March 23, 2005

• CT approves Zoning for Dome Track: A proposal that could bring a racetrack and convention center to eastern Connecticut has passed its first test.  The Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday night approved an amendment to its zoning regulations to establish a zone incorporating the project. The change would allow land off Interstate 395 to be used for a proposed indoor NASCAR racetrack.  Local officials voted 4-1 to approve the application of New England Raceway LLC and Connecticut Yankee Greyhound Racing Inc.  A second application by the developers to designate more than 1,100 acres for inclusion into the zone is scheduled to be decided by the commission on April 12.  According to New England Raceway's Web site, the domed track would seat more than 100,000 people and could also host concerts, trade shows and expositions. (More on track at New England Raceway)

• Knaus and Gustafson penalty reduced: The National Stock Car Racing Commission on Wednesday reduced the two-week suspensions NASCAR had assessed Nextel Cup crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson to 90 days probation for each following their respective appeals. The appeals were heard Tuesday morning at NASCAR's research and development center in Concord, N.C., before a three-member panel of the commission - John Cooper, Jack Housby and George Silbermann, the commission chairman. By a majority vote in each case, the commission rescinded the suspensions, but kept in place the monetary and points penalties. Two weekends ago following the race at Las Vegas, the cars of Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, who finished first and second respectively in the race, failed post-race inspection. (ThatsRacin)

• Childress Latest to join Wine Business: As reported in Wine Lines recent issues, North Carolina boasts a burgeoning wine industry, and the latest to join the fraternity is NASCAR driver Richard Childress. Of his venture, Childress says: "We'll probably become the swine and wine capital of the world. We'll definitely make a wine that will go with barbecue." (WineLines)

• ISC Plans in NYC: NASCAR's New York speedway plans are becoming clearer. The France family's International Speedway Corp., is planning a three-quarter-mile track, similar in style to Richmond's, on Staten Island. ISC said that it would bring the expected 95,000 race-day fans to the track on a fleet of 950 buses and 100 ferries, from 16 parking lots around the city. (Winston Salem-Journal)

• Texas withdraws tax proposal: Texas Motor Speedway abandons a proposed promotional deal.  Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday withdrew a marketing proposal for the city to spend about $500,000 to promote races and other local events.   The proposal, publicly discussed at City Hall last month, would have teamed the speedway with the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau to market races -- and Fort Worth -- over the next 20 years. "We took the opportunity off the table," TMS President Eddie Gossage said. "As we continued to talk to the city, they wanted more and more and more.  "We simply couldn't provide them with what they wanted," he said. "It wasn't a good business deal."  He declined to elaborate specifically on the city's demands but estimated the value of the publicity to the city at $5 million. (StarTelegram)

• Daytona Hall of Fame Push: Backers of a NASCAR hall of fame in Daytona Beach lobbied state lawmakers for financial help Tuesday, pitching a scaled-back plan that they hope will be politically palatable. Daytona officials are trying to make their project stand out, as lawmakers sort through a series of proposals to spend tens of millions of dollars on facilities for the Florida Marlins, Orlando Magic and baseball spring-training teams. Mayor Yvonne Scarlett-Golden told a House committee that the hall of fame project would boost tourism and create jobs. At the same time, she laid out a revised plan that would reduce the state's proposed share of the project from $75 million to $30 million -- and ultimately repay the state through selling NASCAR-themed license tags.  "This is not only good for Daytona Beach, but is good for the state of Florida," Scarlett-Golden said to the House Tourism Committee, which likely will vote on the project during the next two weeks. (News-Journal)

• Lowe's New Online Fan Club: With the May races fast approaching and on the eve of peak demand, Lowe's Speedway's Web site has undergone a major overhaul. The rebuilt site, located at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com, is scheduled to launch at noon on Wednesday, March 23, and features a vibrant new look, a more user-friendly design and a new online fan club.  "With more than 150,000 visitors per month, the Web site has become a primary source for people to find out what's happening at Lowe's Motor Speedway," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, the track's president and general manager. "We've completely overhauled the Web site, making it easier for fans to purchase tickets and locate information about our events, including the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 and May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge.  "The focus of the redesign was to create a Web site where people can find the information they need with just one click of the mouse," Wheeler continued. "Not only has that been accomplished, we've also created an opportunity for fans to win big when they get in The Groove."  The Groove is Lowe's Motor Speedway's new online fan club. Members will receive exclusive ticket and merchandise offers; get weekly updates on Lowe's Motor Speedway events; and have the opportunity to register for exciting prizes and ticket packages with a winner selected each week. (LMS PR)

• Burton Bristol Testing: Nextel Cup veteran Jeff Burton will join the Busch-whacker brigade in the April 2 Sharpie Professional 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Burton was among the drivers testing at BMS Tuesday. "I’ve got a good car and I’m real happy with what I’m seeing on the track," Burton said. "We’ve been trying to figure out what kind of setup we need to win this race. I think we are in good shape."  The practice of Nextel Cup drivers with major league affiliations competing in the Busch Series has been a hot topic for years. Fair or not, the Nextel gang swept the top nine positions in last week’s Busch event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (TriCities)

• Hamilton Jr. Testing in Martinsville: Back in the winter, during the narrow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup offseason, Bobby Hamilton Jr. was asked to pick out a handful of tracks where he would like to test. Martinsville Speedway was at the top of that list.  And Tuesday there Hamilton was, logging lap after lap around the .526-mile oval in the primer gray Tide Monte Carlo preparing for the April 10th Advance Auto Parts 500.  "At the beginning of the year the team asked me where I wanted to go test and this was one of the places," Hamilton said during his team's lunch break Tuesday. "There were only two tracks on the circuit where I hadn't run a full race and this was one of them." (Martinsville PR)

