Harvick's time
disallowed, Berrier removed from speedway: Crew
chief Todd Berrier was suspended for Sunday's race at
Talladega Superspeedway after Kevin Harvick's car failed
inspection. Harvick qualified second for the race, but
his Chevrolet was disqualified after NASCAR found three
violations in the trunk area. Car owner Richard
Childress was called into the NASCAR office Saturday
morning and told that Berrier had been ordered from the
track. It's not clear how long the suspension will last.
Berrier sat out four races at the beginning of this
season when he was caught rigging Harvick's fuel tank.
He also was fined $25,000 and the team was docked
points. Childress spent an hour arguing with NASCAR on
Berrier's behalf. "If I said what I wanted to say right
now I'd probably be in bigger trouble than Todd,"
Childress said. "All I can say is it's a new era in
NASCAR." Harvick's car failed inspection Friday because
the trunk area was not properly sealed, the fuel vent
was not vented to the outside of the car and doors that
open from the inside of the trunk to the car's shock
absorbers were open when they should have been closed.
He will now start 42nd on Sunday and Childress said he
would move on top of the pit box to help call Harvick's
race. Childress did the same thing during Berrier's
first suspension and the team responded by winning the
race in Bristol, Tenn. (The
Sporting News)
Hendrick Motorsports
to pay overtime: Hendrick Motorsports will pay more
than $350,000 in back overtime wages to employees after
an investigation found the racing company violated
federal labor laws. The company, which designs, builds
and races cars in NASCAR acknowledged it failed to pay
214 salaried production workers $351,783 in overtime
between July 2003 and July 2005. The U.S. Labor
Department said it determined Hendrick violated the Fair
Labor Standards Act. "We certainly wanted to make sure
our employees received any compensation to which they
were entitled, so we were glad to make the appropriate
payments," Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex told The
Associated Press on Saturday in an e-mail. "We've
updated our internal policies and do not anticipate any
ongoing issues." (Newsday)
Stewart on the Chris
Myers Show: NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is brash,
unforgiving and willing to do anything to win. He has
managed to become racing's hero and villain
simultaneously. Not afraid of bumping another driver to
gain just the slightest open space he can exploit,
Stewart is also deeply respectful of the sport and his
competitors. As he prepares to try to climb up the
standings from fifth to first in the Nextel Chase for
the Cup, he sits down for a candid interview with Chris
Myers, touching on NASCAR, team owner Joe Gibbs and why
the media is convinced he hates Jeff Gordon. CMI: THE
CHRIS MYERS INTERVIEW WITH TONY STEWART is telecast on
Sun., Oct. 2 at 10:30 PM local. Stewart, the 2002 NASCAR
points champion, is one of the most intense drivers in
racing. His outbursts on the track make sports
television highlights and NASCAR's lowlights. When he
feels another driver made a mistake that cost him,
Stewart is quick to show his displeasure. His screaming
rants at other drivers are legendary in NASCAR circles.
And because he knows that unlike most professions, every
time he gets in a car, it's a life and death situation,
Stewart sees no reason to hide his emotions. Myers gets
Stewart to open up about those emotions, why he thinks
he'll stick with smaller tracks after his career is over
and asks Stewart point blank about his on-track rivalry
with Jeff Gordon. (FSN PR)
Suit over NASCAR
Drivers: 360: Two Middle Tennessee video
producers are taking on NASCAR, claiming that the
company stole their ideas for a reality television show
they pitched in 2001. Andrew Baird, who resides in
Sumner County, and Bill Balsley, of Williamson County,
say the television program NASCAR Drivers: 360,
now in its second season on cable's FX Network, is based
on an idea they'd hatched. Baird and Balsley have sued
the stock car racing giant, its associated firms NASCAR
Images and NASCAR Digital Entertainment, and Dave Hall,
an agent who was to broker the deal. Yesterday several
motions were heard in the suit in Sumner County Circuit
Court as both sides prepare for a trial next August. "We
allege that my clients went to NASCAR with the ideas,
that they spoke with upper levels of management and that
we had an oral agreement with them,'' said Andy Allman,
attorney for Baird and Balsley. NASCAR's Nashville
attorney, Eddie Wayland, said, "We feel the lawsuit is
without merit and we intend to vigorously defend them
against the lawsuit." The lawsuit, which seeks $20
million and punitive damages, alleges that Baird and
Balsley created a program they titled Drafting. (The
Tenneasean)
NASCAR sends back
Dodge's proposed new nose: NASCAR has not made a
final decision on whether to approve a new nose for
Dodge Charger next season. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice
president for competition, said the nose Dodge officials
submitted for approval has been sent back with suggested
revisions. If Dodge doesn't accept the changes, there
will be no changes to the nose for next season,
Pemberton said. Dodge teams have complained the car's
pronounced nose and front grille has a tendency to
collect trash off the track that leads to engine
overheating. (Miami
Herald)
Jarrett criticizes
Media for being easy on NASCAR: Dale Jarrett
yesterday took NASCAR to task for its subjective rules
enforcement and blamed the media for not holding
officials more accountable. Jarrett was furious over the
fact that Jimmie Johnson's car failed a post-race height
inspection after last Sunday's win at Dover, yet NASCAR
took no action against the Nextel Cup points leader.
"They don't pass inspection, they're allowed to sit
there and jump up and down on their cars and whatever
they need to do … everything I saw (reported) was either
on the back page or the next-to-last page," Jarrett
fumed after qualifying second for tomorrow's UAW-Ford
500 at Talladega Superspeedway. "I'm sorry, but I'm not
understanding what you all (media) are doing here."
Jarrett, who failed to make the Chase for the Nextel
Cup, continued: "You talk about rules — if you're gonna
have (height) requirements I didn't realize they had a
24-hour waiting period for these … things to settle
down. I'm fired up about this. I don't understand it." (The
Tennessean) Wasn't Jarrett the one refusing to
answer or comment from the media after Bristol?
