NASCAR News May 11 - 20 2005

NEXT Race/RaceCast: Find NEXTEL Cup Next race information, including television, practice, qualifying times and more, also radio coverage information.. During the race find GNEXTINC.com: RaceCast with running order, notes, and more..

May 20, 2005

• ISC Looks to Build Offices, Shopping Center and more: International Speedway Corp. announced Thursday it wants to demolish most of its Speedplex Office Park and replace it with a 600,000-square-foot office and shopping center.  An 18-screen movie theater, a new eight-story corporate headquarters and a big-box store would anchor the $75 million-plus lifestyle center proposed for ISC's existing 50-acre office complex. Specialty stores, restaurants and dozens of upper-story residential lofts would fill out the project. Five buildings, originally built more than 30 years ago for the General Electric Co., would be razed.  "We view this development as an opportunity to reinvest in the local community and unlock the full value of this prime acreage located across the street from the world-famous Daytona International Speedway," said Lesa France Kennedy, ISC president. (NewsJournal)

• Kahne's Crew Wins Pit Crew Challenge: Kasey Kahne's team won the Nextel Pit Crew Challenge - one of two contests aimed at showcasing the skills of NASCAR's behind-the-scenes players - by beating Jamie McMurray's team in the final round last night.  Kahne's crew - fresh off helping him to his first career victory last weekend - changed four tires and filled the tank with fuel in 16.14 seconds to pocket the $70,000 grand prize.  "Just like Saturday night in Richmond, these guys are on a roll," crew chief Tommy Baldwin said. "These guys put a lot of effort, over two hours a day, to show the world what they are made of." (SalemJournal)

• Waltrip's DEI Crewman wins Challenge: At 5-foot-6 and 219 pounds, Kevin Pennell doesn't look like a star.  He's a jackman for Michael Waltrip's Nextel Cup team - the man on Waltrip's pit crew who hoists the No.15 Chevrolet up and lowers it on every pit stop.  But on Thursday night at the NASCAR Nextel Pit Crew Challenge at the Charlotte Coliseum, Pennell had his moment. He was crowned the "Best Jackman" in the individual skills competition, which meant his very own trip to Victory Lane and a $10,000 check. (ThatsRacin)

• Senate OK's Money for HOF: North Carolina's bid to house a NASCAR hall of fame got a boost Thursday when the Senate tentatively approved a temporary 2 percent increase on Charlotte-area hotel rooms to help fund construction of the museum.  Charlotte is one of a number of cities that want to host the hall, which could bring 400,000 to 500,000 visitors to the state annually. All must make their proposals to NASCAR by May 31.  The measure was tentatively approved 42-3 and could come to a final Senate vote as early as Monday. It must still be approved by the House and Gov. Mike Easley. (NBC 17)

• Wilburn Named Interim Jarrett Crew Chief: Filling that role this weekend for Team UPS is veteran crew chief Bill Wilburn who served as crew chief for Rusty Wallace during the 2003 NASCAR season. "Obviously, we want to take our time in finding a permanent replacement for the role of crew chief," said Eddie D'Hondt, general manager for Robert Yates Racing. "Billy Wilburn has been nice enough to come on board in an interim role to serve as crew chief, working with the #88 team and on race strategy. In the meantime, we'll monitor his chemistry with our team and keep our options open for a permanent replacement." (RYR Site)

• Office Depot Extends Edwards Sponsorship: Office Depot announced Thursday that it is expanding its NASCAR sponsorship commitment to include eight additional races for a total of 17 races for the remainder of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.  Office Depot is already the Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR.  The expanded commitment is an opportunity to "tap into our core small-business customers on a local level," said Tony Ueber, VP-marketing strategy for Office Depot. The $14 billion office products giant said it will also become track sponsor for races at seven International Speedway Corp. tracks. (Office Depot PR)

May 19, 2005

• NASCAR Orders Busch to Straighten Up: Kurt Busch has been ordered by NASCAR to start behaving like a champion. His first test will be the All-Star race, an event at which Busch has struggled to stay out of trouble. The defending Nextel Cup champion has had at least two gaffes in the $1 million race, including triggering an 11-car accident last year that wrecked both Busch and teammate Greg Biffle. He also admitted to intentionally spinning Robby Gordon in 2002 to bring out a caution that would regroup the field and give Busch a chance to win the race. Because the Nextel All-Star Challenge is a dash for cash, with no points at stake, a driver can take risks without jeopardizing his pursuit of NASCAR's championship. (NASCAR)