March 22, 2005

• NASCAR to Study Canada; Next year race? George Pyne, NASCAR's chief operating officer, says the stock car sanctioning body will visit Toronto and Montreal in the next 30 to 90 days with the goal of finding a suitable track to race on, possibly as early as next year. "The two markets are Toronto and Montreal. Where within those markets? Obviously it will be a road course. But where, we don't have an answer," Pyne tells the Winston-Salem Journal.   There have been whispers that Montreal's Gilles Villeneuve Circuit would be the ideal candidate for a NASCAR road race. However, promoter Norman Legault recently confirmed that he has a contract to operate only two races in the city each year - Formula One and Champ Car.  The Champ Car contract in Montreal is set to expire in 2006.  Toronto's lakeshore circuit, which is used to stage the annual Molson Indy, is not a suitable alternative in its current configuration, according to Pyne.  (TSN)

• Carl Edwards staying in 99: Sponsorship no longer seems to be an issue. Smith says they've sold sponsorships to several companies that should cover the rest of the season, and they're actually "oversubscribed" for 2006. Smith says he is hoping "the days of the 99 sponsorship problems are behind me."  Edwards, meanwhile, is no longer is slated to replace Martin in the No. 6 after this season. "It's pretty obvious he's found a home in the 99," Smith says. "We're going to have to fill the 6 with someone else, and we don't know who that someone else might be."  Smith says they will look at current Roush truck series driver Ricky Craven, a former Cup veteran, for the ride. But he expects other drivers in the garage to be interested: "That's a fantastic ride that's going to be available." (USA Today)

• Man Found Dead at AMS: A Cherokee County man was found dead of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning Monday morning inside an RV at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Henry County police said today. Police Lt. Jason Bolton said the RV's generator leaked, causing the deadly fumes to accumulate and kill B. Christopher Thompson, 37, of Ball Ground. Thompson's wife, Lori Thompson, 34, was airlifted to Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta. The hospital refused to give information on her condition Monday afternoon. Bolton said the couple spent the weekend in the 1996 Dolphin 535 mobile home while attending the Golden Corral 500 at the racetrack in Hampton. Friends staying in another mobile home found the couple about 10:30 a.m. Monday. The group had decided to return home Monday rather than fight the traffic Sunday night, Bolton said. Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy will be performed Tuesday.(AJC)

• New Racing Magazine: Racing Fan magazine reaches newsstands next Monday - a bold effort by a major publisher to tap into NASCAR mania.  Sporting plenty of big photos and the same oversize format as ESPN The Magazine, Racing Fan leads with cover boy Dale Earnhardt Jr. ("10 Things You Don't Know About Jr.") and ranks "10 Crashes That Shook NASCAR's World."  First on the list, of course, is father Dale Earnhardt's fatal wreck at Daytona in 2001.  Another ranking, "The Sweetest 16," is topped by the '74 Dodge Charger, which Richard Petty called "probably the best overall car we ever had."  Time4 Media, the Time Inc. unit that publishes Field & Stream and other enthusiast titles, will put out a second issue in May before deciding on the mag's future.  The word at Time Inc. is that Racing Fan, which has no business ties to NASCAR, has already impressed company executives.  Some 20,000 copies of the inaugural issue have already been reserved by visitors to NASCAR.com. (NY Newsday)

• NASCAR Wife Patty Petty on A&E: Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge, will be one of four wives featured in A&E’s special presentation: SPORTS WIVES, premiering Wednesday, March 23, 9-11pm (ET).  The behind-the-scenes feature will profile Petty at the track and at home giving viewers a look at what it is like to be a wife of a professional athlete.  The feature will also highlight Petty’s dedication to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a charitable organization aimed at enriching the lives of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty’s in honor of their son Adam. (Williams Company)

• Overnight Ratings for Atlanta down: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Golden Corral 500 drew a 4.9 overnight rating and an 11 share from Nielsen Media Research, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 8.2 percent lower than the 5.3 overnight figure the race drew in 2004, when it was contested a week earlier on the calendar and was not broadcast opposite CBS's coverage of the NCAA's men's basketball tournament. The Sports Business Daily reported that CBS averaged a 7.1 overnight rating for its three broadcast windows of games Sunday, a 10.9 percent increase over last year. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

• NASCAR Fan points program available: Stoneacre Partners announces today the launch of NASCAR RacePoints(SM), a new rewards program designed for NASCAR(R) fans who use the products and services of official NASCAR sponsors. With its new MBNA NASCAR RacePoints(SM) VISA credit card, MBNA America Bank, N.A. has become the first issuing partner of NASCAR RacePoints. For the first time ever, the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints VISA credit card allows consumers to earn one NASCAR RacePoint for each dollar spent in net retail purchases.  "MBNA America Bank, N.A., the issuer of the officially licensed NASCAR VISA credit card, has become an important partner in NASCAR RacePoints," said Patrick Brady, Chairman and CEO of Stoneacre Partners, LLC. "MBNA provides the program with an anchor brand and product that enables race fans to earn NASCAR RacePoints through any purchase made with the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints VISA credit card." "NASCAR RacePoints allows our customers to earn points simply by using their MBNA NASCAR RacePoints VISA credit card for everyday purchases. Points can be redeemed for NASCAR gear, collectibles, and once-in-a-lifetime NASCAR experiences," said Frank McKelvey, Senior Executive Vice President of MBNA America Bank, N.A.  (NASCAR PR)

