No Indy 500 for Andretti...this year: John Andretti isn't going to do the Indianapolis 500-Coca-Cola 600 double this year, but he makes it clear that's not the way he'd prefer it. "Kyle and I sat down and talked and decided we'd wait and talk about it in the future," Andretti said of Kyle Petty, the CEO of the Petty Enterprises operation that owns Andretti's #43 Dodges. "It's disappointing. ...I'm not learning to deal with it any better, especially when I could almost see it and then it went away. There were some really good opportunities. This is probably going to be one of the most competitive (Indy) 500s they've ever had. ...It would be an unbelievable year to go back." Andretti raced in both events on the same day in 1994, becoming the first to accomplish the Indy-car/stock-car double Tony Stewart did in 1999 and 2001.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-28-2002)
Pontiac looking for teams: Officials with Pontiac are attempting to gauge interest among Winston Cup teams to see if any are interested in switching manufacturers when the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix debuts next season [see pictures on my NASCAR Past News page]. The PPI Motorsports team owned by Cal Wells, which fields the #32 Fords for driver Ricky Craven, is apparently at the top of the list, with Pontiac officials already having conversations with Wells about a potential move, sources confirmed Saturday. Craven is in his second season with PPI and is currently 15th in series points with two top-five finishes in nine starts. He earned his first Winston Cup win last season at Martinsville. Currently, five Winston Cup teams run the Pontiac, those of #20-Tony Stewart, #18-Bobby Labonte, #10-Johnny Benson, #36-Ken Schrader and #14-Stacy Compton. The manufacturer had 10 teams as recently as the 2000 season, then dipped to six in 2001 when it lost several teams to the Dodge camp. Pontiac officials elected not to push expansion of their presence in the series until the new model was on schedule to be completed. NASCAR is expected to give final approval to the 2003 Pontiac by early October.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-28-2002)
Harvick wins IROC at California: Kevin Harvick held off a last-lap charge from defending series champion Bobby Labonte to win the second leg of the 2002 IROC series at California Speedway. Tony Stewart, who won the first IROC race at Daytona this year, maintained the series lead with 35 points to 32 for Harvick and 30 for Labonte.(ThatsRacin.com), see more on my IROC 2002 Page; Saturday's IROC race is scheduled to air on Sunday, April 28th on ESPN at 1:00pm/et with Bob Jenkins, Scott Goodyear and Jeff Burton calling the action.(4-28-2002)
(4-27-2002)
Donlavey Injured in Auto Accident: Junie Donlavey, owner of the #90 Dukes Mayo/Sauer's Fords driven by Rick Mast, suffered cracked ribs on his left side and a cracked right kneecap in a traffic accident Thursday night after arriving in California. "We were just driving along when, all of a sudden, this car comes out of a side street running 60 or 70 mph and he nailed us," said Donlavey, 78. "If we would have been a fraction quicker, he would have gotten us right in the door. As it was, he caught us right in front of the door. "…It was unbelievable. I've never been in a wreck like that. In 1939, I laid my A-model Ford over on its side, but that's the only other wreck I've been in." Donlavey and team manager Jason Hedlesky were in the car. They'd just landed at Riverside airport and were heading to their hotel in Pomona when the wreck happened. Hedlesky escaped major injuries, but he and Donlavey were both treated at a hospital in Fontana and released. Hedlesky said he called 911 after making sure Donlavey and the driver of the other car were OK, but had trouble getting help since he didn't know exactly where they were. Mast flew out on the same plane with Donlavey and Hedlesky, but was in another car. "They were following me to Interstate 10," Mast said. "We went through a light and then an intersection. I looked in the mirror and I didn't see them behind me." Mast kept going but got a call from Hedlesky and turned back. "I absolutely couldn't believe it," Mast said. "Those cars were absolutely torn all to pieces. I said to myself, 'How in the world did they survive this?' But they did." Donlavey and Hedlesky were both wearing seat belts and the car's air bags also deployed properly.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2002) UPDATE: during FX's coverage of Happy Hour practice, it was mentioned that Donlavey is fine and at the track for the weekend.(4-27-2002)
Grubb to run Cup races: NASCAR team owner Rick Goodwin announced this morning a six race 2002 Winston Cup sponsorship agreement with his current BGN sponsor Toys "R" Us. The first of those six races will be next Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, the hometown track of driver Kevin Grubb. The team will continue to compete in the remaining BGN races as well. The Toys "R" Us Chevrolet Monte Carlo will maintain the # 54 and continue with Grubb behind the wheel and veteran crew chief Tony Lambert calling the shots. Andy Petree Racing, a leading NASCAR Winston Cup team, will provide the Monte Carlos along with additional track support. .The Richmond race, the Pontiac Excitement 400, will be the first career Winston Cup start for the 24-year-old Grubb. "The first month of our Busch Grand National sponsorship with Rick Goodwin has been very successful for Toys "R" Us," said Warren Kornblum, Chief Marketing Officer for Toys "R" Us. ."We are all very excited about this step forward for six Winston Cup races beginning next week. We look forward to our partnership with Kevin, Rick and Tony flourishing as we move together into the Winston Cup Series as well as our continued competition in the Busch Series. .Every Toys "R" Us associate is proud to have Kevin Grubb as a Toys "R" Us kid." While the team has achieved success early on in the 2002 NASCAR Busch Grand National season, the move to the highest level of NASCAR competition will be an exciting challenge for the team based in Bristol, VA. "Our entire race team feels very fortunate to have such a quality sponsor like Toys "R" Us on board," said Rick Goodwin, team owner. ."To be able to make this move into Winston Cup racing with Toys "R" Us is truly a dream come true. We recognize the magnitude of this move and feel confident with the program we have in place."
