NASCAR Past News Dec. 11 - Dec. 19 2004

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December 19, 2004:

Washington Track Dead? Lead negotiator Quits:  The lead staff member for Snohomish County's negotiations to bring a NASCAR track to the area quit this month to become Marysville's new public-works director. Paul Roberts, who worked for County Executive Aaron Reardon for less than year, also had served as Everett's planning director. Roberts said he made the move, which will mean a $14,000-a-year pay cut, primarily for personal reasons. His new job will give him more control over his schedule, he said. Roberts led the county's discussions with International Speedway Corp., a racetrack developer that chose a site north of Marysville for the NASCAR track. Discussions with the corporation ended last month because of a disagreement over how much money the company should contribute to the project. (Seattle Times)

December 18, 2004:

Historic Short Track Summit Ends, Diversity Highlights Event: Leading short-track promoters from across North America created a Top-10 list of their most successful ideas Friday, Dec. 10. The list was formulated during day two of their inaugural Short Track Racing Summit here.  The emerging coalition of independent motorsports business operators shared candid tips that increased their speedway’s bottom line while enhancing fan experience at their race tracks.  Attendees of the inaugural Summit also held the short-track racing industry’s historic first discussion of the groundswell Diversity Initiative in motorsports. NASCAR is one of more than a dozen sponsors of the Summit.  NASCAR’s Director of Diversity Initiatives Tish Sheets told the new coalition of short-track operators that they hold a key to creating an all-inclusive fan base and driver pool. (ZWire)

Super 8 extends with PPI: Super 8 Motels has announced the renewal of its associate sponsorship of PPI Motorsports' #32 Chevrolet for Bobby Hamilton Jr. in the Nextel Cup Series. Financial terms of the deal were not announced. (NASCAR Scene Daily)

Wimmer drops appealing DWI: Nextel Cup driver Scott Wimmer, convicted of driving while impaired in June, has given up efforts to appeal that conviction less than a month after the conclusion of racing season. Wimmer appeared in Guilford County Superior Court in High Point on Thursday for a brief appearance that was hastily scheduled. "I just got a phone call that they were interested in remanding it. I said fine. I didn't have any objection," said Assistant District Attorney Brandon Goldsborough, who handled the case. Wimmer's court appearance was sudden enough that the NASCAR driver's name didn't appear on that day's docket of cases. "It was about a five-minute session," Goldsborough said. Now, the original decision by District Court Judge William K. Hunter will stand. Wimmer, who drives for High Point-based Bill Davis Racing, was charged with driving while impaired and failure to stop at the scene of an accident in connection with the Jan. 31 crash of a pickup truck owned by his employer. Hunter found Wimmer guilty during the June trial and sentenced the then-28-year-old to 60 days behind bars, but suspended that sentence for one year -- a period during which Wimmer will remain on unsupervised probation.(Greensboro News-Record)

Pocono qualifying on Sat: Qualifying for the two NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway will now take place on Saturday, the track said Friday. Qualifying for the Pocono 500 in June and the Pennsylvania 500 in July had previously been held on Fridays. Immediately following Saturday qualifying, NASCAR will impound the race cars. Teams will not be permitted to work on the cars except in cases approved by NASCAR. The Pocono 500 weekend is set for June 10-12, 2005 and the Pennsylvania 500 weekend is set for July 22-24, 2005.(Philly.com)

December 17, 2004:

Sorry Ladies, Johnson Gets Married: Jimmie Johnson is now a married man. The wedding of the Nextel Cup driver and model Chandra Lynn Janway took place last weekend on the island of St. Barthelemy in the French West Indies. (Dallas Morning News)

No Long 125's Daytona Duels: The qualifying races for the Daytona 500, formerly known as the Twin 125s, will now be known as the Gatorade Duel at Daytona. The format has also been changed with an additional 25 miles added to each qualifying race. "We're excited about adding a new twist into an already exciting day of racing," said Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig. "The new distance to the Gatorade Duel At Daytona will give Daytona 500 entrants 10 more laps to fight to make the field for NASCAR's signature event."  It's the second time in the history of the event that the race distance has been changed. From 1959-1968, cars raced 100 miles before the limit was increased to 125. (TSN)