Kyle Busch calls
NASCAR shock rule "silly": Kyle Busch said he thinks
NASCAR was wrong to change rules on how shock absorbers
can be built to address the shocks that were on his car
and teammate Jimmie Johnson's at Dover a week ago. "The
Dale Earnhardt Inc. gang has found something that really
helps them on the restrictor-plate tracks, and they're
able to dominate," Busch said. "Probably three years or
so they've been able to use whatever they use and win
races. "But in the downforce races, which are most of
the season, we found a little advantage there. It's not
that the other teams don't have an opportunity to find
that ... it's just that they haven't worked as hard as
we have. "For any advantage to be taken away from me is
honestly silly."" (ThatsRacin)
Parts confiscated
from Talladega:
NASCAR
officials confiscated unapproved fuel cell foam from the
#8 Budweiser Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #89 Dodge
of Morgan Shepherd during pre-qualifying inspections.
Shepherd failed to make the field. An unapproved window
net was also taken from the #25 GMAC Chevy of Brian
Vickers. (Alabama
Live)
Still possibility of
McMurray departure for
'07? #42-Jamie McMurray said leaving Chip Ganassi
Racing a year early to join [#6] Roush Racing remains a
possibility. "If people above me get things worked out
and it happens, I'd rather be at Roush Racing next year
because that's where my future is," said McMurray, who
has a year left at Ganassi and signed with Roush for
2007. "It's going to be tough to stay with a team that
you know you're not going to be with the following
year." This week, #97-Kurt Busch affirmed #2-Rusty
Wallace's comment at Dover that lawyers are working to
move up Busch's departure from Roush Racing to Penske
Racing South by a year. (Richmond
Times Dispatch)
Best Western joins
Waltrip and Bill Davis Racing:
Best Western
International, the Official Hotel of NASCAR, announced
that it has partnered with Bill Davis Racing (BDR) as an
associate sponsor on the 2006 Dodge Charger driven in
the NEXTEL Cup Series by Michael Waltrip. “We are
thrilled to be teaming with Bill Davis Racing in 2006,”
said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing
for Best Western. “A respected member of the NASCAR
community who has helped to set the standard for the
sport, Bill brings a wealth of experience and
demonstrated success to the business. With the addition
of Michael, Bill Davis Racing provides us with a
complete, marketable package.” Bill Davis announced last
week his plans for re-establishing BDR as a multi-car
team through a partnership with Waltrip. In January
2004, Best Western entered into a multi-year agreement
as the Official Hotel of NASCAR. During the 2004 and
2005 seasons, the company has also served as an
associate sponsor of Waltrip and the DEI-owned #15 NAPA
Chevy. In addition, the hotel chain has partnered with
Michael Waltrip Racing for the last two years, serving
as primary sponsor of Waltrip’s Busch Series #99 Chevy
for the 2004 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix
International Raceway; and the 2005 Zippo 200 at Watkins
Glen International. For more information, visit:
bestwesternracing.com.
(BDR)
Sadler wins the Pole:
Elliott Sadler won the pole on Friday for the
NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega
Superspeedway. Now if he can only keep his No. 38 M&M's
Ford off its roof on Sunday. Sadler turned a lap of
189.260 mph around the 2.66-mile tri-oval to earn the
first starting position, but he has a history of
spectacular crashes in Talladega's fall race.
Sadler will be joined on the front row by Robert Yates
Racing teammate Dale Jarrett, who was the last
non-Chevrolet driver to win a Cup race at Talladega.
Since Jarrett won the 1998 fall race, Chevrolets have
won 13 straight, including five by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
and three by Jeff Gordon. "It's going to be tough to win
here Sunday for a Ford, I think," Sadler said. "I think
we have to work together good. We've also got to try to
keep the 24 (Gordon) and 48 (points leader Jimmie
Johnson) away from each other. We've got to try to keep
the 8 (Earnhardt) and the 15 (2003 race winner Michael
Waltrip) separated. (AL.com)
Sep. 30, 2005:
Daytona officials say
no plans to add Daytona 500 sponsor: Daytona
officials confirmed talking with DaimlerChrysler about
naming rights for the Daytona Craftsman Truck Series
race, but they say that there are no plans to add a
sponsorship name to the Daytona 500. The season's first
race hasn't been sponsored since STP dropped its
marketing of it in 1993 after sponsoring it as "The
Daytona 500 by STP" for several years. (Salem-Journal)
NASCAR drivers visit
Gulf Region: NASCAR drivers were shocked by the
extent of the damage in the Gulf Coast when they flew
down for a visit Thursday. The drivers know they’ve got
a lot of fans on the coast and the trip was a chance for
them to tell the people down there that they had fans
too. The flight went to Waveland, Mississippi, Katrina’s
ground zero. The mission was to swap out Charlotte SWAT
team members protecting Carolina Medical Center’s (CMC)
mobile hospital, MED-1. At MED-1 there was a surprise,
drivers Casey Mears, David Stremme and Kevin Hamlin. For
the drivers it was a first look at the devastation. “(We
wanted) To show our support for the Carolina’s medical
team,” said Hamlin. In five weeks, MED-1 has treated
over 5,000 patients. (WCNC)
More on Hendrick post
race inspection, including new shock rule? Roush
Racing president Geoff Smith said he expects NASCAR
officials to issue a technical bulletin as early as
Friday outlawing the trick shock absorbers used by
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Johnson and Kyle Busch in
their 1-2 finish Sunday at Dover International Speedway.
