NASCAR Past News May 3 - 10 2005

• NASCAR to Open Offices Tomorrow in Bentonville

• Georgia Official Confident about Atlanta HOF

• RCR Crewman Out for Season

• BUSCH No Further Penalties

• Kurt Busch's Team Wins Pit Crew Challenge

• NC NASCAR HOF Efforts

• Darlington TV Ratings

• Toyota Not Busch Racing? Denies Busch Entry

• Wallace and Tony Danza Race  Go-Karts; Danza Flips

• Paul Tracey to Cup?

• Biffle Looking to Stay With Roush

• Truex, Jr. Close Signing with DE

• Rubber head Busch Blows Up

• Environmental Group, NYC NASCAR Track

• Dodge asking for No Help

• Goodyear Confirms Possible Tire Rule Change

• Waltrip and Green Called to Hauler

• Darlington to keep Date?

• Watch your Pit Strategy

• Marlin and Ganassi No Plans in '06

• Biffle Wins at the Track to Tough to Tame

• Daytona HOF FL. Bill Dead

• Driver Complain About Darlington, Out of Control

• NC Governor Lobbying Efforts

• Talladega Ratings Huge

• MB2 On the Move

• Fox Red Flag Controversy

• Krista Voda Out?

• Kahne Wins Dodge Charger 500 Poll

• S. Carolina Tags Support Children

• Bristol Wants new Tax on Campers at BMS

• Fl. HOF Fate to be determined Today?

• NASCAR Tire Rule Changes?

• NASCAR Exec's Head North

• Wallace Contacts Injured RCR Crewman

• Gordon Fast in Lowe's Testing

• FIA and NASCAR; Olympic type drug testing?

• Iowa Signs Newton Track Bill

• NASCAR Announces 11 Penalties on Crew Chiefs

• Junior Blames Johnson and calls him "idiot"

• NASCAR Official Recovers from Surgery

• Charlotte Testing Numbers

• New Hampshire Testing

• Oregon Back in the NW Track Running

• Crewman Released

• Richmond NASCAR Testing

• Shepherd Honors Mothers

• NASCAR Nation to cut 30 mins.?

• Fake Merchandise Seized

• SPEED Rating UP

• NASCAR to Open Offices Tomorrow in Bentonville: NASCAR will be the latest business to open an office in Bentonville, racing officials said Tuesday.  The office, which is scheduled to open Wednesday, will help give the stock car-racing organization a presence near Wal-Mart. The nation's largest retailer has a big stake in selling many different NASCAR-licensed products.  NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp says the licensing office will help NASCAR have a greater presence among companies that make its merchandise and sell NASCAR items. Tharp said the office will help spread the NASCAR brand name.  Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup series champion Kurt Bush will be on hand for wednesday's opening ceremony. (TheHometownChannel)

• PR Wire: NEXTEL Extends All-Star Challenge Voting

• Georgia Official Confident about Atlanta HOF: Georgia's Commissioner of Economic Development told Gainesville Kiwanians Tuesday he thinks the NASCAR Museum and Hall of Fame could come to Atlanta. Commissioner Craig Lesser said Georgia has a great stock car racing tradition and history but most of the drivers are in North Carolina and Charlotte is making a major competitive effort. "We think we have a great plan, we think we have the best site because most of the sponsors of NASCAR are from Atlanta," Lesser said. (AccessNorthGA)

• RCR Crewman Out for Season: Josh Yost, jackman for the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton, who was injured on pit road after being struck by another car, will not return to competition this season following two surgeries to repair his heavily injured right ankle.  After being released from a Birmingham, Ala., hospital following the May 1 NASCAR Cup event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Yost was flown back to North Carolina to begin treatment at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.  During the exploratory surgery performed May 3, it was discovered Yost’s injuries included two ruptured tendons, damaged ligaments, a severe laceration and a crushed fibula tip. Yost then underwent reconstructive surgery May 5 to repair the ankle and was released from the hospital the following day. (RCR)

