show everyone what a smart decision has been made.”  (Champion Sports Group)

Johnson Wins 4th Quarter Speed Channel Driver of the Year: Jimmie Johnson bounced back from a slow start in the fourth quarter to win four times in five races, and dominate the voting for the Speed Channel Driver of the Year, fourth quarter, 204. Johnson, who drives the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, finished runner-up to Kurt Busch, by only eight points, in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship. It was an emotional roller coaster for the 29 year-old driver, After an engine problem at the EA Sports 500 and an accident at the Banquet Foods 400 put him next to last in the Chase, he took three straight wins at UA-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's, then the Subway 500 at Martinsville, VA, and the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta. He also won the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington. Along the way he and his team faced the personal tragedy of losing ten team members, family and friends in an airplane crash on the Martinsville's race day. While feeling that loss, yet still being prepared to race and win, he proved the strength of his Hendrick Motorsports team. In New York for the annual NASCAR awards banquet Johnson, winner in the second quarter, was flattered to learn of his fourth quarter honor. In the voting he took 13 first-place Speed Channel Driver of the Year votes, and a vote on every ballot for a total of 143 points. Sebastien Bourdais, the Bridgestone Presents Champ Car World Series powered by Ford Champion, was second in the tally with 67 points and one first-place vote. The French born driver of the McDonalds Lola-Ford for Newman/Haas Racing, scored two wins including a victory from the pole at the season finale in Mexico City. Kurt Busch driver of #97 Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Taurus, and first Nextel Cup Champion, was third in the voting with one first-place vote and a total of 66 points. Busch had a win at the Sylvania 300, and except for one engine failure finished in the top ten in all ten races in the quarter. A total of 13 drivers scored points in the fourth quarter voting, including fourth place Tony Schumacher from the POWERade Top Fuel division, fifth place Steve Kinser, with two first-place votes in the World of Outlaws series. And Martin Truex, Jr. from the Busch Series was sixth. (DOTY PR)

Busch Takes Home Big Check: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch (#97 Sharpie/IRWIN Tools Ford) will receive $5,356,181 in point fund money at Friday night’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. Once Busch accepts the official check, his season winnings will total $9,677,543. Busch’s point fund payout comes from NASCAR and series sponsor Nextel, which is completing its first season as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series sponsor. Prior to Friday night’s celebration, Busch also received a total of $105,000 in various contingency awards during the annual Myers Brothers Breakfast on the Waldorf=Astoria’s historic 18th-floor Starlight Roof. Busch’s 2004 race winnings total $4,200,332. His career winnings stand at $22,860,894. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 runner-up Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) will receive a point fund payout of $2,404,137 from NASCAR and Nextel. Third-place finisher Jeff Gordon (#24 DuPont Chevrolet) will receive a point fund payout of $1,766,527 from NASCAR and Nextel. (NASCAR PR)

Andretti to visit Middle East: John Andretti, driver of the #14 VB/APlus at Sunoco Ford, will embark on a trip to the Middle East, departing the morning of Saturday, Dec. 4. Andretti will spend seven days overseas before returning to the United States next Friday. With an invitation from the Naval Branch of America’s Armed Forces, Andretti will fly into the country of Bahrain. Andretti will then meet and greet with sailors on several different Navy Vessels throughout the Middle East. The importance of this trip during the Holiday season is not lost on Andretti. “I feel obligated to try and do something for our military,” said Andretti. “The Navy contacted me and has been very accommodating. This is a great opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to visiting with the sailors. I feel it will be a better experience for me than it will be for them.” The trip will be Andrettt’s first since the start of battle in the Middle East. Throughout his week-long travels Andretti is planning on distributing different racing memorabilia to those serving our country.(Williams Company PR)

Petty's win Myers Brothers Award: Kyle and Pattie Petty, who turned a dream into a reality and named it the Victory Junction Gang Camp, have been named the recipients of the National Motorsports Press Association’s 2004 Myers Brothers Award. The award was presented during the NMPA’s annual Myers Brothers Award Breakfast, held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Perhaps best known as the son of the sport’s all-time winningest driver, Kyle Petty continues to leave his mark on the sport as well. But where his father, Richard, became well-known for his efforts on the race track, Kyle and his wife have also used NASCAR to reach out and touch the lives of others outside the sport. In June of 2004, Victory Junction Gang Camp, a summer home for chronically-ill children, officially opened its doors. The idea, conceived by the Pettys’ son Adam, became a goal for the family following Adam’s death in a racing accident four years ago. It was a way to not only honor their son, but to see that his generosity and kindness towards those less fortunate wasn’t forgotten. “It is big for us personally,” Kyle Petty said, “for Pattie and myself because of Adam. But for me personally it’s big because this community did it. This community built the camp. Not Kyle Petty, not Pattie Petty. Everything the media printed, everything the drivers did, everything the drivers’ fans did, everything the sponsors did, that’s why the camp is there and that’s why there are kids coming out of that camp that are pretty special kids. For me, that’s as much a cool deal or more personal than anything else. That’s what means the most to me, I guess.” Voted on each year by members of the NMPA, the Myers Brothers Award recognizes individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing. It is named in honor of Billy and Bob Myers.(Willams Company PR)

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