Instead of soaking up bumps, as shocks normally are
designed to do, Smith said the Hendrick cars' shocks
were designed almost to work in reverse; every time they
hit a bump, the shocks jacked up the car's rear end for
about 15 seconds. Because cars encounter frequent bumps
at Dover, the shocks apparently kept the Hendrick cars'
tails elevated about an inch beyond what NASCAR rules
allow for most of the race, directing more air to the
cars' rear spoilers and creating extra aerodynamic "downforce"
that helped the cars stick to the track. Cheating? Not
exactly, Smith said. "It was clearly an ingenious
engineering exercise, and they ought to be commended for
their ingenuity," he said. Johnson's team declined
comment through a spokesperson. This explains why the
two Hendrick cars failed an initial technical inspection
by NASCAR officials Sunday night but passed the
maximum-height requirement after they "settled," as
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston explained this week.
Officials confiscated the Hendrick cars' shocks after
the race, along with shocks from four other cars. Smith
expects NASCAR to prohibit all teams from using such
shocks beginning with the Oct. 9 race at Kansas
Speedway. The Hendrick shocks wouldn't help in this
weekend's race because downforce isn't a major concern
at Talladega and teams typically try to get their cars
as low to the ground as possible without violating
NASCAR's minimum height requirements. (In part from
USA Today)
Blaney to carry
special Texas paint scheme voted by the fans: When
driver Dave Blaney, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and
the Jack Daniel’s Racing Team hit the track at Texas
Motor Speedway on November 6, the No. 07 Chevrolet Monte
Carlo will be sporting a “Pride of Texas” paint scheme
chosen by race fans in the Lone Star State. Beginning
October 3, race fans and consumers can visit the Jack
Daniel’s racing website (www.jackracing.com/texas)
and choose from three different paint schemes for the
car – all specially designed to honor the great state of
Texas. At the end of the month, folks at the Jack Daniel
Distillery will tally all the on-line votes and host a
special unveiling of the car in the Dallas/Fort Worth
area prior to the Dickies 500. In addition to the new
Texas-themed paint scheme, the No. 07 car will, as
always, carry the RCR/Jack Daniel’s sponsorship message
of “Pace Yourself. Drink Responsibly.” (RCR PR)
R. Gordon new
sponsor: Carloans.com has come on board as a new
associate sponsor for the balance of the 2005 season and
will continue to support Robby Gordon Motorsports
through 2006. (RG
Motorsports)
Sep. 29, 2005:
Johnson's car to low
in Inspection but passes: NASCAR was
apparently listening to the chatter between several
drivers and their crews last Sunday at Dover, Del. After
hearing several teams talk about the unusual setup of
Jimmie Johnson's winning Chevrolet, the sanctioning body
confiscated the rear shock absorbers from six teams
following the MBNA RacePoints 400. Several teams talked
on their radios about the height of Johnson's right-rear
quarter panel. Radio announcers from MRN even talked
about it during the race. NASCAR confirmed Johnson's car
originally flunked post-race inspection for being too
high, but it later passed once the shock "settled." The
second-place car from Kyle Busch, Johnson's teammate at
Hendrick Motorsports, also was too high. If the rear of
the car is high, it pushes up the rear spoiler and helps
it gain traction in the corners. NASCAR took the rear
shocks from Johnson and Busch, as well as those from
Ford drivers Mark Martin and Greg Biffle and Dodge
drivers Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace. (Florida
Times Union)
Stewart helps to
build Racing themed playground in Talladega: NASCAR
driver Tony Stewart along with volunteers from The Home
Depot, Joe Gibbs Racing, KaBOOM! and members of the
Talladega, Ala., community are joining forces to build a
racing-themed playground in just one day at Hal
Henderson Elementary School. The playground is part of
The Home Depot's Racing to Play program that is aimed at
making a lasting, positive impression in the lives of
at-risk children who live in NASCAR race communities.
The playground's design is based on drawings by children
from the school and will provide a safe and healthy play
space. The school's playground equipment is more than 50
years old and is unsafe for daily use by the more than
220 children that attend the school. This project is
part of KaBOOM! and The Home Depot's effort to create
and refurbish 1,000 playspaces in 1,000 days. During the
month of September, The Home Depot is leading a
Corporate Month of Service in which nearly 30
corporations and organizations pledge to contribute
500,000 volunteer hours toward more than 2,000 community
service projects that will impact the lives of more than
2 million people. (Talladega Superspeedway PR)
Labonte to Hall of
Fame Racing?The race
team started by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach
and Troy Aikman has cars and a crew chief. Now it needs
a driver. The team hired Philippe Lopez Tuesday as its
first crew chief. The team will use cars and engines
built at Joe Gibbs Racing. The next step is to hire a
driver. Several have talked with the team, and current
Gibbs driver Bobby Labonte is considered one of the
favorites. (In part from
Florida Times Union)
#9 Dodge to go
Bling Bling at Lowe's: Kasey Kahne had the most
dominant car in the race when the No. 9 Evernham
Motorsports Dodge Charger last carried the distinctive
blue, black and silver Mopar paint scheme in the Fall
2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Kahne is hoping for that same Charlotte magic October 15
when he once again sports the Mopar colors in the
primary position on his Dodge Charger. "The last time
that I ran the Mopar paint scheme at Charlotte, it was
the best car I had in my life," Kahne said. "It's cool
to run a completely different paint scheme, especially
under the lights. We were dominant last year, leading
over 200 laps. Hopefully, this year we can come back as
a tough competitor." The Mopar "bling-bling" paint
scheme that Kahne will carry was designed by Competition
Graphics of Farmington Hills, Mich. Featuring the Mopar
"M" logo, as well as the barbed wire paint scheme
utilized by Team Mopar throughout the 2005 season,
Kahne's car will carry on the brand's unique and
authentic motorsports influence. (Evernham Racing PR)
More on Ferrell movie
including Talladega taping and D.W.: The folks
congregating for the races this weekend at Alabama's
175,000-capacity Talladega Superspeedway will have some
interesting visitors on hand - Will Ferrell and company,
shooting scenes for the yet-untitled Columbia comedy in
which he plays a NASCAR driver named Ricky Bobby. "It's
going to be fun, probably pretty rough and hectic,"
guesses Leslie Bibb, who's playing the highly manicured
wife of Will's character. She makes it clear they're not
mocking NASCAR. "The people in NASCAR are going to love
the movie," she says. "They're an integral part of it.