• BUSCH No Further Penalties: Geoff Smith doesn't expect Busch to receive further penalties from NASCAR this week. "I think he is definitely aware of where he stands today," NASCAR vice president of communications Jim Hunter said in an e-mail. "Without going into any further detail, he certainly knows NASCAR is not going to tolerate any future temper tantrums. President Mike Helton made our position very clear."  Says Smith: "He's now on notice. So if there's anything else, there's going to be a penalty associated with it."  (USATODAY)

• Kurt Busch's Team Wins Pit Crew Challenge: Kurt Busch's team won the National Pit Crew Championship, defeating Jeremy Mayfield's crew in the final round with a mistake-free stop Monday night.  Busch's crew, which helped him win the Nextel Cup championship last season, didn't make a single mistake during the competition and picked up $100,000 for the win. Mayfield's team earned $25,000 for finishing second.  Joe Nemechek's crew was third – missing out on a spot in the finals because of a two-second penalty for a loose lug nut in the semifinals. (AP/SOSD)

• NC NASCAR HOF Efforts: Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Charlotte Chamber of Commerce President Cathy Bessant, along with officials from Concord, Kannapolis, and Mooresville, announced their latest campaign to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Queen City. hey used a NASCAR-style stock car as their petition for the public to sign. It was located in the middle of Uptown Charlotte, on Trade Street and Tryon.  They also handed out buttons with the slogan, "Racing was built here. Racing belongs here."  City officials said to make this campaign a success, they had to take a regional approach. They said Charlotte cannot win the bidding war on its own. It needs the help of the surrounding areas, like Concord, Kannapolis, and Mooresville. (WSCOTV)

• Darlington TV Ratings: Fox's broadcast of Saturday night's Dodge Charger 500 from Darlington Raceway earned a 4.7 overnight rating and a 9 market share from Nielsen Media Research. NASCAR has not raced on Mother's Day weekend in recent years, so the figures can't be compared to the same weekend last year. The 4.7 rating for a race run during the usually weak Saturday night period is down 9.6% from the 5.2 Fox drew with last year's March 21 Darlington race, which was run on a Sunday afternoon. But the figure is up 4.4% from the 4.5 overnight figures for this year's Phoenix race, which was also run on a Saturday night. (NASCAR Scene)

May 9, 2005

• Toyota Not Busch Racing? Denies Busch Entry: Patrick Wall, manager of Toyota Racing Development in High Point, confirmed that Toyota has participated in the discussions about the "Car of Tomorrow" and "Engine of the Future" which could bring as early as 2007 significant changes from the cars and engines used now. But, he said, Toyota's plans hinge on the timetable for implementation of the rules changes and that the only series Toyota will race in next year is the truck series. "We currently race trucks and we are looking at racing cars," Wall said. "We are doing an investigation into the best path for Toyota to get into car racing, and we are waiting on NASCAR to give us the timetable for the 'Car of Tomorrow' and 'Engine of the Future' before we determine what the best plan for us will be." ...He denied that Toyota is developing a car to race in the Busch Series next year. "We are not working on any Busch cars," he said. He said that it did not make sense financially to develop a car now if the rules are to change significantly in the near future. "When you look at the cost involved, it takes a couple of years to get a payback on that investment," Wall said. He also denied that Benson or any one else has tested a Toyota stock car. "I can assure you that there has not been a Toyota-bodied stock car or a stock car with a Toyota engine on a track anywhere on the planet since we raced in the NASCAR Dash Series with Robert Huffman in 2003," Wall said. (High Point Enterprise)

• Wallace and Tony Danza Race  Go-Karts; Danza Flips: Tony Danza got quite a scare when he and NASCAR star Rusty Wallace were racing go-karts during the taping of a segment for the nationally syndicated "The Tony Danza Show."  Danza was leading as they entered the final lap on West 66th Street Monday morning, the show said. After Wallace gave Danza's vehicle a little "bump and run," the 54-year-old talk-show host lost control of his go-kart, which flipped over.  "Although slightly worse for wear, Danza escaped with no injuries," the show said in a statement.  The "DayTony 500" segment aired on Monday's show.  (NY Newsday)