"I can't even begin to describe how exciting it is going to be making my Winston Cup debut at my hometown track of Richmond International Raceway," said Kevin Grubb. ."Ever since I started racing as a kid, I have wanted to be a Winston Cup driver. I want to thank Toys "R" Us and Rick Goodwin for providing me with this opportunity. .I am very lucky to be a Toys "R" Us kid!" In addition to the Pontiac Excitement 400, the team will also compete in the following Winston Cup races; Dover, June 2nd, Bristol, August 24th, Richmond, September 7th, Dover, September 22nd and Kansas, September 29th.(Camp and Assoc PR)(4-27-2002)
Jarrett special scheme at Lowes: Look for a special paint scheme recognizing the Race Fans For A Cure program on Dale Jarrett's car in the Winston and the Coca Cola 600 in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. To Find Out More About Race Fans For A Cure or to get the booth track schedule, go to www.Racefansforacure.com.(NASCAR.com)(4-27-2002)
Kyle on MTV: A new MTV show, scheduled to debut in July, will feature Sprint Dodge driver, Kyle Petty, along with a variety of top musical talents. The show, "All Access," is a day-in-the-life type television show which follows each talent through a key time period. Petty is the only driver, in fact, the only person featured not because of his musical abilities. "I did offer to sing a little bit for them," laughed Petty, who is known for a singing voice which allowed him to open once for a Hank Williams Jr. concert. "We're still negotiating that part." For Petty, that is this weekend at Fontana, Calif. An MTV crew began following him and the Sprint Dodge team this week, beginning Thursday with Petty's appearances at a Sprint PCS store in the Los Angeles area and at the Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety program at Los Angeles-area high school. The crew stayed with Petty during practice and qualifying Friday at California Speedway, and will remain with him through Saturday's practice and Sunday's race. "It's a little bit different deal because of who they are but it's pretty much the kind of thing we've seen in this sport too," Petty said. "Getting our race team and Sprint in front of the MTV audience is a good deal and it's important. This is something that is just good for the sport, just like it is good for Petty Enterprises."(Williams Company)(4-27-2002)
TRAC News: The group of investors who are trying to organize a stock-car racing series under the moniker TRAC, with franchises and city locations around the country, may have some big names involved and some good money to play with. But, so far, the word out of Detroit is that TRAC has had no serious conversations with racing executives at either Ford or General Motors about involvement in the series. Ford officials have told TRAC that the use of the Mustang name - as was announced earlier this week in Charlotte as one of the cars that would be racing in the new series - had not been authorized by Ford Motor Company. There were tentative discussions between Ford and TRAC last year about Ford providing engines for the new series, but those talks went nowhere.(Winston Salem Journal). more info on the series on my TRAC page(4-27-2002)
Hershel McGriff Says He Will Retire: One of the legends of stock car racing said that he's tired of running in the back. Seventy-Four year old Hershel McGriff, who raced in the first Southern 500 at Darlington in 1950, says he not could not stand being uncompetive. McGriff is at the California Speedway to run the Winston West race and took the green flag but pulled off the track. "I just don't feel comfortable running out there anymore, I'm used to running up front." says McGriff. "It's time to retire." His credentials include being Winston West's winningest active competitor with 34 victories, the winningest Bud Pole active competitor with 35 awards and the 1986 NASCAR Winston West Series champion. McGriff started racing in 1945 and competed in 86 Winston Cup events with 4 wins and 5 poles.(Insider Racing News)(4-27-2002)
Atwood in the pink? NOT: Casey Atwood’s Dodge was missing an important part of its car Friday morning. The number was noticeably absent on the side of his blue car. It seems that Sirius Radio officials, Atwood’s sponsor, wanted to be able to pick the car out of a pack better, so Ultra-Evernham Motorsports team members put a neon-pink #7 on the car for Talladega. But Atwood protested, saying he wasn’t going to drive a pink-numbered car. So crewmen put on a neon-orange #7.(Racing One)(4-27-2002)
Labonte and Unser: Bobby Labonte and Cody Unser, the 15-year-old daughter of Al Unser Jr., appeared together in California on Thursday to help promote a medical conference related to the disease that has left her paralyzed from the chest down. Labonte helped start The Cody Unser First Step Foundation (www.codysfirststep.org) by donating $60,000 he won for a second-place finish in the 1999 IROC series after he had filled in for her father. Labonte is the foundation's honorary chairman. The two appeared at the Christopher Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California-Irvine, one of the world's top spinal cord research facilities.(Tampa Tribune)(4-27-2002)
(4-26-2002)