• Lowe's NASCAR Testing:  Lowe's Motor Speedway has scheduled 35 hours of open testing for NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series teams in preparation for the track's slate of May races, including the May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. The testing schedule: April 26, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 3-4, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. May 9-10, NASCAR Busch Series, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Many of the bumps in the track's racing surface were removed recently during an asphalt grinding process and the testing sessions mark the first, and only, opportunity for teams to experiment with the new surface prior to the May events. (LMS PR)

March 21, 2005

• Dynos in Atlanta: NASCAR tested the cars of Johnson, Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin, Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Kahne, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray on the chassis dynamometer, which measures rear wheel horsepower. Ken Schrader's team also volunteered for the test. (ThatsRacin)

• Vegas Racing on Fremont Street: While the NASCAR Nextel/Busch Series race brought the usual scores of thousands spending scores of millions of dollars, the Fremont Street Experience (FSE) launched the first of this year's five new shows on its massive Viva Vision canopy.  The premier of the first new production of the year, "Speed, Smoke and Spinning Wheels" was scheduled to coincide with the racing event and appeal to the NASCAR demographic. Viva Vision's four other new titles will be similarly designed and released to augment and exploit major planned events, such as the city's Centennial Party.  Taking three months to develop and produce, and lasting about eight minutes, the premiere show was part of the overall "Race Jam" event, FSE's third show drawing on the NASCAR crowd featuring free concerts with name musical acts, appearances by NASCAR drivers, a NASCAR driving simulator and other sponsored highlights. According to preliminary estimates, the actual race itself drew more than 150,000 spectators. The "Speed, Smoke and Spinning Wheels" can be seen twice nightly and will run until the end of April. (BusinessPress)

• Racing Radios Continues NASCAR Partnership: NASCAR has announced a renewal of its longstanding association with Atlanta-based Diversified Electronics/Racing Radios to provide two-way radio communications for all NASCAR officials and competitors in NASCAR's three national series -- the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  The renewal runs through the 2013 season -- coinciding with the terminus of the current NASCAR-Nextel Communications deal to sponsor NASCAR's top series -- and continues a 30-year relationship that has been essential to NASCAR's evolvement into the nation's most popular spectator sport. Racing Radios is recognized as the pioneer of communications in the racing industry, based on its understanding -- and unfailing facilitation -- of clear and consistent communications at race tracks throughout the United States, in a variety of racing disciplines. "The name "Racing Radios' has become a fixture at our national series events," said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. "Their people and of course, their products, have become part of our sport's fabric over the years, recognized and respected by everyone in the industry for their contributions to our sport's safety. (NASCAR PR)

• France AND NFL Rumors: Brian France's on-and-off plans to get into the National Football League as part-owner of a proposed new Los Angeles franchise may be back on again, according to sources who say France is working with Magic Johnson on various NFL-NBA angles. Johnson is on the NASCAR business roster to help this sport's diversity program.  The latest thinking on France-to-the-NFL is that he will complete NASCAR's current round of TV renegotiations before making any big moves.  France has insisted he's not planning on leaving NASCAR anytime soon, though he has left the door open. (Winston-Salem)

• NASCAR and Pit Road Data: One day after ThatsRacin.com reported NASCAR was receiving criticism because it failed to provide "real time" speeds of pit road violations to teams or the media, officials appeared to alter their policy in Sunday's Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  After speeding violations dropped off significantly a week ago at Las Vegas, more than half a dozen drivers were nabbed for speeding Sunday, including two penalties each for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Dale Jarrett.  Also, several team officials said Sunday that Nextel Cup Series director John Darby or another official relayed speeds of violating drivers to their respective crew chiefs after the penalties were called. (ThatsRacin)

• GM and Ferrari? General Motors, or one of its NASCAR teams, may be working to create an engineering link with a high-performance engine-development company in Modena, Italy, that is run by Piero Ferrari, son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari of Formula One fame.  That's the word from a Formula One website, which points to Chevrolet as the most likely connection because of GM's long relationship with Fiat, the parent company of Ferrari.\ The entire GM-Fiat-Ferrari relationship is undergoing changes, with GM paying Fiat $2 billion to get out of a contract that could have forced GM to buy Fiat. Fiat underwrites Ferrari's Formula One operations, but Fiat is the weakest of the world's big car makers, having lost $12 billion over the past five years. It's Formula One budget is $500 million a year. (Winston-Salem)

• Kansas NASCAR Day: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday signed a proclamation declaring Friday, May 20 as "NASCAR Day" throughout the state.  NASCAR Day is an opportunity for the nationwide NASCAR community to unite and celebrate its enthusiasm for NASCAR while raising money for three NASCAR charities. Fans can show their NASCAR spirit that day by making a $5 donation in exchange for the opportunity to wear their favorite NASCAR apparel to work on May 20. Participants will also receive a commemorative pin to wear on that day.   "NASCAR day is a wonderful way to bring state employees together in the NASCAR spirit, all while giving back to three exceptional charities," Sebelius said. "We are excited to set an example for other states to follow and hope individuals, businesses and organizations will join us all across the state of Kansas to make NASCAR Day a success."  (Kansas PR)

• Edwards Fast Facts: Carl Edwards is the first driver in NASCAR history to win his first Cup and Busch races in the same weekend. ... Edwards was the seventh different winner in the last seven Cup races at Atlanta.

• First Timer: Mike Garvey called it a short day in first every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race.  Garvey completed only 15 laps, after transmission trouble forced him off.