• Irvan Promotes Safety: Ernie Irvan says his life, for better and worse, repeatedly has taken a twist at Michigan International Speedway. His last career NASCAR win came at Michigan in 1997. The victory sandwiched two devastating crashes on the two-mile oval that eventually forced him to retire in 1999.  It's no coincidence Irvan chose the Michigan track as the promotional launching pad for his new life's work, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about brain injury prevention. Irvan, 46, started the Race2Safety Foundation last year. One of the group's first major fund-raisers will be Aug. 17 at the Michigan track. Irvan hopes to have up to 10,000 people pay at least $100 per person to walk around the speedway with him and active NASCAR drivers. Similar events will be added at other NASCAR sites next year. (MILive)

• Charlotte HOF, Tourism Group Opposes Tax: State financing for Charlotte's NASCAR Hall of Fame bid cleared its first turn Wednesday, but tourism groups say they're prepared to put up a major roadblock if the city doesn't change the way it would handle the money.  The N.C. Senate Finance Committee unanimously backed a funding bill that goes to the full Senate today. It would allow Charlotte to increase its tax on hotel rooms from 6 percent to 8 percent to help pay for the hall. That would give the city the highest room tax in the state.  Charlotte is working to get a $137.5 million financing plan into NASCAR's hands by a May 31 deadline, and state backing is a key component. Charlotte is competing with four other cities for the hall, including Atlanta and Kansas City. (ThatsRacin)

• R. Gordon and Lance Armstrong;  Dakar Ralley? Robby Gordon has invited cyclist Lance Armstrong to ride with him during the Dakar Rally.  The rally, perhaps the most grueling event in motor sports, begins Dec. 31 and lasts two weeks. Off-road vehicles will race from Portugal to the city of Dakar in Senegal, a country on the west coast of North Africa. Along the way, drivers will bounce through terrain that ranges from mountains to deserts. The rally is organzied by a company called ASO, which also organizes the Tour de France. "If I could team up with a guy like Lance Armstrong, it would make a lot of sense," Gordon said. (USAToday)

• Action Performance Trouble, Shares Fall: Shares of the Phoenix-based auto racing merchandiser crashed 21% to $9.35 on Tuesday after it swung to a loss and suspended the quarterly dividend.  "The market for die-cast collectibles is soft and a lot of it is Action's own fault," says Dennis McAlpine, a principal at the independent research boutique McAlpine Associates. "It flooded the market to keep sales going. Action saturated it with new versions of the same things. Instead of one Jeff Gordon car with one paint scheme, it put out four or five paint schemes to get the collectors to buy them all, and it outlasted the collectors' ability to buy."  For the second quarter ended March 31, the company reported a net loss of $2.9 million, or 16 cents a share, reversing the year-ago profit of $1.3 million, or seven cents a share. Thomson First Call had a consensus estimate for a profit of six cents. Revenues fell 10% to $75.3 million, whereas the company had hoped to improve on first-quarter sales of $76.1 million. (SmartMoney)

May 18, 2005

• Trial Beings on Drunk Driver that killed NASCAR Crew Chief Wife: A man involved in a 2003 wreck on Interstate 40 that left three Davie County sisters dead appeared to have been under the influence of alcohol, witnesses testified during the first day of testimony in the man's trial yesterday.  Jeffrey Niles McFayden is charged with driving while impaired and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Tara Howell Parker, 29; Mysti Howell Poplin, 24; and their half sister, Megan Elizabeth Howell, 16. Parker was married to Shawn Parker, who was a NASCAR crew chief. (Salem-Journal)

• Said Enters All-Star Race: The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star weekend was not on Boris Said's latest schedule of 2005 Cup races. But that slate recently changed after rain cut short last Tuesday's test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the MB/Sutton Motorsports team. Said, whose part-time Cup schedule includes the May 29th Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's, felt he did not have enough time to acclimate himself to the 1.5-mile oval during the rain-shortened test session.  "Since we didn't run a full test session, coupled with the top 35 drivers in points are already guaranteed a spot in the (43-car) field, we felt more seat time was needed to have a realistic shot of qualifying for the Coca-Cola race," offered Said, driver of the No. 36 CENTRIX Financial Chevrolet. "Our main purpose for this weekend is to take advantage of the practice sessions and use them as a test and tune for next week's race. I need more time and the crew also needs more time to find the best setup for Lowe's. We knew going into this race that it would be difficult to qualify. And not having the full test session last week made it even more difficult."  (MB2 PR)