NASCAR/Petty Movie UPDATE: Dennis Quaid is revved up by a film project delving into the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his complicated relationship with his father Lee, who was an up-and-coming driver until he was injured in a crash. ``Any Given Sunday'' producer Dan Halsted has put together the funds to develop a ``Great Santini''-like story of a son trying to measure up to his father. The younger Petty went on to become NASCAR's winningest driver, but had to go a long way to prove himself to Lee, who'll be played by Quaid. The pic will be exec produced by John O'Hurley, John Myrick and Robin Sharp, and they're out to writers right now.(Yahoo Entertainment - thanks Matt)(11-13-2001) UPDATE: The star of "The Rookie" is slated to be father of "The King" of NASCAR in an upcoming movie. Dennis Quaid has pledged to play Lee Petty in an untitled movie chronicling the racing careers of Lee and Richard Petty in the late 1950s and '60s. Richard Petty is NASCAR's all-time winningest driver with 200 victories. The movie will focus on the father-son relationship, as Richard struggles to meet the high expectations Lee had for him. "It's not as much about the grinding of the wheels as it is the relationship of the two best racers in NASCAR," John O'Hurley, executive producer of the upcoming film, said Wednesday in Greensboro. The actor to play Richard Petty hasn't been finalized. The movie has gotten a thumbs-up from Richard Petty and Petty Enterprises, said Bill Scott, executive vice president of Petty Enterprises in Level Cross south of Greensboro. Lee Petty died in April 2000. Scott said he and other Petty officials will talk about the script when they are on the West Coast for the NAPA Auto Parts California 500 race this weekend. "We're working with people we trust," said Scott. "O'Hurley, Quaid - they're obviously some people who have influence to get things done in Hollywood." O'Hurley, who played clothier J. Peterman on the television show "Seinfeld," says producer Dan Halsted ("Any Given Sunday") will produce the Petty movie.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2002)
Robby Gordon and Spiderman: Robby Gordon and Richard Childress Racing's #31 Cingular Wireless team are joining forces with superhero Spider-Man for the NASCAR Winston Cup events at California Speedway and Richmond. The comic book hero will ride along with Gordon and the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Fontana and Richmond in a special paint scheme celebrating his jump to the big screen. Spider-Man, Columbia Pictures' highly anticipated action adventure film, is scheduled for release worldwide on May 3. Cingular Wireless has launched a special promotional campaign in conjunction with its partnership with the movie. The campaign - supported by TV, print and radio advertising, direct mail, and in-store placement -- is the most ambitious ever for a wireless carrier in conjunction with a Hollywood movie. Cingular, the nation's second largest wireless carrier, developed the campaign with Sony Entertainment. Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man will be released May 3 by Columbia Pictures and stars Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging superhero. The film also stars Willem Dafoe as the villainous Green Goblin, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben, Rosemary Harris as Aunt May and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.(Robby Gordon site), see an image of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery(4-26-2002)
Wind Tunnel to Close? UPDATE 3 - Correction - NOT the one NASCAR uses: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced plans to close the full-scale wind tunnel at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., by Sept. 30, 2004. Over the years, the facility has been used by many NASCAR teams, which in 1999 were reported to be paying $1,400 an hour to test in the tunnel. One report said that as many as two or three teams used the wind tunnel each month, with bills exceeding $40,000 for multiple-car tests.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-23-2002) UPDATE: As part of a national initiative to optimize government-owned wind tunnels, NASA's Langley Research Center will shut down its 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel and transition work to other facilities. The tunnel is scheduled to be put in mothball status September 30, 2004. "Mothball" status means that the facility could be made operational within six to 12 months and that maintenance to the tunnel would be limited to facility preservation only. Research tests are booked at the tunnel through September 2003 and all those tests will be completed. The Center anticipates that no civil service jobs will be lost as the tunnel's staff of 18 researchers and technicians will be reassigned to other facilities. Doesn't mention NASCAR use in the story.(NASA)(4-24-2002) AND more from the Daily Press(in part): NASA Langley will lose about half the research conducted at one of its oldest and busiest wind tunnels because of a planned shutdown in two years. And future wind-tunnel shutdowns cannot be ruled out. The aeronautics center announced that it was stopping all but maintenance operations at the 16-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel, which has conducted research on everything from jet fighters to wheelchairs. Many people think that the closing, part of a nationwide look at such centers, should have little effect in the community. NASA Langley hopes to shuffle work to its National Transonic Facility, but some research will be lost to other agencies. The primary users at NASA Langley are split mostly between the military and the space agency itself. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are the top three industry users. Representatives with those businesses couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday on how the wind tunnel's shutdown might affect their future use of the center. Two centers would be likely recipients of the work that NASA Langley could no longer perform: the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee and NASA's Ames Research Center in California.(no mention of NASCAR in this article)(4-24-2002) UPDATE 2: been told by many sources that the wind tunnel that NASA is closing in the 16 ft. transonic tunnel. This is not the NASA tunnel that Old Dominion owns/operates and conducts tests for NASCAR teams. For more info on the tunnel, see their site at www.lfst.com. So not sure why this was made such an issue by WCS.(4-25-2002) UPDATE 3 - Correction: The Langley Research Center wind tunnel that NASA has announced plans to close is not the facility used for testing by NASCAR teams, as reported in Tuesday's Scene Daily. The facility used by the NASCAR teams, the Langley Full-Scale Wind Tunnel operated by Old Dominion University, will remain open.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-26-2002)