Making a Push To Keep All-Star Race:  Fearful of losing the Nextel Cup's annual all-star race, leaders from around the Charlotte region hope to beef up events surrounding the May race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.  They held a news conference Thursday to announce that they plan to hold daily events on each of the six days leading up to the May 21 running of the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge.  There was no word on what any of those events might be, but organizers have prepared a $600,000 budget, said Jennifer Woodford, public information officer for the city of Kannapolis, one of the local governments involved.  (Mercury News)

Earnhardt, Jr. Donates Money:  For the second straight year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was voted the Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits NMPA Most Popular Driver in New York, which carried with it a check for $10,000.  The driver of Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s No. 8 Chevrolets has donated the proceeds to two North Carolina animal organizations, The Animal Adoption League and Lake Norman Lucky Cats.  "On behalf of Dale Jr., we are grateful for the kindness and countless hours of volunteers who assist organizations such as the Animal Adoption League and Lake Norman Lucky Cats," said Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Earnhardt Jr.'s business manager and sister.  (ThatsRacin)

Alan Kulwicki Film Done: Filming has been completed on a movie about the life of the late NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki. It's called "Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story," and stars Brad Weber as the driver. ...The movie may be released next fall. (AP/WHNT News Channel 19)

Morgan Shepherd Raises Money:  The Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund donated more than $22,500 to families in the Galax, Va., area as part of its 18th annual charity ride last week.  The final figures were announced Friday.  "It was a blessing to be part of it and a blessing to help some of these families," said Shepherd, the three-time NASCAR Cup winner who drives the No. 89 Racing With Jesus Dodge.  "The nice thing was the bulk of the money came from people who gave $10 to $25," the driver said. "We did have a few folks who gave some pretty large amounts, and we are very grateful to them, but we are also grateful to those who gave what they could. Lives were touched and people were saved because of that."  (Charlotte Observer)

Bang Racing! Announces Crew Chief: Bang! Racing today announced that Frank Kerr has been named crew chief of the organization’s 2005 NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Travis Kvapil.  Prior to joining Bang! Racing, Kerr helped lead Robby Gordon in the No. 55 Fruit of the Loom Chevrolet to one win and 10 top-10 finishes in 25 starts initially as car chief. He was later tapped crew chief of the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series effort, a role he also held at ST Motorsports with driver Stacy Compton and Curb Agajanian Motorsports with driver Jay Sauter. Overall, Kerr brings more than 23 years of racing experience to the second-year team as well as a unique, hands-on perspective as a former four-time championship sprint car driver who has amassed more than 200 wins in the World of Outlaws, USAC and All Star series, including a prestigious USAC Non-Wing World Championship series event in 1999. (WhoWon)

Stoddard named crew chief:Frank Stoddard has joined MB/Sutton Motorsports as crew chief for the team's #36 CENTRIX Financial Chevrolet to be driven by Boris Said in a minimum of 10 races during the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. The newly-created team is part of the MB2 Motorsports umbrella. Stoddard, 36, has enjoyed success as a crew chief in NASCAR's premier division with a career record 14 wins, 64 top fives and 98 top 10s. He started his crew chief career in 1998 with the #99 Roush Racing team and driver Jeff Burton. After nearly five full seasons at Roush Racing, Stoddard became crew chief for the #22 team at Bill Davis Racing in the fall of 2002. While at Bill Davis Racing he worked with drivers Ward Burton and Scott Wimmer. He ended his affiliation at BDR near at the end of the 2004 season. (MB Motorsports PR)

Riggs in Christmas Parade: #10 Valvoline Chevy driver, Scott Riggs as well as American Idol's Clay Aiken's mom, Faye Parker are to wave at thousands of people expected for the Bahama [NC] Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec 18th. Parker, the mother of the "American Idol" runner-up, is the grand marshal for the annual event, which starts at 10:00am/et. Native son Scott Riggs lives in the northern Durham County community. Organizer David Bower said as many as 10,000 people have watched the parade, which starts on Bahama Road, turns right on Stagville Road and ends near the Bahama Ruritan Club. The event will feature local Boy, Girl and Cub Scout groups. Northern High School and Carrington Middle School have traditionally participated as well. Afterward, people participating in and watching the parade are invited to enjoy hot chocolate and doughnuts at the Ruritan Club.  (Herald Sun)