We're not spoofing them - this huge, fastest-growing
sport in America. It's definitely getting their OK
stamp." The flick also features John C. Reilly, Sacha
Baron Cohen (Ali G), Michael Clarke Duncan, Gary Cole
and a string of star cameos. (L.A.
Daily) Also, Waltrip has been busy lately,
working on the new Pixar film, Cars, and has committed
to an upcoming film featuring Will Ferrell as a racecar
driver. "Larry, Mike and I are gonna be in the Will
Ferrell movie," Waltrip said, referring to his fellow
truck announcers. "I’m sure we’ll be in a booth calling
a race somewhere." (Bristol
Herald Courier)
No lights at Dover
for 2006: After another successful race weekend at
Dover International Speedway, the rumor mill has again
begun to turn. The construction of new light
towers in the infield of Dover Downs Raceway, the
harness racing track owned and operated by Dover Downs
Gaming & Entertainment, Inc., have led some to believe
that lights are being added to motorsports events at the
one-mile concrete oval. Dover International Speedway has
no plans to add lights in 2006. "There is no truth to
the rumor that lights will be added in 2006 at Dover
International Speedway," said Denis McGlynn, CEO and
president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. The new harness
track lights are currently being erected in 26 locations
around the property to replace the original lights which
were installed when the track opened in 1969. The
installation of the lights will be completed at Dover
Downs Raceway in time for the opening of the 2005-2006
season on Oct. 31, 2005. NASCAR action returns to Dover
International Speedway next year for two tripleheaders
in 2006 on June 2-4 and Sept. 22-24. Tickets for the
June 2-4 race weekend are now on sale, and can be
obtained by calling 800-441-RACE or online at
www.DoverSpeedway.com. (Dover Speedway PR)
NASCAR on TNT ratings
up 11% over 2004: Turner Network Television’s (TNT)
seven-race NASCAR coverage drove home record-setting
ratings this season, boasting an 11 percent increase for
NEXTEL Cup races on the network over the prior year.
TNT’s banner year for race coverage included televising
cable’s top three NASCAR races of all time in household
delivery, including the July 24th NEXTEL Cup race from
Pocono, PA (5,137,000 HH, 4.7 US rating), the July 17th
NEXTEL Cup race from Loudon, NH (4,954,000 HH, 4.5 US
rating) and the August 21st NEXTEL Cup race from
Brooklyn, MI (4,889,000 HH, 4.5 US rating). The network
concluded its NASCAR coverage on September 25th with
NEXTEL Cup racing from Dover, DE drawing a 3.1 US rating
(3,411,000 HH), on par with the race the year prior.
(Turner Sports PR)
MB2 Motorsports' New
Shop Near is Completion: The NASCAR Nextel Cup teams
of MB2 Motorsports are scheduled to move into their new
facility in Mooresville, N.C. the week of Oct. 10. The
144,000-square foot complex will give the multi-team
organization more than three times the space of its
current shop in Concord, N.C. "This will be our third
shop since MB2 Motorsports was founded in the summer of
1996," said Jay Frye, MB2's CEO and general manager.
"Our first shop was in Mooresville, and when we look
back at the size of that facility at 8,000 square feet
and compare it to what we're about to move into, it
really hits home how far we have come in a relatively
short period of time." The state-of-the-art new MB2
headquarters, located in Iredell County east of I 77 at
exit 33, will also include a fan-friendly viewing area
of the spacious race shop. ( MB2 Motorsports PR)
Dover ratings
slightly down:
TNT says its
coverage of Sunday's MBNA Racepoints 400 from Dover
International Speedway earned a 3.1 U.S. rating, down
from 3.2 in 2004, but says its average for its seven Cup
races this season was up 11% from 2004. TNT says its
races this year included three of cable television's top
NASCAR races of all time in household delivery,
including the July 24 race at Pocono, (5.14 million
households, 4.7 U.S. rating), the July 17 race at New
Hampshire (4.95 million households, 4.5 U.S. rating),
and the Aug. 21 race at Michigan International Speedway
(4.89 million households, 4.5 U.S. rating). (NASCAR
Scene Daily Newsletter)
Target, #41 & BCRF
Team Up: in the Fight Against Breast Cancer In honor
of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Target, Chip Ganassi
Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) and Casey Mears will
team up once again to promote breast cancer awareness to
racing fans across the country. The #41 Target Dodge
will sport a special pink paint scheme for the second
year in a row that will carry the logo of The Breast
Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Mears will take the
helm of the pink Dodge Charger for five NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup races in October: Talladega, Kansas, Lowe's Motor
Speedway, Martinsville and Atlanta. There are 30 million
female NASCAR fans in the United States, and according
to the most recent statistics, the chances of a woman
having invasive breast cancer during her lifetime is
about one in seven. Therefore, over four million of
NASCAR's female fans may be affected by breast cancer in
their lifetime. Mears will auction his one-of-a-kind
BCRF helmet designed and donated by Troy Lee Designs on
eBay with all of the proceeds going directly to BCRF.
Mears will be wearing this special helmet in all five
races in October. The bidding will run from October 1
through the end of month. Target and Action Performance
have created a diecast replica of the pink #41 Target
Dodge, as well as special Target/BCRF t-shirts and hats.