• Jude Denies Case for Auto Mogul Smith: The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling that said auto racing and car dealership magnate Bruton Smith had no basis to sue the federal government over his loss of millions of dollars in the 1990 failure of North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan.  The high court's decision, filed Monday without any additional comment on the case, likely brings to a close the 13-year-old suit, in which Smith sought $28 million in damages and $3 million in restitution.  Smith, 78, is chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte and five other NASCAR tracks, as well as Sonic Automotive Inc., with 195 automotive retail franchises and 40 collision repair centers nationally. (Star-Telegram)

• Richmond Rating Up: The Chevy American Revolution 400 was the highest rated cable sports event of the weekend (4.4 versus the next closest event, Sunday's NBA playoff match up between Phoenix and Dallas on TNT, which pulled a 3.7 rating) and also attracted the most viewers among cable sports events (3.77 million). Those numbers represent a ratings increase of 16% from the 2004 race (4.4 vs. 3.8) and a whopping 20% jump in households (3.77 million vs. 3.16 million). Total viewers also increased by 11%, from 5.05 million in 2004 to 5.58 million on Saturday. The Chevy American Revolution 400 FX broadcast also attracted the most households for a spring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway (3.77 million vs. 3.75 million for the 1997 race). That household rating ranks second in track history to last September's Chevy Rock & Roll 400, which was seen by 3.82 million households. The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 was the 26th event on last year's schedule and set the field for the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. The track again occupies the same position on the schedule this season. (RIR PR)

May 17, 2005

• Wilkesboro and Charlotte HOF Location: Wilkes County leaders have started a campaign to get NASCAR to pick North Wilkesboro Speedway as the site of its proposed Hall of Fame.  "We just thought it would be a shame not to have a chance to have this in Wilkes County, where NASCAR has its roots," said Bert Hall, a town of North Wilkesboro commissioner. "NASCAR has abandoned a lot of the smaller tracks, and it might be a chance to redeem itself."  Hall and N.C. Rep. Tracy Walker, R-Wilkes, sent their proposal in an e-mail Friday and followed it up yesterday with letters to Gov. Mike Easley and track owners Bruton Smith and Bob Bahre. Hall and Walker asked for face-to-face meetings. (Salem-Journal)

• 25 Governors Declare NASCAR Day:  NASCAR Day is receiving national support in 2005, as 25 Governors' Offices from across the United States are expected to officially proclaim May 20 as NASCAR Day in their respective states.  NASCAR Day is the largest annual charity event of NASCAR. For a $5 donation, fans can purchase a NASCAR Day lapel pin and have the option of wearing their favorite NASCAR apparel to work on May 20. All proceeds go to the three NASCAR Day designated charities -- Speedway Children's Charities, Victory Junction Gang Camp, and Speediatrics. Fans may participate by visiting NASCAR.com and following the link to NASCAR Day. Pins are also available at all AutoZone stores nationwide and all SunTrust Bank branches in the southeast. (NASCAR)

• Earnhardt, Jr., Stewart joins NBC Nightly News Anchor Williams: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, will be featured on the NBC early-morning news program, TODAY, in a feature piece entitled "Live For Today". The Live for Today segment is a month-long series in which TODAY fulfills the dreams of its viewers. Miechel Bassett, a 33-year-old mother of two from Evansville, Ind., dreamed of driving a stock car at a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup venue. With the help of NBC news anchorman Brian Williams and fellow Nextel Cup driver Tony Stewart, Earnhardt Jr. was able to fulfill Miechel's dream at Richmond International Raceway this past weekend. Miechel, an avid Dale Jr. fan, turned laps with both Nextel Cup stars, and even took a turn behind the wheel herself. On Saturday night, she served as an honorary pit crew member for the #8 Budweiser team. The "Live for Today" segment will air Tuesday morning, May 16, during the 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. timeslot. (Today PR) UPDATE Video and Blog: Brian Williams NBC Today Show Blog, Today Show Front Page Video