• PR Wire: Richert Wins WYPALL Crew Chief of the Race

• Paul Tracey to Cup?  Rumors about the racing future of Toronto's Paul Tracy in NASCAR were ratcheted up this weekend. This time the 36-year-old Champ Car World Series driver is being wooed by Penske Racing South.  While there have been stories linking Tracy to a proposed American Le Mans Series team planned by Roger Penske, this is the first time that people are talking about him joining up with Penske's NASCAR program.  The nucleus of the talks revolve around Penske needing a driver to replace Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 Dodge.  More intriguing is talk in the NASCAR garage that Ryan Newman is unhappy with his progress in the No. 12 Penske Dodge. (Toronto Sun)

• Biffle Looking to Stay With Roush: Greg Biffle says he has been too busy to solidify his plans for next season, but he was expected to meet with his agent last week and still intends to stay in the No. 16 car at Roush Racing. "We're not any closer because we haven't had a chance to talk," Biffle says. "They're going to take care of me because that is where I want to be. It would be crazy for me to want to go somewhere else because I might lose the next whole season getting geared up with a new team." Biffle is the only driver in the top 10 whose contract expires at the end of 2005 without an option, which is another reason--besides a stellar 2005 performance, including his victory Saturday night at Darlington--he is in high demand. (SportingNews)

• Truex, Jr. Close Signing with DEI: Forget the speculation that the defending NASCAR Busch Series champion from the Mayetta section of Stafford was entertaining such thoughts.  Last week, at Talladega, Ala., Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns the Chance 2 Motorsports Chevrolet that Truex drives on the Busch Series circuit, said he was pretty confident "Little Martin" was going to re-sign with DEI. Theresa Earnhardt, Dale Jr.'s stepmother, is a Chance 2 co-owner and president and CEO of DEI.  Now DEI officials are saying the same thing.  Richie Gilmore, vice president of competition at DEI, told NASCAR Scene, "I think we're close enough that we'll be done" during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. (Asbury Park)

• Rubber head Busch Blows Up: Defending Nextel Series champion Kurt Busch had an awful -- and embarrassing -- night after wrecking on the first lap and then infuriating NASCAR with his behavior.  Busch got loose and spun going through Turns 3 and 4, hitting the inside wall and forcing the No. 97 Ford into the garage for front suspension repairs.  Busch returned to the Dodge Charger 500 60 laps down to salvage every point he could. But he lined up in the wrong place on the track during a Lap 318 caution, and refused an order from NASCAR to stop his car to allow the field to pass so Busch could get in the correct spot.  He was sent into the pits for a two-lap penalty, and NASCAR officials took offense to the language he used over the radio. He "screamed several choice words on the radio," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter told NASCAR.com More on Busch's Actions and NASCAR's Helton Comments at (News-Journal)

May 8, 2005

• Environmental Group, NYC NASCAR Track: The backers of a proposed NASCAR track here say they only plan to use a dozen of the nearly 250 acres of wetlands sitting on their West Shore property, leaving the rest as a nature preserve and bird-watching area.  Even so, city environmental groups aren't ready to give the track plan a green light -- or a red one.  "We're cautiously negative, but we would be willing and eager to explore how to make the project have less of an environmental impact," said David Burg, president of the Manhattan-based WildMetro. Burg said he'd like to see even less of an impact on the property than International Speedway Corp. (ISC) predicts.  Two other groups -- the New York City Audubon Society and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance -- saw a presentation about the track by ISC officials last month, but they're not ready to take a position. (SILive)

• Dodge asking for No Help: John Fernandez, director of Dodge Motorsports Operations, says the manufacturer hasn’t asked NASCAR for help despite some struggles with the new Charger. Dodge was winless in the season’s first nine races heading into Saturday night’s race at Darlington. “We had some issues at California, which is probably one of the dirtiest tracks because thre’s a lot of stuff on the race track,’’ Fernandez said of trash collecting on the nose and causing engines to overheat. (News-Record)