These items will be sold online, at the Chip Ganassi
Racing with Felix Sabates shop and at Mears' trackside
trailer. Target, Action, CGRFS and Mears have all agreed
to donate the profits from the sale of these items to
the BCRF. Target will unveil, for the second consecutive
year, an exclusive line of pink-themed products. The
pink product collection will be available online at
www.target.com/breastcancer with select items
available in stores starting October 1 through October
31. For more information about BCRF visit
www.bcrfcure.org.(Chip
Ganassi Racing)
Sep. 28, 2005:
Update on #31 Crew
member Yost: Team Cingular overcame an overheating
problem and an injury to jackman Josh Yost to post their
second top-10 finish of the season. Following multiple
surgeries to repair damage to the tendons in his ankle,
Yost started walking in mid-July and began therapy in
August. He is currently in physical therapy two to three
times a week and hopes to gain clearance from the
doctors in order to return to work in the shop at RCR in
November. (RCR Weekly Release)
Mobil #12 Crew wins
Checkers(R)/Rally's(R) Double Drive-Thru Challenge:
The No. 12 Mobil 1(R)/Speedpass(TM) Team with driver
Ryan Newman was awarded $10,000 for winning the
Checkers(R)/Rally's(R) Double Drive-Thru Challenge for
the seventh time this season at the MBNA RacePoints
400(R) at Dover International Speedway on September 25th
with a pit-road-service time of 238.872 seconds. "The
Mobil 1/Speedpass pit crew has been phenomenal all
season and it shows with its seven Checkers/Rally's
Double Drive-Thru Challenge victories," said Newman.
"Now, it's crucial that their performance stay at that
level throughout the remainder of the 'Chase'." The No.
12 Team's seventh win places it two victories ahead of
the No. 2 Miller Lite(R) and No. 20 Home Depot(R) teams
for the coveted $100,000 grand prize to be awarded at
season's end. Newman's team has also captured the
Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge at NASCAR(R)
NEXTEL(R) Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
Phoenix International Raceway, Darlington Raceway,
Infineon Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, and
New Hampshire International Speedway. (Checkers Drive-In
PR)
California Race Fans
Raise over 200k for Hurricane Relief: In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the need to assist
our fellow Americans, race fans in Southern California
bonded together to help those affected by this natural
disaster. According to figures released by the American
Red Cross, race fans, California Speedway and speedway
partners came together to raise and estimated $200,000
to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief
efforts during the course of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series SONY HD 500 on Labor Day weekend. Led by a
call to action by fellow International Speedway
Corporation (ISC) facility Talladega Superspeedway,
California Speedway officials made plans to incorporate
an American Red Cross drive for Hurricane Katrina relief
efforts at the Labor Day race weekend. Booths were set
up behind the grandstands at the speedway's main gates
with the Inland Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross
and San Bernardino County professional firefighters
association members collecting monetary donations. FedEx
IT also made it possible for credit card donations to be
made at the gates, though these donations are not
included in the final number. Saturday's NASCAR Busch
Series sponsor, Ameriquest, also collected funds for the
American Red Cross at their booths on the California
Speedway midway. They pledged to match all monies
collected at the booths. Additionally, Sony donated
thousands of Ryan Newman SONY HDTV hats to be sold with
100-percent of the purchased price going to the American
Red Cross. California Speedway also gave a cash donation
that brought the entire weekend's total to $200,000.
Many NASCAR drivers and teams pledged their support
during the weekend, including Carl Edwards (winner of
the Ameriquest 300), Kyle Busch (winner of the SONY HD
500) and their respective team owners who committed to
donating their race winnings to the Hurricane Katrina
relief efforts. (California Speedway PR)
Lepage in the #66 at
Talladega: Peak Performance Motorsports owner Jeff
Stec announced that NASCAR veteran Kevin Lepage will be
back behind the wheel of the #66 EAS Ford for the
UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. "The team
enjoyed working with Kevin last weekend at Dover," said
Stec. "Given Kevin's experience and success on
restrictor plate tracks, we think he will help us out a
lot this weekend at Talladega." In the season opener at
Daytona, Lepage qualified eighth and finished ninth. Two
radio stations will have associate sponsorship positions
on the #66 this weekend. Charlotte, N.C.'s Ace & TJ
Morning Show, and The Q, a Birmingham, Ala. station
heard on 103.7 FM, will ride along in the draft with
Lepage. Ace & TJ Morning Show can be heard weekday
mornings in Charlotte Monday through Friday. The Q, a
sister station to It is a sister station of Birmingham's
KISS 95.1, is an entity of Infinity Broadcasting
Systems, and is owned by Clear Channel Radio.(PSE-3 PR)
Jeff Gordon Lends A
Helping Hand To Hurricane Katrina Victims in Humanity
Plaza: On Tuesday, Jeff Gordon stopped by “Humanity
Plaza” in New York City to lend support to families
displaced by Hurricane Katrina. NBC News “Today,”
Habitat for Humanity International and Warner Music
Group joined forces in this effort to help build homes
for those affected by Katrina, and they have transformed
Rockefeller Plaza into a ‘round the clock’ construction
site through Friday night. “I heard about this great
effort, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Gordon said.
“I’m fortunate to have the time to come out here and
help, and I’m amazed at the number of people who have
volunteered their time. “We do a lot with charities
through the Jeff Gordon Foundation, but this is a great
opportunity to be hands on and make a difference. So
many people have been affected by Katrina. When
something like that happens, we all have to chip in, try
to make a difference and rebuild.” Gordon’s primary
sponsor, DuPont, has already donated $1 million along
with products and services to the relief effort. In
addition to the $1 million donation it made right after
Hurricane Katrina, DuPont will make an additional
donation – up to $1 million – equal to the funds
contributed to the DuPont Hurricane Katrina Fund. Please
visit www.DuPont.com
for more information. (Performance PR Plus)
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Dover Infractions: NASCAR announced today that Joe
Garone, crew chief for the No. 78 Chevrolet driven by
Kenny Wallace in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, has been
fined $1,000 for an infraction during last weekend’s
event at Dover International Speedway. Garone was fined
for an unapproved fuel cell recessed well, a violation
of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car
racing) and Section 12-4-U (unapproved fuel cell
container) of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rule book.