• Penkse Buys out Wallace and Miller: As expected, Penske Performance, Inc., the majority shareholder of Penske Racing South, Inc., announced Monday it has purchased the individual ownership interests in the company held by Rusty Wallace, Don Miller and John Erickson.  "The transaction represents an opportunity to reward Rusty, Don and John for their many contributions to the growth and success of the company," said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Performance.  "Penske Racing South is committed to its participation as a competitor in NASCAR. We enjoy the support of a dedicated and loyal group of sponsors who will be with us well into the future. Our focus is to maximize all three cars' performance every week with winning the Nextel Cup Championship as our goal." (ThatsRacin)

• USG Joins Chiciagoland Speedway: Chicago-based building materials manufacturer USG has signed on as the new title sponsor for NASCAR weekend in the Chicago area in a multiyear partnership that was announced Monday.  The USG Sheetrock 400 Nextel Cup race will take place July 10 in Joliet. It will be preceded by USG Pole Day on July 8 and the USG Durock 300 Busch Series race on July 9.  "We spend a lot of time around walls, just as you spend a lot of time around walls,'' said USG CEO William C. Foote, flanked by two NASCAR vehicles and drivers Rusty Wallace and Matt Kenseth at a news conference at the Chicago Theater. "NASCAR is as American as apple pie. We're delighted to team up.'' (SunTimes)

May 16, 2005

• Wheeler Picks Gordon for All-Star Race: Jeff Gordon became the favorite to win NASCAR's All-Star race when the president of Lowe's Motor Speedway predicted he would win the event.  Humpy Wheeler picked Gordon to win the Nextel All-Star Challenge on Monday during his annual selection ceremony. Wheeler has correctly chosen the winner nine times in the last 16 years, but hasn't gotten one right since predicting Dale Earnhardt Jr. would win in 2001. Gordon, who has won NASCAR's All-Star race three times in his career, was picked by Wheeler because of a successful test session he had earlier this month at the speedway. Wheeler used a grinder on the track surface to smooth it out and Gordon quickly adapted to it. (Herald-Sun)

• Ford Out as 88 Crew Chief: Robert Yates Racing (RYR) announced today that Mike Ford has elected to step down as crew chief for the #88 UPS/Robert Yates Racing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team and driver Dale Jarrett. Ford joined RYR in November 2003.  “Mike made this decision based on what was in the best interest for himself and for his family,” said Eddie D’Hondt, general manager for RYR. “We obviously wish him the best in his future endeavors.”  “We are actively pursuing someone to replace him,” D’Hondt continued. “Until we find the right individual for the job, we will fill the role in-house on an interim basis.”   The #88 Team is currently 14th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with one pole, one top-five and two top-10 finishes. The team’s best finish in 2005 to date is a fifth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in April. (RYR PR)

• McMurray not saying much about 2006: #42-Jamie McMurray gets asked every week if he's going to replace Rusty Wallace in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge next year. "Sometimes you get asked questions and just don't know what to say," McMurray said. "Last year, I talked about my contract, but I'm not going to do that this time. I don't want to get any more rumors started. I just want to go on and not worry about it." McMurray, who drives the #42 Havoline Dodge, has one year remaining on his deal with Chip Ganassi Racing. It hasn't stopped speculation that he will take over for the retiring Wallace at Penske Racing South. "I've been reading the stuff about it," McMurray said. "It's better to be in the rumor mill than not be in it. As long as they're talking about you it's a good thing." (Dallas Morning News)

• Kentucky Might Sell to Get Cup Date: Kentucky Speedway's owners might sell the $170 million facility, acquire another track or merge to get one of the big-league NASCAR races.   "Our ownership group is getting concerned," said Mark Cassis, the speedway's executive vice president and general manager. "When you're dealing with guys like (Cintas Corp. Chairman) Dick Farmer and (Churchill Downs owner) Dick Duchossois, they don't get mad. They fix it."  An option for the speedway would be an alliance with one of the larger motorsports companies, Frost said. He pointed to Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., which has had a marketing alliance with International Speedway Corp. for the last several years. Pikes Peak now is for sale, and ISC has the first option to buy it. (MSNBC)

• PR Wire: Baldwin Wins WYPALL Crew Chief of the Race Award ; Senate Leader Frist Grand Marshall of Coca Cola 600

• Third Team for Several Cup Teams? Robert Yates, is expected to add a third Cup team in 2006, if current Busch sponsor CitiFinancial is willing to make the move. "We'd like to develop a young driver and advance him to Cup," Yates Racing G.M. Eddie D'Hondt says. Three seems to be the magic number for most Cup organizations. Evernham Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Inc. also are expected to expand to three full-time cars next season. (SportingNews)