Bigger Car...sooner? Johnny Benson's fiery exit from Sunday's Talladega 500 once again raises the issue of how difficult it seems for drivers to get out of their cars after wrecks, and it could prompt NASCAR to move even faster on its proposed "big greenhouse" car. The new design, which has been studied for more than a year, is tentatively scheduled to debut at Talladega in April 2003. But there is the possibility that NASCAR might bring it out earlier, at Talladega this fall. The chief obstacle is economics; teams would have to build new cars because crews and drivers are reluctant to cut and weld any greenhouse roll bars, for fear of weakening the safety roll cage. Benson's #10-Valvoline Pontiac caught fire when he was caught up the 26-car crash on the backstretch late in the race. And Benson had trouble getting out of his car, which he said points out the need for NASCAR to move faster on its plans to widen the driver's window. At Texas Motor Speedway three weeks ago, Michael Waltrip had similar difficulty getting out of his burning [BGN] car.(Winston Salen Journal)(4-26-2002)
Rusty Honor: As part of the NASCAR After Dark festivities, defending NAPA AUTO PARTS 500 winner Rusty Wallace (#2 Miller Lite Ford) will be immortalized today at California Speedway during a Walk of Fame induction ceremony inside Gate 12 at 6 p.m. Wallace will place a plaque in the ground, sign his name and leave his footprints in cement alongside each of the previous California Speedway race winners.(Calif Speedway Site)(4-26-2002)
Trading Cards at the CHP booth: Guests visiting the California Highway Patrol (CHP) booth at California Speedway’s Gate 12 have the opportunity to pick up a free set of trading cards featuring Winston Cup stars Wallace; Tony Stewart (#20 Home Depot Pontiac); Bobby Labonte (#18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac); Ward Burton (#22 Caterpillar Dodge) and Kevin Harvick (#29 Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet), along with a CHP card. Each card comes with a designated driver message.(Calif Speedway Site)(4-26-2002)
Pork - the other white meat - primary sponsor on the #26 for more races: Travis Carter Enterprises announced that Frank Kimmel, three-time ARCA champion, will continue to drive the #26 Ford with primary sponsor "Pork. The Other White Meat" for several additional Winston Cup races. Kimmel has driven at Texas, Martinsville and Talladega in the #26. Several members of Kimmel's ARCA team, including crew chief Bill Kimmel, will continue to assist Donnie Wingo and the Travis Carter team on pit road. The National Pork Board, along with Advance Auto Parts, participated in the last three consecutive Winston Cup races. While the National Pork Board will continue with the Travis Carter team for the next several races, Advance Auto Parts will focus its efforts on the remaining ARCA Re/Max events. The National Pork Board will also continue their support of the ARCA team. A team sponsor, the National Pork Board initiated its Pork Racing Program in early 2000 to increase awareness of and demand for pork throughout the country. "The decision to continue as the primary sponsor for the #26 car was based largely on the relationship we've established with the Travis Carter team and the tremendous value we have seen from the first three Winston Cup races," said John Hagerla, National Pork Board assistant vice president for retail and foodservice marketing. "Our goal is to help America's pork producers by increasing exposure to and demand for pork -- and NASCAR allows us to reach an even greater number of our sports marketing target audience."(Catchfence). Joe Nemechek is in the #26 at California as Kimmel has an ARCA commitment.(4-26-2002)
Little returns to Cup action at California: Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway will mark Chad Little’s return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Little will pilot the #74 StaffAmerica Chevrolet for BACE Motorsports, as the three-time NASCAR Busch Series Championship team is set to make their debut in the Winston Cup Series.(Chad Little Site - see an image of the car there)(4-26-2002)
(4-25-2002)
TRAC Cars UPDATE 2: TRAC officials will unveil their three new race cars and there will also be several other major announcements followed by a question-and-answer session at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Wednesday, April 24th. For more info on the series, see my TRAC Page or the TRAC website.(4-17-2002) UPDATE: hearing the car makes are a Viper, Mustang and a Corvette.(4-18-2002) UPDATE 2: The Team Racing Auto Circuit [TRAC], which nearly a year ago announced its intentions to start a new stock-car racing series in 2003, will unveil three prototypes of its cars at a news conference on Wednesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Charlotte.