March 20, 2005

• Carl Edwards Wins First NEXTEL Cup Race, Edging Johnson: Rookie Carl Edwards leads only 9 laps to win Golden Coral 500 over Jimmie Johnson. The rest of the top 10 Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Michael Waltrip, Dave Blaney, Scott Riggs and Michael Waltrip.   Johnson now leads the NASCAR NEXTEL series 82 points, despite a 25 point infraction in Las Vegas.  (Results - Points)

• Bruton to Buy Darlington? Bill France Jr. used to say that if you settled suits out of court, then everybody would start suing for something. While no legal action is yet involved, Bruton Smith, whose Speedway Motorsports owns Atlanta Motor Speedway, is making noise over getting another Cup date for one of his tracks.  Speculation has it that Smith is looking at buying Daytona Beach-based International Speedway Corporation's Darlington Speedway -- now pared to one Cup date -- closing it down and plugging its Cup date into one of his tracks, elsewhere. (News-Journal)

• Roush "Too Many Restrictions on Too Many Things": Team owner Jack Roush's plea to NASCAR officials is the same as that of many basketball coaches to referees in the NCAA Tournament: Let 'em play. Don't bog down the game by calling a foul for every little thing.  "That's exactly right," Roush said of the analogy, going into today's Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "The fact is, we've got too many rules, too many templates, too many restrictions on too many things." Roush truly has room to talk: He could be considered the biggest victim of last Sunday's cheating controversy at Las Vegas.  One of his drivers, reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, finished third, behind Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, both of whom were docked 25 championship points and their crew chiefs suspended because of to technical violations found on their cars during post-race inspection. (Sun-Sentinel)

• New Garage Schedule for Teams: The Nextel Cup Series garage will open at 9 a.m. today. It's about three hours later than a typical Sunday afternoon race, and business will be far from typical when the Atlanta Motor Speedway gates swing open.  NASCAR impounded the 43 cars in the field Friday, and crews will be limited this morning to only minor adjustments - such as raising the hood, plugging in an oil heater and changing tire pressures - before the Golden Corral 500. The Cup garage usually is a flurry of activity Sunday as crew members scurry to change engines, change setups and switch parts. (Times-Dispatch)

• NASCAR Eases up on Pit Road: Beginning with the Golden Corral 500 today, eight infractions that used to bring a stop-and-go penalty will now be addressed with a pass through the pits.  They include a crew member jumping over the wall too soon, too many crewmen in the pit service area, using more than two air wrenches during a stop, and tossing the fuel or catch cans.  violations now covered by a pass-through penalty are: crew members returning from the equipment side of the wall, illegal use of extension poles, failing to carry the front air wrench to the pit wall side, and noncompliant refueling. A stop-and-go requires a car to return to its pit box for 15 seconds, while the lesser penalty is merely going back through pit road at the required speed limit. (Record Online)

• Helton Looks to Come Down Hard on Cheaters: There once were only three cardinal sins best not committed in NASCAR or major penalties were sure to follow: tampering with fuel, tires or engines. But in the wake of NASCAR last week suspending crew chiefs Ted Berrier, Chad Knaus and Ormond Beach's Alan Gustafson for relatively minor infractions, apparently the times, they are a-changing.  In this morning's Golden Corral 500 drivers' meeting at Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR president Mike Helton is going to announce just how much they're changing.  According to NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter, Helton will tell competitors that a bumper-to-bumper, play-by-the-rules policy is in effect for Nextel Cup competitors and that a series of increasingly severe penalties await those who stubbornly cling to old ways. "Mike is going to be pretty forceful in the drivers meeting," Hunter said Thursday. (News-Journal)

• McSwain Back at Track: Michael McSwain, returning to action this week as Ricky Rudd’s crew chief, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he’s fed up with all the quibbling that he’s been hearing about recent NASCAR penalties.  “That’s baloney, man,” said McSwain. “That’s what’s wrong with America now.   “Every time somebody screws up, we tell them it’s all right. You don’t pay your bills? You can file bankruptcy. You kill somebody? Spend 10 years in jail, and we’ll let you out. That’s what’s wrong with society now, man. If you do the crime, do the time. If you had the guts to do it, have the guts to take your punishment.” (Shelby Star)

March 19, 2005

• NASCAR Gold Corral 500 Lineup (NASCAR Online) Ryan Newman won his 5th consecutive pole for the Golden Corral 500.  Bobby Hamilton, Jr. followed in 2nd and Jimmie Johnson in 3rd.  Rough runs by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Michael Waltrip qualified 35th and 37th, Kyle Busch wrecked on his run and will be starting 42nd

• Celebrity WINFUEL Hood Auction: WINFUEL's NASCAR Hood with 100+ A-List Celebrity Signatures of Film, Television, Music and Professional Sports On Auction. In an effort to help raise money for Tsunami victims, NASCAR(R) sponsor WINFUEL(TM) and associate sponsor TRIMSPA(R) conceived a unique way to offer a helpful hand to the hopeful hearts of the people in Southeast Asia. The companies took their NASCAR hood backstage and on the red carpet of 5 of Hollywood's premiere award shows to gather the autographs of celebrities from movies, television, music, and professional sports.  Serving as a beacon of hope and a symbol of relief, the hood now bears over 100 celebrity signatures from winners and nominees of Oscars(R), Golden Globes(R), Critics' Choice, Emmy's(R), Grammy's(R), and Soul Train Awards(tm).  The hood is currently being auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds donated to Operation USA, a non-profit organization, for Tsunami Relief. "The goal," said Alex Goen, CEO and founder of WINFUEL, Inc., "is to raise an incredible amount of money for the cause while giving the buyer a remarkable, one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia."   "Every day life reminds us what it truly means to be thankful; for our health, family, friends, our ability to love, to show compassion, and to be helpful. There is no better time than today to help out the community. WINFUEL is honored to be able to donate such a unique piece of memorabilia to such a phenomenal cause," shares Alex Goen, CEO and Founder of WINFUEL, Inc. The auction is slated to culminate at 12 midnight on March 27. To learn more about how to bid on the little Hood that could spell relief for Tsunami victims, go online to eBay at www.ebay.com and search keywords "celebrity hood," "NASCAR hood," "Operation USA," or "Tsunami Relief." (WINFUEL PR)

