Jimmie Johnson Wins Again in Daytona Checkout Unofficial Results

NASCAR to Toronto?  Cup Series? First the good news: there will be a NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal within two or three years. Maybe sooner.  Now the bad news: while travelling road shows like Formula One, Champ Car and, eventually, NASCAR will continue to flourish in Canada, the homegrown road-racing scene is in serious trouble and needs a fast fix soon or all could be lost.  These words of wisdom came my way several weeks ago courtesy of Normand Legault, president and CEO of Grand Prix F1 du Canada, the promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix.  He was the featured guest at this year's Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Induction Gala and delivered one of the most important speeches on the state of the domestic sport that I've ever heard.  First things first, however.Every time I get an opportunity to talk to someone "in the know,'' I like to bring up the suggestion made to me in an interview a year or so ago by Canada's most successful international road racer, Ron Fellows. (The Star) NASCAR officials have denied any speculation of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series having point races outside the U.S. in the past.... Although this year, NASCAR signed a huge partnership with TSN the equailiate of ESPN

Wood Brothers Honors Fallen Hero: The Wood Brothers are honoring a fallen Marine from their hometown of Stuart, Va., with a decal on the No. 21 Ford.  The decal on Ricky Rudd's car honors U.S. Marine Corporal Jonathan W. Bowling, who was killed in Iraq in January.  ``Jonathan and his sisters went to school with our kids,'' Eddie Wood said. ``We've known the family forever. We were out West testing when they had the funeral so we couldn't go. ``Their whole family has always been very supportive of us, and we wanted to do something to honor Jonathan, so we had the decal made up for Speedweeks.''  Bowling, 23, was killed when insurgents ambushed a Marine convoy.  He joined the Martinsville (Va.) Police Department in 2002, hoping to gain the experience to fulfill his dream of becoming a Virginia state trooper like his father. He was also a volunteer firefighter and an elder at his church.  (Yahoo!)

NEXTEL To Stay? NEXTEL Cup in 2006? The merger of Nextel and Sprint will produce a company called Sprint-Nextel, but that doesn't necessarily mean the name of the Nextel Cup series will change. "No decision on that will be made probably until the August time frame,'' Mark Schweitzer, senior vice president of Nextel, said Thursday. "We're going to be careful and cautious about that. We spent a lot of money building it out in the first year. The industry and fans have embraced it. So we'll study that decision carefully. The Nextel brand assets are a really important part of the merger.'' The $35 billion merger was announced in December and still has to receive approval through the regulatory process. That could take several more months. Schweitzer said decisions haven't been made on whether any Nextel and Sprint products and services will retain their current identities or receive a combination name. He pointed out that after the Exxon and Mobil oil companies merged, they kept separate brand identities for their service stations. "We're in that process of evaluating the brand equities of the two companies, and we're being open-minded and letting the research and the discussions manage the process vs. going in with an agenda.'' Schweitzer said the new company will remain committed to NASCAR and that spending on marketing should increase. "They [Sprint] spend three times what Nextel spends in advertising, so in helping build the awareness of the sport - the sponsorship certainly, but the sport more generally - that should translate into more positive investment.'' If the sponsorship name does change for 2006, it would be the second change in three years. (Tampa Tribune) (NASCAR Corporate News)

Michigan Renovation: With each new season, and each race, NASCAR seems to be able to redefine just what "big" means. Michigan International Speedway is doing the same. Already the largest sporting venue in the region, MIS is getting larger. Throughout the winter months, the track has been moving full speed ahead with the most significant renovation project in its 37-year history. The front-stretch area will be reconfigured to give MIS an official main entrance or "front door," which will include new ticket gates, new and more expansive vendor and display areas, additional concession stands, and a new suite/club structure that will sit above the main grandstand near the start/finish line. (Toledo)

Daytona Tire Trouble: A potentially serious tire problem with Goodyear's new Daytona 500 tires developed last night during the first hours of SpeedWeeks practice for tonight's Bud Shootout kickoff, and some drivers, according to crews, are "scared."  Jeff Gordon admits he's a bit worried."We're not really sure what's going on. You're always concerned when you see those things. I talked to Tony Stewart and he said their stuff looks pretty good. But it does worry you when you see it happen to other guys because you're not really sure why it's happening.  "The tire here is a little softer than last year, and some teams had tire problems last year, though we didn't.  "We haven't seen any problems with our tires, and we don't know if the problem is just with random sets, or if those guys (with the problems) are just trying something that happens to be hurting the tire."  Greg Zipadelli, the crew chief for Stewart, says the problem of delamination includes both right-rear and right-front tires, indicating to him that it's not a chassis problem but a tire production problem. (Winston-Salem)

Anheuser-Busch Debut Jr. Commercials Tonight: Anheuser-Busch will unveil two new Budweiser commercials featuring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the national broadcast of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona on FOX on Saturday night. Commerical's “Horsepower” and “Aerodynamic” will both be feature Earnhardt, Jr. (More Earnhardt Jr. News)

Earnhardt, Jr. to stay with DEI: Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced Friday he is forming a lower-level race team, but the big news was a statement about his status at Dale Earnhardt Inc. "I'm never going to sever ties with DEI," Earnhardt said. "I'm always going to be a part of that organization." For more than a year, there has been speculation that Earnhardt might leave DEI when his contract expires in 2007. Rumors persisted of him possibly joining Richard Childress Racing, where his legendary father won six of his seven NASCAR driving championships. Earnhardt's words Friday might put those rumors to rest, at least for a while. His statement came when he was asked if he might eventually leave DEI to race for his own team. (Dallas Morning News) (More Earnhardt Jr. News)