3 Doors Down To Perform National Anthem at Bud Shootout: Republic/Universal recording group 3 Doors Down will sing the National Anthem during the 27th annual Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night, Feb. 12 at historic Daytona International Speedway. The performance will be nationally televised on FOX and comes just days after the release of their new album Seventeen Days which hits stores on February 8th. 3 Doors Down will perform and then sing the National Anthem before the start of the All-Star race, which features last year's pole winners as well as previous Budweiser Shootout champions. Following the conclusion of the 70-lap no-holds barred, non-points race under the lights that helps jumpstart the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, 3 Doors Down will kick off their world tour with a post-race concert, which will be included in the race admission.(DIS PR)

Robbie Gordon involved in most wrecks:  Robby Gordon takes pride in his aggressive driving approach, believing it can make the difference between simply finishing a NASCAR race and being in the lead pack where anything is possible. This season might cause Gordon to reconsider his philosophy after being involved in a series-high 17 accidents and spins. His 47 percent average marked a 17 percent jump over last season, when his 11 incidents ranked in the bottom half of the field. Gordon's most notable incident came Sept. 19 at Loudon, N.H., where his retaliation against Greg Biffle for spinning him earlier in the race resulted in a crash that collected Nextel Cup contenders Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield and essentially erased them from the championship picture. Though Gordon apologized for causing the crash, he was placed on probation by team owner Richard Childress, who expressed hope that Gordon would learn "there's more to racing than being aggressive." (USA Today/Detroit News)

December 16, 2004:

NASCAR in NYC by 2009? NASCAR could be coming to New York City. International Speedway Corporation has paid $100 million for more than 450 acres of dormant land on Staten Island and has its sights on completing a racetrack there as early as 2009. Speedway plans to buy an additional 236 acres next year. In all, it wants to acquire 660 acres, which it said would be the largest undeveloped block of land within New York City.  Lesa France Kennedy, president of the family-controlled ISC, said the company has to complete a feasibility study before deciding whether to build the facility. The France family also controls NASCAR, the world’s premier stock car racing circuit.  “Whether we ultimately construct a track or pursue alternative options for the development of this prime New York real estate will largely depend on the results of this study,” Kennedy said. (MSNBC)

Edwards and Wallace at Wake Forrest: Rusty Wallace and Carl Edwards join the slate of drivers scheduled to appear at the Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 in January. NASCAR drivers and stars scheduled to appear that day include: Mike Helton, Bobby Allison, Ray Evernham, Chocolate Meyers, Ron Hornaday and Teri MacDonald. Ann Schrader, wife of Kenny Schrader, is scheduled to compete on the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports (WAM) team.  "We have had some changes in the drivers' commitments as holiday schedules are cemented and sponsors make their final requests of the drivers for the year," said. J. Kevin Bokeno, vice president of marketing and public relations at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. "We encourage fans to continually check the event's website at http://www.fitness500.com/ for the latest information." (WNEM)

Michigan New Facelift:  Michigan International Speedway, which opened its gates in the Irish Hills in 1968, will get its first real public front door entrance as part of a major facelift.  The latest renovation, the largest of its type in track history, will include the construction of a multi-level sky lounge behind the main grandstand on the front straightaway.  Located in the building will be 16 private suites, a state-of-the-art race operations center, a press box and TV and radio broadcast booths.  In reconfiguring the front stretch area, MIS will install a number of ticket gates off Brooklyn Highway, plus an entertainment plaza outside the speedway featuring a Legends Walk, vendor and display booths and concession stands.   "This gives us a front door to the track," said MIS president Brett Shelton, who revealed details of the plan Tuesday. "Fans can hang out in the plaza - spend part of the day eating and shopping. Then they can go inside the track and into the stands and watch the races." (Mercury News)