• Goodyear Confirms Possible Tire Rule Change: Goodyear officials confirmed that NASCAR has proposed a "lease" situation under which teams would not buy tires, per se, but would instead lease them from Goodyear. The idea is to limit the number of tires available to teams for testing, and thus to reduce testing, period.  Teams still would pay the going price for a set of tires, about $1600, but all tires, used and unused, would be returned to Goodyear after each race. A similar rule is in place in IRL/IndyCar, for similar reasons. Teams often hoard unused tires for future track tests, with testing being a major expense.  "Team testing probably represents a great area of opportunity to save costs," Goodyear field director Rick Heinrich said. "A lot of these teams go straight from these races to testing, weekly. (SPEED)

• Waltrip and Green Called to Hauler: The two were called there following a wreck on Lap 206 in which Waltrip hit Green repeatedly from behind, causing an accident.  Waltrip had blamed Green for an accident Waltrip had on Lap 7. The were bad feelings also lingering between the two from the race at Martinsville, Va., last month in which Green hit Waltrip from behind.  "NASCAR told us not to get around each other. That suits me because the only two times I've had him behind me this year, he spun me out," Waltrip said. Green wasn't immediately available for comment after the race.  NASCAR officials said additional penalties were unlikely. (ThatsRacin)

• Darlington to keep Date? International Speedway Corporation officials are planning to have Darlington Raceway on the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule next season.  "We're fairly confident with the success of this weekend well be around next year," said Andrew Gurtis, who stepped down as president of Darlington Raceway a year ago to take a position with ISC. "That's good enough for us. Saturday night's race sold out a week in advance, the first pre-race sellout for the 60,000-seat facility since it expanded after the 1997 season and only the second sellout during that span. (Myrtle Beach Online)

• Watch your Pit Strategy: Pitting strategy was the hot topic Saturday at Darlington Raceway during the pre-race drivers' meeting, especially considering Matt Kenseth's fake-me-out job late in Friday night's Busch race was still fresh in everybody's minds.  David Hoots, NASCAR's managing event director, told the drivers they would not be guaranteed track position if they appeared to be headed toward pit lane but jumped back out on the track before crossing the pit-road commitment line. The strategy is often used by leaders late in races to fake out drivers behind them, who may take the bait and be unable to get back up the track before they cross the pit-road commitment line. (Daily Press)

• Marlin and Ganassi No Plans in '06: Sterling Marlin made the 650th start of his career Saturday night, but had nothing to celebrate after mechanical problems caused him to finish 41st. "Something happened to the motor, it started skipping at about the 100 lap mark,'' Marlin said. "This is one of my favorite tracks, but something happened to the motor.'' But no one is talking about Marlin's past or present. The buzz around him is his future.  Marlin said last month that he didn't think he'd be back at Chip Ganassi Racing next year because the car owner had been reluctant to discuss a new contract with him. (ESPN)

May 7, 2005

• Biffle Wins at the Track to Tough to Tame: Greg Biffle's chances of winning a race he dominated appeared gone after his Roush Racing team made some late-race changes. But a timely spin by Mark Martin and four fresh tires were all Biffle needed to win Saturday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Darlington Raceway in overtime. "The second to last run there we tried some tire pressure things and got my car way too loose," Biffle said. "I thought, `Why in the world would we wait until the last run to try something?' It went the wrong way, but we recovered from that."  Biffle, who led 176 of 370 laps on the treacherous 1.366-mile, egg-shaped Darlington oval, fell behind on a late pit stop, but got another chance when Martin spun, bringing out the 12th caution flag just five laps from the scheduled finish. (ABC News - Results - Standings)

• Daytona HOF FL. Bill Dead: In a tumultuous end to the legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed a $63 billion budget Friday and approved overhauling the state's Medicaid system -- but refused to spend $30 million to help Daytona Beach attract a NASCAR hall of fame. Lawmakers also passed bills aimed at making it harder to amend the state constitution, fix the hurricane-wracked property insurance system and require parents to be notified before minors can have abortions. The final issue to be resolved, around 11:45 p.m., was a plan to revamp the growth-management system, a top priority of Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon.  But the Senate never took up a bill that would have provided subsidies to Daytona Beach to try to outbid other areas of the country for the NASCAR hall of fame. Daytona Beach lobbyist Sam Bell said the issue was dead. (NewsJournal)