TRAC has completed a pair of tests on the cars, which were built by Indianapolis-based Riley & Scott. Drivers Tony Ave and Andy Hillenburg tested them at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week. One of the cars was tested at the five-eighths-mile track at Indianapolis Raceway Park last week. Riley & Scott officials and former Winston Cup champion Cale Yarborough are scheduled to be at Wednesday’s media event to talk about the development of the cars and the series, which will initially consist of 10 three-car teams located in major cities in which motorsports venues are located. Each team will represent its city or region in the TRAC series season.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-21/24-2002) UPDATE at Texas in 2003: Texas Motor Speedway will hold two Team Racing Auto Circuit (TRAC) races during the stock car series' debut season in 2003. The events are scheduled for May 3 and July 19 at Texas. TRAC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Team Sports Entertainment Inc, announced today an agreement to race at five major facilities owned by Speedway Motorsports (NYSE:TRK). In addition to the two Texas Motor Speedway dates, the series will also appear twice each at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. TRAC's complete 2003 schedule is expected to be announced in the next few months. TRAC announced the new series in spring of 2001. Although categorized as a stock car series, instead of the traditional sedans, fans will see Corvettes, Mustangs and Vipers representing the three major automakers. Initially, the league will consist of 10, three-car teams that will be located in major U.S. cities with major motorsports venues. Each team will represent its city and region and will participate in a season-long schedule of team races in addition to an all-star event and concluding with a season-ending championship race.(TMS PR)(4-24-2002) Las Vegas: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the only facility that will host three TRAC events during the year [2003]. In a joint announcement, TRAC and Speedway Motorsports officials announced Wednesday that the new racing series will conduct 11 events at five SMI facilities during its first season. Three of those events will be held on LVMS' 1.5-mile tri-oval. Dates have not been announced.(LVMS PR) Bristol: The inaugural 2003 TRAC season will include two events at Bristol Motor Speedway. Dates have not been announced.(BMS PR) Atlanta: Atlanta Motor Speedway will host two Team Racing Auto Circuit (TRAC) races in 2003, the new series announced Wednesday. The series has already tested at Atlanta, running a Dodge Viper in a three-day session April 16-18. The Viper reached speeds comparable to a NASCAR Winston Cup car, with a best lap at 29.70 (186.666 mph), Dates have not been announced.(AMS PR) - see my TRAC Page for some images.(4-25-2002)
Johnson fastest at Sears Point on Wednesday: Rookie [#48] Jimmie Johnson, who had never raced a NASCAR Winston Cup car at Sears Point Raceway, recorded the fastest time during a two-day test session on the 12-turn road course. Johnson turned a time of 1 minute, 17.2 seconds [93.264mph] over the 2-mile course to lead a group of six NASCAR drivers who spent Tuesday and Wednesday shaking down the course for the upcoming Dodge/Save Mart 350, June 20-23. Fellow rookie #12 Ryan Newman was right behind Johnson at 1:17.22 [93.240], thanks to some coaching from road-race specialist Scott Pruett over the two days. Newman, like Johnson, was getting his first taste of Sears Point Raceway in a Cup car. Other times were recorded by #87-Ron Fellows (1:17.30 - 93.144), #28-Ricky Rudd (1:17.50 - 92.903]), #97-Kurt Busch (1:17.50 - 92.903) and #17-Matt Kenseth (1:17.82 - 92.521). Kenseth had posted the quick time during the first day of testing on Tuesday.(Sears Points PR)(4-25-2002)
Ward Honored: #22-Ward Burton was honored at South Boston Speedway Saturday, April 13 as part of the "Ward Burton Appreciation Day," an event held in conjunction with the NASCAR Winston Cup race in Martinsville 60 miles away. As part of the event, South Boston Speedway even renamed its entrance 500 Ward Burton Way after their hometown hero. Burton, winner of February's Daytona 500, is a native of South Boston and the first Virginian to win the prestigious 500-mile event in Daytona Beach. Aside from being honored by longtime friends, community members and the track which helped launch his career, Burton also sought support for "Club 22." The program is part of The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and offers memberships for $22 instead of the customary $25. WD-40 Company, who recently signed a partnership with Burton, showed their support by presenting a $2,500 donation to the Wildlife Foundation. They also provided a WD-40/NASCAR beverage huggie to each person who joined Club 22 at the event.(WD-40 PR)(4-25-2002)
(4-24-2002)
Pit Awards: The first quarter finalist for the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew of the Year Award is the #40 Coors Light Crew. The #40 Coors Light Crew led the first quarter points standings with a total of 83 points to become the first of four final crews who will compete for the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew of the Year Award and the $75,000 in prize money. Others include the #17 DeWalt crew at 76; #8 Budweiser crew at 64; #20 Home Depot crew at 63l and the #48 Lowes crew at 62. The #40 Coors Light Crew becomes a year-end nominee and is no longer eligible for points. At the completion of the fourth quarter there will be four NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams eligible for the final voting. (National Association of Pit Crew Members PR) AND Sawing Through Adversity, #36 Crew Chief Newt Moore Takes Home IRWIN Crew Chief of the Week Honors.(Irwin Tool PR)(4-25-2002)
