- Hulk Hogan grand marshal at Dover: Hulk Hogan, iconic professional wrestler and star of the VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best,” will serve as the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2006. Hogan will deliver “the most famous words in motorsports” before the start of the 1:10pm/et race. (Dover Speedway PR)(9-18-2006)
- Brooke Hogan to sing the National Anthem at Dover: Dover International Speedway today announced that Brooke Hogan, pop-musician and co-star of the VH1 reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best," will sing the National Anthem prior to the Nextel Cup race on Sunday, September 24, 2006.(Dover Intel Speedway PR)(9-18-2006)
- No Sponsor for Dover Fall Cup race: For the first time in 11 years, Dover International Speedway will not have a title sponsor for a Nextel Cup race. The Sept. 24 race, the second in the 10-race Chase for the Cup championship, will be known only as the Dover 400. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said the previous contract expired after the June race. Bank of America finalized its purchase of MBNA on Jan. 1 and finished out the company's 11-year partnership with the track.
MBNA had sponsored every race at Dover since 1998. It had sponsored every Dover track spring race since 1995. But McGlynn said Bank of America informed him in February that it wasn't going to renew the sponsorship. Since then, McGlynn said, he has tried to find a new title sponsor, but nothing has materialized. "It's not that we couldn't have gotten a deal done," McGlynn said. "It just wasn't the right one. We're being very cautious on this. A long-term relationship is almost like getting married, and we want to make sure we have the right partner. We would have preferred to have one in place, but the fact that we don't isn't going to cause us to jump off a bridge. This is not a crisis scenario." Title sponsor deals are generally worth $1.5 million to $3 million a year for races in NASCAR's top series, according to published reports. Bank of America, which this year began a five-year deal to sponsor the fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., paid an estimated $2.5 million a year for the naming rights. McGlynn said he had a feeling that when Bank of America committed to Lowe's Motor Speedway, it wasn't likely to renew at Dover. Dover is the only Chase for the Cup race without a title sponsor. McGlynn said he plans to have a commitment in place in time for the spring race. "We had a great relationship with MBNA, and I think the marketplace considered us married to them because we've been with them for 11 years, so we kind of dropped off the radar screens," McGlynn said. "Now we're trying to get everyone's attention, and we want to get this right."(Delaware News Journal)(9-14-2006)
- Dover announces plans on improvements: Dover International Speedway announced plans for a new five-year capital improvement project, referred to as the "Monster Makeover," that will provide new offerings and upgraded amenities for fans, competitors and the media. Construction on the multi-million dollar project will begin after the upcoming June 2-4, 2006 NASCAR weekend. Some planned elements of the Monster Makeover at Dover International Speedway include:
A skybox complex that will include a luxury club for individual fans
A new entrance thoroughfare for fans on the east side of the Speedway, ushering guests into a variety of new race weekend entertainment options
A reorganized vehicle and pedestrian pattern to improve ingress, egress and overall safety of patrons
New and upgraded food and beverage facilities
New ticket and merchandise sales buildings
An expanded and relocated expo and souvenir vendor area
An outdoor concert area
A special recognition area that pays tribute to legendary NASCAR drivers
Additional permanent restrooms
Expanded bus parking
A new first aid center
A play area for children
While a majority of the planned improvements will be concentrated outside of the track, efforts will also be made to further enhance the top-notch racing product provided on the one-mile concrete oval. The Monster Mile is already recognized for providing gritty, competitive action on the track; planned improvements are designed to create an even better experience for all fans, competitors and the media. Improvements inside the track include:
An expanded pit road that will provide more fans with views of the action in the pits, while providing safer and easier entry and exit from pit lane for competitors
A new garage for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams that will also incorporate rooftop viewing for fans
An expanded infield media center to better accommodate the legions of national, regional and local media who cover the Dover races
Ongoing improvement projects began after the conclusion of last year’s September race weekend. Some of this work includes: Continued renovations of the permanent restrooms around the facility; additional paving of concession, bathroom and stairwell areas; shower facilities for guests in Dover RV lots; upgrades to the PA sound system; signage and exterior upgrades to the hospitality tent villages; renovations to the media centers; renovations to the existing skybox suites; and overall landscaping and beautification projects around the property. Tickets for the June 2-4 and Sept. 22-24, 2006 NASCAR race weekends at Dover International Speedway are available by calling the ticket office at 800-441-RACE or online at www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Dover Speedway PR)(5-25-2006)
- Dover International Speedway creates monster comic book: The story of Miles the Monster will now be told for the first time ever... Race fans of all ages will soon be able to learn how Miles the Monster came to be-all in a beautifully illustrated collectible comic book. This one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia offers a rare opportunity for fans to learn the story behind his creation, and to be involved in the history of the Monster Mile. The first issue, "Miles the Monster, Issue #1 -- His Shocking Birth," will be sold exclusively at Dover International Speedway during the June 2-4, 2006 race weekend. This first limited-edition issue costs $3, with each copy individually numbered on the back cover. Issue No. 2 will be exclusively available at the Dover International Speedway September 22-24, 2006 race weekend. Issues No. 3 through 8 will be released in 2007. More info on how to pre-order, go to www.DoverSpeedway.com. The comic book was created by Mark Wheatley and Allan Gross at Insight Studios. Tickets for a June 2-4, 2006 race weekend full of activity at Dover International Speedway are still available. Call 800-441-RACE, or go online to www.DoverSpeedway.com for tickets.(Dover International Speedway PR)(3-26-2006)
- AAA Mid-Atlantic to sponsor Dover truck race: AAA Mid-Atlantic is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway on Friday, June 2, 2006. The race will be called the AAA Insurance 200. The
multi-year deal was signed late last week. "Auto racing is the fastest growing spectator sport in the country and so many AAA members are avid fans, so this sponsorship is a natural fit for us," said Spencer M. Roman, COO and Executive
Vice President of the AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Group. AAA Insurance decided to seize the opportunity to capitalize on AAA's recent re-entry into NASCAR sponsorship by adding the insurance group to a title sponsorship race. AAA intends to use its motorsports sponsorships as one way to reach young drivers with safety information. No one is more aware of the need to drive with care and skill than a professional race car driver. AAA believes motorsports can be an excellent venue for delivering important safety information to the driving public.(Dover Motorsports PR)(3-9-2006)
- Dover seeks sponsors after sale of MBNA: Dover International Speedway's 11-year, 19-race affiliation with sponsor MBNA has ended. The Bank of America, which recently bought the former Delaware-based credit card giant, has assumed sponsorship of the June 4 Nextel Cup Series event on Dover's high-banked, one-mile oval. Dover's spring race will be known as the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America. Negotiations for sponsorship of the Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series races are continuing. Dover's spring race is also the last one that remained on MBNA's contract with Dover International Speedway, leaving the track scrambling to find sponsors for its September races, also. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover, said he does not think that Bank of America will automatically fill MBNA's shoes at Dover. "I doubt they will play the role that MBNA played with us," McGlynn said. "We are still actively seeking sponsors for many of our NASCAR events."(Deleware News Journal)(3-2-2006)
- Monster Trophy Program Expands: The Monster trophy, awarded to the winner of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Dover International Speedway, has quickly become one of the most popular awards on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series circuit. The creation of a new Monster trophy will now become one of the most popular awards in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Busch East Series, as well. Speedway officials unveiled today a rendering of the new-for-2006 trophy, to be presented to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Busch East Series winners at Dover International Speedway. The original Monster trophy, first awarded to Ryan Newman as the winner of the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26, 2004, was created to celebrate the Monster Mile’s inclusion in the “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.” The unique reward has been seen on the cover of NASCAR Scene, in AutoWeek magazine, and on television highlight reels around the country. The trophies will stand approximately 20 inches tall, and will be composed of sandstone, a granite-like material. The fierce trophy will strike a different pose than the trophy awarded to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup winner, and will include a different colored mirror as part of the base. The mirrored base is designed to make the trophy glow in the sunlight.(Dover Speedway site)(2-24-2006)
- Two promoted at Dover: Dover International Speedway announced the promotion of Michelle Melvin to Advertising Manager and Lindsay McNamara to Special Events Coordinator. In her new role, Melvin will develop and execute all advertising plans for Dover
International Speedway. She will work with radio, print, web and television outlets to maximize exposure in core metropolitan markets, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. Melvin has worked as the Special Events Coordinator since March 2004 at Dover International Speedway, and will continue to oversee the hiring process for race weekend staff in the sales & marketing department. A graduate of Elon University in N.C., she now resides in Wilmington, DE.
Lindsay McNamara has been promoted to the position of Special Events Coordinator at Dover International Speedway. She previously served as an intern in the sales & marketing department. McNamara will assist in the development, coordination and evaluation of the
Dover International Speedway event marketing program. She will also oversee the on-site execution of Speedway hospitality programs on race weekends, such as the Monster Mile Club and SuperFresh Kids Zone. McNamara, a graduate of the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., currently resides in Dover.(Dover Intl. Speedway PR)(1-15-2006)
- Dover Sept 2006 Tix on sale Nov 28: Tickets to the Sept. 22-24, 2006 race weekend at Dover International Speedway go on sale Monday, Nov. 28, 2005. By ordering early, fans have more choices -- improved seat selection, ticket availability in most price
ranges, and the ability to purchase blocks of tickets to keep your group together, are among the reasons to call now. The Sept. 22-24, 2006 race weekend includes: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006, NEXTEL Cup Series; Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006, Busch Series; Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, Busch North Series. Tickets for all 2006 events at Dover International Speedway, including the entire June 2-4, 2006 race weekend, may be purchased by visiting www.DoverSpeedway.com, or by calling the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE.(DIS PR)(11-23-205)
- Dover promotes from within: Dover International Speedway, Inc. announced the promotion of Lisa Courtney to Director of Promotions. Prior to her promotion, Courtney served as Promotions Manager at Dover International Speedway. She has been employed with the Speedway since March 1998. On a daily basis, Courtney works with the sales & marketing team to develop unique and creative promotional programs, sweepstakes and sponsor programs geared at enhancing event awareness, attendance and ticket sales. She also plays an important role in database research and marketing efforts. Some notable programs at the Speedway to her credit include: a special promotion to recognize fans who have attended races at Dover for 20-plus years; the "Party with the Busch Winner," a fan amenity that allows fans to participate in a question-and-answer session with the winner of the NASCAR Busch Series race; the free NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series autograph session on Friday of the June race weekend; and the always entertaining pre-race festivities before each Dover International Speedway event. Courtney, a graduate of Wesley College in Dover, Del., resides in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with her husband Michael.(Dover International Speedway PR)(11-10-2005)
- Dover Weekend Sched changed: The NASCAR schedule at Dover International Speedway will have a different look, beginning with race weekend in June 2006. The biggest change is that Nextel Cup qualifying will be moved from Friday to Saturday in a move that will align Dover with most other tracks on NASCAR's schedule. Highlighting the changes in the race weekend schedule at Dover beginning next year:
• Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series teams will have alternating practice sessions on Friday, prior to the Craftsman Truck Series race.
•The Busch Series will have qualifying on Saturday morning prior to their race, which will start at 3 p.m., two hours later than it has traditionally been.