• Driver Complain About Darlington, Out of Control: Between the shorter rear spoilers required at most tracks this year, the tire-eating racing surface and the narrowing of the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway with the addition last year of energy-absorbing barriers, NASCAR's original paved superspeedway is harder than ever to drive."We're more out of control this year than I've ever been at Darlington,'' Elliott Sadler said. ''The track is just getting old and gray. You have a lot less room to slide around because of the SAFER Barriers, but we like the SAFER Barriers. It's going to create great racing. Besides, when have you ever come to Darlington and seen a boring race?'' ''You're taking spoiler away. You're taking race track away,'' Gordon said. ''The track continues to age and it just gets more and more difficult and the bumps get worse. The grip gets less and it just makes you have to really fight that much harder to stay off the walls. I know what it was like for me in practice. To run all night tomorrow, it's going to be tough to stay off the walls.''(Tennessean)

• NC Governor Lobbying Efforts: Gov. Mike Easley on Tuesday takes another spin in the No. 48 race car, which he crashed into a track wall two ears ago, to boost North Carolina's claim on the NASCAR all-star race and hall of fame. Easley is slated to join a cadre of current and retired NASCAR drivers when he rumbles the Hendrick Motorsports vehicle two blocks from the governor's mansion to the Legislative Building, a safer and shorter distance than the high-speed lap during which he crashed in 2003. (Jimmie Johnson's car was repaired. Easley's pride was the only injury.) (ThatsRacin)

• Talladega Ratings Huge: Talladega's TV ratings Sunday were sizzling, a 7.6 national, the best ever for that race and the third-best NASCAR rating outside the Daytona 500. Last year's race drew a 6.3.  The Talladega race blew out ABC's NBA playoffs (a 2.9 rating). Gains in some key markets were impressive - Boston ratings were up 72 percent, Milwaukee up 41 percent, Portland up 38 percent, Las Vegas up 32 percent, Sacramento up 26 percent, Chicago up 21 percent, Denver up 19 percent, San Francisco up 15 percent, and Minneapolis up 14 percent. (Salem-Journal)

• MB2 On the Move: Three more Nextel Cup teams will call Race City USA home when MB2 Motorsports moves into the vacant Eaton-Aeroquip complex in late summer. Vacant since 2003, Eaton’s former automotive complex on N.C. 115 at Timber Road, south of downtown, will now house the teams of drivers Joe Nemechek (No. 1 U.S. Army Chevrolet), Scott Riggs (No. 10 Valvoline Chevrolet), and Boris Said (No. 136 CENTRIX Financial Chevrolet), MB2 officials said Thursday. (Mooresville Tribune)

• Fox Red Flag Controversy: Television viewers can now expect to know promptly when a NASCAR race has been put under the red flag after having that information temporarily withheld on the past two Nextel Cup telecasts on Fox Sports. During last week's Aaron's 499 from Talladega Superspeedway, announcers were told over Fox's internal communications not to mention the term "red flag" through two segments following a 25-car wreck on Lap 133. When The Charlotte Observer this week asked for an explanation of the practice, that request set off an in-house discussion of the practice that went all the way up to David Hill, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Sports.  "It was a stupid thing to do," Hill said. "I've never heard anything so ridiculous." (ThatsRacin)

• Krista Voda Out? If speed doesn't sell on Speed, then maybe sex will. What else is there to make of the news from the cable channel that Leeann Tweeden, a one-time spokesman/lingerie model for Frederick's of Hollywood, a layout model in Playboy, a Hooters calendar girl, and cover girl for men's magazine FHM, could be replacing Krista Voda, a veteran sports reporter, on its NASCAR shows? (Salem-Journal)

• Kahne Wins Dodge Charger 500 Poll: Everybody wants to ask Kasey Kahne about his winless streak in Nextel Cup racing, but at the time he won the pole on Friday for the Dodge 500 he'd never lost a night race at Darlington Raceway. "I've only been in one and I won that," Kahne said after running a lap at 170.024 mph to earn the No. 1 starting spot for Saturday night's Nextel Cup event. (The State - Line up)