Visa Joins Rusty Wallace: Officials of Rusty Wallace Inc. and Visa USA announced today the continued partnership between NASCAR racing great Rusty Wallace and the world’s number one payment brand. Under the agreement, Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Champion and 55-race winner, will continue to be a featured driver in the Visa Ultimate NASCAR Experience marketing campaign for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season.  “Our association with Visa is something that I have been extremely proud of and to be able to continue our involvement this year is really exciting,” said Wallace, who is preparing for his “Rusty’s Last Call” tour, his final season as a driver in NASCAR’s premier series.   “We’ve had so much fun with Visa’s program and the fans have been simply ecstatic about it.   The fact that this will be our final year behind the wheel of my No. 2 Dodge should certainly enhance the promotion for 2005.”    "Rusty Wallace has been a wonderful ambassador for Visa, and his participation in the Visa Ultimate NASCAR Experience is a cornerstone of its success," said Michael Lynch, senior vice president, event and sponsorship marketing, Visa USA. "Rusty’s ability to connect with fans and sponsors alike with his charisma and professionalism helps bring Visa cardholders closer to the action than any other sponsor." (Wallace PR) (More Wallace News)

Mears and Rudd Get Together: Rudd and Casey Mears made contact during last night's final Shootout practice. Mears' Dodge spun without incident, and both cars avoided significant damage. Mears visited Rudd's garage stall to apologize and drew angry words from Michael McSwain, Rudd's burly crew chief.  "I thought I was clear, and I wasn't," Mears said. "It was my fault. Ricky was cool, but [McSwain] needs to calm down a little bit. Stuff happens."  Rudd said a minor wrinkle to his "super sensitive" right-front fender could affect his Ford's handling tonight but accepted Mears' apology.  (TimesDispatch)

Earnhardt, Jr. starts another team: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is continuing to grow his JR Motorsports operation and will field a car for Mark McFarland in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series. McFarland will also drive a limited late model schedule for the team.  "It's a fun effort, yet it's a serious effort,'' said Earnhardt, who is using it as a springboard for even more opportunities. "As far as moving on into other series, the sky's the limit."  The late Dale Earnhardt began his empire with a Busch Series team before expanding it to three Nextel Cup cars. Junior called his father's start his "blueprint.'' In a company called Chance 2 Motorsports, co-owned with his stepmother, Teresa, Earnhardt fields a car in the Busch Series for reigning series champion Martin Truex Jr. The McFarland entry is his first sole ownership venture.  "For JR Motorsports, there's no limit or reins, except for the budget side of it. As it is successful, we will proceed and my roots with DEI will continue to grow. Who says you can't have it all?'' he said. (ESPN)

Candle Light for the Intimidator: On Friday, February 18, fans gather from all across the country in remembrance of the legendary Dale Earnhardt. A Silent Candlelight Tribute is held every year on this day at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. corporate headquarters in Mooresville, NC.  This year, at Daytona International Speedway during “Trackside Live” on Speed TV (7-8 p.m. ET), fans will simultaneously take part in the candle lighting ceremony. Teresa Earnhardt will light the first candles at Daytona, while fans gathered in Mooresville at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will do the same.  (DEI)

New Craven Congrats! Ricky Craven couldn't make his way to Daytona before taking care of a little family business: The birth of his third child.  Lydia Cathleen Craven was born at 8:47 p.m. on Thursday night -- early enough for Craven to stay home with the family before traveling to Daytona to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series race next Friday.  "She is absolutely beautiful,'' Craven said. "Everybody should get to come home from the hospital on Friday so I can spend a few days with her before I leave for Daytona next week. This is the best start to SpeedWeeks I've ever had.'' Lydia weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was just under 20 inches long. (Roush Racing PR)

Feb. 11, 2005

Bud Shootout Practice Speeds: Second Practice: 1st) Joe Nemechek - 191.290, 2nd) Jeff Gordon - 191.282, 3rd) Casey Mears - 191.209, 4th) Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 191.196, 5th) Ricky Rudd - 189.889, 6th) Ryan Newman - 189.817, 7th) Kasey Kahne - 189.282, 8th) Greg Biffle - 189.274,- 9th) Rusty Wallace - 189.227, 10th) Tony Stewart - 189.195

First Practice 1st) Joe Nemechek - 191.083mph, 2nd) Jeff Gordon - 191.050, 3rd) Jeremy Mayfield - 191.046, 4th) Ricky Rudd - 190.263, 5th) Bobby Labonte - 190.078, 6th) Jimmie Johnson - 189.777, 7th) Brian Vickers - 189.482, 8th) Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 189.374, 9th) Bill Elliott - 189.263, 10th) Rusty Wallace - 189.080 (Complete Speeds)

NASCAR to show 500 in HDTV in Theaters: NASCAR has announced plans to show the Daytona 500 in the high-definition format in two movie theaters. The event is scheduled to air at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 in New York and the Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 in Irvine, Calif. Plans call for show-car displays at the theaters and the opportunity to win passes to NASCAR events and other prizes.. Ticket details are to be announced in media promotions in New York and Los Angeles. (Winston Cup Scene)