•The Nextel Cup Series is tentatively scheduled to qualify for Sunday's race at noon on Saturday. NASCAR will impound the race cars immediately following the qualifying session. This is already being done for 21 of the 36 Nextel Cup races this season.(Delaware News Journal)(10-20-2005)
- Lights at Dover in 2006? UPDATE NO: Next season's two Nextel Cup races at Dover could be run under the lights, on Saturday night.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND With concrete light poles placed all around the infield at Dover Downs, expect both of Dover's NASCAR weekends to be run under the lights next year.(Yahoo! Sports)(9-26-2005)
UPDATE: 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 Intl Speedway PR)(9-29-2005)
- NFL Player Ray Lewis Busch Race Grand Marshal UPDATE cancels: Ray Lewis, all-pro NFL linebacker for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, will be the Grand Marshal on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Dover 200. In his first visit to a NASCAR event, Lewis will give the command to start engines, participate in pre-race, attend the driver's meeting and visit the DuPont Monster Bridge at Dover International Speedway.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
UPDATE: Ray Lewis, the Ravens' All-Pro linebacker, canceled his appearance to serve as grand marshal for today's Dover 200 Busch Series race. He was scheduled to give the command to the drivers to start their engines. No reason was given for the cancellation.(Delaware News Journal), should had gotten an E-A-G-L-E.(9-24-2004)
- Pre-Race Activities at Dover:
* A special tribute to Rusty Wallace will include a proclamation by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, declaring Sept. 25, 2005 "Rusty Wallace
Day." Mayor Stephen Speed will present Wallace with a key to the City of Dover. Frank McKelvey, Sr. Executive Vice President of MBNA, and Denis McGlynn, CEO and president of Dover International Speedway, will also present Wallace with gifts.
* 43 lucky fans who have attended races at Dover International Speedway for 20 years or more will participate in pre-race, and will hold the American flag at each pit stall during the singing of the National Anthem. The winners were selected from an online promotion orchestrated by the Speedway.
* Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, will give the command "Gentlemen Start your Engines" on Sunday for the MBNA RacePoints 400. Cartwright is in Dover to promote "The Kelly's" an animated series about a stock car racing family. The series will debut immediately after the race on NASCAR.COM and will feature 18 short-form episodes optimized for broadband Internet viewing. New
episodes will appear weekly at NASCAR.COM.
* The 200-piece Tiger Marching Alexis I. DuPont High School from Wilmington, Del., will perform.
* A 40-piece United States Army Field Band will also perform throughout the ceremony.(DIS PR)(9-24-2005)
- Dover Honors Four Local Soldiers: DuPont recently extended a small token of appreciation to the troops who have returned from the Middle East after serving on behalf of all United States citizens. Via a radio contest, Dupont awarded four members of the US military, and a guest, seats on the DuPont Monster Bridge to watch the Dover 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Sept. 24 at Dover International Speedway. Listeners of WDSD 92.9 FM and The River 94.7 FM in Dover had the chance to nominate a returning soldier by calling in or visiting the radio stations' Web site.
Sgt. First Class Bill Ziolkowski (US Army), Tech Sgt. Tony Forcier (USAF), Staff Sgt. Paul Cross (USAF) and Tech Sgt. John McHale (USAF) were all selected to spend the day at the NASCAR race in Dover and meet Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion and driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet. Ziolkowski, of Wilmington, served one year in Iraq, returning home in June. Cross and McHale, both hail from Magnolia. Cross served in Kuwait while McHale served in Iraq. Forcier, of Dover, served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The DuPont Monster Bridge, built in 2004, is a glass-enclosed seating structure that suspends 56 people in air-conditioned comfort 29 feet
above the Dover International Speedway. The bridge is made possible by more than one dozen DuPont products and innovative building materials including DuPont Tyvek CommericalWrap and DuPont SentryGlas Plus ionoplast interlayer, a material that allows the glass to sustain a lug nut being fired at it at 200 mph without shattering.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- National Anthem at Dover: The national anthem on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005 for the MBNA RacePoints 400 will be sung by Warner Bros. recording artist Shannon Brown. Shannon Brown is the product of a small town in Iowa and of a childhood filled with the music floating out of the nightclubs and restaurants her parents owned. Her country delivery was infused with a soulfulness born of hours of listening to Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- NFL Player Ray Lewis Busch Race Grand Marshal: Ray Lewis, all-pro NFL linebacker for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, will be the Grand Marshal on Saturday, Sept. 24 for the Dover 200. In his first visit to a NASCAR event, Lewis will give the command to start engines, participate in pre-race, attend the driver's meeting and visit the DuPont Monster Bridge at Dover International Speedway.(DIS PR)(9-20-2005)
- Heat buckles track at Dover UPDATE all fixed: The summer heat wave that has gripped Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region the past couple of weeks has caused a small portion of Dover International Speedway's concrete backstretch to buckle. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of the track, said Friday he does not expect it to be a major issue and anticipates the MBNA-sponsored NASCAR weekend from Sept. 23-25 to go on as scheduled. "We've put a call in to NASCAR and let them know of the issue," McGlynn said. "It's something that we'll probably have fixed in just a few days." Workers at the high-banked, one-mile track have installed temporary sprinklers on the frontstretch in an effort to cool the track down and avoid the buckling issue that has popped up on the backstretch. Dover did have to cancel this weekend's Monster Racing experience, in which people buy laps to either drive or ride NASCAR race cars around the track. Jerry Dunning, senior vice president and general manager of motorsports at Dover, learned of the problem at about 6:30 Friday morning. He said the damaged area of concrete was only about four-feet wide by the track's width of 48-feet across. However, in order to make the repair properly, workers from Dover's Kent Construction have already begun to take out 24 feet by 48 feet of the concrete on the backstretch. It was unknown how much the unexpected project would cost the track.(Delaware News Journal)(8-6-2005)
UPDATE: The track at Dover International Speedway has been repaired. Because of consistently high temperatures, the track did have some blistering of the concrete. A 24' x 48' section of the track was repoured and some expansion joints were slightly widened around the track, allowing more room for expansion of the concrete if temperatures remain high. Maintenance workers are also watering the track and keeping it as moist/cool as possible to avoid any further issues during the summer months. The driving school at the track, Monster Racing, has returned to their normal schedule. Track officials do not anticipate any problems for the upcoming September 23-25, 2005 race weekend.(Dover Int'l Speedway PR)(8-23-2005)
- Dover gets approval to add more seats UPDATE: Dover International Speedway has received approval from it's board that would allow the track to incease seating capacity from 135,000 to 170,000.(NASCAR Scene Magazine)(8-11-2005)
UPDATE: The rumors in regards to the expansion of the grandstands at Dover International Speedway are false. The track has had permission from the City of Dover for some time to increase seating up to 170,000. There are currently, however, no plans to expand seating at Dover International Speedway.(Dover Int'l Speedway PR)(8-23-2005)
- Dover's initiative to seize counterfeit merchandise proves very successful: An undercover initiative to stop the sale of counterfeit merchandise at Dover International Speedway has proven very successful. Dover International Speedway, in conjunction with the FBI, Dover Police Department and Delaware State Police, conducted an undercover sting to prevent counterfeit merchandise from being sold on the property on race weekends. Law enforcement officials, disguised as race fans, canvassed the parking lots at
Dover International Speedway throughout race weekend. Officers focused on locating main distribution points of counterfeit merchandise
early in the weekend, and began apprehending the major conspirators on Saturday. Historically, as race weekends progress, the appearance of unlicensed merchandise becomes more visible. This year, by the start of the Sunday, June 5 race at Dover International Speedway, illegal vendors were almost nonexistent. Over the course of the weekend, eight individuals, identified as illegal vendors, were removed from track property, detained and questioned. All counterfeit merchandise in their possession was seized. Nextel Communications also played a critical role in the initiative by providing wireless phones to the undercover officers. Dover Motorsports, Inc. will continue to allocate significant resources to further prevent the sale of counterfeit merchandise at race events.(Dover International Speedway)(6-8-2005)
- Dover cracking down on unlicensed merchandise: As fans gather for this weekend's MBNA Racepoints 400 at Dover International Speedway, track owner Dover Motorsports Inc. is greeting vendors with a new twist on the old "buyer beware" adage - seller beware. Dover Motorsports officials were granted a Delaware Court of Chancery order allowing them to seize any track-related merchandise, counterfeit or otherwise, sold without their approval during race week, which began Monday. The order allows the seizure of counterfeit and noncounterfeit goods, including hats, tickets and T-shirts, sold without authorization on track property through June 8. It also allows the seizure of counterfeit goods offered for sale within three miles of the track, which covers pretty much the entire town, and on or within one mile of "park and ride" lots or other parking areas associated with the race. Anyone whose property is seized will get a copy of the court order, and the confiscated property will be held and inventoried pending a June 13 hearing for anyone wanting to argue that their merchandise was wrongly seized and should be returned. "We've been doing that for years," said Denis McGlynn, president and chief executive of Dover Motorsports. "You never know what's going to happen on race weekend." Last month, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, cooperating with NASCAR officials on "Project Raceday," seized more than 7,100 counterfeit items valued at $160,000 at Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama. In a related move, NASCAR introduced an official hologram seal in January to verify the authenticity of officially licensed NASCAR merchandise. Filing a similar complaint last week in Delaware Chancery Court against "John Doe and other persons unknown" Dover Motorsports obtained an injunction allowing local and state police, as well track security personnel, to seize goods during race week. The order is designed to protect a host of DMI trademarks, which range from "Monster Mile" and its related "Concrete Monster" design to "Dover Motorsports," "Dover Downs" and even "Dover" itself.(Delaware State News/AP)(6-4-2005)
- Monster Action Figure: Dover International Speedway has created a new movable action figure that will be available all weekend at the track. It is an 8-inch tall action figure nicknamed "Miles the Monster" that can hold a 1:64 scale car in its hand.
The $10 toy will be available at www.doverspeedway.com following race weekend.[Actually it is already on the site](Delaware News Journal)(6-3-2005)
- Dover still has tix available: Tickets are still available for both NASCAR race weekends at Dover International Speedway, June 3-5 and Sept. 23-25, and can be obtained by visiting www.doverspeedway.com, or at the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE. Dover International Speedway offers a long list of ticket options for fans, including special 3-day ticket packages, all-inclusive hospitality packages, early-buy discounts and a variety of payment plans. Call now for the best available seats at the Monster Mile.(Dover International Speedway)(5-31-2005)
- Jason Mraz to Sing the National Anthem at Dover: Atlantic Records recording artist Jason Mraz will sing the National Anthem for the MBNA RacePoints 400 on June 5, 2005 at Dover International Speedway. Mraz' singer-songwriter-meets-rap singing style was thrust into the national spotlight after the success of his first album, "Waiting For My Rocket To Come," which has sold over 1,000,000 copies. Some of his hits include "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," "You & I Both" and "Curbside Prophet." Mraz, 27, has performed the anthem for NFL Monday Night Football, the NFL Pro Bowl, and the NBA Finals last year between the Lakers and Pistons, and will now bring his rendition to Dover International Speedway. More information about Mraz can be found online at www.jasonmraz.com.(Dover International Speedway)(5-31-2005)
- Dover selling Long Beach: Rowdy (www.rowdy.com) reports that Dover Motorsports--which owns and operates not only Dover, but Nashville Superspeedway, Gateway International Raceway (St. Louis), and
Memphis Motorsports Park, has reached an agreement to sell the Long Beach Grand Prix event to Aquarium Asset Management, an affiliate of the Champ Car World Series, for $15 million. The deal must be approved by the city of Long Beach and contains assurances that current full-time employees will retain their jobs with comparable pay and benefits. Also on Rowdy today, the "give Pete a chance" campaign begins, Rick Mast's review of the all-star race, and rookie Travis Kvapil talks about the Open. Rowdy is a daily racing radio show you get on your phone and the web. Listen to the link on Jayski's Cup News page, visit www.rowdy.com or call 1-800-95-ROWDY for more info.(5-24-2005)
- Dover's Monster Mile Club sold out for June, tickets available: The Monster Mile Club, an all-inclusive hospitality club at Dover International Speedway, has sold out. The June 5, 2005 hospitality club festivities will include an appearance by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Mark Martin. The Monster Mile Club is a pre-race fan hospitality package available to all ticket holders at Dover International Speedway. Located in the North Hospitality Tent Village, the Monster Mile Club is an action-packed way to experience race day at Dover International Speedway in style. Admission to the Monster Mile Club includes food and drink (beer, soda and water), a VIP trackside tour, live entertainment, a limited-edition souvenir item, a program, interactive games and an appearance by a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver. Admission to the Monster Mile Club costs $ 99. To add the Monster Mile Club to your ticket purchase (for the September 25 race), call the Dover ticket office by September 9, 2005 at 800-441-RACE. The driver appearance for September is still to-be-determined.