• Newman's Name Mentioned Around Garage: Ryan Newman - whose future with Roger Penske has been the topic of great debate the past month - Saturday's Chevy American Revolution 400 finish was another disappointment. Newman has another year on his contract with car owner Roger Penske, but Ford's Jack Roush, Dodge's Ray Evernham, and Chevy executives have all been making a run at Newman, who is the hottest qualifier on the stock car tour. (Salem-Journal)

• Ford Fusion in 06? Ford was to test its 2006 Nextel Cup model this week at a wind tunnel in Marietta, Ga. The test will determine how close Ford is to submitting the car to NASCAR. A name has yet to be announced, but sources say the car could be the Fusion.  (SportingNews)

• More on DEI; Truex and Waltrip: Richie Gilmore, director of motorsports, says he's confident that Dale Earnhardt Inc. will sign Martin Truex Jr. to a new contract soon. Michael Waltrip's situation, though, is not as certain. Truex' contract expires after this season. While there is interest in the Cup garage for the defending Busch series champion, DEI has it set up for him to drive Cup cars full time next year with Bass Pro Shops as the sponsor.  "Martin's dad and I talk pretty much every day. I think we'll get back together with (car owner) Teresa (Earnhardt) next week and, hopefully, we'll get something together," Gilmore said.  Gilmore says that Waltrip's sponsor NAPA has an option for next season. That leaves Waltrip's status uncertain.  (Roanoke.com)

• Start Time Change at Darlington: NASCAR Chairman Brian France hinted that there could be changes to the Darlington race next year because of its late finish last week. France made the comments to XM Satellite and a transcript was posted on nascar.com.  Asked if something might be done because the Darlington raced finished after 11:30 p.m. last week, France said: "I think they had 11 or 12 cautions and it was longer than anticipated and that may have us re-think, should it start half an hour earlier or something, I'm not sure. (Roanoke.com)

• May 15, 2005

• Penkse Happy With Dodge: Rusty Wallace shot down talk of Penske Racing South aligning itself with Toyota. He said the team is happy with its current contract with Dodge.  "People would think that [switch] would be a natural because he's running Toyota in the IRL Series, and he's the largest Toyota dealer," he said. "But he's also one of the world's largest Daimler Chrysler dealers." Wallace said he hasn't "personally talked" with Toyota about his Busch Series team but said he would never say never. (TimesDispatch)

• Gibbs and Leffler: Joe Gibbs may have given more questions than he gave answers when he was asked about struggling driver Jason Leffler's future Saturday at Richmond International Raceway.  "Obviously, you get concerned," he said. "You have a huge sponsor there and we're in it for the long haul. We signed Jason for the long haul and we are certainly going to go after it with Jason and try to get everything done we can there."  "It always boils down to performance," Gibbs said. "It's gotta be a performance thing. We've got to be successful there. (NASCAR)

May 14, 2005

• Kahne Wins First Cup Race Ever: Kasey Kahne raced to his first victory on NASCAR's premier series Saturday night, putting the domination of Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports to rest at least for a night. While points leader Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon had miserable nights and Roush's Kurt Busch struggled, Kahne finally finished a race that he started with one of the strongest cars.  Kahne, a six-time pole-sitter and six-time runner-up in his career, just beat Tony Stewart off pit road after all the leaders pitted under caution with about 67 laps to go. The Evernham Motorsports driver gradually pulled away from Stewart on a restart with 61 laps remaining, and then again three more times. (ABC - Results - Points)

• Virginia Reveals NASCAR HOF Plans: The group driving Virginia's effort to attract the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the city revealed portions of their unfinished proposal Saturday at Richmond International Raceway.  Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame, a public-private partnership, must make its proposal to NASCAR by the end of the month. Also vying for the hall are Charlotte, N.C., Daytona Beach, Fla., Atlanta and Kansas City, Mo.  Fred Agostino, president of VRHOF, said the group's proposal to NASCAR will include several potential locations for the hall, one on the property of the track and the others within a few miles of it.  "We're not putting all our eggs in one basket," he said, adding that the hall the group is proposing would cost an estimated $103 million, have 68,000 feet of exhibit area and would require a 20-acre tract of land.  (USA Today)

