Genernal Admission season tix offered by Indy: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is offering a General Admission Season Ticket for all three of its world-class events in 2008, the 92nd Indianapolis 500, 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The season ticket provides gate admission for a combined nine days over the three events, including all three race days, for just $150:
Indianapolis 500: Friday, May 23 (Miller Lite Carb Day, Firestone Freedom 100); Saturday, May 24 (Drivers’ Meeting), Sunday, May 25 (Race Day)
•Allstate 400 at the Brickyard: Friday, July 25 (Chevy Day at the Brickyard, Practice); Saturday, July 26 (Qualifying, Practice), Sunday, July 27 (Race Day)
•Red Bull Indianapolis GP: Friday, Sept. 12 (Practice), Saturday, Sept. 13 (Qualifying, Practice), Sunday, Sept. 14 (Race Day)
An IMS Season Ticket provides the only way for fans to obtain general admission Race Day access to the popular Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the annual stop of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on the historic 2.5-mile oval. All other Race Day tickets are reserved for this event. Fans have three easy methods to buy IMS General Admission Season Tickets: Online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800)
822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office.(IMS)(5-14-2008)
Pep Boys Auto 500 Weekend Tickets Now On Sale: NASCAR returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Pep Boys Auto 500 weekend on October 24-26, and
tickets for all three days of racing action are on sale now. The Pep Boys Auto 500 weekend kicks off with the fastest qualifying session in NASCAR during Hot Shot Qualifying Night on Friday, Oct. 24. On Saturday, Oct. 25, the Craftsman Truck Series drivers will showcase their door-banging action in the Atlanta 200. The weekend will culminate on Sunday, Oct. 26, with the running of the Pep Boys Auto 500, a pivotal race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. See atlantamotorspeedway.com for more ticket packages.(AMS)(5-14-2008)
No talks, but Darlington president wouldn't be opposed to date change: MORE: While the Mother's Day date has worked for Darlington Raceway, raceway president Chris Browning said he wouldn't be opposed to moving it back to Labor Day weekend if an opportunity ever came up. The track hosted the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend from 1950-2003. The final Southern 500 was run in November of 2004. "We wouldn't be opposed to it at all," Browning said. "Nothing in the sport is ever set in stone."
Browning said there haven't been any talks on the subject, but attendance in California, which got the Labor Day weekend date, has been down since the first year. There were various Internet rumors earlier this year that California might swap its date with Atlanta. And Browning said if California's date would change, he would like first crack at it.
"We would hope (NASCAR) would come talk to us," he said.(Florence [SC] Morning News)(5-10-2008) UPDATE: The romantic in Jim Hunter would love to see the Southern 500 back at his beloved Darlington Raceway. The pragmatist in NASCAR's chief spokesman is certain why it shouldn't. Seemingly ever since the Southern 500 left this country track for California Speedway on Labor Day weekend after 2004, whispers have abounded about a triumphant return to South Carolina where the race was run for 54 years. Hunter doesn't expect more changes."We could sell 55 to 58 thousand tickets here on Labor Day five years ago," Hunter said Saturday. "We moved it to California and they sell 90 or 92 (thousand) or something. From a business standpoint, that is a no-brainer."(Associated Press)(5-11-2008)
Dole Named Honorary Race Director For Coca-Cola 600: Senator Elizabeth Dole has been named honorary race director for the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup
Series event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Coca-Cola and speedway officials also announced that Richard Thompson, speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates, will serve as the honorary starter, waving the green flag to send the 43 drivers on their 600-mile journey. In her role as honorary race director, Dole will attend the pre-race drivers’ meeting, preside over pre-race ceremonies and visit the control tower during the race. A native of nearby Salisbury, N.C., Dole has served five United States Presidents and was elected in 2002 to serve the people of North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. After being discharged from the military, Thompson earned a criminal justice degree from Marshall University. He then graduated with honors from the West Virginia University College of Law and returned home to Lavalette, W.Va., to establish his practice. Tickets for the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 start at just $39 and can be purchased by visiting www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or calling the Lowe’s Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.(LMS)(5-8-2008)