Race tickets are now available for both event weekends, June 3-5 and Sept. 23-25, and can be obtained by visiting www.doverspeedway.com, or at the Dover International Speedway ticket office at 800-441-RACE.(Dover International Speedway)(5-14-2005)
- Some Dover Notes: On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness conducted a full-scale simulated exercise - the first of its kind at any NASCAR facility at Dover International Speedway, according to track spokesman Gary Camp. About 700 volunteers took part in the event, with local and state police and firefighters as well as emergency medical technicians and hazardous material personnel responding to, among other things, a car bomb, various fires and the simulated release of a chemical agent. "We had incidents on different scales, from a fistfight between two fans in the hospitality tent area to phoned-in bomb threats," Camp said. "Homeland Security is going to get back to us in regard to response times and proper techniques, but we felt it went well. This was an opportunity for us to be proactive, and it gave all the emergency crews that are normally here over a race weekend to work together."
Installation of the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system is expected to be completed in time for next month's race weekend at Dover. The SAFER barrier, which was put in place along the track's inside backstretch wall last season, is being affixed in the corners of the oval. The barrier will extend about 30 inches out from the existing boilerplate-covered walls. Lou Reilly, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan from Philadelphia, claimed the grand prize in Dover's "Most Memorable Monster Mile Moment" contest. Dover officials are still working on a tribute to Melvin Joseph, who recently died at the age of 83. Tickets are available at 800-441-RACE or www.DoverSpeedway.com.(Philadelphia Inquirer)(5-5-2005)
- Dover to Host Emergency Exercise April 30: Dover International Speedway, in conjunction with local, state and federal authorities, will conduct a full-scale, simulated exercise to test emergency preparedness on April 30, 2005. The exercise will begin at 9 a.m., and conclude at approximately 1 p.m. The exercise will be held on-site at Dover International Speedway, and will involve the many agencies that actively participate in operations on race weekend. It will provide a realistic opportunity to practice emergency plans that could be necessary in the event of an incident on race weekend. The emergency exercise is anticipated to be one of the largest ever
held in Delaware, and is expected to include approximately 1,500 simulated evacuees. Due to the large number of evacuees, traffic
congestion may be increased in and around Dover International Speedway between the hours of 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on April 30.(Dover International Speedway)(4-21-2005)
- Dover's Races get Title Names: Dover International Speedway has announced new names for its June 3-5
and Sept. 23-25 NASCAR races. The June 5 and Sept. 25 Nextel Cup races will both be called the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 400. The June 4 Busch Series race will be the NASCAR RacePoints 200, while the Sept. 24 Busch Series race will be the Dover 200. The June 3 Craftsman Truck Series race will be the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 200. The MBNA names are tied to the bank's NASCAR RacePoints Visa credit-card program. Financial terms of the naming rights deals were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-18-2005)
- Sad News: Melvin Joseph, construction pioneer and owner of Melvin Joseph Construction, died on April 6, 2005 after a brief illness. He was 83. Joseph, of Georgetown, Del., oversaw construction during the late ’60s of the dual-use Dover Downs facility, which includes the one-mile motorsports track and the 5/8-mile horse track. Joseph had been a constant fixture at Dover International Speedway events, giving drivers the command to start their engines at every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in Dover since 1969.
At the time of his death, Joseph served on the board of directors for Dover Motorsports, Inc. as vice president and director of auto racing for Dover International Speedway. He also served on the board of Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. Joseph was originally appointed to the board of what was then Dover Downs, Inc. in 1969. Joseph oversaw the complicated 1994 repaving project at Dover International Speedway that transformed the asphalt into the current concrete surface. Joseph also served as a consultant for the Dover Motorsports construction of Nashville Superspeedway, in Lebanon, Tenn., in 2000. Among many other career-long accolades, Joseph was a 2002 inductee into the Delaware Sports Museum Hall of Fame. Funeral arrangements are pending. More information will be posted on the Dover International Speedway website, www.doverspeedway.com.(4-7-2005)
- Nashville sale denied; no plans to move Dover race to Nashville: Dover Motorsports President and CEO Denis McGlynn said he has no plans to sell Nashville Superspeedway but stopped short of denying that it has been discussed. ''We don't have any plans to sell Nashville,'' McGlynn said earlier this week in response to recent reports that the five-year-old, $125 million track is being shopped. Asked if he has talked with representatives from any group — including International Speedway Corporation — about a possible sale, McGlynn would say only: ''We talk to a lot of people about a lot of things.'' Reports of a possible sale of the Nashville track to ISC circulated last weekend at Bristol. Yesterday ISC spokesman David Talley said, ''We don't comment on rumors. Right now we are focused on our Pacific Northwest and New York projects.'' McGlynn also denied reports that NASCAR is pressuring Dover to move one of its two annual Nextel Cup races from Dover (Del.) International Speedway to Nashville Superspeedway.(Tennessean)(4-6-2005)
- Dover SAFER almost complete: The final installation of the SAFER barriers at Dover International Speedway is underway, and will be completed in time for the June 3-5 MBNA race weekend. The SAFER (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction system) barrier walls consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks, and reduces the force of the initial impact of a crash. Approximately 3,600 feet of tubing, primarily in the turns of the one-mile track, will be installed. Drivers and fans shouldn't expect a major difference in the on-track action at the Monster Mile. Known for its sweeping, wide turns, the SAFER barrier will extend approximately 30 inches from outside walls at Dover International Speedway. "NASCAR's initiative to increase the safety of its competitors is one we wholeheartedly support," said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "We are pleased the SAFER barrier installation will be complete for our June 3-5 race weekend."
Before the last race weekend in September, the inside wall of the backstretch was rebuilt, and SAFER barriers were installed. The inside backstretch wall also serves as the retaining wall for Dover Downs Raceway, which features harness racing from November through April. Crews removed 1,132 feet of the 8-inch thick concrete block wall, and a 12-inch rebar-reinforced, poured concrete wall was installed. Dover International Speedway has been waiting on additional recommendations from expert advisor Dr. Dean Sicking, of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska, to proceed with the installation of SAFER barriers on other locations at the track. Each SAFER barrier system is tailor-made to address each track's design challenges.
Because Dover has steel boilerplate walls, and additional reinforcement of the walls is also necessary, the engineering surveys took additional time to complete. With the completion of the installation at Dover International Speedway, Dover Motorsports, Inc. will have SAFER barriers in place at all of its facilities for their 2005 events. This includes the Nashville Superspeedway, Gateway International Raceway and Memphis Motorsports Park.(Delaware State News)(3-24-2005)
- Dover gets an official convenience store: Dover International Speedway says Shore Stop convenience stores will be the track's "Official Convenience Store" under a new five-year agreement. Terms of the agreement call for the stores to have the ability to sell race tickets to the track's events and to be able to offer exclusive ticket programs to their customers. Financial terms were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(3-12-2005)
- Dover....more on SAFER and lights: Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said that installing SAFER barriers on the outside walls of the track's sweeping turns should be completed by mid-April. But bigger projects, like adding lights and more seating, are on hold. McGlynn said there will be no lights installed at the track this year for night-time racing, and grandstand seating will remain the same - approximately 140,000. "It's going to be a relatively low-key year at the race track," McGlynn said. That is an attitude that mirrors NASCAR in general in 2005. Last year, the sport announced several major changes, from switching the title sponsor from Winston to Nextel, to its unveiling of a playoff-type points system it dubbed the Chase for the Nextel Cup, which was won by Kurt Busch in its debut season. Dover International Speedway had expanded its seating every year from 1986 until 2001, the longest such streak by any NASCAR speedway, leaping from a modest capacity of 22,000 to 140,000 in just 15 years. Dover has received approval to expand to up to 170,000 seats in the future.
Dover installed the SAFER barriers along the inside of the 1,076-foot backstretch last summer. However, work on the outside walls was pushed back due to engineering delays. The SAFER barrier project will cost nearly $2 million by the time it is completed. The initial estimate was $1 million. The SAFER barriers have been a challenge to install at Dover, a track unlike any other on the NASCAR circuit. The concrete and steel boilerplate walls that line the outside walls are not strong enough to support the SAFER barriers, so steel pilings must first be built to solidify the walls. The current walls also will have to be made slightly higher to fit the SAFER barriers, which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks. The barriers, which extend about 30 inches from the wall, are not expected to affect the racing at Dover, known for its wide turns.
As for the always popular rumor about night racing at Dover, McGlynn still does not see it as a pressing issue. Many NASCAR fans think the addition of lights at Dover would make it one of the marquee events on the schedule, alongside the perennially sold-out August night race in Bristol. McGlynn is not so quick on the trigger, saying most tracks that have added lights recently - like Darlington, S.C. - are places that did so because they were having trouble selling tickets. McGlynn said the big force behind any decision to add lights will be TV executives and NASCAR. Should the track eventually add lights next season, McGlynn said it could host either a Saturday night Nextel Cup race or have an event that begins later on Sunday afternoon for a finish under the lights. (Delaware News Journal)(2-9-2005)
- No Lights at Dover in 2005, more SAFER, pits stay: The longtime speculation on when lights will be installed at Dover International Speedway to allow for night racing will have to continue through at least another NASCAR season. In fact, 2005 won’t be the year for any real high-level construction projects at the track, according to Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of the speedway. “I can’t tell you we’ll never put lights in here,” McGlynn noted, adding that any move toward illuminating the Dover track would likely come with some agreement with the television networks. Putting lights at the speedway would cost between $3 million and $3.5 million McGlynn said, basing his estimate on the fee for installing them at Nashville Superspeedway, another Dover Motorsports Inc. track, which opened in 2001. “I think that this is for the long term a great opportunity in terms of making a unique opportunity for the fans,” said Wes Harris, senior director of investor relations for International Speedway Corporation, which manages Darlington. “From a TV perspective, there are more people watching later in the day.” Historically, the decision to install lights comes at tracks that struggle to fill the grandstands during daytime races, McGlynn pointed out. “We’ve not fallen into a situation where we’re struggling to fill our seats,” he said. “We’re just blessed with a huge population base.” Dover has increased from 71,000 to 140,000 seats in the nine years since Dover Downs Slots opened. The speedway has been approved for expansion to 170,000 seats, which will be added when the fans show it’s needed, McGlynn said. But that won’t be this year.
Aside from a few bathroom renovations, the only new thing at the speedway this season will be more Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers, which are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers in the event of an accident. Workers will finish installing the SAFER system on the high-banked outside turns of the one-mile oval in the spring. The barriers were installed along the backstretch in 2004, a year which also featured the construction and unveiling of the DuPont Monster Bridge, a unique seating area overtop the concrete track surface.