Earnhardt, Jr. and Others fail inspection:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. and several others could find themselves facing a monetary or points deficit even before their cars hit the track in preparation for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500.  During pre-qualifying inspection Friday at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR inspectors confiscated the transmission from Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Chevrolet because they determined the team had used the wrong gear ratio.  Also during inspection, the intake manifold was confiscated from Robby Gordon’s No. 7 Chevrolet because of unapproved external modifications. (Mercury News)

Monte Carlo Redesigned for 2006: General Motors officials confirmed Friday they plan to submit a new 2006 version of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo for NASCAR Nextel Cup competition by the July 1 deadline. The production model of the car was unveiled in January at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show and again at the LA Auto Show, this time with four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon on hand for the announcement. Dodge enters this season with a new model, the Charger, and Ford made small changes to its Ford Taurus entry. The new production model of the Monte Carlo features a more contemporary appearance, with new lamps and tightened skin shortening overall length by 1.2 inches and is expected to look more like its NASCAR competition version.According to the 2005 rule book, GM must cooperate with NASCAR to enable NASCAR to complete all necessary track tests, aerodynamic tests and other competitive analysis by Sept. 1. (ThatsRacin)

Kahne Blown Engine: Kasey Kahne opened up Bud Shootout practice with a blown engine.  Kahne will move to a back up engine, for the remaining of today's practice.  Checkout continuous SpeedTV NASCAR coverage.

NASCAR honors Students: As part of NASCAR's celebration of Black History Month and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Diversity initiatives, two students from the Urban Youth Racing School will be presented with the UYRS/XBOX Points Championship Trophies during pre-race ceremonies prior to the Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona on Feb. 18.  The presentation will be taped for broadcast by SPEED Channel as part of race coverage.  The students will be given a trophy and will serve as honorary crewmembers for Truck Series teams during the race.The Urban Youth Racing School is a unique program dedicated to giving inner-city youth more opportunity and a chance to enhance their life skills through motorsports. Boys and girls age 8 through 18 participate in 10-week Build A Dream program during which they learn the ins and outs of the motor sports industry. They then advance to the Team Development Program where they build, maintain and race mini-stock cars across the country from March to November. (NASCAR PR)

Busch Doesn't Plan To Race Forever: Kurt Busch might not stick around NASCAR's Nextel Cup series as long as veterans such as Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott.  Those drivers are in their 40s and winding down long and successful careers. Martin and Wallace plan to make 2005 their final full season in Cup racing, Labonte is cutting back to a 10-race schedule for both 2005 and 2006 and Elliott went to a limited schedule last season.  The 26-year-old Busch is a long way from joining the elder statesmen of the spot, but the 36-race season - particularly the 10-race playoff-style finish - have already taken their toll on the series champion. (Mercury Sun)

Wallace Seconds Thoughts?  Rusty Wallace is busy preparing for his "Last Call," but the St. Louis native might be willing to keep the bar open a little longer.   Wallace said Thursday he is having second thoughts about retiring at the end of the 2005 NASCAR season and will consider running further Nextel Cup races beyond the upcoming schedule.  His final go-round is being touted as Rusty's "Last Call," and already is being heavily promoted as the Daytona 500 approaches. Of his second thoughts, Wallace said: "People who are retired told me it will pass. I'm hoping halfway through the year the thing that forced me into retirement, the 36 races every year, will make me say it's the right decision. ... If there had been 30 races, I wouldn't have retired.(STLtoday)

Air Force Back With Wood Brothers: The Air Force begins its fifth year as a NASCAR sponsor when the 2005 Nextel Cup season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.  After recruiting one of the most accomplished crew chiefs in the sport and making numerous off-season changes, the Air Force-sponsored Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 NASCAR team is focused on success, officials said. The driver of the car No. 21 is Ricky Rudd. (Air Force Link)

Hotels Unlikely to Reopen In Time: Few people will be more upset during the Daytona 500 than Stacy Martin. Hurricane Frances parked for 23 hours over the Daytona Beach hotel she manages and ripped off the roof, tore out windows and turned the inside into a soggy mess. The Shores Resort & Spa's 212 rooms will be closed for the race, leaving Martin in the middle of a $20 million renovation project with little to do except total her losses. ``When I think about all the people in town, I cry,'' Martin said Thursday, as workers repaired the roof. ``I don't know how much we've lost, but I know it's in the millions.'' Martin is among a dozen hotel managers across Daytona Beach who haven't recovered from last year's hurricanes. Officials estimate that 1,700 - about 13 percent - of the 13,000 rooms in the Daytona Beach area are out of commission, and a large portion are the most desirable and expensive waterfront rooms. (Tampa Tribune)

NASCAR TV Notes: Turner senior vice-president Greg Hughes said Bill Weber (to play-by-play) and Allen Bestwick (to prerace host) will switch roles on NBC/TNT NASCAR races In addition, NASCAR likely will extend Fox's two-year option through the 2008 season. But the NBC/TNT deal expires after the 2006 season, and ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said at his company's marketing seminar Oct. 27 that NASCAR topped the list of additional properties he would want.  Coincidentally, ESPN has stepped up its coverage of NASCAR for SportsCenter this year. ESPN NASCAR reporter Mike Massaro and ESPN NASCAR analyst Dr. Jerry Punch will drive SportsCenter's Daytona 500 coverage from February 15 through comprehensive post-race analysis. Kenny Mayne will host SportsCenter reports that will include interviews with drivers and other pertinent crew members and owners. Marlo Klain will report for ESPNEWS. Coverage will include... Checkout NASCAR TV Section (In Part By USA Today's Rudy Martze)