• Points Leader Johnson Tough Night: On lap 81, points leader Jimmie Johnson was running 26th, two spots ahead of where he started, when he was nudged into a spin by Travis Kvapil in Turn 2. The spin ended with Johnson's Chevrolet slamming rear-first into the inside wall.  "It just was a chain-reaction deal," Johnson said. Johnson then tried to hustle his damaged car onto pit road for repairs. On the way, it suddenly took a hard left back into the wall. (AP/ThatsRacin)

• NASCAR Penalizes Dozen Teams: NASCAR held at least a dozen cars on pit lane before practice yesterday, penalizing the teams for being late to the prerace inspection line at Darlington Raceway last week. Jeff Gordon served the worst punishment, missing 26 minutes of practice. Jimmie Johnson, Scott Riggs, Carl Edwards, Michael Waltrip, Casey Mears, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart also were held and missed between 10-15 minutes of the session. (TimesDispatch)

May 13, 2005

• Ryan Newman Fastest in Last Practice: 1st) Ryan Newman - 129.045, 2nd) Kurt Busch - 128.523, 3rd) Ricky Rudd - 128.011, 4th) Jeff Burton - 127.714, 5th) Travis Kvapil - 127.593, 6th) Scott Riggs - 127.545, 7th) Tony Stewart - 127.449, 8th) Mark Martin - 127.419, 9th) Casey Mears - 127.401, and 10th) Bobby Labonte - 127.353. (Speeds)

• E. Irvan to be inducted in West Coast HOF: The inductees for the 4th Annual West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame induction ceremony July 22, 2005 have been announced by Tim Meyer director of the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame. Fifteen names make up the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame 2005 induction class. Drivers: Allen Adkins, Len Sutton, Sam Hanks, Dick Meyer, and Ernie Irvan. Owners-Mechanics-Manufacturers-Sponsors: Bob Estes, Vel Miletich, Floyd Johnson, Tom Hamilton, Leon Ruther, Richard Elder and James Rush. Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors: Ron Ail, Harry Schilling, and Marion Collins. (West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame)

• ESPN SportsCenter & Petty Racing: ESPN Sports Center Airing Petty Feature Piece Tonight:A feature story on Petty Enterprises and including interviews with Richard and Kyle Petty is scheduled to run on ESPN Sports Center tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern. The piece was taped earlier this year at Petty Enterprises.

• France Denies Leaving NASCAR: NASCAR chairman Brian France continues to deny any plans to leave his family's sport any time soon, but the speculation is hotter than ever this week that once France finishes the new TV negotiations, sometime over the next year, he will, indeed, be moving on. France won't discuss the family business in any detail, and NASCAR is a private family venture, unlike the publicly-traded International Speedway Corp. However, insiders say that France has sold, or is selling, or plans to sell his shares in NASCAR to the rest of the family. (Salem-Journal)

• Changes at SPEED in store: In a recent interview with the new Speed VP of Studio Production Chris Long.  Discussed with SPEED Channel the upcoming changes, at the popular motorsports channel SPEED Channel. Including changing the format of NASCAR Nation to more Entertainment. In addition, to Inside NEXTEL Cup cutting back to 60 minutes, with possible talent changes.  Speed Channel's Trackside programs will  increase in production. More at in the interview at SPEEDTV.com.

• PR Wire: Checkout the press release page, for the latest Richmond driver previews.

• Rudd to Know by Summer on Retirement: He (Ricky Rudd) says he'll decide sometime this summer if he'll join Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin in making this his final Cup season. Both, who announced their retirements last year, are having solid farewells. Martin is sixth in the points and Wallace 14th but only 42 points behind Martin.  When Rudd decides to retire, he says he won't follow the paths other veterans have taken.  He doesn't want to do a full-season farewell tour just to sell special souvenir items as many have done. (Roanoke)

• Virginia to Reveal NASCAR HOF Bid: The Virginians Racing for the Hall of Fame committee has scheduled a news conference before tomorrow's Chevy American Revolution 400 to reveal details about its pitch for the NASCAR shrine. Rival bidders Atlanta and Kansas City, Kan., held pep rallies this week, but another dropped out. The state of Michigan no longer is in the running, joining Talladega-Birmingham, Ala., on the sidelines. (TimesDispatch)

• Gibbs Underwent heart procedure, Fine Now: Joe Gibbs Racing owner [#11,#18,#20] Joe Gibbs was hospitalized for a heart procedure to open a clogged artery last month, The Washington Post reports. Gibbs, who is 64 and who coaches the Washington Redskins football team, said doctors placed a small, spring-like wire tube known as a stent in the artery at a Washington hospital in mid-April. Gibbs said he remained overnight but returned to work the next day and was back to his regular workout routine, which includes a 45-minute run, within several days. "I understand the public interest, but it has no effect on my work, or my tenure with the Redskins," he said. "I considered it a private matter."(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