Rumors of expanding Dover’s pit row this year have also proven false. There’s “not a whole lot” that can be done about that, McGlynn said. “We would have to take wall out further into speedway, which compresses the width of the speedway runoff area. Where does NASCAR really want the room?”(Dover Post)(1-27-2005)
- Dover sues makers of Stacker 2/YJ Stinger . . . and Rowdy has the story. Big time race sponsorships cost money-in the case of the Busch Series Stacker 2 Hundred at Dover International Speedway, $350,000. But according to a complaint filed with the Superior Court of Newcastle County Delaware, the speedway hasn't been paid. The complaint, obtained by Rowdy, also alleges that NVE Pharmaceuticals, which owns Stacker 2 and YJ Stinger, did not spend another $325,000 to market the event, as agreed to in the contract. Hear about it today on Rowdy. Rowdy is daily racing news, interviews, and commentary you get on your cell phone-like a racing radio show you can hear whenever you want. Call 1-800-95-ROWDY (1-800-957-6939) to sign up for a free, no obligation trial.(Rowdy PR)(11-30-2004)
- Delaware Reaches Out to Dover Intl Speedway to keep races: The state of Delware has reached out to Dover International Speedway officials to keep both Nextel Cup races. No event in the state is bigger than the two NASCAR Nextel Cup races held each year in Dover. About 140,000 people attended Sunday's MBNA America 400. The two race weekends this year drew 400,000 fans. They pump about $300 million into the state's economy, according to a 2001 study commissioned by Dover Motorsports, the company that owns Dover International Speedway. That's something the state can hardly afford to lose. "The governor and the Economic Development Office are in constant contact with business leaders throughout the state, including Dover Downs, as part of the state's continuing efforts to retain businesses in Delaware," said Kate Bailey, deputy communications director for the governor. "In fact, communications with the leadership team at Dover Downs in recent months confirmed that we can look forward to the NASCAR events being part of Delaware's premier entertainment lineup for years to come." Still, government officials felt it was necessary to call Dover International Speedway last month when they heard that a new race track had been proposed to be built in the New York City area, perhaps opening as soon as 2008. They know such a track could lead to a current Nextel Cup venue losing its race to New York, and few venues are located in cities smaller than Dover. "We talked to them because we wanted to double-check and triple-check the potential of one of the races leaving here," said Julie Miro Wenger, acting tourism director for the Delaware Tourism Office. "They pretty much told us that we're not in jeopardy of losing a race." It's a gesture that is greatly appreciated, said Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "The state has always been very supportive," he said. "They know the economic impact of our race weekends. And we know we're placing a big burden on the state because we have 140,000 fans coming into Dover for the races." Yet even McGlynn acknowledges the possibility of a race leaving Dover is always there, even though he is confident it won't happen. McGlynn said Dover is safe because its reach of 300 miles extends to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, three of the largest markets in the United States. That's something that few other tracks can claim. "I just think that having another track in the region will help grow the market, because it will create more and more race fans," McGlynn said. "So, while Dover itself is a small market, we're actually a major market, because we deliver three major markets to NASCAR." But there also is the chance that McGlynn could move one of the Dover races to one of three other tracks Dover Motorsports owns. Those tracks - St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville - are in relatively large markets that NASCAR has yet to reach. McGlynn insisted that possibility isn't very likely. For one, those tracks, which host Busch Series races, aren't big enough yet for Nextel Cup races. The largest track, near St. Louis, seats 55,000. It would have to at least double in size before McGlynn would consider having a Nextel Cup race there. That process would likely take several years. McGlynn said if that were to happen, he would rather have a race from a different track move there instead of moving one from Dover. "I'm sure we could make a good argument to NASCAR for doing it," McGlynn said. "And NASCAR would probably approve it, because those are markets that haven't really been penetrated yet. But we don't have any interest in doing that. We like our two weekends in Dover, and we want to keep it that way." So does the state of Delaware.(paraphrased from the Delaware News Journal)(9-27-2004)
- SAFER at Dover and Bristol in 2005: NASCAR officials say they expect installation of the Safer barriers by next spring at Dover Internatonal Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. The delay at Bristol has been in developing techniques to deal with the cross-over gate. The delay at Dover concerns the boilerplate outside walls, which have to be replaced with concrete walls before the Safer barriers can be installed. "The University of Nebraska has been working on the gate issue, and it's all coming really good," NASCAR's Robin Pemberton said. "I think they're pretty close to being done at Bristol. They're ready to put them up." Both Bristol and Dover have cross-track gates. However, a number of tracks have stretches of soft walls that are not seamless, so it's not completely clear why the cross-over gate - in the middle of the frontstretch here and the middle of the backstretch - should be a particular issue. At the least, soft walls should have been installed in the corners, given the hard hits drivers take into the outside walls. "They need to do some reconfiguring on the walls as they exist now here to be able to support the Safer barriers," Pemberton said. "We have seen some very hard hits here."(Winston Salem Journal), past news about the SAFER Barrier on my SAFER/Softwall's page and Safety Page.(9-27-2004)
- Here She Comes.....to Dover: Less than a week after winning the Miss America crown, Deidre [Dover?] Downs of Alabama will serve as grand marshal and sing the national anthem at the MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. Downs, 24, an aspiring doctor who put off medical school to compete for the crown, topped Miss Louisiana, Jennifer Dupont, to become Miss America 2005. Downs is very capable of singing the national anthem — her performance of the ballad "I'm Afraid This Must Be Love," sealed the Miss America victory. Tickets for the entire race weekend are still available by calling 1-800-441-RACE, or online at www.doverspeedway.com.(Delaware News Journal)(9-21-2004)
- Dover is SAFER inside walls...not outside...yet: The walls at Dover International Speedway have left many NASCAR drivers with pounding headaches following hard impacts over the years. Legendary driver David Pearson once said Dover had "the hardest [darned] walls I've ever hit." This summer, those same walls left the engineers at the Midwest Roadside Safety facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln scratching their heads, as they worked to develop SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers for the high-banked, one-mile oval. SAFER barriers are designed to absorb much of the energy from a crash, significantly lessening the chance of a severe injury to a driver. While the barriers will be in place along the inside of the 1,076-foot backstretch this week, they will not cover the outside walls of the speedway until NASCAR drivers return next June due to engineering delays. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, said the additional engineering means the project will cost nearly $2 million by the time it is completed this winter. The initial estimate was $1 million. Dover Motorsports Inc. will pay for the project, which NASCAR recommended be completed this year for all Nextel Cup tracks except the half-mile oval at Bristol, Tenn., and road courses at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Sonoma, Calif. The SAFER barriers have been a challenge to install at Dover, a track unlike any other on the NASCAR circuit. The concrete and steel boilerplate walls that line the outside walls are not strong enough to support the SAFER barriers, so steel pilings must first be constructed to solidify the walls. The current walls also will have to be made slightly higher to fit the SAFER barriers, which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks. The barriers, which extend about 30 inches from the wall, are not expected to affect the racing at Dover, known for its wide, sweeping turns. Dover has not had a driver fatality since it began hosting NASCAR races in 1969. Still, many drivers have been left dazed after encounters with the walls, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was transported to Kent General Hospital after hitting the wall last September. The accident appeared to be relatively harmless, but Earnhardt said the data recorder in his car revealed he had suffered a tremendous impact. He was left with a minor concussion.(Delaware News Journal)(9-21-2004)
- Now this is a cool Trophy; Action Figure?: Whoever wins the Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway later this month will get a trophy as ferocious as the track itself. On Tuesday, Dover unveiled its brand-new monster trophy that will go to the winner of the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26. A concrete sample was taken from the speedway, and used as a model for creating the one-of-a-kind trophy. Composed of sandstone, a granite-like material, the monster was formed from a clay mold. After repeated brushing, refinishing and hardening, the monster evolved into its final shape. From initial concept, through many rounds of revisions, the project took approximately four months to complete. A 1:24 scale Action Performance diecast car of the winner will be held high in the air by the concrete monster. The trophy stands approximately 30 inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. The base features a red mirror, which in sunlight will make the monster appear on fire. "Winning at the Monster Mile requires great driving skills, strength and endurance," said Jerry Miraglia, executive vice president of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "From now on, the winner of our NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race will receive a trophy that will embody these attributes and be unlike any other award in the sport. Dover has been dubbed the Monster Mile because of the challenges the track presents to drivers. It's only fitting that the trophy incorporate our monster likeness in its design." Based on the successful creation of the monster trophy, Dover International Speedway and Action Performance are in the process of designing a movable action figure. The action figure will be available in early 2005.(NewsZap)(9-8-2004)
- Walk the Monster Mile: There will be a fitness walk at Dover International Speedway on Aug. 18 as part of the Lt. Governor's Challenge. Two sessions, at noon and 1 p.m., will allow participants to walk the one-mile concrete superspeedway. The fitness walk is free and open to the public. Lt. Governor John Carney Jr. will join in the walk. On Aug. 18, guests can access the track by entering the main entrance off of Route 13, and turning right in front of the Dover Downs Hotel. Follow the access road around the outside of the track to Gate 1, where parking will be available. For more information on the Lt. Governor's Challenge, call (302) 577-8787 or (302) 744-4333 or see www.state.de.us.(Delaware News Journal)(7-29-2004)
- Not 100% SAFER at Dover in Sept: SAFER walls will line the inside of the backstretch at Dover International Speedway when the Nextel Cup Series returns for the MBNA America 400 on Sept. 26. However, Jerry Dunning - senior vice president and general manager of motorsports for Dover - said the outside walls in all four turns will not have the barriers installed until after the track's fall race weekend. Civil engineering professor Dr. Dean Sicking and his team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are still conducting tests to determine how best to install the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers at the high-banked, one-mile oval. "Right now we are planning to do [the turns] over the winter since the engineering is not complete," Dunning said. "After the September race, all of the engineering team will be back and all the key decisions will be made." Workers from Kent Construction in Dover are building a new inside wall on the back straightway between the harness racing track and the speedway that will provide the support for the SAFER wall. The first series of SAFER barriers - which consist of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks - to go up will line the 1,076-foot backstretch. During the offseason, each of the outside walls in the turns will be fitted for the barriers.(Delaware News Journal)(7-13-2004)
- Dover to get SAFER: Drivers will be pleased to find out that work has begun to prepare Dover International Speedway for the first phase of its installation of SAFER walls. The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall system first will be installed along the inside wall of the backstretch at the high-banked, one-mile oval. The SAFER barriers eventually will be fitted for the walls in the turns, though it is uncertain whether the turns will be completed in time for the MBNA America 400 Nextel Cup Series race on Sept. 26. "They have officially begun preparing for the installation of SAFER barriers at Dover," said Gary Camp, director of public relations at Dover International Speedway. "They are just entering the first phase of the project." Denis McGlynn, president of Dover's race track, said it was just a matter of time before the facility fell in line with all of the other tracks on the NASCAR circuit, most of which already have or are installing the SAFER barriers. "I think anything that's safer is better, and we're on board with all of the improvements that are being made in the name of safety," McGlynn said. The walls, which McGlynn estimated in March would cost around $1 million to install, are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers involved in an accident. They promise to be much safer than the concrete and boilerplate walls that have lined Dover since its opening in 1969.(Delaware News Journal)(7-10-2004)
- Secretary of the Air Force at Dover NASCAR Race: Dr. James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, will be attending the
MBNA 400: Sulute to Heros at Dover International Speedway on 6 June. Dr. Roche is the 20th Secretary of the Air Force and is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping, and providing for the welfare of its nearly 370,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. As head of the Department of the Air Force, Secretary Roche is responsible for its functioning and efficiency, the formulation of its policies and programs, and the timely implementation of decisions and instructions of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. This will be Secretary Roche's first NASCAR race. Dr. Roche will be visiting with the #21 Motorcraft Nextel Cup team, owned by the Wood Brothers, and driven by Ricky Rudd. The Air Force association with the #21 has been part of its recruiting and retention effort since 2001. NASCAR and the Air Force have a lot in common - speed, mechanics, technology and teamwork, and has successfully used
it's involvement in NASCAR as part of it's overall advertising program. June 6 marks the 60th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy invasion, the beginning of the Allied assault, eventually leading to the end of WWII. The Allied forces that day involved 6,500 ships and 13,000 aircraft. Over 200,000 vehicles and 600,000 tons of supplies were transported to support the Allied troops in the weeks that followed
the initial attack.(Air Force PR)(6-3-2004)
- F-16's to do Dover Flyover: the Flyover at Dover following the National Anthem will be performed by four F-16's from the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard.(Air Force PR)(6-3-2004)
- New race name at Dover and WWII Planes to Flyover: MBNA recently announced the name and theme of the upcoming NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway. "The MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes" will be held on June 6, 2004 -- the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Pre-race activities will honor those Americans whose heroism in the liberation of Europe earned them the title, "The Greatest Generation." Pre-race activities on June 6 will include a fly-over of World War II-era military aircraft, including the world's only B-29 bomber still in flight. D-Day veterans will participate in pre-race ceremonies and Peter Thomas, the former voice of the History Channel and himself a veteran of Omaha Beach, will read General Dwight Eisenhower's Order of the Day of June 5, 1944. As Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Eisenhower issued this order on the eve of the D-Day invasion. The order includes the inspiring line, "We will accept nothing less than full victory."