There were false panels inside the recessed well.
(NASCAR PR)
Hall of Fame Racing
names Lopez Crew Chief: Hall of Fame Racing made its
first hire Tuesday when it tabbed Philippe Lopez to
build the NASCAR team owned by former Dallas Cowboys
quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. Lopez was
hired as a crew chief and will be in charge of getting
the Nextel Cup team ready to debut next season. "My
first priority is to get the shop up and running," Lopez
said. "We are working very closely with Joe Gibbs
Racing. That will give us a great advantage right from
the start. "You can't put a price on what they will be
bringing to the table as this team gets ready to go
Nextel Cup racing. We are quickly getting the shop up
and running, sourcing the equipment that we need and
hiring the people that we want." (Fort
Worth Star Telegram)
Birmingham
International Becomes Official Airport of Talladega
Superspeedway: Talladega Superspeedway announced
today that Birmingham International Airport (BHM) is now
the Official Airport of Talladega Superspeedway.
Birmingham International Airport is the state's largest
airport serving the Greater Birmingham area and
surrounding southeastern cities. Birmingham
International Airport presently ranks in the country's
top 75 airports in terms of passengers served annually,
and is expected to serve more than 3 million travelers
this year. "We are very happy to announce Birmingham
International Airport as an official status partner and
look forward to the opportunities this new relationship
will provide in reaching both new and existing race
fans," Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and
General Manager Rick Humphrey said. Birmingham Airport
Authority Executive Director Al Denson said he is
excited about the airport's role in meeting the needs of
racing enthusiasts traveling into Alabama for race
weekends. "We are proud to serve as a sponsor and
official Airport of Talladega Superspeedway and look
forward to welcoming race fans from across the country
to Central Alabama," Denson said. Fans in attendance for
UAW-Ford 500 Event Weekend at Talladega Superspeedway
Sept. 29 - Oct. 2 will notice Birmingham International
Airport's increased profile while at the facility.
(Talladega Superspeedway PR)
Sep. 27, 2005:
So how much does the
average NASCAR fan spend on race week? The average
NASCAR fan spends about $1,000 to attend a weekend of
races, according to a consultant hired by International
Speedway Corp. Berk & Associates of Seattle used the
figure in a study aimed at persuading government
officials in Washington State to subsidize a new $300
million track that ISC wants to build in Kitsap, Wash.,
near Bremerton, the Seattle Times reported. The report
also estimates Washington would record nearly $140
million a year in new sales generated by track events,
mainly from increased business at hotels and
restaurants. Mike Murphy, Washington state treasurer,
greeted the report with skepticism, calling its numbers
"hokey." (Daytona
News Journal)
Golden Palace buys R.
Gordon's helmet: Making the best of a bad
situation, NASCAR driver Robby Gordon auctioned off the
helmet he threw at fellow driver Michael Waltrip on eBay
for $51,100. The helmet was bought by Internet casino
GoldenPalace.com, with all proceeds going to Harrah’s
Employee Relief Fund. Harrah’s will use the money to
help provide recovery assistance to employees, families,
and the communities in the region affected by Hurricaine
Katrina. Gordon threw the helmet at Waltrip after they
were involved in an accident during last week’s race at
New Hampshire International Speedway. “What happened [at
the race] was unfortunate,” said Gordon in a quote that
appeared on the eBay page. ”I’m sorry for losing my
temper following the race, but after a day or two of
looking back at the race its easy to realize that its
just not that big of a deal compared with what the
people of the Gulf Coast are still going through.
Obviously I’m still angry…but at the end of the day I
still have a house to go home to.” GoldenPalace.com is
the internet casino and poker room that has been on an
extended eBay shopping spree for over a year now, buying
up some of eBay’s most unusual items, many of which to
benefit various charities worldwide. As NASCAR is an
extremely popular sport and Robby Gordon is a premiere
driver, the helmet is a perfect high-profile addition to
Golden Palace’s collection of items. “We are pleased to
able to help the noble efforts of Harrah’s in their
cause to provide relief to the victims of this
disaster,” said GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe. “We
wish the families that have suffered so much in the wake
of this hurricane all the best, and praise their
determination and strength as they take steps to rebuild
their lives.” (Golden Palace PR)
Rusty Wallace Day in
Alabama: Alabama Governor Bob Riley will proclaim
Sunday, Oct. 2 as "Rusty Wallace Day" in the state,
joining Talladega Superspeedway in special recognition
of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver during pre-race
ceremonies before the start of the UAW-Ford 500. Wallace
will officially retire from full-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series competition at the end of this year, with this
2005 final season in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge titled
"Rusty's Last Call." In addition to Gov. Riley's
proclamation, Talladega Superspeedway President Grant
Lynch will present Wallace with a framed, one-of-a-kind
print thanking him for the many memories he's created
over the course of his 25-year career. Also, Wallace and
his wife, Patti, will be granted lifetime passes to
Talladega Superspeedway. "There are few drivers who have
had an impact on the sport of stock car racing as much
as Rusty Wallace," Lynch said. "We want to sincerely
thank him for all he has meant to NASCAR fans over the
years and for all of the great memories we would not
have without him." Born on Aug. 15, 1958 in St. Louis,
Mo., Wallace began his career in NASCAR's most elite
series at the age of 21 on May 16, 1980 in Atlanta, with
his first full season of competition in the series in
1984. Wallace's first Talladega Superspeedway start in
the series was on Aug. 2, 1981, one of four races in
which he competed that season. In a quarter of a century
of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, he has posted
55 wins, 201 top-five and 347 top-10 finishes. Wallace
has earned a dozen of his top-10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series finishes here at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track,
and he has visited Gatorade Victory Lane in other series
on two occasions - in 1980 when he won a Grand American
event and in 1991 when he took the victory in the
International Race of Champions event held here. The UAW-Ford
500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be start No. 699 in
the series for Wallace, his 45th here. (Talladega
Superspeedway PR)
#48's Knaus Wins WYPALL®
Wipers Crew Chief of the Race Award: Jimmy Johnson’s
victory at Dover International Speedway this weekend
made both him and crew chief Chad Knaus winners. His win
in the MBNA 400 moved him to the top point standings,
giving him a seven point lead over second place Rusty
Wallace, and brought Knaus the WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief
of the Race award. The most important call of the day
came on the final round of pit stops. Knaus elected to
change all four tires on the # 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet,
despite Mark Martin receiving only two tires on his pit
stop. Johnson lost a spot on the track, but his fresh
rubber paid dividends. He quickly took the lead on the
restart and never looked back. “I wasn’t concerned that
one person took two tires,” said Knaus. “I was concerned
that everyone else was going to take two tires.