May 12, 2005

• Surprise! Huge Darlington Rating: Darlington Raceway's first-ever night Nextel Cup race turned out to be a ratings winner.  Track officials released figures from the Fox Network on Wednesday that showed the Dodge Charger 500 had a 5.6 rating and 11 share - the highest rated prime-time NASCAR event ever broadcast by the network.  The race had an average viewership of 9.3 million, up about 10 percent from Fox's other primetime TV race this season. The ratings showed that the race had a bigger share Saturday night over CBS (4.7), ABC (4.7) and NBC (4.5). (TheState)

• PR Wire: NASCAR On the Golf Channel

• Michigan Withdraws HOF Bid: Michigan officials say they won't submit a pitch for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, narrowing the field to Daytona Beach and four competitors.  The Michigan Economic Development Corp. was spearheading the effort to put the hall of fame in the Detroit area, but its vice president, Michael Shore, said Wednesday it has decided not to submit a proposal.  "We really aren't pursuing it," he said. "The governor gave us the green light to explore it. But when we reviewed the financial commitment it would take to make one of these really work -- and given the state's economic situation -- we were talking a lot of money and a long-term commitment." (News-Journal)

• Burton Calls For Random Drug Testing: Nextel Cup driver Jeff Burton believes NASCAR should begin random drug testing to help make sure that stock-car racing is a drug-free environment.  "I'm not aware of anybody using drugs in the sport," Burton said. "But I wish we were more proactive in testing.  "I wish we'd do random drug testing. When you subject yourself to this sport - whether you're a pit crew member or a driver - you owe it to the people that are doing it with you to be sober, straight and clean." (ThatsRacin)

• Kansas City to Make Case For NASCAR HOF: Wednesday, hall supporters in Kansas City, Kan. - where Kansas Speedway is entering just its fifth season of operation - said they represent the sport's future and NASCAR's best chance to reach beyond its traditional fan base in the southeastern United States.  "We are the future, and we believe we can extend the brand," said Jeff Boerger, president of Kansas Speedway. "It's now becoming an international sport, and what better location than having it in the center of the United States?"  The Kansas City area is not revealing much about its bid for the hall, which would be located just east of Kansas Speedway in the booming Village West tourism and retail district. (TheState)

• 600 Tickets Off Pace From '04: At a time when Charlotte is trying to woo a NASCAR Hall of Fame, ticket sales for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway aren't keeping pace.  The track has sold just over 100,000 seats for the May 29 race, speedway President Humpy Wheeler told the Observer on Wednesday. That's a "few thousand" behind last year's sales at this time, he said, declining to be more specific.  The track is one of the largest in racing, with about 170,000 seats. The 600 is traditionally on Memorial Day weekend, capping off almost two weeks of racing. (ThatsRacin)

• Shelmerdine gets sponsor for Richmond: Kirk Shelmerdine Racing’s #27 will be carrying the Drug Abuse Resistance Education “D.A.R.E.” & “Just Say No to Drugs” logos on the hood at Richmond for the Chevy American Revolution 400. Support for this program is courtesy of Apex Electric Company of Apex, NC; Fixture Specialists of Richmond, VA; KBS Builders of Richmond, VA; and the Apex North Carolina Police Department. (Kirk Shelmerdine Racing)

May 11, 2005

• NASCAR Teams Fear Losing Automaker Money: Given the choppy financial outlook for the Big Three automakers, some NASCAR team executives are beginning to wonder whether the cascade of financial and technical support they receive from Detroit will begin to run dry.  Does it really make sense for General Motors, which lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, and Ford and DaimlerChrysler, which saw profits slip 30% or more, to maintain estimated nine-figure NASCAR budgets?  "It's a legitimate question that a shareholder would ask," says Jim Andrews, editorial director of the IEG Sponsorship Report. "But there's also a danger in saying, 'The company's doing badly, let's just start dumping stuff.' " Manufacturers' executives tell a different story, one of positive media exposure and fan demographics. "We absolutely believe that it's a great return on our investment, from the standpoint of getting exposure," says Bob Wildberger, senior manager of NASCAR operations for Dodge Motorsports.  Mark Kent, director of GM Racing, says GM is in NASCAR for the "long haul." But Kent says they have cut back on travel expenses and are working with Chevy teams to consolidate research and development projects. "Obviously, like anything else in our business, we're looking to do more with less," Kent says. (USA Today)