The tripleheader of racing action at Dover International Speedway begins on Friday, June 4 with the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the MBNA America 200. On Saturday, June 5, the rising stars of the NASCAR Busch Series take to the Monster Mile for the MBNA America 200. And then on Sunday, June 6, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Dover for the MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes, which promises to be one of the most memorable in recent history. Tickets for the entire June 4 - 6 MBNA race weekend are available by calling 1-800-441-RACE, or online at www.doverspeedway.com.(PR)(6-1-2004)
- New Scoring Pylon at Dover: It's down with the old, and up with the new, at Dover International Speedway. Just in time for the upcoming June 4-6 MBNA race weekend, installation is complete on a new scoring pylon at Dover International Speedway. At 94-feet tall, the new scoring pylon is more than twice the size of the old one. Located near the start/finish line in the infield, it will feature 17 total positions -- the top 15 drivers, with the bottom 2 spots scrolling through the rest of the field. The old pylon, originally installed in the mid-'70s, displayed only the top 5 positions. It was disassembled and removed earlier this week. The new four-sided scoring pylon features rotating backlit panels with the logos of June 4-6, 2004 race sponsor MBNA, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Dover International Speedway. It also displays the lap speed of the race leader. All numerals are 3-feet-tall and illuminated.(Dover International Speedway PR)(6-1-2004)
- American Idol star Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem at Dover: Triple platinum-selling recording artist Clay Aiken will sing the national anthem at the inaugural running in Dover of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes on June 6, 2004. Aiken also will take the time while in Dover to perform a benefit concert in the Dover Downs Rollins Center on Saturday night, June 5.
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation and the Autism Society of Delaware are the beneficiaries of this very special evening with Aiken. Tickets are now on sale for this event and can be purchased by calling Dover Downs Slots VIP Services at 1-800-711-5882. Aiken, who first gained fame as the 2003 runner-up on the FOX Television program American Idol, will also treat the thousands on hand to a second song to help commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The mission of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is to provide services and financial assistance to facilitate fully the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation creates awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities inclusion can bring. Through collaborations with the disability, education, entertainment, and media communities, they recognize those whose commitment to breaking the stereotypes attendant to the developmentally disabled has broken barriers and extended the boundaries of the human experience for all. The Autism Society of Delaware, a chapter of the Autism Society of America, is committed to improving the lives of people with autism and their families. Serving all of Delaware, they educate, advocate and raise public awareness in order to promote lifelong opportunities and acceptance for people with autism in their communities.(Dover International Speedway PR)(6-1-2004)
- 2nd Bridge Being Built at Dover? UPDATE 2 The DuPont Monster Bridge: hearing that Dover International Speedway is curently in the closing stages of completion of a second walkover bridge at the end of the back straight. This new bridge will have approximately 66 seats that overlook the track and will have corporate sponsonship. The new brige has different glass than the one in turn two to protect the spectators inside. Interesting never heard of that before.(3-23-2004)
UPDATE been told some ticket holders have been contacted by Dover International Speedway letting them know thier seats "may" be partially obstructed view due to construction of the new bridge. They couldn't guarantee just how much would be obstructed but
said it was possible and offered to move the seats. So far the folks I have heards from were offered better seats.(3-29-2004)
UPDATE 2: The DuPont Monster Bridge, a new steel, concrete and glass structure, will suspend 50 spectators 29 feet above turn three of the high-banked, one-mile oval during the Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup races. But don't even think about trying to buy a ticket. They're not for sale to the general public. For the first race, most of those 50 people who in the structure will be media, dignitaries and select partners. The track plans to open it up for corporate promotional opportunities by September's races. The structure will interfere with the sightlines of about 2,000 of the track's 140,000 seats, but only about 250 of them will be seriously obstructed. Fans with those seats were offered the chance to upgrade their tickets. It is believed that there is no other speedway or stadium in the world that puts spectators directly above the race or game. The structure cost "in the mid-to-high six figures". Dover Motorsports Inc. has a patent pending on the structure, which was built by Kent Construction of Dover. Miraglia said Nashville Superspeedway - also owned by Dover Motorsports - appears to be next in line to get the seating arrangement. The front and rear glass walls of the DuPont Monster Bridge are made of laminated safety glass with DuPont SentryGlas Plus. In testing, the glass could not be penetrated by a lug nut shot at 200 mph. The structure also features a "catch fence" around it as an additional safeguard. The 50 seats, manufactured by American Seating of Grand Rapids, Mich., are custom-built, theater-style seats embroidered with a "Monster Mile" logo. There will be 64 seats for September's race. Each seat will provide audio access to NASCAR race coverage on TV and radio, along with access to race team communications. Nine flat-screen TVs are included in the climate-controlled interior, along with wall-to-wall carpet and a full-service refreshment bar.(Deleware News Journal see an image of the bridge there)(5-7-2004)
- Safety crews train at Dover: Two NASCAR race cars sat at the bottom of the banking between the first and second turns at Dover International Speedway Sunday, with paramedics and firefighters quickly responding to the accident scene. This simulated crash scene was the culmination of a two-day program at Dover designed to help firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMT) gain valuable hands-on experience in race-day scenarios. While the Nextel Cup Series drivers were competing at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday, 50 prospective race safety workers were taking part in the fourth annual program at Dover in preparation for June's NASCAR races at the track.(Deleware News Journal)(4-27-2004)
- Dover to get SAFER walls: The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall system will be installed at Dover International Speedway's high-banked, one-mile track. It is expected to cost about $1 million to install SAFER barriers at Dover. The walls are designed to absorb energy and decrease the chance of injuries to drivers in the event of an accident. They are expected to be in place possibly in time for Dover's next NASCAR race weekend, June 3-6. If that doesn't happen, the project could be completed in time for Dover's September races. The wall is installed in front of the race track's existing walls. As they did at Darlington Raceway, the walls will take away 2 1/2 feet of race track at Dover. That should not be a problem since there is no high groove for drivers to use. A team of NASCAR engineers visited Dover six weeks ago to assess the track for the project. Dover has never had a driver fatality during a NASCAR race at its facility. Several drivers have been injured over the years, sustaining broken bones and concussions, after coming into contact with the track's walls. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was briefly knocked unconscious when he hit the outside wall in the second turn in last September's MBNA America 400. The accident looked harmless, but Earnhardt said the data recorder in his car revealed he had suffered a tremendous impact.(in part from the Delaware News Journal)(3-21-2004)
- New PR Director Named at Dover: Dover Motorsports has announced that Gary Camp has joined the Company as Director of Public Relations for Dover International Speedway. Camp replaces John Dunlap, who recently left Dover International Speedway to serve as Sr. Manager of Public Relations for the NEXTEL Cup Series in Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining the Dover International Speedway team, Camp spent several years as an account executive and public relations representative with Shipley Associates, Inc. of Wilmington, Del., the Speedway's agency of record for more than 30 years. While at Shipley, Camp worked on the Speedway account, but also handled the day-to-day public relations functions for Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, along with several other clients.(Dover Motorsports PR)(3-18-2004)
- Dover Collectible Show: Race fans who are passionate about NASCAR are invited to spend Valentine's weekend at Dover Downs Slots for a huge collectibles show and Daytona 500 viewing party. There will be more than 50 suppliers of NASCAR memorabilia at Dover Downs [Dover, DE] on Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm/et. The collectibles show continues from 9:00am to 6:00pm/et on Sunday, and fans are invited to watch the Daytona 500 on multiple large-screen televisions, including a 15-foot by 15-foot screen in the Rollins Center of the Dover Downs Hotel. Admission is $5 at the door, or by calling Dover Downs VIP Services at 1-800-711-5882. Children under 12 get in free.(Delaware News Journal)(2-12-2004)
- Dunlap Leaving Dover, going to NASCAR/Nextel: John Dunlap is stepping down as director of public relations at Dover International Speedway to accept a job as senior public relations manager for NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. Dunlap, 51, said Wednesday that it was not an easy decision because of the relationships he has forged and the memories he has made in his four years at Dover. However, the opportunity to work for Nextel, a telecommunications company that is beginning its first year as the title sponsor of NASCAR's premier series, proved to be too much to resist. Dunlap expects to attend anywhere between 25-30 Nextel Cup races this season, where he will serve as a liaison between the NASCAR teams and the media and will assist with various Nextel promotional programs.(Delaware News Journal)(1-29-2004)
- No lights at Dover: With NASCAR moving toward more prime-time Nextel Cup races, Dover has been suggested as a track that eventually will install lights. Not yet, McGlynn said. "We told NASCAR, when you think we have to have them, tell us and we'll put them up," he said. McGlynn said no additional seats will be added to the speedway this year.(Philadelphia Daily News)(1-14-2004)
- Tix on sale at Dover: Ticket packages and Special Ticket Packages for the MBNA America 400 Nextel Cup race and the Busch and Truck Series races are on sale and available. Call (302) 734-RACE or (800) 441-RACE to place your order; Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm/et, more info on the Dover International Speedway site.(12-3-2003)
- Dover Intl Speedway sues Action: Dover International Speedway has sued the Arizona-based company that sold NASCAR souvenirs at its annual races, claiming the Dover operation was cheated out of millions of dollars in proceeds. The U.S. District Court lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. It was filed against Action Performance Companies and its subsidiary Action Sports Image. A spokesperson for the Tempe, Ariz., companies could not be reached. The Action company sold race-related merchandise out of trailers for more than 10 years through the September 2002 NASCAR race. An agreement with the Dover Speedway called for Action to pay 25 percent of each trailer's gross proceeds or an unspecified minimum per-trailer fee, whichever was larger. Dover Speedway agreed to reduce its commission rate from 25 percent to 15 percent after Action asked to renegotiate the terms last year. Action told the raceway an economic downturn and industry standards required the reduced sales commission, which became official in May 2003.(Delaware News Journal)(11-13-2003)
- Dover Motorsports for Sale? In the last six years, the auto racing business at Dover Downs has swelled from a one-track enterprise to the third-largest auto racing company in the United States. That growth has attracted the attention of potential buyers for Dover Motorsports. And the timing for an acquisition could be right. All of the other Delaware-based businesses the late John Rollins Sr. founded or took public have been sold. Last year, Dover Downs management split the auto racing operations from the slot machine and harness racing businesses, which made the auto racing business easier to sell. Henry B. Tippie, the Austin, Texas-based chairman of Dover Motorsports' board declined to comment. Rollins' widow, Michele Rollins, was out of the country and could not be reached for comment. Other Rollins family members who are shareholders did not return calls seeking comment. They include John Rollins Jr., Jeffrey Rollins, and Rollins' Atlanta-based nephews Gary and R. Randall Rollins. Dover Motorsports chief Denis McGlynn declined to discuss whether the company was in talks over a possible sale.