Fortunately almost everyone took four. We had some good
track position to where we had a lead with a couple of
seconds gap that we could have taken two tires if we saw
everyone else doing that. If we had to pit under green,
we would have taken two tires, but under yellow I wanted
to take four.” The panel of voters; including Jim Utter
of the Charlotte Observer, a WYPALL® Wipers
representative and Robbie Reiser; all cast their vote
for Knaus as the crew chief that did the best job. “It
seems like a lot of guys beat themselves today, but Chad
(Knaus) had a solid plan and did everything right,” said
Reiser. “While some crew chiefs were too aggressive with
their setups, or too risky with their pit strategy, Chad
kept to the fundamentals. He didn’t get off sequence in
the pits. His driver was always up front with fresh
tires and that’s what won him the race.” Doug Richert
leads the WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief of the Year
standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson is in second
place with three wins. Bob Osborne, Jimmy Fennig, Greg
Zipadelli, Robbie Reiser and Robbie Loomis are tied for
third place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller,
Fatback McSwain, Steve Hmiel, Greg Erwin, Slugger Labbe,
Chad Knaus and Pete Rondeau are in a tie for fourth
place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the
crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive
$20,000. (SMC 500 PR)
Sep. 26, 2005:
Restrictor plates for
Lowe's in Oct? With less than rave reviews of the
ever-changing track surface at Lowe's Motor Speedway
from Chasers Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Mark Martin
after a test last week, NASCAR officials are considering
running restrictor plates on the cars in the October 15
race at Charlotte. Stewart and Biffle wrecked two cars
apiece during the tests. After plowing his car at 170
mph into the Turn 2 wall, Biffle felt the aftereffects
Sunday at Dover. "From the eye, the track looks good,"
Biffle says. But the tire compound doesn't work well
with the track's new surface. (Sporting
News/Spencer)
Change in Chase?
There may well be a new rule on points for next year's
championship chase, according to sources who say that
NASCAR is considering a separate points system for the
10 leading drivers. Under that this season, Kurt Busch
would not have lost as many points for his Loudon crash
- Busch was credited with 41st-place points at Loudon,
but under the proposed system he would have been
credited with 10th place points, and would still be in
the hunt. Of course, under such a new system, the worst
finish a playoff driver would be credited with each
weekend would be 10th - 134 points, losing at most 56
points to the tour leader. At Loudon, Busch finished
35th and got 58 points. (Salem-Journal/Mulhern)
Car of Tomorrow teams
worried about cost: NASCAR is expected to meet with
owners this week to discuss the car of tomorrow. Top
owners in the garage are worried about the cost; each
new car is expected to cost $150,000-plus. Multiply that
by 25 cars per team and the total will make it
impossible for many organizations to stay in business. (Sporting
News/Spencer)
Rusty Wallace Day:
In a prerace ceremony, the track honored three-time
Dover winner Rusty Wallace. The 1989 Cup series champion
is retiring after this season. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
declared Sunday "Rusty Wallace Day" in Delaware. Wallace
joked about being tardy reaching the podium for the gift
presentations and declarations. "Sorry I was late," he
said. "Usually these things don't start on time, but
this one did." (News-Record)
Wells proposes team
owner cap: NASCAR executives could end the reign of
multi-car teams on the Nextel Cup circuit easily, car
owner Cal Wells said, by applying the McDonalds rule.
Wells said that McDonalds' franchising agreements
specifically bar its franchise owners from running other
businesses, and that bar he says can be legally
enforced. Wells said NASCAR could use similar legal
contracts to limit Nextel Cup owners to two teams.
Currently there is no limit on the number of teams a
NASCAR owner can field. (Salem-Journal/Mulhern)
More on Busch to #2 next
year? Rusty Wallace said lawyers are currently
working to get Kurt Busch out of his contract at Roush
Racing so he can drive the #2 Dodge at Penske Racing
South next year. "I know he wants to drive the car next
year," Wallace said. "They're trying to get everything
worked out." (Augusta
Chronicle)
What's in a Name?
Money$$ Dodge Daytona 500? NASCAR-ISC executives are
trying to persuade Daimler-Chrysler's Dodge division to
become the name sponsor of the Daytona 500, but the
German car company has not been willing to pay the
price, according to sources close to the situation. (Salem-Journal/Mulhern)
Sep. 25, 2005:
Johnson wins at
Dover, takes point lead: Jimmie Johnson held off
teammate Kyle Busch by about a car-length Sunday to
claim victory at Dover International Speedway -- and the
lead in NASCAR's Chase for the championship. Tony
Stewart, the Nextel Cup points leader for the last seven
races, battled an ill-handling car en route to a
18th-place finish that dropped him to fifth in the
championship standings. There would be no perfect
weekend for Ryan Newman, who won poles for both races
here this weekend and was coming off a victory in a
Busch Series race Saturday. Newman won the opening event
in the Chase a week earlier, outdueling Stewart in a
stirring finish at New Hampshire International Speedway.