Feb. 10, 2005

Jarret Draws Pole for Shootout: Dale Jarrett is still at the front in the Budweiser Shootout.   After holding off favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win last year's Shootout, the three-time Daytona 500 winner picked the top starting spot in the 19-car field for Saturday night's race in a blind draw Thursday. "The Shootout is the perfect race to have at night because it is such a spectacle," said Jarrett, a three-time winner of the 70-lap, made-for-TV event for last season's pole winners and former Shootout winners. "It's just about winning. It doesn't matter where else you finish in this race.  Starting alongside Jarrett in the front row Saturday at Daytona International Speedway will be Greg Biffle, with Bill Elliott and Brian Vickers in the second row, followed by Ken Schrader and Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch. Ryan Newman, who led all qualifiers last season with eight poles, will start seventh, followed by Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd, Jeremy Mayfield, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Joe Nemechek, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, Bobby Labonte and Geoffrey Bodine. (AP Wire)

Safe Landing for NASCAR Jet, After Emergency Landing: A corporate aircraft traveling Thursday from Concord, N.C., to Daytona Beach with NASCAR driver Mike Wallace and his wife, Carla, aboard made an emergency landing after being diverted to Lakeland, Fla.  There was believed to be a problem with the landing gear, but emergency equipment standing by was not needed when the plane landed without incident.  Wallace, who plans to compete in the Daytona 500 and the Busch and Craftsman Truck series races next week, said an inspection revealed a $3 plastic penlight had rolled up under the dashboard and jammed under the gear release.   "The nice part about it is nothing happened," Wallace said.  (USA Today)

NASCAR sets deadline for Sprint-NEXTEL:  Nextel officials confirmed Thursday they must have a firm plan in place by mid-September if the new merged Sprint Nextel company decides it will seek a name change of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The $35 billion transaction announced in December will create a company with more than 35 million wireless subscribers. Sprint would get access to Nextel's 15.3 million subscribers, a number that increased this year as NASCAR fans switched to Nextel as their cell phone provider. "There are some constraints on what we can do working together before the deal is closed, but we've begun working with our counterparts (at Sprint) and looking at the brand research for Sprint, brand research for Nextel, by segment," said Mark Schweitzer, senior vice president of marketing for Nextel.  "Some of it depends on the regulatory approval timing, but if, hypothetically, it were to come together by August we would be in position to make that announcement (of a change) by the end of August, or certainly to later than (September)." (That'sRacin)

NASCAR Launches Membership Card:  NASCAR's 75 million fans have been called the most passionate, loyal and devoted fans in all of sport. In appreciation, NASCAR, its legendary champions and top drivers are inviting the sport's most avid fans to become part of the official NASCAR family and achieve official insider status. Now NASCAR fans across the globe will be able to be recognized for their loyalty and enjoy exclusive privileges available only to members of the Official NASCAR Members Club(SM), which was launched today at fabled Daytona International Speedway (DIS).  The Club's National Membership Chairman, Richard Petty, as well as the largest group of legendary NASCAR Cup Series champions ever assembled, were on hand as Stoneacre Partners, LLC, and NASCAR unveiled the Official NASCAR Members Club and invited race fans everywhere to join as charter members in 2005. The Official NASCAR Members Club will be a member organization designed to strengthen the every day connection between NASCAR fans and the sport they love. The NASCAR Members Club is the only member club licensed by NASCAR that is open to all race fans age 13 and above.

The Official NASCAR Members Club is adding exclusive "Members Only" access opportunities, benefits and rewards every day. Some of the first exciting rewards include:

     * Opportunities to receive unique behind-the-scenes access and
       experiences, such as NASCAR VIP treatment at NASCAR races
     * Special events and race week parties at and away from the track
     * Membership magazine that will include lifestyle stories from top
       drivers, teams, NASCAR legends and other Club members
     * On-going communications, including NASCAR inside information, e-mails,
       updated Club information in the members only newsletter and access to a
       members only website
     * Unique "Members Only" merchandise and "First Look" access to authentic
       NASCAR items, collectibles and apparel lines
     * Special deals, offers and NASCAR partner discounts
     * Inclusion in local chapter organizations that will be formed in local
       communities with activities including race-viewing parties and other
       special Club Member events
 

More On Card (More NASCAR Corporate News)
 

Johnson to run #48 in Busch: Lowe's and Hendrick Motorsports announced that Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, will run select races in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005. Johnson will bring his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the series with additional sponsorship from Kobalt, a line of tools and accessories available exclusively at Lowe's. "Kobalt Tools has been associated with the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series since 2002," said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's senior vice president. "We consider Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 the cornerstone of our racing program. With Lowe's expanding its line of Kobalt® tools, it seems a natural progression to expand that relationship at the track as well." (Team PR) (More #48 Johnson News)