In 1997, Dover Downs bought Nashville Speedway USA. The next year Dover bought the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, Calif., which also included tracks in St. Louis and Memphis. In 2002, it added a Grand Prix race in Denver, and, in February, held its first Grand Prix race in St. Petersburg, Fla. Those acquisitions have made Dover Motorsports the third-largest operator of auto racing tracks, behind International Speedway and Speedway Motorsports. In 2002, in an effort to attract more interest from investors, Dover Downs Entertainment Inc. spun off the casino and horse racing operations into a separate company. The auto racing operation became Dover Motorsports Inc. Dover Motorsports has yet to capture investors' attention. Only a handful of Wall Street analysts cover the company, and the stock prices have languished.(more at the Delaware News Journal)(9-20-2003)
- Dover and Lights update: Denis McGlynn expects to flip a switch that will illuminate Dover International Speedway and usher in a new era of night racing at the track, possibly within two years. McGlynn, the president and CEO of Dover's speedway, said it is only logical that the track follow the trend started by Bristol, and then embraced by Charlotte, Richmond and Daytona. Darlington Raceway is installing lights and will run the Southern 500 at night for the first time Nov. 14 next year. California Speedway will run a night race next Labor Day weekend. "I expect lights will happen at Dover," McGlynn said. "We don't have a timeline on it right now. But NASCAR has let us know there is a general inclination by the television networks to go with later starts and evening races. It will not happen this year or next year. But I would expect to see it at some point in the future." Dover is studying how much it would cost to light the track. It cost $2.5 million to light Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, which is owned by Dover Motorsports. McGlynn said it likely would cost more to install a lighting system at Dover because the grandstands almost encircle the one-mile oval. Plus, parking lots around the track would have to have lights. He estimated it would take six months to install them. Jim Hunter, vice president of NASCAR, said the sport would like to keep many of its traditional Sunday afternoon races. "I don't think that there's going to be a wholesale change to night racing," Hunter said. "I think there's going to be some select events that we'll do that with. I think what you might see is more day/night events. Television has not indicated that they want a lot of night races. They just want to move them to a little later in the day, which normally leads to better ratings. Dover would be great at night." Another advantage if Dover went to Saturday night races would be that there would be a built-in rain date. If a race is rained out on Sunday, many fans have to work on Monday and cannot return to the race track.(Delaware News Journal)(9-19-2003)
- Amtrack to Dover: Seats are still available on the Monster Mile Express Amtrak special train to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series race in Dover for Sunday. The Monster Mile Express will depart New York's Penn Station on Sunday at 6 a.m., making stops in Newark, N.J.; Trenton; Philadelphia and Wilmington on its way to a 10 a.m. arrival at the racetrack. NASCAR fans from the Washington and Baltimore areas may make a convenient connection by traveling aboard train No. 162 to Wilmington to meet the Monster Mile Express. Train No. 162 will make stops in Washington, New Carrollton, BWI and Baltimore before arriving in Wilmington. Tickets for the Monster Mile Express may be purchased by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. Roundtrip fare includes motorcoach transfers between the train and the speedway but does not include a ticket to the race. Call 1-800-441-RACE for race tickets.(Delaware News Journal)(9-18-2003)
- Tickets and Credential Offices Open at Dover: Dover International Speedway officials have announced that ticket and credential offices will be open on Thursday and Friday, in spite of the fact that there will be no action on The Monster Mile those days. Ticket demand for the race action on Saturday and Sunday is very high and tickets are going quickly for both Sunday's MBNA America 400 Winston Cup race and Saturday's Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger Busch Series race. The ticket office is set to be open on
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. A special ticket office will also be open at Gate 4 just outside the speedway and will be open from 1-5 p.m. on Friday, then from 8 a.m. until the start of each race on Saturday and Sunday. The Will Call
office will open Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. until the end of the Winston Cup race. The credentials office, located just on the left past the marquee sign entrance to Dover Downs, will be open today (Wednesday) from noon
until 5 p.m., It will then be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, or as long as the weather will allow that afternoon. It will then be open on Friday from 6 a.m. (weather permitting) until 5 p.m., then Saturday from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. Finally, the Infield Media Center will be open on Friday from noon until 4 p.m. to allow media who want to come in and set up shop the opportunity. The IMC will then be open on Saturday and Sunday starting at 7 a.m. The Winston Media Center will also have the same hours on Saturday and Sunday and will be closed entirely on Friday. Information about the race weekend will constantly be changed and updated on the Dover International Speedway website at www.doverspeedway.com. Tickets for both the September 21 MBNA America 400 Winston Cup Series race and the September 20 Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger Busch Series race can be purchased by calling 1-800-441-RACE or going to the Dover International Speedway website.(9-17-2003)
- 'Herman' announces teen help program with Stacker 2: NVE Pharmaceuticals and NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Kenny 'Herman' Wallace announced Sept. 9 the launch of a new program designed to teach teen-agers the importance of safe driving and car maintenance. "YJ Stinger's Race to Bee Safe" program will bring the driver of the #23 Stacker 2 Dodge to high schools in six markets that host Winston Cup races this fall. The markets are Dover, Del.; Charlotte, N.C.; Martinsville, Va.; Atlanta; Rockingham, N.C.; and Miami. Local law enforcement representatives will also participate. Students will sign a promise to practice safe driving. The promise will act as an informal contract between the student and the student's parents. Students that sign the promise will become eligible to win prizes, including a pair of tickets to one of the weekend's races in their area. Wallace will speak to students about safe driving and routine car maintenance. He will draw from his own knowledge as a licensed driver for 24 years and more than 20 years of racing experience. Wallace is also the father of three young daughters, one of them a 16-year-old newly licensed driver. The Race to Bee Safe program also launches a contest in which students can design the trunk art for Wallace's car. One winner will be selected from the six markets. The winning design will appear on Wallace's car in a 2004 Nextel Cup race at the winner's home track. The winner will also receive four VIP tickets to the race and diecast replicas of the No. 23 Dodge, featuring the winning design. YJ Stinger is Stacker 2's extreme energy drink, totally ephedra-free and available in three lightly carbonated flavors: Sinful Citrus, Pounding Punch and Enraged Raspberry. Enraged Raspberry is also available in a Sugar Free formula [and is very tasty]. This product is not intended to be a meal replacement or a dietary supplement. NVE Pharmaceuticals of Newton, N.J., exclusively manufactures, distributes and markets the entire Stacker 2 line of products (The World's Strongest Fat Burner) and YJ Stinger.(Keystone Marketing PR/Stacker2racing.com)(9-10-2003)
- Dover 2nd 2004 date: being told by readers who got their 2004 Ticket Renewals for Dover International Spedweay's 2nd Cup that the date is September 26th, 2004. That is now 30 of 36 'confirmed' by either the tracks or ticket renewals, see my 2004 UNOFFICIAL Nextel Cup Series Schedule or 2004 Cup Scheduling News/Rumors page.(9-4-2003)
- Dover, Indy and SMI? Rumor has it that Dover, Indianapolis and Speedway Motorsports Inc. have had talks to somehow combine forces with their current twelve Winston [Nextel] Cup dates and make a greater impact on NASCAR.(Insider Racing News)(6-23-2003)
- Dover looking to Add Lights? Dover International Speedway might be getting in line to add lights for night racing. John Dunlap, the speedway's public relations director, said during a visit to Tampa this week the track eventually wants to run its September race at night. Dover's two annual races are in June and September, and the September race goes up against three NFL teams: the Philadelphia Eagles [the Jayski team], Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins. ``It's something we've talked about,'' Dunlap said. ``The biggest challenge is, not only do you have to light the racetrack, but you also have to light the area around the track and the parking. It's a major undertaking.''(Tampa Tribune)(6-21-2003)
- a few Dover facts: The polesitter has won only 10 of 66 races at Dover. #18-Bobby Labonte was the last to do it, after taking the pole for this race in 1999. David Pearson is the only driver to have two pole-race sweeps in one season, turning the double in 1973. #49-Ken Schrader got the last of his four career victories 12 years ago in the June race at Dover, and is winless in his last 387 starts.(Charlotte Observer/AP)(6-1-2003)
UPDATE" now make it 11 of 67 as #12-Ryan Newman won from the pole.(6-1-2003)
- Dover Infield Care Center UPDATE: hearing that Dover International Speedway [formally Dover Downs] is putting the finishing touches on an new infield care center with 3600 sq feet, 2 trama beds, 3 other beds and is located in turn four where the old scoring building was.(5-7-2003)
UPDATE: Dover International Speedway has opened a new emergency medical care center to tend to NASCAR drivers as part of a $500,000 consolidation of the track's emergency safety operations. The 3,600-square-foot structure on Turn 4 of the Monster Mile expands injury treatment areas and waiting room space, replacing an outdated two-room care center. It includes five treatment beds, a family room and an adjacent holding room for fans. Spectator injuries are handled at a smaller clinic and three satellite medical stations. About 600 square feet is being used for fire and rescue operations, paramedics, wrecker services and cleanup crews, replacing three separate locations. Track officials said improvements to the medical care center and track emergency operations are part of a larger NASCAR safety campaign motivated, in part, by the death of star driver Dale Earnhardt in a crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. But the facility is not a trauma center and falls short of the type of facilities other professional racing circuits now provide at races. For example, it does not have diagnostic equipment such as an X-ray machine. The care center illustrates an ongoing debate within professional racing about how best to care for injured drivers or track workers. At Dover, the medical care center is operated by emergency services staff from Kent General Hospital, a division of Bayhealth Medical Center. The Dover track's staff is led by Dr. Craig Hochstein and includes two other doctors and two nurses with experience in traumatic injuries and emergency medicine. Kent General is rated as a Level 3 trauma center, largely because it lacks neurosurgery capabilities. A Delaware State Police helicopter stationed at the track would take critically injured drivers to Christiana Hospital near Stanton, a Level 1 trauma care center. It is an 18-minute flight. The new medical facility at Dover was completed May 21 and will be open 12 to 14 hours a day through today's Winston Cup race, the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400. Klima said the center probably will be upgraded in the future with an $80,000 computer that would be tied into a digital Picture Archiving Communications System being installed by Kent General to replace traditional X-rays.(Delaware News Journal)(6-1-2003)
- Dover/MBNA Helping Out: Sponsor MBNA has added "Armed Forces Family" to the names of this weekend's Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series races at Dover. MBNA is overseeing a national eight-week campaign to raise money for families of armed forces members. Families of all service branches who have lost a member during the recent invasion of Iraq or have faced financial hardship because of extended deployment will get assistance through the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. The foundation's Armed Forces Family Scholarship and Assistance Fund will present scholarship trusts and financial relief to eligible families. Checks payable to AFFSAF can be mailed to AFFSAF, PO Box 37, Mountain Lakes, N.J., 07046. Also, pledges will be accepted on a Web site link to be available at www.AFFSAF.org.(PR)(5-31-2003)
- Stacker 2 to sponsor Dover Busch race in Sept: The September 20th Busch Series race at Dover is now named "The Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger." The official announcement was made today at the Infield Media Center at Dover International Speedway during the current NASCAR tripleheader. As part of the deal, Stacker2 will sponsor the September Busch Series race for at least the 2003 and 2004 seasons. YJ Stinger, the great tasting energy drink will come in three flavors (Sinful Citrus, Enraged Raspberry, and Pounding Punch ). Starting this Summer NASCAR fans along with the rest of the country will Feel The Sting of the coolest new product yet from Stacker2. YJ STINGER ... A lightly carbonated extreme energy drink. In conjunction with that, Stacker2 / YJ Stinger has teamed with Dover International Speedway to sponsor the September Busch Series race at The Monster Mile. Stacker2 and YJ Stinger are produced by NVE Pharmaceuticals of Newton, New Jersey. Stacker2 sponsors race cars in both the Winston Cup and Busch Series, with Kenny Wallace the driver of the Winston Cup ride and Scott Wimmer the driver of the Busch Series car.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(5-31-2003)
- Smith looking to buy Dover? Kentucky? The hot story behind the scenes [at Lowe's on Friday] was Bruton Smith's surprising new war chest of $230 million, after last week's unexpected sale of new issues of Speedway Motorsports Inc. stock. Wall Street analysts say the head of SMI may use that cash to make a 'sizeable acquisition' in the form of another race track to add to his portfolio. Smith's thick new bankroll is interesting in light of the economic problems facing the Dover Downs Motorsports operation. Could Smith be interested in bidding for Dover? Dover International Speedway is home to two Winston Cup and two Busch races at its home track, along with Busch races at its Nashville track, its Gateway track in St. Louis and its Memphis track. Dover also runs CART Indy-car races at a street course in St. Petersburg, Fla., in Long Beach, Calif., and Denver. Or could Smith be interested in making a bid for Jerry Carroll's new Kentucky Speedway? Smith yesterday refused to be pinned down on anything, saying only that he wanted to be ready to strike if an opportunity arises.
Next week, Smith will talk to NASCAR's George Pyne and Brian France about the 2004 Winston Cup tour and other issues. It isn't clear what impact that $230 million might have, if, for example, the purchase of any International Speedway Corp. tracks, like Darlington or Rockingham, might be discussed. Smith said he did not want to speculate on what opportunities, if any, ISC officials might offer.