May 6, 2005

• PR Wire: Darlington Driver Previews

• S. Carolina Tags Support Children: Nearly five years after parking his race car at the Statehouse, Jeff Burton has seen the success of an idea he supported to help troubled children. The plan, backed by Burton and his wife, Kim, to use proceeds from sales of South Carolina NASCAR license plates for charity gave its first major donation of $17,000 from the South Carolina Emergency Shelter Foundation to the McCormick Children's Home Inc. "This is a really neat deal," Burton told The Associated Press by telephone this week. "For a while, we weren't sure how this would turn out. We're really glad it's going like this." (CNN/SI)

• Bristol Wants new Tax on Campers at BMS: Bristol Tennessee leaders want to extend the city’s hotel-motel tax to cover the private campgrounds that fill with race fans twice a year. The extension of the hotel-motel tax would levy a 5 percent charge on each motor home, tent or camper set up on more than 70 private campgrounds. On a $300 campground bill, the tax would be a mere $15 – an amount not likely to keep anyone away from the world’s fastest half-mile. Campground owners who make that argument are being disingenuous. Campground operators would collect the tax for the city, but they would get a small fee for their efforts – two percent of the total amount. That covers whatever small costs are involved. (TriCities)

• Fl. HOF Fate to be determined Today? Miami's bid for a $60 million state subsidy to help build a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins is dead, Senate President Tom Lee said Thursday. Lee also said "it's not looking good" for other sports subsidies, including $30 million for a NASCAR hall of fame in Daytona Beach and facilities for the Orlando Magic and spring training facilities. The fate of the NASCAR subsidy likely will be decided today, the last day of the legislative session.  Lee didn't anticipate even bringing the bill up for debate on Friday, the final day of the session.  George Mirabal, president of The Chamber, Daytona Beach/Halifax Area, said the setback to the NASCAR hall proposal was a disappointment but by no means did it signal the end of the project. (News-Journal)

• NASCAR Tire Rule Changes? A NASCAR spokesman confirmed Thursday that the sanctioning body could require teams to lease tires instead of buy them during race weekends, with the long-term purpose of limiting testing. NASCAR representatives have been in contact with Indy Racing League officials about a similar policy it uses in the IndyCar Series, spokesman Jim Hunter said. Under current IRL rules, teams are supplied with between seven and nine sets of tires for an event, depending on its distance, and a maximum of 35 sets for Indianapolis 500 activities during May. At the end of each event, teams must return all of those tires. (ThatsRacin)

• NASCAR Exec's Head North: Daytona executives are expected to fly north in the next week or two to check out possibilities for their planned north-of-the-border expansion. And the latest thinking is that the Mosport road course near Toronto has moved to the top of the NASCAR list. Canadian sources say that it is almost a certainty that NASCAR will schedule a Busch race in Canada in 2006, hoping for success similar to that of its Mexico City venture of two months ago. The two cities in the running are Toronto, the country's largest, with 5.3 million in the greater metropolitan area, and Montreal, the second largest, with 3.2 million. (Salem-Journal)

May 5, 2005

• PR Wire: Lowe's Motor Speedway Record Purse, American Idol's Performing

• Wallace Contacts Injured RCR Crewman: Contrary to a recent report, Rusty Wallace said Thursday that he had, in fact, attempted to contact Richard Childress Racing crewman Josh Yost throughout the past week.  "I left him messages," Wallace said. "If he listens to his messages at his house he'll see I called and left a long, apologetic message."  Wallace and Yost finally spoke via cell phone Thursday morning. "I just spoke with him and he's fine," Wallace said.  Yost, the jack man for Jeff Burton's No. 31 Cingular Chevrolet, was struck by Wallace's Dodge during a pit stop in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.  An RCR team spokesman who had spoken directly with Yost on Wednesday told NASCAR.COM's Marty Smith that Wallace had not yet spoken with Yost. (NASCAR)