Toyota Denies Cup Rumors: Toyota officials dismissed recent reports the manufacturer was considering a move into the NASCAR Busch Series as soon as next season. Toyota debuted in the Craftsman Truck Series last season with its Tundra entry. The manufacturer finished its first year of NASCAR competition with four wins and three drivers in the top 15 of series points – Travis Kvapil (eighth), Mike Skinner (11th) and David Reutimann (14th)."Busch and (Nextel) Cup are obviously possibilities to any engine manufacturer involved in the Truck Series," said Les Unger, national motorsports manager for Toyota Motor Sales, USA. (ThatsRacin)

Kurt Busch and Crown Royal Drink Responsible Campaign: Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch will begin his quest for back-to-back championships this weekend during the preseason Bud Shootout in the colors of new sponsor Crown Royal.  In the process, he will become the first NASCAR driver to race in the paint scheme of a spirits brand since NASCAR announced last November that  spirits companies would be allowed to participate as team sponsors. In this inaugural season, Crown Royal Championship Racing will utilize its new association with NASCAR to promote responsible drinking with millions of NASCAR's adult fans.  They will allocate a multi-million dollar marketing budget to support the sponsorship of Kurt Busch and his No. 97 team, which will include dedicated social responsibility messaging under the tagline "Be aChampion. Drink Responsibly." (PRNewsWire) (Roush Racing News)

Zizzo Joins Texas Motor Speedway: Mike Zizzo has been named Director of Public Relations for Texas Motor Speedway.  Zizzo is leaving the position of senior manager of communications for NASCAR.  "Mike Zizzo is considered by many to be the best public relations man in American auto racing today," said Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway. "He has not only managed NASCAR's public relations program, but prior to that he was vice president of competition public relations for CART. He is highly respected in stock car racing and Indy Car racing, which will serve us well since we host both NASCAR and Indy Racing League IndyCar Series events.  Prior to Zizzo’s NASCAR and CART experience, he worked for 12 years as a sportswriter for The Orlando Sentinel, covering a variety of major beats, including motorsports, the NFL and NHL. (Mercury News)

France Says No to NFL and leaves no timetable for retirement:  Despite speculation to the contrary in racing circles, Brian France says he has no plans to leave his job as NASCAR's chairman and CEO in the foreseeable future.  The racing rumor mill has France possibly leaving his job to try to bring an NFL franchise to Los Angeles."I can't tell you that we didn't inquire (about) the ownership (NFL) structure," France says. "We're solicited from time to time. But believe me when I tell you, there's nothing coming. You're not going to wake up in a month, or a year, or whatever and see that I'm owning, or my family's owning, any NFL team. I would be stunned if that were the case."   (USA Today)( France Family News)

NASCAR Chevy Safety Ad Campaign Kicks Off: A coalition of government, business, advocacy and sport today announced new television spots promoting the use of safety belts and the proper use of child safety seats.   The Chevrolet Division of General Motors is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign to air advertisements and public service announcements featuring NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Burton.  "The first message from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is to get people to buckle up, every time, on every trip," said Chevrolet General Marketing Manager Brent Dewar. "The second, from Jeff Burton, is for parents, caregivers and grandparents to make sure child safety seats are secured properly."  (Yahoo!)

Feb. 9, 2005

Action Performance News: Action Performance Cos., a maker of miniature replicas of NASCAR and other racing vehicles, said Wednesday that its board has decided not to declare a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share while the company implements its restructuring plan.  Action Performance shares jumped $1.46, or 13.1 percent, to $12.59 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.   The company said it will evaluate paying a dividend on a quarter-by-quarter basis. On Tuesday, Action Performance reported wider fourth-quarter losses and said it will restructure distribution channels for its domestic wholesale die-cast business.  (Forbes)

SKJ Joins RCR NASCAR: SKF, the Swedish manufacturer of automotive components, has signed a deal to enter NASCAR with a technical partnership with Richard Childress Racing. The SKF logos will be seen on all three of RCR's cars this year in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.  SKF is a longtime technical partner of the Ferrari F1 team having come into the sport with Ferrari in 1947. The relationship is now the longest technical supplier relationship in the sport. (GrandPrix)

Office Depot Teams Up With NASCAR: Office Depot is offering its customers the chance to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot. This new promotion, showcased in Office Depot's first NASCAR television advertising campaign, uses NASCAR to reach small businesses — the core customer base for Office Depot, according to a Business Wire report.  The promotion and accompanying ad campaign are central components in Office Depot's multi-faceted Taking Care of Business marketing and brand positioning program. Last month, Office Depot introduced NASCAR as its new sports sponsorship platform, entering into a multi-year agreement with NASCAR to become the sport's first-ever Official Office Products Partner. In addition, beginning with the Daytona 500 (February 20, FOX, 1 p.m.), Office Depot is the primary sponsor of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Taurus for a minimum of nine races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and an associate sponsor for the remaining races in the season. (Retail Merchandiser)

Texas Motor Speedway Looks to City:  Officials at the Texas Motor Speedway, which is getting its second Nextel Cup race this year, want the city of Fort Worth to contribute about $500,000 to help with marketing. "The Cup race is good for one year," said Tom Krampitz, the speedway's director of government relations and general counsel. "Another race in 2006 depends on us selling out the speedway in 2005." He said local fans typically pack the stadium for the first big Nextel Cup Series race, which this year is the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on April 17. They won't necessarily return for the Nov. 6 Dickie's 500 race, he said. Krampitz presented the proposal Tuesday to a City Council committee, which endorsed and forwarded the proposal to the full council for consideration. The 20-year promotional proposal would team up the speedway and the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote both races - and Fort Worth - with financial help from the city. Krampitz said the speedway has committed to spending $2.8 million on marketing efforts this year. Speedway officials want the city to contribute additional funds by kicking back most of the sales and hotel taxes generated by the second race each year. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