Lucky Winner:  Combos® Snacks "The Cheese Filled Snack of NASCAR" will award Raleigh, N.C., resident Charity Smith a NASCAR Garage on December 15, culminating a year-long NASCAR promotion. Smith will claim her prizes at Capital Ford located at 4900 Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.  Combos® Snacks, which sponsors driver Elliott Sadler in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series, offered fans a chance to win what most race fans only dream of -- a NASCAR Themed Garage. The promotion ran throughout the 2004 season and awarded Smith a prize package valued at more than $35,000 including $10,000 worth of tools and a new Ford F-150.  "I bought the Combos hoping I'd at least win the $75 daily prize," said Charity Smith, a Raleigh resident and long-time NASCAR fan. "I never dreamed that I'd actually win the grand prize. But two or three months after the promotion was over, I received a letter from UPS saying I had won and I just couldn't believe it. I was so nervous reading it - my knees were shaking and everything. Nothing like this has ever happened to me and I'm so appreciative to Masterfoods." (Yahoo)

December 15, 2004:

NEXTEL Now What: Since the NEXTEL Sprint Merger where does that leave NASCAR at?  There are reports, that Nextel has said the 10-year deal has already paid off, with NASCAR fans spending more per month than traditional customers. The sponsorship has also almost doubled its brand awareness, the company says.  Nextel also has sponsorship deals with the Gold Cup and the Breeders' Cup.  It's still the NASCAR Nextel Cup — but for how long?  The ink has yet to dry on the planned merger of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. and already there are questions as to how this will affect NASCAR's biggest sponsorship deal.  Nextel isn't saying whether it plans to shift marketing gears if it completes the $35 billion deal with Sprint. It just completed the first season of the 10-year, $750 million deal.  Marketing gurus say NASCAR has succeeded in raising the profile and brand awareness of the relatively young cell phone company, giving it little reason to walk away from the deal or reduce its financial commitment. 

Jar stolen: When the wait staff at Anapa's Country House learned that one of their favorite customers, an Army reservist, was killed in a plane crash in October, they decided to put out a collection jug to raise money for the man's wife and three teenage children. However, the good deed was ruined this week when a thief took off with the jug and the hundreds of dollars in it. According to Patricia Napa, co-owner of the restaurant on South Pemberton Road, someone stole the collection jug Tuesday morning between 7:30 and 8, shortly after the restaurant opened. The jug had been sitting by the cash register for weeks after the wait staff learned Scott Lathram, 38, an Apache helicopter pilot with the Army Reserve, had been killed in an airplane crash in late October. Lathram, along with other soldiers, had eaten at Anapa's almost every night for weeks this fall while stationed at Fort Dix and had befriended the wait staff. In civilian life, Lathram was the helicopter pilot for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Tony Stewart. Lathram was killed Oct. 24 when an airplane in which he was a passenger crashed into a foggy mountainside in Virginia. The plane, owned by Hendrick Motorsports, was carrying 10 people to the NASCAR Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Stewart was not aboard. Another collection jug for Lathram's family would be set up at the restaurant in a matter of days. A trust fund has been set up for Lathram's wife, Tracey, and their three children. Contributions can be sent to Scott Lathram Memorial Fund, c/o Heritage Bank, P.O. Box 525, Benton, KY, 42025.(Burlington County Times)

Huge Ratings for 3: Saturday's presentation of ESPN's fourth original made-for-television movie, "3", was the network's highest-rated movie ever, seen in an average of more than four million households, based on a rating of 5.0, according to the official data released today by Nielsen Media Research. The two-hour portrayal of the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt was the second-highest rated movie of 2004 on ad-supported cable. It posted ESPN's highest movie rating ever among all key male demographics (M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54). In addition, "3" was the most-viewed program on all of TV from 9-11 p.m. that day among men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. "We at ESPN know well the passion of NASCAR fans, and their approval of '3' is the most gratifying endorsement we could receive," said Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production. "3," presented by Kay Jewelers, an ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) production, stars Barry Pepper ("We Were Soldiers", "Saving Private Ryan", "61*") as NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Spanning from the red dirt tracks of his native Kannapolis, North Carolina to the NASCAR speedways where he won nationwide acclaim and the devotion of millions of fans, "3" tells "The Intimidator's" incredible life story. Available today on DVD, ESPN Original Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment present "3." (Sports Business News)