• PR Wire: NEXTEL Recipient of Award of Excellence

• Gordon Fast in Lowe's Testing: Jeff Gordon ripped his way around the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway during testing Wednesday night with a lap at 189.056 mph, according to unofficial stopwatches.  That was almost 3 mph faster than his nearest rival. The 28.563-second lap was a tick faster than the track record of 28.590 seconds, 188.877 mph, set last year by Ryan Newman.  Gordon's lap came as teams concentrated on long runs. Seventeen teams took part in the two days of testing. Defending NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr., preparing for his Coca-Cola 600 debut, posted a lap at 186.464 mph in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. All three of the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. cars were on hand for Tuesday's portion of the two-day test, but teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip opted to skip the final day. (TheState) Top Ten Speeds on Testing Page

• FIA and NASCAR; Olympic type drug testing? So far NASCAR executives have managed to keep their sport out of the line of fire, although the FIA, which is racing's ultimate governing body, says it will enforce Olympics-type drug testing on any series under it purview. NASCAR officials have dismissed the FIA decision with a shrug of the shoulders, saying it doesn't cover NASCAR. Are steroids an issue in NASCAR?  Crew chief Chad Knaus and others say that steroids could be an issue in stock-car racing, but if so, it would be a pit-road issue.  "Oh, yeah, definitely," Knaus said. "Whether it's being practiced or not, I have no idea. (Salem-Journal)

• Iowa Signs Newton Track Bill: Iowa Governor Vilsack has signed a 12-and-a-half-(m)-million-dollar package aimed at prompting the development of a NASCAR-style auto racing facility that's planned just off Interstate 80 in Newton.  The governor says the proposed racetrack will strengthen the state's efforts to expand cultural attractions and recreational opportunities, diversify Iowa's economy and attract more people to the state.  Vilsack was surrounded by lawmakers and Newton Mayor Chaz Allen at the bill signing today (Wednesday) in Newton. (Whotv)

May 4, 2005

• NASCAR Announces 11 Penalties on Crew Chiefs: NASCAR announced today that 11 penalties have been issued to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competitors, as a result of rule infractions this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. (More)

• Junior Blames Johnson and calls him "idiot": Dale Earnhardt Jr. called Jimmie Johnson an "idiot," and blamed the Nextel Cup series points leader for causing a 25-car accident at Talladega Superspeedway.  "If there was one idiot out there it was him," Earnhardt said during a break Tuesday in a test session at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "To be honest about it, I think Jimmie Johnson caused about all the wrecks out there." Earlier Tuesday, Greg Biffle blamed Johnson for the six-car accident that knocked Biffle and Earnhardt out of contention in the closing laps.  Johnson deflected criticism for both accidents, saying the first was a series of events that culminated in the big wreck and the second was "hard racing." (SunSentinel)

• NASCAR Official Recovers from Surgery: Veteran Official Pete Babb Recovering from Cardiac Surgery: Pete Babb, NASCAR’s senior official who has served the sport for more than 50 years working in a variety of capacities, is recovering from cardiac surgery that was performed on Monday, May 2 at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. Babb, who celebrated his 78th birthday on April 30, has most recently been a fixture in the NASCAR Busch Series garage. He was at his post at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend before being transported to the hospital. Babb will remain at Carraway before returning to his home in Chesapeake, Va., to continue his recovery. “Pete is a beloved and respected figure,” said NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter. “He will be in everyone’s thoughts and prayers. We wish him all the best. People like Pete Babb helped make NASCAR the great sport it is today.”  (NASCAR PR)

• Charlotte Testing Numbers: Lowe's Motor Speedway's renovated racing surface continued to receive rave reviews Tuesday night as 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams prepared for the May 21 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. With teams focusing on long runs and race set-ups, several drivers consistently posted laps in the mid-180 mph range, just shy of Ryan Newman's 188-mph track record.  Brian Vickers was fastest on the unofficial stopwatches with a lap at 186.130 mph in the No. 25 GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, but his night ended against the outside wall.  1. Brian Vickers, 25, 186.130; 2. Bobby Labonte, 18, 185.592; 3. Jeff Gordon, 24, 185.554; 4. Mark Martin, 6, 185.491; 5. Jeremy Mayfield, 19, 185.312; 6. Casey Mears, 41, 185.039; 7. Joe Nemechek 01, 184.982; 8. Kyle Busch, 5, 184.603; 9. Martin Truex Jr., 1, 184.300; 10. Kevin Harvick, 29, 184.281.  (LMS PR)