XM Satellite Radio Invades Daytona Speedweeks: XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading provider of satellite radio with more than 3.2 million subscribers, is kicking off the 2005 NASCAR season this week with live, comprehensive coverage on NASCAR Radio (XM Channel 144) and a host of special events for NASCAR fans at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. XM, the exclusive satellite radio service of NASCAR, will air more than 100 hours of live and first-run broadcasts during the season-opening NASCAR Speedweeks in Daytona Beach, starting February 12 with the Budweiser Shootout and culminating on February 20 with the 47th annual Daytona 500. NASCAR Radio's Claire B. Lang will host her three-hour daily "Dialed In" program (4-7 p.m. ET) live from Daytona during Speedweeks, giving listeners an all-access pass to inside interviews with NASCAR drivers and personalities.  (Catchfence)

Younger Kinser Looks To NASCAR, Kahne Owner: The top rookie last season in the World of Outlaws dirt-track sprint car circuit, the 20-year-old son of series champion Steve Kinser made his U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown debut last week in a car owned by Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne. Kinser, from Bloomington, Ind., still plans to compete in Outlaws events with his father, but NASCAR clearly is on his mind.  "Let's see where this goes first," he said. The younger Kinser lasted only a few laps before his engine gave out last week in the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway in his first Silver Crown race. Gordon, Stewart and Newman, who also began their USAC careers in Indiana, used Silver Crown championships as an entry to NASCAR, the world's premier stock car series. (FoxSports)

Feb. 8, 2005::

Vickers to Race Busch Races: Hendrick Motorsports has announced that Brian Vickers will return to the NASCAR Busch Series for four races in 2005 with support from primary sponsor Ore-Ida. As part of the agreement, Vickers will drive his four Busch Series races in Ore-Ida-wrapped No. 57 Chevrolets.  "We're fortunate to have Ore-Ida's increased involvement at Hendrick Motorsports," Hendrick said. "The four Busch Series races this season will provide Brian with some valuable time on the race track that will translate into success during Sunday's races."  In addition to its support of Vickers' Busch Series appearances, Ore-Ida will become a major associate partner of the No. 25 NEXTEL Cup Series team with Vickers as driver. (ThatsRacin)

NASCAR and Wal-Mart: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced "NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart," a major event at more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores to draw attention to the start of the 2005 NASCAR season. The promotion will roll into 43 NASCAR race markets throughout the 10-month 2005 NASCAR season.  To kick off the NASCAR season, more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores within 50 miles of 36 race markets in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and seven markets in the NASCAR Busch Series will participate in the NASCAR promotion. Wal-Mart stores will feature NASCAR-themed point-of-sale displays for partners such as Duracell, Gillette, Jack Link's, Ice Breakers and Kodak in the NASCAR promotion. The NASCAR Fan Guide will feature NASCAR highlights and milestones, team rosters, the 2005 NASCAR schedules, and shopping lists of items that fans can purchase enhance their racing experience. More than one million NASCAR Fan Guides were developed exclusively for the promotion (Retail Merchandiser)

McMurray to run Mexico: Jamie McMurray will be driving a #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge entry n the Mexico City Busch race. (JamieMcMurray.com)

The New 6th Generation Corvette Paces Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, unveiled the all-new 2005 Corvette that will pace the 47th annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season opener during the national broadcast of Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning.  Earnhardt Jr., who drives the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., revealed the Corvette coupe that will pace the 43-car field in "The Great American Race" on Sunday, Feb. 20 - NASCAR's richest, biggest and most prestigious event at historic Daytona International Speedway.  "The all-new 2005 Corvette brings more power, more precision and more passion to drivers than any Corvette in history making it a natural fit to pace this historic race," said Brent Dewar, Chevrolet general manger. (DIS PR)

Checkers Joins ISC as Official Driver-Thru Burger of ISC tracks: Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHKR), the nation's largest double drive-thru chain, today announced that it has signed on as the Official Drive-Thru and Official Burger of NASCAR®. The double drive-thru chain also announced today that it is the Official Drive-Thru and Official Burger of several International Speedway Corporation (Nasdaq: ISCA)("ISC") facilities, including Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500, and other motor sports venues that host the most popular NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. ..."Checkers Drive-In Restaurants is proud to announce our partnerships with NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation," said Mr. Sirois. "We expect NASCAR and our overall motor sports relationship to elevate the brand in such a way as to promote unit growth, sales growth and interest with other critical stakeholders in our business. It is clear to us that NASCAR, along with our many track sponsorships, will provide the platform we need to grow our brand, as it deserves to be grown, in the years ahead." He continued: "Our current franchise community overwhelmingly supported and approved the funding for this exciting initiative. We value this support and look forward to expanding our community over the next several years."  (ISC PR)