The victory in the MBNA 400 was the third this year for
Johnson, who now leads Rusty Wallace by seven points
after two of 10 races in the Chase among the top-10
drivers. Johnson also won for the third time at Dover
and 17th overall. (CBS
News -
Results -
Points)
Drivers auction nets
over 86k: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne,
and Kevin Harvick, partnering with GoMotorBids.com,
raised $86,577 in a 16 day online auction. Sponsored by
GoMotorBids.com and benefiting the drivers charities,
the auction consisted of a mixture of authentic
race-used items, uniforms that had been graciously
donated by the driver or teams, plus rare and unique die
cast collectibles, some of which had been donated by
GoMotorBids.com. Gordon's bids totaled nearly half the
net amount at $43,400 with Stewart coming in second at
$22,400, Harvick at $10,850 and Kahne bringing in
$9,900. The highest bid went to an autographed and
framed Monopoly Board from Hendrick Racing - signed by
Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt
Jr., Carl Edwards, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Jimmie
Johnson, and others which brought in $3,501.00. The 275
high bid winners and their guest will each receive a
ticket to meet the drivers and have them personally
autograph their winning item at a private meet-and-greet
event October 6-7, prior to the NASCAR race weekend at
Kansas Speedway. The location of the meet-and-greet will
be the GoMotorBids.com facility in Grandview, MO, just
minutes south of downtown Kansas City. All proceeds of
the auction went to each of the driver's charitable
foundations - The Jeff Gordon Foundation, The Tony
Stewart Foundation, The Kasey Kahne Foundation, and for
Kevin Harvick, Victory Junction Gang Camp. For more
information visit www.GoMotorBids.com.
Sep. 24, 2005:
Dale Earnhardt Trail
Opens: A wave of the green flags finally started
the day Dale Earnhardt fans have been waiting for. The
Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau
officially opened the Dale Trail on Thursday with a
small ceremony. “This will honor a legend that
brought a lot of attention to Cabarrus County,” said
Doug Stafford, chairman of the board of directors for
the convention and visitors bureau. Brochures with a map
of the trail site are free at the Cabarrus CVB and will
also be available at other locations, such as hotels and
the Visitors Center in Cannon Village. The self-guided
tour shows highlights of the life of Dale Earnhardt and
his NASCAR career throughout his hometown of Kannapolis.
Stafford said the purpose behind this first heritage
trail for the motorsports community in the area is not
only to keep the legend of Earnhardt alive long-term,
but also to promote tourism. With all the development
going on in Kannapolis with David Murdock’s North
Carolina Research Campus, this will showcase the
northern part of the county. “This is one more step in
the economic development of Cabarrus County,” said John
Cox, CEO of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. (Independent
Tribune)
NASCAR economic
generator for Dover: This weekend's NASCAR events in
Dover will contribute nearly $50 million to the state's
economy, according to the first official state analysis.
An estimated 250,000 NASCAR fans are expected to swarm
Dover International Speedway this weekend, dine at local
restaurants, stay in hotels and take advantage of
tax-free shopping. An analysis of NASCAR weekend
conducted by the state economic development office found
race weekend creates nearly 1,000 temporary jobs at
concession stands, parking lots and other services
geared toward fans. "There is no doubt this is very
important to Delware," said Judy McKinney-Cherry,
director of the Delaware Economic Development Office.
"Not only do we get the national exposure on television
for four hours, but we also have the actual realized
dollars coming in." This is the first time the state has
analyzed NASCAR weekend's impact on the economy. The
weekend generates about $25 million primarily from
ticket sales and concession stands. Supporting
businesses, such as concession stand suppliers, earn
about $4 million. Restaurants, hotels and others who
serve visitors gain $20 million, according to the state.
(DelawareOnline.com)
Rudd undecided on
future: Ricky Rudd still hasn't decided what he
wants to do next year, and the Wood brothers are getting
restless in getting an answer. If Rudd returns for
another season, the Wood brothers would likely put Jon
Wood, the third generation, in a Cup car for seven races
to get his feet wet for a full Cup campaign in 2007. If
Rudd doesn't come back, Jon Wood would get the ride
full-time next season. (Salem-Journal)
RCR joins the
Motorsport Industry Association: Richard Childress
Racing (RCR) has been accepted as the newest
international member of the Motorsport Industry
Association (MIA), and the UK association’s first
US-based NASCAR stock car racing team organization. The
North Carolina team has earned more than 125 victories
and nine NASCAR championships, including six Winston Cup
Series (now known as the NEXTEL Cup) titles with the
legendary driver Dale Earnhardt. It is also the first
organization to win championships in the NEXTEL Cup
Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series. The MIA
works tirelessly to strengthen its network of contacts
within the worldwide motorsport industry, including the
NASCAR sector, and the membership for RCR will open up
the world market through the MIA’s membership on all
continents. Chris Aylett, CEO of the MIA, said “North
Carolina, USA and Motorsport Valley in the UK are far
closer than geography suggests. The culture of the
motorsport businesses in both of these highly successful
business communities is based on success. RCR’s decision
to join the MIA and become the first NASCAR team to do
so cements the closeness of those relationships. The MIA
will offer access to a truly global motorsport business
network from which RCR will gain commercial and
competitive advantage. I am delighted that this
outstanding company has chosen to join our membership,
and we look forward to helping them succeed in whatever
way we can.” (RCR
PR)
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