• NYC Worried About NASCAR Traffic: It is the question that has been on the minds of politicians and residents of Staten Island ever since NASCAR promoters laid eyes last year on a potential site for a race track in New York City.  In a borough notorious for traffic congestion, how will more than 95,000 fans and workers cram into a site with parking for only 8,400 cars?  International Speedway Corp., the company backing the $440 million project, provided its most detailed answer this week when it released a preliminary traffic study with elaborate park-and-ride plans, and it provided some insight into the potential merging of the New York and NASCAR cultures.  For instance, the plans also envision space for about 635 recreational vehicles, a style of life that New Yorkers have yet to catch on to, despite the obvious appeal of such low-cost housing in a real estate-mad city.  The site, an old oil tank farm, was described by International Speedway as New York City's largest block of undeveloped land. It will include a 620,000-square-foot shopping center to be developed by Related Retail Corp., a New York City real estate firm. (NY Times)

• RCR Suit against ESPN: The stylized No. 3 symbolizing the legacy of Dale Earnhardt has been reproduced on jackets, on stickers with an angel's halo, on the walls of local restaurants, and on countless other products and memorials to the late racing legend.  RCR Enterprises Inc., which owns the trademark rights to the stylized No. 3, says that one of those memorials went too far. RCR, of Welcome, is owned by Richard Childress.  RCR filed a federal lawsuit this week against ESPN Inc., the all-sports cable-television network that recently produced a film about Earnhardt's life. The film and its related products use a stylized No. 3 similar to the trademark owned by RCR, according to the lawsuit. RCR is owned by Richard Childress. RCR registered its symbol on July 23, 1996, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The lawsuit says that RCR officials objected to ESPN's use of a No. 3, but that ESPN did not stop using it. This isn't the first time that ESPN has angered those close to Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company in Mooresville run by his widow, Teresa, did not endorse ESPN's film, claiming that it was inaccurate. (Winston-Salem)

• Motorcycle sensation Stewart, eyes NASCAR: This was going to be the year James "Bubba" Stewart challenged Ricky Carmichael's dominance of the Supercross 250 circuit. That will have to wait until next year because Stewart, the motorcycle racing phenom from East Polk, broke his left wrist just before the second race of the season.  But if this isn't the year, at least this may be the weekend. The THQ AMA Supercross Series comes to Orlando's Citrus Bowl tonight at 9:55, and it will be Stewart's first race since January.  "It's an injury that's supposed to take three months for the bone to heal. I did it in five weeks," said Stewart. "With a lot of therapy and a little bit of youth, too."  "We absolutely are speaking with top NASCAR teams, just exploring that potential," Evans said. "Are we talking about it? Yes."  To Stewart, that is an option down the road.  "I've gotten offers already to do that from a lot of sponsors, like Home Depot, Tony Stewart's team and stuff like that. A few teams," he said. "Right now I'm focusing on racing. All the NASCAR guys pretty much start from go-karts, I think. I've never heard of a NASCAR guy riding a motorcycle.  "Right now I make a good living (between $3 million and $5 million a year) doing this. I just want to do it and have fun at it, and I'm going to take it seriously and stuff. I think if I went to NASCAR right now, I'd be the guy in the best shape. I wouldn't need a water bottle. This is a physical thing; you can be a little bit overweight and still be good at NASCAR. You can be 30 years old and still be young in NASCAR." (More on Article In the Ledger) Quick Note: Stewart became the first African American to win a professional motorsports event.

• Rusty yellow in Texas: Rusty Wallace will be back with the Kodak colors at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Last year, Wallace had the Kodak sponsorship on his #2 Dodge at Watkins Glen, marking the first time he raced for another sponsor since being with the Miller Brewing Company.(RacingOne)

March 18, 2005

• Daytona's NASCAR Hall of Fame Wheels coming off: Political trouble has the city's drive to bring the NASCAR hall of fame to Daytona Beach sputtering like a car with engine trouble.  City Manager Jim Chisholm told city commissioners in an e-mail Thursday he would suspend the city's campaign. And though he later backed off making that announcement, the city's caution flags have state lawmakers rethinking their commitment to the project.  The trouble started Wednesday when commissioners voted 6-1 to support building the hall of fame but wouldn't discuss putting up $20,000 to help pay an estimated $200,000 cost to develop a proposal.  The commission's actions sent shock waves to the city's partners as far as Tallahassee.  Local lawmakers were seeking $75 million in state funding to build the hall of fame. They fear Wednesday's commission action will make it even harder to sell the project to the Legislature.(NewsJournal)