Davis shuts down Busch team; Dodge lawsuit update: Bill Davis Racing has shut down the #23 Busch Series team in the wake of driver Kenny Wallace leaving and taking sponsor Stacker2 with him. Wallace is expected to become the new driver at ppc Racing. The plate includes one full-time effort in the Cup series with the #22 Dodges driven by Scott Wimmer, a possible part-time effort with the #Dodges in the Cup series, and three full-time Toyota entries driven by #22-Bill Lester, #5-Mike Skinner and #23-Johnny Benson in the NASCAR truck series. Wile said fielding the #23 team in the Cup series is dependent on sponsorship and it is unlikely Davis would do it out of his pocket as he did this year. Davis' plate also includes fighting an on-going legal action brought by Dodge parent Daimler-Chrysler in May of 2003. The case, once set for trial next Monday, is now scheduled to be heard in federal district court in Detroit beginning May 3. A pre-trial conference is scheduled April 26. The delay, according to court documents, was granted because both sides had trouble getting depositions during the racing season. Daimler-Chrysler alleges Davis violated his contract for Dodge factory support for his Cup teams by aiding a competitor when he helped Toyota with development work as it prepared for entry into the truck series this year. Daimler-Chrysler is asking that Davis return over $1 million dollars in factory support for the balance of 2003 after the lawsuit was filed. Daimler-Chrysler terminated its contract with Davis when it filed the suit. Davis filed a counter-suit in late June 2003 claiming Daimler-Chrysler had no grounds to terminate the contract because Toyota is not a competitor of Dodge in the Cup series. Wallace replaces Jason Keller at ppc Racing, which won the 2000 Busch Series title with Jeff Green. (High Point Enterprise)

Labbe turned down #8 crew chief: Richard "Slugger" Labbe told Sirius Speedway - Sirius Satellite Radio/MRN Radio host Dave Moody that he was offered the crew chief position with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s Budweiser Chevrolet Team, but turned it down. "They offered me five or six different things, including the crew chief job on the 8 car," he said. "But I didn't like some of the things that were happening there. I've been in this business for 18 years, and I'm in it because I love it. I want to go to work, have fun and be challenged. I didn't see myself being happy in any of the jobs they offered me."(Sirius Speedway - Sirius Satellite Radio/MRN Radio)

December 14, 2004:

NASCAR Welcome Democrats:  Boldly going where no member of their party has ever gone before, key Democratic Party leaders embarked today on an historic fact-finding mission to NASCAR. The NASCAR visit, the first ever undertaken by Democratic officials, took place only after party leaders devoted several months of research to determine precisely what NASCAR was.  "Once we learned that NASCAR involved cars and racing, and apparently had millions of fans, we looked at each other and said, 'We must learn more,'" said DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. (NewsWeek)

Mexico Track to Be Adjusted for NASCAR:  The track for NASCAR's first race in Mexico next year will be shortened to allow the Busch series cars to manage the tough braking on the road course.  A new curve on the main straightaway and a new curve on the second straightaway will cut the track length from 2.786 miles to 2.518 miles for the March 6 race.  The Hermanos Rodriguez course has been used by Formula One, Champ, Trans Am and prototype cars, and requires sharp braking after long, fast straightaways. The stock cars used by NASCAR "are not prepared for such hard braking," said Ramon Osorio, spokesman for the promoters.  The work is to be finished before NASCAR tire testing starts Jan. 15 and would not affect the layout used for the other series, Osorio said. (The Herald)

Daytona Facelift:  In the five months that have passed since the first wall was demolished in Daytona International Speedway's infield, its complexion has been greatly altered.  The once dowdy grand dame of stock car racing is being transformed into a playground geared to meet the demands of the 21st century fans: accessibility and entertainment. Gone, among other things, are the antiquated, enclosed and open air garages, the speedway's motor vehicle maintenance facilities, and a good portion of the former shoreline of Lake Lloyd that parallels the backstretch of the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In short, anything that did not or could not generate revenue was removed beginning early in July and is being replaced by facilities that give fans willing to part with their money access to much more of the racing environment. (Florida Today)