Record $6.6 Million Purse for May 25 Coca-Cola 600: Sprint Cup Series drivers will battle for a record $6.6 million during the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway while total posted awards for the track's schedule of May events is nearly $14.7 million. Nine races will be run at Lowe's Motor Speedway and The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway between Friday night, May 16, and Sunday evening, May 25, and each carries a record purse with a total of $14,692,658 up for grabs. Already one of the richest races on the NASCAR circuit, the $6,648,557 in total awards for the Coca-Cola 600 is $78,929 more than was posted for last year's event and $4,219,759 more than competitors raced for in the 600-mile event 10 years ago. Competitors participating in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Sprint Showdown on Saturday night, May 17, will compete for a record $4,308,251 with the All-Star Race winner guaranteed a minimum of $1,012,975. In addition to the posted prize money, $1,780,853 in television awards for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be distributed through the Sprint Cup Series Car/Champion Owner Program. Tickets for all May events, including the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600, can be obtained online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.(LMS)(5-6-2008)
3 Doors Down to Rock Lowe's Motor Speedway: NASCAR's All-Star Weekend adds another group of all-stars as multi-platinum recording artists 3 Doors Down will
perform a 75-minute concert prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 17, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The concert begins at 3:30 p.m. in the infield between Turns 1 and 2. Admission to the concert is free with the purchase of a ticket to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Tickets for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and May 25 Coca-Cola 600 can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the track ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.(LMS)(5-6-2008)
Six drivers to be honored at Watkins Glen: The list of legendary drivers that have graced the streets of Watkins Glen and the twists of Watkins Glen International is almost second to none. The stars of all forms of racing - sportscar, open-wheel, and stock car - have come to The Glen for 60 years and many have left their everlasting mark on its history. As part of the 60th Anniversary of racing in The Glen, a selection committee of esteemed Glen experts analyzed the six decades that make up The Glen's history and determined the "Driver of the Decade" for each 10-year time period. The fortunate drivers that were selected will be members of the first class ever inducted into The Glen's hall-of-fame, the "Legends of The Glen."
Everyone that has ever been associated with the village of Watkins Glen and/or Watkins Glen International knows of the pride that comes from being the birth place of post-World War II American road racing. Numerous drivers accumulated impressive career stats at The Glen which made the job of the selection committee to pick the best of the best all the more difficult. A very specific list of criteria was provided to the committee to help them determine the most deserving drivers. The criteria was, in order of importance, number of Glen victories, number of Top-5 finishes, number of Top-10 finishes, average finish, records set, and the significance/impact of their performances. The committee was required to consider the results from one decade at a time with the breakdown being as follows: 1948-1957, 1958-1967, 1968-1977, 1978-1987, 1988-1997, or 1998-2007. Drivers could be nominated for more than one decade but their stats could not carryover from one decade to the next.
The "Driver of the Decade" selection committee was comprised of six individuals that combined for over 150 years of motorsports experience. The individuals tasked with selecting the cream of the racing crop were Craig Rust, president of Watkins Glen International; Bill Green, historian for Watkins Glen International; J.J. O'Malley, former director of communications of Watkins Glen International; Chris Gill, motorsports beat writer for The Leader; Chris P. Bacon, radio voice of "Track Talk" and 100.9 the Pig for the Twin Tiers at Backyard Broadcasting; and Henry "Hank" Kimball, a participant in many Glen racing events over the last 40 years. Drivers were selected through the use of a weighted voting
system, similar to those used to determine other sports' awards such as the Heisman Trophy. The selection process involved an opening round of discussion to nominate specific drivers and was followed by two rounds of voting. In the first round of voting, each committee member voted for up to six nominees with 1st place votes worth six points, 2nd place
votes worth five points, and so on. The three drivers that received the most points moved on to the second round. In the second round, members again used a weighted vote with 1st place votes worth three points, 2nd place votes worth two points, and 3rd place votes worth one point. The driver that received the most points won the title of "Driver of the
Decade" for that period of 10 years. Fans will have the opportunity to make their voices heard as to who they think will be named "Driver of the Decade" using a live poll located on the "Buy Tickets" page on TheGlen.com starting on Friday, April 25. This poll will change every three weeks so fans are encouraged to come back and vote each time.