• Driving Lessons in store for NC Governor?  Another Mishap: Two years after crashing a stock car at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Gov. Mike Easley nearly brought out the caution flag again Tuesday when he veered a NASCAR race car out of control on a drive through downtown.  Easley, participating in a celebration of the state's motorsports, fishtailed and ran up on a curb -- narrowly avoiding a parked car and a utility pole -- as he drove Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet from the executive mansion to the Legislative Building.  "If you got any blue paint on your car, you know who did it," said Rep. Karen Ray, R-Iredell. "Put this fellow on a race track, and when he's supposed to turn left, he turns right." (News-Journal)

• Jeff Burton Expects Brother Ward to Get Urge Again: The insider who knows Ward Burton better than anyone else in NASCAR is confident his older brother will race again.  "I think at some point, Ward will make a decision he can enjoy racing with a competitive team that doesn't have to be a Cup car," Jeff Burton said. "The competitive side of Ward will eventually catch up to him, and he'll make a decision to get in something so he can compete. I want to see it. He's very gifted. He has more ability than a lot of people in this garage. He's never driven for a top-tier team in the Cup series." (TimesDispatch)

• Burton NASCAR could do More on steroids: While the steroid issue foments in the National Football League and in Major League Baseball, NASCAR has worked hard to keep out of the line of fire.  But Burton said that NASCAR officials should make stock-car racing a leader in confronting the issue.  "The thing that I enjoy a great deal about our sport is that on a lot of issues we're in front of them, in comparison to other sports," Burton said. "We don't have a players union that stands in the way of our sanctioning body doing the right thing.  "It's one of the things that I enjoy about our sport. Having said that, I wish we would get further ahead of this than we are. (SalemJournal)

• N.C. Lawmakers look to give motorsports tax credits: Lawmakers were revving up their support for NASCAR on Tuesday as the House and Senate met in joint session to convey that support and urge the motorsport to keep its All-Star Challenge in North Carolina.  Tuesday's efforts were part of a multi-pronged approach aimed at keeping North Carolina's prominence in the sport and attracting more racing business to the state. The efforts include tax credits and direct appropriations.  "There are a lot of states chipping away trying to take these businesses away from us," said Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, who introduced a bill that would include motorsports racing teams in the state's job creation tax credit plan. (Sun-Journal)

• R. Wallace Gets Top Boy Scout Award and Raises Money: NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace made his annual trip Tuesday to Orangeburg, where he was first in the hearts of everyone in attendance. For the 10th consecutive year, Wallace made an appearance at the Tourville Lodge to help raise money for the Boy Scouts of America at the "Friends of Scouting" event sponsored by Jim Roquemore of Super Sod. Hank Jones of Elloree, a personal friend of Wallace's, helped in getting the event together and once again arranging for the NASCAR star to be in attendance.  "We love coming to this event," Jones said. "It's not about coming out and getting awards, it's about the kids that we're helping in the area."  "It's a wonderful event, and we have a lot of fun doing it," Wallace said. "This is my 10th year doing this, and I want to thank everyone who supported us." (Times and Democrat)

• PR Wire: Elliott Teams Up with Wallace to Race Busch Series

• Winston Cup Museum Opens Up: Will Spencer and the Winston Cup Museum took the green flag yesterday, and now the race is on.  Spencer and Mayor Allen Joines cut the ribbon for the official opening of the museum to commemorate 33 years of Winston Cup racing. "Winston-Salem has been selected as one of the 30 most livable cities in the country, and part of the reason is facilities such as the Winston Cup Museum," Joines said. "This facility will not only be a great addition to our downtown revitalization efforts, it will also assist in our efforts to bring visitors and conventions to our city."  About 200 people attended the ceremony, among them several city-council members, racing legend Junior Johnson, Richard Childress, a longtime car owner, and many of the people who had worked for Sports Marketing Enterprises and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (Salem Journal)

Featured Pages
NEXT Race Checkout the next upcoming NASCAR Nextel races.  Including race, stats, track information and much more! NASCAR Stats Who won?  Who has the most top 5's?  Checkout the NASCAR stats. Includes results, points and more!   for past NASCAR news...[click here]