Daytona Grand Marshall:  Matthew McConaughey was selected the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500. The actor will give the command "Drivers, start your engines" at the Feb. 20 race in Florida, NASCAR announced Monday.  "I'm honored and excited to be the Grand Marshal of this year's race," McConaughey said in a statement. "There is nothing more American than NASCAR and the Daytona 500.  McConaughey, who has starred in films including "Dazed and Confused" and "The Wedding Planner," will star in the upcoming thriller "Sahara."  (Fox Sports)

Daytona 500 Purse Reaches 17 Million:  The 47th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20, NASCAR's biggest and most prestigious event of the year, will carry the biggest purse in the history of stock car racing at more than $17 million.  The post awards for the "The Great American Race" on Sunday, Feb. 20 will be $17,623,980, an increase of nearly $2 million. The posted awards for the 2004 Daytona 500, which was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., was $15,972,313.  The winner of this year's Daytona 500 will collect a minimum of $1,430,030. The second, third, fourth and fifth-place finishers in the Daytona 500 will receive a minimum of $1,029,425, $736,625, $584,750 and $456,875 respectively.  Even the last-place finisher in the Daytona 500 will be rewarded with a minimum of $219,931. (DIS PR)

NASCAR iN DEMAND Announcement:  iN DEMAND Networks and NASCAR Digital Entertainment (NDE) today announced the 2005 season premiere of NASCAR IN CAR, television's first enhanced multi-channel digital sports package. The third full season begins with a free preview of the Daytona 500, which airs on FOX at 1:00 PM ET, on Sunday, February 20, 2005.   NASCAR IN CAR offers subscribers the chance to be in the passenger seat during every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. The Emmy(R) Award-winning package has received widespread recognition for its innovative and groundbreaking technology. Available only on digital cable, NASCAR IN CAR allows fans to switch from car to car with their digital cable remote and add more choice and control to their viewing experience.(Yahoo)

Feb. 7, 2005:

NASCAR Mexico Busch Race: NASCAR is now calling the March 6 Busch Series race at Mexico City the Telcel Motorola 200 presented by Banamex. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

Hendrick VP's Named: Doug Duchardt and Ken Howes have become vice presidents at Hendrick Motorsports.  Duchardt, a longtime General Motors executive and most recently director of GM Racing, will be vice president of development. He will control race-car evolution through design, engineering and production in the chassis and engine areas.   Howes, a former Formula One mechanic and NASCAR crew chief and most recently competition director for the NASCAR team owned by Rick Hendrick, will move up to the role of vice president of competition.   The South African native will oversee the team's day-to-day competition-related activities, including teams, crew chiefs and pit crew trainers, along with at-track logistics and execution. (FoxSports)

Nextel Contributes 100K to VJGC:  Nextel announced today that its has donated $100,000 to The Victory Junction Gang Camp. The money represents a portion of the proceeds from the sales of NASCAR Nextel Cup merchandise and phone accessories sold since the end of August.  The most recent donation is just one of the many ways that Nextel has supported Victory Junction. In June, Nextel announced a $1 million contribution to the camp, and has continued to support the program in various ways throughout its inaugural year as the title sponsor of NASCAR's premier series, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. (ThatsRacin)

Gordon the ambassador: TAG Heuer, the LVMH prestigious watchmaking company, announces NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon as its new brand ambassador with an active role in new product development, advertising, public relations and visual marketing. Gordon will be portrayed by world-renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier in the TAG Heuer "What Are You Made Of?" advertising campaign. He joins the ranks of other TAG Heuer brand ambassadors, including film superstar Uma Thurman, golfing champion Tiger Woods, Wimbledon tennis champion Maria Sharapova, and Formula 1 race car driver Juan-Pablo Montoya. (WhoWon) (More Jeff Gordon News)

Busch and President Bush: At 2:05 pm, President George Bush looks forward to a photo opportunity with the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch and other members of his team at the Oval Office. (whitehouse.gov) (More Roush Racing News)

Toyota In Busch then Cup? Rumblings in the garage have Toyota testing the Busch Series waters next season before jumping to Cup in 2007, the first year all teams could be running NASCAR's new engines. Those engines will be constructed on common platforms but still will maintain manufacturer identities. Toyota's possible entry into the Busch Series also might accelerate the learning curve for Honda, which could be racing in the truck series as early as 2006. The Big Three U.S. automakers have expressed concern that if Toyota and Honda are given the specifications of this new engine now, the Nextel Cup Series soon could resemble the IndyCar series, meaning Detroit would be severely outspent and unable to compete. (FoxSports)

Speed and Airborne Entertainment: Airborne Entertainment Inc., mobile publisher, announced an exclusive wireless partnership with Speed Channel. The deal will take millions of racing fans along for the ride as it brings the network's high-octane properties to mobile for the first time ever. Fans of Speed Channel will be able to download an ever-expanding array of wallpapers, videos, ringtones, games and applications directly on their phones. Each Speed Channel-inspired product promises to put fans into overdrive with content that's as fast and furious as the network itself. Speed Channel will be joining Airborne's roster of recognizable media and consumer brands. Current partners include MAXIM Magazine, Activision Value, Cosmopolitain and CosmoGirl, Buzztime, Snapple, Family Guy, Fox Filmed Entertainment, TV Guide, The NHL and MTV Europe. An introductory suite of Speed Channel products will be available on North American carriers shortly. (Speed TV  PR)