The six winning drivers will be announced over the course of the 2008 season during the four larger event weekends; the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, June 6-8, Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen, July 4-6, Centurion Boats at The Glen, August 7-10, and the final driver during the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix, September 5-7. These drivers will make up
the first class inducted into the new WGI hall-of-fame, the "Legends of The Glen." At the end of the 2008 season, the "Driver of the Decade" selection committee will become the selection committee for the future members of the "Legends of The Glen." The committee will meet at the end of each year to evaluate potential inductees and then elect a
maximum of four honorees. Drivers, owners, track officials, and anyone that has had an immense impact on racing in The Glen will be eligible for election into the "Legends of The Glen."(WGI)(5-4-2008)
Pieces of McCarran airfield recycled into LVMS parking lot: Las Vegas Motor Speedway and McCarran International Airport are working together to improve the speedway's parking areas. The speedway is paving 40 acres, roughly 30%, of its dirt and gravel parking areas with "mill chips" that were collected recently when parts of the airfield at McCarran International Airport were replaced. McCarran is in the midst of a ramp rehabilitation project at its B Gates. The discarded material from this project is being used at LVMS. The use of the airport's millings by the speedway is another part of the speedway's "Going Green" initiative. The speedway has begun the recycling of all aluminum cans at its major events and installed a geo-thermal heating and cooling system in the media center, which opened in 2007.(LVMS)(5-3-2008)
Martinsville Speedway Announces $2 Million Improvement Project: Fans and competitors will be the beneficiaries of more than $2 million in improvements set for
Martinsville Speedway before the October 19th running of the TUMS QuikPack 500. Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell said work will begin on them in the next
few weeks and will be completed by the fall event. The centerpiece of the track enhancements will be a new, state of the art scoreboard. Campbell also announced that pit road would be resurfaced, the fourth-turn pit gate will be reconfigured to include SAFER barrier technology and portable chair seats surrounding the track will be replace with individual stadium seats. The scoreboard will be 120 feet tall and be positioned behind the backstretch. It will feature three 30-foot video display screens that can be utilized for everything from scoring rundowns to instant replays. There will also be rotating signage atop the scoreboard. The addition of roughly 100 feet of SAFER barrier to cover the fourth-turn pit gate and the exit of the fourth turn will improve safety in that area. It is a major undertaking that will include the excavation and resurfacing of the road outside of the gate. Presently
the gate opens inward, but with the addition of the SAFER barrier, it will need to open out. Because of that, the roadway will have to be cut down several feet, leveled and resurfaced.
The pit-road project will mark the first resurfacing of the area in recent history. The decision was made to use concrete because of its durability. "Pit road has gotten rough and bumpy over the past few years. It was something we really need to do," said Campbell. "And I think the drivers and pit crews will appreciate it." For years, a row of padded, portable chairs have circled the track just below the high-rise seats. They have always been some of the track's most popular seats, but over the years have aged. The new individual seats should be even more appealing, with folding seats and storage space underneath.(Martinsville Speedway)(5-2-2008)
Transportation Options for Pocono Raceway: So you're a NASCAR fan living in New York City or Northern New Jersey and planned on attending a Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway but are concerned about the high cost of gasoline. Or you fight city traffic on a daily basis and don't relish driving the 90 miles from mid town Manhattan to Pocono Raceway on a race weekend. Well, Pocono Raceway has partnered with Pocono Adventure Center and Martz Trailways to offer you an exciting option for your transportation to the June 8, 2008 Pocono 500 or the August 3, 2008 Pennsylvania 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Race fans who already have their race tickets can board the bus for only $79.95 round trip. Fans who do not have their race tickets can order tickets by calling the Pocono Raceway Ticket Office, toll free, at 1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929). For more info go to poconoraceway.com.(Pocono Raceway)(5-2-2008)
Lowe's Motor Speedway to Install Additional SAFER Barriers: Lowe's Motor Speedway crews will install 340 feet of additional SAFER barriers along the track's inside