Craven in the Breeze: PPI Motorsports' Tide Racing Team is set to unveil the Tide "Clean Breeze" car this weekend at California Speedway. The team plans to run the "Clean Breeze" car at California, Richmond and both upcoming events at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the month of May. "The special paint scheme represents the launch of Tide Clean Breeze laundry detergent," said Brian McNamara, Brand Manager of Tide for Procter & Gamble. "The new Tide Clean Breeze is a clean and natural fresh scent. For the first time, the fresh scent of laundry dried outdoors comes to you indoors," he added. The look is a departure of the traditional #32 Tide paint scheme as it combines elements of clouds and sky on the right front quarter panel and the entire TV panel.(PPI Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery(4-24-2002)
Fox Wins Emmy's: "Boogety, boogety, boogety" must be the refrain around Fox Sports headquarters this morning as the network celebrates being the big winner at the Sports Emmy Awards last night in New York. Fox pulled in 11 awards, the highest number of any network. The three awards won by "NASCAR on Fox" were more than any other sports program. In fact, a Dick Schaap special on ESPN was the only other program to pull in even two awards. The big prize for NASCAR was its win as the "Outstanding Live Sports Series." Other victories were as "Outstanding Technical Team Remote" and "Outstanding Graphic Design."(MotorsportsTV)(4-24-2002)
NASCAR Opens "Speediatrics": On Tuesday, they held the grand opening of the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center called "Speediatrics" at Homestead Hospital. The 14-bed pediatrics unit received a $600,000 renovation with a motorsports theme. It has colorful racing cartoon characters, cars, tracks and checkered flags painted on the walls. It also has miniature replica NASCAR cars in many of the rooms. France, the wife of NASCAR chairman and CEO Bill France, founded Speediatrics in 1999 when the first racing-themed pediatric center opened at the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. The one at Homestead Hospital is the second. Renovations began last September and were completed earlier this month. Homestead-Miami Speedway has agreed to raise $300,000 for the project. Speediatrics is designed to make children feel as comfortable as possible during a hospital stay. Officials hope the cheerful atmosphere will make a difference in the spirit and recovery of sick children. Jeff Gordon stopped at each hospital room, signing autographs, posing for pictures and leaving smiles on dozens of children's faces Tuesday. "You see firsthand kids that are sick, kids that need good care and need a smile put on their face," Gordon said. "You see that enough and you realize that there's too much of that going on, and then it's like how can you help? How can you contribute? I grew up healthy and strong and became very successful -- all my dreams have come true. I want to see these kids' dreams come true. These kids are going through an awful lot: doctors are poking and prodding on them and it's not a lot of fun," Gordon said. "The goal is to get them out of the hospital, so they can go back home and have fun and be normal kids. But while they're here, it helps to be able to look at things and take their thoughts off of what's going on with the doctors. It brings a fun atmosphere to the pediatrics center." Gordon, helping unveil the new center because of his past work with kids through the Jeff Gordon Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, headed a tour of the facility with dozens of NASCAR officials, community leaders and journalists. Ryan Winter, 5, had no idea Gordon was stopping by his room to chat. When Gordon walked in, Winter's eyes widened as he recognized his favorite NASCAR driver. Winter, who has had several operations to remove a tumor from his kidney and had countless radiation and chemotherapy treatments to send his bone marrow cancer into remission, had little to say to Gordon. All he did was smile as the NASCAR star gave him an autograph.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(4-24-2002)
Be an Original? UPDATE: hearing that #40-Sterling Marlin will run an original Coor's scheme for ten races in 2002(1-22-2002) UPDATE: Coors Chip Ganassi Racing withFelix Sabates has announced a Coors Original paint scheme for the #40 Dodge Intrepid R/T for 10 races during the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The #40 Coors Original Dodge paint scheme will kick off at Fontana and will also been seen at Dover, Michigan, Sonoma, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega, Martinsville, Atlanta and Phoenix. Coors Brewing Company has been a committed sponsor of NASCAR Winston Cup racing for nearly two decades and is looking forward the high
profile exposure that the Coors Original paint scheme will provide with the 21+ male NASCAR enthusiast market. Coors Original, Coors
Brewing Company's flagship beer, is currently aligned with several other partnerships including Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