Free Parking at Martinsville: Martinsville Speedway will open three new parking areas for this spring's Advance Auto Parts 500 weekend, adding about 20 acres of free parking within easy walking distance of the track. "We are constantly looking to expand our free parking areas and were fortunate enough to get these three areas," said Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell. "We've always prided ourselves on having plenty of free parking and we're striving to continue that." The new parking areas will serve west-bound traffic off of the U.S. 58 bypass. Fans who park in the new areas will be able to access the track via pedestrian walkway through the Tom Johnson Campground. (Martinsville PR)

Series Managers for Canada and Mexico: NASCAR has selected tour directors for its Canada and Mexico series. Richard Buck, a former team manager in Winston Cup and CART, will oversee the Canadian operation. Former driver and TV commentator Chad Little will manage the Mexico series. (FoxSports)

Need More Cheese? Watkins Glen International announced a new partnership with Yancey's Fancy, New York's artisan cheese, which will give the upstate New York cheese business an official status at the historic road course for the next three years. Not only will Yancey's Fancy be involved with the Finger Lakes Wine Festival July 15-16 but they will offer their products on-site during all of the events at Watkins Glen International this season. The products that they will be selling include Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds, Plain and Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce, their line of Euro-style cheeses, along with a variety of natural and flavored cheddars such as their Original Horseradish Cheddar, Roasted Garlic Cheddar, and Extra Sharp "Country Store" Cheese. Their world award winning NY Sharp process cheddar will also be used on cheeseburgers. Yancey's Fancy Inc. is headquartered in Corfu, NY east of Buffalo, NY. Yancey's Fancy Inc. was founded in New York State by John Yancey and Mike Wimble in 1996. (Glen PR)

Feb. 6, 2005:

Dale Jr. Wins Award: RACER magazine’s 10th annual survey of its readers’ views of the outstanding auto racing performers of the season produced a number of firsts. Chief among them was the selection of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the overall Racer of the Year for the first time. The Daytona 500 champ, who also topped the “RACER’s Dozen” list of the most powerful and influential people in racing compiled by the editors of the magazine last June, edged Michael Schumacher for the top award by three percentage points, 24-21, in balloting conducted online at SpeedTV.com throughout the month of December. (RACER Magazine)

Jarrett Wins Super Bowl Golf Tourny: As part of the FOX Super Bowl XXXIX pregame show, Jarrett, Robert Yates Racing teammate Elliott Sadler and Penske Racing's Rusty Wallace with coach PGA Tour player Fred Funk made up one of three teams of professional athletes to take part in the charity event. An MLB team was made up of Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Royce Clayton and Florida Marlins starting pitcher Al Leiter with Senior PGA player Fuzzy Zoeller as coach. And an NFL team was represented by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis and Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher with Senior PGA player Jim Thorpe as coach. (FoxSports)

Stewart Comes Up Short in Daytona... Again. Johnson Finishes Second

A Pontiac-powered Riley prototype co-driven by sports car aces Max Angelelli, Wayne Taylor and Emmanuel Collard coasted to victory Sunday in the Rolex 24 sports car endurance race.  It wasn't supposed to be so easy in a race that saw a record 44 lead changes among eight cars and was up for grabs for 22 of the 24 hours.  NASCAR's Tony Stewart, who lost the lead and the race a year ago when his suspension failed with less than 25 minutes remaining, had another heartbreak this time when the Pontiac Crawford he shared with former race winners Andy Wallace and Jan Lammers had a gearbox failure with two hours and three minutes to go. "It just popped out of second gear," said three-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Wallace. "There was no warning." It was sweet for the winners, though. A year ago, they lost the lead because of a fuel pressure problem, giving the win to a Pontiac Doran co-driven by Terry Borcheller, Christian Fittipaldi, Andy Pilgrim and Forest Barber. (USA Today)

Feb. 5, 2005:

Harvick and Penske:

The biggest question facing Penske this season is signing someone to take Rusty Wallace's place.  "Who do you replace him with? That's one of the $64 questions I've got to figure out over the next four or five months," Penske said. "Do we bring up another young driver, or do we go with a seasoned pro?  "I can tell you one thing, it's going to be a tough seat to fill. "Rusty will have some input. But we've got to be careful we don't do this by committee. I want to take the lead in that, as I have in the past. It will be a very interesting process."  The most obvious answer, of course, is Jamie McMurray, who is already in the Dodge camp and dating Wallace's daughter and driving Wallace's Busch cars. But McMurray is still under contract to Chip Ganassi, whose rivalry with Penske is well-known and who is not going to give up his own No. 1 driver easily.  Penske shies away from even talking about McMurray. "I will tell you at this point I have not even had one conversation with Jamie McMurray about driving on this race team," Penske insisted. "Yes, he would be a great driver, but he's already under contract with Chip."  One name that has just come up on Penske's tentative list, according to sources, is Kevin Harvick, who has been driving for Richard Childress since Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. Penske and Wallace are co-owners of the team, Penske the majority owner.  (Winston Salem Journal)

Feb. 4, 2005:

McMurray On the Tub:

Jamie McMurray is having a big time as NASCAR's newest Hollywood star. He just filmed an a bit in "E! True Hollywood Story" Wednesday, while testing at the California Speedway. And McMurray and teammate Casey Mears will appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Feb. 22, for airing Feb. 23. (Winston Salem Journal)