backstretch retaining wall prior to the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600."The hard licks that Jeff Gordon and Michael McDowell took earlier this season reminded us all that bizarre and unexpected things can happen in racing," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "This additional SAFER barrier will add more protection on our backstretch for May, and we're looking at some additional improvements back there as well." Wheeler also said engineers are researching alternatives to the current opening in the inside backstretch wall at LMS, which is used during races for staging emergency response vehicles. The concrete wall just past that opening is currently protected by encapsulated polystyrene blocks that are bolted to the wall. In April 2004, more than 6,100-linear feet of SAFER barriers, which utilize foam blocks positioned behind rolled steel tubing, were installed at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That project included placing the energy-absorbing barriers in front of approximately 4,000 feet of outside retaining walls in the turns; 1,351 feel along the frontstretch quad-oval; and 796 feet on the insides of Turns 2 and 4. The original installation included 476 feet of SAFER barriers along the inside concrete wall on the backstretch, starting at the exit of Turn 2. The new installation will continue those barriers down the backstretch toward the inside of Turn 3. Tickets for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and May 25 Coca-Cola 600 can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the track ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.(Lowe's Motor Speedway)(4-30-2008)
Face Lift of Watkins Glen Pit Road Complete: The pit road project at Watkins Glen International was completed on Friday, April 18 and the Media Center is still on schedule to be completed in May. Ever since the Sprint Cup Series came to The Glen in1986, teams have been sharing pit boxes. The historic road course has added additional boxes since that time, but was limited to building a total of 41 due to the placement of the old Press Tower which was in front of pit road. This all changed when funds to build a new Media Center were approved in September 2007 and the subsequent demolition of the Press Tower two months later. The sudden increase in available space made it possible for changes to be made to pit road; the most noteworthy being the addition of two new pit boxes to bring the total to 43. This will allow every team in the Sprint Cup Series to have
their own pit box and will also provide additional space for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series when both the Daytona Prototypes and GT class compete during the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, June 6-8. The new boxes cover a total of 4,000 square feet and are located on the site of the old Press Tower. The changes on pit road and the work on the pit wall allowed for the widening of the space that allows cars to enter the pits from the garage area. The old space was 30 feet in length and it has now been doubled to a total of 60 feet which should allow cars to enter and exit pit road at the same time. The construction of the new Media Center began on December 12, 2007 and crews worked on the project through the winter. The new two-story building will have over 17,000 square feet of space and provide plenty of room to host the hundreds of media and series officials that visit
the track over the course of the season. The design also makes the Media Center a multi-use building with a meeting room, lounge area, and food preparation room on the 2nd floor. Tickets for the historic 60th Anniversary Season at Watkins Glen International are on-sale now. For more tickets and more information, please contact the Watkins Glen International ticket office at 866-461-RACE or log on to the official website www.TheGlen.com.(WGI)(4-29-2008)
Kentucky Speedway lawsuit UPDATE: The Kentucky Speedway has one more chance to appeal an anti-trust lawsuit. Lawyers for the Speedway had until Monday to appeal a federal judge's decision to dismiss their anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR. Speedway directors said the organization was illegally keeping the track off the lucrative Nextel Cup Circuit. At the time of the lawsuit dismissal, the attorney for the Speedway said he planned to appeal.(wlwt.com)(4-22-2008) UPDATE: Kentucky Speedway met the deadline to file a “proof” brief in its appeal of a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the track’s antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. Lawyers representing Kentucky Speedway had until Monday to file the paperwork with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. NASCAR and ISC now have until June 25 to file their initial response to the speedway’s brief. Final briefs are due Aug. 11. The sides also filed a joint motion Monday to seal the briefs. That motion is awaiting a ruling.Kentucky Speedway notified the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 11 that it wanted to challenge U.S. District Court Judge William Bertelsman’s decision Jan. 7 to dismiss the track’s antitrust suit against NASCAR and ISC.(Cincinnati Enquirer)(4-25-2008)
MIS Capital Improvement Projects Taking Shape: With less than two months to go before the start of the 40th season of racing at Michigan International Speedway construction crews are hard at work with various capital improvements projects on the speedway's 1,400-acre property. Michigan International Speedway is spending approximately $10 million to continue enhancing the track based on feedback from the fans that will help position the speedway for its next 40 years of racing. Here are updates on many projects currently under way at MIS:
* Many of the projects are beginning to take shape with the grandstand replacement project being the most noticeable. Old grandstands have been torn down in turn 1 and construction crews are currently replacing them with improved grandstand seating. The new grandstand has wider seats, seatbacks and more leg room. The project began last year and does not add seats, but merely replaces old ones.