What about making a deal with Carroll? There have been reports for several weeks that Carroll and Smith have talking behind the scenes -- both men are trying to persuade NASCAR's Bill France to give them Winston Cup race dates. There has even been talk Carroll might join the lawsuit against NASCAR in discovery phase in Plano, Tex. 'Jerry is a nice man,' Smith said. But working with him on anything? 'Nothing we can talk about,' Smith said. 'Nothing we could discuss today.'( in part from the Winston Salem Journal)(5-17-2003)
- Dover under the lights? Could the September race at Dover be run under the lights next season? A track source says there have been discussions about installing lights at the Monster Mile and the possibility of moving the fall race to Saturday night. Because three NFL teams -- the Ravens, Redskins and Eagles -- are located within a two-hour drive of the speedway, Dover would benefit significantly if it didn't go head-to-head with football on Sunday afternoon.(Sporting News)(5-5-2003)
- Dover race renamed: Dover has renamed its June 1 Cup race the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 to serve as the centerpiece for an eight-week national fund-raising effort for families of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen.(Roanoke Times)(5-4-2003)
- Dover Downs cuts costs, employees: Dover Motorsports, which operates seven motorsports tracks, reported a loss of $4.9 million, or 13 cents per share, for the quarter, about 14 percent wider than the loss from a year ago. Revenues were $3.9 million compared with $996,000 in the first quarter of last year -- primarily due to the CART Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Fla., which was held for the first time in February. The company is focusing on cutting costs. It has reduced debt to $61 million, down by 22 percent from a year ago. It has instituted a salary freeze, and through layoffs and attrition, cut the staff to 169 from 190. Dover Motorsports officials said the St. Petersburg event did not meet the company's revenue goals because of the soft economy, a lack of sponsors and the threat of war. The company has not yet found a sponsor for the Winston Cup race held at Dover in September, McGlynn said. MBNA, which had sponsored the event in the past, said it will no longer sponsor the race. The company said it had cut about 105 positions through attrition and layoffs in the last four months, which amounts to about 10 percent of the staff.(Daily Times)(4-27-2003)
- Lights at Dover...a few years away? Lights more than likely won't be installed at Dover International Speedway next year, according to speedway media relations director John Dunlap. It's still being discussed, but night racing could be two years away at the earliest. However, if television directs the speedway to install lights, then plans could be altered. NASCAR announced in January that its realignment for 2004 could include more twilight or evening races.(Patriot-News)(4-26-2003)
- Dover not moving races: Denis McGlynn McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, was adamant when he said on Wednesday, "We are not moving a race." Dover is owned and operated by Dover Motorsports, Inc., which also owns speedways in Nashville, St. Louis and Memphis. McGlynn said he has not been approached by NASCAR and does not believe its plan for realignment involves Dover, a one-mile concrete oval that annually sells out 140,000 seats. "The Mid-Atlantic region is a valuable market for Dover International Speedway and for NASCAR, given the population density of the area," McGlynn said. "The whole idea about realignment has to do with increasing the ratings on the television networks. That is done by getting events out of remote markets and moved to major markets. Given our proximity to Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, we are already in a major market." NASCAR surprised many track operators when it announced plans of a major scheduling overhaul for the Winston Cup Series in 2004. NASCAR chairman Bill France said that many tracks that have two Winston Cup dates could consider moving one to another venue which its company owns. Dover has hosted two Winston Cup races a year since 1971.(News Journal)(1-23-2003)
- MBNA Cuts back to June Sponsorship at Dover: MBNA has decided not to renew its sponsorship of the three-day race series held at Dover International Speedway in September. "We're on the hunt to find someone else," said Denis Mc-Glynn, president and chief executive of Dover Motorsports Inc., which owns the track. But the Wilmington-based credit card bank is not pulling away from NASCAR altogether. MBNA has extended by three years its six-year sponsorship of the races held in June. The company also will continue to sponsor cars in the Winston Cup [Assoc on Joe Gibbs #18] and Busch Series [#18 Joe Gibbs] races, and to issue the NASCAR credit card. MBNA spokesman Brian Dalphon said Thursday that the bank only signed on for a five-year sponsorship when Dover Downs approached the bank five years ago. "It was never our intention to go beyond the five years," Dalphon said. Dalphon said the decision is not a cost-saving move, and said the bank will redeploy the money to other marketing and business development efforts. MBNA's sponsorship of the September event is worth from $1 million to $1.75 million, McGlynn said. That money typically is used to cover general operating expenses. If the race goes on without a sponsor, "it will hurt a little, but it won't kill us," McGlynn said. McGlynn would not disclose how many or which potential replacement sponsors the track is seeking. He did say Dover Motorsports is seeking a national company with a broad target market and a big budget.(Delaware News Journal)(1-17-2003)
- Dover not Selling: Dennis McGlynn, president of Dover Downs [Dover Intl Speedway], has insisted that there are no plans to sell the company that owns that track, with its two Winston Cup dates, along with tracks in Nashville and St. Louis and races in Long Beach and St. Petersburg, Fla.. However, rumors persist that Bruton Smith and Bill France [ISC] are both interested in buying.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-23-2002)
- Book gives high marks to Dover: Jay Ahuja’s book, Speed Dreams: A Guide to America’s 23 NASCAR Tracks, gives high marks to Dover International Speedway and the surrounding areas. Ahuja lists Dover No. 4 on his Favorite Tracks to Watch a Race “because this track is tough on cars, tires and drivers, but the action is tops.” Ahuja spent the past two seasons traveling to all of the Winston Cup tracks across the country to get a fan’s perspective of the best places to see a race, the local attractions, nightclubs, and hotels. The book evaluates the good and the bad of each track and provides many phone numbers, addresses, traffic routes, as well as several lists of the author’s favorites. Dover ranked No. 12 in the Top Family-Friendly Winston Cup Race Cities, because of its location in relation to the beaches and the large camping areas provided near the track. The first printing of Speed Dreams is sold out and the second printing is nearly gone as well. Whether there will be a third printing or a
revised edition has not yet been decided.(See more at the Dover Post)(9-18-2002)
- Dover Plans Special Weekend: The time has almost come for what will prove to be one of the largest celebrations of American heroes in the history of sporting events. MBNA is about to unveil a multi-faceted tribute to our military, fire departments, police departments and emergency technicians that will no doubt turn the September 20-22 NASCAR tripleheader race weekend at Dover International Speedway into one of the most memorable races in quite some time. Certainly, it will be one of the most memorable races this year. Remember a year ago at Dover, when 150,000 American flags were handed out to race fans, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400, and circled the track waving a large American flag of his own? It was a heartfelt response to the horrible tragedy of 9/11.
Now, a year later, MBNA is planning to join with Dover International Speedway to give race fans an opportunity to see, hear, and interact
with military vehicles, firetrucks, rescue trucks and tankers, and learn more about heroic organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the American Red Cross. All of these will be located in Heroes' Alley, a special area that encompasses over 50,000 square feet, to help MBNA honor the many everyday All-American heroes who are part of our lives. Race fans will get to see a 5,000-pound bell that was rung on 9/11/02 in New York City to honor the victims of the Twin Towers tragedy. The "Let's Roll" show car will also be on hand, a replica of the race car Bobby Labonte will be driving on September 22 in the MBNA All-American Heroes 400. And a 65-foot Blackhawk helicopter is also scheduled to be on hand. That's just what will be happening at Heroes' Alley.
Inside the racetrack fans will once again be handed American flags and the pre-race parade lap and ceremony will be equally powerful. Multiple vehicles from police, firefighters, EMS units and the military will make their way around the track in the pre-race parade. The U.S. Coast Guard Cadet Glee Club will perform the national anthem on Sunday as well as an American medley on both Saturday and Sunday. Country singer and budding actress Coley McCabe from Nashville will sing the national anthem on Saturday and join with country star/actor Mark Collie to perform a very special version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" on Sunday. "We really hope that race fans will arrive early to visit Heroes' Alley and get to their seats in time for one of the biggest parade laps in NASCAR history," said Dave Elgena, director of MBNA Motorsports. It certainly shapes up to be a race weekend to remember.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(9-16-2002)
- Reverse Pit Stop: On Sep. 19, 2002, Air Mobility Command and Dover Air Force Base [where Jayski used to be stationed] will conduct a “Reverse Pit Stop” with the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Team. Events will begin at 2:30 pm, on the Base flight line where the Air Force will display the tremendous capabilities of the C-5 aircraft. The Air Force and Wood Brothers will be demonstrating and comparing the similarities between a NASCAR and an Air Force “pit stop.” The opening will show the enormous capacity of the C-5. Then the #21 “gas man” will fuel the C-5 as an Air Force maintainer fuels the #21. A #21 pit crew will climb the maintenance stand to wash the C-5 windows as the Air Force maintainer cleans the grill and windshield of the #21. Following that will be C-5 and #21 oil checks and tire changes and when both vehicles fail to start, they may have to be pushed. #21 driver Elliott Sadler and the Wood Brothers will be in the cockpit of the C-5, while Air Force maintenance folks take a spin in the #21. There might even be some “pit stop” competition and the end of the demonstrations. Participating in the Pit Stop for the Air Force will be Air Mobility Command’s and Dover’s best C-5 maintenance people. Participating for NASCAR will be the legendary Wood Brothers #21 Racing Team, including driver Elliott Sadler.(Wood Bros Site)(9-5-2002)
- New Tire for Dover: Goodyear plans to bring a new tire to Dover International Speedway for the MBNA America 400 [actually renamed to the All American Heroes 400] on Sept. 22. That decision could leave teams scrambling with their setups. The new tire will be softer, allowing for more grip in the turns, but also will wear faster. That means lap times should slow dramatically during green-flag runs.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(8-18-2002)
- Dover fall race to honor heroes of 9/11: Joe Gibbs Racing and MBNA are working together to honor the heroes of Sept. 11 and to help children who lost parents in the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. In a press conference today [1:00pm at Indy] in Indianapolis, MBNA and Gibbs Racing will announce plans for a promotion Sept. 20-22 at Dover International Speedway. The name of the Sept. 22 Winston Cup race will be changed from the MBNA America 400 to the All American Heroes 400. Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte will drive a car with the race's name and the words "Let's Roll" emblazoned across the hood. The car will be unveiled today at Indianapolis.[see my Paint Scheme Gallery for an image of the car posted a few weeks ago]. Proceeds from special race events organized by Gibbs and MBNA will benefit the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, created in honor of a passenger on one of the hijacked flights of Sept. 11. The foundation helps children who lost parents in the Sept. 11 attacks. All profits from sales of models of Labonte's special No.18 car will be donated to the Beamer Foundation. Every organization involved in the All American Heroes 400, including Action Performance, the maker of the No.18 model die cast, is donating 100 percent of profits from the event to the Beamer Foundation, Alpern said. Before the race, NASCAR.com will give fans the opportunity to sponsor Labonte per lap in the race, with all donations going to the foundation. After the race on Sept. 24, eBay will hold a live auction where fans may bid on Labonte's race uniform, helmet, shoes and gloves, in addition to the hood of the car, all of which will be autographed, with the proceeds going to the foundation. Alpern said Gibbs Racing and MBNA hope Beamer's widow, Lisa, will serve as grand marshal of the event. MBNA has also invited President Bush.(Hartford Courant)(8-2-2002)
IMAGE see my Paint Scheme Gallery for a real image of the car taken at Indy.(8-5-2002)
- Dover and Coolers: Fans attending this weekend's NASCAR events at Dover International Speedway will face tight security, but will be allowed to carry coolers into the grandstand. Each spectator may enter the track with one cooler or bag not larger than 14 inches in width. Such items were banned at last September's races because it was NASCAR's first race weekend after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The speedway was inundated with complaints when concession stands ran out of bottled water well before the Winston Cup race started on Sept. 23. Many fans sit in the grandstands for up to eight hours during a Winston Cup race. In addition to coolers, spectators may bring in one clear plastic bag, not larger than 18 x 18 x 4 inches, to carry items such as food. The bags cannot contain ice. Fans can bring one seat cushion. Headsets, scanners, cameras and binoculars are still permitted, but not if carried in a bag. They must be worn around the neck or belt. Bags and coolers are still subject to search as fans enter the track. McGlynn would not discuss specifics regarding the number of police officers and security guards on duty at Dover International Speedway this weekend, but said it will be no fewer than in September. NASCAR fans said they have come to expect tighter security because of the threat of terrorism.(News Journal)(5-31-2002)
- More Dover/Kentucky Sale Rumors: Despite denials from Dover Motorsports officials, reports persist that the conglomerate's five tracks may be bought by International Speedway Corp. ISC also is reportedly interested in acquiring Jerry Carroll's new Kentucky Motor Speedway, 35 miles south of Cincinnati. Dover Motorsports owns Nashville Superspeedway and Dover Downs Speedway, a 140,00-seat track that is host for two annual Winston Cup races. Its other tracks are in Memphis, St. Louis and Long Beach, Calif. Dover Motorsports last month split from Dover Downs Entertainment, separating the racing from the Casino holdings. There was speculation that the racing was separated from the gambling in order to pave the way for an ISC takeover. It likely would not make an acquisition that included gambling. ''That's been a hot rumor but as far as I know there's nothing to it,'' Dover PR director John Dunlap said in a visit for last month's NASCAR Busch Series race. NASCAR has made it clear it has no intention of granting a Winston Cup race to Nashville anytime in the foreseeable future, and is said to be likewise cool toward Kentucky Motor Speedway because of its proximity to the huge track at Indianapolis.(Tennessean)(5-2-2002)
- Dover Cooler Policy Changes: Dover Motorsports Inc. has amended its cooler policy, again allowing fans to carry coolers – including hard-sided coolers – into its four venues. The tracks affected are Dover, Gateway, Memphis and Nashville.