and musicians Kid Rock and Toby Keith. Coors Original will leverage its relationship with Toby Keith by incorporating Keith elements onto
the Coors Original car.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(4-22-2002) UPDATE 2: see images of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(4-24-2002)
Kenseth fastest at Sears Point on Tuesday: #17-Matt Kenseth posted the top time during the first day of a NASCAR Winston Cup test session on Tuesday at Sears Point Raceway. Kenseth, one of six drivers testing the 10-turn, 2-mile road course in preparation for June's Dodge/Save Mart 350, toured the circuit in 1 minute, 18.42 seconds (91.813mph). He was followed by rookie #48-Jimmie Johnson (1:18.98 - 91.162) and #28-Ricky Rudd (low 1:19s - 91.139), a four-time pole-sitter at Sears Point. Other testers included #87-Ron Fellows (1:19.50 - 90.566), #97-Kurt Busch (1:19.70 - 90.339) and rookie #12-Ryan Newman (1:19.80 - 90.226). One change drivers encountered Tuesday was a tighter transition between Turns 12-1 because of the permanent separation of the road course from the drag strip, which has been a long-time criticism of Sears Point Raceway. Portions of the track have also been repaved. The facility is in the final stages of $50 million Modernization Plan. Busch, who won a NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series event at Sears Point in 1999, was pleased that the Winston Cup cars will no longer have to use the drag strip. Other improvements drivers will find for race weekend (June 20-23) include increased runoff at almost every turn on the road course, as well as a full 43 stalls on pit road, thus eliminating the need for the infamous "Gilligan's Island" on the inside of Turn 11. The entire circuit will be repaved in September.(Sears Point PR)(4-24-2002)
(4-23-2002)
Yunick Foundation: Smokey Yunick's family announced the formation of a non-profit foundation that will support automotive and motorsport innovation through grants and scholarships. They have named the foundation after one of Smokey's favorite phrases: "it
didn't say you couldn't." Smokey applied this phrase to racing rule books, but also to everything he did. He took nothing for granted and looked to solve problems in ways that most people would never contemplate. It was said about him that, "he didn't just think outside the box, he was on another planet." It is this spirit of unlimited exploration and innovation that the Smokey Yunick - It Didn't Say You Couldn't Foundation will seek to foster. Two performance businesses have already signed on as inaugural sponsors of the Foundation. Performance Racing Industry, the voice of the racing marketplace, has committed to provide funding as well as raffle a special Collector's Edition of Smokey's autobiography, that will be signed by over 200 racing personalities, at its annual trade show in December, 2002. Automotive Racing Products (ARP), the premier racing fastener company for whom Smokey was a long-time spokesperson, has also signed on as an inaugural sponsor. The first grant or scholarship will be announced and presented at the Smokey Yunick Roundtable at the PRI Trade Show in December, 2002. Additional information will be posted in the NEWS section of Smokey's web site at SmokeyYunick.com.(4-23-2002)
Talladega TV Ratings UPDATE: Sunday's Winston Cup race from Talladega [on Fox] pulled in an impressive 6.1 overnight rating, up 13% from last year, according to Tuesday's USA Today. Last year's race got a big small market bump to finish with a 6.4 final rating.(MotorsportsTV)(4-23-2002) UPDATE: Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup Aaron's 499 at Talladega drew a 6.1 overnight rating and 13 percent market share for Fox, according to figures in today's Sports Business Daily. Motorsports TV says that the ratings figure for the race is up 13 percent from last year. According to the Sports Business Daily figures, the only weekend sports event with comparable or better ratings was the NBA playoff game featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, which drew a 7.2/13 for NBC.(Winston Cup Scene daily newsletter)(4-23-2002)
(4-22-2002)
More Richmond Testing: Cup and BGN testing continue at Richmond from Monday thru Wedneday. Scheduled to test their Cup cars on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday, April 23 are #18-Bobby Labonte, #20-Tony Stewart, #5-Terry Labonte, and #25-Jerry Nadeau. #9-Bill Elliott, #1-Steve Park and #33-Mike Wallace and BGN driver #40-Brian Vickers are expected to join the group to test Tuesday and Wednesday. Fans are invited to watch testing. The gates will be open from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day.(RIR PR)(4-22-2002)
Nemechek in the Winston, with DEI? Word has it that Joe Nemechek will drive a car from the DEI stable in The Winston at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May. Nemechek is eligible for The Winston because of his win at Rockingham last fall [in the #33 Andy Petree ride - which as a team is also eligible], but is currently without a steady Winston Cup Series ride. He was released from Haas-Carter Motorsports when the team's Kmart sponsorship unraveled. No word on any sponsorship for the deal.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(4-22-2002)
Nemechek back in the #26 at California: Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR reports that Joe Nemechek will drive the #26 Haas Carter Motorsports Ford at California Speedway thos coming weekend with Checker Auto Parts as the sponsor. Frnak Kimmel, who has been driving the #26 has an ARCA race commitment but will supposedly be back in the #26 at Richmond on May 4th.(4-22-2002)