• New Hampshire Testing: New Hampshire International Speedway will host three NASCAR test sessions in 2005. On Monday, June 27, the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams will test on the 1.058 mile oval at “The Magic Mile.” Both series will be preparing for their first visit of the 2005 season on Thursday, July 14 and Friday, July 15. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series teams will have the opportunity to test from Monday, July 4 through Wednesday, July 6. With NASCAR impounding the cars after qualifying, teams will be seeking to find the right balance for success during the New England 300 weekend on July 15 through 17. On Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday, August 31, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams will have one final chance to perfect their set-ups for the September 18 SYLVANIA 300, the first race in the 2005 “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.” The Main Grandstand will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all test days. There will be no charge for admission to the grandstand area. (NHIS PR)

May 3, 2005

• Oregon Back in the NW Track Running: A new NASCAR track for Oregon isnt dead just yet.  A NASCAR source says International Speedway Corporation is looking at land in Marion, Polk, and Linn counties. It would be for a new one-mile race track to be completed by 2008.  Sources say the track would bring thousands of new jobs to the mid-valley and millions of dollars into the areas economy. Opponents say a drawback in getting a new track in Oregon is Measure 37. (CNNSI)

• Crewman Released:  Josh Yost, a crewman on Jeff Burton's NASCAR Nextel Cup team, has been released from a Birmingham hospital after being treated for torn ligaments and a severe cut on his right ankle.  A team spokesman says Yost flew home to North Carolina on Sunday night and is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the ligaments today at a Winston-Salem hospital. (AL.com)

• Richmond NASCAR Testing:  Richmond International Raceway will hold its biggest day of testing on Tuesday, May 3 in preparation for the May 13-14 NASCAR doubleheader. Participants include: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series/NASCAR Busch Series drivers Elliott Sadler, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and Dave Blaney, along with NASCAR Busch Series drivers Reed Sorenson, Tim Fedewa, Clint Bowyer, Jon Wood and Bobby East. Also on hand at RIR on Tuesday will be NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Rudd, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Green and Hermie Sadler. Drivers will test in preparation for the FUNAI 250 and Chevy American Revolution 400. The grandstands will be open free to the public 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (RIR PR)

• Shepherd Honors Mothers: In honor of Mother's Day, for one dollar, fans can put their mom's name on Morgan Shepherd's No. 89 Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge at Darlington on Saturday night.  "If it was a race on Sunday, I wouldn't be there," said Shepherd, a former hell-raiser who is a born-again Christian. "Mother's Day is a very special day and I wouldn't want to race on it. With the race on Saturday night, I'm very proud to drive the car. ... We get to honor mothers, with the name of Jesus on the car, too, so it's very special." Money raised by Shepherd will go toward the Fanz to Support the Darlington Racing Tradition and local charities. (Detroit Free Press)

• NASCAR Nation to cut 30 mins.? There are also reports that the Speed Channel 's NASCAR Nation show will soon be dramatically revamped, in light of generally poor ratings. The show is likely to be cut from an hour to 30 minutes, and its focus is to change from hard racing reports to more soft entertainment features. (Salem-Journal)

• Fake Merchandise Seized: Law enforcement officials seized more than $160,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise during last weekend's NASCAR race in Talladega, Ala. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Marc Raimondi says more than 7,000 items were confiscated. (USA Today)

• SPEED Rating UP: Talladega NASCAR coverage was a hit with SPEED Channel viewers last weekend as more than one million households tuned in for coverage of NEXTEL Cup qualifying Friday. Live qualifying coverage on SPEED drew a Nielsen Household Rating of 1.10 (696,000 households), while the replay scored a .56 (354,000 households) later in the day.  SPEED Channel's "Trackside"program went out to more than half a million households, scoring .68 (433,000 households) for its live broadcast Friday night. (SPEED)

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]