• Fox Sports Loses David Hill, More NASCAR on DirecTV? Rupert Murdoch on Thursday tapped his longtime go-to guy, David Hill, to become president of the newly created DirecTV Entertainment group, with a goal of jazzing up the satellite television giant's offerings.  One of sports' most influential executives, Hill will remain chairman of the Fox Sports Television Group but will give up day-to-day management duties. News Corp. owns Fox and is DirecTV's largest shareholder. The 58-year-old Hill will join El Segundo-based DirecTV Group Inc. on April 11 and report to DirecTV Chief Executive Chase Carey. At Fox Sports, Hill earned a reputation for innovation. He instituted such flourishes as fixed scoreboards at the bottom of the screen, the yellow first-down line in professional football and "Catcher Cam" for Major League Baseball games. He also is credited with developing NASCAR's popularity as a television sport. Now, Hill said he planned to augment DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package, which has about 2 million subscribers. He also is contemplating more shows about the action surrounding a NASCAR race, "the behind the scenes stuff that you never see." His continued presence with Fox Sports will allow him to integrate more of Fox's offerings into DirecTV, the company said. (LA Times)

• Daytona Hall of Fame Money being Raised: Despite the city of Daytona Beach's reluctance to kick in any money, West Volusia's tourism promoters, saying what helps attract visitors to one part of the county benefits everyone, agreed Thursday to contribute to the effort to bring NASCAR's hall of fame to Daytona Beach.  The West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority's board ponied up $2,000 toward the bid package. Board member Dave Wilson said he felt "anything in Volusia County benefits all of us."   "NASCAR is huge. What we have going for us in Volusia County is (racing) history," Wilson said.  Board chairman Sharon Hughes, general manager of a Hampton Inn in DeBary, said she tries very hard to keep her guests in Volusia County.  "I know Daytona USA is popular with my guests," Hughes said of the attraction. (NewJournal)

• US Military Sponsorship: Larry Fowler announced today that USMilitary.com will be the primary sponsor for their No. 92 car driven by Stanton Barrett for the Golden Coral 500 in Atlanta this weekend. In addition, USMilitary.com will be the primary sponsor at a second race to be determined.  “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the USMilitary.com,” said team owner Bob Jenkins. “As a one car team just starting out there is a tremendous amount work and investment required to run each week. This partnership helps us to keep moving forward as a full time competitor in the NEXTEL Cup. I have the utmost confidence in our driver Stanton Barrett and crew chief Fred Wanke to give USMilitary.com a strong car this weekend.”  “USmilitary.com is a web site used to provide our nation's youth the ability to research and compare which military service would be best suited for them,” commented Larry Fowler Director of USMilitary.com. “We are thrilled to partner with Front Row Motorsports, we feel that NASCAR is a great fit and will provide us an enormous amount of exposure over the course of the weekend. We look forward to this being the start of a long term relationship.” You can get more information about USMilitary.com at www.usmilitary.com. (Fowler PR)

March 17, 2005

• Berrier to Serve First Week: Kevin Harvick's crew chief will begin serving his four-race suspension this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the team said Thursday.  Todd Berrier was suspended this week for illegally rigging Harvick's fuel tank to appear full when it actually wasn't during qualifying at Las Vegas.  Berrier was suspended for four races, fined $25,000 and Harvick was docked 25 points.  Richard Childress Racing is appealing the points deduction, and trying to have the suspension shortened. But the team owner doubted Berrier would be able to have the entire suspension lifted, so Berrier will begin it this weekend because Harvick has a proven track record at Atlanta.   He won his first career race there in 2001, his second event after replacing the late Dale Earnhardt.   Scott Miller, chief engineer at RCR, will replace Berrier this weekend. (ABC NEWS)

• Ward No Car?  Ward Burton said yesterday he plans to attend qualifying day at Martinsville Speedway on April 8, his first visit to a Nextel Cup event this year.  "I want to say hey to everybody," said the South Boston native, who has been out of Cup since last November. "I have no desire to stay the whole weekend."  Burton, who reportedly has received offers to race in NASCAR's top three touring series, has kept busy with managing his Halifax County wildlife foundation and doing charity work. The noted outdoorsman also has filmed two segments for the Outdoor Channel; the next appears at 3 p.m. on March 29. (Times-Dispatch)

• Penalties at Vegas equal fines and suspensions: NASCAR on Tuesday suspended the crew chiefs for Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick in a swift crackdown on cheating committed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.   “Guys have just got to stop playing games with the rules,” NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter told The Associated Press. “We’ve got to do whatever we have to do to protect the integrity of this sport.”  “NASCAR doesn’t feel it is fair to the teams who do meet all of the post-race requirements to continue to have people who are pushing it to the limit and then through miscalculations or whatever on their part, fail inspection,” Hunter said. “These rules are black and white and we bend over backward if a car has been in a wreck, been hit, to give them the benefit of the doubt.  “This is just unacceptable. So maybe the crew chiefs being at home will help remedy this issue.”  None of the suspended crew chiefs will be permitted to communicate with their race teams via cell phone or radio during the time they are suspended, Hunter said.

• Todd Berrier was suspended for four weeks and fined $25,000 for rigging Harvick’s fuel tank to appear full when it actually wasn’t during qualifying.

• Chad Knaus was suspended for two weeks and fined $35,000 when Johnson’s race-winning car failed to meet the minimum height requirement in Sunday’s post-race inspection.

• Alan Gustafson was suspended two weeks and fined $25,000 because Busch’s runner-up car was too high in the post-race inspection.

In addition to the suspensions, the drivers were also docked 25 points. Rick Hendrick, the car owner for Johnson and Busch, was docked 50 points — 25 for each infraction. Richard Childress, the car owner for Harvick, was docked 25 points.

• Todd Berrier Response: “If I had to do it again, I’d still play it to try to get away with it, because I know how I got caught,” Berrier told NASCAR.com.