The change went into effect with last month’s Busch Series race at Nashville. Jerry Miraglia, the firm’s executive vice president, said fans are now permitted to bring in one cooler or bag not larger than 14 inches in width, which may contain ice. In addition, one clear plastic bag no larger than 18x18x4 inches may be carried in. That bag may not contain ice.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(5-2-2002)
- ISC to buy Dover or Kentucky? International Speedway Corp. may be on the track- acquisition warpath again. There are reports that ISC is interested in acquiring either the Dover Downs racing [noe call Dover Motorsports] conglomerate or Jerry Carroll's new Kentucky Speedway. Dover runs tracks in Dover, Del., Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis, and Nashville. Dover's Dennis McGlyn said there are no negotiations with ISC and dismissed the talk as "just rumors." Carroll could not be reached for comment. Carroll has pushed vigorously for a Winston Cup date for his track, about 20 miles from Cincinnati, but NASCAR officials have said the track is too close to Indianapolis.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-27-2002)
- Dover and Ford: The Quality Plus Ford Dealers and Dover Motorsports, Inc.are pleased to announce a three-year deal that makes Ford the Official Pace Car and Official Truck at Dover International Speedway. The Quality Plus Ford Dealers represent 144 Ford Dealers throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware. Those Ford dealers are dedicated to providing Ford customers with the best in-class automotive retail and service experience. Now, with Blue Oval Certification, dealerships must meet strict Ford standards aimed at making the customer's experience the best it can be. Besides providing the best in-class automotive retail and service experience, the Quality Plus Ford Dealers also provide support to the community that helps to support them. Race for the Cure, Toys for Tots, and Commitment to Kids are just a few of the events which the Quality Plus Ford Dealers either sponsor or make charitable donations to.(Dover Intl Speedway PR)(4-20-2002)
- Dover changes name: With Dover Downs Entertainment, Inc., about to become Dover Motorsports, Inc. following the
spin-off of its gaming operations to its existing shareholders, it only seemed logical to drop the "Downs" part of the track name and anoint the Monster Mile with a new title. Dover Downs International Speedway has officially become "Dover International Speedway." "The time was right to make the change," said Denis McGlynn, President and CEO of Dover Downs. "Since the 'Downs' part of the title really has roots in horse racing, we deemed it appropriate to keep the Dover Downs name with the harness and gaming company and drop it from the motorsports operation." Indeed, "Downs" is a horse racing term that refers to the fact that most horse races in England finished on a downhill part of the course and grandstands were placed at that part of the course.(Dover Intl Speedway PR), shame it was a unigue and different name(2-26-2002)
- Dover news: Dover Downs announced that Mark Rossi will become the new Vice President of Sales & Marketing as of January 2, 2002. Rossi replaces John Dawson, who recently resigned. As VP of Sales & Marketing, Rossi will oversee advertising, sales, hospitality and public relations efforts for all of the company's motor sports locations. Rossi comes to Dover from the Sara Lee Corporation in New York, where he was Vice President of Business Development since 1999. Part of his work included promoting the Hills Bros. product within the NASCAR community. Dover Downs Entertainment, Inc. operates a multi-purpose entertainment complex conducting NASCAR auto racing, pari-mutuel harness horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering on simulcast harness and thoroughbred horse races and video lottery
(slot) machine operations in Dover, Delaware. The Company owns and operates the Nashville Superspeedway and operates the historic
Nashville Speedway at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee; organizes and promotes the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, California; and owns and operates Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis Motorsports Park near Memphis, Tennessee. The Company will also organize and promote the Denver Grand Prix beginning in 2002.(Dover Downs PR)(12-23-2001)
- Ripken Scheme? UPDATE 4: hearing #18-Bobby Labonte's car will have a special Cal Ripken Jr farewell paint job at Dover in September. Ripken Jr plays for the Baltimore Orioles and is retiring at the end of the 2001 baseball season(8-17-2001)
UPDATE: hearing that since Cal Ripken's last home game will be the evening of the race, at Camden Yards vs. the Yankees. To honor his achievements, MBNA will be renaming the race from the MBNA 400 to the Cal Ripken 400 (or something similar) and that Ripken will be present at the race as the Grand Marshal(8-20-2001)
UPDATE 2: also hearing that #18-Mike McLaughlin will drive the Cal Ripken car in the MNBA 200 BGN race and that a formal announcment will come in the next 7-10 days(8-23-2001)
UPDATE 3: NASCAR and Major League Baseball are expected to finalize an unprecedented agreement within the next 10 days that would celebrate Cal Ripken Jr.’s retirement in a most unique way. For starters, the MBNA 400 Winston Cup race scheduled for Sept. 23 at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Del., will be renamed the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400. In addition, the Orioles third baseman will act as the grand marshal for the 1 p.m. race before flying back to Baltimore to play in the final home game of his career at Camden Yards that night. “We have been waiting for a couple of days for a sewn-up package,” said Carmine Tiso, a media relations specialist handling business matters for Major League Baseball. “Hopefully in the next week or 10 days it will be (finalized). There are a lot of parties involved including us, the Orioles, MBNA.” Tiso described the deal as “all but done.” Another source close to the deal said a joint announcement about the specifics could come as early as Thursday at Camden Yards. NASCAR has some other tributes planned for Ripken, as well. The Interstate Batteries/MBNA #18 car driven by defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be repainted for the Dover race to include a Cal Ripken logo. The Ripken logo will also be on Mike McLaughlin’s car during the MBNA 200 Busch Series race that Saturday at Dover Downs, Tiso confirmed. The tentative plan, according to the source close to the deal, is for Ripken to arrive in Dover — about 100 miles from Camden Yards — on Sunday around 9 a.m., sit in on the morning drivers’ meeting and conduct a short news conference with the motorsports media. Ripken will be part of the drivers’ introductions and will be driven in a convertible around the track before the race begins. Ripken will then wave the green flag to start the race before getting in a helicopter and flying back to Baltimore. The winner of the Winston Cup race will be invited to fly to Baltimore as Ripken’s guest for that night’s game.(York Daily Record) and another story at the Washington Post: Ripken Farewell Faces a Switch(8-24-2001)
UPDATE 4 - maybe? One major obstacle lies in the path of Dover Downs’ quest to rename the Sept. 23 MBNA 400 after one of major league baseball’s all-time greatest players. According to track publicist John Dunlap, if the New York Yankees agree to allow the Baltimore Orioles to push back the start of their game at Camden Yards from its currently scheduled 1:35 p.m. start to “somewhere between 5 and 7,” Cal Ripken Jr. will serve as grand marshal of the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Dunlap also said a press conference is “supposedly” scheduled for Thursday at Camden Yards regarding this announcement, but didn’t name a time.(NASCAR.com)(8-30-2001)
UPDATE 5: Thanks to the efforts of MBNA, fans on hand for the NASCAR Winston Cup race on September 23rd at Dover Downs International Speedway will have the added bonus of seeing one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game live and in person. A day that is already very special to Cal Ripken, Jr., has become equally special for NASCAR racing. Before Cal Ripken plays his last game at Camden Yards on September 23rd, he has some other business to attend to - like being the Grand Marshal of a
Winston Cup race that is now officially being called the MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400. Ripken also will wave the green flag, meet with Winston Cup drivers and take a ride around the Monster Mile just prior to the start of the race bearing his name. As far as anyone associated with motorsports can remember, Ripken thus becomes the first major league baseball player to have a Winston Cup race named in his honor. And while there are plenty of honors coming his way as he prepares to retire, as far as Ripken is concerned, the trip to Dover Downs is special.(Dover Downs PR)(9-6-2001)
IMAGE: got an image of what #18-Bobby Labonte's car will look like at Dover, it's a tiny image, but gives you an idea, lots of Oriole orange(9-8-2001)
- Dover News UPDATE 2Scanner and hints: In lieu of the recent tragic events of September 11 in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Dover Downs International Speedway is stepping up it's already high level of security for the upcoming NASCAR tripleheader race weekend, September 21-23. Some basic points that Dover Downs are stressing in that race fans planning on attending the races are directly affected:
(1) Heightened Security - Dover Downs has already invested a great deal of energy and time in formulating an anti-terrorist plan. For several years a plan has been in place that was formulated in cooperation with the FBI and local police authorities. The Dover Downs
Director of Security has been attending anti-terrorist task force meetings in Maryland annually and is up to speed on current issues.
There will be a heightened awareness and focus in the area of security for the upcoming race weekend
.
(2) No Coolers, Backpacks or Large Bags Allowed - For the upcoming September 21-23 race weekend, fans WILL NOT be allowed to bring coolers, backpacks or large bags onto the race track grounds. Fans will not be allowed to carry these items to the gates and leave them. While Dover Downs regrets having to make this move, it is being done for obvious precautionary reasons. In conjunction with the move, Dover Downs WILL BE REDUCING THE PRICE OF ITS CONCESSIONS(hearing 20-30% and Newszap is reporting concession prices will be dropped by $1 across the board) to compensate for this new rule.
(3) Gate Searches - All items will be subject to inspection by security officials as fans enter the track. The hope is that Dover Downs race fans will understand that events of the past week have brought about the need for more caution and will respond with patience while preparing to enter the facility. In fact, it is recommended that fans bring as little into the race as possible, and might consider taking their souvenir purchases to their vehicles before entering the track for the race events
"While we regret that we have to step up our security measures to this extent, it is, at this time, completely necessary," said Denis
McGlynn, Dover Downs president and CEO. "We don't know how long the changes will have to be in place. But given the events of the past seven days, we think it is of the highest importance that this race takes place in a completely safe manner. Our hearts go out to the
victims of the senseless crimes and their families and loved ones. Now our efforts must be applied to taking care of our fans."(Dover Downs PR)(9-17-2001)
SCANNERS: been told that it is okay to bring scanners but make sure that they are not in a case or carry bag. In others words,
just carry them and your headphones into the track(9-19-2001)
HINTS:Been told that if you carry in items, please use clear plastic bags so that security people can see thru them easily...scanner bags should be avoided, along with all the other containers listed above. Dover Downs security is trying to make this as easy as possible without compromising security(9-20-2001)
UPDATE