Gibbs, Evernham cars Kentucky test: All three Joe Gibbs Racing and Evernham Motorsports teams will test at Kentucky Speedway this week. JGR's new No. 11 driver Jason Leffler, No. 18 driver Bobby Labonte and No. 20 driver Tony Stewart will test on Wednesday and Thursday as will ppc Racin's John Andretti. Justin Labonte will be there both days as well, sharing the No. 0 Haas CNC Racing car on Wednesday with Mike Bliss and driving the No. 00 Busch car on Thursday. Evernham's Bill Elliott in the No. 91 car, Kasey Kahne in the 9 car and Jeremy Mayfield in the 19 car will test on Wednesday along with Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton. Roush Racing's No. 16 driver Greg Biffle will test the facility on Thursday and Friday. - (FOXSports)

December 13, 2004:

Labbe Joins Mayfield: Richard "Slugger" Labbe, who won two Daytona 500s as crew chief for Michael Waltrip, was hired Monday by Evernham Motorsports to call the shots for Jeremy Mayfield's team.  Chris Andrews, who spent part of last season as Robby Gordon's crew chief, was hired to run the part-time Evernham team for which Bill Elliott drives.  Labbe spent several years with Waltrip at Dale Earnhardt Inc. before he was moved out of the crew chief position late this season. He'll take over for Kenny Francis with Mayfield's team, which qualified this year for NASCAR's 10-race Nextel Cup playoffs. (SportsLine)

Webber Takes Over: As expected NASCAR on NBC announces Bill Weber and Allen Bestwick will switch roles next season, with Weber serving as the lead anchor in the both and Bestwick hosting the pre-race show. (NASCAR Scene)

Andrews Out:  Chris Andrews former #31 Richard Childress Crew Chief will join Evernham Motorsports as Team Director [crew chief] of the #91 Evernham Motorsports Dodge team. Andrews brings a wealth of experience to the position and will work with veteran driver Bill Elliott in 2005. Sammy Johns, who had served as interim Team Director for the #91 Dodge team, remains Director of Competition at Evernham Motorsports. (Evernham Motorsports PR)

Brendan Gaughan Finds New Ride:  Orleans Racing announced Monday that owner Michael Gaughan's son Brendan would race as a teammate to full-time driver Steve Park in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  Brendan Gaughan, who led the Craftsman Truck Series championship going into the final race of the 2003 season before finishing fourth in the championship, will drive a second Dodge Ram fielded by Orleans in at least the 16 Truck Series races that are companion events with Nextel Cup Series races.  Gaughan, who led the Truck Series with six wins in 2003, was released last week as Penske Jasper Racing's driver of its No. 77 Kodak/Jasper Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series. (NASCAR)

December 12, 2004:

Truex Record Payout: Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. received a series record $2,537,171 for his performance in 2004, more than $1 million in race winnings plus his share of the series point fund.    The $6.3 million point fund includes a record $3.3 million contribution from series sponsor Anheuser-Busch. The company's commitment to the series will increase again for the 2005 season.  Truex is the second driver in the 23-year history of the series to total over $2 million, and bettered the previous single-season earnings mark set by Greg Biffle in 2002 ($2,337,254).  Part of Truex’s total comes through various contingency awards, including the Busch Pole Award, the Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award, the Goodyear Tire Award, the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award, the Sunoco Diamond Performance Award and the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award. (ThatsRacin/Miami Herald)

Bliss Keeps NetZero Ride: Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Mike Bliss will return to the Nextel Cup Series in 2005 with Haas CNC Racing. Bliss announced his three-year deal to drive the No. 0 NetZero Chevrolet for owner Gene Haas during the Busch Series Award Ceremony on Friday. The deal with Haas marks Bliss' first full-time ride in the Cup series since 2000, when the 1993 USAC Silver Crown champion had a rough go of it after posting five consecutive top-10 points finishes in the Craftsman Truck Series. Bliss made two starts at the end of the Nextel Cup season, at Darlington and Homestead for Haas CNC, qualified 12th at Homestead and had a top-10 finish at the final Southern 500. Bliss' career best Cup finish, fourth, came in a Gibbs Racing car in September at Richmond. He said he has three tests planned with Haas CNC before Christmas.(NASCAR.com)

December 11, 2004:

Bang Racing joins Dodge: Bang! Racing today announced they have joined the Dodge Motorsports family driving Dodges in the NASCAR Busch Series for the 2005 season becoming part of an elite group of world-class racing organizations alongside Evernham Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing, Penske Racing and Petty Enterprises.  "This has been a year to remember," said CEO and owner of Bang! Racing Alex Meshkin. "And today is another milestone as Bang! Racing becomes a Dodge team. We are honored to enter the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005 with the intended goal of Nextel Cup racing with Dodge as our partner. This relationship will enable us to achieve our goals of entering NASCAR's highest echelon of racing."  "We are really pleased that Alex Meshkin, Travis Kvapil and Bang! Racing have chosen to run Dodges for the 2005 season," said John Fernandez, Director of Dodge Motorsports Operations. "We are looking forward to seeing Travis Kvapil show his talent in a Dodge next year."  In 2005, Bang! Racing driver and former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil will drive the No. 77 Penske Jasper Kodak Dodge Charger full-time for Penske Jasper Racing.  "I am looking forward to the opportunity of running part-time in the NASCAR Busch Series with Bang! Racing," said Travis Kvapil. "I know the additional seat time will help me in my chase for the Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. In 2004, my Bang! Racing team captured a pole and won two races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and I am looking forward to surpassing those milestones during the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series season."  During their debut in 2004, Bang! Racing and Kvapil became a part of motorsports history and broke numerous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series records from their second-place, out-of-the-box performance at Daytona to the wave of the checkered flag in Homestead as they were honored with a series' inaugural manufacturer's award. The team brings a fresh approach to motorsports marketing utilizing a patented technology that offers fans and consumers incentives and dynamic programs and savings. Nutzz.com, an affiliate company of Bang! Racing and associate sponsor of all Bang! Racing vehicles, introduced the Nutzz Elite program in 2004 to bring sponsors together with NASCAR consumers for exciting interaction and commerce. (More about Alex Meshkin) (WhoWon)

Johnson Wins 4th Quarter Driver of the Year: Jimmie Johnson won the fourth-quarter award in Driver of the Year voting after nearly winning the NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup championship. Johnson lost the NASCAR crown to Kurt Busch by eight points, but easily won the Driver of the Year award by accumulating 13 of 18 first-place votes and 143 total points. Sebastien Bourdais finished runner-up with 67 points, and Busch was next with 66. A nationwide panel of motorsports journalists and broadcasters select six drivers and points are awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis. Online voting at www.speedtv.com also counts as one vote. More than 40,000 fans made Dale Earnhardt Jr. their top pick. Earnhardt, however, didn't have near the production during the quarter (Sept. 16-Nov. 21) as Johnson, who won four of five races down the NASCAR homestretch. Johnson also was the winner in the second quarter.(azcentral.com)

Short Track Summit: Short track racing’s industry leaders from throughout North America kicked off what some are calling the largest seminar/trade show combination in the history of motorsports.  NASCAR, the only sanctioning body to have fully supported weekly short track racing at a grassroots level throughout its 56 years, is among the dozens of sponsors of the inaugural Short Track Racing Summit through Saturday at the Orleans Arena.  “We are promoting enthusiasm and the positive aspects of short track weekly racing,” said Jim Hunter, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Dodge Weekly Racing Series for NASCAR. (WhoWon)

DodgeVision coming to selected tracks: NASCAR's Director of Regional Racing Development Don Hawk told XM Satellite NASCAR Radio's Claire B. Lang during a broadcast from the Short Track Summit in Last Vegas that a deal has been struck with NASCAR's television partners that will allow jumbo television screens to show NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch, or Truck races at short tracks next year on Saturday nights. Hawk says the deal will start with six to eight short tracks and will give track operators concerned that Saturday night NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series races have hurt them at the gate, an exciting option in the trial stages. Irwindale Speedway and River Head in New York are two of the tracks expected to participate. According to Hawk, "fans can be sitting there watching their favorite driver, or their son or their daughter racing on Saturday night at a short track, and up on the big screen will be the race live from Bristol. Our hope is that they will stay around longer so when the (short track) races are over live, they still get the rest of the show to watch on DodgeVision." The reaction from track operators has been positive according to Hawk. He said "it's like a provisional in a car race. You know everybody wants one, and sooner or later everyone needs one."(XM Satellite NASCAR Radio)

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