* The new, state-of-the-art 110-foot, three-sided LED scoreboard is scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks. The concrete base for the scoreboard was poured in December.
* Slusarski Paving of Adrian, Mich., is in the finishing stages of grading land for the 300 new Graves Farm Campground sites. Cochran Electric Co. of Jackson, Mich., has already installed the electric hookups for those sites.
* The permanent shower/restroom facility in the Graves Farm Campground is currently under construction by O'Harrow Construction of Jackson, Mich.
* Installation of way-finding signage around the MIS property is also currently underway. Fritz Advertising of Spring Arbor, Mich. has already constructed many signs in the parking lots and campgrounds at MIS. The branded signage will help pedestrians, motorists and campers find their way in, out and around the 1,400-acre racetrack property.
To order tickets, pit passes, camping or hospitality packages, call the MIS Ticket Hotline at 800-354-1010 or visit MISpeedway.com.(MIS)(4-25-2008)
Davidson Basketball Coaches Named Co-Grand Marshals; Ice Road Trucker Hugh Rowland to Visit Sprint All-Star Race: Bob McKillop, the head men's basketball coach at Davidson College, and his assistants, Matt Methany, Jim Fox, Tim Sweeney and Jeremy Henney, will serve as Co-Grand Marshals for the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. McKillop and his staff will attend the NASCAR drivers' meeting, be introduced during pre-race ceremonies and join selected Sprint customers to say "Gentlemen, start your engines." Hugh Rowland, star of The History Channel's "Ice Road Truckers," will also be a VIP guest during the Sprint All-Star Race weekend activities. The rugged Canadian, nicknamed "polar bear," will attend the NASCAR drivers' meeting, be recognized during pre-race ceremonies and greet race fans at The History Channel's display booth. Rowland will also square off against the fastest driver from the Freightliner Hauler Challenge, a driving skills competition that pits the drivers of the NASCAR team haulers against each other on race-day morning. (LMS PR)(4-23-2008)
Sprint Cup Series race at Dover to be named the "Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks": Dover International Speedway and Best Buy officials announced that the June 1, 2008 Sprint Cup Series race will be named the "Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks." A variety of initiatives are planned for Dover's May 30 - June 1, 2008 NASCAR race weekend to increase awareness and raise funds for Autism Speaks. While Best Buy is in its fourth season as a team sponsor, with its iconic yellow tag logo appearing on Elliott Sadler's #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports entry in select 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, this race marks the first time the company has sponsored a NASCAR event. This event also marks the second year Autism Speaks has partnered with Dover International Speedway. Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Student Clubs for Autism Speaks (SCAS) helps further the mission of Autism Speaks by creating the opportunity for students to engage and actively participate in positively affecting the lives of people with autism. Through education, awareness, friendship and fundraising, SCAS includes students at the middle school, high school and college level.(Dover Raceway/Best Buy PR)(4-22-2008)
North Wilkesboro Speedway Highway Marker Dedication:Save The Speedway and the North Carolina Office of Archives and History are scheduled to dedicate the North Wilkesboro Speedway Highway Marker on May 24, 2008 at 2pm with the following inscription:
"NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY"
Pioneering NASCAR dirt track. Built 1946; paved in 1958. Hosted sanctioned events, 1946-96. 5/8 mile oval 1/2 mi. E.
The dedication of the sign will take place on Old US 421(Speedway Road) at NC 115 southeast of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.(4-16-2008)