• Hendrick Response: “I’m not disputing NASCAR’s right to levy sanctions,” Hendrick said in a statement. “As a team owner, I understand why these standards are in place and have always taken pride in the fact that our organization has kept a very clean record. “In this particular instance, though, we disagree with the severity of NASCAR’s stance and plan to appeal their decision. I want to make it clear that we in no way intentionally ignored guidelines and I’m certain everyone understands that.”

• Sterling Marlin Looking for Extension: Unlike other NASCAR vets such as Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace, Sterling Marlin does not plan to retire in the near future. The 47-year-old wishes to race for the Cup for a few more seasons, and would like to stay put with Chip Ganassi.“I’d like to run a couple more years,” said Marlin. “Chip said something about us talking about the future.”  Marlin also went o­n to say he would like to get things signed in the immediate future.   “I’d like to get something worked out by May or June,” Marlin said. Although he is winless in his last 98 Cup starts Marlin has confidence in himself and his team. “There’s no doubt in my mind that I can still get the job done,” he said (Paddock Talk)

• Leach Having Fun with NASCAR in Vegas: Robin Leach knows a lot about wealthy celebrities from his time as narrator of TV's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.   But he had his problems on the weekend with NASCAR.   Leach, announcing the starting lineup for the NASCAR race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, mispronounced the sponsor for driver Morgan Shepherd's Racing With Jesus team. Leach used the Spanish version: (HAY-soos).  (Canada.com)

• TV Ratings in, Vegas Race up: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's UAW/DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway drew a 5.8 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research and a 12 share and was the highest-rated sports show of the weekend, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 5.5 percent higher than the 5.5 overnight rating Fox drew for the race in 2004, but it was well below the 7.1 overnight rating Fox drew for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway and the 6.3 overnight rating the Las Vegas race drew for Fox in 2003. CBS's broadcast of the selection show for the NCAA men's basketball tournament finished second this weekend with a 5.7 overnight rating. (Scene Plus)

• Owners Looking for partial money from contracts:   NASCAR's new multimillion-dollar contract with satellite radio provider Sirius has Nextel Cup car owners asking one big question - Where's the money going?  Teams get 25 percent of the TV revenue, track owners get 65 percent and NASCAR gets 10 percent. There has been a push by some car owners the past three years for NASCAR to provide a more equitable distribution of that $400 million a year, but NASCAR has ignored such entreaties.  Now Sirius (partly owned by DaimlerChrysler) has signed a deal to pay NASCAR $27 million a year, according to sources, beginning in 2007.  That money will likely go straight into NASCAR's coffers. Some car owners aren't amused and would like NASCAR to put some of that radio money in the purse."These guys are killing us," one car owner said. (Winston Salem Journal)

• NBC and TNT continues TV Deal: NBC and Turner Sports will continue to pursue NASCAR television rights in a joint venture, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Media writer Andy Bernstein says NBC will not bring its new cable partner, USA Network, into its effort but will continue its NASCAR rights discussions with Turner, which broadcasts races on its TNT cable station. The NBC/TNT deal, which is said to be worth about $200 million a year, expires after the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Fox's deal for the first half of the season, which is said to be worth $220 million a year, could be extended to 2008 if NASCAR exercises a two-year option.  (Scene Plus)

March 14, 2005

• Earnhardt Party's Hard in Vegas: The bright lights of Las Vegas might be too much for NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. After finishing 35th here last year, Earnhardt crashed after 11 laps by rear-ending Brian Vickers during Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. That gave him a 42nd-place finish. Count on more speculation that Earnhardt might have burned himself out after spending more than a week in Sin City before the race for the second year in a row. There were sightings all week of Earnhardt out on the town while staying most of the week in the "Real World" suites at the Palms.  Sunday's result was his worst NASCAR finish since 2002, when he ended up 42nd at Atlanta. "Junior" and his NASCAR running mates, including Martin Truex Jr., winner of the first NASCAR race in Mexico a week ago, were spotted partying at the "X" topless revue, the Palms ghostbar, Mix at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, and Body English at the Hard Rock.  (Review Journal)

• Car of Tomorrow News: Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, says the "car of tomorrow" — the next form of stock car — could make its debut as early as 2007. However, the adjustments to the cars will be made gradually so "we're not tearing up everybody's fleet of chassis and bodies" at excessive cost to the owners, Pemberton says. He added that NASCAR is brainstorming with manufacturers and teams along the way. One major move in the next few years will be the use of unleaded fuel, a topic that had been dormant since 1998. (FOXSports)

• Smith wants Second Date in Vegas, Willing to Buy Date/Track: Bruton Smith says that Las Vegas Motor Speedway clearly deserves a second Cup tour date. "We'll be begging and pleading on this one," Smith said. "I think the sport deserves to be here that second time.  "Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world. Whatever the sport, you need to be here.  But Smith insists he's not moving one of his two Atlanta Cup dates here. That was a rumor a few weeks ago, a rumor that some feel may have been started by Smith's people to get the ball rolling on talk about a second tour stop.  Indeed, the PA announcer yesterday exhorted the crowd to start a letter-writing campaign to NASCAR for a second Cup date. Smith, however, called the Atlanta-to-Las Vegas rumor "a nasty, dirty rotten rumor, and no truth in it at all." -(Winston Salem)- In addition, Which begs the question whether Smith would be willing to purchase another track, shutter its ticket windows and ask that the track's race date be given to Las Vegas for some future autumn. Now that's one option Smith said SMI would consider. "If there is a knock on the door, I'm going to get up and answer it," he said. "You have to look for opportunities, and that's what I constantly look for." (Review Journal) Sunday's race attendance topped 156,000 thousand and over 110,000 for Saturday's NASCAR's Busch Series Race.