Hermie Sadler to attempt Calif and Richmond: .Hermie Sadler announced today his plans to compete in the next two Winston Cup events at Fontana, California.and Richmond, Virginia. Sadler's #02 Chevrolet will be sponsored.by Car-Freshner Corporation, makers of the famous "Little-Trees" air freshners, in Fontana and he will carry the colors of the Virginia Lottery at Richmond.(Sadler Enterprises PR)(4-22-2002)
Wallace Sponsor: AVStripper, along with Johnson Consulting and Ositis Software have announced a personal sponsorship agreement with Kenny Wallace. AVStripper is a full-featured, easy to use, gateway virus scanning appliance that seamlessly works with any firewall or proxy server, allowing full virus scans of all data traffic coming into and out of the network. AVStripper stops all viruses at the gateway before they penetrate your computer network. Just plug in AVStripper and stop worrying about viruses.(KWR PR)(4-22-2002)
Record Crowd: Sunday’s race set a record at Talladega for attendance. Every one of the 143,500 seats were sold and, with the fans in the 212-acre infield, the attendance was estimated at 170,000. The extra capacity comes from the fact that the O.V. Hill South Tower at the track was expanded by 5,200 seats.(Montgomery Advertiser)(4-22-2002)
Dale Earnhardt Day: Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman proclaimed April 29, Dale Earnhardt's birthday, as "Dale Earnhardt Day" in Alabama to honor the racing legend and his family. Earnhardt won a track record 10 Winston Cup races at Talladega.(ThatsRacin.com), also Dale Earnhardt Inc. also announced it would host Dale Earnhardt Day on April 29 at its shop in Mooresville, N.C. Fans will be allowed to view Earnhardt memorabilia and enter the interior show room. The doors will be open from 8:00am to 9:00pm that day.(4-22-2002)
More Parts Seized: NASCAR put several more parts confiscated by inspectors over the weekend on display Sunday. Among the items collected: an unapproved grill opening on the #14 Pontiac driven by Stacy Compton; two rear axles each from the #28 Ford of Ricky Rudd and #1 Chevy of Steve Park; and an illegal "underpan" - used to improve downforce under the car - on Rudd's #28 Ford.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-22-2002)
Elledge to the #25? UPDATE: Tony Furr's decision to quit as #25-Jerry Nadeau's crew chief this week has raised speculation that Jimmy Elledge may be in line for that job. Elledge could not be reached for comment yesterday.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-20-2002) UPDATE: Jimmy Elledge, who lost his job on Dale Jarrett's team a couple of weeks ago, is being courted by two teams. He now is the top candidate for crew chief on Jerry Nadeau's #25 team, replacing Tony Furr, who resigned. Last week, Elledge was the top candidate for Casey Atwood's #7.(Sporting News)(4-22-2002)
Cars Dyno'd: Six cars were tested on the chassis dynamometer, used to measure horsepower delivered to the rear wheels, following the race. They were the Dodges driven by #40-Sterling Marlin and #22-Ward Burton, Fords driven by #88-Dale Jarrett and #09-Geoffrey Bodine and Chevys driven by #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #48-Jimmie Johnson. No Pontiacs were tested.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-22-2002)
Benson OK: #10 Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson left Talladega Superspeedway feeling like a pretty lucky man. He wasn’t so fortunate to miss the big wreck on lap 164 that involved 24 cars. Nor did he feel real lucky for his 39th-place finish after running pretty well all afternoon on the high-speed trioval. Benson felt lucky because of some quick work by his crewmembers as well as crewmembers on other NASCAR teams who pulled him from the burning #10 Valvoline Pontiac on pit road as flames spread over the car and inside the driver cockpit. “That was pretty scary,” Benson said after a trip to the infield car center. “That’s the first time in my career I’ve ever had a fire like that. I’m fine and I didn’t get burned but I got very hot in the car. I inhaled some of the smoke and fire extinguisher stuff so they took me to the hospital for a while.” Rescue workers doused Benson with cold water and wet towels after he was pulled from the car. After a few minutes in the care center he was released to go back home to North Carolina. Benson was running midpack as the laps began to wind down and making his move to the front. With 16 laps to go several cars ahead of Benson got together in turn two and cars began crashing and spinning. Benson hit another car while enduring a hit from behind. When he finally came to a rest on the backstretch he refired the engine. Benson drove the damaged Valvoline Pontiac around to the pits where the crew changed two tires and sent him back on the track just ahead of the pace car. The plan was to bring him in for two more tires. As he was circling the track the battery housed in the car just behind the left rear tire caught fire. The flames rapidly spread and by the time he was in the middle of pit road the fire had erupted over the
car. Crewmembers from Kenny Schrader’s #36 team as well as others on pit road and Talladega safety crews helped pull Benson from the burning car. The damage from the car along with Benson’s treatment forced the Valvoline team to retire from the race.(Johnny Benson Fanclub)(4-22-2002)