• Johnson and Busch #5 penalties: As been reported throughout the night on ESPN Radio's "All Night With Todd Wright" that #48-Jimmie Johnson, the winner at Las Vegas, was found in post race inspection to be too low and the 2nd place finisher #5-Kyle Busch's Chevy quarter panels were too high. NASCAR decisions will come later this week.  Johnson is expected to keep his win at Sunday's UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400.

• Big Penalty Expected from NASCAR: Kevin Harvick's crew chief, Todd Berrier, and the Richard Childress team face NASCAR penalties this week for trying to slip something through inspection Friday, and the hit could be big.  Berrier didn't fill Harvick's car full of fuel, 22 gallons, for qualifying and got caught. For that, according to sources, NASCAR is considering a stiff penalty, perhaps as much as 100 points and a $50,000 fine.  "Whatever it is, it is," Berrier said. "With 10 races to go (in September) we'll all be even again. (Salem Journal)

• Tax on NASCAR Drivers Racing in Tennessee: As written, the bills would apply to all pro athletes working sports events in the state.  That would include golfers who visit for annual PGA and LPGA golf events, tennis players at an ATP/WTA event in Memphis each February and drivers at two NASCAR Nextel Cup races, five Busch races and an IndyRacing League event. (The Daily Times)

• SMI Owner Smith to Buy NHRA? O. Bruton Smith, the power behind Speedway Motorsports Inc., acknowledged Sunday he is engaged in ongoing talks to purchase the NHRA.  Smith would not characterize the talks as "negotiations' but said he had discussed the purchase with the Glendora-based nonprofit sanctioning body. Smith, present at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimerChrysler 400, said he had discussed the situation with Wally Parks, NHRA founder.  "I have an interest in NHRA," said Smith, who previously inquired about buying the NHRA in 1999. "It's there, it's a sport, it's drag racing. I hold four national events at my tracks." (SBSun)

• Dodge and NASCAR Talks: Dodge officials have been in negotiations with NASCAR officials, apparently over aerodynamic issues. Dodge has a new nose and tail this season, and the nose has been controversial because of its tendency to suck up trash on the track and lead to engine overheating. In addition, Two crew men were hit on pit road, but were relatively uninjured, when Tony Stewart hit one of Mike Bliss' crewmen.(Salem Journal)

• Todd Wright in Vegas: Join ESPN Radio's "All Night with Todd Wright" Sunday-Monday overnight hours 1:00am-6:00am et on ESPN Radio.  Todd came straight from the track in Vegas to join the ALLNight listeners. Check your ESPN radio affiliate or ESPNRadio.com

• Jimmie Johnson wins the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 (Results - Unofficial Points) Lap 12 Incident between Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Brian Vickers and Bobby Labonte ended both of their days early.  Find there post race quotes of the incidents (Post Race Lap 12 Incident)

• Your Reaction to UAW-Daimler Chrysler Results - Message Board

• Nevada NASCAR Day May 20th: The Honorable Governor Kenny Guinn has declared NASCAR Day 2005 as May 20 in the state of Nevada. The proclamation was announced at an event at Sam's Town Hotel & Casino in conjunction with Speedway Children's Charities, one of the three 2005 NASCAR Day Beneficiaries. Many celebrities and dignitaries were on hand for the event including drivers Kevin Harvick, Scott Wimmer, Kyle Petty, David Green, Stacy Compton, Clint Bowyer, Jon Wood, Ashton Lewis, Jason Keller, Kevin Lepage, Randy LaJoie, Shane Hmiel, Brent Sherman, Ryan Hemphill, Aaron Fike, Kim Crosby, Reed Sorenson, Brendan Gaughan, and NFL Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly.  NASCAR Day, NASCAR's largest annual charitable program, will be held on Friday, May 20, the weekend of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. In exchange for a $5 donation to the 2005 NASCAR Day Designated Charities, fans, businesses and schools will be able to wear their favorite NASCAR gear to work that Friday. In addition, participants will receive a commemorative NASCAR Day 2005 lapel pin. (NASCAR)

• More Vegas Seats Next Year: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is expected today to announce it will make its second major grandstand expansion in two years. The speedway will expand the grandstand near Turn 1 of its 1.5-mile tri-oval, a track source said, to include a structure similar to the 22,000-seat Dale Earnhardt Terrace in Turn 4 that opened in time for last year's Nextel Cup race.  It's likely the plans had been discussed for at least a year, but any doubts about the costly venture were dashed when the speedway sold out its 144,000 permanent seats for today's eighth annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race more than a month ago. (Review Journal)

• Marlin not done yet: Sterling Marlin will be 48 in June, but he's not ready to hang up his helmet just yet. And he's hoping to continue his career with Chip Ganassi Racing, the team for which he now drives the No. 40 Dodges.  "I'd like to run a couple more years," Marlin said. "Chip said something about us talking about the future. I've just got to get with him and sit down what he wants to do. We need to get our ducks in a row.  "A few people have walked up to me and asked me when my deal is up with Chip, but I like where I am. If I can stay here, I'll stay here." (ThatsRacin)

• Newman thinks NASCAR needs to focus in States, NW U.S., N.D.? But at least one driver doesn't understand why NASCAR bothered to run in Mexico. "We need to touch people in the United States before we go to Mexico," said Ryan Newman, who will start from the pole Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "The Pacific Northwest for sure. The upper Midwest, maybe North Dakota. And there's a lot of people in Montana.  "We need to take care of the United States before we take care of anything else. Maybe that's selfish. Canada is more my style than Mexico. But I still think taking care of the United States is number one. We don't need to be a traveling international series." (NASCAR)